50 Golden Years

Did I mention that my in-laws just celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary?!!!!! Yep, that's right, fifty years together! They were married on March 30, 1957. Fifty years and two sons later, they're still going strong! My FIL will be 74 this year and my MIL will be 70. They are both in good health and they are such a wonderful, consistent example to us. I stated in my weekend relfection that we gave them a surprise bash at our place. In honor of them, I made this video montage of old photos plus the photos from the bash. I hope you like it!

Make photo slide shows at onetruemedia.com

Weekend Reflection # 8

Ahhhhhhh.....another great week has passed. What a time we've had around here. It's quite possibly been one of the best weeks of my life!

The AWESOME Part:

• The most awesome part of the week was Friday, March 30. My in-laws celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary! We had a surprise bash for them at our place. We told them we were taking them to dinner and Jeff went to pick them up (he made some excuse that I was still getting ready so they had to swing back by to get me). They were shocked, surprised, tickled, and happy to find about 18 family members and friends waiting for them when they pulled up! It was one of the best feelings of my life. They are such dear people to us. What a wonderful example they've been through the years. We enjoyed lots of food, lots of fellowship, banjo, guitar, and mandolin picking, looking through old photos of them, and watching them open a few gifts.

The Good Parts:

• My BIL got his insulin pump and is now hooked up to it. Woo Hoo! He's had a good week since getting this and we are thankful for God's mercy in this. He's also had four doc appointments this week and they have all been positive. He went to the kidney doc and his kidneys are holding at 18. He still faces dialysis but the longer we can put it off, the better we feel about it. He saw the eye doctor this week too. We were all worried because he was having vision problems and we feared his diabetes was attacking his eye sight. Turns out, he only needed new glasses! He saw a cardiologist on Friday because he's been having a problem there. The ER doc from last week felt this problem was worsening and suggested he see this cardiologist. I'm happy to report that the cardiologist didn't feel the problem was any worse. All around, his doc visits were encouraging and it was good to see him looking and feeling better this week!
• Jeff completed the bookshelf he started making me last week. It turned out great and is happy in my living room, full of books!
• I joined in on the Spring Fling Swap and got my partner's info this week! I'm very excited about this swap and I'm having TONS of fun coming up with items to put in the package going to my partner!
• The girls and I have shared many great memory making moments this week. They were a HUGE help to me in preparing our home for the anniversary party. They happily cleaned outdoor furniture, helped cook food for the party, cleaned house, walked to the store for me 5 times in one morning because I kept forgetting things I needed for the party, and helped decorate. It was a huge success and we spent some quality time preparing everything. Logan even helped keep me from being as stressed out as I normally get when I do this type of thing. I always have those fears, you know.....I'm not going to make enough food and someone will be hungry, I'll forget to buy a gift, I'll forget to pull something out of the fridge that I made for the party, My dog will puke on the floor right before the party and I won't know it, the cat will jump on the table and dig into the food while no one is around, etc. Come on, you know you have those same stressed out feelings! LOL!
• The party was a huge success and everyone enjoyed themselves!
• The weather has been beautiful all week and we've enjoyed being outdoors.
• I got some more of my trim painted.

The Not So Good Parts:

• I honestly can't think of one!

I hope your week was as enjoyable and refreshing as ours! For more WR's, pop by Judi's place!

 

Wordless Wednesday....Big Brother

For more WW posts, head over to 5 Minutes for Mom!

Real moms.....

I was tagged by Carrie for this meme and I took a few days to think about it. Real moms do so much and since I can only name one, Real Moms Teach Their Children (and love it) . As parents, we are always teaching our children, whether it be riding a bike or that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom", Psalm 111:10. Sometimes the teaching is tough for our children and sometimes the teaching is tough for us. The key for me is knowing that it is my responsibility to teach them and to be diligent in that.

Some of the things I teach my children are:

• To love God and obey His commandments.
• To love life and be thankful for every minute they are given.
• To feast on the good things God has provided for us.
• To hate their sin and pray.
• To be ladies.

Some of the ways I teach them these things are:

• By homeschooling them. This shows them that I love them, that I believe it is my responsibility to teach them all of the things they need to know, that I CAN teach them all they need to know, that they don't need the type of "socialization" the world would have them believe they need, and that Jesus is the centerpiece of our lives.
• By teaching them to be ladies. This includes teaching them how to dress, carry themselves, and speak. Now, I'll be the first to say that my girls are tomboys. They like to be outside playing basketball, riding bikes, playing badmitton, playing in the dirt, etc. My goal is that they know how to present themselves accordingly in various sitations. Another goal is to teach them to be wives and mothers. They learn how to cook, how to clean, and how to care for a husband and family by watching me. This means that I must also teach them to do these things with a happy heart. I have to show them that I am joyful for all of God's blessings to me.
• To quote Coach Grant from Facing the Giants, teach them that we must "give God our best, whether we win or lose." I try and do this by reminding them what God has given us. Each day we wake up is filled with blessings from God and this should cause us to strive to be more pleasing to Him.

Yesterday I taught them a real practical thing....keep your things in their right place and you won't have to waste time cleaning them up all the time! LOL! This really means that I took nearly everything out of their closet, sorted through it and tossed things that were too small or seasonal, made them try on 100 different things to see if they were still useful, and put the closet back together.....NEATLY! They learned a whole lot more than how to clean out a closet....they learned the consequences of being disorganized, they learned how hanging on to things can "clutter" up your space, your life, and your mind, they learned how to work diligently to accomplish their goal, they realized that they were not giving their best in this area, and they learned to be thankful for all of the things that were in and came out of their closets. This is such a practical thing but taught them so much.

My goal this weekend is to teach them to plan a garden. Next week, I hope to help them apply this teaching and show them how to plant a salad garden. I am constantly teaching them and I love every second of it. This is one thing that this "real mom" does for her children! Check out what Carrie and Annie had to say about "real moms."

This is the mess that is still in the girls' bedroom floor....they'll be cleaning it up today before they are allowed to play (yet another teaching opportunity!).

This is a pic of some of the things that came out of the closet that didn't fit! Can you believe how much stuff is here! We'll be taking it to a local consignment sale that's coming up in a few weeks!

Did I mention that a "real mom's" job is neverending?!!!

Ten On Tuesday #2

Ten Movie Characters You Love

1. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bennett--Pride & Prejudice
2. Jane Eyre--Jane Eyre
3. Jo March--Little Women
4. William Wallace--Braveheart (this movie makes me cry everytime!)
5. Marianne--Sense & Sensibility
6. Mr. Darcy--Pride & Prejudice (can you tell I adore this movie?!!)
7. Sabrina--Sabrina
8. Coach Grant--Facing the Giants
9. Terry McKay--Love Affair
10. Lucy Moderatz--While You Were Sleeping

It's really, really hard to narrow it down to ten! I need about twenty-five! LOL!

To see more, hop over to Ten On Tuesday!

Spring Fling Swap

I'm so excited about this swap! It's my first swap and I hope it turns out to be as much fun as I anticipate it will! Today was the deadline for joining so I hope you popped over to Sweet Goodness Swaps and signed up! Rebecca and Lucy decided to put this swap together and these gals are very thrifty and crafty! Check them out but make sure you have a few minutes to sit and admire their crafty goodness!

Menu Plan Monday March 26-April 1

Another week of menu plans to make and I hope I am more successful than last week! Seems like last week zoomed by! We got off course because the race was in town this weekend. We have lots of traffic and if I've forgotten anything from the store, you can forget getting out to buy it....unless you want to deal with the congestion! As of tonight, alot of the traffic is clearing out but in the morning, it'll be nuts! Lots of the campers don't leave until Monday morning and it gets pretty crowded around here! Here's what I've come up with for this week:

• Monday- Pineapple Chicken Stir-Fry, Fried Rice, Egg Rolls
• Tuesday- Spaghetti, Salad, Bread
• Wednesday- Salmon Pasta Primavera, Caesar Salad, Pull Apart Bacon Bread
• Thursday- Talapia, Parmesan Corn on the Cob, Roasted Potatoes
• Friday- Eat Out
• Saturday- Pork Chops w/apples and stuffing, Steamed Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Rolls
• Sunday- Tacos, Mexican Rice, Queso

All of the above recipes, with the exception of Sunday and Thursday, are from Taste of Home's Quick Cooking Magazine. This one is a 2003 Collector's Edition. I'll post recipes if anyone is interested.

I can't wait to see your menu! Have a great week!

Check out more menus at Organizing Junkie !

Weekend Reflection # 7

Great week here! I was able to get several things accomplished. That's always a great feeling!

The Good Parts

• For two days, we were able to help a new family in our church who just moved here. On Monday, we were able to take them a meal so that they could unpack without having to worry about making supper. Tuesday, we took them another meal and Logan stayed for a few hours to help the mom clean the house and get some things unpacked.
• While Logan helped clean and unpack, Caroline and I were able to swing over to a friends house for a birthday party. Their daughter turned 9 and they were kind enough to invite us over to celebrate. I enjoyed fellowshiping and left with much encouragement.
• Wednesday, we enjoyed a real treat. My aunt and uncle drove over from Virginia to visit. Since Jeff works from home that day, we were all able to enjoy their company. They were kind enough to take us to lunch....Red Lobster....yummy! We had a nice meal and of course, Caroline had to have dessert. Boy, I'm glad she did! She ordered Chocolate Wave Cake that had ice cream on the side. Honestly, I've never seen a piece of cake this big! It was so big that six of us were able to split it! It was yummy! I'll have to say it's a close second to Chili's Molten Chocolate Cake! They also brought some clothes and books for Logan. It was a real treat to see them since we only get to see them a few times a year because of everyone being busy with their own lives.
• Friday we took my brother-in-law out to supper since he had worked at BMS all day. He had been feeling a little better and was ready for a nice meal. He looked tired and I worried about him the entire time we ate. He looks so weak and I was really afraid he would have a seizure while we were eating. I'm happy to report that we finished our meal and when he left us, he was fine. He works at the race track every year and since he's been out of work for the past few months, he had hoped to make some extra cash by working up there again. There's more to this story in the Not So Good Parts below.
• Today was really nice. Besides the fact that the weather is gorgeous, Jeff and I were able to work on a project together. We tried our hand at making a bookcase out of scrap wood we have. We did a pretty good job and we didn't even yell at each other during the process! LOL! We aren't finished yet. We need to put the back on it but we have to borrow my FIL's truck since the piece for that is so stinkin' big. I'll post a picture as soon as it's complete.
• Since the race track is less than two miles from our house, we've enjoyed seeing all of the traffic that goes through our little town.
• I'm about to go out and watch Jeff grill burgers! It doesn't get any better than that!
• The cat woke me up again this morning (biting my hair and pulling it) but I got up at 6:45 am and washed both of our vehicles! Woo Hoo! It's only been about two months since I last washed them!

The Not So Good Parts

• My brother-in-law is back in the hospital. He has been working at the race track and this morning had a sugar low which caused him to pass out. He ended up at the ER again and they've decided to admit him, at least for the night. They've found something wrong with his heart and they believe that it is due to the diabetes. It may be that he is suffering mini strokes. We hope to know more tonight when Jeff's parents return from the hospital.
• I haven't made much progress on painting my trim....mostly because I've put it off. I have been able to prime a set of bifold doors and I primed the bookcase we made today. Other than that, I've not been too motivated. I think I'm burned out! LOL!
• The race is in town. This is good (as I stated above) and bad. It's fun to watch all of the people come through. They bring alot of business to our small town...but, since we live less than two miles away from the track, traffic is murder all weekend! We usually can't get out to go to church on Sunday everytime the race is here. Looks like this weekend is no exception. I really dislike not being able to go to church.

What a fun week! I'm even excited about doing my menu plan this week! I love it when the weather is pretty and I can get out in it and enjoy my family. I hope you've had a good week and I hope next week is even better!

For more WR's, drop by Judi's!

Thursday Thirteen #3

Thirteen Things I Enjoyed While Visiting NYC

1. Dale and Thomas popcorn....If I had known ahead of time how good it is, I would have brought along an empty suitcase just to bring popcorn home in!
2. The subway....I really enjoyed riding the subway. I saw some interesting things while riding. It's not every day that this country girl gets to see people of all ethnic backgrounds and classes crammed into standing room only spaces! I saw a Mexican guy playing the guitar going from car to car, a kid selling candy, a comedian, a group of four men singing. and tons of ipods! Not to mention all of the musical groups that performed in the subway stations while people waited for the train. A few of them included a 65-70 year old man playing Christmas songs on the keyboard, a grunge type band, a man playing violin, and a sax player....I think I remember a cello player as well.
3. The roasted peanuts sold from stands on the street. These babies were like gold nuggets!
4. The Charmin bathrooms....corny maybe but they were alot of fun. Since public restrooms are scarce in Manhattan, the Charmin bathrooms were a welcomed sight after a long day of walking! From what I understand, Charmin donated these bathrooms to the city because of the need for public restrooms. You had to wait in line to use these bathrooms because after each use, an employee would go in and "freshen up" the restroom for the next person! LOL! There were about ten individual bathrooms and the employees were super friendly. They danced around and had people doing the "Charmin dance" with them while waiting in line. It was a riot!
5. Walking....yes, you read this correctly. I enjoyed all of the walking we had to do. We probably averaged ten miles a day and I loved every step! Jeff wasn't as happy about it since he injured his feet playing baseball in high school. I don't think I saw an overweight New Yorker! They were all very trim and I'm sure it's because they have to walk so much!
6. Chinatown...This was really neat. We loved the fresh fish market there and had a good time watching the storekeepers interact with customers. It would be really neat to be able to walk down to one of these fish markets and get fresh stuf everyday!
7. The view from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building. This was probably my favorite attraction simply because of the view of the city. It was awesome although when we were there it was the second week of December and very cold. The wind almost froze my cheeks off! I got some great photos from up there and it was cool to see all of the yellow taxis below!
8. The Hello Deli...This was fun because we got to meet Rupert Gee and his wife. His wife has to be the sweetest person alive. We had lunch there and he was kind enough to take a picture with us. We've always thought he was very funny.
9. Peanut Butter & Co....I went here to eat while Jeff was in a seminar. I had the Elvis and fell in love with it. I would love to have one of these places in my neighborhood! Who doesn't love peanut butter!
10. Central Park....Amazing! It was beautiful, even for December! It is so big that we only had time to walk half of it! We also saw a movie being filmed while we were there. The movie is supposed to be called Sassy Girl and will be out sometime in 2007. Very cool to see all of these actors and directors filming while people are walking through the park!
11. The view from Brooklyn Bridge at night. We were walking the bridge about 11pm one night and the view was just beautiful. Everything was lit up and it was breathtaking.
12. Times Square. This seemed to be where everyone stayed until late at night. We spent one night standing on the street watching a Dallas Cowboys/New York Giants football game. There was a huge tv screen up and there were pockets of people standing everywhere watching the game. I was surprised at how much New Yorkers love their football team! I kept quiet since, next to the Colts, the Cowboys are one of my favorite teams! LOL! BTW, the Cowboys won the game. It was a heartbreaker for NY.
13. The plane ride home! Manhattan was so much fun for me but by the end of the week, I was ready to come home to the slow pace of our country life. The girls were here at home with their grandparents and even though we talked to them everyday on the phone and emailed them every night, I missed having them by my side. This was the first time Jeff and I had ever been anywhere without them!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Wordless Wednesday....Girls Rule!

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, visit 5 Minutes for Mom!

Weekend Reflection #6

This week was a pretty good one. There was a bit of self-inflicted stress but it's all looking brighter now!

The Good Parts

• I started painting the dark wood trim in our house this week. Some of it is now white and I'm making good progress. This is a major undertaking because everything in our house is dark wood. The house was built in the mid-80s and apparently dark wood was "in" during that time. I've managed to complete my living room, foyer, and I have two coats on the hallway trim. I am also working on a door today. Hopefully by this time next week, the hallway and main bathroom will be completely done! The house is looking much brighter and I'm keeping myself busy at night with this.
• The girls and I have made much progress with their schooling this week. We've stayed on target and I'm getting Logan's SOS caught up (I had been behind in my grading!). Logan has been working harder on her writing skills and she's written a couple of papers this week that have been pretty good! She's also been a big help this week with Caroline. Caroline's had trouble with a few math concepts and several times this week, I've found Logan sitting at the table with her going over and explaining these concepts. It's very cool to see Logan taking this on without being asked! Homeschooling is very cool this way!
• I've made good progress on the scrapbook I'm doing of my grandparents. I got this scrapbook as a gift and all I have to do is add photos and journal. It's one of those scrapbooks that already has decorative pages. I've still got a ways to go on this one but the hold up now is ordering the digital prints that I need to add to the book.
• I took the wild black cat back to the vet to have one of his paws rechecked. You can read more about him here. What happened is that the vet sent him home with taped up paws. We were able to cut a little of one of the bandages off and the cat (Jasper) pulled it the rest of the way off. We didn't have such great luck with the other paw. It was sore and he didn't want me to mess with it. We've had him locked in our garage since his surgery but a few days after surgery, he bolted out the door when one of the kids went outside. He didn't come back for several days and he had the bandage on his paw that whole time. Needless to say, the bandage was keeping the paw closed up so that it could not get air. You get the whole gross picture!!! Anyway, I took him back to the vet and they manhandled him and cut the bandage off! They kept him overnight because they were afraid he would lose the foot due to it being wrapped up so long. The next day they called to have me pick him up and told me his foot was doing much better. He didn't lose the foot and the vet didn't charge me a penny for bringing him back! Bonus!!!
• I am slowly getting my credit card mishap corrected. Read below for details!
• I think I'm actually going to get my Weekend Reflection up before Judi!!!
• I got the new WR graphic downloaded and up finally! Wooo Hooo!

The Not-So-Good Parts

• My brother-in-law is back in the hospital. His kidneys are failing and he is a diabetic. He has been in pretty poor health since Thanksgiving. He's been to the hospital about 8 or 9 times since late November. His kidney function is only at 18 and when it drops to 15, which docs anticipate, he will have to go on dialysis. He is raising three teenagers by himself and also can't work right now due to his declining health. His kidney function keeps messing his body up. The side effects of it are terrible migraines, throwing up, really, really high blood pressure, and just general fatigue from having to deal with all of these things. We covet your prayers for him.
• If you've read my Curious Caroline post, you'll understand that I've been struggling a bit with her curiousity. I don't want to discourage her in her desire to explore but I've struggled with how to handle it this week. It's hard for me to assess what warrants punishment and what warrants "the talk" to help her understand how to be curious without being destructive.
• I did a really stupid thing this week! I paid our credit card bill online (it's a new one and this was my first time making an online payment for this particular bill). The next day, my online payment did not reflect in my statement so I called the company and expressed my concern. They instructed me to go back in and make another payment because they weren't seeing the one I had made the day before. I did what they instructed and guess what? Yep, both payments went through! Jeff and I have taken turns trying to get the problem resolved and after 4 days of being on the phone with people we could hardly understand, it looks as though it's going to be resolved. One night, we were on hold for an hour and a half. In my book, this is totally unacceptable! Anyway, in hindsight, I could kick myself for getting so stressed about the payment not showing up. The worst thing that would have happened would have been that I incurred a $35 late fee for not paying on time. Instead, it cost me ALOT more than that! Trust me, I will never, never, NEVER listen to another credit card phone operator! As a side note, it helps to understand that I can't remember a time since being married that I have paid a bill late. NEVER.....I just don't do it. That's why I was so worried about the payment not showing up! I'm a bit obsessive I guess :-o)
• I've been very short tempered with Jeff this week and I've caused alot of bickering. It's mostly been me bickering when I should have just been quiet! Thankfully, he forgives me and loves me anyway! I do this sometimes when I feel stress. It's funny....the stress this week has been self-inflicted and still I took it out on him. I hate that our sinfulness still rears its ugly head. Praise be to God for His calling us to Him, forgiving us of those sins, and for our continual sanctification. A line from one of my favorite movies, Facing the Giants, is "if your attitude stinks, then your heart's not right". My attitude did stink this week and my heart wasn't right!
• It's snowing today, after being in the 60s and 70s this week. I'm ready for the snow to leave us!

As always, the good outweigh the bad. God is perfectly satisfied that all of the "not-so-good" parts of my week have come to pass. In fact, it is He who has sent these afflictions to me this week and I praise Him for those. One of my pastors said to his wife when she got breast cancer, that "God reached into His bag of blessings, and the blessing He chose to give to you was cancer". It is easy to give praise to Him in the good things. Borrowing another line from my favorite movie, "we need to give God our best in every area and if we win, we praise Him, and if we lose, we praise Him". I hope that whether your week was good or not-so-good, you'll give Him your best and praise Him, no matter the outcome.

For more weekend reflections, get over to Judi's!

Curious Caroline

Have you ever wondered why kids do some of the things they do? For a week, I've been wondering that as I watched my 8 year old do some things that I just don't understand! Let me start by saying that Caroline is a very curious child. She has a strong personality and sometimes is in a world all her own (just like her daddy)! She has a very sweet side also. She reminds me alot of my mom and my grandmother. She has long red hair, just like both of them did (granny's is now streaked with gray and my mom's has been blonde for years). She has some of the most beautiful freckles I've ever seen. She has some very elegant mannerisms. She is very girly. Then there is her other side.....you know, headstrong, always wanting to be in control, feeling as though she can do anything without getting hurt....the list does go on! I love watching her live life. She loves taking ballet lessons, she sings like a bird, she is smart, she loves computers, and she loves to please her parents.

This past week was just one of those weeks. Caroline has been testing the boundaries so as to figure out her limits. Alot of the things she has done aren't things done out of malice. They are things that I just don't quite understand! This week alone she has:

1. Poked holes in about 10 apples with a holder for corn on the cob.
2. She was intrigued by the vinegar I put out to use in a recipe. When I was out of the room, she thought she would pour some down the kitchen drain......why? I have no idea!
3. She poured 1/3 of a bottle of dishwashing liquid onto my dishrag that was in the sink. I washed dishes with that rag for about 4 days before all of the soap came out!
4. She took my bread knife and sliced into the top of one of my kitchen drawers.....I'm going to have to sand the drawer down good in order to even out the edge!
5. She has a habit of digging her nails into my candles and scratching a bunch of the wax into a little pile. She can never seem to resist sticking her finger into the warm candle wax when it is cooling. I ALWAYS find fingerprints in the wax! LOL!
6. She stuck a wooden spoon into hot candle wax and then decided to scrape one of my skillets with it. The wax dried and the skillet still has wax in it!
7. She took a water squirt bottle and decided to shoot one of my pictures with it. This would have been no problem except that the picture doesn't have glass in it and she squirted water directly on the pictures and the matte.

Call me crazy but this seems like alot for an 8 year old to get into in one week. It's funny....she didn't do all of these things in one day. She did one thing each day. Go figure! She didn't do these things to be mean. She was just curious. I would just love to be a fly on the wall when she starts to do something like this. What is she thinking? I mean, what did she think after she finished poking holes in all 10 apples? LOL! I don't recall being like this as a child. I played with Barbie dolls and stayed outside the rest of the time. Who knows, maybe I did some of these things and just don't remember them.....I'll have to call my mom tonight and ask her!

Thursday Thirteen #2

Thirteen Things That Get On My Nerves

1. Credit card companies that give you the run around when you have to call them to correct a mistake
2. The music they play while you are on hold waiting for the credit card company to fix the mistake
3. Going to Walmart near midnight and having to wait in line while they do their change of day (they do this at midnight....take the money drawer, count the drawer, and put a new one in)
4. When my cats claw my furniture
5. When my cat wakes me up in the mornings by biting my head
6. Scrubbing a dirty microwave....can't the person who blows up the food just clean it up right away!!!!!!
7. When I get in the car and find that I'm out of gas (I especially hate this in the winter because it's so cold when you have to pump gas!)
8. Putting up laundry....don't mind washing and folding but I hate hanging it and putting it away
9. Kmart check-out lines.....these have to be the worst ever! It takes forever to get checked out because they usually only have two or three registers open
10. Being late for anything....this drives me mad. I like to be right on time!
11. Going to get ice and being out because no one filled the ice trays
12. Cracking ice trays....I like for the ice to be in a bowl in the fridge so I can just reach in and get it out
13. When I try to wake someone up and 30 minutes later I'm still trying to get them up

For more TT, visit http://thursdaythirteen.com/

Wordless Wednesday...One of the Boys

I love this photo! From left to right is my uncle Terry, my grandpa Sam, and my Uncle Frank. My youngest daughter is in front. This photo was taken in 2004 just after my grandpa had bladder cancer surgery. He had only been home a few days. He passed away almost exactly a year later of lung cancer. My Uncle Frank also passed away about six months after my grandpa. I love that my daughter looks like "one of the guys" in this picture! My grandpa loved her very much! He loved all of his grandkids! He especially loved my youngest daughter's red hair and freckles!

For more Wordless Wednesdays, visit 5 Minutes for Mom!

Ten on Tuesday #1

10 Favorite Albums

1. John & Mary--IIIrd Time Out
2. Forgiven, Not Forgotten--The Corrs
3. It's Time--Michael Buble
4. Ragin' Live--Rhonda Vincent & the Rage
5. Native American--Tony Rice
6. Force of Nature--Mountain Heart
7. Casting Crowns--Casting Crowns
8. Stories & Songs--Mark Schultz
9. A Cappella Worship--Glad
10. Nickel Creek--Nickel Creek

For more lists, check out: http://www.yanowhatimean.com/tuesday/

Blogtalkers #3

If you had to spend a year on a deserted island with any five bloggers, who would you choose and why?

Question submitted by: Trish

This is an easy one for me. I love tons of blogs out there but there are a few that are just "me".

1. Up the Hill Gang This one is the easiest....she's a good friend, she has a wonderful personality, she is very laid back, she's creative and crafty, she homeschools just like we do, she is funny and witty, and I can relate so well to her. Those are only a few of the reasons! She is one of those people you just love to be around.

2. Scamp's PlaceI like this blog because she's a young mom with a talent for writing posts that keep you coming back. She loves her husband and her daughter. She posted a video of herself singing! Gotta love her for that! Even I'm not that brave! LOL! (It was good though!). It's just one of those blogs that makes me get a glass of diet soda and sit for awhile. I feel like I'm reading the journal of a good friend when I read here. She also looks like a friend I had in high school that I was close to! I haven't seen that friend in 15 years so reading Scamp's Place is like having that friend back again!

3. Girl Talk I love, love, love this blog. These ladies are funny, insightful, beautiful, and encouraging. I can relate to alot of things they post and I have found much wisdom here.

4. Biblical Womanhood Great blog! Lots of wisdom here. I find recipes, money saving ideas, encouragement, and many other things here. Crystal has written a book recently that I think is going to be wonderful. I have to purchase it soon! Great blog for young women who seek to be a biblical woman.

5. Presbyterian Thoughts I like this blog because I can find tons of things on it. This blog has lots of historical information and also a wealth of thoughtful reading.

6. Cream Puffs in Venice I had to go with 6 because I just couldn't leave this one out. I love to eat. I love to eat good food. This blog starves me to death everytime I go there! Great, great, great....or should I say yummy, yummy, yummy! To play along, head over to Blog Talkers!

Thursday Thirteen #1

Thirteen Things about Me 1. My mother got part of my name from a contestant on The Price is Right back in the 70's. 2. I hate the smell of mayonnaise. It makes me want to gag. 3. I would rather go see a play than watch TV. 4. I won't write with an ink pen unless it has a lid on top. Call me crazy but it bugs me when the top is missing! 5. I love cats and dogs. Currently, there is a minature schnauzer and five cats living with us! 6. I love to wash laundry but hate to put it away. I usually have a couple of baskets full to put up at the end of the week. 7. I love sports. Football is my favorite....college and pro. Then it's basketball (college), and tennis. Go UT Vols and Indianapolis Colts!! Go Duke Blue Devils! Go Andy Roddick! These are my favs. 8. I've watched Facing the Giants twice and cried like a baby both times. 9. My favorite dessert is Molten Chocolate Cake from Chili's. 10. I love anything Jane Austen has written. She has great humor! Of course, Pride & Prejudice is my favorite. 11. I'm currently trying to teach myself to crochet because my friend Jenny got me interested. 12. My husband designed this blog for me and he rocks! 13. I hate to be late for an appointment, a party, etc. The irony is that I'm always at least 10 minutes late for everything!

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Hi Y'all

I do have many loves and one of those is meeting new people. I am very excited to be over here now and I look forward to meeting many of you in the future!

We are a small family of 4 (for now) from TN. We have two daughters who are 12 and 8. We pray that God will bless us with many more children in our future. We are a tightly woven homeschooling family with a soft spot for animals. We currently have a miniature schnauzer, five cats, and two fish. We have many interests and I hope to share some of those with you! I look forward to meeting many of you and learning new things from you!

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