What is your Story?

Ok - You all know we are at the beach with several other people. To be exact, there are 15 of us all together. It was quiet humorous watching the trash man try to empty the can this morning by himself. He tried to lift the large green container and it wouldn't budge. We all giggled as he called his buddy out of the truck to help him pick it up to the lift gate. He looked up at our window and we all waved.

Also, with 15 of us in the same house most of the day, we get to see a lot of each other. I have met sisters, friends, children, and learned things about all of them that I did not know before. But the biggest thing that God has impressed on me this week is that we are to be an example all the time! Especially to these children - what a wonderful opportunity to have them in an environment away from school , TVs, game boys, and what not to teach them the values of 'doing unto others as you would have done to you'

As I look around and enjoy the sunrises and sunsets, the beautiful beaches, and the sound of the waves crashing into shore, I have to admit not only is this creation beautiful, but am I doing what I was sent here to do? What examples are you setting for those around you. It doesn't matter your age, or the ages around you. I am learning from the children alike.

"Water"

Well, Luke and I made it to the beach! We arrived yesterday with a group of friends and are here for the week. Much to my amazement, Luke traveled great in his car seat for eight hours! He was excited to see the beach - but instead he calls it "the water". He is playing in the sand digging holes making his own swimming pool by letting the ocean fill his hole he and the other kids dug. Then he just splashes and plays in his pool! He is doing his best to keep up with the other kids - the next one closest to his age is 8. I think all the junk food is by far his favorite part. With so many families here, we each take a night and cook dinner for everyone and all eat together! It is so much fun!
Well gotta go - I am sleepy!

April Fools or The Happiest Day of My Life

Many people probably wondered are they seriously getting married on April 1st? Well the answer is yes! Doug and I did get married on April Fools Day 4 years ago! A day much like today, it was raining all day up until the ceremony that evening - the rain stopped - and we were able to proceed with our union outside in the cool evening air. Thank goodness, it wasn't humid yet! I must say our four years together has been wonderful. We have experienced a lot of new things together. We have been scuba diving, motor cycle riding, camping, boating, and he has given me the experience of motherhood with Luke. I am blessed to be involved in Dougie and Emma's life as they are growing.
I will not ever forget our small intimate wedding - we only had a few close friends and family there. Everyone there made it a special memory.
Now for the real reason it was April 1 and not April 2 - if you look back on a calender, April 2 is a Saturday - there were two reasons, to be exact - my brother would not be able to bring his girls if we did it on the 2nd and the place we got married wasn't available on that Saturday. SO, we just moved it back a day! My hubby will never forget our anniversary!

Circus In Town

The circus is coming , the circus is coming! One of my favorite memories as a child is going to the circus with my parents. I loved the elephants. They are such amazing animals, so large, so beautiful, yet so FAT and wrinkly. I have been to the circus as an adult, and to this day, I still love the elephants the most. They waltz into the arena with such charisma and ownership of the place. It amazes me that the little bitty woman who sits on their back can control them with such authority.
Anywho, we are off to the circus this week - I have to expose Luke to the elephants!

I Am My Father 's Child

My Dad was a wonderful man. He could fix anything. He could build anything. He could cook anything - yes he would use every pan in the kitchen cooking it, but he could cook anything and everything. Now, he was a bit "cluttered". He had everything you could imagine in his barn and boy was it messy. He loved to work on bikes, cars, tractors, boats, motor scooters, four wheelers, anything that ran or at some point in it's life did not run. He was notorious for buying junk and fixing it up for us kids, so we would have things to ride around and play on in the fields.
He was a plumber and an electrician. He could paint, hang sheet rock, and install windows. I am telling you he could do anything he put his mind too. Sometimes, he was grumpy but aren't we all. He loved Lowe's and Home Depot. We would go there together and just shop - and leave with nothing. One year for Christmas he got me the thick book from Lowe's that has everything they carry in it - sort of like a catalog! "What in the world am I going to do with this I asked?" He just knew I enjoyed the store like he did.
In 2001 he was diagnosed with lung cancer and 10 months later he was dead. Those 10 months we made a lot of memories together. Like getting him to eat Chinese food from PF Chang's only! Watching Fried Green Tomatoes in the hospital bed with him, watching sumo wrestling? whatever he wanted - He always made chemo fun, trying on the wigs - he looked funny in the ladies wigs. We would go to Denny's after chemo for a Grand slam breakfast and see who could eat the most of their plate.
Then shortly before he died, he got really weak and could not do those things anymore. He was angry that he could not even walk from the parking lot to the front door of a store with out being short of breath. He was a good man. And he was concerned that I did not know how to cook when I was a teenager. I didn't have too, I had two older brothers who did, and I cleaned. My goal was to marry a man who could cook!
Well, my man can cook a little, but I did eventually learn to cook. But I also must have inherited a couple of other traits from my dear old Dad! We had an electrical plug outlet that was bad - Luke had fried it - I won't dare mention how - anyway, I called to see how much it would cost to be repaired. The answer on the other end - $130.00 Holy Cow! I thought, this can't be that hard, just find the circuit that provides that box power, cut it off, buy a new one, and take the old one apart, carefully remembering which wires go where, assemble the new one in the same fashion and viola! a working outlet for $14.99 - the cost of the new outlet box. No I am not for hire. Neither was my Dad.

Air Yick! not Air Wick

Isn't it true that we all watch our children so close that they could never be in any present danger with Super Mommy around! I mean, what toddler would ever tumble down a flight of stairs in the house or even the brick ones outside the house? Not mine of course! Right in front of my very own two eyes, both of those two incidents happened and I could not catch him. What Mommy would ever show her other son that she could kick a football and nail her toddler right in the face - so it was a line drive kick, with not a lot of hang time, but today's event was most unusual. Luke got a plastic toddler golf set from our precious friends for his 2 year old birthday. Well as he was play golf all throughout the house; I guess he lost his ball and had to find something else to hit. He found the Airwick which is plugged in behind a mudroom bench and about four feet off the ground! He must have knocked it out of the holder, and decided to "taste" the wick that was sticking out producing the apple cinnamon aroma. Next thing I know, he is running to me, rubbing his tongue - hanging out of his mouth - saying bbblllaaahhhh, bbbbbllllaaaaahhh and spitting. I guess they don't taste as good as they smell!
Many of you may say poison control! But nah, we just rinsed his mouth out, wiped off his tongue and went about our day. He was fine.

Solar Systems to Luke the Puppy dog

 

This week has been a jammed packed non stop week of fun with all three kids! We started off fast Monday evening at 6:30pm with Dougie telling us that he had a Solar system project due Wednesday. So we finished our Mexican Fiesta and headed to Wal-mart to gather supplies. It was getting late by then, so we just went to bed for the evening, leaving him to work on the project Tuesday afternoon.
First things first, upon arriving home from school, we have to make a snack! Today, I suggested healthy and they followed suite - we spent the next 30 minutes washing and cutting up fruit for a wonderful fresh fruit salad. I love the fact that both kids love to get in the kitchen! Especially Dougie!
Dougie's project turned out great! Emma even helped him paint some of his planets, but he was the boss, which reminds me of a funny saying that Dougie had when he was younger. It was always directed at Emma "You're not the boss of me".
While Emma and Dougie where painting the house I mean the planets Luke decided to grab a little snack himself!

 

You all don't even want to know - yes it is the dog bowl!!!! Isn't it just the sweetest thing though? He actually is on all fours eating like the dog. Doug absolutely hates that I captured this on film and will be posting this. Oh well, all kids eat dog food some time or another.

 

And try to drink out of the water bowl......