"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.