Evaluating and Examining

"There is always room for improvement... you know, Its the biggest room in the house." So after reading this I decided to take stock in what I could begin improving in my own life and my surroundings. When you actually sit and take stock in everything you realize while you think you have it really good.. there is SO much room for improvement. Makes me wonder just how good life could be when lessons learned are actually applied. I decided to do a "Life Hack". Hack into my life and make improvements. I actually found website called http://www.lifehack.org/ and one of their post was 60 small ways to improve your life in the next 100 days. One of the things on the list was to write down 5-10 things your are grateful for, every day.

Developing an attitude of gratitude can only bring happiness. Learning to see the good, instead of the negative around you will only make you smile. One of my favorite books, that I often go to when I need a reminder of how good my life really is, is Something More by Sarah Ban Breathnach, in the book she states:

"Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend...when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives, but are grateful for the abundance that is present... love, health, family, friends, the joy of personal pursuits...the wasteland of illusion falls way and we experience Heaven on Earth. "

Today I am going to accept where I am at, and celebrate the positives and the gifts. I am going to be grateful for my amazing family, my wonderful true friends, the health of my loved ones, the ordinary things that mean I have one more day here with my family, the joys of being a mom. I am going to sit back take it all in and enjoy this ordinary Friday and know that I am truly blessed. So much good exists in my life, in every part of my being that today I am going to offer the gift of a grateful heart.

"Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart."

Learning to thrive....

"No more do I want to just survive, but I want to thrive. A flower that survives is prone to whither and never reach full bloom. I want to thrive and blossom in the splendor God has created me to be. " A friend posted that on Facebook, and I loved it! How often do we forget it is OUR choice how we handle life's challenges, changes and adversities. We can learn to just COPE, or learn to THRIVE.

This year has been one of those years for me. Many challenges have been faced, many changes have came and all brought their share of adversity. I have learned that I am not a fan of change. But who really is? I know God has said he will never give you more than you can handle...but at times I have wanted to say "okay God, thats enough". I feel like I have just been "surviving", I want to learn to thrive, to really feel alive and appreciate all the beautiful things around me every second.

Learning to trust yourself, and believing that you are your own worst enemy, but you are also your best asset. Learning to thrive and become the "beautiful splendor God has created you to be". What an awesome thought. Learning to let go of WHO you think you are and becoming what GOD planned you to be. I want to become that person. I once read a blog that brought up a good point. Standing in front of the mirror we see the imperfections, wrinkles, extra weight, etc... but if you look deeper you see YOU, the person that loves, and gives, and is courageous but has fears and doubts. It stated we are "Beautifully imperfect and perfectly beautiful, you are all possibilities happening at the same time."

Day to day I struggle between my own humanness and the person buried deep inside me that wants so much more, wants to express much more and wants to do and be much more. I want to become that person. I want to live a life fully knowing I am at least trying to follow God's plan, rather than ignoring or running. I want not only for myself to thrive but I want my family to thrive. I want to be closer, do more and be more. I want to love more, express more love and I want to always be an example my children can be proud to call MOM. I have failed that many times, and let myself down, but more than that I have let my kids down.


I'm going to quit avoiding change and uncertainty because it might be uncomfortable, it might be a tough adjustment, but I am going to lean into the change and learn to thrive in it. Learn to trust that God has equipped me, and I am capable of handling whatever is in front of me. KNOW that I have what I need and learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable. This will be a new journey for me, but it will be the journey that saves myself and my family. I hope we become a change that others see.

On my mind....

Lately I have thought a lot about responsible parenting, teaching discipline and building good character in our kids. I know that nobody ever said being a parent would be easy. Kids DO NOT come with instruction manuals, they do not come with a 1-800 number for tech support, and they certainly do not come with a BIG RED EASY button.. or even a pause and rewind (Ive looked for those). What they do come with is a basic set of NEEDS, both physical and emotional. These needs MUST be met by the PARENT, and if they are not met, all of them there could be lasting negative effects.

We must provide a SAFE ENVIRONMENT for our kids. Safe from harm, safe from dangers in the home and protect them as much as you can from dangers outside the home. Keep them out of harms way by interviewing caregivers, safety precautions in the home (smoke alarms, doors locked, etc). Make your home a safe place for your children. My son has one friend that will not spend the night ANYWHERE, never has... until this year. He will come spend the night at our house. After the first night here, I said "Yay, P... you stayed all night!" His response, "I don't know, I just feel safe here." As a parent, that meant I was doing something right.

Provide your child with BASIC NEEDS. Water, food, shelter are easy. Provide them with proper medical care, warm bed, appropriate clothing for weather. These are needs that your child must be given.

You must help your child with their SELF ESTEEM building. Accept their uniqueness, encourage them to participate in sports, clubs or activities. Acknowledge your child"s accomplishments and achievements. Encourage your child. Set expectations that are realistic for your child"s age and ability. Teach, do not criticize or ridicule, your child. In saying all that, do NOT build your child's self esteem up so much that they are obnoxious, and think they are the best at everything they do. That is a way to set your child up for huge failure.

Be involved in your child's EDUCATION. Communicate with their teachers, make sure they are doing their homework and assignments. Talk to your child about school. Ask about their day, their friends, and recognize their academic achievements.

Most importantly GET TO KNOW YOUR CHILD. Spend time with your kids, be approachable, ask questions. Communication is key.

Those are the obvious, and easy ones for most parents. The two I have thought a lot about lately are teaching your child morals and values, and providing discipline. I try to do my best when raising my kids. I try to remember that everything I do is a reflection of my kids as well. I can talk to my kids all day about our values and our morals but until they seem them in action it means nothing. Showing our values in our actions is a responsibility as parents. DO as I DO, not just DO as I SAY. Lead your children by example.

It is also your job as a parent to provide DISCIPLINE to your children. Be consistent in your discipline, provide a structured discipline. Have a discipline system that is predictable. If your child acts out a certain way THEY KNOW they will be disciplined because you have set that precedence. I try to hold my children accountable for their actions. I do not automatically assume it is the other kid when there has been wrong doing found. I hold my children to a certain level of behavior. I expect them to respect adults, and I expect to work hard at all they do. Im amazed daily at the level of disrespect I see from a lot of kids... but there again.. I look at the parent and realize the child has not been taught to respect.

I am sure for most of us, having children was a choice. We wanted to bring these beautiful beings into this world and be responsible for ALL their needs. I remember being so afraid of being "a mom" and having all the answers. Guess what.. You don't need all the answers. You just need to be there, and be a parent. Provide the basic needs, emotional and physical. Be a shining example for your kids. Follow your instincts. I pray daily that I learn to become all this for my kids and more.

Responsible Parenting... PASS IT ON! (as I step off my soap box.). :)

Wow..... what have I been doing.

I have told myself for months that I would start back blogging. I would get back into writing and posting about the mundane daily events that happen here at the Cash house. Seems LIFE has prevented me from doing so. Rather it was soccer, basketball, baseball, modeling (yes, Scarlett has done some of that since my last post), or just every day living... I have not blogged in over a year.

I've missed blogging so I have vowed to myself to get started back. In the beginning of 2010 my brother and I had a bet about who would keep up with their blog.. I think we both lost in 2010.. but he is off to a great start in 2011.

So if your still there and still reading.. Im gonna try this again. :) Happy Blogging everybody!

How much for that doggie in the window???

Love Day 6

Since I am covering my family. Day 6th would have to be how much I love my little Gizmo. I have NEVER been a dog person, never had inside dogs, never even been around many dogs. Did pet many dogs, never let dogs sleep in bed with me and DEFINITELY never, ever let a dog kiss me in the face. Well guess who is allowed all those things and then some. Santa Clause brought Gizmo to the kids on Christmas morning 2009 and it has been such a welcome addition to our family. He is the perfect Cash family dog.

He is active, playful and so very loving! I just love this spoiled dog! Who knew I would be one of those people that send out Christmas cards with my dog in our family picture. ha! But, he is definitely part of our family.

As you can see he enjoys nap time almost as much as I do! ha! He waits for me to go to bed every night, and then stays in bed with me on days that I sleep because I have worked all night. He is so excited to see us when we come home. Such a beautiful thing to have the unconditional love of a puppy!

My Baby Love, My Baby Love...

Love Day 5

What would life be without a little drama? Sugar and Spice and everything nice! Oh how I LOVE this little girl of mine. She is a perfect mix of sassy and sweet!

I love how sweet she is. One day while walking into a ballgame she saw a man with an amputated leg on crunches. She looked at me and said, "Mom, I see he is hurt, and I love him and said a prayer in my heart." She has understood me and listened to me when we meet people that are different. She doesn't see something wrong with them, the simply sees that they are different and sees the world different than she does.

BUT...

She can be a total diva, too! For example, yesterday.. big ugly snow day, she comes into my bathroom horribly sad. I ask what is wrong and she turns on the water works. Little tears are just flowing. She looks up at me and tells me...."I'm a bad dresser!". Of course I laughed at her.. which when a six year old is crying over the very real thought that they are a bad dresser... do not laugh at them! That just made the tears WORSE! I asked her "what in the world" made her think she was a bad dresser?? She told me it was because she was wearing something that didn't match!!! REALLY??? Six???

I love her creativity. She wants to be a rock country superstar! She has a whole different persona name Stella. She came up with all this on her own and on days she is feeling like a star, then she is Stella. I have called her my little Gwen. Because her style reminds me of Gwen Stefani. This girl can put an outfit together that would look horrible on most of us... but she pulls it off well.

I love how much she loves her mommy! I remember wanting a little girl so badly. The day the ultrasound tech told me I was having a little girl I cried and cried. My husband likes to remind of that moment on days when I am ready to pull my hair out from dealing with a six year old Diva. ! She thinks her mom hung the moon! Poor child will one day be very disappointed but for now, she thinks I am IT! She will not even say her daddy cooks eggs better than me.. which in our house is a long standing joke because my eggs are horrible!


I love her strong will, fiery personality, and so much more! I am so lucky to be her mommy. She has big dreams and I know with her determination nothing is impossible.

First Time Ever I Saw Your Face...

LOVE Day 4

It goes without saying that I totally LOVE my family. So, like Leigh Ann my first few days of this month it is very easy to think of things I love.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this little boy! He has brought endless amounts of sunshine to my life.

I love his big cheesy smile just like his mom's. I love his curly red hair. I love his easy going laid back personality. I love that he gets so fired up about his sports and takes playing by the rules very seriously.

I love that he says thank you for the little things I do for him. I love that he ends his prayers with "Thank you Baby Jesus". I love his sweet spirit.

I love his outgoing personality. He rarely meets a stranger. Young or old if you are willing to listen to him he is going to sit and talk to you. He is respectful and kind to others.

I love that he still gets up in the morning and the first thing he does is give me a hug and kiss. I love that he takes nothing for granted. I love that he is not afraid to show love.

I love everything about this little boy! I was blessed beyond what I imagined on September 18, 2001. In an instant my whole world was changed with one small little boy.

I love you, I love you, I do...

I love my husband! That's an easy one right? But I love him so much more today than I did in 2000 when we said I do. I love him for all different reasons. I love him for being an amazing father to our two beautiful children. For being so involved in their lives and being truly invested in our family. I love him for supporting me in everything I do. I know that sometimes it is hard to support me and occasionally my mouth gets me in trouble, but he always stands behind me. I love him for providing for our family, for being a hard working man. I love him for his consistency, and strength. I love him for the silly things, like taking me to concert after concert just because I really like the band, or watching chick flicks with me on a Saturday night. I love him for giving me my space when I need it, for knowing that I need that time alone. I love him for backyard bonfires with the kids, creating new family traditions that we all enjoy.

I love him for being goofy with me! I know it is really hard for him to be goofy, but he does it, he is willing to go there with me. Which brings up the Santa hat picture.. Matthew, this is just for you! Jack was given such a hard time about this picture.. but you see.. he was just doing it to humor me, just doing it because I enjoy being a little silly. Because he loves me, he did it! But people like Matthew and several others in my family have given him a hard time about the Santa hat. I say wear it proud! I love you Jack Cash for loving me ENOUGH!

Love is in the air...

February, the month of LOVE! What a great idea I saw on a couple of blogs.. in honor of LOVE taking the whole month of February to post daily about things you love! What great inspiration! Today is February 3rd, so I have a couple of days to catch up on. My February 1st post was all about the SNOW! So, I love SNOW! BUT.. just for a couple of days! I remember being so excited as a kid to wake up and see the ground covered with snow. I had that same excitement Saturday morning! How fabulous it was to get outside and sled and play! So, I LOVE SNOW!

February 2nd would have been an easy post.. I had it planned out.. I just never got around to posting. OOPS! So, had I of posted yesterday it would have been about my brother, Matthew. Yesterday was his birthday, so appropriately Matthew would have been the thing I love. I know, ewww, mush mush..but I do love him and am very proud of him. He was ten years younger than me, so while most people my age would have been gone from home and not around much, I was there. Being that I didn't get married until I was 28, I was there all through high school with him. I remember him being the pesky 6 and 7 year old that bugged Abby, Michelle and I while we practiced for cheerleading tryouts. I remember taking him to and from practices for baseball. I was there cheering him on at football and baseball. Took him to his first Garth Brooks show for his 16th birthday. I tease him about being the Golden child, but I am very proud of him. So, for February 2nd my post would have been that I love my brother Matthew, and I know I promised you THE picture.. so, that leads me to February 3rd and what I love. :) More to follow...

It's a Snow Day! It's a Fun Day!

This past weekend we had Arkansas' version of winter weather. Definitely not a lot of snow, more ice and sleet but just as much fun to play in outside! Jack was off work so we were so excited to get out with the kids and get the sled going. Ethan kept saying "This isn't a snow day, its a fun day!". So, it officially became known as a Cash Family Fun Day!
We sled over hills, through ditches, down piles of rocks, and even on the flat street. Scarlett would run and dive on the sled and go flying down the road. We tried pushing them a few times, but after Jack fell twice we thought we might be pushing OUR luck. I even got on the sled a couple of times. Hubby was not allowed to take pictures of that. I forgot just how much fun sledding was! We told the kids story of our glory days of late night sledding.. which only made them think we were going back out into the snow after dark. They were disappointed to hear that it was not happening.



When we finally walked back home Gizmo was waiting patiently in the window. He was so mad that we did not take him with us, but we were afraid it would get way too cold for him. Not like he is a dog or anything! ha! Once Jack got back in his recliner Gizmo quickly got in his spot to settle down for a winter nap. Giz is so funny! He waits at the foot of the recliner until Jack props up his feet and then he jumps right up there and lays down. Nightly this is his routine. Such a spoiled dog! Saturday was filled with more of the same. We headed back out after lunch to do a little more sledding, made a few snow angels, and I even introduced the kids to snow ice cream! I remember my mom making this for me when I was little, we loved it! My kids did too!
Such a perfect weekend! I am so blessed with a wonderfully fun family! Ethan told us Saturday night that "it was his best weekend ever"... as parents I don't think there is anything we enjoy hearing more!

What's this? A post? Oh My! Inspiration has finally hit me! :)

I have been inspired to start my blog back. My "little" brother, Matthew, started blogging and his New Year's resolution was to blog more. What a great idea! So, I decided to clean up the ole blog and get started again. Hopefully this time I will be a little more faithful to the blog.

Matt and Dana announced at Christmas that they were expecting their first child. How exciting! I was so excited for them. That means I get to be an aunt again! New little baby to hold and love! Wonderful. I just read Matt's blog post about his "Three Expectations of Being a Dad" and he was looking for some feedback so I thought I would share some advice and words of wisdom.

1. Throw out any and all expectations you have of yourself or your wife. I remember reading books and thinking of all the things I would not do. Definitely having a child would not change my life, nothing would be different. WRONG! There were days I would sit in the chair all day and just hold Ethan. Several times a day I would find myself crying as I held him still amazed that this beautiful child was mine. So, don't expect to understand any of it until you are holding the baby and then everything changes in an instant.

2. Enjoy these nine months. Be there for the doctors appointments. Do the little things Dana wants. Lean on each other, talk about all the changes. Having your first child is such a precious time in a marriage. These nine months are going to be filled with excitement, fear, worry, ... just about every emotion you can think of. Enjoy it all! Be there for it all! Share your thoughts with each other. This will strengthen your marriage as the time passes.

3. Definitely be totally involved. There is nothing that makes a wife love their husband more than seeing them hold their child. Watching your husband love and nurture this child you created is an amazing blessing. So, you are right, don't be afraid to invest time, love and all emotion on your child. You will not regret it. But yes, there are still times that saying "Go ask your mother" will be accepted. Some things we just do better. :)

4. You can never, ever show too much emotion. The "I love you's", the kisses and hugs all come pretty freely but there will never be too much of them. Ethan still gets up every morning and comes right to me for a kiss and a hug. I love it! There is nothing better than having the love of a child.

5. Being parents is a huge responsibility. It is a little scary at first. There is no manual, no rulebook to follow. Trust your instincts, trust your knowledge and always do what you feel is best for your child and your family. Even if it is not the norm.

I am so happy for Dana and you! I know you will both be wonderful parents! Jack and I are always here if you have any questions or need anything. We don't always get things right, but I feel like we are doing a pretty good job with the gifts of children we were given. I am so excited and love you both!

Oh My GOOODNESS.....

I can not believe it has been over two months since I posted... oops! I am not sure when and where I forgot about the blog, but I will go back and post all the fun stuff we have been doing. Mostly for me, but any of you out there that still check in, we have been doing great and doing LOTS of fun things. :)During this two month hiatus Ethan has become a total love of all things "Titanic". He read about it, watches shows about it and just all around want to learn more about it. We built our very own Titanic out of boxes. The kids had so much fun painting and decorating the box. Hans Solo, Storm Troopers and many army men were kind enough to join us on our journey aboard the ship. :)Last night we decided we would host our very own Titanic dinner in honor of the anniversary. The kids made a sign and decorated it to welcome all the guest aboard the Titanic.
They dressed up, and entered the "ship" (which was decorated by them) and sat down to their menus. They enjoyed mom and her very fake accent. I even had the glasses "tinged" at me a few times so they could change their order, or add to it. :) A few times I think it was even just for the fun of it.

The kids had a great meal. They chose their own meat and dessert and enjoyed their appetizers. This was such a fun night for all of us. I think we will have to make this something we do every year. :) I am sure by next year the kids will be into something else and we will have to plan a dinner around that theme.
We got the "good dishes" out and fancy glasses. They sat at the table by themselves and were so sweet. We even had a question and answer time for the Titanic guest. Although at this point, I think Ethan knows more about the Titanic than any of the rest of us.
They enjoyed the meal and laughed profusely at Chef Daddy. He had already caught Scarlett's eye in this picture. He just put his chef hat on and she found that very funny.

Not sure Chef Daddy was thrilled about the hat. But I can tell you that he got another big laugh this morning when I uploaded the picture. :)
all those pictures and that was just last night! !! I am going to have a hard time catching up on two months worth of things. I have missed my blogging and missed reading everybodies blogs. It is time for me get caught up on all of you!!! If your still around and checking in.. I"M BAAAACK! :)

Going backwards...what we did in February...

I thought I would try to sum up the past two months in a few backwards/backdated post. The month of February was a lot of fun. We were busy.. but busy just like any other month of the year.

We played basketball.. lots of basketball... and I am so sad I didn't update more during the season. Ethan did very well and loved playing!! Scarlett enjoyed her cheerleading, but was glad when the season was over. Basketball took us straight into soccer, and soccer has taken us straight into baseball. I think this will be our perpetual calendar for many years to come. I just WISH we could find a sport Ethan enjoyed playing!!! ha!

In between our sports activities we planned a few field trips. We went to the State Capital during the Inauguration week and had a wonderful tour. They really enjoyed learning the history behind the capital. That of course led us to the Old State House, or "the old capital", as the kids call it. On our only cold and wintery day of the year we made the cutest "redneck" birdfeeder. The kids feared the birds would be too cold and have nothing to eat, so we searched the cabinets and found things that we thought they could eat. We toasted bread, crushed wheat crackers, and made our very own bird feeder. Daddy helped hang it up outside once we were done. Nothing like a milk jug bird feeder hanging in your back yard! :)On one of the semi warmer days in February we went to Pinnacle Mountain and walked the trails. The kids loved getting outdoors again. These two are in no way meant to be kept inside for long periods of time. They enjoy being outside too much!
I am pretty sure you are not supposed to be hanging on the branches in a state park, but the pictures turned out cute.. we got them off of them quickly.. or should I say their daddy corrected my mistake quickly.


and of course we had our Valentine's Day party. We got lucky and it was such a nice day! The kids were able to play outside, we made cards and cookies. Even some of the mom's got in on the action.
That just about sums of February...sure seems we were busier than that!

Just because I need a good laugh today...

WOW, a year sure does fly by when you are having fun...

I have been watching and waiting all weekend for updates from Kelly regarding Harper. I have done little else. I am so glad to hear that she is doing better. The power of prayer is amazing! I will continue to pray for Kelly, Scott and baby Harper. What an amazing story that little girl will have; God will surely work through her as she grows.

I noticed today that it has been a year since I started blogging! Wow, what a year it has been. This has been the most fun I have had in a while. It has become so much more to me than just a blog. I have made new friends, I have learned new things about old friends. I have created memories for my family, I have been so blessed through this blog.

I started looking back over the last year and several post made me laugh. It was so great to see what amazing fun as a family we had during 2008. Here are a few of my favorite memories, you can click on the links to read the original post:

The Great Mudbowl 2008 : How much fun was that day! Ethan and Jacob are the best of friends. They are not able to see each other near as often as we would love, but when they are together it is so wonderful to watch them play. This day was no exception! I have NEVER, NEVER, NEVER seen two little boys so dirty!!! That was such a great day.

The great hair debate of '08 : Some were memories I could have never had to relive again, like Scarlett chopping off her hair the night before Easter. I guess that is what you get when you have a very head strong determined four year old for a child ( a four year old that knows where scissors are).

My princess turned five years old in 2008 : Sweet Scarlett is growing up right before my eyes. It makes me so sad to see her getting so big. After reading this post I thought about how quickly six years was approaching. That made me really sad...

My sweet aunt Myrtle passed away on Christmas Eve. She was 95 and she was ready to go and be with Jesus. I am so glad we shared her final birthday here on Earth with her. She never had children of her own, but oh how she loved kids!

There were so many memories packed into this blog. I could keep going on and on about my favorite post. Ethan turned seven, we moved into a new house, there were Razorback games, baseball, soccer, cheerleading and so much more.

I feel so blessed to have the amazing family I have. I am such a lucky mom! I have two of the most amazing kids.

Here it is 2am, and as usual I am wide awake.. one of the unfortunate side effects of 15 years of night shift. Scarlett will soon be six years old but she will always be my baby. She just woke up crying because she was in bed by herself. I still race to her side, tell her everything is okay and of course pick her up and put her in bed with her daddy and I. I have come to realize I don't really want some things to change...Time for bed, I have a five year old that needs me...

Oh, and I almost forgot.. the tent.. well that didn't work out so well. Seems that I am a bit challenged in the ways of tent making. I drug our big ol'camping tent into the house, opened it up and TRIED to put it together. Oh how I wish I had pictures! That was a riot!!! After a few attempts I gave up and put the thing back in the package and promised them we would built the tent outside as soon as it warmed up!!! We have settled for a few of the classic chair and blanket tents, but it seems playing the Wii is more important and the tent just got in the way. So for now, we are back to our beds and waiting for a nice spring day.

Me and my big mouth...

One thing that I am definitely guilty of A LOT is speaking before I really think things through. I managed to do it again today. We were doing our school work and during our history lessons we talked about Nomads. The kids loved the fact that they were wanderers and lived in tents or caves. We headed outside on a journey to build our own nomad like dwelling. Fast forward forty minutes and we realize it would take FOREVER to build a dwelling place for us to play in so we setttle for a smaller version just for stuffed animals. It all worked out great because during science we talked about habitats, so the kids were able to tie it all in together. It is so much fun watching them grasp new concepts and learn new things.

Yes, I did try to get a picture of Scarlett beside the "fort" but the sun was bright which made her very unhappy and she refused to sit there and smile until the sun was gone! Guess who or rather what won that battle!

Back to the backyard and my big mouth...I tell them we can build our tent in the backyard and sleep in it and then they could really see how the Nomads lived. Major excitement breaks out! "Yes, Yes, let's do it NOW, let's build it today!". Luckily I have to work tonight, but I have promised we would build the tent tomorrow. Pray for me that we don't actually have to sleep in the tent! I know it would not be very Nomad like if I built it in the carport so that we can use our portable heater, but that may just be what we do. We did got and get our tent and the kids have looked at it and begged all afternoon. I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut!!! Stay tuned for the rest of the Nomad journey.

What a wonderful world...

This weekend has been Heaven! It has been so long since we have taken a weekend to ourselves and done absolutely NOTHING!! I can't remember the last time I had a whole weekend off with nothing to do. It was great!


Friday after school work was finished my granny and my uncle came by the house and visited. Ethan talked Uncle James into playing a few games of basketball and they had a great time! After winning a game he decided he would leave on a high note! We ran to Sonic for my last Diet Coke with Lemon. I am going on a hiatus. I still go to Sonic, but last year discovered a big Route 44 ice water with lemon was almost as good. (Yes, I will keep telling myself that). :) I finally finished getting the last of my Christmas items down and in the attic. I felt very accomplished!


Saturday morning the kids had their first Upwards games. The kids looked so cute in their uniforms. Ethan was up bright and early on is own and had on all his accessories. He even had on white sweat bands. He likes to accessorize his uniforms! A boy after his mothers heart.



Ethan had the dreaded 9am game! Early for a family that likes to stay up late and sleep in. Ethan played really hard and was great on defense. He is usually a very passive player so we were happy to see him hustle and stay after his opponent. He didn't score any points.. but the guy he defended didn't score any points either. :) Next we were off to Scarlett's game. She was so excited to be able to get out there and cheer. She was able to watch the other cheerleaders at Ethan's game so I think that helped her get ready for her game.

Scarlett and Ethan both did so well. I was so proud of them. Scarlett and I had a long talk before the game about "what if she messed up"... I made sure she knew that just trying her best was all that mattered. After each game the kids are given awards for their particpation. Ethan received the Best Effort Star to put on his jersey and Scarlett was given the Most Spirit star for her megaphone. They were proud of themselves!

After the games we went to lunch with some of our friends and had a great visit. The kids were happy to see their friend. Saturday afternoon I did something I had not been able to do in months... I took a NAP! It felt so good to curl up in bed and sleep a few hours (okay, maybe it did end up being several hours). I woke up at 7pm!!! Luckily I had already fixed some soup for dinner it just needed to be warmed.

Sunday was definitely a day of rest. I took another nap Sunday afternoon!!! I was spoiled this weekend. Nothing to do, no one to see and I took full advantage of my "free" time!

Of course all this sleeping is having a negative effect on me at this particular moment. It is 2:55 am and I am WIDE AWAKE!!! I have folded ALL my laundry, cleaned the bathtub, taken a bath and still do not feel sleepy! I guess I need to quit sleeping so much! ha!

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Back online...

My new DSL modem arrived today! Yeah!!! I can rejoin the world of the internet. I have been so lost this past month without my computer. I did have dial up, but let me tell you, once you are used to DSL and then you try to use dial it, it just will not cut it. I would get so frustrated that after five minutes of trying to upload pictures, post a blog, I would just shut down the computer.

I am so thankful to be back and hopefully I can now find some interesting things to blog about.

We are working on getting our sweet little puppy housetrained. UGHH! That is not going so well. It has only been two weeks so maybe we are expecting too much, but it has made dear hubby a little frustrated. If anybody has any ideas or things that worked for them please feel free to share them with me. I am open for trying anything.

Scarlett and Ethan both have their first games this weekend. They are very excited about their games. I have been practicing Scarlett's cheers with her and she is doing so good. I am very proud of her. Ethan is a natural athlete (okay, yes I am a little biased) but.. he is doing really well at basketball practice so I hope that translate to good things on the court. After the game we are going to lunch with some of our favorite people! The kids are so excited to see Hayden. It has been a long time and according to them they thought they were "never going to see him again"!

Hope you all have a fabulous Friday!!!!

New Year and New Thoughts...

I read this article in a local magazine here and it was so appropriate for a new year and some new thoughts. I thought I would paraphrase and add some thoughts and some revelations for 2009. Yes, I am a little late on the whole New Years Resolutions.. I have a few, but if I NEVER verbalize them I seem to do a little better. This article talked about kicking a bad man "to the curb"; but it went much further than that. It talked about things in our life that need to be "kicked to the curb". Wow, do I have plenty of those things. Rather it is pettiness, worry, gossip, fear, anything that wastes my time and does not bring joy or fulfillment to my life. This year I am going to visualize my self kicking each one of my bad habits to the curb. How fun it will be to watch all those bad things go out with the trash. Bad habits are no way to treat YOURSELF! No way to treat a woman. You would kick a bad man to the curb if he didn't treat you right, so why would you treat yourself bad, too? While others will be proud of your changes, and proud of your new found joy, it will be YOU that takes charge of your own life and the things you do. January being the month of resolutions and revelations, I have found I need to TAKE OUT THE TRASH! Meet me on the curb in 2009! :)

the week after...

Christmas came and went and we were still having a good time. On Sunday night the 28th, we celebrated Christmas at my in-laws since Autie Lolo, Uncle T, Jacob, Lillie and Lauren came to Arkansas to see us! The kids were so happy to get to play with their cousins again so soon. Lauren fell in LOVE with Gizmo! I am almost positive she NEVER put him down unless she was absolutely forced. :) It was very sweet. I definitely see a puppy in her future.
On Monday, I turned 36!! Yikes! I sometimes wonder when I got so old when I still feel so young! I had a great birthday, and I am STILL waiting for my mint chocolate chip ice cream cake! UH HUM.. MOM!!!! I did make the only cake I know how to make. I can't bake at all except a coconut cake, and I make a very good coconut cake.The kids played for two days straight and had the best time. Lots of football was played in our front yard and Gizmo received lots of love!

Scarlett told me on Wednesday afternoon that she wished she lived in Tennessee so she could see her friends (cousins) everyday! I know she time is coming when the week long visits in the summer will need to start, but how do you let go??? I am going to have to prepare for the first time Ethan asked to go stay at Jacob's without us. I know the day will come.

New Years Eve we stayed home and partied! ha! We spread out the food all over the bar and munched and watched TV. Did you see that motorcycle jump across the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas??? WOW! That guy is amazing.. but definitely crazy! We watched Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve and played several games of bowling on the Wii. Our neighbors shot off a ton of fireworks at midnight, so we had a great display right out our back window.

2008 was a wonderful year filled with new friends, new experiences, and so many blessings. I am so thankful for such a wonderful year! I look forward to 2009 with my wonderful family! Happy New Year Everybody!!!