Leakee's Life

Halloween Treat

2011-10-29T23:06:00.003-05:00

One of the reasons I love Halloween so much is that there are so many yummy treats to enjoy! From roasting hotdogs and marshmallows and the seasonal supply of candy corn, I love it all! Below is one of my favorite treats that I call "Addictive Awesomeness!" It's easy to make and even easier to eat. The only problem is making myself STOP eating!

To make: Combine 1 bag of candy corn, 1 bag of M&M's and 1 jar of roasted peanuts.

2009-03-04T19:49:00.001-06:00

My friend Amanda is having a giveaway on her blog! Check it out at: www.everythingelsewastakensoichosethis.blogspot.com

Snow Day!

2009-03-04T19:19:00.011-06:00

Yay, it snowed! I know it's been a few days since, but I've finally got some time to post them. We had a fun morning playing with the puppies then I went over to Jody's house and played with her and her boys, my parents and some church friends. Wow, four-year-olds like to have snowball fights!

The view from my front porch.

Yup, he pelted me just after I took the picture.

One of my flowers in the backyard.

My sweet puppies. The only reason I got this shot is because Thelma Lou REFUSED to move when Michael had the audacity to put her down on the cold, wet ground!

The Brasher Girls

Sam making a snow angel.

Looks like trouble!

My neighbor's back fence.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures and the snow!

Read Anything Good Lately?

2009-01-11T15:31:00.007-06:00

As my friends and family know, I am an avid reader. I read so much and get so into books that my wonderful husband threatens to burn all of my books! This could have something to do with the fact that I can stay up 'till 3 am reading when I have to go to work the next day. To you non-readers, this sounds crazy, to those who love to read, like me, know that it really "just happens", and you're usually not aware of the passage of time when you're into a story. Anyway, I went to see High School Musical 3 with some of my friends this weekend, and we had literary discussions. They're readers, like me, so it was a lot of fun! From this discussion comes the following list of books I have read, some recently, some not so recently, that I'd love to share.

All Time Favorites:

Gone With The Wind - movie is ok, book is WAY better!
Little Women
Pride and Predjudice
Braveheart
Harry Potter Series

I know these are all movies, too, but I read 3/4 of them before seeing the movie(s). The books are ALL better than the movies!

Recent Favorites:

The Twilight series. I know, to some of you they seem creepy, juvenile, etc. Don't hate 'till you've read them! If you have only seen the movie, please do not judge the book from it! I'm not the biggest fan of the movie. The movie left way too much out and did some things in the wrong order or in the wrong place, etc. These are some of the most well-written books I've ever read! Stephenie Meyer has a way of writing that pulls your emotions into those of the character and you just have to read more, right then! The leading man, Edward, is like a modern day Mr. Darcy w/ a twist!

Luxe - This is a great story set in the early 1900's that follows the life of a New York Debutant who struggles with following the expectations of her "class" instead of her own heart. Pretty easy read, and very descriptive. There are two subsequent novels to come out this month.

Meteor's Tale - This is the story of a dog's life with his family told through the eyes of the dog. Very sweet! I read it in one night.

The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes - This story is about a young girl in need of love and acceptance makes choices that alters her entire life, and the lives of those she loves. This is a good read, but there is some language that I didn't really enjoy.

Falling Leaves: The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter - This book is a lot more serious than the others on my list. I am fascinated with Chinese culture, and this book follows the life of a girl who was deemed unlucky at birth and who was mistreated by her family. If you read it, get ready. It's gonna get tough at times.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - This is another novel set in China. This is the story of two girls who are brought together by the "matchmaker". One is poor with "perfect" feet (remember, they bound the feet of young girls to make them small?) the other is from a great family, but in need of something the poor girl can give her. Mom couldn't finish the book b/c she had dreams about the foot binding. It is pretty disturbing, but if you can get past it, it's good read! This book teaches a lot about the culture.

Mr. Darcy's Daughters - This is the story of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's 5 daughters 20 years after the couple's marriage. Each daughter has their own very unique story line. It is a great book, even for those poor souls who have not had the pleasure of reading Pride and Prejudice. For us lucky ones who have read Pride and Prejudice, it is a fantastic sequel! I believe there are about 2 more in this series, but I haven't read them yet.

Reads for the future:

Marley and Me - Mom loaned me her copy of this book before the movie was even planned, and I've dragged my feet. I vow to read it before I see the movie!

Blue Bloods - My book friends assured me I would enjoy this series. It is another vampire series, so I'm gonna give it a shot!

Tess of the D'Urbervilles - I saw the first part of this on APT's Masterpiece Theater, and I'm intrigued! I have not watched the rest of this series, and I vow to read the book before I do!

So, there's my list of reads. I hope that if you haven't read some of these, that you will, and let me know what you think. If you already have read some of these, let me know what you think! If you have any suggestions of books you love, please, suggest away! Hope to hear from you all soon!

Busy Weekend Part II

2008-12-16T13:49:00.008-06:00

Ok, so I only got as far as Friday night in my last post. Now for the rest of the weekend...

Saturday morning, we got up early (well, early if you didn't go to bed until around 2am the night before) and began preparations for Michael's Dad's family's Thanksgiving/Christmas get-together. I got up and made cornbread to go with the soups and chilis that the rest of the women folk were preparing. I also made sure to have a box of mini saltines (if you haven't seen these yet, you're missing out!), cheese and drinks to add to the meal. After a filling and yummy meal and a round of "Dirty Santa" in which I received a hot chocolate kit, complete with snowman mugs and Michael received a cool multi-head screwdriver set, it was back home and clean up for my staff Christmas party that night. After a yummy dinner at Trigger's Hideout (owned by one of my co-teachers!)we played yet another round of "Dirty Santa", but played as couples. We took home a Dwarf figurine (We think it's Happy) holding a basket. We then played a game of Taboo, which was so much fun!

Sunday morning, we got up and went to church. Directly after church, we went home, changed, picked up Thelma-Lou and headed to Mom and Dad's house to go to the Christmas Tree Farm! Each year our entire family trekks to the farm together to get our trees. By the time we head home we have 7 grown ups, 4 dogs, 3 trees and 2 kids. Pretty full day, huh? We went to Old Baker's Farm and had a great time. Their trees are all beautiful this year! We chose our tree pretty quickly, which is surprising, if you know me. After scoring the most beautiful tree on the farm, calamity struck. Since we didn't have any sharpie's to mark our trees, I requested Michael carve a K into the end of thee tree. I don't know what I was thinking!! My husband, who is a wonderful provider and (0bviously) a very patitent man, doesn't have the best track record with knives... Do you see where this is goiong? Well, he came back to us holding his thumb at the very bottom knuckle with blood steadlily streaming from it. Now we had no need for a sharpie! Yes, he just stuck his bloody hand on the end of the tree to mark it as ours. Very clever, huh? I had a pack of tissues in my pocket, so we used them to try and stop the blood as we headed to Ryan (my wonderful paramedic brother-in-law!) and Jody's truck to bandage him. We went back to Mom and Dad's and Dad bandaged him up with better tools (Ryan had gauze and camoflage duct tape!) and we ate a yummy dinner with them. When we got home, Michael put up the tree and we went to bed. My poor tree stood naked until this past Friday! More on the reasons for that in my next post... I had another busy week! Enjoy the (few) pictures from the tree farm below!

Hey, can I help?

Cool! I can handle this!

Success!

Sam begged to take a picture. Not bad for a 4 year old! :)

Smooch!

Who authorized Uncle Michael to use a knife?!?

The first bandage.

More to come soon!

Busy Weekend

2008-12-10T06:42:00.016-06:00

Ok, I know it's been FOREVER since I've posted anything, but now I finally have something to post! Since I don't have any children of my own or an exciting life, I rarely have noteworthy occurances in my life. I know, it's sad!

Anyway, this weekend was the first of MANY busy ones this season. It started out with my first trip to Sips 'N Strokes on Friday night. I went with my sister, Jody, my two cousins, Brandy and Stacey and our "adopted cousin", Carrie. We met for dinner beforehand and then headed to Sips 'N Strokes. Our picture was a snowman in a snowy field and they all turned out well! Since it is the Christmas season, the owner is doing like Oprah and giving away some of her favorite things until New Year's Eve, when she will be giving away a trip to Hawaii!! Each day she is giving away other prizes at each location. I was the only lucky one of our group that won anything. I received a $25 off certificate for my next visit!! I can't wait to go back! Below are some pictures from our experience.

This is the original picture that we were trying to paint.

Brandy had a little bit of trouble getting into her "sips"!

There we go! (Jody was NOT sipping!)

The Family getting ready to paint.

This is my painting at the first break.

Sisterly Love!

The "Painter Sisters"

Break #2

Havin' fun at the break!

My finished product!

Stacey, the seasoned pro, put us all to shame!

Ok, so this has turned into a longer blog than expected. Stay tuned for the rest of the weekend!

The Results are In

2008-10-12T19:40:00.005-05:00

So, this past week was homecoming at Shelby Academy. In addition to the required dress up days, the elementary classes participated in a pumpkin contest, made floats and decorated banners. Although my class didn't win, we still had fun participating! I also slept REALLY well all week 'cause I was worn out every day! Below are some picures of the festivities.

This is a picture of my class with our float. Stomp 'em, Raiders!

This is my class with my aide, Miss Darcey. We LOVE her!

This is our beautiful peacock pumpkin. Pretty creative, huh?

Last, but not least, here are my "Rocker Boys" who went all out on spirit day!

Have a great week!

I'm Ba-ack!

2008-10-05T19:27:00.005-05:00

Ok, so it's been a REALLY long time since I last posted. To all of my adoring fans (Anita and Ms. Patricia :) ) I apologize profusely! There's been a lot happening, but nothing much happening since my last post. I know, very contradictory, but true! So, since my last post, which is shamefully from three months ago, I've started another school year at Shelby Academy, come one year closer to reaching the big 3 - 0 and a beautiful little girl has made her much awaited appearance!

Now, let's break that down some. First, I started the school year at the beginning of August with 14 four year olds and no afterschool care worker. I already take care of early care, which is from 6:30 - 7:30 every morning. Yes, that's right, I get to school between 6:15 and 6:30 EVERY DAY! Added to this crime against nature (my philosophy is that if the sun isn't up, I shouldn't be up, either!) I've been swapping out days staying until 6:00 in the evening for afterschool care with one other teacher. That schedule really doesn't leave much room for anything besides coming home, eating and sleeping, then doing it all over again. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my kids and my job, but the long days were getting to me! Thankfully, we have a wonderful young lady whom I've known for a few years that has taken over the position so that I can leave at 3:30! Yay!

Next, on September 8 of this year I turned 29! Yes, that is correct, I'm in the last year of my 20's. It's funny, I always thought of 29 as being pretty old, until a few years ago when my sister turned 29 and I realized my turn was coming soon! We celebrated at mom's with one of my favorite dinners. Mom always cooks whatever meal the birthday person requests for their birthday celebration. A tradition that I enjoy every year! My problem is that I love most foods, so I decided to get some help on deciding my menu for the night. I narrowed down the choices to two: Mom's homemade lasagna or porkchops, black eyed peas, corn, macaroni and cheese and cornbread, then had my students vote on what I should have. The porkchop meal won! It was very delicious! Here are a few pics from that night.

Sam had as much (if not more!) fun as me opening up the presents!

The candle Matthew gave me smelled really good!

Something that I counted on for my birthday came a day later than we'd hoped: One of my oldest and dearest friends, Teale, gave birth to her beautiful and much prayed for baby girl, Harper Faith, on September 9. She is such a cutie and already a blessing to her proud mommy and daddy! If you follow the link you're sure to find some pictures of this bundle of joy!

So, I guess that about covers what's been going on lately. Like a said, a lot has been happening, but nothing has been happening. But do be sure to stay tuned. This week is homecoming week at our school and there's another pumpkin contest! Last year my class won with our "Purple People Eater," which you can find in an older post. This year we're gonna be even bigger and better. I'll post pictures as soon as the masterpiece is complete! Have a great week!

Creative Juices...

2008-07-25T18:58:00.003-05:00

... were really flowing for my friend Teale and I two weeks ago. We went to Ceramic Creations in Hoover and were able to paint our choice of pottery. Teale mad a cute birthday cake (which I still haven't seen completed, hint,hint, Teale) and I chose to paint a cross to match my living room. We learned two important lessons about painting ceramics:
1. When they say a little bit of paint, they mean a little bit of paint.
2. When making small dots, one must make them larger than they think they want in order for them to show up after glazing.
3. For bright colors, lay on the paint!

Below is my finished product, minus the ribbon I haven't purchased yet to hang it.

Teale and I had a really great time being creative and catching up with each other. I hope Harper is an easy baby so that we can have these playdates more often!

Good Old Summertime

2008-07-17T10:16:00.004-05:00

Ok, I know it's been FOREVER since I posted anything, and I do apologize to my adoring fans for the lack of information. This summer has just flown by with not much happening. I found a summer job - in the office of my school (Shelby Academy) and I am LOVING being the secretary for the month of July. Imagine that, me enjoying a job that requires talking on the phone... :)

Other than the job, I did make a really yummy chocolate Mocha cake that was pretty AND tasty. Doesn't it look yummy? Marie, please, don't judge! :)

Mom and Dad have recently added a new member to the family: A sweet and handsome Jack Russell Terrier puppy who finally has a name. They decided that his registered name will be IM UR Huckleberry, and call him Huck for short. Can you tell we're fans of Tombstone? Of course, pictures of him will follow shortly!

The only other news (besides the sleepover at my house that will require an entire post) is Mom and Dad's honey. You see, they have 8 beehives and have collected the honey from them this summer. They have so much honey that we've not gotten any in jars. Michael brought 1 liter bottles to put it in!! They have honey in coolers, bottles, stock pots, etc. Needless to say, we won't have to buy any honey for years to come. This has really been Daddy's project and he's so excited that a good friend of mine is helping him with labels! We decided on O.D. Bee's Honey for the labels. Pretty cute, huh?

Well, that's all for now. I hope I have appeased the "Blog Police" for at least a little while. :)

Migrant Camp Report

2008-06-05T08:33:00.003-05:00

Ok, it's official: I'm OLD! I went on a mission trip (we call it Migrant Camp) with the youth of my church to south Alabama this week. It was GREAT - I am so proud of our youth! We took around 40 teenagers and kept them in one building that is separated into guys and girls dorms by one large main room and a kitchen. There were no behavior issues, and I saw these kids really minister to each other, as well as to the migrants! I was the only girl in my group (excluding the Queen of Migrant Camp, one Mrs. Barbara Joiner!)with 4 guys (3 were teenagers and newbies, one was a one-year veteran and an adult). I had my work cut out for me! Just kidding - they all did a GREAT job! They really studied the lessons and got into the scripture to be able to give background information, just in case. These guys were awesome! I hope I'm in a group with them next year!

Now for the feeling old part - they all called me "Mam" when I asked them questions! AAAHHHHHHH! I'm not old enough to be a mam to this group, am I? Well, apparently so.

Aside from sharing the gospel with others and making or strengthening friendships between our goup there is one other thing I LOVE about Migrant Camp. On Thursdays, we have free time away from our camp. The possible excursions are to a seafood restaraunt, golfing, the beach or shopping at the Foley outlets. Guess which one I do each year?!? If you guessed shopping, you're right! Since Migrant Camp is always so close to my anniversary (June 9, if you're wondering!) I usually end up buying myself my anniversary present. Michael has no complaints - it saves him a shopping trip! This year was no different. I bought something I never thought I'd buy - I got a Coach purse from their outlet store! Even though it was 50% off of the outlet price, it was still more than I'd ever paid for a purse. However, I do believe it was worth it! I LOVE it! Hope ya'll had as good of a week as I did!

Also, if you'll look to the weight loss ticker to the left you'll see that I'm now in the 120's! Just barely, but I'm there! Yay me!

New Look!

2008-05-25T00:16:00.002-05:00

Yay! I've finally gotten my "blog lift" and I think it is FANTABULOUS!! It's all thanks to my crafty friend Teale! She does a super job and I'm very proud of her. She makes it super easy to do, so if you're lookin' to spice up your page, just click on the "Teale's digi-disigns" button below my picture and see what she can do. I know she'll be able to cook something up for you that you'll like.

In other news, I met Patrick Dempsey... Ok,so maybe I just posed by his picture in a cardboard cutout, but at least now I've got my picture with him! Ah... McDreamy...

In other news, we went to see the new Indiana Jones movie tonight. I've been looking forward to it ALL WEEK! It was typical Indie with tongue-in-cheek lines and lots of action. If you're not a huge fan, you won't become on with this movie, but if you're already hooked, you'll like it a lot! I won't say any more in case those of you who haven't seen it want to. I'm off on a week-long mission trip on Monday, so I'm sure I'll have plenty to report when I get back. Have a great week!

School's Out For Summer

2008-05-21T16:57:00.008-05:00

Yay! I made it through the year! Today was the last day of school and I'm ready for some peace and quiet. I am going to miss my "babies," as I call them, but I'm not going to miss the tattling, hitting, potty accidents, (yes, potty accidents!) cleaning up vomit or the noisy lunchroom! I will miss the sweet hugs and kisses and the fantastic artwork my kids can do! I really had a great class this year, which is not something a teacher will just say. All of my parents were great, and the kids were, too! It was my first year as the Preschool Director and having to deal with DHR, so I'm sure next year will go even more smoothly... I hope! Anyway, today was a kind of bittersweet day, since I'm glad to have a break, but I know that I won't see half of my class again because they're going to kindergarten in public schools. However, I do know that the other half will be back next year, and some even in my room. I really do love these guys, and can't wait to get started with my new class for next year! Well, I guess I CAN wait, and I do need a break, but I do anticipate a great year next year! Below are some pictures of my babies from this year. I'm sure you'll understand why I'll miss them once you see them!

This is one of my two sets of twins. Aren't they ADORABLE?!

This is my other set of twins and another one of my students on the way to the zoo.

My Dad the Beauty Queen

2008-05-10T22:54:00.004-05:00

This Friday was the annual Relay For Life celebration / fund raiser in Columbiana at the baseball field. For those of you who aren't familliar with this, teams that are mad up of different businesses and organizations raise money to help find a cure for cancer. There is a surviver walk, in which cancer survivors make a "victory lap" around the field and luminaries are purchased in honor or memory of loved ones. Each group has its own way to raise money, and my dad was in a group this year. His bank (First United Security Bank) formed a team, and devised a fabulous way to raise money - a womanless fashion show! So my dad, being the good sport that he is, agreed to dress up for the said show. His, um, HER stage name was Edie Brazier, and he looked fantastic! We decided on the boots and hat Thursday night. I think it was a stroke of genious! During the show, the three contestants had to freestyle dance to "Man, I Feel Like A Woman", and these contestants didn't disappoint! The winner was decided by which contestant received the most donations, and dad won! We had a great time for a great cause!

Spring Has Sprung!

2008-04-23T20:39:00.003-05:00

I am a K4 teacher and usually LOVE my job, but at this time of the year, energy is high and patience is low. Now that the weather is actually pretty, the kids are just itching to get outside and can't seem to be still and quiet inside. It is very frustrating to try to teach a group of children who are crawling around, pushing each other, talking to each other, etc. I love each and every one of my students, but some days I'd trade the lot of them for a litter of puppies! I am glad that we are able to get outside and not freeze to death, and that the runny noses have just about all cleared up. I actually have some color, which is no small feat. Even though I may complain about the behavior of my kids, I have to admit that getting to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful warm sunshine for an hour each day is a definite plus to my job!

Well.... This week I didn't lose any weight, but I didn't gain any, either. I guess I'm ok w/ that! I've been trying really hard to stay away from the things I know aren't good for me, but sometimes I just want a donut!

Prom Night and Weight Loss

2008-04-16T21:13:00.012-05:00

Ok, some of you have been dying to see pictures of the prom I was in charge of at the zoo. Well friends, wait no longer! We had a bit of a time decorating because of inclement weather, but we got it done and it turned out well. Let me know what you think. In case you can't tell, the black and white paper on the walls is zebra print!

We also had animal greetings. The handlers brought Robin, the chinchilla, Smokey, the screech owl, and two snakes who are not pictured because I don't enjoy animals with less than 2 legs. They were pretty - at a distance! One was a milk snake named Cinco and the other was a Burmese Python named Damion. Fitting, huh?

On the weight loss front, somehow with eating 2 chocolate cupcakes and a small individual tub of chocolate ice cream I lost a pound. I thought I'd have gained two for sure! Hope everyone has a great week!

Weekly Update

2008-04-10T16:39:00.003-05:00

Yay for me, I lost 2 pounds this week! This was with eating 2 bowls of banana pudding and a reece's cup, so I'm pretty excited! We walked 2 days, so we're getting better! I'm sure part of the reason I still lost weight is because of the work I did on the prom this past Saturday. I'll have pictures soon! All in all it's been a good week, if the weather would just calm down a little.

Another One Bites The Dust!

2008-04-03T12:18:00.002-05:00

Yay for me! I've lost another pound! Although it's only a pound a week so far, I'm glad the scale is moving in a downward trend! Although I did lose another pound and am happy about that, I'm not as pleased with my exercise routine. I only walked one day last week, and this week is looking the same! ARRUGH! Just think what I could achieve if I were exercising... I guess I'll have to just force myself to use the boreing eliptical in the basement. I really wish we had a TV down there so my mind would be occupied while exercising. I also have to report two tiny cheats - I had two pieces of Easter candy at mom's again. I just can't resist the sweettart critters and the malted milk balls! However, I am proud I was able to have just one then walk away!

In other news, the prom is this weekend! I'm excited and a littl anxious. We have the decorations ready to go, all the vendors in line (hopefully!), the prom king and queen have been voted on and we've got animals lined up to greet us as we arrive, so now it's just up the execution of all of the plans we've made! I'll be sure to post some pictures after the fact. Have a great week!

Twice In One Day?

2008-03-26T23:15:00.002-05:00

Can you believe it? Two posts in one day? I just wanted to share a recipe for cookies that you can have while watching what you eat. Even my husband who is anti-diet food LOVES these cookies! They are from Martha Stewart, so you know they've gotta be good, right? Anyway, here's the recipe.

HEALTHY OATMEAL COOKIES

1/2 C whole-wheat flour
1/2 C all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 C vegetable oil
2/3 C packed dark brown sugar
1 lg egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C rolled oats - NOT instant!
1/2 C dried currants or raisins (I used dried cranberries to add a little tang!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk flours and baking powder, then set aside.
In a new bowl, combine oil, sugar, egg and vanilla.
Slowly add flour mixture a little at a time.
Fold in oats and fruit.
Roll 2 Tbs. of dough into ball. (I use my Pampered Chef medium scoop so they're uniform size)
Bake for 15 - 17 minutes, rotating pan half way through baking.

They look like little mini-scones and don't take near as long to prepare, since you don't have to roll and cut them. I also like this recipe b/c I don't have to get out all of my kitchen tools to make them. It's a pretty easy recipe. I mean, I LOVE my Kitchenaid mixer, but these can be made really quickly with little cleanup. I hope you go an cook a batch soon - they are scrum-diddly-umptious!

The Results Are In!

2008-03-26T13:57:00.002-05:00

Ok, here goes my first weigh in blog!

I did walk a total of 3 days last week! Yay me!

I do, however, have to admit to 4 small cheats. It was Easter weekend, after all!
Here are my cheats - two mineature snickers (the tiny square ones), on Reece's egg and one sweettart chick. I couldn't pass up the chick, our Easter Bunny always got them for us, and you can only get them this time of year! I feel pretty good about my self for only having these few small lapses in judgement!

I believe my scales say I've lost a pound! See, my start weight was from when I went to the doctor's office. My scales are pretty hard to read, so I THINK I've lost a pound, but I'm not certain! Hopefully I'll have a new scale before my next weigh in post so I'll know for sure!

Thanks so much to those who have sent encouraging messages! Keep 'em comin'!

Swimsuit Weather... It's A Comin'!

2008-03-18T17:17:00.002-05:00

Ok, I've been inspired by Amanda! I had already made the decision to get back into shape and and my cute summer pants before I read her post, and now I know it's going to be even easier, with someone supporting me! While teaching, I am pretty good at maintaining my weight, but not losing. When I worked at an office job (for 2 years) I steadily grew. My goal is to get back into my fun summer pants and not be too embarassed to be seen in a swimsuit this summer!

There are two ways I plan to reach my goal:

1. I'm walking at least 3 afternoons (hopefully more like 5) with one of my friends, which is getting me moving and will hopefully help me to shed some pounds.

2. I'm not going to eat sugar! For those of you who know me, you know I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia in my senior year of high school. By sticking to the STRICT diet I was given (not eating anything that has sugar listed as one of the first three ingredients) I lost almost 40 pounds! Well, that was ten years ago, and frankly, not eating sugar SUCKS! However, I can tell a difference in how I feel when I stick to my diet, and the slimming results are VERY desireable!

So, here's the plan:

*I'll weigh in each week, like Amanda, on Wednesdays.
*I'll also list any cheats to my diet, should I have any.
*I'll give a running total of how many days a week I walk, trying for at least three, but shooting for more.
*I also have a weight loss ticker on the top right of my page. It hurts to see the numbers in print, so I'm hoping that will inspire me, too!

Any and all encouragement is much appreciated! I know I can do it, but being encouraged sure does help it along!

Thanks in advance for your help!

10 Facts

2008-03-10T12:26:00.004-05:00

HERE'S HOW YOU PLAY. ONCE YOU'VE BEEN TAGGED YOU HAVE TO WRITE A BLOG OF TEN WEIRD, RANDOM THINGS, FACTS OR HABITS ABOUT YOURSELF. AT THE END, YOU CHOOSE TEN PEOPLE TO BE TAGGED, LISTING THEIR NAMES AND WHY YOU CHOSE THEM TO BE TAGGED. DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE THEM A COMMENT "YOU'RE IT" AND TO READ YOUR BLOG. YOU CAN'T TAG THE PERSON WHO TAGGED YOU. SINCE YOU CAN'T TAG THAT PERSON BACK, LET HIM OR HER KNOW WHEN YOU'VE POSTED YOUR BLOG SO HE OR SHE CAN READ YOUR ANSWERS.

1. I am afraid that if you poke anyone's bellybutton (especially mine!) that the pokee will deflate like a balloon.

2. Although my feet freeze, I CANNOT sleep in socks.

3. It drives me crazy (short drive, I know) when the switches to a light with multiple wall switches are not all in the down or up position. One up and one down makes me insane!

4. I can clean up vomit, poo and other bodily fluids all day. Just don't ask me to watch any nasty ER procedures! They just gross me out!

5. I'm obsessive with symmetry. When decorating, I must have similar if not EXACT sized objects to balance out each side.

6. I wanted to be a veterinarian at one point in my life. Then I encountered chemistry and realized I'd have to use needles!

7. I like the smell of gas. Not from a body, but from a pump!

8. I'm comfortable singing in front of large numbers of people, but not speaking.

9. I can probably recite "The Sound of Music" word for word. I watched it every day (almost) growing up.

10. I lay all of my clothes out at night for the next day, down to the underwear and jewelery. My reasoning for this is that I'm always running late, and it takes me forever to decide on an outfit. By planning ahead, I run a smaller chance of being REALLY late.

Ok, I don't have 10 blogging buddies. Sad, I know. Maybe you could tell your friends about me and my little blog? Anyway... I would be interested in anyone's answers who will sit and do this. I really enjoy reading them!

God is good ALL the time!

2008-03-08T17:37:00.006-06:00

"And you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the lord over every ruler and authority in the universe." Colossians 2:10

I have just returned home from an AWESOME weekend at the First Baptist Church in Trussville! This weekend was Complete / Renew, a gathering for girls and women to grow closer to God and learn more about His plan for us. We had some amazing speakers (all women!) who taught us so many wonderful things about faith and joy.

Let me start by telling you how God got us there. As you may know, it snowed today. We had plans to leave at 7 am in order to be in Trussville by 8:30. We prayed over the bus (Jody's maiden voyage on the church bus)and the roads, and that God would clear our path to get there. Here's the cool part. We were on 459 when we came to a complete stop. The road was closed up ahead because of the weather (and I think an accident). We were in the middle lane of traffic and stopped even with the exit onto I-20. Here's the even COOLER part. The 18-wheeler in the outside lane beside us had not pulled up all the way to the car in front of him. God truly did clear a path for us to be on our way! With the help of some of the men in our lives, we were able to navigate from I-20 to Trussville. The problem was, we didn't know where to go after we reached Trussville. Jody just happened to have written down the number for the church and said "I think I should call them to find out where to go." Ok, here's the COOLEST part! When Jody called and told the lady where we were, the lady said "Oh, just turn left at the next light and we'll be right on your left." WOW! Do you have chillbumps? We did! We pulled into the parking lot singing "God is good, ALL the time!"

Here are a few things I learned this weekend:

From Page Hughes, I learned that if we truly have faith in God, we will see our problems through Him, not Him through our problems. Cool visual, huh? I also learned a new favorite verse: "Shut up and let that be your wisdom." Job 13:5. Any of you who know me know that this verse will pop into my head A LOT (sadly, sometimes too late!)!

From Tollie Meggs, I learned that joy is NOT happiness, the absence of conflict or being funny. Joy is the product of having the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Jesus even prayed that we would have His joy when He was preparing to go to His heavenly father. How awesome that the God of all creation would even care to know me, and even pray that I may have joy.

I will end this by saying that I had a wonderful time of fellowship and worship with other girls and women who love the Lord. I wasn't able to write about everhthing, because this post is already a bit wordy! It was wonderful to be renewed and reminded that God is the source of our joy, if only we are faithful and claim it! He wants the best for us, and sent His son to die for us. Even though I still don't understand why, I know that my God is bigger and more powerful than anything else I will encounter. May we all remember to Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS!

Busy Weekend

2008-02-18T18:50:00.005-06:00

This past weekend was packed full of diversions! It started Thursday (Valentine's Day) with my Valentine's Day party with my class, combined with Valentine Grams being sent to half of the school that I was in charge of organizing. When I got home, full of sugar that I didn't need and ready to crawl in bed from exhaustion, my husband and I were invited to my parents' house to enjoy a meal of steak and potatoes. YUM! Needless to say, I perked up a little!

Friday, I took the Junior class officers to the Birmingham Zoo to check out the lodge as a potential place to have our prom. Yes, that's right, I'm in charge of the prom! (On a sidebar, yes, we're having it at the zoo! More to follow in another post...) After getting home (finally) my honey took me out on a real date! We went to Carrabba's, our favorite place and went all out with an appetizer and everything! After dinner we went to the movies to see "Fool's Gold" which is FABULOUS, then to Dairy Queen for dessert. I was so excited to have a date night that didn't include a trip to Wal-Mart!

I spent the first part of Saturday sleeping late and watching Hallmark movies, when I should have been cleaning and doing responsible grown-up stuff. Then, it was off to good 'ol Shelby Academy to take up money at the beauty pageant. I showed up dressed in jeans and a nice top, only to find out I was the one responsible for taking the envelopes up to the master of ceremony to read out the winner. I sooo would have dressed up more if I had known! When I got home I rented the new "Hairspray" (not as good as I wanted it to be) and ate leftovers from Friday, since Michael went to Chana Yan without me!

Sunday is the kicker. After screeching in on two wheels to church and (just) making it to sing in the choir, I had to wait with Jody for her ride (another story for another day). I got home, changed and headed out with Michael to accompany Mom and Dad to the Bass Pro Shops in Prattville. Now, some of you have already put this together. Sunday is the day the tornadoes hit Prattville... We didn't know such inclement weather was headed that way, or we wouldn't have gone! It was raining pretty hard when we got there, then the power went out and they got everyone to the lower floor. We thought this was just a precautionary measure. Little did we know that less than 1/4 of a mile away homes and businesses were being destroyed! Yikes! After a quick dinner at O'Charley's, we made it home safe and sound. We are so blessed that we were not caught in the REALLY bad weather!

So, now it's Monday, and I had to stay late at work and I'm exhausted! Although it was a fun weekend, I'll be happy to just vege this coming weekend. I mean, we spent all of our going out money for the month (and then some) in one weekend! Oh well, at least we had fun!

Picture Survey!

2008-02-06T20:51:00.000-06:00

Another fun one... here's what you do:

Directions:1) Answer each question.
2) Take each answer and type it into Photobucket (http://www.photobucket.com/)
3) Take any picture from the first page of results and post. (click on the picture and copy the HTML code) Don't explain, it's funnier that way!

1. The age that you will be on your next birthday:

2. A place you would like to travel to:

3. Your favorite place:

4. Your favorite thing to do:

5. Your favorite food/candy:

6. Your favorite animal:

7. Your favorite color:

8. The town in which you were born:

9. The town in which you live:

10. The name of a past pet:

11. The name of your current or past boyfriend/girlfriend:

12. Your nickname/screen name:

13. Your middle name:

14. A bad habit of yours:

15. Your first job:

16. Your grandmother's name:

17. Your favorite song:

I'm with Amanda - I'll tag anyone reading who hasn't participated yet and is willing to do it!

2008-02-05T20:19:00.000-06:00

I was tagged by Teale -

The Rules: Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
Share 5 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
-OR-
Share the 5 top places on your “want to see or want to see again” list.
-OR-
Share 5 things you never pictured being in your future when your were 25 years old.

Tag a minimum of 5, maximum of 10 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
The tagees have a choice of which they want to do.

Here are 5 random (some weird) facts about me:
1. I love fresh cherries, but hate cherry flavored anything.
2. I met my husband at a formal - he was the date of one of my sorority sisters and he rode home with me (on the charter bus) !
3. My mother is Scottish and my dad is an American. I call her an alien and she calls me a halfbreed!
4. I dyed my hair (for real dye!) this past weekend... My stylist tells me I am no longer a "hair virgin."
5. People CANNOT touch my belly button, you can deflate like a balloon that way!

I don't have 5 blogs to send this to, so here are the ones I have: I tag Marie, Chad, Amanda and Sam.

Let It Snow!!

2008-01-18T12:15:00.000-06:00

I'm so hoping that it snows tonight! None of my neices or nephews have ever seen snow, let alone play in it, so I'm really hoping that James Spann can come through with the forecast and let us have a few inches of the "white stuff". If it does come down, I'm just a hop, skip and a jump away from Jody and her two boys, so I'm sure I'll get to play in the snow with them. Here's to hot chocolate and cold toes from the snow!

Tell Me Where It Hurts

2008-01-07T17:03:00.000-06:00

I had an experience last Thursday night that I hope I will never have to repeat again! Michael had been complaining about a pain on the right side of his chest just below his ribs for a few days, and he thought it was a pulled muscle. However, it did not get better, and at night he was having trouble breathing and sleeping because of this pain. On Thursday night, he had finally had enough since he couldn't even lay in the bed without excruciating pain, so I finally convinced him to go to the Emergency Room. He had put off going because he said he'd be humiliated if they checked him and told him it was just gas, laughed at him and sent him home. However, he was now encroaching on MY precious sleep time, so I told him something HAD to be done! So, at a quarter to MIDNIGHT we loaded up and went to the emergency room at Shelby. This was my first time to see the inside of an emergency room that was not on a television screen! We only waited a couple of minutes to be seen, and the people were all very nice, which we were not expecting from stories we've heard from family members who have had to go there. So, they hooked Michael up to do an EKG (they threatened to shave him to make sure the contacts would work properly!) and left us to wait. Thankfully, it all checked out ok! The diagnosis was pleurisy (ploo-ri-see), which is an iritation of the lung tissues that usually occurrs when a person has pneumonia or other bronchial issues. The treatment they gave him was 2 big shots in the booty and three prescriptions including pain medication and a steroid pack. He was so brave!! So, 2 shots and 3 hours later, we were on our way home! We stopped by my school to get stuff out for a sub for me the next day, since we were only going to get a couple of hours of sleep once we got home. The whole way I was convincing Michael that it was ok for him to stay home, since the doctor told him to, but he's such a dedicated worker I was having trouble getting through. In the end, he did take off Friday and Saturday and felt much better going to work this morning. I am also back to "normal", or at least normal for me, since I wasn't able to find a sub and taught my class of 16 4-year-olds all day, then went to Chuck-e-Cheese that night for my father-in-law's birthday. Boy, did I sleep well Friday night and Saturday! Don't worry, Michael is taking his medicine and is feeling much better and should be back to "normal" soon.

10 Things I've Learned About Christmas

2007-12-31T10:47:00.000-06:00

I've learned a few things over the years about preparations and celebrations for Christmas. You know, what makes things go more smoothly and give you that warm fuzzy and other things that, um, don't. Hopefully you won't have to learn all of the lessons the hard way like me!

1. Although gift certificates are not the most personal gifts, they are ALWAYS the right size! I'd much rather have someone only open a piece of plastic to use on something they choose later instead of having them open a size XL shirt only to find out they're a MEDIUM on Christmas! (Sadly, a true story...)

2. Stocking stuffers can come from surprising places - WD-40 pen from Lowe's, anyone?

3. No matter how hard you work on, or how excited you are about a new dish, if you don't try it out before the "big day", the results may leave much to be desired.

4. Just because you/your hubby like said dish, not everyone will. Don't get your feelings hurt, it just means there'll be more for you to enjoy after the celebration.

5. Don't waste your energy trying to make boy gifts look perfect - THEY DON'T CARE!

6. Even if he puts blue tissue paper in a purple and silver bag, don't complain if your husband is helping you wrap gifts. He really doesn't want to be doing it anyway and negative comments do not add to his happiness with the current situation. Just be quiet and make a mental note to make sure to change it later. :)

7. Make a list with specific items, down to size and style if you expect to get what you asked for for Christmas! (Who knew Victoria's Secret made so many different styles of underwear?)

8. Make a copy of said list and distribute to several trusted friends, IN ADDITION to your sweetie.

9. Less truly is more. Don't kill yourself making 3 dishes for each gathering you're going to attend. There is always enough (or too much) food. Bringing the drinks and ice is always helpful to the host! (I just learned this one this year!)

10. Don't hurry the day(s) away! Take time to enjoy your time with family/friends and reflecting on the reason you are gathering in the first place!

Down on the (Tree) Farm

2007-12-18T22:36:00.001-06:00

Every year our ENTIRE family goes to a Christmas Tree Farm in search of the perfect tree for our houses. This year was no different! We had a total of three households present on this quest which consisted of seven adults (I guess Matthew counts as an adult now!), four dogs, three trees and two small boys. Spirits and energy were high as we tromped through the fields in search of our trees. This occasion took place a few weeks ago during our "heat wave" in December, so it was a bit tough to really get into the Christmasy spirit, but listening to Christmas music on the way helped! Although my parents were present, they were crafty enough to not get caught in ANY pictures... They're smarter and quicker than they look! I hope you enjoy the pictures below...

I know it's not the best picture of us, but Sam took it all by himself and it's the only one of the three of us from that day. As you can see, Michael was thrilled to be there! :)

Sam found a "Charlie Brown" tree at first.

Ah, this one's better, and even his size!

Joseph was just happy to be along for the ride!

The Tallie Boys expertly sawing down their tree.

The two smallest Tallie Boys assisting Michael with our tree. Joseph really got into it!

The wagon ride back to the entrance.
This is how our tree turned out. Not bad, huh?

This is our beautiful angel that has been on the top of each of our trees. She was the first Christmas decoration Michael and I bought together. Awww, sappy, I know, but sweet!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Good Times in Gatlinburg

2007-12-10T12:39:00.000-06:00

Last week Michael and I returned from a long awaited trip to Gatlinburg! We left on a Saturday Morning and returned on the following Tuesday. This was our first trip with just the two of us since our honeymoon 6 1/2 years ago! We stayed in a great little condo on the TOP of the mountain that had a fantastic and awe inspiring view. We were 4 miles up, and there was only one small condo area after ours, then the road turned to gravel. On our way home Tuesday, we looked DOWN on the ski lodge where they were making snow. It was beautiful! There was so much to do, we had a pretty packed weekend, but we had a blast! We went shopping on our first day out, and did most of the Gatlinburg attractions, mainly shopping in The Village, getting to be fascinated with the taffy machine AGAIN (It's still my favorite thing there!) and the amazing view on the Sky Lift. Our favorite things were the shopping (ok, so that's mainly my favorite thing!), Fanny Farkle's arcade and the Ober dogs they serve there, the aquarium and, of course, Cade's Cove. I think that Cade's Cove topped both of our lists. The drive there was beautiful, and we listened to my new Celtic Women Christmas CD while we drove. It was almost as good as being at church! It still amazes me when I see all of the beautiful things God has made! My God is so wonderful, and is wonders truly do never cease! After the scenic drive up, we were treated to being able to see 34 deer (One 6 pt, one spike and a button buck included) and were able to get to within 50 ft. of the 6 pt. who was just laying on the ground in a field. Yes, we were crazy enough to get out of our cars and try to get a closer look! We also saw several turkeys, crows, woodpeckers (yellow bellied sap suckers) and squirrels. We really enjoyed ourselves and were able to get all of our last Christmas presents taken care of! I also picked out a lot of my Christmas there.... I'm so sad I have to wait to use my new purse and wallet!!! The aquarium was AWESOME!! The shark tunnel was amazing - we got some really close-up shots of nothing but shark teeth, which is enough to give anyone pause. Anyway, if anyone wants to go on a trip and doesn't want to go too far, Gatlinburg has my vote!

Christmas Questions

2007-11-15T23:33:00.000-06:00

Ok, I know it's a little early, but I love these things! Below is a survey about Christmas. Teale and Sam, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to complete the following survey. Anyone else that's interested can answer, too! I can't wait to see your answers! Mine are posted below:

Christmas ---The holidays are near so I want to know...
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot chocolate - but I'd rather have hot tea.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
He places the gifts in specific pieces of furnature for each child, and we always knew which was ours! It was fun to keep going back - Santa was always really crafty about how he set the presents up, you always found something else you just loved when you went back to look.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
All white, and NO BLINKING!!!
4. Do you hang mistletoe?
I do when my honey shoots it down for me!
5. When do you put your decorations up?
The first weekend in December, usually, 'cause that's when we get our trees.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Dressing!!!
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child:
I have lots, but my absolute favorites are all of us (Jody, Matthew and me) sleeping in the same room on Christmas Eve, and the year Matthew got "Casey Jr." and woke mom and dad up playing with it at 5:00 am!
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
Lauren Tatum told me in 4th grade. I still don't know if I've completely forgiven her yet!
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes, we open our Christmas PJ's so that we'll have cute pictures in the morning.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
White lights, a mixture of sentimental and cutesy ornaments with large snowflakes added in to give it some unity.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
I LOVE snow, any time!
12. Can you ice skate?
Well, I've been ice skating before, but I wouldn't say I'm proficient.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
My pearl earrings Michael's mom gave me the Christmas before we were married. I wore them at our wedding, and they're still one of my favorites 6 years later.
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Remembering what Christmas is all about - the birth of our Lord!! Also, spending time with my family, wrapping presents, then watching people open them.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
I don't really have one. I do love my homemade cinnamon rolls that Martha taught me how to make.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Daddy reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" on Christmas Eve, making and decorating sugar cookies and going to get our Christmas trees as a family at the tree farm.
17. What tops your tree?
A beautiful angel in green velvet with white fur trim. She's the first Christmas decoration Michael and I bought for our own house. :)
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
I love to give presents, and to see the joy on someone's face when I get it right, but I love to rip into the paper, too!
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
I really do love them all, but if I must choose, these are my choices:
Religous - O Holy Night
Traditional - ANYTHING Bing!
Fun - I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas - it's pretty catchy!
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yummy?
Love 'em. They make pretty cute ornaments, as well as being tasty!
21. What do you want for Christmas?
Rest, time with a healthy family and anything shiny or involving purses or shoes. I'd also like to take cake decorating classes... hint, hint Michael!

Sam the Magician!

2007-11-08T12:09:00.000-06:00

This weekend one of the rarest and best things EVER occurred - we got an EXTRA hour of sleep! I was all bright-eyed and bushytailed on Sunday Morning (after oversleeping even with the extra hour of sleep) and rarin' to go! Since we were all feeling so wonderfully rested, my entire family decided to go to Cracker Barrel for lunch. So, Michael and I met Jody, Ryan and thier boys at Mom and Dad's and we all went to Cracker Barrel. This is where Sam discovered his "magical talents". By this, I mean that Dad tricked him into thinking that he could make the gas lamps on the table move by rotating his hand in the general direction of the lamp. Of course, Sam can't do magic - dad was moving the lamp from the base under the table, but Sam didn't know that! Folks, this was QUALITY entertainment! My personal favorite was his "behind the head" move. This is 100% up my Dad's alley. He does this kind of stuff all of the time. I remember wishing for color in "The Wizard of Oz" until I was probably 10 years old. I'm a sucker when it comes to my Daddy! So, anyway, even though it took a REALLY long time to be seated and get our food, a good time was had by all. Michael and I even got some Christmas shopping done!

Below is a picture of "Sam the Magnificent"!

The Dance Of Joy

2007-10-29T18:56:00.001-05:00

I was so excited to find this, I had to post it. Teale, this is for you! Do you remember doing this? What cool kids we were... :) I'm having serious trouble posting the video, so you'll just have to go here to view it. It's sooo worth it!

Purple People?!?

2007-10-29T16:51:00.000-05:00

For any of you who know me, you know I'm an EXTREMELY competitive person, especially when it involves creativity. This competition was right up my alley! Our school had a pumpkin decorating contest. Our class decided (by that I mean I decided) that we'd make a Purple People Eater - you know, from the song? We used two pumpkins, lavender spray paint (the quickest and easiest way to paint a pumpkin), spray glitter, dowel rods (Martha Stewart has nothin' on me!), yard sale price stickers, google eyes, buttons and string and came up with the masterpiece below! It's so exciting when the plan is executed with the results you were after in the first place! Because of our extreme craftiness, our class has won a pizza party! Yes, food and gloating rights are two extreme motivators for me! Anyway, take a look at my.. I mean OUR creation below and tell me what you think!

My Honey!

2007-10-18T17:44:00.000-05:00

Ok, so apparently I was "tagged" so I must complete the survey that follows. Hope you enjoy it!

1. Who is your man? Michael
2. How long have you been together? We've known each other for 8 years and been married for 6 of them.
3. How long did you date? A little over a year, if being engaged doesn't count as dating.
4. How old is your man? 28
5. Who eats more? Usually him, but I do have my moments!
6. Who said “I love you” first? Him, and TOTALLY by accident! :)
7. Who is taller? He is. Who's not taller than me?
8. Who sings better? I think we're both equally gifted, but I do wish he'd use his gift more than he does!
9. Who is smarter? I think it depends on the subject. Vocabulary/English stuff is my domain and math is CERTAINLY his! Everything else we're probably equal.
10. Whose temper is worse? Mine.
11. Who does the laundry? We both do, but I will admit that he does it more often. Man, did I luck up or what?
12. Who takes out the garbage? It's all him, but I do replace the garbage bags.
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Looking at the foot of the bed- I do. We sleep that way b/c a streetlight was right outside of the window in our first apartment and he couldn't handle it!
14. Who pays the bills? He pays them all. He is really more of a planner and saves for different things. Me, I'm happy to have the money for what I want right then. God definitely knew what He was doing when he sent Michael to me! :)
15. Who is better with the computer? I think we both are equal.
16. Who mows the lawn? He does. So far, all I've had to do is pick up golf balls.
17. Who cooks dinner? Almost always me, unless it's something grilled. It's ok, I get to try new recipes and then tell him not to complain if he doesn't like it, 'cause he didn't have anything to do with it!
18. Who drives when you are together? We share that job. Usually, if he drives there, I'll drive back, or vice versa.
19. Who pays when you go out? He does.
20. Who is most stubborn? Me.
21. Who is the 1st to admit when they are wrong? Usually him.
22. Whose parents do you see the most? Mine, since we live closer to them and go to church with them. We do make it a point to visit his family every Sunday, though.
23. Who kissed who first? He kissed me after he asked me if he could! :) How sweet!!
24. Who asked who out? He asked me.
25. Who proposed? He did of course!
26. Who is more sensitive? Definitely me!
27. Who has more friends? Me. I'm just a lot more social than he is.
28. Who has more siblings? We're tied, exactly. We both have a brother and a sister.
29. Who wears the pants in the family? I believe we both have a leg in the pants! We truly do discuss decisions before making them and work together on everything.

Monday Morning Surprise

2007-10-15T06:51:00.000-05:00

Let me start out by saying that this is not my normal schedule, so things were already off from the start. Today is Monday, that day that everyone dreads because it means the end of the weekend and to make it worse for me, I have to get to school WAY early (6:30 am) to keep the children who come to school early. So, I get up WAY early (people, my philosophy is that if the sun isn't up, I shouldn't be, either) get a shower, and am of course running a little late - shocker, I know. Anyway, I get to school at about 6:33, and there are no cars of parents with children waiting on me (thank goodness!) so I go ahead and let myself into the EMPTY school. Yes, that's right, I'm the only one in the whole entire darn HUGE place. So I get inside, get my sign in sheets ready for my children all in a rush, then sit down to have my breakfast banana and turn on my computer. So there I am, wondering when I'll have my first child come and waiting for my computer to start and I hear a noise. Of course, my senses are SUPER sensitive, since I'm a little on the paranoid side and I whip my head around toward the noise only to see a HUGE BROWN RAT (well, maybe it was just a little brown mouse, but it seemed huge at the time),scurry out of my classroom door! I then hear a thud from the other side of the wall from the classroom next door and am freaking out! I put my feet on top of a nearby prop, take out my trusty cell phone (when my hands are steady enough) and call the only person I know who is awake at this time of morning with their phone - my wonderful husband. When I told him my story all he had to say was "Well, as long as it wasn't at the house..." What a BOY! So, I'm now off to face the rest of the day being ever watchful for a furry brown visitor. I wonder if they'll let me set out some traps...

C is for...

2007-10-14T16:45:00.000-05:00

Cookies! I had a yearning to once again express myself through culinary efforts, and this was the result - the most uniformed drop cookies I've ever made! To some this may not be anything exciting (my husband being one of them) but you other perfectionists out there know where I'm coming from. Or, maybe I'm just a little too excited about my cookies.... Well, for better or worse, check out the pics of my fantastic looking and tasting chocolate chip walnut cookies. Yes, they taste just as good as they look (thank you, Nestle Tollhouse)! Next time, I think I'll try chocolate cake...

The Night in Pictures

2007-10-12T17:13:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I've finally had time to sit down and post the pictures from Saturday's festivities. Enjoy! This is the table with pictures of the classmates we've lost. Dana, you had a GREAT idea! I know the parents and close friends of these guys especially appreciated it.

Below are a some shots of the dinner / meet and greet portion of the evening.

And after dinner came the awards. I believe Shannel had the most fun with her prize. She wasted no time in cornering our "Hottest Bachelor" for a private photo shoot! :)

Then came the karaoke portion of the evening. I think the pictures speak for themsleves!

As you can see, we had a GREAT time! For any of you who have reunions coming up, I must tell you to GO!! You just can't imagine how much fun it is to catch up with people who knew you "way back when".

Ten years already?!?

2007-10-07T11:37:00.000-05:00

Ok, so last night was the BIG NIGHT - my 10 year high school reunion! I can't believe I'm old enough to have been out of high school that long! It was a month in the making, and turned out much better than you would expect. We had a total of about 30 classmates show up for good food and reminiscing. The food was great, the service excellent, and the company was amazing. We gave out prizes for several different awards, and I don't think Sam will ever get over not winning the Traveled Furthest award! There was also a touching moment when we took time to remember the classmates we've lost (Gary, Tommy Dale, Pat and Jason) and had the parents of some of them present. Dana did a GREAT job putting it together, and Sam and Mark were the perfect people to speak. I do think the hilight of the pre-karaoke was Shanell with her "prize" having her own private photo shoot!

Last, but definantly not least, was the karaoke portion of the night! It's amazing what can transpire when you get together with old friends, some of whom have already been hittin' the sauce, then add more beer and a live mic! Brandon, Steven and Anthony were the hits of the night, followed closely by Shanell, Sheri and her husband Bobby, Alicia and -GASP- Yours truly! I will never be able to hear "You Don't Have to Call Me Darlin" without thinking of these guys ever again. There will be pictures posted in the next couple of days to document this time of listening enjoyment.