5 Guys and a Foxy Mama

Rough Spring Break so far...

2008-03-22T21:44:00.003-04:00

Matthew is having a rough spring break so far. Thursday night he was up until 10pm at a friend's house and woke up early. On Friday, he was up until 2am at another friend's house and woke up at 7 this morning. He crashed this afternoon...thank God. He almost missed coloring the Easter eggs.

Matthew has more of a social life than his mother...

It's time to color Easter eggs...and only two cracked fatalities :)

2008-03-22T21:29:00.005-04:00

We colored eggs today and they turned out really well. We tried the Tie Dye stuff this time. It was nice because you could put the dye in a bag with the egg and rub the color in. As you can see, we still got a lot of dye on our hands.

It's hard to tell, but Eric is in the background of the above picture (click on it and you'll see him)...didn't want him to feel left out :)

Well, it's over...

2008-03-20T13:42:00.003-04:00

No one liked their cakes, even though they both requested them. Sam wanted chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and Josh wanted confetti cake with white frosting and sprinkles on top. I spent most of the afternoon making these cakes and decorating them as Spider-Man and putting the sprinkles in the form of "Josh". Do you think any of them appreciated the hard work I put in? The only one that did was Matthew, he loved the cake. Sam picked at his, Josh all of a sudden didn't like confetti (he just wanted sprinklers on top), Ben doesn't like cake (but still complained that he never got his cake on his birthday) and Eric is trying to lose weight so he didn't have any.

So, I sat there at the table with the confetti cake in front of me and a fork in my hand. And yes, I had a pity party for myself. I take it back, Sam and Josh did enjoy putting their faces in the cake(double click Sam's picture). That's one way to not eat all the cake, which I would have if it didn't have boy germs all over it.

I went to bed last night very disappointed and pissy. How is it that you work so hard raising your kids to be respectful and good and they end up being soooooo ungrateful? Josh wanted more presents and I just wanted to throw away everything!! Sam complained that he didn't get any money in his card from Grandma and Grandpa. HE GOT A PS2 GAME AND A SUPERHEROES BOOK(which is pretty awesome, if you ask me), but still wanted money! It embarrasses me and I feel like such a failure.

I'm finished. I just needed to let out some frustrations. And since I'm blogging again, you guys get to hear it...sorry. If anything, you won't feel alone or you'll appreciate your kids more because they don't do it.

Happy Birthday Sam and Josh!! You're 6 and I can't believe it

2008-03-19T14:53:00.003-04:00

Strike a Pose...

2008-03-17T23:47:00.001-04:00

What does my birth day say about me? Hmmmm....

2008-03-17T22:12:00.000-04:00

Your Birthdate: December 1

You are a natural born leader, even if those leadership talents haven't been developed yet.

You have the power and self confidence to succeed in life, and your power grows daily.

Besides power, you also have a great deal of creativity that enables you to innovate instead of fail.

You are a visionary, seeing the big picture instead of all of the trivial little details.

Your strength: Your supreme genius

Your weakness: Your inappropriate sensitivity

Your power color: Gold

Your power symbol: Star

Your power month: January

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

I know it's windy out and all, but did we get a tornado today?

2008-01-30T14:51:00.001-05:00

Oh, yeah, the kids didn't have school today :)

Hope you all are staying sane today!!

"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound,

2008-01-09T09:56:00.000-05:00

but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." John 3:8

Here's some pictures of the wind damage our little town had last night. What a crazy night!! This first picture is my BIL and SIL's house and shingles is what caused their damage. SHINGLES!!! It was that windy. The second story damage was one of my nephew's rooms. Luckily, my SIL grabbed all the kids and went downstairs before it happened. His bed is right against that wall. Pretty scary.

I just went around town taking pictures. Never thought I would be "one of those people" :) My niece called this morning to see if we were ok because we live fairly close to my BIL's. We are, but she's in Cincinnati and wanted to see all the damage. So, of course, I'm taking these pictures for her...not for my blog :)

Some people still didn't have electricity. Can't be because of these downed wires. Thank God there wasn't any kids walking to school and wanted to check out the tree.

I feel so bad for these people.

Happy New Year...and Merry Christmas :) More pics to come...promise

2008-01-01T23:00:00.000-05:00

Surprise...surprise...Josh is wearing some kind of costume. Hope your 2008 is the best ever!!!

This is what Sam looked like one day after school. It's hard to tell, but he's wearing reindeer antlers...so stinkin' cute:)

King of the Castle's tree color...drum roll please...

2007-12-25T14:58:00.000-05:00

You Should Have a White Christmas Tree

For you, the holidays represent joy and sprituality.
The true meaning of Christmas is important to you - even if you're not religious.

The holidays are a time of reflection for you.
You like to spend time thinking about what's important in life.

Your white tree would look great with: Bright, bold ornaments

You should spend Christmas Eve watching: The Nativity Story

What you should bake for Santa: Sugar cookies - served up with a tall glass of milk

What Color Christmas Tree Should You Have?

2007-12-24T16:13:00.000-05:00

You Should Have a Blue Christmas Tree

For you, the holidays represent a time of calm, understanding, and peace.
You avoid family fights, and you don't get too stressed out - even when things are crazy!

You like to make Christmas about making everyone's life a little bit better.
You don't get caught up in greed or commercialism. You're too sincere for that.

Your blue tree would look great with: Lots of silver tinsel

You should spend Christmas Eve watching: It's a Wonderful Life

What you should bake for Santa: Chocolate chip cookies

What Color Christmas Tree Should You Have?

Found this on KC's blog...

2007-12-10T08:47:00.000-05:00

You Are a Christmas Sweater!

Over the top, colorful, and totally flashy.
You're not afraid to be a little tacky.

What Crappy Christmas Gift Are You?

Having a Christmas tree contest...please vote

2007-12-06T23:37:00.001-05:00

My boys teamed up and decorated a tree (except for Ben, who doesn't seem to have the patience for his 5 year old brother). So one tree is Matthew and Josh's and one is Sam's, who did a great job considering he didn't have any help. I will not tell you who designed which one.

Competition will last until New Year's Day. The winner(s) will win a prize. I have no idea what yet :) Just leave either "A" or "B" in the comment section. The kids will get such a thrill seeing all my blog friends voting...thanks in advance :)

My 101st Blog Entry...I missed my 100th...nice

2007-12-06T23:33:00.000-05:00

I have nothing to say except happy 101st entry to me. I'd like to do one of those "101 things about me", but I think I might only have about 30. I'd probably be celebrating my 200th by the time I finished it.

Have a great day everyone!!!!

Wordless Wednesday - first snow of the season!!

2007-12-05T08:47:00.000-05:00

I'm thankful for...

2007-11-26T15:48:00.001-05:00

This has been very difficult coming up with 30 things to be thankful for. And I'm a very thankful kind of person. So here's the last 4 things I'm thankful for...

27. Zoloft...it makes me sane.
28. DVR - it's wonderful being able to tape a program and not worry about it.
29. My digital camera - love taking pictures and putting them on my blog.
30. Email - I love the fact that I can talk to Eric all day long by emailing him. If you ever need to contact me, send me an email.

I'm thankful for...

2007-11-24T09:22:00.000-05:00

15. Eric's family. We had Thanksgiving at my in-laws on Thursday. It was really nice. Everyone was there including his sister and her family from PA. You never know what kind of family you're marrying into and I'm very blessed. Eric has a great family, very close. Eric has 2 brothers and 3 sisters so obviously there's a lot of people at get togethers. Thank God I'm already used to big families.

16-26 My friends. I have very close friends that know my inner thoughts and fears. I have other friends that I love to hang out with, but I'm not as close to them. I have friends that I've lost touch with and miss them terribly. I have friends that need an "older" friend who's been through what they are going with. I have great friends that give great hugs and let me cry on their shoulder. I have many Godly friends that God works through. I have wonderful friends that call me because they know I have a hard time keeping in touch (you know who you are). I have friends that are family members too, which is just an added bonus. I have the best friends any girl could ask for. I'm very blessed...

Happy Thanksgiving-I'm thankful for turkey, sweet potato casserole, corn, rolls, mashed potatoes, and lots of pumpkin pie

2007-11-22T11:28:00.000-05:00

I told Matthew to act like an Indian and this is what I got...nice!! Be safe everyone and hope you eat lots of wonderful food :)

Wordless Wednesday - I'm thankful for...sleeping kids

2007-11-21T23:49:00.000-05:00

I'm thankful for...

2007-11-18T11:08:00.000-05:00

10-12. My crazy family...if you knew my family, I wouldn't have to say anymore, but most of you don't. I have a his, hers, ours, and then another his kind of family. So #10 is my dad's kids. I have 3 brothers and one sister. One lives in Norwalk, another in Sandusky, one in Dayton and the other in Avon Lake. Unfortunately we don't see each other that much, but I am thankful that when we do, it's really nice spending time with them. I love hearing about their life especially the nieces and nephews. When my dad died, I thought for sure I would never see them, but we do and I'm very happy about that.

My #11 is my mom's kid, my brother. He lives in Plymouth. I haven't seen him in a long time. We've always had a good relationship when we do see each other though.

My #12 is my newest addition to my crazy family...Gary's kids. I now have 3 more brothers and a sister to add to my "collection" :) As I said before, Gary has been such a blessing to my family. His kids have really blessed us too. I've added nieces and nephews too, which is always fun. I love the colorful family I have. Wouldn't it be nuts to get a family portrait of all three families with Eric, me and the boys? I'm the only one that is connected to all of them.

The butt whoopin' yesterday against Michigan

2007-11-18T11:00:00.000-05:00

This is Barry in his paper mache buckeye head.

Eric, Eric and Barry

Lisa, JR, and Louie

Very long day, this was taken at 5:30 pm last night. He had to get up around 3 am to go to work.

I'm a day behind...I'm thankful for...

2007-11-16T12:21:00.000-05:00

9. Gary. In fact, yesterday was Gary's birthday...isn't that neat that my mom's birthday is two days before my step dad's? How nice for them to celebrate together.

When my dad died I never thought I would find another father figure that would love me and my boys as much as my dad did. Then, my mom married Gary and I was happy for her. He was such a Godly man and he adored her. She deserved that. What I didn't realize was my mom wasn't the only lucky one. Gary has been such a blessing for my family. He loves me as if I was his own. He's a great grandpa for the kids. He loves us unconditionally. God must really love me to give me two great dads on this earth. Or He must realize that my life really needed them :) I love you Gary and I'm so thankful you are in my life...

Wordless Wednesday - an eagle at the Norwalk Alliance Church

2007-11-14T17:02:00.001-05:00

I'm thankful for...

2007-11-14T13:42:00.000-05:00

7. my Mom. It's her birthday today. So I am thankful she was born on this day too. I love my Mom very much. I couldn't ask for a better mother. She is my cheerleader, she supports me in everything I do. She helps me when I desperately need it. She's always there for me. Thanks, Mom, for being you and loving me so much.

8. My cats, Mia and Ella. Every time I sit down, Mia is jumping up to sit on my lap. I think she would sit there the whole day if I let her. Ella growls at the door when the paper boy drops off the paper. She's my watch dog. Ella always comes to visit when I'm on the computer and when I go to the bathroom. I could play with them and the stress would be immediately gone.

I'm thankful...here's 1 through 6

2007-11-12T12:29:00.000-05:00

1. That I'm a child of God's. I wouldn't be where I am without Him. I'm thankful for His grace and forgiveness. I am not perfect and when I misbehave, He still loves me. I'm thankful that I have God to lean on when things are rough. It's very comforting.
2. For Eric, my husband. He is my best friend and I love him very much. He is a wonderful husband and dad. I'm a very lucky woman. He works hard all day and still helps me with the house and does the laundry. I couldn't ask for a better guy :)
3. For my first born, Ben. We have the best relationship. He's very compassionate and caring. When I'm having a bad day or my back is killing me, he'll rub my back. He loves his mama. He'll be the one that takes of me when I'm old and gray.
4. For my middle child (kind of), Matthew...aka Sharkbait, Harry Potter. What an awesome kid!! Very laid back and loves life. He's very determined to do well in all areas of life. We "spend time" together, before bed, where we hang out just the two of us. It's the best!
5. For my first born twin, Sam, aka Samalamadingdong. He loves to cuddle with me. His whole face lights up when he smiles. He loves to color and do puzzles. Even though he is my most demanding child out of all of them, I think he will be the most accomplished. I expect great things from him.
6. For my baby, Josh, aka Donkey. He's the goof ball of the family, the funniest one out of all of us. He's the Costume King. He loves to give hugs and kisses almost as much as he loves his blanket. If you ever need cheering up, he's the one to go to.

God has truly blessed me with such a great family...I'm a lucky gal :)

It's Camping Day at Preschool!!

2007-11-08T19:26:00.000-05:00

Here's the little boy I babysit, Jackson, all ready to go camping at preschool. Thanks to Josh and our gigantic tub of costumes, we were able to compliment his plaid shirt and vest ensemble. He was the best looking camper there!!

Wordless Wednesday!!

2007-11-07T08:05:00.001-05:00

2007-11-05T13:53:00.000-05:00

This weekend was very full as you can see because I'm writing about it. I usually don't because not much happens on the weekend.
Friday night was very sad. There was a memorial service for my ex SIL. The turn out was wonderful, a lot of people are going to miss her. One good thing came out of it, I was able to see my family. We went over to my brother's house afterwards and had dinner. My SIL's kids are doing well, as well as they can. Dan, her middle child, gave a speech during the service and it was so heartfelt. Josh, her oldest, created a picture show that put everyone to tears. It's unfortunate that they lost their mother, but they are closer than ever and will lean on each other more.
On Saturday, I was in the craft show at St. Paul's. I didn't sell a lot, but it seemed as if a lot of people were interested in my open houses so we'll see...I have a couple of pictures on my other blog.
On Saturday night Eric and I went to a reverse raffle for Christie Lane. No, we didn't win, but man, we came close. I know, I know close doesn't count. It was a good time.
On Sunday, we went to the Browns' football game. Here are some pictures. They ended up winning in over time. It was a great game!!

The two guys are our cousins, Scott and Adam. They drove up with us, but had different seats. So, we hung out before the game.

More Browns' Pictures...

2007-11-05T13:45:00.000-05:00

I love Halloween!!

2007-10-31T23:45:00.000-04:00

Josh was in heaven. It literally took him an hour to decide what to wear. He's definitely my "Costume King". He had a wrestling uniform on and we convinced him he would be too cold. He was going to be a Ninja turtle and Sam had a fit because he wanted to be the ninja. As you will see, Sam ended up not wearing it. You should have seen their room after he was finished...wow!!

This was one of the best garage sale buys. Both Sam and Josh love the cat costume.

Matthew is an Ohio State Buckeyes Fan. We sprayed his hair gray and red (I mean crimson, of course). I don't recommend doing that. The paint did not come out of his hair very well.

He thought he was the coolest kid and of course he was :) His cheeks say "Go Bucks".

Ben did not go trick or treating, but decided to humor me and wear it to the grandparents' house.

My Favorite Kind of Bat

2007-10-31T23:39:00.001-04:00

My nephew Colby - Meg is going to send me a better picture of him in his costume, but he's still so stinkin' cute.

More PIctures...

2007-10-31T23:31:00.000-04:00

Here's part of the gang. The Traczek boys aren't in the picture, either is Josh, the neighbor. I really wanted to get a picture of Daniel Traczek because he was a chicken. He looked soooo funny.

Jacob, Matthew, and Bailey during their Halloween party

Sam and his teacher were both cats.

Matthew and his teacher

My oldest is too cool to trick or treat. Does he not know that we MUST HAVE as much candy as possible.

Happy Halloween!!

2007-10-28T23:35:00.000-04:00

The kids finally convinced their Dad to carve their pumpkins. Everyone was very excited. And what comes out of Sam's mouth, "It's time to get naked!". I guess he thought he would actually help clean out the pumpkin...not so.

Ben wouldn't get near it. He didn't like the smell. He was more into the carving part.

Josh kind of liked it a little too much. He was the only one that would get down and dirty. He thought it was pretty cool

After some persuasion, Matthew decided to help out. I think he only did it once though.

Sam would have nothing to do with it. He kept saying he was going to puke. Well, guess what? He almost did. I thought for sure I was going to have to clean up some vomit when he started dry heaving.

Some more pictures...

2007-10-28T23:19:00.001-04:00

This picture makes Josh look like he's not thoroughly enjoying this. He must have realized that the inside of a pumpkin doesn't always smell the best.

Eric kept dislocating his ring finger as he was cleaning out the pumpkin. It was very bizarre. I bet his finger will be sore tomorrow.

Eric would throw some pumpkin guts on Josh and he thought that was the funniest thing ever. Eric tried to do that to Sam and he ran away screaming like a girl. Then, he gagged and the fun was over.

Ben carved one of the pumpkins and did a very good job. It's amazing how my boys are growing up. I'm so lucky...

Hope everyone has a safe Halloween!!

Go Buckeyes!!!

2007-10-20T17:44:00.001-04:00

2007-10-19T16:12:00.000-04:00

Happy
Birthday

Eric!!

Bye Bye Harry Potter, Say Hello to Matthew Robert!!

2007-10-19T16:00:00.000-04:00

Today was a very bittersweet day for me. No. 2 got his new glasses today. Everyone would call him Harry Potter because he looked just like him. Well, those glasses were getting too small for him so Matthew picked out new ones. My little boy is growing up and those glasses look awesome on him.

Go Indians!!!!

2007-10-18T08:04:00.001-04:00

Beat Boston!!!

Gregg and Kayleigh's Day

2007-10-17T22:26:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday - Gregg and Kayleigh

2007-10-16T21:36:00.001-04:00

Not completely wordless today. They got married last Saturday. It was wonderful and Kayleigh looked like Cinderella, but better :) I'm working on a slide show so keep an eye out for it. Happy WW!

Here's some pictures of my flower open house...look how clean my house is...too bad it's a mess now

2007-10-16T20:40:00.001-04:00

I ended up having 42 floral arrangements. I'd like to have over 50 next time. I had florals everywhere, my poor husband. I think he was a little disappointed that they weren't all sold.

I do special orders so I had alot of my containers there so people could pick out which one they wanted. I ended up getting 6 special orders, which is very exciting. I love knowing what to do with a container that will fit that person perfect.

I had florals in the dining room too, which is not shown.

Last night went very well...these are some of the arrangements that were purchased.

2007-10-16T14:56:00.001-04:00

Thank you to all who stopped by. I'm very excited about how it went and what will happen in the future.

Here's my "official" invitation to all of you...

2007-10-10T18:47:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone that reads my blog :) I want to officially invite you to my first FLOWER SHOW!!

It's this coming Monday the 15th of October from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at my house (5 Eagle Way)

I will have around 50 floral arrangements starting at $8.00.

I will have incentives if you bring friends.

I can also fill your favorite container with flowers so bring it and we can talk. You will also get a chance to get that container filled for FREE!!

Let me know if you're coming by leaving me a comment. The Flower Shows will always be on the 15th of each month, just so you know.

I'm really excited about this!! I love creating floral arrangements. Please bring lots of friends, it's the only way my business will get out there.

And if you don't live around here, sorry about the tease. Would love to see you if you want to make the trip :)

I've had no internet for 24 hours...Can you imagine how happy I am right now?

2007-10-10T15:10:00.000-04:00

It's Inside Out and Backwards Day!!!

2007-10-10T14:47:00.001-04:00

I must begin with a funny picture!! I love being the mom of 4 boys...AWESOME!!

Ok, I need you to take a good look at Sam. He is posing...what a character! Even Jackson got involved and he loved every minute of it. Josh is on the end and Jacob, neighbor, is next to him.

It comes real easy for my kids to act crazy...must get that from their dad:)

Today is Crazy Socks and Hat Day!! Thanks, Mom, for the awesome socks!!

2007-10-09T08:03:00.000-04:00

Here's everyone! The kid on the left, Arafat, is a neighbor kid down the road. Josh's new nickname is Jingles because he has bells on his socks. I'm sure he will drive his teacher crazy today! Jackson must have missed the memo about what to wear today :)

Now for the silly picture below...nice Matthew. He couldn't think of something better than picking his nose? Tomorrow is inside out and backwards day. Should be interesting...

It's Spirit Week at Pleasant St. - Today is PJ Day :)

2007-10-08T08:09:00.000-04:00

Here's the gang! They were way too excited to be able to just get up and not have to get dressed this morning.

Must have a goofy picture of my boys minus #1. And not to be left out, (in my best Ed McMahon voice) here's Jackson...in his pjs...too cute!! Tomorrow is "Silly Socks and Crazy Hat" Day. The kids don't owe any socks except white ones...they're boys...we don't do color socks. Does a Indians hat count as crazy?

2007-10-05T10:43:00.000-04:00

Encourage others and yourself! Share a scripture, quote, devotional, lyrics, or anything that has blessed you and strengthened you in your faith. Don't forget to grab the button and to link back to Sheryl's post.

"Take Delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desire" Psalm 37:4 NLT

My heart's desire is to have my own home business creating floral arrangements. I have exciting news about a new adventure I'm going to take to make that come true.

(Drum roll please)...I'm going to start having FLOWER PARTIES. Very much like all the other home parties you go to, but slightly different in many ways. They will be at my house probably once a month. When you're invited, you will be one of the first people to see my new creations. I will make new floral arrangements every month. You can also bring a container that you would like filled with silk flowers and we can brainstorm about what flowers you like and colors. I will also be filling a container of a lucky winner.

Not only will this drum up business for me and get my name out, but it will also be a time of fellowship. I'm very excited about this.

God has really blessed me with the ability to create floral arrangements. I owe ALL my success to Him.

Now I need to hear from all of you. Tell me what you think and how I might be able to do it better. I will take any comments right now. I need some feedback so I can make this as successful as possible. Thanks everyone and have a great weekend.

I want to thank Alex, my marketing guru, for helping come up with this idea. Can't wait to brainstorm some more with you. Thanks for supporting me and keeping me in business :)

Wordless Wednesday...Josh and his girlfriend, Amber

2007-10-03T10:14:00.000-04:00

Well, it's sort of a Meal Plan Monday, but more like a Meal Suggestion

2007-10-01T08:06:00.000-04:00

Ok...I've done it. I've made a Meal Plan Monday. I told myself I would never do it because quite frankly I've never thought about dinner until about 5 pm that night. And no comments from "King of the Castle" either.

So instead it's more of a meal suggestion and I put it on the right side of my blog. It's not as elaborate at Palm Tree Fanatic, but it's a start. I can give anyone the Taco Casserole recipe. It's very simple and easy especially since my husband usually makes it :) And what a fine job he does!!

Have a fantastic Monday!!

I love holiday bazaars...'tis the season

2007-09-29T15:53:00.000-04:00

The season of holiday/craft bazaars has begun. I love going to the different craft shows. It's not because I like buying crafty holiday decorations, it's because of all the yummy bake goods you can get. These yummies came from the Methodist church today. It wasn't a big show, but boy, did they have lots of good stuff.

I'm going to be a vendor in the upcoming craft show at St. Paul's on Nov. 3rd and I hope I don't eat ALL the baked goods in the place. It would be a shame if I ate all my profits...not good.

Just in case you were curious, that's Sam's hand. He gets it honestly.

What's my name meme?

2007-09-29T15:20:00.000-04:00

Found this at KC's blog and had way too much fun filling it out...

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
Taffy Silhouette

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Chocolate and Peanut butter Buckeye

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)
Lger

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Pink Panther

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Jeanne Norwalk

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)
Neulo

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
The Black Coke

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
Ralph Raymond

9. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, & favorite candy)
White Diamond Milkduds

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names )
Martha James

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Rehnborg Raleigh

12. SPY NAME/BOND GIRL: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
Halloween Lily

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Apple pantie

14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
Oatmeal Dogwood 15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”)
The Blog Thunderstorm Tour

So what's Your Name.. Play along and let me know so I can come by and read it.

It's Cowboy Day in 2nd Grade!!

2007-09-28T10:42:00.000-04:00

This picture just makes me laugh. Matthew is such a goof ball. That is Jacob, his friend and neighbor, on the left. They're in the same class, which is cool.

Matthew couldn't find a cowboy hat so he decided to wear a fedora instead. We're calling him a cowboy with some gangster flair. They're the worst kind of cowboys :)

Josh helped Matthew A LOT last night and this morning finding all his stuff because Josh is the king of costumes. So I'm taking pictures of the boys and Josh is so disappointed that he isn't included. So he put on a vest, I took a picture, and now he's happy. It doesn't take much.

I'm a spring kind of person...interesting...

2007-09-27T23:09:00.000-04:00

You Belong in Spring

Optimistic, lively, and almost always happy with the world...
You can truly appreciate the blooming nature of spring.
Whether you're planting flowers or dyeing Easter eggs, spring is definitely your season!

What Season Are You?

I'm a day early...let's pretend in Faith-lift Friday

2007-09-27T14:36:00.000-04:00

I received an email TODAY that had this verse in it. I felt the need to share...

Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. Psalm 55:22NLT

Hope your day is the best ever!!

Wordless Wednesday - I have 4 boys and this is #3 and #4

2007-09-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

2007-09-24T14:47:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday, Shaunda, looking good...

I'd like to tell you what we did for Shaunda's birthday, but then I'd have to kill you. Let's just say we had fun...

The below picture was everyone except CC's husband and Char and her husband and of course, me. They came after I took this. We ate at Casa Fiesta. Did you know that Casa doesn't have an apple dessert like the caramel apple empanada at Taco Bell? So you know who had to go to Taco Bell afterwards? I won't tell you what city I was in though.

We did see the Cruey family all dressed in their Ohio State apparel. Love that little boy.

Many thanks...

2007-09-20T23:27:00.000-04:00

Thanks, everyone, so much for checking out my new blog and giving me such encouragement. It means the world to me.

I'm still alive...I have a new blog to showcase my home business. It's my WW for this week.

2007-09-19T00:00:00.000-04:00

Please check it out and let me know what you think...
Dynamic Designs

Welcome, Colby!!!

2007-09-13T07:07:00.000-04:00

Here's my new nephew, Colby Nathaniel Ferguson. He was born on Tuesday at 8:43pm at The Bellevue Hospital. He was 6 lbs. 13 oz. and 19 3/4" long. As you can see, he's very handsome.

I could have held him all night long. Meg's doing great. Greg's doing great. Greg's already changed a diaper. It's all good.

Congrats, Greg and Megan, you did awesome!!!

Wordless Wednesday - Mr. Cool

2007-09-12T08:07:00.001-04:00

Some Cedar Point pictures

2007-09-11T18:24:00.001-04:00

I took all 4 boys to Cedar Point on Labor Day. Here's some pics from the ride "Troika"

All 3 boys couldn't ride it unless there was an adult with them. I knew I was in for it because I just can't handle spinny, tummy float kind of rides anymore.

"This is my favorite ride, Mom!!" Ohhh, great, kid, you need to start growing because I'm feelin' queasy.

Yes, the last time I need to ride...for now. Josh liked it too...rats!

Not feeling good, had to sit for awhile.

Bridal Shower for Kayleigh

2007-09-09T23:00:00.000-04:00

There's Kayleigh, can you see how red her cheeks are? The poor girl had to hold that tiny little outfit up several times because EVERYONE wanted a picture of her with it. She got all kinds of good stuff. Krista and I decided that couples should have bridal showers after they're married too. I could handle having another bridal shower right now...cake, presents, friends and family...priceless!

There's everyone and a piece of cake. Jade wanted me to take a picture of the cake so she could eat it. The cake was delicious.

Wordless Wednesday - Cedar Point last Friday night

2007-09-05T00:00:00.000-04:00

2007-08-31T10:16:00.000-04:00

Encourage others and yourself! Share a scripture, quote, devotional, lyrics, or anything that has blessed you and strengthened you in your faith. Don't forget to copy and paste this and to link back to Sheryl's post.

"God wants you to move through this day with a quiet heart, an inward assurance that He is in control, a peaceful certainty that your life is in His hands, a deep trust in His plan and purposes, and a thankful disposition toward all that He allows. He wants you to put your faith in Him, not in a timetable. He wants you to wait on Him and wait for Him. In His perfect way He will put everything together...see to every detail...arrange every circumstance...and order every step to bring to pass what He has for you."

I receive emails from Dayspring and this was written by Roy Lessin, the co-founder. Is it possible that he wrote that just for me? I find it hard to have a quiet heart and letting God be in control. Sometimes it's hard to have a "thankful disposition". For instance, I didn't get the preschool teacher job and I don't know why. It's hard being thankful when I really wanted it. I know in my heart that God has something wonderful for me, but I wish He would let me know what that was and I'd really like to know NOW. See what I mean, he wrote it just for me.

Have a super weekend everyone...

I made it through their first day...here's what I did

2007-08-30T18:35:00.000-04:00

I decided that Jenn and I deserved a good old fashioned breakfast. It was her first full day without the kids too. So, we went to Sterks near Jenn's house. It was wonderful.
That is what they call an omelet. It looked more like a pizza. It was delicious.
Here's Jackson. I did have another picture of him with his mouth full of food and wide open. I didn't think his mom would appreciate it.

Everybody running home. They all had a great day. Lance didn't because it lasted too long. Josh forgot his lunch...way to go Mom. And his snack. He still came home in good spirits. Sam was so happy to have homework...don't ask. It was a good day for them.

I'm not sure what happened to Ben, but I needed to get a picture of him. Even in pain, he smiles for the camera.

Hope everyone had a great day today :)

Yes, I cried...I knew you were wondering.

2007-08-30T08:31:00.000-04:00

The whole gang

Sam

Josh

Lance

I got a picture of Jackson because I won't see him on his first day. He goes to preschool next Thursday.

13 Thursday- 13 reasons I'm excited about school starting

2007-08-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

1. Seeing the excitement in their eyes
2. The freedom to do more
3. I can see them when I volunteer at school
4. Ever heard of a "nooner"?
5. Back to a routine
6. Kids have to go to bed early
7. I can finally clean my house
8. I'm not real excited about #7
9. I get Jackson all to myself...poor kid
10. I just might start exercising again
11. I can go shopping with no kids...sorry Eric
12. I can work on my floral arrangements
13. and the best reason...I won't have to keep saying, "Stop fighting with your brother", "Quit whining", "Share the toys", "Don't run in the house", and "Go outside".

I actually feel a little better. I stopped crying, that's a start.

These are all "my" kids. The pretty girl is Jennifer. I babysit her. You know Matthew and Ben. The middle kid is Jacob. He's our neighbor.

More Pictures...

2007-08-30T07:55:00.000-04:00

I look as if I'm on the verge of crying...I am.

My baby by 16 minutes

Bye kids, see you at 4 pm. This has been great therapy. I'm so glad I have a blog.

The night before their big day...

2007-08-29T22:53:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday - this is me tomorrow as all my babies get on the bus! The extra orange is Jackson, by the way.

2007-08-29T10:57:00.000-04:00

I've been tagged by KC!!!

2007-08-23T23:35:00.000-04:00

Here are the rules:

*You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
*Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
*When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.
*At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here we go...
Jam - I love strawberry jam on toast, bagels, just about any kind of bread you can think of.

Eggs - scrambled eggs with bacon and shredded cojack cheese. Do you see a pattern here? I'm hungry now.

Acapulco, Mexico - where we went on our honeymoon. It was awesome!!!

Nice - most of the time

Nine a.m. - I would love to sleep in until 9 am every day! I'm more of a night owl so it would be perfect.

Excellent driver - I'm an excellent driver except over railroad tracks :)

It's time to tag some people.
Jenn
I don't have an E so I'm going to say Eric and hopefully convince him to do it :)
Alex
ShauNda
DiNah and BeN
StacEy

Thanks, KC, that was fun!

Soak City

2007-08-23T22:54:00.000-04:00

It's hot, must go swimming! Valley beach is closed, let's go to Soak City!!!
Love this picture! Now that I have a blog, the kids just know they need to pose ALL THE TIME!

Sam went down the slide too, but I couldn't seem to get a good picture of him. I kept missing him. He's very upset that there is a picture of Matthew and Josh, but not him. That's Sam for ya! The world revolves around him :)
This is the only slide Ben will go on. He's my scaredy cat (man, that's got to be spelled wrong...doesn't quite look right).

2007-08-23T22:45:00.001-04:00

This is one of the only slides Matthew can ride, not because he's scared, but because he's not tall enough yet. I feel so bad for him because he's a daredevil and can't always ride the things he wants.
I'm sorry I must show this picture. It's the "end" of the summer. These will be the last pictures I take of any kind of swimming. I will not tell you who's butt this is, but I can tell you that I told him to pull up his trunks the whole day. He had it coming...

We're getting up at the "crack" of dawn tomorrow to go to the science center in Cleveland...can't wait. I think the kids will love it. It's been awhile since we went. Nothing like shoving all kinds of fun stuff in before school starts.

Wordless Wednesday-the dog I've always wanted!! Yes, I was driving when I took this.

2007-08-22T11:24:00.000-04:00

"It's raining, Mom, I'm bored. There's nothing to do!"

2007-08-20T16:41:00.001-04:00

"Let's play hide and go seek. First, I need to put on my sports bra," says Mom. Game on, boys!! To add suspense to the game, it was storming out which made the house dark and eerie. We had two rules...one, you cannot turn on the lights and two, you couldn't change hiding spots. The basement and garage were off limits. Talk about fun...

Matthew had a great hiding spot and it took us a long time to find him. The below picture is me on the bed and they never did find me. They gave up first. I was so proud of myself. I kick butt in hide and seek.

I may not be the best mom in the world, but today I felt like I was. We had so much fun.

For dinner, I taught Ben how to make spaghetti and meatballs. Again, felt like a great mom. He did spectacular. Dinner was delicious. He was so proud of himself. I was so proud of him.

Awesome day...and it rained the whole time. We were planning on going to Soak City and I'm kind of glad we didn't.

Chocolate Chip Bread

2007-08-19T22:26:00.000-04:00

Ok, here's the scenario last Friday...I'm going to a get together and I need to make something. I don't have time to go to the store so I need to find something in the cupboards. Here are my choices...marshmallows, waffles, or yes, chocolate chip muffin mix. I choose the muffin mix, of course.

Now, I don't want to make muffins because that's just not right, for some reason. So I see there's an 800 number to call if you have questions about their product...so I call...what do I have to lose, right?

The lady answers and I ask the million dollar question...how can I turn this muffin mix into a loaf of bread? Now, I thinking, there's no difference. All I have to do is add milk as if I'm making muffins. I, of course, am wrong...go figure. Here's the recipe if you would like to make bread out of muffins.

2 pouches of Martha White chocolate chip muffin mix (Wal-Mart has it)
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 c. milk
1/4 c. oil

Mix well. Spray bottom of loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 min.

So there it is...just wanted to share...it turned out really well and tasted delicious.

2007-08-17T15:14:00.000-04:00

Encourage others and yourself! Share a scripture, quote, devotional, lyrics, or anything that has blessed you and strengthened you in your faith.Don't forget to copy and paste this and to link back to Sheryl's post.

I had an interview for the preschool teacher job on Tuesday. It went really well, but it doesn't pay much and I was contemplating whether it would be worth it or not. This is the verse that God guided me to read...

"Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers - not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve." 1 Peter 5:2

I felt that it wasn't about the money, it was about serving God. I would be teaching little kids about God and how he loves them so much. I'm ok with the whole money issue now.

They haven't called yet though...we'll see. I firmly believe that God knows what's best for me.

Ok, ok...I have a little secret...I'm going to whisper it

2007-08-16T19:16:00.001-04:00

I like "High School Musical". Pleassssse don't let anyone know. I thought for sure it would be this cheesy stupid movie about high schoolers.

I was wrong, not about the high schoolers part, but about it being cheesy.

I enjoyed it...ok, I admit it. It's shocking I know.

I'm actually looking forward to watching #2 tomorrow.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-08-15T16:53:00.001-04:00

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

2007-08-12T23:08:00.001-04:00

I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

This is what we went through as we were going camping on Thursday. Before this picture, we were going through Savannah and there were several tornadoes on radar right above us.

God was truly with us and protecting us...God is good!!

So I know you have to be wondering what our favorite things about camping were...well, today, is your lucky day!

2007-08-12T22:44:00.000-04:00

Eric's favorite things were...rafting on the first day. We canoed for 11 miles on Sat and it was not fun. Everything hurt when we were finished. Don't feel like doing that again. His other fav. thing was sitting around the fire

My favorite things...making S'mores and packing up to go home. I'm just kidding, I actually liked going through the storm on Thursday. I'm fascinated with thunderstorms and all.

Ben's favorite things were...kayaking on Sat. He actually was in a 2 man kayak and his brothers would switch on and off to ride with him. He did all the work...I was very impressed. His 2nd thing was playing kickball. There was a field right next to us and it was perfect for the kids.

Matthew's first favorite thing was playing spoons. It's kind of a card game where you have to get 4 of a kind and then grab a spoon. The person who doesn't have a spoon is out. It gets your heart a-pumping, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. He also enjoyed playing kickball.

Sam's favorite things were swimming in the pool and throwing sticks into the fire...don't ask.

Josh's favorite things were sleeping in the kayak with Ben hauling him around and playing in the park. He was there more than at the campsite, I think. I would tell Sam to stay with him and Sam would constantly come back to the campsite and say that Josh refuses to leave.

This week's Joshism...we get home and what pops out of Josh's mouth, "I missed my toilet" And there you have it...

2007-08-12T22:40:00.001-04:00

This is Sam's eye. His eye got into a fight with a rock and lost. That was the worst injury we had...thank goodness.

To add insult to injury, Sam just hit that SAME eye on the corner of a headboard before bed and now he has a little cut on his eyelid. Poor kid. His eye looks awful.

2007-08-12T22:35:00.001-04:00

This is a locust who decided that our tent was a great place to relax. The brown bug is actually it's shell...very fascinating.

I've never really looked at a locust because, well, I didn't really care to look. It was a very pretty green. My step dad used to take the shell and spray paint them different colors.

What a difference a year makes...

2007-08-12T22:17:00.000-04:00

Here's all the kids from last year's camping trip. Josh wore that costume a lot that weekend.

Below is this year's picture. They had a lot of fun. They played Corn hole, kickball, and spoons.

Great times...

So what are you doing this weekend? We're going camping!!

2007-08-09T12:45:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's true, I'm taking my 5 guys and heading down to Mohican and camping out. My mom and my step dad and his family will be there too. We went last year and had a lot of fun. I get along with my step dad's kids too, which makes it great.

What I haven't told you is I don't like to camp all that much. Would I rather be at a hotel...oh yes, I would. Is it all that bad for a couple of days...no, it's not. Would I make it on Survivor? No, I would be that whiny person you love to hate. I would never even try out for Survivor.

I do love the fact the I can get out of the house, there isn't a tv that I "have to" watch. I love sitting around a campfire and making S'mores.

Will I do it next year? Oh, yes, I just need to complain a little. Can't wait to share all the pictures with all of you. Hope you have a fantastic weekend.

I'm back...been sick and doing my floral arrangements

2007-08-09T12:19:00.001-04:00

What a crazy week I've had...I was sick with a nasty cold from Sunday night until yesterday. I'm still not 100%, but I can at least function now.

Last Tuesday (7/31) I was asked to create some floral centerpieces for the conference hall at Successful Relationships in Norwalk. The Added Gift, which is a great little store with many different vendors in it, is adjacent to it. I am one of the vendors in the store. I needed to make 10 centerpieces by today, which, if you do the math, is only 9 days.

I was in a panic, but also very excited because I really enjoy making floral arrangements.

Luckily, I started making the centerpieces Saturday night and Sunday because Monday morning I was miserable. I could barely move because of the vicious headache I had and my nose would not stop running...not fun.

I also made the candles out of soy wax with help from Shaunda...thank you, thank you, thank you. I couldn't have done it without you.

They really turned out nice and I am so very proud of them. It's like they were my babies...that kind of sounds pathetic.

I'm a day late...been swimming...finally! Happy WW!!

2007-08-02T13:03:00.000-04:00

We went to the Indians' Game on Sunday...

2007-07-30T17:31:00.001-04:00

We took the train downtown. Not sure what's going on with Sam...maybe he has to go to the bathroom.

In front of the fountain at Tower City. If you look closely at Josh (double click the picture), he's looking at a cop who was right next to me telling me I can't let them sit there. Then, she said I could take the picture real quick. They weren't allowed to sit on that white ledge and guess who's sitting on it...maybe that's why he's looking at the cop.

Before the game, there's a bunch of different things the kids can do. Sam and Josh went into this bouncy thing (what do you call those things?) They give a lot of free things out too like baseball cards and those #1 hands (again don't know the "official" name for them, but you can see them below).

Josh and I went walking around before the game and he got his picture taken with some robots. Still don't know why they were there and what they have to do with the Indians...oh well. Josh liked them and he loved rubbing it in that he got to do something that Sam didn't.

2007-07-30T15:55:00.001-04:00

Fun times with Dad! I don't know who was enjoying it more...Eric or the kids. Matthew was really into it and it was nice seeing Eric tell him about the game and what was happening.

2007-07-30T15:53:00.001-04:00

This was Josh most of the game. He could care less what was going on with the game. As you can see, he's facing the back of the seat.

2007-07-30T15:41:00.001-04:00

Attack of the Cotton Candy!! Ben was the only one that didn't have blue sugar crack all over him. And wouldn't you know, it's the one day I didn't bring any wipes. The people behind us got a kick out of it...they called them the "Blue Man Group".

2007-07-30T15:37:00.001-04:00

After the game, the kids got to run the bases. Here's a picture of them after they did it because there were too many people in the way.

I had to make sure they didn't touch the grass or they would be shot on sight. Just kidding, but we did get yelled at for accidentally stepping on it.

2007-07-30T12:50:00.000-04:00

The kids all got a Slider Mr. Potato Head at the game. They loved it because they could change the arms and take off its uniform.

To end the day, we went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. They have the best ribs in town. And their chicken fingers are very good and like nothing you've ever tasted.

Great day...

It's Friday...Time to blog!!

2007-07-27T17:36:00.001-04:00

Lance had his birthday party today at his house. They had a slip 'n slide right off the swing set. Lots of fun...

2007-07-27T17:31:00.001-04:00

Lance got what he wanted..Jack Sparrow's knife (sword). He was pretty excited.

Cheryl made the cake and it was still warm...love warm cake...yum! The kids also got these skeletons that had squishy face guts in them. My boys obviously loved it.

Good day...

Happy Birthday, Lance!!!

2007-07-26T11:05:00.000-04:00

This is one of the kids I babysit and it's his birthday TODAY!!
He told me what he wanted for his birthday...Jack Sparrow's knife.
It's so amazing to me how fascinated boys are with guns and knives. You can keep them away from weapons and they still manage to make a "gun" or a "knife" out of Legos or Tinker Toys.

Wordless Wednesday - Donkey in a Box

2007-07-25T10:03:00.001-04:00

Went for a walk with Ben tonight

2007-07-23T21:37:00.000-04:00

Here's my normal scenario when I go for a walk with my boys...all 4 of them ride their bikes and I try to keep up by walking and listening to my iPod. Obviously they have to stop A LOT so I can catch up. Now, tonight was different...

I told everyone that I wanted to go for a walk and Ben piped up and said that he would like to come. I figured he wanted to ride his bike, but I was very wrong. He wanted to walk with me. Sam and Josh wanted to ride their bikes, Matthew was too tired. So we went to a park actually near Palm Tree Fanatic's home called Stokely's Park. Come to think of it, we ended up seeing one of her kids there.

I had such a wonderful time talking with Ben. We laughed a lot and talked about more serious stuff. I love the relationship I have with him. We used to butt heads and not get along, it's really nice now. I know his teenage years will be rough, but I hope we can have a good relationship that's open and honest...a Mom can hope.

Clyde Softball Tourney (All Nighter)

2007-07-23T11:15:00.001-04:00

Eric played in an all-nighter softball tourney this past weekend. Their first game was at 10:45pm Friday night. The second game was at 6am Saturday. We decided to stay up all night. As you can see, I didn't do well. I ended up taking a "nap" around 4:45 and got up to watch their game at 6. I've decided that I am too old to do all- nighters. I'm not happy...