7 things you may not know about me

...So I got tagged by Cheryl to list 7 things people don't know about me. Since most of you who read this are my family and close friends, that might be a little difficult but I'll try.

1. I wish my house looked like the Pottery Barn Catalog. Really I do. White couches, beautiful wood floors, rich painted walls...I want it all. (And, yes, Seth, I know that it is impratical, expensive and very improbable that this will ever happen! hee!)

2. I have to watch series finales of tv shows. Even if I have never before watched the tv show, I will want to watch the very last show--just because. And if I didn't get to watch the finale of a tv show that I liked, I will watch for it on reruns. Several years ago, I watched China Beach reruns every day at noon until finally the series finale. Now I am on to Family Ties. I didn't get to watch the series finale because a thunderstorm knocked out our power (all those years ago) so now I record every episode and see if that is the finale.

3. In college, I briefly wanted to study to become a meteorologist. I took a class about weather and I was fascinated! Unfortunately, they had no more classes I could take at that time, so my thoughts about that faded. I still like watching the weather though.

4. I can't go to sleep unless our bathroom door is closed. Completely.

5. My favorite flower is the Gerbera Daisy. Any color.

6. I haven't read a book since Christmas. And it takes me a week to read the Sunday paper. And I love magazines. I've read many of those since Christmas.

7. I watched Blades of Glory with Will Ferrill and although it was silly and stupid, I could not quit laughing. Ask Seth. I think I laughed the whole way through.

I supposed to tag people but I think instead, I'll leave it up to you. If you are reading this and want to post a comment about some things we don't know about you or want to blog it (and let us khow here in the comments of course), then feel free to do so! Have fun!

Sandbox!

...The sandbox is finished and so I'm sharing some pictures!


Noah was hilarious! He tried to bury his hands and his feet and while he could get both feet and one hand buried, he couldn't figure out how to bury his other hand. He would pull out his buried hand to bury the other hand, then look at the hand that was now out of the sand. So he would pull his foot out to bury that hand. Then the same look as he saw that now his foot was out. He even tried using his head to do the job at one point. So funny!

They have really enjoyed it. Seth did such an awesome job!

just some randomness today

...I haven't blogged in awhile so I guess I better catch up. I really have no thoughts today on what to blog on though. So here are some random Aimee things:

*We watched Extreme Makeover: Home Edition last night as a family, instead of our normal movie for our "movie night." I wanted to watch it because it was a family from Lawton, Oklahoma. The dad was in Iraq when he was injured and paralyzed. Then, 18 months later, he and his family had a car accident that resulted in his young son being paralyzed as well. It was very moving, as always. I think it was good that Rhett and Noah watched it. Hopefully, it made them realize how lucky they are.

*Yesterday was Earth Day. We are really trying to be more aware about the environment. We are recycling more and are going to use those little weird looking lightbulbs, ect. I think if everyone did something small, it would add up to something bigger. I just want the world to still be a good place to live when my kids (and their kids) get older.

*I love our neighborhood. There are so many boys around! I think it will be a lot of fun this summer. They can all go from house to house.

*The sandbox is finished!! It looks great! I'll post some pictures tomorrow. Rhett and Noah love it! They played most the afternoon on Saturday in it (and yes, some of the neighborhhood boys came over for a while too!)

*We joined the church we have been going to yesterday. I am so excited about this church. I feel so comfortable there and think it will be a great place to raise our kids.

Okay, I think that is it for now. Have a great Monday!

how do we keep our kids safe?

...That is the question I have running in my mind since that horrible event at Virginia Tech. Here are some other thoughts:

Noah goes to preschool that is very near a college campus. What if something like that happened here? I cannot imagine the fear I would feel.

I wonder if people homeschool their children so they think it will be safer. I just wonder if that is one of the reasons. But you still have to let them go to college, right? One of the victims at Virginia Tech was homeschooled.

I agree with those that say we should focus on why this person did it. But I also agree that we need to focus on stricter gun control. Something must be done. When Mexican government is saying that a lot of their crimes are being committed by guns smuggled in from the U.S., then I think we have a problem.

How do we keep our kids safe? What can we do to prevent this from happening again? I don't know. I have no answers. But I sure do want them.

photos to share

...Here are two pictures of the sandbox project:

Rhett was a big help ;). It is going to be huge! I bought the stain today but it was still too wet from the big rain yesterday to stain it. Maybe tomorrow...

And here is Noah and Seth. Daddy did a great job keeping Noah happy the night Rhett had his sleepover.

Grandmom is coming tomorrow. She is stopping here a couple of days before flying out to see Krista and her girls. The boys are very excited. They are going to take her to their Tae Kwon Do class. Should be a lot of fun.

Til tomorrow...

a little update

...The spring weather has come back. Thank goodness. Sunday we spent the whole afternoon out in the yard: me, gardening and Seth making a sandbox. I'll post pictures as soon as that project is done. Seth has gotten it built (it is huge!) but now I have to stain it and then we have to get sand. Lots and lots of sand. The boys are excited about that!

Yesterday we spent the day at the zoo with friends and we had a good time. Didn't see a lot of animals out but the kids didn't really notice.

Saturday we all went to see "Meet the Robinsons." It was different. Wasn't my favorite. The boys liked it but didn't get it. It had some time travel in it and was confusing. Anyway...

Oh, big news. Rhett had his first sleep over on Friday. He went about two houses down and stayed at his friend's house. It was hard on Seth but harder on Noah. Just b/c it wasn't fair. So that is why we went to see a movie. To even up the score. :)

Tonight is more baseball if we don't get rained out. Noah's soccer game was rained out on Saturday. It has been a month since he has had his last soccer game. I don't think he realizes he even plays anymore.

And that is all I have...Have a good day!

Friday Favorites

...I like Fridays. That is when I get the energy (or the want tos) to actually do laundry and clean. The rest of the week--not so much.

I like Lipton Green Tea with Citrus. It is yummy. I can't make it this good!

I like The Office. Hilarious.

I like Rhett. He is such a cool kid. He is always thinking of others.

I like the rain. It makes our grass green. I especially like it when I don't have to go outside in it.

I like babies. My cousin, Michelle, had her 3rd yesterday. It's a boy! Congrats to Michelle!

I like Noah. He gives the best hugs. He can be the sweetest.

I like Noah's soccer coach. She is so patient with the kids (3 and 4 year olds).

I like Seth. He helped with the coach yesterday. He was so patient and sweet with them too.

I like watching the weather. Especially Channel 8. Sometimes, when the weather is inclement, they devote hours to the weather. They say the same things over and over. But still I watch.

I like that I know what inclement means.

I like the way Noah says "festival." His class is having a Fairy Tale Festival in a couple of weeks and he calls it "feztibal."

I like my new camera. A lot. Thanks sweetie!

I like getting packages in the mail. Especially when they contain scrapbook items. That is why I like the kit of the month clubs. A new package of scrapbook stuff every month. And now I get a package for being on a design team for Your Scrapbook Stash. New paper...mmm.

I like my family. I'm lucky to have such a great one, both by blood and marriage.

Have a great weekend!!!

where have you gone?

...Ok, my willing of Spring to come back is not working. It may snow Saturday (if not, it still will be really cold.) I know, the rest of the country is feeling it too. And, yes, I will try to keep this in mind come summer when it is 100+ degrees outside. You wanted it to be warm, I'll say to myself, now it is. So stop complaining!

I got impatient and bought flower seeds today. The boys and I will plant them in peat pots today and let them grow inside. We'll see how that goes. I think it will be fun. I also bought a gardening magazine that has some great ideas like color combos from the color wheel. Who knew that little wheel would be so darn important in 5th grade Art? Now I see its use in everything: scrapbooking, interior decorating, fashion, now gardening. Amazing. Hee!

Speaking of Amazing, LOST! What tricky tricksters they are. All I can say is I love that Sawyer is being nice to everyone now. I really like Juliet and I love Kate and Sawyer together. That hug was too sweet. And poor Sun. Is she a goner?

Have a great day and don't put those sweaters away just yet!

Planet Earth, fundraising, and Rhett

...Have you been watching the Discovery Channel on Sunday nights? If not, you need to. Planet Earth is amazing. The video footage of animals and nature is so beauful and awe-inspiring. I want the book and the dvd series now. I cannot say enough about this show. AMAZING!

Click here if you want to learn more about it. And watch it when it comes on. It will change how you view the planet you live on. (Yes, I know I am being dramatic.)
****
It seems like a lot of you feel like I do about fundraising. Rhett is going to a new school next year (b/c it is nearest where we live, not because I'm mad about the fundraising! Ha!) and I am making sure I get involved with the PTO. I know I have no new ideas yet, but I am going to be thinking about it!

****
Finally, here are some pictures of my son in his baseball uniform. He was great at thinking of things to do on the camera.

Last night, in the pouring rain, he hit the ball all the way to the fence! So cool! Of course, I didn't see it because Noah and I finally left because we were soaking wet. It was the last inning and I didn't think he would be batting again. I was wrong. But he was so excited!

Today I think I'll finally be able to cook Easter dinner! Yay! We have nothing going on tonight, so I can cook the brisket and potatoes. I'll have to fix another dessert, because, if you have ever had Good Cake then you know, it doesn't last long.

Have a great day!

What!?!?!

...You know I don't like to complain much on this here blog. I like to keep it happy and upbeat and, hopefully, for the most part, I do. But I have to get this off my chest.

Today, after school, Rhett pulls out this huge envelope out of his backpack. Fundraising time. Again. It is a pretty cool fundraiser (a coupon book for area restaruants and stores) but after I read the back of the booklet, I stopped looking. It made me sick. Here is what it says:

Sell a Product that

Virtually Sells Itself and Meet

Your Fundraising Goals Fast.

No Door to Door

Sales Needed:

Simply Sell to Parents and

Relatives and Have Parents

Sell the Product to

Their Co-Workers.

Let me repeat that last part: Have Parents Sell the Product to Their Co-Workers!

Oh no. Seth will not be taking the "product" and selling it to his co-workers. He already has a job. Since when did schools advocate that parents sell for the children. I am not naive. I know it is being done. But is it right? No. I don't think so. And I know that most people do not want to buy if the child isn't present. At least the people I know.

Yes, let's teach our children that they really don't have to do any work at all to get ahead, to help their school out, to make a difference.

Jumping off my soap box now...

Scrapbook Tuesday is back

...after a week's absence. I know you all were missing it.
I am willing spring to return. Willing it. No more cold weather. No more heavy coats. Come on warm weather. And can you come before Rhett's t-ball game on Tuesday night? Please? Noah and I did not like the cold and wind we had to endure the last two games.

This layout was kind of fun to do. I used a flower cookie cutter to paint the outline of flowers. The picture was of my tree right when it started blooming. It is full of green leaves now (and it needs some warmth, sun!) but I loved it when it was covered in white blooms.

Have a great Tuesday and will the sun to shine with me! Spring come back!!!

and a happy Easter to you!

...A day late, but who's counting? We had a great Easter. It was cold, snowed part of the weekend and I didn't get my Easter dinner cooked yet, but we still had a great time spending time as a family.

I did make Good Cake and thought of you, Mom.


I'm excited because we bought a new camera this weekend! It has 12x optical zoom and many other neat features by old camera didn't, so I've been playing a lot with it. Here are some Easter pictures of the boys:




Rhett with his Easter Bunny gifts. There are 2 Spongebob cars here. Very cool.


And here they are right before we went to church. I wanted an outside picture, but the weather didn't cooperate, so this was the best I could do.

Church was not much fun for Seth and Noah. They spent half the time in the car because Noah could not calm down. He couldn't take his sticky frogs (an Easter gift from us. That is what is on Rhett's hand in the photo above) into church and it just set him off. He missed Children's Church and Seth missed the sermon. That child. So stubborn.

Anyway, I need to go help Noah clean his room. Have a great day!

good times by Rhett and Noah

...I guess Rhett has heard Seth and me say the words, "Good times" jokingly (remember it on Saturday Night Live?) because yesterday he put those words into action:

R: Noah, I remember when you were born and Mom let me name you, so I chose "Noah" and you became Noah.
N: Yeah.
me: No. I came up with Noah. We didn't let you name the baby. Rhett, you were just two years old! You would have come up with "Scooby-Doo" or something.
R: Oh, I remember when I wanted to name Brinkley "Scooby-Doo!" That was funny!...Good times. Good times. Really good times.

That made me laugh.

****

When we do something fun or enjoyable, it is the "Best Day Ever!" But, if, on the same day, we have to do something like, say, go to the grocery store and they can't buy a toy, it is then the "Worstest Day Ever" or "A Day that gets Worser and Worser."

Noah's "Bestest Day" was yesterday. He got to "eat lunch at school" (which means he got to stay a few extra hours for Enrichment), he had an Easter Egg Hunt and he got to dye Easter Eggs at home. However, there were a few "worser moments" when he had to stretch at Tae Kwon Do and not get a drink, when he had to go to bed without a book (because the egg-dying lasted way past bedtime) and because he couldn't sleep with Rhett (because it was a school night).

Can we say "dramatic?" And, yes, they get that from me.

****

Another thing that Rhett at least gets from me is his ability to have practice conversations with himself. It is mostly in front of the mirror (I did that all the time as a child) but he can do it anywhere. This morning I heard him have a pretend conversation with his school friend.

R: I dyed Easter Eggs last night.
R (as his friend): You killed an egg?
R: No, no, no. I colored the eggs. No eggs died.
R (as his friend): Oh that is good.
and on and on...

****

Have a happy Easter everyone!

snakes in our house

...Ok, not really, but we have had a lot of exposure of snakes here recently. Every day for the past 2 weeks, Rhett has brought home a book about snakes from the library. So we have read about the habitats of anacondas, rattlesnakes, cobras, more anacondas, garter snakes, pythons and my favorite, mambas (also thought of, by me, as the deadliest snake ever. Why? No human has survived their bite without immediate medical attention. Also, they do not let go!)

Now this is hard for me to read about these things. I do not like them, Noah is scared of the books, they are so boring (every book has the same information: Snakes have fangs, snakes eat food whole, snakes lay eggs...) yet Rhett brings a new one home every night. I can't discourage him. Can I? (Seriously, can I? Because I dread reading any more about snakes!)

I guess the positive spin is that we will know all there is to know about snakes so if we ever go to a place where these snakes live, we will know to stay away from them.

Wait, I already knew that.

Ok. So Rhett will now know that.

Except for the fact that after every book is finished, he exclaims: "Well, I am never going there! I don't want to go where that snake lives!"

Ok. Good. Who wants to go to Africa where the black mamba lives anyway?

tired tuesday

...What I thought was allergies is now turning into a cold, so I'll make this short.

Rhett had his first t-ball game today and he did AWESOME!!!! He made 2 outs and if anyone has ever watched t-ball, well, then you know that is amazing. We were so happy for him! Of course, I did not bring the camera...I never bring the camera when I am supposed to...but we have another chance tomorrow. He'll play again. In colder weather. Yuck. Cold front moving in. Not happy about that.

I will leave you with a picture of the sky on Friday night before the storms started rolling in:


The sky looked like most of the day (completely cloud covered) but I love how the light is hitting the clouds in this picture. Very beautiful.

monday, monday

After the heavy rains on Friday, Saturday and Sunday were just wonderful days to be outside pulling weeds. Ha! Yes, we are waging an all-out weed war on our lawn and I think we are winning in the front.

The weekend weather was beautiful. The boys had a lot of fun playing with several friends and Seth and I had a date night on Saturday. We went to eat dinner and watch a movie with two other couples and had the best time. It was good to get out by ourselves.

The boys had an Easter Egg Hunt at our church and do you know that I took absolutely no pictures? I had the camera in my purse too. Oh well. We are going to color eggs (Star Wars style) so I will be sure to get plenty of pictures of that.

Today is just another Monday. Busy doing laundry, ect. But I hope everyone has a great day!

rhett and noah update

...The boys are recovering from a week of no school finally. Yes, I know it is Friday and they've been to school all week, but they sure were cranky the beginning of this week!
****
We had no sports practice or games this week on account of being rained out. So that means extra games next week. Rhett is really ready to start his t-ball games. I don't think Noah cares one way or the other about his soccer games. Ahh, being a 4-year-old. So carefree...
****
Rhett had his first real phone call the other day (which means someone other than the grandparents called him, and him alone, to talk to him. That is nice too, but usually they want to talk to Seth or me too). His best friend from school called him. It was so cute! They talked for about 45 minutes-I finally had to tell him to say good-bye. And the things they would talk about were just hilarious. Here is a snipnet of what I heard:

R: So, what do you think of potty talk?
---
R: But, do you talk potty talk?
---
R: Yeah, when my cousin talks potty talk, I usually do then too.


R: Next year, what school are you going to?
R: Mom, what school am I going to?
I told him. His friend will not be going to the new school being built in our neighborhood. Actually, he is not even in Rhett's current school's district. He and his brother go there because it has a very good Autism program and his older brother is autistic. Anyway...
R: (back to his friend). I'm going to a new school.
R: Oh. What's auctisism?......Oh.

I mean, they had some conversations now! Rhett knows his friend's phone number by heart. I was impressed. Of course, he thought his arm would never be the same again after he got off the phone. I guess he didn't know to switch ears and his arm got stiff! :)
****
I'm going to break in here and tell you about a really good cause: Ali Edwards, a professional scrapbooker and very inspiring person, has a son who is autistic. She has a badge from Six Degrees, which is for raising funds for Autism Speaks Inc. If you know of someone with autism or just know of it, you probably know that 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with it. I encourage you to look at Six Degrees and see what Kevin Bacon has been up to lately with his charitable efforts and then go to Ali Edward's blog and check out her badge for Autism Speaks. And then think about donating for a good cause.

****

I have a little parent-teacher conference with Noah's teachers today. It is standard, he's not in trouble! I told Noah about it and he goes, "I'm doing good Mom. I'm doing real good." Not worried at all, is he?

****

And the picture above is one I'm very proud of. They are doing so well in Tae Kwon Do. They listen to the coach, they are ready to learn new things and they catch on pretty fast. It is great to see them so focused!

****

Have a great weekend!

just a little bit

...People seem to care a lot about saving the environment, more lately than ever. I happen to be one of them who care but I'm also very lazy. BUT...in my Real Simple this month, it gave 26 easy ways to help save the planet. They are small things so it won't change your life. I'm passing some on to you:

1. Use a water-filter pitcher (or filtered water from fridge). Bottled water is expensive to transport and although it is easy just to buy and transport (that is my reason) I could always put water in my own reusable water bottle.. Plus the fact that Americans use 3.3 million plastic water bottles every hour but only on in 5 are recycled.

2. Switch to a dishwashing powder that's biodegradable and plant-based. Use one that has no bleach and phospates that threaten river and marine life and also doesn't leave chemical residue on your dishes.

3. Go to www.ftc.govto remove yourself from junk mail lists. (Click on "For Consumers," then "Telemarketing," then "Unsolicited Mail, Telemarketing and E-mail: Where to Go to 'Just Say No.'") If everyone in the USA reduced the junk mail received every week, 100 million trees would be spared each year. Wow.

4. Don't idle. It used less gas to restart your car than it does to idle for any length of time. I am guilty of this in the pick-up lane at school, but I am going to start turning off the car.

5. Buy recycled paper products. (Napkins, paper towels, and tissues.) If every household purchased one package of recycled napkins, we would save 1 million trees!

(All this info comes from Real Simple magazine: April 2007 issue)

Now I know that doing just a little bit will help better our environment and save trees. And that will help me sleep a little bit better at night because I won't be thinking what kind of world I am leaving my kids and grandkids.

Do you have any suggestions?

Spring is here

...rain is falling, the grass is greening up and the trees are budding. Beautiful! Here is a layout I did last year for a scraplift challenge but I thought it was appropriate for Scrapbook Tuesday.

I absolutely love this photo of the boys. They were just in awe of this little bunny that the photographer laid before them.

Can you see how much my boys have grown in a year? Wow.

you gotta have friends

...Friends are great, aren't they? And in this day and age, there are so many different ways to gain friendships. I am so blessed to have so many friends in my life--from my childhood (I have several that are still going strong and I absolutely love that), through Seth's work, through church, through blogs and scrapbooking and even by meeting parents at my boys' schools.

This past weekend, my childhood friend, Holly, came to visit and I just loved having her here! She connected with my kids (Noah went right to her, hugging her neck and Rhett talked her ear off the whole time) and it was awesome to see her get to know that part of my life better. Thanks for coming, for everything, my friend!

*****

Friends are also hard to get along with at times. Rhett and Noah have this neighbor friend, whom they both adore. The other day, though, he came over to play and ended up hurting Noah and telling Rhett he was never coming over to play again. Rhett was crushed. (Rhett is a lot like me in this way--he wants everyone to like him) The whole afternoon he was so sad that this kid did not like him. I tried to tell him that he was probably mad at me for telling him to go home after kicking Noah. But I don't think I convinced him. "You'll see," I said, "he'll want to play with you again."

And he did. The very next day. Boys. You know a girl would have waited at least a week to get over being mad! :)

*****

I know some friendships are never meant to be. They may have bitter endings which leave you feeling heartbroken. Some are never-ending and become so important and dear to you. Some friendships are shallow, some one-ended, some happen quickly, while others take years to beome something. All I know is to be a true friend you have to support, be honest and loving and caring and be yourself.

So, to all my friends, I hope you have a wonderful week. You mean so much to me and I am grateful to have you in my life. Happy Monday!

poof

...and spring break is gone. The boys have one more day of laziness and then its back to school on Monday. I feel like I have been on spring break too because I have not cooked once! So it is to the grocery store for me today. Holly is coming today too! So excited to see her!

We traveled to Seminole, OK to the Children's Musuem yesterday. It is about an hour and a half away. And I was wondering too, why OKC does not have a Children's Musuem, but they don't. The one we went to was great. The kids had a great time (we went with friends). So it was worth the drive.

Have a great weekend!

it's nice to be home again

...an yes, I still consider the town I grew up in home. And I will until I live somewhere for longer than 17 years. So far, that hasn't happened! :) Anyway, it is nice to go home for a few days. It is nice to have your mom do things for you. It is nice to do nothing every once in awhile.

The boys and I have been enjoying the break. The weather has been nice so they've been outside a lot. I have caught up on current events reading past Newsweeks. We visited with Casey and Cameron yesterday. So, yeah, good break.

I've taken no pictures though and haven't scrapped any either so this week Scrapbook Tuesday will be on Friday. Hopefully.

I hope everyone else is having a great week!

just some things to note

...The wind chimes are gone. You know the ones my neighbors hung on their tree outside, which happened to be pretty close to our bedroom window. I complained about them constantly to Seth and I know I mentioned them here once. The funny thing is---I don't know how long they have been gone. I just looked out my window this morning to see if it was a drive Rhett to the school bus stop day (cold) and thought, "At least it is not windy. Because I can't hear the wind chimes." Then a thought struck me--"I didn't hear them yesterday when it was windy!" I looked out and gone.

****
Did I tell you that I am horrible with directions and I have a terrible sense of direction? I have gotten my mother and me lost at least twice while driving around in OKC since moving here and I totally got the boys and me turned around in a friend's neighborhood. The worst one was last week. Noah's soccer practice is way across town. It takes a good 25 minutes to get there. Last week, I printed off directions. Well either I looked up the wrong address or read them wrong, but I ended up 25 minutes out of the way. So, after some coaching from Seth (and frustrated tears from me), we got to Noah's practice about 20 minutes late. Yes, I drove around for 45 minutes. Sad.

****
The boys have started looking at the book, There's a Monster at the End of The Book again. Rhett loved reading this book when he was around 2 or 3. He had the thing memorized! Well they found it the other day and just laughed and laughed while I read it. What is so funny, is that they are both so literal (Rhett especially), that they feel they have to explain why Grover was so afraid and that they really weren't afraid, ect.---every time. I guess they want to make sure I understand the book. The book is actually mine. The cover is torn and the pages are pretty thin. I loved it too. I just don't remember having to explain that I wasn't really scared of any monsters. Ha!

****
The boys and I are spending a few days with the grandparents for Spring Break. We haven't been out of town since Christmas because of the snow and ice. So it will be nice to get away.

Have a great weekend!

warning: not for the squeamish

...We pretty much had a normal day. We played outside a lot because of the nice weather. We went to Tae Kwon Do as usual. Then Seth came home a little early and played with the boys outside a little more. It was getting late and I almost...almost...decided to just put the boys to bed without a bath. (Seth had given them a shower the night before). But then I thought, "No, they smell like the outside so they need one." So, in hopped Noah into the bathtub. I almost...almost...let him wash himself. I have been doing that more since he is 4. But I decided to help him this time. That is when I noticed something on his chest. I pulled it off and shrieked because it was a TICK! Ack!

The good news is that it wasn't hard to pull it off so Seth said that it might not have even bit Noah. But I am still going to call the doctor today. And keep a good eye on that sight for a while.

You should have seen me. I totally freaked out. I was vacuuming Noah's room, his shoes, his backpack, I washed his clothes in hot water, we were checking every inch of both boys' bodies (and our own!), and after the boys' baths, Seth and I both got showers. We were feeling rather itchy and icky, you know?

So now on our agenda is to spray the yard, get OFF for the boys and body check the boys after playing outside. We also helped our dogs out with the flea and tick guard.

If you are wondering why I posted this, it is to warn you--the bugs are back. They have had a nice winter rest but now they want to play. And bite. My sons.

Scrapbook Tuesday

...I scrapbooked like crazy on Friday and Saturday. Here is an altered "Live" that I used with some new paper and embellishments that I received from a scrapbook of the month club.

And here is a layout with one of the cutest pictures of Rhett and Noah I have taken in awhile. I used Heidi Swapp's clock transparency.

And if you click on the link that says "Your Scrapbook Stash Design Team Gallery," you can see two layouts that I created using new Tinkering Ink paper. It was really fun to use. Totally different than what I was used to, but I had a great time.

****

As promised, here is a photo of Noah in his soccer jersey. I tried to take some photos at the game, but my camera was acting up, so I didn't get any.

It was really bright outside and so he had a hard time looking at the camera! It was a beautiful day to play and it was lucky it was on Saturday because the next day it poured!

Anyway, today the boys go to Tae Kwon Do and they get to wear their uniforms for the first time. I'll def. be getting pictures of that. They are doing so great. Totally concentrating on what the coach tells them to do. I am very proud of them!

Have a great Tuesday!

soccer star

...I'll post a photo tomorrow, but I just wanted to say that Noah did so well on Saturday! He played 3 quarters and up until the last one, he hustled after that ball and had some great kicks. The fourth quarter he got really tired but at least he tried! Go Noah!

We had a full day on Saturday. Rhett had t-ball practice in the morning, then we went to Noah's game in the afternoon. After that, ice cream at Braum's (double dip ice cream cones all around!), and then we went to the zoo. They opened a new Oklahoma Trails exhibit and it was awesome. The boys walked the whole time too (usually they are begging us to carry them!). I only picked up Noah when we were walking to the car. He was slugging behind. So it was a great day and we were SO tired afterward.

Yesterday, Christy and her husband, Casey came to visit and spend the night. They are doing great and the boys had the most fun with them. They'll be awesome parents!

And now I have to cut this short because I have to go get Rhett from school!

growing up is hard (edited)

...especially if you are a mom. I was in a serious sad mood last night. We took Noah to his first soccer practice and he did so well (which is exciting) but I couldn't help but think of this:

My baby is growing up. He is losing his chubby cheeks that I loved so dearly. He is no longer the little boy that just watched his big brother play soccer, he is the one playing soccer. How did this happen? When did I blink?

But, you should have seen him. He knew where to kick the ball. He was good at controlling it. The game is going to be fun to watch. So I am so happy for him.

And, classic Noah, he made everyone laugh because at the end of practice their coach was trying to get the kids to come up with a team name. There are girls and boys on his team so of course, we had some "Ponies" , "Teddy Bears" which made the coach cringe. She was trying to get them to have a touch name--"Broncos" or "Grizzlies". So she looked at Noah and asked him, "What name do you think the team should have?"

Noah's answer: "Squids."

eta: Unfortunately, the team is not the Squids. They are the Sharks. Noah was happy because they both are found in the ocean. :)

a BIG congratulations

...to my mom-in-law, the boys' Nana, Sandy. She is Teacher of the Year for Friona, TX!!!

Sandy, we are so proud of you! We are sorry we could not have been there to share this with you but I hope you know we were thinking of you. So excited for you!!! I hope you are enjoying this moment, because you deserve it! You work so hard for those kids and I know they mean a lot to you. I am so glad you got recognized for your hard work and determination.

Rhett and Noah give you special {{hugs}}. And Rhett says, "Cool." And Noah is still asleep so I don't know what he says but I am sure he would be impressed too. :)

We love you!

no layouts

...but since it is Scrapbook Tuesday here, I am going to share with you my goals for scrapbooking this week. I need to finish a layout for Your Scrapbook Stash, I need to finish my February page for my calendar and I need to take more pictures of the boys.

I have already re-organized my scraproom and right now it is clean and that makes it hard for me to start working. Because once I start, it gets messy again.

****
Yesterday was so beautiful here. The boys and I were outside most of the afternoon. I am working on the front flowerbed, basically tearing out everything and starting again. Yesterday I tore it out. I am going to wait a couple of weeks to put in anything else, just in case winter decides to come around one last time.

****
I am excited because my best friend Christy and her husband, Casey are coming to visit us on Sunday. I haven't seen her since this summer and so it will be good to catch up with her. I am also excited because she is expecting a child, due in August! Please keep her and baby in your prayers. I know she will appreciate it.

****
And we are going to have another visitor in a couple of weeks---my very good friend Holly!!! I am so happy she is coming up for the weekend. She met my sons briefly this summer, so now she will really get to know them. I hope that will be a good thing! :)

****
Ok, I hope everyone has a great Tuesday!!!

the boy who never grew up

...came to a high school in Edmond yesterday. The drama department put on the play "Peter Pan" using the Broadway costumes and sets and all I can say is, "Wow." I have never seen a high school play like that before. I don't know if something is in the water here, but there are very talented young people here in this part of Oklahoma. The talent ranges from singing to dancing to modeling to acting to becoming Miss America to becoming a gold medalist Olympian in gymnastics (Shannon Miller). And the teenagers who were in this play were no exception. The lead was fantastic and is graduating a year early to follow her dream and go to New York to see if she can make it on Broadway. I think there are 2 or 3 others that could do the same if they chose to. So, yeah, I was pretty impressed. I dragged the boys and Seth to see it too. It was 2 1/2 hours long but the boys sat through all of it. The only thing Noah didn't like was that Peter Pan was a girl. He looked at me and said, "Mom. Peter Pan is a boy. Why does he sound like a girl?" I told him what that the part of Peter was played by a girl but it was okay because she was doing a great job. He didn't seem convinced. :) Other than that, they really liked it.

Rhett's turn

...It seems like I have had a lot of stories about Noah lately so I thought I would share some things about Rhett. First, a layout with pictures of the first time Rhett wore his boots:

The lyrics to the right are from a Merle Haggard song. I know about Merle Haggard because of Seth. He loves to listen to old country. My dad might have listened to Merle too, but all I remember Dad listening to is Johnny Cash.

A side note: I downloaded two Johnny Cash songs to my Zune and the boys and I were listening to "I Walk the Line" and Rhett looked very confused during the whole song. Finally, he said, "I just don't get it." Hee! Hee! This is funny because I probably thought the same thing when I had to listen to him back when I was a kid. (Does that sentence make me sound really old or what?)

Anyway, Rhett has a thing about his boots. Whenever he wears them, he must wear them with a button-down shirt, buttoned all the way up, his cheap straw hat and his shirt tucked with his green canvas belt. Yes it makes me giggle everytime. On Monday, his friend told him that he would invite Rhett to eat with him. (They make all sorts of plans without asking the moms). I told him that his mom needed to call first. Well, he just knew he would be going. Later that day, he came in my room dressed up in his cowboy attire (with his cargo pants by the way) and it was so cute. He tries so hard to look his best!

Today, he did yoga with me. It was so fun because he had me laughing with all his shrieks and squeals and moos (during the cow pose, he actually mooed) and I thought to myself, "Why have I not done this with him before now?" It was a lot more fun with him than it is by myself!

Oh and he starts t-ball practice on Saturday! Ack! I really didn't think it was going to be that soon! Oh well.

So anyway, that is a little about Rhett. Just to be fair. :)

Have a great weekend!

blowin' in the wind

...It is March 1! March to me means lots and lots of wind. And that is usually when we have soccer and baseball practice and games so that means sitting outside in the windy wind. Not too much fun if you ask me. But I am excited that Noah starts soccer this year. I can't believe he is old enough. I mean two years ago, when Rhett was 4, he started soccer. And Noah hated going to practices (because he had to stand outside in the blowing dust probably) and he hated going to games because what 2 year old wants to sit and watch soccer? And now he is the one playing. Wow. I think 4-year-old soccer is hilarious because there is one big blob of kids running...they don't really know where, they don't really know why...they just know that have to run. Oh and there is this ball that their coaches and parents keep telling them to get, to take away from the other team and their whole lives they have been taught not to take toys away and all of the sudden we are yelling at them to Take it away!? it has to be confusing.

Seth took Noah to get his brand new soccer shoes the other day and you should have seen him--he was so proud!

You notice that they are silver. Very cool. His first game is next Saturday so I will let you know how it goes. It should be interesting. Seth and I don't know how Noah will act. He doesn't like to lose, he doesn't like when things don't go his way and he doesn't like when things are taken away from him. I know, what kid does like that, but with Noah he just gets so...mad. So we will see.

Rhett has to wait awhile until t-ball starts. I think it is toward the end of March. I have heard that baseball is very competitive here (even in t-ball) so I am hoping that he is on a team that likes to have fun and practices hard, but it is okay if they lose. And isn't on a team that is their sole purpose is to win. Another wait and see answer. And the answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind. Because its March and really windy outside. :)

do you smell that?

...First to answer a question from Krista, being on a design team means that I am going to create layouts from products that are sent to me from Your Scrapbook Stash. They will be in the store's gallery. It is so people can see a way to use the products and maybe get inspired! :) Thanks for all the congrats by the way--for me and for Rhett.

Second, there is a smell in my house. I don't know what it is but it isn't good. I roasted a chicken last night but I threw away all the bones ect. in the outside trash so that can't be it right? I need to go investigate. Yesterday morning I walked outside and smelled skunk. I hope it didn't die somewhere near my house. Surely that isn't it.

This is short but like I said, I need to go find the source of the smell. Bye for now.

Edited: I found the source! I had forgotten that yesterday, the package that had the chicken leaked and some of the chicken "juice" got on the refrigerator shelf. I was in a hurry, so I used a dishtowel to clean it (then Clorox wipes) and then put the towel in the laundry room. Promptly forgot about it. Whew! So now it is in the washer being sanitized. Mystery solved.

some exciting news

...I am so excited because I am now a design team member for Your Scrapbook Stash! Woo-hoo!

Here is the announcement. And here is the layout:


So, yeah, I am really happy! I have wanted to be on a design team for a while now and I am very excited that it will be for this awesome site!

***
I have some non-scrapbook exciting news too: Rhett read his first book last night!!! It was called Brontosaurus and he did awesome! He tried to decode what it should say by looking at the pictures and he would sound out words, man, I was so proud of him! And he was so excited to tell his dad. Very cool.
***
One more thing, thank you to everyone for their prayers for my mom. I know she appreciates it and so do I!
***
Have a wonderful day!

my week

...The last few days of February is upon us. Whoosh. It went by fast. Some thoughts and goals for this week:

*Keep my mom in your prayers please--on Wednesday she is having a procedure on her retina (!) which doesn't sound too fun. I hope that everything goes well and it isn't too painful or bothersome, Mom!
*Catch up on housework. Or actually do some. Hee.
*Same goes for laundry. :)
*Continue reading Psalms this week. This is what I am doing for Lent. Reading Psalms every day for 40 days. It is an amazing book of the bible because it helps us learn how and what to pray for. The prayers that David offers up to God are wonderful and still hold so true for today.
*Scrapbook. I'll tell you more tomorrow on Scrapbook Tuesday.
*Try to find a babysitter for this weekend. We are invited to a neighborhood party but alas, no kids are invited and all the babysitters are being snatched up. Hmm.
*Go to the musical Peter Pan on Sunday. This is being put on by one of the high schools, but they are using the props and costumes from the Broadway show so should be a good production. I am excited for this!
*Start doing yoga again. A couple of weeks ago, I stopped because I was sick and just haven't got started again. So I need to get back on the yoga train. I always feel so much better when I do it and I don't have to deal with my restless legs either so it really is a good idea to start up again.
*Take some pictures of the boys just being themselves. I haven't done that in awhile and they are such funny people right now. I want to start scrapbooking the "everyday" more because those are the things we won't remember ten years from now.

Have a great Monday!

just moments

...I watched my show last night. I have been anxiously waiting for Grey's Anatomy all week and last night I finally got to see the conclusion. I expected to cry. But, funny enough, it was not Meredith's story line that got to me. I think it was too big of a story. What got to me was---Denny. He telling Meredith that all he has is moments where he can feel Izzy. Just momemnts. Oh, it broke my heart. And it made me want to hug my husband. So I did.
****
So, in keeping with the theme today--

Funny moments from the boys:
*There is a song on the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack that starts out, "Bam Chicka Bam Bam" but Noah sings it, "Bad chicken bad bad!" And all through supper last night he would blurt this out. Rhett would scream for him to stop because "it will get stuck in my head and never get out!" Did Noah stop? No. I would ask, "What did you do at school?" Noah: Bad Chicken Bad Bad! And so on. He keeps us laughing.
*At Tae Kwon Do they run from one end of the room to the other at the end of class. They are supposed to touch the wall. Noah, who is the smallest of the group and who apparently hates to lose, will be behind everyone and just take a wide loop (not touching the wall, not even getting close to the wall) and end up in front of the rest. He made the instructor just break out laughing.

Moments of frustration:
*Our neighbors put up a huge windchime on their tree in their front yard. This tree is also pretty close to our bedroom window. I like wind chimes, really I do. I just don't like listening to them at midnight when I am trying to go to sleep.
*One day at noon, the phone rings. It is one of my neighbors who has a child Rhett's age. She wanted Rhett to come over and play because she was sick to her stomach and her child was driving her crazy. Uhh, No! I am not sending my son over to your house while you are sick!

Moments I am glad to be me:
*Noah will get out of bed 2 or 3 times before he finally falls asleep. Although I try to be stern with him, I melt because the reason he gets out of bed (ok maybe not the reason, but this is what he says) is to tell me he loves me. "I just want to hug you, Mom." "I just want to tell you I love you, Mom." How can you not just melt? Stinker. :)
*Rhett is not as affectionate as Noah is anymore. But he still manages to sneak in hugs several times a day and still does his, "Mom?...I love you." many times in the course of a day. Sweet.

I hope you have many great "moments" in your day that make you smile and laugh!

and so it begins

...girls. To a boy, they are a totally different species. And it is funny to watch boys act weird around girls-at least to a mom! :)

Rhett: A few months ago, he liked playing (i.e. jumping on the trampoline) with our neighbor Emily and her friends. They are in junior high and honestly, I know the only reason they played with the boys was because of the trampoline. Then it got colder and we didn't see her for about 2 months. The other day, we were jumping and Emily and her two friends came outside. Noah wanted them to come jump and so I said okay. A few minutes later, they came over and Rhett immediately got off the trampoline. (I was inside watching from the window by this point). I watched him for a few minutes and then asked him why he wasn't jumping. He wouldn't tell me at first because he thought I would be mad, but finally told me he didn't want to jump with girls. (See how different my two boys are?) I said that it was okay and told him that I would take care of it. So we basically told the girls they had to leave in a few moments. I mean, after all, it is Noah and Rhett's trampoline and it was a nice day and I wanted him to play and not sit.

I know, long story, sorry. And honestly, I forgot my point of even telling the story. Maybe it was that I knew it was coming--this aversion (is that the word?) to girls, I just didn't think it would happen so suddenly! And then I have Noah, whom you all know, just loves the ladies. :) And who wants to play with girls. So I guess I am going to have to find a balance.

And that may be tough.

is nothing safe?

...First it was spinach. Then, just about ago, fully cooked grilled chicken strips. And now peanut butter. Everyone of these things was pulled off the shelves and recalled because of bacteria. The chicken I understand. But peanut butter recalled because of salmonella? How does peanut butter get infected with salmonella? Are the manufacturers not making sure that all involved wash their hands? Are they not disinfecting regularly? And what is so disturbing about the peanut butter recall is that if anyone had gotten sick in my household (and probably many households out there) it would have been the kids. Noah eats peanut butter almost every day. As do a lot of kids. It makes me frustrated that they can not be more safe. Whoever "they" are.

fun with Julie/scrapbook tuesday

...This weekend was a lot of fun. It was great to catch up with my friend and the boys absolutely loved her. She said at one point that it was really good for the ego having two boys dote on her! :) Especially Noah. He immediately proclaimed her "his girl" and that was that. :) Good times. Here is a picture of Julie reading to the boys:

****
Here is a layout about some winter fun, although right now it seems like winter has gone far away. It is beautiful outside! And it will be beautiful all week. Yay!!!

****
Have a great day!!!

late-night thoughts

...Some thoughts as I wait for my husband to come home from work. He is working late so doesn't have to this weekend when Julie comes. He is sweet that way.

****
Whoever thought Moon Sand would be a good idea was so wrong. It is still sand. And now it is in your house. All over. On couches. On floors. In clothes. And because you had to wash the molds that come with the moon sand with warm, soapy water because they no longer release the moon sand like they are supposed to, there is now sand in the sink and on your dishes that you washed afterward (with new water).
****
The same goes with Floam. That stuff...is...beyond horrible. It is colored little balls of sticky. And the color stains. But a wonderful lesson was learned from Floam. The boys learned that all things "seen on TV" are NOT as wonderful as they appear to be.
****
What is up with the skinny jean? And who gets to declare that boot-cut jeans are no longer "in style"? Those of us who have bigger calves need those boot-cut jeans, they like those boot-cut jeans, they feel comfortable in those boot-cut jeans. I bought a pair of Donna Karen jeans the other day on clearance. I thought it was a steal. I tried them on at home. They fit...but the bottom part of the pant legs were barely fitting over my calves. Never before have I had a problem with that. Everything else was fine. I am mad at designers who think everyone has a body like those way-too-skinny models. Even if I only paid $6 for they pair.
****
Holly is right. Fun Dip does tear up your mouth. I think I won't be eating it anymore.
****
My house is clean. And it is so nice. I even vacuumed the couches. Well, I had to because of the sand. But they look nice now too.
****
Have you tried dried mango? Or dried blueberries? Yum. The great thing about the blueberries is that they won't stain your fingers like fresh or frozen ones. So the boys can eat them and not have blue fingers. Cool.
****
I'm going to bed. Have a good weekend!

the similarities are amazing

...I am totally wired right now because I just finished watching Grey's Anatomy and am totally sad and shocked. And a little embarrassed that I love this tv show. But not too embarrassed because I don't plan on stopping! :) I love that it is about doctors, romance, friendships, the drama, McDreamy--who really is dreamy and Seth knows I think this and it is okay!

Speaking of doctors, my friend, Dr. Julie (and no, I don't really call her that, I just wanted to keep the theme going--she is a real doctor though and I'm very proud) is coming for a visit this weekend. Very excited to see her. I haven't really had a chance to visit with her in more than 3 years. It will be a fun weekend.

And speaking of romance(if you watch the show you know that love is a theme) my Noah has someone who "loves" him. A girl from his class tried to convince their teacher that she was in love with him. The teacher kept saying, "how nice that you have a special friend" "isn't is nice to like someone" and this little girl was adamant: "No teacher! I am IN LOVE with Noah!" I asked Noah later if this girl liked him and he kind of rolled his eyes and said, "Yes, she wants to MARRY me, can you believe it?" So cute. I know. Wait 10 years. Then it won't be so cute. But it might be. :)

And speaking of...

Ok. I got nothing. I ran out of similarities to my life and Grey's. But that was kind of fun, right?

I need to go to bed. Seriously.

sugar on a stick

...Yesterday, Rhett received some Fun Dip in his Valentine's sack. He tried some and instantly loved it. (Who wouldn't love a packetful of pure sugar?)

Of course, Noah wanted some too. Because I, too, just love the stuff that probably was the sole cause of my mouthful of cavities when I was younger (hey, I had to have something to do while watching my brother play Little League--this stuff lasted the whole game!) I told Noah that I would find him some the next day. This is Noah's expression after I said that:

So I did. I found some and since it was on sale, I bought a few packets. I am going to hide them so we (yes, I said we) can have a treat every once in awhile. I don't remember the original flavors but they have tried to jazz it up: RazzApple Magic Dip, Cherry-Yum Diddly Dip and Grape-Yumptious Dip. It makes me laugh because I really don't think it matters if it has a "cool" name. It is candy. Kids are gonna want it, right? Happy to report though, they didn't change the name or taste of the stick: Lik-A-Stix. Takes me back to those days sitting on the bleachers, hanging with my friends, scratching at mosquitos. Good times...

happy heart day and photo recap

...The reason I've been gone:
And a long time it seems to me! I was feeling under the weather (where exactly did that saying come from anyway?) the past two days and didn't feel like doing much of anything. But today is a new day and I'm feeling much better. I need to because Seth is bringing home dinner which includes chocolate obsession cake. Does that not sound wonderful?

Valentine's Day:
I am happy to report that I have 3 Valentines: my husband, of course, who surprised me with a Pottery Barn gift card last night (yipee!) and my two sons who informed me that I was their valentine. Sweet boys. Rhett gets to have his Valentine Party today and Noah is having his tomorrow. They love this holiday because of the candy. Which is really why I love this holiday too. :)

Scrapbooking:

Here is my layout (or altered canvas) for the week. It was fun to do and very easy. I just found some quotes about love, a stamp and some pretty paper and that was it. I placed the heart cookie cutters beside it because I had to mention that because I was sick, I didn't feel like making Valentine cookies this year. The boys were a little disappointed but I did use them on their frozen waffles this morning, so it wasn't a total waste.

A Birthday Recap:
We had a great weekend with Seth's parents and brother and his family. On Friday night, just the four of us had a little party for Seth.

Yes, there are 30 candles on the poppyseed bundt cake (delicious by the way) so Seth had to have help blowing those out! :) Seth was a good sport about it and joked that the pictures of the cake looked like the sun!

align="left">Sunday night, we sang Happy Birthday to Nana (although she and I had already eaten a few pieces of her Chocolate Birthday Roll). That night we also had Chinese food so we each had a fortune cookie too. I think I tried all three desserts that night. Maybe that is why my stomach hurt the next day!

Anyway, that is the last few days. I hope everyone has a little romance in store for Valentines Day!

to seth

...how time has passed this fast, I don't know. We have a son who can read and is about to lose his two upper front teeth. I know he is excited about it but I'm sad. Our other son is losing his baby cheeks. That makes me sad too. They are growing up so quickly. It is bittersweet.
And now you are celebrating your birthday. Can you believe that we have been together almost half our lives? Not quite, but almost. And I tell you the truth, I wouldn't have wanted to spend the past 13 years with anyone else but you.
Seeing you with our sons makes me proud. You are such an involved father, so caring and concerned and so loving. They are so lucky to have you.
I'm lucky too. I love, love, love you. You are everything I could ever want. I know that this year will be full of blessings for you. for us. Have a wonderful birthday, sweetie!

yum-o and some more

...Yesterday, I made homemade chocolate pudding. I know it seems silly since the Jello mix pudding is very good, especially if you add whipped cream, but there is something about homemade pudding that I just love. The smell is comforting, the fact that you have to stand there and stir it until it is thick and creamy--you cannot do anything else--well it makes you savor every bite. The recipe I got was from Every Day with Rachael Ray (hence the yum-o for the title) and it was delicious.


The photo is from the magazine. I added crushed chocolate peanut butter chip cookies on top of homemade whipped cream (no cool whip for me) and even though it was so rich, Rhett, Noah and I tried to eat every bite!

Here is the link to the recipe:
Chocolate Pudding Parfaits

***

Did you watch Lost last night? Oh wow. You can so tell that Kate loved Jack. I think Sawyer knows it too. And as soon as I saw that bus from afar, I knew what was coming.

***

I had forgotten to mention how excited I am about Harry Potter. Both the movie and the book are coming out this summer! Wow. I am a little sad that this will be the last book. But I so want to know what happens! And for fun, I want to tell you that about a month ago, Seth went into a cellular phone store and the guy that helped him was: Tom Riddle! He gave Seth a business card and Seth gave it to me. Isn't that cool?

***

Today I am trying to finish cleaning house. I do that a lot it seems. But we are having company this weekend! I looked at the Weather Channel the other day and it said that we had a chance of snow/rain mix on Saturday and Rhett started bawling. He said, "I want it to be nice for Daddy's birthday! It won't be any fun for him if it snows!" Sweet boy. I told him it was just a small chance. Can you tell that we are all sick of winter? :)

***

Have a great Thursday!

exciting stuff

...So by now you must know that Miss Oklahoma won the Miss America title. Well, obviously, Oklahoma is very proud. And they should be. It is the second year in a row for Miss Oklahoma to win and it is the centennial birthday so that makes it pretty neat.

However, the newspapers are really overplaying it. Read this hilarious snippet of an article titled, "Are we the fairest of them all?"

Mix some American Indian and pioneer heritage. Add a touch of crude oil and wheat, a dash of football and a pinch of red dirt. Stir vigourously with a tornado. There you have it--the recipe for beautiful women. Apparently.

(The Oklahoman)

And this was on the front page! Yes, it is fact that Oklahoma has the highest per-capita density of Miss Americas on the planet (also from the article). Add to the fact that Oklahoma has always done well in pageants mainly because they have a strong pageant system (great support from volunteers and sponsors). But they have someone quoted as saying that women are just prettier in the South, which includes Oklahoma.

Who knew that that "recipe" would create such beautiful people?

it's secret

...Scrapbook Tuesday is not gonna happen today because I am working on some things for some people's birthdays...and I'm too lazy to upload any other layouts right now. But my gallery is pretty much up to date in My Place on Scrapbook.com (link is to the right) so you can look at that if you really miss seeing my works of art. I know you do, don't you? :) Hee!

It is BEAUTIFUL outside (mid-60s) but it won't last. Winter is coming back later this week. Sigh.

A love note:
Noah wanted me to write a note for him that said, "Rhett, You have my heart. Love, Noah." How sweet right? So when Rhett saw it, he said, "You want to open yourself up and give me your heart?!" I told him that was an expression--Noah wanted to give him his love. Then Noah piped up: "Actually, Mom, I wanted to give him my heart necklace." (the one he made at church). Oh. Of course.

things i'm loving right now

...It is the month of love so here is a list (which I haven't done in a while) of the some of the things that I love because they make life easier, more fun, and happier.

*Adjustable tab jeans for boys: I love this! Rhett is so thin and long that most jeans do not fit him right. But someone smart invented adjustable tabs on the inside of the belt line in jeans, so you can pull on the tab and button it for a better fit. Now Rhett can wear a pair of size 6 jeans for the length and as long as I pull the tab to the last button, they fit! And even better, they don't look bad when the tab is pulled that much. Excellent!
*Noah's charming nature: Seth took the boys to a Super Bowl party last night. (I didn't go because I was really tired and had a headache coming on) Later, after the kids went to bed, Seth said that Noah is such a ladies man. When saying their good-byes, Noah went around Seth's co-worker's house and hugged and kissed every woman there. He said one woman that he hadn't met yet, after getting a smack on the cheek by Noah and a sweet hug, said, "He is the sweetest little boy! He just gave me a kiss!" Lots of ahhing. Seth said at least he wasn't shy. :)
*Sara Ivanhoe's Yoga Target Zone DVD: This dvd has 6 routines, just 20 minutes each and it is actually fun. This has helped me keep my goal I made at the beginning of the year to do yoga every day.
*the color-families of blue: I have noticed that I most of my scrapbook layouts have some tone of blue in them lately and you all know I painted my bathroom turquoise. It makes me happy, I guess!

***

This is a start of a busy month for us. Rhett and Noah start Tae Kwon Do tomorrow, so I will let you know how that goes. At the end of the month they will begin soccer (Noah) and t-ball (Rhett) and they are looking forward to that as well.

I'm going to try to organize my closet today. You see that didn't make my list because I'm not looking forward to this at all. But it has to be done.

I gotta go take Rhett to the bus stop now. Which means I need to get something besides my pajamas on. Ha!

Have a great day!

no longer impressive

...My sons no longer think snow is a "wow" event. Yesterday, while in line to pick up Rhett from school, I pointed out to Noah that the snowflakes were just getting bigger and bigger. It was beautiful! Noah: yeah, mom. Then when I picked up Rhett, I was commenting on the snow-how big and beautiful- and his response: oh, yeah, uh-huh. I guess I should have expected it. We have had a snow event (that is really what it is because that is all that is on the news when it snows) every week for the past month! So it is only natural that they lose interest in the fact that it is snowing. Especially when they have to go to school. :)

Speaking of impressive, my husband celebrates his 30th birthday in a week and a half! His family is coming in for the occasion (and to also celebrate his mom's b-day too, which is 2 days later) so hopefully, the weather will cooperate (no snow, no freezing temps). Noah thinks his daddy will want a Batman cake. Rhett was adament that Seth would NOT want a Batman cake. R: He is a grown-up Noah! N: Rhett, he can have a Batman cake if he wants BECAUSE he is a grown-up! I think they are both right in a way.

Have a great Thursday!

brr...azil??

...Whenever I play Trivial pursuit with my family, it never fails that I make them laugh because of the dumb answers I provide. Years ago, Seth and I were playing with my mom on a day much like today--cold and snowy--and I had to answer a geography question. I had no clue as to what the answer could be so Seth gave me a clue. He hugged his arms to his chest like he was cold and said, "Brrr." I thought a moment then said, "Brr..azil?" Brazil. He looked at me and then burst out laughing. So did my mom because she knew the answer: Chile. He was pretending it was chilly. Chilly, Chile. Ha! Ha!

I thought of that today while driving home from the grocery store. I said, "Brr!" out loud and then said "Brazil!" I am sure other drivers were looking at me strangely because I was laughing by myself. :)

If you ever get a chance to play Trivial Pursuit with me, I guarantee you will laugh at me and my answers at least once! I make it interesting that is for sure.

Ann-Margret!

once a month

...I decided to make a simple album this year. It is so simple that I only work on it once a month. It is called "12 Days" and for each month, I've picked a day (this month the day I picked beforehand was Jan. 17th) to scrapbook my thoughts.

On the front page, I put my goals for this year and a little blurb about what is going on "right now."

I haven't put the finishing touches on it yet, but even though this one is very simple, I may keep it that way. That day I was feeling down about the weather and I think that this exactly fits my feeling. A little empty, no "energy" in sight, you know what I mean?

And just think, after December, I'll have a whole album finished! :)

Have a great day!

i'm me for a reason

...I started reading a book this week that has totally transformed my way of thinking about my life. It is by Max Lucado:
(small picture I know)

It is all about living in your sweet spot. And it really is a feel-good book and I think everyone needs to read one of those every once in a while. I think it is so important that I am going to share with you some thoughts about each chapter one day every week.

Chapter One: Your Sweet Spot (You Have One!)

Max Lucado spends his time in this chapter telling you that you have unique gifts from God.
"Brick by brick, life by life, God is creating a kingdom, a "spiritual house" (1 Peter 2:5 CEV). He entrusted you with a key task in the project. Examine your tools and discover it. Your ability unveils your destiny."

(p.2)

I love that. Your ability unveils your destiny. Isn't that wonderful? That says to me that the special skills I have, the things that I do that make me feel good about myself are gifts that God gave me. And the lesson is this: You are needed, no matter what you are called to do. You matter to society. More importantly, you matter to God. So "use your uniqueness (what you do) to make a big deal of of God (why you do it) every day of your life (where you do it)." (p. 7) Then, you'll find your sweet spot or cure for the common life.

If you don't know what your sweet spot is, don't worry--it can be found. You just have to reflect on what times in your life where you have been successful and have loved it. When you thought, "Wow, I was made to do this!"

So we need to think about times, starting when we were children, when we

*did something well

*and enjoyed doing it

Max Lucado calls this success and satisfaction and the intersection of the two is where you find your sweet spot. And anything that made you feel important, no matter how trivial it may seem now, counts. Think of specific events, accomplishments, and actions in your childhood and adulthood.

Here are mine:

Childhood/Youth

*tried out for a part in the 5th grade play and because I overcame my shyness and really boomed my voice out, I got a fairly good part.

*I would spend hours playing with my dolls, making up stories.

*in first grade, I won a coloring contest.

*in fifth grade, I got to compete in Ready Writing.

*made supper with my oldest sister, Jana, a few times.

*in 8th grade, wrote a salutatorian speech all by myself.

*in 11th grade, was awarded All-Star Cast in One-Act Play

*in 12th grade, I decided to forgo my chance on becoming salutatorian by dropping out of physics and taking a Homemaking class instead.

*in 12th grade, I decided to take Art, even though none of my friends were in it. I decided I really wanted to and didn't care what others thought.

*in 12th grade, I spent half the night making a paper model for Calculus, even though I could have just drawn it. I really concentrated on this and wanted it to look good. I loved working with paper. :)

*overcame my usual introverted self again by singing and acting in a pageant.

And I think that is where I'll stop. If you want to participate, think of things in your childhood that really stand out as accomplishments for you. And if you want to post your list here, that would be great. If not, then that is fine too. Like I said before, this book just makes me feel good about myself and if it makes you feel good too, then I am glad I posted this! :)

Have a great day!

happy

...First Happy Birthday to my dear friend Christy! We have known each other since the fifth grade and our friendship means more to me every year. I hope you have a fantastic birthday!

Second, here is the happiest place in my house. Why? Because of the color, of course!




The color is called Norway Aqua but as Seth said, "We have a turquoise bathroom!" The ceiling is an ivory color and brown is an accent. I found the star candleholder at Ross for $10--can you believe it? I love it! And that picture is one of Seth's and my favorites. It is from my sis Krista and her husband, Chris and it is snowbirds. If you can see closely, our names our engraved in one of the trees. We decided to hang it in the bathroom because one, it goes so well and also, now we can see it every time we come out of our closet, out of the bathroom, when we take a bath and in the mornings, I can see it in the mirror while I fix my hair. So we think it is in a perfect place!

So, anyway, that is what I have been doing this week. I still need to paint the toilet room (is that what you call that room?) brown, but today I promised the boys to do something fun with them. I think it is going to be the warmest day we have had in a month (maybe 54 degrees!) so we'll probably head to a park.

This week has been a rough one for the boys. After having a whole week off of school, they (and me too) are exhausted. They have been crabby and today Rhett did not want to get out of bed. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I got a note yesterday that said because we used 6 snow days, we now have to go until the first day of June. :( Hopefully, we won't have to miss anymore school!

Have a great weekend everyone!