Just Plain Blessed

Start saving that money folks.....

2010-04-24T19:24:00.002-04:00

For bail. Please.

The other day, I had to run an errand. I left Noah at the house with a sitter. I asked him to do his homework while I was gone.

When I returned, he had indeed done his homework. He had also completed the check off list in his agenda. This is supposed to be done by the parent and initialed by said parent.

He proudly held it up to me and said "I went ahead and did this for you mommy. You know, so you won't have to. See. I put the check mark fingy (thingy) by Read Book and Math Sheet and I put the RS with the little circle around it"

Yep. The RS with the little circle just happens to be how I sign my initials. He had copied them almost exactly.

So. Save your money.

Our little 7 year old is well on his way to a life of crime.

Forging documents.

The Field Trip.....

2010-02-06T12:53:00.017-05:00

Yesterday, we went downtown to the Sottile Theatre. It was a field trip for the first graders at the school Noah attends.

We had the privilege of seeing "The Velveteen Rabbit" performed by the Robert Ivy ballet. It was lovely, touching and wonderfully sweet.

Side note: The previous day, Noah had informed us that this was going to be "Boring!" and "ballet is for Girls"! (to be said in your most venomous voice in order to get the full effect)

So. Armed with that information, Poppy, Nonna and I loaded into the car to follow the buses to the theatre. Poppy drove. I just heard a gasp from all of those who have ridden with Poppy. Really, it wasn't that bad. He only ran 7 yellow lights, 2 red lights, ran 3 cars off the road and almost hit 1 pedestrian......but by golly he never lost sight of the bus that had his "little buddy" in it! I'm just kidding Dad. It wasn't nearly as bad as I had expected. There really weren't any pedestrians in danger....much.

Anyway, back to the ballet. I was anxious to see how horribly tortured Noah was going to be during this "boring, girlish" performance. The lights went low, the curtain rose and Noah sat completely still.

Did you hear me people? NOAH SAT STILL!!! With his little mouth open. Catching flies. During the entire first act. And he didn't make a peep! Did you HEAR ME? NOT A PEEP! I'm almost certain that I heard angels sing....

During the pause between the first and second acts of the play, one of the children loudly applauded.

Yep. It was Noah.

I quietly explained that while it was very nice of him to show his appreciation for the performance, it wasn't' finished yet. He said "Oh." and continued quietly watching the show. No argument, just "Oh." (I'm positive this time, the angels sang)

During the rest of the play, there was a little bit of fidgeting and flopping from Noah but for the most part, he did pretty good. Towards the end of the story, the plot thickens when the doctor gives an order that all the child's toys be burned to ensure the destruction of any remaining scarlet fever germs. The velveteen bunny is then put in a pile to be burned the following day. At this point in the performance a child from the audience said in a very loud voice "That's NOT NICE!"

Yep. It was Noah.

"Yes honey, I know it's not nice but it's also not nice to talk during a performance and if you absolutely must, please whisper"

"but I......"

And so the argument began. It ended very quickly though when I said "Just HUSH and watch the rest of the play!"

Even though he may have applauded at an inappropriate time, made commentary a little too loudly, his actions made sense for this not quite 7 year old boy. He was paying attention. He enjoyed the performance in the first act. He understood that there was an injustice about to happen to the rabbit and by golly, that's just NOT NICE!! He was paying attention.

He was paying attention.

Maybe watching and enjoying a ballet isn't just for girls. Maybe it isn't so boring after all.

All in all, he did OK.

The bus ride back to school, not so much....

I didn't hear any more angels singing the rest of the day.......I miss them.

**sigh**

Gonna change the name......

2010-02-03T21:25:00.002-05:00

Ok. I know. It's been a year or so since my last post. Let me explain.....
The new title for this blog is going to be....(drumroll please)........

Just Plain Sick and Tired of Feelin Sick and Tired and exactly HOW LONG DOES MENOPAUSE LAST ANYWAY?!!!!!

Any questions?

K.

Didn't think so.

Love Y'all

Never knew fire could be so cool......

2009-01-03T13:48:00.012-05:00

Yesterday Noah, Gene and I went to the North Charleston Fire Museum. This place is really REALLY cool! It has fire fighting equipment from back in the 1800's, a play area for the kiddos, Charleston history, lots and lots of fire trucks and quite a few inter-active areas. It really was a good place for all ages and I recommend it to everyone in the area. Here are a few pics from our outing. Just walkin' around......takin' it in.

Playing the fire tool match up game.

Noah and daddy trying to lift the 100 lbs of equipment and protective gear a fireman has to carry!

Noah was very fascinated by a short film about fire safety (in the background). We watched it together as a family twice, just Noah and I once and finally when mom and dad would no longer sit through it......he plopped down outside the viewing area and watched it by himself!

This is daddy studying on how to become an arsonist....um, I mean learning about arson..yeah, that's right.

Oh yeah. I was there too. Why did we all dress in red? We kind of blended in with all the trucks!

Y'all in the Charleston area.......GO. It's a good outing. Really. Go. STOP READING AND GO!

NOW!

2009

2009-01-01T18:28:00.005-05:00

I've heard it said that whatever you do on New Years Day, beginning at 12:00 a.m. and throughout the day, will be what you do all year. I heard this about 10 years or so ago. Since then I have kept that in mind and really tried to do something fun or relaxing on January 1st. I never ever did anything remotely "unfun" like housework, laundry or cleaning out the refrigerator......ewwww. I mean, who wants to do housework the rest of the year.....

I can't really say that this little superstition has rung true in past years but just in case, I decided to do some things different this first day of 2009. At midnight, I kissed my husband and my little boy then wished them a Happy New Year. Shortly after that I read little guy a nice long bedtime story, got lots of snuggles, said prayers and kissed him goodnight (I normally do this anyway.Wouldn't miss it!) . I then finished a load of laundry, started the dishwasher, fed the turtles and headed for bed. I got comfy or as comfy as you can get with a kitten on your chest, read my book for a short while, told my sweet honey goodnight and drifted off. I had a wonderful night's rest, a full 8 hours, and woke up feeling really good.

This morning I did relax for a little while, reading in bed and talking with my husband but then I got moving. I talked to mom, cooked breakfast (ham and cheese omelets), talked on the phone with a good friend, peeled and sectioned a whole bag of grapefruit so it didn't spoil and go to waste. I emptied the dishwasher, did more laundry, played with Noah, fixed lunch.. cheddar sausages for the guys and I had my leftovers from dinner out last night, did more laundry and de-boned the leftover turkey. I did a quick clean out of the refrigerator (not thorough but good enough until I have the time to really get in the crevices), read email, checked in on a few friends, talked to my pops, played a couple of games, did more laundry, and cooked dinner. Before going to bed tonight, I WILL do another load of laundry, clean up the kitchen, load and start the dishwasher, wash pots pans and other misc items, bathe the boy, read a bed time story, feed the turtles, head for bed, do bible study and quiet time, get comfy with a kitten on my chest, read, talk with my sweet honey and drift off.........

This New Years Day, I did what I want to be doing in 2009. I did the things that needed done, things that should have been done plus a few things I wanted to do. I think that's a nice balance. I believe that is what God expects of me this year. To take care of my family and friends. To take care of myself. To get things done. To serve.

I think I'm gonna like 2009.

What did you do today?

9 on the 9th

2008-10-09T16:54:00.004-04:00

Mrs N. hosts a nifty little meme over at her place, All That Naz. So I decided my 9 would be on music. Specifically hymns. I especially love hymns in four part harmony. You know, good ole quartet singin. The blue-grassier the better! The church we attend does mostly praise songs. I do love praise songs. In fact, my next 9 on the 9th post will probably be my favorite praise songs. For today, 9 of my favorite old hymns......

1. Have a Little Talk With Jesus - Cleavant Derricks
2. I'll Fly Away - Albert E. Brumley
3. O Come, Angel Band - William B. Bradbury
4. Where the Soul Never Dies - Wm. M. Golden
5. It Is Well With My Soul - P. P. Bliss Horatio Spafford wrote the words. Read his story here. It's incredible! (this is my father's favorite too)
6. He Leadeth Me - William B. Bradbury
7. Christ the Lord Is Risen Today - Charles Wesley
8. Must I Go And Empty Handed - Charles C. Luther
9. Amazing Grace - John Newton

I didn't mean to be gone this long.....promise!

2008-10-06T16:40:00.010-04:00

You people are getting on my nerves. I mean, can't a girl have a little ole pity party/feeling useless celebration/miniature breakdown/depression packed 6 weeks in peace? Seriously, what is with all the "You haven't updated your blog lately, is everything ok?" or "You never go this long without updating your blog, what's wrong?" or some of you are even going behind my back and asking my mom! REALLY people.......thanks.

The last six weeks haven't been as bad as I made them sound but they have been busy and somewhat emotionally trying.

First off, Noah started school. Little man is in Kindergarten. And I only sobbed a very short time.....that day. Ya see, for the past 5 years or so, my MAIN purpose was taking care of little man. I mean for the most part, I spent the majority of my time with him. On the first day of school, he excitedly got out of the car, walked into those big gaping doors and that school swallowed my baby whole. He didn't even look back, the little brat! I missed him TONS more than he missed me and boy howdy, that's just wrong! I mean, maybe if he had just grabbed hold of my leg wailing loudly, and I had to scrape him off with a crow bar then maybe it wouldn't have been so bad, but darn it people, he was just fine! I'm just kiddin. I'm glad it wasn't traumatic for him and I'm glad he likes school it was just that, well, by golly, now what do I do?

Seriously, what do I do from 7:30 a.m. to 2:05 p.m. every day? I volunteered at the school but they had not called me yet. MOPS had not started for the season yet. Bible study had not started back yet. I certainly didn't want to clean house, it just gets dirty again in a couple of days then you just have to do it all over....talk about frustrating! So that's where the pity party came into play. I actually thought about home schooling him but soon realized that it would be pretty selfish to take him from an environment he was thriving in, just to make me feel useful! Aren't ya'll proud of me. I did a grown up thing.

So, I had myself a couple of weeks of feeling un-necessary, wallowing in self-pity and just pretty much making myself miserable. Then, something wonderful happened. I went to a meeting at the school and volunteered again. They put me to work that very day. I now spend every Tuesday working in the teacher's work room doing stapling, copying, laminating, die cutting, book making, and of course, cutting. I get to use my spiritual gift of scissors! How cool is that? Not only that but I get to eat lunch in the "cafataria" (Noah's pronunciation) with little man. But wait.......it gets better! I have been getting quite a few cake orders, I have done some work at the church with random office stuff and preschool dept. stuff, every Saturday has been busy with something, I volunteered with the Franklin Graham Festival which involved a Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, I spend Thursday mornings at Bible Study, most Fridays doing MOPS stuff and for the love of Pete, somebody make it stop!

Just kidding. There for a while, I was a bit overwhelmed. Going from being completely useless to not being able to catch my breath was rough. Everything has calmed down now and I am feeling useful once again.

There is another benefit from being at the school at least once a week. I get to see first hand how the school and it's staff perform. I. Am. Impressed.... and I am relieved. I think part of my problem, was worrying about how Noah was doing. Was he being taken care of. Were they giving him attention. Let me just say, I love they way they "do school" there. I love Noah's teachers. I KNOW they are taking care of him. For instance, Noah was getting "sad" at nap time because he was missing me. His teacher, Mrs. Coates, moved his nap spot to behind her chair so she could talk with him and rub his back until he settled down. She cares. I needed to know that.

In addition to all that, we had four additions to the Smith clan. Fluff had her kittens and they are so darn cute! Three of the four will be heading to new homes in the next week or so. sniff sniff. Keep me in your prayers. Most of ya'll know about my Elly Mae Clampett gene. It makes up a large part of me so I'm pretty sure I will not do well with our babies leaving. *insert sobbing here*

As a side note, my husband has been wonderful through all this. I'm sure there have been moments that he would have liked to trade me in for a more stable model. Thanks for putting up with me honey. You are the best!

Well folks, I will try not to let too much time lapse before my next post. I just know the six of you are waiting by your computers all day just chomping at the bit for me to ramble on.....

Love ya'll....mean it!

Great Newses..(newses: plural - more than one great news item)

2008-08-15T11:47:00.005-04:00

Ok. I'm making up words but I have a good reason. I have not ONE but TWO pieces of really great news.

Great news #1. Noah's biopsy results came back. It is Psoriasis. That is good news. The Dr. is changing his treatment. That is GREAT news. He still has some steroid medication but it is much lower in strength. Hopefully this new combination of medicine will clear up those aggravating dots! (dots is what Noah calls them)

Great news #2. My cousin Bill and his wife April are gonna have a BABY!! We are so very excited for them. Her due date is, well what else....April. They have started a baby blog here: http://shortymcguire.blogspot.com/ I am hoping for a girl since I am surrounded by all this testosterone! I would love to purchase something pink!!

God is Good!

9 on the 9th, on time this time.....

2008-08-09T20:01:00.002-04:00

My nine favorite things to do..... not in any specific order of importance...

1. Read to Noah
2. Talk with Gene
3. Read
4. Spend time with ALL my family/Friends
5. Play games....just about any kind
6. Cook/Bake/Decorate Cakes
7. Scrapbook/Cross Stitch
8. Go to the movies (wish it wasn't so darn expensive!)
9. Worship @ Riverbluff

hmmmmm.
Notice that "clean house" and "yard work" aren't listed.....
guess that explains why my house needs cleaning and the yard needs work.....
go figure.

Variety is the Spice of Life.....

2008-08-04T14:25:00.012-04:00

Or in this post....spice is the variety of life. I love different spices. I am especially fond of garlic, oregano, parsley, basil, cinnamon, ginger, paprika, cumin and certainly salt and pepper.

There seems to be certain spices that are relatively unknown until someone starts promoting them and then POW, it's everywhere. It's almost like a designer handbag. All of a sudden, everyone HAS to have it...or put it in their food. The spice I am referring to is cilantro.

And I can't stand it.

Everyone I know seems to love it. I think it is harsh and bitter. I can take one bite of a dish and tell that it has cilantro in it. It literally makes my stomach turn.

Isn't that strange that one person can love the taste of something and another despise it.

Woooo. Such deep thoughts.

yawn.

Sorry if I bored you. I almost fell asleep typing......zzzzzzzzzzz.

Anyway, this week's menu, sans cilantro is as follows:

Monday - Baked chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn

Tuesday - Spaghetti with meat sauce

Wednesday - Scalloped potatoes with ham, peas, beets

Thursday - Pot roast, rice and gravy, carrots, spinach, apple salad

Friday - Fried Pork chops, mac and cheese, cabbage, green beans

While I'm thinking about it, I'm gonna do next week's menu too. My, how ambitious of me.....

Monday - Marinated chicken tenders, sesame rice, zucchini and onions, mandarin orange salad

Tuesday - Country fried steak, rice and gravy, green beans, corn

Wednesday - Fish Cakes, tater tots, peas, beets, fruit salad

Thursday - Pork roast, hash brown casserole, collards, candied carrots

Friday - Chicken enchiladas, re fried beans, salad

Also, I am going to try to make more homemade deserts instead of "store bought".

I will make 2 or 3 a week and if we run out before the end of the week.....so be it. With 4 fellas in the house, cookies disappear VERY fast. If I want any, I hide them. I'm just sayin.....

This week I am going to make brownies. When they are gone, I will make a peach cobbler. (the way brownies evaporate in this house, I will probably be making the cobbler about an hour after the brownies come out of the oven) After the cobbler will be chocolate chip cookies. When those are gone......no more til next Monday.

The next week's deserts will be.......

Chocolate cupcakes w/ peanut butter frosting

Angel food cake with sliced strawberries

Rice Krispie Treats

Well, that's it. I hope I have given the six of you some good meal/desert ideas and maybe made your mouth water just a bit.........slurp.

Pretty Darn Close..........

2008-08-02T16:53:00.001-04:00

Well. The Smith's bit the bullet and went shopping at the W-mart place for school supplies. For those not privy, this weekend is "tax free" for school related items. Mr. Smith practiced his shoving and pushing abilities on an old football training dummy we have stored in the back yard.....just kidding. We don't have one of those things.....football training dummy. We do have a back yard. Anyway, off we went.
We got clothes and supplies for Kevin and sniff sniff....Noah. **insert uncontrollable sobbing here**
When we got to the register, I said to Mr. Smith....."this is going to be $300.00".

It wasn't.

It was $299.71. Only .29 off!

AM I GOOD OR WHAT!!
I have super hero powers!
You can just call me the "Human Calculator" from now on.

ok.
nevermind.
It was just a lucky guess. It did feel kinda good to look like I was really smart for a change.

What a Brave Little Man.....

2008-07-28T18:49:00.004-04:00

Thank you all for your many prayers. They were most certainly felt and appreciated.

I just want you to know that we have the bravest little boy ever! It was obvious that during the biopsy, he felt some discomfort. He did ask a few times if the "pinching" was done. Or, how many more times am I gonna have pinches? So, even though he felt something he DID. NOT. CRY. NOT ONE TEAR!! We are all very proud of our brave little man!

He has only one stitch that will be removed in a couple of weeks. We should get the results around that same time and we will let you know when we find out.

Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. Ya'll are the very best.

Could I ask for some prayers?

2008-07-25T19:37:00.005-04:00

I am sorry I have been absent for a while. Seems it is either feast or famine. I either have a lot to say but no time to say it or nothing to say and all the time in the world. Go figure. It seems it has been a little of both the last week or so.

One thing on my mind is this..... Little man went back to the dermatologist yesterday. (I was with him, I had to drive) Anyway, for those that may not know, he has some skin issues.

The original diagnosis was Childhood Psoriasis. When he was first diagnosed, he had just turned 4 and the Doctor was pretty sure his diagnosis was accurate. He said he could not be 100% positive without doing a biopsy and since Noah was so young, he didn't want to do one as it would be painful and the treatment would most likely be the same no matter what the diagnosis.

He is now 5 1/2 and still having flare ups. In fact, this last one is really bad. The treatment has been topical steroids. The worse the flare ups get, the stronger the meds need to be.

Everything you hear about steroid use is true, even with topical. It messes with his sleep pattern, makes him puffy, he is hungry all the time, and has emotional issues. Anyway, the doctor now wants to do the biopsy mainly to make a definite diagnosis and make sure we are on the right track in treatment.

I understand that.

I "get" that at this point it is necessary.

I am confident in the Doctor and I know he is going to do everything to make sure this procedure is as pain free as possible. But my heart just hurts for my little guy. I wish I could just offer up my body, tell the Doc to cut off whatever he needs just DON'T get near my guy with anything sharp! I know this isn't possible. I just don't want Noah to hurt.....at all.....ever.

A biopsy may not seem like a big deal to some of you. I guess when looking at the big picture, it really isn't a big deal, especially to those kids/parents suffering with cancer and other life threatening illnesses. I have always said that if Noah had to be afflicted with something that I am grateful that it is a minor skin issue. We are blessed. I know that.

Being this concerned/upset/anxious/unsettled and yes, worried about the unknown seems so silly when you think about what God did for us........How could he stand seeing His Son in such pain.

How did he bare it.

I am so grateful.

I am so blessed.

No more leaks and I have a squirty thingy.......

2008-07-15T16:22:00.005-04:00

No, I am not talking about potty training boys......although the title fits. I am talking about my kitchen faucet. With my old faucet, you had to hold your tongue right, stand on your head and cluck like a chicken to get it to completely turn off. If you didn't get it in the right position, drip, drip, drip......

AND, my squirty spray thingy didn't work. In fact that was the first thing to go (about 6 or 7 years ago) and I just learned to get along without it. Never even gave it another thought until........my WONDERFUL hubby purchased us a new faucet and installed it.

Had you been peeping in my window, you may have seen me go in the kitchen, turn on the water for no apparent reason just to turn it off again and watch it ....not drip. I may have also been seen using the spray thingy for things that didn't necessarily need spraying. I am a happy girl. It doesn't take much folks. Not much at all.

This is a picture of the old faucet. Please note the corrosion around the center and base. Also please note that the round middle piece kept popping off and the base leaked as well. Notice the small puddle dripping down into the sink. I left the dirty dishes where they were for dramatic effect......

This is hubby patiently explaining to me that this is most certainly NOT blog fodder and under no circumstances should it appear on my blog.

I ignored that.

Please note his furry helper behind him.....

TAAA DAAAA!! A pretty shiny new kitchen faucet that does not leak and has a functional squirty thingy.

Happy girl.....

Monday Menus and New England in Autumn.......

2008-07-14T10:23:00.007-04:00

I have noticed that I do a lot better if I post a weekly menu. I don't always follow it perfectly, but I'm usually close. It really does help keep me on track so, Monday Menus are back. They also keep my husband from harassing....er, asking me "What's for dinner?" (just kidding honey, you really don't harass me...much)

Monday: Marinated pork chops, rice pilaf, green beans, beets (beets are for me as no one else in this house will touch them)

Tuesday: Chicken New England***, egg noodles, peas, carrots

Wednesday: Spaghetti with meat sauce, salad, garlic bread

Thursday: Pork roast, rice and gravy, corn, green beans

Friday: BBQ smoked sausage, mashed potatoes, spinach

***Chicken New England is my version of a chicken dish I had in Vermont (I think) during a New England vacation. My folks took me on this vacation when I was in my early 20's. We went during Autumn. It was beautiful, it was fun, and it was filled with good memories. If you have never seen the New England states in Autumn, GO!! There really are places that are breath-taking.

Basically the chicken dish is boneless chicken breast, wrapped in dried beef then baked in a very yummy sauce and served over egg noodles. If anyone just HAS to have the recipe, let me know and I will get it to you.

Ya'll have a good week and Happy Cooking!

I totally forgot......

2008-07-10T22:18:00.002-04:00

I forgot about the 9 on the 9th that my friend Mrs N. started last month! I KNEW I would loose track of time.....I just KNEW it! Since some things are better late than never, here I go:

9 of my very favorite movies not in any specific order:

1. Steel Magnolia's - I can quote most lines in this movie. I have seen it more than 20 times and if I watched it again tonight, I would laugh and cry....again.
2. Terms of Endearment - I can quote most lines in this movie. I have seen it more than 20 times and if I watched it again tonight, I would laugh and cry.....again.
3. Tombstone - LOVE Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday!
4. Practical Magic - a weird twist on a love story.
5. Jungle Book - come on......who doesn't like singin "bear necessities" at the top of their lungs?
6. Men in Black - I laughed until soda came out of my nose.
7. Independence Day - Call me weird but I really like Jeff Goldblum
8. Platoon - Broke my heart.
9. Pretty Woman - I just like it ok!

Next month I will try to be on time!!

I love family reunions......

2008-07-07T14:56:00.011-04:00

Hi there youse guys! How ya been? We Smith's have been pretty busy lately. We spent a little under a week in Tennessee for a family reunion. It was wonderful to see those we had not seen in a while and to see some I had never seen! It was really cool to finally put a face to the names of those that mom and dad remembered fondly from their growing up years. We stayed at our favorite hotel......Aunt Jan's house. She ALWAYS makes us feel at home and takes very good care of us. She usually spoils me with my favorite cake and let me just say, it was YUM!

We always have a great time with family and this was no different. Our time was mostly spent with fellowship, laughter and most certainly, food.

Thursday: After a short stop at the Charlotte airport to pick up a hitch-hiker... ummm I mean, Aunt B, we arrived at our hotel. Most had arrived and we had a great time catching up....and eating. As a side note. Our time at the airport was not wasted. Noah took the time to "train" Poppy, Daddy and Aunt B on proper escalator procedure.

Friday: Those that could met at a neat little place for a very yummy country breakfast. Again, filled with laughter and good conversation. Unfortunately, we had to say bye to Tina after that. She had a great excuse though. She is now finishing up her Master's Degree as we speak/as I write. I am very proud of her!

Shortly after that, Billy and April had to leave as well....sniff sniff. It was good to see all three of them even though it was shorter than I wanted...and we all know that it is ALL about me.

Gene, Pops and Uncle R. went to play some golf that morning. I'm glad they were able to work that in because they all enjoy it so. When they got home they acted as if they could have given Tiger a run for his money. Nice try but I know the real story....... folks, I saw the score card and it wasn't pretty. (this coming from a gal that really REALLY stinks at putt putt)

Later in the afternoon we headed out to Boone for dinner at the Dan'l Boone Inn. I can sum it up in one word.....holy-cow-that-was-as-good-as-I-remembered---YUMMY! Thanks once again to cousin D. He ducked out before everyone was finished, paid the bill and disappeared. VERY sneaky, VERY sweet and VERY much appreciated!

Saturday: The actual reunion at the park. Folks came from as far as Michigan to join the festivities. A good time was had by all. There was a playground that occupied the little ones. Many thanks to Gene for keeping an eye out for them so I could flit about and socialize.

OK. In the photo below, please note the extremely cool and handsome dude lurking behind the sign. After the reunion, he informed me that a few girls had given him phone numbers. I told him that was just fine as long as he didn't think he was actually going to call them!! By the way, they were not related to us but even if they were, according to a certain well known southern comedian, it is perfectly acceptable to pick up women at a family reunion. ;o)

We also had a very rare once in a lifetime occurrence. The picture below is of Noah and his Great-Great Aunts Hassie and Wilma. I normally don't post pictures without prior permission but I thought this would be ok. Golly I hope neither one of them are in the witness protection program.....

I have other wonderful pictures of my much loved Aunts, Uncles and cousins at the reunion but like I said, I don't really like posting pics of people without prior permission. If you were there and want to see yourself in print, let me know and I sure will post them!

Sunday: Aunt Jan out did herself with a huge and wonderful big breakfast....homemade gravy and biscuits, eggs, sausage, bacon, ham, fried taters, cooked apples.....I need to stop, I'm getting drool on the keyboard and I'm afraid I may electrocute myself...

The rest of the day was spent just lounging around and enjoying each other's company. I believe this is the day that Aunt B talked Noah into taking a picture of her toe.

Yes.

Her toe.

And yes.

He did.

He also took this picture of Nonna. Not bad for a 5 yr old!

Monday: Mom and Pops left to take Aunt B, the previously mentioned hitch hiker, to the airport. The Smith's stayed behind to take little man to Tweetsie for a special treat. We met my cousin's kids there and a great time was had by all. Nothing better for 4 and 5 year old boys than trains, cowboys, Indians and Can Can girls! Who could ask for anything more?

I must say that some wonderful memories were made. The days filled with talking and reminiscing and the evenings filled with sitting on the front porch, taking in the mountain air and catching fireflies. Again. Who could ask for ANYTHING more. Making memories with those you love........

Just dreamin......

2008-06-30T21:20:00.002-04:00

2008 edition of getting to know your friends. Do this - just like the others. However answer with what you WISH your answer could be, or just be silly.

1. What is your occupation? Head Forensic Specialist at Quantico

2. What color are your socks right now? Dark blue with yellow writing saying "FBI"

3. What are you listening to right now? My husband excitedly watching a Braves game on his 17 foot wall mounted HDTV

4. What was the last thing that you ate? The most wonderful Fillet made by one of my 3 personal chefs

5. Can you drive a stick shift? Honey, I can drive just about anything!

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Gold, of course dahling...

7. Women: Bra Size 34 C

8.Last person you spoke to on the phone? My publicist, about my latest best seller.

9. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Of course. Who doesn't love Rachel Ray?

10. How old are you today? 27

11. Favorite drink? Fresh spring water with a twist of imported key lime served in a chilled glass rimmed in gold.

12. What is your favorite sport to watch? Oh whatever, whenever. When you own box seats in every stadium in the nation, every game is a party!

13. Have you ever dyed your hair? I have a personal hair dresser that changes it at my every whim.

14. Pets? Yes, 1247 if you include my no kill shelter and wildlife refuge.

15. Last movie you watched? Since I have so many connections in high places, I see them all before they are even released.

16. Favorite Day of the year? April 15th

17. What do you do to vent anger? Go to my personal gym for a nice workout, massage and steam bath.

18. What was your favorite toy as a child? Oh. I didn't have toys. We were missionaries in the Congo. I had a panther to play with.

19. What is your favorite season? It doesn't matter since I own homes all over the globe. If the weather doesn't suit me, I just hop on over to one with a more "compatible" season.

20. Hugs or kisses? Both please!

21. Cherry or Blueberry? I'll have my secretary decide for me later.

22. Do you want your friends to email you back? If they would like to but since I have bought them all houses near me, we can just get together to chat about it.

23. Who is most likely to respond? Fergie - either one.

24. Who is least likely to respond? My cousin Tina. I think she is touring promoting her latest movie.

25. When was the last time you cried? When Angelina decided to have the twins in France instead of my personal compound.

26. What is on the floor of your closet? My closet has been specifically designed to never have anything on the floor. A place for everything and everything in its place. (I'm gonna get struck by lightning for that one!)

27. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? I could tell you but then I'd have to shoot you.

29. Who is the friend you have had the shortest that you are sending this to? I could tell you but then I'd have to shoot you.

30. Favorite smells? My freshly landscaped estate by my team of experts.

31. Who inspires you? Our military (this is true)

32. What are you afraid of ? Dust bunnies. (this is also true)

34. Favorite car? You know, I really miss the Pacer but I'll have to say anything that is armored.

35. Favorite cat breed? Panther

36. Number of keys on your key ring? I have staff that takes care of those things.

37. How many years at your current job? 8 (I was the youngest Head Forensic Specialist....ever)

38. Favorite day of the week? Every day is good when you are me.

39. How many states have you lived in? I have homes in all of them.

40. Do you think you're funny? Um....yes....duh!

And your point is.......

2008-06-18T19:13:00.003-04:00

UCLA STUDY (VERY INTERESTING & SHORT)

A study conducted by UCLA's Department of Psychiatry has revealed that

the kind of face a woman finds attractive on a man can differ depending

on where she is in her menstrual cycle.

For example: If she is ovulating, she is attracted to men with rugged

and masculine features. However, if she is menstruating, or menopausal,

she tends to be more attracted to a man with duct tape over his mouth

and a spear lodged in his chest while he is on fire.

No further studies are expected.

OK. I see absolutely nothing wrong in these findings........sounds pretty reasonable to me. Have I mentioned lately that I am menopausal?

Disclaimer: No husbands were harmed during this post. My husband is wonderful and this study is most certainly not directed at him. This was purely for entertainment purposes only.

Monday Menus and Random Thoughts.....

2008-06-16T18:10:00.007-04:00

Howdy. Did you have a good weekend? We had a good one. Had a great time celebrating Dad's and husbands. My pops is an awesome dad and my hubs is a fantastic dad and spouse. If you really want to know how I feel about pops just check this out. If you wanna read more about my terrific hubs just click here. Go ahead. I'll wait.

After church, we went to mom and pops and had a wonderful meal....mom is a really good cook ya know. We then just enjoyed each other's company for a while, played a couple of games with the little man. The only problem with playing games with him is that the rules often change to suit him. I'm not gonna say he cheats but ya know, if the shoe fits.....

Why is it that after you do yard work, your body gets mad? Ok. My body gets mad. It's not like I NEVER do yard work, it's just that I don't do it as often as I should. When I do, apparently I use muscles that I normally don't use during regular everyday living. It's like a vicious cycle. I do yard work. I hurt. I swear never to do yard work again. I feel guilty cause the yard needs work and I can't expect hubs to do it all. SO, I do yard work. I hurt. I swear never to do yard work again.......you get the idea. OH! And why oh why is it that if there are biting ants within a 5 mile radius, I will step in them? I now have 47 ant bites on my feet......ok. I only have 6.... but they hurt!!! By the way, we did yard work Saturday. That's what brought on this little rant, in case you were wonderin.

I just love critters. What brought that on you ask? Just lookin at the kitty, lookin at the turtles, still after all this time tryin to figure out how to get in that darn glass box! Also, we have rabbits in our neck of the woods. There are a couple that spend quite a bit of time in our yard. One of them is pretty big and solid white. For a while, no one had seen him but me. My bff started calling him Harvey and accusing me of imagining him. Well, since then, a number of people have seen Harvey and I even got a picture of him. So there! HA!

Ain't he cute?

Ok. On to menus.

Monday: Rabbit stew.......HA just kiddin. I couldn't get rid of sweet Harvey.

Monday: Stromboli (that I didn't cook last Friday)

Tuesday: Pork roast, rice and gravy, corn and green beans.....yawn.

Wednesday: Clean out the fridge night since we have plans with the family on Friday.

Thursday: Dinner with my Aunt and other family

Friday: Dinner on the town with the family.

Hope ya'll have a great week! Chat with ya later....

I Do Cakes.....

2008-06-13T15:50:00.002-04:00

A long time ago in a land far far away, I used to decorate cakes. Ok, it wasn't far far away but it was a long time ago. I did a lot of cakes. I did so many Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that I know their names, special colors and special weapons by heart without having to look it up....and I didn't have any kids of my own back then. I did so many cakes that I got very burnt out and didn't eat cake for 6 years. Ok, I lied. I did eat cake, but I didn't bake them or decorate them. Well, when Noah was born I started doing a few cakes here and there to include his birthday cakes (with the exception of his 2nd birthday cake which I purchased and have to this day not lived down). I am by no means a professional but I enjoy it and I try hard! I am going to post a few pictures, not because I want the six of you to say nice things, but because I have now had a few people ask me to. So here are a few of my favorites.........

A Slight Complication With Drying The Clothes.....

2008-06-13T15:37:00.002-04:00

Friday the 13th......

2008-06-13T10:41:00.002-04:00

Is anyone out there superstitious? I'm not. Never really have been. I have worked with people in the past that would NOT come to work on Friday the 13th. I kinda think it's silly. What do you think?
I thought it might be fun to do a top ten list of things people are superstitions about but I don't think I can think of that many. Can ya'll help?

1. Friday the 13th
2. Black cats crossing their path (I usually just pet them if they cross my path.....)
3. Walking under a ladder
4. Stepping on a crack
5. Throw salt over your shoulder after spilling it
6. I'm done.....help please.

I'm sure there are more out there. Help me out my friends!

Mass Confusion, Menus and Memes....

2008-06-09T16:34:00.002-04:00

So. Whatcha been doin? Well, shortly after I made my last post, the plague ripped through the Smith household. Little man started it and middle guy finished it 7 days later with the rest of us falling like domino's in between. It wasn't that sweet little 24 hour bug either. It was that big- honkin -48 -hour -(or more) runnin -to -the -bathroom-body- aching-wishin -you -could -just -pass -on bug. The good thing was the little man got over it very quickly and was his normal happy self the next day. The bad thing was the little man was his normal happy self during the time that his father and I were having our near death experiences. Poor little guy would come and shake me into the here and now to ask for something to eat. I would reply, "just a minute baby" and a short time later I would hear him scooting a chair over to the counter to help himself to a banana or apple. Fortunately Gene started doing better a few hours after I fell victim, so the little man only had to fend for himself for a few hours. Well, we all lived to tell our harrowing experiences and are none the worse for wear. On the plus side, I did loose a couple of pounds. That's always a good thing, right?
That was the mass confusion part of the title. Now onto menus.....

Monday - Spaghetti with meat sauce
Tuesday - Roast beef, rice and gravy, green beans and maybe squash souffle'
Wednesday - Busy busy busy- grab your own dinner -thanks!
Thursday - Pork chops, onion soup potatoes, peas
Friday - Pepperoni and Canadian bacon Stromboli (with leftover sauce from Monday), salad.

Ok. Now for the meme. Mrs N. over at All That Naz has started a new one. 9 on the 9th. The object is to create a list of any 9 things on the 9th of each month. She promised a reminder for us and that's a good thing because I don't do well with remembering dates and stuff. For instance, I think little man's birthday is somewhere near the beginning of the year but I'm not sure. JUST KIDDIN! I know when his birthday is........I'm pretty sure......I think. Anyway, if she will stick to the reminder, probably I will stick with the meme.....most likely. Ok. I'll try.

So, drum roll please for the very first, soon to be monthly, 9 on the 9th meme.

9 things that make me smile.....

1. Little man's hugs and kisses, even when he is dirty/gooey/and or sweaty.
2. My husband's sense of humor.
3. Watching the middle guy squirm under the glare of my hairy eyeball when he has done something he shouldn't have, or not done something he should have.
4. When the cat beats up the dogs.
5. Scrap booking with my friends.
6. Singing and spending time with my cousins.
7. Flirting with my husband.
8. Playing cards/games with my whole family at my Aunt's house.
9. When kids mispronounce words.

There you have it. More information than you ever wanted!
Chat with ya later......

Feelin' Better and getting my twisted sense of humor back.....

2008-05-26T17:46:00.003-04:00

Yes. My medication is beginning to work. The depression is starting to lift and other than a brand new scratchy throat and congestion, (not connected to the depression) I feel much better. I'm not all the way there by any means, but much better. Thanks for all your prayers and good thoughts. I appreciate them more than you will ever know.

One thing that I have noticed is that my sense of humor is getting back to it's twisted self. I am beginning to laugh much easier and it is for real, not forced. For instance, I was cleaning out my emails today and came across this cartoon:

Yes, I know Easter is over, but this has always made me giggle and today, it made me laugh out loud. So. What part of the chocolate bunny do you eat first?

MyPersonality.info Badge

2008-05-19T11:26:00.003-04:00

I am loved so much that it just might hurt.....

2008-05-17T21:25:00.003-04:00

While talking to my folks today at lunch, my mom said (quite sternly and using her mom voice) "DO NOT GO OFF YOUR MEDICINE AGAIN."
I then told her about the comment that my friend at Well Mannered Frivolity made after my last post:

"First off I want to give you a cyber hug and tell you that I love you and that I will be praying for you. Now for the mean part-If you ever decide to go off you meds again please let me know so I can thunk you on the forehead. :)"

My sweet mother then said....."Tell her she will have to stand in line to thunk you...and the line will be long"

Kinda makes me feel all mushy and gooey inside. My family and friends just oooooze love, don't they!

It will take a few more days for me to start feeling the affects of the medication but I am feeling a little better just knowing that I will start feeling better soon. Thanks for all your messages of love and friendship, your phone calls, and your prayers. I am just plain blessed.....

Explaination.....

2008-05-14T16:44:00.004-04:00

Some of you extra perceptive folk have noticed that I have not been entirely myself.....
You are correct. A while back, I went off my medicine (stupid) for clinical depression. I was diagnosed with CD about 20 years ago or so. Since that time I have been on and off different types of antidepressants. Some worked well, some.....not so much. Anyway, I started having symptoms a month or so ago and just chalked them up to other things. I was tired all the time - my reasoning, who wouldn't be tired with a very active 5 year old that doesn't sleep well? I wasn't sleeping well - my reasoning, it's just a symptom of menopause...no big deal.
You get the idea.
Then last week all my cute little symptoms gathered together to make me a big huge blubbering mess and *ding*, the light bulb went on. I knew I needed to get back on meds, and quick.
I saw my doc this morning (a quick shout out to mom and pops for staying with the boy so I could have some private time at my appt.....thanks a bunch!). She said that menopause and depression don't play well together and that is probably why it hit me so hard and quick this time. Anyway, I will be starting meds tonight and feeling better in no time. Until then, if you see me crying, or acting very stressed, or sitting in a corner sucking my thumb, pay me no mind....it will all be ok very soon!
OK. I take back the part about seeing me in the corner sucking my thumb....if you see that, get help! Thanks.

For those that may not really understand what this lovely illness is all about, I have included the possible symptoms. If you or someone you love has a lot of these symptoms or if you have thoughts of hurting yourself or someone else, please seek medical attention.
******note******If you are a parent of a teenager and sometimes want to wring their neck, probably this is not a sign of depression, just a sign that you are a parent of a teenager. However, if you find yourself actually reaching for their neck, STOP and get help.

Just FYI, the following symptoms that are in green are those I typically get. Yippee!

Clinical depression can present with a variety of symptoms, but almost all patients display a marked change in mood, a deep feeling of sadness, and a noticeable loss of interest or pleasure in favorite activities.
Other symptoms include:
Persistent sad, anxious or "empty" mood
Loss of appetite and/or weight loss or conversely overeating and weight gain
Insomnia, early morning awakening, or oversleeping
Restlessness or irritability (my family REALLY enjoys this one)
Psychomotor agitation or psychomotor retardation
Feelings of worthlessness, inappropriate guilt, helplessness
Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
Difficulty thinking, concentrating, remembering or making decisions (I usually get an extra dose of this one....it's one of my favorites!)***the previous statement is to be said dripping with snarky sarcasm***
Thoughts of death or suicide or attempts at suicide (I credit and thank God that I do not have this symptom. Because of His love, I always feel His comfort and I KNOW things will be ok.)
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed
Withdrawal from social situations, family and friends (I work REALLY hard not to do this. It's very tiring)
Decreased energy, fatigue, feeling "slowed down" or sluggish (Didn't I just admit in my last post that I was in a fog? Didn't I say I felt like I was running in mud? Didn't I?????)
Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive problems, and chronic pain
Decrease/Feeling in motor-speed (time seems to slow down) (Normally, I am late just every once in a while but I have been late to almost EVERY function in the last month, including church last Sunday! ARRRRRGGGGG)
Not all patients will suffer from every symptom. The severity of symptoms will vary widely among individuals. Symptoms must, however, persist for at least two weeks before being considered a potential sign of depression, with the exception of suicidal thoughts or attempts.[3][1]

If you also have this illness and need to talk to someone that understands, just shoot me an email and I will get in touch with you ASAP. Please know that you are not alone.........

Monday menus and other business.....

2008-04-28T17:53:00.003-04:00

Sorry about the week off. I hope no body was harmed because of me not posting a menu last week. I would hate to feel responsible for any family not being fed *insert silly grin here*.

We have been pretty busy here at the Smiff household. Lots of things going on but not much getting done! I sometimes feel as if I am trying to run in mud.....not that I really run all that much. I have a firm belief that one should only run if one is being chased by something very scary.....like a grizzly bear, or a mugger, or an angry mob, or a mutant swarm of bees.....well, you get the idea. I don't do running. Anyway, back to my feelings. I feel like I have been so very very busy but haven't accomplished a darn thing. Do you ever feel that way? I don't especially like it. I also feel as if I have been in somewhat of a fog. That isn't helping me accomplish much either. Oh well, I am pretty sure my family has had most of the required meals, I think...and they have clean clothes, most likely.......and they are all safe and happy.....ok, they aren't miserable....much.
I hope I recover from whatever it is that ails me soon so I can get back into enjoying life and accomplishing.......stuff! When you are saying your prayers, send one up for me if you don't mind. thanks.

On to menus:
Monday: Marinated pork chops, San Fran treat, green beans, corn
Tuesday: Cheddar sausages, baked beans, fruit salad
Wednesday: Baked chicken, baked red skin potatoes, carrots, spinach
Thursday: Ham, mac and cheese, green beans
Friday: Meatball stroganoff over noodles, peas, salad

There you have it.
You know what might be fun? How about, in honor of the upcoming Mom's day, let me know your favorite meal that your mom used to cook for you. Just post it in the comments section so we can all enjoy it! Thanks in advance for playing!!! I will let you know mine in my next post. OH the suspense...........

Babies! We have babies!!!

2008-04-23T17:42:00.005-04:00

RIGHT OUTSIDE OUR FRONT DOOR a mommy and daddy cardinal built a nest in the bush/tree thingy. The nest is right in my line of vision. I can look out the side windows by our front door and clearly see mommy in her nest. I do have to get closer to see our babies. Triplets! We have triplets!!!!!! Can ya'll tell that I am excited? So far, mommy trusts me. I have gotten very close to her and she just blinks her beautiful black eyes at me but doesn't move a muscle. I have half expected her to attack but she hasn't. I think she sees me with "the boy" and maybe understands that I am a mommy too. (ok. maybe that is just what I want to believe)Who knows what goes on in that little birdy brain of hers. Heck. Maybe she just can spot someone with a very large "Elly Mae Clampett" gene and instinctively knows I just love critters and would never cause her and her babies harm. Or maybe she has even seen me gently capture a spider/moth/lizard/tree frog, and release them back into the wild. Ok. Wild may have been an over exaggeration. I release them into our front yard. Anyway.....PICTURES....I HAVE PICTURES!!!!!!!

Somebody FEED ME!!!!!!!!!!

YOU are NOT my MOMMY!!!!!!!!!!

Can't. Stop. Naming. Colors. Help. Please......

2008-04-22T20:03:00.009-04:00

Corrections and additions.......

2008-04-22T16:47:00.005-04:00

I was reminded that Saturday's wedding was not Noah's first wedding. He did attend my cousin's wedding when he was 3 (almost 4). He did not behave as well at that wedding and had to be escorted out.........he spent most of the wedding in the car being advised on proper wedding etiquette by his daddy. So. This was his first complete wedding!

Also, I really need to give a shout out to my BFF, aka Aunt Jeanie. She arrived at my house at 10:00 that morning and worked her patootie off helping with the food, set up, reception, clean up and all around moral support until I dropped her back at her house around 5:00. That is a sacrifice folks and I appreciate her more than she will ever know!
I hope God has blessed all ya'll, all six of ya'll with a wonderful friend like my Jeanie!

This is her and my Pops in the kitchen. Pops is lookin all fancy cuz he stood in for the Father of the Bride.

Also, daddy of the year, aka dh, handled getting Noah to his t-ball game, then home, cleaned up, dressed up in his wedding duds and to the wedding in time to also do the sound and music for the wedding. I hope God has blessed you with a fantastic dh like mine and if you don't have a dh, I hope He one day blesses you with one.....or a dw if you happen to be a dude.

This is dh at the wedding.

This is dh after I asked him to smile for me. See the difference? Me neither. ok. Maybe I do see a little grin. I tell ya, the man cracks me up!

Monday menus, weddings and other stuff......

2008-04-21T09:18:00.005-04:00

O.K. It's over. I think it was a success. The bride and groom seemed very pleased and that is what is most important to me. A lot of the guests also were complimenting the foodstuffs with crumbs falling out of their mouths while they talked.......I think that's a good sign.

Noah attended. This was his first wedding and he really did well. He was mostly quiet during the ceremony. He tends to get a little uncomfortable when things are very quiet so he loudly cleared his throat during an unusually quiet moment. I don't think it made a very big impact though since I didn't see any heads whipping around to see what in the world that noise was.

The wedding was beautiful! The pastor did a wonderful job and quite a few tears were shed. The bride and groom were beaming and so very joyful. There is no doubt in my mind that God was smiling as well. A success indeed!

This is what the cake looked like. The bottom layer was half chocolate and half vanilla. The middle was strawberry. That way the guests had their choice. (you didn't hear it from me, but some people asked for all three...gasp! ok. probably, I would have done the same thing but that's beside the point)

Needless to say, I'm sure the family is happy that this is over. I will still be cooking but it will be for them again!

Monday: Pork roast, rice and gravy, cabbage/green beans and corn (cabbage is for me*family will not touch cabbage*family says....yuchhhhh!)

Tuesday: Turkey stroganoff casserole, peas.(I put the leftover turkey from a few weeks ago in the freezer*can be made with chicken too*family LOVES this casserole*it gets gone really fast)

Wednesday: Teriyaki chicken tenders, ham fried rice, stir fry veggies.

Thursday: Pulled pork BBQ sandwiches (from Monday's leftover pork roast) baked beans, fruit salad.

Friday: Lasagna, garlic bread, salad.

Sound good? I does to me, especially after last week's sandwich festival!

Monday Menus, lite

2008-04-14T20:02:00.002-04:00

I was sweetly reminded by Southern Girl Now Known As Mommy that I have yet to post my weekly menus. I am using the term sweetly loosely since she did kinda insinuate that without my menus her family would starve and it would be my fault. (see comment on previous post) As my six faithful readers might remember, last week I received a somewhat sarcastic comment from my husband and I called him a name. Well the name is going to be used on Southern Mommy too.......

Smarty Pants!

There. I said it. (for those of you that know her...you also know that she is one of the most precious human beings in the world and I love her much)

OK. I'm sure you are all on the edge of your proverbial seats wondering what in the world I meant by "lite" in the title. Well, I am catering a wedding this Saturday and I am trying to make everything at the last possible minute so I can have it all be as fresh as possible. I am also doing their wedding cake (it is a small wedding or I would not do both the cake and the catering) Anyway. I am also doing my monthly birthday cake for my BFF's office. I will be spending a lot of time in the kitchen, but to my family's dismay, it won't be cookin dinner......sorry.
So, hear goes Monday Menus, the lite edition.

Monday: Hot Dogs and whatever you can find to go with them
Tuesday: Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Wednesday: Ham sandwiches
Thursday: Tuna salad or whatever else I can find that is fast as lightning
Friday: For the love of PETE people, I am catering a wedding tomorrow........feed yourselves for crying out loud!!!

(I tend to get a little tense the night before......)

I just love these things........

2008-04-14T15:52:00.001-04:00

Yeah, but there is only ONE me.......ya'll are thankful aren't ya!

2008-04-08T12:56:00.003-04:00

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
3,667
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

A Slight Complication With Putting The Guitar Away.....

2008-04-07T14:51:00.003-04:00

Monday Menus

2008-04-07T13:02:00.003-04:00

One evening last week, Gene said "Honey, what's for dinner?" and I then told him. Nothing unusual about the question or the answer except he then said................"I wouldn't have to ask if the menu was on your blog".

Smarty pants.

Monday: Roast beef, taters and gravy, collards and beets.
Tuesday: Country fried steak, rice, green beans and corn
Wednesday:Baked fish, mac and cheese, fruit salad and green peas (I just KNOW Annie wants in on this meal..she loves green peas you know!)
Thursday: Teriyaki chicken tenders, fried rice, stir fry veggies
Friday: Philly cheese steak sandwiches, caramelized onions and salad. (I have to prepare extra onions for the little man......he LOVES them....weird huh.)

And by the way, a couple of you wanted to know if Noah will eat all this? Heck no! I just try to have leftovers of what he will eat or he gets a Pb&j! We just keep offering for him to try new things and hopefully, eventually, he will eat a wider variety. The items in green are things he will eat. Very strange....very strange!
Items in orange are things that no one in this house except me will touch.....not even with a ten foot pole.
I have a friend whose mother used to cook 2 or 3 complete meals for dinner so everyone in her house would be happy..........NOT THIS CHICK! I do try to have at least one or two ITEMS that everyone will eat, but, if not....there is always sandwich stuff in the fridge. Help yourself. Oh yeah, and there is always Pb&j!

We have new Smiths........

2008-04-05T18:58:00.008-04:00

Yes, we have some new members in the Smith family. Aunt Jeanie (picture me saying that with my teeth clenched) decided that little man needed some turtles. So. We now have two bouncing baby turtles and six guppies. She and her son sweetly provided the tank, gravel, food, light, heater and all other types of necessary items that turtles apparently require, and some much needed advice on how to care for two new bouncing baby turtles.
After their introduction to Noah, he proclaimed "they're SO CUTE!" and promptly dubbed them Max and Zach. Noah then moved one of his small chairs directly in front of the tank so he could observe them up close and personal. Never mind that the chair is now blocking our walkway.....it matters not to the boy. It is for his convenience, not ours (just between you and me, the chair is being moved as soon as he isn't paying attention.....)Ok. On with the photos.....

This is Zach. He is a red eared slider.

And this is Max. He is a yellow belly um.....something or another......I am such a bad turtle mother! I can't remember my new fella's exact species....sigh.
This is Noah's new observation post.
Aunt Jeanie really knows how to make a little guy smile!
Ok. I am no longer gritting my teeth. I do really love the new additions to my family. I agree with Noah. They ARE really cute! Gene is enjoying them as well and the other two boy fella's seem to think they are pretty cool. The doggies don't really seem to care about them BUT there is someone that is very perplexed about the situation.............

I was able to read her thoughts earlier and this is what I received.........."I have GOT to find a way in there. OH LOOK! There is a little hole at the top here and I think I can get my paw down in there.......DRATS! I can't reach the water.....CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TAKE THIS TOP OFF SO I CAN GET IN THERE AND CAPTURE MY NEW TOYS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Aunt Jeanie. You are the best!

It's been a while so here are four things to get me back in the swing.....

2008-04-04T17:07:00.003-04:00

Sorry I have been gone so long. I have missed ya'll but just couldn't get into the bloggin groove! My mind has been clogged with all kinds of "stuff" and I couldn't complete a coherent thought much less write it down! I am hoping the fog has lifted and I will be back to normal soon! Sooooo, until I can get my thoughts untangled, this little meme I received by email will get me started. I am going to tag 4 of my bloggity peeps at the end.....oh the suspense!

Four jobs you have had:
1. Mommy (the best one yet)
2. Express Teller Services, Armored Truck co.- ATM tech/Asst Mgr/ Night Vault
3. Heritage Trust – Teller
4. South Carolina Federal – Teller/Asst Head Teller/ Head Teller/ Facilities Dept Administrator

Four movies I would watch over and over:
1.Terms of Endearment
2.Pretty in Pink
3.Madagascar
4.The Princess Bride

Four places I have lived:
1. North Chicago, Illinois
2. Honolulu, Hawaii
3. Nashville, Tennessee
4. The Philippine Islands

Four (very cool) places I have been:
1. New York City, New York
2. All the New England states during the fall
3. Atlanta, Georgia and a Braves game with my (at the time) brand new wonderful husband
4. Under the Pacific ocean in a submarine during a dependants' cruise

Four People who e-mail me (regularly):
1. Mom and Pops
2. April P.
3. MOPS people
4. My Daily Calendar

Four of my favorite TV shows:
1. The Biggest Loser
2. Ace of Cakes
3. Anything with Alton Brown
4. Medium

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Seafood, especially scallops, shrimp and crab
2. Mexican
3. Japanese and most Oriental
4. Salt…….you know, potato chips with salt, popcorn with salt, goldfish with salt, pretzels with salt, cheese nips with salt, etc.

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. On vacation anywhere with ALL my family
2. In a craft store, with my friends, with an unlimited budget J
3. In the mountains
4. On “The Biggest Loser” having lost about 50 pounds or so

Four friends I think will respond:(by email)
1. Tina
2. April
3. Stacie
4. Teri (if she has the time during MOVING TO OMAHA!!!)

Four Things I am looking forward to in 2008:
1. Watching the boys grow and mature…..ok, maybe not mature, but grow……Noah starting school, Kevin entering 10th grade….he had BETTER be entering 10th grade…..
2. The family reunion in Tennessee
3. Paying off at least one bill
4. Growing stronger in my faith

And the 4 bloggity peeps (multiplied by 2) being tagged are...........
1. Wendy over at Well Mannered Frivolity
2. Unkempt Mommy from Making a Person
3. Angela over at Becoming Me
4. Annie from Magner's Random Ramblings
5. Jaime at Training Up In The Way
6. Shawna Lee from Shoo Fly Pie and Grits
7. Cousin April over at The Irishman's Housewife
and last but not least.....
8. Ted at stragglingband
I would tag his beautiful wife but alas.....still no blog in sight. sigh.

A slight complication with...um....well, I kinda need that seat........

2008-03-11T13:38:00.003-04:00

Monday Menus and other stuff....

2008-03-11T12:45:00.003-04:00

Well, I think dh and I are finally on the mend. My poor husband was mostly like the energizer rabbit guy. Bless his heart, he just kept going and going. I am glad he is finally feeling better!
My sneezing, coughing, sniffling, tinkling thing kind of morphed into a stomach, headache, general yucky thing. Yesterday, the stomach thing morphed into a back ache which for me involves bulging disks pressing onto nerves thing. I'm not whining really, just explaining my absence from bloggy land. I try to keep up with the following attitude......if I wake up breathing, I am blessed. If I can get out of the bed, I am twice blessed. If I have a spring in my step, I am three times blessed! There you have it!
On to the menu planning.....

Monday: We were honored to share a wonderful meal with the JOY group from our church. JOY stands for Just Older Youth....it is an exclusive club...you have to be 50 or older. If ya'll have not had the privilege of meeting these precious people, you can get to know them by helping out! Just email seniors@riverbluff.org. By the way, we got to share that meal because my dh hooked up with cBoz's main squeeze and entertained the masses. They did some foot stompin bluegrass and gospel music and a good time was had by all!

Now, back to the menu....sorry.
Tuesday: Fried chicken, the San Francisco treat, green beans, corn and rolls.
Wednesday: No cook day
Thursday: Roast beef, carrots, mashed pots and gravy, peas.
Friday: Baked pasta* and spinach.

*This is my own creation.....I use some kind of corkscrew pasta shape, mix it with spaghetti sauce(I try to make a double batch when I make spaghetti so I will have left over for this dish), pepperoni, Canadian bacon, onions, green pepper and mozzarella cheese. Toss it in a big ole baking dish, top with some more cheese and bake till bubbly. YUM!

On another note......the following conversation just happened in Smithville. If you have teenage boys, I'm sure it has happened to you in some variation. For those of you that do not have teenage boys yet, just take note and prepare.....it is coming.

Oldest boy: (holding a bag of microwave popcorn)How long do you cook this? Every time I do it, it burns....I follow the directions....
Me: Well, how long do the directions say to cook it?
Oldest boy: 1 minute to 1 minute and 30 seconds.....
Me: Well, how long do you cook it?
Oldest boy: I don't know, 2 minutes I guess.....
Me: WHY are you cooking it for 2 minutes when it says to only cook it for 1? THAT is why it is burning.....the longer you cook something, the more likely it is to OVERCOOK!!
Oldest boy: oh.

AHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!! If you need me, I will be repeatedly hitting my head against the wall.......pass the aspirin please.

A slight complication with folding laundry.......

2008-03-05T18:02:00.003-05:00

Monday Menus

2008-03-03T12:39:00.003-05:00

Update*** Because I was still feeling bad, my wonderful husband provided the dinner for Monday......he ordered pizza. I said he provided, not cooked. Remember, he is feelin poopie too. Anyway, the bottom line is, he took care of dinner so I didn't have to cook.....that deserves a big pat on the back. Thanks honey!

I have been trying to get sick since last Wednesday or so. I refused. My body didn't care that I was in denial so I finally had to give in.....I'm sick. So is Gene. We are doing the tag team thing.....he naps a while then I nap a while. So far it is working out well. I am actually feeling a little better today so I think I see light at the end of the tunnel. Gee, I hope I really am getting better and it's not THE light.....
Anyway, THANKFULLY, the boys are not sick. Please pray that the boys continue to stay well and that Gene and I get better soon. Thanks.
As far as the menu goes, nothin fancy this time!

Monday: breakfast - eggs, toast.....comfort food.
Tuesday: Marinated chicken tenders, green beans, fried rice
Wednesday: No cook day
Thursday: Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread
Friday: Pork chops, mashed pots and gravy, honeyed carrots, spinach

Ya'll have a good week! Hopefully I will be back soon......yawn....sniff, cough, sneeze, tinkle, oops.

A slight complication with Bible study.....

2008-02-27T15:57:00.001-05:00

A (young) man in uniform.......

2008-02-27T15:51:00.005-05:00

Just HAD to share a picture or two of the handsome ROTC fella of the house.

Doesn't he look great?!!!!!

He is such a great big brother and role model.

We are very proud of this young man!

Monday Menus

2008-02-25T11:38:00.004-05:00

I decided that I would post the week's menu on my blog from now on. I usually do it on a piece of paper and sit it next to the fridge. By the end of the week, it has gotten schmootz on it and if the cat has spotted it, well, it will then have claw marks on it. I figured if I posted it on my blog, it wouldn't get messed up, shredded, or lost. You see, the thing is, I love to cook but I hate to plan what to cook so I figured this may make it a bit easier. Plus, if I can maybe talk the rest of you into doing it too, we could share menu ideas and make our lives much easier. Maybe we could even start doing some recipe sharing as well....who knows how big this thing could get. We could maybe even reach 10's of 20's of people!!! This could be HUGE!

ok. never mind about the HUGE thing....lets just share a few ideas between the six of us and see how that works.....

Monday: beef tacos with cheese, lettuce and tomatoes and maybe a smidgen of sour cream..., Spanish rice.

Tuesday: crock pot pork roast, collards, corn, mashed potatoes and pork gravy.

Wednesday: We are usually running around like crazy people so we grab something on the way to or from church...so, lets just call Wednesday's a no-cook day from now on.

Thursday: Baked BBQ chicken, mac and cheese, and green beans

Friday: Breaded baked fish, (I trust the Gorton's fisherman) and any leftover veggies and things from the days before. Let's dub Friday's "clean out the fridge" night.

Saturday: Small group night. We usually all eat together. This week we will be having soup, salad and fresh fruit.

Well, there you have it. Sounds pretty good to me. Bon Appetite!

This one is pretty cool......

2008-02-23T12:27:00.002-05:00

My friend Wendy tagged me for this really cool meme. She is very sweet to tag me for these things cause she knows it makes me feel special and loved. This one is about books and ya'll know that I am really all about the book thing! Here goes.....

Here are the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

This is from the book I am currently reading for the 888 Challenge, "Double Shot" by Diane Mott Davidson.

I kicked the parking meter again. "Will you stop?" Marla Hollered. "Pay attention. I need you to tell me what to say to the cops. Quickly."

Ok, so technically that was more than three sentences but I thought it would be rude to cut Marla off in the middle of her desperation.

I really do like these novels by Davidson. They are listed as murder mysteries but they have humor and RECIPES!!!!! Yeah food! The main character happens to be a caterer that just stumbles into trouble and sticks her nose where it doesn't belong. These books are usually pretty quick reads for me. They catch my interest in the first chapter and I don't normally have to get up and log on the computer to look up a word I don't understand.

I am tagging the following peeps:

Tina M.

Debby V.

April

Pat

Robyn

The first two tagged can do it by e-mail and get some others to join in that way! I am kinda hoping that they will join the blog world someday soon. Come on ya'll, it's fun! (peer pressure!)

The little man is FIVE!!!

2008-02-19T10:32:00.024-05:00

Can you believe it? Me neither.....sigh. sniff sniff...

He really had a wonderful birthday. It started with a wonderful homemade Sunday dinner of his favorite things. Nonna really outdid herself BIG TIME! Turkey, dressing, mashed pots and gravy, green beans, broccoli, corn, scalloped apples, chinese slaw and piping hot rolls. YUM! It was all wonderful and Noah ate till I thought he would pop! In addition to turkey, corn and a few green beans, the boy had 4 rolls ya'll, FOUR. We waddled home that evening with enough leftovers to feed a small army, (or my family of men) and tried our hardest not to fall into a turkey induced coma...

On Monday, his actual birthday, we had big plans. In the morning he helped me decorate his cake. He told me where to put the clouds, train tracks and he finally allowed me to put a few red flowers in the grass for color....as long as they were red....only red. He then, after long consideration, decided which trains to place on the tracks and in what order. This apparently was some sort of life changing decision.......oh for cryin out loud just pick a train and put it on the cake already! (that was what I said in my head) I think that with his talent and my luck, the cake turned out pretty darn good!

He wanted to celebrate at "the place where a kid can be a kid and every game is just one token" so we headed off to the rat hole around 2:30 to hook up with some of his BFF's and had a wonderful time. A shout out to the cool kids that joined us for the celebrations and many thanks to their chauffeur's (mommies) for arranging transportation. Nonna, Poppy and Debbie also braved the mass confusion and joined us too. Thanks ya'll for making our little guy's day so special.
After a few unsuccessful attempts with a very uncooperative candle...........

TA DA!!!!!!!!!!!!

We then left the house of the mouse to join some more extended family for a dinner at Noah's favorite Mexican eatery. The food was yum, the company wonderful and included Nonna, Poppy, Debbie, Aunt Jeanie and Mr. Andy. Miss Carol, Miss Heather, Jayden and Zavy joined us too since they weren't able to go to Chuck's place with us. We had not seen them in a while and it was fun to see the boys have fun together.

When we got home Noah busted out his loot and had a fun evening with his new treasures.

He was spoiled as usual (I thought I told you people NO GIFTS!!!) and among the way too many gifts, he also received some gift cards.......which we went to spend today.

He got three cards so we picked out three things. When we went to the cashier, he explained to her which toy belonged with which gift card and who each card was from. I guess my explanation worked because he definitely understands which toy is from which loved one!

He knows that this is from Debbie!

And this is from Miss Carol.............

Yep. The little man had a great day. Thank you to everyone that helped make it so special.

FIVE YEARS OLD!!!!!!!!!!

Ten reasons I just LOVE that man of mine.....

2008-02-13T17:34:00.002-05:00

Since it is that time of year again I thought I would share some things about my wonderful guy. I will never be able to really express how much knowing him has changed my life......in many ways, he saved my life. Let me explain. When I met Gene, my marriage of 10 years was ending and the very LAST thing in the world I wanted was a man in my life. Obviously, Gene changed my thinking! He became my friend. Just my friend. No expectations, no quid pro quo, nothing but friendship. He made me feel valuable, important and special. He proved in many many ways, that I could trust him and I could be myself with him and most of all, I could learn to love again.

Not too long after we met and started to become friends, I became very ill. I had a very high fever and when I called in to work to let them know I wouldn't be in, I didn't make much sense. My boss knew Gene and I had become friends so she called him and told him that I was sick. To make a long story a little shorter, he came to my house, took me to my doctor, took me to the hospital for tests and back to my doctor for the results. I had an abscessed kidney and unless there was someone at home to take care of me, I would have to be hospitalized. To my surprise, Gene told him I did have someone to take care of me....him. Gene stayed with me day and night until the danger had passed. He took me daily to my doctor for antibiotic shots and other treatments. He lost his job because he took care of me. Let that sink in ya'll. He Lost His Job. For me. A new friend, that needed help. I was more important than his job. Me.

Here are just 10 of the reasons I love him. As with all my top ten lists, random order:

1. He is a wonderful Daddy to the boys. A perfect balance between fun and stern. I hope they grow up to be just like him!

2. He makes me laugh. Sometimes a giggle, sometimes a belly laugh and sometime a "don't do that while I am drinking cause liquid comes out my nose" laugh. This man is funny ya'll!

3. He is smart. No. I mean he is wicked scary smart! Seriously folks!

4. He has strong morals. He obeys the laws and follows the rules. He doesn't even speed ya'll....makes me crazy sometimes

5. He makes beautiful music. I love to hear him play his guitar. He is so very talented!

6. He loves our God. He works hard for the kingdom. He gives God the credit for his talents and gifts.

7. He believes that people are more important than "stuff" and he lives life that way.

8. He loves me unconditionally. Ya'll have no idea how hard it is to live with me. He doesn't get mad at me when I mess up....a lot....pray for Gene, will ya?

9. He loves and accepts all of my friends and family. (this is a tough one ya'll......some of my friends and family threatened his life before we got married. Actually, a few even threatened him on our wedding day!)

10. He is a really good kisser! (I put this one in here cause some of my friends and family kind of freak out when Gene and I get mushy......but he really is a good kisser!)

Happy Valentine's Day honey. When I count my blessings, I count you twice.......

Irrepressible joy and "safe people". Trust me. There is a connection........

2008-02-13T16:14:00.005-05:00

There are times I can't help but notice the irrepressible joy in that little (almost) 5 year old boy of mine. And every once in a while a little sadness creeps into my soul when that irrepressible joy appears. Why you ask? Well, the majority of the time I just truly soak in the pleasure of those little outbursts. The sadness comes in when I realize that someone out there....possibly out of just pure meanness, will try to squash that joy. By way of a nasty comment or even jealousy, they will make him self conscious and he won't feel comfortable just shouting out a silly song to the top of his little lungs. Right now, he feels safe. He doesn't have any idea that someone might not find it pleasurable to hear his slightly off key rendition of "Keep the Candle Burnin" or the Thomas the Tank Engine theme song.

Here is where the connection to "safe people" comes in. This past Sunday, Pastor Curt taught about small groups and their importance in the Christian community. His sermon was about how important it is to have a group of people you can really really talk to. To share things that are personal. To just be yourself. To be comfortable. They need to be people that you KNOW won't make fun of you or talk about you behind your back or roll their eyes to one another when you talk. They need to be people that you feel SAFE with. I thank God that I have "safe people". What a HUGH blessing! What I pray is that my little guy can find those people. That he can find people that LOVE the fact that he sings out loud when he is happy. That those people don't care that his voice may crack or that he may not hit a note exactly on key. I pray that he never loses his irrepressible joy and that if he someday finds that maybe there are people that make fun of him for it, that he won't stop because he knows he has "safe people" that love him and will sing off key, at the top of their lungs, right along with him........

Houston, we have a problem.....

2008-02-13T15:27:00.002-05:00

Poor little guy has another ear infection. Left ear this time. Why are his ear's taking turns you ask? I really don't know but that really isn't the problem. The real problem is the medicine. I think you all know how Noah feels about the "pink medicine". According to Noah, it can solve all problems of the universe including global warming. That is how much faith he has in PINK. Well, the problem is that there is a rule (who's rule I don't know) that you cannot have any one antibiotic more than once during a six week period. OH. MY. WORD.
Dr. Amanda PROMISED that Noah would like it. It tastes like strawberry candy. You don't have to keep it in the refrigerator so it won't be cold. You only have to take it once a day instead of twice. SO. We got the sweet tasting-non-refrigerated-once-daily wonder drug and measured out the first dose...............GASP! it isn't pink......did you hear me? IT ISN'T PINK I SAY!!!!!!!! It is WHITE for heaven's sake. What are these drug people thinking? Don't they know that ONLY PINK MEDICINE CAN HEAL??????!!!!!!!

So, does anyone know if it is safe for me to add food coloring to medicine?

I have a new friend......

2008-02-06T10:58:00.000-05:00

And her name is Robyn too.....only she spells it wrong..hee hee. You know how in the real world you may meet someone through a friend of a friend? Well, I met Robyn through a blog of a blog. How cool is that I ask? She is a pastor's wife, mommy to two precious little boys and they live up there in Michigan..brrrr! Well, she tagged me for a "6 random things" meme and even though I bored you with one not too long ago, I am gonna play. Turns out from reading her beautiful blog,
Overflowing Grace (isn't that a wonderful name?)that we have a little more in common than just our name. One of them is on her blog design....dragonflies. I just happen to have dragonflies in our master bathroom.....drats, I shoulda saved that for one of my random things! Oh well, lets get started shall we?

The rules for this meme are:
(1) Link to the person that tagged you.
(2) Post the rules on your blog.
(3) Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
(4) Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
(5) Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

My six random things are....drum roll please....

1. I, like Robyn, have moved a lot. Pops was in the Navy and thanks to Uncle Sam, I was blessed to have lived in 6 different states (a couple of them twice) and once over seas in the Philippine Islands. The states are, Connecticut, Tennessee (twice), Hawaii (twice), Virginia, Illinois and South Carolina.

2. I, like Robyn, am also an only child. No one to blame the broken stuff on but then again, I didn't have to share the hugs and kisses either. Hey, you take the good with the bad and I would rather have hugs than a scapegoat any day!

3. This one is where she and I flip flop. I really like spiders. I used to be afraid of them which is why I will never make fun of her. I understand. What changed you ask? (this is where I am pretending that you really care, makes me feel good don't ya know) Well, a very industrious banana spider took up residence outside in the front yard. He or she decorated it very nicely with the most beautiful web I have ever seen. For those that don't know, a banana spider is very VERY large and they make webs in which they can be comfortable...say it with me....very VERY large. Anyway, my dh Gene, promised that Barry (the spider) would not hurt me and convinced me that if I would just observe said spider, I would change my mind. Well, it worked and I now really like spiders. If they promise to be of the non poisonous type, I will let them reside in my home.....

4. This one kind of connects with #3. I SOBBED OUT LOUD when Charlotte died in Charlotte's Web. (the one with the real animals..)

5. My two cravings when I was pregnant were onions and fish....not at the same time. What I find very funny is that two of Noah's favorite foods are onions and fish...not at the same time.

6. About 8 years ago, I told dh that the next male dog we had, I wanted to name him Jack. Well, a few weeks after that conversation, my VBFF found a little black puppy and brought him to our house to see if I thought he was ok and would I keep him until we could find a home. Dh immediately dubbed him Jack and showed him his new home. During the home tour I was following behind saying "He is NOT staying" and here it is, 8 years later and we STILL have not found a home for "Jack".

I just love learnin new stuff about folks so if you want to play along, and you need some blog fodder, please feel free!

Oh Happy Day!

2008-02-02T16:48:00.001-05:00

By the way, just wanted to wish you all a Happy Groundhog's Day! Sorry I didn't get my cards sent out this year........so much to do and all.....sigh. (I don't really send out Groundhog's day cards, that was a joke)
So. Does anybody know if the little fuzzbutt saw his shadow or not? I haven't heard...

This is so very cool......

2008-02-02T16:24:00.000-05:00

I am so excited I could positively just .......tinkle! She gave me the very best of compliments. Click on over to Well Manered Frivolity and check her out. She has one of the best blogs ever and she recently took on a challenge to blog every day for a year. Let me tell you, I was one happy girl when she took on that challenge cause it meant I could pop on over there and get a giggle, a chuckle, shed a tear or send up a prayer every day. She is one awesome lady and I am so honored that she awarded me with this.....

I would like to pass this honor on to none other than Magner's Random Ramblings because I love that she does posts that are whatever is on her mind and in her heart. I would also like to nominate two new bloggers because I think they are doing an awesome job. So, hats off to mspatsplace and Three kids n 3 years . Thanks for all the good reads ya'll!

Oh! And guess what......I heard from two more friends/relatives (one is a relative that is also the best of friends and the other is a friend that just might as well be a relative!) anyway, they are loyal readers too. Folks, that means that there are six of you out there! (Still not going to get "the big head thought!)

100 Movies.......

2008-01-28T16:50:00.000-05:00

Take this list of the top 100 movies from the IMDB and bold the movies you have seen.

1. Godfather, The (1972) .....could have done without the horse head scene
2. Shawshank Redemption, The (1994) .....very good movie
3. Godfather: Part II, The (1974) ......more of the same....yawn
4. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003) ....dh's favorites
5. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002) .....date night with dh
6. Schindler's List (1993) .....3 words....heart.break.ing!
7. Shichinin no samurai (1954) ......huh?
8. Casablanca (1942)
9. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001) .....dh, like a kid in candy store!
10. Star Wars (1977) .....soooooo coooool
11. Citizen Kane (1941)
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) ......loved it!
13. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
14. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) .......again...very cool
15. Rear Window (1954)
16. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) ....loved it! Made me laugh!
17. Pulp Fiction (1994) ...I want the 2 hours of my life back that I wasted on this movie...
18. Usual Suspects, The (1995)
19. Memento (2000)
20. North by Northwest (1959)
21. 12 Angry Men (1957) .....saw the remake and really liked it!
22. Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966) ....huh? again
23. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
24. Psycho (1960)........*shriek*
25. Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001) ....even more huh?
26. Silence of the Lambs, The (1991) ......scared the tinkle out of me....did ya'll know that the bad guy in this is now Monk's police chief?
27. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) ....comfort food for the soul...
28. Goodfellas (1990) ....left this one very depressed...
29. American Beauty (1999)
30. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
31. Vertigo (1958)
32. Matrix, The (1999) .....way cool concept!
33. Cidade de Deus (2002)
34. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
35. C'era una volta il West (1968)
36. Apocalypse Now (1979) .....very disturbing...still have nightmares about this one!
37. Pianist, The (2002)
38. Third Man, The (1949)
39. Paths of Glory (1957)
40. Taxi Driver (1976)
41. Fight Club (1999)
42. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
43. Some Like It Hot (1959)
44. Double Indemnity (1944)
45. Boot, Das (1981)
46. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
47. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
48. Chinatown (1974)
49. L.A. Confidential (1997)
50. Maltese Falcon, The (1941)
51. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
52. All About Eve (1950)
53. M (1931)
54. Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)
55. Se7en (1995) .....another very disturbing one....
56. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) ...."this isn't my real nose, tis a false one!" I unashamedly can quote most if not all lines from this movie!
57. Saving Private Ryan (1998) ....VERY well done, VERY VERY sad. (sobbed most of the way through this one)
58. Rashômon (1950)
59. Raging Bull (1980)
60. Wizard of Oz, The (1939)
61. Alien (1979) .....eh. it was ok.
62. American History X (1998) .....another very disturbing one
63. Sting, The (1973)
64. Léon (1994)
65. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
66. Manchurian Candidate, The (1962)
67. Vita è bella, La (1997)
68. Touch of Evil (1958)
69. Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948)
70. Finding Nemo (2003) .....LOVED it....still do. I am totally not ashamed to say that dh and I went to see this on a date night....alone....without the kids....
71. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
72. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
73. Great Escape, The (1963)
74. Modern Times (1936)
75. Clockwork Orange, A (1971)
76. Amadeus (1984) ....I was pleasantly surprised, I really liked it!
77. On the Waterfront (1954)
78. Ran (1985)
79. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
80. Annie Hall (1977)
81. Wo hu cang long (2000)
82. Jaws (1975) ....saw this in the theater, as a teenager, while living in Hawaii... wasn't real thrilled to go to the beach for a while...
83. Apartment, The (1960)
84. Braveheart (1995) .....great movie....FREEDOM!!! (also another of dh's favs)
85. High Noon (1952)
86. Aliens (1986) ....my friends wanted to go....yawn
87. Fargo (1996)
88. Strangers on a Train (1951)
89. Shining, The (1980)....this one scared the tinkle out of me too....
90. Metropolis (1927)
91. Blade Runner (1982)
92. Sixth Sense, The (1999)....I still, to this day, cannot believe that America kept this ending a secret!!! Great movie!
93. City Lights (1931)
94. Donnie Darko (2001)
95. Duck Soup (1933)
96. Great Dictator, The (1940)
97. General, The (1927)
98. Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957)
99. Princess Bride, The (1987)...."have fun stormin the castle"..yet another one I can quote.....unashamedly....
100. Dogville (2003)

Ok ya'll. Play along with me. As you may have noticed, I "reviewed" all the ones that I have seen. I realize that I am not a professional reviewer and my views may not jibe with yours but hey, it's just my opinion! Come on...don't make me tag you!

Goals! I Love Goals!!!

2008-01-24T14:35:00.000-05:00

I found this thingy while browsing for thingies to add to my blog cause I'm trying to make it a little more exciting for the three of ya! Anyway, at "The Daily Meme" I happened upon "101 things to do in 1001 days". I looked at a couple of lists and decided that this may be something I can do. Then my normal little devil on my shoulder said "YOU! You can't do this" and I said "Yes, I can...I think...maybe....sorta....or....not." sigh. *insert triumphant laughter from little devil here*. Then I got mad. And it got ugly (the fight between me and the little devil) but I WON. I'm gonna try! I decided that even if I didn't get all 101 things done, I will have a least accomplished some of them, hopefully most of them! And SOMETHING is better than NOTHING darn it! (scuse my language)

I find I do better at accomplishing things if they are written down. I also find that I feel better about me if I accomplish things and I feel even better if I see things crossed off my list. I have also found that I can do more if I break things down in categories and small chunks. For instance, I am not going to just list 101 things, they will have sections like, family time, home care, crafts and so on. Within those sections will be my goals such as paint the interior of the house then I will break it down into "things". Paint Noah's room, paint the bathroom, paint the kitchen etc. So, here I go. By the way, I want this list handy so I will also have it in my side bar. I will cross things off as I get them done. Feel free to cheer me on......actually please cheer me on, I'm begging!

My start date is February 18, 2008. I am starting on Noah's birthday. There is some significance in that but I'm not sure what...hmmm. New beginnings maybe. I'll think on that one but anyway, my completion date is November 15, 2010.

The Mission:Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria:Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

The List:

Family Time
1. Start a monthly board game night
2. Have a monthly date night with Gene
3. Have a bi-monthly lunch date with Kevin (this will be like pulling teeth hence the bi-monthly)
4. Plan and take short road trips every 6 months
5. Get to know Noah's new school teacher in the fall
6. Volunteer to help Noah's school teacher
7. Get information on home schooling in case Noah's new teacher quits her job and runs for the hills (or public school is just not Noah's thing!)
8. Plant flowers with Noah this spring
9. Teach Noah how to swim
10. Teach Kevin how to cook (yikes)
11. Do one special family outing per payday (movies, bowling, water park, zoo, museum, area national parks, aquarium etc.)

House Care
Paint the Interior:
12. Noah's room
13. Kevin's room
14. Kitchen/Dining Area
15. Family Room
16. Master bedroom
17. Master bathroom
18. Main bathroom
Maintenance:
19. Repair torn window screens
20. Replace sliding glass door
21. Replace front door
22. Replace family room carpet
23. Repair kitchen floor
24. Refinish Buffet
25. Repair chest drawer handle
26. Replace kitchen faucet
27. Find replacement key for antique sheet music cabinet

Home Organization
28. Organize master bedroom bookshelf
29. Clean out my nightstand
30. Organize my closet
31. Organize laundry room cabinets
32. Organize linen closet
33. Organize master bathroom cabinet
34. Re-arrange Noah's chest of drawers
35. Clean out large cabinet in garage
36. Donate/sell/trash 50 pieces of my clothing!!
37. Donate/trash old videos
38. Sell/donate video cabinet
39. Clean our/reorganize file cabinet
40. Donate/sell 20 of Noah's toys
41. Find a better storage solution for remaining toys
42. Sell/donate/trash 20 knick knacks/pretties
43. Organize music CD's
44. Clean out storage shed
45. Sell/donate/trash/25 items out of the attic
46. Sell/donate/trade 50 books
47. Clean out/organize family room bookcases
48. Clean out chest in family room

New Business
49. Visit Small Business Bureau
50. Register business idea - research the necessity of a patent/copyright
51. Develop business plan
52. Write survey
53. Research how to best conduct the survey
54. Research area development for best location
55. Compile list of needed employees
56. Research insurance needs
57. Research financial backing avenues
58. Research name development
59. Gather information on available educational programs

Financial
60. Pay off Saturn
61. Pay off Ford
62. Pay off BOA
63. Pay off Chase
64. Build savings
65. Build education fund
66. Build travel fund

Crafty Things
67. Organize catering supplies
68. Organize cake decorating tools
69. Organize craft stuff
70. Organize scrap booking supplies
71. Find a permanent home for scrap booking supplies
72. Start a monthly craft club at church
73. Re-do my homemade cookbook
74. Finish organizing my photos
75. Finish Noah's birth story scrapbook
76. Start Noah's pets scrapbook - Noah's Ark
77. Complete 10 more pages for Dad's scrapbook
78. Complete 10 more pages for Mom's scrapbook
79. Complete Rainbow Row cross stitch (again)
80. Complete 3 Charleston themed cross stitch gifts to have on hand for people leaving the area
81. Complete praying hands cross stitch
82. Get sewing machine serviced and in good working condition
83. Sew an item of clothing for myself

Personal Goals
Health:
84. Loose 10 pounds
85. Loose 10 more pounds
86. Loose 10 more pounds
87. Loose 10 more pounds
88. Loose 10 more pounds
89. Get involved in some sort of weekly exercises program
90. Determine the best solution to my back issues
Education:
91. Learn Spanish
92. Learn Sign Language
93. Complete the 888 challenge
94. Learn how to make homemade yeast breads
95. Take a class at Trident Tech in culinary arts
Spiritual:
96. Read the Bible through in 2008
97. Complete at least 3 in depth Bible studies in 2008
98. Complete at least 3 in depth Bible studies in 2009
99. Complete at least 3 in depth Bible studies in 2010
100. Find a place to serve my community
101. Find another way to serve in my church

Well, there you have it. Wish me luck and join me if you like.

Tag.....I'm it.....Again!!!

2008-01-23T14:21:00.000-05:00

Shawna Lee tagged me for this little game. She tagged me because she knows I like being tagged and she thinks I might give some fun answers.....I will do my best to entertain! Let the games begin!

The game is called scattergories.
Use the first letter of your name and find words with that letter. The number of letters in your name determines how many people you can tag.

What is your name? Robin (boy that answer was entertaining wasn't it?)
4 letter word: ring
Vehicle: Rocket (you didn't say it had to be one I would normally drive...)
City: Ridgeville
Boys name: Ridge
Girls name: Raven
Movie: Rose (the)
Occupation: Ringling Brothers circus performers
Something you wear: Rose colored glasses HA!!
Celebrity: Rachel Ray
Food: Roast beef
Something found in a kitchen: Refrigerator
Something found in a bathroom: Razor
Reason for being late: Run in pantyhose (does anyone really wear those anymore?)
Cartoon character: Roo (as in Pooh's little hoppity friend)
Something you shout: Rah Rah Ree, kick em in the knee..Rah Rah Ras, kick em in the other knee....sorry...I just drifted back to Jr. High School for a min. I'm back now.
Animal: Raccoon
Body part: Ras....just kiddin. Rump!!!
Word to describe you: Rusty!

Ok, now I'm tagging: Anyone that wants to play along. Have Fun!

ROTC, Possums, The Dark Side and Pink Medicine

2008-01-22T14:53:00.000-05:00

As you may have guessed from the title, this post is going to have multiple subjects. The first being that Kevin, the middle guy, has been accepted into JROTC. This is a BIG DEAL! He has been wanting this since this past summer and has been working towards this goal. He has done all paperwork, errand running and information finding ALL ON HIS OWN! We are very proud of him for being diligent in his desire and for following through on all instruction. Way to go KEVIN!

He also helped with child care for our MOPS group last Friday since he was out of school. He did a great job. He said he has a new found appreciation for moms in general....this statement was made after his experience of taking 10 - four and five year old boys to the bathroom by himself and spending two hours with a total of 22 four and five year olds! (with the teacher and another helper in the room) He even vacuumed the rooms afterwards and helped with the trash. What a great guy we have been blessed with!

While at MOPS, the craft in Noah's class was a shield with a paraphrased verse in the center. They colored the shield and glued a handle on the back. When I picked him up from his class, he read the verse to me. Now, let me explain that when Noah reads, he mostly pronounces things the way they are spelled. I think he does really well for an almost 5 year old! He said: "Lord, You are like a shiewd (shield) vat (that) keeps me safe. Possum free free" (Psalm 3:3). Let me tell ya, there are no longer any Psalms in the Smith household. They are forever more.....Possums.

We now leave the Biblical teachings to go to the "dark side". Last year the older guys got a Lego Star Wars computer game. Noah LOVED it and actually got quite good at it. One day, Gene (dh) said "since he likes the game, I wonder if he would like the movie". Well, Noah did like the movie, kind of hid his eyes during what he considered scary parts and from that point on, a little star wars monster was created. He really REALLY likes Darf A Bader (Darth Vader) cause he uses a red hitter (light saber). He had had had HAD to be Darf A Bader for Halloween. HAD TO I SAY!!

Mighty cute little Darf A Bader if you ask me!

Now for the pink medicine. Noah has an ear infection and just had his first dose of pink medicine - also known to most pharmacies and medical professionals as Amoxicillin. Noah honestly believes in his heart of hearts that if he has even so much as a sniff, he must have pink medicine! Most times he is able to heal of his sniffs without the beloved pink stuff but when fever and infection are present, he gets his miracle drug *insert angels singing here*. We (Noah) are ever so relieved that the pink medicine has been purchased and is safely ensconced in the refrigerator and we (Noah) are POSITIVE that we (Noah) will be good as new very very soon.

I would like to thank the three of you for reading my many musings today. My high school friend Lisa just recently let me know that she is a faithful reader so my audience has increased from it's original two. Holy cow am I getting popular.....I promised her I wouldn't get "the big head" so I will try to remain humble...........

Quirks, habits and unimportant stuff.....

2008-01-18T14:40:00.000-05:00

I have been tagged by Wendy....gosh I LOVE being tagged. (makes me feel special don't ya know) Anyway, she tagged me for this one on her blog back on the 9th and well, for some reason I've been runnin around like that proverbial chicken without a head lately. So, here it is. Better late than never.......

Share six unimportant things/habits/quirks about yourself.

Here are the rules.
**Post the rules on your blog.

**Share six trivial things/habits/quirks about yourself.

**Tag six people and the end of your post and link to their blogs.

**Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

**Learn anecdotal things about your blog friend!

Now for my six things:

I love tomato products such as ketchup, tomato soup, spaghetti sauce and other things with a tomato base BUT I can not stand the texture of a fresh tomato. (same with mushrooms)

I really like talk radio.....Glen Beck especially.

I don't wear lipstick because the scent makes me nauseous. (and it accentuates my menopausal mustache)

I would love to be able to take my entire family on a train trip across the USA. First head north to visit all the New England states. Then across the northern states to Washington State down through Oregon and California then across the southern states. Then after a couple months rest, zigzag back and forth through the middle states till we were able to visit all 48 states. We'll hit Alaska and Hawaii on a cruise after another good rest!! Anybody wanna come with?

A purring cat is a sound that can de-stress me really fast.

I had blond hair till the 2nd grade when it turned brown and I had blue eyes till the 6th grade when they turned green......go figure!

Ok. There you have it. Bet you wouldn't have been able to sleep not knowing any of that stuff...for that matter, you probably fell asleep just reading it..yawn.

Anyway, I am tagging the following peeps:
All That Naz
Modern Day Cavalcade (in hopes she will start blogging again)
Three Kids N 3 Years
Training Up In The Way
stragglingband
and anybody else that would like to join in.

Only 20 shopping days left......

2008-01-12T17:48:00.000-05:00

That's right folks. Only 20 more days to get those cards and gifts ready. Groundhogs Day is just right around the corner.

This post is dedicated to my wonderful cousin/sister/friend Tina.
Love ya!

I DID IT!!!!!

2008-01-11T23:01:00.000-05:00

You Scored an A

You got 10/10 questions correct.
It's pretty obvious that you don't make basic grammatical errors.If anything, you're annoyed when people make simple mistakes on their blogs.As far as people with bad grammar go, you know they're only human.And it's humanity and its current condition that truly disturb you sometimes.

The It's Its There Their They're Quiz

I beat Wendy....I beat Wendy..... (to be said in a childlike sing songy manner)

Please believe me folks when I say that this was a fluke! Wendy is WAY smarter than me. She home schools her youngins and has an understanding of literature that I will never in a million years "get"! If you don't believe me, just compare her reading list to mine......go ahead.....I'll wait........SEE! told ya! nuff said.

I'm sooooo blue........

2008-01-09T12:48:00.000-05:00

So I thought I would give the professionals at the quizzy thingy place another try. I mean, after the bikini fiasco I don't really think they deserve it but as this quizzy thingy points out, I'm all about "showing love"! *insert giggle here*

Your Aura is Blue

Spiritual and calm, you tend to live a quiet but enriching life.

You are very giving of yourself. And it's hard for you to let go of relationships.

The purpose of your life: showing love to other people

Famous blues include: Angelina Jolie, the Dali Lama, Oprah

Careers for you to try: Psychic, Peace Corps Volunteer, Counselor

What Color Is Your Aura?

OK. I think I want to be a Psychic when I grow up....hmmmmm

They didn't ask the right question.....

2008-01-05T15:38:00.000-05:00

The quizzy thingy asked what color bikini I should wear. THEY DID NOT BOTHER TO ASK WHETHER I SHOULD EVEN, IN A MILLION YEARS, CONSIDER WEARING A BIKINI AT ALL!!!!! much less what color.........

You Should Wear a Yellow Bikini

Like the sun, you radiate warmth and brighten up every one's day.
And while a yellow bikini is a bit strange, you have the perky personality to wear one!

What Color Bikini Should You Wear?

Yellow? Really? Yellow? Are you kidding me? Do these people not realize how terribly bad I look in yellow? Honestly folks, I'm beginning to think that these quiz people don't really know what they are talkin about! And I was under the impression that they were professionals! harrumph!

Progress.....

2008-01-04T11:13:00.000-05:00

WoooHoooo. I'm on the 13th chapter of John. Finished Salem Falls and on pg 90 something of The Tenth Circle.
Everyone has been fed the appropriate number of meals. The animals fed, watered and exercised. Everyone has clean clothes. So far I have not neglected anyone that I know of and I have fulfilled all obligations and public appearances.

Yippee!

He really was excited about Christmas but....

2008-01-02T16:17:00.000-05:00

He was just sleeping sooooooo goooooood! Yes folks, for the 3rd year running, we have had to wake the children on Christmas morning!

I know this is a little late for a Christmas post but I thought you two would enjoy this picture!

So Far So Good.......

2008-01-02T14:06:00.000-05:00

I am on the last chapter of Salem Falls, my first 2008 book for the 888 challenge. It has been a good one but then I really have liked all of Jodi Picoult's books.

I have also completed the first 5 chapters of John. In the past I have found understanding the Bible kind of hard. I mean, I know that sometimes the words that are written can mean so much more than just face value but I just was never able to get some of it to really sink in. I find it wonderful when my dh (Gene) or our pastors explain scripture. It's like a picture has been painted or a light has brightened. For that reason, I have FINALLY realized (after being told 1,000,063 times) that all I have to do is pray about it BEFORE I start reading and God paints that picture and brightens that light and I GET IT!!!!! I am enjoying the Bible as never before. I am reading a couple chapters at night and a couple in the a.m. during quiet time. See there....you really can teach an old dog new tricks!

I hope both of you have had a wonderful start to 2008!

Finally! A contest I can do.....

2007-12-31T18:49:00.000-05:00

I have decided to join a book reading challenge called the 888. Basically it's read 8 books each in 8 self chosen categories during 2008. Since I read a heck of a lot anyway, why not make it official right? I found out about it while lurking around, ahem, I mean um... reading Wendy's blog. She is always doing something clever like this so I decided to crash um or er uh...join her party. yeah, that's it. Maybe, just maybe all this reading will make me a little more clever too and maybe I will be able to carry on some really interesting conversations during the year....for a change... sigh. So without further ado.......here is my list:

The next in the series:
1. Bryson City Secrets by Walt Larimore M.D.
2. Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich
3. Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich
4. The Broken Window by Jeffery Deaver
5. Stalemate by Iris Johansen
6. Absolute Fear by Lisa Jackson
7. Hide by Lisa Gardner
8. The Hollow by Nora Roberts
Alternate: Phantom Prey by John Sandford

Old Favorite Gal Authors:
1. Blood Dreams by Kay Hooper
2. Trace by Patricia Cornwell
3. Predator by Patricia Cornwell
4. Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell
5. Pandora's Daughter by Iris Johansen
6. Killer Dreams by Iris Johansen
7. Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts
8. The Key Trilogy by Nora Roberts

Old Favorite Dude Authors:
1. Third Degree by Greg Iles
2. Invisible Prey by John Sandford
3. Dark of the Moon by John Sandford
4. The Stone Monkey by Jefferey Deaver
5. The Twelfth Card by Jeffery Deaver
6. The Cold Moon by Jeffery Deaver
7. Gone by Jonathan Kellerman
8. Rage by Jonathan Kellerman

Authors that are new to me:
1. Through Thick And Thin by Alison Pace
2. Locked Rooms by John Dikson Carr
3. Little Bitty Lies by Mary Kay Andrews
4. Best Friends by Martha Moody
5. Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot
6. Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
7. Where The Heart Is by Billie Letts
8. Peace Like A River by Leif Engerl
Alternate: In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner

Light and Quick Reads:
1. The Cat Who Robbed A Bank by Lilian Jackson Braun
2. The Cat Who Smelled A Rat by Lilian Jackson Braun
3. Cats Eyewitness by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown
4. Sour Puss by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown
5. Double Shot by Diane Mott Davidson
6. Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson
7. Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson
8. Plum Lovin by Janet Evanovich

Books by Jodi Picoult:
1. Harvesting The Heart
2. Picture Perfect
3. Keeping Faith
4. Salem Falls
5. The Tenth Circle
6. Change Of Heart
7. Songs Of The Humpback Whale
8. Love And Murder

Books by Terri Blackstock:
1. Private Justice
2. Shadow Of Doubt
3. Cape Refuge
4. Southern Storm
5. Rivers Edge
6. Breaker's Reef
7. Night Light
8. True Light
Alternate: Dawn's Light

Christian Authors:
1. Sugar And Grits by DiAnn Mills,Martha Rogers, Janice Thompson, Kathleen Y'borbo
2. Light From Heaven by Jan Karon
3. A Song I Know By Heart by Bret Lott
4. Presumed Guilty by James Scott Bell
5. Sins of the Fathers by James Scott Bell
6. The Postcard by Beverly Lewis
7. The Crossroad by Beverly Lewis
8. Christmas in My Heart by Joe L Wheeler

OK y'all. That's it. Oh, by the way, I am also re-reading the Bible this year. If I complete the challenge (which I hope to) and the Bible (which I am determined to) I will have completed my 64 books times 2 plus some!! That would be cool.......

Anyway, wish me luck. I will keep both of you posted on my progress. (I'm kinda pretending like you really care.....)

Happy New Year!

2007 re-visited.....

2007-12-30T15:26:00.000-05:00

We have had a good year.

We are very blessed because I know there are a lot of people that aren't able to make that statement. I reflect back on this year and see so many that have suffered with so many different issues. Everything from loosing a loved one, to problems with kids not making good decisions, to health problems. Now don't get me wrong. We have had small doses of all those problems and more. The important word in that sentence was "small". When compared to some of the trials others have gone through this past year, well, let me just say that we were very fortunate. I know that won't always be the case. I hope and pray that whatever lies ahead for us, we will face it with courage and grace. That we continue to trust that God will be right here with us through it all and will always have his loving arms around us.

I am really looking forward to 2008. During this coming year we will have a boy turn 5, a teenager turn 16 (gasp) and a young man turn 20 *insert scream here*. We will continue to try to "train them up in the way". That may require some restriction, time out, butt kickin and wooden spoon wielding but I know for sure that the main requirements are lots of love, understanding and constant prayer. Pray that we keep on track with God's will for these boys. I know I have made many mistakes and I know I will make more, I just pray that I will not "damage" these children that God has blessed me with! I read a line in a book earlier this week that said that mothers don't have children, we receive them. How true! They really are gifts from God and although there are certainly times when I feel that one or more of them may have been a gag gift, they are a gift none the less!

I hope that you, all two of my loyal readers, have a "small issues" kind of year in 2008. For those that may have a "big issues" 2008, you will have my help and my prayers.

My prayer for today is that we are all able to lay that spiritual foundation that Curt talked about today. That no matter what 2008 brings, we will be prepared to get through it with God.

A safe and happy new year wish to both of you!!!

Is it me?????? What do you think?

2007-11-30T19:19:00.000-05:00

You Are An ESFJ

The Caregiver

You are sympathetic and caring, putting friends and family first.
A creature of habit, you prefer routines and have trouble with change.
You love being in groups - whether you're helping people or working on a project.
You are good at listening, laughing, and bringing out the best in people.

In love, you value harmony and mutual understanding.
You will apologize or give someone the benefit of the doubt, if it means getting over a fight sooner.

At work, you are good at building relationships and connecting with people.
You would make a great nurse, social worker, or teacher.

How you see yourself: Organized, dependable, co-operative

When other people don't get you, they see you as: Opinionated, critical, and know-it-all

What's" Your Personality Type?

Seven and Seven

2007-11-20T19:47:00.000-05:00

I was tagged for this meme by Making a Person. I am fairly new to the blog world so it really feels good not only to be looked at but TAGGED TOO. How cool is that I ask you! Well, it's really cool but the real reason I am doing this is that she has flung a hex on anyone that doesn't do it and I really don't want scabby boils on my butt. Hexes aside, she has a really great blog and an absolutely STUNNING baby girl so head on over there and check her out after you read all these goofy things about me.....

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person’s blog who tagged you.

2. Post these rules on your blog.

3. List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself

4. Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.

Here goes:
1. I love ink pens. Any kind of ink pen. Especially different colors. You hand me an unusual color marker or pen, I am a happy happy girl.

2. Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the colors.....the reds, oranges, mossy greens and golds. AHHHHHHHHH I love the crisp air as the temperature changes from hot to cool (we don't get "cold" in South Carolina) Put me in a turtle neck and sweater, hand me a red maple leaf and I am a happy happy girl.

3. I really don't care for chickens. You know. Live chickens. I love all animals and am very tender hearted concerning them. I will cry during a western movie if a horse falls down, could care less if a cowboy gets shot but, I don't like chickens. If I had to survive by killing my own food.....poultry all the way baby. Wouldn't bother me a bit. However, no more beef or pork for this girl.

4. I love games. Not play with your head mean people games but board, dice and card games. Give me a good round of Rook, Domino's, Clue, Yahtzee, Trivial Pursuit, Operation, Rummy, Sorry, even good old Monopoly and, you guessed it........I am a happy happy girl.

5. I can bake and decorate cakes pretty darn well. I have made wedding cakes even but I CAN NOT MAKE BREAD! I either come out with something you could use as building materials (bricks) or something gooey and unrecognizable.......sigh. Probably a good thing though cause if I could make bread I would most likely weigh around 783 lbs.

6. I have a very hard time controlling my anger when people that call themselves Christians do things like protest at the funerals of our wonderful fallen soldiers with some kind of ridiculous reasoning concerning homosexuality OR turn a family away from their church because one of the family members has AIDS...............AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGG. I know I need to pray for them and love them but there are times that I just want to back over the lot of them with a steamroller......did I say that out loud?

7. I love Winnie The Pooh stuff. Not just stuffed animals stuff but tv shows, movies, clothing, and especially the books. I don't really like reading them out loud to Noah because they have some difficult passages (OK. stop laughing and go try it yourself and get back to me!) but I just love the writing and characters. Eeyore and Tigger are my favorites......Rabbit kinda gets on my nerves.

OK ya'll - tag! You're it!

Magner's Random Ramblings

Modern Day Cavalcade

All That Naz

Training Up In The Way

Shoo Fly Pie And Grits

Well Mannered Frivolity

Stragglingband

I think I may have double tagged a couple of you....sorry if so. If any of you don't wish to cooperate, um I mean.....play, well, that's just fine. I"ll try not to take it as a rejection.....sniff sniff.

JUST KIDDING. Play if ya want to. If not, no worries!!

Streamers and confetti.....

2007-11-07T10:25:00.000-05:00

The morning of my birthday I woke up to confetti and streamers!!! Yes! Yes it is true. First thing after waking up, I, like everyone else I know, went into the little girls room only to find that it had been decorated with yes, you guessed it, streamers and confetti.....at least that is what I tried to tell myself. Let me know what you think!

I am pretty sure I know who did it....................

VERY tired after all that work!

I had a wonderful birthday by the way. Thank you to all who called and sang and emailed and "sang". Thanks for the cards, both snail mail and email. Thanks to my husband for making me feel so very special on my special day. Just so you can all understand how great he really is, I woke to him singing happy birthday, a screen saver saying "happy birthday", I received e-cards through the day, he helped Noah with a card for me, he had a really sweet card for me and he went straight to my heart with a gift card to Michael's craft store....gasp! (insert picture of kid in candy store here).

Also, as if that isn't enough, my friend Jennifer got me some scrapbook paper (shriek!), my friend Jeanie bought me lunch on Monday, dinner on Tuesday and accompanied me to Michael's for my spree (and my wonderful husband kept Noah so I could shop without "help"). She also got me a giant football mug, for my Diet Coke/iced tea/water habit, a beautiful autumn table runner, an autumn scrapbook set, a bundle of scrapbook paper in my best colors and a dark chocolate bar (gasp, shriek, YUM). My parents had to go out of town unexpectedly but I was told that I am to remember to get my gift and card when I see them tonight and that they will be taking me and the family out for a meal to celebrate. I'm sure they did more than they should have. They ALWAYS do. My parents spoil me rotten. My husband spoils me rotten. My friends and extended family spoil me rotten. You know what that means ya'll? Well, facts are facts. All these people are gifts from God and I am..........Just Plain Blessed!!!!!

Family Time.....

2007-10-19T14:59:00.000-04:00

Last weekend Noah and I went with my parents to Tennessee to celebrate my Uncle Fred's 80th birthday. We stayed with my wonderful Aunt Jan. She always welcomes us with open arms and lots of homemade food and makes us feel right at home. We arrived in the mountains Thursday night after a bit of a delay in Charlotte.

Normally we would not have traveled that way but the decision had been made by the "travel agent" that we would go up through Charlotte and Boone then come home through Johnson City Tn and Ashville NC. The reason for this is so we could see more of the fall colors. We really did not see many colors in the mountains on Thursday since it was getting dark by the time we got there. It was even darker for mom since she actually forgot she was wearing her sunglasses. That provided us with a good giggle....thanks mom. Anyway, Friday we woke to home baked biscuits and sausage gravy. YUM!! I'm tellin ya, Aunt Jan could easily open a 4 star restaurant! My cousin Tina didn't have to work that day so she was able to spend the whole day with us. Bill, my other cousin and his wife April came up later in the day and we all relaxed and had a good visit. Tina invited me to go to dinner with her and her friends (after I whined a little) and we had a wonderful meal and great conversation. Her friends are great! Thank you to the 5 Noah sitters. From what I understand they obeyed his every command and a great time was had by all!

On Saturday, we went to Fatz in Bristol and met up with Uncle Fred, my cousins Freddie and Charles, his wife Debby and two of their youngins, Drew and Morgan. We had not seen Uncle Fred and his folks for more than a year. I always enjoy spending time with my cousins and their wives and children. We have made many a wonderful memory through the years and it is wonderful to reminisce. We did miss Melissa and Chelsea though!

Sunday, Uncle Fred and the gang came to Aunt Jan's. She and mom made a meal fit for kings. You would not believe how much wonderful food we had! It was so great to all be together and to catch up on each other's lives.

I am so blessed to have these people in my life that I call family. They are each very special to me. Here are a few pictures of our time together.

Noah and Morgan chowin down.....the flash kinda reflected off Freddie's big ole head, sorry about that!

The fellas enjoying the meal and some fellowship. Charles, his son Drew, Freddie, Uncle Fred and Pops.
This artistic plate belonged to my cousin Charles. Yes. He ate it all. In his defense, all our plates looked a lot like it and yes. We ate them. And yes. Some of us went back for seconds. Oink. Yum.
Morgan and Noah sittin on the dog house, watchin the guys play horseshoes. Best seat in the arena! Pops is standing watch for any stray horseshoes and making sure no one gets hurt. (thanks pops) By the way, Noah and Morgan figured out that if you stand directly above the stake and drop the horseshoes on the stake instead of throwing them all the way to the other side, you get more ringers that way. Silly us. Making that game so difficult all this time. Leave it to the 4 year olds to figure out that we have been doing it ALL WRONG!!
Hanging around, talking, watching football....there is a TV in the corner of the dining area. My mom and Aunt Jan are huge, HUGE sports fans. Yes. You heard me. My mom and Aunt Jan. They WILL hang up on you if you call during a good game. Trust me......sigh.
I LOVE THIS PICTURE!! Uncle Fred, reading to his granddaughter Morgan.

One thing is for sure and certain. I am so thankful for my family. My parents are absolutely wonderful and along with them, my Aunts, Uncles and cousins are so very precious to me. I don't have all the words in me to truly explain how important they all are. I hope one day I will find those words but until then, I hope they know that I love them all GREAT BIG BUNCHES!!

I love pictures that.....

2007-10-03T10:31:00.000-04:00

are self portraits..

show my little guy's beautiful eyes.....

are of sleeping little ones.....

show gentleness in a very active little boy.......

show toes curled in excitement.....

are taken from a different angle.....

show hard work and concentration.....

show laughter and fun.....

show a super hero with his daddy......

show love and cuddles.....

OK. I need to face facts. I just love pictures! My name is Robin and I have a problem....

A very special treat....

2007-10-01T19:08:00.000-04:00

Gene took Friday off and he took Noah and me to the aquarium downtown. It really was a very special treat and fun was had by all. What I really enjoyed was seeing the two of them together in an adventure. Since I don't work outside the home, I get to do little adventures with Noah all the time. Gene kind of gets the short end of the stick where adventures are concerned and it warmed my heart just seeing my two guys have fun.

This is a shot of them at the touch tank.....Noah would instruct Daddy on what he needed to touch and then watch him do it. Noah wanted no part of touching.....

This is Noah posing with a turtle at the outside exhibit.

Daddy and Noah at the outside exhibit This fish just stayed right there next to Noah for about 5 minutes. It did not leave until Noah did. Very strange....... Finally, Noah and Daddy playing in the pirate ship.....

Yep. Really nice day!

The cat is in the dishwasher......

2007-09-27T16:27:00.000-04:00

Yep. You heard me. The cat was in the dishwasher....I have proof.

I have NO idea why she decided she needed to be in there. Please don't ask.

I need an aspirin.....

Time keeps slippin.....

2007-09-23T17:26:00.000-04:00

Hi there! Sorry to all 2 or 3 of my loyal readers for being gone so long. Time just somehow gets away from me. Seems I blink and 3 weeks have passed. What is up with that!!??

So, how have ya'll been? We have been pretty busy here in Smithville. Quite a few of our friends have been having some really bad luck in the health department. Everything from very serious infections to gallbladders and other tummy issues. Everyone seems to be on the mend thanks be to God. We have been so very blessed in Smithville in the sickness and health area. The little guy does have some dermatology issues and is on some meds that are occasionally showing some pretty nasty side effects but compared to what our friends and loved ones are dealing with, we are doin real good. Please keep them all in your prayers. I appreciate it!

As I said, we have been busy. Noah especially. Poor little guy works his fingers to the bone for us! Here are a few examples:

Helping Daddy practice for Sunday service.............

Making sure the kitty is covered, warm and has PLENTY of toys to play with..........

As a side note, kitty was very patient with this whole process. When I removed the papers, there were about 25 trains on top of her. She just stayed there and purred!

Noah has also been doing a lot of baking. He is a big help in the kitchen and helps me make cakes, icing and in this case, brownies.........

FYI- he is wearing undies. He prefers to be completely in the natural but we have compromised and he ALWAYS has at least his dangerous parts covered! Sometimes you will find him with his red socks on too. It really is a good look for him......really!

Well folks....all 2 or 3 of you, it's good to be back and I will try not to let too much time slip away till next time.

Words I Miss.....

2007-07-29T09:20:00.000-04:00

As all children do, Noah had some words that he mispronounced terribly. The fact is, I really miss those words. I almost cried each time when he started pronouncing them correctly. This is a list of some of those precious words. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Co-pop-a-tate = Cooperate. This happened one day when I was trying to put a very wiggly Noah into his car seat and I said "Noah, would you please cooperate?" He said " Mommy, I AM co-pop-a-tating!!" Gene and I still use this one often.....

Kemin = Kevin. This habit of turning v's into m's happened in all words ending in "vin" or ''ven" such as seven, heaven, eleven....you get the picture. Gene and I still call the 15 year old....Kemin.

Trigiggle = triangle. I used to make him say his shapes numerous times a day just so I could hear him say trigiggle. He doesn't like to do shapes anymore. I wonder why?

Budnets = buttons. In the Smith household, we refer to the remote control as the buttons. They are now, and will forever be, budnets.

Mobsters = lobsters. While grocery shopping, Noah would spy the lobster tank and start yelling "mobsters, mobsters, can I see the mobsters?!" People would usually look around expecting to see that Tony guy from the gangster show but alas, all they saw was sea creatures.

Smokesnack = smokestack. With his ginormous collection of trains and train books, this word brought us many hours of entertainment!

Scamo = Cozmo. Scamo, um I mean Cozmo is our big dog.

Firtday = birthday. Are we going to a firtday party? When is my firtday? (singing) Happy firtday to you...... Try it. It's kinda catchy!

Feepaway = Felipe. It is a character on Handy Manny on Disney. TOO CUTE!

Anything starting with and "L" was pronounced with a "W". Look = wook. Louder = wowder. Best of all......Love = wub. (as in "I wub you mommy") Doesn't get any better than that!

A Sweet Moment...

2007-07-23T14:47:00.000-04:00

Noah, Kevin and I went to see my friend Heather in the hospital. She had just had a new baby brother for Noah's friend Jayden. The new baby brother's name is Xavier. It is quite comical to hear Jayden and Noah try to pronounce "Xavier".

After we got into to room and said our hello's, Heather let me hold the beautiful little guy. About 2.7 seconds after I got him in my arms, the conversation went something like this.....

Noah : "NO. Put him back!"
Me: "No, I am going to hold him for a little while."
Noah: " Ummmm, ok"

After a little bit of fidgeting and averting of the eyes, Noah decided to come sit by me and baby Xavier.

Me: "Isn't he cute Noah?"
Noah: "yes" (lengthy pause filled with silence) "Can I sing to him a lullaby?"
Me: (sniff sniff) "Yes of course you can baby"
Noah: (singing) "Twinkle Twinkle little star........" (you know the rest)

He sang the whole song so sweetly and softly that I was wondering if aliens had taken over my Noah's body or something but upon finishing his song, he jumped onto the hospital bed with Heather and immediately started pushing the buttons to change the TV channel and volume and "NO NOAH! DON'T PUSH THE RED BUTTON!!!"
Whew! Aliens are gone and Noah has returned.
I was getting worried!

Cats Can Read From Their Butt and Other Bits Of Info You Need

2007-07-10T17:25:00.000-04:00

1. If you sit at a table with an open newspaper, book or magazine and you are owned by a cat, said cat will sit on the item you are reading. This is how they read. Just thought you should know.

2. If your preschool child suddenly starts eating twice his body weight in one day, just drop everything and go clothes shopping. He is going through a growth spurt and will be wearing the next size up very soon. Like maybe tomorrow.

3. If you think you are being smart and go ahead and buy the next size up while the stores are having a terrific sale, the child will then automatically skip that size and go to the next one. Thus leaving you with 27 items (undergarments included) that will never be worn.

4. If everyone in the house is going through a certain food phase, lets say, cucumbers, and you didn't buy enough for everyone to have 6 each that day, gasp! They (the children/teenagers) will act as if you have comitted some sort of unforgivable sin and the preschool child upon realizing there are no more cucumbers will imediatly drop writhing and flailing about on the floor as if he is a heroin addict.

5. The check out gals at Walmart look really funny when I buy 12 huge cucumbers at a time.........

6. If you have a large dog, and the dog is a sweet and loving dog, you must keep a hand towel close by in case said dog suddenly feels grateful that you saved him and gives you numerous "kisses" on your face. There is the possibility that you could very well drown if immediate wiping does not occur.

7. The cat stays mad all day long if the large dog "kisses" her. It musses her fur you know...

8. Dusting is from Satan. IT IS NEVER DONE!!!! As soon as you finish, you just have to do it again. I just try to accept that it is nature's way of placing a protective coating on my furniture.

9. Laundry with three boys is from Satan. IT IS NEVER DONE!!!.......

10. If you try really hard to think of all the funny things going on in your own home, it really helps get you out of your blue mood. Helps you pull yourself up by the old boot straps as it were.............what are boot straps? Do I have any?

A Few Things.....

2007-07-10T09:49:00.000-04:00

Sorry I've been gone so long. I seem to be having some issues with myself and I need to find some way to deal with myself. Time out hasn't really worked since I really enjoy time out. I am just too plain old for a spanking. (stop it!) I could put myself on restriction but that would just be feeding into my problem of wanting to be alone. I tend to go through these phases where I don't want to do anything or see anyone. I have been pretty good about doing and going this time but it really takes a lot of energy and tires me out. I do only what I have to do and no more....then I feel guilty for not doing more. I feel bad for my family because I feel like I am not doing enough for them. (they never complain because they are great people, this is just part of what I do to myself!) God is really good to me because these phases usually do not last too long. He watches me and lifts me up when I get too far down. The thing is, right now, I really wish he would cook dinner and clean my bathrooms so I could hibernate until the phase is over! I really am just kidding about that because if I was allowed to hibernate, the phase would never end and I would be giving in to that demon - depression. I thank God that he has given me wonderful people that are supportive and understanding and that he created that awesome scientist that invented my medicine. Sorry Tom Cruise, I need the medicine. Get over it!
Hey, do ya'll think Tom reads my blog?

Identity Crisis and Attitude Problems.....

2007-06-26T20:47:00.000-04:00

Identity Crisis.............

Ok, lets just say for the sake of argument that you are a roll of toilet paper and you have an attitude problem. Well, this is what will happen to you if Flufflee gets tired of your attitude....

Consider yourself warned.....

Ten Wonderful Things About......

2007-06-20T09:40:00.000-04:00

My pops!!!! Since this past Sunday was Father's Day, I figured Pops should be my next blog victim...uhhhh recipient, yeah, that's it. Again, random order here!

He loves his family and is not afraid to show it. He is always full of hugs and kisses which I think is really cool. A lot of men are reserved when if comes to outward shows of affection. Not pops....you ever need a hug, look him up!
He loves animals. I get my "Elly Mae Clampet" gene from him.
He is really really smart. He can do the NY Times crossword puzzle in just minutes and is done before I have figured out 1. across...... He knows so much stuff it just blows my mind!! (I think I am fairly smart but not near as smart as pops. I certainly did not get the crossword puzzle gene.....)
If he has a job to do, he does it right. No half way stuff. You can rest assured that no matter how big or small, it will be done well. 4.a. - He has an awesome work ethic. Very fair and honest and highly respected. I know this because whenever I would run into someone he worked with, they always had high praise. They would say things like, "he is a great man" and "I really miss working with him" and "I learned so much from him" and ....well you get the picture!
He is a great teacher. Whenever I needed help with something I didn't understand, he would find a way to teach me so I could get it. I have to admit that there are a couple of things I still don't understand but those are things I will NEVER understand and not because he wasn't teaching right......like, how does the radio in the car work......I will NEVER get it. Many people have tried to explain it to me but it just doesn't make sense to me....all with the waves in the air that you can't see.....PULEESE....how is that supposed to make sense I ask you!
He is loyal. He was in the Navy as a sub sailor for over 27 years. He is loyal to his country and his fellow sailors. He has been married to my sweet mom for over 47 years now. I'd say that's loyalty (OK, and love and stuff too). He is loyal to family and friends and most importantly, his is loyal to our God.
He is FUNNY! He has great facial expressions to accompany his humor and could probably make a living as a stand up comic. His mind is so quick and he can really come up with some zingers but that's not the only way he is funny. He has long standing funnies. To explain, here is an example..... For as long as I can remember, he has jokingly and lovingly referred to my mom as "what's her name" For some reason, this really cracks people up and they never forget it. When we left Chicago, the church bulletin read: We will miss Tom, Robin and What's Her Name.....I'm not kidding!
He is good with nature stuff. He knows what that bush is over there and that the crows have a lookout dude and that when the clouds are moving in that direction it means rain is probably coming in this direction not over there....huh? I didn't get that gene. My plants that do end up living in spite of me, well, they really don't like me very much. They have to beg for water and stuff.....
He is a wonderful "Poppy" to Noah. When together, they are inseparable. They play together, watch movies together, do computer stuff together, read together, go for walks together.....GET INTO TROUBLE TOGETHER.....that is another blog for another time! :-)
He is a wonderful example of what a man should be. He is honorable, loving, loyal, knowledgeable, respectful and respected, playful, funny, courageous, curious, humble, talented (side note: he plays guitar really well, has a great singing voice and is very good at woodworking to name a few of his many talents). He is a man of very strong faith in our God. My husband has said that he often uses my dad as an example. I really hope our boys do that too. It would be such a great thing if they grow up to be like their dad, who is striving to be like.....my dad!

Honey, Did You Just Put A Quarter In The Bed At 2:30 a.m.....

2007-06-15T11:38:00.000-04:00

No. Wait. We don't have that option on our bed. Why is it vibrating? Gene, why do you have a black furry pillow on your head? OHHHHH, Ok, that's just Jack (the medium size dog weighing in at about 40 lbs) Why is he shaking? Is it thundering? Nooooooo, don't hear anything. Wait. What was that? Honey, did you just raise the head of the bed with that automatic thingy? No. Wait. We don't have that option on our bed. Why is the foot of the bed lower than the top? OHHHHH, Ok, that's just Cozmo (the very large dog weighing in at about 100 lbs) Why is he shaking? Bee-doop.....what was that noise? Stop. Listen. Bee-doop. C'mon Cozmo. Let's go investigate. Ok mom, but I'll just stay behind you in case anything sneaks up from the rear.....Bee-doop. Is that my cell phone? Yep. Low Battery. I CAN NOT BELIEVE YOU GUYS ARE AFRAID OF MY CELL PHONE!!!!!!! To quote my husband..."I don't even know why we feed you!!"
Side note: if you feel the need to break into our home and steal our $93.00 DVD player or our Thomas the Tank Engine collection, just bring some chicken and a tennis ball and our dogs will be your new BFF. I would however, be very worried about the cat.....

We're Baaaaack.....

2007-06-14T20:22:00.000-04:00

And a wonderful time was had by all!

Ten great things about our vacation.......again, not in any special order.....

We had a great time with family. We were able to see some but not all of the usual suspects. We sure did miss seeing A and B but I'm sure they had a wonderful time in Cancun!! We also missed seeing J,K and J but hopefully we will see them next time!
We had BEAUTIFUL weather. Not too hot, nice mountain breeze.....Ahhhhh.
We thank the Lord that we had safe travels. The trip up there was a little rough and I have to give a nice round of applause to Gene and Pops for getting us all there safe and sound. Thanks guys! Great driving! (oh. And thanks for getting us back home too....)
Aunt J and Mom did a fabulous job with the menu......YUMMMMMMM.
We were very impressed with the community theatre. They did a great job with the play "Dearly Beloved" and the future Tony winner, my stunning and very talented cousin T, provided us with enough laughs to make us tinkle in our shorts!! It also happened to be Kevin and Noah's first experience with live theatre. Kevin really liked it and Noah didn't....I believe it had something to do with the sitting still and being quiet part....hmmm.
My cousin T, introduced us to the most awesome Christian bookstore in Boone, N.C. If you ever get the chance, visit Cornerstone.
I got to take a walk in the mountain air, down a dirt road with my little guy. We picked wild daisies to present to his Nonna and Aunt J. It brought back so many good memories of when I used to do the same thing when I was little.
We had a whip-er-will sing us to sleep. How cool is that? We got to see bunnies, deer, squirrels and lots of beautiful birds without even leaving the front porch.....Ahhhhhhh again.
And from that same front porch, we could smell the rain first, hear the rain second, see the rain third, then feel the rain when it got there. WOW, WOW, WOW!
WE GOT TO SEE THOMAS.......WE GOT TO SEE NOAH SEE THOMAS!!!!!!!!

IS IT REALLY HIM???????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Waiting for the ride of a lifetime!

This is so totally cool!!

Noah, Mr. Conductor and the big man himself, THOMAS.

Feeding the critters.

Many thanks to Nonna and Poppy for footing too many of the bills and making this vacation extra special.
Aunt J for her hospitality. Her home is always so welcoming and comfy and nobody, and I mean nobody can do biscuits and gravy like Aunt J!! (or turkey, or green beans, or corn, or macaroni and cheese, or ....you get the picture!)
To T for spoiling both Noah and his mommy with Thomas memorabilia.
To Kevin for being such a tolerant, patient and cool big brother to Noah.
A special thanks to our new friend L who, on his day off, showed us all around Tweetsie and treated us like royalty.

And finally, to Gene for being such a great daddy, husband, friend and vacation buddy!

And We're Off!!!!

2007-06-04T16:05:00.000-04:00

We are off to the great and beautiful state of Tennessee. We are going to be up in the mountains not far across the border of North Carolina. I am so very excited to see my Aunts and cousins. They are the main part of the trip. My Aunt J is once again opening her home to us and let me tell you, it is way better than any ole hotel. She lives on a mountain in a house with a huge front porch and the most breath taking view. I look so forward to times with my family as we ALWAYS have a wonderful and fun time. We laugh, eat, play games, eat, laugh, eat, talk, laugh, eat.....well, you get the idea.

As a side treat, we are taking the little guy to Tweetsie Railroad in Boone N.C. They just happen to be having a very special guest star visiting them this week. Yep, you guessed it! Thomas The Tank Engine!!! Little guy doesn't know about this part of the trip so if ya'll run into him, help us keep the secret! I can't wait to see his little face when he sees Thomas. I think everyone in my family is excited to see it. To give you an idea just how excited everyone really is, I purchased 1 child's ticket and 7......yes 7 adult tickets. People are probably going to think he is some sort of royalty with an entourage!

Well, I know I have made ya'll very jealous and I'm real sorry. If I could put you in my pocket and take you with me, I would.

Pictures will be posted upon our arrival back into town

Happy trails ya'll!

Feelin......Not So Groovy

2007-06-03T10:20:00.000-04:00

Noah is sick.
He has a double ear infection.
He has mouth sores too.
He is handling the ear infection ok.
The mouth sores, not so much.
He adamantly refuses any treatment for his mouth.
No salt water, no numbzit stuff, no nothin.
He would rather just whine.....
It really breaks my heart when he is sick.
I'm taking up whining myself.
Ya'll pray for us.

Especially Gene!

WOW! This Trophy Is So Cool....

2007-05-30T15:09:00.000-04:00

Even though the first T-Ball season is not quite over, we had our end of season team party last night. Our very formal celebration was held at none other than the very posh and hip place to be, Chuck E Cheese. A wonderful time was had by all and Noah is now the proud owner of his very first trophy. HOW COOL IS THAT?

I volunteered to do the cake for our little gathering. The ball was chocolate and the rest of the cake was vanilla. Let me know what you think.....

A Piece Of String

2007-05-28T12:29:00.000-04:00

Sometimes there are days when I feel a little bummed. Sometimes I know what causes it and some I don't. Today seems to be one of those days that I don't know why I feel poopy, I just do. No reason. Must be a "woman/menopause" thing. I just can't seem to get up out of my funk. I DON'T LIKE IT!!!

I have found myself being jealous of our cat. I am actually giving her dirty looks. It seems all it takes to make her happy is a piece of string.........

Questionaire Thingys

2007-05-25T09:54:00.000-04:00

I really love these things. I especially enjoy learning little unknown facts about people. So if you are inclined, and have the time, copy and paste and send it to me in an email. Or, if you have a blog......like Shawna Lee, Annie, Wendy and CBoz, you are tagged!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? nope
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Tuesday - Joey...
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? yep
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Deli chicken or turkey
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yep - 3 guys
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I think so!
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? no NO NEVER! Why would someone as sweet as me do that?
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Nope. Dr Hibner took them
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? If I didn't have any responsibilities, maybe
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? POPS
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Nope
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Depends on the situation but yes, most of the time
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? dark chocolate fudge from Baskin Robbins
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? their eyes
15. RED OR PINK? red
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My lack of self control in some situations
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My Grandparents
18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Gray pants and dark gray slippers
19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Goldfish crackers
20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Noah talking with his "friends" Charlie and Lola
21. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Periwinkle
22. FAVORITE SMELLS? baking cakes or bread
23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Nonna and Poppy
24. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yep! She is someone I can always count on.
25. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? UT football, Braves baseball
26. HAIR COLOR? Brown
27. EYE COLOR? Green
28. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Not anymore, bi-focal contacts are tooooo expensive!!
29. FAVORITE FOOD? Seafood
30. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Can I have another choice? How about suspense or comedy?
31. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Amazing Grace
32. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Gray and Orange..... UT!
33. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter
34. HUGS OR KISSES? Both please
35. FAVORITE DESSERT? Those hot chocolate cakes with the gooey stuff inside.
36. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? The Kill by Alison Brennon
37. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Fake water drops
38. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Part of Grey's Anatomy
39. FAVORITE SOUND? Noah laughing
40. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Neither really....
41. WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Philippine Islands
42. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I do pretty good cake decorating
43. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Groton, Connecticut

Small Furry Blessings

2007-05-22T02:20:00.000-04:00

About 6 weeks ago, God sent this little beauty to us. No one has reported her missing. We had never seen her before. She just showed up at our front porch and started loving on us so as is my habit, I took her in and introduced her to her new family. My belief is that she was sent to us to help us through a sad time. Yesterday we lost our sweet little Joey. She was around 17 years old. When she was about 1 year old, she was hit by a car. A very nice lady found her, took her to the vet and got her taken care of. She could not keep her though because she already had a full house. So, as is my habit, I took her in and introduced her to her new family. She had a pin in her back right leg so she couldn't jump very well. She had internal injuries so she had some stomach problems. In spite of her physical problems and an extreme fear of the outdoors and cars, she was a sweet little girl. She was loving and funny and brought us much joy. Rest peacefully sweet girl. You blessed us much and you will be terribly missed.

Guess Who I Saw Last Night!

2007-05-21T11:10:00.000-04:00

Go on......Guess! I'll wait.

No guesses? Well, Pops, Gene, Kevin and I were in attendance at the Alison Krauss and Union Station concert featuring Tony Rice! I really had a wonderful time. In my opinion, A K has a beautiful voice and I could listen to her sing all day long. I also love bluegrass music.....yes, I do! I love the way a banjo and acoustic guitar sound together. Add in a double bass, mandolin and dobro and I am a very happy girl.

Pops, Gene and Kevin all being guitar players enjoyed watching Tony Rice's fingers fly!

This was Kevin's first official concert and even though bluegrass may not be his favorite, I think he really enjoyed himself. He seemed to be a little in awe of it all. I see dreams of being a rock star in his future!

Many many thanks to Nonna for staying with Noah and many more thanks to Nonna and Poppy for providing the tickets. What a wonderful treat!

(side note: Gene was worried because he forgot his guitar picks and he wouldn't be able to help them out.....hmmmmm.......they never did call him up on stage.......they must not have known he was there!)

Ten Foot Tall And Bullet Proof...Sorta

2007-05-18T19:16:00.000-04:00

OK. So we were leaving our neighborhood in our ginormous, gas guzzling, politically incorrect Expedition when out from our neighbors yard runs this tiny little dachshund puppy. Gene stopped the car very quickly and little puppy turns to face us. We are now puppy snout to car bumper.......and in a stare down. Little puppy Was. Not. Moving. This struck both Gene and me as quite comical and after laughing at this brave tiny little creature, I got out of the car to have our shoot out. As soon as I said "Go Ahead, Make My Day" and pulled my imaginary gun, little puppy turned tail and ran away. I shouted "Ha! Not Quite So Brave Anymore Are Ya!".

Gee I hope my neighbors weren't watching.

Or worse........listening.

Ten Great Things About......

2007-05-15T17:21:00.001-04:00

MY MOM!!!!! I figured since this past Sunday was Mom's day, I would tell ya'll how great she really is! Again, these are not necessarily in order of importance.....

She never never ever forgets birthdays, anniversaries and other important days. I'm not talkin just me and my dad. I mean she ALWAYS sends birthday and anniversary cards to ALL my Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and my Cousins children. She also remembers the close friends they have made over the years. Let me tell ya'll somethin'. I really do not know why postage went up again! Mom is totally responsible for keeping the U.S. Postal Service in business! (side note: I did not get this DNA from her....don't expect a card. I buy them, I never actually send them.)
She is an awesome cook. She can make a wonderful down home country meal or a fancy schmancy meal and everything in between. She also makes extreemly yummy desserts......the cheesecake queen! (side note: I think I was lucky enough that I did get a little bit of this DNA)
To go along with the cooking thing, she is a great hostess. She loves to have people in her home and always makes them feel special and welcome. Folks always leave feeling very full, both of food and love! (side note: I did not get this DNA either...)
She LOVES sports. Especially baseball and football. I like to be in the same house as her and her sister when a football game is on. Not because I really want to see the game, but because it is so entertaining to watch them watch a game. They have yelled so loud at times, they have frightened small children. My mom even "helps" run the ball. She has gotten quite a few touchdowns just by running from her recliner to the tv! TOO MUCH FUN!
She is a wonderful Grandmother. Noah just adores his "Nonna". She combines the perfect amount of loving and spoiling! I found a quote about grandma's that suits her perfectly...."When I go to Grandma's, she makes me feel like she has been waiting for me all day."
She has been and still is an awesome mom. She has given me a great pattern to work from and I hope I do as well as she did. (disclaimer: All my strange quirks and bad habits did not come from her. She tried to fix me ya'll.....she really tried!)
She keeps a beautiful house. She is organized and very clean. Her house ALWAYS looks wonderful, shiny, bright and clean. (side note: Once again, I did not get this DNA...deep sigh.....aaaaahhhhhhcccchhhhhooooo! I guess I need to dust...)
She loves to shop and find a good bargain and is so very proud when she does. I couldn't find a great bargain if it bit me in the....well, you know. Once again, didn't get the DNA...
She is wonderful to volunteer. She helps with everything she can and with everyone from the littlest baby to the most seasoned senior. She makes hospital visits, takes food to the ailing, sends notes and cards (see #1) and even calls them on their birthdays to sing "Happy Birthday". I often make fun of my mom's singing, also known as "the joyful noise" but I think she is so sweet for doing all she does!
She taught me the importance of family. When I was little, she made sure that when we were thousands of miles from relatives, I still remembered who they were by reading letters from them, showing me pictures, and sharing memories about them. I have a very strong bond with my family even though we may not see one another very often. She is responsible for that bond.

In closing, she is a wonderful example of being a wife, mother, friend and Christian. I really want to be like her when I grow up!

Top Ten Blessings

2007-05-14T15:05:00.000-04:00

Please note: These blessing are listed in a random order not necessarily in order of importance.

I am blessed with a mom and dad who have been married for going on 48 years. They not only love each other, they LIKE each other! They are perfect role models and I want to be like them when I grow up.
I am blessed to be married to a man that loves me in spite of me! He is understanding, funny, caring, understanding, loving, a great dad, thoughtful, understanding, very smart, understanding.....did I say understanding already? Above all, he loves God and loves to serve God.
I am blessed to have boys in my life. No, I'm not drunk, I really mean it. I don't know what I would to with frilly, silly, weepy, giggly, dramatic girls!
I am blessed to have the worlds most awesome friends. Some I have had for many years and some for just a short time but all of them are from God.
I am blessed to have the greatest family. Not just imediate family but Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and such. I always look forward to being with them. We really do have a blast together.
I am blessed to have had my wonderful and sweet Grandparents and I miss them somethin' awful! Blessing 6a. I am blessed that I KNOW I will see them again some day!
I am blessed to be a part of Riverbluff Church. I love our purpose and I love the work that God is doing there. I always learn something when I am there. I love the pastors, staff, workers, and congregation. I especially love the web guy/guitar player/sound guy dude! Get your mind out of the gutter......that dude is my husband!
I am blessed to be owned by the furry critters in my home. In order of approximate age, not importance, Joey kitty, Cozmo dog, Jack dog and the newest member of the Smith house hold, Flufflee kitty!
I am blessed to have been given the opportunity to have a happy healthy and precious baby. Even though he is now 4 yrs old, he will always be my baby! Blessing 9a. I am blessed that I have Kevin in my life. It is such a joy watching him grow into a fine young man. I think maybe he might actually like me too! :-)
I am blessed to be a child of God. I know that he is the reason for blessings 1 through 9!!