Dilly Dally-OLD

This blog has moved!!!

2011-03-12T15:27:00.002-05:00

Okay ladies, I'm moving. I'm keeping it blogspot.com but will be changing the url you will be using to access my blog. Everything else will be staying the same. I am in the process of changing everything over now as we ~~speak~~
type. So please, if you're my follower and want to continue to be, please follow this link to my new blog url. Just to get a visual of the new url that's: http://daily-dilly.blogspot.com
Those of you that don't, I'll miss you!

See you on the other ~~side~~ url!!

FOLLOW ME TO MY OTHER BLOG!! PLEASE!!

2011-03-10T18:32:00.002-05:00

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!!
Okay, this blog is moving! It will still be a blogger(blogspot.com) account. The blog will stay the same but the url is going to change. Actually, it already has! You can find it here. And just for a visual here it is again.
http://daily-dilly.blogspot.com

I hope you all find me and continue to follow me to the other page!!
See you on the other ~~side~~ blog! {I hope!}

Listen Up!!! The blog is moving!!

2011-03-09T20:03:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-09T13:46:00.000-05:00

Quote blocks

2011-03-08T19:21:00.000-05:00

I've seen these blocks before on many blogs and websites and thought I'd give it a go. I am not sure on the size of these blocks as I didn't buy them, they were already laying around the house I sanded them down a bit just to get the rough edges off. Then I used a can of off white spray paint and did a very quick coat. I wanted to be able to see some of the wood grain through the paint for a more rustic, rugged, antiquey look. Yes, I'm aware that antiquey isn't a real word. Ssssh! This is my post!


After a quick coat of paint

I used americana-ish cardstock and cut 3 strips to fit the sides. I used a mixture of glue and water for this as I don't have mod podge. I applied the words God bless America that I had cut from my handy dandy cricut machine. And voila, cute little blocks to sit on the antique stereo in the living room.These pics are horrible, taken with my phone.

With a patriotic ribbon

With a little bit of light blue tulle

I left them just as they are, I like the look of them simple and stacked.

An angry bowl of cereal poked a taxi cab

2011-03-08T00:40:00.000-05:00

Hola! Hi! Guten Tag! Hello! Hej! ciao! （用于问候、接电话或引起注意）哈罗，喂，你好! алло! Olá! Aloha!

Hosted by:

Another fabulous giveaway!

2011-03-07T08:56:00.000-05:00

I've been a follower of brown paper packages for some time now. You can find some really great things there! Many tutorials for many varieties of crafty fun! So there is a wonderful giveaway going on over there. Get your tooshie over there! Really, you'll be glad you did! I'm going to remind you to enter the giveaway, even though I have better chance of winning if I don't...but I'm a nice person. That or I'm in a good mood today. :) You decided.

Weekend wordle

2011-03-06T21:15:00.000-05:00

i almost forgot the weekend wordle! but just in the nick of time, i posted it. enjoy!

you've got to clicky clicky to make the picture bigger! go on, it's worth it. :)

Someday Maybe

2011-03-06T21:04:00.002-05:00

Hello lovelies in blogland! I hope you all had a good weekend! Sucks that it's nearing an end though, huh? {sigh} I have so much that I wanted to get done this weekend and just haven't. I got my grocery shopping finished, bathroom cleaned and steam mopped and dishes done. But there is so much that I should have gotten completed and didn't. Not only was it not completed, but it was never started. And I wanted to, I just didn't have the umph to move. Ever feel that way? It totally sucks.

I had some things in mind that I wanted to try out this weekend. I got the boards sanded that I wanted to but I also needed to paint them and make me some pretties for my living room. And I always get the motivation to do these little projects that are speaking to me in the evenings-that seems to be when the house is quietest. But of course, it's dark and cold! Not to mention windy! I was going to go ahead and paint but not with that wind!

So, I have come to the conclusion that I need a craft room. Not just any craft room will do. No. It will be an ultimate craft room! With wonderful, bright lighting. It will come, of course, fully equipped with everything any crafter could dream up! Woodworking tools, tons of work space. Lots of crates and stored paints and ribbons & buttons. Stones & fabrics. Flowers & beads. Lots of photographs on the walls. And maybe just for the fun of it a cozy little nook with a comfortable chair and blanket, perfect for reading.
Oh, if only I could have it my way...

It may look something like this...

image from here

or this...

image from here

or this...

image from here

you're getting the picture....

image from here

Yes, maybe someday.

Can I borrow a boat?

2011-03-05T12:27:00.000-05:00

With all of the snow melting (finally) and all of the rain we have been getting, I was beginning to question whether or not I was going to have to purchase a boat. These pictures aren't the best but you get the idea.
The sad thing about this is, there are places that are underwater and there are residences that are flooded in and can't get in or out.

Right next to the river and the road

The next pictures are all pictures of the river.

Get caught passing notes

2011-03-04T21:41:00.000-05:00

Hiya! Meg has this nifty little jig going on at O. is me. Instead of posting your normal post, you hand write your post and either scan it or take a picture of it. If you participate, don't forget to link up!

Picture This Thursday-Spring Photo's-5

2011-03-02T17:29:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Picture this Thursday! Join us and play along!!

It works like this. I will post this weeks photo's and also inform you of the category for next week. Which will allow anyone that wants to participate but that may not have a photo for that category an opportunity to get those pictures! There will be a linky (because I want to see everyone's photos!) that will be open for probably 2 days.

I only ask two things:

1. Please follow me as the hostess.

2. Use the "Picture this Thursday" button in the post.

You can also post to your sidebar if you'd like.

It's that easy!

So, whatcha waitin' on? Get snappin!

In an effort to try and coax spring to arrive, I thought we could post a Spring photo this week. {Fingers crossed that it works!}

The theme next week will be wedding.

If you're not married, don't fret it can be a picture of any wedding you attended or a photo of you and your honey.

Okay, here are my spring pictures for this week.

Giveaways are great!

2011-03-02T16:40:00.000-05:00

So I just found a great blog, drifts into randomness. And there just so happens to be a great giveaway going on right now! You should check it out, no...wait, don't, that way I have a better chance at winning. Muaahahaha! {evil villainous laughing} Okay, go check it out! I'll only kinda sorta be disappointed for a little bit if you win because I referred you there!

Giveaway going on here!

She has fever!!

2011-03-01T22:25:00.000-05:00

So, I finally broke down and took her! And I must admit, I pretty much loved the movie! I had to elbow her a few times and remind her that the other people in the theater could hear her as well and didn't come to hear her sing! But she had a great time and I have been deemed the best mom on the planet. Sweeeet! Wait til she gets in trouble next...I'm back to mean, old, boring mom!

Tweet, tweet!

2011-03-01T22:20:00.000-05:00

I'm a little behind the times, I know, but I just updated twitter or "tweeted" for the very first time! Kind of exciting, somewhat scary!

Weekend Wordle

2011-02-26T13:28:00.000-05:00

It's time for the wonderful, random, jumble of words that sums up my blog for the week. If you would like to create one for yourself, please click here.

Click me for a decent sized view! ;)

The last few-in photo's

2011-02-26T13:22:00.000-05:00

As you all know, we recently got home from a visit with family in Indiana. Here is our trip...in photo's.

Picture This Thursday-Animal-4

2011-02-23T21:39:00.003-05:00

I only ask two things:

1. Please follow me as the hostess.

2. Use the "Picture this Thursday" button in the post.

You can also post to your sidebar if you'd like.

It's that easy!

So, whatcha waitin' on? Get snappin!

The topic this week is:

ANIMAL

Here are mine!


My cat Neko, peeking out from under the couch.


Duck at the park

Next week's subject is:

Springtime Photo

A wee bit of me Wednesday

2011-02-23T16:36:00.000-05:00

{one} do you always wear your seatbelt in the car?

E.V.E.R.Y time

{two} do you crack your knuckles?

guilty

{three} what is your favorite flavor of gum?

I like a lot of gums. the new five & orbit gums are my favorite.
{four} what is your favorite piece of jewelry that you own?my wedding bands.
{five} who is your best friend?

my husband & kids, my mom & sisters. amanda

{six} what is your favorite smell?baby shampoo and my husband straight from the shower....and no my husband doesn't use baby shampoo-lol
{seven} what is your favorite lunch meat?brown sugar or honey ham
{eight} do you still have your tonsils?yes I do
{nine} do you untie your shoes before you take them off?I do not. seems like a waste of time.
{ten} what color is your car?maroon

Wordless Wednesday-I cut my hair!

2011-02-23T12:44:00.001-05:00

Before & After

Dilly Dally's Picture This Thursday-Your favorite family photo-3

2011-02-16T14:17:00.002-05:00

Since I am going to be packing and have lots to do, this is getting posted early.

Welcome to Picture this Thursday! Join us and play along!!

It works like this. I will post this weeks photo's and also inform you of the category for next week. Which will allow anyone that wants to participate but that may not have a photo for that category an opportunity to get those pictures! There will be a linky (because I want to see everyone's photos!) that will be open for probably 2 days.

I only ask two things:

1. Please follow me as the hostess.

2. Use the "Picture this Thursday" button in the post.

You can also post to your sidebar if you'd like.

It's that easy!

So, whatcha waitin' on? Get snappin!

&lt;div align="center">&lt;a href="http://morelovemorepower.blogspot.com" title="Picture This Thursday">&lt;img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt129/nessa0554/picturethis-1.png" alt="Picture This Thursday" style="border:none;" />&lt;/a>&lt;/div>

The topic this week is:
Your favorite family photo
Here are mine.

January 2010

Halloween 2010

Wedding day Dec. 7, 2007

August 2008

My siblings and I

The category next week is:
ANIMAL

Where have I been? {photo's}

2011-02-15T19:35:00.003-05:00

Where have I been for nearly a week? Oh, you don't care? Okay, good-I'm going to tell you anyway! I've been sick. I've been to a MOPS lock in. I've been visiting with family. I've been scrapbooking. BECAUSE MY HUSBAND BOUGHT ME A CRICUT EXPRESSION CUTTING MACHINE! And a dozen, lovely, red roses, a new purse, and let me buy whatever I wanted at hobby lobby. And did I mention he's taking me to see my family this week?!?! Yes ma'am [or sir], he totally rocked this Valentines Day out for the record books. Think he can raise the bar next year? I'm fairly certain there are many other things that I'm forgetting to mention because I feel like I've just been lavished with wonderful gifts from him for three days! Oh, I also got me two pair of comfy sweats, can't leave those out! Think I've abandoned you? Oh but I haven't!! And here's proof! Except that I didn't get a picture of me while I was sick! Unless you count the picture of me and A at the MOPS lock in, I didn't feel well then!

Sorry about the flash in the photo's.

Picture this Thursday-Something Red-2

2011-02-09T21:17:00.001-05:00

I only ask two things:

1. Please follow me as the hostess.

2. Use the "Picture this Thursday" button in the post.
You can also post to your sidebar if you'd like.

It's that easy!

So, whatcha waitin' on? Get snappin!

The category this week is:

SOMETHING RED

Here are my photos:

The category next week is:

YOUR FAVORITE FAMILY PHOTO

Scrambled Randomology

2011-02-08T21:23:00.003-05:00

I have been trying to keep myself from participating in so many blog hops. But the wonderful photo and sticky note and random thoughts hops keep snickering little teases into my ear making me post! I'm only kidding-THEY SCREAM THEM! :)

The second edition of Picture this Thursday is coming up! You should play along!

With wordless Wednesday, the pictures usually don't need a caption or explanation. They speak for themselves.

I linked up to the following:

Dialect Video

2011-02-08T12:38:00.000-05:00

I thought this looked like fun so I thought I'd give it a whirl. This was spur of the moment so excuse the lack of composure! Haha! Does the camera really add 10 pounds? Yes! Oh, and yes, that is the traffic outside my window that you hear! Annoying, huh?

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?

What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?

What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?

What do you call gym shoes?

What do you say to address a group of people?

What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?

What do you call your grandparents?

What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?

What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

-----------------------------------------------------------

So, did I pass? Am I normal?? :)

Weekend Wordle

2011-02-06T19:17:00.000-05:00

To participate please go to this link and create your very own!

Here's mine

Bring me spring & flowers & sunshine {please!}

2011-02-03T05:22:00.000-05:00

As we continue to get more wonderful (NOT) winter weather, we continue to get cancellation calls from the school every morning.
It's Thursday and there hasn't been a day of school yet this week. Jim, however, is enjoying sliding out of the driveway in the van.
All I can say is he better not damage it! There is a utility pole at the end of it!!
Camden and myself have both taken spills in the driveway which continues to be a long, thick, never ending sheet of ice. I'm hoping we can still take our trip to Jasper without Camden missing any school. But at this rate, the two days that she is scheduled off may very well become snow make up days. If that will be the case, she will be doing homework on our mini vacay!
More later,
Vanessa

Don't forget! The very first Picture This Thursday-Winter Photos

2011-02-02T20:10:00.000-05:00

Just a friendly reminder that you can go to {THIS} post and submit your winter photos for the very first Picture This Thursday! I hope I have some participants! But I realize it may take awhile for it to potentially catch on. And if it doesn't, I'll continue to post every week. I'll just be doing it in the fetal position as I cry in the corner!

Picture This Thursday-Winter Photo's-1

2011-02-01T17:28:00.006-05:00

Welcome to the very first Picture this Thursday! Don't we all love showing off our favorite photo's we've taken? I do! I'm sure it will take awhile to get this off the ground. (If it even does!)Yes, I know it's Tuesday! I posted this early since it is the first post ever. Partly because I was excited but mostly to give everyone time to get some photo's uploaded.

It will work like this. I will post this weeks photo's and also inform you of the category for next week. Which will allow anyone that wants to participate but that may not have a photo for that category an opportunity to get those pictures! There will be a linky (because I want to see everyone's photos!) that will be open for probably 2 days.

I only ask two things:

1. Please follow me as the hostess.

2. Use the "Picture this Thursday" button in the post.
You can also post to your sidebar if you'd like.

It's that easy!

So, whatcha waitin' on? Get snappin!

The category this week is:

WINTER

Next week's subject will be:

SOMETHING RED

Here are my photo's this week

Is it cold out tonight?

2011-02-01T00:45:00.004-05:00

I complain. A lot. About many things in my life. Not as much as some but I do it. I'm human. We all do it. About all of the terrible things life has thrown at us.
Right now in Chicago it's 20 degrees. New York 28 degrees. St. Louis 31 degrees. Columbus, Ohio 28 degrees. And there are people, humans, just like you and me that have no shelter from the elements. From the wind & rain to the ice & snow. Many won't make it through the night. So while we sit in our sheltered and warm homes, remember to be thankful for just how much you have. Those without a place to live would gladly trade our little annoyances and problems, large or small and trade them for their own. I guarantee some of these people would see a much brighter reflection in our eyes than what we see for ourselves. Life is not always as bad as we tend to make it.

Letters to my loved ones ♥

2011-01-31T20:21:00.000-05:00

Camden,
You have grown and matured so much into a wonderful person! You changed my life girl. Saved it really. I was headed down a not so good path when you came along! Thank you!
You are struggling in math at school right now and that bums me out to see. I never was good in math either. I think you'll find a lot of people really aren't that fond of it though. You are doing fabulous on everything else at school.
You've definitely did some growing into your own person recently. I know because your attitude reminds me every day! It makes me glad to see that even though I don't agree with everything you sometimes choose to do or say,you are expressing YOURSELF. I know that this is just the beginning and my only hope is that I can guide you to be as bright and successful that I know you are capable of being. I am already proud of you and sure that no matter what I will continue to be proud of you! Keep up the good work babe! Just remember, if you need to talk to someone or cry on someones shoulder, I am ALWAYS here for you. ALWAYS! Don't ever be afraid to come to me for anything!

Kainan,
My how you've turned into an intelligent little man! Three years have passed by so quickly! You are talking so well! And saying so much...and repeating everything that you say if I don't reply to you as quickly as you want. You have such a large imagination! I am so glad to see that! Many kids don't show much of an imagination like you do. You are very protective of your older sister! Already practicing! I just wish I could get you to stop pulling the cats tail! He doesn't like it anymore today than he did when you first got in trouble for it. :) You got so excited today when I told you we would be visiting Jasper in just a couple of weeks. You remembered almost everyone's names today! I am impressed! Keep it up!

Jim,
You have given me so much confidence to be the person that I really am. To stand up for myself. And to be true to myself. You have shown me that it is okay if I do something for ME sometimes. I wish we could have more nights together, spend more time with each other. I know that things haven't always been easy but we are finally making a comeback and getting out from under all of those things that we were once stuck under. Thank you for making it possible for me to stay at home with our kids while they grow and learn. I love it.
I know I sometimes allow for you to see more stress than I would like for you to see. That's only because you are my confidant and I let it all go with you.

Weekend Wordle

2011-01-29T20:15:00.000-05:00

www.wordle.net to participate

Just like every week, clicking on the photo will enlarge it for you!

What is love?

2011-01-29T14:12:00.005-05:00

–noun

1. tender, passionate affection for another person.

2. of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a child, or friend.

3.sexual passion or desire.

Definition compliments of dictionary.com

I did a Valentine's Dayish activity with the kids last night. I printed a heart template off the internet and asked them each this question. What does love mean to you? I was curious what their answers were going to be. It's always fun to hear what kids think about certain things and what it means to them. I had two extra kids here so we have four different answers. I sat them down individually, in separate rooms so they couldn't "steal" answers. And asked them in the order of youngest to oldest. These are the responses I got.

What does love mean to YOU?

F.F.F. Dis. (pointing to template)-boy 2 1/2 years old.

In my heart. In your heart mommy. Kiss. Cute. Bunny. Kainan. Mommy. Camden. Daddy-boy 3 years old.

Love means Valentines. Forgiving. I love you too.-girl 4 1/2 years old.

Caring. Love comes from the heart. Love is forgiving. Love is being thankful. Gifts from the heart.-girl, nearly 10 years old.

I loved that each of them had very different answers. So tell me...what does love mean to you?

If I could do things the way I wanted...

2011-01-29T00:50:00.002-05:00

If I could do things any way I wanted, my house would look like this...

It would have this A.M.A.Z.I.N.G, funky crate staircase!

Donna at funky junk interiors certainly has a way of putting things together that most wouldn't dream of. And she certainly makes it all work wonderfully!
My house would also have this creation of Marian's at Miss Mustard Seed:

Would you believe THAT sofa started out looking like

THIS?!?!
And that she transformed it by using....drop cloths?!?! AWESOME!
I would have to have chairs too right? Well, those can also be found at Mustard Seed Creations.

You'll have to go to her page to see the before pictures! They didn't look so fabulous before! But aren't they amazing now??
I'm going to need a stool to go with my new lovely sofa and chairs. I can swing by The Virginia House to pick up this little darling!
I would like this dandy little window made by Brown Paper Package's Kierste.

I have a thing for revamped windows. I have one now that has the American flag painted onto it. I love it. Didn't she do a fantastic job on this? She stole my heart by starting with a red frame! :)

I don't have photo's for the following things but only because I wasn't about to post them without permission to use them. But you have, have, have to visit and see these outstanding productions!

I would certainly have to have a bed like this one by Shanty 2 Chic! And while I'm there I'd pick up this craft table.
I need these pillows from The Wannabe Cottage! I haven't decided if I'm going to put them on the bed or the sofa though...hmmm.

I can see the kids and I reading books under a shade tree sitting on this bench.

(photo courtesy of google images)

All of these designers have so, so many astonishing things to show off! Please stop by and have a look-see! You won't be disappointed. :)

Fill in the blank Friday

2011-01-28T22:03:00.002-05:00

I've never hopped along to this one but thought it sounded like a goodie. :) The little things we do is hosting...be nice and play along too!

1. If my house was on fire and I could only grab 3 things I would grab my scrapbooks, photos, files

2. A smell I really like is Vampire by Body Fantasies

3. Something you might not know about me is that I moved from Indiana to Tacoma, Washington to live with my husband (then boyfriend) after only 3 months.

4. Some of my favorite websites to putter about on are facebook & blogger

5. This weekend I will be doing exactly this. After of course watching some tv with the chicklings.

6. Nothing makes me happier than my family. Generic answer? You haven't met my family then! ♥

7. A bad habit I have is cracking my knuckles, neck, back....sleeping

Ten on Tuesday

2011-01-25T22:08:00.001-05:00

This is the first time I've played along for this one...you can too by visiting {roots & rings}.

1. Do you decorate for Valentine’s day?
Nope...maybe a blanket with hearts on it. Does that count?
2. Does your desktop have a picture or computer graphic? Is it organized?
Since I've got the new computer, I actually like the wallpapers that are already installed. I use one of those.
3. Do you use a paper planner, electric planner or no planner at all?
I use google calendar. I used to carry a paper one but this year I'm going to hit print if I need a hard copy. :)
4. Do you change purses or bags often or stick with a good thing?
I usually stick with one for about 6 months and then I get tired of it and get a new one.
5. What’s your favorite YouTube Video?

6. Do you use Turbo Tax or a real person to pay your taxes?
My husband uses the H&R block software.
7. How many states have you set foot (or tire) in? Which ones? The colored ones.

8. How many countries have you been in? Which ones?Just this one. United States. :)
9. How many pillows are in your house? (Sleeping or decorative)
At least 15. But I'm not going to go count them.
10. How cold is too cold for flip flops?
40's.

Random Tuesdayness

2011-01-25T09:30:00.002-05:00

Yes, I do realize my post title doesn't make a tid bit of sense. Don't judge, I like it that way! :)

If you want to make your own stickies, you can do so by clicking

----> here.<----

I'm linking up to:

Remember that post about everything in it's place?

2011-01-24T12:05:00.002-05:00

Remember this post? I wish I could say everything was in it's place...Well, today I have to get through a whole lot of folding before I can get on to my decluttering! A whole lot...............

And after I get that all folded and the living room vacuumed and the dishes done...I go on to this...

And this...

Yep, that would be the infamous catch all drawer or junk drawer. Things that we will ~~never~~ maybe someday but probably not use one day. But we simply can't throw it out either. Please tell me I'm not the only one with a drawer for this purpose. I'm sure it won't look this bad if you do, however. :)

((sigh)) I'm thinking I'll skip the dishes and play on my blog a little longer. Good procrastination! (that's my specialty...procrastination. I'm not lazy, really! Okay...maybe a little)

Now....if I could only find the cat...

Monday's Life in Him

2011-01-24T09:24:00.002-05:00

Who wants to join in “Monday's Life In Him”? It’s easy… Just grab this button below & post it somewhere either on your blog post or on your main page. Then… Write a post about HIM (Jesus) You could post a verse, You could share a short story. Either way… Let’s spread His Word and His Love!

Matthew 7:7-8 (New International Version, ©2010)

Ask, Seek, Knock

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
When I was pregnant with my son I was warned that I probably wouldn't carry him to full term. I was prepared then by one of the obstetricians that he didn't believe I would deliver a live baby. The baby just wasn't growing the way they wanted him to. I was being prepared to miscarry or for a stillbirth. You can't prepare for either. Not an expecting mother. I was having a very difficult time with the news. At this point in time I had never attended church as an adult. I hadn't picked up the bible. Didn't pray much. And my husband hadn't been in years but used to be very devoted and faithful. Although he used to be he wasn't anymore.
Well, this day came and my husband had to go back to work. He called from work to reassure me that the doctors were wrong and he didn't believe a word they said. I asked him "What are we going to do? I can't go through that!" He said, read the bible. Pray. And that's exactly what I did. I didn't know where to open to, what to read...so I decided that whatever page I opened is what I would read. And Matthew 7 it was. And just like He has every time since then, God spoke so strongly to me! In that very moment, I was calm. I knew that I could handle whatever it was that God intended for my family.
His plans for us?

We serve an awesome God!

Meet me-it's Monday

2011-01-24T08:53:00.001-05:00

Questions:

1. What is your favorite kind of fudge? Eh, I'm not big on fudge. I am big on chocolate though, fudge just doesn't do it for me. I like it all, just don't eat much of it.

2. Is there snow outside your window? Yes, there certainly is! Quite a bit of it actually. Although, I will say that I believe this is the mildest winter as far as snow goes that I've seen since I've been in Ohio. Temperature wise....BBBRRRRR! Way colder!
3. What is your favorite meal of the day? Dinner.
4. Do you text on your cell phone? Absolutely! It seems both of my kids have a disorder that make them come ask me every question under the sun and want to carry on a conversation ONLY when I'm talking on the phone. Texting seems to make this go away! :) And even if it doesn't, I can talk to my kids and text at the same time. I could actually talk on the phone and my kids at the same time, but that's not really respectful to the person on the other line now is it?
5. Waffles or pancakes? Pancakes, without a doubt. Although, I've never made my own waffles. That might change my answer if I had. I like strawberry waffles with nothing on them. And love my pancakes with peanut butter on them and syrup. Yum!

Participating in

Weekend Wordle

2011-01-23T10:46:00.000-05:00

Visit www.wordle.net to make one for your blog.

Here's mine.

You will definitely have to click to enlarge this one if you want to actually read this puppy!

Way to jump start the weekend

2011-01-21T21:33:00.000-05:00

So, I've had a somewhat eventful day. Kainan has been potty trained a couple of months now. Last night, he peed on the bathroom floor. Right in front of the toilet. AFTER he took his underwear off! This morning however, he decided to pee on the kitchen floor. AFTER he took his underwear off. But tonight, oooooh tonight...he pooped, yes pooped on the bathroom floor, in front of the toilet. AFTER he took his underwear off. I would feel a little better about it if I thought he was going into the bathroom but just couldn't make it. But that's not it! He told me this morning that he had to pee, after last nights ~~flooding~~ peeing on the floor I decided I was going to take him in and SIT him on the toilet myself. That way I knew he would make it...but no, he apparently decided to stand up and pee on the floor. Normally I don't sit him on the toilet because he has just started going standing up. He was so happy and proud that he could do it standing up. Now this.....((sigh)) I am going to take a deep breath and hope for a more successful tomorrow! Wish us luck here!

On the plus side, Camden has raised her grade in math!! Her other grades fell in the process but I can deal with that while we work on math. :)

Friday blog hop

2011-01-21T20:09:00.000-05:00

1. Where did you meet your spouse and did you instantly know it was love? Ha...online, well...sort of. I had been in a relationship where my boyfriend had left me in a financial mess. So I was staying with a friend. She had a friend on her IM list that she talked to often. And we got introduced online. Romantic right? LOL Well, eventually, he and I got to know one another better and eventually he came to visit. We hit it off and I made the move from Indiana to the state of Washington a few months later. We met online in March, met in person in September and I moved in November. 2006

2. What is your favorite room in your house? I don't have a favorite room, really. I'm not in love with the house we are renting. Although, I was when we first moved in. Now, not so much. My answer here by default would have to be the living room. It holds the tv and my computer. This is where we play games together. And where my kids play.

3. Can you wiggle your ears? Yes, can you?

4. What is your evening ritual? I don't have an evening ritual. I am so far from having a routine that it's not funny. I would love more than anything to just one day be in a great, working routine. But, I admit, I am the most un routined person ever. Ritual falls into the category of routine for me.

5. How many hours of sleep do you need to function? I love to sleep, probably why there will never be a functioning routine in my house. I don't wake the kids (except for school) at a specific time, I let them sleep. And I am the same. I usually sleep about 6 hours or so but my body wants to sleep double that amount. And I love to let my body get that much except that it actually makes me grouchy and my day doesn't go as smoothly as it does if I get up after 6 hours.

Beautiful snow

2011-01-21T16:06:00.000-05:00

Even though I am so tired of the snow and cold and wet....it certainly is beautiful! When I looked out my side window this morning I loved the look of the snow on the steps. No one had walked upon it yet and it just had a soft, innocent, wonderful look about it. So I grabbed my camera and faced the cold white stuff and snapped a few pictures. Here is the best shot.

This next picture was taken last night and I just wanted to capture the sparkle in the snow. It was beautiful! Even with the old footprints that the snow was just beginning to cover.

This shot didn't turn out AT ALL how I wanted it to. I was trying to get a picture of the snow falling and how heavy it was. But my husband was in a hurry so I never stopped walking to take the picture and only got one shot. You can see very few of the flakes that were actually surrounding me. But I like how this picture turned out, even if it didn't hit the target I was aiming for.

Desk do over

2011-01-21T15:28:00.000-05:00

Per my purpose to de clutter post, I promised to capture some of the de cluttering and share here. (Actually, the pictures are just posted as proof that I DID follow through with it and got something accomplished! hehehe)

I desperately want a new desk and can't wait for the day that I can mark that off of our "someday" list. I love the dark color of this one but it has been through the wringer (ringer??) and it isn't big enough for all of my ~~clutter~~ things.

You'll have to ignore the dust in some of the photo's as my vacuum decided to come one teeny, tiny, itty, bitty step from an explosion today! And not because my floors needed swept so bad, I actually just vacuumed yesterday. But a vacuum is also on our "someday" list. It's just managed to make it's way closer to the top now, however.

So here's my desk before...(It's actually a very clean before pic. I swear my desk is a magnet for all things in this house!)

And here's my desk after...

Even after I dusted, it still needed dusting! It's done now, but I'm not going to retake the pictures. :)

I'm thinking junk and miscellaneous kitchen drawers next...but I'll save that post for another day.

Hoo are you?

2011-01-19T16:45:00.000-05:00

Night owl crafting had the idea to start this blog hop. It's kind of like the Meet me on Monday questions. Cute idea, goes right along with the name, dont'cha think?

So, anyway, here are the questions.

1. Do you use an alarm clock or some device to wake you up, or do you wake up on your own? I rely on an alarm clock to wake me up. His name is Kainan and he's 3. Just kidding, although sometimes I think I could rely on him to wake me in time! I use the alarm on my phone. However, Jim has recently had his hours at work change. He now goes in an hour later which is good news for me. I no longer have to get up, take him to work, come home, take kiddo to school stop and then re do it all over again come pick up times. He gets up takes kiddo to school stop and then goes right to work. Works out much nicer for me! Now if I could only work on getting that short, loud 3 year old alarm to hush! :p

2. If you could go on any game show, which one would you choose? Only one? It would have to be wheel of fortune. I've always liked that show and am actually quite good at solving the puzzles.

3. Do you prefer the weather to be hot or cold? I prefer warm. Not too hot, not too cold. Late spring weather or early fall weather is wonderful to my liking. Mid 70's would be right up my comfort zone.

4.What color of clothing do you wear the most? Red probably. Or black. But mostly, if it's clean, I'll wear it. I wear a lot of the hubby's clothes...they're big and comfy! Nothing beats a big, comfortable tee shirt!

5. What is your favorite color? Red. Red makes me happy. It is after all, the color that symbolizes love. :) Who doesn't love love?? I look good in red also, that helps!

Where in the world are you Wednesday

2011-01-19T14:41:00.001-05:00

Everyone is invited to join a blog hop and to share where you are from, it will be fun to meet bloggers from all over the world! Where in the World are you?

You can join Hosts Simply Stacie who lives in Nova Scotia, Canada and Just Married with Coupons who lives in Rhode Island, US on a fun blog hop adventure around the world. Tell anything you would like, what country, state, city or region you are from, lets have fun

**This Weeks Theme is:

"Traditional Foods Where You Live"

I live in Coshocton Ohio, a teeny tiny town of (at the 2000 census) just over 11,600 people. We don't have a lot of food options here. But just up the road is a little company called Smuckers. Perhaps you've heard of it?

Back in 1897, in the Midwestern farming community of Orrville, Ohio, Jerome Monroe Smucker pressed locally grown apples into cider and apple butter. True to his upbringing, Jerome took great pride in a job well done and signed the lid of every crock of apple butter as his personal guarantee of quality.

Visit the website for recipes and info.

Random Tuesday Post it Notes

2011-01-18T09:29:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the next edition, (whatever number volume it is) of Random Tuesday Thoughts and Post it Note Tuesday. Click the buttons below for more info on how to partake in this wonderful adventure. :) I like to merge my RTT & PINT all together and put my random thoughts on the stickies.

Meet me-it's Monday

2011-01-17T13:14:00.002-05:00

Questions:

1. Do you like your ice cream in a dish, waffle cone, pretzel cone, sugar cone or cake cone?

I'll take it in all of the above please! Would love to have them in cake cones but never have them or remember to buy them, so usually do the ice cream in a bowl. (A big one!)

2. Do you read the newspaper daily?
Daily? Meh! No....only Sunday's usually...and just the coupons. :)

3. Marinara or meat sauce?
Can I vote neither? Of course I can, it's my blog. Neither.

4. Last time you cried?
I am a crier. I get emotional over many things. But the last time I cried? Ummm, last weekend...when the husband and I got into an argument. :*(

5. What word/phrase do you find really annoying?
I don't like when people pronounce familiar as fermiliar.

My walk-II

2011-01-17T11:14:00.004-05:00

This is a very touchy subject, I realize. I am not trying to be controversial, just sharing a bit about my side & opinions.
I wrote a similar post to this one months back. You can read about it by clicking {here}.
I have not attended church for just over a year now. I'm not posting this to be boastful, not by any means. I'm not proud of the fact nor however, am I ashamed. Does this mean I am no longer considered a Christian? I pray, praise, worship and talk to & listen to God daily. I haven't read the bible cover to cover. I admit that I rarely read the bible-something I'd like to change. My feelings, beliefs, thoughts on God and The Church (not church, but The Church) haven't changed. My thoughts on church however, have. Or should I rephrase and say my thoughts on the people that attend church have changed. As a non Christian, I had never thought of Christians as "bible thumpers" or people who considered themselves to be of a higher standard than others or thought themselves to be better people. Better humans. Better Christians. It was after I started attending church as an adult that I began to see all of the things that have made me withdraw.

Hearing a pastor's wife say things like, "I am not supposed to say anything so don't tell anyone this but....." Really? People go to a pastor and his family and church board for guidance, for help, structure and under the impression that it is in total and complete confidence.

I've seen the difference in people at church and outside of it. We all see that though, I'm sure. I act completely different at home than I do at church.

I recently heard someone refer to someone else as a weak Christian. I'm sorry, I didn't know there was a way you could find a distinction. Is there a rule book somewhere? How many hours does this person pray weekly? CHECK! Does this person attend church every Sunday & Wednesday? CHECK! Do they carry a bible with them? CHECK! How many people have they led to Jesus? CHECK! Does this person volunteer and give back to the community? CHECK! You'll have to pardon my sarcasm here as this is to me, what most would under these standards consider a "weak" Christian, hard for me to hear! We all have a story. We all have a voice, something that has given us inspiration or moved us to join a church or say a prayer or read the bible. EVERYONE has a story, a struggle, a tragedy but some of us don't share that story openly. Or in front of an entire congregation.

I didn't grow up in a household that regularly attended church. Church for us was a reward. Something we looked forward to but couldn't count on seeing. My father was an alcoholic, things are different under those circumstances. (I'm proud to say however, my father attends church now and no longer drinks!)

Anyway, my point here is that just because someone doesn't outwardly display what most would consider strong Christian values, it doesn't mean they aren't Christian. It doesn't mean that person doesn't have the strong values. Doesn't even mean that they don't show them. It just means that some choose not to see them. And those that choose not to see them, I often find are the ones that point fingers, are judgmental, hypocritical. We are all learning, striving to be better. A strong Christian has to start somewhere. So aren't we,new Christians the beginning makings of a strong Christian? As long as we are still fighting to be children of God and practice righteousness I don't think it is fair to be categorized. We WANT to produce much good fruit for Jesus. I also am not categorizing Christians with good, strong roots in any negative manor! I'm not trying to imply that all are the same.

We know from scripture that God is judge of all. {1 Samuel 2:10, Psalms 50:6, Isaiah 3:13} God is our judge because he is all-knowing, he is Truth. His judgments are righteous. But even though God alone is the judge, it doesn't mean that he is the only one who casts judgment. God is pleased by those who seek to judge....righteously! And I guess that's my key complaint. Some Christians take it upon themselves to judge, which is not what I have issues with. Some decide to forget the fact that God has set restrictions on judging.

When we judge others for committing sins that we partake in, we are condemning ourselves. { Matthew 7:1-5, Luke 6:37-42, Romans 2:1-5}
We are also told not to judge according to appearances or by the flesh. {John 7:24, James 2:1-4}
Do not judge based on lies or misrepresentations. {James 4:11-12}

I'm sure some of you are saying, yes, this is found to be true. But you are going to have some of this everywhere. It's impossible to weed out those that you do find. EXACTLY!
Rather than see and hear these things by the people who are to be the example to new Christians, weak Christians, I, for the time being, prefer to worship my God in my own way, without sitting in a sanctuary feeling negatively and missing the point of the sermon completely. I know that in time I will be able to get over this feeling. I know that in God's time, he will have given me the knowledge and the wisdom to accept these things that have made me withdraw and that some day I will again be comfortable in church.

I think for the time being my plan for us is to "home" church. Watching services online and bible school the children ourselves. This also eliminates any controversy my daughter may be having with other young ones in the youth church services.

Romans 2:11-For God shows no partiality.

This post shall have no title :)

2011-01-16T20:23:00.001-05:00

Sorry that I haven't posted ~~much~~ anything lately. Not that I think any of you had reason to miss me...or my posts.
I have just been in such a slump lately. I have nothing to talk about, gossip about, post pictures of...NOTHING!
You know those New years goals I talked about? Not much has happened with them. You know that de cluttering I spoke of? Same result, nothing. But I did misplace my hubby's bank card yesterday and any de cluttering that was even a thought in my head-POOF! It disappeared with each unturned object in my house. I was on a path of destruction and even lost sleep last night due to the fact! I KNEW I had taken his bank card out of my pocket IN THE HOUSE but the house was challenging me to find it! My husband ended up finding it in a leather cover of his external hard drive!! Why on earth would I put it there??? Good question! I was ~~half~~ almost, kinda, pretty much, sorta sleeping when I did that...oy!
On a positive note, I have actually been getting some sleep! And the best part? It's been taking place through the night! Of course, you wouldn't know that I love to sleep through the day...until now. I do, there is just something relaxing about sleeping during the daylight hours. Maybe because I feel safer, even though I don't not feel safe at night. (Shrugging shoulders) Got me??!?! But the thing about me sleeping now through the night, I'm usually asleep by 8 p.m., yeah, I know! EARLY! And the one thing about going to bed early.....waking up early!!! 5 and 6 a.m. Insert words for being bored out of mind {here}....
My son woke me up early this morning, I guess I slept in because he woke me the first time at 5:30 but I ~~sent him~~ begged him to go back to bed! And he did, til about 6. So I turned cartoons on for him and laid down. He got up again soon after, which was expected but I didn't expect him to fall asleep in my arms! I went to lay him down in my bed (I wasn't going to attempt getting him upstairs and chance waking him!) and of course, as I laid him down, he woke! And then proceeded to puke on me! My day is complete!
He hasn't thrown up since! And has been up playing all day, until about 20 minutes ago when he fell asleep on the couch next to my husband. He was even promised a game of hungry hippos before bed and he's all crashed out! Poor guy!

How was YOUR weekend?

Weekend Wordle-food and crafting

2011-01-16T20:01:00.000-05:00

I almost forgot to post this! Shame on me! I knew my weekend was a bit more boring than that of my normal weekends! Ha! The puke down my back that my 3 year old left for me this morning just wasn't enough excitement to suit me!

Clickety-click-click for enlargement!

Cheesy Potatoes with Smoked Sausage

2011-01-12T11:41:00.000-05:00

I made this once before and by the time we finished eating, there were no leftovers! That rarely happens in this house. I got this recipe from allrecipes.com. I faithfully use their site for all of my meal planning.

I didn't think to take pictures until I got to Step two and saw just how yummy everything looked! That's when I snapped a few pictures. This dish can be used for a dinner meal but would also make a great breakfast casserole!

Ingredients

1 (1 pound) package Hillshire Farm® Smoked Sausage
1 (20 ounce) package refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cut sausage into 1/2" cubes. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

I had actually thought about tossing some sauerkraut into this dish. I knew my husband would love it...but he would have been the only one! Haha! I also didn't add the onion (because I didn't have any) and forgot the pepper, even without seasoning it was delicious!

Cork board revamp

2011-01-11T14:10:00.001-05:00

I had an old cork board that I was using but it was getting pretty shabby. The frame was bowed a little, it was faded and it just needed a makeover. My mother in law had given me some fabric last summer that I hadn't decided what to use for. Until today. And even when I began, I was leery of the outcome. But the board already looked horrid, what's the worst that could happen? It goes out with the other trash Sunday night? I could live with that.

I cut the fabric to a size slightly larger than the actual corked area of the board. Smoothing out all of the fabric, I hot glued each edge of the fabric to the cork board. Then I used a butter knife to tuck the remaining fabric under the frame.

This is what it looked like after the fabric had been glued on and tucked under the frame. Sorry for the color, the flash ruined the picture.

I liked it but it still wasn't quite enough.

That's better!

Now I just need to get out and buy some cute push pins for it!

A clean closet is a happy closet

2011-01-11T13:41:00.002-05:00

I finally got started on the de cluttering. You may remember this post. First up on the list was my son's closet. We don't use it for anything other than storage. Or, ummm, well, that's what it is intended for. These pictures will prove that it wasn't actually being utilized for storage exactly. But I needed a new place to store Christmas decor. The shed wasn't working out, it isn't completely dry out there, so things were getting ruined.

Before
Don't hate, I'm not proud of the clutter!

A mess of hangers & old Halloween costumes....(sigh)

After

I even have room for more in there!

Weekend Wordle

2011-01-08T13:46:00.003-05:00

Isn't she lovely?? :)

Want to create one of your own? Visit this site.

Friday Bouncing

2011-01-07T09:21:00.003-05:00

Weekends are a bit like rainbows; they look good from a distance but disappear when you get up close to them. ~John Shirley

Boy isn't that the truth! We always look forward to the weekend but it never does last long enough!

Okay, so on we go to the Friday fun! First up is Five question Friday.

1. What is your current favorite book and why? As of now, I am not reading anything. Truth be told, I haven't read anything in quite some time. The last books I had were the Twilight Series and well, since I'm already being honest, those were the ebooks so...it was cheating...does that count?

2. Do you go to the dentist regularly?Yeah.....well, um....No. You see, I don't have the best excuse. Okay, okay you got me....I don't have an excuse.

3. What is your worst memory from high school? I don't really have a bad memory from high school. Apparently I didn't have a traumatic experience or I'd have remembered it right? I guess my answer to this one (simply because I don't want the headache nor do I have the time to think hard and long on this) is going to have to be that I was quiet and shy. I never tried out for sports or clubs. I wish now that I had though.

4. What do you hope to be remembered for in your life? Gee, this one isn't the easiest either. I want to be remembered as a good mother & wife. Someone who loves her family but doesn't give a crap what people think of me. Contradicting? Eh, well. While I want people to like me, I will not go out of my way to make them like me. Take me as I am. You don't HAVE to like me. And I don't HAVE to like you.

5. Are you superstitious or do you have any superstitions? (I feel like I have recently answered this question on the blog...) I used to be superstitious. But not anymore. I don't like when a mirror breaks, but really, who wants to clean up all that mess??

And now I will tell you about the five things that I am most thankful for from this week. Which means it is time for Friday's fave Five. You can link up on Susanne's page.

Don't you just love this cool, wintery photo?

1. First thing on my list this week-car wash! The crows/black birds here have gone NUTS on our van! My poor kid yesterday was embarrassed when I dropped her off at the bus stop. Everyone made fun of her...even though it was beyond her control. Cruel kids!

2. Blog friends. There are people here that I have never met face to face but you are all so wonderful! The stress relief of this blog has been wonderful!

3. Another thing that has helped me curb my stress and keep my mind-dr. pepper. Some people drink liquor, some have their crack addictions, some smoke. Me, I need dr. pepper. Got.to.have.it!

4. Chocolate-see number three for reasons

5. My husband. He makes my list many times, however, this week when I wasn't feeling so hot he left work to come take care of our son. I still don't feel up to par. But feel better definitely. And guess what? He called into work sick today! Poor guy has been sick all morning!

Hope you all have a fabulous Friday!

And don't forget to link up!

Thursday's Ten: Things I miss from childhood

2011-01-06T07:04:00.001-05:00

I decided this week (since I've already posted about my goals for the new year, read about that by clicking here. ) I wanted to post the top ten things I miss from my childhood.

I can't put this in any particular order because they are all some of my favorite or missed things from childhood.

Ah, MASH! If you are a female, you know this game well and it needs no explanation! However, on the off chance that someone hasn't heard of this game, I'll explain. This is where (as young girls) we would have the opportunity to marry any guy we wanted, drive any car, live in any type of house. Of course, you didn't get to PICK, that would be too easy! You drew the little, hypnotizing circle (or whatever shape you desired, some simply drew tallies.) After counting the lines, proceed to count down the list that number of times and begin marking things off. It was a game of chance. (But when you get to pick the possibilities, who cares what you get!) If you live in Paris and drive a Mercedes, marry the man of your dreams, who cares if you live in a Mansion, Apartment, Shack or House???

The convenience store near where I lived (1 of only 2!) carried these for the longest time. My sister and I loved them! You could get them in a variety of flavors and we thought we were cool drinking out of the glass bottles! I think they still make them but I haven't seen them since. And let me just say, the Clear American's or whatever it is that walmart sells, do not compare!

I lived about 5 minutes from this wonderful place! Of course, it wasn't anything near what it is now! And it didn't cost nearly as much as tickets today cost ya! But it still wasn't cheap, by any means. Needless to say, you stayed as long as you could stand the heat! And the sunburn was almost always worth it! They give out free soda's and sunscreen now...where was that when I was visiting as a child??

Oregon Trail-the game that we all wanted to play...well, while at school anyway! I wasn't one of those children that was lucky enough to come from a family that owned a computer as soon as they came out! Or even in the years that followed. Of course, we lived in the country and when you got the wide open country, who needs computers?? Which brings me to my next memory...

The tire swing! We had a huge tree in our yard that dad somehow managed to get a tire swing into. To this day I don't know how he got up in that darn thing! (Maybe the tree was bigger while I was shorter??) We had so many good times there. And only a few, not so good. ;)

Oh, the wonderful slap bracelets! I had welts endlessly. I thought I'd have them forever! Now, why did they stop manufacturing these things? You can still get them on certain sites, retro sites in particular...I don't recommend them if you have small children. Ah, who am I kidding?!?! Of course I recommend them! They made the list didn't they?!?!? :)

One of the most achieved successes as a child would have to had been mud pies in mom's pots and pans! Dirt+water+grass & rocks= an ultimate array of mud pies! My sister is only 13 months younger than me. We did EVERYTHING together as kids. She was (and is) my very best friend. Being in the country, this was most definitely a favorite!!

Mega Maze! I couldn't find a picture of it. But it looked very similar to this one...only bigger. I have been told it was also called Fun Island...but we always called it Mega Maze. Tons of fun....until you got lost so many times the staff had to come find you to help you out.

Lincoln State Park was and still is a very popular place. You could go swimming, camping, rent paddle or rowboats, go hiking. Many times there were basketball or church camps held there. Among these things that I've already listed, you could tour the place that Abraham Lincoln lived as a young boy. Many field trips were taken to Lincoln.

And the last thing that I love now but didn't know then was the unknown. I didn't think about crime and death rates. I had the whole world at my fingertips. (Or so I thought back then!) When you live out in the boondocks in the middle of nowhere, the only the you HAVE to do...is nothing. Wander, explore, learn, have fun...and that's just what we did!

*All photo's courtesy Google Image Search*

Back up your blog!

2011-01-06T02:51:00.000-05:00

Did you know that you can lose your entire blog? In the blink of an eye? How do you prevent this from happening? BACK IT UP! Export it and save it...somewhere other than your hard drive! Click here for a better description of how to's.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-05T17:20:00.006-05:00

I posted this late so I probably won't get any reactions but here are my photo's for this week!

Don't forget to link to your Wordless Wednesday photo's!

Tuesday Talk

2011-01-04T07:50:00.002-05:00

Everything in its place

2011-01-03T22:52:00.002-05:00

I want to be one of those people that can (truthfully) say "I got so much accomplished today!" Therefore, I am on a quest to find my house again! (Or find it at all! I'm not certain it was ever really visible!)What better time than the new year to set in place a plan to reduce, de clutter and clean things up? I am going to change my strategy in every day cleaning and picking up. I plan to take you, the readers, on this journey with me. Hopefully, as long as you don't laugh, I will post pictures of the before & after jobs. I'm hoping that my family will see this and also jump on the bandwagon. (Well, a girl can dream!!) Anyhoo, I hope you will come along with me for this ride. I'm sure it will be a wild one!

A few Q's answered about yours truly

2011-01-03T21:11:00.000-05:00

I get so caught up in blog land with blog hops and memes that often I don't post the personal posts like I would like. This little ditty hosted by Java is a nice little way to get to know one another just a little bit. But you have to participate for that to take place! Click the button to visit Java's page!

Questions:

1. Do you have any New Year's resolutions?

I tried to stay away from "resolutions" this year but I did make a list of goals I would like to try and stick with. You can read more about it by clicking THIS link.

2. What food item are you craving right now? Who said I WAS craving anything?? Okay, you know me too well!

3. When is your birthday?

4. What were you doing an hour ago?

Only, I wasn't bathing in front of a wall of windows next to the ocean!

5. Last thing you cooked?

Rules to live by

2011-01-03T09:46:00.002-05:00

After reading a few rules to live by online, I decided to compile a list of my favorites. Some are very serious and true, some funny, others crude. But these are the ones I like best.

Rules to live by

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it.

Rule 2: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 3: Always find something to be grateful for!

Rule 4: You need only two tools. WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn't, use the tape.

Rule 5: If he/she says that you are too good for him/her...BELIEVE them!

Rule 6: Learn to pick your battles; ask yourself, 'Will this matter one year from now? How about one month? One week? One day?'

Rule 7: Always find your passions. You can't bring value if you are not passionate about what you do.

Rule 8: Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

Rule 9: You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

Rule 10: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 11: A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.

Rule12: Going to church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car.

Rule 13: If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.

Rule 14: Tell me what you need, and I'll tell you how to get along without it.

Rule 15: Accept that some days you are the pigeon and some days the statue.

Rule 16: NEVER trust a fart!!

Rule 17: Don't resist things you don't like in your life. What you resist persists. Instead of focusing on what you don't want, focus on what you do want.

Rule 18: Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, because you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

Rule 19: When everything is coming your way ...... you're in the wrong lane.

Rule 20: When something good is over, don't cry; smile and be glad it was.

Rule 21: Forgive quickly.

Rule 22: You must not dilly-dally (unless of course, you are reading this blog, then by all means, please do!)

Weekend Wordle-First one of the Year!

2011-01-02T11:22:00.000-05:00

Hello! Hope you all had a great New Years! We had a normal night here, like nothing else was going on, until 45 seconds til ball drop. We watched the ball drop, finished our game of Clue and headed to bed. Gotta love the holiday's. (I'm being sarcastic! We never do anything out of the ordinary)

Anyhoodles, Here's my favorite post of the week. :) You can go to www.wordle.net to create your own! Warning: Use the Randomize button at your own risk! That button can sometimes become very addicting!

"Clicking on photo enlarges it" :)

New Years Goals List

2010-12-30T20:14:00.001-05:00

I haven't made a New Year's resolution for many, many years. But I think that I need to become more goal oriented; at least try to create & follow a routine. Which leads me to this post. And here is my list of New Year's resolutions list (which may or may not get completed but will ~~probably~~ most definitely be altered and changed upon need.) It is my goal (first one, yay!) to attempt to stick to these and update this post as tasks are completed.

New Year's Goals-2011

(one.) Eat more fruits and vegetables. At least one or the other a day. (V8 counts!)

(two.) Drink more water. At least a glass or bottle a day, but preferably more.

(three.) Spend at least 30 minutes with each of my children one/one every day.

(four) Spend less time on the computer.'Nuff said!

(five) Donate clothes or food to a charitable donation quarterly, at least.

6. Coupons-USE THEM! Not just cut them out!

7. Have shorty completely potty trained (short term goal)

8. Stick to my "one hour of t.v each night" rule (for the kids, but not ruling myself out either)

9. Start exercising ~~more~~ again.

10. Walk more, drive less.

(eleven.) Cook more, eat out less.

I could only come up with eleven for the time being, however, I think that is quite fitting being that we are turning the corner from 2010 to 2011. :) What are your New Year's goals/resolutions?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-29T02:58:00.000-05:00

Just one thing

2010-12-29T00:42:00.000-05:00

If you could tell people one thing or re tell them one thing, have them read one thing over again, what would it be? Kristen had the idea to re post our favorite post of 2010. Well since I just started my blogging adventure in August, I don't have many to choose from. Allow me to rephrase...I haven't posted many personal posts, most were blog hops. But I would have to go for the story telling, hopefully slightly humorous version of this post. Simply because it is so far off the mark of what I typically post. So what is your favorite post of 2010? Let's see em! And don't forget to head over to Works for me Wednesday to link your favorite post and check out some other wonderful reads already linked up!

Tuesday ŖãŊĐŏɱȵЭʂϛ

2010-12-28T08:49:00.000-05:00

Well, Hello Tuesday! Nice to see you! And now that I have, I'm seriously considering the option of saying goodbye to you again, at least for a few more hours. A good nap would be ~~nice~~ fantastic!
I have been doing more blog hop posts rather than actual posts that I have to utilize my brain to compose. I'm aware. How lazy of me! That is why Random Tuesday in conjunction with Post it Note Tuesday work out so well for me! I mean, c'mon, it is afterall called Winter Break for a reason. Who cares that I'm not technically the one on break!?!?! I'll use it to my advantage as I can. Onto the randomness and stickiness. ( yeah, I realize that could be thought of in an obscene way....but whatever...get your head outta the gutter you sicko!)
Anyhoodles, (new word I recently saw on someones blog, I love it...so very catchy and fun!) the stickies, right!

This Tuesday post was brought to you by lots of caffeine!!! And of course by the following:

Monday Blog Participation

2010-12-26T23:30:00.002-05:00

Meet me on Monday Questions:

1. What are your New Year's Eve plans? I We have no plans for New Years. We never do anything for New Years.
2. How tall are you? 5 feet even :)
3. What is your favorite pudding flavor? Vanilla or Tapioca. Or if I'm going with the ready to eat....any of the yummy flavors. I have a super, uber, humongous sweet tooth so they are all delicious to me. Yum!
4. What room of the house do you blog the most in? Living Room-where my computer is.
5. What is your best physical feature? Hmmm...eyes???


I've posted this photo on the blog before but this is it's first appearance on MYM.

Are you relieved or sad that Christmas is over? I've got mixed feelings on it. Here's to a great Monday for everyone! ((Raising glass for a toast!))

Weekend Wordle

2010-12-26T22:46:00.000-05:00

Here is the wordle for this weekend. I had that nagging feeling that I was forgetting a blog post this weekend and I'm going to assume that it was this one...
Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. If you're a new follower you can participate by clicking here.
Now, Lora isn't the one that started the weekend wordle, but she kept the ball rolling when the originators of it kind of dropped it. I can't credit them here because I have no idea who to credit.Onto this week's wordle. Here she is. Whattya think?

As always, clicking on the photo enlarges it! :)

Quick Pics

2010-12-26T14:03:00.000-05:00

I have collaged (yes, I'm aware that's not a word, lol) a few of the photos of the kids and their Christmas gifts and here they are for your viewing. I didn't add as many to Kainan's as I did to Camden's because picasa kept chopping the tops of the pictures off. :(

hey it's okay tuesday

2010-12-22T02:18:00.000-05:00

hey it's okay...

to compile a list of hey it's okay's for tuesday when technically it is wednesday. :)
to be aggravated that gift buying and wrapping is still not complete
to be just as, if not more, excited about christmas than the kids are
to sit on facebook and take pointless, mindless quizzes just to pass time
to eat white chocolate chips simply because you want something sweet and you have nothing else on hand.
to change my blog look ~~frequently~~ a lot

you can check out lora's list by clicking here.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!

2010-12-21T08:28:00.001-05:00

As excited as I was about Christmas, it certainly did sneak right up on me! That happen to anyone else? Or were you prepared for it completely? I was prepared to be completely prepared but the cards didn't fall into place correctly. So I guess that means I wasn't really prepared...

Mellow Yellow Monday & Monday Mingle

2010-12-20T00:33:00.002-05:00

Do you have any holiday traditions that are very specific to your family or your family's culture/heritage?

My answer:

We have always tried to buy an ornament for the tree every year that symbolizes something from the year we are leaving. Or at least one with the date. :) Other than that, we are pretty go with the flow of things each year.

It was so cold here this week past!! Everything was frozen...then began to melt...and of course it all refroze. And when this happened, there were many things that I wanted to photograph. I didn't however, for the love of keeping my bones intact! Here are a couple that I did take.

This next group of photo's are some that I took last winter just before spring.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2010-12-19T21:59:00.001-05:00

Today we went to visit Santa at the movie theater. Camden didn't really care either way, the look on her face told me she may be losing her sense of belief. :( She is after all, 9 years old. And Kainan was shy or scared, I'm not sure which. So needless to say, I didn't get a photo with just the kids and Santa. But this was the most awesome, realistic Santa I've ever seen!

After we saw Santa, we came home to build and decorate the gingerbread house. Daddy built it and me and the kids decorated it. This year I'm totally overlooking the little imperfections. Because, those imperfections is exactly what makes these little moments perfect. :)

Click this photo to see it larger!

We still have to finish our shopping. Which we won't be able to do until Wednesday!! Yeah, the 22nd...so even though I wanted to have everything done weeks ago....it turns out it just isn't going that way. ((sigh)) What do you have left to do before Christmas? Are you finished with everything or are you a last minute type of person?

Christmas story told through facebook-very cool!

2010-12-18T15:33:00.001-05:00

Weekend love

2010-12-18T01:36:00.001-05:00

Well, after having two, yes count them (2) babysitters fall through tonight, the hubs and I didn't get our Christmas shopping date that I was sooooo looking forward to [for the time with hubby, not for the shopping, that was just a cool bonus!]. ((sigh)) ((pouty lip)) So I decided, I must do something to cheer me up...sooooo weekend wordle it is. I'm not sure exactly what it is about the wordle that I like so much. I first saw this on Lora's page who saw it on a page of the author that started it. I however, don't know who that is...besides, from the sounds of it, they don't really keep up with it much anymore. So I credit Lora. ( I would credit the originator if I knew who that was!) You should visit her page, always a good read and music! If you want to participate in the wordle, you can click on this link. Here is mine from this week!

Kinda looks like a shoe...hmm

As always, clicking on the photo should enlarge it. It's kind of hard to read them all...I had to shrink the pic.

Fabulous! It's finally Friday!!

2010-12-17T12:51:00.001-05:00

Hello Friday!!! Oh how I do love thee!

I got to see lots of my friends at the MOPS meeting. I always leave there in a good mood. I love getting together with them. Of course, adults need adult conversations and well, sometimes conversations with the hubby just doesn't cut it! I love my husband and kids. But you all know where I'm coming from right? Conversation with a 3 year old all day just doesn't stimulate me enough to keep my sanity from drifting. And talk with the husband sometimes is a little ummm....well, let's just say that it's just not the same as being able to talk with other women who have children and have common interests with me.

Anyhoooooo, on to this week's fave fives.

To start the list, moisturizer! Thank you Garnier Nutritioniste for helping me to fight that stupid, nasty, dry skin that this mean, old, horrilble, cold weather has gifted me with! I sometimes think I could use an entire jar of that stuff on my face and it would inhale it all and I'd still have dry skin! ((Sigh!))

Next, pizza! Yum! So we splurged and spent 20 bucks last night on pizza. I prefer cheese and since the kids do also, it saves time and argument. Hubby will eat anything so we're good there! ~~Every night~~ Sometimes I just don't feel up to cooking and if I ask sweetly while batting my eyelashes at the hubs he will give in and let me order pizza. He's weird, he would prefer to eat at home. Of course, he also prefer that I be the one to slave in front of the stove for however long it takes to get it done as well!

Tikl Touch to talk application for Android. Turns my phone into a walkie talkie and makes things so much simpler when getting a hold of the husband.

Sharpie Markers, fine point These puppies come in handy all the time! I use them for pens. I love the great variety of colors! I bought them for scrapbooking but these pens haven't seen cardstock since I bought them! I feel like they make my handwriting appear much neater and nicer also. Is that possible? :) It may all be in my head (there's tons of things there that I wonder about and how it got there!) Regardless, I'm in love!

Comfortable Jeans...As many of you know, I am a night owl. Which gives me many an opportunity to get stuck watching infomercials. I saw one a few weeks ago and I fell in like! Pajama jeans!
They FIT like pajama's. They LOOK like jeans! Pure brilliance I tell ya! Comfort AND style?!?!? Ah, no greater combination in fashion.

I get to go shopping tonight! With the hubby and without the kids! Oh whatever will we do?? Oh yeah, shop! I'm excited! Hoping to finish everything up tonight! Wish me luck!

Thanks for reading! I hope every single one of you has a fantastic weekend!!!

Five Question Friday

2010-12-17T08:20:00.000-05:00

A week til Christmas! Can you believe it?!?! Has it flown by quickly for any of you like it seems to have flown by here?? Woweee!

1. Do you regift...and if so, do you have a regifting horror story? I have never regifted...just don't see myself much as a regifter. However, I suppose with just the right WRONG gift it could be a possibility. :p

2. Do you know what you are getting for Christmas this year? I have no idea. My husband has asked me several times and each time I tell him what I want. Thing is, each time, it's a different response. I know, how horrible of me. LOL I just want him to be able to LET THE KIDS DECIDE. If I get a marble, well then, I get a marble! At least they picked it out! :) But I figure if I give him many, many responses then they still have to make a decision. :) Make them (and when I say them I mean HIM) make a decision! (Yes, yes, again, horrible of me!)

3. Who brings the most gifts in your family, you or Santa? Usually me. But this year there are several Santa's that have contributed to my wee little ones for Christmas. I'm so excited! They are pretty much getting everything they want this year! Except for a guitar...not ready to go down that road just yet, need some more discipline before we do that one!

4. What store do you love to buy jeans from? Sadly, Walmart. Simply because they are so dag goned cheap! If I could afford to buy nice, well built jeans, I certainly would! You know what I would LOVE to have? THESE!! Do those not look like the most comfortable things ever?? Hey, I'm all about comfort!

5. Christmas meal: Big, All Out Meal or Snacks and Apps? We usually do about the same as what we make for Thanksgiving. Only, Thanksgiving turkey is served, Christmas is ham. (I love me some ham!! Yum Yum!)

Magic Reindeer Food

2010-12-17T00:03:00.001-05:00

I wanted to do something cute for my nieces and nephew for Christmas this year. Not do something as in get them a gift but help them to celebrate since we won't be there with them for Christmas. Something to add a little fun to their Christmas Eve. I knew exactly what I wanted to do for them. My daughter had come home with something similar to this a few years back. I tweaked it to my liking and will be sending it out in a package for them this week. Had I been delivering this in person, I would have used a small jar or decorative box but since it is being shipped I decided to use snack sized ziplock baggies. There are recipes online for this but I don't see the purpose of using a recipe when all you have to do is throw some together. This is what you'll need:

Small amount of oats


Red Sugar Crystals

Green Sugar Crystals

Most recipes call for glitter but that isn't biodegradable or edible to the little outdoor creatures, that's why I prefer the sugar crystals. And then I typed this up for them.

If this is too small for you to read, clicking on the photo should open a new window and give you the option to enlarge the photo...or at least zoom in :)

Tomorrow is the MOPS Christmas meeting! Yay! Tomorrow evening the hubs and I are planning on getting our Christmas shopping done. :) Yippppeeee!

Wordless Wednesday-Snow!!

2010-12-14T22:12:00.003-05:00

Click the picture for a larger view! :)

Terrific! It's Tuesday!! :)

2010-12-14T10:05:00.000-05:00

This week just got better! It's no longer Monday! If you read my previous post, you would understand the reason behind my excitement! Yipppeee!Yep, I'm a dork and thought today was Monday. After conjuring up my Monday blog hops and finishing up the post I realized it was indeed Tuesday. But after all that work you can bet your bottom that I linked up and posted anyway!

Now on to the random stickiness! That sounds kind of obscene. Haha, okay, maybe only in my mind. I swear it lives in the gutter. :)

Manic Monday

2010-12-14T09:09:00.002-05:00

I love so much to do nothing more than sleep away a Monday. Me and little man have our own "routine" here at home. Meaning, there is no schedule to be kept, no daddy or sister here, just us. Take us out of that element and we seem to start shorting out. Our wires get crossed and things begin to unravel. Don't get me wrong, we love them and treasure each moment we get with them. But weekends make me feel a little out of sorts. I guess that's because there is just so much more going on than I'm used to that it just puts a little strain on me. Stresses me a bit...So by the time Monday gets here, I want nothing more than to cuddle up with shorty and relax. To breathe. And to sleep. But it seems that is the opposite of how my little man feels. He wants to get up and play and run and jump. You know how hard that is? When you want nothing more than to relax and it seems that is not going to happen? Yep, those are usually my Monday's. You'd think I would have caught on to them by now, but do we ever really get used to Monday rolling around?

Here is my photo for Mellow Yellow Monday

Meet me on Monday is a little ditty that Java likes to do...and from the looks of it, so many others do as well. Count me in! I like the blog hops, but what I particularly like about this one, you learn something about me from reading it. I haven't had a blog post that wasn't a "hop" in awhile, and this one is no change. But, since they tell a little bit about me, it kind of isn't just a "hop". I know....((sigh)).... it's cheating......If you'd like to join in, you can do so by visiting here.

1. How do you order your steak? I rarely ever order steak. But when I do, that's not how I like it. Rare, I mean. I can't eat it when minutes ago it was mooing at the butcher. Blech! Any meat that I consume has to be A}. brown B.} not bleeding and 3.} not mooing or grazing in a pasture.
Well done for me please...but don't burn it!!

2. Are you superstitious about anything? Shooting stars. If you are lucky enough to see a shooting star, you must make a wish! Ladders, I try not to walk under them. Not exactly sure it's because I'm superstitious though, more like afraid that the person standing on it won't be there much longer if I choose to walk under a ladder. But seriously, how hard is it to walk around it? And mirrors, if I can prevent from breaking one, consider it done! Again though, not so much superstition steering me from breaking a mirror so much as having to clean up the shards of glass off the floor and out of my feet...so am I superstitious? Nah. Not so much. But this explanation was much more fun than just answering no.

3. Who is your best friend (not including your spouse)? My kids. Although I absolutely believe in NOT being friends to my children, I spend so much time with them and value and treasure the memories with them. Omitting my children as friends, I would have to say Amanda. It's been a little over a year since I've met Amanda. She always listens to me, doesn't mind if I vent. She is quite daring in the creativity department, which is something I love! I believe her and I are going to be great friends for a great while! I have friends that I have been friends with for years and have kept in touch with across the miles but they don't seem to hold as strong a value as what I've found in Amanda. :)

4. When is the last time your wore a dress (for the guys...a suit)? I last wore a dress in July. To a friends wedding. I loved the dress...even though I don't particularly like wearing them.

5. Do you have any trips scheduled? Insert great big, fat I wish ))here((.Our trips tend to consist of going "home" for a few days. And they tend to be quite spontaneous! Not much planning goes into our trips back to Southern Indiana. If we were to plan an actual trip/vacation, I would be through the roof with excitement! But alas, those days haven't been yet. Someday, I will take a trip!
All of this and I just realized.....Today is Tuesday! Time to prepare my Tuesday list, I guess!

Weekend Wordle-just to put it in black and white, God is bigger than everything else :)

2010-12-12T20:31:00.001-05:00

As soon as I saw this on Lora's page, I knew I loved it! And so now I've become addicted to them! And this is only my second time posting them! Sad? Yes, well...what can ya do? Absolutely nothing..haha! Or I suppose you could stop reading.....anyway, here is my wordle for this weekend. I love it! Imagine that! My most favoritest thing about this particular one is that God is bigger than everything else. And that it's in black and white! Kind of like saying, okay, I'm puttin it in black and white for you, God is bigger than everything!

To participate go to this site. Have fun!

Friday's Fave Five

2010-12-10T19:25:00.000-05:00

To play along and see what all the fuss is about , click here.

This weeks fives may strike you as kind of dorky, but hey, that's just who I am. Hehe! ☺

1. Deals. I was very pleased to find these tee's for $3 a piece at Walmart early this morning. (When I say early this morning, I mean it! I was up and at Walmart at 4 am! Told you it was early!! OH and for absolutely no particular reason...other than being wide awake!)

I guess I was feeling a bit comic booky/super heroish at 4 a.m. :)

2. Wonderful Santa's inside the family. My awesome brother and his wonderful wife have sent packages to the kids for Christmas. Brand new coats, hats, scarves, & gloves! How awesome is that?!?!?!

3. Chef Boyardee. Ravioli for dinner tonight....need not say more.☺

4. Heat! When it's been so cold, I want nothing more than to crank the heat and stay under a warm fuzzy blanket all.day.long!

5. Christmas Cards. I know many people seldom send them out anymore or are even switching to a digital version of cards. But there's just something special about opening up the mailbox and seeing a festive card from someone you love. (Or a package on the porch!! Haha!) Let's me know someone was thinking of me. ♥

Unanswered Prayers

2010-12-08T16:33:00.001-05:00

I'm not typically the type of person that sits back and asks what if. But do you ever? Sit back and wonder where you would be today IF the thing you wanted most at one point in your life had actually happened the way you wished? How much would your life have changed? How different could things be today? If you had only made a decision a little differently or chose a different path. If God had only granted you the one thing you prayed about...
Occasionally, while reminiscing and remembering in the old thoughts and memories that have been covered in cob webs for many years, I will wonder where I would be today if things had been different. Would I still be living back "home"? Still have two children? A loving husband to hold me? What would have happened had I not met the friends I have along the way? How would that have affected me? Would I feel the same about the way I feel about things?
And then my children run to me, wanting to be held, hugged, cuddled; laughing and loving with me. Or my husband will say something that takes me back to the day we met. Or fell in love. Or a funny moment we shared together. And immediately I'm snapped out of the tiny moment years ago that my mind was tinkering with. And I'm back to reality. This wonderful, amazing reality of a life that God has given me. I'm so blessed! Beyond what I ever asked for or deserve. And I'm thankful, so thankful that God didn't give me the things I wanted so badly to have back then, didn't put me where I thought I wanted to be. Thought I needed to be. He knows best. It is all part of his master plan. We don't have to understand it, but eventually, if we don't accept it, life will have swept by, leaving us in a swirling torrent of wants and wishes. It took me time to truly know that everything happens for a reason. God will not open a door or a window without giving you another to walk through. And while it may not have been the door you would have picked had you the choice, eventually it will lead you to the place you wanted to be but better! If I knew then what I know now, the walk to where I am now wouldn't have been as interesting. I appreciate every little thing in my life and have zero regrets. Because a different path most certainly would have made me a different person that I am today. Whether for good or bad. I'm not afraid of falling down now because somewhere along the way God taught me how to get back up. (Or should I say I finally heard Him!) And I'm happier than I've ever been. I.AM.BLESSED.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Wednesday Hodgepodge

2010-12-08T04:39:00.002-05:00

Clicking on the button above will take you to Wednesday Hodgepodge where you should play along!

1. Have you ever been on a real sleigh ride? How about the warm weather version-a carriage ride?

Nowhere in my recollection of memories can I remember either of the two. Someday I would love to do both, especially the sleigh ride!

2. What's your policy on 'chain mail'...you know, the emails you receive that are often some sort of poem/blessing/good wish that ask you to send it on to 10 or 12 friends? Do you delete without opening, read and trash, read and trash and then worry you won't be blessed/lucky/protected? Do you delete the sender from your contact list or just go ahead and send the love onward?

Sometimes I will read, sometimes I will delete. But most of the time I will delete the email. I never delete the contact!

3. Who is your favorite character in any of the Christmas movies and why?

The only ones I can think of right now would be the Home Alone movies. And the character would be Kevin. Because he is so danged hilarious! And full of ingenuity!

4. Share a favorite quote.

The will of God will not take you where the grace of God will not keep you.

5. What's your favorite holiday scent?

I love all of them! Right now my favorite is cinnamon. But I love all of the wonderful cookie scents and pine. They're all great!

6. Does the Christmas season stress you out? In what way?

The season doesn't stress me out at all. I enjoy the season very much! It is my favorite time of the year as far as holidays are concerned.

7. What's the best thing about your life right now?

My kids are happy*this makes me happy

My husband is happy*this makes me happy

My husband has a great job that he enjoys

We have our health, a warm place to lay our heads, food to eat.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

4:33 a.m. It looks like my darling 3 year old son is making a habit of this "wake in the middle of the night, be up til wee hours thing." THIS does NOT make me happy.

Post it Note Tuesday (PINT) & Random Tuesday Thoughts

2010-12-07T02:32:00.002-05:00

Hello & Happy Tuesday!

To make your own stickies,

click HERE!

You can link up here & here. And don't forget to have fun!

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Christmas Collages

2010-12-07T01:05:00.003-05:00

As I stated in my last post or was it a facebook status update?? I believe it was the latter...anyhoooo, the kids and I created cinnamon Christmas ornaments last night. They had so much fun and it filled my house with the wonderful aroma of cinnamon!

Busy (& excited!) little helpers

We also brought out a bit more of our Christmas decor. Nowhere near what we have though. A lot of it is still sitting in the shed. Jim has a fondness for the ceramic village scenes. I never really got into them but they remind me of Christmases past, when I was a young child and most all of the older relatives we visited for Christmas displayed them. And they are getting harder to find now. Walmart no longer sells them here, which makes me sad as I've grown to like having them displayed at Christmas. I'm thinking I'm going to buy him some more to add to his Christmas gift this year. He would like that. I don't have to worry about spoiling the surprise here though because I don't think he's ever read a single of my blog postings.

A small portion of our decor

If you click on the photo above, it should open it in a new window to enlarge it.

Weekend Wordle

2010-12-04T14:10:00.001-05:00

Hello again! I love reading Lora's blog. Always interesting and fun posts going on over there. Well, I have noticed that she occasionally has this group of words atop her blog and I inquired about it. Read more about it here. And if you want to participate, here. This is what my first wordle looks like! I love it!

It was fairly complicated to save it due to I had to take a screen shot of it and edit it in paint. Then save it and upload it. If you do this and find an easier way to do it, please let me know! At one point, it had given me a code to use but it linked to a broken link. HOWEVER, I believe it was well worth it. ☺What do you think of my wordle?

Abducted by Aliens

2010-12-03T09:27:00.001-05:00

I woke up this morning to find the hubs was already gone. I looked for him and he was nowhere in sight. Where can he be??? Where could he have gone???

I thought maybe he was abducted by aliens. Ya know, little green ones or maybe big purple aliens with only one eye. I wonder if they came in to get him or if he was sucked up into the bright light against his will. I hope he was thinking about me when he was floating up to the spaceship.

Or maybe the gnomes that come into the house and steal only left socks had taken him. Tricked him by telling him they would let him in on the secret to sock thievery. LEFT sock thievery! Telling him about their magical powers that give them ability to get into the dryer and back out without melting themselves down to a pile of goo. They really only wanted his sock I bet! And now he is battling mountains of socks to find his way home. Wearing only the right sock, of course.

He could have left me to go join the circus. Or a group of pirates in search of buried treasure. He was promised to be taken to the treasure of riches. He was lured by Captain Whitebeard with a complicated map marked with a giant, red "X". I bet he looks good wearing a pirate hat and an eye patch! I feel sorry for the parrot on his shoulder though, especially if he talks a lot! I hate to ramble to my hubs and I know parrots also have a tendency to talk a lot! Arrr!

Of course, Sneezy, Dopey, Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy & Bashful could have recruited him. They needed him to reach the things on the top shelf. Although he is a morning person, I hope they don't expect him to sing and whistle on his way to work! I've never seen him get that excited to be heading off to work. Maybe that will all change though! With the promise to be in the next making of Snow White and the Seven Drawfs, I can see him singing and whistling!

The last thing I remember, he was in the shower. Maybe he got sucked down the drain by the Drain Monster! You know, the one that growls at you each time you let the bath water out! The one that never seems to be happy to have that last bit of water leave the drain! It would have been awfully painful to fit down that little drain hole! Oh no! Maybe he got stuck there! I should go check! Nah, he's not in there.

I'm really starting to worry now where he could be. Why would he have left early? Why didn't he tell me goodbye this morning? What will I tell the children?

Oh thank goodness! I just got word that he left early because we were all sleeping so well at home that he didn't want to wake us! Aww! Isn't that so sweet of him!?! Whew!! I'd have hated for any of the above to have happened to him! Turns out I won't have to explain anything to the children...at least not today! ☺

Friday's Fave Five

2010-12-03T03:24:00.002-05:00

If you have never done this, you can visit Susanne's page where you can link up and join in on the fun with the rest of us. If you have done this, I look forward to reading your five!

My favorites this week consist of the following:

A hot bowl of oatmeal. (Or chili or soup...anything warm on a cold day! This week happened to be oatmeal!) French Toast flavored was my favorite this week. But I love strawberry also! Yum!

Christmas. We've got our tree up and a few decorations set up around the house. Not many, but enough to see the wonderful cheer in my kids' eyes and the smiles on their faces. Christmas just makes the world happy, in general. If only everyone would act like it were Christmas everyday, I think we could possibly, almost conquer world peace!

Tyelnol & Ibuprofen. I've really needed it this week! Lack of sleep headaches, caffeine withdrawal (until tonight when I had a dr. pepper), many uses for lots of pain relievers this week!

Sweats. This one pretty much ties in with the oatmeal & soups. When it is cold outside, there is nothing like a nice warm pair of fleece lined sweats! Matter of fact, I need a few more pair! How will I ever survive this winter on one pair??

Snow. As contradictory as it may sound, clashing with the hot food and sweats, I love the snow. Especially the first few snows when it doesn't stick to the roads and there is no coverage. Again, can't beat the looks and excitement that my kids hold when they look out and see that it is snowing! I love, love, love the way the snow looks lounging in the trees! Or across a seemingly endless meadow! Beautiful!

Thanks for reading!! Have a great Friday!