Friday, May 23, 2008

Busy day yesterday...

I finally went and got my hair cut. I'm sporting my new doo today! It was nice to get a little break and I feel so much better!

We had our Court of Awards ceremony for Girl Scouts last night. I just love Girl Scouts. It was so cute watching the Daisys bridge to Brownies -- they were SO proud. It's a great organization for girls of all ages. I'll be an assistant leader next year, and I'm really looking forward to that. It will keep me busy though. This was Makenna's first year, and she enjoyed it very much. She experienced many things for the first time with the org. Not to mention, they have awesome cookies, what more could a person want?!

After the ceremony, I attended an Uppercase Living Party at a cafemom friend's house. It was nice to meet other moms and I look forward to playdates and such. Uppercase Living, in case you don't know, is a company that sells "decorative expressions." They have some really neat things. Check them out:
http://www.uppercaseliving.com/
I enjoyed the evening very much. I was too tired to download pics last night, so I will do that today and post some later of the ceremony.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Kennedy - whether you like him or not

I am not a fan of the Kennedy's, actually, but that doesn't take away from the fact that Ted Kennedy is one the strongest forces to be reckoned with in the Senate.

As the youngest of nine children, he has endured the death of 6 siblings. He's one of three remaining. He survived a plane crash in 1964 that killed an aide worker and the pilot. He's suffered from back ailments ever since. He's had bouts with alcoholism which only assisted in tarnishing his reputation after the Chippaquiddick incident. He has endured the tragic deaths of three nephews. Two of his own children are cancer survivors. It's no big secret that the Kennedy family seems to endure more trials and tribulations than your everyday, average, family.

I don't have to be a fan of Kennedy to admire him. He has devoted over 45 years of his life, serving our country, to stand for what HE feels is in the best interest of our citizens. That in itself, is very admirable. I may not agree with his politics, but one can definitely not take that away from him. I pray for him, and for his family. I pray that he will have many memorable last days, a decent quality of life to devote more time to doing what he does, and that he will be able to spend quality time with his family and friends. God bless Ted Kennedy!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008




The Little Ones that Make my World Go Round...









^Morgan, my youngest, after an exhausting day at Disney




This is Madison, my oldest, at the Dallas World Aquarium.











Madison and Makenna at Halloween. Madison informed me last year that she was too old to trick-or-treat (at the time she was 9)...who knew?










Makenna is "the middle child"
Makenna has the biggest heart, goes right along with her sweet smile...










Morgan monkeying around. We were on our way home from a neighborhood event. It was just the two of us that day, the olders were with grandparents. We had a blast!






























































Monday, May 19, 2008

Things aren't always as they may outwardly appear

I've been with my husband for 8 years now. Many things have changed during those 8 years, some good, some... not so good. Lately I feel as though we almost coexist. I love him, and I know he loves me, but somewhere along the way, it's almost as though we've lost "like" for each other. No two people on earth share all of the same likes and dislikes, nor can one expect that from a person. As of late, we barely communicate outside of the children. It's very hard on me at times, being home all day with kids, no adult interaction, just to be almost ignored when my adult counterpart enters the front door each night. I often wonder how we got to this point? More importantly, how do we get back to the point of "like" for each other. As with many other couples, we've just learned there are so many things that we do NOT like about one another. So why can't the things that we do appreciate about one another override those things that we don't? I would absolutely LOVE for us to be friends again. We can both be stubborn at times, so anytime the subject matter comes up, it's almost like a radioactive protective shield pops up and just deflects all of my efforts. I'm very honest and upfront about my feelings. I tell him the things I need and desire in my life. Things that are, in my opinion, the things that most people want and desire. I don't like that feeling of being viewed as an enemy everytime I open my mouth about something. I want the absolute best for my children, first and foremost. I keep hoping that with age and time, things will get better. I hope that someday we can work more together as a team, and not against each other. If I could only figure out a way to get us back to that point.....

Friday, May 16, 2008

NKTOB made me giddy??

Just yesterday I wrote about how I was coming to terms with getting older. This morning, well for about 30 minutes anyway, I felt like a giddy little teenager watching New Kids on the Block on the Today Show. I mean afterall, they were the hottest boy band of MY young life, and I know I'm not alone in my thinking. Well, guess what? They're not quite new, and definitely not kids, anymore. Even still, it was so much fun watching them and singing along to the songs... yes, I even still remember the lyrics! I think I will try and see them in concert when they come to town and soak up the youthful feeling for an ENTIRE two hours! I can't wait....

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Approaching 30... not so gracefully

I'll be 30 in just a few a weeks and I'm having somewhat of a hard time with it. My twenties will be history, and I will be beginning the start of a new decade. Several months ago I was sitting in the car, waiting for the kids to get out of school, when I noticed a grey hair. I plucked that sucker so fast and frantically began a search of what led to countless more. Needless to say it was an awakening moment.

I'm getting older.

Be forewarned -- it does NO good plucking them... I should buy stock in Clairol... Anyway, my hair is not the only thing that age is taking it's toll. I can't walk these days without something popping. It's so funny, because when I was younger, this was just something I didn't think would ever happen to me. Aches and pains for almost no reason at all. Getting tired easily. I know I certainly took my energy level that I once had SO for granted. If only to have the energy of a 4 year old again! I'm hoping that once the dreaded day of the 30th comes and goes, these feelings will pass with the day. I hope to reach a point where I'm ok with growing old gracefully... until then, thank God for great creams, hair dye, good bras, and support hose!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Stepping outside the box

Recently I havc been dealing with a few personal issues. I don't know if it's the upcoming 30th, too much time to think, or what, but my mind has been a constant battlefield.

My first battle ( that I happily won) was reconnecting spiritually. I had gotten so out of the routine of attending church, putting God first, that I had totally lost sight of some very important things. Sitting around, constantly worrying, wondering. Lately I've been giving all of my problems to God, and WOW! ...what a difference that makes!

The second battle that I'm working on, slowly but surely, is reconnecting socially. I'm not exactly sure what happened to my outgoing personality. I've been a SAHM for years now, and some days I feel so disconnected from the rest of the world. I'm sure this is a common issue for other SAHM's like myself. I belong to several groups that participate in playdates and MNO's... and I never attend. It's not that I don't want to, I just... don't. I start thinking things such as, "what if they don't like me?", "what if I say something wrong?." What is wrong with me?! Where does this way of thinking come from? I teach my girls to be the total opposite. To have confidence, believe in themselves, stay true to themselves, all the while I'm so negative about myself! I feel like I owe it to my children to be different, to change this flaw, that in all actuality, makes me lonely and sad. I HAVE to break out of my comfort zone. I think this blog is a stepping stone. I'm not one to openly discuss my feelings, much less put them into text. My next step is actually attending a playdate. So what if they don't like me?! So what if I say something wrong?! At least I did what I needed to for myself. Chances are, they'll like me just fine.

I think sometimes we over analyze things. We worry about things that haven't even happened yet instead of living in the moment. This is an area that I WILL improve in my life, no matter what happens, at least I know I stepped outside the box...

Monday, May 12, 2008

Menu Planning Monday...


Monday - Hamburger steaks w/ mashed taters, green
beans, and rolls...strawberry shortcake
Tuesday - Chicken soft tacos, refried beans, rice
Wednesday - Chicken salad sandwiches, pretzel chips,
dip, and fruit salad
Thursday - Stuffed green bell peppers, mac & cheese, corn, dinner rolls
Friday - Pizza night! Brownie fudge sundaes
Saturday - Teriyaki chicken breasts, broccoli, rice
Sunday - Spaghetti, salad, garlic toast

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Mother's Day gift ideas







Say it With Suds!


Traditional old greeting cards are fine, but everybody exchanges them, same old thing year after year…sigh… Why be ordinary? Say—you’re the greatest, best, coolest, most wonderful…. mom, dad, sister, friend, dog… with a message on a bottle. Introducing Not Soap, Radio’s NEW line of GREETING CARD bubble bath/shower gels (its formulated as both!), SAY IT WITH SUDS




All natural products. Can be found at:








For the gardening mom:


Gardenia Bonsai tree-

Garden Bonsai tree: The Gardenia's shiny, dark green foliage provides a striking contrast for its white blooms. The bonsai flowers appear intermittently throughout the year, perfuming your home with the gardenia's legendary fragrance. You can find this along with other blooming bonsai trees at ProFlowers.






Scrapbook in a box kit - Aunt Gertie
This great kit includes: 8 X 8 preservation album, 1 sheet of label & frame stickers, 1 sheet of die-cut tags, 1 sheet of clear alphabet stickers, Ribbon & buttons, instructions & templates. 17 pages, easy to assemble, layouts, and all papers cut to size for fast assembly. Great kit for a scrappin' beginner. This can be found at JoAnn fabric and craft stores. Check the website for one near you!
Have a Happy Mother's Day!!!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Is it November yet?

I can't sleep and have been watching the coverage of the primaries in NC and Indiana. Once again, Obama walks away with more delegates. I still applaud Hillary for her efforts. I don't think I would back down if I were her either. Of course, I'm not a democrat(nothing against democrats) so I'm all for stretching it out for as long as they want -- hehehe ;) This is a very exciting election year, no doubt. As much as it holds my interest, it also tires me out... if that makes sense? I do think I'll be glad to see November finally get here so we can wrap this up!

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Starting over...

Well I haven't blogged in quite a while, so thought I'd give it another go. In all honesty, I'm kind of a boring person that doesn't have cool, new, and exciting things to report each day, but maybe someone out there might find me interesting -- or at least might be able to relate! Over the past few weeks I have had, in a sense, a "starting over" outlook on life. Prior to that I had been dealing with what I guess could be considered... depression...I don't even like speaking the word. Mainly over things that I know many other people are experiencing at the moment. High on that list of worries was finances, which then tends to strain relationships, add that to just the regular everyday stresses in life, and well, it was overwhelming. Thank God for friends! A couple of weeks ago a dear friend of mine invited me to attend a Joyce Meyer conference here in Dallas. To be honest, I really started dreading the thought of going the closer the starting date approached so was relieved when the friend called to say she had to cancel (this is about a week prior to the date). So, even though I was happy in a way about not going, I was still kinda bummed that I wasn't going to see my friend, and my depression was just building, to the point where I had decided that I was going to see a doctor. Well that week comes and goes, and on a Thursday, which happened to fall on the opening date of the conference, I was now not planning to attend, I awoke with every intention of making it in to see the doc. I get a call... it's my friend calling to tell me her plans have changed she's coming down, figure something with the girls and let's go! I hung up the phone and kinda just sat there, thinking. An overwhelming feeling came over me. I knew I was meant to be at this conference. I knew that if I could somehow arrange things with the girls and it worked out, being so last minute, it was just meant to be. Things oddly just fell into place as far as arranging things for the kids and such... that NEVER happens. Man, am I so glad it did. I truly needed to go! It was such an eye opening thing, more like an intervention, if you will, a Devine intervention. One of the first things that hit me during Joyce's teaching was the fact that almost all of my thinking was sooooo negative and I had to change it! How could I possibly be anything but miserable when I'm spending most of my day wallowing in self-pity feeling sorry for myself all the time? I needed to get a grip! I have so much to be thankful for. I may not have my wants, but I certainly have all of my needs! Since the kick in the pants, I've been spending much more time in the Word, consistently praying, and just filling my day with more positive things. I know that with God's help, I can lead a happy, purposeful life!