WW-wk5

Take Joy In The Journey...this was the topic of our discussion tonight at WW. (Of course, the first thinng I thought of when I saw this was Joy...Hey Joy!) Our leader tonight talked about how many of us have a kind of "destination mentality". We are always looking towards the destination (goal) and don't particularly revel in the here and now of this journey. It is all a state of mind to make positive choices from day to day. We should focus on "enjoying" every step of the way...make sense?

What are some of the benefits of the here and now of weight loss? Well, for one you feel better about yourself (both physically and mentally), healthier, you realize that "hey, I do have muscle under all this", you get compliments (especially the ones from people who haven't seen you in a while), and shopping is more fun. These are just a few benefits....there are so many more!

I learned tonight that I need to focus on what I need to do now verses the actual getting there. Enjoy every step of the way. If you don't and you look at it with a "diet mentality" then you will fail. I am going to take this journey one day at a time. If and when I make it to my goal then great but I am not going to wait til I get to my goal to have fun and I am going to "take joy in the journey"!

Oh, BTW, I lost 2.2 more pounds for a total of 11.4 in five weeks. I got a little sticker to put on my 5 pound bookmark. I am going to do this and I am going to put the fun in the journey now instead of later!

PS...It is OK to be a picky eater, just pick the right stuff instead of the bad! And Moms we really don't have to clean our plates, when you are full then stop. This is also something that our kids could learn now instead of later, like we did.

Go visit One Weigh Or Another for tons of support and accountability! I love that site!

One Weigh Or Another

You are invited to the GRAND OPENING of a brand new blogspot.

ONE-WEIGH-OR-ANOTHER

We are a group of woman who through support and accountability are gonna lose weight...

one weigh or another.

Come join us or just glean from us. Fridays are FOOD FRIDAYS and there are some good recipes posted already! I am very excited about this support system and am looking forward to tons of new found friendships. So, come check us out...you won't regret it!

Hey, don't forget to read all about my sweet princess, Jordan and her 8th birthday just below!

Happy Birthday Anna Jordan!

You guessed it, another birthday. Today is my sweet baby girl's 8th birthday! She, like any other little girl her age, loves her birthday. We just got finished making cupcakes for her class. I let her stay up later than everybody else to help me decorate (actually she did it all). Ryan was up and he and Jordan had a bit of a icing fight. She adores her big brother and loves spending time with him without everybody else around.

So, in honor of my Jordie Pie, I will tell you a wee bit about her. She just started the 3rd grade. She tested for Gifted and Talented the end of last year and did really well. So this yeat she has started with the Excels/Gifted and Talented program at school. She loves it! She pretty much loves everything about school.

She is a very compassionate little girl. She gets her feelings hurt very easily and can cry at the drop of a hat. She loves to read. She also keeps a journal. I love that about her. She is honest and caring. She has taken her first year of piano lessons and is getting ready to start her second. She LOVES her little cousins, especially Austin, she always wants to be taking care of him when he is around.

Her first name is Anna, she is named after her Mamaw, my Mom, Pollyanna. Anna means grace...gracious and that she is. Her middle name is Jordan. She thinks it is very cool that both of her names are in the Bible and loves to look at the maps in the back to look for the River Jordan.

I found out a few months ago that she loves poetry. We wrote this one together oneday when we were able to spend some one on one time together. Go read it, it is pretty funny! (Go ahead, I'll wait for ya to come back!....Ok, back? Good!) Now wasn't that the cutest poem? After that she has written many more, she is pretty good.

I am not sure of our plans for her birthday. She wants to go to Pizza Hut tomorrow night. So we may call her best friend and take her with us.

Her Daddy's birthday is on Saturday, the day after hers. When I was pregnant with her it was so hot here (kinda like today...105 index), and my GYN wanted to induce me and gave me 2 dates, one on the 28th and one on the 29th. Her daddy was quite upset that I couldn't wait one.more.day! But if you pregnant right in the middle of the summer, which would you choose? Plus, I wanted them to each have their own birth-day! So, Saturday we will go see her daddy to celebrate his birthday the best we can.

I love you Anna Jordan! Thanks for being an awesome daughter! Thanks for being that sweet little Jordie-Pie that everybody loves! Kisses to you!

My 100 things!

So, in keeping with tradition since this is my 100th post, here are my 100 things, are ya ready?

1. My first name is not Angie, but a name that I share with my grandma.
2. She cried when they told her about me, her name sake.
3. Her grandma name is "Mot-Mot"....don't ask...I dont know!
4. My grandfather is "Skeebo"....don't ask (and not Skeebo from Jo-Jo's Circus).
5. Everyone has always called me Angie, since birth.
6. Short for Angela, duh!
7. My parents were originally going to name me Angel.
8. Not sure why they changed their minds.
9. I was a breach baby...ugh...sorry Mom (maybe that was why!).
10. I am the oldest.
11. There are 5 of us (but you knew that).
12. I love all of them.
13. But not always, you know typical sibling rivalry when we were younger.
14. They ALL used to aggravate me...ALOT!
15. My parents divorced when I was about 10 or 11.
16. They remarried 20 years later.
17. Is that amazing or what?
18. I used to drive a Chevy Custom Van in high school.
19. Complete with mural on the side and a sink and a frig and a pull-out bed in the back.
20. Kids used to skip school in my van parked in the high school parking lot.
21. I know this because they would leave the bed pulled out and soda cans and candy wrappers for me to clean up.
22. I never skipped school...til I was a senior.
23. And that was because I had a free period.
24. I just left...alot.
25. I took my driving test in the van...I passed...paralell parked and all. (Yay me!)
26. I went to college for one year.
27. Then I started having my babies...that was almost 16 years ago...ugh!
28. I used to work in an educational toy store named Boombears.
29. Alot of my paycheck went right back to the store.
30. My son (the almost 16yo) made his first paycheck at 1 as a child model for the educational catalog Environments...he got paid to play!
31. He is still in it.
32. Then I worked at BB&T bank.
33. I worked up to head teller fast.
34. Then I went to work as a title researcher.
35. After I had my youngest (now 6) I called my boss and told him I would not be coming back.
36. He was kinda mad.
37. He got over it.
38. I know this because he hired me back in Dec '05 to work from home part-time.
39. I work my purse business during the day.
40. I do title researching at night for a couple hours.
41. I also decorate cakes.
42. I enjoy sewing more than cake decorating.
43. I taught myself to sew about 3 years ago.
44. The rest is history.
45. Purses are my passion.
46. So is blogging now.
47. Ok, Ok I admitted it...out loud!
48. I used to be very obsessive complulsive about my house cleaning.
49. I still like a clean house, I just don't dwell on it as much! Yay me!
50. I have live in the same town my entire life.
51. I never want to leave...Ever!
52. It used to be a small town.
53. It grew---big!
54. I am a true Carolina Girl.
55. I love that song....Carolina Girl.
56. I love to shag too.
57. Not really sure I do it the right way but I try.
58. Don't really care either...still love it!
59. Oneday I want to take shagging lessons.
60. I played on a woman's softball team about 9 years ago.
61. I was the catcher.
62. My husband really didn't want me to play.
63. He told me I would break my leg.
64. I broke my leg (femur)...bad!
65. I hate to hear "I told you so's".
66. I didn't want anyone to call him off the golf course that day from the hospital.
67. They did...I heard "I told you so" for months on end...still do on occasion.
68. I had a halo around my knee with pins and screws in my shin to stabilize it.
69. I still have a screw in there somewhere hopefully holding it all together.
70. It was a very depressing time in my life.
71. I couldn't even take care of my 2 children (at the time) for 3 months.
72. Glad that's over...whew!
73. We love boxers.
74. We have 2...Harley and Cooper.
75. Harley is Cooper's mamma.
76. My brother has 3 (one is Harley's momma), my 2 sisters each have 1.
77. We also have a cat, Allie.
78. And a guinea pig, Oreo (cuz he looks like one).
79. No more animals in this here house...geez!
80. I hate doing laundry...HATE IT!
81. I do it anyways...I have to.
82. I don't like to make phone calls.
83. It makes my stomach hurt...bad!
84. I am the new PTO vice-pres.
85. Hope I don't have to make any calls.
86. Ugh!
87. I love the beach!
88. We live on the coast.
89. We also vacation on the coast....Florida coast.
90. I love Diet Pepsi...now I limit myself to 1 a day!
91. I love fruit, especially strawberries and white grapes.
92. I hate veggies...I wish I liked them more.
93. I have hazel eyes.
94. I am 5' 11".
95. I have naturally curly hair...I have to straighten it or it is frizzy.
96. I love flip-flops.
97. They used to bother my toes...not anymore.
98. I have at least 15 pair or more....I wear them all year round...gotta love the south.
99. I have a foot thing... I hate people to touch the bottom of my feet...my throat is closing up now just thinking about it.
100. I thought this would be tough, but it really wasn't!

Very cool WW site!

I think I could spend all day on this site. My sis gave this link to me to check out and that I did. This lady has done ALL the hard work for us WW people. She has menus, meal plans, recipes, 469 restaurants with point values, food values and tons of insprirational things to help maintain. So, FYI, just thought I'd share!

Dotti's Weight Loss Zone

This is the story of 4 people

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it but Nobody did. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody would not do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when actually Nobody asked Anybody.

Use it for good or evil, your choice!

WW-wk4

I was really worried tonight when I went to weigh-in. I indulged in a few guilty pleasures this past week...like a Snickers bar (well, 1/2 of a Snickers bar), and Nachos at the BHS Athletic concession stand at the waterfront park for Water Festival activities (twice actually), a watermelon slushie (2 actually, in the same day...it was hot, ok!) and then last night I had Chicken Enchilladas over rice for dinner (so good). So, you can see why I was pretty nervous. But I still lost 2.4 pounds, for a total of 9.2 pounds.Yay me! Just imagine what I would have lost if I would have been really good! Oh well! I feel so much better and I have tons more energy!

That is the great thing about Weight Watchers, you can eat whatever you
want, just count it. Tonight we really didn't talk about anything new, we had a substitute WW lady. I love our regular lady, she is very motivating. But I did learn a great food find for those of us who looooovvveee ice cream. Are you ready for this? Blue Bunny has a Health Smart line now and the Fudge and Vanilla Fudge bars are 0 points. Did you hear me, 0 points? Apparently they are very high in fiber, I can't remember now what she said, like 3 or 5g of fiber or something like that. She said that they are really good, Sandy said so too, she said she stocked her freezer up with them. I am too now.

So far, me and Lori (my sis) started, then our friend Jessica, then Sandy and this week my other sis, Amy, joined. Next week we (the 5 of us) are going to go to Applebees for dinner afterwards and plan a dinner club type thing, where one of us will host it every few weeks and we will make all kinds of WW friendly meals and desserts. It is gonna be fun! Yay team!

Thought for the day!

Don't look forward in fear to the changes of life;
Rather look to them with full hope that as they arise,
God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things;
And when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms.
Do not fear what may happen tomorrow;
The same everlasting Father who cares for you today,
Will take care of you today and everyday.
~St. Francis De Sales~

The Southern Three Little Pigs!

My Mom sent this to me a little bit ago and I thought it was so cute, so I had to share. Of course I thought of Lindsey and her southern love for sweet tea. This one is for you Lindsey!

Happy Friday!

Three Little Pigs went out to dinner one night. The waiter came and took their drink order. "I would like a Sprite," said the first little piggy. "I would like a Coke," said the second little piggy. "I want iced tea, lots and lots of iced tea," said the third little piggy.

The drinks were brought out and the waiter took their orders for dinner. "I want a nice big steak," said the first piggy. "I would like the salad plate," said the second piggy. "I want tea, lots and lots of iced tea," said the third little piggy.

The meals were brought out and a while later the waiter approached the table and asked if the piggies would like any dessert. "I want a banana split," said the first piggy. "I want a root beer float," said the second piggy. "I want more tea, lots and lots of iced tea," exclaimed the third little piggy.

"Pardon me for asking," said the waiter to the third little piggy," but why have you only ordered tea all evening?"

You're gonna LOVE me for this....

The third piggy says - "Well, somebody has to go Wee, wee, wee, all the way home!"

A Joy-ous Rerun!

This post is a rerun previously posted March 29, 2006. I felt the need to remind myself of this today, so here goes! Oh, and another reason, in honor of Joy at Joy in the Journey, who honored me with her Blog of the Week award....she thinks I did a nice job! *blush* Thanks Joy, I think you are a breathe of fresh air myself.

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When my kids were little, little I remember thinking as we would approach one of those big milestones, if we can just get through this everything will be perfect. You know what I mean, right? Oh, if I could just get her weaned life would be so much easier. And then its...if he could just get those teeth through, we could all sleep through the night. And then its...when he gets totally potty trained... or when he starts school...or when we get through elementary school...or if we can just get through middle school and those awkward years. Then it is...if he can just get through high school, it's gonna be a breeze from there...if they would start loving the Lord more, they would make better choices.

Or if only I had more money in my checking account, if things weren't so tight, when my husband gets home things are gonna be better....I could go on and on.

I wonder why we do that? Do we really think that if we can just get over that particular milestone that everything will be "hunkydory" on the other side? Why can't we just be happy in the moment? IN.THE.MOMENT!"

This is the day that the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad in it."

We can't make our years go by any more slowly or control the circumstances, but we can choose our attitude toward those times and find the joy to be had right where we are...if we look for it!

We need and should do fun things with our kids, they grow up so fast. Go to the park or on a bike ride or play baseball with them or load up and go to your nearest drive-in movie theatre (this is one of our favorite things to do), whatever you choose do it together as a family. (What excuse are you gonna use when they are older and YOU want to go to the park and swing on the swing or go to the zoo to see the animlas or to see the circus show? Do it now while they can and will enjoy it too!) Rejoice in those sticky kisses and first words and moving up in school. Don't look back years from now wishing you had! Give them that memory (joy) too!
I will say that from my experience I get more joy out of doing and giving joy to other people, mainly my children. When we are concerned about others and how we can bless them, then we are gonna receive that unquenchable joy. I know that I do!

Make time to go to the park or read a book with the kids or just snuggle with them. The Lord will make sure that we are blessed in a special way too!

Thanks Beth!

You know those friends that you have that you can go years and years without seeing them or even talking to them, and when reunited you pick up right where you left off. Well, I have one of those friends.

We have been friends for as long as I can remember. When we were kids, we were always at one another's house. Our Moms were friends and we all went to the same church. Spending time with her and her family was a great big part of my life. I took my first trip to the mountains with her. I even remember them taking me to Silver Dollar City, I think in Tennessee. We were on the train ride around the park and the "bad guys" jumped the train and took me hostage. It was so much fun.

We went to elementary school, junior high and then high school together. We had the best time in youth group at church. I am sitting here smiling right now remembering all the fun times we had. Lock-ins and rafting trips and tons of other fun trips with church and her family. Oh, and the boyfriends and heartbreaks. Ok, maybe I am not smiling now....just kidding!

Well, this friend came into town this past weekend to visit her sister and called me Monday night asking me to lunch on Tuesday for my birthday (which was last week). She came over and we went to Ruby Tuesdays. The kids are in school so it was just me, her and her daughter. We went at about 11:30 and can you believe we stayed until around 2 something? It was so cool. Her daughter, Grace, was so good and patient and let us talk for hours. We talked about old times and old friends and the fact that we are getting old. She reminded me last week that we can no longer check the 18-35 box anymore, boy are we getting old! (Which box is next, am I in the same box as my mom now?)

Anyways, I know that she reads my blog so I want to thank her 'publically' for the time out and for the adult conversation and lunch. My son called me twice and could not believe that we were at lunch for that long. It was so nice! So, thanks Beth for an awesome afternoon. I hope that you enjoyed the rest of your vacation week. I can't wait till you come back again or maybe I will take you up on the invite to your family farm in NC. I love ya girl!

PTO...huh?

Well, it is official. Tonight we had Open House at my kids elementary school and was voted PTO Vice-Pres. Not exactly sure what that will entail butI guess we will see. I was a little hesitant about doing it because I am a single parent and sole-bread winner which takes up a lot of my time. But I take great interest in my children's education and since I can't do it myself anymore (I used to homeschool), then I will make myself known. Also, since I have a first, third and a fifth grader, obviously I will be at the school all the time anyways.

So, if anyone knows what the PTO Vice-Pres. does, please let me know what I have gotten myself into. Have I once again bitten off more than I can chew? I am really good at doing that. Any advice would be welcomed.

Maybe that is why I learned to sew...

“When life whacks you so hard your head flies off, sew it back
on and keep going." ~Mary Pierce ~

When I read this quote for the first time on Friday, I thought "Boy this one is gonna be easy." You see, I have been whacked that hard. My whole life was torn apart a little over 4 years ago. This was when my husband turned our whole life upside down. Then a little over a year after that, I was left here own my own to take care of our children, our home, our lives all by myself. I never asked for that. Never! This was not what I had signed up to do when I signed our marriage certificate. When I got married I thought that it was a partnership, that we would do this together. But apparently that was not what was in the stars for our family. God had another plan.

I can tell you that my head has been knocked off more times than I can imagine these past 3 years since my husband went to prison. Maybe that is why I taught myself to sew soon after he left, so that I could sew my head back on myself, who knows!

But, regardless of what happens when my husband does get home, whether he has taken God seriously or not, I have grown and become a much stronger woman because of these trials. Which means that I will keep sewing my head back on every single time it gets whacked off. And I do this because it is the right thing to do.

Go to Christian Women Online to play along.

WW-wk3

Just got back from my Weight Watcher's meeting. I am very pleased with my loss. I lost 2.2 pounds, that is a total of 6.8. Tonight I got a silly 'ole bookmark for my first 5 pounds lost. It is funny how that bookmark made me feel really good. Symbolic, I guess, who knew!

Tonight we talked about our "problems" and how they affect us, mainly by eating. Then we talked about some of the ways we could do things differently. And how not to get frustrated if we lose very little, if any for a week or 2. We need to look at the overall picture and the total amount of loss. And to remember this is a very easy way of life eating plan that does not limit us as to what we can eat. If we want a slice of pizza, go ahead and have it. Quite simple, just count the points. I just ate a bowl of spaghetti, it was mmm, mmm good. I have been saving for it all day! Although it was not that bad, point wise.

So, if you are counting points or just learning to eat right, I hope you have a great week at it! Good luck to ya!

Concert in the Park

The concert in the park was sooo good! Josh Turner put on an awesome show. He is definitely a great country artist. His voice is so low and deep it will make you get chills. (Ok maybe that was just me but...). You can go here and then click on the link to see a whole video clip of when he took the stage and his whole opening song...Would You Go With Me. It was a really great time, even though it was sooo hot and humid and sticky, it was well worth it. We were even right on the seawall thinking that we would at least get a breeze off of the river, but since it was low tide, no such luck. He only sang for about and hour and 15 minutes, I wish he would have sang longer but oh well! It was still a great concert! So go check out the video clip, especially if you don't know who he is...especially if you are a country music fan like me!

Picture below courtesy of The Beaufort Gazette

(FYI...that is his wife on the keyboard and she is expecting their first child.)

"When I go down in the lower register, that's just kind of my thing and my style," he explains. "The phrase that really describes my kind of music is South Carolina Low Country, which is actually a region in South Carolina, around Charleston and Hilton Head and Beaufort. I kind of took that phrase, South Carolina Low Country, to describe my music." -Josh Turner

Edit: Oops, I forgot to update about the first (kinda real) date for Ryan: Remember I said that I told him that I would not be a stalker Mom? Well, I was not a stalker Mom. In fact, he came and hung out with us several different times. He pretty much stayed within eye distance to me. That's my boy! He says that he had a good time. He also spent $45 on a T-shirt and a CD for his girlfrined. Awww...how sweet! (I thought that was a bit much but I guess it is his money, right?) Then tonight I let him go to Teen Night at the waterfront park. There was a DJ there. Says he had a goodtime tonight too! Enough already!

Would you go with me...

I am already getting a little star struck. Do ya wanna know why? Tomorrow night I am going to see Josh Turner. Did you hear me...I said Josh Turner. The 'Long Black Train' guy and the 'Would you go with me' guy. (Listen to that voice!) He is singing at our small town festival..the Water Festival. He is from Florence, SC, so he is almost a hometown boy. I just think that he is the coolest country artist out there. He is very bold about his faith, not one bit ashamed. And his voice, so deep and strong! And he isn't too hard to look at either. I can't wait! I already have my kids farmed out to my Aunt Penny and my Mom (even with her broke foot, but I really couldn't miss this one!). Have I ever told ya'll that I have got the best Mom ever? I mean ever!

Tomorrow night is also my 15yo son's kinda first real date. He is a big Josh Turner fan. He even sang Long Black Train at my parent's church. Anyways, his girlfriend and her parents are going to meet us there. This is a really big deal ya know? The concert is in a park so there is plenty of room to just walk around and hang out with friends. I promised him I would not be a stalker mom, but I'm not sure I can keep that promise. I will be cool and nonchalant about it. *Ahem*

Since I don't get out much, I am excited. Every year at the Water Festival is when you see all your long lost friends (or not). Since I have lived in this town ALL of my life, it is kinda cool to see everybody!


So are there any other Josh Turner fans out there? Isn't he just the cutest thing?

Friday's Feast 102

Feast One Hundred & Two
Appetizer: Name one thing nice that you could do for someone else today.
I could make a meal for my Momma since she broke her foot yesterday! :(

Soup: When was the last time you were frightened by the weather?
Probably last hurricane season... living on the east coast

Salad: What would you say is the most useful website or blog that you visit?
I love Home spun heart...lots of good tips and crafty

Main Course: Who was your favorite singer/group when you were a child?
Oh this on is easy, I.loved.Rick Springfield!

Dessert: Do you have any rituals? If so, what are they?
Daily Bible reading and praying (not necessarily in that order)

If ya'll wanna play along then go right here! Don't forget to leave a commet too!

Visiting with myself? Hmmm...

Christian Women Online have started a new meme. Fridays they will publish a quote and we have till Tuesdays to ponder that quote and write a little something about what it means to us. Go check it out. This week's quote is.....

"Once in a while you have to take a break and visit yourself ."

-Audrey Giorgi

When I read this at first, I totally could relate to it because of all the bum days I have been having. Just really needing time to myself. But is that really what it means? Could be, I guess it could be. Does it mean going to the bathroom alone without little ones following? Does it mean trips to the grocery store alone? Or to go get that manicure or pedicure you have been wanting to get? Or to go out to dinner with the girls without tag alongs? I guess it could mean that too.

But, when I really pondered it I took it to mean maybe taking a break from everyday activities and spending time in the Word. Or even taking time to bring your prayers before our God. Or spending time with God's people. I believe that if we do all of these things then we will grow more and be more at peace with ourselves. Therefore, visiting with ourselves.

Christ did His part. Now we are to take advantage of that and give back by spending time with Him. If only we would treat Christ as we treat other things in our lives, then all would be good. So for today and the days to come make time to "visit with yourself" and meditate on the Word of God.

"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people." Luke 1:68.

WW-wk2

I had my weigh-in tonight at Weight Watchers. I lost 4.6 pounds in 2 weeks. Yay! I was very pleased with that! I have really been watching what I eat, controlling my portions , but yet I am still able to have whatever I want just as long as I count the points for it. Sacrifices. That's what it' all about ladies (and 1 or 2 men, who knows)!

Tonight we talked about revamping our kitchens. Getting rid of the things that may hinder us. Such as the cookie jar on the counter or the candy dish or even the bacon grease can next to the stove. Cleaning out the cabinets. Bringing out the appliances that would help us and putting away the ones that won't. (I brought out my George Foreman Grill tonight.) Replace the cookie jar with a fruit basket or the Little Debbie snack basket with WW 1 point snack cakes (these are really good). So, indeed I got a lot of very good tips. My own personal tip that has helped me is that I designated a cabinet to my things. That way when I get a munchy, I can go to my cabinet that is stocked with WW friendly snacks or whatever, and not go to the pantry that is stocked full of the kids snacks and what not. It is a lot less tempting for me! Just a thought!

I also came across an awesome blog a few days ago. The Amazing Shrinking Mom. She truly has some very inspiring posts. So, if you just need some motivation then go visit her! I am so excited that I have come across several other women who are doing this too. It helps to be accountable! You know how women just love to do things together, like going to the bathroom or shopping, it's the same thing. Are ya with me?

Dinner, hide and go seek, and a Texaco bag

I feel so much better now, you have no idea. We ended up going to the water park on Saturday because there was a threat of rain on Friday (that never happened). But, we still had a lot of fun. While we were there my sister, Lori, called me and asked me if I wanted to go to dinner and said that Brett, her super cool husband, would watch the kids for us to go. "Of course, I wanna go, are you kidding me?"

So when we got back into town, I jumped in the shower and we got ready and headed over to Aunt Lori and Uncle Brett's house. So, me, Lori, Ivette (a super cool friend), and my other sister Amy all went to dinner at Applebees (they have the WW menu...soo good!). It was so nice to get out and converse with other adults.
Lori, Me and Amy

Afterwards we all rode over to Amy's new house that in under construction to check it out...in the dark. It is so pretty, even in the dark. Then while Amy and Ivette walked up stairs to see if the walls were up up there, me and Lori hid in one of the closets and waited for them to come looking for us. It was such a silly moment. We were laughing so hard and we both had to pee so bad. It was about 9:15 or so, so it was dark. We could hear them looking for us and we could hardly keep our laughter in. Then we heard them coming around the corner and peep in the closet and we said really loud "BOO!" They just about jumped out of their pants! It was so funny! It was so corny, but yet so fun. It brought back lots and lots of childhood memories. I love you guys...thank you so much for doing this for me! *BIG SMILE*

Lori with the Texaco bag on her head...what a dork!

Ivette, our chauffeur...what a cheese (she was driving at the time, not recommended!)

They were teasing me for bringing my camera. How dare they! I so had to blog about this, I mean, come on don't all serious bloggers take their cameras EVERYWHERE? (I bet my sisters are gonna call me tomorrow to get a copy of that picture of the three of us!)

Don't forget tomorrow evening I will be posting my weight loss after my WW meeting. I pray that it will be a good one. I feel so much better now that I am eating right! Yippee!

Go see my Daddy!

My Daddy writes the most beautiful poetry and it truly comes right from his heart! And if you go and read his 2 new posts "Sonshine" and Reflections" you can really tell who is in his heart. (I certainly didn't inherit his talent for poetry, but I did get his dimples! *big smile*)
Go see him and let him know what you think!

Bathroom timeout works

Thanks so much for all of your encouraging words. They helped alot! I felt all of your cyber hugs today. I also got a very touching email from my Mom, thanks Mom, your words always make me feel better. I love you! And my daddy called and he said if I keep Jesus inside that I will get through this just fine. I have the best parents EVER!

Anyways, last night when the kids were fighting I remembered a comment I got from noaveragegirl last month. It was in response to another post about the kids fighting. She said that when her and her sister, who are 2 years apart, would fight when they were younger, that her parents would make them go to the bathroom and they couldn't come out until they worked it out.

So, I tried it and went a step further and told them that they had to pray together before they came out. The first bathroom victim was the girls and it lasted a really long time, but they came out smiling and played nice the rest of the day. Jackson was a sleep during this, so when he got up and got into a fight with his sister, off to the bathroom he went. That one lasted forever, he is quite stubborn! He screamed to me from the door for about 15 minutes. Jordan kept trying to talk to him but he wouldn't hear of it. Until finally, it clicked. He went to his sister and they talked it out and prayed and came out smiling.

So, by George I think I have got it. Today Jackson went to the bathroom timeout several times with one of his sisters. They would start fighting and he would come to me and I would explain to them that they needed to work it out on their own without me getting involved. By the end of the afternoon, they would argue and just go straight to the bathroom without even coming to me. Isn't that funny? I did have to put a 5 minute timer up so that they would really work it out, but still it worked. So thank you noaveragegirl! This is the best discipline tip I have ever gotten. I have had a much better day today because of this! There is already peace in this once very chaotic household!

So tomorrow, since the kids are going back to school next Wednesday we are going to ride over to Charleston and go to Splash Zone Water Park. It is a smaller water park and the prices are reasonable. I haven't told the kids yet. Won't they be surprised? So, now I am off to my studio to finish some aprons and purses for a show next weekend. Yay!

I need a break!

I am just so frustrated today. I'm really not sure what the deal is. I just feel very overloaded and well, frustrated about, well, everything. I am tired of being the Mommy and the Daddy all at the same time. I am ready for my husband to be home. You have no idea how ready I am.

Do you ever get Mommy burn-out? I love my kids beyond measure. I am just tired of their fighting and bickering and me being the only parent that they can come running to to try to settle the score. Ugh! I know that single moms do this all the time. And I really appreciate that, but I am not single, I am married. And yet, here I am single. I didn't ask for this. Or maybe I did, not real sure. I know that I prayed for my husband and put him in the Lord's hands but geez...time is really taking a toll on this momma. I really do try to stay strong, I swear I do. But I am only human right, sometimes I just gotta have a meltdown too and just ask why in the world me? I have always tried to do everything right. Really I have. I try to set a good example for my children. I go above and beyond to protect my kids.

I really feel all yucky and cluttered inside, kinda like walking into a messy room, you just don't know where to start cleaning. I am just not sure if I can do this for 18 more months. I know that I have to, but at this moment I really just feel blah. He has been gone 3 years and I am just tired. I just want to go to sleep and wake up in 18 months and him be here and everything is normal and fine. I want him to help with disciplining the kids and cuddling and tucking into bed and staying here while I go somewhere with a friend. Seems like ages since I have been out to dinner with a friend. Little things like that are what I look forward to the most.

I miss his steaks on the grill...mmm...the best. I miss him working in the yard. I miss waking up with him next to me. I miss the phone calls throughout the day checking on us. I miss going out to eat as a family. I miss our shopping trips (he loves to shop). I miss him going to the grocery store (I hate it!). I miss him wrestling down on the floor with the kids and playing ball. Oh, I could go on and on, but you get it right?

People are always telling me how strong I am for handling everything on my own. I really am not that strong, really, I don't want to be strong anymore. I feel like I am always under a magnifying glass with everything that I do. I am tired of the stress. I need a break.

Alright, I feel a little bit better now. Just a little, being able to get this off of my chest helps a teeny bit. I am not second guessing my decision to wait on my husband, I am just feeling human and wanting my husband back NOW!

Ok, all done...you can go back to your regularly scheduled blog posts..... BUZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Remember the troops today!

Don't forget to remember our troops today!

Freedom is not free! Click below for an awesome tribute!

Gladiator, American Style