The Misadventures of Bella's Second Life

How to Make Slime Without Borax or Liquid Starch | eHow.com

2012-02-13T08:21:00.000-08:00

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How to Make Homemade Slime - Preschool Craft - Valentine's Day Idea

2012-02-13T08:20:00.000-08:00

How to Make Homemade Slime - Preschool Craft - Valentine's Day Idea:

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What Appliance Can I NOT Live Without

2012-02-12T12:38:00.000-08:00

April 27th of 2011 We had a series (MULTIPLE) EF5 tornado's tear through our community. Houses & grocery stores were destroyed like bombs had gone off. The storms manage to damage huge power lines coming from the dam a hour away or a hour and a half away. Which made most of North Alabama without power except a small oasis of power called Athens. A couple of the bigger stores like Target and Publix got generators but many many gas stations and smaller stores didn't have generators. Many restaurants had gas stoves so they could still cook and they tried and just served $5 plates out their back door it was better than the food going to waste. Then small city of Athens, AL with a population of 21,000 was overwhelmed with people waiting in line for hours for bottled water, gas grills, charcoal, batteries, and gas. Cell phone and land line phone coverage was pretty much out. We had to live without power pretty much for about a week. We got power back a few days after Osama Bin Laden was killed. If I remember that was the day they announced it. So if you would have asked me a year ago what appliance could I not live without my answer would have been different. Now I would say I have lived without them all. The only thing I didn't have to do then was to hand wash clothes I went to Athens to wash clothes at the laundry mat. I could live without owning a washer I actually like going to the laundry mat. Thank God after all that destruction we had weeks of beautiful weather that had wonderful temps to be able to stay outside, grill out, open our windows for fresh air, and warm water by sunlight.

This was a Piggly Wiggly & Dollar General the survivors hid in the walk in Freezer

Anderson Hills

Subdivision

A Funnel Cloud that was larger across than the four lane parkway (Memorial Parkway at Drake)

Another shot of some houses

RIP Whitney Houston

2012-02-11T20:27:00.000-08:00

I get that some people don't care about celebrities and they think its stupid that some of us get so attached. I was devastated with Michael Jackson died. I was sad when Heath Ledger died. What a loss IMO. I also understand people don't want to hear about it (you know there is a way to hide those feeds?) I understand people are upset because celebrities get more media attention than our lost heroes that die in battle... again I think its TRAGIC but is it really necessary trashing the dead? I grew up you don't speak ill of the dead. There is no reason for you to call her names. You can't stand in judgement yet. You aren't supposed to judge her or anyone for that matter. She's standing before God same as Josh Powell and they will get their judgement. Its annoying as F to me that people pretend to be MJ fans NOW but did they listen to his music 6 weeks before he died? Probably not. Now we are going to hear years of Whitney tributes of people who pretend to be her fan. Don't hate on Whitney Houston because she probably made poor choices we all have at one time. Her's cost her daughter a mother.

Its tacky... don't do it! Be classy and just respect others and ignore it and don't start drama.

Overcoming Fear

2012-02-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I was in a group therapy setting back in Georgia in my old life. The therapist told a story about an old Lion watching over his pride. Outsiders wouldn't come close because when the old lion would roar it would sound loud and scary. In reality the lion was old and his joints were bad and he just couldn't fight like he used to... The lion had a young son in the pride though who's voice wasn't as strong as his father's but his bite and fight were stronger. The "False Evidence" is the older lion's roar.. it made him appear scary yet there wasn't much fight left in him. This quote and this story has pretty much given me some foundation for my "Second Life."

I don't know I guess my brain is wired differently. I have anxieties just as much as the next person. I have one type of anxiety dealing with my Post Traumatic Stress that is irrational at times but with my anxieties overall I have them in check most of the time. I had a good friend that had anxieties and my step son struggles with them and I have never fathomed letting fear control me. When I was struggling with depression I had a dream that I was back at my first church Trinity and we were having a lock in and I woke up to see demon's taking my church family that I was extremely close to dragging them out of the church. When I woke up I just said to myself perhaps depression is the devil's way of casting doubt or trying to cloud your mind. From that moment I decided I wouldn't let demon's win. I know I sound like I am over the top and usually I am not but about certain things it just pushes it up to the surface. My feelings that fear shouldn't control me comes from this nightmare... this dream as if it was a direct message from God. I have been through a lot of trials in my life starting from birth, dealing with my parents issues with drugs, abuse, & neglect. Then operations through out my teen years. Domestic Violence as an adult and loosing my first husband and son. Then getting out of another unhealthy relationship. Now finally surviving deployments, being away from Mackenzie and dealing with the new challenges that are set before me. I have never lived my life with fear controlling me. I do what I have to do to get it done or I would have never have made it this far.

I have talked in my blog about learning to give it to God I am not going to repeat all that again. But just using these tools has helped me overcome fears

I thought I would hate...

2012-02-11T06:16:00.000-08:00

Growing up I always said I wouldn't marry into the military and being a Georgia Peach I always said I wouldn't live in Alabama in my Carpe Diem moment I did both. I can't say I don't still HATE Alabama but Huntsville I have learned to love. It woo'd me and I am here. You go an hour outside of Huntsville and you definitely see a difference. I was born in California and raised between the suburbs of Los Angeles and Atlanta until the age of 10. Then I lived in the suburbs of Atlanta until I separated for my first husband.Then I lived in the peaceful mountains of Georgia... Still a Georgia Girl through and through. I didn't leave Georgia until I met Rick.

I thought I would hate being a military wife but being something is more mind over matter. Of course I was spoiled by being stationed at a TRADOC post where the rules are a little more lax for my husband's rank. Its a smaller post (also a bad thing with the drama), great housing... I can't complain about much. It was an experience I would do over and over again. No regrets.

A place from my past that felt like home.

2012-02-11T05:44:00.000-08:00

My home away from home growing up was the church I grew up in Trinity and my grandfather's farm. I was like a caged bird stretching her wings on the farm. I had so much freedom especially the older I got. My grandfather's wife had some issues dealing with my sisters, cousins and I and would lock us out of the house. But we were farm children its what we probably needed. Drinking out of a hose that had laid in the summer heat we weren't worried about diseases etc. We walked barefoot on the rock's that paved the drive ways. Climbed the tree's and ran in the pasture. I bet we even waded in the lake at times. I miss those days and I wish I could give my children the same open air freedom I had. Not having to worry about playing in the yard because a sexual predator or kidnapper might be lurking nearby. Not too many "boogie" men wondering around acre's and acre's of private land. Another place I always felt like I could run to was my neighbor and best friend Alicia's house and I did when I ran away I just ran two doors down.

My Volunteer Work

2012-02-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

I don't mind Volunteering as a matter of fact I am always trying to scheme up ways to volunteer. There is just never enough time. Sadly I haven't been able to volunteer with my daughters activities (class or girl scouts) because I always have to have William with me. Its something I have felt guilty about for awhile.
As a teenager I volunteered in a Homeless shelter in Atlanta for recovering Drug Addicts. I would volunteer to clean up the Atlanta Motor Speedway after a race (that is DISGUSTING!), I have volunteered to clean up rivers and creeks as a teenager. As an adult I have ran a mommy group since my oldest was 6 months old and Bella's Mommy Chat is 11 years old going strong :) Why do I consider this a volunteer activity because I believe I have helped many young mothers through the loneliness and difficulty of having a new baby. When I was in the thick of my "first life" I had Department Family and Children Services examining every move I made, They had me in a job program where I had to get a job, daycare assistance, Medicaid, Food Stamps, WIC, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. I have had all the assistance they can give me... the good and the bad. They believed I was doing volunteer work through Bella's Mommy Chat and PAID me until I had a regular paying job. I also volunteered at Tallatoona CAP to help Low Income families get heating costs met, medicines, and food. Once I became an Army Wife I did volunteer at Army Community Service. I didn't get to do much but I wanted to do so much more. I helped out with the Waiting Spouses. Waiting Spouses are those spouses who have husband's that are geographically separated. I was also like an FRG Leader/Point of Contact for my husband's MITT team. I was the go to girl for the whole Tennessee and Alabama area :)

Carpe diem - the time I actually seized the day.

2012-02-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

Should I start by telling a Thelma and Louise or a Bonnie and Clyde type story.. Sharing a bunch of pictures of our journey. It really didn't happen with all the thrill and excitement that Hollywood gives us. My Louise to my Thelma they were not with me but I thought maybe they were supporting me from the comfort of their homes in Florida and New York. My "Brad Pitt" wasn't in a convertible but it was a rusty old Geo Metro oh and we had a four year old stow away. The day I said Carpe Diem knowing I was giving up a whole branch of my family tree... just chopping it right down. Leaving behind the world I created in Georgia when just months earlier I swore I would never leave as long as Mackenzie was stuck there. In 24 short hours I decided to wrap the scarf around my neck grab my 4 year old by the hand and just jumped into the abyss without looking. Believe it or not the 4 hour car ride to Huntsville wasn't filled with awkward silences. I was in lust or love with my prince charming we seemed to mesh like Peanut Butter and Jelly. We had just met in person less than 48 hours earlier but we KNEW each other in such a deeper meaning and way we drove into our future without looking in the rear view mirror

JO DEE MESSINA - BYE BYE LYRICS
Boy you sure look good there standin' in the doorway in the sunset light

Maybe I read you wrong thinkin' you could be my Mr. Right

I was puttin' my heart and soul on the line

Said you needed some time, just a little more time to make up your mind

Well it's been long enough

Time is up



Bye bye love I'll catch you later

Got a left foot down on my accelerator and the rear view mirror torn off

I ain't never lookin' back and that's a fact

I've tried all I can imagine

I've begged and pleaded in true lover's fashion

I've got pride I'm takin' it for a ride

Bye bye, bye bye my baby, bye bye



Don't think all those tears are gonna hold me here like they've done before

You'll find what's left of us in a cloud of dust on highway 4

Baby what did you expect me to do

Just sit around and wait on you

Well I'm through watchin' you just skate around the truth

And I know it sounds trite

I've seen the light



Bye bye love I'll catch you later

Got a left foot down on my accelerator and the rear view mirror torn off

'Cause I ain't never lookin' back, and that's a fact

I've tried all I can imagine

I've begged and pleaded in true lover's fashion

I've got pride I'm takin' it for a ride

Bye bye, bye bye my baby, bye bye



I'd lost the game I guess

I did my best to win the part

Now I'm leavin' here with what's left of my heart

Bye bye, I'll catch you later

Got a left foot down on my accelerator and the rear view mirror torn off

'Cause I ain't never lookin' back you can count on that

I've tried all I can imagine

I've begged and pleaded in true lover's fashion

I've got pride I'm takin' it for a ride

Bye bye, bye bye my baby, bye bye

Bye bye

Oh baby

Oh

Bye bye, bye bye my baby, bye bye

LyricsBay | JO DEE MESSINA - BYE BYE LYRICS

I hate you words with friends

2012-02-07T06:29:00.000-08:00

I try to post things that interest me on my blogs and on Facebook. Anyone that is a Facebook friend of mine knows my feed is filled with news articles and discussions that interest me or others. So this Rants from the Mommyland bloggy friend of mine posted a hilarious blog on my feed this morning and I wanted to share
http://www.rantsfrommommyland.com/2012/02/i-hate-you-words-with-friends.html

Decision

2012-02-06T18:14:00.000-08:00

I lead my life with my heart whether it be wrong or right its how I roll... Some people may have thought that it was a tough decision on leaving Georgia but it wasn't I trusted my instincts. Was it a tough decision marrying Rick with just living with him two short weeks? No! I dated my first husband a year and got married with the formal wedding and all that just to be a victim of domestic violence and sexual abuse. I always had second thoughts even standing at my reception wondering about my first love and if I was making the right decision on leaving him behind. I said I would never marry again if I had doubt. I dated my ex for five years and I wasn't ready to have kids or marry him. I am glad I never did. So I moved in...new to Huntsville... new to Army life and married into it in about two short weeks and no regrets. I don't live life by regrets. As they say at one time it was what you wanted. It wasn't a tough decision for me. It wasn't impulsive either. I did think about it A LOT! The tough decision of my life has had to do with other things I am just not ready to open up about. For one it involves someone that is no longer on Earth and I don't believe in bringing it up. I will tell you about one tough decision I made. I was separated from my first husband living in one of those hotel's you pay by the week, pregnant, working at Waffle House, sicker than a dog. I had horrible morning sickness. My Guardian wanted me to give up my baby for adoption. I had a family picked out. My friend April's sister wanted my little girl. My biological mother told me I wouldn't DARE adopt out a baby outside of our family that I should just give it to my sister. My Guardian argued she would disown me. It was a nightmare. I urge you to NEVER EVER EVER do this to your child. PLEASE do not give your child ultimatums when it comes to the hardest decision of their lives on whether or not to parent. YOU do not have to deal with the guilt on the decision. THEY do. I was so sick with morning sickness, kidney infections over and over again. I couldn't work so I couldn't pay my rent and I was so worried about how I was going to pay bills during Maternity Leave. Its not like Waffle House pays you haha. I had the other waitress' stealing my tips anyways. I had a homeless woman get another customer to pay my rent. I saw my husband and he said you can't give up this baby and he suggested even naming it Tristan if it is a boy. At the time I barely got to see my beautiful son and I made a promise to my daughter that I would keep her and I wouldn't depend on anyone else to support her and any of her dreams and needs would be met by me. I owe her so much. Skylar and I will always have that amazing bond because of one really tough decision.

Words people use incorrectly

2012-02-06T17:41:00.000-08:00

I do believe every word in my title should be capitalized....

Now I am not a stickler for words, grammar, or spelling. My friend Danielle even calls herself the typo queen. She is thankful for her Iphone has auto correct. I have always been pretty good about reading through her typo's so it couldn't have been that bad.

I am not the type to correct your spelling or grammar EVERY time. My step son does that and it drives me crazy. I don't understand the purpose of doing it ALL the time. If the person cared then they would speak correctly like a well educated snob. I don't type things out most of the time. I am a short hand junkie I admit it. I have used AOL and been in too many chat rooms for too long and over use LOL (laugh out loud). I don't like spelling probably so your more than likely to get a "prolly" out of me. If you look at my phone in my text messages very few words are shortened however. I even tend to type out numbers as one, two, etc. I have always believed "alot" is a word but I have made it my New Years resolution to use it as two. I honestly have to slow down and think between "there", "their", and "they're". Yes I try to use them correctly. I have a hard time spelling "maintenance" for some reason. I don't like to say out loud specifically because I can't pronounce it right in my opinion and never have been able to. I am a southern gal and I say "ya'll" and I always will. "You all" just seems like a waste... notice I didn't say waist. I was writing an email today to my Scentsy Consultant and I was discussing "scents" that I "sent" to my sister but it came out I "scent" to my sister. I caught my mistake after I hit send (I am a bit quick at hitting send). I corrected my mistake and had a laugh over it. Interested in Scentsy? Growing up when I would ask my guardian "Where is Mom at?" His reply would always be "Behind the at!" Oh it drove me crazy but it broke the habit... most of the time. I would tell the dogs growing up "Go lay down!". My guardian would tell me it is "lie" down so now I am busy telling Rick that it is "lie" but he probably thinks I am lying haha. I admit I don't know how to use "who" or "whom" and I might use either at anytime. I do think saying um um can be annoying and makes you look uneducated. When I talk to people online and they constantly hit the ";" or the ">;" or even the "/" instead of the key that is right next to it. How often do you miss the same key on your own keyboard? I don't care how often you type it the semi colon will never turn into an "L."Are you not coordinated enough to use the shift key and the question mark at the same time? Another one that I do correct is "Im" At least your capitalizing the "I" but its either "I'm" or "I am" and I often see I am used as Im. Just look at it and its incorrect. I know a person that says I "wood" go to the store but I am out of gas. When corrected he gets angry. He also said the sink "skirts" instead of squirts. I think sometimes when you misspell or mispronounce a word and you know its incorrect you just want to remain ignorant. The conversation with these people can quickly become like the Who's on First joke.

You might find it interesting that my school picked our senior slogan as "Class of '97 Enuff Said'"
I might get anxious but that doesn't mean I am nervous even though my nerves may be shot. Nervous and Anxious doesn't always go hand and hand.

I do love my kid-isms for their words however. When Skylar was a toddler she would say.. "I hope you deel bebber", "Bam Bam" for band aid, "Bee na" for Banana... I miss that!
William has been very good at using the actual terms for everything and not speaking baby. The only baby word he has for anything is his "sissy cup" or his "bubba"... how I detest and despised that word before it came out of his sweet little mouth. Oh yeah and our cat Cocoa is a Dodo of course I have called her Caca by Freudian slip myself!

Oh Gee! I capitalize words in the middle of the sentence

Our 5th Anniversary

2012-02-05T18:09:00.000-08:00

Before you know it 5 years goes by... so much has happened... so much has changed. We've changed, our children have grown... loving and living life...

My daughter, Skylar, 4 years old this day in 2007

5 years ago the pictures of this sweet little blonde headed round faced girl is hardly recognizable in her red dress and red tights. Now she is almost 10 and growing up quicker than I can blink. In 5 years we have been through a deployment then Alex's deployment, We've bought a car and a house and had a baby. You've retired out of the military and started a career at Northrup Grumman. Five years ago I didn't think this is where we would be but I can't say my dreams haven't come true. Its been a journey and on most journeys through life it isn't always easy but I can bet its worth it!

Rick in 2006 (Korea)

Skylar & I in 2006 in Georgia

In 2006 there was something called Yahoo 360. Sort of a blog... sort of a social networking site. Maybe one of the first? I wrote a blog about sucky life from Georgia. You were bored, newly single, avoiding trouble when you were stationed in Korea. You found it somehow and read it. You would send me comments here and there for about 6 months. Then it came time for you to leave Korea.. You got stationed in Alabama! We chatted some through instant messenger and Yahoo 360. I complained about my horrible relationship and you complained about women afraid of commitment. Your no where love life and as you explained it your downward spiral. By December the D' Man's addiction got really bad and life for me was pretty hard. My two jobs had cut hours back horribly. D' Man was abusing alcohol and xanax enough to pass out for days. He was getting laid off too they were closing the factory for good. The emotional abuse from him reached a fever pitch and my online support told me I had to leave (once again I was in that situation) that it was horrible for my princess. I saw the green grass out there. I had no idea it was you that my heart wanted. You heard rumors of deployment looming and I was thrown for a loop. I had no idea why it was hard for me to take even if you reassured me it was probably in the Green Zone (probably a lie). I mean I have known plenty of people to deploy and I never felt like this. I would even talk to D' Man about it. I would talk to my two closest friends "O." and Kristin. I told O. and Kristin almost everything. On December 30th I decided I couldn't start another new year with the same drama, the same abuse as I survived once before. I broke it off with D' Man he wasn't taking no for an answer either. I had no place to go either even after I begged my Guardian for help. I tried. After the new year you started to talk to me about house sitting for you while you were deployed. I could take public transportation around Huntsville, watch the house, work wherever I wanted, Skylar would need to be in Pre K or Daycare. We had a plan. We had a plan that if I wanted to live in Huntsville. No strings attached and just stay while you were deployed at least you could help me get on my feet in one way... just a safe shelter there with the boys (Alex and James). Alex was also working at the time. So Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday came which means a long weekend for the Military. You drove to Georgia to meet me and discuss if this was a situation I would like to do on a platonic level. You told the boys you were coming to me and my daughter. I arranged for my sister and her wife to watch Skylar but that quickly turned into a disaster after D' Man found out I was meeting a man. It was truly one of the second worst nightmares of my life and you didn't haul ass back to Alabama. At that point there was sparks there and O. and Kristin had already read some of the emails and stuff and they told me it was Kismet that if I ignored it (which I planned on ignoring it because I didn't want a rebound.) I would be a fool and would regret it if something happened to you when you were deployed. That night I called my guardian which was as close as I had to a mom and told her about the horrible night and I said I planned on moving to Alabama eventually. She was disgusted with me and she didn't agree with it. Certain events happened and it went from eventually to the same day or the next day.

Our first photo together in 2007

So as you say on Martin Luther King Jr's birthday you kidnapped me and brought me to Huntsville.

Alex was very close to leaving for MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) and BCT (Bootcamp) adjustments were a bit difficult at first looking back I see a lot of James reactions were pretty sincere and nothing against me or the little 4 year old intruder. Everyone had to get used to having her around. Within a week or so we sat the boys down and James said well... you are getting married aren't you? We wanted to do it before Alex left and before you got orders yourself. Then I planned on us eloping in just a few whirlwind days and we went up to the Chapel on the Mountain and got married in the presence of most of our children and total strangers. After the ceremony we went to Logan's for dinner and enjoyed each other's company. The next day Alex had to leave for BCT for months.

Its funny I looked back on my blogs (myspace and here) to see if I blogged anything when we got married and I didn't blog for the first 4-5 months of our marriage. Most of my Myspace blogs have been erased from the server by the Myspace God's screw you!. Maybe I had them on yahoo 360 and they could be forever lost. Who knows! I know eventually you did get deployment orders. You were leaving for training just 5 months into our marriage. We took trips and went on a marriage retreat of course we were newlyweds there wasn't nothing to fix yet but a lot to learn about marriage and even though it was a second marriage for both of us we both knew we had a lot to learn! When we were in Huntsville you got me comfortable here and comfortable with Military Life. How easily I got it! I fell in love with Huntsville. People said it was the best decision I ever made. I can't deny it has to be one of the best!
On July 22nd you left for Kansas to go to training. It was a rough and tough road at first. I didn't know what to expect and just tried to keep Skylar & myself busy

Even now when I hear a song I listened to during your training and deployment it takes me back to those emotions and those fears. I am SO proud of us. I know not everyone deals with deployment very well and I honestly had my fears since I have abandonment issues and had just dealt with the major blow of loosing a best friend and struggling to hold on to the other all awhile of letting you go without even family to turn to. I had my family a 19 year old away AIT, a 18 year old that well God only knows what he was thinking he was probably unsure and scared, and a 4 year old that seemed more sure about her future than we were. She often verbalized it too. She was so much my rock. You have given me such a foundation and a piece of your heart how could I let you down?

I couldn't have made it without that little bit of foundation and Skylar's steady strength.

Yet still I listen to some of the lyrics from those songs and I feel the same lows I had, the lonely days, the days where I knew how in love I was with you.

From October 10th 2007- You no longer belonged to me you were 100% property of the US Army on foreign soil. You decided to come home for our first Anniversary. I had totaled your car back in October so we had to buy a new car during R&R not exactly how I wanted to spend my R&R. I had planned an awesome Anniversary though... A night at the Embassy Hotel, A Couples Massage and a Gondola ride.

At the Embassy I reserved the Honeymoon Suite and I snuck in to give it my own touch of romance. We dropped Skylar off at the sitter and arrived at the hotel at dinner at Ruth and Chris. At 4 Am there was a Tornado Siren and we were being evacuated to the lobby. A tornado was overhead... yet the ceiling was made of glass?

The next day we went ahead with our couples massage at the hotel spa. A few days later when the winds calmed down it was safe enough to go on the Gondola. Memories that won't ever fade

You came home to me in October 2008! Within two months we were pregnant with William of course with a pregnancy and new baby things seem to be a whirlwind. I couldn't tell you what we did for our third anniversary other than probably eating at Logans. Our Fourth anniversary was at Melting Pot.

After you came home from Iraq we've had even harder adjustments, even larger hills to climb but we are making it and hopefully its sealing the glue between us.

I wish

2012-02-04T05:40:00.000-08:00

There are many things I wish for.. I wish that Scientist and doctors had more of a knowledge and could answer more questions about Autism and other disorders on the spectrum. Not what is happening with DSM-5 proposal to eliminate all other disorders's on the spectrum and just keep treating and diagnosing the very classic Autistic children and adults. I would wish for a cure for Autism or at least a treatment. I would wish for an end and cure to Childhood Cancer. I would wish for an end to child abuse, sexual abuse, and domestic violence. I would wish for an end to end the suffering of our troops and their families. For all their sacrifice that is the last thing they should have to do is suffer through whatever ail's them. Homelessness, Mental Illness, Suicide, Loss of Limb, PTSD, etc...I would wish for more peace, understanding and compassion in the world.

I don't know if I could honestly say that if I had one wish I would wish anything above would actually happen. I would have to say if I had one wish that I would be tempted to wish that Mackenzie would have never left my side that he would have never had to suffer through the loss of a parent (or both parents). I would wish Mackenzie home. I would wish that if I could I would wish I could bring him home. Its terribly selfish but it is what it is.

Confessions

2012-02-04T05:21:00.001-08:00

This one is a late post because honestly I couldn't think of something. I am not afraid to fess up when I've been caught but I have been leading a pretty honest life in this second life of mine. So I thought I would do some story telling and say I've been caught at the end... that this was all an elaborate story... not the truth. Writers block must have hit me hard. I had a busy day yesterday starting at 9 am and I really didn't get home till after dinner for an extended period of time. Then my daughter wanted to cook a recipe out of her cook book and watch A Smile As Big As The Moon...So blogging didn't come priority yesterday.

I guess I will tell you that I wasn't as always as an honest teen. I did have a bad or mischievous crowd of friends from time to time. Some friends of mine did drugs... I did not. They snuck out I wouldn't dare...

Ah but I did try smoking and I did steal from Helene's purse (my guardian)...

so here are three childhood confessional stories from my (I really didn't think I was a HORRIBLE teen) teen life.

Helene used to smoke so she was more sensitive to the smell I think. As an ex smoker I can say I am more sensitive to it now then I was then too. Helene's husband used to smoke but no one was allowed to smoke in the house. Even Helene's elderly father had to scoot over to the back door of his downstairs apartment to smoke. Chuck Helene's husband would go out the front door. I don't know why but for some reason I decided to smoke in my room. (I was such an idiot). I had a can by the window sill and I cracked it open enough to blow smoke out and put the cig out in the can. Well apparently I left the pack in my purse and went for a walk. She went into my room for whatever reason and found the pack of cigarettes I blamed it on my friend Stephanie saying they were hers. I had been caught... but she bought my story... I think.

I would be so paranoid outside smoking while walking around the neighborhood with friends because I knew my guardian knew a good bit of the neighbors anyone of them could have called her.

Another story is about a twenty dollar bill. Helene had have several misplaced twenty dollar bills that I wasn't responsible for. My "boyfriend" Nick needed cash for something probably cigarette's or pot.. So I stole twenty and gave it to him. Well he took it to the closest store and bought High Times Magazine with it. Helene had followed us and went into the store and had secretly marked the twenty and we had been caught... Now that I committed a misdemeanor she had committed a felony... so who caught who?

My Guardian had a son named Duane and Duane was married to Sherry. Sherry was rarely ever the big sister people would have thought she would have been to me. Duane was always like a father/brother. Sherry was always a pain in my a$$. I admit there was some jealousy because Helene (my guardian) would buy her gifts for Daughter of the Year (you have your own stinkin' daughter). She would always call her that where I was called hey this is the girl I have custody of... even if I had been in her life almost all of mine. I was never my daughter unless it was "good" for her. I always felt like a black sheep. I rarely felt like Sherry was nice to me. She always seemed against me which made me rebel. The time I came home WAY past curfew and Helene told Sherry to punish me. I think I would have looked at it differently if Sherry had her own kids at this time (now she has 4.) But Sherry was always the bad guy it drove me mad. Okay so the story goes we had sat down for dinner one night and I had secretly dyed my hair with one of those temporary dye's... I wanted auburn hair (I still want more auburn in my hair). Well at dinner one night Sherry had noticed my hair was slightly different... oops the dye was fading and turning a weird shade of purple. It was barely noticeable because Helene had not noticed until Sherry tattled on me. I had a job I earned my own money and bought hair dye. I got in so much trouble. Also near my job at Publix was a Blockbuster Video so I rented Dangerous Minds (you know Michelle Pfieffer is a bad ass teacher to bad ass kids in the hood) and Sherry tattled on me about that as well. I had to return it without even watching it. Yet Charlotte used to let me go into her room and watch scary movies! (She was the cool "sister")

So there ya have it... That's how I got caught and you go to see the confessions from my teen years.

I admit, I like...

2012-02-02T18:42:00.000-08:00

really good trashy drama's on TV like I like the Kardashian's, Teen Mom, 16 and Pregnant, Jersey Shore... Although I don't watch the Kardashian's anymore due to my ethical beliefs. I know that sounds like a bit of hypocritical joke. I still enjoy good old fashioned drama like MTV, The Bachelor... etc. I even think Jerry Springer or Maury is good for some brain numbing fun! Oh Come ON! Don't roll your eyes at me... I see you. Its not like I watch this crap expecting to be smarter (although sometimes I feel smarter!). If you don't expect anything but entertainment then that's all you get entertainment. Its like dare I say WWF wrestling... you know the sports "entertainment", parts of it are real but its mostly just fun to watch? I remember watching wrestling in the "old life" and it had plenty of drama too! Its nice to not have to deal with reality on occasion.

The Most Underused Item in My House is..

2012-01-31T16:44:00.000-08:00

My Scrapbook supplies.

I haven't actually made a scrapbook page since I was pregnant with William. I haven't made a scrapbook page since I moved here in this house. We moved in the first few days of August 2009. Why don't I scrapbook anymore? It would be annoying to try and keep William's hands away from it and or scissors. I don't have anyone (but Skylar) to scrapbook with. I feel like my scrapbooking needs help in the form of a Cricut. I just can't do all the jazzy neat techniques because everyone has had their baby bug, then got the big bug... and I am still without a Cricut. I barely have any tools. I am even a rep for Close to My Heart and haven't sold an item in YEARS AND YEARS... like almost 5 years. The only time I venture into these shelves is when I need paper, stickers, or glue dots for another project. My cutter and glue dots are no longer even located in the Scrapbook area... Because I use them more for school crafting. I made my God Son a memory box awhile back at least a year ago if not longer.

Skylar and I made this project for school. I let her use scrapbook paper, glitter, and stickers lol

Its a Christmas tree book report on a Soldier's Night Before Christmas by Christine Ford.

Each ornament tells important details of the story :)

I want to get out of my scrapbooking funk...

Paying it Forward

2012-01-31T14:05:00.000-08:00

I have been a big believer in Karma and Paying it Forward. Karma can be the opposite of paying it forward but it simply means what comes around goes around. Anyways today we aren't going to dwell on BAD Karma or the negative but I wanted to share about Paying it Forward. I have been influenced and inspired a lot in my life by paying it forward. Whether it was just a nice gesture or a total sacrifice I recognized both. I wish I had more time today to chat about my stories but this will be a short post...

A few ways I can help others this year....

I can help them with my talents.
I can help them by paying it forward.
I can help my children by trying to be a more productive mother.
I can help my husband by helping my children.
I can help my husband by being a better wife.
I can help everyone by being a better Christian :)

My 365

2012-01-30T06:42:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to upload a picture a day up to Facebook but I don't pressure myself to do it so I am not sure if I have made a post everyday and I was going to update my blog weekly with my photos. I haven't done that because I have been sick and barely getting my Blog Dare in daily so here are my favorite snap shots so far this month. Apparently I need to spend some time photo editing a lot of my photos are pointing the wrong direction and as you can see many of them are blurry LOL So this is all I could really add..
Most of these were taken with my Iphone. The Iphone 3G has like the worst megapixel lol I feel like we are back in the 90's digital and it has no flash.

My first post

Pray for Me Monday

2012-01-30T05:49:00.001-08:00

I am not really good at pulling Bible Verses out of the air. There are a few verses I know well. Because I repeat them when I need them or share them when I want to bring calm or something to someone else. But I do know my faith by heart.Yesterday I shared the story about how my faith was tested. How I had to hang on to something. A couple of phrases come to mind... "When your down to nothing God is up to something" and "Everything comes to you in God's time." So knowing what I have been through with Mackenzie I was in a downward spiral and by giving my struggles to God I was blessed with my new "Second Life." I know God has reasons for Mackenzie not being here. Not everyone believes that we have free will, not everyone believes in Destiny or Fate, I am not sure what you call it but I couldn't say that my life after court would have been ideal for Mackenzie. Of course I am not sure his current situation is any more ideal. I know what my ex went through with his childhood. I was faced with challenges as Skylar became a little girl from a premature baby. Again I had to learn to give it to God. Of course as the world goes there are many more challenges in my life. Our family is working through some not so smooth roads and I pray that I can remember to keep giving my struggles to God. My patients, emotions, and stress levels have been all over the place lately I just have to pull it all together. Keep the faith and trusting in God.

What I want for my birthday.

2012-01-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

Birthday Countdown Clock Generator
Wow a lot of great movies are coming out next month... hmm to early for my birthday but if I don't get to see them then perhaps I could go see Phantom Menace in 3D, The Vow, or The Big Miracle, Maybe one of the Snow White movies. Titanic in 3D is coming out closer to my birthday. I love Tulips so I would like tulips for my birthday. Maybe a Scentsy. There a lot of things that are on my Christmas List that I want but we are working real hard to pay off bills from Christmas lol. The top things on my wish list are a Cricut, a DSLR, a New Purse, New Balance, Jewelry.... I have been doing a lot of buying for PSP so maybe those type of gifts maybe just a nice planned vacation or a car trip somewhere. I am good with exploring Nashville
I would love this Carlo Biagi bracelet- we couldn't afford one like the one pictured or maybe just begin with getting beads to design it. I would love a similar bracelet or a charm bracelet with the hanging charms

I guess I may have to add and repost so Hubby see's it lol

I am afraid

2012-01-29T16:11:00.000-08:00

I have PTSD. I have never been to war. I have only seen what apparently my eyes shouldn't have seen. It was just too much for my brain to cope with even after 10 years. In 2001 I was separated from my husband at the time because he was abusive. I lived with an almost stranger he was a very nice guy. I lived with Mack in a sleeping bag in his living room. No Drivers License, No Job, No Money and I just had what I left the homeless shelter on my back. I was trying to find a job wherever I could walk with Mackenzie on my hip. It was hard. I had my Guardian pressure me to let Adam see his son. I had turned off all the utilities to our shared apartment. I was down to a few diapers, $5, Mackenzie had an ear infection, and my other Guardian had passed away Fathers Day Weekend 2001. So I agreed to meet Adam and let him take Mackenzie to the pediatrician. I made an appointment. He was supposed to bring him back that Sunday (Father's Day). He never brought Mackenzie back. There is nothing the police would do because we had equal and shared custody since we were still married. There is nothing Child Protective Services or Department of Family and Children Services would do even though he was under investigation for the abuse and neglect. I needed a lawyer. I didn't have money for a lawyer. I didn't have support from my family or my Guardian. So I couldn't fight his rich family. After that I went through a series of supervised (by his mother's order) visits. I was invited into her home in her living room as an adult stood at every door, door way, and window. I wasn't allowed to hold him and I was treated like a criminal. I had no legal right to pick him up and take him out of the house. I was only allowed to see him because CPS/DFACS had let them know it was in his best interest (and Adam's my husband) to let me have visitation. That's the only time they would interfere. In 2003 Adam ended up passing away from a seizure in the middle of the night at his mother's house (supposedly) while he had Mackenzie with him. I found out a month later by subpoena that he died and they wanted to adopt Mackenzie. Again I still had no $5,000 for a lawyer... I still don't. In September 2003 I lost Mackenzie.

My world tumbled in a downward spiral thankfully by September 2003 I had an almost 1 year old daughter that had helped me stay above water from drowning. I fully believe that and faith that God knew what my plan was helped me through that year and several years after. In 2006 I broke up with an abusive man I was dating. He did drugs and drank and was emotionally abusive. In 2007 I was meeting my now husband for the first time and like a responsible mother I left my daughter who was 4 at this time, with my sister that I thought I could trust until I got the call that my ex had came and picked up Skylar and took her. He had no legal right to Skylar. He is not Skylar's father. He also stole my purse. I went to the police station to file a report on my missing ID etc we were out of jurisdiction for the "kidnapping". I didn't think they took it seriously. I went into the police station in the area where I lived. They agreed to drive me by the house... no one was there. They couldn't take me as far out as my ex's father's house. So we were sitting at the Sheriff's office for a time trying to take a next step (again does it sound like they took kidnapping seriously? Go Gordon County!) I got a call from my ex's uncle asking me if I called the cops on his nephew. I told them yes but I hadn't pressed charges yet so he agreed to bring her back. Skylar and my ex were in the woods hiding in the middle of the night. I got Skylar back and left the state and haven't looked back!

Were either of my children actually kidnapped and never seen again no? But most children are kidnapped by a loved one or someone they know. Were they taken away from me while I was powerless? YES!

I have a fear of my children being kidnapped. I am very protective. I am hyper attentive to them. I have PTSD. I control it REALLY well occasionally though I get an anxiety attack when I can't 1) access my child. If I don't know where they are or I can't touch them or see them. I freak out. 2) like any normal mother I hurt when they hurt. I turn into mother bear. I am told I would be crazy if I didn't react with my amount of protection. Jaycee Dugards of the world re-enforce my need to put GPS tracking on my kids. So my last Anxiety attack was the last time we went to marriage counseling but I didn't react I worked through it. The time before was the issue with the church and the time before that was over a year when the school doors were locked with CHILDREN inside. Normally the outer most doors are unlocked you can A) enter the lobby and talk to the receptionist through the window or use their little machine and MOST of the time the school office door is unlocked. The inner most doors STAY locked from the outside. Well the OUTER most doors are locked - which is probably against fire code. I went to the Cafeteria and those doors were unlocked but I was greeted by a chick I didn't know wearing street clothes and I was told I couldn't enter the building and I couldn't speak to my child. So I got back in the car kinda in shock and I told Rick who had been working for 24 hours straight so he wasn't all with it. A mile an a half to the house and I had him calling the school. Boy was I heated! Of course they just said maybe I didn't know how to open the doors myself LMAO. Untrue and covering their ass. There have been times when Skylar is doing something with a friend going to an event that I am not there that is not at their house and I am NOT okay but I am calm. Or a babysitter has them but doesn't check in I get nervous. Rick gets nervous. One time I had a close friend watching Skylar and she took Skylar to her aunts and I was a wreck but I didn't flip out on her I just said please bring her back because I didn't know where her aunt lived and I didn't know if I could drive there or not. So my worst fear is my PTSD. My only other major fear is driving in the dark and rain. I didn't get my drivers license until I was 27 and I get nervous when I drive sometimes. I am pretty strong in controlling that as well. I am afraid of being attacked but again I think that's just common sense to be aware of your surroundings and don't put yourself at risk if you don't have to. I don't let my fear control me with the except of one of the few times my PTSD hit so bad. Fear is False Evidence Appearing Real... a fear can be as simple as a big ole injured lazy lion with his big roar that can't do much but lay there and growl but from a distance it sounds scarier than it is. I don't let the devil win either. I believe that its just another way to make things weigh me down, loose hope, loose faith. I remain strong and I do believe I am being taken care of.

I write..

2012-01-28T17:17:00.000-08:00

I write because:

I write because most of the time it comes naturally to me.

I have written in one form or another since I was little.

I write because I have forgotten things I would have liked to have recorded in some way and shared perhaps only with Mackenzie. I write to record thoughts, feelings, events, pictures... etc.

I write for my children to share about their childhood unfortunately its the good and bad.

I write for Mackenzie for all of the time he missed and everything I want to share with him. I write for Mackenzie.

I have had a blog since my old life. I remember my first blog on Livejournal. Its still there

I have used Yahoo 360, Myspace, Xanga, Open Diary and other pages. Look here

I blogged then to vent I am sure my friends were tired of me nagging about one ex or another.

I still vent on my blog but I try not to get as deep as I used to. I wonder if that's why my comments and views went down since I became an Army Wife.

I have a blog to write my experiences as a wife, daughter, sister, friend, Army Wife, Army Mom, and mother to kids of all different ages. I write as my experiences dealing with Aspergers. I write with my experiences in my journey as being a spouse and step mom to someone in the Military. I write for those of who've dealt with depression or mental illness or any illness at all. I have. I have overcome challenges. I defy odds. I write for you if you can relate to being a widow, a new mom, a military wife, a military mom, I write for you.

I write because its an outlet. Its an outlet for me to express myself without laying my crazy head on some one's shoulder. I am very well aware that I am a lot to handle. The pure number of therapists and their exasperation at me wasn't my first hint. Very little people can handle all this so at least as I lay it out in a blog its in bits and pieces and you can tune me out, X out of my blog, and never come back. But I want you to come back. I love comments and feedback for the good and the bad (just not too bad okay?) I write for me.

I write because I am an emotional person. I am a talkative person. Its therapeutic for me to write.

Its therapeutic if I can read what I wrote and remember everything about that moment. There is comfort in my blog. In my home away from home

I write for the memories. Memories fade especially as you get to be elderly or you loose childhood memories as you grow so I write for my future self. I write for Alex, James, Skylar, Rick, and William.

I write because I have met many people over the years in my Mommy Support Group online and they like to hear about things I might forget to email. A lot of us have moved on from the email groups because our kids are growing up, we have started working, gotten busy or whatever the reason. Thanks to Facebook and my blog they still have a view into my life. I write for my Online Friends and Family. I write for my Mommy Group Friends.

I wrote while my husband was deployed so encase I didn't get to talk to him on the phone or I forgot to tell him something I would write and rant about my day to day on my blog as long as it wasn't too personal. I write for my husband. After all I owe my blog for introducing us ;)

I write because we are a military family. Being a military family the best way to share what is going on in my world with my extended family spread all out is to share it on my blog. I wish my mom had internet and a computer.. maybe soon. I write for Rick's family and my family.

I write because I wouldn't remember my cat's birthday's LOL. I blogged about when we got Tinker Bell and when we got Mittens.

I write on a blog because paper is too easily destroyed, misplaced, or worse. When I wrote things down in high school and middle school I used a special type of Five Star Notebook with the spiral on top. Do I have those now? No I wish I did even though my poems are probably embarrassing it was me at 15 & 16. I have been published I don't have any of that either. I write this because things are lost and forgotten.

I write this blog to inspire. Perhaps a new military wife will read this blog and realize she has the strength to survive a hard deployment. A single mom has the fight of fight left in her. A lost Christian can find their way back. A widow will learn it doesn't heal but it does get easier. I write to a mother who has lost her husband or her child as I have and just tell her to hold on. If I can educate one person with my experiences my blog has done what I want it to. I have survived child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, I've been widowed, lost the rights to my child, and I can survive two deployments! Go me! I write this blog to spread laughter. I am no comedian but I am sure something my kids have done is funny or perhaps a funny story or graphic made you smile.

I write on StormyAries Creations http://stormyariescreations.blogspot.com/ to show off. To teach. To keep track of what I do and what I create. To list ideas. To try new ideas. Its my creative side.

I write because its who I am.

You Don't Know Me

2012-01-27T19:21:00.000-08:00

You know the saying don't judge a book by its cover. My book has many chapters and I have changed my "mask" several times in my life. No one stays the same I am sorry they don't. Everyone changes everytime they have a life experience that changes the way they think, emotional scars change how you trust and open up. Emotional scars can even close you off. I also wear many coats of many colors.. Some see me as a sinner, a bitch, an idiot, a weirdo, a mom, an Army Wife, a trophy wife, a daughter, a sister, an enemy, a wife, a lover, a soul mate, a child of God... No one may use the same word to describe me. No one knows me the same way either. I have known one of my best closest friends since our daughters were barely talking. Other friend's I have known longer than I have known my husband and some I haven't even met offline. Do they know more about me than my husband? Maybe not but they probably know things about me he doesn't. They've seen me homeless, they've seen me cry, they've stuck by my side at my lowest. I know I am not only going to be judged before God but I am probably judged everyday. People can form opinions on me but you know what they haven't walked in my shoes and they probably don't even know the journies I have been on. the milage my shoes have seen, the challenges I have sunk below and risen above. Some people even compare themselves to me. You can't do that, because no one has been where I've been. These people can try to understand or think they understand but they can only understand a thread of me that is woven into my soul.

Whether you've known me 1 year or my whole life don't judge me because you don't know me. Its human nature to judge others yet the Bible says not to. "Please excuse the mess I am a work in progress"

There are days when I feel like I am at my wits end. I close myself off from everyone. I may use my blog as an outlet or random Facebook status messages. The thing is anything I write or say may be superficial I may be feeling it at the moment but not truly mean it. Now that doesn't mean I don't stand for what I believe in. When I am passionate about something your not going to win a debate on it. I have put all my cards on my beliefs and I get serious about it.

If you know my story or I share a piece of me with you I am not looking for your pity party. I am not looking for your understand. I am not looking for your compassion although I think all humans need to be compassionate to others. I don't get "pity parties" Whoa is me.... F' that. No one wants to be around someone that constantly thinks their life is in ruins every minute of the day. I learned at 12 someone always has it suckier than you do. I was on my back I just had major Craniofacial surgery. My eyes were sewn shut, my face swollen like I got hit by a Mack Truck, **Graphic Picture Behind the Link** I had a quarter of an inch of hair and I was in a lot of pain. My mom brought in a baby less than a year old that just had the same surgery. Put things into perspective for me perhaps for the rest of my life. I can't say I wasn't dealt the best hand of cards. I am blessed to have had the life I have had even though parts of it sucked.. I've been abused, raped, and put through hell but each event in my life is a building block or the mortar of the foundation of who I am. Unless you have never missed a beat of my heart... You don't know me ALL of me.

The journey that is my life is the one that God has paved for me I will gladly sleep on a bed of nails, walk across broken glass, and put my hands in fire if that is what I had to do to be faithful.

I changed the name of my blog to the Misadventures of Bella's Second Life because I often feel like my old life is someone else's life or it feels like an out of body experience. This is my NEW me, This is the New Life, A new relationship, New family, New Opportunities, this is my second chance at the life I can make the best of so leaving the old life in 2007 and this is my Second Life. You don't know me and probably never will. But I can be a good friend and you can get to know me.

An annoying myth or wives-tale.

2012-01-26T17:26:00.001-08:00

William's little tootsies!

I guess the oddest ones I've heard were bare baby feet cause colic. My first husband's mother used to bitch at me if Mackenzie didn't have socks on and it was my fault he had colic... Now I was a first time mother but I had enough wits about me to say there can't be a connection. Of course she also harassed us about letting cats near babies because they will suck the air out or drink milk out of their mouths. First of all don't trust ANY animal 100% around your child. So I kept the cats for the most part out of the nursery for my first child. I had more of a problem getting the dogs away from the bottle nipples than the cats. I think its ridiculous to scare new moms with this wives tale.

Other wives tales that are annoying are the don't swallow bubble gum or watermelon seeds. How small are those little devils? To try and pick them out of your watermelons. Especially the white ones?

Don't sit near the TV you will fall it or go near sighted. Don't read with the lights off. Don't make faces you will stick that way... now on that note my plastic surgeon told me if you push your nose up it will form a weird piggy pudge lol so don't push the tip of your nose up!

I like black cats I don't think they are bad luck as much as they are carrying messages or signs for the rest of us. I worked at Children's Place 6 years ago or so and the store was closed and some of the employee's were just refolding clothes and cleaning the store up. We notice a stray black cat walk in front of the front door. (It was an Outlet store)... within minutes someone in the stock room was screaming. We went back there and they were all up on the table telling us there was a snake in the stock room. It was so funny! So some of the girls were saying the cat brought bad luck but what if the cat was warning us the snake was there? Hmmm!

My Grandparents Houses

2012-01-25T17:03:00.000-08:00

Blalock Reservoir which I believe was part of my Grandfather's land and his lake.
I believe what is pictured is the dam that separated it.

I don't think I have any pictures of my Grandfather or Grandmother all I have are my memories. Maybe one day I will be able to get copies of important photos. My Paternal Grandmother lived in Sun City California last I saw of her. My Grandma Harriett lived with her second husband the only Paternal Grandfather I have ever known his name is Donald. I remember my Grandma Harriett used to collect lots of dolls and my Grandpa had a special chair that he would let us occasionally sit in. I remembered that's where I learned to play Chinese Checkers and she had an awesome old organ like this oh and Grandma always wore wigs I don't know why I think they are dreadful. I remember Grandpa's blue and white full sized pick up. I bet it looked similar to this . I last saw my Grandma when I was 10 and she passed away from Diabetes when I was 18.

My maternal grandfather is one of my favorite people to ever walk this earth. I cherish him like I cherish my own children. My cousins and sisters called him Papa Bear. Papa Bear lived off of Noah's Ark Road in Jonesboro, Georgia with his second wife Nancy. My Grandma died when my mom was young. My Papa Bear owned a large farm. There was his single story farm house with a full or daylight basement and a fenced in front yard with a Mimosa tree we always climbed. Next to his house was one of the first houses on the property it was made with big five pound cinder blocks. I heard stories that my grandfather built that house himself and didn't have the brick home built until after he married Nancy and Nancy had three young daughters. So my Mom and Uncle lived in the Cinder Block house. My mom later lived there as an adult and I lived there too when I turned 18. I remember an elderly lady living there before. The Cinder Block House was a small two bedroom house with a living room, dining room, kitchen and one small bathroom. I remember the arch ways were awesome and my mom built a fence for her animals outside. The Brick house I believe had three bedrooms and one bath, a den, kitchen, and a great room. So many Thanksgivings and Christmas' It makes me teary eyed. The next "house" was a small mobile home. I think my Uncle Kenny lived in that house for a short while in my adolescence. Behind the trailer was another fenced in yard for the horses and chickens. He had a Horse stall and a chicken coop there. There was also another house I remember it was white and made of wood. I don't remember much about the house but I have vague memories of kids my age living there perhaps a cousin at one time.
If you drive past the brick house and cinder block house there was a pasture for the cows and you go down through the pasture where there was a pig pen but it had long been abandoned by the time I was an adult. Papa Bear just grew some crops and raised cows for the most part. I also remember a very old pick up truck not far from the Pig Pen that Papa Bear left there to rot :). It was right there where you can see the beautiful lake. I used to go down to the lake to write my poetry as a teen and explore as a child. It was a refuge. I remember an old barrel boat rotting on the side of the lake too.
Back to the white house. There was a road between the white house and the trailer home... You could follow the road to the place where Papa Bear kept the farm supplies I think it was in like two 18 wheeler trailers and he had some rabbit coops in there at one time. Through the big gates and it would lead you to the pastures I described above... if you continued down the road you would come upon a beautiful brown house that wasn't owned by Papa Bear. I don't remember talking much with the people that lived there. Go down toward the lake and there was a drive way that snaked up the far side of the lake and it was another house not owned by Papa Bear. I think it was also white and made of wood. At 18 I had a crush on the owners grandson. Boy was he bad news but it was like the song Strawberry Wine by Deanna Carter. I had a on again off again boyfriend too!
I remember when I was younger before the city took the land for the Reservoir There was land on one side of the lake that had tree's and creeks and we would have to be careful Uncle Kenny would kill the water moccasins. We would find snapping turtles and God only knows what else. I was always told that Papa Bear had planned on giving each grand child a piece of the bottoms for their own house... until they took it to build their ugly reservoir.
There was a wooded area behind the lake that Papa Bear used to do some logging. That's where I lost my glasses and ooohwee I got in a lot of trouble! There was a picnic area we had a family reunion once. I remember fishing in a John Boat... riding in the back of Papa Bear's pick up to collect fishing fee's (before you needed a license I bet!) and empty the trash can barrels.
So many fond memories of the farm. Not long before Papa Bear died he needed to sell the farm and fought so he wouldn't have to sell it to developers but in that area it was all subdivisions and growing out of farm country. He and (his brother's that owned neighboring farms) sold to the developers and now I bet the houses there sell for almost half a million dollars.

I wasn't suppose to see...

2012-01-24T10:45:00.000-08:00

I was just writing this post and my 2 year old was hijacking my computer while I was on the phone with my husband and so I clicked save and before I know it he closed my browser (my 2 year old!) I came back and it wasn't in my drafts anymore- stinker!

These Blog Dare's are supposed to help with the writers block but sometimes they stump me. Like I was asked the question the other day, "What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you?" I honestly couldn't answer it.

Sometimes I get these prompts and I think to myself. I don't have an answer long enough to put you through the torture of checking my blog, or I don't know if you want to read that, or my answer is boring, or DO I want you to read that. I mean my husband's family, my ex's family (could), my family (probably not), my step sons and even my 9 year old could read this on my blog. Do I really want to go through the whole explanation process.

So with a topic like I wasn't supposed to see...

I could say Santa kissing Mommy

I could say presents that I was supposed to see.

Or the thing that Moms and Dads typically do around the Christmas Season (you figure out what I mean)

I could see my Guardian's private parts when I was supposed to or their son. I think I walked into the bathroom when the door wasn't locked and they were in there. Not my fault at all! LOL

I also walked in on my Guardian's 80-90 year old Mother who was screaming for help because she couldn't latch her bra. I probably should have seen her bare breasts I probably will never cleanse my eyes of that ever.

I probably wasn't supposed to see a down zipper like not to long ago at a Birthday party.

I never walked in my Guardian's doing the deed because I don't think they ever did. Seriously they slept in separate rooms down the hall from each other. She always told me because he snored (which he did BADLY.) I doubt that was the only reason. But who wants me to air out other people's dirty laundry here on my blog? Gossip is always juicy but it doesn't always have to be the one thing that makes things interesting. I would prefer not to see my step kids without a shirt on or in their skivvies. I would prefer my daughter didn't either. Male skivvies always have that fly... its so annoying.

There are a lot of things in my life I wasn't supposed to see and I doubt I am supposed to say a lot of them here.

What are some things you weren't supposed to see?

My Life As a Military Wife

2012-01-24T05:14:00.000-08:00

I am a guest blogger for a blog called My Life As a Military Wife here
I used an old blog I had written awhile back. So give me love... give me feedback. Is there any issues I should blog about? or take on?

Versatile Blogger Award

2012-01-23T14:55:00.000-08:00

I was awarded the Versatile Blogger award by Just Another Blogger Mom visit her blog here

I am supposed to list 7 things about myself...

I am honest and blunt.
I am kind & giving
I am a Georgia girl
I can be a good friend
I am a Christian
One of my hobbies is graphic design look here
I have two boys, 1 girl, 5 cats, 2 step kids, 2 sisters, and a husband

and I am supposed to choose to give the award to `15 Newly Discovered Blogs

Simply Sami's Thoughts

Life with the D's

My Life Would Suck Without You

5 Nuts in a Nutshell

Life as Wife

The antics of an Autism Mom

A Florida Girl and Her Soldier

Life As Bobbi

Undomesticated Housewife

and that's all the new blogs I got :)

Dream Land

2012-01-23T13:35:00.000-08:00

Image from Google Search

The most vivid dream...

{Remember, this is how the whole Twilight thing started!}

my dreams I've remembered a good bit of them since I was very young. They started at like Dumbo falling in an earthquake crater and a huge yellow snapping turtle in the "bottoms" of my grandfather's farm... up to adult hood my dreams have been unique and colorful to say the least. At lot of unrealistic and strange aspects to my dreams. Of course I have my share of nightmares a few years ago I repeatedly dreamed of a killer chasing me through aspects like (down the beach, through the woods, through water) it was always something that seemed to keep me slowed down. When I was pregnant with Skylar I dreamed I had her by c-section and she was a lab puppy. Thank You anti depressants while I was pregnant lol.

Snow Day

2012-01-22T18:04:00.000-08:00

Oh there is more but I guess my albums need cleaning because I can't find them! UGH!

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Books that make an impact

2012-01-21T20:24:00.000-08:00

You know I was raised in a church. When I was living with my mom she would load my sisters and I up on a bus and we would go to Pinecrest Baptist Church in Morrow, GA. When I lived with my Guardian I went to church every Sunday that I can remember to Trinity United Church of Christ/ Trinity Community Church. I even went during the week to choir, to youth group, to do the Newsletter, to volunteer. I was at church a lot. But on my journey of learning my faith I've had to learn on my own. I have had to follow my own road. My relationship with my spiritual faith is a very personal, deep, faith. Its unlike any of yours.

So how did the Bible and Gianna impact my life? Well obviously when you attend church you learn about stories in the bible, the history, the future, what God wants for us... etc. That's the easy part to explain. Gianna if your a reader you know I've mentioned that book at least two times. Gianna impacted my life because she is a deeply spiritual woman who didn't let life's challenges or her "deck of cards" change her. I have learned about my own faith through this strong woman. Its been awhile since I read the book but to paraphrase she is asked how do you deal with your issues? She said I give it to God. I wasn't sure what she meant when I read the book. Through my own challenges of life I had to learn it myself. I have posted about my journey in Jesus Take The Wheel

Fill in the blank Friday

2012-01-20T16:58:00.000-08:00

1. I used to enjoy __scrapbook____ but now I don’t really anymore except for when I_do it on my computer
2. My first job was ______ at Publix store 545 in Hampton (Is it Hampton?) Georgia on Tara Blvd.
3. I am a bit obsessed with ________ at the moment. Making sure I don't take my life or my kids lives for granted
4. If I don’t have my ___________ at night, I don’t sleep well HUSBAND!

Five Question Friday

2012-01-20T16:55:00.000-08:00

1. Where do you hide the reeeally good snacks? In my desk which is usually just my Dove Chocolates
2. Do u keep your vehicle clean or am I the only one who has things falling out of their van? Um I am a clutter bug in my car but my husband cleans it for me he's the OCD one =)
3. Have you ever been to Vegas? Not that I can remember
4. Warm room light blankets or cold room warm snuggly blanket? Warm Room Snuggly Blankets lol I like a lot of fuzzy blankets or nice quilts. I would have a fireplace going in the middle of the summer with a fan on me as a matter of fact I used to do that when I lived as a live in nanny.
5. What is the worst airplane/flying experience you've ever had? I have never had one I LOVE to fly

I heart punk rawk baby

2012-01-20T05:25:00.000-08:00

Sooooo have you ever heard of RockerByeBaby? I have just nominated her for the next Martha Stewart (Amber's a lot cooler if you ask me. Although Amber how's your cooking skills girl? I know your crafty but can you stand up in the kitchen too?)Tell me when you had a wee babe you didn't go into Spencers or Hot Topic and look at all the cute stuff you can buy for your baby or toddler? But you know what anyone can have that awesome stuff. But I bet you (and then all your friends after they see your kid) will be the only ones that carry the softest, cutest most adorable Baby stuff in the world for us Punk Rawk moms? Oooh she does bedding too (and for us envious moms she does Mom sizes for blankets!) Yes I have personally bought a blanket as a baby gift. I have to save it for my own :)

Anyways so if you head over to RockerByeBaby on her Blog Here.... or at her ETSY store (like duh buy something)... or become a fan on Facebook to see her in her awesomeness here.She is hosting a giveaway for Small Threads that also makes CUTEEEE unique OOAK kids clothes and you can visit Small Threads Etsy shop here (like duh... buy something else) and her Facebook here and on the web here

Small Threads Twitter
Rockerbyebaby Twitter

Now here is the good part... Small Threads will make a custom short sleeve baby bodysuit or tot Tee Shirt for the winner of the Giveaway. I entered so can you so go to Rockerbyebaby to enter to win!

The last time I laughed so hard, I cried...

2012-01-19T17:19:00.000-08:00

Was either when....
Well Skylar's been hilarious lately. I am not sure her stories here are appropriate. One day on the way to girl scouts she had said something and sometimes she struggles with speech but thankfully its rare. So when she said something to me I thought she was simply mispronouncing something or being silly. Come to find out I was pronouncing a word and she thought I was saying a curse word haha!

We were going past Jimmy's (a strip club) and Rick had commented that they were building a Super Walmart around Jimmy's. So Skylar asks what do they do at Jimmy's? I said they have lady dancers at Jimmy's but not ballet type dancing. I said its for adults only. She said is it like pole dancing? I LMAO... then I turned into the good serious mom and I said Skylar what is pole dancing? She said where you dance with a pole? I said yeah probably where did you hear about it. She said Destiny (her friend from the bus stop)

Then the last thing that it literally took awhile for me to calm down. I was getting out of my car.and I saw my Siamese cat outside and her name is Cocoa. I saw aww your like a warm cup of Ca Ca (I meant Cocoa) you warm my heart. I had to beat down the door (it was locked) and hurry into the bathroom because I laughed so hard at myself. I don't know why but I couldn't stop cracking up. Then Skylar was asking what was so funny and every time I tried to tell her the tears welled up again and I started crying and laughing... and laughing. I know its probably not near as hilarious as I thought at the time :)

Something at home/work that serves no purpose.

2012-01-19T16:56:00.000-08:00

So Hunter Homes who is a builder in our area likes to design these "faux lofts" You can't go upstairs to reach them (you have to climb a ladder check out the bottom right hand corner of the 1st and 3rd picture. Its very wide but not very deep and 12 feet up in the air. My faux lofts (I have a big one and a small one) don't have electric but they are carpeted. (You want me to vacuum where?) So I think they are really kinda useless. What would you do with these areas?

Oh and did I mention the big one was above my front door? LOL

Oh yeah they are good for Christmas Tree's if you don't mind the extension cords?

So yeah seriously what is your decorating dream with my faux lofts? Should I do a special themed tree next year or the year after (since you've missed the big sale).

I will not be blogging tomorrow...

2012-01-17T17:57:00.001-08:00

Read more about SoPA http://savvyblogging.net/sopa-strike/
http://sopastrike.com/strike/

The first time I saw...

2012-01-17T07:31:00.000-08:00

my youngest William they announced that he was 8 lbs 3 oz and I said are you sure you got the right baby? My last baby was barely 5 lbs. Because of the C-Section I didn't get to do his first bath or any of that but his Apgar was a lot better than Skylar's and it was a much better experience for me and the healing was awesome. I enjoyed watching Skylar with the baby that she wanted for so long. She is such a good big sister and Rick with a new baby to love. We really didn't have any adjustment problems. William was a nursing champ before he left the hospital but he only wanted one breast. We did great! I can't believe how big he is now. Almost 2½ now and copying everything and getting into everything. I can't blog about my first memories of seeing him or his older sister and brother because I wouldn't be able to explain the joy in my heart. What a miracle having a baby is!

William & Skylar

Skylar

Mack & Adam

Netflix Marathons on TV Tuesdays.

2012-01-17T07:06:00.000-08:00

My Friend Danielle decided to get into Grey's Anatomy so she's been catching up through Netflix. I have been a die hard Grey's fan since the beginning and I love when I get my friends hooked. I had an Army wife friend while my husband was deployed and we had Grey's Marathons for days. We would rent Grey's free from the library and I ended up having to buy one season from Best Buy at the time which of course I was happy to do. We enjoyed our Grey's Marathon. So I decided I needed to watch them here too on my Netflix with Danielle. Mainly for research of my Thursday 13 blog to find my 13 favorite episodes. I didn't know it would take me two-three weeks to finish my research. Now we are both done with Grey's Danielle finished up about a week after me. Now we are on to Private Practice. Private Practice is a spin off of Grey's and honestly I don't watch it that often but I am watching it on Netflix. I think I am on Season 3. I don't like Private Practice as much as I have loved Grey's. I liked Shonda Rimes other show Off the Map but I just couldn't find the time to watch it. I love finding shows I missed on Netflix like Secret Life of American Teenager, Dead Like Me, Brothers & Sisters (Danielle and I both LOVE- really tragic that its canceled now), I love the Tudors, and Weeds. Oh and my step son got me into True Blood he doesn't watch it no but his boss and co-workers do. I am hooked on all its hilarity and weirdness. I have tried watching Vampire Diaries but so far I am not sure if I like it or not. I am on a break while I watch Private Practice. Danielle's Iphone out of commission so she has to wait till Friday for a new one. Not sure how much PP she will be watching without it. So after Vamp Diaries and Private Practice should I watch Switched at Birth? I've been told I should. Hubby's been watching marathon's of Bones. I don't want to mess up his cue but I want to watch soon! What things do you like to watch on Netflix? What are your favorite shows you try not to miss?
My weekly show line up is
House & Castle on Mondays
Tuesday/Wednesday is usually a reality show. American Idol is coming up
Thursday is Bones and Grey's Anatomy
I DVR or watch online episodes of MTV shows
Sunday's is Once Upon a Time, Desperate Housewives and Pan Am. I LOVE Pan Am!

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

2012-01-17T06:02:00.000-08:00

I love Crock Pot Meals. I may have to find more recipes or a cook book or something

but my friend shared this one I want to try

Chicken and Dumplings:

1 1/2 pounds of chicken (whatever you have)
2 medium potatoes diced
2 cups baby whole carrots
1 medium onion
5 cups chicken broth
2 cups biscuit mix
1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons parsley

place chicken potatoes onion and carrots into slow cooker.
add broth and let cook for 9- 10 hours on low heat setting
About an hour before done increase heat setting to high.
Stir together biscuit mix with water and parsley in bowl.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto hot chicken mixture in slow cooker.
Cover and cook for the last hour or until dumplings are dry in center.

PREP Time: 10 mintues
Cook Time: 9-10 hours
Serving: 5 people

P.S. I also like to season the chicken with a little bit of salt and pepper and italian seasoning.

Taco Lasagna

You will need 1 lb Lean Ground Beef, Taco Seasoning, Tortillia's, Shredded cheese and or Cheese Sauce, and toppings as desired and refried beans if desired

We buy the Tomato Trinity Mix or the Pico Da Gallo Mix depending on the supermarket we shop at. We put shredded Mexi blend between layers and cheese sauce on top.

1. Cook a great Filling

Heat oven to 350°F Brown ground beef in 10-inch skilet, drain. Stir in Water and Seasoning Mix, Heat to boiling. Reduce Heat, simmer uncovered 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until thickened.

2. Assemble the layers

Place 1 tortilla in the bottom of ungreased 9 inch glass casserole dish or metal pie pan. Spoon over ½ cup of beef filling onto the tortilla, spread evenly to edges. Repeat layers, ending with beef filling. **At this point you can use shredded cheese or cheese sauce (whatever you prefer) and add a layer. You can also add a Tomato Trinity Mix or Pica Da Gallo mix between layers and/or the refried beans. You can add several layers repeating this step until you have your desired amount (usually about 4)

3. Bake it Up

Bake uncovered about 15 minutes or until heated through. Top as Desired. Serve with a side of salsa for added zing :)

Give Away on My Life Would Suck Without You

2012-01-17T05:23:00.001-08:00

Heaven's Little Drummer Boy EB Free

2012-01-16T16:10:00.000-08:00

In my Sunday post of Praise Sunday. I praised Tripp's mom for being a fighter for her child and being the mom that hero's are made of. A very special cloth. I wrote the blog post on Sunday but I didn't know on Saturday Tripp took his last breath with his mommy. God bless her and keep her in your prayers please.

Military Monday

2012-01-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

The Military Monday topic this week is

1 Are you worried/glad or whatever about the downsizing of our military?

2 How do think things are going to change?

Since my husband and son are retired the downsizing doesn't effect us. Nor am I sure about it or how I feel about it.

I do have an exciting announcement I hope it all works out but I have been selected as a Guest Military Blogger for DomesticDivaNation.com so stay tuned when I post with them I will update the link here! We are still working out kinks!

Pray for Me Monday

2012-01-16T11:55:00.000-08:00

Link up and read about Pray for Me Mondays

at Home Grown Families and Troop Petrie

I loved Pam's Post about Anxiety and the story of Daniel. I need to share it with a friend that struggles with Anxiety. I have had to face a lot of fears in my life 5 years ago this weekend I faced one of the worst fears of my life. Luckily it also lead to a blessing. God Bless the Broken Road.

She said she is scared of storms. She asked if I was too. I told her I am not there are a lot worse things to be scared of. No reason in being scared of something you can't control. I admit since our April 27th Tornado I get nervous and I know no one is safe but I've lived through terrifying tornado's before. The day I moved to Calhoun, The day I moved to Dillon SC Hurricane Hugo hit. I lived in LA and I have been through Earthquakes. Mother Nature is a force of nature and she is unpredictable but there is no reason being scared of Lightning and Thunder. Plus if our kids sense we are scared of the little things I bet they will think they need to be scared of it too.

The only thing I need prayer for is I am sick, Rick is sick, and William is sick and we have a wounded fur baby. We would take care of her but she is feral and we are really tight on money. So I am networking and trying to figure out a plan. *fingers crossed*

Also life up prayer and positive thoughts for peace and equality exactly what today is all about.

I convinced my children to...

2012-01-16T06:21:00.000-08:00

There are times when I just need a break long enough to put a load of laundry in, have 5 minutes peace and quiet, or blog. So I convince my children to play together (it doesn't come easy they have a 7 year age difference) or get a bath together. I am not below using a bath tub as a babysitter

To be continued

January Thyroid Awareness Month

2012-01-15T14:44:00.000-08:00

I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism about 2 years ago and my husband not to long after. I am tired of what it does to my body and I still don't think i have my medication right.

Check out this blog Finding My Way

This paragraph will surprise some viewers and enlighten others:. . . 59 million Americans have thyroid problems, and the majority of these thyroid sufferers remain undiagnosed and untreated, in part because patients and their doctors are unaware of the many different risk factors, signs and symptoms of a thyroid condition (http://thyroidawarenessmonth.com).
Hypothyroidism - slow, fatigued, fatI have hypothyroidism, the most common thyroid problem. My thyroid gland produces insufficient thyroid hormone. Hypothyroidism causes the metabolism to slow down. Some of the side effects are fatigue, depression, weight gain, hair loss, infertility, low sex drive, memory and concentration problems.
hyperthyroidism - fast, anxious, thin Men are just as susceptible to thyroid disease.. Hyperthyroidism may lead to anxiety and/or panic attacks, tremors, diarrhea, muscle weakness, eye problems, insomnia, and rapid, debilitating weight loss. This therapy is safer than it sounds; in fact, it is the most commonly used hyperthyroid treatment in the US. Unlike anti-thyroid medications, radioactive iodine is a permanent and more reliable cure for hyperthyroidism. However, you then have to take thyroid hormone replacement therapy, just like someone with hypothyroidism.Some types of hyperthyroidism, like solitary toxic adenoma, requires surgery to remove half of your thyroid gland (known as a lobectomy) with the adenoma. For nearly all other types of hyperthyroidism, including Graves' disease, the surgery is a nearly total thyroidectomy.Learn the symptoms of hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, Graves Disease, and the appearance of goiters and nodules so that you can spot them in friends, family and children. Thyroid cancer is, unfortunately, one of the fastest growing cancers in the United States.Visit the website, thyroidawarenessmonth.com.

Written by Endangered Spaces

1. Thyroid Disease is not "Easy to Diagnose and Easy to Treat"While it's common for doctors to say "Thyroid disease is easy to diagnose and easy to treat," the reality is that diagnosis and treatment are complicated. Many doctors don't recognize thyroid symptoms, so patients receive antidepressants, weight loss drugs, or other treatments, instead of a thyroid test. Once thyroid problems are suspected, some doctors will perform only one test -- the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) test -- and then base their diagnosis only on that result. This narrow approach misses patients who otherwise would be diagnosed by a thorough thyroid evaluation, such as one that takes into account clinical examination, review of symptoms, a thorough family and personal history, and other blood work and imaging tests as needed. Finally, some doctors use a cookie-cutter approach to treatment, and believe that only one drug is optimal, and that once blood test levels reach a particular target, the patient is fully treated, even if debilitating symptoms remain.To do: Spell out symptoms and family history, ask for a thorough thyroid evaluation, and be sure that the doctor's treatment goal is resolving symptoms, not just blood test results.
2. Doctors Can NOT Rule Out Thyroid Disease Just By Looking at a Patient or Feeling The Thyroid GlandSurprisingly in this day and age, there are still practitioners who believe that they can simply look at a patient, or feel his or her neck, and rule out thyroid disease. Looking at the patient, as well as feeling the thyroid gland for enlargement and lumps, are only a small part of a clinical thyroid examination. This exam should also include a blood pressure and pulse check, weight check, evaluation of reflexes, and careful evaluation of clinical thyroid signs, such as loss of outer eyebrow hair, swelling in face and limbs, unusual skin patches and other skin and hair disturbances. The doctor then considers the findings, in addition to blood work and medical history, to make a diagnosis.To do: If a doctor rules out thyroid disease based on looking at a patient, or feeling the thyroid, get another opinion.
3. Millions of Patients are Stuck in the Thyroid Test Limbo LandMany practitioners consider the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) test the "gold standard" for diagnosing thyroid disease. Unfortunately, there is a battle in the medical community over how to interpret the results of that test. On one side are the more progressive practitioners who use 0.3 to 3.0 as the normal range, while a group of hard-liners refuse to budge from an older range of 0.5 to 5.0. Despite recommendations by endocrinologists that the newer, narrower 0.3 - 3.0 range is optimal, many labs, doctors and insurers refuse to acknowledge it. It's estimated that some 22 million to 28 million people are considered hypothyroid according to the new, recommended standards, but remain in limbo.To do: Says Shomon, "No one should accept that a thyroid test is 'normal' without finding out the exact numbers, and the normal range the doctor is to define normal. And anyone who falls in the 'limbo' of a TSH level of 3.0 to 5.0 and is told they're normal should get another opinion from a more up-to-date practitioner."
4. The TSH Test May Not Be Enough to Diagnose Some PatientsThe TSH test measures one pituitary hormone that responds to thyroid function. It does not, however, test for autoimmune disease, which is the primary cause of thyroid dysfunction. Autoimmune disease may begin to cause thyroid symptoms long before the TSH test become abnormal. Many practitioners do not test for antibodies, nor do they acknowledge research that shows that treating antibody-positive/TSH-normal patients may resolve symptoms, and prevent progression to overt hypothyroidism in some patients.To do: Patients with thyroid symptoms and normal TSH results should ask for antibody testing....especially important for those with a personal or family history of any autoimmune disease.
5. Weight Gain or Weight Loss Failure May be Due to An Undiagnosed Thyroid ConditionIn addition to being Thyroid Awareness Month, January is also a time when millions of Americans embark on new diet and exercise programs, determined to keep a New Year's resolution to lose weight. Many of those dieters are doomed to fail, however, because their best efforts are being sabotaged by an undiagnosed, untreated thyroid condition. Many people with an underactive thyroid suffer weight gain due to a slowed metabolism, or can't lose weight despite proper diet andexercise. For these people, thyroid diagnosis and treatment can be a life-changing "diet secret."To do: Start a New Year's diet with a thorough thyroid evaluation.
6. An Undiagnosed Thyroid Condition May be the Cause of Infertility, Low Sex Drive, DepressionThere are women undergoing costly and invasive in vitro fertilization and assisted reproduction -- but have NEVER had a thyroid test. More than half of all women in the U.S. report suffering from low sex drive at various times in their lives -- few have their thyroid tested. A woman who goes to the doctor complaining of depression is more likely to get a prescription for an antidepressant than a blood test. Despite the fact that it's recommended that people with high cholesterol have thyroid evaluation before being prescribed a statin drug, few patients receive such testing. The reality is, despite the fact that thyroid disease is common, many practitioners simply don't know enough about the connections to common symptoms like infertility, menstrual problems, low libido, depression, PMS, high cholesterol, and menopause problems, and so they move ahead with medications, and even costly and invasive treatments, without finding out if a thyroid problem may be the real cause.To do: Thoroughly rule out a thyroid problem before agreeing to fertility treatment or a hysterectomy, and before starting antidepressants, cholesterol-lowering drugs, hormone replacement drugs.
7. There is More Than One Medication for HypothyroidismSince many doctors peddle the Synthroid (TM) brand of levothyroxine, manufactured by drug maker Abbott Laboratories, patients often are not told that there are other thyroid hormone drugs that may work as well or better for them, and cost less. For example, less expensive brand-name levothyroxine drugs include Levoxyl and Levothroid. Beyond levothyroxine, Cytomel is a synthetic version of second hormone, T3. Thyrolar contains a combination of synthetic hormones. And Armour Thyroid is an FDA-regulated, prescription natural thyroid drug that has been on the market for more than 100 years, and is often preferred by integrative, complementary and holistic practitioners. Says Mary Shomon: "The best thyroid drug is the one that you and your practictioner decide works best, and safely, for you."To do: If one thyroid drug isn't resolving symptoms, ask the doctor to try other options. If the doctor refuses, get another opinion from a more progressive practitioner.
8. Radioactive Iodine is Not the Only Option for Graves' Disease/HyperthyroidismWhen the thyroid becomes overactive due to Graves' disease or toxic nodules, practitioners in the U.S. most commonly recommend many radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation treatment. The goal of this treatment is to permanently and irreversibly destroy the thyroid, making it underactive, and leaving the patient hypothyroid for life. Outside the U.S., practitioners prefer to start with antithyroid drugs, which slow down the thyroid, and allow for the possibility of a remission.To do: Patients with an overactive thyroid who are being "rushed to RAI" by a practitioner should get a second opinion from a physician who knows how to work with antithyroid drugs.
9. The Thyroid Should Be Tested Before and During PregnancyFailing to treat thyroid disease during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, developmental delays and even mental retardation in the child, so it's essential that a pregnant woman be aware of her thyroid status. Even mild hypothyroidism during early pregnancy can put a baby at risk, so at minimum, women with any family or personal thyroid history who are considering pregnancy, and women having fertility treatments should have thyroid evaluation prior to becoming pregnant. Since more than 80% of hypothyroid women need more thyroid hormone during pregnancy, it's also important that thyroid patients confirm a pregnancy as early as possible, and work with a practitioner to increase the thyroid dosage as needed.To do: Women who are thinking of getting pregnant should have a thyroid evaluation. Women in their first trimester of pregnancy should have the thyroid tested. Women who are hypothyroid need to be knowledgeable, and highly proactive about their thyroid monitoring, treatment and management during pregnancy, and should plan ahead with a practitioner.
10. Doctors Who Rely Solely on Laboratory Tests -- And Fail to Also Consider Symptoms -- Are Not Adequately Treating Thyroid DiseaseToday's thyroid treatment tends to focus on the test results -- to the exclusion of how patients feel. One prominent endocrinologist even declared that thyroid patients who had "normal" thyroid blood tests after treatment, but who continued to have debilitating symptoms, were likely suffering from mental illness. "This has to change, " says Shomon. "Practicing medicine is a lot more than just reading numbers off a chart. One thing we need to remind doctors is that we are patients -- not lab values!" says Shomon. "When doctors put on blinders, and refuse to consider anything but the TSH test results, a patient is not receiving optimum care, and should think about finding a new practitioner for their thyroid care."Mary Shomon is the nation's leading thyroid patient advocate. She is author of 10 popular books on health, including New York Times best-selling "The Thyroid Diet: Manage Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss," "The Thyroid Hormone Breakthrough: Overcoming Sexual and Hormonal Problems at Every Age," "Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know," "Living Well With Graves' Disease and Hyperthyroidism," "Living Well With Autoimmune Disease," and "Living Well With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia." Shomon is founder and editor of a popular thyroid website, http://www.Thyroid-Info.com, and edits an email and print newsletter and magazine for thyroid patients , "Sticking Out Our Necks: Thyroid Report." Since 1997, Shomon has also served as the Guide to Thyroid Disease at About.com, a New York Times Company. More information on Mary Shomon and thyroid disease is online at Thyroid-Info.com and ThyroidAwarenessMonth.com -- two of Shomon's advocacy sites.written by http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/01/prweb496478.htm

Praise Sunday ~ For those special moms

2012-01-15T14:03:00.001-08:00

Are you praising someone for doing a good deed? How about yourself. We rarely find something to praise ourselves for especially if we are mothers. So what is something unthankful job that you did this week? What are you most proud of that you did this week? What do you have to be happy about? Any Prayer Requests that you have?

I've been thinking about certain mothers. I was reading a blog about a very sick little boy who has a dermatological condition and they don't have a good prognosis but like any good mother they don't give up hope. Another blog I've been reading Super Ty (look in my Stalk my Friends.) I learned about his mom from the Today show after she was featured blogging her son Ty's fight against cancer. Ty is in remission now. There is Kaeleb who was a victim of a baby sitters neglect and Shaken Baby Syndrome he survived unfortunately he passed away a few years later. I have followed these families stories. These mothers that have a massive amount of love for their children and I cannot imagine the amount of strength they possess to stay strong for their children even if they are given the worse news a parent can hear. That more than likely they will have to bury their child.

I've told the story here on my blog about the day Skylar was born at Gordon Hospital in Calhoun I heard a code blue over the intercom for the Labor and Delivery. I thought to myself how tragic. Later on I found out that my boyfriend at the time was working with the mother's step father. The baby was in the birth canal and suffered irreversible damage for being in the canal too long and lack of oxygen. The mother was 19 years old at the time of her daughter's birth. The ladies I worked with at Factory Brand Shoes years later knew her too and I got to talk to her. I told her how courageous she was. I said how do you do it? I said as a mom I thrive on "I Love You's", and hugs and kisses. She said I thrive on another new day with her another birthday means we've beat the odds. I think about the strength of that 19 year old mother and all the other babies that probably won't survive childhood. I praise the women who are so courageous for their children and families.

I praise the military wives who deal with pregnancy, labor and the early stages of parent hood alone while their husband's are deployed. They are Super Moms!

I praise single mothers who have dead beat ex's or ex's that manipulate them (and the system), the ones who had to deal with the hands of abuse. That even though they have been faced with these odds and these challenges they do their best to make sure their children have everything they need. I was one of those mothers.

I praise the single mothers who's husbands never made it dinner, or breakfast... one day unexpectedly. They get the looks and stares and even the nasty remarks. As if it was their fault. There is no one to share the financial responsibility, the emotional responsibility, the laughter and the tears. There is no Daddy Daughter dates or balls. There is none of that yet they still manage to stay strong as much as possible... more than I can expect out of them. I was also one of those mothers.

If your a mother I praise you! I pray for you. I am thankful for you!

Keep doing the best you can!

Why I don't like a certain cartoon character.

2012-01-15T06:18:00.000-08:00

Special Agent Oso.

If you haven't seen this one (youtube link) This cartoon is annoying because my children can be more intelligent than this stuffed creepy colorful bear that just pops into people's houses. He annoys me because he dumbs everything down. I don't think our kids need things dumbed down for them.

Boohbah

Luckily I didn't have to endure Boohbah very long. It aired when Skylar was a toddler. People at the time were giving criticism to Teletubbies which I kind of didn't mind nor did I mind Barney but Boohbah to me was just ridiculous. Luckily GPB ( Georgia Public Broadcasting) didn't air the show very long.

Chuggington

I just watched this for the first time this morning. I knew about it, seen the toys, even watched a review on Youtube about it but I really didn't like the cartoon. Nothing in particular just thought it was dumb. Perhaps its just my loyalty to "Thomas".

South Park

South Park I just don't find funny. As I used to say when I was younger rude, crude and socially unacceptable. I mean do we really need cartoon's like this? Funny how growing up I was banned from watching Beavis and Butthead but I still don't think they are near as bad as South Park. I just don't think being rude is funny. My southern class says Hell no Ya'll to this cartoon. Oh and their voices are one of the most annoying noises ever!

Spongebob Squarepants

I've learned to deal with this other rude, crude, cartoon character but I still refuse to buy products associated with him. Sometimes Skylar watches it and I just ask her to go somewhere else LOL.

Elmo

I love Sesame Street. I can't imagine the world without it but to make whole episodes or segments with Elmo just makes me batty. More than 5 minutes of his voice and I have to turn it off. The only thing I have ever liked of Elmo is the first version of the Tickle Me Elmo. I think he's going to grow up to be on South Park.

Valentine Chex Mix

2012-01-14T15:48:00.000-08:00

(1/2 recipe)

PREP TIME 10 Min

TOTAL TIME 25 Min

SERVINGS 11

Ingredients
4 1/2 Cups Rice Chex® cereal
1/2 Cup white vanilla baking chips
1/4 Cup peanut butter
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 Cup powdered sugar
1/4 Cup red, white and pink candy-coated chocolate candies
2 Tablespoons red or pink jimmies sprinkles

1 Place cereal in medium bowl. In small microwaveable bowl, microwave vanilla chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.
2 Place 1/2 of the cereal mixture in 1-gallon food-storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper or foil; cool about 15 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, stir candies and sprinkles into remaining cereal mixture. Spread on waxed paper or foil; cool about 15 minutes.
4 In serving bowl, mix both cereal mixtures. Store in airtight container.

Don't forget

2012-01-14T14:44:00.001-08:00

I have a crafty and creative blog over here
http://stormyariescreations.blogspot.com

I can't believe...

2012-01-14T13:50:00.000-08:00

William likes the Three Stooges. He found them on Youtube and loves to watch them haha

Feeling Beachie

2012-01-13T19:25:00.000-08:00

This week’s statements:

1. I have never eaten ___ maui nmaui they are other wise called Dolphin and that creeps me out

2. I like to ___ in ___ bathe in the nude haha

3. If I could go back and change one thing, it would be _______. the day my son was taken by his father

4. My greatest _____ for my ______ is ______. joy of my life is my kids

Five Question Friday

2012-01-13T19:12:00.000-08:00

http://www.katesworldbykate.blogspot.com/

http://fivecrookedhalos.blogspot.com/

1. What's the last thing you bought for yourself? clothes

2. What is your favorite meal on a cold winter day? Rick's Chili
3. Have you started looking at swimsuits for this year, and do you buy a new one every year? I have one but I am with you Pam I love it as long as it fits I won't buy a new one until I loose it or it wears out. 4. If you could be any candy what would you be and why? Blow Pop I have no idea why lol

5. What are you most passionate about? GODMy extra credit question is what do I pin the most on Pintrest? Probably crafts I want to try and quotes

My Children's Creepiest Toys

2012-01-13T18:47:00.000-08:00

The only toy I can think of that my children have right now is this Play Doh Dental set. My dear daughter says its not as creepy as this one...

But my daughters best friend got a doll years ago that would cry and laugh well after a few weeks of play the motions in the baby dolls face changed and it looked like Chucky lol. I don't know what the doll was called but I hope when my best friends Chris and Jennifer read this they remember that creepy doll when they were my neighbors and they get a good laugh lol.

This is also a creepy toy. It reminds me of a dog in the pound you walk past it and all of a sudden they scream take me home lol

and this is probably the creepiest toy I owned as a kid LOL

William

2012-01-12T17:50:00.001-08:00

William was looking outside in the hole in the blinds that Lightning made. I heard the garbage truck outside. I asked William if there was a truck and he kept saying bus. Bus.

DIY Shampoo from Scrapity Anne

2012-01-11T13:40:00.000-08:00

Scrapity Anne:

'via Blog this'

I love this Motivation from Moms

2012-01-11T13:20:00.000-08:00

1/11/2012
Start notebooks for each of your children, and together journal the changing world around us. Take note of the tiniest detail in God’s creation. Babies. Snowflakes. Lady Bugs
(take a look its on my sidebar)

I got my family gifts for Christmas I got them journals. I know I will be the one writing the most. I got one for Rick and I and one for the little kids and I. I just googled coupon codes depending on when I bought them and got a great deal! So check out Paper Coterie for a notebook type journal that you can keep forever

A vacation I hope to take this year...

2012-01-11T12:56:00.000-08:00

In 2010 I had to attend my step father's funeral near Mobile Alabama. We had never been there before. We visited Daulphin Island but it was dark and we couldn't do anything but there was this really cool Civil War Fort. Fort Gaines Its one of the nations most endangered historical sites! Article : Here
So I would like to go back to Daulphin Island and explore it more and take the ferry over to Gulf Shores Alabama and enjoy a day at the beach. Maybe we could even find a cabin or hotel at Gulf Shores and Ferry over to Daulphin Island. Then after a day or two of enjoying the Gulf of Alabama maybe head over toward Mississippi or Louisiana and visit a long time friend Danielle.

My Family reuniting after more than 6 years.

You see I run a Mommy Support Group Online and I have ran it for 11 years this past October. Danielle was one of my first members. We were just discussing the other day how we met and we have conflicting stories about how I found her or got her to join. Anyways we talk almost every day by phone but we have never met the 10 years we have known each other online and through the phone. I have met several other mommy loop members including close friend Kristin. I have actually gotten to see her twice! She is from New York, There is Michelle that conveniently lived 20 minutes from me as well as Lindsay. My Mommy loop has been a blessing for me over the years. Most of us have children that are nearly adults or entering into teen phase but some of us are new or once-again mothers as well. If your interested in joining my mommy loop leave me a comment or email at bellassecondlife@gmail.com for more information. Hopefully I get to meet another Mommy Loop member next month so naturally Danielle wants us to meet up soon! Danielle's daughter as well as Kristin's daughter have been talking to mine! Its so neat! I wonder if I had a bunch of money could I fly all my mommy friends to one resort and have a blast or even bring their families? Can you imagine!

Danielle and Darin's kids

Danielle and Darin

Kristin and I in 2010

Kristin and I in 2011

Chelley, Skylar & I

If my parents ever found out..

2012-01-11T12:07:00.000-08:00

I am sure my guardian's thought I was a lot worse than I actually was or I thought I was. I know one of them continuously compared me to my friends the good and the bad ones. A few times they forbade me to see a few of them. We had little spots in the woods we would meet up or meet at a mutual friends house. There was one spot across Panhandle Rd where there were logs in a circle of an old fire pit. Of course we rarely had the ability to build fires and the older kids around probably put the logs there I don't know. They started developing the land around that area to build neighborhoods so then we would go exploring in the new construction of the new houses, or we would meet somewhere down Panhandle Road at points in the woods before and after Panhandle Park. There was also a place off of Tara Blvd we would walk up to my church Trinity and the walk through an area of grass and tree's in the next lot where there was beautiful old house that had was in ruins... maybe a gas line blew or something but I can't imagine how many ways you can destroy a big brick house that way. It was my friend Alicia with me most of the time or my friend Joey. We would hang out or whatever the worst we would do was smoke cigarettes. I don't think I was in a lot of trouble I just think I was going through normal teenage stuff. About 15 years later I guess it doesn't matter what my guardian finds out (her husband passed away years ago) she already has her thoughts about me so nothing about that is going to change even if it is made worse.

Our recent encounter with identity theft.

2012-01-11T11:33:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought about investing into identity protection like IdentityHawk ?

I was checking our bank account online one night when I saw some mysterious charges and the fact that we were in over draft. Rick said he didn't know anything about the $500+ dollars in over draft. Funny with the bank we were using (Regions) they usually take money out of our savings to cover any overages and to take out there Overdraft Fee's but there was still money in it. So we reported the suspicious activity to the company about a Thursday/Friday night. Regions told us we would have to wait for it to clear and go directly to the companies to see if they would issue "refunds". I had dealt with this before when Subway charged us $15 when we hadn't been there and it came from a card that was literally bent in half. I was pissed that Regions didn't stand by my on my behalf. Finally a day after they said that it could take a week to clear then at that point they would file a fraud on it. Monday came and went and some of them had disappeared or cleared so we started the fraud investigation. Regions said it could be 30 days before we would see our money. Thankfully we had two other savings accounts, plus cash on hand... we actually had to resort to using credit cards to get us through Christmas. I was getting so irritated by the lack of help from Regions that I called the police and filed a police report. They weren't happy that Regions wasn't being helpful. They were helpful to me though. We still have no idea where the source of the theft was... a restaurant, a gas pump, an online purchase..we traced the IP to Israel... but that's as far as the investigators got. Hopefully the theft will be caught eventually. We still worried about what other information out there is vulnerable. Have you ever used identity protection like Identity Theft Protection?

http://www.blogsvertise.com/

My Favorite Toy

2012-01-10T22:42:00.000-08:00

My favorite toy (retro and current) is my Cabbage Patch Kid. Cabbage Patches have stood the test of time like Barbies. There is one in particular though. My Cabbage Patch I got when I was 3 years old from my Papa Bear (my grandfather) and my Mom. I still have him almost 30 years this Christmas and he is a very cherished possession. My grandmother on my father's side collected dolls and my first husband and I used to collect retro toys and Star Wars figures until he sold the entire collection (that's right for my geeky friends from the late 70's action figures until Episode 1 figures) for some lousy Transformers.
The picture above is a picture I just took of the hutch of my desk. So many better things I could probably do with my hutch LOL. My Cabbage Patch (his name is Ernie Karol) and he is wearing one of Mackenzie's first outfits... anyways I have stuffed animals that are given to m Rick, Skylar, Mackenzie or I up there and some other things like Snow Globes, Plaques, Barbies (Skylar's Snow White, My Star Wars doll, and My Bewitched Barbie lol), and some dolphins figurines. I have tried to collect a bear from every duty station I visit that can be a challenge. I want a bear or hat pin.

Cats on Tuesday

2012-01-10T14:29:00.000-08:00

Peanut was playing with William's race track. I love how they got hung up in his tail and he would play it off like he wasn't going to swipe one lol

2nd Ammendment Pens...it's your RIGHT....so Write!

2012-01-10T10:38:00.000-08:00

Just spreading the word about 2nd Amendment Pens...

2nd Ammendment Pens...it's your RIGHT....so Write!:

'via Blog this'

So sleep deprived

2012-01-09T15:48:00.000-08:00

I am so sleep deprived after weeks since a designer made for me the header on my blog I noticed it is misspelled and that's after we played around with the spelling for awhile. Haha
I am so sleep deprived Monday and Tuesday have now ran in together and I made some Tuesday blog posts... oh well I got a head start.

William woke up at 3 am. I think I heard Rick coming upstairs but what woke me up was my cat Cocoa meowing loudly. I am not used to her being upstairs then my body sensed that Rick wasn't in bed so I got up to pee and go find Rick who was laying in William's room because William was wide awake. Apparently Rick went downstairs to get some cold medicine (he has sleep apnea and he is an insomniac) So I offered to stay up with William. William really wanted to go downstairs so I laid on the couch (caught up on Jersey Shore lol) and let him play I was hoping he would lay down on his nap spot and go back to sleep but no such luck. I put William to bed at 5:30 and I told Rick to wake up (he had to get ready for work) and I told him to get Skylar ready for school and to wake me up at 7 when he went to work. So he woke me up at 6:30 to tell me Skylar had a stomach ache and wanted to stay home which I said was okay. So when I got up between 6:30 and 7 William was awake again so I just laid on the couch and the kids played while I dozed in and out of sleep. My phone rang at 8:30 from a text message and I was busy ever since. I am so tired!

365

2012-01-09T13:59:00.000-08:00

Every year I think I try to do the Photo Project 365 and every year there is a brief time I am just not feeling it or loose my camera. Some of my days are boring to most of ya'll & are spent at home so this year I am NOT going to do the photo project however I will try to take a picture every day. So the best way to make a New Years Resolution is to not make one. Lets give this a try. Here are my photo's from last week

Peanut vs Cars

Skylar Thursday January 5th at Gymnastics

Today at the doctors office

My geeky side.. high on my Christmas Wish list was this inexpensive thumb drive I wanted for my car. Yes its R2-D2 and yes I even spoil my car (last year she got cleaning products!)

William is probably the world youngest techie. Yes that's him on his Innotab, He also has a Itouch, a DS, a DSi, and use of his dad's laptop and his sisters Leap pad!

William's best friend James on Saturday at James' 3rd birthday party!

Skylar after church on Sunday in her new dress I finally got off layaway she had been wanting it since Easter. Boy it is loud though! The skirt is like tissue paper!

Totally out of focus are some of my pictures thank you Otterbox or Iphone 3... Piece of crappola lol

Pray for Me Monday

2012-01-09T13:35:00.000-08:00

Please pray for me... my family is under constant challenges. We knew when we got married we already faced challenges apart as well as we were going to face them as a family. Some we didn't realize at the time but we will manage.
As a military family there is over 50% it ends in divorce. I think close to 60%. 3.6 military marriages end in divorce as of 2011.
Over 70% of second marriages that involve step children end in divorce. 25% fail in the first five years. (Okay we've almost overcome that statistic)
Having children with special needs gives you a higher chance of divorce. Some articles state 80% but that is being argued now.

So we have over 50% chance that a military marriage would end in divorce. Luckily we aren't active duty anymore but we are still struggling with the side effects of forever being military.
We have over a 50% chance that we will divorce because we are in a second marriage
and over a 50% chance we will divorce because we have one or more children with special needs.
So does that give us over 150% chance of divorce?

I tell you what statistics I didn't add in
I am a christian and I believe in my vows...not in the Karadashian way but in the real way of from Better & Worse
I think this being a second marriage gives me the advantage of learning from the first with MY mistakes. I can hope the same with Rick.

But I ask for you to hold up my family in prayer as we face these challenges. I know God doesn't give more than I can handle. My plate may be full, it may be heavy, I know I can do this but every once in awhile I need a helping hand. Babies don't come with instruction books and neither did my marriage. Every where I turn there is marriage advice from my Pastor, from this Author, or that blogger, this expert or that one. But no one has the marriage I do. So the what if's out weigh the advice.

There is a lot on my plate... my smallest one is almost 2½ and he struggles with severe separation anxiety... again everything in a text book has been tried now the doctor says to wait it out. So its not an option to hire a sitter and go on a date and enjoy my one-on-one time with my husband. Its not even an option to go to church together since he hyperventilates in the area where they watch the babies and the one for toddlers. Yes he will cry for the solid hour if not more. My 9 year old will soon be hitting puberty and all the mess that is coming from that. She's got a sassy attitude and mouth just like her mother and sometimes she struggles in school. Even if she made straight A's on her report card. YAY Skylar! I struggle every day with loosing my 11½ year old. I am not sure if to move on or to fight and how to cope because again there aren't many people I can turn to for help that understand where I am at. We have James who is 24 and he Aspergers and Anxiety disorders we are still trying to deal with on a daily or weekly basis and Alex the 25 year old who is trying to make it on his own but he is still Rick's baby you know what I mean? They all come with their own challenges and we have five blessings there isn't much time to break for ourselves. There is no text book, self help book, or expert to help us on this journey just God and prayer!

I never thought I'd find this in my child's room...

2012-01-09T04:27:00.000-08:00

When my daughter was little she was supposed to be napping in her play pen and I was napping as well in the next room. I came in to get her as I could hear her full of giggles and glee. I came into her room to find out she took off her diaper and played in her poo. Ohmigoodness it was disgusting. I had to clean her off and I just threw out the play pen!

More on Not My Child Monday....
Skylar has said two really funny things lately I swear she is on a role!

We were going past Jimmy's (a strip club) and Rick had commented that they were building a Super Walmart around Jimmy's. So Jeanette Skylar Armyknightsprincess asks what do they do at Jimmy's? I said they have lady dancers at Jimmy's but not ballet type dancing. I said its for adults only. She said is it like pole dancing? I LMAO... then I turned into the good serious mom and I said Skylar what is pole dancing? She said where you dance with a pole? I said yeah probably where did you hear about it. She said Destiny (her friend from the bus stop) LOL

Driving skylar to girl scouts and I was putting in a cd in the stereo and we get to talking about one handed driving. I told her your not supposed to one hand drive she said why does daddy do it is it because of butt burgers? Omg skylar what are you talking about butt boogers. She said not boogers eww burgers. I'm still not catching on. She said you know the a word. I said Aspergers? She said yeah butt burgers what your always ....
Saying daddy has. I swear I almost wrecked

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to http://www.mycharmingkids.nether blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Calling all Coca-A-Holics

2012-01-08T15:49:00.000-08:00

I am from Atlanta Georgia. Well it was where I was raised. In the suburbs actually.... somewhere between the Atlanta airport and the Atlanta Motor Speedway you will find the house I grew up in, the school I graduated from and the place where I had my first date. If your from Atlanta or know a lot about Coca Cola you know it has a rich history in Atlanta or at least in Georgia. Down in Georgia when you order a soda... you don't ask for a soda, or a pop, or anything but a Coke... doesn't matter what brand. As a matter of fact if your in a restaurant which has Pepsi products (poor mislead people!) they will ask you if Pepsi is okay :).
Growing up I wasn't allowed to have much soda. Then when I was 18 I would drink a 2- liter in a day. Soon I turned to cans, because I am picky about how soda tastes. Rick thinks I need to be a coke tester because I can tell if there is a slight variance in it. Which is probably why I can't stand Pepsi. I have even drank Sam's Choice brand before Pepsi back when times were hard and it was the cheapest thing. Now I just stick with Coca Cola through out the day all day and I rarely have anything else. I slowed down for pregnancy (Skylar's I had to quit all together because of kidney problems). I know its bad and I am very addicted. I am more addicted to Coca Cola than I ever was to smoking. I gave up cigarettes 3 years ago cold turkey. I have tried to cut back and my body can even tell the differences in non name brand soda's like Sam's choice. It doesn't have the same amount of caffeine in it or something because I get headaches. I get bad headaches and feel totally drained and become a yawning mess if I ever run out of Coca Cola. Its been problematic this Winter due to Coca Cola's new campaign to save Polar Bears... before I get hate mail just know that I love Polar Bears and I am devastated by their future. I only wish we could save their environment and save them from extinction. However the pesky white cans have a different lemony flavor for me. I know a lot of people who drink Diet Coke put lemon in it to sweeten it. That's what this tastes like for me... Just a slight difference in taste. I have heard Coke pulling them off the shelves but that is all I can find right now is the white polar bear cans. So I am stuck with no Coke at all because that slight variant in taste gets me. I'd rather drink water and limit the amount of bottles (or we'd be broke) of Coca Cola I can have in a day. So I guess I am trying to drink more tap or bottled water to offset the cost. Also when we eat out often times the balance they use is off some how or it doesn't taste right... so I drink water when we eat out. (makes eating out cheaper!) Unless they have bottled Coca Cola like Subway.

I drink Coca Cola like most people drink Coffee. Coca Cola is one of my only addictions I just can't curb yet. I drink Coca Cola everyday all day even though I know the damage its doing to my kidneys, to my teeth and to my waist line. I love Coke though. I love the company and my precious can of Coca Cola Classic lol.

Happy Birthday to Elvis who would have been 77 today! I love Elvis! My Favorite Elvis song at the LINK

Thank you for reading! Feel free to comment. This post was party of the Bloggy Mommy Blog Dare!

Thursday Thirteen

2012-01-05T19:32:00.000-08:00

Well after weeks of waiting I decided to do this blog on the night that Greys Anatomy finally has a new episode. Actually I haven't planned it this way but it worked out well.
The following are my thirteen favorite Greys Anatomy Episodes.

Season 2, Episode 5: Bring the Pain
Original Air Date—23 October 2005
A storm rages in Seattle. Izzie is very disappointed by her date with Alex, and Meredith is upset with Derek. They both complain to George, which drives him crazy. At the hospital, Cristina has a patient that uses porn as a pain killer and Meredith takes care of an Asian girl who needs to see a Shaman before surgery. There is a power shortage and George and Alex are stuck in an elevator with a critical patient. They need to perform heart surgery, but Alex is too freaked out and so George does it. **Meredith is known to say for her famous quote in this episode Pick Me Choose Me Love Me. " Okay, here it is. Your choice, it's simple, her or me. And I'm sure she's really great. But Derek, I love you. In a really, big really big pretend to like your taste in music, let you eat the last piece of cheesecake, hold a radio over my head outside your bedroom window, unfortunate way that makes me hate you... love you. So pick me. Choose me. Love me. I'll be at Joe's tonight so if you do decide to sign the papers, meet me there."
Season 2, Episode 16: It's the End of the World
Original Air Date—5 February 2006
The lives of everyone in the OR are threatened when a patient enters with a bomb inside of him... and a young paramedic with her arm inside the cavity is the only thing keeping it from going off. **This episode is known for Bailey going into labor, her husband gets into a car accident and nearly dies and no one tells her. She is trying to not have the baby until he gets there and George helps her have the baby at the same time there is a bomb stuck in a man and at first Guest Star Christina Ricci's hand is on the bomb but Meredith replaces her. The guy from Early Edition Kyle Chandler also guest stars on this episode
Season 2, Episode 17: As We Know It
Original Air Date—12 February 2006
While the man with the bomb lodged in his chest remains in Burke's OR, Bailey's injured husband remains in Derek's. Meanwhile, Bailey still hasn't delivered her baby.
Season 2, Episode 27: Losing My Religion
Original Air Date—15 May 2006
The chief tries to determine who's responsible. Callie presses George about his feelings. Derek and Meredith have to make a decision about Doc. The interns are charged with pleasing the chief's niece. **I think season 2 has to be one of the best seasons for Greys. I personally have always always loved this episode and often watch clips of it on youtube lol. I watched it recently in its entirety and its the first time I didn't cry when Denny died. I love Jeffery Dean Morgan. I am a huge fan.
Season 3, Episode 6: Let the Angels Commit
Original Air Date—2 November 2006
Derek's sister comes to Seattle for a visit, and seems more into the extended family and gossip surrounding his divorce from Addison than into him. Meanwhile, the interns are not the only ones jealous of Cristina's opportunity to scrub in with Preston on a "Humpty Dumpty" procedure, and Bailey takes it personally when she learns she's been scrubbed, herself. George works with Addison on a very unusual case and Alex envies him. ***Favorite quote: Dr. Callie Torres: Don't chase me anymore, unless you're ready to catch me.
Season 3, Episode 9: From a Whisper to a Scream
Original Air Date—23 November 2006
A traumatic car accident fills the ER; Cristina has a crisis of conscience about her deceptive teamwork with Burke; Izzie pushes the boundaries of probation. *Favorite Quote : Izzie to Callie She's very little and your hurting her!
Season 3, Episode 17: Some Kind of Miracle
Original Air Date—22 February 2007
Meredith interacts with some memories, all while the Chief, Burke and Bailey devise an unusual resuscitation maneuver. Meanwhile, Cristina has her own therapy and Derek speaks his mind to Ellis. **In this episode Meredith codes and she visits with Denny and the Bomb guy's ghosts as well as her mother who also codes.
Season 3, Episode 25: Didn't We Almost Have It All?
Original Air Date—17 May 2007
The wedding day arrives, and Cristina desperately needs something to take her mind off it, the fourth climber is found and his condition doesn't match the other climbers' stories, and Adele's condition brings a change for Richard.
Season 4, Episode 9: Crash Into Me: Part 1
Original Air Date—22 November 2007
An accident in the ER bay leaves two paramedics fighting for their lives, and a third who refuses Bailey's care. Meanwhile, Alex juggles two women, and Lexie begins to bond with a patient. **Guest Staring Seth Green
Season 5, Episode 24
Season 6, Episode 10: Holidaze
Original Air Date—19 November 2009
As Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's pass, Miranda is visited by her father, William, who disapproves of her choices in life; meanwhile, Mark and Lexie must cope with the shocking arrival of a woman from his past, and Thatcher Grey questions the Chief's recent behavior as Meredith comes to his defense. *
Season 6, Episode 15: The Time Warp
Original Air Date—18 February 2010
In his new role as Chief, Derek restores the hospital lecture series, and Richard, Bailey and Callie present to the group pivotal surgical cases from their pasts - Bailey reflects on her first days as a shy resident, Callie looks back on a polio case, and Richard recalls a case in which he and Ellis worked on a patient diagnosed with GRID, a virus later called HIV.

Season 7, Episode 18: Song Beneath the Song
Original Air Date—31 March 2011
In a series first, the music that has been at the heart of the show and been beloved by fans comes to life for Grey's Anatomy: The Music Event. A cataclysmic event rattles the doctors of Seattle Grace to the core, as Callie, on the verge of an enormous life-changing moment with Arizona, envisions her hospital and friends as it has never-been-seen before. "Chasing Cars" (Snow Patrol), "How to Save a Life" (The Fray) and "The Story" (Brandi Carlile) are among the songs performed by the cast.

The synopsis of each episode is on IMDB.com

A New Creation

2012-01-04T17:30:00.000-08:00

Blog update on StormyAries Creations here
Photograph Credit to a great photographer Laura Rae Photography and Leanne Bentley

Potty Training with William

2012-01-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

Since he turned two I have been inconsistently just introducing him to his potty chair(s) and underwear. Just getting him used to the idea. I've spent some time outside when we had warmer weather in his underwear so he knew what "wet felt like". He has a potty chair on both levels of the house as well as the kind that sits on the big toilet. We've been asking him to sit and go potty (with and without getting undressed). We've even played shooting for cheerios. Rick takes him into the men's bathroom and William got curious about standing to pee. So he would lift up his shirt and pat his belly but he wasn't sure what came after that LOL. Over the past 5 months he's only went in the potty twice. I call it "Pre-Training".

Today I was researching and reading articles and I read maybe put big boy underwear of his choice over his pull up so he's been doing that all day and I've been asking through out the day if he has to sit on the potty or does he want to go potty with mommy and he always says "No" so I will do the same thing probably tomorrow until I get a yes or some curiosity out of him.

I might have to stock up on cloth pull ups. I am too afraid of going to straight underwear.
Shock and Aww

I love my tree's!

2011-12-22T19:02:00.000-08:00

I was talking in a mommy loop about my Christmas Tree's so I thought I would show ya'll too.

I don't have all of them up this year *pout* but I have some pictures.

I own 8 Christmas Tree's right now

.. I have my "family tree" Its only two years old its the one that's up now. It goes in the living room and has the presents

Then Skylar got a new one for her room that's green she wanted to get rid of her Princess tree since she is too old for that. She is decorating it in a snow theme.

I have Charlie Brown tree which is on my kitchen table.

Tree plays the Peanuts theme and it came from Amazon complete with Red Ornament. The Snoopy, Woodstock, C.B. And Dog House (with decor) came from Build a Bear. The tree skirt I bought for a Soldier overseas but I forgot it oops!

The year before last (I was sick with Pneumonia last year) I had a smaller 4.5? Tree in my small loft. My home was built with two of these ridiculous lofts I am not sure what they are for but they are like department store windows lol. So I stick tree's in them at Christmas time. They are about 10-12 feet up in the air and I have to climb a ladder. One is big enough for me to stand on (with the tree), the other isn't.

So on the small loft I have the tree Rick came with lol. He had this tree when we met its a puny tree

I decorate it with patriotic decorations. I am going to have to work on an awesome Yellow Ribbon Topper for it. We have a fireplace background we can put up there and special stockings to hang on the Fireplace. Two ACU and Two are Red White and Blue :)

Picture from 2009

Then I have my Daddy's tree I am SOOO attached to I literally fought my ex for it. I have been decorating this tree since I was 12? Maybe. I put it in the big loft because its huge like 7 feet tall and FAT. Its lost two of its limbs in the past oh... 20+ years of its life lol Past couple of years its had a Santa theme to it. I want to try a different theme next year.

Also from 2009, This is right above my front door.
I now have knickknacks in the book shelves and pretty books etc. During the year we have a chair, chess table, huge pictures up there it looks like a Soldiers Den with all the soldier stuff (including an old Vietnam uniform) hanging. Like I said its like a department store window I had no idea what to do with it lol. You can see the tree out the front window. With me having Pneumonia last year I just couldn't get up there and put this tree together branch by branch so I had Rick go to Wal-mart hoping he would come back with a decent tree (I was thinking something different like white) he grabbed me basically a 4 foot silver tree made of Garland. So that was up there last year undecorated. We can't really have Garland type stuff with the amount of cats we have they will eat it and it can literally shred their intestines. Finally we have a 1 foot adorable decorated, pre-lit tree I have had for years because when Skylar was around William's age I couldn't afford a tree and someone from a Mommy message board sent it to me.. I literally put it on my coffee table and went and was able to get her two presents from the Salvation army and that is all we had. So that one is parked on Rick's desk at work. That tree also started the tradition of sending a tree every year to a Service member that is deployed or in Korea.

So I have my 1) 6.5 foot Green that is decorated with a smorgasbord of Ornaments its in the living room and its the one that holds the presents. 2) I have my 7 foot green that is my "Daddys tree" and it goes in the Large Loft usually. It will have a theme every year. 3) I have my 4.5 foot green that is Rick's tree I used to call it the Charlie brown tree because its pitiful lol. It goes in the small loft and has a patriotic theme every year. 4) My real Charlie brown tree I got real cheap on Black Friday or Cyber Monday this year . 5) Skylar's got her 2 foot Green tree 6) Skylar's old Pink Princess tree I would like to sell its small like her green one. 7) A Silver one which I am not even sure where that is.... Maybe I was so sick last year I DREAMED it lol. 8) My 1 foot decorated table top tree.

I will be on the look out to get William a 2 foot tree also for his room and a big 5 foot or so white tree or a flocked tree. I don't know where I would put it but I want one or the other lol. Maybe for our window downstairs where my desk currently is. I will have to see if I can find a nice one on sale after Christmas. Next year we are planning on going to a cabin for Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.. We are going to rent a cabin in the middle of no where. Have a real Christmas tree, a fire place burning (we don't have one), no un authorized electronics and just live it up in the most basic traditional Christmas

saw on cafemom

2011-12-21T18:37:00.001-08:00

Autism Moms Have Stress Similar To Combat Soldiers

By Michelle Diament

November 10, 2009 Text Size A A

Mothers of adolescents and adults with autism experience chronic stress comparable to combat soldiers and struggle with frequent fatigue and work interruptions, new research finds. These moms also spend significantly more time caregiving than moms of those without disabilities.

Researchers followed a group of moms of adolescents and adults with autism for eight days in a row. Moms were interviewed at the end of each day about their experiences and on four of the days researchers measured the moms’ hormone levels to assess their stress.

They found that a hormone associated with stress was extremely low, consistent with people experiencing chronic stress such as soldiers in combat, the researchers report in one of two studies published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

“This is the physiological residue of daily stress,” says Marsha Mailick Seltzer, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who authored the studies. “The mothers of children with high levels of behavior problems have the most pronounced physiological profile of chronic stress, but the long-term effect on their physical health is not yet known.”

Such hormone levels have been associated with chronic health problems and can affect glucose regulation, immune functioning and mental activity, researchers say.

In a companion study, the researchers followed up with the same group of mothers daily to interview them about how they used their time, their level of fatigue, what leisure activities they participated in and whether or not stressful events occurred. This information was then compared with data from a national sample of mothers whose children do not have disabilities.

Mothers of those with autism reported spending at least two hours more each day caregiving than mothers of children without disabilities. On any given day these moms were also twice as likely to be tired and three times as likely to have experienced a stressful event.

What’s more, these moms were interrupted at work on one out of every four days compared to less than one in 10 days for other moms.

Despite all of this, mothers of an individual with autism were just as likely to have positive experiences each day, volunteer or support their peers as those whose children have no developmental disability, researchers found.

“On a day-to-day basis, the mothers in our study experience more stressful events and have less time for themselves compared to the average American mother,” says Leann Smith, a developmental psychologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who worked on the studies. “We need to find more ways to be supportive of these families.”

In particular, the researchers say that parents need better respite options and flexibility from their employers. Further, they say, programs to help manage behavior problems can go a long way toward improving the situation for mothers and their kids alike.

Wifey Wednesday

2011-12-14T08:51:00.000-08:00

I have an Army Wife friend of mine I met when we were stationed here at Redstone together. I am not going to call her out by name because I am not sure she would be comfortable with that. Plus it might be a violation of girl code lol. ;D I see with what view I have the relationship she has with her Soldier, Her Hero, Her husband. I think they have been together a long time and she knows her job is to be a good wife (help meet) and mother. I was intrigued and read her blog quite a bit. A good help meet, house wife, working mother.. .whatever plan God has for me I think that is what I should strive to be. Also in church Pastor Mark talks a lot about being submissive (not in a bad way) to our husbands. I have to wonder perhaps though. Without striking the word of God but what if that isn't our position in our family life. What if our husband doesn't function at 100% Maybe he functions better when we are 50/50? Then what then? My husband has ADD, Short Term Memory Loss, and PTSD from his time in Iraq so certain things I am expected to step up and just do. So I wonder is THAT how I am a good Help Meet? Some people say I should just step back and let him take control and if I have faith in him he will be able to juggle it all. I am not sure that is what God is asking. I could never see myself being June Clever or a Stepford Wife. But I would like to be better than I am I just feel like under my current circumstances I am stretched pretty thin. I know I can gain strength from that and eventually not feel so stretched with faith and prayer.

I am just exploring these thoughts and wanting to know more about what it says in God's word and what would work best? Am I doing this wife thing all wrong?

Adult Bullying

2011-12-12T07:48:00.000-08:00

So We're All Sensitive Military Wives Huh?<~~ Read this post then come back here for a vent...
There are four videos at the bottom of the blog :)

Then check out the Overly Sensitive Military Wife page to see if I am posted on there haha!

I agree with this post 110%. With everything that is out there right now about bullying. I think this type of activity and the same type of activity on http://youarenotaphotographer.com/ or their sister site http://youarenotagraphicdesigner.com/ is breeding bullying. The people that think this is "cute" could possibly condone their own children bullying others. To them it may not be bullying when their child snatches another toy from a kid at the playground or on a play date. Not teaching your child to share or manners is condoning bullying. So yes these three sites are in my opinion Cyber Stalking and Bullying. I just LOVE that NOT! I think all three of these website/blogs are demeaning. I personally don't have an expensive DSLR camera I have a tiny pitiful point and shoot. So I am not trying to impersonate a photographer. Well I guess because this new photographer only charged me $25 that means she is a phoney photographer that she doesn't have talent. So wait?? If you don't charge a buttload of money then you must not be the next Anne Geddes, Kim Anderson, Ansel Adams? EXCUSE ME! I think there is enough bullies in our world without certain people to be tearing other people down. I think adults who act like this are the ones who raise bullies themselves.

If I do get a DSLR from Santa this year I will not be a professional or even semi professional photographer that's NOT what I am trying to do. Btw that webpage makes fun of Military wives who choose to try and make a living off of photography when let me tell you what its hard enough for Military Wives to keep a career when we are supporting our man. So they can CHILL out. I think by getting a DSLR and offering inexpensive services they may not be a professional but maybe someone DOES like their work and is willing to pay for it. Maybe they can improve and become a talented photographer. Why tear that down because I can't afford to go pay a $200 sitting fee? If there is a military wife (or civilian lady) out there with a DSLR and a fan page, photography blog that wants to aspire to become Anne Geddes why must people tear her dreams down? Its a free country. She may not have taken Photography classes but I've been told by high priced photographers that you don't have to they would rather you not waste your money on expensive classes there is too much free information out there in books and on youtube on how to correctly use your Camera and software even for Point and Shoots. You may have your fancy DSLR camera and want to grow and learn. So your like how a Private is in the US Army he isn't ready to lead, fire a gun, or save a life yet and your not ready to shoot pictures for the White House but could you one day be a General or a Highly Paid Photographer for New York Times YES you can! Whether your doing it on your own or you work at Sears. You GO girl!

Now for the Overly Sensitive Military Wife. I was called that pretty much on that second webpage link up there. I have a ACU hand bag (actually two!) I wear Army Sweatshirts, T-shirts and even a sweat suit. I wear my husbands PT shirt to bed (NOT outside) and I don't wear his uniform. Oh yeah and my car shows my pride too so that makes me overly sensitive. I think the people who contribute to Overly Sensitive Military Wives Facebook page, You are not a Photographer, You are not a graphic designer need to mind their own damn business.

In the past few months I have had my work basically made out to be trash when the people who were trashing my work (I do graphic design) I have been doing it longer than most of them have been out of high school. I deleted my professional page just because I can offer my services, I have a blog, word of mouth can get me business but all be damned if I catch my work on YOU ARE NOT A GRAPHIC DESIGNER to be bullied by immature idiotic adults.

My definition of an Overly Sensitive Military Wife is the one's who whine their husband is in the field, has duty, is on their millionth deployment. Its all PART of their job. An Overly Sensitive Military Wife whines the military comes before them. Yes its a sacrifice and it sucks. My husband did it for 24 years and my son did it for 4 more years. I am sorry your husband (husband of an Overly Sensitive Military Wife) missed your birthday and didn't get to call you when you had a bad day but so and so's husband didn't come home from Iraq or Afghanistan at all. There are over 3,000 of those! I am sorry that you had a Migraine yesterday but so and so had to have her entire pregnancy without her husband and give birth on her own. THAT my dear is an overly sensitive military wife!

May 2009

Thankful Thursday

2011-12-08T13:41:00.000-08:00

You know I've struggled with depression and probably worse but I am just thankful that on this December day I know what to be grateful about. I don't make excuses for my cannot's because there is no such thing as a can not Luke 1:37 “For nothing is impossible with God” I haven't gotten this far by saying I can't that is for sure. I have had faith and after each beat down, low blow, kick down fight the devil and life dishes out at me I dust myself off and regain my faith and strength. Without my faith I would waste away to nothing. Challenge yourself for the new year and don't say things negative unless you can say 10 positive things before it!

Thursday Thirteen

2011-12-08T13:28:00.000-08:00

I was doing this for a survey on Chatty Chicks and it was therapeutic so I decided to put the play list at least partially on my blog

Linked up here

Mom Organization

2011-12-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

So I got an email about Hatchedit.com I am not sure if you've heard of it or not but I was interested so I registered with this free website. I've tried Cozi, I've tried a personal website, I've tried Google/Yahoo Calendar and I have tried the hard copy regular as well as the "mom" calendar. For the longest time I had a planner like the one above I would tote around and a bigger one on my desk. Why not go green and give Hatchedit.com a try. The thing I like about it is I can put in the RSS feed from my favorite blogs and news feeds. I can also put creative ideas on my Curate. So I am a member of Pineterest and I save all kinds of ideas now I have a landing place for those ideas. No one wants to be more organized than me. I have a forgetful husband and sons who don't communicate well. Plus I not only have to keep up with the 3 other adults lives I also have my two small children and four cats. So clearly I NEED a calendar that can help me juggle all this!

The Misadventures of Bella's Second Life

How to Make Slime Without Borax or Liquid Starch | eHow.com

How to Make Homemade Slime - Preschool Craft - Valentine's Day Idea

What Appliance Can I NOT Live Without

RIP Whitney Houston

Overcoming Fear

I thought I would hate...

A place from my past that felt like home.

My Volunteer Work

Carpe diem - the time I actually seized the day.

I hate you words with friends

Decision

Words people use incorrectly

Our 5th Anniversary

I wish

Confessions

I admit, I like...

The Most Underused Item in My House is..

Paying it Forward

My 365

Pray for Me Monday

What I want for my birthday.

I am afraid

I write..

You Don't Know Me

An annoying myth or wives-tale.

My Grandparents Houses

I wasn't suppose to see...

My Life As a Military Wife

Versatile Blogger Award

Dream Land

Snow Day

Books that make an impact

Fill in the blank Friday

Five Question Friday

I heart punk rawk baby

The last time I laughed so hard, I cried...

Something at home/work that serves no purpose.

I will not be blogging tomorrow...

The first time I saw...

Netflix Marathons on TV Tuesdays.

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Give Away on My Life Would Suck Without You

Heaven's Little Drummer Boy EB Free

Military Monday

Pray for Me Monday

I convinced my children to...

January Thyroid Awareness Month

Praise Sunday ~ For those special moms

Why I don't like a certain cartoon character.

Valentine Chex Mix

Don't forget

I can't believe...

Feeling Beachie

Five Question Friday

My Children's Creepiest Toys

William

DIY Shampoo from Scrapity Anne

I love this Motivation from Moms

A vacation I hope to take this year...

If my parents ever found out..

Our recent encounter with identity theft.

My Favorite Toy

Cats on Tuesday

2nd Ammendment Pens...it's your RIGHT....so Write!

So sleep deprived

365

Pray for Me Monday

I never thought I'd find this in my child's room...

Calling all Coca-A-Holics

Thursday Thirteen

Season 2, Episode 5: Bring the Pain

Season 2, Episode 16: It's the End of the World

Season 2, Episode 17: As We Know It

Season 2, Episode 27: Losing My Religion

Season 3, Episode 6: Let the Angels Commit

Season 3, Episode 9: From a Whisper to a Scream

Season 3, Episode 17: Some Kind of Miracle

Season 3, Episode 25: Didn't We Almost Have It All?

Season 4, Episode 9: Crash Into Me: Part 1