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???

Gotta love Nanny's house!

Anthony spent last week at Nanny Gwen's house. It's hundreds of acres of fields out in the country, miles of dirt roads with a huge mill pond in the middle. (Plus it's about 30 minutes from the beach so we all love that!) It's one of those places that "takes you back" - if you know what I mean... nothing ever changes, makes you remember how it was when you were a kid.

Can't you just see the excitement on Allison's face?? I'm not sure what she was looking forward to most - the 2 hour trip or seeing her brother...

John with his grandmother aka "Nanny Gwen"

It's miles of dirt roads, all family and your lucky if you pass another car... so we let Anthony and Allison ride in the back...

While Abby drove...



Cameron, Anthony's cousin stayed down there with him last week.
Anthony loved it.

Just random pics at the mill pond...

Truth time Thursday

It's truth time Thursday and the truth is, I don't want to weigh myself today. I'm one of those people that eats their emotions and since I'm being honest... I have manged to eat sad, angry, happy, excited, scared, and even nibbled on bored a little bit this week when I didn't have anything to do.
I'm going to skip this week's weigh (I know - accountability...)
I'm already back on track, so I'm sure next week's numbers won't be so bad.

Movie time

We have a season pass for the movies this summer. We go on Thursday's at 10am. It's great, no one's hardly there and the kids know each week that they get to go on Thursday's.
This was Abby's first time at the movies. I was a little nervous of how she would do but she did great. Her observations were: Why do they make the seats so hard to hold down? With her little tail, the seat kept trying to fold up on her. She also decided something that we all already know...you get the BEST popcorn at the movies!

That's my mom with all the kids before the move. Yes, Anthony does look overwhelmed by all the "estrogen" :)

Politically Incorrect....

A friend and I were talking about how blessed we are and how easily we forget. Their are so many families out there struggling, financially, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. We talked about it for quite a while and I can honestly ashamed to say that's all I did...
I didn't even take the time to pray...

I was privileged enough to represent a former company I worked for on the Chamber of Commerce. Our company had a great outreach program and now with connections with the Chamber of Commerce - we could really make a difference in that little town! (Let me go ahead and say, I do not want to offend anyone affiliated with there local chamber's or any other organization, this was my own personal experience, not ALL are like this) I quickly learned that they spent the first 6 months planning for a festival in June and the following 6 months planning the Christmas Parade.
Really people? Are we still talking about how Joe Blow doesn't need to display all of his stuff on the sidewalk for the festival? How many meetings does it take to decide that there was plenty of parking last year and probably will be plenty of parking this year?? All of these influential people that can really make a difference....
So many times I wanted to say (but didn't) - Any of you assholes thought a food drive might be nice to plan??? I don't know, maybe the fact that Joe Blow's business is going under and he's fixing to file for bankruptcy - he just might NEED to display all his items on the sidewalk to help them sale...

SO, that's my gripe, we're out there talking (me included) wrapped up in the upcoming festival or event - missing our opportunity to do something...
It doesn't have to be complicated, most of us can step outside in our front yard and look to the right or left and see that elderly neighbor that needs their trash taken off, or the kid down the road that doesn't look like they've had a new pair of shoes in forever... How hard is it to smile and give a word of encouragement? Give Joe Blow a break, he's had a hard enough day...

I encourage each of you today to join me in doing (not just talking about it) something extra for someone else....

Truth time Thursday...

Straight to the point - I weighed and 148. Much better this week! Slowly but surely! I am also going to start measuring by the inches I lost to help me from getting discouraged on the weeks the scales want to act up... Thanks Amber for the tip!

Goodies!!

I was lucky enough to win some fun stuff from 62 cards last week for having her button on my blog!

Look at all my cute stuff!

Please take a moment to go check out her Etsy shop, besides all the great crafts, Sammye Jo is a super sweet girl and I love reading her daily post!

I thought it was summer vacation??

The positive to being unemployed right now is summer vacation. I was so excited, thinking the kids and I can go to the water park, we can go stay with family at the beach for a week here and there, or just lay around the house watching movies...

taking it easy...

Are you laughing yet??