Now listen here Life.........

Last night, we went to see the new Karate Kid movie. It was at the cheap theater. I decided to take the kids, since we will be heading back to the school year routine, later this week. The movie was great! Not completely like the one I remember with "Mr. Miyagi", or "Daniel san", but just really good. At one point in the movie, "Dre" reminds his teacher of something he had taught him...He said "Life can knock you down, but you can choose whether or not to get back up"...This quote got me thinking about where life has brought me. Life has certainly got me down quite a bit lately. Daily, I face different trials with what life has dealt me. And a through a lot of those trials, I have not chosen to get back up very quickly. I usually look around waiting for something nice to set me back on my feet, but all along it has been my choice to get back up and keep pushing forward. So that is my goal, and though there will be setbacks, I want to choose to get back up and say "now lisen here, life......you're not gonna keep me down for long. I have a God who cares! I have friends and famiy who love me! And those are good enough reasons to get back up and keep going"...Amazing how we can learn these lessons on a typical family outing to the movies.

Now, on another note.....Karate Kid might not be the wisest choice later in the evening for two rambunctious little boys. Especially if you ant to get to the car at a normal pace, instead of kung fu fighting every step along the way. :-)

I want to be on Wipeout!

A couple of nights ago, I sat down to watch a little T.V. on my own. The kids were visiting with their dad, and would not be home for a couple hours. As I flipped thru the stations, I came across the show Wipeout! I had heard about the show, but only seen a small bit of it a couple times. Wow! I had really missed out! I watched as these people bounced, smashed, careened, and were punched numerous times by the different obstacles on the show. I was amazed! This was a particularly long show for the evening, and the more I watched, the more I wanted to try it. The big balls were my favorite. I found myself contemplatng just how I would make it across. I had already realized the motivator that smashes you into starting the course if you wait to long, so I knew I would have to just go with it and race to the finish. I would start running immediately, as I know I would need to keep up speed to bounce just right on each of the balls. I can picture myself as I jump and bounce directly to the middle of the ball and kicking away from it as if on a trampoline...only to land perfectly on the next one...super mario music playing in the background as I make my way all the way...I mean, I am pretty good at super mario! This could be my chance, you know to win big money and have quite a bit of fun along the way. I REALLY could do this!

I made the mistake however, of sharing these thoughts with my children,as well as a friend who immediately burst into tears and howls of laughter, and posted immediately to facebook was a status by my oldest that her mom was crazy...imagine that! This prompted an immediate conversation about my training and how they need to post videos of my trial runs that they would secretly take...they even laughed as I stated I would need to pick out a great outfit to wear exhibiting the look of the super mario characters...and I definitely want those sound effects.....boing, boing! HAHAHA...oh well, I guess that one day if I get on the show and master those big balls, then we will see who has the last laugh!!!......Does anyone know where I can get an application?

These are a few of my favorite things....

Over the years I have determined some of my different favorites. Some of these things are foods or candies, and some of them are scents, colors, activities, and such. Tonight I was having a snack, and my mind wandered to these things, so i decided I needed to blog about it....I mean, one would not want to forget about such wondermous things...lol

One of my favorite snacks is Cheezit party mix....I absolutely love the little puffs of garlicky goodness. I will sit and pick through every bit until I have eaten every little one. Of course, I love the rest of the mix too, but the little puffs are my favorite.

Many of my friends know about my favorite candy...it is a new favorite, as I just in the past year have become aquainted with Swedish Fish. I don't like the multicolored ones, i only like the red ones. Recently I was shopping at Wal-mart and they DID NOT have my Swedish Fish. I even looked two times, determined that if I continued to look, they would somehow appear between the sour patch kids, and the gummy worms. To my dismay, I left empty handed...well, not really empty handed, I mean really? I was at Wal-mart, and one cannot leave without finding something they need. By empty handed, I meant without Swedish Fish. :-(

My favorite scents are florals. Most people enjoy the sweet scents of vanilla, or cinnamon, and these are definitely nice, but I love Gardenia, or honeysuckle, or magnolia.....I love to get a candle in one of these and put in every room.... However, during the holidays,I do tend to get out those sweet smells, just for the time of year.

I love musicals!!!! I love Grease, Cats, High School Musical (all 3), Sound of Music, Evita, Mamma Mia, pretty much all the Disney flicks...although Mermaid has to be my favorite, and Phantom of the Opera, just to name a few. Many have suffered thru watching these along with me as I proceed to sing along with my best acting/singing voice....And as these few watched along, there was sometimes a little bit of eye rolling...but I dont care, I LOVE MUSICALS!!!! LOL

My favorite color is green...like the green you find in the crayon box. But when it comes to clothing or accessories, my favorite is PINK! Pink everything, from the color of my shirt or jewelry, to the color of my phone case (which I just recently had to change to black because they were out of Pink) I am a Mary Kay consultant, and I would be perfectly happy to have a pink car, however I have a large family, so if they ever choose to offer the pink on a minivan version, I am ready to take it! I Love Pink!!!!

I remember when they opened up one of those candy stores in the mall, where you could go through and fill the sack with different varieties including jelly beans. Jelly Belly was the biggest name brand back then, and I'm quite sure it is now, and they ghad such a large variety of flavors, I couldn't always resist trying them all out. From the original flavors like cherry or orange, to the more exotic flavors like tropical punch or popcorn (yes, they have popcorn flavored jelly beans)...they had them all. My favorites included strawberry and/or cotton candy flavored. I always liked it when I was able to stop by and get a small assortment to take in to work with me.

My favorite car growing up was the Trans Am. I so desperately wanted the one off of Smokey and the Bandit. I wanted mine to be identical. Right down to the bronze colored spread eagle on the hood....I know, call me redneck, but some part of me would still love to have that car! T-tops and all!

I don't drink coffee, but I do like to go to Starbucks. It being very expensive, this is one of those things that only happen on rare occasions. When I do get to go, I always get the same thing, cause I know it is something I like and will drink. I love the Java Chip Frappachino....yes, I think it is fabulous, right down to getting chocolate chips stuck in the straw...yummmm!!!!!! And the extra kick of caffeine is kinda fun too...for those of you who know me well, caffeine only makes me that much louder!!!! LOL

I love to sing! Christian contemp., country, rock....you name it, I love it! Karaoke is one of the greatest inventions of all times....Everyone can be a star, if only for a few minutes....even though not everyone is partial to some of those voices....lol.

And last, but certainly not least, and only because it is getting late, and I don't want to stay up any later to put more favorite things in......lol......
My favorite ice cream is...drumroll please..........
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VANILLA!!!!!!!! I love a huge bowl of vanilla ice cream, hard frozen out of the freezer, with a little bit of milk poured over the top, creating a nice, icy, creamy, milky, vanilla-y mixture. YUM!!! I could eat it every night and not get tired of it...of course, I would be as big as a house, but sometimes it is worth it!!!! I love me some ice cream!!!!

Well there you have it...these are just a few of my favorite things.......

No control

I'm feeling a bit blah tonite, and as a result I have posted a couple songs on facebook that really speak to me. I wanted to blog about the frustration I am feeling right now, but it isnt flowing as well, so I am going to post the lyrics on here instead. Look at them carefully and truly "hear" the message they bring.

"Slow Fade"
Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade


Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see




In Better Hands

It's hard to stand on shifting sand
It's hard to shine in the shadows of the night
You can't be free if you don't reach for help
And you can't love if you don't love yourself
But there is hope when my faith runs out
'Cause I'm in better hands now

It's like the sun is shining
When the rain is pouring down
It's like my soul is flying
Though my feet are on the ground
So take this heart of mine, there's no doubt
I'm in better hands now

I am strong, all because of You
I stand in awe of every mountain that You move
For I am changed, yesterday is gone
I am safe from this moment on
And there's no fear when the night comes 'round
I'm in better hands now

It's like the sun is shining
When the rain is pouring down
It's like my soul is flying
Though my feet are on the ground
So take this heart of mine, there's no doubt
I'm in better hands,
yeah It's like the sun is shining
When the rain is pouring down
It's like my soul is flying
Though my feet are on the ground
It's like the world is silent
Though I know it isn't true
It's like the breath of Jesus
Is right here in this room
So take this heart of mine, there's no doubt
I'm in better hands now
I'm in better hands now

Yes, I drink Diet Coke, No I'm not on a diet

Recently I took the kids out for lunch at Cici's Pizza. School is out for summer, and occasionally we get to go out for an extra activity. We went in, payed for our lunch, received our cups, and promptly got in line for pizza. They have such a variety to pick from, and I tend to load my plate with many types. I usually want to try the different ones they have out, and sometimes I will even place an order for a specific one. On this day, I chose a couple of slices to start with, and then placed my order for their rustic style pizza. It is one of my favorites because of the thin crust and the sicilian spices they use. It is quite tasty. I then proceeded to get my drink so that I would not have to get up again too quickly after finding a place to sit. With my plate piled high ( I also had stopped by the salad bar and added this to my plate as well), I made my way to the drink station. I got my ice, and then placed my cup below my favorite drink: Diet Coke. As I pushed the cup under the fountain to fill it up, It made this loud annoying racket, drawing attention from those at the tables closest. And there I stood, slowly filling my cup with my Diet Coke, plate piled high with pepperoni pizza (it was only 2 slices), some salad, a couple of bread sticks, and Here I was getting a Diet Coke. As if this attempt to drink something with the word "diet" in it, would counteract the fact that the food choice was loaded with so many things that were not so healthy. Talk about a contradiction, lol. And with those around me staring too. Ok, they really weren't staring, but I felt like the noise the machine was making made those around me take notice and it could have made them question my "diet". As if they really had an interest in the matter. I could almost hear them saying: "geez, look at her....not a good diet plan she has.....does she really think drinking the diet drink will help her lose if she eats all that....could her plate be any fuller" And although I realize they really aren't paying me any attention, I suddenly wanted to look at those around me and yell: "Yes, I drink Diet Coke, and no, I'm not on a diet".

The Life of a Single Woman: Pros and Cons

Though, technically I haven't made it to "single" status, I have been living single since last September. And as I go through each day, fight the fierce battles this new life has to offer, I find myself giggling about some of these battles, and crying a little about the other battles. Hence, the reason for this blog. The pros vs. cons of being a single woman. The following is my list in no particular order.

Pros:
1. I make many decisions on a daily basis...they are MY decisions. And though sometimes I could use a sounding block for my ideas, I am empowered by the fact that I get to make the ultimate decisions. For example: we have a new puppy...I decided we would get this puppy, I didn't have to call home to check and see if I could bring him home..I just said "yes, I would like this puppy to come live with me" and now I have a puppy.

2. Control of the remote! lol! Our T.V. stays on the kids channels for the majority of time, but when the kids go to bed, I can watch whatever I want to. Hallmark channel, cooking channel, Lifetime, TLC, just to mention a few. I can also watch a full show without having to "flip" though commercials. The History channel will rarely be on at my house, and though sometimes I find the Discovery Channel interesting, it isn't my first choice....hmmm, and I get to decide...lol

3. Going to bed when I want to. I am a late night person. I like to stay up til I'm falling asleep. I enjoy the fact that no one is telling me when I need to come to bed. I am a grown-up, and if I decide to stay up late, then I understand the consequences and will only blame myself..again, my choice...lol

4. Getting all the alone time I want is sometimes nice. I can read a book, watch T.V., facebook, or just sit on the couch to relax. No need to worry about anyone seeing me with no make-up on, or trying to impress. I can sit in my sweats, and do absolutely nothing. I can fix a drink, or eat a snack, and no one asks me to share. And if I choose to eat the last swiss cake roll, no one is gonna look at me and say "hey, I was gonna eat that" or, "can I have one" cause there is no one there to complain.


Cons:

1. Scary sounds in the house at night. I do not like having to check out the late night sounds. I am a big chicken. My imagination tends to run away with me. I usually go looking around with a look in my eye that is supposed to show no fear, but it is probably more of a "deer in the headlights" look.

2. Wasps or hornets nests. This is not my expertise. I do not prefer to be chased by these flying insects while aiming a can that may or may not spray in the direction necessary to kill on contact. Besides, if the killing on contact is while they are in the process of stinging me, then what is the point? I did learn from a friend, that it is best to spray at night when they are sleeping? Of course, I can't really see where I am spraying at night, so I gave it a good dousing (the spray was dripping from the corner of the garage, but at least I knew for sure they were coated well).

3. Sick kids in the middle of the night. This is by far one of my least favorite single woman jobs. What used to be a team effort of clean-up, now falls to single me. It was a lot easier when one of us took the sick kid to clean up and comfort, while the other changed the sheets on the bed. Now it is the running back and forth between bathroom and bedroom: "Are you alright?" while the child pukes in the toilet, to trying to find the extra sheets, and stuff the yuckies into the wash while barely touching them. It is certainly a task that can be handled by one, but it is much nicer when someone pitches in.

4. The time of night after the kids are in bed are lonely. Sure, I can call a friend, or text, or get on the computer and chat, but there are times when it would be nice to have someone rub my head while we watched T.V. Or maybe fighting playfully over what to watch in the evenings could be enjoyable. And then, there are the times when you don't have to say anything at all, but just sitting together, having a late night snack, or holding hands. I don't like to be alone ALL the time, but when you are single, you do get a LOT of alone time.

So there you have it. A small list of the pros and cons of being a single woman. Good points made on both sides, and I hope to continue adding to these lists as time goes by. Feel free to comment if you have more to add, as it can be as long of a list as it needs to be, because it is mine, and I get to choose...lol.

Life...Unconditional

Where do I even start? Life has a funny way of catching us by surprise. It's like one day you're going along, living life, just keeping up with the day to day, when WHAM BAM! Life smacks us in the face! We then begin to question why. Why did this happen? What did I do to deserve this? What happens next? and one of the most familiar....WHY did God ALLOW this to happen to me? Many times we ask these questions, because we don't think we deserve for things to happen to us...but why not?

What did we do that should keep us from the trials of life?

The answer is nothing...absolutely nothing should keep us from these many trials we will face in a lifetime.

The old saying that comes to mind is this: we were never promised a rose garden in life. We live day to day expecting everything to go our way. We want that perfect job, that perfect family, with the perfect spouse, and the perfect kids....WHAM BAM....REALITY!!!!! There is no such thing as a perfect human. Were you ready for that smack? Most people probably weren't.

I got caught up in that lie, myself. And life smacked me in the face!!!! Big time!!!!

And though I could really get caught up in the pity party ( I do at times) , I can also realize that even in these storms, God is there. He is with us during all of our trials of life. And though sometimes we are allowed to hurt.....He doesn't let go. He is big enough to handle it all. We, again ,are given the opportunity to choose....to choose to let go and let God. I know...another saying, but with a tremendous amount of truth.

I am thankful that although life throws us many hurdles, I can always count on God's unconditional love.

He is with you....Mandisa

There’s a time to live and a time to die
There’s a time to laugh and a time to cry
There’s a time for war and a time for peace
There’s a hand to hold in the worst of these
In the worst of these
He is with you when your faith is dead
And you can’t even get out of bed
Or your husband doesn’t kiss you anymore
He is with you when your baby’s gone
And your house is still, and your heart’s a stone
Cryin’ God, what’d You do that for
He is with you
There’s a time for yes and a time for no
There’s a time to be angry and a time to let it go
There is a time to run and a time to face it
There is love to see you through all of this
Through all of this
He is with you in the conference room
When the world is coming down on you
And your wife and kids don’t know you anymore
He is with you in the I.C.U
When the doctors don’t know what to do
And it scares you to the core, he is with you
We may weep for a time
But joy will come in the morning
The morning light!!!
He is with you when your kids are grown
When there’s too much space and you feel alone
And you’re worried if you got it right or wrong
Yes, He is with you when you’ve given up
On ever finding your true love
Someone who feels like home
HE is with you
When nothing else is left
And you take your final breath
HE is with you
HE is with you