POTD 1-31-09 Maw Maw Helps

My husband's Mom came over to visit with the kids today. She had been missing them. They started out by making her color, and Jordan quickly recruited her to help with her puzzle. I love this photo because of how hard it looks like they were both concentrating.



I had work tonight so I am really tired. I got up this morning and cleaned like mad before my mother in law got here. (Do not laugh! You know you all do the same!) Then we got to hang out for a while before I had to go to work. After work I went and picked up some dinner and came home to a dirty house, and cranky kids. Yay!

Off to clean some MORE before bed time!
Hugs!
Heather

POTD 1-30-09 Pretty In Pink

Of course I was back at the library today, dropping off and picking up books. Sometimes I think I should get a parking spot there with my name on it. They have the prettiest Camellia bush there. The flowers are as big as my hand! They are huge, ruffly, and gorgeous. Everything flowers should be! Not to mention that they are flowering when it is still cold outside.



A few years ago I bought a Camellia bush and planted it. I have babied it, and done everything short of kissing and hugging it. It still has not flowered. I must have picked a dud I guess, but I refuse to dig it up and plant a new one there. I just can not bear to give up on it. I was SURE it was going to flower this year, but I guess not! Maybe next year? If not I can just go visit the library's tree and ask it what it's secret is. LOL

Hugs,
Heather

POTD-Silly Girl/Blog Award

I realized I do not have many pictures of Alexis yet in my POTD set, so I had her play around doing gymnastics moves on the floor so she would look natural. I snapped this one and chose it for the photo of the day.



This one came in a close second. She is such a silly girl! I love how these came out. Note the missing tooth. She is very proud of her missing tooth. She donated her tooth fairy money to a playground fund at her school.



I got another blog award! Adriann (http://nnairdas.blogspot.com/) gave me this really sweet award.



I appreciate it girl. I love how you are not afraid to tell it like it is, and the music on your blog always inspires me just as much as you do!

I am passing it along to Liz, Leah, Jill, Angi, Rleen, and Kami. You all inspire me so much!!!

Hugs!
Heather

Becky Fleck Testing

I was so excited to be asked to test digital templates by Becky Fleck a few months ago. The templates are based on the sketches in her Page Maps book, and make short work of digital scrapbooking. I have been using her sketches as a basis for both my paper and digital layouts for a long time, so I was honored when she asked me to test for her. The digital templates are now up for sale, so I'm allowed to post the layouts I did. If you would like to purchase the templates you can find them here...

http://www.fwmagazines.com/category/memorymakersdigitaldownloads/3

Here are the layouts I made, as always you can click on them to make them bigger and read more about them.

Disney-Becky Fleck Testing
by Miracles_momma
Scrapbook.com

School-Becky Fleck Testing
by Miracles_momma
Scrapbook.com

1st Christmas-Becky Fleck Testing
by Miracles_momma
Scrapbook.com

Play-Becky Fleck Testing
by Miracles_momma
Scrapbook.com

Thanks for stopping by my blog, I was just so excited about being asked that it killed me to keep quiet for so long. LOL I think it's so cool that she's converted them to a digital format! I can't wait to get my copy in the mail so I can play with the other templates.

Hugs,
Heather

POTD 1-28-09 Afternoon Nap/Question Session 12

Things were a little too quiet a while ago, so I tiptoed down the hallway to check on Brandon. He had been playing in his room making his usual loud banging noises. He finally gave up and fell asleep in front of the window with the light streaming down on him. It is a given this photo is a bit grainy, but I could not pass it up. He is very rarely still. LOL



I did not forget about the questions of the day! Question One: What is some of the worst advice you have ever received?

One of the worst pieces of advice that I ever received came from the nurses at the hospital before we brought Jordan home. Since she was a preemie, she was allowed to sleep on her stomach. They actually were not allowed to sleep on their backs in the NICU. So when we got ready to bring her home and they instructed us to have her sleep on her back, she freaked out. She did not sleep hardly at all until we brought her to the pediatrician a few days later and she informed us that it was okay for her to sleep on her stomach due to the equipment she was on (oxygen and apnea monitor). After that she slept better, but not much better. The best way to get her to sleep was to lay her on our chests, but that meant we had to stay up. I do not think I slept a full night until she was a year old. It was a wild ride for sure. LOL Now she is my best sleeper.

Question Two: What is your child rearing philosophy?

I am a pretty laid back Mom. We never have scheduled the day out, from feeding to baths... it just happens when we get to it. Naps are nice, but those happen when they happen too. I believe in making sure the important morals are instilled, and letting them make their way with guidance as needed. I believe in free play, and not much direction or interference. I believe in letting children learn as much as they want, but encouraging them to want to learn more. I believe that each child is different, and requires a slightly different approach. Above all I believe that the most important things in a child's life are love, laughter, and just being there for them.

Thanks for stopping by,
Hugs!
Heather

POTD-Braces

Jordan has outgrown her current pair of leg braces, and so I thought I would take a photo of them before they go in the trash. I saved her very first pair of braces that were even tinier than my hand. She has gone through 6 pair of daytime braces since then and 3 pair of night time braces. Yes, she is even supposed to sleep in them. Ronnie and I do not make her wear them at night as much as we should, just because she does not sleep well at all in them. She just cries and cries. We keep trying to get her used to wearing them.



This morning I brought her to get her legs cast for her new braces. This involves them putting a cast on her legs and taking it right off again. She is convinced that they are going to cut her toes off when they take the cast off, so we have to hold her down while she screams. Brandon was hysterical as well because he thought we were hurting her. Needless to say it has been a looooooong day. I am hoping that tomorrow will be a better day and that I will be able to post some questions.

Hugs,
Heather

POTD 1-26-09 My New Ceiling Fan

This is my electricity meter. I joke and tell my husband that if it spins any faster, we should bring it into the house and use it as a ceiling fan. I mean that thing really spins! You should see it in the Summer when the air conditioner runs all day long. I spotted it when we came home this afternoon and thought it would make an interesting POTD.

Hugs,
Heather

Blog Awards

I received this Lemonade Blog Award from Arlene who really inspires me with her wonderful attitude, and her lovely scrapbook pages! Check out her awesome blog here... http://rleen08.blogspot.com/ This award is to recognize someone who shows a great attitude or gratitude. Now it is my pleasure to pass this along to 5 other cyber-friends who have touched my life. It's a great way to show someone that you appreciate them; what their support means to you; and how you appreciate and love reading their comments.

1. Leah
2. Angi
3. Jane
4. Agnes
5. Adriann

I also received this blog award from Jane...



Thank you girl! You know I love visiting your blog too. I especially admire your photography!

I am passing it on to...

1. Arleen
2. Estee
3. Kristina
4. Liz
5. Kami

Hugs!
Heather

Ladies, just right click on your award, save it to your computer, and upload it to your blog. Please pass it along to 6 blogs that you love to frequent.

POTD 1-25-09 Rub A Dub

Today's photo of the day was so hard to choose. I got two really excellent ones during bath time tonight. It came down to me wanting to use one that was in color because I've been using a lot of black and white lately, so this one is my official POTD.



I think I also was drawn in by the look on his face in that one. This one is the runner up, and you will see why I had such a hard time choosing! I loved that I caught the drops of water falling, and his Daddy's hands in the photo.



Today I actually got some scrapbooking time in! I had an idea to make my own mini album out of some black chipboard that I bought a while back. I used my Cricut machine to make several different sized hearts, and then adhered them with temporary adhesive to the chipboard. Then I cut out around the templates, punched holes, and assembled everything. It is held together using two 7 Gypsies binding rings. I had a blast making this. I am in love with that Scenic Route Loveland paper.As always you can click on it to make it bigger!

Forever and Always Mini Album-Scenic Route Challenge
by Miracles_momma
Scrapbook.com

I hope everyone has a wonderful night,
Hugs!
Heather

Scrappersaurus BIG Announcement!

I had two classes tonight and they both were a lot of fun. It is so cool to be able to teach what I love to do. Tonight was beginning digital scrapbooking, and it went well. It is always a blast to hang out with a big group of girls.

Now for the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!

Marah Johnson will be at Scrappersaurus on February 27th! She will be doing two mini book workshops, and I have the super sweet sneak previews for you. Shhh! Don't tell.





I got the privilege of seeing both of these tonight, and they are GORGEOUS! Dee and Felix have them on display at the checkout counter, so stop by Scrappersaurus as soon as you get a chance to check them out. Her classes are 40 per book or 75 for both! Spots are limited, so if you are interested, call and reserve your spot as soon as possible at Scrappersaurus. The phone number is 985-624-3338.

You can find out more about Marah Johnson on her blog here http://marah_johnson.typepad.com/

I recently had someone ask me to share my favorite website for baby book inspiration... I have a whole collection of 8x8 sized baby layouts that I did for my son that you can check out here...

http://www.scrapbook.com/myplace/index.php?mod=galleries&u=92738&a=169359&page=1

Scrapbook.com has a gallery search feature that you use. If you go to the gallery and enter the words baby boy or baby girl, tons and TONS of layouts will show up.

If you are looking to make a mini book check out... http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/ They have excellent step by step tutorials.

I hope that helped! I hope everyone is having a magnificent weekend!

Hugs,
Heather

POTD 1-24-09 Eat Like a Boy

My girls have always been content to sit at the table like little ladies. They eat their dinner messily, but they stay seated. Brandon is a whole other creature. When I got off of work this evening I stopped at Wendy's to buy dinner because I was so tired. I served everything up and was getting ready to sit down when I saw Brandon standing up in his chair eating chicken nuggets. I guess it is okay as long as he is "in" his chair. LOL



Boys are so different! I have a big announcement about a special event at Scrappersaurus coming up in a separate post in just a minute!

Hugs,
Heather

POTD 1-23-09 Where's Jordan?

Jordan is slightly obsessed with baby dolls. At last count there thirteen were of them. She always insists that every baby have a name, and once she names them, she never forgets a name. She comes up with the strangest names at times. Just because I never want to forget, I asked her the name of each baby doll while we took this photo. Their names are Kiki, Swimmie, Baby Belle, Sarah, Sasha Sidney, Melody, Gidget, Chou Chou, Britney, Priscilla, Frannie Baby, Loose Tooth Button Baby, and Preemie.



I have one measly scrapbook page to share today. I have been super busy with work lately, and have not had much time for personal scrapbooking! I am all caught up now for a while, and I am excited to get to scrapbook tomorrow! I ordered all of my baby photos that I scanned. My Mom loaned me a huge box. I also ordered my week in the life photos from when Ali Edwards ran that challenge. Now I just have to scrap them. I even bought a book to put them all in. So much to do, so little time! Here is the layout, as always you can click on it to make it bigger.

Boo Boo
by Miracles_momma
Scrapbook.com

Thanks for stopping by, I have to go cook dinner!

Hugs,
Heather

POTD 1-22-09 Dymo Addict/Questions Session 11

Yesterday I bought a Dymo label maker because I thought it would be cool to use on my scrapbook layouts. When I got home I decided it would be neat to learn how to use it by labeling my scrapbook storage. Twenty seven labels later, I realized that the Dymo is slightly addictive. I stopped short of labeling my kids, but just barely. Once you get on a roll with it, you do not want to stop. LOL I was all excited to show it to Ronnie when he got home, and he just rolled his eyes at me. He does not get it. LOL I love being organized, and it just made my day. It is the little things in life that matter right? So my photo of the day today is two stacks of my neatly labeled containers. They make me smile!



I have questions today...

Question One: How do you feel about keeping your house clean? Do you mind cleaning, or do you love it?

I do not like cleaning house. I love it when things are organized, and everything is in it's place. I do not mind that part of cleaning. I HATE vacuuming, and dusting. Dishes and laundry do not bother me too much, except for the fact that I seem to constantly be doing one or the other. I managed to bribe Ronnie into doing the vacuuming, but he refuses to dust. Now that I have a job, I get out of some of the chores on the weekends. Yay me!

Question Two: What is your favorite Disney movie?

It is hard to choose given that I named both of my daughter's middle names after Disney princesses. I personally identify most with Ariel. I remember when the movie came out when I was eight years old. I just to swim in my babysitter's pool, and jump out of the water singing. I was such a dork. LOL So I guess that my favorite movie is The Little Mermaid, but Jasmine comes in a close second. I love the old school movies.

Hugs!
Heather

P.S. This weekend at Scrappersaurus I am doing double duty! I am teaching Beginning Digital Scrapbooking, and Photo Restoration. It will be my first time teaching two classes in one day! It should be fun. If you are interested in signing up, and have not done so yet, you can visit Scrappersaurus.com for the phone number and email.

POTD 1-21-09 Es Car Go

I do not really live at Wal-mart, but I do live in my car. I keep everything in there from sunglasses, to changes of clothes for the kids, to pencils. I have everything I could possibly need in case of an emergency. (Thank you Ronnie.) I even have an air compressor in my stow and go seating. I have a double stroller, and Jordan's wheelchair in the WAY back as we call it. Our minivan is our home away from home, and I plan to drive it until the wheels fall off. It has been to Disney twice already! I love that thing. It has even got room for one more kid, just in case a friend sleeps over, or I lose my mind and go for four. (Not likely!) Here is a photo of me in the driver's seat! *Edited using CoffeeShop Actions!



I know I promised questions today, but it has been a looooooooong day, and I will have to get to it tomorrow.

Agnes... if you are reading this, I do not have your email address, and can not get into your site to return comments. =0(

Hugs,
Heather

POTD 1-20-09 Cars Love

Brandon got the full set of Cars action figures for Christmas. Not a day goes by without seeing one tucked into his little hands. They are all very sturdy and really cute. One of his favorites is Sarge, the jeep that runs the army surplus store in Radiator Springs. I caught this photo of him playing with it this afternoon. Something about the little car in his chubby little hands reminds me that he is still little even if he is almost as tall as Jordan is.



Edited with another fabulous Coffee Shop Action! I'm really loving her stuff.

I may have questions tomorrow! Things have been a little hectic here lately...

Hugs,
Heather

POTD 1-19-09 Talk to the Hand

Brandon had a play date today and I was calling him to come in. The sun was going down, and the wind was picking up. When I called him, this is the response I got. I do not think he was telling me to "talk to the hand", but it sure looks that way. LOL The lighting in this one just thrilled me. It looked like the sun was only shining for him. He is growing up so fast. This was edited with the fabulous urban vivid action from http://coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com/ She has some AMAZING actions!!!



This picture was a close runner up for photo of the day, but the air conditioner in the background was too distracting. Still an adorable picture!



I had someone ask me for the calendar of my classes. Here is the link to the Scrappersaurus main website www.scrappersaurus.com, and here is the direct link to the calendar http://www.scrappersaurus.com/January09.html (You can click on the left and right arrows to see next month's calendar.) I appreciate your interest. The classes taught by me will say instructor Heather Landry on them, and if you have any questions you can contact me directly by email MiraclesMommaDesigns@hotmail.com.

Hugs!
Heather

POTD 1-17-09 and 1-18-09

Last night I did not get home from work until after the kids went to bed. When I came in, this is what I found in the kitchen...



I do not really mind having to clean up. I know it is a lot to watch all three kids and try to keep the house clean. I just found it funny that I can keep it all together, but the kids keep him hopping so much that he has a hard time. Since it was so late last night. I had to wait until today to upload it.

Here is the one I took today. I made a home made version of a ribbon organizer. It's all sorted by color, and hangs on hangers on a big hook on my wall. Every time I look at it, the colors make me feel happy. I also get happy thinking that something is organized in this mess! LOL So I took a picture from the bottom of the ribbon up. I think it looks kinda cool.



Work was really awesome last night! I had seven girls come to the class. We had everyone stuffed together like sardines. LOL I was sick, but I went anyway. Everything went well, until two and a half hours in I started losing my voice. Thankfully the class was almost over, and I was able to finish out. I got some girls signed up already for my distress class. It is so funny because one of them is my English teacher from middle school.

I really do enjoy teaching. It is awesome to get paid for something you love to do anyway!!! Last night I picked up a cool new tool! It is such a pain in the behind to pick up all of those tiny paper die cut pieces. Well Quick Kutz came out with a tool that has an end to scrape your diecut up off of the mat, and then it has another end with a tacky substance so that the tiny diecuts stick to the pen while you place them in the glue where you want it. Oh so cool, and really worth it!

My first digital scrapbooking class is coming up this Saturday. For the first time in a long time I am doing some digital design because I plan to give a CD full of supplies out to the participants. I am really excited about teaching digital! Enough out of me for today!

Hugs!
Heather

POTD 1-16-09 Little Piggies/Questions Session 10

My POTD today, and this one is also for the boy themed photo challenge at the photo challenge forum.

This is Brandon's little foot. The little stubby toes, the little wrinkles on the bottom, the chubby little instep.

Thanks go to Leah for the idea of taking a photo of his footsies! Because this was for the photo challenge I could only edit in Picasa. I used the filtered black and white options and clicked on colors until I liked the dreamy look I got with a red.

I got a blog award from Leah and Kami today!



I'm also supposed to name 5 addictions. Only 5? Well this should be easy.

1. Coffee, coffee, and more coffee!
2. Scrapbooking, both digital and paper.
3. Taking pictures, my kids think they are famous because I stalk them like the paparazzi.
4. Bones (The show on TV!)
5. Music, all day every day. I would rather listen to music than watch television.

Five blogs that I think are fabulous:

(The links are on the right hand side!)

1. Leah
2. Kami
3. Angi
4. Rleen
5. Liz

And I promised questions today...

Question 1: What do you love to buy? Hate to buy?

I have a love/hate relationship with buying clothes, being tall and well endowed makes it difficult to find stuff that fits correctly. Having said that, I love shopping for clothes. LOL I HATE shopping for groceries. It is boring, and I get the same stuff over and over. Maybe I would like it more if I tried different recipes, but then the kids probably would not eat it.


Question 2: What is the worse thing you have ever done to your hair?

Oh gosh, I can not believe I am admitting it, but my hair was pink once. I had dyed it red, and it looked really cute red. My roots started growing out and I got tired of being a red head so I decided to dye it back my natural blond color with a home kit. Yeah. Ummm.... not smart. The red part of my hair turned pink, and the blond roots turned bright yellow blond, so I had pink hair with a blond root halo. So not cute! To save it I had to dye it all dark brown. It was a disaster.

Hugs,
Have a fabulous day today!
Heather

POTD-1-15-09 It Never Ends

This is a drive by blogging to throw my POTD up here. It was a last minute one because we have been running around all day. Here is the laundry I folded today, no matter how much I fold, there is always more! I think laundry spontaneously spawns itself. I know I promised questions, but it is late, and if I stay up past nine thirty I turn into a pumpkin!

Hugs,
Heather

POTD 1-14-09 Bad Boy!

Is is awful of me to be tickled when Brandon does naughty things? I just look at his little face, and instead of fussing at him I end up giggling. How could I resist his little cute face? His project today was pulling the rest of the Kleenex out of the box and shredding them all over the floor. After he was done, he sat down in the middle of his created chaos and watched his cartoons like nothing was out of the ordinary. I love that kid, but we call him Captain Chaos for a reason. LOL



I have a few of my latest layouts to share since it has been a while! As always you can click to make them larger and read the descriptions.

Little Piggies
by Miracles_momma
Scrapbook.com

Little Love-Estee's Who Do You Love Challenge
by Miracles_momma
Scrapbook.com

Hoo I Love-Maya Road Owl Mini Album
by Miracles_momma
Scrapbook.com

Great Outdoors-January 2 Pg. Layout Challenge
by Miracles_momma
Scrapbook.com

I had better go do something productive. I swear Facebook is so addicting. I have spent the entire morning on it. Jeez!

Hugs!
Heather

P.S. Questions tomorrow!

POTD 1-13-09-I Live Here

Ok technically I do not live there, but it sure does feel like it sometimes. I spent an hour in line with a fussy toddler today. I had ordered Ronnie the Stepbrothers DVD with Will Farrell in it online for his birthday. It came in a few days ago, but it was not a DVD. It was some crazy playstation portable movie. I was so irritated! I brought it into the store and exchanged it for a store credit. One would think it would be easy to go find the actual DVD and use my store credit to get it right? Nope. They were out of stock. So I just got him the Dukes of Hazzard DVD instead. Can you tell what type of movies he likes? LOL

After I finished with the movie mess, I actually had to get groceries too. Fun. That was after my visit to the library, Blockbuster, and the brake tag place. Jordan had a meeting here at the house with the Easter Seals people who coordinate her casework, and I had to finish a layout for work. It has been an insane day.

Alexis was supposed to go to gymnastics this evening, but she came home with a bad report from school. That is bad because her teacher is the closest thing I know to a saint. So it means she was REALLY disruptive. Here at home her behavior has not been any better, she was hollering and misbehaving while Jordan's coordinator was here. It was all I could do to pay attention to the important questions she was asking me. *Sigh* I get so tired of fighting with Alexis about her behavior. She has a ton of homework to do, and she is sitting here next to me arguing every step of the way. Sometimes I wonder why things just can not be easier. I guess it is just one of those days for both of us.

Thanks to Leah and Dawn, I have joined Facebook. The shamelessly peer pressured me into it. They actually said, "Don't you want to be like the cool kids?" I do! I do! Where do I sign up?! LOL You can find me on Facebook under Heather Brewer Landry.

Hugs and whines!
Heather

POTD 1-11-09 A Series of Unfortunate Events/ Questions Session 9

This morning started out quite interestingly with Jordan waking up at four in the morning talking about her last birthday party. She is obsessed with the fact that her birthday is "only" three months away now. I went in there and asked her to be quiet because Brandon was still sleeping. (They share a room.) She went back to sleep for a little while, and when I went in to wake her up later I noticed she felt warm and she said she had a tummy ache. So she got out of going to therapy today, and school as well. She suffers from a sluggish digestion, and we have had this problem before. I know it is too much information but she will even get sick from not going. I dosed her with her medicine that (ahem) fixes things.

Then I went in to wake Alexis up, and I got her ready for school. I did the usual morning chores, picking up, emptying the dishwasher, and feeding the little ones while Lexie waited for the bus. The bus did not come. Instead I got a phone call that the bus had been in an accident. I asked if everyone was okay. The bus assistant told me that they did not even realize that someone had hit them. A good Samaritan had chased them down and told them. It was only the driver and the assistant on the bus, so no one was hurt. They were waiting to get the police report done, and would not be picking up Alexis. So here I am with the option to bring her to school, but I can not because of the possibility of Jordan's issue resolving itself while we are driving.

I am stuck. I have all three kids today. Jordan is still feeling sick. Brandon is ticked off that he is having to share his toys with Jordan. Alexis is mad at me that she missed school. She has never had an unexcused absence before during this year. She will just have to accept that there are extenuating circumstances today.

So to distract them, I have let them color at the kitchen table most of the morning. Jordan did not want her picture taken because she "feels yucky". So here are Brandon and Alexis in the POTD.



I have questions for you today!

Question One: What is your favorite thing about being a man/woman?

I guess my favorite thing about being a woman is how much smarter we are than men. No, I am kidding! LOL I like being more in tune with other people's emotions. I feel like women are more intuitive than men are.

Question Two: What is your least favorite thing about being a man/woman?
I am, and always have been a tomboy at heart. I hate having to shave my legs. (I do it anyway but it stinks to have to!) I do not wear make up or dresses unless it is absolutely necessary. The thing I hate the most about being a woman is the viewpoint that unless a woman is immaculately dressed, she is less of a woman. This is extremely detrimental to me, because I am a person who would prefer to live in her pajamas. =oP

I hope you enjoyed my ramblings today!
Hugs,
Heather

POTD 1-11-09 Lazy Sunday

Today is a lazy Sunday. I have been catching up with all the stuff I needed to do around the house. I am on my third load of laundry. I did get to finish one scrapbook page so it has not been a total waste of the day. I have been looking around trying to figure out what to take my POTD of today, and I saw Ronnie cuddled up with the Lady on the couch.



Ronnie brought her to the veterinarian yesterday for her yearly shots, and we found out she has arthritis. She is definitely getting older, and I can not help feeling sad. She has had epilepsy since she was tiny, and now with her further declining health. I am worried. Every day with her is a gift. She is only eight years old, but they have not been easy years for her.

I will have questions up again soon. Probably tomorrow.
Hugs,
Heather

POTD 1-10-09 Seven Going on Seventeen

I know I did a black and white photo yesterday, but today's photo was crying out to be turned black and white. Alexis has been having problems lately with her ADHD and bipolar medicines, and things here have been less than pleasant to put it mildly. I wanted to capture her frustration this evening, and I think I did. Here she is looking at her Daddy disgustedly after he told her she was punished. (For lying AGAIN today.) I just happened to have the camera handy. I grabbed it and snapped. This is the look that says her parents are peons and when she grows up she will never ever do anything the way we do it. She is seven going on seventeen.



Leah tagged me! I am supposed to list 6 uninteresting things about myself and tag 5 more. It shouldn't be too hard to list 6 boring things about myself now should it?

1. I read all of the Babysitters Club books as a teenager.
2. I detest folding clothes. I would rather wash dishes any day.
3. I am saving up to buy a huge Ikea bookcase just because my completed scrapbook albums will fit in it.
4. My favorite color is green. It is a happy color.
5. I love the song "Always" by Saliva (Thanks Leah!)
6. I hate driving on the Interstate. It scares me. I like driving fast, but I do not like inconsiderate drivers.

I am tagging... Estee, Liz, Jane, Adriann, Rleen, and Angi.

Signing off for tonight!
Hugs,
Heather

POTD 1-9-09/Photo Challenge/Questions Session 8

This photo is for my POTD and for the Photo Challenge Blog. My New Years resolution this year is to read one hundred books. So far I am on book six. I only read ninety-seven last year, so this year, I am hoping to meet my goal! This photo is for the photo challenge. I stacked the books on top of my shelf, sat on the floor, and angled the camera up to get a more interesting perspective.



I also have questions today!

Question 1: What is one of the hardest things you have ever had to do in your life?

One of the hardest things I have ever had to do was turn Jordan over to her biological family after she had been placed as a foster child in our home for three months. After she was placed with us OCS started evaluating biological family members, and they came across a paternal Aunt who "wanted to give it a shot". The next week was terrible. They came to our home to train with all of the medical equipment. Jordan was on constant oxygen, and an apnea monitor to alert us when she stopped breathing or her heart rate slowed too much. When they came to do the training they were more interested in playing with her than learning about the machines. I noticed that they were not paying much attention, and so I told them several times that once they brought her home, if they had any questions about the equipment that they could call me anytime.

The inevitable day came when the social worker and I drove Jordan out to their home. I had packed up all of her little clothes, and the toys we bought her. She looked so overwhelmed. She was six months old, and still so fragile. We brought all of the stuff into the house, and I helped them connect all of the machines, and then I kissed her goodbye. I remember her staring at me because she did not understand why I was leaving. I left her favorite Dr. Seuss book with them. Handing that book over made it so much more real, and I started crying, and had to walk out. I cried all the way home.

Her family called me later that evening to ask me why her machine was beeping. It meant that she was not breathing. They needed to stimulate her and then call an ambulance if she did not respond. It terrified me, I knew then that I was right, and that they had not listened at all to the training. They called again the next day and told me that she was fine, but they took her off her vitamins and started giving her orange juice to relieve her constipation. She desperately needed her vitamins because she had failure to thrive and did not eat much. I cried so much during this time. The house felt hollow. I had gotten used to hearing the whoosh of her oxygen machine, and her little cries.

After the longest ten days of my life, her family called me demanding that I come get her. They told me she cried all of the time, and they could not handle her medical needs. (After lying to me previously and saying she never cried and did not appear to miss me.) One of the happiest days in my life was the day we went to pick her back up. She had pneumonia from lack of care, and we drove her to the hospital and she was hospitalized that evening for a week, but she got better, and we got our happy ending two years later when we adopted her on April 13, 2006.


Question 2: What is your favorite book? Why is it your favorite book?

As of this morning I have a new favorite book. You can read the post below to see what it is and why.

Thanks for stopping by,
Have a beautiful day!
Heather

You HAVE to read this book.

If you read nothing else this year, you HAVE to read The Shack by William P. Young.



I am looking back on my blog and there has never been a time where I posted about a specific book here even though I am an avid reader. I picked this book up from the library yesterday evening. Since it was only a seven day loan because so many other people have requested it, I put down the book I was reading and started it right away.

I read half of it yesterday, and finished it this morning. I was in tears. Not gentle rolling tears, but sobbing and bawling. Many of you know that I had a troubled childhood. (We will leave it at that.) Through the years I have had a hard time not believing in God, but trusting in God. This book has made me understand so much about how what happened to me was not God's fault. Logically I knew that, but it was easier to go on blaming God. After I read this book I felt a weight lift off of my shoulders.

It is beautifully written, and so touching. I am recommending this book to anyone who will listen to me. It is a short book, with so much meaning contained between the covers.

Thanks for stopping by,
Hugs,
Heather

POTD 1-8-09 Dust in the Wind

Miss Jordan had hippotherapy this evening. The sun was setting behind the arena, and the dust the horse kicked up was blowing around in the wind. I had to run and grab my camera. I am especially proud of this photo. Of course I played around and edited it in Photoshop. *Sigh* Jordan is growing up so fast. I can not believe she has been riding since she was only two years old.



I changed up the blog a bit. I added a subscription button, and moved things around. Sorry if I confused anyone! I will have more questions tomorrow. It is getting late. Brandon keeps staying up at night, and I am so sleep deprived.

Hugs,
Heather

POTD 1-7-09 Brodee Love

I caught my photo of the day early this morning. The first thing Jordan always does when she rolls out of bed in the morning is find her Brodee toy. It is a character from Yo Gabba Gabba that my grandma bought her for Christmas on my recommendation. The child is absolutely obsessed with the Yo Gabba Gabba show because they sing and dance. Her favorite song is the one that the Brodee toy plays called "Friends". She sings it to Brandon all the time, and he just smiles at her. It is too precious. This morning she ordered me to take a photo of her playing with Brodee, so I complied.



Brandon and I are having a stay at home day today. I brought the girls out to catch the bus this morning, and had to complain to the bus driver. Yesterday evening Jordan was extremely upset because some boy had told her he was going to kill her while she was on the bus. Needless to say, her Dad and I were furious. I told the bus driver, and she said, "Well Jordan didn't say anything to us." Of course she did not, she was scared out of her mind. Jeez. They had better do something about it. I am going to ask her again today how things went. Thank goodness Alexis rides the bus with her so she can tell me what happened too. Alexis is generally pretty good at speaking up for Jordan when people are mean to her.

Yesterday when I was at the library I picked up the second book in the Twilight series. It is called New Moon, and it is excellent. I am four hundred and thirty five pages into it already. I just can not put it down! If you have not read any of the books in this series, I highly recommend them!

Have a beautiful day!
Hugs,
Heather

POTD 1-6-09 Home Away From Home- Questions Session 7

We made a trip to the library and the pharmacy today, and I just had to snap a photo of my library. I say "my" library because I am there so often they should just install a bed for me. LOL The library in Abita Springs is tiny. It is all one room, but it is always tidy, and comfortable. I have been to the bigger library in my town that is just HUGE, but I feel more comfortable at the small one in Abita Springs. It is only five minutes from my house. I feel lucky to have access to so much reading material. I also have to mention their fabulous request service. We have an online database that we can search and have books sent to our local library. They have them shelved at the desk so you can pick them right up.

I can not mention how much I use (overuse?) this service. Because I have three kids who have NO inside voices, I am so grateful that I can get in and out of the library in under five minutes and leave the other patrons to their peace and quiet. I was brought up to appreciate knowledge, and reading is not just an indulgence to me. It is a necessity. I can almost feel my brain atrophy if I have not read a decent book in a while. If that makes me a nerd, then so be it! Knowledge is power.

I have more questions for you all today!

Question One: Who do you envy and why?

I envy my children for their carefree view of life. They have no responsibilities, and no idea just how bad things can be in the world. I envy them their innocence with the heart of someone who did not get to be innocent. I envy them the concentration they display when they focus on one simple moment. Something as small as playing in the sand is an all encompassing activity to them. They are not thinking about what is next on their to-do list. While I envy them all this, I am so grateful that they are this way.

Question Two: Name five things in your refrigerator. (A bit of a silly one there. LOL)

1. Milk (God help me when I run out of it. The heathens rebel!)
2. Ketchup (Suitable to cover anything from eggs to broccoli. Gross!)
3. Cheese Singles (Grilled cheese is my go to lunch when they are home. They eat it!)
4. Crystal Light Cherry (Ronnie and I quit drinking soft drinks. It is pretty good.)
5. Eggs (I cook a REAL breakfast every Saturday morning with eggs, grits, and toast.)

Thanks for stopping by!
Hugs,
Heather

POTD 1-5-09 and Sandbox Fun

Today's POTD is not very clear as it was foggy as all get out this morning. Here it is in all of it's misty glory.



Today was the girl's first day back at school in over two weeks. While I will miss them, I will not miss the noise, and Brandon missing his nap time as it makes him quite a cranky little man. We had planned to go to the park this morning, but as you can tell from the POTD, it is not park weather today. So we settled for staying home today. I did take him outside to play in his sandbox.

The sandbox is one of the best things we have ever bought. All of our children play for hours at a time. Which leaves me free to read a book and drink coffee while watching their antics. Or I could always take photos! LOL Here is one I took this morning. Not perfect, and still misty, but the look on his face. *Sigh* He gets so self absorbed when he plays.



I have an Alexis-ism to share today. A few days ago we were having a conversation about my sister-in-law's dog that passed away. Jordan has been asking a lot of questions about God and heaven, and I was doing my very best to explain things to her. Alexis turned to me and said, "You know what Mom?" "God is sneaky!" I said, "What makes you say that!?" She replied, "Because he is always watching us, and that is like hiding." "It's sneaky!" She is a trip sometimes. I told her it was his job, to watch over us and make sure we were safe. It is a totally different thing than when I tell her to stop eavesdropping and being sneaky. LOL

Today is our eighth anniversary. It does not seem that long that Ronnie and I have been married. I am making him a special anniversary dinner. I have been cooking all day, and I have a lot to go, so I had better sign off, and get to work! LOL

Hugs,
More questions tomorrow hopefully!
Heather

POTD 1-4-09 All Done! - Questions Session 6

I finally finished our Disney album from the trip we took in 2008. I just love the sense of accomplishment when I can check something off of my list of things to do! Here is the album, all put together and finished. I figured it was important enough to deserve it's own POTD!



Here is the link to view all of the layouts that are included in the album!

http://www.scrapbook.com/myplace/index.php?mod=galleries&u=92738&a=176765&page=1

I also have some questions for you today!

Question One: List your top five favorite songs right now.

1. I am admitting to my Britney fandom here but Jordan and I both love her new Circus song.

2. I'm Yours by Jason Mraz because it is impossible not to be happy while listening to this song.

3. I have heard this one so much on Brandon's Cars movie that I ended up liking it. Real Gone by Sheryl Crow

4. Hot N' Cold by Katy Perry because I love her voice and her irreverent songs.

5. Mercy by Duffy, I love the beat. I could listen to it continually.


Question Two: One thing you want to accomplish TODAY is...

I really would like to finish the current book I am reading, but it comes behind doing the laundry and the dishes, and chasing the kids. I am pretty sure it will not get accomplished, but one can hope!

Have a Happy Sunday!
Hugs,
Heather

1-3-09 POTD Diamonds are a Boy's Best Friend?

We had a sleepover last night. Ronnie's sister came over and slept in the girls room. They had a great time playing. This morning the girls asked to play dress up. While they were playing, Brandon started digging in the dress up chest. I guess he got tired of missing out on the fun time. So he started putting jewelry on. It cracked me up. Here he is in all of his finery.



I edited the goodness out of this because there were a lot of distracting elements in the background.

Hugs!
Heather