Countdown to MOPS Convention: OH MY!!!!!!!

Lately, I have been feeling like my feet are in concrete. You know, like those dreams you have when you're trying to run, but your feet are so heavy you never move? I feel like I am running, but my heart is so heavy that I am constantly staying in one place, never moving forward.

Enter: MOPS Convention 2010  Yep, that is right, I am going to Orlando, FL with nine other amazing women for four days and three nights of comradery, fun, growth, praise, worship and relaxation.  This convention really is God's amazing timing. I NEED this. I feel like my fuel is on empty. I need a great tune up from the greatest physician. I need my tank filled from the #1 powered fuel. My prayer is this convention empowers me as a mother, relaxes my very tired soul, and that God hears our prayers for this time of fellowship and fun and that His presence is felt the entire time.  

Now, anyone that knows me knows I have OCD-like qualities to my personality.  I have been planning for about two weeks on what to wear, pack, etc. I am bringing my own pillow(S) and my own blanket. I have already budgeted my lunch and supper. I have Lysol on my list of "To buy".  I have my jewelry matched to each outfit (okay earrings because the only other thing I wear is my mother's necklace and my wedding rings). (Throwing a rock into my plan of what I was wearing is when the beading on one of my shirts came unraveled..Cato..you will be seeing me for an exchange! I haven't even worn this shirt yet!!!!)  I have what medicine I will be bringing JUST IN CASE for the treatment of: 1.) If I sprain an arm, ankle, etc 2.) Stomach virus (nausea/diarrhea) 3.) Sore throat/cold symptoms 4.) Headache/Mild pain    I also have on my list of "to do": 1.) Wax eyebrows (done)  2.) Color hair  3.)  Pedicure/paint toe nails   I know this all sounds crazy, but I seriously have to write EVERY THING down or I will forget it. I mean, I couldn't believe I have to write down a list of "to-do" for basic upkeep on MYSELF! What is funny, is that when I did a search for the MOPS Convention logo, different photos came up, but one that caught my eye was this: 

Yep, MOPS (or a dust broom..whatever). What really made me think is how mops are used frequently by us mothers. My mop is used for my floor, yes, but often times "it" is used for something far more than just cleaning.    Often times you hear that the mind of a child is like a sponge.  They absorb everything they see, hear and are taught.  Well, I see my mind is that of a mop. I am constantly having to try and gather all of my thoughts and plans that are in a state of chaotic disarray.  When I was younger (much like my sweet Elijah), I remembered EVERYTHING. I remembered every detail. I am sure I probably could put a date and time with the detail as well (especially if it were something that was to my benefit, like a toy. :) )  Now, you pour water on my sponge and it just goes straight through. There is no locking in the moisture (information) with me!  I will forever probably be a slave to my "lists" and be mopping all of my thoughts/lists/plans on to them.

So, that whole mop thing got me a bit side-tracked. :)  I am really thankful for the opportunity to go to convention. I raised all but 15$ that it took to pay for the trip. That was a HUGE weight lifted for me. I really do need this break. My prayer is that this "feet in concrete" feeling that I have will be obliterated by God's mighty workings. I know He has GREAT things planned for this convention. I do need this alone time. I'm not really alone, but I am taking a "vacation" from my "job".  I actually guess I could say I am on a "business trip" since my "business" is motherhood-and that is what convention is ALL ABOUT!!

Four days, three nights without my children or husband. Hmm, I am having mixed emotions about this.  I really am looking forward to getting myself ready a few mornings without Makennah swiping my mascara and trying to "put on may-up" or the always "Mommy, I can't find my _______!!!!!! (fill in blank with ANYTHING two six year old boys can lose or look over) :)  I am so stinkin' excited about the girl time. I am so excited to be rooming with three fantastic women. I am looking forward to all of the inspiration and encouragement I know that will be showered on me.  I am looking forward to getting to know nine other wonderful women. I am SO excited to see what God is going to do in me AND in others mom's hearts! I am so ready for this time of praise and worship. I am so ready for this ME AND GOD time. I.NEED.IT.    Then, I start thinking of my sweet boys. I haven't been away from them but once, when they were about 15 months old, for two nights. I have NEVER been away from M except for her staying overnight with Maw Maw and Paw Paw (and that has only been a handful of times).   I almost have tears just thinking about it. I know I probably will shed a few tears while at convention. I will miss Chris. I trust in God and I know that my sweet babies will be taken care of by my parents and by their Daddy for this time I am away. I think that my Mama has some fun things planned for them and Chris may take them swimming at the pool for probably the last time(s) of this summer. I have a tinge of guilt for taking this trip. I know they will enjoy this time and hopefully won't even miss me much.  I really need to refuel, refocus and re-prioritize.  Really, Because Better Moms......

.....Really DO Make a Better World!!!!

I have a ton of anxiety about the trip and about leaving my family. I've never done this before. It is totally brand new to me. I feel, though, I am taking that giant leap of faith and just going with it. Faith in knowing that my God, my protector, will keep us safe as we travel and are at convention. Faith in knowing not only is God protecting and providing for my children, but they are going to enjoy their one-on-one time with grandparents and their Daddy. Faith in knowing that HE KNOWS how badly I want my load lifted and faith in knowing that He will take care of that load.  I am going with what I know will be a blessed time and I can come home and mop everything back onto my lists and be refreshed for a new school year, a new MOPS year and a new year of mothering.

*Believe it or not, I am NOT taking my computer with me to convention and my phone does not have Internet capabilities. I will be (sort of) technology free for a few days, which is much needed. I will, however, try and blog a bit before I go to convention. Blogging about all this craziness is making me feel much better!!! :)

The Great Mascara Challenge: Take Two

Mascara #2

Here is my rating system: BLECH 0pts, FAIR 1pt, GOOD 1pt, AWESOME 2pts.

There are five questions: A) Consistency of Mascara B) Ease of Use C) Anti-Clumping D) Anti-Flaking E) All Day Wear
Each questions can have a total of 2pts each for a total of 10pts. 10pts would equal some pretty perfectly fabulous mascara!!!!! :)

The Great Mascara Challenge

Maybelline:Define-a-Lash

A) Consistency of Mascara?  GOOD

B) Ease of use?  AWESOME

C) Anti-Clumping?  AWESOME

D) Anti-Flaking?  AWESOME

E) All Day Wear?  AWESOME

Overall: 9pts out of 10pts

I really liked this mascara! It separated my lashes and gave me the length and volume I desired. I did have to apply more than one coat. It isn't my favorite mascara ever, but I will definitely be using it now. :)

BEFORE:

(Yes, I know I need to wax my brows!)

AFTER:

(*In this picture I do have eyeshadow and liner on.)

The Great Mascara Challenge: Take One

Anyone that knows me knows that I LOVE mascara.  When I was younger, I bought only (what I thought) was the best mascara. (Hello, Lancome' Definicils...)
Now, as a wife and Mom of three, living on one income makes it a bit hard to splurge on mascara. So in mind with being frugal, I recently purchased eight tubes of very cheap mascara. Because I know that I usually ask a woman with beautiful, full, long lashes what mascara she uses, I decided I would blog about each different mascara (along with pictures of course) to hopefully help the fellow mascara lover in a future purchase of mascara. :)

Here is my rating system:  BLECH 0pts, FAIR 1pt, GOOD 1pt, AWESOME 2pts.
There are five questions: A) Consistency of Mascara B) Ease of Use C) Anti-Clumping D) Anti-Flaking E) All Day Wear
Each questions can have a total of 2pts each for a total of 10pts. 10pts would equal some pretty perfectly fabulous mascara!!!!! :)

The Great Mascara Challenge:

Maybelline Intense XXL Volume + Length Microfiber Mascara

A) Consistency of Mascara?  It was BLECH. I hated the white stuff. It dried on my lashes. The actual mascara had an okay consistency.

B) Ease of Use?  BLECH. I felt like I had to pull the brush through already mascara'd lashes because of the white primer stuff.

C)Non-Clumping?  BLECH. It clumped!

D)Non-Flaking?  BLECH. It flaked badly. I felt like something was in my eye all day.

E)All day wear?  BLECH. It didn't look great at the end of the day.

Overall: 0pts of 10pts

This mascara was horrible, in my opinion. If it were the only mascara available I would cry, however, I would deal and hope it got better with more than one use!

My (very brave) no make-up: BEFORE

(oh my word, my nose is huge)

AFTER:

*Please note the white stuff stuck on my face. Yep, that is the "primer" stuff that stuck like glue. It was so hard to get off!!!  I DID NOT wear any eyeshadow or liner in this photo, but either way the mascara looked horrible. BLECH. :)

Chicken Taquito's

Chicken Taquitos

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green salsa
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro (I omitted this.)
2 Tbsp sliced green onions (I used Green Chilie's)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
small flour or corn tortillas
salt
cooking spray


-Preheat your oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.


-In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic. Once combined, stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly.

-Heat your tortilla's in the microwave for a few seconds. Keep them warm in a towel. I used 1TBSP of mixture, anymore seemed like too much. Roll your tortillas as tightly as you can. (Unfortunately, my tortilla's started breaking apart as I was working with them. Next time I will use flour tortilla's instead of corn!)

-Line your baking sheet with taquito's making sure not to overlap. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake 15-20 minutes or until brown.

These are very good. You can serve them with dips such as guacamole, sour cream or salsa.  These also freeze very well.   Heavenly Homemaker suggests wrapping each taquito in plastic wrap to freeze. I went ahead and baked mine, and put them in ziploc freezer bags. It only takes about one minute to reheat them in the microwave and they stay crunchy!

Heavenly Homemaker is a fantastic blog. It includes menu planning ideas, recipes (like this one), Christian encouragement in your daily walk, frugal living ideas and so much more!!!

Menu Planning/ Meal Plan 7/19-8/1

Ahh, Menu Planning. Or is it more like, "AAAAHHHHH!!! MENU PLANNING!!!!!" ? In my case, it can be a bit of both.  I have figured out that having a set menu helps me save money and my sanity. We can try new meals and decided if it is a keeper or if we never eat it again. I don't have to wonder "Ugh, what is for dinner tonight?" To go even further, I even plan out breakfast, lunch and snacks.

Here is a Dinner-Only look:

• The way I meal plan is simple. I first look at how far out I want to menu plan. Right now, I am only doing per-pay-period menu planning, but for my sanity, I think I will switch to one day of planning a month's worth of meals. So. Much. Easier.
• Next, I get together my recipes together. For this menu, I needed 13 dinners with the 14th meal being out. So, I find 13 dinner recipes and sides.  I gather a few of our good ole standbys that I know everyone will love. Then, depending, I will add some brand new dinner recipes to the menu.
• Now I look at C's work schedule for this week. He works at the same time every day, and the same off days, they just rotate so I like to plan accordingly. I then look at my calendar to see if I have any meetings, play dates, parties, appointments, etc that would interfere with dinner prep or dinner itself. After that is done, I can start placing what meals go on which days. I try and choose meals that take the most time prepping/cooking for nights that C is off. Crockpot meals are easy for days that I may not be home at dinner time and he can just eat and take a plate with him.
• I do a ton on my computer, but menu planning (for right now) just isn't one of them. I like to have a hard copy in front of me. I can't always be on my computer, but I can leave a piece of paper on the counter to come back to if I have a spare moment.
• There are a ton of free blank menu planners on the internet. Organized Home has a nice printable. For more of a calendar format, Donna Young.org has a nice selection of different weekly and monthly printable.
• Lastly, I fill in what dinner goes on what night. :)

Here is a copy of the rough draft I made of this period's menu. As you can see it isn't perfect, and I don't plan on making a nice, neat one either. One important thing: Place your menu plan on your refrigerator or in a spot that is easily accessible and easily seen.

(Yes, I realize my photography skills aren't the best and I cut off and only have six days instead of seven!)

Here is my menu plan for July 19th-August 1st:

Monday 19th: B)grits/Fruit   L)mac and cheese   D)out

Tuesday 20th: B)cereal/fruit  L)Daddy's Choice   D)Potato Soup/Taquitos (homemade)

Wednesday 21st: B) Cheese Toast/Fruit  L)Leftover Potato Soup and Homemade corn dogs  D) Homemade Graham Crackers w/ Homemade peanut butter, bananas and pretzels

Thursday 22nd: B)Oatmeal/Fruit  L) Homemade PB sandwiches/pretzels  D) Crockpot: Bacon Wrapped Garlic Chicken with mashed potatoes, fried squash and fried okra (I bought fresh squash and okra at the farmer's market in town the other day. I LOVE fried squash but rarely fry anything-tonight-we shall FRY! lol)

Friday 23rd:  B) Breakfast Cookies/Fruit  L) Rice and Beans  D) Homemade Pizza

Saturday 24th:  B) Grits/Fruit  L) Homemade PB sandwich/pretzels/cheese stick  D) Spaghetti (homemade sauce) with green beans and bread

Sunday 25th:  B) Cheese toast/Fruit  L) Left over Spaghetti and Carrots  D) Spicy Black-eyed Pea soup and cornbread

Monday 26th: B) Oatmeal/Fruit  L) Mac and Cheese  D) Crockpot Sloppy Joe's with Oven Fries and English Peas

Tuesday 27th: B) Breakfast Cookie/Fruit  L) PB Sandwich/ pretzels/cheese stick  D) TBA  (*If I have a sitter, the kids will eat supper there and I will pack C sandwiches for his take-to-work meal*)

Wednesday 28th: B) Grits/Fruit  L) Mayo Biscuits and Rice  D) Corn Chowder and Rolls

Thursday 29th: B) Homemade Blueberry Muffins/Fruit  L) Homemade Corn dogs (from freezer) and green beans  D)Chicken and Rice with Carrots

Friday 30th: B) Cereal/Fruit  L)Taquitos (from freezer)  D) Crockpot Turkey Steaks with Cheesy garlic mashed potatoes and corn

Saturday 31st:  B) Eggs and Toast/Fruit  L) Mac and Cheese   D) Sante Fe Soup with bread

Sunday 1st: B)Oatmeal/Fruit  L) Left over Soup  D) Mushroom Chicken with rice and green beans

I will be posting recipes for the homemade peanut butter, taquitos and corn dogs in a later post!

Kristina used COUPONS!

Today I defeated my menu plan mayhem and grocery list. TODAY, I found out what all of the Walgreen's couponing rave was about! 
I DID not plan on going this far with my couponing...but after the first two toothpastes..I couldn't help myself.  The lady that checked me out helped me out a great deal and was incredibly friendly! Yay for her! :)

So, Walgreen's had Colgate toothpaste for $3.49 with $3.50 in Register Rewards. I bought 8 tubes of toothpaste and received $28.00 in RR. We also bought a Gillette Fusion ProGlide for $9-something and got 5$ in register rewards.   So, I had 33$ in RR. :) Each toothpaste had to be a separate transaction and I totally didn't mind holding up that line (for once in my life)!!!! 

-I had a coupon for BOGO Dry Idea (or Right Guard) deodorant. I have no idea how it worked out, but I paid 32 cent for TWO Dry Idea deodorant. It was a Walgreen's ad and MF coupon. (So my receipt says..but I still have my MF coupon...)

-With my RR I bought Ziploc Freezer bags x2 with a $1.00 off coupon (Walgreen's in store coupon book), Dawn dish washing liquid x3, Milo's Tea x2, BOGO AA Batteries.  I used 3 RR coupons in this transaction and paid $6.40.  Not too bad considering Milo's is $2.50 a gallon!!! :)

-My favorite of the day was the Nivea body wash. I had a coupon for buy 2 women's Nivea body washes and get 1 man's Nivea body wash FREE. So, I decided to pair that MF coupon up with my Walgreen's RR.  Thank the Lord for the sweet check out lady. She really helped me alot. She explained to me a bit how the RR worked and that I needed a "small" item to kind of balance out things and pay the least. I figured she knew what she was talking about, so I ended up getting two bottles of Dawn dish detergent as well.  Nivea MF coupon + 4 RR=$3.68 :) Umm..that Nivea body wash was $6.99 PER BOTTLE.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Below is a picture of my above deal descriptions. There is also a free bag that I got for purchasing the razor and TWO more RR coupons that I didn't use! This was my FIRST time ever using RR at Walgreen's. I think I did pretty good and was pretty please with my deals. :)

Toothpaste anyone?

Moving right along to my Dirt Cheap deals of the day.  I was in the market for new mascara. I even had a coupon for a mascara I wanted to try.  Anyone that knows me well knows that I am very particular about mascara AND what I buy at Dirt Cheap. For the longest I would not buy anything that went on my skin (aside from clothing).  I passed by the huge table with cosmetics and thought I would take a peek. Well, of course some of the packages were open..but there were a TON that were not. They were in their original packaging. So, I decided I would give it a whirl. I got a bit carried away with the mascara, but I am now the proud new owner of EIGHT, yes EIGHT different types of mascara. Hopefully, I can find one that I like within that bunch.  I also got a Loreal Infalliable Lip duo stuff (and this stuff STAYS ON..let me tell ya), some kind of Revlon foundation and a Loreal Infalliable press powder/foundation (which I have used before and it is great). All of this for $5.50.

I love flags  I love a front door flag flapping in the wind on a stormy day, or just blowing in the breeze. Unfortunately, with my attempt to be frugal, a 20$ flag really isn't in my budget. I have a few holiday flags that I have had over seven years, an American flag, and an Alabama championship flag I got at Winn Dixie for like $1!! When I saw these, I could barley contain my excitement.  These are full size flags and they are CUTE. They were a bit more expensive than I was hoping, but a steal compared to the regular prices. Hopefully, there will still be more around in a few weeks and they will be discounted even further and I can add to my outdoor flag repertoire. :)

Three full size flags $15.00

With my ever increasing knowledge of living frugally, I have become quite the busy bee in the kitchen. I am whipping up my own ranch dressing mix, taco mix, and onion soup mix. I've bought plastic containers to store them in my pantry, and that is fine. These little storage containers were too cute to pass up. They even will look really pretty on the counter to hold rice, grains and beans!

Containers: $6.00

Lastly, my Winn Dixie deal of the night.  As I picked up my two, 5lb bags of potatoes I noticed a coupon attached. Normally, I would pass a coupon by, but now I have the bug so I have to check it out to see if it is worth my time. :)  The coupon was for a FREE Marie's Classic Potato Salad Dressing. Well, of course, WD didn't have the "Classic Potato Salad Dressing". So, I asked if I could possibly get another type of dressing. They said sure and if I had a problem we could override it. :)   My experience at WD was PLEASANT. The girls at the checkout were actually friendly and helpful! We did two different transactions so that I could get both of my dressings for free and my potatoes still 2/$5.

10lbs potatoes-$5

2 Jars Honey Mustard-($7) FREE

If I actually have anyone that reads my blog, please give me tips on this couponing stuff! I really don't have time to be too hardcore (though I do have a date scheduled with a friend tomorrow morning at the dumpsters...hmm...) about it...but saving a little helps a ton. :)

No Good, Bad Day-Or Was It?

On rare occasions, I feel like I am totally rockin' the cape.....

But most days, I am so tired and it takes me forever to get my thoughts processed enough to know what I am doing that day.

Today, my cape was no where in sight (like most every day) and I was dragging. Not only was I running on little sleep, but I really didn't feel well. Last night, all three of my kids ran fever. Last night, all three of my kids ran fever at different times. It first started with M, then E and lastly N.  Not.A.Fun.Night.For.Mommy.

I am sure most would wonder why in the world I would take the time to blog at almost midnight if I am just SO incredibly tired. Well, fact is, blogging helps me clear my head. This is my form of "letting it out" for the time being. My thoughts have been racing all day, so many things have gone wrong and I have kept my cool.  Now, it is time to let it out, let it go, and move on!

Oh, let's not forget to mention I haven't been to the grocery in forever and we REALLY need some things. Fevers make it kind of hard to go to the grocery store when the only option you have is to take your kids with you. Another reason is that I STILL haven't made my menu plan for this pay period. It has taken me FOUR DAYS and I STILL haven't gotten anything accomplished really.

Menu, you will be defeated tomorrow!!!!!

A little preview of  the many hats that I wear:

Nurse, Mommy

Today has been a very, very lazy day.  With the exception of mealtime (and mealtime cleanup) we have really done nothing. Bummer, because I was really, really looking forward to going to church this morning. I missed last Sunday because I was lazy and the Sunday before I was teaching. This is the third Sunday in a row that I have missed and I really, really can tell. The kids were just as bummed as I was. We also had plans for Little River with AAA after church, but that was canceled as well.  I did get to watch most of the live feed, so that was a highlight.

Today has been one of those days that I have been attacked by the enemy on so many fronts. He knows that I am weak and a a low point and he is taking his swings. Today, has not been my day.

I did get some laundry done this evening. Amazing, when ALL of my clothes are clean aside from just a handful...my close is packed and I have NO ROOM in my drawers! And I thought I didn't have any clothes......

Moving along....:) The kids requested chocolate chip pancakes for supper.  Easy enough...or so I thought.  I have been known to not make really good from scratch pancakes. It isn't that the recipe isn't good..it's the chef. This is why I only buy pre-cooked bacon. I burn bacon..every time.

These pancakes looked fantastic. They were whole wheat (flour) blueberry chocolate chip. I was pretty excited about these.  Well, going along with the nothing has gone right for me today theme, I guess these pancakes decided to follow suite.

This is actually the SECOND cooking pan that I used. The first one I burned, too. My heat wasn't too high, I used enough butter...I have no idea what happened.

I got incredibly frustrated and just threw out the mix and put my pans in the sink. (Which surprisingly are now hanging out in the dishwasher-yes-I at least cleaned the kitchen right.)  I announced to the kids that they would be having cheese grits instead.  They were happy with that. Sweet kids (and husband), they put up with alot of flops in Mommy's cooking.

Needing to get out for a bit, after bath time we ventured to McDonald's and got snack size McFlurries. I am one that stands by the "no milk products with a fever" but they had Ibuprofen in and no fevers at the moment, so I felt after such a crappy, sickly day at least this may brighten the mood a bit...and it did. :) 

They got their last round of Ibuprofen (hopefully until morning) right before bed and tummies were happy, so praise the Lord! 

On days like this, I just want to shout "This has been a terrible, horrible, no good, really bad day!!!!"  But really, even after everything and the fact that it took me hours to upload pictures because my computer restarted :).........I still have to be thankful. Thankful that I have a God that loves me and never gave up on me, not for one second today. Thankful that even on the bad days, He is still there. Even on the bad days, He is still my Savior. Even on the bad days, on the days where I can't even think about loving myself, He loves me. Even on the days that are great and I am wearing my cape with pride or the days that I just want to stay in bed all day and shut out the world, He is with me.  It is really hard to remember that while in the moment of  anger because the pancakes burned, but that is one of many things that I am working on.

Looking back on the days events and being an exhausted nurse mommy...today really, truly wasn't bad at all. In fact, no matter how bad the days get (or how good), I am never alone.

".....And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20

Mbug Video: The "!,2,3" and "A,B,C" Song. :)

Mbug singing her 1,2,3's and A,B,C's....

M is now 27 months old. I am at a loss for how quickly time flies by. Looking back, I would be happy to be miserably pregnant with her again just to slow the time down.
Anyway, having two older brothers, she picks up things and learns things fast!  Even though some of her letters are out of place and in spots it is hard to understand what she is really saying, this is the M rendition of  1, 2, 3 and A,B, C's all while eating a cheese stick! ENJOY!! :)

Girls Game Night

I recently had the opportunity to enjoy much needed girl time. I hosted a game night at my house. I have to say I haven't laughed that hard in a VERY long time. My sweet husband stayed in our bedroom and watched movies on the computer and the kiddos were with grandparents.

Not only did I have amazing company, but we had amazing refreshments as well!!!

We had brownies, three different types of pie, sausage balls, veggie pizza, sub sandwiches, hummus, chocolate and of course chips. :)  The funny thing is, we spent like 30 minutes just standing around the food eating, talking and drinking before anyone ever decided to start playing games. Ha! That is a party of women for you!

We also had...wine.  I did throw out a warning about the wine I had in my fridge...it probably hadn't been opened in six months or more. Not thinking, (and finding it quite difficult) I start to open the bottle....

Thankfully, the cork hit the ceiling with most of its force before it pelted MM on the way back down. I am blessed she is still my friend after that frightening encounter. Haha!!

I was so thrilled to have a combination of old friends, new friends and just met friends at game night. It made for just the right combination of fun game play. We played a game D brought called, Things.

(This picture is for A. She asked if I wanted her to turn the game around so that it wouldn't be sideways I told her no, that I would just fix it on my computer...well..I didn't fix it and I don't feel like fixing it. :) So..turn your head to the side people!!!)

This game was hilarious. It is true, you never quite know what your friends are going to say!!  One of the questions was, "What is something you would not want to see advertised in the classifieds?"  Well, our answered varied, but I happened to capture this one:

This has to be better than "Child for sale-FREE!", right? :)  I happened to guess who wrote this answer....and I was right. Bahahahaha.

We laughed so hard at the answers to some of the questions. Some questions we had answers that were so similar is was a bit scary. Great minds, Great minds.....

Here are my friends D and A. Comfy are ya, A? :)

Two of my oldest friends M and A. :)

I also had another sweet friend B that came and a new friend S that D brought along. :)

We had such a fantastic time. It was much needed!  I do plan on doing this again REALLY, REALLY soon.........

Who's Game?

Hot as a Fever

So what does 115 degree heat index and an A/C that stops working equal: One unhappy Mama!!!!!

As if having some crappity crap in my throat/chest wasn't enough...as I was loading the kids into our van after a night with their grandparents, I get a text from C saying that our A/C stopped working (at home). JUST GREAAAAT. So here we are early afternoon on a Sunday. Husband and Daddy couldn't figure out what was wrong with the A/C and within an hour it was already 82 degrees. Thank God, it did rain for a few minutes.

So, I pack up our bags and head BACK to my parents house. Great thing that I did, because that night (after the kids going to bed at 6:45pm from sheer exhaustion-and Mommy made them) M started to run a fever. I am so glad that I didn't decide to stay home. Poor baby, it would have been miserable for her.

So, Monday morning arrives. Even though I am in "my house" (my old house I lived in before I got married for many years) it isn't my "home" anymore. I find this very strange and almost a bit sad. I have SO many incredible memories there, but since I have been gone almost eight years now, it really doesn't feel comfortable to me anymore. I really did miss MY home. I wanted to be home so badly. Mainly because there were SO many things that I could be doing: laundry, laundry, laundry. I don't have to stay right behind the kids at MY house because everything is kid friendly. Oh, lets not forget to mention: MY BED. C and I (after seven years of marriage) FINALLY  broke down and bought a brand new bed. A Select Comfort. :) For a while after we got it I wasn't all that happy..but now, I love it. I love, love, love my bed. I love my side, I love my pillows, I love the way it smells, I. Love. My. Bed. (Oh what shall I do when convention comes up in three weeks and I am away from it for three nights...I will go into withdrawals!!!!)

So anyway, while waiting for the word that C had found someone and our air was indeed working again, the kids played and watched cartoons. I tried to keep my parents house tidy. I tried to do routine stuff, naps, dishes, etc.

The boys enjoyed playing outside with "Little Kitty" (the stray that came up) and in the dirt.  One of M's favorite dolls to play with at my parents is Poor Pitiful Pearl. She is pitiful (looking) alright! :)

The carriage was my grandmothers. I love it. Too bad it wasn't for a human baby, because I so would have rocked it. :)

The stamp on the back of Pearl's head either says 1963 or 1968..I can't remember. :) Either way, Pearl was my Mama's baby doll. My Maw Maw Maddox had her fixed up a bit, because let's face it whether '63 or '68..Pearl was a bit old.

Bad quality photo, I know...but this is what PPP looked like before she got a makeover. :)

Moving along.......

With no diet coke, I needed a pick-me-up after the sleepless night I had.  So what was left of my parents coffee (in the pot of course), I attempted to make my own iced coffee. I put a bit of their creamer, milk, sugar and ice: VIOLA! It was incredibly impressive! I may just have to start making these every morning!!

Around 3pm I finally headed home after getting the word that our A/C was working again. Ugh, Daddy, Husband, A/C guy and too much money later: It was a breaker. He did do some preventative maintenance checks, but still..sheesh.

So I get home and C is in bed because he has to work 12hrs that night....I open my dishwasher hoping that he had remembered to start it like I had asked. He did! I then looked in the bottom to see a pool of yucky water. SERIOUSLY.

Thank you, Lord, for the brains you gave the people that invented the WET/Dry Shop Vac. So, crisis averted, my dishwasher works fine. :)

Backing up a few days............

Friday night I decided I wanted a milkshake. Knowing that Hardee's is just down the road, I figured I would head out since the kids were in bed (and C was at home). "The Enterprise" needs some work done on it, so to avoid driving it and possibly furthering the work that needs to be done on it, I decided to drive "The Man Van".  "The Man Van" is our old mini-van that C now drives to work. :)  So, I was coming home from Hardee's and was at the red light in front of the WCC.  I heard what sounded like something fly off. I didn't really think much of it...until my oil light came on and my heat gauge went from C to almost H. NOT.A.GOOD.SIGN. So, I called C and told him what happened. He, of course, wanted me to pull over right then...well, can't really do that when you are going up a really steep hill. So, luckily, I made it to DCS and pulled over there. God was really looking over me that night. As SOON as I started to turn into the parking lot I lost power steering. I am pretty strong (haha) so I was able to maneuver the man van pretty easily.  I told C I would text our neighbor to see if she was home and if she wouldn't mind coming and sitting (since the kids were asleep) long enough for him to come and get me. She was home! Praise the Lord!!!

While waiting on C I had a lovely, just lovely view:

Under that light on the right were two little shirtless boys and an ice chest. I have no idea what they were doing that close to the highway at almost 10 o'clock at night, but, they entertained me none-the-less.

Knowing that "The Enterprise" would be there to beam me up within ten minutes, I really wasn't all that concerned. Hey, at least I had my MILKSHAKE. :)

So, this weekend has been particularly crazy. I did have a really good time laughing my butt off at Girls Game Night! We only got through one hilarious game and few bottles of wine, but the food was great and so was the conversation. I will leave that for a blog post all its on!!!