No Turning Back Now

We've told ECS we're not returning next year and now we've purchased our curriculum. I guess we've definitely made it official that we WILL be homeschooling next year. WOW!

We're doing Switched On Schoolhouse for the girls and LIFEPAC for David. Hudson's even going to be getting a book to keep him involved with us when he wants to be involved.

We'll be using the Weaver "Success In Spelling" and "Penmanship To Praise" along with a Spanish course that all 3 can go through at the same time. We also bought a typing program that I know will be fun for the kids. With all the computer work we'll be doing, it will be nice for them to learn how to type the right way right from the start. They're all VERY good typists for their age but I want them to develop correct typing habits up front.

**********

I was walking through the house today, stepping over junk and thought, "It looks like I live in a house with roommates whose mothers never taught them how to clean up after themselves."

Am I that Mother??

ACTUALLY, I can't fuss too much about today because, even though the house isn't in its greatest shape, I was joyfully surprised to see that the "Balloon Lagoon" game David & Hudson played this morning was COMPLETELY packed away in its box after they finished playing it. I was very pleased :)

FYI - Balloon Lagoon is the easiest game for children to put away all by themselves. It has great little sectioned areas with pictures of the pieces that belong in that spot. Brilliant packaging. Fun game, too!

All Clear in Calera

Thank you, Lord for allowing that 18-wheeler to prevent me from taking the previous exit which forced me to the Calera exit on I-65 Wednesday night. I was needing to straighten out the crooked windshield wiper that was driving me crazy and not working very well during the gullywasher we were plowing home through. Thank you, Lord for allowing me to be only yards from Walmart when the windshield wiper head actually broke off the arm of the wiper. Thank you, Lord for allowing Walmart to be a 24/7 biz that carries brand new windshield wipers for 2001 Honda Odysseys. Thank you, Lord that I finally figured out how to "just snap" the wiper head onto the arm.

Wasn't that a doozy of a thunderstorm on Wednesday night? I'm not saying it was actually FUN driving through it but I must say that I was impressed with God's MAGNIFICENCE with all those flashes of beautiful light around me. I-65 was very well-lit for my drive home. Incredible and non-stop power in those bolts. Wow. His Majesty.

I think the rain is subsiding for us right now. Two different news stations tonight had opposing views on our likelihood of more severe weather. I believe ol' Rich was throwing a jab at the "first forecasting" report from Channel 8. It was kinda funny.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. We're preparing for a HUGE Saturday of ballgames and birthday parties. I hope to get some pictures for the lame little "Guess Who" game.

Night night.

"Guess Who?" - Game 3

Here's a gal I've just newly re-connected with. Very cool and lots of fun. I know it was a God-thing that allowed us to cross paths again. We hooked up during a situation that we wish had never occurred but find it non-coincidental that we had a chance to talk and swap emails.

It's always neat to discover a spiritual level in people that was never explored in the surface days of cliques and fitting-in.

OK, there's 2 people in the picture but I only went to school with one of them. Bonus points for being able to ID both.

"Guess Who" - Game 2

This picture shows our friend with the Bl@ck Eyed Pe@s. He directed their latest music video.

To see his name, click here and watch the movie trailers of a film he just produced. He says they are in talks with the Sci-Fi channel. Let's all hope it works out for him!

"Guess Who" - Game 1

I love keeping in touch with people. I guess I take the "KIT" written in my yearbooks kinda seriously.

I thought it would be fun to post some pictures of some old school friends (by permission of course) to see if any of you might recognize them.

This gal is from GJH 7th grade. She moved to FL (Daddy was military) after we were friends only a year. We kept in touch by handwritten letters for several years. When I got married, I invited her to the wedding. She wasn't able to come for the actual wedding but we were able to see each other a couple of weeks beforehand.

After getting married, we lost touch and current contact info. I started looking for her again in 2002 when I was in my finding-people mode for the Class Reunion. Even though she wasn't in our graduating class, I still wanted to find her. I was unsuccessful. I've continued to look for her all this time. It wasn't until I told Donnie of my search that I finally found her. It was because of Donnie's suggestion to add the word "married" to my G00gle search for her that I finally found a link that connected me to my good friend. We spoke on the phone today for about an hour. It was really cool.

"Success From Home"

"It's not about you!" This is the opening line in Rick Warren's bestselling book, The Purpose Driven Life. This sentence is almost counterculture in the world of business, where a huge amount of emphasis is put on the achievement and recognition of the individual. Modern business, as a culture, has evolved into an environment where getting to the top, at whatever cost, is the primary goal. Companies are under tremendous pressure to outperform the competition, and so management often feels obligated to drive only the bottom line.

I find such an environment antithetical to the value systems of most people, which is perhaps why a majority of recently surveyed Americans said they were not happy with their job. The No. 1 reason stated for this dissatisfaction with their work was a lack of purpose.

Wisdom suggests that to become "great" or fulfilled, you must become a servant unto others. Find people's most pressing needs and serve those needs better than anyone else, and you'll experience success on every level.

Mannatech was founded for that purpose -- to provide a vehicle for those who desire a "purpose driven" opportunity that address the two biggest concerns families everywhere face: their health and their finances.

We have been gifted with a technology that stands alone in the emerging wellness industry. Former U.S. patent examiner Dr. John Rollins stated that the discovery of glyconutrients was teh most important discovery in health care he'd seen in his 23 years of service at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. But beyond the science, the issue becomes one of stewardship. Our global Mannatech business model of distribution combined with our MannaRelief children's charity programs have allowed us to touch the lives of more than a million people around the world.

I am proud of the fact that Mannatech has attracted such an incredible group of individuals. And by sharing the blessings of ou technology with others, their lives have been enriched and they have prospered in all ways.

One leading economist predicts that the wellness industry will become the next trillion-dollar industry due to an enormous shift taking place in the healthcare industry. Mannatech has positioned itself through its nutritional discoveries and patents to play a significant role. But make no mistake: Our record growth is testimony to the efforst of those who have chosen to share this amazing story of hope with those so desperately looking for answers.

Mannatech is not "business as usual"; it is the opportunity to become part of something bigger than ourselves. We are a growing group of ordinary folks who have been called to an extraordinary purpose. I invite you to join us. Your life will never be the same.
Sam Caster
Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder
Mannatech, Incorporated

This is from the last page of the magazine "Success From Home" May 2006 edition that I bought at Books-A-Million today. There are some more copies (although I was tempted to buy them all!) so go pick up one for yourself today. It's a GREAT read!

I've Been Tagged - Twice

Thought I'd answer here instead of in an email. Pick a topic and tell me your answers in the 'comments' section.

4 jobs you've had in your life:
1. Dance Teacher
2. Pantyhose & Wedding Dress Model
3. Worker's Compensation Clerical Worker
4. Doula

4 movies YOU HAVE SEEN over and over
1. Grease
2. Big
3. Shawshank Redemption
4. Toy Story

4 places you've lived in your life:
1. Forest Hills
2. Taylor Crossing
3. Deerfield
4. EM

4 TV shows you love to watch:
1. American Idol
2. Survivor
3. Scrubs
4. My Name Is Earl

4 places you've been on vacation:
1. Disney World
2. Cancun
3. Cruisin the Carribbean
4. various stops in Europe

4 websites you visit daily (or nearly):
1. Mannatech.com
2. inaworld.blogspot.com
3. google.com
4. glycosystem.com

4 of your favorite foods
1. burritos from Borderline
2. Breyer's Rocky Road with fresh almond butter
3. club ranch wrap from Chappy's
4. Ranchero from Jason's Deli
(I guess almost anything in some type of tortilla! LOL)

4 places you'd rather be right now:
1. sleeping
2. cruising to Alaska with my family
3. getting a way-overdue massage
4. Disney World

Gotta Love Them Rainy Saturday Mornings

I think most people will admit that a rainy Saturday morning is a pretty good thing. How many of us don't like a God-given excuse for sleeping in? And today's thunder and heavy rain couldn't have been more appreciated by anyone more than it was by our household today.

If it had NOT been raining, we'd have been rising and racing out the door to be at David's ball game at 8am. Then we would have been ready for H.A's game at 12 Noon.

So THIS



and this



Became THIS -- a pillow-floored, quilt-covered, Jumanji-watching morning of rest. Oh how this was needed!



We're still getting ready to go out for lunch at the Walkers and hanging-out time with the Greens (although THEY don't know that yet. Wonder if they're home....hmm...) and then to Shayne's 6:30 game. Donnie will have his first night of the Passion Play. We won't see it tonight but thankfully, it will be performed 3 more nights.

Hope everyone has a lovely day! Hope you all are as well-rested as we are. Ahhhhh, a little R&R sure goes a long way!

To Lighten The Mood

In an effort to return to lighter subject matter, I thought I'd try providing a little segue post.

According to this quiz I am "81% Dixie."

Take the quiz yourself and let me know how you turn out!

Insufficient

I have several things that I'd much rather blog about tonight but I just can't. Friends of ours are suffering over the loss of their 21 month old son and I just can't write anything fun or joyful while they're hurting so much.

Words just aren't sufficient for conveying how sad I am for this family.

But this isn't about me and my sadness for them. This is about doing the only thing I can that is of any value to them right now. I can pray. And for those of you who are Christians out there, won't you please join me in prayer?

Please pray for:
*KC & Grayson - Mom & Dad
*Laura and Griffin - big sister (15) and big brother (5)
*peace for all
*emotions of guilt and blame to be dealt with appropriately and laid before the throne of Christ
*the family & child who will be receiving baby Carson's organs tomorrow (Sunday)
*for the recipient family to recognize the tremendous gift of sacrifice and to know Christ as the true Savior of eternal life through the sacrifice of God's Only Son
*for all who come in contact with Carson's family to see Christ's light in them and for Him to receive glory
*for all of us as friends to be able to minister to this family in their time of need
*for the children who know this family (including my own) to learn more about trusting in God's sovereignty at times like this

Let The Games Begin!

Shayne's Team Wins!

Tonight: 2 practices (5:00 & 5:30), 1 game (6:00), 1 drama rehearsal (7:00 - Donnie), 4 different locations
Saturday: 2 games (3:00 & 3:30), 1 concession stand duty, Donnie coaching

Thankfully, Hudson will be at the UA A-Day game on Saturday (and stopping by to see Thomas the Tank Engine in Calera - THANK YOU G-Jo & P-Paw!) so he won't be unsupervised while I am working concessions and Donnie is on the field with David's team. Shayne will be in the stands by herself while H.A. is playing.

And it only gets crazier as the season progresses.

Like I've said before, if we didn't love it we could NEVER do it.

March 27 - Not Just Another Day

3 years ago my sweet Hud-man was born. HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUDSON!

We celebrated at the planetarium (best party place in the city! H.A. even said, "This is better than Pump It Up!") with a couple of friends and our family. There was an awesome slide presentation on the big dome, of his little life up to now. (I can email you an invite to see Hudson's Birthday Album if you're interested...just comment or email)

Today was particularly special because it was truly a day of HOOKY for the kids, too. We've let David play hooky before but this is the FIRST TIME we've allowed the girls to skip out. Shayne and I just got in from TX at midnight and she had gotten almost zero sleep while we were gone. It would have been a really bad day for her at school. So, we let them all stay here.

Of course, Hudson's birthday and party played into the decision-making, too. I just had SO much to do. Even with Donnie's help (he took the afternoon off) and not having to do the running around with taking and picking up from school, we were slammed for time. I think missing school was the right thing today.

Shayne's teacher lives around the corner from us. When we returned home this evening, her assignments were on the steps. How nice :) (It REALLY was!)

I have had the best time over the last couple of days. I've had a chance to correspond and chat (phone) with a couple of friends from WAAAAY back. It's been cool.

I haven't uploaded any pictures from my own camera but I snagged this pic from Cheryl's husband (Marc)'s email. Shayne and I had a great time hanging out together and becoming Manna-pumped this past week. I just love this girl SO MUCH!

Howdy From Texas!

I'm sitting next to a 1 year-old in an Amerisuites Hotel in Fort Worth, TX right now. She's the daughter of my friend D and has shown a real need for me to be sitting at this desk beside her while she goes to sleep. If I'm not in here at the computer, she screams for some attention. SO, here I am, helping her get some zzzzs and blogging about the WONDERFUL few days I have just experienced.

I am more ready to share Mannatech with the world now than I have ever been before (and for those of you who have known me for any length of time know that means something because I've been sharing Mtex for years now!) Tonight was the conclusion of a 3-day Mannafest. It is our International convention and just gets me so INSPIRED to help others. Again, I heard OVER AND OVER AND OVER about science, research, and life experiences that make this something I can't keep to myself.

For those of you who are still reading, I appreciate you. There are several of you regulars who I know roll your eyes at Mannatech but since I bet you're not reading this far, I can just say it again, MANNATECH IS CHANGING THE WORLD! And I mean that literally! In countries where health is more appreciated than it is here in the U.S., we are seeing growth at a BLINDING rate. Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand....it's growing crazy-fast! They don't have as many skeptics saying, "well, if that was true, my doctor would prescribe it." Grrr. I just need to enroll a few Koreans or Japanese or Taiwanese and help those who are ready for help. And while I do that, I'll continue sharing the truth with those who are in the U.S. and either sick and tired of being sick and tired or those who are smart enough to do their due dilligence and research the science.

There have been so many cool things about this experience that I can't share them all here but one point that really was impressive to me was this: The term "glyconutrients" was coined by Mannatech because there was no word to explain in supplement terms the fact that there are some sugars that are healthy and some sugars that are bad. Even the term "monosaccharides" covers too broad an area. There needed to be a term to describe the sugars that heal! :)

Anyway, the point before I close (because baby is now asleep!) is that now we have many nutritional companies claiming to have GLYCONUTRIENTS in their products. HA :) So Mannatech is onto something that others want to copy. Cool. Bad thing is that for consumers, they're thinking they're getting something good for them when they buy these knock-offsbut end up just paying for expensive glucose.

OK, I'm kinda into the rambling part of this thing. I was trying to stretch out my time sitting here as long as I could! We definitely needed the baby to settle down.

I sure hope any of y'all reading this will consider getting in touch with me as it dawns on you that your diet (if it is an American diet) is not good enough to keep you healthy. I really would love to tell you more! I can send educational videos, scientific research, whatever it takes for you to check it out for yourself. I will not pressure anyone into BUYING anything. That's what salespeople do. I will however, love love love to encourage and educate you about the wonderful science of nutrition. Family@glyco.com

The Next Tobacco

There's already been talk that "fat" in foods may be our next tobacco but I truly believe soda is a much better parallel. The marketing is SCARILY the same, it's addictive, and it's WAY MORE DESTRUCTIVE to your overall health than its makers want you to believe. AND it's COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY (whereas fat in small amounts ARE necessary.)

I truly am so grateful that God created me with a pure hatred for carbonated beverages. I don't avoid sodas by choice, I was truly just born with an inability to drink anything carbonated. As a child, it was a curse. I would have to wait for my parents to drink their Cokes at a ball game and then go rinse out their cup and fill it up with nasty stadium fountain water. Yuck. OR I'd have to "pay for the cup" to get tap water from the concession stand. Oh, what I would have done for an Aquafina back in the late 70s and early 80s!

Again, THANK YOU LORD that this is one addiction I've never had to overcome.

Read about the latest report regarding the contents of your favorite fizzy pop.

Warning - Sickening Story Is Linked Here

I have a link posted in my sidebar regarding The Ezzos but I'm wondering now if I might not need to post a link regarding the Pearls. I just haven't ever read any of their books so I haven't felt like it would be completely fair for me to do so. However, the REASON I haven't read their books is because I was already pretty well aware of their content and I knew it'd get my feathers ruffled. I've also looked at the website I linked above and if you click through some of the stuff under "child training" and "babies" you can read some of the stuff that just makes me sick.

I'm not sure if my links here are ever even clicked by readers but I hope someone will at least pay attention to the fact that not all parenting advice accompanied by scripture and being labeled "Christian" is truly Christ-like.

I feel so sorry for this woman in the news story. She is obviously a loving mother who has been duped by "Christian" advice that didn't work. I feel so sorry for Moms who feel like they have to follow a formula of humanly-designed discipline instead of following the model set forth by our Heavenly Father. I'm so sad that our American culture has talked women into believing that they must get professional advice from someone regarding all of their choices from "birth-control" to "birthing-control" to "children-control". When will women realize that we have to encourage each other in godly teaching based on THE BIBLE (and not some author quoting the bible out of context) and encouraging the intuitive love given to us by our Creator? We've gotten SO FAR AWAY from trusting that still, small voice inside us. And for the saved women, we have the Holy Spirit! And His fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

This news story is not uplifting but hopefully will serve as an opportunity to make yourself aware of things that are being widely accepted by Christian parents.

A Lasting Impression

Doyle Dykes


I gained a new appreciation for guitarmanship (a real word according to a real guitarist) tonight. Shayne and I went to a "Fingerstyle Guitar Workshop with Doyle Dykes" and I am still in awe of the music and musician.

Shayne is coming up on her first anniversary of being a guitarist herself. She has come a long way in less than a year and I'm VERY proud of her. She's been taking lessons from a very talented and patient teacher and is really grasping the technical parts of "guitarmanship" very well. The music store where she has lessons held a workshop tonight. I thought it'd be good for Shayne to go and become INSPIRED in the passion part of music. Even though I'm NOT A MUSICIAN by any stretch of the imagination, I've always had an appreciation for excellent music and how it can truly move a person. I'm hoping Shayne will grasp the magnificance she saw displayed tonight.

Trying to describe Doyle Dykes to Donnie tonight was very difficult. I couldn't come up with the words to describe his playing. I was truly awe-struck by watching it and stunned at the sound. I have NEVER seen or heard anything like it before. And if I had only listened to his songs without seeing him play them, I don't think I would have appreciated him as much. In fact, listening to his music, you'd probably think, "Hmm, pretty good guitaristS." Notice the plural form of that word. That's because when he plays, he sounds like TWO GUITARISTS!

I've never been such a fan of a guitarist before. And maybe I'm SO EXCITED about his music because I've never really been around other guitarists before but I just cannot imagine there are (m)any better than this guy. (And as icing on the cake, he's an inspiring man following Christ!)

Seriously, I just can't describe it. You gotta see it yourself.

Think Twice Before Choosing This Form Of Income

I guess there have to be drug trials on humans but I can guarantee you that I will NEVER, I repeat NEVER be a part of it. I can't imagine CHOOSING to be a test subject for some new drug. Ack.

The scarier thing is that drug trials continue after they are released and sold on the pharmarket. More people are test subjects than they realize...and they're not getting paid to do it!

Why would anyone want to be a guinea pig for something that is, by definition, TOXIC and must have an LD-50 & an LD-100 rating (lethal dose 50% of the time and lethal dose 100% of the time) before it can be marketed? Drugs certainly don't cure anything. They just cover up symptoms and trick the body into acting differently.

If drug companies were searching for a cure, Cancer would not be our #1 killer today. It was #7 when Nixon declared the "War on Cancer" back in the 70s. After billions being spent on "research" don't you think that number would be going DOWN?

I will stick with nutrients. They are required by the blueprint structure in my body and have worked very well so far.

This story just saddens and frustrates me.

Two New Links On The Sidebar

In my "Frogger" section we have Barbara with an awesome blog at www.MommyLife.com.
In the "Sites To Visit" section we have my new friend Karen with her very inspiring and GROWING website at www.Momline.com

Barbara's having a photo contest right now.

Momline is looking for writing submissions. That's what her site is all about!

Please check out both of these. They are really cool.

Passed Out

Seth


From my sister's camera phone.

Poor buddy.

Congratulating Myself

I have just finished wading through PAGES and PAGES of emails and have finally lowered the 'inbox' to just 2 pages! YAY!

So I'm now celebrating by posting a couple more pictures from that hair-cuttin' day. Oh, and one that Daddy sent me over a month ago that I never posted. It shows Harris Anne posing with a domino house she was VERY proud to have made.

ClubMom

$500 a month to blog. Hmm. Don't know if I'd be interesting enough (probably not) but that SURE WOULD BE COOL!

HEY to all you other Mommy bloggers out there. You should check this out, too!

Please Don't Report Me

What I have done is almost criminal.

I can't believe I let Donnie and the kids talk me into this. David wanted his hair short and I agreed it would be an OK idea since he'll be in a baseball helmet and cap so much the coming months. His long hair would have been a mess throughout ball season.

But what excuse do I have for doing this to Hudson? PEER PRESSURE! Ugh. I hope it grows back fast!

I miss that silky long hair already. Sniff.






And while I'm sharing photos, I might as well show y'all these cute ones.

First, Hudson encourages and cheers for David while he plays Nintendo. Then he consoles him after a loss.

As my Daddy said,

"Big Dog lives on!"

Mom & Dad lost their dalmation to an intestinal problem a few months back. It was right before their move to their new home.

This is a memorial Mom painted for their front porch. I think it looks really nice. Mom used a photo to make the markings as much like Biggon's as possible.

Still Careful When I Get Out Of Bed

Lucy used to sleep by my side of the bed. I always had to be careful not to step on her when I got up.

Shayne said she dreamed Lucy walked into her room.

This weekend was very tiring.

Saturday we buried Lucy at Donna & Nathan's place. She's got a beautiful spot under a canopy of pines. We drove up to P'ville in a hurry after ball practices and barely had enough time to have Lucy's "service" before sunset.

Thanks again, D for letting us have this special spot for her. It really means so much.

In Memory Of Lucy

I know I'm not the only blogger who has a weird sense of urgency in posting important matters.

Less than 1 hour ago, our dear Lucy passed away in my arms. We sat together in the grass near the trampoline.

We knew the day was getting nearer. She hasn't eaten or peed/pooped much in the last few days. When I woke up this morning, she was down in the yard but when we were leaving the house, she was back up on the porch and sleeping by the back door.

I'm so glad I was with her and holding her and comforting her. She definitely knew I was taking care of her.

She's one awesome girl. We will miss her immensely.

Lucy
February 3, 1993 - March 10, 2006

Hope Program

Remember I told y'all some good things were happening regarding glyconutrients?? Well, here's a snippet of one of those good things. This is a recent blog entry from the Mayfield family. I am their "MannaRelief Champion" and helping to provide glyconutrients through the MannaRelief Ministry. Hannah was in a very serious car accident 1 year ago and sufferred traumatic brain injury. She has been through numerous surgeries and rehab. She's home with her family now and after getting started on glyconutrients a couple of months ago, is finally making advances in healing that they were not seeing before. Many prayers are being answered here!

Hannah laughed at I Love Lucy's vitameatavegamin commercial on Monday. She also responded again to Dr. Law yesterday by moving her pinky when he asked her to. She is smiling more and making more sounds in response to questions. We think she is reading things we put in front of her like "Wiggle your pinky." "Make a Sound." "Move your arms." because she will do what it says most of the time. We have just started doing this, so we will get a better idea as we go.

Kent and Debbie are encouraged by Hannah's responses lately and have been a great help, as have all of our therapists and friends.

If you would like to donate money for Hannah's continued use of glyconutrients, you can donate (tax-deductible!!) at www.MannaRelief.org by clicking on the HOPE PROGRAM. Make sure you designate the monies to Hannah Mayfield Hope #5596.

THANK YOU!

(I hope to have permission to share the story of MB who is a 50-year-old lady battling a very serious stage of cancer. Within 24 hours of glyconutrients, her quality of life has increased dramatically. I REALLY want to go into more details right now but I don't want to invade privacy issues. I will be speaking with her and asking to share her story because it is AMAZING AND ENCOURAGING!)

Willena Thanks Ian...

and I thank Willena!

I really don't need to stumble across things like this today.

The Red Block

I lasted 39.87 seconds on my first try.

How many seconds did the rest of you last on your first try?

Feeling Guilty

I forgot something I was supposed to do at church tonight. Oops.

Skipping church. Not a good idea.

In the meantime, enjoy this picture of Donna's boy :) He looks SO MUCH like Harris
Anne at this age. Bizarre!

Signs, Signs, Everywhere A Sign

We've been driving by this one little old church for years and Donnie and I always roll our eyes or laugh at the sayings posted on the sign by the road. They rarely have anything to do with being a follower of Christ and even when Jesus is mentioned in the saying, it's often not scripturally correct.

Donnie called me on my cell yesterday to tell me the latest one.

A chrysanthemum by any other name
Would be easier to spell.

Sigh...

OK. American Idol. VERY MUCH looking forward to tonight. Have to say that I was kinda disappointed in the ladies last night. Kinda boring. I REALLY HOPE Katharine got some votes. She truly wasn't outstanding and with her song being first, I'm afraid she might not have picked up any new voting fans. I missed Mandisa because of a phone call but Donnie said she did well.

And I'm very disappointed in America's voting audience since Stacy Keibler placed 3rd in Dancing With The Stars! What a ripoff! (not to mention the other voting farces earlier in the season.)

Very excited about some glyconutrient stuff going on. Good things happening my friends...good things. Heading to Birmingham for a glyconutrient presentation at a Catholic church there on Saturday. If anyone wants to meet me there (or meet up for dinner earlier) LET ME KNOW! The presentation is at 7 so I'm thinking dinner around 5. Someone suggested a Mexican restaurant nearby and that's sounding good to me.)

We skipped church tonight to work on homework and because the church supper wasn't all that appealing tonight. Therefore, I'm off to toss together a dinner.

OOH, off-topic question before I close.

When you are dreaming, do you ever talk to yourself reminding yourself that "this is a dream" or can you manipulate your dreams to get the results you want? I'm asking because my parents found it very odd that I told them I woke up during a dream one Saturday morning but went back to sleep so I could finish it before getting up. It would have put me in a funk if I hadn't finished it.

Anyone else understand what I'm talking about?

Taylor Hicks - Good News :)

A guy on Tider Insider had this to say...

"Taylor isn't a barner. Sat with me at the USM game and cheered the Tide on all game (at least until he had to leave to go set up at the Booth). I think he did a semester at Union College or whatever it's called (Auburn's version of Shelton) when he lived down there with a bunch of guys from Hoover, but he's no Auburn fan."

My Problem

I'm sitting here blogging when I have WAY too many other things to do. In fact, I'm talking with Donnie about how he could help me tomorrow because I have SO many things to get done in the morning. So WHY AM I BLOGGING?

Because I am avoiding the important stuff. There is just so much that I would rather sit here and write instead of face that reality.

So, let's talk about American Idol. I'm pretty happy about it. A little surprised at the way it turned out (thought Becky would make it one more week) but I didn't lose any of my faves.

OK, I REALLY AM wasting time here. Why don't I jot down my to-do list for tomorrow since that actually would be a productive thing to do.

Does everyone else make as many lists as I do? I make these EVERY NIGHT!

And yes, some of the 'to-dos' are obvious things that I wouldn't forget but having them on the list helps me know that I will get at least SOME of my list crossed off.

--Wake up early
--Shower
--Make David's lunch
--Pack bags (don't forget cell phone charger, Aunt C's phone number, camera)
--Call A early in day
--Place last minute orders for BP (call W)
--Put bday gifts in car (wrap bday gifts)
--Put girls' bags in car

That doesn't seem like everything. Maybe it's because I have so many other things to do that can't make it on my list for tomorrow. Things like:
--Kids' Carousel (take-in starts this weekend and I'm not even CLOSE to ready and will be out of town so won't be able to work on it until Saturday evening)
--Roger C has requested his website be updated
--I have a meeting with a doctor on Monday about a patient with cancer who wants to use glyconutrients instead of chemo/radiation. I've been asked to consult (yikes! very serious situation that I am taking very seriously. Much information to gather...MUCH praying for wisdom)

All these things looming in my head make my to-do list feel incomplete. I just have no way of doing them by tomorrow so they will have to wait until I get home Saturday evening.

Tomorrow after B's birthday party, Shayne and I will be going to a Manna training weekend in Dothan. We'll be staying with Aunt C, so that will be very nice.

Gotta go now. Seriously, enough is enough.

LORD, make me mindful...
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:9 NLT

American Idol Is So Much Fun!

We thoroughly enjoyed tonight's show, probably even more so than last night. Not sure what the difference was except that maybe the guys were just having more fun. The girls (as a whole) seemed a little more tense and stuffy or something.

I picked 6 guys for which I will be rooting:
Will - SO cute
Chris - He should have done the INXS competition but I'll support him on AI.
Kevin - He won't make it all the way but I'm going to pull for him to go into the top 6.
Elliott - So happy for this guy. I REALLY love his voice.
Ace - again, Hubba Hubba. LOVED his song tonight. Excellent.
Taylor - REALLY impressed. I'm proud of him for toning down the Stevie Wonder/Joe Cocker dance routine. I think that will annoy people if it's done too much. I was already getting a little annoyed with it since he did it during conversations. But after tonight's "Levon" I have decided that I REALLY like him. He's got the coolest voice. I'm very excited that AL will have another STAR and not an embarrassment. I just wish he wasn't an Awb :)

American Idol Female Top 5 Picks

I don't think it was too difficult to draw the dividing line tonight. There were just a few who SHINED! I think everyone will agree that these were the best 5, without a doubt.

Wouldn't it be more fun to vote for a castoff, like in Survivor?

The best, by far are:
Mandisa - Rocked the house!
Ayla
Paris - So glad that weave is only on the website! Her hair was REALLY cute tonight.
Lisa
Katharine - We can't help but calling her "Nanny." Anyone else doing that? :)

Are My Issues THAT Obvious?

Here's two of the M A N Y signs the children posted around the house for my birthday yesterday. Makes me think I might not be doing a very good job in the "prevent the children from knowing my own self-esteem issues"....although I might be doing an OK job in the "how to encourage someone" department.

Sign one (direct quotes):
Oh, Hi Mom. I just wanted to tell you HAPPY Birthday! It's the best one! Because you'll be 20!!!!!!! With Wots and Wots of Wove! That's BABY talk! With Lots and Lots of LOVE! Love ya! Harris

Sign two:
I know how old you are going to be. You'll be 13. You look 13 because you are SO SKINNY! Jesus loves you VERY MUCH and I love you and NOTHING can stop me!! I love you! H.A.W.

"Down By The Creek Bank"

"By the ol' hollo' log."
The song "Puzzles" featured the singing talents of Harris Anne and the dramatic narrating talents of Shayne.

Lisa Was Robbed!

I cried.

I think even Jerry cried.

I actually voted for the first time this week because tonight's scene was exactly what I wanted to avoid.

Poor Lisa.

What happened? Are the intelligent Americans who are watching this show (assuming there ARE some!) just not wasting their time with votes? Or is it that Jerry (and Master Peeps or whatever his name was) have a huge amount of supporters out there voting for them regardless of their lack of talent.

Don't get me wrong, Jerry has worked his tail off. But anyone with half a brain can tell that he does not deserve to be in the semis.

Anyone else even watch this show?

Business Week Publishes Homeschool Article

Interesting that BW picked up on this trend and recognized the number of educated, even "affluent" people who are choosing this route.

Maybe they will do a future, "Welcome To My Birthplace: My Home" article soon :)

Meet My Teachers: Mom and Dad

American Idol Contestants

I'd be tickled to see this local feller win but I don't know if he's got the American Idol stamina. It will be fun watching and pulling for him, though!


I think God has big plans for her.





Would like to see him go far but I don't think he'll make it too far past the top 10 (but would be happy if I'm wrong.)



Stunningly Beautiful.





Would love to see her get voted out before anyone else, but I bet I have to put up with her 'tude for a while.



Hubba Hubba Gorgeous.





Isn't everyone hoping she rocks the house?




I don't think I like the weave but I think she has a GREAT chance to win (down from my original prediction that she had it in the bag.)

She's Got Style

"Momma, do we have anywhere to go today?"

"No, we're home for the rest of the day."

"Good!"

Off she runs to take off her school uniform.

And this is what she chooses to wear around the house.

I just love her sense of style!


Red tee by Old Navy, Flower Power Flare Pants by Children's Place, Pink Workout Pants by Hand-Me-Down.

Not David's Namesake

The Germans really love him, eh?

He must have a great sense of humor and he MUST be making money from this kind of stuff. Why else would he do it?

Jumping Over The Hurdles

I just told Donnie, "if I don't post tonight, it will be old news by tomorrow."

So, I'm just jumping over one of the biggest hurdles I have. It's late.

But we had such a great day that I really want to share it here. I also have some cute photos from last weekend that I need to get up here.

Today was just a great day.

First, took my Daddy with me to get a HUGE 3x6 mirror from a Freecycle offer. It's going to be perfect behind Granny's two green chairs. In her (and PaPaul's) home, she had a mirror of similar size directly behind these chairs. It's going to be cool having a similar arrangement in my home.

I also enjoyed the ride to and from the pickup with my Daddy :)

The kids have been quite entertaining lately. Not only is Hudson REALLY REALLY into being Buzz Lightyear and/or Superman (the red cape has been daily attire this week -- even if he's wearing his Buzz shirt. I dread not letting him wear it to church tomorrow) we also have the 3 big kids really into making up and performing plays. Shayne is the writer, director, and star while Harris Anne and David love being the whatever role Shayne writes for them. The play today was called "Knights In The Night." I didn't quite follow the entire plot but it had something to do with helping a poor person quit stinking! That is SO un-PC. I really don't know where they get it from!

The most impressive and hilarious thing about today's performance was the background music. Shayne would exit from a scene so that she could go to the CD player and push play. She selected AWESOME choices that went perfectly with the scene. Mostly it was horse-riding music and H.A. and David would gallop around the room until the music faded out. Donnie and I thought it was pretty smart.

When the curtain fell, we loaded up for a ride to Prattville. We bribed the kids into being on perfect behavior during lunch so that we could take them to a surprise location. They huddled in the parking lot and did their famous, "1, 2, 3...SUPER WALKER KIDS!" cheer before entering Wendy's restaurant for some Value Menu Crispy Chicken Nuggets.

I had talked Donnie into driving over to P for some mini golf and go carts. We hadn't visited EF in years and had a few coupons that were getting close to expiring. We were able to get a really great price and had a wonderful time. The weather was gorgeous and the young'uns thoroughly enjoyed the friendly competition. And of course, go carts are always a blast.

Lastly, we picked up a few groceries on the way home and enjoyed an AFV episode while eating "Survivor Nachos" that Shayne had cooked for us (she did everything but drain the meat -- it's ground turkey, salsa, black beans, mexicorn, chili pepper, cayenne, paprika -- YUM YUM!)

When the kids were in bed, I worked on uploading a few pictures from the camera then played a game of Scene It and Phase 10 with Donnie while eating a bowl of ice cream.

It was the loveliest of days.

Hope yours was good, too!

Shayne watching Miss America contestant, Miss Alabama, last weekend. While Harris Anne says she'd like to be in a pageant some day, Shayne shows us how little she desires that froo froo stuff.

One spoiled-rotten baby brother.

Good Advice...

(but I still want an iPod)

Found this when blog-surfing led me to Joe's.

DON'T waste money on expensive iPods. Simply think of your favorite tune and hum it. If you want to "switch tracks", simply think of another song you like and hum that instead.

Almost Felt Like A Teacher

I had a first-time experience tonight. Weird one, too.

We were at C, the local deli, when a waitress asked me, "Were you a student teacher for Mrs. J?"

As soon as she said, "student teacher" I knew EXACTLY who she was...well, except for her name, which really frustrated me.

She was one of my favorite students when I was interning in a 3rd grade class. Her Mom was the room mother and they lived a few blocks away from my grandparents. They were one of my favorite families!

We chatted for a few minutes and I told her that I still had the Christmas ornament she gave me and that it still hung on my tree every year.

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed this experience, I'm not sad that I'm likely not to ever experience one like it again. I am SO glad God didn't call me into full-time school teaching! THANK YOU, LORD :) I'll leave that job to gals like Jen, who is awesome at it!

I woulda stunk.

Friend's Daughter on American Idol

My friend Greg (Skye's brother-in-law) has a daughter who made it to Hollywood from the NC auditions. Here's a link to her picture.

Eden

Time to go watch tonight's episode.

Boy how I wish I had Tivo!! Our VCR makes some pretty crummy footage these days.

My Prediction

Paris will be the next American Idol.

Party Planning

Was doing a little research today. Some birthday party ideas have been floating around in my head and I'm thinking it might be good to get started on some plans.

One idea for Hudson - Buzz Lightyear theme...

Look where the search led me. I found this site by searching "rocket cakes."

This is my favorite! I'm thinking I might attempt it with a few alterations...

Those are doughnuts on a plunger! How easy is that!? I LOVE IT!

My Biggest Hindrances

I have this problem all the time: What to blog?

Even though time restraints are a big factor in why I don't update daily, the biggest hindrance is my inability to focus on one topic. Every day brings numerous possibilities and my little mind can't settle on just one. I don't know if I should stick with my past routine of cute pictures and daily play-by-play or if I should dig deeper and talk about issues with deeper relevance. In my old "Elephants and Kangaroos" days (would link but the site is gone...ugh) I would tackle deeper issues of my thoughts and feelings and would most often close with scripture. These days, I don't know whether or not to share my views of the latest headline news or share the comments heard during the pre-bedtime Uno game. Should I be a resource linking readers to interesting sites I have looked at throughout the day or should I get back to scripture and document some of the serious life issues I am discussing with my daughters?

I started making a list of possible topics yesterday. I have no idea if any of these will ever make it to post:

*Hudson moving from our bed to his bed and weaning.

*Threats of terror and hostage situations.

*Our friend Ronnie D who is sharing ideas about his funeral as he continues to work as a cop in Baghdad.

*Pillar of EHBC and SS teacher who died unexpectedly. If we were still there, she probably would have been the Hudman's teacher. She leaves her husband of 54 years.

*The kids and their TV restriction (guidelines and mercies.)

*Lucy's transition to being an outside dog.

*My motion sickness at the IMAX theater.

*Miss America.

Parts of me wish I had a completely anonymous blog while other parts of me think that I'd never have any consistent readers if only strangers were stumbling across my stuff. I think the only reason I have any readers now is because there are a few who are curious to see my kids and what we've been doing.

Well, I guess I should just continue with this mediocre blog until I'm inspired to do something bigger and better.

Thanks for supporting my mediocrity :)