Thursday Thirteen

13 things I could live without but thankful that I don't.

1.Coffee
I did not take any coffee camping with us, I figured I could go with out. Lets just say I am thankful there was a store that had coffee close by.

2. Water pressure
There is nothing worse than a slow trickle of water coming out of the shower head when you really need to take a shower.

3.Computer
Oh computer how I love thee. You help me find information so easily. You keep all my cyber friends in touch. Friends are hard to come by for people who write bad poems to their computer and how they are loved so much.

4.Music
Music soothes my soul and puts me in a good mood. I guess it would be my family who is really thankful I have my music.

5.Books
I love books. A good story to escape to is something I treasure. Books that about other people's life journeys and inspirations. Books give me hope and free my mind. I love my books.

6.Running Water
Running water is the best. When I have to keep the kids and myself clean using a bottle of water or a water pump, I really am thankful for those little knobs that say hot and cold.

7.Baby Wipes
I know some think using washcloths and more organic alternatives to baby wipes are better. Maybe they are but I am thankful to have sweet smelling cloths at my disposable. From cleaning up the kids to the fast dusting I have to do when unexpected company is coming over. I am thankful for baby wipes.

8.Crocs
There may be a few people who have a dislike for these rubber like shoes. I think they are the best kid shoes ever invented. The kids can wear them anywhere. Kids can get them wet, muddy, or slop them through swamp water, these shoes will come clean. Crocs dry in an instant. They never rip. Sure Uncle Bob may not be a pillar of fashion as he wears his red Crocs with black socks and plaid shorts to the family BBQ, but for kids they are the best.

9.Mom Blogs
Since I became enthralled with the blogging world I have really come to enjoy Mom Blogs. I have learned so much about being a mom and raising a family. I have learned how to make the coolest crafts and projects, frugal meal ideas, and a lot of humor. I enjoy the journeys of faith, life tips, and the adventures of Mommy hood.

10.Ethnic Food
I love ethnic food. Arabic,Mexican,Chinese,Greek, the list goes on. I am thankful to live in an area where all these food choices are readily available.

11.Sweat Pants
I really don't care about fashion when it comes to sweat pants. I love them. You can't beat a well worn soft pair of sweat pants. Especially after you have eaten a mountain of ethnic food. (see #10)

12.My Camera
I love memories. I save anything that may have good memories attached. I take tons of pictures. If you look through my photos for instance you will see many pictures of my kids on Halloween. Same poses same backgrounds just different costumes. I cannot bear the thought of not capturing the moment even though I have a box filled with basically 400 of the same pictures.

13.Plastic Drinking Cups
When I was a kid I had a problem drinking out of drinking glasses because of the lip marks that were left on the glass after I took a drink. I insisted on always drinking out of plastic cups. This weird quirk has followed me into adult hood. I must have my plastic drinking cup.

Thursday Thirteen

Thrusday Thirteen

13 Reasons I love Dads

1.They know a lot of information, whether it is about super heroes, space, and sports or how to turn a potato into a radio; Dad’s know a lot of stuff.

2.Dads are the head of the household, but they know who really is in charge and they are perfectly fine with that.

3. Dads have a huge impact on their daughters. The first man a little girl falls in love with is her Dad, and all the men in her life will be compared to him.

4. You can’t beat the love and protectiveness Dad’s have for their little girls, Dads know what it was like to be a young man.

5. Dads are an irreplaceable role model for their sons. They show them how to be men. Another good reason Dads remember how it was to be a young man.

6.Dads replenish their wives. Moms who give love and affection all day (sometimes with little in return) need to be replenished. That is where Dad comes in. When he shows Mom all of his love and affection, she is filled up and able to give her love easily to their children.

7. Two words…piggyback rides

8.Dads have interesting ideas. They come up with cool projects for their kids without a care how messy the project may get.

9. Cooking, I know Moms can cook fantastic meals, but there is something about a meal when Dad cooks it. It just taste so good. Once again he does not mind the mess that comes with letting the little people help.

10.Dads are funny. They can get away with some jokes and funny situations that some Mom’s can’t. If Dad does something funny the kids will roar with laughter, if mom does the same thing the kids will look at her and say, “ewww gross mom!”

11. Children view their Dad as the strongest man in the world. Nothing bad can happen in the dark at night when Dad is there. He can beat up any monster or bad guy that ever lived.

12. Advice, Dads give very good practical advice. They get to the problem and give a solution, period.

13. Hard work, some Dads work all day long, come home, help with the kids and may even do some house work. Now that is cool.

Thursday Thirteen

Thursday Thirteen

13 Dwellings I Would Not Mind Calling Home Sweet Home

1.Craftsman Home





I love the Craftsman style house. There is so much character and charm.

2. Victorian Home






The Victorian home used to be my favorite. They look a little spooky to me now. They still make the list.

3.Farm House



A nice peaceful farm house.

4. A Cottage



5. A home in a Bavarian Village.



6.A Home in Tuscany.






I can imagine Big D and I sitting in this Tuscan living room, sipping our vino and enjoying life.

7.Castle


Who has ever not wanted to live in a castle? Not much my taste anymore, but they are beautiful.

8. English Cottage



9. A beautiful Home in Ireland.




10. A Hobbit Home




I thought living in a Hobbit home would be unrealistic, until I found out that they do make Hobbit homes for humans, yay!

11.Any Home with a wrap around porch.



12. Log Cabin


This is for Big D. he has dreamed of living in a log Cabin.


This is what comes to my mind when I think Log Cabin.

13. Home Sweet Home
Wherever these munchkins are is the best place to call home.









Thursday Thirteen

Thursday Thirteen

13 Reasons I have a bunch of kids.

1.I have something to blame my few extra pounds on.

2.I have learned to find a dark amusement when my whole family walks into a restaurant and I see the look of horror on the wait staff’s faces.

3.I get many compliments on my children, even if I think they are acting up. People just assume that if you have many children they should be hanging from the ceiling or setting fires in the corner. I welcome every compliment.

4.People give me compliments like, “Oh you must be so patient.” “You really have it together.” I either roll with it or I fight back the urge to tell them I have not showered in three days, my house looks like a heard of goats came through, and I just got done telling my kids through clenched teeth, “You better behave or else.”

5.Easter egg hunts, tag, and duck duck goose are more fun to play because you always have enough playmates and they live with you.

6.I feel comfortable around families with 5 or more children because finally my family gets to be the ‘normal” one for a change.

7.More Mother’s Day presents.

8.I get to exercise my brain coming up with witty answers to questions and comments such as “Are you done?” “Are they all yours?” or my personal favorite, “Better you than me.”

9.I will never have to waste money on art or wall decoration. My kids make enough art for me to display to last a lifetime.

10.I really like the sound of the word Mama from many different voices.

11.Silence while good and comforting at times gets me antsy if it last to long. My kids don’t know the meaning of silence, so it works out well.

12.The more kids I have to teach me how to lead a good life the better. I need all the help I can get.

13.It is comforting to know that I have produced at least one child who will take care of me when I am old and in need of care. Maybe we should have a few more just to be sure.


Thursday Thirteen

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Of My Favorite Love Songs



1. Love Song -Elton John (This was our wedding song)

2. In Your Eyes-Peter Gabriel

3. Two of Us- The Beatles

4. I Don't Feel Like loving You Today-Gretchen Wilson

5. Crush-Dave Matthews Band

6. Helplessly Hoping-Crosby,Stills,&Nash

7. Silver Springs-Stevie Nicks

8. Johnny and June-Heidi Newfield

9. Forever and Ever Amen-Randy Travis

10. Release-Pearl Jam (This one reminds me of Big D, that is why I consider it a love song)

11. As Long As The Grass Shall Grow-Johnny Cash

12. Blue Eyes Crying in The Rain-Willie nelson

13. Secret Garden-Bruce Springsteen

Thursday Thirteen

Thrusday Thirteen

“It has been often said, very truly, that religion is the thing that makes the ordinary man feel extraordinary; it is an equally important truth that religion is the thing that makes the extraordinary man feel ordinary."
- Charles Dickens

“The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost.”
-G.K. Chesterton

There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, "All right, then, have it your way."
-C.S. Lewis

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."
-C.S. Lewis

I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much.
-Mother Theresa

It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters.
-Mother Theresa

I believe in the sun even if it isn't shining. I believe in love even when I am alone. I believe in God even when He is silent.
-Anonymous

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. ~Honoré de Balzac

“Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
For babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow
So quiet down, cobwebs
Dust, go to sleep
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.
-Anonymous

Grown don't mean nothing to a mother. A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown? What's that suppose to mean? In my heart it don't mean a thing.
~Toni Morrison, Beloved, 1987

Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove yourself from the unacceptable.
-Denis Waitley

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
-Albert Einstein


It is not true that nice guys finish last. Nice guys are winners before the game ever starts.
–Addison Walker

Thursday Thirteen

Thursday Thirteen

13 Things Parents Say To Their Children

1.Because I said so.

This is something I swore I would never say; I always thought it was better to explain why rules are set and what they are for. After hearing "why?” for the 900Th time after I said no you can not have a third cupcake, I will admit I have used this phrase.

2.When I was your age…

As soon as I heard any type of conversation as a child that started with this, my eyes would glass over and I would drift off to la la land. Again I have used this on seldom occasions, for some reason when you become a parent you think your child cares that you did not have a computer, video games, or that you had to walk 5 miles to school.

3.How many times have I told you…

Do kids really know how many times we have told them not to do or to do something? I use this and it gets me nowhere. Miss will just say, “I don’t know.” But Lil D will actually hold up the amount of fingers that he thinks equals to the amount of times I told him something. Either way I am left staring at them with a blank face.

4. Wait until your father gets home!

OK, I know this one is supposedly not good. But when you have been playing the bad guy all day, sometimes it is relieving to give the job over to Dad. Even though he is innocently at work and has no idea the job that is in store for him when he gets home.

5. Were you born in a barn?

My parents said this to me when I would leave the front door to the house open. I never knew the exact meaning to this question. Is it because barn doors are frequently left open? Maybe someone can help me with this one.

6. Skin a Cat

This is a weird and twisted one. Maybe my family is the only people who use this. Whenever my Grandmother was undressing me, she would pull my shirt over my head and in a sweet voice say, “Skin a cat.” I thought it was funny as a little kid. It was not until I was older that I realized she was comparing undressing me to pulling the skin off a cat. I leave this phrase with Grandma.

7.You look like a dying duck in a mud hole.

This is another one of Grandma’s favorites. She would say this to us when we were sick. I might have said this once or twice. Sorry kids.

8.We are not heating/cooling the neighborhood

This was another thing that was said if you left the door open. “Where you born in a barn?” Usually came before or after this particular phrase. I have said this to my kids, and I am not really sure if the get what I mean.

9.Look what you did!

I am guilty of saying this to my children. If my son for instance writes on the wall, was he not just looking at it? Does making him look at it again make it any more definite that he has written on the wall?
In my mind it does, so I say it.

10. I am going to throw you in the garbage.

This is another weird one. This particular saying is used on toddlers in my family. Wait, before anyone makes a call, let me explain. When you play the, I am going to get you game with a toddler and you catch them you say in a sweet toddler talk voice, “I am going to throw you in the garbage." For some reason they think this is funny and get a good laugh out of it. I have used this in front of my mother-in-law. From the look on her face I don’t think she thought this was the greatest saying in the world. Maybe you have to be from a crazy family that talks about skinning cats to fully appreciate this one.

11. If you eat too much sugar you will get diabetes

This one belongs to my Husband. He used this in effort to keep our kids from eating too many sweets. I have to say I do not know if eating a vast amount of sweets will make you a diabetic, but I don’t think having one or two Little Debbie’s will be the deciding factor if you are going to get the disease. Lil D would ask me about it every time I gave him a treat. I had to put an end to this one. It made the boy a little too paranoid. Now we just use the saying, “No more treats.”

12. There are starving children in Africa…

As I child I would have this said to me if I did not eat all my dinner. I do think it is very important to teach your children not to waste food and that they are fortunate enough to even have it. But this saying only works well on certain kids. Miss would feel horrible about the African children and eat every bite. Lil D on the other hand would probably tell me, “Put mine in a box and send it to them.”

13. Don’t talk back to me. (Plus I added others for your enjoyment)

This is how a saying like this would play out.
The child has left the door to the house open while the heat/air conditioning is on.

Mother~”Close the door, were you born in a barn?” “We are not heating/cooling the neighborhood.”

Child~”Mom, you know I was not born in a barn, you were there.” “Leaving the door open for a second will not cool/heat the neighborhood, it will take a lot more than our heater/air conditioner to do that.”

Mom~”Don’t talk back to me.” ‘How many times have I told you to shut the door?”

Child~ Staring at Mom.

Mom~”Well, how many times.”

Child~”You said not to talk back to you.”

Mom~”You just wait until your Father gets home!”


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thursday thirteen

Thrusday Thirteen

13 things I must do to get four kids and two adults ready for a three-day camping trip.

1. Wash clothes

2. Wash sleeping bags that have been crumpled up down stairs.

3. Buy new air mattresses, both of our old ones have been permanently deflated.

4. Answer at least 10 times a day for the past week the question, "When are we going camping?"

5. Pack my children's whole wardrobe; because where we live it could be 90 degrees one day and 40 degrees the next.

6. Buy new sunscreen. I was just told that sunscreen has an expiration date. I am a little slow. Also update my first aid bag. Medicine has an expiration date as well. I knew that one.

7. Buy new chairs. I left one at the park and I think Miss and Lil D have out grown the baby chairs and need adult chairs now.

8. Charge the inflation device for the air mattresses. I like camping, but I am a little old to be sleeping on the floor.

9. Answer the question, "When are we going camping?" 15 times a day now that it is getting closer to the day we are leaving.

10.Buy food, snacks, juice, pop, marshmallows...

11. Get my wonderful sister-in-law to come buy and make sure our pets are still alive.

12. Somehow pack the kids, clothes, bedding, mattresses, husband, toys, food, chairs, and myself into a mini van.

13. After the stress is over, relax and have fun spending time with my family.