Unique Legos

I love really unique LEGO's. Here are some of my favorites that I have seen.

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Thankful Thursdays

THANKFUL THURSDAYS:

• my warm house
• my 3 boys
• food to nourish me
• a hard-working husband
• everything we need
• being able to homeschool

The Burger

When my sister and I were younger, we always got a steak house burger when we went out to eat. To this day, it is still my favorite thing to have. I have only had a few in the past 15 years. I probably have one every 5 years or so. Every once in a while, I get a real craving for a really good steak house burger. Yummo!

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I Love Tigers

Anyone that knows me well knows that I love tigers...a lot. I have loved them since I was a young girl. I collected anything tiger that I could when I was younger. My love still continues to this day. When I go to the zoo, I am looking for the tiger exhibit first. They are just such beautiful animals.

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I loved Garfield

When I was growing up, I loved the cartoon character Garfield. I really loved him. I had all things Garfield. I had zipper pulls, clip-on toys, a stuffed animal, pencils, paper, trapper keepers, tablets, and comic books.

I sure wish I still had that stuff now. I have the comic book (as my best friend gave it to me), but I really wish that I had the stuffed animal and the clip-on toy.

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Little Debbie

I used to love Little Debbie Nutty Bars. I ate them mostly in college, and when I worked my first job as a secretary.

When I worked on staff at PCC, Kelly would sometimes come over to stay with me. One night, Kelly and I stayed up really late and finished off a box of these.

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For Michael, the oatmeal pies were his thing. He loved these things. He ate them all of the time. His mom would send these in packages for him.

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We cannot eat these now. We don't burn them off like we used to. Also, we have learned what is healthy and unhealthy to eat. We know which category these fall into for sure.

Holly Hobbie

I had a Holly Hobbie lunchbox when I was a young girl. I loved it. I wish that I still had it.

I can still remember the smell of the lunchbox as I first opened it. It is as if it was yesterday.

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Bittersweet

I just got done reading the book Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist. WOW! It felt like I was the one who wrote the book.

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I also had so many distressing things happen all at once. I did another post on that a couple of months ago. There are dates that I will never forget: 

• March 2 - Grandma Joseph died
• April 5 - Dad Smith died
• November 14 - my miscarriage
• November 17 - Dad died

 "When you are mourning, when something terrible has happened, it's on your mind and right at the top of  your heart all of the time. It is genuinely shocking to you that the sun is still shining and that people are still chattering away on Good Morning America. Your world has changed, utterly, and it feels so incomprehensible that the bus still comes and the people in cars next to you on the highway just drive along as if nothing's happened."

When you are in that place, it is a gift to be asked how you are doing...and really genuinely mean it. They don't offer "words of wisdom" to you. They listen, and they let you feel your pain. They share in that pain with you. They don't say to you, "Oh, there was probably something wrong with the baby,so it is a good thing that you miscarried." It still angers me today as I type this. That does not help at all. We are hurting, and we just need someone to share that hurt with us.

The other thing about this book that really hit home for me was that "finding home" is so hard. It is especially hard if you live somewhere for a long time, and then you leave that place. You try to make a home in a new place, and that is just not easy. I know that I have not felt "at home" since PA. Sometimes I do wonder if I ever will again. It is so hard for me.

I recommend this book to anyone who has endured some suffering or longs for a place to call home. It is a great read.

Past Pictures

I love these two munchkinheads. These photos bring back so many memories of our life in PA. These photos were taken up on the dike. They loved to walk up there. Baseball hats were their thing. They owned a lot of them. And, I guess Jar's love of hoodies started way back then.

Things I am passionate about

10 THINGS THAT I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT:

1. My faith in God
2. Michael
3. My boys
4. Journaling/blogging
5. Homeschooling
6. Health
7. Camping
8. Organization
9. Books
10. Being a stay-at-home mom/wife

Favorite Memories About My Dad-In-Law

These are some of my favorite memories about my dad-in-law:

1. The first time I met him he asked me how many kids I wanted
2. He was always fiddling with the car
3. He cleaned the house and did laundry
4. I can still see him washing the dishes
5. When he said, "You look healthy," he really meant, "Oh, I see you have gained some weight."
6. Working on the "cabin" with him
7. Working on the "cabin" carport with him
8. He always said, "You know I love you, son."
9. Playing frisbee in the PA yard
10. Playing baseball with the boys in PA

Favorite Memories About My Dad

These are some of some favorite memories about my dad:

1. Spraying all of the fruit trees
2. Riding on the tractor
3. Working on our garden
4. Checking the pool water with his equipment
5. Playing basketball
6. Him with a toothpick in his mouth always
7. Tinkering in the garage
8. Siting down at his desk in the basement
9. Going out to cut wood in the old truck
10. He always wore jeans

Favorite Things About My Mom-in-Law

These are some favorite memories I have of my mom-in-law:

1. Working with her at PCC
2. How she always said, "You see what I am saying" (Tammie and I used to tease her about this)
3. Getting my first pedicure with her
4. That time she had to go so badly...behind a tree looked good
5. Washing dishes with her at the house in Pensacola
6. When she taught us songs after she had been on a missions trip
7. Going to Sea World with her
8. Helping her organize her house
9. Bowling with her...she is really good

Favorite Memories About My Mom

These are some favorite memories I have about my mom:

1. She wore a bandanna on her head when she painted or worked outside
2. She was the only one that could mow the front yard...and she loved it
3. She has always licked her fingers and picked up things off the kitchen floor...especially when she talked on the phone
4. She would come to our house in PA and watch movies with me while Michael worked late
5. She has had the same Bible all of her adult like...it is basically in shreds--she still uses it for her devotions
6. She liked to have ice cream after dinner...she would sometimes have popcorn for lunch
7. She only vacuumed in our rooms after we had gone to bed for the night...I still have nightmares about this
8. She always put her arm out to keep us in our seats in the car--we were never buckled in the seat
9. She had/has stacks of 3 x 5 cards with QVC stuff "to buy" written on them
10. She always canned a lot of food every summer

I Enjoy...

20 THINGS I ENJOY DOING:

1. reading
2. journaling
3. blogging
4. reading other blogs
5. watching TV
6. watching movies (good ones anyway)
7. taking naps while camping
8. walking on the Elliptical
9. camping
10. hiking
11. swimming
12. singing
13. organizing
14. traveling
15. eating at cafe's
16. shopping in cute small towns
17. eating at fancy restaurants
18. spending time with the 3 boys
19. taking pictures
20. listening to music

Love of Camping

20 THINGS THAT I LOVE ABOUT CAMPING:

1. lakes
2. boats
3. campfire
4. campfire smell
5. paper plates
6. hiking
7. nature
8. no electronics
9. no cooking 
10. no schedule
11. naps
12. hot chocolate
13. Andy Griffith
14. smores
15. games
16. cute small towns
17. new cafe's
18. walks
19. lazy days 
20. going to bed early

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Pinterest Finds

Michael loves tater tots and bacon

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Can't live without

10 Things I can't live without on a daily basis:

1. The Bible-God
2. My three boys
3. Toothpaste/Toothbrush
4. Computer
5. Pen 
6. Paper
7. Ponytail Holders
8. Vitamix Blender
9. Juicer
10. Lotion

Never Have I...

NEVER HAVE I EVER...

• drank alcohol
• smoked a cigarette
• done drugs
• been to a night club/dance club
• been with anyone other than Michael
• had easy deliveries of my babies
• had a flu shot
• got a speeding ticket
• enjoyed cooking
• rode a city bus
• had a fake ID
• rode a subway
• been to Europe
• left Target without spending at least $20.00
• loved exercise
• enjoyed early mornings
• got a tattoo
• enjoyed being out at night
• liked to dust
• been to a foreign country
• had a $100.00 bill in my wallet to spend
• enjoyed swimming in a lake
• liked ocean water on my face/eyes

My Vices...

What are my vices (weaknesses)?

• The Bible
• My family
• A good bargain
• Fall activities
• A good latte
• Cheese pastry (has to have tons of cream cheese)
• A good magazine
• Free samples
• The Library
• TV
• Good Movies
• Books
• Reading blogs
• Camping
• Christmas
• Travelling
• Small coastal towns
• Organization
• Ice cream
• Journals

Glimpse of our Weekend

We had a pretty full weekend. On Friday evening we had Enchilada Chicken for dinner, and we watched Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (a show from the early 90's). The boys really like it.

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On Saturday morning, we headed to the Farmer's Market. They were having a sampling day. It sure was busy. We got some groceries and some specialty items (Fig Balsamic Vinegar and Lamb Sticks). 

Here are two photos Cam took at the Farmer's Market.

Michael came home and fixed the roof and washed his car. I cut Lily's hair and did laundry.

On Sunday, we went to church. It was a great service (except for the noisy kids behind us). We also watched the season finale of Downton Abbey.

Thankfully the weather was absolutely beautiful all weekend long.

Random Things

RANDOM THINGS:

• I cannot wait for summer and camping. We always play lots of games...although Michael has turned into a "no games" person. We have to turn him around
• My hormones are so screwed up...I wish I could get them aligned again.

• My dad bought these sandals for me about 12 years ago. They are my favorite shoes. I can wear them all day long to a fair or something and my feet never hurt. They are finally falling apart. I don't know if I can find a pair that will come close to being able to replace these.

• This is our shoe storage system. It works really good. We all have one rack.
• Well, it works good now. Michael put zip-ties on them to keep them sturdy.

• We got this at the Farmers Market.
• This Fig Balsamic Vinegar is seriously one of the best dipping vinegars we have ever had.