My first Anniversary of 29...

Today was a wonderful day! I admit, this birthday was not one that I was looking forward to...but God blessed me and made it one of the best. I went on a fun and adventurous date with my husband (last night). I had pancakes and eggs with my husband and children. I had lunch with a few of my dearest friends. Then had a wonderful evening filled with dinner and a game of Monopoly with my family! Thanks to all that made this birthday so very special. Maybe 30 won't be so bad after all!


About 18 months old

5 years old

School pictures from 2nd through 7th grade (these were scanned from an album)

One of my Senior pictures

The day I became a Potter

The mother of 3 children...

These are not my favorite pictures, but they were some that had been scanned and sent to me awhile ago. In order to have this posted on my birthday, I did not have time to find and scan my favorites...but you get the idea!

I get paid to do this!

I love the church's new vacuum!

Cooking class

Our homeschool group took a "field trip" to Smashed Potatoes, a home-based business that offers cooking classes for kids. It was lots of fun. The kids really enjoyed making calizones and popcorn ball microphones.


Mixing the dough

Everyone at work

Rolling it out

Adding the toppings

Popcorn ball microphone

Sing it out!

Storing the Word in her heart...

Realization

Okay, so I just realized that I am not quite at 100 blogs. It was counting some drafts that I had started by never finished or posted. So, now I still have a few to go. This one is just a quick filler! Here is one of my favorite meals to eat with my family...fondue!

Almost there...part 3

51. I love to sleep in.
52. I love asparagus and artichokes...and fried okra!
53. I am not a highly opinionated person.
54. I do not like confrontation.
55. I am not a real competitive person...though I do like to do my best, especially in sports, but I do not let it get in the way of fun.
56. I love to read Christian Romance Fiction, but I prefer the ones that are set in historical times. I do not like to read about death and tragedy. I get too involved in my books and take on the emotions of the characters.
57. My favorite show growing up was Full House. I have all of the seasons on DVD now.
58. Growing up I had a cat that we raised from a kitten. I could not take him with me to college and I missed him a lot. When Josh and I bought our home, I was very excited to finally get my cat back. But...he passed away a month before our home was finished being built.
59. I do not mind cats and dogs now, but I really do not have a desire to have either.
60. I do not really care about brand names. I care more about how something fits or works.
61. I think my kids are absolutely adorable!
62. I wish I lived closer to my grandparents. I miss them a lot.
63. I am not a picky eater.
64. But I am a picky drinker...I love water! I do not drink coffee, milk, even chocolate milk, soda, and I am not a big juice fan.
65. I love pancakes and eggs for breakfast! I make my pancakes from scratch! (My grandma's recipe)
66. I love McDonald's french fries...out of all the other fries out there.
67. I once cooked from a new recipe and it was so gross that even my husband couldn't choke it down. I threw the food and recipe away!
68. I love getting together with my friends and chatting. I would rather do that than go to a movie or something.
69. My husband is the most wonderful man I know.
70. I love to eat out...but do not very often.
71. I would rather do things with my entire family than by myself...even grocery shopping.
72. I love taking hot, hot baths in the winter.
73. I love to make chocolate chip cookies...including eating the dough!
74. I enjoy playing games...card games and board games. Josh and I spent many evenings playing Rook with friends in my dorm lobby in college.
75. I love creme brulee. (I think that is how it is spelled?) I look forward to Thanksgiving every year when Josh's family goes to Dockside for desserts...My father-in-law and myself always get the creme brulee!

Almost there...part 2

21. I am a born follower...I fear leadership roles.
22. I have always been told that I am a perfectionist...yet I am realizing that there is a large spectrum to perfectionism...I think i fall somewhere in the middle.
23. I love the sunshine, and can feel the effects when it is cloudy for days...or weeks.
24. I am a thinker...I think and dwell on things all the time.
25. I am a doer...I love to cross things off my lists.
26. I love Mexican food...especially my Dad's Tacos.
27. My favorite restaurant is Olive Garden...go figure.
28. I enjoy playing sports like volleyball, running, and soccer rather than doing aerobics or an exercise machine...though these seem to be easier on my slowly aging body, or maybe it is my out of shape body.
29. I love to talk...yet mainly in one on one or small group situations. I tend to be a better listener in large groups and feel too insecure to talk.
30. Now this probably sounds selfish...but I prefer to be in small groups rather than large groups. I feel that I can connect with people better.
31. I am a very open person...sometimes too open.
32. I would be honored to have multiples.
33. I would love to have many children...but I want God's will more.
34. My husband is a way better cook than I am. (Is that proper English?)
35. I lack all skills when it comes to art. I can barely draw a stick person.
36. Growing up, I would clean the house...just because it was in my nature.
37. Yet, when I went to college, I had no idea how to do laundry and could barely cook. ( I had to call my mom for directions the first time I needed to wash clothes in the dorms.)
38. I very rarely watch TV. The only show I enjoy is 17 kids and Counting...and I only watch it occasionally. Though I do admit, you may find me watching cartoons with my children every so often.
39. My favorite movies are The Sound of Music and Parent Trap.
40. I enjoy scrapbooking...but I must admit that my Scrapbook Deluxe digital program is much more enjoyable for me than the hands-on method. I lack creativity.
41. I wash my clothes all together...I do not separate white and darks, unless something is new and never been washed.
42. I also do not fold my underwear.
43. I love my house...all 1300 square feet of it! It was truly a blessing from God - 6 1/2 years ago!
44. I love for our garage to be clean and organized...it drives my husband crazy!
45. For my 16th birthday, my dad gave me a 1983 Nissan Sentra. I drove it until I graduated college. I then gave it to my brother when he got married. He sold it a few years later for $200. I loved that car!
46. I enjoy camping...and I don't mind ruffing it, though the bathroom part can be tough when I am pregnant.
47. My husband and I have purchased 5 pieces of furniture (new) in our home - couch, table/chairs, bar stools, video cabinet, and entertainment center...everything else was either made, given to us, or bought used.
48. I am afraid of heights.
49. I do not like roller coasters...I have only been on one, and my dislike was affirmed.
50. My thinking is very random...and I think that I did too many this time! Oh, well!

Almost there...part 1

Only 5 more posts until I reach 100! So, I thought that I would tell you 100 things about myself...but rather than listing all 100 at once, I am going to break it up into 5 posts of 20.
Here it goes...
1. I was born on March 28, 1979...yes, that means that I will be 30 in two weeks.
2. I was born in Houston, Texas.
3. I have 1 older brother and 2 younger brothers (1 is a half brother). I also have seven step-siblings, but I only know 3 of them.
4. My parents divorced when I was in the 4th grade.
5. When I was 5, my family lived in a trailer, and my entire family shared a room.
6. I was one of two whites in my kindergarten class...the other girl was a red head.
7. My husband and I have gone to school together since the 7th grade.
8. My husband was my first boyfriend, but unfortunately not my first kiss.
9. I played volleyball in Jr. High and High School. I was the setter.
10. I also ran track for 2 years.
11. I sang in choir since the 4th grade.
12. I played the viola in 5th and 6th grade.
13. Both of my parents are remarried. My mom remarried when I was in 7th grade, and my dad remarried 4 months before my wedding.
14. I wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember.
15. I taught for 6 years before coming home to be with my children. I taught 1st grade, 5th grade, 2nd grade, and 1st/2nd grade combo. I now homeschool Kindergarten and 1st grade.
16. Josh and I will celebrate our 10 year anniversary this August.
17. There were times in my life when I said I would never be a stay-at-home mom and I would never homeschool...now it is my dream come true and I love it!
18. Josh bought me our Camry for college graduation and my first teaching job...and now he drives it!
19. I have articles of clothing that I have had since middle school.
20. I have never tasted or tried alcohol or drugs of any kind.

Anything else??

Can anything else go "wrong" today??
My day started with trying to make bread in my bread machine...until I realized that I did not have any flour! Luckily, Paige was not here yet, and so I called her dad and asked him to bring me some...thanks, Bryan!
Then I started my laundry...and when it was almost done, I realized that I did not add soap. THEN, when it was done, I was distracted and put it in the dryer. Those clothes are now folded amongst the others...and I have no idea which ones are really clean...they all smell good. Oh, well, they will get "washed" again next week.
Lastly, I admit, this one taught me a lesson about grumbling. You see, our garbage was full, and my wonderful husband had not taken it out...all weekend. So, I was grumbling this morning as a I pulled the bag out. Well, as I was tying the bag, I noticed a cup at the bottom (a plastic kid cup)...I thought, "Did a cup break?" So, I looked through the bag (our kitchen bags are white and you can kind of see through them) to see if it was broken...and low and behold, there were more. I finally had to relent to untying the bag and digging into it. This is what I found...

All of our kid cups, plates, and bowls were in the trash can! You would think that I would have noticed them missing, but I didn't. I think that I just kept assuming they were dirty...I have an idea that one of my adorably, sweet nephews thought it would be fun to put them into there!
I just had to laugh. I am so glad that Josh did not take out the trash...he never would have noticed them!

All in a days work...

Okay, so neither of these actually took a day, but rather months, but everything finally came together TODAY!
Potty Training and Walking!
So, after many long months of attempting to potty train Brenden, today was a vision of success...for him, not me. Our progress started with nothing, to "piddling" in his underwear, to going when taken with occasional accidents, to going when taken with rare accidents, to FINALLY, "Mommy, I need to go potty BAD!" I wanted to throw the boy a party! My entire family (my dad is visiting) was here to cheer for him!
As a previous blog mentioned, my sweet Makenna has tried so hard to walk for a very long time. Her legs are slowly gaining strength and she has finally made walking her main mode of transportation!
What a day!

My girls!

She fought sleep all afternoon, so I decided to give her a snack...she didn't make it!

Katelyn went ice skating for a friend's birthday party. We started out slow, but after a few times around she started to relax a little. Her skates slid on the ice, but I was mostly holding her up...my arms were pretty soar the next day!

"Yes, mom is finally letting me call someone!"

"Hello?"

But the tag is in the back...

...Says Brenden after dressing himself!

Sure enough, the tag was in the front...whoever made these pants, obviously does not have children!

Taking her time...

Makenna has been attempting to take steps for about a month now. Every few weeks she seems to get stronger and goes a little farther. She has now figured out how to go all the way around the living room, from chair to couch to table to chair to piano bench. She is still working on going from the piano bench back to the chair!

Random

So, today I was pulling into my driveway, coming home from church, and sitting on my porch were...4 CATS! I do not own any cats...and now 4 of them have come calling! I do not mind cats, but my husband is not too fond of them. I do not plan to take any of them in, but I sure hope that they find a home soon...or else go home and stay there!
I would have taken a picture, but I shooed them away before I thought of this wonderful, thought-provoking blog.