How's the training going, you ask?

"Life is how you take it"*

I took this picture on a Saturday.  It was cold outside, the dogs and boys had cabin fever (except Noah just wanted to stay home and not go to his basketball game, but we did anyway) and so I got my one Diet Coke for the day and just sat down and enjoyed it. 

Here are some other things that I am enjoying at the moment:

My Scrabble Game app: I am totally getting better at Scrabble and learning so many new words!
My ipad: Yes, I have one.  Yes, I am so spoiled.  Yes, I am loving it!!
Chicken Tortilla Soup: I made this last night and had it again for lunch.  If I hide it from Seth in the back of the fridge, I might have it again tomorrow.  Shh...don't say anything.
My clean house: Seriously, I said it Friday and I"ll say it again.  Those snow days were awesome.
Movies with my hubby: We watched two on Saturday night with the boys-  The Scorcer's Apprentice, which was actually pretty good but I like quirky Nicolas Cage and then Oceans which had some amazing footage of, well, the oceans.  Then last night, we watched The Town with Ben Affleck.  I thought it was well done and sad and disturbing and had an "aww" moment so that was good too.

Have a great day!

*This is Diet Coke's actual slogan for the year 2005.  I thought it fit in nicely with today's blog.   :)

It's Friday! Project 365 Week 2!

I have been so excited to share my pictures that I have decided maybe next week to spread it out a little more.  Especially because I have 8 photos to share today!  8!  I know, there aren't even that many days in a week but remember I'm doing it my way. 

Without further ado...

Project 365 Week 2:

We made it to Noah's basketball game on Saturday!  He was so excited that he didn't even say a word about having to wear shorts.  Ha.  I love this picture.  It was right before the game and the coaches were talking and he just looks over, so proud to be there. 

Rhett and Boo, hanging out.  That dog...we seriously love her.

Sunday night, Rhett spent the night with a friend because we had a day off from school.  The next morning, Noah and I slept in and didn't get a chance to eat breakfast before picking up Rhett.  So I promised Starbucks.  Iced Chai Tea Latte and a veggie omelet ciabatta.  It was really yummy. 

Another hope for this year is to get back to baking again.  Since moving, I've stopped baking and I really enjoy it so I have promised myself to bake something at least once a week.  Last week, I made Rosemary bread which was a disappointment.   This week, orange-blueberry muffins and banana-chocolate chip muffins.  The orange-blueberry muffins, the ones you see here, were a hit.  Just a hint of citrus.  The recipe called for almonds but I didn't have any so I just added ground flax seed.  It added the nuttiness it needed and made it more nutritious. 

Wednesday, I went shopping.  Target is having their big "Stock up and Save Sale" (which really doesn't save me anything because I buy more of what I probably could do without in the first place but Target is smart like that or maybe I'm not smart like that...anywho) and they had their Shark Steam Cleaner on sale.  I've been wanting one of those for awhile (clean with only water? No dirty mop and bucket? No chemicals? Sold!) and so far I've not been disappointed.  The microfiber cloths that fit on the bottom are washable and the dirt on that thing after I finished...whew! It made me wish I had bought one of these a long time ago. 

It was also my sister, Krista's birthday on this day.  Krista, did you love Modern Family as much as I did? We watched it again last night because we thought it was so hilarious!

Thursday brought a snow day which the boys must have needed because all week they had complaining about their stomachs and how tired they were (yes, they had Monday off) but no complaints this day.  They woke up early and played all day.  And also helped me shovel the driveway which was huge.  I took this photo with my iphone.  I'm looking outside the front door through the wreath that hangs there.  I love this picture.  And I loved this day. Yesterday, I felt like a superwoman.  I got so much done! No where to go and nothing to do made it possible to get a lot of laundry done and bathrooms cleaned and closets straightened out and it was a wonderful feeling.

Here is another picture from Thursday.  Rhett is about to go outside.  He stayed out there for about an hour and a half just playing.  Noah and I finished the driveway and hauled it back in the warm house.  Rhett seemed to know that snow days don't happen very often.   

This morning has been cold.  10 degrees cold.  Miss Boo doesn't like it much.  Here she is, begging to be let back in, while I'm waiting for her to do her business.  Don't you love the door?  It never stays clean and I guess I'm okay with that.  Except on the day I clean it.  :)

It's another snow day, so we are going to make Chocolate Crinkles.  We never made them for Christmas and better late than never, right? Plus, they sound so good right now. 

So yes, seeing how this took me about an hour to do, I think I am going to spread this out a little more next week.  At least it gives me something to say on the ole' blog!

Have a great weekend!!

5 colorful things for your Monday

There is hope for snow on Thursday.  I have always loved snow.  Maybe because where I live, it does not come around very often.  I am sure those living in the Northeastern part of the US are wishing the snow would stop already.  I also think it is so nice to be able to stay home and cuddle under a blanket with hot chocolate and a book.   Not that I think we will have that much snow but it is nice to think about.

Today the boys didn't have to go to school.  I had something I wanted them to do, needed them to do but silly me forgot to buy 'thank you cards' yesterday at the store.  Oops.  Writing thank you cards goes back on the list.

We made it to Noah's game on Saturday.  He scored two points! I told him he tied my total for points scored in a game.  Haha.  I crack myself up.  Watching 8 year olds play basketball is fairly funny itself.  If a kid happens to get the ball, their faces register panic and everything they think they know about basketball goes out of their brain.  Then they just throw it up in the air and hope it lands in the right basket.  But when Noah made his basket, we were so happy for him. 

Last night, Noah and I went to a movie.  Yogi Bear.  The whole time I was thinking that I wish I could see Justin Timberlake talking in his Boo-boo voice.  Is it really his voice? Or is it digitally altered? If he did do that to his voice, did his throat get sore? These questions raced through my mind.  You can tell the movie was riveting.  Noah enjoyed it though and that is all that matters.  Rhett went to a sleepover at a friends house and Seth stayed home to keep Boo company.  She doesn't sound like Justin Timberlake at all.  :)

I go to the dentist tomorrow.  I'm not looking forward to it but I do have a "At the dentist" playlist on my iphone.  That will help right?

Friday: Project 365 my own way

I don't know if you have ever heard of Project 365 but it is just what you might think.  Take a photo, every day for a  year.  It is like a visual diary.  I thought about doing it last year, then thought, "I know me.  I get all excited about a project, begin with a fervor and then a few days later, I kind of lose interest."  So I didn't even start it.

I realize now that this is not a healthy way of going about things.  Quit before I even begin?  So, one of my hopes (I use hope instead of resolution or goal because it is less pressure, haha) is that I stick with this project.

I am starting late but I guess that really doesn't matter.  I am going to do my best to post my pictures on Fridays here on the old blog.  Hopefully, I will have 7 pictures to post.  But if not, it will be okay. 

This week, I have three. 

 Project 365:  Week 1

On Monday, the promise of snow filled the air.  The boys were so excited about the prospect of having a snow day on Tuesday.  All day, snow flurries fell for a while, then stopped.  Finally, about the time when the boys got off the bus, big snowflakes were falling from the sky.  Noah was so excited that he promptly took Boo outside for some play time.  Of course, Boo was more interested in his shoes. 

The snow fell for a solid three hours at least, but the roads stayed nice and non-icy.  Sadly, the boys had to go to school the next day. 

The next few days, it was very cold.  Princess Boo didn't like it one bit.  Here she is saying to me, "You are taking a picture now? Instead of holding me in the nice warm house? Crazy lady."

Seth had a great idea for our family.  On Sunday, we talk about our week, our plans, and anything we are worried about or want to pray about.  We also pick a bible verse for the week.  This week, we had the homeless on our minds because Noah's class is collecting coats and sleeping bags for those in need.  I said "listening ears" because I was having a hellava time trying to get the boys to do this with me.  Bailey is our friends' dog who sprained his leg. 

I think this is a fabulous idea because last Saturday was supposed to be Noah's first basketball game and we totally missed it because I thought it was at 4 pm and it was really at 3 pm.  Noah was upset but I was the one crying.  No kidding.  I felt horrible.  All turned out okay and now I pretty much know the schedule by heart.  :)

Oh, and yes, I changed my blog again.  I wasn't loving the other one.  I decided to go back to a much simpler design.  Using my favorite colors. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

A liitle Noah on the side

The other day, we were watching something on tv while the boys were eating a snack. I don't remember exactly what it was that was on but at one point Rhett said, "Noah, you need to cover your eyes when you see something inappropriate."

Noah answered,

"Rhett, Don't tell me what to do I can make my own decisions, unless Mom and Dad make them for me."

this picture is worth many words

Here we are, in one of the only photos Seth or I took on Christmas break.   But this one is good, eh? It shows Rhett and Noah's gingerbread houses that they started (and I finished).  It shows the lovely Christmas pyramid that my mom brought back from Germany.  It shows the bountiful Chrismas dinner that I prepared (sweet potatoes, Salad, rolls...where's the beef? Not in this picture, but I did make a nice roast). It shows our new table that reminds me of a farmhouse and then that makes me happy.  And behind us, there is the formerly black cabinet that used to be in my red kitchen in Edmond.  I painted it brown, replaced the knobs and took away the doors.  Ta-da! It also shows the curtains that came with the house that do not exactly match the artwork that I bought half off at JCPenney Home Store.  But I guess that can be fixed later.  This photo also shows my glasses that I am realizing I need more and more, which makes Noah sad because now he is the only one without glasses!  More importantly, it shows my two guys, who had just celebrated birthdays and now just had Christmas and were a little worn out from waking at 6 in the morning to open presents.

When I look at this picture, I will think this is before my sister Krista called me and we wished each other a Merry Christmas and bemoaned the fact that we weren't celebrating with each other again.  I will think about how this Christmas was different from the others, a little more quiet and a little smaller as far as family is concerned, but it was lovely nonetheless.  I will think about how two days later, my mom and dad came with my nephew and we had a great 5 days with them. 

I will think that it went by too quickly like always.  Now the boys are back in school and a new year is upon us.  I have hopes for 2011 that I won't share now.  There are still whirling in my head, not ready to be put into words, you know what I mean? 

One hope that I can share is that I wish everyone here has a wonderful year.  May it be filled with happiness and good surprises.