Twenty10:78

Today was perfect. I vowed when I woke up this morning to the sun shining that I would not go inside all day unless I had to. And I kept my vow. We went inside for Jack's quick allergy treatment, and again to use the restroom, but that's it. We enjoyed the beautiful weather outside all day and it was wonderful.

We went to both Camden and Layton's baseball games, and then headed straight for the park afterward. It was just Jack and I all day, because Kaitlin was with Jenna for her birthday party, so we got to spend some really great one on one time together. I learned a few new things about Jack today. I learned that he can pump himself on the swings, he wants a dog, and that he is lonely. He needs a brother bad. But since its too late for that, I am wishing, hoping, and praying for a neighbor for him to play with. I am so thankful for his new friends at school, and I am hoping he will be blessed with someone in our hood for him to hang with on the weekends. I love hanging out with him, but he explained to me that he needs boys to play with. All of the kids on our street are girls, like me. BOYS mommy. BOYS.

(things are starting to turn GREEN....my favorite color)

But since he didn't have anyone to play with today, I was his playmate, and I loved every minute of it. We played hide-n-seek, army guys, chase, Jack's version of base tag (the one where he always wins), and we swung on the swings. We also got to pet some sweet little dogs, and Jack expressed to me how much he wants a dog. A little one.

Throughout the day, he talked a lot about how big he is now that he is 6, and how he is going to swim under water this summer at the pool. He is feeling very grown up lately. He doesn't want me kissing him in public or treating him "like a baby". My heart hurts just thinking about it. I am not ready for him to be big.

I loved this day. We ended up grilling on the deck and eating a delicious meal, right before watching New Moon. Eric and I are both not huge twilight junkies, but we've now seen both movies and liked both of them a lot. Now I am going to have to read the books. I have 3 books in line before them, so they will be my summer reads.

Happy Birthday Jenna! Thanks for ruining my fruit!

FLASHBACK FRIDAY

Spring 1980 (ish)

Suzy & Cindy

~I Love This Photo~

{Cindy- I already had a picture of the day yesterday but I will most definitely use your idea for one day this week when I worked all day and didn't get one.} :)

Twenty10:77

oh.my.goodness.

i love this girl. and i know she will come back. but i think an alien has come to my house in the middle of the night and taken the real kaitlin, and replaced her with someone i may not get along with real well. time for prayers in my closet. and clearly, its almost time for middle school. if you see me walking around with my eyes closed talking to myself, that's because i'm praying, all the time. i'm not sure how else i could ever make it through the next however many years without prayer. if the last 2 months are a taste of what is to come, i may need to quit my job and start a business in prayer.

on a lighter note, isn't she so cute? it's a good thing she's so cute, and that i love her more than my heart can bare. it's a real good thing. and in the future, when i post things on here that require a password, that's because i have written real stories about raising a teenager that i can't post for the world to see. i wouldn't want her friends reading things that would embarrass her. i try to keep this blog positive.

i am the first of my friends to raise a teenager, so i am the guiney pig. i am going to need a lot of help from my older and wiser family and friends. god has been forcing a lot of growth on me lately, in a totally free and loving way, but i am beginning to think it is because He knows i am going to need oodles of wisdom and guidance to get KK thru the coming years. my normal, dingbat self "ain't" gunna fly with this one.

prayer.......lots. of. prayer.

Twenty10:76

A friend gave me this idea a while ago and I am so pleased with the results. I love kids artwork, but was holding off hanging up their masterpieces for these expensive frames that I had been wanting for a while. She (Angie) suggested that I hang them on a line of ribbon with clothes pins, so I did.....and saved hundreds of dollars. I went into the playroom this afternoon to hang up the kids latest Square One Artwork and saw Kaitlin's little Kindergarten handprints. Made me smile.

Twenty10:75

We had a visitor today in my Kindergarten class. He was a very messy, very tiny, very green little visitor. He painted his feet and ran all over my classroom. He also stole the gold and candy from my students' leprechaun traps, but somehow escaped from being trapped inside any of them. It's days like today that make me love what I do for a living. It's also days like today that spawn 3 hour afternoon naps for both Jack and I. The kids loved every minute of St. Patrick's Day, and I learned what this holiday is all about! I never knew it was a christian holiday. I knew it was an Irish holiday, but I never knew what it was about until today. I guess you learn something new every day. Very cool.

Twenty10:74

Happy Birthday Dad!

We enjoyed a yummy meal at the cracker barrel tonight. Not your typical birthday dinner restaraunt choice, but very much my dad. He had all four of his children and 5 out of the 8 grandchildren in one place (step sis and kids missing). We were one LOUD group of people. And just to bring back old memories, I knocked over a glass and break it all over the floor...just as the waiters came in to sing happy birthday to my very young and handsome dad. My childhood nickname was Suzy the Spiller. I couldn't dissappoint! My brother brought his "special friend" Wendy to dinner. She is this beautiful asian girl, totally stylish and young and adorable. And we secretly hope, despite their 8 year age gap, that they will someday marry and make beautiful asian babies. We need some diversity in our family!! Love her. Love my dad. Love my step mom. Loved the whole night. :) Family rocks.

Twenty10:73

Jack and Carsyn worked vewy vewy hawd on this.

My First Award. Ever.

Kimberly @ Under the Umbrella blog nominated me the prestigious creative blogger award. I know this is very silly, but I am so excited in the most nerdy way. It's my first award. EVER. At 31 years old! Well, I did get one award in 4th grade for cutest girl, but if my memory serves me correctly, I bullied (threatened) several people into voting for me, so that doesn't count. (Yes, before I grew up and was humbled by life, I was not a very sweet little girl...so I've heard :)).

Anyway, thank you Kimberly for this honor. I will accept this award in front of my bathroom mirror with my plastic tiara and my shampoo bottle this evening.

Now I am supposed to say 5 things about myself that people may not know about me. Here it goes. I know you are just aching with anticipation.

1. I can still do a round off back hand spring.

2. I have the memory of a 90 year old fish. Dori anyone? I'm confused. Wait, maybe I'm not.

3. My birth initials spell a cuss word. I'll give you the first 2 letters. A and S.

4. I am going to write a book someday. I have several in my head, so I may write more than one.

5. When I was growing up, I had a pretend friend named Amy. I use to tell stories about her all the time. Everyone in my family knew she was fake, but no one told me. My family would just listen, giggle, and move on. I guess they didn't want to hurt my feelings, or they just liked my stories. I'm pretty sure they still laugh at me to this day, but for different reasons. I'm cool with that.

Now I am supposed to nominate 5 people for this coveted award. Get your shampoo bottle ladies!

1. Angie- for inspiring me to be a better blogger, mama, and friend

2. Kimberly- for inspiring me to be a more diverse photographer

3. Kelly at Lucy Blog- for giving me hope in having my own business someday

4. Ivey- for making me laugh and cry and miss you and baby Day, everytime I read your blog

5. Jessica- for making me laugh hysterically

Thank you Kimberly! I love getting awards! Does anyone else want to give me one?

i heart faces week 11: Bundled Up

This week at i heart faces, the theme is Bundled Up. This is my beautiful neice, Carsyn. Check out all of the other entries by clicking on the button below!

Thirteen Years

This photo was taken in May of 1997. Today is our silly, but meaningul dating anniversary. March 14th 1997 was the day we decided to give us a try for the 3rd time. 3rd time's a charm! At this point, I will bashfully admit that I was slap me across the face and I wouldn't feel it, this boy hung the moon-head over heels in love. It's a stupid love. You know the kind. But, I know this kind of love is rare, and it is what got us through the hard times and made us work things out when we wanted to throw in the towel. This boy and I have been through way more than I would ever wish on my worst enemy, but we are still here. And I love him deeply. And he loves me way more than I deserve. Happy 13 Schnook.

Twenty10:72

We had dinner at MaMa and Grandpa Nick's tonight. It's always a great time, and always wonderful to see everyone in the family. Everytime we hang out with them, it makes me wish we did it more often. The kids are all growing up and running around like crazy, so it gets louder each gathering. MaMa tries several times a year to get a picture of her and Nick and all the grandkids, and it usually ends up in disappoinment. This year we got some really cute ones! Too bad I wasn't paying attention to my camera settings. My ISO was not set high enough and all of the pictures were grainy from the bad lighting. My flash broke today. Now I have no flash and no portrait lens. I think God is trying to tell me something.

Jack (6), Scott (2 1/2), Carson (2), Kaitlin (11), and Ashlyn (4 1/2)

Beth, I hope you got some with your camera. I can edit them to make them brighter and more colorful if you'll send them to me. These won't even be clear at a 5 by 7. DOUBLE UHHH! They sure are cute in this size, right?

Twenty10:71

(i love this picture. i love this picture. i love this picture)

We went to the park today after the sun came out. Everything was drenched, and the kids (Carsyn, Jack, Kaitlin, and Peachy) were covered in mud, but they had a ball. My original intention was to run around the track and let the kids play on the playground while I was running, but it turned into a photoshoot. I know. Shocking. I almost did not bring my camera, but I told myself at the last second to bring it anyway...just in case they were being cute after my run. I am so glad I did. My 50mm is broken so most of the action shots were blurry, but the kids were hammin it up for the camera. They were having jumping contests off the swings, and made me take pictures and push them after each lap I ran. This almost never happens (them wanting their picture taken), so I took advantage. I like the extreme color and action editing in the pic at the top. It's fun.

This one is such a dissapointment. It's such a cute shot, but so darn blurry! You really have to have a great lens to get both clarity and light when it comes to a lot of movement. I had all the setting right, and still BLUR. UHHH! I tried to fix it, but it looks over-processed. Oh well. I'll put this one in the "edit someday when you know what you are doing" file.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY

My dad is turning 60 years young on March 15th. This is hard to swallow. It's hard to swallow that both of my parents are 60, I am 31, and this family photo is missing so many people.

It's wierd to look back on a family once together, and very much normal. Stay-at-home mother of four kids. Heavily involved in the church. Dad who works insane hours trying to support four kids. Beautiful house. Lots of Love. Totally normal (or not).

Then the divorce happended.

Seventeen years and a very loooooooooooong story later, we are missing 15 people from this picture. Fifteen people who were always supposed to be a part of our family, and our story. I look back on our perfect little family, albeit very imperfect, and I can say, with so much joy, that I am thankful for my parents divorce. They each found people that suit them. They toughed it out for a while for us, but now they are really happy. And our family is blessed with Yvette and Cliff. They don't read this blog, but they know how I feel. Oh the life lessons I have learned from these two people. I still apologize to God for treating them both with such anger and disrespect. I was only 15 when my parents both remarried, and I was L.O.S.T, and young, and mad. and insecure, and mad, and lonely, and really, really, MAD.

Why? Because I am a perfectionist, a really-farfromperfect- totally flawed perfectionist. I grew up watching cartoons and Full House and dreaming of living that perfect life where the house was always clean and and the lesson was always learned at the end of the day....complete with soft, nostalgic music playing in the background. SO, needless to say, a divorce was NOT in my perfect plan. I have always struggle with trying to do every right, be everything, and know everything.....while managing to, on most days, be a total mess.....far from the perfect person I imagined I'd be at 31.

Looking back, I needed that divorce. We all did. It taught me that life is not perfect, never will be, and never has been. It taught me to let go of any pre-conceived expectations I have for my life, and let God lead me. He always has something better for you than you have for yourself....and He can turn any mess into a masterpiece. He took a very nasty situation and made it something beautiful. He is still working hard on us, because we are still figuring it all out, but he has never given up. And I have learned so.many.valuable.life.lessons from my step parents, whom I would have never known if it weren't for the BIG D. I've learned patience, generosity, patience, unconditonal love, patience, acceptance, and did I mention patience? My poor, poor, step parents. Marrying people with 4 MAD teenagers. Dealing with our troubles, attitudes, financial struggles, mistakes, ect. They BOTH must really love my parents to deal with US. And if you've evermet Cliff, well, it takes Godly patience to deal with Him....and he knows it.

A long, novel worthy story later, I am humbled, thankful, and happy to have a different family photo than the one above. I have given up the idea of a perfect life and embraced the struggle and flaws of life that make it so beautiful. Without struggle.........love and purpose would not exist. God allows struggle because it strengthens us and makes us need Him, know Him, and ask for his help. There is simply nothing more amazing and beautiful in life than hitting rock bottom, crying out to God, and watching Him pick you up, answer your prayers, and watch His work unfold right before your eyes. If we all walked in perfection, we would never know Him. Life would be pointless. Without the ugly, the beautiful would go unseen. God knows what He's doing, and I've learned to trust Him.

I use to live in fear. Shhhhhhh, don't tell Kaitlin. But I no longer allow fear to get the best of me. After all I have seen, done, and experienced, and all I have seen God do in my life, I no longer fear living it. There is no need to worry when you trust God, and that kind of freedom is a freedom I thought I would never know. A freedom feel blessed toknow at such a young age. I reasons to be worried right now....trust me, but I'm not. I know who's in charge, and I'm all done trying to do a better job than Him and running my own messy life. I have a lot to learn about life, but I'm glad I won't be learning in a state of fear.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways aknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Twenty10:70

This is our life. Children. Everywhere. Noise. Mess. Laughter. Fighting. Singing. Guitar playing. Fun. Lots of food. KIDS.

I grew up in a home where all the kids hung out. My mom liked it that way because she always knew where we were. I guess that is why we are always surrounded by other people's children. I like this. I invite them over. They entertain my children so I can finish a sentence when talking to my husband. I've said before, I would have had 4-6 kids if Eric hadn't stopped me. In turn, we only have two (that we have to send to college) and the rest I get to send home! It's great. I get to be surrounded by the chaos that I am so used to. I always know where my kids are. But, I can send half the kids home at the ned of the night. Go US!

This was our crew last night. Jack's new friends Jake, Price and Parker (all teachers kids) are so precious. They are well mannered, sweet, and they can handle Jack's demanding and sometimes difficult nature. Perfect. Oh, and they eat A LOT of apples, which is also perfect, because I have a lot of apples around here. I LUV apples. It's been really hard on Jack since CAmden and Layton got so involved in sports, so I prayed that God would send Jack some new friends. He did. And so FAST!

Peachy is Kaitlin's friend, and because Kaitlin only seems to hang out with musicians and artists, Peach is no exception. Her real name is Payden....but at 2 years old, she named herself peachy. This name is so perfect for her. She is SO BUBBLY. I guess she knew she's be famous someday. The girl sounds like Norah Jones and Janis Joplin put together and plays guitar like The Indigo Girls. She sounds 35 when she sings. Between her and Aspen and Kaitlin, I often ponder how 3 such talented singer/songwriter/guitar players ended up in the same county....much less the same school. I think it's God's plan....but I am not usre how it will all play out.

Oh, and because Peachy and Aspen have "famous names", Kaitlin has decided to change her name to..........drum role...........wait for it..............Kate Star! Can you see it in lights?

Twenty10:69

Jack has treadmill radar. It only takes him a minute to hear the sound of the treadmill running before he is in my room. He bring his "guys" and sets up army stations all over the machine. Then, he proceeds to give me a play by play of the entire war while I am jogging. He is such a momma's boy. He is glued to my side at all times, and I love it. Today, as soon as he set up camp at the base of the treadmill, I grabbed my camera and put it around my neck. This shot made me thankful that I have stuck with this little project. I would have never thought to get a shot of this very sweet time we have together. (His army guys are not pictured. They had just taken a little ride down the treadmill, throught my feet, and onto the floor behind me. Jack was highly entertained by this. I almost busted my hide in the process. I think he decided to put on a show and break the rules for the camera.)

Sometimes I get lucky, and Jack decides to do crunches or squats with me. I can't tell you how cute it is to watch him "wowk out". But most of the time, he'd rather play army guys. Because of his lack of activity during the winter months, I have put Jack on a little routine work out plan. more on that later. I am too tired to talk about exersize, and too lazy to learn how to spell it.

Twenty10:68

Kaitlin is such a deep soul. I walked into her room tonight and she was strumming on the guitar. This was 20 minutes after I told her (for the 3rd time) to brush her teeth and get into bed. And she was just strummin'. In her own world. And it was hard to get mad at her for her trashed room and her lack of obediance when she was singing a beautiful song......that she wrote. I am so glad I got this shot. This is a photo that truly captures the spirit of K.K.

i heart faces week 10: jump for joy!

I've kind of been bad about entering i heart faces contests, out of the realization that I cannot compete with all of the professionals, but I thought this shot was good enough for the contest this week. Or maybe it's that I just *heart* this girl. If you want to see some really GREAT shots, click HERE (or on the botton below) to visit the i heart faces website and see lots-o-jumping. It kind of makes me happy to look at them. Maybe I should jump more often?!?

Twenty10:67

Oh.Magoodness.

Brandi gave me this delicious recipe for the healthiest, most wonderful cookies...... and so I must share. I made them yesterday, and daydreamed about them all day at work. I am quite certain that these are my favorite cookies ever. And the best part? They are 100% organic. I got all of the ingredients in my local Kroger organic section. YUM.

Flax Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Makes about 30 you can cut in half)
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 cup fresh ground flax seed (or Flax meal)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup coconut oil or butter (i use coconut oil)
1 cup raw sugar or sucanat
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup (or more) organic chocolate chips
Mix dry ingredients
Whip eggs, oil (or butter/paritally melted), and sugar and add to dry mixture
Place in spoon sized blobs on ungreased cookie sheet
Bake at 350 for 12 minutes

Click HERE for more of Brandi's delicious organic recipes!

Twenty10:66

i love her hair in braids!

Twenty10:65

We spent Saturday with uncle Dave, Christina, and Colby at their place in Buckhead. Jack was so beyond thrilled to be with Colby, and visa versa, that we barely spoke to them all night. They play so well together. They could have cared less that we were there. Kaitlin knew she'd be the odd girl out so she stayed with MaMa for the night. We smoked some delicious ribs, while we sipped vino and gabbed for hours about food and family. Christina always has so many cool things to share with me. She knows a lot of about food, and I am eager to learn.....especially right now while I am still an infant in the world of healthy eating. I made delicous homemade Flax chocolate chips cookies for desert and made more today because they were so good. Brandi gave me the recipe. YUM. It was so nice to get away for the night and wake up to family, coffee, and yummy omelets. Eric and I felt like we stayed the night at a bed and breakfast. It was sooo nice to come home to beautiful weather and not a lot to do. We have spent the day on the porch sipping tea and grilling more food. Now onto the Oscars. I use to LOVE watching the Oscars, but I've been so removed from the TV this year that I have no clue who is even nominated. At least we can get some good movie ideas from the winners bracket!

FLASHBACK FRIDAY

May 11, 2002

The infamous "grown-woman/child-with-a-bottle" photo

Seriously? Why didn't anyone tell me? Oh yeah.......all my friends were childless and in their twenties and didn't think it was strange at all for a 3 year old to drink chocolate milk out of a bottle. And my parents....all of them....so graciously, and patiently, let us raise Kaitlin without interference, so as for us to make our own mistakes and learn from them. Thank you for that by the way.

But seriously? She's over THREE YEARS OLD. She holding a baby bottle!!! It contains 28 milligrams of chocolate sugar in it, I'm guessing. And look at that smile. You know what that smile is saying? It's saying......"the world is my oyster, and this woman is a sucker! "

It kind of makes me wonder.....what am I doing right now as a parent that will embarrass me in 10 years? Food for thought. I know, I know. I was young. I was doing my best. She was showered with love. blah, blah, blah........ She was spoiled rotten! :) She turned out pretty great though. Thank goodness for the parental learning curve, and the grace of God.

Twenty10:64

Price, Parker, Jack, and Jake

Tearin it up at the Starks today.....boy style. And with Eric being out for a guys night, and kaitlin at a friend's house......I have plenty of time to catch up on my bloggin'. Happy Friday to me.

Twenty10:63

Facts about Jack: The SIX year old

-He wants to be a secret agent when he grows up. He can't decide between the CIA and the FBI. I just know he'll be a minister though. He loves Jesus. He loves talking about him and reading about him. I'd love that!

-He eats a huge breakfast every morning. Every bite. At 6 am. Eggs, fruit, a bagel, and sometimes oatmeal too. He's an eating machine now that he is being healed from his allergies by his natureopath.

-He uses the words "seriously", "awkward", "interesting", and "necessary" on a regular basis. He's got a freakishly large vocabulary for a 6 year old.

-He a good writer, and his reading comprehension is unreal, which means he's a good listener. Kinda wierd to know a man who listens...albeit a little man.

-He has a crush on 2 girls...... Mia and Kaylie. He can't decided which one he likes more, but Mia is prettier...he says.

-He is really into war, which upsets me. I am a lover, not a fighter. I don't get war, agree with it, or support it, so having a son who loves war is frightening to me. I hope he takes his fighting nature and uses it for a good cause, like fighting for something good that he believes in, which very well may be his country.....someday. If he's not too busy being a secret agent.

-He melts my heart on a regular basis. Seriously. His big eyes, and those pouty lips and that little scratchy voice....oh my. Watching Kaitlin grow up so fast has taught me to treasure even the whiniest of moments with Jack. Granted, he can be a total handful, but he still melts my heart. BOYS!

Twenty10:62

Today was Kaitlin's last game. They lost, but not by much. She played a good game. She is glad the season is over because she's tired. I am glad the season is over because the practices were from 7:30 to 9:00 on Mondays. That is redicukous, and way to late, but its all they could get.

She did waaaay to much this year, and we won't allow that to happen again. Next year she is going to try ........gulp.......cheerleading. Gosh that was hard to say. Yep, she wants to be a cheerleader. I was hoping she would stay away from it, because I work..... and it's just so time consuming, but she wants to give it a try. What can I say- it's in her genes! So cheerleading and guitar are pretty much it for the Fall. I think with the work load of middle school that she won't have time for much else. Stay tuned for hair bows and flips!

Twenty10:61

Today was an unexpected burst of awesome. We got out of school at 10:30 due to the snow piling up on the ground, and that is always so cool......even more so when you are the teacher. Then, I got to take a nap....which is even cooler. Then I got my house all cleaned and had some yummo tacos made for me for dinner by my husband. Now I am looking at precious pictures of some precious kids and loving being back in my element. Life is good. Today has been a really, really great day.

Twenty10:60

i am beginning to get a taste of what raising a teenager is like. i'm scared.

kaitlin told me today that i have no idea what it is like to be her age. it has been twenty years, but it feels like yesterday. i DO know, and it's awful.....but i survived. and i am determined to get her through the next few years of her life with a lot of love and support. my prayer is that she somehow maintains her sweetness and keeps her smile through all the confusion. if not, she can always write a few songs about her struggle. it worked for taylor swift!

i am LoVinG this picture. i finally got a good shot of her in her glasses. this is kaitlin.

twenty one days

It all started with the idea a friend gave me to do a 21 day fast from meat, sugar, and bread. And over the course of the next 48 hours, it turned into something much, much bigger. I decided to give up a lot during the 21 days. The internet, my blog, the food I stated above, magazines, negative thoughts, and many other things I now know I can do without. I still have no idea what spawned me to do it. A good friend of mine did it, and it sounded like something I really wanted to do. So I did. And here's what I discovered.

God is so good. And so cool. And the more time I spend with Him, the more time I want to spend with Him.

I can cook. Yes, I did just write that. And I love eating healthy foods. And after the last 21 days of eating nothing but delicious, organic foods, I won't go back to the way I use to eat. Neither will my children.....as long as they live under my roof.

I trust God more than I thought I did. And I have made a lot of mistakes. But I'm on the road to making less of them.

I love my family. And I love snow. And I especially love being with my family, surrounded by snow. But I am so thankful that I do not live in it every day.

(Day's 1st birthday party)

Children are a blessing. And God has trusted Eric and I with ours. So we better pay closer attention to the way we are raising them. I've made alot of mistakes, but I recognize them, and I am making every effort to change the kind of parent that I am. In short..... I need to be stronger, wiser, and more in control. They are showered with love, and I mean showered......but there's more to raising kids than loving them. A lot of people love their kids and fail miserably at raising them. I will not be one of those people. I also learned that I need to visit my family in Mississippi more often. They're good peeps.

Jack plays video games too much and doesn't get enough sun and excersize. And I can't spell that word. And now that he is aware of his own health and the foods that he is putting in his body, he has agreed with me to make a few changes to his habits. He has to get outside and run around for 15 minutes everday. For now. This spring that will increase, and this summer too. Some days he only runs circles around the house, but its better than nothing, and I do it with him. And we laugh together at how crazy we look.

Kaitlin is growing up fast.

Other wierd things that I learned:

i LoVe reading books that teach me about something I can use. i read 3 books in 21 days. that's a record for me.

my husband really loves me. more than i deserve. way more.

i am a stronger person than i thought.

i can COOK.

i have awesome friends.

i need to wear sunscreen and floss every day.

i love myself the most when i am alone with God.

i will do this 21 day "cleanse" every year, maybe twice a year, for the rest of my life.

Twenty10:59

Happy 11th Birthday Kaitlin!

It's always hard to believe, each year, that you are the age that you are. Every year I go through the same mixed emotions on your birthday because you are my oldest child, and my only daughter. You are growing up so fast. You are such a precious person. I look at you every day and thank God for you. You are kind, smart, compassionate, generous, loving, driven, hard working, and sensitive. You are a mixture of everyone in our family, but you are a lot of who I'd like to be. You inspire me to be a better person and remind me of what I love about life every day. I am so thankful that God trusted me to be your mom. I love you to pieces. Happy Birthday to my sweet KK! I love you.

Mommy

twenty10:38:a little break

I am taking a little break from the internet for a short while. I'll explain why when I return....maybe. I will contiue with Project Twenty10 but will not post anything until I re-join the internet world on February 29th. I look foward to cathing up with my family and friends then! I am thinking I will have a lot of great things to share!!!

Twenty10:37

Beth got Eric a Georgia Snuggie for Christmas.

It gets a lot of use. Someone has it on at all times.

Kaitlin walked around the house in it all day today.

It is quite comfortable. I wish I would have invented it.

I would have spent the day watching my maid clean my house,

instead of cleaning it myself. That would be awesome.

Twenty10:36

Carsyn....striking a pose at Camden's 8th birthday party. This was her stance after each time she rolled the ball. She's so confient and spunky. Love her. I know it's Camden's birthday and HE should be the photo of the day, but I loved this picture for some reason.

Eric just left to pick Jack up from his first "spend the night" party (for his friend, Price). He probobly would have stayed the night had I not picked him up in the middle of the party to take him to Camden's bowling party. By the time we got back to Price's house, Jack was tired and wanting his momma. I guess that is what I get for trying to be in 2 places at once. What are the odds though? Jack's best cousin and his favorite friend having parties on the same night? He just walked in......gotta go snuggle with my little man.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY

Jack and Carsyn

Port St. Joe, Florida

June 2005

This picture made me laugh out loud. I love the toes. I love the fact that they are sitting on a 12 pack of beer, and Jack is eating a cookie with no pants on. It also makes me so sad. We no longer go on family vacations anymore with my side of the clan. The Vaughns have too much going on. My nephews' travel baseball schedules have left them with no time for anything else during the summer. Such a sad thing. Those vacations were some of my kids favorite childhood memories.

Twenty10:35

Jack had Skylar over today. Lindsey and I got to hang out for a little while and have dinner while the kids played and did homework. LOVE me some girl time. Kaitlin had a friend over after school but they disappeared into Kaitlin's room to talk about school. I didn't want to bother her with my camera so Jack is once again the star of the day. Add in a long day at work, a trashed house, and laundry that's been laying on my floor unfolded all week and that about sums up our day. Happy Almost Friday to ME!

Twenty10:34

what could be sweeter?

i woke up this morning, got ready for work, and went to wake up jack. when i saw this sweetness, i melted. i stared at him for a while in admiration when his faced turned into a frown. i woke him up for school, and he told me he was dreaming about a big black tiger trying to kill him. then he said a silver tiger saved him. i was thankful for that silver tiger. :) i tried taking a similar picture of kaitlin this morning and she turned around and told me to get out. she is so lovely in the mornings. :)

Twenty10:33

I've always loved my father in law. He is a really great man. A really, really great man. He is quiet, but always thinking and listening. He is reserved, classy, and modest. He is successful, but humble. He is intelligent, but open minded. He is kind, but firm. He reminds me a lot of my dad. And in many ways is like a dad to me. But I loved him even more when I heard a little story about him recently, and I wanted to write about it.

Nick retired several years ago after working for 32 years for the same company. He started at the bottom of the barrel at Printpack Inc. many years ago, and worked his way up to the top over the years. Nick is a loyal man. A very loyal man. When he retired, he had served as the Vice President of Human Resources for a major corporation for over a decade. After he retired he decided it was time to take up walking. He was getting older, and needed the workout, but most importantly...he needed something to do. So he walks. And he walks. And he is now up to walking 6 miles a day. He has a path. He is a pretty routine guy. And he follows his path everday.

But what is special about Nick is not that he walks everyday, or that he retired after many years of success....it is how humble he has stayed thru the years. He doesn't just walk, he picks up trash....and recyclables for six miles each day. Did I mention he walks SIX miles a day....and picks up trash along side the road? And to make his daughter in law love him ever more....he brings 2 seperate bags with him....one for recyling, and one for throw away. Keep in mind that he was a high roller for many years. He doesn't have to do this....he chooses to. And the best part? He doesn't do it for recognition, he does it because that is Nick. He does what is right. Always has.

Someone noticed. And now he is being interviewed by the local Newspaper. People want to know about this sweet man who walks the streets everyday and cleans up there neighborhood......for nothing.

I am all about Humble. Humble, to me, is the most charming quality a person can have. Period. I can't think of anything more unattractive than someone who brags and boasts. Nick is truly humble. And I love that about him. God calls us to be humble......to do things out of love for the others and not for selfish motives. To give without telling anyone and to spread kindness without boasting about how great we are. I feel lucky to have a whole gaggle of parents who have shown me this very precious quality.....Nick being one of them. I know he is very uncomfortable with being interviewed by a Newspaper because he is too humble to want people to know what he does....but I am so proud for him that I feel the need to brag about him. That's okay, right?

Twenty10:32

Today was Jack's first day with his class pet, Puff. Puff is a magic webkin dragon. He comes in a fancy bag full of games, puzzles, and books, and his very own website. Jack is beyond thrilled that he gets to spend the week with Puff, and reign as the King of the Castle at school (until Friday). I am just thrilled that he has a reason to look foward to school each day.....even if it is just for a week.

All of the sudden, I'm feelin my class pet isn't as cool as Jack's class pet. Mine is named Ellie the Elephant. After looking through Puff's bag....I think he needs to add daddy to his name. Puff daddy's crib is SwEeT. My poor Ellie is all alone with just a journal in his bag. My student's better not find out about how cool Puff's little setup is. Ellie needs an upgrade. Puff Daddy has raised the bar in the world of class pets. I gotcha back Ellie. We'll take it up a notch.