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Several years ago, there was an "accident" in our area - both a mother and her infant daughter drowned in their family pool.  We don't have a pool; and, although the thought of one is tempting and exciting, I'd be so scared of the safety of having one in my backyard.  (Friends of ours had a small above ground pool several summers ago; and, while they were away, a neighbor child got into it!)

If we were to ever have a pool, we'd most definitely invest in some Safety Pool Covers.  During the summer months, there are mesh pool covers for inground pools and pool safety nets for above ground pools.  These covers would save both children and pets from falling into the pool when nobody is around to supervise them.  Then, there are also special covers for the winter months, to protect your pool from the elements and to help prevent the growth of algae. 

If you have a pool, just be sure you're taking all possible measures to make it as safe as possible.  Accidents can happen so quickly.

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Around here, we rarely have a weekend free lately.  When we do, we enjoy all congregating in the living room to watch movies together.  We don't have cable tv (which, where we lives, this equates to NO tv at all); so we only watch movies.  Sometimes I think it would be fun to have a real in-home theater.

I remember seeing episodes of Trading Spaces (one of my favorites shows when we had tv) where they would convert a room into a mini movie theater.  Truthfully, I can't imagine having a setup quite like that in my home.  But, I've seen some home theater seating that is essentially "beefed up" recliners.  Now, those would make for an extremely comfortable and relaxing in-home theater experience! 

Can't you just imagine your family all hanging out around a large-screen tv, watching your favorite movies in these home theater chairs?  Aren't those built in cup holders an amazing invention? I can just picture those trays with a couple big bowls of popcorn and some chocolate thrown in for good measure. I don't think I'd ever want to go to a "real" theater again. 

Anyway, I'm going to go watch a movie with my kids now...

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....swimming with dolphins.
Do you?

As we quickly approach our upcoming Florida vacation, I find myself reflecting back on past trips to the Sunshine State.  One thing that stands out in my mind is our trip to Sea World Orlando in 2005.  I have always  been intrigued with the creatures that make their home in the ocean - especially dolphins and whales (the sharks give me nightmares!)  I missed out on a family trip to the Ohio Sea World when I was a teen, so I couldn't wait to be able to visit the one in Florida.  This park, though very different from the Disney Parks, was a beautiful park with great landscaping (which I've come to expect at Anheiser-Busch parks) and so many opportunities to see and interact with sea creatures. 

We enjoyed watching the manatees, feeling the stingrays in the touch pool, watching the penguins and puffins through the glass enclosures, and seeing the dolphins swim (yes, I got to touch one!)  We even "took a chance" and sat in the Soak Zone for the Shamu show.  And, yes, we got soaked indeed!

If you are taking advantage of the special vacation offer that Disney is sponsoring this year, then I'd encourage you to use some of the money you're saving to purchase a ticket to Sea World too.  It's a short drive from the Orlando/Kissimmee area, and is well worth your time.  Currently, Sea World Orlando has a special offer - a 2nd day FREE when you purchase a one-day ticket.  This is especially exciting, as I have said ever since our last visit that, if we would go again, we'd have to buy two-day passes in order to see it all!  So, if you're heading to Florida this year, grab up Sea World tickets while you can still get this awesome deal!  You won't be disappointed.

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Seriously.  Do you think about it much?  Or do you just  take it for granted that it's there?  A few years ago, we had our upstairs bathroom redone.  My goal was for it to resemble an outhouse (of sorts).  So, we had tongue-and-groove boards put on the walls, about 2/3 high, with a chairrail seperating it from the top 1/3 of the walls.  I painted the room tan and sage green.  It turned out really nice; and, for the first time in all the years of living in this house, I actually started to like that bathroom!  I've since collected some old granite-wear bowls and have them hanging around the top part of the room, and my decor/accesories in there all have that old look to them too. 

My downstairs  bathroom is an entirely different story.  That is one strange room, let me tell you!  I do not know what the original owners were thinking (back in 1929), but they chose to make that room a pantry/1/2 bath.  What's up with that?!  Let's just say that bathroom is in need of some serious updating one of these days.

When we first moved here, neither bathroom had a vanity.  I know some people prefer the look of the old-fashioned pedestal sink, but to me they are a waste of space.  Old houses are often lacking in storage spaces, so we needed to put vanities in each of the  bathrooms, mainly as a means of storage.  I'll admit, we went to Lowe's and pretty much picked out the cheapest things they had in stock! 

One of these days, I'd just love to have a never-ending supply of money so that the bathroom doesn't always have to be the last room that you think about.  Wouldn't it be fun to have a bathroom that you'd actually like to be in?  I'd love to have some fancy bathroom cabinets (I shouldn't really say "fancy" because I'm not a fancy person - maybe "classy" would be a better word. 

Have you seen those bathroom cabinets that looks like dressers?  Those are so neat!  I don't think we usually think of the fixtures in our bathrooms as bathroom furniture, but those ones that look like dressers really are!  If I had one of those, I know I'd like to spend more time in the bathroom. 

But, while I'm at it, I want to add some big sunken bathtub that I can fill up really high with bubbles and just relax.  Oh, I think I'm dreaming now.....I almost forgot that I have a 2-year-old.  I don't even know what the word relax (especially in the bathtub) means anymore!  Maybe someday......

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Yesterday, I talked about Christmas letters.  Today, I want to talk about Christmas cards.....

Do you send them?  If so, tell me about your cards.....Do you make your own?  Do you buy them?  Do you do Christmas photos?  Do you include the photos in the card?  Or do you purchase the pre-made ones with your photo printed right on the card?

For the past few years, we've been having Photo Christmas Cards made.  We send a LOT of cards, so I enjoy the pre-printed ones that save me from having to do so much writing (it's not that I'm lazy, it's just that I'm a slow, perfectionistic writer, so this just helps my stress level stay down over the holidays!)  I've already purchased our cards for this year (from 2 different companies) - I'll share them here on my blog AFTER I've sent them out (don't want to be giving anyone a "sneak peek").  But, I just came across a website called Christmas Cards Direct, and I'm very impressed.  Not only does this site offer a wide variety of Photo Christmas Cards, but they also have insert holders (that you can slip your own snapshots into).  My favorite thing is the Tips & Advice Page.  Our experience with getting a decent picture of all 5 of us this year was less than glowing.  As a matter of fact, it was a downright disaster!  I wish I had found this page BEFORE we attempted to take our pictures.  There are tips and articles for all your photo taking needs. 

So, tell me about your cards.  And, if you feel so inclined, share a picture! 

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When we first decided that we wanted to pursue adoption, I had no idea where to begin with finding an agency.  The agency that my parents had used to adopt my brothers, many years previous, did not service the county in which we live, so we were clueless as to how to get started.  I ended up "accidentally" bumping into a lady at the county fair who graciously shared her agency's name and phone number - we called them, ended up with an awesome representative to work with, and the rest is history. 

With all the uncertainties involved in adoptions today (disreputable agencies, countries closing for adoptions, etc.) it is good to be well informed.  I just came across a site that is actually an Adoption Agencies Directory - I find this site extremely useful because it is a search-engine, of sorts, just for adoption agencies.  There are various search capabilities available on this site; for example: you can search for adoption agencies in your state (ie: Georgia Adoption Agencies).  My heart is in international adoption, as my children were both adopted from Vietnam, so I would most likely find myself clicking on the International Adoption Agencies tab.

This site is also particularly useful because, not only does it include agency names and contact information, but it also includes information about what types of adoptions they facilitate (domestic and/or international), races or countries they work with, ages of waiting/available children, average wait time, average cost, and much more. If you are just considering adoption, this might be a good place to start. 

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Recently, I read and reviewed a book called Saturdays with Stella.  It was a great little book - almost more of a devotional - and the author used her experiences with her dog to tie in with Christianity.  I really enjoyed it and passed it along to my Dad.  My parents, after being "dogless" for several years, decided a few months ago that it was time to add a new dog to the family. 

Enter Katie.....She's a very beautiful dog - part black lab, part border collie.  She's all black and fluffy and she's a very nice dog.  However, when company comes to the door, she goes literally biserk!  She jumps up on them and acts like a total idiot.  I thought that reading about another idiot dog might help my Dad to know better how to train Katie.

But maybe she needs dog obedience classes.  There are a few places around here that offer them.  If you graduate, you even get your picture in the local newspaper (totally humiliating, right?!)  I wish I could send my Dad and Katie to San Diego dog obedience training.  Too bad it's clear across the country from PA.  Oh well. 

This is why we don't have our own dog - we just borrow them when we get a dog hankering.  Much like grandparenting, we can enjoy other's dogs for awhile and then give them back!

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Do you like popcorn?

I must admit that I'm a bit of a "popcorn snob".  I don't like just plain old popcorn.  I mean, sure, I can eat it -  I think everyone can eat popcorn - but i don't really care for it  getting stuck in my teeth.  I LOVE Kettle Corn though.  I just really enjoy the sweet flavor of it (the lack of butter helps too, as I really don't care for the butter flavor in regular popcorn).  I also really enjoy a good Popcorn Ball - my sister-in-law makes them every year at Christmastime and they are just so yummy.

Another popcorn love of mine is Caramel Corn.  One of the first things we do, when we get to the beach each summer, is head to the boardwalk for our tub of caramel corn.  We usually have to go back and get our bucket re-filled at least once (if not twice) during our week-long stay! 

I don't know - I guess there's just something about popcorn that is fun.  Do you agree?  I know one year, when we were vacationing at the beach, we had a bucket of caramel corn sent to our friends in Ohio.  They where thrilled!  They never get to the beach and it was a much-appreciated and much-enjoyed treat for them. 

Do you have hard-to-buy-for people on your Christmas gift list?  I know I do.  So, I'm thinking that maybe some Popcorn gifts would be a great idea for this Christmas.  What do you think?

Tell me about your favorite popcorn treat.......

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I love taking pictures.  i still remember my first "real" camera - I got it as a Christmas gift - it was a fairly expensive 35mm and I was instantly hooked.  Looking back, though, I wish I had taken some classes, maybe at the local community college.  That camera still sits in its case, in my bedroom; and, I must admit, I never learned to use all it's bells and whistles features. 

It became easier and quicker, as a young mother, to get a simple automatic camera and not have to mess with an settings, etc.  Let me tell you, I've been through my fair share of those types of cameras.  Believe it or not, I was even resistent to move into the world of digital photography.  Now, though, I'm so glad that my dad introduced me to the digital camera.  It's opened up a whole new world - and is especially fun for  bloggers!

Enter the photography blog.  I've been thinking lately how much fun it would be for Ashley and I to take some online photography courses.  She, too, loves taking pictures - she's always experimenting with black & white, etc. and, like a typical teenager, she loves taking pictures of herself!  But, I'd love for us to learn how to take better quality pictures, to know how to shoot things like fireworks, etc.  If you know of a good online photography course, please let me know.  in the meantime, I'll enjoy reading the photography tips blog.

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