Catching Up!

I know I haven't had much up over the last little while. We've had a lot go on that I haven't taken the chance to write about. My brother came up two weekends ago with his kids and girlfriend. The kids had a blast and everything went pretty great! I was actually a bit surprised. Mike made souvlakia for us all and in the process of making the tzatziki he started a bit of a cucumber fight---flinging shredded cucumber peel and juice at each other. Sky celebrated his birthday while he was here and all the kids had a great time playing on his skateboard and actually on his DS too. Mike also picked up the Jone's Soda Halloween flavored soda. Wow!! Some pretty interesting flavors. Candy corn was the worst for me. The sour lemon was definitely the most different for a soda, Sky puckered and had a body shudder when he tried it and the rest of the flavors were pretty good.

Oh, yeah, Bo-bo is pouting below, because he wasn't getting a turn on the skateboard.







This past weekend we had a trunk or treat at the church. I was pretty grouchy by the time we got there, but was doing great by the time we left. The kids had fun and of course that is why I do so many things. Superstar pushed Bo-bo around in the stroller from trunk to trunk, by the time they made it back to me, I realized Bo-bo had been digging into his candy without bothering to take of the wrapper. Just digging right in. Cracked me up. This picture he really looks like a chocoholic in training.





The kids had fun in their costumes. We went very economical this year. Superstar was a bride. Fashionista was a contestant from Dancing With the Stars (which she loves Sabrina and Mel--it's the only show I let them watch.) Bo-bo was a lion that a friend loaned me.

We have been having our fall break this week. We have been doing activities throughout the week. Monday we went on a great nature hike in Collierville. Today we went to a corn maze with our home schooling group. We picked a pumpkin from the patch next to it afterwards. That was the first time I actually went to a pumpkin patch to pick a pumpkin. It was a great time. Oh, yeah, I uploaded some new pictures too, if you want to check them out, hit the button on the bottom of the pictures.

Date Night!

Well, we made it out for a full "date night". No kids broke teeth or tried choking on anything, so our time away went well. We actually had someone e-mail us about our need for a front door this afternoon. (Our front door has some rot on the bottom, or I should say where the bottom used to be---very much in need of new door.) So we went door shopping and came home with a great door and a mattress. Then we ran to Circle K and Hubby had a coffee and I had a flavored hot chocolate (yumm!), that was followed by a trip to the library!

The lady that e-mailed me was one of the nicest ladies I have met and so resourceful. She helped us get a door from her large collection of stuff and mattresses for the girl's bedroom! (The kids are all 3 sleeping on the futon bed right now.) She helped us out very much on our extremely tight budget and I am so excited that we didn't have to charge anything (we might make it out of debt one day yet!!!). She has horses too and invited us out to come and see them---Superstar won' t know what to do with herself when I tell her this.

It's always great to meet great people! I have been very lucky moving here with the great people that I have met. Actually, I have been lucky to meet great people everywhere I have been able to live. Here we seem to be meeting them a bit faster.

Date Ideas

We have actually had a great chances to swap for kid watching so we can go out on dates since we moved here. Just looking for some great ideas for very cheap dates---for those of you who have been dating more recently.

Looking forward to some great ideas!

Scroll on down---I have added some new pictures to blog on side and bottom. Still trying to tweaking it all. Also added a link for some picture slide show. Hope this all works.

Competition

Soon after I put up the video for Superstar, Fashionista asked me to do a video of her. After I got the video together, I heard them in their room and I could hear Fashionista telling Superstar---- "My video is better than your video.!"

Can you say competition?

I have tried many days to get this video up. It stinks that I have been stuck on getting this video up, that I haven't blogged anything else. Maybe I will figure it out soon.

Superstar was playing at a friend's house this past weekend (yes, hubby and I were off to have a date). Superstar, with all her grace, fell face first on some metal rungs of a ladder on a swing set and broke her tooth soon after we dropped her off. At first we thought we might have to go to the ER to fix it, but she did okay and was able to wait until Monday to get it fixed. She had broke off at least a 1/4, but not quite 1/2 of the front permanent tooth. The dentist did a great job fixing it. I forgot to take a picture of the broken tooth---now you couldn't guess which tooth had been broken.

She has a great heart---she felt bad, because of her Mommy and Daddy didn't get to go on their date. That made my heart melt.

Bo-Bo has been trying to make us remember what tantrums are all about. I'm not sure if hasn't felt well, or if he is just trying to let the reputation of the Terrible Twos live on.

Fashionista just having fun overall.

My brother and his kids are coming over for the weekend. I'm sure there will be more stories to tell about this!

Families

I am a wimp to the cold. The high today is supposed to be 69. It's 63 right now outside, more like 72 in the house and the girls and I are freezing. I think I might have to drag out the winter clothes early! Thank goodness we didn't move any further north than we did, or we would be in trouble.

The girls had an assignment today to finish this thought:

Families are important because...

Families are important because...
They help you when your sad,
Then help you when your mad.
They help you share,
They help you care.
They help you when you don't feel good.
They help you do your homework.
They sometimes bring you somewhere new
For you to have some fun things to do.
They help you learn.
Then help you feel better,
They'll make you a big sweater.
This is why families are important!
by Superstar

Families are important because...
We play the Wii.
They help me with my homework.
They help me when I am sad.
They help me when I am mad.
Because we have fun.
I am thankful for my family
by Fashionista

Love Yourself!

I was getting ready to wind down my day today and I first started thinking of all the things I didn't get to do. All the things that I probably should have done. Telling myself that I will get better, that I will do better tomorrow, in a way kind of beating myself up for everything I didn't do. Then at the same time I kind of realized how much that negative attitude hurts my productivity and kind of snowballs into a bigger mess of feeling sorry and actually doing less, instead of doing more.

I know as a woman it's pretty easy to guilt trip oneself and also not feel good enough. I also think that we don't really love ourselves enough.

Then it hit me again (this is not the first time I have realized this, but this time was even stronger than times before) I am loved just the way I am. I need to love myself for who I am and who I am right now. I should focus more on all I do. This positive outlook is one that many more things can be accomplished.

I know that God loves each of us. I know he looks on us and sees good in everyone. He knows us better than we know ourselves and loves us. He also wants joy in our lives.

My goal is to try and remember this==love and feel the joy in all I do. Even something as doing the dishes blesses lives around my home and if I remember this, I can find joy in doing the dishes and every other thing in my life.

As I said I know God loves us. He wants us to be who we are and be great as who we are. Not saying that I don't need to continue in improving my life and take a step at a time as I try and live my life more like Christ. (Obviously I am pretty good at wallowing in how far off I am.)

Love yourself. Love yourself right now. Love what makes you you. Love your strengths and weaknesses.

You are wonderful and you are loved!

We should each say to ourselves----I am wonderful and I am loved.

Paint Colors

I am having the hardest time coming up with the colors I want to paint with. We have the trim to paint inside and one room downstairs and the kitchen and bathroom downstairs. (Well, that's for starters.) I have picked and picked and picked color samples and nothing is jumping out at me. So I guess I am open to how others have come up with good ideas, or of any good decorating websites or another place to get good ideas.

I am really getting excited to paint. I was hoping to tape off the trim this week and start next weekend, but I really need to make a decision in the next week.

Thanks for your opinions and help.

Who Are You Voting For?

Well, I haven't thought too much about this question. I know I need to go learn a little more about candidates soon before primaries---oh yeah, and register, seeing I haven't done that after the move. I used to love being up on politics, but life has kept me a little busy lately and politicians---what a nasty subject. I have become extremely pessimistic about our system and mostly our politicians lately.

I came across this wonder. If you don't know who you want to vote for, you just put in how you feel about the issues and they have a calculator and it will tell you who to vote for. (Man, they need these in the booths.) It will align your answers to the candidates "beliefs".

http://www.vajoe.com/candidate_calculator.html

My hubby will be very pleased, I came out with about a 91% in agreement with Fred Thompson.

Song #1

About two weeks ago the kids had some friends over for the evening. Superstar walks downstairs and tells me she just wrote a song while all the other kids wasted their time playing. At first I just thought it was funny that a kid thought playing was wasting time. Then I was very surprised when she sang the song.

When I Dream a Melody

Hope you enjoy!

Gotta say, after hearing her, I was a beaming, proud Mom.


Update on Dad---his epidural block actually seems to have helped so far. His back where they put the block in hurts just a little bit, but the pain he had before is definitely a ton less.

Blessings and Gratitude

While I was off not blogging for the week(and some), there was a moment that things seemed to get quite bleak for me. It was right after I realized I was further behind in my training for the 1/2 marathon and just other things with the move and all. I got kind of down and then of course things became more overwhelming. Well, I have been trying to take hints from www.flylady.net to help get and keep my house in shape too. Well, some of the people there keep a Gratitude or Blessing Journal. The first few times I had heard of this, my first thought was, well I give thanks in prayer, so I was already doing that in a way. Well, while I was feeling blah, I decided I would give this written journal a try.

It has seemed to make a ton of difference in my days and outlook. I write at least 10 things from the day that I was thankful for and blessed with. Having it in written form has helped a ton.


Thessalonians 5:18

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Have a great day!

WOW! Time Flies

It's amazing how quickly time flies while you are trying to get everything done. I didn't realize it had been that long since I had written last. For those that don't want to check back everyday wondering whether we have had an update or not, you can sign up on the side for automatic e-mail that will tell you that there is a new post.


Well, the other day I was vacuuming and Bo-Bo noticed that he actually had some time to get into something---so here is the evidence. (I don't know how much he learned what he did was wrong as I ran to get the camera and then took pictures.) Doesn't take but a second to find something to get into.

I am definitely going to be doing the 5K in December and then working towards the half marathon in March. I'll go back to GA for that one. My hip is doing much better, but it set me back so much. That was hard for me to swallow, I was really looking forward to doing the half marathon this December.

"Dad" had an MRI last week and found out his hip pain he has had for months on end was being caused by his L-5 disc--something wrong with it. He went in today to have an epidural block and he has been doing okay since. We hope this is what helps, because his other options are to have surgery on his spine, where they fuse stuff together and possibility of being paralyzed or living with the pain--which can stop him for days.