You'd Better Hurry...

There's only today left for nominations for the Share the Love Awards.

And to whomever nominated me for the additional awards of Most Inspiring and Best Commenter, I totally thank you. But just what am I inspiring you to be, might I ask? Chaotic? Sassy? Delusional? Slow-witted? Best example of why not to have kids? Did you think it said perspiring? Because that one I really might have a chance to win. Well, if I would start exercising again...

Now, if I can just figure out who to bribe for Woman Power!, Best Design and Best Writing, I would be in business...

Oh, never mind. A girl's gotta have goals.

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Side note that may sound cocky, gloating, vain or proud, but really isn't. It just made me feel good and happy inside:

Last night I came in from work and the phone was ringing. I, who usually ignore the contraption because I usually hate the thing and I want some time down time when I walk in the door - which is really a dream because typically I have to start dinner/switch laundry/answer questions/do dishes/pee all at the same time when I walk into the house (but really that is all too much information for even me so let's move on, shall we?), answered the phone to find my friend laughing on the other end of the line. She informed me that she just started reading my blog from the beginning (poor girl - Jenny - really it does get better!) and she was up to March 2006. She said that she couldn't go any further until she called me to say that she loved the humor, the wit, the style of writing and the exact likeness of me that I portray on the posts and now she had to get back to reading because she wanted to get caught up to present day so that she could start commenting on relevant, up-to-date material.

I've decided that answering the phone may not be such a bad thing after all. And she utterly, completely and wholely made me feel fantastic and relieved. (Hey, she could have called to say, "Perhaps you should consider knitting...")

WFMW - quick cleaning

One year my mother-in-awe gave me a really useful gift. I think it cost her all of 50 cents, but it has made my dish cleaning so much easier.

First you buy one of these. Just a small one will do. I've seen them at WallyWorld and Tarzhay for half a buck.



Then you fill it until it looks to have about an inch of dishwashing soap in the bottom. Slowly fill the remainder of the container with water - close to the top. Put the sprayer, swirl to mix and...

Presto! Instant dishwashing soap without the need to fill a sink to clean.

I use this so often that if I were to go without it now, I'm not sure I would know how to do dishes.

It comes in really handy when you need to clean the cutting board after cutting meat, when you want to wash a knife, when you need to clean out a lunchbox.

I think you get the idea.

If you want to get other great ideas, head on over to Shannon's place.

Question and a Meme

Where, oh where, have my little comments gone? Where, oh where, can they beeeeeee?

I'm one of those love/hate change people. I love trying something new and going wild... like eating dessert BEFORE dinner or going for a Mocha Breve rather than the regular mocha. Yeah, change is good.

But I hate change because you never know what to expect from something new. Let's take... oh... how about a perfectly random subject - oh I know - Blogger Beta. Yes, let's use that as a completely random example of why I hate change. The switch was painless and easy, especially after being rejected for change after numerous attempts. However, in the changeover, my comments have been filtering to - oh I don't know... the Black Hole, maybe? Or to the island of unmatched socks. That's right. You comment, and I have no idea where they are going. Ugh.

I have double checked all the places where I indicated that I want comments to go to my email - both on the blogger comment setting and on my dashboard profile, but alas, the blogging pixie is against me. If you have any information on how to make the comments come to me, I would be ever so grateful. You may even find a gift of thanks coming your way if you can fix this error!

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Updated because Jeana indicated that I totally left stuff off!

Pastormac's Ann over at It's Always a Production tagged me for a different, quick meme. Being that I did Susanne's last time, I thought I would do Pastormac's Ann's too, so she'll know that it's not any sort of favortism. It's really laziness on my part.

The most memorable moment in my life:

How do I choose just one?

• There's the time I met Mr. Right.
• Thoughts of our wedding day still makes my heart beat fast and strong and our wedding night memory does the same. (Remember: I was a virgin with a very loving, patient husband.)
• The day these little ones came into my life made me begin to understand unconditional love.

The time I did this and this because these people still are on my mind months and months after the events.

Although I had been a Christian for 19 years, it wasn't until I was 30 that I had a dawning of how incredible, how awesome, how wonderful was the grace of God.

Whew. That wasn't so bad after all.

Now I tag Peach, Deanna, BooMama (because she said that she was in a rut and might need another meme to get her through a post), BigMama and Owlhaven (because I'd like to see her pick just one too.)

You Shared the Love Alright...

Oh my lands... I leave for the weekend and come back to work to find emails/comments from y'all saying "Congrats".

My first thought was "Where is my coffee?", but right after that, I promise, was "What on earth are they talking about?" So first I went to find my coffee - hey a girl has to have priorities, and when it comes to coffee, I have mine -

Then it hit me...

Share the Love Awards.

I don't think that it is any sort of understatement for me to say that I'm shocked. And slightly light-headed. I think I need to sit down. Well, I am sitting, but perhaps you won't mind if I just hang my head between my knees a moment... and then pinch myself.

Are you serious? This isn't a dream like the McDonald's commercial?


I'm not eating in my underwear, and I saw my name several times, so it must be true.



Best Humor
Blogger You'd Most Like To Meet
Most Thought-Provoking
Blog You'll Never Stop Reading (someone emailed me to tell me that she nominated me for this award but it's not up yet... Thank you!)

Now, I'm going to be totally honest: I don't think I have a chance in he bloggityville of winning Best Humor, not with the likes of BooMama, Big Mama, Antique Mommy - hey I might if I change my name to Mama's Diner or something of the sort; I might have a chance - Anyway, I go to them to get my daily dose of comedy, so I'm going to have the hardest time voting for ONE. That's like asking to pick your favorite child! And we all know what happened when Jacob did that with Joseph. I'm not feeling comfortable with two of them ganging up on another one and throwing her into a cistern and then selling her off to some group of gypsies just so we can all bow down to her later in life. I'm just saying... None of you have gotten a new coat of many colors lately, have you? If so, you may want to keep that little news to yourself for now...

Most Thought-Provoking was a stunner too, especially since I'm often trying to locate my brain cells to form just one thought, much less hoping to get you to think too. If by Most Thought-Provoking you mean "Blogger who is most transparent and willing to show her ugly warts and all so that God can use her to help others and at the same time glory Him," then I can accept that nomination.

Blogger You'd Most Like To Meet - now that is just down right humbling. Just as a note of warning: I am the same in person as I am on the blog. Take that how you will... The award I would love to have is this: The Blogger You'd Most Like To Meet Again After Meeting Her The First Time. Now that would be saying something...

Blog You'll Never Stop Reading - this one puts a big smile on my face. Because unlike a lot of other bloggers who say that they only write for themselves, I totally admit that I write for y'all. I love this communication, support and friendship that has developed over time. I post to keep you updated, to hear your comments and mostly to make you laugh. Yeah, I'm that vain. I post most of the time hoping to hear back you. Because y'all make me laugh/smile as much with the comments at my place as do your blogs.

So even if I win squat, I'd like to say thank you for thinking of me the way that you do. (But you know what I'm really saying is "Please go vote for me, because I really want to win." Hey! I'm just continuing with the honesty thing. You wouldn't expect less from me now, would ya?)

They like me. I Mean, What's Not To Like About Me?

They like me; they like me. (doing the happy dance) I'm finally in like Flynn. Woo hoo!

I am an oh-fi-shal, card-carrying member of Blogger Beta!

Whew. It was worth all the Rough Week ordeal and everything.

Tell me this you fellow Blogger Beta members. Wasn't it worth:

• Going without coffee for a day?
• Being denied the priviledge of shaving your legs?
• Having all those points and demerits recorded in my pledge book?
• Groveling on all fours, hailing praises like "Oh Great Blogger, I adore thee"?
• Waking early to make breakfast for all those wonderful employees at Blogger?
• Enduring all those lights-in-your-face-"answer-the-tough-questions-you-pion!" moments?

What?! You didn't have to go through all that?

Man, I'm too stinkin' gullible for my own good. I had a feeling something fishy was going on when they asked to see my sophomore year high school yearbook.

Hey Blogger! I better not see my picture plastered all over those reunion.com advertisements!

(Oh... this is so embarassing.)

Share the Love

February is all about love, right? And we all know that it doesn't have to apply to your immediate family.

So go over here to find out how you, yes YOU, get to share the love with a click of a button.

And remember: It's Shalee - two e's, okay?

Book Meme

Susanne from Living to tell the Story has tagged me with an easy book meme.

Here are the rules/requirements:

1. Grab the book closest to you.
2. Open to page 123, go down to the fourth sentence.
3. Post the text of the following 3 sentences on your blog.
4. Name of the author and book.
5. Tag three people of your own.

Now Susanne should know by now that I can't follow rules, so I don't know why she would list them. I've just got to add a twist of Shalee in to everything I do, you know...

Her first mistake was the rule thing. The second was assuming that I only have one book close to me. The third will be that she thinks that I can count...

So here goes:

Web made a fist and put it right through the mirror, cracking the drywall
behind it. "I didn't let them die, Julie," he said to the shattered
glass. He looked at his hand; it wasn't even bleeding. His luck was
holding, wasn't it? (Okay, I know that's more than 3 sentences, but there
was only one sentence left in the paragraph!)

Last Man Standing - David Baldacci

"Give her a door-key to carry in her t'other one, Fagin," saide Sikes; "it
looks real and genivive like."

"Yes, yes, my dear, so it does," said the Jew, hanging a large street-door
key on the forefinger of the young lady's right hand. "There; very
good!"

Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

She asked her at different times how many sisters she had, whenther they were
older or younger than herself, whether any of them were likely to be married,
whether they were handsome, where they had been educated, what carriage her
father kept, and what had been her mother's maiden name? --Elizabeth felt all
the impertinence of her questions, but answered them very composedly.--Lady
Catherine them observed, "Your father's estate is entailed on Mr. Collins, I
think."

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

"I'm an espresso man myself," he said expansively. "Drank it all the
time over in Italy. They have all kind of little places where you sit
around and do that, you know."

The Secret History - Donna Tartt

She said: "You know, I don't really know what to think. I've always
assumed that Kenneth Marshall accepted his wife, quite frankly, for what she was
- that he had no illusions about her. But it may not be so."

Evil Under the Sun - Agatha Christie

So I tag Chilihead, Shannon & GiBee, Jeana... and Shayne too, just to be even more ornery than before I started this post.

Real Beauty

My daughter was getting ready to jump in the shower when she turned ot me and said, "I want to start working out with Dad." Cool I thought. She can start learning about fitness and keeping herself healthy. She continued, "Yeah, I need to work out because I'm getting fat." Then she looked in the mirror and sighed. Screeeeeeeech!!!! What? Why is my 10 year old, size 14-slim girl calling herself fat? Where does she get that? We don't watch tv, we don't have any magazines in the house... well, Bon Appetit, but that doesn't have ANY articles on why anyone should be skinny. We're super selective about the movies we watch... the last "iffy" one we let her watch - with us, I might add- was Napoleon Dynamite and if anything, that one encourages youth to be themselves. Have I contributed to that thought? Have I said anything to make her feel that she isn't good enough? Have I criticized myself to make her think that this is the natural way to think about yourself? Probably. I have mentioned lately that I really need to start running again. But I never implicated that my daughter needed to do it too. It was always a "me" statement. School is the only other place I can think where this awful, ugly lie started to rumor. I know that at this age, the self-doubt starts to creep into their hearts. One person may mention one slight in passing - not even meaning anything in passing - and a girl's mind will take it and run with all the things that are "wrong" with her. How, oh how, can I stop this madness? I asked her why she thought she was fat. She shrugged and then said, "I'm not really fat, but my legs are big." This from a girl whose legs are the size of toothpicks... I immediately challenged her comment. I reminded her of her jean size - slim is called slim for a reason. I told her that exercising will help her to feel better about her body and herself, but she doesn't need to lose any weight. Then I brought to her attention that she is a creation of the great Artist, and God only makes masterpieces. She smiled, ever-so-slightly smiled, at that thought. Real beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Please remind someone of that fact today, especially if the person is a girl on the cusp of self-awareness. I remember needing it when I was my daughter's age. Somethings never change.

WFMW- Parenting Tip for Any-Age Child

God has given us an incredible responsibility as a parent to “train up” our childern spiritually. Unfortunately, I believe we all often face the same problem…life gets in the way. We all share a similar daily routine of getting children up in the morning, getting them to school on time, picking them up from school, taking them to piano lessons and basketball practices, feeding them dinner, and preparing them for bedtime. Some of us even have the additional task of working outside the home. Let’s face it, we are all busy and life really gets in the way.

How can we have time to do what God has commanded us to do and still maintain some sense of reality? Let me encourage you with a few simple strategies from Deuteronomy 6:6-9…Let's term them Diligent Intentional Parenting:

And these words which I command you today shall be in your
heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall
talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie
down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your
hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall
write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

“When you sit in the house” – what better time to communicate the truths of God’s word than when you are eating breakfast or dinner together. Eating dinner together has to be planned and intentional. Spiritual instruction and worldview perceptions should be the subject matter of conversation.

“When you walk by the way” – there is no better time to find application to spiritual training than when you are out of the house. As a parent we should always keep a look out for “teachable moments” that we can use to teach our children about important Bible truths.

“When you lie down” and “When you rise up” – the first and last words of every day our children should be hearing is that God loves them and has an incredible plan for their life.

“You shall write them on the doorposts of your house” – we should have God’s word plastered all over the inside of our houses. Our refrigerators and mirrors should have scripture taped to them for the family to memorize together. Start out with simple verses…make it a game with prizes…have fun with it! Scripture memory should not be a chore.

My tip is really the last one. I have scriptures in my some of my kitchen cabinet doors so that I can see that scripture when I get the salt. I have one on my refrigerator so that I can be reminded when I'm preparing meals. I have one in my bathroom so that when I brush my teeth, more than just my mouth can be cleansed. I want my kids to see scriptures in an active, useful position in our lives.

As I'm rereading the Bible, I talk to Mr. Right and the kids about what is new to me or what verses I am growing to love. I read in front of my children so that they can see that it is a part of my routine.

My mother-in-awe has a game she plays with the kids when they visit her. She makes up business card-sized scriptures and gives them to the kids. When they can say the verse to her, she offers them a treat from the treasure box - a piece of candy, a new small toy, bubbles, etc. She wants them to connect scriptures with treasures, which hopefully they will translate to greater rewards as they mature in Christ.

Remember, you are your child’s first Children’s Minister, and God has ordained you as a parent to be the spiritual leader of your children. Let me encourage you today to become a Diligent Intentional Parent and begin to make an impact spiritually in the life of your child. We can do it but we will have to be diligent (never give up attitude) and intentional (planned and structured) in the way we parent our children spiritually.

Head on over to Shannon's for some other great ideas.

Beauty

When will we see Beauty for what it really is?

It is not am image in a magazine, a record jacket or a movie screen.
It is not found in being under 120 pounds or the quest to obtain it.
It is not in owning the biggest house, the newest car, the shiniest toy.
It is not in the season’s newest trends in

• hair color
• home décor
• cute boot-cut jeans
• the snazziest pair of heels.

All these things are pretty, but they do not capture the essence of Beauty. As a matter of fact, they pale in any sort of comparison to what true Beauty because these things do not unveil a Beauty that is within each one of us.

Beauty – true, honest, blinding Beauty - will take your breath away and make you long for more. It will fill you with a fullness, an awareness, an understanding that this Beauty was created solely for you to enjoy and to contribute.

Beauty is found in the break of mornings’ first light.

• the crimson of day’s end.
• the carol of playful birds.
• the chattering of supply-gathering squirrels.
• the due on spring’s new blooms.
• the frost on a resting ground.
• the roll of the endless sea.
• the wave of ripened wheat.
• the cleft in a mountain’s face.
• the silently falling snow on a winter’s night.

Beauty is in the smile of a stranger’s eyes.

• the chivalry of an opened door.
• the wisdom of a life experienced.
• the purchasing the order of the car behind you in the drive-thru.
• the enthusiasm of a joy that is to come.
• the giving to others who are in need.
• the hug of a friend who understands your hurts, your pain, your fears.
• the support of your family – biological or spiritual or blogging – when you feel that the earth is crumbling beneath your feet and you cannot stand your ground alone.

It is in the laughter of a happy baby.

• the face of a slumbering child.
• the snuggle of a human wake-up call.
• the offerings of a budding young artist.
• the playing with a child.
• the withered collection of hand-picked dandelions.
• the quick kiss of a busy, embarrassed youth.
• the loving discipline for the young… and old.

Beauty is in the friend who will tell you when you are mistaken and in the friend who will love you anyway. It is in the friend who will fight for you and cry for you and pray for you in the middle of the night. It is in the hearts who “bare all” its life lessons so that you will not suffer the same pain, the same humiliation, the same regret.

It is in the quiet giving up of self so that others may gain. It is in the compromising when being right doesn’t matter… and more so when you think it does.

Beauty is seen in the folding of laundry, the making of dinner, the tending to a sick one, the hours of sleeplessness so that comfort can be afforded for your family. It is visible in the never-ending cycle of work, whether that work is in the home, in an office or somewhere in between. Beauty is in the efforts of providing all that you can for those who you love and for those who you will never meet - missionaries, homeless shelters, orphans.

Beauty is in the receiving of flowers for no reason.

• the help of tucking in children when you are weary.
• the caretaking of a spouse when he/she is sick.
• the joyful watching of football when you would rather be doing something – anything –else.
• the patient shopping companion who helps you find the right look that you want.
• the relaxing foot massage at the end of a hard day.
• the surprise note of love hidden on your pillow.
• the quick call from someone to tell you that you are loved.
• the caressing of your cheek while your lover looks into your eyes.

It is in the church who strives to be the image of Christ - patient, forgiving, loving, dying to self for the glory of God.

It is in Christ himself who is Beauty personified in the obedience to his Father, even to the point of death. Beauty is seen further, clearer still in the empty grave.

Beauty is in the offering of mercy and the accepting of it. It is seen in the forgetting of past wrongs - yours and others.

Beauty is found in the idea that you are enough.

Beauty is a gift from God, not something to be earned or to be obtained by any amount of money or effort; rather Beauty is something to be appreciated just because it exists.

I hope, truly hope deep down in my heart, that you will see this Beauty that is all around you and in you. Do not be afraid to accept it and to share it with the world.

Go and be Beauty, for you are of God.

Another Great Weekend

Mr. Right and I went on a real date. No kids. Just the two of us. No curfew. We could kiss without some 10 year old girl saying, "Ewww. Stop that." - which of course makes us kiss all the more.

I love being a parent.

I knew it was going to be a great date when Mr. Right emailed this itinerary to me:

Here’s our tentative schedule for tonight.

5:00pm – Afternoon date snack – Baskin Robbins
5:30pm – Pre-dinner – Artisan Francois French Bakery
6:00pm – Nelson Atkins Museum
7:00pm – Dinner – Cold Stone Creamery
8:00pm – Coffee and Dessert – Te’ Presso
9:00pm – late night run – Baskin Robbins
10:00 head home

Now, could anyone really question why I love my man? He even started the date off with Dark Chocolate Hershey Kisses and flowers. Sigh. I love that guy.

Saturday found us sleeping late, having French Toast, getting rid of letting one of our children spend the night at a friend's house and working on stripping the ugliest bathroom wallpaper ever seen. Later that evening, when the snow was gently falling, we trapsed across town to have dinner and to play cards with a few friends.

Can I tell you now how much fun it was playing Nertz? Fun, fun, fun!

Sunday was a wonderful sermon at church and lunch with friends and... oh what else was there? Oh yeah! Football!!!

Colts are in the Superbowl! Colts are in the Superbowl! Hallelujah and pass the potato skins. I am going to be cheering Manning and the Colts extremely loudly and hard. I'm the one you'll hear yelling from Kansas...

The amazingly wonderful thing about the Colts win? In the post game award ceremony, the first words out of Jim Irsay -the Owner/CEO of the Colts - in accepting the Lamar Hunt Trophy for winning the AFC Championship Game were, “There’s a lot of glory up here with this trophy. As the humble leader of this organization, we’re giving all the glory to God.”

Tony Dungy, minutes later, followed suit. “We just have to thank the Lord. He (helped the Colts win) in such a way that no one would believe it.”

That's one of the big reasons that I am a Colts fan.

Oh, and I read Blink by Ted Dekker yesterday. Highly recommend it. It was adventurous, fun with playful banter and it kept its story moving. I couldn't put it down, well, except to cheer on Manning of course.

What were some of the highlights of your weekend?

What's Your Sign?

On the way to work, I was listening to the radio, and the DJ was retelling a story about a call from a man who said that he and a group of kids were going on a youth trip when a big truck passed them, threw a rock from its cargo and cracked one of the van's windshields. The driver of the van caught up with the truck, pulled him over and showed him the crack, requesting some recourse for the broken windshield.

The guy's reply? "The sign on the back says 'Stay back 500 feet.' You should have stayed back."
The driver's replied, "But YOU passed ME. How can I stay back 500 feet?"

So then the DJ made references that trucks like that shouldn't pass other drivers or, better yet, we should find those "Stay back 500 feet" signs for our cars. We could all put them on our cars and then this kind of thing wouldn't happen.

Now that got me to thinking: How many of us unconsciously wear that "Stay back 500 feet" sign?

Photo courtesy of cafepress.com

When others try to get close, we point out that sign, diverting any would-be close relationships that would deflect any "real" conversations about ourselves. If others don't adhere to our sign, we speed up to get out of the way park out of sight until the drive-by close encounter is avoided.

Then if we do throw a bit of ourselves out there, cracking the barrier between us and another, we refer to the sign again, thinking that we could be in for more trouble than it is worth.

And to top it off, we then complain that we have no friends with whom to talk, with whom to cry, with whom to live. *

No wonder loneliness is the number one emotional complaint.

This whole scenario makes me so sad.

I, in case you can't tell, am all for honesty, realness and validation. I'd love to have the close, intimate relationships where you can offer advice, give constructive (loving) criticism without fear, have a friendship where you can look at someone and tell them that there is broccoli in their teeth and no one pauses for a second except to laugh about it - a friend who knows all my ugly past and yet sees the beauty that God created in me and willingly shares her past with the same expectation. I long for the day when others are real about their feelings, honest about their struggles, jubilant about success - be it mine or theirs.

But as in the tango, it takes two. Somethings you just can't do on your own. Don't get me wrong - there are those of you who are willing to dance or at least take the lessons with me. I am extremely thankful for you. Unbeknownst to you, you are answers to my prayers. But there are others who will only let you get so far...

So I pray that we will take down our signs, allow another person to get a little close and find that there can be happiness and relief when we are real with each other, warts and all.

*Disclosure: I am in NO WAY making a reference to Jeana's post on this matter. It's just sheer coincidence, so don't look for a way to start a cat fight between us. It ain't gonna happen. Besides, I've met her. I think she could take me down in 2 seconds flat... with that humor of hers. She'd do me in on the first joke.

Another Friday Funny... (at least to me)

I don't know why, but this commercial cracks me up. Perhaps it is because I'm not a blonde... Not that I'm saying that every blonde is like this. Some of my best friends are blonde... Oh, you know what I mean! Happy weekending to everyone.

For all my bloggity friends in Oklahoma and Texas (but not limited to those two states) who are homebound or on the edge of "loosing it" 95% of the time due to "too much time with children," I give you a little Friday Funny.

And I'd send you dark chocolate too if I weren't in a fight over it already with the computer programs...

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In most of the United States, there is a policy of checking on any stalled vehicle on the highway when the temperatures drop down to single digits or below.

About 3 AM, one very cold morning, Trooper Allan Nixon #658 responded to a call there was a car off the shoulder of the road outside Shattuck (western OK). He located the car, stuck in deep snow and with the engine still running.

Pulling in behind the car with his emergency lights on, the Trooper walked to the driver's door to find an older man passed out behind the wheel with a nearly empty vodka bottle on the seat beside him.

The driver came awake when the Trooper tapped on the window.

Seeing the rotating lights in his rearview mirror and the State Trooper standing next to his car, the man panicked. He jerked the gearshift into 'drive' and hit the gas. The car's speedometer was showing 20-30-40 and then 50 mph, but it was still stuck in the snow, wheels spinning.

Trooper Nixon, having a sense of humor, began running in place next to the speeding, but still stationary car.

The driver was totally freaked, thinking the Trooper was actually keeping up with him. This goes on for about 30 seconds, then the Trooper yelled at the man to 'Pull over!'

The man obeyed, turned his wheel and stopped the engine. Needless to say, the man from Dumas, Texas was arrested, and is probably still shaking his head over the State Trooper in Oklahoma who could run 50 miles per hour.

Who says Trooper's don't have a sense of humor?

(I sure hope this one is true because it's stinkin' funny!)

Have a warm and safe weekend!

Hidden Treasures

Jules at Everyday Mommy has had a wonderful brainstorm. (This cold weather isn't making her brain sluggish like mine. How does she do it?)

She realizes that there are some real jewels out in this beautiful blogging world, but not all of them are so easy to find. But that doesn't mean those blogs are any less insightful, uplifting, funny or likable. I mean, not everyone can be a BooMama, a Shannon or a Daring Young Mom.

And that's okay. (At least that's what I tell myself.)

But they can be nominated for a Hidden Treasure Award.

If you're interested in finding out more about this sweet contest, head on over to Everyday Mommy and check it out. It's just another way to share some blogging love.

I love my job... *UPDATED*

No really - I do!

But my computer gives me fits at times, as you well know by now.

We had an "Install Updates" night recently, but one of my programs refuses to conform to the rest of the updating, so of course, I have to send in a new request.

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Problem: Roxio has left the building... or at least my computer.

Description: Roxio Easy Media Creator Basic DVD used to live in my computer, but with the new updates, it refuses to come back home. I think it's gone all Diva on me. It has made the following demands before it will return to live with me:

1. Fresh white roses
2. Mixed nuts, but with all the cashews removed
3. Dark Chocolate
4. Reinstallation by someone with administrative rights

And although I am an Administrative Assistant to an RVP, this obviously is not good enough for the aforementioned program. (What a snob!)

So will someone who is more highly qualified please come and placate this errant program and put it in its place? Because really, there is only room for one Diva in the office, and I was here first. I will fight tooth and nail for Diva rights... and the dark chocolate.

Update:

I get a call from Mike the IT guy.

In the middle of fixing my problem, he starts laughing and says, "Thanks Shalee."

Me: "You're welcome, Mike. Just trying to make y'all smile."

Mike: "Well it works. We all love getting your tickets. Out of the 50 states we service, no one except you has a sense of humor. We really appreciate that. You make work fun."

And that, my friends, is all the praise I'll need for the rest of the week.

For Kelli

Suddenly my lunch out this week doesn't look so important...

It's not too late! Please go and help out Kelli, who desperately relies on God for all things. It really is a life or death situation and she is leaving it all in God's hands.

Can you let God use your hands too?

Go here to find out what, when, where, why and, most importantly, the how you can help.

All I can say is Wow! to everyone who has come throught for Kelli and her family. This little blogathon shows that love really is alive and well in this lost world.

I'm praising God for your wonderful, generous, loving hearts!

WFMW - Squirrel Away

Now the timing is off for this tip, but it's still good to know:

To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

Bonus tip: I've tried this tip on the last piece of pie, but it didn't work. Someone still ate it before I could get to it, and it couldn't have been a squirrel! Well, back to the drawing board for that one...

Head over to Shannon's for some truly remarkable tips.

Why I Can Only Be A Mother of Two...

Recap of long weekend:

• Had an extra 5 kids this weekend... I've earned a bottle of wine, thankyouverymuch.


• 4 of the kids were from a friend of ours who was trying to ready them all for a trip. (The fifth was just some scallywag that we pulled off the street. What's one more, right?)


• Talked with Pastormac's Ann last Friday. My favorite part? Her opening line: "I just wanted to call you and ask you how you were doing. It seems like you've had a very trying week from the sound of your posts." I love that she called to ask about my walk with God. That is friendship, I tell you. I love this blogging world!


• Note to all parents of almost-tweeners: Do not show The Apple Dumpling Gang to your children if there are other almost-tweeners watching with them. The "I'm too cool to watch this old movie" attitudes will be so prevelant from all of them that you will want to go over and knock all their heads together and say, "Snap out of it!" Cher-style (Moonstruck) I know for a fact that they all would have enjoyed the movie if they were watching it on their own and not trying to look as if they were above such childish movies.


• One child, who will remain nameless, really needs to learn what we call "appreciation" in our house. Complain, complain, complain... mainly because I refused to cater to every whim. It's time like those that I love saying no...


• Three boys in one room makes for a LONG night. (We moved one of them out so that sleep might occur before 11 PM.)


• I realized how long it has been since I've changed a diaper. Boy, do I not miss that!


• I will never complain about getting only 2 kids ready for church again... We were only 5 minutes late. Whew!


• Sunday we returned all kids to their rightful owners. Hallelujah!


• I took my daughter to David's Bridal to try on flower girl's dress for a wedding in May. What joy to see this sweet 10 year old twirling in front of a row of mirrors, looking like a princess. We have a future formal wearing friend in our future!


• De-wallpapered some of the master bathroom. It's going to be a long process with walls that go up at least 15 feet.


• Ice, ice, ice... no real snow to speak of and it's stinkin' cold. Sigh.


• Monday, I received an early morning wake-up call from the friend who was trying to travel with her 4 kids - 7:30 to be exact... All I can say is that I'm so happy that I'm a morning person. We were laughing and joking stinkin' early in the morning. Believe it or not, that's a great way to start the day. (Well, that and having Mr. Right bring coffee up to me.)


• I did nothing on Monday but read, play games and watch My Fair Lady with the kids yesterday. It was heavenly.

I'm back at work and trying to get caught up on all the to-do lists at work and all the entry on Bloglines. I'm going to have a delightfully busy day! As to all the inquiries about our welfare: We're all safe and sound here - we have water, power and all the essentials, save that aforementioned bottle of wine.

But I'll remedy that on the way home...

Thank You God For My Usable Garage!

I've heard the whole gambit of what to expect from this storm coming through KC. I really hope it's nothing like this though...

If it is, I'm so prepared! I have The Apple Dumpling Gang and Danger Mouse (I used to watch him all the time as a kid! He cracked me up! I only hope it's as good as I remember...) DVDs, hot chocolate, popcorn and a gaggle of kids spending the night. You know my motto: Be prepared! (and really that just means find some others to help entertain my kids so that I can have 5 minutes to myself!) Have a wonderful and WARM weekend/holiday.

Congrats Kim

Congratulations to Kim at Can You Hear Me Now on her new adventure in a new field. She (and some of us) prayed so hard for God to open a new door for her, and God not only opened a door, he blew the doorframe off the wall! Yay God!

Might I suggest a bit of advice Kim? Since it's your last day, don't leave messages like this when you go.

But do have fun learning your new job, and be sure to tell us all about it when you get a moment!

I Need You

When I heard this song, it really struck me how much it supports the post from this week. I love the realness and the helplessness that the song describes. I feel that same despair when I attempt to live life without God as my support and strength, when things get beyond me... which is basically everything.

But when I wake up and remember that God is with me and that he will lift me up, now that is like a balm on my wounded soul.


I Need You by The Swift

My heart is restless in me
My wings are all worn out
I'm walking in the wilderness
And I cannot get out
I need You, Oh, I need You
Blessed Savior come
I need You, Oh, I need You
Fill the every longing in my soul

Chorus
Oh, how I need You, Lord
I need Your perfect Word
With tearful eyes to see
The sin that I afford
I need to weep and prayer
For all the thousand ways
That I have failed
You just today

My bed is soaked with sadness
My sadness has no end
A downward spiral of despair
That I keep falling in
I need You, Oh, I need You
To You my soul shall fly
I need You, Oh, I need You
Yaweh, how I love You more than life

Chorus

Your silence is like death to me
So won't You hear my desperate plea

Today my soul is soaring
Way over mountains high
Though I can see the valleys
They're all just passing by
It's not that I am stronger
Look at my feeble wings
But I've been lifted higher
Yaweh's lifted me in His own strength

Oh, how I love You, Lord
I love Your perfect Word
With tearful eyes to see
The God who always will endure
Now I will celebrate
For all the thousand ways
That You have shown me grace
And made my heart in grace to stay
You've made my heart in grace to stay
Lord, MAKE my heart in grace to stay

I need You, Oh, I need You

(emphais are mine)

I pray that this will be the year that I fully comprehend, understand, dwell upon, envelope myself in, live as if I know without a doubt His unwavering grace and wholly submit to his will, whatever it includes. That's my resolution, if you wish to call it one.

Really, I'd rather call it a change in the way I've been living/thinking, knowing full well that I will undoubtedly fail at times and surprisingly find myself holding to it at others. Hopefully, I can cling to it in such a determined way, that the successes may one day outnumber the failures.

That's not to much to expect I think.

WFMW - Almond Crusted Chicken

This recipe is a favorite of our from the South Beach Diet. It's the one diet way of eating to lose weight/lower cholesterol that I've tried a and really liked.

You don't have to fry your chicken to get that fried taste.




This dish is cooked in the oven and has a subtle nuttiness from the almonds.

Yields: 6 main-dish servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: About 20 minutes

• 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (Use 2 slices whole wheat bread; toast, then pulse in a food processor.)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
• 1/4 cup almonds, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves or 1 Tsp dried parsley
• 1 garlic clove, crushed with press
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• Pinch ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness and cut into 12 pieces

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.

2. In medium bowl, stir bread crumbs, Parmesan, almonds, parsley, garlic, salt, thyme, and pepper until mixed. Pour oil into pie plate.

3. Dip chicken in oil, then in bread-crumb mixture to coat. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until juices run clear when thickest part of chicken is pierced with tip of knife. (Do not turn chicken over.)

4. Arrange chicken on warm platter.

This recipe is easy as pie and delicious. We had it with mashed half potatoe and half sweet potatoes and it was wonderful! Add a caesar salad and you are set to go.

If you need the breakdown: Based on individual serving.

Calories: 383 Total Fat: 16 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Cholesterol: 91 mg Sodium: 730mg Carbohydrates: 15 g Fiber: 1 g Protein: 41 g

Only by God's Grace

When you pray for potatoes, have a hoe in your hand.

In case you were wondering, this saying applies, it would seem, to blog posts as well - particularly this post. At the end of the post, I wrote this little prayer:

I hope that God will work each of us through our own personalized little training exercises today so that when we have trials, we can run like a sprinter rather than sit and quack like a lame duck.

Well, it wasn't a prayer per se, but I guess God took it that way for, not even two days later, God allowed satan the opportunity to see if I would succumb to my great temptation. Who knew that God was paying attention in the blogsphere?

Now, I don't think you need to know all about my struggles with sin because, good night, nurse!, we would be here all day. But I will be completely honest in saying that there was a time when satan used some situations which challenged my faith and my beliefs - not only in my Christian walk, but also in myself. Those were not pretty days, but by the grace of God, he got me through the minefield of lies to safely arrive on the other side.

However, the temptation of that situation came back into my life unexpectedly. Hence the post from yesterday. This beckoning happens to be one of my constant cravings to veer off God's path and onto a sinful one, the one thought that taunts me into seeking my own will rather than my Father's. It's the one thing that I still pray about it not having control over my emotions ever again.

What do you do when a past desire comes back into your life, especially when you're not looking for it? How do you say no to something that once made you feel so special, so alive? How do you not flirt with something that makes you feel good? What harm can come from it?

I started praying immediately, hard and fast. And here is how God answered my call.

I wanted to talk to my good Christian friend Jenni who is in full knowledge of my past; she would know how to best advise me. Unfortunately, her number had changed recently, and I did not have it with me. Ugh. I would have to wait until I returned home to talk to her.

So after work, I ran by Circuit City to get my upgraded Verizon cell phone and renewal. And as I finished up the long process, in walked Jenni and her family. Now here's what was odd about finding her there: First she was about 13 months pregnant; she looked big and miserable. Secondly, this store was no where near her house. They were out of their normal shopping arena. They "happened" to be out and about, and they chose to eat at the restaurant next door. Personally, I think it was all a God thing. I was able to talk with her and her husband, and I felt better equipped to know how to tackle this situation.

I also talked with Mr. Right to get his take on the situation too. I love that I have such a wise and loving man who is such a tower of strength for me. He defines helpmate.

You see how God answered? He brought the unreachable to me - my friends with Godly wisdom. He gave me a relationship with my husband so that I can talk to him about anything and everything. He gave me Himself on which to lean.

So here's the outcome to my situation. Perhaps it would be better to just show you.




After taking steps to refuse to be lured to this enticement, I actually called Mr. Right and told him that this was exactly how I was feeling! What an awesome realization to know that if I call on God, he will give me the strength to deny my selfish desires. I literally had that same course of energy running through my veins when I ever-so-politely-yet firmly closed the door that, in the past, I would have left cracked, in hopes that the temptation would "sneak in" so that I could claim that I had nothing to do with inviting it into my life.

Whew. I feel a lot more confident in myself, and I'm doing a lot more praising of God. And that, my friends, is a great feeling.

Do I think this enticement is over? Probably not. But the next time it comes around, I'll have more of a reserve to resist.

So I do pray that same little prayer again. I do pray that God will give you little exercises of faith so that when a doozy comes your way, you will know how to "just say no".

Constant Cravings

Perhaps it's a

• a passing scent
• a savored taste
• a forgotten song
• a chance meeting
• traveling by a memorable place
• the certain memory-filled time of year
• a glance in a mirror
• a turn of a phrase of words
• a memory sitting in corner of your mind, waiting, just waiting to be bid to come

that brings to mind a desire that should not be active in your life. It will not be beneficial to you and cannot offer any uplifting encouragement, but still, it lays dormant, patiently awaiting the time it will be pulled from the shelf of your mind, turned and admired, remembered. It tempts you to pursue it, even if you have tried to put it to rest.

I don't know about you, but I have a constant craving, a temptation that beckons me to consider it, touch it, relish it, know it - if only for a short time. No matter how often I ask God to be released from its grasp, it still remains encamped in a corner of my heart, wondering what would happen if it weren't just memory, but a tactile part of my life again.

For some it may be

• a reformed smoker's satisfying drag of a cigarette
• a recovering alcoholic's sip of wine
• a past relationship that still makes you think feel special when you dwell on it
• going by porn sites, just "for a look"
• the wallowing in an anger about a cheated past, situation or life
• a prideful glance at oneself, thinking yourself better than others
• a best-to-be-forgotten-yet-it-is-not memory that is viewed from all directions, admired, savored, and then set on a high shelf in the mind where it is easy to see and easy to reach
• some addiction/temptation that calls you to leave the safety of God's forgiveness, "just for a moment"

So what do I do with my constant craving? How do I handle this enticement that encourages me to think solely of myself? What goes through my mind when my temptation is so strong that I wish to do more than think on it, but rather act on it?

I remember that God is bigger and better than I am, and that with him, I don't have to worry about overcoming my human desire. He'll do it for me.

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

God is faithful and his presence in my life alone will curb my craving because my battle/struggle/wrestling belongs to him. He will fight for me. When I am weak, he is made strong.

Did you notice I did not say he will remove my craving? He may do that, but I am completely satisfied if he doesn't remove it, knowing that he can help me endure it. Who knows... God may keep it prevelant in my mind so that I can help another who is struggling with the same desire.

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. I Peter 2: 10-11

If I can accept God's mercy, then I can accept his power to strengthen me when my selfishness attacks.

Romans 8:31, 35-39

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thank God that includes myself.

My Year in Review

I stole this from Kim over at Can You Hear Me Now. What a fabulous way to sum up 2006.

Instructions: Go to the FIRST BLOG of each month for the past year. Copy and paste the LAST SENTENCE of each blog entry. That is your Year in Review. (Ummm, but you know how good I am at instructions, right?)

(Oh, and I ask that you NOT go look at Kim's year in review. Her's is all God-focused and uplifting. Mine's pretty much on the other end of the scale, as usual. She will make me look sooo bad.)

(You can click on the month to see the actual post.)

January 2006: I can't wait to see what God has in store for us yet! (But I hope it involves finding my wallet...)

February 2006: And when you come back to visit, your place of honor on the couch will be waiting, just for you, along with the cookie dough, of course.

March 2006: Now, instead of Goofy, I have a hippopotamus.

April 2006: I hope I grow up to be just like them.

May 2006: I'll call in later if God answers with a resounding yes!

June 2006: Coffee with Addie at the Beanology... And a good time was had by all. (Well, not the barista because we really needed to be kicked out due to closing, but the poor guy didn't want to do it.)

July 2006: That girl is a lawyer in the making, I tell you.

August 2006: Go see Shannon for some real tips from some others who didn't wait.

September 2006: It's good to know that I'm not as weird as I believe myself to be... Or maybe I am, but I'm not alone. Strength in numbers is what I say... strength in numbers.

October 2006: Great. I used to think that a lot of my life would make a great two and a half hour movie. Now it can be summed up in 30 second commercials. No wonder I feel like it is quickly passing me by...

November 2006: See, I told you that Antique Mommy is beautiful. Here she is with her Sean and li'l old me. (I love this picture!) Well that's all I have because I talked more than I thought about the camera. Bummer, but the memories are great, even if I didn't capture them on film.

December 2006: Why am I sharing this with you? Because I felt really good that I was being questioned for my actions, my views, my choices, my beliefs. And it felt even better that I had answers to give.

There's my review. And just to be a bit on the educational side, name the character who said:

"Well, well. do not make yourself unhappy. If you're good girl for the next 10 years, I'll take you to a review at the end of them."

Tough Love vs. Spanking

A parent's conundrum...

To spank or not to Spank: that is the question.

A lot of America 's populace thinks it improper to spank children, so I have tried other methods to control my kids when they have one of "those moments."

One that I found effective is for me to just take the child for a car ride and talk. They usually calm down and stop misbehaving after our car ride together.

I've included a photo below of one of my sessions with my son, in case you would like to use the technique.

Hey, I'm all about helping out a fellow mom now and again.

Oh, and for the record, I do believe in spanking as a form of dicipline, followed by lots and lots of love and discussion. Since my kids are older, I've found that grounding and "take aways" are what works now. Fortunately, that is occurring less and less these days. (Just you watch: I'll get home tonight and they'll be acting like such yahoos that I'll be grounding them left and right...)

Going, Going, Going

I cannot even take a potty break it's so busy here.

Why on earth did I take a week off of work? Oh, but it's good to be in the thick of things again.

I don't have much to give you except some quotes from the blogcation. Hope you enjoy.

************************************************

Mr. Right talking about the new game he got on Christmas morning:

Mr. Right: I really like my new game. Did you see who it came from?

Me, knowing I didn't buy it for him: No. Did it come from your folks?

Mr. Right: Nope.

Me: My folks?

Mr. Right: Nope.

Me: Well who did it come from? I didn't get it for you.

Mr. Right: From SANTA!! (Here he smiled as big a smile as you've ever seen.)

Me: Did you buy your own gift?! That is so sneaky!

Mr. Right: Yep. I had a gift card from my birthday and I went and got a game I want to play. I figure I might as well enjoy it on Christmas morning!

Mr. Right's mom: Oh, I so see a new tradition being started for next year!

Seriously, I'm not buying my own gifts!

**************************************************

Daughter: "Mom, I'm feeling really sleepy. I think I'll go to bed now."

Me: "Really girl, I know you're excited about Christmas tomorrow, but I think that going to bed at three in the afternoon is just a little excessive..."

************************************************

My parents took us out for a treat of McDonald's for the kids. When sitting down, my mom and I were talking about something, and she said, "For crying out loud, that's crazy!"

The boy looked up and said with a huge smile, "Praise the Lord for crying out loud!" He had no idea what he was saying, but he really meant it.

************************************************

My mom kept saying, "I'm the grandmother. It's my right to spoil them, and it's your job to fix them later."

So later, I was bringing out another dessert, and my dad was so into having another piece of something sweet. My mom was hassling him about eating another sweet, which is so not on the South Beach Diet.

I said, "Mom, I'm the daughter it's my right to spoil him, and it's your job to fix him later."

I so have the easier end of the deal.

Heeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrre's Shalee!

First off: Happy New Year! Okay, I feel better.

I thought I had everything I could ask for, but then I found out that I really could do with something else: A lot of love from you.

I had no idea that I had such a following. And the only reason I know is due to all the "Where are you?" emails and comments that I've been getting. I just have to say that it feels wonderful to be missed.

That, my friends, makes my whole year. And it's only January 2nd!!! (Don't worry; I'm fickle and will forget that I said that. Feel free to try to make my year again.)

I've been on a long blogcation and I've loved it. It was just what I needed to relax and to enjoy the holidays. I took a week off from work too. (I saved all my sick/personal/vacation days just for this time.) So you can see that if I'm going to do something, I go all the way.

Let me do a really quick recap of my blogcation:

• Had a wonderful Christmas holiday with my folks, my in-awes and family. The kids got almost everything they asked for - but not the vitamins. They weren't THAT good. And seriously, I have to give them a reason to be even better this year. Everyone needs a goal, you know.


• I've enjoyed two weeks with my folks. They actually leave tomorrow and I'm feeling quite sad about it. They've made this time so much fun. They've played with the kids. Talked with us. Recommended a number of books. Sigh. It's all rather depressing that they're leaving. It also means that I'm going to have to start cooking again.


• I've played lots of card games this past week. My Mom and I have wailed on my dad and Mr. Right in Eucher. A good time was had by us! If you haven't played SWAP!, then you've got to get it. My entire family (extended family included) can all play the game and have fun.


• Mr. Right and I had a wonderful date night. We went to Macy's to see if we could spend the gift card from my boss. The answer was yes, sort of. (We bought a DeLonghi Deep Fryer for which was on a major sale - $39 - down from $100! Dagum! That was a great deal!) Then we went out to dinner. Real napkins, adult talk, Amaretta Sours... Ahhh. I could do this at least once a week!


• Watched Cars with the family. Could you tell from the previous comment? I liked it.


• I watched a lot of great football, college and pro. We don't have cable so I only got to see the games that were on the main channels, but boy I can definitely pack 4 games in a day without batting an eye.


• As an added bonus: My daughter, during a game yesterday, said, "Hey Mom, I'm beginning to like football! I like it a lot better when I understand some of what is going on!" YES! There is hope for her after all!


• All the planets, moons and stars must have been aligned and someone was holding his tongue just right because the Chiefs are in the playoffs!


• Too bad that their first game is against Indy. I've been rooting for both teams all season. Sigh. At least I know that "my team" will win at the end of the game.


• I've read about four books. I really recommend the Dean Koontz's Odd Thomas series. His third one was just out and it was such a great continuation for such a lovable character.


• I talked with Jeana and Addie over the holidays. Some others have to pull up the nerve to call me or send me their numbers. I'm not scared of you.


• Beef stew, some really yummy pasta dish, almond crusted chicken, roulad... Yeah I've gained about 7 pounds this week. Boy, it was worth every ounce!


• Mr. Right and my mother-in-awe gave me some money to go shopping at the Junior League Resale Boutique. (I grew up on hand-me-downs so this was just like that for me.For less than $100, I have an entirely new wardrobe for work and I was seriously in need of an overhaul! 7 suits, 10 pants, 3 dresses, 8 shirts, 5 skirts, 3 pairs of shoes (one was Born, Holymama!)... Ahhh, I actually look stylin'! Now, if only I can do something about this hair.


• Added bonus to the shopping: Whoever donated some shoes didn't check them out. I found that I received the surprise of a pearl necklace set with earrings in a nice little silk bag in one shoe and a pair of diamond earrings and a gold necklace in a silk bag in the other shoe. Yeah, they're real. I couldn't believe my eyes! I'd give them back, but I don't know to whom to give them back. The store doesn't keep a record of the donated inventory. Oh darn.


• I have to give major kudos to all you SAHM/home schooling moms. I loved my week off with the kids, but I was SO ready to get back into the office today. How do you do it all the time?!

I'm back in the office with a working scanner (Yay!) and a to-do list a mile long. It's going to take me a while to actually get caught up here and on my bloglines, but believe you me. I'll get it done! I loved my blogcation, but I've missed my extended family. You all mean so much to my day to day living.

But at least I don't have to get caught up on my laundry too.