The McCool Gang

Trifecta...

2012-01-13T11:22:00.002-06:00

it did not even cross my mind that today was Friday the 13th, and you would think as superstitious as i am that this would bother me, but today was a good day. earlier in the week i received an email from P-Donculous' teacher saying he was going to be receiving an award for the 2nd 9 weeks of school. of course he had no clue, but they try and make it a surprise, and i think it keeps the kids from bragging all week in front of the other kids. anyway, this morning we tried our hardest to get everyone ready to be out of the house by 7:45am (almost impossible). i dropped the boys off in car pool line like we normally do, and then i pulled around to the front of the school to park and go inside to position a good seat in the cafetorium. P-Donculous getting an award isn't really a surprise; he's definitely a people pleaser, and most of the awards in kindergarten are all about people pleasing (good manners award for example). but as we sat there for what seemed forever in the overly heated room (i only noticed because i think i forgot deodorant in my rush to get ready this morning), we were quite shocked when his name was called not once, not twice, but 3 times! the first award i was expecting, it was from the Spanish teacher for his achievement in their Spanish class (surprising in itself, because no one in our house speaks a lick of any kind of other language). the second award came from his teacher, it's called the Folsom Friendly* and i think it's given to one student from each class that shows a great attitude towards other classmates and other teachers (but i'm just guessing, i really have no idea what it's for). the third award came as a complete shock. the vice-principal gives an award that she calls the STRIVE award (a really long acronym for being awesome) and only one student in each grade level gets it, so, when she called out for P-Donculous, my jaw dropped and a little tear formed in my eye (okay so maybe it was like 5 tears, but i wiped them away before anyone saw). after hearing all the kids, teachers, and other parents cheering for him as he walked up onto the stage, i knew why he received that award...everyone knows who he is...future politician anyone? i'm so proud of my little P-Donculous...

*this is the second time he's gotten the Folsom Friendly

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

2011-12-29T11:04:00.001-06:00

what a whirlwind, but then again isn't every holiday a whirlwind? we opted this year not to do anything at all for Christmas. and by anything, i mean we didn't do anything, no travel, no family, no parties, nothing. it was kind of nice not packing up the truck with a butt load of gifts and driving 24 hours round trip, or getting all dressed up for 5 minutes of an eating frenzy. i think the kids enjoyed themselves, but who wouldn't with a 5 foot high pile of new toys!

we decided to take the kids to see Santa a little differently this year. about 30 miles away there is an actual vintage train that takes the kids on a 30 minute ride with a surprise guest...yep, Santa. i think P-Donculous was the only one truly excited about the whole thing. he was all giggles and grins when he saw the man in the red suit. (i guess i should have uploaded the picture they actually took with Santa, maybe later...)

now, on to the big day...let me just say, do you know how upsetting it is to find out that your camera battery is dead on Christmas eve? and then to remember that your battery charger was in the bag that was stolen when you were on vacation last month? momma was one sad panda with no camera on Christmas. so, the only pictures we have are from my phone (very disappointed). anyway, the kids were very good about not waking us up until 8am! you can see from the picture that we like to position ourselves just perfectly before opening any gifts. once the green light was given, it only took about 10 minutes before the pretty picture was turned into a mountain of boxes, paper, and ribbon. Santa was very good to us this year and we have a lot to be thankful for, other than the ungodly amount of toys he brought. i think my favorite gift was the replacement family photo (don't get me wrong, i really enjoyed the new fancy crock pot and North Face jacket too)...

Merry Christmas Y'all!

hating on the elf...

2011-12-15T16:47:00.000-06:00

i normally won't post about silly little things, but for some reason this really bothered me. it seems there is a little backlash towards the Elf on the Shelf. i've been seeing quite a bit of re-posts of a certain person's blog (that i'm not even going to bother re-posting). apparently there are those out there that are offended by the antics of some little elves. how can you be offended that some people just like to put the extra effort in to having fun with their kids during the holidays? as you can tell, i'm on the side of the "over achieving elf on the shelf mommies". our elf, Rex, likes to get into trouble. he may not be mischievous everyday, but he does know how to have a good time. the kids really get a kick out of getting up every morning to see what he's been up to the night before. i feel sorry for the kids whose parents aren't really into it. if they don't enjoy the antics of the elf, then why did the elf come visit their house in the first place?

how can you not find the humor and fun in something so simple? even if your elf rummages through your underwear drawer and replaces your stockings with the family skivvies....get over it people and quit being so crabby, it is the holidays after all...

Rex has returned...

2011-11-28T17:53:00.001-06:00

i'm pretty sure everyone and their second cousin has heard of the Elf on the Shelf. well, ours is named Rex, and he returns in some magical fashion every year after Thanksgiving (rules of returning in our house are whenever the tree goes up in the house). Rex is quite the little pesky elf. he manages to get himself in little bits of trouble every night. when he showed up on the doorstep the other day (yes, in the middle of the day...and he even rang the doorbell) i was not quite prepared for the next few weeks of cleaning up after his silly antics. the first night he got into the bag of Oreos and made a terrible mess, crumbs everywhere. last night he strung a zip line back and forth from the kitchen cabinets and left candy canes all over the house. we're hoping that the kids see this as the not so favorable behavior and act in the complete opposite fashion...

12 years ago...

2011-11-28T17:00:00.001-06:00

12 years ago i said, "I DO", and sealed it with a kiss...and in that 12 years we've moved 7 times, bought 4 houses (and thankfully have sold 3 of them), and had 3 kids. it's been a pretty busy 12 years. after having such a great time on vacation this past summer, we decided to start planning our "anniversary trip" way in advance. so, some time in June or July we decided that we should return to the city where it all started. back in May of 1999, just a few weeks after graduating from college, i went on a little vacation with my family out to San Francisco, California. one afternoon my mom insisted on stopping for lunch at this cute little place on the wharf. i was extremely reluctant on going in (seeing as i was an extremely broke college graduate) but with a persistent Mom, Nana, and younger sister, i shuffled my way in and proceeded to sit and pout in the booth. probably about 10 minutes late a "waiter" arrived with a tray of waters, cocktails, and sparkly diamond ring! that handsome waiter just happened to be my then very sneaky boyfriend (who flew all the way out there without me knowing it!). lodi dodi...a few months later we got hitched and here we are.

back to the point of the story...we decided to go back to San Francisco for our 12th anniversary. IT WAS FABULOUS! this time around it was so much more enjoyable. probably because we could actually afford to buy the wine we tasted in Napa. since we took this trip alone, we thought it only fair to bring along our Flat Boys to see the sights. i must say the "boys" had a great time visiting Napa, Muir Woods, Golden Gate, and riding the trolley cars. just let me say that taking a vacation with Flat Kids is so much cheaper and it's okay to leave them in your purse when you feel like having dinner alone.

back up, back up...i almost forgot...the trip was not 100% fabulous. on the day we went to the Cliff House we had a little bit of a traveler's heartache. when we finished up a most delicious lunch, we walked back to the car to find the back window smashed in and my brand new camera bag snatched right out! luckily for us, i had the camera around my neck and my driver's license was in The Husband's pocket. it was easy enough to cancel all the credit cards, but i still lost my big lens, wallet, and cute camera bag. thieves are just plain stupid, that's all i have to say.

anyway, we made it home just fine and here's a couple shots from out trip...

ghouls and goblins...

2011-10-31T22:39:00.000-05:00

well, there may have been only one ghoul this year, but once again my kids have managed to pick out the strangest costumes. okay, so maybe the ninja wasn't all that strange, but the UPS man, really?! what 3 year old says he wants to be the UPS man? that would be my 3 year old.

this is the first year that i let C pick out whatever costume he wanted, and i was extremely happy he decided against the scary creepy clown (they seriously freak me out - see Coulrophobia). i will say that the oozing blood was kind of cool.

i do love Halloween, but it also reminds me that it's the beginning of weight gain season. you know, that time between Halloween and New Year's Day. it starts with bags upon bags of candy, throw in some fried turkey, a couple pies, and finish off with more bite size chocolates all washed down with exorbitant amounts of alcohol. it's a fatty patty paradise...

World Series...

2011-10-24T19:25:00.000-05:00

there's no question that The Husband is a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan, so baseball season this year has been quite interesting to follow. when the Cards made it to the World Series, he was on the prowl for scoring tickets to a game. well, leave it to my husband to not only make it to one game of the series, but 3, yes 3! he was on a work trip in Arkansas last week, where he then proceeded to rent a car and drive to St. Louis. he met his brother and picked up his Grandma (serious Cardinals fan) and went to game 1. he stayed around for game 2, where he managed to get himself noticed on the t.v., and then came home.

well, today is game 5, and sure enough he drove the older boys down to Arlington to "try" and get tickets. and would you believe he just called to tell me that he got tickets?! and by got tickets, i mean he scored FREE tickets. how in the hell he managed that i don't even know, but apparently a very wealthy man found my husband and 2 boys quite charming in their Cardinals gear...

because i'm not going to show you my panties...

2011-09-21T19:27:00.000-05:00

yes, you read that correctly. my friend, Angie Pangie, posted yesterday about looking into your panty drawer. you know, to see what's getting used and what's collecting dust. it's really about what she calls a MEME. what's a MEME you ask? well, i didn't know either, so, i'll let her explain:
The dumbed-down definition as it applies to blogs: Publishing a post with a central idea that is common among any blogger who chooses to participate. See: Wordless Wednesday, 100 Words, Haiku Friday, NABLOPOMO, etc. Most of these Memes have been long forgotten, but there are some old schoolers who still participate. (via ~ awholelotofnothing)

well, i was a little bored today, but not bored enough to clean up my little drawer of skivvies. and by little, i mean it's the smallest drawer i have (other than the one that keeps my toothpaste and tweezers). honestly my underwear drawer is nothing exciting and there's actually a pair of boxer shorts in there that aren't even mine.

so, my lucky readers (all 19 of you), you get a chance to see into my closet, but just one little corner on the bottom shelf. at first i didn't think it was that big of a deal, but when i sat down and looked at what i had photographed, i was a little embarrassed. yes, i admit it...i have a shoe problem.

1. yeah, that's right, there are 16 pairs of flip flops (and that doesn't count the couple pairs i have stashed in the garage for emergencies)

2. the second shelf hold 6 pairs of random shoes that get worn maybe once or twice a year

3. 4 pairs of running shoes (and yes, all 4 of them get used on a regular basis)

4. those boxes are not empty...they are what i like to call my fancy shoes that also only get worn once a year

5. they may be hiding, but in the corner there are 2 pairs of slippers

6. not pictured are the 13 other pairs of shoes i keep in the other closet (yes, i have 2 closets with shoes) i share with The Husband

so, if you were keeping track...that is 44 pairs of shoes (but not including the shoes in the garage or snow boots in the attic). i have a serious problem!

what's in your closet?

best picture EVER...

2011-09-11T12:40:00.001-05:00

i may not know how to properly use my camera, or even get the fullest potential out of my camera, but sometimes it helps to be in the right spot at the right time. yesterday at our first flag football game this perfect moment happened without me even knowing it until after i got home and uploaded the pictures. P-Donculous definitely exudes the team spirit...

yes, that's him, front and center! couldn't be more proud of him. he scored a touchdown and grabbed 3 flags (the equivalent of making 3 good tackles). Longhorns win 29-12

and we can't forget to mention the rest of the day, because our Saturday wouldn't be complete if we just had one game to attend. we started the morning off with our first soccer game of the season (which we won 7-5) and while we were watching P-Donculous play football, C was off playing 2 back-to-back soccer games of his own. 4 games in one day, and that's only with 2 of the 3 kids playing sports...

it's a Cake & Ice Cream kind of day...

2011-09-08T08:11:00.001-05:00

i can't believe that on this day 6 years ago i was on my way to the hospital getting ready to meet a very important man in my life. and i say man, because even from the time P-Donculous was born, he looked like an old man. he's the one child of mine that looks "different" than the rest. not different in bad way, but he's the only one that doesn't look like me, nor does he look like his dad....so, he's always been "the old man". i've known from the start that he was going to be my difficult one, but i've also learned that his being difficult is his way of coping for being the somewhat shorter middle child.

i'm extremely proud of P-Donculous. this has been a great year for him, football, soccer, starting Kindergarten, and even learning to ride a bike (now if i can only get him to tie his shoes). i'm very excited to see what life has in store for him.....

Happy Birthday Dude!

back to school (part deux)...

2011-09-07T08:22:00.000-05:00

not sure why, but the preschool starts an entire 2 weeks after everyone else goes back to school. poor NoNo has to sit around with me for 2 weeks all by himself (which i secretly think he enjoys). yesterday was finally the day, and everyone was super excited. ok, so maybe i was a little more excited than everyone else, but we'll just say that the feelings were mutual.

surprisingly, NoNo was a little hesitant about going into the classroom, but once he saw the play dough it was sayonara mom and dad!

you would think my day would have been full of relaxation, pedicures, and sipping coffee, but NO, it was a busy day full of errands...tree shopping, car inspection, oil change, grocery shopping, quick bite to eat, and then the day was over and i was back in the car pool line...

are you ready for some football...

2011-08-27T14:21:00.000-05:00

it may have been over 100 degrees, but today was opening day for little league flag football.
Go Longhorns!!

back to school...

2011-08-22T13:44:00.000-05:00

yes folks, it's that time of year again. early mornings and car pool lines, can only mean one thing...the 1st DAY OF SCHOOL!! everyone was up and ready to go this morning, which is always fun, but sadly the excitement doesn't quite last the entire school year. we'll be lucky if we make it into September before the complaining starts.

i was totally expecting to have a minor meltdown when taking P-Donculous into his Kindergarten class, but surprisingly things went smoothly and he was shooing us out the door. of course C was a little more embarrassed that we actually walked him into class. how dare we blow kisses to our 4th grader.

it's funny how much we want them to grow up, but then when we see how fast they are growing up we want them to stop. i can't believe how small they both were when they started school. and to think in another 8 years we'll be saying hello to a high school senior!

Beach Week...

2011-08-15T23:23:00.000-05:00

every August we pack up the truck full of useless things (like clean clothes and shoes) and make the 12 hour drive to the beach. for us, the beach is "home". it's where we grew up and it's where the grandparents still reside, so it makes deciding on where to vacation pretty darn easy. this year we ~~tricked~~ persuaded some friends to come along with us. and wouldn't you know it, The Husband just happened to have a business trip planned at the same exact time (this has happened a couple of times now). what this means for me, i'm stuck driving all 3 kids down to Florida by myself while he gets to fly in alone. not that i'm bitter or anything...anyway, we had a great time. we spent the entire week on the beach, even when it rained and rained and rained. you would think we've learned our lesson about going to the beach in August (it rains every year we go), but the discounted rates for rentals keeps us coming back again and again.

i'm not going to post much more. i was lucky enough to come home to a sickness that has left me feeling like i've been trampled by a week's worth of sandy feet. i've been in bed for the 2 days we've been home. coming home from a vacation with a terrible cold is like a slap in the face. it's just plain wrong. enough whining, it's time for the pictures...

i think i'm going to melt...

2011-08-02T16:33:00.001-05:00

no joke...it hasn't rained in over 2 months and the temperatures have barely made it below 99 degrees all summer. our yard would literally catch fire is someone tossed a cigarette out their car window. using the sprinklers doesn't help much either, because the water evaporates the second it shoots out of the sprinkler. yesterday this is what the temperature was registering in the car...

the heat has been miserable

in spite of the heat, the boys took a short ALL BOYS trip to St. Louis last weekend. and by all boys, i mean, Momma stayed home all weekend by herself! that's right, i had the house to myself for 3 whole gloriously quiet days! i had my nails done, my hair cut, went shopping, went running, cleaned the house, and enjoyed the quiet. if anyone ever gets the chance for this "Mommy Vacation", TAKE IT and RUN!

now, the boys on the other hand, had a blast in St. Louis. they met up with Papa Cool, Uncle Mikey, Uncle "Fregg", cousin Ian, and Gramma Mac. they all went to a Cardinals game, ate dinner at The Millennium Hotel, rode tractors, visited St. Louis University, waited in line for hours at the Gateway Arch, took a helicopter ride, and the best part of all....they flew in an airplane (the kids have been dying to fly somewhere)! it was a crazy fast fun weekend, but i'm pretty sure everyone enjoyed themselves...

and if you're so inclined...just a short video of the actual helicopter ride (seriously think the entire ride was only 5 minutes). this is something only The Husband would do, because MommaCakes would have poo poo'd that idea in a second!

soccer...

2011-07-26T10:09:00.001-05:00

i've been neglecting again...my oldest has been playing soccer for almost 6 years now, and you would think i would have tons of pictures of him playing. this is not the case. i'm the kind of mom that gets way too excited and runs up and down the field screaming like a banshee. it's kind of hard to carry around a camera while bouncing up and down. not to mention the amount of sweat produced while sitting outside for hours on end in 105 degree heat. this past weekend we traveled down to Round Rock, TX for a 3v3 tournament and those boys played their little hearts out. yes, the first day was a complete beating. we lost 3 of the 4 games on Saturday, which put us in the bottom of the rankings when it came to seeding for the next day of games. we were pretty much in last place starting Sunday morning, but the boys pulled it out and won the first game! winning that first game put us in the wildcard position which allowed us to keep playing. we then went on to win the next 2 games putting us in the finals. we ended up playing the top seeded team at the tournament, so, it was us, the underdogs, and the best team in south Texas...aaaand....we lost. but really, we were very happy with our 2nd place trophy. 2nd place! in the entire state of Texas? not too shabby boys, not too shabby...

(one of the only pictures i managed to get from 1 of the 8 games we played!)

under construction...

2011-07-19T13:12:00.000-05:00

the title pretty much says it all. this week marks the half way point for the year. up until now it's been a pretty crappy year. from some of the worst weather we've seen in years to illness and loss, we've seen enough yuck to last for the rest of the year. i already started making amends with myself by starting my own body challenge, but that is not going as wonderful as i had pictured in my head. okay, so what if it's only been 2 weeks, but i should totally look like a supermodel by now, right?! who am i kidding? when did dieting and exercise grant you the wish of growing 5 inches taller? anyway, like i said before...life is under construction...

Happy Birthday Little Sister...

2011-07-14T10:19:00.001-05:00

today is the celebration of the 32nd anniversary of the year my little sister jumped out of mom's lady parts. i'm so excited to say that i have a sister (although those years between 1989-1992 were a little sketchy). i feel a little guilty that for years everyone thought she was the older one (even though i have her by 3 1/2 years). but now, she is definitely holding up better as the "younger" one. i'm so proud that i have such a loving and courageous person to call my family. last year this is how we celebrated her birthday:

it was a crazy sweaty night of sushi (her very first), drinks, and dancing. we had a blast, and figured out how to get free drinks...wear a birthday hat! but this year, things are a little different, because this is how my sister is spending her 32nd birthday:

my nephew has been in and out of the hospital all summer. after having reconstructive surgery last month, he was rushed back to the hospital last weekend due to some unexplained infection*. my poor sister and her family have been dealing with incompetent hospital staff, lack of sleep, lack of decent food, and definitely a lack of strong alcoholic drinks. i'm really hoping that someone in that hospital serves an acceptable birthday cake for my sister, because she more than deserves it.

i wish more than anything i could just give my sister a hug for her birthday (don't worry i actually did get her a gift, and it was the bomb diggity if i say so myself). i miss being able to hang with her and laugh and joke about the silly things in life. i wish that she didn't have to struggle with inserting tubes and dealing with bodily functions that would make most people faint. but for whatever reason, she was chosen to have the most wonderful little boy anyone could ask for. i'm so proud of her and i love her even more because of it. she's my sister damn it and i'll punch you in the stomach if you hurt her! it's too bad i can't just punch someone right now so that she could just go home on her birthday and enjoy her day without medical staff around.

so, cheers little sister. i raise my spiked morning coffee to you in hopes that you'll be joining me very soon in a well deserved birthday cocktail...

*you can read all about my nephew's story right here

summer is full of challenges...

2011-07-10T14:06:00.005-05:00

*Update: just finished the first 3 days, which consisted of pretty much drinking shakes all day and eating fruit and vegetables. i'm pretty much starving at this point, but guess what? i lost 4.5 pounds!!

it's almost the middle of July now and i haven't been doing much. and by doing much i mean exercising and eating right. i'm lucky that my skin has become a very nice shade of golden honey, because that's the only thing hiding the bumps and bulges of my laziness. after taking pretty much the entire summer off of taking care of myself (and the fact that we're heading to the beach in a month) i decided it was time to do something. my best friend has been involved with this stuff that is suppose to give you a little boost in the department of healthy bodies. last week i finally ordered it....

you can read all about it on the BeachBody web site. i decided to do it because i eat like crap. i'm a food junkie. i'll eat anything and everything. so, now i'm about to do something that is against my being, and that is to post before and after photos. i'll admit, i'm not a big person, but i'm tired of being asked how pregnant i am. really people?! after 3 kids my body is DESTROYED! i'm putting these pictures up for accountability. if i see myself on the interwebs maybe i'll be more inclined to stick with this for the next 30 days. i think if i can get past the first 3 days (a Shakeology Cleanse), then i'll be okay. i even started back to the running, yes, even in this heat the devil brought.

here goes nothing...

(i'm sucking in, so imagine how much bigger that thing can really get...)

*if you're interested in the whole Shakeology thing, get in touch with my friend JHD

the Challenge, Days 26-30...

2011-07-03T09:54:00.001-05:00

almost done!!!

as you can imagine this one was way too much fun to shoot. after spending all afternoon washing the car, C asked for a little refresher. thanks to The Husband for being the little prankster that he is, i just happened to get this close-up shot...

yes yes, this picture is very much out of order. i saved this one from our trip to Boston...

yep, that's me, the crazy lady pulled over on the side of the road stomping around in a field taking pictures of giant weeds....

not what you thought for a "black & white" challenge? me either, but when we drove by this place, it screamed "take a picture of me", so i did...

Ta-Da!! the last picture of the month. i think it was very appropriate that the first and last picture were the same "challenge". i think it's obvious that my comfortability in front of the camera changed quite a bit during the month. my first self-portrait took almost a hour to take and edit, but this last one...5 minutes. i've really enjoyed taking shots of things other than the kids for a change, and i think i even got a few "framers" along the way. the month flew by and it most certainly kept me occupied and my mind off other things, but now that the month is over, it's got me thinking, now what.....

the Challenge, Days 21-25...

2011-07-02T23:49:00.001-05:00

i'm more than happy to pose for a faceless portrait, but then again, is my butt that much better to look at? at least it's not in a bathing suit...anyway, when we left Boston we didn't think we had enough lobster to eat while we were there, so, we picked up a couple live ones in the airport. yes, live lobsters are in that box boarding the plane with me...

probably one of my most absolute favorite pictures of all time...

yes, this one is a little out of order, but i took it by accident and it was perfect for day 23. we were riding those spaceships in the world of tomorrow at Magic Kingdom, and they actually go slow enough you can take pretty decent shots...

i laugh every time i see this. we live in a small town, and no, these aren't exactly in my back yard, but they're close enough that i can take a picture without getting run over. funny enough, when i took the picture that crazy buffalo charged me and i ran back to the truck real quick like...

to be perfectly honest, this one was a bit of a personal challenge. i didn't think anything of it until i sat back and had to think about something pink in my house. the last few months were a bit of a blur and i'm still a little bitter about the whole thing, so, this silly flamingo in the yard will have to do...

vacation (enough to need a vacation from your vacation)...

2011-06-29T09:27:00.000-05:00

sneak preview

later i'll have a little more time to actually sit down and post about the entire vacation, but for now, it's back to catching up on sleep and laundry...

the Challenge, Days 15-20...

2011-06-27T12:49:00.000-05:00

lookie there, two days in a row full of pictures! still trying to catch up on my challenge photos, so here goes the next few days:

this isn't exactly what a silhouette photo is suppose to look like, but i was on vacation people! it's not like i was spending all my time researching and practicing my backlighting skills. but you have to admit, this is a pretty cool shot...

once again, a technique i have no clue about. long exposure requires knowing how to actually use your camera and all it's possible settings. this shot just happened by chance, but it kind of looks right. anyway, at Disney, this is the one ride i will not ever ride, but the boys and GaGa sure did enjoy it...

at our house (or the beach) technology is every where! the kids have a slew of gaming equipment and we have more than enough iPods to keep multiple families entertained, but remember, we were on vacation, so you would think that finding that perfect technology shot would be a little more difficult, but at any given moment The Husband is on the phone or on the computer, because who doesn't work while on vacation...

shoes?! really?! if you haven't been to our house, then let me clue you in on something...we own more shoes than Imelda Marcos. our family has a problem, we like shoes (especially flip flops). so, this is probably one of my favorite shots that i've taken so far...

okay, this one has a fun story behind it. The Husband and I went to Boston (he had to work, i went for the food) for a few days while the kids stayed on "vacation". the first day we were there, after whale watching, many crab cakes, a big bowl of lobster bisque, and a couple beers, we made our way through the streets of Boston. i wasn't even planning on taking pictures, but this day just happened to be "something orange day", and this is what we came across. normally this giant boat on wheels is a tour bus that goes around the city full of tourists, but not that night. we just happened to walk up on a film crew in the middle of filming scenes for Ted (coming out in 2012)! you know we had to Google that as soon as one of the set crew told us what they were doing. it was actually kind of boring to watch, but still pretty cool...

once again, another darn technique i have no clue about! bokeh (pronounce it however you like) is the blurry little lights in the background of a picture. again, another trick you have to do with your camera, but easier to figure out than some of the other ones i've had to do. it is a shot that takes some planning, because for me i don't normally have little twinkly lights just put up around the house on a regular basis...

the Challenge, Days 9-14...

2011-06-26T12:57:00.000-05:00

whoa! i bet you thought i had given up...well, i thought about it many times, because it's was very difficult to keep up with this every day while away from the house for more than 2 weeks! trust me, my poor memory card is maxed out. when we finally got home i had to start sifting through the hundreds of pictures to find my "challenge" shots. because i like to provide a little story behind each shot, i'm going to break up the posts (since there are 18 to catch up on). let's get started...

this one is obvious...someone you love, my boys of course. and since were going to be in the car for hours on end, why not make a pit stop at our Alma Mater. we're raising them right...

okay, at first glance this may seem strange (especially since i can't remember the last time i stepped foot in a church) but since we were in New Orleans i made a quick stop by the Saint Louis Cathedral. this view is what i remember as a kid. i spent many a sunday morning with my mom and sister in wooden pews just like this one. i remember my sister singing at the top of her lungs (even though she didn't even know the words), i remember thinking the whole "stand up-sit down-stand up-kneel down" part of a catholic service to be a little like going to a football game and cheering for your team, and i remember waiting patiently to get a little bite of wafer and a sip of wine (that always happened right on time at 9:45). so, that's my childhood memory...

you would think in a house full of boys that finding something blue would be extremely easy, but i didn't want easy, and we weren't really at home....so, why not challenge myself and find something blue that didn't belong to me? being on vacation kind of helped in this situation. i'm pretty sure this was from the next leg of our vacation, Hollywood Studios in Orlando. if you've never been, it's pretty much like a giant movie set. you can walk around (what seems like miles and miles) the different areas of the park and it appears that you're in a different city. so, this cute little blue door, which looks like it's down a Chicago street, is actually a false set in an amusement park. pretty cool...

ahhh...pretty much perfect. this picture was not doctored in any way. those colors are real, and i would've missed it if it weren't for NoNo saying during dinner, "why is it onge and pwerple outside?"

okay, this challenge was definitely a challenge. 13 things? i was in a park with thousands of people and thousands of things, so, finding only 13 was hard work. every time that i thought i had 13 things positioned just right, some stranger would come by and move one or put an extra one in the shot...arrgh! so, by the end of the day we finally made it to the Tower of Terror. guess what? it has 13 floors of sheer terror and free-falling excitement (which P-donculous rode 3 times in a row)...

this one seemed fairly easy. everyone in my family (except myself) has beautiful blue eyes, but when asked to smile for the camera, this is what i get...

the Challenge, Day 8...

2011-06-08T22:51:00.000-05:00

oh, the list could go on for days...today's challenge...A Bad Habit. yes, we all have them (some more than others). most of my habits are even too embarrassing to take a picture of, but today, well, today is Wednesday, and today is Chick-fil-A day. yes, every Wednesday i have the most tastiest of fries and the most delectable sweet tea in all of the lands. honestly, i could eat just those fries and be one very happy Momma. okay, so every once in a while i actually eat a sandwich or a salad, but they really just get in the way of the fries. i have a serious problem...

the Challenge, Day 7...

2011-06-07T21:19:00.000-05:00

the theme for today...FRUIT?! seems pretty vague, and when i looked at what everyone else had posted for their "fruit photo"...let's just say there's a pretty heavy weighted scale when it comes to who is participating in this challenge. on one side you have extremely amateur photographers (kind of like what your grandma would take) and then the heavy side, professional photographers (most of their pictures are very staged and very edited). so, i like to think for me that i fall somewhere in the middle; trying to balance in the middle of a heavy weighted scale.

anyway...back to the fruit...considering we're going out of town in a couple days our house is pretty barren when it comes to groceries. luckily i found half a watermelon in the fridge, and the kids were more than willing to help me get rid of it....

*if you're interested in seeing the hundreds of other participants and what they have done, click here Flickr 30 Day Challenge Group

the Challenge, Day 6...

2011-06-06T20:59:00.000-05:00

ooh...look at me being all creative and photographing stuff other than people. i will say that this challenge was a little easier than yesterday's. shooting from a low angle is easy for someone who's already low to the ground (get it, cause i'm a shorty)...

the Challenge, Day 5...

2011-06-05T22:00:00.000-05:00

ugh...now is when my inability to use my camera properly becomes very obvious. the challenge today...shooting from a high angle. what?! well, this is what you get, standing on ladder at the barber shop while the Dude gets a cut...

The Challenge, Day 4...

2011-06-05T11:25:00.000-05:00

you would think this day would have been easy. i love the color green! but taking a picture of the usual green things was kind of boring. i would have loved a picture of my newly budding key limes, but two little devils decided to pluck all the dang limes off the tree!! so, instead i opted to find something else. after a very long and hot day of soccer games, we took the kids for the best sno cones ever. our friend JD* proudly showed off the results of his sno cone...

*yes, i got permission from his Momma to post his face all over the interwebs

the Challenge, Day 3...

2011-06-03T18:52:00.001-05:00

seriously?! and i thought the self-portrait was tough. i racked my brain all day trying to think of a clever way to capture clouds. if you don't know, it's summertime in Texas, which means no clouds. unless it's raining, there's nothing but hot blue skies for days. after spending all morning trying to be creative, this is what i came up with:

yeah, this is me trying to be artsy fartsy. i floated some cut-out paper clouds in the pool (which if finally clean by the way). i wasn't completely happy, so, i spent the rest of the day sitting by the pool until i decided to heck with it! my picture is going to be like it is...Texas style summer clouds (or lack there of)...

the Challenge, Day 2...

2011-06-02T13:52:00.000-05:00

oh how proud i am of myself!! day 2, and i'm sticking to it (definitely deserves an ice cold beer). today's "theme" was what you wore today. well, it's no surprise to those who know me, but i'm pretty much in sweaty gym clothes every single day. you would think with the amount of dri-fit and ~~multiple pairs of~~ running shoes in my closet that i would be a whole lot skinnier, but somehow i manage to completely counteract any sweating i do by the amount of food that goes in my mouth. and to the surprise of most people, even if i spend hours at the gym, it may take me ALL day (i'm seriously that lazy) before i ever hop in the shower...

the Challenge, Day 1...

2011-06-02T00:12:00.001-05:00

i'm totally off the chain crazy. i thought this challenge would be a lot easier than this. i guess it wouldn't be called a "challenge" if there was not some effort involved. i'm going to be honest, i almost gave up, and it's only the first day. seriously?! a self-portrait on the first day?! it took me almost an hour to take a picture of myself. and that was after spending all day thinking about it. i can take a picture of anyone or anything all day long, but when asked to take a picture of myself...well, that's just down right silly. i felt like such a fool taking a picture of myself with myself by myself. and then i stayed up all night (granted it took me a few glasses of wine, a Plum Collins, and a beer to get started) trying to make the picture look decent. i'm way too hard on myself. i finally narrowed it down to the two least horrendous looking and shot them on to Instagram for a vote. this was the hands down winner (and by hands down, i mean only one person voted - Yay Me...next time i won't post things on the internet at midnight)...

project found...

2011-05-31T21:52:00.000-05:00

I knew that I needed a distraction, and I think I've found one. I stumbled upon the newest craze...a 30 Day Photo Challenge. kind of like my 52 Week Project, but this is a little more challenging. I'm following the rules of White Peach Photo, which looks a little something like this:

30 Day Challenge
Day 1 - self-portrait
Day 2 - what you wore today
Day 3 - clouds
Day 4 - something green
.
.
.
Day 28 - flowers
Day 29 - black and white
Day 30 - self-portrait

the challenge...i can't just take random pictures of the boys and call it a day. it's kind of like a scavenger hunt that lasts all month. oh, it starts tomorrow...

next stop, Kindergarten...

2011-05-19T21:05:00.000-05:00

yesterday was a very joyous occasion in our house. i'm really not sure who was more excited, me or P-Donculous. the minute he woke up he was running around the house in his underwear singing "graduation day, graduation day...i can't believe it's graduation day!" i'm thrilled that this means school is out for summer (well, at least for the little dudes anyway) and that in a few short months school will start back again, but this time P-Donculous will be off to Kindergarten. although, P is going to be a little disappointed when he finds out that Kindergarten doesn't start for another 14 weeks! he was pretty dead set on getting on the bus next week and heading off to school. i'm not saying i don't love having my kids around all day everyday, but summer break is loooong enough. in August, i'll be happy to have TWO kids getting on the bus whisking them away.

back to Graduation Day...The Husband was sure that i was going to be a sobbing mess, but i'm pretty sure i've shed enough tears in the last month to last me a while. i was actually very happy to see P-Donculous walk across that stage (announcing that he was going to be joining the Army when he grows up) take his little diploma, hug his teacher, and skip off the stage like the goof that he is...

that's refreshing...

2011-05-15T13:26:00.001-05:00

when i finally downloaded some pictures off the camera, i realized i hadn't taken any pictures in almost a month. i really have been neglecting my life. then i came across this gem that made me smile and thank the stars.

i'm glad that the boys have kept me busy with sports, but now it's time for relaxation and fun. school gets out in a few weeks and i am beyond excited for summer this year. i've already gotten a taste of the good life...had my first sunburn and secretly liked it. yeah, yeah, next time i'll remember the sunscreen, but the pain and itchy skin reminds me of summer vacations. WooHoo! bring it on Mr. Sunshine. i'll be waiting for you with my SPF30...

waiting to exhale...

2011-05-08T11:20:00.000-05:00

it's been 2 weeks now since we got the phone call, and slowly but surely i've gotten to a point where i don't cry every day. i've moved past the feeling sorry for myself stage, but now i'm moving into the feeling guilty for neglecting the rest of my family stage. i feel guilty that i haven't even talked to my mom, or even my mother-in-law, i haven't been keeping up with my usual 52 week project, i haven't been going to the gym, i haven't been eating like i should (damn chocolate bunnies keep finding their way into my mouth), i haven't been involved with the kids and their activities, and i've even neglected to give The Husband the attention he deserves (i sometimes forget he lost something too, not just me). i'm absolutely disgusted with myself and it's about time i snap out of it, but i just can't bring myself to. i need a new "project" that will get me back on track and back in a better mindset.

so, now what? it's the big question anyone asks when they have the courage to say anything at all to me. i understand that it's a touchy subject and i too would be afraid to ask someone in my position. well, to be honest, i don't know yet. i still want another baby, but at what cost? i need a "project" that i can focus on now. there's always running another marathon, but ugh, the thought of running makes me want to puke. i feel like i've been holding my breath for the last month just waiting for the right moment to exhale and move on...

not what we expected...

2011-04-26T15:19:00.001-05:00

it's taken me a few days to be able to sit down and actually put words together about how i feel regarding the events of last week. for those who are just reading this blindly and have no clue what i'm talking about, well, you'll need to read THIS first, and then know that IT didn't work. last week was a very long and emotionally draining one. after having to wait around for 9 days before we could find out if all of our hopes and dreams had come true, we were beyond devastated to get the dreaded phone call. The Husband answered the phone, knowing i couldn't handle any kind of bad news. he was right to take that phone call, because i might have hurled myself out of the moving car we were in. it was the white knuckle driving that gave it away, he didn't even have to say a word. i completely lost it and the tears didn't stop pouring for the next 3 days. it felt like someone punched me in the stomach and then took my lunch money. i was still contemplating jumping out of the car, but it was moving pretty fast, and walking home was not what i wanted to do either.

life is cruel and sometimes pointless, and there's no explanation to why this happened. why did it happen? everything was perfect. i've been back and forth jumping around all 5 stages of the grieving process, but to be honest, anger is definitely the biggie. even though the sadness and depression hit me every morning when i wake up, it's the anger that stays with me during the day. i think i have a right to be angry...we haven't even heard from the doctor since the phone call (hence the feeling of someone taking my lunch money).

so, now here we are, out of money and nothing to show for it but a pillow full of tears. now what? this is totally not what we expected...

2 is a magical number...

2011-04-15T10:38:00.000-05:00

the day we had been waiting for finally arrived. we nervously drove to The Magic Fun House and waited to hear from The Wizard. but, of course, they make you sit there and wait (with no clothes on) for what feels like hours (okay, so it was maybe 10 minutes). The Wizard came in with a clipboard full of information. all i could see were tiny little pictures stapled to each page. two of the pages were separated from the rest and that's when the butterflies kicked in. she talked (in that Charlie Brown teacher kind of voice) about how many "good" ones we had and how great they all looked, but it wasn't until she said the number 2 that my eyes lit up. 2?! yes, out of all the little eggs we started with, 2 were girls!

at this point i think i started crying, but i really don't remember much of what happened after we were told we had 2. then it was time. we were all set up and ready to go for transfer. please remember at this point i had to pee so freaking bad. they make you come in with a full bladder (i guess so they can see better with the ultrasound) which is extremely painful when someone is poking and pushing around on your hoo-haw. once again, we waited patiently for The Wizards to get everything ready. and then, in a matter of seconds...it was done.

then i laid perfectly still for 30 minutes (still not able to go pee!) trying to get those little things to "stick". they finally let me up to pee, but by this time i was afraid to do anything that might let them fall out!

so, i've been home for 42 hours now and 41 of those hours have been spent laid up in the bed. i'm a greasy bored mess, but i'm not moving unless i have to...

today is THE DAY...

2011-04-13T12:35:00.000-05:00

i'm still not sure how i feel about today, because i feel everything...excited, nervous, worried, scared, giggly...it's been a very emotional few days and now that it's come down to just waiting 2 more hours what am i doing? i'm cooking and cleaning, because that's what i do. if i'm going to be laid up in the bed for the next few days i need to make sure the boys are fed and dressed. not that i can't count on The Husband to do it, but i just need to do it.

so, here i sit, twiddling my thumbs (which i don't do very well) hoping we don't get a phone call from The Wizard at the Magic Fun House. every time the phone rings my heart jumps and my stomach turns, because i don't want to hear any bad news. i've got my fingers and toes crossed, my lucky coin in my pocket, and a slew of very supportive friends and family, so, here goes nothing....

holy hail...

2011-04-11T14:00:00.000-05:00

last night we experienced something i have never seen before. i'm quite certain that our small town in the middle of nowhere-not-close-to-the-beach-town had the pleasure of the quickest hurricane on record. in a matter of seconds our house was shaken to the core by violent winds and beaten down by golf ball size hail. you could see the "golf balls" swirling in circles at extremely high speeds. once we heard the glass shatter upstairs, the husband grabbed all three kiddos and rushed them into our room downstairs. and then, after about 15 minutes, it was over. but in that 15 minutes we lost two windows, the back patio lights, and who knows what else on the roof. we were lucky to have only minimal damage. the neighbors...not so lucky. the house down the street looks like a gang riot took place in his front yard, the cars that were parked in the driveway look the same, and the poor bird we found in the yard was the only casualty.

unfortunately our insurance deductible is so ridiculously high that we'll be paying for repairs out of pocket, but i'm thankful it's just the windows that need replacing...

Blackjack...

2011-04-09T14:23:00.001-05:00

i'm more than thrilled to announce that the Egg Hunt Extravaganza was way more than a success, even the doctor had a grin from ear to ear when he came out to make the announcement. we hit blackjack with the eggs...yes, 21 eggs! i'm like a freaking chicken or a turtle, whichever one lays more eggs i don't know. all of the little needle pricks paid off. now we have the agonizing waiting game to deal with. although, we did receive the phone call this morning about the success of those 21 eggs. we knew that just because you get 21 eggs, it doesn't mean that all of them are "good" eggs. so, out of the 21 we had 16 perfect candidates, and then out of those 16 we added the Swim Team (or as the Husband likes to call them, the Life Worms - which sounds really gross). The Swim Team did really well, and now we have 10 wonderful Chickens (our name for the embryos) that we hope make it through the weekend. like i said, the waiting game is brutal, but 10 is a good number and i'm hoping for good news on Monday morning...

sit and wait...

2011-04-04T15:37:00.001-05:00

took another trip down to the Magic Fun House, but it looks like we'll be waiting at least a few more days for the Egg Hunt Extravaganza. those little chickens aren't ready to hatch just yet, which means i was sent home to take more needles to the gut.

if you're wondering what they were looking for, take a look at the picture below. the other day i said that normally i would produce 1 of these little do-dads, but today it looked more like this (a giant basket of eggs):

so now it's just sit and wait ~~patiently~~ for the little boogers to "hatch". i'm really hoping it's in the next few days, because this lady needs a margarita! until then, i thought i would settle for some chocolate eggs to satisfy my sweet tooth. and what do you know?! i get home and excitedly open the bag of pastel colored speckled eggs, and there's only ONE pink one in the entire bag! how is that possible?! i'm going to go with the notion that "all the pink eggs are still in my basket" (thanks A.V.)...

a little pinch, a little poke...

2011-03-31T21:30:00.000-05:00

i knew going into this that i would have to stick myself on a daily basis with tiny little needles, but after 2 weeks now, my flabby little belly is getting tired of the pinching and poking. i mistakenly tried taking one in the thigh this morning....BIG mistake! it seriously felt like i grabbed a wasp from outside and jabbed its little butt right onto my leg. i'll stick to pricking that flabby thing i call a stomach from now on (at least until the giant ass needle starts next week). for now i've been injecting myself with things that will increase my egg production, so that when we go in to the Magic Fun House next week, it will be like and Easter Egg Hunt Extravaganza! a lot of people have asked about the Egg Hunt Extravaganza, and to explain it simply...normally i would produce 1 egg, but with all of this lovely medication i've been juicing myself up with, we're hoping for 20 eggs. so, yes, it's going to be an Extravaganza!

now, for a little venting...i decided over a month ago to get myself ready for this whole process, which meant for me no more Lemon Drops and bottles of wine (damn it!). i tried giving up the sugar, but i'm too much of a brownie addict, so, i opted to kick the Coke instead. at least i was getting rid of some of my caffeine intake. don't get me wrong, i still have 2 cups of coffee and sweet tea everyday, but i'm just avoiding the bubbly caffeine. now, The Husband decided that he would support my decision to "sober" up for the Egg Hunt Extravaganza by joining me in my somewhat caffeine free sobriety. it was a little harder for him to leave his beloved beer, but i can proudly say that he's gone without for 2 weeks now! so, you're still wondering what i'm venting about...well, it shouldn't be a surprise, but why is it that whenever you tell someone you're not drinking, they say "oh, that's a good idea, you know to get ready for baby making", but the minute The Husband says he's not drinking either..."WHAT?! why would you do something crazy like that?!" first of all, drinking decreases that man's swimmer count, and we need all the good ones we can get for the Extravaganza, and secondly, he's doing it because that's what a good husband does! i didn't ask him or tell him he had to stop drinking, he offered it up all on his own, and i love my squishy for being so thoughtful.

so, here we are only about a week away from the big Egg Hunt, and i'm starting to get a little nervous, but that could be the tipsy-i'm-not-really-drunk feeling i get from the late night injections that lasts for about 12 hours! imagine feeling dizzy drunk for 12 hours without the fun of even getting to drink? trust me, it's not all that it's cracked up to be. it's normal to be nervous, right? of course it is! oh, and i'm pretty sure talking to myself is just another side effect...

spring break...

2011-03-25T16:31:00.000-05:00

i'm pretty much going to leave this post up to the pictures to do the talking. spring break ended up being 10 days long, so you can imagine we crammed a lot of junk into those 10 days. we started out by driving the Husband to the airport (where he hopped on a flight to Houston), then proceeded to drive down to New Orleans (where we picked up the Husband who flew from Houston to NOLA after an all day meeting), stayed in NOLA for the night, and then drove to Florida. as the 3yo would say, "we went fru EasyAnna, over the Sippy Bridge, and to Forda. if only it were that easy. the kids had a blast in NOLA, and yes, we took them down Bourbon Street, where they spent every last dime they had on boobie beads. after staying at the in-laws for the week, we packed everything up again and made the trip back home, but this time we finally made the stop in Mobile for a quick stop at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial.

the rest of the trip was spent at home*, minus the side trip that C got to take to Tallahassee to catch a baseball game and visit the old Alma Matter (*both of our parents still live in Florida, that's where we went to school...it will always be called home). we managed to get in as much beach time, boat rides, and seafood eating as we could, because we usually only get there once a year. i'm pretty sure i had crab claws and gumbo at every meal. this time of year just happens to be NoNo's birthday, and we were lucky enough to be able to celebrate with his cousin (who's birthday is only 2 days later). it was a fabulous week with family and even some old friends we hadn't seen in a very long time, and i can't wait until this summer (just can't stay away from the beach)...

the box...

2011-03-25T15:58:00.000-05:00

so what if it's taken me 3 weeks to finally get around to posting this. at least it's a little bit interesting. the week before spring break i received a very large package. a package that could very well change the dynamic of our family. considering i was sick as a dog the day the "box" arrived on my doorstep, i was still quite excited to finally get it open.

there's enough stuff in that box to make a couple addicts happy, well, if you were addicted to hormones and antibiotics i suppose. now that the "box" is here, this is it, there's no turning back. i pretty much started my daily routine right away. and for the next 4 weeks i'll be on a steady diet of pills, needles, and other unfriendly little devices (which i may or may not talk about later).

the first shot took at least 15 minutes before i worked up the courage to actually stab myself (with a quick dart like motion - as per directed in my instructional pamphlet). everything else is pretty smooth sailing, except for that giant horse pill that occasionally likes to stick to the top of my mouth and takes 3 swigs of coffee to get down. the regimen is pretty simple for now, but starting next week things are going to get even more medically exciting. yesterday i had a trip down to the magic fun house (aka - Dr. S's office) to make sure everything was good to go. i've gotten pretty use to the "magic wand" and the multiple blood samples, but i will never get use to the waiting. why is it that you hurry up to get there just to sit and wait? anyway, Dr. S says the "soil is clean" and next week i can start the hard core drugs (aka - FSH and some Gonadotropin stuff). yay! more shots (although i wish they were shots of vodka)...

1,095 days...

2011-03-04T14:51:00.000-06:00

it was 1,095 days ago that we had the privilege to meet the most wonderful little creature...when someone says the third time is the charm, it's true. NoNo is our 3rd child, born in the 3rd month, celebrating his 3rd birthday today; there's just something magical about that. everything about him is wonderful and i'm thankful that i have the opportunity to be his mother (even when he throws himself on the floor kicking and screaming because he can't have cake for breakfast).

Happy Birthday Monkey!!

another 52 weeks...

2011-03-01T16:18:00.000-06:00

this is my second attempt at capturing the crazy in our house. 52 weeks, 52 pictures, 52 attempts at capturing our life. it's quite apparent that i need a new camera...

there's no turning back now...

2011-03-01T13:24:00.000-06:00

today is March 1st, not that this day has any real significance (well, unless you count the completion of the Hoover Dam back in 1936 or the birth of that little musical cutie Justin Bieber in 1994 - the year i graduated high school). no, this day just marks the beginning of a very crazy month. i just got off the phone with my specialty pharmacy. one, they wanted to know where to send the giant box of drugs, and two, they wanted to know how i would be paying for that box. after just a few short minutes i had pretty much spent enough for a 5 day all-inclusive vacation, but without the sun, sand, or cocktails. i know this is not going to be a vacation, but now that the box is on it's way, there's no turning back.

for the next month i'll be on a very strict schedule. at first it was a bit overwhelming, but with so many colors, at least it's fun to look at...

now add to that the usual schedule of soccer 5 days a week, baseball, school, and spring break...it's going to be a bit insane. the butterflies have set in...

did we move to Alaska...

2011-02-04T10:51:00.000-06:00

something is seriously wrong here. when we moved here i was never expecting this. how is it possible that the weather can be over 100 degrees in August and then drop below 10 in February. if i would have known that i would be stuck in my house (because we can't get the garage door open) for going on 4 days now, i would have never agreed to leave Florida! if i were one who enjoyed the white fluffy frozen water, then i would have moved back to Colorado!

now here comes the best part...i mentioned that we've been ~~beating each other~~ snuggled up in our house for 4 days, which means the kids have not been to school in 4 days, and it's not even a weekend! i love my kids and all, but this is ridiculous!!! i'm not a crafty person, so there's no glue, glitter, scissors, construction paper, or even tape in my house, so, what are the kids doing all day? not eating, because to top off this snow covered crap, we've just about run out of food as well! I QUIT! SUNSHINE COME SAVE ME!

because i still can...

2011-01-31T17:22:00.002-06:00

i'm going to go ahead an put this out there...i'm 35 years old! okay, so that part isn't really that much of a shocker, but this video is. i'm pretty sure that the last couple years of marathon training and constant gym appearances have gotten me ready for this. i'm not going to lie, i'm still hurting, but suck it old body I DID IT ANYWAY!!!

not sure if i'm going to work my way up to bigger things, because honestly this is enough for me, but i only have another 2 months before i'm pretty much forbidden from bouncing around or going upside down for that matter...

just curious...

2011-01-28T10:57:00.000-06:00

not that i ever really pay attention, but i've noticed something on my blog. over there on the right is a list of recent visitors...well, it seems i have a very consistent visitor, and i have no clue who it is. i'm not offended, i'm quite honored that you read my crap that often, but i'm just curious who you are Mr.(or Mrs.) Sanford, NC...

i can't keep the secret any longer...

2011-01-20T17:41:00.000-06:00

now that we've informed the family i thought it was only fair to blab to my interweb family...last year i wrote a very long winded post about my aching uterus and it's not a secret that our family wanted another baby in the house, but now, after more than a year of talking, planning, researching, and crying we're "trying" for that little girl. it's been very hard not to talk about it, but on the other hand it's also been very difficult to talk about. i'm going to put the warning out there now that the rest of the rambling that i might do in the next few months may not be what some people want to hear, but guess what? this is my place and if you don't like it, leave.

some people may be wondering why i put so much emphasis on the "trying" part of having a baby. well, that's because unfortunately it's not going to be as easy as a bottle of wine and a night in the hot tub (i think that's what happened last time). yes, i do have 3 healthy boys, but i'm selfish and i want a healthy little girl as well. i'm not going to say that i have fertility issues, because that wouldn't be fair to those who really do have issues with getting pregnant. but i want to honest with what's about to happen in the next few months, and some people may have a problem with the way we're going about getting pregnant. guess what again, i've come to terms with it and i don't care if someone says what i 'm doing is not okay.

i'll step off my little box and get back to the announcement part...our family is starting this process, and yes, it's going to be a struggle, but i would like to think the reward will by far outweigh the couple of months of torture i'm about to put myself through. and by torture, i mean the 4 times a day of self-injections, multiple trips to the doctor's office, countless tests (you know those probing kind), and the mind numbing waiting and waiting. that's it, i'm done complaining. i know there are couples out there who go through this for years, and i can't even fathom how hard that is, so from now on everything will just be informative...to keep you updated on how it's going.

so, now on to the question and answer phase...i don't consider myself a lucky person. and by that i mean when it comes to winning things or playing a guessing game, i'm going to lose. i don't gamble, i don't buy lottery tickets, and i pretty much suck at picking raffle tickets, so, i've become obsessed with "good luck charms". i've been carrying around my new lucky dollar since the day i got it from the parking garage at the doctor's office. i've invested a lot of time in researching what's considered to be lucky, like stars (got one), elephants (got one of those too), four leaf clovers (got one), and even a fertility statue (being delivered as we speak). i know that according to the Chinese Zodiac this is the year of the Rabbit, which for me means a year of good luck....woohoo! so, my question is, what do you think is lucky? and can i have one?

{please ignore the wrinkly old lady hands}

well, that's about it, so if you're not offended (and if you are, but still find this a wee bit interesting or you're just nosey) then stay tuned for a very adventurous 2011...

i like to potty all the time...

2011-01-07T13:33:00.000-06:00

not sure if it's considered bragging, and i'm quite positive that now that i've said it, it's going to backfire, but this house has been diaper free for an entire week!! i never knew how exciting that would be (for me) to have a diaper free house. it's been 9 years (with a little 4 month break back in 2005) of buying diapers, pull-ups, and wipes! that's a long time people! NoNo has been by far the easiest to "train" and the youngest (the other 2 were well over the age of 3). having boys meant not pressuring them in to doing something they didn't want to do, and i was probably a little lazy. boys don't care if they're dirty or have crap in their pants, so why would they give up the luxury of someone always wiping their butts?! i'm crossing my fingers that i'm really done with the training part of proper use of a toilet, but unfortunately NoNo is the type that would pee his pants just to make me mad, especially if he doesn't get his way.

if you're wondering what the trick was...jelly beans and m&m's! dude has a serious sweet tooth (hmmm...wonder where he gets that from?) and it really worked. he decided on his own that he didn't want to wear pull-ups, not even to bed. i'm so proud of him (and myself). speaking of potty time...someone needs to go right now...

{it's the cutest little butt in all the lands}

December in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....

2011-01-01T21:58:00.002-06:00

considering i haven't posted in over a month, i decided to borrow an idea from a fellow blogger...a recap of our year 2010. so, here it goes...

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
i ran a marathon, and don't ever ask me to do it again.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
honestly, if i made any i don't remember what they were, which probably means i didn't keep any promises i made to myself. i do plan on making some new ones, but like most people i'll end up forgetting what they were by the time i file our taxes.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
if by close, you mean family members, then no, but it doesn't mean i didn't no anyone that has spit out a baby or two this past year. it seems that every year for the past 8 years i've known at least 5 people to have a baby each year, and i suppose it will stay that way until all those kids start having kids (which means i'll be really old).
4. Did anyone close to you die?
thankfully no
5. What countries did you visit?
silly question, because really how many of us actually get the opportunity to visit another country. i was lucky enough, however, to have made a couple trips around the good ol USofA.
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
i would definitely agree with my friend Lori's response to this question, but there's one more thing on my list before getting around to that.
7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June 6 - the day i completely lost my sanity (and my pride) - the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon
December 18 - my 35th birthday
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
even though it was also one of the worst days of my life, i still have to brag a little about completing a marathon. really? only about 1% of the population ever completes a marathon and it feels kind of nice to be part of the very small club. oh, and i would have to say chopping 11 inches of hair off and donating it to Locks of Love was pretty good.
9. What was your biggest failure?
this past year was not about one big failure, but more about a bunch of small disappointments and set-backs. this past year wasn't the best, but i'm hoping i've learned from the not so great experiences and that this year will be a huge improvement!
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
not me, unless you include the marathon, but i did that to myself. my kids on the other hand...they are the ones who spent most of the time in e-care, but isn't that to be expected in a house full of boys?
11. What did you get really excited about?
actually training for the marathon was kind of exciting, but other than that i would have to say being able to take the family to the beach this summer, a girls weekend in Vegas, and all 3 of my boys being in school this year.
12. What do you wish you’d done more of?
it's not so much as more as it is less. i eat way too much, but i like food, so it's going to be hard to say i'm going to do more dieting. i don't even like that word DIET (the first 3 letters are just unsettling). i would like to be able to spend more time with my extended family. we live a good 12 hours away from our family and it's hard to find time or money to see them more often than once a year.
13. What do you wish you’d done less of?
i think i answered that in the last one....oops.
14. What songs will always remind you of 2010?
"Dynamite" - Taio Cruz (because the kids won't stop singing it...over and over and over and over again)
"Headsprung" - LL Cool J (because it's what got me through some rough miles training)
"Lovelier than You" - B.o.B (well, just because)
15. What was your favorite TV program?
i'm not afraid to admit that i watch a lot of television, but i'm not even sure how i find the time. if you could see my DirecTV playlist you might wonder if i ever get anything done. this year it was anything from Glee to Vampire Diaries and Criminal Minds to WipeOut...you name it and i probably watch it, except for reality tv (other than Biggest Loser).
16. What were your favorite films of the year?
having 3 kids makes going to movies a little difficult. we're lucky to maybe make it to an actual movie theater maybe 2-3 times a year, and when we do it's usually to see a kid's movie. so, i can't say that i have any favorites, but i did enjoy the few times that i was able to sit in the theater and enjoy my raisinets.
17. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
wow, how am i suppose to answer that one?
18. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
HA HA! it's called gym clothes...tennis shoes, running shorts, and a tank top...all day every day...
19. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
life gives you only as much as you can handle
so, that's about it. nothing terribly exciting and nothing terribly bad. at least i can include some photos of the past month (which was pretty damn busy). after "Friendsgiving" it was non-stop for me. with Vegas, company holiday party, birthdays, school parties, Christmas, and 2 weeks worth of house guests...i'm exhausted....

{3 days in Vegas - bottoms up!}

{P-donculous finishing his very first race}

{the Uncle came to visit}

{merry x-mas ya'll}

{traditional Holiday Hibachi dinner with the Fam}

go vote...

2010-12-08T15:00:00.000-06:00

Contest details

i'm not gonna lie...i'm here for self promotion, but i figure if you're reading my blog then you're okay with that...

that's how we do it...

2010-11-29T18:07:00.000-06:00

and this is what happens when you ask our family to say "CHEESE"...

and this is also why i did not start going into convulsions and sweating over making our annual holiday card this year. obviously i did not go this route, since i already posted a preview of what our cards are going to look like, but i just wanted to give you an idea what it's like to have my family pose for pictures...

"Friendsgiving"...

2010-11-29T17:39:00.001-06:00

this was the first year that we were "home alone" for Thanksgiving, but when i say alone, i mean we had no family come in town and we chose to stay at our own home for the holiday, but by no means were we alone. we have, what i like to call, a very extended family (of friends), some of which we've known for almost 20 years and some for only a couple of years, but we've all become a family of sorts.

i opted to host "Friendsgiving" at our house, and i was dreading it the moment the offer came out of my mouth. i have a lot of anxiety over the appearance of my house and having 15 people in there to look at it...on top of preparing the house, i had to prepare food?! i will say that i was lucky enough to have my very own personal chef preparing most of the feast (see K is for Kitchen). i pretty much had it easy as far as food was concerned, sweet potatoes, ham, bread, beer, and some cute ass cupcakes for the kids.

just a recap of how much food we had: 2 turkeys and a ham, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, 2 kinds of stuffing, Brussels spouts, jalapeno corn casserole, gravy, fresh cranberry sauce, devilled eggs, and pumpkin bread pudding...did you get all that? my belly sure did! all in all, it was a fabulous time (even with 15 people)! did i mention that those 15 people were only 3 families? yes, everyone we know has 3 kids, so anytime we get together it's always a party. just imagine what it's like when ALL of us get together...

(cheers to the "chefs")

(the table...)

(ahhh...cheers again...a lot of wine was consumed in the making of this event)

(the kids like to play Apples to Apples and this was the card that C picked)

after an all day eating affair, what a better way to burn off the calories than with an all day shopping event. and by all day i mean literally all day! we were gone for 10 1/2 hours!! i came home with two feet full of blisters. what was i thinking? next year the cute shoes are out and the tennis shoes are on! still not sure what i was thinking, because i totally forgot that i had signed up for a 5k the next day. so, i took my blistered feet and ran the heck out of that 5k. proudly i finished 3rd in my age group (which is pretty damn competitive) which also happened to be yet another PR for me 24:49 is by far the fastest i've ever run anything..."run like you stole it!" luckily i did not run alone, but was joined by my other running family. so excited that my little buddy JD also got third in his age division (he's definitely a very fast 7yo!).

to cap off the very busy week, we decided to go hunt down a Christmas Tree. not sure we could fit any more into our crazy schedule...

(more pictures to follow once we get the darn thing "put together")

sneak peek...

2010-11-27T21:03:00.001-06:00

Holiday Window Christmas Card

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View the entire collection of cards.

marathon weekend...

2010-11-16T16:48:00.001-06:00

i would like to say we ended our sports season with a bang! literally there was a bang at one point, but i'll get back that in a moment. first let me start off with C's big hoe-down performance at school, which he was so excited for that he changed his outfit a couple times just to make sure he had it just right. i'm pretty sure he was trying to impress the cute little girl he was suppose to be square dancing with, and he was all smiles the entire show.

on Friday night "The Savage" (hubby's new name, since everyone thinks he resembles Fred Savage) had me pick him up at the tire place, and while we were gone NoNo had managed to bust himself up pretty good. luckily my mom was in town to hold down the fort. C was at football practice, The Savage was picking C up, P-Donculous had a friend over, and i was still in the process of cooking dinner, but in a matter of minutes we were out the door on our way to the ER. we were in and out in 45 minutes! unfortunately the meat loaf was not so happy about our quick departure (note to self...turn off the oven if heading out for staples in the skull of a toddler), but we were starved and ate it anyway. NoNo was such a trooper about the whole ordeal. i'll warn you now, you should know by now i'm not afraid to post pictures that are a little graphically detailed when it comes to open wounds, but this is what little man had to have stapled shut...

(keep in mind that there is also a cotton ball shoved in the hole)

and now to start off the rest of the weekend...Saturday was the final day for fall sports, which means no more soccer, no more football, and no more running. P-donculous had his last soccer game (which they won 14-0), C had his last football game (which just happened to be the Superbowl and they ended up getting second, and i missed the game), and my mom and i drove down to San Antonio for the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. because of all the driving we missed the Superbowl and the trophy ceremony, but thanks to some awesome parents we have picture proof...

now, on to the actual marathon part of the weekend...the grand finale of my running season was the 1/2 marathon on Sunday. mom and i were all smiles before the race even started:

i even stopped to pose for photo ops along the way (which, in the long run cost me a few minutes off my record pace time...damn it!). i ended up finishing with a personal record of 2:02:55 (6 minutes faster than my first half marathon).now let's crunch some numbers...i finished 4,402th out of 20,432 people, that's the top 21%...HOLLA! i'm no Kenyan, but for me that's pretty damn impressive...

(waving from the Alamo at mile 3)

goblins...

2010-11-03T22:47:00.000-05:00

it's the beginning of one of the worst seasons for anyone trying to stick to any type of diet. from now until the New Year there is nothing but an over abundance of tasty goodness shoved in your face. Halloween starts off with the damn candy! curse that candy and lip smacking greatness! i have to hide it from myself, but i always manage to find it again (maybe i should put my car keys and cell phone in the candy bag). once Halloween is over and we've devoured 15 pounds of cavity creations, it's on to my most favorite holiday of all, Thanksgiving. it's an all day eating contest that lasts for almost 4 days! and of course, the entire month after the turkey celebration, is one big hot chocolate peppermint drinking fest. it's no wonder that our gym just sent out a notice saying they are extending their operating hours to accommodate the holiday season.

anyway...back to the goblins...my kids. each year they are allowed to decide for themselves what they want to dress as for Halloween. easy enough for me (and my wallet) the oldest just wanted to be the same thing he was last year. P-donculous changed his mind about 5 times before settling on the football player, and NoNo liked the muscles on good ol' Spider Man. they had a blast running through the neighborhood like a bunch of hoodlums demanding candy from strangers. and now i know who to blame for the added 5 pounds (damn stranger neighbors)...

and three weeks later...

2010-10-22T15:54:00.000-05:00

i'm horrible! okay, not that i have a million readers, but i have a handful and i feel horrible that i haven't posted anything in almost 3 weeks! i guess you can say it's been a little busy in our house (and it will be like this for us until we ring in the new year). just take a look at my schedule for the next month...is this normal?

and this calendar doesn't include any social gatherings, birthdays, or entertaining. somehow we managed to have every friday free and clear (dang it i just said that out loud).

so, to catch you up on things...in the past few weeks we've been camping, went to the state fair (horribly disgusting), had a good ol' hometown homecoming parade, and went to the pumpkin place. of course this does not include the usual weekly activities of shuttling everyone from football to soccer and back again. did i mention that somewhere in there i'm suppose to cook dinner and keep the house from looking like the underside of a midtown freeway.

anyway, here's a couple photos of our adventures...

(our gang at the State Fair along with the H's - makes for a rowdy bunch)

(NoNo loved him some turkey leg...and chocolate coverd cheesecake on a stick...and fried frito pie...and corn dogs...and frozen lemonade...)

(NoNo's pouty i don't wanna pose face)

(what i like to call the dirty dozen)

(NoNo with his girlfriend)

well, that's about it...until Halloween!!!

not that i forgot or anything...

2010-09-23T17:58:00.000-05:00

the other day was my mom's "39th" birthday. did i forget, NO! i sent her something fun in the mail and the boys even called to sing happy birthday, but i feel like i neglected the blogosphere acknowledgment of her special day. so, here it is Mom...HAPPY CAKE & ICE CREAM DAY!!! (don't you feel famous already?)

like totally...

2010-09-22T18:23:00.000-05:00

this is totally not okay, and i'm not one to normally blog about things other than my family (or myself), but enough is enough. at first it was the "jegging" (for those who don't have a clue what that is - it's a jean / legging) and sometimes with the right circumstances (must be tall, skinny, and no booty) they can be kind of cute, but then i saw these...

REALLY?! who in their right mind would wear these? yes, they would be great for a costume party, but could you see a mom of three walking into the grocery with these on? i thought i could let this fashion pass by like the bell bottoms before it, but then it only got worse. while strolling through the Gap, i saw these...

yep, you saw that right, stirrup pants! seriously? i can remember a time (about 20 years ago) when these were almost cool. yes sir, i was that kid with the stirrup pants, leg warmers, baggy sweatshirt, and jelly bands, but c'mon people not ALL styles are meant to make a come back! i would like to see what a "normal" person would look like in these get ups. imagine what these would look like on someone 5 feet tall and bootylicious, not pretty. so unless you're into roping and riding and you were your pants tucked into your boots, there is no need to wear these. i'm just sayin....

and so it begins...

2010-09-19T10:04:00.000-05:00

football season started last week (but we were out of town watching FSU get their arse handed to them by OU) and this is the first year that C is playing tackle. it took a good month before he was comfortable running around with the gigantic helmet on, but once they put him on defense and he was allowed to legally (in soccer he's notorious for the slide and elbow - not allowed) tackle someone, pure excitement in his eyes! unfortunately i brought the little camera to this week's game, so we have one decent picture.

and since when is football season so damn hot! we sat in the bleachers under a pop up tent suffering in the 100 degree sweltering heat, and to top it off...our poor little Eagles lost. it's still pretty exciting to watch your little guy out there tackling bigger kids though...

you just never know...

2010-09-13T15:47:00.001-05:00

a few weeks ago a friend told me that Mercury was in Retrograde, and the stars were all out of whack for her for the next month or so. for me, who does not believe in all that hocus pocus celestial stuff, i was like okay, hope the stars realign. but after a few weeks i started to really see what she was talking about. it wasn't just her stars that weren't aligned, it was everyone! i still may not believe in the whole astrology thing, but something has been seriously wrong lately.

it started a little over a month ago with the news of an old friend finding out he had cancer, and then another friend explained the whole mercury thing, and then another friend thought she lost someone, and then it happened to me...last wednesday my dad went in for a visit with the cardiologist (he had been having problems for a while and not telling anyone tsk tsk Dad) who told him they wanted to go in and check things out. so, on friday he went in for what was suppose to be a routine cardiac cath, but ended spending the entire weekend in ICU waiting for his now scheduled triple by-pass on monday morning. and now it's monday and my dad is out of surgery (which ended up being a quadruple by-pass) and "resting". i like how they say it's resting when you still have a giant ass tube stuck down your throat and an incision the size of my forearm on your chest, but my mom says he's "looking good". i guess what i'm saying is that you never know what's going to happen, with or without a planet being in retrograde, so hug your babies tight and call your momma....

a little tropical storm won't stop us...

2010-09-09T07:59:00.000-05:00

for the last 5 or so years, every September i've been getting my kids out the door for their first day of school, and never has it rained, not once, except for this year. and boy did it rain, like tropical storm Hermine rain. it rained for 24 hours without stopping, but that didn't stop me from getting my kids to school. those rascals were going to school in a boat if need be! this fall i have ALL my boys in school (at least 3 days a week anyway)! so, you ask, "what are you going to do with yourself...nap?" first of all, i don't nap, that's silly. why nap? i might miss something. but really, my plan is simple and i'll find myself still busy as ever and not getting everything done that i want to. i go to the gym, i go to the grocery, and i can clean all by myself with not a single person to whine and complain.

back to the first day of school (for the little ones)...the boys were so excited for their first day, bags packed, lunches made, clothes put out, but once we walked into school...duhn duhn....the leg holding and whimpering began. even the 5yo was gripping the door jam as we tried to enter his classroom! it took a good 30 minutes for us to get out of there (without the kids), but of course they were fine as soon as we left. we'll see how day 3 goes today....

amateur hour...

2010-08-31T16:03:00.000-05:00

probably not at all what you were thinking, but i get the best ideas right before i go to bed at night. for example last night i had the best idea for a blog post all about being a food critic, but by the time i woke up...i have no freaking clue what i thought up the night before!

maybe something a little like this:
how does one go about becoming an official food critic? i've read some ~~a million~~ reviews and yes they are insightful and sometimes entertaining, but what makes them an expert? i'm going to go on out there and say i have a pretty keen mouth when it comes to food. i can thank my dad for having a very experimental and global themed hand in the kitchen, which only expanded my love of all things food. so, why can't i be a food critic? i love food! i'm not afraid to sample anything, at least just once (except for anything with eyes still attached, anything formerly soft and cuddly (such as veal or lamb), or anything that uses organs from a body). the hubby has learned that i'll venture out to try a new restaurant based off of some review i found in some obscure magazine.

i've come to an understanding that expert critics (those who are paid for their opinions) usually don't have the typical taste buds of us common folk, and will rate a restaurant much higher or lower than it probably should be. so, this is why i look for real critics, like myself, in obscure local magazines or websites like Trip Advisor that allow regular people to post their thoughts on pretty much anything. case in point: we went to a restaurant while on vacation over the summer based on the recommendation of a friend. it was a horrible experience, and if i would have read the reviews, i would have known better than to go there in the first place. yes, my friend did suggest it, and she was mortified that we had such an awful time, but we should have listened to the other 13 people who said it was going to be a waste of time and money. now, that being said (and now being the 14th person on that site to say don't go to this place), i firmly believe that i'm a very capable food critic.

so, if you have a question about a place...i've probably been there and i'll probably tell you in all honestly if it's worth the hassle of trying yourself. and i'm not ashamed to say i like a few chain restaurants, but once they start messing with the menu or changing up ingredients, i'm out of there....

back to school...

2010-08-23T09:08:00.000-05:00

not sure who was more excited about today, but i'm going to go with the 3rd grader. he was up an entire hour before he needed to leave this morning, which is almost a miracle in itself. i can't believe how much he's grown up in the last 3 years. look at him, he almost looks like a teenager!

in a few weeks the other two hooligans will be off to school (why in the world their preschool has to start 2 weeks after the other kids is beyond me!) and then i will really have a ~~party~~ productive school year. yeah, yeah, i'm a stay-at-home mom, but honestly having a few days to myself is totally necessary. it's not like i spend those days laying around on the couch watching day time television (i honestly don't even know what's on tv during the day). those are days i get my "work" done...

just curious...

2010-08-20T11:50:00.000-05:00

have you ever wondered what would happen if you clicked on that little link on the top of the blog page? every once in a while i'll click it, just to see what happens. you actually come across some pretty interesting reads. not sure what i'm talking about....

yep, that little thing that says "next blog"...it takes you to some other random blogger. it's different every time! sometimes you'll come across some pretty crazy pages, but most of the time they are just like me, normal people writing about their own crap. so, if you're really bored and feel like browsing around other's people's business, then this might keep you occupied for the next 30 minutes or so...

the vacation...

2010-08-16T19:29:00.000-05:00

this is going to be a short post, but full of pictures. it took me long enough to download all the pictures from the camera and forget about the dinner that was boiling over in the kitchen. anyway...here's a brief recap of our annual beach week...

my little NoNo...he's so darn cute (when he wants to be)

the boys took to the ropes (and yes, that's as high as it looks)

hubby's side of the family

our mode of transportation for the week (you would think P would be a little more excited)

those kids have no fear

me on the other hand...different story

me and the BIL hanging in mid air

playing with trucks in the sand is hard work apparently

the masterpiece (would you believe a dang bird flew down and stole the nose?!)

probably the only picture of us together

heaven on a spork right here folks!!

hot fresh chocolate glazed donuts covered in ice cream....OhhhEmmmGeeee....i would like to thank the good people of Hartell's Village Diner for coming up with this mouth watering dish.

this is the third year in a row that we've stayed at the beach, and we always go in August, but after 3 years of rain and sea weed we might be reconsidering going so late in the summer next year...

because 1991 was a good year...

2010-07-21T14:52:00.001-05:00

for whatever reason, back in 1991, i begged my mom to take me (and my sucker of a friend, Jessica) to the mall so that some stranger could dress me, fluff my hair, apply over used pink lipstick, and then take ~~creepy~~ photos. this wonderful place was Glamour Shots, and yes, they are still in the business of taking ~~creepy~~ photos of teenagers. i'm not sure what's worse, the hair, the outfit, or the huge amount of metal in my mouth, but man i was happy teenager 19 years ago (thanks Mom)!

(that's me on the right)

my sister came to visit...

2010-07-19T10:03:00.001-05:00

i think i showed her a pretty good time....

we celebrated her birthday all week! and did you know that if you're wearing one of those silly flashing, feather covered birthday hats, you get free drinks? must say this is the best idea ever...i'm keeping that thing in my purse and using it every time we go out!

as for the rest of my sister's crew, i think they had a good time too. of course, getting all 5 kids to sit together for one picture is nearly impossible (sorry Nana). we pretty much spent the entire week outside in the 100 degree heat, but that's what the cold beer is for...

(shopping and drinking...pretty much how the last 6 days were spent)

if your squeamish, look away...

2010-07-14T15:49:00.001-05:00

no joke, what you're about to see is pretty damn disgusting. yesterday i made the mistake of drinking too many glasses of wine before i even started dinner. i'm being honest here...too much wine can be a bad thing, especially when handling sharp kitchen utensils, you know, like a KNIFE!

would you believe i found the missing piece in that pile of onions?

i was just trying to be nice by cooking my sister a nice dinner, and this crap happens! after a quick clean up, bandage, and another glass of wine we managed to get dinner finished. thanks to my sister and Jess for helping me actually prepare dinner, because this one handed stuff is hard.

Shrimp & Lemon Pasta

YUMMO!

today when i woke up the pain was unbearable. i made the mistake of not putting any ointment on the bandage before going to bed, so when i woke up this morning the whole thing was stuck. it was the kind of pain that makes you want to vomit and then pass out. thankfully i have a friend who's a nurse and she came over to assist (thanks Kat for the searing peroxide pain). this has got to be one of the nastiest things i've done. i'm warning you now, if you are easily disturbed by the sight of bloody things, then i don't recommend reading anymore...

my poor finger nail is gone

but on a lighter note, today is my sister's birthday. and poor her (one who is easily grossed out) has to take care of gimpy me...

Happy Birthday E

we like chikin yes we du....

2010-07-09T16:21:00.002-05:00

today is Cow Appreciation Day, which means FREE CHICKEN!! and by free i mean we went to Chick-fil-a and ordered our usual (3 kids meals and a #7 with sweet tea) and i didn't even open my wallet. this only happens once a year, so, if you're reading this and wondering how to get your free chicken...gonna have to wait till next summer. of course the place is a mad house, but the kids love it! i think i love it more that i can take my kids out to lunch for free, but that's just me. oh, but wait...there's a catch to getting the free food. in order to enjoy a full table full of goodies for zilch, you have to dress in your best cow attire. for us it's just a shirt and some homemade signs, but it works. (starting to wonder why the homeless aren't in on this idea)

it's now become tradition to dress silly and eat fast food with the Devenny's

independence day...

2010-07-05T09:50:00.003-05:00

other than Thanksgiving, the 4th of July has got to be one of the best holidays. it's the most stress free holiday we have, no worries for finding the perfect gift, who cares what you wear, and there's plenty of eating and drinking all day. although, the 4yo kept asking why there were no presents at the birthday party, because we explained to him that the 4th of July was America's 234th birthday...still confused when we put him to bed at 11pm!

(what party wouldn't be complete without a tromp in the mud)

what kind of summer BBQ wouldn't be complete without baked beans?! thanks to my mother-in-law i have a great no leftovers recipe (but no pictures because beans are not pretty to look at and they were all gone):

GaGa'a Noise Makers
1 pound ground beef
1 lg onion
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
can of pinto beans
giant can of plain baked beans
bottle of your favorite bbq sauce
ketchup

brown the meat (drain) and continue cooking with the onions and peppers. mix the meat and beans together in a big baking dish. stir in the bbq sauce and a couple squirts of ketchup. cover with foil and bake at 375 for about 45 minutes. ENJOY!!

Jess, made us some Watermelon Margaritas, but unfortunately those were gone in less than 30 minutes, so no pictures of those either. hopefully she'll be posting on K is for Kitchen later today...

the ladies

(minus Kat...we missed you!)

a week alone...

2010-06-28T15:46:00.002-05:00

so the kids took their own vacation last week, which meant that hubby and i got a little vacation of our own. we headed up to Boston (only because someone had to be there for work anyway) for a few days, but it seems most of the pictures look like this one...notice Mr. Flat Stanley?

i did a ton of walking around the city, where i found myself attracted to the old burial sites and churches. this is one of my favorite shots of the week, but notice how much fun i had with my photo editing (the original is below). the finished product just looks more like an old cemetery.

other than walking around a bunch of really really old things, i managed to eat...a lot! everyone knows that Boston is known for their seafood, so i did my best on stuffing myself with said seafood. but don't confuse popular with cheap, just because they have a lot of it doesn't make it cheaper. i had lunch by myself one day and it cost me $16, and that was the kind of place with no waiter and even no tables! my Nana always told me about the famous Lobstah Rolls and Chowdah, so i finally had the chance to try them....uhh can we say "wicked good"?!

after a few days of shmoozing with the computer nerds, we headed home for a few days of nothing. it's amazing how much you can get done when you don't have to drag around 3 kids! we had time to go out to dinner (that didn't involve plastic wrapped toys or cups with lids), catch a movie (in an actual theater), and even go to happy hour (proof in the photo below).

(me, Courtney (Jess' neighbor), and Jess)

i am so thankful to my in-laws for taking the boys on their own vacation. i only wish we could do this more often. wonder if they would be up for doing this again next month....

the worst pain ever...

2010-06-10T12:00:00.002-05:00

someone should have told me that this was going to be so painful. wait a minute, i'm pretty sure everyone told me and i just flat out ignored them. running 26 miles sucks!! i've been through childbirth 3 times and it wasn't this bad! i may be all smiles in the pictures, but don't let it fool you, i'm in serious pain. the first picture is pretty crazy to look at, but it actually best represents how i felt the last 8 miles of the race...a complete blur.

i was so hoping for a better outcome that day. really, i trained for months and thought i was prepared for this, but apparently my old body was not ready or able to do what i wanted it to do. i had a goal of finishing this thing in about 4 1/2 hours...HA! my time was an entire HOUR after my goal time...REDONKULOUS!! i will never forget this image...

it was at this point that i realized i was defeated and couldn't run anymore. for the next hour and a half i was cussing San Diego for their slanted pot hole roads and damn beachy island i had to run on. i don't even remember what music i had on, i couldn't hear it over my whimpering and complaining. it was miserable, just miserable. it felt like some angry spectator had hit me in the shin with a baseball bat! i don't want to be reminded that it took me 5 hours 23 minutes 48 seconds to cross that damn finish line (i should have finished with my friend Brooke at 4:24:35). i guess the only thing that makes me feel better is that i wasn't last. out of the 10,643 people who actually finished the race, i was the 7,524th person to finish. there were almost that many people who didn't even finish at all, so, i have to feel some kind of accomplishment in the fact that i sucked it up and hobbled myself to the end.

in the future, if i ever mention the idea of running another marathon, please just slap me!

suck it San Diego!

4 more days...

2010-06-02T20:27:00.002-05:00

after 4 months of training (which was not nearly long enough), the time has almost come to prove if i'm woman enough to conquer 26.2 miles of pavement. think about it, 26.2 miles will probably take me 4 1/2 hours (if i'm lucky)! 4 1/2 hours of non-stop exercising, constant motion, aching muscles and joints, chaffing of places that should not see the light of day, blisters in between my toes, salty sweat caked to my face, but i keep reminding myself that this is something that i chose to do. 4 1/2 hours of sweating and heavy breathing, and months training...kind of sounds like having a baby, and probably just as painful. so, when i cross that finish line on sunday and they hand me that shiny medal, you can bet i'll be swaddling and cuddling that thing like it's my newest born child!

my boys ~~husband~~ gave me a good luck gift today. i've been hinting for about a month now that i needed something smaller than what i had. don't get me wrong, the ipod is pretty damn small, but the shuffle...holy crap it's tiny! no more giant stinky armband for me. (and no, that is not my man hand in the picture)

i can't believe i'm going to be running a marathon!!

just a frog...

2010-05-25T14:06:00.001-05:00

thought i would post a few pics of the kids from the other day. my kids found a frog in the pool (good thing that doesn't freak me out...we've actually found a lot worse in there) and that poor thing was tortured for 20 minutes before it finally escaped. and by escaped, i mean one of the dads took it across the street to the creek to freedom! it was crazy how excited all the kids were to ~~throw it in the pool~~ hold it and have there picture taken. i think all but 2 of the 9 kids we had over had their picture taken, and not a single one of them washed their hands (sorry moms).

(my fave pic of the day - thanks D)

(P-Donculous was so excited to hold the frog)

(NoNo was a little skittish)

getting lazy...

2010-05-18T21:51:00.003-05:00

i promise i'll come up with something catchy to talk about, but i've just gotten so damn lazy. i did have to post that i made dinner tonight and for the first time in over 2 weeks did not have anything left to put away in tupperware (to sit in the fridge and grow disgusting green hairy blobs). my kids ate every stinking last bite! i'm not saying that every kid will eat what i prepared, but mine did and it's a freaking miracle! i should have taken a picture, but it was honestly gone so fast i didn't have time to find the camera. i'll have to make the dish again just so i can post a pretty picture along with the recipe. trust me, it was super easy and actually pretty cheap (shrimp was on sale today). you're probably wondering what i made...i call it Shrimp & Lemon Pasta. it's a variation of something i've had in the past, but since i didn't have the recipe, i just threw some stuff together and it turned out fabulously. like i said before, i will post "my" recipe later. i promise to update when i get a chance...

mother's day...

2010-05-07T14:48:00.001-05:00

i'm stealing this idea from Jess (and since she's one of the ~~oldest~~ longest friends i have, she won't care). this sunday is Mother's Day, but honestly it's just like any other day to me. yes, i am a mom, and have been for 8 years now (3x over), but to me Mother's Day should actually be a MOM-FREE Day. like x-mas, everything is closed for business. no mom duties all day! i'm making signs and forming a picket line in my yard right now. i'm officially calling for no diapers, no cooking, no cleaning, no soccer games, no kissing boo-boos, and if i feel like having a drink at 10am I WILL!! it's "mother's day" every day at my house, so, when they make an official holiday, it should be a freaking holiday! i don't want wilted flowers or half eaten candy, i want a day off!

now that being said...it is still a holiday reserved for mothers, which i have 2 of (second by marriage, but i've known her almost half my life now, so that counts for something). since they both put aside their motherly duties a long time ago, it is only fair to reward them now with a showering of gifts and love notes. they both now have the joy of being a "GRAND"mother, which, from what i hear is pretty darn rewarding in itself. so, this mother's day is for them (not me)....

*thanks mom for being who you are and not judging me for who i am

(click on the pics to see them even BIGGER)

*to my mom-in-law - thanks for being who you are and for giving me my gift (babycakes)

Old Spice Power...

2010-05-05T08:10:00.001-05:00

it was late one night while i was just about to fall asleep and i caught one of these commercials. can i just say that i almost pee'd my pants when i found this, a compilation of ALL the Old Spice commercials! yes, i still love the one with the guy on the horse, "because i smell like a man!", but these are hilarious. odor blocking power for 16 hourrrrrs.....

just like a biker chick...

2010-04-30T17:08:00.002-05:00

well, maybe not exactly like a biker chick...what happens when you have bored housewives? a few things will end up happening: 1) the obvious is drinking, which has already been done in copious amounts. 2) excessive exercising, which apparently has also happened. 3) visiting a tattoo parlor. okay, so it may not be that random, but when everyone else is doing it...why not?! don't worry, this was not on a whim. i've been thinking about this for some time and since it wasn't my first trip to the ink master, it shouldn't come as a surprise (granted it has been almost 16 years since my last visit).

i honestly don't remember the pain being so intense, but like anything else i do (like running 20 miles) the pain is temporary. i'm very proud of my new addition...

i'm sure you're asking, "what's the meaning of it all?"

it's a representation of my boys. each star is the color of their individual birthstone color...the boys were actually quite tickled that i have a "real" tattoo just for them...

don't be a donkey...

2010-04-13T15:32:00.005-05:00

definition: (n) Undoubtedly the most commonly used insult in poker is Donkey. “You are a donkey,” or “He was such a donkey.” Usually directed at a player who is consistently bad, or who engages in some particularly sub-optimal play. However, as with any insult, its uses are wide and it can generally be employed in any vaguely derogatory fashion.

take a look at the amazing prizes we have. who wouldn't want to play? everyone at the final table goes home a winner!!
*1st - $2500 visa Giftcards
*2nd - $1250 Visa Giftcards
*3rd - $750 Visa Giftcards
For 4th – 9th we have the following:
*Foursome from Gentle Creek Golf Club
*Foursome from Craig Ranch Golf Club ($800 Value)
*Callaway Golf Items (Driver, Balls, Shoes - estimated to be about $450-500 value)
*4 Founder's Club Tickets to a Frisco RoughRider baseball game & 1 Parking Pass
(The tickets include All-You-Can-Eat AND DRINK (beer, wine, soda) from the four different locations: JCPenney Club, Sports Den, Mirassou Sunroom, and InTouch Grille - all located in the stadium).
*Texas Rangers baseball tickets with Platinum seating and parking
* $100 Giftcard to Ruth’s Chris Steak House

what i'm saying is...if you don't play...you might consider yourself a donkey...
(of course this does not apply to my out of town friends, unless you want to make the trip out next weekend)

it's about time....

2010-04-12T07:31:00.001-05:00

finally, after 10 weeks of training, we have a group shot! the whole team got together last week for our pizza fundraiser night, and it was a huge success. a ginormous thank you to Harry Awad (owner) and Palio's Pizza for hosting such a great night, and thanks to all the families who came out to support us. we had such a great time working that i started second guessing this whole stay at home mom thing....

Hank's Homies

Jessica K. - Me - Harry - Jen K. - Ana J. - Jessica D.

this weekend we are scheduled to run 16 miles, but unfortunately we had planned (back in January) to surprise the kids by taking them down to San Antonio and Sea World for big man's 8th birthday. which means i'll be missing the group run on saturday!! which means i have to run 16 miles alone, in a strange place! i'm starting to wonder if walking around Sea World would be enough and just skipping the run part, but i don't think skipping the week before our 20 mile run is going to be a good idea.

oh, if you're wondering about the caption, Hank's Homies, that's what we've named ourselves. in honor of our hero, Hank K., whom we've been running, fundraising, and praying for. join the club, we even have hats...HOLLA!

everyone needs a Stay-Cation...

2010-04-07T18:35:00.001-05:00

i know i do....so, this may only apply to my localites, but it's probably one of the best and easiest fundraisers i'm doing. our Team in Training group is having a drawing for a mini Stay-Cation. it's simple really, from now until May 1 any donation you make towards my fundraising goal will be entered into the drawing. for every $10 donated you will recieve one entry...the more you donate...the more entries you will earn!! wanna know what you're going to win? how does this sound....

2 Nights at aLoft Hotel in Plano

a $250 gift card to Bob's Steak House

and a $50 gift card to CineMark Theaters

really, it's that simple! it's the perfect "date night"! all you have to do is donate...and for my locals...i take cold hard cash as well. wow! this is really exciting, but not quite as exciting as the 12 miles i'm going to be running this weekend, but it's right up there...

exactly 2 months from today...

2010-04-06T16:15:00.002-05:00

at this time, exactly 2 months from today, i will have already finished running 26.2 miles. it's crazy to think that i will have accomplished something so far fetched, but i'm actually starting to get excited about the exhileration i'm going to feel. yes, training for the marathon has been tough and will only get harder in the next few weeks (running 12 miles this week, 16 miles next week, and 20 miles by the end of the month!!), but after hearing of our honored hero coming out of remission with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, running is a cake walk. our small group has already raised over $11,000 in the past 2 months, but we are still shy of our goal by $3,500. i'm hoping that in the next few weeks our fundraising efforts will prove to be more substantial. we have an awesome local pizza place that has offered to host a fundraising night and we all look forward to putting on an apron to help out.

not only are we having pizza night, but our final big event will be the Poker Tournament.

it really looks like we're going to have a ton of fun with this and i wish it were that easy for everyone to attend, but for those of you non-locals....you can always help by donating...

Ashley's Team in Training Page - you can help by clicking here!

happy easter

2010-04-04T22:00:00.002-05:00

almost missed the boat on Easter this year. guess i've been so busy with the boys soccer schedules, my running schedule, and trying to keep my kids fed and clothed. their poor little buckets were so pititful, but i don't think they minded too much...we woke up to find a living room full of candy wrappers. too bad dudes, that was breakfast!

the rest of the weekend went very well. yesterday was my 10 mile training run. yes, 10 miles!! i actually was a little nervous about running this week, after last week's horrible sit on the curb and cry kind of run. i actually felt great this week; fundraising is going a little better and the weather is finally warming up. we'll see how long this excitement and comfort with running lasts...next week we have 12 miles on the schedule...

11 inches...

2010-03-31T21:16:00.000-05:00

after weeks of anticipation and serious thoughts of turning back, i finally took the scissors to the hair. just a haircut you say, but for me i spent most of last night tossing and turning with extreme anxiety. this morning i paced the house waiting for my amazing friends to come pick me up. yes, i had a designated driver for the big event. it took 2 jello shots in the car before i could calm down.

and yes, my frieds are so supportive that they showed up in some fabulous wigs!

you would think i was being carted off to have my head shaved, but it was just a haircut. i can only imagine what they would do if i needed support for something serious. anyway...the cutting went off without a hitch, except for that i have the worst camera known to man! here are a few of the decent documentation shots:

i'm so happy that i was able to do this. not only did i get a great cut, but someone is getting 11 inches of my hair!! it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders...literally. i want to thank my friends for being so great and ~~getting me tipsy~~ encouraging me today, because they made the experience that much more relaxing and fun.

now...the rest of my day...different story. today was recomittment day for Team in Training , which means it's on like donkey kong now! i spent all morning putting together my paperwork to say i was fully comitted to running 26.2 miles and raising $2,900 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. WHOA! now it's up to me for the next 2 months to continue my training and not hurt myself in the process....

please don't make me beg...

2010-03-23T16:31:00.001-05:00

you would think i have all the time in the world, with as much time i've spent sitting here at the computer messing with my "hair", when i should be doing something more productive (emptying the dishwasher, laundry, fixing dinner, or cleaning up a million legos!) but next week is the big haircutting day! i'm starting to bite my nails i'm so nervous. okay, scratch that, i'm just going to eat another brownie. i don't know why it's such a big deal to get a haircut, but for me it's like buying a house or choosing your child's name. this is a big deal! i guess i will feel a little comfort knowing that my hair will be making someone else very happy. did you know it can cost as much as $1,800 to make a wig?! thanks to people like Locks of Love and Pantene, women and children, suffering from hair loss due to illness or cancer, are able to have a beautiful flowing mane again. so, as part of my fundraising (Team in Training) i'm donating my hair to the cause.

when i say i've been sitting at the computer for hours, i'm not lying! i've been trying to figure out what i'm going to do with my hair once it's gone. i posted a while ago with a couple ideas, but i think i have it narrowed down to this one:

not the best picture, but even after hours of cyber styling, i couldn't get it to look like "me". now for the part where i start to beg. i will admit fundraising for this marathon has proved to be a little more dificult than i had anticipated, but i have hope that things will work out in the end. i still have 2 more months to raise the remaining $2,000. i was hoping that by haircut day i would have raised a little more, but with only a week away, let's just say it's not the goal i was hoping for. dudes, this is a great cause and all the money donated is tax deductible. think about it, and think about my hair next week...bye bye long shiny locks...

spring break...

2010-03-20T17:41:00.001-05:00

if it wasn't for the fact that we were spending time with my sister, this would have been the crappiest spring break ever. when you think of "spring break", you think sunshine and warmer weather, but it did nothing but rain and stay below 50 degrees the entire week. even today, the first official day of spring, it dropped to 35 degrees and started snowing!!

so, we decided months ago that we would make the 12 hour drive to my sister's for spring break, and it actually wasn't that bad of a drive. minus the 50 million stops along the way, 12 hours is pretty good time. we spent the first day just relaxing (E and i went to a movie - during the day!) and then the next day we made the hour or so drive to NASA! the boys were super thrilled to see actual space ships.

we also celebrated Nolan and Miller's (my nephew) 2nd birthday (they just happen to be 2 days apart). it was a busy week, and unfortunately we brought our sick with us when we came and my poor sister came down with strep throat.

after a week at my sister's, we made the 12 hour trip back home, and to the kids surprise GaGa and Papa EJ were waiting for them at our house. not sure who was more excited, me or the kids. we now have the weekend to relax before going back to school on monday...

just a 2 year check-up...

2010-03-10T18:01:00.000-06:00

big boy went in for his 2 year check-up yesterday and surprsingly only grew another inch (now 34.25 inches), but i was not shocked that he didn't gain any weight. dude does not eat! yes, his diet consists of fruit chews, apple juice, and the occasional donut. it's not for lack of trying, because i know he loves anything green, broccoli, avocado, green beans, & edamame, but he just won't eat.

he's such a trooper. when it came time for his booster shot he just looked at me with this WTF face and said "oush", and that was it. not a single tear, and then it was off to lunch with Daddy followed with a milkshake...

happy birthday NoNo...

2010-03-04T09:30:00.001-06:00

two years ago today, on a snowy Tuesday at 7:54am, our chunky monkey made a big debut

52 weeks are finally over...

2010-02-28T12:08:00.002-06:00

i had this insane idea last year to try one of those 52 Week Projects and damn it if it didn't take me all year to do it!! (*giggling at my own humor*) well, it's finally finished, and why you ask in the almost 3rd month of the year? i'm a procrastinator, and didn't start my project last year until the first week of March! not sure what i'm going to do with it now that i'm finished, but here it is, all 52 of them....

(click on the photo to see it all large and spectacular)

someone turned 35...

2010-02-28T11:57:00.000-06:00

nope, not me, but hubby turned 35 yesterday! i felt bad that the day was not centered around him, but that's to be expected in our house (of 3 very active boys). the day started out like every saturday will for the next few months (thanks to the marathon training) with me getting up at 5:30 to go for a nice long run, then it was off to 8am soccer, 9:45am basketball, quick stop home for lunch and change of clothes, 1pm soccer game (x2 - both boys had games at the same time), grocery store, and finally home to make a cake at 5pm. pretty much every saturday ends up being like this, but i think my hubby secretly enjoys the hectic schedule.

well, we enjoyed the ~~box~~ made from scratch cake and watched the Olympics with a few beers....NICE....

Happy Birthday BabyCakes!

hair be gone....

2010-02-26T15:06:00.006-06:00

it seems every year or two i get the crazy idea to cut my hair, and to most people that really isn't crazy, but for me, cutting my hair is a BIG deal. as it is, i only visit my stylist maybe once or twice a year! so, yes my hair is long (like a couple of chipmunks took refuge and made a nest long). it's a hot mess! so....since i've been training for the marathon i've been trying to think of creative ways to raise money for my cause. yes, i know i've been asking everyone i know to just give me money, but how about something a little more interesting? i'm sure everyone has heard of Locks of Love...well, why not donate this mess of hair to someone who really needs it. it may not be raising the money i need to meet my goal, but it's just another way i can help someone who has suffered one of the many side effects of dealing with cancer.

it may not be the best idea, because i don't think i look so hot with short hair, but i'm willing to sacrifice my hair for someone else to have a great hot mess of their own. so, are you wondering how this will involve you? i definitely need encouragement, not only for my training and fundraising, but to actually go through with cutting my hair. what you can do to help...DONATE!! i'm for sure going to post pictures of the great event (whenever it may be) and you don't want to miss it, but i really need your help.

i'm taking this seriously. those who know me well know that i hate to have my haircut; it freaks me out. i've been researching ideas on what to do after the big cut, so i would like some input on this as well....

be honest and let me know what you think, but also i would really like for you to help me along with my fundraising...it's hard work...

UPDATE:

it seems that #2 is by far the majority, which made me get busy and start "trying on" more styles. and this is the other style that caught my eye:

UPDATE #2:

i was really hoping to have met the halfway point on my fundraising before going the distance myself, but i'm not quite there. am i really going to have to start begging? c'mon guys, i need a little more motivation! i had originally set the Big Day for March 31, but without the ~~balls~~ support, it's kind of hard to go through with it...

because i can...

2010-02-22T16:37:00.001-06:00

for most everyone, today started out like any other monday, but for me it was a little different. not only is it the dreaded monday, but my gastritis decided to flare up, my hubby went out of town, the kids were very late for school, my Aunt FLO came to visit (with her very crampy cousin) with a vengenance, and it was an overly windy 30 degrees out, but even with all of this on my shoulders...i went out and ran my scheduled 2 miles for marathon training (with a smile on my face). why you ask? because i can.

our last inspirational speaker, at our usual saturday morning Team in Training run, was a father who spoke to us about his son and his battle with leukemia. i normally don't get all gushy and weepy, especially that early in the morning, but this day was a little different. i don't know if it was the time of month or that his son was the same age as my kids are now, but his story hit me hard. i'm not saying i cried like a baby, but it's been almost 3 days now and i can't stop thinking about his story. the point is, his 3 year old son fought a battle that no child should ever have to. so, when someone asks me why i'm running a marathon, my answer (my motto) will always be "BECAUSE I CAN!"

i'm hoping that my work with Team in Training will help in any way that it can. so, yes, every penny that i can raise counts toward something. go ahead and ask yourself how horrible your monday was and then think of how horrible it could really be. okay...off the soapbox i jump and out the door i go for another run, with a smile on my face...

please, if you get a chance and feel like being proactive today, visit my Team in Training page:

Ashley's Team in Training Page

it's quiet and i'm tired...

2010-02-21T17:16:00.000-06:00

it's almost the end of February and i am exhausted. i was so sure that the new year would bring a little more peace and quiet to our house...boy was i wrong! the new year meant a new season of sports in the McCool house. not only is our oldest playing soccer (for 3 different teams - not by his choice obviously), the middle punk is also playing soccer, and, of course, i'm in the midst of traing for this marathon. so, if you could see my schedule for the next 3 months....well, let's just say it will give you a headache just trying to comprehend it.

i thought that blowing off steam every Saturday night might help, but that has proven to backfire...all 3 times! you think i would have learned my lesson after the first weekend or even the second, but no, i thought i could take it easy and try again. so far, the month of February blows. i take that back....the Sundays in February BLOW! enough already with made up holidays, birthdays, social functions....i'm tired! (but i did have fun)

well, crapola...there's one more weekend in this month! okay, so maybe next month i'll take it easy...

still snowing...

2010-02-11T20:02:00.004-06:00

just a few pictures from our crazy snow day, because you know when we do something in Texas, we do it BIG! (i've heard that we completely broke the local record for the amount of snowfall in a single day - almost 10 inches now and still the flakes are falling)

as far as the eye can see...

2010-02-11T11:42:00.000-06:00

would you believe that it's February in the Lone Star State? but then again nothing surprises me here with the weather. when my youngest was born 2 years ago, it snowed just like this, and it was MARCH! when most kids are starting spring break, ours are bundling up for snow! yeah, yeah northerners...blah blah blah you see snow 8 months out of the year, but this is TEXAS - it's HOT here most of the time. i even searched for, what seemed hours, historical data on previous record holding snow days in our area. couldn't find much, but i'm going to go on record and say that in the 5 years that we've been here, this has never happened! yes, it may snow for a few hours and stick for a few hours, but today it started snowing in the wee hours of the morning and has not even shown signs of stopping. we're starting to get drifts in the yard and the planters around the house are all now hidden under blankets of snow.

the kids are bugging the crap out of me to go out and play, but i'm such a ~~weenie~~ souther girl, that we're not really equipped to go out in the snow. the kids don't have gloves or water proof shoes, and i don't have any way to protect my camera (we have to document this momentous occasion). i'm really hoping that my hubby decides to call it a day at work and head home early just so i don't have to take all 3 kids out in the snow by myself...