Mar. 10, 2008 - Potty training woes maybe coming to an end....
Oh, everyone said that girls are easier. She'll get it in no time. I'm here to tell you she is smart, but you know, she's just NOT getting it.
With all the boys, I gave them all the necessary information and did NOT push them. Okay, I pushed Nick. But after we both got frustrated I decided I had never seen an adult who wasn't potty trained so I would just lay off. It worked. Within weeks, he asked for big boy underwear and never had an accident since! (He's taller than I am now and will probably be mortified at this info being broadcast into blogdom..)
So with the other two boys, I just took the same relaxed approach. Read the book (you know the Once Upon a Potty book), showed them where and how, bought big boy pants and them just waited it out. Worked beautifully every time.
So, the princess...not so much. First off, she has had an 'awareness' for quite some time. She is the baby who finds a quiet corner to hide in while pooping...as a toddler (almost 3 now) she prefers the "secret clubhouse." (the closet under the stairs) Hubby says she's already potty trained, we just need to direct her to the right room to hide in!
So I have been sharing a lot with her the following things. We put our potty in the potty seat. The potty seat is in the bathroom. She pooped in her pants and then dumped it into the toilet. (did I tell you she was smart?) Today, I said..."NO, take off your panties first, then put your potty RIGHT INTO THE POTTY SEAT!"
You guessed it. She stripped naked, found a quiet place to squat (to mix things up a little, she used the corner of her room behind the rocker) and pooped...right on the carpet. 
THEN, she came to find me so we could, "put the potty into the potty seat mama." *giggle*
Sigh. I feel like we are one step closer maybe as she didn't poop in her pants this time...
I'll keep you all posted on our progress.
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Mar. 8, 2008 - Ultimate Blog Party!
- I am always lamenting about my lack of readership. I know I need to post more often in order to secure more traffic, but I want more feedback in order to encourage me to post more often! It's a vicious circle...In a shameless self-promotion act, I am blogging for the ULTIMATE BLOG PARTY. Maybe I will net a few more readers, who will grow into friends and who will eventually have me over for coffee or something equally as tasty (chocolate desserts anyone?).
A little about me....
- I've been married to the love of my life for 14 years and I am mother to four great kids (three boys and a princess). I've been homeschooling for 8 years and have used a good mix of different curricula over the years. The core of our learning this year is KONOS, a great unit study guide that I have used off and on since we first started homeschooling.
I love chocolate and coffee and really good books. I am a bit of a resource girl and I can burn up the internet looking for the answer to what ever todays dilemma is. I was a better mom before I got a computer though as I am totally addicted to blogging, shopping, reading recipes, gathering information and often aimless surfing...usually a search gone wrong, probably started with good intentions. I am terribly disorganized and struggle with time and money management. Good thing is, I know that those are my weak spots, so I am not disappointed when I miss the mark. I am always trying to improve...if READING books on organization made you organized, I would have a Better Homes and Gardens model home!
I am generally positive and very outgoing. I like to have fun and laugh (and when I do, you'll hear it!). I like to play games, board games are the best. If there was a way to teach my kids using only board games, we'd be soooo there.... haven't found that yet, but there's still time.
I want to grow up to be a public speaker, probably to moms...definitely women. I adore being in front of a group...it's even better if I have something relevant to share. I have enjoyed sharing encouragement for homeschool moms with regard to Casting a Homeschooling Vision and also on Personality Styles. I hope to expand my speaking repertoire to include more subjects as I get more gigs. (broad hint there! can I come speak for YOUR group?!))
So enough about me...I am hopping around to your posts now! Come back and see me again sooon! I really need the affirmation!
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Feb. 15, 2008 - valentines ruminations...
So Valentines Day has come and gone. I woke up to a nice box of chocolates and a sweet card from my very wonderful husband. He was thoughtful enough to leave little valentines for the children as well. Isn't he just sooo sweet? I hope your day was pleasant as well.
I got to thinking about folks who valentines might now have been so sweet. Maybe they are single...maybe never married, perhaps widowed, or divorced. Or maybe they have had their hearts broken so many times they don't think it will ever be whole again. Maybe they have bought into the message of the culture around us that says you don't need to be married, if it feels good, just do it. And now, after doing...and being with so many partners, they realize just how empty that lifestyle really is and have a heart full of regrets.
And I thought about my own precious children and how very much I want them to have Happy Valentines Day's ahead..and happy and fulfilled marriages, too. And that that effort really, truly starts now, while they are still here at home.
As parents, we have the opportunity to turn the tide and shape the thinkers and leaders of tomorrow, today. Eric and I have thought a lot about this and it is part of the reason that we are homeschooling. But this effort is more than academic or spiritual, it is moral as well. In order to insure that they will stay pure in body and mind, we have to put effort into what we do and how we communicate items of a 'delicate' nature to them. With this in mind, Eric has put a great deal of planning into our oldest son's "Rite of Passage" year.
They have been meeting on a semi-regular basis for almost a year now and in those meetings they talk about the stuff of transitioning from being a boy to becoming a man. They have covered a lot of different subject material, everything from good hygeine (Praise the Lord, he showers every day without being asked,...his little brothers are still a bit Dennis the Menace-y) to good character and having a good work-ethic. The mystery that is girls...and how to honor them. Future relationships with them and safeguarding his heart in the meantime.
It has been wonderful to see Nick basking in the special attention from his father and blossoming into a truly thoughtful and articulate young person. While he has already turned thirteen, Eric has scheduled a big Rite of Passage weekend ceremony in the spring (when it's warmer, Nick is a January baby) and I anticipate that it will be a highlight of our son's life.
Rather than have our son caught up cultural current of empty relationships and broken promises, I pray that he will guard both his eyes and heart in the pursuit of purity. By doing so, he should have many Happy Valentine's Days ahead.
This post was inspired by a) what was already rolling around in my head =) b) Pastor Rob Singleton's blog. He is a pastor in Charlotte, NC who is doing a series on s*x and encouraging parents to (gulp) talk
to their kids about it. What a revolutionary idea! He is having a contest to give away a date night to bloggers who blog about what they are doing to help stem the cultural tide in their own families and communities (ie, mentoring, etc). You must have a blog and link to his post. He won't draw any names unless at least 20 of us enter so go write...now. One of us needs a date night. (Her blog is pink and has flowers all over it).
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Feb. 13, 2008 - Raising a child prodigy....
Today she brought the DICTIONARY to Ian and asked for him to read it to her. =) Isn't that GREAT!? Haha...Perhaps she actually picked something up.
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Feb. 6, 2008 - "Lost" time
I am a total "Lostie." It's sad but true.
Initially, it was my husband who started watching. His tastes run more to the sci-fi and action end of the spectrum so when he said he liked it, it was a pretty good sign I would NOT! =) But, the writers and creators of the show have done a good job of developing the characters and I personally have enjoyed seeing some of their stories develop.
Lost is fun because of all the 'easter eggs' that are hidden through out the show. It is just creepy to see lives of passengers cross before they even got on the plane. Creepy in a good way...you know. They have woven such an intricate story line that sometimes you want to watch again to get little details you would have missed the first time.
They showed a commercial last week for Oceanic Airlines, the fictional airline of flight 815. In it, in between the pretty girls selling exotic destinations, a guy was trying to hack in and leave his own message. His name is Sam and his site is www.find815.com His fiancee was a flight attendant on the lost flight and he is on a mission to find her. If you go to the site, you can join him on his journey.
It will suck up your time, but in a good way. (Is that even possible?!) I love the folks behind this stuff, it's just smart entertainment.
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Feb. 5, 2008 - Super Tuesday
So, for many of us, tomorrow is the big day. For the guys running, a clear leader may finally emerge. We are voting for Mike Huckabee (no surprise there), and while I still hope that he could win enough delegates to win the nomination, it does look like John McCain has a pretty clear shot at that as well.
I am tired of hearing about how my vote for Huckabee is really a vote for McCain. In my mind, they are nothing at all alike. Of course, my vote is not for McCain, it's for Huck! I do understand the concept of splitting the conservative vote, but I am of the mind that we have three choices (okay, four if you count Paul) that stand for the three different kinds of conservatives. There are fiscal conservatives...the economy is the most important issue to them..they are probably voting for Romney. There are national security conservatives...the war is most important to them...McCain is their man. Then there are social conservatives...moral issues:abortion, family, marriage, gay/lesbian issues are most important to them...Mike Huckabee is the social conservative of the bunch. (Thanks Rush for that clear picture of how conservatives break down)
To me, the social issues trump everything else. I do not like to think of myself as a one issue voter, but all those moral issues are really more important to me than everything else!! I look at the political process like this, I have a chance to vote my conscience now, in the primaries. In the general election, I will consider politics.
I hope you will vote your conscience as well.
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Feb. 1, 2008 - It's a long shot, but...
I never meant for this to become a political blog...and I haven't really posted much else recently, so I decided to mix it up a little. Aren't you glad?
A little background...Anyone who knows me, knows I love an audience. I adore being in front of people. It's just FUN! For many people, it is a serious phobia, but it is positively energizing to me! I had always interpreted this to mean that I liked acting. And I do. I have done my share and it is certainly an exhilarating experience to hear the applause and know it is for you and the other cast members. But it is hard work, my friends. Many hours of rehearsal for a couple of hours on stage. Then, poof, it's over!
On the other hand, I thought I did NOT like public speaking. I always was on the very verge of losing my lunch in Jr. College in my public speaking class. Of course, I was much younger and was giving speeches on topics I was not passionate about (how earthquakes happen is one I remember groaning about). I am a little older now (*grin*) and I have a passion for encouraging and equipping women, specifically moms in the Journey (often Chaos) of Motherhood.
One of my favorite topics to share on is Personality Styles and how whatever our own personality is colors our world. It is so great to see a friends eyes light up when they understand why their husband/child/friend act the way they do. It seems silly to think that people have never considered that everyone does not process things the same way, but often, although many know that, they don't really understand it.
After briefly sharing about Personality Styles with a group of leaders from my local support group over lunch at our last homeschool convention, I was invited to speak at one of our monthly meetings. I jumped at the chance. It was easily one of the most fun events of my entire year!! I did not have hours of rehearsal, just brushing up on a topic I am already passionate about, creating a simple handout and sharing for a little over an hour with about 50 or so women. The feedback I got was so affirming. I am convinced that when I grow up, I want to be a public speaker. 
This brings me to the title of my post. Lysa TerKeurst is having a contest to give away a scholarship to the SheSpeaks conference in NC. I know it's a probably a long shot, there are several other entries, but I do not know how they are deciding who to award this prize to, so I decided to throw my hat in the ring too. I have thought a lot about attending a conference to polish up on my speaking skills and learn how to market myself. I am still a full-time SAHM, but I would love to have a weekend gig now and again..if I only knew how! Attending this would certainly be a great way to start to learn, I have adored the folks at Proverbs31 for many years. Many of their devotions have brought me to tears. Motherhood is just so sweet and it is for such a very short time that we have our children.
The cost of these types of conferences is a little daunting, especially for a single income family. Our finances are still a little off kilter due to our recent move and we have some **really important big events already scheduled for this year that we are putting our extra resources towards...so unless I win, or God provides in another way, I will not be able to attend this. I know He is a big God and He orders our steps. He would not have gifted me this way if he did not intend for me to use it somehow. I will trust His timing...and his provision.
**Really big event being my oldest son's Rite-of-Passage event. He has already turned 13, but hubby is organizing an entire weekend event. It will be very memorable for all of us, I am sure.
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Dec. 27, 2007 - Best Bob Hope Movie Line =)
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Dec. 27, 2007 - Huck-a-UN-bee-tble
David Shuster's has an impressive investigative journalism record and has worked various campaigns in his career including Fox's You Decide 2000.
"Christmas Eve News Roundup"
Posted: 24 Dec 2007 11:54 AM CST
Today on the MSNBC talk show Morning Joe, news media correspondent David Shuster predicted a general election win for Huckabee. This report from News Busters:
MSNBC correspondent David Shuster has predicted that Mike Huckabee will be the next President of the United States.
DAVID SHUSTER: I'm gonna say that John Edwards is gonna win out in Iowa, but Hillary Clinton is going to pick up some steam afterwards and get the nomination. I think Mike Huckabee wins Iowa pretty cleanly and goes on to get the Republican nomination. Here's my big prediction, though: if it is Hillary Clinton against Mike Huckabee, Mike Huckabee will the the next President of the United States.
From 1994 - 1996, Shuster was a political reporter for ABC-affiliate KATV in Little Rock, and thus had a prime perch from which to view Huckabee in action. In the course of his reporting during this electoral season Shuster has often drawn on that experience to extol Huck's political talent. This morning, for example, Shuster related an anecdote from 14 years ago, when Huckabee was Lt. Governor and Governor Jim Guy Tucker got convicted in a Whitewater-related trial but was refusing to resign from office.
SHUSTER: I witnessed Mike Huckabee go into the newsroom of the station where I was working. He looked into a camera and spoke for 10 minutes, no teleprompter, and gave one of the most dazzling political speeches I've ever seen in which he said "Jim Guy Tucker, you have until noon tomorrow to resign, or we're going to start impeachment proceedings." I mean, this guy had those skills 14 years ago and he's been able to grow ever since.
So struck is Shuster by Huck's skills that he approvingly cited someone who had said "if you consider Ronald Reagan to be the Great Communicator, then Mike Huckabee is the Greatest Communicator."
Pat Buchanan saw Huck as even money to get the Republican nod, with Mitt at 3-2 and McCain at six or seven-to-one. His dark horse: "if you've got two extra bucks, Joe, put 'em on Ron Paul."
Mika Brzezinksi exclaimed "I agree; I second that" to Shuster's prediction of Huck as winner of the nomination, if not the general. Mika fleshed out her thinking a bit later.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: I just think at this point Mike Huckabee knows what he's doing. The religion thing that he's taken care of here; he's strangling Mitt Romney, he's a break from President Bush and he's also the anti-Giuliani.
Steve Chapman from Real Clear Politics analyzes the presidential race and also concludes that if history repeats itself, Mike Huckabee will be our next president:
Every Christmas morning is a shimmering promise of surprise and delight. You never know what it will bring, and you might just get your heart's fondest desire. But in reality, surprises are not the rule. If you want to know what you'll get this Christmas, your best guide is what you got last Christmas.
Likewise for presidential elections. Every campaign raises a host of possibilities, particularly in the imagination of candidates. They may be forgiven for ignoring all evidence that is unfavorable to their dreams, which is usually abundant. History suggests there are mysterious but inflexible constraints on the outcome of these contests.
We already know it's almost impossible to elect people from certain places -- like Massachusetts, which hasn't produced a president (or even a vice president) since John Kennedy in 1960. Ted Kennedy, Michael Dukakis and John Kerry might want to break the news to Mitt Romney.
Americans also don't elect candidates from New York, even though it has a horde of electoral votes. We used to find presidents there quite often, including Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland and both Roosevelts. But not since 1944 has someone from the Empire State (Franklin Roosevelt) been elected. The last New Yorker to make a plausible run for his party's nomination was Nelson Rockefeller in 1968, and he didn't come very close.
That's bad news for Rudy Giuliani, who has something else working against him: He used to be a mayor. Only two former mayors have ever reached the White House -- Grover Cleveland and Calvin Coolidge. But both of them went on to serve as governors before seeking the presidency, a step Giuliani has skipped.
Things are even tougher for House members, such as Ron Paul. His patron saint is James Garfield, the last congressman to jump straight to the presidency, back before the invention of the wheel.
Recent history suggests that to win the presidency, you have to be a white male from the South or West, preferably with experience as a governor. That description fits only one candidate in the race -- Mike Huckabee. So by examining the portents of history, we find that he's the only person who can possibly be elected next year.
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Dec. 14, 2007 - Presidential Quiz~ A teriffic tool!
Okay, for all you out there who would like to do you own research and figure out which candidate lines up most with YOUR views, check this out...
Go to www.MyElectionChoices.com. This site will allow you to select the national issues that are most important to you. For each issue, you will then review a series of statements or opinions made by various candidates and determine which ones you agree with. The candidate identities for each statement is withheld to remove all artificial biases toward specific candidates. After determining the statements you agree with, the site then tells you which candidates you have most in common with.
While my results were not surprising (so far, Huckabee is my top candidate, although I have not yet worked through all the issues), I was surprised to see who made some of the other statements I found I agreed with. (Hilary Clinton?! ~ Relax, it was only two or three).
Give it a try and tell me who you most agree with. I though this site was really well done and since you don't know who made the comments, your prejudices are somewhat removed. See if you really agree with who you are promoting!
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Dec. 10, 2007 - Huckabee for President
Oh yes, it's true...Huck is up in another poll. I think folks are starting to notice him. If you haven't yet, I encourage you to check him out. www.mikehuckabee.com
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Dec. 6, 2007 - Huckabee is a FRONT RUNNER!!
In the race for the Republican Presidential Nomination, Mike Huckabee retains a three-point edge with support from 21% of Likely Republican 
New data released today shows that Huckabee is the new leader in South Carolina’s Presidential Primary. Thompson and Romney are close behind. Huckabee has also moved in front of Hillary Clinton in the state of Arkansas.
For the whole article, click here.
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Nov. 26, 2007 - New use for old shirts
I have no idea how I ended up here, but I just found the cutest, most adorable psuedo-homemade dress for toddlers/preschoolers~MADE FROM A MAN'S SHIRT!! I am positively inspired! After I hit the local Goodwill, I may need to find a new friend with a sewing machine to give this a try! If it's really easy, this could be a cash cow...people love this kind of crafty stuff at local craft shows. And there are always lots of them in the fall and again in the spring.
Go have a look and tell me what you think.... =)
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Nov. 12, 2007 - Stretch your grocery $$
Just wanted to let you all know about a great way to stretch your grocery budget. I just discovered this ministry locally, but evidently, they have local chapters all over the country. How I could have benefited from this in Florida!! It is a ministry where you place an order for a box of food early in the month, and then pick it up later. It is a lot of food for a little bit of money. There are no income restrictions, just know that you have to pay for your order in cash (but one box is just $25, so it's not much).
Go over to Angel Food Ministries and have a look. I waited to post until I had a chance to sample the food. I have been very impressed. I have at other times participated in prepackaged food ministries (ie, $20 for a box of food...we pack it for you) but it was not always good food. Often, it was past date and sometimes even 'buggy.' What I received this month was good food! Off brands, yes... but not past date or dented, second-hand goods.
You can already check out the menu for December and they have quite a selection.
What are you waiting for? GO! You can thank me later. =)
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Oct. 31, 2007 - Today's Vocabulary Lesson...
This was too funny not to share....hope you get a good giggle too!
Here are the winners of the Washington Post's Mensa Invitational, which once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.
The 2006 winners are:
1. Cashtration: (n.) The act of buying (or building) a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.
2. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an **Bleep** (anus).
3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize that it was your money to start with.
4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
5. Bozone: (n.) The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
10. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.
11. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
12. Karmageddon: It's when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, and then the Earth explodes and it's a serious bummer.
13. Decafalon: (n.) The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
14. Glibido: All talk and no action.
15. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
16. Arachnoleptic Fit: (n.) The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
17. Beelzebug: (n.) Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
18. Caterpallor: (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.
The Washington Post has also published the winning submissions to its yearly contest in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.
And the winners are:
1. Coffee, (n.) the person upon whom one coughs.
2. Flabbergasted, (adj.) appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.
3. Abdicate, (v.) to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
4. Esplanade, (v.) to attempt an explanation while drunk.
6. Negligent, (adj.) absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.
7. Lymph, (v.) to walk with a lisp.
8. Gargoyle, (n.) olive-flavored mouthwash.
9. Flatulence, (n.) emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.
10. Balderdash, (n.) a rapidly receding hairline.
11. Oyster, (n.) a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.
12. Frisbeetarianism, (n.) the belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.
13. Pokemon, (n.) a Rastafarian proctologist.
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Oct. 29, 2007 - More on Huckabee...
Hubby and I (okay more him than me) have always been Chuck Norris fans. I watched Walker Texas Ranger with him pretty frequently and, to my surprise) really enjoyed the program (sheepish grin). We were very excited a number of years ago when he got saved and became very vocal about his faith. It always makes me happy to know that there are lights in the dark industry of entertainment.
So, the other day, while digging around for more on Huckabee, I found this GREAT article. Imagine, Chuck now has a column, too!! It turns out that Chuck is a Huck fan too. WE knew all along we were on to something good.
Read it and let me know your thoughts...
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Oct. 26, 2007 - Adjusting to life in a small(er) town...
Well, we are here now and I have been saving up my grievances so that I would only make ONE negative post. It's been a long month. Moving in (there are still boxes to unpack!), getting settled into a routine (we still are not a part of a larger community of Homeschoolers and we are all starting to miss our friends), and adjusting to life here is taking a while.
First, there was the problem with our mail. We weren't getting any!! There were a few pieces on the mantle that were hand delivered to the man we had doing some painting before we moved in. Along w/ those was one of those yellow slips from the post office that tells you "there is something wrong with your mailbox." Apparently, here in the historic district, everyone had porch boxes and the mail was delivered on foot...a long time ago. Now, there is a federal law (I suspect, due to cranky, tired, foot weary mailmen) to mandate that everyone had a curb box. So we had to purchase and install a mailbox. But not before the utility companies could come out and mark the lines so that we wouldn't dig and hit a water main or something equally as disasterous. And they couldn't come til Friday...I called on Tuesday. **sigh**
In addition to the utilities being a potential problem, we are living in the downtown historic area. Lots of character to the house and very convenient to everything, but we have no driveway. This means we park on the street in front of the house. As you all know, in an effort to be more efficient with their time, the mailman will drive right by your mailbox if it's blocked...after all, he can just bring it tomorrow! So I was (and still am) very concerned about the placement of our box on the curb affecting our mail delivery. We opted to put it at the corner of our lot vs the end of the sidewalk (which would be the middle of the house), so that we could still park and hopefully not block it. This has worked fine so far, but on Thursdays, after Eric leaves, I have to center my van between the mail and the garbage so that they both get taken care of.
Which brings me to my next rant...the garbage men left all my boxes!! I took the time to break them down and stack them neatly (okay, I supervised the boys and they did a fine job) and they are still sitting on my curb!! grrrrr But, I know that is not necessarily a small town problem. I think it is on the interview questionnaire when one applies for the position of garbage man (do you think they have an application process?). "How do you feel about leaving a job only half done?"
But then, the police here are making up for it. On my way out of town for my High School Reunion, I was stopped for running a red light. In my defense, I do not make a practice of running red lights. I have not lived here in a very long time and I am not familiar with the area. I was double checking my directions and when I saw the light, it was too late.
I had favor with God, as she did not site me for running the light, or for not having changed over my tags (they are expired FL tags, why renew when we are moving and we'll have to register in TN anyway?), or for having a FL license (you only have seven days after you relocate to get a new DL! How crazy is that! Like that's at the very top of my to do list!!), OR for not having proof of Insurance (we are insured, but I could not find my card when she asked. I found it later, it was an expired one anyways. That probably would have put me over the edge with her).
Grace there, however...Eric went out the other day to go to work only to find a parking ticket on my van! Yep, for parking in front of our house facing the wrong direction on the wrong side of the street. I guess the donut shops are closed overnight around here, cause this was issued at 1 am. Officer Nix had nothing better to do. I will probably try to argue my case just because it was the middle of the night and in front of our house in a residential area. It's only $15, but it's the principle folks!! It took me a whole day to cool down over that one!
Speaking of things being closed, I know the book stores are closed because we tried to take the kids one night after dinner (and cleanup). We pulled into the parking lot at 7:55pm and saw a lot of people leaving. I said, "I think they are closing." Everyone replied, "It's only 8o'clock mom! It's still early!" (We are still on FL time, where things are hopping all the time). We unloaded and got to the door, and sure enough, they were closing. Load wails of protest and sighs of disgust at how early everything shuts down around here were heard from the peanut gallery. We took them to an alternate location to appease them.
If you are still with me...you win the good friend award! All this complaining would have scared a lesser friend away!
To end on a more positive note, the weather is getting cooler and we are enjoying being outside. I will need to go clothes shopping soon as we have very few warm clothes to wear!! Eric is enjoying his new job and the people/place he works seem to like him as well. 
We really like the house we are living in, it is very cute and roomy. I will try to post pictures soon.
Blessings! I feel much better for getting this all off my chest!
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Oct. 22, 2007 - I encourage you to consider....
for
President!!!
www.mikehuckabee.com
I remember watching one of the first televised debates and just being generally unhappy with our choices, like many other socially conservative republicans. Mike Huckabee, being a 'second tier' candiate doesn't generally get much air time, nor does he get a center of the stage podium...it didn't matter... I do not remember the specific questions or answers, just that he nailed every one. I remember saying to my husband, "Who IS that guy and why don't we know about HIM!?" We have since jumped on the "I heart Huckabee" bandwagon and have been telling everyone we know to pray about and consider him. This is a forum/platform I haven't used yet, so I am going to get the word out here too.
Please, if you have not looked into who you might support, look at them all and pray about it. I believe you will find that Huckabee is the man for the job. When you decide that he is, contribute to his campaign and then spread the word.
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Oct. 19, 2007 - Seriously, I must be getting old...
This is my new fridge and I am so deleriously happy, I am either mental or just getting really old...Who knew that an appliance could make a girl so happy? What makes it even better was that it was on clearance and so this $1400 fridge came home with me for UNDER (taxes incl) $500!! That, my friends, is a really good deal! Just wanted to share the joy. I hope you are all having as great a day as me. =)
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Oct. 1, 2007 - Have you said any of these things?
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