SPT

This week's element is WATER~

my kids should have been fish because they love to swim! My mom sent this pool back with them when they last visited. Tyson finally got it set up this week & the kids wake up wanting to swim. Quite frankly, it's the only way to cool off in East Texas! Of course, I am not able to jump in with them b/c I'm still recovering from surgery so I grabbed a book and went out by the pool to read.




Of course, I had a huge glass of water beside me! I didn't think to take a picture of that~The kids swam for about an hour this morning & then I'm sure they will swim again when Tyson gets home from work!

And this pool serves another purpose~Tyson & I were talking about food storage the other day. I mentioned that we needed to buy these huge barrels to store water. Tyson asked me why? we have a pool in the backyard. We'll just winterize it and then we'll have it ready year round! So it's also part of our food storage/emergency preparedness!

Menu Plan

Monday-Taco Soup at a friends house~It was YUMMY!!!
Tuesday-Spaghetti
Wednesday-Leftover Chicken Spaghetti
Thursday-Ranch Pork Chops
4-6 pork chops (I purchase the center cut and not the assorted variety)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup Ranch Dressing
1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In one shallow container, mix together the flour and Italian seasonings. In another shallow container, pour in the Ranch dressing. Trim all fat from the pork chops and then dredge in the flour. Dip the pork chop into the dressing on both sides. Place pork chops on a greased baking dish and sprinkle the tops with a little Parmesan cheese. Bake for 35 minutes.
Friday-Chicken/Brocoli/Rice Casserole
Saturday-Chicken Quesillidas
Sunday-Garlic and Brown Sugar Chicken (I STILL haven't made this!)

4 chicken breasts halves on bone, skinned
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup Sprite
2-3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon pepper

Place chicken in crockpot. Mix all remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Here's to another week! We've actually been doing pretty good. I can't remember the last time we went out to eat!

Please Pray for

this family in our ward

Amanda & Baby Ethan

Serious TALENT...

go check her out...

Grosgrain Fabulous

This one is for MOM~

because she's been asking everyday for the last month...



guess what we're doing tomorrow?

July SPT

Over at Lelly's blog she has the SPT challenages. I really enjoy doing these b/c it MAKES me take pictures I wouldn't normally take. The July challenge is the 5 elements of summer~the first element is SUN.

Of course in Texas we nearly always have sun in some form, whether it is alone, with rain, snow~and I have a love/hate relationship with the sun. I love to be in it, but I don't want to be hot. Then I want a little color but I don't want a sunburn or skin cancer. But I'm always happy for summer & most of the time if I have my sunglasses & a bottle of water I'm good.

Today Tyson decided he needed to wash his truck so enlisted the kids to help. Of course, it's really just an excuse for them to get wet & an excuse for him to soak up some sun.



Jed ALWAYS has a crazy look on his face in every picture!

Earlier today on our way home from Wal-Mart we promised the kids a watermelon, so we bought one from a guy on the side of the road. The way we eat watermelon is by cutting it open and handing everyone a spoon. I told Tyson to cut it open and put half in the fridge but when I saw that it was a yellow watermelon I told them to dig in. It was ok but it would have been better ice cold and red/pink!



Then Jed had the great idea to get a straw and stick it in the melon to suck the juice out of it, so of course the girls had to join in.




Then everyone (except me, of course) had to have a watermelon seed spitting fight. Here's Caroline showing off her technique.



Then I made Tyson take a self portrait with me. I don't know if he was thrilled about it but for a first SPT I thought it turned out pretty good.


(No, I haven't gotten a new camera. I took these with Heather's~I thought they turned out ok.)

Clearly I have issues...

I've mentioned this on here before & I'm ok with the issues I've got! HAHA Isn't admitting you have a problem the 1st step? I've spent the better part of the last 2 days cruising these websites

Sewing Mamas

SewForum

and my favorite of all is this one

Craftster.org

I so wished I could sew something and it not be so difficult. I can do basic curtains, pillows, and minor mending~but anything more is such a problem for me. I blame it on being a self-taught sewer. I have been thinking (these last 2 days) about taking a sewing class, but first I have to find one.

Why I have been looking at these websites? Well, everyone knows how cheap I am & I want to get these skirts for my girls.



They are $80 bucks a pop & I could make one so much cheaper, but probably not cheap enough to be able to afford the therapy I would need by the time I was finished. So I checked several links & found them for 1/3 of the cost the designer sells them for. WOOP! So maybe soon my little girlies will have them!

I told you ISSUES!!!!!

Garage Sale!

My friend Michelle called me this morning & told me about a garage sale that she just went too. I got the kids & Tyson moving & we headed out there. By the time we got out there there wasn't much left but that doesn't mean we didn't get anything.

Jed got a huge box of Bionacles for $8~There were 4 in there that were brand new & never been opened!



Heather got a pair of Moon Shoes for $5




Caroline got the game Wack a Mole for $4




Then Tyson found a movie (I have no clue what it is)$3

Then I bought Jed 2 long sleeve shirts for winter that were supposed to be $2 each. When we got up to pay, the guy said $20. WOO HOO!

I'm always afraid to ask people if they'll take less b/c I just know they'll say NO! After we got home & I saw how many Bionacles Jed got I was very excited about my deal!

MPM~Week 2

Sorry I'm a few days late on this one! I'll do better next week!

Monday~Taco Ring
Tuesday~Grilled Pork Chops
Wednesday~Beef Strognoff
Thursday~Garlic and Brown Sugar Chicken

4 chicken breasts halves on bone, skinned
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup Sprite
2-3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon pepper

Place chicken in crockpot. Mix all remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Friday~Hamburgers & Hot Dogs on the grill
Saturday~Quesidillas
Sunday~Hum, still waiting for inspiration on this one!:) Any suggestions?

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, it's off to the Grocery Store I go...

I had to venture out to the grocery store this afternoon. We were out of important things like Milk, & bread! I went by myself & I looked at the ads before I went. I also made a LIST~G.A.S.P. I heard that!

I had some coupons too so I wanted to make sure I used them right~

Here's what I got & the great deals~
(F.Y.I.~My grocery store doubles & triples coupons.)

DEAL #1
Chex Mix was Buy one get one free & for Chex mix I think they are kind of pricey, but I had a coupon for .50 cents off & they doubled my coupon so it was 2 bags of chex mix for 1.69~making them 84 cents each.

Deal #2
They had Hunts ketchup on sale for 1.19~we REALLY didn't need anymore ketchup b/c we already have a ton~but I have a rebate for free ketchup so I couldn't pass it up.
Ketchup=FREE after rebate (I just need to remember to send in the stupid form.)

Deal #3
KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce was on sale 5 for $5~you can only buy one if that's all you need. I had a coupon for 25 cents (they tripled it) so it made my BBQ sauce 25 cents~couldn't pass that up either!

Deal #4
PopSecret Popcorn~buy 1 get one free I had a coupon for $1.00. The popcorn was 3.49 for one so with this deal it was 3.49 for 2 then 1.00 off so 2 boxes of popcorn for 2.49

Deal #5
Again they had buy one get one free on this Lugui Ice popsicle things. so it was 3.59 for 2 & I had a 75 cents off of 2 so that sweetened the deal to 1.42 a box.

Deal #6
Deal 6 is the same as #5 but it was Minute Maid popsicles instead so they were 3.99 & the coupon was 75 cents off~Deal was 1.62 a box

Deal #7
Oscar Meyer wieners were 2 for $4~I bought 2 packs b/c the kids like these for lunches. I had 2 55 cent off coupons so that made them 1.45 each. Yes, I know you can buy the cheap ones for like 50 cents a pack, but I've become a hot dog snob in my old age.

I had 2 more coupons for something~I can't remember and they were 50 cents each so that's an additional 1.00 off my total

Grand Total Savings for this Trip~$6.35 (if I added right!)

Then I ventured out to CVS~Tyson needed some new razors and I had a coupon.

I bought 1 tube of Crest toothpaste it was on sale for 1.99 but I got one ECB back so I *paid* .99 cents for it.

Then I bought Tyson's razor~he's getting a new kind he just doesn't know it yet. It was 9.49 and I had a $2 off coupon~razor $7.49

then I printed coupons while I was at CVS & got one for a $1 off a 3 pk of paper towels which made them 99 cents~which I needed.

I had to buy Tyson deodrant & he's very picky about his deodrant so I bought the same old kind. It was 2.99 each x's 2

Then here's where I screwed up~CVS has a deal right now where if you buy a thing of Softsoap BodyWash you get $2 ECB then I had a $1 coupon so it would make it 1.99~not too bad of a deal. it's something that will get used around here~well, for some reason I picked up 2 of them & I don't think I needed 2~I was thinking my coupon was $1 off 2 but I really don't think it was BUT I ended up with $4 ECB on this deal & I'm set on Body Wash for the next year (because I already have some!)

So my total at CVS ended up being 29.43, then I had $1 coupon, $1 coupon, $4 coupon, that made my total $24.71 I should have had a $2 off coupon for the razor~but I just noticed it's not on my ticket. UGH!!!

So I saved $6 at CVS & got $5 ECB to use late. I think I did ok today & it's all stuff we'll use or needed!

Happy shopping!

Just Because I love to BLOG!!!:)

and I know people are actually reading! (HA! yeah, right!) Check out this cute doggie website

Just Fur Doggies

then for some humor check out this blog

The Life of a Mormon Princess

I'll be back in a little while~I'm working on some posts.

D.E.A.D.

Sad news on the blogging homefront~my beloved camera has DIED. I was going to try to take a picture of the dead camera with Heather's camera but I couldn't get Heather's camera to work. So from now on until who knows when my posts will be pictureless:(

Summer School & Good Mail~What a Day!

One of my friends that was over the other night needed a sub for summer school. After I found out that they provide FREE babysittying for kids ages 4-14 I was all over that deal and EVERYONE gets FREE breakfast & lunch! So I told her I would do it. I drug (is that a word?) the kids outta bed and we headed to summer school! I really enjoy it~it's really laid back and lots of fun! (the easy money doesn't hurt either!HA!)

So when we came home this afternoon, I had not 1 but 2 packages waiting for me! The first was this cute dress I bought for Caroline from FFD~for $10! It's in PERFECT condition & I can't wait to see her wear it to church!




The second package was from Jessica over at 4 ring circus. I sent her some vinyl names and she sent this package of goodies to me~Jessica, you really didn't have to do this!




She sent a little bit of everything & I can't wait to get back to scrapping to use some of the goodies she sent! I need to print a million pictures!

If I could get in a nap, today would be wonderful!

~A Fun Time~

and no pictures to show for it. Our bishop at Church has encouraged us to invite non-member families into our home just to fellowship with them. Tyson & I have lots of friends who are not members of our Church. We probably actually have more non-member friends than we do member friends. Tyson & I love having people over for dinner, so we really don't think about the challange our bishop has given us until we are through entertaining. We just love to be around our friends.

One reason I love our house is because it is big enough to entertain people and you don't feel crowded. So I have made friends with 2 girls I work with & their families. We try to get together every couple of weeks and have dinner & just hang out. We all have kids and they get along so well.

Last night they came over for tacos. We had 9 kids here. We sent the kids outside to play & we never heard from them unless they were asking for supper!

The adults had a great time hanging out and so did the kids. Although it was a late night for all of us, we really had a great time!

My friend, Pam, made this Cheesecake and it's one of our favorites!

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or
almond extract
1/2 cup margarine or
butter, melted
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar


Using a 9 x 13 baking pan, unroll one package of refrigerated crescent rolls and line the bottom of the pan.
Flatten.
Mix together the cream cheese, sugar and extract.
Spread over the crescent rolls.
Unroll the other can of crescent rolls and place on top of cream cheese mixture.
Pour one stick of melted butter or margarine over the top and sprinkle with about 1/2 cup of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.


I promise if you make it you won't be disappointed. Let me know what you think!

I'll try to remember to take pictures next time of the crew!

Don't forget to tune in tomorrow for MPM!

Another Project...

I've been working on this for awhile now~well, not really working on it but with everything else it just took me a little while to get my ducks in a row.

I have this sign hanging in my house



My mom bought it from someone she knew several years ago. A while back a friend came over and she LOVED it~She had just bought a new house and was getting ready to have a housewarming party. I had no clue what to buy her for her shower so I told her I would make her a sign like mine. She was so excited! So with the help of my dear sweet husband~I made this




She loved it & I've had several requests for more! A few have even encouraged me to start selling them like for Christmas gifts. We'll see~


Tyson has been checking trotlines with his friend Justin. Last night Tyson stayed home but Justin stopped by to show him this giant 60 pounder~Tyson of course couldn't resist the opportunity to go help Justin skin the catch! (I sorta sent him on his way too! hehe)

~Breaking News~

So Tyson came home from work Wednesday afternoon with bad news~They are going through some changes at his plant due to the economy. From what they had been told at work earlier in the day, no one knew what the future of the plant would be. Tyson began job hunting online and we started discussing our options.

Then they had a plant wide meeting this morning and the future was discussed. Here is the outcome

Citation Article

They were told 16 people out of maintenance would be let go. Tyson *thinks* he will get to stay but I think he's still keeping his options open. While we aren't worried too much b/c Tyson's such a hard worker and a great provider for our family, there's always that uneasy feeling.

So there's a day in the life of the McDaniel's house! :)

~SPT~(& a wishful post)

I really enjoy the SPT Challenges that Lelly posts each week/month. I've totally been slacking lately though but I do appreciate the challenge to see life different! So her challenge this time around is

in the U.S., we are in the charmed time of early summer, between Memorial Day and Independence Day. school is winding down. the pools are open. the grills are fired up. we linger longer in beds made up with crisp cottons. and freshly bathed children smile up at us with sun-kissed cheeks before dreaming of strawberries and picnics and fireflies. it is a magical time of year.

we have the chance to honor our history during this time of year. to remember how our nation came to be. to remember those who have lived and died to protect the things we hold most dear. no matter what country you call home, there is opportunity here to celebrate every homeland. every nation.

i hope you will recognize these challenges - they are all borrowed from patriotic songs. and there is so much room for creativity within these lyrics.

tuesday, june 3rd the emblem of the land i love
tuesday, june 10th the twilight's last gleaming
tuesday, june 17th my home sweet home
tuesday, june 24th stars and/or stripes forever

Ok so I missed the first 2 weeks of the challenge! But I couldn't resist a chance to talk about my HOME SWEET HOME!




I love my new home (it's still new to me!) I don't know if it's because it's our first home that we've bought, or is it because it's so convenient for my life right now, or is it because I just LOVE it.

I love that it's a place we can call home.
I love that it is ours.
I love the big kitchen.
I love the big backyard.
I love the big living room.

I love my HOME SWEET HOME!

but (this part is for my uncle Ron):)everyone who knows me knows I can't live without some kind of project going or in my head. Really~I mean how long do I stop? NEVER

I was telling Tyson (by the way, he just loves this about me NOT!!!) that I would like to add on to the back of our house. haha He wasn't crazy about the idea. He told me I needed to find someone who knew what they were doing. HUM, you think that's going to be a challenge for me? HA I said "I'll just call my uncle Ron."

OK photo #1



this is the back wall to our bedroom. Through that window is our bedroom. This is where the new thought started. I would like to add on a new laundry room on this wall. My current laundry room is right next to it. I would like to make that window a door & make a new BIGGER laundry, then make my current laundry room a food storage pantry (because I have no where to put my food storage.) Ok so of course if you KNOW me you know I can't stop there, so then I thought we could add another room here just to make the whole back part of the house even. I really think it would just be making our kitchen & dining room bigger. (mum's the word on this part~I haven't mentioned this to Tyson)



Ok so then in this picture


I would like to add on a little big to make it even with the rest and make it a bedroom for Heather (bye, bye goldfish pond!) The main thing is I don't want one of the walls in all the new part to be brick, is that changeable?

So while I'll totally love my home, I would like to add on to make it a little bigger, then I would be completely satisfied (Yeah~right! I know)

*What do you think~is my dream project too much?*
*Do you love your HOME SWEET HOME?*
*Do you participate in Lelly's SPT's?*

YUM-O!

I found THIS blog through Natalie's Blog and this recipe looks so yummy! I had to post it here so I would have it for future reference! Can't wait to make it.

And for those loyal readers (do I have those?) I promise a good post before the week's over. I have several things to post about~we've just been busy!

Day 1 of MPM...

today was the first day of our Menu Plan~we didn't do too hot but we didn't do too bad either. To start the day off, we didn't get up until 11ish. We were exhausted. Tyson wanted to go look at boats so we hopped up and got dressed. We told the kids that if they were good while we were looking at boats we would go get a sno-cone! So we did. Then we hit Sams Club, after that we were hungry for lunch so we stopped at Wendy's. Tyson & Jed left to run trotlines so that left me and the girls to fend for ourselves. Heather fixed a grilled cheese for her supper & I fixed Caroline some Mac & Cheese. Tyson said he was going to cook fish tonight but he went to check trotlines so that didn't happen. So we ate out lunch but not dinner.

Also, I moved tonights meal to Wednesday b/c we had Spaghetti last night.

I'm such a NOSEY neighbor..

the house caddy corner from us is up for sale and has been for about 2 weeks. I've been stalking the real estate website since the sign went up in the yard to see pictures of the inside of the house BUT they haven't put them up yet! GEEZ, how do they think they are going to get any buyers if they don't post pictures! I want to see what the inside looks like NOW!!!!! (you know, so I can pass along the word to any of my home buying friends!) haha

They're Coming HOME....

I'm always ready for a break when my kids go visit grammy BUT 2 weeks has been a little long probably b/c I haven't been able to do anything fun that I WANT to do. So I'm excited for the kids to come home today!

Menu Plan Monday~Week 2

Sorry I'm a few days late on this one! I'll do better next week!

Monday~Taco Ring
Tuesday~Grilled Pork Chops
Wednesday~Beef Strognoff
Thursday~Garlic and Brown Sugar Chicken

4 chicken breasts halves on bone, skinned
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup Sprite
2-3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon pepper

Place chicken in crockpot. Mix all remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Friday~Hamburgers & Hot Dogs on the grill
Saturday~Quesidillas
Sunday~Hum, still waiting for inspiration on this one!:) Any suggestions?

Menu Plan Monday

I've seen this on several blogs & I've finally decided to join in. It's Menu Plan Monday! (yes, I know it's Friday but I think I'll do better if I have it in place BEFORE the kids come home!) Anyone who knows us knows that we are just as busy if not busier during the summer than we are during the school year. We are really bad about just running to grab something to eat and then it ends up costing a fortune!!!! I have decided that I am on a SAVING kick (tyson doesn't know this yet) & I want to see how I can do! I hope this will be successful for us!

Our first week will begin on Monday. Here's our menu...

Monday~Fuss Free Ravoli & Cheese Bake
Tuesday~Chicken Quesidillas
Wednesday~Spaghetti (my kids will be excited about this one, but we haven't had it in awhile!)
Thursday~Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Chops
Friday~Taco Ring Reckon what the kids will have to say about that one?
Saturday~Crock Pot Rigatoni
Sunday~Lunch~Hot Dogs
Dinner~Find it in the Fridge! Leftovers

We'll have to call this week Italian week since we are having quite a few Italian dishes! I'll let you know how it goes this week!

I really need some lunch ideas for the kids~if you have any quick, easy, nutritous ideas please let me know!

Have a great week!

To Make My Sister Alison HAPPY...

*I have no clue why the pictures are small~maybe it's just this laptop?*
ok the one true media thing didn't work like I wanted & apparently you have to pay for the good stuff haha

Here's Caroline missing her mommie! haha yeah right!







Here's Jed missing his mommie! haha







and last but not least here's Heather missing her mom!







as you can tell the kids are so homesick and ready to come home!

HAHA!!!

My Kids

My mom keeps telling me that the kids are missing me...I think she's lying it's kinda hard to tell in these pictures

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Seriously,

I don't think I'm ever going to get better. I need someone to listen as I wallow in self pity...why do you think I have a blog? hahaha ok this is probably way too much TMI but I'm sorry I have to get it out there on the table. It's been almost a week since my surgery~tomorrow will be a week exactly (how does time fly like that) and my dear sweet husband was worried that I haven't been to the bathroom. I've been eating ok so I'm not sure what the deal is. I called the dr and they told me something I could take. It was like a jug of thick sno-cone syrup. I have been in the bathroom ALL.DAY.LONG. seriously, when is it going to stop?

Also, this is the first day I don't feel sick every time I think of doing something (not that I'm doing a whole lot). I actually ate pretty good this afternoon. I think it was my pain pills so I quit taking them and started taking regular ibuprophen. Much better!

Ok thanks for letting me whine! sorry it was kind of gross.

So Blessed...

Most of you know I had surgery this last week. We have been so blessed with great friends and family calling & stopping by to check on us. Friday afternoon after we got home from the hospital we had a knock on the door. It was a delivery from 1800flowers. My aunt franci sent me these pretty sunflowers. Thank you!

Thanks to everyone who has checked up on me! I really appreciate it.

Ballet Recital

Heather had her 8th ballet recital last weekend. She was in the Ballet Company at her studio. She really enjoys performing! She has said for the last few months that she was going to quit dance and play only softball. I had a feeling she wouldn't give it up. Of course when recital practices started she changed her mind. This next year she'll be doing competitive cheer/dance. They have a dance team that competes at the cheer competitions and she'll be doing that also.

Old Video

This video is from last summer when Jed broke his arm while he was in OK visiting my mom.

~Happy Anniversary~

Today is our anniversary. Tyson & I have been happily married for 11 years! Tyson is the best husband I could ever hope for~He's a great dad to our 3 kiddies. He's a hard worker & a good provider for our family. It's such a great feeling to know that I get to spend eternity with him!

I love you babe! Here's to another 11 years!

Autumn
(I would take a picture to mark this special day, but I'm really not looking my best these days! Maybe one day next week!)

Only in Texas

don't be surprised or alarmed the next time you come into my house and see this hanging on the wall I'm sure Tyson won't mind it at all next to his trophy buck! You can purchase this fine art at



Deer and you can custom order one.

Happy Father's Day honey! Only in Texas!!!

~My List of 100 things

about myself.

1. I would love to be a professional photographer.
2. I would love for my house to be spotless for more than 30 seconds after I clean it.
3. I love to sleep when it's raining outside.
4. I love to have a good time.
5. I obsess over my bank account daily. (there's really no reason for this b/c there's never any money in it~HAHA)
6. I prefer my toenails to be painted year round. (It grosses me out if they aren't)
7. I love to eat Nacho Doritios & bean dip.
8. I love the spending time at the beach.
9. I love spending time with Tyson & the kids.
10. I loved my college years.
11. I am cold ALL the time.
12. I love to wear flip flops & can't really stand to wear shoes & socks.
13. I love my Surburban & I won't ever get rid of it unless it quits working.
14. I love my house~just wished it was a little bigger.
15. I am addicted to Sonic vanilla dr. pepper.
16. I would like to lost about 40-50 lbs.
17. I love going into a fabric store~even though I've sworn off sewing!
18. I HATE meeting new people, especially groups. I tend to get myself worked up in a tizzy!
19. I love my husband.
20. I hate the feeling of not having my act together!
21. I want to go on a mission for our church with my husband when we are older.
22. I love old music~ya know like the 80's & 90's,
23. I graduated college in 4 years.
24. I want to be an early riser but I love to snuggle in my bed too.
25. I love office supply stores.
26. I want to be a better teacher.
27. I can't stand whiney people or lazy ones for that matter.
28. I am the mom to 3 great kids!
29. I hate confrontation with anyone about anything.
30. I loved reading as a kid & I'm trying to start picking that habit up again.
31. I've only lived in 2 states~Oklahoma & Texas.
32. I've never been out of the United States.
33. I wax my eyebrows & have since I was about 14.
34. I've had a bikini wax.
35. I'm dreading my birthday this year. I'll be 35!
36. Tyson says he was converted to the Church by my example.
37. I would love to adopt another child.
38. I wished I was a better seamstress. I would like to be able to make my girls wedding dresses.
39. I have great parents & they would do anything for me.
40. I have a great extended family and they would do anything for me.
41. I love the TV show "Friday Night Lights" & I think everyone should be a fan.
42. When I was younger, my mom was single mom. (I don't know how she does it.)
43. I have 2 younger sisters.
44. I want to go back to school to get my Master's degree but I don't know what area yet so I keep putting it off.
45. I don't sleep well at night.
46. I like to know how to do things just so I can say I did that.
47. I want to lose about 40 lbs but I want it to be easy! haha
48. My family was sealed together forever in February 2007 in the LDS Houston Temple.
49. I want to learn to quilt.
50. I want to learn how to smock.
51. I hate for vacations to end.
52. I enjoy my job.
53. I have to have my contacts in or my glasses on or I can't see anything.
54. We eat out too much.
55. I would like to be a fluent Spanish speaker.
56. I like nice things but I refuse to pay high price for them.
57. I have to take a shower every morning.
58. I always say "this is my favorite song" when talking about Church songs. I like them all.
59. I love summer.
60. I don't (and haven't ever) taken anti-depressants.
61. I am always afraid of doing something wrong and getting called out for it.
62. I wished I was more creative.
63. I want to learn how to make beaded jewerly.
64. I love fresh flowers but I think they are a waste of money so I tell Tyson not to buy them for me.
65. My kids are named after someone in our families.
66. My favorite color is Pink.
67. My favorite song is "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison
68. I am not a good decision maker.
69. I wished I had style.
70. I wished had musical talent.
71. I wished I was famous.
72. I wished I owned my own business.
73. I want to be more responisble with money.
74. I remember my grandma taking me to feed the ducks. That was one of my favorite childhood memories.
75. I love getting Christmas cards but I'm horrible at sending them out.
76. After living in texas for 11 years, I finally tell people I'm from here.
77. I wished I was more computer savvy.
78. I want to own a convertible some day.
79. I'm a procrastinator.
80. I want to do a better job of enjoying my kids.
81. I want to go on a cruise with my family.
82. I want to take my kids to disneyworld someday.
83. I love Mexican food.
84. I don't have my uterus anymore.
85. I read the local paper online daily.
86. I get most all of my news from yahoo.com
87. I want to run a marathon some time before I die.
88. I enjoy scrapbooking but I'm so far behind~I don't know if I'll ever get caught up.
89. I enjoy watching baseball. (mostly college/professional)
90. I enjoy watching "George Lopez" in the evening with Tyson.
91. I would like to go to New York to see the sights & see a play on broadway.
92. I hate doing laundry.
93. I loved Barbie growing up.
94. I live across the street from my job! WOOHOO!!
95. I no longer have to pay child care costs!
96. I have to have sunglasses when I'm outside.
97. I can't stand to not have any extra toilet paper in the house.
98. I hate to be cold.
99. I hate math.
100. I've gotten to be a germ-a-phob lately.

There ya go 100 random facts or things about me!

Home again, home again, jiggety jig!

Most of ya'll know that I had surgery on Wednesday. I was in lots of pain Wednesday & Thursday. Finally yesterday afternoon I started feeling better & we got to come home today. There are several good things coming from my surgery~I can't get up and do chores for a few weeks and I don't have to deal with a monthly visitor anymore! WOOHOO!!!

I'm at home now taking it easy!

Thanks to all my friend who have callled to check on me~& came to visit me in the hospital! Ya'll are the best!

So I won't seem so random...

Tyson has taken up a new hobby~guess what he's getting for father's day?

WHY????

don't things go as smoothly as I envision them in my head? REALLY?

Aren't I cute????

I've been wanting to change my blog layout for awhile now but really haven't had time to figure it all out! I love my new layout from cutest blog on the block! She makes it so easy!

A new challenage...

kristi had this challenage on her blog this morning thanks to NJP! I challenage you to do this also...

200 Have and Have nots!

1. Touched an iceberg

2. Slept under the stars

3. Been a part of a hockey fight

4. Changed a baby's diaper

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Swam with wild dolphins

8. Climbed a mountain We hiked the Y several years ago~does that count?

9. Held a tarantula

10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise

15. Seen the Northern Lights

16. Gone to a huge sports game

17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables

19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Bet on a winning horse

23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Taken an ice cold bath

28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Ridden a roller coaster

31. Hit a home run

32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking


33. Adopted an accent for fun

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment

36. Loved your job 90% of the time

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Watched wild whales

39. Gone rock climbing when I was a teenager

40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach

41. Gone sky diving

42. Visited Ireland

43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited India

45. Bench-pressed your own weight

46. Milked a cow

47. Alphabetized your personal files

48. Ever worn a superhero costume

49. Sung karaoke

50. Lounged around in bed all day

51. Gone scuba diving

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater I think I did when I was a kid

55. Done something you should regret, but don't

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class I did this when I was a kid

59. Been in a movie

60. Gone without food for 3 days

61. Made cookies from scratch

62. Won first prize in a costume contest

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Been in a combat zone

65. Spoken more than one language fluently

66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone

67. Bounced a check

68. Read - and understood - your credit report

69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy

70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did

71. Called or written your Congress person

72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge

74. Helped an animal give birth

75. Been fired or laid off from a job

76. Won money

77. Broken a bone

78. Ridden a motorcycle

79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph

80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing

82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days

83. Eaten sushi

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read The Bible cover to cover

86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about

87. Gotten someone fired for their actions

88. Gone back to school debating this right now!

89. Changed your name from my maiden to my married name

90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands

91. Eaten fried green tomatoes

92. Read The Iliad I think I had to read this in HS can't remember

93. Taught yourself an art from scratch

94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt

96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

97. Been elected to public office (I wish!)

98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream

99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care

100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you

101. Had a booth at a street fair

102. Dyed your hair

103. Been a DJ

104. Rocked a baby to sleep

105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four

106. Raked your carpet

107. Brought out the best in people

108. Brought out the worst in people

109. Worn a mood ring

110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap

112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe

113. Buried a child

114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play

115. Been inside the pyramids

116. Shot a basketball into a basket

117. Danced at a disco

118. Played in a band


119. Shot a bird

120. Gone to an arboretum

121. Tutored someone

122. Ridden a train

123. Brought an old fad back into style

124. Eaten caviar

125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need

126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant

127. Published a book

128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place

130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage

131. Asked for a raise

132. Made a hole-in-one

133. Gone deep sea fishing

134. Gone roller skating

135. Run a marathon

136. Learned to surf

137. Invented something

138. Flown first class

139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite

140. Flown in a helicopter

141. Visited Africa

142. Sang a solo

143. Gone spelunking

144. Learned how to take a compliment

145. Written a love-story

146. Seen Michelangelo’s David

147. Had your portrait painted

148. Written a fan letter

149. Spent the night in something haunted

150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane

151. Ran away

152. Learned to juggle

153. Been a boss

154. Sat on a jury

155. Lied about your weight

156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget

158. Written a poem

159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox

160. Gotten food poisoning

161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission

162. Hiked the Grand Canyon

163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks not really sitting but my grandma used to take me to feed the ducks all the time.

164. Gone to the opera

165. Gotten a letter from someone famous

166. Worn knickers

167. Ridden in a limousine

168. Attended the Olympics

169. Can hula or waltz

170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books

171. Been stuck in an elevator

172. Had a revelatory dream

173. Thought you might crash in an airplane

174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert

175. Saved someone’s life

176. Eaten raw whale

177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint

178. Laughed till your side hurt

179. Straddled the equator

180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing

181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival

182. Sent a message in a bottle

183. Spent the night in a hostel

184. Been a cashier

185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

186. Joined a union

187. Donated blood or plasma

188. Built a campfire

189. Kept a blog

190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots

192. Made a PowerPoint presentation

193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course

194. Served at a soup kitchen

195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube

196. Know CPR

197. Ridden in or owned a convertible

198. Found a long lost friend

199. Helped solve a crime

200. Responded to a NJP newsletter I guess this is my unofficial response!

Ok lets see yours! As Kristi said it doesn't take much time & I would love to see your answers!

IPOD

I just got a new IPOD~what do you suggest that I download? I can do videos too

CALIENTE

WHEW! I really wanted to take a picture of my thermometer in my car~when we hopped in the other day it was 99 degrees! It's only the beginning of June so you can imagine how hot it gets here in August! That's ok though I would rather be hot than cold!

I can imagine we are going to be hanging at the water park a lot this summer!

Pretty in PINK!

Tonight was the Academy Awards~Ms. Darlene throws a big party for the girls (& boys) who were on a team each year at the dance studio. This year Heather was in the Ballet Company. We went to the resale shop and found this cute dress that fit Heather perfect for $6! WOO HOO! I went to Target & we picked out some jelly shoes to match & then we borrowed the necklace from a friend of mine! (Thanks Emily!)

I'm on my way to pick her up! I'll update with the details!

School's OUT for Summer!

We were so blessed this year with school! We had great teachers all the way around & I really enjoyed my job! I took one last picture (probably the only picture) with the kids and their teachers. I was kinda sad to see it end!


Jed & his sweet teachers


Heather & her sweet teachers


Caroline & her sweet teachers