Prayers!

I won't be around the blog world for a while. I'm not sure how long. Life has gotten very complicating.

Please pray for me! God knows the details!

Peg

Corny Jokes for the day....

Laughter is great medicine for the soul!
Hope your weekend is filled with it!



Why did the cinnamon roll?

Because it saw the apple turnover!



What kind of shorts do clouds wear?

Thunderwear!



Why don't ducks tell jokes while they are flying?

Because they would quack up!



Why did the Banker lose his job?

Because he didn't make any sense!



Have any jokes to share?

I have finally been tagged!

I was starting to feel a little left out here. Everyone was being tagged but me! Thanks for thinking of me , Ashley.
Sorry it has taken me so long to get to it.
Here it is:

Ashley tagged me a few weeks ago and I am finally posting it.

Here are the rules (which you all probably know because you have all already been tagged):
1. Choose 5 (or more) occupations from the list below and finish the sentence for each that you have chosen.
2. Tag three or more people who must do the same.
3. You can add more occupations to the list when you pass it on, but you mush choose your 5 from the list provided by the person who tagged you.
4. Link to the person who tagged you.

Here is the very, very long list (the ones in boldface at the bottom are the ones I have added):

If I could be a scientist...
...a farmer...
...a musician....
...a doctor....
....a painter...
....a gardener...
...a missionary....
...a chef.....
...an architect....
....a linguist....
....a psychologist....
...a librarian.....
....an inkeeper.....
...a professor.....
....a writer......
...a llama rider....
....a bonnie pirate....
.....service member....
.....a photographer.....
....a philanthropist....
....a rap artist.......
....a child actor......
....a secret agent.....
.....a comedian/comedienne....
.....a priest.....
....a radio announcer.....
.....a phlebotomist......
....Paris Hilton's stylist.....
....a movie producer......
....the CEO of Microsoft.....
....a zookeeper......
.....the host of a reality show......
.... a food critic........
.....host a show on The Food Network.....
.....a board game creator.......
If I could be a Crime Scene Investigator.....
If I could be a Romance Novelist........
If I could be a Major League Baseball Coach......
If I could be a Harley Davidson Motorcycle Gang Rider.......
If I could be an Employee at Home Depot..........


Whew - now that that I have written all that here goes:

1. If I could be a ZooKeeper I would hang out with the monkeys,the nice bears, and the talking birds. I would sit and talk to the monkeys for hours and just "hang out" with them. I would want to play and cuddle with the bears. I would teach the birds how to say really funny and nice things to people as they walked by. I would learn how to communicate with all of them!

2. If I could be a Photographer I would spend my life traveling around the world capturing the beautiful people and surroundings that God has created. I would seek out the unique people of the world and try to capture their hope, joy, sadness and curiosity. I would try to capture the sparkle in a child's eyes. I would also want to capture the humor in the world so when people looked at my pictures it would make them smile and laugh.

3. If I could Host a Show on the Food Network I would prepare every recipes that contained chocolate, whip cream, any kind of berries, coffee, liquers, and cheesecake. I would also be labeled "The Plump Chef" because I would be sampling everything!

4. If I could be a Writer I would express the deep emotions inside my heart and soul that I have such a hard time expressing. I would write about the secrets deep inside that I have never shared with anyone.

5. If I could be a Gardner I would create a colorful, peaceful, breathtaking garden of flowers, trees, vines and waterfalls . I would invite the birds, bees, fish and every peaceful creature and and I would sit in the middle of it everyday praising God for His creation.

Okay, now I am going to tag Amy, Hugh, and Lori and "The Person" that reads this blog regularly and has never introduced themself to me! What is your name? Or feel free to post anonomyously, but I would really like to know who you are!

"Blessed"

I love this song! I wish I could belt it out like Rachael Lampa!
I am listening to KLove on my computer. It's really cool.
Hope you enjoy the words:

I may never climb a mountain
So I can see the world from there
I may never ride the waves
And taste the salty ocean air
Or build a bridge
That will last a hundred years
But no matter where the road leads
One thing is always clear

I am blessed, I am blessed
For When I rise up in the morning
'Till I lay my head to rest
I feel You near me
You sooth me when I'm weary
Oh, Lord for all the worst and all the best
I am blessed

All along the road less traveled
I have crawled and I have run
I have wandered through the wind and rain
Until I found the sun
The watching eyes ask me why
I walk this narrow way
I will gladly give the reason
For the hope I have today

You've given me joy
You've given me love
You give me strength
When I want to give up
You came from heaven
To rescue my soul
This is the reason I know, I know

I am blessed, I am blessed
When I rise up in the morning
'Till I lay my head to rest
I feel You near me
You soothe me when I'm weary
Oh, Lord for all the worst and all best
I am blessed

Rachael Lampa

Chef K

My twelve year old son has always had a cooking interest! He loves to watch many of the chef shows. Too bad "The Frugal Gourmet" isn't still around. Actually, I think he did something illegal, but I can't remember what it was. It is a great blessing for me to teach K because I love to cook, too! I have thoroughly enjoyed cooking with him. God's little gift to me!

Saturday night he informed me that he was going to cook lunch after church. Why sure, be my guest!!!!! We found his Emeril's There's a Chef in My Family! Cookbook and he made a shopping list! I love it!

His menu consisted of Shrimp Cocktail, Emeril's Con Queso, Salsa, and BBQ Chicken- all from scratch! All of our favorites, of course! It was fabulous! See pic of shrimp, queso, and salsa below.........

Look out for the next famous chef....

Chef K!

Chef K's sunday lunch! 

Panic Attack!!!!!!!

I had a moving panic attack today!!!!! My twelve year son said, "Mom, you need to settle down!" It was quite humorous considering the million times I have told him "to settle down".

Anyway, please keep us in your prayers..... we have way too many decisions to make and things to do!

I will gladly accept any moving advice!

Just the little things.....

Some of the little things that make my heart smile:

Getting a really good parking space

Hearing an old favorite song on the radio

Spying a deer prancing on the side of the road

Seeing a rainbow in the sky

Running into a long lost friend

When I have a really great hair day

Spotting a cardinal outside my window

When the item I am buying rings up at a lower price

When my children do what I ask without arguing with me

Driving by a field full of wild flowers

Looking at really big trees (it doesn't take much for me)

Having a great run

An unexpected hug from a friend

Reading a scripture that suddenly has a new meaning for me

Marking things off my "to do" list

Spending quality time with God

When my clothes fit loosely

When my husband sends me a really sweet e-mail in the middle of the day

What makes your heart smile?

Help for the really hairy people!

I have made a new discovery and it is a really great one! A little painful, but that is the price we pay for beauty, right? About three years ago my friend Mendy suggested I go with her to get a bikini wax. She had a gift certificate that she offered to share with me. I thought that was a super idea! All my life it has been a challenge for me to shave my bikini area. I have spent insane amounts of money on every hair removal product on the shelves! My hair grows very thick! I had a boyfriend once run his fingers through my hair(on my head- thought I might need to clarify that one) and say, "Your hair is really coarse". Really romantic, huh? So all my life I have plucked and shaved daily. I would shave my bikin area and my skin would get bumpy and red and I still couldn't shave close enough to be smooth. Is that enough detail or do you need more? I thought so!

I accompanied her that day in hopes that I would leave with a smooth breakthrough - no more shaving!!!! I limped out of the spa in great pain! It was an incredibly excruciating experience!!!!! The problem I realized later was that I was supposed to let my hair grow out to a certain length before the waxing. A painful lesson! So..... I tried it again! The second time was better but my hairs started growing back about a week later. The third time my hairs started growing back immediately! I gave up! No more would I subject myself to the misery for absolutely no results!

Then one day Mendy told me about Sugaring. She thought it was gentler and much more effective than waxing. Should I give it one more try? The week before my birthday knowing that I wasn't getting any younger I decided to give it a last ditch effort in hopes of a smooth bikini line.

IT WORKED!!!!! A major breakthrough for me!!!! Fifteen days later I am still smooth!

I am singing the Hallelujah chorus again!!!!!!!!! Now I might have my underarms done and my thighs - heck my whole leg! No more shaving for me, baby! If I could stand not plucking for about a week I would have my eyebrows done, too!

Lesson learned: There is always hope , even for the hairy ones!

This whole post make me ponder this thought:

How many hours of my life have I wasted on washing, blow drying, curling, straightening,brushing, spraying, gelling, shaving, waxing, plucking, dyeing, bleaching, mousing, conditioning, cutting and now sugaring my hair in my forty years of life?

Got to go - I have a 11:00 hair appointment!

Ahhhh... a fragrance like the lillies of the field!

We can make up our minds whether our
lives in this world shall........ be beautiful and
fragrant like the lilies of the field.

Father Andrew

This morning I cleaned up accident three and four from my sweet little dog Kasey! Yesterday my twelve year old son told me (after I cleaned up accident one and two) that I should put Kasey up because she will probably do it again! I hate it when my children are smarter than me!

Anyway, I read my calendar today and the above statement caught my eye..... fragrant like the lillies of the field.... Fragrant is not quite the precise terminology I would have picked to describe my house this morning. But, I will follow the advice of Father Andrew and choose to make this a beautiful and fragrant day - poop or no poop!

I hope you have a fragrant day!

My other son loves to laugh. I enjoyed a wonderful lunch with my three guys! 

My son on his third plate of crab legs at my Mother's Day lunch! Doesn't he look full? 

It is a small small world!

Do you have any great "Small World" stories?

Here is one that happened to me this week:

Last week I went to a grocery store in another area of town because it is a really big, new store. I like to stop there if I am in the area and pick up groceries. As I was walking down the isle I saw an old college friend that I haven't seen in many years. I knew he lived in the area but in the nine years that I have lived here I have never run into him. We visited for a few minutes and I met his wife and three boys. We have a mutual friend that lives in the area as well. He told me that they were moving the next day to a new house and this friend was going to be helping them. He also told me what neighborhood he was moving to. I knew of it because I have a friend who lives there as well. So.... we went our separate ways.

On Tuesday I was heading to my friends Paula's house to run. We run together on Tuesday's and Friday's near her neighborhood. She lives in a new home in the same neighborhood that the old college friend told me he was moving to. As I was driving to her home I wondered if they live near each other. Then I remembered the house next to Paula's was finished and her new neighbors were soon moving in. I wondered what the odds were that my college friend was moving into that house. Nay...... that couldn't be the case.

When I arrived, I asked Paula about her new neighbors. She told me they have three little boys. I said, "Is the man's name Wayne?" "Yes", she replied. My college friend is Paula's new neighbor. So again that day I was able to visit with him.

Wow, what a small world!

Tell me your stories!!!!!

Do you know yours?

We have lived in our current house for almost nine years. That whole time we have had the same neighbors to our left. An older couple with grown children. I don't ever remember a formal introduction, just lot's of waves and hellos. For eight years we have just waved and said hello. The majority of the time we would see the man going to and from work, mowing his yard, or washing his Corvette. We very rarely saw the woman come out of the house and when she did it was never alone, always with him.

Every Christmas time I bake goodies for the neighbors, but mainly the ones that we know well. For years I never brought the older couple goodies until last Christmas. I don't know why, just thought it would be nice. I got brave and took them over even though I really didn't know them that well. Heck, we had lived next to them for a very long time. It was about time! I rang the doorbell and she answered. I handed her the goody bag and wished them a Merry Christmas. We visited for a few minutes. She was very nice. I left feeling really glad that I had made that decision.

Just recently I had noticed a change next door. When the yards started growing weeds in the Spring their yard didn't get mowed. He has always been prompt about mowing his yard. I didn't see him going and coming home from work. All of a sudden I would see her driving the car and standing outside of the house. Finally one day I noticed a younger women mowing their yard. I made a comment that I thought something was wrong. Maybe he was sick.

On Friday my doorbell rang. I answered it and she stood on my porch. The first time she has visited our home. She told me she had two things to talk to me about. First, she said that they were sad we were moving and they would miss us! Wow, that really surprised me. We have lived here for almost nine years and I didn't know how they felt about having us for neighbors. I was touched by her comment. Second, she wanted the name of the painter who worked on our house. They thought he did a great job. I invited her in.

For the first time in almost nine years I had a very nice long conversation with this woman. The weird thing is that I felt we had known each other for many years just because they lived next door. She told me her husband had been diagnosed with lung cancer. I told her we would pray for him.

When she left I cried. I was brokenhearted that I had let the last nine years slip away without getting to know them. I was sad to hear about his illness. I was touched by her visit and our conversation. Even though we had only spoken once, I felt a connection to them because we share a fence and part of a street and knew each others routines. We will be helping them out as much as we can before we leave. I am glad that I was able to get to know them.

Please continue praying for Bill and Diane. They have four sons. Three of them live close and one lives in Pittsburg. She tells me that the chemotherapy is going well. It is good that they have family close.

Lesson learned: Don't let life's busyness keep you from forming important relationships with your neighbors or anyone else for that matter!

Don't wait until it is too late! This incident sparked a need to be more aware of the people around me and how God would have me be a servant to them! Also, are there people from your past that you need to find or visit with? Are there things that need to be said to others? God will bless your heart abundantly if you do!

I think that life is definitely too short to put these important things off.

My INCREDIBLE Birthday Weekend!

What a weekend! I am not paranoid after all, there were many surprises up my husbands sleeve. What a great guy! What in the world did I do in my life to deserve this unbelievably special husband that God blessed me with? Let me tell you about my trip "Over the Hill".......

As you know on Friday I visited The Crossing with three of my special friends Anne, Mendy, and Corrine. The scenery surrounding this spa as you can see on the web site is absolutely breathtaking! The view alone is worth the trip which is only fifteen minute drive from my home. We arrived there in the morning and they greeted me with a bouquet of balloon and I spied a Brighton gift bag - oooooooo! You know how excited I get about Brighton! Of course they made me carry the balloons everywhere as an announcement to everyone that it was my birthday! I don't like drawing attention to myself, but it was a sweet gesture on their part!

After putting on our soft white robes and slippers, I proceeded to my first treat which was a Thai Lemongrass Coconut Hand and Foot treatment. It was incredible! The smells alone were relaxing. My favorite part was the hand and foot massage. Later I headed out to the pool area and relaxed in the hot tub and lounged by the pool overlooking the waterfall and hills surrounding the lake in the distance. The girls brought champagne, snacks, and magazines and we just visited and relaxed by the pool soaking up the sun. Later I enjoyed a deep tissue massage. We enjoyed lunch outside under the trees looking over the hillside. They showered me with cards and a very generous Brighton gift card. We had a blast! The best part was spending the day with three very special friends that God has blessed me with.

Later that evening my husband informed me that we were going to get a bite to eat after my son's baseball practice. I had a feeling that something was up his sleeve, but wasn't sure if it was my paranoia stepping in. My friend Donna called and said that I need to come by her house to pick up my ring that she was repairing. K chimed in that we should run my her house quickly. At that point I was almost positive that something was up! As we turned the corner I saw a cul-de-sac full of cars and my friends pouring out of Donna's house. They were snapping pictures of me as I was exiting the car. You would of thought I was Julia Roberts arriving at The Oscars. It was funny. My husband and friends April and Donna had planned a girls night out party with food, drinks, cake, and thirty of my closest girlfriends in attendance! It was , again, incredible! They showered me with gifts which was totally unacceptable! I got home at 2am.

On Saturday, my boys took me out for breakfast. We spent a relaxing day at home together. That night we went out with my spa friends and their husbands to The Melting Pot, a new restaurant in town. It was, again, incredible!!!! We were the loudest table in the place that night. They sang happy birthday to me six times along with the other tables around us. We ate an incredible meal! I laughed so hard for three hours I had a headache! Then we headed to a karaoke bar, sang and danced, and returned home to our children at 1 am.

This was by far the best birthday I have ever celebrated. Well, at least that I can remember. Your memory is the first to go at this old age! I was absolutely blown away by my husband, my friends generosity, and the precious time spent with all of them! I will include several pictures of the event later.

Note to self: I am too old to stay up this late everynight!!!!!!!

Kevin - you outdid yourself this time!
Thank you for my incredible birthday weekend!

THANK YOU GOD FOR MY INCREDIBLE LIFE!