The Reason behind #48

In my list of 101 things in 1001 days, hidden almost in the middle is a little thing that I continue to run from. #48 calls for me to get a body scan for skin cancer. My dad has had it, my sister has had it and we are a family that is very fair skinned. We have all been burnt, over and over and over again. I keep saying that I need to go to a dermatologist and get checked and have a full body scan but it never seems to happen. I'm thinking, today at least, that this needs to happen sooner rather than later. I noticed that a spot on my arm was really sore yesterday and when I started looking at it I realized it was a mole that looks really bad. It's a little better and I'm thinking I may have just scratched it or something but it scared me. I'm calling to make an appointment for right after the kids go back to school (no sense in trying to do something like that with them all hanging around).

They're unbelievable

I read this in the news and wanted to share it and a few thoughts on it.

'Extreme Makeover' house faces foreclosure

LAKE CITY, Ga. — More than 1,800 people showed up to help ABC's "Extreme Makeover" team demolish a family's decrepit home and replace it with a sparkling, four-bedroom mini-mansion in 2005.
Three years later, the reality TV show's most ambitious project at the time has become the latest victim of the foreclosure crisis.
After the Harper family used the two-story home as collateral for a $450,000 loan, it's set to go to auction on the steps of the Clayton County Courthouse Aug. 5. The couple did not return phone calls Monday, but told WSB-TV they received the loan for a construction business that failed.
The house was built in January 2005, after Atlanta-based Beazer Homes USA and ABC's "Extreme Makeover" demolished their old home and its faulty septic system. Within six days, construction crews and hoards of volunteers had completed work on the largest home that the television program had yet built.
The finished product was a four-bedroom house with decorative rock walls and a three-car garage that towered over ranch and split-level homes in their Clayton County neighborhood. The home's door opened into a lobby that featured four fireplaces, a solarium, a music room and a plush new office.
Materials and labor were donated for the home, which would have cost about $450,000 to build. Beazer Homes' employees and company partners also raised $250,000 in contributions for the family, including scholarships for the couple's three children and a home maintenance fund.
ABC said in a statement that it advises each family to consult a financial planner after they get their new home. "Ultimately, financial matters are personal, and we work to respect the privacy of the families," the network said.
Some of the volunteers who helped build the home were less than thrilled about the family's financial decisions.
"It's aggravating. It just makes you mad. You do that much work, and they just squander it," Lake City Mayor Willie Oswalt, who helped vault a massive beam into place in the Harper's living room, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
___
Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com

At first I thought that this was very sad and it is but... How did they get into this situation? You have a great house, money for the home's maintenance and scholarships for your children. So what do you do? You get greedy, of course. These people paid off their mortgage and did all of this for them and still they want more. So they take out a loan against that home and lose it all. That is bad enough but the thing that really got me was this woman's attitude. I read some other news articles in which she had made statements like this: “What’s going to happen is instead of keep paying my mortgage, I’m going to take my money and not pay my mortgage because I’m being harassed,” and this "If you want proof if the foreclosure is off or not, show up at the courthouse next month to watch it not happen". Can you imagine? I would be apologizing and trying to explain myself but NO she just cops an attitude. These people should have been so grateful for what they were given but just like so many others anymore it seems they feel that someone owes them something more.

Our Family History

Part 3: It's all a Blur.

The next 6 years are mostly a blur and at times I regret that now. I knew before we started having kids exactly what I wanted. I have 2 sisters and a brother and mom had all of us pretty far apart, I knew that I didn't want that. I wanted to have all of the kids that I wanted quickly. It went a little quicker than I had planned for though. Joseph was half-planned, we had been going back and forth between being ready and wanting to wait a little longer and after one of the periods of being ready but during a period of wanting to wait I found out I was pregnant. There were 2 and 1/2 years between Audrey and him and that was perfect. This is where things start getting blurry. When Jo was just 9 months old I found out I was pregnant again. This one was not planned and we WERE trying to prevent it. I was devastated, I wasn't ready for this. I spent months doing not much more than crying and rocking. Joseph has never been really close to me, as soon as Andrew started kicking he wouldn't set on my lap anymore and from there he just continued to get closer to his dad and pull away from me. Andrew's birth was rough to say the least and I was done (stick a fork in me done) but a few years later Dear One decided he wanted just one more. He originally wanted 6 so 4 was a compromise in his mind. We I made an agreement that we would try for one more but that if I did get pregnant he would have a vasectomy before the baby was born. On the chance that he didn't have it done I told him I would have my tubes tied immediately after birth if his wasn't done. Of course as is the pattern, I had absolutely no problem getting pregnant. Again of course he didn't have the surgery done by the time Matthew was born so I had mine done. They were wheeling me down the hall to surgery and he was still saying "You aren't really going to do this are you?" How sad is that? When Matthew was born Audrey was 6, Jo was 4 and Drew was 2. It was crazy for quite a few years, as you can imagine.

I know that I have posted this one before but it was the only one I thought really appropriate for this post. This was the night before Matt was born. I wish you could tell how big, fat, miserable and tired I was. It's a crappy picture though.

I'm going to do more in detail posts about each of the boys but I wanted to give you the whole picture first.

Next: Part 4: Enter Jo stage left.

#4 Attempted

I tried to complete #4 yesterday but it was a No-go. I have a pretty bruise and a sore arm for my troubles though. Oh well, at least I tried.

Random Abandon

29 days till school starts....I'm so excited. Time to start school shopping. On another school note I love the idea our governor is pushing. Anyone of you have kids that go year round? How does it work out?

I'm leaving on a jet plane.
Don't know if I'll be back again.

I think I'm in a quote mood so here are a few that suit my current disposition:

The sun shines and warms and lights us
and we have no curiosity to know why this is so;
but we ask the reason of all evil, of pain,
and hunger, and mosquitoes and silly people. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I had the blues because I had

no shoes until upon the street,

I met a man who had no feet.

To be wronged is nothing

unless you continue to remember it.

One day, One choice, One pound at a time

SW-218

LW-188

CW-188.2

GW-160

Still hovering around the same. I'm thinking if I can just make it through the summer without gaining much that it will be easier once the kids are back in school.  I do pretty good with my eating but it is harder when they are around all day and need things to snack on and eat. I can't make myself get out of bed early when I don't have to - I have tried and then I feel guilty if I take time during the day to exercise. So that should all get better once they are back to school and I have to get up. I'm thinking maybe we should start going for a family walk/bike ride every evening. I may try that this week.

It will all be right in The End

In our Sunday School Class we have been doing lessons based on a book - Right People, Right Place, Right Plan Devotional- for the last few weeks. This has brought about some great changes for me, in the way that I think about things. The book was split into 3 sections as the title suggests and each was very big for me. The second part is titled Right Place and this was the biggest revelation for me. This is where my thinking was changed. Not about the future or where I need to be though, it was about the past. I have considered writing about this before and am now glad that I didn't. I'm not sure that I should now but I feel that I need to share it. If anyone that I know reads this and is upset, let me say now that I am sorry.

A few years ago, I think it's been 4, my Mom and Dad moved. It was devastating for me. When my husband and I got married we lived in a few crappy rental houses before we moved to where we are now. Where we are now is on half of my parents land, which they deeded to us the second Christmas after we were married. It was the backside of their property (I'm not talking about a tiny lot either) and needed to be cleared off and have some work done. We did the work and put a home here. I thought I was moving next to my parents, where I would live for the rest of my life and take care of them when they got old. So when they came and told us they were leaving I took it hard. I couldn't understand why or how. Why would you leave your grandchildren and your daughter and just up and move. It made absolutely no sense to me and I was hurt. How could they not care any more than that? I barely went to see their house over the next year and really didn't talk to them a whole lot, I was just flat out hurt. Then a little over a year later we went to the church they were now attending for a Friends Day. Things at the church we were going to had gotten a little dramatic and we were considering leaving. The next service that we went to at our church was horrible and we ended up just getting up and leaving to never look back. We had felt so welcome at my parents church and that was the first church we decided to try and we have never left. We love it there, it is where we are suppose to be, I have no doubt. I still had hard feeling though about my parents moving, I still harbored resentment towards them in a way. I had not allowed myself to see that it was all part of God's plan and that my parents had to be in the right place in order for it all to happen. There was a place in the devotional where it said that the things God wants you to do today you may not understand but they may be setting up the future for your children and grandchildren. It hit me then. Wow, I don't know God's plans and don't even pretend to understand them but I am glad that my parents listened when it was time for them to go and that they found this wonderful church for all of us.

How do you know where the line is?

A little over a month ago I wrote a post about getting my kids and their messes under control. We did good for a little while and then, as I predicted, I became reliably inconsistent. I have been doing a lot of thinking about why I am like this and I want to pose a question. How much should you make your kids do? I have found that I seem to feel guilty for making them do things around the house. I like to tell myself that they need to do it, to learn to be responsible and I know that's the truth. I feel like I should be doing the work, I feel like I am just being lazy when I make them do it. How do I know where to draw that line? When does it cross the line between teaching them and using them? If I could get a clear cut line in my mind I think it would be much easier to follow through. I guess that is the next thing to work out in my mind. Any opinions are welcomed.

We Wii

I've wanted a Wii for awhile and finally decided to get one. Finding one was not so easy, I couldn't believe they were still that hard get. I finally located one and begged them to hold it long enough for me to get there to get it. I knew we would enjoy it, probably love it but I had no idea how much. I didn't know what all this thing could do, I thought it was just a new way to play games. If I had known, ohhhhh. I am a gadget geek after all. I love the fact that you can download the games from the older systems and play them. It has all of the ports for the GameCube built in. It even has an Internet channel available for getting on the Internet. Now there are so many things that I want to get for it though. I'm dying to try the WiiFit and I so want a racing game that uses the wheels. Did I mention I'm a gadget geek? Cause I so am!!

Yes I'm a Coal Miner's Wife

Homer Hickam speaking of the 12 killed at Sago in 2006: "We are proud of who we are. We stand up for what we believe. We keep our families together. We trust in god. But rely on ourselves. By adhering to these four simple approaches to life, they were a people who were not afraid to do what had to be done. To mine the deep coal and to do it with integrity and honor. "

I can give you tons of facts and numbers. Numbers that I use to make myself sleep better; In 1900 the death rate was .33% and in 2007 it was just .02%. Numbers that should make you care; 50% of the electricity used by Americans alone comes from coal. Those are just numbers though. They don't explain how I feel or how we live. The coal industry saved us and that's the truth. There are not many opportunities here and the ones that do exist are not all that lucrative. My husband drove an hour to work each day and worked hard in a sawmill for 10 hours to then turn around and drive an hour back home for very little pay. Yes, a college education gets you a better job but not a job around here. It still would mean moving or an even longer commute. Yes, we could simply move but we love this community. It is where we both grew up and where we wanted to raise our kids. He gave up many chances to go into the mines through the years because we just weren't sure that we could handle the life. Now that seems so foolish. He loves what he does even though it is dangerous at times. It is hard for me knowing that every time he goes he is at risk but it is no more risk than he was taking on a 2 hour commute every day (figure up the statistics). We no longer have to worry about losing everything that we have by tomorrow though, we don't struggle from day to day, we can breathe easy and live a decent life. I am very proud of my husband and what he does. There are many people around here that hate the coal industry and often they go to far. They have called us Coal Hoes because apparently letting your husband provide for you so that you can stay home with your kids means you are letting him buy you. I've had substitute teachers tell my kids that any one who works in "those mountains" doesn't care about them and is killing them. This may not be a great comparison and I may catch some heat for it but it is the closest thing I can think of. No matter how much you disagree with the war, you don't condemn the soldier for following orders. You may disagree with the tactics used in coal mining but don't condemn the men who go back into that black hole everyday. They are all just doing their part.

Our Family History

Part 2: And then there were 3.

A telemarketer called one day and, as is her training, she just kept talking and talking and then when I finally caught her taking a breath I told her I wasn’t interested. She proceeded to tell me how rude it was to let her talk for that long and waste her time when I knew I wasn’t interested. We've all been through this before but by the end of this conversation I was in tears. I got off the phone and was setting there wondering what in the world was wrong with me when it hit me. I’m Pregnant!! We had been married for a year and a half at this point which made me 17 and had decided to start trying for kids. I wasn’t expecting it yet though, this was the first month we had tried (this should have been a forewarning). When I was about 8 months pregnant I looked at Mike and said “I don’t want to do this”. He thought I was talking about something else and said “Okay” so I pointed at my belly and said “No I don’t want to do THIS!” He looked at me and politely said “I think it’s a little late for that.” My due date was Feb. 16^th and from the minute we found out it was a girl Mike had proclaimed, over and over again, that he would not have a daughter born on Valentine’s Day. So yeah you guessed it, she was born on Valentine’s Day. By that time both my mom and sister had me really terrified. I really believed at the time that it was going to be like dying and coming back to life. I didn’t die, actually I did really well. I had to be induced (also a huge forewarning) but it went quickly and they tell me I was born to birth babies. Just a few drugs, absolutely no epidural and (my favorite part) very little pushing. Our family had become a family. I had no idea what I was in for but I wouldn’t trade it for anything – most days.

Next - Part 3: It's all a blur.

Random Abandon

I do not normally chime in on the whole evolution scene but to me this was just ridiculous. Thought it might be of interest to you guys. How is it that we evolved from both apes and fish?
Human Speech Traced to Talking Fish.

Warning: Don't just grab Pop Tarts from a toaster that your child has turned the setting all the way up on. The "icing" on the front does melt and will take away your fingerprints (okay so if your going to commit a crime soon- take note of this) and it isn't pleasant.

Thin Mint Blizzards Rock my World! 'Nough said!!

And yes I'm still keeping count - We have 36 days till school starts. I have almost adjusted to them being here all day but I still can't wait.

My 101 progress

It's been almost 2 weeks since I posted my 101 in 1001 list (if you haven't seen it look here) so I thought I would give a little update. I have bought cards/stationary for #1. I have an appointment to donate blood #4, hopefully I will be able to give.  I have started patching and painting the walls for #15. We have planned and should be starting on a new porch anytime now and hopefully the picnic area too #24 & 25. I am working on 1 crochet project and have the stuff to learn how to knit #64 & 65. I have posted 47/1001 blog comments for #73.

     This has turned out to be much harder than I initially thought but I suppose that is the point to this.  When I was making the list it all seemed so simple that I upped the ante on quite a few things. This makes you think daily about what you could/should be doing with your day and your life. I have to admit I was taking this project lightly when I first started preparing the list but it has become a real challenge to myself. I really hope I can complete it all.

One day, One choice, One pound at a time

SW-218
CW-188
LW-189.1
GW-160

A step in the right direction. I'm doing better, taking baby steps to get back to where I need to be.  I have cut way back on the pop and will be cutting it out completely next week. I got a little exercise and will increase it next week. I realized I can't just jump back in right where I left off, at least not where exercise is concerned.  Every little bit counts. I really thought it would be so much easier in the summer, boy was I wrong. If I can just keep from ballooning up any more before they go back to school, I may survive it.

The Destruction Crew

I mentioned them the other day, they are going to be a huge part of our lives for awhile so you may hear me complaining about them a lot. We live in the mountains, in the middle of nowhere and have always had our peace. That is what we love about living here, it is why we are willing to drive an hour to get to anything. We are afraid our peace may be gone now and for good. They are drilling 2 gas wells in the mountain to the side of our house, they will be finished and gone in a month but that is just the beginning. We live in the middle of nowhere (or did I mention that already) so entertainment is hard to come by and we are figuring we may be living next to the newest form of entertainment soon.  It will be a terrific place to ride four wheelers and go "mudding" and I'm sure a great hang-out. Hopefully they will gate it off, that will be our only salvation.  We want to keep our peace, we love our peace. We want our boys to be able to play in the mountains around the house and not have to worry about it. Really, I just want to keep my peace, Please.

What a difference a day can make.

This use to be all mountain. Now it's a mess.

New Toy Alert

Windows Live Writer rocks! I know you thought I was talking about something for the kids but Nope sorry. If you have read much of anything that I have written you probably know that I love gadgets, games and new software to try. Recently I found a new toy to play with and I am loving it. You can completely edit your blog posts with it and just hit publish. I came across it when we were going on vacation and I wasn't sure I would have any Internet service. You can write your post and then publish it when you get to a place where you have service or when you get back home. So far I haven't found anything I don't like about it but I am still learning all of the little things.  I'm just not good at storing things in my brain that I want to write and remembering them for later, I need to get them down now. I also like to write something and then think about it for awhile sometimes and it drives me crazy to have all of those drafts on my blogger list (Yes, I know no one else can see them, it just irritates me). This will be great for going on trips and that kind of stuff because I can write while we are there and just hit publish later. I am in blogging heaven and I just wanted to share it with my fellow bloggers.

How to entertain 3 boys.

The destruction crew moved in today(more on that at a later time) and although I really wish they would go away I quickly found a huge perk. My day was very peaceful. The boys were mesmerized. I did have to spend a good part of my day sitting outside because I was afraid they would get too close, even though I had in very great detail laid out their boundaries. At least my Wifi works on the porch and in the yard and as I have mentioned in my lovely new swing (I am so going to have to take a picture of me on that thing).

See how entertained they were. It was such a peaceful day. They did this all day, literally.

Come home Calli!

We had a really bad storm a week ago today. When we saw that it was coming I went outside to put some stuff up and the cats followed me out. When we went to go back in we couldn't find Calli. We looked everywhere we could quickly; under the house, building and porch, behind the house, just everywhere we could think of and didn't find her. Our power went out within just a few minutes and was out till the next morning. I assumed she had been scared and hid somewhere and that when I went out the next morning she would be there but she wasn't and we still haven't seen her. It bothers me that I can't figure out what happen to her. We have looked everywhere, figuring we would find her dead somewhere but no. I have started wondering if maybe somebody got ahold of her but that is unlikely because of where we live - she would have to have wondered pretty far. I'm still kind of hoping that she will come home but I know that's not really going to happen. So, I now say Farewell Calli!


Sox misses her too!

Washing Machine Blues

My washer started acting funny, then started kicking off and then completely quit working. So my Sweet Hubby decided to fix it and he did. He really did! I was quite impressed. It was my fault, I suppose, although I don't see it that way. It was all of the stuff that they leave in their pockets and yes I could technically avoid this problem. With 6 people in this house do you know how much time I would spend checking pockets though? You would not believe the stuff that came out of that drain but I have proof.


Do you see the little spoon? I have no idea where that came from, I have never seen such a thing before. There are paper clips, drill bits, nails, a ton of change, keys and who knows what some of that stuff is. Lovely isn't it. So now it is up and running again with minimal problems getting it fixed(if you don't count me opening the door -it's a front loader- with water still in it that would be no problems). I knew he was good for something. Just kidding honey. Your good for a lot of things and you know it!!

Our Family History

Part 1: Never the Twain shall Part

The first time I saw him I knew that I was in trouble. He was gorgeous and sweaty (I know, I know) and oh those blue eyes. I knew that he was older but it made no difference to me. At the time I was 14 and he was 21. You read it right but I was a mature 14. I realize every 14 year old says that but I was, honestly. For reasons I would never go into I had been forced to grow up pretty quickly, I had already done all of the wild things that I cared to (which wasn’t much) and I was ready for something more. I didn’t think that something was marriage and kids at the time; I thought that I wanted out of here. He changed all of that though. I will always remember that first kiss and the way he would hold me. Before long I was completely gone and my parents hated it. They eventually accepted it, not that I gave them much of a choice, and immediately after my 16th birthday they signed the papers so that we could get married. Less than two months later we were married. Before you think it, No I wasn’t already pregnant and we didn’t have to get married. I was a virgin when I got married; I am an old-fashioned kind of girl.

I would not recommend getting married at 16 to anyone, it doesn’t make for an easy road but we have made it. We have 4 wonderful kids to show for it and hopefully a much easier future ahead of us.

Next… Part 2: And Then There Were 3.

Random Abandon

I hate June Bugs! I'm researching how to kill them. No, I'm not kidding. They are disgusting, I hate them and they scare me. For some reason I'm scared they will crawl into my ears. Did you know that they lay their eggs one year, the eggs hatch and turn into adults the next year and it's not until the year after that they actually crawl out of the ground and come after me. I really hate these guys!!

Shocker- with as picky as I am about food, who would've thought I
wouldn't like Chinese food. Like I said Shock-er!

Since light travels faster than sound, people appear bright until you hear them speak.

43 days till school starts!!
How much can one woman take!!!!!

One day, One choice, One pound at a time

SW-218
CW-189.1
LW-187.2
GW-160



Alright everything is over. No more vacations, no more bible school, no more excuses. It's time to get serious. I'm getting back to a regular schedule, I am going to get out of bed at a decent hour, I am going to exercise, I promise - not you but myself.

Ah-ha!

All Mom's have them, those moments when something connects and you just go Ah-ha!
Where you realize what it is that matters most and how foolish you have been.
Here's one of mine, with 4 kids I've had a few but this one
sticks out in my mind more than most.

One day in the summer I was camping out with my kids in their room. It was a little too hot for them to play out for long and I had to keep the 3 of them entertained. We had built a tent town out of many blankets and sheets and were just crawling from tent to tent playing and I was trying to read to them when they would allow it. They were having a blast, my oldest was about to start school in the fall and I wanted to spend every minute I could with her before that. All of the sudden there was a knock on the door. What? No one ever comes to visit in the middle of the day while my husband is at work; it’s probably just Jehovah Witnesses so I go to the door. NO! It’s my brother-in-law, he was out this way and decided to stop in and play with the kids for a few minutes. You should have been here, my house was an absolute wreck, you couldn’t go into their room for all of the tents (which when looked at from the outside just looked like a chaos) and the lunch “mess” was still everywhere on the table. I suffered through his visit, apologizing many times for the untidiness and cleaning while he played with my children. After he left I was upset for days thinking about what people must think about me. “Oh my, have you seen her house? It is just disgusting!” So I went into cleaning mode and ignored my children, I cleaned while they watched TV and entertained themselves. I don’t remember at this point which one of them it was or exactly what they said but I got the mommy don’t you love me anymore question and my mind went Ah-ha! That is what matters!! What others think of me or my housekeeping skills will be of no relevance 10 years from now. How my kids feel about themselves and about me WILL. Yes I have to clean and cook and etc. etc. but that does not have to be my whole life. If my house is a little dirty today, so be it. The question is- Are my kids happy and well adjusted? It takes time to raise kids right and yes they have the right to live in a clean environment and be fed but I’m sure if you ask them that is not their biggest concern.

This was entered into a contest at Relishing Motherhood.

We are Wonder Woman!

I am not as beautiful as Aphrodite or as wise as Athena. I am not swifter than Hermes or stronger than Hercules. I am not 5’11” and 150 pounds and I don’t have beautiful black hair and blue eyes. I don’t own unbreakable silver bracelets (or any unbreakable jewelry for that matter) or a Lasso of truth. Still I am Wonder Woman. We are all Wonder Woman. We all do things that normal women would not tempt and that men think are ridiculous. We would, and some have, put our lives on the line for those that we love. We are unbelievably strong and courageous, undeniably patient and undyingly loyal. We are all things to all people. We are available at each and every beckoning call. We can summon the answer to most any problem whether it comes during the day or night. We can go days without sleep if needed, we can survive on almost nothing to eat in order to feed others and we can turn any house into a home. We are not however invincible. We feel, we hurt, we cry, we have compassion and we make mistakes. Sometimes we falter but it is then that our fellow heroes pick us up. Together we create an unbelievable force. A force that if relied upon and trusted is unbreakable. We are MOMS!

This post was written for a contest at Scribbit.

Just a thought

Storms = Power Outage = No Internet = One crazy woman.

I'm so glad the power was back on this morning.

Least you think I have forgotten. 47 days till school starts!!

101 things in 1001 days

As I have mentioned before I don't really like New Years resolutions but I ran across this idea which, to me, seems fantastic so here I go. I tried to leave 10 things for future things I realize I want to do but I could only manage 8. When things come up that I know I want to do I will add them. I tried not to include many things that had to be kept track of (like 0/0) I wanted each thing to be unique.

The Mission: Do 101 things in 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days? Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Start Date:July 7th, 2008
End Date: April 4th, 2011

My 101 things in 1001 days

Faith, Family, Friends
1. Send a card/letter to someone once a month (counts as complete after 6 months) 0/6
2. Take a leap of faith (I know ambiguous but when it happens I will know it and let you know)
3. Organize/start a girl’s night out
4. Donate Blood
5. Participate in at least 3 walks/charity events
6. Read bible- 15 minutes a day for 30 days (will restart each time I miss a day)
7. Pay it Forward (how to be determined later)
8. Meet up with an old friend

House and Home
9. Platform Bed (try to build first then if all else fails buy it)
10. Make our Bedroom a place we want to be
11. Fix/Organize Closets
12. Replace Floors in whole house
13. Re-do Master Bathroom
14. Re-do Bathroom
15. Patch and Paint all walls
16. Get dining table refinished
17. Organize and sort books
18. Organize all files – set up system
19. Organize CD’s, DVD’s, Games, etc.
20. Try 20 new Recipes - 0/20
21. Get back to baking my own bread (do at least 5 times to count)

Our Outside World
22. Get pond put in
23. Get whole yard fixed up
24. Fix picnic area
25. New Porch

Travel/Recreation
26. Go on a trip for our Anniversary (alone)
27. Take Audrey on a Cruise for her 16th birthday
28. Go to the beach
29. Go camping
30. Go to state fair
31. Go to a concert
32. Go on a picnic
33. Take kids Ice Skating (and myself)
34. See show at Theatre WV
35. Visit 3 of the USA’s top 41 wonders

It’s all about Me!!
36. Lose 10 lbs.
37. Lose 20 lbs.
38. Lose 30 lbs.
39. Wear Size 12 Jeans
40. Get to below 27 BMI
41. Walk 1001 miles - 0/1001
42. Get a Mani-Pedi
43. Get Massage
44. Get a Facial/Eyebrow Wax
45. Complete Couch to 5k
46. Get teeth fixed
47. Go to Doctor (Ob/Gyn)
48. Get Body scan for skin cancer
49. Get fitted for a Bra
50. Get a new camera
51. Complete a Jigsaw Puzzle

Expand My Horizons
52. Make a living will
53. Sing with Mom in church
54. Play Golf
55. Ride a Roller Coaster
56. Fly a Kite
57. Visit at least 1 state I’ve never been too
58. Go to a real Museum
59. Go to an Aquarium
60. Build a Snowman
61. Decorate the whole house for Christmas
62. Take picture in a photo booth
63. 365 day self portrait

Knit One, Purl Two
64. Crochet 6 things 0/6
65. Learn to Knit
66. Teach someone else to crochet
67. Complete quilt started in quilting class
68. Sew something that can be worn
69. Get home videos onto DVD (via my computer or a service, whichever is more feasible)
70. Organize all Digital Pictures
71. Master Photoshop (or at least enough to fake it)
72. Learn to Scrapbook (not digitally)

Blog Land
73. Leave 1001 blog comments -0/1001
74. Blog about tasks as completed
75. Do a Video Post

Education
76. Learn to play my keyboard
77, Learn to change a tire
78. Learn to shoot my Bow
79. Take some type of college course
80. Read 10 fictional/biographical books -0/10
81. Read Jane Eyre
82. Learn more HTML and CSS
83. Learn to build a website
84. Start/join a Book Club

Voting
85. Register
86. Learn about Candidates
87. Do Research
88. Vote

Finances
89. Eliminate unsecured debt
90. Open a savings account
91. Increase 401K contributions
92. Completely clean up our credit

Future
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101. Make new list of 101 things

Random Abandon

What's your favorite patriotic song? Mine is "My Country, Tis of Thee". Look here for a list to help you decide.

I place economy among the first and most important virtues,and public debt as the greatest of dangers. To preserve ourindependence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.
- Thomas Jefferson

Who is The Mole? Does anyone have a clue? Everyone I have suspected so far has gone home. I'm at a loss.

Dear One's Definition of Stress: The confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's desire to beat or choke some punk who desperately needs it.

One day, One choice, One pound at a time

SW-218
CW-187.2
LW-186
GW-160

I cannot wait until Vacation and all of these picnics and eating out are over. Oh don't get me wrong I'm enjoying them greatly but it's not good for a woman's figure. 'Nough said!!

The Perfect Evening

We're having a family gathering here tomorrow so Dear One worked in the yard all day and I worked in the house all day so we took the evening to relax. We set in our new swing (that I love) for a long time and just relaxed while the kids played a little badmiton and ball and just goofed off. Then we went over to his dad's where they let off some great fireworks (Thanks Leslie and DJ) and Jo got to spend the evening with his girlfriend. Now pretty much everyone is happy (better mark that down). This is the kind of evening that I love. The perfect evening. I don't need the big things just a little peace and some time with the family.

As a bonus even though the new swing (which I love or did I mention that) is quite a ways from the house my WiFi actually works there, talk about Perfect. I may never work again.

Happy Independence Day

I prefer it when the day is called that because that is after all what it is all

about.We should all be thankful for the Independence that we have and

grateful to the people who obtained it for us. No matter what you think

of the current war, we should be proud of the men and women who

are doing what they are told and fighting to keep us Independent.

That being said: I hope everyone enjoys their 4th celebrations.

May much food be eaten, plenty of family be enjoyed and

tons of fireworks be seen. Have a great day all!!

A Few More Things

....about our trip to Cleveland.We got reacquainted with one of the biggest miracles I have ever had the privilege of meeting and her name is Breanna. When she was 18 months old she fell from a balcony and there was little hope for her survival. No she isn’t a normal 11 year old but she is one determined young girl. Everyday that she is on this Earth is a miracle from God. She is very intelligent, it is quite obvious that she understands everything that you tell her but she can’t form the words to tell you what she thinks or feels. She will do almost anything ask of her unless she is showing her determined side. She wants so badly to do things for herself that it is inspiring. Her feet and ankles are weak but she doesn’t want to be stuck in a chair all of the time so she crawls around the house and goes where she pleases. She has trouble feeding herself but she continues on and does her best at it. Seeing her should make us all feel a little bad about ourselves. I was amazed at how well the kids did with both her and her little brother. They were so helpful and considerate. Matt insisted on pushing her wheelchair and Audrey was great to help with both of them. It was a great experience for them all, I think. To see how good God has been to them and that sometimes things do happen to people who don’t deserve it.

Matt pushing Breanna in her chair

Audrey helping Joey get in the water.
Let's look a little closer though.

Yes, the teen is definately still there!!
She would have been sooo dead if she dropped it!

We're back!!

Actually we got back around 4 this morning. So as you can imagine today was not very productive. We had a great time. We went to Cleveland to see Mike's uncle and do a little sight seeing. I was amazed, we actually stayed a full 2 days! We spent the first day at the zoo and had a wonderful time thanks to our cousin and her boyfriend guides. We got a little wet and had to quit before we saw the entire zoo (I'm convinced that isn't possible in one day anyway) but the kids had a great time and got to see a lot of the zoo. They have some really cool things there. The boys rode a camel and got to touch stingrays, we saw plenty of cool animals (I loved the kangaroos) and the boys learned interesting facts to drive me insane with. Then the next day we went to Lake Eerie and it was awesome. God made us some very beautiful things indeed. It was so nice to just spend time with each other and with family. Hopefully after I get a good nights sleep I will be back to normal tomorrow.