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!

i've made my peace

...Yesterday, while painting the bathroom, I had a lot of time to think. And I thought a lot about things that used to bother me but don't anymore.

*Spongebob: I used to promise myself that I would never let my kids watch this yellow sponge who talked funny. But this past year, I wavered. "But I still don't like it!" I would say to myself every time I let them watch it. However, I would listen to the boys and this funny sponge never failed to make them laugh. And although it is sometimes gross, it never is violent. And then one day, I caught myself watching, really watching and...i laughed. Seth caught me. He said,
"Are you laughing at Spongebob?" I tried to deny it, but I couldn't. Then I learned that the voice of Patrick is Dauber (the tall guy off of Coach). I always liked him. So I had to make my peace with him. Spongebob is okay.

*People who don't pay attention: While waiting for my paint the other day at Wal-mart, the person who was helping me forgot to put dye in the paint before she shook it in the machine. When she opened it, she found white paint when it was supposed to be Norway Aqua. So, it took an extra five minutes to fix her mistake. This used to bother me. But, as I was standing there, I realized that it didn't matter if I waited a few more minutes. She probably had a lot on her mind. I think I've become more aware of others and what might be going on in their lives because of blogs. (I've said this before) It is hard to be selfish and get mad at having to wait when you realize that she might be dealing with an illness in her family, or a divorce or some other sad event. So, I just smiled and said it was okay.

*Cleaning the kitchen: I dreaded cleaning the kitchen so much that I would put it off until both sinks were full of dishes. But these past two weeks, I've really tried hard to keep it clean. I mean, it is hard to tell your kids to pick up after themselves when you don't. And I realized that I like it clean. Even more than I dislike cleaning it. (Does that make sense?) So I am trying hard to keep it that way.

So, what are some things that used to bother you, but for whatever reason, they just don't anymore? I'd love to know!

busy,busy,busy

...or at least it seems to me that I am this week. I spent all day yesterday painting my bathroom. I am 90% complete! :) I will post pics when it is all finished. I will tell you this: it makes me happy to be in my bathroom. The color is awesome!
I do have to give a shout-out to my mom-in-law--she called to check on me because I hadn't blogged in two days. Very sweet and made my day. Thanks Sandy!
***
One reason why my husband and I are "meant to be":
Today, we both slipped and fell on the ice, at different times and different locations. He called me a little while ago and told me that he fell hard on the ice with no one around. I laughed and told him I did the same thing! Except mine was more of a "Oh No, I'm gonna fall, I'm gonna fall...Oh, I fell" kind of dance and A LOT of people saw me. See, we are meant to be.

rhett's layout too

...Today is Tuesday and I'm sharing layouts, including one from Rhett.
Here is a Christmas layout:

And here is the inside of the flap:

Noah was using Rhett's old hand-me-down bicycle and it was a little wobbly, so for his birthday, we gave him a new Hot Wheels Bicycle. He was pretty excited!

This layout is about the night I got to see Julie Andrews. If you click on it, you will be able to see the journaling but it is all about how my favorite thing is hanging with these three:

And here is Rhett's first layout. He picked out everything and I helped with the ribbon. Yesterday he said something to the effect that it might be a little girly to scrapbook and before I could say no it is not! he said it was okay because he liked it anyway. I told him that many guys scrapbook and art is not girly, nor is taking pictures. I hope he never stops doing something he loves just because most boys don't do it. Maybe I should get Seth to start doing it, just to reinforce that it is a "guy" thing too, right Seth? ;)

Thanks for letting me share! Have a great day!

TGI...M?

...Yes, I am thankful it is Monday. The roads are clear, school starts up again after a weeklong vacation and yesterday we finally got to get out of the house for a while. It felt good!

***

I watched a few movies this weekend. One was World Trade Center. What a moving, heart-wrenching film. It highlighted the good of people, the heroism of those that risked their lives for others and captured the fear and sadness of families. Oliver Stone directed this PG-13 movie and it is said that this was his first non-R rated film. No bad language at all, which was nice to see.
***
I am not really a person that gets fired up about politics, but I have to tell you some things that are ahead for Oklahoma legislation. They have 2,316 bills and resolutions filed and here are some that the paper said to watch for:
*House Bill 416: Designates English as the official language of Oklahoma.
---Ummm, if English isn't the official language of Oklahoma, then what is? And they have to have a bill for this?
*Senate Bill 874: Would require a voter to produce identification before being allowed to vote.
---They don't already do this? I am new to Oklahoma and have not voted in an election yet, but I thought that was just commen sense.
*House Bill 1587: Would require motor vehicle inspections.
---Isn't it funny? Being from Texas, we got our car inspected without thought. When we moved here and found out that we didn't have to, we were scratching our heads. Think about it-there may be so many unsafe cars on the road. It is scary. Even though getting your car inspected is a pain, I hope this one passes!
And last one:
House Bill 1466: Would enter Oklahoma into an agreement with other states to elect the president of the United States by national popular vote, replacing the current Electoral College system.
---Whoa. I didn't know about this! Did any of you? Replacing a system that has been around since our forefathers? I will have to keep up this one. Especially since the next presidential race will be mighty interesting, especially since 3 minorities are vying for the Democratic ticket.

***

This week I hope to start painting my bathroom. I found some towels yesterday at Kohl's so I am using those for my color scheme. I'll post pictures when I am finished!

Have a great Monday!

happy birthday krista

...for reals this time. Remember when as kids you always said stuff like that: for reals, play like...good times, good times.
Anyway, in honor of my sister's birthday I chose two pictures that I absolutely love of her. The first one is of her with her beautiful daughters. I love it because she is doing what she does best-making everything seem more interesting than it really is. I mean, look, it is a card, a happy birthday card for Mallory. But don't you want to know what is in that card, just by looking at Krista's face? It looks like there is some great secret in it, doesn't it? Krista is really good at that.

That is why she is such a talented writer and a great mom. She adds the special "wow" touches on life.

This next picture is also a great one. She loves her family and loves being around them. She takes the time to make sure they know it too. When Casey and I were younger, she always played games with us and that meant the world to us. I know she does those things for her daughters too. (and niece).

So have a happy day, Krista!

***

More snow is coming. I think it is going to blanket my parents, brother and in-laws first (like 19' inches, so keep them in your thoughts!) and then head our way. By this point, I don't really care anymore. We are in the throes (meaning pangs!) of winter (can you tell I have been reading Lord of the Rings?) and I am dreaming of days where I can actually drive somewhere. I have gotten really down the last few days. Winter blues. Today, I let the boys play out in the front yard while I scraped ice off of our walkway. Not fun, but at least I was doing something. I am so tired of doing indoor things and I am not really an outdoorsy person. I know I shouldn't be complaining either--everyone is getting winter weather, I know. And I am very grateful that we didn't get the worst of it. I am very thankful we still have our power. But I will also be very grateful when we see the sun again...

Everyone stay warm and snuggle up with the one you love. Unless of course, he has a cold. (Ha! Ha! Seth, just kidding. Sort of...) :)

lost and found

...Rhett was wanting to go outside yesterday to sled. He asked me every five minutes. I finally let him. Now keep in mind that we do not own a sled. I let him use a plastic lid off of a storage box. It works pretty well. Also keep in mind that this is pure ice. It looks like snow, but it isn't. So two minutes after bundling him up and letting him go "have fun," I hear wailing. I rush outside and he walks around the corner, his face red on one side, his new glasses bent and one lens missing. I usher him back inside, make sure he knows he will survive and get him to stop crying. His final words before I go look for his lens: "I don't want to go sledding anymore! I just want to stay inside!" Uh-huh.

So anyway, I go look for a clear lens on the ice. I looked for at least 30 minutes. No lens. I decide to wait until dark. That way I can get the flashlight and the light will shine on it. So, after supper, I get busy cleaning up their rooms and I go outside in the freezing cold with a flashlight. I am sure I looked beyond silly. But still no lens. Seth comes home. Does the same thing. 10 minutes later he comes in...with the lens! Yay! I don't know how he found it but I am so glad he did.

***

Right now I am on hold with a credit bureau company because my student loan company lost some information and it is believed my info was included in the loss. So I have to do the appropriate steps to secure my files. Yuck. Personally, I would rather be looking for a lost lens.

***

My sons are always losing things. I know kids are just that way. But it is so funny when Noah finds something. He says, "Mom! I have been looking for that for years! For years!"

***

Still on hold...

***

Rhett lost his second tooth the other day. I really think the tooth fairy of this household needs to keep her day job because the morning after, Seth asked me to go check under Rhett's pillow (Rhett was sitting by daddy on the couch and had forgotten to look). Thank goodness because the Tooth Fairy forgot to leave a treat. So, I pretended to go to the bathroom, found some quarters, then went to Rhett's room. I looked under the pillow and the tooth was not there! At that moment I was confused. I knew Seth hadn't taken it. Was there a real tooth fairy? No. Rhett just didn't put the tooth under his pillow. I searched for a few minutes for it but gave up and wrote a note saying the tooth wasn't there but here is some money anyway. Rhett bought it. But where was the tooth? On the coffee table in the living room. So I told him to put it under his pillow that night so the tooth fairy could come take it. No money would be left, but she needed the tooth for her collection. Well, I forgot to get it! Luckily, Seth got it that morning before Rhett looked. Sheesh.

***

Still on hold...

***

So between me forgetting the tooth, forgetting what day my sister's birthday is, not being able to find a lens, I am thinking my mind is going. Or maybe it is being holed up in the house for days on end. I don't know. I feel like my brain is lost. And...

Oh, I am talking to a real person! Yay! Just a minute...

...

...

Ok, that is done. Wasn't that bad. Now, what was I talking about?

apology/scrap and share

...uhhh, I have mommy brain. You know the affliction where you forget everything, think things are a certain date, when in fact they are still 3 days away (ahem, Krista's b-day, ahem), then when you get an email from a certain somebody (ahem, Krista, ahem) giving a subtle hint that it is not their special day today, you think she is wrong (just for a second).
So, I've changed the post and save something for Friday. Sorry Krista! And thanks for being so nice about it.

***

In other news, no school again. The boys and I did venture out in the backyard Monday. We had fun sliding down our little hill with the lids off of big plastic boxes. We may have to go somewhere Tuesday. Seriously. Rhett was hoping to go to Burger King or I-Hop. He was very disappointed when I said no.
I feel bad about complaining. I talked to a friend that lives in Denver on Monday night. He said it was -10 degrees in the morning that day. They have really had some kind of winter this year. I think I can handle the teens after hearing that.
***

Here is my Tuesday layout. I almost forgot! This one was fun to do and fun to take the pictures. Noah was helping his Grandmom and was concentrating on the dough and doing such a great job. Then the older boys came and they all started acting silly, punching and pulling off dough. The cinnamon rolls came out great though!

here comes the sun

...This is as far as any of us ventured outside yesterday. To the little ice hill that is right outside our front door. Seth was showing us that it was pretty much all ice. Fun.
Today Seth had to go to work but Rhett had the day off anyway so we are bunkered down for another day. I won't lie to you...I'm getting cabin fever. The boys are too, I can tell. I almost envied Seth-I said almost. He left when it was still dark and I was still nice and warm in my bed. He probably didn't have a fun drive on the highway. I get to lounge around in my pjs for a couple more hours.
But now the sun is shining and it truly is a beautiful sight. Cold but very pretty. I was telling Seth we haven't seen a real winter in almost 6 years. That is a long time to get used to not having one.
One of my friends just moved from the Houston area to the Dallas area and mentioned in an email how cold it was. I feel for her, I really do because once you live somewhere hot and humid, like Houston, where it hardly gets cold and when it is, it really is still okay, you can't believe how cold it is in other places. I am still like that! When the weatherman said that it was going to be winter temperatures for the next 30 days, I was shocked! 30 more days of cold! How do people do this? See, I have turned into a cold-weather weanie. Somewhere, I hear my boys snickering at that word...

100,000+ without power

...but, thankfully, we aren't one of them...yet anyway. I don't think we will be as most of the power outages are to the south and east of us.

Right now, out my window, round #3 has hit. Thunder is loud and sleet and freezing rain (what is the difference between the two anyway?) are coming straight down. It looks too cold. Yesterday, I saw a few kids brave it to have some fun. I wasn't about to let my kids or me go out there though. We had fun hanging out as a family though, watching too much tv, playing games and eating.

It looks like mountain weather outside. Too bad we don't have a ski resort near by. That would be fun to do later when the sun comes out again.

That is all I have. Just a quick note to let you know we are still hanging in and still have power. Again, thankfully.

ice and more ice

...It looks like Oklahoma is in for a huge ice storm. The OKC metro area is expected to get 1-2 inches of ice through Sunday. Catastrophic, as the weather people, the newscasters and electricians and plummers are saying. Because of downed power lines. Which means we may be without power. In 2002, parts of OKC were without power for up to a week when a bad ice storm hit.

Last night, Seth went to Wal-mart and said it was absolutely crazy. No bread, no milk, no D batteries, hardly any flashlights, certainly no generators. Lines very long and people stocking up on 5 gallons of milk and so on. Seth only needed a few things, but now that I think of it, I wish I had told him to get more snacks and canned fruit and granola bars. Maybe I will make some. I am going on a baking frenzy today. Pancakes, bread, cookies, snack mix, anything that does not have to be heated to be eaten, I will try to make. Hopefully, I will be overprepared and we won't lose power. I hope that is the case.

Please pray that our family stays safe through this storm. I am going to pray for those that have to be out in it, like electricians, plummers, and road crews, ect.

And if you don't hear from me for a few days....well, I guess that means we have no power. And no heat...which means we will be snuggling together under many layers and layers of blankets, munching on snacks and trying to make the best of it.

bits and pieces

...Noah has a sinus infection, so he stays at home from school again. It is funny, he doesn't even act like he feels bad, but he had a fever at the dr's office yesterday. He asked today if he could watch tv and I said yes and he smiled and said, "Because I'm sick!" At least he is happy...

***

It is weird how things work out. I was so concerned about my dentist's appointment today and trying to figure out what to do with the kids this afternoon and finally thought of cancelling. So I called and you know what? They had no record of my appointment anyway! That means if I had shown up this afternoon, they wouldn't have seen me because I had no appointment to them. And if Noah hadn't gotten sick, I wouldn't have called to check. Funny.

***

I mentioned the other day about buying some New York guide books for a trip I was taking with my mom and sisters in honor of my 30th birthday. Well, we have decided we are going in June 2008. I am so excited to plan for this trip! I have wanted to go to New York for at least 10 years now. And in a year and a half I will! Yay!

***

That's all I have today. I am going to attempt to clean another room today. The other day I totally reorganized my kitchen and it looks great. Now if I can remember what this feeling of accomplishment feels like, I will make it stay that way! One room at a time, my house will get clean again.

Have a great day!

from sweet to sour

...One minute I am thanking God for the sweet time that I am getting to spend with my husband and youngest son, who was coughing and couldn't go to sleep so we put him in our bed and laid with him, and the next I am thinking, "Eww...great. So much for the sweet moment!" Noah coughed so much he made himself get sick. On me. Nice.

So today is a change of plans. Doctor time. Hoping that he gets better so I can take him to school tomorrow so I can go to the dentist. Not that I want to go to the dentist, I just really need to. Having to drag him with me to the grocery store to buy some things because this weekend a snowstorm might fall upon us.

But I am still thankful for that sweet moment. Seth and I were talking about how big are kids have gotten. We just love them so much. And because of that, I'll take the sour moments too. As long as there are more sweet to follow! :)

scrap and share

...If you remember, one of my goals for this year was to start scrapbooking again. Well, to keep that goal a reality, I am making Tuesday a Scrap and Share day on my blog. Just so I really will keep my word!

Yesterday and this morning I scrapped two layouts. Here they are but sorry if the photos aren't that great. My camera was running out of batteries and wasn't working for me!

This one is a layout for some of the Christmas cards that we received. I need to do another layout like this one, because not all of them fit, so if you don't see yours on there, that is why.

I am not too fond of the pictures, but I think that is why I chose these. I need to start scrapping more about me because I am apart of this family too. And part of the reason I haven't is because I never like photos of myself. But I need to stop being so critical and think I have to have it "just right". This has to do with my new motto for 2007: Live and let live. Sounds silly to have a motto, right? I just need a daily reminder to be who I am and not let things that happen get in the way of that. My journaling reads:
Live and let Live. My new motto for 2007. What exactly does it mean? For me, it means to live your life being exactly who you are and not expecting others to change for you. It means to seize each day and live like its your last day. It means letting life surprise you. The next 12 months I am going to try to do this. I am ready...

Thanks for letting me share!

i need help

...because I am incapable of putting a book down. Saturday we went to Barnes and Noble to use some gift cards that we all had. I picked some New York City guide books (that is what I am going to do with my sisters and mom for my 30th birthday) and also the second book in the series of The Girls with the Traveling Pants. I was saving that book for Thursday when I have to go to the dentist. But, yesterday, I was tired and bored and I had run out of Thank You notes (way behind on those) so I picked up The Second Summer of the Pants. Then I proceeded to read the entire book! It was a long book. I really thought I could stop. Really. I mean, I stopped when I had to fix supper. I stopped when I had to give the boys a bath. I stopped when I read Rhett and Noah their own books. Then they went to bed and sat down. Big mistake. I read until 12:30 am. Then it all over but me crying, "What have I done?"

Now I have nothing for Thursday. I am going to have to hope they have good magazines. Sigh...

boys with a camera

...Last night, the boys and I had some fun. I finally uploaded Rhett's pictures from his new Disney Pix camera and I had to laugh at some of them. He took many "action" shots of the Bionicle castle and figures. Here are a couple:



And sweet boy that Rhett is, he shared his camera with Noah. Here are a couple that Noah took:


Rhett must like taking stills (like Ansel Adams perhaps!) because there were also many pictures of the snowy backyard:


And now is where the fun began. With the Disney software, you can alter your picture however you want. Here is the picture I did to show them some cool things they could do with it:

And this is what Rhett did:

He had much fun with the stamper. They laughed so hard!

For Christmas, Santa also gave Rhett some scrapbook supplies so he can actually scrap his photos. He is so excited. Me too. It is something fun we can do together!

Thanks for letting me share!

the ride of my life

...After playing with my new toy yesterday, I have found a new favorite song: Once in A Lifetime by Keith Urban. It is beautiful.

In fact, I told Seth last night that I think it is a perfect song for us.
When I got married, I never knew that something would be so hard, so rewarding, so exciting, so unlike anything I've ever experienced. I know how easy it is to stop working on your marriage. I know how easy it is to think it would be better to just quit. But I also know how much I love the man I married. Seth has been through so much in the past few years and I can't say I've always made it easier for him. But I hope he knows that I believe in him and I hope he sees how much I care.

"Don't fear it now, we're going all the way. That sun is shining on a brand new day. It's a long way down and it's a leap of faith. But I'm never giving up. Cause I know we've got a once in a lifetime love."

I know I don't always see the good things in our marriage. I know I don't always realize how lucky I am. But I do know that about 12 years ago, when I started dating Seth, I was driving home from his house and all of the sudden I blurted out to myself: "I am going to marry that man." Then, I didn't realize where that thought came from. In fact, I kind of laughed and thought that I'd better not tell Seth my thought because we were both in high school and I didn't want to scare him off. Only God knows why I thought it at the time. But it stayed in my heart for another 3 1/2 years, until we did tie the knot. Then I forgot about it until about a year ago. Only then did I realize how important that little statement was and is to me. I think now that God put that in my heart because He wanted us to be together and to face life together. And to tell you the truth, life is a lot harder than I ever thought it would be. But it is so good too. And I wouldn't want to be on this roller coaster with anyone else.

"Don't hold back now,

just let go

on all you've ever known

You can put your hand in mine"

I love you Seth. I am so proud of you. And I'll be right by your side no matter what.

Have a great day!

my new toy

...I have not got around to uploading Rhett's pictures yet, so maybe tomorrow. I would say that I have been so busy with laundry and putting Christmas things away and that would be partly true, but the main reason is because I have been playing with my new Christmas present from Seth: my Zune. How fun is this thing? Well, I have spent the last hour picking out music for White (my name for my Zune. So original, I know.) And now I am listening to Keith Urban and loving it! Thanks sweetie!!

The boys are back at school today. They were both pretty excited about it. Getting to see their friends was a big thing for them. Rhett was such in a hurry to get to the bus that he tripped getting out of the car. He got right back up and no tears were shed, but I know it must have hurt. He still smiled at me through the bus' window so I know he was okay.

I know this was a quick post, but I really do need to start some laundry. Another exciting day in my life! :)

happy new year!

...and a shortened vacation to us! I thought the boys didn't have to go back to school until Thursday but I was wrong. I looked this morning and they have to go back tomorrow! I am glad I decided to come back from my parents' house yesterday and not wait one more day...I would have been stressing!


Anyway, here are some pictures of our holiday away from home. (That makes it sound impressive doesn't it?) We had a great time but I am glad we are back home. And my husband made sure the kitchen was clean and that our bed had clean sheets on it---that was a great surprise for me! :)


I think the big boys had more fun with this than the little ones. Seth and his brother worked hard!

Seth tried so hard to get Sara to laugh. I think she chuckled a little finally. He was cracking everyone else up though!

Rhett with his gift from Santa. He has wanted his own camera for awhile and so far is enjoying this one. I will post some pictures that he took tomorrow and let him comment on them.

Noah, in front of his gifts from the family. He still had some of the "Santa came" excitement left in his face.

Pop and his only granddaughter. Sara is adorable and so sweet. We were all in love with her!

The boys and their cousin, Nicolas, "helping" Grandmom make cinnamon rolls. They still turned out wonderful as always! A special thanks to my mom for making them just for me! :)

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And now it is the new year. I am never good at making and keeping resolutions but there are several things I want to do and get in the habit of doing.

1. Keep up with my blog--this one will be easy. I love writing a blog and keeping up with friends and family this way.

2. Become a yogi--or just start doing yoga every day again. I was doing well last year until we moved and so I need to start back up again.

3. Scrapbook at least twice a week--I love creating and if I don't do it, I feel "blah". I want to make this a priority for me.

4. Find a church we love--and get involved with it. This is one of the hardest things about moving to another place. But it is something we need to do and want to do.

5. Take time to have fun--that sounds so funny, but it is something I need to do. Sometimes I get caught up in having to get things done, but I need to remember that having a good time with my sons or husband is very important too.

So, what is one resolution that you have?