Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Ugh

I am still sick. You read that right, people. I've been on Cipro, Singulair, Prevalin, and Bactrim, and nothing has worked. I am still coughing to the point of gagging every time I cough. So on Monday, I have a dr's appointment. Please pray that they find out what's wrong with me. I could never cough again for the rest of my life and I'd be happy.

Also, my dear friend Tracy needs prayers. Her husband is in the hospital. Send lots of love her way!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Christmas Eve Eve

It's Christmas Eve Eve, and I'm still sick. My head aches, I have a sore, runny, stuffy nose (it actually feels like my nose lost a fight with the wrong end of a hammer), and my right ear hurts. I still have cooking to do, too. I don't feel like doing anything but lying on the couch. I need to make some more fudge (I've made over 20 lbs this month so far), corn pudding, popover rolls (from scratch), and put together the breakfast for christmas morning (sausage casserole) without baking it, so it's ready for the oven that morning. Lexi is playing with her new roller skates, Gracie is playing with her pixo's, and Josie is playing with her cheerleader pom-poms (gifts from their dad's aunt/uncle and cousins), so they're pretty happy.

Mommy needs to go to bed! :( I DON'T WANNA BE SICK ON CHRISTMAS!!!!! Waaah!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Bah Humbug!

I just realized that it's been a bit since I last blogged. So what's been going on? Jason and I have had bronchitis for the last four weeks, that's what. We finally got some medicine, and I had started feeling better,and then today I woke up with a migraine. I have been sniffling and sneezing all stinkin' day. :( Josie and I went to the library, and I got "Becoming Jane" and "Beowulf" on DVD to watch while I'm laid up in bed later tonight. Thank goodness that I went ahead and made my fudge last night, because tonight I sure as heck don't feel up to doing it (and the kids are in there with the proverbial hand in the candy jar, lol).

Anyway, I hope you're all doing well and staying warm and safe and happy as the holidays approach and people get crazy!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Tater, this one's for you

This post is entirely dedicated to my wonderful stepdaughter, who is almost as big of a Twilight fan as me. =)

KStew & RPattz interview:



Tyra Banks asks Rob to bite her!!



A scene from the movie (complete with audience noises!):



Paramore video for Decode (with scenes from the movie):



A fan video someone created for Twilight to the Buffy theme:



The sneak peek of Twilight from the Penelope DVD:



MTV goes behind the scenes for the prom scene:



Hopefully you will enjoy those as much as I did! <3 Love you Tatertot!

Friday, November 21, 2008

twilight

Can I just say I AM SO IN LOVE WITH THIS MOVIE!!!!!! I have seen it twice in less than 24 hours... and am SO looking forward to going back over and over again!! <3

Monday, November 17, 2008

OME!!!

OME = Oh My Edward!!

Twilight fans, unite!!! LOOK WHAT I HAVE.



Seriously, I am fighting NOT to hyperventilate over this. I have been waiting for this movie forEVER. Look what else I got today!!!



Okay, so I'm a major dork. LOL. I have been re-reading my favorite parts in the books this week, too. Jason bought me a t-shirt, but it's too small and I have to take it back tomorrow and pray they have one in my size!!! THURSDAY NIGHT CANNOT GET HERE FAST ENOUGH, Y'ALL.

Seriously, I love my husband, but this? *points to picture below*



The man is too pretty to be just walking out and about like that! He is definitely SQUEE-worthy!!!! And here's a short video to enjoy...

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Anniversary

Today Jason and I have been married for 10 years. It's hard to believe - doesn't feel like it's been that long (though ask me on other days and I'll probably say it feels like it's been a million years, lol). Yes, on this day 10 years ago (Friday, November 13th), we said "I do." YES, you read that right - we got married on Friday the 13th. We thought it was funny. LOL! I guess since it's a big milestone, I should tell the story...

Jason and I had been very good friends our senior year of high school (seriously, without him and about 4 other friends that year, I would not have made it through). HE got married right out of high school and they had a baby, and I went on my way to college in another town about 2 hours away. That was 1995. In 1997, I got a message on my answering machine from him - he was in town and his friend was driving him to my school to see me! He had gotten divorced and was about to start school at a different college in the same town. We started hanging out, and then dating. At first he said he would never get married again, which didn't bother me at the time, since I had always said I never wanted to get married or have children... then I met Taylor, his little girl. I was instantly in love! During the summer of 1998, he said he thought that someday, he might want to marry me. Of course I got overexcited and went out the next day to look at rings! LOL! (He still teases me about that.) But the real thing didn't happen until the end of October 1998, when we were both back at school and his mom called to say she was planning a weekend vacation to Orlando, Florida, and wanted to know if he and Taylor were coming, too. He asked if I could come, and she said yes...

We bought my dress, his tux, our rings (had to have them sized), called the lady who was going to marry us (basically we eloped, lol), and got everything done in the span of about a week and a half. We had had a discussion wherein I told him that he hadn't really even asked me to marry him... so one day we were having lunch at Fazoli's, and he asked me right there! He'd picked up the rings that day, and presented me with mine. I think I got to wear it for 3 days before we got married! We drove back to his mom's, hopped on a plane that night (Thursday night), and arrived in Florida. The next morning, we got up, got dressed, and got married! We went to Disney World right after, still dressed in our wedding clothes, and people followed us around, thinking we were characters! Several people videotaped us and even asked for our autographs! We had lunch at Cinderella's castle, and then went back to the hotel to change clothes before heading back to Disney.

Fast forward 10 years, and now we have the most beautiful family. Three gorgeous little girls who are the lights of my world (4 when my stepdaughter is here!) ♥ And to think - at one time, I never wanted kids!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

ugh

I STILL feel gross and sick. When will it end?? Today I have had a migraine ALL DAY. It has finally ebbed down to a normal ache, but DAG! It still hurts. :( For the first time in nearly 8 weeks, I am going to miss a night of Bible study. That bites. :( I didn't even make a real dinner tonight - we had grilled cheese and soup. The kids had chicken noodle soup, and I had vegetable. Now I'm ready for bed! Hope everyone else's day is going better than mine!

Monday, November 10, 2008

Beautiful!

So I was strolling through Meijer the other day, a favorite activity of mine and Josie's. (Hey, it's either wander the grocery or camp out in the library, and we do our fair share of both these days.) We were walking through the fruit aisles, and I spied the Bosc Pears. OH they looked so good, and I haven't had fresh pears in forever, so I bought $8 worth (which was 9 pears). They sat in a brown paper bag in my kitchen for two days to ripen, and I finally took them out today. I peeled and sliced them (oh, how I long for a mandolin to do it for me!), and while I was doing that, Josie came into the kitchen and said "What's going on, Mommy?" I handed her a chunk of pear and said, "Taste it, it's like candy!" She took a tiny bite, then shoved the rest of it in her mouth and held out her hand for more. This is a HUGE deal for my picky-butt child! She wound up eating almost a whole pear! Long story short (too late!), I made a pear crisp. It smelled so yummy baking - the whole house smells like pears and cinnamon! Definitely good eats!




Saturday, November 8, 2008

So today..

So today was my childrens' 6 month checkup at the dentist, right? We get out of the car, and I stop and turn to Grace (my 8 yr old) and say, "OH MY GOSH I FORGOT YOUR MEDICINE!" (Since she has a heart condition, she is supposed to have medication before every trip to the dentist.) Then I take a breath and remember that the ADA and AAP say that now that precaution wasn't necessary, and I am relieved. So we all go in, and the three monkey girls get called back. Then about 20 minutes later, I go in to have my talk with the dentist (who, incidentally, used to be MY dentist :D). He says no cavities on any of the girls (WOOHOO). Says Lexi is going to need braces by the time she's a teen (no surprise, he told me that last time), and that she'll probably need some more fillings the next time she comes. Then he gets to Grace. She has two baby teeth left, the ones on either side of her front teeth. He said they're loose, but only ONE of them has a permanent tooth coming in behind it. Which means that she'll have a big gap in her smile and no tooth to fill it. His suggestion? BRACES to pull her teeth closer together and fill in the gap. MY CHILD WILL NEED BRACES BEFORE SHE IS NINE YEARS OLD. I am, to say the least, stunned. She is anxious. This is like shooting fish in a barrel, folks- should've seen it coming, I guess. Taylor is getting braces before Christmas, Grace is gonna have 'em before summertime, and Lexi will need them in a few years. He said Josie has a 50/50 chance of needing them, but you can guess which side the chips will fall on. Crap!

And I still feel oogy. I have been coughing up blood and coughing so hard that I gag every time I cough. Last night I sneezed, and my nose started gushing blood! What the heck! I am falling apart, y'all!!!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday today to my husband, Jason! (and his mom, Brenda!!) *throws confetti* I have a 20-lb turkey in the oven, and it's making the whole house smell so good (stuffed with lemons, rosemary and sage), I made mashed potatoes (real ones, not the boxed flakes), and yeast rolls. I bought corn on the cob, which was his only special request, but it's nearly 6:30 p.m. now and we'd have to bake them for 30 minutes (we do not eat boiled corn as a rule: boiling it takes all the flavor out of it).

I also checked Penelope out of the library on DVD, but it's so late that we'll have to have family night Saturday night to watch it!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Well.

All I will say regarding the election is this: a lot of my friends are Democrats, and a lot of my friends voted for Senator Obama. Now a lot of those so-called friends are calling me stupid and saying that I wasted my vote on McCain. Let me tell YOU something: NO VOTE CAST IS EVER WASTED. PERIOD. And you know something else? I put up with your bullying all last week. You cajoled, threatened, trash talked, and everything else to try and get me to vote the way YOU wanted me to. I did not. I voted the way my heart and my conscience dictated. If you can't live with that, it's your problem, not mine. But I do not appreciate being called names because of it. For a group of people who are supposed to be so tolerant and accepting, you surely haven't been. The animosity and outright hatred of people (and I'm not talking about race here, so don't mistake that) over the last 24 hours has stunned and saddened me. If this is what we have to look forward to as a country, then we are in very big trouble, indeed.

On another, much happier, note: Josie and I went out today. I have been feeling sick-ish, but we went out anyway, because I always feel bad when she's stuck in the house. A while back, I had used a credit counseling service to pay off some debt. Apparently they were doing something illegal, and some consumers filed a class action suit against them. I filled out the postcard they sent me to be included in the lawsuit. They settled, and my share was $13.66. I got my check a few days ago. At Halloween, we got coupons for free kid's meals at Texas Roadhouse. So I took my $13 and the coupon, and Josie and I had a nice Mommy-Daughter lunch together today. I really enjoy my time with her so much. (I can't tell the girls about it or they'd be uber jealous!) But then I took her to the tree play area, and she had a blast. Then we went to Starbucks, where she got apple juice and I got an iced pumpkin spice latte.

Now if my headache would go away, I'd be great!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Election Day

I am praying desperately that people will choose the best man for the job. I am extremely nervous over the election, and the thought that a lot of Americans seem to be taken in by down-talking and lies.

In other news, since the girls had the day off today, we went picnicking and then to explore the Falls of the Ohio. Good times! Josie said we were on an adventure - and she was right! <3 Pictures to come later.

I am feeling oogy - throat hurts and I'm coughing a lot. Hopefully it'll pass soon.

Josie's speech therapist today said that she thinks this might be Josie's last month for therapy - she's doing great! Praise God for that!

And also... does anyone in my area scrapbook? I need to get some done (seriously), and I work better in groups. So, scrapping party, anyone?! :)

Monday, November 3, 2008

Ruffians!

I can't believe it, but my car has been vandalized yet AGAIN. Last month someone broke in and rummaged through the glove box (nothing in it but gas receipts and whatnot), and left cigarette ashes all over the seats (we don't smoke). This afternoon I went to take Josie to the library, and the car wouldn't start - all the gas was gone!!! SOMEONE SIPHONED MY GAS! WHY?!?!? Gas is now down to 2.12 a gallon, and they siphon it NOW? I called the police and an officer came out to take my theft report. I asked him about it, and he said with the economy the way it is, they've had a rash of gas siphoning calls! Crap!!

Monday, October 27, 2008

um...

I thought this kind of stuff only happened on myspace or livejournal! Here goes anyway...

-Link to the person who tagged you.
-Post the rules on your blog.
-Write Six Random Things about yourself.
-Tag six-or-so other people at the bottom of the post.
-Leave comments on their blogs, letting them know they've been tagged!
-Let the person who tagged you know when you've written the post.

Karen tagged me.

1. I can't stand to sleep in socks. My feet can't breathe!
2. I always told everyone through high school and college that I never wanted to get married and definitely never wanted kids.
3. I am an insomniac - can't get to sleep before 2 a.m. on any given night, unless I'm sick.
4. When I was in high school, I had a daybed. I would take a stack of books and hide underneath it to read.
5. If I have something I really, really love (like a cd or book), I almost always have to give a copy to a friend.
6. I miss my mom.

Tagged: Jennifer, Jacie, Lisa - can't tag more people 'cause I don't know many more people on here!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Bad day.

Well, today wasn't a terrific day, as most days go. Lexi has been coughing since Sunday morning, so today I finally broke down and took her to the doctor. They think she might have WHOOPING COUGH, because apparently there has been an outbreak in this area of it. MAJOR SUCK for the little girl. :( She had to go to the hospital and have a test done, and we won't know the results until Friday or Monday (at the latest). Either way, no more school this week for her, which bites, because she ADORES school. She begged me to call her teacher and have her work sent home. Ah, my baby!!! <3 She is on medication now (antibiotics), but is still hacking like crazy. Please pray for her!

On another note, she's wicked excited she gets to be home Friday... which is my 32nd birthday.

Friday, October 17, 2008

God is SO GOOD!

You will not believe this story! I am just amazed at the way God works, and this is proof that His hand is in everything, no matter how big or small! Last month I was going to give my sister Josie's old crib (it had never been used, since Josie slept with me). Her mother in law went ahead and bought her a brand new one, even though she'd known I was giving mine to Jennifer. I was mad at the time, but thought, "hey, she deserves a new one," so I let it go. Well, I had my father in law come over today to put it together so I could sell it to Once Upon a Child, and wasn't sure they'd take it, since there were tiny chinks in the wood. He was missing a part, so I looked online to see if it was replaceable, and found out it had been RECALLED in 2007! I HAD NO IDEA!! Apparently several babies had died because of a flaw in its design! (Thank GOD Josie never slept in it, eh?) Well I called the 800 number to get the repair kit, and got no answer. So I called the CSPC hotline, and they said Simplicity (the manufacturer) had gone out of business!!! He told me to take it to Wal Mart or Target, since they seemed to be honoring the purchases and either giving repair kits or new cribs. I took it to Wal Mart, and they REFUNDED THE PRICE OF THE CRIB. I got a gift card for $158.66!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOD IS SO GOOD. He knew the danger of the crib and prevented my sister's baby from being in it!!! So I got some groceries, and the girls got to pick out Halloween costumes, and I FILLED THE CAR UP WITH GAS.

I feel like a millionaire, I am so blessed!!!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Shadowfeet

My current favorite song: Shadowfeet by Brooke Fraser



Walking, stumbling on these shadowfeet
toward home, a land that i've never seen
I am changing, less and less asleep
made of different stuff than when i began
and i have sensed it all along
fast approaching is the day

[CHORUS]
when the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
when the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees
when time and space are through
I'll be found in you

Theres distraction buzzing in my head
saying in the shadows it's easier to stay
but I've heard rumours of true reality
whispers of a well-lit way

[CHORUS]

You make all things new
You make all things new
You make all things new
You make all things
You make all things

[CHORUS 2]
When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
Every fear and accusation under my feet
when time and space are through
I'll be found in you
when time and space are through
I'll be found in you
when time and space are through
I'll be found in you

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Lottery winner? Maybe...

I really feel rich this week. I know I am far from it, but I feel like it!!! Thursday night I went to a bible study on the book of Ruth, led by the fabulous Liz Curtis Higgs. Then Friday, I picked the girls up from school and took them to the library. We got there just in time for storytime - "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day." Then we won two tickets to Derby Dinner Playhouse to go and see the play of the book!! Then today we sold some old toys of Josie's at Once Upon a Child, and I was thinking, "If I'm lucky, I'll get $10 for all this junk." I got $25! We stopped at the mall and Gracie used her gift card from Claire's that Amanda got her, and she bought a best friends necklace for herself and her little friend, Isis. Then we had lunch at McDonald's, which we never do because we never have money! Tonight we're going to church, and then we're going to walk around Harvest Homecoming.

I don't think I've ever felt so rich or blessed in my entire life. <3

Friday, October 10, 2008

Pillowy Puffs of Pumpkiny Pleasure!

Pillowy puffs of pumpkin-y pleasure - as Jason told me, that's a lotta "P's." But that's just what these cookies are; little pieces of pumpkin-flavored heaven!

Pumpkin Cookies

2 1/2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t salt
1/2 c butter (1 stick), softened
1 1/2 c sugar
1 c canned (or fresh) pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1 egg
1 t vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Beat until creamy.

Add butter mixture to the flour mixture, and blend just until combined. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly with a fork. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

I used some cream cheese frosting that I had leftover from last weekend's pumpkin cupcakes, and it works so well with these cookies. However, they're also every bit as good when not frosted - heck, they're even good with a spoonful of cool whip between two of them! YUM! I love fall, I adore October, and pumpkin is just way underused as far as I'm concerned. So far this week, I've made pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin pancakes. Tomorrow? Pumpkin bread! Muahahaha!!!



So, so yummy!!



CHOMP!!!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACIE!!!

I woke her up this morning with singing, and then after she got dressed, I brought her a chocolate cupcake with a candle in it for breakfast. She was so tickled, she giggled the whole time we sang again!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY BIG GIRL!!! <3

Monday, September 29, 2008

Saturday night, Gracie and I were both baptized at church. I believe that satan has now declared war on me. Our Pastor told us a few weeks ago that some people feel like life is beautiful right after baptism, and for others, it's when satan opens the floodgates on you. Apparently I fall into the latter group. Some serious things are going on in my home life, and if you're someone who prays, I'd very much appreciate some prayer for me and my situations.

Love to you all.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Saturday

This weekend is invitation weekend at my church (Northside in New Albany). I think I'm going to go down and be baptized. Anyone who wants to come is more than welcome and I would love to have you. Just let me know if you wanna come and I'll let you know what service I'm going to.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Long Day

So today Josie and I walked the path at Perrin park (okay, I walked, she was in the stroller). I walked 1.25 miles, and then we picked the girls up from school and went back, and walked it AGAIN. So in total, I walked 2.5 miles today. My legs feel like they're about to fall off! But I got some excellent candid shots of my girls. See?




Friday, September 19, 2008

Food

So I saw this recipe online tonight, and decided to give the girls a treat, since I hadn't baked in a week or so... Here's my chocolate chip cookie cupcakes!



And of course, my taste-tester, who never fails to let me know if a confection meets her high standards...



I think this is worth a second batch. ;)

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Wow.

Well, those of you in this area know about our wind, and all the damage it caused. Luckily the power never went out in our apartment (finally, a positive thing about living here). My sister and her newborn were not so lucky, though - their power is still out. Thank goodness my Dad went and got them (he has power), and they're staying with him for now.

School has been canceled all week for my girls, which is nice because now I get to spend some time with them... but of course, it's not all peaches & cream, because I am sick. Eugh. My throat hurts and I am dizzy and having hot flashes - it's not pretty. :( Fi is really enjoying having them home, though! And if I feel better later tonight (doubtful, but still), then I am going to try and make some sunflower cookies (peanut butter cookies, but with sunflower butter instead, since one of my little ones is allergic to peanuts!).

Oh, and yesterday was my weekly weight watchers weigh-in. I lost 5 pounds this week!

Love to all! (P.S. - I don't usually post pictures here, and for good reason... but I will share one for right now.)

Monday, September 8, 2008

Congratulations, Jen & Bryan!

My sister had her first baby (boy) on Saturday, September 6th! I won't give out any details since this is a public blog, but he is beautiful! Mama and baby are having some complications and he is in the NICU, but hopefully things will work themselves out and everything will be okay.

We're praying for all 3 of you! I love you so much!!

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Baby on the way!!

no, not for me, you naughty people, you!! My little sister's water broke at 2 this morning!!! I will have a nephew anytime now!!!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Is it Saturday yet?

Normally I would not be clamoring for the weekend. I'm a take-it-one-day-at-a-time kinda girl. But this weekend, Jason is taking me to Nashville, Indiana (Brown County). You know what that means, right? SHOPPING! Well, okay - I won't be doing a ton of shopping unless it's window shopping, but still. I love walking around the little stores there. Plus the girls are staying with Grandma & Grandpa while we go. I love my kids, but there are just some stores in Nashville that you can't go in with kids (or strollers), so it'll be nice to be able to do that (though I'll miss my girls like crazy and probably call to check on them a zillion times).

My Dad is supposed to come visit today. Then Josie and I are going to the library, then the post office. Then we have to pick the girls up from school, and come home and scarf down dinner before I run them to Girl Scouts, and then I have to miss GS to run to my first Weight Watchers meeting. It's going to be a busy day...

...and I still haven't completely woken up. :( Hope everyone else is doing well and having a great week!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

I signed up for the 6-week challenge at church (homelife groups). I am pretty excited about it... although they gave me a t-shirt when I signed up, and today was laundry day, and I've already managed to get a bleach stain on my BROWN shirt! I'm worse than the kids, I swear!

I need some prayers sent up for me, if anyone can do it. I'm struggling with a personal situation right now involving a family member, and I'm very hurt over it. It's something I should just be able to overlook and let go of, but for some reason, it's killing me. I am hurting really bad, y'all, and I need all the prayers I can get.

Gracie's dad got her the game Cake Mania 2 for her Nintendo DS... and she hasn't gotten to play it yet! I keep sneaking it and playing it - I even ran down her battery twice doing it! She said to ask y'all to pray that I stop playing with it and let her play instead! :)

Hope all is well with everyone.

Much love,
Michelle

Friday, August 22, 2008

Cupcake Pops

I made some cupcake pops for my little sister's baby shower tomorrow. I think they're cute as buttons! (Check out the sprinkles - little rattles and baby booties!)

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Back on the bandwagon...

Some of you may remember that I went to Weight Watchers in 2005, right before I found out that I was pregnant with Josie. I was losing 5 lbs per week (I was following the program religiously, plus walking 1 mile 3 nights a week). When I found out about Fi, I stopped everything. Hold on to your hats, ladies and gentlemen... I'm gonna start back up in two weeks! I'm even thinking of joining a gym.

It's time to start getting healthy again!! Boy, my kids sure are gonna miss all the sugar... ;)

Friday, August 15, 2008

My current favorite song.

Love Is Here as sung by Tenth Avenue North

Come to the waters, you who thirst and you'll thirst no more
Come to the father, you who work and you'll work no more
And all you who labor in vain and to the broken and shamed

Love is here
Love is now
Love is pouring from
His hands, from his brows
Love is near, it satisfies
Streams of mercy flowing from his side
'Cause love is here

Come to the treasure, you who search and you'll search no more
Come to the lover you who want and you'll want no more, no
And all you who labor in vain and to the broken and shamed, yeah

Love is here
Love is now
Love is pouring from his hands, from his brows
Love is near, it satisfies
Streams of mercy flowing from his side, yeah

And to the bruised and fallen
Captives, bound, and broken-hearted

He is the lord
He is the lord, yeah

By his strifes he's paid our ransom
From his wounds we drink salvation

He is the lord
He is the lord

Love is here
Love is now
Love is pouring from his hands, from his brows
Love is near
It satisfies
Streams of mercy flowing from his side
Streams of mercy flowing from his side
'Cause love is here
Love is here

Monday, August 11, 2008

gotta go back...back...back to school again...

So the school is supposedly posting what teachers the kids have today at 5 p.m. Gracie has been saying all summer that she hopes she gets one particular teacher (I personally think she has a crush on him, but she denies it - and then mysteriously gets the giggles). :) Their backpacks are filled with their supplies and ready to go, and they're begging me today to lay out 4-5 different outfits each for them to choose from for the first day! I remember the first day of school; the excitement of seeing friends I hadn't seen all summer, learning new things, having new teachers, etc. I loved school.

Not much more to say about that.

Anyway. Josie has a recheck on her ears right after I drop the girls off for their first morning of school. Pray that her tubes are still in place!

Thursday, August 7, 2008

wow

For one of the pickiest eaters I've ever met, Josie surely tickles me to death. She loves broccoli. I mean, the girl can put it away! Tonight I made Tilapia and steamed broccoli, and Josie ignored the fish and her piece of butter bread and went straight for the broccoli! She had THREE helpings, and then just fished pieces out of the bowl when she wanted more! I wish Lexi would eat like that!

Now I'm off, to make either strawberry cheesecake cupcakes or pistachio cupcakes... not sure which yet...

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

I slept for almost 10 hours last night. I'm beginning to wonder if something is wrong with me - ever since I hit my teens, I have been somewhat of an insomniac. I never, ever go to bed before 1 a.m., most of the time later than that. I don't nap, either. Yet somehow, for the last 3-4 days, I've been averaging 8-10 hours of sleep per night. You'd think it'd make me feel better and more rested, but all it's doing is making me feel achey (from lying still so long is my guess) and edgy. Rawr.

Tonight I want to take Gracie to the dollar theatre to see Prince Caspian, but both her dad and I have told her several times that if her room isn't clean by 3 p.m. (movie starts at 4), she isn't going. Seriously, their room looks like a hurricane hit it - clothes and toys everywhere - and I may be brave, but I'm not brave enough to step into that room to clean it myself.

Last night we had a funny moment. After dinner, I asked the girls to vote: cupcakes or cookies for dessert. They voted cookies (probably because I've been on a cupcake kick, baking them like crazy), so I whipped up a batch of chocolate chip cookies. They were cleaning their toys up at the time, so I said if they didn't clean up, they would get no cookies. Josie went around with her hands on her hips saying, "CLEAN! No cookies!!!" It was hilarious - the older two girls and I cracked up every time she said it - especially when she started stomping her foot to emphasize her point!

The girls go back to school in 8 days, and they're uber excited. Gracie is wondering if she'll get the teacher she wants, and Lexi just wants to know who she's getting, period. They have all of their school supplies (if I can just remember what belongs to who). Josie and I will miss them when they're gone, though. It's been nice having them home, and being able to go places and play games and whatnot. :(

Our church has been going through the Bible in a year, and last week we finished the Old Testament. This weekend, they're going to do something like a play to review the Old Testament, and said it'd be great, so I'm inviting you all to come and watch with me! Shoot me an email and let me know if you want to come with me - I am so excited!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Friday, August 1, 2008

Huzzah!

Today is going to be an excellent day. We're going to go school supply shopping (SO MUCH FUN!), then we're going to have a decaf soy iced mocha at Perkfection, and then Grace and I are heading over to the Summit to B & N, where we will stand in line for our ticket to buy Breaking Dawn at midnight. Then we'll have dinner at Max & Erma's, go back to B & N, and enjoy the midnight release party! YAY for good days!!!

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Gracie's CT Scan

Hey all. Just wanted to update you on Gracie's CT Scan that she had done at Kosair this morning. The pediatrician just called me and said that everything looks normal! Great news! So thanks to all who called, emailed, or sent cards - she really appreciates all of the love, and I do, too!

Thanks again,
Michelle

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

yadda yadda

So Taylor left Sunday, everyone is depressed, and I think I am coming down with something. I got up early yesterday to take the girls to storytime at the library, got home around 1, and told Jason I was lying down for a nap. I didn't wake up until 7 p.m., at which time I got a drink, went to the bathroom, and went back to sleep until 9 o'clock this morning! Insane! Today I feel dizzy and out of sorts. Don't know if it has to do with yesterday's sleep-a-thon or not. I was not hungry yesterday when I woke up, and I am not hungry today, either. I've had two cups of coffee with my new sweet italian creme creamer in it, but other than that, I haven't felt like anything else. The kids had spaghetti-o's and chicken noodle soup for lunch, and now I'm trying to get Fifi down for her nap, and the older two are cleaning their room. Hopefully she'll nap, and they'll come lay down with me, cause I feel like having another nap too.

Oh yeah, and the pediatrican rescheduled Gracie's CT Scan to July 29th @ 7 a.m.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Update on us

It's been a busy week. Taylor leaves us on Sunday, so naturally we're trying to jam lots more stuff in before she goes. We've been to story time at the library (they read Beauty & the Beast and got their pix taken with Belle from the Derby Dinner show), we've redeemed all of our summer reading points (there are lots of compass rings and bendy kings and queens floating around here, y'all), we've been on picnics, we've played dress-up, we've had manicures and pedicures, we've been swimming at the Aquatic Center, we've made fruit pizza, we've had homemade coffee frappuccinos, we've watched countless DVDs - and that's only the tip of the iceberg, for this week so far. It's only Wednesday, folks. Four days to fill up! Yikes!

I got a call today from Kosair. They want to pre-register Gracie for her CT scan, but they didn't tell me the date - guess I may have to call back and ask. For those not in the know, she's been having some pretty bad headaches, and her pediatrician is thinking she might have migraine disorder. Pray that that's not what it is, please.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Happy 2nd of July!!

So yeah, I'm two days early, but I don't plan on blogging over the holiday weekend. Tomorrow we're having the annual "grandkid portraits" done at Portrait Innovation. This usually consists of the summer birthday kids each getting their own birthday pic (this year Nat will have her 4th, Lexi has her 6th, and Tater has her 13th), then there will be a big group one with all 5 girls, and then one of my 4 girls. So much fun! Then tomorrow night, we're hosting our own "vampire prom." (Taylor's into the book Twilight and won't be here on Aug. 1st when B&N is hosting an "undead prom" book release party.) Then the 4th, which we will cook out for, and possibly all go see "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl" or whatever it's called. Then on Saturday we're thinking of heading over to Nashville, Indiana.

We are busy bees, indeed!

So stay safe, have fun, and we love y'all!

Friday, June 13, 2008

Wow

It's been a while since I posted, but Taylor is here now, and we've been busy! We spent Monday shopping (and going to Schimpff's), Tuesday at the Aquatic Center, Wednesday was spent at home due to meetings for Josie's therapy (though we did manage to sneak in a trip to the library), yesterday we went to the riverfront and saw a free stage performance of High School Musical (there are two left, and they're free - 8:30 p.m. in Jeffersonville on the 14th & 15th), and today we went to the library again. We're bibliophiles, what can I say? Tonight we're going out to the girls' grandma's house to visit. Tomorrow is church, and then tomorrow night we're meeting friends and going back to see HSM stage play again :) It's been a busy week, but oh so much fun! We stopped at Meijer and got some caffeine free Cokes (Grace can't have caffeine) and some ice, and threw them in the blender to make "icees." :) How much better does it get than that?

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Thursday edition of the Baker times

So anyway, I am totally loving my membership to paperbackswap.com. I have managed to get the first 4 (of 8) Sookie Stackhouse books through there (for FREE), and the best part is that all of them look brand new. I've also managed to procure Undead and Unwed (Queen Betsy, book 1), and hopefully it'll be winging its way into my greedy little hands this week. Plus I have an awesome bud who sent me two unexpected books which I got in the mail yesterday - YAY!!! Books = love.

Taylor will be here Sunday, which the girls are crazy excited about. I'm excited, too. After she gets here, we're spending an entire day at the Aquatic Center, which all the kids love... except for Josie... who doesn't care much for water when there's a possibility that her head might get wet. :/ We're also going to Schimpff's that week, as well as going out for sushi (just me, Gracie, & Taylor are doing that - Jason is taking Josie & Lexi up the street to McDonald's).

Anyhoo! I'm off to finish off my coffee and my book (Sleeping With the Fishes by the fantabulous Mary Janice Davidson) before Josie's OT comes today. Ta!

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Re-eval

Today was Josie's one year re-evaluation with First Steps, as well as her first visit with her new speech therapist. She loved the new ST; talked up a storm and did everything she was asked to do. The re-eval went smoothly as well, though Josie said a TON of things I've never heard her say before. She was given a mirror, and the ST evaluating her said "What is that, Josie?" and Josie replied, "Picture me." My jaw dropped. Then they showed her a picture of a vacuum cleaner and asked what it was. She said "Macoom." Turkey! She also actually said her name! It used to come out as "yoshi" and today it was definitely Josie. She did so well, in fact, that she may not qualify for OT services anymore! What a testament to the ability of our wonderful OT! :) WTG Josie Nae!!!

Monday, June 2, 2008

52 books in a year

In keeping with a new goal to read 52 books in a year, this is what I've read so far (from Jan. 1 2008 thru June 2 2008). More to come. Additions as time allows.

1. Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
2. Mere Christianity, CS Lewis
3. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert
4. Grace In Thine Eyes, Liz Curtis Higgs
5. The 5 Love Languages, Gary Chapman
6. Shepherding a Child's Heart, Ted Tripp
7. 1984, George Orwell
8. From Dead to Worse, Charlaine Harris
9. Tithe, Holly Black
10. New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
11. Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer
12. Undead and Unwed, Mary Janice Davidson
13. Undead and Unemployed, Mary Janice Davidson
14. Undead and Unappreciated, Mary Janice Davidson
15. Undead and Unreturnable, Mary Janice Davidson
16. Undead and Unpopular, Mary Janice Davidson
17. Undead and Uneasy, Mary Janice Davidson
18. Club Dead, Charlaine Harris
19. Living Dead in Dallas, Charlaine Harris
20. No Rest for the Wicked, Kresley Cole
21. The Lady Grace Mysteries: Assassin, Patricia Finney
22. The Lady Grace Mysteries: Betrayal, Patricia Finney
23. The Lady Grace Mysteries: Conspiracy, Patricia Finney
24. The Lady Grace Mysteries: Deception, Patricia Finney
25. Dead Until Dark, Charlaine Harris

Friday, May 30, 2008

La la la la...

Some of my friends seem to be amazed that New Kids on the Block are getting back together. What? You mean not everyone stalks Joe McIntyre on the internet like I've been doing?? *innocent blink* My daughters have been making fun of me, and they don't know NKOTB from High School Musical. Yeah, right, like that's not lame! Sheah! Anyway, I have all of Joe's solo cds, and even one of Jordan's (not worth the $3 I dropped on it at Goodwill, proving once and for all that during all those arguments I had with Melissa back in jr. high: I WAS RIGHT! VICTORY IS MINE!!!! Joe has always been far superior!). I am surprised to see Jon back in the mix, after he had all those panic attacks. He was bordering on being Agoraphobic. Remember? I can't be the only one who remembers that... can I? Remember when VH1 did that "reuniting the band" show? Cuz they tried to do New Kids, and Jon, Danny, and Donny said no. Jon is heavy into real estate. Does anyone else think I know too much about this? Ahem.

Now that my superiority has been established (as if it wasn't before), how has everyone else's week been going? :D

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Woooooooooooooo

Lexi lost one of her front teeth last night. It's weird to look at her and see that missing tooth, lol! I've joined paperbackswap.com and am LOVING it. So far I've mailed out 5 books (another one going out this week), and only 3 have been rec'd, but with those 3 credits I've gotten the first 3 Sookie Stackhouse books (Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Novels). I've already read them all, of course, but now I can proudly say I OWN them. w00t! Today I've got to run by the library and take back some books I've finished, and get the rest of my Mary Janice Davidson books - apparently they don't have them saved in the library's catalog by Author name, but when I did a search for the individual titles I was able to find 4 of the remaining 5 books I haven't read yet. The sad thing is that they won't last - I'll most likely have all 4 of them finished by tomorrow night. I read even faster than usual when I'm reading something I enjoy. (It took me ages to finish Little Women because I couldn't get into it, but I finished Harry Potter 6 & 7 within 3 hours of each other.) I actually just started a series of books meant for teenagers, because the librarian recommended them to Grace & Taylor, and I want to know what they're reading. Quite brilliant, actually - they're the Lady Grace mysteries by Grace Cavendish (pen name), and I'm reading book A (a stands for Assassin, B is for Betrayal, etc etc - I think the series is up to the letter F so far). We checked out A-D, so we have 4 to get through. I'm not quite halfway through A, but I fear that when I pick up the rest of my fun books today, this one will go on the back burner for a bit. Not to fear, I will finish it - probably Saturday. But Grace is reading book 1 of the Sisters Grimm, so she has no need for it yet, and Taylor won't be here for another week yet, so she won't need them free until June 8, which gives me plenty of time to read all 4 of them, and other books besides.

ANYWAY! I guess I'd better lay off the blogging for now - Josie needs to be changed, and I have to tidy up a bit - not to mention that I wanted to make some cupcakes for dessert tonight. :) Hope everyone is having a good Thursday!

Monday, May 26, 2008

boo!

It's been about a week since I last updated - sorry about that. Real life gets in the way of blogging sometimes, lol. Lexi graduated Kindergarten (*sniffle*), so that means that next year, I have a 1st grader and a 2nd grader.

We finally got off of our butts today and cleaned the family room, which sorely needed it. I made Pad Thai with shrimp for dinner, but wound up giving the girls only the noodles with parmesan cheese, while I had the Pad Thai. Spicy! I made a peach citrus cake for dessert, too. SO YUMMY. Tomorrow we might go to the dollar theatre and see the Spiderwick Chronicles - Grace has wanted to go since it came out, and we just never had time before.

Also, I just have to throw this out there - if you live in this area and like sushi, head over to Kobe and have some spicy tuna rolls. They're positively addicting! Like crack, only healthier! ;)

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Stir-fry Noodles

Stir-fry noodles

Package whole wheat noodles
1 lb chicken breasts
1/2 bunch bok choy, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup edamame
Teriyaki

Cook and blanch noodles. Saute chicken, bok choy, pepper, onion and edamame; add some teriyaki to deglaze. Stir fry noodles with teriyaki and vegetables then add chicken breasts.

The amount of teriyaki you add is personal preference. I add 4-5 T of it. Also if edamame isn't available, I use peas. VERY filling and nutritious - should please even the pickiest of eaters... except Lexi, who ate the noodles and left everything else on the plate. She even acted like trying a piece of chopped bell pepper smaller than the tip of her pinky gagged her. :(

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Certified Bibliophile.

Yah, that's me. I ♥ books. So today I joined paperbackswap.com, where you can trade your old read books for others you want to read, for nothing more than the price of postage to mail your old book out. I listed some, and so far two of the books I wanted came in today! woo hoo!!!

I also finished re-reading Twilight and New Moon, and am preparing to start on re-reading Eclipse. Also spent a lot of time on twilightthemovie.com - amazing.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Apologetics

I am no good at apologetics. Really, I suck at defending my faith. I believe, and I read the Bible, and I'm bringing up my kids that way, too.

So when I was confronted today by someone who asked me a question, I had no idea what to say. I had to go ask someone else, and look up verses online.

What do you say to an unbeliever who asks: "If your God is so merciful, wouldn't that mean that he would accept everyone into Heaven, and not just those who followed Him?"

I need to take a course on apologetics. Right now I'm reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis - hopefully that will help a little, right?

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Reading day

So Lexi stayed home today, due to her hacking all day yesterday. Josie is in 7th heaven, since she has a sissy home to play with. :) As for me, I am still in pain (ankles swollen, bloody, blistered heels, achey legs), so I am dubbing today "reading day." I have 5 books from the library, plus two I purchased this past weekend, so I am settling down and digging in (as much as the kids will let me, I mean). Right now I am about 100 pages into the newest Charlaine Harris novel, From Dead to Worse. If you haven't read her Southern Vampire novels, I highly suggest you start! She is fantastic.

Hope everyone else has a lovely day!

Monday, May 12, 2008

Bring on the pain - also known as 'my weekend with the Girl Scouts'

So Saturday was to be the girls' first outing with their new girl scout troop, right? We got everything packed and borrowed a TON of stuff from my sister Candy, including (but not limited to) tent & sleeping bags. We got up at 5 a.m. to be at the church on time, and the troop leader was late. Then we spent another 20 minutes waiting for someone who forgot their kids' sleeping bags to go home and get them and bring them back. By the time we left, we were an hour late. The drive was 1.5 hours, very pleasant, since the 5 girls in the van got along great, and I got along great with Samantha, who was driving.

We get to the state park, and we have to park in an area different from the leader & the other vehicle. We waited for an HOUR for the troop leader to come and get us and our things. Apparently while we were sitting around waiting for them, they had set up their tents and gotten their girls ready, and we didn't even know where camp was yet. So we had to hustle to drop our stuff off and get the girl scout t-shirts onto us and the girls.

In all, we walked TEN FREAKING MILES yesterday. I freaked out, because Gracie started looking pale and got purple circles under her eyes and said she was dizzy. UH, MOMMY PANIC MODE: ON. I made sure that the leader remembered that Grace has a heart condition, and she flagged down an emergency vehicle to take me and Grace to our next destination to sit down and wait for the rest of the troop. We went, along with Lexi and another little girl who was suffering from CROUP. So we sit and wait, and 20 minutes later, our troop catches up. We walk for about 15 minutes, and then Gracie can't go on again. Keep in mind that by this time, it's about 5 p.m., and we'd been walking basically nonstop since 11 a.m. So another emergency vehicle takes her, Lexi, and some other kids & 2 adults back to camp. It takes me, the leader, and a few of the girls 45 minutes to walk back. By the time we get there, I'm dizzy and sweating buckets (already dehydrated, mind), and my feet literally feel like they're on fire. We eat dinner (tacos in a bag: fritos, taco meat, cheese, & lettuce, all in the frito bag). Grace had an orange. The girls played. It got dark, so we built a fire. We're getting ready to do smores when the park ranger informs us that the weather is supposed to get bad: extreme cold front, 1-3 inches of rain, and HAIL. We discuss and decide to go home. This is at 10 p.m. Gracie and Lexi are UBER disappointed that they didn't get to sleep in the tent, but occupy themselves with shining their flashlights in the eyes of the two raccoons that keep trying to sneak into our camp. We pack up, and Gracie tells me her stomach, legs, head, and feet hurt. So I give her two chewable children's tylenol. We pack up, and start the drive home.

An hour into the drive, Gracie starts puking. ALL OVER THE VAN. We pull over. She was asleep the whole time she was yacking! We change her clothes outside in the pouring rain, clean the van, and bag the sick. Put my poncho on her, in case she gets sick again. 20 minutes later she suddenly screams, "MY STOMACH HURTS!" and BLECCH. Everywhere. At that point, we were 5 minutes away from jason's mom's house, and 20-25 minutes away from my apartment. I called jason's mom, and she told us to come to her house. The time at this point? TWO FREAKIN' A.M. We get into their house. Gracie yacks at 2:30, 3:00, 4:00, and 5:30. By 9:30, her tummy is achey, but she feels better, she claims.

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sunburnt. Ever seen "Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives" on Food Network? I have the sunglasses sunburn he always has. :/ Gracie hasn't been sick anymore yesterday or today so far, thank GOD - but she still stayed home from school today because her stomach hurts. And I just called school to tell them that, and they said that Lexi was in the nurse's office - her teacher said she was coughing so much that it was a disruption! :( Her dad is going to get her and bring her home. :(

My legs and feet are so sore, I have blisters all up and down my heels. Last night I soaked my feet in some watermelon effervescent foot tablets that I had ordered last week from Avon - total bliss. Aaaaaaaaah!

How was everyone's Mother's Day? My father-in-law made me bacon, eggs, & toast for breakfast on Sunday, and then Jason brought me a mocha from Coffee Crossing. He & the girls gave me a blender and a gift card to Family Christian bookstore. My Mother & Father in law gave me a purse and a gift card to Family Christian bookstore. My brother & sister in law gave me a gift card to iTunes. ♥ We gave my SIL the new Point of Grace cd, and gave my MIL lots of flowers to plant. After we had lunch, we left, and I got to look around Family Christian. I bought the Ted Tripp book "Shepherding a Child's Heart," and some bible tabs. Gracie got a GiGi book, and Lexi got a GiGi doll, while Josie got some Veggie Tales figurines. Then we had dinner at Pizza Hut (Gracie was bummed cause Dad said no pizza [sensitive stomach, he was being cautious], and she decided to have a salad and breadsticks).

Anyway, not much happened after that, except that we came home, and I took some Tylenol PM to help ease the pain of my facial sunburn and my sore legs and feet. Hope it was great for everyone else!

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Zaboo!

So Josie's new favoritest show of all time is Zoboomafoo. She loves all of the animals, and I love watching her watch it! She cracks me up! She keeps saying, "Mommy, comes!" (here he comes)

So last night I tried a new pie crust recipe that I'd gotten off the internet. It turned out HORRIBLY. Like, inedible horribly. So we ate the filling out of it (caramel apple - tastes like the apple dumplings at Harvest Homecoming), and today I bought a ready-made crust from Kroger and am baking the pie as I type. It smells HEAVENLY!

Tonight the girls have scouts, and they're making their Gorp bags to take camping with us this weekend. Poor Lexi has to take something from home, since she's allergic to nuts and the chex mix has peanuts in it. :(

Does anyone else watch Top Chef? I was SO glad to see her leave last night. I'm rooting for Richard right now :D

Hope everyone has a good Thursday!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Tuesday Times.

So tonight for dinner, I made a Chicken Tetrazzini from scratch. Josie actually had THIRDS, mushrooms and all! Faboo! Tomorrow night I have slated roasted chicken & rosemary potatoes, and I promised Grace I'd make my apple pie tomorrow for dessert. Just as soon as I see some good peaches, though, I'm gonna make that peach citrus cake that I saw on Take Home Chef - oh, it looked SO YUMMY.

I called Hobby Lobby, and they start new Wilton cake decorating classes every month. They meet every Tuesday night, and it costs $24.50 for the class, plus you have to buy a beginner's kit that has all your supplies (not sure how much that costs). Does anyone want to go with me starting in June? Leave a comment or email me and let me know if you want to - I think it'll be fun. Plus from what I understand, you take home a decorated cake at the end of each class, so dessert is a bonus!

This weekend I'm going on a camping trip with the girls and their Girl Scout troop. Here's to hoping that my overweight self can make it through the hiking.

Anybody else ever been to Ichthus? I thought about taking Gracie and Taylor up there for the whole 3 days, but then I found out it'd cost us over $300 to do that, NOT including whatever food or souvenirs we bought. Yowza. I guess Grace will just have to settle for the free Newsboys concert during the KY state fair!

Love to all...

Monday, May 5, 2008

Cake Decorating

I'm going to try my hand at cake decorating, starting with Taylor & Lexi's birthday party this summer. You may remember that last year, I made my niece's cake:



Well, this year I'm going to attempt something much more polished. Don't get me wrong - I am SO proud of that Strawberry Shortcake cake :D But now I'm on to bigger & better things. I am going to do a castle cake for Lexi (she picked it out herself) and try something more teenager-y for Taylor (it IS going to be her 13th, after all). And since I'm having the party at a venue (hopefully), then I can spend time & money on the cakes that I normally wouldn't be able to. Tomorrow I'm going down to my favorite baking supply store (Cake Ladies Dream Shoppe), and I've already called them, so they're holding some stuff for me. YAY! BAKING! I BAKING!!!!!

In other news, Lexi went to the dentist today and had a tooth drilled. :( She's doing okay, the dentist said she was uber good in the chair and during the drilling (they gave her nitrous, so why shouldn't she be? lol), and she made his day easier since she didn't cry or fight him, like the teenage boy who went before her!!! She's happy that today she gets mashed potatoes and pudding, and mommy won't be yelling at her to finish her veggies!

Also, if you pray, please pray for my Dad. He may have polycystic kidney disease. If you know my family, you know that this is the disease that took my Grandmother who raised me away from us. I don't want to lose my Dad, too. Please pray for him.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

The Kentucky Derby

The Derby was today. I never have parties or go to parties for this, because personally, I take issue with the way the horses are treated during the race. I don't like it, and it makes me sick. I just logged on to the local station's website, and I find out that the 2nd place horse, the first filly to run the Derby in 9 years, broke both front ankles as soon as she finished the race, and had to be EUTHANIZED ON THE SPOT. How terrible is that?? As if I needed further reason to shun the race, you know? Here's the link: http://www.whas11.com/topstories/stories/whas11_topstory_080430_derbystory.b56f9283.html

Anyway. We had a good day - the girls and I decided to have a little mom & daughters party ourselves. For dinner I made homemade mac & cheese with cheddar, gruyere, and whole wheat noodles (they never knew the difference), Gracie made her Italian rice, and I made some zesty Italian chicken. For dessert, we sliced up a quart of strawberries and had strawberry shortcakes with cool whip on top. All in all, a pretty good day :D Hope yours was good as well :D

Friday, May 2, 2008

My baby's hero

So this morning, Josie was playing at the desk in the playroom, happily toying with her dollhouse and Little People. Suddenly she screeches, "BUG! BUG! Daddy, bug!!" So her dad goes over and "squishes" it, and then goes into the kitchen to get a paper towel to pick up the dead bug with. Once inside the kitchen, however, Josie screams at the top of her lungs, "DADDY - BUG! GET ME!!" (translation: Daddy, the bug is gonna get me!) So he runs back in, scoops up the bug, flushes it, and comforts her. Aaaaaaaand... that's ALL she's been talking about ALL DAY. To ANYONE who will listen! She talked to her papaw on the phone and told him: "Pa, BUGGY. Daddy buggy. Get me! Scare me!! [and this last, said with great relief] DADDY." Same thing when we picked her sisters up from school... "Sissy - BUGGY. Get me. DADDY." Like she wasn't already attached to him enough, now he is - quite literally - her hero. :D

Thursday, May 1, 2008

What's for dinner?

Tonight for dinner I made crispy oven-fried tilapia, along with some supersweet white corn and jasmine rice. I have been poring over my new cookbook for nearly a month now (Deceptively Delicious), and finally tried one of the recipes today. I tried the chocolate chip cupcakes with yellow squash and pumpkin hidden inside. When they were just out of the oven, I could sorta smell traces of the squash, but when I tasted them, I couldn't taste any veggies in them! I even gave one to Josie's OT, and she said she couldn't taste anything unseemly, either. Josie would not eat them. Gracie devoured them. The real test was Lexi: she is SO picky, I actually wanted the cookbook because of HER. She didn't like them much with the icing (made from cream cheese & pure maple syrup), but without she liked them okay. SCORE! She ate squash and pumpkin without realizing it!!! Next I'm going to try the pink pancakes (with pureed beets inside). Seriously, this cookbook is awesome for any parent of a picky eater. Veggies can be snuck inside ANY food, apparently - even chicken nuggets! I highly recommend it!

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Point of Grace

So today, my sister in law, Grace, and I went down to Waterfront park and ate dinner at the chow wagon, and then saw Point of Grace in concert for FREE. How awesome is that? It is so amazing to me that we have the freedom to gather together in public and worship together. We are so blessed to be living in this country with all of the freedoms we have. The concert was amazing (even got a little Avalon action in there, w00t!), the food was good (carnival food is always good, even when it costs an arm and a leg like it did tonight), and Grace had an excellent first ever concert experience. It's nice to be able to take my daughters aside individually and have mommy & me time with them once in a while - and it was perfect. God blessed us with a cool, rain-free evening, lots of room for dancing, and worshipful songs to bless us with. I hope everyone else had a WONDERFUL Sunday, just like we did.

Love to all,
Michelle

P.S. - if you wanna see pictures, comment here and I'll shoot you an email. I even did a couple of videos. :)

Saturday, April 26, 2008

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Okay first of all, I have to say: I am not a Packers fan, but I am OUT OF MY MIND EXCITED that they drafted Brian Brohm 2nd round! WOW! I have seen this guy play many times and am a HUGE fan! I will definitely be watching his progress in the NFL!!!

That out of the way, church tonight was a very moving experience. I bawled my eyes out. As we were leaving, they played one of my favorite Casting Crowns songs, and it just brought the message home:

Praise You in This Storm
words by Mark Hall/music by Mark Hall and Bernie Herms


I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away

Chorus

I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

Chorus

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Vote for me!

Kroger Reusable Shopping Bag Design Contest - Vote for My Design

Friday, April 18, 2008

Vote for me!!!

Our local grocery store, Kroger, is having a design contest where you can design your own reusable canvas bag to carry groceries in. Everyone vote for me!!! You can vote for me at least once a day!!! If I win, Kroger will use my design on some of their bags, and I'll get a $500 gift card to Kroger!

Click the above text to vote!


Michelle

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

WOO HOO!

I frequent allrecipes.com cuz I love to cook, right? Well not too long ago, I submitted my own recipe for super easy chocolate cupcakes (I used a basic recipe and tweaked it to suit my own personal tastes), and they posted it, and someone made them and submitted a picture and gave me a positive review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My recipe

Blah

Lookit that- the sun is shining, and it's a beautiful day! Too bad I feel like my head is gonna explode, huh? :\

Well, Avon is going steadily along, though yesterday I sent an email application to be my DSM's personal assistant in this area, since she lives in Indy. Here's to hoping I get to do it... don't know yet though, she hasn't emailed me back. But I am loving selling Avon! I am addicted to their Glazewear lip gloss... my only problem is that I was not a "girly girl" growing up, so I never learned how to put on makeup properly. I am learning a lot now, but still...

Josie is taking a nap right now. She started getting a runny nose and being wheezy last night, and today she's got even more of a runny nose and is coughing as well. I should have called and canceled the speech therapist, but she's missed too many appointments already, so I'm going to ride it out and hope everything goes okay. The fact that she's resting now is good; maybe she'll have more energy for the therapy. She's such a good baby! ♥

Two days ago I checked out Ian McEwan's "Atonement" from the library, and hopefully I'll be able to start reading it tonight. Has anyone else read it? Just curious. It really sounds good, and I wanted to see the movie, so we'll see, I guess. I just got finished making a HOOOOOOOOOOOOGE wishlist over at Christianbook.com, and emailed it to myself. Ha. If I bought everything on it, I'd be spending over $200. Say, anyone have a spare $200 to give me? ;)

The maintenance guy from the apartments actually came today, and as per usual, he didn't do a doggoned thing. *sigh* At least I have some other things to distract me tonight... dinner (making General Tso's chicken from scratch), delivering Avon, and picking up some more books I reserved at the library!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Saturday

It's Saturday!! *dances* Saturday is my favorite day of the week - CHURCH! Today we got up and the girls tried on some old bathing suits. The good news is that Grace has 5-6 suits she can wear. The bad news is that Lexi only has 2, and she wants at least one more. Josie has 2 as well... possibly more, if I can go through the mountain of clothes in my room and find the rest of them before swimming starts! We just had breakfast (the girls ate a metric ton of chocolate chip pancakes), and in a few minutes (after Veggie Tales is over), we're going to start cleaning their room and throwing out toys. Surprisingly, they aren't too upset about it. I told them we were going to send them to kids who don't have toys (an orphanage, if I can find one nearby - haven't looked yet). They have a ton of stuffed animals to get rid of, and I told them it might make a kid feel better to hug one. <3 Hope everyone's day is lovely!

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

In the dumps.

So yesterday I had a really bad day - really low. I was down in the dumps, for real. Today I am a little bit better. Even though it's gloomy out, I'm not being a sourpuss. Instead I am happy, because I'm beginning to plan our annual family trip to Holiday World! I LOVE HOLIDAY WORLD! It always makes me sad when we leave, because I know it'll be another year before we get to go back. This year they have 3 new rides... one in the water park, a carousel, and a frog hopper, which all the kids adored at Indiana Beach when we went. So here's a list of some of the things I want to do this summer with Tater here:

* Holiday World
* Zoo
* Science Center
* Frazier Museum
* Art Sparks
* Build-A-Bear
* Graeter's
* Max & Erma's
* Family pix at Portrait Innovations
* Indianapolis Children's Museum
* Newport Aquarium
* Aquatic Center (many, MANY times)
* Ice Skating
* Bowling
* Roller Skating

And more... not to say that we'll get to do all of those things, but I'm always overly ambitious anyway! With 4 kids, it's expensive to do ANYTHING!

Friday, April 4, 2008

Open Invitation

For anyone who reads this blog, I have an open, standing invitation for you: Come to church with me! I love my church, and I would love for you to come and experience it with me!

My girls have been watching Veggie Tales like, non-stop, for the last week. I'm not complaining, I just wish I had more of a variety. They're begging me to buy them a VT playset from Family Christian, so if I get a gift card there for Mother's Day, it might just be what I buy. (Don't tell anyone else that - my family always reprimands me for that, which is why I usually don't get gift cards or gift certificates - I always wind up spending them on the girls. I feel selfish getting myself anything.) Although... there are some new cd's I'd very much like to have, and I wouldn't mind getting a new tote bag for my Bible and other church items...

Other than that, not much going on here right now. There's a pan of lasagna in the oven (smells SO yummy), and we're just hanging out, chillaxin', and being girlie girls (tonight is nail-painting night). Hope everyone is doing wonderfully!!!

Monday, March 31, 2008

Holy Spirit, say a prayer for me.

I am posting these lyrics in the hope that they will touch someone else just as much as they have touched me.

JENNIFER KNAPP, "Trinity"

You in the mirror, starin' back at me,
Oh conscience,
let me be....to the pure, all things are pure.
To those who defiled unbelieving: nothing is pure.
Their minds, their conscience defiled.
They profess to know God, but deceive him by deeds all the while.
Where do I stand, on the rock or in the sand?
Oh Holy Spirit, won't you help me understand?
Holy spirit, say a prayer for me,
With your groanings, My mind, my conscience defiled!
send the blood of the Lamb, don't leave me in exile.
What was the promise on the Cross of Calvary?
Confess the Lord and the truth shall set you free...
create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a steadfast spirit within me.
To my prayers you've always given heed.
Blessed be thy God, who never turned away from me.
Hid his face from all my sin, forgot, forgot my iniquity.
Go on and raise your hands, sing praises to the Lord.
He's the King and He'll reign forevermore.
He died upon the cross at Calvary.
He died to save a wretch like me!

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Poor Lulu!

My poor Lexi was up all last night with croup. I took her to the doctor today, and he gave her an oral steroid, which from past experience is the only thing that works on her. She was not happy. This is the kid who doesn't blink at shots, and watches (with interest) when they poke her finger... and today she freaked out over the strep swab they did on her throat. Silly turkey! But tonight she'll be feeling better after she gets her steroid. Thank goodness for that!

I finally got to wander around the new Family Christian bookstore in Clarksville. How cool is that place!! My one complaint: their music section is UBER small. :( If I want a big selection, I guess I'll have to take my lazy rear over to the Wellspring in Louisville. Thanks to my friend Emily, though, I have the new Skillet cd (Thanks, Emmy!), which rocks my socks!

Grace and I are apparently the only ones going to church tonight. Lexi is still feeling oogy, and when Josie woke up last night and didn't see Lexi, she FREAKED out. Seriously. So she was up half the night, too. So the two of them and Daddy are going to stay home and sleep while Grace and I go to church.

Pray for my baby chickenses!

PS - How can this NOT touch your heart?

Monday, March 24, 2008

do I stand on the rock or the sand?

So anyone who knows me at all knows that I have issues with anger. I was raised in a home where my Mom was pretty much sick all the time. Being sick made her angry. I was the only one close, so all of her anger was taken out on me. (At the time I couldn't see that she was angry because of her sickness. I was a teenager. Hindsight is 20/20, remember?) So I grew up dealing with anger the same way she did: I would get mad, explode on the spot, say things I would regret later just to hurt her in the moment, and then stomp off and brood about it. Later on, we'd both be pleasant to each other and pretend the fight had never happened.

I struggle with this as an adult for so many reasons. It's difficult for me to change, because this is my coping mechanism, and up until I got married and had kids, it pretty much worked for me. Get mad at someone, just stop talking to them. A lot of people did the same thing back to me, so I figured it was how a lot of people handled things.

Boy, how wrong was that. I can't even begin to tell you the heartache my anger has caused me. I don't know where it comes from, or if it will ever go away, but I will tell you at one point I sought therapy for it. I have been on mood altering drugs (by prescription, not illegal, lol) to help control it. I haven't found anything that's worked yet.

This week in my bible study at church, we talked about anger. The chapter in our book that we read was about moms dealing with anger, and I will tell you this: I hear you, Lord. You're coming in loud and clear. I just don't know why I never heard you before.

...oh, wait. Yes, I do: I wasn't listening.

I'm listening now. I can see even now how much my angry outbursts have cost me in my relationship with my children, and it hurts me. I know how my mom's anger hurt me, and how angry I would get with her and the things she said to me, and I do NOT want to repeat the cycle with my girls. I want them to be able to come to me and talk to me about things, like I never felt I could with my mom. I want them to want to be around me when they don't have to, like I never felt with my mom. I'm not saying that my mom was a bad mom; please don't think that I am. She was wonderful, and I couldn't have asked for someone better. She got sick, and being sick made her angry, and it changed her into something that I don't want to be.

I am blogging this because I want someone to hold me accountable for my anger. I feel like a made a huge step in the right direction this week, and even today my heart is lighter and I feel as though a huge weight has been removed from my shoulders. My girls were fighting and saying mean things to each other, and normally this would make me shout all sorts of obscenities and threaten them with a spanking if they didn't shape up. Today, though, I stopped before I could yell, and I prayed. I closed my eyes and folded my hands and prayed for the strength not to get mad and not to say hurtful things that I would feel like dirt for later. And whaddya know, it worked. I was able to talk to them without raising my voice once, which is quite a feat for me. Gracie even asked me what she should do when she feels mad at someone and can't stop feeling that way.

I explained that something happened to me last weekend that made me angry, but instead of letting go of it, I held onto it all week, and it made me miserable. I told her that the only things we can do are to pray about it, and occupy ourselves with other, happier things. Immediately she asked me if reading her Bible would help. I said definitely.

So today was a groundbreaking day in my home. I feel completely blessed that God has seen fit to give me a chance to turn my family towards him and to repair the rift that I was starting to create between me and my children. Our home will definitely be a happier one if I can stay on this path. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but my kids deserve it. I deserve to not be angry for a while, too. I've been angry for far too long. We all deserve a chance to get away from that.

And I know I said I wouldn't be posting pictures anymore, but I'll make an Easter exception and show off my lovelies. I'll delete the photo after a week, so hopefully everyone will have a chance to see it.

Love to you all,
Michelle



Also, a good way to introduce my kids to worship music:

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Happy Easter

I was blessed when I went to church tonight. I could really feel God in that place, and I pretty much bawled like a baby the entire time. My spirit needed a wake-up call, and it happened tonight. So I share with you some of the lyrics that feel the most poignant to me on this Easter Eve, and I pray that you and all of your families stay safe this weekend and have a wonderful holiday:

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

Friday, March 21, 2008

Hey, y'all...

So, who wants to party?

Not only do I sell AVON, now I am also an Independent Beauty Consultant for Mary Kay as well.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Rain, rain, go away!

If you live near me, you know that we're under a flood warning right now! If you don't live near me, I've taken pictures of the Ohio River to show you the overflow:







Monday, March 17, 2008

Prayer Request.

Friends, I'm going through a difficult time right now, and it seems like it's flying at me from all directions. I'd like to ask you for your prayers, not only for me, but for a dear friend who is also going through an extremely difficult time. My trials pale in comparison to hers, but we both need prayer. Please keep us in your hearts.

Love to all,
Michelle

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Sick as a dog...

I guess those of you who actually browse this blog have noticed that I have not posted anything in several days. I've been sick with the flu, and have literally been spending the entire day in bed, achey and miserable. Ugh. Feeling better today, but not completely 100%. The girls and I are still going to try and make it to church today since we missed last week due to the snow. :0(

In other news, there's not much other news... and I'm going to go and lie down and hope my current dizzy spell passes. :0(

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Big news in my neck of the woods!

So yesterday I became an AVON REPRESENTATIVE!!! This is my first step towards financial freedom, I can feel it. I am going to put absolutely everything I can into this venture, and hopefully it will sustain me until whatever time (if any) that I can get my book published!

If you'd like to order from me, you can do it one of two ways:

1. If you live close by, let me know and I will stop and drop off a catalog, along with any free samples I may have :)

2. You can order directly from my Avon website - and remember, there's never a shipping charge!

My Avon Website

Love to all :)

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Sick!

These guys are amazing, really!

Friday, March 7, 2008

Bummed.

Dang.

I love snow, y'all. Seriously. And we have 4 inches, and counting. I guess it just sort of hit me that I might not be able to go to church tomorrow, which really bums me out. I went for the first time last Saturday, and I loved it, so I signed up for a bible study class on Saturday, and intended to go back to service Saturday night after the class... I just checked their website, and they have already canceled all classes for tomorrow morning. SO FAR they are still planning to hold services tomorrow night, so here's to hoping that I actually get to go! :(

Love to all!
Michelle

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Drama with Gracie's teacher... AGAIN

Last night at dinner, Gracie told me that a boy in her class named Mark tried to punch her in the face. I said, "WHAT?"

G: I held my hands up in front of my face, so he just hit my hands, but he tried to punch my face.
Me: Did you tell your teacher?
G: Yes. But before I told on him, he punched Jalen in the mouth and broke his front tooth, and Mom, it was a permanent tooth!
Me: Did he get in trouble?
G: Yes. He lost his recess for the rest of the week.
Me: Why isn't there a note in your bag telling Mommy what happened?
G: I don't know, but it happened, I promise!
Me: Did you do something to provoke him?
G: What does provoke mean?
Me: It means you did something to make him hit you, like teasing him, or hitting him first.
G: No, I didn't do any of that stuff, Mom. I was just sitting there and eating my lunch and talking to Xzavier (YES that's how his name is spelled), and Mark tried to hit me! When it didn't work right, he hit Jalen, cause Jalen was on his other side. Jalen's mom had to come and get him and take him to the dentist cause he was hurting pretty bad!
Me: I'll bet. I hope his mom sues Mark's parents for the money for the bill.

So I called the school today, and y'all already know I have issues with her teacher:

Me: Miss X, Gracie came home last night and told me that Mark tried to punch her, and there was nothing in her bag about it, so I'm calling you to confirm this.
X: Yes, she's telling the truth. It happened.
Me: Did she do something to provoke him?
X: As best I can tell from what the kids at the lunch table said, Gracie was sitting there, minding her own business and eating lunch, and he just hauled off and tried to hit her, so no, she didn't say anything to him.
Me: But he broke another kid's tooth?
X: I really can't talk about this because of the other kids involved, and I know I should have let you know yesterday, but I was so overwrought because of the whole thing that I didn't tell anyone about it. Today we went to talk to the Principal because she wasn't here yesterday, but he's been put on half-day suspension, so it's taken care of.
Me: So she didn't do anything but he tried to hit her anyway?
X: When I talked to him, he said he really, really wanted to hit Gracie, but when he couldn't, he just hit Jalen.

This is not a good excuse for not telling a parent that her child was almost in a fight! I am BEYOND angry. Seriously. Jason said he's going to march into that school and tell them that if another child puts their hands on Gracie, he's going to press charges against the parents of that child AND the school. I told him not to overreact, and he said 'It's not like when we were in school! They have a strict no-violence policy now, and I want to know why we weren't informed, and why this kid only got a half-day suspension!' I said "THEY'RE IN FIRST GRADE!" He said it didn't matter. What do you guys think?? Am I overreacting?? You know that this is not the first time I've taken issue with this teacher, or this school. GRRRR!

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Drama, drama, drama.

So tonight there was some drama in my life (as if I don't have enough, right?), and I was very upset about it. No, I am very upset about it. I would like to talk to someone in particular, either face to face, on the phone, or via email - but at the same time, I just don't feel it's my place. I love this person dearly, but I really think they are in the wrong and not seeing the situation as a whole. I am very confused, and I'm very hurt. I came home and tried to de-stress by playing games with the baby, but I'm still hurting. Some things were said, some to me, and some not. Very little to me, in fact, but it really hurt because of who it came from. I'm thinking about the sermon we heard yesterday at church, and I'm starting to feel more than ever like I was led there, because while yesterday the sermon wasn't so relevant to me, today it's hitting home, and hard. I have a situation on my hands that I'm going to have to pray about, and pray hard - pray like Hannah. And I'm going to have to listen like Samuel for God's answer. I'm really at a loss, and Ursula, I'm finally going to listen to you as well as the pastor - I have to let go, and let God.

Please pray for me, that I have the strength to do whatever it is God puts on my heart for me to do - whether it be to talk to this person, or just let it go (which those of you who know me know that I have an extremely difficult time of doing), or something else.

Love to all,
Michelle