From Room of Doom to Room of Va Va Va Voom!

Before


After

Can I get a Whoop Whoop and a Hell Yeah?!
I spent ALL day getting this room together and I am exhausted. Instead of a room of doom, I now have a play area for the kids. Note: they were NOT allowed to play in it when I was done, it's the principal of the thing. After organizing my brains out I wasn't ready to have anything taken back out. I won't be crazy forever, just a couple of weeks and then I should be able to let the kids back in there. He he...
I know I have issues, I'm like that though, after I clean the kitchen, I don't want to cook. After I clean the bathrooms, if I see a drop of boy-urine on the toilet or around the toilet I will let them know about it and yes, there are certain towels that shouldn't be man-handled and thrown on the floor. After I wash the sheets, I HAVE to take a shower and my husband will need to do the same (on my request). This isn't after just picking up clean, it's after clean cleaning, the scrubbing kind and I don't see a problem at all with how I handle it, it's perfectly normal! Right?

And the Winner is...

LOGAN!!!

I am so proud to announce that my son has won a Perserverance Award and was one of 2 kids in his class to have this honor. Each class had to pick 2 students that have shown perserverance throughout the year thus far. When his teacher Mrs. Garren announced his name she said that he worked hard in class no matter what was going on in the classroom. Did I say I was proud? He is such a great kid and I feel so blessed that God chose me to raise him!

I Need To Dance, I Need Friends

As life goes along, people often go in and out of our lives for various reasons. This happens to all of us, as we get older. I am very lucky to have had the same best friend since Middle School and we have stayed in touch with each other through everything. She's always lived miles away in different states and we've always remained very close. I feel so very blessed to have her. I'm a pretty independent person and I like to be alone, but at the same time I'm hard wired for being social and going out, having fun and laughing with friends. My best friend and I lived to go out dancing when we were younger and just recently my husband rented Mamma Mia and it reminded me of that time. A strange thing happened after I watched it - I got sad. Usually when I watch a musical it makes me feel good and happy but not this time. Mamma Mia is a fun movie (weird at times, I think it was the casting but I digress), in it my favorite song plays - Dancing Queen. That scene made me think about how I used to dance and have fun so much more often. It made me miss having friends to go out with and being the "Dancing Queen". It's not that I'm just miserable or anything, I love my family so much and I know that my life is by far much more full than I could ever imagine. I just don't want to miss out on the silly girl fun that I don't get much of these days.
I know people that are absolutely fine without a lot of friends in their life (my hubby for one) but I'm just not wired that way. I need friends and I need to be social, I need to dance!!!

SO Proud!

I'm bursting with happiness over someone in my family winning an award. I can't say what type of award yet or who it is because it's a surprise to that person and just in case the little smarty pants wanders in snooping, I wouldn't want to spoil it. I'll just say he's small but not the smallest!(he he)
When I found out about it, I wasn't feeling particularly great because of just personal junk mucking up my mojo. It's funny how God shows up at just the right moments!
It left me feeling that even if I never do anything else in my whole life, the fact that I'm a mom who takes that responsibility seriously and loves my children beyond anything I ever thought I could love another human being, will be the most important thing and the greatest thing I'll ever do.
I often get sad when I watch the news and hear horror stories about what adults and even parents do to their children. I look at my boys and can't fathom how someone coud ever mistreat a child. I worry about every move they make, pray over them and worry some more. I watch these stories about abuse or neglect and worse and get so angry at these people.
I hope I can be the kind of mother that will raise my children to not just win awards but who will really be good people. I hope that when they will have children, they show them the same love and protection that Matt and I have shown them.
I am so proud of both my boys! More about the award at a later time!

The Sensitive Type

I just had to share this because it was one of those moments with my child that made me love him even more than ever. (if that's possible)
My 4 yr old Holden has been sick and yesterday we just watched TV (because that's what you do when your sick). Well, the movie Air Bud was on and we decided to watch it since he loves movies with dogs in them and I'd actually never seen it. (not sure how, maybe Logan was too small when it 1st came out)
Anyhow, if you've seen it, then you're familiar with the part towards the end when the little boy has to give Bud back. If not, just recall any movie with a dog in it and they either die or the child has to return it. Either way, there will be a reason to bawl your head off. Well, my little sensitive son jumps in my lap with his head down, trying his hardest not to cry. I start asking him if the movie is making him sad and he shakes his head yes (still not looking at me). We have a dog too, a Boxer named Laila (get it?) and I begin to figure out that he is just really in touch with what it would feel like to have to say goodbye to a pet. I ask him if it's making him sad because he wouldn't want to give Laila away and let me tell you - the water works begin and my poor little boy is just racked with sobs. It broke my heart but at the same time I felt almost proud that he was so in touch with his feelings because now I'm not alone! I just held that baby trying to soothe him, telling him that Bud was coming back to help the little boy win the big game! When he saw Bud run back in, he started crying all over again! - That's my boy!
I'll just enjoy these moments since that stuff probably won't fly when he gets older. I'm trying to picture his father blubbering over Air Bud - um... nope, not a great visual. But for right now, my little Holden can cry his eyes out and I'll cry right along with him!

New Blog Music!

I am still trying to figure out how to better personlize this blog of mine, so when I figured out how to post music I got so excited!
The 1st 2 songs are really the ones I identify with the most because I LOVE to dance.
The song "I hope you dance" has more meaning since that is what my theme for this blog is... enjoy life and live it! It's what I tell my kids and hope they take the advice throughout their lives. Unfortuantely, it's advice I'm still trying to grasp on to, but it's never too late!
Updates on my 2009 to do list: I LOVE doing random acts of kindness everyday for others. (even if I do know them - they don't mind) I don't go around telling everyone either, it's just a conscious decision I make on a daily basis and it really helps in times when it would be easier to get frustrated at someone to just smile and be kind anyway. Or, if you can tell someone is having a rough day, just asking them if there's anything you can do will cause them to pause and take a breath. It's a beautiful thing!
So far, this month as a family our "new" thing we're doing is playing the Wii together. (so much fun!) But the new is wearing off so on to February. It's difficult because Matt works so much until after April.(he's a trust tax accountant!)
I'll figure something out though!
So far the thing I've been doing for myself and not feeling guilty about is reading. Even though that may not sound like something to feel guilty about, if you have kids and like to read, the only time you can pick up a book is when they're asleep and by then I'm so tired.
Still working on the rest!
God Bless and remember to Live Well, Laugh Often and Love Much!

Prayers for Baby Harper

I don't know this family personally but I feel like I do. (somehow God ties us all together through any means nessecary to serve His purpose) I believe we have all been brought to this blog for a reason.
I can't post anything else until I request prayers for this little girl. She is receiving many prayers from so many people but a few more won't hurt! She is just so precious and her pictures remind me so much of when Holden was hooked up to all that stuff, looking helpless and me just wanting to hold him so desperately. I know what Kelly (her beautiful mom) must be feeling and I pray for her to have peace during this difficult time. Just click on the button to visit her site and see how beautiful Harper is! God is GOOD and I am believing that she will be healed.

Exhaustion, Depression and Hormones, OH MY!

Let me start this by saying I know a little of what Sybil must've felt like, with all those personalities rolling around in her head and all. Maybe instead of a story about a poor abused girl who grew into a woman with a gajillion different people running amok in her brain, it was really just an exaggerated version of a fairly normal woman with her hormones running amok.

Let's see, my personalities consist of "Sally Sweet" - for about a week or so I'm the sweetest, nicest mom and wife you'd ever want to meet. I don't mind cleaning, I love cooking and have a giddy up in my step that catapults me out the door to run the many errands that help maintain this household. But only for a week (at the most).
Then there is "Lonely Lil'"- for a little more than a week I feel sorry for myself that I have very few friends and no one calls me to see how I am. I only have my children to talk to and they are little men of few words. I become introverted during this time and don't call anyone myself because I think no one likes me.
And how about "Betty Boredom" - after the last week I become bored with the pity party and my home life and have all this anxious energy I can't expunge because Lonely Lil' didn't call any of her friends for a week! So I take out my frustration on my poor husband because it's probably some how all his fault.
Finally we wrap up this ecclectic group with the super power of all - "Hormonal Hattie". She is the worst and I don't know how my family survives her rantings of lunacy. This is the girl that shows up before the period. (sorry if there are fellas reading this but I'm sure even some of you will understand) Hormonal Hattie for some reason doesn't really look out for the well being of others and rational behavior goes out the window. She thinks that she is entitled to be pissed off at nothing in peticular and has the right to cry for no reason. The people around Hattie sometimes don't understand that it's best to leave this creature alone and let the beast remain as quiet as possible. Without meaning to, the people around her will trip over Hattie while she sits simmering in whatever made her angry at that moment, unleashing the beast within. The beast will always spare her children but the man will be eaten alive.
This is my apology to that man and my appreciation that he endures all these personalities because he loves me. My advice is to enjoy Sally Sweet because there are only about 2 days left.

Have you ever?

-Have you ever fought a package, trying to open it all by yourself for like, 10 minutes or so, then realizing you could just get a pair of scissors and have it open in 3 seconds?
-Have you ever looked for the remote control for 20 minutes before realizing you could just walk up to the television and change the channel?
-Have you ever tripped over an object that was invisible and then continued looking for it because you couldn't have been that clumsy?
-Have you ever seen someone wave to you and then wave back only to discover that they were actually waving to the person standing behind you? (don't be embarrassed, you didn't know them anyway!)
-Have you ever been talking to someone in a very noisy situation trying to be louder than the noise, and then suddenly the noise stops and you end up yelling something very loudly that you would rather not have the whole world hearing?
-Have you ever called someone by the wrong name for a whole day before someone tells you that's not their name? (and the person you were doing that to never says a word!)
-Have you ever run into someone you know only you can't remember their name and your standing next to your spouse unable to introduce them?
(WOMEN ONLY)- Have you ever left the house without make-up, looking like you just rolled out of bed and then run into an old friend you haven't seen in years?
-Have you ever walked around all day with something in between your teeth and no one tells you!

There are many more "have you evers" but my point in this is that no matter what walk of life we come from, who we are, who we know, etc., there are things that we ALL have in common. So the next time you are out among all the people and someone has rubbed you the wrong way or you find yourself feeling out of place, remember that no one escapes these experiences! Be kind to others, Phillipians 2:3 - Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Have a blessed day!

I Heart Faces Contest

Here is my 1st entry for a cute fun little contest that lets you show off your favorite photos. Just click on the I heart faces button. My entry speaks for itself. Everyone that doesn't live with us always comments on how quiet and shy he seems...

Sendentary Saturdays

I have so much to do that I literally can't get myself up to do it. There is the "room of doom", (the room in our house that holds everything we don't know what to do with yet and when people come over we close the door. As if that will be the magic that makes it all disappear.) It used to be Holden's old bedroom but when the boys started sharing a room, all the toys went there and haven't come out of hiding since. My own bedroom is an atrocity of stuff that we can't fit into the room of doom. I have good intentions but you know what they say about that road. Well, I feel like I'm in it - hell, that is. On my list I have said that I need to organize my house, so why when I have a whole Saturday don't I take the opportunity and tackle some of these things? Well, I don't know is the short answer and the long answer is also "I don't know" and believe me, the longer I sit around not being able to figure out what my problem is the longer the list of to do's becomes. I go into the room of doom and just stare at everything piling up on the floor - and then I leave, closing the door behind me. Ta Da! I made it disappear.

Look at the picture, isn't it neat how many containers I have and there is even an organization unit in the corner! Wow, maybe I can put them to good use today, or next Saturday perhaps!

Oh my Sooners!

I can't believe how sad I can get over a football game! I thought they played really well even though they didn't win. I have to say that it is ridiculous how many things were NOT called on the Gators. I know I sound like a sore loser (which I am) but seriously! And the announcers, my gosh! If I weren't watching the game and only listening to it, I wouldn't have known the Sooners were even on the field, UGH! They couldn't get off how "great" those Gators were. Whatever, I happen to think that 5 consecutive games with over 60 points is pretty "great" as well!!!

I had to vent on this one before I got on with my day. I still and will always love my Sooners!

Boomer Sooner!

Things I now understand as an adult that I was oblivious to as a child

I sometimes wish for the innocence of childhood especially when I watch my own children. It made me think about how different life is approached as we get older. It is way less complicated to be a child and it's funny how as a child we can't wait to get older. I have a list of things I now understand about my parents and other adults that I didn't have a clue of as a child.

1. Money really doesn't grow on trees and just because you have checks (or checkcard now) doesn't mean you have any money.
2. Having all the lights on in the house is problematic.
3. Having brand new shoes on doesn't make you run any faster. (but I am so glad mom let me think it did-I've passed that one on)
4. Making good grades is important and will make a difference.
5. Running with scissors or any other sharp object is very dangerous.
6. Playing in the street is actually not a good idea.
7. Being more upset over your child getting hurt than they are makes perfect sense.
8. Hanging out with the right friends is very important and will make a difference in who you become.
9. You really can't fly even with a super cool cape on fashioned from a blanket.
10. Television does fry your brain. (and if you sit too close you might not lose your vision but will have a really bad headache)
11. Your face won't stay that way when making a funny face, but it will annoy if done over and over again.
12. Playing outside is good for you and keeps you from getting fat and lazy.
13. Knowing where your child is every minute is not a form of punishment but is being a good parent.
14. Being one of the "popular"kids in school won't make a bit of difference in the real world.
15. I really don't think I have ever used Algebra.
16. Some "music" really does sound like it comes from the devil.
17. The "oldies" are goodies.
18. It's ok to buy your clothes from Wal-Mart or Target because labels are ridiculous.
19. You can make your parents crazy.
20. Being brought up to know the Lord is a gift.

...and I'm sure there are so many more.

I love knowing now things I didn't know then and isn't it interesting that the same wisdom will be passed on and on from our children to theirs. (let's hope!)

God Bless!

My guilty pleasure - Reality TV

Ok, I have to admit that some reality tv is just too good to miss. I watched the "Bachelor" last night and it was like watching a train wreck... I couldn't look away.
I'm not sure where they pick the girls to be on this show. Maybe they're in bars or on the side of the road waiting to be taken to Hollywood and "discovered".
I know I discovered how embarrased I could get just watching them make fools of themselves and I wasn't even there in person. This poor guy doesn't even know how ridiculous the whole situation was because he was being pulled in 25 different directions and could not possibly have been able to focus on any of them long enough to notice that the majority were certifiable. I did pick 2 out of the 25 loons that were possibly there for the right reason (if that's even plausible).
I still can't help but watch these shinanigans and laugh - but I think it's mostly a nervous laugh because the whole time I feel this knot in the pit of my stomach because of the absurdity of their actions. It amazes me that what seems like a normal looking girl that seems to have it all together with a job and a family could end up on this show, cursing out some other chick because of a GUY. 1st of all - did the producers tell each girl individually that she was going to be the only one on the show? Haven't they seen this program before or have they been raised in a jungle or popped out of a tramp-in-the-box? (too harsh? you didn't see the show) It would seem their families would take them aside and say "Please don't make a complete fool out of yourself, for the sake of our family." But then again, maybe they do and when the cameras go on they just lose their minds. I also hope for the sake of women everywhere that it's editing. Whatever the case may be, it's fascinating! What does that say about me? Hmmmm? Oh well, next Monday you know where I'll be!

Never too late for pictures

Christmas was wonderful! (as you can see) The boys finally got a Wii from Santa and although we didn't have tons of presents for them to open they were thrilled. Santa played a game with them and had a really big box wrapped up with several smaller boxes inside.(which were also wrapped) The smallest and last box contained a note (or clue) to where to find their present. When they figured out the clue they ran to find another wrapped box and another clue would be inside with a small part to the Wii. (this went on for around 3 clues and they finally found the BIG prize)- it was so much fun.
The pictures are some of my favorites. God bless!

1st sight of Christmas morning.

The game begins...

Finally!

my husband Matt

Cousins

silly cousins

my dad, aunt Amy, sister Melinda

Kelly & Cory (sis and bnl)

Sweet Sadie (my niece)

me and my dad

The New Year

I know I'm a little late on posting for New Year's and I still want to get a few of my Christmas pictures on, but I wanted to take my time and figure out what I wanted to write about.

I usually don't make New Year's resolutions because I know that I will intentionally "forget" what it is I said I was going to do. This year though, I feel a little different and maybe that has to do with this blog. I want out of the rut and need accountability through writing on this blog, so I have a top ten list of things I want to do.

1. Run a 5k ( this is funny because I HATE running, but I'm going to do this).

2. Do at least one random act of kindness to someone I don't know everyday this year. (I'm already kind enough to everyone I do know) -giggle.

3. Each month, do something new as a family.

4. Do a better job of keeping in touch with people I love.

5. Do things I really like to do and not feel guilty about it.

6. Care less about what others think of me.

7. Organize my house so that I am happy to live in it.

8. Eat better and take better care of my body.

9. Not feeling guilty if I don't eat better. - giggle, giggle.

10. Lean on God way more often.

I'll be posting my Christmas pictures soon. Love to everyone and

HAPPY NEW YEAR!