Tag Archives: photos

Sick days bite!

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Our youngest had another little sore throat sneak up this weekend and being a veteran of strep throat for far too many episodes, I absolutely believe her self diagnosis as she is SPOT ON.  EVERY.  TIME.

I went ahead and called in to my work yesterday so they’d have time to get coverage and hopefully not shaft my friend and co-worker in my absence..I think it worked out and was far less stressful on me having to jump ship to get our girl to her doctor appointment AND figure out who’d watch her today.  It all worked out.  In the end, her appointment was at 2 in the afternoon so I had a lot of free time on my hands as a result.  Sadly I can’t just chill, nap and read (though I’d LIKE to!) so I tackled some tedious little tasks I’ve been “meaning to get to” forEVAH…

And the cat was truly enjoying snuggling up on humans all day….after he slept off his all-night out and about the neighborhood, that is…

Sleeping off his big night out

he’s snuggling me or my laptop…either way it’s really hard to type like this.

 

  • We had several bags of clothes to donate to our churches thrift store, so I went through my closet and dresser and added several more  bags AND….delivered them.  To the thrift store.  I know, right?  The delivery is key to purging, otherwise it’s just moving it all around.
  • I had so much room on my side of the closet so…….I reorganized and color grouped my shirts and blouses.  I’m a nerd.  I know.  However, it looks really good.  I might actually be able to FIND something when I need it!!
  • I did my Abs and Arms routine, 3 sets each.  I’ll be walking while our oldest daughter has soccer practice, therefore that makes a good start to Week 2 for Peak 313‘s 5 week challenge.  And I DID eat and log my food today which, BTW, is a huge struggle, especially while at home tempted by all the choices.  Add a little restlessness in and it’s a potential recipe for disaster.  I made it through.  Phew!
  • A month ago we had to cut down a magnolia tree in our backyard (it was diseased and dying) and had to replace it with a new tree.  We did that yesterday with an elm in the front yard.  I called the city to come inspect it and check us off the list.  I hate those silly phone calls.  It’s done.
  • Deleted MANY, MANY duplicate albums clogging up my iPhoto library.  Still lots more to do, but I made a HUGE dent today.  Tedious, tedious, tedious..Don’t even ask how it happened…it’s still a mystery!!
  • Then I took the girl to the office and dropped off her antibiotics and then since I was home….the taxi was in full motion…pick up older daughter, pick up youngest son, pick up antibiotics, now to get dinner going and then off to soccer…dang, I need a nap!!
  • I did manage to give myself and my girl a pedicure….garnet and gold toes for my ‘Noles and pink for her.

Peace out, peeps.  We’re off to soccer!

Saints, Ramblings and the F-word

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30 whole minutes!  Alone.  In my house.  Unheard of (unless I come home for lunch).  We split up for Masses today due to lawns/training/Faith Formation, etc, etc, etc and somehow I am alone.  AHHH.  You don’t even know.  or maybe you do.  It’s bliss.

I’ll take advantage of it and blog in peace.  My mind has been running all morning.  It’s going to be a patchwork quilt of my stream of consciousness…enjoy….

My friend sent me a link (to a blog I follow–hee hee, BUT hadn’t read yet) last week or so and the piece was on the F-word and the how our use of the English language has truly lowered the bar in regards to vulgarity.  It is a GREAT post and you can click below on the link and I will tell you I have been re-thinking before I speak more frequently lately as well as being glad that my blog hasn’t gone that road…even though it might get more hits if it did, but in the end, it’s just not me.  most of the time.  though sometimes….I’m sad to say, it is…the link to Tom’s post is here:  “Defusing the F-bomb” with Neal Obstat Theological Pining

I’ve also given a lot of thought to the amazing lessons we learn from the Saints and figured I’d join in with “Saints Sunday” with The Kennedy Adventures today.  Especially as during Mass I had to referee a disagreement between 2 girls for the first 1/4 of Mass…always a joy…you’d think with only 2 kids at Mass it would have been a breeze.  I should  have taken the other 2.  However, as I was praying “Dear, Jesus, Mary AND Joseph protect my children from the demon threatening to break free from my neck at any minute to silence these girls…help me to be graceful and love them even though they are getting on my last.  ever-loving.  nerve. right now.  Amen”  Right then I had a flash of Saint Monica and was shown how motherhood is a marathon.  Now, Lord Help these kids if it takes me 30 years, but…I was filled with a sense of peace and a guiding of “Continue on.  You’re on the right path.”, neck muscles relaxed, girls relaxed and the rest of Mass was good.  Talk about your instant gratification/affirmation.  Yes, please and thank you!!

The temptations of the saints were seen as opportunities for self­discovery. They allowed temptations to show them the breaches in the fortress of their souls, which needed to be fortified until they would become the strongest points. This explains the curious fact about many saintly people-that they often become the opposite of what they once seemed to be.      (Lift Up Y our Heart)  Venerable Fulton John Sheen 

Confirmation.  Our 9th grader is making his this year.  Parent meeting today and his first of 6 classes tonight with a dinner.  Praying for the right sponsor for him, he needs the right  person to talk to and spark that mustard seed.

Busy Saturday.  Football in the morning.  Hubby took our girl while I took the other girl grocery shopping and tackled the house.  Then, after lunch I took both girls to our oldest girl’s first soccer game while Hubby stayed with the boys and tackled the tree stump in the back yard so we can plant a new tree.  The weather was good, the drive was quick (for 1.5 hour to AND from the game–that says aLOT!), and best of all, we made it home in time for dinner on the table!  SCORE!!!

Chill Sunday.  It appears we are getting Isaac reincarnated today.  Not quite the storm he was his first pass before he let loose on the Gulf coast, Louisiana and Mississippi, but it’s a blustery and rainy day.  The library is in store for SURE!!!

And one last note on a Saint-to-be…today Bishop Fulton J. Sheen is decreed as “Venerable” by the Vatican and a celebration of his life and vocation is taking place in Peoria at Celebrate Sheen, a Mass of Thanksgiving for an amazing man and true blessing to the Church.

Game 1. A loss, but a GREAT game with lots of potential to the season!!

 

Redemption through a Pot Roast…

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and other weekly synopses with Jen Fulwiler (soon-to-be-reality-documentary-diva) and pals…

It’s been a short week with Labor Day hogging up my Monday (LOVE me a 4-day work week…it just messes up my, “what-dayis-it?” for the week).  And yet HALLELUJAH, here it is FRIDAY!  Can I get a WOOP WOOP???  And since I need to get kids up and dinner prepped this is going to be quick-ish:

  1. I made ham and northern bean soup the other night for dinner.  It sucked.  the beans didn’t soak and/or cook long enough.  Without fear, they are frozen and will be delectable for round 2, however, I DID make a mean pot roast last night and totally redeemed my cooking skilz…as my Hubby says, “you can’t go wrong with a pot roast”..phew, cuz I was thinking I was losing my touch…

    Even the picky kid had seconds…yep, THAT good!

    2.  Had a needlestick a work last Friday.  A dirty needle.  First time ever.  In 20 years.  So here’s to strong prayers for a better day today!!  Fortunately, all blood tests (mine and source patient) are clean, I’ll just go for a 6 month check up and be done.  Talk about nerve-wracking…ugh..

    3 hours in my local ER on a Friday afternoon isn’t really my idea of a good time…

    3.  Enjoyed a smokin’ hot football game on Saturday with my girls.  90+ temps and a 31-0 win.  Check out our set-up….And yes, people were hating on me…they would be the ones in the bleacher seats and no umbrella…go ahead and hate, people, go ahead…

    Totally worth the effort of twitching biceps from carrying all that swag 1/2 mile from the parking lot…

    4.  Dad and the boys hit the Zoom Air course with Hubby’s bestie (can guys have BFFs??)…maybe I should say best bro’….either way, it was a 3-hour blast!!

    A view of one of the courses….

    5.  I’ve been working in the exercise this week and took the girls for a walk (they bladed) a couple of times…prepping for next week’s Peak 313 challenge...

    A re-enactment…AWWW, they really DO like each other….

    6.  Another walk/blade sesh brought us to the local park and we were able to see some ducks settling in for the night and almost a mama duck nipping off a little dog’s nose for messing with her babies.  Well.  That’s what you get when you mess with mama’s babies…..

    Settling those teenagers down….

    7.  On Labor Day I cleaned out the “junk drawer” and updated the chore board…happy to report 4 days later…the drawer is still clean-ish and the board changes have been noted and followed…mostly…

    Wet erase board+vibrant markers+initial magnets=peace (mostly)

    Have a great weekend, y’all!!

     

     

     

Someone has to be the base….

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Teamwork

In cheerleading stunts, I am learning the lingo.  The “base” is the support for the girl who is being lifted (aka, the flyer) and tossed in the air.  The base must be strong and sturdy and fully focused on her flyer.  The flyer seems more glamorous in their “elevated” status and exciting tricks while being lifted and then tossed, however, they also must be strong, flexible and focused, completely trusting and relying on their base.  It’s teamwork at its best.

In life, and in cheerleading, our best tricks and “AHHHHHH-inspiring” moments only come when we have a good sturdy foundation.  A base we can trust to hold us up and catch us when we fall.  A lesson I’m learning throughout this, our first cheer season, is to hold my tongue in regards to the gossip-monger cliques, for it is quickly becoming obvious how unreliable their own bases are in their own “mean-girl” actions.  A teachable season for both my daughter and I  to  discern people for who they are, pinpoint traits to emulate and moments to rise above.  There are many girls in this sport who are amazing and wonderful girls and I pray they can all rise above the few who are Divas-in-training to encourage and lift up their teammates; that they can be the “base” in their actions and words.  We all have the opportunity to be both base and flyer; its important to remember it all starts with the base.

How sturdy is your base?

1 Thessalonians 5:11 

Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

 

Watermarks…a work in progress!

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It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while now….watermark my pictures.  Not because I think I’ll be wildly famous someday, but I WOULD like some credit if my images are used anywhere, so I am in the throes of figuring out this watermark deal.  I’m starting with JetPhoto a free download and going from there.  Needs some tweaking….I really only want my words, not the white background on it, but it’s a start!  I’m not opposed to paying (a small fee) for an app, this IS just a family hobby, but it’s got to be worth my $$$$ so for now, that would be FREE.  The rest is just trial and error and education….so feel free to chime in on YOUR watermark techniques photo peeps!