A Girl and Her Tractor

This week's challenge is "Anything But a Face." Here is our Taylor in her boots sitting on Papsy's old tractor!

Our new toy...

Bar is open...

Who's coming for dinner?

Payne Luck is Back

Today's plan was to put together the new grill gazebo that Paul purchased last week at Sam's Club. It is way cool...and we have been looking forward to having it on our deck.

Of course right off the bat...the grill is missing four important reinforcements of which we have to order from China.

Inside this is the scene....



Princess Puke is back. Her brother was sick on Friday so I guess it only figures, but it feels very much like dejavu.

So Paul goes out to check my car to make sure that the parts didn't fall out of the box, or something...guess what he found under Macey's seat on the floor board? I don't even know if I should share this...it is disgusting! It will give you the hebegebes.....
a mouse nest!

March has always been my unlucky month! Guess this one is just getting a running start. Just one of those days when you feel like you should go back to bed and try again tomorrow. Hope your day is much better!

Integrity

Currently, the only show that I frequently watch is Idol. Gavin loves to watch the tryouts in the beginning to see all the really bad singers. I have to agree with him as some are really comical. I know it is a show...but some of the stories and lives that reveal themselves are inspiring and heartbreaking. I fell in love with Chris Medina, and his integrity as an individual. I was sad to see him be let go. However, I know this show has been life changing to him and his future wife. See the link here...

He already has a new single. (His song is What are Words). The song was written for him by Rodney Jerkins,about his amazing story. What an amazing life experience!

When I first saw Chris on Idol, I went to bed that night sad, counting my blessings! As I have watched his journey on Idol I am struck with his integrity. How amazing to be truly committed to the promises we pledge to one another. When I think of those who have broken vows to me over much, much less. People do it all the time without so much as a second thought.

Me and my free time...

This is me and my shadow. Cool eh? Fun to mess around with photo software and see what you can do. That is what I found myself doing today for an hour while the kids were at my mother-in-laws and Paul watched the race. (Great win by the way!)

I wonder if you other moms do this. When you finally get some free time you don't know what to do with yourself? While when you are with your kids you would do anything for a break. Am I the only one? It is a strange feeling! No wonder some mom's talk of empty nest syndrome. Just the brief periods of time I get without them are bitter sweet because I am always worried or wondering what they are doing. I bet this never stops! No one tells you of this before you become a mom! If it were not for the worry that accompanied being a mom I would have a dozen more! Especially after I got to hold, and love on my nephew who is only four months yesterday. It looks so easy. And it is easy to fall in love with a little being...just hard work with not much sleep, and I am not signing up for that again unless it just happens. And if it happens remind me of this...because I will be upset!
This is why my sisters should have babies so I can love them, watch them, get my baby fix and send them home with extremely loud and big toys! All in time...someday I will be a grandma, even if it is by marriage. Just means I am getting older. And as much as I love an afternoon alone, or sleeping in past 6 am, nothing...NOTHING has ever beat the sweet love of a child!

Jack's favorite pastime

If you ask our dog Jack if he wants to play ball he is not thinking of the dinky yellow tennis balls or, fancy ones with bells that squeak (although he did get a light up ball from santa that he likes a lot). He wants to play ball!

$2.50 at Walmart purchased today.


Lasted less than five minutes


It was cheaper than a dog toy, and worth the cost for entertainment purposes. He actually can run so fast to catch a very quick ride over the top and flip.

One sentence

So have you ever seen or heard of this site before....one sentence. A blog where others tell their story in one sentence. I think this would be my sentence...

Just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, I had to leave the comforts of home, weather the storm, and face my fears to get to the other side of the rainbow and see the world in color.



For some reason this site reminds me of Earnest Heminway when they get it right. Mr. Heminway composed a story in six simple words. "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

Nothing on this site has ever stuck with me as Mr. Heminway's very short but sad story.




They say that everyone has a story to tell. What would yours be if you had only one simple sentence to tell it in?

Indiana Gray

So while mother nature has been kind to us in Indiana this week...the flu has visited our home! Macey was so upset to miss school for two days. Paul and I each took a mental health day to stay home and deal with the various sick home duties that I will not get into here.

So while I have one sitting at the kitchen table catching up school work...I have another one on the sofa moaning and groaning...eating toast.

While it is warmer outside, we all feel the same as it looks outside...gray! I like the color gray, just not plastered all over our scenery here in the mid-west nor do I like the way it feels!

p.s. I love my daughter's eye lashes...wish I had a pair just like em!

Hope you are feeling the love...

Macey tells me four things she will never do...

1. She will not get married if she doesn't want to! (I say great...wish others could figure that out!)

2. She will not have children.

3. She does not want to get her ears pierced! EVER!

4. She will never leave home...she wants to live with her mommy and especially daddy forever!

Sounds like the best Valestine's Day ever!

WITH A WINK AND A SMILE

feel better!

I hope you get your birthday wish!

To my main(e) girls...so glad we can share in life's adventures together!

Jack's New Friend

The tree rats have been eating chunks of wood out of the kids swing set. So we set a trap and caught one. Jack wanted to keep him to himself.

The tree rat was not harmed...we just moved him to another location!

Being Educated by an Eleven Year Old

My Gavin is an encyclopedia of various odd facts. Today he told me about a toothpick fish...have you heard of one? More importantly he told a terrifying tale of what could happen if you are a man that happens to be swimming in the Amazon River and decided to pee. I couldn't believe him so I had to come home and google it. This is what I found. Ok...so he was right.

What do you mean....

you won't be my valentine?

I found this one last night when looking for the Gavin photo for the iheartfaces photo contest.

Tonight was madness of homework catch up. Gavin is going to his first dance tomorrow. American Idol is on...and Macey still has her little book to read.

p.s. don't you love her stuffed mouse. It is a Jelly Cat stuffed animal. Google them and see where you can find one near you. They are so super cute and soft!

p.s.s. these photos are from 2008, only three quick years ago!

iheartfaces photo contest

This week's photo theme is "hearts". I knew I had these photos somewhere and when I found them and saw how much my son had grown in such a few short years...the theme was very appropriate!



Talk about melting my heart. Tonight I took him to the hallmark store so he could pick out a few special valentines for girls.

This is what capturing images is all about. Capture the moments in the here and now..because they are gone so quickly! My little valentine is trying to be Romeo..except for the fact that he is still very much an eleven year old boy that doesn't always feel the need to use soap! Maybe I can use this to my advantage for a little while longer.

A winter’s break

School out again today! Tomorrow it will be a week. This weekend was crazy with my bank’s awards banquet on Saturday, and the Bridal Show I attended with Moore Photography yesterday. With all of that work my kids got spend a weekend with Grammy and Papa! Grammy took these photos of the kids and their snowmen. The vote is still out on who’s snowman was the “Best!”

Snow Days

My kids are getting cabin fever. The cold weather doesn't even faze them. Gavin has been sliding across our ice covered yard for the last two days.

Ice

Our Tree Henry

Yes, this tree has a name...and is not handling the ice very well. I just took these to show my husband. I will venture out and take good pics today of all the ice to post later. Just hope it doesn't hurt our house...or Macey little house either!