What goes up...sometimes stays up

How many of you have looked at the ceiling of your car recently? Well, the other day I jumped in the back of my mini-van to help Grant eat a taco before we ran into Wal-mart and I realized it has been a while since I've been back there. WOW! I could NOT believe the speckled-ness of my ceiling!!! I guess it's from all those straw-sippy cups opening up and shooting little sprinkles of juice up there...but I had no idea it looked that bad! In addition to that, it looked as though someone had washed all the windows with apple juice or something equally foggy and sticky. Gross! I was so ashamed that I've let my vehicle get that nasty! So...today I spent about 4 hours scrubbing and washing every surface in the thing. I even took out my seats and vacuumed all the goldfish and skittles out of the slots that the seats go in. We could have probably fed a couple of hungry kids in Africa with all the snacks I sucked up out of there today! ha ha! I also shampooed the carpet and then hand-washed the outside. Now it's so clean, I don't want anyone in it though! hee hee I was actually thinking maybe we should think about trading it in now that its as clean as it will ever be...but I know I couldn't get any other vehicle that would accomodate our family so well. By the way, for those of you who don't know, I drive a 2003 Dodge Caravan SXT. It has a built in DVD/TV and a built-in child car seat. It is WONDERFUL! I admit, I am embarrased every so often when I run into one of my friends from high school or who I haven't seen a long time and they say, "No Way!! You're a mini-van-mon!!!??!!" But I guess it's true...I do drive one. Although, I will say in my defense, I drive it more like a sports car than a van and I usually have my hip-hop/Superchick music cranked wayyyy up. Plus, how much more cool does it get than to watch a brand-new DVD while you're taking a road trip and eat pizza AND have room to kick your feet up and walk around?
Anyhow, by the time I get to get a really "cool" car...I probably won't be cool anymore. Oh well!

The love of money is the root of all evil, so I spend it as fast as I can!

I actually have that printed on my checks! haha...But really, I DO know how to spend some money! Today, Matt gave me a WONDERFUL gift! He kept the kids all day so my mom and I could go shopping! At first, I was bummed out because I actually (for once) wasn't in a shopping mood. We started out at Kohl's and even though they had some good sales, I didn't find a thing. Next we went to Old Navy and still, nothing really stood out to me and I told mom I felt like I was in a fog or something. Eventually, I ended up trying on a couple of things off of the clearance rack and found a shirt I liked which perked my mood up some. Next, it was off to the mall. After much looking, I found a pair of jeans at the GAP that fit me perfectly. They are the new Boyfriend fit and the best thing was...I fit into a 6!!! Woohoo! My Lucky's are 6's but I figured that was just "lucky". I was so psyched that I could actually fit into size 6 in other brands too! I also got a cute light pink t-shirt there for $3.99 and Matt some cute socks for $1.99. I won't waste your time telling you ALL the places we went, but in all, it was a really successful shopping trip and I even got an ADORABLE nighty from Victoria Secret and a cute pair of undies for only $20. I got Brooklyn some cute school clothes too and I had coupons for every single item I bought today!
At the moment, Grant is ready to be put into bed and I think I might go settle into my big tub for a nice, hot, bubbly bath. Shopping is hard work, ya know! Hope you're having a good weekend!

Jen's Thought of the Day

~~Time is the most valuable thing we can spend.~~

Hi, My name is "Me"

Monday night at gymnastics, the coach asked Grant what his name was. He replied, "Me". She asked him again and he replied, "Me". She then looked at me and I explained that his name is actually Grant but he only refers to himself as "me" (me did it---me hungry---me go too) so I guess maybe he thinks that is his name. I don't know but it was funny! Anyway, this got me to thinking of a few other words he says that are really cute. Now I will admit, before I had children and sometimes even after I had my kids, I am not usually amused by other peoples children's inability to say words correctly. And, Brooklyn spoke perfectly clearly from the time she was 10 months old and had very little trouble ever pronouncing a word correctly. Grant, however, has had a much harder time with words and I happen to think some of his "mess ups" are just adorable. So...here they are:
Morn = more...he has just always put that 'n' on the end of it and now we all find ourselves doing the same thing. ha ha
gwain = green
lellow = yellow
wed = red
boo = blue
ernge = orange
gant = Grant
poopy head = term of endearment
wuv oou = I love you

Commenter's Anonymous...

Okay, if you have a minute, go over to my archives and click on May 2006. Scroll down to the post titled "Goodbye Baby, Hello Big Boy" and read the comment. I just received this comment today. I am trying to figure out if there is some actual real person out there who would go back 2 months in my blog to a post I wrote about my son (not at all about me) and leave such a stupid comment OR is there some kind of comment-thing rigged up to just randomly put rude, meaningless comments on people's blogs...? I mean, if there is actually a real person behind this comment and several others like it that I have received...this poor person must really need to get a life.
I just recently changed my comment settings to allow anonymous comments again because a lot of my friends and family weren't able to leave comments when it was on a restricted setting, but I guess I will have to switch it back again if this continues.
It's just weird. Every comment that I have recieved anonymously has been rude and insulting and really hasn't made any sense. I am not sure what "they" are trying to do by leaving me these comments, but if "you" are out there reading this, I just want "you" to know that I forgive "you" for being so ignorant and rude. "You" are just crying out for attention and I understand that. I will be praying for "you", God can meet all your needs and give "you" some much needed wisdom.
As for the rest of you, what do you think about this? Do you think it's a real person or some computer generated thing?

It's gettin' hot in here....

Whew! How many of you have tried shopping in The Gap with 2 run-away children and 1 impatient husband? Now add to that No Air Conditioning!! Yes, with temperatures up to 104 today...there are actually stores in our mall without a/c!!! It is beyond me how they can even operate. They had lots of fans going, but hot air is hot air--no matter how fast you swirl it around. What's funny though...is I didn't even realize the a/c was out until I was checking out! See, when I shop with my kids and chase them all over the store while trying to look and bargain hunt, I sweat up a storm anyway. I knew my face was red tonight and the nape of my neck was awfully sweaty, but I just figured it was from chasing Grant from the Baby Gap through Gap Kids and Gap (adults) all the way down to Gap Body AND back. I was actually kind of relieved when the cashier told me their a/c was out. I was beginning to wonder if I was having early hot flashes. It was a pretty successful trip although unbelievably exhausting. Poor Matt! I doubt I will EVER be able to convince him to take us to the mall again. At least he got a taste of what I go through every time I try to go somewhere with them. We did manage to get Brooklyn a really cute pair of jeans and an adorable chocolate brown and hot pink sweatshirt. Matt got a cool pair of camoflage plants and Grant got lots of cute stuff for winter and next summer. I didn't have much time to shop for myself, but I did scan the sale rack in Gap Body one of the times I was running through and found my BARGAIN OF THE DAY! I only wear this one particular bra that comes from there. It is AWESOME but it is $36 and never on sale...so I only have 3 and I just rotate them every day. But guess what? There was one single one on the sale rack and it just happened to be MY size for $6.97. Woohoo! That made all that sweating and chasing worthwhile! I also got a cute pair of undies for $2.99. Funny...I passed those same un-lucky panties I was talking about in my previous post and couldn't help but giggle. I thought I should put some kind of warning sign above that display letting all the women know what to expect out of those bogus britches...but then, like Logzeilla said, it would probably make MORE women buy them if they knew they'd keep them from "getting lucky." What a shame!
ANYWAY...at the moment, Matt is conked out on the couch and I just put both of the kids to bed in Grant's room again. I am locking my door tonight and Brooklyn knows this...so hopefully she'll stay in her little air-bed all night tonight. We'll see. As for me... I am going to go put on my favorite Sponge Bob jammies and curl up in my big, comfty bed and read The Red Tent. (I just got it at the library today Amy so I'll let you know what I think!)
Oh and I have a confession to make...I cleaned house today instead of doing stuff with my kiddos! It started out innocent enough...Brooklyn was at my parents house and Grant was busy watching a Curious Buddies video...so I thought, "I'll just sweep and vacuum the floors." But...as I was vacuuming, I noticed some spots in our only-7-month-old carpet and decided to shampoo it too. Next thing I knew, I had done 4 loads of laundry, cleaned the kids rooms, done the dishes and mowed the yard!!! At least its only Friday...I VOW to spend lots of time playing for the next 2 days. No more cleaning (except for what just HAS to be done). Good night!!!

Okay, Brooklyn insisted on taking a picture of me too...so here it is. I just got my hair cut again a few days ago...it was getting really long. 

Grant waking up from his nap. Oh what a few hours of sleep can do! Look at that big grin! 

Brooklyn posing for a picture with her 4th of July head-band on. What a little model I have on my hands! 

Grant is getting so big! (he's still holdin' tight to his blankies though a.k.a. De-De) 

My little cuties. 

My hunky hubby...JUST out of the shower so his hair isn't fixed (even though I like it spikey like that).  

Do your duds have a destiny?

If you are a guy and are reading this, here is your warning. This post will probably be more information about me than you care to know...

Okay, so my title is "Do your duds have a destiny?" I was going to title it "Do clothes carry karma?" but I looked up the word karma and didn't like its definition, so I switched it up. Anyway, what I am trying to ask is if you guys think there really is such a thing as a "lucky shirt" or such? This is why I pose such a question. A few months ago, before we went on our cruise, I purchased a particular pair of the prettiest panties you've ever seen. They were expensive and delicate and sexy yet not raunchy---just very feminine. What's even more, when on...they looked even better. However, I have since coined these undies as my un-lucky panties. It's crazy, I know....but in the past 5 months, EVERY time I have worn these undies...I can't seem to get lucky (if you know what I mean?!) My hubby thinks said panties are very pretty and sexy, yet it's like there is some kind of fate or doom attached to them that prevents the sparks from flying. It started with the first night I wore them on the cruise. Everything was perfect...it was formal night, we were decked out in our best "duds" and romance was in the air. But, somewhere during the evening, things took a turn and we ended up going to bed mad at each other and I was so bummed that I had wasted my "special panties" on this yucky night. Then after we got home, I didn't think much about it when I put them on again thinking that maybe this was "the night." And again...things didn't work out like I had planned. The next time I wore them, I had already begun thinking these panties were un-lucky but still...they were too delicate for every day wear...so I still kept saving them for "special" nights. All of which have ended up not being so "special" after all. Never, not once have I gotten "lucky" when I've worn these undies!!! Isn't that just absurd? So then yesterday, I figure it's been a while since I've worn them and it couldn't hurt to give them another chance. But again, they failed me---in a different but worse way this time...and now I am afraid to wear them anymore. I know it's probably all in my head....but it is just too weird. It's almost like I have to keep putting them on just to test if it is possible to see fireworks while wearing them.
Have I gone crazy? Just sitting here typing this I am wondering if you all are going to think I've done gone and went off the deep end...? ha ha
So, what do you think? Plenty of people have "lucky" clothes...could there be such a thing as "un-lucky" clothes???

messy house does not equal dirty house

I've come to realize that there are 4 different "conditions" your house can be in...all of which are completely different.
First of all, you might have a clean house. This means you have mopped and vacuumed your floors, scrubbed your showers and toilets and dusted each and every surface. You've done the dishes and maybe even that heap of laundry.
Secondly, you might have a neat house. Neat would mean that you have picked up the toys and clothes that litter (most of our) floors, sorted through that big pile of mail on the counter, made the beds and have moved the dishes from the counter into the dishwasher.
Or, to throw a twist in things, you could be like my mother, who at any given moment, has a clean AND neat house. (she's my hero!)
Thirdly, you might have a messy house. This condition consists of toys, clothes and 3-day-old sippy cups scattered all over the floor, several piles of papers and magazines on the kitchen counters, beds unmade and yesterday's newspaper spread across the entire kitchen table.
Lastly, you might have a dirty house. In this instance, you haven't mopped, swept or vacuumed your floors in nearly a month, haven't scrubbed a toilet or shower in weeks and your children are starting to write notes to you in the dust that has collected on every surface in your house.
I must note that just because your house is messy does not mean it is dirty and vice versa. I know this because I can clean my house for an entire day and by that evening, although I have a clean house..I also have a very messy house. (Thanks to my two little helpers!)
Anyhow, as I write this, I am sad to say I have not "become my mother." No matter how hard I try, I cannot keep a clean AND neat house. It's one or the other but not both.
The good thing is that I've also come to the realization that my kids don't really care how neat or clean their house is...they just want to play and sing and dance and live. My husband, although he appreciates clean and neat, would much rather have a stress-free, refreshed and light-hearted wife waiting for him when he comes home. What a concept...!?! Quit worrying about the house so much and enjoy life!!??!! Those of you that know me know I am somewhat of a neat/clean freak naturally but I just can't do it anymore and I am giving up. To end this post, I will leave you with one of my all-time favorite quotes:
Cleaning and scrubbing can wait for tomorrow for babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow. So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep, I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.
Go ahead, take the weekend off from cleaning and enjoy your family! I won't tell!

progress but not perfection...

Well, Brooklyn did end up coming in our room and getting in bed with us at around 1:30 am last night. It was a little discouraging, but I am not giving up. I think I am going to try locking my bedroom door at night from now on. I have told her this and I am hoping that if she knows she can't get in, maybe she'll just lay there and go back to sleep. It might take a few times of her coming to our door for her to see that she really won't be able to get in (and I might have to walk her back to her bed occasionally) but all in all, I think this might actually work. At least, if nothing else, we still get our quiet time alone in the evening (even if she does come into our bed during the night). I will keep you all posted on our progress.

Success is Sweet!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You Logziella for your suggestion to put my kids to sleep together in the same room!!! This is only the first night, but it worked!! I was in such disbelief when only minutes after I had tucked them both in (Grant in his crib, Brooklyn on her little air mattress next to his crib)I heard nothing but silence coming from the room! I just hope that the rest of the night goes as wonderfully and that this will be our new routine! I am so excited that we may have actually solved this problem that I could scream. But of course, that would wake them up...so I better not! hee hee
Ironically...I am up working instead of spending this quality time with my hubby because I have an unusually large amount of work that needs to be finished by 8 am tomorrow morning...:o(
Even more reason for me to hope that this is the way things will be from here on out!
FYI: I learned tonight at church that the definition of "hope" is confident expectation. Cool, huh!?
Well, it's back to work for me...but I just had to share the good news with you all!

Desperate mommy.....

I know I've discussed this with you all before, but the problem has not gone away. In fact, it has only worsened. Brooklyn refuses to sleep in her own room anymore. I have tried every thing I know to do and nothing is working. She is terrified and completely willing to accept any punishment we threaten but she will not under any circumstances sleep in her own bed. It is about to wear me out!! Even if we lay down with her in her bed until she falls asleep, it's only minutes before she comes running into our room. Last week, she was running so fast she actually knocked a very large mirror off the wall in our room and took out a big peice of our trim! This is really causing a big problem for Matt and I. Not only is that our only time to be intimate...but it is also our only time without the kids to actually talk. If we fight with her about sleeping in her bed, we end up wasting the whole evening yelling at her and inevitably the result is always the same...her in our bed. As it goes right now...the only time we have without a child in our presence is either when my parents babysit so we can go out to a movie or if she spends the night at their house. For a while we told her she had to go to sleep in her own room but if she woke up in the night and wanted to come to our room, she would have to sleep in our floor. That worked for a little bit but then she started complaining of her back hurting all the time and I figured it had to be because she was sleeping on the floor almost all night every night. Now we actually have a little air mattress that we keep in our floor, right next to my side of the bed but she's even to scared too sleep on it. AURGH!!!! I just don't know what to do. We have prayed with her, let her have night-lights on, played soft music in her room...and so on. Nothing is working. I am at my wits end. This is definitely taking a toll on our relationship yet I haven't the slightest idea what to do about it. So..if any of you have any suggestions whatsoever, please tell me!

If you're thinking we should get a lock on our door...forget it. We have one---and even though it prevents her from coming in...believe me...the damage is already done when she is outside the door screaming to be let in. The mood is long gone by then...

Somebody please help....................

I said I'd let you know what we thought of You, Me and Dupree and since we just got back, here it is: Matt really liked it and laughed quite a bit. I definitely enjoyed it, but overall, it was a little too predictable for me. It was a classic love story (with a few hilarious moments). I wanted to be more surprised though. It's a feel-good movie and you won't be sorry if you go see it...just don't go to the expensive movie theater. It's not THAT good. Ps. In our town, there is a movie theater that shows the brand new movies for only $2 per person if you go before 6 pm.--so it only cost us $4.00 total! I'm all about bargains!!

All kinds of smooth...

Okay, most of you know what a leg-shaving maniac I am...but this is how bad it really is. Yesterday some friends of ours came over and we decided to go swimming. My first thought? Oh No!! I didn't do my "swimsuit" shave this morning. This prompted me to think about how many different "shaves" I have. Here's what I came up with:
#1: The Basic every-day shave. This is where you shave from the ankle to a little above the knee. You might miss a little spot here or there but it's not a biggy.
#2: The Swim-suit shave. This is where you shave from the ankle ALL the way up. This one is critical because you can't take a chance on any peek-a-boo hairs.
#3: The I-don't-have-time-for-a-shower shave. This is where you shave balancing one leg on the floor and one on the side of the bathtub using lotion. This usually produces nasty razor burn but is still better than having prickly legs.
#4: The I-have-a-sunburn shave. This shave is done with the lightest of pressure, lots of shave gel, luke-warm water and teeth gritted. If you're like me, you get goosebumps when you have a sunburn...which is the WORST possible thing when shaving.
#5: The I-wanna-get-romantic shave. Similar to the swim-suit shave, but with even more attention to detail. Starting at the big toe and with a NEW razor blade, you remove every trace of hair or stubble and then be sure to use some kind of perfumed lotion and I use baby oil too--just for that little bit of extra silky smoothness.
and finally #6: The my-kids-are-taking-a-shower-with-me shave. This one requires an extreme level of coordination, so as to not shave the head of your two-year-old who is peeking his head out from between your legs. This shave is usually done ultra-quick and usually results in patches of leg that are completely missed. It's not the shave of choice, but works in a pinch.

Are you laughing yet? It's pathetic, I know. What's worse is I actually get irritated if I do the swim-suit shave or the I-want-to-get-romantic shave and the plans get changed. Those two take a lot of work and I don't like to waste them. ha ha

Anyhow, I hope you are doing something more productive with your Sunday than I am! I am fixing to go play a game with Brooklyn since the boys are napping. Then Matt and I are going to see You, Me and Dupree tonight! yippee! I'll let you know how it is! Happy last-little-bit of weekend! Keep those legs smooth girls!!

Super Nanny

Well, I didn't end up spending "a few hours in the pool" like I thought I would. I forgot the pump for our pool was not working which means the water wasn't the cleanest and certainly not something I wanted to soak for hours in. So, instead I sat down and watched 2 episodes of Super Nanny that I had recorded from Monday night. It was so nice to suggle up on my couch (all alone) and just chill in the A/C. It's very unusual for me to (what I call) "waste" a whole afternoon, but even I need a break every now and then. Any more than an afternoon though and I'd be goin' crazy. What can I say, I like to be busy. It makes me feel needed and necessary. Anyhow after watching Super Nanny, I have concluded two things: #1 My children aren't nearly as "naughty" as I thought and #2 I better take control of Brooklyn's smarty-pants attitude before it gets out of control. I kinda feel sorry for her actually because ever since I turned the T.V. off (after having watched those 2 episodes) I have been REALLY strict with her. She probably doesn't know what the heck happened. She actually even screamed "I know you guys hate me!" at me....for which I explained to her that the Bible says if a parent loves their child, they are to discipline them...which is why I am showing her how much I love her by the woopins she's gettin on her butt. I know it sounds kind of harsh, but it's true and totally what the parents on Super Nanny needed to be told. They kept saying how they just couldn't discipline their kids because they "loved them so much and they don't want to hurt them." HELLLOOOO.....if you love your kids, you will help them become functioning, kind, respectful children, teens and eventually, adults. Kids who never experience any consequences for their actions will have a horrible time in this mean, unforgiving world. No one else is going to baby them like mommy and daddy do.
Anyway, I didn't mean to go into all that..but I am trying to burn some time while I wait for Brooklyn to fall asleep. My office is just outside her room and about the only way I can get her to stay in her bed is for me to sit here at my computer till she falls asleep. I haven't heard from her in a few minutes though...so maybe she's out. Goodnight and have a wonderful weekend!

Picture Perfect

HOORAY! I finally got my camera back. Wow, I didn't realize how much I used my camera until I didn't have it for over a month!
So, I posted a lot of pictures. They are kind of all jumbled up (the dates) but I'm doing good just to get them on here---organized or not. Hope you enjoy!
This past week has been a blur of vacation bible school, work, cleaning and last night I hosted my first Bunco party. Whew! I'm exhausted. I am so ready for a little R & R. I will write again soon, but not before I've spent a few hours out in the pool....aughhhhhhhhhh!!

Me in my bridesmaid dress (not a great pic but at least you can see the dress.) 

Matt with his mom, Laura. 

Alex (Tara's little sister) and Brooklyn. 

Larry and Tara...happily married. 

Cale and Lindsay dancing at the reception. 

Matt and I at Tara's wedding. 

My handsome hubby. 

What else can I say?? 

Brooklyn going down the water slide. It took a while for me to talk her into it, but once she did, she didn't want to quit. 

Watch out...the water shoots up when you're not looking! 

Brooklyn and Grant at the splash pad. 

Grant and Grandma 

Brooklyn and Grandma. 

Brooklyn hangin' out on the lobster! 

Grant just chillin' in the water. 

July Tenth Two Thousand and Six

Sooo...I just had to edit my profile to change my age from 27 to 28. Not cool. Still, I thank my lucky stars I am still a couple of years away from 30! I don't know what my big hang-up about the age 30 is, but I definitely have one. It's only when we're talking about me though. It's totally cool for my friends to be 30. I've even come to terms with the fact that my husband is 30. But me? No thank you...I'll pass! ha ha
Anyway, I really just wanted to write a little something and tell you how my day went. This week is VBS (vacation bible school) at our church and I have volunteered to be the kindergarten teacher, so today, I started out my day (8:30-noon) with about 100 kids (30 kindergartners)! It was a little crazy, but fun and I know tomorrow will go much smoother. The REALLY cool thing about today was that Matt took off work, so we got to work together for once! It was wonderful. He is so good with the kids and they took to him right away. He is so much less insecure than I am. When we started singing songs and doing silly hand movements, he was right in there with the kids doing all the movements. Me on the otherhand, felt kinda goofy and wondered how silly I must look. (I hate that about myself!) Anyhow, after that, we went to the BIG waterpark in our town. I say BIG because we have been to several of the area waterparks and I thought they were big. Ha--this place was too big. It's just too hard to keep up with 2 kids at a place like that. Plus, Grant hasn't a care in the world. He just runs here and there, falling in every so often like it's no big deal. He acts like he couldn't care less that we are running after him pulling him up out of the water everytime he goes under. What a goofball! Brooklyn has gotten so much braver than last summer. She goes down all the kid-sized slides and has a blast. After about 3 hours at the waterpark, it started thundering and lightening and they closed the park so we decided to go catch a movie. We saw Just My Luck with Lindsay Lohan and it was so cute. I think we all enjoyed it. When we got home, Matt and the kids gave me my birthday card and gift, which was a Lampe Berger. I know, you are going "what the heck is that?" ha ha...well, I don't even really know a whole lot about it, but it's this little glass vase thing that you fill with oil (he bought me Green Apple) and then you light the burner for 2 minutes, then blow it out and it is supposed to make your whole house smell good for about 12 hours afterwards. I had seen one at this little shop and mentioned to him that I wanted one about a month ago. He was SO good to remember and go back and buy it for me. What a great guy I got me! ---which is why I need to get off this computer and get in there with him! Goodnight.....cha cha cha!!!

Thought this was good...

In an interview with Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, Rick said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body--but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.
God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus...

As I was rocking Grant to sleep yet a 3rd time last night, this hymn came to my mind and I sang what parts of it I could remember. I realized as I was singing how very true it is. I don't know how I would live if I couldn't "trust in Jesus". I'd be a basketcase...a real "chicken with her head cut off." He is my solid rock, my fortress, my breath of heaven in this dingy, depressing world. I read an article in a magazine yesterday that really spoke to me. It's been my heart for some time now, but God has been bringing it up a lot lately---the importance of seeing to it that ALL of our family knows Jesus. Brooklyn has been asking a lot of questions about heaven lately and what it takes to "go there." I had to tell her that even though some of our family are good people, they WILL go to hell if they don't accept Jesus into their hearts. Do you realize how hard it is to tell a 5-year-old that her beloved family could possibly burn in hell???!!! Wow! It pricked my heart and made the passion that I've always had for leading my family to Jesus become more important now than ever. Life is short. Our time here is fleeting and could end at any moment. Why don't we make it our #1 goal to reach as many people (especially our close friends and family) with the Good News that Jesus has come to save them??? Probably because we get so busy with our day-to-day lives to give something like that much thought or time, but really, that IS what we are here for and what God has called us, as Christians, to do. If you are reading this, it is very likely that you are MY close friends and family. Most of you know Jesus and have a relationship with Him...but if you don't...your time is up! It is my goal and my prayer that you will come to Him and experience Real Life! Nothing this earth has to offer can ever compare to the peace and joy that you will feel when you know that you are a child of God Almighty and that you are protected from the evil's of this world. He is HOPE when life seems hopeless and JOY when all you feel is sadness and LOVE when you feel unloved and alone.
Well, I didn't mean for this to get so lengthy...but it's something that needs to be said (and done) and I don't "go there" nearly enough on this website! I love you all! Have a BLESSED weekend!

okay...well that didn't work. I rocked him to sleep just fine...but once I laid him down, he popped right back up and is screaming again. ohh...this is so hard. He's rarely in a cuddly mood and I know he just wants me to hold him, but I can't stay in there all night. It's bitter sweet, I guess. ohhhhhhhh wait....I don't hear anything!! maybe he's finally cried himself to sleep...??!! well, either way, I need to get off the computer. Hope you all have a great weekend! Will write more soon!

"I'm tard"

As I drove to the water park today, my 2 year old son told me, "Mommy, I'm tard." (tired) That should have been my first clue to turn right back around and go home, but despite the warning signals going off in my head, I continued on. The time at the park really wasn't too bad except that he was more cranky and demanding than usual. Riding the lazy river with him was anything but lazy. He was trying to jump off of the raft the entire time and mom and I ended up each holding onto one of his arms and letting him "float" down it that way. I shoveled pizza into him the whole way home, so he was pretty quiet then. HOWEVER, now that we have made it home, we have crossed the line of tired and have now entered into hysteria. He is actually in his bed at this very moment, screaming at the top of his lungs and has been for about 5 minutes. I know he is so tired he can't even walk straight, yet he refuses to lay down and give into it. I've offered to rock him, but he declines. I don't know what else to do but let him scream until complete exhaustion takes over and he wilts down onto the bed. It's so hard to listen to him scream my name though. You'd think by now I'd know better than to take him somewhere at the exact time I usually lay him down for a nap. Like, DUH!!! Anyway, I guess I've let my emotion get the best of me...I can't take it anymore..I am going back in there. Maybe he'll let me rock him now...Wish me luck!

Just time for a Quickie...

Well, we did end up taking Brookyn to see Over the Hedge on the 4th. It was really cute and she laughed her head off. I love it how kids get into movies! I wish I'd let go and laugh that hard sometimes! Anyhow, after that we grilled some burgers just for our little family and then set off our $12 worth of fireworks in our front yard. It was small but still special. The kids enjoyed it. Brooklyn was bummed that our neighbor had more fireworks and lots of kids at his house and she was wishing she had a friend too. Speaking of her making friends, I enrolled her in gymnastics again today. She had her first class this morning and she really liked it. There are six other 5-year-old girls in the class so I am hoping that at least one of them will buddy up with her. She is just desperate for a friend. It breaks my heart to see the way she watches other little girls playing and I can see the longing in her eyes for a friend like that. She will be going to gymnastics twice a week now, so I am hoping that not only will she make a friend but that she'll also start really sharpening up her gymnastic skills. They also teach tumbling at this place, so we might start that in the fall too.
In other news, my sister and her family are coming for a visit tomorrow which is very exciting. We haven't really gotten to see them since Brooklyn was born, excep for a quick time or two. I can't wait to hang out with them again! And.......since they will be here for the whole weekend, I may not get to post again for a few days. If I don't get back here by Monday...be sure to think of me cuz it's my BIRTHDAY! Woohoo! I am trying to psyche myself up for it...but getting older isn't nearly as cool now as it was when I was like 14. ha ha

The more, the messier...

Forget "The more, the merrier". At my house...it's the more, the messier. For some reason, I cannot accomplish anything when my family is home. Well, actually, it's just when Matt is home. It's not at all his fault--or anyones for that matter. But when he is home, I just seem to wander around, following him here and there not actually doing much. Everyday for the past week I have gotten up early and either shoveled gravel, mowed the lawn or cleaned the house. Today, all I have done is cooked breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen and now I am just feeling "lost". Don't get me wrong, there are PLENTY of things I'd love to be doing, but none of them include my family (doesn't that sound terrible!?) I don't mean for that to sound bad..but the things I would love to do is stuff like scrapbooking or shopping--things my family (namely my husband) is NOT into. Anyway, at the moment, the kids are standing around me asking what we are going to do so I guess I better get off here and figure something out. Maybe we'll go see Over the Hedge..?? Well, hope you have a fun 4th.

Quote of the Day

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. ---The Declaration of Independence

okay...I'm back and doing much better. I bought a new bikini today in hopes that I will be able to switch back and forth between this one and my old one and hopefully erase some of my tan lines. It's funny because I've always thought tan lines were cool (and I still do) UNLESS you have halter-top tan lines and you are wearing a regular tank-top shirt or dress. I have these funny white lines going up my chest and around my neck. Anyhow, nothing much else is going on around here. It is actually quiet right now! Wow! Hey..I just realized something..it is July 2nd. That means my birthday is only 8 days away! Augh! They just start sneakin' up on ya the older you get, I guess.
We are 2 days away from Independence Day and I am more grateful than ever to be an American. It's taken a while, but I have finally grown up enough to realize and appreciate what that means. As a child (or an ignorant adult), we just take so much for granted. I thank God that I get to live the life I am living. I hope you do too! God (has) Blessed America!

Pool Therapy

After an extremely stressful trip to Wal-mart this afternoon, I am now off to bask in the sunshine. Sometimes laying out in the pool is like therapy for me. It replaces the sanity I lose dealing with kids 24/7. I will write more soon, maybe later today, but for now, before I officially "go crazy" I am going to escape reality and let the sun evaporate all the tension out of my body. Later gators!