They Are Still Not Home

Have you ever had a neighbor that you talked to every single day?

You talked to her on the phone even though you knew you would be seeing her later that day?

Or worse, you talked to her on the phone while walking to her house?!

You trusted this neighbor like a family member when it came to the safety of your kids?

Or when they get home from vacation, your son says, “It’s good to have them home”.  As if they actually live in our house!

Do you still live near this neighbor?

Well, I had a neighbor just like that for almost 3 years and they moved 14 hours away 3 weeks ago.

25 Random Things About Me

Me!

Remember when the "25 Random Things" was going around Facebook?  Someone would write 25 random things about themselves, then tag 25 of their friends.  Those 25 friends were supposed to then write 25 random things about themselves and so on.

Anyway, here are my 25 Random Things that I posted on Facebook awhile back.  I had to change the number of years in number 1, but other than that, it's all the same.

I hope you enjoy!  Here's a little about me:


1. I have not used a microwave in over 10 years.

2. I love facebook and am admittedly addicted! I love that I can talk to and keep in touch with people I otherwise would not have been able to find!

3. I could spend all day sitting on the couch cuddling with my kids watching movies (and sometimes we do!).

4. Ignorance frustrates me, but stupidity infuriates me.

New Cigarette Labels

Now that the tobacco industry is under the control of the FDA, starting in September 2012, there will be new labels on cigarette packages and advertising.
Here are a the labels:

What do you think?
Are you a smoker and frustrated with the new ads?  Kind of like, ‘Yeah, yeah, I know it’s bad for me.  I’m doing it anyway and I don’t need a reminder every time I smoke.’?

Are you a nonsmoker and happy about the ads?  Thinking maybe it cause some people to quit?  Maybe even some loved ones that you are concerned about and want to quit?

I am a nonsmoker (shocker, I know), and I personally LOVE these new labels.  I feel like so many smokers *know* they shouldn’t smoke and know it’s bad for them, but they just don’t think about it all that often.  Or don’t have a big enough motivator to quit.

Maybe these labels will be just the motivation some people need to quit smoking!

I had to watch my grandma live on oxygen her last year of life due to emphysema from smoking, so I, for one, hope that these labels will wake some people up and cause them to quit! 

A Day To Myself

Tomorrow I will have been married to my hubby for 9 years!

For our anniversary, we will usually just go out to eat together or even just stay in and just spend time together that way.

This year, David Gray is coming to town on June 30th for a concert.  My hubby loves him, so we decided we would go to that this year and call it our anniversary date even though it's not on our actual anniversary.

I thought that would be it and we would just chill on our anniversary tomorrow.

Well, my sweet hubby called me and asked if the kids and I had any plans tomorrow during the day.  I told him I didn't think we did.  And he then tells me that he got a babysitter for the kids so I can go out and do whatever I want!!!!

Seriously???

I never get to just go do whatever!  This is the best anniversary present ever!!

Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, but we all need a little me time and tomorrow's my day!

Now I just have to figure out what to do...  I have 6 hours (give or take)... what should I do?

What would you do if you were just given 6 hours of me time to do with how you please??

This is my sweet hubby.  I almost didn't want to post a picture of him as to not make everyone jealous.

Atlanta Fun

This is for anyone who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, has ever lived in Atlanta, has ever visited Atlanta, ever plans to visit Atlanta, knows anyone who already lives in Atlanta, or knows anyone who has ever heard of Atlanta.

• Atlanta is composed mostly of one-way streets. The only way to get out of downtown Atlanta is to turnaround and start over when you reach Greenville , South Carolina.

•  All directions start with, "Go down Peachtree" and include the phrase, "When you see the Waffle House." except that in Cobb County , where all directions begin with, "Go to the Big Chicken."

• Peachtree Street has no beginning and no end and is not to be confused with:

Peachtree Circle
Peachtree Place
Peachtree Lane
Peachtree Road
Peachtree Parkway
Peachtree Run
Peachtree Terrace
Peachtree Avenue
Peachtree Commons
Peachtree Battle
Peachtree Corners
New Peachtree
Old Peachtree
West Peachtree
Peachtree-Dunwoody
Peachtree-Chamblee
Peachtree Industrial Boulevard

• Atlantans only know their way to work and their way home. If you ask anyone for directions, they will always send you down Peachtree.

• Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola. Coke's all they drink there so don't ask for any other soft drink unless it's made by Coca-Cola. Even if you want something other than a Coca-Cola, it's still called Coke.

• The gates at Atlanta 's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport are about 32 miles away from the Main Concourse, so wear sneakers and pack a lunch.

• The 8 a.m. rush hour is from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

• The 5 p.m. rush hour is from 3:00 p.m. to 7:30 pm. (Don’t forget the lunch time rush hour!)

• Friday's rush hour starts Thursday afternoon and lasts through 2 a.m. Saturday.

• Only a native can pronounce Ponce De Leon Avenue , so do not attempt the Spanish pronunciation. People will simply tilt their heads to the right and stare at you. The Atlanta pronunciation is " pawntz duh LEE-awn."

• And yes, they have a street named simply, "Boulevard. 

• The falling of one raindrop causes all drivers to immediately forget all traffic rules. If a single snowflake falls, the city is paralyzed for three days and it's on all the channels as a news flash every 15 minutes for a week. Overnight, all grocery stores will be sold out of milk, bread, bottled water, toilet paper, and beer. 
• I-285, the loop that encircles Atlanta which has a posted speed limit of 55 mph but you have to maintain 80 mph just to keep from getting run over and is known to truckers as "The Watermelon 500." 
• Don't believe the directional markers on highways: I-285 is marked "East" and "West" but you may be going North or South. The locals identify the direction by referring to the "Inner Loop" and the "Outer Loop ."

• If you travel on Hwy 92 North, you will actually be going southeast. 
• Never buy a ladder or mattress in Atlanta . Just go to one of the interstates and you will soon find one in the middle of the road. 
• The last thing you want to do is give another driver the finger, unless your car is armored, your trigger finger is itchy and your AK-47 has a full clip. 
• Possums sleep in the middle of the road with their feet in the air. 
• There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 live in Georgia. 
• There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in Georgia , plus a couple no one has seen before. 
• If it grows, it sticks. If it crawls, it bites. If you notice a vine trying to wrap itself around your leg, you have about 20 seconds to escape, before you are completely captured and covered with Kudzu. 
• It's not a shopping cart, it's a buggy. 
• "Fixinto" is one word (I'm fixinto go to the store) - also can be pronounced "Fixinta". 
• Sweet Tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you're 2 years old. 
• "Jeet?" is actually a phrase meaning "Did you eat?" 
• "How's Momma-nem" means: "How's Mother and all of the other children and other members of the family doing?"

If you understand these jokes, share them with your friends from Atlanta , Georgia, and those who just wish they were.

Disclaimer: I did not make these up.  I got this from a friend in my email.  I have no idea who wrote it.  I just thought it was funny and wanted to share.

10 Ways I Admire My Daddy

In honor of Father’s Day, I wanted to share some of the wonderful qualities in my own dad. 

1. Forgiveness – He has this amazing ability to forgive those that have wronged him.
2. Protector – Like any great dad, he is protective of his kids and wife (and family members and friends too!). 
3. Loyal – Once a friend.  Always a friend.  Most of his friends he has now have been his friends for decades.
4. Concentration – This may seem like a strange one, but he can read or watch t.v. no matter what is going on around him and still know what is going on in the book or on the t.v.  This is a trait my mom is not so excited about, but I wish I had that kind of concentration.
5. Selflessness – If a friend or family member needs something, whether it be material or just an ear, he is there in a heartbeat.  Also, if someone wants to do something he doesn’t necessarily want to do, he will usually do what they want.  He just goes with the flow.
6. Loving – He is a very loving Dad.  He will call me if we haven’t talked in awhile, we will talk for a few minutes and then he will let me go by saying, ‘Okay, I just wanted to say hi and hear your voice.  I hadn’t heard my little girls voice in awhile.’  I like it.  Same thing with the grandkids.  He can’t go longer than a few weeks without seeing them, so if it’s been that long or longer, he and mom will hop in the car and visit us (we are 3 hours away).
7. Trustworthy – He is a man of his word and an honest and faithful husband.
8. Trusting – He trusts that people are good and will treat him the way people are meant to be treated.  I think it is because he is so trustworthy, so he expects the same of others.  This is a trait I admire in him, but sometimes people will see how trusting he is and take advantage of that.  As a daughter, I’m not so happy about that!
9. Not Controlling- I couldn’t think of a better way to say that, so let me explain.  There are some fathers that will still try to tell there 30something, 40something, etc kids what to do, how to live their life, how to raise their kids, etc.  My dad doesn’t do that.  He knows that he raised us the best he and mom could and hopes that we will make the right decisions based on the ethics/morals we were taught.  I think that is an admirable trait.
10. Godly – This man respects God and emanates the way He would like us to live.  Nonjudgmental, honest, faithful, and in general just a good person.

My dad with my youngest.

I know how lucky I am to have the Dad that I have and hope all of you are just as lucky as I am to have a Dad (or father figure) like mine!

Happy Father’s Day to all the dad’s out there!

You Might Be A Mommy Blogger If…

Some of the following apply to me, and some of them I have observed in other bloggers.  It’s between my computer and me which ones are which.

You might be a mommy blogger if…

• When you make a great meal (or even a good meal), you are disappointed after the meal, because you didn’t take pictures of it and therefore, can’t blog about it.
• Your child sees you take a picture of something random and says, “Why are you taking a picture of that?  You gonna blog about it?”
• You can’t distinguish between what it too much information and what is private.
• When you don’t blog for a few days, you feel the need to apologize to your readers as if their life would not go on without reading your thoughts.
• When you see something on the news or just when out and about that is funny, sad, maddening, etc, you feel the need to blog about it, because of course your readers will want to know how you feel about the matter.(This goes along with the previous point)
• You blogged about your pregnancy before all your family and friends even knew about it.
• You know a whole other language that you didn’t know existed before blogging.  This foreign language includes, but is not limited to, GFC, SEO, IRL, PR, and Linky…. oh, did I not mention this foreign language was mostly made up of abbreviations?

More from my blog friends:

• You make your best meals when you know you will be blogging about them. (Thanks Tamara!)
• Your 3 year old asks how many 'hits' you got on your blog that day. (Thanks Maria!)
• Another one from Maria - When your child gets computer time, he opens up a word doc and pretends to be typing a blog post!
• Your friends cut you off each time you try to tell a story with "I know, I read it on your blog" Thanks Beth!  I totally meant to add that one and forgot!  Glad you thought of it.
• You had to start a blog for your kiddos so they could be like you. (Thanks Crunchy Beach Mama!)
• When your kids get dressed and are all cute, they ask you to take a picture of them for your blog! (Thanks Jayme!)

 If any of these sound familiar to you, it may be wise to seek professional help.

Deep Green Alkalising Superfood Sale

Okay everyone, this is a quick sale, so if you want to take advantage of it, you have to act quickly!

When you place an order of OneGroup products that total 150 points or more, you can get 50% off of the Deep Green Alkalising Superfood that you purchase (after the 150 points).

All you have to do is enter the promo code DEEPGREEN at checkout.

So, here's the kicker... you have to order by 10am EST to get the discount.  That's less than 24 hours folks!  Hurry!

Whole Foods Blueberry Sale - One Day Only!

Get 1 pint of organic blueberries for $1.99 at all Whole Foods U.S. and Canada stores (while supplies last) TOMORROW ONLY! (June 17th)

According to Oregon Blueberries, the benefits of blueberries include:

• improved vision
• clearing arteries
• more antioxidants for disease protection
• strengthening blood vessels
• enhanced memory
• stopping urinary tract infections
• reversing age-related physical and mental declines
• promoting weight control

Need more convincing?  They are yummy!!!!!! 

Lovable Labels BlogHer’ 11 Getaway Contest

Job Specifications for Position in Local Household

Position Title: Mom, Mommy, Mother, Momma, or Mooooooommmmmmmmmy! (This is not a complete list.  Please consult your own language for your title)

Qualifications/Knowledge: This topic has the potential for being controversial, but ultimately, no knowledge is absolutely necessary.  All that is really required is an X chromosome, although literacy is a plus.

Skills/Duties/Responsibilities:

• Provide unconditional love for the duration of position.
• Tolerant of public humiliation, but take solace in the fact you will be able to return the favor in the teenage years.
• Must answer the same question repeatedly within a 5 minute period.
• Teach child(ren) the dangers of the world without making them wimps.
• Must fully brainwash child(ren) into thinking like you.
• Must allow child to express themselves.  Good example: Let child dress in different shoes and go to the grocery store.  Bad example: Let child scream at the top of their lungs in grocery store.
• Must be willing to watch the same movie/t.v. show over and over.
• Must listen to unsolicited advice from family, friends, and strangers.
• Sunny disposition is preferred.
• Be able to be puked on without puking on child.
• Change feces filled diapers.  So filled, in fact, that the feces goes up the child’s back and down the child’s legs.
• Speaking of feces, you will need to be well versed in how to clean it off of clothes/cribs/bathtubs/floors/walls/car upholstery, and any other object within the child’s reach when/if the child decides to use said feces as finger paint.
• You will be on call 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, 365 days/year.  This includes overnight travel.  If you cannot commit to this, you need not apply.
• This is not always a well liked position.  You will have eyes rolled at you, be yelled at, walked away from in mid-sentence, and, in general, ignored.  
• Must take responsibility for how child(ren) in your care contribute (or not) to society and must not blame outside sources for failure.
• Must be proficient in (or willing to learn) assembling/repairing any and all child’s toys, gadgets, games, etc. (or marry someone who is willing to be responsible for this area of the child’s upbringing).
• Must not care what the Jones’ are doing with their children and/or allow that to influence what you do with yours.
• Must do your own research when it comes to the health of your child(ren) and not assume what the Jones’ are doing is the best (or worst) thing for a child.
• Must organize multiple tasks per child/per week/per day.
• Must get child to events at a reasonable time in relation to the beginning time of said event.  Child must not be the first nor the last person to be dropped off/picked up.  If an event is from 6-8pm.  It would be acceptable to drop off child at 6:08 and pick up child at 8:05.  In general, you are safe as long as you are within a 15 minute window you can stay within without being rude to the event coordinator.
• Must be willing to have other job titles other than those labeled above in ‘Position Title’.  They will include, but are not limited to: Housekeeper, Dry Cleaner, Household Manager, Personal Assistant, Teacher (this may be either a full time or part time decision and that decision is one that will be left up to your discretion), Doctor/nurse, Boo Boo fixer, Chef, Personal Shopper, Booger Picker, Social Coordinator, Hairdresser, Lifestyle Coach, and Spiritual Advisor.

Work Experience: Prior experience would certainly be helpful, but the irony is that prior experience is not available.  On the job training will be provided on a self taught basis.

Compensation/Benefits: You get paid nothing in the monetary sense, BUT you will get all the hugs and kisses that you earn/deserve and some that you don’t earn/deserve.  This will continue until child is in his/her teenage years at which point you will only receive the ones you earn/deserve and sometimes (a lot of times) you won’t even receive those.  You will also need to pay a lump sum when child is 18 in the hopes they will receive a college education and get a good job so that he/she can then take care of you in the unfortunate case that you can no longer do it on your own.  Then, when you die, it is customary (although not required) that you leave the child(ren) any additional money/possessions that you have not already given them.

Note: This will be a long term position.  You will need to be able to commit to at least 18 years.

It is also important to note that many women do not perform the duties listed above.  If you witness such inaction, please refer to what is stated in ‘Qualifications/Knowledge’.

This post was written for the Lovable Labels Blog Her' 11 Contest.

Gettin' Real in the Whole Foods Parking Lot

Just a funny little video I found and wanted to share with you:

Sunday Recap: Heaven Is For Real

This Sunday at Crosspoint, we had the priveledge of seeing Pete  interview Colten, and his dad, Todd Burpo about Colten’s journey to Heaven.

Colten went in for a surgery, and while he was in surgery he says he went to Heaven.  He relayed stories to his parents that there was no way for him to know unless he actually did go to Heaven.

He told his dad that he saw him praying in a room by himself and about how his mom was in another area calling friends and family asking for prayer.  He also told them all about Heaven; what and who he saw while he was there.

The Burpo family has written a book about Colten’s trip to Heaven.  The book is called Heaven is For Real.  It has been #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list for non fiction books for 19 weeks!

If you want to learn more about what Colten saw and learned in Heaven, get the book!

If you want to see the interview and Pete’s thoughts after the interview, click on the picture below and you can see for yourself.



I enjoyed hearing about Colten’s story and this book is being added to my “to read” list.  I hope you enjoy it too!

Have a great week!

Dave Ramsey Summer Cash Giveaway

Dave Ramsey is a generous man!  He gave away money (and stuff) at Christmas, and now he is doing it again!!

It's so easy... all you have to do click on the picture above and enter all your deets (that's details for all you that aren't as cool as me and don't talk in cool slang).

That's it!  Do that every day and you will be entered to win $1000!  He is giving away $20,000 in the month of June ($1000 each to 20 people).

Good luck!

Fellow Blogger Shout Out

Maria from Life, Loss, and Other Things Worth Mentioning thought that my blog was worth mentioning!

I thought it was so sweet I thought I would mention her on my blog! :)

She has a beautiful blog and I'm sure you will like it.  Please tell her I said "Hi"!

My First 5 Question Friday!

Every week My Little Life does her 5 Question Friday and it always looks fun, but of course, I always forget to do it!

Well, not this week!

Here are my answers to her Five Question Friday for this week:
1. How close to your childhood dreams is your life now?

Pretty close.  I always knew I wanted to be a chiropractor.  Actually, when I was really little, I wanted to be a ‘Becky’.  That was the name of my dad’s (who is also a chiropractor) front desk receptionist.  I wanted to be just like her.  Anyway, I grew out of that quickly and decided I wanted to be a chiropractor.  I never grew out of that!  I did plan on practicing with my kids in the office and have this dream scenario, but instead I am staying home with them and homeschooling them.  For now, that is definitely the better scenario!

2. What is one must have item for the summer?
That’s an easy one…. I live in the South.  We have been in the mid to upper 90’s this week…  so I have to have AIR CONDITIONING!!!!

3. Do you have your kids stay up on school stuff during summer vacation? (Or, if you don't have kiddos, did your parents make you keep up on school stuff during summer?)

Yes, we school during the summer.  I’ve never had any complaints about it either, until this summer.  My 9 year old is complaining.  Maybe we will change our schedule around so we can take off next summer, but this summer…. school is on!

4. Do you can or freeze fresh produce?
Freeze…when I can remember.  I want to start canning though, and even bought a kit.  Anyone have any tips for me?

5. Do you get ready for the day first thing in the morning?
Not if I can help it!  I am a much nicer person if I can wake up slowly.  I’m working on changing that part of me.

Hope you enjoyed learning more about me!  If I can remember to, I am going to start doing this every week!  Yay!

P.S. I didn’t make up these questions.  My Little Life supplied them and I answered them.

Fandango Movie Ticket Deal

 

Today's Living Social deal is from Fandango.  For $9, you get 2 movie tickets!

Hurry!  The deal ends soon! (The counter says that it ends 12 hours from now, which will make it 4:05am Central time... not sure why it ends at such an odd time)

Just click on the picture above and you on your way to the movies!