A Beautiful Day...

Gazing out the window on this beautiful Sunday I am struck by the realization that looks can be so deceiving. The sun is streaming in through the windows leaving little squares of warmth in its wake. A haven for my spoiled kitties, and a mirage for my senses. Deceitful sun! Entranced by it's beauty and enraptured by the proposal of feeling the rays warm my skin I venture outside only to be stung by the cold that awaits. I waste no time getting back on the warm side of the door, and heave a sigh of relief. It is easy to be lulled into a false sense of security, warmth, etc..., but it pays to be cautious. Everything that looks good isn't necessarily good for you.

You want a DNA test???

My baby Zac NEVER ceases to amaze me. He just walked in here and told me that he wanted to have a DNA test done. I asked why, because he has been asking me lately if he was adopted. LOL, of course he isn't, but the response I got was too damned funny. He said, "I can hold my breath for a long time, and I want a DNA test done to see if I am half shark." He never fails to surprise me or make me laugh.

Life as I Know it...

I am a pretty cut and dried person. I'm very opinionated to a fault, and I can freely admit this. I had a long conversation with a friend today that has been going through some very hard times and did something they are not proud of to try to alleviate the stress. Having seen people NOT close to me fall into this behavior made me very angry, and I considered it almost unforgivable. Today, I had to eat the very words I have spoken for many years. It happened to someone that I think a lot of and would have never thought would fall into that "trap." I sent up a silent prayer asking for forgiveness for being so judgmental in the past, and I spoke with my husband at length about the situation. I now realize that it could happen to anyone, and I should be more tolerant. It will be hard for me to NOT have such strong feelings about it, but I will be sure from now on to step back and take a good hard look BEFORE making any judgments. After all, we are only ONE decision away from the wrong one...

The Beginning of Another Week...

Another work week has come and gone, so we are starting fresh. It is a good beginning for me, because I start the week with 3 days off. Today is going to be a bit busy. Hubby and I are going to take Kendra's car to get some estimates on getting the damage from the rear end collision repaired, and we have to pick Zac up from school at 2:20pm. Time seems to fly on days like today, and I need to get off my ass and get ready to go, but I am enjoying the solitude. The kitties have had their early morning romp through the house and have now passed out on the sofa. Ahh, I hope when I die, I come back as a cat owned by someone like me. LOL Have a great day and an awesome week!

Early...

...Morning is my favorite time of the day. There is nothing like waking to a fresh new day. It doesn't matter if the sun is shining or if it is pouring down rain. It is the realization that I've made it through another night and managed to end up on THIS side of the dirt that makes me smile. So far this morning I've done 3 loads of laundry, emptied the dishwasher, and gotten the kids off to school. Those tasks may seem trivial, but I feel very accomplished. Accomplished NOT in the "chores" I have done, but in the children I am raising and the family that God has given me.

This morning it is raining, and once again I am thankful for being alive. As the rain comes down I'm in awe of it's healing qualities and power. How can something be so essential to ALL living things, yet hold the power to destroy those same things in an instant? The duality of life. Good v/s Evil. The ability of ALL things to become one or the other at any given time. Life is amazing, and I intend to enjoy EVERY aspect of it!

Monkey Bread Recipe

4 cans refrigerator biscuits (about 40)
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup pecans, raisins and/or coconut, if desired

Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Pour sugar and cinnamon into a plastic bag and mix.

Add biscuit pieces, several at a time; shake to coat well.

Place pieces in a buttered tube or Bundt pan until all are used.

Sprinkle layers with nuts, raisins or coconut.

Bring brown sugar and butter to a boil in saucepan. Cool 10 minutes, then pour over top of biscuits.

Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. Allow to cool 15 minutes before removing from pan. Turn upside down to serve.

Blech!

What a day! Actually, it has been kind of a crappy past 5 days. I've been fighting a stupid sinus infection since last week. I figured it was all viral like most of these things are, so I just vegged out all weekend on the sofa. I wake up at about 1am this morning so short of breath I didn't know what was going on. I was wheezing, and I never wheeze. Needless to say it frightened me, and I ended up being horribly nauseated and began vomiting. Nonetheless, I got up and got ready for work and got sick on the way to work. I signed in as a patient feeling like hammered ass for a couple of reasons. The biggest reason being I hate leaving my co-workers stranded, and I know I was probably a hot topic of conversation today. Vomiting and coughing til I pee my pants does not a productive day at work make. The second reason I hated missing work is that I don't like burning my vacation time on things that aren't, well, A VACATION!!! Gggrrrr. So, I am still coughing like an idiot, but I have managed to get rid of that pain in the ass nausea and vomiting. SOOOO, I have tomorrow off too, and I am back to work Thursday and Friday come hell or high water thanks to the ER doc who is fixing me with medications. I have slept the majority of the day, so I will probably be up pretty late tonight....then again....maybe not.

Contemplating Life...

...on a VERY COLD Saturday. Do you feel alive? I was thinking this morning about a text message I received from my sister Kelly on New Year's Eve of this year. It happened to also be the 16th anniversary of my mom's death. Kelly was asking if I was ok, and she was lamenting the horrible death of our mother. I quickly texted her back saying that I preferred to remember all of the good times we had and how vibrant and alive our mom always was. Even in her last days SHE never asked "Why me?" If she never asked that question what gives me the right to? Why not me? Why not her? Why not anyone? We are all placed on this earth for a specific purpose. That purpose isn't always apparent to us, and sometimes we IGNORE it. I have been so thoroughly blessed in my life it never ceases to amaze me. I have tried to take the negative aspects of my life and turn them into something positive. Can I always do this? No. I am hopelessly imperfect, but whenever I am feeling badly about something or feeling sorry for myself LIFE smacks me in the face reminding ME that there are those that are much worse off than I am. No matter how bad we have it, there is always someone that has it much worse. How we deal with adversity makes all of the difference. Take time today to think about ways to make the negatives in your life work FOR you not AGAINST you. I look out into the cold morning and I am reminded that even though it is bitter cold outside I am truly blessed to have a nice warm roof over my head filled to the brim with people(yes this includes my cats) that love me and who allow me to love them.

Happy New Year! I love my life. Do you love yours?

I haven't made a post here since last year...LOL, I know that is a lame joke, and most of you have heard it a thousand times, but I couldn't resist. All jokes aside, I wanted to start the new year with a positive post. 2009 flew by at record speed, and I expect 2010 to do the same. It is off to a smashing start for me, and I am expecting BIG things this year. I suppose that "BIG" is a relative term. Big to me means paying down some debt, spending loads of time with my kids, and spending as much time with my husband as I can. He is expecting to be deployed to Iraq in November. I am holding on to the hope that his orders get canceled, but I am trying to make every minute count. We never know what kind of curves life is going to throw us, so my one and only resolution is to make every minute count. I am so blessed to have a wonderful family, great friends, and a job that I don't detest going to daily. LOL, I would say "A job that I love," but I'm trying to keep it real.

With all of that being said, I can only hope that all of my readers are looking forward to this new year with the same kind of hope and positivity that I am. Love you all and God Bless!!!

One more thing before I go...I must share a Zachery "funny" from today. I was at the stove making Sloppy Joes for supper. Zac walked up and asked me what I was cooking, and I told him that I was making Sloppy Joes, and I asked him if he wanted one. He said, "I HATE Sloppy Joes, but I will take some of that meat and sauce you are stirring there and put it on a bun. I bet that will be REALLY good." LOL, I have the best kids in the world!!!