It may not look like it, but those splotches that you see in the photo are not spots on the lens. Its snow. (to really see the effect and the snow, you should click on the photos... its pretty cool!) It is full on snowing at my house today. Isn't that awesome!?!
It went from being 57 degrees this morning at 7:30am to 37 degrees at 1:00pm. Its COLD! Brrrr!
And, I love it! I made a huge ol' pot of soup first thing this morning, made some scones, and got some yummy hot chocolate! We went to Sams Club and they had my favorite hot chocolate in bulk... The Stevens Peppermint Hot Chocolate that has the polar bear on the package. Usually they only sale it in individual packages, but this year they have boxes of it that you can buy! Yeah!!! AND at Sams Club you get 24 packages for $8.88... on the company website for the same amount its $18.96! Now, thats a bargain! Jefe said he would stop and pick me up a couple boxes of it... and they also have in addition to the peppermint, cinnamon candy cane flavor! Gotta try that one!
So, yeah. It's snowing here! The mountains are supposed to get 8 inches today! AWESOME! I'm not ready for it to be completely winter yet... but just a taste is good enough!

Just a little photo that someone took of the Things and I at church. Aren't they just the cutest thing around?

We went to the annual Peach Days parade a couple of weekends ago up at Jefe's moms house... This float was the hit! All adults dressed up in Star Wars attire... you don't see it, but following the parade walking are a bunch of storm troopers pushing strollers. Yes. Strollers. I have now seen everything. It was hilarious! As I am wrestling with my own weird fear of Darth Vadar, I hear someone behind me saying: "Motherboard, I want one of those." I looked at him like he was on crack and said: "A Darth Vadar Costume??" Totally prepared for all the too numerous reasons why that one will NEVER happen... when he said "Nope. A storm trooper one."
So, Jefe says that he wants one of these ...
Huh.
Never in a million years would I have thought that!

Just a photo of Thing 1 and some of the girls from church. How lucky I am to have such a great kid, who has amazing influences like these older girls! They have really taken her under their wing and are helping direct her in positive ways! These are great kids! What a blessing they have been to Thing 1!! 2 years later I am able to say that this has definately been the best thing we could've done... pick our little family up and move them half way across the country... Every single one of them has blossomed in ways I never could have imagined! They love it here, and I have to say that I am too!
(See that Jefe? Better print it out and paste it up, 'cause I'll never admit again! ;p)

"The first time I see a jogger smiling, I'll consider it".
- Joan Rivers


1. Let It Die - Foo Fighters (from their brand spankin' new album... its awesome!)
2. Message In A Bottle - John Mayer
3. Arms Of A Woman - Amos Lee
4. You Get What You Give - New Radicals
5. Take Me There - Rascal Flatts (Their new album too... just too good!)
6. Kill - Jimmy Eat World
7. The Lighthouse's Tale - Nickel Creek
8. My Town - Montgomery Gentry
9. Syndicated Inc. - Weird Al Yankovic
10. Firefly - Tony Bennett

Bonus: Ol' '55 - Tom Waits
And just cause its such a damn nice day...
Trouble - Ray Lamontagne

Mama, when can I play with my friend again?
Well, you can play with him on this day.
When is that, Mama?
On this day (showing her my fingers).
WHAT?
It's on this day (showing my fingers to her again).
No. Mama when I say WHAT like this: WHAAAAT? That doesn't mean tell me again, it means:
Are you kidding me?
Oh.
Ok.
When did you learn THAAAAT?

Happy Birthday Pappy!
How old are you now? Like only 45 right? Yeah! Thats it... 45!
Well, you don't look a day older!
Have a fab day!
I love you!

When you go in for a job interview, I think a good thing to ask is if they ever press charges.
– Jack Handey

It's fall. I LOVE Fall! Absolutely and completely Love fall! It is the best season/time of year! It makes me happy... the smells, the foods, the festivals. It also makes me homesick for Illinois and all the awesome fall festivals there were out there! I miss the pumpkin patch and the pumpkin donuts and apple cider.
Fall. ~sigh~
It is the greatest time of year. For me, its the time of year that I start de-junking and cleaning and getting ready to hunker down for the long winter.
Fall. ~sigh~
I love fall. It makes me sort of sentimental. More than usual anyway. I was married in the fall. My favorite photo of Jefe and I is one where we are standing underneath a tree where the leaves are changing, and we're laughing.
So, anyway. It's fall and I'm happy.
Have an awesome weekend folks, and crank the tunes!

1. Oh My Sweet Caroline - Ryan Adams
2. Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai
3. You - Rascal Flatts
4. When You Say Nothing At All - Alison Krauss
5. She Will Be Loved (Acoustic) - Maroon 5
6. Wordplay - Jason Mraz
7. 1979 - Smashing Pumpkins
8. She Don't Tell Me To - Montgomery Gentry
9. I Can Only Imagine - Mercy Me
10. Meet Virginia - Train

Bonus: Over My Head (Cable Car)(Live) - The Fray

Lord, forgive me when I whine, I have a family. The world is mine.

I have been de-junking the playroom today... I have thrown out 7 garbage bags of stuff. Jefe wondered if the kids still had toys, and what my criteria was for tossing...
Well, Yes. Just the minimum as far as what is left toy wise.
As for criteria... there is none.
Toss.
Keep.
Toss.
Toss.
Toss.
Toss.
Keep.
Pretty much that was criteria.
I have this list of rooms I want to de-junk. The laundry room closets are tomorrow. I have this huge need to get rid of junk. There really is no better feeling in the world than that of throwing crap away!
Seriously!
I love that feeling. Watching all my crap being carted away by the garbage man!
Freedom!
Anyway. I'm de-junking, and its awesome!

"In real life, I assure you, there is no such thing as algebra." - Fran Lebowitz

Amen Sistah! Amen!

"If you're a young mafia gangster out on your first date, I bet it's real embarrassing if someone tries to kill you."
– Jack Handey

Is it really Random 10 Friday again?
Sheesh.
I guess I have lost my remote control for life, so if you see an extra one hanging around... will you press pause so that I can take a quick breather?
Thanks

1. Cecilia - Simon & Garfunkel
2. Speed of Sound - Coldplay
3. Tiny Dancer(Live) - Ben Folds
4. Georgia Rain - Trisha Yearwood
5. Favorite Year - Dixie Chicks
6. Sleeping To Dream(Live Eagles Ballroom) - Jason Mraz ~sigh~
7. Chicago (acoustic version) - Sufjan Stevens
8. Hannah - Ray Lamontagne
9. She Will Be Loved (acoustic) - Maroon 5
10. Skin - Rascal Flatts

Bonus : Hell Yeah - Montgomery Gentry

I finally downloaded the rest of the summer photos. Here is my cute 12 year old (GASP!) Thing 1 blowing out her candles. It's killing me that she is in 7Th grade... she is slipping through my fingers, and all I know about her is what she chooses to tell me.
sniff sniff.
This is our cheesy banner that we made for our High school Musical 2 party. The little container is pencil holder we made from paint containers. We just used glue sticks and scrapbook paper. The girls LOVED doing that! While we were being crafty, they had to listen to HSM2 and show each other all their crazy dance moves. It was actually quite fun!
I showed them my hot dance moves... they laughed at me.
I wonder why.
~grin~

Thing 1 on her first day of school. She looks so beautiful, it's like someone is stabbing me in the heart! I know. weird. I drove her to school and she was totally panic stricken. I dropped her off, and watched her walk into the school... then immediately started crying. No. Sobbing would be a better word. I cried all the way home. I was SO nervous for her. I remember my first day of Jr. High School... at this very school. It was scary. Thing 2 kept saying "Mom. Are you crying? Stop crying. You're embarrassing me!"
Oh well. So sue me. I cried when my kids went off to school. But, who wouldn't cry when you have a daughter as smart and beautiful as this one?

Thing 2 was just irritated that I wanted to drive him to school... that really cramped his style! He wanted to ride the bus and not have anything to do with all this sentimental crap. He really is his Fathers son. I don't mean that in a bad way either. He just wants to get on with life... sans huggy kissy stuff. He is such a handsome boy... and such a kind, nice one too! He will be a complete success in 3rd grade!



Thing 3 couldn't miss out on all the photo taking. I mean... she was born to pose for the camera... at least that's what she thinks! She really missed "my big kids" when they went back to school. She kept asking, like every 5 minutes, "Is it time for my big kids to come home yet?" It has been an adjustment for all of us, to say the least!
I think we should call her sporty spice.
Or maybe Feisty spice.
Yeah.
That one's better!

"If they ever come up with a swashbuckling School, I think one of the courses should be Laughing, Then Jumping Off Something."– Jack Handey '

Random 10 Friday....
AGAIN??
Sheesh. Where does all this time go? We have a sickie here today. Thing 3 is nursing quite the fever, which really sucks seeing how today is only the 2nd day of school for her and now she can't go. Bummer dude! I'm going to try and get her something to do here... praise Allah for the internet!
I finally downloaded a bunch of photos from this summer. It's only taken me a month to do it. You would think it was difficult or something... but no. I've just been busy busy busy!!
This photo is from one Sunday back in August, when at 1030am it was 95 degrees and Jefe decided that we would WILL fall here. We have pumpkins coming out our eyeballs in our sad little garden. We picked one, and kids carved it, and we put candles in and sat it on the fireplace mantel. Fall didn't come, but it was fun pretending for a while... all while the air conditioner was blowing! Have a fun weekend!!


1. 1979 - Smashing Pumpkins
2. So Right - Dave Matthews Band
3. Flying - Chris Isaak
4. Martha - Tom Waits
5. Crying Like A Church On Monday - New Radicals
6. High Speed - Coldplay
7. It's Alright To Cry - Darius Rucker
8. Some Say - Rascal Flatts
9. Sweetest Thing - U2
10. Englishman In New York - Sting * this song reminds me of summer evenings during my early college years... good memories, good times!

For the last 4 years, this little hand has rested in mine. I anxiously waited nine months to see those little fingers, and feel them curl around mine. I prayed daily that she would arrive to us, healthy with no major issues. These little fingers have held my hand for the past 4 years... even in her sleep. I have held those little fingers as she learned to walk, and held even tighter when she discovered how to run. I held this hand as we walked through stores, and raced across parking lots. I held this hand as we walked in the park and learned how to skip. This little hand has been my constant companion for the last 4 years.

Today this little hand left mine to go to school. It was a big deal... An even bigger deal for me. After I dropped her off and made sure that she was happy, I cried all the way home. Not just any cry, but the dreaded ugly cry. This little hand was slipping away from mine... and all too soon I would find her slipping through my fingers, constantly "just out of my grasp" like Thing 1 and Thing 2 are. Now, all I will know of her time away from me is what she chooses to tell me. I have always known that this was coming... but I guess I had hoped it wouldn't. I wonder, does that make sense?

I hope that I have held this little hand enough. I hope that these little fingers know just how wonderful they are and how much they are loved. I hope they know that no matter what, my hand is always here for her. I will miss, so very much, having my little companion around. Holding those little fingers and seeing the world through her eyes has been one of the most meaningful things I have ever done.