Ice Storm~Photos

Last week we had an ice storm that blew through, leaving us covered with over an inch of ice. It was like a giant ice skating rink. There are still people without power, water or heat!

Here are a few photos...



Light in my flower bed



Crepe Myrtle--I'm telling you, this stuff is thick!



Peek-a-boo, Jenna! She's intrigued by the ice everywhere!



Delaney found an encapsulated blade of grass.

Here is a link to some more photos I took:
http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=18921233634147190/l=465084176/g=5268068/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

BTW... this is in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. :)

Enjoy!

Declaring my Stand

I just want to make a statement declaring my stand on the issue of abortion. I feel that abortion in any form, at any stage of pregnancy, is murder. It is WRONG--plain and simple!

A baby is a blessing--not a "punishment" as Mr. Obama stated during his campaign for President.

I do believe that Mr. Obama is in need of an education where the issue of human life is concerned.

Do you know how many people are not able to have children of their own? I'm positive that those couples would be happy to adopt and take care of a child that another mother isn't able to care for. My nephew is adopted, and he's an incredible blessing to this family. If his mother had chosen not to give him life, he would not be a part of our family today.

I understand that not all people will share my opinion, but mine is based on my faith, my belief that life begins at the moment of conception and my knowledge of God's commandments. I do not believe that God intended for us to kill innocent lives simply because they are "unplanned" or "unwanted". There is NO human being that was unplanned by God. HE knew. He planned. He wanted them. It is dispicable what we are doing! Can we not see how much blood we have on our hands!? We, as a nation, will pay for this. We will all have to stand in front of God on our judgement day and answer to Him. What will we say?

Money--it's the ultimate stressor!

Our Peterbilt spent its second day in the shop today. Mike went to OkCity to have the clutch and the transmission seal replaced. He doesn't trust anybody to work on our equipment or vehicles, and I'm positive that he has watched them like I hawk. He told me this afternoon he was ready to go and weld something for the guy because he didn't like the way the mechanic was doing it.

Why he is such a perfectionist with the truck is beyond me... he certainly doesn't do that with anything else! I mean... we put a light fixture above our kitchen bar a couple of months ago, and there's been a nail sticking out ever since. THAT doesn't seem to bother him so much. (Other than the nail, he did an excellent job & I do appreciate that he did it!)

So far this week, we have spent a lot of money (who knows how much, honestly!)... but have not yet made a dime. I'm a little irritated about it, but I have not said one word. I've been trying so hard to hold my tongue, to control my temper.

Yesterday I went to the chiropractor. I had been there about 5 minutes when he asked me what I was so stressed out about. I was there for an hour! Poor doc. Of course, I explained that I have no control over my husband's job, and I don't make any money that supports us in any way...

Money (or lack thereof) is the ultimate stressor. It's been blamed for so many things. Mike says there is always money to be made, but you have to be DOING something in order to make that true. It doesn't just fall out of the allergy trees--I mean oak trees--in our front yard. Of course he knows that, but I wish we could just agree on how to spend it.

So, here I am. Complaining. Venting. My neck is starting to hurt just thinking about it... I probably just need to make a big ol' chocolate cake and take a hot bath!

I just hope my husband doesn't read this. LOL!

Family Photo

I've decided that Thanksgiving day is an excellent time to get a family photo because my sister-in-law, Jen can take the photo for us & I'll use it as our Christmas card photo! :)
Here's what we got this year...

Another quiz "for fun"... what kind of friend are you?

Your Friendship Style is Empathetic

You deeply care about each person you're friends with. For you, friendship is all about the personal connection. You tend to know everything about your friends' lives... and they know everything about yours. Your friends are your confidants. You are always there for your friends. You celebrate their successes and support them in their times of need. You are as loyal as they come. And you expect the same loyalty and understanding from your friends in return. You and another Empathetic Friend: Have a amazing friendship, when it works. You care for each other deeply, but you often end up with hurt feelings and drama. You and a Gregarious Friend: May have a bit of a one sided friendship. You adore your Social Friend, but you sometimes feel a bit neglected. You and an Independent Friend: Struggle a bit. You are very interested in your Independent Friend's life, but your friend often needs more space. You and a Philosophical Friend: Respect one another. You love to learn about your Philosophical Friend's brilliant ideas.

What's Your Friendship Style?

What flavor ice cream are you?

You Are A Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Girl

Creative. Expressive. Unique.

What Flavor Ice Cream Girl Are You?

Delaney's report card

On Monday, Delaney brought home her report card for the previous 9-week grading period. She had all good grades (As and Ss), and asked if we could go to Cracker Barrel to celebrate.

This is one of those things I wish I'd stashed back some money for becasue we just can't afford to eat out this week... and now I feel guilty because I want to give her that reward for doing well!

There was one thing on her report card that I expected, but was still disappointed to see... she's still having a problem with talking out-of-turn. She says it's because the other kids around her are asking her questions, but I know Delaney better than that. She will get in a word whenever she sees an opportunity.

She's too much like her mama. The little stinker.

Goin' to the Chapel...

But it's not me getting married, silly! lol! I'm going to a wedding tonight. The bride is Devon, a girl I babysat when I was about 15, and it's unreal to me that she's old enough to get married!! She's very dear to my heart!

As soon as they are married, they are leaving for California--he's in the Marines and is stationed there. It makes me sad to think of her leaving, but at the same time I understand that she's living a life she has dreamed of!

I can't wait to see her in all her glory as a glowing bride. My girls are even excited. I don't think they have even been to a wedding before, so this will be their first--so I'm anxious to see how they react as well.

So, I've had the song in head all day... and I thought I'd just share my little "tune wedgie". lol!!

So, without further ado...
"We're goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married... goin' to the chapel of love!"

Yep. Go ahead and sing it. You know you want to. :)

Strep had found its way to our house :(

Unfortunately, it's true. The school nurse called me about 1:30 this afternoon & said she had Delaney in her office with 102 temp and swollen tonsils. I knew then that we had been struck.

I called the doctor's office to make an appointment, quickly dried my hair (I had just washed it, thankfully!) and threw some clothes on Jenna, who was playing Wii in her jammies!

I picked Delaney up & we went directly to the doctor's office. When we got there, her temp was 101... and she had broken out all over in a rash! She tested positive for strep, so Dr. Alexander also checked Jenna's throat. It was red & her glands were swollen, so she just went ahead and wrote 2 prescriptions for antibiotics.

Delaney said she wanted pills because she's big enough to swallow them now... but when we got home from the pharmacy, she didn't know if she was going to get it down! Thankfully it went on down, and hopefully we'll finish up the bottle with no problems!

Mike had strep about a month ago, and it's been going around in all the schools in town... so it really was just a matter of time before it made its way to my kiddos. I'm just glad for Delaney's teacher, who noticed that she didn't look right and sent her to the nurse's office!

A Funny From Jenna

Yesterday Jenna was helping me sort coupons as I clipped them. She held each one up to her nose to smell it, and then held it to mine for me to sniff. She kept saying, "Mmmm. This one smells yummy!"

Of course, to me they smelled like newspaper. Oh, to have that 3-year-old imagination! :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

On another note... I just imported my blog into Facebook. I hope this is not a decision I live to regret, as I tend to write what I feel--which could possibly leave me open for a good reaming on occasion!! :-o Anyhow, hopefully that will not happen 'cause I don't handle criticism very well!

Happy New Year!

Tomorrow will be 2009. WOW! It's really hard to say that because it's impossible for me to believe that 2008 is already over!

My littlest baby will turn 4 this year--that's probably the hardest thing to swallow. I mean, she was just born!

Tonight, Mike and I are headed to Stillwater, Oklahome to meet up with some friends... I'm not exactly sure what the plan is at the moment, but I believe (and hope!) that we'll get to eat at Eskimo Joe's.

Our girls will be spending the night with Granny & PaPa, as will their three cousins... so hopefully Granny & PaPa will still have their hearing tomorrow. lol!

I have started to think about my goals for the coming year... I need to try and write down some things I hope to accomplish in 2009. Hopefully I will get my list together soon, as I would like to share it.

Whatever your plans for tonight, I hope that you will be safe. I pray that everyone has a wonderful year!

The Day-You-Were-Born Song

This is fun. :)

Go here: http://www.joshhosler.biz/NumberOneInHistory/SelectMonth.htm
(you'll have to copy & paste)

My song is "I Honestly Love You" by Olivia Newton-John.

Funny thing is, I had an Olivia Newton-John record (yes, the big ol' vinyl albums!) when I was a kid that had this song on it... so I actually KNOW the words to my song. I played that record over and over on my Fisher Price record player. lol!

A gentle reminder about Christmas

This was in an e-mail I received from a friend, and I wanted to share it with the world... I only wish I knew the author because I think that person deserves to be credited...


A woman was out Christmas shopping with her two children.


After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything
else imaginable, and after hours of hearing both her children asking for
everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the
elevator with her two kids. She was feeling what so many of us feel during
the holiday season, overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every
housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, get that perfect gift
for every single person on our shopping list, make sure we don't forget
anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond
to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened, and there was already a
crowd in the elevator. She pushed her way in and dragged her two
kids in with her and all the shopping bags. When the doors closed, she
couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas
thing should be found, strung up, and shot."

From the back, everyone heard a quiet, calm voice respond, "Don't worry.
We already crucified him." For the rest of the trip down the elevator, it
was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

Don't forget this year to keep the one who started this whole Christmas
thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all did it,
just think how different this whole world would be.

Jesus is the reason for the season!!!

Getting to Know You... Christmas Edition :)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I like both... it depends on the gift & the receiver, really!

2. Real tree or Artificial?
I love a real tree, but my allergies do not. It's artificial for us... we may try a real tree again someday though. :)

3. When do you put up the tree?
Usually a few weeks before Christmas.

4. When do you take the tree down?
A couple of days after Christmas--usually before New Years Day!

5. Do you like eggnog?
Yes. But I have never had homemade egg nog--only the non-alcoholic kind in a carton!

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Oh boy. I will never forget the Christmas that my parents bought me a ring, and my dad wrapped in box inside of box inside of box... with all sorts of little fillers like rocks and cans of pineapple to throw me off! :p

7. Hardest person to buy for?
My mother-in-law.

8. Easiest person to buy for?
My husband & my kids.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
I only have a Fisher Price Little People one. And only 'cause it's child-friendly. :)

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail! And we try to always include a family picture. :)

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Hmmm... I can't think of anything that was memorably awful. lol

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Elf, A Christmas Story

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Just before Thanksgiving. I try to spread it out a little so that it isn't as financially painful. :p

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Probably... but I can't think what it might have been.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Everything! I really love fudge, and Christmas is the only time I make it.

16. Lights on the tree?
Of course! Usually multi-colored ones.

17. Favorite Christmas song?
I like so many... Away In a Manger, Silent Night... I can't think of any others right now.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home?
Our parents & grandparents are within 20 miles, so that's our big holiday travel! :p

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeers?
Yes! Of course, it helps that I know the words to "Rudolph" ;-)

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
We have both, but I always use the angel.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Christmas morning. We sometimes let the kids open one gift each on Christmas Eve, just because the morning is hurried for us.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
Impatient and pushy people (generally crowds of shoppers!) who seem to have lost their Christmas spirit!!

23. What theme or color are you using?
We like all colors, so we usually go multi-colored! Red, green, gold, etc.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
Turkey & dressing, mashed potatoes & gravy, green bean casserole, corn, cinnamon applesauce, pumpkin pie.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
Not sure... I just bought myself a new camera, so that may be my gift. We shall see what happens! I would love to have a new wedding ring to replace the one that was stolen about 3.5 yrs ago.

Swagbucks

I just found out about this... sounds like a great way to earn some money, easy peasy!

I first heard about it from a friend who e-mailed me a link to check it out, and then learned even more about it here: http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2008/11/swagbucks-earn-gift-cards-for-searching-online.html

Sounds great to me! If you would like to sign up, click the link below 'cause I'd love to refer you! :)
http://swagbucks.prodege.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=245546

Have a great day!

The dry air has hit!

Well... get out the anti-static spray and the lotion because the dry air has hit at our house!

Between the girls and myself, we have three heads of long hair. We all have static. In the mornings, we're a mess! lol! We have all sorts of potions we've tried to tame our wild hair. We've rubbed fabric softener sheets in our hair and on our clothes, and that seems to help for a while. We have sprayed the stinky Static Guard, but everyone gags at the smell. We have used hairspray. We've used extra conditioner or leave-in conditioner. We tried the anti-static spray for hair that Avon put out last year, and that seemed to work well without being stinky! I'm so glad I bought a couple of extra bottles and stashed them away because I've yet to see it in the catalog this year!

We also have a lot of dry skin. I worry about Jenna because this time of year seems to be when her eczema rears its ugly head. So far I've only seen one spot, so I'm praying it will not return with the vengeance as it did last year. I'm prepared with the Nioxin shampoo and scalp treatment just in case it decides to creep onto her head like it has before. And I have my Renew lotion (from Melaleuca) ready to slather on as well...

Speaking of lotion, Jenna decided to lotion herself up tonight after she took her bath. When she went to bed, she was pretty slick... I really hope she doesn't slide out of the bed. lol!

Yesterday was interesting

Yesterday we went to church with my mother-in-law. I had never been to her church, so it was interesting to see how different it is than what I'm used to. I am a member and regularly attend a Pentecostal church, and hers is a Church of Christ. There is a lot of difference, and it was interesting to see what different people refer to as worship. It all seemed very methodical to me. Carefully planned-out. I'm used to a place where the Spirit is allowed to lead. It was just different.

After church, we went over to my husband's grandparents' house for dinner. When we got there, Mike's mom told him that she went on a date the night before. He did not take the news well at all. In fact, he practically flipped out.

Mike and I have talked about the possibility of her seeing someone else, but I don't think it prepared him at all to hear those words from his mom. I was glad though that he and I had talked about it because I felt like I was able to tell her about those conversations while Mike went outside to cool off.

He says it is not the fact that she wants a companion, but rather who the person was that she went out with. Honestly, I don't know that anyone will ever be "good enough" for his mom in his eyes. She made it very clear that she has no intention of trying to replace his dad--that nobody could ever fill those shoes.

His dad has been gone three years this month. And yesterday was his birthday--he would have been 57 (and MIL actually said that today was probably not the best day to have told dh about her date, but that she did not want him to hear it from someone else). But instead of celebrating an earthly birthday, he now celebrates every day with Jesus! I think sometimes it's hard to rejoice in that fact because we miss a person so much.

I was surprised at how much emotion the news brought out in myself. I am blessed to still have both of my parents living, but it made me think about how I would feel.

I can understand not wanting to be alone, needing a companion and a helper. I pray that my mother-in-law will find someone who makes her very happy and takes good care of her. I think she deserves it. She has been through more than one person should have to go through.

Memories of Homecoming

We drove past the football stadium tonight so that my girls could see why there were fireworks going off in September... and why there were police cars followed by a pickup truck load of screaming cheerleaders coming down the street earlier today. It's homecoming tonight...

It looked REALLY packed. We parked across the street from the stadium just long enough for the girls to see the halftime show, which included a dance routine by the cheerleaders and a performance by the marching band. The announcer told the names of the band's drum majors, and one of them had the same last name as us. Delaney asked, "Is that my cousin?" I said yes. (Sad that my kids don't know their own first cousins on their dad's side, isn't it? That's just the way they play... but that isn't what this post is about.) I believe they had four drum majors... and they said that the band has 155 members! That's way more than we had, I'm sure. And I only remember having one drum major. (Judiemae's dh was one of them! :) )

From my house, I can hear the announcer loud and clear if the windows are open. The fireworks really pop, and you can even hear the crowd cheer. I think it's cool to live right down the street from the high school I attended myself as a teenager, but that will soon change... We're getting a new high school way across town. (I don't think it will ever be the same, but I am not one of those people who handles change very well!)

I haven't been to one homecoming since I graduated from high school. Neither has my husband. We talk about it every year, but we never do go... Would it even be the same if you aren't seventeen? You wouldn't get to buy a new outfit complete with shoes to match (well, you might--but you'd have to buy it yourself instead of mom & dad!), and you wouldn't get to go to the dance with some cute boy in his souped-up pickup truck. The boys would buy their girlfriends a giant mum corsage with maroon pipe cleaners shaped into "SS" on the top for our school name... And somebody always got in trouble at the dance for dancing too close together. The pep rallies and parades and spirit days were always fun, too.

Ahh, the memories. *sigh* lol!

By the way... I can hear the band playing right now! :)

I'll give you a good laugh at my expense...

I'll take one for the team here 'cause I know a lot of you out there need a good laugh! :p

I was going through some clothes I got my DDs at a consignment sale last week, getting ready to wash everything and hang them in the closets.

I was unloading bags of stuff from 2 different sales. I got to the second bag of clothes, and pulled out a dress that I had JUST seen. I thought to myself, "I just took the tag off of this one!"

No. I'm wrong. I've bought two of the same dress. Light pink, Gymboree, same print, size 4T. They are exactly alike. Only difference is that I gave $8 for one, $5 for the other (different consignment sales/shops, obviously).

I'm thinking Camryn (whom I babysit and is close to Jenna's size) is getting a new dress just like Jenna's... lol

I think maybe the next time I go shopping, I need to bring a photo album of all the clothes I've already bought my children.

It's ok. Laugh and roll your eyes. I did! :)

My Plan vs. God's Plan~Patience and Trust

You know... no matter what i plan for, it seems that something happens to mess it up. It's becoming obvious to me that the Lord has something for me that I can't see yet!

Mike informed me on Monday that he is ready to sell our Peterbilt. It's now been listed for sale. I e-mailed pictures to the salesman on Monday evening.

I have no idea what life has in store for us when or if the truck sells. Mike said that maybe we can get something cheap that we can pay off quicker so that he won't have to be gone so much... OR maybe he can get a good job here at home.

Do you know that I have not had my husband at home for more than a couple of weeks at a time in seven and a half years? That's a long time to sleep by yourself and wonder where your husband is and if he's ok!

Do you have any idea how difficult this is for me? I have NO idea where he will work. I don't know if he will have a job. I don't know if the truck will sell or when.

I am not the kind of girl who likes surprises. If I could ask God for an itinerary for my life, I would definitely have it in my hands, memorizing every single entry! I want to know what is going to happen and when it's going to happen. I need to know now. I don't like to wait. I've never been accused of being patient.

The fear of the unknown is really taking over my life right now in more areas than one. But then, I suppose that we never really know if we'll even wake up tomorrow.

I met a lady a couple of weeks ago that works in a furniture store part-time. Her name is Linda. Something about her really stuck with me. I feel very drawn to her, and I know that God put her in my path for a reason. Perhaps it was to teach me a lesson. She is really sweet and friendly, and somehow she and Mike got on the subject of trucking. Her husband was a trucker, and he owned a company for 25 years. Last year, they crawled in bed to go to sleep... but when she woke up in the morning, her husband was dead. My heart ached for her! I knew that I could be in her shoes one day. We truly never know what lies ahead for us.

She said she wished she had known he it was his time, but Mike disagreed with her. He told her about how awful it was to watch his dad die slowly, over the period of three years. He talked about how he lost the use of his legs, and then the pain-killing drugs took over his mind to the point that he was no longer himself. Mike said that he didn't want to know when it's his time--he didn't want to go slow, but rather all at once because he thought it would be easier for everyone.

We all have our own opinions about what is best. And of course, we all think we know what's best because, after all, don't we know ourselves better than anyone? Sometimes I think I need to tell God what I need, what I want. But HE knows better than I do what I need, so who am I to try and tell Him? Trusting has never been easy for me--it seems like I always trust the wrong person at the wrong time or for the wrong reasons. But right now, with all that is going on in my life, I feel like God is telling me to surrender it all to Him. Only HE can work out for the best. I can't control this! I can't control any of it. It's far beyond what I can handle alone. I have no choice but to trust Him.

What reason do I have to fear? God said in His Word that He has not given me a spirit of fear, but of sound mind! He also promised in His Word that He will never leave me nor forsake me, and that my children will not beg for bread. That tells me that He will provide for the needs of my family. I am going to take Him at His word because I have to trust that His Word is truth!

My mind is full of all kinds of questions about all sorts of things, and my heart knows that they will be answered in God's time... but that doesn't make the wait any easier.