America's Got Talent?

Anyone watching this?

I really want to know opinions on this because I've not quite put all mine to words yet. It's definitely been entertaining (although I missed a few acts here and there) but I just don't know if I REALLY like it.

First, I enjoyed the Miller Brothers and the harmonica BUT I already sense this red-headed kid is a soon-to-be Danny Bonaducci. He's just way too big for his britches. And are we really sure he's an AWESOME harmonica player?? I think he's definitely good for his age but....I don't know... I just have some hesitance in being a real big fan yet.

Second, are "we", the American public, choosing a winner that is basically just the best at an ultimate talent show?? Or are we choosing someone that we hope to catapult into future opportunities to watch/hear them? For example...the little yodeling girl. She DOES amaze me (she learned how to yodel from a doggone INSTRUCTION VIDEO!) but I'm betting, and I don't know for sure of course, but I'm betting there are other girls her age who can yodel BETTER than her. Not many, but I'm betting some little girl out there is thinking, "Dang, I wish I had gone to that audition."

But back to the point of the contest. Are we voting for somone we'd like to see/hear again and again? Well if THAT is the case, it is NOT little Taylor, the yodeler. Good for now, and maybe good enough to win a talent contest but she is NOT Taylor Hicks. I would not go to a concert of hers, nor would I buy a CD or video of her.

She's cute as a button, though and I wish her well. I don't want anyone to think I dislike HER. I just don't think I can vote for her.

I did vote for the hunky clogging guys that were in the top 2 with her. I'd enjoy watching/hearing them again and again (and hearing their taps is a very big part of the enjoyment -- they're cute but not cute enough to get my vote if they sounded bad.) I was able to get in my maximum 10 votes within just a couple of minutes. Very different from voting on AI. Definitely less callers out there.

Any other watchers with comments?

Today's Ultrasound

Well...

It's just one baby :)

He/she is BEAUTIFUL! Measured at 9 weeks instead of 8 but I'm sticking with 8.

This picture is, of course, not OUR child but a neat view of what an 8 week old baby looks like.

I still get waves of "WOW....there's another baby inside of me!"

Let's Get One Thing Straight

Anyone see the story on the Today Show last week called, "Three Is The New Two?"

I can't find the link on the TS website either. Sorry.

Anyway, it basically said that as young couples are doing better off financially that the trend for a "complete" family has begun to shift from 2 children to 3. It also went on to say that children were becoming the new "must-have" for affluent families to show off how well they were doing. In the same breath, it was said that more children meant nannies and housekeepers.

HA!!!!!!

I just want to get one thing straight with y'all. Anyone who thinks our 5th child is a way for us to show off some bling has a serious misunderstanding of where we come from.

Please note that although we have a house that is a pretty decent size does NOT mean that we are upper-anything. It just means that we bust out of the seams in anything smaller and that God provided an incredible deal for us when we were house-hunting.

I recently spoke with a girl who lives in our neighborhood and when she found out we were having another baby she said, "You know, if we could afford more children, I'd probably have at least one more."

So, even though she didn't SAY it, the implication was that WE could afford more children than her. Again, I say HA. I know that this particular family's (two-parent) income is probably a good deal more than ours and that they definitely have more play-pretties and fun things than we do (we see them whizzing by on their golf carts in the evenings.) Now, this is a very sweet family and I don't mean anything negative in any way...it's just that obviously the perception is that children are something you pay extra for AFTER you get all the fun stuff you want first.

Well, that's not the case with us. We live TIGHT budgets and our big house is filled with hand-me-down furniture and gifts and the rare cash-only clearance decorative items. We have items on the wall that were purchased at yard sales and all other walls are bare. Even our nice portraits were bartered with website design services. Our vacations are minimal and when they do occur, are heavily financed by grandparents and much saving. Our shopping is for necessities and rarely nice-ities (sp?). Our out-to-eat extravagances are at the Mexican restaurant on "kids-eat-free" night.

So PLEASE don't be one that mistakes us for Hollywood-styled family growth. Our children are not our jewelry. They are a gift from the LORD and we will continue to trust God to provide for them and us.

Psalm 127 (NLT)
1
Unless the LORD builds a house,
the work of the builders is useless.
Unless the LORD protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good.
2
It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones.

3
Children are a gift from the LORD;
they are a reward from him.

4
Children born to a young man
are like sharp arrows in a warrior's hands.

5
How happy is the man whose quiver is full of them!
He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

So Long, So Long, So Long...and THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH

Summer Tip: Do not rent, borrow, or steal Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

I thought I could be relatively tolerant of and possibly even enjoy something that apparently odd-ball, intellectual types have enjoyed in book series and on BBC. I'm thinking it might be a little Monty Python-ish or something. Well, it is soooooo not that. The rare chuckles were not worth the time we spent gathered around the boob tube.

Highlights: Yarn doll puking string and catchy Dolphin Song (I titled this entry with the chorus of that song.)

Anyone else out there seen this horrid film?

PT & Cow Juice

I know I am due for an update but there's not much to tell. I went to the OB this week and am definitely pregnant :) I calculated my due date correctly (Feb 17) and I'm going back in a couple of weeks for an ultrasound. The good doc likes to do 8-10 week ultrasounds. It will be fine with me because I'd like the reassurance that there is only 1 baby there. If there's 2, do you think y'all could help us get some media publicity for a free church van or...better yet... a Toyota Sequoia?? Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to ride in the same car together!

Heartburn is gone and gurgly "bubbleguts" feeling (thanks for that terminology Jen) is ALMOST non-existant. I figured out that my peanut sensitivity has been the biggest culprit and now that I've made that dietary adjustment, I'm doing mucho better. I'll soon be bringing almond butter back into the house. I wish it wasn't so darn expensive!

Allrighty, I'm off for a bedtime snack. It's not a good-for-me-snack but it's soooo yummy nonetheless. Chocolate Poptarts (sometimes the real-deal and sometimes Good Value Toaster Pastries - both are equally dee-lish right now) and organic cow's milk.

I hope I don't pay for the milk with too high a price when baby gets here. I believe part of David's colic issue was possibly triggered by my large milk consumption during his pregnancy (the biggest part was a massive yeast overgrowth I passed on to him but I believe milk played a small part, too). Milk & peanuts are both major colic triggers and often go hand-in-hand. Since I already have a peanut sensitivity, it's likely I could generate this sensitivity in the baby, too. I'm going to try being careful about it. Also, I'm not a big pro-cow's-milk person anyway BUT I actually crave it when I'm pregnant.

Thanks for being interested in the updates. I see how many of y'all are checking in every day! It makes me happy to know that so many of you are lurking in :)

(hint: If you don't comment from time to time, I might call you out...I see who is visiting!! Remember, you don't have to have a blogger account to comment. Just click the "anonymous" button and then sign your name at the end.)

Tie-Breaker

We have 2 girls & 2 boys. The tie-breaker is now on his or her way!!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen. I am now 6 weeks pregnant! Baby #5 should make an appearance somewhere in mid-February. The 17th is the official self-calculation but I will be seeing my OB on Wednesday. His guesstimate will probably be about the same. Of course, all "EDD" (estimated due date) are guesses anyway. We try not to rely on them too much.

By the way, all of this (OK not A L L of this) is because of Harris Anne. She had asked us for a baby sister a little while back. We chuckled and said, "You better pray and ask God about that one."

So yes, we're kinda thinking this one might be a girl.

Sorry it took so long for me to write a real entry about it all. I honestly was just waiting for Jen to get back from vacation. I was waiting for her to see my previous post before I started talking about it all too much. WELCOME HOME, Jen :)

I'm pooped, which hit me like a ton of bricks. You might remember it wasn't too long ago that I was loving my new-found energy. I'm now knowing that was before implantation. Ever since baby has burrowed into the lining of my uterus, I've been pretty slow. Not disabled by tiredness or anything but a little slow nonetheless.

Other fun signs of pregnancy:
opting for stretchy pants
occasional, yet major, prego-brain-fog. I HATE that. I apologize now for any zany thought-patterns and typos that occur from this day forward.
burping (although not as severe now as it was early on. Heartburn & burps were actually my first indication of something going on. One week before my period was even due I was like, "Hey....this is heartburn...Hmmm...there's only been 4 other times in my life that I've had heartburn...)

I haven't been following the Brewer Diet like I should but hopefully I can get better soon. We've been All-Starring these last few weeks and eating on the go too much. I am soooo ready for a calming down of the schedule. BUT, tired or not, I'll be pulling for our "Darlins" to make it to the District Tourney anyway. We're fighting through the losers' bracket right now (double-elimination) but won pretty strongly tonight. Harris Anne had no idea what all this "All-Star" stuff meant when she made the team but I don't think this is anything she'll ever forget now!

Happy Father's Day, Donnie!

Now, I'm just waiting for comments...

Another VIP I Know

My kids ask me, "Are you famous Mom?" whenever I show them people I know who have made it to the big times.

It is pretty amazing that I'm not....yet! LOL

Here's a guy that I'm VERY HONORED to know and to have some association with. He and I were both voted by our senior class as "Most Congenial." (see yearbook picture above)

Eric's always been one cool dude! This article just impresses me to pieces...and from the Washington Post no less!

Go Eric!

New Frogger On The Side - and a multitude of in-post links

(how y'all liking all my posts, today?? -- it's this walking in the AM & new Accelerator 3 that's giving me beaucoups of energy! I'm actually also getting lots of things done in between posts, too! WHOO HOO! Go FlyLady, Go FlyLady!)

I've added a new Trent (the tallest dude in the picture) to the sidebar in "Blogs I Read". Y'all might have thought the original "Trent" over there was THIS Trent but it actually was not. NOW, I have two Trents -- Trent A. being the one you probably know and Trent S. being the ever-so-on-top-of-it-and-sharing-the-truth-with-us one.

Hope you'll check them both out!

Gratuitous Hud-Dawg

Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Kids Watching Online Videos

This is the video they were watching...



Get this video and more at MySpace.com



when I made THIS video:



Get this video and more at MySpace.com

In Case You Missed The Episode

I did but someone linked it to me. I thought I'd do the same for youse-guys.

Routine Epidural Turns Deadly

13 Years Ago Right Now

If you counted back 13 years ago, down to the hour and give or take a few minutes, you will be at the time this photo was made.

It was a hot, hot day.

Happy Anniversary to the VERY BEST HUSBAND AND FATHER IN THE WHOLE WORLD! And that's not just me saying what I'm supposed to say. I'm sure this truth could be proven in a court of law.

I Know It's Past My Bedtime But...

(it's difficult to follow my own self-imposed schedule EVERY night)

I just wanted to throw out this request real quick before I hit the sack.

If any of you locals (or even far-offs who trust me enough to do the shipping thing) have some Boxed Sets of series that you'd let us borrow this summer, we'd be ever so grateful. We're hoping to catch up on some series that we've only recently decided to jump into. We know there are also other series out there we might be interested in checking out.

We're truly open to all options (and would be thankful for any awesome motion pictures that you highly recommend) but these are some we are REALLY wanting to see:
24 Season 3
Little House On The Prairie Season 1
Arrested Development Season 2

Any other suggestions are 100% welcome. We're just as thankful as we can be to anyone who might be able to help us save money & effort (video stores) this summer.

Don't Mess With Texas-Based MTEX

Imitation might be the sincerest form of flattery but when it comes to patent-infringement, that imitation just isn't going to fly.

"Back In My Day"

Spoke with an older gentleman this afternoon whose wife had told him about glyconutrients. He wanted more information so I ran some by his house. I showed him the 5 month cellular restoration plan and he said, "Nah, I'm not dedicated enough to do that." I said, "Really?? Are you dedicated to your medications?" He answered, "Oh yeah." I asked, "Did they promise you they would make you better??" (I asked that because he had made reference earlier that he'd be all over the glyconutrients if they were guaranteed to work.) He said, "Oh no...they told me I was DYING." I said, "So you're willing to be dedicated to the men who tell you that you're dying but not willing to be dedicated to something for 5 months that won't hurt you and might improve your quality of life and possibly extend your life?"

He said, "Nah."

This gentleman is an Uncle by the way. That's why I was more bold with him than I might be with another older gentleman.

Too bad people don't realize the reality that is brought out in this week's Business Week article. Interesting and scary stuff.

Again, I'll stick with the nutrition that God designed for us to have. It just makes sense and all the growing amounts of science behind it is just overwhelming validation.

No Promises

I can't promise that I will quit burning the candle at both ends but I am going to make an earnest effort to enjoy the flames :) My kids are growing up soooo quickly and I am desperately wanting to spend some more time with them while they are still (sorta) little.

We've got lots of stuff going on and I'm really ready to get started on the transition to a homeschooling schedule. It's funny. One of the things I am looking most forward to about homeschooling is not having to follow anyone ELSE'S schedule but I know, KNOW, K N O W that we have GOT to come up with some sort of routine to make sure this thing works.

So, we're going to start working on it ASAP. I'm sure we'll tweak it a hundred times before it's truly settled on but I figure it's best to get started tweaking now than when we're also learning how to do the scholastic part of it.

All of that said, I'm going to be working with a more scheduled computer time. This will probably lead to less blogging time for a little while, but hopefully I will be very focused during the times I'm able to be logged on. I hope that with this more stringent self-discipline that I can get on here and really enjoy the words that are always rolling around in my brain.

So IF this leads to less blogging, you now know why. I'm hoping it won't be a drastic starvation diet for me, but a healthy moderation instead. I'm hoping it will be a more efficient effort in a limited timeframe. Without a limit on myself I'm really tempted to wander and surf and spend aimless moments clicking from link to link. Now, maybe things will be more streamlined.

Please keep visiting the blog and to encourage me, why don't you non-commenters drop me a line from time to time. It will make my day (and you can even do it anonymously!)

Y'all are great. I truly appreciate and love the fact that y'all check in on me so often (and yes, I can "see you" even when you don't comment :) Site meters are GREAT that way!) Don't go away!

(p.s. I've added a new important link to the sidebar. FLYLADY is helping me with my baby steps.)

Happy Memorial Day??

Is "Happy" really the appropriate word for Memorial Day? I mean, YES, I want everyone to be happy and I want everyone to have a good Memorial Day...I just wonder if saying "Have a Happy Celebrate-Our-Fallen-Soldiers Day" is exactly right.

However, today I can have complete confidence in saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my lovely Harris Anne. She is 8 today!

We started our morning with a family brunch. Gjo & PePaw, MeMe & PawPaw, Donna, Nathan, and Stacey all came over for some brunch-umptious Quiche & Mashed Browns (ymmm). We then entertained the crowd with a concert & play by the children.

Several weeks back, we were "supposed" to do the piano recital thing. It coincided with (can you guess??) softball & t-ball. We also had to nix the school Talent Show because of athletics. So, we decided that we'd use this day to let the children showcase their work from this past year.

Shayne opened the program with the national anthem, which she played on her electric guitar. It was cool. The next few numbers consisted of the girls taking turns dazzling us with their instruments. Harris Anne tickled the electric keyboard "ivory" while Shayne impressed us with snippets of Aerosmith's "Dream On" and Smashmouth's "All-Star" They closed the musical acts with a duet of "Ode To Joy." This portion of the program was a hit!

After a few gymnastics moves by David, the girls were changed into their costumes for the play "Wait! What's That?" written and directed by Shayne. All 4 children were in this production and it was quite funny. It ended with "it was just a dream" a la "Dallas" or "Bob Newhart" style.

It was a good day. After the crowds were gone, we played a round of Cranium Family Fun then the kids went outside to play with the hose in the backyard.

The afternoon & evening ended up being about 90 miles of unexpected driving but we're finally home and settled down now. The driving consisted of a couple of "long stories" and weren't eventful enough for blogging.

So now I need to hit the hay. Goodnight y'all :)

A Bit of History

My Daddy shared this bit of baseball and American history (video) with me.

Still Here, Lisa

Thanks for wondering about me, though! Just busy right now. Checking some email here and there but not spending large chunks of time online.

I must apologize for sure about not getting back with a big SOUL PATROL SOUL PATROL after Wednesday night's results show. It was an excellent way to end my first Idol season.

Will be bloggin' and commenting to some comments SOON :)

Soul Patrol!!

I'm voting. Are you? (I've gotten through around 7 times so far)

1-866-IDOLS-02
1-866-IDOLS-04
1-866-IDOLS-06

So Pathetic - I DREAMED About American Idol

That's right. I woke up soon after spending some quality time with Paris. We were standing in a crowded hallway (school??) and I had to BEG her to stand with me for a picture. Well, my camera was in the car so Donnie went running out for it. Paris wanted to leave but I kept harrassing her saying, "He'll be riiight back." NO ONE around us had a camera. Ugh. Anyway, I ended up spending a great deal of time with her and met her crazy extended family. We got talking like real people and eventually (y'all......this is REALLY crazy) Paris ended up showing me a spot on her BOOB that she thought was mastitis!! As if she was one of my doula clients!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? Something must be wrong with me.

Somehow I was also on the front row for the show tonight. And everyone who came out on the stage was somebody NOT from American Idol. Oh, except for Kellie Pickler that is. She had one of her weirdo-high hairdos and....get this...was in a WHEELCHAIR!

The next guy who came out was also in a wheelchair (Christopher Reeves style) and I had NO idea who he was. Then a friend of mine who uses a wheelchair ALSO came out being pushed by his wife. I was yelling on stage, "Ross!?" --- which is weird because his first name isn't Ross. His last name is.

Anyway, another couple that came out was some fat Amish looking guy who was walking down the runway on his knees and holding the hand of a little girl.

None of them were singing.

It was all so weird.

I think that maybe I'm anxious because I will have to miss the live show again tonight. We'll be at the ballfields (where else??) I'm also anxious (very) about missing the Results show tomorrow because we'll also be...all together now..."at the ballfields." H.A.'s game will end about the time the show is ending. I am truly worried that someone will get a cell phone call and I'll hear, "REALLY??? Awesome! -- Hey, everyone, Kat won American Idol!"

Sad, ain't it?

Dream interpretations are welcome.

And Since The Topic Has Been Raised

Food for thought:

"Can Christians Use Birth Control?" - A commentary by Albert Mohler.

Another Sign That People Prefer Their Own Plans To God's

Read more here.

It's Almost Time

Almost time for a new computer. Hopefully next week! I cannot wait!

We've had this computer since Harris Anne was a new baby. It has been a GREAT machine. Very little crashes and our only teeny virus problems were corrected by Donnie without much trouble. I don't think we were ever without the computer more than 24 hours in all these years (except when we moved.)

Even though this machine has been great and has allowed us to get lots of work done, have lots of fun, stay organized, and document the lives of our sweet babies, there have been some pretty real behind-the-times issues. The biggest lately has been locking-up. Things like eBay and Google calendar cause this baby some major havoc. Adobe Acrobat is an issue sometimes, too. And I've always had trouble opening many .doc files. Realplayer has been a problem for years. We've tried correcting it numerous of times (because Mannatech uses Realplayer for their archived videos) but have never been successful. Just recently I made it conk out when I tried updating Trillian. I don't chat much at all but when I do, I have liked this program. I'm also in desperate need of updating some Mannatech business software but have been unsuccessful with my current setup.

Of course the biggest reason for needing to update our systems is because of homeschooling. We are needing to load Switched On Schoolhouse and I want to start with a clean slate. I'm also planning to add a camera & mic system so that I can do online training & informational meetings. Won't that be cool? And get this, in addition to getting a new desktop, we'll also be getting a laptop with the ability to creator Power Point! I'll be coming up with some awesome presentations soon :)

Can't wait y'all. Let's hope we are as blessed with these new machines as we have been with our current one. It's an oldie but it's been a goodie.

"Children Should Sleep With Their Parents Until They're Five"

Hmm. Wonder if US news will pick up this story.

I have always been pro-co-sleeping. However, I was more nervous about it early on and didn't do it as much with the girls asI did with the boys. I also didn't nurse the girls as long as I did the boys (hope they don't have a complex about this later!) and wasn't quite as confident in my ways then.

Now it has become obvious to me that there is a direct correlation between length of time co-sleeping and ease of transition into the big bed (which is against 'conventional' wisdom. "If you let that baby sleep in your bed, you'll never get him out." Kinda reminds me of, "If you carry that baby in that sling everywhere you go, he'll never learn to walk." Um, yeah.)

Anyway, none of my children have trouble going to bed even though they all slept with us to some degree. Also, the boys who slept with us longest, were EASY EASY EASY making the transition to big bed. So easy. We have no problems getting Hudson to bed and to sleep, even though he was in our bed 100% of the time until earlier this year (he was born 3/03). In fact, just this week, he said, "I wanna go to bed. I'm tired." We said, "OK, give us a kiss and go get in the bed. We'll come check on you in a minute."

And that's exactly what he did. AND he went to sleep! We laughed...

Now, I will say that there are several mornings (they come in spurts) that Hudson gets in the bed with us before sunrise. It's no big deal, though. He (and all the children) are welcome in our bed if they ever need to come in. In fact, I think they are so confident in that safety-net that they never actually need it. I expect it will be too soon before I am missing those early morning cuddles.

So...here's to all of you out there who feel that instinctual desire to have your baby in the bed with you...Do it safely, but do it. It's good for them.

Children are like fruit...they only spoil if you leave them alone for too long.

Read the article and let me know what you think.

33% x 3 - WOW

I've never seen Taylor as close to puking as he was when he saw the percentages. I'm REALLY glad he saw them. And I'm REALLY glad Elliot saw them. Poor dude. I'm SO proud of him! And man....doesn't he look better now than he did at the beginning?? Thumbs up to the stylists. Hair is definitely an important thing for the El-Train.

Again, I'm glad Taylor saw the percentages. I think it knocked him back down to earth a little bit and will force him to work his hiney off for next week. I think we'll see him REALLY shine.

Ain't no way Kat is gonna win this thang.

Alabama's Soul Patrol certainly showed up for Taylor, didn't they? A big "whooo!" to the girls who are in the picture on my blog (with my kids) -- they got a massive close-up during the hometown footage. YAY FOR CAROLINE AND MADELYN! I bet they flipped their lids when they saw themselves! Very cool. :)

SOUL PATROL, SOUL PATROL!!!!

My Two Other Mother's Day Stories

Since I posted David's fill-in-the-blank Mother's Day story, I thought I should also share with you what my girls wrote. These are awesome, too!

From Harris Anne:

My Mom is special because she takes me where I need to go, cooks good food, and loves all my brothers and sisters very much!
I like it when my Mom makes me laugh, when she comes to all my softball games, and teaches me things I never knew!
My Mom can do many things! I think she's best at loving me and helping me.
My Mom has a pretty smile! I like to make her smile by obeying her, putting fake teeth in my mouth, writing things to her, and coloring pictures.
My Mom is as pretty as a beautiful angel.
My Mom is smart! She even knows how to drive, how to love me and take care of me, and most of all, she knows how to cook great and healthy food!

From Shayne:

A scripture to encourage you: Psalm 117: Praise the Lord, all nations; Laud Him all peoples! For His lovingkindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord is everlasting. Praise the Lord!
Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of flesh.
My happies memory with you was: When we were at Walt Disney World on Thunder Mountain and you were encouraging me and leaning against me. I felt delighted and not afraid, so I wanted to ride again.
My funniest memory with you was: When you were watching Lost and you told me something was hilarious and the guy exploded. Thank you for letting me watch. I'm glad I didn't miss it. (note from Stacy -- I'm SO embarrassed Shayne's teacher read this!!!!!)
My saddest memory with you was: When beautiful, kind Lucy was in your arms and she slowly started closing her small eyes. Now, there is no more Lucy and no other dog can replace her.
What you taught me most about God was: That God will always forgive me and will never leave me. Also, that I can pray to God wherever I am at any time of day.
You are a great Mom because: You teach me about God. You are fun, and that's not all. You give up time of your day to do things with all four kids. Again I say and mean it, I LOVE YOU!

Don't I have the GREATEST kids!?

Lame Is The Name Of The Game

I don't think I can bear to watch CSI Miami next year. I might not even watch it next week. I'm very tired of Horatio and the melodrama. Good grief. Lame-o.

Here are pictures from Taylor Hicks' fan-devous in Alabama on Friday. I know. I'm lame. Look for us on tomorrow night's show. It's always possible we might end up in the crowd footage when they show each of the Idols as they all return to their hometowns. I wore a red www.MannaRelief.org t-shirt.


Taylor cheers for himself along with Alabama's First Lady, Patsy Riley.


We found some of Shayne's school friends had come to see Taylor, too! They made signs and EVERYTHING!


Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Even though I'm not necessarily pulling for Elliot to win the big AI contest next week, I have to admit I'm happy that I wasn't shown on our local news coverage answering the question, "Who is going to be the next American Idol??" Yes, I screamed along with the crowd, "Taylor Hicks!!" I didn't think it would be proper to say, "Well....according to online chit chat, Elliot is going to walk away a winner!"

I'll truly be fine with it being either of the two guys. Just PLEASE DON'T LET IT BE KATHARINE! Go Kat Go...go home!

If Taylor wins, that's another cool notch in the Alabama talent belt. If Elliot wins, I don't think it could have gone to a nicer guy :)

Shall I cut the lameness here by sharing David's Kindergarten fill-in-the-blank story about his Mom? Yeah, I thought that'd be a good idea, too.

My Very Special Mother!

My mother is the most wonderful mother in the world! She is as pretty as a flower. Her favorite color is black. She weighs more than 60 pounds and is 6 feet tall. She has lovely brown hair and beautiful brown eyes. She loves to eat chicken all the time! I think my mother is funny when she tickles me. My mother is sweeter than my sister. My favorite thing my mother does with me is play games. I wouldn't trade my mother for anything in the world!

I Love You!
David
Happy Mother's Day

Happy Picture

David Gym Videos

Get this video and more at MySpace.com

and


Get this video and more at MySpace.com

David - Gold Medalist

Just wanted to share (mainly with my family) some pictures (and eventually video) from David's gymnastics exhibition yesterday.

Marching In


Ta Da!


The Start Of A Back-handspring


David Wins Gold! (not really, he was just the very best one there without a doubt) :)

I hope to add videos in next post.

My Double-Digit Darlin'

Somehow, my sweet Shayne is now 10 years old. How in the world did that happen!?

After church, we had a very-much-needed day of rest. We went out for a celebratory birthday lunch and then went home and took naps. Shayne and I cozied together, which I really loved :)

Here you will see Shayne doing something I wouldn't do -- COOK ON HER BIRTHDAY!

Isn't she growing up beautifully!?

Aw, I just love this gal.

Happy Birthday, Sweetie!


Get this video and more at MySpace.com

So glad I figured out how to do this

I took my first step of learning how to add video last week when I posted the model in high heels. NOW I have FINALLY figured out how to post videos I have taken myself.

This is so great :)

Watch H.A. doing the Caterpillar (AKA Worm).
(this video is from our little digital camera and we didn't know it had sound on it until we uploaded it to the computer! I think I was cooking spaghetti and you can hear Donnie telling me the water for the noodles is boiling)

This video was taken several months ago. Be prepared to see more now that I know how to do it!

Get this video and more at MySpace.com

"Tee Hee" Heels

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.