Back to School

Today it's back to school for my three kiddos. I always make them take pictures the first day of school and they hate it. But they know the drill and know that I'm not going to take no for an answer so they have learned not to fight me. Still doesn't mean they look too thrilled. See what I mean?

I got a little emotional as I dropped them off for school this morning. I think it all started last night when I came home from work and started to prepare the last minute things for them to be ready for school today and as I looked for things that needed to be done I realized they had already taken care of everything. I really didn't have to do much of anything. It was a strange feeling and I'm not so sure I liked it. So, I retired to my room to relax and watch some tv and before long there was a knock at the door. It was my oldest who wanted me to cut his hair. Then throughout the night they continued to come to my room for little things that needed my attention and it felt good. Don't get me wrong I am so proud that they have learned to do things for themselves. I want them to be responsible and know how to take care of themselves. I just know there is a day coming when they won't be here at home and I won't be "needed" like this anymore. It was a little reminder to enjoy it while I can.

I can't wait to pick them up and see how their day went!

Thank You!

Otherwise Known as Mom over at the Shupeville Zoo honored me with the Versatile Blogger award last week and I'm just now getting around to thanking her properly and passing it on. Thanks so much for the award!!

If you aren't a follower of her blog you should go on over because she takes some awesome pictures and has a great sense of humor. I love reading her blog!

As I understand it the rules for this award are to list seven things about yourself...

1. I am very much an introvert. Being around a lot of people drains me. I must have alone time to recharge. I find it ironic that God has called my husband into the ministry and now I am a pastor's wife.

2. I just recently taught myself how to knit and I'm really enjoying it. When I told my husband that I wanted to learn to knit he laughed at me and said "you aren't old enough to do that." Now, he just calls me "old lady" when I'm knitting.

3. I am hoping to learn to crochet too in the not to distant future.

4. My husband is my best friend and greatest supporter (despite the fact that he laughed at me and my knitting). I don't know what I would do without him!

5. I hate to sweat. I really wanna love exercise but the sweating gets in the way.

6. Come November I will have three teenagers in the house. Did I mention I could use your prayers?

7. I love pictures and making scrapbooks. I need to carve out some time to work on them again soon!

Passing this award on to...

Erin @ Goldylocks and Her Three Bears

Becky @ Doodlebug Drama

Megan @ All A Bunch of Momsense

The rules say you are supposed to pass the award on to 15 of your favorite blogs. I chose to only do three because honestly, I'm out of time. I know you other busy wives and moms understand that. Oh, and I didn't just recently discover these either, I just enjoy them. I'm such a rule breaker!

And now, here's how to grab this award and pass on a smile to someone else....

1.  Thank and link back to the blogger who passed the award on to you.

2.  List seven things about yourself.

3.  Pass the award along to fifteen bloggers (or however many you choose) you have recently discovered and enjoy for some reason.

4.  Contact the bloggers you picked and let them know about the award.

Household Tips & Home Remedies

Don't you just love it when  you find a tip that helps make your life easier? I do.

I have mentioned here that when I went in and saw my doctor she discovered that my hormones were out of whack. As a result she decided to put me on a light dose of progesterone. I already struggled with some acne, but the progesterone made it even worse. So I mentioned this to a friend of mine and she told me about something that her teenage son was using that had helped his acne a great bit. It is not your usual acne treatment. You won't find it in the health and beauty section at the store. What is it? It is a bar soap made by Colgate called "Octagon."  It is marketed for cleaning (laundry, household items, etc.). So I did a little research and found out that many people had tried it and found it success for treating acne and improving their skin overall. I decided it was worth a try and went to the pharmacy where my friend bought theirs to pick up a bar. I was astounded to see the price. It was only $.62 per bar!! I took it home and that night washed my face with it. At the time my face was badly broken out. When I got up the next morning most of the acne had shrunk A LOT. I am still using it and have found that it does a fabulous job at clearing up acne. 

Since I had never even heard of Octagon before I thought it would be good to pass this information along. If you decide to buy some you may have to order it online. It doesn't seem to be widely carried in the stores. We have a small town pharmacist who had recommended it to her so I was able to find it there. None of the other stores I checked carried it.  

I was inspired by this new found information to ask others to share their Household Tips & Home Remedies. I would love to hear yours. I am especially looking for something that will help with mildew that grows in the seal around the shower. Got any tips for me? I'd love for you to share your favorite time saving, making life easier tips. You can either leave them in comments or write a post of your own. If you decide to do your own post please leave me a note in the comments so I can stop by and take note of your tips. Thanks!

Back Again, Not Making Any Promises

I'm back again! I know I have been so sporadic with my blogging the last few months. After visiting the doctor a few times I found out that there have actually been some good reasons why I have been so tired and run down. Thankfully I think all those have been addressed now and I am happy to say that I am feeling much better! The tendency is for bloggers to return and promise they are gonna do better. I'm not making any promises though. I am still trying to get life back into a routine and get caught up on many of the areas in my life that have been neglected as result of all of this. So the only thing I'm gonna say is that I desire to be here more often. My creative juices feel like they are returning and hopefully that is a good sign that I will have more to blog about.

For today I'm going to leave you with a meme. I like this one because it is a good way to give a brief update on what is going on in my life.

Outside my window.... the sun is shining brightly. Looks like it is gonna be another hot summer day.

I am thinking... that I hope my daughter and her team win their softball game this afternoon. She was chosen to play on the All-Star team this summer and they made it to Regionals. I couldn't make the trip with them so I sent her off with her team. It was hard, but I hope she is having fun!

I am also thinking... about the show that my oldest son and his band will be playing in this week in honor of the young man (my son's friend) who died in the car accident. It's a celebration in honor of his birthday. It's great to see a group of young men stepping up and living a life that would honor God. I'm so proud of my son and his friends for what they are doing.   

From my kitchen... I have chicken breast marinading in the fridge. Hopefully I can talk my hubby into throwing them on the grill. I also have some fresh peas and corn on the cob that would be great to have with the chicken. 

I am wearing... Blue jean capris, a white tank top, and a teal shirt over the top that ties in the front. 

I am creating... nothing at the moment. But I am planning to learn to knit and/or crochet. I am hoping to pick up some supplies soon.

I am going... to be off on Fridays from now on and I am so thankful to have the extra time to spend taking care of my home and my family. School will be starting back soon and I am thinking that I will take one room in my house each Friday to deep clean and de-clutter and possibly if we can afford it do a little decorating.

I am hoping and praying... for the many people I know right now who are battling cancer. I HATE cancer!! So sad and scary how many people it is attacking these days young and old.

Around the house... there are three teenage boys who are burnt to a crisp. My oldest and his friend, along with my youngest went to float the river yesterday. They said they used sunscreen. But they must have forgotten to re-apply. Poor things are gonna be miserable for the next couple of days. 

A few plans for the rest of the week/weekend are... cleaning, laundry, cooking, the usual. Hoping that the sore throat that I woke up with this morning was a fluke and will be gone tomorrow. Going to watch my son and his band play on Saturday night. Church on Sunday. Hoping to get in some one on one time with my husband. Haven't had a date in a while, so maybe we can fit one in this weekend.

Thursday June 24, 2010

Outside my window.... it is sunny and hot. Although I am sure the usual afternoon showers will be popping up soon.

I am thinking...that I hope my wonderful husband has a very blessed birthday today. He is the big 4-0 today. I thank God every day for him and the gift that he is to me!

I am also thinking... about the family of one of my son's friends who was killed in a car accident yesterday. He was 18 and was killed in a head on collision by a drunk (drugged) driver. Very sobering to think that it is likely that if my son was not at youth camp this week he would have probably been in that car too. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. 

From my kitchen...Nothing much is coming from my kitchen this week. My two oldest kids are at youth camp this week and my hubby and youngest are both working VBS, so I have been slacking in the cooking this week.

I am wearing... blue jean capris and a blouse that my mom gave me.

I am creating... this post, which is the first creative thing I have done in a while. 

I am going... to try to cherish every day with my family and friends.

I am hoping... that the meds that my doctor put me on are soon gonna help my depression disappear and that I will no longer be so tired and achy all the time. I am already starting to tell a difference, but it will be so nice when things level out.

Around the house... things are a mess. I really haven't felt (physically) up to deep cleaning. I am hoping that will be changing soon. In the mean time I'm trying to settle for the "picked-up" look.

One of my favorite things... is this book by Chonda Pierce that one of my friends gave me while I was on vacation. It's called "Laughing in the Dark." It has made a tremendous impact on my life and I am so thankful that God used her to put it in my hands.

A few plans for the rest of the week/weekend are... spending time with my hubby and kids. We are taking the youngest to see Toy Story 3D tomorrow and the oldest two will be home tomorrow afternoon. Not sure what the weekend will hold, but I have missed them this week.

A picture thought I am sharing...

Wordless Wednesday

Graduation

This weekend was very relaxing and yet somehow still productive. Not sure how it worked out to be both, but I'm thankful that it did. Here are the pictures of my hubby's graduation. So proud of him and all his hard work! Hope you enjoy!

Graduation Party

Hi! I think the hustle and bustle of life is slowing down now. At least I hope it is. I've really missed being around here. I don't have much of anything planned for this weekend so I hope to be able to make it around to all the blogs that I follow and get caught up with everyone.

My husband's graduation was this past weekend. We had a great time celebrating his accomplishment so I wanted to share some pictures with you. These are the ones of the graduation party. I will be posting the ones of graduation soon too. Hope you enjoy!