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Finding JOY in the JOurneY,

Complete Randomness

I haven't posted in a while. I know most of you will believe me when I say this... it's NOT because I haven't had anything to say. Just not enough time to say it! :)

So - here's some complete randomness...

~ School starts next week and my baby's gonna be in the THIRD grade! I can hardly believe she's that old already! Heck - I can hardly believe I'm that old already!

~ Trevor and I passed a sign hanging in a store today that said, "50% off everything today only!" Not very unusual. But the store was closed. Hmmm...?

~ I just saw a sign that said "Obama-Biden" and for a moment I could have sworn it said "Osama Binladin". What??

~ It's the end of summer and I realized the other day that not only did we NOT finish the projects we had planned... some of them we didn't even start! It's been a busy summer! Guess those summer projects will turn into fall projects... and so on. ;)

~ Went school shopping the other day. Was successful on clothes - but found absolutely NO shoes that were decent! Not ONE pair. Seriously. It was weird. It's slim pickens out there for shoes! Does anyone know where they actually have cute shoes for 8-year-olds?

~ Every morning this week - I've woke up at 4:20 A.M. and couldn't get back to sleep. Weird? Is God revealing 4:20 to me for some reason?

~ Went to lunch this week with two of the greatest people I know. I'm blessed to have such wonderful friendships!

~ I spent 2 hours on an online project this week that I accidentally deleted and LOST in it's entirety! ARGH! That's 2 hours I can't get back! :0

~ I'm addicted to party planning. I know, it's weird. I've already started planning Chloe's Fall Party in October.

~ Have you been grocery shopping lately? OMW! I was in Wal-Mart yesterday and was so disgusted at the rising prices of things! Things I noted that were SKY HIGH are... cheese, milk, produce, peanut butter, butter and bread. And that's just because those are the basics I needed. WOW! Dropped $140.32 like it was nothing!

That's it. That's all I got.

Hope to get back to posting more regularly soon.

;}

My Purse Is Too Heavy?

So - I went to the doctor yesterday. Been having some pains that were worrying me a bit, so I went to get them checked out. Things are okay. HOWEVER, my purse, apparently, is not okay.

It has to go on a diet!

Yes - I was scolded by the Physicians Assistant and told that my bag was "way to heavy" to be carried around!

IN FACT - - the P.A. actually put my purse on the SCALE to be weighed!

7 lbs!

I carry around a 7 lb bag! I couldn't believe it.

BUT - I use everything in there on a regular basis. I'm a mom, for crying out loud, I HAVE to be prepared.

The P.A. wasn't haven't it! She told me to go home and empty the purse out and get rid of all the things I didn't ABSOLUTELY NEED! In fact, she even made Trevor carry it out of the doctors office!

So - - it's a day later and my purse is still not cleaned out.

I'm having a hard time defining "NECESSITY".

Here's a peek inside my bag...

















Help! What do I get rid of? Here's just some of the items I'm having a hard time letting go of (because, you never know, right?)...

2 pair of sunglasses
Tylenol Bottle
Excedrin Migraine Bottle
Bayer Bottle
Camera
iPhone
Scrunchies
Checkbook
Writing Tablet
Pocket Planner
Pens
Chap stick
Rolaids
Tide to Go Pen
Mini Lysol Can
Mini Container of wipes
Tissues
Cold Sore Treatment
Prescription Meds for Migraines
Keys
Ankle Brace
Wallet

HELLO?? What could I possibly get rid of?

What about you... what's in your purse?

Magnoliaisms

My favorite movie of ALL times is Steel Magnolias. It's a classic! If you haven't seen it and you're into the whole chick-flick thing - this is a MUST!

I was in Target the other day and they had it on DVD for $5. I picked it up... since my only copy is a very old VHS tape.

I watched it last night. Don't know why - nothing special - it was Monday night - but I just felt like watching it is all. What I realized is - there's a lot of really cool one-liners in this movie - several of which I have used pretty frequently since I first saw the film more than 18 years ago. Here are some of my favorite lines from the movie...

• "Drum - you are the boil on the butt of humanity!"
• "Looks like the entire church has been hosed down with Pepto Bismol!"
• (referring to shoe size)... "In a good shoe, I wear a size 6, but a seven feels so good, I buy a size 8." "These are size 9" "Perfect!"
• "I don't trust anyone who does their own hair - it isn't normal!"
• "Relax! You can't screw up her hair. Just tease it and make it look like a brown football helmet."
• "You know I'd rather walk on my lips than to criticize anyone!"
• "Pink is my signature color!"
• "THIS is going in the hairdo Hall-of-Fame!"
• "The nicest thing I can say about her is all her tattoos are spelled correctly!"
• "This is football - all people want to hear about is touchdowns and injuries!"
• "I never worry, mama, cause I know you're worried enough for both of us!"
• "There's so much static electricity in this room, I pick up everything but boys and money."
• "Time marches on and eventually it marches right over your face."
• "Don't try to get on my good side, Truvy. I no longer have one!"
• "The only reason people are nice to me is I have more money than God."
• "Oh, Sammy's so confused he don't know whether to scratch his watch or wind his butt."
• "If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit by me."
• "I have a strict policy - nobody cries alone in my presence!"
• "Wow - I'm gonna paint my front door red and call myself Elizabeth Arden!"
• "I'm not crazy, I've just been a very bad mood for the last 40 years!"
• "Why are you in such a good mood - did you run over a small child or something?"
• "The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize."
• "The sooner my body wears out, the better off I'll be. I can't get enough grease in my diet!"
• "I don't see plays because I can nap for free at home."
• "Smile! It increases your face value!" (boy - I say this one a lot!)
• "You are evil and must be destroyed!"
• "You know I love you more than my luggage!"
• "You're too twisted for color T.V."
• "Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion!"
• "She could never stay mad at me - she worships the quicksand I walk in."

Pantry Items

I'm never one who's good at making dinner on the fly. I mean, I really need preparation and time to process through what we're going to eat... but here's a list of pantry items (and fridge items) I typically am never without:

• Spaghetti Noodles and PREGO Spaghetti Sauce. It's gotta be Prego!
• Goober Grape (you know - the peanut butter that's mixed with grape jelly in the jar!) :)
• Wheat Thins or Triskets
• Cans of Mushrooms
• Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. It's gotta be Kraft!
  
• Cans of Tuna Fish
• Cans of All White Meat Chicken
• Rice
• We almost always have a container of Goldfish crackers on hand!
• Shredded Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Mayo AND Miracle Whip Light
• Penne Pasta Noodles (Trevor's favorite noodle!)
• Cans of Corn (I almost always have 2 cans, especially in the winter months)
• Cans of Green Beans (the Whole Beans)
• Taco Seasoning
• Pink Lemonade container
• Bread Crumbs
• Hate to admit it - but we usually have a bag of Doritos on hand - - it's a family fav!
• Milk
• Lots of bottles of Nestle Water
• Granola Bars
• Some kind of Salsa
• Cream of Mushroom Soup (you can make anything with that stuff!)
• Tomato Soup - it's a must have!
• Baked Beans (especially in the summer months for cookouts!)
• Vanilla Extract
  
• Garlic of any kind (it's gotta have garlic in it to be any good, right?)
• White Onion
• Chocolate Chips

I guess I should be thinking about what I'm gonna make with this stuff! I'm on it!

Random Thoughts In My Head!

I know I've been really bad at posting lately... and it's not because I don't have anything to say. Just too busy, I guess. Here are some thoughts that have been going through my mind lately - and I guess they just have to come out...

• This weather is INCREDIBLE! Seriously. If it could just be like this for the next 5 months, I would be sincerely satisfied!
• Got my hair done yesterday. I cannot tell you how dissatisfied I was! 3 hours at the salon. 3 hours of sitting until my rear end was soar and my back was killing me. 3 long hours and $162 later and I have absolutely nothing to show for it except for non-existent highlights and a bad cut. I won't get in to details... let's just say the salon I've been going to for the past 10 years will NOT see me again. Truthfully, it's quite sad. We build relationships in those salons. But I just can't see spending that kind of money and still leaving with undesired results.
• My great-nephew, Craigon, turned a year old today! Man do I feel old!
• I just finished adding some events to our family calendar for April and May. WOW - just stepping back and looking at April - it is seriously packed! No wonder I'm exhausted!
• For the past several weeks, Trevor and I have been protecting our Saturday's. It was a little difficult for us in the beginning - but we realized that we needed a family day that could NOT be interrupted or filled with anything that the family didn't decide on as a family. It's now a day we just KNOW belongs to us. We sleep in late, clean house, read, play outside, shop or get out for a bite to eat. It's awesome. Do you have a day that you protect that totally belongs to your family? If you don't - you need one!
• Getting a date night with my MAN on Friday night. Chloe will be away at a sleepover, so it's out on the town for us! I can't wait!
• I just realized that I'm crazy about hand sanitizer! I have one bottle in the kitchen, one in the bathroom, one in my car, two in my purse and one at work. A friend recently told me that she heard that in order to kill germs effectively, the alcohol content in the sanitizer should be 60% of higher. You'll be happy to know mine are good. I checked.
• The geese are back! We live on 11 acres with a pond in our back yard. Year after year two geese return to share the summer with us. We're weird... we named them. They are Mary and Larry. This year, they brought friends back with them. There is now an entire family who wakes us up long before we're ready to open our eyes... Mary Larry, Jerry, Perry, Barry and Carrie. I hope they don't bring more next year, we're running out of names!
• Tennis Rackets must be my gift of choice this year. Got one for my buddy, Diego, and then my hubby got one this week for his birthday! We were gonna play tonight - but we couldn't locate courts that weren't full. Went to the park instead. :)
  

That's it. I need sleep!

Random Useless Facts

I love useless facts. Don't ask me why. I don't know why. I just do.

Here are some to share with you today. Did you know...

• The 'Zip' in Zip Code actually means Zoning Improvement Plan.
• 40% of McDonald's profits come from the sale of Happy Meals.
  
• There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
• Baskin Robbins once made ketchup ice cream.
• Alfred Hitchcock didn't have a belly button.
• An egg, when placed in water with sugar will float.
• Chewing gum while cutting onions will actually help so you don't produce tears.
• Diet Pepsi was originally called Patio Diet Cola.
• Americans this year will spend more money on cat food that baby food.
• 40% of Americans have never visited the dentist.
• Each year there are 40,000 toilet related injuries in the United States.
• During his or her lifetime, the average human will grow 590 miles of hair!
• More people are killed by donkeys annually then in plane crashes!
• The ball on top of a flagpole is called a 'truck'.
• More than 10 people a year are killed by vending machines.
• Frogs cannot swallow without blinking.
• Banana's aren't fruit - they are a type of herb.
• In Florida it is illegal to sing in a public place while attired in a swimsuit.

Maybe I'll have to continue this one later... this stuff is interesting! :0

Enjoy ~!

Random Thoughts Thursday

Here's some things that are on my mind this lovely, um, I mean RAINY afternoon...

• I love the snow - but are you kidding me? It's actually sleeting right now and the weatherman's calling for 1-3 inches by tomorrow afternoon!
• I love my husband and I sure miss him when he's out of town!
• Tonight I'm taking my daughter on a mommy-daughter date night. Going to dinner and Staples! Hey - be quiet... it's only one of my favorite stores!
• I can't wait for Sunday! I can't can't wait for every Sunday! Volunteers... be ready for God-size stuff!
• d(is)Harmony begins this weekend at Crossroads. I'm looking forward to learning how to improve my marriage!
• Last week was ONE BUSY week! One morning we didn't even have a clean towel to take a shower with! My poor family! Trevor actually ended up using a beach towel one morning.
  
• I took some time to blow bubbles with my daughter this week. Do me a favor... if you have kids (I don't care how old they are), take some time out this spring to blow bubbles with them. There's something sweet and magical about bubble blowing. :)
• Did I mention that it's sleeting. Okay, now it's snowing.
• I heard a quote recently from the movie, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporrium. It now resides on the chalk board in my kitchen... "Life is an occasion, rise to it!"
• I'm loving this season of American Idol. My picks: Carly Smithson or David Archuleta.
• Oops... it's almost 6... let date night begin!
  

Random Thoughts Part II

I like to blog this way. Let's me get out all of that "stuff" that's seemingly locked away in my brain... so here it goes... my Random Thoughts Part II:

- I'm so getting these for this winter. Laugh all you want - but these shoes ROCK! If you haven't tried on a pair of regular Crocs yet - - let me just tell you what you're missing! Comfort... pure comfort, baby! Gotta get these ones made for the winter months, though!

- Inspired by this website, I have decided to sit down with my hubby each Sunday and actually "plan out" the weeks meals! I decided to do this for 2 reasons... 1.) I was tired of going to the grocery store each Monday and buying things - but nothing really "for an entire meal", just some random things (not to mention I shop when I'm hungry, I know - bad idea!) and 2.) It makes it a lot easier than getting home to try to decide what the whole family would like for dinner. This way - it's chicken - or NOTHING. It's Taco Salad - or NOTHING. Got the idea here?

- There are only 85 shopping days left until Christmas! Can you believe it??

- Two of my friends recommended this movie. I'm planning to take Chloe on Friday night! :) Can't wait!

- I started a new book this weekend. It's called Confessions of Pastor by Craig Groeschel. It's pretty good! Very easy read.

- I bought 5 new movies at Wal*Mart the other day for only $3.98 each!! They are... Mission Impossible 2, Mission Impossible 3, Dreamer, Failure to Launch and The Last Holiday. Not bad for less than $20. I love Wal*Mart!

- So am I the worst mom in the world? Last week, my second grader came home with a fundraiser envelope from school. Honestly, I did look through the book, but it immediately got trashed. I DON'T do school fundraisers. At least not the kind where you have to actually go door-to-door selling items from a book. I have no desire to ask my family and co-workers for money to help my daughters school or classroom earn more money. I don't do them for 2 simple reasons... 1.) The quality of the items aren't anywhere close to the price you have to pay! and 2.) I have no desire to bombard people who are already being bombarded by 12 other students hoping you'll buy what they're sellin'! No thanks, it's not for me. I'd rather give a cash donation to the school or classroom instead of guilting people into buying from us!

- I'm currently in the market for a new vehicle. I have to be honest, though, I detest going car shopping. My hubby, on the other hand, will do his homework THOROUGHLY before buying anything. I've already decided on this. :) (Trevor - you need not look any further!)

Random Thoughts

Here are some random ramblings for you on this beautiful fall morning...

- Do you ever notice how stingy the people are in the drive-thru's with ketchup packets and dressing packets? Seriously - whenever I go to places like Taco Bell, I always place my order and at the end say, very clearly, "with EXTRA mild sauce, please." You would have thought I asked them for their first born child or something, because I always get up there and find like 3 sauce packets in my bag. Come on, people, ya' making me crazy!

- I sing in the car. I mean, I GET DOWN in the car. I feel sorry for people driving next to me - they must think I'm crazy! If you see me rockin' out in the car - just ignore me, please. :)

- I bought the new Casting Crowns CD yesterday afternoon. WOW - you've got to get it. Tracks 4 and 7 are my fav's so far!

- I've been tracking my hits on this blog for the past month. It appears the average number of readers (hits) per week is 152! :)

- What's with the 90 degree temps?? I say - bring on the fall weather. Nothing like a couple months of 65 degree days! I'm ready to be done with the hot, please!

- So, this week, my 7-year-old daughter, Chloe, jumped off the diving board at the CFC pool. I could hardly believe it when she told me! She's come a long way from even a few short months ago when she wouldn't even get her face wet! Yeah, baby!

- I had a goal this past summer to read 15 books. I only read 3. My goal for the winter won't be as high so I won't feel as bad about it when I don't make it! I just realized I've read 2.5 books within the past three weeks - - and I couldn't make it to 15 for an entire summer?

- I miss my friend, Roxanne, so much. It's been almost an entire year ago that we lost her, yet it feels like only yesterday. I love ya, Rox!

- I'm totally geeked. I had a Lia Sophia party last night and I had a $600+ show... so that means, I'm getting like $157 of FREE jewelery. Another $50 order would bump me up to $261! YEAH! Anyone still wanting to order may do so - - I am closing my show on Sunday night.

- I had to use dictionary.com twice this week to look up definitions of words I didn't know. Can I just say I love this website and I love learning new words. (No, I'm not telling you what words they were - you might laugh at the fact I didn't know what they were!)