STRIVE FITNESS

the smell of home

2009-05-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went home ( Montgomery ) for my nephew's Senior Recognition at my home church. This was of course a special time. I was accompanied by my two youngest children for the trip. We don't live far ( Huntsville area) from home. When we arrived at my parents home and I opened the door of the vehicle, the aroma swept over me. There was a mixture of roses, jasmine, gardenia, and honeysuckle. It immediately brought a rush of childhood memories too me. It amazes me how God designed the senses for memory recall. It was such a priceless moment, a private party for me to enjoy. The fragrant breeze coupled with the warm sun was a gift from my creator to me.

Later that evening we went on a walk, my Mom and nephew Mason went with us. We went to feed the ducks and we struck gold, gold and white honeysuckle. My poor nephew had never had honeysuckle. We taught him how to tear off the bottom and squeeze the sweet nectar out. He was delighted, and although he had 9 stitches in his mouth , he was able to enjoy the treat, he loved it.

Again we were blessed by our creator. Even though my little MaryEsther was afraid someone could have peed on the plants. I am praying not !!

Dark Clouds

2009-02-04T17:47:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought there was a dark cloud looming over you and your household? We have had more car problems in one month than in years. We have had our fridge break and had to wait 3 weeks to get a check for the new one ( thanks to our home warranty). For 2 weeks had no fridge, we were innovative with a cooler system. Thankfully our neighbors let us borrow their extra one.

All of these things have only been minor inconveniences. In actuality we are blessed with a family unit that can with stand such craziness. It hasn't been easy, but has forced us to be creative. We have also had to ask for help. That has never been my strong suit. Letting people see our weaknesses and receiving help is difficult for me.

I have awakened in the night for no apparent reason. I feel that God allowed me to wake up to pray. I have been praying a hedge of protection for my household ( and my neighbors too). I am sure through all this He is growing us to truly depend upon Him for everything.

I know that God is in control no matter how out of control I am. Isn't that a great thing?

What $30 a month can do

2009-01-05T11:26:00.000-08:00

We have an addition to our family. He is four years old. His name is Rony. His lives in a thatched roof house with a dirt floor in Haiti.

He has recently been sponsored by my youngest son through New Missions organization. The money Jackson sends will allow Rony to go to school ( no public schools) and one hot meal a day. I tell you this not to brag on my son but to show you how you can change someones life with your generosity. The school he will go to will teach him 4 languages, but most importantly it will teach him that Jesus loves him .

Our friend Brent Gambrell is on the board of this amazing ministry and travels there numerous times throughout the year. He told Jackoson he would photograph and video him receiving care packages from him.

Jackson is so excited about his new brother he took his picture to church yesterday.

Maybe you should consider how you can change your world.

hoe cakes

2009-01-04T12:42:00.000-08:00

Ok a family tradition for my family(Wray) is breakfast suppers. We would often have hoe cakes, eggs, and link sausage for supper.

My favorite thing about the hoecake is that my father would make mine in a itty bitty iron skillet, kinda like a personal pan pizza size. Ofcourse, I couldn't eat the whole thing by self but it was for me.

My Mom is the biscuit maker and Dad, the hoecake maker. Neither of these things did I learn to make until recently. My oldest child was introduced to the hoecake when we went home for Thanksgiving. My Dad made my special hoecake and my brother snuck and stole it. How Rude !!! And he DID eat the whole thing.

Christmas morning my Dad made them again and I payed attention. One problem neither he or my Mom use recipes for these items. So I googled and found a recipe that I played with. Here is how it went.

You will need buttermilk, self rising flour, butter, and crisco. Cut up the cold butter and add to flour, mix and add buttermilk. Pour in greased skillet, cook either stove top and flip or in over. You can see they brown fast , Yummy!!! So good, kids love them, but they are very fattening.

Fast Forward to today

2009-01-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

Here is what you have missed:

Jackson's trip to the ER, bloody eye, nose, mouth.....recieved popsicle from attending physician.
Cause of accident, drama over hermit crab.......4 days later crab dies, gets funeral.
Jackson gets 2 more sympathy crabs ( he really didn't want them ).
Thanksgiving.....eating.....shopping......eating.....shopping ( did learn how to make homemade hoe cakesm flour, not corn meal)
Christmas turbo speed with two boys playing basketball, while training for baseball and a daughter competing in cheerleading.
Illness, knee and back injuries for the hubby, not to mention all the doc appts I made him before our insurance changed.
Youth trip...take down decoratons....house guest.....broken car....no money to pay for problem...borrow friends truck.....crab race....crab dies.....crab funeral.....still have one left.

o.k. so know maybe tomorrow i can give you all a real post. Oh, Jackson adopted a child from haiti... Look for more about our new addition !! Pray for Rony.

Daddy's Little Girl

2008-10-20T14:57:00.001-07:00

I am my daddy's little girl. Still. Which I think is great. WE took this picture a couple of weeks ago while at a family gathering. I have a lot of pictures with my Mom, but this is one of the only pictures I have taken recently with my Daddy.

My Dad really spoiled my Mom and me. When I became a young lady, if you know what I mean, my Dad was the one who would buy my supplies. This was awkward as you can imagine but he would always include a little surprise of candy or gum. It was always in a brown bag folded down.

He also would write notes on cards and place them in my lunch ( My Mom did too). That was really cute until he started speaking as if he was my bed and inquired why I never made it up, he was trying to sneak discipline in to my fun note, not cool,

He drove me to school most mornings ( he worked night shift and slept while we were in school) and put up with me and my bff blabbering over teenage girl stuff.

When I was sick he would always buy me cherry ludens cough drops which tasted like candy and not cough drops, that was a major plus.

He never complained that I would chew all his Freedent green gum and I mean all, I think I lived off of gum and koolaid mixed with sugar. I would eat it with a spoon.

He was nonconfrontational with me, which was a major plus, I don't like conflict, still don't. I prefer to bury my head and not deal, just like Dad ( My Mom really loves this about us both bless her heart).

My husband said that my Dad hung the moon and it is his job to hang the stars. I am a lucky girl!!

Fright Night

2008-10-13T10:19:00.001-07:00

We took a little road trip this weekend to Atlanta. It was a fun filled trip. We started our trip at Six Flags Friday evening. We told the kids if we could get coupons for the park we would go. We searched the local fast food restaurants for the coupons. That search took us to a McDonalds one exit past Six Flags that had the BOGO coupons. We decided we would eat there too. As we were exiting the vehicle, an older gentlemen flagged us down. He told us we did not need to eat there, this was a dangerous area and we should leave. So back in the suburban we went towards Six Flags. We went to another fast food restaurant at that exit too save time adn money, NOT !! WE wasted 45 minutes waiting on the order , that was messed up, no surprise here.

Finally we arrived at the park to begin our adventure. Our kids love thrill rides and were looking forward to the coasters. It happened to be Fright Feast at the park. There were freaky looking people there to scare us. Yes, we payed to be spooked.

While the big kids were on the Scorcher, little man and I decide to take in a monster show, or so I think. I was thinking along the lines of Beetle Juice. It wasn't.

They were blowing that fake fog all over the place. Little man is asthmatic so we moved back away from that, BLESSING. The show stared and dead people rose up from graves thrashing all over the floor, singing and moaning. All the sudden I look down the aisle and see a dead man crawling on the floor grabbing people from behind. I immediately jumped up and grabbed little man. I am ready to race to the door , when dead man crawls toward me to grab my leg, I yelled NO and kept going. I had to work hard to find the exit behind a black velvet curtain. When we got out of the show, I realized I had little man in a choke hold. His poor little neck and chest were red from my massive wrestling move. I felt so bad!! Luckily I hadn't terrified him too much. It was crazy. After I recovered from that episode. WE did have a great time. I was prepared to find scary clowns and other monsters to jump out at us from anywhere.

Pretty huh?

We did have a lot of fun riding bumper cars. It was my mission for me and little man to get everyone else !

Jackson was finally tall enough to ride the swings, the Big Ones. I don't like them but rode them to protect him.

The most memorable event of the evening was Neal's cell phone going overboard on Goliath. Now that was very unfortunate.

Thrift Store Make-over

2008-10-05T14:35:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I was on the hunt at a local thrift store. I found these.

I thought maybe they were used at a wedding or something. I gave them a hint of Autumn.

They will probably also get a little love at Christmas. Not bad for $6.00 huh ?

Warning: Creativity in Kitchen Causes Injury

2008-10-02T18:41:00.001-07:00

I decided this evening to roast an assortment of peppers today. I am not a farmer, I don't know which pepper is which. I love the colors and shapes of them all ( especially yellow , red, and orange). I decided to chop and roast them tonight. I carefully sliced and seasoned the beautiful peppers and placed them in the oven to roast. They smelled so fragrant. So much so that my children were complaining of their strong aroma. They said it burned their eyes. Oh well, they don't like peppers( they get hot sauce for a sassy mouth).

I had a little itch in my eye, oh yeah you know what happened next. I did it . I touched my hand to my eye, briefly, lightly, and OH MY GOSH !!! The pain was worse than child birth. I then began rubbing , yes RUBBING my eye with my hand, my chopping hand. My tear ducts were paralyzed. I was sure I was going to be blind. At this point I was wondering if my epi pen could be used for this. Anything. I put my head under the sink and began running my eye under the cold water. I had a brief flashback to my childhood of a blue bottle of eye wash we always had for emergencies ( wishing I had one now )

No relief, no help, what to do. I took my pitiful ,burning, eye on fire to the bathroom where I contemplated plunging my head in the toilet but opted for the bathtub instead. It began to get a tad better, like I was no longer contemplating removing my eye ball. And then I had a light bulb moment.

I remembered that if you eat hot things that milk helps sooth your mouth. I will give it a try. So I gave myself a milk eye wash and instantly felt better. CRAZY !! It felt so refreshing. I then took my little friends out of the oven and thought I should get a teensy taste of what caused me such pain. BAD IDEA !!! I had a repeat experience only with my mouth. I had to down about a half gallon of Chocolate milk . My house smells like hot sauce factory with hints of dairy. Maybe that could be a new Yankee Candle scent.

I will make you fishers of men

2008-09-28T07:49:00.001-07:00

Yesterday our church held its annual fishing tournament. This event is meant to be a fun filled day for the kids. The only problem is that for our family we are not gifted in this area. Apparently our parents did not expose us to this sport often enough. I can count on one hand the amount of times I have been fishing. I do however remember being scarred for life after cleaning fish. Ick !! Now my husband is not any better than I am. So here we are the whole family plus a friend. Fishing poles in hand ( given to us by Mr Troy ) , ready to go. MaryEsther gets busy fishing while Jackson plays with the already caught fish that are in a separate vat. Madison and his friend fish for a while before giving up and playing football. Neal was busy talking church business so I attempt to help Jackson get started. I am sure I was comedy relief to all on lookers. First of all I came from the gym so there I was in yoga pants, tennis shoes and a blinged out shirt. Secondly, I had no idea what I was doing. The only difference with me and Neal is that I will say that I need help. He on the other hand wants to prove his manhood with his fishing abilities, so he will suffer through it. MaryEsther was successful, she caught 3 fish. Jackson did have a bite but it got away.

Well although we are not very good with the whole hunting, fishing, camping stuff we do excel in other areas. We sure appreciate all the help from people who are gifted. Dana, fellow blogger and friend said that Neal was a different kind of fisher, a Fisher of Men. I thought that was great. I am so glad that God made us all unique and gifted us all with our own talents.

Here is a fun pic of Dana and I flirting with our favorite garden gnome.

Happy Birthday to You !!

2008-09-24T09:51:00.001-07:00

September 24.1945 at 6:25 a.m. David and Dolores wore born. Now these were not your average twins. They were born 6 weeks early and weighed in at 2 and 2.5 lbs a piece. Dolores was the largest ( that didn't last long). They were raised in Montgomery . They used to play on the capitol steps. Here is a picture of them when they were 4 years old. I believe this is Easter Sunday. They grew up attending Second Baptist Church downtown. At that time downtown was bustling with excitement. They have witnessed a lot of historic moments during their life time . Their father was a Montgomery police officer during the civil rights movement.

These two precious twins grew up fell in love and married. Each having a son and daughter. David is my father and Dolores my aunt. Although their nick names were Butch and Susie. Most people who have known them a long time ( meaning over 50 years ) call them that too. I actually had difficulty when purchasing Aunt Susie a gift on whether to have it monogrammed with an S or an D. I went with the S.

I love them both dearly and wish them both a great birthday. Here are a couple things I have learned from them both.

My Dad: If you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all

Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly is all the way to the bone!!

Treat others the way you want to be treated

Just pretend you are hard of hearing, then people will leave you alone.

My Aunt: Days of Our Lives and Young and the Restless rule.

Lunches are made of tab cola and figurine bars ( now it would be diet dr pepper and a fiber one bar )

Teach your husband to clean the bathrooms, they love it !!

Walking is great exercise, just beware of large insects.

( don't you love our red neck candles , they are toothpicks )

They still are so cute !! Check out her necklace ( that is the one I gave her ) !!

Happy birthday!!

Fun for All

2008-09-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from my weekend in Montgomery. THe kids had fun playing with their cousins. My Uncle Jerry is retired from the Railroad and is now managing the carousel at the mall. This is always a huge highlight for my kids. My eldest was looking for shoes ( he is worse than a girl, at least they are athletics ones and not stilettos ). They got a little rowdy on the ride as you can see. Uncle Jerry hooked them up with bouncy balls that they attacked each other with. We terrorized a couple of shoppers and left. My nephew Mason is in navy with my kids. More stories to come this week about my trip home.

And the list grows...

2008-09-14T17:59:00.001-07:00

What gives? I am so blessed that I can only eat natural , unprocessed foods right? The more I try to find what I can eat, the more I am finding out what I can't eat. Apparently I am allergic to a preservative that is not listed on food labels. Nice huh? Trial and error, armed with benedryl and epi pens.

Just when you think you have found a food free of sesame, soy, and peanuts, BOOM, it is preserved with a sneaky little unlisted preservative called sulfites.

So just for me, enjoy your convenience foods this week. Think of me eating fresh fruit and veggies. Don't be a hater. You too could join my epi pen club !! Here is a pic of me enjoying a smore. This is a historic moment. It was my last one, I would have eaten more than one if only I had known!!!

Homecoming

2008-09-06T17:14:00.001-07:00

Crazy Hair Day

Gasoline

2008-09-06T16:59:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning at 6 20 to get ready for 7 00 bootcamp. I got in the suburban and someone ( namely Neal) left it on Empty. Not just empty, but out of gas. So I went back in and to get the keys to his car. I got in his car and guess what? 0 miles to empty. Not only had he used all my gas but most of his too. This was a great start to a CRAZY day.I prayed all the way there, I didn't have time to stop and fill up. I am afraid when I get to heaven the Lord is gonna tell me I prayed more over gasoline than anything else. I finished my bootcamp and headed the gym to train a client. Actually I did get gas first. Then I headed to the gym. On the way to the gym my friend called to say they kept her husband overnight at the hospital and she could not complete the baby shower cake that I needed by 2 today. I already had to move the shower to another home due to sick children. Wow, my day was getting better and better. So after the gym, I went to the store to get stuff to make frosting and other stuff for the shower. I got home ,finished the cake, made both punches and got my clothes on. Note I didn't have time to shower, yuck, I was feeling really pretty. Neal took the 2 little ill ones to the Dr while Madison and I loaded all the stuff to the car. I was going to drop off stuff early, pick up my monogramming, go by Publix, and take Madison up to the school before we set up for the shower. You should have seen us, Madison was holding this 2 tier monstrosity of a cake I attempted to decorate, while balancing punch between his feet. So we have configured the logistics when the unthinkable happens. No Keys, I couldn't find them. I called Neal to find out where he left them, he said they were with him at the doctor . Oh, I was so not happy about this. We had to call my poor friend who was now hosting to the shower to come pick up and all our stuff up. She had to chauffeur us around on all our errands. Her husband even helped get Madison to the school. It was crazy. We were afraid that cake was not going to make it. I forgot to bring all my serving dishes and we had to make do but it turned out great.

I am now home , in my PJ's for the evening curled up with my laptop and now I am out of Gasoline.

And the Culprit is ...

2008-09-06T16:35:00.001-07:00

sesame seeds peanut

and . This means if I have any of these things that I will need this or else .

time for a change

2008-08-25T10:19:00.001-07:00

autumn

I love fall. I am not sure if it is the crunch of the leaves, the crisp air, or the excitement of my favorite holidays but I love fall !! Candy Corn, Candy Apples, and Hearty soups. Indian corn, gourds, pumpkins, and more. So I couldn't resist going ahead and decorating for fall. I should say I have started, no outside decorations yet. My neighborhood association may write me up for that one. I took a few pics of a couple of my fall scapes. Let me know if you have any fun fall decorating ideas. They can't use real fruit of vegetables due to our heat. My first pic is of my year round tomato cage tree. I change the decorations for each season. My daughter decorated this one yesterday.

This next one is my version of a pumpkin patch. Still working on this one. I need more variety of pumpkins.

You can't really tell but the pumpkins are resting on a bed of lit fall leaves. Closer to Halloween I will turn the pumpkins around to reveal their faces. Then after Halloween I will add all my pilgrims and Horns of Plenty. Did I mention I love fall ?

Football Jamboree

2008-08-16T18:39:00.001-07:00

Today officially kicked off our oldest child's football season. He play's for his middle school. We are so proud of him. He plays halfback on offense and rover(linebacker) on defense. During tonight's game he ran a lot of yards and contributed with blocks and hits. He also got a two pt conversion. I asked him if it felt good to hear his name over the PA system. He just grinned and said it felt pretty good. It is really neat to see the boys learning to play well together. Wait, that sounded like I was referring to a play group. Ya'll know what I mean.

While at the game we were all crammed in on the side with the shade. So we were sitting with our opponents. My friend Karen, and my two little ones were with me. Neal help coach so He was on the field. We were all comfy when this large family comes and practically sits on Karen. She politely scooted over to make room for this family. They even brought a stroller in the football stands. CROWDED !!! Anyway, I asked the "gentleman" if he had connections with our team. he did say his nephew went there but he couldn't remember his name. He finally was able to think of his loved one's name. While watching the game, he noticed they called the name of #3 Madison &^^^&*^^ and asked if that was a girl. Well, I thought He was kidding, so I said,: No , that would be my son!!" and then I thumped him on the ear. Don't ask me how it happened, it was just the right thing to do. Then with all my southern charm apologized, I told him that if you sit within reaching distance of me you never know what might happen. He just laughed, shockingly he didn't think much about it. But after getting reamed about not having my camera ready at the hospital, I was not about to let my little friend get by without taking his pic. So Karen snapped it !!

Look how red his ear is, that is the one I thumped !!! He he !!

He is gonna kill me for posting this, he wasn't camera ready.

Can you find him?

Here are the coaches playing around after the game. One of these great guys is mine and one is Mimi Lorie's .

One pic I missed that was priceless was our team praying with the other team. We always ask if they would like to pray together in a huddle on the field. We are so blessed to have such Godly men teaching our young men.

I'm Back

2008-08-14T11:00:00.001-07:00

I have had quite a few exciting days. It all begin with a trip to my local BK for gut smut. After gymnastics I drove through with the two little ones for what was supposed to be a quick meal. The order was simple 2 cheeseburger kids meals, ketchup only , one fry, one onion ring, and 2 sprites. Attempting to be more health conscience I ordered the apple fries ( no, they are fresh apple slices ) they are so cute and come in a little fry container with Carmel sauce that looks like a ketchup pack ( way to go marketing dept). We got home and ate our food, I had my apple dippers, and 3 bites of Jackson's cheeseburger, two onion rings and threw the rest in the trash. I sat down at the computer and all of the sudden had a burning sensation in my mouth , followed by a swollen lounge covered in prickly blisters. I calmly went to the medicine cabinet and there was NO BENEDRYL . Very calmly I went to my neighbors house to get some. by the time I returned home , I felt a tightening in my skin, then numbness. I went to the mirror and much to my shock I looked something like this,

Instead of the massive eye swelling I had massive jaw swelling so I was a cross with the guy in Mask. My husband was at scrimmage game with out oldest son. So her I am with 2 children and a pretty serious allergic reaction going on. I started making calls and took action. I took the kids to Miss Shirley's house ( out stand in grandma ) . She had arranged for another friend from church Miss Linda Kay to drive my to the ER. Well Miss Linda is a priss, she said it took her a long time because she couldn't find her pocketbook and passed the street twice. I think she was putting on makeup. She looked beautiful . Then there was me, trying not to choke on my own saliva that had no where to go in my mouth with all the swelling. Fortunately the benedryl kicked in and I am her to write about this adventure. Upon arriving to the Big people ER ( I had never been there), I was greeted by medical staff who obviously thought I was a frequent user of the ER. They offered no help as to what to do, and where to go. It was obvious that I was an alien in this foreign land. Apparently allergic reactions are top priority so I only weighted about 20 minutes before getting in a room. That was just a trick though. It was like another hour before the doc came in. They did put in an IV incase I started to die or something. My friend Amber came up to the hospital to play with me and relieve Miss Linda so she could get her beauty sleep. Amber and I were pretty much the only normal people there so the nursed seemed to enjoy our company. And 2 benedryl to me is probably like 4 drinks to someone else, I was a little more playful than usually. They don't know what caused the reaction since I had a variety of foods. They gave me steroids, more benedryl and pepcid ( it apparently is an anti inflammatory too). I am also a proud owner of an epi pen now.

My poor husband wanted to come to the hospital, but he did what I wanted which was pick up my kids and get them in bed like normal. I would have been stressed knowing they weren't at home in their bed all safe and sound. So for now, no more BK for me. I go to the allergist in a few weeks. I will update you on the outcome. If you have any guesses feel free to share them.

Wordless Wednesday on Thursday

2008-08-14T05:38:00.001-07:00

A day late and a dollar short

( the story of my life )

Two of my boys doing bible study of Kids camp.

Sincerely Fro Me To You

2008-08-07T09:59:00.001-07:00

If you look closely you will notice my belt buckles. They had interchangeable leather strips. You would also carry the bag with the changeable covers and don't forget add a bead necklaces. ( I still have mine.)

Does any one remember Popagalo ( sp) belts ? I think that is what they were called.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-08-06T09:45:00.001-07:00

First Day of School 2008

DOGHOUSE

2008-08-04T19:16:00.001-07:00

Doghouse Cheer Center

Doghouse,Allstars, Red, Navy, White, Reaching for the Stars, Doghouse,Let's Fight !!

Those are the words to our teams cheer for competition. For the past few days I have been consumed with Cheerleading Choreography Camp. It has been a lot of fun and hard work. The girls on our team range from 5 yrs to 9 yrs. This makes for a very challenging way to teach all the girls. They are really good at catching on. Sometimes better than the the coaches ( speaking for myself ). We have a professional choreographer from California who is working with us. He is so funny. The girls have had to adjust to his humor. He is so creative and I am learning so much. Here are a few pictures from last years competition season. This years first one is in October.

Sincerely Fro Me To You

2008-07-31T12:47:00.001-07:00

What were we thinking? The really sad thing is, my cousin Michele ( in mustard) and myself (in green) thought we looked too cute. We had our cute hats on from the Limited. Don't you just love my jumper and ruffled collar shirt. I know there was a pair of black riding boots under that ankle length mess. Michele probably had on some sort of stirrup pants and ankle boots with her ensemble. The funny thing is the girl in the middle ( Paula ) is one of my best friends. She was at the time a Cosmo covergirl. She had come home for a visit and we were giving her a birthday party. She is in a simple white tee and jeans. As I look back it is so embarrassing what I wore to try to look good. An ill fitting jumper with boots and blouse were certainly not flattering. They were on the other hand modest. I am shocked that guys actually asked me out. Paula was simple and beautiful. She didn't try hard at all. That should be a lesson to us all, less is more.!!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-07-30T09:52:00.001-07:00

The beheaded husband

2008-07-29T13:45:00.001-07:00

Trashed Memories

Many years ago when I got engaged, my husband gave me a picnic basket full of gifts. Each one represented something special. He gave them to me in a particular order so that he wouldn't spoil the surprise. One of the last gif ts in the basket was an Austin sculpture of a Bride and groom. We have kept it many years. It even was a cake topper on our wedding. ( Which didn't really matter since the cake lady dropped the cake while bringing it into the church. Ofcourse she replaced with another one and we made do .) So this sculpture has taken a special place in our bedroom since 1993. Today it made its way to the county landfill. You see, sometime over the course of 3 busy children tragedy occurred. The groom has been beheaded. I do have to admit that I have found that to be very funny over the years. The bride is still in intact while the groom lost his head. I am reading a great book about organization by Peter Walsh. He encourages you to get rid of the broken stuff. The stuff doesn't have a memory , your brain holds the memory. So today I took a pic . This is on the DL so no word to hubby. He inherited OCD to save like his mother. I am doing this while He is at word. The sculpture is hidden in the trash. It does feel good to know that our stuff we hold on to doesn't help us hold on to the memory, and it is less stuff to dust.!!

STRIVE FITNESS

2008-07-27T12:16:00.001-07:00

Tag your it , here it goes...

A. attached or single? attached

B. best friend? girl- Don't have just one - boy-Neal

C. cake or pie? cake! Actually icing!!!

D. day of choice? Saturday

E. essential item? D.O.

F. favorite color? Don't have one

G. gummy bears or worms? I like ones of any variety

H. hometown? Montgomery AL

I. favorite indulgence? Massage

J. january or july? July, I love tans !!

K. kids? 2 . 6yr old boy, 8 yr old girl, 12 yr old MAN ( he thinks)

L. life isn't complete without? my family

M. marriage date? October 10th

N. number of brothers & sisters? one brother, older.

O. oranges or apples? both

P. phobias? losing teeth

Q. quotes?

R. reasons to smile? too many to name

S. season of choice? Fall and spring.

T. tag five peeps! They';re at the bottom of the page.

U. unknown fact about me? I don't know how to ride a bike

V. vegetable? most all of them, yummo

W. worst habits? interrupting people

X. x-ray or ultrasound? ultrasounds are way more exciting.

Y. your favorite food? tiramisu

Z. zodiac sign? Pices

I'd like to honor the following blogs, and award them a 2008 Premio as well...

1. Danille
2. Ashley
3. Misty
4. Ronda
5.Christy Benton

2008 Premio Award Rules:

1. When received, you may post the premio to your blog.
2. Link to the blogger you received it from.

3. Give it to 5 blogs

4. Link to those 5 blogs

5. Leave those bloggers a comment about receiving the brilliant premio.

Labels: Tag... you're it

The Last of the First's

2008-07-26T12:19:00.001-07:00

I don't know where the time has gone. It seems like yesterday when we were brining our first baby home. Then before you know it you have 3 school aged kids who all play sports and keep you busy.

For one of my baby shower gifts a friend ( Dentist wife), gave me a toothfairy pillow with enough gold coins to give for each tooth ( 26 ?) for each child !! It took a long time for my kids to lose their teeth. My first 2 were in 2nd grade. Madison lost his in a gummy worm eating contest, That was fun fishing the tooth out of that one, ick . MaryEsther lost hers this past year at school, she worked a long time to finally set it free. Yesterday, Jackson, age 6, lost his first tooth. He pulled it himself ( I don't do teeth ). He was so proud to be the youngest one to lose teeth. He woke up in the middle of the night to show me his money he found under his pillow.

Will his childlike wonder drift away as he continues to loose teeth? Have you ever really thought about that, the more baby teeth they lose the more grown up they become, in more ways than just teeth. They began to question childhood beliefs, parents authority, and begin to research for himself how this world works. So this is a end of the first teeth lost for our family. WE are growing and changing. They are more independent. It is a fun new phase to be in, challenging in different ways. Before long we will be having new first's with driving, and dating, and college...I don't even want to go there !!

Sinecerely Fro Me to You

2008-07-24T12:30:00.001-07:00

Here is a pic fo me at age 8. I was in my favorite tap outfit from a recital. I remember I loved the color. But this was before these costumes had strecth to them. It also had a frilly collar that was quite scratchy. I had a bustle that went on the back. These costumes also had to be embellished by hand. My poor child wouldn't have a hope if she had to have me embellish her stuff. Oh, and by the way I can still do the splits !!

Jungle Gyms

2008-07-23T04:38:00.001-07:00

Do you remember being a kid and playing on your swingset? It was the foundation of all your outdoor play. It became a ship, a train, or a circus theme. We constantly used our imaginations while we played. My brother always played cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians ( I know that is no longer correct, but that is what it was ). I usually acted out some episode of a show. I remember being wonder woman and the bionic woman. I ran across the picture of a bunch of neighborhood kids playing on our jungle gym, that is what we called it. Don't you love my maxi dress? It was my favorite. I wore it all the time. My Mom is all dressed up in a pants suit. I never look like that to check on my kids in the back yard. Apparently red was a popular color during the 70's. Only one kid doesn't have some shade of red on. We also have a picnic table back there. Funny thing is I have no recollection of ever using it. I will have to consult my parents to see if we ever used it.

Melting Pot

2008-07-19T19:55:00.001-07:00

A Night to Remember

My Husband and I had decided to have a romantic dinner and dine at the Melting Pot . Neal is a very plain and picky eater. He was such a good sport, but veggies and cheese are not his forte. The atmosphere was very relaxing. We didn't feel rushed to hurry and let someone have our table. It was right up my alley, soft lighting, cozy seating, and small portions. The highlight was most definitely the dessert course. Oh my word !! Heaven, melted chocolate and lots of goodies to dip. Neal did seem to perk up for this course, He loves chocolate. Much to my dismay, our meal was coming to an end ( at least that was what I thought). WE got in the car and started home when the unthinkable happened. He saw it, and the thought of it took him over. He had to have it now !! The man was still hungry. So after an incredible romantic dinner, my hubby needed to fill his gut with a Whooper from BK. He said that that fondue didn't fill him up and he needed something with substance. so if you are planning a nice romantic evening at a quaint restaurant and your man is a hearty eater, you may need to pre-feed him or you will be stopping by your local drive-thru for a late night burger.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-07-16T05:27:00.001-07:00

I am not sure if I have done this pic before. Make sure you enlarge it and check out the album covers. Can you guess which one is me?

Bird Dog

2008-07-12T20:41:00.001-07:00

As you know (if you actually read my blog), that our pool liner was ruined by a storm in May. it was being installed this weekend ( finally). We received strict instructions not to let the dog get in the pool because the liner was not secure yet. Not a problem, our dog HATES to swim. When she accidentally has fallen in, she freaks out and gets out as quick as possible. I went outside to prune our jungle of briers and roses and noticed a bird in the water, too wet to fly. The water was rising and she was stuck. Chi Chi , our dog, decided that the pursuit of the bird was more important than her dislike of water. She walked into the pool to go after the bird. I tried to distract Chi Chi while MaryEsther went to get my neighbor for assistance. It was very challenging. She was so excited about the possibility of playing with this bird. My neighbor got the net and proceeded to scoop the bird out. Chi Chi was not so sure that the bird got away. She kept trying to get back in the pool. Here is a picture of Mr. Eddie, the Bird Hero and Jackson looking on. The bird was drying out on the other side of the fence, safe from harms way. Hopefully she will dry out soon and be able to fly.

A Story Worth RE-Telling

2008-07-11T11:23:00.001-07:00

Do you guys remember the story I told you about the wedding? Where my little Jackson was in love with the bride, threatened the groom, cried after they got hitched, and offered to wait until they got a divorce....Well, these pictures came today. They will give you some insight to the love story!! Now after you get through laughing at my scanning abilities, check out the way He is gushing at her. He is way more attentive than the groom, here is the proof !! The top picture was after the recessional. We had just exited the church and Jackson fell apart, I am holding him offering a little comfort. It didn't take him long to find another girl. She asked him to dance to cheer up. Check out his hand placement. Just like a man! A little dancing, a little punch, cake, and air guitar and he felt much better.

Sincerely Fro Me To You

2008-07-10T13:26:00.001-07:00

Here is a precious picture of my middle child, MaryEsther. When we lived in Florida, we had annual Disney passes. We so enjoyed seeing our little ones grow up with Pooh and friends. Those were the days !!

Salamander

2008-07-08T09:35:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture that resembles the critter that Jackson rescued from my pool/pond. Daily he has been taking trips to the pool with his net. He fished this out and placed it in his reptile carrier. IF the salamander cold talk he would tell of great tales. Somehow it made it into my suburban where it traveled with me to do a personal training session. My clients niece took him in his cage for a ride on the back of her tricycle. I returned him to the suburban to go home and forgot all about him being there until this morning. We were getting out of the suburban to go in to the gym and I was reaching for my back pack when I knocked over the cage, full of poopy salamander juice. Now I must be immune from such travesty because it didn't even phase me that I was wearing salamander juice for body wash. We took him inside to give him some more water. The little guy then accompanied me in teaching my ab class. There were several squeals and strange looks along the way. He seemed very interested in what was going on. He has since been set free. He is probably warning his fellow amphibian/reptile friends to stay far away from our house.

I'm Back

2008-06-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

I have been away with our church youth group for a leadership conference. My husband, Neal is the youth minister. I believe that I got in more trouble than the kids. Some of the freshman girls rode with me down to Orlando. My three children rotated riding in the church van. I had all the fun, silly, boy crazy girls. We almost caused an accident on the interstate. They were flirting with whoever they could. Of course I wasn't helping things. It is so much fun to be around children this age. They are always looking for something spontaneous and fun. They keep me young.

While in Orlando we went to Islands of Adventures. I was forced to ride upside roller coasters with my kids. I put on my big girl panties and dealt with it. My feet didn't like being unsupported. I sat on my flip flops. This left my feet in more distress. I rode the entire ride with my toes curled under for some sort of protection. I began the ride holding on to my daughters shoulder harness with her, once i realized we were upside down I let go and to hold my own harness. Like a good Mother, I told her she was on her own. I survived and surprisingly rode it again ( What was I thinking ?) I am glad I pushed my self past my comfort zone.

Gifts from the Heart

2008-06-19T19:15:00.001-07:00

I must brag on my sweet children. My boys are at my parents this week. My daughter stayed behind. Today my mom called and told me that my youngest son wanted to buy hair accessories for his sister. My eldest son, Madison took his some and bought me a gift card to a very young trendy store, and his dad a Gator hat. I about cried. They were given money by my patents to spend on whatever they wanted and they chose to do for others. It is such an awesome feeling when your children give to others. I am a gifts person so it thrills me. I am truly blessed.

SINCERELY FRO ME TO YOU

2008-06-19T09:17:00.000-07:00

Alright, Quit laughing !! I really thought I looked cool. I thought this lifegaurd ( I believe his name was KY ), was so hot !! He thought so too. He was there every summer. I am still wondering how people kept from laughing at me.

For more hilarious photos go on over to We are THAT Family.

My First MeMe

2008-06-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

I am so green at all this stuff. Bear with me folks. I have been tagged (thanks Kristin) to do this Meme thing. I thought Meme was a person, not a survey. I have been asked to list 10 things that have changed about me in the last 15 years. I have Mommy brain and don't hardly remember life before kids but I will try.

1) I married a man of the cloth. As much as I terrorized all my youth ministers , it is only fitting that I married one.

2) I am a fitness/health nut. I used to live off of cookie dough and Icees. Now I just fantasize about them. Of course I do fall off the food wagon now and again.

3) I teach indoor cycling. Although I never learned how to ride a bike , I teach spin. How sad is that ? My kids love to brag about doing something that their Mom can't.

4) I am still close friends with my old girlfriends. Although we don't get to see each other much we stay in touch with technology.

5) I am a home body. We are so busy with 3 kids that I relish slow lazy days at home. I used to be so mad if I had nothing to do on a weekend, now I am so excited if that happens.

6) I am a stay at home who never stays home. I teach fitness classes and do personal training. I am so busy between that and the kids schedule that I am rarely at home. I think we should all start decorating our cars instead of our homes, that is where we spend the most time.

7) I love to cook. Although my family prefers fast food to real food and they have no culinary knowledge, I still persevere. It is so boring to cook the same thing every week.

8) I hate showers. I love baths. I think it is just laziness. But I love to lay in a warm bath. I know , I know, I am sitting in my own filth. I like my filth , it's mine !!

9) I do nothing with my hair, rarely wear make-up, and despise clothes with zippers. I am so used to a ponytail, lip gloss, and workout wear, that I am very plain. If I have real people clothes on and make-up my kids want to know where we are going.

10) I am a control freak. I need the remote. It makes me feel happy. So I go in my room and hold the remote. I do not like when people flip channels, I can flip , that doesn't bother me, but you can't flip.

Well that is it. Pretty boring huh ?

5)

Wordless Wednesday

2008-06-18T04:43:00.000-07:00

Pops and Jew Jew

2008-06-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

Two of my children have gone to my parents for the week. This is something that has never happened before. My oldest and youngest are there together and my middle one is not quite ready to be three hours from home. They will be spoiled immensely. My parents love do for them. My mother does like to plan everything ( to a fault ). With my husband being in the ministry we live a very spontaneous life. Our pace of like is way TOO FAST for my folks. They get tired just hearing what a typical day is like.

I instructed Madison , my oldest son , to take care of Jackson, my youngest. It should be very interesting to see how everything plays out. Y'all should all pray for my parents !!

Down by the Creekbank

2008-06-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post I talked about some of my summer goals. I am so excited !! Every summer I make some sort of goals for each member of the family, only to wake up one morning and it be the first day of school. This is proof that we were having some simple, free, fun. I was so not ready for this kind of fun. It was spontaneous, next time I will take a chair ( for me), bug spray, and a bug box. We saw lots for tadpoles, hermit crabs, and a snake.

2008-06-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

This fabulous photo was taken the day of my brother's high school graduation. He is three years older than me. I was blessed to have lots of handsome adolescent boys around while growing up. I think my attempt at sophisticated 80's fashion does in fact make me look older than 15 !! I am proud of how modest I was dressed that day. I do recall though that pencil skirt had a slit up to who knows where, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to walk. I had not yet introduced lycra into my wardrobe .What was I thinking ? The funniest thing is we would work so hard to look so much older than what we were. What I would do now to look younger ? I

Wordless Wednesday !!

2008-06-11T05:15:00.000-07:00

2008-06-11T04:50:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we were honored to be a part of a wonderful young lady's wedding, Caroline. She was our babysitter and friend when we lived in Florida. All of my kids love her. Madison is too old to be in the wedding ( as a ring bearer ). This photo was taken before the wedding. MaryEsther's flowers weren't in her hair and Jackson was still smiling. You see during the course of the wedding weekend, he threatened the groom that he may attack him during the KISS . Dan, the groom, was taking my baby's woman away. Both kids were on point dring the wedding, I was really worried as that moment approached, from where I stood I could se the expressions on Jackson's face. When the moment came for the KISS, he closed his eyes and turned his head away. He tried to be very strong. He and MaryEsther exited the sanctuary before me, and when I made it outside he was balling his eyes out. He was so heartbroken. As irrational as it was it almost made me cry. It took him a long time to get it together. Caroline took some time to tell him he was still her little man. Jackson told her that maybe she could divorce Dan and marry him. It was classic. He soothed his heartache by dancing the night away with all the other bridesmaids all of whom are young with the exception of me. He will make a great boyfriend one day.

Blessings !!

2008-05-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

Storms may come and storms may go . I wonder just how many storms it takes until I finally see ,You're Here Always !!! Those are a few lines from an old Amy Grant song that I loved dearly. I beliveve it was the first non choir solo I did as a kid.

Recently we had several dangerous storms come through the Huntsville area. One particular storm left a tree on my roof, a hole in my roof, bedroom ceiling, and tore the liner to our pool. Fortunatley we were out of town when it hit.

We have never had to make a claim on our homeowners insurance before now. WE have been so blessed by everyone from our agent, adjuster, and all the contractors we are using. God has shown himself over and over. Neal and I marvel in his precision! God always takes care of us . I often say that I live under God's umbrella of protection. It is where I want to be. Safe in his "Arms of Love".

Oh yeah, I was blessed by my blog fairy who hooked me up with this awesome layout !!! Go visit her blog too ! Thanks Valerie !!

Here we go again !!

2008-05-22T17:17:00.000-07:00

Can you believe school is out? I think I am more excited than my kids. today they got to sign each others yearbooks. Watching them took me right back to my youth and I almost cried. Today our children live such a fast paced, technology driven life that they don't get to experience the simple pleasures of life that we are used to. I know I must sound like an elderly woman, but signing yearbooks is something that we actually can identify with. I enjoyed watching the song and dance children play while interacting with each other. It is so predictable, but yet so enjoyable. We choose a " character " that we identify with and watch as life is played out. Summer is one of the few times in our kids lives when they can slow down and be a kid. I want my children to experience all summer has to offer. Whether it is a well planned vacation, or spontaneous fun, I want them to enjoy simple pleasures. THis summer I am going to try to keep things simple , feeding ducks, skipping rocks, playing outside all day, and loving them more and more.

Graduation Day !!

2008-05-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Jackson's Kindergarten Graduation. Here is a picture of him with his honey, Anna Beth. I believe she is overwhelmed by his affections. He brought her flowers and a poem that MaryEsther wrote for him to give her. My older children LOVE encouraging him with his love life. Madison, the stud who is without companion feels the need to help his little brother out. Today was really sweet, Jackson and I went to the gym together, the mall ( He held my hand), and had snuggle time together. These days are fast fleeting. I am so blessed with my family.

Mother's Day ( who thought of that one anyway?)

2008-05-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I hope all you Mother's out there in blogging land received blessings and honor on your Mother's Day. Let me tell you just how special mine was. We began our day at the Best Western in Palatka, FL where we were staying for a wedding. You know how scrumptious the hotel breakfasts can be, enough said. After packing, loading , and arguing the children decided they had not eaten enough so we made the mistake of getting in the Dunkin Donuts drove thru line. After 15 minutes of not moving and allowing all 3 children to go in and pee we left. The line begin moving after we left, I think it was a conspiracy, they saw the out of town plate or something. So then we had to stop at McDonalds ( for those of you who know me you know how I feel about that one). More time wasted in order to fill their guts with smut. We did finally begin our journey home . After listening to arguing for far too long I decided to take matters into my own hands and treat their mouths. I won't tell you how, just use your imaginations. That worked long enough to get us to Tallahassee where the lunch time drama began. Now remember it was Mother's Day and my husband drove us to Hungry Howie's for lunch, I was not happy, at all. He thought I could go next store and get a smoothie or a wrap at the other restaurant. I wanted hot food, healthy food, not gut smut, ( the wraps were fine, just cold and processed ). Being the mature one in our family I allowed him to drive me to BK where I got a side salad . i had no intentions of eating it, just wanted to be difficult, it was my day remember? So I gave the salad to out 2 new pet lizards who we acquired on our journey. Then we had to go to McDonalds again because our youngest didn't want Pizza. I went hungry, sulking, constantly applying to lip gloss to get some kind of flavor satisfaction. We drove some more, made it to Dothan and Neal decided he would run in Dillards to check and see of they had some shoes that I liked and they didn't. While inside I managed to scarf down an Apple Pie that Mcdonald's had given us for messing up our order during lunch. I didn't want him to know just how hungry I was. Just think we were only like half way home !! If I continue to rehash this glorious day I may go postal. Needless to say, my day went unrecognized, yet very eventful. Hope yours was better. To date, I have not received any gifts, I did however get 2 precious cards from my youngest children. I guess it just goes to show you that we do what we do for our families because we want to and love them unconditionally.

A Day in the Life of a Real Desperate Housewife

2008-05-14T15:32:00.000-07:00

4:30 a.m. Wake- up
5:00 a.m. Boot Camp
6:30 a.m. Train Client at the gym
8:00 a.m. Return home to eat a quick bite
9:00 a.m. Work-out
10:00 tan ( I know it is bad for my skin)
10:30 Wal-Mart
11:30 Put Away Groceries
Noon Train client
1:15 p.m. Housework
2:30 Leave to Pick-up Kids
4:00 p.m. cook supper
5:30 p.m. Train client
7:00 Pick up child from ball practice
7:15 Quick Dinner ( needed to go to Madison's game but Jackson was too exhausted and so was I )
8:30 p.m. my 9:30 p.m. client rescheduled, so I went to bed.

It is a glamorous job, being a housewife, full of relaxing moments and luxuries !!
7:15

High Fructose Corn Syrup

2008-05-05T14:58:00.001-07:00

Wow, did you ever think that you could be an addict? Walking down the isles of your local discount store you are beckoned to the candy isle. Instantaneously your mouth begins to water, you begin wandering which lucky bag of candy is going to be yours. Then you look around to see if anyone you know is around, you must set a good example. The coast is clear, but you can't even wait to check out, at once you rip open the cellophane and begin consumption. Your fingers can hardly push the buggy and open the wrappers, this does take some skills, ones that I have perfected. You wish your kids were with you to blame the candy on them. You could say you were a secret shopper doing some research, or fess up and tell them you are an addict. I haven't heard of too many people who confess to this HFCS addiction. If there is anyone out there who feels my pain, let me know how you have replaced this terrible addiction.

New Boot Camp 5:00 a.m.

2008-04-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

Well, Another wonderful boot camp is off and running. The participants are so excited when they arrive. Some don't even speak until the class is over ( You know who you are ). Others take pics and blog about their journeys ( they are trying to butter me up ). None the less, we are having a good time. I am so inspired by people who value their health and are willing to sacrifice time for themselves. It is hard to carve out time for ourselves in this past paced life we lead, it is important though. We also need to take some time and shut down. I used to work with "emotional kids". When they were feeling out of control, they would opt to go on shut down. This allowed them the priviledge of being alone, no media, just them and their thoughts. WOW, what most of you would give for a day like that, no responsibilities, no errands, no drama, just peace. Jesus would take the time to retreat, and we should " Be still and know that I am God ...". Take some time away to reflect, part of being fit is to have a healthy spirit too. If we were seeking a mind like Christ, we probably wouldn't have as many other issues to deal with.

Oh, and for all of you who make fun of my eating habits, I did just pick out little chuncks of cookie dough in some Ice Cream that the naughty Grandparents bought my kids. See I have no self-control, food at my house talks to me. How scary is that ? I chased it down with an organic egg and a piece of genesis bread.

Mr. Billy

2008-03-12T18:11:00.000-07:00

Today was a bitter sweet day. it was the birthday of my oldest child Madison. It was also the viewing of our sweet Mr. Billy. Have you ever had a hug so sweet and special from a big, gentle man? If you could bring the cutest, cuddliest teddy bear to life it would have been Mr. Billy. Not only was he very loving, He was very giving. He totally lived out the Great Commission. Although retired, he did not pew sit, he served and encouraged others too as well. He was a visionary. What is so awesome about Mr. Billy was that he didn't just have a vision, He took action to see the vision come to fruition. That is motivation for me as a Christian, to do, not sit, to Serve, not be served, to dream, and not be held back by limitations. He loved my family and He and Miss Shirley ( his precious wife) showed us love that is so special and undeserving. There are many life lessons one can learn from observing his life.

My little baby Madison turns 12 today. He is a very fun loving young man Everyone who knows him is drawn in by his contagious personality. He has a special quality that makes others feel comfortable around him. He is a gifted athlete and has a big heart. Although he is growing older, he is still our precious little boy. It seems like yesterday Neal and I had accidentally locked ourselves in the backseat of our car with him while trying to bring him home from the hospital. I guess we should be very thankful that he has survived having us for parents. We love you Madison!!

Do What You Love, Love What You Do

2008-03-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

Workout of the Day- Today we did 30 minutes of Turbo, followed by about 10 minutes of dance and 20 minutes of treadmill or Elliptical. We alternated resistance between 5 and 10 every 2 minutes. We were all soaked. It was really good. We finished with a one minute sprint on a flat !! After that Bobbie and I worked out out rear delts and triceps ( with help from Chris ) !! I followed that up with a 15 minute tan. Chris introduced us to a protein shake we hadn't had before. Muscle Milk Chocolate Milk Light. It was very good !! I would recommend it to anyone.

Make your workout exciting and fun. Surround yourself with fun people to workout with. If you don't love it, don't do it. Don't make yourself suffer through something you don't enjoy. Ofcourse you could hire a trainer ( like me :) ) and I could keep you motivated !!

Workout of the Day !!

2008-03-07T16:12:00.001-08:00

Today was so much fun at the gym. WE began out day with a half hour of ab exercises. This was quite interesting watching a fellow male trainer of mine suffer through abdominal cramping while trying to keep up. He was quite the trooper, along with new participants and my regulars yelling at me and calling me names. We followed that class with a 60 minute spin class which was fierce. We worked really hard and sweated ALOT !! I had to ride a jacked up bike with way too much tension, it was very challenging. We survived and will gather again Tuesday for a replay !!

Today's food for me has not been as clean as it needed to be. I had a protein bar for breakfast, turkey burger, no bun at home for lunch. Fat Free Popcorn for a snack, and a 100 calorie pack too !! See what I mean. Those little snacks can really screw up your plan. I need to eat more clean, make better choices. Today I was off the food wagon. Tomorrow is another day.

What if?

2008-03-07T16:01:00.000-08:00

Thanks Valerie for helping me expand my horizons.

What if I could meet someone in the Art world to chat with , who would I choose?

I would choose Picasso. I would like to know his thoughts and feelings about his art works.

One wish for all mankind would be to find there DIVINE purpose in life and live it!

If I could travel anywhere in the world it would be Indonesia, to visit Paula and Wade.

If I could live in any other time period it would be the Civil War Era, of course I would want to be a Scarlett O'Hara.

If I could make over 3 areas of my body it would be thighs, hips, and knees !! Although I constantly work on these areas, they have a mind of their own!!

If I could be an animal for 24 hours I would want to be monkey. Not in captivity, but in the wild !!

IF I could bring someone to life for 24 hours it would be no one. I feel the pain of reintroducing them to their loved ones would be more than one should bare.

Hopefully you enjoyed this my friend!!

Happy Birthday to Me!!

2008-03-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

Well, today I am turning 29 (again). Some of you might be like me, fighting the hands of time. Not only in the process of ageing but with my children. It seems like yesterday that I had little ones all over me who smelled like Johnson's Baby Lotion. Now they smell like well, you probably don't want to know.

I have really enjoyed my day thus far. My first B-day greeting was at 4:45 a.m. (thanks Cassie). I was meeting her for a workout at the gym. She wanted to be the first to wish me a Happy Birthday. She is very competitive and SHE WON!! She blessed with me with fun gifts too.

After returning from the gym, I was thrown into the role of super mom. I made the kids breakfast and lunches and got them dressed for school. MY husband Neal helped me too. He drove them to school while I entered phase 3 of the day (7:15 a.m.) I went to another gym and was blessed by gifts (Thanks Bobbie and Kim B) and Cards from many participants. I truly felt loved. You must understand, I've been prepping them for this day for over a week ! After a quick Wal-mart run, I was gifted with this blog sight from another friend (Thanks Valerie). While at her office my husband stopped in with beautiful Iris's for me ( my fav). WE then ate a wonderful high sodium, high msg meal of Chinese food ( Me , Val, and Bobbie) Bobbie did find out something very interesting today- her chinese astrological sign is a Cock !! We found that comical. That is it so far today. Ofcourse, I get to go get my precious cargo in a few minutes and start another phase of my exciting life (after a cup of coffee).