Psalm 30:5
"Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning"

Sanity

Sometimes you just need to do things.. things that seem out of whack or unwarranted to others, just to keep your sanity. Sometimes the need to explain yourself is there, sometimes it just isn't. It may be personal or it may be just something that has to be done.
Its a Facebook world people.... but not everyone is entitled to be my "friend". They aren't entitled to be yours. Use that delete button wisely, but use it, use it for your sanity. I did. And I feel so, FREE.

What's In The Bag?

Ever been to a baby shower or wedding shower where they play that game where they call out random things and you have to try to find it in your bag or purse? The one with the most random crazy things wins. I love that game. And when my kiddos were a little younger I used to carry more random silly things, of course they are still young and from time-to-time you will most certainly find a McDonald's Happy Meal toy (or two) in my purse, maybe a half eaten cookie or sucker, and almost always an empty fruit snack wrapper (we call them gummies). 

When I saw my friend at A Snapshot of Us had done this post (inspired by Laurie at The Corner Slice Blog), I knew I had to join in. I didn't know what I would find in my bag and to my surprise, it wasn't anything all that exciting. But it was a good chance to clean it out. So here's what I found: 

This is my Summer purse. I love it. I think its some name brand, but I have no idea what. I bought it at the PX at an Army base the summer my husband was deployed. It was probably $65, and to some that is a steal, but I have never spent so much on a bag.  However...  its a BIG pink bag, so the price tag was worth it. Plus retail therapy was big for me that year.   

(1.) This would be my gum section. I almost always have gum. The Orbit gum belongs to Abby, which she has forgotten all about. I am currently telling the kids "I'm all out of gum today, sorry". They ask if they can have gum about 267 times a day. (2.) One of Abby's bows. Its not odd to find one two  ten of her bows in my purse. We start the day off with a bow and in my purse is where they end up. (3.) Hand sanitzer and contact solution (4.) $1.18 in change, just enough to buy one snow cone at the next tball game and have change left over (5.) No clue what these are called, but they are used to hold up your rolled-up sleeves. Abby uses them for her tball uniform and I think they make her look like a super-serious ball player (6.) Free lotion from Ulta - Va Va Vanilla (7.) DayQuil for those random not-feeling-well-days. 

(1.) Children's Pepto. Cause my kids' tummies sometimes hurt. (2.) My go-to lip color selection. From L to R: Maybelline -Sandstone Shimmer, Neutragena's MoistureShine Lip Soother - Shimmer 10 (this one is AWESOME, sometimes I wear it alone, sometimes on top of a color), Clinique - Angelic,  Maybelline - Mocha Ice (3.) Clinique Stay Neutral powder which is now like two shades to light thanks to my summer tan (4.) hair brush (5.) a necklace I wore to work about three weeks ago, it was a little heavy so it landed in the purse (6.) Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing sheets. Can't live without these things!! Sokes up the oil and gets rid of shine without messing up makeup. (7.) anytime someone asks "Does anyone have a pen?" I'm always the one that has one. Always.

(1.) My wallet, its cute but doesn't close very well (2.) Coupon for local theme parks that I'm sure I'll never use, but can't throw away (3.) notes. One of these is a calendar I print out each month that lists what bills are due when. Its my life-line for my finances (4.) Car loan book with note (5.) Old checks, book of deposit slips, and check book. Its a little ridiculous, I know (6.) Dentist appointment reminder and envelope for church giving (7.) photo book that my kids always ask to look at when they are bored (8.) keys to home and office and car keys to the rental that I'm driving while my car is in the shop. I've been the driver of a white Buick Lucerne for about a week now. And while I feel like I'm a 75 year-old grandma while driving it, it really is a nice car!

Not pictured: Cell phone, walmart bag (to use for an emergency laundry bag - you mom's know), 4 receipts, 8 gum wrappers, 3 loose pieces of gum, and crumbs from I'm really not sure what. 

Bucket List

I have never seen the movie, The Bucket List. I have heard its good. But I have seen other's make their own bucket list (things to do before you die) and decided maybe I should make mine. Here goes:

1. Take an RV road trip
2. Visit NYC
3. Have an in-ground pool
4. Plant a vegetable garden
5. Run a race, at least 5K
6. Start running
7. Learn to speak Spanish better
8. Have a photograph that I've taken published
9. Be someone's boss (other than the small people that live in my house)
10. Live in a small beach town

Birthday and other goings on

My handsome boy. Today is his birthday. Although he won't turn 7 until 8:51 p.m, and he's quick to remind everyone of that. He's still got a little while to enjoy the ease of being 6....

I can't really comprehend that its been 7 years since this child came into this world with a little "meeep" and that's the quietest he ever has been. He's witty, funny, super goofy, intelligent, stubborn, a rule-follower, a leader, and just an all around happy little boy. Can't imagine a world without this kid.

Blowing bubbles is serious business people. I love how concentrated she gets with things.

Eyeliner Lily

Bloomed about a week earlier than last year. And it lost all the petals after the storms we got last night. Good thing there are still some more blooms left.

Daddy & Alex

Go Rangers!

Snow...

We had snow here in OK and it was BEAUTIFUL! So of course I had to drag the family out and get a picture in the snow!! It didn't go quite as well as I'd like. My son is severly sensitive to light - not in a medical way, but in a "its all in your head way" kind of way, and even though it was very cloudy and overcast, the snow did make it pretty bright. So .... he closed his eyes and hung onto Daddy for dear life. Gotta love that kid.

I wanted to go take a picture of "my tree" in the snow, all covered in ice and frost, but ... I didn't and now its too late because the snow is melting and it no longer has the "look" I'm wanting to capture.



Oh... and I see you all out there lurking! Leave me some love!

Vacation Pics....

We recently (um... a month ago) took a family vacation. We drove to San Diego, CA with a stop in the Palm Springs area on the way there and a stop in Yuma AZ on the way back. It was a fun vacation - minus geting strep throat while there, but hey... Here are just a few of the more "pretty" pictures that I took while on our travels. Enjoy.

Just outside of Shamrock TX

Somewhere between Flagstaff AZ and Phoenix

Alex overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Oceanside CA

The Pacific Ocean

Oceanside Pier

I WILL retire here someday!

Today is Election Day

THE POWER OF ONE VOTE

By ONE vote, President John Quincy Adams was elected following an Electoral College deadlock between Adams and Andrew Jackson in 1824.
By ONE vote, Texas was admitted to the Union in 1845
By ONE vote, Andrew Johnson was saved from impeachment in 1868.
By ONE vote, in 1775 the decision was made that Americans would speak the English language over German.
By ONE vote, Hitler won leadership of the German Nazi party in 1923.

Click on this link for a treat from Starbucks just for taking the time out to vote this Tuesday!

And thanks to Mary, from whom I stole this lovely post today!

Random

Okay, this is different than I've done in the past. I have been wanting to photograph something other than people for awhile now. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE taking pictures of people. Every day on the way to take the kids to school I pass by pastures and country houses and SOMEDAY when I have the time I'm going to pull over and take some pictures! Anyway, we had a golf tournament for work yesterday and it had several bridges thru out the course. This bridge was pretty unique, it was an old train car. Pretty cool.