Dontcha just hate it when...

you follow a blog and then the blogger never posts anything for days at a time and you keep checking back and NOPE, nothing again and then finally they post and you're all happy only to remember that it's still up in the air as to whether they will blog again the next day???

Yeah...sorry about that...

dontcha also hate it when...

the toilet clogs and you try to unclog it and then it just gets worse and so you just lock the door and hope your husband will take care of it when he gets home, but then you just get used to using the other bathrooms until you remember that, uh-oh, company is coming...and you probably should address the problem that is now about 3 days into its fermantation in the drain...and then you open the door...'nuf said.

Yeah...I don't like that at all...

How about when:

you've been working on these cute little soccer posters for the girls on your daughters' soccer teams...and you've been digitally photoshopping everything until you're talking in pixelated tones to your children and then after you FINALLY get it all completed and you're ready to upload to print and your littlest one wants a quick cuddle so you scoot over in your chair and bump the main power switch that just happens to be by your foot under the desk and then everything goes black...

yep...that just plain stinks (although NOT as bad as the bathroom, I must admit)

Lastly...I think it's just a plain bummer when:

you work really hard and exercise for 10 weeks straight in order to fit and actually look semi-okay in a bikini for your husband on a trip to a type of paradise island and then you come back and weigh yourself and realize that you've gained 7 pounds in the matter of 4 days and think, "Hmmm, how did that happen?" and then you think, who cares about exercising, I'm all about the chocolate and Pepsi and bread that I can consume and THEN you remember all the outfits that you spent your husband's hard earned money on and think, "MAAAANNNN...I gotta exercise again doggone it!!"

Have a happy weekend!

I am Happy to Report...

The Plane did not crash...

Peanut did not die due to complications of asthma inhaler usage...

There were no accidents (that I witnessed) on the way to and from the airport...

The house did NOT catch on fire...

No tornadoes, hurricanes or other natural disasters interuppted the vacation...

I did not get stung, bitten, swallowed or otherwise dismembered by any oceanic animals...

I DID however, get a nasty burn on my backside due to a pathetic snorkeling attempt on my part (but that story comes in a few more paragraphs...stay tuned)

Basically, all is well...we made it there...we had an INCREDIBLE time...and we came home to the loving arms our 3 little girls who missed us so much that they cried like crazy when Grandma and Papa left begging them to not go and "couldn't you and daddy just go away again for alittle while so they can stay?"...hmmm...

Anyway...our trip was amazing...

I've never been to Grand Cayman, so it was a new experience for me...and with all new experiences comes a level of anticipation and worry...all the regular fears  bombard my mind before we leave...PLUS, I wasn't going to have access to a cell phone or computer for the entire 4 days that I was gone...How would I survive???

I'll tell you how...

keep an open tab at the pool bar as you lay in the sun, slathered in SPF 30, take a dip in the ocean every once in awhile, read about 4 novels, eat as much food as you can possibly cram into a 24 hour period, take long walks and watch the sun set, sit in the hot tub with your spouse, and just soak it all in...

IS's company treated us like royalty during our long weekend getaway to the remote island...it was just a little bit of paradise...

The water was crystal clear...so much so that when the fish swam through, I could see them coming...which gave me plenty of time to jump onto my raft and scream my head off until someone could pull me back to shore..."someone" usually being my darling husband whom I sure was more red in the face due to ME rather than the sun beating down on him....

Which brings me to one of my many "adventure stories" from the trip...

Story #1:  It was a beautiful afternoon, as was every afternoon, on the 7 mile beaches of Grand Cayman...the sun was high in the sky, the water was sparkling and the sand glistened.  Each footprint being swept away with the tide rolling in as we strolled down the beach with our snorkling gear in tow.  We were headed for a reef about 200 yards from the shore.  My husband had his mask, snorkel and fins.  I, on the other hand, brought along a little something extra...I like to call it my body armor...my protection from all things non-human...my HUGE floating device or "raft", if you will.  It made a long lined track in the sand as I dragged it to our point of departure where we finally stopped and I "suited" up...this meaning that I just put on my mask, my snorkel, my fins, my life vest and jumped onto my raft, held out my hand as my husband dragged me the 2 football fields in the water to the "snorkeling location"...

My plan was simple...I wanted to see the fish, but I didn't want to touch, brush up against or be frightened by the fish and therefore, I would just lay on the raft and stick my head in the water.  In this way, my entire body was above water (getting a nice shade of pink...turn fire engine red in a matter of minutes) and I was "safe"...

My husband was at trooper, even as I tried not to hyperventilate while breathing through the tube, and as I squealed anytime something came close...I tried not to squeeze all the blood out of his hand as he fed fish small peanuts and they came mighty close to my head...but, all was going well...he swam, I floated, we saw fish...good times...

UNTIL...

there's always that "but"..."and then"..."unexpectedly"...basically all of the above...

I got cocky...I can float here, no problem...this is a breeze...these fish are "cute", I would point under the water..."look at that one sweetheart, it's blue"...uh huh...what I didn't expect was for those darn fish to JUMP...

Yes...I said JUMP...those stupid things JUMPED ONTO MY RAFT dagnabit...Italian Stallion will testify that a fish did jump onto my raft and started flappin around my legs as I screamed bloody murder and begged with all that was in me, for him to GET IT OFF!!! 

Now, HE will say it was just a little fish...but friends, it was A FISH...I don't care how big or small it was...they belong IN the water, which is why I was ON the raft...

Needless to say, after the "episode", I was finished with my snorkeling adventure and ready to head back to beach...being completely worn out from the excitement, I just allowed my hubby to haul me back in, while I recooperated from the experience. 

I'm not sure if he's going to be willing to take me snorkeling ever again...and I'm thinking it's a safe bet to say that I am in agreement with that decision...next time, I think we may try the underwater sub...or as the snorkeling store guys said when I told them of my fears, "Um, why don't you just go to an aquarium miss?" 

Point taken boys!!

Shout out to my DVR

There was a time in the not so distant past, that it would have been impossible for me to watch 5 hours of television shows in one evening...but thanks to my DVR, it is now not only a possibility, but a reality.

 Now, I have to be honest that I didn't want the DVR at first...I mean, really, I understand the VCR...I "get" the tape thing...I can manage that...but, Italian Stallion said that we needed to get out of the stone ages and into the generation into which our children are heading...(this scares me on so many other levels...but, anyway) 

I was NOT going to spend MORE money on something that we don't use all that much anyway...so we had a deal, that if we could get our bill reduced and the DVR added, we'd get it...

I.S. knows to sic me on those sales people...He's a sales person himself and I suppose he thinks it's better to send someone in with no experience and a mouth that can run a million miles in a minute...

Long story short, I talked soooo long to the wonderful sales lady giving her all our reasons and excuses and what shows we watch and how old my kiddos are and "do you like Noggin?" and blah blah blah...she finally gave up and said, "Miss, let me just get you over to the supervisor and we're just going to take your bill down about $40 and throw in a DVR and then you can have a pleasant evening."

done deal!  woohoo...

And sooo....has anyone caught the LIFE series on Discovery Channel?  In one setting I can watch fish eat hippo poop, birds mating and insects throwing their enemies over a ledge...it's AWESOME!  And then we just fast forward a few more episodes and watch kimodo dragons eat a water buffalo and a venus fly trap throw up a fly...

I think I got a full year of Science education in one setting!!!

Thank you DVR...although we now only have about 7% available space in which to record the girls beloved Electric Company...I still "heart" you!

Let the Worry-Fest begin

Yep...

It's about that time...

We're 3 days away from THIS...

and all the things...the "what ifs" start filling up my head...

It always waits until juuuuuuuuust before we're ready to go...

then BAM!!!  it hits me...

I wish I could say that my reading of the So Long Insecurity book cured me of my insecurities and fears...but alas, that is just not the case...they're still there...and they are coming on with a vengance!

I shouldn't be complaining and whining and fearful...for obvious reasons...DUH...we're going to the Caribbean for heavens sake!!!  But, also...I KNOW I have a God that will:

perfect everything that concerns me (Psm 138:8)
work all things together for my good (rom 8 :28)
contend with those who contend with me (Isaiah 29:25)
fight the battle for me (2 Chr. 20:15)
equip me with divine power (2 Cor 10:4)
delights to show me mercy (Micah 7:18) PRAISE JESUS!
meets all my needs (Phil 4:19)
gives me grace that is sufficient (2 Cor 12:9)
be my power in weakness (same)
do immeasurably more than lal I could ask or imagine (Eph 3:20)

I can make a zillion excuses...like, it's perfectly normal for a mommy of 3 to have these worries...it's fine to write panic what if I die letters...NO CRAZY! 

Will you do me a favor?  The one (of many) things that I don't understand is prayer...I don't get how it works or exactly how to pray...there are lots of reasons behind my understand in this area, but the fact of the matter is just because I don't understand, doesn't mean that it doesn't work...therefore, although I know that I'm asking for prayer about something that I should be giddy, excited about...could you just pray the stuff that I don't really want to say outloud, for me and my fam? 

You are wonderful friends...and I thank you!

I needed some Blog Material

I've been hitting the blog wall, so to speak...running on empty when it comes to ideas...

Because, really, I've already told you about my bumb leg:

We've discussed the beginnings of the soccer season and the emotions it stirs up:

I've boasted the cuteness of my last born, that will surely come back and bite me when she's 16 if I continue down this road of "you'resocutegiveyouwhateveryouwant" mode:

The fashion run down has been linked and I've expressed my inner excitement and desire to get packing...seeing as we leave in just 7 short days!

So, what else is there?  Sweetpea missed school yesterday due to either a cold or the heavy amounts of pollen in the air...either way, she's miserable and the hacking is about ready to put daddy over the edge.  Bless his heart, he stayed home from work yesterday to hang out with her because I PROMISED Peanut and Little Munch that we'd be heading to COSI to check out the grossology exhibit...cuz, you know my girlie girls are all about toots, burps, poop and boogers!!!  yippee...

So, I ask again...WHAT ELSE IS THERE to tell you? 

Oh, I am soooo glad I asked because I DO have some "stuff" to show you...it's my other "baby"...my garden...check it out...

remember awhile back when we planted?

Yeah, well, look what happened...

onions

garlic

aspargus

sugar daddy peas just sproutin'

and my favorite:  lettuce...romaine...spinach...yummmmm

our strawberries kinda exploded..not sure what we're gonna do with all of them yet

Spring has sprung friends...summer is just around the corner!!!

Tutie monster

"Today me'n goed to soool. Mommy 'en made tuties and me'n made tuties. I lite matin' tuties. Mommy'em let me lit duh tuties an eat duh tuties. We dave duh tuties to sissers at soool." ~Little Munchkin

It's just me and Little Munch these days. I know I probably blog quite a bit about her, but that's because she basically makes up my day...once the other two are off to school...it's just me and her.

We made cookies today...I let her lick the batter...then she wanted to give the cookies to her sisters, who were at school...so off we went. She was quite proud of herself and I have found that after have 3 children, I AM much more lenient when it comes to the third...wanna go to the school in the middle of the day and interrupt the school day for your sisters??? ABSOLUTELY, why not? What else do we have to do?

I'm not sure if you can decipher what I quoted from her, but it was cuteness all the same.

What's a Baby to do?

It must be tough being the baby of the family at times...

Not that I would know, seeing as I did everything first in my family...

But, I.S. tells me it was awful...oh the things he endured having to be the last born...

the lack of parenting due to just apathy and general weariness and therefore I get away with anything, the water bed, the car, the prettymuchanythingiwantbecauseiamsocute...

yes well...let's just say that I clearly have some issues...

But, I have to face facts...we have a "baby" in our family too...and bless her little heart...she's too young yet to do anything that big sisters do...and my heart goes out to her...and to watch her "Try" to be like them is just too cute to ignore...

Just melts your heart doesn't it? 

We'll just have to get her a car or a waterbed I suppose...or whateverherlittleheartdesires???