Joyful Mother

New Year's Eve Shopping

Today I took the boys to Walmart to pick up a few things for the week.  I went in the middle of the morning, expecting it to be relatively quiet.  What was I thinking?  You would have thought there was a How To Trade Stocks seminar going on.  No, no, nothing like that - I did figure it out though, everyone is stocking up for New Years Eve parties!  We have no plans - we'll just be sitting at home I suppose.  I talked with the boys about resolutions - I think they got it...sorta!

Menu Planning In The New Year

A lot of my friends have listed menu planning as something they wanted to do with more consistency in 2008.  Of course I had to remind the (and you) about e-Mealz!  It the first menu planning subscription service that I have ever subscribed to - I always thought why would I pay someone else for something I could do for free?  The truth is, the whole meal planning process drove me crazy.  I wanted variety and I wanted meals that both my hubby and my boys would like.

I found both of those with e-Mealz.  I subscribed to the points system (compatible with Weight Watchers) for Walmart.  What that means is that they put the points on all their meals and the grocery list was made out using the items from Walmart - some items were store brand, some were not.  The cost is 15 dollars for 3 months (they have smaller options for couples) which is $5 a month - definitely worth the headache it saved me!  They also have plans for low carb, low fat, regular, and stores such as Publix and Kroger.  Check out the sample menu on their website - I think you'll like what you see!

Plans For New Years

The boys were so into the holidays that it was no problem for them to decide they wanted another day to celebrate. We've decided that we are going to make popcorn that day and watch movies all day. Woo Hoo - that's the big life, huh? Actually we will be having our school that morning - we start again tomorrow but after that it will be a fairly low key day. So what plans do you guys have? If you are into billiards, check out www.borderbilliards.com. You can play pool with your children - loser has to do housework!

Sunday Stuff

I didn't get any Dodge Charger accessories for Christmas but I did get a new purse that I like a lot. As a matter of fact, I picked it out. It's just the right size, too - large enough to carry my small Bible. Usually I am carrying my purse and my Bible cover and it all gets to be pretty heavy.

Today it was my Sunday to keep the nursery. When it is time to sign up for Nursery, to be honest, I usually try to avoid it. Why yes, I do feel guilty about it but I don't know if I should or not. There are several women in our church that don't sign up. I don't know if they feel guilty or now - I'm sure everyone has their reasons. Maybe they kept the nursery when their children were smaller and feel that time in their life has passed...I don't know. Anyway, I just don't particularly care to. If I'm asked, I'm going to do it for sure. Otherwise, I don't normally volunteer. Am I a bad person?

This and That

I have spent the entire day in my pj's. My sister Jessica gave them to me for Christmas and I like them just that much! I also spent the day reading Lori Wick's latest book that my hubby bought me last night. I went in to Books A Million to buy the book last night and thought I would be in and out fairly quickly but a lady in front of me was returning something and you would have thought she was making a real estate transaction considering how long it took them to refund her money. I watched the line next to me completely empty while I waited and finally walked on over there myself! The lights on my Christmas tree are blinking today for the first time. We've had the tree up for a couple of weeks and today they start blinking - isn't that weird? We are looking for some cold weather over New Year's - on Wednesday we'll have a high of 34 - can you say brrrrr!?

Dinner Tonight

I am making No Roll Enchiladas from the site Fatfree Vegan Recipes. It's a layered Mexican casserole type recipe that I followed exactly with one exception - I added black olives. Completely meat and dairy free and completely healthy for you!  My boys even ate quite a bit of it.  We had it with wild rice and some fruit (fuji apples and navel oranges)  Here's a link for you: movers New York.

It's over...

I've been on a bit of a bloggy break and have been enjoying the holidays. We opened our gifts on Christmas morning and the boys were very happy with their gifts. I think their favorite was the basketball goal that Dick got them. William ran over and hugged the huge box while exclaiming, "Thank you! Thank you!" It was pretty cute. After breakfast and playing with their gifts for awhile, we headed to my parents house in Tennessee.

As usual, when you get my family all together it resembles contained chaos! We had a good time laughing and talking and, for some of us, temporarily reverting back to childish behavior! LOL! (Not naming any names *cough* Jennifer) Ok, I had my share of the fun, too, not that I would put it on advertising pens or anything.

This week we've been taking it fairly easy - or I have at least. Dick doesn't have work this week so he is working on his never-ending to do list! Today he is going to finish putting together the boys basketball goal. Too bad it is a rainy day and there won't be much bouncing the ball around in the mud!! The house is clean and the laundry is completely finished (for now). I have yet to take down the Christmas decorations though.

Family Friendly?

I found the following badges at Structured Settlement - they have fun quizzes to participate in and other badges to put on your blogs.  I also participated in "How addicted are you to StumbleUpon?"  I was 43% addicted, which does not surprise me at all.  I might  try the quiz "Will you live to 100 years old?" next...but I'm not sure I want to know!

Structured Settlements


Structured Settlements

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas Eve!

The boys woke up this morning with quite a long discussion about the difference between Christmas Eve and Christmas.  I think we are all together on the meanings, LOL!  They are beyond excited and are especially looking forward to celebrating with their cousins tomorrow.  I finished up my shopping yesterday and we are all set, even if our gifts from Amazon don't make it.  Well, Jennifer's gift is coming with Amazon so she might miss out - but I have something else for her too!  I hope you all have a great day!

Baby Slings

How many of you moms with newborns use baby slings? With William, I did for a short while and really enjoyed having my hands free while having his little body close to mine!  The baby slings at Slinglings are so cute - they have a lot of different patterns that are adorable and they come both padded and unpadded.  An image on their site shows a mom using one with a toddler - which I didn't realize you could do - but I can see that it would give the mom more back support while holding her little one.

Water

What kind of water do you drink? Bottled water, tap water, sparking water...?

These days I am just happy that I am drinking water after not drinking much of it for so long. Lately that is the only thing I have been drinking (although I had some unsweet tea last night). We buy and drink bottled water. I usually buy the Walmart brand drinking water and like it just fine. For a time we bought distilled water but I am finding that I don't like it as well anymore. Sometimes I buy one of those plastic lime bottles and squirt lime juice in my water. What do you drink? [link: hoodia diet pills]

This and That

We got up early to do our grocery shopping today. We left the house at 7:30 in order to beat the Christmas shoppers and it seems as if everyone else had the same idea! Still, it wasn't too bad and now we are staying in for the day! Is it me or are groceries getting higher and higher? You can go to this site if you want to learn how to grow peppers.

I was awake for several hours last night - I just couldn't sleep! I am certainly sleepy now and I hope to get in a little nap. The boys are all caught up in Saturday morning cartoons and Dick is doing a little dozing on the couch himself! I hope you all have a great weekend!!

Moving Services

Our move six months ago was local (we moved to the next county over) so with help from our friends, we didn't need the help of moving services, but can you imagine moving to the next state - or maybe across the country? I think investing in that type of help would be a wise move! The folks at Relocation.com have available the resources you need to find just the right type of help with your big move. Their guides are extensive and they have thought of everything. To get started, enter your zip code and where you are moving for free quotes. For example, if you wanted your car shipped from AL to CA, you would input that data to get a quote on how much that cost. In addition to those quotes you can also find out how much it is to move to another state or even another country. This is a good place to get started if you have a big move coming up.

Question of the Day: Anywhere Else

If you could spend Christmas anywhere else other than home, where would you spend it? This is actually a hard question. Like I blogged about earlier, we spend Christmas at home and then at my parents every year and there really is no other place I would rather be - but should circumstances change? I think I would like to spend Christmas in Topeka, Kansas with Dick's sister and her two girls. In recent years we would try to get there to help celebrate their grand mother's birthday in September. She died last year and this year we didn't get to go. I think it would be fun and they certainly have the Christmas weather!  [link:drug rehabs]

Coffee For Christmas

A couple of months ago Dick and I bought a coffee maker. He's the big coffee drinker but I found myself enjoying a cup most mornings too. I especially enjoyed the wonderful creamers that you can get for your coffee! Have you ever bought gourmet coffee or a specialty coffee other than your usual supermarket brand?

The California Coffee Company has a large variety of coffees and specialty blends on their website. Their top selling Christmas Blend is a favorite with many! They offer high-quality hand roasted coffees and even have available gift baskets available with some of their best items. There's still time to order for Christmas if you order with rush delivery. They have 2nd day and overnight delivery available also.

Christmas Countdown

The boys are counting the days, LOL! They are not always counting them right either - kind of reminds me of how CJ counts down things. (it's practically almost tomorrow so that is one less day, etc.) I spent a better part of the afternoon yesterday wrapping Christmas gifts for my side of the family. I still have Dick's side to do - plus gather some money to mail them, LOL! They are going to be late and I hate that but they will get there! Christmas morning we will be going to my parents house like we do every year. There's 18 members of our family plus there is often a guest or two. When I was single I was always bringing someone home for a visit. It's fun having a houseful of people!

I've ordered quite a few Christmas gifts from Amazon.com and was assured they would be here by Christmas eve -so we shall see. Yesterday UPS delivered a package and didn't knock or anything - I guess that is normal for the amount of packages they are delivering, I know they are in a hurry BUT they put it on the front porch where there is no roof or overhang and it was raining all day! They could have walked LITERALLY 3 steps to their right and put it on the carport! That really puzzled me - thankfully nothing was damaged. I thought the package was from my Secret Santa (the WAH admins do this every year) because of the state it arrived from but I was WRONG!! LOL!

Music Careers

Have you ever wondered about the business side of the music industry? I have. I know it often seems like someone just pops out of the woodwork in popularity when really there is a lot that happens when starting music careers. Artisthousemusic.org explains all about that side of the music business on their website using video interviews with the top leaders, musicians and professors. Those considering careers in music would find this website very helpful.

Thrilled!

After just three days of the changes I've made in my diet, my blood sugar is now at 117 (fasting).  This is very good and I am pretty excited about it.  Also, three days without dairy has improved my allergy/sinus problems.  Last night I did wake up briefly at 2:30 with some minor drainage but was able to go right back to sleep and slept until 5:30.  I realize this is probably pretty early for most but all things considering, it was wonderful for me (and I went to bed at 8:30 - shhh!  don't tell anyone!)

Wordless Wednesday

Finance Genius

The people at Finance Genius say you don't have to be a genius to manage your finances like one. I tend to agree with that statement - no genuis' here but you do have to be smart! They assist their customers with the options needed to save in the different areas of family finance. Their site allows you to access a number of resources to do just that in the areas of Home Owner Insurance Quotes, Credit, Student Loans and more.

More Changes

I recently cut out dairy from diet - today is day three without the stuff.  I have had severe allergy/sinus problems lately - constant drainage that is awful around 2 o'clock in the morning - which means I'm usually getting up at that time.  I believe I am seeing some improvement but I think time will tell the full story.

The truth is, I've cut some other stuff out of my diet also.  I know, I know - I KNOW!!!  I've done it before.  Well you know what?  I am doing it AGAIN!  I'm going to keep trying until I get it right, no matter if people DO think I'm crazy.  The meat is gone.  The dairy is gone.  The sugar is gone.  Soon?  I'm hoping to see some of this weight gone!  :)

Looking For Your Own Domain?

I'm taking a little time out to tell you guys about this site: http://www.webhostingchoice.com.  Have you ever wanted your own website domain but didn't know where to start, what to look for or how much it might cost you?  It can be a little confusing, I know.  Web Hosting Choice is a guide (that is advertising free) that will help you choose the right web host for your site.  There's a quick start guide to read as well as a page with their most Frequently Asked Questions.

On their main page they have a Quick Web Host Search where you can input the maximum monthly cost your welling to pay as well as the diskspace and bandwidth that you are needing.  Just click "search for hosts" and you'll get a lists of hosts that meet your criteria.  They break it all down to help you choose the type of service that you need.

Family Pictures

Earlier this month our family got together to celebrate Delaney's birthday in Tennessee at McDonald's.  Here are a few pictures from that day.

Elizabeth & (daughter) Libby




Cousins: Chloe, Janie & Katie




Jennifer & (daughter) Delaney


William & I

I Like Best Buy Again

I mentioned last week that my iPod bit the dust and that my service plan wouldn't cover the repair.  I didn't tell you it was Best Buy because I was waiting till I heard from them before I blasted them, LOL!  In the past years I've blogged about what I've bought from them and how the service plan saved me since I had toddlers at the time.  Why wouldn't I buy the service plan for my iPod and expect it to be repaired if needed?  I'm still not sure why it covered printers and computers but not my iPod.

I wrote Best Buy telling them my story and how I was told the plan would cover damages (read the fine print).  I told them I was frustrated having believed the same thing I had always believed about their service plan.  I didn't expect much, to tell you the truth, because the young guy on the phone from the local Best Buy basically told me too bad.  After a week, I did hear from them and after giving them my account number - they decided to give me a gift card for half the price of my iPod - $125.  I feel so much better about that!  I'm not sure what I'll do with it.  I have the 1 gig inexpensive mp3 player (similar to a shuffle) that seems to be working okay - but I do miss using iTunes!

Stay "tuned"!

Bwahahaha!!

This Blog Is Taking A New Turn

My blog has gone through quite a few changes over the years - some I like and some I don't. The part I don't like are the parts that I've changed, added or deleted because I thought it might suit my readers more. I've become less personal because what if my family didn't like it. I've written less about my relationship with God becaus some of my readers are not Christians and I didn't want to sound too something.  I turned down a few paid blogging assignments because I thought it was a turn off to those who didn't care for blogs with ads.  I started a whole new weight loss blog because I was worried that some would think less of me if they knew I had a weight problem.

And in the process?  Blogging isn't so fun for me anymore and really, that isn't the way that it should be.  My intentions are that this blog would be a truthful representation of who I am - good bad and ugly - and that is my aim from now on.  I hope you'll want to keep reading and I hope you'll want to keep commenting.  It's going to be weird for me at first since I've become quite good at moderating what I write but it sure will feel good to be able to be completely honest.  Maybe you'll get to know the real me!

I will continue to participate in paid blogging.  Everyone has their opinions on the subject.  My opinion is that I am able to contribute a small amount to what my husband provides and it makes me feel great to know that I am helping and I am helping - this isn't my "mad money" - sometimes it's gas money, tuition money, grocery money or utility money.  Speaking of paid blogging, you might be interested in this link: mesothelioma lawyer.

New Mp3 Player

With a little help from Jonathan, my iPod bit the dust. I was a little bit upset about that - if you want to know the truth, I even cried a little! I used it a lot and was upset that it couldn't be repaired on the *&*&@#!@@# repair plan. I can't replace it for what I paid for it right now nor do I want to. I have to wait till that little button pusher gets older. So, what did we do? I bought an inexpensive (about $50) Samsung USB mp3 player. 1 gig as compared to my 30 gig but I learned right away that I didn't need 30 gigs! I have about figured it out and it has great sound. [link:used cisco]

So, until I get to the point if/when I am ready to replace my iPod, I will enjoy this one very much. It is very small (similar to the iPod shuffle) and I could almost fit it on my key chain. As a matter of fact, I could - it's about the size of my flash drive, but I think it will be safer in my pocket!

Christmas Countdown

Does it feel like crunch time to you yet? It is amazing to me how much quicker time seems to go by in December! Seriously! We did a little Christmas shopping yesterday and the crowds were amazing. I saw some exercise equipment that I would be interested in having myself!  I am almost through with my Christmas shopping and feel a bit of relief.  I have a few more things for the boys to pick up and a few packages to mail.   What do you have left to do?

Happy Birthday Nattie

Homesick
by Mercy Me

You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

In Christ, there are no goodbye
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again

And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now

Christmas Party

The boys had their first Friday school Christmas party yesterday.  Last year the boys were sick and missed it.  It was sooo much fun.  The first thing they did was finish their gifts for Mom's (me!) and then we went to a nursing home to sing Christmas carols and pass out Christmas cards.  After that it was party time!  The children and the mom's had separate parties with the teenagers watching the younger ones.  It was so nice and my gift was a Willow Tree mother and son - made me all teary.  I already had one figure from WT - a mom, dad and newborn. [link: wedding rings]  We went out to dinner last night and came home to no power - it was dark everywhere!  William kept saying "Oh no!  It's hopeless".  hee hee

Birthday Dinner

William picked Mexican as his birthday dinner - he loves that place!! We had a good time and the guys came out and sang him a song and brought him a pudding dessert of some sort. I didn't think he would eat it but he did - then we came home and ate frozen ice cream cake. Jonathan wanted him to invite his friends over but William kept telling him it was a "family party!" I'm glad he was satisfied with that. [Link to share: Wilmington NC real estate]

Seven Years Old!

I will never forget the events of seven years ago today.  I had just spent the night in the hospital with an IV of magnesium to lower my blood pressure and pitocin to get the show started!  It was a Tuesday, December 12th when I went to my last doctor's appointment before my scheduled inducement that Saturday.  But my blood pressure had gone up and my doctor felt like it was time for William to be born.

Dick and I headed to the hospital late that afternoon and they got me hooked up to everything.  It was a cold night but the magnesium was burning me up so I tried to sleep with the window open and the a/c on - that wasn't very fun for Dick or my mom, who was also there.

There was a couple of minor complications the next day but everything worked out fine.  I do remember at one point my epidural started wearing off during the transition time - that was kind of painful!  I was told if he didn't come fairly quickly they were going to do a c-section and I was determined that was not going to happen!  The doctor praised my pushing - LOL!!

We had lots of friends at the hospital with us when William was born.  Above is our friend Steve and his family is standing in the door way.  It was just the best day ever!  My sister called only minutes after the birth - it was fun to talk to her.  I was so hungry afterwards - I guess the anesthesiologist knew that because he brought me a banana - LOL!

Happy Birthday William!!

Modern Furniture

One that I would especially like to see in our new (to us) home is modern furniture. Seriously, I am grateful for what we have - mostly given to us, but I still would like to see it perked up a little around here. The Room Service group has some really awesome modern furniture - pieces that are strikingly simple and unique.

Now some modern furniture looks like it belongs in a futuristic movie - I don't care for that type, I still want it to look like it came from my time period. The Room Service group has a "Cream Contemporary Designer Leather Sofa" that is really comfy looking and I think would look great in my living room! Do you ever window shop online? Perhaps even make a wish list of items you would like to work towards? They also have some cute kids desks that would look cute in our home school room!

My Heel

Thursday night before I went to bed, my heel was hurting just a little bit - no big deal.  I've been exercising lately so I thought I might have strained it.  When I woke up Friday morning, the pain was awful!  I would have liked to stay off of it with it propped up but yesterday was Friday school - so instead of taking it easy, I was on it all day - part of the day up and down stairs.  My FIL and his wife were in town and we gave them the grand tour - all three acres!  Yep that was bad judgment on my part but I couldn't just sit inside while they looked at the place!  Then I hobbled to dinner - and then to their hotel.  By the time we got home, I could (literally) barely walk.

After being off of it all night, I could walk a little better this morning - the pain not as bad.  I'm hoping a little rest will heal it right up.

Question of the Day

Have you ever heard of Franck Muller? I found that link in my blogging assignments and tried to figure out what they were advertising before I looked at their webpage.  Any guesses?  They sell watches - they look rather nice, too.

The boys are getting watches for Christmas.  Jonathan wants one that lights up - but William is actually learning how to tell time.  It is really cool to watch them learn all these neat things.

Side note:  last week we were watching videos of when William was a baby.  He really loved it!  I have footage from September 11, 2001 - that was the day he crawled for the first time at nine months old.

Sniffle

I am really dragging today - the boys cold finally caught up with me.  I was really hoping to outrun it, LOL!  I need one of those Jura capresso's. Maybe that would help.  I think I will have to settle for regular coffee.  So, how is everyone in blog world?  Are you well?  How bout your children?  It's that time of year for the colds and sniffles - I could do without them myself.  Last year this time the boys had a cold and missed their school Christmas party.  I'm hoping we'll get there this time!

Blog Tour: When The Morning Comes

Cindy Woodsmall's Sisters of the Quilt series - Book Synopsis:

Her relationship with former fiancé Paul Waddell in tatters, Hannah Lapp has fled her home in hopes of finding refuge with another Amish outcast, her shunned Aunt Zabeth in Ohio. Hampered by limited education and hiding her true identity, Hannah struggles to understand the confusing world of the Englischers and embrace unfamiliar freedoms, but a deepening friendship with the handsome Martin Palmer renews her courage to face the future.

Meanwhile, Hannah’s absence and the distressing events that led to her disappearance create turmoil among her loved ones in Owl’s Perch, Pennsylvania. Her father stubbornly refuses to search for her or to acknowledge increasing signs of instability in daughter Sarah, who suffers secret guilt over her sister’s ruined reputation. [link:migraine] Fiancé Paul Waddell is wracked with regret over his betrayal of Hannah’s trust and is concerned with her whereabouts. He befriends Hannah’s remaining allies—brother Luke, best friend Mary, and loyal Matthew Esh—trying to convince them to help search for his love.

Rich with authentic details of Amish community and powerful in its theme of hope beyond measure, When the Morning Comes succeeds as a compelling follow-up to Cindy Woodsmall’s best-selling debut novel, When the Heart the Cries.

I have not read these books yet but they are next in line on my bedside table.

Menu Plan Monday

I am going into week four with e-Mealz and I am still as pleased as I can be with it.  We are sticking to our once a week eating out (Friday nights) and are enjoying the meals a lot!!  [Random link to share: wholesale fashion jewelry] Here's what we are having this week:

Saturday:  Balsamic Chicken & Mushrooms, Cabbage, Rice
Sunday:  Hashbrown Casserole, Scrambled Eggs, Canadian bacon
Monday:  Lasagna Casserole, Salad
Tuesday:  Teriyaki Burgers, Fries
Wednesday:  Kielbasa & Split Pea Soup, Hot Bread Sticks
Thursday:  Mexican Skillet Dinner, Fruit Salad

Week End Happenings

It's a sunny afternoon and I am sitting on my back deck enjoying a cool breeze and watching the boys dig their hole back behind the barn.  They take their jobs seriously!  We just enjoyed lunch at Chuck E Cheese's.  It wasn't too crowded - we got there at a good time and left at a good time too!  The MIL is back at her hotel taking a nap and the hubby is too.  [Link:  home theater]

Tomorrow we are headed to Tennessee to celebrate my niece's fourth birthday.  Her birthday isn't until the 26th but tomorrow seemed like a good day to celebrate - it is also the twins' (my sisters) 39th birthday.  I can't believe they are 39!!  And I can't wait till they hit 40!!!  Wheeee!

This Week

The boys have had colds so we've been staying pretty low key around here.  Jonathan started feeling bad last Saturday and then William around Wednesday (and Dick too) so it is definitely contagious.  So far I'm okay.  I hate a cold worse than anything - I'd rather have a stomach virus or something (I don't throw up).  Anyway, probably more than you wanted to know.

My MIL is visiting from Atlanta.  She is staying in a hotel this time since the boys are sick and is trying to avoid the cold but we are glad she wanted to come.  We are celebrating  William's birthday with her a bit early.  Today is Chuck E Cheese.  Oh Joy!!  It won't be that bad and the boys will love it! [link: wine of the month club]