"C" things I love

My bloggy friend JMB Mommy from His Grace Is Enough played this little game on her blog the other day. The 'tagger' gives the 'taggee' a letter...any 'ol letter...and the 'taggee' has to write 10 things they love that begin with that letter.

So I requested that she give me a letter and she granted me the letter 'C'.

Here goes!

10 Things I Love -- using the letter 'C'

1. Christ - the center of everything I believe in.

2. Children - I have two of my own and I love them more than any other children on the planet!

3. Chocolate - Hello? I'm female.

4. Chips (with dip - from my favorite Mexican joint)

5. Cruises - I've only been on one, but I loved it!

6. Chapstick - don't leave home without it.

7. ChickFila - especially their breakfast.

8. Cooties - the kind I get from my husband. ;)

9. Cackling - as in laughing. I love to laugh. Even at myself.

10. Cartwheels - yes, I can do them.

If you'd like to play...I'll give you a letter.

If you're on my good side, I won't give you 'x'!!

I Have...

I found this posted on this blog and I shamelessly lifted it...but I told her I was going to do so!!

This is a list of possible things you've done in your life...bold the ones you've actually done. I've also decided to color a few things I'd like to do in red. Enjoy!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping - ugh, I admit it.
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice - the Las Vegas version
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant - wouldn't this be neat to do?
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted -I did it myself
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris - again, the Las Vegas version!
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House – I’m counting this one even though I didn’t go inside.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life - fairly certain that my son would've choked to death on a quarter had I not been around
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Feel free to copy this and post it on your blog...I'd love to see what we have in common!

Yay, I've been tagged! It's been a while!

I was tagged by a new friend, go meet Space of Grace, I'll wait right here.

[insert Jeopardy theme]

You're back, great! Isn't she neat!!?

Anywho, she tagged me to post 7 random things about myself. I've posted lots of random stuff before so I'm going to try to come up with 7 things you haven't heard before...here goes...

1. Hubs and I started dating in August of 1994. We married in August of 2000. In August of 2010, we will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary...and 16 years together, which will be half of our lives! I think this is really cool...and really deserving of a cruise or something. (sweetie, did you make a note of that???)

2. I work at home...not only raising my kids, but doing several things for 'ABC' company. I deal worker's comp issues - I'm the liason between any injured workers we have and our insurance company. I also fill out employment verifications, and last week I was given data entry work to do each week. It took a long time to get this job, but I just kept waiting and it's definitely blessing our family.

3. I know I've mentioned somewhere before that I have wide feet. But what I haven't told you is that I used to tell my husband that there just has to be a procedure I can have done to make them more narrow. Like, maybe I could convince some crazy plastic surgeon, who needs to fund his vacation home, that we could remove my pinky toes and about an inch-wide strip of 'foot' down that side so I could have not-so-ducky feet. This is where you can call me stupid...it's ok, really.

4. When I eat Skittles or M&Ms, I usually poor them into my hand and eat the color with the least number of 'mates' first. If there is one lonely green guy, he goes down the hatch first and so on. Oh boy, I just went from stupid to psycho.

5. If you were standing at the foot of my bed, I sleep on the left...any time we've ever traveled and deviated from me sleeping on the left, I have not slept well. It's not good for 'traveling mommy' to not have rest!! If it ain't broke, don't fix it, amen?

6. When I was 16, I played Junior Olympic softball. It was the best summer ever (and I had only been playing ball for 3 years!). I met so many wonderful girls...who played ball for expensive private schools and I felt honored to play with them. It also felt really good to even be considered good enough to play with them. And then I got a trophy...wow! To get a trophy for the game I played among those girls...it was really great. There are not many things in life I would do differently if I had a chance, but I certainly should have played ball in college.

7. Sometimes, ok, most of the time, when my kids ask me a question, about anything really, my first response is never or boogar(s). (if I'm in a good mood) "Mom, what can I have for a snack?" Boogars. "Mom, can I play outside?" Never. They have, of course, learned that I am crazy and my real answer is coming right after they say 'NNooooooooo' and we all have a great laugh. It's fun, you should try it!

Hope you enjoyed that!!

Here are the rules of the tag:
1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Write seven random things about yourself.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post.
Note: If all of your friends have been tagged already, just list 7 things in a comment for all to enjoy!

The 7 lucky folks I'm tagging are:
Jen @ Daily Dose of Motherhood
JMB Mommy @ His Grace Is Enough
Amy @ The Morrison Five
Laura @ Memphis Matthews
Beth @ A Mom's Life
Lizzie @ My Amazing Grace and Other Adventures
Jen @ Living the Life

Looking forward to learning a little more about these ladies!!

Happy Thursday!

Let me ask you this...#2

Last Friday, I came up with a set of random questions. I just threw them out there, with my answers, and asked for your answers.

Wow. You folks seemed to love it!!

Except for Debbie who complained about my weird fascination with the number '8'...why did I just do 8 questions? Because it's my blog and my thing. Nah.

Here are some questions for you to chew on this week:

1. Rare, medium or well-done?

2. Do you plan to stay in the house you're in for the rest of your life?

3. Why do you have the size bed you have?

4. When you buy milk, do you just grab a jug or do you look for the latest exp. date?

5. Do you and your spouse go on dates? How often?

6. Do you like to play board games? Favorite?

7. Do you have a day each which that you sleep late?

8. Do you wear shoes in your house or park them at the door?

Bonus:
Name this game!! If at all possible, I'd love for this to be a regular thing on Fridays...but I want it to have a name. Put your thinking caps on and give some suggestions!!

One more thing!! You can still answer in my comment section if you'd like, but please feel free to post my questions with your answers on your blog...and invite your readers to join in!!

If you play along on your blog, please leave me a comment to let me know and I'll come see you!

Now, here are my answers:

1. I like my steaks and burgers well-done...but not 'hockey-puckish', just done.

2. Not at all. Eventually, there will either be a long-distance move that takes us out of here, or we will sell and upgrade a bit. Our 'starter home' is long past started!

3. I have a king size bed...because I don't want to touch anyone when I sleep. I'm not a cuddly sleeper...I want some space...not to mention that I don't like to be breathed on either. I'm just saying.

4. Oh, I must look for the latest expiration date. No ifs ands or buts about it.

5. Not nearly enough. Probably not even once a month. That makes me sad. But what makes me happy is that we're going out this Saturday night...catching a movie. smiling just thinking about it....

6. Um...not with my kids. That's horrible, right?? I just don't like it. I like to play some grown-up games...like Scrabble, Taboo, Outburst, or even Pictionary. OH! And the craziest game I have ever played is Quelf. Google it. Buy it. Be prepared to get silly!!

7. Maybe I shouldn't have a day to sleep late, but lately, I've been using Friday as my sleep in a little day. It's only a little because my kids don't sleep very late, typically. Sometimes, I get up, fix them a cup of juice, turn on Dora and head back to my room to lay down. It usually doesn't last very long...some little tiger-haired boy will be jumping on my head before long!

8. Just starting off the day, no, I don't have shoes on around the house. But if I've been out, I don't usually kick them off at the door, they're on for a little bit. I think I accomplish more when I have shoes on...does that sound dumb?? Can shoes make you 'less lazy'?? hmmm...



Now GO! Go answer the questions! Have fun! Don't forget to leave a comment!

Have a great weekend!

One of my Fantastic Friends in Blogland...

...loves to pick the brains of her bloggy friends.

Amy at 'in my life', came up with a series of questions in order to get better acquainted with the blog authors she loves. The series is called Inside the Blogger's Studio. Amy's first guest was Mama Mia...I've just started tuning in to see what Mia is up to. I'm getting to know her better...you can read her interview here. Next up was Yvette...my old co-worker and friend-turned-master-blogger...you can read her interview here.

Back in June, Amy sent me a message to ask if I would be interested in being a contestant on the Price is Right, er, being placed on a pedestal for a day, um, playing along. I responded with a very enthusiastic 'Yes, you bet!'

And then she sent me the questions.

And they required me to think.

So they took me a while to answer.

I'm proud to say that I finished said questions the other day and sent them on for publishing.

So without further ado...

Head on over to Amy's to read my interview!!

One really stinkin' late completed Meme

Hmmm...somehow I let a lot of time pass from when I was tagged for this meme...what a loser busy mama I must be! I was tagged by Cindy...and since I took my time getting to this, I'll give her a little free advertising for her photo purse business.

An *A*B*C* Meme

A- Attached or Single? Happily attached
B- Best Friend? male: Donald female: Debbie
C- Chocolate or Vanilla? Duh, I'm female. Chocolate!
D- Day of Choice? I dig Thursdays...I consider it the end of my week
E- Essential Item? ? Toilet Paper
F- Frazier or Friends? Friends...that show is 'fried chicken fricken' funny
G- Gummy bears or worms? Worms
H- Hometown? Memphis, TN
I- Favorite Indulgence? Ice cream – with lots of stuff in it
J- January or July? January, clean slate
K- Kids? Two rugrats, Ella 4 and Evan 2 1/2
L- Life isn't complete without? God, family and God-given friends
M-Marriage date? August 5, 2000
N- Number of brothers and sisters? 1 older Brother
O- Oranges or apples? Apples
P- Phobia or fears? Phobias – tight spaces and spiders
Q- Quote? "A word to the wise ain't necessary -- it's the stupid ones that need the advice." Bill Cosby
R- Reasons to smile? My crazy kiddos, pedicures, and ahem, ice cream!
S- Season of choice? Spring
T- Tag 2 people: Pink Explosion and Sara
U- Unknown facts about me? I like pb&j mixed together, I've never had a cavity,
V- Vegetable? Lima beans
W- Worst habit? procrastination aka lazy
X- X-ray or ultrasound? I've had both, but ultrasounds are more joyous, Amen??
Y- Your favorite food? Chips and Queso
Z- Zodiac sign? Aquarius, but I could care less

Once again...I've been tagged!!

The meme mania continues, my friends!!

I don't mind doing memes. I like the random questions that help you get to know me better. I like to read your memes and learn more about you, too.

My friend Yvette tagged me for this little meme gem. If you haven't been to see Yvette, you're missing out. She's a trip.

Alright, here's the read of the day.

Here are the rules (post these first).
1. Each player answers questions about themselves.
2. At the end of the post, tag 5 people by posting their names.
3. Go to their site/blog and leave a comment telling them they've been tagged. Invite them to your site/blog so they can read the tagged post.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you've completed your tagged post.

Questions:

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?

Hmmm.
I had probably just finished final exams for my sophomore year of college. I was working at the bank…with great people in a great location…loved it!! My car was about to die so I bought a brand new car in June ’98. I was dating Donald…had been dating him for almost 4 years. I was living at home with my dad. I was playing co-ed softball for my church. I visited a pen pal in Albuquerque NM. And I had just had my wisdom teeth cut out. Exciting stuff.

2. What are 5 things on your "To Do" list?

a) Finish Ella’s ABC album.
b) Lose at least 20lbs.
c) Read a book this summer.
d) Cut the grass.
e) Get with Debbie to decide when WE are using our Mother’s Day gifts…gift certificates for a Spa Day!! Yahoo!

3. What are 5 snacks you enjoy?

a) Hershey bar with Almonds
b) Ice cream with lots of ‘stuff’ in it
c) Chips and Dip
d) Frozen Thin Mints (Girl Scout cookies)
e) Fruit-n-Yogurt Parfait from McDs

4. Name some things you would do if you were a millionaire.

-The first beneficiary would be my church.
-I’d sell my house for whatever it would sell for and build my dream house.
-I’d set up accounts for my kids’ college education and their first house when they get married.
-I’d pay off the debts of my family…and a few choice friends.
-I’d pick five families who ‘struggle’ and change their lives forever.

5. Name some places where you've lived.

House. Apartment. Trailer. House. Apartment. House.
No?
Florida, I was born there but we relocated before I was a year old. Tennessee. I’ve been here forever. And some of you know that we may not be here forevermore.

6. Name some bad habits you have.

Some? Maybe we should set a limit so I don’t over do it. Let's say, five, like Yvette did.
- Procrastination
- Sarcasm
- Sighing
- Yelling
- Not eating completely healthy

7. Name some jobs you've had.

Let’s talk about the jobs that I don’t talk about much.

- Bath & Body Works – I helped open a new store in a local mall. Talk about organization. That place has to be ‘just right’. All the bottles have to be lined up just so…reminds me of that movie ‘Sleeping with the Enemy’, you know, the labels have to be turned to face a certain way…it got really old, really fast. I worked through Christmas, but when they decided to have mandatory inventory on Super Bowl Sunday, I got ticked. I’m a sports girl. And a ‘good commercial’ girl. I wanted to watch the game with my dad. So I just didn’t go to work that day. Consider me terminated. I’m a loser.

- Terminix – I graduated college in May 2000. I got married in August 2000. I waited until after the wedding to start my ‘grown-up’ job search. I was hired by Terminix as a staff accountant. After my first week, I had no peace about the job. I started my second week and felt physically ill. By Thursday, I was pitiful. It was as if I was having a nervous breakdown or something. That day, as I was driving home from work, it got bad. I felt sick to my stomach. I just knew I was going to Ralph. I was driving down the road thinking ‘What can I puke in?’ Aha! There’s my lunchbox. I pulled over on the side of the road and ‘had it out’ with my ills about the job. I went home to my new husband and told him that I must quit this job. He supported my decision. I quit the next day. Loser times 2.

- Mother’s Day Out teacher – I did this job for three years once I became a SAHM. For those three years, I taught with the same person. She took another position with the church and decided that she wasn’t coming back to teach the next year. I was already doing something else, so her decision was one more reason to end my teaching career. Very wise decision…it’s done me a lot of good.

- Filing - Sounds exciting, right? You have no idea. My best friend Debbie works from home for a growing company. She found herself being swamped in paperwork that needed filing in her home office. She requested help and they allowed her to hire me to file for her. So every week, I load up the kids and we go to her house. The kids are entertained by toys, movies, each other and Debbie’s mom. Debbie and I are able to cut up, er, I mean work. I have never had so much fun at ‘work’…and there’s never been a day that I’ve dreaded going. I’ve gotten my wide foot in the door…this may turn into more before long. Stay tuned.

8. Name those whom you are tagging.
I’m tagging Eenie, Meeney, Miney, Moe and Curly. If you feel compelled, take a crack at it. I'm rebelling against this rule! hee!

7 Random things about Me

I’ve done several memes. Here's one. Here's another one. And another. I will try my best not to duplicate any of my randomness!

I was tagged by Amy at In My Life to do this one. You should hop over to her blog and browse her posts…she cracks me up!

1. My husband calls me Monkey Toes. I can pick things up with my feet. Say I’m folding the laundry and I drop an article of clothing on the floor. If I’m barefooted, I’m not bending over to get it, I’m grabbing it with my ‘monkey toes’. If I drop a pen, same thing. I can’t quite get coins. Paper gets wrinkled. And food, well, that’s gross.

2. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I had high blood pressure and lots of swelling. My feet were so big that a (male) co-worker of mine told me to throw the shoes away and wear the box because I had ‘Barney Rubble feet’. (enough about my feet, right?) When I went in for my 36 week appointment, my blood pressure was high enough to warrant bed rest. It was a Tuesday and my last day of work was to be that Friday, so I got to quit my job 3 ½ days early, yay! I told my co-workers that I just really wanted at least one week to myself before the baby came…they were all laughing when she came early that Friday morning.

3. I buy a lot of generics when I shop…but there are a few things that I will not substitute. Heinz Ketchup. Lipton Tea Bags. Cottonelle TP. COKE. Dove soap. I’m sure there are more…

4. My front teeth don’t meet. The back ones do, but not the front ones. I don’t believe I sucked my thumb as a child, but that’s what it reminds me of. This, too, is a source of entertainment for my husband. He laughs when I have trouble eating things that require a ‘good bite’. For instance, mozzarella cheese sticks, pizza and a ChickFila sandwich are nearly impossible to eat when all you do is leave the cheese hanging, rake the cheese right off the crust, or only get a mouthful of bread. But apparently I’ve learned to cope…I don’t quite look like I’ve missed any meals.

5. I had a meltdown when I was 21. Not a spoiled-brat kind of meltdown caused by not getting my way. My dad’s job was relocating. I was starting my senior year of college. I had a friend at school whose roommates had all left and she had asked me to move into her on-campus apartment. I thought it was going to be perfect. I was very excited!! Then, the night that Donald and I were painting my room, I started to crumble. He asked me what was wrong and all I could say was ‘I think I want my dad’. It was very bizarre. I called my dad boo-hooing and managed to tell him that I was on my way to his house. He tried to cheer me up and offered to take me back to the apartment, where I had left Donald painting, so he could help. If it had ended there, I would probably have forgotten all about this…but no. I dropped some weight. I had to cut back from full-time to part-time at work. I wanted to quit school…dad urged me to continue since I was so close to being finished. I had taken my twin-sized mattress to school with me, so Dad bought another one so I could stay at home for a while until he moved. Then Dad came to pick me up every Wednesday night and take me to dinner. I eventually recovered and Donald proposed to me that Christmas, despite my ‘freak out’. I never realized how much of a Daddy’s girl I was.

6. I hate being told to calm down. I want to feel the way I feel, about whatever, at the moment. There aren’t many things that make me want to throw plates against the wall, but telling me to ‘Calm Down’ is one of them. Don’t worry. Donald has been informed…maybe more than once.

7. I have quite a few pet peeves. Here are a few examples. I don’t like it when dishes are put into the sink without having water run into them; it makes them harder to clean. Cell phones that ring in inappropriate places. People who don’t use their blinker when they’re turning. Whistling. Not celebratory whistling, but whistling just to whistle. Don’t you know the words to that song?!?! EEK! But I’m not always hard to please. A lot of people like their toilet paper to hang a certain way on the roll…not me. I’m just happy it’s there at all.

I should probably tag a few folks to do this...I just really don't want to.

Maybe the girls I've done blogs for will do it for me...eh??

Debbie
Cindy
Noodle
Karen
Yvette

Give it a shot girls...it's free and fun!!

Catching up and a little meme action

I know, I'm lacking in the posting department. A little thing called life has been busy.

I had my fabulous weekend at Camp Crop-a-Lot with my best friend. It was not a five-star hotel, but we had great laughs over sleeping on a bunk bed, having a shower where the water was just a smidge warmer than the air and we may have thrown in a little 'husband humor' with our tag line 'It's THEM'. Oh it was fun...just to laugh, eat, scrapbook and laugh a little more.

I was able to get the kids' ABC books put together...they are not super elaborate, but since they are for the kids to handle, I didn't want to put too much of my 'good stuff' into them. I still need to do some computer titles for the pages, but I promise, just as soon as that part is finished, I will post pictures of the albums. (I hope to work on them tomorrow and Friday, we'll see)

Wednesday, we put Evan in a toddler bed...lifting nearly 40lbs into a crib was getting old. We borrowed a gate for his bedroom door so he won't be able to roam the house at night. He did great at nap time, very proud of him, and he stayed in bed when I put him down for the night. Such a big boy!! I'll post a picture of his 'new room' soon, too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now, better late than never...

I was tagged last week by Vashonnte for this meme. (sorry it took so long Shonnte!) I know I've done this via email for my friends, but I don't think I've posted it on the blog...so here you go!

4 Jobs I've Had:
Bank Teller – while in college
Billing Clerk – after I got married & until I had a baby
Mommy – best full-time job ever
Avon Rep – didn’t make a lick of money

4 Shows on my TiVo/DVR:
The Biggest Loser
Jon & Kate plus 8
Ocean’s Eleven
A Charlie Brown Christmas

4 Places I've Been:
Mt. Rushmore
Hawaii
Yellowstone National Park
Washington DC

4 Favorite Foods:
Ice cream
Chocolate
Chips & Dip
Bacon

4 CD's Recently Listened To:
Chenault – Something More
Sara Evans Greatest Hits
Casting Crowns – The Altar and the Door
Veggie Tales – in the car w/ the kids

4 Things You Can Do to Make My Day:
Keep the house picked up and chores done
Take me out to dinner
Take my kids out so I can have the house to myself
Take all the fat and calories out of ice cream so I can eat it with every meal…or maybe instead of every meal

4 People I Tag:
Debbie
Diane
Brittany
Lorrie

Alright ladies, no pressure...get it done when you can!

Happy Thursday everyone!

I Haven't Seen This One

I have found another sweet friend in this bloggy world...her name is Miss Sniz.

Before I go on, I have to tell you that 'sniz' makes me chuckle. When I lived at home with my dad, we would get to 'arguing' about something and it was funny to say 'snot' and 'sniz to' instead of 'is not' and 'is to'. Now Miss Sniz will know what a dork I am. Maybe she'll have a chuckle.

Miss Sniz tagged me to do a meme. I like memes...except some of the hard ones I've seen out there. Some want you to make up a fantasy life for yourself using book/movie characters. Some want you to give a book title to describe various times in your life. Honestly, those kind of memes would make my eye twitch. Then my nose. Then I'd have a headache and require rest in my dark bedroom. Hmmm...would that be so bad??

So, Miss Sniz, this one's for you...

The LOOK AT THIS STUFF! ISN'T IT NEAT? meme

1. Find five things around your house that say something about the person you are and snap a picture of them.
2. Tell us about them.
3. Link back to me in your post.
4. Tag five (if you feel like it) folks via their comments and tell us who you tagged.

First up...my bedroom. I love the color. I love the furniture. It's really nice cherry; it was a bargain. I have a thing for quilts. I think they're the most comfy cuddle blankets. That is one of the only 'old fashioned' things I own. My bedroom is one of the most uncluttered spaces in the house...on purpose. Who wants to sleep with tons of junk all around? It's one of the only rooms that the children don't play in. They occassionally watch movies on our bed, but it is a toy-free zone...a grown-up space.

Next up...my Vera Bradley collection. Coincidently...these bags are quilted...told you I like quilts. It would make me a goober, but they are soft enough to use as pillows. My collection 'snot' very big. These bags aren't cheap, but they were all four gifts from my husband. He loves me, so he indulges me. The biggest one is my laptop case. It's really cute for a little toting, but I will never carry it when I fly again. It doesn't have a shoulder strap so I about killed my arms/shoulders by lugging this thing around. There's a nugget of info for you. Skip being 'cute' when traveling with your laptop, and take the boring, shoulder-strapped bag.

My favorite breakfast right now is yogurt with granola cereal in it. When we last went to NC, we picked up some McDs for breakfast on our way out. Donald got a fruit-n-yogurt parfait. I'm not sure why I had never had one, but I loved it! When we did our grocery shopping for our week in NC, we stocked up on yogurt and cereal. I ate it every day...sometimes twice! It's healthy and the cereal makes it filling. I look forward to this breakfast after a good workout.

Oh...one of my joys! My scrapbooking space. This space is upstairs with our playroom. When baby #2 was on the way, we realized there would be a severe lack of space if we didn't finish our upstairs. We used a 10 foot section of countertop for the desk...there is a computer on the far right end. The countertop makes for a perfect scrapping surface. Everything is rather organized...at least to me it is. It's fun to go up there, turn on iTunes on the computer, and have some time alone to work on my pages. Usually that time is when the kids are already in bed and more often when hubby is out of town.

Because Spring is coming soon...I'm getting the fever! Fever for playing ball like a teenager. I started playing sports when I was 12/13. My P.E. teacher in 7th grade wanted me to play basketball for him when I got into 8th grade. He wanted me to prepare by playing volleyball in the fall, so I did. Then I played basketball. The volleyball coach was also the softball coach, so when spring rolled around, he recruited me for softball. I think I started off in the outfield, but I soon moved to catcher and then pitcher. More often than not, I am the pitcher...every now and then I get to play short stop or third base. And by the way...every now and then I hit a homerun.

I would love to see Annette, Kelli, Yvette, Noodle, and my dad to this meme. Let me know when you get'r done!

There they went...they're outta here!

My twenties. They're over. Finished. Gone.

Today is my 30th birthday. There. I've said it. Now you know. Eh, it's just a number.

I decided to do something dorky to 'celebrate' me...cause that's me, the dorky 30 year old.

I tried to come up with something I could remember about each year of my life. It wasn't possible. There were a couple years where nothing came to mind. And there was some guessing involved...so to those of you who may know the 'real' year that something happened, do not correct me. Let me be right. It's my birthday for heaven's sake!

1978 – I was born in Florida, then moved to Tennessee.
1979 – I suppose this is when I learned to walk, talk and hate veggies.
1980 – I imagine I was potty trained during this year (?)
1981 – I showed off my Wonder Woman jammies.
1982 – I think I caught my first catfish; my parents split up.
1983 – I learned to ride a bike.
1984 – I’m pretty sure this was the year I got my first pair of glasses.
1985 – I went to Disney World with my maternal grandparents.
1986 – I must have been in a coma this year, I remember nothing.
1987 – I became a Christian; I lived on the same street as my future husband, we knew all the same kids, but not each other.
1988 – I think this year evaporated, I remember nothing.
1989 – I moved in with my Dad.
1990 – I won the 6th grade spelling bee…beating the future hubby.
1991 – I began playing sports at school.
1992 – I took a pottery class at the Memphis College of Art.
1993 – I got un-granny-fied...out with the HUGE plastic frames, in with the smaller wire frames.
1994 – I had my first slumber party for my 16th birthday, got my driver’s license, my first job and started dating my husband-to-be.
1995 – I played Junior Olympic Softball.
1996 – I graduated from High School and my dad graduated from college; I started college.
1997 – I took college algebra in summer school because I dropped the class I was failing in the spring; I bungee jumped!!
1998 – I drove out west with my dad, stopping at Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore and the Four Corners (to name a few places) for him to drop me off at my pen pal’s home for a week to attend her graduation; I had my wisdom teeth extracted; I went to a Yanni concert; I bought my first brand new car, red Ford Escort.
1999 – I moved into a college campus apartment for my last year of school; I got engaged!
2000 – I won a trip to Cancun; I graduated from college; we bought a house; we got married!
2001 – I began my scrapbooking addiction.
2002 – I went to D.C., Vegas, St. Louis and got a dog.
2003 – I announced my pregnancy at my paternal grandparents’ 50th Anniversary party (actually, it was after the party…I didn’t want to completely steal their thunder!)
2004 – I had my first baby!
2005 – I had my second baby! (and got rid of the dog!)
2006 – I took my kids to the beach (not by myself, but you see, every other statement has started with ‘I’)
2007 – I went on my first cruise and took a trip to HAWAII!
2008 – I bid farewell to my twenties!


That's it. (dusts off hands) There's my little birthday celebration post.

This was fun for me; I hope I didn't bore you!

If I did, I'm not sorry. Because it's my day and I'll bore you if I want to.

(ooo, is there a new kind of sass that comes with being 30??)

Happy Birthday to me!

Eight...eight is great!

A new friend of mine, Piper, 'tagged' me to do another MeMe...so here goes...

((((And by the way, the items in GREEN are links...CLICK THEM!!))))

Eight Things I am Passionate About
1. My children. Their safety, health and well-being.
2. Being a great mom. Setting a good example.
3. Being a good Christian. Letting Christ shine through me.
4. Being a good wife. Prov. 21:9, 19…27:15…31:11-12
5. Being a good friend – loyal and trustworthy.
6. Laughing – at myself, hubby and young’uns - And having fun!
7. Giving back to God what is His already.
8. Not letting my weight get outta hand again……

Eight Things I Want To Do Before I Die
1. Fly a small plane.
2. Start cycling with the hubby.
3. Travel to Europe.
4. Take an Alaskan whale-watching cruise.
5. Read the Bible in its entirety.
6. Live somewhere other than here.
7. See my children grow up in Christ to become well-mannered, responsible citizens, good spouses & parents.
8. Be an awesome, giving, loving grandma!

Eight Things I Say Often
1. What?!
2. Please stop.
3. You smell like a foot. (code in our house meaning it’s bath-time)
4. I sure do love you!
5. What’s up, Trouble?
6. Just a minute…
7. I don’t know.
8. Do you need to potty?

Eight Books, er, “Somethings”, I’ve Recently Read
1. Proverbs
2. “It’s All About Him” by Denise Jackson
3. “Proverbs and Principles for Parenting Practically Perfect Progeny” by Jean Stockdale
4. a couple Lifeway-produced magazines
5. blogs, blogs, blogs
6. Sign at McDs that says ‘No smoking within 50ft of the door’ YAY!
7. Sign at gas station that says ‘Eat here and get gas’…priceless!
8. Maps to NC!!

Eight Songs That I Could Listen To Over and Over
1. My Wish – Rascal Flatts
2. Lifesong (album) – Casting Crowns
3. Hairspray soundtrack – it’s fun
4. Something More (album)– Chenault, CCM by husband/wife
5. Anything by Josh Turner
6. Hey Ya! – Outkast, watch this video by our Navy!
7. From this Moment – Shania Twain
8. Anything my kiddos sing

Eight Things That Attract Me To My Best Friends
1. Common interests, morals, values
2. Honest
3. Happy
4. Forgiving
5. Sense of Humor
6. Intelligence
7. Loyalty
8. Visibly living for Christ

Eight Things I Have Learned This Past Year
1. Learning more all the time that God can help me be a good mother. He gave me a whole book of instructions; I just have to pick it up more often!
2. Life is harder with hubby in India.
3. How to blog – now, to just get better!!
4. Once you fall off the ‘workout wagon’, it’s REALLY hard to get back on!
5. Resinol is the best thing in the world for diaper rash!
6. There are tons of fabulous people blogging.
7. How to refinish cabinets!
8. I need to write down all the cute things my kids do so I won’t forget.

Eight People That Should Do This MeMe and Not Complain
8 people who haven’t done a single MeMe!! (yes, this is cheating on my part! sorry!)

100 Things about Me

Alright. Lots of bloggers have done this. I wondered if I could. The challenge is to come up with 100 things about yourself. I thought it would've been a little harder than it turned out to be. A post of this sort is called a "MEME". Guess you could call this post a MEME as well. Hold on tight, enjoy and please leave a comment!!

1. I am a Christian.
2. My Granny led me to Christ when I was 9.
3. I can’t wait to meet Jesus!!
4. I was born in Florida.
5. I’ve lived in the same state since I was about 9 months old.
6. My parents divorced when I was 4.
7. I have worn glasses since the 1st grade.
8. I moved in with my dad when I was 11.
9. Dad told me I wasn’t allowed to have PMS.
10. I don’t. Usually.
11. I was 22 when I got married.
12. We started dating when we were 16.
13. I am addicted to Avon’s Strawberry Lip Balm.
14. I miss living close to my dad.
15. I have two beautiful children.
16. One was perfectly planned by God and us. The other was
perfectly planned by God only.
17. I breastfed both of my children for a year.
18. I am really glad I’m done breastfeeding.
19. My first job was as a ride attendant at Celebration Station.
20. I kept my first job out of college for only 9 days.
21. I like thunderstorms – as long as I’m not out in them with the kids.
22. I want to be a World Traveler.
23. I love to water ski...but we don't have a boat.
24. I hate our mattress. HATE.
25. Cigarette smoke makes me ill.
26. I love driving a mini-van.
27. When the kids are older, I may want an SUV. Maybe.
28. My maternal grandparents took me to Disney World when I was 7.
29. I mostly remember vomiting in the parking lot.
30. I love that my husband makes me laugh. A lot.
31. I think I’m a good mother…but not a great one.
32. I wish I were more disciplined with money, food and mothering.
33. I am a Conservative.
34. I think ‘global warming’ is just something Liberals exploit.
35. Coke is my all-time favorite soda.
36. I think McDonald’s has the best Coke.
37. I think Napoleon Dynamite is funny.
38. I hated Napoleon Dynamite the first time I watched it.
39. I hope we sell our house next year.
40. I can remember the names of all my elementary school teachers.
41. I won the 6th grade Spelling Bee.
42. I whooped graciously defeated my future husband in that Bee.
43. I used to collect Donald Duck stuff.
44. I can’t pinpoint a favorite food.
45. I can count on one hand how many veggies I like.
46. I like junk food.
47. I used to hate chili, corn dogs, peanut butter and pepperoni.
48. I really like Chocolate.
49. My favorite candy bar is Hershey’s with Almonds.
50. I do not like coconut.
51. My favorite cake is my Granny’s Carrot Cake, YUM!
52. I once took classes at the local College of Art.
53. Pottery was my ultimate favorite.
54. I’m 5’4”.
55. I used to have ‘orange’ hair like my son, now it’s auburn.
56. I wish I could play the piano.
57. I would like to learn how to read music again.
58. I played the clarinet in 5th grade.
59. I like to do anything crafty.
60. I have supplies to do lots of crafty things.
61. I don’t use half the supplies I have.
62. I don’t mind watching sports with the hubby.
63. I’ve played sports since I was 13.
64. I have a scar on my knuckle from a girl clawing me in a b’ball game.
65. I used to be a good 3-point shooter.
66. My defense wasn’t the best.
67. I was valedictorian in High School.
68. That earned me a free ride to college.
69. I took all my college courses with my future husband except for 3.
70. I have a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
71. I don’t use it.
72. I always wanted to be a mommy when I grew up.
73. I think ‘mommy’ is the best job in the world.
74. My favorite colors are blue and brown.
75. I have the widest feet on Earth!
76. I have horrible nails.
77. I want my freckles to merge together so I can have a ‘tan’.
78. I want sparkling white teeth.
79. I once backed into a teacher/coach with my car…her body, not her car!
80. I use sarcasm way too often.
81. I’d love to live near the ocean.
82. I, alone, drank two gallons of milk per week while I was pregnant.
83. I am three years behind on my scrapbooking.
84. I sleep with the ceiling fan on & blankets to my head – year round.
85. I want to get back into my workout routine.
86. I want to lose at least 25 more pounds.
87. I can’t decide whether to let my hair grow longer or cut it short.
88. I want to be more Bible-wise.
89. I want all my friends to be really involved in a church.
90. I like the smell of new shower curtains.
91. I love to watch The Biggest Loser for inspiration.
92. I want to ride in a hot-air balloon.
93. I do not have the gift of mercy.
94. I wouldn’t mind moving; just not to D.C.
95. I LOVE how I look in the Chuck E. Cheese pictures!!
96. I love being married.
97. I don’t like picking up after him. Hee hee
98. I can carry a tune…without a bucket.
99. I will try *almost* anything once – unless you’re talking about food.
100. I wish I could force myself to eat salad.

It's all about me!

Here's a little fun. I didn't come up with this, I blog-lifted it, but hey, it's free entertainment!!

What was I doing 10 years ago…I was in my sophomore year of college, dating Donald, working at First TN Bank inside a Seessel’s, living with my dad and driving the oldest car known to man.
What was I doing 5 years ago…I had been married for two years, was working full-time at Guardsmark (ick), driving my little red ’98 Escort, schmoozing what I thought was the best dog in the world (Harley-gave him away two years ago), traveling (actually, I think we had just gotten home from Vegas about this time in ‘02) and living a sort of carefree life with the hubby.
What was I doing 1 year ago…celebrated our 6th anniversary, had a 2½ year old and a nearly 1 year old (so, pulling my hair out), working at MDO and gearing up for our first family trip to the beach.
What did I do yesterday…I woke up! I got breakfast for the kids, worked out on the elliptical machine, bathed the kids, tidied up the house, fed the kids, rerolled the unrolled roll of TP (thanks, Evan), blogged, welcomed hubby home (with a new cabinet in the bathroom, which he loved and was glad he didn't have to do!), went out to dinner, Target and Baskin Robbins, watched tv, read other blogs and blogged some more!
5 snacks I enjoy…ice cream, chocolate, chips/dip, chocolate chip cheese ball and Milk Duds
5 things I would do if I had $1,000,000…give back to God, pay off our mortgage so I could give the house away and move, save for the children, help my family and friends, play with the rest (i.e. shopping spree!)
5 places I would runaway to…the beach (east or west), Europe (never been), the mountains (Smokies or Poconos), Cropical Paradise, to my daddy’s.
5 bad habits I have…overeating, overspending, not praying enough, yelling at my kids, speeding…at least I’m honest (not a bad habit!!)
5 things I like doing…kissing my children, tickling my children, scrapbooking my children, playing softball, and…blogging!
5 tv shows I like…Dancing with the Stars, Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader?, Diagnosis X, The Biggest Loser, House Hunters.
5 biggest joys…graduating college, getting married, my children, the love and devotion of my husband, and having an awesome God.

And fellow bloggers...if you've read this, you've now been tagged and you must answer these questions on your blog! Chop chop.