on monday i went to the library and picked up 3 books. they were a bunch of short stories. charlaine harris had some "sookie stories" in each one so i thought i would get them and read all the stories. um, i returned them today, after reading all of them. some of the stories were, well, not so great. some made me want to just skip ahead, and some made me want more. more from those authors. i don't usually care for short stories. well, i take that back...i like them if they are done right. there were a few that reminded me of something i would have wrote in high school. B-O-R-I-N-G! i love to read, but i'm not so great on the writing part. in fact, in my creative writing class that i took (the teacher ended up running off with a student a few years later...or so the story goes) and had to write a children's story. i wrote about a ghost chicken. a rooster to be exact. and he saves his little girl (the girl that owned him...not another chicken) from a fire. yeah, um, she didn't like it. i had words like "vegetarian" in there. she didn't think it would be "age appropriate". whatever.


authors i want to read*...
laurell k hamilton, stephenie meyer**, rachel caine, vickie taylor, toni kelner, patricia briggs, and carrie vaughn.

the books i read were Bite, Wolfsbane and Mistletoe, and Many Bloody Returns. bite didn't have a particular theme. well except vampires and werewolves. W&B was that and christmas, and MBR was that and birthdays. they were definitely worth reading.



*i don't think anyone really cares what authors i plan on reading...this list i more for me. i forget like nobodies business. so if i have them here on my blog, i can at least look them up!
**well, stephenie meyer didn't actually write any of the short stories in the books i read, but she has been well recommended.

hey all! i have been a holy terror lately. i blame it on my addiction to reading. no, i do have a problem. i am addressing it. i figure that i only have 3 more books to read in the series and i should be good for a while...well not really, but i'm thinking it anyway.

i have been trying to de-stress. watching the chickens in my yard is a lot like watching fish in a fish-tank. it can be quite relaxing. and entertaining. actually the chickens are much more entertaining than the fish...unless you have piranhas or something. maybe the chickens are more like the turtles in the tank than the fish. they look so cute and sweet...then BAM!! crazy psycho killers!

yes, i do find that entertaining.

i can't wait to see these guys in action in the spring and summer. i wonder if i will actually see them eat stuff like mice and lizards. if i can teach them to get moles...that would be so cool. and profitable. i could start my own "mole removal" business. and it would be totally green! how cool would that be!

i am sitting here watching "space buddies" with the kids. they like it. me, not so much. well, it's a kid movie for sure. talking dogs are not normally my thing.

josh is turning 5 tomorrow. he's so excited. i am too...i guess. this year, out of my 5 kids, i will have one that is 13, one that's 10, and one that's 5. those are some pretty big years to me. alex is going to be a teenager, haley's in double digits, and josh is going to start school. then there's grace and zack.

i am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the next book. sad, i know. it should be here today, or tomorrow, or the next day. i sure hope it's today. that way i can read it and be all happy and ready to celebrate josh's 5th. otherwise i may end up being crazy mom, jonesing for my next fix.

i know, i know. i need help.

ok, i am re-reading the 5 books i read on sunday and monday. let me tell you, charlaine harris is a fantastic writer. i can really get into her books. i started reading the "sookie stackhouse" series, and i can't wait to read the other 3 books that i haven't read yet. i really to love her style. i grew up reading stephen king and dean kontz, and of course anne rice...but i think i like this series much more. her books are anything but predictable. that is something i have found lacking lately. most of my normal "fave" authors are so, well, predictable. in the first chapter or two, you can pretty much figure out what is going on and who caused it...and how it will be resolved. not so with these stories. (at least not for me) i haven't watched the hbo series "trueblood" but i am looking forward to it...as long as it can compare to the books.


the kids are going to with my step-mom tomorrow night. my dad is leaving today for virginia beach, and so she volunteered to keep the kids for us. so very nice of her. so hubby and i are trying to figure out what to do.

haley is spending the night at the zoo with the girl scouts. she's so excited! i would be too if i was her. seriously, that's my idea of a fantastic night! lucky kid!
she got glasses over the weekend. they look really cute on her. so grown up. uh, too grown up if you ask me. i think i'd rather her be blind.


alex did well in the math competition. he tied for 3 with three of his friends out of the kids from our school. there were several other schools that were represented. he did great. we were so proud of him.

grace started indoor soccer. they lost their first game. they were surprised, but i'm glad. this team deserved to win.

sorry, i had to go outside. the new little girl was telling me about the new gray kitty sleeping in the garage. well, since smoke was where i could see him...and there are no other gray cats around...i had to check it out. hubby was just leaving when i was out there...and had to flag him down to help me because the cat wasn't a cat...


it was a possum. sleeping in an old towel in the trailer for josh's little ride-on tractor. i ended up pushing the trailer out with a shovel, and then tried to get it towards the woods. unfortunately, it woke up when i accidentally dumped it. whoops! and then it looked up at me, snuffled back to the towel, and tried to go back to sleep. i guess i don't cut a very imposing figure! when i pushed it with the shovel, it took off to the woods. i followed it halfway to make sure it made it. it wasn't very big, smaller than smoke.. poor baby. hope it finds a better place than my garage to sleep tonight!

well, i haven't touched the computer in a couple of days.

no my hands aren't broken.


i got the next 5 (that's right) charlaine harris books...and i read them all. all 5, on sunday and monday.


yes, my house is pretty dirty. thanks for asking.


and i think i dropped a couple of pounds. well, when i do a reading marathon like that...well, i forget to eat...and drink...and pay attention to any one or thing.


bad mommy! bad!

i have the next book due to arrive in the next week. (thank you walmart.com) and i can't wait.


i think i may have to read all 5 over again. very slowly this time.

they are like, um, romance type sci-fi type supernatural books.


and yes, the hubby has been reaping the rewards. dirty house and all.




on another subject.

terry's memorial is tonight. my mom picked up a picture of him and i from hubby and my wedding. i was sitting in his lap, and he has this huge smile on his face. he was pretty cute. of course he has his mouth wide open so you can see his tongue piercing. it's going to be a sad night. when i get it back from my mom, i'll post it.


maybe

i am really starting to hate the snow. another f'ing snow day. another day with a house full of kids that can't even go outside to play and burn off energy. no, i just get to listen to them fight and argue because there is nothing for them to do.

my kids actually spent the night out last night. my step-mom brought them home this morning. hubby got off work at a decent hour, so we had a night of fun.

no, not that kind of fun. aunt flo saw to that.

we went to the mall. i haven't been there in at least a year...maybe longer. we got josh a birthday present, tried to get some monster jam tickets, went to the pet store (i know it's not P.C. to like them but i can't help it), and we ate at sbarro's (yum!), and then we went and saw the newest eastwood flick.

let me just say, i love clint. even though i am "technically" young enough to be his (grand)daughter i think he's sexy as all get out. i know people have said he always plays the same type of character. that's ok with me. he has it down. total badass, with a slight bit of hero-shine. in this movie, he plays a believable old guy that could still kick ass. (made me think of my grandpa...he's that guy) my hubby and i cracked up at some of the movie, winced at some of it, and i almost cried at the end. ( i HATE to cry and do anything not to.) there is definite unexpected plot twists, and the kids that play his neighbors were great. i don't know why they got flack on not being "real" actors. they were WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY better than sandra locke. you remember that chick that was in a lot of eastwood's movies because he was dating her...then she sued him saying he ruined her career because she was only in his movies. newsflash lady, you weren't any good! at least not on the screen. clint must have seen something, but we sure as heck didn't!
anyway, i really liked it. hubby really liked it. the 2 other people in the theater liked it (i think). so if you dig eastwood, go see it!

off to yell at some more kids and check on my veggie soup!

here i sit at 10 o'clock on thursday night baking brownies and totally mis-spelling every other word. no joke! i am soooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo exhausted! i'm not exactly sure why i am so tired. sure it could have something to do with the fact that i am getting myself (and kids) used to the "back to school" schedule. or it could have something to do with the fact my youngest ran a fever for 4 days (one night it got to 104.6 folks!) and i was up a lot making sure he was ok and comfortable or i was waking up sweating because my little oven boy had crawled into bed with me. that could be why, but i think it has to do with the fact that i had to read this book. no i am not kidding. i seriously think i have a real problem. perhaps i should join a "compulsive book-readers anonymous" group. if a book is, say, 350 pages or less, i must read it to the end. how is that a problem? well, when i say "read to the end" i mean i don't do anything else. kids are hungry? fix yourself something to read, can't you see mommy's got a book? i don't eat, drink, talk, go to the bathroom, whatever, until the book is done. and if i get interrupted? whoa, watch out! i am a raging bitch. after my oldest was born, i stopped reading for several years. it was tough. but i couldn't get into a book and forget about everything but the book when i have a little bitty one around.

ok, that was last night. i am not changing it. that's me, totally exhausted and jonesing for the next book in the series i just started. i just read Dead until Dark by charlaine harris. um, totally awesome! i have been thinking about this book and have even re-read it. it's the story that the HBO show Trueblood is based on. i so wish i had hbo again. well, that and the new season of Big Love is starting soon. i hope it comes out on dvd, then i can rent it at blockbuster. i have heard a lot of good things about it.

i know you probably are thinking i'm a total vampire freak. no, i'm not. i love a good scary book/movie/show. of course i happen to like monster/supernatural stuff more because i can tell myself it's not real. i get too freaked out by psychological thrillers. if it's about some freak serial killer, um i don't care for it as much. well, i won't say i don't like them...because i do. i just get more scared now that i have kids and things like that could really happen. i love a good stephen king book...or dean koontz....or anne rice....and now charlaine harris.

i am waiting for the library to get the next book in. can you believe some one has the audacity to check out the book that i want to read? i may have to wait until sometime towards the end of january before i can read the next one! ahhh.

the bestest doctor ever!!!!

hello all. i think everyone has had experiences with doctors that were less than ideal. my first ob/gyn was not the most friendly...he treated my questions as annoyances. perhaps that had to do with the fact i was 17 and a senior in high school. most of the people he saw were welfare recipients and/or teens. i guess it's understandable...but, well, i wanted...no i needed more than that.
then i found the bestest doctor ever. i was 19 and pregnant with my second child. we had decent insurance at that time. this doctor had really long hair he wore in a ponytail. he was very talkative, and i probably know more about him than i know about my own father. that being said, the man listens. he loves babies. oh, did i mention he listens? he has a great bedside manner. he delivered my middle 3 kids.
then our insurance changed. i had to find a new doctor. the new doctor i found was adequate. he was a 5 minute appt man. in and out in 5 minutes. no time to answer questions. when i told him about my 4 previous labors, and some of the issues and what we did that worked, well, he smiled and said "uh-huh". let's just say, i was not impressed with him, or his 2 partners (2 of the 3 women i mentioned above).
i realized how special my other doctor was. well, not just him, his whole staff. i went back for the first time today for a regular check up. only one change in staff has happened since last time i was there...4 years ago. his wonderful (seriously if she had been an ob/gyn, i would have gone to her) nurse died of cancer a few years ago. she was just like him. you could talk to her. she was there when i was having bleeding when i was pregnant with josh. she was there for me when we had some family issues to work out. she was truly a wonderful woman.
ok, back to my doctor. he is a doctor that takes his job seriously. i may have to wait an hour in the waiting room, but if it was me in labor, i would want him to be there for me like that. in fact he was, 3 different times. his care is worth the wait.
anyway, if you live in the st. louis area.. and are looking for a great doctor, let me know. i'll give you his name!!!

who do you like?

there are certain actors, or well, people that i love to watch in movies. maybe they aren't actual "actors" but do act in certain movies. others are classically trained actors i just love.

1. Clint Eastwood. ok, the man was totally hot back in the day. i have loved his movies all my life. my dad and i would watch the spaghetti westerns, but my absolute favorite movie of his is Unforgiven. this movie has so many scenes that can bring you to tears. if you haven't seen it, go out and rent it, or check and see if it's on some channel. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105695/ go to this site if you have no idea which movie i'm talking about.

2. Gene Wilder. sorry johnny, he is the first and last Willy Wonka for this sugar fiend. that was the first movie i had ever seen with him. then when he teamed up with richard pryor, well, how can you not love those movies?

3. Willie Nelson. i watch Honeysuckle Rose every time it's on tv. he may not be an award winning actor, but i love his movies, and tv appearances.

4. Mel Brooks. need i say more? the man is a total genius.

5. Johnny Cash...and June Carter Cash. i fell in love with them when they made a few appearances on Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman. try watching Stagecoach sometime. it has johnny, june, willie, kris kristopherson, and walon jennings. oh and john schnieder (one of the dukes, or superman's dad depending on which generation you're from). great movie to watch.

my mother's day

this was the front of my mother's day card. the one my kids picked out for me. (this is a zero gravity card from andrews mcmeel pub. llc) inside it says "see, there are things more frightening than having me as your kid". what my boys don't understand is...this picture could be them in a couple of years...WHO'S LAUGHIN' NOW!

anyway, i had the best mother's day ever. i mean it, this was, by far, the best one. i don't think they will ever be able to outdo themselves. first off, with this wonderful card, there was also candy...several pounds of candy, and by several, i mean 5 pounds of hershey kisses and reese's peanut butter cups. yes, i know i am lucky to have kids that love me so...but that wasn't all, there were 2 books by one of my favorite authors. i love my kids.

but that wasn't the best part. no, no, not by a long shot. on sunday morning, the kids let me sleep until 9:30. i woke up to breakfast in bed. not just any breakfast, but banana pancakes with strawberries on top, fried eggs, and a cold glass of milk. oh yeah, my kids love me. alex did most of the work, but all of the kids helped. they watched me eat every bite and loved every compliment (it really was good!). they gave me the presents they had made at school, and let me tell you, i have the most talented kids ever! then alex made his brothers and sisters pancakes and eggs, and i didn't even have to ask him. i am so very lucky!

they did leave me the mess, but that's ok. i can deal with that. everyone got along pretty well, i even got to take a nap (couple of hours long) and i woke up to kids. i was covered in children. they had decided to sneak in and take a nap with me. so the youngest 3 and i took a nice long nap and woke up in time to go do family stuff.

the very best mother's day ever.

amy amy quite contrary

how does your garden grow?
well, by bitching and moaning until the hubby gets on the tractor and plows, that's how!

yeah, that pretty much sums up my approach to getting the hubby to do anything i want him to do. well, at least stuff he doesn't want to do. he and i had a nice lengthy conversation about my wanting a garden and chickens. he doesn't understand my need to have these things. yes, i would be growing my own food. this would cut our grocery bill down. but then again, it's work. he had to take care of this kind of stuff when he was a kid and doesn't want to deal with it again. i understand that. the thing is, i didn't have a veggie garden when i was a kid, or chickens. i begged and begged my parents for chickens when we lived in the country. i saved my own money for months, subscribed to different chicken hatchery newsletters, and even drew up my own plans for a coop (trying to impress my carpenter father! lol) all to no avail! why is it, as an adult, i still get screwed out of it?
ah, let it go...
ok, i still have some tricks up my sleeve. after all, easter is the holiday when people get things like baby chicks, and little ducklings as gifts for their kids. hahaha.
no i wouldn't really do that. the hubby would definitely not be too happy. that would make me not to happy. i just have to work on changing his mind.

ok, on to american idol. can i just say that i loved jason castro's performance? ok, i loved jason castro's performance. ramiele sang the song that my hubby and i danced to for our first song. i know, kind of a weird choice, but at the time it fit. so i will give her a pass tonight. she didn't do a bad job, just not an original performance. why oh why did kristy lee do that? it wasn't that it was a bad decision changing that song to country, because while it was definitely weird, it wasn't horrible. it was the way she performed on stage. she didn't connect at all. not only did her moves not fit the song or music at all, but her eyes were scared and not at all into selling the song. her performance was the worst of the night. that says a lot considering david hernandez's performance! he was horrible too! of course i don't really care for him anyway, so it's not a big let down for me. i loved chikezie's performance. he took that song to a place i never would have expected from him. totally loved it. amanda overmyer did good too. her performance was definitely not as big a show stopper as last week, she still did good. brooke white was not only awesome, but i loved the sign in the audience that her former employers were holding "we love brooke white, but miss our nanny!" and it had pics of the twins she had watched. loved it. carly's performance was great too. david cook totally rocked out loud! i love how he makes these songs his own. great job boy from missouri! syesha was ok for me. i didn't hate it, but i didn't love it either. what has happened to little davy archuleta? he wasn't bad, but he wasn't his "holy cow it this kid awesome or what?" self. i personally liked micheal johns' performance. (he actually looks a lot like my friend's hubby.)
now who will go home tonight? i have no clue. i really don't. i really hope it's not some of my faves but i don't vote (i know how horrible of me) so i don't feel like i can say if the "right" one is sent home tonight.
ok, rachel, your turn now. and anyone else that wants to chime in!

*i don't vote because by the time i actually get to watch the show, it's the morning after. just a tad too late to vote.

today was a school day, and a snow day. my kids had school, and yet most of the local schools were closed. that means i only had 9 kids at my house, not the 14 or 17 i would normally have on a school day.
i'm sure people see those numbers and are thinking "how on earth do you actually take care of that many kids." well, most of these kids are 3rd grade and older. in fact, the ages are my five 11, 9, 6, 4, and 2. then family A is 11, 10, and 5 with a new baby that will be here in the next couple of weeks. family B is 12, 10, 8, and 4. family C is 11, 8, and 2. family D is 11, and 6. most of these kids are technically allowed to stay home alone. i have been very lucky with the families i watch. they are very good kids. they are all fairly well behaved (but they are kids! they have their moments) and polite. the parents are so very nice. i have no complaints when it comes to the quality of people i deal with. i am truly blessed with the kind of people in my life.

how do i feed them all? well, we eat in shifts usually. the youngers go first, and then the older kids. i am very strict on this...just ask my 11 yr old. he got in big trouble for eating ahead of the other kids and had to go help shovel snow for his grandparents. it may not sound like a big deal (and it wasn't) but when i have a large number of kids, i have to feed the little guys first or they may not get enough. those big kids can really put away some food! i only had 9 today, but i fixed 20 hotdogs, 3 boxes of mac and cheese, sliced 3 apples and peeled 4 oranges. i don't know if that sounds like much, but it was all gone by the end of lunch.

what do they do all day? well, hmmm, beside drive me completely crazy? really they are good kids. they may get on my nerves more when they are stuck in the house, but that would be the case with 1 kid or 17. when it's summer, we swim everyday. every single day. they are outside every single day. well, unless it's storming. but even those days, if we have any time at all that is clear, they are outside. snow days are a little tougher. they are usually stuck in the house those days. they play in the basement or upstairs. they play on the main level too. ok i guess you can't throw a stick without hitting a couple kids on snow days.

is it hard on my kids having to share me? it is. i won't lie. they do get jealous. but they also have friends to play with every day. i think they handle the sharing part pretty well. in fact, i don't think i have had any of the "it's mine" issues with my own kids. i have had the "she's my mommy, not yours" issues come up. but that was just because one of the little guys i watch started to call me mom. only because that's what he heard me being called all the time. we straightened it out, and he now calls me by my name, but he still calls my hubby dad. very funny when we see him out at school or church functions and he waves to him saying "dad". hubby finds it hilarious. i don't think his parents have realized what he's saying.

i do enjoy taking care of these kids. they are like family to me. i won't say i love them like my own kids. i do love them like they are my nieces and nephews though.
as much as i do love them, i will not be doing this forever. i am planning on going back to school after my youngest is in school. i may put it off long enough for the youngest kid i watch to get into school, but i don't know. i love taking care of kids. i also would like to have a real job someday. you know, with co-workers and adult conversation. that would be nice.
that can wait for now.

i love my kids, but...

i have a tough time talking about how great my kids are. time after time, when people talk about their kids, i have a tough time talking about how smart my kids are, cute, talented, nice, whatever. i have never been one to brag (i don't think i have been) and i guess that's what it seems like when i say something about them. it's not like i sit in judgement about people who do. i have several people who talk about their kids all the time, how advanced they are, whatever. my sister in law talks about her 2 kids all the time. her daughter is beautiful (and she is) and they boys swarm her. her son is so smart (not so sure about this one) that she has asked for him to be tested for the gifted classes. not the teachers, mind you, she asked. several times. now, i know my kids are smart. i don't have to rub it in when i talk to her. and i don't. i just sit there and nod sympathetically. what else do you do? i know kids make mistakes all the time. i don't want to put unwanted pressure on my kids because they feel they need to live up to my standards. i remember trying to do that for my parents. so i am going to try today to brag about my kids.

alex- my oldest very smart. in 3rd grade he was reading at an 8th grade level. now, he's in 5th and can read anything he wants (except books below a 6th grade level) he remembers everything he reads (like he dad). he has the most beautiful blue/gray eyes. he is helpful and polite at his friends houses. he helps with his little brothers. he loves sports. he's great at baseball, basketball, and soccer.

haley- my oldest daughter is brilliant. she is in an advanced math group and an advanced reading group. she may come across as ditsy, but the child is so very smart. she is absolutely beautiful. i am seriously afraid of my girls becoming teenagers. she is athletic. she is a great softball player, soccer player, basketball player, and swimmer. she is so sweet natured and helpful. she loves to "mother" brothers.

grace- my youngest daughter is so friendly. she makes friends everywhere she goes. i won't say she doesn't know a stranger, but she is always quick to make friends. she loves attention. she is also very smart. she went into kindergarten not knowing her letters very well, and is already reading books. in fact she just started the reading counts program. she makes friends quickly, but she also keeps them. she and her "best friend" claudia have known each other for 3 years now, and are as close as can be! she is such a love. she loves to help me. anything i ask, she's there to do it for me. she is my other beautiful daughter. my girls may not look exactly alike, but they are still beautiful. haley is darker complected, with beautiful brown hair with golden highlights and eyes like mine. grace is blond, lighter complected, with blue/green eyes. they both have those awesome thick black eyelashes like their daddy.

josh- my middle boy is gentle giant. he was my smallest baby (8lbs 2oz), but is my biggest kid (4 years old and 50 lbs...not a bit of it fat either). he is into all things mechanical. i know this kids is just as smart as the rest of them. he loves cars, trucks, tractors, basically anything mechanical. he really listens to you when you talk to him. he loves girls too. it's only girls that are his age at my house. he plays with them just as good as gold. he loves his family. he has the same eyes as my oldest...beautiful blue framed by thick black lashes. to look at him, you would think he is much older than he is. he's the same size as most of the kids in grace's class, and speaks just as well. he is, by far, my biggest help in the house. you just ask him to do something, and it's done!

zack- my youngest is the only one that looks like my side of the family. he is a scrappy little thing. he doesn't take any s#%^ from anyone! he has the most beautiful and contagious smile. he also has the same blue eyes at the other two boys. to talk to him, you would never guess he's only 2. he's also the friendliest of my boys. he is definitely not shy! he and josh are the closest out of my 5 kids. not just in age either. zack loves his daddy. as soon as he sees him, he runs to get some pretzels so they can sit in daddy's chair together. he always wants to help out too.

ok, that ends my bragging session for today. you can see for yourself how beautiful my kids are in the picture of my family. just pay no attention to the fact they are wearing clothes that don't match. i am not the most organized mom, so i am just happy they are all wearing clothes!

happy valentine's day

my husband is the best. i know i may complain about some boneheaded thing he did, but he is still the best. so i thought i would try to come up with a list of things i love about him.



1) he has the most beautiful eyes.



2) he is crazy in love with me.



3) he is a family man through and through.



4) he helped me to mend my relationship with my father.



5) he is always willing to help a friend or family member.



6) he has things he is passionate about (besides me).



7) he is really smart.



8) he totally backs me up with the kids...even when i am wrong.



9) he loves having people over.



10) he's a giver.



ok, that's just the ten i could think of in 1 minute. i unfortunately don't have time to think up another 99. things like he can clean like nobody's business! he can get all the laundry done in one day (something i have never ever accomplished).



he is really the best friend i have ever had. i can talk to him about stuff i never told anyone else. he's there to wipe my tears, and hold my hand. he has supported me in any and all decisions i have made. he's a great dad.

ok enough with mushy stuff.


and happy birthday rachel!

between the laundry loads

cleaning challenge
i have been keeping up with the house work. this is a huge improvement for me. i won't say i have been keeping the house clean every day, but it is way more clean than it ever has been. i have been trying to do the 20 per room, but it takes me more than that to get my rooms clean. but it has been a starting point for me. what i mean to say is, i start with the 20, and look around and see i only have about 15 more things to pick up...it's so much more managable for me. instead of looking around and seeing only chaos, i see a starting point. and i can use it for the kids too. i tell the little guys to pick up 5 things, and the bigger guys 10 or 20, so i can sweep or vaccum. it actually works. thanks martie for the starting point.

do you have an aldi near you? i love ours. i never ever thought i would hear myself sing their praises, but here i am! not that i didn't like them before, we never shopped there when i was a kid. my mom hit the big stores. my kids love their frozen pizza. it feeds atleast 3 or 4 of my kids (that's saying alot) and its only $1.99. yeah, that's right. i bought their brand of mac and cheese (mostly because the lunch crowd at my house loves mac and cheese) and found out that my kids and hubby like it better than kraft. they said it's cheesier. it was only $.29 when i was there yesterday. their milk is always almost a full dollar cheaper, and their eggs and bread are cheaper too. if you spend $100, you are coming out with a cart full of food.

i finally finished the pink afghan i was making for a friend of mine. her baby is only a month old. now i am trying to get one going for one of the family's that i watch. the mom is due the end of march, but doesn't think she'll make it that long. yeah, nothing like working with a shrinking deadline! this one is tough too. it is a granny square blanket, and has like over a hundred little squares. i have never made a granny square one before. i've made a couple big stitch sampler afghans that turned out really pretty, a lot of baby blankets (2 filet, ripple, shell, 2 sweet dreams, and a rose bud) and i've made a few other full size afghans, but the connecting of the granny squares together always scared me a little. this one is really cute though. i hope it turns out good. i plan on taking it on the cruise with me so i can work on it on the ride down and back..and any down time i get.

why i love my little town

last night, jeff got home really really late. he had been pretty busy with customers all day. in fact his day, which was supposed to end at 3:30, didn't end until 10. yeah, it was a long day. and yet he came home in high spirits. believe me, that is not usually the case. he told me his boss showed him something pretty amazing...
i'm sure you remember my friend kathy's husband was diagnosed with als, and they have known about it for months, but just told everyone recently. my community, my fellow church members, my friends,(they are all one in the same) are building a house for dan and kathy. you see, they have been dreaming about building a house for years. they have the property, but were waiting until the older girls were out of high school to build. right now they live in a small 2 story home, and their bedroom is on the 2nd floor. that works for right now, but unfortunately it won't work well when the disease progresses. once people in our community found out, several started to think about what they could do for them. we have several builders, and contractors in our community, dan and kathy have lots of friends, like us, that are willing to help, so hopefully soon they will have a new home.

this is not an isolated incident. the generosity of my community is awe inspiring. when our principal started at our school, she had just lost her son to lung cancer. he was in his 20's. he left behind a wife and young daughter. his daughter was diagnosed with cancer while her daddy was still fighting the good fight. this family had struggled alot. his daughter beat the cancer (in her jaw area). unfortunately, it came back within 2 years...this time in her leg. her mother is one of the strongest people i know. parents of the other kids in the girl's class, teachers, and just other community members, got together and threw a benefit for her. they raised over $30,000 in one night for her. people donated so much stuff, and then spent so much money, all for a little girl they had only known for a couple of years. she beat the cancer again. she is doing well.

i know there are other communities that are just as generous out there. but this is my town. these are my friends. and this is why i love it here. i hope everyone can find a place where they are so inspired by their neighbors and friends.

some more favorites

here are 3 things i have recently found that i absolutely love. they are from Beauticontrol. think avon or mary kay (mary kay has this stuff that is actually great for diaper rash...i don't know what it is called, but it is some pink stuff, thicker than Vaseline.).

1) cabana girl pineapple daiquiri cooling foot creme. this stuff smells so good, you are tempted to eat it. really. it works good, but honestly, the smell is what sold me on it.

2) herbal serenity aromatherapy show of hands. this is great for getting rid of rough, flaky, dry, dead skin. it is dead sea salt mixed with some natural oils.

3) regeneration extreme repair. ok, this is my favorite product. i have tried so many lotions, this worked the best by far.

you may be asking yourselves, why would her opinion matter? well, i am not a doctor...i am a mother of 2 girls that have horrible dry skin on their hands. my girls hands are so red and chapped in the winter, it is miserable for them. i have tried so many things to try to help them...medications, lotions, special soaps, nothing worked. until i found this stuff. i did the "show of hands" on the girls on monday. i followed it up with the "extreme repair". haley's hands had been red, rough, and chapped. afterward, they looked normal. grace too. now i wanted to know how long this would last. i mean, lotion always seems to work, but only for so long, so i checked them when they got home...still looked normal-still felt normal. the next day, without putting anymore on them, they still looked normal. this lasted for 4 days!! i was so happy to finally find something to help my girls. you have no idea how hard it is to not know what to do when your kids hands are cracked and bleeding because they are so dry and chapped. we used so many different lotions and even medications to try to cure this and nothing ever worked before. my hands are just like the girls, but i didn't get it as young as they did. i have been so impressed with these products, i had to put it out there for everyone (all 2 of you) to see. this stuff wasn't cheap, but it works. i know they have all kinds of different products, i don't know how well those work, but i love these three. beauticontrol, i love these products. i will definitely try more.
when i went to jen the nurse's spa party, this is the stuff that was at it. our consultant was really nice. she has one 12 year old daughter (she's in a wheelchair, and is special needs) and triplet 8 year old girls. she was so nice. and helpful.

back by popular demand

last night a good friend came back in town. bryan and his daughter brielle were visiting his mom and stopped by for dinner. well, it was bryan, brielle, bryan's brother mike, and mike's wife, denise, and their daughter paige. we had a pretty nice night. we ate pantera's pizza, and talked about old times, new times and times yet to come. the guys went to nathan's house to see all the changes he's made since he bought it from us. (nathan is in australia for the next 5 or 6 weeks for work) you realize how much you miss people like that when you get to see them. i know bryan was always jeff's favorite brother, mine was always mike. but honestly, it was more because i got to know mike more. bryan was living in AZ when i started to date jeff. when he came back, well, i thought he was a bit full of himself. i haven't changed my mind either. when he came back, he was. now, he is married and a father of 2. he's more down to earth...a real person. his wife is great too. she's so nice. the kids are adorable. zack followed brielle around all night. we had a great night. can't wait for the cruise in feb!

today is my grace's birthday. she's 6 today. it is amazing to me that she's gotten so big. she's my littlest princess. she is smart, funny, beautiful, talented, and talkative. she is one of those people that gets joy out of everything. she is such a great kid...and she's mine.
god definitely blessed me when he gave me my grace.

where have you been all my life?!

these are a few things i just recently found out about. i love them. really, if i could marry them, i would.

mucinex. i probably just butchered the spelling, but i love it. i haven't used anything that worked this good in a...well, ever! it didn't just shift everything around. you know like when you can breathe, but don't bend over because your head will explode. i love this stuff.

ammonia. i love smelling this stuff. it really cleans the palate. yes i am kidding...about the smelling part at least. i never washed clothes with this stuff before. oh my gosh! i was totally missing out. you see, i am not that good at laundry. it probably has to do with the fact i hate doing laundry. so sometimes i don't get the clothes out of the washer right away...or even the same day i started them. occasionally, they may sit in there for a few days...never more than a week! but anyway, as you know, laundry starts to stink if it is wet for too long. ammonia is the answer. it even works on pee smell. (kids, people, not me) i love it. it does a great job with the smells and everything actually ends up smelling cleaner than before. why didn't anyone ever tell me about this stuff?

on to the daily buzz...

we went to jeff's work party last night. we closed down hooters. jeff and i were the last ones to leave. i had a few daiquiris and (not much, i was driving) got to meet some of jeff's co-workers. they seem nice enough. definitely different. very different. but very entertaining. everyone had a great time.

time to go...the kids took all the cushions off the couch and are now jumping from the steps to the couch. i need to catch them before we end up needing an er visit!