Time to Break the Silence!?!

...even though I can't get into details. *eh making promises for others selfish needs STINKS*

I just wanted to say that I'm alive and well. For the most part that is. ::smiles:: I'm still dealing with my endo pain daily, and the migraines come and go....but other than that I'm so blessed to be where I'm at right now. I'm sure theres at least ONE person whose reading this rolling his their eyes, but my life in the past .....end-feb, march, april and may...has taken a dramatic leap. I've moved. Let me rephrase, me and the children have moved. (won't say where) ;-) Along with some minor living adjustments I'm on a new road. I'm not sure day to day if it's gonna be good or bad from the reciprocating end....but I lift my hands up and just ask that we get through this as easily as possible.

I think this transition has been hardest on....him ME. The kids are absolutely in every way fine. More than fine b.c now that they know they can play both sides. ::snickering:: I'm teasing of course. Mason and Terri in whatever crowd, in whatever house, in whatever room are going to be loved. Regardless whats happening. THAT is my main purpose in life.

Don't get me wrong, boy they test me, because they CAN Like more than before. Children really do need a positive male role model in their life to help guide them. I've always said this and can't say it enough, WE as mothers are much too merciful on our children at times. When daddy, or paw-paw walk in a room all of a sudden its little halos back on top of their heads. Meanwhile I now that I'm the one thats with them 6 days a week and has to do the punishing. Oh what you thought I was going to say that I don't yell? psssft! W.E. !! I'm the queen. ha haa. I've always tried to do that whole I'm in charge voice tone. M & T don't even pause. .. .they're like yeah ::throw in boo boo face:: we'll get outta this trouble in ohhh.....5 seconds. grrrrrr... IF THEY weren't so darn CUTE!!!!

anywho. I'm here. alive and well! ;-)
most recent pic of the kids...

sitting in a river on our trip to Mt.Bervard.

The PURPOSE behind NOT blogging this week.

I chose to keep the previous post up for this week for a couple reasons;

Awareness, so many women have gone for years through pain and unknowingly let their doctors tell them that its nothing, "try a new position", "change your diet", "its just a cyst it will pass"....and only about 30 percent have the courage to change their doctor and GET A SECOND OPINION!

Looks can be deceiving, take the time to listen to others because I promise your problems might not always be so bad. Pay attention to those around you, be perceptive to others in need. If you see someone that appears in pain, even if you don't know them, help them. Many times I've struggled to get out of a store with both kids (or even 3) and a cart full of groceries and a buggy goes one way and a kid goes another. Meanwhile a woman or man will just walk right by too high and mighty to help or just to into what their doing. Know that just because someone looks capable maybe just maybe their not. I'm young and appear healthy yet I'm debilitated in many aspects. SO many things I can't do that years ago I wouldn't have hesitated in an instant to do.

God. I left this post here to let you know that I know that I don't stand alone. I have my family and friends, but I stand firm that the Lord is with me every step of this journey. Throughout life we get older and weaker but as this happens our minds rippens we become wiser and hopefully most of us become spiritually richer.

Don't worry be happy. LET GO LET GOD! see me? I'm IN PAIN. YET....~~~~> STUPidly HAPPY. psst. it comes from the inside. my heart is joy filled. (I promise its taken alot to get to this point in life, it DOES NOT come over night. Alot of talking with the Lord.) Surround yourself with positive people. Regardless the circumstances in life at some point there will be pumps in the road, nothing better to get over those bumps then good strong HAPPY people holding your hand! HERE TAKE MINE! lol

*YES my head IS that big (& my mom had me auu natural thannnk u very much!)*

Be thankful. Praise the Lord for what you have. OR for what you DON'T have. Be thankful for those who help you in your time of need. I don't mind speaking out. When I had my last surgery (I had a lap. done when Mason was 14 months old to diagnose me with endo.) I was so appreciative for all the people at my church who reached out to helped us. I'll be honest I was struggling. I didn't ask for help I didn't know how too. I didn't know what I was going to do. Clint had never cooked for us before, never done laundry...well let me rephrase that he had at that point thrown some oily work clothes on top of some whites and pulled the knob. (so thats doing laundry right? lol) but I didn't know how I was going to get by.
The surgery I THOUGHT was scheduled for December 16. Little did I know that it was only 2 days after we returned from our beach trip to Ocean Isle. :-/ I am SO blessed that a friend from church happened to call the day we got back to see how the trip went, then I told her about the surgery she IMMEDIATELY sent out a church wide email for food to be delivered and childcare for Terri while Clint worked each day. She did this with my tonsillectomy surgery last November as well. (she is such a life saver I know) but without her and all the others at the church who knows how it would have turned out but ya know...I'm sure somehow...it would have. HE always provides.

[psssst....I'm lost in my own rambling] ha haa

Oh I remember what I wanted to say....take life one day at a time. SO what if the laundry doesn't get done today, who cares if you don't get to mop on your Thursday schedule (I mop on Thursdays you guessed it) I say grab some DVDS, take out and sweats and snuggle in the bed with the kids. CRUMBS AND ALL!! [not I hate crumbs] get a quilt and lay on top of the comforter. If you work do all this after work. There's ALWAYS Saturday. YES I know there's a bi-gillion other things you have to do on Saturday...hey whats one more? Take the time to spend with your loved ones because your not promised tomorrow.

My best friend almost found this out yesterday and now shes' in the ICU burn unit with her husband. She called me yesterday morning and said that her husband was electrocuted. He works for duke energy and he's a line man. He was air lifted to Winston Salem so I drove her. We spent the day there.... He IS ok. I mean its a serious miracle that he's alive. He will loose a couple fingers on his left hand and the electricity that flew threw his body bypassed his heart and literately exploded out his right hand. [he has a HUGE round 3rd degree burn and hole] the currant has to have an entrance point and an exit point. (they're doing surgery on his hands today...besides the impact from the fall, minor scraps and burns, the burns his hands are the worst.)
Hes an ex marine and hes a TUFF guy for sure...as soon as he regained consciousness he was ready to go home. he said "ok just cut off the fingers, I don't use my pinky much anyways." what a nut. but hes a strong Christian and I'm so glad the Lord was with him!!!!!

sometimes its ok to speak out(you might be shedding light on a painful subject that someone closes to you struggles with too....anxiety, depression, weight, money). BUT WHEN is it time to hold your tongue? (when do you just sound like your a whiner?) I've had these health issues for years. But if you look at my blog its not a dark or dreary place. Its not a reflection of that. I know of a few other bloggers and throughout the week have had the privilege (through email) to meet a few more, that too have some similar issues, and they too (some) choose not to dedicate their blogs to dwelling on the bad but on the contrary reflecting the good in their life. I'm not saying to put on a mirage, as if your life is peaches and cream but there are just some things that shouldn't be blogged about everyday. Sorry. I know we've all been to "that blog" before where "that person" just goes on and and on about how terrible their life is and this and that when in fact they should be thankful for what they have. I mean do these people not think about the pain that Christ suffered as their typing (constantly complaining)? *ugh* You just keep going back to see WHAT possibly NEXT can they complain about?!?!? Yeah not my place, there is just so many of them out there. you blog how you want. I'm the one thats gone a whole month before and not blogged then filled in the blanks with a cute picture and a one sentence explanation. :-D gotta love those posts. ha haa

As a whole, whether your a Christian, agnostic, an atheist or an alien (I was on a roll with the A's what can I say?)...take care of yourself and those around you. For right now we're all we've got. Take the time to put your own selfish need aside and love one another. Take better care of yourselves and your loved ones and step out side of your comfort zone and help someone in need. Have leftovers and a single neighbor? Take em on over! [psssst....and you don't have to blog about it....we don't need to know your reward will be much greater later down the road] I'm a personal believer in Heaven but for some of you its Karma so do it for your own beliefs, do it for your kids. Do it cause you know that somewhere down the road someone will PayItForward!!!

...and she prays.

God shows a particular love precisely to those who He punishes in this world, b/c in purgatory there is only a long and harsh punishment, while, if we willingly accept the crosses in this world, we merit for ourselves an even greater glory in Heaven


as the Proverb says: for the Lord chastises him whom He loves.

accept the pain and focus on the Lord for the reward is great. Morn not now for the days you have the small load to bear. Morn because your Lord is not here with you, to hold your hand through it. HE IS Omnipresent and he is here and someday we will be with him.

Lord, I can carry this small burden. I can deal with everything you give me. I am weak but you make me strong. You show me the love that I need to survive this harsh world. I'm an advocate for you. Let others see your love through me. I pray I can shine with your light. Thank You for all you have given me, for having created me to love you for eternity, for the place you are keeping for me in heaven, for the supportive family and friends to help hold me through my struggle. You are my Lord, You are my savior. And I praise your name. Amen.

**I pray. I pray daily, multiply times daily. I will never know what the future holds for them but I wholly yearn for happiness for all those in my life. I hold my children and pray with them. I pray for Clint, for his salvation, so that he may be the father and leader to our children that they'll require in this life. I drive and I pray ....and sometimes I blog and I pray. My health is not good. If you look at me I look like the typical 25 year old woman but on the inside its bad. Very bad. My body is in stage 3 endometreosis. The surgery that I had October to remove the scarred tissue and the cysts worked but wasn't a permanent fix. I went to the dr. on Monday only to find that my endometreosis is back. its only been 4 1/2 months from last Octobers surgery till now. Typically after they go in and clean out all the scarred tissue and cysts they give you a couple years before it comes back. I totaled over 40 cysts. It wasn't supposed to come back for a few years if at all. . . not in this case. They're trying to offer me some new drug, honestly all I can ask for is prayers and the fact that I know that know matter the pain I deal with on a daily basis its nothing compared to the pain of the Lord ....and my focus at all times especially now should be on God.

If you'd like to keep updated follow me. I know alot of women deal with this and if you could tweet this I'd love to see if I could get a group together to see if there are others that have dealt with the same issues.

Eat it or plant it?

When mommies away . . .haha

yeah thats an onion. I bought a few onions the week before I went to Asheville...so around February 5th. I come home and say "EW the fridge stinks and whats in the pantry?" Clint said "I don't know, I didn't look." Ok CLINT WHAT DID YOU FEED THE BOY CHILD?

Well I did look and this is ONE of the things I found, along with a half cut onion in a Ziploc (BAD) and some slimy broccoli as well as some celery (double ew) Just wanna say that everything has been cleaned and all the funk is out of the kitchen. *Thanks Mason for all the help*

What you should know about me.

í'vє mastєrєd thє art σf вєíng símplє, ín a cσmplícatєd kínd σf waч ;-)

thє líttlє вoч & gírl that call mє "mσmmч" R mч єntírє wσrld!
thє kєч tσ mч hєart ís ín thєir hands…thєч R aвsσlutєlч thє lσvє σf mч lífє.

í lσvє mч famílч and í adσrє mч fríєnds.

í dσn’t knσw what í wσuld dσ σr whєrє í wσuld вє wíthσut mч famílч, & fríєnds. í am trulч a luckч gírl tσ havє sσ manч єхtraσrdínarч pєσplє ín mч lífє.

í wσuldn’t changє a thíng aвσut mч past, єvєn íf í cσuld.

í thínk ít takєs вєíng σn вσth sídєs σf that fєncє tσ trulч apprєcíatє thє thíngs that чσu havє...and lєarn tσ fσrgєt aвσut thє thíngs that shσuldn’t mattєr.

í am strσng, вut í havє vєrч sσft sídє (dσ nσt místakє kíndnєss fσr wєaknєss)

í am σutspσkєn, вut í alsσ knσw that sσmє thíngs arє вєttєr lєft unsaíd. í thínk ín cєrtaín sítuatíσns, a lσt can вє saíd ín thє mídst σf sílєncє.

í stand up fσr what and whσ í вєlíєvє ín & í apσlσgízє whєn í knσw í shσuld.

í am pєrsístєnt whєn ít cσmєs tσ gєttíng what í want, thσugh í wísh í was вєttєr at knσwíng whєn tσ trч hardєr and whєn tσ walk awaч.

í am prєttч hard tσ ímprєss, вut єasílч amusєd.

í am a vєrч hσnєst pєrsσn...вrutallч at tímєs. sσmє pєσplє apprєcíatє that aвσut mє, whílє σthєrs maч nσt!

í havє aвsσlutєlч nσ tσlєrancє fσr líars. dσ nσt wastє mч tímє wíth dєcєptíσn.

í can вє vєrч sarcastíc & stuввσrn at tímєs.

í aвsσlutєlч thínk that what gσєs arσund cσmєs вack arσund!!

nσthíng ín thís lífє ís cєrtaín, σthєr than at sσmє pσínt ít wíll єnd!



Good bye yesterday!

<--Mason with his "thinking cap" on. So yesterday definitely ended on a better note than it began. Clint came home mid-day to bring me some phenogram. (grand ol stuff...I keep a refill at the pharmacy just for days like yesterday)

After school, My father took Mason off after school for a while (loading him full of an ice cream sundae) then when he got here he had mounds of home work to do. You might think I'm exaggerating. "Hey he's only in kindergarten how much homework can he have?" WRONG. They've now added a weekly writing assignment on TOP of his already heavy load of work consisting of brainstorming (the little circles with the main idea and five topics); Tuesday night was SUPPOSED to be the drafting (but w/ the snow he stayed with Paw Paw) and thus he didn't get Tuesday or Wednesday done. SO the prewriting, editing, and revisions were all left on us to do last night. Six sentences doesn't sound like a lot, but when your just learning to sound out your words its tough! He got his first widdle writers cramp!

But the good news is that my dad offered to take the "beast" so that was that much less to deal with. While trying to do homework and pack for Asheville. Yeah still packing. Daddy finally got him around 8 and did Masons reading with him. or vis vs. and then he vacuumed and then I got to come to bed! ahhhh bed. I love my bed. Am I the only one that like LOVES my bed?

****Brownie Points for my Big Stupid****
My DSH (dear sweet hubby) took our Lhasa Apso to go get a loooooong overdue haircut and can I just say that EVERYONE loves a new hairdo. (no pictures cause the Big Stupid also took the camera to be fixed--but I DID add an old UNGROOMED picture of him and Deuce 2 years ago.) Can I add in how much we MISS our Boxer!!! :'-( Like really REALLY miss!!!

Louie is almost 6 years old and he's prancing around this house like a show dog its hilarious how he freaks out when he's groomed. (That is when hes not under my feet or curled up next to me cause he's FREEZING!!) Yeah I put clothes on my dog. say something! ha ha. I went from owning American Staffordshire and Rottweilers my entire life to owning a 15lb "fru fru"dog in a Harley sweater. haha I can tell you this though I don't care how big the dog is Louie has growled and "defended" me and the kids against all sizes...including my dads pit that wants him for an appetizer. Poor Louie has the little man complex.

Ohkaaay for reaaaal rambling now.

What to do today....ugh...pictures OFF THIS COMPUTER. I can't say how many I have on here cause my hubster reads my blog occasionally but its ALOT. I did get a CD FULL off last night. Edited and off. ;-) ::small pat on back::

k toodles!

Circus Act 3- whatever (end of the show)

Okay so no more individual clips....I added the entire rest of the circus in this one montage. IT TOOK TILL 5 AM for it to upload on ONETRUEMEDIA!! lol. Well at least thats when I got up and cut the computer off. So after this there should be NO more Circus posts. (so quit complaining D!) I have to remind you all that even though I love my readers (esp the ones that email me and say glad your back posting agin) but to those who are like nuff with the circus...we DON'T get the priviledge of taking our kids to do stuff like this hardly EVER. (esp. in these seats) and this blog is meant for them to look back and US to say awwwww.....in a few years...so suck it mmmk? lol

Ok about 20 seconds into the video you hear Mason say "Is this really happening?" The first half of the circus he thought we were at the movies. He was like mommy "REALLY? IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?" So cute and I caught it on video. You can hear some of our conversations throughout the videos very sweet. EVEN while talking about those girls and their not so nice close. ew.... Terri was just sitting there with her jaw open. in shock not knowing what to do.....

**Our seats in the Time Warner Arena (check em out) were in section 105 row M seats-10, 11, 12, & 13.**

So yeah if I was a kid I would be overwhelmed too.

Here are a few snapshots of the rest of the trip....

Mason got a new clown Mason so of course we ALL had to have one!

Daddy deleted his picture. PUNK!

Mason and Daddy by the last act....

(Terri was in almost zzzz land on my lap)

Terri, Jaiden, and Mason waiting for the light rail to go by.
(we did NOT ride it today b/c it was SOOO packed.)
As soon as we got in the car Terri found her "bubbys" hat that paw-paw gave him. Since bubby rode with Jaiden its ALL HERS NOW!!



too cute!

for those of you who care. . .

. . . . to know what I was talking about on TWITTER last night....

mason I thought had been abducted and I panicked for a few minutes and had a BAD anxiety attack turns out he was hiding the entire time. Clint and myself looked all around for him and then NOTHING. WORST NIGHTMARE IN A PUBLIC PLACE AS A PARENT!!!!!

I went HOT then COLD THEN passed Terri to a lady (yep stranger Id met 15 minutes earlier) I'd been talking too with twin 6 month olds and I panicked! To run outside...you need ALL HANDS FREE!

I'm still having anxiety attacks today

Ive thrown up 3 times today b.c of it!!!! This is something no parent wants to experience to PLZ talk to your kids about the crazies out there and explain the importance of staying WITH YOU.

(no he didn't get spanked. I couldn't breathe when I got in the car all I could do was hold him. I was so distraught. I don't remember the car ride home.) We sat him down this morning and talked about all the stuff that "bad ppl" do and he was scared to walk out the FRONT DOOR by himself today.

Last night he came in here and wrapped his arms around me and hugged me and gave me a big kiss and told me how sorry he was. (he saw how sad I was...and he felt terrible) I was up till 2 am. I couldn't go to sleep I stayed in this chair for hours. every time I layed down I felt sick. ugh.

ok. back to the circus. I don't wanna think about it anymore! happy thoughts!!!!!

Circus Videos Part 2

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

yep you guessed MORE TO COME!

Daddy got a close up of us 3.

awwwwww.....its almost time.

My baby sister (given I have ONLY one sister ...& 3 brothers) is about to have her first baby.

She is due tomorrow. I'm so excited. So anxious. I came across some old pictures on my computer the other night and I teared up. I was so young when I had Mason. But it was so easy. My mother couldn't come down to see me after he was born till Mason was 9 weeks old; but after taking this picture I didn't hold him for the entire day; (unless he needed to nurse of course). He was the sweetest calmest baby.
I pray my sister has an easy birth and a healthy baby. Her daughters name will be Riley Jean. Riley after Mason Riley and Jean after our our grandmother Doris Jean. Its a beautiful name. I'm honored that she chose it after Mason...something I chose that was so special to me.

Dez and Mason (13MO)

she has the touch. . . and the patience. . .soooooon enough. . . she'll have the baby!

This is US a just 3 weeks ago.

ME (left) Dez (right) {I was TOTALLY slouching!!!!!}

and yeah don't talk about my changing hair color look at hers!! lol

...

Heres another picture of us AFTER her babyshower (playing with her "nanny cam") that she claims she's TAKING WITH HER to the HOSPITAL, to ...get this.... to watch the nurses with her baby!!!!! {I love it!}

I'm so not incouraging her but its WONDERFUL that shes already that protective!

mama bear already coming out, ready to strike!

Inspired to Babble

A Cowboys Wife inspired me with her giveaway....to be entered for THIS giveaway all you had to do was go on THIS post

HOW TO ENTER??

"Leave a comment telling me what some of your favorite things are."

SOOO I proceeded....
favorite things? LOVE talking about myself. HA (no clicking and opening new tabs is a MAJOR plus in Bloggy Carnival!) k here goes...my favorite things are my kids...love watching them dance, watching them be free and play in the dirt and just be silly. I love the power of prayer. photography. family. my DOG. my daddy. (YEP daddies girl going on 26 years strong! whoot whooot!) bare back riding. chasing chickens for no reason but just to hear my kids squeal with excitement. riding motorcycles. dirtbikes. 4 wheelin and being able to do it better than most guys I know. mud boggin(ONLY if I'm driving). scrapbooking for HOURS on end. I love that I can dig in the dirt and know that what I put in will flourish and blossom! MY MAN- he can captivate ppl when we walk in a room by his mere presence. how outspoken I am. I love that my father taught me to stand up for others and never back down. laying out while blasting old music in my ipod. snowboarding. skiing. drinking a beer and eat fried chicken and not worry about where it goes. I love that I know how to fry a chicken.

I love that I know who I am and how I got here and these are some of my favorite things.

I added a few random pictures..I guess I could blog about some of these pictures huh? Like the gun pictures where taken a few days after Christmas. I got the privilege scare of a lifetime of teaching my best friend SUPER girly girl (along with her Marine fiances arsenal of guns) how to shoot a weapon.

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS

1.. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.


2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare ... you cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. ;-)

It's Christmas! HELLOOOOO You won't be doing this ON INDEPENDENCE DAY PPL!


3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat process!!


4. As for those mashed potatoes.... always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission. Go next door to the rum ball house!! (I personally use lots and lots of butter or "COUNTRY CROCK" margarine & Dukes mayo in mine right along with that whole milk). :-P



5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it.

Hello!?!

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.



7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.



8. .....Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you donʼt like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three.

When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards. ;-) ahh ha! I got cha!



10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember this motto to live by:


"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, martini in hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Ya'll know I'm full of laughs...so don't take this too seriously but DO enjoy your EATING! Because I know I will!!!

Have a great holiday season

**********


*That picture was taken after the first picture was BLURRY and I screamed that my arms were gonna fall OFF!*

See how concerned my kids were?
NOTE that mommy has been pretty much house/bed ridden for 2 months and that I shouldn't be holding kids! (OR outside) SO YES today and yesterday my arms feel as if they're gonna FALL OFF!

They say its your birthday.....

The best thing about having a birthday and being a mommy is waking up with your five year old kissing you and saying

"Its time to sing you Happy Birthday Mommy"

When I got up he told me to go into his room an

"WELAX till sissy gets up"

Then he gave me my card that he had made an envelope for. ALL while I was sleeping. He came in the room....got an envelope out of the drawer, went back to his room and got his construction paper and crayons out and made it all for me. WITHOUT making a sound. :-D He is so grown up. I can't believe he'll turn 6 next week!! He also put some of his change in the envelope so I could buy myself something nice. :-D

...THEN when Terri got up he went and let her crib down so she could get out....THEN he went and got her and juice box while I started breakfast...


THEN (yes he went on all day pampering mommy) he washed the dishes for me....

THEN while I took my shower he got the scotch tape and four sheets of contruction paper and wrapped my present. (which was the mommy and baby gorilla set I got him when we went to Knoxville Zoo 2 1/2 years ago.) :-D


Daddy cleaned today while mommy and the kids lounged around like bums. (I had a sore throat)
Then he snuck off to the store and picked up some hamburger meat and THIS CAKE. Yes that is REALLY what my cake said. (NO Mason can't read yet.) ...and Yes we call each other stupid.

You know you've really matured when you can have a cake fight with your kids and have more fun than they do. :-P I told Mason that the flowers on the cake smelled like strawberries....HE FELL FOR IT!! Then Terri snuck up and tried to lick the cake off the table and then....I GOT HER>>>and it wouldn't be fair for ME not to smell the cake too!!

A LONG overdue dinner date with my dad

Yep! I got him out of the house! For those of you that don't know, my father is a hermit. I'm talking leaves for groceries and take out type of hermit. Straight out and RIGHT BACK IN the house he goes. I think the last time he and myself got out of the house was more than 5 years ago. Mason was an infant.

So its long overdue yes, but the conversation was inevitable. Happy Birthday was the reason to get out (mine) but we had to "talk". Sooner or later you have to sit your PARENT down and ask...."what do you want me to do when you die?" Not a conversation I've wanted to have but again...inevitable. :-/ EEEEK! My father might not look like it but he is tough. I'm talkin...biker daddy from way back, long ponytail (until about 2 years ago) tattoo'd up, budweiser drankin, winston smokin...don't say something your gonna regret type of daddy. WHY MEE? Why can't my big brother have this talk with him? WHY ME? oh yeah thats right....I'm here....

I pumped myself up before we ate...I'm talking completely pshyc'd myself out....then ordered him a beer then me one. Let him vent for a while and then I said daddy I love you...what do you want me to do when you die. {[sometimes its easier to just RIP THE BANDAID OFF!!]}

his response? "idk...but me in a box...no cremate me ...and send me up the river"

"WHAT? what river?" ****IT daddy I'm being serious!!!

oh I don't care....I'll be dead. AHHHHHHHHHH!!! So thats how it went. lol

I did get him to agree to make a will and a power of attorney and yaddi yaddi yahh but we'll see if it takes him another 5 years to get out of the house for that.

**The reason I worry about my father is not only because he is poor health now, but I see him getting worse everyday. I know hes had some minor heart attacks along with his back and the doctor telling him a month ago that inphazema has already set in. :-( so ... an idea of what river would be nice!**

Where do these kids get these faces from?

OH THATS WHERE! (::snickering::)

I go through my picasa albums and have to LOOK to find pictures where our children aren't making ridiculous (but SO adorable) faces! BUT the other day Mason snapped this one of me. hmmm..guess I know where they got it from huh? OR maybe it was from...

Yardsale Extravaganza!

All of this for less than 40 dollars! YEP! Thats including lunch for the day.

One of my best finds was THIS for $4.00!! Thats a $60+ value! whoo hoo!

So I snuck off and picked out....THIS lit'l beauty. (Sleeping on her back ...too cute!) Surprise Mason! :o) He named her Molly. Molly MO!


Nicholas was happy with all my great finds too!

Later on we headed to my next door neighbors church outreach. Fun. Lots of...fun. Food, games and I won a DVD player! :o)

Clint kept Terri so Mandie and myself only had...1,2....3, 4, 5...yeah 5 kids. (Tookie was with his Daddy too)

It was HOT out!

So of course me and Mandie had to get a picture together. Too bad I look like a bobble head!

Oh JOY! Mommy Gets a Break To CLEAN!

After Masons T-ball game this morning [9 am games...grrrrr] my father kidnapped my son. figuratively. Oh sooo Typical.

If you don't know then now you do...Mason and Paw-Paw go together like "peas and carrots" or like bees and honey or nuts and bolts. They are as "thick as thieves". :-)

This gave me a break. A break to come home and CLEAN. Don't get me wrong my house is nice and tidy. But its SPRING now so its time for that DEEP CLEAN!

I try to do my regular cleaning during the week and devote a couple of hours each Saturday to do that Spring-Cleaning.

This week I got my Kitchen Done. HERE Is a spring clean checklist for different rooms of your house.

Of couse I didn't go to this before I cleaned. I walked though my house with a good old fashioned paper and pencil and wrote what I wanted to do in each room. Then I jotted it down on my dry erase board. Room by Room. Time to clean.

Task accomplished and time taken....

Cleared off cabinets and scrubbed (30 minutes).

Took down my blinds and sprayed them off along with a vinegar treatment. (30 minutes)

Cleaned my oven. (10 minutes) [I don't have to use the oven clean setting b/c I have foil liner for the bottom of my oven!!! That can be recycled! ]

Clean the microwave (2-3 minutes). [doing this weekly cuts back on time]

Wiped down the pantry doors front and backs (10 minutes)

Scrubbed my kitchen floors (45 minutes) (I mop once a week. But this has to be done on white floors)

Empty and clean the insides of the silverware drawer(5 minutes).

Base boards(15 minutes)

Ceiling Fan (5 minutes)

Cleaned my wash room sliding doors (10 minutes)

Did sink cleaning "101"(15minutes)

Wiped down my refriderator top, front and side(10minutes)[cleaned it out last week]

TOTAL TIME SPENT: 3 hours and about 8 minutes. :-/ whooo hooo

Whose up for coming to my place and eating off the floors? KIDDING!

Join me if you'd like. Let me know what kind of progress your making with your spring cleaning.

Who knows Mason and Terris Mom might have a prize to the winner of the most deep cleaned crib! ;-O

<br/><a href="http://masonterri.blogspot.com/2008/04/oh-joy-mommy-gets-break-to-clean.html"><img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q229/Bartlett_bucket2/SPRING_clean.gif" /></a><br/><br/>

Moms need a night out too

When good ideas go very wrong!

Scenario:
Two hungry mommies, two hungry babies, no energy to cook, two car seats and the road!

Problem:
Friday night restaurants are always busy, ONE baby missed their nap, oh yeah on FRIDAYS ALL RESTAURANTS ARE BUSY.

Brilliant idea of the night goes tooooooo MANDIE!!

But my stomach was growling and I was NOT complaining....much.

I'm a **BIT** hypoglycemic so if I don't eat I get ill, or sick, or well you get the point. That is one of the effects of my Type 2 Diabetes. Fun Fun I love GESTATION!!! :-) rambling....sorry

So we get to the mexican restaurant and SHOULD'VE JUST PULLED ON OVER TO THE McDONALDS drive around the parking lot for NO LIE 15 minutes.

NOT FUN

Terri got inside and DECIDED SHE WAS READY TO LEAVE RIGHT THEN. [SHE was the napless toddler btw.]

ISSUE SOLVED:
After we got our cheese dip we had NO more problems. Thats my girl go for the cheese. :-)

Mandie and Tristan.

Terri and myself.

Vacation DONE!

I waited an extra day to post....a day to soak in the madness. Our kids went CRAZY when they woke up to find mommy and daddy home. I had two leeches stuck to me most of the day.

I'm so thankful for the (short) vacation that Clint and myself got to spend together. Even though we went to bed early each night and acted like 50 year olds instead of 25 year olds. Its amazing what waking up to the sunrise, walking on the beach, and going out to eat will do for a man and woman. Kinda like a marriage revival. Its so nice to have some alone time.

My husband WOKE ME UP on Friday morning at 6:30. YIKES!! This is the man that will sleep untill 1pm if he has the day off. SO do you want to laugh? Want to see me FIRST THING IN THE MORNING FRESHLY OPENING MY EYES? (*WARNING*) you might be terrified! lol

We went to Garden City, right below Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The weather was soooooo nice. HOT! Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Here are a few picture of me and the hubby. Nothing fancy. Enjoy.

Clint a.k.a. the Shark Whisperer




Tell me why this was so funny. We kept seeing it. (It took about the 3rd or 4th time seeing it to take the plunge and get Clint to "try it on.")