fabulous fields

Lost and Found

2009-08-24T09:37:00.000-04:00

Chris lost a $100 bill last night....we both lost sleep...UGH! He even went back out to try to find it at midnight. We were stressing! I am happy to report that it has been found! It was on the floor at work...and NO ONE saw it! YAY!

ps: today is the first day of school! I will post pictures later!!!

From the Ground up...

2009-08-12T09:32:00.003-04:00

We teach our kids to walk....we teach them to talk...we teach them to love...(this isn't a poem-stick with me)....we teach them to eat.....basically we teach them everything they know. This is the way it is designed....the problem is...more and more in this time we are in....we teach kids not to appreciate anything. I see everyday kids in stores telling their parents how to be parents....telling their parents how to spend their money...telling their parents what they will and will NOT do in no uncertain terms...it baffles me. I am not a perfect parent...far from it...i really think that we have to wonder why our economy is this way...when kids have no value of a dollar. Ask the kids around you how much they think things cost? they have no idea.
i think that we have spoiled our kids, and are in fact perpetuating the problem. how do we expect to fix this whole economic crisis....are we starting from the ground up...when a hurricane comes and the whole house blows away you don't start from the top and go down...you start from the foundation, and rebuild even stronger...so why aren't we focusing on our kids...kids are required to take soooo many math classes and even foreign language but there are essentially no classes in our public school system that promote the education of financial responsibility.....we teach kids what each nomination means....maybe we teach them which president is on what coin or bill...we teach them to add....subtract...but basically that is it. Why aren't we teaching them to balance a check book. why aren't we teaching them to budget, how to save...what the differences are between one account over another...how the stock market works....how to know if you can truly afford something...what to do if you come into an emergency...how credit cards work. i mean...if they government would invest some money into teaching how it works...we wouldn't need universal health care, or government bail outs...we wouldn't need all millions and million of taxpayer dollars going to sue the CEO's of these corporations that screwed people out of money...the stocks wouldn't be in such a mess...the list really is endless as to the things that over the next few years this would alleviate...these kids would pass this down to their kids as they grow up...etc.....etc....I know there is no perfect fix, but trying to teach these adults...well you have heard the old dog new trick thing right?...so lets make this worth our wild...lets start with teaching our own children the value of a dollar...including them in family decisions...since when is family budget so taboo...and no one wants to tell their kids they can't afford something...nooo just going into credit card debt it better right?....ok.....what about Christmas....do your kids need all those toys...i know mine barely touches his....what about teaching them to give to charity...what about giving them savings bonds....what about giving them some cash and showing them how to get the most for it...wouldn't that lesson go a lot longer than a playstation game....wouldn't that be a nice family experience, instead of your kids being hulled up in their rooms playing video games(don't even get me started on the obesity problem)...I think as parents....as americans it is time we take this problem into our own hands and start from the ground up....teach your children....or before you point ONE finger at BUSH or OBAMA...or your neighbor who has lost their home....look in the mirror. WHAT have you done to help?!?!?!?

You know it's HOT when...

2009-08-10T22:52:00.002-04:00

on your nightly walk around the block you cross the street to walk through the neighbors sprinkler system, instead of crossing to avoid it!

Hottest day of the year today....99...with the heat index well over THAT!!!!

MISERABLE!

NoT mE mOnDaY!!!!!

2009-08-10T10:17:00.003-04:00

1. I did not work over 65 hours outside of my house this week
2. I didn't still find the time to play with my son in the pool.
3. I am not making excuses to put off his haircut as LONG as i can before school starts because it is AWFUL!
4. I did not let him eat pancakes, ice cream and cheez its for breakfast because that is what he wanted.
5. I have not been so busy that I haven't seen my husband for even one meal this week.
6. I didn't throw about 5 fast food cups away from my car just yesterday...because i don't eat out that much in one week!
7.I am not secretly counting the days till school starts because I don't absolutely need a BREAK!
8. The one night my husband and I were together at home(well past 9pm) we didn't both nearly KILL each other in a hilarious story below!
Post you NOT ME Monday and link on over to MckMama's page for a great giveaway too! Come on..share!

On the rocks!

2009-08-10T10:15:00.000-04:00

So, tonight Chris being the good husband that he is agreed to refill my water. He got out of bed, hurried into the kitchen not stopping to turn on lights...he opened the freezer... put more ice in my cup.. turned to the sink...filled the cup with water...he then turned to return to the bed and BAMMM! He ran face first into the still open freezer door. He panicked and thought someone had hit him, because after all it was dark and he thought the freezer door had shut on it's own...he squished the cup in his haze and the icy cold water ejected from the cup all over himself and the tile kitchen floor. Me, still laying in bed, heard a loud noise, but didn't make much of it.... Chris came walking into the bedroom zombie style a few minutes later, the look on his face was half horror/half amusement. After coaxing the story out of him,because he knew I would make fun of him and DIE laughing,we noticed hi nose was starting to swell. BUT, I decided, this story had to be shared. I called my friend Jess, because if anyone could get why this situation was so funny, it would be her. So, as she and I are laughing our butts off on the phone, Chris calls me into the kitchen. I, still cracking up, tell Jess there is more apparently because he is calling me to come to the kitchen. As I round the corner from the living room to the kitchen I see that he has hit the fridge SO hard that it is out in the middle of the floor.I stepped into the kitchen further to see just how far, and the minute my foot hit the WET TILE, I went ass over tea kettle onto the floor as my phone went sailing across the Kitchen, sending Chris into Hysterics!!! I try to explain to Jess what has just transpired, and now we are all 3 laughing even harder!!!! More water is fetched,dangerous kitchen floor is returned to it's typical safe condition, and Jess goes back to watching her movie. Chris and I are still laughing!
Did I mention Chris was NAKED though this whole thing???
Just ANOTHER Wednesday night at the Fields house!!!

Blogoversary TODAY!!!

2009-08-01T09:07:00.002-04:00

YAY!!!! Happy One Year Blogoversary to me!!!! How exciting!Even though this summer is just crazy busy and I haven't had time to blog as much...and really there aren't many people who read this. Mostly just family and real life friends...but all in all it has been a fun year...it has been fun to look back and and see where we were a year ago! Thanks!!!
ps: I actually had a pretty cool prize to give away...but then I realized that was just stupid with all 2 of you out there! LOL

Choices....make em' wisely!

2009-07-30T11:42:00.003-04:00

IN 1984 when Michael Jordan was first being drafted into the NBA...he was passed up...not once but twice. Both of the men drafted before him had long careers in the NBA...one was inducted into the Hall of fame.BUT...Neither of them EVER came close to being Michael Jordan! No one then, or since then has risen to the level of talent and fame as Michael Jordan!
Lessons here:Make your choices wisely...and if you aren't someone's first choice, it doesn't mean you aren't the best choice.

I'm still alive...and thanks!

2009-07-15T09:36:00.002-04:00

Sorry I haven't been posting much. I have gotten e-mails asking if everything is okay, and YES, everything is great. It is just because it's summer at the beach and that means my life is REALLY REALLY BUSY!!!!! I have lots of great posts to share soon!

ps: We raised over $8000 for our charity! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! I will share pictures of our volunteering soon!
pss: CORRECTION...I just checked the website...and we actually raised over $10000 as a Region! You guys ROCK!!!!

GKTW Charity Fundraiser TONIGHT!!!!!

2009-07-09T10:35:00.002-04:00

If you live in the Myrtle Beach area please come out to Buffalo Wild Wings in Carolina Forest tonight from 5-9 to help us raise money for Give Kids the World. It is an amazing charity that helps terminally ill children and their families. 10% of any food receipts that we collect will be donated to the Charity. Donations will also be accepted on site and via the web @ www.firstgiving.com/fr3. Please enter tracking code 3215 in the comments section. EVERY TINY BIT HELPS....

Also: If you agreed to bring stuff for the second event on Saturday I would Like to have it by tomorrow night!!!! I will be at my store all day so just come by there, or the store on 501~

Mad as Fire

2009-07-01T12:27:00.002-04:00

Have you EVER been SOOOO mad that you couldn't think straight? You know the mad, that just makes a different side of you come out? It makes you truly throw caution to the wind, and no matter who is around or where you are, you don't care because you are THAT MAD? Me too!
But have you ever been THAT MAD and then done or said something that just ruins it?
Like slam open a door as you storm through it, only to have it bounce off the wall at 100mph and slam you in the face? Or, have you gone to grab something that contains a cord or string, only you weren't thinking about that and therefore get whipped with the cord;most likely in the face! Or have you started to YELL at someone, be it the person who made you mad or just some innocent bystander, and you miss speak and it went from being an angry out lash to fighting back laughter, because lets face it saying assher instead of asshole, is funny!
I know everyone has been there...and it makes you even more mad.
But watching someone else do this....is just hilarious!!! FYI!

Chatting with my Child

2009-06-29T12:49:00.003-04:00

Me: Koby, how old are you?
Koby: ten(giggling)
Me: Koby you are not Ten...How old are you?
Koby: Bubble(giggling)
Me: Bubble is not an age child, how old are you Koby?
Koby:(now laughing hard)Off
Me: NO...you are 1...
Koby: (Now serious)...Por(while holding his little fingers up on his right hand with his little thumb tucked in)
Me: Yes, you are four(while laughing because he was clearly offended by my saying he was 1!)

The last shot...

2009-06-26T12:17:00.002-04:00

One year old

2 Years old

3.5 Years old

4.5 years old

I really hope this isn't the last year! He is growing too fast!

One of the FUNNIEST things I have EVER seen!

2009-06-24T19:16:00.000-04:00

GIVE KIDS THE WORLD

2009-06-19T10:40:00.003-04:00

I am so excited to announce that a group of friends and I have decided to raise money for this AWESOME charity. If you don't know anything about Give Kids The World(GKTW),it is a village located in Orlando Florida that provides all-expenses paid vacations for entire families of children with life-threatening illness.
This cause really hits home for me because I have had several friends who have been able to go and stay at the GKTW village and take vacations they otherwise wouldn't have been able to take. We have set our group goal to raise for 40K dollars. WE are spread all over the south and southeast of the country, and also in Puerto Rico, so this number is achievable. We are collecting the monies now through the 12th of July and on the 15th of July a group of us are going there and volunteering as well as giving them an oversized cardboard check for the total amount(which they will already have because it oes directly to their account). You can watch NUMEROUS accounts of families who have visited the village on Youtube. It will leave you and tears and take away ANY question as to WHY we choose THIS charity, to help make a difference.
SO, I come to ALL of you today and ask you to PLEASE PLEASE donate to this cause. My friends and I set up a page using firstgiving.com so you can give with out any question of "does this REALLY go to GKTW or is this a scam?" ALL you have to do is ask yourself, can I do without my AM Latte one day, can I give a dollar I have in change beneath my couch cushions. Can I take my lunch this week instead of spending $10 dollars a day. WHAT small sacrifice can I make, that will make a huge difference for families, who literally LIVE in hospitals, and the last thing they EVER think about is vacation. Can you be the one to put the smile on the face of those kids?

If You answered YES, here is how to do so IN three easy steps.
1. Go to www.firstgiving.com/fr3
2.Pledge your amount and enter your name
3.We ask you to please enter 3215 in the comments section(our volunteer group number).
THAT'S IT!!!!!!
It is a totally tax deductible donation. It is AUTOMATICALLY deposited into the GKTW account, so no hands but yours and theirs ever touch that money! THANK YOU if nothing else for reading this! Our goal is obviously to donate as much money as we can, but also to raise awareness for GKTW,as it has already helped over 90,000 families from ALL OVER THE WORLD!

ps: PLEASE Link this to your site, or re-post it with ou firstgiving site from above, with your own experiences from GKTW!

Let me know if there are any questions! THANKS!!!!!

Bienvenido a Miami...coming soon!

2009-06-02T22:13:00.003-04:00

I am really excited about traveling to Miami soon! I have never been to Miami! YAY! It is for work, but really I love my job so that is exciting too! AND I get to meet some fabulous people that I have never met but love via phone! It is strange, but true! I can't wait!!! You always wonder what people will be like. You know the ones that you have only met on the phone! I am sure they wonder too! I will keep you updated as I am sure it will be interesting!

This one takes the Cake! (buh dun chee)

2009-05-22T17:33:00.003-04:00

This is a REAL cake bought by a Mother who's blog I LOVE!This was seriously for her oldest dauhters Birthday! Go check her blog out and read more about this cake that she PAID FOR, (HAHAHAH) and many other hilarious, heartwarming and Preppy stories she has!Just CLICK HERE!!!!

A Memorial Day Giveaway!

2009-05-21T16:15:00.001-04:00

Kaye is giving away some really cool tiles for Memorial Day weekend! Go check her out here and you can win them for yourself too!!!

Good News and Bad News

2009-05-20T22:46:00.002-04:00

Good News: Koby cracked me up today when he took my flash drive (which is on a
lanyard) put it around his neck, and tried to blow it like a whistle. Hilarious!

Bad News: My Laptop is now missing, U G Shift and something else I haven't yet determined. They were simultaneously plucked off by tiny, Simean creased hands, while we were watching Hannah Montana's dance lesson on You tube. And they sooo aren't goin back on! ARGHHHH!

I lost Koby

2009-05-20T11:48:00.002-04:00

It was the most terrifying thing that has ever happened. Period. I never thought it would happen to me.
I went to the bathroom,to pee. IN the approximately minute it took for me to pee...he was gone.
I walked through the living room. Saw Koby sitting on the coffee table watching High school musical 2. Glanced at the door and made sure Chris had locked it when he left.It was locked.I continued down the hallway, through my bedroom and into my bathroom, I turned the light on, pulled my pants down, remember thinking as I sat, oh this is my favorite song on HSM2,peed, and pulled my pants up and flushed. I went back through my room, up the hallway, and PANIC! The front door was wide Open. I looked to the left through the living room No Koby,PANIC! I looked to see if Chris's car was there, thinking he must have come in for lunch or something, it wasn't there. PANIC! How did the door get open and how didn't I hear it? It squeeks a little bit so I should have heard it...OMG PANIC! I walk out the door thinking he will be on the porch, in the yard, or the driveway, I mean it couldn't have been more than a minute or two, he couldn't have gotten too far. He isn't on the porch,PANIC! He isn't in the front yard, PANIC, he isn't isn't the driveway,OMG! I start SCREAMING his name running around the block and I don't see him at all! He is GONE! I start thinking someone had to take him because why else would he be so far away? I call Chris PANICKING and tell him to get home ASAP because I can't find Koby. He hangs up and is on his way, I am now shaking uncontrollably. I run down the street the other way, but with no shoes on, I decide I better get in the car and call the police. I run back down to my house, my heart is beating out of my chest, tears are involuntarily running down my face. Still shaking I reach inside the door to my purse and grab my keys. I grab my phone again, to call the police.Wait, I decide I better just double check inside that he isn't hiding anywhere.I run through my house screaming for Koby, NOTHING. So I run back outside with keys and phone in hand, and head for my car. Just as I am about to open the door,and call the police, I see something,WAY WAY down the street running back towards me. I run out into the street, sayin' PLEASE GOD LET THIS BE KOBY! I squint and take a few steps forward shielding my eyes from the sun.I can't tell if it's a do or a person, or what?THEN I see IT! His little bare feet, and pajama clad body running fast towards me, yelling Mama, and laughing...I literally can't move for a second. I realize at this point how panicked I was! I then RUN after him and my mind is racing. Do I hug him, spank him, yell at him, or kiss him.I think I did all of the above. I carry him back home the whole time, thanking God for letting him come back.Chris calls to see if I had found him yet. I tell him I did, and he is of course upset with me for losing him, and I am upset enough without his fear filled words crashing down on me. I held Koby for a minute but I seriously thought I was going to have a heart attack or pass out as I couldn't stop shaking and I could hear my heart beating LOUDLY in my ears. So I put him in his room, with some toys and a video, for a minute.It is his nap time anyway. And I just want to keep him where I KNOW he is safe, for a MINUTE!
It has been about an hour since this happened.It seems surreal. I am still shaking horribly. I can't catch my breath,and I feel like the worst mother ever. It was honestly the most horrible experience of my life! I pray NO ONE ever has to go through this! My house is soon to be laden with Ft. Knox type locks, alarms and security to ensure we NEVER go through this again! Terrifying. I thought I had checked everything. I thought he knew better. I thought he was safe. All in a FLASH I could have lost EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING.

D-O-W-N S-Y-N-D-R-O-M-E

2009-05-19T20:40:00.002-04:00

It is Down syndrome.
Not Downs syndrome
Down's Syndrome
Down Syndromes
Downs Syndromes
Down
Downs
Down's
NO!
Just Down syndrome...or Trisomy 21...or T21 for short!
Koby wanted me to clarify!

Omnicef,Ciprodex,tylenol OH MY!

2009-05-13T13:39:00.002-04:00

Yep....Ear infections are back! What we once thought to be a thing of the past, has reared it's ugly oozing head yet again! Koby woke up this morning and I noticed his ear was draining. UGH! Didn't we get tubes for that? Twice? Well, off we went to the Ped.office. He has an ear infection and it is so bad she is giving him Omnicef(oral antibiotic) and Ciprodex(an otic antibiotic aka Ear drops) and then some Tylenol for pain. Now. If I could just get him to take the dang medicine, THAT would be FABULOUS!!!

ps: why does my child have to act like a FOOL at the DR? Just asking!

HILARIOUS commercial!!!

2009-05-11T19:00:00.000-04:00

One of the FUNNIEST commercials I have EVER seen!!!!

Plasticville

2009-05-11T13:44:00.000-04:00

I think JT is the funniest celeb on SNL! This just cracked me up!

Our recent life in Pictures!

2009-05-11T11:22:00.012-04:00

About 3 weeks ago...we got a puppy:

Koby obviously loves him!

His name is BEN. He is a Siberian Husky! He is such a great puppy! I just love him!

He is growing so fast!

He had his first check up today! He is healthy! YAY!!!

Chris and I enjoyed the beach yesterday for Mothers Day!

Here is me after a day in the sun.Ignore the way I look in the bathingsuit...this is for color purposes!

Here is what My POOR husband looks like after a day in the sun! OUCH!!!

The flowers Koby made me at school for mothers day! LOVE THEM!!!

THIS is sooo sweet! He made this at school too! I am going to frame it! I LOVE hand prints from him!

More Mothers Day flowers from Koby!!!!

Well, that is about it! For now! I have a busy busy week this week! I have a selling skills workshop to finish preparing and teach!
OHHH and En Vogue is on the View right now!!!! Gotta go! (never gonna get it, never gonna get it!)

Mothers Day !

2009-05-11T11:12:00.003-04:00

I couldn't wait to get my drivers license...now I hate driving!
I couldn't wait to graduate so I could work...now I can't wait for vacation days!
I couldn't wait to have my own house...now I hate making that payment!
I couldn't wait to get married...now I realize it is such hard work!
I couldn't wait to have a baby...and I LOVE being a MOM!

It is the most amazing blessing ever! God has given me more than I could ever ask for!
My son, made me a Mother! He won't be my only child, but because of that he will be VERY special to me always! God knows I love him more than life itself!

Little Orange Pill

2009-05-05T19:05:00.003-04:00

A recent conversation I had with a friend I hadn't seen in a while:
(after a about 20 minutes of catching up)
R: my back hurts!
ME: what is wrong with your back?
R: I got into a car accident a few months ago
ME: Oh really, I never heard anything about that
R: yeah, uh, we didn't call the cops or anything I just got rear ended pretty bad
ME: Oh so, that is why your back hurts
R: Yeah, it hurts so bad I can barely move
ME: Oh really, wow.
R: Do you have anything I can take?
Me: Yeah I have tylenol, and extra strength excedrin
R:oh, no that stuff doesn't work anymore...
Me: oh, well what do you take?
R: Well, I have a prescription for Hydrocodone, but they only give me like 10 and that last like 5 hours. To be honest I was just hoping you would have something stronger like Percocet, or Oxycontin.
Me: Oh...no sorry.
R: Oh, do you know anyone that does?
ME: No, sorry
R: ohhh, well I will make some calls then.

SAD! Just sad! I left that conversation feeling sorry for her, and even sorrier for her two kids. It is very sad to me!

Then the next day, I saw this commercial that reminded me of this conversation. I think it is a sad reality that we face. I am just 24 years old...young I agree. However, 7 years ago when I was in high school, this wasn't an issue. However, it is certainly a huge issue now.You can't even buy cold medicine off the shelf anymore. People get all in an uproar about Swine flu, and many other diseases. But I have to wonder...when is the last time someone considered the people in their lives who may be addicted to prescription drugs? IT is a Problem. I hope commercials like this one, which I think is fabulous and creative, help get the word out! It is serious, and sad. Unfortunately the very public accidental overdose deaths of celebrities don't seem to do much more than promote the behavior! Maybe this will help!

Here is the commercial:

Think about it!

Movie Quotes

2009-04-30T11:17:00.003-04:00

I stole this from Renee's Blog. Sounded so fun...so I am going to bite!

10. Kiss Me Arse!
Kiss Mine! In ENGLISH!.....PS: I love you
9.You gotta be rich to be insane, Hol. Losing your mind is not a luxury for the middle class.......PS: I Love you
8.SEAN! You're my same height, that is neat....Orange County
7.You can't charge me for Directions! I can do whatever I want to baby I ain't lost!....Pretty Woman.
6.Somewhere, some lucky guy's having a heart attack....the Bucket List
5.Shampoo is better. I go on first and clean the hair. Conditioner is better. I leave the hair silky and smooth. Oh, really, fool? Really.
Stop looking at me, swan.....Billy Madison
4.You get paid a $100 an hour and have a safety pin holding up your boot?...Pretty Woman
3.(running around the racetrack in his underwear, thinks he is on fire) Help me Jesus! Help me Jewish God! Help me Allah! Help me Tom Cruise! Tom Cruise, use your witchcraft on me to get the fire off me! Help me Oprah Winfrey!...Talledega Nights
2.If your a bird, I'm a bird....The Notebook
1.SANTA! OH MY GOD! SANTA'S COMING! I KNOW HIM! I KNOW HIM! ...Elf

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-22T07:35:00.000-04:00

Say what?

2009-04-20T19:17:00.000-04:00

Say what is a post that I am starting to chronicle the CRAZY things I hear in my line of work, or just being out and about in public.

BOOK EM!
* "No, I read it...I am going in to get a copy right now for one of the guys I met in prison" ( says a man on a cell phone as he enters Barnes and Nobles)*Interesting!

ONE TWO many!
"This is John David, Eva Grace, Michael Joseph, Mark Jacob." (Says a women who is introducing her children to another woman at a restaurant,who from what I could gather is a woman she hasn't seen in years) *REALLY LADY? Could you NOT just pick one name? Talk about indecisive. I mean really!

Communicable diseases 101:
* "Would you step into that tray please" says humane society worker
"WHY? what is it?" says obnoxious know it all woman
"well it is for sanitary purposes,everyone has to step into it to come into the shelter" says humane society worker
"Well, I don't really want to step into something everyone else has stepped in" Says obnoxious know it all woman
" Well, it is sanitary. The sponge contains a liquid that kills bacteria, so the animals won't get sick if someone may have stepped in, animal feces, or other harmful substances." says the humane society worker.
10 second pause while the woman argues LOUDLY about it with her Husband
"Are you going in or not?" says the husband who is CLEARLY sick of and used to her acting so ignorantly.
"Well, I SURE hope nobody stepped in here that has hepatitis C,My dad works for the Health department and he told me all about Hepatitis C" says the RUDE obnoxious Know it all woman
"Once again, it KILLS germs, not perpetuates them...it is safe" says now mildly amused and partially annoyed humane society worker.
* This is from the CDC site:You cannot get hepatitis C from casual contact such as hugging, kissing, sneezing, coughing, or sharing food or drink. ** Think I need to get them to add stepping in a foot bath at the Humane society?

Survey to pass the day!

2009-04-18T23:05:00.002-04:00

1. First thing you wash in the shower? My Hair
2. What color is your favorite hoodie? Black
3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Yep...my (not so) baby boy!
4. Do you plan outfits? For the kids, yes...for me and Koby...and a million other people a year...kinda my job!
5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? Tired and FULL
6. What's the closest thing to you that's red? My Laptop
7. What was the last dream you remember having? I don't know, but I know that I had one!
8. Did you meet anybody new today? about a thousand people at work, oh and a wonderful new family who joined the Down syndrome "society"
9. What are you craving right now? I don't know...nothing really...maybe sleep. Pretty tired!
10. Do you floss? I used to like twice a day...and now I am lucky to floss twice a week.
11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? as strange as this sounds...cabbage is what came to mind...steamed cabbage with butter salt pepper and vinegar.
12. Are you emotional? depends on the day, week, hour, minute, month, etc.
13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? OHHHH yeah!
14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? depends
15. Do you like your hair? yes
16. Do you like yourself? Yes,I do. Character flaws abound, but I do!
17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? yes...but I am NOT talking politics...lets just talk about TV or something.
18. What are you listening to right now? You've got mail...seen it a 100 times seriously! but i LOVE it!
19. Are your parents strict? They weren't when I was growing up...and they are FABULOUS grandparents.
20. Would you go sky diving? HAHHA...are you serious? I barely ride roller coasters.
21. Do you like cottage cheese? No NONO
22. Have you ever met a celebrity? Yes, a few.
23. Do you rent movies often? More like Never...got netflix. Is that renting?
24. Is there anything sparkly in the room in which you are? sparkly? My jewelry I guess...makeup maybe?
25. What countries have you visited? Jamaica, Grand Cayman, usa. That's it.
26. Have you made a prank phone call? Of course! I was a teenager once!
27. Ever been on a train? yes
28. Brown or white eggs? brown...I SWEAR they taste better!
29. Do you have a cell-phone? Of course! I have a blackberry.
31. Do you use chapstick? i do when I need to yes.
32. Do you own a gun? not exactly
33. Can you use chopsticks? Not even a little.
34. Who are you going to be with tonight? My Koby...Chris is at a going away party and me and KOby decided to stay in and watch TV>
35. Are you too forgiving? No...not at all.
36. Ever been in love? I am!
37. What is your best friend doing tomorrow? I don't know...she is in GA....so It's hard to know these things! And too late to call and ask her for the benefit of this survey!
38. Ever have cream puffs? I don't eat those
39. Last time you cried? today...in a good way!
40. What was the last question you asked? Where is your diaper.
41. Favorite time of the year? Summer
42. Do you have any tattoos? Nope
43. Are you sarcastic? haha!
44. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect?No Chris said it was weird and I wouldn't like it. I take his word because he knows!
45. Ever walked into a wall? Yeah
46. Favorite color? black...etc.
47. Have you ever slapped someone? Well I hope not.
48. Is your hair curly? depends
49. What was the last CD you bought? I dont know...I itunes everything
50. Do looks matter? Yes, they just do.
51. Could you ever forgive a cheater? Not so much!
52. Is your phone bill sky high? Nope, only have a cell phone and it's unlimited everything.
53. Do you like your life right now? yes I do.
54. Do you sleep with the TV on? I like to watch it when I am going to sleep, but like it off after.
55. Can you handle the truth? I prefer it!
56. Do you have good vision? Yes. My hearing is another story.
57. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? Dislike yes...don't hate. bad for you!
58. How often do you talk on the phone? All the time!
59. The last person you held hands with? Koby I am sure!
60. What are you wearing? tank top...sweat pants.
61. What is your favorite animal? Cow
62. Where was your profile picture taken? no clue
63. Can you hula hoop? sure!
64. Do you have a job? I have a couple!!!
65. What was the most recent thing you bought? Lunch today
66. Have you ever crawled through a window? Not to my knowledge!

New Baby!

2009-04-18T08:21:00.003-04:00

I get to go meet a family today with a new baby with Down syndrome and heart defects. YAY!!!
And for those of you wondering WHY that is exciting, it is because when Koby was born with the same set of circumstances I PRAYED that there was someone I could talk to about it who had been down my road. I prayed that possibly I could see what a toddler with Down syndrome looked like. Moreover, I was certain these heart defects would kill my infant, and therefore wanted to meet a baby who had lived through it!
So, it is with that that I pay it forward and visit families that are now in the same situation I was in just over 4 years ago!
So, a situation I once would have heard about and thought wow, so sad I can now rejoice because 1. I have been in their shoes and know now there is NOTHING to be sad about and 2. The Lord DOES NOT make mistakes, and this is a blessing and a miracle and has already began such a work in people lives. Praise the Lord!

ps: And all you DS momma's out there...be jealous! I get to snuggle a NEWBORN BABY WITH T21!!!!!!!!! And we KNOW they are the MOST adorable and snugglable!

The saddest crowning ever!

2009-04-14T22:16:00.006-04:00

* Chiropractic treatments
*Caviar hair therapy
*Spray tanning
* $3000+ designer dresses
*Custom made fake eyelashes
*Talent coaches
*Custom made hair pieces
*an Hour+ of Make up and hair preparation
*Thousand dollar entry fees
*And MUCH MUCH MORE!

All this to be judged on Beauty, Talent,and personality.

This of course is the 2009 Miss America Pageant. Or Not?!?!

I am talking about Toddlers and Tiaras, a new show on TLC that has my mind boggled.

TLC synopsis:
On any given weekend, on stages across the country, little girls and boys parade around wearing makeup, false eyelashes, spray tans and fake hair to be judged on their beauty, personality and costumes. Toddlers and Tiaras follows families on their quest for sparkly crowns, big titles, and lots of cash.

The preparation is intense as it gets down to the final week before the pageant. From hair and nail appointments, to finishing touches on gowns and suits, to numerous coaching sessions or rehearsals, each child preps for their performance. But once at the pageant, it's all up to the judges and drama ensues when every parent wants to prove that their child is beautiful.

Here is MY synopsis:
Parents with too much time on their hands, and extremely low-self esteem, or jaded self image, use their children to fulfill some void or live vicariously through them, by forcing them to act, look and perform like adults on stages across the country, all the while teaching them that the only important this in life is how you look and the more make-up and less clothes you wear the better!Ohh and the Kids win LOTS of Money for Mommy and Daddy!

I guess what gets me is these parents all say the kids LOVE IT....but yet they have to force them to practice. Half of them act TERRIFIED on stage. Bribery is their(the parents) number one weapon. It is VERY obvious that these parents want this WAY more than these little girls(and boys). Yes that's right. One woman made her little boys do pageants that they CLEARLY didn't want to do...why? She said, they are the girls she never had, so she would make them her girls. I don't make this up people! These parents just amaze me. They are SOOO critical of these kids.Kids...babies in some cases. And the parents act so surprised that they don't want to practice, or get up at 4 am to go to the salon...ugh...yeah! Let me help you out with this one...THEY ARE KIDS!!!! They want to watch cartoons, have sleep-overs, play in the backyard, fight with their siblings, and eat ice cream! Don't be surprised that they aren't compliant!!!
Then there are the Mothers. They make fun of these CHILDREN. Saying things about their weight, their dresses, their hair...their TEETH. Ohh yeah...forgot to tell you they have these things called flippers.They are defined as fake snap-on teeth that cover the pageant child's missing teeth,once they have started to lose their baby teeth. Because GOD FORBID they look like children! I mean, the 7 pounds of make-up,adult styled hair pieces, and belly-less outfits, aren't grown up enough obviously...so they MUST add the "flippers".

And they try to say..."just have fun". WE do this to expose them to competition early. We are developing their social skills. WE want our kids to be well rounded. This will help her with her self-esteem. This gives her an outlet to express herself...This makes her a better public speaker...etc...etc.
It is all excuses.The way they act if the kids mess up. The way they behave when they are waiting for the crowning.And the looks on their faces if their kids don't win. And I am pretty sure saying things like "I want to see the score card, there is NO WAY that little girl beat my daughter" HMMM that doesn't sound like improving social skills!!! And I am pretty sure that giving them money for winning doesn't validate their points any at all.

All in all it is quite narcissistic to me! Sad. Borderline exploitation. Ridiculous.And truly out of control.
I wish people would stop trying to make kids grow up so fast.They WILL do that without our help!

Now, I do understand that there are probably some little girls who do LOVE this. And I think that is great.But I do think there has to be a balance. AND there is NO amount of convincing in this world, to make me agree with making 4 and 5 year olds look like this:

OR THIS:

OR THIS(YES...this BABY has on EYE LINER!!!!!):

How is this even LEGAL???? Sad!

I spoke with him this morning...HE LIVES!!!!

2009-04-12T09:41:00.003-04:00

HAPPY Easter everyone!
Here is one of my ALL time favorite songs...It is so fitting on Easter and I woke up with this song in my head...so I thought I would share it!

Indeed the Tomb is Empty...Indeed! He has Risen! Hallelujah! My REDEEMER LIVES!

No more....

2009-04-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

SO...Chris and I have decided to make some HUGE changes to our lives. Not having a baby...not moving...not starting our own business.... it is different.
We are changing the way we eat. NO more CRAP. If you even KNEW how we eat...know what...I'll tell you!
WE eat fast food (FF)...ohhhh let's just say if there are 21 meals in a week...we are eating FF AT LEAST 17 of them...sometimes all 21...no I am sooo not kidding.
From now on though...it is going to be healthy cooking at home. WE can both cook very well. SO, now we just have to actually DO IT! Not just to save money...BUT to be healthier. WE both really want to get healthy...so lets see how this goes. Unfortunately I LOVE FF and CRAP...sot his will be hard. BUT I am committed. I will update daily...I figure the more I talk about it the more accountable I will hold myself. Lets get healthy and save thousands a YEAR! Here we go....

Sunday School Rock

2009-04-09T20:36:00.002-04:00

If you have never heard this before ~~what rock have you been living under~~ you really should hear this! It is ADORABLE and I can not BEGIN to tell you how muchI Koby LOVES it! So...just in case...here it is..ENJOY:

"Aren't Kids with Down syndrome ALWAYS so happy"

2009-04-09T17:27:00.003-04:00

Absolutely....

...NOT!!!!!

My arms hold my hands on!

2009-04-02T21:52:00.003-04:00

I hope your kids love this as much as KOby does! He has learned all the motions now and requests to watch it about ~~9000000~~ 20 times a day!
It really is cute....and very addicting! IT WILL BE STUCK IN YOUR HEAD! Don't say I didn't warn you!

SICK SICK SICK!

2009-03-31T22:17:00.003-04:00

Chris is sooo sick! I feel so badly for him right now! I wish I could help him more...but my boss is coming tomorrow and I am praying I don't get sick as well! POOR GUY! PRAY PRAY PRAY FOR HIM! He HAS to get better! He has to take care of KOby who seems to be getting a little stomach bug as well! UGH all these BUGS I tell ya!!!

Lord, please touch Chris and Koby, and Lord PLEASE don't let me get this buggy until at LEAST after tomorrow!!! But never is good too! AMEN!

An award....thanks!

2009-03-30T17:05:00.000-04:00

The Kreativ Blogger Award

CJ over at Little Miss E gave us an award! Thanks ya'll! It is always so fun to get and give these awards!

Here's the deal, first I post seven things Koby loves most and then seven bloggers we like! Easy enough! Here goes!

1.) FRENCH FRIES...omg he would eat them and only then for the rest of his life!

2.) being outside..especially on his trampoline or playset!

3.) Music...especially Hip Hop he LOVES music with some bass!

4.) the WIGGLES! He has his own sign for them and he requests to watch them daily!

5.) His DADDY! It isn't official but I think he hung the moon.

6.) Making people laugh! He is SOOOO FUNNY and LOVES to entertain...wonder where he got that from(daddy!)

7.) babies! He always says AWWWW when he sees them, and it is adorable!

Now, I choose to do this a different way! I say....ANYONE who wants to take this award, take it and have fun with it!!!! I would love to know what everyone's kids love! SO go ahead!Let me know if you post it so I can read all about it!

Anonymous posts...

2009-03-29T08:44:00.002-04:00

it was brought to my attention by my husband and some of my friends that you can't post anon. I Never knew this...you now can! SO if you don't have a blogger or whatever...just sign your name please so I at least know WHO you are if I "know" you.

Extreme Makeover...KOBY edition.

2009-03-28T20:00:00.000-04:00

SO basically, we moved into this house almost 2 years ago. Koby's room was very transitional. He was in a crib and toddler bed, then another toddler bed, then a futon(he slept VERY well in it, as it was in the other room, but he wanted it) then eventually we got him a big boy bed(a queen-he HAS to have A LOT of room to sleep). Because all the transition we never really "did" anything to his room. It was honestly just a bed and a dresser and a TV...with toys galore. But recently we decided that at the very least we had to paint...he makes a MESS out of white walls! So, we figured, If we are gonna move everything out to paint...lets just redo it! SO...after MUCH deliberation...we decided not to go with any strict THEME...because really that is just a waste of money at 4 years old, he simply couldn't care less. SO we wanted to have something for him that would be a little more exciting than white walls, with not as much as a picture on them, plain bed sheets and an old comforter of ours...and so without further ado...here is what we did:

Chris and I think it turned out quite well! He is at his Grandma's right now...but I can't wait to see what he thinks of it tomorrow!

OPENING DAY!!!!

2009-03-28T16:39:00.006-04:00

Today was Opening Day for us at the Miracle League!!! YAY!!! Here are some pictures of Koby's first day(he was finally old enough to play this year!). ENJOY!!!

Koby and I

Koby and I again

Trying his new Uniform on!

Giving Daddy a High five!

He KNOWS he is cute!

That glove is his...

Thig HUGE ones isn't but he HAD to wear it!

The lady with the camera to the left is taking his picture..she is from the Newspaper.

Running bases with Daddy!

Who's on 3rd....Koby of course!

SWING!!!!!

Getting ready to bat!

Playing outfield with Papa!(my Dad)

Doing the Cha-Cha Slid in the outfield...he was hilarious!

This kid was HILARIOUS...he slid into home plate...TWICE!(Please take note that our field isn't dirt..more of a mesh covering concrete! YIKES!)

He had SOOOO much FUN!!!!!

If you guys don't have one of these near you...I strongly suggest you contact the Miracle League and see what you can do to get one started! It is nothing short of AMAZING! Everyone has such a great time, and it is SO rewarding!

COMING SOON!!!

2009-03-27T22:08:00.005-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted much lately! I have LOTS to post tomorrow!
Here is a little Preview:

Also Miracle League starts Tomorrow!!!!
YAY! Pictures of that to come as well! If you don't know what that is go here http://www.gsml.org/ and check it out!!!!

Also If by some strange twist of moons you haven't heard about MckMama and Stellan..PLEASE PLEASE go HERE and read about it! He is a heart baby like Koby and many of our other sweeties so go over, and if so led pray for them!!! I know I have!
Talk soon!!!

April showers bring may flowers, but they sure don't bring SNOW!

2009-03-19T09:12:00.002-04:00

WINTER IS OVER! FINALLY! I hate cold, I hate snow, I hate bundling up just to grab the mail. I hate being HOT everywhere you go inside because you are so bundled up form the FREEZING cold outside!Are you excited? I am....it is already back up to 75 today!!! YAY!
This means we will be seeing a lot less of THIS:

And a lot MORE of this:

WELCOME TO SPRING!~

The greatest of these is LOVE!

2009-03-05T22:00:00.000-05:00

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast,
it is not proud. It is not rude,
it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes
always perseveres.
.......
Love never fails. But where there are
prophecies, they will cease; where there
are tongues, they will be stilled;
where there is knowledge, it will come to pass away.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.

NIV... I CORINTHIANS 13: 4-13

This was the main verse I had read at our wedding. The reason is simple. It is about LOVE. The real kind of love that it takes to make a marriage work. The love God instills in your heart, and the love he allows someone else to give to you.
See, I got married at the mere age of 18;my husband was 19. People were not only full of doubt, but they were vocal about how "stupid" "immature" and "naive" we were to think that at the age we were, that we could make marriage work. At the time it angered me. Comments like, "you don't know what kind of toothpaste you want to use the rest of your life much less the person who you want to spend it with!", just infuriated me. How, could they judge? They couldn't see our hearts. They weren't in our shoes. However, I know now, that they were trying to protect us from a statistic, that truly seems unavoidable!
The statistics for couples that get married at less than 20 years old, and get divorced, is about 40%, and slightly higher if they don't have children(which seems odd...but true!)WE fit both of those bills. NO kids...and younger than 20. But what everyone(and it wasn't EVERYONE...but it felt like it sometimes) didn't or couldn't see is that, we KNEW what we were in for. We understood that marriage is WORK.More importantly we understood that LOVE is work. We have always said that Love is a VERB. You have to work at it. To fully understand this, I have established a little metaphoric story to help.
You see,LOVE is like a GARDEN. Falling in love is like planting the flowers. Easy. And at first you are most likely lucky. You get lots of rain, and sunshine. Your garden just seems to grow perfectly and things couldn't be better. People comment on how wonderful your garden is, and how they wish they could get their garden to grow like yours. You boast about your garden to co-workers, friends and family. A little time goes by, and you get so comfortable with the success of your garden, that you don't really notice that the rain has slowed, and the daylight is getting shorter. See you start to take it for granted. You continue on as if everything is as it was. But one day you happen to notice,weeds in your garden.You pull a few, but figure...your flowers still look good enough...better than most people's you know. And really you don't have time for this right now. SO, you continue on. You might toss a little fertilizer down in passing, but don't take the time to really water it in. Before long, you stop and notice that some of your flowers have actually died. You might worry for a bit, but realize...you still have over half of your garden, andyou convince yourself that that half seems to be thriving, and off you go with a jaded recognition of what is actually going on. As life takes over, you don't really think as much about your garden. Matter of fact, it isn't until you come home from work early one day, and realize... your garden has completely wilted. You quickly grab the hose, with the intention of properly watering your garden, but then the neighbor stops by and you once again neglect your garden. As life is still swirling around you, you simply take your garden for granted even more than before. You kinda know in the back of your mind that you NEED to give your garden some serious TLC, but it just gets lost in the mix of everyday life, and you WILL get to it...tomorrow. But tomorrow turns into months, and you try to convince yourself and others your garden is fine. When people ask you, how is your garden? What's new with that garden of yours? Planted anything new lately? You confidently respond with a smile, Yeah, yeah, the garden is great, yet quickly change the subject, as not to potentially have the truth revealed to anyone, especially yourself. However this truth eventually slams you in the face, as one Saturday afternoon, you finally make the time, to garden. Only, when you arrive you find, a dead, dried up, insect infested area, that only vaguely resembles the garden you once loved and were so proud of. You hurriedly try to save it. Grabbing watercans, fertilizer, shovels, and new soil. You try tirelessly to revive your garden. Moving from one aid to the next, hoping that there is SOMETHING left, of the garden you had. Soon, enough you plop down, tired and muddied. Wishing you had done more. Wondering why it wasn't enough now. Trying to retrace your steps over the last few months, and see what went wrong. Things started out so great. Yet the more you think about it...the easier it is to see now. If you had just taken the time, to water your garden. To feed it. To pull all of the weeds out. To notice the insects that were trying to destroy your garden, before they had the chance to succeed. Maybe, just maybe, if you had done more all along the way, you would still have that wonderful garden you had planted so long ago.
TO me, LOVE is the exact same. If we pay attention all along the way. If we watch for the signs. Nurture what is good, and rid it of what isn't,then we won't have to lose it all along.IN fact it will thrive and grow, and be plentiful! If we fight for it, instead of ignoring it. If we manage it, instead of waiting, we wouldn't have the divorce rates that we do now. Things wouldn't go dry and wilt. Success in LOVE is work. Just as a successful garden is work. Trying to put on a show, and pretending it is something it isn't, will only hurt you in the end. Giving up is easy! Anyone can kill a flower. However, getting it to grow into something you are proud of. Into a healthy and lively being is work. The same is true with love.
I believe I am still married today because we constantly garden our love. WE choose to fight. WE win as a team and lose as a team. We hold each other accountable, and we cheer each other on. We have had rough times. Even seemingly impossible times! Times when we thought the answer was throwing in the towel because neither of us wanted to "plow". But, because we couldn't look down the road and see our lives without the love we have for each other,and we couldn't throw all of the work we had done up until that point away. We choose to fight. And we fought these battles harder than we had ever fought before.
I am thankful that I have a husband who appreciates the work that love takes! After all anything worth having is worth fighting for!
So, I challenge each of you today, to ask yourselves, what have YOU done for your GARDEN today? Did you water it? Did you take the time to notice whether the leaves were turning brown? Or, did you trample over it on the way out the door, taking it for granted?

Can you tell me how you get...how you get, to my Blog???

2009-03-05T21:59:00.001-05:00

According to sitemeter...here are a few ways people found my blog last week! FUNNY!!!!

SIKEN- Koby's word for Chicken...or a famous American poet,hmmm???

Mom spanking- Yes, sometimes I do...but do people really Google that?

Koby likes to- ~~get into trouble~~ do lots of fun things!

tranquilizers falling down- I wonder if this is anything like London bridges???

Koby's shoes- He has about 12 pairs...could you be more specific?!?

WARNING:TRANQUILIZERS NOT ALLOWED!

2009-02-25T22:17:00.003-05:00

One of my most favorite guilty pleasures, is the tanning bed. I love it! I know it is bad for you...and can cause skin cancer and all that jazz! I got it! I know...but I am still going to go! I have gone for YEARS...however,in all the years I have been going...I have never really paid attention to the WARNING posters they hang inside the booths. I mean I know it says something about who to call if you get injured or have a complaint. And some other OSHA poster...about reasons you might NOT want to tan. But yesterday I happened to be changing back into my clothes, about to leave when a certain word on the poster caught my eye. I stopped with my shirt half on, leaned forward, and blinked to focus...was I reading this right? Does it say...does that say....doe,ohhh my gosh! That really says:

HMMM? REALLY? Of course this got my wheels going. The whole way home, I contemplated, the events that lead up to TRANQUILLIZERS being printed on a tanning bed warning poster! First of all...who is in such a bad state, that they require a tranquilizer, and yet still find the need to catch some rays? I mean, priorities PEOPLE? Just seems, sorta logical to me, that if you are on tranquilizers...you don't need to operate heavy machinery, ie: the car to get to the tanning bed and you probably have enough on your plate, that TANNING won't be anywhere near the top of the list...or shouldn't be.ANd if for some reason you are ~~STUPID~~ desperate enough to go...something tells me that little beep at the end of your allotted time isn't going to wake your tranquilized-self up! And PLEASE don't tell me you have a person to drive you there and carry you in and out!I don't want to know there are two people as ~~STUPID~~ ignorant as you in one city! ENABLING MUCH? Now, while all of this seems like common sense to me. There has GOT to be a reason they took the time to put this on the sign. There must have been some FOOL, who decided that they were going to do this! ANd some DUMB tanning attendant who allowed it to happen! I can see it now. Hospital band still on, pushing an IV pole up to the "TAN DEPOT" , "Mayyyyy I pleashh hab a taaaaan???"(that is my best drug voice...typed out,you like it?) Falling into the walls, and inevitably getting injured, on the way to the room. Then after struggling to get into the bed under the influence of a tranquilizer, laying there and passing in and out of consciousness and reality too. I would imagine that after about 30 minutes, the Tanning attendant would be banging on the door, "Ugh ma'am you okay in there? Your time was up 15 minutes ago," Finally, said FOOL would drag him/herself out to the lobby stripped red and white all over from rolling around while "sunning", fall out the doorway, and eventually make it back to her car, where she would put herself and everyone else in a 15 mile radius in danger! Two days later Tanning Depot receives a letter from Burnt-up, tranquilized Fool's attorney!
And that is the story of how TRANQUILIZERS made it onto the otherwise "normal" lists of warnings!

ps: save the drama for your mama! LOL...my blog is written in good fun! If you don't like it...kindly click away! BLESS!

What chore do you hate the most???

2009-02-25T19:16:00.000-05:00

What is wrong with this picture? See all those dishes piled up on that dishtowel? Those are hand washed clean dishes from Dinner, and a few from throughout the day.
See that dishwasher down there. It is a perfectly functioning, empty, dishwasher, ready at a moments notice to wash anything we ask it to.
SO, WHY you ask then do I ALWAYS hand wash the dishes(well when it is my turn to do them), dry them and put them away? Because I HATE.....HATE....HATE unloading that dang dishwasher!!!!!!!
What chore do you hate the most???

POTTY TIME 101: BY KOBY

2009-02-25T19:11:00.002-05:00

OHH where do I start? So far my least favorite part of potty training is....the part where you have to get the kid to "go" in the potty. If it weren't for that I think I would really enjoy this process.
A few stories to share of our eventful "potty training" or as I like to call it potty Boot camp.
#1.
me: Koby, do you want to use the potty
Koby: No, I crackers
Me: NO Koby, Potty isn't a food!
#2. I am trying to get KOby excited about going on the potty by making up a song. So, everytime *I* think it would be a great time to go potty I take Koby into the bathroom, put him on the potty and say, okay sit down lets sing the potty song. SO, he proceeds to pull his pull up down, sit on the toilet, I sing a REDICULOUS song...that MAY go a little something like this ( more of a Potty RAP if you will!)
Koby is the best he goes on the potty, Koby is a good boy, no he isn't naughty!
HE doesn't need diapers he is a big kid, he goes on the potty so he can diapers he can get rid!
GO KOBY GO KOBY GO KOBY GO! ( i can not believe I am admitting this!)
He thinks this is great....except now he will go get the potty, bring in into the room I am in, set it down, and ask me to sing...do you think he is making a connection???
#3. Bribery! That HAS to work right?
"SO Koby if you want a cookie you have to go on the potty"
Koby: YEAY!!!!
Me: Okay lets go on the potty
Koby: NO....I not.
Me: WEll, don't you want a cookie
KOby: Yeay!!!!
Me: Okay, great, then lets go on the potty like a big boy...
Koby: NO....COOKIE!
Me: Yes, after you go on the potty.
Koby gives up...or so I think
A few minutes later...I come around the corner into the kitchen to find him standing "on the potty" in the pantry helping himself to cookies!
I mean after all I did just say to get on the potty!
NOTE TO SELF: Give specific instructions!

GO HERE to enter for yourself a chance to win 6 months free Pull-ups!!!!

A couple thing!

2009-02-24T16:27:00.002-05:00

Stole this from Renee. IT looked fun! Have a try!

♥ Fill it out and let's learn about you and your better half!

♥ What are your middle names?
Mine: My maiden name ( which I won't share for security reasons)
His: Christopher

♥ How long have you been together?
We have been together almost 10 years and Married just over 6 years.

♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating?
A few months.

♥ Who asked who out?
WE just started hanging out...and that was that.

♥Who said I love you first?
I am pretty sure I did!

♥ How old are each of you?
I am 24 and he is 25...i think that is right?

♥ Who's siblings do/did you see the most?
His brother...My sister and brother are sorta...MIA if you will?

♥ Do you have any children together?
yes...one son

♥ What about pets?
No pets

♥ Did you go to the same schools?
We met in 11th grade.

♥ Are you from the same hometown?
Nonono...I grew up basically in Atlanta and Chris grew up in Conway,SC his whole life.

♥ Who is the smartest?
English, Science, and logic....me
Math, History, and technology... Chris

♥ Who is the most sensitive?
ME...fo sho!

♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple?
ummm....we like Chilis.

♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Jamaica

♥ Who has the craziest ex?
ummm...prob Chris...I think.

♥ Who has the worst temper?
ummm...Me

♥ Who does the cooking?
Chili's. LOL Him.

♥Who is the most social?
We are both very social people!

♥ Who is the neat-freak?
CHRIS!!!

♥ Who is the most stubborn?
prob me!

♥ Who wakes up earlier?
Chris almost everyday

♥ Where was your first date?
Official date....hmmmm I guess probably to go to Dicks.

♥Who has the bigger family?
I do.

♥Do you get flowers often?
No....never actually. I would rather have something long lasting, even as pretty as flowers are!

♥ Who do you spend the holidays with?
Both Families.

♥ Who is more jealous?
used to be me....but now I would say neither.

♥ Who sings better?
Me

♥Who does/did the laundry?
He does!

♥ Who’s better with the computer?
Unless it's photo editing or blogging he is.

♥ Who drives when you are together?
CHRIS!

♥ Who picks where you go to dinner?
WE try to just negotiate.

♥ Who is the first one to admit when they’re wrong?
usually me

♥ Who named your pet?
I name all the pets we've had.

♥ Who wears the pants in the relationship?
I think we both do. I work outside of the home, and he works at home. He is amazing. WE find a nice balance.

♥ Who has more tattoos?
WEll he has one....and I have none. He wins.

♥ Who eats more sweets?
Chris.

♥ Who cries more?
ME!

Copy...paste...enjoy!

G.R.I.T.S: not just a breakfast food!

2009-02-24T09:56:00.001-05:00

Southern

Southern women appreciate their natural assets:

Clean skin.

A winning smile.

That unforgettable Southern drawl.

Southern women know their manners:

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, sir."

"Why, no, Billy!"

Southern women have a distinct way with fond expressions :

"Y'all come back!"

"Well, bless your heart."

"Drop by when you can."

"How's your Momma?"

Southern women know their summer weather report:

Humidity

Humidity

Humidity

Southern women know their vacation spots:

The beach

The rivuh

The crick

Southern women know the joys of June, July, and August:

Colorful hi-heel sandals

Strapless sun dresses

Iced sweet tea with mint

Straw hats and big sunglasses

Southern women know everybody's first name:

Honey

Darlin'

Shugah

Southern women know the movies that speak to their hearts:

Fried Green Tomatoes

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

Steel Magnolias

Gone With The Wind

Southern women know their religions:

Baptist

Methodist

Football

Southern women know their country breakfasts:

Red-eye gravy

Grits

Eggs

Country ham

Mouth-watering homemade biscuits with momma's homemade jelly

Southern women know their cities dripping with Southern charm:

Chawl'stn

S'vanah

Foat Wuth

N'awlins

Addlanna

Southern women know their elegant gentlemen:

Men in uniform.

Men in tuxedos

Rhett Butler

Southern girls know their prime real estate:

The Mall

The Country Club

The Beauty Salon

Southern girls know the 3 deadly sins:

Having bad hair and nails

Having bad manners

Cooking bad food

More Suth en-ism's:

Only a Southerner knows the difference between a hissie fit and a conniption fit, and that you don't "HAVE" them, you "PITCH" them.
_____

Only a Southerner knows how many fish, collard greens, turnip greens, peas, beans, etc., make up "a mess."

_____

Only a Southerner can show or point out to you the general direction of "yonder."

_____

Only a Southerner knows exactly how long "directly" is, as in: "Going to town, be back directly."

_____

Even Southern babies know that"Gimme some sugar" is not a request for the white, granular sweet substance that sits in a pretty little bowl in the middle of the table.

_____

All Southerners know exactly when "by and by" is. They might not use the term, but they know the concept well.
_____

Only a Southerner knows instinctively that the best gesture of solace for a neighbor whose got trouble is a plate of hot fried chicken and a big bowl of cold potato salad. If the neighbor's

trouble is a real crisis, they also know to add a large banana puddin!

_____
Only Southerners grow up knowing the difference between "right near" and "a right far piece." They also know that"just down the road" can be 1 mile or 20.

_____

Only a Southerner both knows and understands the difference between a redneck, a good ol' boy, and po' white trash.

_____

No true Southerner would ever assume that the car with the flashing turn signal is actually going to make a turn.

_____

A Southerner knows that "fixin" can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adverb.

_____

Only Southerners make friends while standing in lines, . and when we're "in line," we talk to everybody!

_____

Put 100 Southerners in a room and half of them will discover they're related, even if only by marriage.

In the South, y'all is singular, all y'all is plural.
Southerners know grits come from corn and how to eat them.
Every Southerner knows tomatoes with eggs, bacon, grits, and coffee are perfectly wonderful; that red eye gravy is also a breakfast food; and that fried green tomatoes are not a breakfast food.

When you hear someone say, "Well, I caught myself lookin'," you know you are in the presence of a genuine Southerner!

Only true Southerners say "sweet tea,""sweet milk," and "light bread" Sweet tea indicates the need for sugar and lots of it -- we do not like our tea unsweetened. "Sweet milk" means you don't want buttermilk. And "Light bread" is white bread.

And a true Southerner knows you don't scream obscenities at little old ladies who drive 30 MPH on the freeway. You just say,"Bless her heart" .. and go your own way.
To those of you who are still a little embarrassed by your Southernes s: Take two tent revivals and a dose of sausage gravy and call me in the morning. Bless your heart!

And to those of you who are still having a hard time understanding all this Southern stuff, ... bless your hearts, I hear they are fixin' to have classes on Southernness as a second language!

And for those that are not from the South but have lived here for a long time, all y'all need a sign to hang on y'alls front porch that reads "I ain't from the South, but I got here as fast as I could."

VIDEO: Koby spells his name

2009-02-23T21:11:00.003-05:00

A little long...but worth it! ENJOY!!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I am soooo proud of him!!! He is really doing so great with his ABC's and counting...and this is his newest accomplishment!!! LOVE IT!

NOT MY KID!!!!

2009-02-17T19:09:00.004-05:00

This weekend, I witnessed something that left me speechless. NO seriously, I always have SOMETHING to say. An opinion...a story...a ~~sarcastic~~ comment. But this was just too, sad, or appalling... or shocking for me to completely wrap my mind around!
As we were walking through one of the many malls we visited this weekend, my friend Julie and I stopped on the bench while our husbands used the restroom. As we were sitting there we saw a family approaching...Mom, Dad, probably cousin or uncle, and a youngish boy...say 9? At the same time we noticed a family standing pretty close to where we were. Mom, Dad Grandma Grandpa, and a young child in a stroller and an older child say...7ish. As the first family got closer, we heard the young boy start saying some AWFUL rude things about the little girl with the other family. It was obvious the little girl was mixed race, and she was a little chunky. CUTE as could be though. Had a pretty little polka dotted dress and sandals. Julie and I had just commented on how cute she looked(we both have boys and try to live vicariously!LOL). I mean it was about her weight mostly and extremely uncalled for and unkind. And after the first comment, I thought ohhhh that little boy is gonna get IT(see I think in my mind all parents are like me and my parents were).It was clearly loud enough for anyone with in about 20 feet to hear it. And I was like OMG, Jules did you hear that? she was like yeah...but her comment was cut short by hysterical laughter...COMING FROM THE BOYS PARENTS. Which was like adding fuel to a fire because off he went again with his horrible comments,which only made his parents laugh harder. When the other parents, who I am pretty sure were trying to ignore this in the beginning, had heard one comment too many...THEY stopped the parents and asked why they thought it was okay to let their son make fun of someone? The ~~ignorant ass~~ parents then responded by making unkind gestures coupled with choice words back to the parents of the little girl, who by this point was in tears. The Parents of the little girl yelled back, something along the lines of "you are the trash that is responsible for society being the way it is" and angrily stormed off. Julie and I who were literally 2 feet from the whole exchange were just shocked. WE kinda looked at each other and shook our heads. Julie was like man I thought they were about to fight, and I too had had that feeling. The saddest part of all is that this little boy thinks it is perfectly okay to make fun of people. The parents not only don't stop him, but they encourage him. They set a horrible example and are raising this child with the belief that other people don't matter, and you can do and say whatever you want to whoever you want. SAD SAD!

Another story which was told to me by a friend of mine this week, also shocked me. Her children were at a community playground. A little boy about twice her son's age came over and SHOVED her son off the toy he was on, and then stepped on him when climbing onto said toy. Now these kids were probably 2-4. I get it kids will do that. They are kids! But what is shocking is the Mother of the pusher's response, she just said, ohh sweetie play nice,(which her son did NOT hear) and shook her head at my friend who was now staring at her with the ~~I am gonna knock the crap outta you~~ are you kidding me lady look, and the pusher's Mom then said with a condescending smile and cock of her head, boys will be boys. SERIOUSLY??? My friend said, I wanted to yell and scream at her, but knowing it would only make me look like a fool, and set the wrong example for MY son, she went and picked up her son,who was now standing crying and yelling at the other kids that it wasn't his TURN;she told him that some kids don't know how to share, but we don't have to play with those kids, and took him to another part of the playground(the mother definitely heard her!). I just can't believe it! SAD SAD!

I mean WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE THESE DAYS? I am never one to say NOT MY KID....in fact I am the first to make sure it wasn't my kid! SO, I can make sure it isn't EVER him again, if it should be him this time. I am lucky that Koby is a very sweet child, who loves to share and play with others.He is a natural born people pleaser. BUT he is also that way because Chris and I don't allow him to behave ANY differently than kind, and caring to his friends and others! PERIOD. If I think for one second he has stepped out of line he MUST apologize.4 years old and Down syndrome don't matter in this house! He knows manners. When he asks for something, and I say, what do you say? He knows the answer is please, and will ONLY get it once he has said/signed so. When he receives something and I say, Koby what do you say, he knows the answer is Thank you, or I will take it away.If he wrongs someone, he knows he MUST say sorry, or face his consequences. Don't get me wrong. He gets his fair share of time-outs and an occasional spanking for disobeying at school, or with Chris and I(he does NOT get spanked at school). But for the most part he is a sweet easy going child. I credit that to the hard work and discipline,which sometimes breaks my heart, that Chris and I ( and our parents and friends-It takes a village I believe) have put into him. I am SOOO not a perfect parent. I don't claim to be. But I know how to be a kind person and I set forth that example and expectation to Koby at all times! I have lots of friends who are great parents and who discipline well. I love them for that! WE lean on each other in hard times raising our children. I just wish more parents were like my friends and I, and cared more about raising kind, caring, positive children, than being their child's friend and letting them raise themselves. Children aren't meant to raise children! That is what PARENTS are for!
NOW, Someone ~~help me off this soap box~~ tell me I am not alone!

I did it myself!

2009-02-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

...cut Koby's hair that is!
Getting his hair cut is one of the most miserable experiences of my ( and his) life! I would rather go to the Gynecologist/dentist/and give blood all in one day, than take him to get a hair cut. I mean seriously, it is a RED FACED SCREAMING, TEARS FLOWING, SNOT SLIDING, MOUTH FULL OF HAIR experience that makes me want to ~~run screaming from the building and never stop running...EVER~~ CRY! I used to take him all by myself. But as he has gotten bigger that option became impossible. SO Chris and I would both take him. I became more of the ~~hopeless mother apologizing to the poor hair dresser and my husband for the absolute screaming insanity Koby becomes at first sight of scissors~~ cheerleader while Chris became the one to restrain his entire body, head, and flailing appendages. WE would consider it a success if Koby didn't start gagging from the mouth full of hair and ear bleeding screaming, Chris didn't get injured below the waist and the hairdresser didn't end up with a cut. Truly it became such a daunting experience we were both putting it off for WEEKS and WEEKS at a time, leaving us with one SHAGGY little boy. But it would quickly come to the time when we simply couldn't procrastinate anymore, and we would all VERY grumpily load up and began the torturous journey to Kid Klips ~~name changed to protect my sanity~~. BUT, today ALL of that changed! Chris and I decided that I would cut his hair! I have been cutting Chris's and his friends for YEARS. So I got the clippers and Chris and Koby took a seat together in front of the living room TV. And with Cartoons blaring, I began clipping and snipping. It took a WHILE. I wasn't 100% comfortable with what I was doing, so I wanted to take my time. So, while Koby's behavior was~~like something off of national geographic~~ the same, and Chris and I both agreed that a Nap for ALL was in order, I think I did a pretty good job!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Our weekend in Charleston

2009-02-16T15:18:00.005-05:00

These pictures are in no particular order...just a snapshot of the weekend! WE had a lot of fun! WE went with some friends and it was a blast! Thanks for the Anniversary wishes.
OH and Kristen...you def won. E-mail me your address and I will send you a prize!!!

Happy 6th Anniversary...I HOPE!

2009-02-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Six years ago today, Chris and I were doing THIS:

And THIS:

And THIS too:

We had a BEAUTIFUL wedding. It went off without a HITCH! NO one forgot anything, it was literally a perfect day.
Our Anniversaries on the other hand have been less than perfect. In fact they have been down right SUCKY!
Year 1: WE were both SICK as dogs and it was FREEZING OUTSIDE
Year 2: Koby had Open heart surgery the next day and we spent the whole day in Pre-op and that night in a hotel with Koby taking turns ~~crying~~ getting up with him.
Year 3: Was a rough year for us...we were actually sorta...seperated that year.Not officially but just NOT getting along!
Year 4: Chris traveled to Boston on Business and got SNOWED in for 1NO,2 NO,3 NO,4NO, 5...yes 5 days, starting with our Anniversary day!
Year 5: WE were both away on business.
So...year six HAS to be promising right? WEll I should have a good report to tell you soon, because as you are reading this, WE are driving back from THIS:

And taking THESE:

And doing lots of THIS:

Stories and pictures to follow!

2009-02-13T16:00:00.001-05:00

T21 Traveling Afghan Info

Here's the deal, in short form.

I whip up a smallish T21 afghan to send out to families who have a family member with Down Syndrome. The afghan travels from one family to another, along with a journal.
Each family, upon receiving the afghan, takes a picture of their little one with it and we post it on a "T21 Travelling Afghan" page. After having the afghan for bit, the family writes a note in the journal and sends it off to the next family,who's address I will email to them.

I would LOVE to see the afghan hit all fifty states and as far and wide as we can find families who would like to participate!

Please post about this on your blogs, FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. with a link back to this page. That way we can spread the the word out as far and wide as possible.
Shipping cost will be the responsibility of the sending party, therefore, I will make a smaller sized afghan.
If anyone would be willing to whip up a little graphic icon people can put on their blogs, I would be extremely grateful.

To sign up, please send an email (subject: T21 Afghan) to littlemisse21@gmail.com with the following information:
1. Name
2. Address
3. Blog url
4. Name and age of child or person with T21
5. Whether or not you would be willing to ship the afghan out of your country of residence
Woo hoo! Let's get the 'ghan rolling!!

Please feel free to respond with any questions, comments or specifics I may have overlooked.

WE can't wait to get the little afghan here! So if you wanna participate by all means!GO!

HI HO HI HO OFF TO ..............WE GO! (CONTEST!!!)

2009-02-12T16:51:00.003-05:00

100 fabulous points and I'll bring back(and send) a souvenir for the first person who correctly guesses where we are vacationing to this weekend.
Here is your hint:

ps: this will stay open until we return!

NOT ME MONDAY!

2009-02-12T15:12:00.006-05:00

Here we are! Another fabulous week gone by. And that makes me super excited because that means it is NOT ME MONDAY TIME! You know, where you list everything you DID {NOT} do last week, and even if you HAD wouldn't dare admit it! So, go to MckMama's blog to check out what she and her Mckblog readers DID {NOT} do this week!

I am happy to report that this week I DID {NOT} do the FOLLOWING!

*I DID {NOT} get told by my WONDERFUL Hairdresser who I have seen for years,"looks like you got some Grey hair in there Court". WOW! I am SOOO 24!

* I DID {NOT} start asking, "IS IT BEDTIME YET" at around 3 o'clock Tuesday because Koby decided he was going to do WHATEVER he wanted, and LAUGHED about Timeout! Leaving me frustrated beyond words! NEVER!

*I def DID {NOT} clean all of THIS:

A pile about 6 inches deep of TRASH-SERIOUSLY!
Out of THIS:

The purse I have carried for about 4 months
and it DEFINITELY DID {NOT} take about half and hour. THAT would be RIDICULOUS!

* I DID {NOT} catch myself singing the Camp Rock song pretty loudly in the Grocery store...without Koby!

*I DID {NOT} Say the following to Koby while driving down the road, "What do you want to eat love bundle(my nickname for him), French fries, Hamburger, Pizza, Watermelon, hot dog, cucumber, salad, rice....any of this sound yummy?" ONLY to realize he was so not in the car with me!

* I most certainly DID {NOT} have a fabulous weekend in Charleston with my Husband and Friends of ours for our 6th wedding anniversary! Picts below!

* I DID {NOT} have to sit straight up in bed while holding Koby upright ALL NIGHT LONG, because he was so congested he couldn't breath well laying down. And I most certainly didn't decide that it wasn't so bad getting up in the middle of the night...and I didn't consider having another baby because, after all,all-nighters aren't so bad are they?

* I DO {NOT} have to go back to work tomorrow after being off for 10 days. That DOES {NOT}(no seriously though) mean you won't still be hearing from me WAY TOO MUCH!

That's it for this week! Or at least all I can think of! But if you know me....you know there are most likely lots more!!!

So tell me, what did you NOT do this week, and live to tell about it?

Valentines Day Anyone?

2009-02-12T11:12:00.000-05:00

In Finland it is a day to remember ALL friends, not just lovers and loved ones.

IN parts of the UK they knock on neighbors back doors,go, and leave sweets behind.

In Brazil they celebrate something called Dios dos Namorados(Day of the Enamored) on June 12th, in which couples exchange gifts, chocolates, and flowers.

In most of South America they celebrate with the Amigo secreto ("Secret friend") which consists of randomly assigning to each participant a recipient who is to be given an anonymous gift. Much like the Christmas tradition of Secret Santa.

In Japan, it has become an obligation for many women to give chocolates to all male co-workers. By a further marketing effort, a reciprocal day called White Day has emerged. On March 14, men are expected to return the favor to those who gave them chocolates on Valentine's Day.

In China, the common situation is the man gives chocolate, flowers or both to the woman that he loves.

In South Korea, women give chocolate to men on February 14, and men give non-chocolate candy to women on March 14. On April 14 (Black Day), those who did not receive anything on the 14th of Feb or March go to a Chinese restaurant to eat black noodles and "mourn" their single life.

In Saudi Arabia in 2008, religious police banned the sale of all Valentine's Day items, telling shop workers to remove any red items, as the day is considered a non-Islamic holiday.

Valentines Day for me is a very important Holiday. You will find out later in the week why it is SO important to me, and what I do to celebrate.
I love reading about the many things people do for Valentines day. So, what does V-day mean to you? Is it just another day? A greeting card holiday as many like to consider it? Do you go ALL out, and dress as cupid delivering sweet treats, and gifts to all you encounter? Or...are you somewhere in between?

Sink or swim? Please advise!

2009-02-11T19:03:00.003-05:00

SO, I have an opportunity, I guess you could call it that, at work to go to a different store. It is a good opportunity on the surface. Higher volume, newer store, more money, more responsibility,etc. I love where I am now. My team is like my family. WE have been together a long time. We are very successful. They know me, they know how I operate, and it truly operates like a well oiled machine. There would be good succession in my store and I know it would be okay. SO what is the problem?
Well, the people in the new store already don't like me. Sounds juvenile right? Well, they either feel they were entitled to it, or they think I am mean, etc. The old Store manager and I never really got along super well, and our management styles are completely different. COMPLETELY! My boss keeps reiterating that I have to get them to BUY into me, and that I have to go in there and make them like me. Well, I adapt pretty well to change. I embrace it. I take it and I make it work. I can get along with most people. The problem isn't the change, or adapting on my part. The problem is knowing how these people feel about me, and feeling like no matter what I do, I will be dissected and wrong. I am certain that if I went in there and did everything EXACTLY like the old store manager, it would still be wrong,somehow! I am nervous because I feel like in a certain way, I would be setting myself up for failure! I am VERY successful in the store I am at now. Even in this economy we are killing our numbers, and have had very positive results, since I took over. SO has this other store. My fear is that "shaking things up" will prove negative for both stores in a sense. I wonder if they will all give up, out of spite. I wonder what is going to happen. I wonder if I am really ready to take on such a task. I thought it would be fine, until my boss laid out the feelings of the other managers, and what her thinking will be. She keeps saying, Courtney they are going to pick you apart. They are going to try to prove all the reasons why you shouldn't be there. They are going to try to make your life harder. I feel like I can find a way to make it work. I can go in with my typical positive attitude and outlook. I can adjust to their styles of communication, work as hard as I can to achieve forward motion, and a good working relationship and environment. But on some level it is out of my control, as to what they are willing to open their minds to! I can not create their future, I can give them all the necessary tools, and vices, but they will only take them so far. The rest is up to them. As one person once said, Life is not what happens to you but what you do with it. They are the only ones who can make that choice. They are the ones who decide to sink or swim. BUT...do I decide to take on this challenge? DO I jump into the deep end and pray I can swim, or do I remain on the lifeguard stand, and pass up this potentially great opportunity? DO I let the fear dictate my future? The answer is obvious...right??? Or wrong?

1,2,4

2009-02-11T17:00:00.000-05:00

at 1...

at 2...

and at 4!

WE take this picture of Koby almost every year! WE skipped last year some how...or maybe I just can't find the picture...but anyway it is really neat to watch him grow (and me shrink!)

Guest Blog!

2009-02-10T21:04:00.002-05:00

MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT MY GUEST BLOG POST OVER ON RENEE's BLOG!
She is on a really important vacation with the Sincess so, She ~~begged me to guest blog~~ asked for volunteers, and I signed up! YAY ME! Check it out!

O-R-E-O

2009-02-10T16:30:00.000-05:00

Twist em', Dunk em', crunch em', lick em',deep fry em' and love em! Oreo's are Milk's Favorite Cookie! They are also Koby's favorite Cookie! He get's three everyday after school!

Koby likes to eat just the Creme...and ~~then crunch the cookies into a trillion pieces on the floor~~ then throw the cookie away!
I am a dunking girl myself!

SO,tell me how do you like to eat your Oreo's?

Laughter for your Tuesday!

2009-02-10T12:30:00.000-05:00

These had me rolling!Kids are too raw! I love it!

What do you do when it is 75 degrees in February?

2009-02-09T02:09:00.000-05:00

Why, you play outside all day with Mommy and Daddy of course. That is if you are a 4 year old little boy who LOVES to be outside!

ps: the pictures are in reverse order. We all started with Long sleeves and quickly realized it was MUCH to hot for that!

NOT ME MONDAY!!!!

2009-02-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

NOT ME MONDAY, is the result of one very wise woman and her journey with many small children taking us through her hilarious acts of things she DID NOT DO! Please read below for the things that I did NOT do this week, and hop on over to MckMama's BLOG for some real fun of your own!

This weeks things seem so absolutely silly that I most certainly did NOT, could not, and would NOT, have done them...and wouldn't admit if I had!

For starters, I certainly didn't send my sweet son to his Memaws house so I could watch my Steelers win their 6th (yes folks you read that right) Super Bowl Victory! A big WHOOP WHOOP to them!
Luckily I also didn't make an agreement with Koby that if he could have French Fries and watermelon for dinner,and I certainly didn't agree to that for lunch the next day.That would just be gross,and wouldn't the french fries cancel out the nutritional value of the watermelon...and really,who wants that?
I didn't secretly cheer at the prospect of being able to take a nap now that Koby is going to school for a full day, like a BIG BOY! What kind of Mother would do that? NOT ME!
I am happy to report that I did NOT lie to my husband about the theme of a movie just to get him to watch it with me, and then totally act confused when it wasn't at all about said lie. WHO does that?
Possibly the MOST embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me, DID NOT happen this week.I didn't go to work, and work for nearly 4 hours before one of my employees said to me, in front of a large number of people(all who work directly FOR me)...and I quote..."OH my GOD Courtney,is your shirt on Inside out?"? And I most certainly did not want to die, and kill her at the same time, but all I could manage to do was DIE LAUGHING! NOT ME. I would never be so tired and absent minded to do such a thing!
I did not start my 9 day vacation on Saturday!!!!NEVER!!!!
I didn't start laying out my clothes Sunday night for work the following week, because I am not THAT forgetful, and after all HOW could a person forget they were on vacation???
I also didn't play outside with my sweet boy and Husband ALL afternoon Sunday, Because it most CERTAINLY wasn't in the high 70's all day on February 8th, and my two fair skinned men absolutely did not get a little bit sunburned! NO WAY!
And last but CERTAINLY not least I didn't CRY, when I accidentally stood Koby too close to the edge of his bed to change him into shorts (that's right people it was 75 degrees in February today) for playing outside that he fell off his bed and into his wall,and hurt his precious little back! I would never do such a thing, because I am a perfect mother,and had I had a careless moment I would never post about how I genuinely shed tears over my poor baby being hurt! Nor would I admit that every time int he last 4 years he has gotten hurt and I was there to witness it that my eyes fill with tears immediately!
That is all I got this week folks, and trust me it is quite enough! Don't judge me though. I am sure there are plenty of things that you would like to share that didn't happen to YOU this week! SO go on over to Mckmama's blog and tell the world all about it!!! GO ahead....I dare ya!

Koby's story part II

2009-02-07T22:15:00.000-05:00

a continuation of THIS post...

With in moments the mood in the room changed. Things got much quieter,and all the people were just gone and so was my baby. Really without much explanation, Koby had been whisked away to the nursery for the once over by the doctor. I was moved over to the postpartum side of the hall and,Chris returned.He said they had moved Koby into the private part of the nursery and he couldn't see him from the window anymore.It was then that I knew something wasn't right. I had seen babies born. I had hospital experience, and this wasn't part of any "normal" birth I had experienced.
As the minutes passed, Chris and I mulled over the thoughts of what is going on, it must be bad,No everything is fine, and back to what is going on,cyclic as if the thoughts were on merry-go-round. As the first hour post-birth was coming to a close, a knock at the door was a welcomed interruption to the inner chaos we were experiencing.However the look on the face that was behind that door, sent us reeling once again. You know the look I am talking about. For those of you that have kids, imagine that face that your kids have when they have to tell you something they know will disappoint you,yet there is NO way around telling you because if you find out later it will only be worse. You know that one,right? Well in this instance, I saw this Dr. as that child. I could see the deep seeded concern in the depth of his pupils. The disappointment he was carrying for us in his rigid posture and half-hearted smile. He introduced himself,and congratulated us. He said Koby is having trouble breathing,which isn't uncommon. Okay, we though,go on.He said that he heard a heart murmur and is ordering an Echo for the morning to see if we can determine whether the murmur is cause for concern or not.Okay,that doesn't sound good we thought,but it doesn't seem urgent either,continue. He said he will most likely be in the vent hood to help him breath for another 24 hours at least.Bummer we thought,but at least that was it,nothing sounded unmanageable,not ideal but not impossible. "Is that it?",Chris asked? Silence. WE turned to the Dr. His face grew more serious,and he sat down on the edge of my bed,and grabbed my leg.I am not sure if it was to comfort me or to brace himself. "I have decided to run some blood work.Koby has a few of the physical markers for Down syndrome,and I just want to run the test to see if that is what is going on. I am sorry to be the one to have to tell you this." And there it was...the most deafening words I had ever heard in my life! The Dr. quickly left,and Chris and I literally couldn' t move! I don't remember what we said to each other. I just remember feeling like I had lost my child. The child I had dreamed of since I was young. The child I had been planning for for 9 months. The child that Chris and I had playfully argued about, whether he would be the class clown, or the Class president. That child was gone. That child never existed, though in my mind and heart THAT is the child I had loved and longed for. I went from feeling so sad from that Loss, to feeling Angry. Angry at Myself. Angry at Chris. Angry at that Dr. Angry at the World. Because truth be told, there was NO one or Nothing to be mad at! Anger lingered over into Denial,which led to Confusion,and finally I found myself just full of worry. Worry for him, worried for me, and worried for what the future would hold.
Later that day as word got out of our arrival, people began to call, and come by. Usually company is welcome and expected after a baby is born, but his was different. When people would ask me about Koby, I felt like saying,"which Koby,the one I was pregnant with or the one with Down syndrome? The one I carried with me for 9 months, or the one I can't hold at all now? The one that was supposed to expand our family or the one I feel will tear us apart? Needless to say, this was an extremely difficult time in my life. I felt things I never thought I would feel. As real and as raw as the emotion is, I feel the need to be honest, in hopes that someone will understand the reality,and the journey both good and bad and how possible it all is. Looking back on that day,I laugh and cry. I laugh because it is truly funny to me that I was so upset, and worried.I cry because I missed out on one of the best times of my life.
The next day was filled with a different light for me. I woke up with a feeling of positivity and happiness. I went and saw Koby in the Nursery. I touched him and rubbed his hair, and fed him. He looked normal to me. He didn't look like he had Down syndrome. He looked like his Daddy. He seemed like any other baby I had ever seen. This wasn't so scary right? And the Dr was probably wrong.I thought, it's probably just the Dr being so careful not to get sued or something. Only being able to stand for short periods of time, I headed back to my room, and waited for the results from Koby's Echo. In the meantime, my Dad brought Chris and I lunch.We had a few other visitors, and his birth certificate came to be filled out.As the day passed, with every knock I secretly hoped that it both was and wasn't the Dr with the results about our new baby's heart. But knock after knock no one was donning a white coat and stethoscope.
Shortly after 4pm, there was a Knock.My heart sank.Call it mothers instinct,but I knew it was him. "Come in" we called to him. He slowly opened the door,and I greeted him with the best smile I could muster up. However, staring me back in the face was that look,that same look from just 24 hours earlier, only this time it was worse!
To be continued...

This is a picture we took of Koby while he was in the vent hood. You can't take them right in the level two because of the other babies, but we took it through the glass window.

My other half

2009-02-07T20:23:00.000-05:00

The Husband Meme

I stole these from Renee...she told me to!!!!

Husband Tag

1. Where did you meet? In High School

2. How long did you date before you got married? a couple of years

3. How long have you been married? a week from tomorrow(sunday) makes 6 years

4. What does he do that surprises you? cleans, and takes care of Koby sooooo well!

5. What is your favorite feature of his? I think I will say his voice(is that a feature?)

6. What is your favorite quality of his? He is absolutely hilarious!

7. Does he have a nickname for you? Baby or Babe

8. What is his favorite color? blue probably

9. What is his favorite food? Miss Vickies Jalapeno Chips

10. What is his favorite sport? Football

11. When and where was your first kiss? I don't know the exact date but I know it was after a date when he was dropping me off!

12. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Grill steak and watch everybody loves raymond

13. Do you have any children? Yes, one little man!

14. Does he have a hidden talent? He is VERY computer savvy!

15. How old is he? 25

16. Who said I love you first? I think me.

17. What’s his favorite type of music? He loves undiscovered artists. Like mixtape stuff not many people know about! I guess it is very raw and real, not manufactured and showy.

18. What do you admire most about him? He is a VERY good father and husband!

19. Do you think he will read this? Most likely

HUSBAND MEME

1. He’s sitting in front of the TV: What is on the screen? a movie...he watches little to no TV

2. You’re out to eat. What kind of dressing does he get on his salad? NO dressing...matter of fact his "salad" consists of cheese and bacon bits...not lettuce or anything else.

3. What is one food he doesn’t like? He is picky so this is EASY...ham, hotdogs, olives, spaghetti...and MANY more!

4. You go out to the bar. What does he order? Rum and Coke

5. Where did he go to high school? Carolina Forest

6. What size shoe does he wear? 9.5 usually

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? He collects movies...no seriously...he has HUNDREDS and has watched them all many times and can tell you each one by title who is in it, what it is about, etc.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Deli slices chicken breastwith swiss and bacon toasted on a hoagie roll. He eats it almost EVERY day

9. What would the Husband eat every day if he could? SEE ABOVE!

10. What is his favorite cereal?Fruity Pebbles

11. What would he never wear? adidas sneakers

12. What is his favorite sports team? Football: Panthers, Baseball: Braves, Basketball: he doesn't watch it!

13. Who is his best friend? Probably me...I mean really.

14. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn’t do? WORRY so much!

15. How many states has he lived in? ONE!

16. What is his heritage? Irish

17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind is it? I wouldn't bake it because it would be an ice cream cake from TCBY.

18. Did he play sports in high school? Yep Varsity baseball

19. What could he spend hours doing? WATCHING MOVIES!!!!!

The beginning

2009-02-04T21:16:00.001-05:00

SO, I have been blogging now for several months. I really enjoy it. I have blogged about many subjects, but recently feel the pull to post a little more about Koby.How he came to be, the journey he has taken us on, and the people he has made us!
Koby is mine and Chris's first and so far our only baby. He has a very unique story. A story that has been published in one version in THIS book. There is more to his story though and I intend to publish it all here, in steps...in hopes that someone out there, will be sent by God, and find this story to enhance their lives.

The beginning:

December 15th 2004, I was scheduled for an induction. However, as many things in life God had better plans! I went into labor that day all by myself. I arrived to the hospital around 5pm that night. I was very scared! I wouldn't DARE let on to anyone how scared I was! That just isn't me. I am a strong person and I wasn't going to let this be any different. After all, what did I have to be scared about? I had gotten pregnant after just a few months of trying. I had had the text book,essentially perfect pregnancy. I had gained little weight,eaten right, taken all my vitamins, been to all my appointments, and had an ultrasound and blood work to confirm all was well in "WombWorld" and had even learned we were having a boy. So, no reason to be scared...but I still was. It was that day, for the first time in the last 40 weeks that I had had a worry, or uneasy feeling all along. It was then that I realized...something could go wrong or be wrong. But, I was able to quickly release those feelings, with a little help from contractions, and visits from nurses, and focus back on the goal at hand. Not long after I was admitted the "fun" started. My strong labor, quickly started causing me to involuntarily hold my breath, and I was requiring oxygen in order to keep the baby's heart rate up.After what seemed like an ETERNITY, help arrived. A little oxygen, pain medicine and seemingly more prayers than I had ever sent up in one night, and I was resting peacefully. I continued to rest, as best as I could through the labor for the next 17 hours. At about 10am, it was confirmed through examination that it was GO time! I pushed for approximately 2 hours, and at 11:58am, Koby was born! He was immediately placed on my chest.He didn't cry,but he looked RIGHT into my eyes,and stared as if to say, "so YOU are the woman who I have been "hearing" about for 9 months;nice to see you". We had sooo much going on around us in the room; nurses shouting numbers,and orders back and forth, more doctors and nurses entering the room bringing more equipment and noise with them and Chris was on his way to the waiting room to make a birth announcement,all the while the machines were beeping and buzzing away. But for that moment, it was just ME and Koby.There was no one else, or anything else in the world that mattered. At that moment my life stood still.I was in AWE. I don't remember too specifically what happened in the next few minutes,or even hours after that, but I can distinctly remember in that moment thinking two things: how much my precious boy looked like his Daddy, and how TINY his sweet baby hands were. I will FOREVER cherish those moments and thoughts,as seemingly insignificant as they might seem,because those were quite literally the last moments of My life as I knew it.
To be continued...

One of our sweet nurses grabbed the camera and snapped this picture(remember Chris ran out to the waiting room).I didn't ask her too, or even give it much thought until months later.Knowing what I know now, I look at it as another way God looks out for you when you can't look out for yourself. It is blurry and shaky, but a favorite of mine for so many reasons!

Wordless Wednesday/Create-a-Caption

2009-02-04T20:03:00.000-05:00

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

and if I had enough bloggers...like some of those super cool blogs I follow....I would post THIS picture below as a "create-a-caption" picture!!!(Chris and I sure had fun trying to guess what he was doing/thinking!)

Koby's follow up IEP meeting today...

2009-02-02T16:41:00.000-05:00

Just a little update about Koby's IEP meeting today! IT was great! I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO(get the point...no?....okay)OOOOOOOOOOOOO Blessed by his school! They are in love with Koby and the principal told me today...EVERYONE knows and LOVES Koby! Talk about one HAPPY Momma!!!!
SO the meeting was basically because he is testing at about 18months old OT...but the original EVAL put him at age appropriate level.He was AMAZING the day of his EVALS at home. But at school he has delays... soooo we added OT(the OT is even making a SPECIAL trip to his school once a week just for him because she said she couldn't WAIT to see the progress in a kid who is as smart as Koby...WOO WOO!!!)AND he is now going to go 4 days a week FULL days! YAY!!!! This is going to help so much! YAY YAY!!!! So...that is the update! My big boy is getting full days and all the services he needs! OHHH happy days!

MY FIRST BLOGGY AWARD!!!!

2009-02-02T15:35:00.000-05:00

Today I got a super nice award from one of my best friends Christina over at Kwisteena's Kwaziness. It is my first Bloggy award ever and I am so excited!

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find friends and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships will be propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly- written text into the body of their award."

Christina you rock! Most of my blog readers are closer friends and family so I don't know if I even have 8 that I know so well!

1. Renee at My Special K's

2. Bethany at Life with Bubba, Chicky, and Nika

3. Meredith at Cornish adoption Journey

4. Leah at Garden of Eagan

5. Kristen at Faulkner Family

6. MckMama over at My Charming Kids

7. Shylo over at Karli's Kingdom

8. Ecki over at Opposite Kids

Pass it on! IT is a lot of fun to honor blogs you love new and old!

...and winning makes 6!!!!

2009-02-02T15:19:00.000-05:00

Steelers win Super Bowl XLIII...in a great game! With huge plays like Harrison's 100 yard touch down...and the game winning pass play between Rothelisberger and Holmes. It was a great game for my Steelers! Arizona played hard and really gave us a run for our money at times!But as they say may the best team win....and WIN WE DID!!!

A Blast from the Past!

2009-01-29T23:56:00.000-05:00

OHHHH how I LOVE this little boy!!!!!

Are you serious?

2009-01-29T17:13:00.000-05:00

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/hiphopmediatraining/58252/busta-rhymes-arab-money-resurfaces-after-controversy-calms/

Okay so, if you take the time to read that article...good for you. You will understand more of where I am coming from.
This is NUTS to me. Absolutely...shocking! So let me get this straight...Muslims get upset because they feel like they are being stereotyped and made fun of in a song by a rapper. There is outcry in the Muslim community and they more or less boycott the song, and Busta Rhymes in general. What happens? The song is pulled from most major Radio, Television stations, and websites. An apology is made my the artist, and an updated version is dropped. Seemingly all is well that ends well...right?
So...WHY am I upset about this? DO I think the Muslims over-reacted? NOT at all. I can totally understand why they would be upset! DO I think that Busta' should have apologized and corrected his actions? Yes...yes I do! Am I angry that he re-released the edited version? No....it is alot better and I think the right thing to do!
SO...Why are you upset Courtney??? Well, thanks for asking!
BECAUSE THIS IS THE SAME THING WE GO THROUGH IN THE DOWN SYNDROME/DISABLED COMMUNITY OVER AND OVER AND OVER!!!!! We have been the joke of movies, slang words blasted all over songs, posters, T-shirts, and bumper stickers. WHERE IS OUR APOLOGY? WE have protested movies, and songs repeatedly. Our National organizations have reached out in the news and in the celebrity communities, much to no avail. It saddens me to think that we don't matter! Are we not people...because we are different?
Using the word Retard to "make fun" of someone or insinuate they are stupid is demeaning, and much the same as pronouncing Arab,Ay-rab. Offensive! People with Down Syndrome many times are medically mentally retarded(as much as I hate this label- it is true). SO calling someone a retard, means what for my child,and many others?
So, I am not knocking Busta', the Muslim community, or the efforts made. I am simply stating what to me is the obvious. Once again with all the progress we have made with regards to others race, religion, sexual orientation, and ethnicity...some how the ABILITY of others is overlooked. Babies are still aborted or abandoned in hospitals because they aren't "ideal", parents have to fight for their children to have the education that is supposedly provided to them by law, and people with mental/physical disabilities are continually the brunt of jokes in the comedy/celebrity communities...and it is all okay?!?!?!? No...it isn't okay with me!!! I am SICK OF IT!!!!! UGH!!!!~~help me off this soapbox now!~~

25 Random things about me

2009-01-27T22:48:00.000-05:00

Okay so I got this from a Blog Meme. I thought I would do it because it made me think...so boring as it may be...I wanna do it...and it's my blog so HA!LOL

1. I got married when I was 18, and people made SERIOUS bets about how long it would last...I am pretty sure they have all lost by now!
2.I used to be VERY scared of people with Disabilities....hahah God has such a sense of Humor doesn't he!
3.I can't STAND the feeling of lotion on my hands, and once I apply it to myself, I wash it off my hands!
4.Black is by FAR my favorite color!
5. I gain weight and lose weight and gain weight and lose weight like it's my job...weight is a 4 letter word in my house!
6. I met one of the BEST friends I have ever had because of Koby...once again God and his Humor!
7. I LOVE football, and know more about it than at least 70% of men!(go Steelers!)
8.I absolutely HATED my Husband the first time I met him!
9.I was born and raised in the South, and have never even been more North than Newport News Virginia...(but REALLY want to!)
10.I have been a Christian since I was 14 years old.
11.I eat green manzanilla olives EVERYDAY! No seriously... a handful here or there and almost always with dinner. I LOVE them!
12.I LOVE the beach and go there at least 3 days a week about 6 months out of the year.
13. I don't drink soda,I pretty much HATE it!
14.I can't tell you what I wore yesterday...but I have VERY clear vivid memories since about 1.5 years old.
15.I have a job that I work REALLY hard mentally, physically and sometimes emotionally, at times 60+hours a week, well past midnight in the summer, all holidays, and NEVER get Christmas off...but I LOVE IT...and it is still WAY easier than being a Stay at Home mom....GOD BLESS YOU LADIES(and Men)!
16.My dad is truly the best man I have EVER met. He is caring compassionate and the first love of my life! The feeling is mutual!
17.I eat Ranch dressing on nearly EVERYTHING in this world! YUMMMMM!
18.Unlike most people, I have ABSOLUTELY NO interest in traveling outside of the United States. I don't care what France, or Australia, or Brazil look like...I have seen the pictures...I get the point!
19.I am a text addict! I TEXT and TEXT and TEXT and TEXT some more! LOVE it!
20.I am NOT a night person. By about 11:30 I am EXHAUSTED and NEED to be at home on my couch or in my bed!
21. The biggest compliment anyone could give me is that I am a good mother...It makes my heart smile!
22.I love the show Jon and Kate plus 8. It is by far my favorite!!!!
23. I don't like watching movies at all. I don't have the attention span required!
24.Everytime I get a cup out of the cupboard,I have to rinse it with scalding water...even if it JUST came out of the dishwasher.
25. I LOVE music! All types and we almost ALWAYS have it playing in our house!

Okay....4 hours later HAHAHA!That was harder than I thought! But pretty fun!

How's Your News?

2009-01-26T09:50:00.000-05:00

Have you heard about THIS?

I don't know how I feel about it?
I am glad that they are doing something they love. I am glad that they can laugh at themselves and have a good time and are showing the world that people with disabilities can and do live full lives. But I have HUGE reservations about it too! I am fearful that more people will be laughing AT them and not laughing with them. It is scheduled to air on MTV. WE all know that audience and what it means.
I sorta look at it like this though. If Koby told me he wanted to do something like this. And I could tell it made him as happy as it seems it makes these guys, I don't know how I could say no.

Here is a little quote from their Background page on their website,"The disability community has widely embraced this project, often using our films for training or inspirational purposes. Far from being offensive, they provide a positive, empowering view of life with a disability. That’s our opinion. Please watch our films and let us know what YOU think!"

SO....tell me what you think. Whether you have a child with Down syndrome, something else or nothing else. Or you just have an opinion. I would LOVE to hear it!

Not Me Monday

2009-01-26T08:56:00.000-05:00

In an effort to remain normal...uhhh whatever that is, I create a Not Me Monday Post(thanks to MckMama) to tell you the things that I DID NOT do this week, and lets say I had...wouldn't dare post about!SO...here are some of the things I SO didn't do!
1. I didn't let Koby eat Ice cream for breakfast not 1, but 2 days last week,simply because I couldn't send him to school hungry and that is ALL he could eat!
2. I didn't actually think to myself that I could look THAT good in a bathing suit while watching some commercial with WAY too perfect looking models!No...never!
3. I didn't give in the battle to let Koby run around completely Naked, simply because I had already put the kids Diaper on ohhhhh 900 times that day just to find him diaper-less yet again!
4. I didn't actually think WOW, wouldn't it be FUN to have THAT many kids, when I was readying Multiple Blessings,the story of Jon and Kate Gosselin.And I certainly didn't say it out loud to my husband who I thought was going to jump out the window!
5.I didn't actually have a woman I work with tell me that her friend was GETTING RID of her pregnancy today, so she was taking her out to eat tonight...no...that certainly didn't happen...and I certainly didn't freak out! And I am pretty sure she didn't(but really did) change her mind about "getting rid" of babies.
6.It wasn't me who didn't do a SINGLE load of laundry this week either....but whoever it was...has ALOT to do this week!
7.And I most certainly didn't wait all week long to post some of these(and others I can't remember..you know I really should write them down)on Not Me Monday! NOT ME!!!!

So...what did you NOT do this week?

How did the chicken cross the road...apparently not using his wings!

2009-01-22T21:07:00.000-05:00

Okay...this article has me totally confused!

How is it that there is a shortage of chicken WINGS...which chickens have TWO of.
Yet...there is not a shortage of chicken breasts....which chickens have one of?
I mean...I am just asking!

Please pray for Baby Michael and Brittany

2009-01-21T23:33:00.000-05:00

Please say a prayer for Brittany, her Husband and their unborn son they have decided to name Michael. She and her husband have been given a VERY grave diagnosis regarding Michael's health. She is faithful, yet fearful as anyone would be! The doctors say that her sweet boy maybe still born or live for a VERY short time, and that they will not medically intervene due to the nature of the diagnosis. PLEASE PLEASE pray. I know I don't have a huge blog following, but God puts people where they need to be. SO...if you are reading this say a prayer! God is still the same God as he was so long ago, and he still performs miracles EVERYDAY! Pray!!!
Thank you guys!

Sorry...one mroe

2009-01-21T21:57:00.000-05:00

Okay...I fixed it even more...

Before...

AFTER...

photoshop is my friend!

2009-01-21T21:32:00.000-05:00

Thanks to THIS post my MckMamma...I am learning how to use Photoshop to really fix my pictures. I have a middle of the road camera.Not fabulous(like the cannon rebel I want OHHH so very badly!) but it isn't a cheapo either! It costs a little over half of what the Rebel does...and takes pictures just about Half as good...but I am learning to edit them using photoshop thanks to her, and a few other friends!
So look what I did:
BEFORE...

AFTER...

Not bad right???? I am sure I will get better at it as time goes on...but for now I am proud of myself!

Let it snow,Let it snow,Let is snow...

2009-01-20T21:36:00.000-05:00

...well...sorta!

This was my front yard at 10Am! Snow...can you believe it? See...look closely it is still snowing!

Another shot of my front yard...at least it was sticking in the grass!Or at least a little!

See, it was sticking on our cars too!

Look at my neighbors roofs...they are WHITE! Mine was too, but I wasn't braving the cold weather to get a shot of my house...I took these from my doorway! LOL

So, this was at 10 am this morning. It snowed pretty hard for about 10 minutes and then that was it! I left in my car about 20 minutes after I took those pictures and by the time I got to work(5 minutes from my house)...there was almost no snow on the ground :( I was really hoping for some snowman building weather! But it's all good! They say we should expect more tonight...I will update you tomorrow! Oh...and in case anyone doesn't know why this is a big deal...I live in a city that hasn't had a flake of snow in over 10 years....and when we get snow it is usually a flake or two and the whole city shuts down! LOL I live 5 minutes from the Atlantic ocean in South Carolina...we don't have salt trucks or whatever...so ice stays till it melts away.Winter is here!
SO...pretty cool!

WHO.....me???

2009-01-19T18:24:00.000-05:00

So..I am proud to say that I did NOT do the following this week:

1. I didn't go three days without washing my hair...because I didn't wake up with minutes to spare Monday Tuesday and Wednesday...hey at least I showered right?

2. I most certainly didn't forget to wear my wedding rings all week long, and had a guy at the grocery store ask me out for a "steak"...(how did he even know I liked steaks?)

3. I am happy to say I didn't get frustrated with my Koby when he REFUSED to say Go Steelers during yesterday's FABULOUS Steelers victory game!

4.I didn't get so involved in the Today show On Thursday that I drank 7 cups of coffee in about an hour.....without even realizing it!

5.I most certainly didn't embarrass myself by talking about my blog friends to my Husband as if they were people that I have known personally for years...I mean WHO would do that!~~And he most certainly didn't act like he couldn't care less...but he did ask why a woman would name her child McNugget!!!~~

6.I did NOT hear some of the inauguration addresses by past presidents,this week and decide I should SO become a presidential speech writer. yeah...DEFINITELY didn't do that!

7. Who stayed in their pajamas ALL day after missing church on Sunday, watching movies and football when she really should have been doing laundry and dishes? NOT ME!

So, tell me....what did you NOT ~~wink wink~~ do this week?

Rothelisbergalicious!!!!!!!!

2009-01-18T22:25:00.000-05:00

STEELERS ARE GOING TO SUPERBOWL XLIII!!!!!!!!!
I AM SOOO EXCITED I DON'T KNOW HOW I AM GOING TO SLEEP!!!
WISH I COULD BE THERE IN PERSON TO CHEER MY MEN ON!!!!!

Koby Shaking his Terrible Towel tonight!!!!

Protecting the lives of the innocent

2009-01-18T20:03:00.000-05:00

Today is the National Sanctity of Human Life day!
It basically is a day to celebrate life,from the first heart beat to the last!
It is a good article, a great proclamation by the President. I am thankful they did something like this! This is a great step in the battle against the killing of innocent lives!
Fetus =innocent life!
Fetus with Down syndrome= innocent life!
Fetus with beating heart= innocent life!
Fetus conceived by "accident" =innocent life!

Yes, Mr.President..protect the innocent lives!

Here is the article:
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/343029180.html

What does YOUR Heaven look like?

2009-01-18T15:50:00.000-05:00

I just got done watching the movie The 5 People You Meet in Heaven, by Mitch Albom. It is a really interesting take on death and the connections you make to people and how you affect peoples lives, without knowing it!
In the movie, everyone has their own Heaven. The "freak" has his heaven at Ruby Pier. The soldier has his Heaven on something resembling the beautiful Island of Figi. Ruby has her Heaven, all over the place,involved in peoples lives.Marguerite has her Heaven at weddings of all nations. And the little girl Tala has her Heaven in a beautiful River, washing her burns away.
It made me think...What would MY Heaven be? If I could choose exactly where I would spend eternity, what would I choose?
SO I thought about it...I would choose to spend it, at Heinz Field, watching a Steelers game, with My Husband, My Son, and my Dad next to me, eating all of the most fattening Ballpark food they make! That would be a nearly PERFECT situation to me! Silly, to some, I am sure.I am sure some people would choose to have a much more sophisticated,serene setting.But it is what would make me happy!
What would YOUR Heaven look like?

How many shelves does a person really need?

2009-01-16T22:51:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of my pantry today...
Here is what you can't see from that picture...That the shelves are about a foot and a half deep. The shelves go over to the right about another foot,which is out of view of the camera, behind that wall/door. The top two shelves have food literally piled on top of each other and stacked together and stuffed in. The third shelf down is only half full, with all of the food pushed to the VERY back...Nothing can be within 6 inches of the front of that shelf.
The second to last shelf, which is JUST as wide and long as the other three has only a big package of packaged paper towels.
The last shelf has ONLY Koby's booster seat, yet it is also just as wide and long as the other shelves???

Now...why do we have to CRAM all the food we have onto those shelves, as well as fill another entire top cabinet in our kitchen with food, yet have 2 and a half shelves of our pantry completely empty? Oh...I am glad you asked...

Let me take you back to Tuesday Morning...a Morning that started like any other Morning...Alarm goes off at 7am..I go get Koby up, get his breakfast and cartoons in the kitchen while I am off to make coffee, and begin getting ready. So, I leave him at the table pop tart in hand,and I go out through our kitchen into the garage to switch some clothes around before I go get Chris up to watch Koby and in the shower.
I was in the garage for a maximum of....5 minutes.... I walk back in to Koby standing with the pantry door WIDE open and the following DUMPED on the floor..over a half a package of goldfish, nearly an entire package of Oreos, a bag of Tostitos that we had just opened the night before,package of fruit snacks, Little Debbie cakes, Triscuits, which were almost gone so really Triscuit CRUMBS,nearly half a package of pasta,laying in the mix was an unopened box of granola, an unopened box of pop tarts, and two unopened boxes of cereal stacked neatly up against the shelves(with which I am nearly certain he got down first and used as a stool to reach items on the higher shelf).
So...THAT is why I can no longer use all of the shelves in my pantry!

God-1 Atheists-0

2009-01-16T10:07:00.000-05:00

I loved this! I was following this story on K love and didn't get to hear yesterday what they ruled so I looked it up today! MSN has an article about it!
It just amazes me that people who truly don't care about MY God, care so much that other people care. I mean Lets say I just don't believe that Virginia is a good name for that state. I think it is stupid! But obviously the people that live there and the people that named it think it is great! So...let them think that! How does it affect me? By going to court to try to change something that has been a certain way for YEARS, is just silly! Such a waste of time and money! I am glad that once again God prevailed! Read the article!-Court

What would you do?

2009-01-14T09:02:00.000-05:00

This is something that I think we should all live by. It says the author is "unknown". In reality though I like to think of the author as God. Maybe it is just my desire to link all things Earthly to God in one way or another. Maybe not? After all the Bible tells us in Phillipians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And again in Matthew 19:26 when Jesus says " With Man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible, and many other times throughout the Bible reference is made to the power of God's ability to do ALL things. SO maybe it took a man to write this quote down, but essentially it was God who gave it to us initially.
SO many times in life, things look impossible. We in our flesh tell ourselves, we can't do it because we don't have the finances, we can't do it because we aren't smart enough, we can't do it because we weren't raised that way, we aren't pretty enough, or skinny enough, or we did things in our past, etc. Excuses are easy....but don't be a victim to excuses. Be a victim to FAITH! Rely on God, as he promises in his word, that WITH HIM ALL things ARE in fact possible. Knowing him, trusting in him and believing his word, is ALL it takes in life. Know that just because it doesn't work your way doesn't mean YOU can't do something, or that YOU failed, but that God kept you on the path He intended for your life. Don't give up....give in. Allow God to guide you. Don't get dicouraged! Keep going! Try new things! And KNOW you can't fail! God said so right there in His word!
So....What would YOU attempt to do, now that you KNOW you can NOT fail????

One LIfe to Love

2009-01-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

One of My new favorite songs, is by a group called 33 miles. They are a young group of guys who basically gave up everything. College scholarships to great schools, their families, and their youth to do what God had called them to do. They were faithful and have been rewarded greatly for answering the call. It is great to hear them, and their whole album is great.
This particular song, One Life To Love, is just precious to me though. It really tells a story about how you better make it right in this life time, because it is all you have. It reminds us that we truely have to make every second count, and to be thankful for what we have, because before we know it it is over. God doesn't promise anyone tomorrow. In fact he has appointed a time for all of us to leave this Earthly home. He has invited us to a new home, with him in the sky, and whhile we are here....we better make it count! If you get a chance go to 33 miles website and check the song out!
Here are the Lyrics

You only get one shot at this,
One chance,
To find out,
The one thing that you don't wanna miss,
One day when its all said and done
I hope you see that it was enough,
This one ride,
One try,
One life,
To love.

She never thought she cared so much about those little hands,
That held on tight the day she left,
Til she was scared to death,
Sitting all alone on a hotel bed,
The end of the road,
The sun has set on her big plans,
Find more lyrics at www.kovideo.net
To feel young again,
She picks up the phone,
Dials the number,
Hears that little voice,
That's haunted every single mile,
Since she made that choice,

You only get just one time around,
You only get one shot at this,
One chance,
To find out,
The one thing that you don't wanna miss,
One day when its all said and done
I hope you see that it was enough,
This one ride,
One try,
One life,
To love.

You only get just one time around,
You only get one shot at this,
One chance,
To find out the one thing
That you don't wanna miss,
One day when its all said and done
I hope you see that it was enough,
This one ride,
One try,
One life,
One ride,
One try,
One life,
To love,
To love,

Ooooo

Entertained, educated and enlightened!

2009-01-11T16:15:00.001-05:00

I sometimes struggle with what to post on here. I feel like I have such a boring life! I work...I come home, I workout, I spend time with my family....and I sleep. WEll, that is the basic jist. I am not like most the moms on here, who work at home with their children, educating them, or just taking care of them in general, which is a great Job...and one I did for nearly 3 years. I only have one child...unlike many of you who have stories to tell daily about this child or that one. So I have been thinking lately what do I have to offer? What can I blog about that keeps me and any potential passerby's entertained, educated, and enlightened? I am going to blog about my Christianity. How I got saved, what I think about the news happeneing, church things, friend things, prayer things, family things....but all how it make me feel in my spiritual self. So, you will see a change about my bloggings...but it is still me! And I am sure I will throw in a little Koby update here and there....and expect some football blogs...because after all it is play off season! So, hopefully it will be a good change....hopefully!

Rain Rain go away!

2009-01-07T11:55:00.000-05:00

Why is it that everyday I am off it RAINS????? But the days I work it is heavenly outside? Is there some day off conspiracy, that I am unaware of? I mean what does a girl have to do to have a decent day off???

You get what you pay for...

2009-01-06T14:30:00.000-05:00

I think we have all heard that at some point. Usually it follows a lesson in which we confirm the addage to be true. Trying to skim on certain things....well...it might work. It might be fine. It might work! You might save some money, and end up being okay. However, we have all had the opposite be true. You know...the things you tried to skimp on, or tried to "try something new". But you end up spending more, because it doesn't work or isn't as good, and you have to buy the more expensive, or original item anyway.
I have tried to get my husband to get the cheaper brand or something else several times over the last almost 6 years of marriage...however he reminds me consistently....You get what you pay for! SO we started talking about it, things that you have to buy name brand and things you can skimp on...Well here are the lessons I learned over the last three weeks:
1. Cheap batteries: they aren't even strong enough to turn my camera on, and only let Koby's tractor live for about 20 minutes...just stick to the copper top or drumming bunnies!
2. Tampons: I know I know...I should have known...but I thought...how can you mess a tampon up! I'll spare you the details
3. Fruit cups: I LITERALY couldn't get the cheap one open. It was like getting in to a bank vault, you HAD to have two people!
4.Hotdogs: they taste like rubber...just get the good ones!
5. Toilet paper: as Chris said....is that sand paper?
6.dishwashing liquid: I mean it didn't even make suds? Seriously....crap!
7.Ketchup: there is just NOTHING like Heinz!
I am sure I could go on and on...Point is...you can't always save money and be okay! Sometimes just spending the extra pennies makes it worth it!

2009-01-05T14:00:00.000-05:00

Koby's fall party at school...
This was such a fun day! His teacher makes everything so much fun!She is just great!
They had Indian vests, and they danced to songs, and had a little "feast" it was a blast! Chris and I both were able to go!
Here are the pictures!

Christmas....delayed

2009-01-04T21:11:00.001-05:00

2009-01-04T20:32:00.000-05:00

It's been a quite a while since I have posted! But I will be back in full force now. This time of year is SOOOO busy in the business I am in that I barely have time for family, much less blogging! But I am so glad to be back, and I have been able to catch up on everyones blogs!
Hope everyone had a GREAT Christmas and New Years! WE certainly did! It has been sooo exhausting working and school for Koby and all the family and plans with Birthdays and Christmas and New Years! Was a great Month for my business, and a great Month for Family! I have several blogs I want to post, and LOTS of pictures. But this picture pretty much sums up how we feel after this month(my little family that is).
This was taken tonight after Koby ate dinner. I was finishing up Dinner and dishes and so he was allowed to watch TV in the living room. He doesn't usually get to do this because he stands on the coffee table, to dance. Well, he got really quiet and this is how I found my 4 year old son, at 7 pm...about 2 hours before his bedtime.

Happy Birthday to me!

2008-12-11T09:41:00.000-05:00

On this day twenty four years ago. My Mom, went to the hospital at around 11 am. She was(are you ready for this?) nearly 44 weeks pregnant. Her due date had been the 20th of November. She was going to Military Hospitals(as my Dad was in the Navy) and they just weren't taking her seriously( they were pretty crappy back then, and you should HEAR the stories she has told!WOW). This had gone on for LONG ENOUGH! She went in to the ER that day and REFUSED to leave without one of two things handcuffs or a baby! So finally after about a half hour of ~~acting like a crazy women who had been pregnant for WAY too long~~ calmly explaining her case, to about 3 different doctors,they did an ultrasound, and discovered that I was barely moving, and had no where near enough amniotic fluid, and that my mom was in fact contracting pretty regularly( they didn't believe her because she wasn't screaming in pain i guess). At around 12pm they induced my mom, at 1 they broke her water and I was born just before 3 oclock. I was completely blackish looking and didn't cry. They rushed me to the NICU,and imediatly started bloodwork and oxygen. All seemed well after a sort time though, and the dr's told my Mom she did the right thing, and that had she gone home that day I prob wouldn't have made it! What a smart Momma I have!
I weighed 8 lbs 5.5 oz,and was 18 inches but had been estimated on a previous ultrasound to be well over 9 lbs(as all of my moms other babies were at birth). I was the smallest of her 5 kids. Probably because I had started to lose weight in there. My Mom still jokes that she thought I was going to be born just in time for Kindergarten!
And here I am 24 years later! Just as blessed as I was the day I was born!
Thank God for all of my years, and the many more I hope I have!!!

Not Me Monday!

2008-12-08T20:07:00.001-05:00

Well, it's Not Me Monday time again! The fun time each week where I get to prove that I am a PERFECT Mother, Wife, Daughter, Aunt, Sister, Boss and Friend!!!

This week, was fun! I am glad to say that I did NOT forget to call my brother to pick up my niece that we only get to see once or twice a year, because I wouldn't do that especially since her Mother reminded me for about two months in a ROW when she was coming and that she wanted me to be the Go-between for her to get from my brother to my parents( they don't speak). Not me!
I most definitely didn't clean my car out this week and find 2 sippy cups with juice, and enough Koby clothes to dress him for nearly a week...grocery's(boxes of snack size chips) that have been in there since I came home from Charlotte,and a pair of flip flops that I swore someone stole from me ~~atwork~~ at the beach.

I surely didn't allow Koby to play hookie from school on Friday, just because my niece(you know the one I DIDN'T forget) was in town and they ~~went to bed like sweet angels promptly at 8pm~~ were up till almost 11 watching movies and playing "animal doctor".

I also didn't allow Koby to open a Christmas Present already just to try and get a cute picture of him in front of the tree that he is all of a sudden scared of. I would never do that, or let him wear said present to church on Sunday,Not me!

When my MIL called tonight and asked my husband what we were doing for Koby's Birthday( it's the 16th of Dec.), I DID NOT, Stare at him with REALLY wide eyes as if to say...OH CRAP, I have no clue, because I only thought about his school party. That would be a HORRIBLE thing to do as a Mother, and I am glad I didn't do it!

Last but not least, I didn't get a little too excited when My Mom from Florida called today and told me she sent me a birthday present, and I should have it by Thursday(my actual birthday), because that would just be childish, and it is just ANOTHER ~~SUPER DUPER EXCITING~~ year!

I am glad that I can say I didn't do anything absent minded, silly, lazy, or down right stupid this week!

ps: anyone know what to do for a 4 year old boys B-day party...just asking for a friend!(hehehe)