Runs in the Family

I am now fully convinced impatience runs in the family, lol! The girls usually are in bed on a school night at 9pm....I know, some of you are probably thinking kinda late, but we've tried earlier only to have them still up at 9pm. They hit their beds around 8:50-9pm and are usually asleep within 15 minutes. They're not crabby when they wake up, so it works. On the nights I work, I leave right after kissing them goodnight and I wake them up in the morning around 6:20am after I get home from work. They don't even know I am gone. We get everyone breakfast, get hair done, double check for any papers that need a "mommy" signature, lunch money that may be needed, books that need to be marked as read and get lunches ready if they are cold lunch. I LOVE hot lunch days, mostly because I am so tired when I get home the last thing I want to do is make lunches for three. But, I do, because I'm supposed to :o)

My point, okay - the only thing the girls miss is "snuggle time". They like snuggling with me on my nights off because it only happens two or three times a week. So, last night Avery and Gracie begged to lay down in my bed and have me come snuggle with them. My bed is a queen, so it's easier to snuggle with a mommy + two girls in that bed instead of a twin bed!! I was trying to finish laundry and get things picked up because today they started putting on my new roof. I told the girls "10 minutes" and I'd be ready, tucked them into my bed and ran my booty off for the next 10 minutes.....only to find the above when I returned......lol!

Sweethearts.....I love snuggling with you, but I love watching you sleep so peacefully even more!!

Shake It

Here's how to "play" along!

1. Put your i pod on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write that song name down & the artist, no matter how silly it sounds.

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY? "Stay" Sugarland

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF? "Blaze of Glory" Jon Bon Jovi (lol!!!!)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY? "Last Name" Carrie Underwood

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE? "Aplogize" Timbaland

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? "Disturbia" Rihanna (hmmm, okay)

WHAT DO YOU OFTEN THINK ABOUT? "Settlin'" Sugarland

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LOVE? "Over You" Daughtry

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? "Better Than Me" Hinder

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? "Celebration" Kool & The Gang

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LOVE? "Feels Like Tonight" Daughtry

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? "I Believe" Diamond Rio (that makes me feel kinda wierd, it's a song about death)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR? "First Time" Lifehouse (well, maybe about 18 years ago, lol!)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? "Pocketful of Sunshine" Natasha Bedingfield

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? "A Little More You" Little Big Town

WHAT DID YOU SEE OUT YOUR WINDOW TODAY? "Guys Like Me" Eric Church

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? "Stolen" Dashboard Confessional (what does that mean?)

WHAT DO YOU DREAM ABOUT? "Won't Go Home Without You" Maroon 5

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR HIGH SCHOOL YEARS? "Sorry" Buckcherry

WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE? "Bleeding Love" Leona Lewis

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE WAY YOU LOOK? "Hot N Cold" Katy Perry (ouch!)

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF YOUR BLOG? "What I've Done" Linkin Park (true, oh true)

WHAT GOAL ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON? "Gimme More" Britney Spears (rotflmao!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

WHAT WILL THE TITLE OF THIS POST BE? "Shake It" Metro Station

Update: Trash to Treasure

Remember the mailbox sorter table I saved from incineration from my cousin? Just an update, it's painted and stained and ready to be put back together. Should have pics for you all this week. It weighs almost 400lbs, so I have to round up some strong dudes to help carry it downstairs to its new home!!!

It's that time of year again.....fall and Halloween are fast approaching. We're working on costume ideas. Have been doing it for a while, as we've already gone through many phases of the "I wanna be a Disney Princess again" phase. UGH! For the record, no one is being a Disney anything this year. Got lots of ideas up our sleeves and pondering the idea of a Halloween Costume Party.

September 11, 2001

So many times, I have listened to my mom talk about where she was when President Kennedy was assassinated or when Elvis died. or when the Vietnam war started and ended. History that forever changed her world.

As a young child, I experienced the Challenger explode in space. There we were -6th graders - watching the shuttle take off into space on live TV in the classroom. Space exploration, and especially one launching the first ever teacher, into space was big news and a great educational opportunity. We all sat there with our lives forever changed about space exploration as that shuttle exploded into pieces. You could hear a pin drop. Teachers ran out of and into rooms, there were tears shed and children in awe of an American tragedy. I didn't quite grasp the concept of emotion shed then but the incident forever changed how I felt about the "coolness" of space exploration. NOTE: These are emotions I felt as a child. I was scared to think about space and what existed beyond our Earth. I was frightened to get on an airplane for years.

As an adult, September 11, 2001, forever will touch my heart. A young mother, just taking her eldest to preschool for her first full week (Labor Day week was a short 1 day class). As I was getting her hair into pigtails, my cell phone rang. My husband Lance was on the other end. He was driving semi (not sure to where, minor details didn't stick with me) and had heard other drivers talking over the CB radio about an airplane striking the World Trade Center. "Turn on the news, a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center". I turned on the TV to watch the destruction and immediately felt a slight wave of emotion come over me. Those poor people. At this point, I had no reason but to think it was all just an accident. I watched as the camera noticed another plane strike the second tower. I saw people jumping from the top floors to their death. Immediate tears and frightening, I couldn't understand how one plane had accidentally crashed but now two? What in world is going on, I remember that thought so clearly.

I grabbed Hannah, her backpack and Gracie's little toddler hand and hurried them into their carseats to get going for school. The radios were all news coverage of the World Trade Center. As I pulled up in front of the preschool, I looked at Hannah, walked her in and gave her a huge hug. Something in me told me to hug her hard that day. Gracie and I headed to Target...I over heard talk of a secure air space and that all planes were told to land immediately and at the current time no planes should be in the air. I looked up traveling down US150 and there was a plane. I screamed, I remember it so vividly. I was afraid and wanted to run back home. I heard the newsman say that a plane was on radar headed for the Pentagon and one appeared to be headed to Washington DC. I remember tears, I remember thinking that life as we knew it was about to end. I remember holding my baby girl in my arms minutes earlier and wondering if I was going to be there for her again. Serious thoughts that I think probably crossed many people's mind that day. Seven years later, I still get teared up thinking about 9-11. I thank God for the firefighters and police officers and loving citizens of this great country who gave their lives that day to save others and protect this country. To those passengers who fought the terrorists and won, but ultimately lost, you are my heroes. To the dispatchers who fought so hard to get help to a place in such turmoil. To the police officers and firefighters who saved others, who tried but couldn't get them saved and to those who gave their lives, thank you. To the people of this country that to this day, still stand together tall and proud, hands entwined and shed tears when they hear the Star Spangled Banner, God Bless America or Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning......thank you. We are Americans and we are strong. We are Americans and we will survive.

And to our military who continues to fight so that the rest of us may enjoy the freedoms of this country each and every minute of the day. May God Bless You Richly. Amen.

Ad Inspiration

My scrapbook page - Our "staycation" to Lost Island Waterpark

My ad inspiration - A Carnival Cruise Lines Ad!

As a blog challenge through my local scrapbook store, Scrapaganza, I created the layout above. Just some Bazzill papers, Blue Stickles, Prima, Fancy Pants overlay, Cricut used for the words and a White Signo pen. Pretty fun and challenging.....not to mention that I found tons of inspiration for future layouts in all of those non-scrapbooking magazines.

Trick or Treat.....

A little Halloween altering going on today. This was a green frame I picked up in the $1 section at Target. A little paper and ribbon, voila! I am so ready for Halloween this year.