A Penny For Your Thoughts

    Yay It's Here!!! My Birthday!!!  I am old....43 years old.  Wow, where has the time gone?  I still feel like I should only be like what?  Late twenties? Mid thirties?  I don't know.  I am ok with 43 though.  However, I am struggling with hair color.  I miss my natural hair color with no gray.  When I do get it colored I am usually disappointed because it just isn't "my" color.  So what is a girl to do? I haven't colored in a year and am trying to just accept the gray as a natural change.  I don't know.... Other than that, I agree there is a freedom that comes with age.  Eccentric is what they call it after 40, or "mid life" crisis. You can act crazy and they just roll their eyes....especially the teens.    So here goes....   Past....Bible study was great.  No sporting events this week so I have cooked supper every night (thankful family), I bought a new swim suit (hopef...

So I got this cool thing called a Fit Bit Flex for my birthday. I wear it on my wrist and it tracks my steps, calories burned, and even my sleep patterns.  It then syncs up to the computer and my iPhone to let me know my progress.  It is so awesome.  Much like the Fitness Pal app, it has made me aware of how unhealthy my current lifestyle has been.  The FP app let me know how much sugar I was consuming.  The Fit Bit lets me know how sedentary my life style is.  I know this is partly due to my type of work and the winter weather, but still....my word!! So you are supposed to have at least 10,000 steps a day to be healthy... this is where I am at so far.  However, I am going to get there.   Day 1- 2579 Day 2- 5925 Day 3- 3001 Day 4- 3324 Day 5- 7461   Add to this some poor sleeping patterns and this girl was not shocked, but saddened by what she has let happen.  Time to pull myself up by the boot straps and make some chan...

51/365  Lucy was sound asleep in my bed....you can tell how relaxed.  When she woke up, her and  Chloe had to have some morning love to start the day.   52/365 Yes, I can tell you how to get to Sesame Street, or at least to the honorary one :)   53/365  Lady T's Dance Camp.  My two beautiful dancers.   54/365  Madi at her last volleyball game.    55/365  Cows getting something to eat at the farm.   56/365  Snow melting leads to roads flooding, this was minor compared to some of the ones I have seen pictures of.

Already?? This really was a quick week.  February is such a quick month too and I don't think it's because it is 2-3 days shorter than the others.  It is the month of transition.  Sometimes we get almost summer weather, still lots of winter days, a few Spring time days.  For me it is a month of hope.  You see the finish line.  You are not there yet, but you know it is close..... oh and it is my birthday month.  I say that a lot and pretty much every chance I get, because I am crazy in love with my own birthday.    This is what is going on around here...   Past...A snow/ice storm, warm temps, thunderstorms, and tornado warnings.  To say Mother Nature is hormonal is an understatement.  Not complaining though.  I will take a good old thunderstorm any day of the week over an ice storm.  As long as no one is in danger that is.  We finished up volleyball for Madi, Dance ends this evening for Kate, we celeb...

    A short update since I just did this a few days ago...     48/365   Deathcicles or Icicles....that is the question.  I must say, I am going to walk out of the way as these beauties melt.     49/365   I found when I look up, I can visualize Spring because I don't see all of the remnants of winter :)   50/365 Spring colors are so beautiful and in this case, they taste great too.   Around here this week .....   We have had another ice storm.   Madi had two root canals.  The girl didn't even need any more pain reliever after the initial dose.  Wow, what a tough cookie.   I had to take another vacation day due to Dentist/Ice Storm.  I do not like using them up on these things.  I like to use them for pool days you know.   I must admit, I think I am feeling a little depressed and suffering from a bad case o...

It has been a little crazy around here and for some reason uploading photos stresses me out.  I am not sure why this is, but certain tasks and especially computer related ones test my patience.  I have to have enough patience for the day to day tasks I guess this depletes it for menial tasks....lol   35/365  One afternoon the girls got out the Twister game.  The dogs started wallering on it.  Too cute, it was if they were playing.      36/365   Preparing for the snow storm.  If I ran out of coffee, that would be a tragedy.   37/365  It is starting to feel like this to me :)   38/365  Me and my girl on her birthday   39/365  Katie was practicing her cookie decorating for her FCCLA event.  She ended up doing well.     40/365  Really?  Will it ever melt away?   41/365  Spring must be close.  First Shamrock Shake o...

Happy Valentines Day!       This is one of my favorite holidays.  I love the red, pink, hearts, valentines, everything.    I got each girl a new shirt and pair of valentines socks.  Lucy of course had a valentines party at school and the other girls all had a sweetie this year....oh my!   I made Doug a homemade gift and decorated the door with hearts that stated different things I love about him.  I also sent him a picture as a text with I Love You.   Then to finish off the day, I made homemade Paula Deen Crockpot Potato Soup and have included the recipe in this post...oh yummm and oh so easy!         Ingredients: 1 (30 oz.) bag frozen hash-brown potatoes, I use the square ones 2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth or the big carton 1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of chicken soup 1/2c chopped onion 1/3 tsp. ground black pepper 1 (8oz) package cream cheese (softened) Garnish: ...

  If the thought of more snow tomorrow makes me want to throw something...glass that would shatter into a million pieces and make me feel a little better.  Are you sensing the frustration?   I can't breath out of nose.  I think I have a sinus infection.   I am tired because I have been sleeping like crap.   I am cranky.  Can you tell?   On a positive note.....   It is supposed to be in the fifties next week.  Yes!!!!   I would take a monsoon over another snow storm (it will feel like it when this snow melts).   I am really looking forward to Valentines Day and I have the day off in observance of Lincoln's Birthday...<3   Happy Wednesday!!     Link up with Shannon  to share your So What's...

An Interview with Lucy   1. Favorite color?  Blue 2.  Favorite thing to play outside? In the Summer I like to play Ghost in the Graveyard at night. 3. Favorite thing to play inside? School and Barbies 4.  Favorite TV Show?  Teen Wolf and Vampire Diaries  (is she really 8 and not 18 ?) 5.  Favorite Movie? Frozen and Hunger Games 2 6. Favorite Book? The Pencil (great book) 7. Favorite Song? Let It Go from Frozen 8.Favorite Food?  Macaroni and Cheese 9.  Favorite Animal? Horse 10.  Best Friend (s)? I have a lot 11.  Favorite thing about school? Recess 12.  Favorite thing about Katie? Hanging out with her 13.  Favorite thing about Cassie? Her Hair 14.  Favorite thing about Madison? Sharing a room with her 15.  Favorite thing about Daddy? He is handsome 16.  Favorite thing about Mommy? You are sweet 17.  Favorite dessert? Strawberry...

Listening to.... this is self explanatory right now since it is below zero and we even had frozen pipes this morning.....find my happy place, find my happy place, find my happy place. Loving... that February means we are on the down side of winter. and my birthday is this month and we know how I love my birthday. Thinking...that instead of buying anything, my focus needs to be on donating stuff.  I do not do the garage sale thing. Wanting... another self explanatory thing.  I need to stop complaining and just learn to enjoy these 3-4 months of the year. Needing...to shampoo carpets.  I also need to get better at making this a priority. 2 Truths and A Fib....   I do not like to watch any sports on tv.  I do like to attend most sporting events in person though unless they are outside in cold weather.  I am even a fair weather football fan.  Oh well.  I do love to go to the movies and Carmex is one of my happy smell...

  Happy Friday Dear Friends!!   Past....More, more, and more snow.  EIU actually closed.  That is unheard of but I was happy to not have the stress of feeling bad about not going and the added bonus of not having to use vacation time.  The girls had a short week again.  Another game got cancelled.  You know, the usual :)   Present.... Need to do some birthday shopping for my baby today and also dinner with friends. The kind of friends who pray for you.  Love this group!   Future... Birthday party for Lu, planning for a church retreat, Bible study, and maybe the Lego movie (I really want to see it!)  Next week, maybe another snow storm.  Oh well, if you can't beat em, join em :)    

  1.  That I really hate Snow!!! Not really hate, but seriously sick of and they say that February is going to be worse.  Oh Joy! 2.  I prefer routines and schedules versus cancellations and make ups and not knowing how the week is going to look.  I am usually a "fly by the seat of my pants gal", but even this has been too much for me. 3.  I am an introvert.  Not a shy introvert, but a "need time alone" kind of introvert.  Too much togetherness is making me want to come out of my skin.  I have read two books this month on introverts and it is me to the T.  It also explained my disdain for telephone conversations.  Yeah, I am ok, just different!! By the way, I think Doug, Cassie, and partially Lucy are the only extroverts in our family. 4.  Jesus has been real to me this month in new ways.  I have been seeing his work in different ways and feeling good about current situations.  5.  I like to take ...

Here we go with some more pics...... 27/365 & 28/365  Poor Madi had a bad toothache and will require a root canal.  Ouch, this poor gal may have inherited my Mother in Law's and my teeth issues.  Of course since we were out by ourselves we waited for her prescriptions at Starbucks. When you have several children you incorporate alone time dates whenever you can :)   29/365 We are tatted up to remember to pray for my friend on her mission trip.  She is in Cambodia teaching girls a trade to combat the damage from human trafficking. I will say, seeing my girls with bar codes on their arms was very impactful to me and brought me to tears several times this week.     30/365   A fun selfie with Cassie.  I liked my hair not being fuzzy on this day and who can resist a pic with a "geek" like her :)   31/365   To say Fred enjoys a good nap would be an understatement.  Love this dog! 32/3...