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.