10/22 Race For the Cure

Race For the Cure

This was my first time going. I was pretty excited.

The stage is set and decorated.

The news said that there were 44,000 people in attendance for the Race.  It is the third largest Race in America?  At least that is what I have heard.

Some people made their own shirts instead of wearing the ones that come with registration.

There were plenty of people dressed up.

The signs were hilarious!

There were several fire trucks along the way that had firemen on top dancing.

Two things to notice: the tall guy in the pink wig and the pink fire truck!

 These guys rode their bikes the whole time?

These gentlemen smelled like alcohol.  Just sayin.

Can you see the 'ribbon'?

We did it.  My first time.  Thanks Johnna and Lindsey for letting me tag along!

And - if that is not enough activity for you - well we also went to the fair!

10/19 Teacher Appreciation Luncheon

Today I went to the school to help serve at a Teacher Appreciation Luncheon.  Two of the teachers are breast cancer survivors, so the theme was Breast Cancer Awareness.

10/18 The Best Laid Plans

Today is our anniversary.  Victor is out of town. Robbie has football practice.  We went to Schell's house for dinner. 

Here's one of those funny stories that you can only shake your head and laugh at:

Schell's husband is out of town for the week.  Victor was out of town yesterday and would be home late tonight.  I told
Schell to drive my truck and take Robbie to practice.  I would stay at her house with the other four kids.  It would give her some time to herself.  That sounds like a great plan right? 

Not exactly.


You see, once practice was over and it was time to go home, my truck would not start.  So Robbie and Schell had to ask Robbie's coaches and the parents for jumper cables.  It took a while to find cables and jump my truck.  Can you imagine how NOT relaxing it would be to drive some one's  automobile and have it die on you?

Man! The greatest intentions were not realized tonight.

10/17 No Repeats

Monday.  We are not having a repeat of last Monday.  NO WAY!  Steps have been taken to ensure this.  I skipped Robbie's game last night to bring the younger boys home for showers and bed.  They were in bed and asleep at a respectable time.  I made sure to get up and have all three lunches made and packed.  This way, I knew they would eat something for lunch.  Ahhh much better day. No pictures, but better day.

10/16 Football Via Schell

I forgot to take pictures of the boys playing. Here are some pics from a friend who has been coming to the games.

Jonah tackling this dude to the ground!! Do not underestimate my man!

Having fun with Noah

                                                                                                                 
               He is going to be a great dad.

10/15 Mystery Plants

I found these two really neat plants in my flower bed.  Neat, but not mine.  Where did they come from?  Who has been planting in my flower bed?

Turns out William and Jonah "found" these plants at the edge of the dead end on my neighbor's property.  Whoops.  They snatched up my neighbor's plants and replanted them in our flower bed.  It's the thought that counts right? I still need to go and apologize to my neighbor.  He knows, by the way.  Jonah and William asked him how to take care of the plants. How bold is that?  They really did not understand what they had done.

10/14 R&R

It is Friday!! My kids are exhausted.  We are chilling out in my bed watching a movie, waiting for Victor to come home.

I really try to make Fridays and Saturdays either fun or relaxing.  Today. they needed relaxing.

10/13 Salsa

Salsa!!

My friend Leslie sells homemade salsa.  She has several shows coming up.  I went over to lend a hand.

This is the biggest pot - and she had two of them going on the stove.  I was responsible for opening all of the canned tomatoes.

Can I just give a big shout out to Pampered Chef for making the best can opener ever? 

I also helped cut and tie ribbon onto the jars. This is how much we made today. 

Her company is called LYG which stands for Love Your Guts!

Let me know if you want to try some.

10/12 Welcome Home

We have officially moved in!  When we first moved into this house, I did not get the sign changed on the mailbox.  Why not you ask?  Well, I could give you all kinds of reasons and excuses, but it all boils down to fear.  I was afraid to claim this house as my own.  I was afraid of the other shoe dropping.  I was afraid that with a gift as wonderful as this house, something bad was going to happen.  It will be a year in November that we have lived here.  It is time to get over my fear.

We have been studying Job in CBS.  Job had all kinds of terrible things happen to him.  Not because he was a bad guy who deserved to be punished, or because he was wealthy, but because God saw him as blameless and upright.  Now, I am not comparing myself to Job in any way.  That kind of a stretch would cause lightening to strike me and my house down, but I have decided that trouble will come no matter what kind of house I have.  The important thing is how I respond.

So here it is - the new sign on the mailbox:

Welcome home.

10/11 Do Over

Today is going much better.  All the kids actually ate the lunch that I made sure to pack for them.  When they got home, we ate dinner because football practice starts at 5:30.

10/10 Melt Downs

So - yesterday we had football games.  The last one was at 7:00.  We got home late and everyone needed a shower.  The kids got to bed really late.  The next morning, I did not make lunches for the kids.  I told them to buy a lunch at school.  WELLLLL

When I picked up the kids, it turned out that NO ONE ate lunch.  Oh boy...this cannot be good.  My kids cannot miss meals.  They go nuts.  So, on the way home from school, I stopped at Subway and bought everyone a foot long sandwich.  And so it began...

William had a massive tantrum in Subway because I would not buy him chips with his sandwich.  I explained that we have chips and drinks at home.  He got a spanking.

Then we go home to eat.  Things really go downhill from there.  William and I are arguing over his homework not being neat.  I send him to his room to take a nap.  Jonah and I argue over how to do his homework.  He is actually crying because his pencil is not sharp enough.  Really?  So two kids are crying uncontrollably for over an hour.  They have both been spanked, I have tried to get them both to lay down and take a nap.  Now it is 5:00 and Victor called to say he was going to be late.  

I am at my wits end.  I decide to have them take showers to let the warm water sooth their tired souls.  So now I have two kids crying in two different showers.  Both of them are upset because it is too early to take a shower.  I am losing my mind and demand that they stick their heads under the water.

Fortunately, this final, last ditch effort to get the boys to calm down, worked.  Jonah came out of the shower and snuggled up next to me on the couch.  William had finally regained control and had stopped crying too.  I told them to eat the second half of their sandwich for dinner.

Peace was restored.  Then Victor came home.  He had missed all of the fun.

I need a drink! 

10/9 Flag Football

Football Games

10/8 How Talented is My Cat?

Can someone please explain why Silvester has a granola bar????

10/7 Who Pooped in the Park?

Today, I went up to the school and read the book, Who Pooped In The Park to Jonah's class.  I brought chocolate to let them create poop with.  That turned out to be a big mess, but the kids seemed to like the book and enjoy the chocolate.

I checked the kids out early and took them to the library to stall until it was time to pick Robbie.

Don't they look cute following the librarian around?

10/6 Chairs

I went to Conway to get our new Chairs!!

I can't wait to get the living room set up!

10/4 Devotional: Remembering Allison

Poor Melanie, she had no idea what she was in for when I sat down next to her at CBS.  I gave a devotional about my friend Allison.  I cried through the devotional and Melanie even had to read for me at one point because I could not speak. Thanks Melanie, for helping through.Today

This is Allison visiting me in the hospital after I had William.  She was so excited about William.  She would stop me in the hall at church and talk to him while I was still pregnant.

One of my fondest memories of her and her family:

During the Christmas season, our families went to Buffalo Grill for dinner.  It was a cold dark night and I spotted a man and woman eating at a nearby booth.  The man had a long white beard, twinkling blue eyes and a round belly.  He looked exactly like Santa Claus.  I looked over at Allison's oldest daughter, Zoey, and said, "Look!  Its SANTA!"  Zoey was not believing me for a second and we playfully argued about whether or not this man was Santa. 

When the man and woman were done eating, the man came over to our table and looked at us and said, "I'll be watching you!"  The look on Zoey's face will forever be in my memory.  Her eyes were wide and bright and her mouth was open. It is exactly the awe and wonder and excitement that Christmas brings to all children. 

  I have inquired about them to the waiters from time to time.  They typically eat there on Sunday nights.  I am determined to buy this couple dinner the next time I see them in the restaurant. They have no idea the memory they have given me and I want to thank them. 

Incidentally, you should remember this story when I start crying at the mention of the name 'Santa Claus.'