710

I don't usually pass on blond jokes, but this one just cracked me up and I just had to share...

A few days ago I was having some work done at my local garage. A blond came in and asked for a seven-hundred- ten.

We all looked at each other and another customer asked, "What is a seven-hundred- ten?"

She replied, "You know, the little piece in the middle of the engine, I have lost it and need a new one.."

She replied that she did not know exactly what it was, but this piece had always been there.

The mechanic gave her a piece of paper and a pen and asked her to draw what the piece looked like.

She drew a circle and in the middle of it wrote 710. He then took her over to another car which had its hood up and asked "is there a 710 on this car?"

She pointed and said, "Of course, its right there."

Click here for a picture of the 710!

Easy Smores!

I love smores! Who doesn't? But they tend to be a bit messy....

Well, I found the perfect solution over at Planning A Party. She uses Fudge Striped cookies instead of messing with graham crackers and chocolate! Talk about easy! And they're round!!! The marshmallow fits perfectly on the cookie.

I can't wait to be the hit of the campground when I take these on our next camping trip! The kids are going to love it!!!!

ABC's of Friendship

(A)ccepts you as you are
(B)elieves in "you"
(C)alls you just to say "HI"
(D)oesn't give up on you
(E)nvisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts)
(F)orgives your mistakes
(G)ives unconditionally
(H)elps you
(I)nvites you over
(J)ust "be" with you
(K)eeps you close at heart
(L)oves you for who you are
(M)akes a difference in your life
(N)ever Judges
(O)ffers support
(P)icks you up
(Q)uiets your fears
(R)aises your spirits
(S)ays nice things about you
(T)ells you the truth when you need to hear it
(U)nderstands you
(V)alues you
(W)alks beside you
(X)-plains things you don't understand
(Y)ells when you won't listen and
(Z)aps you back to reality

Calmness

I am posting this on my blog to share with you all because it definitely works, and we could all use a little more calmness in our lives. By following simple advice heard on the Dr. Phil show, you too can find inner peace.

Dr. Phil proclaimed, "The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started and have never finished."

So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of White Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, a bottle of Kahlua, a package of Oreo's, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos and a box of chocolates.

You have no idea how freaking good I feel.

Please pass this on to those whom you think might be in need of inner peace.

Memorial Day

We attended our annual Memorial Day parade in Blairsville this morning. The parade was led by Grand Marshall Matt Moore, the 160 pound State Wrestling Champion from Blairsville. Then followed our Veterans, some of them walking, some of them in a big float. Everyone stood and cheered the men and women! One of the Veterans was Blairsville's own Jeremy Feldbush, who was injured in Iraq right after the start of the war. Jeremy is now totally blind from shrapnel in his face.

The Blairsville Bobcat Band played several patriotic marches, then climbed the hill to the cemetery for the Memorial Day program. It was very well attended this year. The flags were flying throughout the cemetery in honor of all the men and women veterans who are no longer with us.

God bless our military.

Angels, Explained by Children

These are adorable! I just had to share:

Sarah, 7
" I only know the names of two angels. Hark and Harold."

Gregory, 5
"Everybody's got it all wrong. Angels don't wear halos anymore.
I forget why, but scientists are working on it."

Olive, 9
"It's not easy to become an angel! First, you die. Then you go to
heaven, then there's still the flight training to go through. And then
you got to agree to wear those angel clothes."

Matthew, 9
"Angels work for God and watch over kids when God has to go do something
else."

Mitchell, 7
"My guardian angel helps me with math, but he's not much good for
science."

Henry, 8
"Angels don't eat, but they drink milk from Holy Cows!!!."

Jack, 6
"Angels talk all the way while they're flying you up to heaven. The main
subject is where you went wrong before you got dead."

Daniel, 9
"When an angel gets mad, he takes a deep breath and counts to ten.
And when he lets out his breath, somewhere there's a tornado."

Reagan, 10
"Angels have a lot to do and they keep very busy. If you lose a tooth,
an angel comes in through your window and leaves money under your
pillow. Then when it gets cold, angels go north for the Winter."

Sara, 6
"Angels live in cloud houses made by God and his son, who's a very good
carpenter."

Jared , 8
"All angels are girls because they gotta wear dresses and boys didn't go
for it."

Antonio, 9
"My angel is my grandma who died last year. She got a big head start on
helping me while she was still down here on earth."

Katelynn, 9
"Some of the angels are in charge of helping heal sick animals and
pets. And if they don't make the animals get better, they help the
child get over it."

Vicki, 8
"What I don't get about angels is why, when someone is in
love, they shoot arrows at them."

Weekend update...

We had a pretty nice weekend...

Jillian left on Friday to go to Busch Gardens with the marching band. She was so excited about going.. she had her bags packed by Wednesday night! They came home on Sunday morning at 5:30 a.m. but thankfully Frank went to get her! She had a lot of fun and they had great weather, sunshine and 70's!

Becca had to work on Saturday at the pharmacy. It was her first time working a full day! She's only ever worked 4 hours at a time before, but she was glad to get the extra hours. She gets paid every Thursday and when she works on weekends, they actually pay her in advance for the coming weekend! So she got a nice pay on Thursday. She's been saving up for a camera and finally had enough! So we went to WalMart and she picked out a new digital camera. She loves it! She hasn't stopped taking pictures since she got it! The main reason she wanted it was for the trip to Quebec with her French class and then our trip to Florida the week later.

Frank and I had the day to ourselves on Saturday, so we ran to town and went to WalMart and Lowe's. We picked up some more plants for my flower boxes on the fence around the pool. I also got a couple of potted plants to place around my pond and a water lily for in it. They look so pretty! But I want to get a couple more to give it a little more color. As soon as I'm finished with it, I'll post pictures!

Sunday after church, my mom came over for lunch (bbq chicken on the grill *yumm*) then we headed to town to put some flowers on the graves in the cemetery. Unfortunately, mom's car broke down while we were at the cemetery, so Frank had to come to our rescue! He worked on it a bit and got it running again, but it needs more work, so she has to take it to the shop to get checked out.

So that was our weekend! Busy, but nice.... hard to believe that next weekend is Memorial Day weekend!

Frustration....

There is nothing, I repeat, nothing, more frustrating that watching your child suffer and not knowing what to do for them....

My 16 yo dd Becca has been going through some serious health issues for the past 7 months (you can get more details on it all at my Soul Cysters blog) and we just spent another day in Pittsburgh at the doctors office, only to be told that they don't know what to do to help her with her pain, and are referring us to another doctor...

I left there feeling like a terrible mom for not being able to stop her pain! So, I called Children's Hospital and asked to speak to someone who could help us coordinate all the doctors together so that they can hopefully compare everything they have already done and come up with some solutions... I sure hope this works! They are supposed to call me in the morning and see what they can do....

In the meantime, please, please keep Becca in your prayers that this horrible pain will be lifted from her and that she can start leading the life of a normal 16 year old....

Discovery Cove, Sea World and Animal Kingdom!

That's where we're going for Becca's Make A Wish!!! I just got off the phone with the coordinator and everything is almost all set up for the end of June...

We'll spend our first full day at Discovery Cove and all 4 of us get to swim with the dolphins!!! Becca is so excited about this! That's what her actual wish was... to swim with dolphins! At first they thought that just Becca and Jillian would swim with the dolphins and that was fine with us, but then they said that all four of us get to go in with them!!! Oh my gosh, I'm excited too! lol!

The next day, we go to Sea World and spend the day there. Is the one in Orlando similar to the one that used to be in Ohio? I LOVED the shows they put on in Ohio! The girls love the penguins the best!

Then we go to Animal Kingdom for a day. I went to their website and it looks like that's a bunch of shows all about animals... like Lion King and Finding Nemo.... that will be a blast!

Then our last day is a free day where we will be driving to see my dad's sister's family and we'll get to meet my little cousin Hannah for the first time!!! I can't wait to meet that precious sweetheart.... And I'll get to see my cousins who I haven't seen in over 10 years!

I'm still in awe that Becca has been given this trip and cannot even imagine what it will be like. We've never gone on a real family vacation before (except camping...) and the girls have never flown! So they are just a tad excited! And MAW has gone above and beyond what her original wish was!

My hope and prayers are that we can get things straightened out with Becca's health so that she isn't in pain while we are there.... But MAW keeps assuring us that if Becca is having a bad day, she will be able to go and rest....

Just had to share... it's starting to seem real now

Bev

It's Friday!

Woo Hoo! We made it to Friday! Finally! lol!

Let's see, what is planned for the weekend?

First, Jillian will be performing in "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" again tonight and Saturday evening. I went to the show last night and it is hilarious! Jillian is just one of the kids because 6-8th graders could not have lead roles in this production since they had their own musical (Annie) in the fall last year. But she loves being part of the chorus. Most of the lead parts are in Becca's class (Juniors) so I know them all well. They did fantastic! My favorite is JJ as Snoopy. He is such a ham!!!

Frank and I, my mom, and my brother Ray and his wife Lisa will be going to the show Saturday night. Then on Sunday, we are invited over to Ray and Lisa's for dinner on Mother's Day! Yeah! Lisa is pregnant with their first child and is due in November, so this will be her first Mother's Day!!! We are so excited about this baby!!! They've been married 15 years (almost 16!) so it is a long awaiting arrival for all of us!

Frank will be working on getting my pond finished that he bought me for my birthday in March.... I can't wait till it's finished! I'll post pictures when it's done....

It looks like the weather is going to be wonderful for the whole weekend. Finally!!!! Have a Great weekend everyone!

Work at Home Mom Revolution: Are You a Beta Mom?

Work at Home Mom Revolution: Are You a Beta Mom?

What a great description of me!!! I'm a Beta Mom and didn't even realize it! lol!

We had pancakes for dinner last night cause hubby was away and that's what the girls wanted.

You definitely CANNOT eat of my kitchen floor! lol!

I made homemade cookies from the little squares Friday for a bake sale on Saturday! Everyone raved about them and wanted my recipe ;)

I buy tons of white socks so that the girls don't have to worry about matching colors! lol!

Are you a Beta Mom???

Rings...

Several years ago, as I was typing away on my computer at home, I glanced down and noticed that the diamond was missing from my engagement ring!!! I searched the house high and low, looked everywhere, and we never found the diamond. It wasn't just any diamond, it was my hubby's grandma's stone in a setting that we picked out when we got engaged. To say I was crushed and very upset would be an understatement.

At the time, things were very tight financially for us, so I was not able to get a stone to replace that one. I purchased a cheap wedding band to wear in its place until I was able to buy a new diamond. It's been about 7 years now, and I still do not have a diamond.

I've been thinking about it a lot lately, so I did some searching for a new diamond. I found some gorgeous diamonds at MySolitaire! Not only do they have Diamond Rings in every setting imaginable, they also have lose diamonds that I could purchase and put in my original setting!

However, this is going to be a lot harder decision than I realized! Yes, I love my original setting, but now that I haven't worn it for 7 years, I'm not as attached to it as I used to be! lol! I used to wear yellow gold all the time, and that's what my original ring is, but now I tend to wear white gold or silver jewelry! The pictures on their website are gorgeous and they have so many choices! Their Wedding Rings come in so many different styles! And, you can shop by price too.

I'll have to show the site to my hubby and see what he thinks... We picked the first ones out together, so we'll pick the second ones out together too!

Prom Pictures!

Friday night was Prom night! Their theme was Viva Las Vegas. In Blairsville, we have what is called the Grand March which is where all the kids line up and walk across the stage as their names are announced for everyone to see their gorgeous dresses and tuxes. Each student is given two tickets for their parents, then they can purchase additional tickets for other family members. Of course Frank and I went, but Becca also asked Grammie (my mom) and Mrs. A, a close friend of the family.

Becca was extremely nervous about being on the stage. She hates attention! And, as they called each student's name, the boy walked from one side of the stage and the girl came from the other, then they met in the middle. They walk down the steps and up the aisles as another couple is announced.

From the Grand March, they were loaded into coach buses and taken to the local country club for dinner. At 10:00, they got back on the buses and headed to Pittsburgh for a ride on the Gateway Clipper for a midnight cruise. They had a beautiful night! At 2:30, they boarded the buses once again and headed for Dave & Buster's on the Waterfront for a couple of hours of games and fun. They arrived back in Blairsville at 7:00 a.m., just a bit tired ;)

Becca went with a guy named Damian and had a very nice time. I think she looked absolutely beautiful!

Country Auctions...

I had never been to an auction before today! Considering I live in the boonies where country auctions are big events, I've just never had a reason to attend one. Today that changed.

A member of one of our sister churches passed away and after going through everything in the house and farm, the family decided to put the rest of the merchandise up for auction. They had everything imaginable from quilts and dishes, to farm equipment and tools. My girls belong to the Youth Group at this sister church and they were asked to provide the food for the guests at the auction. So, the parents got to help man the booth with the kids and we sold sloppy joes, hot dogs with kraut, chips, cookies and pop.

It was a beautiful day for an auction! The sun was shining, the weather perfect! Our shift started at noon, so we got there around 11:30 to check out all the "stuff". It really has to be hard on a family to watch your heirlooms and memories being sold to strangers...

They had a couple huge canopies set up with all of the items set out around the house. We were just off to the side, so we were able to see everything that was sold. It's so neat hearing the Auctioneer talk so fast! "Who'll give me 10, do I hear 10? 10? 10 now, who'll give me 15? Do I hear 15? 15 over here, how about 20? Do I hear 20? 20? 20? Sold, for $20!!!"

The Youth Group made over $300 profit on the food they sold.... they kids had a blast, and my hubby even bought a few things.... It was a really nice day.

I'm a Good Parent...

I found two blogs yesterday when I was writing my Blogtipping post, Girls Gone Child and Table for Five. They both had posts about admitting that they are good parents. I decided that I'd write my own post about being a good parent....

I have very low self-esteem... I always have. I have a hard time accepting praise. Why? I have no idea.

I've been watching my weight and have recently lost 28 pounds and only have about 7 more to go to reach my goal weight. I feel better physically than I have in a very long time. Hubby Frank and I celebrated out 20th wedding anniversary last summer with a trip to Gatlinburg and had a wonderful time. Our girls are a true blessing. They are both very good students, and very good girls. They are friendly to everyone and have lots of good friends. I've got a lot of very good friends too. I'm involved in a lot of the girls' activities at the school and very involved with our church. I work for an extremely understanding boss and love my job. Plus things are going pretty well on my blogs! Sounds pretty close to perfect, doesn't it? So why do I have such a low self-esteem?

One problem is, I can't help but compare myself to others. Even though I'm now in a smaller clothing size, I still picture myself as big. Outside, I manage my marriage, kids, friendship and job, but inside, I'm struggling to handle balancing it all.

Outside, my life probably looks pretty good, but if people really knew. . . my oldest dd Becca has been struggling with some pretty serious health issues. For the past two years, she has a headache on a daily basis. We've had her to every doctor imaginable both here locally and in Pittsburgh and were finally told there is nothing they can do... she just has to learn to deal with it until it someday goes away. Then she was diagnosed with bladder cancer last fall. Talk about your world falling down around you! We got that taken care of only to find she has PCOS (that's a whole other blog! lol!). She started having more health problems two weeks ago and we've been back and forth to Pittsburgh again dealing with them. Jillian, our youngest, has had asthma since she was 18 months old and still has occasional flair ups. Frank travels a lot with his work... sometimes having to be out of town 3-4 days a week. I volunteer for way too many things and end up with a To Do list a mile long! Work gets very, very busy during the spring so I often have to work longer hours, yet I've needed to take a lot of time off because of Becca lately, which hurts the paycheck a lot... I could go on and on, but I won't. I think you get the picture.

So how do I deal with it all? I cry out to God. I do a LOT of praying! Proverbs 3:5 helps me a lot, "Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart. . ." When I start feeling down again, I realize that I have been relying on me, not God. Another verse is Jeremiah 29:13, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with ALL your heart." Why do I keep forgetting that??? When I remember these truths, these treasures from God's Word, a calmness comes over me that I can't even begin to explain.

When I rely on His strength, and not my own, I feel better about myself, and I can breathe again. I turn my fears about Becca, Jillian, Frank, work, and every day pressures over to the only One who can take care of them.

How does this help me be a good parent? Because I can be there for my girls... really be there. I can give them the support and encouragement they need because of my inner peace. My girls and I have fun when we are together, whether it's a trip to Walmart or to the doctors in Pittsburgh. We all laugh at the dining room table when we eat dinner together. We share stories and laugh. They confide in my about boy troubles and girl friend troubles. I provide a loving home, they have a strong Christian upbringing and they are good kids. Really good kids.

I'm proud of them, and I'm proud of Frank and I as their parents. Yep, I still suffer from low self-esteem, but I work on it constantly! And I am very proud to say, I am a Good Parent.

Blogtipping!

It’s Blogtipping Day! And it’s also the first anniversary of Blogtipping! The first monthly Blogtipping Day was exactly one year ago today. Time flies when you’re surprising other bloggers with free praise and blogging tips!

Blogtipping Definition: Blogtipping is where you publish a blog post in which you link to three unsuspecting blogs and offer three compliments and/or one helpful tip to each blogger. (Or adapt those numbers to your own preferences; the principle of selflessness is what matters most here.) Blogtipping is a refreshing and useful surprise that can start a blogger’s month with a huge smile!

The first calendar day of each month is a new Blogtipping Day. Who will you sneak up behind and tip next time?

I plan to surprise three bloggers on the first calendar day of each month and offer each one three items of praise. The idea behind blogtipping is to give a tip as well, but I’m still very new to blogging myself and will hold off on the tipping and just give praise this month.

Since the purpose of blogtipping is simply to help and encourage other bloggers, please feel free to blogtip whenever, whomever and however you wish.

So, on to my list!

Blogtippee 1: Parent Hacks

1. Wow, what a fantastic blog! This one looks like it's been around for over a year and a half and has lots of great advice for parents with kids of all ages!

2. Filled with pictures! I love seeing pictures on blogs. Great, great job!

3. I love how the categories are broken down by ages, plus other categories. If I'm interested in seeing posts on 13-18 year olds, all I have to do is click on the category for that age and there are tons of posts to read through!

Blogtippee 2: Table for Five

1. This is a great read about a family of five and their daily life. Elizabeth shares lots of stories, reviews, gift ideas and all kinds of other posts! I found it very entertaining.

2. Love the post about being an Amazing Parent! I plan to write my own post after this one and reply back to Table for Five.

3. I'm also thrilled that through Table for Five, I found Girls Gone Child... my next Blogtippee!

Blogtippee 3: Girls Gone Child

1. Wow. This girl writes many of the things I am thinking! I could spend hours here reading her archives! Read her Good Parent post and admit you are a great parent!

2. Her story about SheNANNYgans: Introducing Lauren is so inspirational! It helps you believe that you can do anything you set your mind to!

3. She also has many very funny, down to earth stories too. I will definitely be checking this one out often!

That's it for this month! Check out the links above and pay them a visit! I'm sure you'll be happy you did!