I thought the perfect theme for this week's Wordless Wednesday and Valentine's Day would be pictures from our wedding on July 10, 2004.  We had a very small wedding with only family and close friends.  It was just beautiful...and truly was one of the happiest days of my life.

I am sure most of you have seen this already, but it really deserves a re-print.  This is the "famous" ebay auction written by a mother of six children.  I had read it before, but just really needed a laugh today...please take the time to read it...I found myself laughing out loud when I re-read it again. 

 
I'm selling a bunch of Pokemon cards. Why? Because my kids sneaked them into my shopping cart while at the grocery store and I ended up buying them because I didn't notice they were there until we got home. How could I have possibly not noticed they were in my cart, you ask? Let me explain.

You haven’t lived until you’ve gone grocery shopping with six kids in tow. I would rather swim, covered in bait, through the English Channel, be a contestant on Fear Factor when they’re having pig brains for lunch, or do fourth grade math than to take my six kids to the grocery store. Because I absolutely detest grocery shopping, I tend to put it off as long as possible. There comes a time, however, when you’re peering into your fridge and thinking, ‘Hmmm, what can I make with ketchup, Italian dressing, and half an onion,’ that you decide you cannot avoid going to the grocery store any longer. Before beginning this most treacherous mission, I gather all the kids together and give them “The Lecture“.

“The Lecture“ goes like this…
MOM: “We have to go to the grocery store.”
KIDS: “Whine whine whine whine whine.“
MOM: “Hey, I don’t want to go either, but it’s either that or we’re eating cream of onion-ketchup soup and drinking Italian dressing for dinner tonight.”
KIDS: “Whine whine whine whine whine.“
MOM: “Now here are the rules: do not ask me for anything, do not poke the packages of meat in the butcher section, do not test the laws of physics and try to take out the bottom can in the pyramid shaped display, do not play baseball with oranges in the produce section, and most importantly, do not try to leave your brother at the store. Again.”

OK, the kids have been briefed. Time to go.

Once at the store, we grab not one, but two shopping carts. I wear the baby in a sling and the two little children sit in the carts while I push one cart and my oldest son pushes the other one. My oldest daughter is not allowed to push a cart. Ever. Why? Because the last time I let her push the cart, she smashed into my ankles so many times, my feet had to be amputated by the end of our shopping trip. This is not a good thing. You try running after a toddler with no feet sometime.

At this point, a woman looks at our two carts and asks me, “Are they all yours?” I answer good naturedly, “Yep!

“Oh my, you have your hands full.”

“Yes, I do, but it‘s fun!” I say smiling. I’ve heard all this before. In fact, I hear it every time I go anywhere with my brood.

We begin in the produce section where all these wonderfully, artistically arranged pyramids of fruit stand. There is something so irresistibly appealing about the apple on the bottom of the pile, that a child cannot help but try to touch it. Much like a bug to a zapper, the child is drawn to this piece of fruit. I turn around to the sounds of apples cascading down the display and onto the floor. Like Indiana Jones, there stands my son holding the all-consuming treasure that he just HAD to get and gazing at me with this dumbfounded look as if to say, “Did you see that??? Wow! I never thought that would happen!”

I give the offending child an exasperated sigh and say, “Didn’t I tell you, before we left, that I didn’t want you taking stuff from the bottom of the pile???”

“No. You said that you didn’t want us to take a can from the bottom of the pile. You didn’t say anything about apples.”

With superhuman effort, I resist the urge to send my child to the moon and instead focus on the positive - my child actually listened to me and remembered what I said!!! I make a mental note to be a little more specific the next time I give the kids The Grocery Store Lecture.

A little old man looks at all of us and says, “Are all of those your kids?”

Thinking about the apple incident, I reply, “Nope. They just started following me. I’ve never seen them before in my life.”

OK, now onto the bakery section where everything smells so good, I’m tempted to fill my cart with cookies and call it a day. Being on a perpetual diet, I try to hurry past the assortment of pies, cakes, breads, and pastries that have my children drooling. At this point the chorus of “Can we gets” begins.

“Can we get donuts?”
“No.”
“Can we get cupcakes?”
“No.”
“Can we get muffins?”
“No.”
“Can we get pie?”
“No.”

You’d think they’d catch on by this point, but no, they’re just getting started.

In the bakery, they’re giving away free samples of coffee cake and of course, my kids all take one. The toddler decides he doesn’t like it and proceeds to spit it out in my hand. (That’s what moms do. We put our hands in front of our children’s mouths so they can spit stuff into them. We’d rather carry around a handful of chewed up coffee cake, than to have the child spit it out onto the floor. I’m not sure why this is, but ask any mom and she’ll tell you the same.) Of course, there’s no garbage can around, so I continue shopping one-handed while searching for someplace to dispose of the regurgitated mess in my hand.

In the meat department, a mother with one small baby asks me, “Wow! Are all six yours?”
I answer her, “Yes, but I’m thinking of selling a couple of them.”

(Still searching for a garbage can at this point.)

Ok, after the meat department, my kids’ attention spans are spent. They’re done shopping at this point, but we aren’t even halfway through the store. This is about the time they like to start having shopping cart races. And who may I thank for teaching them this fun pastime? My seventh “child”, also known as my husband. While I’m picking out loaves of bread, the kids are running down the aisle behind the carts in an effort to get us kicked out of the store. I put to stop to that just as my son is about to crash head on into a giant cardboard cut-out of a Keebler elf stacked with packages of cookies.

Ah! Yes! I find a small trash can by the coffee machine in the cereal aisle and finally dump out the squishy contents of my hand. After standing in the cereal aisle for an hour and a half while the kids perused the various cereals, comparing the marshmallow and cheap, plastic toy content of each box, I broke down and let them each pick out a box. At any given time, we have twenty open boxes of cereal in my house.

As this is going on, my toddler is playing Houdini and maneuvering his little body out of the seat belt in an attempt to stand up in the cart. I’m amazed the kid made it to his second birthday without suffering a brain damaging head injury. In between trying to flip himself out of the cart, he sucks on the metal bars of the shopping cart. Mmmm, can you say “influenza”?

The shopping trip continues much like this. I break up fights between the kids now and then and stoop down to pick up items that the toddler has flung out of the cart. I desperately try to get everything on my list without adding too many other goodies to the carts.

Somehow I manage to complete my shopping in under four hours and head for the check-outs where my kids start in on a chorus of, “Can we have candy?” What evil minded person decided it would be a good idea to put a display of candy in the check-out lanes, right at a child’s eye level? Obviously someone who has never been shopping with children.

As I unload the carts, I notice many extra items that my kids have sneaked in the carts unbeknownst to me. I remove a box of Twinkies, a package of cupcakes, a bag of candy, and a can of cat food (we don’t even have a cat!). I somehow missed the box of Pokemon cards however and ended up purchasing them unbeknownst to me. As I pay for my purchases, the clerk looks at me, indicates my kids, and asks, “Are they all yours?”

Frustrated, exhausted from my trip, sick to my stomach from writing out a check for $289.53, dreading unloading all the groceries and putting them away and tired of hearing that question, I look at the clerk and answer her in my most sarcastic voice, “No. They’re not mine. I just go around the neighborhood gathering up kids to take to the grocery store because it’s so much more fun that way.”

So, up for auction is an opened (they ripped open the box on the way home from the store) package of Pokemon cards. There are 44 cards total. They're in perfect condition, as I took them away from the kiddos as soon as we got home from the store. Many of them say "Energy". I tried carrying them around with me, but they didn't work. I definitely didn't have any more energy than usual. One of them is shiny. There are a few creature-like things on many of them. One is called Pupitar. Hee hee hee Pupitar! (Oh no! My kids' sense of humor is rubbing off on me!) Anyway, I don't think there's anything special about any of these cards, but I'm very much not an authority on Pokemon cards. I just know that I'm not letting my kids keep these as a reward for their sneakiness.

Shipping is FREE on this item. Insurance is optional, but once I drop the package at the post office, it is no longer my responsibility. For example, if my son decides to pour a bottle of glue into the envelope, or my daughter spills a glass of juice on the package, that’s my responsibility and I will fully refund your money. If, however, I take the envelope to the post office and a disgruntled mail carrier sets fire to it, a pack of wild dogs rip into it, or a mail sorting machine shreds it, it’s out of my hands, so you may want to add insurance. I will leave feedback for you as soon as I’ve received your payment. I will be happy to combine shipping on multiple items won within three days. This comes from a smoke-free, pet-free, child-filled home. Please ask me any questions before placing your bid. Happy bidding! :)

Tiany is having her two-year blogaversery this week, and to celebrate she is having some wonderful givaways.  Hop on over to her site to enter.  She has asked that we share some of our favorite things...here are a few of my MOST FAVORITE THINGS:

* A Newborn Baby - probably my most favorite of all things...i love the smell, the feeling of a baby on my shoulder, and I really love nursing...how i miss that!

*Daisies - I just love this flower...so simple and pretty.  Makes me happy to have a pretty vase of flowers in my kitchen!

*White Tea & Ginger body lotion and body spray by Bath and Body Works - just love this smell.  It's very light, and stays with you all day.

*Sheer Blush lipstick by Mary Kay - the ONLY lipstick I wear...neutral, sheer, and goes with anything.

*"Homeschooling by Heart," the BOOK by Kristina Sabalis Krukilas...my favorite book about doing it all...homeschooling, keeping the home, child training, encouragement.  I return to this book over and over for help!

*The BBC version of "Pride and Prejudice," the MOVIE.  This one stars Colin Ferth...the perfect man!  I love this movie and watch it at least two or three times a year.  And then I also love the movie "A Room With A View," starring Julian Sands and Helena Bonham-Carter(my favorite actress)

*Glade French vanilla candle...makes our house smell wonderful!

*Josh Groban CDs - I love this guy's voice, and did I mention that I am in LOVE with him??? He's just adorable!

*The now out of print magazine "OPEN ARMS" by Kym Wright.  I have all the old back issues, and I love reading them over and over again.  Other magazines I love are "Keepers At home," "Unless The Lord," "TEACH," and "Making It home" magazine.

*Any Book by Janette Oke.  I have every one she has ever written.  She is my favorite author.

It's the day after Christmas and I am finally able to blog a bit.  You see, Christmas at our house isn't just on one day.  We had our first Christmas last Friday with my older children(they live with their dad).  We had a wonderful dinner together and opened presents afterwards.  It really makes my heart swell with gladness when we are all sitting around the dinner table holding hands and singing a prayer before eating.  When all the wrapping paper is pushed aside and everyone has their jammies on, we do our favorite christmas tradition...we pop popcorn and watch the movie "Christmas Vacation."  We have been watching this movie for many years now and still double over with laughter when we watch it. 

Our second Christmas was on Sunday, the 23rd, with my husband's family.  We all gather at his parent's house for a delicious "barbeque" dinner.  Then John's dad reads the account of Jesus's birth from the Bible.  Then the little ones, my youngest 3 children, get to open their gifts.  Then the adults exchange gifts...we usually go around and watch everyone open their gifts, one at a time.  Being with Dh's family is like being with the "Walton's."  And that night our 3 children stayed the night with Dh's parents, while hubby and I went on a date.  We went to a movie...something we hadn't done together in about 6 months. 

For our third Christmas, we opened gifts at our own home on Christmas day.  The children were all thrilled with their gifts.  Since we have begun homeschooling, we have turned away from most of the "toys" that young kids play with today.  Our children received books, puzzles, building sets, and a baby doll, complete with a high chair/bed.  Everything they received this year was geared towards learning...and they LOVED it! 

Our final Christmas was later that evening at Dh's Aunt Martha's house.  We always go there along with the rest of John's family for Christmas dinner.  And we all receive gifts from his Aunt.  It's a wonderful time of fellowship, laughter, and games for the young ones at her house.  So now, that all the festivities are over, I am TIRED, but content.  My living room floor looks like a bomb went off in the middle of it.  The children have been playing all day with their new toys.  Maybe we will clean some tomorrow....maybe not.  Maybe we'll just play all day.

Tiany over at Less Of Me, More Of Him is hosting a Holiday Open House Dec. 3rd-10th.  What a great way for everybody to share their own family traditions, and get a peek into others' homes.

This may sound awful to some, but most of the time, Christmas is not a holiday I really look forward to.  I sometimes wish Christmas came once every five years.  Probably the main reason I get irritated is because of all the commercialism there is surrounding the holiday.  AND all the OBLIGATORY gift buying.  I wish people would realize that going into a buying "frenzy" to please everyone totally misses what Christmas is really about.  I am working on keeping Jesus the REASON for the season at our home.  I want my children to get excited about giving, instead of focusing on all that they are getting.  I love homemade gifts and really try to make the majority of the presents something I have made.  Giving from the heart means so much more than a $100.00 sweater. The little ones and I are going to be working the next 2 weeks on gifts for Daddy, Granny, and Grandpa.  I really just want my children to know that Jesus is the BEST gift we can ever receive.

TRADITIONS: We don't really have too many family traditions at christmas.   We always go to the candlelight service at church on Christmas eve. We have several celebrations with different sides of our family.  First, we have Christmas with my side of the family...my mom, my 4 older children, my brother and his wife, and my youngest brother.  Usually they all come to my house for dinner and opening gifts.  This is usually around the 23rd of December.  I really love this time, because all of my children are with me and we love being all together.  Then we have Christmas with my husband's side of the family.  His parents, his brother and his wife and Dh and I along with our children, get together at his parents house for dinner and opening presents.  I just love Dh's family.  We are all very close, and we really enjoy this time together.  Lastly, we go to my Dh Aunt's house on Christmas night for a HUGE family dinner that includes his whole family...and extended family.  Dh's Aunt Martha is probably the BEST cook I know of.  We have a gathering on that evening of about 20 people. 

HOMESCHOOL HOLIDAY: The month of December we do "light" schooling, with just the basics being covered(phonics, reading, math).  We do lots of baking together.  My boys especially like to help me make pumpking bread.  We always enjoy making the cutout cookies and decorating them with icing and sprinkles.  We also bring out all of our christmas books.  Just this week, we started reading the book "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Once the book is finished, then we will watch the movie.  I read aloud while they play quietly in the floor.  We also really enjoy all the christmas movies on TV this time of year.  Some of our favorites are- "A Christmas Story,"  "It's A Wonderful Life," "Veggie Tales: The Toy Who Saved Christmas," and "The Littlest Angel."

HANDMADE GIFTS: Most of the gifts I am giving this year are handmade.  So far I have made 2 quilts, 2 collages, and will be putting together several gift baskets for people who serve us in the community. (like my doctor, his nurse, mailman, and some close friends) For my gift baskets, I make a loaf of sweet sourdough bread, a loaf of pumpkin bread, some homemade Cafe Mocha coffee(presented in a pretty jar with some cute fabric tied under the lid), and some homemade cookies. 

THE "BEST-EST" COOKIES EVER: My mom has made the same cookies every year ever since I can remember.  My favorite ones are called "100 Good Cookies." I thought I would share this YUMMY recipe...

100 Good Cookies

Cream: 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, and 2 sticks butter(softened)

Add & Beat: 1 cup oil, 1 egg, and 1 tsp. vanilla

Add Dry Ingredients: 3/4 tsp. salt, 1tsp. cream of tartar, 1 tsp. baking soda, and 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Last Stir in: 1 cup Rice Krispies, 1 cup coconut, and 1 cup oatmeal

Drop onto cookie sheet sprayed with pam.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

ENJOY!  And Have a BLESSED CHRISTMAS from the Garland House! 

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?

Hot chocolate

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

We don't do "santa" in our home.  The reason is this...if I ask my children to believe in santa, who they cannot see, and later they find out it was just a "lie."  Then how can we witness to them about God, because we cannot see Him either.  I don't like all the santa stuff mixed in with Christmas...of course we are told by our family that we are keeping them from having "fun."  Tell me any child who wouldn't be excited knowing that he is getting gifts on Christmas morning???  Oh, and we do leave one  thing per child left unwrapped under the tree.

3. Colored lights on tree/house, or white? 

I really love the white lights...more uniform I guess.  Colored lights give me a headache.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

I would if I could find any around here, but hey, I don't need any reason to smooch on my sweet hubby! 

5. When do you put up your decorations?

We are putting them up this weekend.

6. Tree -- real or artificial?

We have a small 4 foot artificial tree.  Our house isn't very big on the inside, and with so many that we have over at Christmas, this gives us more room, and still has a "Christmasy" feel.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?

My grandparents from both sides would come over on Christmas Eve and go to Church with us.  Then we all went back to my mom's house and had finger foods and punch.  My mom's parents always spent the night so we would spend the evening watching old Christmas movies like "Christmas In Connecticut."

8. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

No.

 
9. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

10. Snow! Love it or dread it?

I LOVE snow!  I wish it stayed around all winter long.

11. Can you ice skate?

hmm...about 18 years ago I could.  I haven't even tried since then.

12. Do you remember your favorite gift as a child? 

I remember receiving a doll named Audrey and a wooden bunkbed for my dolls. 

13. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you now?

I love being with my family...and my husband's extended family.  We have the best time together.

Well, it's been a long week of entering contests.  Believe it or not, I actually entered every single one, plus or minus 10.  I stayed up one night until almost 3am entering.  It was like a challenge to see how far I could get.  And it was fun.  Anyway, I am sure you all are wondering who the winner is in my giveaway.  I decided to send the winner a surprise box of goodies for a "mommy."  And now without further ado....((drumroll))....THE WINNER IS:

Cocoa http://chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com/

Congratsulations...!!!

I don't know about everyone else, but I am already totally addicted to this Fall Y'all giveaway.  Not only am I giving somethings away...still haven't decided yet, but I have been entering all the other contests like a mad woman!  I was up until after midnight last night entering just as fast as my little fingers could type.  And even then, I only reached up to 139.  I am now up to 218.  I just had to take a break.  My brain is simply tired from so much entering. This is so much fun..I never win anything, so maybe with all of these things going on, I may actually win SOMETHING!  I have seen several really NICE givaways, but I still haven't seen the one I would die for, which would be an all expense paid trip to ANYWHERE with my husband ALONE!  And FREE babysitting for my children.  Hmmm, I can dream can't I?

Shannon over at Rocks In My Dryer is holding a Fall Giveaway.  I wanted to join in the fun and give away something too! I'm still thinking about what to give away, but will put that up soon.I will probably have it up by late this evening, so check back!  So, leave me a comment to enter.  If you do not have a blog, please leave me your e-mail or an alternate way of getting in touch with you.  Ohhh, this is going to be so much fun!

These are some really beautiful pictures that my sweet husband made of our children.  They aren't recent pictures, but were taken a couple of years ago.  i Hope to one day get them printed and framed to hang in our bedroom. (I really dislike digital cameras...I miss having a picture that I can hold and see)

This is my son, David when he was 4 years old.

This is my son Daniel.  He is 2 years old in this picture.  He has such an angelic face!

My two sweet boys playing together outside at my mother's house!

This is our miracle baby Rose.  She was 6 weeks old in these pictures.  (how I would love to have another baby)

Go to the advanced book search on Amazon, type your first name into the Title field, and post the most interesting/amusing cover that shows up.

That's me...Holly The Christmas Fairy!

Today the children are so excited because Granny and Pee-Paw are coming...my MIL and FIL.  They live in Raleigh, NC.  So, we don't get to see them as often as we would like.  So, instead of having school today(we are already ahead anyway), we spent our morning making pictures and gifts for Granny and Pee-Paw.  We also did a quick clean of the house.  They came and we spent the afternoon just playing and having fun with them.  I am lucky that my In-Laws are so wonderful.  We get along just great.  I'll post more later!

We have gotten so far ahead on homeschooling this week, that we decided to take today off!  The children played outside most of the day...digging in the dirt, playing with watering cans...helping mommy "over-water" her plants!   They spent the majority of the day outside.  Weather was just a tad chilly, so we drug out the long sleeved shirts and jeans. I got alot accomplished today as well. Today I:

**Cleaned the bedrooms

**cleaned kitchen

**dust mopped floors and vacuumed rugs

**gave baby girl a bath(she for some reason had sticky hair)

**made 2 loaves of banana bread

Then when I put baby girl down for a nap...I laid down as well.  Then we all went out to dinner.  Hope you all have a great weekend!

This time last year I was sitting in a movie theater with my mom and munching on some popcorn and tootsie rolls.  I took a big bite of some tootsie roll and one of my back teeth just came apart, filling and all. The entire back side of that tooth broke all the way to the gumline. I had instant pain as some of the nerves in the tooth were exposed. I of course got really upset, because I literally get sick if I have to go to the dentist.  It's one of those really irrational fears. I think I would rather be attacked by a bear than have to sit in a dentist's chair.  If I had had some Dentemp OS, then I could have patched my tooth temporarily and not have worried so much about it. Ironically, this Temporary Dental Repair was invented by a dentist, and provides on the spot relief for pain and discomfort. It is also FDA approved...so it IS safe.   This stuff is already mixed and ready to use. There is enough in the vial of cement for up to six uses...geez, I can't imagine what would happen if I broke off that many teeth.  It is so strong that you can use it on crowns and fillings that have come loose also.   Just apply it on the area that has come apart and allow to harden.  You can eat on it in 30 minutes. Sounds good to me!

It's getting closer and closer to that time of year when everyone starts thinking about Christmas gifts.  I am one who likes to start early.  I found a really neat site today that I know my hubby would love.  He has his own workshop/office out behind our house and it is such a mess.  (of course, he says he knows where everything is ) I would love to get him this:

What a difference it would make in the organization of his workshop.  I was just browsing at  GIFTS FOR HIM, and they have thousands of gift ideas for your hubby or signifigant other. Actually, there are a few things that would look perfect in my sewing area, like this:  It would be perfect for cutting out patterns and such.  Maybe it should be called "Gifts For Both Of Us!"

"This is a sponsored post"

I have just signed on with Pay Per Post as their newest PAID blogger. This is such a neat concept, and I don't know why I didn't sign up sooner. It's really easy.  All you do is register and add your blog...which is all FREE. Pick the categories that interest you.  Wait for your blog to be approved, and then get busy!  My friend Jenny over at http://www.jennyupthehill.blogspot.com/ has been blogging for them for some time now.  We both attend a women's bible study on Tuesdays and last week she said that I should try this. We are both homeschooling moms who love to blog and really need to have this outlet to the outside world.  She's making really good money to blog about things that she likes!  How cool is that??? I've enjoyed posting on my blog for the last year, why not  

GET PAID TO BLOG  about the things that I like!  Being a stay at home mom, I will really enjoy making my own money doing something that I already love to do. Hmmmm.. What will I do with my extra $$$? Well, most of it will go to pay for medical bills.  I also love to read and always need money for my ever-increasing book habit!

                                                                                             These adorable little angels are my two daughters, Zoe and Madeline when they were ages 3 and 2.  We have a really neat photo place here that does Anne Geddes type photography. I love the angels, and we also did a picture of them in dress-up clothes having a tea party.  Of course my "little" angels are now 11 and 12.  Thankfully, I now have another sweet little angel named Rose, and she is only 2...still my baby.

I am so happy! Linda over at www.homeschoolblogger.com/homeschooling6 has given me the "You Make Me Smile" award.  How sweet and Thank you!

This is what the person who created this award says about it: The thing that I love most about blogging is that I learn so much about a person just by reading their blog. I have met many wonderful people with wonderful stories to tell, and I am grateful everyday for each person that I have the pleasure of crossing paths in life with. I wanted to create something special for the top 10 people that have inspired me through their blogging; the stories they tell and the lives they lead with grace and dignity. I visit their blogs for inspiration and encouragement.

Now to pass this on to my top ten:

Candy over at http://myblessedhome.blogspot.com/- Hers is the first blog that I go read everyday.  Always full of blessings for me to read and apply everyday!

Jenny over at http://www.jennyupthehill.blogspot.com/ - If I need a lift or something to make me outright chuckle, Jenny is the one to visit! She also lives about 15 minutes away from me!

Christina over at http://hskubes.blogspot.com/ - I love her blog.  It is also one of my daily reads. I would just LOVE to spend a day with her and her sweet family.  I want to be YOU when I grow up!

Amanda over at http://muchforgiven.blogspot.com/index.html - Her blog is just full of wisdom.  She is my titus 2 inspiration.

Chasity over at http://www.homesteadblogger.com/chas - Chas is one of those really crafty people who inspire me to create. Just love this blog!

Tiany over at http://homeschoolblogger.com/Tiany/ - This woman just amazes me.  She is so happy all the time...and always is the first to bring encouragement!

Tina over at http://homeschoolblogger.com/bearingfruit/ - Not only is she the leader of our homeschool group..she is also a close personal friend.  She is the kind of person you can talk to for a few minutes and feel like you have known them for years.

Danielle over at http://homeschoolblogger.com/DanielleW/ - She is such an encourager and has left me so many sweet comments!

Ok...so that was my top eight!  You all truly do make me smile!

I saw this Meme over at Jenny's blog. 

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car),
Blue point himalayan caravan

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie),
Mint chocolate chip McDonaldland cookie

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) - H-Gar

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal),
Soft sage green shark

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born), Beth Elizabethton

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first),
Gar-Ho

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink), Baby Pink sweet tea

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers),
Francis Frank

9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy), Magnolia Blossom Reese Cup

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ),
Kathy Curtis

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter), Maglone memphis

12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower).
Summer Daisy

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) strawberry nightgowny

14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree),
French Vanilla Cafe Magnolia

15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”), The reading sunny tour!

This was fun...I'm not going to tag anyone specifically but if you do this please let me know...

Christina over at HsKubes Haven at Home is having a "Fall Back Into Homeschool Giveaway."  What is she giving away...some really neat stuff...that I would LOVE to have:

A set of colored pencils
A set of drawing pencils with eraser
A personal size pencil sharpener
A spiralbound sketch book
A set of pretty notecards
A homeschool bumper sticker
and
A free year subscription to Birds and Blooms magazine

To enter this giveaway, just check out the link - http://hskubes.blogspot.com/2007/09/fall-back-into-homeschool-giveaway.html