Stink Bugs Stink...

The dreaded Stink Bug

If you are not familiar with the Stink Bug, consider yourself lucky. Here, in Maryland, they are a major nuisance! They are not supposed to live on this continent but somehow ended up here and they are trying to take over my house.

They get their name because they emit this disgusting odor when they feel they are under attack. The same disgusting odor comes out when you squish them and then permeates the room.

As of today, I am officially over them! This crazy weather keeps bringing them back to life. Apparently, they burrow down when it is cold but if the temps get warm enough they fight each other to get into my house.

Here is my list of why I am officially over Stink Bugs...

1. They dive bomb at us like a fighter plane. Do they mean to? Probably not. They are just not that great at flying and try to get from one surface to another as quickly as possible. My family tends to be that surface.

2. They love to hang out in my girls' bathroom. This means that I hear several screams followed by, "Mommy, there's another stink bug! Will you kill it?!" The girls' screams are enough to push me over the edge but coming in and finding a Stink Bug on their toothbrush...come on!!!

3. They tend to drop from the ceiling at night after we are snug in bed. I'm not sure if they are cold, love our high count thread sheets or the fact that I use Tide with Febreeze on our bedding. I do know that this means there are shrill screams in the middle of night and that I must once again go head to head with a Stink Bug when I should be sleeping.

4. They, like most bugs, are attracted to light. My kitchen light is their favorite. They love to circle around/dive bomb me to try to find their way to the light while I wash the dishes, cook or sneak chocolate out of the pantry. Eventually, they find their way into the light fixture and after a while are electrocuted, burned and yes, stinky!

5. They can hold onto a window screen like it is a matter of life or death. I don't want to open the curtains in the morning to see 1-20 of these things peeking in our house anymore. I want my pretty views back!

So, here I am...officially over them!! Do you have any pests your way that you are officially over? If you know of the Stink Bug, are you handling them okay or are they driving you insane as well? Any tips for getting rid of them?

A Surprise For My Husband...

Last Friday my husband and I celebrated 11 years of marriage in Florida. We had an amazing day and I planned on capping it off with a surprise.

Well, the surprise didn't work because I didn't know that an iPad doesn't really work like a laptop and I made a big old mess out of my blog post where I wanted to show him the surprise.

See, 11 years ago (or I guess a few months before that), we chose a photographer for our wedding that looked good in his portfolio but SUCKED when it came to capturing our big day. He was honestly the only sour point in the entire day and we had torrential downpours, an antique Rolls Royce with a fogged up windshield on the highway, rain turning to sleet and sleet turning to snow!

We have always regretted that we didn't put more effort into making sure we had the best (or at least not the worst) photographer for our wedding. We were very lucky to have family and friends with their cameras who shared their shots with us but it still felt like something was missing.

So...I asked one of my very good friends, Joy (some of you know her as my assistant coach), who is wicked good with a camera, to take photos of me in my gown so I could surprise Chris.

We set a date and made the plans to do the shots at my house and in my yard.

The morning of this date, my husband calls to tell me he is sick and is coming home from work. OH NO!!! Time for Plan B. Wait!! I don't have a Plan B!!!

I called Joy and she said, "We can figure this out." and we did! I shoved my dress in the car and headed over to her house and neighborhood (which is on the water) and got super excited that I was about to do this for Chris. Then I started to see flurries coming down. Then the DJ on the radio said it was 30 degrees and with the windchill it was down to 20 degrees.

The good news is...it was freezing cold but Joy and I got it done and we laughed the whole time.

The awesome thing is...after 11 years and 2 kids, I can still fit into my wedding gown!

This last picture may be one of my favorites. Joy wanted me to show Chris that I left my Uggs on because it was sooo cold. (Well, that and I forgot to grab heels as I made a mad dash out of the house.)

Happy Weekend Everyone! Remember to slow down and enjoy the details.

The Writer's Storm...

I wasn't going to write today. As some of you know, I have been in sort of a writing rut. Then before I went to bed last night I saw a tweet from Mama Kat about her weekly writer's workshop. I scrolled through the list of five prompts and one of them hit me right away.

The prompt was to write a poem inspired by a storm. Here is my take on that...

The Writer's Storm

I can feel the storm that is headed my way

Words that were once strung together so easily have

gone a stray

I reach out to grab and save them from the twisting cloud

I plead for them to come back out loud

I can see them swirling round and round

I just can't stop them and pull them back down

The harder I try to reach the faster they spin

I can feel the angst rising within

I need this storm to settle and let my words shine through to their best

Without them, I don't feel I can rest

Source: images.search.yahoo.com via Ashley on Pinterest

I Have No Words...

I have 1001 thoughts running around in my head and yet I can't put any of them into words that make sense.

I'm in a rut.

My family life couldn't be better right now. My friends are amazing. Somehow though, I am feeling down.

Is it the post holiday blues? Could it be the post vacation blues? Maybe it is the whole SAHM adjustment thing again? Is it that I am just over winter and need the warmth of spring sooner rather than later? Could it be that I feel like I can't keep up with blogging, commenting, replying? Maybe it is a combination of all of these things.

I just know that yesterday, when I looked at my computer screen, no words came to me. I awoke this morning thinking that I would just sit down and begin a post from one of the many thoughts in my mind. Again, no words.

So here I sit...staring at a computer screen again with not much on it.

What do you do to get the words flowing again?

Weekend Breakfast at Our House...

For the most part, on Saturdays my husband and I try to sleep in a bit and catch up from the week. We can hear the girls playing down the hall in either of their bedrooms. Sometimes they play Littlest Pet Shop (okay, most of the time it is Littlest Pet Shop), other times it is school for their AG dolls and stuffed animals and other times it is just pure imagination without any props.

After a while, they become hungry though and since it is the weekend...they want Daddy's pancakes.

I listen from upstairs (because I still haven't gotten my lazy bum out of bed) to a Daddy and his two girls playing chef. He gives sweet instructions on where to find everything that they will need from mixing bowls to ingredients. I hear them giggle every once in a while because Daddy is doing something silly. Very soon I am aware of the wonderful smell of pancakes making their way up the stairs and shortly thereafter I hear, "Mommy, breakfast is ready."

This is when I finally get out of bed and go downstairs to usually something like this...

This a breakfast morning from 2006
on Bean's 2nd birthday
and the fun with their Daddy still continues

P.S. I love their Daddy's pancakes too...especially when he adds cinnamon!
 

A Rough Road Begins to Smooth Out...

I probably set my oldest daughter, Ash, up for a bit of a rough road. She was my first born and I did most things for her.


Ash at one day old in the NICU

By the time her little sister came around and I had to get three of us out of the house, it was just easier to do everything for her instead of let her do it herself. I tied her shoes, zipped her pants, buttoned her jacket and many other things to get us on our way. As she got older, the things that I did for her changed but I was still doing things that she should've been doing on her own.

She is about to turn 10 in a few months and just over the past two weeks I have noticed a change in her. She is starting to return the favor without me asking.

Last week as we scrambled to get ready for school and catch the bus, Ash disappeared downstairs. To be honest, I thought I would find her doing something totally unrelated to getting ready for school. When I got downstairs, I found her in the kitchen zipping up her sister's lunch box. She said she overheard me say that I forgot to make their lunches so she went down to take care of it for me. She packed each of them an ice pack, drink, apple, cheese & crackers and a cookie for dessert.

Later in the week, she cleaned her room before a play date without the usual threat of - "If you don't clean your room, Friend can't come over!!". She even cleaned it up after her friend left and did an amazing job.

Sunday, after her sister's basketball game, she told me that she would make their lunches. She washed off strawberries and cut them with a butter knife, she made wraps with turkey and colby jack cheese with a fancy toothpick to hold it all together and best of all...she cleaned it all up.

This girl will always be my baby...
no matter how old

I know this may not seem like much to many who read this but to me this is a step in the right direction. It fills my heart with pride that she is making these steps on her own and that she has actually been paying attention to what I have been doing over the last nine years of her life. It also breaks my heart because I know that sooner rather than later she will need me less and less in the everyday aspects of her life. The road is definitely beginning to smooth out.

A Bad Day at The Salon...

With my husband having off for MLK day, I decided it would be a great day to go get my hair cut and highlighted.

When did I make that decision, one might ask? Well, this morning around 10:30AM.

Did I call ahead to see if my normal stylist was there? No.

Did I leave the salon when I found out that she wasn't on the schedule for the day? No.

I looked around and settled on a stylist that had done a deep conditioning treatment on my hair before...a stylist that had never even lifted a pair of scissors to my hair.

Was this a mistake? OH, H-E-DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS - YES!!!

As you can see from my photos on the left side of my blog, I have VERY curly hair. I explained this to the stylist several times. I told her that my hair does not like layers. I also told her my hair craves/needs length to help keep the curls from curling up as tight as a poodles. I then went on to tell her that I wanted some more highlights (to cover the grays that keep popping up). I told her to keep it a soft blonde like I already had.

For some reason, when she was cutting my hair after the highlights were complete she had me turned away from the mirror. I have a lot of hair so I just assumed it was so she could get around a bit easier. Yes, I am a fool! She was trying to hide not only the crazy layers she was adding to my hair but the color as well.

When she spun me around, I not only noticed that a lot of my length was gone but that my highlights were that bluish platinum blonde. I seriously had to hold back the tears.

Source: someecards.com via Dana on Pinterest

So, from now until the length and the layers grow out and the color fades...I will be wearing a lot of low cut blouses!

What is your hair nightmare story?

Once Upon A Time...

When Galit and Alison announced that they would be teaming up yet again for their wonderful project, Captured Memories, and partnering with Picnik, I was more than excited. This was such a fun way to link up and get to know so many bloggers.

The timing of this link up is perfect too because my husband and I are about to celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary this week. I think this is just one more fun way to capture it.

January 20th...several years ago

The Coaching Bug Is Quite Contagious...

For those of you that have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I caught the coaching bug and came down with it hard! It was pumping through my blood and into my heart at a rate I can't even describe. It always seems that once you have picked up that bug, you never lose it...it comes and goes with the seasons.

For those of you that are newer to my blog I chose two of my favorite posts about it to share with you. The first is how I picked up the coaching bug. Yes, I wash my hands...that's now how you get it ;-) The second is how I felt after having the bug for a whole season.

Well, it seems that coaching bug has spread and this is where the good news comes in and I get to share my awesome...my husband signed up to be the assistant coach of Bean's basketball team.

They had a record number of kids sign up for the clinic league and needed some volunteers to coach. One of my closest friends (shout out to @DvilleMelanie) got her husband to sign up as head coach and I coughed on Chris a few times and gave him the coaching bug as well. They teamed up and have been having a blast!

My husband with half of the team before their first game.
He is the one holding the basket ball and on his knees ;-)

Basketball clinic consists of boys and girls on the same team from the range of kindergarten to 2nd grade. They evaluate the kids before the teams are chosen and try to balance the skill level out. Then the teams in our town only play against each other. It is a way to prep them for when they move up to the county teams and begin to travel and play other towns.

Chris instructing from the sideline.
Our Bean (long blonde pony tail) is in perfect position.

It is not easy to coach this age range or the boy/girl team combo but our coaches have done a wonderful job so far. All of us parents on the sideline were routing and cheering like it was the Super Bowl. We had as much fun as the kids did playing! I have to say that one of my favorite parts was seeing the smiles that came across the coaches faces. I know what that feels like and I was so happy to see it in them.

The coaches led our team to a 9-9 tie for our first game. It was the perfect way to end it...not only because it isn't about winning or losing but we played a team that had two of our favorite boys on it. It just seemed fitting.

Both coaches with their team at the end of a phenomenal game!
These guys are over 6 ft tall. I love how they are always
down at the kids' level.
Way to go Gators!

So, if you should happen to pick up the coaching bug like I or my husband have...just enjoy the ride. This is one bug you won't want to shake and will most likely share with another.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

This One Time, I Was Startled...

Let me set the scene for you...

About six months ago I tucked myself into bed. I was exhausted. My husband was already asleep. I snuggled in and drifted off to sleep. A few hours later I was startled out of my sleep by the sound of the door to our basement slamming and shoes walking across our hardwood floor towards our great room.

I sat straight up and gripped my husband's arm so tightly that I am sure he can still feel it to this day. He asked me what was going on and I told him I thought someone was in our house. I was whispering so no one would hear us. In my mind, I was trying to find an escape route for us to get to our girls' bedrooms and get them out of the house without being noticed.

We sat quietly, for what seemed like forever, listening to see if we could hear any further noises. My heart was beating so loudly that I couldn't hear much else. My husband got up and looked for something that he could possibly use as a weapon if needed. We didn't have anything. (Note to anyone out there who has any bad intentions...we do now!)

I got up and followed my husband with the phone in my hand. We snuck quietly down the stairs. There was not a single light on in our house. It's not the easiest to navigate in the dark for someone who lives here, let alone someone who has never been in it before. I started to duck, bob & weave like you see police officers do in the movies. My husband, meanwhile, walked on big & brave, turning lights on as we scanned the house.

We turned up absolutely nothing! Not one door in our house was open...let alone unlocked. (I am a stickler for locked doors.) Not one thing was out of place...besides the things that I had knocked over while trying to be all spy like.

So, either I took a dream and brought it into my reality or we have a ghost. I'm just thankful that is all it was. As for that night, I never went back to sleep.

Have you ever been startled by a bump in the night?

What Happened to Family Programming?

I was sick the week before Christmas. I ended up spending more time on the couch than in the stores as I had planned. I couldn't concentrate much on a book so sometimes I turned on the TV and scanned through the thousands of channels for something to watch.

That is when I landed on a channel that was rebroadcasting episodes of "Home Improvement". After that it was "The Cosby Show". It got me thinking...what happened to family programming?

Source: imdb.com via Miranda Aztec on Pinterest

I remember sitting down with my family and not only was I allowed to watch the 8:00PM hour programs but all of us enjoying them side by side. The shows were written for everyone in the family. There was kid humor. There was adult humor written over the kid's heads. There was family humor. There wasn't any swearing. More importantly, there were parents.

What is it with iCarly and Victorious that there are rarely any parents if any? And when they do show the parents they are annoying and not necessarily the best role models. Now, don't get me wrong...I like both of those shows but I have to watch everything before my girls do and I constantly have to say things like, "Remember, we don't say those words.", "You would never be allowed to do that until you are adult." and "I know that is funny, but trust me...you try to pull that and you will be grounded for life.'. I mean these shows are entertaining but I want the good old wholesome stuff back on. If a show has parents on it does it mean that kids don't want to watch it?!

I think someone needs to go back and look at the writing of the shows a lot of us grew up on. I'm not saying they were perfect but they had lessons for us to learn, they taught us values and they had parents to answer to.

I want to sit on the couch as a family and laugh at things like Tim Allen saying, "ArghArghArgh...MORE POWER!" on Home Improvement, Dr. Huxtable explaining to Rudy how the germs were throwing a party in her body and that was why she felt sick on The Cosby Show, Michelle Tanner on Full House saying, "You got it, dude!" and the wiseguy antics of Mike on Growing Pains.

These were great shows with great followings and long runs. They had to be doing something right. What changed? Is it the viewer or the creators of the shows? Does everything have to have a shock factor to it now? Can shows not be written for a whole family to enjoy together?

What do you think? What 8:00 hour show do you miss from growing up?

Deer Ticks Suck...Literally

On New Year's day we went to a local park on the water so that I could play with the new camera my husband gave me for Christmas. It was beautiful out. It was one of those days where it felt more like the start of spring than the start of winter.

There are plenty of paved walking trails and several of them lead down to the water. I thought it would be the perfect place to not only get some shots of my family but of the scenery as well. So, we found a spot to park and headed out along the paved trail.

Heading out on our walk



By the water

Ash & Bean

We had a great time. The girls ran around and got some energy out. Chris and I held hands as we walked. I got to play with my new camera. All in all it was a great afternoon.

The next morning Ash came into our room while we were still sleeping saying that her ear hurt. She had just gotten over strep throat and an ear infection so I thought maybe the ear infection had come back. Then she said it felt like there was a scab on the back of her ear.

I sat up and tried to get my eyes to focus as I was just waking up and I didn't have my contacts in or my glasses around. As soon as I folded her ear back, I saw it. It was a deer tick and it was working on embedding itself into my baby's skin. I jumped up, grabbed a Ziploc bag and found my Tweezerman tweezers that I bought specifically for splinters and ticks (we have a dog) and went in for the swift removal of this nasty creature from my daughter.

I got the tick and it's head in the very first try. I put the tick in the Ziploc bag just in case we needed to take it to the doctor's or something. (I know...crazy, but all I could think of was Lymes disease.) So, I went through the checklist of what to do if you find a deer tick attached to the skin. Thank goodness for Google! The next morning I also called our pediatrician's office to see if we did what we were supposed to. They said we did everything the right way and to just keep an eye on the site as it healed. It is almost a week later as I write this and you can't even tell that a tick had ever tried to steal Ash's blood.

So, not only did we have a great day on New Year's day, we also learned a lesson. We need to be A LOT more careful when checking each other after a day in the woods. We got lucky this time.

Have you ever set out for a day of fun only to have it tainted by a bug/animal bite, sun/windburn, or anything else from the outdoor elements?

I'm A Crazy Sports Mom...

Yes, I am one of those moms who yells like a wild and crazy person at my girls' sporting events. Yes, I have a lot of people that stare at me. Do I care? No. Do you know why I don't care? Because I am there for my girls...not for them.

Saturday morning I awoke with a horrible headache. I had a couple cocktails the night before so I thought maybe it was from that. A few hours later, I felt awful and saw floaters come across my line of vision. It wasn't a headache from the fun of the night before. It was a full blown migraine. Ash had a basketball game at 4:30PM. I do not like to miss any of my girls' games. I stepped into action by taking some medicine and a little nap. I woke up and was feeling a bit better but my migraine was still there.

On the drive to Ash's game I told my husband that I would sit still, be quiet and just focus on taking pictures with my new camera. We weren't even two minutes into the game before I started to open my mouth. I seriously tried with all of my might to not say anything. I sure didn't last very long, did I?!

Ash after a practice shot

I can't help but yell, cheer, instruct. These are my girlies and I am so proud of them. I can't believe the athletes they are. I can't believe how much they love every sport. I can't believe
we didn't have to push them to sign up for a single sport they play. My husband and I waited until we thought they were ready and then asked them what they wanted to play. We even asked at the end of each season if they wanted to play again, try something new or not play anything at all. These girls WANT to play! They love sports!

Bean racing down to defend

Today was Bean's very first basketball game ever. She was nervous because she was going up against a team that had two of her closest friends on it. Last night she told me she didn't even want to play against them. I didn't want to push so I told her to sleep on it. I reminded her that she had played against other friends in field hockey too. I reminded her that it was just a game and they would all still be friends at the end of it.

She woke up this morning and was ready to play. She was excited to put her team shirt on. She even wanted to borrow Ash's ribbon with basketballs on it to tie around her ponytail.

We got to the game and I warned everyone about how loud I would be cheering Bean on. My friends laughed and in the corner I overheard Ash talking to one of her besties. She said, "Oh, she really is loud and crazy. She's not exaggerating AT ALL! I love it though. Just don't tell her."

So I took my seat and I did what I love to do...I cheered my little blondie on!

Are you a crazy sports fan? Do you jump up and down? Do you yell at the TV for pro sports?

An Obsession From The Past...

The other day Mama Kat mentioned Candace Cameron Bure on one of her tweets. Do you remember who that is? Most of us remember her in our hearts as DJ Tanner from Full House. I remember her very well because as a girl with curly hair I wanted DJ's hair so badly!


This look I could pull off
with ease



Yes, I am a bit older than she is but I still thought she was super cool! I wasn't one of the girls who bought Teen Bop magazine and had my walls plastered with posters. (Reason #1 - My mom would not allow that stuff on my walls. Reason #2 - We all know I have clutter issues. All of that stuff on the walls would send me running to therapy.) I was one of the girls that never missed a show though and read the ripped up, shredded copies of the teen magazines at my doctor or dentist's office. (I mean really, a girl has got to be on top of the teen trends at least twice a year, right?!)

So, as most girls my age were looking to more "grown up" actresses for hairstyle inspiration I was looking to DJ Tanner. I mean the girl had some curls and wasn't afraid to show them. Then she showed up one day with these wing things and long straight hair. Took my by surprised but yes, I tried it. This one wouldn't work for me. I'm sure if you ask Candace personally now, she will tell you it didn't work for her either. I can still remember the episode where she came onto the screen with her long hair chopped though. This is where I saw a bright aura surrounding her head. I was instantly obsessed with copying that super cute bob! OBSESSED!

Do you know how hard it is for a girl with hair as curly as mine to straighten hair that short?! There is not enough hair to grab with the curling iron. (History lesson here - back then, flat irons weren't on every shelf. They were a rare find and extremely expensive. Especially for a teenager who preferred to spend her money on clothes at The Limited on Outback Red.)


This super cute bob...not so much!



So, I would try to smooth my hair out with the curling iron after searing my hair with a super hot blow dryer and round boar bristle brush. (My biceps were rockin' it back in the day. They got a pretty good workout trying to recreate the DJ Tanner look.) On rare occasion, this would be a huge success and I would dodge every bit of moisture in the atmosphere to keep my hair from frizzing. On more occasion than not, that one little molecule of humidity in the air would send my hair into looking like a cross between electrocution and a groovy 70s afro. Not a good look, people. All I can say is, thank goodness those pictures were thrown out lost.  

It was all worth it though because however many years later now, I know how to straighten my hair like the top stylists who charge hundreds! I can say it is all thanks to my obsession with DJ Tanner's hair and be proud of it. You know why I am proud of it?! DJ Tanner turned out to be a pretty good character to look up to on TV and Candace Cameron Bure who played her is an even better role model in real life.

Who was your favorite character from TV when you were a tween/teenager?

To give credit where credit is due - Picture #1 comes from buddytv.com and Picture #2 comes from brunchatsaks.blogspot.com

Top Trends of 2011 That I Want Erased From my Memory...

The year of 2011 was full of wonderful memories with family and friends but I wish I could erase a few trends from 2011 to make sure that there is plenty of room for the more important things I want to remember.

Those 2011 Trends would consist of:

1. Anything to do with The Kardashians. I don't watch any of their shows, listen to any of their interviews on the radio or buy magazines with any of them on the cover but they have still somehow invaded my brain. Why would we do anything to support people who behave like this?! Those children (yes, some of them are adults but they still act like children) behave the exact opposite of how I teach my girls to behave and to think that they are making tons of money off of that very same behavior makes me sick!

2. Those flannel pajama bottoms with Ugg boots. I'm sorry but this does not look cute on college girls, high school girls, teens, tweens and/or toddlers. I love pajamas as much as the next girl but seriously, you couldn't at least throw on a pair of sweats or jeans?! I mean really, you are out of your house.

3. Speaking of bottoms...I don't want to see yours! Pull up your pants! This trend of pants hanging low has been sticking around long enough. I don't even understand how they stay where they are. Do people staple them into their legs?! It is time to send this trend packing!

4. Cupcakes. They are EVERYWHERE! They are DELICIOUS! They are WAY TOO TEMPTING! Will someone please make carrot sticks a trend in 2012 please?!

5. Low carb beer. YUCK! Need I say more?!

What trend are you hoping will stay back in 2011 where it belongs?

"Top Trends of 2011 That I Want To Forget” (inspired by A Closet Writer).

Watch What You Say Please...

I appreciate it when people are around my girls and watch their use of profanity but I wish people would think of the other words that come out of their mouths too.

Words like...

• Stupid
• Ugly
• Fat
• Hate
• Gay (in a derogatory way)

Those words to me are just as hurtful as the swear words that are out there. My husband and I have taught our girls that words like those above and many more are not ever to be used. The problem is that not only do a lot of adults use these words...so do children.

Several times in a week my husband and I remind our girls that we don't say those words when we hear them out in public, at a gathering and even at church on rare occasion. We are always quick to say, "How would you feel if someone used that word about you?". I'm pretty sure they get it but I feel like we can't stress this enough because it is so important.

My girls know what it feels like to have their feelings hurt and I don't like to see that. I want to protect them from all pains both physical and emotional. I want them to believe in the old chant, "Sticks and stones may broke my bones but names will never hurt me!". Names do hurt though and just like sticks and stones they can leave scars that stay with us for a lifetime.

If you haven't already, please take these words out of your vocabulary and if you can't...then please don't use them around my girls. I want my girls to see the love and the beauty in life.

(Captured this moment with my new Christmas present
from my husband)

My Dream Job...

My husband, Ash, Bean and I like to play a game at dinner and we do it quite frequently. It opens up the lines of communication and sometimes leads us into some interesting conversation.

Over winter break my husband's parents came for a visit and one night at the dinner table, Ash asked if we could play. The game is simple. All you need to do is come up with a question, like, "What is your favorite color?". You go around the table in order and answer one at a time. The person sitting to the right of the person who asked the 1st question asks the 2nd question and so on. See, simple...but sometimes the questions aren't so simple. Sometimes they are difficult and very thought provoking. Sometimes they leave me thinking about them for days...like the one my father in law asked.

If you had the knowledge to be anything you wanted to be, what occupation would you choose? Uh huh! Told you...not always so simple!

It is funny though that an answer popped into my head pretty quickly. It was an answer that I really wasn't expecting either but I have been thinking about it ever since.

I write about some things on this blog that are so called "personal" but I haven't shared a lot of the nitty gritty. Some may come in time but some I may always keep to myself. My answer has a lot to do with the nitty gritty. I won't give the details but I will say that I have medical records in several doctor's offices of lots of different specialties and hospitals as well. I am blessed to some how always come out on the healthy side with not much more than scars and memories.

So when my father in law asked that question, I eagerly waited for my turn to answer. Ash answered first and said she wanted to be a teacher. I came immediately after her and the words "medical / pharmaceutical researcher" just rolled off of my tongue.

I am THAT person who reads every single word on the drug information that is handed over to me with a newly filled prescription. I am THAT person who researches every one of the diagnoses handed over to me or a family member. I am THAT person who is thankful for all of the medical / pharmaceutical researchers who have worked long hours to help find cures and palliatives for those in need. I am THAT person who may not be here writing on this blog today without them.

That is why for a question that was difficult, thought provoking for days and I could have had thousands of answers to...it actually was quite simple.

Now, it is your turn. If you had the knowledge to be anything you wanted to be, what occupation would you choose?

I'm Back From My Blogcation...

Wow! I haven't been on my blog since the Wednesday before Christmas...not even for dusting away the cobwebs. It wasn't that I needed a break from blogging it was that I wanted to make the time over winter break a priority with my family.

Sometimes I don't realize how much time I spend on the computer between writing posts and reading and leaving comments on my "must read" blogs, Twitter and Facebook. The time goes by so quickly because I love it.

The same goes with my family. The girls are growing so quickly and even though my husband and I do our best to put the brakes on to enjoy it more...we realize that the ride will keep going because we are not in control of it.


Bean at a year and a half old



Ash at three and a half years old

 As much as we like to think we can slow down the growing of our girls, the truth is we can only help guide, instruct and nurture them as they grow. This is their journey and we are blessed to be a part of it.

Over the course of the break, I noticed differences in our girls that I had not before. Yes, they have many obvious differences but there are a few subtle ones that I hadn't noticed before. The day to day sometimes gets in the way of the details. During winter break I made time for the details...

Ash tends to giggle when she gets nervous (like me) and Bean tends to hide her head by any means possible. Ash likes to sleep with her socks on and Bean likes her little piggies to be footloose and fancy free. Ash brushes the top part of her hair before I go over it and Bean brushes the bottom part of her hair before I go over hers. Ash likes turning regular straws into bendy straws and Bean prefers bendy straws not regular straws. Ash wishes upon stars and Bean wishes upon fairies. Ash makes up words to songs and Bean makes up words to stories.

I took time away from blogging to enjoy the details and I did just that. It has now reminded me to keep my eyes and ears open because no matter how hard I try to press on the brakes it won't stop them from going. So, instead I am just going to take the scenic route a lot more often.

This summer -
Ash at 9 & 1/2 years old & Bean at 7 & 1/2 years old

By the way, I'm thrilled to be back on my blog & can't wait to get caught up with all of you!

Happy New Year! xoxo!