Uh-oh!

I just opened the first box of girl scout cookies! The best ones (Samoas, of course!). I'm in trouble now!!!

What do you think is worse.....that I opened the box and that there is no doubt that it'll be empty within the hour? or that there are 3 more boxes of Samoas after this one? (and 2 boxes of Thin Mints!)

What's your favorite Girl Scout cookie? I've got connections with a super-cute girl scout, so who knows, I may just be able to get you box (or two or three!) if you feel so inclined!

Movie Selection and Other News

Thank you to all who gave suggestions for kid movies! I ended up getting James & The Giant Peach and Meet The Robinsons. I had wanted to get Spirit, as suggested by Carrie, but the video store was out of it. So I just perused the isles until I found my selections. Later, I had the kids tell me which video they wanted. Turns out half of them wanted 'James' and the other half wanted 'Robinsons'! Of course they would not agree. What else could I do but hide them behind my back and have them choose a hand. 'James' was the winner. Despite the fact that Caleb was crushed and went into a crying spell, my friend and I were able to sit in another room and make some cards as the kids were engrossed in the movie. Overall, it was a great evening of surviving without husbands!

In other news.....well, there really isn't any 'other news'. There just isn't much to report over here. The most exciting thing happened on Monday and that was only that I moved mountains. Mountains of laundry and dishes. Monday was a very productive day.

Yesterday was filled with my morning bible study and a trip to the park with a new(ish) friend for lunch. Isabel does not play too well with others. She likes to take other kids sand toys and not give them back. In fact she carried the shovels, rakes, and truck with her most of the time and cried and screamed when I had to take them from her to give them to the mother they belonged to. Must work on sharing.



So see? Not much going on. Oh, but I did get a little sun while at the park yesterday!

Need Your Help!

I'm feeling better today, praise the Lord!!! It looks like Ryan will be going on his trip after all, if he can get a last minute flight out. Earlier this week I invited a friend and her kids over Friday night to have pizza and watch a movie. I've pretty much exhausted my kid flick queue........so can anyone suggest a good movie for kids ages 5 to 9??? (for girls and boys) I'm up for golden oldies or something new. Can you help with a suggestion or two????

How to Get Your Husband to Cancel His 3-day Business Trip

.....get sick!

This has not quite gone the way I'd hoped it would go. *sigh* Oh well.

Enough said, now I'm going to go collapse on the couch and watch Dora. Oh the joy.

YouTube Tuesday - White and Nerdy

This is a video that makes us laugh! I was amazed to find that Weird Al was still around, and even more so to realize how talented he really is. Anyway, here's a glimpse into our world of silliness.....enjoy! **extra credit for those who can name the back up dancer!

Too Much Love!

Last year for Valentines Day I made heart shaped rice crispy treats for the kids to give out for Valentines. I also had them stamp their own v-day cards (of course this meant that I did all the cutting and gluing of the paper....see, I told you I was cheap!). This year I decided to make heart shaped sugar cookies.

What was I thinking??!

This means for Caleb's class I had to make 12, but Mae's class is what almost put me over the edge. You see, Mae is in a 1st-2nd grade combination class. She basically has two teachers, which means two classes. Translated in valentines is 40 cookies!!!! I think this should certify me as insane, don't you? Why else would I, on my very own, decide to make a total of 52 cookies, put icing on each and every single one, put each and every single one in their very own valentine baggie, then attach a valentine card on each and every one??? See, insanity I tell ya!

(too many Valentines!)

This must mean that I really really really love my children, right? Well, ok, I do, but maybe I'm just compensating for myshort comings as a mother? Or maybe I just want to look good to the other moms who sent their children to school with store bought valentines and nothing else? At this point I'm thinking those moms are actually more balanced than I. I bet they didn't work on cookies and valentines for hours and hours over the past couple days! I bet their feet didn't ache at the end of the day for being in the kitchen too long! And I bet their children are just as pleased with their valentines and mine were for their own.

Next year I'm going to have to find another way to spread the love without spreading myself too thin!

Happy Valentines Day!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

(this is just a silly little thing that found its way into my inbox.......enjoy!)

Romance Mathematics

Smart man + smart woman = romance

Smart man + dumb woman = affair

Dumb man + smart woman = marriage

Dumb man + dumb woman = pregnancy

______________________________

Office Arithmetic

Smart boss + smart employee = profit

Smart boss + dumb employee = production

Dumb boss + smart employee = promotion

Dumb boss + dumb employee = overtime

_____________________________

Shopping Math

A man will pay $20 for a $10 item he needs.

A woman will pay $10 for a $20 item she doesn't need.

_____________________________

General Equations & Statistics

A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.

A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.

A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

_____________________________

Happiness

To be happy with a man, you must understand him a lot and love him a little.

To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.

______________________________

Longevity

Married men live longer than single men do, but married men are a lot more willing to die.

______________________________

Propensity To Change

A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.

A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, and she does.

_____________________________

Discussion Technique

A woman has the last word in any argument.

Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

_____________________________

How To Stop People From Bugging You About Getting Married

Old aunts used to come up to me at wedding, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me, "You're next." They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.

Holding Me Accountable

Here's a quick update on the last day or so. Yesterday was the big day for the baby shower I hosted. My house looked grrrreat! All counters were cleaned off, candles lit, oh and the flowers were beautiful (thanks to my generous yard!). In fact the ladies ooo'ed and ahhh'ed over the flowers and asked where I got them. Ah-ha, I only bought the tulips! The rest were compliments of my yard and flower arranging classes from junior college! My friend Caterina asked to see a pic of the flowers, so here it is:


In other news, I called my new friend and invited her over for next week. She just had a new baby, so depending on how she's feeling and doing next week it just may work out. As Isabel would say....I did it! Thanks for holding me accountable, I needed that extra bit of encouragement to push me through the door! :)

Garden Revelation

Tomorrow I am hosting a baby shower for a new friend. I met her at my Tuesday morning bible study, and our table group is throwing her a party! It was meant to be a surprise but I had to reveal the intent of our 'lunch date' because she was going to back out. It couldn't be helped, besides what fun is a baby shower without the mom-to-be?! So, today I've been running around doing errands and getting the house ready.

But wait.....I'm getting ahead of myself, let me back up to last week.

Last week I was able to spend some time with a friend from Michigan. And I enjoyed every minute of it! But with such a grand visit comes its struggles. As I am visiting with my friend, in the back of my mind, I remembering all the times when we used to go to the park with our kids back in Michigan. Then one thought leads to another and I find myself being sad about not being there anymore and then becoming complacent about where I am now. This should not be. Number one, there I was sitting with my friend and enjoying her company while I was thinking about just the opposite. And number two, which really is more important than number one, is that I know without a doubt that this is where the Lord wants me, so I was not content with where He has me. I'm thinking all this while our visit was going on (shame on me!) and I tried to snap myself out of it and just enjoy the time I had with my dear friend, and I did. But I had one more thought.....and that was that I should think not so much about what I didn't have but rather what I could have and what was yet to come - new good times with new friends.

Now, let's go back to my preparation for tomorrow. Bear with me, I'm getting to my point. I promise.

I bought some lovely yellow tulips that I planned to use in a even more lovely arrangement for the food table. To save on money, I planned to cut some greenery from my yard to complete the arrangement, even though I did not know what was planted around the house. To my surprise I found two very nice pieces of fern and foliage! Plus I had some thyme that was in bloom! (at least I think that's what it is....I worked in a flower shop, I should know this!) The flower arrangement turned out better than I thought it would. Who knew all these wonderful things were in my backyard, I had no idea!

In relation to my desire for closer friendships and what is growing in my backyard, my point is this......I won't know what wonderful friends are waiting for me to discover unless I get out there! I can't waste my time lamenting over what once was and what I no longer have. That is not honoring to the Lord. This is where He has me and this is where I need to grow. Have you ever heard the term 'grow where you're planted'? Well, I need to start applying that to my life right now. In fact I'm gonna call a new friend tonight and invite her and her children over for lunch next week. I have you to hold me accountable! :) Now....what shall I serve for lunch??

Please Don't Hate Me (too much)

Today is a great day! A friend and her family is in town for a few days, so as her husband was at his conference (the reason they are here) we were able to play!!!!! Caleb and Isabel and I drove to my friends hotel and let the kids play at a near by park. Then we walked over to the beach and had lunch, then played in the sand.

It was glorious!

I was wearing sandles again and now I'm sitting in the family room, with the window open, and I'm wearing a short sleeved shirt. Ahhhh....I feel great!

Come on Spring and warm days! Give me some shorts-wearing weather and fun days with the kids at the pool and beach! Bring it on!

**Oh, and Ryan will not be home for dinner tonight......so I'm not cookin'!

January Movie Log

Another month means more movies watched. This was our movie watching experience last month:

1. Beat the Drum - This was a story about a village boy in Africa who takes a journey to the large city to make money for his poor family. The movie starts out with the death of his father and it turns out that the village is riddled with aids and many people are dying. Overall the movie was more about aids awareness than the life journey of this young boy. It was ok. The message was clear but in turn made the story a little less interesting by the way it was brought out.

2. The Iron Giant - Our latest family movie night movie. I had overheard a mom telling another mom about this movie and how good it was, and in my quest to find more movies to watch I added it to our list. It really was a great movie. I loved it! I totally recommend it for any young kid (or, in my case, 'older' kid - and what 'older' kid doesn't enjoy the voice of Harry Conick Jr.??)

3. Stardust - While Ryan was in London last month I took the opportunity to watch something that he may otherwise have not wanted to watch. Kim had recommended it last month and I'm glad she did. It was an enjoyable and fanciful story of a young man that lives next door to a hidden magical town. I enjoyed the humorous and whimsical story. Great suggestion Kim, thank you!

4. We Are Marshall - This movie was finally released on dvd! If I know that we will not make it to the theaters to see a particular film then I will add it to our queue (which happens 99.9% of the time). So, we were able to view it this past month. I always enjoy the types of movies that deal with real-life stories (of course there is always a higher tendency to shed some tears but I guess I can live with that). This movie was no exception, we enjoyed it and I think I was able to get through it without letting the tears fall (welling up in the eyes is one thing but letting them fall is quite another).

5. 3:10 to Yuma - We don't typically watch rated R movies and I can't really give an explanation as to why we did this time. Maybe because it was the pairing of Russel Crowe and Christian Bale? (they were good by the way) Whatever the reason, we watched it. No, my life is not the richer for it, but it was an entertaining flick none the less. I didn't care for the strong language and I always turn my head during bloody violence and the ending still baffles me. I'll just chalk this one up to another some-what entertaining movie night at home.

Our queue is still on the low side.......the suggestion box is open!

Giveaway Winner!

Today's the day for my random draw for a winner of the 5 fabulous card giveaway! I asked Ryan to choose a number between 1 and 135 (seriously, 135 comments??!). He chose #116. So the winner is Romie!!!

Congratulations Romie, I hope you enjoy your 5 fabulous cards!

My Beef With Beef

I know nothing about buying meat. I'm pretty clueless, to say the least. Although, I can say that I know what ground beef is, but that's pretty much the extent of my meat knowledge. Pretty sad, isn't it?

This week I planned to cook a meal that called for 'kc steaks', so I asked my mom what that was. She's pretty knowledgeable but in this case was unable to shed any light. The recipe was for the crock pot and called for the kc steaks, a can of sliced mushrooms and a package of onion soup mix. That's it. I bought a round top round roast thinking it would suffice, and it did. But still, what the heck is a kc steak???

Can anyone educate me on meat? What is a kc steak? And any info on other meat basics (aside from ground beef) would be helpful too. I'm looking for information as to how different meats cook and what's best for certain dishes. Can you help me out friend?

Bloggy Giveaway Carnival!!!

Here it is, yet another fun and exciting bloggy giveaway!! I enjoyed participating in the giveaway carnival this past fall, and I look forward to visiting new blogs this time too (and maybe this time I'll actually win something?!).

Here's what I got goin' on......I am offering five of these handmade cards (yes, made by moi!):


Of the cards I have made, this is my current favorite and I want to share it with you! All you gotta do is leave a pretty little comment!

This giveaway is open to anyone and no blog is necessary, but I will need a way to contact the winner or I'll have to choose another winner. So leave me that pretty little comment and a way to contact you if you win! I will draw a completely random winner on Saturday morning and post the winner that morning.

Have fun, and if you're interested in joining the giveaway madness, click here! Enjoy!

Telephone Talk

When we lived in Michigan we bought a cordless phone that had an extra handset. We needed the extra handset and base for our bedroom that was upstairs that did not have a phone jack. It was the perfect solution to keep us from racing downstairs before the answering machine clicked on or the caller gave up. But that was a few years ago, and now the batteries in both phones are dying and its not worth it to replace them. So instead of buying a new phone set we are going totally cellular.

I'm not completely sold on this idea, but we will be saving money by going wireless. That's the theory anyway, and we all know what a money-saving fiend I can be! My concern is that I won't hear my phone ring if I'm at the other side of the house. And if that happens, then will I even know I missed a call without having the typical ansewering machine to notify me instantly? But at least I won't miss a call if I'm out and about.

Yesterday we went to the ATT&T store to look at phones. I picked out two that I liked, but to be honest I wasn't exactly sure what to look for as far as features went. I may have made a mistake when I was soley looking at its appearence (that, and making sure it fit in the cell phone spot in my fabulous purse....I've got my priorities you know). Well, I did look at the layout of the keypad and such, but I guess that falls into the 'appearence' category, doesn't it? Anyway, the kids were going crazy and making it difficult for Ryan and I to look like responsible parents, so we left. After we got home Ryan went online and ordered my new phone. He tells me it will arrive in a few days.

Ryan is already set with his phone. He has an i-phone! Since Ryan is a designer, his work paid for the phone (so he can experience new technology and such and stay fresh and up to date). To say that Ryan loves his phone may be an understatement. We joke and say that its changed his life. In reality it really has! It's no secret that Ryan travels a lot, and the i-phone gives him access to the web while waiting for his flights. It keeps him up to date on his stocks and trading as well as enabling him to watch movies and listen to music while in flight. For all these reasons, I refer to his phone as his i-candy. Then of course the Apple Store has aptly been renamed the Candy Store. It just seems appropriate. Don't you think? *big grin*

I suppose my impending cell phone delivery makes the decision to go totally cellualr a sure thing. I'm still not sure how I feel about this, but it's kinda too late now! If you need my new phone number then email me and I'll make sure you get the new info when we finalize our switch.

*end transmission*

One Tired Mama

I'm not sure what to write about today. Should I write about my sick children or the trip to the doctor's office? Or, how about how Ryan has not been sleeping well this week therefore I haven't slept well and am quite tired? Maybe I should tell you how Ryan has now been to the ER twice this month and has yet another strange ailment? Or, how I got my hair cut last night and now it's too short and how bummed I am that I ruined my fabulous new look? Oh, I know! I'll tell you how now I have a silly cold and with the combination of all the above-mentioned stuff I'm just beat tired. Yeah. That'll make for a riveting post, no doubt.

Better yet, I think I'll just take a nap.

It Simply Makes Me Smile

I went to Target the other day to spend a little Christmas money I received. I'm all for the clearance racks and bargain prices. I'm cheap, what can I say? But every once in a while I will actually pay full price for something. *gasp!* Shocker, isn't it?!

Lately I've noticed that my beloved store, Target, has holiday shirts for around five bucks! I consider that a good price for something that would typically be worn only a few weeks a year. But still, the price still doesn't scream 'grab me and run' (to the nearest cashier. I don't want you thinking I have sticky fingers!). However, the other day I came across some Valentine shirts for seven dollars. I thought some were cute and another actually pretty, but still not fabulous. But then I saw this shirt! I liked it and it was only seven dollars! The thing I liked, aside from the price, is that it doesn't necessarily say 'hello, I'm a Valentine shirt', so I can wear this long after the day has passed.

So I nabbed it, and ran (ok, I casually walked to the checkout lines). And yes, I know, it'll most likely be seen on the clearance racks on February 15th for 2 bucks, but I'm still pleased with my shirt and the price I paid. It's the simple things in life that make me smile.

January's Goals

I've always disliked New Year's resolutions. They just seem silly to me. I hear people make them then never achieve their goal. So I've never really officially made any. Oh, wait, I take that back....once, when I was a kid, I did. I said I'd never step on ants again. Well, that didn't last too long since I don't like bugs. Then, last year I thought I'd try to get the house more organized. It wasn't so much a resolution as a well-intentioned goal. Well, that one didn't really kick in until August, then Ryan and I jump started it again a couple weeks ago.

This year I'd like to take a different approach. Maybe setting monthly goals would be easier than putting things off for a year then adding them to the next new year? I think I'd like to continue the organizing trend we've got going on. I dislike clutter anyway. Since this month is almost over I'll only put a few things on the list. I don't want to overwhelm myself and become so discouraged that I never even start! That, too, would just be silly.

So, here is my list for the remainder of January 2008:

* put away fish tank that has been sitting on the kitchen counter for months!
* sell my china place settings to e-dish (then buy new ones, but that can be for another month!)
* list more items on Craigslist (and get this crap junk stuff outta here!

TTLIF - (Thank the Lord It's Friday!)

Wow, is it the end of the week already??? I was looking at my previous post and it seemed like more than just 4 days have past. Really? Is it truly Friday already?

This should say something of the week I've had. Although, considering the circumstances, it has not been that bad - it's just been a full week, or 4 days as of yet. Ryan has been gone. Need I say more? I have another day or so until his return, and I can not wait.

The kids have been pretty good (and so have I, I must say). Thanks be to the grace of God (and many prayers) that I am not a frazzled, tired, insane mama- yet! I do have another day until this ride comes to a full and complete stop so I shouldn't take my seat belt off at this point. Who knows, there could be another free fall or hidden loop!

Whoa, look at the time! I gotta wrap this post up so I can be fresh for the too-early morning bus stop. All I gotta say is that these times make me grateful for two things. 1) the Lord is so good in his provision of grace and safety during these times. 2) I love my husband!

That's all I have to say 'bout that. Ni-night.

Purse Love

This past summer we were at Rei shopping for a backpack for Ryan to use as a computer bag since he was getting into the groove of riding his bike to work. While we were there I was purusing the purses and bags and came across this little number. I looked it over and tried it on. Then I asked Ryan what he thought of it. He said it looked 'cute'.

Hmmm. This got me to thinking more seriously about it. Come on, who doesn't want their husband thinking they are cute?! So I got it. And you know what? I. Love. It!!!

I was hesitant about getting it since, for me, it was more than I had ever spent on a purse in all my life. Truth be told, I don't care for purses. They bug me. I don't like having to haul one around, and frankly I don't have that much stuff anyway. Men have it so easy, all they do it stuff their pockets with their wallet, keys and coins and they're off! I've often been jealous of that. For that reason, I've been known to have the smallest purse I could possibly get away with. Until this one.

My new purse is a backpack of sorts. I guess it's more of a sling bag (if you want to get technical about it). I love that it is worn like a backpack and that it does not slip off my shoulder as I haul kids and things around. It makes me totally hands-free! And I love that feature the most. It also has a neat little spot for my cell phone on the shoulder strap. But I admit that I also put my most used credit card, Costco card and grocery store coupon card in their too for easier access.

So, why, you ask, am I sharing my purse love with you? Well, last month I was showing it to a friend and she loved it and wanted to get one of her own. Later, when I was looking online to see if she could order one, I saw that it is on sale! So if this post is tantalizing at all to you then good news.....you can get one for a super-great deal! Plus, as my husband says...it's cute!