Hodgepodge

Here's a hodgepodge of assorted pictures. First is my beautiful Christmas cactus. This beautiful flower was given to me by my friend Mary before she left for California. It totally freaked me out last year when it began to bloom. I didn't know it was a bloomin' cactus. But as you can see if develops the most beautiful blooms and brightens up my kitchen window.

Here's a Johnny Cash wanna-be. I just had to take this picture. Kyle was less than amused. He was unfortunately on his way to an acquaintances funeral. She passed away in a car accident the Saturday before Christmas and this past Saturday was the funeral. When he came walking out of his room in all black I asked him if he was the undertaker or what. I know you are suppose to wear black to as funeral but this was a bit of over kill..(no pun intended)

This here is my new little brother. Look he even does tricks. He likes to sit pretty for scooby snacks. He was quite the wild pooch before, but I'm beginning to believe he is starting to settle a bit.

Below is a picture of me Christmas morning with my prized possession in hand (the Shark steam mop). I know it's an illness to ask for cleaning products as gifts. I can't help it.

Here's a peek at the boys opening their stocking stuff. Doesn't Josh looked excited about receiving learning, educational backed games for Christmas. I told him that Santa must be wanting him to refine his multiplication facts. Not sure if he was buying it or not.

Last but not least is the "hit of the day". Why Rudolph did leave that "otter graph" after all. Josh was so excited that he could hardly contain himself. This prized possession now has a seat next to Barney the Presidential dog on his dresser. Hope he doesn't ask for Yogi Bear's autograph next year, or Manny the Mammoth off of Ice Age. I'll be in quite the pickle then.

Merry Christmas Eve

They day started out great Tuesday morning. The boys had pajama day at school and wore their favorite Pj's with their red robes. They also enjoyed hot chocolate and "The Polar Express". After school we were off to my in-laws for dinner and an exchange of gifts between the boys and hubby's sister. Dexter sported his holiday sweater too!

Here's a holiday picture for Christmas 2008! Kyle was wrestling at a meet so he missed out on dinner and dessert. this pic was taken before dinner when the pants were still able to be fastened.

With Christmas Eve dinner right around the corner and the anticipation of Santa.....I wish you and your family the true Joy of Christmas! God Bless!

New Song

Check out the new song I uploaded to the playlist. I love this song "How many Kings". It's one of those songs that just touches you and makes you stop and really think about what Christmas means to you. All you have to do is click on the song itself in my playlist and it will start. I have played it a million times today alone.

I haven't even made it out of my jammies today. I was snug in my bed the better part of the morning and really had no desire to go anywhere today. The boys ran around and cleaned up after our overnight guest went home. I mad a scrumptious Chinese dinner and I am contemplating making chocolate chip cookies. Yep...I'm the cookie monster here. Yum, Yum Me love cookies! :-)

Party time

Last night was hubby's Christmas party. Although I really wasn't planning on going, I did have fun in the end. We won a Star Wars DVD for Joshua and after the party we hit the slots. I walked into the slots with every intention of making my $10 donation and leaving empty handed. I won for the first time. Not a lot just $40, but it was something.

Today was cold, cloudy & rainy. I stayed put inside while Kyle & his girlfriend were here and Joshua has a friend over for the night. I have accomplished many of the things on my previous to-do list. How about you? I do need to buy 1 roll of wrapping paper. I had enough left over from years past to wrap about 90% of my presents. I am trying to go through the house still and downsize. I also gave away all the pre-purchased toys I kept on a shelf in the basement that I used for last minute gifts when the boys would get invited to birthday parties. It was a good feeling to give away all of the toys to the "Toys for Tots" group. Try it sometime...it's very uplifting.

The Gift

Here she is in all her beauty (Dad, pay no attention to the dirt markings on the rear tire). This is hubby's new pride & joy. He brought this puppy home the day after Thanksgiving. Hubby is lucky to have such a gracious father-in-law. My Dad bestowed upon hubby the keys to one of his finest worldly possessions and let him drive away with it for a mere $1. At first I was concerned. Why would someone give such a gift...was he sick, did he know something I didn't, but the conclusion came that he was just doing a great deed to our family. That worldly possessions mean nothing , but that seeing family happy means everything. This was a profound moment. My Dad loved this truck so much that it sat for over 10 years in the garage. "Old Blue"(yes I've named it) only has 12,000 miles on it. So for him to give it to us was a true act of kindness and love. So to Dad I send out a big THANK YOU! Love ya lots!

Christmas Chaos

Here is a sneak peek into my kitchen while I was busy preparing dozens of cookies. I never even got around to making the chocolate chip cookies when it was time to leave for a Christmas party.

Below are a few pictures of the little guys from last week's school performance. They were both so cute up there on the stage. Kyle's choral performance is this week. I'll post pictures shortly after.

Here is hubby and the little guys getting ready to cut down the Christmas tree. It was freezing that day and even snowed while we were at the field.

And here's the picture I promised a few of you. During the cold snap that came last week the local funeral home apparently didn't turn off their fountain. This is how I found the fountain one morning on my way to work. It's still beautiful! Kyle couldn't believe that I actually got out of my car and took a picture in front of the funeral home. Good thing he wasn't with me...he'd have to chalk it up to another embarrassing teenage moment.

Now you see it... now you don't.

See this picture! It was one of my favorites. I had all great intentions of having this picture printed out for my Christmas card, but alas I forgot the CD yet again when I went shopping this morning. And as you can plainly see there are only 12 days left till Christmas. By the time I put in my order it would be the middle of next week before I could even think about sending them. So in a short condensed version...well the snow globe e-card and this pic may be my only Christmas correspondence this year. So I will end my post on a happy note: Merry Christmas!

2 weeks

YIKES! There are only two weeks till Christmas. I am totally unprepared. I am done shopping for the two little guys and my in-laws, it's everyone else that I still need to purchase for. I have yet to purchase anything for my parents or even hubby. I haven't really even purchased anything for Kyle except a Adidas bag for sports. I really need to get on the ball. There are things to do:

1. Order Christmas cards
2. Package & send Christmas cards
3. Prepare cookies
4. Make small gifts (food) for neighbors
5. Buy & wrap teacher gifts
6. Purchase Christmas Eve dinner items
7. Wrap presents
8. Put up outdoor illumination
9. Buy gifts
10. Make Christmas packages for my preschoolers
11. Finish preschoolers parent gift...hot glue, ribbon, doilies
12. Clean my house

There just seems to be an endless amount of things popping up on my to-do list. Any suggestions?

Mama Nubs

This is the new nickname given to me by my oldest. Let me set the stage for you. A few weeks ago I attended a Pampered Chef show and purchased a knife. A sharp paring knife to be exact (yes I now your already ahead of me on this one). Ever since I received this new knife I have been warning both Kyle & hubby to beware of the super sharp knife. I again reminded Kyle of this as he was cutting up tomatoes and olives for tonight's dinner. Then I decided last minute to cut up one more tomato. Well you know what happened. Yes, I cut myself. This damn knife cut off the whole tip of my left thumb. I was crying in pain. Kyle couldn't believe it. I told him to throw away the tomatoes and he immediately started looking for my missing bit. It was still attached to the blade of the knife. I thought he was gonna puke. He was totally grossed out. And I was still in pain. He did show off some First Aid skills and got me all bandaged up. So buyer beware when it comes to sharp knives...you too could earn the nickname "mama nubs"

Trees & Hooves

Sundays are suppose to be a day for rest, but today was the exception. I was up and moving at 6:30 to get Kyle off to D.C. for a day of ice skating and sightseeing. Then it was back home. Hubby had to work last night till 4 a.m. this morning so I was trying to take it easy on him. However , I had already made plans to go tree hunting with my in-laws and he was just gonna have to suck it up and come along. After all we needed someone to cut the tree and drag it back. It was bitterly cold today but fun. The boys love stomping through the fields in search for the perfect tree. This year we were treated to a snow squall while we were looking for "Old Tannenbaum". The wagon ride to and from the fields is always fun as well. This particular farm had a gift shop and Santa. The boys were excited and a bit shy. They did recite a few toys that they would like so mission accomplished there. However on our way home Joshua had a revelation. He was upset because the one thing he really wanted for Christmas he had forgotten to tell Santa about it. He had written Santa a letter a few days before and kindly asked for an "otter graph"(his spelling not mine) from Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeer. I explained to him not to worry because the letter would be received and Santa would know about his special request. Over the past few days I have been diligently looking for hunters to acquire hoof prints. Luckily, (not so lucky for the deer) my mother had seen a newly dead deer on the side of her road. So to my father's mortification she headed out with paint & paper in hand. Yes my mother painted a dead deer's hooves and made hoof prints for her grandson. Kinda sick, huh? But again, mission accomplished!

Mission Accomplished

Eureka! The camera was found. I was beginning to think there was a black hole in this house that seems to suck in everything I seemed to have misplaced. Case solved. We have been pretty busy here decorating for Christmas and putting things away from Thanksgiving. However we were greeted by a jolly old elf....Why it's "Santa Paws"

Have you ever seen anything cuter in your life? This poor dog has suffered from my constant abuse of dressing him up and taking photos. Although he does take great photos! Perhaps instead of sending out the old"family" photo this year I will bless everyone with a photo of the pooch instead.

Below is a picture from this Thanksgiving's wishbone. I couldn't have planned this any better if I tried. When the boys brought it to me I was in a bind. If Andy won then my poor sweet soft- hearted Joshua would be crushed... and if Joshua won Andy would be upset and possibly cry. It was looking like a lose-lose situation. However I warned both before they took hold that someone was going to lose and someone was going to win. You know..soften the blow. But as you clearly see the wishbone broke into not two but three pieces. And each boy had an equal piece. We were all happy. :-)

Well I had better finish putting the finishing touches onto my trees and just sit back and enjoy the twinkling lights while I can. Enjoy!

MIA

A handy acronym- MIA (Missing in Action). This acronym best describes my latest dilemma. My digital camera that is well loved by the little guys is now on my "most wanted list". I have been unable to locate the camera for a few days now. The last time I saw it the little guys were making mini-movies with it and had left it on the kitchen table. I don't mind them taking snap-shots or making movies because the beauty of the camera is that it can all be erased. However the disappearance of the camera is beginning to bug me. There have been three instances that I have wanted to use the camera and for obvious reasons I cannot. Therefore the boys will be on a mission tonight to locate and recover the camera or no one gets dessert. :-)

Raising turtles

No I'm not really raising turtles, although that would be kinda cool. But if I was raising turtles they would certainly be stylin' in the oodles of turtlenecks we have in our home. At first it was just Joshua who seemed to have an obsession with this article of clothing. Really, this kid would wear them from September through May. I pretty much have to hide them in tote buckets to get him to stop wearing them. Now Andrew is requiring a turtleneck daily as well. So essentially I am raising turtles just not the scaly, hard shelled, cold blooded kind.

Vacation pics III

Hats galore! y family thought it was cute to try on all the "Goofy" hats and take a picture. All I could think of was contracting head lice. YIKES!!! The parks were all decked out for Christmas. It was really quite festive.

Vacation pics II

This picture was taken just after Andrew consumed a Mickey ice cream bar. Below is a pic of me & honey waiting to see Mickey's PhilarMagic. It was a great 3-D show with Mickey & Donald Duck. Really none of the shows at Disney disappoint.

A pic of hubby sporting the Jack Sparrow hat outside of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

Here's a good picture of the boys! Aren't they sweet?

Vacation pics I

I will have to post these vacation pics in small doses as the new laptop is still giving me issues. Above is a pic of Cinderella's castle decorated for Christmas. It was truly beautiful. Below is a pic of me and the boys on the first day off to Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Here's a pic after we won the "Year of a Million Dreams" package. These are the two soap stars we met. She plays "Carly" and he plays "Nicholas" on General Hospital. Unfortunately I don't watch the show and had really no clue as to who they were. However they were very friendly and he apparently used to work on the original CSI. Andy wasn't impressed as seen below.

Giving Thanks

Hello & sorry for the delay. I have attempted on numerous accounts to upload my new Disney photos to no avail. There is some sort of computer glitch and I have yet to figure it out. I will keep trying and will work on it in the next few days.

Our trip was awesome. Disney as always doesn't disappoint. The parks were beautiful and there wasn't a lot of crowds. We were able to ride each ride many times and the wait times were less than 10 minutes each time. We were also the lucky winners of their prize giveaway on 3 different occasions. The first time we won $200 in gift cards, dinner at Hollywood & Vine, 5 gift bags with goodies and a meet & greet with two soap stars from general Hospital. Unfortunately I don't watch that soap so that part wasn't that big of a deal to me & the family. The second winning was pin lanyards with 4 pins each so the boys were able to begin trading with the cast members. The last day we won Fast passes which allowed us to get on and off rides with no wait. The dinners we had were phenomenal and the hotel was great. We were sad to come home to Delaware. However it's always nice to slink down in your own comfy bed. We certainly have a lot to be thankful for this year.

This being the eve of Thanksgiving I wish you and your families a Happy Turkey Day. May you not forget all the blessings that you have been bestowed this past year.

Planes, trains & automobiles

Doesn't this new music just make you wanna pack up a suitcase and hit the open road? Everyone wants to jump in the car for a cross country adventure with he whole family don't they? I've never been cross country with my family before but 16 hours was long enough for me. Thank goodness for planes. This upcoming trip will be the first time the little guys have ever flown before. They are looking forward to hitting the airport and boarding the plane. Momma is not as anxious. It's been nearly 10 years since I last flew. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a bit scared. Not worried about crashing & dying... just worried about turbulence & air pockets. I'm not the type that likes to ride roller coasters so any kinda of extra movement may send me into a panic. I'll keep my fingers crossed that I won't need to use the vomit bags.

New Toy

I am sitting here admiring & using my new toy. My parents graciously stood in line for an hour and a half (thank you!!! love ya lots) so that I may have a laptop. I have wanted one for some time and when I saw that there was a model on sale at Wal-mart I just had to have it. So since I was to be at the swim meet and hubby was at an RC swap meet they came to my rescue. Hopefully this helps me stay on top of my blog postings and general e-mails. Now I just need to learn all the bells & whistles that are at my disposal. Watch out PC world here I come.

Goodies!

Look at this pathetic pup! We just had to buy this hot dog costume at Target for $5.00. He was less than thrilled but we got a hoot out of seeing him parade around in it. We'll certainly have him all suited up for next Halloween's trick-or-treating.

Some great things have been happening around here. We received a letter in the mail from a very important person. Joshua had written President Bush back in the summer and had informed him that he had just completed a school project on him and that he was fond of him. We waited and waited and had really given up on a response and then this came in the mail.

He graciously sent a letter expressing his thanks to Josh and giving him some sound advice for future plans. He also enclosed a picture of Barney (his reporter biting dog) and a picture of himself wearing a cowboy hat. We ran out and bought frames for the pictures and they will now have a coveted place in his bedroom. He kinda reminds me Alex P. Keaton off of "Family Ties" with his picture and admiration for Ronald Reagan.

Josh had a great swim meet this morning. After a second place swim on his first round he pulled through later to win first place for his backstroke during the Medley. I was really excited and so proud. I wish I would have brought my camera but it was back home charging. I had to have lost 5 pounds in sweat alone there. With all of those kids, fans and warm water it was like a sauna. I wanted to strip down to nothing (but I spared those sitting around me and kept myself clothed). I can't wait till the next swim meet..... watch out folks he's part shark!

Homework stinks

The kids have only had a 3 day week but that didn't seem to slow the amount of homework any. Poor Joshua has been buried under mountains of homework and the added math worksheets I've been giving him to improve his math skills. The school curriculum today seems so hard and advanced. Plus the new way they teach math really blows my mind. They don't even have them setting up the problem. Instead they are drawing pictures of humps on a number line to find the answer. It's like hieroglyphics. The whole process takes five times longer than the traditional way to add and subtract. SO needless to say we will be continuing to practice math on the weekends till we have a 95% success rate. Stinks to be a kid... or does it?

Halloween

Here you see Anikan Skywalker and Darth Vader posing for pictures before the festivities. They were both so cute in their costumes. Below is the outdoor picture. I'm not liking trick-or-treating in the daylight. It was dark about 45 minutes later but still. This new time change deal has made really made an impact on me. I can remember it already being dark when I was a kid even before it was time to start. I suppose there is no changing Congress's mind now. Damage done.

Andrew grew tired of the face mask really quickly. Anyone remember the old Mel Brooks movie "Space Balls". May I present to you Lord Dark Helmet! All we needed were the little round glasses. He was totally cute last night. He would shout thank you for the candy and then tip his helmet like it was a top hat. Too funny!

Prep for Candy day!

Halloween is fast approaching...are you prepared? I have bundled all my goodie bags up for the neighborhood children. I am in the midst of preparing 48 cupcakes for a class party and trying to pull together everyone's costumes and accessories for the big night tomorrow. I'm not a huge fan of Halloween but I do allow my kids to trick-or-treat and they enjoy all the goodies afterwards ( Mom has to check and sample the candy before any can be eaten by the little ones, right?). I personally prefer holidays such as Thanksgiving & Christmas which are both fast approaching. Check back later for kids in costumes.

Gloomy Day

Wow! The wind is wicked here. Apparently Jack Frost has come to town and decided to bring his weather element friends along. The wind has been blustery here and coupled with the rain it has gotten pretty doggone cold here. I even broke down and turned on the heat. Yes, I know what a miser I am.

The day has been pretty gloomy here as I found out a dear friend's mother will be soon leaving this Earth to join our Saviour. Please pray for this family and let the Lord comfort them during this hard time. No one ever looks forward to letting go of a loved one especially not a parent. I pray for peace that passes all understanding for her & her family. Her mother was and will always be very special to me as I have known this family for the better part of 21 years. My friend and I grew up through middle school and high school together and our friendship has lasted beyond the confines of a classroom. We have had the ability to share babies, marriages and many other memorable moments together and it hurts me to hear or know that she is sad. So again please say a little prayer for a grieving family and give your loved ones an extra kiss tonight.

"Fireproof"

I was able to sneak in some "me" time today and catch the new movie I've been wanting to see. "Fireproof" is now my new favorite movie. I used to love Kirk Cameron back in the day when he was on the covers of Tiger Beat, but today I love him for a more spiritual reason. He has committed his life to the Lord and chooses only to act in roles that are spiritually written. He and this movie really drive a core purpose home and I think each and every couple can take something from this movie. It will sure to be a staple in my movie collection when it comes out on DVD. I challenge you to see the movie and tell me what you thought....you won't be sorry you did.

Dance! Dance ! Dance!

I just got home from taking these wonderful Homecoming pictures. Kyle was attending Julie's Homecoming tonight with her family & friends. The short gal in the blue dress is her little sis and her brother is the gentleman in the middle with long hair. For those of you whom don't already know...all you have to do is click on the picture and it brings it full screen. Anyways, we've had a rather fun day. First we ran a bunch of errands this morning and then headed over to the Bowling alley to throw a few strikes (only 1 in my case). This was Andy's pick because due to the rain he stayed home with Mom and Dad went on with Josh to camp at the Cub Scout Camporee. I really thought I didn't like bowling before but I must say I had a rather very nice time today. I forgot to bring the camera which was a true bummer. I've got to get back into the routine of carrying that thing in my purse or stapled to my hip whichever works.

I finally ordered my video camera this week and I am hoping it arrives before Halloween. I would like hubby to be able to play with it and get it ready to go for the trip. This upcoming week will be busy and then it's only a few weeks after Halloween till we leave. YEAH! Mickey here I come!

The Incredible Shrinking Woman

I loved that movie as a kid. But I'm no Lily Tomlin. However I am shrinking. By 4.2 pounds so far. I weighed in this afternoon and to my delight I had shed a few pounds. This increases my motivation and my desire to continue to lose. My Mom is way ahead of me in weight loss but I'm sending her this warning that I'm going to catch up.....(you had better kick it up a notch, sister). Afterwards I stopped and ate my new favorite food... the grilled chicken salad. YUM! It was well worth 10 points to me. Perhaps I will see a size 12 or 10 jean again. I don't think I've seen those in the past 8-10 years. Stay tuned... and cheer me on!

Monday's stink

Weekends seem to fly right past me these days. I really don't look forward to Monday's because they are always so busy. Kyle has soccer practice & Boy Scouts. Joshua always has tons of homework on Monday as well as Swimming. Andy was on the swim team but I pulled him off last Thursday. He was so tired and cranky it totally was not worth it to him. So we'll try him again next year. So as you see it's quite a shuffle on Monday afternoons getting everyone where they need to be and have dinner.

I almost made a boo-boo yesterday on the way to church. I was explaining to hubby that he would have to break the news to the scheduler for Acolyte's that Joshua would be unable to be the Acolyte next Sunday due to camping. Also, he was to let them know that he could not be scheduled for the 16th of November as we would be on vacation. Yes, I said vacation. Joshua "eagle ears" heard me utter the word and then proceeded to ask when & where we were going on vacation too. Yikes! I back pedaled quickly and made mention of some conflicting dates within our schedule with daddy's days off. I was almost busted. I'm sure he will remember this little slip up when we tell them about the trip. Yes, I prayed for forgiveness for my little white lie.

viernes

Good Morning! I am up and chipper on a Friday morning. Not really anything special to look forward to just happy that today is Friday. This week seemed to drag on. I suppose it could also be that while my vacation is getting closer it just still seems like it will never get here. Hubby & I can't wait to tell the boys. I think we've decided to tell them on Halloween. This should get them pumped to run the neighborhood in search on candy. I know they will be excited because I am. Especially since I'm nominating Mickey Mouse for President. Unfortunately I'm not really impressed with either candidate at this moment. All of this mud slinging and policy chatter is starting to get to me. Throw in the millions of signs that are popping up and it's over kill. I'm looking forward to election day coming and going so that TV will get back to other news stories. Don't get me wrong, I'm still voting just not quite sure who should win or who will win. Guess we'll all have to wait and see on the 4th.

Wow...it's only Tuesday?

Here's pics from this past weekend's Homecoming Dance. Kyle & Julie attended the game Friday night and then boogied the night away on Saturday. They both seemed to enjoy the dance and seeing each other all dressed up. We get to do this all over again as she does not attend the same high school and her Homecoming dance is in a couple of weeks.

This was my birthday weekend and hubby gave me an unexpected gift. He took the boys all day & all night to a scout camporee. I had the entire day practically alone. I was able to catch up on some chores and enjoy a quiet sunny day at home. I also was able to catch up with some girlfriends that night and had a great time. Although the stomach bug reared it's ugly head on Sunday night. We seem to be hanging onto this bug and not getting rid of it.

This week also began swimming. I ended up signing up both little guys on the swim team. I'll post pics next week of them in their racing swim trunks and swim caps. I could possibly be raising the next Michael Phelps. Both boys love to swim and this will help perfect their skill level and teach them the proper way to swim. Andrew has quite the frog kick and will need to learn how to flutter kick instead. He'll learn...why he's only 5 and has many years of swim practice ahead of him. These two swim like sharks and I can't wait for them to compete. Stay tuned!

One slice...does a body good

Well I think I have finally kicked the yucky muck I came down with. I was still feeling yucky yesterday but after a fairly goodnight sleep (minus the screaming kid whom had caught the bug,poor thing) I felt much improved this morning. Plus, it's my birthday. There is no illness on such a great day. The wonderful ladies I work with brought me in my favorite pie to celebrate. I love Apple pie. Which is funny because up until about 1 year ago I hadn't and wouldn't try it. I loved apples but I didn't think I would like pie. Boy I didn't know what I was missing. So now I'm trying to make up for all the years I have missed. I shall start back on my diet tomorrow. Off to prepare for the Homecoming game. Go Team!

Feelin' blue

Just down right feeling yucky these past couple of days. Both hubby and I have visited our local Emergency room (local nut house) this week. There are lots of stories I could write about that occurred in the E.R. Sometimes you just wonder where these people come from. Whatever happened to maintaining decency and class. Apparently that all goes out the window the moment you step through the hospital doors. There was screaming patients, police with evidence bags, a naked drunk man whom exposed himself at each opportunity and the list goes on. Needless to say I was fine and after 11 hours just wanted to go home. Hubby on the other hand has kidney stones. OW! That sounds painful. But we need to mend quickly for the weekend festivities. We have homecoming this weekend and that cannot be missed. It's always fun to see all of the youngsters dressed up and looking their best. We also have some Cub Scout activities to attend so the weekend will be busy. Essentially there is no time for illness. We just need to get better and stay better. Bottom line. :-)

Love the fish

It's amazing how people can get tickled by the silliest or sweetest of things. I giggled for quite awhile last night over my new gift seen below. Let me give you a little background here:

The other day my boss was chatting with me about being offended by the Evolutionist Darwin thinkers taking the Jesus Christian fish symbol and adding legs to it for the new Darwin way of thinking. I too was offended. Not two days later I saw a truck parked next to me in the Wal-mart parking lot with this emblem found below. Basically a Christian fish swallowing the Darwin fish. I laughed hysterically and searched my pocketbook high and low for my digital camera. I didn't have it with me that day (figures, Murphy's Law). Anyways as I go to pull out I realize that the vehicle next to me belongs to a good friend of mine and our den leader from Scouts. I giggled some more when I told his wife and the sweet gal ordered me one and gave it to me as a gift. Now I have one of my very own...isn't it cute!

Also here's a bit of interesting knowledge written on the package:

The fish is a sign that Christians have used to identify themselves to one another throughout history. They scratched the sign of the fish in the sand to identify one another as Christians. It has been said the Greek initials of "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior" spells the Greek word fish.

Jesus said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Back on my soapbox

I'm back on the whole cellphone soapbox. Why is it that people feel the need to be on their cellphones 24/7. Yes I use my cellphone quite a bit, but I demonstrate good cell phone etiquette. I do not carry a conversation in the checkout line while being checked out. I try not to carry a conversation while pushing around my cart. These people are totally in no control of the cart and have difficulty turning into the aisles. Hang up I tell you. What was your life like before cellphones. I'm all for multi-tasking but this takes it a bit far.

Where is all of this coming from.... well I'll tell you. I popped into Wal-mart for a quick pick-up of a few items. I headed for the express lane and waited my turn patiently. In front of me was a lady who put each individual item up as the cashier rang it through. She was slow as a turtle and chatting away on her cell phone. When the order was done the cashier had to tell her total twice with a 20 second lag time between each. Then she had the audacity to then ask for a pack of cigarettes. Once the total was re-rung she ever so slowly pulled out her purse and rifled through it looking for money. She was in no apparent rush. I could feel mine and the cashier's blood beginning to boil. Once money was exchanged she then looked at her cigarettes and said that they were the wrong type. WHAT? She then looks over the counter and with a look of disgust says "I guess I'll just keep these". Well I would hope so. Not only has she wasted my time but the cashier's as well. Needless to say I vented when she moved away. There I have now released my frustration for the day..... onto the laundry.

Random pieces

This here is the handicraft of our youngest. At the wee age of 5 I do believe I may have a budding artist on my hands. I even took it to work this morning and showed it off to my co-workers. How detailed he is.

This picture was taken last night before heading out in the rain & gale force winds. Hubby is being promoted next Tuesday and we attended the Senior Non-Commissioned Officers Induction Ceremony. I thought I looked good until I saw this picture. I don't even recognize myself.....that's not me. My co-worker has a saying for this : " Nothing makes you wanna lose weight than seeing yourself in pictures". Amen to that one.

This picture was taken on Wednesday after I allowed my now licensed driving teenager to drive me home from the DMV. Needless to say I was having some leg cramps from trying to stomp down on the passenger side non-existent brake. I'm gonna need nerves of steel to ride with this one for 6 months.

With all of that said we again having a pretty laid back weekend ahead. The rain has cancelled the local Fall Festival and it will probably keep me out of the pumpkin patch's & apple orchards for at least this weekend. October is full of things to do and our weekends are getting jammed packed. But I do love fall and the cool crisp nights. I even baked a homemade apple pie tonight for dessert. YUM! I believe I will settle in and watch a movie and try to sleep in tomorrow. Now if only I could train the kids to sleep in.

Hunger pains aplenty!

I am HUNGRY! The first two weeks of Weight Watchers stink. I literally feel like I am starving at times. At those moments I reach for my water bottle and swallow a few ounces down. It's 3 pm and out of 24 points I have 3 points left. Looks like I'll be having a plain salad tonight for dinner with no extra vittles. Sigh! I do want to lose weight but I just love food so much. Perhaps I should shower everything in Tabasco sauce so I can't even eat it. Hubby is also on a diet. Although he seems to lose weight faster and also has better will power than me. No fair! We'll see if I can hack it. I have before..... I shall do it again! I need to fit back into some of my clothes that I swore must have shrunk. I couldn't possibly have gotten any bigger. :-) Those are the thoughts that roll through my head when the desire to eat something hits. Or I always try to fall back on the "pleasantly plump" theory. But no more, I am going to work very hard to shed at least 20 pounds. But a chocolate bar would make me so happy right now. :-)

On a mission

I was on a mission today after work. I needed to secure a black dress for an upcoming function this week. So off I went to the Kohl's Department store. I found a cute black dress and quickly ushered into the dressing room to have a look. I know I've talked about the dreaded 360 degree mirror. Why on earth do they put those in the dressing rooms. I went in feeling elated and upbeat and walked out feeling frumpy and fat. I did end up buying the dress. More so out of necessity than desire. This has sparked a new fire within me. I need to flat out lose at minimum 20 pounds. This is my mission. I need to steer clear of food and force myself into a diet. Weight Watchers here I come. Now that I've put myself out there to all my readers I expect you to help me along the way.

On a lighter note I did find a great purse while I was shopping! My Vera Bradley has seen better days so I found a new orange Autumn purse to wear for the season. Check it out....isn't it snazzy.

Hallelujah... it's the weekend!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah! I'm not tired just looking forward to getting some stuff done around the house this weekend and not really needing to go anywhere. We can't travel North this weekend as the Nascar nuts are in town, so were staying home. The boys should enjoy two relaxing days of outdoor play (by that I mean cleaning up the yard). The weekends are also the only time they are allowed to play video games and watch TV. I know what a mean Mom I am. Don't worry they still love me. Hubby took them to the base tonight for a Nascar party. This gives me a couple of extra quiet hours here at home. Can you see me? I'm the one jumping up and down with a big grin from ear to ear shouting "WOOHOO". Yep that's me!

On a different note, hubby and I have been catching bits and parts of movies this past week. "Mr. Mom" is a classic. It still makes me giggle and "The Money Pit" too. We also caught the beginning of "16 Candles" and were shocked. We missed the beginning the last time it was on and apparently missed the "boob" scene. Yes, there is a "boob" scene in "16 candles". Neither one of us remembered it either. I was glad Kyle wasn't watching with us. I would have turned 50 shades of red. Yikes!

Yes I changes the tunes again! I was feeling like the 80's again. Enjoy!

PARTY!

We had quite the party house going this past weekend. First was Joshua's party. We face painted the boys and armed them with helmets & dog togs. Then Sgt. Dad took them around back to the "base" for boot camp assignments. Once all children arrived and were sworn in they proceeded to the obstacle course. We had loads of contraptions to crawl around, under and over. They then marched off to the tug of war arena. From their they played a multitude of other games to include "Sarge says". Joshua had a great time and so did all of his friends. Mission accomplished. Note the cool tank cake that Sgt. Dad made.... and it was yummy too!

Next it was on to a quick clean-up in preparation for the next party. While I had four o'clock as a start time most of Kyle's friend's rolled in after six. I was booted out and only able to capture a few shots with the camera before all of the other kids arrived. You know it's not cool to have parents around. They took complete control of the music and serving themselves hot dogs, chips and soda. Out of 17 2-liter bottles there was only one bottle not opened. They were on a sugar high. They jousted and wrestled and chatted all night. In the midst of the party I did come out with cake and song. Shortly after I went inside a cake fight erupted and I knew better than to poke my head back out of the door. We watched from the kitchen as they smeared cake in each other's hair and faces. YUM!

With all that said it took us awhile to clean up yesterday morning. I wanted my house back to normal ASAP. The trash man ought to love me this week.