Ch - ch - ch - Changes!

Ya'll!!!!

I've got a hot date tomorrow night.

It's the first going out-no kids-spend money-have a sitter-date in well over a year! Needless to say, I'm just a little pumped.

So. . .

I went shopping today. Cato's clearance. Spent $40.00 - jewelry, shoes, shirt and slacks.

Oh, and the pants I tried on? Size 12!!

AND THEY FIT!!!

Oh! My! Gracious! Last time I was a size 12 was over 14 years ago. Seriously.

Here's a picture of me close to my heaviest, in 2006.

And yet another one.

I still can't understand how I could look like that but not realize that that's what I looked like. When I looked in the mirror every day, that is not what I saw. I'm almost ashamed to see those pictures now . . . how could I ever let myself feel so bad, so tired, so sore - and never do anything to try to fix it?

But I digress.

Back to today. So the girls and I came home, and I tried everything on for them. They wanted to take pictures, so we had a mini fashion show.

Wanna hear some other numbers?

You know, cause you care?

During the month of January, I did cardio 6 days a week, with some strength training 3 days of the week. My cardio consisted of Zumba classes at the gym (LOVE IT!!!!), running, and getting on the stationary bike. I can now run 35 minutes without stopping, and have done as much as 50 minutes on the bike. Woo hoo!!

My results were so good, Ivan decided it would be a good investment for me to be able to join the gym - he's not used to me loving exercise! :)

And you know, Ivan knows a good investment when he sees one.

Oh, you want to know the results?

You know, it's not really that big of a deal. Just a little bit. . .

Okay, okay!

15 pounds! And 13.5 inches! Off this short-stuff 5 foot body!

I realize that in the grand scheme of life, my weight loss journey is not a big deal. It seems kind of silly to be so excited about something so superficial-feeling. But I'm changed on the inside more than on the outside. I feel like a new woman. . . I'm finding a new confidence in myself - a new joy in life - a new appreciation for this body the Lord gave me, and how much it can do if I push it just a bit! I have so much more energy - and so much more of myself to give to others. I'm finding new fulfillment in my ministry here at home. I'm serving my family so much better.

I still have a long way to go. I'm 39 pounds down from my highest weight, and I have 41 (at least) to go. But you know what?

I'm gonna do it.

With a smile on my face, and a song in my heart. (Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul! Thank you, Lord, for making me whole! Thank you, Lord, for giving to me. . . life more abundant, so rich and free!)

Where, Oh Where, Has my Margie Gone?

I'm here! I'm still here!!


Contrary to popular belief, I have NOT dropped off the face of the earth. Really.


I mean it.


Let me 'splain.


I blog for me. Blogging, so far, has been MY time. A time where I think about me.


I think about what I like and don't like.


I think about what I'M like, and not like.


I think about what God is doing in my life.


What He's teaching me.


How He's growing me.


And every once in a while, those thoughts make a little bit of sense on the screen.


I re-tell funny things that happen in our family - things I don't want to forget.


It's MY time. I try not to blog when my children are awake and need me. I usually don't blog when my hubby's home. (Cause, you see, I am married to him, not this computer.) :) So, normally, I blog on Thursday, Friday and/or Saturday night when he's working at his 2nd job. It's a small window of opportunity, but I do what I can.


I still love to blog, and have all kinds of thingys floating around in my head wanting to be blogged about.


And, I will get to them.


Just not today. :)


You see, for the past 2 or 3 months, I've had something else vying for my "Me time". Something very important.


Taking care of myself.


I'm counting calories. I'm strength training. I'm doing 30-45 minutes of cardio 6 or 7 times a week, whether it's running, Zumba classes, or walking with Leslie Sansone.


So, in the midst of priority #1 (my 3 girls, plus 2 more that I take care of at different times through the week), priority #2 (getting school done every day), priority #3 (being the godly wife I should be) and priority #4 ( keeping our home in some semblance of order), I'm really trying to take care of me, so I can continue to juggle everything that I love so much. At this point, it takes a LOT of time.


I'm hopeful that it won't always be this way. One day, I won't have to be so stringent about counting every calorie that goes into this mouth. One day, I'll kind of know just what I can eat, and how much.


For now, however, I need to dedicate this much time to this. Because you know what? This isn't a passing phase. Not this time. I am absolutely changing the way I live. I'm changing my eating habits, and I'm changing how much this ole body moves.


I'm just beginning to see the outward changes. Yippee!!! But you know what's even better than that? The inward changes that I've felt for the past few months. I'm succeeding! I'm running 2 miles at a time and I'm in control of the food that goes into my mouth. Food used to be in control of me. It's a very sad/sick feeling to know/feel that as much as you shouldn't have that brownie, you just don't have the willpower to resist it. To feel like a failure every time you eat, because you just can't seem to stop.


I've felt that way for many many years. And I can't even really tell you why. But I feel that way no longer! I tell you, every time I eat now, it's one more notch in my success belt. In the past 2 weeks, I've gone over my calories one day. That's it! And when that happened, I didn't give up and quit like I had every other time. I questioned why I did it, figured out the answer, and began again the next day, knowing I could remain in control.


It's a good feeling. One that I don't want to let go of.


Ivan found this picture yesterday flipping through the photos he had on his phone, taken in late November. Just 2 1/2 months ago. It's obviously a picture of the girls, but there I am in the lower left corner, looking like a linebacker at the computer. Look at that back, and those shoulders, and that big ole rear end! Why couldn't I see that this is what I looked like?

Ivan kept trying to tell me when he found this that I don't look like this anymore. I didn't believe him.

I'm in the same size clothes. Very few clothing items "feel" different. I don't SEE much change when I look in the mirror.

So, we recreated the picture, sans Emma and Sarah. We tried to get me in about the same position, with the same clothes on. Yes, the shirt's a different color, but it's the same shirt. Same brand, same style, same.

Here's me yesterday.

Can you see the difference?

I know, I know . . . I've still got a bit of a muffin top - I've still got a long ways to go. (Like 45 pounds!) But, I'm on my way. No pills, no medical help, no shortcuts. Just good old-fashioned diet and exercise.

So, bloggy world, forgive me for not visiting as often as I should. I love you, and miss you old friend. :) Although I don't see you as often as in days of yore, I think of you often, and MEAN to stop by.

My busy days will soon be gone. So although I'm not here as much, I am still here. I will return.

Hopefully this week.

Cause you KNOW you can't get rid of me THAT easily!

Dustbunnies begone!

You know, we're just a typical homeschooling family.

The girls rise early, bring me breakfast in bed, and ask, "Mommy, how can we help you?"

"Can we rub your back? Can we rub your feet? Can we clean the bathrooms? Fold some laundry?"

Nary a harsh word is spoken. Nary a frustration between siblings.

No fighting.

No raised voices.

No meltdowns.

Never.

We all dance around our home, joyfully cleaning and singing "What a Wonderful World!"

Okay, okay . . . maybe not so much.

I just have to tell, you, though, I've discovered something that gets us close!

I read in a Family Fun magazine (sorry, don't remember which month) about a family using this - it is so FUN! Are you ready?

Daddy Dollars!!




I set out 1 Daddy Dollar for each of the girls first thing in the morning. They have their handy-dandy chore charts to check off as they go. When (and only when) all their morning chores are done, they can pick up their Daddy Dollar. The caveat is that the dollars are only out for so long. If chores aren't done promptly, no moolah. I repeat this at noon and after dinner.

For their chore charts, I blew up a piece of clipart, printed one out for each of the girls, and one for the reward chart. The little circles under the chore have A's, N's, and P's in them. A is for a.m., N is for noon, and P is for P.M. I covered the charts (along with the dollars) with contact paper, so they can mark off each chore with a dry erase marker. I clean them off each night and waalah - they're ready to go again for the next morning.

Now, before you give me a hard time about what a slave driver I am, know that these chores rarely ALL have to be done every day. For example, although the girls have to check the dishwasher 3x a day, it usually only needs to be emptied once a day. They are responsible for checking, though.

Here's Sarah's (6 year old) chart.


And here's Emma's (almost 9 years old).




So, the girls can get 3 Daddy dollars a day, if not more. I've handed out a few "freebies" when I've seen them being extra loving to each other. Once they've got a few dollars, they can go shopping at the Mommy Mall! Here's the breakdown:



This works because, if you notice, I don't have to run to the store, or worse yet, take them to the store as a reward. :) These are all things available at home - and many of them increase that good quality family time.

I made the "biggie" having a friend sleep over. We love to have the girls' friends over, but I don't want this to be an option every weekend. With Daddy's two jobs, all of us being together is a rare treat and I don't want to dig into that time. So far, though, my girls haven't saved up near enough to get close! Just like real money, it burns a hole in their pocket!

Here are the reasons this is working so well for us.

• I don't have to lose my patience voice reminding the girls over and over and over again to do their chores.
• Computer time is limited without me being the bad guy. (If we had a tv, I would obviously have put a tv time reward on there also.) The girls have to pay their money if they want on the computer.
• Candy is also limited without me being the bad guy. On my counter I've got the goodie basket. For $5 Daddy Dollars, the girls can choose one thing out of it. It's full of nothing but dollar store items and a little bit of candy. Playdoh, pencils, nail polish, headbands, etc. Again, usually they don't get any candy unless they pay for it.
• I don't have to lose my patience voice reminding the girls over and over and over again to do their chores. Yes, I meant to put this twice - this is awesome!!

To make your own Daddy Dollars, or Mommy Money, or whatever you'd like to call it, go to www.festisite.com/money. It's very simple - upload your picture, edit as you wish - go to town!

I actually made bills in $1, $5, $10 and $20 denominations. The higher bills were mainly for trading in. So far - this hasn't been necessary yet! I think the most either one of them has had at one time was $5.00, spent on the goodie basket.

There you are! A shining light in my little world - my Wonderful World.

Amazing Grace

Okay, embedding was disabled, so I'm gonna have to give you the link to see this. I PROMISE YOU, it will be very worth your time to just click on over here.

I got an email this week from Mama with the link for this. I have never heard of Il Divo, but I'm a new fan! This is a breath-taking rendition of Amazing Grace.

A happy in my day. . .

white picket fences by Susan Meissner (GIVEAWAY!!!!)

What do you think of when you think of a white picket fence?

A little white house?

With 2.5 children and a dog?

Maybe the "perfect" family?

white picket fences by Susan Meissner is a story of the Janvier family, a family that seems to be living the perfect life. When the family decides to take in Tally, their niece and cousin, the threads of perfection begin to unravel. Meissner effortlessly weaves in multiple story lines that keep the reader enthralled - I literally could not put this book down!

A father that has disappeared, tragedies not forgotten, secrets uncovered, and stories of the Holocaust - will Tally's appearance bind the family closer together, or will their white picket fence protect their facade no more?

white picket fences is a clean, dramatic, and uplifting novel. Although the main characters don't seem to have strong, thriving relationships with the Lord, they learn that they can ALWAYS turn to Him - nothing we do can keep us from His love!

One of you lucky readers can win a copy! Just leave me a comment on this post telling me what your all-time favorite book is. I'll draw on Friday, November 20th sometime after noon.

If you don't win, you can purchase this book here.

These (2) books were provided for review and giveway by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Let's Talk about Romance . . .

Let me hear it, ladies. I KNOW you love getting some pedicure action on. Okay - there may be a few of you out there that don't want anyone touching your feet. But, alas, I am not one of those women. I would be one happy woman if I could just have my feet rubbed every night.

So.

I've asked Ivan like 1,000,000 3 times in the past week or so if he could rub my feet. Actually, I asked if he could "do" my feet. When I ask that, I'm leaving it up to him as to how much or how little he does . . . beggars can't be choosers, right?

Let me just say this. I'm a blessed woman. My man can paint toenails as good, if not better, than I do. And I went to beauty school. So, I was hoping I'd get a new paint job, after some lotion and maybe a little foot massage. But, again, I didn't ask for specifics.

So.

Two nights ago, 10:00 rolls around, and I've all but given up. I'm laying in bed, telling myself that I WON'T ask again. It's just not quite so enjoyable when I've had to ask numerous times. To tell the truth, in a perfect world? I wouldn't have to ask at all. He'd be asking me, "Honey, can I do your feet?"

But I digress.

So. Ivan had spent the day reorganizing his workshop. Getting his tools and bags just how he wanted them. He was so excited. He pulled me back there and showed me a big, empty bag. "This is my project bag. When I've got a project to do, I'll just put everything I need in here, and it's all together. When the project's over, I put everything back and the bag is empty again. Isn't that cool?"

I was so glad to see him excited about organization!

So.

Back to 10:00 - I've given up. I'm laying in the bed working on some Sudoku puzzles. Lo and behold, I hear him rustling around in the hall closet - he's getting my nail stuff! Yay!!

So.

He gets started. I've got numerous foot filing thingies. You know, the glorified nail files, for your heels? He starts there. Yay! I'll have pretty feet again!

So.

Wait.

Where are you going, Ivan?

He's gone like - 5 minutes.

So.

Here he comes.

With this.

Yeah. That there on the left? His project bag.

That there on the right? What was in it.

Let's look a little closer, hmmm?

Yeah. That would be a sanding block, a wood shaver, and yeah. His drill.

Even closer.

Yeah. That would be the sanding bit. FOR MY FEET!

Be still my heart.

You think maybe that's why I had to ask 3 times?

No wonder he's not asking me if he can pamper me this way! :) Methinks a professional pedicure should be on my Christmas list.

P.S. Guess what? They didn't work. None of them. That 'ole foot filer did the job, as always.

P.S.S. I love my husband! I'm sure if this were our first year of marriage, I would have been just a little offended. Now I'm just. . . tickled. You know somebody loves you if they're not afraid to put a drill to your feet!

And my feet may still not look good (no polish), but they sure are soft!

What a fairy-tale, romantic life I live!

What's the most romantic, or misguided romantic thing your husband's ever done for you?

Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh

* My apologies to Multomah Publishing. I *thought I had scheduled this to post 11/6, but apparantly I was mistaken! So, here's my review, 1 day late and a dollar short. :)

As my first read by Tamara Leigh, Leaving Carolina was a delightful foray into the life of Piper Wick, a southern girl who has done all she can to rid herself of her heritage. Having grown up in smalltown USA, (Pickwick, NC) with an eclectic and conniving family, Piper escapes to L.A. to make a brand new life for herself. 12 years later, her uncle's health scare and concious bring her back home - home to keep him from spilling all the family secrets.

Little does Piper know how much her trip home will change her life - and her heart. Tamara Leigh brings her characters to life with a potpourri of wit, sarcasm, and true-to-life struggles. I can't wait to read more of her work!


This book was provided to me for review by Multnomah Publishing. To purchase this book, click here.

Thankful Thursday

Gosh, ya'll, do you ever really think about how blessed we are to be living in this nation? It's really overwhelming -

We're free to worship.

Free to school our children how we choose.

Free to blog. :)

But that's not all I'm thankful for - nosireeee bob!

I'm so thankful for my family. Had either my husband or I chosen the wrong path this year, my family probably wouldn't be intact today. By the grace of our God, we're still here. And, aside from some financial difficulties, we're blissfully happy!

We're closer.

Wiser.

Stronger.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to help bring some moolah into our home. I watch a friend's baby 3x a week and that little bit of cash has really helped carry us through some tough weeks! One downside of this - I've seen that I can handle 4 kiddos, (2 of which are 1 and under), so I'm struggling with wanting to go for #4! :)

Speaking of which, I'm thankful I can have 4 children if I so choose.

I'm thankful for farmer and hunter friends who think of us when they are overflowing in cow and deer meat.

I'm thankful for church families, past and present, who love us unconditionally. Who seek to meet our needs. Who long to minister to us.

And, on a serious note, I'm thankful for Key Lime Pie and Caramel Creme flavored yogurts. They're seriously da bomb, ya'll!

For more thankfulness, go see Iris at Grace Alone - you'll be glad you did!

Happy Birthday, my sweet baby!

I have been dealing horribly with mommy guilt all week. Aubrey turned 1 year old this past Sunday!! How can that be? I wanted to post Saturday. I wanted to post Sunday. I wanted to post Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday - so here we are today. This WILL get done tonight! :)

Oh, Aubrey. I don't know if I will ever be able to convey to you what a joy you are! You always have a smile on your face. You love to squint your eyes and put a silly smirk on your face. You love to make others laugh!

I really can't believe that you have already lived a full year. The time goes by so quickly! You can take 7 or 8 steps at a time now, but you still prefer to crawl. You're really a speed crawler, which is probably why you still do it so!

You pretty much eat whatever we eat now. I've tried feeding you Gerber Graduates, but you're just not interested! You see what we have and that's what you want! You have 3 teeth on the bottom and 4 on the top. You're really working on getting some others in, though. They are making you miserable!

You go to bed between 6 and 6:30 and wake up by 7 or 7:30. You still take 2 naps, at 9:30 and 1:30. You LOVE your bed, so you have a very difficult time going to sleep when we're out of town.

The picture above shows what Sarah wanted to give you for your birthday. It's her "old" Bible, but she wanted you to have it so she and Emma can read it to you. Your sisters just adore you! They have never seen you as a frustration, imposition, or problem. They still fight over who gets to hold you and play with you. I LOVE it!

The nurse said you are ahead of schedule on your speech! You say "Mama", "Daddy", "Good Girl", (to all the animals) "no", "Night Night", "Uh Oh", and "Pretty". We just love hearing you talk!

Some of Mama's darkest days have happened this past year. You, my sweet angel, have been just the cure I needed! I began to notice that when I really found myself in a funk, you would be asleep. I wouldn't notice, though, until you woke up and I found myself joyful again - cherishing you. You are such a gift, in so many ways! You have brought so much to this family of yours - things we didn't even know were missing. I love you, Aubrey Claire. Mommy loves you for always.

Mystery of History!

If you read my post here, you know that I LOVE Mystery of History curriculum! I am finding a new love for history, and of course the girls are beginning their school careers with that love. You know that makes this momma very happy!



Today we talked some more about Egypt. For our map activity of the week, we made this:





An Egypt cake! How fun is that?!



I made flags for some points of interest, and the girls had fun putting them in their proper places. (BTW, I'm totally showing my ignorance here. I have no idea how I graduated with a 3.7 GPA - did you know that "Upper Egypt" in Bible times is actually South Egypt, and Lower Egypt is North Egypt? I didn't know that! Back then, they named it that way because of the topography of the land. The southern half of Egypt had a higher elevation, which is why it's called Upper.) (But I'm sure you already knew that).



It didn't taste too bad, either . . .

When we talked about Adam and Eve earlier in the year, the girls had to make a person out of clay to see how difficult it really is to make a person.

This is Emma's mostly anatomically correct "Eve".

We finally got around to painting them today, along with their cuneiform tablets they made.

Sarah's tablet and Eve with a baby.

Emma's Eve with baby.

When we talked about Joseph, we got to make these:

Which turned into these!

Here's our first day of Egypt - mummification.

And Sarah -

Our Stonehenge.

Can you see why we love it so?

Tag - You're It!

My first bloggy tag! Angie over at Messy Cars and Muddy Shoes tagged me for this fun-ABC-get-to-know-you-thingy. She has a great blog, ya'll. She tells the funniest stories. So here you go - more information than you ever wanted to know about me, delivered nicely on a shiny silver platter.



A - Age: 35. How can that be? I still feel 25. Well, maybe 28. I feel smarter than 25, younger than 35. If I'm really 35, then I only have 1 or 2 baby-making years left. We need to pray and decide on this soon!

B - Bed size: Queen. We've gone back and forth the last 11 years, switching from Queen to King then back again. We love the space of a King, then hate the space of a King 'cause we're on opposite ends. We kinda enjoy sharing a bed - it doesn't really feel like we do when we've got a King. ALL that to say, Queen of hearts for us.

C - Chore you hate: Toilets.

D - Dog's name: Ginger.

E - Essential start your day item: This is so exciting - ya'll won't be able to contain yourselves. A bed that's made. Actually, that probably tickles my mama pink. This is a pretty recent development in my life. I've NEVER been good at making my bed every day. In the past year or so, I've discovered that once I make my bed, I'm more productive all through the day. Bed a mess? So is my day. Flybabies around the world say the same about their shiny sinks. For me, it's my bed.

F - Favorite color: Red. Love. Roses. Strawberries.

G - Gold or Silver: Both, please!

H - Height: 5' 1/2'' - Hey, give me a break! I'll take every half inch I can! Especially since dear hubby is 6'3" . . .

I - I am: immensely blessed. In no way do I have a perfect life, a perfect family, a perfect faith. But I do have a perfect God in whom I place my trust. He has blessed me so much. My outlook is probably hard for some to understand. My father died when I was 24, I've had 3 miscarriages, we're barely making ends meet, we're coming out on the other side of marital crisis and loss of trust, etc. etc. etc. To the world, this doesn't really look like a blessed life. But I tell ya, when you've got a living God speaking to your heart, transforming you day by day, you know you are blessed. He's given me so much that I don't deserve. I am blessed.

J - Job: Domestic Diva. I wish people wouldn't laugh when I put that on doctor's forms and such.

K - Kids: 3 daughters on earth, 3 babies in heaven.

L - Living arrangements: Little one story brick house with hubby, 3 girlies, 2 cats and a newly acquired dog.

M - Mom's name: Nancy

N - Nicknames: Marnie, Marge (I sure hope you're not thinking Large Marge, or even Marge from the Simpson's.) Ugh.

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: I don't think I've got one! Mama, do I have one? Oh, unless you count Aubrey's week in and out of the hospital with her jaundice after I had her. But I still consider that a part of her birth.

P - Pet Peeve: I have to agree with Angie on this one. My kids leaving things laying wherever they last used them. Especially when I've really worked at cleaning up. It's such a battle for me. Either my house is a mess and I'm stressed out from it, or I've just cleaned it and I'm Martyr Mommy on a roll. I'm definitely working on keeping my joy when I feel as if I'm picking up the same toy for the 20th time in a day.

Q - Quote from a movie: "I love smiling. Smiling's my favorite!" Will Ferrell in Elf. That may not even be quoted right, but it's sure how it's repeated in our house every week!

R - Right or left handed: Right.

S - Siblings: Two sisters, I'm the middle girl.

T - Time you wake up: Su, M, Fr, Sa - whenever the baby wakes up, usually around 7:00.
Tu, W, Th - 5:30, so I can have my quiet time before the baby I keep arrives at 6:15. Sadly, I struggle "working" my quiet time in on the days I don't make myself wake up early. I also (obviously) struggle with making myself get up at 5:30 on the days I don't have to!

U- Underwear: Yes, please.

V - Vegetable you dislike: Let's see here - brussel sprouts, spinach, squash, most peppers, carrots, cauliflower, beets. How 'bout if I say what I DO like? Green beans, raw broccoli, cucumbers. Oh, and corn - if that's actually counted as a veggie anymore. Thank goodness my children take after their father and love vegetables! Asparagus and spinach out of a can - disgusting!

W - Ways you run late: Fixing the girls' hair always takes a little longer than I expect. I HATE running late, though - so their hair isn't always - pretty. I know - I should be ashamed. But I don't run late very often. 'Cause I hate being late. In case I didn't say that before.

X - X-rays you've had: As far as I can remember, I've only had my right middle finger x-rayed. I didn't catch a basketball in high school as elegantly as I wanted - it jammed my middle finger and chipped part of the bone.

Y - Yummy food you make: Homemade Cinnamon Rolls, Cheesecake, Peanut Butter Balls, Baked Chicken. I made some pretty decent Chicken and Dumplins today, too.

Z - Zoo favorite: Monkeys.


I tag:

Michele @ Such Joy!

Jill @ Pathway to Purpose

Amy @ Buffaloes & Butterfly Wings

Ann @ Ann's Thoughts

Lea @ Cici's Corner

If you want to play along, copy the ABC categories, delete my answers, insert your own, and tag someone else. Have fun!

We Have a Winner!

Congratulations to Andrea, who won a copy of Cindy Woodsmall's "The Sound of Sleigh Bells"!

I know you'll enjoy it, Andrea!

Thanks to all who entered. I've got one more giveaway coming the beginning of next month!

Sing, Sing, Sing, Part Deux

The girls sang in our new church a couple of weeks ago with the rest of the children's choir. I LOVE how many children we have there! I was so proud - neither one of them seemed nervous - they sang and danced just as they were supposed to! Sarah's on the first row 4th from the right, and Emma is behind her to the right about 5 kids over. This song was in my mind the rest of the day. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

And. . . she's . . . OFF!

My baby girl is growing up too fast! This video is from Columbus Day - she's 11 1/2 months old here. We were so proud, but she hasn't done it much since then! Methinks her big sissies hold her too much - why walk when someone will hold you? (Ignore the open bathroom door and crazy bedhead. Those are just in your imagination. Honest.)

** Update - Ya'll let me know if the video doesn't work for you. It's working on my computer, but that doesn't mean a THING! :) Have a happy day!

**Update #2 - I thought I had fixed the problem - I hadn't. I think I have again, but it's too late to call anyone and have them check for me. :) So, in case it's not, let's try this: click here to try to see in right on YouTube. Maybe it will work? I'm getting quite frustrated! Grr. . .

Time to Party Like It's 2009 . . .

Today I'm joining Lynette over at Dancing Barefoot for her Harvest of Friends Blog Party. I'd love to meet some new peeps, so I'm in! If you'd like to participate, just click on the banner above for all the info. You've got all week, so join us if you've got a blog!

Now, for some randomness of me.

1. What's your favorite thing to snack on while you're blogging? Chocolate. Oh, chocolate. I'm seriously trying to work on this - limit myself to water - or just a few chocolate chips. But chocolate and feelings. I really like to have them together. I sort through a lot of feelings when I'm blogging - chocolate just belongs right in the mix! (Anyone else feel this way, or am I crazy?)

2. What is one thing you wouldn't want to live without? Jesus. I know, I know, it's the churchy answer - and this isn't church! But hear me out here. A year ago, I would have said my family. And I STILL wouldn't want to live without them. But my family has been through the fire this past year - over and over and over again, it seems. I'm not sure I would still be surviving, much less thriving right now, if it weren't for the loving, comforting presence of Jesus in me. So I don't want to live without my family, but if that were God's will for my life, I could make it as long as I still have my Lord. It wouldn't be easy, but I would get through. I COULDN'T live without Jesus.

3. Beach, Mountains, or Farm? Where would you live if you had a choice? No question here - absolutely, positively, unequivicably the beach! I could walk for hours and hours and hours along the shore, picking up perfect little sand dollars and such. The sounds, the smell, the water, the sand. One of God's most wondrous creations!

4. What's your least favorite chore/household duty? Duh, toilets. I'm EXTREMELY thankful for them, but ew.

5. Who do people say you remind them of? I haven't heard anything since Clueless was out and Brittany Murphy was still brunette and innocent. Please don't tell me I look like her now. She's a little - harsh to me.

6. Prefer parties and socializing or staying at home with the fam? It seems that the older I get, the more of a homebody I become. I love people - but I love the peace of my home, too. I've also recently discovered that I'm not as good at meeting new people in person as I used to be. My husband is the life of the party. I think I've spent the last 11 years happily letting him take the lead in social situations. Now I get pretty nervous in a new place if he's not right by my side. I know, it's a little sad.

7. What's your all time favorite movie? "We go together, like rama-lama-lama-ka-dinky-da-dinky-donk!" Or how 'bout "You're the one that I want, you're the one I want, I want, you-hoo-hoo! Honey!!" What's not to love about that?

8. Do you sleep in your make up or remove it like a good girl every night? Yeah, this would be something else I'm working on. I'm not a very good girl most of the time.

9. Do you have a hidden talent or a deep desire to learn something that you've never had a chance to learn? What is it? I'm not really sure I could learn how to do this, but I wish I had a beautiful, angelic singing voice. I'd love to be able to praise the Lord without cringing the whole time. Hopefully, it really is just beautiful praise to Him - maybe the ickiness gets lost in translation on its way up to Him. :)

10. What's one strange thing you're really good at? Well, duh! Obviously - I'm very good at overusing dashes when I write. Good thing I'm not a professional - my editors would cringe every time they saw me coming! - -

11. What first attracted you to your spouse? Well, it kinda took a while. (I love you, honey!) We had become fantastic friends - I soon began to get the impression he was interested in me, and I was so concerned about leading him on. Cause, well, I wasn't very interested in him that way. You know, he was such a good friend, like a brother! Sure enough, he called one night and asked me out. I was prepared. I had practiced. The speech was ready. What came out of my mouth? "Sure!!" So, we met some of his friends at the movies, and then to dinner. I was still steadfast that he wasn't my type. On the way home, (a 45 minute drive) I started to get sleepy. He noticed and began making up a fairy tale about a short little princess (me!) and how wonderful she was, and how the poor little peasant didn't deserve her.

Yeah, I was a goner. We were married 5 months later - July 25, 1998. If you'd like to see more about how far I've come from those days of non-attraction, go here.

Oh, and his boo-tay is quite cute, too.

12. What is something you love to smell? Gasoline. And cheesecake. Just not together.

13. Tell something about you that you know irritates people. I snap at my kitties when they're doing something wrong. Not snap, like, mental snap. Snap, like snap my fingers, snap. I had no clue that I did this until our 10th wedding anniversary. We watched our wedding video and tacked on the end was some footage of us in our first apartment - with our first kitties. I "snap" at one of them in the video and Ivan says, "You still do that!" How can you do something consistently for 10 years and never realize you do it?

14. When you have extra money (HA!) what's the first thing you think to do with it? I usually want to head out and find something pretty for my house. Like furniture. But we never have that much extra money, so I forego getting anything at all.

15. Are you a silent laugher or a loud laugher? What makes you laugh the hardest? Oh, I'm definitely a loud laugher. Sometimes an embarrassingly loud laugher. Don't tell anyone, but sometimes I'm even a snorting laugher. I try not to, but - well. You know. Other people laughing usually makes me laugh the hardest. It makes me feel not quite so bad about my own laugh. :)

16. Where is your favorite place to shop? Ross Dress for Less, me thinks. Or maybe CVS. Ours is really nice here.

17. What's one thing you'd do more often if you had more time? Definitely blog. I've lost so many posts in my mind, because I didn't stop to write them when I thought about them. Last week, I wrote 4 or 5 posts on the nights my hubby worked late and scheduled them for later in the week. This might end up working for me - time will tell!

18. Are you a big spender or frugal? Definitely frugal - but I think my frugality covers up what a big spender I could be. It's a game and a challenge to see how much I can save (or not spend at all) - this is what makes shopping fun for me. However, if it weren't NECESSARY for me to be frugal, I might have fun shopping without the game of saving. I might have too much fun. So I think frugally, and make that my mission as I head to the store.

19. Who is your favorite character of all time (from a movie or book)? (Can't be real) This is a toss-up between Danny Zuko and most of the characters in The Princess Bride. Another classic!

20. Would you want to be famous? Definitely not. I've seen fame ruin too many people. Besides, if I were famous it would be for something like winning 10,000 buckaroos on America's Funniest Home Videos for my snorting laugh. :)

So, Queen Diva in a nutshell. There you have it. Thanks for stopping by - (I'm glad to have met you!)

By the way, I'm having my first giveaway here. Hop on over and leave me a comment to be entered. (You could even subscribe or follow me if you want to!) Happy Day!

The Pumpkin Patch!

Last weekend Ivan took a few hours off from his 2nd job to get in some good ole family time. The weather was pretty icky, but we were in no way, shape or form going to pass up this opportunity for some fun times!

We headed to Bayou Pumpkins - they opened their pumpkin patch to the general public this year. I've got lots of pics, so few words are necessary, methinks.