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Monday, November 23, 2009

Not Me! Monday



Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did not get a new stove installed this week. Even if I did, said stove would not have been sitting in my garage for, oh, about a year, before getting installed. I am definitely not excited about having TWO ovens to use to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I am definitely not hosting the big event at my house. Even if I were, I most certainly would not be stressing out about making sure everything is perfect. I love to entertain, so little things like roasting a turkey and hand scrubbing every inch of my house does not worry me in the least.

And finally, I definitely did not spend my entire weekend hand stitching ornate trim pieces on Sissy's Madrigal costume, which certainly does not have to be completed tonight for dress rehearsals tomorrow. I would never bite off more than I can chew in this regard.

What have you not been doing this week?

Friday, November 20, 2009

Gratuitous Cuteness!

It's Friday, and in my mind, the weekend has already started, so I thought I would share a glimpse of the cuteness I'm surrounded by on a daily basis. Enjoy!



Peanut's first attempt had self-feeding spaghetti.




Diva, fashion model in training.




Why does everything look funny?


There, I feel better now. Have a great Friday everyone!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Rain, Rain Go AWAY!

It's another cold, dreary day here in the Land of Lincoln. It's been raining since Sunday, and it looks like that trend will continue through the next few days. Ugh. All of this rain is really starting to affect my mood, and the moods of those around me, including my kids.

So today, after work, I plan on turning that around a bit, by having a little fun around the house. Diva LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to dance, so I've planned a little surprise: a dance marathon! We're going to dress up, crank up the music, and dance our blues away! We might even have (gasp) ice cream sundaes for dinner. I like to live on the edge like that. I think this is just what we need to shake off the cold, wet weather, spend some quality time with each other, and just HAVE FUN.

I'd love to hear about the things you do when the weather gets you in a funk.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Not Me! Monday



Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This past week was pretty crazy. With the kids having to be in different places at different times, and the hubby out of town on business, there were plenty of "Not Me!" moments.

For instance, I most certainly did not order take out pretty much every night, just so I wouldn't have to cook. I always cook healthy meals for my family, and would never order Chinese on one night, and pizza the next. Nope, not me!

Also, I did not leave a coffee mug (full of course) on the side table in the living room for Peanut to find. She did not let her curiosity get the best of her and try to "drink" the contents of said mug. She then did not proceed to dump the entire contents of said mug all over the carpet. I never take my eyes off her for one second, so something like this could never happen in my house. (In all seriousness, the coffee wasn't hot. I drown mine in french vanilla creamer, and it had been sitting out a while, so no injuries occurred.)

What have you not been doing lately?

Monday, November 9, 2009

To God Be the Glory

Please check out MckMama's blog. It is WONDERFUL news for our sweet Stellan! I hear that they've hit a HOME RUN, but don't take my word for it. Go pay her a visit and read the good news for yourself!

Stellan

Update: Stellan has been taken down for his emergency ablation surgery. Please pray the surgery goes well and that Stellan pulls through.

Original Post:
It is Monday, and my heart is heavy with worry. Our sweet baby Stellan is in desperate need of our prayers. His blood pressure is VERY low, his heart stopped and had to be paddled back, and he is very weak. As frightened as I am for him, it doesn't hold a candle to how frightened his family must be.

Each and every day, I find myself more and more thankful to God that my children are healthy. My heart breaks for this family and the pain and heartache they are faced with. I feel helpless. All I can do is pray for them and ask, no, BEG, for you to do the same. This situation is every parent's worst nightmare, and I would hope that if I were ever in this situation, someone would be praying for me and my child.

Mondays are usually Not Me! Mondays, but today, I'm setting that aside as I fall to my knees in prayer. Please, join me, raising your voices up to Heaven with me.

Lord, I know this situation with Stellan is not surprising to You. I know You already know the outcome. Thank You for holding this family close, wrapping Your arms around them. Please Lord, provide strength for Stellan's tired body and heart. Please be with his doctors, nurses, and other care givers, providing them with the wisdom necessary to sustain this little boy. Please Lord, hold his family close, showering them with love and peace during this most trying hour. I desperately pray that Stellan makes it through this to come home to his family. Please Lord, if that's Your plan, please make it so. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Happy Birthday Stellan!

Today is sweet Stellan's 1st birthday! Hopefully by now you've noticed the Praying for Stellan button on the left-hand side of my blog. I've included it in this post as well.

Prayers for Stellan


Stellan is not doing very well right now. He went back into the hospital on Tuesday, having gone back into SVT. He's in really bad shape right now and needs our prayers desperately. Please keep this entire family in your thoughts and prayers. Please also visit MckMama's blog and provide her with encouragement. She reads each of these and it really does help her to know that people are thinking of them and praying for them and her sweet baby boy.

Stellan - I continue to pray that your heart comes back to normal sinus rhythm VERY soon. I pray for wisdom for your doctors, for strength and peace for your mommy and daddy, and most of all, I pray that you come home soon to balloons and birthday cake each and every year for years to come! We all love you so much little guy!

God Bless!

Friday, October 23, 2009

Five Question Friday! 10/23

It is indeed Friday, and thanks be to God! This week has beat me up one side and down the other, and I'm very much looking forward to a relaxing weekend with the family, a little time off from the wee ones, and of course, Five Question Friday! This blog hop was created by Mama M and My Little Life

Whats your favorite horror movie?

Hmm...that's a tough one, because there are so many that I like. I do tend to enjoy more of the "thriller" genre of horror that blood and gore, so I'll have to go with The Others. TOTALLY freaky!

Bath tub or Hot tub?

That's easy: HOT TUB all the way! I know some people don't like that chlorinated feeling, but that just means that whoever is taking care of the hot tub isn't using the right stuff. I ADORE relaxing in the hot tub, listening to music, and forgetting about my troubles for a while.

Do you prefer to view a movie at the theater or at home?

There are some movies I would probably prefer to see in a theater, at least the first time, but for the most part, I enjoy the convenience and flexibility of watching movies at home. The Pause button is my friend!

If you could chose a maid, cook or chauffeur, which one would you choose?

A MAID, A MAID, A MAID!!! Did I mention I'd choose a maid?? I absolutely despise housework. I LOVE to cook, and I don't mind carting my kids around to where they need to be, but cleaning the house is something I just can't stand to do, and also something I have very little time to do.

Can I PLEASE have a maid? Anyone know where I can find a good maid? Did I mention that I HATE housework and REALLY need a maid???

Electric Slide, Boot Scootin' Boogie, or the Macarena?

Without a doubt: the Electric Slide. Don't know the Boot Scootin' Boogie (I know the song, just not the line dance) and I have a strong dislike of the Macarena.

Well, that wraps up Five Question Friday for me. Check out the list below for all the other wonderful bloggers participating!

Have a great Friday everyone!


MckLinky Blog Hop

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

House full of sickies

I know I promised a how-to post on crocheting, but unfortunately, my entire family has been sick for about a week. Nothing serious, thank goodness, but still, a 22-month old with bronchitis takes up all of my time. As soon as things start to slow down a bit, I will definitely get my post up.

I hope all is well with you and have a great Wednesday!

Friday, October 9, 2009

Happy Birthday Sis!



Today is my little sister's birthday! We are exactly 1 year, 2 weeks and 4 days apart.

Sis - You are the best sister anyone could ever ask for. You are kind, funny, smart, and you are always there for me. I think God each and every day for blessing me with a you for a sister. Have a GREAT BIRTHDAY!!!

Five Question Friday! 10/9

My Little Life


This is my first time with this, but it should be fun! Head on over to My Little Life to check it out and join in the fun!

1. What is the one thing that you reach for the most in a day (excluding phones, computer or children's butts for spankings)?

My coffee. I LOVE coffee. I'm sure I drink WAY too much of it, but my coffee mug is never too far out of reach.

2. What is the farthest you have been from home?

Las Vegas. This trip was my first time on a plane, EVER, and it was right after the 9/11 attacks. I didn't get too shook up about the "extra" security, because I never really experienced what it was like before, so I had nothing to compare it to.

3. What kind of cell phone do you have? Love it or hate it?

I have a Motorolla RAZR, first edition. I've had this phone for a while and have absolutely loved it, but with the family getting super busy, I'm in desperate need of a smart phone so I can keep track of schedules and emails. REALLY want an iPhone, but since I HATE AT&T service, I'm sticking with Verizon. They have a new phone, the Samsung Omnia, which is kind of like an iPhone, so I might try that one.

4. Coke or Pepsi?

Absolutely without question, Pepsi. If a restaurant serves Coke products, I'll go with either Sprite or Root Beer.

5. If you could go back and change anything about your wedding day, what would it be and why?

We had a number of things "go wrong" on our wedding day, including the groom being unable to locate the marriage certificate, the groom being given the wrong vest to wear under his jacket, the groom's dad being the only one wearing tails, and my favorite: my husbands tuxedo pants buckle breaking, causing them to slowly inch down the entire ceremony. These things were actually all things that made the day so funny that I wouldn't change them.

The one thing I WOULD change is the limo service we used. The limo service booked another wedding within 1 hour of mine, 45 miles away, so he drove like a mad man to take us from the church to the reception (45 miles apart), and we beat each and every guest and the photographer to the reception hall. We did end up hanging out for about an hour at a comedy club/bar across the street.

Have a great Friday everyone!


MckLinky Blog Hop

Thursday, October 8, 2009

In Stitches

So, I've been away from the blogging world for quite some time. Scratch that...I've been away from my own blog for quite some time. The reasons are many, and not very good, so I'll spare you all the details. But, I'm BACK, with loads of ideas for blog topics running through my head. I've even updated the look of my blog. What do you think?

One of the big things I'm contemplating is sharing my favorite hobby with all of you: crochet art. Now, I know a lot of people that think crocheting is for 70 year-old grandma's, which of course I'm not, but let me assure you that my crochet is much more modern than that. I'm excited about sharing with you the projects I've completed, as well as those that are in progress. I would also like to share some tips, how-to's and patterns as well, so if you're interested, please comment with questions or suggestions and we'll go from there. I'll be getting a post up soon with pictures of some of my most recent projects and I can't wait to share them with you!

On the home front, things have been nuts as usual. Sissy is ALWAYS busy, between cheerleading, tumbling, trampoline, homework, etc., she's constantly on the go. The hubby is getting over a really bad cold, and is organizing in his head all the home projects he wants to tackle this fall and winter. Diva started Pre-K! She's having so much fun going to school and has all kinds of stories to share when she comes home. Peanut is as ornery as ever, taking to jumping up and down on the couch, climbing on tables, and playing hide and seek.

I hope to have my first crochet post up soon but until then, here a few photos of my crochet projects to whet your appetite.



Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Happy Anniversary Honey!

Today marks 9 years that Lugnut and I have been husband and wife, and I couldn't feel more blessed. He's traveling today, so we can't spend this momentous occasion together, but he has made it special, just the same.

I woke up this morning with a thoughtful message on my phone from him. I also came across a beautiful card that he had Sissy hide in my purse. He's left little breadcrumbs all around me to let me know that he's thinking of me today, and that he loves me very much.

As I reflect today on the past 9 years, I feel blessed to find more happy memories than sad ones, more good days than bad. Has it been easy? No. Has it always been full of fun and laughter? Definitely not. Has it been worth it? Absolutely, positively YES! Looking back, I find all sorts of breadcrumbs he's left for me, reminding me how much he loves and supports me. A kind word when I'm down; a silent hug when I feel defeated; a kiss goodbye in the morning before we head to work. All small reminders that I'm never far from his mind and always in his heart.

I truly believe that God sent Lugnut to me, as a breadcrumb of sorts. God knew what I needed then, and he knows what I need now. My husband is just one of a million breadcrumbs God has left for me, reminding me just how much he loves me: my children, a beautiful sunset, a rainbow after a storm. I cherish these breadcrumbs dearly, and do my best to not miss a single one.

To my dear husband: Happy Anniversary Honey! I love you will all my heart!

To the rest of you: What are your breadcrumbs?

Monday, July 27, 2009

Blog Hop - Favorite Kid Photo

There are any number of kid photos I could have chosen for this Blog Hop. I personally think my children are all absolutely perfectly beautiful. I chose the picture below in honor of Stellan, that beautiful, blue-eyed little boy of MckMama's. It is a poorly taken picture, but that is hardly the point. (I'll post better photos another time.) What is important is that all three of my beautiful ladies are wearing ORANGE and holding a sign that says "Stellan".


For those of you who don't know Stellan, I encourage you to visit MckMama's blog here. For those of you who do, I ask you to continue to pray for this family. My heart aches for what MckMama is going through right now, and while I can't be there for her in the physical sense, I can continue to pray that Stellan will LIVE. Please join me.
MckLinky Blog Hop

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Please pray


Prayers for Stellan


Stellan is not well. I am asking everyone I know, and lots of people I don't, to pray for sweet baby Stellan as he is enduring the fight of, and for, his life.

For those of you who don't follow MckMama, please pay a visit to her blog, read Stellan's story, and PRAY, PRAY PRAY. He is such a precious little boy, who has endured so much in his short life. He hit a wall last night, and is continuing to struggle to maintain body temperature and blood pressure. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers. They NEED you. Let's lift this family up in prayer, asking God to provide his doctors with wisdom, his family with hope, and Stellan with strength and a healed heart.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Stellan

It's been a while since I've posted, but I'm reaching out to each and every one of you in the hopes that you will join me in prayer for baby Stellan as he heads back into the hospital today.

I've mentioned Stellan's mommy, MckMama, in my blog before but for those of you who don't know her, please take a few moments to head over to her blog here. Please drop her a line, say a prayer for her and her family, and offer hope and encouragement to her. She is an incredible woman, with more strength than I can ever imaging having myself. Through this whole situation with Stellan, she continues to offer hope and encouragement, natural eating tips, photography lessons, prizes, God's wisdom, and so many other things to her readers.

Dear Lord, please watch over Stellan and his family today and every day. Provide wisdom for his doctors, strength for his heart, and hope, encouragement, and love to him, MckMama, Prince Charming, Big Mac, MckNugget, and Small Fry during this trying time. In Jesus name, AMEN.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Blog Hop on MckLinky - Three Things You Didn't Know About Me

This week's Blog Hop theme is THREE THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ME. Since I'm new to the blogging world, there are tons of things you all don't know about me, but here are three that stand out:



One:
I can say the alphabet backwards, REALLY FAST. It is something my mother taught me when I was in kindergarten, and it has stuck with me. Friends and family are often quite amazed at this "hidden" talent. :o)



Two:
I crochet, A LOT. I find it very relaxing as well as productive. I especially enjoy making baby items.

VERY fluffy, warm, cuddly crib blanket


Intricate lace-style crib blanket. Looks great in any color.


One of my favorites. Two strand blanket, soft and warm.


Three:
I'm sort of a Facebook addict. Not so much with the updating of my own, but of reading and commenting on what everyone else is doing. Oh, and I LOVE some of the games available. Farmtown is my fav.


Have a great Blog Hop Tuesday everyone!





MckLinky Blog Hop

Monday, July 13, 2009

Not Me! Monday



Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did not get so frustrated with the state of Sissy's room that I took it upon myself to clean it. Even if I did, I would not get so into the project as to rearrange furniture. And I would never get ahead of myself and also start removing the wallpaper.

I did not let Diva sleep in her swim suit to avoid the inevitable battle that would ensue dare I suggest we take it off. She most certainly does not have that kind of power over me at bedtime.

Oh, and I would never let Peanut sit at the table for almost an hour eating nothing but carrots. I did offer her other items, but she did not proceed to throw those on the floor and insist on carrots, and carrots only.

What have you NOT been doing this week? Head over to MckMama's blog here and share yours!

Have a great week everybody!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Blog Hop on MckLinky - JOY


This is a photo of my stepfather Allen, and Sissy. It is one of my favorite photos because it truly captures who Allen was: an extraordinary grandpa. Love for his grandbabies just oozed from him every day of his very short life. He is no longer of this earth, but he will be forever in our hearts.

MckLinky Blog Hop

Monday, June 15, 2009

Not Me! Monday



Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I am here to say that I most certainly did not forget my nephew's 15th birthday this weekend. And even if I did (which of course I did not) I am not still contemplating what to get him to deliver on Father's Day.

I also did not take the kids to Chevy's and forget to put shoes on Peanut. Nope, Not Me! While at Chevy's I almost certainly did not allow Peanut to eat that dough they give you with the crayons in it. She did not scream bloody murder when I took it away from her.

I most certainly did not let Diva stay up until 10:30 last night, because I was not afraid of starting WWIII by trying to get her to bed without Daddy.

Random things: I did not let Diva have ice cream on her waffle for breakfast; I did not let Sissy sleep until 1pm on Saturday; I did not go to the grocery story yesterday in my quasi-pajamas. Nope, not me!

Have a great day everyone!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Random

Today has been an interesting an emotional day. I can't (actually, I WON'T) share any details here, as there is an effort to contain the situation. You can find more here: www.mycharmingkids.net. And while you're there, get to know MckMama. She's AWESOME!

So instead of some gloriously insightful (yeah right) post, I thought I would just fill you in on a few of the happenings here.

Sissy is currently in Washington, D.C. for a class trip. I dropped her off at the airport this morning at 4:30 a.m. (in case you missed that, I said A.M.) I was back at the house by 5:00, only to find that Peanut was having a conversation with herself in her bedroom (or maybe she was conversing with Diva, not realizing she was still asleep). To avoid waking anyone else, Peanut and I headed out for a walk around the "block" (which by the way is about .9 miles in length.) She had a BLAST! Bunnies and birds galore captured her attention the entire time.

Peanut had a well baby visit today. All is great! She's growing and developing nicely, and her doctor is pleased. The only negative of the visit was the two vaccinations she got. OUCH! She handled it well, and was smiling in no time.

That is about the extent of the happenings here. Things are busy as usual, but I'm not sure if I know how to do things any other way.

I'm hoping to have pictures up this week, and then you all can meet my beautiful family!

God Bless

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

It's the Little Things

Today as I write this, I'm trying to come out of a funk. It seems that over the past several days, I've become more and more physically and emotionally exhausted. I need to recharge.

This past weekend was, to say the least, hectic. I was booked solid for volunteer work all weekend, with Sissy helping me most of the time. Sissy had to compete Sunday morning. Lugnut need to work on the "flip" house (more on that in a later post) so we can finally call that project complete. He also needed to do some yard work before his upcoming business trip. Things were not working out well, and I was having a very difficult time trying to keep all my commitments and keep the family happy at the same time. It was a very tense couple of days.

So yesterday, after waking up with a migraine, I called off work, got Sissy off to school, dropped Diva and Peanut off with the sitter, checked in with Lugnut (who happens to be in Dallas at the moment) and went home to have some time just to myself. I had grand plans for the day: DO NOTHING. Unfortunately, I'm very bad at doing nothing. While my intention was purely to relax, I couldn't help but reflect on the past few days, wondering where I'd gone wrong, and what I could have done better.

Looking back, I am almost certain now that I didn't really do anything "wrong." The fact that I even questioned this infuriates me. Of course I didn't do anything wrong. I made plans, communicated them, and followed through. Just because someone else didn't agree with the priority of those plans doesn't make them wrong, and that certainly does not give them the right to be angry with me for making the commitment in the first place. (Did I mention things were pretty tense this weekend?)

The more I thought about all of this, the angrier I got. I sat there brooding for almost an hour...until...a sweet image popped into my head. I was loading up Diva and Peanut, on our way BACK to the meet to pick up Sissy. As I was strapping the seat belt around Diva's booster, she lunged forward and gave me a giant hug, saying "I love you mommy!" AWWWW! At the time, I just said "I love you too, now let's go," (Kinda harsh, I know) not recognizing the moment for what it was.

We often get so caught up in the details of everyday life, that we miss the little things. Oh, we don't always ignore them completely, but we often times dismiss their importance. Had I just stopped what I was doing when Diva had reached for me with love, my heart could have let go of the anger and frustration so much more quickly. If only I had listened.

That's it!! That's what I did wrong! I was so caught up in my frustration, I let it spin out of control. Instead of diffusing the situation, I let it take over, accepting that things were going to be horrible for the rest of the weekend and that I just needed to deal with it. This revelation flooded my mind with so many little things I had failed to see over the past few days. I soaked them up, paying special attention to each one, letting go of the frustration, anger, and tension that had been building for days.

I encourage each of you to SEE the little things in life. Acknowledging even the smallest gesture can have an amazing impact.

God Bless

Friday, May 15, 2009

Who am I?

Well, I'm finally attempting to make my mark in the blogoshpere. This is something I've often considered, but quite honestly, I can't imagine having anything to say that other people would find remotely interesting. That said, I think this blog could become very therapeutic for me, and hopefully for others as well.

I guess maybe I should start with a little something about myself. My name is Di, and I am a slightly manic mother of three who works full time. I struggle daily with trying to find that "perfect" balance and know deep in my heart that despite my faults, God loves me just the way I am. I am the wife of a wonderful, big-hearted, anal-retentive, fun-loving teddy bear, Lugnut D. He is my rock, my protector, and my biggest supporter. My first-born, Sissy K, is 14 and every bit a teenage girl. She is a competitive tumbler, a former gymnast, a cheerleader, and a WONDERFUL big sister. Diva P is 3 and incredibly opinionated. She likes to help, loves to have her way, and ADORES all things princess. Peanut R, the caboose of this little girl train we have going, is 17 months old and we affectionately call her Stealth. She is quiet, observant, and always ready with hugs.

The craziness that is life often prevents me from taking time to reflect: on the day, on decisions to be made, on life itself. My hope is that this blog will allow me to spend a little more time reflecting and in turn, learning from mistakes, sharing my story with others, and forming relationships with people like me.

Thank you for joining me on this journey.

Di