Birthday-Palooza 2009

On Friday Caitlin turned 9. Her party wasn't until the next day due to a scheduling conflict with a softball tournament that was later cancelled anyway. Grrr!

So we decided to celebrate by taking Caitlin and her friend Emma to Hot Springs to dinner and a movie.

Of all the dining choices available in the metropolitan oasis that is Hot Springs, Caitlin chose this:



where she ordered her favorite staple of haute cuisine, a spud...with lots of butter. She decided to mix it up a little by adding cheese. She lives life on the edge.



The adventure continued with a stop at Caitlin's favorite store:



where she found an adorable baby guinea pig that we promptly named Penelope. Caitlin's mean daddy says "NO MORE GUINEA PIGS!" so she and I were very disappointed. We consoled ourselves by purchasing a stuffed crab for Tess the Sheltie.



Mama had to take a detour to Old Navy to purchase some dirt cheap flip flops and Daddy had to detour by Lowe's to purchase some post endcaps for the new deck. (That's a story for another day.)

We also stopped by the party supply store to buy treats for the birthday party but were quickly distracted by all manner of goofy glasses:




(Perhaps this is a good time to interject that Caitlin does not always wear her name on her forehead. Friday was Field Day at school, hence the facepainting.)

We finally ended up at the movie theatre where Caitlin chose to see:



We had promised the girls some candy for the movie and of all the sugar-licious choices, Caitlin picked:



I'm pretty sure we're not related.

Regarding "Up" I really just have three words:

Doug. the. Dog.

I laughed 'til I cried. You see, we have a goofy Golden Retriever and if she could talk, she would BE Doug the Dog.

"Up" turned out to be a really good family flick. I had my doubts, especially since it was 3-d AND nearly two hours long but I was pleasantly surprised. It starts kinda slow and a little depressing but winds up with a pretty good plot line. It also contains some good themes like keeping promises and making people a priority over possessions.

And so the first day of Birthday-palooza 2009 draws to a close.

It's My Party...I'll Blog If I Want To

Obviously, Freedom Friday didn't happen yesterday but I was otherwise engaged.

Caitlin turned NINE yesterday!

*sniff, sniff*

I am so. old.

We took Caitlin and a friend to Hot Springs for dinner and a movie. More on that later.

Today we had her birthday party. More on that later too.

Right now I need a nap.

05.28.09

Sorry, I'm too frazzled to think of a clever title for this post.


Swimsuit to replace the one outgrown: $26.99

Goggles to replace the ones that have gone MIA: $10.00

Admission: $5.00

Snacks: $5.00

Having your daughter be old enough to drop off at the water park: Priceless!


Busy day. Wes decided to make plans last night for Caitlin and a friend to go to the waterpark after school. Of course, I have to actually follow through with the plans. So, I left work at 3:00pm to pick them up from school. Of course Caitlin did not have her swim stuff with her so I had to take them all the way to our house in Timbuktu to change. Naturally, no one had bothered to look for anything ahead of time so I had to manage the search for the missing goggles and swimsuit and had to deal with the drama when we realized said swimsuit and goggles are in Ruston at Anna Kate's house. So, I scrounged up last year's suit and managed to squeeze Caitlin in to it. Then I had to swing by Hibbett's and invest in new goggles. THEN I dropped them off at the water park. Whew! Thanks, Wes.

Back to the water park at 5:30pm with Caitlin's softball stuff so she could change there for her 6:00pm game. Dropped friend off at her house and trudged on over to the softball field. Realized that there were TWO games instead of the ONE that was mentioned in the coach's email, Grrrr!, so I really regretted not eating dinner before we left. Also, realized that Wes has two games starting at 8:00 pm and we only have one car. At 7:00 pm, between games, rushed home to get second vehicle. Choked down dinner and rushed back to see the end of Caitlin's game. Second game didn't end until 8:30 pm. Grumbled. Remembered Caitlin has Field Day tomorrow and needs various and sundried items for that. Too tired to think about it.

Also remembered that I should have ordered Caitlin's birthday cake today. Decided to just get cupcakes. Remembered that we never tracked down the two birthday-party-invitees that we didn't have addresses and/or phone numbers for. Decided not to worry about them. We'll try again next year.

Must. go. to. bed. now.

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together!

It looks like my clever plan to make you all feel sorry for me paid off!

MUWAHAHAHAHAH!

I got several comments from people I don't hear from often and even finagled an invitation to go eat ice cream. YES! Thanks, Amb.

One of you even appreciated my skunk joke enough to share a cheese joke. Classic! Thanks, Mer!


Did y'all watch The Goode Family on ABC tonight? L. O. L.!!! It makes fun of being green and politically correct. Well, it made fun of religion and abstinence too but I say it's healthy to be able to laugh at yourself. Pretty funny stuff, but it won't last. I think they managed to offend every special interest group out there.

I need to upload my pics from this weekend, don't I? Still too lazy. Maybe tomorrow. Is the suspense killing you?

I Got Nothing

I had a really busy but fun weekend and took lots of pics which I am entirely to lazy to upload from my camera tonight. So I don't really have much to say. I guess I'm just feeling a little blue tonight since all the friends have gone back home and Wes is out of town so I'm hoping to hear from my peeps.

Yeah, that means you. Leave me a comment, please!

But just so you don't feel like visiting ye olde blogge was a complete waste of time I'll leave you with this:

"Hey, did you hear the story about the skunk?"

"Yeah, it stinks!"

That one was courtesy of my almost 9-year old via her newest monthly Ranger Rick magazine.

Please feel free to share it around the water cooler at the office tomorrow.

Your welcome.

Memorial Day 05.25.09

Give me exhaustless--make me a fountain,
That I exhale love from me wherever I go, like a moist perennial dew,
For the ashes of all dead soldiers.
- Walt Whitman

Thank you for your sacrifice.

Kiss Mole Thru The Phone

The following episode took place yesterday.

Hayley comes home from school and Tess (pictured above) is overjoyed to see her and greets her with much wagging, bouncing and puppy kisses.

Me: I wouldn't kiss Tess if I were you.

Hayley: Why?

Me: She's been outside playing with a dead mole.

Hayley: (Turns several shades of green): Ewwww! I kissed a mole!

Cue the Katy Perry music: "You kissed a mole, and you liked it!"

It had to be said.

Which of course instantly morphed into our favorite game of making parodies of songs to suit our situations. We like to channel our inner Weird Al Yankovich.

Wes came up with "Kiss mole thru the phone." (Souja Boy)

Or how about Keith Urban's "Kiss a mole"?

Speaking of moles, I wish you would look at this mess my nemesis, the mole, has made in my flower bed. Well, it's not so much a flower bed now as it is Caitlin's vegetable garden.




He tunneled under my herbs and pushed up my basil and popped it right out of the ground is what he did. Just like on the cartoons.



This is my mole catcher, Dazey. She has obviously not been doing her job.

Slacker.

Of course, her method involves digging millions of holes so it's either mole tunnels or dog potholes.

Pick your poison.

Interestingly, did you know there is such a thing as Mole Day? Sadly, it does not celebrate my favorite rodent which would be amusing. It commemorates Avrogadro's Number which is a basic measuring unit in chemistry. Which, now that I think about it, is probably funnier. Chemists all over the world partying hearty in white lab coats with test tubes and beakers on October 23rd each year.

"Party Like a Chemist" (Shop Boyz) anyone?!

Freedom Friday 05.22.09

Welcome to Freedom Friday! If you're new here, please check out the Freedom Friday collection over there on the sidebar to find out what it's all about.

Today I was planning to begin discussion of the 12 Values of Freedom but I've been noodling something for a few days that I think we should talk about.

I'm sure most of you are aware of the young boy with Hodgkin's Lymphoma who is refusing chemo treatment. If you haven't heard about it here it is in a nutshell:

Daniel Hauser is a 13-year old boy diagnosed with cancer. Doctors say that with chemo he has a 90% survival rate and without it his rate drops to about 5%. However, Daniel and his parents are refusing chemo treatment based on religious reasons. They are a part of the Nemenhah Band which is some kind of religious group that uses Native American healing. The courts have ordered the Hausers to accept the chemo treatment and so the mother and son have gone into hiding.

So here's the part I'm noodling:

My first response to this story was probably like many of you. I was thinking that those people are insane for not wanting chemo for their son! Having recently lost my niece to cancer, I can tell you that I would have given my right arm for Hannah to have had a 90% survival rate with chemo. And these people are throwing away the gift of modern medicine that could heal their child.

But this is the tricky part. Remember our Principle # 4: The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.

So if I believe that as a parent, I have the right to raise my kids as I see fit and make decisions on their behalf according to my belief system, do the Hausers not have the same right? Now obviously, in the case of physical or sexual abuse the government has the right to step in because rape and assault are illegal. But alternative medicine is not illegal.

And where do we draw the line? The government steps in and says "You must use traditional medicine rather than alternative medicine regardless of your religious beliefs because it's in the best interest of the child." Ok, we probably all agree that makes sense. But where does it lead? Let's says I have a young teenage daughter who gets pregnant. What's to stop the government from coming in and telling me, "We don't care that you think abortion is murder and it goes against your religious beliefs, we think it's in the best interest of your child to have an abortion." We would all think that was preposterous and a true violation of our rights. Is it such a leap in logic to think we're heading that way?

The progressive movement is based on the idea of the best interest of the collective rather than individual rights. Is it far-fetched to think that someday soon the government could make the argument that, in the infamous words of our illustrious leader Barak Obama, "We don't want [your] child punished with a baby." Besides, an unwed teen mother will probably be on welfare so it's in the best interest of the collective (society) that taxpayer dollars not be used to support them. And God help us if we go the route of socialized health care. Then it will be deemed more cost effective to eliminate an unwanted pregnancy.

And think about this: Let's say I'm a homeschool mom and I'm teaching my kids according to my religious beliefs. What's to stop the goverment from deciding that it's in the best interest of society that my child be taught only evolution rather than creationism? What's to stop them from ordering me to put my kids in the public school system so they can be properly indoctrinated?

It's a slippery slope we're on. Do I think it is reprehensible, appalling and foolish that the Hausers are refusing an almost certain cure for their son's cancer. You betcha. Do they have the right to be foolish? I'm afraid I have to say yes.

American Idol Finale

Hey, internets! I'm so giddy about tonight's finale that I'm going to blog in real-time. Of course, you won't be reading it in real-time because I won't have published this post yet.

Randy, for me, for you I'm liking your red glasses and matching bow tie.

I am NOT diggin' the all-white apparel. They look like orderlies in a mental ward.

David Cook rocks! I wish he had done "Light On."

Oh, nice tribute to his brother, who lost his battle with brain cancer a few weeks ago. Everyone, go buy the iTunes download since the proceeds go to cancer research. Very cool.

The Golden Idol Awards? Funny...very funny...but seems kinda mean. But still, these people put themselves out there. Dean is rockin' that plaid jacket. Ha! I had forgotten about Norman Gentle the sweatband-shiny-shirt- wearin' guy. Hey, where's his headband?!

Oh, there it is.

Lil Rounds looks great. I think she's totally holding her own with Queen Latifah. I am loving Queen's big earrings. Need me some of those. Is that a spandex unitard she's wearing? Oh, no, Queen, no, no!

Anoop! I've missed you so!

Someone please make Megan stop dancing.

What is up with the creepy zebra/mummy backup dancers? Freaky Edward-Scissorhands, Fergie. Very disturbing.

Ok, hit pause on the DVR. I have to go pick up Hayley from youth...be right back.

I'm back!

I hate Bikini Girl. I have no words for what Cara just did.

Cindy Lauper is still cool. Who knew? Is "Time After Time" the only song she ever made?

Alright, my man Danny Gokey. Oh, be still my heart..."Hello"!!!!!!! Wooty-woot for Lionel Richie! I didn't know he was still alive. The years have been kind to you, Mr. Richie. Oh, Danny, I am putty in your hands, I tell ya.

Oh, SWEET MERCY! Do my eyes deceive me?! Adam is wearing rhinestone-studded Gothic wings and has the feet of the Iron Giant.

Oh. KISS. It all makes sense now. They are still as bizarre as ever. Is it even still the same guys? Who could tell under all that make-up? I feel old. My daughter only knows them because this song is on Guitar Hero.

Hey, Matt G, my grandpa called and he wants his hat back.

Steve Martin. Really? He has an album?! I'm pretty sure this is an SNL skit. At least Megan is sitting down so she won't dance.

Please, please tell me Rod Stewart isn't going to show up. Drat! I think he's wearing Dean's plaid jacket. The years have not been kind to Rod. Thank goodness for fast-foward.

Ok, moving right along. Oh, Tatiana. You were just a painful, distant memory and here you are again.

Kris and Adam's duet version of "We Are the Champions"? Bliss. My soul is dancing. I don't even know what that means.

Quit talking and announce it already!

YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAA! I am so beside myself.

I declare Season 8 the Best American Idol Evah!

Arghhhh!

My psycho dog barked ALL. NIGHT.

She sees dead people.



And possibly ninjas.

Wal-Mart Greeter Rant, Part Deux

I can't believe that I almost forgot to tell you the funniest part about the Wal-Mart Bag Nazi!

(Oh, and yes, Alison, she's the short, gray-haired, frowny one.)

(And, Aaron, I too thought ignoring her would be an effective strategy but she chased me down and accosted me!)

Ok, so you know I had a garage sale a few weeks ago with Amber and Stephanie. So I'm sittin' there mindin' my own business when I notice this familiar-looking lady shopping our stuff. I'm trying to figure out where I know her from when I notice that she is leaving...without a bag, I might add! As she walks by me she says, "If you all shop at Wal-Mart be sure to put all your stuff in bags because they make us check 'em."

Are you kidding me?!

Lady, you need to chill.

I also forgot to show you my beautiful lilies:



They have nothing to do with Wal-Mart Bag Ladies whatsoever. I just like them. They make me happy.

And Wal-Mart Bag Ladies don't.

Dear Wal-Mart Employees

Dear Grumpy Wal-Mart Greeter/Bag Nazi:

Once again you stopped me as I was leaving the store, not because the alarm went off, but because I had ONE item that wasn't bagged. While it is refreshing to see some work ethic and I applaud the gusto with which you do your work, could we use a little common sense here?

A) I had a buggy full of items, all of which were bagged, except for the ginormous package of 12 double rolls of toilet paper (which obviously won't fit in a bag), B) said package was carefully perched on TOP of all my bags (so you must think I'm not terribly clever) and C) it. was. toilet paper! Seriously, is this a high-value shoplifting item? Do you have a lot of theft of the Charmin?

What is it about me that makes you suspicious? The t-shirt with the bible verse on it that I was wearing? Maybe it was the RECIEPT I was holding in my hand? The sneaky way I hid said item in plain sight? Maybe it was my beady, shifty eyes?! Maybe you just take yourself WAY to seriously.

While I understand your job requires you to check unbagged items as they leave the store, I would think that would mostly apply to, say, that big-screen TV over there or maybe the digital camera. You know, items with street value. Is there a black market for toilet paper I don't know about?

Our little encounters really annoy me. Let's try not to meet under these circumstances again. M'kay?

Oh, and would you tell your fellow co-worker in the toiletry item department that I am very sorry she is so bored with her job. However, it is very frustrating when she wanders aimlessly down the center of the aisle half-heartedly perusing the deodorant while I try in vain to maneuver my buggy around her. Perhaps she could entertain herself on a lower-traffic aisle?

Thank you and have a nice day.

Glatitude Monday 05.18.09

I'm jumping on Gretchen's gladacious bandwagon today.

10. I'm glad that the sun is finally shining after all the rain we've had. I was beginning to feel moldy.

9. I'm glad that Amber loves me enough that she is actually interested in my tweeting.

8. I'm glad that my church is on its summer schedule now. Very laidback and fellowship- and family-focused. Love having Sunday nights free again!

7. I'm glad school is almost over. I'm so giddy I can't contain myself.

6. I glad Caitlin's softball game is cancelled. A free evening!

5. I'm glad my neighbor moved the dead pig out of the middle of the road. Wha..huh?!

4. I'm glad Wes and I have lost a combined 31 pounds this month. Woo hoo!

3. I'm super duper glad that because of our new diet, my grocery shopping is greatly simplified.

2. I'm so glad I have Mondays off.

1. I'm so excited that Caitlin is going home from school with a friend today which means that I get to stay in my jammies until I pick up Hayley at 4:00 pm!

Just Call Me Martha

To end a perfectly beautiful Sunday, we rode the four-wheeler down the road a bit and picked a bowl full of dewberries.

What is a dewberry, you ask?

Well, according to Wikipedia, "The Dewberries (Rubus sect. Eubatus) are a group of species closely related to the blackberries. They are small brambles with berries reminiscent of the raspberry, but are usually purple to black instead of red. Dewberries are common throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere, sometimes thought of as a nuisance weed, but the leaves can be used for a tea, and the berries are sweet and edible. They can be eaten raw, or used to make cobbler or jam."

But if you grew up in the South like I did, you didn't really need to know that. You just know 'em when you see 'em.



Of course, we are on this ridiculous diet so that really put a crimp in my dewberry cobbler plans. But, where there's a will, there's a way.

I made that joker with Splenda and whole grain oat flour and it was ding-dang good!



Amber, does this make me your culinary friend?!

Sunday Sundries

After weeks of feeling like I live Forks, today is a beautiful day.

(Did you Twilight fanatics pick up on that subtle reference?)

I couldn't wait to get dirty.

(I also can't wait to see what kind of Google hits I get on that statement. )

I have these two urns that were full of potting soil and twigs from last fall's mums and some weird yellow mushrooms. Sorry, no before pictures. But here's what they look like now:





Those are Gerbera Daisies, Corkscrew Rush, Petunias and does anybody know what those fat asparagus fern-looking things are? They weren't labeled but they have cute little pink flowers on them.

I also planted a few of these:


I am a huge fan of the Fuschia.

I also planted a few or 18 of these little guys:



Does anyone know what these are? The leaves are reminiscent of Vinca but the flowers look like little purple puff balls.

Here's my assistant gardner planting squash, bell pepper, tomato and cucumber plants. Two of them are named Bob and Larry. Can you guess which ones?!

(That was a not-so-subtle Veggie Tales reference.)



While Caitlin and I were working hard beautifying the front of the house, Wes was busy building our new deck on the back:




While all this industriousness was going on Hayley was hard at work...



...on her tan.

Of course, I was accompanied by my new BFF, Daphne:



And the three amigos: Dazey, Tess and Maddie:


Wes' smart friend, Kirk, volunteered to come over and help with the deck. I think he was probably alarmed when Wes called him a while ago to ask how thick a 5/4 deck board is.

Works every time.

Freedom Friday 05.15.09 - The Saturday Edition

So obviously I missed Freedom Friday yesterday. I could tell you that I was busy battling Marxism but really it was just that real life got in the way.

So welcome to Freedom Friday - The Saturday Edition!

If you're new here, please check out the Freedom Friday collection over there on the right to find out what it's all about. Also, please go check out The 912 Project for some really great information.

We have finished our discussion of the Nine Principles of Freedom. (That would be the 9 in 912.) Next week we'll begin looking at the 12 Values of Freedom. Yep, you're quick! That's the 12 in 912. Good job!

For today, I just want to recap the 9 Principles to refresh our memories and catch everyone up if you missed a week.

Nine Principles of Freedom:

1. America is good.

2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.

“The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.” from George Washington’s first Inaugural address.

3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.

“I hope that I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider to be the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.” George Washington

4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.

“It is in the love of one’s family only that heartfelt happiness is known. By a law of our nature, we cannot be happy without the endearing connections of a family.” Thomas Jefferson

5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.

“I deem one of the essential principles of our government… equal and exact justice to all men of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political.” Thomas Jefferson

6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.

“Everyone has a natural right to choose that vocation in life which he thinks most likely to give him comfortable subsistence.” Thomas Jefferson

7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.

"It is not everyone who asketh that deserveth charity; all however, are worth of the inquiry or the deserving may suffer.” George Washington

8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.

“In a free and republican government, you cannot restrain the voice of the multitude; every man will speak as he thinks, or more properly without thinking.” George Washington

9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

“I consider the people who constitute a society or a nation as the source of all authority in that nation.” Thomas Jefferson

The 9 Principles of Freedom were compiled by Glenn Beck and were based on his reading of the Founding Fathers. You should watch his show on Fox News daily at 4 pm Central.

He's a hoot and you'll learn something too!

Higgledy-Piggledy Nonsense

So I have been at home this week with a sick 8-year old.

I have played lots of this


and this



and this



Thank you, Aunt Sarah.

I did manage to avoid a mind-numbing game of this



You just really have to set boundaries with kids, y'know?

I've watched this little guy

and his small, weird friends



I also ran up a big bill at the "Dog Spa" she started in our guest room.

It's been a long week.

I need ice cream.

My Future Timothy Geithner (Minus The Tax Evasion)

I heart this kid.

She's a bright, creative and witty 8-year old.

And completely Type A/Melancholy/Beaver/Anal-Retentive depending on which personality test you subscribe to.

She's my little entrepreneur. She is constantly opening a new "business" in which she scams me out of money. There was the "Spa" where she massaged my feet and then sent me a bill for $1.00. There is the "Pet Spa" where she brushes the dog and bills me $0.50. There was the "Museum" in which I had to pay admission to view her rock collection. She then took all the money she scammed out of me and went to Wal-Mart and bought candy which she marked up 150% and then sold to her older sister.

Now witness this:


That's right. Those are her American Idol voting statistics. You can see she's tabulated how many votes she cast, how many times she got a busy signal and she's even calculated the time wasted dialing and waiting to get through.

If you know me, then you are laughing right now because you know I love all things spreadsheet-related.

She is SO my child!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go settle my account before she turns me over to a collection agency.

Momma

I always smile when I read Proverbs 31 because I'm quite sure God must have had my Momma in mind when He inspired this passage of Scripture. The following verses are from The Message:


10 A good woman is hard to find,
and worth far more than diamonds.
11 Her husband trusts her without reserve,
and never has reason to regret it.
12 Never spiteful, she treats him generously
all her life long.

My Momma has always set the best example for me in how to treat my husband. I don't always live up to it but I'm paying attention!

13 She shops around for the best yarns and cottons,
and enjoys knitting and sewing.

I don't know about the knitting part but my Momma is the most frugal shopper I know and an excellent seamstress. I didn't fully appreciate how lucky I was as a kid that I had a mother that could sew. She spent countless hours on clothing and costumes when I was growing up and even made my wedding veil!

14 She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places
and brings back exotic surprises.

My Momma puts so much thought into gifts that she gives. She seems to delight in finding just the perfect thing that she knows I will love.

15 She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast
for her family and organizing her day.

As long as I can remember my mother has gotten up before anyone else in the family. When I was little, she got up and made sure my breakfast was ready before I got up. In the winter she would get up and turn up the heat so it would be warm when I got up. Even now, when my Mom and Dad are at my house for the holidays she volunteers to get up and put the turkey in the oven at dark o'thirty because she knows I'm not a morning person!

16 She looks over a field and buys it,
then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden.
17 First thing in the morning, she dresses for work,
rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.
18 She senses the worth of her work,
is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.
19 She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth,
diligent in homemaking.

I have never known anyone that worked harder than my Momma. Whether it was at home or at the workplace, she has always lived out Colossians 3:23 - "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men..." Momma truly has a servant's heart. She always selflessly puts other's needs ahead of her own without complaint.

20 She's quick to assist anyone in need,
reaches out to help the poor.
21 She doesn't worry about her family when it snows;
their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear.

Like a good Boy Scout, Momma is always prepared for any situation. I still find myself, when I'm with her, asking "Momma, do you have....?" And she always does.

22 She makes her own clothing,
and dresses in colorful linens and silks.
23 Her husband is greatly respected
when he deliberates with the city fathers.
24 She designs gowns and sells them,
brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops.
25 Her clothes are well-made and elegant,
and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.

While she doesn't make her own clothes anymore, she used to. Now my Dad keeps her in style and she always looks beautiful!

26 When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say,
and she always says it kindly.

Momma is full of wisdom and mercy. We nicknamed her "The Public Defender" because she can always find redeemable qualities in the most hopeless people. She has always been my greatest cheerleader and source of encouragement.

27 She keeps an eye on everyone in her household,
and keeps them all busy and productive.

I may not be in her household anymore and she certainly doesn't have to keep me busy since I now have children of my own, but Momma still keeps an eye on me!

28 Her children respect and bless her;
her husband joins in with words of praise:
29 "Many women have done wonderful things,
but you've outclassed them all!"
30 Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.
The woman to be admired and praised
is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.
31 Give her everything she deserves!
Festoon her life with praises!

The most important thing I can tell you about my Momma is that she loves the Lord with all her heart, mind, soul and strength.

Momma, this is me, rising up and calling you blessed!

Happy Mother's Day.

Groove Thang

I got a pink iPod Nano for Mother's Day!!!!!

And an iHome!!!!!!

Isn't she beautiful?!

I'm sorry the picture quality isn't better and yes, that is Flo Rida currently playing on the screen there. And yes, I know tomorrow is Mother's Day, not today. But my family couldn't wait. Oh, bless them.

I had mentioned to Wes that I would like to have a nano because I used Hayley's yesterday and it was sweet. But I told him not to get me one because I like surprises and I didn't want to know what they were getting me. So they handed me the gift bag and it was pretty heavy. Much heavier than a nano. To my delight, it was an iHome! I had also thought one of those would be fun but hadn't mentioned it. I have an old iPod Shuffle and though it wouldn't dock on the iHome it could be attached with a special cord...that we had to order online. I was slightly disappointed that I couldn't use my new toy immediately but it was ok. While I was scouring the directions to figure out exactly what I needed...Wes said, "Why don't you just use this instead?"...and tossed me the pink nano! It isn't often that they successfully pull one over on me so kudos to the fam!

Caitlin also made this cupcake for me in her Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker. Mighty tasty! Caitlin says this is the best Mother's Day ever...

because she just inherited my iPod Shuffle and my CD player/alarm clock.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to shake my groove thang.

Freedom Friday 05.08.09

Welcome to Freedom Friday! If you want to know more about the purpose of Freedom Friday and the source of the logo, check out my collection of Freedom Friday posts over there on the left.

Note: I have not been using labels so I had to go back and add them and re-publish each post so my apologies if your feed reader is full of posts that aren't really new. But really, you could look at it as a valuable opportunity to review everything we've discussed so far.

Today's principal is: The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

"I consider the people who constitute a society or a nation as the source of all authority in that nation.” Thomas Jefferson

Somewhere along the way, our government and the politicians have gotten too big for their britches. They have forgotten that we pay their salaries and pay for their programs with our hard-earned tax dollars and that we hired them by electing them to office.

However, it is not entirely their fault. Somewhere along the way we got lazy. We unplugged and stopped participating in the process. It is futile to gripe and complain about the way things are in this country and not participate in the process of changing it for the better. As the Scriptures say, "...to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." James 4:17

When fighting for what's right, we must not stop until we prevail. When George Washington led his troops into battle during the Revolutionary War, he lost most of those battles, but through perseverance he eventually won the war. As a result, we won our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

There is something exciting beginning to happen around the country in states like Montana, Texas and Utah. Specifically, it involves states' rights and gun laws. Generally, it has the potential to reverse decades of progressive intrusion on our liberties and reset this country back to the way our founding fathers intended. You need to closely watch the Montana law that was signed by the Democratic governor on May 5, 2009 which states if guns and ammunition are manufactured inside the State of Montana for sale and use inside that state then the federal firearms laws have no applicability since the federal government only has the power to control commerce across state lines.

People, Montana has thrown down the gauntlet and challenged the federal government. I have goose bumps! We are living in historic times. Your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will study this in their history classes. Look for this to go all the way to the Supreme Court as more states look to assert their rights.

Kudos to Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer and the Montana legislature!

I am so giddy.

Things I've Learned This Week

1. A kicky new pair of shoes makes me feel almost as sassy as a pedicure.

2. When describing said kicky shoes, do not use the adjective "girl" with -y on the end. You get lots of creepy Google hits from foreign countries, as my friend Carpoolqueen found out.

3. I like sweet potatoes. If my Mom is reading this she is shocked. I have hated, HATED them since I can remember. However, being on a strict, low-cal, low-fat diet will make you glad to eat cardboard. I recommend about 3 packets of Splenda and 2 or 6 teaspoons of cinnamon. For the potato, not the cardboard. Although, that might work too.

4. I am sadly lacking in any kind of knowledge of the history of my hometown as evidenced by my being no help whatsoever with my daughter's history homework.

5. I am a mean mom because I won't go buy my daughter a new Nintendo DS tonight so she can take it to school tomorrow. (The teacher rewards the kids by letting them bring iPods, DSs and whatnot occasionally.) Nevermind that she already has a DS; she just can't find it. And it's sooooo hard to look for things. And I won't mention the Gameboy she lost on vacation.

Now, I have to go find some sassy shoes to help me get through tomorrow. Thank goodness it's Friday!

Monday Round-Up

Ok, my blog is completely out of control, much like my life. There is no rhyme or reason around here. Today I'm going to tie up some loose ends and try to regain some semblance of order. Deep breath....

My BFFs, Amber and Steph reminded me a while back that I left y'all hangin' with regards to my blogging from an undisclosed location. So in the interest of full disclosure...I was here:




in Branson, MO. It was lovely.

We visited the Butterly Palace and saw lots of these:



And all manner of fun was had by these two:



Ironically, while I tried not to advertise to the world wide web that our house would be empty for five days, dear hubby kept updating his facebook status with play-by-play action.

This weekend I had a garage sale with aforementioned BFFs and while monetarily speaking it was soooo not worth my effort, I DID get to spend 8 + hours with said BFFs which was totally worth it. Sorry, no pics.

Hubby and his friend E, who happens to be married to Steph , have hired a personal trainer who is a former Marine drill sergeant. And his wife is the food Nazi. Steph and I are participating in the diet part of this body bootcamp as a show of moral support, much to the dismay of our enabler-friend Amber. However, after one week, Hubby has lost 13+ lbs and I have lost 8.5 lbs.

Can I have a "Hallelujah?!"

Amen.

The Noticer by Andy Andrews

The Noticer by Andy Andrews is a simple, heart-warming story about a mysterious man named Jones who uses his ability to put things into perspective to change the lives of strangers he meets. Jones is a fatherly figure who seeks out troubled individuals and uses his wit and wisdom to encourage them to make dramatic changes in their lives. No one knows where Jones came from or where he goes or even how old he is but he always seems to show up when he is needed most and seems to have been there all along. Everyone who meets Jones is changed for the better.

Throughout this touching story, Andrews addresses some of life’s biggest questions and tries to answer them through the sage-like character of Jones. This book also includes a reader’s guide with thought-provoking questions related to each chapter. This narrative lends itself to group discussion quite well.

Slightly reminiscent of the The Shack by William P. Young although much less intense , Jones often takes on different appearances and even names in order to connect with the people he meets. Based on a remarkable true story, The Noticer is a beautiful picture of the unique relationship we have with our Heavenly Father and how He watches over us and is always there when we need Him.

If you're interested you can go here to purchase the book and here to learn more about the Noticer Project.

Freedom Friday 5.01.09

Freedom Friday will return next Friday.

I have to take a nap to prepare for my garage sale which starts at 4:00 pm where I will exercise my love of all things capitalist.

Hope we don't get rained out. It's very cloudy and dark right now...hence the nap.