ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES

New favorite movie!!! I thought the movie, "P.S. I Love You," was FANTASTIC!! I do tend to like romantic comedies. And if you do, you will love this one. I laughed and cried all through the movie. Like, snort laughing... and tears streaming at other times. Take a girl friend, and go enjoy! haven't enjoyed a movie this much in a long time.

Lil Rebel Christmas Party

 

Madison's team had a Christmas party last week. They were asked to dress up, for fun. All of the girls looked so cute. Since they all go to different schools, usually we only see each other in softball clothes. They also each brought a gift for a white elephant gift exchange. You can imagine with all of the competetiveness in the room, how fun that was!! The food was great. It was potluck style. The company is always fun, I really like all of the parents on her team. So all in all, a great success!!

The Great Debaters

My husband and I just went to see the new Denzel Washington movie, "The Great Debaters". Really good, good movie. Of course, there were many things in the movie kind of hard to watch. I think I am a pretty "typical" white american, in regards to the fact that we know the plight of African Americans and all that some went through and still continue to, yet we like to think more on the fact, that now we have equality. Do we? Do we really? Of course, compared to 1935, when the movie took place, it's a world of difference. Thank God. I don't want to spoil the movie for anyone, so I won't give details. But, it just makes me sick to my stomach to see the inhumane things that were done to "negros", just because of the color of their skin. I am a very idealistic person. I was raised in a happy home, without prejudice. Taught to be kind, and love people, and a general belief that with God life will just work out. It's obvious by watching the movie, that not everyone was so blessed. People must have been taught to hate like that. I don't believe God made us to hate. It takes so much more energy to hate than to be kind. Watch kids, and how they will make friends with anyone and everyone. There was just something inside me, that ached, as I watched the story unfold. Thankfully, it ended in a real positive way. In the end, it was a great "feel good" story. I encourage everyone to see it. After watching the movie, I decided to go marry a black man and raise his 3 mixed children. If you know me well enough, you know, I would have to add some humor in the midst of all that seriousness!!!!

Always knew she was "CREIGHTZY!!"

Check out my sisters blog, and win!! Go to eightcrazy.blogspot.com
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Diamonds are a girls best friend!!

Miah turns 10 on the 18th, but we had her birthday party on Saturday. With her birthday being in December, as you can imagine, parties have been scarce. She was excited to have a party and has been very helpful in the planning as well as the cleaning, and stuff like that. I told Charles, i need to throw her a birthday party every week, and then the house will always be clean. Ha ha! The day began at noon at our house for some snacks. Then we headed for the movie theatres. We saw the movie Alvin and Chipmunks. It was real cute. Take the kids- After the movie we went back to my house, for cake and to open presents. Thats where the diamonds came in. Her Noni and Papa got her a diamond necklace. She was real excited.
She had a very blessed day with all of her friends. I am very blessed with such a sweet young girl. Here are a few more pictures from the party. I keep trying to upload more pictures on this post so that I can post it, but my computer has a virus and its nothing but pop ups galore, and locking up on me. I am going to post this as is and try to add more pictures later.

More Christmas Fun!

Today we decorated a Gingerbread House for the 1st time. I think the girls did a great job, and I just wanted to share their great work. The good news is I have finished about half of my Christmas shopping, therefore, you can figure out the bad news.... I wrapped my gifts that need to get mailed today, so that I can get them in the mail on Monday. Yeah- So now I can concentrate on the girls, and family in town. Well, I am going to call it a day now. Ttyl

Yummy Yummy!

Today we had some friends over and decorated sugar cookies. For me, sugar cookies, and Christmas go hand in hand. The rest of the year, I would always choose a chocolate chip cookie, but during this time of year, for some reason...sugar cookie! Miah, Mikelle, Jayde, Scott, Macey & Sydney seemed to have lots of fun. Us grown ups didn't help much with the decorating. They did such a good job all on their own.
Sydney and Macey love me even more now, because they got to eat as much frosting as they could stand!!

These are a few of my favorite things!

So my friend, Laurie, as you all know has 6 kids. Wow! 2 sets of twins!!! And, the 4 of them, are a few of my favorite things. Sydney and Macey are the oldest. Their personalities are infectious. Sydney is so adventurous, high energy, the leader of the pack and just plain entertaining. Macey, is a bit more cautious. She wants to do everything that Sydney does, but she is just a bit reluctant. One of the greatest things about Macey, is that she LOVES ME!!! I feel confident in making that statement. She loves her some Kimmy! Jaxie Faxie, and Kennedy bo bennedy are the younger set. Jaxie is the sweetest trooper you could ever meet. His lips are so yummy. Kennedy, is a smart little thing. With the two older sisters to follow around all day, she is definitely learning the ropes. Of course the older 2 Jayde, and Prince are equally as special, it's just that I have those at home. Ha Ha! I don't have any little ones anymore. I am positive that I do not want anymore of my own, but I love getting my hands on these sweet little ones.
My friend, Dena is about to have her second little one. A little girl. Woo hoo- So I will be able to get my baby fix for a good while.

This is a picture of Dena's little boy, Tanner. Oh my gosh- how cute!! Thankfully, I get hugs from everywhere. But, it has been a while since I have seen Tanner. We will have to get together real soon.

Happy Birthday- Joan Eileen!

Well, 60 years ago today, my mom was born. Which means, 60 years ago today, my Nanny was giving birth to her. Time is simply an amazing thing, that is hard to understand and grasp. For example, when you are waiting for results from the doctor, or waiting for a big event, it seems as though time somehow stands still. Or, on a day, when being a mom is the most trying task, ever- bedtime, just never seems to come. Then, on the other hand, it was 60 YEARS ago, when God blessed this earth, with my mom. My mom is by nature a care giver. Who could ask anything more of a mom. I was so well taken care of, and loved, and nurtured. I almost enjoyed being sick, because she made everything from the chicken noodle soup, crackers and 7-up, to the comfy bed with the TV in my room, too hard not to enjoy. I would have to imagine, that these very characteristics made it very hard to watch my sister and I grow up, and move out, and eventually get married, and be moms to our own kids. How do you just stop taking care of someone? The older my girls get, the more I understand it. I can see Madi, and how she pushes us away, and wants to be seen as so independent. Yet, no one enjoys a kiss and hug, and being a taken care of as she does. I don't claim to have this mother-daughter thing figured out. It's a complex relationship. But I do want to say to my mom, thank you for loving me, and sacrificing so much for me. I am sorry the appreciation never comes in the moment, but rather as I grow up, I get a clearer understanding of all that you did and continue to do. My girls love their Noni so much. They also love to give her a run for her money! We all wish we lived closer to her and my dad, Papa Scott. Aside from taking such great care of her family, my mom also takes care of terminally ill patients, working for hospice. Every family who has my mom as their loved ones care giver, never want anyone else. She takes care of their medical needs, but even more importantly, she does special things, like...polish their nails, brush their hair, give them a massage, anything to help them feel beautiful and special and keep their dignity. I admire that so much. I was so sad to not be a part of her special birthday bash, put on by my sister. It looked like loads of fun, and I missed not seeing all of our family. Love ya mom- Just going to finish with some fun pictures of Noni, and her sisters, kids, and grandkids!!

I HATE MISSING OUT!

I was just getting ready for bed, and thinking that I haven't blogged in a while. But for some reason, blogging without pictures to me is boring, and I haven't had any batteries in my camera for a while. So, anyhow...I was reading my sister, Shannon's blog, and all of the Thanksgiving, and my mom's 60th birthday festivities, and came across this picture of my wonderful family. The thing that made me the most sad of course, is how much I wish I was there. The "holidays" are always kind of a weird time. It doesn't seem to matter how old I get, around this time, I just want to go home. I know the idea at this point is to create our own family memories, and we do. I am sad to have missed my mom's 60th birthday party. It looks as though they had a lot of fun. I was able to do a video call during the party. My sister walked around with the laptop and the camera so I could say hi to everyone who was there and stuff. It was a great turn out. I love ya so much mom, and I am sorry I couldnt be there. As for Christmas, we just have to make due. We put up the tree today. Miah, of course was the biggest helper. Mikelle just wanted to wrap stuff. Once she found the wrapping paper, she just walked around finding things, and asking if she could give it as a gift, and then would wrap it all up. Well, I am off to bed. Good night!

Weekend Review-

First and foremost, let me give you the update on Tempestt. She is definitely doing better. She has been off the ventilator for about 4 days now, after having been on it for about 5 days. It's obvious that she understands everything being said, and she talks a little bit. Mostly just answering yes or no. Her throat and the insides of her mouth are very sore from the ventilator. Therapy will be necessary to regain her strength. Please continue to pray. Without a miracle, the road before her is very long and hard. Originally she was scheduled to have a kidney transplant in about 1 month. Now there is no way her heart is strong enough to go through the surgery. I know there are many people of prayer out there, and I am calling on you to please lift up our niece, Tempestt. Also lift up her parents who have been through more than I can even imagine.
Now on to the more trivial stuff.... Charles team won their first playoff game. They defeated Spring Valley High School 28-20. They will play Gorman this Friday. Gorman is undefeated this season, and is one of the teams expected to win State. Hopefully the boys are ready to play the game of their life.
Our fall season of softball is over for CSN. We finished up this weekend. Our last game of the weekend, was against my old school, UNLV. We had our work cut out for us. We actually took the lead 2-0. Then they tied it up. We scored 2 more runs and went ahead 4-2 into the 5th inning. That is when we started making a few errors, and they began hitting the ball rather hard. We lost like 8-4. Not bad, considering we are a junior college and they are a good Division I program. It's always easier for the lesser team in those situations, cuz we have nothing to lose. The girls played well, and it was fun. I am looking forward to my 8 weeks or so without softball everyday. Well, I still have lessons, and Madi is still playing. Atleast it will be a bit slower thru my favorite Holiday Season!!

Please Pray!

Some of you know that Charles' nieces, Tempest and Tamika were diagnosed about 6 years ago with Lupus. We lost Tamika about 5 months ago due to complications after one of her many surgeries. She was only 20 years old. Fortunately, she loved the Lord with all of her heart, and although it was painful for us to let her go, she finally is healed in heaven. Right now, Tempest, is fighting for her life. Yesterday, she had a surgery to remove fluid that was surrounding her enlarged heart. Sometime after the surgery, she went into cardiac arrest. Now, she is still on the ventilator. Other than opening her eyes, she is non responsive. They don't know yet how much neurological damage was done, during the cardiac arrest. I was so unprepared when I went to the hospital. I had no idea the situation was so critical. I held her hand, and rubbed her hair, while I prayed for her. But I just cried. It's just so hard. I can't even put it into words. I told her I would pray and have others pray, and that we would fight for her. As you read this blog, just believe God with me for a creative miracle.

Anthony Family Sports Update

Charles' team finished 2nd in their conference with only 1 loss. They will start playoffs next weeks. I believe it takes 3 more wins to get them into the State Championship Game. Their win last week was against a school named, Cimmaron Memorial High School. Every team in the district has a rival game, where there is something at stake...maybe a trophy, or something like that. Whoever wins keeps it for the year until they play again. Cimmaron has had the trophy for the last 2 years. We finally won it back on Friday. Charles and the team were all very excited. They tried to pour water on his head at the end of the game, but he was a bit too fast. I will keep everyone posted.
We played a few games this weekend. "We", being the junior college softball team that I coach. It's always fun when we get to play at UNLV's softball facility. It is just so beautiful. We played 3 games. We only won, one game. However, we competed quite well in all 3. This is just our fall season, so they are more like scrimmages. We let everyone play, so that we can see what they all have to offer. Next weekend is our final weekend, for Fall ball. We play 3 games again. Our final game on Saturday will be against UNLV. They are pretty talented. I think we should be able to compete for a while. Their bats are pretty dangerous.
Madisons softball team played in a tournament here in Las Vegas this weekend. They won 1st place today. She played well and seemed to have fun. Her voice is very horse from all of the cheering. She hit a couple of good singles, as well as 2 real sweet doubles. Her ankle is a bit sore and swollen. She twisted it running bases. But nothing major.
Miah and Mikelle had the weekend off. Both of them have about 2 weeks left in their seasons. Miah has really come into her own this season. She hits with some power, and likes playing 3rd base. Mikelle just loves everything about playing. She runs all over the field. She has had a few home runs herself, even sliding at home. Its cute, I have to admit.

I have nothing to wear!

We have all said it a thousand of times, "I have nothing to wear!" We don't actually mean it, because it's not as if we have to walk outside naked or anything. We just don't have something new, or something that we feel makes us look skinny, or something that's clean- right? For some reason when my daughter says it, it drives me nuts! This is a picture of her closet, which doesn't even hold all of her clothes, she has more! She doesn't say it everyday, but man her ungratefulness really got to me. It challenged me to take a look at myself. My attitudes aren't always about clothes. There are plenty of other things to "desire," more of. For example, new furniture, nicer car, jewelry, etc.. to name a few. I really felt the Lord quicken in my spirit, the message I heard Sunday at church. I want to really try harder to remember that Jesus is the only one who will bring complete satisfaction. You think about the fact that as a society, we have never had so much "stuff", yet as a whole we have never been so depressed. Look at people with money, like stars and stuff. They have all the money they want, yet their marriages end like crazy. Don't get me wrong, blessings rock! And God is so faithful to bless us. I welcome them with open arms. Lol- We have our health, and a future that is filled with hope because of God's grace. This blog is kind of going all over the place as far as subject matter. But hey, it's late, Im tired, and I have nothing to wear tomorrow- ha ha!

Nanny, my sweet Nanny!

 
My Nanny, recently celebrated her 85th birthday! Look at how beautiful she is. It's hard to believe that she could be 85. I have a very special place in my heart only for her. It's probably that same place that I know my girls have for their Noni. When you are little, you love your grandparents because of everything they do for you and buy for you. Now, I love my Nanny for who she is. I admire her committment to family, her love for the Lord, her love for chocolate - Ha Ha! I am thankful for her friendship, our conversations on the phone, our shared laughs, her honesty, and her strength. I am the same procrastinator that I have always been and didn't get a card in the mail, but I hope she reads this and knows that I love her very much!! Wish I could have been at the party-

5 Things I know for sure!

My sister Shannon, "tagged" me with this question, "What are 5 things you know for sure?"

1. I will NEVER, EVER return to the Potters House Christian Fellowship Church. I spent over 15 years as a member of that particular church. Although their basic doctrine is the gospel, it is so full of legalism that it becomes a very dangerous place. I left about a year and a half ago, and man God is good, faithful, and He alone satisfies.

2. I know FOR SURE, that parenting is not how I imagined it would be. Some things are better than I imagined, like morning hugs. While other things are far worse, like hearing, "I hate you!"

3. I know FOR SURE, that I wouldn't enjoy life without friendships. I am so thankful for my friends. My husband, my parents, and my sister along with Jen, Laurie, Dena, Vicki, and countless others have made my life so blessed.

4. I know FOR SURE, that I will never be as organized as I dream to be. Which includes things, like our home, laundry, bills...etc. I try, I really do, it just doesn't work. It stresses me out more, to try and live that way, then it does to live with the stress that being a bit disorganized creates. I don't know why exactly, just how I am wired I guess.

5. I know FOR SURE, that I want to die before any of my children do.

I am suppose to pass this along to a couple of friends, so Dena and Jen, what are 5 things that you know for sure!

Here, kitty, kitty, kitty-

For those of you who know my oldest daughter, Madison, well-this probably won't be that shocking of a story. Let's just say, she has a lot of nerve, always has. About a month ago she told me that her friends cat had kittens, and could we PLEASE have one. "No, not even an option. I don't want one, we are not going to get one, so just put that idea out of your head," I told her. She brought it up again about 2 weeks later, I again told her the same thing. Now fast forward to this past weekend. I have been at my games all day and am hurrying home to get ready because we are all going to the UNLV Football game. I get home at 4:45 and Madison has a kitty. The boy had come to the house with the kitty and she said that she could have it. She honestly believed I guess that this would just put us into a corner that we couldn't get out of. I am not quite sure, because our brains don't work the same. Anyways, now what are we going to do with the cat. Charles just wants to put it outside, and let it fend for itself. I don't want the cat either, but I can't do that. So I start asking neighbors. They both wanted it, but they had people in their homes who are allergic to cats. My neighbor agrees to keep it while we go to the football game. I was just planning on taking it to the shelter the next day. (We don't know where the boy lives who gave us the cat, cuz they just moved.) Of course Madison is all dramatic, she wan't a new family, and new parents, blah, blah, blah... I had said something to her, and she said "Oh my God," - I said this isn't about God, it's about you." She said, "it is about God, cuz I wish he were my father, cuz he would let me have a kitty." Of course I said, "He is your Father," she just rolled her eyes, and told me how unfair her life was. Anyways, on the way to the game I called one of the girls I coach on the college team, and she wanted it soooo bad. So we arranged for me to bring her the kitty the next day. Miah and Mikelle had fun with the kitty, for the few hours we had him. Oh yeah, did I mention Madison was leaving town that same night for a tournament in California, so she wasn't even here. It was good she was leaving, if you know what I mean. Miah was ready to give the cat away because she had scratched Miah so bad. So that is a pretty normal day in our house- unfortunately.

Life

In my last blog, I was begging everyone to leave me comments. Since then, it's been about 1 week since I've posted again. My lovely sister, Shannon, let me know that it was time for me to post. This last week, I have had a hard time when it comes to writing a new blog, because since reading all about Luke, it's as if everything else is so silly. Life is strange like that. In one home, everything might be going just right, and yet right next door, the storms of life are crashing in. I've been a little grumpy this week. Not for any apparent reason, maybe it had something to do with the fact that I was on my period. But other than that, I really have nothing to complain about, yet that fleshy, nasty, part of me complains, and nags. That's just ugly, and selfish. I am so thankful that we are all healthy. Oh, God - please forgive me for my selfish ways, and my complaining heart. Do a creative miracle in Luke's life and body. Thank you for loving me unconditionally. Well, that it for today. Madison has a tournament today and tomorrow. Miah is going horseback riding for the first time, and Mikelle will be hanging out with me and CA at the softball tourney.

Thank you for responding!

Hello, blogger fans! Thank you all so much for the comments. 5 comments to be exact. That is so exciting. I think we should all make a point to send more comments. It's so exciting to get them. I was just on the finishing touches designing my clothing line, when all of a sudden all of the comments just started flooding in. I called my girl, Vera, ya know, Vera Wang- and she bought my designs for big time money. 99 cents to be exact, but who's counting. You will be able to find my Spring Line at Kohl's next spring. Okay, enough jokes...I was reading Shannon's blog and her quest to become a runner. I admire her desire, I just personally can't imagine it for myself. I hate running too! Tonight I was watching Entertainment Tonight, or some show like that, and this Dr. was on there talking about how some cancers come from eating too many carbs. That's scary- The other thing he said is that exercise doesn't make you skinny, it makes you hungry. Of course I like that statement, but I don't know that I agree with it. Plus there are other health benefits, such as cardiovascular health...But I do agree, that when I am working out, I am so much more hungry. It seems as though I can either workout, and not eat so good- or eat good, but not workout. Anyone else have that problem? I wish weight wasn't such an issue. I find myself jealous of those people, who don't have to do much to maintain a healthy weight. I am like the worlds largest roller coaster- up and down, and up and down. Well, I think it's time for bed. So everyone, sweet dreams.

Is anyone there?

Well I always joke that I blog for my sister, and my mom. I am starting to think it's true. Does anyone ever read my blog? Could someone just send me a comment once in a while? I feel like a loser in blog world. I don't craft at all. My sister does that. I played sports, she didn't. I can't craft, she isn't athletic- ha ha! I always like to tease her just a bit, and since she is the only one reading this, it's probably ok. Maybe I will just start being crafty, or write poetry, or design a new line of clothing. Let me think about my options and I will get back to you all.

Loss of a friend-

I just found out today that a friend of mine from Junior High and High School died yesterday. His name was Rob Reagle. He was actually my first kiss-the summer between 7th and 8th grade. We just dated a couple months during that summer, but remained friends thru graduation. We actually went to Sr. Prom together. Rob had the best laugh ever, was sweet and an all around good guy. He has worked for the Seattle Mariners for almost 20 years. I was reading on line, and the team, the management and everyone is real devasted by this loss. I read that he is survived by a 7 year old daughter. Please pray for comfort for her during this awful time. Just wanted to write a bit about my good buddy. Even though high school was so long ago, the bonds that we all had, were pretty special. I can remember the kiss. It was funny because he had given me a few peck kisses when he would walk me home from school. But this one day, he just went for it and stuck his tongue in my mouth. Im sure it was a mess of a kiss. I don't remember liking it too much. I felt so guilty, I do remember that. But its a funny memory, and I always think about it when I think about him. That's it for now.

Girls Get a Way 2007- Seattle

Seattle was fantastic. Girls Get a Way, always is. I love my Nanny- she is so dang cute and such a trooper. We shopped and shopped and walked and walked. She kept up like a champ. One thing I learned was that my Nanny has quite the sweet tooth. I can now blame her for my issues with sweets- Lol! She didn't always like our choices of restaurants, but every time dessert came, Nanny had the biggest smile on her face. Even the store bought cake from Smiths, won rave reviews from her.
My cousins Allison and Emily are always so much fun to hang out with. We have a lot of laughs. Emily already graduated from Babson College, the number 1 business college in America. She is currently working for Ralph Lauren, in Natucket, and now she is transferring to the Aspen store in about a month. Emily gets to see quite a bit of famous people in her line of work. How cool- Allison goes to the University of Georgia. She is in her Junior year of school and after school plans to go to California and become a famous actress. She promises to not forget the little people when this happens. I think Shannon and I live vicariously through there young lives.

One thing that I already knew, but was brought to my attention was that my mom, and sister know how to hostess. My mom, Aunt Judy and sister, Shannon all did a fabulous job, and paid so much attention to detail. I loved the food, the gifts, the house, everything about it. Thanks girls-
I will share more tomorrow- I have to get to practice now!

Go Cheyenne!

This is just a picture of Charles and the girls tonight after the game. He is the Head Coach at Cheyenne High School here in Las Vegas. The girls love going down on the field after the game to give their daddy a hug. Especially when they win, cuz he is so much happier! They won tonight 14-6. Not a very high scoring game. I know he was a bit disappointed in that, yet, a win is a win! Tomorrow, Miah and Mikelle have games. I am going to try to take some pictures. Its hard to get action shots with my digital camera because of the delay. What a pain in the butt. I will do my best.

Opening Weekend & Mammogram-

 
 
Last weekend, Mikelle and Miah had opening day for their Fall Softball Season. They both were so excited and had lots of fun. Miah had a double header and they won both games. She played 3rd base, which she was very happy about. She had some good hits. One was a double. She thinks maybe if she was faster it could have been a home run. Mikelle had just 1 game. They don't really keep score. She was up a bunch of times, and had a couple of home runs. She can really whack that ball off the t- They both seem to be happy with their teams, and we look forward to a fun season.
Well, earlier today I had that mammorgram. First of all, it doesn't hurt. Not at all, to me anyway. My insurance was having this campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness and sent out flyers advertising, no co-pays for mammorgrams for woman over 35. I had heard that you weren't suppose to wait until you were 40 anymore so I decided to go. When I was registering, the girls at the front desk said they would have to call my doctor to get a referral. I told them, that with my insurance I am able to self-refer. And also that I was confused because the flyer didn't say anything about that, neither did the person on the phone when I made the appointment. Well, because you are under 40 we need a referral. Then a rep. from my insurance co. came out. She said they provide an exam from a doctor they brought, and she can give me the referral, so no worries. So I get the breast exam. Then when I actually get into the test. The technician gives me an attitude about coming for a mammogram before the age of 40. I said, "yeah, it seems I have heard conflicting views on when to start getting them." She said, "no there is nothing conflicting, you should wait until you are 40." I then told her that I have heard on the Today Show, or somewhere that they lowered the age." She then had the nerve to say to me- "that's TV and I am the professional." I was like, "it was a Dr. who said it." So I don't want to type anymore of the dialogue, but that was basically it. She was rude, and upset me. Then I said, trying to lighten the mood. "Is it good that I am big, and SAGGY- that way it's real easy to grab and stuff. She said, "Oh, No! See, I can't get it to stay where I need it." I was just trying to find 1 positive thing about having less than perky boobs. So, all in all average experience. Good news, it didn't hurt.

Can You Say, "Squishy, Squishy"?

Today at 3:00 I am having my first mammogram. Have no idea whats ahead of me, and I am a little nervous. I will be sure to let you all know how it goes. It is of course a good thing for me to do. I pray everything is ok!

Where did I go?

I kept trying over and over again to take my picture, and it just wouldn't work. I would have posted a picture for you all to see, but I guess I am just too darn slim. I lost 7 pounds and its like I vanished. Ha ha- So after 3 days on my little eating adventure, I have lost 7 pounds. Wait let me clarify, I should have called it a non-eating adventure. I am starving. 3 meals a day, with out ANY snacking and only water to drink. I would rather die. I am going to hang in there a while longer so that my shorts aren't so tight anymore. Then it will have to be time for plan b. I do get to eat steak tonight, but the only thing you get to have with it is celery, and olives and black coffee. I have to say I really miss my coffee in the morning with my creamer and splenda. I also miss my Crystal Light. Drinks are very important in my life, as you can see. So enough complaining. I got myself into this mess of my shorts being too tight. And I am thankful that the plan is working. We will see how the weekend goes.
On a separate note, tonight is Charles first football game. He is the Head Varsity Coach, for Cheyenne H.S. here in Las Vegas. His team was put on the list of the top 20 high schools in the west to watch this season. He says they have a good team, but the one thing they are lacking is their kicking game. No one to kick field goals, or punt. This can pose a serious problem. I will let all my adoring fans know how they did tomorrow.

Good 1st Day

Just a quick note this morning. Weighed myself this morning and after the 1st day of the cleanse, I lost 4.5 pounds. Not bad at all. I guess I will attempt to stay on it again today. I will keep all of my adoring fans posted, don't you worry.

Miah's Photos

Well, last week I never got any pictures of Miah posted. Took a couple this morning, and thought I would actually post them. I was real proud of Miah, because yesterday she wanted her hair straightened out again. She actually did all the blow drying herself, and then I did the flat ironing and curling. It was a huge help. She was excited too- It's been real humid here, so no sense in trying to wear her hair down.
I don't want to sound too negative, but I am miserable on this cleanse. More than food, I really want to be able to drink some Crystal Light. I am in love with that stuff. I feel as good as can be expected. It's not easy, and I want to quit. But I think I will charge on. Guess what, I drank carrot juice today, and it was actually ok. I wonder if I will have lost anything by tomorrow? Hopefully 20 pounds. Ttyl-

Labor Day Weekend

Saturday, Madison celebrated her 12th birthday. She invited a handful of friends to go to the Mandalay Bay Hotel Pool. They have this awesome set up, with a wave pool, lazy river, and a couple of pools. We have a good friend, D. Biddy, who is a manager there who gave us the pool passes. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures at the actual pool, because I didn't want to bring my camera since I was swimming too. This is a picture of Madison and her friends at the house before we left.
Sunday, we had an awesome time at church in the morning, and then a great relaxing rest of the day. I had a great nap. It was one of those naps when you try and wake up and your body just won't let you. My head felt like it weighed 110 pounds. I mean I know my butt does, but not my head! Mikelle lost her 2nd tooth on Sunday. Two in the same week-
Today, I took the girls swimming in the early afternoon. Then, I had to meeting, and Charles took them to Grazianos. It's basically like a Chuck e Cheese. So the kids had a pretty full day.
Tomorrow I am starting the Mayo Clinic Diet. The first 3 days is a cleanse. Oh my goodness. I did this diet one time years ago. It was hard. I hated it. But I did have pretty good instant results. Trying to get into some clothes for girls get a way weekend. Wish me luck. If anyone wants me to post the diet, let me know. I will post my results, if I stick to it.

Exciting News

 

Not only was it the 2nd day of school for Mikelle, she also lost her 1st tooth!! She is very excited for the tooth fairy. She was very nervous about pulling it out. It was just hanging there by a thread. I was afraid she would end up swallowing it, if she didn't get it out. So, she got real brave and pulled it out. Yeah, for Mikelle-

More Pictures

Here is a picture of Madison from the 2nd day of school. Yesterday she received 2 big boxes of clothes from her cousin, Caroline. What a blessing- We have been getting her clothes for 12 years!! Hopefully, Caroline keeps growing for a while. Lol! Madison had a great day yesterday, she really liked her teachers, and had atleast 1 friend in every class. I didn't get any pictures of Miah this morning because my husband locked his keys in the car- in the ignition- so after he finally got the keys out, the battery was dead. So in the midst of getting Miah off to school, my neighbor was over with his jumper cables, etc... and I just forgot. Tomorrow, Miah!

First Day of School

Well to my surprise, it was actually hard watching Mikelle walk away from me into her classroom. She is so excited about starting school, that it just made me happy for her. I think because she is the "baby", "my baby", it was just hard. I held it together, and never let the tears flow, but it wasn't easy. She looks so sweet, and grown up. She will ride the bus home with Miah today. Mikelle is so excited for that. I can't wait to pick them up at the bus stop and hear all about it. I didn't get any pictures today of the other two because the batteries were dead this morning. Mikelle has afternoon kindy, so I was able to charge the batteries. It was a rough morning because we had a major storm this morning. All of the girls were up in the middle of the night scared because of the thunder and lightning. This morning it was still raining hard. Flip flops and rain, don't mix. We are so unprepared for rain around here, it's not even funny. I will try and get some pictures of Madi, and Miah when they get home and add them later. Cant wait to hear if the girls like their teachers, if they have friends in their classes, and all that fun stuff. Right now I am just enjoying the quiet.

MEME

I got tagged. So I have to do this thing called MEME
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/stories about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog




1. The first thing that you should know, is that I have a terrible long term memory. One of the things that bothers me about that, is that I have really had a wonderful life, and I wish I didn't forget so many of the details. One of the good things about it, is that I'm not the typical woman who remembers the day, the hour, and the minute her husband "did her wrong!"

2. I am a very forgiving person. You could call me a peace maker, I guess. Shannon and I always say, that I am not the typical 1st born personality. I am more like the middle child, always wanting to make peace. Can't we just all get a long. I don't do well with confrontation. I usually cry. So please everyone, be nice.

3. I can't stand listening to people chomp. The worst would be at the movie theatre listening to others chomp their popcorn. Omgosh- it makes me crazy just thinking about it. So in order to not hear them, I have to be chewing too- If I could just eliminate that from driving me crazy, I might lose a few pounds. Ha Ha- I really can't stand any noise that continues in any sort of a pattern. For example, snoring, a clock that ticks, popping gum, etc....

4. Parenting is the hardest job on earth. Yeah, yeah, we hear that all the time, but really we are serious. I know that they say, knowledge is power, but sometimes I think we have too many books, ideas, etc. about parenting. I mean, Charles Ingalls and Caroline Ingalls, never had so many decisions to make. Life was simple. Having 3 girls, I have learned that they are all different, just like us adults. And trying to parent them individually according to their specific needs is tiresome. I can admit to the fact that I don't have all the answers. The good news, is I know God does, so I keep trusting Him and chugging along. The other thing is my memory stinks so bad, I already forgot half the battles we have fought. JK-

5. I spent about 15 years in a legalistic church. After almost 2 years of being out of there, and reflecting, I can honestly say that life is so much better. I wish I wouldn't have spent any time there, but God works all things out for His glory. I mean think about it. When men tell you how to live your life, what to watch, what to listen to, etc... there is little to no growth. I could write forever about all my different feelings, but it's not necessary. I really want to move forward in the plan that God has for me and my family.

6. Most of you know that my husband, Charles, is black. So I just want to throw a little something out there, for all you girls who think you are having a bad hair day, or that your hair is so difficult to manage. Quit feeling sorry for yourself. I have 3 girls with more hair than you can imagine. I have been straightening hair today for literally 4-5 hours and we still have work to do on it in the morning. I will post tomorrow with pictures. Especially Mikelle, my baby, because it's her first day of kindergarten.

7. I just had a birthday dinner with some girlfriends last week, and it was so much fun. Let me encourage all you ladies, to take time to spend with friends. Of course it revoloved around food. Thinking of food brings me to some thoughts. I was laughing at Shannon's MEME about making cookie dough. I think she learned it from me. Infact, I would do it right now, but I am out of butter. Once Shannon and I went to Papa Murphys to bring pizza home for everyone. We bought their cookie dough and ate it on the way back to my moms, and then threw the container away outside so no one would know. I wish that calories didn't count if no one saw you eat it. I Lol! I always tell my kids that I better taste their food, to make sure it's not poisonous. They always say, yeah right mom, you always say that...blah, blah... But they always let me. I think they would be disappointed if I didn't.

8. The first kiss that ever freaked me out, was in the 7th grade. Robbie Reagle was walking me home from school, and we came to the corner, where he had kissed me good bye before, but this time was different. He actually put his tongue in my mouth totally unexpected. I don't remember saying much, just walking home stunned. We didn't go out too much longer. We remained great friends, and even went to Senior Prom together. That was my last physical contact with anyone, until I was married. Okay, just kidding! Fooled ya for a minute?

Back to School -

I guess I have mixed emotions about the kids going back to school. The good things are obvious. They are bored, arguing, and watching too much t.v. since it's 108 all the time. I am excited about Mikelle starting Kindergarten, because she is so darn excited. However, the whole half day routine stinks. Atleast it's the last time I will have to deal with it, since she is my baby. The lazy days of summer have been nice. We have had a good break from softball, and able to have fun with family and friends. The girls are looking forward to seeing their friends at school. The hard part is that with the start of school and each of the girls fall ball schedules starting-life is about to get real busy. This was a picture of the girls on the 4th of July. We were out front of the house, letting off some fireworks. Wish me luck for our busy fall schedule, it's rather exhausting.

Girls Getaway Coming Soon

Last night was so much fun celebrating my birthday. Laurie, Dena, Lisa, Mischa, and Stephanie and I all went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I of course know everyone, but nobody else knew one another. Yet, conversation was easy, and fun. I laughed so hard. Thanks girls. So the next exciting thing on my list is Girls Getaway Weekend in September. It has been the one thing I look forward to every year for the last 5 years. This year we are all going to Seattle, Washington. Can't wait to see everyone. Wish I could drop 15 pounds before then. All the cheesecake I ate last night is not working in my favor, that's for sure. It is Shannon's fault. If she just would have made me a small cake, I wouldn't have been so tempted to eat up all the cheesecake. Ha ha- I just think I will keep this cake joke running for as long as possible. Tonight I was just going through some pictures thinking about the girls weekend-so I thought I would post some fun ones from last year at Aunt Candy's house, in Los Gatos, CA.