What makes John and Jennifer...well, um...John and Jennifer..

I knew from the minute I met him that he was the one... I loved everything about him. He was adventurous and fearless. A natural leader that commanded attention just by walking in the room. So, we fall in love and he tells me how he loves the fact that I see the world through rose colored glasses and my determination and how I can make him laugh when he's had a hard day...

I'd love to say from there it's been happily ever after but I won't lie to you. I can't, you already know we're in marriage counselling. It seems that whenever we came to a fork in the road - our youthful wisdom always led us down the bumpy road. So after many years of mountains to climb, valleys to walk through, burying John's daddy and grandparents, opportunities lost and some just not taken and three kids later - here we are...

The persistence and willfulness that I loved about him looks more like um ... pigheaded and my determination that he was infatuated with just a few years earlier is now seen as stubborn. His adventurous fearless side now seems more like reckless... and me seeing the world through rose colored glasses??....now interpreted as denial.

Do we love each other? Yes. More than anything.

Did we go in to a marriage with unrealistic expectations? Probably.

Katherine Hepburn said it best...Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything.

I'm just sayin'....

Maybe I'm guilty of doing too much for my kids...

Not my child

McMama is hosting her "Not my child Monday", so be sure to go by and check out what every one else's kids are not doing either...

It was not my darling daughter Allison that surprised me with her kindness towards her sister this week. She went by Abby's classroom to check on her several times this past week and make sure she was okay.

...I'm going to pause for a minute and hold that thought in my brain for as long as possible

because it was just this morning that she was telling her (Abby) that we were going to sell her to the circus...

Abby was not extremely disappointed in me for putting the picture of her mad from the first day of school on my blog.

Mama! You can't put that picture of me on your vlog! They'll think I'm mean and nobody will leave me any comments!!

No, this is not her, trying to take a happier more suitable picture of herself for the vlog...

The love for a child

I've never known the heartache of infertility. I have seen it through my IRL friend Mandy. I've also seen the joy and happiness that adoption brings. I look at sweet little Seth (pictured with Abby) and you can see the love and security that he KNOWS he has from his family. He KNOWS he has a mommy and daddy that would do anything for him and a big sister that would give him the world. Then I read Stephanie's post about her friend Bethany. (who will soon welcome home her sweet little girl from Ethiopia) She and her husband are selling these t-shirts to fund this mission. Did you know the UN estimates there are 6 million orphans living in the country of Ethiopia??? 6 m.i.l.l.i.o.n.
It breaks my heart to think that 6,ooo,ooo sweet little one's out there that are just waiting to feel that love that Seth has and to KNOW that they have a family.
Maybe you're like me fertile mertle and you struggle to pay for your own, much less be able to afford to adopt but you can for $16 make a difference. If you don't have $16 to give, how about putting a button/link on the side for free. :)
Almost forgot! I entered Stephanie's give away for one of these cool t-shirts and WON!!
Thanks Stephanie!

Not me Monday

Welcome to the blog carnival started by Mcmama - be sure to go check out what everyone else is NOT doing over at My Charming Kids.

No, these are not all three of my sweet kids starting school this morning.

(Anthony's 2nd day)

No, it is not my baby's FIRST day of kindergarten.

No, my confident little 5 year old is not sitting here telling us how pretty all of the boys are going to think she is and how everyone is going to be her friend.

No, I did not document moment by moment of this morning...

And then..... Abby did not realize that she was not staying all day...

She was not mad about having to come home - of course not!

One down

Mama, pleeeeeze do NOT get out of the car and take my picture - it's embarrassing!!

So, I promised and said of course not son it's only your first day of middle school - my first born at a milestone but whatever!

Technically - I didn't get out of the car so I only sort of lied....right???

What I learned on vacation...

Vacation pictures of this mama of three in a bathing suit should be cropped to a head shot as to not scare away any readers...

Lori and I went here on Wednesday night. Wonderful!! No, there is not one picture from that evening, if fact there is not a single picture of Lori for me to post. Although very pretty, she's not as excited as I am to share herself with blog land...

This is the view from her house, so other than that one night at Oceanic Pier. We stayed on the water. It was a LOT of fun - the sun poison I have now- um, not quite so much...

Ever had one of those moments and you say this would be GREAT on my blog?

Well, I learned every time I had one of those moments - I didn't have the camera...

Instead, when I had the camera I ended up taking pictures of stuff like this...

... and this???

As for any great stories...not much to tell.

We did accidentally get kicked off Government property but I better keep that one to myself!!

So, I leave you with another cropped head shot...

Give away at "this blessed life"

Go check out Stephanie's blog and enter in her give away and make a difference for an orphan!

My first award!!!

I am SO honored! Stacey, you little sweety! You've made my day!

Thank you so much for the award!

You must go by and check out her blog!

The rules:

List five current obsessions and pass the award on to five more fabulous blogs

1. Blogging! (Of course) I'm so obsessed that last week while on vacation, I logged on every chance I got because I was afraid I was going to miss something...

2. School clothes shopping. This is a last minute one week obsession, the kids start school next Monday and well, um... I've still got a lot to get...

3. Body Image. I shouldn't be, I know. However just the same, I can talk about weight all day long and would be perfectly content with being as small as Victoria Beckham. Just lack the willpower to get there.

4. Chocolate. Not a good thing considering #3 obsession...

5. Celebrity Gossip. I check TMZ and People.com about as much as I check blogs. I may know more about what's going on in Jennifer Lopez's life than my own brother's.

Ok, now for my five picks... it's hard because I love so many!

1. Stanton's Journey to Adoption - Mandy's a real life friend and she's the one that talked me in to starting my own blog.

2. Mommy Needs Coffee - Jessica is a cute little mommy that's about to pop any day now!

3. My Little Life - I love her! She brightens my day because I know I'm always going to get a chuckle from her post.

4. I'm a REAL LIFE mom - Her tell it like it is wit and charm is a must read!!

5. The Little things in Life - I just found Jolene's blog and she is such a sweetheart!

Ok, I just thought of five more... so people feel free to give me more awards!

LOST on an island

Ok, I'm not really lost but I'm going to pretend to be when it's time to go home. The kids are at John's sister's this week, so I packed my bags and went with my friend Lori to her beach house on a small island just outside of Wilmington, NC.

I suppose if I must when I get back, I'll have tons of pictures and stories to share...

What are bloggy friends for...

Bailey has entered her dog, Sadie in the cutest dog competition. Look at her! She is pretty darn cute! Please take a minute (really only take a second) to vote for Sadie. Good luck Sadie!

Maybe they're not as big as it seems...

School will be starting here in a few weeks. This year Anthony will be starting middle school (really struggling with that) and Abby will be starting kindergarten (really, REALLY struggling with that) We know she's our last, so there's not going to be another child that we'll see make those first steps in to the school ... and then there's Allison, she's 10 going in to the 5th grade but thinks wants to be 18....
what happened to those sweet LITTLE children of mine???

It feels like I'm losing my little one's to "Father time"...
but then I'm reminded that they are not as big as it seems...

Writer's Workshop / My favorite things

Welcome to Mama Kat's writer's workshop. My choice this week is 7 of my favorite things. Believe it or not, this was hard for me. Like most of you, I'm sure, as a mom your favorite things are put on the back burner...so, it took me a while to come up with my list ...

I LOVE the smell of Marc Jacob's Daisy! John got this for me last year for my birthday.

I love any and everything flip flops! My favorite pair at the moment is these lovely zebra print ones! Aren't they cute!!





It doesn't get any better than a $1 movie from Redbox - some popcorn and Diet Dr. Pepper...

Ok, I told you this was hard for me so I'm going to cheat ( a little) - right now blogging is probably my MOST favorite pass time. So, the next 4 are my top 4 favorite blogs - and it's HARD to narrow it down to 4...





Stanton's Journey to Adoption - She's the reason I even started a blog

I'm a Real Life mom

Mommy Needs Coffee!

Life as we know it

Happy Birthday Abby!

Look who's 5 today!!

Pray for Stellen

It's amazing how easy it is to forget these people are strangers... I read your blogs, laugh with you and cry with you. I feel like I know you and yet we've never met... so this morning my heart hurts for Jennifer and her family. Please pray for sweet Stellen.

I'm giddy about...

I'm participating in Mama Kat's writer's workshop this week, the assignment I chose - What are you giddy about? Inspired by Heather.

I am giddy about a lot of things. It doesn't take much to excite me...

I am giddy about triple coupon day at the grocery store, the new Asian spicy chicken at Wendy's. It is absolutely delicious! My absolute favorite thing right now, that gets me all excited inside - something to really get giddy about....

It's Craigslist's free postings. You know where people post there old junk that they can't stand anymore, rather than sale it for cheap, would just as soon give it away than fool with it. Yep, your trash may be my long awaited for treasure. Sure I check Craigslist ten times a day and maybe it'll take me two months to see that super find that you've posted for free (just for me!)

and yes, I may drive 30 miles down the road just to get my new found prize - oh but it was freeeee!!

Marriage Counselling

Well, John is back. We've decided to go to marriage counselling. I hope and pray for our sakes and our children's sake that this works. It's going to be hard for me. I've got a little bit of a complex about sitting in front of a stranger - divulging all of my inner most thoughts and them judging guiding me on how to fix it - but for my family, I would do anything :)

3 things you did not know about me

I am participating in Mama Kat's writers workshop. I love her blog, you must go by and check it out!

1. I did not get my license until I was almost 19. In our state you could get them at 15 but I was very sheltered when it came to driving...so it kind of took me a while... Did you know that driving on the wrong side of the road is automatic failure?? Nothin' gets by me, so it only took me ONE time to figure that one out! I tried for my license 5 different times and yep 6th time is a charm! To really throw irony in there, I somehow landed a job as a Fleet Safety Administrator for CDL drivers at a local company to ensure they were driving safely and up to DOT standards... Just to let you know, this was many years later and I had matured at this point and did a great job - ya'll are all safe out there!

2. I love - LOVE chicken. I can eat it for breakfast, lunch & supper, don't even mind a little chicken nugget for a snack in between. Yes, I'm waiting on feathers to grow.

3. I find humor in everything. E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. You tell a joke, I laugh. You fall, I laugh (secretly, in my head - so not to hurt your feelings) Weddings, funerals, sickness, health - all of it, not AT them just during them. I find something humorous in it, whether it's - it took Mrs. Daisy dying before they could finally get the blue out of her hair or it's OK ya'll that I had the flu for 12 days, almost died. I lost 10 lbs and look great now...I'm even thinking of contracting a tapeworm to finish off the last few pounds...I don't know why. Sick and twisted? Yes, but it's how I cope. OK.

What do Jessica Simpson and I have in common??

Well, besides being dumped the day before your birthday and having to smile about it and act like everything is okay...unfortunately nothing...

I guess technically, I wasn't dumped...but my husband did leave and we are on a trial separation...whatever in the heck that's suppose to prove...

So, it's my birthday and I'll cry if I want too - and I have. It hurts. I am not for divorce and certainly DO NOT want to put my children through this but never the less here I am.

I love John with all my heart. We have been married for almost 14 years, grew up together. I've made him my everything and so today I feel lost, hurt and alone...

Blog Hop

This is the girls, very rarely do they get along and it's hard to get a picture of both of them together (smiling)

***Hope this works...this is my first blog hop. This week, on TUESDAY, 7/7/09, the theme is A FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPH. Post up one of your favorite photographs and a caption that tells the audience about it. Here is a sample: http://mcklinky.blogspot.com/2009/07/mcklinky-photo-blog-on-tuesday-sample.html ***

I'm still working on how to add the list...?? I have to be missing something, I don't think it's suppose to be this hard???