progressions...

wordless wednesday.....BRING IT!

2011-04-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

sunday citar......'CAKE'!!!

2011-04-03T17:05:00.000-07:00

EASY, BREEZY, YUMMY!

i've been wanting to make a post about our

JELLO CAKE

since we made it for our cub scout cake sale!

this is one of my FAVORITE desserts to

make because it's so darn easy,

completely yummy,

and only as limited as your own imagination!

no real need for a recipe cause it's so easy to do....

first, gather your supplies to make two round

white cakes, any size or brand you'd like...

or if you're one of those 'stepford' women,

make it from scratch, lol!

once they've completely cooled, carefully

remove them from their pans....

then trace the pans on some wax paper

and cut out two pieces to fit inside of each pan.

(this step is crucial because if you don't do it,

then when you get to the jello part, they

won't come out of the pan)

poke lots and lots of holes into each cake

with a fork or a toothpick.

dissolve the one or two kinds of jello

you've selected into dishes with warm water.

(i've never measured this step and always had great

results, i'd guess it's about a cup or so)

then spoon over the cake and allow to dribble

into the holes....as much or as little as you like.

cover both pans with plastic wrap and allow

to chill in the fridge for at least a couple of hours...

when they're done, CAREFULLY remove

the first cake from the pan and place on the

decorating surface you plan to use...

today we made the 'flag' version of the cake...

you will usually use whipped topping for

your frosting (although i suppose you could

use frosting if you chose to) because the

combination of white cake, fruit and whipped

topping makes a FANTASTIC treat similar to a shortcake!

frost your bottom layer with the

whipped topping. we didn't do it this time,

but feel free to throw some of your

delicious fruit choice on top of this first layer

so that it's right inside your cake!

then put your top layer on and frost that too!

then decorate the top with your remaining fruit!

this was the final result of ours and it was not the fanciest,

but it was FOR SURE the first to go!

now let's use our imaginations.....

how about:

*red and blue jello with strawberries or raspberries and

blueberries for the FOURTH OF JULY?

*yellow and purple jello with lemon zest and slices for EASTER?

*green jello and lime zest and slices for ST. PATRICK'S DAY?

*red jello and strawberries or raspberries or cherries

for VALENTINE'S DAY?

*orange and dark purple (black cherry) jello and

dark cherries w/ orange zest for HALLOWEEN?

*green and red jello with strawberries or raspberries

or cranberries w/lime zest for CHRISTMAS?

the possibilities are virutally ENDLESS!

wondering where the 'citar' is......

"Your good friend has just taken a piece of cake

out of the garbage and eatin it. You will probably need this

information when you check me into the

Betty Crocker clinic."

Miranda-'Sex in the City'

sunday citar....'i'm no julie'

2011-03-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

it's been only recently that i've re-entered the

wonderful world of blogging once again.....

and with that comes the weekly occurance of

SUNDAY CITAR!

it's a wonderful idea from my adorable

friend tab @

http://tabithablue.blogspot.com/

so i'm tying another new obsession of

mine into my sunday citar

and it is

(insert drumroll here)

JULIE & JULIA!

one of my newest and all time

favorite movies now!

partially because it's about blogging,

and also because it's wonderfully acted,

delightfully witty and adorable,

and about something i love to do....COOK!

if you haven't had the privledge, it's a must see!

(warning: this is a 'chick flick' so you may

want to wait til the men are gone)

it's the journey of how blogging made one woman

very famous! each time i see it i want to be

a better blogger....

oh, and learn how to add cool little gadgets

like count-downs to my blog!

i'm planning on a blogging tutorial some time

in the near future with one of my

other dear friends, ashlee,

who coincidentally is a blogger as well @

http://mommyunscripted.blogspot.com/

stop by both for a visit....they would love that!

but back to the movie...

it's set in two different eras, two different

countries, America and France,

and it's charming and addicting!

check out

http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/julieandjulia/

for a great trailor!

it stars Amy Adams (on the left) as the real Julie Powell (on the right)

and Meryl Streep (above)

as Julia Child (on the right)

now for the citar.....

"I sincerely believe blogging can save America."

John Jay Hooker

"The influence of blogging is overall

a very positive force in the media."

Garrett M. Graff

wordless wednesday-"sprung" (w/a disclaimer,lol)

2011-03-23T10:32:00.000-07:00

believe it or not.....

it's march 23rd!

but when you live in

MICHIGAN

whatcha gonna do?

(now here's the disclaimer)

my pc has a bug

kinda like the weather today

so i can't access my own pics.

so i nabbed this from a relative...

sunday citar....'changes'

2011-03-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

it's about that time again....

ahhh, just love sundays for so many reasons....

and one of them is 'sunday citar'

created by my wonderful friend tabitha blue

@ Fresh Mommy!

with the season changing,

as well as the time, air and color of the sky,

i thought that 'change' would be a perfect

thing to share some inspiration about....

ENJOY!

"I can be changed but what happens to me,

but I refuse to be reduced by it."

Maya Angelou

"If you begin to understand what you are

without trying to change it,

then what you are undergoes a transformation."

Jiddu Krishnamurti

"Failure is not fatal,
but failure to change might be."
John Wooden

sunday citar.....'a toy story'

2011-03-13T17:51:00.001-07:00

what could be more fun,

than an afternoon at

'TOY STORY 3 ON ICE'

and my favorite little man in the

whole wide world!

"There's a snake in my boots!"

Woody

"To

infinity

and

beyond!"

Buzz Lightyear

Space Ranger

"At last. I'm gonna get played with!"
Rex

"C'mon, let's see

how much

we're going

for on

ebay."

Hamm

"Yeah, I'd like to loosen his stitching."

Slinky Dog

"I told you

kids to stay

out of my

butt!"

Mr. Potato Head

"Well aren't you just the sweetest space

toy I ever did meet!"

Jesse

"This is

from what,

1967?"

Barbie

"So who's ready for Ken's Dream Tour?"

Ken

"Come on Ken,

recess don't last

forever."

Lotso

118 days and counting......

2011-03-08T17:42:00.000-08:00

as i was thumbing through my photos...

searching for bloggerland inspiration...

i stumbled upon the pictures of our last 4th of july celebration.

for years now, we have traveled very close to home,

to our very favorite spot of summer...

a town so small you can drive through it in about one minute or less!

it's not even a town, it's actually considered a village.

but on the 4th, they knock it out of the park!!!

this quaint, tiny little beach and hillside are crammed with

several thousand people, all ready to celebrate and swim!

there's rarely a spot of green grass left by midday time...

of course, for my little man, it's mostly about the swimming!

that goes for my friends girls too...

but as you can see, waaaay back in the corner there,

they bring in the 'blow-ups', which are even more

fun when you're wet!

they even brought in a rock wall last year!

during the day, this band played some great

old 'rock-n-roll' tunes from under the pavillion...

and near the entrance you can find things to buy such as

elephant ears, fresh-grilled hot dogs, popcorn

and various glow-in-the-dark toys and trinkets!

this chillin' beauty on the right in the green and blue,

is my best friend jenney...

and as the nights fall in,

another band took over and people begin to dance,

anxiously awaiting the boom, boom, boom

of the impending fireworks!

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

(barely) sunday citar......26 vs. 100!

2011-03-06T17:24:00.000-08:00

this beautiful little boy

with the gorgeous big brown eyes is

ASHER!

asher is plagued by the double A's...

allergies and asthma!

and as par for the course,

(32 last year)

he's missed a lot of school this year!

and i do mean a lot!!!!

this year he's missed 26 days so

far and will be missing at least

one more this week,

as he is currently sick again....

YUK!

this is the great hat we made for his

100 DAY of school celebration...

sadly though, he never got to wear it

since....you guessed it....he was sick again!

DRATS!

"The disease that racks and wastes thy limbs,

and the sickness in thy heart,

has flown as an eagle to a far distance,

overcome by my charm!"

Atharva Veda

"SUPERheroes"

2011-03-03T06:46:00.002-08:00

"SUPERHEROES"

what does that mean to you?

who are they in your life?

are they fictional characters?

or characters from the Bible?

or are they ordinary people,

doing extraordinary things?

the little guy on the right

is one of mine....

his name is Zach

and he's one of my

adorable little

cub scouts!

he bright, energetic,

and has such an

amazing heart!

and this little guy,

my son Asher,

is another!

he loves life and people

with every ounce of his being!

he's not afraid to try NEW things,

(with the exception of new foods, he's autistic

and only eats a handful of things)

and he's ALWAYS on the go!

people who love life and live it to the fullest have always

been my heroes as well!

people who love other people,

and show kindness every day are my heroes as well!

WHO ARE SOME OF YOURS AND WHY???

sunday citar...."sportsmanship"

2011-02-27T19:10:00.000-08:00

this is my son's 1st year as a cub scout...

and i'd have to say that we haven't

enjoyed anything more!

but the competition....

we were not prepared for!

it all began with the annual cake sale...

(again, new to us being our first year)

we went for the 'patriotic' themed cake...

THIS was the actual winner!!!
quite the difference eh?

we'll get em' next year!!!

then came the PINEWOOD DERBY...

unfortunatley.....

he came in last cause momma don't know

how to build no fast cars!

and yet, they were both such a blessing to us....

because both times we were in a position to teach

one of those great 'life lessons'

that, as parents, we all must teach.

and the TRUE joy and spirit of boy scouts

is that we help our pack grow by supporting one another...

and the spirit of 'sportsmanship' lives on!

"One man practicing SPORTSMANSHIP

is better than a hundred teaching it."

Knute Rockne

red or blue????

2011-02-23T06:17:00.000-08:00

when you're a single gal,

you can quite easily get the

blues

when Valentine's Day

rolls around.

you can feel left out of the

loop completely.

but i've decided that

Valentine's Day

can just as easily be a day of

showing love...

to anyone at all...

kids, parents, friends...

anybody.

so that's what i did!

besides, how could one be blue

when you're blessed with all of this....

first, you gather your supplies...

then you fill our your Valentine's...
(don't forget anybody!)

you sweeten the pot with some goodies

and soak in the fun times while you're making them...

you find yourself a gorgeous date
and maybe take in a movie...

you spend some time with all your friends,

eating, giggling and don't forget the hugs...

you set the scene

for tons of fun...

you tear into it with all you got...

then you twist around,

and twist around,

with all of your might!

you smile as cute as you can...

and pretty soon, before you know it,

your heart is bright red

and bursting with love!

sunday citar....surprise!

2011-02-20T17:14:00.000-08:00

"The first step is always to succeed

in becoming surprised,

to notice that there is

something funny going on."

David Gelernter

the RESURRECTION!!!

2011-02-15T08:42:00.000-08:00

IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?

First, I must PLEAD for forgiveness

to the few, but fantastic followers

I once had before I carelessly

allowed my blog to die!

Second, I must BEG for you to

come back to momma

and show me some love once again!

And finally,

I will PROMISE to faithfully, to the best

of my ability, to create and entertain with my blogging to come. Oh, won't you join me?

WORDFUL wednesday....."you gotta friend in me!"

2009-11-18T12:47:00.000-08:00

ok, first let me say.....

"WORDLESS wednesday" is not working for me!

pics are nice, but without the

"story," they lose something.....

so i'm changing it to

"WORDFUL wednesday"....

at least for now....

this is back to the summertime....

my dear friend JENNEY is graciously

hauling around her daughter LILA

(whom we often refer to as "PRINCESS LILA"

due to her disposition, and she's my God-daugher to boot!),

ASHER and her other daughter ALYSSA...

here's some old friends at my high school reunion...

SELENA, (ME), MICHELLE and DEE...

here is one of my dearest friends to date
ROBIN!
(and yes, i'm wearing the same dress....
in fact, i got a ton of use out of this dress this summer,
all in different social circles...you gotta love that!)...

here's her gorgeous daughter
DARCIE, playing with asher
(p.s. he refers to her as his "girlfriend," LOL!)

here's asher and his favorite old friend
WOODY!...

and at his last birthday party we had so many

we consider ourselves beyond blessed...

ALYSSA, LILA, CHUCKIE, ASHER, ALIYAH,

TABITHA, NOAH, ETHAN and DREW!

not me monday!!!.....new haircut!

2009-11-02T15:21:00.001-08:00

i had to cut off asher's mohawk

cause i got it very, very crooked

on his last cut...

when we took a look at it,

something came to mind....BUT....

i DID NOT

dress my kid up like a

hari krishna,

give him a tamborine

and take his picture!

sunday citarS.....the ending to a wonderful halloween!

2009-11-01T14:39:00.001-08:00

our final day of the holiday,

HALLOWEEN itself was filled with

spectacular fun.....

our annual trip to CROSSROADS VILLAGE,

happened to be on the very day this year....

"I think a lot more people are getting into Halloween

because it's the one time of year adults can be kids."

Craig McDonald

our first stop was to board the train....

this train has been around since 1857!!!

JESSE, BUZZ LIGHTYEAR,

WOODY & HAM are ready to roll!

"As late as 1842 a train was started only when

sufficient traffic was waiting along the road to

warrant the use of the engine."

John Moody

we ALWAYS ride the merry-go-round,

it's been around since 1910!!!

and since they cannot find or make parts

that fit it properly, it goes amazingly fast!

"Lifes just a merry-go-round. Come on up.

You might get a brass ring."

Mae West

then we headed off to a party,

complete with a bounce house!!

"We can make this thing into a party,

instead of a memory."

Will Rogers

and finally a little 'trunk-or-treating' at

our fantastic church....along with our friends

and this adorable little 'lady bug',

who, if you don't recognize her,

is 'baby blue' herself from 'fresh mommy!'

"Celebrate the happiness that friends are

always giving, make every day a holiday

and celebrate just living."

Amanda Bradley

fun-filled friday......halloween is underway!

2009-10-30T10:25:00.001-07:00

one of our MANY holiday traditions is

decorating cookies.....

and although asher may occasionally eat a

sugar cookie,

he won't touch one with frosting on it.....

but we do it anyway....

cause he LIVES TO SPRINKLE THEM!!!!

we always have such a great time too!

and the end result is always SCRUMPTOUS!

he'll even jump right in to make some

at a school party....still NOT eating it, of course!

and he's finally embracing the art of crafting!

and at this time of year,

who could resist cutting a few holes in an

old sheet,

just to scare everyone in the house, LOL!

wordless wednesday......just another ordinary, gorgeous, fun fall day and one really happy kid!

2009-10-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

wordless wednesday....."TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!"

2009-10-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

ok, so this isn't going to be totally wordless,

since these adorable pumpkins

warrant an explanation....

this has been one of our many

HALLOWEEN TRADITIONS

since asher was born...

every year i paint him a pumpkin

to match his costume...

the big one is mine,

and the little one is a quickie

attempt to copy it by asher and his na-na.

sunday citar....'never turn your back'....

2009-10-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

a famous quote from an adorable movie,

"kindergarten cop"

goes something like this.....

"kindergarten is like the ocean,

you NEVER want to turn your back on it"....

OR YOUR KIDS FOR THAT MATTER!!!!!

"You would attain to the divine perfection,
and yet not turn your back upon the world."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

FUN -FILLED FRIDAYS!

2009-10-16T04:57:00.000-07:00

we have MANY, MANY holiday traditions in our home...

whenever they make a 'build-a-cookie house' for

a holiday....

WE'RE ALL OVER IT!!!

this is one of asher's very FAVORITE things to do ...

but somehow i ususally end up wearing
more frosting than he does....

and he's always SOOOO proud
of his work when he's done!

wordless wednesday....."a day at the orchard"

2009-10-14T07:16:00.000-07:00

sunday citar.....artistry!

2009-10-11T18:50:00.000-07:00

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul,

and paints his own nature into his pictures.”

Henry Ward Beecher

"It is nature who makes our artists for us,

though it may be Art who taught them

their right mode of expression."

Oscar Wilde

if you don't have your own.....steal one!

2009-10-02T06:59:00.001-07:00

ok, so we're still in the process of

getting settled into our new pc and

unfortunately i haven't been able to find

my kodak easyshare cd to upload the program...

therefore i can't download my new pics....

but when i can, at least i'll have a bunch to choose from

LOLOLOL!

so in lieu of my own and in TOTAL CELEBRATION

of my favorite time of the year hands down.....

(my birthday is the day before halloween,

so i've ALWAYS been completely into fall!!!)

who doesn't love PUMPKIN ANYTHING,

spiced apple cidar, hayrides, jumping in piles of leaves....

and of course, dressing up in your favorite character

and eating TONS AND TONS of candy!!!

i'm finding some great fall/halloween pics to share for now....

enjoy the gorgeous colors!

SUPER DOOPER BLOGGER WOMAN!!!

2009-09-22T06:10:00.000-07:00

i have an online friend...not even sure what her name is....but i still call her friend......

she has a little boy named 'kaishon' whom she truly adores and embraces! she's a great mommy who's full of adventure, love and the perfect amount of hilarious sarcasm!

when i first started following her she had only a few followers, but now she has dozens! if you check her out, you'll QUICKLY discover why....she tells hilarious stories, post amazing photos and blogs constantly so you'll always have something fresh to read every day....stop by and see her at www.kaishon.blogspot.com

have a blessed day!

p.s. still working on establishing a totally working pc so i can download my photo program and get back to better blogging and photos!

i got nuttin'.....

2009-09-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

well, praise the Lord,

we're back online....

unfortunately, i haven't had time to download

my kodak easyshare program and all my

pics are sitting back on the hardrive of my

old pc whose motherboard is FRIED!!!

but by the grace of God, i'd just transferred

ALL

my pics onto a stick thingy about

days before it died!

HALLELUJAH!!!

so i snatched an adorable pic from this

summer that was stored in my email to share for now.....

my little boy and his 'girl' friends, lol!

2009-09-10T05:14:00.000-07:00

sad to report that our pc is still down.....went kaput on us on thursday and is currently in the shop for repairs.....needless to say that asher and i are both going bonkers!!! so i'm sneaking in here on my school's computer to catch up on all of YOUR posts! blessings....

wordless wednesday......"ahoy mateys!"

2009-09-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

not me monday.....

2009-08-31T19:53:00.000-07:00

i had to take a long, nerve-racking, traffic infested

road trip with my friend down to detroit today

to retreive her broken down car. sooooo...

i DID NOT eat a 'cookie dough' pop tart
and 'combos' for lunch in the
car as we headed down there.....
wasn't me.....i eat right!

i DID NOT momentarily loose my
CHRISTIANITY
and goooo off on this
incredibly rude parking lot lady
who wouldn't lift one finger to
help us get my friends car out
of the garage!
not me mister, i'm a humble, gentle soul!

i DID NOT come home and see
perfectly ripened bananas on the counter
and have a smoothie for dinner...
why would i do that?

and finally....

i DID NOT buy my son some new "Pez's"
for his collection, for his birthday thursday,
and give them to him ahead of time....again!
nope, i can resist his precious face all day!

sunday citar....friends and dancing!

2009-08-30T19:58:00.000-07:00

this was taken almost two years ago

at our church's Christmas dance....

but these have become some of my

nearest and dearest friends now!

"A friend is someone who dances with you in the sunglight,

and walks with you in the shadows."

Anand Singh

wordless wednesday....."Grandma Jill on her 60th Birthday!"

2009-08-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

sunday citar...."Day Out with Thomas"

2009-08-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

"When you travel by train, you have only to purchase the ticket, enter the proper train and take a seat, leaving the rest to the engine. Why should you carry the bed and trunk on your head? So too put your trust in the Lord and carry on to the best of your ability."

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

working with the weather....

2009-08-20T12:47:00.000-07:00

our day started with this......

confusing weather reports followed by

ever changing mixes of clouds, then rain,

then sun, and back again....

causing us to cancel a much anticipated

group swim/playdate with many

of our friends.

so we did what we could....

we played outside during the gaps,
even around the puddles...

it works best if you just
lay right on down in em'....

mom felt creative and joined in....

we headed over to the rocks....

and gave them some color too...

hopped on the bike for a sec...

and in the end, just one questioned

still remained...

is he a 'mini homeboy'

or are his pants just too big???

not me monday.......

2009-08-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

ok, today's 'not me monday' is a little different....

instead of things i 'didn't' do, it's something

I DON'T LIKE!

get it?

I DO NOT LIKE TEXTING!!!!!

there i said it, whew!

just call me, it's quicker!

i do admit there are a few circumstances when it's

slightly warranted, such as at the movies (just watch the movie, you paid

a small fortune to watch it, lol!), work (again someone's paying for something

and it ain't texting) and a few others!

the one i actually do condone is a 'group text' for such things as mass-

messaging, like tab does to get a church message out to everyone....

but that's it!

so yesterday on yahoo they posted 10 'don'ts' for texting,

here they are...

#1. The Mass Text
It's Friday night, you're at home on the couch, and you get a text that goes something like this: "What are you getting into tonight?" You know for a fact that this very same text just went out to 20 other people at exactly the same time, and that the sender is just waiting to receive all his/her options before deciding what to do. So what if the only thing you have planned for the night is that lame (but sooo good) Lifetime movie at 11? You refuse to hang out with someone unless they make specific plans to hang out with you. You know how you can block those newsletters that you never signed up for by sending an email with "unsubscribe" in the body? We suggest doing the same thing in a reply-text.
#2. The Texting Cult
There is always at least one point in the night -- a lull in the conversation, a pause between thoughts -- when it gets really quiet, and you look around and realize that all your friends are busy texting. One person pulls out her iPhone while everyone else is looking at the dinner bill, and then someone else starts doing it, and before you know it, you're in the middle of the sacred circle of text. Resist the urge to choose some random person in your contacts to send a useless message to. Instead, pull out your phone and send a text to everyone at the table asking, "Should we order something else?" It will make everyone laugh but also point out the silliness of the situation.
#3. The Double Message
Of course you screen calls. Everyone does. Sometimes you're in the middle of something and sometimes you just don't feel like talking. But your phone is still working, and you see the missed call and the voice message alert. So why -- why?! -- do certain people feel the need to send a text letting you know that they just left a message? Don't they realize that if someone is smart enough to read a text, they're also capable of understanding what the little bobble head with the sound waves coming out of him symbolizes? Text back, "What's next, a carrier pigeon?"
#4: The Texting Tease
You're seeing a really cute/smart/funny/cool new guy, and your heart skips a tiny beat every time you get a text from him. In the middle of the week, you get one asking what you're up to this weekend. Assuming he wants to do something together, you let him know that it's looking pretty relaxed so far. Does he then proceed to make a plan with you? No. He responds, "Oh OK, cool." You stand there with a perplexed look on your face. Respond "Yeah, but call my secretary if you want to schedule something." This way, the ball is in his court, but ultimately you're the one who is in charge, thanks to your confident attitude.
#5. The Bulk Texter
An example of what a series of texts from this person might look like:
1. Hey!
2. What's up?
3. What are you doing tonight?
4. Some of us are going to Cool People Club tonight.
5. Around 10
6. It's gonna be me and Chris
7. Are you coming?
8. Let us know
9. Byeee!
10. lolz
An example of what that exchange should look like:
Text 1: Hey, Chris and I are going to Cool People Bar around 10 tonight. Let us know if you wanna come.
An example of what you could text back:
1. Please
2. never
3. text
4. me
5. this
6. way
7. again.(one minute pause)
8. For "realz."
6. The Bored Texter
You've just finished a sufficiently long and entertaining texting exchange with someone, and now you're ready to put your phone down for a little while. But your phone dings, and it's another text from said person. It looks like this: "Soooo..." Or, "What upppp." Or, "la la la..." Clearly, they have nothing else to say and just want something to do. Send a text saying, "Running, watching movies, reading books, baking." Your buddy will get the point that some people actually have a life.
7. The Show-and-Teller
Love is wonderful. We're huge advocates of love and being in love and enjoying that love. People gushing on and on about their amazing love life? Not so much. Not only do you have to listen to them tell every insignificant story about how cute it was that their boyfriends ate pancakes for dinner and woke up with a funny hairdo, but you also have to read all of their SUPER-cute texts. "Guys, look what he wrote to me! Omg look at what he said now! Haha aww, look at this one!!" The cure? A dose of their own medicine. "Hey, look what my mom said about her gallbladder! Omg you won't believe how I'm planning to organize my sock drawer! Aww, my dog is wagging his tail. Oh, he's doing it again!!"
8. The Goobers-and-Popcorn Texter
The previews are over, you've been waiting to see this movie for weeks, and here you finally are, snacks in hand. But the guy in front of you insists on ruining your experience by texting for the entire 96 minutes. Here's a little secret he doesn't know: EVERYONE sees his phone lighting up. And hears it vibrating violently every two minutes. When the lights come up at the end of the flick, call up a friend and loudly discuss how rude the guy texting throughout the entire movie was. Then get ready to start running.
9. The Lingering K
This one is especially aggravating if you're not on an unlimited texting plan. You get a message asking how your day went or if you'll be free at a certain time, so you send back a detailed and informative reply. Your phone dings again. You open the message and it says..."k." Do people not even have the decency to include the o? The offender doesn't even need to reply to the message. But if they feel the need to, could they not at least drum up something a little more personal/creative/not totally unnecessary? Respond by letting them know how much, to the cent, they owe you for superfluous texts the next time you're together. Then hold your palm out expectantly.
10. The Needs-to-Grow-Up Texter
Guys should never, ever get comfortable with using text slang and abbreviations. Whether he's a friend, date, or boyfriend, no girl wants to associate the men in their lives with tween-speak. The next time he sends you a "TTY L8ER" or "C U 2morrow," tell him that he should really consider an iPhone, BlackBerry, Sidekick, or "anything that gives you more room to text." He'll realize how outdated his text-talk is.

sunday citar...."genius!"

2009-08-16T16:31:00.000-07:00

i want to take a moment to share my view on autism.....you don't need agree, each child is different, hence, their parents are too!

we use the expression in our home,

"AUTISM ROCKS!"

we believe it's a part of my son, no different than his asthma, round booty or 'deer' nose like mine!

i guess one reason why my perspective may be different than others on this is that my son is extremely 'high functioning.'

how he 'works' is that he's just different, ahead of his peers in some areas, and working to catch up in others, such as speech....

one of his many gifts that continuously amazes people is his level of reading at the age of five,

i'm guessing it's somewhere around a fifth grade level? he's also obsessed with movie credits, as some of you may already know. he can easily, and quite quickly, memorize and recreate large number of credits every single day.

but what he did recently tickled me.....

he switched up and put his and my name for his latest creation.....made me giggle!

then continued on with some interesting additions, which he insisted i take a picture of as well! people sometimes use the word 'GENIUS' in regards to him which doesn't bother me one bit, lol!

"Enthusiasm is that secret and harmonious spirit which hovers over the production of

GENIUS."

Isaac Disraeli (dunno who he is, but i like his quote, lol!)

"Four Fun-Filled Days"-Part IV, The Final Day!

2009-08-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

nothing could round out

FOUR FABULOUS DAYS

like church friends and family...

few things can touch my

heart and soul MORE

than watching my good friend

get BAPTIZED!!!

follow that up with a

fantastic lunch,

SNOW CONES...

and COTTON CANDY!!!

settle in for a movie...

in great company...

and finish it off

with a dip in the pool

and a BIG HUG

from a friend!

wordless wednesday (not quite)... my 25th class reunion...+"Four Fun-Filled Days"-Part III

2009-08-12T08:22:00.001-07:00

okay, i have to use to words now....

i have to give a special nod to these FOUR gals!

we left school 25 years ago

on the worst possible terms with each other.....

but TRUTH be told...

i think i had the most fun at the

reunion with THEM!

not me monday....+"Four Fun-Filled Days"- Part II

2009-08-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

ok people, it's the 2nd day of

blogging overload and overlap......

let's start with the fun!

our 1st visit to the

Eastern Michigan Fair

started with this bungee thingy....

and asher was THRILLED

to try these cool cars....

especially when they
whipped him around!

we got to have a seat
for a great little outdoor
CIRCUS!!!..

and seen these amazing
WHITE TIGERS....

and this completely

GORGEOUS

WHITE LION!!!....

there were even

some amazing acrobatics....

na-na took her

turn taking asher on rides...

but this one was actually

an absolute NECESSITY,

cause mom got permanently

nauseous on the those

SILLY TWIRLING TEDDY BEARS,

like i always do!

and i even thought i

was one bad chicka up on the

elephant with asher....

til i saw this phenominal

five year old little girl

doin' it hands-free!

ok, time for 'NOT ME' monday.....

i DID NOT go all the way

to the grocery to get milk

for asher cause he was

completely out and come back

with EVERYTHING but that!

i'm NOT that scatty!

i ABSOLUTELY DID NOT

wait til after 4 pm to call

for service on our A/C,

which was broken,

unbenounced to us girly girls of course,

and the temp got up to 85

inside the condo

when it was only 81 outside!

i'm much more

mechanically saavy than that!

and finally i DID NOT get

fried fish from the deli and

'chunky monkey' ice cream

to avoid cooking and beat the heat!

HAPPY MONDAY ALL!

sunday citar....'Friends'...+ "Four Fun-Filled Days"-Part I

2009-08-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

well, i'm gonna overload your

blogger minds,

cause i've had four, long,

amazingly fun-filled days....

so i'm overlapping blogs!!!

it all started thursday morning,

when my baby (not so much anymore)

fininshed his summer program...

lots of parents came

and we followed along til the very end!

in his room they decorated their

lunch bags for the impending picnic that day...

then we took some time for

a rousing game of 'musical chairs'.......

asher sported his 'teddy bear' hat

cause the theme for that day and week

was 'teddy bears!'

and finally we all headed outside

for the picnic....

but to my surprise it was more

than just his room,

it was the whole darn school.....

how COOL is that!

and afterward they all

hit the playground

for one last romp!

we concluded our fun-friend-filled day

with a trip over to my friend jenney's

house to celebrate my gorgeous

God-daughter, Lila Rose's

4th birthday!!!

this was the ballerina outfit we

got for her and she could NOT WAIT

to try it on and pose for us!

and so finally our quote......

if you're not a fan of 'My Daily Bread'

you may be missing out!

it's one of my favorite ways to

get the word of God into me

in BITE-SIZED chunks!

(you can go to www.rbc.org and

look under 'devotional' and get

a copy sent right to your home for free!)

anyhoo, i found an amazing quote about

FRIENDS just a week back that

i've been dying to post......

"I do not ask for many friends,

But give me, Lord, the few

Whose loyalty and faithfulness

Are first of all to You."

Meadows

wordless wednesday (almost).......'just DUET with asher!'

2009-08-05T07:29:00.001-07:00

with his momma...

his friend patrick...

his one true love syssa...
his fav character, chuck...

his good friend thomas...

any wild animal he can find...

'troopin' on by...

or just clownin' around...

his best bud, uncle scott...

his speech teacher...

or his big sis...

and last but not least,

his na-na!

if ya wann have fun....

just DUET with asher!

sunday citar......BIRTHDAYS!

2009-08-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

brennah boo's birthday celebration...

"Fly free and happy beyond birthdays
and across forever, and we'll meet

now and then when we wish,

in the midst of the one celebration

that can never end."

Richard Bach

(interesting side note: the 'kid rock'

stones and water thingy are because

we were in clarkston, michigan,

near his home town and he donated

money for the splashpad to be built)

think about it thursday....GRATITUDE!

2009-07-30T07:13:00.000-07:00

i've been thinking a lot lately about

GRATITUDE....

i don't have everything i WANT,

but i do have everything i NEED!

for example...

as my bloggers know,

my car got smashed a while back

and i, of course, would love a new one.

but finances have, at least

temporarily, put that on hold.

but it runs GREAT, it's still totally

driveable, and i'm SURE there

are thousands of people without

transportation that would love to have it!

therefore,

I AM GRATEFUL FOR MY CAR!!!

our faucet is broken and

we need to replace it with a whole new one.

it's kinda a pain to do dishes this way

and keep it sanitary while

getting water out.

but i'm also sure there are

thousands of people who don't have

ANY running water in their homes,

if they even have a home that is,

who would be totally fine with it

JUST THE WAY IT IS!

therefore,

I AM GRATEFUL FOR RUNNING

WATER IN MY HOME FROM MY

BROKEN FAUCET!!!

our toilet needs the mechanism

(look how i used that word to imply

that i know what's wrong with it, LOLOL!)

replaced and our handyman

hasn't gotten to it yet.

but i am SURE, once again,

that there are thousands of people

who don't have a toity in their

homes and live in shacks,

or even on the streets

with little children right now

who would be just FINE with it

just the way it is!!

therefore,

I AM GRATEFUL FOR MY TOITY!

sooooooooo,

the next time you're looking at

something thinking

'i wish i had a NEW ONE,

i wish i had a BETTER ONE'

or something like that,

just remember that there's someone

out there who wishes they had one at ALL!

wordless wedneday......no GREATER love on earth!

2009-07-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

NOT ME MONDAY.....

2009-07-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

it's that time again....

i DID NOT leave the house

this morning to actually buy a

new refridgerator

cause ours is leaking and on the fritz

and NOT take any measurements

just like a silly girl!

wasn't me, i'm as prepared

as a boyscout!

i DID NOT actually ration out

a limited amount of no-bake cookies

to give my friend after being

stuck with a butt-load

after our picnic getting rained

out saturday,

and having ate them for 2 days now,

just cause i couldn't bare

the idea of them being gone!!!

wasn't me,

my 25th class reunion

is in ten days and i'm watching

what i eat!

and finally,

i am NOT at all excited

or enthrauled with another

sappy season finale of

'the bachelorette'

again!

i, of course, am

savy enough to realize

they're all pretty much

the same and so far they're

batting average for longevity

is pathetic!!!

HAPPY MONDAY ALL!!!

sunday citar.....the force!

2009-07-26T04:02:00.000-07:00

"The force is what gives a Jedi his power.

It's an energy field created by all living things.

It surrounds us and penetrates us.

It binds the galaxy together."

Obi Wan Kenobi (aka Alec Guinness)

sounds a lot like LOVE to me!

wordless wednesday......life's a beach!

2009-07-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

not me monday......

2009-07-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

i DID NOT take all day to put the

laundry away....

nope, i'm a go-getter at housework!

i DID NOT continuously get

caught up in old reruns of

america's next top model

all day that i've already

seen dozens of times...

i have much better things

to do than watch reality tv!

(laughin my way thru this one,

i'm a reality junkie, sue me!)

i DID NOT chose a healthy, low-cal

frozen dinner to eat and then add

cottage cheese and a banana

to my meal cause i was

still hungry...

i'm a dainty little eater!

(insert chuckle here as well!)

and finally,

i DID NOT make a run at

7pm at night to the grocery store

cause my adorable son

wanted what he calls

'pieces of bread'....

i'm too hard-hearted

to fall for that one!

sunday citar......FESTIVALS!!!

2009-07-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

it all began with a parade....

with characters...

our neighbors with their karate troop...

and lots of loud fire trucks and engines...

and don't forget the ponies...

then top it off with lots of bouncing!!!

"LIFE IS A FESTIVAL ONLY TO THE WISE."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Think about it Thursday.....Love Languages!

2009-07-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

i recently heard a GREAT message

by one of my favorite people....

Joyce Meyer!

she was telling how if we REALLY

love someone, we strive to love them

in the way THEY need to be loved....

another words,

"their LOVE LANGUAGE."

for asher,

it's applause and encouragement!

such as when he's having

fun at the park...

or the work he does....

or the things he makes...

for my mom,
it's as simple as making her a
plate of her favorite food...
french toast!

i encourage you today to just
SLOW DOWN
for a minute or two,
and take a close look at those
around you that you love,
and think about what
THEIR love language is
and what really speaks to them!

whatever happened to "not me mondays?"

2009-07-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

a few of my blogger friends used

to post

'not me mondays,'

and i always loved them.....

so here's my version...

i DID NOT sit on my keester sipping

coffee til 11am when i had so much to do....

nope, it wasn't me!

i DID NOT set an open ziplock baggie

of marinating tomatoes on the

counter only to have it spill all

over my floor...

that DEFINATELY wasn't me,

i'm not that dense!

i DID NOT take my son

to his favorite park and get

so involved that i forgot

to feed him lunch....

that SURELY wasn't me,

i'm a good mamma!

and finally...

i DID NOT accidentally take a mans

spot in line to pump gas at a busy

gas station only to have him actually

get out of his car, come right up to me,

call me a liar and ignorant, while i

threatened to call the police if he

didn't leave me alone,

all while he claimed to be a police officer,

and end up crying in the grocery

store parking lot over it a

few minutes later...

that COULDN'T have been me,

i'm a toughie!

sunday citar.....CHILLAXIN!!!

2009-07-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

after almost three full days of

cooking 4, primping 4,

decorating 4, and attending

parties and celebrations,

all i wanted to do today was

RELAX & CHILLAX

with my baby boy!

"The time to relax is when you

don't have time to do it."

Sydney J. Harris

FUN, FUN Friday!

2009-07-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

if you're a fan of no-bake cookies like i am,

this is probably one of the best recipes

ever for them!!!

it's my cousins and people

have raved and begged for these for years!

even if you've had or made them before,

try this recipe!

it's the proportions that make it so great!

MOIST NO-BAKE COOKIES

Combine in large pan:

2 cps. Sugar
½ cp. Hershey’s cocoa
½ cp. Whole Milk (tastes the best but you can use any kind)
¼ cp. Salted Butter (again, tastes best but margarine works too)

Bring to a boil SLOWLY! This is the key to having them moist and set well, should take about 15-20 minutes to get the full boil.

Then boil 2 minutes.

Take off of heat and add:

2/3 cp. Peanut Butter (chunky or smooth, whichever you prefer)
2 cps. Quick oats
1 tsp. Pure Vanilla (can also use imitation)

Mix well. Then scoop out onto wax paper about 3-4 inch size piles. Allow to cool and set.

Tip: I mix the peanut butter and oats together while waiting for the boil mix so that they mix faster and more evenly when the time comes. The mixture sets quickly so you need to move fast!

wordless wednesday....

2009-07-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

nuf said....

sunday citar.....

2009-07-05T09:14:00.001-07:00

"Dare to wear the foolish clown face."

Frank Sinatra

don't be afraid to just let it all go

and be silly once in a while....

it deactivates the aging process!

THINK ABOUT IT THURSDAY....

2009-07-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

we all take memorable pictures of the events in our lives.....

sometimes it's an intimate setting,

and sometimes it's out in public.

so have you ever stopped to wonder how

many STRANGERS you've taken pics of....

or better yet,

how many STRANGERS

pictures YOU'VE been in before???

like this precious little guy

crying over his birthday cake

we don't know...

or the lady on the right

looking right at the camera...

or this lady,
hurrying on her way
instead of watching the show...

or the nice lady behind us
smiling with excitement
over the fun of riding the elephant...

or this cute little man
enjoying a train ride....

THINK ABOUT IT!

lost in translation......

2009-06-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

today i sat and tried to catch up on blogging...

noticing that i myself have not posted in such a long, long, time....

but low and behold, i had not a single idea in my head....all the while plagued at what i should be doing elsewhere.......

and staring me in the face is a handful of my son's new editions to his PEZ collection......

and then it hit me........

it's just a PEZ kinda day......

meaning, "dispense...one piece at a time."

i {heart} faces....let's hear it for the boys!

2009-06-22T08:48:00.001-07:00

what's more 'boyish' than

CLIMBING!!!

sunday citar....swimming!!!

2009-06-21T16:03:00.001-07:00

you DON'T need a BIG pool......

to have GREAT BIG FUN!

The water is your friend. You don't have to fight with water,

just share the same spirit as the water, and it

will help you move.

Aleksandr Popov

parenting advice....me???

2009-06-19T11:26:00.001-07:00

ok, by the prompting of my friend over at 'LIFE WITH KAISHON'

(check her out, she's awesome!!! http://kaishon.blogspot.com/)

i'm out of blog ideas so i'm using hers, which is parenting advice.....

this is scary territory to get into but what can you do when you're pressed for ideas, LOL??

now i'm no expert, given i only have one child under my belt....

but i have see so much of me in my son, and his father, and his grandmother, and his uncle....

so i have one philosophy with.......

let him be him!!!...

not who i want him to be, not who i'd like him to be......

but EXACTLY who he is!!!!

there's no one in life more unhappy than the person following someone else's dream!....antoinette m. williams

what advice to do you have for parenting???

p.s. we're also striving to conquer the world of
potty training so we'd love that too!

wordless wednesday.....stop! elmo time!

2009-06-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

went back a ways for this one......

i {heart} faces....sepia tone.

2009-06-15T07:17:00.000-07:00

in a few weeks we'll be celebrating

our nation's independence,

so i thought this pic

would be perfect for the

sepia challenge!

and the fun continues......

2009-06-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

"I think God has planned the strength and beauty of youth to be

physical. But the strength and beauty of age is spiritual.

We gradually lose the strength and beauty that is temporary

so we'll be sure to concentrate on the strength and beauty

which is forever."

J. Robertson McQuilkin

but we're never too old or too young

to go to a carnival!!!

so here are some more great pics

from our fun at the carnival

last weekend.....

look at my little muscle man......

his face on the merry-go-round........PRICELESS!...it's so funny cause he looks terrified and he's not.....he adores these and can't wait to ride them!

sunday citar.....the carnival.

2009-06-07T17:55:00.001-07:00

"the season of love is the carnival of

egoism and it brings a

touchtone of our natures."

when uncle visits....

2009-06-05T19:09:00.001-07:00

my brother came home from florida this week for a visit....asher has come to believe this is SYNONAMOUS with headin' out to his favorite place.....chuck e. cheese!!!

every time he's been home since moving a year and a half ago, we all go out there....since he doesn't have kids and isn't always sure or confident on how to relate to asher.....this is the perfect venue for 'BOYS TO BE BOYS' and have some fun too!!!

i love the 'motion' in the basketball pic too!!!

i {heart} faces....BIRTHDAY pic!

2009-06-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

for some parents, chuck e. cheese's is just the easiest choice for having a birthday party and enteraining a troop of kids.....

after four solid years of over-the-top, elaborate, and yes, expensive birthday parties......

from the first year pool party with a professional clown, to the second one with his own bounce-house, to renting a pavillion at the park for the third, to the fourth at the children's museum......they've all been a blast!....

but last year we opted for the tried and true venue of chuck e. cheese's!....not for the convenience or the blessing for me of not having to clean up or haul loads of stuff to the location of our choice....

but because it was truly, truly what my little boy really wanted....it's his favorite place to go!

p.s. notice how full of food his little mouth is too, LOL!

Preschool Graduation Day 2009!!!

2009-05-27T09:32:00.001-07:00

it's official.....

my intelligent, charismatic, gregarious, big-hearted, little man has graduated from preschool! my strong little man has completed three whole years of school, even before entering into kindergarten this coming september.....WHAT A TROOPER!

memorial day masquerade....

2009-05-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

kids are so

precious...

what's so

amazing

about them

is their

complete

unawareness

of how

adorable

and funny

they are...

even when

they have you rolling!

bubbles IN......bubbles OUT!

2009-05-20T19:25:00.001-07:00

bubble, bubble, toil and trouble...

well, at least lots of fun!

i {heart} faces.....'my favorite face photo'

2009-05-18T06:29:00.000-07:00

i know i've used this pic for other posts....

but it still remains my favorite pic.....

of my favorite face!

"I am submitting this photo into the http://www.iheartfaces.com/ Blurb Book photo contest. I am granting I ♥ Faces permission to use my photo in a printed version of a book for commercial use and possibly advertising of a photo book on both the Blurb and I ♥ Faces web sites."

"TOTALLY" thursday.....

2009-05-14T06:35:00.001-07:00

k, so i don't ususally do the 'days' thing on here,

but sounded good today with the word 'totally'.....

that's because the body shop declared the car "totalled"

yesterday when i took it in!

looks like i should be able to

get a new (meaning 'used') one out of the deal....yeah!!!

i {heart} faces...laughter!!!

2009-05-12T18:09:00.000-07:00

i {heart} faces.....laughter!!!

on a personal note, i had a pretty intense day....

i was rear-ended in my car today...

i was hit pretty hard and the trunk is pushed in

about a foot or so...

my neck was whipped pretty hard too!

but praise be to God because my

adorable son above was not

in the back in his carseat, he was at school...

and the car is still driveable...hooray!

it's all smoke and mirrors.....

2009-05-09T18:30:00.001-07:00

today we went to the birch run expo....

during our visit, asher wandered over

to the fire truck there,

a completely adorable fireman

ran up to greet him and placed him in the truck....

then we went into a trailer to learn fire safety.

two firemen joined us and gave a demonstration.

in a make-shift bedroom, they simulated a fire,

including smoke and the detector going off.

asher really loved it, and i admit i was having fun too.

there was only one little glitch....

i got so caught up in flirthing with and

listening to the firemen....

i didn't even notice asher had snuck

out of the trailer, LOL!!!!

i {heart} faces....hat!

2009-05-04T17:31:00.001-07:00

this may not qualify as a "hat,"

but with over two hundred entries,

and me being an amateur,

the odds aren't in my favor anyhoo.....

don'tcha just love bathtime!!!

saturday in the park.....

2009-05-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

just another sunny day at the park........

but i tried

to get some

unusual

shots this

time.......

how'd i do???

where's my prince charming......

2009-04-27T09:42:00.000-07:00

i've been dying to post these pics....

this is the inside of the castle at

Walt Disney World,

and it tells the story of Cinderella......

maybe i just need to get new shoes????

rollin' on.....

2009-04-25T05:48:00.000-07:00

asher got his first two-wheeler today,

complete with an awesome spiderman theme,

and he was off and rollin'!

spring has sprung with fun....

2009-04-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

cost of a box of sidewalk chalk..........$1.00

cost of great pics & springtime fun..........priceless

beating the rain by just enough time.......brilliant

resting in the trust.....

2009-04-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

when i first discovered blogging, i hadn't plan to start my own....i didn't have a lot toward the traditional blogs to contribute to add another one....but then i wanted to do something different, something glorifying my journey with God and the rises and falls it included....hence the name 'progressions.'

i've kind of gotten away from that lately and fallen into the traditional mode....but today i had an epiphany, much like the one that inspired my blog, and i thought i'd get back to that place where it all started and deepen it up a bit....

i've began finally to face my difficult circumstances 'head on', so to speak using the best tools and weapons at my disposal....the word and confession.....it's progressing nicely i'm pleased to say....but today it occured to me that i was always 'looking down' at the problem at hand.....granted, how i'm addressing those problems is such an improvement from the past, but the word says we're supposed to 'look up' to where our help comes from....

so it occured to me that if i'm truly going to continue to progress in circumstances, than i must stop focusing on the battle and simply rest within the trust that they are indeed handled, amen!

night shot of the castle at

Walt Disney World!

i {heart} faces self-portrait challenge...

2009-04-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

i {heart} faces

self-portrait challenge

kids category

this is one of my favorite photos of

me and asher...it was taken at our

"day out with thomas" last year...

plus he absolutely loves merry-go-

rounds!!!!

crazy favor in the florida sun....

2009-04-17T16:58:00.001-07:00

we had the 'time of our lives' this week...

God showed us such favor throughout our trip,

and we met such wonderful people!

all is well....

2009-04-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

mom is well, resting & home...

this was last Easter at our church...

thanks for all the prayers and

well wishes,

they mean SO MUCH!!!

too blue to blog....

2009-04-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

my mom's been in the hospital since saturday....

it's been an emotionally and physically exhausting week,

and still don't know where it will end.

it's the kind of week you find out which people are still

standing by your side, and sadly, which ones never were...

my 40th birthday/halloween party, 2006

i {heart} faces...no flash...

2009-03-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

this week at 'i {heart} faces it's NO FLASH...

i took this a few weeks back on a day at the park...

i ABSOLUTELY love the expression on his face...

don't you???

i {heart} faces...GREEN!

2009-03-16T14:15:00.001-07:00

i {heart} faces-GREEN.....

i had originally changed this to a black/white photo,

which was fantastic with the bright haze of the pic,

but then for this contest, i remembered what a

great, bright green shirt he had on and i just adore

the grin on his face and the upward angle of the pic...

contrast...

2009-03-11T07:11:00.000-07:00

contrast...

i recently heard

a radio talk

about

contrast.

how life was made up of

contrasts.

black/white

life/death

good/bad

up/down......

so i wanted to represent contrast today with these pics of.....

black&white/color

want/had

ready for /over it

i {heart} faces...creative cropping....

2009-03-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

i {heart} faces

creative crop

SPRING into action......

2009-03-06T13:54:00.000-08:00

spring concert debut...

2009-03-05T13:46:00.000-08:00

SPRING CONCERT!

ladies and gentlemen,

i'd like to present

ASHER KALLEN WILLIAMS

in his FIRST performance ever...

do these decorations make you want spring or what?

he had the lead for his class and pointed out the alphabet letters in their perform-ance of
"LETTERCIZE"
hence the workout outfits

black history month....

2009-02-28T06:08:00.000-08:00

in honor of the last day of

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

and my adorable son,

i'm proud to introduce...

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

(aka Asher Kallen Williams)

and

MS. ROSA PARKS

(aka Dr. Karl A. Barancik, my beloved pastor)

GOD BLESS those who have fought and won

to bring God's ways to our world!

i heart faces kids!

2009-02-23T09:36:00.001-08:00

i heart faces/kids/black & white

meet asher kallen williams...

on a warm summer day at the beach....

sporting his new mohawk!!!

the anakin skywalker loves princess amidala syndrome....

2009-02-17T09:36:00.000-08:00

since asher was born,

my friends little girl, alyssa,

has been the love of asher's life....

and even though she's

four years

his senior...

he can't resist her adorableness...

(she did NOT put her legs over him....
he wiggled his way underneath of her, lol!)

for all my photographer friends....

2009-02-12T08:54:00.000-08:00

here's some of asher's latest photograpy

accomplishments....he may have a

natural gift for this....ya think?

cool upward angle...

capturing the action...

good night...

nice perspective... (notice the crumb? lol)

kind of a cool angle and nice hue...

not too shabby for a five year old beginning

PHOTOGRAPHER!

the Frankemuth Ice Festival 09'

2009-01-30T13:51:00.001-08:00

amazing ice sculptures....

fantastic fireworks.....

a phenominal christian band
rockin' the house...

and a super laugh from a

friend falling in the snow...

what a blessed evening it was!!!

who he is...not just what he does.......

2009-01-06T17:47:00.000-08:00

k...i had the most amazing revelation and experience over Christmas....sadly just now getting to sharing, but hey, better late than never eh?

so our family was fighting a "BUG" for the the third Christmas in a row....what is up with that??????

one sleepless night, i was confessing, as i had been doing for days, healing over my son, who was at the moment, suffering quite a bit....and it HIT ME.....

even if you've never had the experience of being in a dysfunctional relationship with a member of the opposite sex, you've at least had a friend who experienced one, or at the VERY LEAST seen a episode of "jerry springer" in passing, LOL!

we've all seen this though....they ask the person WHY they "love" the other person and their answer goes something like this, "because they treat me good or do things for me." i've experienced this and it stinks!!! i WANT to be loved for who i am as a person, not for what i can do for the other person...

so here i am 'thanking GOD' all night for healing but it's just not getting there fast enough and my little one is suffering so that i'm starting to loose a little faith....

it was then i realized that GOD is no different than us in that aspect...he too wants to be loved and/or praised for who HE IS and not just what he does for us...the moment i started PRAISING HIM, things immediately started to turn around for us....PRAISE HIM, PRAISE HIM!

does anyone remember.......

2008-12-25T17:54:00.000-08:00

does anyone remember their first or second grade spelling tests?????

well...i kinda do, but i don't remember words like these being on it......

yeah, i know....my son loves his dvd's probably a little too much, but it goes with the territory of autism.

when we talk about the things he writes, sometimes i get the feeling it's either not believable to some or hard to wrap your head completely around. so here's his latest example above.....

in case you can't capture it all, it says......

"walt disney pictures presents, a pixar animation studios film, monster (should be monsters) inc, coming soon to disney dvd, summer 2008."

this was with no prompting, help or even suggestion, just off the top of his adorable little head...

how you like those apples?

you can't please everyone....so ya?

2008-12-16T14:44:00.000-08:00

asher's new "converse" shoes

his uncle sent him from florida

for Christmas! how cute are they...

you can't please everyone so what do you do????

a friend and i were recently having this conversation. she expressed how much was expected of her that day but all she wanted to do was CHILL....

today that same friend called me...she noticed right away i was busy but proceeded to talk another 15 minutes and seemed offended when i said i had to go.....

it occured to me that i'd done essentially the right thing but still put myself somewhere in there....and more importantly God too! she needed to "vent" about some offenses she'd incurred. i told her that maybe God wasn't able to give her what her heart desired in that situation because she was in offense over not receiving it already. i really needed to eat at that point (diabetic if you don't know and VERY cranky when i need to be fed, lol!). but i gave her some time anyway. she didn't have much interest at that point in what was going on with me so i just listened. but then i had to go.

i couldn't PLEASE her completely, so i had to please myself...or feed as the case was. my point is....

DO YOUR BEST, AVOID GOSSIP, GIVE A LITTLE MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU CAN ORIGINALLY AND THEN MOVE ON WITH THE PEACE OF KNOWING YOU DID YOUR BEST...even if it didn't meet someone else's expectations.....blessings...

tag...i'm it too???

2008-12-05T14:49:00.000-08:00

so how this works, according to what crystal did.....

tabitha @ fresh mommy (tabithablue.blogspot.com) tagged me so i'm supposed to post a snippet from the closest book to me. since i'm sitting at the computer desk, that happens to be "Jenny Craig's Little Survival Guide." not a bad little book to have around by the way....chuck full of great tips if you're planning to start dieting, AS AM I, @ the first of the year (i'm feeling a little de javu here......LOL).

here's a good one......
Don't equate willpower with deprivation. Instead think of willpower as a positive thing--as in "by managing my weight, I will live a healthier lifestyle...and I will have more energy for family activities."

how's that???

small is in the mind of the beholder....

2008-12-01T16:59:00.000-08:00

small accomplishments happen every day for children and we as parents get the

privledge of observing them....but for a parent of a special needs child, there's

NO SUCH THING as a SMALL accomplishment!!!!

hence these photos....see a little man decorating his Christmas tree, but

independently stops to say "CHEESE", who wasn't even speaking six short months

ago! see a little boy in a santa hat patiently posing for photos who wouldn't look

into a camera for years and didn't like having his picture taken...or a little boy who's

favorite "rudolph the red-nosed reindeer" train passes by unblocked by fences

once put up in front of them because he now has the patience and maturity to just

sit and watch it without breaking it!

yes people, small does not begin to describe these every day occurances, call

them miracles if you would because they are! the blessed Christmas season has

begun........

suck it up before you lose the choice...

2008-11-26T19:32:00.000-08:00

i've been waiting to write this until the mood hit me....i decided on the eve of GIVING THANKS that it did.....

i lost a member of my family last week. for what would have "normally" been a traumatic experience, given their relationship to me and it's implied closeness, it was actually rather ambivilent. the reason why, so sadly, was i had only seen this person once in over thirty years. they removed themselves from my life when i was still a child, for no apparent reason to me and without explanation. many years of hurt and wonder followed.....

a few years back, GOD himself interveined and reconnected me to this person through a freakish, but clearly annointed circumstance. i was happy to say that with God in me i just said, "no hard feelings, let's just be thankful he reconnected us again and move on from here." sadly once again, through reasons of pride and unacceptance, they once again rejected me, and this time my son as well. fortunately, with God in me again, i just prayed for this person and went on with my life. there was nothing more i could do......

i have other people in my life as we speak that are refusing to speak with/break bread with other members of my family for the most insignifigant reasons. and i find myself looking at them and thinking, "are you gonna wait til their funeral to see them again?" but this is in reality the dilemma they face if they simply refuse God's grace in themselves and give that back to those people.

we hear it ALL THE TIME but that's because it's TRUE! life is short and on our death beds these silly little walls between us and others won't amount to a hill of beans....but our regreat for lost opportunities may be the size of a mountain!!!

i urge you tomorrow to take a moment to REALLY, REALLY, REALLY look for the good in each and every person you spend time with and more importantly, RELEASE any muck that stands between you and just giving them a hug!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE AND GOD BLESS YOU!

people respect your convictions....

2008-11-17T12:41:00.000-08:00

just a simple observation today....

back to government class again, lol. seems this class has at the very least evoked a lot of thought process with me...

today we were assigned two group projects. the first was to read a newspaper article on a bill passing some time back. then read several articles to be labeled with our notes from the past week. the problem was the first assignment...

this was an article on "partial-birth" abortion and NOT one i would normally care to read. i know, i know...you can't just pretend things don't exist and hide your head, but i tend to get very emotional and sad when i'm innendated with too much yuk! part way through the article i got nauseous reading the details of the "how." so i made the decision to opt out of the assignment and loose a few points. i did do the second one in case you're wondering.

to my surprise, everyone, including the teacher himself, was not only respectful, but kind and respectful. goes to show, you can still stand up for what you believe in and have those that might disagree still RESPECT you for doing it. amen!