Hello.

I've been busy.  Sorry to have neglected you.

What have I been doing?

Reading.  I finished book four in the Redemption series by Karen Kingsbury.  I started the final book last night.  I've enjoyed the books a lot.

Basketball.  Mr. B and I took a quick trip to San Antonio to see the Spurs play.  We had fantastic seats in the lower level.  That enabled us to get down to the court after the game was over.  We watched George Hill (#3) being interviewed for the radio.  Then, we inched on over to where he was.  He was signing autographs for the fans that had lingered around after the game.  I got my program signed and Mr. B got his ticket signed.  We even got up close pictures of him.  He was literally *right there.*  I could have touched him.  Not looking to get banned from the AT&T Center, I refrained myself.  He was so nice to stand around and sign so many autographs.  And might I tell you, he looked even better up close.  I'm just sayin'.

San Antonio.  Our quick trip was an overnighter.  It was lovely.  I love stolen moments with Mr. B.  We found a new hotel on this side of San Antonio that we love.  The indoor pool was to die for and we can't wait to take the kids back there.  We're thinking Spring Break.  We'll see.

Exercise.  *insert huge raspberry fart here*  That was going great.  Until the basketball game.  I was injured.  It's not major.  But it's enough where I have a limp and some ugly bruising.  How?  Our row of seats at the game were full.  Our seats were at the end.  Nobody from the row in front of us had gotten there yet.  So we walked down their row to climb over and get in our seats.  Mr. B's legs are sufficiently longer than mine.  It was just a matter of stepping over.  Me?  I was built closer to the ground.  So my step involved something of a leap.  Long story short, I caught my leg (inside thigh) on the arm rest of one of the seats.  It hurt.  A lot.  It was sore for the whole game and is still, today, very tender to the touch.  I haven't slept good the past two nights because I bump it every time I move.  Apparently, I move a lot in my sleep.  Just when I was hitting an exercise stride, too.  I was walking on schedule.  I'm hoping to get back on the treadmill tomorrow.

Neighborhood Hellion.  Still there.  I've got to figure out a game plan for the summer.  I'm really hoping his mother finds a job and we aren't saddled with him ringing our doorbell eleventy billion times a day.

Scrapbooking.  I was supposed to scrap with the girls at church tonight.  I'm flaking.  For several reasons.  One, my leg.  Two, it's cooler and I hate being out in it if I don't have to be.  Three, I don't even want to get my stuff out.  It's too much trouble.  Four, the Spurs play the Knicks tonight.  They are one of the few teams we've lost to.  We must exact our revenge upon them tonight.  Don't want to miss that.  And finally, I'm just not in the mood.  I haven't cleaned up my scrap space yet.  That is next week's project for sure.  Maybe I'll get one day next week to sit down and be creative.  At least that's the plan.

Scripture memory.  I'm doing good.  I've got my first verse and now I'm working on my second.  It's 2 Timothy 1:7.  I really like it.  A perfect one for memorization.

So, there you have it.  My crazy life in a nutshell.

Have a great weekend.

Peace.

Shoes and Portugal

More shoe drama.  This time, it was Cameron.  They weren't Skechers.  They were some Hot Wheels shoes (translation:  they were crap.)  We *just* bought them.  December 19th to be exact.  We threw the receipt away.  But luckily, Sears was able to look up the transaction with our Discover card.  I exchanged them for a better pair of shoes.

I'm re-thinking the whole shoe thing.

We need shoes to wear to school and then shoes to wear when riding bikes and playing outside.  Baby Bro pointed out to me last night (yes, I got to talk to them - - YAY!) that boys are just rough on shoes and I need to get used to it.  All I heard was: This is gonna be expensive.

Speaking of my brother.  You have to check out this video he made.  It almost makes me want a Mac.  *gasp*  Did I just say that?  This is so cool.  They are back on their island right now.  When they left the US, they flew to London and then took a quick hop over to Portugal.  On the way back, they had quite a layover in London before going back to their island.  So, my brother made this awesome video.  I've watched it A LOT!!!  Check it out:



I told you it was cool.

Have a GREAT day!

Skechers - feel my hate

I always thought kids were supposed to out-grow their shoes before they wear out.  That is not the case with Skechers.  My product review:  they are expensive and they suck.

So there.

Check them out.:

He got these in September.  I kid you not.  The thing is, this isn't an isolated case.  We've had this happen to every pair of Skechers we've owned.  Lesson finally learned.  I'm sending the company an e-mail telling them how disappointed I am in their products.  Not durable at all.  Two thumbs down.  If I had more thumbs, I think you know how this would go...

You *wish* you were me.

I'm headed to pick the boys up from school.  From there we are going to get them both a haircut and then new shoes for Justin.  I know you're jealous.  Shoe shopping with a seven year old and a bored five year old.  Good times.

I'd also like to note that I am henceforth and forever more terminating my relationship with Skecher's shoes for my kids.  They are CRAP!  They do not make it to the next up-size.  They wear out.  Crap, I tell you.  We are in the market for something better.

Wish me luck, I'm going in.

Pictorial Review

I would like to share a few pictures with you that I've taken over the past few days.  They're with my point and shoot, so the quality isn't perfect.  It's some of the good, the bad and the hilarious.  You'll see.  Join me, if you will, on a pictorial journey.

Let's do it.

The Good:

Well, you'd think good.  Right?  Usually this is a good sight.  The coffee pot.  The coffee grinder.  My favorite Starbucks brew (Casi Cielo) making my kitchen smell nice.  It's a lovely sight and and aroma that can't be matched.  What can make it bad?

The Bad:

That right there is a coffee foul.  Nothing irritates me more than when this happens.  The stupid filter got all jacked up and I had a coffee pot full of coffee grinds.  You can try to re-filter it manually.  But let's face it.  It's not the same.  It tastes like crap and *ruins* my morning love.  I know, it's just messed up, huh?  Sometimes life just isn't fair.

The Funny:

I saw this on Sunday.  This dude was hauling butt through a convenience store parking lot, in his little hover craft thingy, pulling a wagon.  It just cracked me up.

The Good:

How could this not be good?  My recliner and my rag quilt.  This screams happiness.

The Frustrating:

Mr. B.  *shakes head*  These need to be put away.  Shove them in your closet.  That's what I do.  *giggle*

The Yummy:

Chicken Spaghetti.  Well, Penne.  It matters not.  It was delicious.  I made this for dinner tonight and I'm going to pat my own back.  It was to die for.  Looks good, huh?  It was.  It really was.

The On-Going Battle:

I accept that in a household of boys - - this is my destiny.  Ick.  I hate touching the toilet seat.  But I'm out-numbered.  So...

The Cute:

Cars lined up on the bathtub.  I don't care who you are, that's just cute.  (This is a Cameron thing.  He really digs playing with cars in the bathtub.)  It helps me overlook the toilet seat issue.

Combination Happiness:

My iPod, My Fiji water and my Burt's Bees lip balm.  All three very key to my bedtime routine.

An Eye-Sore:

I hate this stair climber in my room.  It's ugly and it never gets used.  I hope I don't accidentally un-do a few screws and let it kind of fall apart.

Real Happy:

This picture of the boys makes me smile every. single. time. I walk past it.  Could they be any cuter?

I have several more pictures.  But I'll stop here.  Thanks for looking.

Shameless plug for my column this month...

Embracing my inner dork...

Let me know what you think.  :p

I am a dork. I am sitting in front of my laptop typing this entry on me phone. I can't make a title though. Hmmm.

Great start!

My progress with my resolutions:

I worked out at least four times last week.  *yay*

I was in bed by 10:15 at least five nights out of seven.  I've determined that sometime between 10:00 and 10:30 is a reasonable time.  No later than 10:30 though.

I scrapbooked one page.  Not much.  But I figure that if I do at least one page per week, I'll have 52 new pages by year end.  So that's not too shabby.

We went to church yesterday.  We went to our regular church.  I just prayed that God would lead us.  I guess he's not done with us there yet.  I don't know.  I'm open to where He leads us.

I finished the third book in the Redemption series by Karen Kingsbury.  I started the fourth book on Sunday.

Mr. B bought us this on Saturday:

I didn't think he'd buy one.  My track record on using exercise equipment isn't the best.  I'm determined though.  I walked outside once last week.  I was nervous.  I love listening to music when I walk.  I just didn't like it.  I want to feel safe.  (And not too cold.)  We didn't want to pay for a gym membership when chances are, this was all I'd use there anyway.  So - - Mr. B found a great deal on this one and bought it.  I'm excited. It's huge.  I told him that I wanted it right there in our living room.  That way, I can watch television or dock my iPod in the stereo in there and crank it up.  I created a new playlist on my iPod and I'm ready to take it for a walk today.  I am SO out of shape.  I'll get there.  One step at a time.

My scripture memorization program is going good.  I have five days to make sure I'm on track with my current verse and select a new one for the second half of the month.  This has been a great thing I've added to my life.

Overall - - I feel a gentle calm in my heart.  I feel at peace.  No doubt, storms will come.  But I'm equipped.

Thank you for putting up with me.  Thank you for being my friends.

I hope you all have a fabulous week!

Time for a walk.

I turned on the x-box to start my workout for the day and it said to rest today.  Or go walk.  Guess what!  I went for a walk.  It was chilly out there.  I put on my iPod and went for it.  It feels so good to get moving.  I didn't walk real far.  But I walked for thirty minutes!  Yay me!  I need to adjust my walking playlist.

I knew I could move.  I wish I had a treadmill though.  I'd love to dock the iPod in the amp and crank that bad boy up.  Music is so empowering.  (So are my fat pictures.)

Anyway - - I'm getting after it!

Time to shower and then go meet Mr. B up at the kid's school to take them lunch.  Cheese enchiladas or frito pie today.  They both gave that a huge thumbs-down.  I wish I'd paid attention to the menu.  I could have packed lunches.  Oh well.  They'll enjoy Mom and Dad bringing them something special.

Have a great day.

So far, so good...

I'm doing pretty well with my goals.  Pretty close, anyway.  Sunday night, I was in bed by 10:23.  Last night, I was in bed by 10:09.  I think I'm getting the hang of this!

I'm watching portions.  I'm about to start The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout on Kinect.  Like, as soon as a I finish this post.  I expect that will prompt me to gulp some water!

I've finished my first book and already started a second.  (Loving the Redemption series.  I'm on book three now.  I guess my heart wasn't ready for it the first time I tried it.  But now - - I'm loving it.)

I did join the scripture memory group.  My first verse of the year is this:

"I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.  I have hidden your word in my heart that I may not sin against you."  Psalm 119: 10-11 (NIV)

We're planning on going to church somewhere on Sunday.  Not sure where.  But somewhere.

I'm going to scrapbook a page this afternoon.

So - - there you have it.  Me - - being ambitious and determined.

Keeping it real and keeping it going!!!

Hello 2011

They only sucky thing about saying hello to 2011 was having to say good-bye to my brother and his family.

It. Was. Hard.

I'm going to try to limit my "funk" to the first part of this post.  I don't want to be too depressing.  With all that said - - Today, I need to just chill out.  I need to relax.  I need to allow myself time to be sad.  I'll feel better later I'm sure.  But right now, the reality of it stings.  It will be a while before I see them again.  I try to distance myself each time they visit.  I don't want to get close again because (okay the back of my throat hurts from holding back the tears, so I'm just gonna let them flow.)  Anyway, because if I allow myself to get close, it just hurts that much more when they leave.  Well - - God busted my protective wall I put up.  He knocked it right down and I completely re-connected with Baby Bro's family.  It felt so good.  So - - it hurts so much today.  So understand if I don't answer my phone or e-mails for a while.  I just need to re-group.

There - - moving on.

As cliche as New Year's resolutions are - - I am embracing the idea of a fresh start.  I'm going to list mine for you here.  So let's hit it:

1.  Get healthy.  I plan on doing this by portion control, not eating fast food, limiting sweets (that would include going to Starbucks for my "froofy" drinks), and starting to exercise.  I don't move hardly at all.  And that's unacceptable.  After seeing several pictures of myself over the holiday - - I felt sick.  I'm disgusted with how I look and feel.  I'm not joining a gym or anything.  I'm going to use some of the fitness programs we have on our gaming systems.  And - - I'm going to just get out there and walk.  I'm going to put that iPod on and get moving.  I'm not aiming for a marathon or anything.  This white girl doesn't run.  But I can move.  And I'm gonna.  Another part of my plan is to drink more water.  Lots more water.  My skin needs it and I know my body needs it.  I'm guessing that if I move more, I'll want more.  Get healthy.  That's the plan.

2.  Scripture memorization.  I saw where a friend is doing a thing through Beth Moore.  I'm going to examine more about that today and I might sign up to do that with them.  Her plan sounds easy.  It's not *too* much memorization.  It's based on your own current needs.  If done correctly, I should have twenty four verses memorized by the end of the year.  Hiding God's Word in my heart.  What could possibly be wrong with that?

3.  Reading.  Since I've gotten my Kindle, I've started reading more.  And I love it.  I'm going to spend more down time reading and less farting around on Facebook.  I had a few online games I was playing.  I canceled my account with them and my downtime is going to be spent reading.

4.  Scrapbooking.  I've been in quite the funk since Shannon died.  She wouldn't want that and I don't want that.  So - - I'm going to get after it again.  I'm going to dedicate one day per week where I work on it while the kids are at school.  I need to do my annual scrapbook shelf cleaning.  Time to purge, give away and reorganize.  It's not far out of control.  But it is out of control.  I'll post my projects I'm working on over on my Creative Blog.  You can follow more about my crafty stuff over there.  Nothing much there now.  But be on the lookout.

5.  Cleaning.  I know I talk about this a lot.  But I have some goals here as well.  I'm usually on top of clutter. Surface stuff.  I keep counters cleaned off, the sink empty, laundry done, junk picked up...  My house is *usually* presentable to a surprise guest.  But deep cleaning - - that's where I need help.  I'm going to stick with my usual chores, but add a few hours per week to the stuff that often gets overlooked.  I'm talking about cleaning the blinds, wiping down baseboards, cleaning the ceiling fans, scrubbing grout...  I'll try not to bug you with the details of this one around here.  Because quite frankly, who wants to read about that?  Now - - I still might do a few fifteen minute cleaning challenges here and there.  That helps motivate me to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time.

6.  Church.  Ugh.  If you only knew how much I'm struggling with this one.  Some of you probably have an idea.  I've talked about it on several occasions.  Long story short - - we aren't happy where we are.  (I say that like we go.  We basically don't.  And that's not good with me.)  The solution:  Find a place to go and serve.  That's not easy.  We have to step out of our comfort zone and visit around.  If it was just Mr. B and I, it wouldn't be as big of a deal.  But taking the kids to strange places is hard.  At this point, our prayer is that God will point us in the right direction and rekindle that desire to worship in His house.  My relationship with Him has suffered.  Time to get things right.

7.  Time management.  A lot of my "resolutions" go hand in hand.  This one should easily be fixed by limiting my internet time.  Also by how I get my "chores" done.  If I will budget my time better, I can go to bed when Mr. B does.  (Probably one of his biggest gripes about me.  We rarely go to bed at the same time.)  I want to fix that.  I want to have the coffee pot set, the sink empty, the kids' clothes set out for the next day, their backpacks ready, make up washed off and crawling into my bed by 10:00.  This is do-able, but pretty lofty for me given that I'm quite a night owl.  My schedule needs to coincide more with my family's schedule.  I know it will make my days better (and more productive) if I will follow this.

So - - there you have it.  My goals for improving my life and that of my family's life this year.

I turn 40 this year.  I'm not afraid of it.  I'm going to embrace it.  So - - 2011 - - I'm ready.

Happy New Year!  Thank you all for hanging around and being a part of my life.  Here's to a fun year!!!