A Day of Thanks...

Thanksgiving has long been one of my favorite holidays, and this year was no exception. It was a perfect day...the turkey was delicious (thanks for the recipe, Jen!), the side dishes were awesome (Michelle's corn souffle and mac-n-cheese, Kay's fudge, Mom's mashed potatoes and chocolate pie, Catherine's wine, Rhonda's hanky-panks, my dressing)...all in all, it was a smashing success. We ate, visited, laughed, ate some more, played ping-pong and Rock Band, ate dessert, drank too much wine and a little bit of coffee, then slouched on the couch and digested for a while. At any given time, there were children running amuck, adults texting teenagers with Twilight-themed messages, multiple conversations being had, girls and boys rocking out to the iPod in the kitchen...I think a good time was had by all! Thanks to all of our family and friends who made this holiday such a special one!

Oh, did you wanna see some pictures of the festivities?

I thought you'd never ask!

Isabel was a huge help, carrying up chairs from the basement, setting the tables, and making placecards for the guests. What would I do without this girl?

Out of all the pictures, I did not get a single one of Michelle and I together. Whassup with that? Here's one that will probably end up on her blog...

I couldn't resist getting this butter mold to set at the kids' table:

Kylee (and all the kids) loved it. Until someone cut off his head to put on their roll. Oh, the horror!

Gabe's little friend, Will, was also here for the fun. Kay was babysitting. Yep, on the holiday. She is a saint. That's all I'm sayin'.

Joe was the master carver of the turkey. He did a fabulous job.

It was difficult to pull Morgan (Michelle's youngest) and Elijah away from the video games, but the smell of the food and the promise of a tasty dinner did the trick.

I was sad that my big sis, Rhonda, couldn't stay for dinner, but at least they were able to come for appetizers before they had to drive to Paul's family.

My mom and Elijah. I love this picture.

The girls had so much fun playing Barbies and babies and kittens. I'm not sure what Catherine's girls were looking at, but it obviously wasn't the camera...

We had a whole table dedicated to desserts. Gabe took off running to the kitchen for a spoon; for what, I wasn't sure. Until I spied him looking like this...

Cool Whip, anyone?!


My MIL, Kay, and my momma. Kay had a (couple) glasses of wine to help her relax...can you tell?

These three were jamming to some tunes, singing along to songs I have never even heard. Michelle, you are one of the coolest moms on the planet, knowing this music and liking it!

I was thrilled that Catherine and Kipper could make it to our celebration, since they weren't able to go home to Texas for Thanksgiving. Catherine stayed and cleaned up the kitchen (thank you SO much!), then we actually had time to just sit and talk after everyone else left.

There was a little bit (or a lot) of Rock Band goin' on. I have decided that I am much better on the drums when I am at Lula's house, in Scotty's man room, after two (or five) Mike's hard lemonades. Just sayin'. These guys were rockin' it out, though. And you should see Elijah on the guitar...he amazes me!

By the end of the night, even Gabe was tired. I had Catherine take a picture of us...this never happens. Snuggling with mommy on the couch, actually saying the words "I'm so tired". Definitely a Kodak moment.

Hope your Thanksgiving was filled with great memory-making moments like these.

Next stop...Christmas!

Vanna, gimme a letter!

Well, maybe it's Kat from Sunshine and Lemonade instead of Vanna who's giving me a letter. Either way, it's a fun game to play, and a great idea for a blog post. After I read Kat and Lizzy's versions, I wanted to play, too. So Kat sent me my letter (thank God it wasn't "Q"). The game is simple. Leave a comment either here or at Kat's blog that you want to play along, and we'll send you a random letter. Then make a list of your ten favorite things, beginning with your assigned letter. That's it!

My letter was "F". I had to think about this one awhile. The following are in no particular order, other than how they popped into my head...

1. Forks, WA: Obvious choice if you know anything about Twilight. Home of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, along with many other vampires. Too bad I couldn't find a bigger picture. Oh, well.

2. Forgiveness: Thank God for His mercy, His grace, and most of all His forgiveness for all my (many) shortcomings. I don't think I could face the day without this knowledge.

3. Joy Fielding: My mom introduced me to this awesome author with the book "See Jane Run". She has lots of other books, one of which even took place in Cincinnati ("Grand Avenue"). Good psychological thrillers, well developed characters, lots of suspense and surprises. Check her out.

4. Family: Gotta love those seventies clothes in this family portrait. Aww, look at that cute little baby...oh, that's me! And that dark-haired girl on the left? Yep, that's Michelle, from Tales from the Lunchroom.

5. Firepits: No, this isn't my gazillion dollar house on the lake with the fire-and-water firepit...we were at Homearama, lusting over these houses. We really wanted to break out the s'more fixin's, but I don't think they would've approved. We do have our own firepit, though, and I love sitting out there on a cool autumn evening, watching the flames and smelling the scent of burning wood.

6. Formal photo sessions: especially Free ones! Amanda, a friend of my MIL, took all of our family photos this summer for free since we allowed her to use Isabel for her photography studio's website (which will be up and running soon). I've already shown you so many, but here's one of Gabe that I don't think I've put up on my blog yet. Aww, he looks so sweet...

7. Fall: Pumpkin patches, hayrides, Halloween, my birthday, firehouse parties...so many things I love about fall.

8. Flowers: Especially the "apple blossom tulips" planted in the fall by Isabel and me. There are lots of different flowers that I love, but tulips are my favorite.

9. Forests: Going hiking has always been a favorite thing for Joe and I to do together, and we have instilled that love into our kids. This past summer's trip to Hocking Hills was so fun. Gabe even packed a bag yesterday to "take to Hocking Hills for bo-cation". I guess he wants to go back. I told him it's only open in the summer. Thank goodness for number 2, for those times I have to tell these "little white lies" to my children.

10. Friends: I am blessed with so many friends in my life. I'm not sure how I would make it through my days without them. Becky has become such a great friend in a short amount of time, though you would think we have known each other for ages. I have made friends through this blog that I treasure as well...

Wow, I did it...ten favorite "F" things. I wasn't sure if it was possible or not.

Wanna play along? Let either Kat or I know, and we'll send you a letter. C'mon, it'll be fun!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I was going to write a post for Thanksgiving, listing all the things I am thankful for. But seriously, if you've my blog for any amount of time, I think you all know what those things are. And I really can't do a long post today...I've got some cookin' to do. And probably so do you!

As I mentioned yesterday, I was planning on using Jen's recipe for the turkey. Now I'm not sure. I think I may be liking Maxine's idea:


Sounds good, huh? And maybe that euphoric feeling would even carry over to Black Friday shopping...

Happy Thanksgiving!

* Warning: If easily offended, read no further. Come back tomorrow for a sweeter post. *




Oh, so you decided to stay?

Okay, here's the story. I've been having second thoughts about hosting Thanksgiving this year. I mean, really, all that work for what, thirty minutes of eating, tops? Having to clean the house before the guests arrive AND again after everyone leaves? I just don't know.

I talked to my family and friends, and we decided we'd all rather just go out to a restaurant for dinner. After much deliberation, we narrowed it down to three choices.

Now we're stuck. We can't all agree on one place, and since it's the holiday and all, we really want to be together.

So, now I go to my friends in the blogosphere, for your opinions. Help us out here, wouldya?

Seriously, which one of these three would you choose? Since we can't decide on a winner, we're leaving it up to y'all. Leave a comment with your choice, and majority wins.

Here are the places we thought looked interesting. None of us have ever been to any of them before:

Choice #1



Choice #2:

And finally, choice #3:

*

**

***

Okay, you did know I was kidding, right? Did I even have you fooled for a minute?

When I received this email from a friend, I knew exactly what I was gonna do with it...blog about it, of course!

So, really, which one would you pick?

Choice #3 is the winner for me. I mean, chicken is close to turkey. That's the reason why! Get your mind out of the gutter right now!

Now, really, I've gotta go. I have many preparations to make for our real Thanksgiving dinner, which in part is brought to you by my bloggy friends...turkey recipe by Jen, pumpkin crisp recipe by Lula, and many other goodies brought by Catherine and Michelle. Thanks, girls! You're the best!

Happy Birthday, Michelle!

Thirty-five years ago, I was born. To a blended family with a mom/stepmom, dad/stepdad, and three half-sisters. Are you confused yet? Well, let me explain...my mom was married to Ken, and they had two girls, Michelle and Kim. My dad was married to Carol, and they had one girl, Rhonda. They all got divorced, then my mom married my dad, and one year later, I was born. My sisters were 8 3/4, 7 and 5 years old when I arrived on the scene; Michelle was the oldest.

I love to hear her stories of how she treated me like I was her baby, getting up with me in the morning, picking out my clothes, carrying me all around, showering me with love and attention. (Heck, she still does all those things for me...
okay, maybe not, but I'm sure she would if I needed her to.)

One month after my arrival, Michelle turned nine years old. (Do the math...yep, she's forty-four today!)

I have so many childhood memories that involve Michelle, but even better than that, I have a gazillion adult memories of the two of us. When you're a kid, you have no choice but to be around your sister. When you're both grown up, with husbands and kids and jobs, you do have a choice. And Michelle and I have made the choice over and over again to be a part of one another's lives. She is my rock, and I am hers. We both know that nothing could ever separate us from the love we have for each other. I thank God that He knew to give me such an incredible sister, 'cause I don't know where I'd be without her.

Okay, enough of the mushy stuff...now for the fun part...pictures!

Michelle has always been game to my crazy schemes, and I to hers. Seeing Twilight together was a given, since she convinced (badgered, harassed, teamed up with Lula) me to read the first book, which she knew would get me hooked enough to read the next three. Did we love it? Yep. Did we have a great time? Yep. Did we totally crack each other up? Oh, definitely.

This one was totally me. After becoming online, then phone, friends with Lula, we began talking about meeting up in "real-life". I called Michelle and told her "We're goin' to Lulaville!", and all she asked was "When?". The rest is history, and another post altogether (I'm sure you've read it by now).

I love Michelle for so many reasons, but a huge one is how much she loves my babies. She always has. And they love her right back. Here she is on Gabe's 4th birthday, with a big bowl of her homemade macaroni-and-cheese (his faberit, dontcha know). She even put a candle in it! He loved it, and ate the whole bowl by himself, eventually.

When I started scrapbooking ten years ago, so did Michelle. Oh, we spent so many Thursday nights at her house, scrapping and talking and watching ER, then drooling over Pete Delkus, the weatherman on Channel 9. Good times. We have been on three scrapbooking retreats together, and I would never go without her. The girl has got some bitchin' computer talent (which I seriously lack), and her scrapbooks are awesome. My favorite: when she handmade a pool table, complete with balls and sticks, for a page. Michelle, you so need to scan that page and post it. I'm just sayin'. Here we are on our last retreat this past March. It was a fancy hat and pearls dinner night...

Although our sister, Kim, doesn't hang out with our family, like, ever, we're okay with that. We still have each other, and our sister, Rhonda. She totally gets us, and joins in on the fun when she can. This is last Christmas...don't even ask.

I looked and looked for the perfect quote for this post, and I found a few. This was my faberit.

"There is no better friend than a sister, and there is no better sister than you." Author unknown

Michelle, I hope you have a terrific day, free from pudding disasters at work and drama at home. I can't wait to see you on Thursday (especially 'cause you're bringing my faberit, spinach and artichoke dip...yum!). I love you to pieces, girl. And I always will.

Not Me, Monday!

Dear Monday,

I'm sorry you have such a bad reputation of being a dreaded day. I, for one, adore Mondays. I usually have the day off, since I work a lot of weekend shifts. The kids are in school, the husband is at work, and Gabe and I have the house to ourselves. I get to work out with Becky in the morning (and burn off those calories I consumed all weekend), then drop Gabe off at preschool after lunch. Then I have two blessed hours TO MY SELF!

So you see, Monday, I really do love you.

Oh, one more reason to love Mondays...the "Not ME, Monday" posts created by MckMama (see link on sidebar). Yep, confession is good for the soul.

Love,
Heather

************************************************************************

On to my Not Me, Monday! post:

1. I did not let my four year old play ping-pong in high heels. I will not save this photo, scrapbook it, and pull it out for his prom date to see...

2. I am not taking care of a patient who grew up in my small hometown, who I totally had a crush on when I was, like, nine years old. And I would never tell you if I did, 'cause that would totally violate HIPAA rules.

3. I did not almost swoon when Edward appeared on the screen last Friday night.

4. I did not suck down two margaritas, an appetizer, a salad, and a steak all at one sitting. Can you imagine how hard it would be to work that off?

5. I did not allow my husband to give our kids an early Christmas present (Rock Band, anyone? Lula and Scotty and Michelle, wanna give it a try?).

6. I am not counting down the hours 'til Thanksgiving. (Okay, so I am...this is one of my favorite holidays, and this year, I am the hostess. I love to entertain, and with so many of our friends and family joining us, it's going to be awesome. I'm even using Jen's turkey recipe which she so graciously shared...I'll let you know how it all turns out.)

Okay, that's all I've got. C'mon guys, you've got to give this a try! And give poor, misunderstood Monday a break for once...

Twilight Extravaganza!

So, in case you weren't aware, Twilight finally opened at the theatres this past Friday. The day we had been anxiously awaiting had arrived. And what a day it was...

Getting shorted $100 on my paycheck, for the second time in a row. Great.

Having an argument with my husband about...you guessed it. Money. Or the lack thereof.

Driving around town, running errands, shopping for Thanksgiving, trying not to stress out about the money (I do not want to go back to working a bunch of hours; I do not.)

Volunteering in Isabel's class, with Gabe in tow. He was actually a very good boy, but it was still exhausting.

Getting home, showered, dressed (changing outfits four times), hair fixed; still no husband home to watch the kids, getting more stressed out by the second...

Finally, on the road, picking up Kay (my MIL) and heading to Outback Steakhouse for dinner. And margaritas. And some pre-Twilight excitement. Oh, did I mention margaritas? Yep, I downed two of them in ten minutes flat (told you I was stressed out).

FYI, if you want good service, a steak upgrade, and extra attention...wear a "boobie shirt" when you go. Like I did. Our poor waiter, he didn't stand a chance with Kay, Catherine, and me. But hey, it worked in my favor, and I sure needed the boost (no pun intended).

Here's Kay after only one sangria. The girl is a cheap date, for sure! This was also a special night for Catherine; her last night with long luscious hair (see her blog for the rest of the story).


After stuffing ourselves full of bread and steak (and margaritas and sangrias and beer), we headed to the theatre. I'm sure Kay was tired of taking pictures, but she was such a good sport. She gets me, you know. In all my blog-addicted-craziness. And she loves me even still.

There were nine of us altogether, ranging in age from 14 to 52. And we were all excited to finally see Edward and Bella on the silver screen. I haven't been this thrilled to see a movie since I don't know when. And yes, we made total fools of ourselves taking (many) pictures before the previews started. What else was there to do? Here I am with Michelle and her youngest Twilight convert, her co-worker's daughter.

Catherine, Kay and I, digesting our dinner. Notice my new Twilight pin, given to me by Catherine. Isn't she just so sweet?

By the time she made it to the movie, Becky was in the same shape I was in, rushing around to get to there on time. I felt bad that I couldn't sneak her in a drink; I'm sure she needed it by then. Tatum was there, too, but was being camera-shy. By the time the lights dimmed and the previews came on, all thoughts of our hectic day were gone...

You don't know how badly I wanted to take a picture of the actual movie, just for my blog. But I didn't (I'm sure I would've been kicked out). Suffice it to say that we oohed, we ahhed, we screamed, we laughed, we sat in awe on some parts, rolled our eyes on a couple (Billy Black was a tad cheesy); our consensus: in order to truly appreciate the movie, you MUST read the book. Yes, some parts weren't that great. But Edward was incredible. There were times when I swear every female in that theatre was breathless. And I'm sure that at some point during the movie, some part of us wanted to BE Bella, at least for a moment. Would I see it again? Definitely. Will I buy it on DVD? Oh, yes. Am I excited for a sequel? Have you been listening? Of course!

After the movie ended, and we sat in our seats making certain that it was indeed over, we headed over to Ruby Tuesday for drinks and food and Twilight re-hashing. Good times.

We even posed in our matching Betty shawls, Michelle, Becky and I. Yep, we're warm and snuggly...thank goodness, 'cause it was below 20 degrees when we walked out of there! Thanks, Betty from Keeper of the Skies...we love you!

Before we left, we even managed to get one more person to join the Twilight bandwagon...our waitress. We fussed and carried on so much, she couldn't help but be intrigued. And she was so easygoing, she even posed for this picture (at the end of her shift), knowing I was gonna be blogging about her. God love 'er.

All in all, this night totally lived up to my expectations. I'm so glad I have so many friends and family who love Edward and Bella as much (if not more...Danielle) than me. "Honk if you love Edward!".

Oh, and thank you God for inventing margaritas. Amen.

Escape

Late this summer, I followed Lula's advice and bought Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I finished the book in one day, then quickly devoured the next three in short order.

Since then, I have gotten others to join me in my addiction.

Even a guy at work, who has agreed to be my own personal (though darker version) of Edward. Thanks, KB, you rock. And sparkle. Now stop trying to dazzle me and get back to work!

KB isn't much of a reader, so he bought the book on CD. And loved it. I wanted to experience Twilight in this different way, so when he was done, he let me borrow it. The narrator does a great job with the book, and I am discovering new things that I must have missed in my rush to see how it ended.

Needless to say, after listening to Twilight on my way home from work late at night, I have been having some great dreams. Sorry, no details, but I'm sure you can use your imagination. Or a magazine, whatever.

Lula has been forwarding me photos everytime she gets a new one. I found this one on my own, and it just makes me happy. You know I'll be posting another one tomorrow, in honor of the premiere. Only 1 more day to wait. Oh, the joy, the anticipation, the insanity that has gripped the nation. I love it!

In the grind of my daily life (which has been particularly grinding as of late), it is so sweet to escape into the fantasy that is Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. Then to dream about it...icing on the cake:)

What's a mom to do?

Ahh, the joys of having a preschooler.

Curiosity, exuberance, the thrill of new experiences.

Potty words, testing boundaries, destruction, pushing the limits, did I mention testing?

Gabe at two was tough. He was by far my busiest kid, into everything, practically climbing the walls.

Gabe at three was tougher. Even busier, destructive, as wild as a Jack Russell terrier on steroids.

Gabe at four started out pretty good. A little bit calmer, able to sit down and concentrate on the task at hand for more than thirty seconds, excited about being a big boy and going to preschool.

Lately, though, he is pushing all my buttons. He is testing the boundaries at every turn, and quite frankly, I am exhausted from manning those lines in the sand. I know that I have to be consistent, especially when he is testing me, but oh my God, I can't hardly take another minute, much less another day. I am trying, really I am. I pray for assistance, for guidance, for sanity. I'm thinking that maybe I should just go work full-time and hire a nanny...hey, it works for Hollywood, right? I'm kidding about that last part. Gabe is my last "baby"; I want to stay home with him as long as I can. I just want it to be a more pleasant experience than it has been of late.

I am inundated with advice. I'm not really looking for that. I guess I'm just in the need of some support and some sympathy and some "I know exactly what you mean" kind-of-words of encouragement. I know in my heart that "this, too, shall pass". I really wish it would just pass a little faster.

And maybe you should say a little prayer for Gabe, that his mean mommy would get a little nicer so he can like her again. I'm sure that's what he's praying for. That, and the new Geo Trax airplane set...

Award Tuesday

A sweet blogger friend, "The Queen in Residence" from Shiner's House of Fun, gave me this award yesterday. Oh, my, how I love to receive blog awards, and even better, to pass them on to other blog buddies of mine...

Here are the details of this particular award:

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

Eight bloggers, hmm? I think I can manage that. Here goes my list (in no particular order)...

1. Tales from the Lunchroom. Michelle may be my big sis, but she is also one of my favorite people on God's green earth. She is fairly new to this blogging craze, but has been a faithful reader and commenter since I started blogging over a year ago. Oh, and she loves getting awards!

2. In the Trenches. Becky has also been a reader/commenter of mine for awhile now, and finally succumbed to peer pressure and started a blog of her own. And she is hilarious! This girl was born to blog.

3. Lulaville. I don't know when I have ever met a more vivacious person than Lula. She is just as awesome in real life as she is on her blog. And her family is adorable. And funny. And I can't wait 'til she comes to our neck of the woods for a visit next year.

4. Three Little Indians. Jennifer was my very first not-related-to-me commenter. We have so much in common, other than the fact that I am a Yankee and she is a Texan. Her babies are adorable, and she is a genuinely kind person. Who runs in triathalons. And marathons. Okay, that's one thing we don't have in common.

5. Hi Ho Ohio. Catherine is the first blog friend I ever met in person. Neither one of us was an axe murderer or crazed psycho, so it has worked out. Our families have meshed well, becoming fast friends. She is the calmest person I know, taking her home-remodeling-nightmare all in stride. I'm thinking we need another Maggiano's night, girl.

6. Mindless Junque and The R Family Diaries. Heather and Tiffany are the epitome of this award. Hello, they started SITS to help all of us bloggers reach out to one another and find new friends. And they do it all just for the love it. How can you not love that?

7. Keeper of the Skies Wife. Betty is just so stinkin' sweet. And cute. And her family? Gorgeous. She generously shares her talents of crocheting and soapmaking with others (if you live in Ohio, ha, ha!). Someday Becky and I are making a trip to Arkansas so she can remember what it's like to have a house full of kids.

8. What Katy Did Design. Talk about reaching out to make friends. Katy lives in Australia! And she is my first swap buddy. I commented on how much I liked her little sausage dog creation; next thing I know, she is making one for me (and Gabe). What a sweet friend. And talented, too. (Check out her etsy shop.)

Girls, come on down and pick up your awards. Becky, I promise I will show you how. Thanks for being such a great bunch of bloggy (and real-life) friends!

Happy Monday...

Not Me, Monday!

I did not have a great time at work last night, saying "that's what she said" about a hundred times to my co-workers, and laughing my bootay off each and every time they said it back.

I did not have lustful thoughts toward Edward all weekend long. I am not counting down the days 'til Friday.

I do not have a Twilight addiction.

My sweet four-year-old did not call me a "butthole". I did not then smack his mouth and make him stand with his nose in the corner. My children would never use such language.

I am not using a funny email as the main part of my post today. I am not that lazy or unoriginal.

Have a great Monday, y'all!

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2008 when...

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.
2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.
8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.
10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.
11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )
12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.
13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.
14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.
15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.

AND NOW YOU ARE LAUGHING at yourself.

Just one more...

I had to post just one more of my favorite pictures from our trip to Lulaville last weekend. Michelle and I so enjoyed our time with Libbey, and I think she really liked showing us the sights in and around their home.
I'm so glad we were able to make new friends, both young and well, not so young (I would never say old).

Lula, hope you're feeling better soon! Thank goodness you have some medical expertise in your household to help with that...Scott had better get you good as new by Friday's premiere!

This time last week...

Blowing bubbles with Lula's sweet Libbey.

Remembering the joy of being almost seven years old.

Recapturing that joy at the age of thirty-five.

(Lula, make sure you show this to Libbey and tell your girls "Feather" said hi!)

The Journey

From the time I was about eleven years old, all I wanted was to grow up, get married and become a mom. Sure, I had other goals, but even my career choice was one I made because I knew it would mesh well with motherhood.

The other day, a co-worker asked me what I was going to do "next". As in, what are your career goals. Anesthesia, management, nursing administration (yuck). My answer was this: I am living my goal. I. Am. Content.

I am a wife, a mom, a nurse. All those things I dreamed of being. I know it's great to have goals. But isn't it greater to be content? To live in the moment instead of always looking ahead for the "next" thing? Some people have a hard time with that concept. In this society, it's not popular to be content. I guess I'm just not that popular. Because I truly am loving my life, and I know this time of enjoying my kids will come to an end. They'll be searching for their goals and living their lives, and that will probably take them away from me, hopefully just for a time. And while I want them to have goals, I also want them to feel that sense of contentment that I have. And I pray that I will still be feeling that peace when they are out of the house, and it's just me and Joe again. To be honest, that scares me a little. But when I read Betty's stories about her and John, and the relationship they have, I feel encouraged. I want to have that, too. Whenever I hear this song by Mark Schultz, "Walking her Home", I tear up. I have witnessed that kind of love, at church, at the hospital. When Joe and I first got married, I was working the night shift when we admitted this little 80-something year old woman who died minutes after she arrived. When a family friend wheeled the husband in, he grabbed onto his wife's hand and sobbed his heart out. Over and over he cried, "what am I going to do?". Let me tell you, there was not a dry eye on the unit that night. We didn't even know his name, but we didn't need to, to know how much he loved this woman. And even though our hearts broke for him, even more my heart yearned to have this kind of love. A love that stood through heartache, and babies, and debt, and teenagers, and time. I pray to God that Joe and I have that kind of love, but man, is it ever hard somedays.

Michelle, sorry if I made you cry before work. Mom, sorry if I made you think about Dad. Sometimes a song has that kind of power over me, and this one does, for sure.

Have a great weekend, everyone. Set some goals, or bask in your contentment. Either way, it's all good...

Suggestions, anyone?

Ever since I can remember, I have loved books. My sweet sister, Michelle, taught me to read when I was only four (hello, Gabe's age, can you imagine?). I started out with One Fish, Two Fish by Dr. Seuss and quickly progressed to Cujo by Stephen King (in the third grade!).

My parents were largely responsible for my continued love of reading. They always had a book on hand, and one of my favorite things to do as a kid was go to the local library with my dad and pick out any book I wanted. For free! I was addicted to Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Lavyrle Spencer, Jean Auel, Ken Follett...

I am still a big reader. I love Stephenie Meyer (clearly), Diana Gabaldon, Victoria Holt, as well as the authors of my childhood. Just opening a Judy Blume book brings back memories of my preteen years (not always pleasant, but not unpleasant, either). I really want to pass this love of reading onto my children. We visit our library every other week, and all three of them love to pick out books. My sister in law is a school librarian, and she often sends boxes of Scholastic books to the kids for birthdays and holidays. I am so grateful for that.

So here is the jist of this post: I need suggestions for some new books to read to Elijah and Isabel. I have plenty to read to Gabe, but now that the older two are, well, older, I have run out of age-appropriate ideas. Neither one of them have the stomach for Stephen King yet, but Magic Treehouse has lost its appeal. Elijah is 10, Isabel is almost 9, and they both are reading on a Junior high level. I love the time we spend together in the evening, laying on Elijah's bunkbeds, me reading, the two of them listening, bonding over this love of the written word.

Do you have any ideas? What do you read to your children? What are some of your favorite books from your childhood? Please leave me some comment love with some ideas...I will run to the library today to pick out some new titles. And they also make great Christmas gift ideas...

I knew I could count on my bloggy friends to help me out. Imagine curling up with a shawl by Betty, a cup of hot chocolate (or Mike's hard lemonade) and a good book with your kids this winter. Sounds good, huh?

I promise, they will thank you, and so will I...