BOOKWARM AWARD!!

My awesome bloggy friend Mimi @ He & Me + 3 tagged me with this Bookworm Award! I love getting awards..LOL! I really love this one because I do LOVE to read! What I'm supposed to do is grab the book closest to me, turn to page 56, go to the 5th line, and type it and along with the next couple of lines. It is just THAT easy!

These lines are from the book "Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes...In You and Your Kids."

"Your own response to honor is important. When your son folds the towels as you asked and then does more by putting them away, your delight is his reward. Honor is a gift-that extra, unexpected act of kindness."

And now, I'm supposed tag 5 people, so I tag...

Christin @ Journey To A Gracious Woman

Alicia @ Confessions Of A Snowflake

Tina @ Golden Goodness

Aimee @ Mrs. Chief

Stacy @ The Crazy Cotheran's

FUN, FUN, FUN!

We had plans to go to our friends home for dinner last night. I've known my friend since we were 14 years old, and I've actually known her husband longer (since we were twelve). We don't see each other too often, unfortunately. We're about half an hour away from each other, so it's not too bad, but you know how "life" just gets busy! Well, I'm glad we hooked up tonight because it was so much fun!! We planned to get there early so they could take us out on their boat before sunset. I'm glad we did because it was just beautiful!

My friend Ethel on the left & me on the right.

My hubby on the left & her hubby Eric on the right.

Nico, Eli, & Daniel
Before getting on the boat.Me, Eth, & all the kiddos

It was a beautiful night! It was not cold at all considering they live right by the bay (about 20 minutes from San Francisco). All the kids got to take turns steering the boat, so they were stoked about that! It's so cool because they can dock their boat right by the restaurants if they wanted! When we got back to their house, we had dinner, and just hung out and caught up with them while the kids were busy playing. It was such a relaxing night. The kids were great, and got along so well with each other.

Beautiful!

"Who wants to steer?"

Veronica & Alyssa

Uncle Eric & Eli

Danny was so happy!

Miranda's turn!

"Now be careful when you go under the bridge, Isaiah."

Me and the hubby!

Kids eating in the play room

My friends husband bought a craft for them to do! Isn't that awesome!?

Group picture before we leave

THEN SINGS MY SOUL SATURDAY

To view more TSMSS, click the button below.

I love this song! It's so worshipFULL!! I'm sure the majority of you know this song since it's been out for awhile. The words are so powerful. When you close your eyes and meditate on the words, it's simply AMAZING!! Our God is an Awesome God!!

Chris Tomlin-How Great Is Our God

FRIDAY FUNNIES

I see this meme every Friday and it always makes me laugh. So, I decided to join in on the fun! To read more FF, click here.

Prayers

A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running
as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Bible class.

As she ran she prayed,
"Dear Lord, please don't let me be late! Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!"

As she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb
and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress.
She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again.

As she ran she once again began to pray,
"Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!...But don't shove me either."

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I could not go this week without doing a Thankful Thursday post..especially since it is THANKSGIVING!! I've done a few posts already on what I am thankful for, but I feel led to share what I'm thankful for TODAY! I'll narrow it down to ten!

• I'm thankful that our church is having a potluck for people who don't have anyone to share Thanksgiving with. You always hear that the holidays are the lonliest times for some people.

• I'm thankful for the family and friends who want to spend Thanksgiving with us.
  

• I'm thankful that we have an abundance of food on the table.

• I'm thankful for the Worship music playing in the background.

• I'm thankful that my children will have full tummies all day.

• I'm thankful for the heat I feel through the vents.
  

• I'm thankful for a husband who puts God first.

• I'm thankful for my personal relationship with Jesus.

• I'm thankful that my children have come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ at a young age.

• I'm thankful that we have a Savior that is worthy to be praised!

"Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms." Psalm 95:2

Rambling

I really don't have anything specific to write about. I just love my new blog layout and feel inspired to write! My eldest son went with my husband to Worship practice, my other kids are watching a movie, and I have free time before I start to get organized for tomorrow!

I finished up my grocery shopping today for things that I need for tomorrow. I realized that I'm not really cooking much since everyone is bringing something! Yay for me! I also went to Party City and bought a cute table cloth and some decorative plates. Of course, I was thinking about pictures for my blog! I started to get into the "holiday" feel when I was looking at all the Christmas decor at the store! I had my youngest son with me and he was grabbing everything and using it as a sword or a gun! Yah, he's my boy's boy alright! He and I hardly ever go anywhere alone, so it was nice to do errands with him and give him all my attention! I surprised him by taking him to Burger King. We NEVER eat inside, so it was nice to sit there and talk to him the entire time! He's so funny and makes me laugh!

I will still have a Thankful Thursday post, although Iris at Grace Alone isn't hosting it this week at her blog. More than likely I'll be putting up my Thanksgiving post on Friday. You all have a Happy Thanksgiving, and be B.L.E.S.S.E.D!!

Our BK moment!

BLOG MAKEOVER!!!!

Let me start off by saying that I TOTALLY LOVE MY NEW LAYOUT!! When I first stumbled upon Tina's Design Blog, it really caught my attention. But, at the time I JUST got a new layout, so I didn't think that would be very practical of me to change it again. However, deep down, I was never really satisfied with what I had, and found myself continually looking at her blog designs! I finally knew I had to suck it up and just do it or else I would never be happy! I'm so glad I did because Tina is the easiest to work with! She is die hard because she would work on my blog in the wee hours of the morning! I never felt she was annoyed by my questions, or any changes I asked for. Her goal was to give me something that I loved! And that's what she did!! If I was to ever get another blog makeover (although I can't picture that happening for awhile), I would definitely go back to her!! If you really are considering a new look for your blog, I highly recommend Tina, and you will see what I mean!!!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Ya gotta love Oreo's!
SEPTEMBER 2005 (2 years old)

For more WW participants, click here.

I'M GETTIN' READY!!

I got my turkey!!! Actually, my hubby got the turkey at Costco today! A 22 pounder to be exact!! I'm going to try this great recipe that I got from Susie at Susie's Homemade! It sounds so yummy and tasty, I can't wait to try it!

We're hosting Thanksgiving this year, and I'm really excited to have family and friends over! I'm supposed to call my dad tomorrow to invite him and his wife, but I have no idea if they already have other plans. My mom is coming, and she is bringing a couple of pies and stuffing. One of my friends is bringing a green salad (she makes great ones), mashed potatoes, and her husband is going to bake brownies! In addition to my turkey, I'll be making yams, spinach dip, rice, and my husband is going to pick up egg rolls that day. We'll also have the regular sides like rolls, cranberry sauce, and gravy. I know..it's not the "traditional" meal, but that's how we do it! We like alot of everything! The more the merrier!! So, my turkey sits in the fridge...defrosting and I am not looking forward to getting the bag out, that's for sure! That part always creeps me out!

So tell me, what are your plans? Are you hosting or being a guest?

Not Me! Monday

This is one of my favorite meme's! We get to spill our guts about things we would never, ever do (wink)!!! Join in on the fun at MckMamas blog!!

• I did not start this post a week ago so I could just come in here and add things I didn't do so I wouldn't forget. I don't have that much time in the day to do something like that!

• I am absolutely not in the works of getting a new layout done even though I just had a makeover around two months ago. Come on, I'm not that FICKLE!

• I did not watch Nacho Libre again for the 100th time. Of course I wasn't cracking up because it is so not funny!

• I did not just start planning my Thanksgiving menu today. I am way more organized than that!

• I am not looking forward to having a whole week vacation from school!!!!!! What mom would want to have a break from homeschooling five kids? Not me..no way!
  

To read more Not Me Mondays, click here.

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS MEMORY

My bloggy friend, Alicia at Confessions Of A Snowflake is having a "100th Post Celebration Giveaway." Go check out her blog to get the details on how you can win her fabulous giveaway! All she wants you to do is write about your favorite holiday memory. It could be about Thanksgiving, Christmas, a special memory with family, a ministry you served in, or a gift you received. I'm sure it's not limited to just that, so write to your hearts content!


I want to write about a special Christmas we had in Virginia, 8 years ago. The majority of my mom's side of the family live there, so we thought it would be a perfect time for a family reunion. My sister and her family (who live in Hawaii) had decided to go too. We were so excited because some of our relatives have never met our children, and they were 5, 4, & 6 mos. old. When I was little, we would visit my grandparents ALOT, so their house always felt like "home" to me. I couldn't wait to go there and have that "feeling" again! Plus, we were going in the winter, so this was my childrens first experience in real wintery weather!! We decided to stay with my aunt (my mom's youngest sister) since she had the most room, and my sister was going to stay with my grandparents. My kids took to their cousins in Virginia immediately, so that was a blessing to see them all playing together! Our days were filled with going out to eat, shopping, and going back and forth between my two aunts' homes and my grandparents as well. We even had a special New Year's Eve dinner at my aunt's where we had prime rib, lobster, and everything in between. My aunt had a connection in Maine, so he shipped fresh lobsters to us! But, I think the highlight of the trip was when my aunt had a surprise for all twenty-five of us! We were all at her house "waiting", and lo' and behold, a trolley bus picked us up! She had them stock it with Starbucks coffee, danishes/muffins, and hot cocoa! They drove us over to Virginia Beach where you could drive through and see all the beautiful lights and decorations! It was awesome! I mean, how could it get any better than that? Our family made it a point to make the reunion special for all of us, and it is a time that I will always cherish!!

BOUNCE, ROCK, SKATE!!!

My kids love roller skating!! I'm actually surprised at how many kids their age have never been to a skating rink or even know how to roller skate!! When I was in middle school, we would always go there for field trips, b-day parties, etc! I'm glad that they have kept the place up and that it still has that "family" atmosphere.

It was my two youngest kids "end of year soccer party" this morning, and they were excited to go skating! My sister-in-law coaches both of their teams, so each of their teams were there. They got their trophy's plus an extra treat from "Coach Lisa." Man, I wish I was a kid on their team..lol. And to top off an already exciting day for them, she took my kids to the movies to see Madagascar! So, they're all gone, and this gives me time to blog (lol), and just enjoy a very quiet house!

My boyz!

She loves wearing this shirt! LOL

Ceci & Veronica scoping out their goodie bags.

My sister-in-law w/ her asst. Coach Mario and some of the kids.

THEN SINGS MY SOUL SATURDAY-You Are Mighty

I know I have a long story, but I wanted to give a little background first so you could have an understanding of what was going on in the video.

When my eldest son was around 8 1/2 years old, he took an interest in playing the guitar. We just thought it was a phase, so we didn't put too much thought into it. After asking us over and over if we would buy him a guitar, we finally said, "Yes!" We still didn't know what we were going to do (as far as him taking lessons), but his birthday was coming up so it would be like an early birthday gift. It so happened that a couple of weeks after he got his guitar (and him just playing around with it), one of the Associate Pastors decided to give free guitar lessons before the Sunday morning service! We were like, "Yah..perfect timing!" Unfortunately the class ended a couple of months later, but my son did learn some of the basic chords. So, at this point, that's all he could do, but he would still practice what he did know. Eventually, there were alot of older boys (and adults) who would bring their guitars to church and would jam in the cafe after the morning and evening services. My son would sit with them and just follow what they were doing. They even taught him a few things. By this time, he could already play a few songs by memory. A few months later, the Children's Church coordinator called me and said that they wanted to put a Children's Worship team together and if Isaiah wanted to be the lead. After much practice and commitments, the worship team was formed. There were four boys that played instruments and at the time were ages 9-11 (Isaiah being the youngest) and they had the the choir who's ages ranged from 6-10 years old. The team would lead worship for the elementary school on Sunday mornings, and would also play at something called Worship One. We had this night of Praise & Worship in the cafe at our church every Friday. Anyone could sing or play an instrument. So, the video I uploaded is them in 2006. This is one of my favorite songs, ever! Isaiah is the one playing guitar, but I couldn't fit all the boys on my camera. We no longer have a Children's Worship team, but we do have many gifted, young musicians at our church in the Jr. High & High School ministry. But, it's totally the Lord that blessed Isaiah with his ability to play the guitar, and I pray that he continues to use it for His glory alone.



To view more TSMSS, click here. You will be blessed!

Grilling Goodness-#8

I saw this meme a few weeks ago, and I really liked it! I love answering questions, so this is right up my alley! Tina is so sweet, so if you get a minute, go show her some bloggy love!! Well, it's her hubby's birthday, so in honor of that, she answered the questions referring to him! I thought that was cute, so I'm going to do the same! All my answers will pertain to my hubby! Here we go!!

1. Sitting in front of the TV, what’s on the screen? That is probably his least favorite thing to do. He'll watch a movie with the kids once in a while, but never regular TV.

2. You’re out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Ranch or Blue Cheese!

3. What’s one food he doesn’t like? Meatloaf

4. What is his favorite type of sandwich? He loves all kinds of deli sandwiches, but I know he really likes Pastrami w/ everything on it!

5. What would this person eat everyday if he could? Definitely a Vietnamese soup called Pho (pronounced Phu).

6. What is his favorite cereal? LOL, perfect question! He LOVES cereal! It's hard to narrow it down to one because he loves so many of them! That is one staple we have to have in the house because he and the kids eat it all the time!

7. What would he never wear? Polo shirt

8. What is his favorite sports team? Any team our kids play on!

FLASHBACK FRIDAY-THANKSGIVING MEMORIES

One of my favorite Thanksgiving memories happened around eight/nine years ago. Our plans had literally changed a couple of days before Thanksgiving, leaving us with nothing to do (I know, how sad)! I don't recall why they changed, but I do remember my mom asking me what we (me, hubby, & kids) were going to do instead. She was encouraging me to just make my own dinner at home. I have never cooked a turkey before so I was hesitant to go that route. She proceeded to tell me how to do it, and said that all we needed were the "basics" for dinner. So the night before Thanksgiving, I was on a mission! I went to the grocery store and bought everything I needed for the next day. I got my turkey, sweet potatoes, pie, appetizers, the works, and just for our family of 3 at the time (plus my mom). I was so excited to make the turkey that I almost forgot to take the "bag" out of it! I remember being really grossed out having to do that! I had to totally psych myself out before sticking my hand in there! But, everything turned out great, the turkey was tender, we had plenty of food, and I just felt like I accomplished something huge at such short notice! You would never have known that there was no time for planning! I think those spontaneous moments are sometimes the best!!!!!

To read more of Flashback Friday's, click here!

THANKFUL THURSDAY

RANDOM

• I'm thankful for my Thursday night bible study with my girlfriends. Not only are we studying the book of Hebrews, but we have sweet fellowship as well!

• I'm thankful for a sister in law who loves and adores my children. She would do anything for them...anytime...anywhere.
  

• I'm thankful that my children know how to interact with both children and adults. They all have such great personalities!

• I'm thankful for the quiet times I'm able to have because I'm always around so much noise...lol.

• I'm thankful that after 20 years, my husband and I can crack each other up with just one word!

• I'm thankful for Facebook! I have reconnected with many old friends and I've been able to share the Gospel with them.

• I'm thankful for dishwashing soap because it saves me so much time from washing dishes by hand!

• I'm thankful when my sons massage my neck and shoulders without me having to bribe them first.
  

• I'm thankful for the relationship I have with my sister. It's only through Jesus that we have this bond.
  

To read more Thankful Thursdays, click here.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

I know I said I didn't take any pictures this past weekend at the soccer games. I did not even bring my camera, but I did have my cell phone and I snapped this shot of my youngest wearing our friends mom's hat. My daughter is such a girly girl and loves anything "dress up." Her games were done for the day, so that is why she is wearing regular clothes. I think this picture would have been perfect if there was nothing but the trees and the grass in the background. That is my sister in laws leg (hi Lisa!) on the bottom left hand side..lol..while she was coaching my son's game.

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Homeschool Field Trip Day!! YUMMY!

What a LONG day we've had! It started by us getting up at 7am to get ready for our field trip to In N' Out Burger. Most of you have probably never heard of it since it is only in four states. They do FREE field trips, so I'm all game for those kinds of deals!! My kids love In N' Out so I knew they would get up early for that! Just like any restaurant tour, we all got to go in the back, and get all the "behind the scenes" information. What I like most about it (besides how fresh it is), is that it was started by a Christian family. You will find scriptures on the bottom of the cups and on the french fry boxes. I can only imagine how many people have read them, and that be the first seed planted in their life!! Anyway, we all ate burgers, fries, soda, & shakes before 10am!! Afterward, we went to my mom's to visit with her. In fact, my two older kids stayed and I will pick them up later. Now, I finally get to catch up on all my bloggy friends!!

Do they still look half asleep? LOL

Getting ready to check things out in the back!

Two lines kids...two lines!

They did not like the smell of all the potatoes in the back!

"So, how are you doing?"

Of course, my son can't leave home w/out his PSP!!

Yummy!

We Heart Build-A-Bear!

My youngest daughter received a gift certificate to Build-A-Bear for her birthday, and yesterday I promised I would take her there tonight to get what she wanted. She was super excited to go, so she kept asking me when daddy was going to be home so we could leave (I told her that daddy will stay home with everyone else while her and I go alone..lol). Being the girly that she is, she chose a pink bear and a pink Disney Princess outfit to go with it. She also picked another outfit that looks like a tutu with wings. Of course, no girl could leave without matching shoes so she got silver ones with "diamonds" on them, and a pair of red shoes that look like the ones Dorothy wore on Wizard of Oz! She was so happy! I love it when the kids get blessed like that!!!

Put the petal to the metal!!

Kiss your bears heart before they stitch her up!!

Gotta make sure she's clean before we take her home!

Having trouble putting the shoes on.

Veronica and "Gabriella"

Me & Veronica before we left.