Is It Baseball Season Yet?

Those of you who know me and have been reading my blog for a while, know that I am a huge baseball fan. I think this enthusiasm for b-ball started way back when, I am sure I was just a little sprite, when I was a wee bit of a thing, when I was younger. I would notice as a young girl that my Dad, would get very, very excited around a certain time of year. Having no real idea why that was I began to take a closer look at why he was hooting and hollering at the television screen. And then one summer in LA we went to I believe it was the Dodger stadium for a real pro-ball game and I was hooked!

I had so much fun with my cousins and my family and it was warm and sunny, and there was popcorn, and I am sure peanuts, and all was just so right with the world. And so my love for this game began.
Now, what you must understand is that I am a girly girl beyond measure. I wear more jewelry with each passing year that, if you were to weigh me over half my weight would be from sterling silver and not meat and bones. At least that's what I keep telling myself. Don't mock me!

I also love makeup really a lot. In fact one of these days I am going to do a makeup blog. The only reason why I haven't yet is because then you would really know how much time I have on my hands, and I don't want to scare you all off. So I love jewelry, makeup, perfume, shoes... don't even get me started on shoes, basically accessories.. and well, you get the idea. Girly Girl.
At this point you must be wondering how or why does baseball fit into all of this.
Well I am going to tell you, because that's what you are here for. Or wait, is it what I am HERE for?

Noel's Top 5 Reasons Why I Love Baseball

5. The game itself well, It is easy to understand. I love Easy and what's easier than, A,B,C, easy as 1..2..3 (sing along) BASEBALL?

4. I like the number 3, 3 bases, 3 strikes, it just makes sense.

3. I like how the teams play each other more than once. It's a series kind of thing. Those of you who enjoy a sport that doesn't involve a series of events, well... I just feel sorry for you.
2. I like, no I LOVE wearing baseball hats. They work perfectly for my hairstyle which is usually non-existent.

And the number 1 reason... Drum Roll Please....

1. I like (and this is where it gets crazy because I never even played the sport) the smell of baseball gloves. GO ahead, find a glove, smell it, report back here!

Sidenote-And of course, I love the Boston Red Sox baseball team... greatest ball club EVER, END OF STORY, NO DISPUTE, NO COMPARISON, DON'T EVEN TRY TO DEFEND YOUR OTHER MEASLY TEAMS BECAUSE I WON'T HEAR OF IT!! I love Fenway Park. The history that is there, well it's almost tangible.

Well now here is where this part of my story for the love of the game gets tricky.
For so long I have loved The #1 Baseball Club Known to Man, aka BO-Sox and that was that.
Here is where my dilemma comes in.

I now live in Seattle.
We have a Pro Ball Club.
You might of heard of them... Probably NOT!!
The Mariners.
They are unequivocally THE WORST Baseball Team in the US of A!
Sorry but it's true.


They are the underdog of baseball teams.
They have more fans for the opposing teams, ALWAYS, that it's just so very sad.
It makes one want to root for them.
It makes one remember the little guy when they were little, and hope that one day they grow up to be a big strapping man that the BO SOX are someday.

Are you catching what I am laying down here people.
I remember being a fan of the Bo Sox before they won.
I remember the 80 year long stretch.
I remember when the dream team was formed in the inner womb of baseball and so began the story that changed baseball forever.

The underdog became THE DOG!


Well, don't hurt me Bo Sox Nation but I want that for the Mariners.
I really do.
Only of course when they are not playing against you Bo Sox.
Pshh.... Don't you ever doubt my love and devotion to you Boston, BUT... I have to break it to ya,

I do live in Seattle now.

And now for a real Top Ten From Big Man Dave...Hope you enjoy this Dad! This is high tech for my little blog here:

Snow

On Saturday we experienced the first snow of the winter season here in Washington. It was reported that it was going to start snowing on Sunday, and well... it came a day early. The news media made it sound as though this would be the Snow to End all Snow, as another friend called it "The Snow Apocalypse". We probably got about 5 inches here in Redmond. There is supposed to be another storm today, but meanwhile I can't get out of my driveway, mostly because of the mud, not the snow. And so I sit here with you, and blog.

It started out weak and I laughed in it's face. It then got angry. Big flakes began to fall.
And now, here I sit with snow all around. Trapped inside. We live at the top of a hill. The cool thing about that is that everyone comes up here to go sledding. The not so cool thing about that is that cars like to go sledding too. Even as I am typing this there is a cute little Honda that bless it's owners heart keeps slipping and sliding down my street trying to make it's way to the top. "I think I can, I think I can, Whoa... Slide..."I maybe think I might, I really want to"

Needless to say, we have cabin fever. To entertain ourselves, the Fab 4 and I, we have made countless bowls of snow ice cream, and Solomon just decided to get a little fancy and add coffee to his snow... and we were like this is the greatest thing ever! "Do you think we could sell this?" says, my lil 10 year old inventor. Giggle. His sisters then got involved in this great invention and I think the last recipe involved maple syrup, coffee, and peppermint syrup. This ain't no poor kids snow ice cream! And not to worry I made sure the snow was being collected from the tops of tables, we do have 2 dogs after all! But this does go to show how bored we have become. Variations of Snow Ice Cream, who ever heard of such a thing?

We have made a total of 3 Snowmen, Countless snow balls for snow ball fights, And we are pondering building an igloo.
I told we were going crazy up in here!
We are running out of milk, creamer for my coffee, cereal, and butter. If the olives start getting low, I will be walking to the store. What would you be willing to walk to the grocery store for in a snow storm? I want to know.

Barley is out of control in the cold white stuff. The first time we let him out in it, he ran back and forth all over the property like he was a wild cheetah just let loose from it's pen at the zoo. Which, if you could see how big this doggy is now, in comparison to how small our lil cabin is... this could just be his normal behavior. Hmm.. maybe I just hadn't noticed ? Truly it was the greatest sight to behold. I only wish I had it on video because he was OUT OF CONTROL! So, now we know, Barley loves snow.

The Boy who won't be photographed, in the midst of all the excitement of the snow, has also lost another tooth. It can't be seen in the above photograph, but because he was so excited about his invention of coffee ice cream, I managed to capture it here.

Emma made these beauties. Peanut Butter Cookies. My favorite. Did I mention I have been off sugar? Well, I am off sugar. Except Stevia in my coffee. It wasn't a new years thing... it was a I hate exercise, I am grossly overweight, my pants are way too snug and I refuse to shop at the Lane Bryant store, kind of thing. In support of my decision, my family in the past few weeks has decided to make homemade cake pops, my favorite cookies, buy cake vodka, and well, I just can't get over how supportive they all are. No really, I am not bitter about my decision.

This is how Bella has been spending her snow days.

Curled up to her Teddy Bear Barley, or

Laying near the fire place, like a frog. Oh the life of a dog. I envy them.
And now for a little fun. Here is a game of where's Waldo, I mean Isaiah?

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Debi, Gina, and Jess.

The winners of the first game played here.

Don't worry, don't fret, there will be more to come... especially if you all help me get my blogging job :)

Facebook and My Growing Disdain for it

A friend on facebook posted this the other day and it catapulted me to write this post here. Here you have some things I have wanted to say about Facebook for a long time, but didn't quite know how. After seeing the above pic, it really did make me LOL, and I thought of how it's funny because you know it's true.(Corky Romano quote)
Or at least you know it's true that is, IF you are on facebook. If you are not on Facebook then first let me say to you congratulations... you have succeeded in REAL LIFE!! Also I commend you, I want to be like you, you are my heroes, and don't do it! Don't EVER do it!

Now, if you are on facebook well, then this post should make complete sense to you. Feel free to add a category that I may have left out. And dont' get all butt-hurt if you feel you fall into one or all of these categories, because so does the author of this post.


Whether you are on facebook or you are not on facebook, let me break it down for you(Hammer Time)Why this pic is so damn funny!!

If I were to break up into categories the kinds of people who are on facebook,(and maybe we could extend this to in life in general, but that might be a stretch) and also the kinds of *(status updates) one might find on FB, then this is my bullet point version of that.

* Status Update- Is a little box at the top of your page on facebook where you tell the world your status. I'm Hungry, It's Snowing, I am at a really cool concert wish you were here... that kind of thing. Just keeping you non-FB-ers in the know!

Here are just a few off the top of my head:

1. There are Those who should be on Twitter instead of FB

2. Braggers

C. The Shock and Awe(attention getters)
(I would put the breast cancer awareness ladies in this catergory, if you aren't on FB and don't understand what I mean by this then consider yourself one of the lucky ones in life)

D. Those who don't really care about FB, they are just on there because everyone else is, and they didn't want to be the only ones who weren't.

5. Those who use FB to promote either themselves, their business, or something of that sort.




Those who should be on Twitter instead of FB

These are of the group that want to tell you what they are doing at all times. Who they are with, what they are eating, where they are at, etc. These people of course share everything, and are the reason the phrase TMI(Too Much Information) was established. Really, the problem I have with these people is that there is another website that was created for them, and they have either not caught on to that site, or they just refuse to move along. Move along TMI-ers, Move Along!

These would not be the people that the above pic would apply to because like I said, they tell you everything. The good, the bad, and the butt ugly!!

This is the reason why these people should get on twitter because not only will it teach them to keep their updates down to only 140 letters, but then they can freely tell everyone that they are going to the bathroom now without grossly misusing the social network they are on.


Braggers

But then we will enter the braggers. These are the ones that I would say the above pic applies to whole heartedly. I understand that there are times you just want to brag. Heck, I even have a word for it on here, I call it blaggin, but I at least give you the reader for-warning that the post ahead will have some serious braggin going on, but the beauty about a blog is that you hear about my bad days as well.

People only share the very best things on facebook that they want you to know because primarily the status update bar doesn't leave much room to tell your whole life story. Can anyone's whole life's story fit in a status bar? And, I am pretty sure that the status bar is not intended for your whole life story, but I digress.

At this point I would like to say that is probably why Facebook is the best place known to man, and woman, then if you are a natural bragger. Boy do you ever see the people who have it in their DNA to brag. They seem to go quiet for days, weeks, even until they are ready to brag again.

The Shock and Awe

And then moving on there are of course the shock and awe status updates. We all know what these consist of. The cursing, the updates that don't make sense because they are meant to reel you in, the things people might be thinking but just shouldn't say.
These kind of updates I like to call the drive by shooters of Facebook. They are only on there to stir the pot, get you all excited, and then go away again. They leave you wondering, are they really going to blow something up today? Should I call the police, therapist, or priest??

Here is my most favorite shock and awe quote that I have seen;

"Happy Mutha Fu(&$n' NewYear bitches"

(Those of you who are on FB,
comment HERE on my blog spot,
and know who posted this, get a prize!
For real a $10 gift card to Barnes and Noble.
SO you can keep reading :)
The first 3 comments to get it right win.)

D. Those Who Don't Really Care about FB, but go on there and quietly stalk everyone else so they can feel better about their own superiority. You know they are on there even though there is no activity on their pages, because when you see them in person they tell you something that they read on FB or that they found out on FB and had no way of knowing otherwise. These little sneaky, sneaks can be of the worst kind. Go big or Go home, is what I would like to say to them! Either have an FB and use it or don't have one at all, like the people who are my personal social heroes!

5. The Self Promoter
These people have a business, have a band, have a store, have a church, they have a political agenda, have You tube videos they want you to check out, have a blog they want you to read... ahem... guilty, and they use FB for that purpose. To self promote. They are the commercials on FB. They are annoying... sorry. And they know who they are, ME :) again sorry!

These are just a few of the types you might find on there. There are of course countless other types of people on FB for a variety of reasons. But there you have my friends the ones that stick out to me the most.

Now at this point you might be wondering why I am on Facebook. Well, back in the day the very first social networking that I ever took part in started right here. Then there was Myspace. And then FB, and now Twitter, Path, Instagram, etc.....

I am at the point where I don't really remember why I got on facebook.

I am grateful for all the social reconnections I have made on there, but I am getting a little tired of all the changes Mr. Z keeps making to it and I have started posting a lot less.

I no longer share pics there, instagram
I rarely share a status update, twitter
and I have never really posted stories there, blogspot
and honestly if it weren't for my Dad just now getting on the site,
I think... dare I say it.... I might have abandoned it all together.

For now I am still there.
But I do have a lot of questions about it,
and you know what happens when you start questioning Facebook?

I dunno what happens, I just wanted to be dramatic.

Can't wait to see who the winners will be.
Shontell, no cheating by going on Mike's FB, although you can tell him about it.


Share your thoughts.
What category do you fall into?
What happens when you start to question Facebook?
Who was that Shock and Awe statement from?

Oh and Don't worry those that aren't on FB and couldn't play this lil game, I will have more games to play soon enough, don't you worry your pretty little heads about it.

Dear Bella

Dear Bella,

I fear you have become more neurotic and way too nervous. You make me nervous, you are so nervous.
I wonder if I should put you on Prozac? When you act all cra cray it makes me want to confine you to your little box.
Those fluffy brown and grayish animals are called squirrels. You see them every day. They won't hurt you, I promise. I wish you would so calm down already. Simmer down, simmer down. Or as Auntie Jenny would say in Hungarian Nugi Nugi!
I am beginning to wonder if you have become a bad influence on your younger brother Barley.

Do you think it's time we seek help for you little dog?
I think we might need to find a therapist.



You sure are cute though.
And I still love you,

Your owner

P.S. Do you think, Maybe it's the diet food we have had you on for the last 3 years?

Field Trip with Lo Lo

My daughter Chloe is in 6th grade. Very soon she will graduate from Elementary School and be an official Jr. Higher. I am trying to prepare for this in my heart, because being that I am the sentimental type, I have to prepare for these big life changing events well before they take place. I have til June.

I have until June to prepare for the fact that after Jr. High comes High School, and after High School is Marriage... wait NO College... and after College, do you see how my brain works? Do you see why I need to prepare now, in January for June?

The field trip was to the Burke Museum in Seattle Washington. The museum is on the campus or by the campus of The University of Washington. So after we got done touring this very cool Museum we explored the campus of "U Dub", and I had some moments where I had to tell my sentimental heart that Jr.High does not equate College.

So at least there's that.

The field trip will probably be one of the last ones that I get to go exploring with my Lo Lo. I tried not to think like that. I tried not to hog her that day. I will admit to you, but you are sworn to secrecy that my thought processes honestly went a bit more like this... Like this is the last lunch we will share... this is the last bus ride we will take together.... this is the last time she won't be embarrassed by her mother !! Yep, I think like that. But thankfully after all these years, I have managed to, try to, learn to, in process of, working through, letting her go.

Remember, I am preparing now for the day she will have a baby.

No seriously though, Soon she will be in the Land of No Field trips... and well, that just makes me sad beyond measure.
I love going on field trips with my kids. I love to see them with their peers. I love to discover and explore new places and learn things with them. I just... well... I love them, my Fab 4. They are all getting SO Damn big, Dammit!!

Sigh.

Remind me to tell you the story about these carvings that are in the above picture. It's a good one that involves a momma bear that gets cheated on.... and then has her unfaithful partner murdered. Oh wait, shoot I just gave away the ending. Well I think I just told you everything, but there are a few more details and they are good ones so if you want more details... then remind me.

Ok where was I, oh yeah Chloe going off to College.

This is just one of the pictures on that beautiful campus that is going to steal my daughter from me in a few, ok well more like 5 years. Well, at least I hope she goes somewhere close... Oh Geez... Oh man... would if, would if she wants to go out of state? Breathe Noel... Breathe...

I caught this pic toward the end of the day and honestly I had to walk a few steps behind the rest of the group for a minute because the water works started to work up and I went and got all sentimental again.

Damn them getting big.
And Damn my sentimental heart.

Top 5 Favorite Childhood Snacks

One of the things I have noticed since being a parent to 4 young people that all go to school now, and come home ravenously hungry, is that the afternoon school snack is of utmost importance around here. If my cupboards aren't filled with what my children love to eat when they get home then the rest of the evening can go down hill on the drop of a dime, and we may never return to a state of normal.(So dramatic, I swear I am going to work on that)
Anyhew, I work hard to study them, and find out what their favorite snacks are because I remember a time not so long ago, that the afternoon school snack was the highlight of my day as well.

It is now time for a Noel's Top 5

Ya know how David Letterman has a Top 10 list every night, well I am starting right here, right now, with you as one of the first to play along a Top 5 post.

These posts won't be nearly as witty, or brilliant as Big Man Dave's, but I will try to have some fun with them, and I hope you will too.

Feel free to join along in the comment section.

Okay so here goes...

Top Favorite Childhood Snacks:


5. Cheese with Apples- Now this one is a snack that goes way back (to my childhood of course... giggle, giggle just seeing if you are paying attention) and I have my mom to thank for it. I actually know someone who puts cheddar cheese on their apple pie. Don't turn your nose up, it's actually very good. And it is a somewhat healthy snack that I am proud to report is now a favorite with my Fab 4.

4. OLIVES- Have I told you the story of how we(me and my 4 siblings) would get a can of olives in our stocking every year for Christmas. NO Joke. I LOVE them. I love them alone. I love them here, I love them there. I love them everywhere.(Also I love Dr. Suess) One thing that we can not be out of in this house is TP and Olives. They are that important in my life. Now, Cottage Cheese with olives, or tomatoes, or both, that's another favorite but I added those other things later in life. I think it was around the time when I grew out of putting the olives on my fingers.

3. White Bread, Butter, Sugar, Cinnamon Toast- it's called the poor kids cinnamon roll. And this is now one of my kids favorites as well. Again so simple, so easy, and brings me right back to 1311 Siskiyou Street when I was a kid.

2. Peanut Butter Cookies- My mom always seemed to have a batch made, and I love, love, love them. LOVE peanut butter too, btw(sidenote). Mom if you are reading your peanut butter cookies are still my all time favorite cookies. I love them. I love you.

1. My number 1. childhood snack that I have never seen another adult in my life (other than my Ma who taught it to me) is ... Drum Roll Please....

Saltine Crackers with a little butter on top.
I LOVE THIS SNACK. LOVE IT. If I am having a day where I am missing my mom, all I have to do is run to the pantry, pull out those beautiful salty, crispy squares, and get that doll-up of creamy butter on there and I am good to go.

Mom if you are reading this I know I should have listed on there a box of cheeze-its as a go to snack because you always had those as well, but I thought I would leave that for your list.

And now that you have just heard Noel's top 5, what are yours?

What was your momma making for snacks after school everyday?

Or what did you run to the pantry for when you first got home and could eat at your leisure?

I want to know.

Eggs according to Zed

Levels of Eggs according to Isaiah


"You're (me his mom)the professional egg.
I'm the golden egg.(Isaiah)
Chloe is the silver egg.
Emma is the cracked egg.(Emma comes out of her room and says,'Why would I be the cracked egg when I get home before all of you do?')
Oh well,umm...
and
Solomon is the rotten egg because he got home last today.(Solomon in protest points out, "I am not the rotten egg Dad will be home last or maybe cousin Derek")

...or I guess Dad would be the
rotten Egg since he will be home last then.
Or it might be cousin Derek that gets home last?
Then I guess Solomon you are the bronze egg.

(Emma says, "I should be the pro egg since mom never even left the house!" said in a very rolling the eyes kind of tone... ahem... these are the typical 13 year old responses one should expect to hear from a 13 year old, no else could possibly be the pro egg EXCEPT a 13 year old, even in playful banter they have to be the pro AND be right... all the time RIGHT!?)

If Derek comes home before Dad then he would be the cracked egg"

After school conversations.

I guess Chloe was happy with being the silver egg because she never said a word.
And me the demoted Pro Egg... I was taking it all in and No, I was not at all bitter that I was no longer the Pro Egg.

My New Niece

My niece Savy who is in the picture above that was taken this past Christmas is now a big sister.

Her little sisters name is Sophia Adelle.
I had asked Sophia to come out and play while I was there. Pleading with my sister Bean's belly, I begged and begged. She didn't come when I was there.

She came a few days after I left.

She was born on New Years Eve.

She came earlier than her due date, and later than my trip down to NV would allow me to stay.

So I guess you could say that in her short life she has already learned the art of compromise.

Although I haven't yet had the joy of holding her I have had a few skype visits which have been a real treat, and I love her already.

I remember the day her sister was born.
I remember the day my baby girl was born.
Heck I remember the day her mom was born.
And if my mom was here she would say,"I remember the day you were born"
All this really means is that I am OLD!

Oh but the newborn.
The new life that is only a week and 4 days old.

Well what can I say about that.

The newborn phase in each of our lives is so very precious.

I know if I was living there right now, my house and my children would all be neglected because all I would want to do is to sit there and stare at her, ALL DAY LONG.
It's what my mom calls a baby romance.
That's what she calls the need to just sit and stare at a newborn.
ALL DAY LONG.
And it's a need make no mistake about it.
It's a need because it reminds us that
New life is such a gift.
It speaks of promise for the future.
Hope for better tomorrows.
And a love that is unlike any other.

Congratulations Izzy, Gina, and Savanah.

Give Sophia extra hugs and kisses until her Auntie Noel can do it herself, oh and be sure to get in some sitting and staring, because before you know it Sophia will look like this.

My big girl Emma Lou, working away, being so responsible, so grown up. So not wanting me to take her picture

My Boys

This is a boy who likes to be photographed.

This is a boy who does not like to be photographed.

These are my boys eating breakfast this morning.

Keeping an eye on the camera. Giggle.

Trying to act cool like his brother, like he doesn't even notice that the camera is on him. This makes me Giggle.

Boys conversations at the breakfast table are funny, and make me Giggle too.

I like the word Giggle. It sounds like the word Jiggle which I don't like, not so much.

This post is for the Grandparents.

One Less Lonely Girl

I realize that at this point I might actually lose those new followers(heck, I might even lose some friends on this one) that I so shamelessly begged to come follow my blog, but at the risk of not being authentic ... I'm going to go ahead and take my chances, because this is a portion of what I was thinking about today.

How many of you are Justin Bieber fans?

Well I am probably one of the only moms in America, who has teenage and pre teen daughters that are NOT his fans!
My girls room is NOT covered with his posters. I do NOT hear his songs over and over and over again. In fact, I do NOT even know any of his songs except ones that have been played, and announced on the radio as his songs.

My Girls, they used to completely detest him. I am not sure why. I think they take after their dad in that way in that they just want to be different. If I even tried to turn the radio up when he was on my whole clan would break out in an uproar and not the good kind. So strange my Fab 4.??
Honestly, it used to be kind of fun for me to tease them about this. A way to get a rise out of all of them.

But as for me and my ...(not house) just me I am a fan, and I'll tell ya why.
You want to know why don't you?
Well, I read some article about his life story and heard him on an interview, and then I was completely blown away by his kind heart. I became a fan. Not a cra cray Bieber fan, but a fan none the less.

I would say that his music to me is catchy for sure, and his voice is at least tolerable(which is more than what I would say of Miley Cyrus voice... who the girls did like at one point, glad that phase is over) but that's not really what I like about him. I like him because of his life story, because it's a good one. I think it's amazing truly that he didn't have a single,solitary, person in the business that knew him and gave him his start. I appreciate that he started out singing church music.
And I love how he is constantly encouraging others to pursue their dreams.

Today I finally got to watch his movie. I wanted to go watch it in theaters when it first came out. I wanted to go with my girls so as not to look like the crazy old lady, but that wasn't going to happen. So today I got to watch the movie finally on netflix, and that's what inspired this post.

First I have to say that lil boy can drum.
What a precious little boy.
Now I suppose he would be better described as a man-child.
Seriously, how can anyone not recognize that pure talent?
But what I really wanted to talk about was this;

There is a song he sings I guess at every concert, called One Less Lonely Girl.
When he sings this song his people go into the audience and they choose one girl to come on stage and be serenaded by him,
and he gives them roses,
and they are weeping,
and shaking,
and the hysteria is nauseating... but you can see the power behind these words.

Here are some of the lyrics that stood out to me:

"I'm coming for you, I'm gonna put you first
I'm coming for you, I'll show you what you're worth
That's what I'm gonna do, if you let me inside your world
There's gonna be one less lonely girl

I can fix up your broken heart
I can give you a brand new start
I can make you believe, yeah
I just wanna set one girl free to fall, free to fall
She's free to fall, fall in love with me "


These words and this song are so powerful not because of the "Bieber Fever" or because the girls are on that stage in front of millions,(although I do think this contributes), they are not even made more powerful because they come with a dozen roses handed to the girl by Bieber himself. No, I believe with all my heart, they are powerful words because that is the Heart of God for each and everyone of his children.

If the Father God could sing to us His children that's what he would say.

**I would like to point out at this point that some of you would not appreciate being called a girl, but I am sure God knows that and therefore wouldn't refer to you as such.

He would say to us, I want to make you one less lonely boy or girl.
I want to show you what you are worth.
I can fix your broken heart, give you a brand new start.
It's what we all want to hear.
It's what we all long for.

Sorry to those of you that are true blue fans, even if you are the future Mrs. Bieber not even that would come close to what it is that your Creator could offer you.

Those lyrics were born from these words from your Creator:

"For GOD, so loved the world
That he GAVE his one and only Son.
That who ever would believe in him
Would not perish but have everlasting LIFE." John 3:16

If you haven't heard the song give it a listen, or don't if you share the same sentiment as My Emmers.

But know this YOU ARE LOVED!
You are never truly ALONE.
And I am done being cheesy now.

Do you like how I just talked about Justin Bieber and mentioned John 3:16?

I'm pretty impressed myself.

Dear Barley

Dear Barley,

When you sit in "your" chair you do realize that at one point it was "my chair"?

It now smells of you no matter how much frebreeze I spray on my, I mean your beautiful chair.
No one wants to sit in this chair anymore because it smells like Barley, and although we love you Barley we do not love your smell.

I realize you only sit in that chair and stare out the window to make me feel guilty for not taking you out and playing ball with you.
Don't you think I know what you are doing when you do this?

But remember when I just took you out a minute ago? You probably don't remember because a squirrel just ran by and now that's all you can think of.
Well, sigh... ok let's get you off that chair so I can spray it down once again, and you can put a smile back on your cute puppy face.

Yours Truly,
Your Owner

Day 9

Today marks the 9th day of January.
I know it's BIG news like this that you check my blog for, I'm just here to help what can I say!
Ok now that we got that piece of earth shattering information out the way, let me move on to what I was really thinking.

I signed up for another Tasha Challenge, (if you don't know what that is see label below) and what I really wanted to share with you is that this time it kinda feels more like cheating than a challenge. I am to wear 31 days of hats. That's what I signed up for, but the part that feels like cheating is that I wear a hat almost everyday anyways.

In fact, this weekend when I was wearing a hat on Friday night my girlfriend, Shelene said "Cute hat, and I don't think I have ever seen you without a hat."
She's an observant one that Shelene. After she said this I immediately replied "I just don't like to do my hair." And it's true. I will spend countless minutes(I would have said hours but I am trying to be a bit less dramatic in my old age) on my makeup.

I love makeup.

Ask my mom.

Since I was too young to even be wearing make-up I have been having fun painting it up on my face.
But, doing my hair well that's another story. There was a time when I didn't have to choose one or the other, hair or make-up. But somewhere along the way a choice for time purposes had to be made and I chose make-up not hair.

So I started wearing hats.

I love hats.

The hats on this blog are just for fun and ones that I didn't actually purchase so don't go calling the "What Not To Wear Show". They were just hats I was trying on one year at a Bug O Rama show in Sacramento. I did however pick this one here on the bottom. It's cute don't cha think?

You might see it again in my 31 day challenge, minus the flowers and sunglasses.

Tasha if you are reading this doesn't mean that I am disqualified does it?

P.S. Do you think one can get wrinkles from a constant ducky lips look?

Things Are Changing Around Here

I don't know if you have noticed my faithful readers, but things are changing around here.
(Things are also changing around here @9567, but I won't be posting here @beautiful life about @9567 anymore because @9567 has it's own blog now.)

I am of course speaking of the design of my blog and the few little things that I have done to this place. This year in August will be the 6th year anniversary of beautiful life.
In honor of 6 years of me having this live journal I have been making some changes to spruce up the place. I hope you like the subtle changes, and don't worry I won't be getting all crazy like about it. Just a few changes that won't take away from the words on the page.

Here are some of the things that have changed.

I have labeled every blog so they are all connected and you my readers can now easily find the topic you might want to read about on the right over there. You might need an hour or two, but if it's a rainy afternoon and you don't have anything better going on(which for your sakes I hope you have something better) then give it a whirl. If you are faithful reader chances are your name is on the right and you have been labeled. So go... go right now find your label.
If you don't find your name over there and you have been a faithful reader, but not a faithful commenter, than shame on you... comment, comment now and I will give you a label all your own.
Of course maybe you don't want to be labeled. My Giant hates to be labeled... that's why I have so many labels for him :) Snicker, snort, giggle!

The other change I have made is that I have created pages. To be quite honest I am not exactly sure why "pages" are necessary on a blog when the whole blog is in fact a "page" but whatev! I have pages now. One is about this blog and what I talk about here. The other is the first blog explaining my new blog 9567. How many times did I say blog? How many times can one say blog without smiling. Blog, blog,blog! Try it. Did it make you smile.

And finally, I added permanent pictures. They are the cast of characters in my life. I may refer to them by other names like Meisha, Lo Lo, and Zed in the future so I put them there as a little reference to help you out:) I'm a giver!

I hope you like the changes. I hope you know how much I appreciate your comments, encouragement, and support. Thanks for keeping up with my life. Ya know, I consider this my year long Christmas letter. I hope you know, label or not you are important to me. And please by all means comment about the changes, do you like them?

Oh and I almost forgot come August we are going to have a little blog party to celebrate my 7th year of blogging,so consider this your official invitation. Blog Door Prizes will be given!

And Now For an Oldie but a Goodie... LOVE/HATE

I love lotion.
I hate dry anything. Hands, Legs, and especially face.
I love blogging.
I hate when people read them and don't leave comments(Yeah, I am talking to you)
I love hats.
I hate hat hair.
I love bubbly water.
I hate how it makes me burp.
I love having painted nails.
I hate when the paint on my nails starts to chip off.(because My Giant doesn't like that chipped nail look, I do.)
I love bubblegum, grape flavored especially.
I hate when the flavor goes away.
I love having a clean house.
I hate when I turn into the wicked witch of the west just because people start to live again.
I love the new show New Girl
I hate when a NEW show already has re-runs(WTF?.. the F stands for fudge people)
I love a really good glass of red wine.
I hate when I run out.
I love a good cup of coffee with the perfect amount of foam on top.
I hate when I burn my tongue on said cup of coffee, because I am too Damn impatient!

I love to hear your love/hates.
I hate when you don't share.

On Becoming a Planner

Have I told you before that I am not a planner. While visiting family and friends this past Christmas in Nevada, I realized how much I wished I was a planner.
I was having a conversation with some good girl friends at the Hillside Christmas Eve service and I was realizing that I really should have had the forethought to plan ahead for a gathering at someone's house to which I said to them, "Ya know if only I was a planner!" And my girlfriends laughed, really loud. You know you have said something true that no one would dare say to your face, but if you go ahead and say it somewhat in jest and people laugh really loud... well, you know at that point you could be onto something.

All that to say, I have decided to be a better planner. Something that My Giant has said he would love to have planned around here is our dinner meal. I'm sure there are other things he would love to have planned around here as well.. but get your mind out of the gutter!
When he for a brief moment was the stay at home dad and I went back to teaching full time, he had this place running like a well oiled machine. I will say it, He does a much better job than I do at managing this house. I am okay with that. I know I bring other things to the table.

Anyway, one of the things outside of the shower schedule that he had the Fab 4 on, (yeah, that was border line child abuse, don't cha think?) was a weekly planned menu. He said it saved so much time and energy to know ahead of time what was for dinner every night and he has said that it would be a good idea for us to do again.

So one of the things that I was determined(See blog below) to do this year was get better at planning meals for our household.
I HAVE FOUND THE ANSWER TO ALL MY LIFES PROBLEMS!!! Ok sorry for shouting, and being a tad-bit dramatic but you need to understand how life changing this is going to be for me.
I have found this website; plantoeat.com and it has forever changed my life.
Check it out, report back and tell me what you think.

Oh and next time I come to Nevada I will be in need of someone's house to have a small gathering to see all our old friends, any takers?

Took My Chances with a Red Bull

Well around 4:30p today as my second shift of the day began, and I was switching gears from laundry, dishes, menus, dogs, etc... to my Fab 4 kids coming home from school, I decided that unless I got some caffeine into my blood stream I was going to check out right then and there.
I headed to the grocery store. I grabbed the little tin can against my better judgement, and I was almost finished drinking it before the clerk had even finished ringing me up.

Here's where I would like to explain something. I don't usually drink these energy drinks. Occasionally I will take a sip from My Giant's, but never, have I ever purchased one for myself.
I can now see why they are so popular.

Not only did I finish my day by doing some more grocery shopping, cooking dinner for my family, taking Chloe to Hip Hop class, cleaning up dinner when I got home, read several chapters in my book, planned the meals for the whole month of January on my new favorite website plantoeat.com, watched some boob tube with hubby and cousins, BUT now here I sit and can actually write a little blurb about my Red Bull experience that hopefully makes some sense.

Sidenote- Could you imagine the Proverbs 31 woman on Red Bull?

I will let you know tomorrow if I will be trying my luck again with this legal stimulant. The key factor will be if I ever fall asleep tonight.

Determination

Determination.

That is the word I am looking for in this season of my life right now.
There are so many things that I want to accomplish in my life, and the older I get I am realizing that so many of these things I never will.
That's okay.
I just want to accomplish the most important ones.

I want to be like what I read about in this; Luke 9:51- Jesus basically on his death walk into Jerusalem in this passage didn't let it phase him that no one wanted him when he came into town, even though his peeps were ready to bring down fire on the people for rejecting him, he says, basically.... that is not what I am here for.

I want to narrow down this list of goals and remember why I am here above all else.
I want to cut out things in my life that will keep me from these things.
I want to be determined beyond recognition.
Determination.

------------------------------

I wrote the above lil blurb over 6 months ago.
I am pretty sure it had something to do with me losing weight before my sisters wedding.
I am pretty sure I didn't lose that weight.
And I am pretty sure that as I found this old post in my edit section the reason it stood out to me as something I should revisit is because, the word;
Determination,
is what I am looking, longing for again.
It is that time of year when I am feeling like my jeans are a lil snug.
I am looking at my bank account and re-thinking those financial courses I should have invested in, or maybe wait, I did invest in them but, I conveniently put the wisdom aside around December 1st. Either way, I am now looking at the year ahead and thinking of ways to make my life better as that new year rolls around.
And so the word;
Determination,
is the word that is appealing.

I think the reason that I didn't post this before is because I went off wandering and wondering what exactly I wanted to be determined about at that particular time.
I know I could find what it was I was looking for in my journals if I really wanted to, but I am sure it probably went something like this;

Eat Better.
Exercise.
Read My Bible More.
Deep Clean and Organize my house.
Simplify.
Ya da Ya da Ya da!!

Now as I sit here 6 months later I am looking at that word and thinking, I do want to have determination to do those everyday disciplined life things, but I also want to accomplish some life goals, and passions that I have had from a very young age.

One of those dreams was to write.
One of those passions was to sing.
One of those wants was to photograph life.
One of those desires was to become a wife, a mother, and a teacher.

I can honestly say, that as I look at that list the only one that I can check off is the one that is, was, and will always be the most important.
The other three are just icing on the cake of this beautiful life, and I plan to be determined about all of them in this upcoming year, and take care of the everyday life determinations... one cookie at a time... wait I mean one glass of water at a time.

Happy New Determined Year Readers!