Posted in Entertainment

Psst, you might want to turn my player in the sidebar off first!! I wouldn't want you to  miss the great music I've posted for you to hear! he he he

Ok, for those who missed today's chat on Talk-A-latte, this is what is now stuck in my head.

Thank you so very little, Valerie!! he he he

Hey, there's French in there. Hmmm, brain is churning with an idea... could this be a 'language' lesson?! HA HA HA! I crack myself up!!

Then there is the OTHER one stuck in my head...

Thank you Chasity! : }

Yes, I was hearing Alvin and the chipmunks singing this. (Probably because we own the newest movie!! :]  ) I didn't even remember what the name of the original group was until I looked it up!! This is a much better version!!

Ahhh, I feel much better now that I've shared the love with everyone else!! I'll sleep much better tonight! he he he

Enjoy!!

P.S. No, this isn't the only thing I caught from the seminar!! I did actually take quite a few notes!!

"

Posted in Misc.

Well, my wonderful friend, Michelle, tagged me and according to the rules I have to list 6 things about me. Here goes...

 The Rules: Link to the person who tagged you. Post the rules on your blog. Write six random things about yourself. Tag six people at the end of your post. Let each person know he or she has been tagged. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

1) I love living in the desert! Yes, even when the heat seems to drag on and on and on! : } We've been here since '05 when the Lord moved us here so I'm NOT going to complain!! : }

2) I have a twin brother. No, we're NOT identical! You would be shocked at the number of ADULTS that ask me that question! :}

3)I'm the fifth oldest of 30 FIRST cousins! No, none of them were adopted! : }

4)I don't mind lizards, but I hate mice!!! YUCK!! (nasty things : {  )

5)I really don't like watching baseball on T.V. but I LOVE playing it! (I think it's because I want to be out there doing it!! : } )

6)I just became a MIT prayer group leader for my co-op.

Whew! That's done. Do you even know how hard that was?! Now I'm going to tag Jenny, Pam, Tina, Suzanne, Jennifer, and Cerese!

Please go visit these wonderful ladies who have always blessed me when I stop by!

Enjoy!

"

Posted in Anti Procrastination Tuesday

Hello everyone!!! I'm glad you stopped by today!! If you'd like to hop on board for some encouragement in doing those yucky jobs, stop by our host Mary's blog, Canadagirl, and join us!!

I DID IT!! I'm ONE, yes ONE, step away from being completely ready for new books and the new school year!!!

We usually school through the summer and take October off to rest, play, and plan. Well, this year was different in that our co-op started before we were even done with the '07-'08 school year. Where did my break go?  Oh well, that's the adventures of home schooling!!!

My project was to clean up my desk area, the bookshelf and the boys' desks.  Here is what I did this week...

I completely reorganized my desk area. I took out computer games, cd's, unused books and unused paper. I love all the space it's now giving me!!!

Here's the other area I worked on this week...

I'm so excited!!!!! I have empty bookshelf space!!! (Knowing me, it won't last long! : }  ) I was able to pull out an entire tote full of books we are no longer using!!! (Hmmmm, I think I hear another AP project comin' on!)

This only leaves me that last step... THE DESKS!!! My wonderful and amazing hubby suggested the boys do their own desks!!! Hey, that's an absolutely SPLENDIFEROUS (like that word, Shani? : } ) idea!! That's what I think I'll do!!! Hey, does that mean I'm done?! he he he Just kidding!!!

My last step is the 'start of school gift bags' and the new books all ready to go!!! I hope to get those ordered this weekend!!! WHOO HOO!!

Thanks for stoppin' by. Until next time...

"

Posted in Show and Tell Fridays

Hello everyone!!! Welcome to another installment of Show and Tell. If you'd like to see what everyone is showing in 'class' today or you'd like to join in, please go see our wonderful host Mary over @ Canadagirl and join us!!!

Last Friday I took time 'off' from bloggland to 'play' with my hubby. It was his 40th birthday and the boys and I planned a surprise party for him!!! Let me tell ya, that was NOOOOO easy task. Just ask Shani ~ She heard my woes practically all week. Love you, my friend!! : }

My hubby is one who wants to be surprised, but has the penchant to dig into things ~ ask questions, make his OWN plans and tell me later, and become suspicious if I deter from what he calls my 'normal behavior' even a microscopic amount!!  Do you KNOW how hard it is to surprise a person like that?! NOT EASY!!!!

Well, let me tell ya.... First, he came home early from work EVERYDAY last week. What?! Ugh!!!!!

Then he decided to plan his own 'get together' with some of our friends. Yep, you guessed it, he started calling some of them to come over for 'fellowship' time on Friday. I had some of our friends come in from Kingman (yes, it was all part of my master plan! : } ) and Ned thought it would be great to have others come while they were here. Of course I'm trying to play damage control and contact people before he does, but low and behold he had beaten me to it. Hmmm, I wonder if he started calling BEFORE he said something to me. Hmmmm. Thankfully people were onto him and told him they had plans and couldn't make it! he he he!!

Then, on the day of the party I planned to get him out of the house by having all of us go to an advanced kicking seminar that our karate family was putting on. It worked allright, but on the way there our friends' vehicle broke down. Just up and stopped. Guess what I did? Laughed. HA HA HA HA HA HA What else was I going to do. If I didn't laugh I would've screamed!!! (or maybe hurt someone!! : } )

Needless to say, it was an adventure. We did go to the class, and we did go to dinner because that was the plan. Any deterring from that would've aroused suspicion! An hour past the scheduled time we arrived home to find my wonderful friends and family had decorated and were in the driveway singing a great rendition of Happy Birthday!! He was absolutely shocked!!!

Here are some of the pics of how great the house looked and the great gifts (insert sarcasm here : }  ) he received!!

We had a great time!!! He actually did get some great gifts!! We'll be eating out for quite awhile!! WHOO  HOOO!!!

He told me how absolutely shocked and surprised he was!! He had NO CLUE!!!! WHHOOOO HHHOOO I DID IT!!! Whew!!! Now I'm free until the 80th!!! he he he

"

Posted in Anti Procrastination Tuesday

Hello and welcome to Anti Procrastination Wednesday!! If you'd like to join me and others in encouraging each other to get those pesky little projects we keep putting off done, please go see our wonderful host Mary over @ Canadagirl!!!

Has it been a week already? (here you insert a visual picture of me hanging my head, hands behind my back and scuffing my foot in the dirt) I didn't get ANYTHING done this week. : {

I must ask, in all humbleness, for an extension. Not only do I feel I will not get it all done by next week, but we are financially unable to get all the things we need ordered at once. We are going to piece meal it out over the next few weeks. Hopefully by mid-October we will be up and fully homeschooling!

I have a pretty extensive list of things set up for the '08-09 school year so piece-mealing it out works for me. We'll start the subject as soon as the book comes in. We, technically, have already started school this year. We are doing a 50 states and Apologia science class with our co-op which started Sept. 15th.

I appreciate all of you who are encouraging me along the way. Some days that's what helps me get these 'projects' done!! : }

I'll have great progress to report next week!!!

Until then....

"

Posted in Thoughts

I must tell you that I was humbled and honored to come back from my little 'bloggy vacation' to find that I had received this wonderful award from two absolutely wonderful friends ~ solidrock and Michelle122161. Wow!

 What I've learned is now I'm supposed to pass this on to three others.

There were many I could've chosen, but these three were the ones that were laid on my heart when I prayed about which ones to choose. 

patrizia ~ She is a Godly mom doing her best to raise her daughters to be Godly Proverbs 31 women and I commend her for that!!! She is ALWAYS forthright about her faith, yet transparently honest about her faithwalk!!! Gotta love that!! : }

diamondsintherough ~ Sally has been absolutely wonderful to this less that skilled html person and I love her for that!! Thanks Sally! :} I love 'visiting' for she is always encouraging and I can usually  get a great laugh when I go over there!! (I need laughs often!) I love how she is sold out to her husband and his call ~ so much so she moved to the desert. Not her most favorite place!! : }

mansemamma ~ I love how honest she is with the ups and downs of her faith walk!! This is the kind of person I want to surround myself with!! She always encourages me and I seemingly always get 'visits' when I need them most!! Thank you for that my friend!!

Like I said before, there are MANY who encourage me and I'm blessed by them ALL!

If you'd like to give the award to someone, feel free to pass it along and bless someone else the way I've been blessed!!!

"

Posted in Holidays

Hello everyone!!! I just wanted everyone to know I'll be 'offline' until next week!! Today is my hubby's 40th birthday!!! We have friends coming in and I need to get ready...(you know...finish cleaning, doing laundry, etc. )... without interruptions!!! (I like playing in bloggyland and I don't usually stay on task like I should! ~ insert sheepish grin here!!) 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Enjoy!!

In His Grip!!

"

Posted in Anti Procrastination Tuesday

Welcome to another Anti Procrastination Tuesday!!! Thanks for stopping by! I hope it encourages you!!! If you'd like to join me and others in our quest to encourage each other in getting to those nasty little projects that we continually put off, please go see Mary over @ Canadagirl for all the details!!

Well, I have my friend solidrock for helping me get some of my project done this week! Thank you!

She made a suggestion last week to work on it in 10 minute increments. That way it wouldn't be overwhelming. Well...I not only did it for my project, but for other wonderful housekeeping 'projects' as well.

Here is the end result...

Not only was I able to clean out the cart, but I sorted through the baskets on either side of the TV and gave it a new home.

After getting out...

 that's two, count them, TWO bags of garbage...JUST FROM THE CART!! WHEW!!! (Boy, am I glad that parts done!!) I now have this little treasure...

... six empty drawers!! WHOOO HOOOO!! I can be excited today. Hard tellin' what I'll find to fill 'em up with!!

It's one step closer to the goal!! YEAH!!!

"

Posted in Tightwad Tuesday

It's Tightwad Tuesday and I have a tip. If you'd like to give a tip or check out other great tips, please go see Mary over @ Canadagirl and join in!!!

My tip this week is for free curriculum. WHOO HOO!! Who doesn't like free?!!  Yes, it's free. You just need a computer!!!

We are doing the 50 states this year with our co-op. When discussing what curriculum we wanted to use, one of the mom's remembered she had attempted to do  '50 states' with her son last year. She found the site Our 50 Great States  which, after signing up to receive their e-mails, will send you two states every week. The e-mail comes complete with links for printables, fun things to create in the kitchen from that state and a printable quiz!!!  We did the first lesson in class last week and there was so much info I didn't have time to share it all.  And the best part... It's all free!!!

I know this may not help some of my readers who are not from the US, but I did a quick search @ About.com and found some things for our Northern neighbors, Canada!! Give it a try. What've ya got to lose?

Enjoy!!

"

Posted in Misc.

Ok. He did it to me again. And again while I was driving!!! I SOOOO LOVE THAT!!!

 I should just come up with a category of Kung Fu Pandaisms!! (like that word? I just made it up! he he he)

On our way to spend some time at the library with Celticmom and her boys, Kung Fu Panda came up with something else to send me into fits of laughter!! Cooper Kid was going to be spending the night with them and I was explaining to the boys that their family was going to a ceili (pronounced kaylee) that night and I expected him to participate. Cooper asked me if they danced there and I told him yes and Piper participates. Kung Fu proceeded to tell me "Wow, mom. They are so, so.. what's the word? Oh yeah, cultured. We're not cultured are we mom. We don't know anything about ourselves!"

Now, how was I supposed to take that? I'm a HUGE history buff so I've researched our ancestry and found some pretty cool things along the way. I've also shared this with my boys. They must NOT have been listening when I was sharing all the really cool stuff I found.

I'm German/Dutch. What kind of response would you expect from that kind of heritage?

 After the fits of laughter were over there was, what I like to call, a passionate response. Yeah, that works. (In my family the 'passion' comes from the German side.) Do you know where the beautiful German Shepherd comes from? (insert more sarcasm here! he he he)

See, we can be gentle and loving too!!!

Sorry, a little ADOS going on!!!

So, once again my child has done it to me! Hold on. We just started the week. Who knows what's gonna happen!

picture courtesy of live search images

"

Posted in Show and Tell Fridays

It's what time? It's Show and Tell Friday time!!! Whoo Hoo!!! If you'd like to see what others are sharing and/or you'd like to join in, please go see our wonderful host Mary @ Canadagirl!!

If you've visited with me before, maybe you've caught me bragging on my kids about how well they did in our states first karate tournament. Well, at this same tournament we did a fund raiser forHomes of Hope in Fiji   by having anyone who wanted to buy some boards to break. They could kick them or punch them. Of course there were rules by which everyone had to abide. I'll spare you the details  because I want to get to the good stuff ~ My kids!! : }

I was recently given some pictures a friend took of my kids breaking boards.

This was Kung Fu Panda's favorite part!! He even took some of his birthday money and bought some boards to break!!!

Cooper Kid couldn't be outdone. He had to try a kick as well.

They both did great and we didn't have any broken bones, cuts, or scratches!! We were even able to raise $400.00. I don't think it gets any better than that for a first year!!!

Next year will be even better! 

"

Posted in Misc.

Kids are amazing, aren't they?! I just had to put this out there for anyone who was wondering what the back of your knee is called.

Let me set the stage for you. We were on the way home from karate last week and, you need to understand, our car SOMETIMES blows out semi-cool air. I live in the desert. It's HOT here!!! The boys were already sweating so a semi-cool car in triple digits makes you sweat even more!!! Kung Fu Panda proceeds to tell me that he's so sweaty  even his knee pits were sweating.

What?!? I had to ask him to repeat himself. Yep. That's what he said.

"My knee pits are sweating. You know, mom, the back of your knees."

That kind of stuff should NOT happen when you're driving!!

Where do they come up with this stuff?

So, there you have it. The back of your knee is called your knee pit!!

See, you can even learn something when you're an adult!!

picture is courtesy of Cartoonstock

"

Posted in Anti Procrastination Tuesday

Hey, this is Anti Procrastination time!!! To encourage other ladies, please go see Mary over @ Canadagirl!!

Um, ah... I've been procratinating on posting 'cuz ... well, I haven't done very much. Oops!!

Hey, I moved the cart of 'stuff' out from under my desk and put it in the middle of the loft. I thought this would motivate me to get at it and get it done. Hmmm, not so much!!

Maybe I'll have more to share next week!

"

Posted in Tightwad Tuesday

Hello and welcome to my Tightwad Tuesday tip!!! If you'd like more tips, please go see Mary over @ Canadagirl!

We had our first co-op class yesterday.  It was CRAZY!!!! Well, I am team teaching the 50 states and Gen. Science class.  I had info I wanted to share with the class, but we didn't have powerpoint.

Hmmm, what should I do? Power Point is NOT CHEAP and I'm not going to pirate a copy. I guess I'll have to show the pictures some other way!!!

Welllll, through my hubby doing some internet searches he found a $12 version of a compatable 'off brand' powerpoint. Pretty cheap, right?! I like free better. Don't you? My hubby felt funny about downloading an 'off brand' so we sat down together and did some research. We read feedbacks we found on this $12 version and found out there was a FREE download! WHOOOO HOOOO!!!

It's called OpenOffice.org 3.0.0! Now, for you skeptics, we haven't had ANY trouble with our computer since downloading it!! I AM SOOO EXCITED!!! I put together my first ever powerpoint!! I'm pretty proud of myself!

I was even able to burn this to a cd and run it on the equipment at church!!! How cool it that?!

Well, I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!!!

"

Posted in Show and Tell Fridays

Hello everyone!!! I'm glad you stopped by for today's Show and Tell!!! If you'd like to join us or you just wanted to see what others are sharing, please stop by our host Mary's site @ Canadagirl!!!

As I sat down today and tossed around a couple of ideas as to what I would share, my mind started to wander to thoughts of what I have to do today ~ what's going on this weekend~ I better get my run in before the heat of the day kicks in...(remember ADOS?) that's where it stopped. I had an 'A HA'moment. C'mon, you all have them too. I'm not the only one. My 'A HA' was that I could share what I've been doing diligently for the last 8 months!!

Last January at a New Year's Eve party with some friends from church this picture was taken of me...

Now, faced with the reality of this picture,(and motivated by the fact that we were travelling back to my hometown in May for my 40th birthday with my twin) I took matters into my own hands. I started working out and watching what I ate.

Through A LOT of hard work, sweat, tears and many a morning of NOT WANTING TO WORK OUT AGAIN mentality I can show you all this picture ~ taken this morning by Kung Fu and in the same outfit as that fateful first picture...

...43 lbs later and in the best shape of my life!!! I am eating healthier ~and consequently so is my family~I can do more with my kids and not be out of breath. And I FEEL better!!! For me it wasn't a diet. It's a lifestyle change!!! Best change I've EVER made!!! If I can do it, anyone can!!!

Best of all, that morning workout time is my time with my Lord. It's fabulous!!! Now the mentality is 'I can't wait to spend time with Him!!!' I'll do it this way for as long as I can!!

"

Posted in Misc.

Today is 9/11. Today many people will remember that fateful day so many years ago. Today lives are different because of what happened. And yet today many people will go on as normal, not even giving a second thought to that day.  I don't want to be one of those people.

I think there are those out there who won't forget either...

This is George Johnson of Rockaway Beach, Dan McWilliams of Long Island (both from Ladder 157), and Billy Eisengrein of Staten Island (Rescue 2) .

And someone else who won't forget is my Uncle ~ Gene Adkins of Battle Creek Michigan. He's a policeman. At the time he was searching. Searching for what, you ask? The Lord. I received a call @ around midnight that night. He called me with all kinds of questions. Questions about why would God let this happen... Aren't you afraid... and my favorite... How can you have such peace. I answered him, through the Holy Spirit guiding me, with the answers I always gave him every time he started asking me questions.  "I have the peace of knowing where I'm going, Uncle Gene. Do you?"  He felt he needed to go and DO something so he took the vacation he 'coincendentally' had planned starting @ midnight that night, and went to New York for the week. He came back a different man.

I would love to say he finally surrendered, but I cannot. I know the Lord is working on his heart. I continue to pray as does my mom.

The picture of the firemen is reminescent of another history making shot. Remember this one...

This is @ Iwo Jima during WWII.

To me these pictures speak of the undeniable spirit of hope behind why these men do what they do!!! It doesn't matter what nation your from. Hope is Hope!!

Let's not forget that or the men who continue to give us that hope!

I learned quite a bit on my trek to honor those who fell on this date so many years ago. You might be surprised what YOU'LL learn.

These are just a few of the place I went...

Snopes.com, Iwo Jima Picture, and Ground Zero Spirit. Maybe it'll turn into a history lesson. Mine did!

"

Posted in Misc.

I'm not one for political discussions, but this particular video struck me to the core of my patriotism!!!! 

Careful, this may bring you to tears. It did me!!!

(You'll need to turn my player in the sidebar off before you begin!)

I found myself cheering for this young man even BEFORE  I saw his leg!!!

Neither my hubby nor I were in the military, but we are teaching our boys to be patriotic and that the freedoms we have, like being able to worship God freely and go to church, all came with a price and this young man is one of many who has paid it for us!!!

(Please do not respond with controversial or argumentative comments. That's not what my blog is about!! Thank you!)

Enjoy!!!

"

Posted in Anti Procrastination Tuesday

Hello all!! It's that time again...ANTI PROCRASTINATION TUESDAY!!! If you'd like to see what the other ladies are doing and would like to encourage or join us, please go see Mary over @ Canadagirl and check it out!!!

Let me tell ya, this is a hard one to post. I fought myself on this one. You see, we school through the summer and take September off. I've been looking forward to a little break. We'll start again the first of October. WHOO HOOO!! A little vacation, RIGHT?! WRONG!!! EVERYONE else is on a different schedule and ALL ~ I mean ALL ~ the programs and things my kids love to do are starting back up again. What happenend to my break? It's sliding down a slippery slope and I can't catch it!! UGH!! Oh well!!!

I started thinking about the start of school ~ that's a shocker, huh ~ and when I wanted to start. Oct. 6th sounded good. Then the panic set in. C'mon, you ALL know what I'm talking about!!! "Oh no, what am I going to do? I don't have enough time to research or order or write out the curriculum."~THAT panic!! : } Then I  took a gander at my desk and the bookshelf and totally lost it!!!

See what I'm working with here?

(He he he ~ yes, that's Mary's blog up on my computer!! " }  )

So here we have it....this is my next AP project!! I need to have this cleaned out, reorganized and ready for the next school year by Oct. 6th. That's our first day of school!! Oh, and I want to make the first day fun this year so I'm going to use some of the ideas I've found here in bloggyland ~ gift bags or boxes for my kids with their school supplies in them!! I've already purchased the supplies so that headache is out of the way! :} I just need to create a great gift bag or box for them. Hmmm, seems to me I now have the perfect area to do that in! Maybe this AP project thing isn't such a headache after all!! : }

"

Posted in Show and Tell Fridays

It's Show & Tell Time again!!! If you'd like to join us or just check out some other Show & Tell's, please join me and other's @ Mary's site Canadagirl to join in!!!

Boy did I have a little 'Christmas' last week while doing my Anti-Procrastination project!!! I found all kinds of goodies I had forgotten about!!!

First there were cards I had made and stashed away (and forgotten :}  ) ...

A pumpkin card...

I would love to take credit for this, but this was an idea from a party I went to!!! I did make this particular example though!!! Doesn't that count?!

This, however, IS my idea..

Yes, for all of you girly girls, it's a purse card!! (Believe it or not, I'm turning into one as well and I'm loving it!! he he he)

And a few more close ups...

And then I found templates.  These are ones I made at parties I went to over the years. I hope to use them in the future!! Some are absolutely adorable!!!

This one is a card that opens differently than regular cards. (Please excuse the crazy decorations and background! I did that just to create the template!:}  )

This next one was given to me as a card!! I just love it! (sorry for the blurriness!! The low light in the craft area is something I'll have to work on!!! :}  )

As you can see, the center of the card opens up into a heart!!! What a clever idea!!

This next one is a little 'box' that the opening twists upon itself.

I also found a template for a little card-made portofolio!!! You could use this for invitations, pictures, recipes... the ideas are only limited by my imagination!!!

And then there is my favorite... I love this little gem...

Yes, you are seeing that correctly!!! It's a shirt! And it's made out of paper!! How adorable is that?!

I wish I could take credit for this as well, but... yes, another party!!! Did you happen to remember what my blog name is? That ought to tell you VOLUMES!!! When it comes to stamping parties, I'm a junkie~ My hubby tells me they have a group at Celebrate Recovery for people like me!! he he

I THINK he was kidding!?! :} Oh well...

See, Anti-Procrastination projects may start out as drudgery, but they can turn up little 'Christmases' like mine did!!! (Not only that, but it gave me a Show and Tell! he he he )

"

Posted in Anti Procrastination Tuesday

Hey, guess what time it is? It's Anti Procrastination time with our wonderful host Mary!!! If you'd like to join in on the fun or you'd like to encourage us in our projects, please go see her over @ Canadagirl!

I'M DONE!! I'M DONE!!! I'M DONE!!!!

I have officially finished my Anti-Procrastination project!!! Whew!!! THAT was a challenge!!! Thank you Mary for challenging me to get this done!!!

Here is a picture of the trash that I cleaned out of there...

It may not seem like a lot, but this was all junk that needed to go. I didn't realize this was all in there!! :{

These next pics are of the drawers that are under the table top. They were jam packed and disorganized.

Did you notice that there are empty shelves and spaces? That just means room for other stampin' tools!! he he he Don't tell my hubby! He'll panic! :}

And the finished product....drumroll please....

AND THE CROWD GOES WILD...

Well, maybe not wild, but my hubby likes to walk by the garage door and open it up 'cuz it looks so nice now!! Before when we opened it you'd see all the 'stuff' piled up on the counter and it was a constant reminder of what needed to be done!! Now I can use it to my hearts content!!!

I think this calls for a short break to celebrate and then onto the other AP projects I seemingly found while doing this one!! UGH!!!

"