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October 30, 2009

Friday Fun Facts

Fact #1 - Tamara LOVES blogging and reading other blogs.

Fact #2 - Tamara is a MAJOR copycat when it comes to great ideas or recipes from the blogs she follows.

Fact #3 - I have shared with you several recipes this week & part of last week.

Fact #4 - I must share another one from my friend over at XOXO Trina.  Check it out here.


Look at this DELICIOUS  array of gobbeldy gooeyness...!  WOAH!  This recipe was phenomenal!  My kids even devoured it.  You've got to try this recipe, especially if you like pumpkin.  What a great fall dessert!!  Thanks Trina!

Fact #5 - My youngest son and I made cute little goodie bags for his class last night.  I have to give kudos to Jill Scott at Controlling My Chaos blog.  You can read about her great ideas here.   Here is what we got from her blog.



Fact #6 - I guess I started Halloween a day early.  Being it's Friday and I'm at work, I went ahead and pulled out this:  ha-ha-ha

Corny!!!  I know!  My kids wanted me to do SOMETHING this year for Halloween so, they picked this out for me!  ha-ha!  Just another day at work!!

Fact #6 - I am now going to sign off and go enjoy my upside down pumpkin cake that I brought to work!


October 28, 2009

Halloween Week Celebration - Day #1



Well, we have officially started our Halloween activities for the week!!  YEEHAW!!  The kids and I went to the Pumpkin Patch last night to pick out some pumpkins so we could spend the evening carving pumpkins together.  What fun!!  Here are a TON few of pictures that I thought I would share with you. 


Andrew thought it was REALLY gross digging out the "guts" of the pumpkin.  Truthfully, it wasn't my favorite part either.  The ice cream scoop helped tremendously!!



After we "gutted" the pumpkins, it was time to get creative!!  I gave the kids some sharpies to draw the faces on the pumpkins before we started cutting.  I thought it would be easier for them to have the drawing as a guide than to just start knifing the poor thing all over!




My daughter being silly for the camera!  I did tell her that this picture was going up on my blog.  Her response?  See the picture below this one!!   Mwah-ha-ha-ha!




This was right after I told her it was going on my blog.  She's saying "Nooooo" in a whiney voice.




Next, it was time to get the serious stuff going!  The KNIVES!  Scary moment for me.  Kind of a thoughtful moment for me, too.  I stood there the whole time supervising them and wondering in my mind if this was a good idea.  Was I an OK mom to give my children knives and let them start mutilating their pumpkins??  Oh well!!  I did it and there are no boo-boos, well at least on the humans of the household (poor pumpkins).  The whole time I was watching my children carve their pumpkins I was thinking about having to come on my blog and write about how we are THAT family.  (Reference to a blog I follow - HILAROUS!!  Check it out.  They do the funniest stuff.  Great stories!!)

THE BIG REVEAL!!!:

Andrew's masterpiece.  Don't ask me what the drawing around the eyes are supposed to be...I HAVE NO CLUE!!


Hannah's Masterpiece!  She wanted hers to have a unibrow - see it above the eyes??


I hope you all are having a wonderful Halloween Week just like us!! 
Cool food on its way this week!!  Check back later!









October 26, 2009

Dessert Auction

Sunday was a wonderful day!  First to start it off was a great day at Sunday School and church.  We had a great service!!  We hurriedly rushed out of service to go grab a bite of lunch at McAlisters (can you say divine sweet tea??) with several of my friends.  After scarffing our food down like ravenous animals, we rushed home so I could start my final baking for the Dessert Auction.

Can you believe we got out of church, went to eat lunch and made it home by 1:15 so I could start baking???  We did!!  I accomplished it, too!  Not to the perfect standard that I wanted but I did it, nonetheless!  I went to change and immediately started baking.  Here's a preview of what I did:

My FAMOUS Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites - YUMM-OHHHHHH!


Don't they just look divine??  They even taste divine!!  Heaven is a little closer when you have these!



I mentioned up in the top of this post that I didn't make some things to that perfect standard that I wanted.  These are what I am speaking of.  No Bake Cookies are soooo tempermental at times!  First of all, I knew it was going to be a bad batch when I ran out of Hershey's Cocoa and had to use Nestle's Cocoa.  These cocoas are definitely NOT THE SAME!!!  I am a Hershey's girl all the way!!!  I guess in my flusteredness (a word??) I let the mixture cook a tad too long on the stove.  Not the usual dark, shiny gobble up goodness I usually produce!  I did tell the lucky auction winner that I was going to make them another batch.



Can you tell what my favorite dessert is???




Oh YES!  Had to have a few for taste testing!  Plus a few came out of the pan a little mangled!  BUMMER!



All in all, our Dessert Auction was a HUGE success!!  The most we have raised EVER!  We had over $8,000.00 raised by auctioning off several desserts.  It was sooo much fun!  I must say that these lovely brownies of mine went for $200.00!!!  WOAH!  Can you believe?  We even had a dessert go for $500.00.  Somebody wanted a certain dessert REALLY BAD!!  What a great time was had by all!  If you would like to know more about where our funds go, you can read about Speed The Light here.

God bless all out there!  Have a great last week of October!!

Menu Plan Monday



MONDAY - Pizza

TUESDAY - Pork Tenderloin with Mashed potatoes and Peas

WEDNESDAY - YOYO (You're on your own!)

THURSDAY - Beef Stroganoff

FRIDAY - Leftovers

SATURDAY - Hot Dogs (it's halloween!!)

SUNDAY - EAT OUT!!

That about wraps it up here.  For more menu planning ideas please see The OrgJunkie.  Have a blessed day!

October 24, 2009

Birthday Blitz

We have had a very busy day today in the Conner-Mock blend!!  My younger two kids are at their dad's this weekend and I have my oldest son with me.  It is his birthday next week so we spent the entire day celebrating HIS DAY.

First celebration of the day was that we got to sleep in.  YAY!!  Who doesn't count that as a celebration?  We slowly got around and about 2 o'clock this afternoon we went out to eat where Caleb wanted.  He chose Logan's....YAY BOY!!  I must admit that I played the "oh I don't feel like eating CiCi's Pizza" card.  He initially wanted that...bad mother I am!

After lunch/supper (lupper??) we went shopping.  He had money from his Mamaw and it's just easier for me to take him shopping and let him pick out what he wants.  He's so quiet and never really asks for much so I never know what to get him.  15 is a strange age!  He wanted a new XBox game and the XBox live card for a few months.  Soooo, we went to Game Stop and were successful!  How lucky could we be to get the gifts he wanted at the first place we went?

He then had asked for a big cookie as his birthday cake.  After going to Game Stop we walked on over to Wal-Mart (have I mentioned I hate that place??).  As usual, it was a mad house and I was only going in to get about 3 items.  It took forever!!  YUCK!


We made it home a few hours after going to a few more stores.  When we got home, we immediately started with the cake!!  I had to pull out the camera and take a few pics.  He didn't care for me doing that but oh well!  He doesn't have any friends or family here where we live so, it becomes a little bit of a small birthday celebration.  I apologize for the PG-13 rated pics.  I couldn't get him to put on a shirt!  What a boy!!


All in all we had a great day.  I worried that because we didn't have a great big celebration that he would be a little disappointed.  I think he prefers this to a lot of chaos!  Can't believe my baby is 15 & will be driving in 6 months!!  WOAH!

Hope everyone had a blessed day and even more blessed Sunday!  Till another time!

October 23, 2009

Fun Friday!



How about a freebie on Friday??  Barnes and Noble is offering a free (kids size) hot cocoa and a small cookie for free on Saturday (tomorrow) October 24.  All you have to do is go here and print out the coupon for the free items.  How fun!! 

What's better than a cup of cocoa, a cookie and a book?  Probably a lot of things BUT it's FREE!!!!

October 22, 2009

The Best Chocolate Cake Ever!!!

I LOVE TO BAKE!!!  Do you like to bake, also??  I recently stumbled onto a fabulous blog - Kevin and Amanda .  I have been very impressed with her recipes and her photography talents!  Not to mention she gives you some cool fonts and scrapbook things.  I'm all about that!

I want to share with my friends this unbelievable chocolate cake recipe that she has posted.  I'm going to post the recipe here but PLEASE go to her link here to see her directions.

Here it is:
THE BEST Chocolate Cake EVER



1 box devil’s food cake mix
1 package Jello instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a VERY large bowl (4 qt), mix together everything except chocolate chips. Batter will be thick. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into cake pan of choice (I normally use two 9-inch pie pans). For cooking time, I use the cooking times on the back of the devil’s food cake box as a guide and usually add 10 mins to whatever it says. Then I do the toothpick check, and if it’s not done, I check on it every 5 mins after that. :) It usually takes around 45 mins for two, 9-inch pie pans.
 
LET ME TELL YOU HONEY!!!!!  This is by far one of THE best chocolate cakes I have ever made!!  I did try her icing also that she has listed.  I will probably tweek it just a little next time I make it.  It was good (don't get me wrong) it just seemed a little too thick for me.  I'll have to remember to thin it a little bit next time!
 
How can you go wrong with a big piece of chocolate cake to complement your lunch, end your day OR begin your day (BAD I KNOW!!).  I hope all enjoys this!  I dare you to try it! ;-)

October 19, 2009

Menu Plan Monday


It's Monday again!  Wow, did this fall break go by super fast for us!  My son went to stay with his dad for the break and my daughter went to Youth Convention.  I had a lot of alone time but it just seemed to fly by.  Sunday was quite a bustle - as usual!!  Run-run-run all day long!

So,What's for dinner this week, you ask??  Well, let me just tell you!

MONDAY -  Fish Sticks and Macaroni & Cheese - Kids request!!

TUESDAY -  Crock Pot Pork Chops and Rice

WEDNESDAY -  YOYO (You're On Your Own)

THURSDAY -  Chicken Enchiladas - made in the microwave(Pampered Chef)  They're delish!!

FRIDAY -  Leftovers

SATURDAY -  Leftovers

SUNDAY -  Eat Out!

We have quite a week planned.  There will be a lot of running around preparing for Spirit Week next week at school.  We will be preparing for my oldest son's birthday - he's turning 15!!!  WOAH!!  There are pampered chef parties, basketball practices, family meetings, church, ortho appointments and all kinds of other things that will pop up as the week progresses.  Busy, busy, busy!!  Is there any other way?

October 16, 2009

Please Dear Lord, I Want To Win!

Ha-ha-ha....that is my selfish prayer today!  The title reminds me of that song "Never-Ending Shopping List".  It goes:  
(CHORUS)


GIVE ME THIS, I WANT THAT

BLESS ME LORD I PRAY

GRANT ME WHAT I THINK I NEED TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY

MAKE ME WEALTHY, KEEP ME HEALTHY

FILL IN WHAT I MISSED

ON MY NEVER-ENDING SHOPPING LIST


Anyway, I am doing this post to put my name in to win an iPod Touch.  My daughter has asked for one of these for Christmas this year.  With the economy the way it is, wouldn't this just be a blessing to win?  Obviously, the good Lord above knows what we need, but I'm just gonna have to be a little selfish today.

Go right over to Amy's blog right here and check this out.  She tells of some really cool apps that can be accessed through your iPod touch or the iPhone.  How cool!  Her blog is a really great one to read on a daily basis also.

Just check it out...it's worth it!

Thanks Amy for doing this great giveaway!!!

October 15, 2009

Thankful Thursday


I must admit that I am not the blogger that I want to be.  I want to be an eloquent speaker/writer like my other friends on here.  I want to have the time to post everyday and make an impact in someone's life.  I want...I want...I want.  While trying to decide what to write today a thought came into my mind about other blogs that I have read.  I see a lot of Thankful Thursday posts.  I want to be involved in that!

I find myself taking for granted a lot of things in my life.  I don't sit and just think about being thankful.  I should do that more!  I don't show that appreciation as much as I should.  Not that I'm not thankful in my heart, it's just that my mind moves a thousand miles an hour and sometimes I just don't think about it.  I've got to make it a point to be more aware of that!

Anyway,  I am thankful for a husband that is committed and home with me every moment possible.  I am thankful for my children who strive daily to please me .  I am thankful for the health that has been given to all of us in our home this year.  I am thankful for the food on the table.  I am thankful for the roof over our heads.  I am thankful for the clothes on our backs.  I am thankful for my friends who I talk to and do things with.  I am thankful for a fabulous job.  I am thankful for a wonderful church to attend.  I am thankful for my God-given talents.  I am thankful to live in America where we can worship freely.  This list, as I am thinking, could go on and on and on.

What are you thankful for today?  Let's remember to tell those in our lives how thankful we are!  'Tis the season of Thanksgiving! 

October 13, 2009

Inheritance


"The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance."   Psalm 16:5-6(ESV)

Does that scripture just go all through you when you read it??  Well, it does me.  I have been doing Beth Moore's new Bible Study, Inheritance, since the first part of September.  All I can say is "WOW"!!!!!!!  Last night was especially enlightening to me.  We always tend to think of inheritance as something we receive when a loved one passes away.  Have you ever stopped to think about what God's inheritance is??  I bet not.  Beth Moore had a lightbulb moment while studying for this Bible Study.  She explained to us that she had read this scripture over and over and over and had never taken that scripture in its full context.  That scripture is Ephesians 1:18:  "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints". 

Did you catch it??  His glorious inheritance IN THE SAINTS.  We are His inheritance!!!!!!  WOAH!  Yes, does that not just blow you away?  Does that not just make it even more imperative in your mind as to how important it is for us to live our Godly lives, take care of ourselves and raise those children God gave to us?  We are raising and responsible for HIS inheritance!!  We are HIS inheritance!!  God's inheritance!!  THIS IS SO EXCITING!!!

Truly this has been an enlightening Bible Study.  We have a beautiful inheritance.  God has made ME an heir.  I am a real, live heir of God and co-heir with Jesus Christ.  Because I am a woman, I am technically an heiress.  As an heiress of God, my life is NEVER left to chance.  Those are some of the "confessions of an heiress" from the Beth Moore study.  If you have an opportunity to do this Bible Study....PLEASE DO!!  There is no homework with this study.  I was excited about that and then got to thinking about how I was going to get anything out of it if I didn't have daily work.  Trust me!!  You get soooo much out of this!

Go out and know that you are an heiress today!!

October 12, 2009

Menu Plan Monday



MONDAY -  Mazzio's $7.00 Large Pizza Night!!!!

TUESDAY - Tacos

WEDNESDAY - YOYO (you're on your own)

THURSDAY - Roast with potatoes and carrots

FRIDAY - Leftovers

SATURDAY - Leftovers

SUNDAY - Eat Out!!!

October 7, 2009

Peeling Off The Layers

I've recently felt like I am having to actually dig down super deep and find myself.  Who am I?  Why have I been this way all of my life?  Why can I not cope with these issues?  What am I really made up of?  It's been exhausting, depressing and liberating all at the same time.

Have you ever sat and thought about who you are now?  Why are you the way you are?  What circumstances in your life can you draw on to help you understand why you're that way?  What can you do to change it??  These are just a FEW questions that I have dealt with over the last 9 days. 

I want to live a life #1 that's pleasing to God but #2 that is in tune with my family.  I'd love for everyone out there to think that I am the perfect mother who gets up at 5:00 AM to get fully dressed, cook a full breakfast for my kids, make their lunch, iron my hubby's shirt, make the beds, vacuum and all jump into the car together to have an awe-inspiring ride to school.  Can you believe.....THAT'S NOT ME!!!  If I had my choice, I'd be in bed until 10 or 11 every morning and mill around the house or go have lunch with a girlfriend and piddle my day away.  The true me is setting the alarm for 6:00 AM, snoozing until 6:30 AM, rushing through the next hour to get myself dressed, make sure the other two are dressed (appropriately), make sure they brushed their teeth, make sure they put deoderant on, make sure their lunches are packed and hope to the good Lord above that we all made it into the car and to the end of the driveway with everything we all need for the day - all before the bus gets here. 


Sometimes the "cheerleader" of the family gets down and bent out of shape.  Who's there to help cheer on the "cheerleader" when she/he has discovered her battery is run down?  I'd love to hear some thoughts from any of you out there! 

I pray all of my family and friends are finding their place in their worlds today!  CHOW!

October 6, 2009

Thankful Tuesday!

A HUGE shout-out to my friend Loren for hooking me up with a great find on blog templates!  Isn't this just THE CUTEST??!??!  (squeal with delight)

Again, thank you!!  You can follow Loren's blog here.  Trust me, it's worth the time!!

October 5, 2009

Negative Thinking

OK, so my cousin posted a link to a FABULOUS article on her facebook account today.  I thought it was worth sharing.  You can find the article here and also check out the other things on that web page.  Hopefully it will come through for you.  She has some wonderful insight on our negative thinking!  Timely for me!  Maybe it will be for someone else as well. 

Here is the article in full:

End Negative Thinking


3 Tips for Controlling Your Mind

Life Balance Martha Beck, Ph.D, Life Coach and AuthorBy Martha Beck, Ph.D.

Martha Beck will be speaking at The Women's Conference 2009 on October 26th.

“The mind is its own place, and in itself/ can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n.” More than 450 years after John Milton wrote these words, science has proven him right. Our thoughts about any situation—the version of the situation that exists in our brains—can make virtually any circumstances seem hellish or heavenly. For centuries, scientists thought that the difference was largely out of our control, since it’s encoded in the structure of our brains. Now we know we have the ability to shape our brains, and that means we can fundamentally reshape our lives.

When I was an anxious, depressed adolescent (before becoming an anxious, depressed adult) frustrated loved ones often told me, “Your problems are all in your head!” This was not news. “I get it!” I’d tell people. “My problems are in my head! How do I get them out?”

Scouring psychological studies didn’t do much for my morale, since it seemed clear that much emotional pain came from broken brains. Researchers found lesions in the brains of people with OCD, showed that lab rats’ brains changed after the animals were traumatized, showed neurological bases for everything from depression to hyperactivity. Ten out of ten textbook agreed: My problems were all in my head, and my head was hopelessly messed up.

Then, just when I was reconciling myself to unalterable fate, neuroscientists developed the technology to observe the brain in action. There was a lot more action than they’d expected. It turns out that human brains aren’t rigid, but “plastic,” as in moldable—and the owner of a brain can learn how to do the molding.

Before the ink was dry on the first “neuroplasticity” studies, I was in a neurologist’s office having my brain “mapped.” The “maps” revealed that I had high anxiety. (Surprise, surprise.) Then the researchers told me I could fix it. (Surprise! Surprise!) For many hours, I sat stone-still, my head wired to a computer, and tried to move a cursor using brain waves alone. “We can’t tell you how,” the researchers told me. “It’s like riding a bicycle; once you get it, you just get it.”

Sure enough, certain thoughts made the cursor go up, and others made it go down. The more it went down, the more peaceful I felt. The key, I found, wasn’t focusing on happy thoughts (I tried that; it didn’t work) but to watch my thoughts as if they were an interesting sports competition. As long as I regarded thoughts as my own creations, not Reality, I could keep the computer cursor—and my anxiety—from going up. Over time, I felt this restructuring the inside of my head, a sensation that was confirmed by more “brain maps.” The result was a lasting calm that I increase by following a simple “mental hygiene” routine every day. Here it is:

1.  Take three slow breaths, exhaling completely each time. Breathing influences the deepest parts of the brain, giving your consciousness a solid foundation from which to observe your thoughts.

2.  Pretend that your consciousness can stand up, step away from your body, and observe your thoughts from a distance. Watch your thoughts the way you’d watch a troubled friend, with non-judgmental kindness.

3.  Gently question or contradict any thoughts that are causing suffering. For example, if you’re thinking, “I’m not good enough,” write down ten examples of ways in which you ARE good enough.

This simple process, practiced diligently, can conquer your fears, raise your self-esteem, enhance your creativity, and dissolve barriers to success. If it sounds too easy, try it. You’ll find that it’s unexpectedly difficult to think of evidence to contradict your negative thoughts. This is because you’re dismantling well-established structures in your brain, literally creating new neurological pathways that are unfamiliar but deeply healing. Little by little, this practice can take you all the way from hell to heaven, without ever leaving the dazzling, perplexing, astonishing place that is your mind.

Martha Beck, Ph.D., is a life coach and author. She holds three social-science degrees from Harvard University and has written several international bestsellers, including Expecting Adam and Finding Your Own North Star, and the recently published Steering By Starlight.

Getting My Things In Order



It's that time again!!  Another week, another Monday, another fresh start!!

MONDAY - Sloppy Joes & Chips
TUESDAY - BBQ Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Peas
WEDNESDAY - FFY (as spoken by my friend Nicole)
THURSDAY - Chicken & Rice with Green Beans and Salad
FRIDAY - Leftovers
SATURDAY - Leftovers
SUNDAY - Eat Out!! 

I know you look at my list and see two days of leftovers.  How dare me!!  I get tons of food from my work which caters in lunch everyday for 15 people.  Needless to say, I get to take all of that home.  It's good stuff so, on the weekends I prefer not to cook!!  Yay ME!  Plus by the end of the week, it's time to clean out the fridge! 

So, in my fit of organization & trying to get this family "together", I came up with a cute little calendar.  I love to do scrapbooking digitally and create and play with graphics so, I thought I would come up with something fun to post up at home to keep us on track as to what is going on for the food that month.  Here's a peek at that:


What fun!  I'm crossing my fingers that I can actually do something like this every month.  I also got a great idea for a chore board that I'm trying to figure out how to do with my kids.  I'll make sure to post something about that when I get it accomplished.

Hope all my family and friends are blessed this week!  Chow!

***** You can see what others are cooking this week at The Organized Junkie. *****

October 2, 2009

A Whole Lotta Hullabaloo


HULLABALOO - That in itself says it all!!  What a week!  What a Thursday!  What a Friday?  That's yet to be seen!!  I don't think I have ever frazzled myself like I did yesterday.  My day was not scheduled down to the minute, but it was ran like it was scheduled to the second... millisecond!

After starting the morning off with a melt-down from my 12 year old daughter, it just didn't seem to let up!  From the moment I was about to get off work, I started getting phone calls from my daughter. 

Daughter:  "Mom, can I go to the game?"
Mom:  "What time is the game?"
Daughter:  "5:00"
Mom:  "It's 4:55 and I just got off of work.  Won't be home until 5:30 and we really don't have the money right now."
Daughter:  "But mom, I missed the last two weeks of games"
Mom:  "Honey, they were away games"
Daughter:  "Well, can I go?"
Mom:  "No, not tonight...we have so much going on tonight, we are just going to have to pass."

Within 15 minutes, my daughter has called me and advises me that she has gathered up 300 pennies so she can pay to go to the game.  I begin to explain to her about why my/our schedule is so hectic tonight that she's not going to be able to go.  At that point she will not keep her mouth shut so I can calmly explain.  So, I do the awful thing and hung up on her.  I'm tired of the whining, I'm tired of the attitude, I'm tired of the disobeying and trying to beg me into changing my mind!!  When I got home at 5:45, she was still trying to argue with me and talk me into letting her go.  I stood my ground, got a LOT firm with her and she stormed off to her room!

The next few minutes was spent getting supper together, in the oven and to the table, listening to doors slam and my daughter crying, with changing my clothes in the midst of all of that (of course!).  I had 1 hour from the time I stepped into the house until I needed to leave to go to a planning meeting for our church's Christmas party.  Can I do it?  I am proud to admit that I did.  Was I exhausted?  ABSOLUTELY!  I didn't want to be there at the meeting but I felt I had an obligation to finish a project and I was going to drag myself out the door, get into my car and drive back into Owasso.  Along with all of the chaos, supper, and meeting, my youngest also had a project that was due.  A lovely leaf collection.  We had gotten everything together two days before & then couldn't do it Wedneseday night because of church.  Miss Procrastination prevailed and Miss Stay-Up-And-Get-It-Finished accomplished the task!!  After the meeting I came home to finalize the project.  My son was already griping about being tired.  I figured it would be better to send him off to bed and not to have to hear his whining, so that's exactly what I did!  Terrible, I know!! 

I am determined to beat this schedule/moody monster that lives in my mind and my household lately!!  Dear God, give me the strength to accomplish what I NEED to accomplish and the ability to let things go when I'm not able to accomplish it.  I'm strung out too thin lately.  This morning was no exception.  Daughter had yet another meltdown!  Is the PMS time upon us???  OH Dear Lord!!!  I have been awaiting this moment, not anticipating but waiting!  As the day has progressed, I've not felt the best.  I'm beginning to feel warm to the touch and not able to stay warm in my office.  I'm a little concerned about that!  My daughter had flu symptoms on Monday and Tuesday so we've been exposed to something.  The meds are there if I need them. 

With all of that ranting & raving about a whole lotta hullabaloo in our home, I do hope the peace of the Lord is present in your homes and families!  I am thankful for the friends I can rely on and the blogs I can read to get me through!!  I'm trying to get a little more candid.  I'm not the type to want others to see me hurting but I've realized I have been wearing a mask for a large majority of my entire life.  I guess it's time to get real people!  More good whining to come!!  Stay tuned.......  CHOW!

October 1, 2009

Harvest Happiness

Oooooh, I love Fall!! I have officially started the fall decorating. What fun!! My office at work is almost complete. Now to move on and start decorating the home. For those of you who don't know, I could literally decorate with pumpkins all year round. I adore pumpkins! Why? I don't know. Never have understood it. I just know that when it's time for the stores to pull out the new fall decorations, I am drawn to all of the "new" pumpkins they have. Cute, Cute, Cute!! I've been kind of bad in the past years and have not carved pumpkins with the kids. This year I am going to make a great effort to get that accomplished. My days tend to start running together after a while. If I don't keep my self on post over my calendar at all times, I can let things pass and not even realize it. How awful is that! If anyone out there has any time management tips, I'M ALL EARS! I was required to take a time-management class in college. I guess it just didn't sink in with me very well. I guess I will have to revert to a comment I made yesterday on my blog. It seems we become too carried away in our busyness and we feel that our family can wait...what an injustice to them! I've really been thinking lately about how busy I keep myself. By the time I do find an evening to be home, I'm so tired from being busy I don't have any energy to pour into my family. Depressed? YES! Guilty? YES! Absolutely wearing myself down about this. Why? My family is very important but I don't make them feel that way. Hmmm... Enough of my whining! I really would love to hear from the few that see my blog to get some feedback or even ideas. How does a sanguine people pleaser tell others no? CHOW!