10.31.06 Holiday Hodge Podge

Best Witches for a Happy Halloween!

To see more Pearls Before Swine, click here.

Also, I have joined a Christmas Swap! Tomorrow is the last day to sign up.

Visit Mandy at A Penny for Them to sign up for the swap.

10.27.06 On Vacation...Went Home for the Weekend

I will not be posting for a few days because I am on vacation at my Dad's in San Antonio. We are having our Fall Festival this weekend! I will post pictures when I get back.

While I am out, I am leaving a question for you all. Please leave your answer in the comments. My 200th post is coming up quickly. What should I post for my 200th?

10.25.06 Wordless Wednesday

Get the Wordless Wednesday code here

View More Wordless Wednesday Participants

10.24.06 Happy Smurf-day!!

Remember these guys and gal...
...I do! I had a Smurfette suitcase, ate bowls and bowls of Smurfberry Crunch and watched every episode there was. Well, today is their birthday. Go check them out and wish them a Happy Smurf-day!

The Official Smurf Site

Ex-Entertainment's Smurf Stuff

Smurf Theme Song

10.23.06 I Am Sunshine

I am a Sunflower What Flower Are You?

"When your friends think smile, they think of you. There is not a day that goes by that you can't find something good about the world and your fellow human."

I hope this is true. I hope I can bring sunshine to my family and friends. I could die happy knowing I did just that. :0)

I found this at Pam's by the way. Thanks, Pam.

10.23.06 Angels Among Us

The song Angels Among Us by Alabama is a special song for my family. My sister called a radio station and dedicated the song to my daughter the night she was born. We played the song during my daughter's memorial service to say "thank you" to all those angels that supported us through that horrible time in our lives. And, the song has "popped" up in several places at just the right moment...enough to give you chills and fill your eyes with tears. Today, I had one of those moments.

Today, my husband is taking the written part of his pilot exam for a private pilot license for helicopters. He is very nervous about the test because flying is so important to him. He will do very well. I know he will. I knew that he would be taking the test around 2 PM this afternoon. I usually listen to the radio at work; but, I had it turned down for a good while because I was talking with a friend. When she left my office, I realized it was 2 PM. I closed my eyes and thought about my husband...trying to send strength and encouragement to him through my thoughts. As I was concentrating on him, I turned up my radio to an audible level and the song was playing. Can you believe that? Our special song was playing. To me, that was God telling me that we were going to be just fine. It couldn't get any clearer than that.

Here are the lyrics to the song:

Angels Among Us

Written by Becky Hobbs

I was walking home from school on a cold winter day.
Took a shortcut through the woods, and I lost my way.
It was getting late, and I was scared and alone.
But then a kind old man took my hand and led me home.
Mama couldnt see him, but he was standing there.
And I knew in my heart, he was the answer to my prayers.

Chorus
Oh I believe there are angels among us.
Sent down to us from somewhere up above.
They come to you and me in our darkest hours.
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give.
To guide us with a light of love.

When life held troubled times, and had me down on my knees.
Theres always been someone there to come along and comfort me.
A kind word from a stranger, to lend a helping hand.
A phone call from a friend, just to say I understand.
And aint it kind of funny that at the dark end of the road.
Someone lights the way with just a single ray of hope.

Chorus

They wear so many faces, show up in the strangest places.
To guide us with their mercy, in our time of need.

Chorus

To guide us with a light of love.

10.21.06 Saturday Photo Hunt: Dreaming

Grab the photo hunt code or join the blogroll.

Cowgirl Day Dream

10.21.06 Stars vs. Blackhawks

Good game. Good game. GOOD. GAME!!! Last night was one of the BEST hockey games I've seen. There were any great fights; but, the goals made had me out of my last seat the entire last 3rd period.

Here is a great re-cap from the Dallas Stars site:

"Moral of the story: don't leave a hockey game early. Especially in Dallas.
The Dallas Stars rallied twice in the final six minutes of regulation to stun the red-hot Chicago Blackhawks, 5-4. The final two Stars goals came in the last 1:14 that sent American Airlines Center into a frenzy." Read more.

Five goals in the last six minutes (4 were Stars' goals). How exciting!!!! In hockey you rarely see five goals in the whole game! I'm telling you it was GREAT!

That's my ticket to the left. Below is the picture of the final score.

GO STARS!

10.19.06 Dark Movies

I stole this from Leesa who stole it from Terry. It is too much fun! I didn't think I would do very well; but, I have found 20 so far. You can save your game and keep going back to it until you have found them all. Enjoy!!

50 Dark Movies

**Update: I finished the game! With the help of my very clever brother-in-law and imaginative husband. Oh...and we had to use the internet on the last 5. There are some movies in the picture that I have never heard of. Fun game though. Let me know if you get them all or how many you have left.

10.18.06 Pure Nerd...Not enough Geek to erase the blank spots in this post

Pure Nerd 78 % Nerd, 43% Geek, 39% Dork

For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd. The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally smart led to being unpopular, which would ultimately lead to picking up all of the traits and tendences associated with the "dork." No-longer. Being smart isn't as socially crippling as it once was, and even more so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful. Congratulations! THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 84% on nerdiness You scored higher than 68% on geekosity You scored higher than 69% on dork points

10.17.06 Climbing Down to Success: Week 5

Well, I gained a pound...but, I still have a total loss. I know why I didn't do well this week. I didn't write down what I was eating. I also dined out a lot this week. I try to make "healthier" choices when I dine out; but, healthier really means eating at home.

So, goals to tackle this week are 1. write down EVERY THING
2. go grocery shopping
3. eat at HOME.

10.14.06 Saturday Photo Hunt: Lost

Grab the photo hunt code or join the blogroll.

10.12.06 Time Capsule

Yahoo! is creating a digital time capsule. As a Yahoo! user, you can contribute images, sound, video, written words and your own drawings to the time capsule. To learn more about it, visit the Yahoo! Time Capsule homepage. Another great page to visit is the the Facts page which displays several interesting facts about the ever-changing, ever-growing time capsule.

I contributed one of my favorite pictures...a picture I don't think I could live without. As soon as I get the link to my contribution page, I will post it here. I think the digital time capsule is an interesting idea and I will be interested to see how much it grows over the next few weeks.

If you contribute to the project, please comment here and leave your link. I will visit each and every one of the links you leave.

**Update: Here is the link to my contribution: Holding Madison

10.11.06 Wordless Wednesday

http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/106771/nature-of-indifference.html

10.10.06 Climbing Down to Success: Week 2

What is this? Find out later tonight. I will post an update when I get home.

**Update: I have joined Weight Watchers. As you can see from the ticker, I have 87 pounds I want to lose. I have debated about sharing this "adventure" with you because it is a hard one for me. I have been battling it for years and I never seem to come out on top. However, I am trying again and that's what counts. Yesterday is yesterday...and I am moving on. I will update my total weight loss every Tuesday.

I am calling this my "Climb Down to Sucess" since I am climbing down to a healthy weight. My icon is a turtle because "slow and steady wins the race". So, here I go. Wish me luck.

10.09.06 My Karate Kid

The little girl in the lower right picture is my niece. She is one of my favorite kids in the world and I just love this picture of her. She is only 3 and is taking Tae Kwon Do. She may not do all the punches and kicks perfectly; but, she knows the Tae Kwon Do Creed by memory and can say the entire thing without missing a beat. And she's only 3!! In the picture, she has just lead the class in the Creed and is bowing them out. Isn't she a doll? And so tiny. :)

I will try and find the Tae Kwon Do Creed and post it here as an update.

**Tae Kwon Do Creed**

Tae Kwon Do Students

Aim to Achieve

Courtesy
Integrity
Perseverance
Self-Control
Indomitable Spirit

Chario Kyoung ye

Yes, at 3 years old, she can say this all by memory. I told you she was amazing!

10.07.06 Photo Hunt: Sleeping

Grab the photo hunt code or join the blogroll.

10.07.06 1 Man, 1 Camera, 197 Countries, 1 City

10.6.06 Friday Favorite: Flip-Flops

Flip flops are without a doubt my favorite footwear coming only second to bare feet. I have joined a fanlist for flips flops just for fun and so I can display this cool little picture on my sidebar. If you want to check out the fan list or join, please visit this site...Comfy. You can also find the site by clicking on the icon in my sidebar. Enjoy!

10.04.06 Hubs Update

Turns out the my husband's mysterious pain was a mixture of dramatic altitude changes and a really bad sinus infection. He went to the General Practitioner who we LOVE and she told him he really had nothing to worry about. She gave him 3 prescriptions and said he should not fly until the infection has cleared.

She also said that an MRI was not necessary. However, my husband wants to make sure all is clear before he takes to the skies again; so, he is having an MRI on Friday morning. I am sure all will be normal and we can put this behind us for good. I wish the doctors would give us a copy of the MRI scan so I could post it on the blog. How cool would that be?

When I was searching for "sinus" pictures, I found this book (picture to the left). It looks really cute and full of helpful info. Maybe we should buy one and keep it on hand...just in case we have another sinus emergency.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I am glad that I can give such good and relieving news.

10.02.06 Happy Birthday, Madison

Happy Birthday to my baby girl, Madison Marie. I wrote a song for her and my husband. The song came about when I was writing about the first time my husband ever held our daughter. Go here to read an early post about it and to see the picture that gave birth to the song.

Madison's Melody: In Daddy's Arms

Mama said It's time to go
She took Daddy's hand and they left home
Mama was scared and the wait was long
But she stayed strong in Daddy's arms

And in Daddy's arms she belonged
He held her and rocked her and made her calm
Mama she knew something was wrong
But she stayed strong in Daddy's arms

The baby was weak and almost gone
She could hear those angels singin' their song
She was tired and she was lost
Until she found her Daddy's arms

And in Daddy's arms she belonged
He held her and rocked her and made her calm
Yet those angles kept singin' their song
But she stayed strong in Daddy's arms

The Angel said It's time to go
She took the baby's hand and lead her home
Mama she kissed her and said she'd miss her
But she knew she'd be strong in Daddy's arms

And in Daddy's arms she belonged
He held her and rocked her and made her calm
Those Angels they sang all night long
And she stayed strong in Daddy's arms

And Daddy he loved her with all of his heart
So she stayed stong in Daddy's arms

10.02.06 Quote of the Month: October

To fear is one thing. To let fear grab you by the tail and swing you around is another. ~Katherine Paterson

Happy October, fellow quoters! I’ve been enjoying the fall weather (not the allergies though). :o)

Many of you may be aware that today would have been Madison’s 4th birthday. I have had some people over the years want to do something in her memory. Last year or the year before, my mother-in-law had a great idea. She donated a gift to Children’s hospital. This morning, I called the Child Life Department at Children’s and asked what they needed most. The answer was infant toys with lots of music and lights (V-Tech or Sassy are the best brands). The toys should be all plastic so that they can be cleaned between patients’ use. Target and Toys R Us are great places to find the type of toys Children’s hospital needs. I will be dropping off toys at Children’s sometime this week. If any of you plan to donate gifts but don’t have the time to take them to Children’s, I will be happy to take them for you.

Thank you all for your thought and prayers this month. We feel the love you send.

**That was the Quote of the Month letter I sent out this morning. Below are some pictures of the types of toys I will be buying and taking to the hospital here in Dallas. I encourage all of you to make a difference in a child's life this month and donate your time, money, gifts, prayers and thoughts to the very special little ones who may not spend too much time here on Earth.