Wednesday Mind Hump

Found these questions at Wednesday Mind Hump today and since smiling is one of my very favorite things to do...... :o)


1. Name a song that makes you smile.

Boy, make it tough on an old broad! Hmmm, of course Donny Osmond always makes me smile and my heart go pitter patter, but I do love it when we sing "This World Is Not My Home" at church! Not only is it upbeat, but I think of those people (like my dad) that won't be suffering any longer here on earth!

2. Name a food that makes you smile.

Another toughie....my husband is such an amazing cook that no matter what he makes it is out of this world! His six layer chocolate mousse cake is definitely a winner and he makes tortilla soup which is like no other I have ever had in my life!

3. Name a person that makes you smile.

My husband is my best friend and he can always make me smile! First, he has a beautiful tenor voice and loves to sing me love songs (which also make my heart go pitter patter!). He is a comic genius....he can tell great jokes, he can do impressions of just about anybody and he does them well, he doesn't mind making a full out of himself if it will make me laugh! We have great fun together!!

4. Name a movie that makes you smile.

I enjoy so many movies that it is hard to choose so I will tell a few of my favorites...

While You Were Sleeping~I'm trying to find this one on dvd.
Anne of Green Gables~my daughter and I watch this at least six times a year!
Goin' Coconuts with Donny Osmond~~hehe~~just kiddin'!
I.Q.~it's just a really cute, clean movie with Meg Ryan
I also love the kind of movies with no plot that keep you laughing so hard that you miss a joke and you have to stop and rewind it because you were laughing too loud!!

5. Name a website that makes you smile.

I read many a blog and Pamela has just become so dear to me! I love the way she writes and you can't help but smile the whole time your reading her posts. And she puts up the cutest pictures of so many different things. And Pamela is very encouraging and a good listener too! Yes, Pamela definitely makes me smile!

I do enjoy reading all of you everyday. I have been amazed how quickly I have grown attached to ladies whom (is that correct grammar?!) I have never met! You all touch my heart and your encouragment and prayers have not been taken lightly. It is hard to put into words and tell you how much you all mean to me so I will just say thank and I love you!

A Face Only A Mother Could Love!

This is my precious baby and she had a rough weekend. She was sleeping when her daddy arrived home Friday night. She woke up suddenly and flew off he bed to greet him. In doing so she pulled a muscle in her back leg. It is better, but now she limps like me!

Also, her poor little tummy has been upset. I woke up Sunday morning to the sounds of her throwing up on the bed :o( Yeah, that was fun to clean up....NOT! I know she couldn't help it so after all the bed linens were changed she and I just layed on the bed together. She wanted her belly rubbed to which I obeyed her command.

I didn't go to church yesterday (not because of her, but I couldn't move again!) so we spent the day cuddling. I know if you are reading this and you are not a dog person then you are probably thinking.....uhm...weirdo, sicko, it's just a dog lady! BUT, if you do understand where I am coming from then you are probably thinking....Awwww, poor little precious thing!

I asked Wensley in my baby talkin' high voice, "What can momma do to make her baby feel better?" At that moment she cocked her head to one side and then had the audacity to get on my pillows (that were arranged just so) and start making her own little nest! She plopped herself down and promptly started snoring. I admit it...I was weak...I actually shared my pillows. I know, I know. I could hardly believe it myself! But that sweet little snoring dog with her tummy just a rumbling needed comfort. I just prayed that she would not feel the urge to purge!

She woke up this morning good as new! We gave her a small handful of food and she kept it down! I don't know if dogs get the flu like humans, but I am happy she is feels better.

The Woo

You lick my face~you tongue is wet

You know many tricks~and treats you will get

Your love is unconditional~a stranger you have never met

You know you are loved~you spoiled rotten pet

You bring me such joy, you do~there will never be another one like you I bet!

I 've Been Tagged Again~Ouch!

LocalGirl tagged me for this meme. I did one awhile back, but I have plenty of weirdness to go at it again! This meme comes with rules though, BAH!

The Rules:
Each player of this game starts with the “6 weird things about you”. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says “you are tagged” in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

1. I love to have a bologna sandwich with mayonaise~now, now that's not the weird part! I love to put potato chips on top and then squash it down so the chips break. Yummy! Who thinks that sounds weird and who thinks that sounds megalicious?

2. My friends think it is strange that I have saved every single tooth my children ever lost. I don't, but maybe it has something to do with one of my favorite things to do~which is pulling teeth! Man, I should have gone to dental school~I think I missed my calling in life :o)

3. I get made fun of by many because I love my fish very much, but I cry when we have to feed them live goldfish because I become attached to them as well. When my two toads were living I cried when I had to feed them live crickets. It's just so sad :o( I know it is nature and God intended it to be this way~~~I just don't agree!

4. I have an obsession with bed pillows and I sleep with about fifteen. I hop into bed and then arrange them around me and they have to be just so or I don't sleep well. And I will admit I am very stingy with my pillows too. Normally I am not greedy with anything, except pillows. My family learned this very quickly! BTW, I have been this way since I was a wee one!

5. Now I don't see what is so weird about this and maybe somebody else out their in Blogville does this as well (if you do, please let me know!), but I am consider strange because I still LOVE, at age forty two, getting a brand new box of Crayola crayons (the bigger, the better) and a coloring book. Maybe it is because I have no ounce of talent when it comes to the arts! I will even hang my own "artwork" on the fridge!! Who doesn't love the smell of a new box of crayons? I hope I get them in my stocking this year ;o) Hint...hint...

6. One of my blogging friends~and I won't say who, but you know who you are~thinks I obsess over Donny Osmond a little too much! Frankly, I am suprised by this. Donny started around the age of five and he is now 49 years young and still singing! He still has a gorgeous smile and a full head of hair! What is not to (puppy) love? :o) :o) :o) :o) C'mon people....isn't he dreamy? hehe



Wow, that was an easy meme for, well, me! I didn't even have to think about it! I know this time of year is absolutely crazy for everyone and many of you have already done this meme, but I will go ahead and tag some of my peeps and some new ones as well!
I tag: Pamela, Heather, Kathleen Marie, Amy, The Pastor's Wife, and Kelli!

Well, one of my friends told me No! So I need to tag somebody else....how about....DeeDee?! She loves Donny Osmond as much as I do...I love her already!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer

What was your very first job with a paycheck?

Working at Hickory Farms during the Christmas holidays. I loved it because I was able to see so many people all day long and I wore the cutest little red apron while serving my delicious tray of beef stick and smoked cheese balls with crackers! Can I interest you in a beef stick today or perhaps a cheese ball or two? Oops, sorry, I was suddenly transported back to 1982!


Soup

Did you ever lose something really important to you?

I have recently lost respect for someone I truly cared about because of their actions and their unwillingness to own up to it. If only this person would say yes I did it and I am sorry. It's a tough situation, but I will leave it in God's hands. He knows best!

Salad

What is the best Christmas present you ever received?

I've mentioned a gift my husband brought back from Bahrain. It was a beautiful ornate box that contained gold, frankincense and myrrh. But can I change my answer?

Thinking back on the years I don't know how I could have overlooked this, but we were able to officially adopt our daughters right before Christmas! Nothing can ever compare to this!


Main Course

Tell about a favorite "hang out" place for you and your friends when you were in high school.

Always after evening service at church all the youth group would cram into two cars and we would go to The Pizza Cottage (which is now an Arni's, as if anybody really cares!). There were about fifteen of us and we thought we were so cool! As soon as we would get there the pastor's son would put money in the jukebox and play Meatloaf's song, "Bat Out of Hell" about five times! Wow, we were a rebellious bunch, weren't we?


Dessert

Name something that always brings a smile to your face.

I'm defying the question and I am going to list many things that bring a smile to my face!

1. Knowing that no matter how bad it may seem I have trusted Christ as my Saviour and will live Him for all eternity!
2. I have the most amazing family that anyone could ever wish for!
3. I have many wondeful friends that love me for who I am~faults and all!
4. I am making new friends by blogging that love me for who I am~mispellings and all!
5. Anything BLUE makes me smile~~ALWAYS!
6. Little children~doesn't matter if they are happy, sleeping, crying, whatever! They are God's miracles and we should all shower them with as much love and affection as we possibly can!
7. When my checkbook balances and I have money left over :o)
8. Donny Osmond!
9. When my daddy is having a good day and we can visit together!
10. Feeding giraffes!

If only you gys could see me now! I am smiling from ear to ear just thinking on these wonderful things....my cheeks are hurting now...

Thursday Thirteen

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KAYLA'S THURSDAY THIRTEEN!

1. I always wanted a daughter named Kayla to hold. I was blessed to become her mother when Kayla Noel was just 5 years old!

2. Kayla was never shy and enjoyed being the leader. You would know that about her if you ever did meet her!

3. Kayla is gentle, innocent and sweet. She will capture you with her smile the moment you meet!

4. Kayla and I had a rough start. She had to give up playing the "mother" part.

5. Kayla had a baby sister that she had taken care of for years. Kayla was mom to her and dried her baby sis's tears.

6. I had to be gentle with Kayla and not step on her toes. She had been a great caregiver to Kara Rose.

7. With patience and understanding she let me into her world. I became mom and she was once again a little girl!

8. Kayla is a girl through and through. She loves to dress up in pink and make all kinds of different hair-dos!

9. She'll do anything you ask of her. She is most definitely a people pleaser.

10. Kayla plays the flute, loves to read and babysit the little ones! She is often found surrounded by my friend's daughters and sons.

11. So far, no boy she has dated has met my qualifications! It's going to take someone very special for me to be able to say congratulations!

12. I know one day she'll marry and become a great wife! That is exactly what she wants out of life.

13. I'm proud to call her my daughter and friend! I thank God for my Kayla to me He did send!

HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY KAYLA!

Works For Me Wednesday!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
Bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels
Hershey's Kisses (any flavor will do!)
M&M's candy

1. Heat the oven to 170º. Set a number of bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels (one for each treat) in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then top each pretzel with an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug.

2. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes (the white chocolate will melt more quickly), until the chocolates feel soft when touched with a wooden spoon. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and quickly press an M&M's candy into the center of each Kiss.

3. Allow the treats to cool for a few minutes, then place them in the refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes. Place handfuls of the candies in clear plastic bags and tie on colorful ribbons.

These are so easy to make and even easier to eat! Enjoy!

Look for more WFMW at http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon!

Another Fun Christmas Meme!

I stole this from Kathleen Marie today. I thought it was a cute one!

1. If you could be under the mistletoe with anyone you want, who would it be?

Well, if my husband was away like on a business trip and couldn't make it back in time while I am patiently waiting under the mistletoe and Donny Osmond just happened to walk by then I would HAVE to kiss him! C'mon people, I am just following tradition! Because let's just say that maybe it was somebody like Billy Bob Thorton...(yucky) I would have to kiss him too....maybe on the cheek and a quick peck at that! I'm all for keeping with tradition ;o)

2. Where would you like to spend Christmas if you could go absolutely anywhere at all?

Wouldn't Switzerland be just lovely this time of year! Only if I could have ALL of my family with me....plus my baby Wensley....and my friends too....and if my church could have the Christmas Eve service there as well....and let's not forget my neighbors I like to visit every year. Maybe I just need to stay exactly where I am because I have everything I could possibly want right here!

3. Have you ever made a snow angel?

Definitely! Our backyard was huge and I would make row after row of them!

4. Have you ever been in a snowball fight?

Yes, but I was a big baby when it came to snowball fights. I hated getting hit in the face and would usually go in crying. What a whimp!

5. What is the strangest thing you ever got for Christmas?

When I was younger I loved cats and I also loved dolls. I received the strangest looking doll (if you can call it that). It had arms and legs like a regular doll, but the face of a cat. And if that wasn't bad enough it was dressed up in a Santa outfit! I received it from my sweet Aunt Pauline who just thought it was so cute! I was able to fake a smile and say how much I loved it! Many years later after she had passed away I used it for a white elephant gift. It was a hit!


6. How early do you wake up on Christmas morning?

It gets later and later every year because our kids are growing up. But we will probably crawl out of bed around 8:00 am and my hubby will make us a big yummy breakfast!


7. Name one thing that you always get for Christmas.

Can I name a couple? Thanks....I always get the new Noah's Ark ornament from Hallmark and I never go a year without getting a book of lifesavers! Do you remember those? I've received them since I was old enough to have them! Just keeping with tradition!

8. Have you ever gone caroling?

Yes, but I sing quietly because I am horrible! We usually go to the nursing homes ao I don't suppose the elderly would care if I can carry a tune or what! My youth group came to my house on Saturday and sang three pretty carols and then gave me a huge basket filled with all sorts of yummy goodies! I really shouldn't be eating any cookies, but I couldn't resist the homemade sugar cookie that was calling out to me!

9. Favorite Christmas scent.

I like the smell of homemade yeast rolls the best! I am only allowing myself to eat two this year. I could so easily eat a baker's dozen without blinking an eye!

10. Homemade cards or store-bought?

Of course I love homemade cards, but I really like it when people include a few words or even a letter about the past year is better!

11. Homemade cookies or store-bought?

You gotta love those homemade cookies, but I must admit that there are some store bought cookies out there that have been just as tasty as homemade! I love sugar cookies this time of year with frosting!

12. Least favorite Christmas song.

Don't hate me, but I get tired of hearing Feliz Navidad. If it had more words to it maybe I could tolerate it, but it does grate on my nerves a bit. Kinda like fingernails to the chalkboard...get the picture?

13. Favorite Christmas song

Mary, Did You Know by Mark Lowery

14. Famous Christmas Quote or Saying

There has been only one Christmas - the rest are anniversaries. ~W.J. Cameron

I liked this one! If you feel inclined to do it please let me know so I can visit!

The Perfect Card!

I love to stand at the card counters and read all the cards! Some are very clever and some are just plain dumb! Because more than likely this will be my dad's last birthday I wanted to make sure I found a card that said everything I wanted, but didn't know how to put into words. And as an added bonus...it was the first card I picked! How often does that happen? I want to write out what it says inside mainly for me because I don't ever want to forget it....

There's a special place in my heart that only belongs to Dad.
It's filled with fond memories of times we've spent together...
the pride I feel whenever I talk about him...
the joy that comes from the relationship we share.
There's a place in my heart especially for Dad...
a place where he's thought of with a special kind of love.

I can't imagine anything more beautiful than my
childhood memories of you...
anything more meaningful than knowing
how much you care....
anything more wonderful than having you for my dad.

Happy Birthday!

I cried in the aisles when I read this. I was so thankful to find it last night. My family gets to go see my dad tonight and wish him happy birthday. I don't know if it is the weather or the stress taking its toll on me, but I am unable to walk at all today even with my crutches. I am so sad that I can't see dad tonight. But I am hoping that with a day of rest and prayer that I will be able to walk tomorrow and visit with dad!

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer

Which language would you like to learn and why?

Hola mi amigas! I had four years of spanish in high school, but have forgotten most of it! So I would like to relearn spanish for a couple of reasons. I have a new niece that is from Mexico and I have a hard time understanding her and I want to get to know her better without saying Huh? all the time....I'm sure she wishes I would stop that too! Also, my favorite restaurant here in town is Rancho Bravo and many of the waitresses don't speak any english. One~they usually get my order wrong if I specialize it, but also I would love to be able to communicate with them on a friend basis because we eat there so much! I wish I could also learn sign language because we have several deaf people at church. I told my dad that I would like to learn it and he laughed and said that because of my cripples hands I would "talk" with an accent!! LOL....

Soup

What's the funniest thing you've heard or read so far this week?

It's been a rough week with my dad so I haven't been my usual jolly self, but I do remember my hubby watching videos on You Tube and there was a SNL skit with Jim Carrey being a lifeguard for a whirlpool tub where Will Ferrell was trying to relax!

Salad

Which movie was so bad you couldn't watch the whole thing?

I tend to be pretty picky about movies and only for ones I really want to see. One time when we were in England we went to the movies with some friends and this movie was SO DUMB, but because we were with a bunch of kids our age we stayed for the whole thing. The movie was called, "Morons From Outer Space". Uh yeah, you get the picture!

Main Course

If there were a holiday in your honor that didn't use your actual name, what would the day be called?

This is a great question, but a tough one! Let me think real quick.....thinking...thinking.....

Okay, how about ~ Give Blue A Chance Day! Everything for the day is a different shade of blue and whatever we eat or drink has to be blue! I know it would be a happy day for me, but I am sure everybody else would get sick of it! Too bad ;o)

Dessert

Name one movie which is coming out soon that you would like to see.

I've heard wonderful things about Dreamgirls! Besides, I'll use any excuse to have a date with my husband! wink, wink!

Thursday Thirteen

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13 Memories Of My Dad For His 70th Birthday!

1. My dad was the manager for Kroger for many years. He put in 60 hours a week easily. On his days off he worked just as hard at home. He was not one to sit and do nothing. He helped mom around the house, he kept the yard in tip top shape, we always had a bountiful garden and he always had time for me and my brother!

2. Dad introduced me to one of my favorite sandwiches~slightly mix peanut butter, syrup and butter together! Yummy! My kids love it too!!

3. He was patient enough to teach me how to drive a stick shift!

4. On Christmas Eve he would take me for a drive through the neighborhoods to see all the beautiful lights and so I could see if saw Santa in the sky driving his sleigh! We both always managed to see Santa ;o)

5. I loved to have my back scratched as a child and when I would go to bed at night he would scratch it for as long as I wanted him too and we would talk about our days. Unlike most men~he is a great listener!

6. My brother and I always drank straight from the Coke bottles in the fridge, which drove my dad crazy! To teach us a lesson he put castor oil in the bottle one day! Let's just say I never drank from the bottle again!

7. He cried all the way home from Children's Memorial Hospital when he found out I was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. I always knew he loved me bunches, but that day I realized how much I really meant to him.

8. I only received one spanking from dad as a child and I deserved it. What really hurt the most was knowing that I had disappointed my father. I would rather have a spanking anyday of the week instead of disappointing him.

9. Every single year for Dad's birthday and Christmas I would buy him either a pair of gloves or a pair of dress socks. He always acted suprised and told me they were just what he needed! Not too long ago I had to get in his closet and there were about five pair of brand new gloves he had never used.

10. He took me to the State Fair to see my first Donny & Marie concert! He bought me a t-shirt and a program~I still have both of them!

11. On September 8, 1984 he walked me down the aisle. When the preacher asked, "Who gives this woman...", he replied, "Her mother and I do with our blessing." And then he kissed me on the cheek.

12. Everybody loves dad! I have grown up hearing what a kind, generous, caring, thoughtful man he is....and some of these comments were from people he had to fire from Kroger! He doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He is respected by the whole community~that says alot!

13. He's simply the best dad I could ever have! I am so very proud and privileged to call him DAD!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Thursday Challenge~CAR

This is a car my husband restored and modified. He made the cover of MM! He is the one drving the car! I am very proud of him!

A-Z Of Me

Uh oh! I've been tagged by Pamela~does this mean she owns me now?

A - Available/Single? I am always available to have lunch or go to the movies with a girlfriend, but I have to warn you~I have been happily married for 22 years!
B - Best Friend? In order to work with your husband and be with him 24/7 you have to be best friends~otherwise I would be in jail for murder!
C- Cake or Pie? My husband makes THE BEST Chocolate Mousse Cake~it is to die for! Not a bad way to go!
D - Drink Of Choice? Diet Mountain Dew all the way! Give me caffeine ;o)
E - Essential Item You Use Everyday? I do love my crutches. And let's not forget my pretty blue toothbrush so I can have fresh breath to kiss my boss with!
F - Favorite Color? You should so know this one ~ it's BLUE!!!!!
G - Gummy Bears Or Worms? I am assuming you mean gummy worms and not real live ones? I love the clear gummy bears and I do enjoy the sour gummy worms as well.
H - Hometown? I have lived in Crawfordsville, Indiana since I was four years old.
I - Indulgence? Ethel M chocolates are so divine as far as treats. I love to buy Noah's Ark stuff and purses!
J - January Or February? Can I choose both please? I love January because my kids are still on Christmas break and my hubby's birthday is on the 30th. I love February because that is the month when we met our girls back in 1992~so it is a very special month. PLUS maybe I'll get some Ethel M chocolates for Valentine's Day :o)
K - Kids & Their Names? Jordan just turned 16, Kara is 18 and Kayla will be 20 on the 16th!
L- Life Is Incomplete Without? God! I couldn't make it without Him!
M- Marriage Date? September 8th, 1984 I went to some yards sales that morning!
N - Number Of Siblings? I only have one older brother who will be 46 in February. I have plenty of in-laws (15) that I call my brothers and sisters!
O - Oranges Or Apples? Mmmmm, I love a juicy orange from Florida anyday, anytime!
P - Phobias/Fears? Not to fond of snakes or ladders~Hey, isn't that a name of a game~Snakes & Ladders? Sounds familiar.
Q - Favorite Quote? Tomorrow is a brand new day with no mistakes!
R - Reason To Smile? Knowing I've received God's free gift of salvation! Finding $20 in your coat pocket (which I did the other day!), meeting new friends by blogging, when my daddy is having a good day, listening to a baby belly laugh!, having a wonderful devoted husband and three awesome kids, finding a pair of shoes that fit me perfectly, going to Awana's tonight and being with my other 25 children!
S - Season? I love spring and watching everything turn green again, flowers blooming and lots of rainbows!
T - Tag Three People? I've seen where many ladies have done this meme already, so I would love it if Heather would do it! I know you are so busy, but I love reading memes and getting to know people better! Please Heather, I have a pouty lip right now!
U - Unknown Fact About Me? Not that anybody cares, but I have the same exact birthmark as my dad...we have two little "bumps" on our right ear in the same place...weird isn't it?
V - Vegetable you don't like? I'll give you several....lima beans, turnips and peas! Nasty! Who came up with these anyway?
W - Worst Habit? My family would say that I am too stubborn and don't ask for help when I need it the most. They are probably right, but I at least like to give it the old college try first!
X - X-rays You've Had? Haha...it would be easier to tell what I haven't had x-rayed! Which does remind me I have never had a mamagram and I am over 40 now....I should do that, shouldn't I?
Y - Your Favorite Food? I could eat pasta everyday! I've switched to whole wheat pasta now and it is quite tasty. Has anyone ever been to Romano's Macaroni Grill? Major Yummers!
Z - Zoo Animal? I'll give you one guess.....ding, ding, ding....you're a smart one! Yes, it is a giraffe. I'll admit I am partial to penguins as well!

What's Done Is Done!

20 years ago I... had been married for two years and spent eight weeks living on the Isle of Wight while my husband worked. It was an amazing experience I will never forget. Also twenty years ago at this time I was in the hospital recovering from bilateral knee replacements. I was only 22 years old! I had been told by doctors I was too young to have it, but thankfully God led me to a rheumatologist who disagreed! I have lived pain free~in my knees anyway since then! Also twenty years ago, although I didn't know it at the time, my future daughter was just about to arrive!! She was born on the 16th of December!

15 years ago I...and my hubby were in the middle of taking adoption classes for special needs children. God had big plans for the both of us! We were still trying to decide if adoption was what we wanted to do or not. Little did we know that within two months we would become proud parents of our two daughters!

10 years ago I...was the mother of two daughters and a son by this time! My kids were 10, 8, and 6 years old. I had my right hand replaced in the spring. Right after surgery we went to Florida for business/vacation. While my poor hubby worked the kids and I had the pool completely to ourselves everyday! I had to wear a certain splint while I was in the water. I had the coolest tan that year....the top of my right arm was striped from where the velcro attached to the splint....lol....can you picture it? It was pretty funny!

5 years ago I...was teaching my daughter how to drive a car...I wasn't sure I would live through it, but I actually did pretty well. She said I was calmer than dad was and preferred it when I took her out to practice ;o) Which turned out I needed her alot because that fall I had my left shoulder replaced. My dad had just been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and was getting ready to retire. If I only knew then what I know now.....

3 years ago I... was an overprotective mother. My oldest daughter had her first boyfriend. I typically love anybody and everybody. I didn't realize until then that nobody is good enough to date my child! I have worked on this very hard and while she is not with him anymore I love him like a son. And all those other boys that have passed through our lives since then are considered sons as well! I have lots and lots of sons now with two daughters dating! God will see me through until each of them find their spouses.....IF they get married!

1 year ago I...was wondering if that would be the last Christmas I would spend with my father. I had a rough winter as far as hurting and was trying desperately to stay off crutches. I was enjoying the birth of my new great niece! One year ago I was twenty pounds heavier. One year ago I looked in a mirror and discovered a whole lot of gray hairs...lol...I earned each and every one of them!

So far this year I...have been blessed beyond measure to have my father still! I cherish every moment I have with him! It's been a busy year...I walked as long as I could on my own and gave up and started using crutches in April. At the same time I gave birth to my first kidney stone with it's brother announcing his arrival a few months later! So far this year I have lost a little over twenty pounds by eating every few hours~what a chore! I really haven't accomplished anything big this year~just trying to survive one day at a time. But God is faithful and had taught me not to worry so much about the big stuff. I can only do my best and as long as I am doing that it will glorify God. I'm certainly not saying that I am even near perfect and He is pleased with all my actions. I'm just saying I have learned that I have a long way to go and God is right there with me!

Yesterday I...along with my mom and brother started preparing for dad's funeral. He hasn't passed away and we don't know when and if he will, but we need to be prepared. My brother picked out his casket. I asked my husband if he would sing at dad's funeral. I told mom I would go find a suit for dad since he has lost so much weight he won't be able to fit in his old ones anymore. I cried all evening, but I am better today.

Today I...had lunch with my husband and daughter. I came into work for a few hours. I have prepared for Awana tomorrow night. And of course I have been reading blog after blog after blog! The night is still young so who knows what I'll do!

Tomorrow I will...spend the morning with my daughter, go to work for a few hours and then I get to go to Awanas! I made a deal with the girls that if every single one of them said a section in their book I would eat some mint ice cream! I know that doesn't sound difficult, BUT I cannot stand the taste of mint ice cream...YUCKY! But I will be more than happy to eat a huge bowl full if the girls are learning their verses!

In the next year I will...hopefully lose enough weight so I can have both of my hips replaced! I will hopefully keep blogging and meeting new friends like Pamela! I will continue to work in Awana and love every minute of it! I don't know what the future holds for me. I am sure I am going to have some rough spots here and there, but I also know I will receive many blessings as well. My God shall supply my every need!

In the next minute I will...think thoughtfully on the past twenty years and realize what a wonderful life I've had thus far!

To be continued........

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Whew, is it cold and windy today!! Even as big as I am I almost got blown away ;o) Now that is some serious strong winds! Thank goodness I had my trusty crutches to keep from falling over!

I'll be honest...I do have fun opening gifts. I'm not denying it! I do enjoy giving too, don't get me wrong. On Saturday I found out who my secret pal was at church. She happened to be a close friend of mine! In my bag of goodies I received a Christmas cd, a giraffe ornament :o) good smelling soaps with loufas, a pretty makeup bag I've had my eye on, a bill organizer for 2007 (I wonder if she knows how unorganized I can be?) a bookmark, a Yankee candle (pumpkin spice) and an old Monkees album. I loved them as a kid and always watched the show. I had mentioned that and she picked up on it~clever girl!

My new secret pal for next year is one of my very closet friends! She is also my neighbor! I am so excited and I am going to have to be very sneaky this year when taking my gifts to church. My hubby is going to take me tonight to Wal-mart (seriously, this is the only store in town now) to pick out her gift! Oh this is going to be SO much fun!! I hope I can keep my big mouth shut!

I saw my father on Saturday and stayed for about five hours. He was a little more responsive then he had been. The poor guy just doesn't feel well at all. I wish I could take his pain away. Thanks for all the prayers and thoughts on his behalf!

Right now as I am typing this my daughter made some homemade hot chocolate and brought it to me :o) Happiness & Joy! MMmmmm......chocolate!

I am bumming a little today. I have a couple of my customers who are just not paying their bill. Each of them owe quite a lot. I think people think because we own our own business that we might be rolling in the dough~quite the contrary! I just got off the phone with one of them and he said he would send about 1/4 of it sometime this week. For the first time in my life I was a little snotty with someone. I said, "I have already paid my employees for work you authorized us to do. That was over two months ago." He said, "Well, maybe I can pay it off over the next few months." I said, "I am counting on that money because I need to pay our employees. Please try your best to pay off the last two invoices and we'll go from there."

Was that too mean? I feel bad because I know what it's like to live paycheck to paycheck. Only trouble is with people not paying us my hubby isn't getting a paycheck! And wouldn't you know, all my medical bills from the kidney stones this summer are just now coming! Does anybody have one of those money trees I could go pick? I promise not to take it all~just exactly enough to pay my bills for this month! Thanks in advance!

Okay, I'll end on a happier note....hmmmm...let me think.......

LaLaLa.....oh, not that kind of note?

How about I just say that I am happy to be out and about today and can't wait to go fight the crowds tonight at Wally World!! I hope everyone's week is starting off great! Hugs to all and to all a good night!!

I Think I Will Just Ramble Today!

We are having a very busy weekend. I am at the shop today because we have one of our customers here. He is excited about the progress on his 1970 Mustang and thinks it looks great!

We had our Secret Prayer Sister breakfast this morning, but I was unable to go. This cold weather snap we got is making me freeze up in the morning. I was bummed too because this year's theme was on Friendship! But because I am a big mouth I sent a Friendship Testimony with one of my friends to read to all the ladies. I just love all our dear ladies at church. I have gone to my church now for 34 years! I especially love the older generation. They have so much to teach us "young" folks and I have learned so much from them already!

I am going to see my dad in about an hour. He has not been doing well the past few days. His blood pressure is still extremely low. He started hallucinating yesterday and having tremors. That part is better today though! Mom just adjusted his medicine a little bit and that did the trick! He still isn't responsive. The hospice nurse told mom that he is declining. I realize he is going to die. But for some reason when the nurse says these things I can't stop crying. I'm just not ready to let go yet and that is not fair to dad. I want with all my heart to talk to him and tell him if he is ready to go that it's okay. I want to reassure him that we'll take care of mom and each other. I know I am being selfish and I am trying to work on that. I know I will see him in Heaven and I am truly thankful for that! But for today I want him here, with me and mom. Thank you to those that have prayed for both of them. I know that it is only through prayer and God's grace that they have made it this far.

On a lighter note....my husband is driving his truck and pulling a wagon for the parade tomorrow. All the church kids will be riding on the wagon and singing songs. If I feel up to it I will go and sit in the cab with my hubby where it is warm. And yes, we will take our precious Wensley! She will love seeing all the people and probably think that the parade is for her!!

I think the parades are cheesy....I know I am a spoil sport! If you could see our parade I am sure you would agree. Our parade consists of Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, maybe a high school marching band, a small dance recital where all the kids are not in step with each other, several tractors (who knows why they are in it!), the 4-H Queen and her court, and a few churches with floats~if you can call a wagon with a few streams of crepe paper a float! And don't forget Santa...he's always at the very end. Okay, do you see what I am talking about? BUT the kids love it and it is good clean wholesome fun for them and they will always remember freezing their little bottoms off for those broken candy canes that get thrown to the crowd every year!

Everybody needs to go and wish Pamela's @ www. justthetwo-of-us.blogspot.com adorable grandson Ben a very happy 1st birthday!

Have a great weekend everybody!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer

Have you ever flown in a helicopter?

No, I have not. We used to have a small company plane that seated like six of us and I thought it was too small. It was kind of scary to me to fly in it. But the weird thing is I would love to go up in a hot air balloon!

Soup

What color is your warmest coat or jacket?

Well, if you know me at all it is of course BLUE! Because blue makes me happy I don't think about how miserable I am out in the cold, snowy, slippery, wet, slushy, yucky snow ;o)

Salad

What is your favorite rainy day activity?

As long as my family is home with me I am gonna say playing board games all day long while we make cookies or homemade breads~stuff like that. We are on a Scrabble kick right now and have played every night for the past week and a half! My kids remember stuff like this and it means something to them!

Main Course

Describe your hands.

Okay, here goes: On my right hand each finger has a scar on it about two inches long because I had to have screws put in each one...BUT each of my fingers are straight now! I cannot make a fist nor does it straighten out all the way. I don't have alot of mobility; therefore I drop alot of things....BUT it doesn't ache or hurt anymore! On my left hand I decided not to have the joints replaced so you can definitely tell I have arthritis because my fingers turn out (does that make sense?). I cannot make a fist with this hand either, but I don't drop as much with it for some reason. My hands may be considered crippled up by most people, but with these crippled hands I can type super fast and you ought to see me play Tetris! Nope, I wouldn't change a thing.

Dessert

If you could eat only one nut for the rest of your life, what nut would you pick?

This is an easy one....I adore cashews! MMMMmmmmmmm!

If you did today's Friday's Feast please let me know so I can stop by!

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things You Might Not Know About Me (Or Even Care To Know!)

1. I am easily entertained. I can sit for hours watching the giraffes or the penguins at the zoo, laughing out loud the entire time! I love to people watch at the mall. And I love watching babies do anything, even sleep! And I still enjoy looking in the clouds and trying to find things like dragons and stuff like that!

2. I never had a a real girlfriend until I was about 27 years old. For some reason I always preferred hanging out with guys! There was never as much drama with them (you know what I am talking about, don't ya?) But my friend Karen is the absolute best! It's funny we are best friends because in a lot of ways we are total opposites. She brings out the best in me and I bring out the goofy side in her ;o)

3. I've had both my knees replaced when I was 22, then both my elbows, both of my shoulders and all the fingers on my right hand. I've had my knees for twenty years now and they are still in great shape! PTL for that!! I am quite bionic. Yes, I know I am on crutches and move at a snail's pace, but I can still call myself bionic!

4. I collect anything Noah's Ark! Hallmark always has Christmas ornament out every year that I get, but I also love some of the obscure kind of things too! I have some very old Noah's Ark toys from like 1940-1950. It's a fun thing to collect!

5. I still love baby dolls! Every Christmas I got a new baby doll. One year I received a cloth doll with a plastic head. I took a knife and slit open her mouth so I could feed her real food like green beans. It wasn't long until she started rotting and we had to throw her away! I was so sad, but the next year they came out with a doll called Baby Alive and she was so cool because you could mix up food for her and really feed her! I still have her too!

6. I love music with a passion, but I cannot play any instrument, I cannot read music and I certainly cannot sing! BUT my husband and my three children are all gifted musically. Lalalelulo~wow! I can't even type in tune either...hehe!

7. I have three children and they are all adopted from the same family. We became parents when our daughters were 5 and 3 and then our son came up for adoption and we got him when he was 3 1/2! I really need to write our adoption story sometime because it shows how God was working in our lives!

8. I was bit my a snake when I was five years old and have never been fond of them since!

9. I took some matches from a restaurant when I was seven years old. I went into the bathroom and started lighting them and then throwing them in the toilet. Our furnace kicked on as I was tossing a match and it caught the toilet paper on fire! I also lit matches in my bedroom and set my carpet on fire too. Don't fear~I am cured now!

10. I think my laugh is obnoxious, but most people say it is contagious. I do get tickled pretty easily over things and sometimes I am the only one that laughs at something. I seem to find humor in just about everything. Hey, it's better than crying and complaining, right?

11. I love to pull teeth! I couldn't wait for my kids to start losing their teeth. I've even pulled other kids teeth that I don't really know. I just love to hear that cracking sound!

12. I'm the type of person that once I have met you I pretty much consider you family! In fact, my family is the same way. We truly enjoy getting to know other people and we are not shy at all. I've realized how much we can learn from others and how much we need other people in our lives too!

13. I guess I'll end with one last weird thing about me. I have a big gap between my big toe and the second toe! I could probably fit another small toe in between the two! Oh yea, and a little bonus fact....I cannot stand feet....yucky! I don't even like to touch my own feet when they are clean!

Happy Thursday Thirteen Everybody!!!!!!

Holiday Meme!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Egg nog makes me gag because it is so slimey. I love hot chocolate, especially homemade kind!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? When I was little everything was sat under the tree. I did the same when I had children. Now that they are older we wrap them up. I always wondered why my mom and dad never got us anything!!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? I love the big colored old fashioned bulbs~you know, the kind that would probably start a fire!

4. Do you hang mistletoe? We used to all the time, but now that we have teenage daughters we don't! I don't want any boys taking advantage of my girls!!

5. When do you put your decorations up? My daughters birthday is December 16th so we always wait until the day after. She likes it better that way and that's okay with us too!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? My sister in law makes the yummiest dressing I have ever tasted! Ooh, and she also makes the best yeast rolls too! Okay my mouth is now officially watering :o)

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child: On Christmas Eve my mom and brother would set out the gifts while my dad drove me around the neighborhoods looking for Santa and his reindeer! You know what? I always saw Santa flying! I would get so excited and my dad would play along too. Then when dad felt mom had had enough time we would go back home to a tree full of presents and I would get to tell her where I saw Santa! Yes, good times.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I was a very immature child and just didn't want to grow up. I really believed until I was about 11 years old. Someone at school made fun of me for it so I asked my mom if Santa was real. She asked me, "What do you think?" I said, "I think he is real!"

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Well, normally we are at my folks for Christmas Eve so we get to open up lots of gifts! When we get home the kids are usually begging us to let them open one more, but G'ma and G'pa get them so many things that I play Scrooge and say NO!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? We have lots of special ornaments that we put on every year, but my favorite ornaments are the ones the kids have made throughout the years. The kind with the cotton balls for Santa's beard and the ones with all the glitter that gets every where!

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? I love to be inside safe and warm and watching it fall! I gotta have snow on Christmas Eve though!

12. Can you ice skate? In my dreams I can!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? One year my husband was in Bahrain and brought back a beautiful little box that contained gold, frankincense and myrrh. Very special!

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Getting everything I want! Just kidding! I would have to say having more opportunites to share the story of Christ's birth and why He came to earth for us with my unsaved friends!

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Probably all the different yummy kind of cookies people only make once a year!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? There are so many, but I just love it when we have Christmas music playing while we are decorating the tree. After we're finished we turn off all the lights and only have the tree lights on. It is peaceful and quiet and we sit together on the couch all snuggly like and drink hot chocolate. We talk about past Christmases and just enjoy being together. I can't wait!!

17. What tops your tree? An angel that my daughter made on a paper plate when she was in first grade. I just can't bring myself to change it!

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? I do love both I will admit. I love finding just the right gift for people I love. And I love receiving the special ornaments my friend Lori makes every year or when my husband makes me something special like a Noah's Ark shadow box to put my Noah's Ark ornaments on!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? These may not be too familiar with you, but I love Mark Lowery's song~Mary, Did You Know? I also love 4Him's song~Strange Way To Save The World. They both make me cry.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?? I think they are pretty to put on the tree! I don't care for peppermint, but they have so many flavors now I am sure I could find one I liked!

You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks

You've all heard that saying right? Well, maybe we can't teach an old dog new tricks, but they can certainly teach themselves a new one! Yep, you guessed it! Sneaky little dog tried it again last night, but this time she went to the refrigerator for I am assuming a dish of ice cream! My hubby was there to witness it and we all had a good laugh!

My daddy is still having a rough time and not responding. His blood pressure is very, very low. The hospice nurse said we didn't need to be concerned. She said that since dad lays all day and doesn't move it's okay for his blood pressure to be so low, which by the way is 75/40. I am still concerned though and so is mom, naturally. I just wish he was able to let us know what was wrong. Maybe he doesn't even know. Please keep him in your prayers!

I am bracing myself for winter to hit later this week. I am not looking forward to the snow this year. I am just so afraid of slipping on the ice and breaking a hip or two. I guess I will just take it one small step at a time!

Now here is a very random fact, but I was thinking about it this morning and it's kinda cool. My husband's grandmother sold blank sheet music to George Bennard. Who is that you ask! He wrote that beautiful hymn The Old Rugged Cross. I dunno, I just think it's pretty neat that she met him!

I suppose tonight we will go home and have another few games of Scrabble. We all stayed up again last night until after 11:00. My poor kids are going to be exhausted at school today. Maybe will only stay up until 10:30 tonight ;o)

I better hush and get on Quickbooks and learn a thing or two today! Sending hugs to anyone that reads this far!!

She Thinks She's Smarter Than Me?

Okay, I knew that my baby was a pretty smart girl, but I didn't realize HOW smart until last night!

Wensley knows that when she goes potty she gets a treat. Last night she came to me to let me know she needed to go potty. I let her out and she did her thing. She got her treat and all was well with the world.

A few minutes later I heard my son giving her a treat and telling her what a good girl she was. He told me she went potty. I figured maybe she just didn't get all her business done the first time.

Well, a few minutes later she went to my daughter and "told" her she needed to go out and go potty. I had my daughter follow her out and she squated but wasn't doing anything. Wensley ran in and headed straight to her treats. We told her no and this time she went to my husband, who had no idea what was going on. He asked if she needed to go potty and she headed for the door again! I asked my hubby to see if she was actually doing anything when she goes out. He came back and said that she would run to the edge of the driveway and squate, but nothing was happening. Again she ran straight to her treats! The little stinker was trying to trick us the whole time! HA! She thinks she can fool me?

Let me tell you that Wensleydale did NOT get a treat for trying to trick me! No siree! BUT she did get a dish of vanilla ice cream for being so clever! What can I say? I'm not even sorry for spoiling her! I'm a sucker for a con artist I guess!

Always Thankful!

God is so good to us, you know it?! I will admit I was afraid on Thanksgiving day, but God has shown me to put my complete trust in Him.

We all gradually got up around 9am Thursday morning. We had stayed up the night before playing more board games. Boy do we have a good time playing games!! The game of choice that night was Scrabble....parents vs. kids....hehe hubby and I won!! I'm not boasting mind you, just letting y'all know who won, that's all ;o) Anywho, back to the story...my hubby enjoys cooking and to tell you the truth we all prefer it when he does so because his food is yummerlicious! He made a buffet of breakfast foods for all of us. We felt like we were eating at Denny's only ten times better.

After I ate I gave mom a quick call to see how dad was doing. She said he was having a bad day. He wasn't responding to her in any way. I guess the day before he had told her he didn't feel right in his head. What that means I really don't know or understand, but for him to complain about something must have meant he was feeling horrible. I asked her when she wanted us to come over and she said to wait until the afternoon. So we got out the Scrabble board once again and played a game or two, but I had a hard time concentrating for wanting to be with my dad.

We all took our showers and headed over to my folks to spend the rest of the day with them. My mom asked if we cared if she left for just a little bit to go to Wal-mart and get out of the house. Of course we didn't mind one single bit. The poor lady never has a moment to herself and rarely gets the rest she needs. She does have someone that comes everyday from 9-5 to help her, but it just isn't the same. She is the one who knows dads every need and his schedule, etc. She is so patient with him and loves him so much! It is so difficult to take care of him, but she is determined not to put him in a nursing home. I agree with her and we help as much as we can too, but it is basically up to her.

Again, I am getting off track, aren't I? So we get to there house and I walk out to see dad and can tell right away he just doesn't feel well. We all say hello and give him kisses on his forehead...nothing....I rub his arm and let him know I am there....still nothing. I am usually the one that can get him to laughing and even trying to be silly so I am quite worried about him. Mom assures me that he'll be okay, she just thinks he feels so bad he just doesn't want to try and visit. I tell her to go ahead and go shopping and we'll sit with dad. My hubby and I tell him what's going on in the world...we focused on all the positive and didn't tell him anything negative.

I wondered myself if maybe he was depressed that day. He has every right to feel down. Last Thanksgiving was his last one to get out his bed and even eat a few bites of real food. I didn't try to be funny or bring up anything that might cause him to be more depressed (if that's what it was). I gently rubbed his arm and then his leg for a little while. I know he must ache something awful sitting in that bed in pretty much the same position. He has so many bed sores that mom has to be careful how much she moves him because the sores rip open. Just writing this makes my eyes fill up with huge tears and a huge lump in my throat. Now I understand how painful it was for him to watch me suffer as a child. As a child I tried not to show how much pain I was in because the look they got in their eyes was sometimes more painful than the arthritis itself. I love my dad so much and I want him here forever because I am selfish and I still need him no matter if he can speak to me or not. But on the other hand I don't want him to continue suffering. I know he is saved and when he does pass away he will go to Heaven and have a new perfect body free from this nasty Parkinson's disease!!! PTL!!

I have learned that being a parent can be rough. I never knew how hard it would be to be a child of a sick parent. But I am thankful to God for this opportunity to learn to lean on Him more and trust in Him. He does know what's best for us and He has a plan for all of us. Even my dad.

My dad spent all day Friday, Friday night and most of today sleeping. I wondered if he would ever wake up. My mom said she felt better with him sleeping and thought maybe by the time he woke up the feeling in his head would be gone. Sure enough he woke up late this afternoon and was alert and told her he was hungry and that his head felt better!!!!!! I wasn't able to go tonight because I was in the grocery store, but after church tomorrow you can guess where I'll be going! I just pray that tonight he is still able to sleep and feel even better tomorrow!

I am a daddy's girl that's for sure! I love you, Dad! You are my precious little daddy!

Things Are Different This Year

We usually have the full spread at Thanksgiving~you know, the turkey with all the trimmings, any kind of veggie you can think of and talk about desserts~Oh my! Well this year is going to be totally different for us and that is okay.

My father can no longer take food or drink by mouth. Now how fair would that be to him to have his home filled with all the mouth watering fragrances of the above mentioned foods? It only serves as a reminder of something he can no longer do. He would be the first one to argue and tell us to go ahead and make it, but I just could not do that to my father. We have decided as a family that we will still get together and have sandwiches, chips and cookies. And you know what? It will be just as special as it always is! Why? Because we will still have full bellies at the end of the meal, but more importantly because we will be together as a family. We will be sharing stories and laughing, watching the parade on television and then football (much to my dismay!).

I am thankful to God for giving me my dad. He made sure we went to church every Sunday morning and evening. He taught my brother and I to work hard and appreciate what we had. He taught me to be kind, caring and patient. He has the same weird sense of humor that I do ;o)

I know many of you are thankful for your dads too so let's make sure that this Thanksgiving we all let our folks know how thankful we are for them!

Hoping you all have a wonderful evening!

Mellow Monday

Today's question at www.carlalynne.blogspot.com is~What Games Do You Play?

That's a good question for me today because all weekend long I was down with a sinus infection and cramps~you name it, I had it! But to keep me entertained my kids and I had some kind of board game out all weekend! We played: MadGab, Sequence, Yahtzee!, Racko, and Guess Who. Last night after church we came home and made individual pizzas and sat down and the whole family played six games of Clue~I won twice :o)

I've said it before and I'm going to keep saying it, but my family enjoys sitting around and talking, eating and playing together! I've noticed lately that the families I come in contact with rarely do this anymore. I find that very sad. Some of my very favorite memories with my family is playing games together. It was always a big deal at my home because dad would get out the card table and set it up in the family room. My brother and I would race to the closet and we each got to pick out a game we wanted to play for Family Night. I usually chose Yahtzee and my brother enjoyed Monopoly. My mom would be busy in the kitchen making popcorn~on the stove no less (not in the microwave!) and filling up glasses with lots of ice because we were allowed to have soda on Family Night!! Ah yes, good times :o)

What is your favorite board game to play?

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Do you believe there is intelligent life on other planets?

I'm still trying to figure out if there's intelligent life on this planet!

Soup
What is one thing you said you'd never do, but you eventually did?

I let myself get to heavy and now I am paying for it. I have lost 18.5 pounds though!

Salad
Who is the teacher that influenced you the most in school?

Mrs. German...she was my english and spanish teacher for all four years of high school. I started off hating (well, that's a little strong) her because my very first day in high school I couldn't get my locker opened because it was jammed. I was also on crutches which made it difficult to carry books~we didn't have backpacks back in the olden days! I walked into her class right after the bell rang and she yelled at me for being late...she wouldn't even let me explain. I told my mom that night and of course my mother wrote a her a note explaining my circumstances and the next day Mrs. German apologized and she was my favorite teacher from then on. I missed a lot of school and she always made sure I didn't get behind in my studies and proved herself to be a very dedicated teacher!

Main Course
If you could trade places with anyone for one day, who would it be and why?

I'm not trying to change the question, but I would take my dad's place, but I wouldn't want him to have to have my body for a day. My dad is bedridden because of Parkinson's and already suffers enough. I would willingly take his place if I knew he could have one day free from pain, bedsores, not being able to eat or drink, not having a catheter, being able to speak, just being able to walk!!! And I wish it could be longer than a day....but I do know when we get to Heaven he will be from from all his suffering and will have a perfect body! PTL!

Dessert
What is your favorite dish to prepare?

I love to make homemade chicken and dumplings with all the fixin's like sweet corn, baby carrots and green beans with some kinds of cobbler for dessert! Yummy!

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Dumb Things I Have Said Or Done In My Life!

1. All for the love of a boy named Bobby~we dug a hole in the ground just big enough for my foot. I would stick my foot in the hole and he would try to hit it with my dad's rusty shovel. We were trying to see who was faster-me or him. Guess who won? I had to have a tetanus shot that day! Hey, I was seven years old and in love and completely stupid!

2. I found a stray cat one winter and my dad said I could bring him in and feed him some cat food. I could tell by the look in this poor kitty's eyes that he wanted milk instead. I gave him a big bowl full~at least two cups full. My dad told me I needed to put him back outside, but I went and put him in my bedroom and closed the door. When I had to go to bed that night I opened my door only to see that the cat had had diarrhea ALL OVER my bedroom walls! Obviously the milk didn't settle with him! This was the only time my father was ever mad at me. Poor daddy spent the next two hours cleaning it up. A couple of weeks later I got new wallpaper in my room and I never saw the stray cat again! I wonder where he went to....

3. When I was in eighth grade I cheated on my science test. I had studied, but for some reason I got so nervous when taking it. My teacher confronted me and then I lied to him about it. I couldn't sleep because I knew I had done wrong and for no reason! I knew the answers! Dumb!

4. One Sunday morning during worship service someone got up to sing special music. I wasn't fond of his singing and leaned over to my friend and said, "Oh great, can't somebody else sing today instead of him?" Only then did I realize I was talking to his daughter! I quickly covered up by saying, "I wish you could see the look in your eyes! You thought I was serious!" I quickly turned my head and started listening! That man still sings today at our church and has a beautiful tenor voice. I was stupid as a teenager not to recognize his talent. And I am still friends with his daughter I'm happy to report!

5. I hate milk with a passion! My mother always had me drink a glass at dinner. We had one of those big oval rugs under our kitchen tables growing up. I would make sure I was always the last one at the dinner table and when no one was looking I would pour my milk out on the carpet! I would then use my foot to rub it in so mom couldn't tell ;o) Well....she didn't notice until the sour smell filled the air! Being the dedective that she is it didn't take long to figure out what I had done! You know the saying-Don't cry over spilled milk-well I did because I got a spanking!

6. I was dumb enough to let my brother talk me into believing that there was a Hair Fairy! I would save all the hair from my hairbrush and put it under my pillow hoping that she would bring me some new ponytail holders or ribbons! Yeah, that was dumb!

7. My first day working at Hickory Farms I sold one of the displays to somebody that was shipping it as a gift to Texas! Nobody bothered to tell me they were fake~they weighed as much as the real thing! I wonder what that person thought when they tried to bite into the beef stick?

8. I tried buttermilk once because my grandma loved it and I admired her so much~NASTY!

9. As a teenage girl I always sat by all the teenage boys at church~one time after going to the bathroom I came back to the pew with my dress tucked inside my undies. Talk about embarassing~the guys have never let me live that one down!

10. My husband and my brother-in-law sound exactly alike, especially on the phone. Right after we were married my bil called me pretending to be my hubby (my husband put him up to it). Being the young newlywed that I was I said all kinds of embarassing mushy things. This went on for at least five minutes until I heard my husband laughing in the background. I was none to please with my new husband to say the least. I still kinda blush in front of my bil too!

11. As some of you know my husband restores cars for a living and many years ago he asked if he could bring home a transmission because he had no where to store it for the time being. I said SURE why not! Fast forward about fifteen years...that same transmission is still here! Gggrrrrrr. My fault, me dumb!

12. I'm sure many of us have done this (I hope anyway) but one time I double deposited a big check. I'm not sure why I didn't realize it because it was quite a large one and of course I bounced many checks until I discovered it. Luckily, we have a checking account that pays for that kind of stuff-but still this was a really dumb thing to do!

13. The list could go on and on of all the dumb things I have ever said or done, but I guess I will end with this one....We had a nurse shark named Fluffy...NO! That's not the dumb thing I did was naming him Fluffy...that was my husband's doing! Anyway, I accidentally killed him. When my husband was in South Africa it was my job to take care of Fluffy. By this time he was 28 inches long. We had a 110 gallon tank so he had plenty of room. Anywho, one night Fluffy bumped one of the tubes in his tank and it broke. By the time I realized it about half of the water had gushed out onto the floor! I spent hours and hours drying up all the water. I let it dry overnight and the next morning when I went to feed Fluffy I turned on the lights for his tank... there was still water left in the power strip and it somehow it shocked him to death and sent me flying. Do you have any idea how hard it was to tell my husband I had killed his shark? He was not mad at me and was more concerned for my injuries, but I felt horrible. We had a nice little funeral for Fluffy the Shark. He will always be remembered fondly.....

What's something dumb you have done that you are willing to share?

WFMW~The Christmas Edition!

I know this Christmas edition of WFMW is going to be a fun one!

When my husband and I first married we had absolutely no ornaments to put on our nine foot Douglas Fir tree! We went to Target and Wal-mart and bought those colored balls which were okay, they just weren't svery special. Over the years we have accumulated more than enough special ornaments to decorate two nine foot trees!

When I had kids I knew that when they were old enough and moved out I didn't want them to start out with a bare tree. Every year I buy them a very special ornament (usually from the Hallmark stores) that describes their personality for that year. When "J" was big into fire trucks we bought him a fire truck ornament, when "K" wanted to be a ballerina we bought her...well, you get the idea! Each of the kids have their own special box of ornaments that they get to hang on the tree each year. They get a kick hanging them up each year and remembering the different phases of their childhood. Plus they know that when they decide to leave home that they get to take their special ornaments with them to decorate their very first tree!

If you haven't thought of this before, it's never to late to start!

Merry Christmas Everybody!

Nine Weird Things

I've been seeing this meme different places and wanted to do it too!

1. Both my folks and my brother wore glasses and I didn't like being the odd one out so I failed my eye exam on purpose so I could have glasses too! Let's just say I couldn't see nary a thing when I got my new spectacles! I'm still the only one in my family that doesn't need glasses!

2. When I read a paper, a magazine or an ad I always start on the back page first. I've tried the normal way and I just can't do it! I'm fine when I read a book tough!

3. I'm scared to pick up cans of refrigerated biscuits~weird I know, but there is a good reason why....the first few times I bought them at the store I picked them up and they immediately popped in my hands ! Been scared ever since ;o)

4. I love to dip my grilled cheese in ketchup and lots of it!

5. When I was eight years old my cat Napoleon ran away from home. I was heart broken because he was the husband to my other cat Angel! One day when I left for school Napoleon was on my front porch waiting for me! I rejoiced with gladness. My mom said, "That cat is NOT Napoleon!" I insisted she was wrong and that I knew my own cat! Well, turns out mom does know best. "Napoleon" gave birth to a litter of five kittens two weeks later!

6. I like my hot food hot-I'd rather blow on my food and cool it down than to take a bite of lukewarm soup...eewwww! Speaking of which, I also like my drinks super duper mega cold with tons and tons of ice! I drove my family nuts when I had kidney stones because my drinks never seemed cold enough. We went through many bags of ice trying to please me!

7. Ever since I was eleven I have been in love with Donny Osmond and I know that someday when both he and I are no longer with our current spouses that we will meet and fall in love ;o)

8. I've said it once and I'll say it again...BLUE makes me happy. One of my employees brought me in a cell phone holder today that is blue and I keep looking at it and smiling. I told "G" thank you so much and he said it was no big deal. I told him it was to a big deal because if he messed up today on a car I couldn't get mad at him because I have my new blue cell phone holder sitting beside me to keep me happy! Then "G" said that blue made him happy too! Aha, a new convert!
9. I'm 42 years old and I still love to blow huge bubbles with my bubble gum. I'm still a kid at heart~what can I say? :o)

Monday Madness

1. From ch'i:If you could only read one blog every day- which one blog would be on your daily list?

Oh, that's an easy one....the first one I read everyday is Barb at A Chelsea Morning! She not only has yummy recipes, but craft ideas, dog stories :o), shares openly about her family, and I love her Sunday Meanderings! She is a very special lady.

2. From kat:What do you do to de-stress from a hectic day? I like to sit on the edge of my bed and take a deep breath, play a little Tetris on my cell phone and then give God the praise that I made it through another day and ask Him to help me ge through the next day!

3. From paxil princess:What is your favorite piece of clothing to wear in the winter?

I keep a navy blue sweater with me at all times. It's one of those big ugly kind, but it keeps me just the right temperature when I get a little chilly!

4. From sherle:Do you prefer discussing problems with a sibling, a parent, a significant other, a psychologist, or a total stranger?

Definitely my husband and then we go together in prayer and ask God to give us wisdom in solving the problems we are faced with at the moment.

5. From trista:How long have you been blogging?

Only a few short months. I tend to do alot of these memes because I spend most of my free time reading other blogs! I cannot believe how many great ones there are...the list goes on and on and on!

6. From lisa e:Which side of the bed?

Always the right side no matter where we are at.

7. From elton:How often do you pig out when you eat?

The only thing I've ever really pigged out on is Penne Rustica from Romano's Macaroni Grill! I get full after a few bites, but it is just so darn tasty I usually end up eating most of it! I know, me bad!

8. From karen:Do you watch the space shuttle launches?

My husband loves to watch them so I usually watch with him. When we were in Florida a few years back we did get to see some kind of launch at night! It was amazing to see the least.

9. From dawn:What's your favorite leisure-time activity? My family loves playing board games together! Usually every Friday or Saturday night we play something~it depends on the girls' work schedule. Friday night we played Mad Gab and laughed and laughed!

10. From sherle:When is the last time you said, 'I love you' and to whom? What about hugs? Who is the last person you hugged?

My hubby just walked out the door and I told him I loved him. The last "person" I hugged was actually my bulldog when I left for work! If I hug her and tell her I'll be back she doesn't try to get in the car with me; otherwise she races to the car and jumps in and is ready to go bye bye!

I hope everyone's week is off to a great start! Mine is actually a little rocky today. I have lots of things to be praying for this week, but I have lots to be thankful for too! I'm off to read blogs!!

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things I Did And Learned On Our Las Vegas & California Trip!

1. This is sad, but true~On the flight out to Vegas I watched my new Donny & Marie Osmond dvd and cringed at every cheesy skit they did! It was great to be eleven years old again!

2. I learned to complain in Vegas (I usually keep my complaints to myself). When we arrived at our hotel room the lock did not work. The maintenance guy worked on it for three hours and it still didn't work. If we wanted in our room we had to have security unlock it for us. It was the only handicapped room available otherwise we would have switched rooms. Anywho, they got it fixed and told us so and left it at that. We said we wanted compensated in some way so they did give us a couple of nights free!

3. Although we went to the SEMA convention for work I did manage to get 98 pens, 37 lanyards, about six pounds of assorted candy, six hats, over 100 stickers, 42 key chains, a bunch of miscellaneous stuff like air freshners, screwdrivers, water bottles, etc., 11 t-shirts, and a ton of nice bags to use for whatever! I love getting the freebies!

4. I got my crutches signed by Mario Andretti~now I can walk faster ;o)

5. I'm not a gambler, but I did win $30 on a penny machine! I took my earnings and bought three Las Vegas hoodies for my kids at just $10 a piece!

6. I won a hat and six really nice polo type shirts at the Quaker State oil booth! I know my son will love the shirts!

7. I got my crutches pin striped by Hot Rod~a famous pin striper~who is also a christian!

8. Went to MGM on Halloween and saw some freaks! I did see some really good Jack Sparrow costumes and some other clever ones. Then there was the guy dressed up like a Playboy bunny~eewwww, a guy dressed as Tarzan with very little on, and a blind referee!

9. We did the usual touristy stuff in California like the Chinese theatre, walk of stars, see the Hollywood sign, went to the ocean, saw the NBC studios and ate at In & Out Burger!

10. I learned that I always overpack no matter how hard I try not too! Went home with a huge duffel bag of clean clothes. I guess it's better to be safe than naked :o)

11. I learned that it's nice to have some time for yourself! I let the guys go to Magic Mountain without me and spent the day reading blogs (happiness and joy) reading a Lori Wick book, talking to my kids without interruptions, watching whatever I wanted on the television, and eating when I wanted to!

12. I realized that I can spend eight days with the same three guys (hubby and our two employees who are more like my sons) and survive all the car talk from morning til night! I'm good at pretending to be interested!!!

13. I learned that it's nice to go away for a bit, but the best place to be is at home with your dog, your parents and mostly your children who you missed more than anything!

IT"S NICE TO BE HOME!

Monday Madness

Using the letters in your name (first, last, both, whatever), describe your life!

A~AWANA. This is a "Bible" club at our church and I am the director of Chums, which is 8 and 9 year old girls! This keeps me very busy from week to week, but I love it so much. This age group is the best!!

M~mom stands for Mean Old Mother! This is a running joke in my family, but seriously I can't think of a more rewarding job than to be called "Mom"!

Y~yesterday is the past, learn from your mistakes, try not to do it again, and move on.

D~devoted. I am devoted to my family and friends. If you need me I'm there for you!

I~Indiana. I was born and raised in Indiana and have never lived anywhere else. I love my town and my state and would be happy living here the rest of my life.

A~arthritis. Not trying to be a downer, but this is my daily life which brings on new challenges everyday. It is not who I am, but having it has made me the person I am today.

N~never a dull moment! It is a good thing I can adapt to any situation because while I try to plan things and know what's going on, it never happens. But that's okay too!

E~eternity....because I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour I will live forever after my time on earth is no more!

S~secrets. Nothing bad, mind you, but nobody knows I do this blog. This is just for me and it's fun to have this harmless secret!

T~tough. My family and friends always dscribe me as being one tough broad! I take it as a good thing!

R~rich. Not with money and material things, but rich in spirit and life. My treasure chest is overflowing with love for my Saviour, my family, memories and stories to tell my grandkids, contentment in knowing that this world is not my final home!

I~in love! I love my husband of 22 years more than anything!

B~blessed! My life is filled with many blessing everyday from my kids, my hubby, my best friends, my dog....I could go on and on!

L~laughter :o) My very favorite thing to do! I can see the humor in almost anything!

I~interested. I am always interested in other people's lives. I thinks that's why I love reading blogs so much!

N~new. I look forward to each new day and the challenges it brings along with learning new things!

G~giraffes! They just make me happy, what can I say?!

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen.....

I'm leaving this morning for Las Vegas to go to the SEMA convention. I won't be back until November 8th! I hope everybody has fun trick or treating, has a productive week with studying (Heather), renovations and spoiling her grandson (Pamela), cooking, making Christmas ornaments, reading, watching Cameron (whew! Barb) and for everyone a happy week!

I will miss you Sunday Meanderings, Tuesday Treasure, Works For Me Wednesdays, Thursday Thirteens, Friday's Feast, Saturday Scavenger Photo Hunt!

Keep on blogging!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer

Create a new candle scent.

I love burning candles, but my hubby doesn't like them. He says they are overpowering ~what does he know ;o) ssooo....to please him maybe The Yankee Candle Co. would create one that smells like pizza or even just cheese! He would so love that!

Soup

Name one way you show affection to others.

I listen with my ears and my heart.

Salad

What is your favorite writing instrument?

I have a pen fettish! My favorite pen I own is about 5 inches long with a giraffe print and it writes in my favorite color~BLUE!

Main Course

If you were given $25 to spend anywhere online, from which site would you buy?

Since I received an MP3 player for my birthday I would buy songs from MSN Music! Especially if they had any Donny Osmond ;o)

Dessert

Are you dressing up for Halloween? If so, what are you going to be?

Not this year because we will be in Las Vegas for the SEMA convention. BUT we will go down to MGM on the 31st to watch the freaks! People in Vegas love Halloween and some of the costumes are pretty creepy~let's just say I stick very close to my husband!

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Reasons Why My Son Is Awesome!

1. I was used to having girls at home. He moved in when he was 3 1/2 years old. The first week he lived with us he fell down a flight of stairs, he tried to catch the goldfish with his bare hands and he ripped the wallpaper off by running his trucks up and down the walls! Yes, boys are different than girls!

2. He makes me laugh. At our first family reunion with him he sat down to eat his hotdog when he made this announcement~ My new daddy has a pen*is! My face turned bright red, but inside I knew this would be the first of many things he would say to make me blush.

3. Intelligence~this boy is amazing, seriously. I cannot put into words how smart he is. He can memorize like nobodys business. When he did Bible quizzing he was the top quizzer all four years. I wish I had half his brain!

4. He's the first one to run and open a door for a lady.

5. He notices things such as a new haircut, new blouse, new perfume and then he compliments you on them!

6. He loves to help out at our shop and learning about restoring old cars. He asks lots of questions and isn't afraid to try. He and his dad rebuilt an engine when he was 13~he had a ball.

7. His heart is huge! His concern for others amazes me. The first thing he asks me every morning is, "How are you feeling and did you get enough sleep last night?" When I pick him up from school the first words out of his mouth is, "Did you talk to G'ma and G'pa today? How are they doing? Do they need me to come over and do anything?" See, my dad had Parkinson's and my son helps give his grandpa baths and other not-so-fun things they have to do to keep him alive.

8. And because of taking care of grandpa he has realized he wants to become a physical therapist! He is so strong, but yet gentle. I know this first hand because of all the help he gives me like helping me in and out of the van. He has to lift my leg up and then scootch (is that a word) my bottom over and lift the other leg in. He's the only one that can do it with very little pain! I'm thankful for that!

9. He loves to play board games! That may seem like a silly reason, but most kids these days would rather play Nintendo or Play Station instead of sitting with the family playing Life or Yahtzee! We love playing games at our house.

10. One day in September I couldn't find him in the house and realized he had went out and was weeding! Nobody asked him to either! He saw a need and did something about it!

11. He makes the absolute best grilled cheese! He knows exactly how I like it and remembers to use my special butter and whole wheat bread! Yummy!

12. He loves the Lord!

13. Hubby and I call him Ultra Super Mega J-man! He is our superhero!

Happy 16th Birthday J-Man! Your the best!