When Amanda prepared the potatoes for baking this morning before church I asked her to make double so we could have twice baked potatoes tomorrow.  So we’ll have that with baked chicken and veggies.

Tuesday I’m going to make Haley’s empanadas because I haven’t made them in foreva!  They are tasty!

Wednesday we’ll have sloppy joes because I told Matt we’d have them last week and made spaghetti instead.  He hasn’t forgotten.

Thursday I am going to make a big pot of stew because the weather is going to be really cold all week and it will be warm and yummy…

and Friday we’ll order pizza from Mazzios.

1. What is bothering/stressing you out right this minute? Is this problem something you can solve on your own? Or will you simply have to ride the wave and see how it turns out? In the meantime, how are you coping with the stress – how do you unwind?

I’d rather not say… but I have been a little irritated all day.  I don’t have any specific issues causing the irritation, just lots of little things.  I think maybe it’s just too many activities with not enough sleep.  I cope well and try to keep a cheerful disposition, I unwind by reading or blogging.

2. When was the last time you made a compromise with someone? Tell us about it. How did that compromise turn out?

My life is a compromise.  It works out fine.  LOL!

3. What modern day convenience would you be willing to give up forever? Why would you give up that particular convenience and how would you give it up?

I would gladly give up PPV sport events.  I know… always the giver.

4. If you found yourself locked inside a public restroom stall, what would you do? Climb over the door? Or crawl under the door? Tell us about the worst public restroom experience you’ve ever had.

I would probably bust out before touching the floor or scaling the wall.    How funny!  I can’t really  remember any bad restroom experiences except a trip to the mall when Iz was a baby.  It smelled terrible in the Dillard’s restroom and a woman was sitting on the toidy breastfeeding her baby.  I was sicked out.  I always just went to a dressing room if I needed to nurse while shopping.

Here’s a pic of Izzy and mom and dad’s dog (mojo) yesterday….

And one of the cake Emelia made…

We celebrated Amanda’s boyfriend Lorenzo’s birthday today after church.  Amanda went to GREAT lengths to make it special.  She had mom (nini) help her make a special heart shaped layered chocolate cake with cherries on top and puffs of whipped cream… she wanted to make roast because it is one of his favorites and so we put it in Saturday night and let two good sized roasts cook all night with onion soup mix and golden mushroom soup and she got up way early Sunday morning to add a bunch of potatoes and carrots.   We had salad with yummy croutons and she dipped a bunch of strawberries in chocolate.  After church mom and dad came over to eat lunch and mom brought a cheesecake because she knew I wouldn’t eat the chocolate cake covered with cherries.  It was a delicious lunch and I think Lorenzo had a wonderful birthday party.  He seemed very happy.  After we all cleaned the kitchen it was nap time!  What a wonderful long nap!  I went back to church with sleepy eyes.

We had a bake sale at church this morning.  I took cookies.  I bought a bunch of peanut brittle for dad (and mom) because he loves it and Sue (lady at church) makes it really well.  There were lots of really good things!

I know what I’m having for lunch tomorrow! A roast beef sandwich!

A menu?  not so much!

I may make a big batch of chili tomorrow… I’ll have fritos for frito chili pie.

Tuesday we’ll have hot dogs.  and chili.

Wednesday … maybe this chicken and black bean soup recipe I just found!

Thursday is turkey day! That’s a no brainer.

Friday will be turkey!

Saturday turkey.

Sunday probably turkey tettrazini or something like that.

 Bailey and I went to see Twilight Saturday evening!  It wasn’t quite as good as the book, but we both really enjoyed the movie!

 Saw this on Yvonne’s blog and thought it looked interesting~

The things I have done are in italics and highlighted:

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyworld
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb (does a goat count?)
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Visited to Mt. Rushmore
101.  Learned to play a musical instrument

Karen from WriteFromKaren has started a new meme, appropriately titled the ‘Monday Morning Meme’. It’s a lot of fun – won’t you join in?

1. Do think it’s okay to bring your own snacks into the movie theater? Why or why not? YES! I heart theater popcorn with butter, but who wants to pay $5 for a coke?  Yikes.  I sometimes take the kids by the dollar store and let them each get a candy for the movie.  When Matt and I were dating we would get Sonic burgers and cokes and sneak them in my big purse.   One time my purse was dripping while we were paying because the lid had come loose.  That was embarrassing.  But I do buy snacks at the theater sometimes too… 

2. If someone were following you, would you:
A. Attempt to lose them.
B. Turn around and confront them, asking them what in the heck were they doing??
C. Nothing.
D. Something else (do tell!)

Tell us about a time when you thought someone was following you. (Don’t we all have those stories? I do!)

I would probably just ignore them… unless it’s a police car. I hate when a police car is right behind me, it just makes me nervous that I’ll accidentally go over the speed limit or something.  I’ve been followed in stores before, and I usually ignore it.  Once an older man followed me all the way through the store and finally spoke and said something very sweet.  I was followed out of the mall when I was younger and the man tried to get into my car.  That was scary.

3. What is your highest level of education? What were/are your thoughts about school? Would you ever consider going back to school? If so, for what? If not, why not? I went to school (college) for years while the kids were small and since Izzy’s accident haven’t been able to return (yet)… I still plan to go back and would love to get my masters in marriage and family counseling.

4. Do you order photos online? Do you print your own photos or go someplace to print them off? And do you order photographic gifts too? I order photos online a lot of the time.  I have them printed at CVS usually and just run by to pick them up.  I ordered my dad a coffee mug with a pic for father’s day once and ordered mom a book of photos for mother’s day with poems and scriptures.  It was pretty but smaller than I thought it would be.  

1.What is your earliest memory of a library? Who took you? Do you have any funny/odd memories of the library?

 My earliest library memories would be those walks from school to our little local library.  The only odd memory from a library was in jr. high at the school library, there was a half wall with a bean bag behind it for some reason… I walked over to find a couple making out.  I guess they found a purpose.

2. What two things are at the top of your to-do list? When do you think you’ll get around to doing those things? How good are you at crossing things off your to-do list?

Do some paperwork and get it mailed and put my pantech duo phone on ebay to get rid of it.  I have been postponing these two things for weeks.  I am usually very good at getting things done and crossed off my list. Oh and do a post for industrial knobs…

3. Where do you come in the family? Are you the oldest? Youngest? Only child? Or smack in the middle? How do you think this has affected the way you grew up? Would you agree with your birth order personality? Are you happy with your birth order, or do you wish you had been the oldest/youngest, etc.

I am the youngest.  I have two older brothers.  Mike is six years older than I am, Jody is 10 years older than me.  I think I was spoiled being the youngest and only girl.  Looking at this list of last born traits I can see some similarities.  I am happy to be the youngest.  I wish I had a sister… I used to beg mom to have one more but she didn’t.  I think I would love to have a sister and am always jealous of all those close sisters.  Mom has like nine and they are some of her closest friends.  Most of my friends have sisters except Melody.  She has two brothers just like me.

Last born children tend to be the easiest to define when it comes to the correlation between birth order and personality, this is mostly due to the fact that there is only one main type of last born.

Last Born Traits

• Risk takers
• Idealists
• Good sense of humor
• Hard working
• Immature
• Attention seeking
• Secretive
• Sensitive

Last born children are often considered the baby of the family, and live up to this role. At times it is difficult for the last born child to find his/her place in the family, as the first and middle child have already left huge footprints to follow in, and carved their own niche into the family.

Strengths V.S. Weaknesses

	Category Strengths Weaknesses Traits Outgoing, sociable, affectionate, caring, creative, empathetic, and confident. Spoiled, manipulative, immature, self-centered, and capricious. Career Careers in sales, or invention corporations work well because of their ability to sell things, including themselves, work well alone, want to be the boss, and just do their own thing at their own pace. Do not like to be tied down to committment, can be perceived as “cut throat”, try too hard at times, alternative routes in life may make them the odd man out.

Fun Facts

• Famous last born children: Howard Stern, Jay Leno, Ralph Nadar, Bill Gates, and Danny DeVito
• Tend to go against the norm
• Make the biggest stirs in life
• Know no boundaries

4. If it wasn’t for Jesus, I would be lost.

Karen from WriteFromKaren has started a new meme, appropriately titled the ‘Monday Morning Meme’. It’s a lot of fun – won’t you join in?

1. Do you have certain times of the day when you have to have things done? Does your day run on a timetable? Or are you more of a laissez-faire kind of person? Julie and I were just talking about this same thing this morning… I do follow a schedule most days that I stick pretty tight to.  Mornings I get things picked up, make beds, do laundry, start dinner plans… get izzy ready for school by noon and feed her, take her to school…

2. What one word describes you on a good day? happy
What about on a bad day? quiet
What one word would your best friend use to describe you? efficient
What one word would your significant other use to describe you? sexy

3. Your blog is being made into a television show. What kind of show will it be? Sit-com? Drama? It would be a comedy! How long is it? Hour? Half-hour? Sunday night movie? an hour!
And most importantly, who are your show’s sponsors? 

4. What is your favorite perfume or cologne?I have a few… Laugh by Brighton, Sung, and Lovely by Sara Jessica Parker.
How often do you wear perfume or cologne? all the time!
Has anyone ever told you smelled good/bad? everyone always tells me I smell good.
If so, how did that make you feel? Flattered? Self-conscious? Uncomfortable? good! I like to smell nice.

Karen from WriteFromKaren has started a new meme, appropriately titled the ‘Monday Morning Meme’. It’s a lot of fun – won’t you join in?

1. What did you do over the weekend? (Saturday and Sunday – be specific, please. Remember, this is a journal about your life, so, tell us about your life. *smile*) …

Saturday I spent most of the day at home, later in the afternoon I went with mom and dad to eat dinner at Qdoba and then mom and I ran to sam’s to pick up dad’s birthday cake and then to Dillards at Penn Square Mall to find some things for amanda to wear in her senior pictures.

Sunday I stayed home with izzy while the rest of the fam went to church, I fixed soup in the crockpot.  Everyone came home and ate lunch and then I ran with amanda and lorenzo to kohl’s to look again for clothes! and then to mom and dad’s for his birthday party (cake and ice cream sundaes) and then came home and fed izzy and then ran back down to cut mike and dad’s hair!  Home for a few minutes and then I went to church.  Matt stayed home with izzy.  There was a guest speaker who has been at FLO twice and she is awesome!  I really enjoyed it.  It ran pretty late and so I came home and got izzy to bed and then went to b

2. Which are scarier to you: ghosts or aliens? Why? Do you believe in either/both? Why or why not?

Probably ghosts.  I used to not believe in them, but after seeing some ghost shows I think maybe they are around… and it’s a little creepy.  I don’t believe in aliens…

3. I can’t live without my cellphone and bible. Now, please tell us why you can’t live without it. Why?

It reminds me of the post about cellphones and bibles… and I should say I can’t live without my bible.  I put cellphone because it links me to my family and friends.  I couldn’t live without my bible either because I would be lost without it.

4. What is the cheesiest movie you ever saw, and secretly enjoyed? Why did you enjoy it so much?

I can’t think of the name, but it had hillary duff and she was on a trip in europe and was a look alike to a pop star … she ended up performing.  It was cheesy!  I don’t know why (to this day) I enjoyed it… maybe because it was so silly.

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Join in on the Manic Monday fun!

Pick out the most important item you have in your purse/wallet and tell me why it’s important to you.

My debit card!  Because it pays for everything!

What would you take from your house if you knew it would be flooded tomorrow?

family, laptop, pictures…

If you were stuck in a room for an hour with a chalk board, what would you draw on it?

Garfield.  LOL. I draw garfield all the time. And hearts and flowers and vines… I am a doodler… I also write “annie” in bubble letters and all different ways.

Manic Monday #133

If you could choose only two movies to watch ever again, what would they be?

Yikes… I have no idea and Matt’s not home to tell me .  Maybe “It’s a Wonderful Life” to watch around the holidays… and Beaches is a great CRY movie.

What have you found to be the best way to relieve tension?

Cleaning, really fast… or sleeping!

If you went to a beach and it turned out to be a nude beach, would you stay and go swimming? Would you swim nude?

I doubt I’d stay… the kids would be with me and that would just be weird… and some things just shouldn’t go uncovered.

September 8th Questions:

1. Fill in the blank: Today, I will mostly be working. (Explain your answer, please)  ex. Well, I have lots of catching up to do from the weekend, and have to do mom’s hair… and lots of other things.

2. What advice do you have for a new blogger? Be specific – this new blogger? Wants to know details!  Just enjoy your blog and getting to know new people!

3. Tell us about your childrens’ (all ages!) first day of school, walk us through it. How did you handle it? How did your children handle it? Do you have a picture? (And speaking of pictures, hang onto to those precious school pictures, the next photo contest is coming up fast!)  Amanda started her senior year.  Her first day was great, and she is loving the schedule! Bailey started his freshman year.  His first day was full of rules and lists.  He is doing well too… Emelia is a fifth grader.  Her first day was all about reconnecting with her buddies!   Izzy’s first day of kindergarten was good, except for the other Isabelle who was having trouble following the rules.  Izzy’s aid had to constantly reassure her that she was not in trouble.

4. What is your greatest consumer mistake, something that you are shaking your head at now, saying, “Boy, I wish I wouldn’t have bought the purse I did at the Coach store last Fall…? So, why did you buy it? What happened to it?  I wish I had bought a size bigger because I love the purse it’s just not quite big enough.  I realized it just about the time we flew out of Orlando.  Oops.  I bought the matching wallet and wish I had just invested in a bigger bag minus the $200 wallet.

1. If you mixed up the letters in the name of your blog, what new name would you come up with? (Anagram fun website – http://wordsmith.org/anagram/) Now take your favorite anagram and tell us what sort of blog it might be based on that title.

My favorites were A Slay Feminine and Amnesia Elf Yin, It could either be about a slay feminine? or an elf yin who doesn’t know who she is?  

2. What three sounds do you love? Okay, now tell us WHY you love these sounds.

1.  pop music.  the stuff from the 80′s that somehow takes me back to when I first heard it…

2.  silence.  I love hearing nothing.  Just quiet.  

3.  happy kid noises… you know when their worlds are calm and they are happy and talking sweetly.

3. What is it about you that makes everyone want to know you? Wait, you’re not done yet. Now tell us WHY that one particular thing? What makes that element of yourself so special? (Come on, don’t be shy. This is your opportunity to write about something positive about yourself).

I have a brilliant personality.  Just kidding, do you remember that commercial?  Okay, maybe not.  I don’t know that everyone wants to know me.  I’m pretty sure they really don’t.  I think I am friendly and listen to people…

4. What is the oldest thing you own? What is the newest?

Oldest – wedding ring.  Newest – my new shark vacuum…  

1. What are you up to today? Be specific. We’ve talked about your morning routine before, now walk us through a typical Monday for you after breakfast is over. How do you feel about Mondays? A fresh start to your week? Or do you dread the drudge of getting back to the same old routine?

I usually eat something quickly while feeding Izzy her breakfast while checking email and blogs etc.  The time I spend feeding izzy is true multi-tasking because I am stuck sitting and try to do all the sit down things I can like make phone calls etc.  So when we get finished eating breakfast I pick things up and make the beds if I haven’t already.  Then I start laying out clothes for school and getting things ready for her lunch.  The mornings seem to be a big feed fest …  I usually feed her a noon and watch the first part of 7th heaven.  Then I get her dressed and me ready and take her to school.  I look forward to Mondays.  I like the start of a new week and it’s nice to have a quiet house after a hectic weekend.

2. Earworms – we all get them from time-to-time. What tune do you have stuck in your head at the moment? How important is music to your life? List some of your favorite songs – and I’m talking about songs that evoke a strong emotion in you; joy, anger, sadness, etc. Do you have one particular song that brings back a certain time period in your life? What is the song and what is the time period?

It’s a song we sang in church today.  It goes something like, “waves of mercy waves of grace everytime I look I see your face your love has captured me… every step I take i take in you you make me move jesus every breath i take i breath in you…”  I listen to music all day.  All types.  I have been listening to a few cd’s this past week.  Mama Mia and Nathan Tasker.  The song “Slip, Slide, and away,” takes me right back to 4-5th grade.  The news station always played it while rolling the schools closing due to snow or ice.  I loved that song.  And more than that loved having a day out of school!

3. Who have you needed to say thank you to lately? Who is this person and what did he/she do to prompt a thank you?

Mom.  She is always there for me and I take her for granted.  There aren’t many people who love you totally unconditionally.  She does.   She comes down everyday to help with Izzy’s therapy.

4. How many candles will be on your birthday cake this next birthday? What do you think about the age you are now? Are you comfortable with what you’ve accomplished in life so far? Or do you wish you could have achieved more? You’re being granted one birthday wish – what is it?

A lot.  It’s old … Nah, I just don’t feel as old as I am in years.  I am almost enjoying it though, I feel like I am finished with the young petty stuff.   I’m not really happy with what I have accomplished in some areas while in others I am.  Izzy’s accident was definitely a setback… but the kids are all such good kids and I’m proud of them.  Very proud.  One birthday wish?  What else?  Izzy walking & talking!

1. You have a huge final project that is due in six weeks. When will you actually begin it? In other words, are you the sort of person who gets things done right away, or do you wait until the last minute? Why is this?

I pretty much wait until the last minute. There are usually so many things to do at the time that I have to make time to do something else!

2. How often do you clean your house? (Be honest!) Do you think you’re a good housekeeper? Does your significant other think you’re a good housekeeper? Does your significant other ever thank you for cleaning house? No one likes to clean, but what is the one thing you don’t mind cleaning?

Daily. I try to get all the beds made in the morning and do any laundry. I think I’m a good housekeeper, especially considering all the people running around making messes all day! Matt thinks I’m a great housekeeper… and gets a little tired of hearing, “put your clothes in the hamper,” or “take your plate to the sink.” He doesn’t really thank me, but he is thankful. I like to clean things out… like closets or drawers… I love to throw things away and organize. I hate to mop!

3. Fill in the blank: I can’t believe you _______________! Now tell us the story behind this sentence (WHY did you fill it in the way you did?)

said that! I am amazed at the things people assume and say. It astounds me that they think they know whats going on when they just don’t. AND it amazes me that they say such hurtful things and just put it out there. Use some discretion and compassion! HELLO!

4. Be honest, how many times do you hit the snooze button? What time do you get up during week days? What time do you typically get up on the weekends? Are you a good sleeper? If so, why? If not, why not?

None. The alarm clock is on matt’s side of the bed. He usually is up before it goes off at 5:00 a.m. I get up when I hear the shower in our bathroom turn on. It’s my alarm and it means I have to get busy! We usually get up about 8 on saturdays and 7 on sundays. I sleep like a rock from the time my head hits the pillow until the very last minute possible!