Happy Valentine's Day Honey Pie!

From this moment life has begun, From this moment you are the one!

Right beside you is where I belong--

From this moment on.

From this moment I have been blessed

I live only for your happiness and for your love I'd give my last breath

From this moment on

I give my hand to you with all my heart

Can't wait to live my life with you, can't wait to start!

You and I will never be apart

My dreams came true because of you

From this moment as long as I live I will love you, I promise you this!

There is nothing I wouldn't give

From this moment on

You're the reason I believe in love and you're the answer to my prayers from up above
All we need is just the two of us! My dreams came true because of you!

From this moment as long as I live I will love you, I promise you this!

There is nothing I wouldn't give!

From this momentI will love you as long as I live.

From this moment on!

Muah! and xxooxoxxoxoxox

I Did It!

Remember this?

So, I was feeling guilty about wanting to spend some of our tax return money on it so I decided to sell some of the textbooks that I've accumulated from teaching art. Well, I would have done this A LONG time ago if I would have known/remembered how much textbooks cost! In 3 days I have sold 3 books and made enough money to buy my Cricut! Woot! Now that I've "earned" the money I'm going to enjoy it A LOT more!

P.S. Note to Self: after children are in school go into textbook writing/sales--THAT is where the money is my friends!

All Before 9...

..I did the following things:

1. Checked Email

2. Researched digital cameras


3. Exercised


4. Did devotions


5. Ate breakfast


6. Got dressed/ready for the day


7. Cleaned around the house

8. Watched this movie




And...now that the girls are up I plan to do nothing for the rest of the day--I'm only ever productive when my children are sleeping!

Uncle Sam Says

Go ye into Target and simulate the economy! Here are my plans (after paying bills of course) for this:

Guitar Hero for my new:

Wii


MM...Tastes Like a Rebel Digital SLR

Cricut!

Don't know what a Cricut is? Please find out here--you'll kick yourself if you don't! Scrapbook lovers unite (and Brie, I hope you know this is totally YOUR fault!)!!


Well, hey, don't blame me for getting these things--Uncle Sam made me do it! (Well, that's what I'll tell my husband anyway!)

Our Sweet Family

Overheard in Dance Class

Grandmother to 3 year old Grandaughter, "Now honey, make sure you listen to your teachers and behave in dance class today or I won't take you to get your weekly pedicure!"

Send Help!

I desperately need one of these: And a box of this:
S.T.A.T.!!!!!!!!
Because there isn't enough of this:

or these:

in all of this:

to fix that:

Tag-a-licious

1.Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages.)


2. Open the book to page 123.


3. Find the fifth sentence.


4. Post the next three sentences.


5. Link back to the person who tagged you. (I was tagged by Julie who you can visit by clicking on that statement).


6. Tag five people.





I used the Bible, my favorite and also the closest book to me =)



"And the one who offered his offering on the first day was Nashon, the son of Amminadab, from the tribe of Judah." (Numbers 7:12)



Hmmm....interesting.



I am now going to tag the following people just to annoy them:



Marie



Amy



Janet



Megan



Sheri



You can post your answers in my comments if you like...you like, better seriously do it because you know you'll get like 7 years bad luck or something if you don't....

Because I'm Kind of an Idiot

So, today the girls and I went for a walk at the park and then decided to play a bit (pictures here). It's warm today but veryyyyyyyy windy. Anyways, I saw this nice old lady while we were walking and we exchanged hellos and she had a dark mark on her forehead--and I was sad because I was thinking that it was a shame to have such a noticeable birthmark on your face for your whole life... Later on we the old lady again (or so I thought) with the same dark mark just a new jacket on. Weird, maybe it was two old ladies with two weird marks? Huh! What are the odds...So then we finished walking and moved up to the park so that A could play and we saw a lady my age and her 1.5 year old boy--both with the same birthmark....



Hm....this is REALLY strange I thought....



About 20 minutes later it hit me--it's Ash Wednesday! DOUBLE DUH! Obviously I don't know many Catholics! Here's the story on Ash Wednesday--it's kind of interesting.



In the Western Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays). It falls on a different date each year, because it is dependent on the date of Easter; it can occur as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.
At Masses and services of worship on this day, ashes are imposed on the foreheads (or tonsure spots, in the case of some clergy) of the faithful. The priest, minister, or in some cases officiating layperson marks the forehead of each participant with black ashes in the shape of a cross, which the worshiper traditionally retains until washing it off after sundown. The act echoes the ancient Near Eastern tradition of throwing ash over one's head to signify repentance before God (as related in the Bible). The priest or minister says one of the following when applying the ashes:


Remember, O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return. (Latin: Memento homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris.)
—Genesis 3:19

Hay Bales to Highways Chapter 3

Time for the next installment of Our story. First of all, read the rest of the story here if you haven't already...

...I'll never forget the first time we met. It was the first week of my freshman year at Cedarville and let me tell you, Cedarville was a strange new land. There were strange things like "ring downs," strange nicknames for all buildings such as, "the hive" and "chucks" and weird organized activities like Brother-Sister events. I suppose brother-sister outings were developed to foster relationships between the sexes since we lived in separate dorms. This new "culture" was very odd to me but hungry for friends and fun I tagged along with my girls, Rachel, Patty Lynn and Diane and met "the brothers."

My friend Diane was absolutely in love with a boy named Michael who was cute in the traditional preppy way but also an attention hog. Upon seeing all the "sisters" he dropped on the ground in some strange crying/whining routine and I couldn't believe Diane didn't have enough sense to NOT like him. You see, even though she didn't have a lot of sense about boys at the time, Diane had an older sister at school and was therefore, a great source of information. And Diane, her sister and sister's friends all sang in a choir at a local church directed by S and she had told me all about how AMAZING he was and that he was dating this girl but that, "it would never last." So, as you've guessed by now, S was one of my new "brothers" and was friends with Michael the shrieking moron on the ground and when S told him to stop being annoying and to get up--I knew I was going to have to like him...

(By the way, I MUST mention that Michael is no longer a shrieking moron; he has a beautiful wife and precious baby girls and is a respectable, wonderful person).

...And, like him I did. I joined his choir with Diane and stayed through the long Sunday afternoons (it was just far enough away that we didn't drive back to dorms between Sunday morning and Sunday night services) with my new musical friends. I went to church there for a year, singing in the contatas and the choir every Sunday and I'm pretty sure I even played piano a few times.

We had so much fun those Sunday afternoons--there was the time that Michael folded himself up and took a nap in a baby crib, there were the times we played games all afternoon, we always ate lunch together--it was really wonderful. The only things that wasn't so wonderful was the fact that S spent nearly my entire freshman year dating the girl with whom Diane said it would never last. Well, last it did and she and her friends were there every Sunday afternoon with us--or on particularly devestating days S would go out to lunch with her instead of eating with us....those were the longggg afternoons.

Eventually I got a little annoyed going to a church so far away since my friends didn't want to attend there any more and started going to church with them and my NEW crush whose name isn't worth mentioning but who stole my interest away from S for a while.

It wasn't until the end of my Sophomore year that life started changing and my eyes drifted back to my Mr. Wonderful and his eyes drifted towards me....

The Unadvertised Special of the Day

So...I'm starting a new blog...

That's right, blog numero tres.

The newest addition to my bloggy family will cover the following topic(s):

* weight loss goals
* spiritual lessons/goals

This blog will be invite only, so if you are interested in encouraging me in my walk of faith and my battle with the bulge please comment/email and I'll send you an invitation.

I wanted to fully disclose my journey in the interest becoming more humble as I am wayyyy too prideful and to be held accountable for my lifestyle choices as I am way to chubby.

It's time for a change--wanna watch?

Action Jackson

So...I've resolved to take better care of myself and this entails two things:

* eating healthier I have already dropped my Pepsi habit (for the most part) Thank you very much

* exercising more regularly

I hate working out to exercise tapes so I'd like to walk with the girls (we live in the perfect neighborhood to do it) and I'm thinking I'll need a new stroller because even though she is beautiful:

she isn't very easy to steer.

So...with our lovely tax return I'm fixing to buy a jogging stroller:


Any suggestions/ideas out there?

Awkward Moments Define My Life: Junior High Edition

Picture this--I had just hit the trifecta of early 90s adolescence: short, badly permed hair, huge plastic framed glasses, and gleaming, silvery braces. For some unknown reason I had an over-developed sense of high self esteem and thought I was HOT stuff.

Easter time came around and I had a little money to burn for a fabulous new Easter dress so I went shopping at the Deb (like, the coolest place ever!). I scoured the racks until I found it--it was beautiful! lovely! grown up! It was a knee lenth, creamy colored, shoulder padded, button down the front-ed, short sleeved vision of a gown. I was in love with THAT dress! It didn't matter that it cost $30 (3 months worth of babysitting money) and wasn't on sale, I HAD to have it. I forked over my hard-earned dough and brought my new, fabulous dress home.

Finally, after what seemed like months, it was Easter and time to wear my awesome new dress! I still remember getting ready that day (I had to be like 12 yrs. old) and being SO EXCITED to go to church where hopefully my crush would be to see how devestatingly gorgeous I was. I walked into church and immediately received compliments and was feeling like, so totally awesome, when loudly (of course) and in front of all my peers in sunday school class (and MY CRUSH of course) a well-meaning but unfortunately loud English lady said--"OH MY GOODNESS! What is all over the back of your dress?" She followed that query with the most embarressing sentence uttered to me in all my life--"Is it THAT time of the month?" In her defense she DID whisper this, unfortunately she whispered it to my mother so everyone could hear...

I was devestated! I ran to the little girls room and took a look at my dress which was covered on the back with a thousand flecks of red something. Apparently my brothers and I had been eating red candy in the backseat of the car, which had flaked onto the seat and then embedded itself in my gleaming ivory dress.

Eventually I took the long walk back to my Sunday School Classroom, enshrouded this time in my mother's floor lenth coat.

Urgh. I'm still twitching...

The good news is I lived through that day. The bad news is that the dress was dry cleaned and it lived through that day too and I went on to wear it many a time.

I'm like, so totally glad that Junior High is so like totally far in the past...

Bow Model Strike!

No more bows Mama! Puhhhleaseeeeeeeeeeeeee!

The 25 Cent Tour

Well, I've got nothing better to do while my babies are sleeping so I thought I'd take you on a tour of my bathroom. It's very exciting which is why I'm charging you 25 cents--I accept Paypal and Money Orders, but we can take care of that later--I know you're good for it.

Say "Hi" to Mary. She's the first stop on our tour. Mary is from my Grandmother, and no, I'm not Catholic--just obsessed with this portrait for morbid reasons: a. I used to take it off the wall at night when I slept in my Grandma's house because I don't like faces looking at me when I sleep (this includes doll faces which must be turned to the wall), b. It reminds me of when people go hunting and hang a deer head on the wall--it's classy though b/c it's a Saint
Here's a candle-holder, also from my Grandmother. She's such a diva she preferred to be photographed in black in white (the candle-holder, not my Grandmother!).I find that its 70s sensibilities complement Mary perfectly.
Shower Curtain...I know this isn't exciting but just be thankful that I didn't take a picture of the grout between the bathroom tiles...seriously, be thankful!

Oh Look! It's a picture of us before children, Awwww....isn't that cute? We were so young and I was so thin....Shoot, now I'm depressed! Moving on...

I like my tissue box and...wait a minute...

WHAT THE?

Who in the world decided that a frog wiping his behind was a good marketing tool for this product? Are you kidding me?

This picture reminds me of those horrible t.p. commercials that use the bears to showcase the softness of their products...I think animals using hygiene products are disturbing. I've always been a nature lover and I don't feel that this is environmentally correct--I mean, if all the frogs in the world wiped their behinds with toilet paper we'd be in a heap more environmental trouble

Also, that frog looks awful happy...a bit too happy if you ask me...and I don't like his shifty eyes neither.

What commercials/product labeling disturbs YOU?

p.s. I hope that you enjoyed your tour, and no, the .25 is non-refundable!

Calgon Take Me Away!

Ever have one of those days where your kiddos are sick, it's RAINING, you're potty training, your baby is sad and fevery and fighting sleep and your toddler is angry and screaming NO to every question? Well, I am...right now! Here are some things, in no particular order, which would make it better:

chocolate...lots and lots of chocolate





a secluded island vacation






a nanny for the day






mmm...bubbly bath tub






...and one of these to rub my feet (the dreamy boy from pushing daisies)






What I actually have are one sleeping baby, one soon-to-be sleeping toddler and this:

Well...it's a start anyways..




Things I'm thankful for in light of my complaining:
* my girls
* rain
* a husband who is coming home relatively soon
* internet access
* Jesus

Amen and pass the Advil.

Don't Worry....I Won't Quit My Day Job Just Yet....

Anyone who has been reading my blog for a while knows that I mentioned a while back that I wanted to get into bow making--well, pregnancy and then a newborn got in the way of craft time but tonight my darling husband took me to get some starter supplies. I made two practice bows and they aren't horrible but nothing to write home about yet! I'll keep you posted on my progress...just because I want to...=)



p.s. they are a little cuter in person--I need A LOT more practice! they seem a little "huge" ha!

Do you ever just get ANNOYED?

So...the other day I went to a Doctor visit/consultation and happend to bring M with me because she is in love with her Mama, opposed to spending time with Daddy and a bit addicted to breastmilk...(there I said it--any men out there might want to stop reading at this point...ha!). So, I wheeled M into the consultation room and the nurse was admiring M, who at this point, started to cry--so I apologized that I brought a grumpy little baby but explained that I didn't want to leave her home as I am her source of food supply and Daddy was a bit nervous about being left alone with her. This nurse, who was VERY well meaning, surprised me by launching into a lecture about how I NEED to put my baby on the bottle because I NEED to have a life and to be able to go places without my child. And then she proceeded to tell me that people who use bottles love their children just as much as people who don't and that it will be good for both of us to get away from each other.

I was completely flabergasted. Seriously.

Now, I am not one to preach the virtues of any parenting path I choose--I do not feel it is my place to judge anyone's parenting decisions--

You want to co-sleep? Fine! I chose a crib this time but whatever works for your family is the best option!

You want to potty train from birth? Awesome. That means more diapers for a woman who was hard pressed to begin training at three and really would have liked to wait until four if I'm being honest.

You want to work out of the home while you have an infant? Cool. You know what works for your family! For my family, my staying home works.

You want to bottle feed? Great! I admit it's much more convenient to use a bottle in public instead of partially undressing to feed your child and I know that bottle feedin' Mama's love their children just the same as breast feedin' Mamas.

I would never tell someone that they MUST breastfeed and I couldn't believe that this lady thought she was doing me--a sily breastfeeding mother--a favor by telling me that I'm better off bottle feeding because she tried to b/f for 10 days and she realized it's not a good solution.

Anyways...I'll hop off my soapbox. I just wanted to say--that if ya'll make it to the end of the day with babies intact, in loving homes and everyone gets a kiss or two--well you know what, I think you're doing just fine as a Mama.

Peace.

Princess in Potty Training--Praise the Lord for Numero Dos!

A DID it!

She put a number 2 in the potty with NO help from Mama! No prodding! No begging! She just decided to do it and flushed it down and waved bye bye to it! WOOT WOOT! The Queen of Number 2!

p.s. I do have more to talk about than potty training but if you can imagine it has become the all-consuming pursuit for this week!

Princess in Potty Training Chapter 6: Stall-ing Tactics

What's this you ask? A piece of modern art? Nope...

This is a stalling tactic...
This princess pictured here wanted to put off her potty work as long as possible and made this mess with a brand new huge roll of toilet paper. I usually am smart enough to take the t.p. away before I leave A in the bathroom--but not today! I think it took me 10 minutes to re-roll this roll! ha!