Catching up Through Pictures

Here are a couple that I was unable to post while they were new. Enjoy.

Daddy and Curious Sam at Halloween






Isabelle's artwork

A Boo Hoo Hoo

Why does getting an iPod have to be difficult? Sigh. My dad gave me his first generation iPod Nano, sweet! Only he lost the charger chord. Only, they don't sell them anymore as they are obsolete and before you mention eBay, I tried it all. We all did. I can't find a charger for that guy anywhere. SOO feeling badly, my dad took me to Circuit City to suprise me in buying me another, working iPod. They were out, but the man assured us the Sony MP3 player would be simple to use and compatible with the bazillion hours of iTunes music I have stored on my computer. Yah, well, he is a liar and if I were still in Las Vegas, I would tell him so. That big haired fruit cake. He just made stuff up to make the sale. BUT remember when he doesn't actually work on commission? Why does he care enough to make a sale to lie about the performance of a product? Stupid. SO, now I am waiting for George Dahir to find the receipt, so I can AGAIN purchase an iPod. For now, I must making Sam go to bed. I can tell he is tired as he will not stop making the yummy sound from Young Frankenstein.

Feeling Great in 2008

Baby steps and grace- I have had a lot of these lately. This week my goal seems simple enough, but I feel it will make a huge difference in my husband's disposition. Because he has "acts of service" as his love language, he likes me to clean. Because I think cleaning is overly tiresome, I struggle with fulfilling him in this way. So, I thought soley of him when I made this next resolution.

Make bed each morning, clean room for five minutes before heading downstairs to start my day.

See, I am a giver.

I Rule, You Drool!

http://www.virtualapple.org/oregontraildisk.html
Remember the game Oregon Trail? Yah, well, tonight I was online trying to find my kids some new computer games (one my genius son hasn't completely finished) and i came across this website that actually lets you play the old school Oregon Trail free online!! What!!?? I KNOW. I think you should all try it. The first round (yes, I played twice) I died from cholera, Auntie Mel died from the measels after getting lost and causing our trip to be delayed, Sam and Isabelle were poisoned by wild fruit, and Mike made it almost 1/4 of the way on the trail before being taken by the dysentery. shudder. I was able to etch something on his tombstone. I chose Mike, loved to fish. The SECOND time, i got to put my name in the hall of winners as contestent number four. OH YAH!! How do you like me now! This find almost makes me want to put a bunch of early 90s music on my selection over there. almost.

The Wise Words of Sam I Am

Dr. Seuss' bday is coming up. I believe he would have been about 104. Somewhere close to there anyway. Target is doing a reading of Horton Hears a Who and the bookstores always have greatness happening. The movie, of course, is due out soon as well. Because I love Steve Carrell and also enjoy Jim Carrey, we will be seeing that one. Here is our tribute to Dr. Seuss; this is our list of words Samuel Fisher can now say:

Mommy
Daddy
Layla
Bubba
Elijah
Isabelle
Doggy
Whoa
no no
and pretty, which actually comes out as titty, so we are discouraging that one until a little later.

GRRRR

I have to stop yelling so much. I yell when I am angry. Then, yelling makes me angry. Do you feel my vicious cycle? sigh

Feeling Great in 2008

I know I am a little tardy on getting this week's goal out there, but throw me a bone. My week seems to be getting more painful as the minutes tick by. I feel the prayers though; I haven't totally lost it. I am seriously looking forward to my friend, Erin, massaging me this weekend. I hope that still works out.

Here is the latest installment of Feeling Great in 2008:

Scrapbook once/week

You don't actually have to copy my hobby (although, why wouldn't you?). Fill in your favorite pass time and run with it. I love scrapping oh so much. Even if I only get one page done, I feel like I have accomplished something. I love the therapy scrapbooking provides for me. Nothing is better than displaying favorite or meaningful memories. I especially love when my pages make my husband cry. Good times.

Gotta Love it!

I am using this poster as a prop for my speech tonight. I thought it was awesome. My talk is about anti- antibiotics. The poster depicts the need for the drugs during World War II. I am just saying, you can never be too careful.

Dazed and Confused

melancholy

adjective
1. characterized by or causing or expressing sadness; "growing more melancholy every hour"; "her melancholic smile"; "we acquainted him with the melancholy truth"
2. grave or even gloomy in character; "solemn and mournful music"; "a suit of somber black"; "a somber mood" [syn: somber]

noun
1. a feeling of thoughtful sadness
2. a constitutional tendency to be gloomy and depressed



Do you ever have those times when things seem to keep going wrong and you don't know which emotion to act upon so you just sit in a dazed and confused state? That is me today and most of the week. I have been dealt layers of heavy news in the past couple of weeks, and I think my mind is rejecting the next stage of processesing. I keep sitting down to deal with it all, but that doesn't seem to work. I am in limbo; I am not really wanting to deal with any of it, yet I can't seem to concentrate on anything else. Then, I keep feeling like I want to talk to someone, but I don't really have anything to say. I am ready to move on from this season.

Feeling Great in 2008

Okay, we are starting a new week. I think I can, I think I can! Last week's goal proved a little challenging. I started off really well with going to bed at 10. I even got in a little light reading. Any of you in college know that almost never happens as there is far too much required reading to turn to fluff when we get a free minute. ( Free minute? What's that?) Getting up in the morning has been ridiculous only because I wake up an hour or so before my alarm. Don't be confused. I am not waking so early because of all the sleep. My body seems to be rebelling and waking three or four times each night. No reason, just to look at the dark room. Sigh.
This week, with my cold on the down slope, I am hoping getting back to exercising will give me the stress release and the exhaustion to keep me asleep. I don't feel these are large requests.
Anyhoo, this week's goal: dishes before bed, read Love Languages of Children and work on responding this way to my kids.
You may have some other chore you procrastinate at such as laying out your clothes, making lunches, or straightening the living room before bed. Just fill in your own slacker chore. Also, any book that will make you a new, better, and stronger you as long as it is not a diet book. I do not condone them. Just eat balanced, REAL food, drink your water, and move. Just give it a try.
Anyway, anyone have an update?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOOOOU!

Happy Birthday Melaroo!
For those of you who don't know Melissa, she is my sister. Because you don't know her, you won't be able to pick her out of this picture anyway. Those of you who do know her- I didn't actually have a picture of her and I didn't want to steal Jessie's from her blog. Plus, a lot of people think all black people look alike anyway so I just found a fake Melissa. In fact, I titled the picture "The Fake Melissa" when I saved the image to my computer. Anyway, I thought if I was using a fake Melissa, I would give her some fake accomplishments as well. Congratulataion on your graduation!! You look real smart!

*I totally stole this post from a speckley bird.
**The first time I posted this, I accidentally did so on David's blog. Sorry about that. It was even weirder to see that ethnic family on your blog, David. I was cracking myself right up!

I am Ready for Summer

Miss Layla- a beauty even when she is ruffin it

Mike getting in on some nice hot schmoes!


Eli- he is just too big. He was totally in his element!


These pictures are just a glimpse into the goodtimes!


Normally, I try to just enjoy the seasons as they take place. This year, while the snow hasn't been too deep, it is coming too frequently. For about ten days or so the snowshowers have just been on and off, continuously. While I love all the white, as much as I love waking up every morning and snuggling in front of my new fire place, and as much as I love watching my dog go crazy with love in our snow filled backyard, I am tired of being cold. I feel frumpy in my seven layers, and I think I would look slimmer if I could just go out in one shirt at a time. Here are some pictures from last summer's camping trip with our great friends, the Ridges, and our new friends Patrick (or Patlick as Addison called him) and LeAnn. We already have plans to repeat the trip this summer. The best part of it all is this lake is 20 minutes from our house! We can see the mountain every morning when we wake up in our new house. Mo and Jo...get your butts up here! Reno needs you.

Feeling Great in 2008

Week 5- in bed by ten; read book or magazine NOT school related, up by 6:30. I would love to see you how you are keeping up if you are joining me.

Can You See Me Now?

So, I went to the Eye Guy on Friday. It went well: the lady made me look at weird pictures and fuzzy lines, the lady blew air in my eye (could have done without that), the guy made me answer lots of questions. I guess the usual check up sort of stuff. Then the amusing part came when my doctor gave me my diagnosis. Apparently, my eyes are tired. ::scoff:: What was that? You made me pay you how much money to tell me that? Next time, how about we make it a phone visit to cover all the obvious information. Then, maybe it won't cost me so much. I have eyeball fatigue, which is causing my eyes to wear out before my day is through. I am good in the morning, but as the day progresses, my eyes begin to shut down making it difficult for me to see clearly. The bad news is I had to pay a lot of money I didn't feel like paying. The good news is I got the greatest pair of glasses: red and blue with flowers on the sides. They are the greatest throw back to the 60s. I will just like my mother, which is a compliment.

So sad

I can't even say how sad I was this morning when my alarm clock radio told me one of the yummies has died. Heath Ledger, on my top ten list of yummies died. Sigh. He was 28.

Feeling Great in 2008

So this is my own cheesy slogan for the list of things I have planned for this new year. My resolutions this year will be stretched out over a the 52 weeks of 2008. Each is a baby step, but I am hoping (and praying) by the end of the year at least a few will have stuck, and I will have developed some knew good habits. I will try to post each new one as I start it each week. I don't think any of them are too scary to share, but i can't say for certain. Some are physical, some spiritual, emotional, and others are just good habits to have. Feel free to ask me how I am doing with them; I welcome the encouragement. Stay at home moms don't get a lot of that. I will list my first few for January. I have already started them, and so far, I am doing pretty well.

January
Week 1- Night Routine and in bed by 10:30
wash face & FLOSS
Week 2- Bible and Prayer each morning, clean up bathroom before leaving it
Week 3- Morning routine & up by 7am
wash face & get dressed to my shoes and makeup
Week 4- Exercise 20 mins on treadmill 3x/wk. & drink at least 1 cup of water each day.

I know these all seem easy, but so far I have been challenged. I am working on not being so rebellious against doing what I know I should be doing. So each of these steps, while simple, have caused me to remember I am not invincible and I need to take care of ME. I do a lot of caring for others- mostly short people. This year is all about me.

What I wouldn't give

What I wouldn't give for a neighborhood elementary school that didn't suck. This morning I awoke at 6:45 to snow covering our streets. So much so, I can't tell where the side walk ends and the street begins. These are not good driving conditions, clearly. Because there is still a feud over who we belong to (Cold Springs apparently tried to become its own town because apparently we have our own ideas @@. whatever.) we are the forgotten streets when it comes to snow plowing, even though we usually get the most snow. With my daughter's school being near the church, they see no need to have a delayed start. Why would they? So I am here now, needing to have left 25 minutes ago to get Isabelle to school on time. I tried checking to see if we were on a delayed start, but there was no news anywhere: not on the radio, not on the school or district website, and not at the school as we have to leave 15 minutes before they open to get there on time. All of this information makes me sigh repeatedly throughout my day. By the time I got in touch with anyone, we were too late to leave to be on time anyway, so I now have to wait until The Man comes home with his giant snow tires and five feet of clearance before I can leave to take her. Who am I kidding? I am totally going to offer him favors in hopes that he will take her.
My point really, is I hate that we have to be zoned for possibly the worst school in our school district. One of the only over crowded elementary schools, one of the only elementary schools to have reported confiscated weapons, and one of the only schools in the district that has less than 1% black students. Call me crazy, but I am not interested in my children attending an all white school. And before you remind me of the Hispanic and Latino population, they don't really exist up here either. If I were a stranger looking in, I would guess Cold Springs is code for "Mormon Commune." The only people I know that have two or less kids, have just started and have plans for more! We are the norm up here. Plus, we never get those missionaries at our door. They must think we are already converted. Or they still have my name in their black book of homeowners that made a missionary cry. Seriously, one guy was so exasperated with me he put his head in his hands and leaned heavily against my house. I asked if I could pray for him and he threw his hands up and said sure. Apparently I was not getting his purpose. Good times.

Funnies from the Archives

I love finding lost funniness. While unpacking the past few weeks, I have come across a lot of memories. The following is a journal entry from sometime around 2004.

"Mommy! I have to go potty!" Eli said, holding out the "o" in potty. I jump to my feet to reassure my two year old that I think potty training this instant is as important as he does. Even though in my mind my eyes are rolling, my arms and legs are suddenly 40lbs. each, and I just know this is going to be another false alarm. Sigh "RUN! RUN! RUN!"
I swoop him into my arms and onto the potty. My bathroom is the closest so that is where he lands. This means I have to use his bathroom because of course the second he sits down, the dam on my bladder releases so that my Dr. Pepper is knocking at my downstairs door.

"I have to go potty, too. DON'T get up." I try to say this last part slowly so he recognizes I think this part is important, but watching his reaction, I don't think he has heard me at all.

I run to the kids' bathroom. The whole time I am gone, scenarios of what I may meet when I return stream through my mind: a puddle of pee, little brown streaks smeared across the toilet seats, or a mound of toilet paper quickly turning to cement at the bottom of the toilet.

I return to Eli standing in front of my toilet in his oversized jammy tee shirt. He is using one hand to grab at the side of his shirt; the other hand is reaching under his shirt in desparation. Eli furrows his brow, really grimacing.

"OUCH Mommy! Take it off. I can't get it off."

"Son, what are you doing? Did you go potty?"

"OW!! GET IT OFF! I DON'T LIKE IT!"

Once I get a little closer, I realize Eli has adhered one of my pantyliners to his entire naked nether region, front to back. After a very brave minute and a whimper and a tear from him, i am able to peeeeel it off.

"Son, don't touch mommy's things."

"oh" he says in true suprise, "these are your things?"

As I lean in to hug him, he reveals his other arm is nicely lined with a super absorbant, extra strength, maxi pad with wings.

Awesome.

Quick Funnies from Pearl the Squirrel (aka Addison)

First, this picture is of me wiping her nose with the inside of her shirt. She is three; this works for now lol. Again, I love that my photographer Jessica the Speckled Bird included this in my photo shoot proofs. Crack me up.
Funny #1
me: whoa! What was that noise?
Addie: my butt.
me: ew! What is going on over there?
Addie: it was my butt freak show. (Please know she was not calling me a name but naming her experience.)

Funny #2
ring ring- my cell phone rings to the sound of Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer when The Man calls me.
Addison: MYYYY HOTLIPS!!!!! (at the top of her lungs as she dives for the phone)

Funny #3
Addie: EW! UGH!! ARGH!! GROSS!!! MOOOOMMMYY!!!
me: what.
Addie: I went PUKE in the toilet. Come wipe my butt!! Don't smell in here; it is a-sgusting.

Ah the joys of mothering.

Pennies in my Pocket

This is more for the ladies than the mens, but I just love this website. Okay, she is my friend, but she just seems to have a nose for great deals. She is running a blog series of "Redecorate in 2008" that showcases super great decorating deals and ideas. Plus, she does weekly giveaways. These freebies are nothing to snerk at. My favorite was the free National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation on dvd. I have completely worn out my copy on VHS (VHS what the heck is that?) No fear; my new BFF sent it to me just before Christmas. I love her.
Anyway, today's giveaway is a set of ten really great gift bags from PennyLane Papers. Don't worry if you don't win the giveaway though! They are normally priced at only a buck a piece! WHAT!?? That is unheard of. Seriously they are great. Check out the Pennies in my Pocket website by clicking on the link over there>. Look for the pennies.

AND ACTION!

Yesterday was a hit. I was a little anxious about living life's new schedule with so many new factors. I enjoy change, but mostly when it is my idea and because I say so. This past year was one of those "totally out of my hands" years. I am happy to report that having babies wasn't one of the big events for last year, but we now have a preschool aged squirrel and a fish-faced toddler running rampant while we attempt to homeschool (with Isabelle in public school) and The Man finding his place amid the chaos of our daytime home. He really hasn't ever had a good glimpse of what we do here. He peeked in periodically yesterday but mostly kept his distance. He has to feel a little on the outside. We have had this giant rolling ball of homeschooling in progress for four years without his involvement. Any time he was off work, there was a holiday to celebrate, a weekend to enjoy, or a baby being born so we had a school break.
So, now we are on day two and The Man has left early to drop Isabelle off at school. If this is the only good change that comes from it all, I will be satisfied. Off to school..

So close to sanity

To all you loverly people who made the past few weeks easier, thank you thank you thank you so very much. God will bless you richly. We are finally in our new home...that we own. YAY. Now we are working on getting unpacked and settled in to our new house, new careers, and new neighborhood. This morning the kids and I enjoyed the warmer weather by running amok in the cul-de-sac, roller blading (yes I did it too), riding bikes, and plugging our ears when the potty mouthed construction workers started speaking. Overall, we are loving the new house. All are welcome to visit, but we are planning a house warming party near February the beginning. See you all soon.

AND the lucky lady is..

LOLITA!!! Thanks to all of you who emailed, called, and posted your willingness to help with the babies. Lolita has agreed to keep them. I love her. I love many of you as well, but especially her right now. Still coveting your prayers for the rest of this week. My family should get here some time today, our last minute paperwork (because mortgage companies think I work on Santa's magical North Pole time) is due today and is in fax transition land and out of my hands, our walk through is scheduled for tomorrow, and graduation is Friday. Lastly, we are supposed to find magical Santa time to sign papers so our house will record before Friday at five. Did I miss anything? Oh yes, for the last week, I have been enduring a very special kidney infection. Ow. Specific prayers recommended.

NEEDED WANTED DESPERATE...well not THAT desperate

We are in need of a willing heart to keep our two littlest Brewers Friday from about 12-3 so I can attend my husband's graduation. I have made a zillion calls but no luck. I should add, we are money challenged so this can not be a paid position. Please Please Please, we are desperate. Thanks friends.

Seven Days and Counting...

Things I still have left to do in order to prepare for next week (aka Christmas, The Man's graduation, Moving Day):

Pack my entire house
find more tape to close boxes
finish two quilts
wrap friends' presents
make a "NEEDS" box full of toilet paper, bath towels, toothbrushes, blankets, and other immediate needs for our first night in the new house
clean house for Mom-in-law's visit
shop for The Man's graduation dinner
pick up last minute presents
pick up movie Isabelle's teacher borrowed
put together Elijah's tether ball pole (sweet)
put together Isabelle's basketball hoop
return library books
return red box movie..late as usual
set up utilities and other needs for new house
break the news to our landlords; we are not buying this house
give our 30 day notice to our landlords
find something to wear to graduation
write a 1250 word paper with my study team
write a 1500 individual paper on business ethics
another assignment too boring to describe
send out remainder of our Christmas cards
drop off presents to friends leaving town
sign papers at escrow office
find out if the papers we received in the mail are an attempt to steal my identity (seriously..they are very fishy and no one knows anything about them)
watch a hundred or so Christmas movies, some repeatedly
read about five more books of the bible to finish my reading plan before the start of the new year
wrap presents for five children (yikes)
find something for each of my children to wear to graduation
find a babysitter for the babies during graduation (any takers? Friday from 12-4)
and somehow manage to enjoy the peace that is the reason for this season.
I am going back to bed.

Welcome to our new maxi pad...

"..you know with the new dry weave, I hear it actually pulls moisture away from the skin." (Steve Zahn, Reality Bites)

This is a picture of the model of our house. Everything is the same except they agreed to paint my door red and our paint color is a little tanner. So pretty! We are having a housewarming sometime in February. As long as we really get the house! There is a little threat with verifying funds. God is bigger than that little boogie man. But feel free to continue praying for us.

You know what makes me tired?

Repeating myself. I expect it with my children, but lately there has been just too much of it. Like just now, I told my son to get out from behind my couch. Rather than just listening, he has to give me reasons why it is great back there. Because I don't actually care, I yell for him to get out. Also, those of you who thought the twos were terrible never had a three year old. Addison is just a couple weeks from this special age and is testing everything. I am tired of follow through. I need a nap.
Lately, I have had to say the same thing to my dog over and over and over. Apparently he feels we shouldn't leave each morning to take Isabelle to school. It seems to cause him stress, so he has taken to chewing on little things he finds in the house. Today he actually pulled an heirloom ornament off of my tree. I could have killed him. Instead I scolded him and made him go outside. His little tail between his knees was sad, but I was strong.
In addition to my usually tiresome repetition, I have had to pete and repeat everything to keep up communication between everyone involved with our house.
Lastly, trying to organize a celebration dinner is stressful when there are so many people involved and so much other stuff going on. Clearly there is a lot of repetition involved.
Sooo, if you ask me a question, just stick around long enough to hear the answer or things may get scary for you.

I hate finances

My sister said earlier that "this stuff" only happens to me, but that just can't be true. Many of you know I am a proud student at the University of Phoenix (please pronounce Pah-ho-nicks). Many of you also know that I rely completely on scholarships and financial aid. I applied for my financial aid at the start of my second year on the recommendation of my financial counselor-you know, the lady who knows everything about my school's finance protocol. Well, apparently not because I did just what she said and instead of sending me more money that I was assured I qualified for, they sent a smooth four grand less. Um..what was that?! Broke Lady say WHAT?! I contacted them as soon as I noticed, and they seriously were trying to act like it was too much work to fix a mistake they made! Because I am not above inflicting physical pain -or calling at all hours repeatedly- they finally are moving on this issue. Of course one problem led to another when this all started, and it cause everyone to be involved. Sigh. Let's just all pray they give me permission to use the Pell Grant this year. I cannot handle or afford to take out a loan to pay for the rest of this year. And, as much as I gripe about the stresses of my life, I am not ready to drop out of school. I am, however, ready to be the recipient of any of your generous scholarship donations. I have no pride in this area.

Hey guess what..

We bought a house :D And now, in all my free time, I am trying to envision my new decor. I have decided it should be all about the trees. Here are a few that I found that I really love.

Seriously LOVE this one

Cozy

Cute for the girls' room

I found a great sheet of scrapbook paper covered in trees. I haven't been able to find an image of it, but I bought it to use as a background for a family recipe page I planned to hang in my kitchen. The trees are so retro and I think I want to paint them down my hallway, floor to ceiling, in a row. It can be scary to know you are reading my thought process right now, but in my mind my hallway will be very cool!
Anyhoo, Moses, Jessica, Denae, Chris of Chris and Natalie that I don't know so well but I hear you are a great artist, you people can't hide from me. I need you.

Anyone who has any sweet drawing skills and a little bit of free time is encouraged to gimme a call. I would love to pick your brain. I think I could actually paint something as long as someone else drew the sketch first. I dunno. A little scary to just start painting on your wall, but I just love what these murals add to the rooms.

A Day of Thanks

Thanks-

-to my husband for just being my husband
-to my husband for caring about what he looks like,
-to my husband for caring about what *I look like,
-to my husband for being an athletic supporter for most anything I want,
-to my Mom for giving advice that is right for me, but may hurt for her,
-to my Dad for an endless supply of toe socks,
-to my brothers for keeping me entertained,
-to my children for giving me gray hairs (apparently my husband thinks they are sexy),
-to my sisters who came along and verified *I am not the crazy one in the family,
-to FASFA/FAW for funding my college education,
-to my friends for laughing at my jokes and telling a few of your own,
-to anyone who prays for me. I need more so keep them coming,
-to Pat Sajak and The Wheel for the goodtimes, money, and for laughing hysterically at my poodle joke, and
-to God for not giving me what I deserve but choosing to bless me anyway.

I am excited to see what next year brings.

Just a day in the life

I don't know why people assume that since I have many children, I must be good at what I do. I don't necessarily think God works this way in all situations. In our case, we just happened to be loony enough for the job so God kept the kids coming. This natural tendency toward insanity has come in handy considering I feel I have given birth to 5 of the oddest children ever!! During our chaotic, but fun, photo shoot, my friend snapped this shot. I love that she included it in our proofs. It shows A) that she finds humor in the same things I do, which is why I haven't lived near her for almost 4 years, but we seem to pick up where we left of whenever we get together, and B) I am a stellar multi-tasker. I mean, seriously- let's take inventory of everything happening here:
I am on the phone
I am carrying Samuel (you missed him wiggling out of my arms)
I am paying attention to Elijah as he does his new dance number
My clothes match AND are clean
My hair is freshly washed and actually put up a bit
I am walking out of my van, which has to mean I just came from somewhere really important,
and I am wearing tennis shoes, which means I planned to exercise, right? HAHA

In actuality I shouldn't be on the phone because I don't have daytime minutes,
I just pinched Sam's leg to keep him from falling to the cement,
I am totally ignoring Elijah as he is more interested in the camera anyway,
I did lay my clothes out the night before which was easy because they just came from the store (where I shouldn't have spent money on them in the first place),
My hair is deceiving because it was washed a day before as I always have better hair a few days after the wash,
I actually had the kids stashed in the van eating marshmallows while the others were having their pictures taken,
I was feeling chubby and didn't feel like sucking in my gut for pictures, so I wore exercise-ish pants to avoid a muffin top,
and I wore tennis shoes because they matched my pants better than my loafers.
See, all you moms who think I set a standard to live by..you too can be just like me. You just have to be a liiiitle bit lazier. :D

Big Finish

I don't want to be so excited, but football and cheer leading are finished! Praise the LORD!! This picture is another from my insanely talented friend Jessica Baldwin. Look for her website over there. Can't you see me pointing? Anyway...

I just need to get back to simple. Why is that so difficult? My children were hilarious to watch during this football season. Addison prayed every night for the kids to go to practice (apparently she was tired of their company). She also learned Layla's cheers quite well! She will just suddenly jump into a room and holler "READY OKAY!!" and go at it! Even Sam knows to clap when she is finished. Goodtimes. That is what I like to call an athletic supporter. And you know...if you can't be an athlete...

Hectic Weekends

In an attempt to keep the simple life I love so much, we have tried to stick with family commitments and really important appointments. The weeks are easier now that football and cheer leading are over. The weekends seem to fill up pretty quickly. Since taking charge of the agenda, we are still a bit full, but it has all been great.
Yesterday we babysat in the morning for friend,
cheered for Isabelle wile she received her honor roll certificate,
brought the kids to a friend's to bake an apple pie and a meatloaf pie,
went with my family and a TON of friends to a pie party (didn't win the contest, but had a ton of fun)
woke up late (after I woke up at 5 with Sam)
took the fam. to IHOP for breakfast
met a family that moved very recently and is looking for a church
picked Isabelle up from her sleepover
went home, put babes to bed, put hubby to bed on the couch,
watched the girls cut material for their sewing projects while I did my homework
went to my brother's to babysit,
currently blogging, chatting with a friend, and watching Transformers,
tomorrow is church
then we are having a celebration dinner for Isabelle's honor roll status
and because Monday is a holiday, The Man and I are going on a date mid-day
he has a chiropractor appt, but then we get to go to the movies..or maybe rent a room and have a nap!

Funny Questions I Heard This Week

Eli while I bathed the babies- Mom, why can't I hold water?

Addison- WHAT IS THAT IN MY BATH!?? (Sam's poop. ew)

Eli- Why isn't Daddy washing my window? (My response) Because he doesn't like you as much. (His response to my response) You are rude. (My final response) fits of giggles.

Addison- Mommy, remember when Santa pushed you?

Eli after I drew cool "tattoos" on me and Layla Grace- OOH Can you draw me a tattoo?
(My response once I drew them..one on the top side of each wrist) Go ask Daddy what it says. (Mike) Poop Nugget? (Eli's response) little boy anger (My response) extended fits of giggles.

My 9 yo nephew No-No Noah to his mother- Mom, if you and Dad BOTH have heart attacks, who will take me to school?

Right Now...

I am listening to little toddler voices (my favorite) play and giggle.

Right now, I can hear Layla Grace help Elijah read through his first chapter book.

Right now, I am missing my husband and eager for the days when he will be home four days in a row.

Right now, I am chewing a piece of Bubble Tape gum, sweet!

Right now, I am listening to Casting Crowns remind me of the people God has put around me to help, pray for, make laugh, and hold up when they need it.

Right now, I am reminiscing over what I heard God speak to me over this retreat weekend: I don't have to wait until I get to heaven, I can worship God all the time starting right now; the issues I am facing are not only very small, but a great learning opportunity for me and those around me; I am really a grown up, not just someone pretending to be a grown-up, so when God calls me to pray for someone or step out of my comfort zone, I no longer have that crutch to call upon.

Right now, I am trying to figure out what to make for dinner.

Right now, I am debating whether I should shower now and start homeschool late, or end early and shower before school.

Right now, I am wondering if my History teacher is going to see right through the bull crap that is my paper due this evening.

Right now, I am wondering if Moby is ever going to stop shedding.

Right now, I am wondering what that smell is...poo I am sure.

Right now, I am thinking I should get off this "devil box" (as my sister calls it) and actually stay on task.

I still Got it!!

You know what is great? That I can decide to totally skip turning in a paper and still get a B. Sociology is over. It was fun while it lasted, but even better now that it is over.
You know what else is great? Football is almost over. Now I can cancel all of my hate mail to Pop Warner. To all of you who made it to the playoffs, congratulations. I am so glad it was you. :D

Don't you hate those gay sayings about friends?

In the cookie of life, you are the chocolate chips. I know people take that to mean as a friend, they are the sweetest part of the cookie. But, if we have ever had a conversation, you know I don't buy that. It really means friends make things messy and cause you to require a napkin. That really has nothing to do with my post, but I am here to amuse myself!

On to the point. A friend found me recently. She is a woman I was incredibly close with for a short time while The Man and I lived in California. This time in my life was nothing to be replayed as I was certainly pushing the boundaries God had carefully laid out for my life. I still have guilt for some of the choices I made during this time, but I know I am forgiven. Probably even by her. I was so excited to hear from my old friend...she isn't old HA!, just our friendship. While I waited for her phone call, I found myself rehashing stupid mistakes and immature behavior I so graciously displayed in those days. I felt that I wanted to ask God for forgiveness all over again. But then, I remembered that God really does love me as far as the east is from the west (just like that song says). I don't have to relive those times. In fact, dwelling on them is giving party to the dark side. AAAND, considering I am not that big of a Star Wars fan, it was easy to get back to what God wants my focus to be. It is easy for me to get stuck in the past- whether I am reminiscing good or bad things. I want to focus more on being here, right now. I want to be more purposeful. If I get hung up on everything I am doing wrong or the negative influences in life, I will miss that "fullness" God mentions in Jeremiah. And in the wise words of Steven Tyler, "I don't want to miss a thing."

N.Y. man attacks inflatable ghost, pumpkin

LLOYD, N.Y. - A woman says a neighbor attacked her inflatable Halloween lawn display of three ghosts and a giant pumpkin, then apparently smashed his head through her window in a fit of rage.

This struck my funnines bone late last night in the same way SNL is great late night. Sorry if it doesn't translate into daytime hours. It still cracked me right up.

State Police said officers found a drunken John Odee, 43, inside Dawn Garcia's house in the Hudson Valley town of Lloyd on Thursday night, arrested him after a brief struggle and charged him with burglary.

Garcia told the Middletown Times Herald-Record she heard hollering and swearing and looked outside to see Odee struggling with the giant pumpkin. "He was enraged. I could see that," she said.

When she yelled at him to go away, Odee charged the house. She fled through the back door with three of her children and heard window glass breaking. She called 911 from another neighbor's house. Police said Odee used his head to smash a window to get in.

No problems with last year's decoaration
"What made him do that, I don't know," Garcia said. "We had the same decoration up last year and it didn't bother him."

Odee was being held at Ulster County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail Friday night. A corrections officer said inmates could not come to the phone. The officer did not know if Odee had an attorney.

You may not have known that I LOVE...

going to school,
exercising,
seasonal movies,
quoting any quotable movie,
history,
war movies,
black and white movies,
historical fiction novels,
photography,
faceless pictures,
music from the 50s,60s, & 70s,
quotes,
hearing my husband's jeep while it is still a mile away,
my husband while he sleeps,
my husband while he is awake,
my husband while he...well..does other things,
calling him "my husband",
writing,
sketching-especially with pencils,
reading,
my hair,
that Addison responds to "squirrel",
museums,
being home,
having company,
living in Reno,
Rancho San Rafael's arboretum,
my dog, Moby Richard,
finding Samuel playing in the Barbie jeep out back,
fall,
Christmas,
Halloween,
homeschooling,
date night,
Christmas cards-giving and receiving,
teaching, anyone about most anything,
the color red,
the color green with red because it reminds me of Christmas...which I love,
The Fray,
Five for Fighting,
John McLaughlin,
gardening,
having my toes painted,
scrapbooking,
editing,
grammar,
words,
trees-especially the Umbrella Catalpa and willow,
crayons,
coloring books at Christmas time,
puzzles and games,
music played on real records,
painted cabinets,
my piano,
musicals- especially live,
home videos,
The Office,
and acoustic music.

I am only stopping now so you will have time to read this post. I could go on forever. Are there things you LOVE!?

My Lightbulb Moment

Sometimes it takes me a minute or two to hear what God is telling me. This very character flaw is why I recommend going to church weekly. I have been physically sick more times in the previous three months then combined in my life so far. I have been praying for God to reveal if it is an allergy, or if I am simply making too many unhealthy choices, or if it is due to something greater. Saturday night, I was certain I was dying of some internal wretched disease. I prayed for God to not only heal me but reveal what was really going on during Sunday's service. I cried on Sunday when he did.

Louie (not Louise) talked about the pace he feels God has set for him. Louie (not Louise) said he was physically sick after trying to be apart from where God was asking him to be. This is me right now. It isn't that I am running in a direction God is telling me not to; it is more because I am running.

God began speaking to me about celebrating the Sabbath about six months before Louie (not Louise) brought it up at church. I was floored when it became a series of teachings at church. I committed my Sundays to God and family and rest. Then my husband got hired onto the Fire Department, and I let everything run amok.

In the same way Louie (not Louise) felt his schedule was out of his hands, I feel that the goings on around me are out of my hands. The picture I get is me in the middle of a tornado with seven schedules swirling around me mixed with all the expectations others have of me. My problem is I keep trying to jump out and grab hold so I can "handle" one or two. This doesn't work for me. I get beat up, feel sick, get pushed around (sometimes literally**stupid yard gnome! This is a story for another time) and still end up out of control.

Now I know my job is to simply remain. Remain consistent. Remain in the eye of the storm where I can find God and experience his peace. Remain healthy. Remain out of CONTROL, not OUT OF control. Simply Remain- though for me, there seems to be nothing simple about remaining.

Search Results

I put in a search to find a Reno Wives' Firefighting chat group and this was the advertisement offered on the right of my screen. Maybe God is trying to tell me something. This is the worst thing I have ever seen...(other than George Dahir post-shower)

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Just a Quick Update

Mike-
busy busy with school/work
LOVES his new job
volunteering to referee the Inter Fire Department Dodge Ball game for charity (LOL)
expert at shining his boots
squeezing in fishing whenever he can

Me-
Working hard not to lose my sanity
participated in the anual Susan G. Komen, Crop for the Cure and finished 10 pages!
Heading into week two of Sociology
bought kids berries and cream Fraps today because I couldn't resist
busy shuffling kids to extra "fun" activities
trying to stay ahead of my homeschooling schedule
feel sad I can't come to more baby showers, but it just can't happen

Isabelle-
dropped out of journalism because it is more writing than she is interested in
continually jumps rope even if there is no rope to be jumped
doing superb in 4th grade at her new school
cut off all of her hair (mike still has a hard time looking at her)
still loving her book publishing and beading clubs
in the market for a violin as she has decided to play one for school

Elijah-
awesome football player
working on mastering the rollerblades
planning on being Captain Jack Sparrow for Halloween
has figured out more math than I ever did at this age!

Layla Grace-
beautiful as ever
has an incredibly loose front tooth
hilarious cheerleader (ready Ohhh K)
reading chapter books

Addison-
as squirrely as ever
knows three of her colors successfully
obssessed with lip gloss and flops so protect yours well
has begun drawing circles to practice holding her pencil correctly
traces VERY well
is going to be three soon!

Samuel-
walking and refusing to crawl
has all of his baby teeth
still clinging tightly to his paci though only in his bed if we can help it
crinkles his nose when he laughs
covers his mouth when he cries
makes us all smile

Moby-
sleeping...and the other usual doggy habits
misses us so much while we are gone he knocks both babies down when we return EVERY time!

The family-
busy, but happy
big patriot fans now that Eli and Layla Grace are part of the team
just got back from a week in Vegas (minus Mike)
got cell phones so we can send each other texts of our fun experiences
finished painting the house, now we are working on the master and baths
had the mold in our bathroom inspected and we are all clear for purchasing our house!
had the greatest family pictures just taken. We will send some out for the holidays

Berries and Cream Part One

If you want to learn this special dance, scroll down a smidge; I have posted a tutorial on the entire routine.

Berries and Cream

I have nothing else to say about this other than : I would like to dedicate this post to my friend Jenene Boardman.

This is Living

This is another picture from camping. It doesn't have a lot to do with my post other than to put a visual to the rest I feel I need already. (note the beer that is not really a beer in my son's hand.) Mike started his academy last week, and already we are overwhelmed with stuff. We have been so anti-hectic for the past three years that this schedule may just end me. Between piano lessons, football, cheerleading, Isabelle's new schedule with school, homeschooling, keeping up with Hot Lips, and The Man's new work responsibilities, I felt it was necessary to take a small break from school. I was having a hard time comprehending anything I was learning, so I dropped my history class. (Louie not Louise should not feel disappointed as I fully intend to take this class at another time..just not right now.) I get a two week break, one of which is in Vegas visiting friends and family, before I dive back into Sociology (ack) and Poli Sci (ack ack!!). Plus, I am switching my school nights to Thursdays, at least until football and cheer are over. Sanity prayers welcomed. Volunteers to care for babies during football games seriously needed. Please be in touch through our local contacts should you be able to offer your services.

My pictures are messing up..here is another

Summer's End Camping

Here are a couple of pictures from our camping trip. It was full of relaxing, sand sculptures, swimming, bike riding, and gluttony. Other than the fact that Sam slept miserably due to his rotten snack of rocks and lake water, it was awesome. I ended up having to share my mummy style sleeping bag with him. Obviously this was not even a little bit comfortable. Especially because he is a wiggly worm.

My Style Weekend Update

One more night of my Critical Thinking class. We are responsible for presenting ten popular fallacies people fall for out of a list of 27 good ones. Here is my speech for the "false dilemma fallacy" where Cookie Monster is shown simply devastated because he is out of milk to wash down his cookies. There are four people in my team, and we are delivering our speech in true Saturday Night Live, Weekend Update form. Cracks me right up! I love school!Here is my speech:

Good evening, and welcome to the (SAY EXACT TIME) news on LOL Fallacious Reasoning TV. My name is Shontell, and I am joined by my colleagues Christina, Kelly, and Andrew.

Before we get into our top story, we have breaking news concerning a certain loveable, blue, fuzzy monster. Cookie Monster was spotted earlier this week slipping into a seriously deep depression when, during his usual snack time of cookies, he was left high and dry with out any milk. The tragedy of it all is that Cookie was apparently so high on sugar from years of gluttony, he failed to consider any other beverage to help wash down his sugary treats. What Cookie has here is a false dilemma. And, now to Andrew with our top story.

No pics, but..

We just got back from camping with our friends at Frenchmens. What a beautiful lake. For those of you who live in Reno and haven't been, I suggest you go before the summer ends, then again when the leaves start to turn, then again when it is time to cut down a Christmas tree. Just beautiful. My kids had a fantastic time getting as dirty as possible, roasting marshmallows at all hours, munching, playing games, fishing, building forts...anything that screams "I am a kid at the beach!" It was almost too great. We didn't want to leave. We packed up our four room tent (huge, I know!) and headed back to reality.

Because we are getting better at this parenting thing, we bribed the kids with a trip to the ice cream parlor if they helped unload everything, shower willingly, and help get everything in order for our new week. It worked. We are all squeaky clean (though our bathtubs could use a pick me up!), my van is back to less than bursting at its seems, and our bellies are full of Baskin Robin's tasty treats.

It was a great weekend together. Just us. Just family and friends. Great memories.

Just one of my all time favorite commercials

Just pause my music on the side there to listen properly. Yah, it's that good.

Isaiah 58

I am missing church. I KNOW I KNOW! I am the church, but I still miss going. In my attempts to read through the bible, I have made it to Isaiah. I only have the rest of the old testament to go, and I am looking forward to it as there are a lot of books I haven't even rustled pages in. Anyway, I read through this chapter, and though it was encouraging, convicting, and full of promises, it made me miss church. Happy Sabbath.

"Shout it aloud, do not hold back.

Raise your voice like a trumpet.

Declare to my people their rebellion

and to the house of Jacob their sins.

For day after day they seek me out;

they seem eager to know my ways,

as if they were a nation that does what is right

and has not forsaken the commands of its God.

They ask me for just decisions and seem eager

for God to come near them.

'Why have we fasted,' they say,

'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled

ourselves, and you have not noticed?'

"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please

and exploit all your workers.

Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,

and in striking each other with wicked fists.

You cannot fast as you do today

and expect your voice to be heard on high.

Is this the kind of fast i have chosen,

only a day for man to humble himself?

I sit only for bowing one's head like a reed

and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?

Is this what you call a fast,

a day acceptable to the Lord?

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry

and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-

when you see the naked, to clothe him,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you,

and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

you will cry for help and he will say: Here I am.

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger

and malicious talk,

and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

and your light will rise in the darkness,

and your night will become like the noonday.

The Lord will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun scorched land

and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins

and will raise up the age-old foundations;

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,

Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath

and from doing as you please on my holy day,

if you call the Sabbath a delight

and the Lord's holy day honorable,

and if you honor it by not going your own way

and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

then you will find your joy in the Lord,

and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land

and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."

The mouth of the lord has spoken.

Sabbath

For you non Reno- onions, our church is celebrating a month long sabbath from the regulars of church. For more on this check out our free podcasts through iTunes by looking up Hillside Foursquare Church. Good stuff. Check it out. DO IT!!

Anyway, our family is using this time to catch up on being a family before Mike's schedule sets in. I love God's timing..usually. On the surface, I am tempted to be irritated that SOOOO much is happening at once, but when i began to dig a little deeper, I realize just how right it all is. First, I am a lists, goal setting kind of girl. I like time lines and deadlines. The fact that I have to have EVERYTHING done before September 3rd is a challenge (I hope I am up to it).

Secondly, most of what is taking place leads to further peace or lots of fun. We have been given our thirty day notice of intent to sell our home. I will admit that I cried for a week, but my husband so happily reminded me that God is bigger than the boogie man; I don't need to be sad, I need to be praying. So we did, and we are going to try to buy our house. In addition, we are smack dab, in the middle of painting and revamping our home. Those of you who have ever done this know how tricky it can be. Those of you who have done this with five children..can you call and give me tips please? We made a master list...ten pages long (literally) of things to be accomplished. We are about five pages into it, but the peace that comes from this organization will be a major blessing and stress reliever. We just have to push through. I am reading Emilie Barnes' Survival Guide for the Busy Woman for inspiration. In addition to this, my kids are branching out to extra curricular activities. This will obviously only lead to humor. Football and cheer leading... it almost doesn't get better than this!

Thirdly, my husband has just been offered the career of his dreams. God's hand has been in every part of the process and my husband has been able to see it. He is allowing God to grow and stretch him in new ways. It is tough for both of us, but humbling to see God doing so much work in our little home.

Please pray for our sanity and a solid finish.