Day #2

Greet your husband and give him a hug... Let him know again that you missed him or were thinking about him today. Again, this is secondary to what you are feeling. Just do it. If he says something like 'Wow, two days in a row? Do you want money or something?' Ignore it. He is saying this to you because he is noticing your actions & they feel good to him. What may feel like sarcasm to you is playful bantering to him. After you hug him, leave the room. Don't allow for conversation about your new behavior. This isn't a game, we are just trying to avoid getting into a discussion about unresolved issues that you are not equipped to handle just yet.

Okay... so this one wasn't anything new... to me at least, even though I snuggled a little longer than just a hug but my husband is not a snuggler and me and Noah totally are... but he lets us, he loves us that much... The only hard part was trying to retype the lesson for today because I couldnt copy and paste it and Johnny and Noah were in negotiations in the living room and I couldn't concentrate... Jeez, I couldnt tune them out and usually I can but It was getting pretty close to Noah being sent to bed early so I had to listen to see if your evening was getting cut short LOL.

I wasn't feeling too well today but it was a good day anyway, I went to Toys R Us this evening to get a game for Noah's DS for his bday and picked up a few things for him, I think I get just as excited as him because I love wrapping his presents and seeing him get excited and Noah is a great kid, he loves everything he gets so I can get him a bunch of easy toys and he loves them just the same as the fancy ones... He really cleans up so I tend not to over do it, sort of... he he, i like to get him things that I know he will enjoy, at least for the moment because kids lose or break everything.... I am over trying to prevent that, I can buy him $2 dollar toys and he is happy as can be... The hardest part for me is that on his actual birthday I have to take cupcakes and snacks and pizza for his classroom, ya, one of the kids in his class her mom took all the kids stuffed animals for her birthday. Don't these moms realize we are just making it harder on ourselves?! Luckily I had already bought Army helmets since Noah is into GI Joe for all the kids... GOTCHA.. humph... AS IF! and I am going to do hersheys bars with Camo Wrapping and put Happy Birthday Noah on the label... Cupcakes with little army men and mac N cheese to go with the pizza... Ya, the only one I am killing is myself ... I know... and then that night we are doing Hot Dogs for the family and I have to make a cake then too... good grief, thank goodness his party is at Gatti-Land and I get to kick back for the most part...

Guess I got a little off the subject huh? Well my honey and I did do something out of the ordinary last night, first we went to the first Unitas Marriage Prep class, we are one of the sponsor couples now but before we got married we were one of the first couple to go through the program 6 years ago... Aaaahhhh love, ya, oh the dreams of happily ever after LOL, its good but it is not always sunshine and roses baby! (at least for some people... MY honey is great...just in case he is reading this) ...Love, look what you've done to me... never thought I'd fall again so easily... anyway, we sent to have a drink after we left the meeting on our way to pick up Noah, and it was nice... so I am venturing out of my comfort zone because I really wasn't feeling well and could totally hear my PJ's calling me...but I took the opportunity to show my husband that being with him was better than flannel PJ's anyday....

Lesson #1

Tonight or tomorrow when your spouse comes home, greet them at the door. Don't yell from another room. Physically meet them at the door. Let them know that you missed them today (even if you didn't) If it is not possible to do it this way due to your schedules then be sure you tell them you missed them and are happy to see them when you are face to face.

Okay, this one wasn't really that hard for me, I love to greet Johnny when he gets home because I want him to know that I truly appreciate that he was working hard to provide for his family... he makes me feel taken care of and I think making him feel missed and special is just a nice way to show him how much I love him... Even when I am mad at him, i just want to kiss his face because I love him so much, and I just want him to know that...

so, take your time... try it... let me know how it worked for you... talk to you tomorrow...

So much on my mind....

Well, today got off to a rocky start... Our dog bones has not been feeling well the last couple of days...I could hear him figiting in his kennel most of the night and I knew his stomach was not feeling good...and after a while...yup, the smell traveled into our bedroom... Ugh, I start gagging just thinking about it again, yup, all over his kennel and disgusting, so... Johnny and I were outside at 4 in the morning washing the dog and the kennel... Did I mention that I never wanted a dog, yah... just wanted to make sure that was clear so my true feelings were known... did I also mention that I cannot stand the smell of dog poop, not that some people can but... let's just say my stomach has not been well all day... yuck...

okay, Just so that the mood is set now... just kidding... I wanted to share a bit... On my faith journey I am always drawn to things that will make me a better person, a better christian.... Now that I am married... I just want so much to make my marriage strong, to work on it and make sure that I am a good wife and mother. I think every girl grows up dreaming about her white wedding to her prince Charming, waiting for 'the one'...holding her breath... and sometimes love makes you blind, okay a lot of times, and sometimes your prince is a frog... and sometimes he is that knight in shining armor you are dreaming about... some girls get really lucky and get it all... a lot don't... but when you love someone, truly love someone, you work at making your marriage a success, you take the good with the bad... remember.... for better or for worse?! A few friends of mine and I have talked about starting 'The Love Dare', it is a 40 day challenge that leads to a stronger marriage, I have the book, actually for a while, but have yet to start it. But I have begun following a blog called "Women's Marriage Ministry" and have decided to start Amy's 14 day love challenge...
Johnny and I will be married for 7 years in November, has it been good... yes... has it been easy... no... and a lot of people who know us probably think our relationship is very easy because we were best friends for so long before we got married, but marriage is work, and it is different from just being friends, you always hear people say "I married my best friend" or "my husband/wife is my best friend" well, ya... that doesn't mean we have a great time, because let me tell you, when you wake up in the middle of the night with a sick kid and vomit on the bed and sheets... and in your hair... and your both tired, let's just say... you aren't thinking about being friendly... ya, I can always tell when Johnny has had it with me, luckily my husband walks away... me, I don't talk...AT ALL... and marriage should be about two people, and any counselor, priest ...whoever, will tell you that BUT (big but) you have your families and they are a big part of your lives and they also weigh on your relationships... It is a give and take and a whole lot of compromise, patience, understanding and alcohol (or cookies)...LOL
Is marriage easy... NO, is marriage work... Yes... is it worth it ... of course

This is literally my son... I mean he is ALL about football... SSSHHHH, don't want to jinx myself, I just might actually have a football player, he watches football all the time... LOVE HIM!

Well, the weekend zoomed by too fast because well... it just did.... Friday after the field trip Johnny met us at the park and Noah and I hung out with Dad as he finished up his work, then we were off to get the rest of the stuff i needed for Noah's party since we were in SA anyway... i am really excited about having his party at GattiLand this year, this will be the first time we haven't had to do the whole pinata, set up, cook, moon bounce ...haul everything to the park ...stuff... I am relieved, until we get the bill i am sure... LOL, seriously, it will probably be the same amount of money we do on everything to have it ourselves... with the added bonus of not having to do all the work!



My honey and I actually had a night out on Saturday, i am such a drag... if it were up to me it would be a PJ movie night every night, i just don't do the whole bar thing well, but I had a nice time actually .... his friends band was playing, and I even enjoyed a few drinks... woo hoo...



I have to really get on my own case because in marriage, you have to give in and do things that aren't your cup of tea...but you do, because it is all about compromise, and i had a good time and reminded myself that as long as we are spending time together, it's always good...



awww, don't they look happy.....



Ya, so I slept late and my post from yesterday tells how my day got started! of course sleeping late to me is 8 am when i get up at 5... 8 is late... but then again I didn't get to bed til 2! jeez... I am too old for that...



So, Johnny had to hit the floor running yesterday too because he had his Team fundraiser at church, luckily I had baked my cakes yesterday and got all his silent auction stuff together for him so he was good to go...



My little bear was not too happy about getting ready for church, we missed Sunday school, I had to run to the store because I was helping with the food for Youth Ministry and was STRESSED because they were having Sisters attend and wanted to make sure we had plenty of food... so you know I had to run and get extra just in case... Had to run by the Momo's and pick up the rice only to get in trouble because my big bear had told her I would take her breakfast which she had been waiting for and I didn't have time!!! I felt her pain, you don't tease a BG about food and then not follow through, so I took a good chewin for my husband... ugh!!! get to church, forgot to get candies for the movie basket (did i say my big bear ended up coordinating the silent auction so i was going nuts helping him)... back to the store to get that... with little bear telling me he hated when i rushed him... LOL everything worked out, plenty of food for YM, Men had a great turnout and this mama bear needed to pass out... but alas... THAT didn't happen... but Vinnie did make us some gooooooood ribs that my BFBG (big footed big girl) treated us with and I was thinking, pretty dang good ending to the day! even though my house IS a disaster AND little bear fought me through bath time....



and to go from that to my best Monday morning start off....

Gotta love my brother in law when he wakes up hungry... see! he bought me a taco in exchange for hauling his butt to work.... LOL

This is going to be a busy week, i am excited because Johnny and I are going to start helping with the marriage ministry at church and this week is our first meeting, looking forward to it... you know, since we have SOOOO much free time and all, seriously, I have really wanted to help with it for a while but Johnny didn't really seem interested so I let it go... prayed about it and when they asked us again this year my honey said he wanted to try it... God is so Good... I am happy, not just because God placed it on his heart, but because i just want to show my support for people that are beginning this journey in their lives, it is a true commitment and marriage is a lot of work, but the rewards are great and the love and God sustains...

Happy Monday All!!!!

Sunday Sunday...

It really seemed like i was getting on top of my game this last week, house was staying picked up, laundrey was in hamper only...not everywhere else... invitations done... I was feeling good... but, seems like in the last day or so the whole house exploded... junk everywhere, nothing seems to be finished, but I did bake to cakes for my honey's team fundraiser today, the Momo is making rice for me and I am making macaroni salad as I type!

But seriously, it doesnt matter how much you try to stay on top of things, everything can wig out in a second! Do I hear an AMEN!? I went with Noah on a his field trip Friday to see Good Night Moon and the Runaway Bunny, I was so excited because i got to ride the bus with him... Um, yah, never again.... I will go back to following in my car... um... 40 kids and a bumpy ride, I was car sick halfway up there... ugh, i feel queesy again just thinking about it. Plus I promise the note I read said we were going to leave at 830 and be back by lunch... WRONG, we left at 10:30 and didnt get back til 3... AND we needed to take a lunch.... Luckily I had taken snacks and even Luckier my friend Cathy made it for morning mass and I sent her to get me two lunchables, two bananas and a diet coke PLEASE! Talk about a life saver...

Here is my little snuggle monkey with his friend Ethan on the playground... waiting to leave on the field trip...

My day today started off with me and Noah chasing the dog through the neighborhood, ya, Johnny wanted to let him go because... well... we are fed up with that dog! But it broke my heart because my son took off running after him, so I ran inside, grabbed a piece of sausage and yes, went running down the street holding it in front of me yelling for bones... Lovely... And YES, I had REAL morning hair, worse than the picture because we had date night last night and went to hear a friends band play, so i had to wash it last night and since it was late...didnt even bother brushing it out... YA exactly, lucky for me the neighbor down the street has a weiner dog too and bones and her started barking at eachother...not lucky for me that the lady actually looked scared of me and not my dog... AND that of course she had to have the door open to her house and the rest of her family was sitting there eating breakfast.... LOVELY... only me... I kept saying i was sorry but I am pretty sure she only spoke spanish because she just kept looking at me like i was crazy... WHAT, doesnt everyone run down the street with crazy hair dangling a sausage on Sunday Mornings? She probably was thinking this big girl couldn't find her frying pan and wants to borrow mine... hehehehe AND yes, big girls can run.... (whatever!) ...mental note to self: start workout routine THIS week

Well, much to do today including trying to keep my ship of a house from sinking... Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday...

Wacky Wednesday....

Okay, I can't believe I am going to do this and I can already hear my husband saying "Lu, why did you do that" but, hey, it's me... and if you know me... You will understand because I tend to just throw it all out there...

Here is my morning hair, but this... in honor of Wacky Wednesday... is TRUE morning hair... I mean washed the night before went to bed with it still wet... MORNING HAIR!!!

You look MARVELOUS darling... simply marvelous!

If you dare... you can share, text me a picture of your morning hair or email it from your phone and we will just see who can beat my tumbleweed patch... Love It!

Happy Birthday Uglo...

Today is my brother's birthday, I can't believe he has already been gone a year... actually I still have a hard time believing he is gone. Mom came over for dinner today but I didnt say anything about Ernie because I didn't want to upset her. She is doing really good and her and Kasey seem like two sisters living together now... I'm sure they have their moments but don't we all. Rina made me put hi-lites in her hair and they came out orange... um, guess we should have done a strand test... but Noah was happy because he said it was orange for the Longhorns, yup... my sister has the body of Bevo and the orange hair for the longhorns!

I am down to one (overflowing) basket of clean laundrey to put away and about two loads of laundrey left... wait, I have one in the washer and one in the dryer still... nevermind, I guess the laundrey is still out of control...

Noah just pushed a button on the TV and now we can't get any channels, so we are out of luck for the DVR... and I can't find the remote... since our 'finder' is at a meeting, guess we are stuck in the den tonight... I am so proud of myself because I am almost done with my book and after 900 pages it is finally getting good... I still need to finish New Moon and my niece gave me Precious to read too...(keep your comments to yourself please)... My son says I am typing too slow which means he is ready for me to sign off...

Is it...

Monday already! yikes, and how can I already be sleepy. My hair is crazy...this is the one thing in my life that never let's me down, my wild hair... I can't have that soft flowing glossy looking hair, I will never be a pantene commercial, but, I have wrestled and fought with this hair my whole life and I think now, with old age and lot's of hair products tested... it is what it is... I seriously think my sisters jinxed me because they used to call me tumbleweed hair... They are mean witches aren't they! Seriously, I am famous for the pineappletree hair style, which by the way did you know that pineapples don't grow on trees!? Ya, they call my chongo (ponytail) a pineapple tree, because my mom started working when I was still in elementary school and left my two older sisters to get me ready for school... Oh, and that was they nice name, they also called me Gene Simmons, if you are too young to know he is the singer in a band called KISS, ya, google him... seriously, that is how my hair looked... and of course I didn't know any better and I am sure I thought I looked just fine. Everytime I see a little girl with nappy hair, my heart tightens just a bit, and I want to go and tell her exactly which products will help tame the mane... sigh, but i guess we all have our crosses to bare LOL... My search will still continue for the perfect haircut, the perfect hair product and the perfect style to make me wild child behave...

I have a dream....

Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968

**from USConstitution .net

In 1950's America, the equality of man envisioned by the Declaration of Independence was far from a reality. People of color — blacks, Hispanics, Asians — were discriminated against in many ways, both overt and covert. The 1950's were a turbulent time in America, when racial barriers began to come down due to Supreme Court decisions, like Brown v. Board of Education; and due to an increase in the activism of blacks, fighting for equal rights.
Martin Luther King, Jr., a Baptist minister, was a driving force in the push for racial equality in the 1950's and the 1960's. In 1963, King and his staff focused on Birmingham, Alabama. They marched and protested non-violently, raising the ire of local officials who sicced water cannon and police dogs on the marchers, whose ranks included teenagers and children. The bad publicity and break-down of business forced the white leaders of Birmingham to concede to some anti-segregation demands.
Thrust into the national spotlight in Birmingham, where he was arrested and jailed, King helped organize a massive march on Washington, DC, on August 28, 1963. His partners in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom included other religious leaders, labor leaders, and black organizers. The assembled masses marched down the Washington Mall from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, heard songs from Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, and heard speeches by actor Charlton Heston, NAACP president Roy Wilkins, and future U.S. Representative from Georgia John Lewis.
King's appearance was the last of the event; the closing speech was carried live on major television networks. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, King evoked the name of Lincoln in his "I Have a Dream" speech, which is credited with mobilizing supporters of desegregation and prompted the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The next year, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The following is the exact text of the spoken speech, transcribed from recordings.



I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

TGIF

Yawn... so sleepy sleepy today.... you can definitely tell it's the end of the week. I am really looking forward to this weekend because I pretty much have nothing to do! It is the first PAJAMA WEEKEND 2010... WOOHOO! I am going to start doing some baking, I have to do cookies for some meetings Johnny has coming up and his Men's Retreat Fundraiser that is coming up and and and and... I am sure i will have plenty of people that are going to want some as soon as they catch a wiff. I made about 4 loaves of banana bread last night but I am not too happy with my recipe, Johnny says they are good but I think they are a little bland... I tried adding vanilla and extra brown sugar and it didn't help... My goal this weekend is to stay in Pajamas as much as possible (priorities) and to finish up the laundrey and get it put away AND organize my closet.

Here we are almost halfway through the first month of the New Year and I haven't mentioned resolutions. One thing I always tell myself to do at the start of a New Year is to buy a journal to put bucket list items, things I want to do before I leave this earth... still haven't bought that journal but I have that list (or what i can remember of it) in my head... This year is a landmark year for the Sauceda Family, Noah will be turning 5 and Johnny will be turning 40 in March and I will be turning 40 in December.... When I got my new weekly planner I started inputting all the 'important dates' and almost had an anxiety attack, we really don't have a month without something eventful... February Noah's bday, Johnnys dad's bday, valentines day, Johnnys Mens retreat, March Johnny's bday, Jessica's bday, April Momo's bday and Easter, May Mothers day, beach to bay and Graduation, June Graduation party and TJ's bday, July VACATION - coast trip, August School starts, festival, Jeremy's bday, September Church Festival, Bdays, October sisters bdays and Halloween... tired... and then all the stuff in between LOL. I wouldn't change a thing, seriously...
My focus this year is to work on traditions, Noah is now getting to where he asks questions and remembers more, so I want to do things that will show him how important it is to stay focused and God first and our family. When I say family I mean all the people in our lives we consider family as well, our family is not just those people that we are related to, it is all the people we love and they are each and every one a special part of our lives. I want to start with our first Pajama movie night, tonight... potluck.... it will be fun... and there will be laughing and eating and surely some fighting (the kids that is)... but there will be plenty of love

Goodmorning from Whoville!

It's not Friday, but it feels like it should be... which really bites because it isn't! okay, so I knew all week that we were having a big tour today but my hair decides to wig out today and this is what I ended up... Wala!


Yes, I won the contest for "the most barrettes and clips in one hair-do" ahem, that would be one head band, two pop clips, three bobby pins and four mini-clips... absolutely lovely... don't you think?

But I promise, I stayed in my office as much as I could...

This is my new best friend, he helps me start out my day on a positive note...

Hi Alvin my love!!!!

Ya, this is one of the MANY Happy Meal toys wandering around my house, car, purse, yard... EVERYWHERE... Alvin somehow ended up in my purse... when you get to work at 6:40 and hear someone say " hello gorgeous" you get a little nervous but I didn't see anyone, well... lo and behold I am looking for my office keys and hear it again... It's Alvin! making his presence known... gotta love his timing, first thing in the morning... I was about to throw it away and then something stopped me... hello!? what better way to start off a work day than to push the little curl on top of his head and hear him speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth... AND even on a bad hair day...

"HELLO GORGEOUS"

... are you talking to me, Alvin, stop...you embarrass me!

wishing and hoping...

Well, Tuesday has come and gone and it has been a good day... I am trying like crazy to get things under control but there is always a wrench to throw that seems to get thrown in.... It's funny...actually, last week I was checking out at the grocery store and didn't realize that one of my kid's that was in youth group at church (many moons ago) was checking... She has graduated from college and is married with her own kid now... (wow, that makes me feel old) I asked her how things were going and she starts to tell me that she still hasn't found a job using her degree... and student loans are due and she is frustrated... So I automatically go into the 'things will get better and work out' speech... and then I stopped... and I said... 'you know what, things won't necessarily get better and there will always be SOMETHING.. and it's true... just when you think everything is hunky dory.... BAM... the car breaks, you get a bill you weren't expecting, you get sick, your hours get cut... something... always.. and that is life... but is the brite spots that make it all worth it and your faith that helps you keep your anxieties in check... because in the long run...is all the worrying going to change anything... nope, but it will surely steal your joy and has many times... ONLY because I let it, we all let it get the best of us sometimes, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, sunshine after the rain and if all else fails... the drive thru at Dairy Queen LOL

Ya, I am struggling to make up a big OOPSY that is not all my fault, I set up auto-pay on my car and they took out 3 months in December... big oops... right before Christmas and my birthday, worst of all, I was on vacation remember, so I check my account daily when I am at work... which I wasnt so I didnt realize it until we started getting nasty little yellow slips in the mail and I freaked... of course I had been shopping for presents, sent off bills yada yada yada... I really take pride in keeping my family on track and I was sick about this .... to say the least... but alas, we have survived... still feeling the ache of money gone that we thought we had but we survived...

We can get overwhelmed if we let the worries of daily living overcome us but we have to remember that living is the most important things and remind ourselves daily to focus on what we have ... not what we don't... and the blessing in this to me is realizing no matter what, love remains and God sustains...

Missing my friend....

This is me and my friend Alex, She came in to see her Mom and they came down so we could all go to lunch... sniff sniff... I REALLY miss her, she moved back to California, good thing for her and she has already found a good job and Damien is doing great out there...but i sure do miss having her here in Texas. She is one of those people you meet and know they will be with you the rest of your lives... Why did God wait so long to bring this silly girl into my life and then wa la... she moves so quickly! Just another reason to go out to Cali! She makes me feel young....

Monday monday....

Well, the weekend is gone AGAIN and here we sit at yet another Monday, but we should be grateful right!!! Let me see, what can make it better, today is two of my Godchildrens birthdays... Jordan is 11 today (I think) and Nicholas is 32... Happy Birthday to both of them, we celebrated Nicks Bday with him on Saturday with dinner and we are going to BBQ for Jordans this coming Sunday... YUMMMY! AND another plus, the soda machine gave me my Coke Zero and didn't eat my money! woo hoo... I have been really stressed this past week and decided I have got to get a grip! SERIOUSLY, I know we had a rough start to our new year but I have totally lost control of everything... and I don't want to chase my tail all year so I am determined to get on track. Come on.... Join me!

Happy New Year!!!!

The confetti is flying, the horns are tooten' and I am ... well, sleepy, very sleepy....

I am here at work and I feel crazy because this is my second Monday since I was out for two days and I am really not to sure what today is... All I know is i could really use a taco and a big red and seriously, is that any way to start off the new year? I am just praying that they don't revoke my weight watchers membership today. I can already hear the receptionist telling me "were you expecting to gain?" um, yes... if you see me peeling off anything that might take off a couple of extra ounces to the point where your praying I don't get down to the chonies and bra, pretty much it is safet to say I didn't do to good. Now if the food was worth it I would totally take the hit with a grin, but this week I was eating more out of stress than taste... the chunky girls know what i am talking about ... ahem. back on track... I will gain, this I know, and I will suck it up and take it like the BG that I am... and I solemnly swear that considering how much booty I have, it will not be the first time and won't be the last... but I am in this for the long haul so look out scale, here I come, all of me...

and our weight watcher leader asked us to please wear our patience cap because we will have a lot of newbies with resolutions to fill for a few weeks... we go to the morning session so it won't be as bad but hey, the more the merrier, wait, i forgot... the receptionist talks to much to the new ones... ugh... patience my dear... take a snack to keep you busy LOL

Noah lost his first tooth! No drama at all... believe it or not, and he got $3 dollars for it (ONLY bc his momo was there when he lost it and she insisted on giving the money). If that pot gets any higher we may need to start pulling out some of daddy's teeth, wonder how much those chompers will go for? I'll post a pic of my baby with his window missing...

sigh (again)

okay, you know I am trying to show the love when this is my SECOND attempt at updating this post and that is after I have spent about an hour trying to change my template... I really don't know what I am thinking sitting here that long my house is a wreck... but then it is always a wreck so.... such is life!

We are finally home after a very long week of driving back and forth from Houston and Yoakum, Johnny's uncle ruben died New Years morning and we buried him today. Not the best way to start a New Year but we had a wonderful priest that really really made everything better for me, his name was Father Tom and he was Oriental, but spoke perfect English and great spanish and was absolutely wonderful... I am so glad he was there and he sang so beautifully... I hope everyone was listening because his words were really exactly what we all needed. A time of sorrow at a time when we should be filling joy but it was a joyful occasion... His parish is in Shiner and it must be something in the water because that is where Father Dennis is from and i love that man!

I would type more but the dishes and shower and bed are calling...

stay warm... the arctic freeze is on its way!

Sigh.... ( I found it!)

See what a fresh new morning does, i thought i lost this post and it was here so we get a bonus!

Well, it has been an exhausting start to the New Year, they say how you spend your New Year's eve is how the coming year would be... I don't remember mine being stressful but I guess it was! Tomorrow we attempt to get back into a routine, we have been driving back and forth from Yoakum and Houston so much I am exhausted, I really don't know how my husband does it because a big part of his job is driving and it makes me crazy... These past few days have been really trying I was pretty overwhelmed, we came home from the funeral about 5 and all of us went and found our spots and slept until about 7:30, I got up and cooked and now I need to clean what NEEDS to be cleaned and hit the sack.

We are getting an Artic Front... brrrrrr, it is supposed to be here about 7 in the morning, i am going to wear my warm fuzzy on the inside pants tomorrow.... um, tomorrow is weigh in day AGAIN and it is not going to be pretty AGAIN... I have been eating like a nervous cow...is there such a thing? gotta be, I am sure they have there own set of worries... will the grass grow, is it greener on the other side... what is that smell... what are those things hanging down... why do my friends keep disappearing (LOL...i could go on and on but then I would kill it)...

Stay warm, I am sending New Years blessings out to you... can't you feel the love?

It's The New Year!

And we're off running!

We spent New Years at my sisters house popping fireworks, we have fun watching the kids light them and then screaming at them to run as soon as there is a spark, this year Jordan and Christian got the award for panicking the most... TJ has pretty much been the one who cracks us up the most until these two... and yes, we can still get TJ he just didn't pop as many because his friend were there and he knew what we were going to do...

It was a nice relaxing evening which is exactly what we wanted.

The momo had been in Houston for the past week with her brother Ruben who was not doing well, he passed away New Years morning, I am so glad she stayed and was able to spend that time with him. Please keep her and the rest of the family in your prayers. We'll be headed to the rosary and Funeral the next few days so stay safe and God Bless everyone!

I wanted to share something and completely forgot about it in my last post. I had to take Momo to return something at Wal-mart the day before Christmas, I waited in the car while she was in there and a man walked out, I could tell by his clothes he was homeless, he was wear a womans coat and it was very cold, he looked scraggly and the heels on the backs of his shoes had been cut out because they were too small for him, in his hand he carried a Wal-mart bag with a box of chocolates... A gift, for someone very special... I felt choked up and didn't know what to do, I wanted to go and ask him where he was going... but I had Noah asleep in the back seat... my heart ached because I couldn't help thinking about where he would spend Christmas and wondered who was so very special that he bought that gift from what he didn't have to give it to them with his whole heart.... and I prayed, that they loved him and showed him love for the gift that he presented them... a true Christmas gift.... and I felt so ashamed of all the worries that I was holding in my heart that seemed so insignificant now...

Be grateful for the blessings you have, look at the good in your life and most importantly...be a blessing to others.