It's officially summer...

Two days out of school and I've already heard the following:

~I'm bored~
*I miss my friends*
~When will school start again~
*What are you making for lunch* (at 9:00 in the morning)
~There's nothing to do~
*Can we go shopping* (and we did yesterday - lots of fun with just the girls!)
~If you want a body like that then you have to work out every single day, Mom~ (from my lovely Marissa who was trying to help encourage me when we were looking at bathing suits for me!)
*It's summer, I'm not supposed to read*
~I should be able to sleep till I wake up~



Let the summer fun begin!!!

Until next time...

Mexico Trip

Here are some pictures of Mexico. We had such a good time. I'm looking forward to going back in the spring with Scott.




Carey and Stacey standing in front of Gwen's bedroom door. Their house is incredibly amazing, all 6000 sq. ft. of it!




That's me and Stacey in front of one of the arts buildings where they have exhibits and also a theatre for live shows. It was very interesting seeing all the artwork and trying to figure out what the artist was trying to convey. Probably never even came close to what any of them were thinking when they did their art, but it was fun and very interesting.





This is one of the oldest catholic churches in the city. It was absolutely beautiful. They were actually having mass when we walked in, but it is such a touristy area, there was people walking around the inside of the church while the priest was talking. There was even a couple of people sitting on the pews dozing off during the service. Some things just don't change!




Stacey and Carey drinking one of the biggest margaritas I have ever seen! Seriously, El Chico's has nothing on these bad boys!!! They were not your typical tasting margarita either. Not sure what they were made with, but it was very sweet and very yummy. And yes, it was all gone before we left. This was the first restaurant that we went to (thanks Stacey!) and it was really good. It was fun watching Stacey communicate with everyone, she has learned Spanish so well. And Carey did great too! Apparently she has not forgotten all the Spanish she learned from college and she was having fun trying to figure out what all the signs in Mexico said. I was very impressed.




The three of us after lunch at the restaurant. Yes, we 3 blonds stuck out a bit!




This was at one of the outdoor markets we went to. This little boy and his father were singing and playing the guitar for pesos. They were so much fun to listen to, especially when the little boy would sing. He was adorable!




This was the other restaurant/inn that we ate at. It was the most beautiful restaurant I think I've ever seen. It had a garden area in the back and was perfect for weddings. The pictures I have do not do it justice at all, but it was just breath taking. Because of Mexico's climate, everything grows there and that's what made this place so nice.




Same restaurant.













Hope you enjoyed some of my pictures from Mexico. After seeing the architecture, I cannot wait to go to Europe...I think that is probably my favorite thing. Especially the churches.

Until next time...

Much too long since my last post...

But it seems that the Lessard family is getting into the "blogging" thing very much, so I will have to start updating mine if I want to join in all of the fun!

What has happened since January??? What hasn't happened??? Life has been good and the kids are doing great. Justin recently moved out into his own apartment by himself and he loves it, is doing well at work (Pizza Hut) and is doing well in community college. Dylan has hit teenage years with a bang!!! He is doing all the lovely things that teenagers do so well...get lazy, don't listen to parents, slack off in school (HE'S MAKING A 74 IN P.E.!!), beating on his drums as much as possible and listening to all the old 70's and 80's music that I listened too when I was a young punk (thanks to guitar hero). Marissa is changing a lot herself. Becoming so grown-up, but yet still so into herself at the same time. She is really developing such a sense of humor and is doing amazing in school. She's getting more into sports and boys these days...let's just hope we can keep her more focused on one of those and not the other. Cassie is growing up right before our very eyes. She loves school, her teacher and is quite the social butterfly of Kindergarten (her teachers words, not ours). She is very smart is is reading like you wouldn't believe. But we do have an issue with the fact that she likes to talk in school. Her teacher says that she is even sucked into having conversations with her and that she is like talking to a little adult sometimes.

We have lots of travels going on in our household and if you read Scott's blog, you already know about them all. I just returned back from Mexico with a friend to visit another friend who's husband was transferred there for 2 years. The trip was wonderful and we had so much fun. My throat was actually soar from all the talking that we did. Even my friend that flew down with me said Stacey and I talked a lot. We shopped all three days that we were there!! It was a blast and I look forward to doing it again next year with Scott, when we will actually do some real sightseeing and not just shop! I'll post some pictures once I get them downloaded onto the computer.

Well, I guess that will do for now. I updated for now and hopefully it won't be another 4 months before I post again...but if it is, just go to Scott's blog and he'll fill you in on EVERYTHING!!!

Until next time...

Parenting is Hard Sometimes

I got a call from my ex-husband today. I knew it wasn't good when he asked if I had a minute to talk, because he doesn't like to talk. It could have been worse, but it was about grades and getting something from the school counselor and teacher. We had a pretty long discussion about what is going on with one of the kids because we don't see eye to eye on this situation. We were both very respectful and nothing ever got out of hand in any way. So I'm very thankful for that, it is usually a fear of mine when situations arise with "the other side". I don't do well with confrontations at all and don't like them in the least. If you ask Scott, he would tell you different, though.

Anyway, I'm very torn now in what needs to be done in this circumstance. I would very much appreciate prayers for clarity. It could be one of those instances that either way we go, it's going to be a hard lesson learned and that either decision is not a bad one. But maybe not. I'm really struggling with taking my child out of an honors class that they are not passing. Actually it's 2 honors classes. Here's my dilemma...if they are taken out of the class when they aren't putting 100% of their efforts into it, what are we teaching them? If we leave them in the classes and try to force them to put 100% effort into it, what are we gaining? Are they going to pass if this effort is put into it? I feel like pulling them out of the class is just putting a band-aid on the issue and we are just going to be facing the same thing again in another "hard" class, or even just another hard situation. Are we teaching them to bail when it gets tough. About 90% of me says yes to that last question. So if that's the answer, how do I change what I'm doing as a parent to teach them this value and to help the situation? I told my ex-husband that I don't believe that we are doing everything would could be doing as parents to help in this. That this situation needs consistency and efforts on our part. He believes that if we continue with "forcing" the situation that we are just going to cause our child to be frustrated and resentful towards school and that outcome would be worse.

I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm grateful that my ex didn't just sign on the dotted line and make a big decision for the both of us. I guess my next step is to call the school counselor tomorrow and make an appointment to discuss it with her. Keep it in your prayers and I'll keep you posted on what decision we make.

Until next time...

THIS IS FOR ALL YOU CHEFS OUT THERE

My grandmother was a wonderful cook and I can remember eating all the time when I went to her house. She loved to cook and those are some of my greatest memories of her...in the kitchen. My grandfather loved to cook and eat as well, so when I think of them, my thoughts turn to all the wonderful things I ate in the little white house with a porch swing in a little town in North Texas. We have tried to duplicate many of her recipes but they just don't taste the same. One in particular is her Red Velvet Cake. It was delicious and I haven't tasted one like hers since the last one she made. Another one that many people loved of hers was an apple cake that she got the recipe from her mother-in-law (no written recipe was ever found). My uncle really loved it. So I went searching the web this year before Christmas in hopes of finding a recipe that sounded like this layered apple cake that she made. I've searched in the past, but never found one. But this search was successful and they had a recipe for Apple Stack Cake on allrecipes.com. So I proceeded to make one for my uncle for Christmas. I knew almost immediately that it wasn't going to turn out just like hers. But I think the recipe is probably very close. Basically you have 6 layers of cake that are more like giant thin cookies. Then you have your apple mix that you put in between each layer and on top. My first problem was that there was not enough apple mix to cover the entire cake and make it moist like it should be. The other thing I didn't do is put it in the fridge for days like she apparently did. My aunt and uncle also said they thought she used some kind of liquor on hers as well to make it more moist, rum or wine. Well, I'm not sure exactly how to make this more like my grandmothers so I thought I would ask for suggestions from those of you who love to cook and are better at it than me (hint, hint Chef Michele). Another thing I did to the recipe was use fresh apples instead of dried and I don't think I used enough, only 3. But dried fruit is SO expensive and I tried to be more frugal. Anyway, see what you think and if you have any ideas I would love to hear them so I can make this cake again for my uncle and hopefully it will taste more like Grandma's and less like Angie's.


APPLE STACK CAKE
2 cups white sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 pounds dried apples, cooked and mashed
1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease and flour six 8-inch pans. In a large bowl mix together white sugar, shortening, eggs, soda, baking powder, flour, salt, buttermilk, and vanilla. Divide batter into 6 equal parts. Press into prepared pans.
Bake at 425 degrees F for ten minutes.

To Make Filling: To the cooked and mashed apples, add the brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, and mix. Layer 1 cake, spread filling between layer on top and sides. Do this with each of the 6 layers. Let stand at least 12 hours before cutting.

2008 IS OFF TO A GREAT START

Wow, how time flies when you're having fun!! Or is it just because I'm old and have 4 kids? Either way, it's flying by...I can remember the first New Years Eve that Scott and I spent together in 1999. I was sick with the flu and we watched the ball drop in NY on T.V. while dozing on my couch. That certainly doesn't seem like 8 years ago. Usually we don't do much for New Years Eve, but this year we had some friends over.

The kids played and we talked and ate and watched some guy jump a football field on a motorcycle. Then at 12:00 we went out in the front yard and let the kids set off a bunch of noise makers/poppers. I'm sure my neighbors were loving us at that point. Usually we hear guns going off, but didn't hear any this year over our noise. Anyway, it was fun. The kids all think we should do it every year and make it a tradition to just have a open door on NYE and have whoever wants to come on over! I think I like that idea...my aunt and uncle have gone to the same house for NYE for over 40 years. They started it years ago when their children were small and it has continued on. That sounds really nice to me.

Other notes...Scott is doing fabulous on
his diet competition with his brother and sister. I have worked out with him a couple of times and it felt really good. We have been getting along wonderfully and we haven't killed the kids over the Christmas holiday. They've been great. I am ready for our routine to come back, though and have my computer back and my quite time. But it really has been nice sleeping in and being lazy and all that fun stuff that comes with the holidays!

Higgins is working out really well. The kids love him and he is growing on Scott. He really does have an adorable personality. We had some issues with house training when he first got here, but he seems to have adjusted well. He is dying to play with Tipsy, but she wants nothing to do with him. But she does tolerate him and if she gets tired of his playfulness, she goes and lies in her kennel.

I see lots of positive things happening in 2008, I just feel it in my heart! But like every other year, it will be gone before we know what happened. So go ahead and mark your calendar, the Lessards are having a party on December 31, 2008. And bring a dish to share or game to play!

Happy New Year to you all!

What's New!

I guess it's catch up time...been a while since my last post. We are very much into the holiday season and I'm still trying to get all my shopping done. I have all the big items purchased, but still need some little items for those stockings! Scott and I decided not to buy for each other this year. We do that sometimes and I'm fine with it. In fact, just a couple of months ago, we splurged on a new washer and dryer. Nothing says love like appliances!! I really like getting practical gifts. Before we decided to not get each other gifts, I was going to ask for a new set of pots and pans or a new fancy, expensive toothbrush. How's that for practical???

We are actually thinking about getting something for the family that is VERY impractical. ANOTHER DOG! Scott finally agreed to getting another one on 2 conditions...that Tipsy approves and if I'll promise to vacuum every week instead of every month (no, that is not a typo!). So I agreed to my part, now Tipsy must follow suit, but I don't have much control over that one. She is been alpha dog for almost 3 years. She is a great dog and I love her very much, but she is just not great with the kids and I really want them to have a dog that they can play with and pet and love on without being growled at. Tipsy doesn't enjoy being around the kids much. I went to PetFinder.com the minute Scott agreed and found one that I think will be awesome. He is still a puppy (1 yr.), but he is trained already. So that is a big plus. We are getting to meet him this week. He is coming to our house for a visit and maybe even a sleepover! I've posted a picture of my beloved Tipsy and also Higgins. Let me know what you think!





Here is a description of him that is on the website:

Higgins turned a year old in December 2007. He is a too-cute-for-words small to medium sized pooch, weighing in at about 25 pounds. Just look at that face! He is what we affectionately refer to as a low-rider! He is much longer than he is tall. He is currently vaccinated, neutered and on heartworn preventative. He is housebroken, but should be crate-trained as he is still a puppy and will chew on things if he is left unattended for too long. He is a social bug and just cannot get enough attention! He loves to be with his people and play, play, play, snuggle, give kisses, or just lay at your feet. Did I mention that he likes to play? A large basket of toys and lots of play time are 'musts' for Mr Higgins! Higgins has the greatest personality - he really is a hoot - but can have a short attention span if there is a lot going on. He is always there to greet you at the door, and you will never doubt his love and devotion! He could use a refresher on his puppy manners (he still likes to jump up to give you hugs), but overall, is a very well-behaved puppy! He plays very well with children and doesn't appear to have a mean bone in his body. Higgins has not been around many other dogs since he was a puppy but seems like he would be submissive to other dogs. His current kitty-pal, Holmes, tolerates his presence, but prefers not to join in on Higgins' puppy-games. Higgins really, really wants a home with kiddos who will love and dote on him, and play with him endlessly! Come and meet him! You will not be disappointed! You cannot help but smile when Higgins is around!

I hope he makes a good addition to our family! If not, I'll keep looking...unless I come to my senses!

Until next time...

I Pink I Can, I Pink I Can

Well, a week later and I'm still somewhat sore from the 3Day that we walked last weekend! Actually the only thing that still hurts is my right heel that has a bone spur (I think), but it's not bad at all. I SURVIVED!!! We all survived! What an awesome group of women I did this with. I was blown away by their perseverance, their attitude, their willingness and their speed! I was left in the dust most of the time...but that was fine with me. They would hang with me for a while and we would talk and hang out, then it was time for them to put it in high gear. I only had 1 gear this weekend...slow. But I'm ok with that and it's what helped me hang in there on the first day and the last day. If my pace would have been any faster, I don't think I would have survived. The second day, I did cave into my pain and only made it a little over 13 miles and let the sweep van take me back to camp. I just couldn't take 1 more step. But somehow, I made the first day of 21.5 miles and the third day of 18 miles. I'm so amazed at what my body and mind were able to accomplish, as well as thousands of other women and men. It really isn't an easy task, but so worth it. It felt incredible crossing that finish line at SMU. I was actually jumping up and down when Jess (she was injured so we walked all 18 miles together!) and I made it to the holding area, or finish line, and the rest of our team was there together rooting us on and cheering for us!! Then we walked arm and arm through the closing ceremonies! It was really an experience like none other I've had before. I personally felt such a sense of accomplishment, especially since I've never been athletic or into sports of any kind. It made me wonder what other things in life I've shied away from and would I have felt this same sense of accomplishment if I would have just tried! I've always been a little hesitant with most things, but now I'm thinking why not me! God created me, and he doesn't create beings that are insecure, scared, fearful and afraid. Those are feelings that we allow to creep into our lives for whatever reason. Sure, I wish that I had got it at 17 when I was still young, but that's ok...I'm not too old to learn!

In fact, my teacher from the interior design class that I was taking, started her career as a CPA. Then when she turned 40, she decided to enroll in El Centro's Interior Design program and 5 years later, she started her business life over as an interior designer for an architect company. She now does residential design and teaches continuing ed classes for the community colleges. She is in her sixties and says it was a wonderful and rewarding move for her and her family! I'm considering doing this myself. Scott and I have talked a little about it and he is very supportive of whatever decision I make on this. What a guy!!! And quite honestly, I feel it's something that I can do. That's something that I wouldn't have told myself a year or two or three years ago.

Enjoy some pictures from the 3Day below. If you ever want to do something that's challenging and very rewarding, PINK about doing the 3Day!

Does the Girl Have Attitude or What?

I had to post this when I saw it. This is Cassie and a couple of her friends playing around at church with our props for the Improv night. What a hoot they were!! I do believe Cassie has the attitude of a SuperModel, God help us all...seriously!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sEQirelHjO
Aren't they so cute!!!

Until next time...(and no, it won't be again tonight, April - even though you would love that!)

De-Cluttering and Simplifing

That's what I've been doing for the last week. I can't believe how much "stuff" we accumulate as a family. It is almost sickening. I really feel that life has to be de-cluttered and simplified on a regular basis, especially with six people in a family. We had a garage sale for our 3 Day as a fundraiser and that started this process. I took at least 2-3 van loads of "stuff" over to Carey's house and that really didn't even put a dent in our mess. So this week I started going through our "stuff" with a different attitude this time...how long has it been since we used this? If it's been longer than a year, out it goes!
You see, Scott and I are quite the pack rats. We both want to hang on to everything because we might need it someday. Well, you know what happens then...it sits in a drawer somewhere and takes up space and collects dust. I'm just about done with the downstairs with the exception of mine and Scott's closet, which is a very large walk-in. So you can imagine what it looks like after almost 5 years of being a storage area. We used to joke about how large it was and you could almost make it a room. Now the two of us can barely stand in there together. But it will be done by next weekend! Hopefully the rest of the house as well. I just don't want to let this happen again, though. I don't see any reason to have this much "stuff" in one house! I've also been struggling lately (as stated a few posts ago) that there is just too much going on in my life with volunteering. I'm still working through that and I've come to the conclusion that God doesn't want me to do everything and say yes to everything, even if it's something that I feel I'm good at or would love doing. God wants me to use my time very wisely and be here for my family as well. I struggled with this when I first quite working to stay at home. I wanted to volunteer for anything and everything with the kids and their school. I'm much better at it now where school is concerned...but then along came church. And that's where my struggle is now. But it's becoming much clearer that my life has to be simplified along with all the de-cluttering.

The other reason I started this de-cluttering process is that we are moving Cassie into Dylan's room and Dylan and Justin are going to be in the same room together, which is now Scott's office/Justin's room. Then Scott will move into what used to be Cassie's room...the master retreat is what our home builder referred to it as. It was always intended to become Scott's office and now we are going to make that official since he's working from home. Besides, Cassie needs a room of her own with a door and a closet. Not one that is connected to mom and dad's room with only a stair case...if you know what I mean! Scott can't wait to have his very own space that will be just his. I'm really excited about it for him as well. He needs his own space that kids are not going to come in and take over. Can't wait to show off my decorating skills when we do his room with all of his travel items and his Star Trek "stuff". That is really going to take some skills, but my teacher says it can be done!

Well, hopefully my next post will be about how my house is completely de-clutterized and how my life is becoming much more simplified!

Until next time...

Get the Tissues

I'm wondering where I'd be,
if you hadn't been there, looking out for me?
Would my heart be lost on the streets?
Would my heart have found a reason to beat?

I would like to thank you for being what you are for me
for saying all those things, though I don't seem to agree.
Cause it took a few long years for these selfish eyes to see.
You've lived less for you than you have for me.

I swear I was right in my own mind,
but feelings and thoughts... they change with time.
I felt you weren't easy enough,
but you... you were just raising me with love.

And it isn't easy to face my guilt.
Words I've said, I shouldn't have said, they slipped out of my mouth
And it isn't easy to show my love.
Thoughts I've had, I should have said, but I couldn't get them out.

Until next time...

And the Winner is....

It's pretty interesting to hear some of the guesses for my iPod...pretty funny, too. Especially Rebel Jedi Mom!! MILKSHAKE...what music are you listening to AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS? :) I do believe there is so much to learn about the one from Coruscant!

Here is my artist list...
Ace of Base
Alicia Keys
Bee Gees
Christina Aguilera
Depeche Mode
Donna Summer
Fall Out Boy
Fleetwood Mack
Guns N' Roses
Justin Timberlake
Kelly Clarkson
The Killers
Lenny Kravitz
Loverboy
Melissa Etheridge
Stevie Nicks
Styx

I still have lots of CD's to rip, but that's what my $50 bought me.

I think we just need to have everyone over for lunch one day and then we can play all my iTunes and maybe you'll feel like doing dishes or laundry or some other chore that I seem to enjoy much more when listening to my new music. Ok, maybe we can just have everyone over and I won't make you listen to my music or do any of my housework.

Thanks for playing. Until next time...

iPod, uPod, We All Need 2Pod

I have been having so much fun with my new iPod Nano that Scott and the kids got me. I don't think I've been this excited about a gift in a while. I LOVE music, so this was a perfect gift. Scott thought it would be great since I'm working out now (BTW -I did 3 miles today in 55 minutes, best time yet - so cool to see my body gaining strength). I also got a gift certificate for $50 to iTunes that I used yesterday. It was so much fun downloading songs that I haven't heard in years. I was walking around the house all day with my iPod singing and dancing. It's much more fun to wash dishes and fold laundry when your listening to songs you love! Scott was begging me to stop by the end of the day...something about me not being able to sing on key or something. I don't know, I couldn't really hear what he was saying...I was too busy listening to ???? Free lunch to anyone who can name 5 artist on my iPod. You can't play, Scott. You've already checked it out and disapproved of my tunes.

I received many other nice gifts for my birthday as well. My mom bought me 2 tickets to see Peter Frampton at Billy Bob's in October. I had such a huge crush on him when I was about 11. I had his fold-out album cover hanging on my closet door and I used to sing and dance around to his songs while gazing into his eyes. Sounds very similar to what I did yesterday, just not any gazing. Scott, can I hang a big picture of you on the closet door?

Thanks to everyone for making this year such a memorable one for me. I will never forget it. It feels really good to have such a beautiful family and wonderful friends! During the party, Carey informed me that Scott did basically everything for it. After the party, I mentioned that to him and he said that was very intentional on his part. His reason was that he felt he had let me down in the past and he wanted to make sure that he put all of HIS efforts into doing this for me. I know it was a lot of hard work and lots of lies that you had to keep up with. But it meant a lot to me that you did it. Thanks so much and I can't wait until your 40th. I know exactly what you want and it's not a surprise party. I think I need to start looking for a job now to pay for it, though. Those guided hunts are expensive, but hey, you are absolutely worth it!! Thanks again!

Another thing that made the night a hit was Justin singing a song for me that he wrote. It was amazing to see him perform in front of everyone, he was very nervous. And to hear the words that he wrote just for us!! Moments like that are what make parenting so worth it. I love him dearly ALL OF THE TIME, but we definitely have our moments of hardship. It was extremely nice to hear that some of what Scott and I are trying to teach him and the other kids, is actually seeping in. Justin has such an incredible heart and an amazing talent...I just hope he can always believe that about himself. I'm going to try and post the video of it, if I can. It makes me cry every time I watch it.

I don't have many pictures yet from party because most of them were from disposable cameras. But I'll post a few from the weekend that I have and then post others later. Until next time...


Scott and Cassie brought me the sunflowers w/some pink roses and Justin got me a dozen red roses


After dinner Friday night


Me and Mom


The whole Famn Damily (does anyone remember that party game?)


Cassie had to be a part of the action while Justin was singing to me


And the best for last, me and my baby

Workout Now, Birthday Later

I wanted to do a quick post about my work out. I've decided to start posting them just so I can keep track and maybe some of you guys can keep me accountable. Scott and I did not go to the gym this morning, but I worked out on the treadmill at home. I did 3.10 miles in 79 minutes. Not sure if that is good timing or not, but I did jog a few times in there. Don't know why...it just felt good to get up some speed (4.0) and sweat a little more! I figure any time is better than what I've been doing in the past...which is, uh, NONE!!!

Birthday stuff will be blogged about later. Scott has downloaded all the video and I'm waiting on a couple of pictures, then I'll post about it. I think almost everyone who reads my blog was there (missed those of you who weren't)...so you know it was an amazing party and I was told I looked fabulous! So what more could a girl ask for?? Oh, yeah, to be serenaded by a very handsome 20 yr. old who had us all in tears!

Will post pictures soon - until next time...

Happy Birthday to ME!

Yes, today is my birthday. Those of you who read my blog already know that. But I thought I would talk about it anyway. 40 years ago, my mom was in a hospital giving birth telling the doctors to "just knock her out". We have been through much in those 40 years and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world now. I don't think I've always been able to say that.

I've been reflecting on this birthday more than usual since it is somewhat of a milestone b-day. The more I think about it the more excited and happy I am. Instead of asking myself and God what have I done with the last 40 years, I'm asking what am I going to do for the next 40 years. Knowing full well that it can be anything that I put my mind to doing. I've gained that confidence through my relationship with God, through my family and the awesome friendships that I have. By no means is my life perfect, nor is my marriage or my kids...but what is different is how I look at my life and how I've learned to put my strengths and weaknesses in the hands of my God.

On a lighter note, Scott let me sleep in this morning while he got the kids up, made their lunches and took them all to school. It was really nice just lying in bed while he was doing what I normally do every morning. Thanks, baby!! At WISDOM (my small group) everyone brought goodies to eat (thanks ladies for the yummy food), we had bible study, then we went to Jazen's afterwards for lunch. We had lots of fun - thanks for the quesadillas, Jazen! Then I had the brilliant idea of shoe polishing my car...yes, it was my idea. I had told everyone at group, I was that stinkin' excited about my birthday that I wanted to announce it to everyone..."Hey, I'm 40 today". I even cried talking to God on the way to church about how thankful I was for my life! Anyway, they shoe polished it for me and for the first time in my life, not even as a teen, I got to drive around with my car shoe polished. Pretty goofy, I know, but fun!!

Enjoy some pictures from this afternoon. Until next time...

Random Thoughts

**Workout #4 for this week was this morning. One more to go by Sunday and I'm on track.

**Trying to change my thought process from loosing weight to getting healthier. Dylan asked me today what my weight goal was and I told him that it wasn't about a number. It was about getting healthier. Now if I could live that and stop getting on the scales.

**Things are starting to get crazy again with kids - Marissa has volleyball practice tonight while Dylan has baseball practice while Cassie has girls scouts "meet the leader" night...all while Scott has school. Fun for me!

**Where do I eat tomorrow night for my b-day dinner? I really want to go somewhere different, but can't think of anything. That always happens.

**How involved in church is too involved? I'm trying to figure that out right now and ask God to show me what needs to give. So many things that I feel God wants me to be a part of, but I can't do it all. Also, I think I allow myself to get very involved because it's an excuse to not do the things that I don't want to do. I'm working on that.

**The computer is also a crutch for me in the above. I sit on the computer (just as I'm doing now) and waste time and avoid doing my housework. That's my next goal...only so much time on the computer a day or it's ok to get on the computer if _____________ is done.

Well, I'm off to do more laundry - April, want to come over and help me? :)

Until next time....

Goals, Goals and more Goals

Goals are something that I have never really been great at. My personality is one of procrastination and I also like to talk myself out of things that I start. I think most women can relate to that negative talk we give ourselves. But one thing I've noticed as I get closer to God and as I get older, is that goals in our lives are extremely important and that the negative internal talk has got to go. Without goals, how are we possibly ever going to grow? And with a negative voice in our head, how are we possibly ever going to create and meet goals? God is our biggest and #1 supporter. With Him, anything is possible. That is the message that I've been trying to retrain my brain and heart to understand. And when I hear those negative voices creeping in, I'm more apt to recognize them now and understand that they are coming from an ungodly place. And do I want to be one who honors that other place and not allow myself to grow as God wants us all to do? I do not want the evil one to be sitting back anymore and saying "That a girl, Angie. I knew I could count on you." I really think if we allow ourselves to place some of the blame on someone else (the devil) besides ourselves and our weaknesses, we could allow ourselves to focus on a much more positive being in our lives...God. I'm not saying blame every wrong thing we do on that, but instead allowing ourselves to understand how evil works and recognizing that is a big step. For instance, I know now that when I start having thoughts of "I am not smart enough, no one really cares if I'm there or not, who am I do to something like that, they are so much better at it than I am", the list could go on and on...the devil feeds on that and then it just snowballs until you believe all these negative thoughts. But if I am able to recognize it and place that blame where it belongs, I can say that is not me causing those insecurities and it certainly isn't God...it must be from the devil. It just puts things more into perspective and allows me to push it away and continue on. Fear is my main reason for not allowing myself to set and meet goals in the past and I feel that fear slipping away somewhat and it's really nice.

Some goals that I've set lately:
**Raising $2200 for the 3Day in October - I'm up to $1835!
**Working out 5 times a week - I'm up to 3 already this week!
**Making sure the laundry doesn't pile up anymore (once I get caught up from my dryer breaking down) - Still working on...but I have a brand new washer and dryer that will help me do that! Thanks, Scotty!
**Being accountable to my good friend Michele and holding each other to our goals.
**Not allowing myself to drop out of my Interior Design class. The old me would probably drop out after 2 or 3 classes.

Ask me about any of these goals if you'd like. I don't mind sharing if I've succeeded or succumbed to defeat! :)

Until next time...

Just For You, April

A sweet friend and fellow blogger has been very nicely hinting that I have not posted anything since August 22. So here goes...an update to things going on over the last month:

~~ 3Day update - Our team, Footprints of Faith is doing great. We had 2 very successful fund raisers and have raised $2900. Will be more as soon as I sell a few more items that someone donated on eBay. Our goal is $2200 each and most everyone is there or very close. I'm up to $1625 at last count. It's been such a great journey and I cannot wait to do this in October. I look forward to being able to say that this is one of my accomplishments!

~~ Scott and I have started a new workout program. Both of us are on a journey of trying to be more healthy and pro-active in what we are doing to our health in lieu of eating and exercising. We have just gotten to a point that it must go no further, we have to take charge of this now...or there will be consequences to pay. Right now, we are tracking everything we eat at Sparkpeople.com. We are also taking advantage of our community center here in Rowlett. In the mornings after dropping kids off at school, we go and workout for an hour. My goal is to do this 5 times a week and hopefully by the time the 3Day gets here, I'll be ready for it. And the other thing I'm hoping is that I'll have developed this new habit and will want to continue it with my husband as a life long commitment. Michele - keep asking about my progress! I'm not quite ready to put my goals out there yet like Scott has, but I'm seriously considering it. You really put yourself out there when you do. I will say I have lost 7 lbs. so far and have been at it for 2 weeks.

~~ Everyone in our household is attending school now. Of course Dylan, Marissa and Cassie are in public school. The girls are loving it and Dylan is already tired of it. Justin is taking a couple of classes at Eastfield and Scott is of course still going a couple of nights a week. But the latest news is that I started last Tuesday. I'm taking a continuing ed course, Interior Design I. I love it!! We are having to take a room in our home and create a floor plan of before and after. During the course of the 8 week class, our teacher and fellow students will help guide and direct us. Our teacher is a licensed interior designer with years of experience. I can't wait to tap into some of it. If you know me well, you know that this is a passion of mine (I know, you can't tell by looking at my house). But I love this so much and don't think I would ever get enough of it. My question is...how could I turn this into a ministry? That was something that was put into my head several years ago when we first started attending Springcreek. Not sure what the answer is yet...have a few ideas, but if you have any pass them on.

~~ 40 is right around the corner for me. Well, not even around the corner, it's in my driveway! I've been thinking about this for a while and really wondered if it would effect me negatively. But I really am rejoicing in it! I am not bothered at all by my age. People still tell me all the time that I look much younger and I still fill much younger. And isn't 40 the new 30? That's what I hear anyway. I still want to do something a little crazy for my 40th. I thought about getting a very small nose piercing (Scott loves the idea) or I thought about having my 13 year old tattoo updated with some sort of cross. Or maybe even something as simple as a crazy new hairstyle. Who knows...I just want to do something silly. Any ideas, let me know. Anyone want to get their nose pierced with me???

Well, I could go on and on. But I'll stop there for today. Keep me current, April. I too am a blog stalker and I love seeing new post on friends sites. So I'll try and do the same.

Until next time...

Think Pink

That was our day yesterday...everything we did was to get prepared for our first fundraiser for our 3 Day Walk for Breast Cancer. I'm a part of a great team, Footprints of Faith, and we had a blast last night. It a very successful. It was held at a local skating rink and the people working there were incredible!! They not only gave us the proceeds from the entire night, along with each employee donating their time....but the owner matched what we made. Then we had a table that we sold candles, salsa and cookies and we made $210 from that alone (thanks Mom and Lisa)!!! We really couldn't have asked for a more generous group of people. It was a victorious night, and it was a bunch of fun.

The kids had a blast as well. They were not wanting the night to end. Dylan and Marissa had several friends there. As did Cassie, but she wanted to hang with her mom most of the night. So, unfortunately, I did not get to skate like I would have liked to. Still a blast! It was funny to see Marissa and her friends "flirting" with some of Dylan's friends AND THE DJ. Not sure I'm ready for that, but at least they were making me a part of it and coming up and telling me who they thought were cute. I remember those days....

Anyway, one fundraiser down and one more to go. Our garage sale in September. Hopefully it will be successful as well. I've raised $660 so far with not a lot of time to raise the rest....I'd better get my pink tail in gear!!

Enjoy a few pictures from last night.



Our team (minus 2)



Dylan w/friends



Cassie w/friends



Marissa w/friends



Lisa and Mom selling items and taking donations!

Until next time....

Long Island Wasn't Long Enough

Scott and I just got back from NY. We had a great time visiting with his family. Then we left Cassie with Scott's aunt and took off for Manhattan to take in a Broadway play. We saw Xanadu. We rented the movie a couple of nights before we left and could not believe we were going to see the cheeziest movie ever put on film performed on Broadway. Well, we were pleasantly surprised that it was a spoof on the movie and it was hilarious. We laughed so much and really enjoyed it. The actors were incredible and whoever wrote the play did an amazing job. Next, we headed out to Long Island, which I had never really seen. Scott drove me by the house he grew up in, his schools and some hangouts that he frequented growing up. It was fun seeing things from his childhood and I fell in love with the island. It was nothing like I thought it would be. There was so much land and country, it was beautiful. It is full of wineries, farms, beaches and very quaint little towns with country homes and country churches. I loved every minute of our short time alone!!

We started out visiting the north fork of Long Island and just went to all these little towns and stopped whenever we wanted. One of our stops was a winery and it was really fun! I so want to be a wine drinker and sip red wine with Scott, but it just ain't gonna happen! We made several stops at little shops and town squares. Scott was very accommodating and left all the decisions to me on where to go and what to see. It was so much fun for me, but I know a little boring for him. He was very sweet about it though. We met his sister in one of the little towns for dinner and ate seafood by the water. We planned to do the same thing the next day, but on the south fork (though the Hamptons and several other towns). But I felt bad putting him through another day of looking at "other people's junk". So I suggested that we go deep sea fishing on a charter boat. Scott looked up the info and found a boat in Montauk (the last town on the south fork, referred to as "the end"). I absolutely loved this little town, it was so beautiful. They also have a famous light house that we visited. The last time I went deep sea fishing, I was about 11 years old and got so seasick that I fell asleep on the top deck and got very sunburned. So Dramamine to the rescue. I took 2 before we sailed out and it worked great! We caught lots of fish, had lots of fun and enjoyed our 4 hours at sea!

Me, Scott and his sister, Michele at the restaurant on the water in Greenport.

This is at the Pindar Winery. They had a huge field of sunflowers (used in one of their wines) which is one of my favorite flowers. And they were everywhere! BEAUTIFUL!!!

Montauk Lighthouse. It was really beautiful. The picture below is by the lighthouse as well.

Scott with one of the many flukes we caught onboard the Lazy Bones. Can't wait to take the kids to do this sometime!

At the end of our fishing trip and our 2 days alone together. We both came to the conclusion that we must do this more often!

Until next time....