Jared's First Deer

Jared got his first deer last weekend. Scott and the boys are busy making deer jerky, experimenting with different flavors...cajun, hickory, pepperoni, whisky pepper. So many delicious choices!

Perspective

The worst morning ever...or not. We were running late this morning (as usual). The bus leaves at 6:46am and it was 6:43am. In my haste to get Jared to the bus, I almost ran over the crossing guard who was quick to blow her whistle, place her hands on her hips and give me the stink eye. I took my foot off the gas for a moment, but with the bus in sight I pressed on vowing to purchase the crossing guard a shiny reflective vest ensuring her future safety.

Jared throws me a quick goodbye as Gabe begins to cry because his pants are still damp from the dryer and they feel funny. I assure him they will dry, kiss him goodbye and wish him a good day as he exits the car.

Jacob who doesn't care for morning and rarely speaks before 10am unless directly spoken to, sits next to me with swollen eyes and a stuffy nose of what may be an oncoming cold.

What a HORRIBLE morning! Wait, wait, wait!!!!!!! Before I completely fell into the "woe is me" mentality, I came to my senses and looked on the bright side. I did not kill the crossing guard, Jared didn't miss the bus, Gabe's pants will dry within an hour, and Jacob can still breathe out of his right nostril.

It's so easy to think about everything wrong in life. With a little perspective the same situation can have a whole lot right. :)

Finish the dilemma

I think you all know by now that I work at the same high school Jacob attends. This can be a very convenient at times, like when you run out of lunch money, school supplies, or need a schedule change your mom is nearby for a loan or to call in a favor. Today was not one of those days. Jacob needed to pick up some tickets from his Coach and I felt the need to remind him. The bell rang and I knew that Jacob had a class just down the hall and would be passing by the library. I unobtrusively opened the back door and stepped into the hallway waiting for Jacob to pass. I spotted him before he saw me. His face lit up and I realized his face hasn't lit up like that for me since he was maybe three or four so I glanced around the corner to see a young lady with the same expression on her face...and there I am in the middle. My dilemma...do I step quietly back into the library, or do I say what I came to say? Tell me what you'd do and in a few days I'll tell you the rest of the story.

Jacob tells me that he saw me as I quietly retreated into the library without saying a word. He said I looked like I was all over the place. I guess my indecision showed all over my face. I will from now on, I will say what I came to say. I mean really, how embarrassing can I be to my teenage son in the hallway at school during class change with all his friends around?

Fall Break

We've been on fall break the last two weeks and boy have we made the most of it. The biggest most exciting news is that we closed on our new land and met with an architect to begin drawing up house plans. Very exciting, but that also means cleaning and decluttering feverishly to put our current home on the market. All those little projects you put off suddenly become very important. We aren't sure when we'll put the house on the market, but we're acting as if a prospecting buyer is coming tomorrow. I really need to chill a little.

Fall break has also been a time of catching up on doctor's appointments. Gabe and I both visited the dentist, Jared had an eye check up, and Jacob had his wisdom teeth removed on Monday. Jacob's been down the last few days, but he's bouncing back fast. He's a very good patient with very little complaining.

We have managed to squeeze in a little fun also with a camping trip with friends and Mark, Dad & Martha visiting. Family, friends, food and shopping...can't beat that!

On a serious note, Scott's brother Brian was in a serious motorcyle accident that left him in the hospital for a week. It was pretty scary there for a few days but thankfully after surgery to repair shattered ribs and a punctured lung, he's home with his family and mending.

We also had very sad news this morning. My very sweet sister-in-law Kim lost her mother to cancer early this morning. Beverly fought a tremendous battle and was so very strong til the end. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Kim.

The Dog's Are Howling

Mark and Joseph are singing, so I must be slacking in the blogging department. Sorry! We've been busy with school, fall baseball, fundraising, dental appontments, etc...general everyday life.

Jacob had some exciting news yesterday. Coach pulled him and four other sophomores aside after practice and told them that he'd like them to go to Florida over Spring Break with the Varsity team. I'm sure they are going as back up in case someone gets hurt, but exciting never-the-less.

The Cake That Almost Wasn't

Yesterday I made a trip to WalMart where I purchased many items. Upon my return home I put away my purchases and began making lunch. I was searching for the cake mix I bought, but could find it nowhere. I looked in the pantry (no), the cereal cabinet (no), I even looked in the freezer to no avail. No cake mix! I then began to blame WalMart. They had done it again, forgot to transfer all my bags from their spinning bagging system into my cart.

It wasn't until this afternoon after church that I loaded the dishwasher and, reaching for the soap, discovered a small box of dishsoap that I didn't remember buying.

There sandwiched between two boxes dishsoap was my cake mix. Who put that there? I blame the kids. lol

I'm not telling you this story to highlight the fact that I'm losing my mind, but to reassure you that you're not losing yours or maybe that we're all in the same boat.

I am FURIOUS!

Okay, furious is a really strong word and probably not the best choice for how I'm feeling, but I am very angry and frustrated. Gabe has been asking to go to the skate park for a few weeks now. I guess he has a friend at school really talking it up. I finally, after putting it off for as long as humanly possible, agreed to take him today after school. Of course I hyped it up and even used our trip to the skate park as leverage. Oh don't judge, you do it too. "If you don't stop_____we won't go to the skate park."

So the appointed hour has arrived and we are primed for fun. I go into the community center to change out of my work clothes and ask the lady behind the desk if we need to do anything special to use the skate park. She says, "I'm sorry, the skate park is closed". CLOSED! I wanted to plead my case and sway her with how highly anticipated this trip to the skate park is. I wanted to tell her that she holds the shattered dreams of a 7 year old in the palm of her hand and that 7 year old was standing just on the other side of the glass double doors. I held back and instead asked...

Me: Why?
Lady: Some out of control teenagers have been breaking the rules and even made gyrating motions at me.
Me: Why didn't you kick them out instead of punishing everyone in the community?
Lady: We are trying to send a strong message that this kind of behavior won't be tolerated.

Okay this is where my soapbox starts...

This is a perfect example of why our society is in the pits. We no longer have clear consequences for our actions. You break something?, you fix it. You're rude and disrespectful in a public place?, you are kicked out for a certain amount of time. If you returned before you are supposed to?, you are trespassing and the police are called. You see my point.

We have not only lost consequences for negative behavior, but positive behavior as well. Example? Field day at the elementary school level...everyone receives a participation ribbon. They no longer award a 1st, 2nd, 3rd place. Why should you compete if everyone ends up the same anyway--no winner. Are jobs still awarded to the most qualified person, the person who works the hardest? I was recently given a book (Boys Adrift by Dr. Leonard Sax) that questions the "why" concerning apathy in the young men of our society. The book points part of the blame at the lack of competition in our society. The author states that most boys thrive and rise to the occasion when faced with a challenge or competition. He goes on to say that our current society has taken competition away in many cases leaving in it's place an apathetic generation of young men. Of course there are other factors as well, but the growing number of young men living back at home with mom and dad well into their 30's is proof that something is out of kilter.

How can we expect people to make good choices if they aren't personally held accountable for their bad choices? In addition, how can we expect people to work hard and strive to achieve if we don't reward their hard work?

Whew....glad I got that off my chest!

And the winner is...

So we're on our way home this afternoon when Jared randomly says..."I wonder if Grandma and Grandpa Floyd ever race their 4-wheelers around the farm?"... None of us commented on whether they did or did not race (that's a given), but instead chose to contemplate who would win. I know who we think would take the checkered flag. What do you think?

Worth Your Time...

I just finished a book I think worthy of recommending. The Same Kind of Different As Me is about two men. One a wealthy art dealer, and the other a homeless man who is feared in his community. At the urging of his wife, the art dealer begins volunteering at the local homeless shelter. The unlikely pair become friends. It's a story of faith, friendship, and the spiritual need to give to others. Even better...it's based on a true story.

Back to School

We officially have the first week of school under our belt. We miss are lazy mornings with plenty of time through the day to complete our many tasks, but it has been nice to get back in the swing of things, with the anticipation of a new year, football games, and friends. Each year I take a "first day of school picture". In the first picture you can see how they are containing their excitement. Mainly, I think they are irritated that I'm taking their picture.

After taking the first picture I told them that they look like they'd been sentenced to death, so they managed to break out a little enthusiasm.

For those of you not from our area, our school has a dress code. Solid colored bottoms (no sagging), solid color collared shirt tucked in, and a belt. Jacob is experimenting with a little teenage rebellion and resists tucking his shirt in until the last possible moment. Gosh, I hope that's as bad as it gets.

Today we woke at the crack of dawn to carry our possessions; some loved and gently used and hard to part with, others rarely used and glad to have out of the house. We are not well versed in garage selling. Not because we have anything against them, but because we don't have a lot of time to wander from house to house in a random search of treasures. That being said, I find the process a tad bit uncomfortable. Have I priced items too high, are they too worn to sell? I sometimes wonder if I am pricing the sentimental value on some items. Scott said the whole thing makes him feel cheap and tawdry. lol. We didn't get rich today, but I'm thankful that people are hauling off my junk, so I don't have to carry it all to Goodwill.

The nickel has landed...I repeat, the nickel has landed!

New Recipe

This is a really good summer salad recipe. It was really light and fresh.

Romaine & Strawberries with Poppy Seed Dressing

1 head of romaine lettuce torn into pieces

1 quart of strawberries, sliced

1 small red onion, diced

Tossed together in serving bowl.

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 T. red wine vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

1T. poppy seeds

Mix well or shake vigorously in a jar.

Add dressing to greens just before serving and toss well. Delicious!

**Recipe found in Beta Sigma Phi 75th Anniversary Cookbook p. 37

Gone fishin'

Scott and the boys went fishing last night and reeled in several Hybrids. They brought three home to eat this weekend. When did Jacob pass Scott in height? They were even for several months and it looks like Jacob has had a growth spurt to take the lead.

Post Number 200

I happened to notice that this is my 200th blog post. (Thank goodness because it gave me something to write about.) I was surprised when I realized that my first post was in October of 2007--wow, I've been doing this awhile. Thanks for reading my ramblings and leaving your hilarious, sweet, and loving comments. To celebrate/commemorate/compare...you pick a word...I am posting the picture from my very first entry and a current picture. The boys have changed alot in 2 years.

The Boys - Current Picture

The Boys - October 2007

Gabe's String of Bad Luck

We've been back from vacation less than a week, and Gabe has had a tough one. First he backed the four-wheeler into the truck leaving a small but noticable dent, he then fell getting out of the pool and scraped his forehead. His last predicament brought him to me crying, "IDONWANAHAVSURGREEE". Once he settled down, I discovered that he had swallowed a nickel and he was saying "I don't want to have surgery". He wasn't in any pain or having any trouble breathing, swallowing, or drinking, so thanks to advice given by WebMD, we are patiently waiting for the nickel to reappear.

Good news? We've discovered a helpful use for the old newlywed saran wrap on the commode trick. My brother-in-law thinks we should throw 5 pennies in the commode and tell Gabe he made change.

Let Freedom Ring

We went to Grandmom's today to celebrate the 233rd birthday of the United States of America. I can't think of a better way to celebrate the birth of this great nation than shooting fireworks and eating fresh grilled burgers, pie and homemade ice cream (almost).

There isn't a family I've ever met that has more fun with the 4th of July than the Williams. The men of the family typically go out a few days before the celebration and spend hundreds of dollars on explosives. Wasteful? By female standards yes, but husbands don't generally understand spending big bucks on matching shoes and handbags either...the world has a way of balancing things out.

In the eighteen years I've been part of this family, I have sat through swarming mosquitoes, stifling humidity, and relentless rain to watch the display. What started as the Williams boys playing with fire has turned into quite an incredible show. They now have different stations with fireworks being launched simultaneously. Don't get excited guys, you're not Riverfront good yet. However, at the Riverfront display you don't get the occasional misfire into the crowd, nor do you get the opportunity to see your husband, brother, or son duck and roll to safety.

Traditions are different in every family. Our tradition may sound scary or careless to some, but I wouldn't miss it for anything! Happy Fourth of July everyone, may you be burn free!

More Vacation Pictures

Talkeetna, Alaska

Shy, elusive Mt. McKinley shows herself completely on rare occasions. She unveiled parts of herself to us, but never fully. It's said that the mountain is so tall that it creates it's own weather.

The last stop of our trip brought us to Talkeetna, Alaska. Talkeetna is a small Alaskan town rumored to be the basis for the tv show Northern Exposure. Looking past it's tv fame, Talkeetna holds, in my opinion, a much greater notoriety. It's the base camp for hikers attempting to climb Mt. McKinley. As I sat gazing at the mountain in all her splendor I was aware of how many hikers must have sat in my exact place contemplating their trek. Were they ready...had they trained hard enough, did they bring enough food, the right equipment. I could almost feel their nerves and excitement. Four climbers have perished already this year attempting the climb. At first glance an attempt to climb Mt. McKinley seems foolish or irresponsible, but at closer examination I understand the desire to plan, train, and challenge yourself; setting and achieving a personal goal.

Our hotel (the only hotel besides a bed and breakfast) in Talkeetna.

The Hubbard Glacier

What a day! We woke this morning to what we thought was thunder. To our surprise we opened our balcony door to a magnificent view. Over night we had cruised to the base of the Hubbard Glacier. What an unbelievable sight. What we thought was thunder was actually the glacier "calving" (when a chunk of the glacier breaks off into the water to form an ice berg). It was incredible. We saw a few seals today and porpoises swimming beside the ship during lunch.

This will probably be my last blog post until we return home. The cruise portion of our vacation ends in the morning (boo hoo!) and we begin the land portion of our vacation. We are headed to Anchorage, then on to Denali. Keep your fingers crossed that we'll see some bears and that the weather will be clear enough for us to view Mt. McKinley.

Today we find ourselves in Icy Strait Point Alaska. It's basically a small village made up of two different eskimo tribes. The population is 850 people and 3500 bears. Unfortunately or fortunately, we didn't see any bears. Mark, Scott, Jacob, and Jared rode ATV's to the top of a mountain and rode the world's largest zip line to the bottom. (over a mile long). It took and hour to get to the top and 1 minute to get to the bottom.

Tonight is formal night with prime rib and lobster for dinner. Life is tough!



Jared filmed his decent down the mountain via the mile long zip line. The person speeding by on Jared's right is Scott.

Alaskan Update

Father's Day was a huge success with the guys catching an abundance of fish with 3 big keepers (1 king salmon and 2 silvers). I have pictures that I'll post when we return home. Yesterday we were in Juneau. We took a float trip beginning at the Mendenhall Glacier. Beautiful!! We had a few rapids. Today we're in Skagway. We're getting ready to go hiking and investigate the city. As always, the food and service aboard the cruise ship is amazing. I hope all is well on the home front! Bon Voyage!

The view from our hiking adventure.

**While in Skagway, we shopped, panned for gold with Gabe finding the most gold (21.00 worth). After our gold fever had passed, we decided to take a hike. The hiking was fabulous!

Greetings from Alaska

Jacob's Catch!

Gabe's Catch!

Jared's Catch!

The guys leaving to go fish on Father's Day.

We made it! Life is good on the cruise. We are well fed (understatement). We are now cruising the inside passage. The boys have found the arcade, the rock climbing wall, and are signed up for a dodgeball tournament this afternoon. Tomorrow the guys are spending Father's Day deep sea fishing while Martha and I are shopping and getting spa treatment. Sorry no pictures, this computer doesn't have a USB port. More later...

This my last post before we're cruisin'! I will try to blog a little on our trip and keep you posted on our adventures. Thanks to all the Williams clan who are watching the house, feeding the dog and cat, picking up mail, mowing the grass, and watering the plants, washing the windows, sealing the driveway, repairing the fence, staining the deck, painting the half-bath. Oops, sorry I got carried away there. All kidding aside, you're the best! Remember there will be great rewards for your service. :) ha...there I go kidding again.

I believe Dale Evans said it best...

Happy trails to you,
until we meet again.
Some trails are happy ones,
Others are blue.
It's the way you ride the trail that counts,
Here's a happy one for you.

We have been working away preparing to leave town. Everything is clean...laundry, done...garden, weeded...grass, mowed...pool, cleaned and shocked... Jacob putting the finishing touched on the yard by weed eating.

Jared and Gabe weeding the flowerbeds out front? Uh...that's what they were supposed to be doing before they got distracted. lol Actually, Jared was helping Gabe add gas and check the oil on the 4-wheeler so he could take a ride..

We are feverishly preparing for vacation. Part of the vacation experience is the excitement of packing, unpacking, and repacking. Gabe and Jared have been packed for a week now. They must share their mothers penchant for preparation. I think we are officially ready. Cruiseship here we come!!

What else have we been up to? We went to Cleveland, Tennessee with Jacob's baseball team. I'm not sure who had more fun, the boys or the parents. The players decided they needed haircuts for the tournament. We had two boys who ended up with their number carved into their hair, Jacob had "J Willy" carved/cut into his, and one boy was brave enough to wear a mohawk. Of course they had high school baseball tryouts the following Monday, so they were back to conservative, clean cut young men by Monday morning.

This picture was taken as the mohawk was unveiled to mom. She handled it very well.

As you can see Gabe really enjoys hanging out with the big boys. Scary! How else would he entertain his elementary school buddies with stories of his high school friends. Yikes!
Great news...the whole team (summer team) made the high school team for 2009-10. Great job boys!

Hello friends. I know it's been awhile. I was telling some of my baseball homies (aka my peeps, my crew, my girls...uh okay...my friends) about my blog and I began to feel guilty. Guilty for my blog neglect. Can I get an amen? I do have a somewhat valid excuse. Our internet was out for er, uh...4 days (I say sheepishly).

What have we been up to you ask?

Baseball of course...and then more baseball.

The biggie would have to be Jacob getting his driver's permit. Scary? Well, I've only peed myself once. Don't judge, we were approaching the car in front of us very quickly, he wasn't braking, and I have a three baby bladder. Need I say more?

Jared tried out and made the school basketball team. We now have 6am practices 3 days a week.

Scott is traveling on business in Canada. How convenient that his trip coincides with the 6am practice schedule. hmmmmm....

Jacob has been to the doctor with a potentially broken hand. I say potentially because we don't have the x-ray results yet. It's a long story, but in a nutshell, the radiology technician "couldn't legally" give us the results and had to send them to our doctor. By the time we were through with the x-ray, our doctors office was closed. Very frustrating! What did Jacob do to his hand? He was at bat and got hit by a pitch. I received a little bit of ridicule because I responded with, "Thata boy Jacob, maybe he hit you out of your slump." Okay, sometimes I'm not a tender, touchy feely mother. I did make a special trip to the concession stand for his favorite color of Gatorade and took it to him in the dugout. Does that count?

Gabe-isms

This little guys is really something else. He is sooooo full of life, smart, funny, a little (okay alot) stubborn, with some mischief sprinkled in to keep us on our toes. You never quite know what Gabe is going to come up with. His teacher assures me that he is a joy to have in class and is a great helper; always anticipating what she might need next. However, with two teenage brothers, I'm afraid he is educated beyond most children his age.

Gabe has been particularly funny this week and I'm afraid if I don't start writing down these cute little gems I'll soon forget them.

Story #1...every morning as I drop Gabe at school, without fail he kisses me goodbye, confirms that he rides the bus to my school in the afternoon, asks if I packed his lunch, and tells me he loves me. He surprised me this week when I pulled up to school and he opens the door to get out without a single word. As he's standing outside the car with the door open I say, "Hey wait, where's my kiss?" he replies, "Sorry, no time for kisses today. Love you." and off he went. I was left speechless with the irrefutable evidence that the baby of the bunch is growing up. That night as I tucked my little guy into bed, I smothered him with kisses and told him under no circumstances would he be allowed to leave for school in the morning until he kissed his mother goodbye. He agreed, with a little pressure from the tickle fairy.

Story #2...After school today Gabe was entertaining me with his daily adventures. He has many I assure you. I asked, "Are you feeling okay? You sound like your nose is stuffy." It was then that he informed me..."Mom, I'm not stuffy at all. That's just my voice, it's just changing and getting deeper...you know, like Jacob's?" I was driving at the time and couldn't see his face, but I imagine that he gave me the teenage why are you so stupid eye roll.

Happy Mother's Day everyone! We started out the day with breakfast at Crackerbarrel with the Williams clan. We missed Joseph & Tara and Brian & Tonya and their little ones, but it was a wonderful start to our day. I was even able to capture a group photo (see above), which is no easy feat (see picture below). After breakfast we were going to till up a garden for Romayne, but the ground was too wet from all the rain we've had so we headed home. The boys made me a thoughtful mother's day card (much better than store bought), Scott made the bed :), Scott had the boys do all the laundry for me (washed, dried, folded and put away!), and made sure I had a 2hour nap while they all did yard work. I must say that they certainly made me feel pampered. Thanks guys you're awesome!!!

Cousins pose for a shot.

Aren't they a beautiful couple!

Jacob decided to fish a little while we were at Grandmom's. Since the water is so high (you can see the dock in the background), Jacob got his lure stuck in a tree. It's not easy casting through a yard full of trees. Colleen and Michael paddled through the "yard" and got Jacob unstuck.

For all the mothers in my life. Over the years , you've taught me so much...how to laugh, how to give, how to take care of myself and others, how to cook, how to clean, how to work hard, how to be kind, how to love, how to pray. I thank you not just today, but everyday. You are a special gift to me.

Happy Mother's Day!

Courtesy of Colleen, I have a test for you....

Can you say Irish Wristwatch?

The Great Debate

Every week before I head out to the grocery store to stock our cupboards with nutritional food that will fuel my family, I ask the same question..."Does anyone have any special requests?". I don't stop asking until everyone youngest to oldest has either given me an idea or I have received an unequivocal "no". Before you begin showering me with accolades in regards to my mothering skills and asking me for advice, I must divulge the true reason behind my search for special grocery/meal requests. First, each week I hope they have a better meal idea than I have thought of myself. Secondly, if they don't contribute to the plan, then they have no right to complain about what is prepared for them.

While I didn't receive a meal idea this week, I did have a request for Oreo Cookies. They didn't stop there, they specified "NOT KIDDO's". For those of you who are not familiar with Kiddo's, I will enlighten you. They are Kroger's answer to the Oreo (what some of you may call store brand or less favorably generic). For years I have purchased Kiddo's and for years my family (and extended family) have heckled me. Yesterday, I had had all the ribbing I could take. You might say I cracked. I was bound and determined to get to the bottom of the great cookie debate.

I returned from Kroger with both Oreo's and Kiddo's in tow and a taste test ensued. I had 9 test subjects, that included Scott and our boys, David, Colleen and Michael, and Colleen's boyfriend Nelson. I had them each close their eyes while I fed them a cookie (yes, I fed them because I didn't want the test skewed by reading the name on the cookie with their fingers--this is a highly accurate test we have going here).

I know you are dying to find out the results so I won't delay in telling you that it was a close call, but the Oreo did come out on top in a 5 to 4 split decision. I tried to argue that it wasn't an overwhelming win, but Jacob had a really good point. The people that I buy for are the ones that can tell the difference. He had me there. It was at that moment that I vowed to never again purchase Kiddo's over Oreo's unless of course it came down to Oreo's vs. Diet Coke and then Oreo's are out.

Stay tuned...next week we will contemplate the virtue of Apple Jacks over Apple Dapples.

I have been so blessed with so many great people in my life. One of my favorite, is definitely my brother Mark. Mark and I go weeks and weeks without talking, then WHAM, he will send me a random text. Today was one of those random days where Mark sent me a smile.

Mark (by text): If you like pina coladas...

Me (by text): Getting caught in the rain

silence

It's at this point that I realize that Mark is trying to send me a gift (of sorts). He's trying to get a song stuck in my head. Doncha just hate having a song stuck in your head? What to do, what to do? Mark left me no choice, I had to pull out the big guns and reply with the ultimate stick in your head song.

Me (by text): Sweet Caroline ba, ba, ba

Mark tried, unsuccessfully I might add, to over ride my trump.

Mark (by text): Love shack, baby love shack

You might find this game we play silly, but it never fails to make me smile.

http://music.aol.com/song/player/audioplayer.jsp

Just four days after his fifteenth birthday Jacob went to the orthodontist and was told it was time for his braces to come off. Take a look at his straight pearly whites.

So I guess you could say I'm feeling sorry for myself. A severe toothache sent me to the dentist today. After careful inspection, it was determined that I am indeed a yuck mouth. I'm in need of two root canals, two crowns, and your run of the mill filling. So the fun begins tomorrow with a root canal on my birthday. I guess birthday wishes really do come true. Wahh!

My sweet wonderful boys are trying desperately to not only take care of me, but lift my spirits. Jared decided that since I won't feel like eating tomorrow evening, we need to have my birthday dinner tonight. Nothing cheers me up like Mexican food. Can you say muy bueno! Gabe carried my bag into the house from the car, exclaiming..."What do you have in here, library books?" Scott is insisting that I open presents tonight, so I can retreat and just lay low tomorrow night. I tried to talk him out of early present opening, really I did. That's a lie...I would never, NEVER turn down early present opening not to mention CAKE. Thanks fella's you're the greatest!

It's a little hard to tell from this picture, but Jared took home a souvenier from his baseball game. He was playing second base, a runner slid, and kept on sliding right up Jared's leg. The joy of metal cleats. He's wearing it like a badge of honor, "Yea, that's where I got spiked".

**By the way, the runner was OUT!

How I wish I could better recall some of the ridiculous things that went through my head at the age of seventeen. Not the crazy, dangerous things I did, but the ideas and goals that I thought were important. I'm not saying this because I'm unfulfilled or disappointed in where I am as an adult (quite the contrary), but working in the high school I hear students say some pretty crazy things. I wonder to myself if the milestones that mean so much to them now, once held similar excitement for me. For example, just today a student asked me the date, I answered, and the the rest of the convesation went like this... (Keep in mind that this student is typically a pretty funny individual)

Student: Only 2 months and 1 day until I'm eighteen.

Me: How many hours?

Student: I don't know, they don't care about hours on your ID.

Me: Why do you want your ID to say eighteen ? What will 18 on your ID allow you to do?

Student: Four things...I can buy lottery tickets, go to a gentlemans club, buy cigarettes, and buy cough medicine.

Me: (Sarcastically) Wow, sounds like your life will be complete.

I wonder to myself...was I excited when I was legally able to purchase lottery tickets? I recall feeling pretty grown up when I could purchase cigarettes and I wasn't even a smoker. As I approach my birthday I'm going to try and come up with some sort of milestone I can get excited about (besides menapause, lol). Maybe I'll go out and buy lottery tickets, cigarettes, cough medicine, frequent a gentlemans club, and pretend I'm eighteen again.

Hoppy Hoppy Easter!

Putting together this display of our Easter pictures I am struck speechless. What a wonderful family I've been blessed with. I am so very thankful! Thankful for my amazing husband who understands me most of the time. Thankful for three incredible children. I can't begin to explain how much joy they bring me everyday (frustration sometimes too, but unbelievable amounts of joy). Mostly I'm thankful for a God that loves humanity so much that he gave us His Son. I pray that I never take any of these blessings for granted for I know that I do not deserve them.

My sweet little bundle of Joy!

Scott and the boys install lights out front.

Gabe took a break for tree climbing.

Mark came for a visit this weekend. Anytime Mark visits, you're guaranteed a few laughs. My brother is one of the funniest, if not the funniest person I know. I always enjoy his company. However, I did discover an area of his life that needs a little work. Not to hurt your feelings dear brother, but you're a terrible shopper. Mark mentioned that he needed a new pair of jeans, so I drug him to several stores (while I Easter shopped) so he could purchase a new pair. He came home empty handed. Were they all sold out you ask? Yes and no. There were plenty of jeans to choose from, but it seems none of them were created in the early 90's and therefore not what he was looking for.

"Those are different color on the front."
"They're faded in the front."
"I can wear my jeans out myself."
"I set my own trends."

I do agree that once you're past your twenties you cannot succumb to every trend that comes along. I appreciate that my wonderful brother doesn't wear lowrise jeans, imitating a plumber, but a slight fading won't hurt anything. I say this in good fun. Mark doesn't need to be trendy to be cool!

Jacob begs Mark not to leave.

Begging didn't work, so Jacob & Jared try to force Mark to stay.
Mark proved to be too much for them.

I returned home from work today with an hour to spare and a choice to make. What do I do with my hour? The refrigerator and eating are always a strong temptation, laundry is always there, and exercise is always needed. Today I chose exercise. Surprised? Me too! So I strapped on my running shoes, plugged myself into my ipod and set out for a jog. Maybe jog is too strong a word...more like a jog sprinkled with walking or actually walking with a smattering of jogging. I guess the definition of my movements depends on whether you're a glass half full or half empty kind of thinker. This is day three of my exercise routine and I'm feeling empowered. HAHA day three, empowered? HAHA Hey, day two was done in the rain. If that isn't hard-core what is? As I was jogging, I couldn't help but compare myself to a bear coming out of hibernation. The sun was streaming through the trees and I was breaking out of the cave for a stretch with achy muscles rebelling from lack of use all winter long. I noticed that a vulture was circling in the sky above. Was there something dead nearby, or was he waiting for me to drop?

Grandma Landers & Grandmom "Sugarbug" congratulate Gabe after his win.

Grandma & Grandpa Landers pay us a visit.

Baseball & Friends

Gabe played his first ballgame today. The Pirates won 16-5. He made two great plays at shortstop and hit a shot up the middle to get on base. After the game he told us that he was nervous before the game. He said, "I had tingles in my tummy".

Jared & Blake run off the field.

Eric & Jacob wait to go to practice.