Spring Is In The Air Hodgepodge

1. The first day of spring is here...do you enjoy working in the yard? Weeding, raking, mowing, planting-your favorite springtime garden chore? How about your least favorite?

I enjoy working in the yard....sometimes.

My favorite garden chore is watering the plants. Although, if it was totally left up to me, our plants would probably die. I am not that great about remembering to water them.

Thankfully, I married someone who loves working outside, and takes great pride in our yard. I never have to beg him to mow the grass, and he wouldn't even dream of letting the grass grow so tall that it goes to "seed".

My least favorite thing? Weeding.



2. What puts a spring in your step?

When I have something exciting that I am working on, usually some sort of project. I am always an eager starter to something, but when it ceases to be fun, my spring has sprung. Ha!

3. Describe a time when you had to spring into action?

Any time that one of my girls has been in some sort of trouble. Like, when my oldest started choking on a pretzel. Or, when my middle daughter had her forehead gashed open. Or, when my youngest had a seizure when her fever spiked too high.


4. We're having carrots for dinner...would you prefer yours raw or cooked?

I like my carrots raw, dipped in ranch dressing.

5. Do you take the shampoos and other sundries from your hotel room when its time to check out?

I take them, but not for myself. I never use those things, unless I have forgotten my own from home. I take them for Hubs. He is not picky, and will use anything.

6. What's the most enjoyable team or club you've belonged to and what was it that made it so?

It's not really a team or a club, but we belong to a local homeschool co-op. It allows the girls to be able to hang out with other homeschool kids, and be involved in some fun classes.

I enjoy it because I have been able to meet some other Moms that are in the same boat as I am. I have developed some deep friendships, and have been given encouragement just when I have needed it most.


7. Is cloning a sign of progress?

Yes, but I don't think that it is a good idea.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I promised in a previous hodgepodge, that in March, I would share how Hubs and I met, and ended up getting married. It's kind of a long story, so I am writing it in parts. Want to read the first part? Go here.

Hundred Acre Wood Hodgepodge

1. What is something you are loving right now?

I am loving that, because I have lost some weight, some of my clothes are starting to fit me better!


2. Paris, Venice, New York, and Rome are considered four of the most romantic cities in the world. Which one would you most like to visit?

Paris! I have always wanted to go there. Then, I could practice my rusty French that I haven't really used since high school.

I would love to go the museums, see the Eiffel tower, and eat at one of those cute little outdoor cafes.


3. Are you a romantic?

Oh boy, am I ever! I love hearing how people met their spouses/significant others. Stay tuned for the story of how Hubs and I met, coming in March. It's a good one :)


4. What's your favorite love story made for the Big Screen?

Notting Hill. Even though the woman (Julia Roberts) is a celebrity, she realizes that she CAN find love with an ordinary guy.

There is also a very sweet couple in the movie. They are still very much in love, even though a tragic accident left the wife paralyzed, and unable to have children. Reminds us that marriage is for better....or for worse.

Two of my favorite quotes from the movie:

“Anna: "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her."

"Anna: Can I stay for a while?
"William: You can stay forever.”

Awww ♥


5. Everyone loves Pooh bear and friends...which character are you most like and why? Click here for help in answering this question.

I took the quiz, and found out that I am Kanga. Frankly, that didn't surprise me. I was totally expecting to get her. I tend to be a very nurturing person, and I enjoy taking care of my family. I love being a wife and a stay-at-home, homeschooling mother.

Want to see which character you are? Take the quiz!


6. What's the best chocolate something you've ever eaten?

Turtle cheesecake.


7. Share a favorite quote about love.

Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own. ~Robert Heinlein


8. Insert your own random thought here.

Source: eat-clean-train-mean.tumblr.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Miraculous Hodgepodge

1. A new Miss America was crowned on Saturday night-did you watch? If you were a contestant what would your talent be?

No, I did not watch. When I was a little girl, I never missed watching a pageant. Now that I'm an adult, I will watch it if I remember it is on, but if I miss it, that's OK too. To be honest, watching the pageants just makes me feel bad about myself. All of those girls are so young and beautiful, and they don't have an ounce of fat on them. Of course, they probably haven't had a decent meal or a single dessert in months in order to look like that.

If I was a contestant, for the talent portion, I would sing.

2. Do you have houseplants? Real or fake?

I do have a few real houseplants. However, I would not say that I have a "green thumb". I can keep them alive OK, but they definitely don't thrive like they do at my Mom's house. I have given her several of my plants that I thought were past the point of no return, in hopes that she could convince them to live. She revived them, and they are now growing in leaps and bounds! She really doesn't do anything different than I do. They just seem to like her better...


3. When you were in school did you speak up or were you more of the hide your face, avoid eye contact, and pray the teacher didn't call on you type of student?

That would totally depend on what class I was in. If it was Math or Science, I would hide and pray that I wasn't called on. If it was any of the other classes, I would raise my hand, as long as I knew the answer.


4. Next Monday marks the Chinese New Year...what do you order when someone suggests Chinese food?

I love beef with broccoli. I never order anything else!


5. How would you define a miracle? What would it take for you to consider something a miracle?

A miracle to me is something that happens that seems to be impossible.

Something along the lines of this story.

Right now, I am praying for a miracle for my friend's mother who has stage 4 lung cancer. Would you please join me in praying for a miracle for this dear lady? Thanks so much!


6. What's your favorite Disney song? If you're stuck you'll find a list here.





7. I should have _____________ yesterday.

eaten more vegetables


8. Insert your own random thought here.

If I ever start to feel like I am bit strange for some of the things I do, I just need to watch an old episode of "Wife Swap". Have you seen some of these shows? Just where do they find all of these weirdos? The girls and I were watching a Wife Swap marathon last night, and there was a lady on there who communed with Mother Earth by dressing up like a fairy, smearing dirt all over herself, and talking to the plants in the forest. She told them that they were equal to her in every way. She even went so far as to regularly eat dirt, so she could TRULY become "one" with the Earth.

Kind of makes my little idiosyncrasies seem minor in comparison.

ABC has brought back Wife Swap, but this time, with celebrities switching places. Since we all know that celebrities tend to lead some pretty strange lives, it should make for some entertaining TV.....

New Year's Hodgepodge

1. What are three words you would use to describe your 2011?

Adventurous
Frustrating
Hopeful


2. Do you like shrimp? What's your favorite way to have it prepared?

I do not like shrimp at all. Therefore, there isn't a favorite way I like it prepared. Ha!


3. Is your house de-Christmased? If so when did you tackle that job? If not, when will the decorations come down?

Sort of. Our tree is down, and most of the decorations. We still have our Christmas cards hanging up, my snowman collection is out, and a few odds and ends that haven't gotten put away yet. We took the tree and most of the stuff down a few days before the new year.


4. Do you like to watch scary movies?

NO. Once I watch a scary movie, I cannot get it out of my mind. I prefer to watch comedies.


5. Ice skating~sledding~skiing~snowboarding~of the four listed which wintertime activity do you most enjoy?

Sledding. Although, I don't really go all that much anymore. The last time I went sledding, I cracked my tail bone on the ground and suffered for weeks! It stinks getting older...


6. Did you have a childhood hideout? Describe it.

We had a circle table in the hallway that had a tablecloth on it. I remember going under there when I just needed to get away from it all. I would read books and write in my diary. Since I shared a room with my sister, it was the perfect spot to go to when I needed some time alone.


7. What's a place or space that motivates you?

It's not really a place or a space, but whenever I watch shows like "Hoarders" or "Clean House", it makes me want to clean and throw stuff away!


8. Insert your own random thought here.

Here are some pictures of my girls having fun in the snow.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Christmas Hodgepodge

1. Are you cooking Christmas dinner? How many will be round your table this year? What are we having?

In our family, one person never does ALL the cooking. We each have certain things that we bring. I will be making the Christmas ham, chocolate dream delight, and bringing pop.

This year, we are having Christmas dinner at my sister's house instead of ours. There will be fourteen people seated around the table....err...around the house. There isn't a big enough table for all of us in ANY of our homes!

We are having ham, potatoes, corn, salad, angel eggs (the same thing as deviled eggs, but we call them that instead :), pickles and olives, rolls, my chocolate dream delight dessert and whatever desserts everyone else brings! No shortage of food at our gatherings for sure! We always make too much, but that makes for tasty leftovers, so it's all OK.


2. What is one must-have Christmas cookie in your house?

Buckeyes!



Now, I have to be honest here and say that I have never made these. My Mom always makes them, and then brings them to my house. So see? There is need for me to make them! I told her that this year, she should try to make them with crunchy peanut butter. I think they would be even better that way!


3. Santa likes a glass of milk with his cookies. Do you? What kind of milk is on tap at your house-skim? almond? soy? full fat (Gasp!)

I don't really like to drink milk plain, so no. We drink 2% milk in this house.


4. Time magazine recently named their 'Person of the Year' for 2011. This is the person the editors believe had the greatest impact, for better or worse, in the past year. This year they chose 'The Protester'. Your thoughts? Who would you name Person of the Year for 2011?

I usually like to see an actual person named, not just a general one.

I agree with Barbara Walters.

Steve Jobs: Barbara Walters' Most Fascinating Person of the Year for 2011 - ABC News


5. December 21st is National Flashlight Day... when was the last time you needed a flashlight and did you know right where to find one?

Well, the girls like to play "Flashlight Tag" so they use them then, but other than that, we used one during our last big storm when the power went out. No, we can never find a working one when we REALLY need it! Nor can we ever find the candles. We are not the most organized around these parts. Sigh.


6. Candy canes...yum or yuck?

I like them, but it's not like I just have to have them.


7. What Christmas carol lyric means the most to you?



I love the part that says:

Then rang the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

It reminds me that I serve a LIVING God. He is not dead, nor does he sleep. Amen!


8. Insert your own random thought here.

The next step in my medical "journey" is to have a sleep study done at the hospital on Thursday night. I have to arrive at 7:30 p.m. I told the lady on the phone that I sure hope I am not going to be required to go to sleep at 7:30! I am a huge night owl, and it is nothing for me to go to bed at 12 or 1, sometimes even 2 in the morning. She said that I will be allowed to watch TV until 10, and then lights out is at 11.

Sounds sort of like camp. Ha!

Other than being a little weirded out about being "watched" while I sleep, I am not concerned about this test. NO needles will be involved. Yay!

Happy Sleeping....

Faith-Filled Hodgepodge

1. Do you put Christmas decorations in every room of your house? If not every room, what rooms do you decorate?

No. I don't decorate the bathrooms or the bedrooms. I decorate the family room, living room, dining room, and kitchen.


2. If you could visit one of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) which one would you choose and why?

Maybe Sweden? I have heard that out of these countries, they have the best chocolate :)


3. What does the word faith mean to you?

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1

4. You can go back to your childhood for one day...what day and age would you choose?

I can't really pinpoint an exact day or age, but back in elementary school, I remember that we used to have a whole lot of fun just by simply playing. My sister and I would play school, and I would be the teacher, and she would be the student. We would play house, and pretend like we were camping in the wilderness in our very long closet. As I mentioned before, my brother and I would play Legos and Lincoln Logs. We would play marbles and ride bikes. We would climb trees with the neighbor kids, and build entire cities out of paper. And, we absolutely loved playing "Oregon Trail" on their computer. So, any day that I didn't have to go to school, and could just play with my brother, sister, and friends would be just fine!


5. When did you last have 'punch'? If it's not too much trouble share your favorite punch recipe.

At a wedding I went to this summer. One of my favorite ways to have punch is pretty easy to make. You just mix white grape juice with Sprite or 7up. Simple and very elegant looking.


6. Do you fill stockings at your house? Are stockings opened before or after the bigger gifts?

We sure do! They are always opened up before the gifts under the tree.


7. What takes your breath away?

A picture of a newborn baby. I just had a new niece born today, and my sister in law posted her picture on Facebook. It's amazing to think that one minute, she was inside of her mother's womb, and the next minute, she's out in the world, breathing air. Such a little miracle!


8. Insert your own random thought here

My medical saga continues. Now, they think my problems may not be asthma at all, but something to do with my heart. So, I have to go in Thursday for a heart catheterization. I am trying not to freak out too much, but as I am NOT a fan of needles in any way, this is making me quite nervous. I'm trusting God that He will take care of me though. He promised never to leave us, nor forsake us, and I am holding on to that promise! Please keep me in your prayers, and pray that this trypanophobic (person who is afraid of needles) will be so heavily sedated (they don't put you to sleep, just sedate you), that I won't even know my own name, and that I can just sleep through the whole thing!

Be Our Guest Hodgepodge

1. Will you be hosting any house guests between now and the end of December? Does that thought make you happy or crazy? Do you do anything special for your guests to make them feel at home? How long should a house guest stay?

The only "house guests" I will be hosting, will be for our annual Christmas Eve party, and they won't be spending the night.

Although, we will be celebrating my middle daughter's 13th birthday party in Dec., even though her birthday isn't until the middle of Jan. (more on that later), and there will probably be some girls spending the night for that.

I have never had any spend the night type of guests in December, and I guess that makes me a little bit happy. December is a rather crazy time around here, and not just because of Christmas!

When we have guests spend the night, I always make sure that they have everything they need, and fix them special food. We always make sure that they know how much we appreciate them being with us, and try to make them feel as welcome as possible.

I think how long guests should stay is really determined by how much you enjoy having them around ;) I would never tell anyone that they had to leave within a certain time though!


2. Walter Elias Disney was born this week (December 5) back in 1905 ...what's your all time favorite Disney movie? Here's a list in case you're struggling...and yes, you have to pick one.

Oh my word! I have to pick just ONE?! I guess I would say "Beauty and the Beast". I especially love the song "Be Our Guest" where all the dishes start singing and dancing, and then they serve Belle dinner. Why can't my dishes serve ME dinner?? Not sure I would think the "gray" stuff was delicious though. I tend to be a rather picky eater.




3. What was the last thing you purchased that you realized was a mistake after the fact?



In theory, this sounds like such a great product! However, when I got it home, I just couldn't get it to work. Your hair has to be SUPER thick in order for the "bump it" not to show.


4. What percentage of your Christmas shopping is done online?

It varies from year to year. This year, maybe 25%.


5. Amaryllis-snowdrop-poinsettia...your favorite winter blossom?

Poinsettias! At our church, you can purchase a poinsettia plant in honor or in memory of someone. Then, they are lined up around the altar, for the whole church to enjoy. They make the church look so beautiful, especially at our Christmas Eve candlelight service.


6. What is one thing on your personal Christmas wish list? I think we all want peace on earth so let's make this answer an actual item.

There really aren't very many things on my Christmas wish list. I am a very easy to please kind of person. Let's see....I did ask for a new crock pot, some pj's, a nice cozy soft blanket, some new snowmen for my collection, oh yeah...and peace on earth. Ha!


7. If you could only use one word today what would it be?

Indecision. We have so many decisions that need to be made around here that my head is swimming!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Here is our newest family picture. It only took 60 tries to get it right :)

Let It Snow Hodgepodge

1. Do you send Christmas cards? If so about how many will you send this year? How do you display the cards you receive? Or don't you? (gasp!)

Yes, we do send (or give out) Christmas cards, usually with either a picture of our family, or a picture of the girls. We send out around fifty. We display the cards we receive on our banister.


2. When do kids become adults?

I think they become adults when they are 18, or when they have graduated from High School. It can be a rather fine line.


3. Does your 'beauty regimen' change with the seasons?

I don't really have much of a 'beauty regimen', so it stays the same regardless of the seasons. I guess I do moisturize a bit more in the winter, but that's about it.


4. What's something you like to eat that might cause another person to turn up their nose?

I can't think of anything that I like to eat that other people would turn their noses up at. I do like squash and mushrooms, and those are both things that certain people in our family find repulsive, so I will go with those.


5. Gloves or mittens?

Definitely gloves! I haven't worn mittens since I was a little girl. I found this video, and apparently, owning these particular gloves can change your life. I don't own a smart phone yet (stupid cell phone contract) but Hubs does, so maybe I should get him a pair for Christmas?



FYI....this is EXACTLY how it looks outside my door right now! Brrr!

6. What's the longest queue you've ever been in? Was it worth it? Queue=line but doesn't queue sound nicer?

Probably standing in line for the Toy Story ride at Disney World. We had to wait so long, that children were literally napping while we waited! Was it worth it? I don't think so.


7. Besides Christmas, what is one thing you are looking forward to in the month of December?

My oldest daughter is in the play "The Homecoming" at our local theatre. This is the story "The Walton's" is based on. She is playing the part of Shirley, who is one of the Spencer children. The shows are next weekend, and we are all very excited to see the weeks of hard work pay off.


8. Insert your own random thought here.

So, here is an update about my medical tests. The pulmonologist does not think that I have emphysema, so THAT is good news! However, I do have some sort of restrictive airway disease, and he is not willing to "label" me yet, but he thinks that I may have chronic asthma. He put me on some new meds, and I have to see him again soon. Thanks for all of your prayers. I appreciate it!

In other news, our town is currently experiencing blizzard-like conditions. We are expected to get from 6-10 inches of snow tonight. We had something called "thunder snow" and it was pretty weird. It was thundering and lighting, WHILE it was snowing!

Power is out in the town next to us, but ours is still on. Of course, I got smart this time, and filled up the tub and several large containers with water, just in case. Since we have a well, if we lose power.....we lose water! No water = toilet that won't flush. With five people living in the house, that is NOT fun.

The kids around here are all excited about a possible snow day tomorrow. That is one of the disadvantages of doing school at home. You don't have to "go" anywhere, so school can continue as usual. Ha!

That's OK, we have "snow days" when the sun is shining instead :)

We need to find all of the winter gear, as the girls are looking forward to going sledding tomorrow.

Now....where did we put those boots....

Sunshine Hodgepodge

1. What song reminds you of a specific time in your life and what is it about that song that makes you remember?

"You Are My Sunshine". I used to sing this to my girls when they were babies. I loved singing to them as I rocked them to sleep.

I only sang the "You are my sunshine" part of the song to them. I didn't realize that the song goes on....and is quite depressing!

The other night dear as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
When I awoke dear I was mistaken
And I hung my head and cried

You are my sunshine my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away

I'll always love you and make you happy
If you will only stay the same
But if you leave me to love another
You'll regret it all someday

You are my sunshine my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away

You told me once dear you really loved me
And no one else could come between
But now you've left me and love another
You have shattered all of my dreams

You are my sunshine my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away

~ Jimmie Davis

Yeah...glad I just sang the "You are my sunshine" part to them.

2. What's something you've given up on?

Being good at sports. I tried to play a few, and I am just not very good. Maybe if I tried harder, I might get better. But....I don't want to ;)


3. What's something you'll never give up on?

My family! They mean the world to me.


4. If you had to cook something from scratch in the next hour what would it be?

Do you mean without a recipe? Maybe "Cheeseburger Soup". It is a family favorite.


5. Have you started Christmas shopping? Decorating? Listening to Christmas music?

A little. But, ONLY because I was in the right place at the right time. Usually, I don't start shopping for Christmas until after Thanksgiving.

No, I refuse to decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving. One holiday at a time, people!


No, I haven't started listening to Christmas music yet. However, I was forced to listen to it when I was in the store. They were playing it BEFORE Halloween! Pretty soon, we will just start celebrating Christmas in July!


6. What do you know about your parent's wedding?

I know that I was the flower girl, and my brother was the ring bearer.

I know that on the day they got married, their town was experiencing a severe blizzard, and people were advised NOT to travel on the roads!

I know that there are hardly any pictures, and the ones that they do have were not taken professionally.

I know my Mom wore a borrowed dress.

I know they didn't have a fancy honeymoon.

I know that regardless of all of that, they are still together today, and have been a wonderful example to Hubs and I of what love truly means ♥


7. I can't believe I _______________.

....am 37 years old, and I am being tested for emphysema. What?! How is that even possible? I am a non-smoker. Never smoked even a single cigarette in my entire life. They told me my lungs are functioning like a 63 yr. old smoker. A smoker!

I am going to the hospital on Thursday (which just so happens to be my birthday) to have further testing done to determine exactly WHY my lungs are functioning that way. Whatever that test reveals, will determine what further tests I will need, and what medicines they will give me. Prayers would be greatly appreciated.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I know this is late, but here are some pictures from our church's "Trunk or Treat". This takes place on Halloween, and is open to the community. Hubs and I did a "Birthday" trunk, as both of our birthdays are soon after Halloween. It was great fun to tell the kids "Happy Birthday!" as they approached our trunk. You should have seen all of the puzzled looks we got! Some little kids even told me that it was NOT their birthday. Haha! We did encounter a few people who had Halloween birthdays though.

It is a great outreach activity as 10% of our town comes to our church parking lot that night. We pass out candy, hot chocolate and coffee, and have a drawing for free bikes. The kids always enjoy it, and this year, we had perfect weather.

My youngest and I, wrapping the "presents". One of the presents we wrapped, was actually toilet paper. When the neighbor girl came over, she got all excited, and asked what was in the present. When I told her toilet paper, she looked at me, like I was very weird, and said "Who wants toilet paper for a present?!" Ha!

"Happy Birthday!"

My youngest daughter with her friends

My middle daughter with her friend. They dressed up as twins :)

My three girls together. They were a glowing stick person, twin, and Hello Kitty.

Here is our glowing stick person....in the dark....glowing!

Pick Up And Go Hodgepodge

I'm doing Hodgepodge a day early...


1. Of all the tools and gadgets you own which do you most enjoy using?

I guess I would have to say my Ninja.



As usual, once I bought one, they made a "new and improved" one though. It always seems like they wait until I buy one (whatever it is) and THEN they go and improve it. Ha! Anyway, I really love the small Ninja that came with the big one. I use it like a mini food processor. It is perfect for chopping nuts, or making a small batch of salsa.


2. When (if ever) is impatience a virtue?

When your health is concerned. I'm a firm believer in not waiting until things are bad before you get help. More on that at a later time....


3. What temperature do you keep your thermostat set to in winter? Do you have another way to heat your house besides a furnace of some type?

We have a very large family room, so we have a gas insert fireplace in there. It heats up the room so much, that we can't keep it on all the time, or we would all die from heat stroke! It doesn't do a whole lot for the rest of the house, though it does help out a little.

We keep the heat at about 68 during the day, and 66 at night. Our home is well insulated, and retains heat fairly well. We have a large bay window in the front of our house, and when the sun is shining, it really helps heat up the living room.


4. Do/did you have a close relationship with any of your grandparents?

I have/had a close relationship with my one set of Grandparents. My Gram passed away, and I miss her every day. My Grandpa is still alive, and I talk to him on a regular basis.

My other set, I have a pretty close relationship with my Grandpa, but my Grandma (who has passed away) I wasn't real close to.


5. When did you last have a family portrait taken?

We try to take one at Christmas time for our Christmas card. This past year, we just had the girls (and Benji) in it.





6. What does the word patriotism mean to you?

To me, it means that you are proud of your country, and you do your best to honor and respect it.


7. Do you like to play cards and if so, what's your favorite card game?

Not really. Every once in a while, I will pay solitaire. As a kid, I would play cards quite a bit, but not so much as an adult.


8. Insert your own random thought here.

Lately, I feel like I have so much to say, but not much time to say it! I still haven't posted pics from our church's Trunk or Treat we had on Halloween night.

Hubs' family is coming to visit us from Maine, so we are off to Chicago to see the sights, go to museums, and do some shopping.



I'm sure I will have lots of pics to share when I come back.

I love homeschooling. We can just pick up....and go! No catch up work when we get back and I don't have to ask permission or let anyone know my girls will be absent. It doesn't matter that it is in the middle of the week. It's a convenient time for us to go, so we go. The girls can miss this whole week of school, and spend time with their family.

Until next time....

It's A Monster Of A Hodgepodge

1. Who taught you how to cook?

My Mom.....sort of. I already mentioned that my Mom is an awesome, AMAZING cook. The problem is, I never paid much attention to how she actually cooked things. So, when I got married, I really had very little cooking skills to go on. Hubs could cook better than I did! He had been on his own for a while, and was forced to learn. I went to college, and was on the "meal plan" so other than some Ramen noodles or mac n' cheese, I wasn't required to cook anything.

In the beginning of our marriage, there was a lot of trial and error, and dinners that didn't turn out quite right, along with baked goods that were less than ideal. Hubs was always so patient, and reassured me that some day, I would be an amazing cook. That it would just take time.

I would like to say, that he was right :) Thankfully, I did learn, and now, I do make some pretty tasty dishes, if I do say so myself. I still call my Mom every once in a while with a cooking question though.

I am also making sure that when my daughters leave the house, they will know how to cook for themselves!

2. Have you been told you think too much? Are too much of a perfectionist? Are you too sensitive? Were they right?

YES, to all of the above. Hubs tells me that I think too much all the time. And....he is right. My mind always goes to "worst case scenario" too.

I do tend to be a bit of a perfectionist, but only on certain things. I wish I could pick and choose what I feel should be perfect. I would choose to care more about being organized and less about how my hair looks. Ha!

I do think I am a little too sensitive. I tend to read more into things than I should. Although sometimes, I think a certain male who lives in my house doesn't read enough into things...


3. As a child did you have a favorite blanket or toy? Tell about it.

I had a doll that my Gram made me that was a reversible night and day doll. I loved that thing, and could NOT sleep without it. I remember a few times frantically looking for her before bed. She was so well loved that there were just a few strands of her yarn hair left on the "night" side.

4. What 'institution' do you have the most faith in?

Marriage! I have seen many marriages stand the test of time, and I firmly believe in it. It's not always easy, but nothing in life worthwhile ever is.


5. Chrysanthemums-pansies-burning bush-ornamental cabbage...your favorite in an autumn garden?

I can't choose, they are all so pretty!

6. What superpower do the kids in your neighborhood seem to posses?

Being invisible! We don't have a whole lot of kids in our neighborhood, and the ones we do have, aren't out very often.


7. Are you a fan of the cranberry?

A little. It really depends on what it is in. I don't like cranberry sauce, but I do like cranberry if it is in some sort of baked good.


8. Insert your own random thought here.

My middle daughter had her play, which is the reason I have been a little quiet on the ole' blog lately. It takes a lot out of a Mama! Here are some pictures from "The Monster Hunters".

My daughter and her best friend at the radio station, promoting their play.

She played the part of Margot, the leader of the "Secret Society of the Girls Who Like To Make Bracelets Club". Margot is mean and nasty, and since my daughter is a sweet girl, she really had to practice this!



Some of the girls in the club

Putting on her glitter so she could be all sparkly. She had to wear a ton of bracelets!



Enemies in the play.....best friends in real life :)

She had to kiss this boy at the end of the play. Ha!


Frances, Pip, Penny, and Margot


Some of the monsters

In the play, Finn draws a tattoo heart on his arm that says, "Finn + Margot". We just had to get a pic of that!

Hubs was teasing the boy, telling him to "blow it up!" Finn said, "That's all it goes!" Too funny.

The whole cast