A Twilight to Remember

On March 21st my friends and I had a Twilight party to celebrate the DVD release. We had a great time and stayed up way too late.

I made these sugar cookies. I was going to make them red to fit the theme but I didn't buy red food coloring paste because I could swear I had some. Oh well. They were a hit anyway because they are so delicious. The Edward ones were gone first of course because we are ALL Team Edward girls!

This was our lovely spread. Sunny Price hosted the party and did a fabulous job decorating with Twilight Michelle.

Aren't these cupcakes so fun?

Here we are with Edward. He was our guest of honor! He LOVED my cookies but he was slightly annoyed that I made some with Jacob's name on them.

We had a fabulous night and I CAN'T WAIT until our New Moon party!

This is for you Kristin! I'm sorry I didn't get this to you BEFORE Christmas but at least you'll have it for next year. You will love these-- almost everyone does!

Soft and Sweet Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine
1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt

Frosting:
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-4 cups powdered sugar
milk

Cream butter or margarine and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Add all dry ingredients and blend. Chill dough for 2 hours. On a surface lightly sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar, roll out a portion of the dough until about ¼ inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Place on greased cookie sheet or parchment paper. Bake for 6-8 minutes at 375 degrees. These will not brown unless you over bake them.

Frosting:

Melt butter or margarine. Add vanilla and about 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar. Mix with a whisk. Add about ¼ cup milk. Keep adding confectioner’s sugar and/or milk until you get the consistency that you want. It’s a little tricky because I don’t actually have a recipe for it. My mom just makes it without a recipe and so I just eyeball it like her. Feel free to call me if you have questions!

Makes 2-3 dozen depending on size. May be doubled.

Notes: I usually double these because the recipe is small. I roll them out on a jellyroll pan lined with parchment paper sprinkled lightly with confectioner's sugar. Then I cut the shapes, remove the excess dough and bake.

Among Friends

John looks at this image and he sees a girl who disobeyed the "Only two friends to bed" rule.

I look at this image and see a girl who loves to be surrounded by her friends.

How do you pick just two when you have so many wonderful friends? You don't want to hurt the feelings of your other friends. You don't want them to miss you or you to miss them.

I hope that Abby will always be surrounded by good friends.

I am thankful for my many friends. They have helped me through the tough times, laughed with me through the fun times and listened when I needed to talk.

Thank you friends.

A Salute to National Poetry Month

Little wand slim and gray
I wait five minutes to see what you say.

Will you pronounce a big change in our lives?
Will we soon be the parents of five?

I’ve been so tired and gained some weight
And if allowed will sleep in late

I asked Jen what this all meant
She replied, “Could you be pregnant?”

Shocked and surprised by her suggestion
I quickly said, “No, it’s out of the question!”

Jen smiled and asked, “How do you know?”
I replied that I’d had my monthly flow.

“I'd had three,” she said with a grin.
“But I’m on the pill,” I said for the win.

Not convinced, Jen replied, “So was I.”
Surprised again, I gave it one more try.

“Did you take it at the same time everyday?”
“Yes, I followed the directions in every way.”

“There is only one way to know for sure
Without a test from the store.”

Quickly thinking “What does she mean?”
Then blushing with defeat and understanding

I quietly responded “Oh, I see.”
She had finally convinced me of the possibility.

Days go by and I still feel strange
Often thinking of our exchange.

It was true I didn’t know for sure.
So I got a test from the store.

I was mostly hoping for a negative
But part of me wanted a positive.

I love little babies soft and sweet.
I love their tiny hands and feet.

But with no income and a body that ails me
I feel we are not ready and may never be.

Of course, I would not argue with Our Father who knows best
If He decided with another we should be blessed.

Little wand slim and gray
I’ve waited five minutes to see what you say.

With no further ado, I will say
I do not have another baby on the way.

Ah, Memory Lane

My mother cleaned out her attic and found a big Rubbermaid tub I had put up there ages ago. She asked me to take it or trash it. It was full of old letters and some trinkets. While going through some of the letters, I found this jewel:

I don't quite remember what "promises break crosses" means but I think it was my way of saying that a promise is a promise whether you cross your fingers or not.

I probably kept this as "evidence" but now it will certainly be filed under "humor." Love it!

Well, It's Been a Long Time...Time Changes Things!

What's changed?

My hair! Don't you just love it?

I had been meaning to get it cut for over a year but I never made time for it. When I realized I was going to have to start looking for a job, I decided it was time to start taking better care of my appearance.

I love my new hair style so much that I've found myself actually enjoying getting made up for the day. It does take me awhile to blow dry and then straighten my hair but it's so worth it when I'm done.

I have received so many compliments and don't we ALL love when someone actually notices that we cut 8 inches of our hair off?

And the best part of all...

I can actually make it look good all by myself! What a big girl I am!

Now I just need to know one thing...

what product would you recommend for the short flyaways on the top of my head?

This Sums It Up!

Have you wondered where I've been? This video Rachel sent me pretty much sums it all up. Thanks for the laugh Rachel!



I still plan to post some Christmas pictures soon.

Yoga with a Twist

Here is another item to add to my "Things I'm Grateful For" list. When my back is aching, this Yoga video keeps me from being a cripple. These days my lower back has been hurting so much that I have to do Yoga first if I plan to get any chores done. What a difference it makes!

What's the twist you ask? Yoga with a one year old and a three year old! Joshua often asks me, "Want to do yogo?" Here's how it works:

1. While doing any standing position with your legs spread out, have your little ones crawl back and forth between your legs. Beware: They might accidentally bump into you.

2. Let your little ones play with your yogo bricks when you are not using them. When you need them, just ask your little ones to bring your bricks back and maybe they will.

3. Be sure to share your yoga mat. Adjust your poses accordingly.

4. When you are preparing for locust pose, don't worry about lifting up your head. Your little ones will do that for you by pulling on your hair to lift your head.

5. When you are using your brick, let your little ones try to knock the brick out from under your hands. This is a fun game for them and will count as quality time with your children.

Well, there you have it! I hope you try out Yoga with a Twist! Let me know how it goes!

Election Day!

Susan B. Anthony

I took all four of my children with me to vote today. I waited until around 3:00 PM hoping to miss the crowd and yay! we walked right through. Perfect timing or another blessing from heaven? I took the opportunity to praise my children for their good behavior (catch them when I can) and explain to them the importance of voting.

I am so grateful to live in a country where I have the right to vote. I'm grateful for Susan B. Anthony and how hard she worked for women's right to vote only to die before seeing the 19th Amendment to the constitution ratified in 1920 allowing women to vote.


I voted today and I hope you did too!

Go Figure!

Jack on our back hill in 2004

Getting my children up for school is no easy task. When they say, "Just a few more minutes Mom", I feel for them. I too, have trouble dragging myself out of bed. I don't like to nag them, pull off their covers, turn on their lights or get frustrated with them. I don't like to but I sometimes do.

Today is a Professional Development Day for their teachers so my children got to stay home. Hoping to be able to sleep in this morning and planning ahead, I let them all stay up an hour past their normal bedtime last night. In theory, they should sleep in an hour or so more in the morning, right? WRONG!

My children were all up by 6:30 AM! This is a half hour earlier than I normally wake them up for school! How can this be? I don't think they have gotten themselves up for school this entire school year so far!

Now here's the good news:

Jack made me breakfast this morning and came to tell me at about 6:30 AM. I expressed my appreciation for his thoughtfulness and then told him that I would really like to sleep a little longer. Could he feed my bowl of oatmeal to Ethan instead?

Jack willingly agreed. In fact, he took care of Ethan and Joshua until 8:00 AM when Ethan decided he really wanted me and I told Jack it was okay to let him in my room. I put Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (the only show Ethan watches) on in my room and slept on and off for another hour while Ethan climbed on me, throwed pillows at me and then started asking for a drink.

I finally dragged my lazy bones out of bed and expressed my sincere appreciation to Jack, my nine year old son who let me sleep. What a sweet boy!

I'm Here!

Sorry I haven't posted in a long time. The children are back in school and I am taking a graduate level class. I have been so busy! I am so far behind in my reading that I need to read 250 pages before 2:30 PM tomorrow!

I have a bunch of pictures I want to post but I will have to do it after I finish my reading. For now, I would like to share this picture with you:

You are probably wondering what it is. This is one of those cool Febreze NOTICEables air fresheners. I got it for $1 by combining a coupon with a sale! I enjoy the lovely smell it creates in my home. So, why is it in a bag you ask?

Apparently, my dear husband does not appreciate the lovely fragrance like I do. This is the way I found my air freshener the other day-- unplugged and in a bag.

I've Been Tagged!

Emily tagged me on her blog so here are my answers and the rules: Answer the questions using only one word. Then tag four other people. I am going to tag Sarah, Robin, Kristin and Tori. Have fun!

1. Where is your cell phone? Kitchen

2. Your significant other? Best

3. Your hair? Wild

4. Your mother? Busy

5. Your father? Turning 60!

6. Your favorite thing? Games

7. Your dream last night? Crazy

8. Your favorite drink? Water

9. Your dream/goal? Savings

10. The room you’re in? Family Room

11. Your hobby? Blogs

12. Your fear? House fire

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Better

14. What you’re not? Energetic

15. Muffins? Banana

16. One of your wish list items? Water Softener

17. Where you grew up? Virginia

18. The last thing you did? Music

19. What are you wearing? T-Shirt

20. Favorite gadget? Cameras

21. Your pets? Beagle

22. Your computer? Wonderful!

23. Your mood? Stressed

24. Missing someone? Lots

25. Your car? Thankful

26. Something you’re not wearing? Socks

27. Favorite store? Amazon

28. Like someone? Yes

29. Your favorite color? Purple

30. When is the last time you laughed? Today

31. Last time you cried? Unsure

My First Coach Bag!

My friend, Alyssa, purchased a Coach diaper bag when her son was born. It was so cute that I wanted to get one too! Unfortunately, my budget said, "No!"


It has been almost two years but the Universe has finally seen fit to bring me my first Coach bag!


I decided Jack could model it for me since he is a male model.

Check it out!

Help Me Choose Some New Glasses!

I ordered myself some new glasses but unfortunately I didn't realize the tortoise shell exterior could turn out to be so awful.

Here is the pair I tried on and loved:


Here is the pair I received: (You will probably have to click on the picture to see it more closely if you want to see what I don't like about them which is the coloring.)

Way too much orange for my taste! I almost cried when I first saw them.

So, it was back to the shop to see if I could get a new pair. I was hoping they could just give me the display pair but unfortunately it is a slightly different size than what I need for my head size and so the lenses won't fit in it. They don't want to order me a new frame in this style because they have no guarantee that I'll like the coloring. : ( Aren't they cute though?

So, now I have to pick out a new pair and I need your help this time! Please leave me a comment and tell me what you think. This is a good time for you lurkers to come forward and leave your first comment on my blog. : )

Here is #1:

Here is #2:
Here is #3
Here is #4:
Here is #5:
Here is #6:
Feel free to tell me if you think they are all wrong. : ) I'll figure this out eventually. Thanks for your help! And thank you Abby for coming along and taking these pictures for me!

Happy Fourth of July!

We have lived here for almost 7 years but this is the first year we have been in town for the Fourth. I found out that McIntire Park has the best fireworks around so we went there. It was a great display. Ethan knew just what to say when it started, "Oooo" and "Boom." Joshua kept saying "Whoa." Abby would say "That was a pretty one!" and Jack... silence...which is very unusual for Jack. When it was over I reminded my children how lucky we are to live in the United States and to be free.

We didn't get home until after 11:30 PM but it was worth it!

A to Z

A- Attached or Single: Attached
B- Best friend: John of course! I have been blessed with great friends and they are all the BEST!
C- Cake or Pie: Cake, baked goods are my weakness (along with ice cream)
D- Day of choice: Friday-- no homework, Pizza Movie Night, what's not to love
E- Essential item: Curel lotion
F- Favorite Color: Purple with blue a close second
G- Gummy bears or worms: Bears
H- Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
I- Indulgence: Girl's Night Out once a month
J- January or July: I would say July but my AC isn't so great so I'm going to have to say January K- Kids: Jack (8) Abby (6) Joshua (3) Ethan (1)
L- Life is incomplete without: Fun and laughter
M- Marriage Date: May 3, 1997
N- Number of siblings: 3
O- Oranges or Apples: Apples
P- Phobias or fears: House fire in which I am unable to get to my kids, watching someone I love suffer pain
Q- Quotes: "Be still, my soul: Thy God doth undertake, To guide the future as he has the past."-Katharina von Schlegel I can't get through this song without crying.
R- Reason to smile: My lovely family : )
S- Season of choice: Fall, it seems to have the nicest weather.
T- Tag 3 times: Sarah, Tori, Desiree and anyone else who wants to do it.
U- Unknown fact about me: I love to sing! My children know because they hear it all of the time. I don't like to sing in front of others because I don't think I'm any good. : )
V- Very favorite store: Amazon.com Great prices and free shipping! I love to read reviews too!
W- Worst habit: Surfing the Internet-- what a time waster!
X- X-ray or Ultrasound: Ultrasound
Y- Your favorite food: I have so many favorites! Mint chocolate chip ice cream on a brownie
Z- Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Today is National Scrapbook Day!

Be sure to dust off your scrapbooks and supplies. Today is National Scrapbook Day! I won't actually be scrappin' since I am on a romantic vacation with my husband because today is our 11th wedding anniversary. Anyway, I am more of a scrapbooking collector than an actual scraper. I tell people that I collect scrapbooking stuff since I can't actually say that I scrapbook. : ) I did buy some ribbon today!

For those of you who also see yourselves as "Scrapbooking Collectors", here is a spoof my great friend and fellow scrapbooking collector wrote and dedicated to "Scrapbooking Collectors" everywhere!

Scrapbooking Girl

(Maybe he's right. Maybe there is something the matter with me. I just don't see how a girl that makes such wonderful things could be bad.)

Look at this stuff
Isn't it neat?
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?
Wouldn't you think I'm the girl
The girl who has everything?

Look at this trove
Treasures untold
How many wonders can one album hold?
Looking around here you'd think
Sure, she's got everything

I've got cardstock and stickers a plenty
I've got papers and punches galore
You want mono-adhesives?
I've got twenty!
But who cares?
No big deal
I want more!

I wanna be where my scrapbooks are
I wanna see...wanna see them instead of
Fiddlin' around with those--what do you call 'em?
Oh - kids! :)

Tendin' my kids, I don't get too far
Time is required for scrappin',
stampin'Strollin' along without going - what's that word again?
Insane

Oh, I would crop, I wouldn't stop
Until my pages were over the top
With time for me--wish I could be
Scrapbooking girl

What would I give if I could live without piles of laundry
What would I pay to spend one day free of demands
Bet'cha my man, he'd understand
Just why his wife is so exhausted
After a minute, he's sick of cleanin'
Ready to quit

I'd like him to know what I already know
Maybe by then he would finally get it
What's for dinner and why is mine - what's the word?
Burned?

When's it my turn?
Wouldn't I love
To actually use my scrapbooking stuff
My fantasy
Wish I could be
Scrapbooking girl

Thanks Robin!

Happy Scrappin'... or collecting!

Kiss Your Mate Day!

Be sure to plant a few extra kisses on your mate today!

Respect For My Kitchen Table

I really need a bigger table. My table is only 30 by 60. The width is so narrow that we have trouble fitting the food and our plates on the table. Ethan is now joining us at the table so I am getting more desperate. I've decided that maybe if I start giving more respect to the table I have, the universe will give me a new one! : ) It's worth a try, right?

So, I made this flower arrangement for my table with stuff I had laying around the house. I think it turned out cute even though I am a novice and didn't purchase anything new. If you don't like it, please keep this to yourself so I can go on loving it! : ) Yes, I am a timid crafter!

A Mother's Bad Call!

Have you ever made a judgment call you regretted later?

Jack's class had their big field trip today. The one they talk about all year! They took charter buses to Jamestown which is about 2 1/2 hours from here. Well, this morning Jack woke up excited but then said he didn't feel very well. He said he might even throw up. He got really upset about the possibility of missing the trip. I took his temp which was only 98.4 and told him to eat breakfast and see how he feels. Now, we woke him up almost 2 hours earlier than usual and when I wake up really early, I usually feel a little queasy. I always have. I can remember as a child, if we got up early to go on a trip, I would often be too nauseous to eat anything. After having a little breakfast and asking for us to say a family prayer for him, he said he was actually feeling better. So, off he went!

About two hours later, I got a call from Mr. Wills. Jack has thrown up all over himself on the bus! Someone driving behind the buses is going to stop to get him a new pair of shorts for today. I am hoping and praying that he got it all out of his system and will feel better for the rest of the day. If not, it looks like Aunt Christi, Nana or his father will be making a trip to Jamestown today!

What could I do? If I kept him home and he didn't turn out to be sick, he would have missed a very special and expensive trip for nothing. He would have been really sad all day. I really thought it was just a morning thing and that he would be fine. No one we know has been sick. But, now I feel really bad for his teacher and the other people on the bus and poor Jack who is sick and not home. I felt like I made a responsible decision until he threw up.

Was it wrong of me to send him?

Grateful People Are Happy People!

Today I began a gratitude journal! I plan to write at least three things that I am grateful for each day and I hope to be able to add as many new things as possible so that I’m not expressing my thanks for my family every single day—even though I feel grateful for them every single minute of every single day!

Today I am most grateful for a good night’s sleep. Ethan slept through the night and I feel so much better today than I did yesterday. What a difference it makes!

I am also thankful for my wonderful husband. We were talking and I told him that I plan to go back to teaching when Joshua is in school and Ethan is preschool age unless we have another or are living debt free with a savings and extra money for things like furniture and vacations and braces. If we are living well, I would like to continue to stay home so that I can get things done while everyone is gone and then be less stressed when they are home. I would love to be here when the kids come home from school so they will talk to me about their friends, teachers, etc. John said, “I would like you to be able to stay home so you can scrapbook.” How sweet is he? He has mentioned this before but I am always surprised that he wouldn’t mind working hard all day and letting me stay home to scrapbook! I sure picked a good one!

I am always thankful for my children! We have been so blessed to have 4 healthy and very smart children! They are so funny and so much fun to be around! I love to hug them and kiss them and tell them I love them. I must say it several times a day to each of them because I want them to always have my love for them fresh in their minds!

Now I challenge you to start one of your own!