My first MEME

This is my first Meme. I don't even know what MEME means. Someone clue me in. I took this from Musingsofahousewife. High School Spirit Meme

1. Who was your best friend? I was in KS for Freshman/Soph. years. Don't know if I had a "best" friend. We all had junkie cars and played chase a lot. Junior and Senior years were in TX. My best friend then was my now Hubby. We were high school sweethearts, and spent all our time together. Looking back on it, I wish I would've had sense to limit my time with him (we were a bit needy towards each other) and developed more girl friendships.

2. Did you play any sports? Sure did. Played Volleyball and basketball. Was Athlete of the year at my school when I graduated.

3. What kind of car did you drive? My dad was kind enough to let my sister (who is only 10 mo. younger than me) share his old work pickup. It was a 1976 maroon chevy pickup. It had a push start button because the starter broke. It used to belong to my grandpa who tore the seat belts out, so it was really safe. Being my dad's former work truck it had a long tool box attached to each side of the pickup bed. Once when I was trying to look cool and impress a boy downtown, the wind picked up at the exact moment he looked my way and the toolbox lids flew open simultaneously. I looked like I was driving a pickup version of the bat mobile. Oh, it had cancer too. We lost a bit of the outside every time we washed it due to rust. My sister left the window down once when it rained, and a little plant started to grow behind the seat. It was a like a wild vine. It refused to die. Very embarrassing driving that thing around a town of only 17oo people.

4. It’s Friday night. Where were you? Usually playing in game and then cleaning up to play in the pep band for the boy's game. The girls never got pep band or cheerleaders. I am still hurt about that.

5. Were you a party animal? No. I was a goody goody too. See question 4. Like I said, to find fun in our small town, we chased each other in our crappy cars or made home movies to resemble an SNL skit.

6. Were you considered a flirt? Nope. Never have been. I am terrible at it, and usually am not friends with the flirtatious types. It makes me embarrassed for them when I see them throwing themselves shamelessly at boys. DH wishes I flirted more with him, so I am working on that.

7. Were you in the band, orchestra or choir? Yes to band and choir. Our town was too small to have an orchestra. I played the saxophone. I LOVED being in any kind of musical program. Jazz band was a favorite. I actually majored in vocal music in college.

8. Were you a nerd? I didn't think so at the time.

9. Were you ever suspended or expelled? No.

10. Can you sing the fight song? Probably some of it, but I'm too tired to think about it. I was always playing in the pep band, not singing it.

11. Who was your favorite teacher? My bible teacher/coach/youth pastor at my new school in TX. He ended up marrying us.

12. What was your school mascot? Ks=Indian, TX=Tiger

13. Did you go to the Prom? Yeah, I went as a soph. with a gross senior. I didn't like him or anything, just wanted to make my ex jealous. It didn't work, and I was grossed out by my date. He had bad breath. Then my TX school was a private HS, so we had a Junior/Senior banquet. I went with DH. I wore a red dress with puffy sleeves covered in sequins. He wore a matching cummerbund, and we borrowed a red Mazda Miata. How lame!!! My senior year, I wore an Emerald green, floor lenth dress. I went with dh again, and we looked a bit less lame. I will post a pict. on Thurs. Good idea, Musings of a Housewife!

14. If you could go back, would you? Sometimes I wish I could go back and make some better decisions or be a nicer person. I wish I would've had the sense and confidence that I have now to be a friend to everyone.. I was too worried about my reputation, at times. I bet we all wish we had more confidence back then.

15. What do you remember most about graduation? We wore royal blue gowns, I sang in a quartet "I'll Keep Believing" by Point of Grace, and also wondered why everyone was crying. I couldn't wait to get to college.

16. Where were you on Senior Skip Day? I don't think we had one.

17. Did you have a job your senior year? 2 weeks at a clothes store. They put me in the changing room putting clothes back on a hanger. It stunk BIG TIME!

18. Where did you go most often for lunch? cafeteria. We weren't allowed off campus.

19. Have you gained weight since then? 40 pounds with each baby. I've lost it each time. I am about 10 pounds heavier than at grad.

20. What did you do after graduation? I don't remember.

21. What year did you graduate? 1994.

22. Who was your Senior Prom Date? dh

23. Are you going/did you go to your 10 year reunion? Yeah, I went to the one in KS. It was so weird. A lot of the old hunks were bald. I felt like I was in a time warp. I enjoyed talking with them all.

You wanna play? Consider yourself tagged.

Run for Your LIFE!!!!!

Mary at Owlhaven is hosting a carnival today called My Childhood Home. I grew up 6 miles outside of a small town in Kansas. My father is a farmer, so, yes, I grew up on a farm. My childhood home was a single wide trailer. I never thought anything of living in a trailer until I hit junior high. Thankfully we moved to town right around then and into a nicer house. Anyway, living in KS meant that we were subject to many tornadoes. Obviously our trailer did not have a basement. We lived on several acres of ground. There was 1/4 mile of wild grass between our trailer and a major highway. There was a ditch that ran between the highway and the grass. So to paint the picture better, it was our trailer, 1/4 mile of wild grass, ditch, and then the highway. Let me just say that the patch of wild grass was so large that we used a tractor to mow it and that still took forever. We were always told that if a tornado came we were to run through the grass to the ditch and get in the "tornado/atomic bomb is comin" position. Did I mention I lived there during my elementary years? Also, remember, there weren't any sirens 6 miles in the country, so the only forewarning one would get for a tornado coming might only be "RUN, THE TWISTER IS IN THE FRONT YARD!!!" To make a short story long, I never had to run for my life, but the trauma still set in. To this day, I still have nightmares of trying to get across that HUGE yard of wild grass to the ditch only to be protected by a small dent in the earth. HOW WAS THAT GOING TO PROTECT US??? I guess the tornado wouldn't see us crouching there, and would move on to to kill other saps who chose to park their trailer too far from a major ditch. This is probably not what Mary had in mind, but it is what immediately came to mind when I thought of my childhood home. I will add the fuzzy memories another time.

Add On to "Start My Diet Tomorrow"

"it really works when you stick to it." That seems so obvious but it really is the hardest part. I got too content with how far I HAD come that I fell off the strict wagon. I fit back into my old clothes, so I wasn't as desperate to finish to goal. I totally woke up this morning hungry and thought, "Ooh, I want a piece of homemade bread with real butter on it for breakfast." But then, I remembered my WW commitment, so I had Fiber One cereal instead, and feel totally satisfied. It is a complete mental decision, at this point.

Ok...I start my diet tomorrow....

How many times have I said that? I usually say it right after a huge, fattening meal. I have been wanting to get back on Weight Watchers for a while now. I have 12-15 more pounds to lose to get to my goal. Weight Watchers works so well for me, personally, that I should probably be able to get it off in about 4 weeks. I lost 33 pounds on it before I quit and I haven't gained any of it back. Mind you, 30 pounds of that was after 3rd baby. I am just so tired of not being happy in my own skin. I remember feeling so content in my skin, when I got married, that I didn't even mind facing the mirror while I ate at the Olive Garden. So, I am posting this to the world ( or the 2 of you that actually read this) that as of Sat. I am back on WW. I have 23 points a day to spend. I will be writing down EVERYTHING I eat. I have a WW journal, so don't worry. You don't have to endure reading how many crackers I had in a day. Feel free to ask me every now and then if I am keeping up with it. I probably will post if I've had a weight loss or gain. And I will definitely tell you when I get to my goal. If anyone out there wants to be WW buddies, just let me know.

poopathon

Why do men get an hour in the bathroom to do their business? It doesn't take me that long, not even close. I get in - I get out! I lock the door because I am not one for a preschool audience. That is where I draw the line. Because of that, I spend most of my time speaking/yelling in a loud voice to whomever is having the current meltdown on the other side of my locked door, that I will be out in a minute, and they better not break my door. Other people in this world (not naming names) feel that the bathroom is a secret hiding place, a haven from the cares of life. Entire Sudoku books have been completed in just a few of these sessions. "GET A GRIP, GUYS....YOU CAN POOP WHEN THEY GRADUATE!" I'm just sayin........

post baby brain dead

My newborn turns 1 July 27. Where did the year go? He is also our last as dh took the plunge and fixed himself. He actually did it right before baby was born. I am ok with it, as of right now. He was so adamant about not having any more kids, and honestly, the thought of doing the newborn thing again right now isn't too appealing. I really want to enjoy the boys now. BUT...I am sad that my newborn is going to be a year old. I am getting off track of my title. I don't know about anyone else, but for a year after the birth of one of my kids, I have the brain power equivalent to a highly trained gorilla. That may be giving myself too much credit. At least the gorilla can be artistic and can paint a little. Honestly, my brain goes out the window. I lose most of my vocabulary and a ton of my creative juices. I LOVE to be creative in the kitchen, but that first year is pretty bland come dinner time. I am lucky to get meat and steamed veggies on the plate. I also have zero desire to do any decorating in the house. I am a minimalist already, when it comes to my decorating style, but during that first year, I can't imagine rearranging the mantel or changing out the kid's pictures. I am coming out of the fog now. I have gone back to baking my famous sourdough bread. My backyard neighbor has been caring for a sourdough starter for 15 years, and a couple months ago, she let me have a cup of it. I am in heaven. I never buy bread anymore. I do it the old fashioned way too. No bread makers here. I love pounding out the dough, but love even more, the smell of the bread baking in my home. I have started to get the kids involved in helping me bake, and have found it to be a great thing to pass on to my sons (since I have no daughters). I also have an apple tree in my backyard and recently started canning Apple Butter for the first time. I have never attempted canning because it sounded so complicated, but my brain works again and I can actually follow written instructions without a mental breakdown. Even the food I am cooking tastes better. Am I the only one who experiences this? I did give myself a break this last child and took it as a year to simplify. I recognized what was happening and just went with it, instead of times in the past, when I thought something was seriously wrong with me. I didn't even go through the whole..." I AM LOSING WHO I AM" syndrome. Come on, ladies, you know what I am talking about. You know the dreaded episode of you sobbing to your husband about losing your identity, and feeling like all you have to offer the world is changing diapers and cleaning up spills. And your husband looks at you with half sympathy and half serious concern that his wife is cracking up, and tries to comfort you by saying how good of a diaper changer and spill cleaner you really are and he would never trade you...GOD HELP OUR MEN!!! (please forgive the major run-on sentences, and poor grammar. My child is officially still 11 months old)

Love Languages

DH and I recently read a book together called, "The 5 Love Languages." He actually got me 2 copies for my Christmas gift because we had a $10 spending limit on each other's gifts, and I have asked him the entire 11 years of our marriage to read a book with me. BTW, DH got a sterling silver ring to replace his wedding band that he lost a few weeks earlier, but that is a different and much longer story. Back to the book...it was great. The book helps you to understand the way in which you receive love and then how your spouse receives love. Some may receive through physical touch, acts of service, gifts, quality time, or affirming words. We usually try to force our love to our spouse in the way that comes most naturally to us, our own love language, but unless they, themselves speak that language, you are fighting an uphill battle. I learned that my love language is Quality Time. This explains so much about me. It explains why I react like I do to flippant friends, and why I get miffed if a parent doesn't connect with me when we are together. But it really explains my relationship with hubby. He was relieved to discover that I wasn't just a needy wife. As most of you know, when you have small children, date nights don't come so easily. We used to go out Friday and Sat. before kids. Then with just one kid, we still got out once a week together. Now we are lucky if we have an actual date once a month. I am ok with this as long as the time we do share, say, after kids are in bed, is, for the most part, connecting time. Well, I was starving for some quality time with hubby. I just missed him, even though we were together all the time. The 2 older boys spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa's and we put baby to bed around 8:30. I had cooked a brisket the night before and had it all ready when baby fell asleep. I resisted the urge to make our plates and plop in the recliner and let my eyes roll into the back of my head as we watch something unwatchable because Lost and 24 are on break. I lit candles and turned on some old standards on the radio. We sat and ate and talked for an hour and a half. It was just as good as being on a a date. Now I feel like a new person. I feel connected and secure with dh, and I feel like taking on the world again knowing I have a partner in this world.

staying above it all

I am a firm believer that Christ came to give us an abundant life while we're on this earth. I am so trying to be an overcomer in this life. I know that life comes with hardships and trials but that the Lord gives us the blessing of His peace, joy, and strength in the midst of the hard times. My issue right now is not being dragged down by people around me who are in rotten moods. In the past, I was easily swayed by the prevailing "tude" around me. My mil has always told me that the woman sets the tone of the home. Notice I am not naming any names of WHO has the "tude" in my home today. hahaha. Anyway, I don't want it to get on me. I want to stay above it. I felt God's presence in such an awesome way today at church. The "tude" had been going on since last night, so I was ready for a break in atmosphere. I heard on the radio that praise brings God near. I like that phrase. ANYWHO...I felt that heaviness lift right off me during worship today. Just focusing on the Lord brought me such peace. I wish everyone around me could've received it......Now that I am back home, I want to keep above the negative. Remember I am trying to tune into His voice more. So I am taking control of the atmosphere. I am getting off this computer, turning off every tv in the house, and turning up some praise songs. Praise brings Him near....

fun night with the fam

Tonight when dh got home we went to Chick Fil A with all 3 boys for dinner. Dh and I are taking a Dave Ramsey course at our church called "Financial Peace University." We are on a really tight budget right now so every penny counts. In fact, we are on a "strictly cash" budget. It feels good to hand someone cash instead of my debit card. ANYWAY, we had 2 free kids meals coupons from Samuel's Kindergarten that we shamelessly used. Because of the money we saved we were able to go get Milwaukee Joe's Ice cream afterwards. Their "Almond Joy" ice cream is the absolute best ice cream in the world. On the way home, the baby decided to be a cranky pants, so we sang silly songs all the way home. Dh found a way to turn the Noah song into a song about poo and toots, so the boys thought it was great. DH and I are going to Cancun in Oct. without kids for a production trip that he won at work. We didn't get to go last year because baby was too young. This means I need to work on weaning baby who will be one year old this month. He rarely nurses during the day, so it should be easy. I also cringe at the thought of being on a beach with my body so un-toned. I'd like to lose 10-12 more pounds and really tone up my arms, abs, and booty. I lost all of my pregnancy weight doing WW but got bored with it and gave it up right before I hit my goal. I could probably lose the 10 pounds in a few weeks if I would just do WW religiously. WHY DON'T I JUST DO IT??? I don't need to go to meetings. I know the program back and forth. I keep mixing up all these other weight loss ideas, which isn't working. Like I take a little from this program, and a little from that. I pretty much eat what I want and am able to maintain where I am at, which makes me feel encouraged that if I could just get rid of that extra 10 pounds that I could then maintain pretty easily. I also want to start doing some sit-ups, push ups, and wall squats each night. That with riding my bike every once in a while should do what I want. But when kids go to bed I am so lazy. I just want to veg. I have at least stopped eating after dinner. This is huge because dh and I love to reward a hard day when kids are in bed with a big bowl of delicious cereal. That was killing my figure. It is a mental challenge to not go get cereal, but instead go to bed a little hungry. I really need to buy some cute sun dresses too, but don't want to spend much money for them. Ok, the reason I am randomly rambling is because dh just put boys in bath, and baby is asleep. I have the whole house to myself and it is so quiet. HEAVEN!!!

Well, here I go

Well, I am the queen of procrastination, but after reading my friend's blog for so long (thank you, Nicole) I feel like this may be a way for me to process my day. I might even see some growth. This summer has been good, for the most part. Having 3 small children at home during a summer of rain almost everyday has had its challenges. My boys have felt caged in, at times. However, I have seen them get really creative and play more using their imaginations. My boys are 6, 3, and 11 mo. The two older ones have warrior spirits and LOVE playing with swords. They also love setting up battles with their castle men, dinosaurs, Star Wars action figures, and whatever else will stand at attention near their Fisher Price castle. Having a baby this last year has been such a blessing. He has been my easiest so far. I think I am much calmer and definitely more care free with my mothering. I have finally gotten good at listening to my instincts. I wasn't around my own mother growing up, so being a good, nurturing mother is very important to me. I am not looking forward to this fall because my 6 year old will start 1st grade at the local public school, which means up early for me 5 days a week. I am NOT a morning person, and neither is my 6 year old. It will be a growing experience for both of us. I look forward to rambling some more later. This is fun!!!