Waste of Money???!!!!!!!!

We keep getting these political flyers in the mail....I've seen at least 3....that saying something like this...

"THANKS TO CONGRESSMAN MIKE ROSS, 11 MILLION CHILDREN NOW HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE"

We got one for Blanche Lincoln too. This seems like it's a waste of money. It's Paid for by Families USA, Service Employees International Union, The American Cancer Action Network and America's Pharmaceutical Research Companies. Ok PEOPLE....let's get our acts together and stop politicing at a time like this and use our resources more wisely. There are people out there that our going hungry and need essentials and don't care about these flyers. Donate some $$$ to the Red Cross or Food Banks or any other place that can HELP. Who cares who got the children the health insurance....Don't get me wrong...I'm glad they did but our $$ needs to be spent more wisely.

Also, it's a waste of our postal workers time!!!!!!

A Feeling of Inadequacy

I am feel a little inadequate....ok so not just a little A LOT.

I should be able to perform all the duties of a SAHM with efficiency and grace but I just can't hack it. My laundry is pretty much done but my kids rooms look like a tornado has hit them and has for the past several months...ok pretty much 2 yrs since we've move here. I still haven't painted them like I've been saying I would. My room is a mess. There is a dead animal in our shower floor. (my hair that is). I need to work on the flower beds and just stuff.

That's just the house....now to the kids. We play way to much Mario Kart. They don't brush there teeth on a regular basis(C I hope you aren't reading this and Jennifer please don't tell her). My daughter doesn't sleep in her bed--she sleeps on the couch. They do have clean clothes and get a shower every other night. My very bright 6 yr old made a 71% on his spelling test....I was furious. He missed NOT, HOP and TUB. He knows them he was just in too big of a hurry. He got on Blue at school yesterday b/c he wasn't following directions and didn't pass his reading counts test. He doesn't want to do school work when he gets home. I guess most kids are like that. I'm trying make him learn on his own b/c he doesn't like to fail. I've got to get my stuff together b/c that's what I feel like that I'm FAILING!

Failing at being a WIFE, MOM, MAID, ETC. I will tell you what I'm good at. I can read a book in no time flat! I just tune everything else out and focus only on the book. I'm also good at Knitting and Sewing. I love spending time withe FABRIC and YARN.

My sweet husband works so hard 60-80 hrs a week and what do I give him in return...NOTHING! This time of the year I just do my own thing and it's not fair to him. He works so hard to provide for us but I'm not fulfilling my end of the bargain.

I've read some books about the Amish and I think....Wow! How do those women do it. They did it all!!!! Little House of the Prairie is another reminder of that. I want to be MA. She did it all! I just can't seem to get the hang of it. Am I too lazy? Not disciplined enough? I think it's a combination of both. So know that I've laid out the problem for all to see I have to find a way to fix it.

I apologize for being so down....it's a gloomy day out and I didn't sleep real good on the oversized chair from 3:00 on b/c my daughter woke up and had soaked through her pullup.

I need to focus on this verse when it comes to being disciplined...

WHOEVER LOVES DISCIPLINE LOVES KNOWLEDGE, BUT HE WHO HATES CORRECTION IS STUPID. Proverbs 19:24

I know that I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STREGTHENS ME!!!

A Beautiful Day

It stormed a little last night but today was absolutely gorgeous....70 degrees and clear skies. I went out to check the mail and thought I had to do something today and not stay in the house. I put on a cute little outfit including flipflops...yes flipflops in Feb and I decided to head to a little town about 30 minutes from here to pick up some fabric that I had ordered.

I wished I would have had my camera b/c it was absolutely gorgeous (except for the clear cutting)!!!!!!! We have alot of PINE industry in this area.

I just love driving when it's pretty like this. I rolled the windows down...not quite the same effect in the minivan as my little car I had in college but times change....turned on my favorite radio station...KLOVE and PRAISED THE LORD for a glorious day and a great life.

Did I mention that I wish I had my camera?? I had our GPS with us and it took me a different way than I had ever been and as I topped a hill the County truck in front of me stopped for some dogs that were doing a little hanky panky in the middle of the road. Can't really say I've ever had that happen before.

As I was PRAISING THE LORD, I was also praying for some friends and their families. I realize how lucky we are to be healthy, be financially stable and have wonderful friends and family. I know I've talked a lot about my friends lately but where would I be without them! (Meredith---as I was driving it reminded me of the trip we took to Fayetteville to the game that weekend. Eric still talks about that....I think that was an eye opening trip for him!)

Enough with my rambling...I hope that you all had as good of a day as I had!!!!

To Garden or Not to Garden...???

I've been debating doing a garden in our backyard but...I don't have any idea where to start. I'm a little city girl at heart :) And those that know me are now laughing because I grew up in a town that is only about 50,000 people or so....I know not big but pretty big for Arkansas.

Here are a couple of questions I've been throwing around...
Do I till up a plot or just do a raised garden out of landscape timber and top soil? I'm going more towards the raised garden on this.

Would it be worth the time and money since we don't eat alot of veggies?

Here are the veggies we eat...
Corn
Mashed Potatoes and hashbrowns (I could prepare and freeze the hashbrowns)
Tomatoes for tomato sauce (would it be ok to freeze for a yr or so?)
Purple Hull Peas

Fruit...
Strawberries and Blackberries
Apples
Bananas
Oranges

Bananas and Oranges would definitely be out b/c of our climate but hum I wonder about an Apple tree...the kids would love that.

Also when do you start planting????

See I told you I was a little city girl that doesn't have a clue!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm trying to save and cut out as much as possible but don't know if this would be cost effective or not. I'm sure it probably would but want others opinions. HELP!

We studied the book of Job last night in small group at church. Well as much as you can in a 2 hr period. I think it's really interesting to see how different people and personalities deal with grief. I personally cry a lot and need a friend. It's during those times that you truly know who your friends are. We've dealt with several family deaths in the past 8 yrs. The hardest had to be my husbands parents and grandmother. I have had some wonderful friends that were always there for me despite most of them moving away. You know someone loves you if they are willing to come scrub your kitchen floor for you! I miss you K!

I will have to say that over the past couple of years, Amber and Lisa have become great friends and I know they are here for me through whatever. I want both of you to know how much I love you guys! Lisa's family is going through a very hard time right now and I just ask that you pray for them. I can't imagine going through what they are going through.

I know this is a bunch of rambling but last night made me really think about our time of grief that we have experienced and those that have helped us through. I'm not going to start listing because I don't want to leave anyone out but I want you to know that your friendship and love has been greatly appreciated even if you moved off and left us!!!!

A little bit of this...a little bit of that

I've been here but just haven't had much to say...I did post 3 posts last week on my sewing blog though...so I guess that tells you what I have been doing.

I have a confession. I didn't do to well in the January Challenge. I ordered fabric to start my quilt and that was quite a bit. I did eat out a couple of times with friends that I don't see much anymore. We had a couple of counseling/chat sessions :) It was good to see them. I did cut out the...let's just run get a milkshake or coke...sonic runs but since January I haven't done well in that area. I'm trying really hard to cut back and looking at it I've done fair but there is plenty of room for improvement.

I did do really well a couple of weeks ago in the meal planning category. Stephanie and Meredith both have some really good tips on meal planning. I got 5 lbs of ground beef and made taco meat for taco ring, spaghetti meat for pizza spaghetti bake, pizza sauce for homemade pizza. and chili. We spread it out and ate on those along with misc other stuff for 2 weeks. I'm going back to the store in a little while and going to try and do the same but probably won't have time. It was nice to just be able to defrost something and it basically be ready.

I've started a list of things to do each day so I can feel like I accomplished something. Also, that way I won't forget what I was supposed to do...so easy for this Mommy Brain to do. That's working pretty well.

I realized I've got a big day ahead of me and already behind me...Here's a day in the life of me...

7:30 send boys off to work and school
8:30 Gym (when I'm good)
9:15 A's hair appt
9:30 home/shower/laundry/blog/email/etc
11:00 fold clothes iron and watch Y & R :)
12:00 take A to school/Walmart
2:30 pick up L & A
3:30 dance (time for a little knitting:) )
4:30 home

And somewhere in there I'll eat and sew a little and work on picking up the house.

Tomorrow I've got to make white chocolate suckers for the kids class parties and Wednesday make cupcakes for L's party. So I stay busy sometimes I just don't know what I do with all my time but I know I'm busy.

Check out this blog from my friend Amber....she is one of the most real people I know....and I feel the same way she does many a days!

Hope not to stay away too long in the future just have to think of things to say...my life is pretty boring!

Have a wonderful week!