Not Me Monday

I'm really ready for my free therapy this week....It's Not Me Monday again! Being Brutally Honest and Living to tell about it! I've got 15 or so people coming for Thanksgiving on Thursday so I'm sure the beginning of this coming week will be full of Not Me's... ☺

Check out MckMama's Blog this week, she has a lot going on over there....

So here are another week of Not Me's!

1. I did not thoroughly enjoy watching the Sooners dominate Texas Tech Saturday night. Nope, because if I did enjoy it, my poor husband who couldn't go to the game because of his injured ankle, would just feel terrible that he missed one of the loudest, craziest, best games in OU football history...

2. At the OKC Thunder basketball game on Friday night, when Nick, who had his pants pulled down, but couldn't hold it long enough to get ONTO the toilet and pooped all over the back of his pants, shoes, and the floor and then apparently tried to clean up the mess with his shirt sleeve,.......when that happened I didn't almost go postal...(to take a word from MckMama's poop incident)....and then end up cleaning off his shoes and his pants, then throwing his underwear, longsleeve undershirt and socks away...so all he had left to wear were his pants (commando), his short sleeve shirt (thank God he had on two shirts) and his shoes with no socks (he stepped in the poop with his socks on). That was a really fun night.... let me tell ya!

On a side note..there was a lady in the bathroom watching me walk back and forth between the bathroom stall and the sink with wet paper towels and gave me the AWW sucks for you face...and then proceeded to tell me her 13 year old wet the bed the other night (I guess to make me feel better about my situation)....I then, upon leaving the bathroom, didn't see the lady with her 13 year old son, and she didn't slyly point at him and wink at me...that poor kid...what kind of mom tells a bunch of people about her kids bathroom problems....tee hee☺

3. I did, not upon losing my cell phone for the 100th time in the last few weeks use my home phone to call my cell phone only to hear it ringing from the trashbag sitting by the backdoor ready to go out to the big trashcan... now who do you think put it in there???? No one will ever know.........

4. While at my 5 year olds Thanksgiving Gathering...I did not wonder when both my 3 and 1 year olds threw up if it was some kind of a awful cosmic joke....ya know because I LOVE to have attention brought to myself, esp. in negative ways...and the kicker is neither one of them is even sick(seriously!)

5. I did not avoid eating at a restaurant because the last time I ate there I found out I was pregnant a week later (happily-seriously), but right now I don't want to be pregnant...so obviously I didn't eat at that restaurant..because I KNOW how one actually gets pregnant and silly superstitions like that are below me.

well...that is it for this week... Hope everyone has a wonderful week and an Awesome Thanksgiving....

Small Fryday Contest

I am officially entering MckMama's Small Fryday contest, and I couldn't enter the contest without posting a picture of Small Fry herself! Through this contest, MckMama is trying to increase the hype around her blog in order to help her raise money for String of Pearls. String of Pearls is a support group that was created to provide a nurturing and safe place for families as they navigate the path following a fatal prenatal diagnosis that will result in the death of their baby prior to, or shortly after birth. If you don't want to enter her contest at least visit her blog to see updates on all of the amazing work she is doing to raise money for such a worthy cause!

If you want to be a part of it all....read the follow excerpt from her blog and enter along with me!

This contest is simple, but you'll have to have your own blog to enter. (Though, otherwise, this is an equal opportunity contest here...new readers or old, this contest is open to anyone!) Just write a post about this Fryday Contest, linking to my blog (If you don't know how to make a link, read this.) and then come back and comment here once you've linked. That's how you enter!At stake? A customized blog header for your blog, designed by yours truly (that would be me), plus some free photography goodies (filters for your lenses, and other fun stuff, depending on what kind of a camera you have) that I'll mail directly to you. Sound like something worth playing for? (Sorry, I have Jeff Probst on the brain again.) Yes, I thought so!Contest ends sometime this weekend. (Whenever I get the chance to log back on in between us moving in our new "renter," who is coming tomorrow.) I will try to visit all the blogs who enter the contest and somehow choose a winner by the time Monday rolls around.

My Name is.....

TROUBLE WITH A CAPITAL "T" AND IT RHYMES WITH "B" AND THAT STANDS FOR BRIAN!



BUSTED AGAIN!


HMMMM...WHAT ELSE IS IN HERE? THERE HAS GOT TO BE SOMETHING I CAN BREAK UNDER ALL THIS STUFF.

YES, I DO THINK IT'S VERY FUNNY !

HEY, MAYBE YOU KNOW WHERE MAMA KEEPS THE CHINA, ALL I CAN FIND IS THIS PLASTIC STUFF....

We've been so spoiled with our first three boys. We have never had to put a single cabinet or drawer lock on anything...(of course we did it with Alex, but we didn't need to)...Didn't even put them back on for Nick or Nathan....but Brian is making up for all three of them...He is into every drawer, every cabinet, everything! He can tell you the location of every plug in our house. (He keeps a copy of our homes blueprint in his diaper) He has made it his goal in life to figure out how to get those plastic stopper things out of them. Sometimes he spends several minutes a day just staring at and studying said item. I feel pretty sure he is devising a plan to end worldwide suffering with plastic plug stoppers.... (or maybe he just wants to eat them)☺

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He also loves to take doorstops off ...this little fetish of his has already resulted in one hole in the wall...ugh Recently, he has taken an interest in the carbon monoxide detector...He must emit carbon monoxide because it almost always goes off while he is sitting in front of it, ya know, contemplating world hunger..... There is a small possibility that he may be pushing the "test" button during all this contemplation... By the way.....That thing is loud...at least I know I'll be woken up if it goes off for real!

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I can just see his little (Ok BIG) eyes scanning the room looking for something or somebody to bug... When he gets caught, he crawls off in the other direction in super stealth mode, not even looking back to see if he is being chased.....And obviously (SEE PIC ABOVE) he has quite the guilty face when confronted by one of us....I'm sure he is wondering why being so stinkin' cute, (with adorable curls and eyes so big he melts you) isn't paying off anymore.....

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Well, I hear "Trouble" through the baby monitor, so I guess I'm out to purchase some baby proofing items.....catch ya later.

Thankful Thursday!

I would like to interrupt the regularly scheduled program Thankful Thursday with a little bit about the one person that I am most thankful for:

♥My husband♥

First off I would like to ask for your prayers for him. He was in the ER Sunday night after injuring his achilles tendon while playing basketball in the Men's Church League. He had an MRI on Tuesday and as of this post we are still awaiting the results. Based on what happens with the MRI, he may or may not have to have surgery. Please pray for his healing and for the doctors that are treating him......


Ok now to the fun part: a little bit about my prince charming.....


His name is Nima...He is named after a Persian poet. When he meets new people, he tells them his name is Nima and then says...like Captain Nemo....so most people get confused and start calling him Nemo...cracks the kids up! He just turned 36 in October.

He is a faithful Christian man. He is the leader of our family as both a husband and a father. His relationship with God and with his family mold the way he interacts with the outside world. He puts God and family before anything else.

He is an incredible husband. Always supportive, always there with a helping hand, always encouraging, and always puts me first. He values me as a wife, a mother, and a woman. We both believe that to have an emotionally healthy family, you must put God first and that the husband and wife relationship is the most important in the family.

He is an absolutely amazing father. He talks the talks and walks the walk. He loves and understands each of them on a very deep level. He takes every opportunity to teach them his values as a man who follows Christ. He sets an example to our boys that will allow them to grow into the men we want them to be...he walks the walk....

He loves Oklahoma football almost as much as his family.... :) but seriously he is an absolute fanatic for anything OU...he loves everything about sports...watching, playing, discussing, etc etc etc....and in return our boys are fanatics as well!

He plays the guitar and is basically self taught....singing, on the other hand, is not one of his talents (but he loves to sing along with the guitar)....sorry hon.

He is also an incredible public speaker....I am not, so I have always found this ability so intriguing.

He is a born coach. He does an incredible job not only coaching our kids teams, but coaching his employees....

I could go on and on.........

He is my prince...he stole my heart the day that I met him...and I knew from that day he was meant to be my husband....For better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.....I thank the Lord for this man.

And Speaking of Grown Up Boys

Where did this one come from?

Nick- 15 months---Yep Erin...that is your front steps... :)

Nick- 2 years old...This little guy has kept us in stitches since the day he was born! That smirk on his face is because he knows he's funny...little stinker!

Nick 2 1/2....everybody say ahhhhh! Look at my handsome guy.

Yippeeeee! I'm three!

And now you are 5 1/2.....Oh my handsome, sweet, little loving Nicky, my little kindergartener, my unique little guy who marches to the beat of his own drum, so smart, funny, and outgoing with a smile that lights up the room, my guy who befriends everyone and acts like he's known them for years.......How did you get so big?

Where Did Your Baby Face Go?

Every morning before school, two of our little peanuts come stomping down the stairs for a little bit of cuddle and conversation time in Mommy and Daddy's bed. We can usually lay in bed together and talk for about 15 minutes before the craziness of the morning begins. Alex and Nathan are our early risers, they both arrive at about the same time...their soft warm little bodies snuggle in next to me with sweet hugs and kisses. I love this time in the morning. It is probably the ONLY time Alex and Nathan are together by themselves (Nick almost always sleeps in late, and Brian joins the conversation only with his calls for MAMA through the baby monitor.)

There are quite a few similarites between these two..Both atheletic, aggressive, but sweet, and so I believe that despite their age difference they will be the best of friends someday. I love to listen to the little conversations they are able to have when they aren't being interrupted by their other brothers. This morning I noticed Alex staring at Nathan. After about a full minute of study, he finally said, "Mom, Nathan's face looks funny...
long pause.....
He doesn't really look like a baby anymore...I guess he's turning into a big boy."

OH MAN! You are right Alex, he is outgrowing THIS sweet little baby face that he had just yesterday..(at least it feels like yesterday to me......)........... and replacing it with this big boy face!

I don't know how this keeps happening to all my boys......I keep telling them to stay my little babies, but they continue to grow up.....ugh, they NEVER listen to me :)

Oh and by the way...I'm thinking that there is a small possibility that one day I will show a picture of any of my children without a long line of slobber coming from the mouth area, or spit all over their chins....I'm not promising anything............... but maybe!

Not Me Monday..again!

Little Ms. MckMama has turned the tables on us this week and has asked all of her faithful followers and prayer warriors for our prayer requests...what an amazing lady...and what an incredible gift she is giving us...First she lets us witness and pray and be involved in her life and the birth of her miracle, and then she asks to pray for us and to allow others to see our prayer requests so that God can receive these prayers, as if she has NOTHING else to do than pray for all **1,751 of us when she has a new baby in the house! Thanks MckMama!

**(1751 is how many of us entered her Tiny Tuesday contest! All I can say is WOW MckMama's girls like us some free stuff!)...

OK, Now on to Not Me Monday...Being Brutally Honest and Living to Tell About It!

1. I did not utter one expletive at my husband when he called me on his way to the hospital after partially tearing his achilles tendon while playing basketball at church last night...nope not me....I would NEVER think about the fact that I already have 4 kids to take care of and I don't need a husband on crutches or undergoing surgery.....BECAUSE I am always supportive, especially in light of the fact he has taken care of me during my multiple injuries! :)

2. I did not laugh hysterically at my mom when she thought THIS PICTURE:


was an ACTUAL old picture of my husband and not one that I had "made" on YEARBOOK YOURSELF........ NOPE! I would never laugh at my mom...... silly lady!


My mom was not very relieved to know that prince charming never actually had hair like that and that he was never quite that big of a dork!....

My mom does not continually keep me laughing! Love ya mom!

3. I was not in a bad mood one day this week, and upon further evaluation of myself realize it was because I was mad at/thinking about a character from a movie I had watched the night before who had cheated on his wife....because that would just be sick and wrong...

4. I did not send my child to school to accept an award in front of the whole school with bedhead......oh oops I already admitted to that one!

5. I did not bribe my kids to help me with my 65 loads of laundry this week...because I soooo enjoy doing laundry, and upon learning how well these boys can fold laundry, I did not make it another one of their "jobs" to promote responsibility....cause folding laundry is my job...and what else would I have to do???

6. And since we are talking about laundry, I did not threaten a never ending timeout to my 3 year old if he changed his clothes ONE MORE TIME on Friday...yep cause he does not change his clothes at least 5 times a day...

7. I did not giggle with excitment when I FINALLY figured out how to link pictures and words to a website...because I have a doctorate and I was smart enough to figure that out weeks ago!

SO......What did you not do this week?? To join in on the fun, click on the "Not Me Monday" picture at the top (tee hee...I did it) and go over to MckMama's blog and see ALL the Not Me's!

My Momma Says I'm Special

This post could have alternatively been called...."My Momma Sent Me in Front of the Whole School with Incredibly Bad Bed Head"....read on.......
Alex was 1 of the first 7 in all of the 1st grade to receive his math badge yesterday.(There are about 120 kids in first grade at his school.) He had to obtain a perfect score on 8 different 100 question timed math tests to secure his spot..He got to go up in front of the whole school during the morning assembly to accept his badge. He was so cute. I am such a proud Mama...too bad we didn't have a little more time that morning so I could fix (ahem, NOTICE) his "bed head" I tried to find a picture that would do justice to really how bad the bed head was, but unless you saw it in person----WOW! Poor guy...he, of course, didn't even notice....ahhhhh to be a first grader again! Great Job Alex!

Drumroll please.....and the answer is.....

for those of you just DYING to know which bones I have broken.... and kudos to http://baseballsandtutus.blogspot.com/ for getting 3 out of 5 correct....

in the order that it happened:

Collar bone--4 years old, fell out of a barber chair while my big brothers were having their hair cut---caused my mom to faint :)

Finger--high school..jammed on a basketball...not nearly as exciting as the collar bone one..oh well..

Leg--Sophomore year of college while playing quarterback for our sorority flag football team...This one is totally Prince Charming's fault..He was my coach and taught me this "awesome move"which tricked a girl on the opposing team so well that she fell on my leg....

Toe (spiral fracture--it still hurts when I wear heels)-- Junior year of college..ran into the wall after losing an intramural basketball game....and Melisa if you read this and state otherwise I will totally deny it!

Wrist--Senior year of college...got bumped while going up to block a shot and pushed into a wall...broke it trying to brace myself from flying into said wall......this is really funny because I am only 5'3" (on a good day with heels on :) and there is no way I could EVER actually block a shot...but hey, a girl's gotta try....

So there you go...I know the anticipation was killing you!

Have an awesome weekend!

I'd like to thank the academy...and I've been TAGGED

What can I say...I'm AWESOME...Award #3!

Thank-you so much to Maggie at http://lifewith2boyz.blogspot.com/ for my sparky award..so sweet..and YOU are AWESOME too!

The rules are simple!

Post this badge on your site and link back to Maternal Spark.

Then award 5 of your blog friends who have sparked creativity, conversation, controversy and friendships with you!

See that's it...

EASY!

I would like to pass this award on to: (and if you'll look below, you'll notice I am "TAGGING" you as well!

http://steffenboys6.blogspot.com/

http://sometimeshewhispers.blogspot.com/

http://callansmama.blogspot.com/

http://kyleandhaley.blogspot.com/
http://kingdomtwindom.blogspot.com/

OK, now for the second part....I was Tagged for "15 Things You Are Not Afraid To Admit" by http://baseballsandtutus.blogspot.com/

I'm probably afraid to admit these things...but I'll do it anyway!

1. I LOVE T.V. --- I don't have time to watch the shows at their scheduled time--plus I like to fast forward through the commercials--I am attatched to so many of these shows that sometimes there are 3 on at the same time and I have to use both of our DVR's to record all of them. (DVR's only allow you to record 2 at a time)..

2. I LOVE Pop, Soda, or as we Okie's call any kind of soft drink -COKE! I might have a small caffeine addiction ahem...

3. I LOVE Scrapbooking...I do digital scrapbooking and have for about 6 months.. before that I did traditional scrapbooking (I hated that by the way)...I take millions of pictures and scrapbook every event in our lives...my husband has accused me of scheduling an outing just so I can scrapbook about it....TOTALLY not true--really...but I have offered to scrapbook other peoples pictures for free because I ran out of pictures and needed to feed my addiction...

If you are a glutton for punishment and want to see my summer book--i do each season -- go to

http://community.shutterfly.com/gallery/post/start.sfly?postId=/gallery/1/post/GMGDFgxatmTJsxcg6EfXVG

then click on full screen on the upper right hand corner... :) One page is missing cause it has our new address on it.....

4. I LOVE to watch and play sports..I played almost every sport you can imagine growing up and basketball and softball through high school. Now I love to watch sports..except maybe soccer..I didn't play that one as a kid and don't "get it"


5. I LOVE to decorate...interior decorating as well as for holidays


6. I LOVE photography and wish I had more time so I could take a class---ahhh one day!


7 I HAVE a Docorate in Audiology (hearing and balance for those of you who don't know what that is) I practiced until our first move out of state and no longer had Daycare Gramma to watch the kids...


8. I HOPE to one day run a marathon.


9. I HATE to do laundry...I can vacuum, dust, etc. all day..but hate everything about laundry...I think my attention span it too short to get through all the steps it takes to finish a load.


10. I ONLY like to cook for parties and special occasions...i HATE making dinner every night...


11. WHEN my kids are grown up I want to sell my house, get an RV and travel around the US and Canada


12. I HAVE broken 5 bones in my body...can you guess which ones?


13. I LOVE when my husband and my boys play with my hair...ahhh getting sleepy just thinking about it.


14. I MUST kiss my boys on the cheeks at least 100 times a day... I can't help it they are so squidgy...I KNOW I drive them crazy..


15. I LOVE my family...My husband and his family, My Mom and Dad, my brothers, and all their families....they are my BEST friends in the whole world.....I also LOVE my friends... I have some of the most thoughtful and awesome friends EVER!





SHEW...that was A LOT.....I didn't think I was gonna make it through the whole thing....

I am supposed to TAG 7 people.. but i just don't have that many friends......

SOOOOO, because I gave you an award...now you'll have to oblige me to participate in the "15 Things You Aren't Afraid to Admit"....it's really fun!

Thankful Thursday!

I read in Woman's World that, according to a recent University of Pennsylvania study, 94% of individuals who set aside three minutes once a week to write down three things they are thankful for experienced an increase in happiness....and of course it must be true since I read it in Woman's World!.....But really, I have noticed a difference in myself since starting Thankful Thursday. Not only do I think about what I'm thankful for on Thursday, I think about it all week in anticipation of writing this post! WOW! What a bonus just for starting this blog.....so here goes another week.......

*I was thankful to find that sweet little sticky note attatched to my pillow before bed one night.

*I am thankful that I did not lose any "followers" after my post about the snot...I think I might have even gained a follower yesterday.

*For all my Biggest Loser buddies...I"m thankful that Brady was eliminated this week and I am hopeful his wife will soon follow... hmmm not sure that one really follows the spirit of thankful thursday...but if you watch the show you'll understand....

*I am thankful for the 2 blogger awards I received this week...I'm feelin' the love!

*I am thankful for cherry coke zero, jellybeans, and rice krispie treats...yummy

*I am thankful that Nick's flag football season ended with a win and that he had a great time playing the game.

*I am thankful for Alex, Nick, and Nathan's teachers (past and present)...they are ALL so amazing and we are so blessed to have them as a part of our children's lives.

*I am thankful for the blessing of motherhood.

*I am thankful for my husband and my sons...they are the light of my life.

*and I am thankful for Jesus Christ, my Savior, who died for my sins.



What can you be thankful for today?--I'll bet you can think of 3 things!

Gentlemen Start Your Engines Noses

OK...I know....only I would follow up a beautiful tribute to our Veterans with a tribute to SNOT! Well I guess it's not really a tribute per se...it's more a complaint session.

From Daddy on down we are all a bunch of sniffling, sneezing, nose blowing, snot rockets! I am telling you guys we are swimming in it over here (and thank God I don't mean literally..although it does get sneezed into a bathtub from time to time...I know, too much info.) We just can't seem to kick the colds this fall....I think there are just so many of us that we keep passing it around...I actually blame it on my husband....he's in and out of pediatricians offices all day and brings that junk home to us.... Gotta love cold and flu season! We need a hard freeze here in Oklahoma and fast....

By the way, so sorry about the picture.......this was actually the *cute* Shot of the Snot (what a great title for this picture--glad I thought of it!).....He was eating lunch at the time I snapped this photographic gem; you should see some of the others! I spared you of the one where the flow of snot is actually touching the food in his smiling mouth....YUMM-O!
I also decided to spare you from snot pictures of the rest of us.....because pictures of snot aren't nearly as cute when they aren't on a baby! Just trying to keep ya'll's best interest in mind..what can I say...I'm very thoughtful.. :)

Veteran's Day-Honoring all Who Served and Are Serving

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

To:
Our Heroes
Our Defenders
Our Protectors
Our Brave

THANK-YOU!

Thank-you to all of our veterans... and may God continue to bless the United States of America!


I would like to honor a few people in my life who have served and are serving.....

My Dad-Vietnam, Navy
My Cousin Captain Erin Kilroy Berard, Marines---Operation Iraqi Freedom---this is a picture of her Captain's ceremony...love you girl!

Captain James Berard, Marines...Erin's husband who is currently serving in Iraq..Not that she is counting down or anything...but her blog says he is set to return in 104 days, 13 hours, and 33 minutes!

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers for a safe return to his beautiful wife!

James and Erin....The Faces of Freedom!

Not Me Monday!

Things over at MckMama's house seem to be moving along pretty smoothly...well, as smoothly as things can go with 4 kids 3 and under. Check out her blog to see her latest updates on all the McKids.. and if you have time to read her post from yesterday (Sunday) it's awesome! Click on the title of this post to get there!

So as the link says...here I am, being brutally honest, and living to tell about it...


No matter what anyone tells you.................

*I did not watch The Suite Life of Zach and Cody the other night without my children....why would I watch such a childish show unless I had to?

* I did not do a little dance this morning because it is raining here and there is a good chance Nick's flag football game will be cancelled...---I DO NOT NEED A BREAK!

*******UPDATE: I did not just get an e-mail from Nick's coach stating the game is STILL ON! I am so excited that I will not be watching a game in the rain and cold tonight....and I am SUPER excited that on the same e-mail he did not give us the playoff schedule......and while reading about the playoff schedule I did not have the sarcastic thought...he is 5 do we really need a playoff???????

* I did not have withdrawls from "The Biggest Loser" this week...I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Election Returns and did not once feel like throwing up while watching!

* I did not gush with pride at parent/teacher conferences as Alex's teacher told me how smart, well-behaved, and popular he is....I try to keep myself and my first grader grounded!

* I did not giggle even a little bit watching a new mom and dad working to feed and change their two week old at church yesterday---oh the stress---I wouldn't be amused by the fact it took both of them to manuever around this little creature, because I remember what it is like to be a new mom!

*I did not voice my frustration about Obama's election to all who would listen nor make any sarcastic remarks, because I am not a sore loser....isn't that what we are supposed to teach our kids?---I ALWAYS set a good example!

*of course my favorite....there is NO laundry in ANY basket...clean or dirty ...because I did it yesterday!

*and last, I am not secretly hoping that if I keep posting about my laundry that, someone, anyone, will get the hint and HELP ME! HA any takers????

What did you NOT do this week?

Another Award!

WOW! I've been given another award...This one is from my new blogger friend over at http://baseballsandtutus.blogspot.com/
Thanks so much...I love that you like reading my blog...and I love reading yours too!

It is so amazing to find people all over the country that are so much like me...similar families, similar values, similar lives---and some of their lives are even as CRAZY as mine...makes me feel like I might be somewhat normal! HA

OK, so ......
The rules for this award are:
1: Post the award on my blog
2: Link to the person who gave it to me...http://baseballsandtutus.blogspot.com/
3: Link to the originating post - here
4: Pass the award on to 5 people.
5: Post the rules for the recipients

And now I get to give the award to 5 more people...Thanks to all of these women for allowing me to see a glimpse of their lives...each one enlightens me in a different way!


1. http://homemakerslibrary.blogspot.com/
She has 4 boys too and I love reading about her adventures.
2.http://paperdolldesignsblog.blogspot.com/
My creative, funny, awesome old college friend who allows me to lurk around her blog!
3. http://jmeaganwhite.blogspot.com/ At Counting My Blessings. She totally cracks me up as she relays her life as a first grade teacher.
4. http://thenewportbridge.blogspot.com/ My cousin...who is an awesome writer and an amazing person.
5.http://allsfairinloveandchocolate-gwendolyn.blogspot.com/ This girl "says it like it is" I love that!

ME-----through the years.....

UPDATE: I just had to add a few of Prince Charming....TEE HEE!!!! Sorry Honey!

Misty at http://mistymadness.blogspot.com/ led me to http://www.yearbookyourself.com/.

These totally crack me up.....and what really freaks me out is how much some of the old pictures look like my mom...
and the1994 picture...umm kinda familiar--don't look at my sophomore pic in high school...it's almost exactly my hair--just a little darker.
Gotta love the bangs..how much hairspray did we use?? TeeHee




1964--WOW! lovely

1974--the year I was born...my hair almost looks like that now...I guess what goes around comes around! 1994 tease tease tease..spraaaay, tease tease tease...spraaaay

1952 Hi mom....whoa ---I mean seriously it's freaky!

1982 --this is by far my favorite...How the heck did they do that with their hair? I think I look pretty good..maybe I could use a new Do...what do ya'll think should I print this one out and take it to my hairdresser?

Caught Red Clean Handed... AND 2 Notes to Self

NOTE TO SELF #1: When a baby is around the corner being blissfully quiet you should always expect to see something like this:

UHHH, WHAT?

Just look at the shock and guilt on that face!

NOTE TO SELF #2: Buy more baby wipes....ugh

Oh and by the way...He is my fourth baby so I feel no need to explain why he is wearing Christmas Jammies before Thanksgiving OR why this picture was taken yesterday at 4 in the afternoon!.......You got a problem with that? ;-)

Ohhhh, So This is What It's Like To Live In a Fraternity House..

At Breakfast this morning as my 4 boys were banging their fists on the table and yelling in the deepest voices that 7, 5, and 3 year old boys can muster, "WE WANT FOOD" (well actually Brian was banging his hands on his highchair and laughing hysterically at his older brothers....can't ya just picture it!)....ok so back to the point.....as they were displaying such good manners I was thinking.....

Ohhhhhhh, so this is what it's like to live in a fraternity house!

Immediately after breakfast one of the little frat boys grabbed a football and flung it across the living room narrowly missing the lamp...another one of the little creatures threw his body into the wall "pretending" to catch the ball. I closed my eyes during all of this imagining a lamp broken on the floor and a child-sized piece of artwork forever "carved" into my wall. .......

Oh so this is what it is like to live in a fraternity house....

****on a side note...Is it only boys that do the ..pretend to catch the ball, run toward the goal line in slow motion, the whole time making crowd noises thing?.... or do girls do some kind of "girly" version of this? Just wondering if it's on the Y chromosome?

Ok...so now they are up in their playroom and they've turned on some music and they are dancing like little.....well, fraternity boys....... I'll just send up some beer and we can have a party! HA!

For those of you who are still unsure that my home is in fact being turned into a fraternity house...here is some pictoral evidence........

Exhibit #1: The toilet seat up

Exhibit #2: no toilet paper on the holder...usually I get the cardboad thingy left behind but apparently one of them flushed it or something....

Exhibit #3 Towels still on the floor of the bathroom from last nights shower

Exhibit #4 Clothes on the bedroom floor.

Exhibit #5 A desk that is obviously not being used for studies...

Exhibits # 6 and & 7...the boys, caught in the act....

.......OR...maybe I just live in a house full of little boys.....Look at that sweet face!

Thankful Thursday!

I am thankful for the sun shining on this beautiful little face.

I am thankful that Alex's football season was a success---there were minimal injuries, he learned a lot about football and himself, and he had a GREAT time.....but mostly I'm thankful it's over because now I get to have my Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings back....(at least until basketball starts---this Sunday!)

I am thankful for the abundance of birthday wishes I got today from all my friends and family...although I don't know what the big deal is I just turned 29 for the 5th time! (Shout out to my Gramma for that one...she has been 29 for 50+ years....)

I am thankful for the leaves accumulating in our backyard...we've never lived in a neighborhood with trees big enough to produce leaves to jump in....and now I get to watch my boys jumping in the leaves!...although prince charming just came in and said....uh ya you can be thankful you don't have to rake 'em up!...glass half full honey.... ;-)

I am thankful prince charming made it home from St. Louis last night despite the hail and the tornado warnings that were occuring while he was in the air! ugh...airplanes scare me! And I am thankful I got to have his sweet Happy Birthday kiss this morning..

I am thankful for what good and kind kids I have...I'm watching them play outside together right now and they are being so sweet....Hopefully I won't have to erase this before the end of my post, because the odds are good someone will be coming in crying any minute!

I am thankful for antibiotics....and hoping they work before bedtime tonight for my two boys with ear infections!

I am thankful for the women in my brothers lives who make them so happy---love ya Amy, Melissa and Christie!....My youngest brother Brett was just gushing about his girlfriend today...it's just so sweet--thanks for making him gush Christie!

I am thankful for my SIL Hanieh and her fiancee William...they are such a blessing in our lives and give so much love to our boys....

****someone just came in crying...darn it*****

I am thankful that our pediatrician went to Las Vegas and closed his office today which forced me to drive 30 minutes out of my way to another doctor...Because this doctor's office was close to my mom's school, I got to surprise her with lunch today.....(and I also got to see my nephew on the playground of the same school--yes they are at the same school cool huh!) He almost climbed over the fence he was so excited to see us!

I am thankful my mom loves me so much that when she saw me she started crying because it was my birthday and I had turned 29 for the 5th time and she wished she could go back and do it all again.

I am thankful for each one of my amazing sons....

and for the Son of God, Jesus Christ, my Savior who died for my sins......

Later Friends!

Jeez Alex...we have all month....

Nick was so excited today when he was challenged by his teacher to participate in "Book It!" Book It! is a reading incentive program sponsored by Pizza Hut where he can earn Award Certificates by meeting a monthly goal that his teacher sets. This month Mrs. W sent home a piece of paper covered with 24 turkeys. For every 5 minutes he reads or is read to, he gets to color in a turkey. If he colors in all the turkey's by the end of November he gets a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut.

Nick was explaining that he thought we should try to color in a turkey a day......that was until he told Alex about the challenge. Alex decided we should try to get it all done in one day. He figured out they could color in 12 turkeys an hour and it would take 2 hours to finish the whole thing....it has become a complete OBSESSION with him. At one point he grabbed his head and said, "I just can't stop reading."

I clarified with Alex that Nick actually had to be listening to the book for it to count...after about an hour of reading to Nick I heard Alex yelling at Nick to sit down and concentrate...Nick looked over at me and gave me one of those wide-eyed Jeez! looks.

We then decided it was Nick's turn to read. Alex was watching the clock like a hawk....he made Nick slow down while he was reading and wouldn't let him say the last word in the book until the clock ticked to the next minute...that was the last straw for Nick....he finally said to Alex.....Jeez Alex we have all month!

There is a chance that Alex might be a little competitive and obsessive...I'm not sure where that came from, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't from me! ;-)

Alex's parent/teacher conference is tomorrow.....I am going to suggest that his teacher uses this challenge with her class...apparently this kind of thing works well with him.

Not Me Monday!

This week everything has changed over at MckMama's site. Baby Stellan is here!....and we now get to refer to him as MckMiracle. Wow! The whole story is an awesome testimony of God's love. Check out her blog to see the details of his birth and to see his sweet little face.


Without further ado:

No matter what anyone tells you

* I did not "lightly" punch my husband in the stomach while he and Nick were standing in the pantry putting groceries away and he made the comment..."Look Nick I bought a big can of spaghetti, now mom can make dinner!"

* I did not laugh hysterically when my 7 year old walked by with a candy cigarette hanging off his lips, and then have to have a serious talk about the dangers of cigarettes later. Who the heck hands out candy cigarettes for Halloween anyway? I say that one is not my fault!

* I did not allow my 10 month old to chew on the "lid" of the jack-o-lantern to keep him happy in the attempt to get a cute picture during the rare minutes he put it down....that would just be gross!

* I did not jump for joy when Texas Tech beat Texas on Saturday.....even though they are our rivals it is never nice to cheer for another teams demise and I would never do that----HA, Whatever ----Texas Sucks!

* At the game on Saturday when the Nebraska fan dressed in red and white striped overalls, wearing a clown wig and clown nose emblazoned with a NU on it, was spouting weird and obnoxious things while sitting behind my 7 year old, I did not secretly want to punch him in the clown nose.....Nope I would never inflict violence on another person (don't listen to my husband), because he is a human being no matter how strange it is to come to a game dressed like that.

* Before I cut my 5 year olds fingernails, I had not been so neglectful of his hygiene that his fingernails were just disgusting... I must have cut somebody else's twice this week and forgotten his....OOPS....

* I don't have any laundry from last week because I did it last week......I just love that one...can ya tell?

Knives and Guts

I'm willing to bet that title got your attention!




That was actually my answer to this question posed by Prince Charming the other day......

Honey, don't you want to help carve the pumpkins?
ummm, nope sweetheart, I'm out on the whole knives and guts thing (pumpkin guts, that is).



In fact, I'm out on anything really gross. My family is still amazed I can change a diaper without gagging....which is why I keep trying the "you smelt it you change it trick" with my husband....although when you confess that trick on "Not Me Monday" it doesn't work quite as well! I've been a gagger my whole life, just ask my mom! Since she knew this information, you'd think she would have guided me in another direction when I announced my freshman year of college I wanted to be a nurse....that's a whole other story though....

What I am in on is taking pictures of my handsome boys LOVING to play with gross stuff....(and knives apparently)

Here are some pictures of our Knives and Guts Party....ahem... I mean Pumpkin Carving Adventures!






This picture is in fact the BEST one we got of the four boys together....it does not bode well for the Christmas Portrait! Nathan looks like he is growling..grrrrrr! and all Brian wants to do is eat the lid to his pumpkin!

ohhhh...but these are yummy of my sweet little pumpkin pies!

and here are the GUTS! YUCK!