Friend Making Monday!

Hello, all!  I'm back...I can honestly say that I'm thankful to be back...because the beds in our rooms were just a step up from a piece of plywood!  Ashley called them granite...but I think you get the picture - they were HORRIBLE! 

And since I'm certifiably insane, I scheduled a Premier Jewelry Party at my house tomorrow night...knowing I wouldn't be home all weekend and would only have tonight to get ready!!!  So...guess what I'll be doing all night???  The blessing in all this is that I cleaned my house (with the exception of mopping) last weekend and Dylan has an away game...and it's far away, so I won't be going and I can go pick up my needed items and get things together! 

But, that means I won't be able to fully blog about my trip until tomorrow or Wednesday...in the meantime, I have made my album on Facebook public for just a few days...if you want to see 97 of my 134 pictures that I took over the weekend, feel free to peruse!  I usually keep my pics for my "friends only"...but I will give you this once in a lifetime opportunity! :)  Click HERE or on "album" above to see the pics!

 On to Friend Makin' Monday...

hosted by Kenlie from All the Weigh.  I have to admit that Kenlie's blog is new to me...so I'm looking forward to getting to know her, as she's taken over Friend Makin' Monday!

Five Little Questions

1) What was the most enjoyable part of your weekend?

How about the WHOLE weekend???  It was a beautiful weekend at the beach...and the whole thing was great.  I mean, how could your weekend not be good when this is your view...

And you have the oppotunity to hang with your BFF all weekend??? 

2) List two or three material possessions that you can't live without:

There's not too many things that I just can't live without...but here are a few things that I like to have with me.  I think of things that are a "must have" when I travel...my teddy bear Joshua...because I can't sleep without him...my Bible...I have a small one that I keep in my purse...and my cell phone. 

3) Which day are you looking forward to most in the coming week?

I'm not sure...this week is turning out to be such a busy week...getting ready for my party tonight...then the party itself tomorrow...Dylan has two home games - Wednesday & Thursday...then Friday night, we have "movie night" for our Children's Ministry...and Saturday morning, I have a workshop to go to.  So...I think just making it to Saturday afternoon will be my goal all week long...

4) Share one of your most embarrassing stories

I'm not really sure what this would be...but I'll tell you about the time that I broke Ashley's bed.  Ashley & I have known each other forever...but didn't really "bond" until our Youth group days.  I was probably about 15, which would've made Ashley 14 or so...and I'd gone to her house to spend the night.  Ashley had (and still has) this beautiful bed that her father MADE for her.  It's nothing fancy...just a four poster bed with a headboard that has an ornate "A" carved into it...but I knew he'd made it for her.  I've always loved this bed...I think more for the sentiment than the bed itself.  Anyway, I also loved the fact that it sat up off the floor...like you really need a stool to get into this bed.  But, in our youthfulness, we never used the stool...we'd just take a running jump and jump up onto the bed.  Well, as I usually did, I took a running start across her bedroom to catapult myself on to the bed...and when I hit the bed, the bed went DOWN.  As in, when I came to my senses, I was looking at the bed frame, but I was on the mattress!  And I immediately began crying...I couldn't believe I had broken the bed that my friend's father had MADE for her.  Of course, her parents came running upstairs to find out what in the world had happened.  I hadn't moved from the mattress and I just kept saying, "I broke your bed...the bed your dad made for you."  Of course, they weren't mad at me...in fact they all began laughing because they could just imagine exactly what had happened!  Evidently, he'd never gotten around to truly securing the bed...I mean it was secure enough for us to sleep on and evidently to hoist ourselves up on to the bed on a regular basis...but I guess it could only take so much!  Now...this is a funny memory that we carry around...and was made even funnier when Ash & I were staying with a friend and SHE broke their bed!  :)

5) List three of your "must-read" blogs and tell us why we should read them too!

I can't name just three...because there are so many!!!

I hope you all have a great Monday!  I look forward to catching back up in the "blog" world! :)

MIA

I am inadvertently taking a blogcation...inadvertently, because I didn't mean to...but I won't have time today or tomorrow for a post (other than this short one)...and I'm leaving tomorrow evening to go to the beach for a weekend with my BFF, her hubby and Dylan!  So...you may or may not see me around.  And I apologize because I haven't had a chance to read posts over the past few days...not sure that I will tonight or tomorrow either.

So...I will miss you all...but here's some good news...I'm getting pretty close to my 100th post!  I don't know what I'll do yet...any ideas are welcomed! :)

And confessional...I was closer to my 100th post, but I decided that I needed to purge some blogs that I'd posted before I got all "into" the blogging thing this spring...maybe that's cheating...maybe that's postponing...I don't know.  I already did it...so, it is what it is! :)

Have a great rest of the week and weekend...I know I will!

Monday Minute / Friend Making Monday!

It's time for the Monday Minute...







This week's guest host is Jules Out Loud. I am not really familiar with this blogger...but I guess I'll check her out! :)

1. If you could interview any famous person, dead or alive, who would it be? What would you ask?

hmmm...there are a lot of people that I'd want to talk to...I know this may sound hokey...but I'd really love to sit down with Taylor Swift!  I know...how old am I???  But she seems so grounded for a celebrity and I'd really like to see if she's truly the "girl next door" that she portrays herself as.  I kind of think she is, though...I just think she'd be a lot of fun!

2. You have to give up one thing for a month. What would it be - car, guilty pleasure (ie. food, drink, fav. tv show), or sex?

I guess I'd have to say guilty pleasure (umm...the sex thing isn't really happening anyway! HAHA!).  I would probably give up TV...it consumes a lot of my time and probably I should cut back anyway!

3. Is there a word/phrase you say that you are made fun of for? If so, what is it?

Not really...I say a lot of stuff that I get made fun of for, though...but nothing regularly

4. Which is a stronger emotion: Anger or Love?

I would say Love...Love can win out over anger.  Think about your kids or family...when you are angry with them, you still love them.  Although, I think they are BOTH pretty strong emotions...

and finally

5. Where was your first job.
 
Well, I was a babysitter extraordinaire from the time I was about 14 or so...but my first true job where I earned a paycheck where they took out taxes, social security and all that was Action Video.  This job was perfect for me...I mean, where else do you get paid to sit around and watch movies???  And I got 4 free rentals per week...yeah...it was super duper! :)
 
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Friend Making Monday: Labor Day

The question du jour is What are you doing for Labor Day?

To which I must answer...not a whole lot of ANYTHING! :)  On Saturday, I swept my carport & front porch...which was a job...especially since I hadn't swept it since the great Flood of 2010...and a whole bunch of dirt and grime and muck was brought up.  Plus my carport seems to be the perfect place for leaves to collect...so, that took a while.  Then, I cleaned out my car and washed it...all in preparation for the beach trip at the end of this week! :)  And I rearranged my living room a bit...well this wasn't much, but it's a change and I like it.  Yesterday I did the church thing, the lunch thing with people from church, the laying on my bed reading a book thing, the Kohls shopping thing and then the hanging out at my sis' thing.  Today so far I went to work for 4 1/2 hours, ate lunch with Kaytee, one of my twin friends, and her friend Caroline...who I found out is ALSO a twin.  I'm telling you, this twin thing is getting out of control! HAHA!  And now, I plan to clean house...encourage Dylan to do some homework after he mows and go to the store.  So...all in all...not too shabby!  It's been a good weekend...and I only have to work 3 full days...and I'm off to the beach! :)  I hope these next three days fly by!!!

Happy Labor Day!

A question about followers...

I think something's wrong with my blog...I have people tell me that they are new followers, but they don't seem to be showing up in my followers section.  At first I didn't really notice because I was just so busy that I didn't get time to look at their blogs...and kind of forgot about it.  But, then, it seems to have happened again today.  If it were once or twice over the past few days, I'd probably chalk it up to people saying they are following...but just trying to get me to visit their blog.  Has anyone else had this problem???  Just wondering...

One Year Ago This Weekend...

One year ago this weekend...my sister was pregnant...and we threw her a baby party at my house.  She was so weird about having another shower since this was her second pregnancy.  As it turned out, her Sunday School class at church ended up throwing her a shower anyway...which I thought was very funny.

But, our baby party was so much fun...we cooked out...had mom's cake squares...and my sis got lots of great stuff!

But the best part of all happened about 6 weeks later when this little guy decided to join the world...

Ayden was about 10 minutes old in this pic...he doesn't appear to be real happy with coming out of his nice, snuggly womb! :)  He is the sweetest baby...so much fun...on the move now...almost walking...

Couldn't you just eat him up??? 

It's so hard to believe he will be one soon.  It's so hard to believe that it was one year ago this weekend that we were celebrating his expected arrival...

Oh...how much better Ayden made our lives...he's such a joy! :)

Thanks...Five Question Friday...and how about a little Blog Birthday???

I apologize...I will not be participating in Feel Good Friday today.  I know y'all are disappointed...I'm disappointed in myself...because I think I need to focus on the good in the past week...but I just can't today.  Don't worry...I'll get there! :)

It's just been such a week for me...work has been stressful...my emotional life has been stressful...well, that's enough for me. 

But on the brightside, it's Friday...and I don't have to work on Monday...but I am because I have some major deadlines next week and I'm going to be out on Friday.  I can almost smell the ocean air...I'll be heading out Thursday evening...and it just can't get here soon enough!

I would like to just say a HUGE thank you to those of you who read my Pour Your Heart Out post and gave me such great words of wisdom and encouragement.  I didn't hear anything new...but, you just need to be reminded from time to time.  I don't think I'm quite past it all enough this week...but each day gets easier...and then it will be fine until my next meltdown.  Thanks for riding this roller coaster of emotions that I seem to be here lately! :)

Anyway...time for Five Question Friday brought to you by Mama M!





1. What do you do when you have time to yourself?

I usually read or watch TV or play on the computer...pretty much what I do all the time!

2. When you look out your kitchen window, what do you see?

Trees...the neighbors houses on both sides...and a 500 gallon propane tank...yeah, I'm not sure who thought that was a good idea!

3. Who/What would you want to be reincarnated as?

I don't know...maybe a butterfly? 

4. What is your biggest pet peeve about other people's kids?

Rudeness...running around wild while their parents do nothing about it...evident lack of discipline

5. Regular or Diet soda?
 
Always regular...I think that artificial sweetners have to be bad for...give me the real stuff! :)
 
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Hey - do y'all read Salt Says?  If you don't, you totally should...because she's super awesome! And she's celebrating her 1 year blogoversary...which is pretty amazing...she writes like she's been here for years! 
 
And to boot, she's got a *sweet* giveaway going on in honor of her big day!  How cool is that...she celebrates a birthday...one of us gets the gift! 
 
So, if you haven't checked her out, please do!  I promise you won't be disappointed!
 
Happy Friday...and Happy Labor Day weekend! :)

Pour your heart out: What am I waiting for?

I've been rolling this post around in my head for the past half hour...and then I logged onto blogger and realized it was Pour Your Heart Out day.  And boy, do I need to pour my heart out!



There are days, like today, that I just want to be married.  The pull is so strong that I don't even quite understand it.  I just want this season to move on.  Sometimes, I look around me...and it seems like everyone's lives are moving and changing...and then mine just seems to plod along...same pace...same old same old.  And I don't like it.  In fact, I hate it.  The feeling wears on me...and wears me down...until I find myself fighting back tears.

The funny thing is...I'm not what you would call a sympathetic person.  I don't coddle people.  I don't tell you your hair looks nice because I know you just got it cut and I want to feed your ego a bit.  I'm one of those people who tells others - if you don't like your situation, do something about it.  Don't like your career?  Find a new one.  Don't like your hairstyle?  Find a new one. 

I can preach it like nobody's business...but do I take my own advice.

no

And why not? 

fear

Fear has held me back for so long.  I know it has a grip on me...I know it as plain as I know that my hair and my eyes are brown.  Some of my fears are valid...

I fear that I'm moving out of God's will for my life.  This one's a biggy.  I've always prayed and hoped and wanted to feel like when God was ready for me to meet 'that guy', He would put him in my life.  Which leads me to my next fear...

What if I'm NOT following God's will?  What if I'm supposed to be doing more to make this happen? 

And then there's the fear that I will meet a great guy, get caught up in it all...only to find myself hurt in the end and back to square one.  And that I will bring Dylan along on this ride leading to hurt...

There's always that fear that I will NEVER meet 'that guy'...

And the fear that if I put myself 'out there', that I will meet a creep.

The almost desperation in my life tends to do battle with the fear from time to time...and I think, what about online match ups?  I've read about a lot of people who met their mate on line...I have a good friend who did...but that brings in a whole other fear...but relating back to the "creep" fear.

So, what am I waiting for?

For the fear to dissipate...

For the desperation to take hold...or maybe not...

For God to move in this area of my life...or to tell me where to go...

And as always...I'm just waiting for the guy...the one that completes me...the one that is the "cheese to my macaroni"*...

*quote is from Juno