Sunday Smiles & I'm Handin Out Awards!

After my FFOs (Friday Flip-Offs) Virtual Detox of sorts I thought it'd be nice to do some Sunday Smiles. It was started by Melissa over at Miel et Lait. Stop by and leave her a note. She's been a bit under the weather.

Although life occasionally needs a good old fashioned rant, I have much to be grateful for. These are the things that made me smile this week.

1. A renewed appreciation for good health.

2. Children who say the funniest random things and crack me up.

3. Watching the kids take the deep end test and pass.

4. Little Man's excitement over a caterpillar.

5. Having such a handy husband. He was able to fix both my k key and broken doorknob.

6. Beautiful pool days despite the forecasts.

7. Another prospective buyer on the horizon for our 2nd home.

8. Little Man walking Pokey home from school by choice.

9. Great sleep. Nothin like it.

10. Receiving so many beautiful bloggy awards from such talented ladies.

Sorry this is such a long time coming, but here it is...

Drum Roll Please...

I am handing out AWARDS!!

I received the Versatile Blogger Award from

Amanda of Homeage
Amy of The Preppy Strawberry
Marlene of Blackhuff's Blogpoint
Denise of Our Full Nest

and One Lovely Blog Award from
Sherrie of Old Tweener
Lynn of Lost And Holding Hands

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! Can't thank you enough for all the support and encouragement that you've shown me and my lil 'ole blog.

I'd like to send an award to...

Alissa of 33 Shades of Green- a beautiful blog with such wonderful inspiration

Tanya of Dreams, Diapers, and Dilemmas- a fun variety plus she supports me regularly

Gigi of Kludgy Mom- a snarky gal who keeps me laughing time and time again

Alexandra of Good Day, Regular People- she can write her butt off about anything

Kristi of Live and Love out Loud- four kids and she still has a good sense of humor

The Drama Mama of The Scoop On Poop- multi -tasks like no other packing each post to the max

Tayarra of Honesty- works full time and still manages to turn out great posts

Uyen of Rambling Road Ramblings- a beautiful blog with great photos

Maureen of Tatter Scoops- a sweetheart who is doing wonderfully with the english language

Natalie of Mommy of A Monster- she has 3 under 3 and is a hoot

Carly of Carly's Photography- beautiful eye candy every post

Lolli of Better in Bulk- a little of everything- photos, recipes, and giveaways

Katie of Sluiter Nation- a well rounded enthusiastic blog from a down to earth gal

Dina of 4 Letter Words- great photos and finds on a regular basis

Amy of Amy's Blam- cracks me up and does great FFOs to boot

There ya have it in no particular order. Whew. I could have done so many more. Maybe next time. You ladies can pick one or both. Your choice.

In case you haven't seen me, I'm away and will be back in about a week.

Hope you are finding some smiles!

After This I'll Be Exalted To Heaven, Directly.

{Written Monday, July 26th, 2010 at 11:20PM}

At the risk of becoming a rabid blogger as my niece so eloquently put it, I’ve decided a break from the blogging world could do this girl a world of good.

And what perfect timing. Hubs has planned a trip away to Washington, as in the state. I’ve been dragging my feet committing for multiple reasons. Mostly because what started as a boy’s fishing trip for him and a buddy has somehow become a family excursion. When approached with this insane notion I instantly said no. “You go have a swankin fun time with your friend.”

He wanted ME- moi- this little chicky who prefers hotels over motels anyday, wears lipstick and eyeliner boating, and can only camp 2 days max before going mad, to go on a fishing charter for 8 hours straight for half the week? Um, love ya and all, but that sounds a bit like hell on earth. Seriously? And he just wouldn’t let up. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out why he would ever want me to go along on a guy fishing trip.

Not to even mention the 35 hour drive one way tucked in the back between the kiddos because this trip is not exactly in the budget and tickets out of Iowa are outrageous. Long car trips and I, well… Have I ever mentioned that my oil glands go into super hyperdrive in the car? Nothing makes a girl feel skankier than having so much oil on her face that frying an egg becomes a possibility. After 6+ blotting sheets a girl feels a bit like a McDonald’s fry cook, at the very least. And please don't tell me it will keep me young... I've heard it all. It just down right sucks.

His folks live that way and he wanted adequate bonding moments for the children. So, of course, he wants me to go to mind them. Perhaps he’s worried their dynamic personalities might send Gram’s over the edge.

I could go on, but I think I’ve painted a lovely enough image here. After many sleepless nights, therapy, and month+ of hemming and hawing over this painful decision that seemed to be a no win/win I’m sucking it up and going to paint on my happy face and make the most of it and have a fab time doing it dang it.

I am doing it mostly for the kidlets. Of all the weeks in the entire year, he HAD to pick the ONE week that not one, but both kids have a b-day. Yes, that’s right. Little Man and Pokey have a b-day one day apart the first week of August. And this did not happen by choice, trust me. Little Man came 2 weeks late while Pokey was induced 5 days early on Little Man’s b-day.

It’s not like two different sexed children have anything in common and could possibly share a birthday party. Heck no. For the sake of my sanity we only have birthday parties every other year. On the opposite year we do trips.

I just found out today that the trip is in 4 days, as in 4 days from this very moment. But hubs always fills me in on all the details and there is no way that I could have possibly been misled about what day we were leaving.

And as of now the children STILL have no idea we are going. They asked me today if they could go to a waterpark for their birthdays. If you remember back to the start of our South Dakota Adventures, I was pretty clear about my feelings regarding kids and trips. "If there was ever an unspoken kid rule that should be in the mysterious master manual it would read: Never tell children anything unless you are 100% sure it will happen. If you have even the slightest hesitation, for your own sanity and the love of goodness and harmony do NOT under ANY circumstances share this information with your children. They will hold it over your head eternally and you will never cease to regret it." I will stand by this til I am old and gray and buried 6 feet under.

I know that they will have many more birthdays to come, but are they old enough to understand why I wasn’t with them on their 9th and 11th b-days? Probably not.

So, you may not see me around for a little while. I’ve scheduled some posts for your viewing pleasure and I’ll do my best to catch up with your lives when I return. Don’t miss me too much.

Picture me on a lovely road trip with a smile on my face loving every. single. minute. of. it! 100% unplugged! Heaven help me.



So long...

Friday Flip-Offs, 7/30 Edition

Just in case you are new here, this is Friday-Flip Offs, the place to rid yourself of all that random annoying crap that seems to worm it's way into your life and fester like a boil just below the surface waiting to explode.

Gigi at Kludgy Mom is the brains behind this brilliant idea. Stop over and give her some bloggy love.

Without further delay... Let's get this party started.

1. To the doorknob to the garage that just decided to stop working all together making it rather challenging to enter and exit, not to mention the time you took away from the 283 other things on my to do list that were way before you. Way to nudge yourself up on my already packed list. Ugh.

2. To all the hair on my body that just keeps on growing despite my constant efforts to keep it properly manicured. Why? Why must you continually torment me? Do you not know that it is summer and a girl doesn't need unwanted hair.

3. To toads, snakes, and ALL stinky critters that not only leave my house with funky odors, but make my children smell like a foot, which in turn demands showers, which in turn produces crying fits. It's all your fault you FILTHY, nasty creatures. If you don't believe me, you can see them here.

4. To google... we've had a long journey together and although you've given me some nice moments, lately you are making me want to pull my hair out and scream bloody murder at the top of my lungs. Why must you make it so difficult to do photos without giant gaps? Photos are my thing and if you can't cooperate, this might just be the final straw with you. Just sayin. Plus all the other junk is really annoying too- and you know what I'm talking about.

5. To my Canon EOS 20D that decided to kick the bucket 12 hours prior to our departure for our trip for no good reason right after I photographed Little Man's snake. You couldn't have worse timing. What the heck am I supposed to do now? There is no time for a service call nor do we have money for maintenance, let alone a new camera- which appears to be the best scenario. You've given me a good run, but I was under the impression that you would live forever with some upgraded lenses and accessories, but only 50,000 shutter clicks? Really? And I recommended you to friends and family? You worthless piece of crap.

6. To allergens that are tormenting my eyes something fierce causing them to be bright red and itch so bad I want to scratch them out. And currently stinging from tears flowing no thanks to #5 incident. There's no way a person can wear contacts like this and these glasses aren't doin me any favors here. I look like a hot mess and maybe it's a good thing that #5 happened. No chance of me being documented looking this crappy.

and lastly

7. To car trips that are longer than I am old... don't you know that I have excessive scar tissue where my coccyx used to be? Plus I feel like a skanky hoe bag when I must be in the car that long. Nothin pretty about driving through the midwest for 20 hours. Same old monotonous corn fields, pig farms, and windmills mile after mile after MILE after freakin MILE. If it wasn't for itunes and Redbox I might just die. I know, I know, they used to travel by handcart or foot and I'm melodramatic and all that good stuff. Still, it's the 21st century. I thought by now there would be some fab invention to eliminate all that mindless sitting. And don't say planes... hubs is a tightwad. Get it?

All of the above mentioned—FLIP OFF!!!

{insert deep breath here}

At this point I normally say, "I'm feeling so much better!" Unfortunately numbers 3, 5, 6, and 7 are too current and I need at least 24 hours to simmer a bit.

Now it's YOUR turn. What is bugging you these days? If you are in need of a great vent, try Friday Flip-Offs. It's free and so therapeutic and I'm sure you already have plenty of material. Give it a go! Then stop by the other FFOs.

Sunscreen Causes Cancer Part 2

After many emails regarding my first post about the Marie Claire study, I decided I should do an update.

Skincare is not something to take lightly, especially when you are plagued with fair skin. First and foremost, make sure to get checked out annually. You can find the ABCs of moles here in a previous post.

What I have learned since Sunscreen Causes Cancer (part 1) is that there are several ingredients that they are concerned about, not just vitamin A.

The following ingredients are all found on the AVOID list:
(You can find explanations here or here.)

vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) found in 41% of sunscreens is photocarcinogenic, causing accelerated skin damage and elevated skin cancer risk when applied to skin exposed to sunlight.

Oxybenzone (a derivative of benzophenone) found in 60% of sunscreens is a hormone distrupting compound that penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream.

Homosalate, Octy-methoxycinnamate (octinoxate), & Parabens also have estrogenic properties.

Padimate-O and Parsol 1789

PABA

Sprays or Powders "cloud the air with tiny particles of sunscreen that may not be safe to breathe."

Nothing to worry about, right? Geesh. How is one suppose to find a sunscreen minus these ingredients? I've looked. They are not in any drugstores.

And to make matters worse, "the Enviromental Working Group (EWG) just published an in-depth analysis of the safety and effectiveness of more than 700 name-brand sunscreens." Of the more than 700 sunscreens analyzed, the EWG found 84% of them were insufficent or unsafe.

I was deeply disturbed to find that neutrogena was not only NOT recommended, but was on the AVOID list. That is the brand that has always been recommended by my dermatologist.

So I phoned them. I have yet to hear back, so I phoned several others in town. Only one returned my phone call and told me (via the receptionist) that he had heard nothing of this and unless it is printed in a medical journal it means nothing of importance. Hmm..

Well, it wasn't in ladies' home journal as he implied and does the EWG not count?

Uyen of Ramble Road Ramblings asked her SIL who is a dermatologist and she said. "I wouldn't worry about it. Like the article says, there's no definitive proof of this whereas there is lots of definitive proof on the benefits of sunscreen. I think people like to look for excuses to not wear sunscreen! So bottom line, keep slathering it on!!"

These are the ingredients to LOOK FOR:

Zinc

Titanium dioxide

Avobenzone or Mexoryl SX

Creams with Broad-spectrum protection(both UVA and UVB coverage), water-resistant for beach, pool & exercise, SPF 30+ for beach & pool

Make sure to check out the EWG's 2010 Sunscreen Guide . You can look at a list of recommended sunscreens or type in your specific sunscreen to see how it ranks. Most of the preferred ones on their list are not recognizable names for me and I'm not sure where they can be found yet.

Not sure if this has answered any questions for anyone, but it's what I do when I feel helpless- read! The internet is a bit of a double edged sword. It has amazing amounts of information that can be wonderful and can also make ya search aimlessly in circles to no avail until you have an ulcer.

I've decided to use up the neutrogena I have while I search for sunscreens on the EWG's recommended list that have the ingredients to look for. At least that's the current game plan.

Pretty much we're damned if we do and we're damned if we don't. We are going to get cancer regardless according to the study unless we use the right sunscreens and it appears that no one really knows what that is.

I'm going to continue to use rash guards for the kiddos. Use a hat or umbrella at the pool if ya can. My public pool has really large umbrellas, but are hard to come by. And I will continue to be vigilant with my sunscreen. I find that when I don't use it my melasma and freckles tend to come out, so it is definitely doing something. Hopefully it is doing more good than bad in the long run.

That's all I have for now. I welcome opinions and any other info that I may have missed.

Thanks to all who have sent emails and voiced their concerns. It's nice to know I'm not alone.

Wordless Wednesday Linky Party: Meet the Bum Behind the Blog

Welcome Friends! I can't wait to see what you've come up with this week. Let's get this party started. Shall we? Add your link below and then head over to some of my other bloggy friends... Kristi at Live and Love Out Loud, Angie at seven clown circus, and Susan & Janice at 5 minutes for mom.

I had planned to change over to the thumbnail linky, but it appears some of you really prefer the old method, so I am providing both. You pick.

Tasty Tuesdays Bloghop: Black Bean Salsa

Welcome to Tasty Tuesdays. A place to share favorite family recipes. I'd love for you to play along. Grab the button to the right and link up. We could use a little diversity over here.

This is one I previously posted on St. Patrick's Day for those of you who follow me. Some recipes are just worth repeating. This is one of those. Thanks Shawn for being so domesticated and passing on some great ones to your big sis.



And in case you forgot how it works around here or are new to my neck of the blogosphere, let me explain my Tasty Tuesdays:

1. I do not profess to be a gourmet chef of any kind. Nor do I want to be. Period.

2. I try to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible. Unless Family Feud is on.

3. All recipes I post are tried and true.

4. I am on a mission to find as many easy, yummy, kid friendly recipes as humanly possible. (But a few grown up ones are nice too.)

Below is our Black Bean Salsa. Way yummier than it looks. Grab some scoops and you have yourself a fantastic treat.

This recipe card is formatted as a 4x6 card for you to save and print. (I enlarged it here for viewing. Let me know if there is a problem printing it as a 4x6 card. You can print it on cardstock or photo paper.)

There are NO RULES for you. Link up with any recipe, old or new. Anything goes. Anything that strikes your fancy. Tell us what you're cookin up. Link up below.

My Fate as A Mom...

Little Man and I ventured out to explore because we all know how much I love to be outdoors. Luckily we didn't have to go far. Just a few feet from our house there is a field of weeds. Woods to the left and rear. We opted for the weeds in the front. And what better spot to explore than that? Especially when you are a 10 1/2 year old boy.


We stood in the tall weeds and observed the bustling of the cycle of life. It was a beautiful crisp day. Bumble bees were busy gathering pollen. Dragonflies and butterflies would swoop down from time to time. Except for the swarming gnats it was actually quite lovely.


And of course all the japanese beetles. (Little Man made sure to point out all the ones that were mating.)


And the 8 legged critters. Blech. He caught yet another "garden variety spider" as he so called it. Oh joy! I just gritted my teeth and smiled from afar. I didn't want to ruin his proud moment.


And have I mentioned that Little Man has acquired quite an eye for photography?


I try to be a willing subject. Paybacks for the years of torturous photo taking sessions I suppose.


He always has specific ideas for his photos. I only wish he'd have let me doll up a bit first.


I tried hard to stay clear of wasps and webs and ambiguous looking critters. And was excited to find cute moths minding their own business just basking in the sun.




But mostly I found a happy little boy excited to spend a few moments with me in his favorite element- nature. And although I can think of nothing I hate worse than buzzing bugs and creepy crawlies... it sure does make me happy to watch this little boy's passion at play.

And I'm afraid this has become my fate because...
1. I live in the woods. And we aren't moving anytime soon.
2. I have a child who doesn't discriminate against any living creature.
3. Little Man has started a monarch caterpillar hatchery as he calls it.
4. I don't have the heart to stomp on his little dreams.

Sigh.

Week 29 {365} Buzzing Bugs & Crawling Critters

Sorry this is a little late, I've been a bit under the weather, but am doing much better. Thanks for all the well wishes.

I knew the moment a toad crossed my path this week that critters had definitely made the cut for my project 365 theme. Don't know if that old saying is true or not, but ironically enough Pokey and I were actually freezing off warts right before "toadie" (as the kids call him) came to visit. They have been catching all sorts of nasty bugs to feed him. Hopefully the buzz will wear off soon and we can release him back to the wild so he can find his own food. Oh, to be a kid again...



I hope this finds you well and that you are enjoying good health in your neck of the woods.

An Unexpected Visit From the Sickness Fairy

It’s 2:30 AM, I’m lying on the bathroom floor, my body is on fire, I’m sweating like I’ve just run a marathon, and I’m in excruciating pain…

I think, “Dear Lord, just take me now.”

The thought crosses my mind that this could possibly be why Little Man was lying on the floor crying last week.

“Great, I’ve got Little Man’s stomach bug.”

This goes on for about 3 hours while hubs is oblivious to the fact that I even left the bed.

The worst is the unknown.

Why does this hurt so much and when will it end?

When you are praying to be able to vomit you know that you have a nasty one.

Vomiting might be in my top ten worst things on planet earth.

I am weak and my eyes can hardly focus. And the barf bowl is so far away.

My stomach is screaming in pain. Sharp intense pains…

I crawl to the carpeted area right outside the bathroom and curl up in a fetal position. My body is craving the comfort only a bed can provide.

“Please make it stop.”

I hear hubs snoring away.

After several hours of excruciating pangs I am finally able to work through the worst of it.

I attempt to sleep, but am several times awaken by this nasty sickness.

This morning as I lie in bed, I realize that although I am still weak and possibly not out of the woods completely yet, the worst is over.

It’s morning and the light of day has given me renewed hope.

I can’t help but think how much I take my health for granted.

Every single day that I wake up and am able to accomplish all the tasks of the day, it is indeed a miracle.

Each system is working together in harmony and I am free of sickness or disease.

I am a well oiled machine with thousands of different parts that work simultaneously to function optimally.

Last year hubs nearly cut off his finger in a freak accident. I couldn’t help but worry that it would never be the same.

A year later you can hardly detect the mishap. Minus a few missing nerve endings, his finger is almost entirely repaired. To the naked eye it appears perfect.

We go through moments of sickness, disease, and accidents… some brief, others more extended.

But our body’s ability to heal will never cease to amaze me.

Friday Flip-Offs, 7/23 Edition

Yes, I'm back to flippin things off. Did ya miss me?

Just in case you you have no idea what I'm talking about, this is Friday-Flip Offs, the place to rid yourself of all that random annoying crap that seems to worm it's way into your life and fester like a boil just below the surface waiting to explode.

My friend, Gigi at Kludgy Mom, is the brains behind this brilliant idea. Stop over and check out her great FFOs.

Let's get this party started. Ahem...

To the sod webworms that are wreaking serious havoc on our yard AGAIN. You suck. And I’m tired. And can’t ya just crawl over next door and give me a break for awhile? Why must you come back year after year and torment me?

To the universe for always placing me precisely next door to the old retired guy with too much time on his hands with the most perfectly manicured yard this side of town it makes me sick. And makes my sod webworm patches look even worse.

To retarded bladders that gave not one, but two kiddos infections this week. What the crap? I can’t remember 4 different doses of antibiotics in a day. It’s all I can do to remember to take my own drugs or remember anything for that matter.

To aging that prevents me from being able to have the energy I would like to get everything done that I want and causing spinny toys at the park to give me vertigo and nausea. Isn’t it enough that I have wrinkles and saggy skin? Must you take my fun away too?

To the yellow slide at Cherry Hill Pool and whoever is being neglectful on the maintenance of the yellow slide that caused my little Pokey to get a giant sized goose egg on her little noggin. Poor chicky.

To that study by Marie Claire that claimed that sunscreen now causes cancer. Don’t ya have anything better to do than concoct new cancer causers? Don’t moms have enough to worry about as it is?

To flaky people that can’t commit to anything, more specifically the ones that put an offer on a house and then pull out at the last second. Ugh.

And last but not least...

To decisions that have no win/win and only cause stress and anxiety and sleepless nights. OK, maybe it’s only perspective, but deserves to be on the list nonetheless.

All of the above mentioned—FLIP OFF!!!

{insert deep breath here}

I'm feeling so much better!

Now it's YOUR turn. What is bugging you these days? If you are in need of a great vent, try Friday Flip-Offs. It's free and so therapeutic and I'm sure you already have plenty of material. Give it a go! Then stop by the other FFOs. They are so entertaining and sure to bring some good gut rolling laughs.

Biting My Tongue.

Has your hubs ever bought your kid some article of clothing that you hated?

Only to have your kid think it's the best thing EVER.

And want to wear it every. single. day.

Clean or Dirty.

Despite the fact it was really too big.

And you HATED it. Loathed it. Wanted to burn it. Cringed inside every single time they put it on.

And had to put your foot down when they wanted to wear it to church?

Well, here it is in all it's glory...



I'm biting my tongue so I don't seem like a crazy.

It's summer.

And there are worse things.

But dang. Seriously. What were these designers thinking? I think maybe I should have a word or two with them. These were marketed for boys?

Oh, and by the way... Hubs thinks that it's a "good looking shirt" and that you will agree and "give him some props" or some nonsense like that.

I'd like to think I have better fashion sense. You be the judge.

Wordless Wednesday Linky Party: Overcoming Phobias

Happy Wordless Wednesday folks! Thanks for stopping by. Let's get this party started. Shall we? Add your link below and then head over to some of my other bloggy friends...

Kristi at Live and Love Out Loud
Angie at seven clown circus
Susan & Janice at 5 minutes for mom

The thumbnail linky seemed to be a hit, but some of you still liked the old style. This week I ask that you choose only one so that I can get a better idea of preferences. Thanks.

Tasty Tuesdays: Indoor Smores

I have a small confession: I was at book club tonight and when I came home hubs had made this with the kids and even took pics. I can't decide if he's being super sweet or up to something. Hmm... Either way he has scored some serious points.

This is definitely a favorite around here. Easy enough for the kids to pretty much make themselves. And when rain is forecasted for a week straight, this is the next best thing.



Ingredients:
Cooking spray
12 graham cracker squares
3 cups milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons peanut butter
3 cups miniature marshmallows

Spray 13x9 pan with the cooking spray.



Put chocolate chips and peanut butter in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate chips are melted. Take saucepan off heat.



Crush up graham crackers in a plastic bag.



Stir in graham cracker pieces and marshmallows. Spread the mixture in the sprayed pan. Put pan in refrigerator for about 1 hour or until firm. Cut bars.



Voila! Enjoy some indoor smores.

Grab one of your family favs and join the bloghop party. You can grab the button to the right. Can't wait to see what you come up with.

Happy Tuesday Y'all!

The Doldrums of Summer.

Are you burned out yet?

Are you out of ideas to entertain the kiddos?

Do you see faces like this staring at you?

Well, if you answered YES to any of these, you are not alone. I'm totally with ya.

I've compiled a few ideas to help us get through these last few weeks.

Our Mommyhood posted 50 Things to Do This Summer. It is a fabulous list.

The Activity Mom posted School Is Out! Now What? Activities for 6+ back the end of May as per requested. She rocks. (If you have younger ones make sure to check our her site because she always has great ideas for toddlers too.)

Kids Click is another fun idea for kids this summer. It was created by Simone of Great Fun for Kids. Learn more about kids click here. Every other week there is a new theme.

Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour shared a great tutorial on how to make rainbow cupcakes with your kids last month.

Secrets of A Super Mommy shared a fun rainbow pudding pops idea. I'm totally doing this one.

And if you happened to miss my homemade chalk recipe, you can find it here or here.

Today when the kidlets were supposed to be showering I found them painting rocks- together- and getting along swimmingly. I could hardly be mad. They were self entertaining so well. And it gave me a teensy-weensy glimmer of hope.

But sometimes they just need a little mommy time. I've learned that it doesn't take much- a walk, a board game, even a conversation over ice cream can do wonders to help keep cranky moods at bay.

Good luck ladies. I know that entertaining kids can be exhausting at times. A wise friend recently told me that I needed to be unplugged sometimes so I could just enjoy some one on one with my kids. Set aside a few minutes a day without electronics (including phones) to bond while they still think you are cool. These moments are fleeting.

Hope you'll find something useful in one of these links so these last weeks can be fun, enjoyable days making great memories with your kiddos.

And that the faces you see look a little more like this...

(Thanks to Pokey and Little Man for being such great sports.)

"Families that Play Together Stay Together."

Hubs has a crazy schedule with some crazy hours. This is just the way it is.

So, we treasure moments together.



As I get older I realize that beautiful moments don't require travel or money.


They are all around us.


But we have to have an open mind.


And a willing heart.


A smile, a laugh, a beautiful sunset, the smell of lilacs, the excitement of a child...


Open your eyes and embrace the moments.

They will go on with or without us...


Pause the busyness of life.


To breathe in and enjoy.


And make some memorable moments while ya can.

The rest can wait.

Week 28 {365} A Slice of Summer

This is my project 365 in a weekly version.

I have had many questions regarding what this is and I thought I would take a few minutes to clarify.

Last year I did the daily 365 and it proved to be one of the hardest challenges I've ever taken on. I love the outcome and will always treasure my book, but have decided to take it down a few notches.

I have no set rules. I find pics that represent the week and pick a theme and throw them together. I don't have to take pictures daily although I usually do. Unlike the daily Project 365, I can use as many or as few photos as I want. I've made it 28 weeks now and it is amazingly easier than last year. Some weeks I share my scrapbook page while others I only share my pics due to time restraints. I think the weekly project still represents our days well and will tell just as beautiful of a story when it is all said and done.

Project 365 can be started anytime. If you are interested in doing it but not sure how, Becky Higgins has both a paper book as well as an online version that you can plug in your text and photos (similar to shutterfly or snapfish).



Highlights This Week Include:
Eating Trout
Playing with Bendaroos
Catching Butterflies and Frogs
Playing with Nerf Guns
Enjoying Root Beer Floats
Building Forts
Bowling
Running Outdoors
Fishing
Eating Ice Cream
Making Memories at Adventureland
Finding Caterpillars
Grilling
Listening to Thunderstorms
Picking Berries

We are now into the thick of summer. And although it has been smokin hot and the mosquitoes are more abundant than I ever remember... it is such a beautiful time of year and we are making some amazing memories. If ya didn't get a chance to read about our Adventureland experience you can find it here. It was definitely a day we won't readily forget.

What is your slice of summer lookin like this week?

Friday Favs!

No Flip-Offs today.

I wanted to instead share some of my favorite finds this week. Not to worry, I'm sure I'll have plenty of things to flip by next week.

The blogging community is chock-full of talented, inspiring individuals. My blogger reader never disappoints. The hardest part is figuring out which ones to bookmark for later. These are a few I wanted to share with you for Friday Favs.

For you photography lovers, you may enjoy this tutorial on panning from the idea room. It's a technique that I have yet to master.

I also found a new photographer at simple. lovely. life on my stroll through the Wordless Wednesday linky party that has yet to be truly discovered. I was drooling over her beautiful work that she shot with her new macro lens.


And speaking of photos, if you want to watermark, the lady blogger's society posted a great tutorial of how to watermark your photos in photobucket. I also learned that you can also do this in picasa or picnik from some of my dedicated readers.

And if you don't want to go to the trouble of watermarking, Jessica from A Look into My Life shared this one with me. This one is a MUST SEE! It's a tutorial from Sneaky Momma Blog Design on how to right click disable photos on your blog. And if not for this, just go peruse. You are sure to find some great tips to enhance your blog.

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If you are more of a CRAFTY person, I found a couple fun ideas.

33 shades of green (one of my favorite new stops) shared how to make hypertufa pots. Way cool.

I also found a fun tutorial over at be different act normal on how to make a no sew fabric pup tent. My kinda project.

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If ya just need a good laugh... got some of those too.

Laugh out Loud shared a post entitled, Why blogging is good for you...! It was written by Kludgy Mom and is sure to bring some laughs. Another favorite of hers is A Room That Smelled Like Butt: A Mystery [in one part]. This one is actually from a few weeks ago, but it is still fresh in my memory bank. I was laughing so hard I had tears streaming down my face.

Amber Page Writes is also another good one for some laughs, from The Craigslist Ad I'll Never Write to A New Way to Look at Pole Dancing.

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If you enjoy the touching, raw posts, make sure to check out I'm Baack...Kinda... over at Mommy of a Monster. It struck a cord with many of her followers and is a beautiful post about her struggles with depression.

I know that life is crazy busy for you just like it is for me, so if ya don't have time right now to check these out just bookmark it for later. I'm sharing the best of the best in an attempt to help highlight a few favorites you may have missed.

Have a beautiful weekend, y'all!

20 Lessons I Learned at Adventureland.

Be forewarned: This is a little lengthier than anticipated. It is chock-full of crappy point and shoot photos that hubs was kind enough to capture, mostly while in motion himself. Crappy or not they tell the story way better than I ever could. It was one CRAZY day! If ya don't believe me, keep reading. These are some of the lessons I took home with me from our outing to the amusement park.

1. Make sure to get a great family shot at the start of your day. (You might not have another opportunity.)



2. Rides with the kids bring out their true personalities. (Notice how stiff Little Man is.)



3. Never do the silly silo by yourself. You'll be the only sicko for a while.



4. Bonding moments come when you least expect them. Make sure to not be on the sidelines.







5. There's a chance your glasses may fly off even when hubs assures you they won't. You'd better hold on if ya wanna keep em!



6. Ski lifts prepare children for the sky ride.



7. Always carry an umbrella even when hubs is against it, especially if it is lightweight and doesn't take up much space. It might just come in handy.



8. Don’t ride any rides while it’s raining. It might just start pouring and you may get drenched. And then get an ear infection from water in your ear.





9. Under no circumstances should you EVER believe accuweather or KCRG channel 9 forecasts. Be prepared for stormy weather and torrential downpours even when rain is not predicted or on the radar.



10. Don’t walk through standing water without shoes. You may collect all sorts of pond scum on your feet and legs. And you may spend days trying to get the dirt out of the cracks in your feet to no avail. (But it may be the only option to get out of the park.)





11. Always have an extra change of clothes and/or towel in the car so you don't have to spend an arm and a leg getting dry clothing at the local Target. Btw, Target doesn't allow cameras. :(

12. Never eat funnel cake and then ride spinny rides back to back. Even if you don’t vomit, you may feel sick for hours.





13. Never curl your hair if you plan to go to an amusement park. And make sure to sport a cute hat as a backup plan when hair fails you. (See photo above.)

14. Mix up the arcade games so you don’t end up with 3 of the exact same stupid dogs.



15. Make sure to check out the fun mirrors. They always make you feel better about yourself.



16. Point and shoot cameras are not the best for action shots.





17. No person over the age of 12 should ever do the inverter 5 times in a row.



18. You should do the Tornado even if you feel squeamish because it might be the most fun you have all day. (I did it twice.)



19. Always bring a ziplock bag for cameras and phones. Preferably quart sized because the sandwich size might be too small and get a hole. Or a waterproof camera would be better yet.

20. Don't let motion sickness, flash flooding, thunderstorms, freezing kiddos, or bad hair ruin your day. Turns out not many people like amusement parks in the rain and you can go on rides as much as you want. And it makes for some great stories.


There ya have it. Hope your day at the park is less eventful than ours! And if not, try to make the most of it.

And in case you didn't notice those annoying letters on all the photos...
I have started watermarking. It's sad that we have to worry so much about copyright infringements and plagiarism, not to mention our own protection, but it has been brought to my attention that all are valid concerns. If you do photos you might want to consider this option. I used photoshop elements, but lady blogger's society posted a great tutorial of how to watermark your photos in photobucket. Definitely worth a look-see.