a little bitter...

Well, some of my friends and family know that I had a great time sending in an email to the Oprah Winfrey show! Yes, it is true, I was at Oprah.com and I sent in an email to be on the show and they called me twice and asked me to send them things (and yes, they did say I have a very cute family) but I do not think they are going to use me on the show! At least not right now... I am a little bitter but, oh well, It was fun while it lasted! If you ever want to sound completely dumb on the phone, just let the Oprah Winfrey show call you. I was like "uh, sure, okay uh-huh" It was awful and then after I hung up I was like, why didn't I say this or ask that??? Oh well...
Busy day tomorrow... Corey has an away soccer game, I coach cheerleading from 3-5:45 and both Kennedy and Mac have soccer practice from 6-7, and I guess I will be coaching Kennedy's team, since Corey is her coach and he will not be there! Also I did not work out today, so I feel the need to do that tomorrow and my Tuesday am bible study is tomorrow so we will be grooving along all day!
I am reading a great boof called Your Girl and it is written by Vicky Courtney, it is a great study for all moms of girls, and you cannot begin to read it too soon! I tend to give direction to Kennedy without incorporating the biblical WHY into it. and how am I going to do that out of the blue when it is a "big" issue? Begin small, build on that. All things are related to the Lord, and if I can make that connection to her, I can expect her to make it on her own in the future(?)!!! I hope ...

Always my highlight

Macguire, so sweet...
Always my highlight of the week, Friday and Mac saying his bible verse!
This weeks verse was "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you"
Mac's version "Draw to God and He will draw you"
I am thinking of starting a new translation...

great friends

It is good to have great friends!!! I have been blessed with good friends my whole life. When I think back to my friends from elementary, they were my same friends in high school, they are my friends right now. When I went to college (actually 3 different ones) I found great friends that I still am relating to! Let me tell you why people need friends...you need someone else to talk to beside your better half (I mean they are great, but who are you supposed to complain about them to?)...you need someone to listen and possibly give their feelings on the subject (not someone who listens then tries to solve your problem, I mean some probloms are unsolvable, that is the "fun" thing about them)...women need to chatter: about size, shape, hair, kids, the lady next door, etc... while men do not care about any of the above. Seriously, I asked my husband today if I should cut my hair (it is half-way down my back) and he said "Look, I like it any way you do it, it doesn't matter, it always looks good" then when I asked my friend, she said "yes, you should cut it, are you trying to be 20 or 37??" Men do not chatter, their topics are concise and direct and their is no warning, just boom! there it is.
Anyway, back to having friends...I have not found this great selection of friends here in Mississippi, and I feel like I am worse for the wear. It is sad that on any given day I can make 10 long distance calls, yet only one local call (to Corey of course). Life is strange...I am so thankful that I have those friends to rely on, when the selection here is dismal. Thanks to all my friends for loving me, suppporting me, chattering with me, and thinking of me also! I am so blessed!

a day in the life...

I just want to preface this by saying, I know this is "normal" and that you are all doing the same thing!
I woke up at 6:15am, got Kennedy awake, made coffee, fed Kennedy, got her on the bus by 6:45. I then emptied the dishwasher and sat down to cup #1, while I watched the beginning of the Today show. Mac woke up then and had "tee-teed" in his bed, so I got him in the tub, stripped his bed and got his laundry going. I washed him, got him dressed for school and fed him breakfast. Emerson woke up and I got her in her high chair, waffle (Corey did get her breakfast), and I got dressed to work out, got my contacts in etc..., got Emy dressed, switched the laundry over (Corey mowed the lawn...yes at 8:00am) and got into the car at 8:10 to take Mac to school. Dropped him off at 8:30 and Emy and I went to Walmart to pick up those stray items that I always forget! We get to the gym at 9:10, I jump in to an aerobics class (that started at 9) and do that for 45 minutes, then get on the treadmill and run 5 miles (I am training for a tri-athalon...right Molly?) then do a 45 minute "total tone" class, which is weights, and abs. So then at 10:55, Emy and I leave to go to the library, where we quickly select 2 videos (like she even watches anything except Barney) and I get 2 books, and we go to pick Mac up by 11:30. Then we go home, I make them lunch, and I start making dinner (tonight is lasagna/salad/bread) because I will not be home from the cheer gym until 8:30. So then at 12:30, Emy is ready for her nap (me too!!!) and Mac is playing on the computer, so I make dinner and confirm with my babysitter what the plans are and at 2:35 I have to leave to meet her (the babysitter) and she is taking my 3 kids to a soccer game, and then meeting Corey at 6:00 for Kennedy's soccer practice (he is the coach) and they practice until 7. I drop them with Ashley, go to the cheer gym and coach my first team 3:00-5:00 (they are short a base, so of course I fill in). Then a class from 5-6 and a team from 6-8. I have completely forgotten to eat today, wait that is not true, somewhere I squeezed in another cup of coffee and 2 (yes 2) pieces of birthday cake! So I got home at 8:30 and I just had lasagna, and another piece of cake (whoa...too much cake eating going on). I have taken the trash out and started the laundry again, and now I am checking email! I stink (did I mention that the cheer gym has NO AIR CONDITIONING!!!!! oh yes, and we live in Mississippi) so it was hot and muggy and disgusting. So I am going to take a shower and go to bed, hopefully before 10! Because my 6:15 calling will come too quickly!

Hottie!

Funny how you can look at someone everyday (and night) for the last 12 years and still last night he looked so hot! What a cutie!!! We were going out for my birthday dinner and I was sitting on the couch talking to our babysitter (who is one of his soccer players) and he walked into the room, and I said "Oh isn't he so cute?" And of course she didn't know what to say, about her coach and all...funny. What a cute husband!

mac's 2 bible verse

Now what is this about! The first verse he says "all sheep gone astray" and his second verse "But He was wounded for our transgressions" What kind of a verse is that for 4 year olds!!! Whew, this was a hard one, he didn't get it until Thursday (he has to say them on Friday).

old age

okay, when I wake up in the morning, I will be 37 years old! Crazy, but this seems old! The last time I had a "problem" with my birthday I was 30, and my friends (who were all quite younger than I) consoled me and said it would be fine...and it was. When I was 35 I was pregnant with Emerson and therefore distracted from thinking I was old(er). Last year I made a huge road trip to Texas (Corey was on a soccer trip) and I did not want to be in Mississippi on my birthday by myself! So (logically) the only thing to do is pack up a 7, 3 and 9 month old and drive 8 1/2 hours, spend 2 1/2 days and drive back!!! So this will be better, Corey is home, I will wake up in my own bed and I am sure my family will dote on me all day! Regardless, I will still be 37 (and then 38, 39 ...) and I am now old enough to have birthed some of the cheerleaders I coach!
I just thought of this song that is on the kids cd "Jonah was a prophet Ooooo Ooooo But he never really got it Sad but true" Anyway the sad but true part is where I am going with this...it can be sad but it is the truth and you cannot change the truth!

Mac teaches mom

Today when I picked up Mac from school, he was recounting his day and telling me everything!!! At the end he said "and I did not run or talk and I didn't throw anything, whew, how much more do I have to do that?" And I didn't have the heart to say "for the rest of your life baby!" So I said," let's just try again tomorrow and go from there". He is so sweet!!!! One day at a time...

Lost apples

Today Mac has "lost his apples"!!! After four days of eating and playing at school, he has now lost his apples. This is a disciplinary procedure, and this is what happened. He was running, talking, and throwing things (I am not sure what), and he would not obey. So his apples were taken away. Which means that he had to sit down during outdoor play time. So I drive up to pick him up and he is practically crying with his bottom lip stuck out so far, so I say what is wrong and he says "I lost my apples" and he is SSSOOOOO sad, and the lady buckling him in the car says "Oh he lost his apples, thats not good" And I do not even know what this is, although I have figured out, not good. So I asked him what he did and he told me and then I say, well you will need to apologize to Miss Margaret, and he says I did, but she told me to sit down!! And I said well, you cannot disobey, she is your teacher and you need to listen. He says "well, I just wanted to have fun!" But he is still upset, and very sensitive about the whole issue. Then he tells me "the boy in the black shirt and the one with brown hair lost their apples too" Funny? I don't know. I do know that he was very upset about being disciplined, and this is his first time! I told him he would have to tell his dad what happened today and that he was sorry etc... and he said "daddy will be mad at me" and I said "No, he will love you anyway!"
I will say that out of my three children, he is the least expected to act out of line, so I am curious to see where this may lead.

Why I think living in the South is so funny...

1. I met a lady today who had three sons: Jacoby, Jacorey and Jacody. (I know Kelly beats me at this, she had some strange names from where she worked)
2. The weatherman actaully says things like "we will be having abundant sunshine today" or even this "we have southern fried sunshine today!" I mean what is that? I am still trying to figure out this southern dish: chicken fried steak! Say what you mean!!!!(is it chicken or steak?)
3. Speaking of saying what you mean, I actually heard the Governor of Mississippi say "It might could be that ..."
4. I coach a VERY wealthy private school here in Jackson and these are Three of my best excuses of "why I wasn't at cheerleading practice"... "my parents took me to Germany for a long weekend" "I was at surf school in San Diego"(going to be real helpful in MS) "I had to get my nail tips done, because if I don't then I bite my nails and then I get an infection, my mom says I have to have them"
5. I am helping to open a cheer gym and we are setting up tumbling classes, and I have a beginner, intermediate, advanced, and elite class. Well, someone suggested I should call beginner intermediate because "the North Jackson moms don't think their children are beginners at anything" And literally I changed the name of the class, and now it is full!!
Funny times!
Again my son continues to give the highlight of his day as "I play and eat cheese crackers" Although today he had goldfish, and this was even better!!! He actually learned a bible verse, probably the first he has memorized, and it is Isaiah 53:6 "All we like sheep have gone astray" and he says "all sheep gone astray" Interesting!

The Reservoir

So strange, I remember visiting here and some guy (his name eludes me) was actually driving around my whole family, and he was showing us different ares where we could live. And when he drove across the reservoir, I remember thinking "I am not living out this far, what a long drive with 3 children, and so far away from the college" Well, you can guess what happened. The reason I thought of this today was because I was driving to my home which IS across the reservoir! I am so quick to make decisions and I want them to be firm, yet I didn't even ask the One controlling the world what He wants!!!!

Sooooo cute!!!

I have the cutest, sweetest boy!!
His first day of pre-school was today, and he was very excited! Neither of my 2 pre-schoolers were scared/sad to go to school, they both just went in and began to play! So at 11:30, I picked Mac up and I said"So, how was it??? What did you do?" and my 4 year old said, "we played and had cheese crackers!!" So, I am thinking great, I pay 120.00 monthly so my child can play and eat!!! Then I said, what else did you do? and he said we had to sit down, and then well, we had to sit down again etc... I will not bore you with the details, but he was so funny trying to put his day back together and tell me what was going on. Anyway, I asked him if he wanted to go back again and he said "mom, I have to!" So, he is very funny.
WOW! Middle school is probably the worst age!!! I coached a MS team today, and I really had to pray for love. It was not coming out very well. The girls are crazy and they do not agree on anything and they are ALWAYS ALWAYS talking!!!!! Arg! My pastor said if there was a person who was "on your last nerve" that you should put a positive buffer between you. Like, instead of thinking "she's on my last nerve" think, "well she does a great job breathing, she has got that one down, does it everyday and every night, she really does a good job at that." So I am thinking this and then when the girls are conditioning, I am thinking, "wow, they are breathing and much too heavily, they are out of shape, they do not care, they are in MS, they are on my last nerve!!!!!!!!" So I have a hard time not connecting thoughts and then making them back into negative ones!!! I need to work on that.
so, all for now, Emy needs a bath!!

Moms on being sick

Let's face it ladies, if you are a mom and you get the stomach virus, life simply will not allow even a slight pause in your routine!
I had severe stomach virus on Wednesday night, got the kids in bed and then, well I will not describe the detailed events that followed. Anyway, I was asleep when Corey got home, even though after he was home I still vomited again and he didn't even know it! Anyway, he left for work Thursday morning at about 6:00am, his team is in pre-season, so he still did not know that I was sick! I got up at 6:20 and got Kennedy ready for school, got her on the bus and just layed back down when Macguire woke up and soon followed by Emerson. So, we are off...everyone needs juice, waffles etc...and I am cringing because my stomach is rolling, but I make them breakfast then clean everything up and then I try to think of the best way to entertain a 4 yr old and a 1 1/2 yr old ALL DAY!!!!! So we make it through most of the day and I get a call from the new gym owner and I have to go to a new school's cheer practice at 4:00 and talk to the 3 coaches! So, it is 2:30 and I haven't even taken a shower... Anyway, we get to the gym and I sort of have to hunch over a little bit, standing straight up makes me feel sick, but I turn to my precious 3 children and say "Please be good, sit still and let me talk and then we will be done faster" and earlier in the car they had asked me if we could buy donut holes and I am thinking sure, after the meeting. So, the kids are HIDEOUS!!!!! Running all over the gym, jumping in the bleachers, Emy has no shoes on, her hair bow is somewhere in the gym and the are throwing things and just overall, anything you can think of, they are doing it!!! So, let me recap, I am sick to my stomach, trying to talk 3 coaches into bringing their squads into my gym and trying to at least watch my children so they do not die!!!! I tried the subtle "Kennedy please be still" and what I really wanted to say was "SIT DOWN BEFORE I SPANK YOUR BOTTOM!!!!!!!" But I obviously cannot say that in front of these coaches and all 50 of their cheerleaders! So we make it through the meeting and we get to the car and then watch out!!! I went over everything to them and told them I was both angry and disappointed and that we were not stopping for donut holes. Really I guess I said "you will not have donut holes or anything else" and Mac (he is my sensitive, repentive one) is crying and saying "I'm very, very (which really sounds like berry), very sorry. But are we not allowed to have dinner?" And he is so serious and so sweet that it breaks me! I did not get them donut holes, but yes they had dinner etc...

The way it is...

This is the way it is...
I am sitting here sipping a glass of wine (offensive? oh well, I am legal) and eating a bag of popcorn. This will be dinner. Corey is at a school dinner (eating well I assume), and the kids are actually well fed (i made turkey sandwiches, apple slices, and yes I gave them some popcorn) so no one needs to call CPS on me.
The way it is... I was asked to help start a cheer gym, and now my opinion doesn't matter, I am being told what I need to do, I am working more hours and ?...
The way it is... I asked my next door neighbor to watch my children (I did pay her $40.00) and they DESTROYED my house and her dog licked my baby on the lips/nose/eyes/ears/cheeks until she started crying (for some reason I just thought of Steve Raikes' old girlfriend that we called cheeks!)
The way it is... I need a vacation!!!!!!!!! Any takers???

Bad mothering

I bet you know one person that constantly makes you feel like a bad mother (or dad)! I have met this lady who lives down the street and has 2 girls and she is constantly pointing out things that make me feel like I am an awful mother! And the thing is, she never says, "oh you are a bad mom" straight out, but this is what happens...
Our girls are the same age (8) and I have just begun to let Kennedy ride her bike in the street in our neighborhood, only on our strret where I can see her. Well, if this other girl rides her bike to our house (she lives at 208 and I live at 231) her mom will drive in the car behind her.
Kennedy called to ask if she wanted to have a lemonade stand in our driveway, so the mom gets on the phone and is like "is it safe?" "are you going to sit with them" "who is going to be stopping" etc... Now, understand this, we do not live in the ghetto, so yes I think it is safe. I was planning to clean out the garage so, yes, I would be outside. And I do not have a list of name sthat will be stopping, but I can check ID's if you want!!!!!!
Kennedy rides the bus home from school. And this mom was like "oh, you let her ride the bus?" as if this is comparable to placing her in a cage with a tiger! And then she says "well, I heard that the bus driver cusses at the kids" And I think well, I'm sure they deserved it! J/K!!!!! Really, I called the bus barn and they told me he has driven the bus for 17 years and has never had any "violations" on his record. So ????
Both her girls will be in school all day (Kindergarten and 3 grade) and I was thinking that is great! I am sure you will be enjoying your time! And she almost started crying, and said "It is devastating! My husband is staying home with me for the first 2 days to help me through it" Okay....??!!!!!!!!!I must be awful thinking that Kennedy is gone all day and Mac will be gone in the mornings 5 days a week, and that makes me happy!!
And it goes on and on "I don't allow candy in the house" "I have never had a babysitter for these kids" "I would never let them have their own minds" J/K that was me speaking sorry!!!

In the Car

I am driving home last night in the car with the kids and the car is the automatic signal that every child can please sing, yell or say "Mommy" over and over again! As I am driving and Kennedy is singing/drumming on the seat in front of her(making up something as I do not have the radio on)... Emerson is using her favorite way of communicating, which is screaming....And Macguire keeps saying "mommy, I 'm sorry my hands are dirty, mommy I'm sorry my hands are dirty" And I sat there thinking, how long can this go on if I do not say anything???So I drive and drive and 11 minutes later all is still loud (Kennedy is singing the same line over and over again for 11 minutes!!) so at the 11:30 breaking point I am seriously wondering why Jesus is not reappearing and saving me from sure commitment (insane that is)!!!! Haha!!! Every parent knows what I am talking about.
Also, I have to say, there is something weird about 8 year olds, they just act strange sometimes and you have to wonder what they are even thinking!! I remember my sister Molly having this same stage! (sorry Mol!) I was 18 and Kelly was 17 and we were like who is this alien child and why is she always doing something strange! If you have (or had) and 8 year old, then you do know what I am talking about! I guess I should end every sentence "you do know what I am talking about" I will be like Paul Harvey "and now for the rest of the story" Funny, I can remember my dad listening to that all the time!
Kennedy brought home a book from school that she made "all about me" and it was full of some interesting things that I didn't know about her! Like if she was granted 3 wishes what would they be 1. Another sister!!! (sorry, that would take an act of God)(or vasectomy reversal) and 2. A new dog ( of course I knew this one since Keegan has died) and 3. A horse So interesting! Also it says "what makes me sad" and she said when my brother hits me (which I do not get, if you have seen Macguire you would know that first of all he is not big enough to hurt anyone and secondly, he is sweet as can be and wouldn't hit) but then the next question was "when am I lonely" and she wrote when my brother is not with me. Awwww, very sweet.
okay enough kid chatter... If you have ever had an unsettled feeling in the pit of your stomach and have wondered just what that was about I would like to suggest something...You are not supposed to be completely settled in this world! At times I am wondering what am I doing her what is going on and why do I never quite feel fulfilled?? I have a great life, the best husband,wonderful kids and all is well, so why am I constantly unsettled?
"In order to keep us from becoming too attached to earth, God allows us to feel a significant amount of discontent and dissatisfaction in life - longings that will never be fulfilled on this side of eternity. We're not completely happy here because we are not supposed to be!" After all what is the purpose of life on earth? Preparing for eternity.
So, I leave you with that today, oh yeah, I have changed my settings on this blog, so if you want to comment you can without being a member! Fire away! I love hearing from people!

I did it!!!

Yea for me!!! I actually "pruned" my life!
Yesterday, I told the lady at the aerobics place that I did not want to teach. She thought it was okay! I told her that she should blame my pastor, since he was the one who told me to do the pruning!
Today a lady asked me to coach another cheerleading class (my schedule is already Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 3:30-9:00 and Wednesday 3:30-5:00) and I said Really, I can't do that but thanks for asking me! This is hard for me to say at times, so I am very proud of myself.
This week has been crazy, I have been babysitting 2 extra kids, so my schedule has been hectic. A funny though... these kids cannot sing! I mean they are way off tune, and they sing exceptionally loud and most of the time they do not know the right words! Yesterday we were in the car and they wanted to listen to the Shrek CD and I thought sure why not. The singing was so bad!! And loud! So I took the cd out of the car last night and today they asked if they could listen to it and I said it wasn't in the car (the truth), so is that mean? I don't really think so!
My own children do not usually know the right words to sing, but they are mostly on tune! Macguire was singing "Praise Him, Praise Him, Praise Him in the morning, Praise Him in the evening..." and he was saying "Raisin, Raisin..." So funny!!! Today I watched an 8 year old learn how to roller skate...not a pretty sight! I coached 2 cheerleading squads, and based 2 liberties and 4 extension full-downs. Although I used to be a flier (30 lbs ago) I am now a solid base!!! But truly I am strong and it is kind of fun...except when the flier puts her foot down in her lib and her shoe is on my face! Or when I am backing a lib and I say cradle and the other bases choose not to catch and I am floored by the flier! Okay, too technical for some so I will say goodnight!

Too busy???

Today I heard an amazing message from our pastor (he is great, and several family members have been lucky enough to hear him) and it is about time! Time management, what are we doing with our time? What fills our claendars? If you are me, then you will say: kids (and this entails a lot!) husband, house hold, work hours outside of this home, friends/family and general upkeep, time in the gym, and time at church or related functions (bible studies etc...). So that is a long list and many many days things are left unchecked, not crossed off, and just plain ole not done!
What are the priorities?
What are the necessities?
Obviously, the kids have to have certain things: they need me to get them up in the morning, to dress them, to feed them, to get them to school, to help with homework, to feed them dinner, to prepare a bath, and to tuck into bed. And look at that list, basically a robot could do all those things, that doesn't include any "feeling" time, reading, talking, playing games. It also doesn't include soccer practice, or cheerleading practice or any other related activity. Now times that schedule by the number of children you have and I know you are busy like me!!! THAT IS ONLY THE CHILDREN!!! Husbands, and house, jobs and "my" time are all things that fit in when they can.
Anyway, since that just gets overwhelming and depressing I will move on...PRIORITIES>>>
I am a Christian, so I am committed to a relationship with God and spending time with Him. I am committed to serving Him, to saving at least one soul etc... So that will be my #1 priority
Then I committed to my husband (12 years ago) and that commitment was "until death do us part" so that is still valid for me and that is my next priority.
Then I committed to being a mother when Kennedy was born (and Macguire and Emerson) and you have to know that this is a HUGE commitment, as I have promised to do everything from giving birth to leading them to Christ to being a godly example to bringing up children who are pure to giving them in marriage one day and still I am a parent! They should do a "marriage" ceremony for children also, because it is "until death do us part!" I will never stop being their mother until one of us is in the grave, thank goodness Corey is also bound to these children! So this pretty much has to be my next priority!
After this, I would like to have friends/family/cultivation of relationships and well, since I am writing this, I will say that!!
The pastor said today, that everything else I choose to do should be hald to the question "Am I pleasing God by doing this?" "Does it interfere with any of my higher priorities?"
So okay, I have decided not to teach aerobics, I will still go to the gym, but I have decided not to make that commitment. Teaching takes time, it adds stress and it is not worth it to me.
Working is obviously something that some of us need to do, and I will continue with that, but with a new focus! I will be pleasing God, I will be searching for the soul I can lead. That way I can say that I have done what God wanted me to do!
It is hard to fit it all in, I want to "prune" my schedule and only let it include what benefits my God and my family!!

Aerobic update!

Funny Funny times! Half of the time I had a brain and sometimes I would say something (over the microphone in front of 50 people) and the girls on the floor would stop in mid-step as they had no idea what I was asking them to do! Aerobics have changed! The last time I taught, was 7 years ago and 2 babies agao, and the music was called "Cardio-Country" and it was on a tape instead of cd!!! Anyway, good thing one of the other instructors let me borrow her music. Hey, have you done a 30 minute ab class before? I mean that is tough! I cannot sit up right now, but I am sure to be feeling better tomorrow!
Okay so there are a lot of African American (PC, this is what we are teaching Kennedy!) (even though people down here, say a lot worse things!!!) people who work out at this gym, and not too many are into country music, if you know what I mean! Also when I took Kennedy into the nursey care place, she was the only white child (out of 15) and she looked at me and said "Mama there are a lot of African American kids in here" and I said yes, is that okay with you? To which she shrugged her shoulders and said "Sure, I don't care" and ran off to play with the kids! Yea, for her, color is not an issue!
Alright I decided to add this email that I had sent to my family, because it makes me laugh! So, enjoy! My husband's sister's husband (Jeff) and his family have had a cabin in the woods on a lake in Northern Wisconsin, and we have been going for 8 years. It has no electricity or indoor plumbing!
Well, it is great to be back in the land of electricity and indoor plumbing!!! Actually I could probably survive without the electricity part (however we did smuggle in 2 DVDs and a portable player this year!!) but the plumbing, really. I am feeling great after having a nice, warm, shower without any flies, fish or 30 lb snapping turtles (yes, I did say 30lbs) bugging me in the lake. Bathing in the lake isn't that bad, it is just all the other things that go on in the lake that are hard to not think of while being exposed/vulnerable. Same feeling in the outhouse, I mean you have it hanging out there and you can feel the wind (?) blowing by and it is an intense feeling of vulnerability.Anyway here are the highlights:
#1 As mentioned before, the 30lb turtle...Corey and Jeff caught, killed and de-shelled it! (note the following description is rated "G" for GROSS!!!) Corey and Jeff are out fishing and they are catching nothing. Earlier in the day Jeff had caught a little bass and it didn't live to see the hook removed, so they threw it back in. Well, something bigger came right up and gobbled up the whole fish! And thus the turtle hunt was on. So, as we (everyone else except Corey and Jeff) went into town to get ice cream (a nice civilized thing to do) Corey and Jeff were the hunters!! It wasn't long before Corey had a bite on his fishing line that proved to be Mr. Turtle, so he began pulling it in to the boat, at which point Jeff wanted to know the plan of attack, and Corey said, "Let's bring it on board and I will stab it until it is dead" Okay, sounds like a good plan, until you see the 1" claws on each leg and the enormous size of the turtle!! So Corey picks it up by the tail and hauls it overboard and the stabbing begins. It is here that there is some descrepency, Jeff says 30 stabs Corey says not that many, maybe 29!! So now they have this dead(?) turtle in he boat and they get to shore. Enter the rest of the family, and 6 children... Corey is still holding it by the tail and all the kids are looking, taking pictures etc...as they do not know the poor future of this turtle! We take the kids to camp[fire, trying to ignore what was going on by the shed which was Corey holding the turtle (by the tail) next to a tree while Jeff tries to axe it's head off! Then they take the turtle to the table and Dr. Jeff Mathisen (turtle surgeon extrodanaire) performs an autopsy, surgery of the most serious kind (for which he will probably lose his license) the de-shelling of the turtle. As we sit by the fire we hear "let's loosen the spine..." "oh look in the stomach, here is the fish I threw back" etc... And why are we de-shelling????? Because Hunter Corey decides he needs to have this shell as a ??? somewhat like the deer antler? I guess. So they finish, Marlin bags up the actual turtle body to take to a friend in Warsaw (double gross), and we now have a shell in Mississippi!!!! Wonderful!!!
#2 Macguires first experience in the outhouse! We go in and he looks in the first seat (yes it does accomodate 3) and says "this one is disgusting and full of poopy mama!" and then he of course slams the lid and moves to seat #2, in which he finds the same thing and therefore is even more upset to find the third seat has again the same thing. (Imagine, an outhouse full of poopy!) Anyway, he decides he will sit in the middle seat and says "mama, this is my seat, I will always sit in the middle because it is better than the others." So okay, I guess maybe. Luckily for Macky, he is a boy, therefore "watering" the bushes in Bass Lake is allowed, and he only had to make one trip per day to the outhouse! We did get a very cute picture of him sitting in the outhouse, doing his thing, and he was there forever and he would say "you can wait outside mama, it is stinky in here" or "the flies are on me" or making up a song while sitting on seat
#3 Kennedy had a great time playing with her cousins and she said the best part for her was driving the motorized go-carts! We went into town and let the kids (and some bigger kids!!) drive the carts and she was afraid to drive by herself, but then she did and she loved it! She also tried skiing, or should I say lake drinking!!! She didn't quite make it above the water!!! and the bad parents we are, we made her try it again and again...she is done with that for awhile!! Oh, this is funny, one day after Connor went (and drank the lake) I said okay who wants to go next Kennedy? NO Kellen? NO Macguire? He shrugs his cute little shoulders and says Sure. So Jen and I put him on the skis and held him in the water and off he went...well drinking some water and then almost standing a bit and then wipe out. But he tried and he is only 4 so that was very brave of him. (side note Connor did get up twice and skied around the lake and had fun, of course this only made Kennedy more frustrated!!!)
#4 Emy had fun just wandering around playing, she loves the water and also the sand pile in the back! She did not like sleeping at night!!!! and it was cold (one night I think Bob said 46!) so it was very trying!
#5 I had fun skiing, of course now I may have to re-think being in the lake at all, after the turtle experience! That same day I had decided to swim the lake for exercise, so I am sure that I have been in close proximity to Mr. Turtle! But skiing was great and I was able to get up on 2 and drop one and that is a blast!
So, overall, a great time of fun and memories with family!!! It is always an adventure!

It's always something!

I am writing this one in a "blah" color because that is how I feel!
In June I called every health club to see what their prices were and I decided to go to the cheapest one!! Anyway, my first day in an aerobics class, the instructor said "I want to talk to you after class" and then later "when can you start teaching!?" So I am thinking, okay free is better than any charge so...why not I will teach! Of course I come to my senses when I cannot breathe during an entire class, and I cannot complete 250 push-ups that the militant instructor was demanding, so I was thankful when my coaching job got me out of the position to teach. So I of course told her I would sub, and that way I would still be able to go for free! Well, I got home from vacation on Sunday and I am feeling large, and I go to class on Monday and she says "oh our Wednesday girl quit, so you can start teaching this wednesday and it is a power step class followed by a 30 minute ab class!" So, this is Tuesday, I have no earthly idea what I will do tomorrow morning at 9:00, but it will be funny, that I know! So, things like this happen to me because, I always try to get things for free?! Or I cannot say the word NO, to strangers, yet have no problem telling my kids and husband no frequently. Who knows, you figure it out!
Also, kids eating habits, I mean what is this all about! I have one perfectly healthy, good eater(Kennedy), who eats most things adults will not eat (although she doesn't like pb&j) and then there was Mac! Will only eat peanut butter, pizza, chicken nuggets and pasta! The child eats NO vegetables, and the only fruit he likes: apples. So, what happened? I feel like I treated them both the same, gave them the same chances to like things and still, they chose different ways. Okay, and let's not forget the littlest, Emerson, she is steadily following in her brothers footsteps, only she doesn't eat peanut butter, or pasta! She does eat apples and peaches but no vegies. So whatever! Okay, I cannot even concentrate anymore because I have to figure out an aerobics routine that I can accomplish and will still give others a workout! Peace!