Friend Making Monday

Every since losing a post, I've been in a blogging blah land. I've visited blogs, but haven't posted anything. It' s been a while since I've participated in Friend Makin Monday. This week FMM is perfect to jump in because it is simple...The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Visit Amber at {a.e.filkins} to check out Friend Makin Monday and join in!

The Simple Woman's Daybook


Outside my window...the wind is blowing the bare branches, and it is COLD. The pond has ripples that are moving swiftly, and three horses are around the pond. They have never been in that field before.

I am thinking...that I cannot wait until Spring. The garden to plant, flowers, warm weather, flip flops, being outdoors. I'm also thinking about how I cannot wait to get another dog.

I am thankful...that I am getting on the right track again with eating right and exercising. I am on day 22 of the 30 Day Shred. I'm loving the results. I'm thankful for all those joining in.

I am praying...for the people of Haiti. I still cannot get Haiti out of my mind. I'm also praying for continued miracles to happen there. You can hear about some miracles here.

I am reading... The Bible in 90 days. I'm a little behind, but hopefully will be caught up by the end of the week. Reading 12 pages a day takes about 1 hour. I need to read 2 hours a day for several days to get caught up!

I am creating...Caden's 100 day project, Valentines for school, and a Valentine wreath.

From the kitchen...I love when Michael makes me a green smoothie in the morning. He started that when I started subbing this year. There was one waiting for me this morning.

Around the house...is much to do. I've got my morning routine done, but laundry will be going ALL day!

One of my favorite things...is Caden's affectionate personality. Not a day goes by that he doesn't tell me how much he loves me, and that I look beautiful. I also love when he blows me a kiss when I drop him off at Kindergarten. It melts my heart!

A few plans for the rest of the week... to whip this house into shape, sub at school, Upward basketball, Wednesday night church, plan a date with hubby, and get Valentine's made.

Have a happy Monday! Click here to read other Day Books.

Vacations....FMM

This week, Jolanthe from No Ordinary Moments was nice to host FMM - in for Kasey. Kasey the creator of FMM and her family are on vacation right now. Check out the great time they are having!

The fun questions asked this week is all about VACATIONS!

1. Tell us your best (or worst) vacations you ever took.

2. Tell us FIVE places/vacations that you would like to take at some point your life. It doesn't have to be next year...maybe it's the vacation of a lifetime or somewhere you just dream of going years from now.

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I have two! The first was my first and only time to leave the country. My senior year a group of us from Spanish class went to Mexico. It was an awesome experience to have a week before graduation.

The inside of a beautiful church.

Our hotel at San Miguel.

The tunnel and brick road in Guanajuato. We had a CRAZY taxi cab driver!

I am enjoying a nice lunch outdoors...
Oh the teenage years!

Another church we visited.







Warning: Picture of a MUMMY!



We went to see the mummies in Guanajuato. I was so naive and pictured mummies all wrapped up in a white cloth. I had no idea this is what a mummy in Mexico looked like. The taxi cab driver explained how they could not afford to bury the dead so they became a part of this museum like place. I was intrigued by this pregnant woman who died during childbirth. So sad!




Okay I'll spare you the pic!


When we returned from Mexico we stayed at Corpus Christi, Texas. This was the very first beach I went to! I was hooked!




After this trip I left (a week after graduation) with my best friend Sherri and her family to Daytona Beach in Florida. Had a blast! My mom also took us to Daytona, Florida during my college years! We also went to the Epcot Center and Oceans of Fun. Great times!



For those who have read my blog for a while, you know the beach is my favorite place to be!


So my second favorite vacation has to be......




Aaron made this with sea weed.



(My header picture comes from this memorable trip too! )






Our first family vacation to a beach!














My 3 studs!









Souvenir shop!






We went on a trip to see the dolphins! We got to see some swimming, and the boys got to steer the boat!

I would love to visit the following in no particular order:

1. Hawaii

2. Take a RV trip to out west...visit places like Grand Canyon, Red Wood Forest, Yellowstone, and Yosemite National park.

3. Jerusalem...would love to walk where Jesus walked!

4. Europe

5. Caribbean cruise

It was fun to walk down memory lane!

Confessions.....

Kasey at All That is Good has asked us to spill our guts this week for FMM.

Confession Time...

1. We live in an older home in the country...that being said we have had spiders, ladybugs, moths, gnats, snake, mouse, bird, and a skunk in our house. Not all at one time thank goodness! With a lot of sealing done....we haven't had anything other than a few gnats...in a long time! Thank goodness!

Are you kidding me!! After typing this I have had to kill 2 wasps...and now a grand-daddy long leg that was in Cameron's room!!!! UGHHHHHHH! That's it...we are moving! Okay maybe not, but I can dream!

2. I would feel like a hypocrite when I told my boys to clean their rooms. My room use to be the 'dumping' ground. Now it stays the cleanest room in the house. No hypocrite there any more! My sanctuary!

3. We were going to start the Dave Ramsey Total Money Make Over in March. We still have not accomplished baby step one. Now we need to re-read the book and re-commit! Okay commit this time!

4. I tend to go without a bra on occasion (at home only). I have been known to have to run to the bedroom, scurry my kids in there, be extra quiet...all the while trying to slip on a bra to answer the door that someone had been knocking on! I improved a lot in this area.....hope nobody knocks on my door right now! Eeek!

5. I do not like cleaning bathrooms! (Remember all boys!) I let Kaboom clean the inside of the toilet for months, I let Scrubbing Bubbles keep the shower clean. Works for me!

*~* Why I LOVE Summer *~*

Kasey over at All That is Good hosts a fun way to meet new people and make new friends. Go check it out! You will love her and her blog!

This week's task is to tell us 10 things you love about summer!!!
So here I go:

1. Camping:

It's great to get away, be out in nature, slow down, and relax.

Look at our fish from our recent camping trip. June 09

2. Boating...being at the lake.

Boating and tubing with friends....August 2008

3. Grilling

No, not our grill, but doesn't that look delicious!! I love grilled food...yummo!

4. Gardening...

By summer we are eating fresh veggies from the garden...Yummo! A few sneak peeks of our garden. Cannot wait till it fills out and looks lush, and of course get to eat the produce!

This is the size of our garden. This was taken about 3 weeks ago. I'll have to show progress soon. Things we have planted: tomatoes (3 different varieties), red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, jalapenos pepper, corn, cucumbers, pole beans (notice the tee pee like structure...the beans will grow up that), squash, variety of lettuce, garden beans, strawberries, watermelon, and marigolds. We will also be planting pumpkins on the 4Th of July!

5. Relaxed schedule:

No more going to town twice a day for school. Hanging out at home is one of

my favorite things to do.

6. Yard Sales:

Love it. You can find almost anything you want and do not have to pay retail prices!

Just a few items I picked up for the boys on our way to the camp. Nike baseball shoes, dress shoes, Gap shorts, and OshKosh shorts. ($5.00 for all)

7. Birthday parties & Anniversary...

Now that's what I call a good LOL!!!!

Cameron's camping party last year. It was a blast! Water slide, outdoor movie, camp fire, and of course everyone camping out in our field.

Cameron's birthday is coming up in July! I love planning parties! He is so excited about his upcoming Mad Science Party! Our 10 year Anniversary will also be coming up this August!

8. Picnics:

Just a simple picnic at the creek, in our living room, or out on our front porch.

Picnics are on our fun list this summer!

9. Frugal summer fun:

We go to the creek by our house a lot. Cheap summer movie deals, drive in, library summer programs, ice-skating, swimming, reading, outdoor movies, trampoline fun...

and a short trip to Branson.

At the creek for the first swimming of the year... May 09

Trampoline fun with cousins!



10. Pedicures and flip flops:

I love to have a pedicure. I usually treat myself in the spring. This year it is a reward for losing weight. When I lose 20 lbs... I have 8 more pounds to go before I get my lovely french manicure! Flip flops...gotta love them!



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Remember me telling you last week I won the Friday Freebie that Heidi at Sacred and Profane hosts? Well, Kasey was doing the give away??

When I got back from camping...guess what was on top of my car!! My goodies I won from Kasey!! I really like the Mary Kay products I have used in the past. I was so excited to get to try out some more! Thanks Kasey! Love it!

Tricks and Tips!

It is MONDAY!! That meansis here!

Did you know sweet Kasey just hosted a great giveaway from Heidi's Friday Freebie...and guess what...I WON!!! If you want to check out the fun pampering stuff I won or join FMM go here.

Today's task is to share as few or as many everyday, little tips that you use to make your lives easier. You know- all those special tricks you might have to cook, clean, raise kids, work in the yard, and on and on!

My Tips:

* Blogging: Anyone find yourself spending too much time being in blogland? Anyone addicted to blogging? I was at first. I was spending way too much time on the computer. Not enough time and attention to being in the Word, my family, and my home.

I tried a timer...I just restarted it...So, I began to pray about it. This is what I came up with. I do not get on the computer until my morning routine is completed. That is it. I have a list I do every morning. I cannot get on until that is completed. I then try to limit my time to no more than 1 hour per day.

*Making my bed: I do it as soon as I get up. I have not always done this...let me tell you it makes a huge difference on how your room looks and feels. If you don't do this...start tomorrow. It only takes minutes...for a huge payoff.

*Grease stains: Do you ever take a shirt out of the dryer to find a grease spot on it. (Not car mechanic type grease...food grease spots.) Don't throw it out...Dawn takes the grease away...yes even in clothes! I could not do without my Shout and Dawn. I try to catch all stains before going into the wash. Just squirt a small amount of Dawn on the grease stain and rub. Throw it in the wash...it works every time!

*Gift closet: I have a closet in my office that is a gift center. It holds, bows, ribbon, wrapping paper, bags, and gifts! I buy sale items throughout the year of things I know I can use as gifts. It has really helped me when things are tight, and we have to birthday parties to go to. Or last minute gifts... I just shop from my closet! I will be adding some organizing feature to the inside of the door soon and baskets.














*Yard sale items: I keep a big bin in the bottom of the linen closet. Anytime I come across clothes/shoes that don't fit, or a toy the boys are ready to let go...I stick into the bin. When the bin gets full I transfer it to the shed where I put it into a big barrel. When the barrel gets full...I'm ready for a yard sale! It's full!

*Water: I'm so excited! I will be sharing how I can drink 1/2 my body weight in water every day. (Post coming soon)

*Laundry Soap: Make your own...saves tons! (Post coming soon)

*Ivory soap: If you have a garden and don't want animals eating everything in it... shred some soap and sprinkle it around your garden. Or you can drill a hole in the soap and hang in a fence on all sides.

*Green Smoothies: Trying to get my family to eat more greens. My DH and I drink the smoothies. However, the boys love my green smoothie popsicles. No you cannot taste the spinach!

*Kids over scheduled: Michael and I realized soon after we had kids that running around everywhere all the time was not what the Lord wanted for us. We allow our boys 1 activity at a time. For instance Cameron had to make a choice of either soccer, gymnastics, or baseball...since they run at the same time. Cameron decided for now to play baseball...spring/summer and basketball...fall. He also takes swimming lessons, but only after baseball season is over. We go enough with baseball as it is. I can't imagine being in baseball and soccer like some people we know. Quality family time at home is a priority! (We have to keep this in check as some times are more hectic.)

*Dinner: We choose to eat dinner as a family at the table. So many families do not do this simple, but important thing for their family. Make time to have a least one meal, if not two with the whole family! Your family will grow closer for it!

*Clothes Organizer: I have a clothes organizer in Cameron's closet. We pick out the clothes for the week on weekends, and stick them in. Then we are not looking for a pair of socks at the last minute on a school day. He gets up and gets dressed on his own.

At the beginning of school I had clothespins on every day for activities. You can see one is left. Tuesday...P.E. that way I would remember to put tennis shoes instead of sandals that day!

*Laundry- In an attempt to cut down on the amount of laundry I do...I pondered why am I washing the boys pj's all the time. I sat them down and explained to them one pair for all week. (Actually I have to give my sister credit here) They have hooks in their closets to hang them up each morning. It's not like they get dirty while they are sleeping. However, I was washing ~ 10 pair or more a week...CRAZY!

*Cherry/grape tomatoes: As seen on Rachel Ray...don't want your little one to choke on the tomatoes. How long does it take to cut up 15 cherry tomatoes? Take two round plastic lids. Place the tomatoes on top of one lid. Then, take the other lid and put it on top of the tomatoes. Hold the top lid with one hand a slice your way through a bunch of tomatoes in seconds. Works like a charm! Thanks Rachel!



The boys each have there own laundary bin. That way they can be responsible for putting up their own clothes. I still do it with them because I like neat drawers.


I have a picture of the boys playing in the dryer when they were younger. I plan on putting those pics on their baskets too. (hmmm...maybe 5 years of 'planning on it' has been long enough!!)







I hope you were able to find at least one tip you liked and can use! Have a terrific week!

Our Love Story

It's time for Friend Makin Mondays! For more information, and to participate, click on over to Kasey's at All That is Good. In honor of Kasey's anniversary...Today's question is:

How did you and your significant other meet?

It was August, the beginning of my second year of teaching. (1996) I was sitting in a teacher meeting...a few new teachers were at a back table. I didn't pay much attention. I was laughing and having fun with some teacher friends before the meeting started. That's when Michael, a new teacher noticed me. My laugh caught his attention, and when I turned around he was 'hooked'.

Michael is the shy, quiet type. He watched me from afar. I heard through the grapevine that he liked me. I noticed he seemed to be in the break room a lot when I was. Finally, in December during Christmas break he called me up to ask me to dinner. Well, I had other 'plans'... I told him I don't date people I work with. The main thing that held me back was... he is short! My dad was 6'4", the guy I dated for 6 years was 6'2". I was drawn to tall men. That is what I knew. Yes, Michael was very nice, he was cute...but him being short was a hang-up of mine.

Life and school went on. For the first time in a couple of years, I was finally over a traumatic break up. I was finally satisfied being single. I wasn't looking for a relationship any more. I know the Lord was preparing both of us for each other.

September 13, 1997 rolls around. It is Pioneer Day at school. There was no where to park. I was driving around trying to find a place to park. Soon, Michael pulls up beside me in his green Mustang. He tells me, "you can park at my place." So we did. My best friend looked at me and said, "He is CUTE! Why don't you go out with him?" I told her he was short. She told me I could be missing out. God began to work on my heart. Did that really matter? But wait.... the girl I car pool with is head over hills for him, and talks about him every day on the way to and from school. It has been a year since he asked me out! That night we went to his booth. He gave me free food and a drink.

That night we were walking to the car to go home. When I began to leave I notice something on my windshield. It was a note. I started getting butterflies as I read the note. After all he was super nice and cute. The note said, "By the way Rhonda, the price of parking will be dinner and a movie with the owner. I may have neglected to mention that. Michael" (Yes, I dug up the old note out of many he has written!) I couldn't help but smile. I was once again encouraged to go out with him from my friend. The next day, I was running a fudge booth...he came over and we talked.

Another month passes and I find myself thinking about him. A lot! Looking forward to seeing him in the lounge. One day after school I am crossing the street to go to the lounge. (Actually, I was waiting until I saw him getting ready to go home). I start crossing just as he is driving by. I stop him and lean in the car. I say some witty comment I'm sure about the owner taking me out. He acted all cool about it, and we went our separate ways. A couple of days later I receive a call.

Well, the first date happens soon after. I wanted more. We begin dating. I realized what an amazing man I was with. The smartest man I know, a great sense of humor, so kind, and treated me like a queen. He really cared about me. I found after each date...I didn't want him to leave.

Christmas break comes around and Michael decides to spend it with his family an hour away. I was so disappointed! We had been dating for 3 months now. I was suppose to spend Christmas with him. Why is he not taking me to meet his family? Yes, I was in love! I talked to him over break, and he actually mentioned breaking up! What? You chased me for over a year and now you want to end it? I told him I know he is in love with me!

January we were inseparable from then on. In 1998 he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him that summer. The ring was burning a hole in his pocket, I was upset with work, and he couldn't keep a secret. (He is much better at surprises now!) He asked me to marry him in the Cracker Barrel parking lot.

One of our engagement photos

August 8, 1999 I married my best friend. It will be 10 years this year. I can honestly say I love him more today than the day we were married. I thank God for my husband! I am blessed! I am looking forward to the next 50+ years. I love you honey...short and all!

My Childhood Toys....FMM

Kasey at All That is Good is the creator of Friend Makin' Monday. I appreciate her starting this because I have met some awesome friends! However, this week the adorable Amber is the host of FMM. She wants us to list 5 toys that remind us of our childhood. Thanks Amber for a fun memory!

Do you dig my cow lick? That's okay...I paid the cows back and licked their salt block...oh yeah!

Name 5 toys that remind you of your childhood:

Pick-Up Sticks

Maybe I need to play this again...concentration a must!

Cabbage Patch
I loved this gift! I got to adopt a baby!




Marble Game

My Dad made us a board like this. Brings back good family memories!




Barrel
We use to turn our barrel on it side, get on top, walk on the barrel, and try to make it to the other side of the yard. So, much fun!! Oh yeah...I learned I could NOT fly from this "toy" too.
Do you remember my boys and the barrel? You can check it out here!

Ball & Jacks

This toy reminds me of going to my Grandma Miller's house. More great memories!

Wanna see more classic toys? Head on over to Amber's!

What is your favorite childhood toy??

5 Senses....FMM

"5 Senses Tag"
It's Friend Makin' Monday again. Today, we are to list 4 things we love, and one thing we dislike, for each category. Head on over to Kasey's and check it out!

Taste

Like:

1. A fresh, sweet strawberry

2. Homemade salsa.

3. Chocolate...smooth...satisfying.

4. Saving the best for last....Michael's kisses! Mmmmm!

Dislike: 1. Escargo...gross and slimy!

Touch

Like:
1. A baby. There is nothing like holding a tiny, soft baby in my arms! Especially my own!
2. My husband. I love when his hands rub my feet, my back....anywhere!
3. My kids hugs, kisses, and tickles! Makes my day brighter!
4. Clean Sheets. I love when I put fresh sheets on the bed and then crawl in...it's the best! I totally agree with Kasey. LOVE IT! I sleep so good that night!

Dislike:

1. Smashing a bug under my foot....GROSS!!

Sound

Be careful little ears what you hear.

Likes:
1. The ocean. So relaxing and soothing!
2. The sound of my boy's laughter. It always brings a smile to my face!
3. Worship music. I listen to it every day!
4. Michael's nice voice waking me up every morning.

Dislike:

1. Whining

Smell

Likes:

1. My husband....yummy!

2. Fresh baked goodies coming out of the oven.

3. Fresh air after a good rain.

Outside just after the rain stopped today.

4. Coffee beans as I walk down the coffee aisle...but not a coffee drinker.

Dislike:

1. The smell of urine (courtesy of my boys) first thing in the morning! UGH! Hmmm, maybe an incentive might work??

Sight

Be careful little eyes what you see!

Likes:
1. A beautiful sunset/sunrise the Lord paints in the sky.

2. The smiles on my family's face. Smiles that make my heart melt.

3. Water. Especially the ocean or waterfalls...peaceful!

4. The number on the scale going down!

Dislikes: 1. I do not like seeing people hurting or in pain. I tend to cry if I see someone else cry. Yes, even in the movies.