Apologies and Birthday wishes...

First, let me apologize for the site being so wacky today and tonight.  After I got home this evening I was working on it trying to get some graphics loaded up and trying to make it more user friendly and more pleasing to the eye....my dear husband was helping me with the color combos and what looked best....so we were playing rainbow games and for any of you that may have been looking at the website...you may have been wondering if your brain was playing tricks on you.  It was not!  :)  I just wanted to make this a site that wasn't too feminine so that my husband and the whole family could use it...plus, even though I love purple and bright colors....it was a little hard to read.  So are the colors better?  Does it still hurt your eyes?  Let me know what you think????  I still am trying to add some animated bullets to my lists and things tonight...but will work more on that after I post.

Now for the most important part of this post... :)

 Just wanted to wish my Uncle Tim a very happy birthday!  I am pretty sure that he will see this...in between his Euchre games...or whatever he is doing on the computer this late at night. Hope it has been a good one and there are many more to come...which is why Shane and I were talking about it and decided that probably at your age you needed to hand over the keys to that Mustang and start relying on this to get around from now on...it is stylish and hip...but still what a man your age would need to be comfortable and to not have to depend on your poor kids to get around.  I mean come on just look at how old...I mean great you would look sitting in this chair!  Even though you are old we still love you anyway!  Even Kennedy said today...I still love Tim even if he picks on me!  Hope it's been a Happy Birthday!  See you in about a week or so!

Are you as fed up as I am?

Although it has been happening for a long time...it just struck me this morning for some strange reason that I am sick to death of telemarketers calling my home.  I am tired of seeing unknown caller, out of area, or whatever else it is that I see listed on the caller ID about one hundred times a day.  Obviously, my attempt to be on the no call list did not work.  I did try though....so I found this list this morning and laughed so hard about it....and I just may try some of these in the near future.  It might be fun for them to get a taste of their own medicine!

Ways to Terrorize a Telemarketer

1. Tell them to talk VERY SLOWLY, because you want to write EVERY WORD down.
2. Insist that the caller is really your buddy Leon, playing a joke. "Come on Leon, cut it out! Seriously, Leon, how's your momma?"
3. Tell the telemarketer you are busy at the moment and ask them if they will give you their HOME phone number so you can call them back. When the telemarketer explains that they cannot give out their HOME number, you say "I guess you don't want anyone bothering you at home, right?" The telemarketer will agree and you say, "Now you know how I feel!"
4. After the telemarketer gives their spiel, ask him/her to marry you. When they get all flustered, tell them that you could not just give your credit card number to a complete stranger.
5. Tell the telemarketer you are on "home incarceration" and ask if they could bring you a case of coke and a pizza.
6. If they want to loan you money, tell them you just filed for bankruptcy and you could sure use some money.
7. If MCI calls trying to get you to sign up for the Family and Friends plan, reply, in as SINISTER a voice as you can, "I don't have any friends... would you be my friend?"
8. Cry out in surprise, "Judy! Is that you?  Judy, how have you been?" Hopefully, this will give Judy a few brief moments of pause as she tries to figure out where in the world she could know you from.
9. If they say they're John Doe from XYZ Company, ask them to spell their name. Then ask them to spell the company name. Then ask them where it is located. Continue asking them personal questions or questions about their company for as long as necessary.
10. When they ask "How are you today?" Tell them! "I'm so glad you asked because no one these days seems to care, and I have all these problems; my arthritis is acting up, my eyelashes are sore, my dog just died..."

If you are sick of them too...try a few of these and let us know how they worked.  I am sure we would all get a good laugh from reading your stories about them.  Have a good day and enjoy!

And so it begins...

Now, before all you Bama fans start bashing me....just remember that my husband is part owner of this website....and also he is the one that emailed me this article this morning....so you can bash him!  I just thought it was funny...especially take a look at the author....:)

Isn't college football season great?  Roll Tide!!!!!!!!

BTW, for all of you who don't know....Bama plays Duke tomorrow evening at 6 pm....but of course it is on Pay Per View....sorry.

I love normal everyday life around our house...

You know our days and nights are pretty routine...I mean our schedule doesn't change that much.  We try to be consistent and structured.  The kids know what to expect and we pretty much stick to that...in other words we are pretty boring!  HA!  Yesterday I went to one of my most frequented places and bought this for the girls.  I can't believe that they have never seen it!  I think I watched it hundreds of times when I was growing up!  So anyway, I was determined to get them to watch it tonight.  I mean come on....it is a great movie!  So while we were eating our supper, we decided to sit down and watch the movie.  Soccer practice had been canceled, homework was done, baths had been given....so tonight we are going to sit down together and watch this oh so cute movie!  What was I thinking?  Did I forget that my girls are such big chickens?  One is almost in tears because of the sea witch and the other is saying "I am never going to watch this again!" and the whole time I am thinking it is going to be nightmare city in the Jewell household tonight.  Well it is now 11 PM and nobody has been out of bed or been screaming out yet, so maybe we are safe from any bad dreams. 

I know Parker is out like a light for the remainder or the evening.  Shane took him to the pediatrician this morning (just to be on the safe side...after our little episode earlier this year with him) I figured that he just had a nasty cold and pretty much that is what the doctor said.  Yucky nose, a little cough, watery eyes, but still a big cheesy grin everytime you smile at him.  That's my boy!  He is such a great baby!  We are truly enjoying every minute with him!  Anyway, back to my story....the doctor gave Shane some samples to help dry up all the (SNOT) I mean secretions!  This must be some strong stuff!  He is only taking a 1/2 teaspoon per dose and it just flat puts him to sleep.  This afternoon I kept going in to check on him and watch him to make sure he was still breathing.  I know, I know....but I am sure that I am not the only Mama to ever do that!

We got a good rain here tonight and I am glad because we needed it!  That is the main reason that we didn't have soccer practice and I am sure that it cooled things off outside too.  Tomorrow is Mallory's last day of school for awhile.  Next week she gets a mini-vacation with a fall break she will be off school on M-W.  I think we are going to try to go to a children's museum and the library and just hang out together a little bit.  She is in need of a short break.  I can tell the the newness is starting to wear off...last night she said, " Mama, can I just check out early tomorrow? "  I just chuckled under my breath and thought....ahhh....here we go!

I am working on a post for later with some really cool (or at least what I consider really cool) links that I have found tonight while searching on the world wide web.  There are some really interesting and informative sites out there that I have never seen nor heard of and I think they look like something that would be very helpful with scrapbooking and really just a variety of things.  Be looking for that information in the very near future!  The internet can be such a valuable tool and such fun too! I know this post tonight is long, but thanks for reading...just had a lot to tell about tonight.

More later on...and have a great night!

Working on .....

Well, I can answer that one with an astounding ... my prayer life.  There are many times when I really struggle with giving things over to God and with praying enough in good times and in bad times....in a nutshell...I just don't feel like I talk to God enough and I know I need to focus on it so much more.  That is a goal I have set for myself and I am working on daily.  Recently, some events have happened that have caused me to stop and pray and then wonder....why I don't take the time to stop and pray more often?  Do I spend enough time each day talking to God in prayer?  NO!  Do I set a good example for my children and encourage them to pray without ceasing?  Well, I try, but I think I could do better....and be a better example for them and others.  I don't know how many of you have a prayer list....we see one in our weekly bulletin from church each week and I see them in various other bulletins that we receive in the mail....so I decided that I am going to start one here too....feel free to add names or things that you would like people to pray for....you can be generic or specific....whatever you feel comfortable with....I know that prayer is powerful and when friends ask us to pray for them, I want to do just that and ask others to pray for them too...so will you help me?

Please pray for:

The Norris Family - for comfort, for understanding, for strength,

The Boyles Family - for patience, for faith that everything will be alright, for a quick resolution to the situation, for strength

These are two families that are friends of ours and that are on my mind right now....I will update this and add more names periodically and if I seem to get a good response I will just add a list in one of the columns that you can click on and see all the names that people have submitted....thanks for reading this and thanks for your participation if you are praying for these families...I know they would appreciate it!  :)

My thoughts and musings...

Good morning!  Let's see....has it been?  Yes, the sun is shining, I am blessed beyond measure, and I am alive and well.  It has been a busy morning around this house already and  it is only 9am.  Already, the garage door has been fixed, the cable company is on their way to see what the problem has been with our connection (and of course the internet and cable are running fine this morning), made several phone calls, cleaned up the kitchen and working on laundry....but now it is time for my time.  I do this almost every morning....at least I try to...sit down with my breakfast and a glass of tea  and read my email and look at some websites....

Today is also Ten on Tuesday....and you will find that at the bottom of this post.  I want you all to know that I am really enjoying writing to this website because it makes me think about things that I normally wouldn't think about and it makes me search my memory to record things that maybe I might not have written down without having a place to do so....all that I write for you to read is saved and I will look back at it and someday my children will probably look back at it and wonder, laugh, cry....who knows???  I was thinking about this last night when I was reading some emails....why do I write and record things?  why do I attempt to scrapbook?   Well, for my children... 

 Because I want them to understand how important family is and how lost you would be without people who love you. Because I want them to value friendships and relationships and treasure the moments that they share with their dear friends.  Because I want to teach them that every moment in time is significant and meaningful and not to let time pass you by too quickly....take advantage of every moment that you are given.  Because I want them to understand how much I love them and how special they are.  Because I want them to know where they come from and how they became who they are.  Because I want them to understand and love traditions and to carry them on with their children....oh there are so many reasons why I scrapbook and try to do things that will leave something for my children to look back at in later years...I just hope that someday it will all be meaningful to them too!

Now to switch gears a little....here is a little fun list for you today. 

 

Top Ten Things That Adults Learn From Kids:

1. There is no such thing as child-proofing your house.
2. A 3 years-old's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.
3. When you hear the toilet flush and the words "Uh-oh;" it's already too late.
4. Play-Doh and Microwave should never be used in the same sentence.
5. Super glue is forever.
6. No matter how much Jello you put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water.
7. You probably do not want to know what that odor is.
8. Always look in the oven before you turn it on.
9. Quiet does not necessarily mean don't worry.
10. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earth worms dizzy. It will however make cats dizzy.

I got these from a website that I found the other day and I laughed till it hurt....mainly because I know my day is coming....and I will experience some of these.  There were lots of good, humorous things I found....I may do a few more in the next few days if you all like these.  Enjoy and have a good day!  :)

What I love about Fall...

There are a lot of things that I love about the fall season...cooler weather, changing leaves, caramel apples, Halloween, warm sweaters, football...I could name more.  However, the thing I dread the most that always seems to strike when I least expect it is the CRUD.  You know what I am talking about...that yucky nose, runny eyes, sore throat feeling that you don't go to bed with, but wake up with and it just seems to drag you down for the rest of the day.  I can deal with it....cold medicine and rest will help....but what I can't stand is when my little ones get it....because there is really nothing I can do for them.  Nothing really seems to comfort them and of course they are not happy about cold medicine being forced down their throats...so that is a battle.  That is the worst part of the season for me....but this too shall pass. 

Speaking of best and worst...I have a little quiz for you about this.  Take a look at it and post back with you answers....let's see what everyone has to say....and for all you scrapbookers out there...maybe it will help prompt an event that you want to scrapbook about.

Best & Worst

1. The age in life you've most enjoyed so far: 30
2. The age in life you disliked most so far: teenage years
3. The best day of the week: Friday and Sunday are my two favorites
4. The worst day of the week: Tuesdays
5. Your finest cooking accomplishment: My chili
6. Your worst cooking disaster:hmmm....nothing really bad...but have a lot to work on
7. The color that looks best on you: red, black, green
8. The color that looks worst on you: not sure
9. Your favorite movie of all time: Steel Magnolias and Cinderella
10. The worst movie ever made: Dumb and Dumber!!!!!

Can't wait to read everyone's answers to this post!

Hopefully I will get to log on this evening.  I am off to try and get a few things done around the house while my little man is sleeping.  He doesn't feel too well and I am trying to let him rest...however it isn't going to well this afternoon.  Lots of projects I want to complete this week and have a list a mile long of things I need to do...got to get on a better schedule and get more accomplished each day.

Have a great day and evening!  More later on...