Crumbs in my butter

FALL SWAP - to Angela from Karin!

2011-10-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I received my FABULOUS Fall Swap package in the mail from Karin! My birthday was Monday so Karin - perfect timing! I feel like my birthday has lasted all week. :)

I opened this package and there was PINK everywhere! Karin, I know we've never met, but it's like you've known me for years. I am obsessed with pink and I love everything you sent me! Everything was wrapped so pretty with coordinating stickers. I felt like a little kid getting to open all these treats!

This cute heart felt note was on teacup stationery. I love handwritten notes! So here we go...opening all my beautiful pink packages...

F is for Fragrant Vermont coffee filling the house! What a treat!!! My husband is also very thankful for this - he is a coffee nut. We both had some this morning - it was chilly outdoors and the coffee smelled so yummy brewing in our house. :)

A is for Angela to write a sweet note! I love notepads and have one in just about every room of my house. This one just replaced the ratty one on my fridge. It's so cute. And I like how the sheets are perforated. :)

L is for fall leaf candles that give a cheerful glow. These are so pretty and will go on my dining table. They smell good too. I almost don't want to take them out of the package cause they look so cute.

L is for the coin purse you LOVE to have wherever you go!!! Karin, I literally squealed out loud when I saw this! I have a thing for coin purses and Vera Bradley! I feel spoiled rotten! I really like this pattern too. This is going on my keychain pronto!

BONUS - and the Starbucks is just because you are special. Awh! I'm tucking this in my coin purse and going to get myself a pumpkin spice latte.

Karin, this truly made my day. Sorry for all the exclamation marks, but I'm so flipping excited about all my prizes! :) I hope you feel as special as you made me feel. Happy Fall ya'll!

I'm not trying to be mean to this shirt...

2011-08-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school. Getting up early was the biggest feat for our family who loves to sleep in. Wesley is usually the one who bounces out of bed, excited for the day but this morning was a little different.

I was making waffles and scrambled eggs, Paul was making coffee, when we heard someone sauntering down the stairs. Wesley came out into the kitchen with the saddest look on his face and said..."I'm not trying to be mean to this shirt, but it doesn't go with my pants!" He then plopped down by the back door and tried to shove his shoes on. He was getting more frustrated by the second. I went over to him and hugged him, but had to get back to the eggs on the stove. So Paul went over in my place. I looked over as he sat down by Wesley and talked to him. I couldn't hear what he was saying, I just heard the comfort in Paul's voice. Then, I heard a little giggle from Wesley. I hope I always have that moment freeze framed in my mind. It's not one that I could go grab the camera and take a picture of.

As Paul was walking Wesley to his class, Wesley told him that he was nervous about 1st grade.

I can so relate to my little Wesley today. Whenever I'm nervous about something, I feel like nothing looks good on me, my hair won't work, I get irritable, etc... I love the verse Psalm 139:14 "I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvelous are thy works and that my soul knows well."

At least he wasn't trying to be "mean" to his shirt. :)

Heel-TASTIC!

2011-03-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

My CRACKED UP HEELS need some serious help!

Follow me for a second, I'm going to get to the reason I MUST take care of my crack-a-lackin' feet:

I was in Walmart with my boys looking for pj's for Pajama Day at school. Will and Wes were Out. Of. Control. They both like to hide in the racks and it drives me crazy! I looked like a mom who had completely lost control of her wild banchee boys and others were starting to take notice. I grabbed a pair of $4 pj bottoms and a $2 t-shirt and told them we were "Leaving...NOW!" Oh...just wait til we get in the car...

We started leaving the boys clothing area. That's when I ran into June. She is one of the most beautiful and gracious ladies that I have the privilege of calling friend. I have learned so much from her - especially in the kitchen. I saw her and told the boys to hang on a second while we chatted. Of course they continued their running around as I tried to make up excuses for their behavior..."Oh, they had a lot of sugar today at school", "I think Wesley is getting sick", "Paul is out of town and they're both really tired..."

June and I were talking away and I thought I felt something at my feet. I ignored it because our conversation was getting really good. About 2 minutes later I felt a pinch at my heel and I turned around- only to find my 5 year old - laid out flat as a pancake on the WALMART FLOOR and he was ever so diligently PICKING THE DEAD SKIN OFF MY HEELS!!! He hopped up so fast when he noticed I saw him and I'm thinking, here comes the "mommy please don't be mad at me speech" but, NO. Instead, he proudly displayed for June and I, the handful of skin he had collected!!! He had been at it for a while. "Mommy, look how much I got!" I was MORTIFIED. Beyond imagination. This proved to me that mothers really can tune ANYTHING out. June laughed and leaned down to Wesley and she said, "Wesley, I'll bet your mommy would love you to help her with that at home".

We had a good 'ol fashioned family talk that night and Paul told the boys they could rub my feet and shoulders but not in public. And, never to pick at me again!

So, I started Heel-tastic tonight and I'm going to post a before and after picture once they get purty again...hope it's sooner than later!

Mo' Money guest writer - Paul Richardson :)

2011-03-30T06:58:00.001-07:00

About three weeks ago my wife came home from the grocery store and freaked me out! She told me what the grocery bill was before she employed her coupon strategy. It was a much bigger number than I was used to hearing. She always saves a criminal amount of money at the grocery store, but I immediately thought, ‘There’s no way she saved enough to make up for that kind of damage.” I was wrong. My wife had walked out of a grocery store saving 75% of her original total.

It is becoming a bit ordinary at our house for her to come home having saved triple digits. That’s right, $100 or more. I’m a very proud husband, but not of just the numbers she puts up week after week. You can find plenty of people that have coupon strategies (all inferior to this one of course) What I am most proud of is the heart of why she does this.

Angela and her friend (and now business partner) Dana Reagan started Clipsy Chicks around a year ago in a home. They had been couponing and sharing notes, and some friends invited them to come share what they had learned with other ladies. They put it in the form of a presentation, targeted at the women in the room, and they were a hit. Just by word of mouth and a series of invitations they have now spoken more than 40 times to hundreds of women in churches, business, and retreat centers. It’s just been word of mouth, because they are just that good, and because what they are teaching works.

They had two things at the heart of this that they really wanted women to understand. Whether or not they are talking to women who are Christ-followers this is part of the message you will get:

This is about stewardship. There is no reason to blow money at the grocery store that can be saved. You can carve money (lots of it) out of your budget right now. Think about your monthly grocery bill. Do you have any idea how much you spend? Whatever it is, cut it in half (at least). Now, what would you do with that much more money in your pocket every month without working a single extra hour outside the home?
Anybody can do this. Both Angela and Dana have teacher’s hearts. They want to see everyone that they encounter have success. They have created a system of shopping and saving that is easy to mimic, along with tools that you can use to start saving money right away.

On Thursday night, March 31st at 7:00pm (that’s this week by the way) the Clipsy Chicks will be at West Ridge Church dropping some knowledge that you can use right away. You are welcome to come, but it would be even better if you registered in advance. You can click here to do that.

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

Things I'm lovin' - Part I

2011-03-14T16:05:00.000-07:00

I pulled out this tablecloth last week - it makes me so happy! It's so vintage. It's a hand-stitched heirloom from Paul's family. It looks like it popped right out of an anthropologie catalog. yay!

My front door wreath has had a spring makeover. My sweet friend Lauren gave me this wreath last year. And I usually just copycat her when she changes hers out. :) The fern is fake - $2.50 and the little bird - good heavens is he sweet or what - was $2.50 also.

My new converse sneaks! Paul got these for me on clearance at Marshalls. LOVE them!

I've got a thing for coin purses. Especially the kind with the ball clasps. This one is so handy on my keychain. There's probably 25 frequent shopper tags on there. But I keep change and a tube of carmex in my coin purse at all times.

More to come...

Lent is not in your pockets.

2011-03-08T17:40:00.000-08:00

Our family had a sit down discussion Sunday night about Lent. The boys thought we were talking about the white fuzz found in your pockets. "No, not, "lint", Lent." They have reached an age where they are starting to understand the events that lead up to Easter. Lent begins 40 days before Easter starting on Ash Wednesday and ending on Good Friday/Holy Saturday (differs with denominations). Some people give up TV, sugar, food, smoking, meat, etc. As a family, we wanted to observe this time together. There is something very meaningful about the number 40. Think of Noah and the 40 days and nights of rain. Jesus spent 40 days in the desert, the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.. I don't know the significance of the number, but I would like to research it more.

I knew what I should give up for Lent and actually started on Monday. It's music. I am a music nut through and through. If you saw my itunes library you would see literally every genre represented. However, last week, my youngest was singing the words to Ke$ha's song Tik Tok!!! Now, he didn't hear that one at home, probably at school. However, I want to play music that will get THAT ONE out of his head. So, for the next 40 days, it's worship music only in this house. I have already noticed in the last 2 days that our home is more calm and the boys are talking nicer to each other.

We asked the boys to think of something they could give up during this time to remember the sacrifice made for them. For Wesley - PlayStation3. Will - he's not concrete in his decision yet, but it will probably be his daily treat from the jar after school.

In the times Paul and I have observed Lent, we find that we are less distracted and more open to God's direction for our lives. It's a good time to clean the clutter out of our homes and minds.

BTW-I have found some incredible music on itunes to fill my home throughout this season. There's some great music for kids too - not at all cheesy. And I don't have to worry about the lyrics. :)

Do you observe Lent? If so, what do you give up during this time?

Sweet Dreams

2011-02-17T16:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, people, even though they don't want recognition...deserve it. So here goes:

Recently Paul went to Africa. He's been many times and this trip was only 9 days. However, in that 9 days me and both my boys ended up with the flu and pneumonia. We were literally in our house for 8 days straight other than going to the dr. I was completely exhausted. I couldn't take care of myself and my boys at the same time. I can't tell you how blessed I am with the friends God has given me. Friends of mine did my laundry, brought meals, magazines, picked up prescriptions, sent over a house cleaner!, got groceries for me and one friend came and sat with me for lunch 2 days in a row - and she cleaned out my closet!!! (for those of you that have seen my closet, you know that was no easy feat:) Some of you may be reconsidering being my friend...I promise I'm not always this high maintenance...only sometimes. :)
The worst night: Day 3 of Paul being away, I was in my bed by 9:00pm and had just taken cough syrup with codeine, and was going to try to sleep. I saw something on my white sheets that I thought was a crumb, but then I saw it MOVE! I grabbed my glasses to get a closer look and I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I knew what it was. I googled "bedbugs" right away and sure enough. We had them. I was mortified, sick, exhausted and hysterical all at the same time. I just wanted to SLEEP and now I was hyper and on a mission. side note - (We had both traveled recently and brought our suitcases back in our bedroom and they sat on the floor for a few days, I'm thinking that's how we got them. I read that hotels are the #1 place to pick them up. So don't put your suitcases on the floor!) I called one of the numbers on the list Paul leaves me of "in case of emergency" (they are friends of ours that Paul trusts to help me out while he's away). I called Mr. Tony. My medicine had kicked in and I was dizzy and crying. He answered the phone and said..."slow down, tell me what's going on and what do you need.." I don't even remember what I said but I got the point of the bedbugs across and asked if he could use his truck to pick up the mattresses the next morning. He encouraged me to go upstairs and sleep in one of the boys beds and he would come the next day and take care of the mattresses.

The sweetest day: My sweet friend (and Clipsy Chicks partner) Dana, came over the next morning as well. Her and Tony and a friend named Mike hauled away my old mattresses, pillows, comforters, decor pillows, etc. Dana cleaned the entire bed frame, vacuumed, and was loading up a ton of laundry to take to the laundry mat.

That is when Tony came back in the house with a box spring. At first, I thought it was my old box spring that he had cleaned off and was putting it back on. Then Dana whispered to me, "I think that's a new one". I looked at Tony and asked him if he had talked to Paul about it and if Paul had told him to go get a new boxspring. Tony said..."No, but I talked to my heavenly Father and he told me to do this so I did...Now, lay down on your new bed and see if you like it."

Did I like it!? All I could do was put my head in my blanket and sob. Paul and I have had our mattresses for 13 years. They were old and uncomfortable and gave us both backaches. Now, we have a brand new beautiful pillow top mattress! Tony even thought to get us new pillows, sheets that would fit the much larger mattress, and a down comforter!!!

I had no idea what to say. I was completely overwhelmed at his generosity. And his humility. A few days later, I saw Tony at his restaurant that he allowed me and the boys to eat at for free while Paul was away. He told me how much it blessed HIM to do that for Paul and I. Every night I get in my beautiful bed and am so giddy to just be in it! I could never say thank you enough. So I pray that God will continue to bless our friends as they have blessed our family. I love you guys!

I'm ready for Valentine's DAY!

2011-01-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

I received my Valentine's swap package today from JesseRuth! I can't even begin to tell you how perfect the timing is. This totally made my day. I can't wait to tell you all about this gift - here goes:

This is what was on my doorstep about an hour ago! Cute little heart. :)

The instructions were: "Follow the numbers 1-5 and read poem/open your presents! Happy Valentines, Love, JesseRuth"

#1 - "Shopping for a romantic dinner for 2
   is not an easy thing to do
   so take this with you
   to help you carry your food."
This is a super cute lightweight handbag! I love it!

#2 - "In order to cook dinner
   there must be a mess
   so drape these across an apron
   ...or dress."
Red and white plaid dish towels that are already hanging on my oven handle! They make my kitchen pretty. :)

#3 - "While enjoying your meal
   on your hubby's face will be a thrill
   (as long as this gift is lit you will
   get a thank you kiss)"
Adorable glass candle holders. Already on my dining room table. :)

#4 - "What would dinner be without something sweet?
With this treat,
It's hard to beat!"
Yum-O! These look so fancy and I can't wait to make them for Paul when he gets home!

#5 - "Whether cleaning alone or with your hubby
wear these to put the dishes
in a cubby."
Ha! Isn't that so cute! I love all these poems!!! Okay, these gloves were made for me JR! I'm not gonna lie, I jumped up and down like a kindergardener when I saw these. I've been clorox-ing door knobs and countertops all day with sick kids - these will make that job feel like a breeze. :)

Are you kidding me??? After all that creativity with the poems and wrapping, there is this beautiful necklace! So girly and fun! I can't wait to doll myself up with this. In the background is one of my sickies, Will, watching Man vs. Food on the couch.

JesseRuth, we might as well call you BABE RUTH, because this was a HOME RUN sister! Outta the park! And to think, we've never met. It's like you know me perfectly well. I love it all and thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Nikki - yours is on the way. I hope you get it soon! :)

Getting To Know Gallery

2011-01-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

Gallery Church

It's been quite a while since I've posted. I have really missed blogging, but have just been too busy to stop to post anything. I think the perfect way to get back into the swing of things is to show off my friends Ellis, Ginger, Lauren and Caleb. This past weekend Paul and I were both invited to come to their church plant in Baltimore, MD. We were able to witness the impact they have had in the past 3 years. This family has sacrificed so much. And they are reaching an area that would scare most people away. Their love for God and for people outweighs everything else, even their own comfort at times. They are true servants and we were so blessed to hang out with them and Gallery Church for a weekend. Thanks guys!

Worship Center.

Ellis, Caleb, Ginger and Lauren.

After church, we walked a few blocks to Inner Harbor to have some lunch. It was soooo cold, but BEAUTIFUL!

Here's a quick pic of all the snow we got in Georgia. Me, Paul and the boys had a blast! The boys missed school for an entire week!

Clipsy Chicks at Chick-fil-a

2010-10-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

Today was our 29th Save-inar and we were so honored to be invited to Chick-fil-a corporate office! We had a blast sharing with the executive office administrators. Dana and I have been looking forward to this for quite some time. We are HUGE chick-fil-a fans. They are awesome about accepting coupons! :) This morning it was a monsoon outside and Dana and I got DRENCHED right before we had to go set up. We both hated our hair and just felt gross, cold and wet. But, God had some blessings in store for us in spite of the weather. Here are a few pictures from our day:

The "Sky Box" conference room where we set up.

Me and Dana with all the ladies.

And...the man himself, Mr. Truett Cathy. He was SO SWEET! He gave us some autographed copies of his book "It's Better To Build Boys Than Mend Men". His office looks like a treehouse! This man will be 90 years old in March, and he's still working. On our way out he asked us if we would help him with something...we said, "Sure! What can we do?" He said...eat more chicken. :)

This is Melinda. She was our little cheerleader today and gave us some insight and encouragement at lunch. Thank you Melinda!

Thank you Carol for making arrangements for us to come! We look forward to more save-inars at Chick-fil-a!

8 on the 8th

2010-10-08T05:42:00.000-07:00

My sweet William Franklin turns 8 years old today. What does Will want for his birthday? A bee bee gun and a Boston Cream Cake. Do you think a cap gun would suffice? Oh dear. We'll see...Happy Birthday Will!

13 Years Ago Today

2010-10-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

I married my highschool sweetheart. I was thinking this morning..."What was I doing the day of my wedding 13 years ago?" I was 19 years old. A week away from turning 20. My mom and dad were so supportive of me marrying Paul. They gave me a beautiful wedding. My aunt Corrinne and her girls were in town for the big day and she went to Chic-fil-a and bought biscuits for the whole family. GREAT way to start my day! :) My bedroom was almost empty because I had already packed to move to Georgia. The house was buzzing with family and phone calls. One of the phone calls was Patty Hiner yelling at me because I didn't have a sound tech scheduled for the day. Boy, was my dad upset that she called and spoke to me like that on my WEDDING DAY! I didn't even know I need a sound tech - sooooo, I called a high school friend, John Kail and he came to run sound. My aunt Corrine took me to lunch at Rally's (just like Checkers) for lunch. I didn't eat very healthy the day of my wedding! In my dressing room that evening at the church, I realized I only had ONE of my leggings (you know the hose that are separate and have grippy things at the top to hold them up - I don't know what they're called) I was SOOOO UPSET about that because I spent my own money on this $40 pair of stockings and now, I couldn't even use them! I called my brother to look around the house for my other stocking and all the girls in my bridal room were laughing at me trying to describe what he should be looking for! So, my aunt Corrine, again to the rescue, took off her OWN panty hose and gave them to me!!! Just as I got everything on, zipped and buttoned... I had to go to the bathroom. (Just a side note, if you have to go the bathroom and your wedding party - especially your RING BEARER is in the room, wait to take off your dress until he is excused. Poor kid. :) By the time I walked down the aisle at around 7:45 pm, I was exhausted. What usually happens when I get exhausted, is I get the giggles. And boy, did I ever! It started when I walked up the stairs to meet Paul and I stepped on my dress. I got shorter and shorter as I reached the top step. I looked to see my maid of honor's shoulders shaking from laughing so hard. Once Collyn and I got laughing, it was so hard to stop. Our prayer during the service...I giggled.

Once we were pronounced husband and wife, I was calm. The pressure was over. I married a man who is the "calm" in my life. He loves me for all the crazy, unpredictable, mishaps that I get myself into. I love you Paul Andrew!

What did Paul do on our wedding day? He played golf. :)

This is the only picture I have of those borrowed panty hose.

A dum dum a day

2010-10-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

It's OCTOBER!! Tonight it's about 60 degrees and we just came in from looking at stars with the boys. My nose and ears are just a tad bit cold! Fall is so invigorating!

I copied this idea from my dear friend Cyndi. I bought a fake pumpkin, drilled 60 holes in it and filled it with dum dums. The idea is that on the 1st day of October, the boys get to have a "dum dum a day" until Halloween. The dum dum people have gotten really creative with the flavors. My favorite is always the mystery flavor. Does anyone know what that one is???

Paul really wants me to call this a "Dumpkin". :)

This is sitting on top of my fridge. I just noticed something...if you look really close right underneath the pumpkin (or "dumpkin") you will see a teensy tiny pair of gray glasses. So...THAT'S where they've been! They go to a lego guy. ha!

Second Chance Supper

2010-08-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

This week our leftovers were a lot more fun due to a few changes:

I decided to name it something different - mainly because I have an obsession with naming things. But I also thought it would take the hum drum-ness out of leftover night. So, I came up with "Second Chance Supper". The boys thought it was funny. And, because the table looked completely different, it didn't really feel like we were eating the same things.

At Michael's craft store this week, all of their last season's paper party dinnerware was on clearance - 50 cents for a pckg of 8 paper plates! And they're CUTE! I also got matching napkins. They had a few different styles so I stocked up. I spent about $8.00 and I have enough to last a long time.

The BEST part, is that when we're done with dinner, we can toss it all in the trash! (Or recycling bin)

Now, who wouldn't want to eat dinner at this pretty and inexpensive table?! :)

Chew The Fat

2010-08-18T18:31:00.000-07:00

I made a roast tonight for dinner. I always cut the fat off the meat for my boys. They've never had a hunk of fat attached to their meat, so they don't really know what it tastes or feels like. This is because of my preference, not theirs. They probably don't know the fat exists. However, I missed some of the fat on Wesley's roast tonight. I watched him as he put a fatty (ugh...I'm about to heave even typing it) piece in his mouth and his entire body shivered. His nose flared and he clinched down his teeth and whined. Without hesitating, I grabbed a napkin and let him spit it out! (something we don't normally allow at the table).

When I was a little girl, my dad taught me to eat every last bite of food on my plate. If I did (and my brother too), then we could be members of the "Clean Plate Club". This is a tradition I have adopted for my boys and have added the luxury of giving them a sticker! Whoohoo!

On my very first date, with my very first and ONLY boyfriend, I ordered steak. Paul took me to a fancy restaurant in the 'burg called "Crown Sterling". I ordered the same thing he did - Ribeye steak, cooked medium, with the salad bar. (Now that I'm comfy in my skin, I would have ordered a filet, medium well). I was trying to be so polite and proper and felt totally out of my element. When my steak was presented before me, I could see it everywhere,

Fat. Fat. Fat.

In fact, I don't think there were more than 2 bites of actual steak on my plate! I was too embarrassed to say anything, so.... I ate. every. bite. I can still taste it. YUCK! I wanted to cry. I wanted to hurl. But, I chewed it and swallowed it because I didn't want Paul to think I was high maintenance. (Boy, has that veil been torn over the years! ha ha!:)

I thought about that date tonight as I watched Wesley. I thought about how many things we are taught out of preference. My boys might have grown up liking fat if I did. They will like certain people if I do. They will form opinions, based on my opinions - wow, that's a scary thought. I am encouraged/convicted tonight, to make sure I am teaching my boys truth - God's truth, not just preference. However, if they start "preferring" to chew the fat of the steak...we might have issues. :)

Boy, do they grow up fast!

2010-08-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Today my baby, my little Wesley, turns 5. I can't believe how fast 5 years has gone. Wesley is the spunk of our family. I love so many things about him. I love that he goes after life with everything he's got. I thank God every day for my boys and what each one brings to our family.

This was his 1st birthday. We were on vacation at the beach. I am laughing at this picture! I wish I had a smile-y picture. The point of it though, is that his first cake was funfetti with rainbow chip icing.

4 years later, it's still his favorite cake!

Wesley's birthday buddies at his party.

Hot Spot

2010-08-08T05:51:00.000-07:00

Every home has one. This is mine. The corner of my kitchen counter. I took a picture of it this morning at 6:45 and it looked like this:

Throughout the day, things get flung onto the counter. Random things. For whatever reason it seems easier to fling stuff there than to take a second to put it where it belongs. After a day of doing that, it looks like THIS:

I read a GREAT book called Sink Solutions by the Fly Lady. (sounds silly, but trust me it's awesome!) She says to avoid "Hot Spot Clutter" by remembering that EVERYTHING HAS IT'S PLACE. Scissors - go in the utensil drawer. Glass - dishwasher. Cordless phone - on the charger, etc. The plan is to be able to clear the clutter within a minute by putting things where they belong. (Instead of sweeping it all into a junk drawer....who, me?, I've never done that!) The Fly Lady would be proud of me though because my sink is CLEAN!

FREE Frosty's until December!!!

2010-07-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

Purchase this Frosty shaped key tag for only $1.00 and you can get a free Frosty Jr. until December at Wendy's with ANY purchase! The Frosty Jr. is the perfect size. Not too big, not too small. I bought 2 keytags and I can redeem 2 Frosty's! Plus the keytag is adorable. I mean, come on! And look how happy my boys are with their FREE treat!

Meeting Sarah Palin

2010-06-29T22:08:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to post this I can hardly type fast enough! Tonight Paul and I went to a P.U.R.E Celebration featuring Sarah Palin. (A special needs convention/awareness) We were invited to go to a dinner reception before hand to meet her!

This pic is a cardboard cut out by the way - the real thing is wearing pink.
I had my gear ready. "Going Rogue", check. Picture of my Sarah Palin carved pumpkin? Check. Something nice to say to her to make a great impression? Check. Paul and I walked up to her and she extended her hand to Paul and asked his name (I think she thought he was cute:) Then she turned to me:

Me: "Welcome to Georgia!"
SP: "Why, thank you!"
Me: "Okay, so please don't think I'm a fruit loop, but I wanted to show you a picture of a pumpkin that I carved with your face on it."
SP: Pausing to look at the picture she stepped back, pulled it away from her face a bit, and then laughed. Genuinely laughed. She said she would gladly sign it for me, but the people in charge of her said no signing was available at that time. "That's hilarious, I've never seen that before!"

We got our picture taken together and I felt so rushed but I wanted to tell her a few things:

Me: "I wanted to tell you that one of the things I admire most about you is that you are strong, confident and gutsy, and yet you flow with femininity and grace. And, I love that you're wearing my favorite color, pink!"
SP: "Thank you, that's very encouraging. Nice to meet you both".

That was it. That's all I got to say. But I'm glad I did. And by the way, she has some SERIOUS legs! Girlfriend is in shape.

Her speech was AMAZING!

Todd Fields and Chris Tomlin were guest singers. And our friend Brad was rocking out on his guitar too! These are our friends Brad and Mindi.

I also ran into some familiar faces from my old stomping grounds. Liberty peeps, you're gonna love these pic's!

Rachel Snider/Gillus from the Sounds of Liberty...remember her? I told her about the time I worked at Personal Touch salon and she came in to get a waxing before the Miss Virginia pageant, but I was too nervous to talk to her from behind the reception desk! She may be singing for an event we have coming up and I'm just telling you, it would be the BIGGEST treat!

Anybody recognize this guy? What if I say..."Turzlefurkey" or "Chrizzlefistmas Goozelfoose". He was the guy who did the Turzlefurkey story at the Living Christmas Tree every year. He works in Atlanta now! Small world. Oh, his name is Richard Dunn and I'll give you his info if you need production/lighting. He's incredible!

This is David Glover, the founder of P.U.R.E. and the one who invited us to come to the celebration evening. He was unbelievably hospitable to Paul and I and did a fabulous job on their first event!

Whew! What a fun night.

Frugal Father's Day Finds!!!

2010-06-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

Me and the boys had a BLAST looking for Paul's father's day gift yesterday. All together I spent just under $15.00 and you won't believe all the stuff that I got!

If you live in the area, you probably received the $10 off a $10 purchase at JCPenney. I received 2 of them, one in Paul's name and mine. They expire on the 20th. If you are on their email list, they will send you additional coupons. I had 2 for 30% off! SCORE!

Charlie and Rolf

2010-06-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

I saw "Letters To Juliet" this weekend. So good!
I couldn't believe how much the lead guy - "Charlie" looked like "Rolf" in the Sound of Music! Don't you think?

ROY G. BIV

2010-06-02T05:25:00.000-07:00

I posted this picture on facebook, but there's a little more to the story...

We saw this rainbow coming home after a party on memorial day. I asked Paul to stop the car and he pulled into a parking lot so we could sit and admire it for a moment. It got even more bright and colorful as we watched it. I've never seen a rainbow that big before. I thought, "oooooo, this is a great teaching moment". So we talked to the boys about God's promises and how we can trust Him to KEEP them.

Feeling like a good mom and dad, we pulled out of the parking lot and headed back toward home. Wesley however, wasn't ready to leave:

Wes - "Wait, we have to go look for him"
Me - "Who?"
Wes - "The little green man!"

I hope he didn't think the "Little Green Man" was the one who kept his promises. Oh dear.

We went through the colors one by one. I told the boys how Mrs. Barringer (T.C. Miller, 4th grade) taught me about ROY G. BIV and how that stood for the colors in the rainbow.

As we headed away from the rainbow and back toward home, we looked out the back window to admire it one more time and it was GONE!

Lesson: Stop for those moments. This is something I learned from my dad. He is known for whipping the car off the road at any given moment. We always, ALWAYS learned something about nature in our car adventures with him.

Sounds that I LOVE

2010-05-30T17:56:00.000-07:00

*Walking on gravel. Or, a car pulling onto a long gravel driveway.
*A toddler drinking out of a sippy cup.
*Fire crackling.
*My garage door opening when Paul comes home.
*Packaging tape being put on a box.
*Fireworks-the squealing sound right before it bursts in the sky (especially at Disney)
*Trains-my gramma used to have one pass right in front of her house. It reminds me of her.
*Shaking glass in a china cabinet (side effect of the train going by:)
*Wind (I have a screen door on the back of my house and I love having it open on a windy day)
*My boys belly laughing.
*The ocean.
*My dad whistling.
*A horse chewing on grass (okay, so you might think I'm crazy, but I LOVE that sound, I was just feeding horses the other day at a friends house...)
*Football on tv in the background while I take a nap!
*The click of a roller coaster as you go up the hill.

The BEST Doctor EVER

2010-05-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

Folks, meet Dr. Watkins. He is my cardiologist. This is the best doctor on the planet. He is one of those doctors who listens to you complete your thoughts and sentences before he makes a suggestion. He lets me talk about my life and my boys. He has a gift. Not only is he book smart, but he is truly gifted to be a cardiologist. He is the reason I drive 2 1/2 hours to go to a doctor's appointment. He laughed a little when I asked to get a picture of him. I told him, "I have a picture of all of the important people in my life and you need to be in those pictures." He obliged. I don't know what I'll do when this man retires. Please, oh, PLEASE don't let it be too soon!

My appt. went well. He changed my beta blocker and gave me a pep talk. I need a pep talk often. I don't know if he gives everyone a pep talk or if he could just tell I needed one. So, I've started new medicine and we'll see how it goes. Thank you to everyone who commented and loved on me. And, if you ever need a cardiologist...he is your man!

What is DYSAUTONOMIA anyway?

2010-05-24T05:49:00.000-07:00

Dysautonomia is a heart condition. Basically it's an exaggerated form of Mitral Valve Prolapse. It affects the autonomic nervous system. I was diagnosed with this almost 5 years ago. I was pregnant with Wesley at the time and I was scared to death. I had a tubal litigation after Wesley was born. It was a bittersweet moment. I was SO THANKFUL my baby made it through that rough 9 months with me, but I was sad that I wouldn't have anymore babies. Now, my "baby" is almost 5 years old. (I'm pregnant with Wesley in this picture.)

I've made great strides in conquering this condition. And, I have had many setbacks. It's treatable. It's live-able. I know what I need to do to keep my body healthy and strong. Along with taking a beta blocker, I drink a TON of water and try to exercise regularly.

I have discouraging days though. Sometimes, I think..."whew, I'm out of the woods and I'm back to NORMAL". Then, the next day...WHOP. I'm flat on my back again. The past 2 months I've been "WHOPPED". I've been trying to just deal with the every day tasks and push through hoping my symptoms would go away. But, they haven't. Sooooo, I'm headed back to my incredible cardiologist in Birmingham, AL. Whether my dr. changes my medicine, or puts me on a different regimen, I don't know. But I DO know this:

Psalms 91:14-15 "Because she loves me, 'says the Lord', I will rescue her; I will protect her, for she acknowledges my name. She will call upon me, and I will answer her; I will be with her in trouble, I will deliver her and honor her."

He is my healer. My provision. In my mind "healing" might be something completely different than what HE has planned. But I trust HIS healing.

Don't you just love that for the simple fact that we "ACKNOWLEDGE HIS NAME" He promises to rescue us? When we are at our lowest point and we can't do anything else but acknowledge Him, THAT'S enough. That is grace.

Today, I'm headed to go for a run. I'm gonna try to train for a marathon in October. Dysautonomia or not. :)

My New Favorite Accessory

2010-05-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

The "OFF" bug repellant clip-on! This thing totally works. I tested it by running toward a swarm of gnats - (again, my neighbors probably think I'm koo-koo), it was like I had a plastic bubble protecting me. I have seen bees come flying toward me and when they get about 5 feet away they change their course. YES! That's right, don't mess with me. Yep, ehhhh. :)

Now the reason this is so vital to my wardrobe now is because in the last few years I've been bitten and stung I don't know HOW MANY times. Here's all the things that have bitten/stung me: (just for fun:)

*Fire ants
*Brown Recluse (2 yrs ago on Paul's birthday, I literally passed out and my foot swelled twice the size, ER visit and off my foot for a week)
*Yellow Jacket
*Corn snake (while I was pregnant and mowing the grass, I ran him over and he bit me)
*White faced hornet (at my pool - that one HURT!)
*Wasp
*Lizard
*SCORPION!!! (3 times in 1 week! this year on Mother's day i woke up to a scorpion stinging me in my BED!)
*Cat
*Dive-bombed by bats in my neighborhood
*Jellyfish
*Mosquitos
*Random spiders
*Horse fly

I am NO LONGER THE VICTIM! I have my weapon and I'm ready to attack! Today I clipped this on around my waist and mowed the grass - not a SINGLE bite, sting, itch...nothing! There's a coupon for BOGO at coupons.com.

Yard Sale Finds!!!

2010-05-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

I haven't been yard sale-ing in forever. Today, it was just me and my Wesley hanging out. We went to the pool in our neighborhood, and on the way back to our house, we scored some GREAT deals!

Nice, heavy duty tongs for the grill...25 cents!

Sterling Silver tongs for fancy stuff...25 cents! Maybe for a fruit tray or ice cubes with mint leaves and berries frozen inside. Ooooh, I'm getting excited about the possibilities.

Regular tongs...25 cents. Now, this is where you really score. These were in the SAME 25 cent bin as the sterling silver tongs. I got these, well, just because. Actually, I thought by getting these too, I would disguise the SS ones...hee hee.

Table cloth/linen, hand embroidered...$1.00. This is precious! It has little easter bunnies and chicks embroidered on it. Can't you just see it under the centerpiece with some little colored eggs on it at Easter dinner?

Table cloth/linen...$1.00. Here again, all in the same bin and I just grabbed this one as well. I thought this would be darling on a table at a tea party. Yeah, because I have tea parties all the time. Oh well.

Table cloth...$1.00. Oh, I wish this picture did this table cloth justice! I squealed inside when I saw this. I mean really??? Pink and green gingham! Linen! Embroidered! Spotless! It doesn't even look like it's been used. I need to have a girl party so I can use it.

Twelve Extraordinary Women by John Macarthur...50 cents! This looks like a really good book and just this week someone was telling me to read it. Score! Oh, and look what was inside...

Family Christmas cards...I guess I'll need to drop these back by their house. Or, maybe they were part of the deal, who knows? :)

Teacup and saucer...$3.00. Isn't this just so dainty? It is bone china from Germany and it's in MINT condition. I got it for my gramma. She has the most beautiful collection of teacups.

So I spent under $8.00 and got some fun treats! $8.00 isn't bad to get the shopping bug out of your system.

Happy Birthday Paul!

2010-05-10T06:40:00.000-07:00

Today is my baby's 34th birthday. What do I love about my hubby?

1. He makes me laugh.
2. He tells me I'm not high maintenance, even though I know I am!
3. He's an incredible daddy.
4. He has the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen.
5. He's just HOT!
6. He has a heart to serve God.
7. He kills every bug/scorpion/spider that comes my way.
8. He tries to appreciate the things I like (ie, flowers and The Bachelorette:)
9. He isn't selfish, in any sense of the word.
10. He makes the best cup of coffee!

I love you, my favorite, Happy Birthday!

Who You Are When Nobody's Looking

2010-05-03T10:19:00.000-07:00

Our dinner table hasn't always been a good place for family discussions. In the past, Paul and I would scramble to get the boys fed, keep food from flinging on the walls and I felt as if we were constantly saying..."take ONE MORE BITE". As our boys are getting older, we still have the "take one more bite" moments, but we are able to talk to them more. This weekend at dinner, Will was asking us about a friend who acts very polite in front of me and Paul and then says dirty words the second we walk away.

What a great opportunity to talk to our boys about INTEGRITY. Your character is who you ARE when no one is looking. When the teacher walks out of the room and tells the children to stay in their seats...you should stay in your seat. We are trying, as imperfect as we are, to teach our boys to be people of integrity.

This brings me to Justin Bieber. The hot new teen singing sensation sweeping our nation! :)

Will got in the car after school one day and said, "Justin Bieber sings like a girl. His music is kind of annoying." I knew, KNEW that he had heard that from a kid at school and if he actually heard Justin's music he'd like it. So, I downloaded a few of his songs and put them on Will's ipod. SURE ENOUGH:
Yesterday, Will had some alone time while I was getting ready and blowdrying my hair. He was so proud to show me his music video he recorded it himself and he loves the mirror effect on photo booth:

I watched this and said..."See, Will, you DO like his music!" Now, of course I didn't do this experiment to throw my child under the bus and prove him wrong, but I wanted him to see that when NO ONE ELSE WAS LOOKING, he discovered who he really was. And who WILL really is, is a GREAT KID with an expanded taste in music. :) Yes, he listens to Justin Bieber with integrity.

Swimsuit Season

2010-04-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

I bought myself a swimsuit for summer. This is worth noting because it is actually a SWIM DRESS! I sooooo badly wanted one of the cute little Roxy swimsuits with ruffles. I must have tried on 50. It was agony. Pure agony. I felt like a little old lady talking to myself in the fitting room - "who MAKES these things anymore? There's barely anything holding them together!" The poor fitting room attendant just sighed as I put all the swimsuits on the "these don't work" rack. Man! That was NO FUN! When I was leaving the swimsuit area, I passed by 1 rack that had these Nautica swimdresses. I looked and thought sarcastically to myself.."Ha! now that's more like it! really, I can just see myself wearing a dress at the pool!" However the longer I looked at it, it grew on me. So I gave it a try. Wesley came in the fitting room with me this time. I asked him what he thought - "ummm, mommy, that's not a swimsuit silly, that's a dress!" Now the swimdress I got is actually really cute. I like that it's worry free. I don't have to worry about sucking in, yanking, tugging, squeezing, pulling, adjusting, etc. I figure if my toes are polished and I wear a cute wrap with it, I just might be able to pull it off.

It's also worth noting that after getting my swimdress -

I walked into Old Navy.

Found my boys sizes in swim trunks and rash guards.

Took them off the rack.

Paid and left the store.

Within 3 minutes.

Guys have it easy.

Keeping up with the Richardsons

2010-04-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

Paul has been on sabbatical this month and I have LOVED having extra time with him! We have been so busy with outdoors-y things, I haven't had much time to blog. Here's a few pic's from this month...

Family bike ride on the Silver Comet Trail - this is Brushy Mountain Tunnel.

Soccer - The Polar Bears

Soccer - The Aggies

DWTS - Paul's been watching some of it with me. I think, deep down, I'd like to compete on the show. It could be Dancing with the House Moms or something. I just wanna give house moms a good name now...wipe the slate clean!

Paul watched the boys for me Saturday and Clipsy Chicks had our 21st SAVEINAR!

We took the boys to see the Ocean's movie on Earth Day. We walked around the mall and saw these water balls that you get zipped up inside of and crawl around like a hamster. We let the boys do it! It's hilarious to watch. Not quite sure how sanitary it is, but I couldn't let myself think about that.

So that's a little of what we've been up to.

Diary of an Inchworm

2010-04-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

Wesley and I had lunch on the patio with a special guest. An inchworm. We sat outside for 45 minutes. Me. Wesley. Inchworm. Talk about cheap entertainment! Wes had so much fun checking out his underbelly and looking at his sticky feet. He curled it up in a ball a few times. After 45 minutes, the inchworm said goodbye to this world,...or, gave birth to a baby. Something started oozing out of the poor thing and Wesley decided to think on the bright side - You'll have to watch:

Still Celebrating...

2010-04-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

Last week the warm weather started rolling into Georgia! We have soooo enjoyed being outdoors. When I picked the boys up from school last Wed., I took them to hike Kennesaw Mountain. Wesley was such a trooper, he made it to the very top without me holding him.

This is how my boys walked down the mountain. I took so many pictures of this rare moment!

This is all of the kiddos in our Journey Group. We had a picnic supper and egg hunt. I LOVE my journey group!

The gals.

The guys.

My boys getting ready to hunt eggs in our backyard.

Paul's family came in town for Easter, we took the boys to the park and fed the ducks my EZEKIEL bread! **(I made 5 loaves of Ezekiel bread this spring and nobody eats it..well, Paul tried for about a week, good sport.) The funny thing is, Wesley plunked the whole rest of that loaf right down in the water! The ducks were picky about it too. They like the unhealthy, white, processed bread!

Spring break this week - we took the boys to the zoo. (There's a screaming deal at the Atlanta zoo right now, see Clipsy Chicks for more on that). I love this picture - if it wasn't for my sweet hubby giving the boys a lift every now and then, we'd be done in an hour.

After the zoo, we took the boys to the Varsity for dinner and then to Stone Mtn. for the laser show/fireworks. Whew! A full week, but we have so enjoyed our time with family and friends. I know it's easy to be thankful for pretty weather and a good week with family, but I am overwhelmed by God's grace in my life. I feel like I've been on a weeklong celebration since Easter and I challenge myself and YOU to continue to celebrate what He has done for us!

Feeding Samaritan's Purse

2010-04-06T17:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight some of our bible study gals cooked for the volunteers of Samaritan's Purse. They have set up camp in our church parking lot and have been here working since...SEPTEMBER! These people are amazing. Folks from all over the map have taken vacation days and time off from work to come and help rebuild and repair homes damaged by last years floods. I am blown away that people would use their "free" time to work their fingers to the bone for our community. And they do this all over the world. It was a blessing to be able to cook one small meal to feed these people. I can't wait to do it again. If you go to WRC and want to feed them, contact Casey Brown at gcwhlb@yahoo.com.

Tonight we listened as the volunteers re-capped their day. A group of teenage girls taught themselves how to HANG DRYWALL! NO EXCUSES!!! I can't think of a better way to spend our time here on earth than helping people in need. Being the hands and feet of Christ. Oooooo, I'm gettin' excited for Community Makeover! Stay tuned...

I found the MOTHER...

2010-04-01T13:17:00.000-07:00

of all black widows!!! I cannot express how much I detest spiders. Today the boys and I are sprucing up the yard and pulling weeds. I was just about to pull this weed by the basketball goal. I looked a second time and saw this fella staring right at me!!! It's the hugest, fattest, creepiest spider I've ever laid eyes on!!!

aren't you soooo glad I shared that???

On to something not so creepy...we have a HUGE red headed woodpecker in our woods. Last month I got a picture of him. It's hard to get a pic because he hears us coming and flies away.

It might feel like playing "Where's Waldo" - can you see him? He's smack in the middle of the picture and the hole he has pecked away at is HUGE now. I took a picture of the SAME tree today...boy has this bird been busy!

2 Full Moon's for the price of 1

2010-03-30T05:07:00.000-07:00

Last night I went on a run for the *cough*first*cough* time this year. I put in my earphones, cranked up "My Savior, My God" - (which I will be doing another post about, I've got to CELEBRATE!!!) and I ran up the street.

Ahhh, the fresh cold air, the pavement, good music, and...(insert a screeching record noise) a rowdy car full of boys with the base pounding. I didn't hear them until they were right behind me because I like my music LOUD. When in my startled state, I looked up to see...well, ummmm, I saw a naked rear end hanging out the window. Yes. I was mooned. I have NEVER been publicly mooned before. I was in shock. I didn't have enough time to react. If I had time, I would have shouted something very annoying, like..."you boys are gonna kill somebody, do your parents know what you're doing?" or better yet, I would have gotten the license plate and called the police on their rear ends...literally. The NERVE of them to interrupt my sweet, precious alone time!

I headed back home. Maybe a little worried that they would do another "drive by". Now, if you remember from an older post, I love where my house sits. We are on a hill and at night, when the sun is setting, we have a most GLORIOUS view of the sky. As I turned the corner to come back down my street, I looked up in AWE.

The most BEAUTIFUL FULL MOON.

This picture doesn't do it justice. It really took my breath away. This I know, God has a sense of humor. I mean, REALLY? Another "MOON"?

I'm so thankful God redeemed the first full moon with THIS one.

Afterall, He is in the business of redeeming what Satan means for evil and turning it for good, for HIS glory.

**By the way, this is an excellent children's/parent's book. "FOOL MOON".

The words in this book are profound. Author: Kristi and T. Lively Fluharty
"Dear God,
I heard a cosmic story
And wondered if it's true.
The Moon was stealing glory
And this is what he'd do.

He bragged each night that his great might
Could make the darkness flee.

And like a kite he scaled the heights
And said, 'Hey look at me!'

The pompous moon would only croon
The songs that praised his name.
He hoped that soon the cosmic tunes
Would bring him greater fame.

It's really strange but he could change
His shape throughout the year.
His face would change, then rearrange
And sometimes...

...disappear.

He loved the thought that astronauts
Had danced across his face.

And cosmonauts and monkeynauts
Would visit him in space.

He bragged that he could cause the sea
To rise and swell each day.

Then all could see how mightily
He'd pull the waves away.

He'd boast away and loved to say,
'I am the greatest light!'

Until one day a piercing ray
Showed him a shocking sight.

He saw his pride and then he cried
For all that he had done.
For he had lied when he denied
His light came from the Sun.

So now each night a new delight
Is what he loves the most.
Reflecting light with all his might,
The SUN is now his boast!

So God I pray for grace each day
To find the joy that's true,
In all my days and all my ways
In making much of YOU!"

Vera Wang/Vera Bradley?

2010-03-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

I was in Kohl's the other day looking at some capri pants by Simply by Vera Wang. They are so cute and on sale! I was looking for my size when 2 older ladies walked by the display table and said..."Oh LOOK! Vera Bradley is designing clothes now!" They were tickled PINK. And just overhearing them made me giggle.

Dishes - New Healthcare Plan

2010-03-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

We've had a case of the sickies in this house for a few weeks. Strep, stomach flu, body aches, and so on. I keep Lysol wipes handy. I wipe down EVERYTHING. I've developed a new healthcare plan (MUCH BETTER THAN THE ONE MR. O WILL SIGN) We are taking Emergen-C (available at drug stores) and attempting to eat healthy foods that will boost our immune system. I'm keeping their bathroom clean, the doorknobs, sheets, etc. The one thing that has been neglected -

The sink.

I'm one of those gals that can't go to bed with dishes in the sink, however, the last 2 DAYS, this is what my sink has looked like. In my brave attempt to reveal this nasty sink to you, I'm hoping it will light a fire under me to actually CLEAN IT OUT! Yep, that's murky water they're sitting in. I'm grabbing my PINK rubber gloves and getting to work. (See how I'm blogging about it, just to put it off, even a few more minutes.) What I'm NOT showing you, is my stove. Yikes! By the way, thanks Dad, for putting this beautiful sink in for me. I promise I'll take better care of it. :)

Happy St. Patty's Day Lad's!

2010-03-17T04:34:00.000-07:00

I used my $12.00 Rite Aid rebate check to get my boys some goodies from the $1 bins at Target! I think I had more fun buying/giving them than they did opening them. :) *** By the way, whenever I video my boys, they talk different. Wesley also starts acting like Curious George. REALLY, most of the time, they're "ANGELS"! :) And, I just realized Will's tie has mugs of beer on it. He doesn't realize it. Ooops.

Cherish The Fingerprints

2010-03-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

Our back door is where I "allow" my boys to be creative for holidays. They love to put up window clings. And now, since EVERY holiday has a window cling, there is always something on the back door. I have to confess, I'm a stickler about fingerprints on glass. I have been known to windex my back door several times in 1 day. However, this morning I was looking at these green clovers and bears on the door and I wondered how many more years will they even want to celebrate these little holidays. Pretty soon, they'll be on to bigger things. So, with a deep breath...sigh, I will cherish the fingerprints and window clings.

**I just got back from Target and their dollar bins have really fun St. Patty's day treats for kids. I'm so excited to have a little surprise waiting for them Wed. morning. And, YES, OH YES, I will be in FULL IRISH ACCENT on Wednesday. Non of 'dis English malarky. :)

You are cordially invited to my art exhibit!

2010-02-28T08:16:00.000-08:00

Dr. Seuss' birthday is Tuesday, and in honor of that, my son's 1st grade teacher is sending home a book for each kid and a journal for them to write in about the book. His teacher asked me to illustrate the journal covers (something I had done for her before) and I was ecstatic!

**Now, let me back up here and say, I've always secretly wished I could be an artist. Well, along with a lot of other things...a singer, a dancer, Miss America, a journalist, a news anchor, tinkerbell...you see what I mean. There was a girl in my high school named Courtney who could draw. I mean, REALLY draw. She would use her imagination and whip up something on her notebook paper that would astound us. I always wished I had that talent. When I was a cheerleader, we had to make banners for the games to post throughout the school. I LOVED when it was my turn. The football players didn't always love it however...for example: one time I made a huge banner that said "Bee (with a picture of a BEE) there, or bee (another picture of a BEE) square. Now, our mascot was the Bulldogs. So you can imagine how my cheesiness in the banner making didn't say much about our MIGHTY, FIERCE, UNSTOPPABLE, Bulldogs.**

Fast forward to today...here I am, a wife, a mother of 2, and I never thought I'd need my artistry skills again, but ALAS, destiny has come knocking! :)

Please enjoy for FREE: (next time there will be a charge:)

Save-inars are taking off!

2010-02-17T07:47:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, I have started my own business, called... Clipsy Chicks. My friend Dana and I went into this venture together last November. We teach Save-inar classes, mostly in homes, with a bunch of ladies. We have a BLAST! Our calendar is filling up and we are thrilled! This week we had our Save-inar at the Hiram Coffee House. Such fun! We have completely surrendered this business to the Lord and are giving him the reigns. It is amazing the opportunities that He has given us this far. I don't know how long this "saving train" will last, but as long as HE is in it, we are willing to ride it out!

We had some time at the Hiram Coffee House to have a cup of MY FAVORITE "Baja Chicken Soup". Yum! **ps - no, I'm not pregnant, it's just the dress!

SNOW and a SWEET GIFT!

2010-02-13T06:36:00.000-08:00

I went to pick Will up from school yesterday afternoon as it started snowing. I was walking down the halls and could hear all the kids in the classrooms going absolutely NUTS! I was giddy. Probably more giddy than any 1st grader you've ever seen. When I got into Will's class, all the kids were glued to the windows and just dying to go outside. Rule in Georgia, you can't take the kids outside unless it's 45 degrees or above. I ended up with my nose pressed against the glass with 18 other kids. OH, it was SO MUCH FUN!

I love this picture because Will doesn't realize he's about to get nailed by his brother!

Getting dressed for playing in the snow is NOT something I'm skilled in. I thought I was gonna break out in hives trying to get Wesley's gloves on. AGH! For some reason, he thought his pinky and ring finger should stay TOGETHER! I had to pry them apart and force them into the glove hole.

They played all afternoon. Will built this snowman all by himself. (He just said to me, "Mom, make sure your friends know, that I built it, with NO HELP").

Last night, we went on what I call a "midnight walk". It wasn't really midnight, more like 7:30pm. **When I was a little girl, we would travel to Illinois each Christmas and we ALWAYS had snow. Me and my gramma would go on walks late at night, bundled up, and would relish in the quiet streets. The sky would always look pink to us. She would tell me stories about the little town they live in. One time, me and my gramma went for a walk at midnight. It was something I will NEVER forget.** We had a blast last night. Just the 4 of us. Walking right in the middle of the road.

No, Paul didn't wet his pants...he had just been the target of a snowball. :)

When we came in all cold and red nosed, we had some hot chocolate (with pink heart shaped marshmallows) and enjoyed the fire. It doesn't get any better than that.

Yes, Wesley is outdoors in his robe and slippers this morning. He lasted about a minute.

This is our backyard and woods. Through the trees is their fort and swingset.

For fun...this is my "sturdy pine that doesn't mind the snow". That's for you D and D. :)

And...look what my sweet friend Lauren, brought me this week. She is a DOLL! I'm not kidding this gal is a true southern belle. I got a knock on the front door and there she was, holding this surprise for me...

She made this for me! I have wanted a wreath for my door forever. I literally jumped up and down when I saw this. Isn't it so cute? Thank you Lauren!!!

$1.72...for a COOKIE?

2010-02-06T12:16:00.000-08:00

I love a good cookie. Especially from the Great American Cookie Company. However, I recently bought a choc. chip/m&m cookie for my boys to SPLIT because the total for ONE cookie was a whopping $1.72!!! My eyes almost popped out of my head! I have a remedy, and a pretty good one, I think:

I bought this cookie dough from Kroger - (used a coupon, got it for .74 cents)
Mini M&M's (used a coupon, got them for .90 cents)

AND....Voila! I have 2 dozen m&m chocolate chip cookies for...$1.64. I'll be putting these babies in ziplocs and taking them to the mall with us from now on.

You've Got Mail

2010-01-31T18:25:00.000-08:00

I found these CUTE little mailboxes at Target (in the dollar bins!). Starting February 1st, up until Valentine's Day, we will have these mailboxes out in our kitchen. If your flag is UP...YOU'VE GOT MAIL! My boys love the element of surprise, so they are really excited about this activity. As you can see, the flags are UP! Can't wait until tomorrow morning. Chop, chop - go to Target and get some! A lot of fun for only a buck!

How Full is Your Bucket?

2010-01-22T06:20:00.000-08:00

Paul bought this book for the boys for Christmas. It is officially our FAVORITE children's book EVER! I can't tell you how many times we've tried to explain to our boys...

"Don't say mean things, it makes people feel bad."
"It hurts mommy's feelings when you don't obey."

After reading this book - they TOTALLY GOT IT!

The book shows how everyone is walking around with a "bucket" over their head. We can either FILL each other's buckets, or EMPTY them.

The bully on the playground has an almost empty bucket. Which explains why he's a bully.

We first read this book in the car on a road trip. We had a lot of time to say nice things to fill each other's buckets. My boys really got into it. I told them, saying "yes, ma-am" filled my bucket, so they KEPT SAYING IT!

"How full is your bucket" is everyday language in our home now. If you don't have this book for your kids - go get it!!! Or maybe even for a hubby! :)

Some things my boys have said after reading this book:

Wes - "Daddy took me to Waffle House this morning and it filled my bucket!"
Will - "Mom, when you lay down with me for a while before bed, it fills my bucket."
Will - (eating dinner at Stevie B's, we went around the table to say how full our buckets were that day)..."My bucket is already full, just being here with the family!"
Wes - (seeing mommy deal with an unfriendly person at walmart) "mommy her bucket is NOT full AT ALL."

10 things that EMPTY my bucket:
1. My boys arguing.
2. A messy house.
3. If Paul and I are in a "funk".
4. Stress.
5. Not enough sleep.
6. Someone being mean to my kids.
7. Confrontations.
8. Feeling uncomfortable in my clothes/unhealthy.
9. Sick kids.
10. Feeling like I can't do everything I've committed to.

10 things that FILL my bucket (in no particular order):

1. Family time.

2. Time alone with God, me time.

3. Having a clean house.

4. Watching a good movie.

5. Exercise.

6. A sincere compliment.

7. Gifts, Gifts, Gifts! (even little itty bitty ones)

8. Hearing my boys or my husband belly laugh.

9. A trip or getaway.

10. Good food.

This breaks my heart.

2010-01-14T11:24:00.000-08:00

This is a mother with her children clustered around her after the earthquake in Haiti. How will they not die? Where do they get water? What about the girl's bandage that needs to be changed before she gets infection? Who will clothe them? They have their mother. Sleeping next to her. Dear God, give her the strength she needs and please take care of them.

If you want to help the people in Haiti, click HERE

Slim Shady

2010-01-10T14:21:00.000-08:00

I can't stop laughing and this is why...I was cutting coupons this afternoon when I came across this SERIOUS ad for men:

This is called "The 5 Second Transformation".

"Guys! Look slimmer and get a flatter stomach! You'll get an amazing figure in an instant!"

WHAT???? Oh my, I can hardly type. My sides hurt from laughing so hard. What the picture doesn't show real well is that there are control panels throughout the abdomen and control panels that criss cross on the back...LIKE. A. BRA.

Oh dear. What is this world coming to?

The funny thing is, women are usually the ones flipping through the ads and clipping coupons. So...

Do THEY order it FOR their hubby? I'm sure THAT will go over realllllll well.

Okay, I just noticed there is a before/after picture. I gotta stop.

A WHOPPER of a deal!

2010-01-06T12:40:00.000-08:00

My "Clipsy Chick" friend, Dana, and I ran some errands together today. We worked up quite an appetite, so we flipped through our coupons and found BOGO Whopper coupons to Burger King! We also had a FREE funnel cake sticks coupon with purchase of a value meal. We asked them if we could use them together and they said, "SURE!". CHA-CHING! Now, this isn't the kind of meal you want to eat every day, but every once in a while won't hurt ya. The funnel cake sticks were FABULOUS! I love that I have a friend who's not afraid to tear into a whopper with me! The Burger King coupons came in the weekly local paper. Look for them in Sunday papers too!

Ready, Set, GO!

2010-01-02T08:48:00.000-08:00

I'm ready for a routine again. I loved having down time for Christmas - but I need my schedule back!!! I'm ready for the counters to be bare and free of clutter. Yes, that's right - all you little stacks of paper starting at me right now - LOOKOUT! Today I'm cleaning out my house. It's gonna be a marathon clean. The kind where drawers will actually close at the end of the day. When the boys head back to school on Monday, I don't want to have to come back home and CLEAN.

We just got home from a trip to VA to see Paul's pa-paw and family. It was a great trip. There was plenty of snow for the boys to play in. Here's some pictures from our trip...Oh and ps - I got my hair cut!

Here's some pic's from Christmas. I have to brag on my sweet hubby for a second. One of my favorite things he did for me was that he bought special wrapping paper just for ME! He knows how much I love a pretty package. So, he bought Vera Bradley paper for my gifts. We scaled back this year for each other, but I felt so spoiled when I saw those packages! The little blue box was a pendant from Tiffany's with "A" on it. I was shocked!

This and That's just aren't important...

2009-12-25T19:35:00.000-08:00

Over the past few days I've been thinking of little "this and that's" that I could post that would be fun. But I have to share with you something that is on my heart. Some of you may know my blogger friend, Melanie. She is a speaker, writer, a wife and a mom. There has been a little button on the side of my page that says..."Pray for Andrew". While catching up on reading my friend's blogs, I found out that Andrew is now in heaven. If you've never visited her site before, I encourage you to. I can't begin to imagine the grief and pain of losing a child. Melanie, our prayers are still with you and your precious family. My heart is broken for you. After reading this post I won't ever forget the picture of spending time with your son while you are worshipping our Heavenly Father.

I drank the wrong one

2009-12-16T05:31:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday at church, I brought a bottle of KROGER water with me. I sat the water in my chair (so I thought), came back, picked it up and sipped on it all morning. It wasn't until I got HOME that I realized I hat put my Kroger bottle back in my purse and I had been drinking this Nestle bottle all morning. As you can see, the Nestle bottle is EMPTY. I drank the whole thing! Euwwwwww! I have no idea who's bottle that was!!! It had already been opened when I started drinking it too.

Lesson: pay attention to your brand of water.

Mom and Dad at the FOX

2009-12-11T18:17:00.000-08:00

My parents came in town last week. It was such a treat to have them here. We shopped and ate. A friend of ours gave us tickets to go see the ROCKETTES at The FOX theatre in Atlanta. My parents have never been to a real broadway theatre. Mom, dad, me, and Will went on a date. I had as much fun watching my parents in that environment as I did watching the show. We sure did have a great time. Thanks so much Robert for the tickets. We made such great memories that night!

Great deal at Walgreens!

2009-12-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

I found this puffy pink vest at WALGREENS this week. It was normally $14.99, but is half off. I got this little number for $7.49! I never thought I'd be buying clothes from Walgreens, but I sure do like my new find! They have other colors, black, red and blue. They're reversible too.

Enter to win a GREAT book!

2009-12-08T12:03:00.000-08:00

There are just a few days left and your chances are really good!
http://roofwithaview.blogspot.com/

The BEST Christmas light show EVER!

2009-12-07T14:25:00.001-08:00

A friend emailed me this today. You have to watch it all the way through. Thanks Kel!
(Pause my playlist 1st so you can hear it:)

Amazing Grace Techno - Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Wal-Zyr is making me crazy!

2009-12-06T19:55:00.000-08:00

My boys have been sick for a couple weeks. Cough and cold stuff. I had to start giving Wesley an allergy medicine to clear him up. I bought the Walgreens version of Zyrtec (Wal-Zyr). Wes has been on it for a week and he is BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS! I have never seen him so hyper. He's active enough without medicine. I'm exhausted just watching him. He crashes at night though and I love to watch him sleep so peacefully.

Tonight when I put the boys to bed, they were both coughing. I could hear them all the way downstairs. I get worried when I hear them. Does anybody else get that way? I mean, I will pace my kitchen thinking..."should I go up? maybe I should give them some vapor rub? Delsym?...etc."

As I was praying for my boys and their colds tonight, I stopped to pray for a sweet blogger friend's son, Andrew. He is battling cancer. His mom, Melanie is a prayer warrior and has prayed for me at times, and she's never even met me. Please pray for her sweet son and that God would heal every cell in his body. I can't imagine how hard it is as a mom to see your child go through that.

Meanwhile, I think I might chuck this Wal-Zyr and try a homeopathic route. Any suggestions?

Scared the stew outa me!

2009-11-28T07:57:00.000-08:00

Last week I watched Oprah b/c she had the lady on who was attacked by her friend's pet Chimpanzee. It was really hard to watch. I was bawling and feeling so bad for this lady. Then a few nights ago, I asked Paul to watch it with me, so I watched it AGAIN.

This morning, I wanted to go through my laundry room and clean out some bags that are going to the Warehouse of Hope. The very FIRST bag I opened had THIS in it...staring at me!

Needless to say...it scared me half to death. This is one of those "real life" animals. He drinks a bottle and goes...ooo, ooo, ooo, eee, eee, eee. Praise the Lord this thing wasn't turned on.

Introducing - Clipsy Chicks

2009-11-24T12:22:00.000-08:00

Okay, so we had a little contest to come up with a name for me and my friend's Dana's new coupon Save-inar class. We are now...CLIPSY CHICKS! Thank you to Paulette for the adorable name idea. And, thanks to my incredibly talented friend Tiffany (Gala Design) for doing our logo! I submitted to her a drawing of what we wanted and she WOWED us! To book a save-inar in the Atlanta area, email me at angelarichardson@mac.com.

Just to show you how talented my friend Tiffany is...here is the drawing I gave her...Tif you rock!

Open Mic

2009-11-17T20:29:00.000-08:00

Will had a program at the PTA this week for Veteran's day. I was home sick and couldn't go. I didn't realize I was going to miss his FIRST EVER speaking part! Paul video'd it for me. I just wanted to reach through the camera and hug him! He was embarrassed and passed the mic so quickly to the next girl. I love how he applauded the speaker at the end. When I watched the video with Will, he said..."mom, I didn't do very good did I?" Ahhhhhh, BREAK MY HEART! You can be sure I told him he was the finest speaker ever to grace the school's gymnasium! Again, pause my playlist on the bottom right of the page so you can hear him. :) Oh, on a side note, he wanted to correct the girl that said "the earth will have nothing else to give us."

Trip to Asheville...

2009-11-16T10:26:00.000-08:00

Fasten your seat belts, this past weekend was a whirlwind. I'm gonna recap. Here we go!

Paul took me to Asheville, NC to the Biltmore Estate for our anniversary. It's a great getaway (for all you in the ATL) just about a 4 hr. drive. And, it's pretty inexpensive. We usually stay at a nice hotel for a good deal. Here's what was waiting for me in our room...

Look who we ran into in downtown Asheville - the Moxey's. (Actually we knew they were going to be there the same weekend, so we planned a dinner date). This restaurant, Tupelo Honey was INCREDIBLE! Quaint and cozy. Inexpensive. I highly recommend the Charleston Chicken sandwich!

After dinner, we were off to the candlelight tour of the Biltmore. It was breathtaking! My pictures hardly capture it...

As we were wrapping up the tour (which ends in the basement) I stopped by the flower potting room and asked the lady working if she just LOVED working there. I told her it would be my dream job...well, other than naming nail polish. Anyway, I told her we'd been there about 6 or 7 times and I loved learning more and more secrets about the place. As I was talking, she waved at a lady in the hallway to come over to meet me. So, the lady introduces herself..."Hi, I'm Dini Pickering." And so I said..."and I'm Angela Richardson." It didn't dawn on me that I was meeting GEORGE VANDERBILT'S GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER! Paul clued me in after we had been chatting for a few minutes. What did I do?

Ummmm, yeah, not cool.

I pretty much told her I thought I would pass out, then I hugged her. She was so kind and gracious enough to let us get our picture with her. If you're still wondering...who is she? Here's the breakdown.

George Vanderbilt had a daughter, Cornelia (born in the Louis 16th room at Biltmore).

She had a son, William Cecil (also born in the Louis 16th room at Biltmore).

William Cecil had Dini.

See that big cheesy grin on my face? These pictures are fuzzy, but they count!

This is the sweet, dear lady who thought enough to flag Dini down for me. When we were leaving, this lady said..."that's my anniversary gift to you." Awh!

The next day Paul and I walked the property for about 4 miles and took lots of fun pictures. The day could not have been more breathtaking. This is one of my favorite pictures. I love having a camera with a timer!

That night I had another huge treat - seeing my best friend from high school, Collyn. In the past 12 years, I had seen her ONCE! I've never met her girls, so I was ecstatic to get to see them!

It seemed like not a day had gone by. Within 5 minutes, we were cracking jokes and howling. I got to read her girls their Bible story before bed. Precious moment!

Whew! What a weekend! Thank you to my mother in law, Carol for watching our boys! They had a blast while we were gone. Here's some more pic's from our trip...(just in case the album you've already seen isn't enough..sheesh!)

We need a name...

2009-11-12T08:55:00.000-08:00

My friend Dana and I held our very FIRST coupon class last night. We had a ball. About 20 women came and more are scheduled to come to a workshop we are having. We sold out of the binders we put together. They were a big hit. If you want to book a class, let us know. However,

We need a name!

I know, I know, this is usually my forte...not trying to brag, but names are my "thing". This one has stumped me however. We love all the names - that are already taken. Like Hip2Save, Tipjunkie, SouthernSavers, etc. So, if you have any name suggestions and we choose your name, you will win a coupon starter kit!

Here are a few pic's from our first class.

We had ladies guess how much we paid for all the groceries on the table...can you guess?

The pink binders have baseball card holders for coupons and dividers for different categories. The starter kits include an accordion file, shopping list and a pair of scissors.

Me and Dana showing off our bargains

Ideas? Do share!

Lunchbox Love

2009-11-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

I found these ADORABLE lunchbox cards at Michael's in the dollar bin. They have an encouraging note on the front and trivia on the back. Will LOVES to get a note. And, it's helping him with reading. Go to Michael's and get some, or go online at sayplease.com.

Earning their keep

2009-11-08T06:25:00.000-08:00

My boys have made some new friends. Charlie and Douglas live nearby and they have hit it off! Charlie and Will found out they both love to catch lizards (instant bond).

Now, I might sound like a slave driver, but the boys actually LOVED this activity. We were given a load of firewood last year. It has been in our woods and is now "seasoned" and ready to burn. So I was thinking...how are we gonna get all this wood up to the patio?

I gave the boys some gloves and they carried 1 piece at a time. I'm telling you, they had a BALL! And, look at that stack behind them! They were such troopers. I paid them each a dollar. They were thrilled with a dollar. I'm enjoying THAT while it lasts.

Things you'll learn on a farm field trip...

2009-10-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

1. Chickens lay eggs. Plain and simple. My son was walking around, well, no, he was running around, chasing chickens - when he exclaims - "Mom, the chicken laid an egg!". I was passive, "yep, honey, chickens lay eggs, good job...". Then I looked by his feet and VOILA, the chicken literally laid an egg right before our eyes.

2. A sunrise on the farm is just beautiful.

3. You WILL get chicken poop or some other kind of poop on your shoes, so DON'T WEAR YOUR FAVORITES...trust me on this one.

4. Cows. Well, they might do things that may be tricky to explain to a bunch of 4 year olds. I was hysterical when Wesley said, "Mom, what is that cow doing to the other cow?". Me - "Ummmm, I think it's butting the other one out of the way so it can eat more hay." That was brilliant, huh? Sheesh.

I started thinking today..."Wow, I would love this life. Wide open spaces. My boys learning good wholesome values and nature. Simplicity. Pretty sunrises,...etc" Then,

I stepped in chicken poop.

And I squealed.

Out loud.

Maybe I'm not a country girl afterall, but I sure do love to visit once in a while and enjoy all it has to offer.

Can you tell what this is?

2009-10-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

This is my entry for our annual pumpkin contest at the staff fall party at WRC. NO ONE, including my husband could tell what it was until I told them. Embarassin'.

Alright, I know it doesn't look a THING like the stencil, but here is what I was going for...ha!

DSGBATL trivia

2009-10-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

I'm usually pretty good at figuring out license plates. Today however, this one stumped me. I mean, I'm STILL trying to figure it out...

DSGBATL
I thought, hmm, maybe "DOUG'S BATTLE". But that would have to be - DGSBATL.

or "GOD'S BATTLE", but that would have to be GDSBATL.

Maybe the last part isn't BATTLE at all. But I'm stuck.

Anybody?

One of my favorite license plates that I've seen is -
10SNE1 (that one's cute when you figure it out)

My Fall Swap! Thank you Shelly!

2009-10-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when the mail came today and there was a package...for ME! This is what was inside...

F - Fun Food

The contents are 1 package of candy corn - my fave and 1 can cocktail party nuts. My boys tried some of this when they came home from school today! Yum!

A - Autumn Accessories

This says, "A Season of Thanks". Very cute! I'll have fun finding a neat place to put it.

L - Lovely Leaves

These pendants are so cute and fall-y! I might just wear one tonight!

L - Little Lines

I am ALWAYS using notes off the fridge for school, lunches, lists...these are perfect!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Shelly! This made my day! :)

Birthday morning...

2009-10-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

UPDATE - I just opened my surprise bag!!!

Oh my! I saw this sweater last week on our date and I LOVED it! It has little daisies for the buttons. Seriously, how cute is that?

Magazines! Woohooo! Yes, I've already started thinking about Christmas. After all, I decorated my house for fall in August.

These just make me happy. Ahhh, a mint Milano. I'm eating one right now!

**Go to the bottom of the page on the right and pause the playlist, or my voice will be drowned out by Bobby Darin "Runaround Sue". :) **

7 years old

2009-10-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I have a 7 year old. Today is my son Will's birthday. October is a busy month! I love that as Will grows, our relationship changes. We actually have conversations about life now. We laugh at the same things. I'm teaching him how to waltz. However, he's reluctant. But he does it with me anyway. Then, we break out into Kenny Loggins "Danger Zone". I love this boy.

Happy Birthday Will!

**In this picture he's holding a little tree frog he found on the side of our house.**

our date night

2009-10-04T05:49:00.000-07:00

Last night Paul took me to midtown for our anniversary. He gave me some choices for dinner...Ruth's Chris, Morton's, and some other fancy places I haven't heard of, and I picked...Cheesecake Factory. That's right. They have my favorite meal ever - Chicken Madeira. We sat and had a 2 hour meal. Ahhhhhh. And by the way, I got the 30th anniversary cheesecake...AMAZING! When we left the restaurant, we heard all this buzz about a car in the lot. I had to check it out. What you can't see in this picture are all the cones around the car to keep people like ME away from it.

Yes, my friends, this is a ROLLS ROYCE. I had to look at the front to make sure! ha! People were calling it a "Phantom" which I have no idea what that means. But check out the rims on this baby!

We went to Lenox mall and walked around. I got a little prize from Anthropologie. I couldn't resist this little dish towel...

After that, we went to Starbucks and Barnes n Noble to stroll around for a bit. I was so excited to see my favorite Holiday magazine on the shelf! One happy girl, Starbucks and Southern Lady Holidays!

And, looky, looky here - someone else was celebrating their wedding anniversary last night. Unbeknownst to me...

Maybe we could've double dated. However, I don't think Cheesecake Factory would have been in their budget. :) And the article on their date night said they were back at the White House by 9:32pm. What? Live a little guys.

I'd Marry You All Over Again

2009-10-03T06:11:00.000-07:00

I have so many things to update my loyal "CIMB" readers on, and I will. But today, I want to say Happy Anniversary to my favorite, Paul.

On the inside of our wedding bands, we had something inscribed that we would see on our wedding day... on mine (I have 2 bands) was the verse from Ecclesiastes about 3 cords are not easily broken. On the other it said "Always, Paul."

On his, it just said..."my favorite". I don't know when I started calling him that. And, it's funny because it's not like I had all these other men to choose from. He was the only guy I ever even DATED! Why waste my time on ones that weren't "my favorite" though, right?

Of course, he did something spiritual, and I did something cute-sy. :) A lot has changed over the past 12 years. We have changed. Thank GOD! But one thing hasn't changed...I'm so in love with this man and I'd marry him all over again.

Help for flood victims

2009-09-22T17:21:00.000-07:00

For all my local friends, if you want to know how to engage in helping out or if you need help, click HERE for details.

Author Unknown

2009-09-20T15:42:00.000-07:00

I took a piece of plastic clay
And idly fashioned it one day.
And as my fingers pressed it, still
It moved and yielded to my will.

I came again when days were past;
The bit of clay was hard at last.
The form I gave it still it bore,
And I could fashion it no more!

I took a piece of living clay,
And gently pressed it day by day,
And moulded with my power and art
A young child's soft and yielding heart.

I came again when years had gone:
It was a man I looked upon.
He still that early impress bore,
And I could fashion it no more!

~Author Unknown

Will getting baptized...

2009-09-13T12:30:00.000-07:00

This morning at church, my 6 year old was baptized. Paul has baptized many people over the years and we've seen a lot of life-changing, moving, emotional moments. But as Will's mom and Paul's wife, today was SO special to me. I brought Wesley into the service for the beginning so he could watch his big brother. (You will hear him cheering for Will in the video) It made me laugh that Will kept waving at the screen. That's my boy!

Creek, labor day, school.

2009-09-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

This week I took the boys to the park while I was on the phone with a friend. I always bring a chair and watch them play. Well, THIS day, they wanted to strip down and wade through the creek. Since I didn't want to make a fuss while on the phone, I just rolled with it. They had a BLAST. Then...

I called Paul to tell him about our day and that the boys had been in the creek at White Oak Park.

Paul: "Oh no!"

Me: "What's wrong with that?"

Paul: "The county officials told me that they literally have to pull snakes out of that water to keep the park safe. They have even found WATER MOCCASINS!"

Me: "AGHHHHH!"

Paul: "If you need a good reason to keep the boys out of the creek, use that one next time. It's true and it will work."

Yep, ummmm, do you see how cloudy that water is??? I have heebie jeebies just thinking about what is lurking underneath. Eeeeeeeek!

Labor Day - Will learned how to ride a 2 WHEELER! Paul has the patience of Job. I'm so thankful he was teaching him instead of me. We decided to go on a family bike ride at the trail for Labor Day. I was pulling Wesley in the wagon/chariot.

There is a super cute hair place for kids called Pigtails and Crewcuts. I took Wesley there to get a haircut for school. He chose to sit in the airplane while he watched Madagascar 2. He got a prize a tattoo and a lollipop! Worth every penny!

WESLEY'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! This is Wesley and Maddox showin' some school spirit!

Wesley's school is in the most beautiful little town. There is a town square within walking distance. I wanted to take Wesley downtown to pray with him before his first day. I had the best time with him. He prayed..."Dear God, please help me to stay on GREEN at school today so I can get a prize from the treasure box."

Getting ready to walk to school.

He got started right away on a frog picture and told me "you can leave now momma."

I can't believe I'm at the stage of life where I have 2 kids in school. It's a bittersweet feeling. However as you can tell from my attire, I was ready to work out! I hit the trail with a friend and we biked 15 miles. Whoohoo!style="visibility:visible;">

Daffodil?

2009-09-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

Our internet has been off and on for a week and I haven't been able to post, check emails, ebay...nothing. So, I stole Paul's computer tonight to catch up. I had to post something that Will said tonight....

We were in the kitchen talking about his day. He told me about a girl in his class that can beat up boys. And, she can even beat up her dad! I asked him if he was friends with her. He then said...

"Well, I'll tell you one thing for sure, I'm not gonna marry a girl like that! I don't want to marry a 'daffodil' but I don't want to marry someone who beats boys up either."

I was CRACKING UP! I looked at Paul and we both said 'DAFFODIL?' at the same time! I have no idea where he heard that term. All I could think was maybe he was thinking, some boys are called pansy's for being weak, so maybe a "too girly" girl would be a daffodil?

Fall Polish Picks COMING SOON! Pray for Comcast to get ON THE BALL and fix our internet!

New Things...

2009-08-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

1. Today I finished painting my dining room table and chairs. They were a pine/orangey color and didn't match my dining room. I painted them black and I love how it looks! Especially with the fall decorations. (yes, I'm jumping the gun on fall just a bit, but I couldn't wait. my house smells like spiced pumpkin and is sooo cozy. fall wreath is even on the front door!)

2. I tried FRIED OKRA for the first time tonight. The incredible chef Tammy Jones had me and the boys over for dinner. I watched her make the fried okra. It was pretty good. Not going to be on my favorite foods list. (I told her that already and she wasn't offended :) However, she made Swiss Steak for dinner and it was YUMMY! Holy tomatoes! What a treat! (this picture was taken before it was finished. it gets brown and crispy)

Back from the beach...back to school

2009-08-17T10:54:00.000-07:00

My entire family just spent a week in Hilton Head for my cousin Heidi's wedding. We had a fabulous time. My brother and sister n law and us shared a place. 6 boys under one roof! They loved it. Here's a slideshow of our trip.

This morning Will started school. Last year he went to Kindergarten for only 3 weeks, then I pulled him out to homeschool him. This year he is back at school and in the FIRST GRADE! The whole family went to drop him off this morning. I was so proud of him. He walked right to his class, sat down, and then yelled to the door..."mom, NO MORE PICTURES!".

Happy Birthday Wesley

2009-08-09T05:16:00.000-07:00

Today my baby turns 4. I can't believe how fast 4 years have gone.

What I love about John Wesley:

1. He has a gusto, a passion about him that is contagious.

2. He is so expressive. He loves to tell a good story...hmmm, wonder where he gets that from? :)

3. His voice is a raspy, low, little voice and it melts me.

4. He is very brave and will try just about anything.

5. His blonde hair!

6. He runs around the house singing the "Indiana Jones" theme song. That's what he wants to be when he grows up.

7. When he's about to be punished for something, he'll look at me and say..."this is just breaking my heart". It's so hard to discipline him after that.

8. He's a bit of a con artist. But he's good at it. Gotta give him props for that.

9. He loves nature. He would rather be out exploring than watching any movie on tv.

10. I'll never forget when Wesley was born...I had just been coming through one of the hardest times in my life. I never thought I would make it to delivery day, or that he would either. When he was born, I looked at him and said..."we made it! you hung in there with me. we did it together!" It's that FIGHT and strong will about him that kept us going. And he still has it.

Thank you God for my sweet Wesley.

UBOI - (Useless Bits of Information)

2009-08-06T13:58:00.001-07:00

1. I realized while shopping at Kroger last night, that I genuinely enjoy the music they play. I always come home with an old song in my head and think...where did I hear that?.. Well, it's KROGER!

2. I LOVE men's razors. I will never go back to using women's razors. I do love the pink packaging and the extra effort Venus, Schick and Daisy, etc., put into making them sensitive and conditioning, but it doesn't work. They still hurt. I think it's a conspiracy. They don't last as long, so you have to buy them more often. And, they aren't as sharp.

3. The name "JASON" (my brother's name) is an acronym of July, August, September, October, November.

4. I keep "Wet N Black" in my car for my tires. After I run it through the car wash, I spray them down. It makes your tires look BRAND SPANKING NEW!

5. I missed seeing Katie Holmes on SYTYCD, but now I'm seeing pictures of her everywhere. Was it any good?

Busy ain't the WORD!

2009-08-04T18:38:00.000-07:00

Fasten your seat belts, I'm gonna do a week wrap up as fast as I can. Last week was the Community Makeover at our church. Paul organized 35 churches and over 300 projects. It was AMAZING! These churches were from all different denominations and races. We all worked together for 3 days all over the county, and then came together for one HUGE rally in our Sam's Club parking lot. I'll never forget the sound of 35 churches singing together. There was one song - "How Great Thou Art" sung by Tanya Smith, and for me, time stood still. Here's an example of just one project. Mr. Griffin's house - before...And after... what's amazing about this project is the budget was only $1,000. It's unbelievable how much was accomplished in one weekend. To read more about this story go here.Here's a slideshow of our week...

Yesterday, after sleeping all day Monday, I decided to get back in the kitchen and get to work. I made 5 pints of salsa (homemade, fresh tomatoes picked that morning) and 5 pints of homemade from scratch spaghetti sauce! Whew! My house still smells like garlic this morning.

Summer Issue of LBD LRW

2009-07-31T07:35:00.000-07:00

Click here to view the Summer Issue.

FYI - my article is on page 20. "Make Your Bed".

Now, THAT'S a pedicure!!!

2009-07-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

My friend Amy, just had her toes done. But this was not just any paint job. Check out these darling little toes!!! The lady HAND-PAINTED leopard print on them. Not a sticker or nail art. I LOVE that she knew how much I would appreciate her pretty toes, and that she let me take a picture of them!

Wesley's 1st Dentist Appt!

2009-07-29T06:10:00.000-07:00

I was a bit nervous taking Wesley to the dentist. He's just more 'spirited' than Will. I just imagined him in a room with all the instruments, hoses, and the chair that goes up and down with the touch of a button... BUT, he did so GREAT! He loved that he got to choose his toothpaste flavor. The hygienist was so good with him. She let him hold the 'straw' - the sucky thing. He did get a little carried away with that.

Will was so disappointed because he has 2 cavities. The dentist told me, in Will's defense, that it's because he has really deep pits in his back teeth. AND, the hygienist said Will had the cleanest teeth of any 6 yr. old she had seen! Will was just so sad he didn't get to have his picture taken and posted on the 'no cavity' wall. Poor guy. He's brushed his teeth 10 times since we've been home.
Goody bags!

The Proposal

2009-07-23T17:55:00.000-07:00

This is a really funny movie. It has gotten some horrible reviews in the media. But, trust me, it's hilarious. There's one scene at a bachelorette party that is kinda gross. Other than that it's a really clean movie. Did I mention it was hysterical??? It also makes me want to go to Alaska! Ryan Reynolds facial expressions crack me up. I can just look at him and laugh. This was the first movie I've seen him in. Good date night movie. And that's my unprofessional review on "The Proposal". :)

5 Things I love about my hubby today:

2009-07-22T13:19:00.001-07:00

1. He cleaned out our "outdoor" trash can with bleach and a hose - NOT a fun job.

2. He answered the phone 3 times in a row when I called, even though he's very busy. AND, he was pleasant about it.

3. He gave me a Chick-fil-A, 'free chicken sandwich' coupon for lunch today.

4. He listened patiently as Will described in detail each of his 'Bakugan' toys.

5. He told me it was 'great with him' if we just had turkey sandwiches for dinner!

Vacuum Help

2009-07-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

Anybody have advice for an affordable but GOOD vacuum?? Here's why: I end up doing all the work myself. I can't tell you how many pieces of fuzz or string I've picked up and 'tried again' to vacuum them. This is a dirt devil, which seems to be a good brand, but this is not doing the job!

I Surrender

2009-07-15T15:24:00.000-07:00

I had another one of those nights last night. Where, I went running and found myself taking out the day's frustrations on the pavement. I felt like my heels were beating on the asphalt and my head just throbbed. My joints were begging for mercy. But I had to do it. Running (and listening to my ipod) is therapeutic for me. Even though I despise running. Is that crazy or what? This song ("I Surrender" by Joy Williams), is one of my favorites. It came on at the end of my run and I got a BURST of energy. I LOVE this chorus:

Everything I held so precious

Everything I've kept away

I give it up, give it up

All for YOU, I give it All for you

Everything I have that's treasure, I give all for YOU.

No matter what kind of day I'd had mattered. Everything I spin my wheels doing, everything I hold dear and precious to me, all come from Him. Giving it all back to Him is freeing.

There's an old hymn I sang growing up called "All To Jesus, I Surrender". I think life has taught me what that really means.

Figuring it out...

2009-07-13T06:39:00.001-07:00

Last night in the car, I had a little conversation with Wesley:

Wes: "Mommy, am I hand - right-ed, or hand - left-ed?"

Me: "You are RIGHT handed Wesley"

Wes: "See, I told ya Will, I'm hand - RIGHT-ed"

Will: "Wesley, you're not saying it right"

Wes: "I am, I just said RIGHT, I'm hand RIGHT-ed"

Will: "But you're not saying it RIGHT!"

Wes: "Will, I just SAID, I'm hand RIGHT-ed, I said RIGHT!"

You get the picture...it went on until we got to the pool, where I told Will to drop it and I would explain it to him later. It made me laugh!

Husband Project

2009-07-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

Click here to enter to win "The Husband Project" book. It's a 21 day book that can help you take your marriage from ordinary to amazing. I've been blogging with Melanie for a little while now and "Bella-Mella" is so encouraging and uplifting. If you haven't already, you need to add her blog to your sidebar!

Favorite Things

2009-07-05T16:47:00.000-07:00

My hair has grown really long. I'm in need of a new cut. But in the meantime, I've been sporting these babies EVERYWHERE!!! I forget what my hair looks like when it's not in a ball cap. Pomegranate Red Tea - YUM! It has only 50 calories per serving and it's so refreshing!Sani-Hands wipes for kids - on the go packs. The smell is a little strong, but I like it. I always have a few of these packets in my purse. They also come in handy at a restaurant where the table is a little icky.Maybelline Colossal Mascara. This stuff is FABULOUS! The NON waterproof version works really well. It doesn't smear too bad at the pool either. I do water aerobics with this stuff on...no raccoon eyes. 99 cent Pepperidge Farm Goldfish at Kroger!!!!! Need I say more??Softsoap Body Wash...Pomegranate Mango. This smells so refreshing and has little soft exfoliating beads in it. Family Rules Poster. A friend of mine gave me this. I saw it in her home and I LOVED it! Love God is suppose to be at the top. My boys are actually memorizing these and we've started teaching them the verses that go along with the rules. GREAT! If you want the list, email me, I'll send it to you.

Our little Jitterbug

2009-07-04T06:46:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July! Last night Paul put on a fireworks show for our family in our driveway. He even made a cd of patriotic music to set it to! My kind of man! Wesley kept dancing to the popping noise of the fireworks...

Kids will keep you humble...

2009-07-02T05:53:00.001-07:00

Awww, aren't they cute??? Yep, these cute little things keep me on my knees every day and keep me HUMBLE!I thought I would post some funny things my boys have said to me. They're so honest...so BRUTALLY honest!

1. "Mommy, what's the skin marshmallowing out from under your arms?"

2. "I Love You" - (Wes pats my stomach) - "my big momma".

3. Cleaning the house in my 'cleaning' shorts - "mom every time you bend over, I see your...(he spells it out cause he thinks it's a bad word)... c-r-a-c-k!"

4. "Mommy, your hair looks messy". After I've just finished fixing my hair to go to church.

5. While I'm eating some Doritos, my son says..."mom, please don't eat the WHOLE bag, again!" What??? I had 3 Doritos people! And the word again??? I've never eaten the whole bag, well, not recently. :)

6. "Mommy, can you stop singing, it's hurting my ears." (I'm a bird, I sing all the time! What's a girl to do?)

7. Getting ready to go to the pool, I walk out of my bedroom in my swimsuit..."mommy, that's not appropriate."

8. Kissing my little Wesley in the morning..."mommy, your breath smells like Africa."

9. "Mommy, you should wear pigtails, they look really good on Bella." (a girl in his class at church)

10. Trying on dresses for my boys at Marshalls, they were judging how each dress looked on me from 1-10, 1 being the worst, 10 the best. "Ummmmm, is there anything lower than a 1,?, cause that one looks like you're squeezing into it. (I give him a 'look'), I, I just mean, it looks like you can't even breathe!"

After all that brutality, one day, my son Will said, "Hey mom, you look like her..." I looked up at the TV to see ANGELINA JOLIE-PITT on the screen! Blow my socks off! I laughed so hard I almost cried! There had to be another woman on the screen right before her. Only thing I can figure is I had just gotten stung by a bee and my lips were swollen!

Thank God I know that I am fearfully and wonderfully made! And so are YOU!

Meet Angela Richardson

2009-06-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

So, this is what happens when you get stung by a hornet, can't walk and you've lost your voice...you spend way too much time on the computer. I decided to google my name and see what came up. Evidently, I'm not as popular as I thought I was! HA!!! I couldn't find anything about myself. However, there are THOUSANDS of "Angela Richardson's". Since their faces are already on the internet, I thought I'd show you all my namesakes. Not quite sure what she does, it didn't sayActor, dancing, performing artist. Manager, Public Accountant and AdvisorCompany OwnerDirector at Florida State UniversityFounder of Sisters With VisionArmy Veteran and founder of Destiny Helping Hands OutreachChoreographer/DancerBiochemist M.D./P.h.DWinner of the Media Fair at her middle schoolOffice Manager at a Brain Surgery OrganizationOnline Administrator in LondonBrian and Angela Richardson - Christian Counselors

Sunday School Musical...Oh, dear...

2009-06-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

Last night we were in Blockbuster looking for a movie for the boys to watch for movie night. I thought Paul was joking when he said..."hey, we could always rent 'Sunday School Musical'.."(He was joking and being a little sarcastic) I didn't believe him at first, that it was an ACTUAL movie, but here it is...Now, I don't want to make fun because I haven't actually seen the movie yet. But I'm thinking, after the success of High School Musical, these people are setting themselves up for failure. You know the Christian movies that come out that are a little cheesy? I root for them and want them to succeed, it's just, I don't know, sometimes they give the stereotype a leg to stand on. I'm sure it's a great movie with a good lesson to be learned. Kind of looks like a remake of Sister Act 11. Here's the trailer..

Happy Father's Day - deleted scenes

2009-06-20T16:44:00.000-07:00

Made a Father's Day video today. I just wanted to see what they would say...

Growing up, I would watch The Cosby Show and I LOVED how the kids would always do skits and perform songs for their parents. I've tried to put together little skits for the kids to perform for daddy...I realize now, this can't be forced. It's best to let the kids say what's on their hearts!

Happy Father's Day Paul! You're the best!

Summer Polish Pick! And, a GIVEAWAY!

2009-06-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

June 21 is the first official day of summer. Nothing better to kick it off than some polished, pretty toes! Choosing a "pick" was a toughie this year ladies. I looked at colors so long I went cross-eyed. There are just too many good colors this year! Here it is without further ado...drumroll please....(this is the cutest name ever!)...

Ladies & Magenta-Men

Look at this color next to my geranium's! Now, I showed you 2 different pictures to show you that this color has a chameleon quality. If you're wearing pink, it looks pink - red, it looks red - orangey, it looks orangey! It has a little ribbon of sparkle throughout it too which make it extra-specially pretty in the sunshine!

Here's how to win this PRETTY color: Click HERE to leave a comment. You will automatically be entered when you leave a comment about this post. Drawing will be in week, so chop chop! Good luck. And, Happy SUMMER.

Meet Annabelle...

2009-06-13T18:55:00.001-07:00

What a month. I had thought about doing a long recap with tons of pictures, and I still might put together a little slideshow of our time off, but there was one moment that will FOREVER be etched in my memory.

Seeing Annabelle.

Every Christmas as long as I can remember, my family would travel to Illinois. We spent every summer there too, with my grandparents. The best memories.

One year, I was a teenager, we were driving through an old town in Illinois and my gramma began to tell us a tale of this "woman" who was rumored to be living in an old shoe store. Her parents had died young. She was alone. No brothers or sisters. All they had was this shoe store that they left to her. She never went back home, but stayed in the store to better remember her parents. And, in some psychotic way...to keep the store in business. The store hadn't changed a BIT since the 1920's. Old running shoes still in the windows. Something you would have seen in a movie. Her name was Annabelle. Whenever Annabelle was seen around town, people would mutter to themselves..."there she is!". You get the idea. This was the crazy old woman in town. My brother and sister n law dared me to try and open the door of the shoe store and say "ANNABELLE!". Then, of course, I would run away in absolute horror, screaming and being proud of my bravery.

Well, the door opened right up. Didn't have to jiggle the handle. It was wide open. Open for business. There was trash everywhere. Rats. Rats and more rats. And a little bell rang as I opened the door signaling my arrival. I said (a little more sheepishly than I thought I would) "Annabelle?". I looked up, and in my absolute amazement, this woman came walking from the back of this run down and trashed store.

"Can I help you?"

"Ummm, (I started giggling), we were wanting to get some shoes."

- really, is that what I said? Oh, if I could go back as a teen and have been more kind, and sensitive.

"What size you lookin' for?"

At this point my brother and sister n law are with me and we all look at each other and tell her our sizes. I have to say, she knew her shoes. She sold my brother and I both a REALLY COOL looking pair of shoes. Talk about vintage. Jason's shoes were around $9.00 - full price! What a bargain. When she gave us our change it was all in quarters. We took our shoes back to my gramma's and told the whole family of our bravery and were SO PROUD of our heroism!

On the drive back to Virginia from Illinois, I couldn't get Annabelle off my mind. I decided to write to her. About 2 months later I received a card. Very old fashioned. Not at all preppy or pink, no monogramming. There was just a little bird on a brown card. Her little handwriting conveyed she was feeble. She just wanted to say thanks for the letter and asked for a picture sometime.

This began about 5 or 6 years of letter writing back and forth. Each Christmas I would go to Illinois, but I never made it to see her. I felt as though she'd be embarrassed for me to see her in the store. The first time I had seen her, she wore a man's toupee on top of her head. Her silver hair was growing long underneath. She wore every piece of jewelry she owned. I remember thinking as a young girl, no wonder people laugh at her.

As the years passed, I found a friend in this "Annabelle". I developed a genuine concern for who she was. Why is she still in this store? Is anyone taking care of her? What is to come of her beautiful home on Main street? Does she have anyone else to talk to?

I received a phone call about a year ago that Annabelle had been put in a nursing home. The state had condemned that old store. It was a hazard for the stores around it. Her home was not suit to live in either. On the outside, it's as pretty as a picture, inside things had fallen apart.

I was in Illinois last winter and I went to the nursing home where Annabelle was suppose to be living. The receptionist told me she wasn't there. And she said she was not allowed to give me anymore information about Annabelle. "What?" I was so hurt. "Please tell me she hasn't passed away!". They couldn't tell me ANYTHING about her. I left there so disappointed. What had become of my friend Annabelle?

Spring forward to a week ago. Paul was on sabbatical and we went to Illinois for my cousin's wedding. While I was there I asked Paul..."Honey, can I please try one more time to see Annabelle?" Sure, he said.

Paul dropped me off at the front door of the nursing home. I was buzzed in by a receptionist. Went up to the counter.

"Hi, I'm looking for Annabelle ______. Is she still here?"

"Why yes, she is right around the corner, in the dining room having lunch!"

- WHAT? My heart skipped a beat. I suddenly became very nervous. Would she remember me? Is she still functioning okay? What do I say? Lord, help me know what to say to her to encourage her and not make a fool of myself.

I walked into the dining room. "Right here, she is" said the receptionist. I saw Annabelle at first from the back. Her long silver hair was in a neat pony tail. She was in a conversation with some other ladies at a card table.

I put my hand on her shoulder. (I'm crying right now by the way. I can't believe I get to tell this story!!!)

"Annabelle? Do you remember me? It's me, Angela."

She looked up at me with her beautiful eyes and said..."Oh, I think so. OH, yes, Angela!"

Her eyes lit up. Mine teared up.

I walked around where I could get to her to hug her.

We chatted for a minute or two and I asked her if I could bring in Will and Paul to meet her. (Wesley was with my family...good thing:)

I was so proud to show her off to my boys. As if I was showing off the President or the Queen of England. I was just plain giddy. We sat with her and talked. And talked. About the food in the home, about Africa, about women acting like ladies instead of "hoodlum's". She is sharp as a tack! She seemed so much better than the time I first met her in the shoe store. Before we left I asked her if I could get my picture taken with her...

"Well, I don't like havin' my picture taken much, but if you'll promise to send me the picture, I'll let ya!"

"Deal."

All those years of being "feared". Of being the town "crazy" person. What must have gone through her little mind? Oh, how my heart aches for her. I want her to feel valued. Capable. LOVED!

When I left her, I gave her another hug and said I would come back to see her. On my way out, I stopped by the nurses station and asked a few questions...

"Can I leave my information, and you contact me if she needs anything?"

The receptionist said, "Well, sure, I mean, she has no family, so you're pretty much it!".

Those words. "I'm it."

Well, if I'm it, I'm not going to give up on my sweet Annabelle. My boys are already drawing her pictures. Paul asked what kinds of things we were allowed to send her. Nothing chewy - she doesn't have any teeth. We're being creative. One thing I asked her in one of my letters to her, is if she knew God loved her. Her response was, "I know God loves me and I love Him for it!" What a treasure to know I will see Annabelle again in heaven. Hopefully, I'll get to see her a few more times on earth too! This is what remains of the old shoe store.

I could be a doctor

2009-05-29T18:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had to go to the doctor for a yeast infection called Candida. It's a horrible overgrowth of yeast and fungus in the body.

Lovely. Just lovely.

It's my own fault, I haven't been taking care of myself the way I should and eating way too many sweets. Soooo, I go to the Walgreen's Minute Clinic. (My dr. couldn't get me in) I told the dr. my symptoms and that I had taken a test to see if I had Candida. The test said if you have a score of 145 pts. or more, you have Candida...my score was 266!!! Sheesh.

The dr. was looking at me like I was NUTS! I told her I needed something (Diflucan) to kill the yeast in my body. I was itching so bad on my arms, legs and neck. I asked her what I could take for the itching too. The dr. actually GOOGLED my symptoms and was trying to match pictures from GOOGLE to my rashes. She even pulled out a book of skin rashes and was like..."hmmm, the rash looks different on you than it does on this page." Well, of COURSE it does. That person was tan and I'm white as a ghost. And, the picture was probably taken 20 years ago. AGGGHHH! I sat there for 25 MINUTES while she sat puzzled looking through her text books and googling. Aren't dr's. suppose to know these things???

I finally convinced her to write me a prescription. But I left there thinking, if that's all it takes...I COULD BE A DOCTOR! I came home last night and found a million sites that have CANDIDA listed. Symptoms, treatment, etc.

I'm going the herbal route. I'm on a strict diet. No sugar. No white ANYTHING. It's not fun. I've eaten lots of crunchy veggies. I'm not one of those people that can just eat a bowlful of veggies and be satisfied. Our local herbal store sold me some all-natural "Candida Clear" (it has wormwood and licorice root among many other crazy things in it).

Good news, I've lost a little weight, but my skin is still CRAWLING! I hope all these magic herbs help me!!!

BTW - Dolly/Donna, ask your mom what Doug Kaufman would do!?!