Evil Calendar

Tonight I decided I would work on my calendar and catch everything up for the new year.

Yeah, that turned depressing REALLY quick! This family is busy and I already feel overwhelmed!

Between work, church activities, scouts, ROTC dates, appointments, my AST advisor dates and other things, I am running out of room on some days. Don't get me wrong. I feel blessed that we are able to do these things. That we can allot time to these different activities and we are healthy enough to enjoy those activities. However, when you put it all down on paper, it is overwhelming!!

I also love this calendar for one more reason. I really wanted to try meal planning. I know, I know. I have mentioned meal planning before and I have FAILED miserably!! But I think I was going about it all wrong.

I am not the type of person that likes to have clutter and I want everything in one place. I really did not like my other methods of meal planning because it was a separate binder, folder, etc.

With this calendar though, the week section is big enough that I can divide each day. That way I can write our appts and such on one side and plan our meals on the other side. One central location and no flipping between different items! YEA ME! Maybe, just maybe, this will keep me excited and I won't give up on meal planning again.

Love to you all!!

Can I Go Back to 2012?!?

So, 2013 has definitely not started out like I was hoping it would for me. I have been sick since January 1st.

Finally broke down and went to the doctor yesterday. I was coughing so badly I had to leave work. I saw the wonderful Ms. Michelle Roach, PA and she gave me some wonderful antibiotics to start combating this gunk. However, in the process, I was put back on blood pressure medicine because my BP was 168/110! GESSH!!

So, Johnny and I get home and I went upstairs to change. Then it hit. I got a pain so severe I thought I was going to pass out! I couldn't walk. I couldn't sit. I wanted to die!

Now, please don't think me a dainty little girl here. I have had a child. And my friends, I would go through child birth again if I never had to have this pain again.

So, we head to the ER and surprisingly, they took us right back. The doctor and nurse were awesome! And the pain meds were wonderful! Basically, though all my tests came back normal, they are pretty sure I had a kidney stone. If that was what it was, I never want another one!! Plus, I am surprised the pain came on so sudden. I was fine one minute and the next wanted to die! Hopefully, that will be the only one ever!

Therefore, I am already tired of 2013!! Can I ask for a redo of the past 4 days??

Love to you all!

Happy 2013!!

Happy New Year Everyone!

I pray that this year is one filled with many blessings for you all!

2013 came in very quite around our house.

Johnny and I were asleep by 9:30 last night

because my sweetie had to be at work at 4:30 AM!

I think this is the first New Year's Eve we haven't seen the

ball drop in several years.

So, with the New Year, I guess it is time for resolutions!

Well, guess what?  I am not doing resolutions this year!

No, Nope, Nada!

I looked back to my post from last year (you can read it here)

and realized that I did not keep a SINGLE resolution.

Therefore, this year I am not making any resolutions.

I am going to try to make some suggestions for myself.

Suggestion #1 - Slowly go back into working out.

I am going to start tonight with something my friend Krechella

posted for Christmas.

Yeah, I know it is not Christmas anymore.

But it doesn't have to be the holidays to start something!

I am also going to add the same number crunches and pushups each night too.

 

Suggetion #2 - I am going to try to do a photo a day.

 

Suggestion #3 - I am going to try and finish some of the craft projects

I have been working on for years!

 

Suggestion #4 - Read something that is for more than entertainment each day.

 

There you have it.  No specific resolutions, just some suggestions for the New Year!

I wish you all good luck if you made any resolutions or "suggestions".

 

Here is to a wonderful 2013 for us all!

Love to you all!!



2012 In Pictures

Another year has came and gone!

Time just seems to be flying by quicker and quicker now!

It seems like I was just sitting down yesterday and

writing my blog post for the New Year 2012!

I thought all day on what I wanted my last blog of 2012

to be about and I think this is the perfect way to end.

Anyone that knows me, knows I love to take to pictures!

JJ asked a couple of weeks ago for me to stop and I told him,

"You have had a camera stuck in your face since you were born,

get use to it by now!"

Therefore, I decided to make my last blog of 2012

sort of a year in pictures theme!

Now, does it encompass the entire year?

No but it is fun to look back on some snapshots

and just remember the fun!

Enjoy!

JJ playing for DuPont Middle School Band.

Grilling Hot Dogs during the Boy Scout Hike in March.

Said hello again to Trent!  (We Miss You)

Went to see WVU in the Blue/Gold Game.

Yes, I do bleed Blue and Gold!

JJ went to his 1st formal dance!  Tear!

Enjoyed my view from our seats at Power Park.

While hanging with an awesome friend!

I miss seeing you Tina!!

Though we said goodbye to Trent at the beginning of May,

we got to meet some other fabulous individuals

that made this season great!

JJ turned 14!  YIKES!!

And went to camp for 4 different weeks this summer!

Top - Boy Scout Camp

Bottom - WV Jr. Firefighting Camp

We added another furry baby to our family.

I attended my 20th class reunion!  Hard to believe 20 years has passed!

My baby boy stated high school and joined ROTC.

I got to hang with my two best friends all year!

I love you Terri and Melinda!

I got to meet Charlaine Harris at the WV Book Festival!

Completely awesome experience!

Johnny celebrated a year post-surgery!

I am so PROUD of him!

We survived "Sandy" and the snow she brought in October!

I got to spend the year with my two wonderful men!

I am finally learning how to LOVE myself!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

LOVE TO YOU ALL!!

My Couponing Way!

Coupons and I are BEST Friends!

Give me a whole bunch of coupons and

I am in seventh heaven!

Now, I am in no way an EXTREME couponer!

I don't go out and buy tons of stuff that I know my family

will never use or products we don't like/use.

However, I do stockpile certain things like shampoo,

razors/razor blades, etc.

I also only buy products that I know we like.

My opinion is why would I purchase something

(even if I can get it for free)

that I know my family won't use it!

Here is a picture of my coupon bible!

I will be blogging some more about my coupon addiction later.

I would really like to start a small little class about couponing!

But I will say, if you are a couponer, get yourself a binder!

Best thing ever!

I also LOVE to get FREE samples!

Samples are awesome!

Most of the time, samples come with great coupons.

High dollar coupons which equals a BIG YEA!!

Now, I am still learning the FREE sample way.

My hope for the new year is to score some of the GREAT samples

that I see on some websites!

Here are some of the samples I have received in the past week.

Finally, if you like to coupon like I do, there is a magazine

you need to get!  It is "All You" and it is available at WalMart.

I personally have a subscription and I have been known

to buy an extra copy if there are some really cool coupons in the issue.

Love to you all!!!

WOW!! JUST WOW!!

Today, as I was trying to figure out how to add some stuff

to my timeline on Facebook, I came upon a picture.

This picture made me immediately start crying.

I honestly was in disbelief and could not believe what I was seeing

in this picture.

However, I know this is the way it WAS

but I also know it will NEVER be like this again!!

Here is the picture that had me in tears:

Yes ladies and gentlemen, this is Johnny (my husband) and I

in April 2009.

All I can say right now, as the tears come back into my eyes,

is WOW!!  JUST WOW!!

If you have been following for a while, you know that

Johnny had gastric bypass surgery in September 2011 and

he has done absolutely fabulous!

He has lost almost 215 lbs and feels wonderful!

Here he is on December 1, 2012:

Doesn't he look amazing?!?!

I guess the reason I start crying when I see these old pictures of us

is because I never realized how big he was at those times.

When you live with someone and are around them all the time,

I don't know if you block it out or just don't comprehend the situation.

However, that was then and this is now!!

He is healthy and happier than I have seen him in a long time!

I am thankful everyday that he made this decision

because I honestly believe he saved his own life!

And because of that decision, I know for certain

I will get to spend the rest of my life with this wonderful man!!

Love to you all!



All Plugged In

Maybe Albert Einstein was on to something when he said:

"I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction.

The world will have a generation of idiots."

Yes, I will admit I am addicted to my phone.

I am always checking to see if someone has posted something or

left me a message.  An addiction, I know.  I also know it is

sad that I can not seem to go more than a couple of hours

without my phone (or computer, etc).

Then tonight, I was sitting here playing on the computer and this is

what I witnessed around my living room:

JJ playing on his new Vita

Johnny playing on the X-box

Me playing on the computer while listening to music on guess what?

Yep - My phone!!

(By the way - this is a horrible picture.  Geesh!  I can't believe I am even posting this.

Oh well.  I got over that kinda of stuff sometime ago - LOL.)

Therefore my whole right now is "plugged" into some sorta electronic device.

Now, this does not happen all the time. 

Yes, we do spend time together without your electronic gadgets.

However, it just struck me funny this is what I saw tonight around my living room.

Now, as far as me and my music on my phone.

I do have a iPod shuffle.  However, quite frankly I was comfortable and did not want

to get up to get it.  (Hey, I had to go back to work today - LOL!)

However, the bigger reason is because my newest download is not on my iPod!

Thanks to my fabulous sister and her family's gift of an iTunes card,

I FINALLY got to download Terry McDermott's album from the Voice.

(snapshot from my phone)

I was really hoping he would win.  I loved him from the minute he stepped out

on the stage the very first night of the blind auditions.

Then, I couldn't unplug without listening to his coach -

the ever sexy Blake Shelton!

Now, I want to admit something.

I personally did not like Blake when he first came on to the seen.

However, I have DEFINITELY changed my tune and love all his stuff!

Finally, my night of music would be complete if I could get my

Maroon 5 music on my iTunes.

I am seriously in lust with Adam Levine!

Who could not love that gorgeous face?

And yes my dear friend Melinda - my obsession has spilled over

to my blog post!  Bawhaha!!

Love to you all!