ballerina girl and her friends

Grace is heading to a theme mystery party for one of her friends. She had to be in character. I had to share pics, she is so excited!

old pics

I uploaded a few pics to my facebook at the request of my good friend Nicole!

I thought I would share a few with you

flu

Isaac and Ellie have the flu. He's been sick since Monday. I'm wondering how many times I'm going to be puked on before this is over.

:)

BloGGer?!?!

What's up with Blogger? Anyone?? Where is my pretty background? Anyone else having issues with Blogger?

haPpInESs!!!

Happiness is a state of mind or feeling such as contentment, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy.[1] A variety of philosophical, religious, psychological and biological approaches have been taken to defining happiness and identifying its sources.

Philosophers and religious thinkers have often defined happiness in terms of living a good life, or flourishing, rather than simply as an emotion. Happiness in this older sense was used to translate the Greek Eudaimonia, and is still used in virtue ethics. In everyday speech today, however, terms such as well-being or quality of life are usually used to signify the classical meaning, and happiness is reserved[citation needed] for the felt experience or experiences that philosophers historically called pleasure.

Happiness
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Today I feel HAPPY! Brian asked me two nights ago what makes me happy. I've been thinkging about it a lot since. I often struggle with being depressed. But the Lord is gently reminding me to find JOY in ALL things.

Here are a few things that really make me happy. Simple things -
my family
talking to my sister
blog post that inspire me
enjoying a good book (just finished Twilight)
jeans that fit
a date night
hearing my kids laugh
a clean house
the laundry being done
Disney World
feeling loved

and so much more. but for now I must go. I'm being called away to play. I can't wait - yesterday I was sick and couldn't do much - so today is a new day. A HAPPY ONE!!!

What makes you happy?

Ezra

I just got done telling a friend earlier today we haven't been sick. Poor Ezra got off the bus and ran to the bathroom to throw up. And it happened again about an hour later. He's sleeping now. Please pray it is contained to Ezra. And please pray that he is feeling better. He'll stay home from school tomorrow!

I had to cancel going to the Penny Rug class Cathy was offering - OH BUMMER!!! I was so pumped to go, I even went out and purchased new sewing scissors! Cathy - PLEASE reschedule! Maybe after you return from your trip - I'm sure you will be busy.

Cleaning!

Today is a good day to clean! That's what I'll be doing - if I can tear myself away from the computer! lol

I joined Weight Watchers last week and lost over 3 lbs. Baby steps - and I'll be successful! The program is easy to understand and easy to follow. I tried just doing WW online in the fall - but I really need the accountability of weighing in weekly. So that is now part of my Monday routine!

Not a lot going on here. Isaac and Ellie have been fighting with each other a lot. So I'm constantly breaking up fights or trying to encourage them not to whine or scream at each other. You can tell Isaac is almost two - OH MY! the boy has is own opinion about almost everything and he is very determined!!! the computer, microwave, dishwasher, water dispenser are his favorite "toys!" And when those are not of interest, he's been into Thomas the Train. It reminds me so much of Ezra's toddler days!

Grace continues to enjoy piano lessons. Her teacher told Brian that she is memorizing things that children her age are not able to do. She amazes me! It makes me happy to see her excitment when she plays. Her fingering and expressions make her look so mature! Can she only be seven?! It all sounds so beautiful to me!

Ezra is doing so well in school! His TSS hours are being reduced from 25 to 15. He has an amazing teacher this year. I wish I could bottle her enthusiasm and be like that myself. Ezra responds so well to her! Thank you Mrs. Dilts! We appreciate you so much!

- I really need to go and clean! - Until next time

Rain! Ice! & Snow!

Big kids were sent home early yesterday and do not have school today due to the weather. We are all taking on the role of Cinderella and getting a lot done! It's much needed - the beds are stripped and we are all going to be scrubbing - I hope they are as excited about this as I am!

Reading

When I was in high school and college I would spend hours reading fiction novels. I enjoyed VC Andrews and Danielle Steele. I can remember staying up all night reading a new VC Andrews book - hearing that I was crazy from my roommate. But books used to consume me. It was like I was transferred right into the happenings of the book.

I didn't read for a long time. I could barely get my devotion time down or make it through an entire magazine. My friend Renee' gave me three novels in August by Meg Cabot - the author of The Princess Diaries. I thought the titles "fit" me, "Size 12 is not Fat" "Size 14 is not Fat Either: and "Big Boned" A murder mystery series - and I again remembered why I loved reading. It was fun, like I could step out of reality.

I'm not current with books, authors, or novels. I picked up a Jodie Picoult book titled "19 Minutes" right before Christmas. I have spent about 16 hours over the past five days consuming this book. The cover shows a close up of hands being held. I grabbed the book quickly thinking it would be light reading. But it really hit something in me. Maybe fear. Fear of the future, of who my children will be come. And has really stirred me to pray for my children and the youth of America.

Here is a synopsis of the book, taken from Jodi Picoult's home page.


Synopsis:
In this emotionally charged novel, Jodi Picoult delves beneath the surface of a small town to explore what it means to be different in our society.

In Sterling, New Hampshire, 17-year-old high school student Peter Houghton has endured years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of classmates. His best friend, Josie Cormier, succumbed to peer pressure and now hangs out with the popular crowd that often instigates the harassment. One final incident of bullying sends Peter over the edge and leads him to commit an act of violence that forever changes the lives of Sterling’s residents.

Even those who were not inside the school that morning find their lives in an upheaval, including Alex Cormier. The superior court judge assigned to the Houghton case, Alex—whose daughter, Josie, witnessed the events that unfolded—must decide whether or not to step down. She’s torn between presiding over the biggest case of her career and knowing that doing so will cause an even wider chasm in her relationship with her emotionally fragile daughter. Josie, meanwhile, claims she can’t remember what happened in the last fatal minutes of Peter’s rampage. Or can she? And Peter’s parents, Lacy and Lewis Houghton, ceaselessly examine the past to see what they might have said or done to compel their son to such extremes. Nineteen Minutes also features the return of two of Jodi Picoult’s characters—defense attorney Jordan McAfee from The Pact and Salem Falls, and Patrick DuCharme, the intrepid detective introduced in Perfect Match.

Rich with psychological and social insight, Nineteen Minutes is a riveting, poignant, and thought-provoking novel that has at its center a haunting question. Do we ever really know someone?