The election was over a month ago.....and yet the drama continues....

Anyone who has read my blog knows where I stood on the election and which candidates had my support. However.....the election is over & yet the mud slinging continues.....on both sides. And it is making me crazy...... In our home we have talked about it for hours on end. For us there only one solution and it goes like this:

1 Timothy 2
1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

Stepping off of my soap box..............................

Time to relax.....

The semster is O-V-E-R! And I am so very gratfeul.....

I got my first good night of sleep in months last night....& a nap this morning to boot. Which explains why I am up in the middle of the night bloggin. Ooops!

So I am look forward to some down to be with my family....& sleep...& read a big stack of these...

The thought of it practically makes me giddy!

And tonight I vegged out in front of the T.V. and watch one of my favorite movies

Love it too!

So....now I can just breathe a digh of relief & enjoy......................

And the award goes to................

ME! Thanks to the uber sweet Angie at Angelica Grace designs. She totally blessed me with this award today! Love her! If you haven't visited her blog &/or checked out her fabulous designs, you absolutely cannot wait a minute longer! Without further ado, here is the translation for the award...

This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships!This blog is exceedingly charming. This kind blogger aims to find and be friends. This blogger is not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to writers like this one and those nominated below! The rules...Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

So, as instructed, I'm choosing the following eight bloggers to send this award on to:

1. My mom, Jackie -The Red Jeep Club

2. My aunt Stacy - Okay, here's the thing

3. My partner in crime Jennifer-It Finally Happened

4. Barb- From My Heart

5. Brittany- Mommee & her boys

6.Laura- Lovely Lalo

7. Kami-Kami's Khlopchyk

8.The Dragonfly- On Dragonfly Wings

You all ROCK! Love ya!

T- 6 days........................

I can't wait for until Monday, December 8th.

I wish December 8th was still a month away.

I'm just a little bit (okay a whole lot) conflicted.

Whether I am wishing for it to be over or wishing for more time- the fact still remains I only have 6 days left. And to be honest , either way, the thought of the next 6 days completely overwhelms me.

So bear with me for just a sec while I grab some cheese to go with my nip of whine here............ I am so.....ugh.....I already used the word overwhelmed didn't I? I can't believe next week this degree will be done.....never mind I have already started the next one (let's not even think about that right now). But standing between me & next Monday is a v-e-r-y boring paper on the Japanese "Bubble" economy, a HUGE final exam & last, but definitely not least I have to complete my thesis. My achilles heel. What just might be the very death of me.

But all joking aside, I am struggling. REALLY struggling. I told K. the other night that it hurts.... everything hurts. I'm talking physical pain. Really, really bad. It is stress....I know it. And I just have to press through it. I know I 'bit off more than I can chew' this semester. I know I should have waited until next semester to start the next degree plan...but it is way too late for that now.

Anyway...all I am asking is for a few...okay a bunch..of prayers to get me through this next 6 days. Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.............

See ya on the flip side......................

16 things..............

So Tam posted this on her blog & suggested that 'everyone' join in so...........here are 16 things unusual things about me.................

1. I loathe raw meat....I hate to touch it, look at it, smell it, etc. While I eat meat regularly, it MUST be well done.

2. I hate to be a passenger in a car!! I like to drive, but being a passenger brings on a panic attack.

3. I ♥ Diet Coke ♥! Especially fountain Diet Coke....in fact Diet Coke is so important in my opinion that there is actually a hierarchy to the packaging of Diet Coke

A. Fountain Diet Coke is the VERY BEST!

B. If fountain isn't an option, a cold can will suffice

C. I will settle for a cold 16oz plastic bottle if necessary

D. And as a very last resort I will drink Diet Coke from a 2lt bottle, but only if it has just been opened otherwise it is too flat....blech!

4. When I was 4 my mom let my uncle, Stacy's husband, take me shopping at Kmart for my Halloween costume. Keep in mind he was a 19 year old boy & it was the 1970's. Mommy's little princess came home with a Gene Simmon's Kiss costume with a plastic mask that looked like this........

I had no idea who Kiss even was. I just liked that the masked had 'makeup.' Oh yeah...that was cute *insert sarcasm*

5.When I was 18, I cracked my head open & had to have stitches.....what makes this significant is that is HOW I did this. Instead of going sledding at the sledding hill during a big snow storm, my friends and I decided to tow a sled around the subdivision behind my Geo Metro. Yeah not so smart.......I flew off going around a corner & cracked my head on the pavement.

6. When I was a kid growing up in Ohio I was certain that upon adulthood I would be one of the lucky individuals who moved south (*read WARM)....Florida was the ultimate choice. And more that anything I wanted to own a swimming pool...................yeah, Alaska is just slightly off the mark on that one....

7. I hate random noise. Like when somebody taps their pencil or clicks their nails together...........ugh, it makes me sooooooo crazy! I also hate eating noises....like people chewing or moaning when they really enjoy their food. *shivers*

8. Although I don't mind a good debate in real life, I can't stand confrontations on TV or in movies. I HAVE to change the channel. Or if someone is about to totally embarass themselves on TV, I just can't bare to watch!

9. I am a nomad at heart. I love to travel & would love to move around....but I am married to the anti-nomad. He likes to vacation in places he in places he's already been to & he would rather that we never move again....I guess being a military brat (as he was) & then serving in the USAF for 22yrs, which requires a ton of moving, will do that to a person..........

10.I am the only person in my house who can't roll my tongue :( They treat me like I am some sort of freak

11. I really dislike "academic" speak. I am well educated & (not to brag) but quite intelligent, but I don't like when people try to use huge & complicated words to impress others. Being a human dictionary does not = intelligence...it just pretentious

12. I also really dislike pretentiousness in general.....I am not impressed by big houses or luxury cars. If you have those things then good on ya. I don't hate the 'things,' I just find it petty when people try to use them to somehow define themselves or impress others. That is the funny thing about Alaska (which can also probably be said for a lot of places in the U.S.), but the people who put on the biggest show are not usually the most successful. Okay...stepping down from my soapbox........

13. While I have very, very few possessions from my youth (like less than 5 total) I do still have & use the NIV Bible that my Dad gave me when I was 11.

14. I avoid "Hits" & "Bestsellers" like the plague. For instance if everyone raves about the hottest new book or TV show, I am instantly turned off. Yes, I know I often end up missing out, but I just don't like to 'jump on the band wagon'

15. I hate birds. Any & all birds! I don't fear them, I just don't like them. So if you really want to get on my bad side, buy me a bird feeder... Blech!

16. I had pica while I was pregnant. I ate ice incessantly...to the tune of a 10lb bag a day!! Destroyed my teeth, To this day I still can't drink a glass of water without chomping on the ice. And like Diet Coke, I also prefer certain types of ice over others....I especially like the type of ice that is like miniature snow balls. One friend pointed out it is the type of ice that they give you in the hospital when you are in labor. Yummy!! So that means, I will go out of my way to get a fountain Diet Coke with premium ice. That is like heaven....almost as good as a pool in Florida :)

So do you think she'll buy this excuse?????

Dear Professor-of-my-seminar,

Yeah, I know my thesis is due in just over 2 weeks and I should be working on my paper 24/7 and yet I just spent several hours surfing the net & once I stumbled upon Cupcakes Take the Cake I was ♥IN LOVE♥! So please excuse me if my paper is absolute crap but I was doing major cupcake "research"!

Sincerely (yeah...not really...but it sounds good),

Stressed Out Student

Yeah...I have 'short timers" syndrome...big time! I am just so ready for the semester to be O-V-E-R! I should be thrilled that only 3 weeks seperates me from my diploma.....but all I can think about is how much I dread doing my remaining work. Blech! (Yes, I'll admit I am being totally bratty) But I do love looking at cupcakes.......

Check this out....OHMommy @ Classy Chaos is having an uber fabulous giveaway so please so go...enter...NOW!


A year ago in my life....

So it's cold.....VERY, VERY cold....

-1F. to be exact......bitter, stinking cold. And it is only mid-November. I have a feeling this winter is going to be a doosey. Such is life in the "Great Land." Yeah, whomever dubbed Alaska the "Great Land" definitely here in the summertime. Seriously.....

And if it isn't cold enough here in the Valley, tomorrow my mom and little R. are flying north for 4 days to Fairbanks. Yep.....they are choosing to go where it's even colder. Crazy, if you ask me! However, their trip has great purpose. Can you guess why anyone in their right mind would go to Fairbanks in the winter (hey, right now I myself am wondering why anyone would live in the Valley in the winter *wink*)? Well, the nightlife of Fairbanks is NOT the reason for this visit. In fact their reason for going is much more special...................

They are going to visit Santa Claus. At THE Santa Claus House. In the town of North Pole. Every little kid's dream. My mom took D. a few years ago & now it's R.'s turn to go. I love that my mom does this with my kids........it is one of those special things in one's childhood that will stay with them for a lifetime.

So while they head north, D & I will be hanging here at home. School (for the kids) is out for the remainder of the week & we are just going to enjoy the down time. Translated= D. will probably have a few sleepovers with her little tween friends while I have my face buried in textbooks.

On another note, I totally forgot to blog about something that happened here a few weeks ago......the Sunday after the election, I sat church and was totally blown away by the week's sermon. I am really bummed that I didn't blog right away because I intended to provide a link to the audio of the sermon....but now it's gone. Anyway......the message that week was from Romans and references government and leaders in relation to our responsibility as Christians. There is no way I can fully summarize the pastor's message but the piece that struck me above all was this (paraphrased)-

It doesn't matter at this point if we are happy with the election results or whether we like our future leaders or not .... at this point, God expects us to be prayerful.....to pray for our future leaders....all of them. To pray that they will act in the best interest of their nation and that the Lord will continue to work in their lives, as we should pray for all people.

It was very moving.....very, very moving. The entire congregation was touched (no matter where their stood before or after the election). And while the message of God was the most significant part of the morning, as I sat with my friend Aleisha (both of our hubbies were away at work), we noticed across the aisle to our left sat an older couple with tears streaming down their faces....yet they weren't really tears of sadness....instead you could see on their faces acceptance and agreement with the pastor's message. The couple was Chuck & Sally Heath.....Sarah Palin's parents. It was moving to see that these people who were so close to the election process were willing to accept God's task for them with open & willing hearts.

Okay...enough about that...I think you get my message.........

So....before I go for today, I once again want to ask for your recommendations for good books......nothing heavy....beach reads.....yep....there is some beach time in my future. More about that later :)

So....how pathetic is this???

How pathetic is it that falling gas prices practically make me giddy?

Just a little over a month gas prices were shooting through the roof. At the worst gas here was about $4.70/gallon for regular (not even the expensive stuff). Seriously.....I was getting ready to make the kids start biking to school- not a good thing in winter in Alaska.
And now gas is here is below $3.00/gallon....$2.94 to be exact! So.....again how pathetic is it that I am happy about see less than $3.oo at the pump? Really pathetic if you ask me................

So here is a bunch of randomness......

I don't care if we did gain an hour last night or not 'cuz I am still way tired

We bought entirely too much crap @ our school auction last night. Well not really crap.....but when the check to the school was more than we spend on a month's groceries, you know we spent too much! But the hubs keeps reminding me 'it was for the children.' And I must admit I am oh-so-grateful that it is our schools ONE & ONLY fundraiser. Plus we had an absolute blast (our table was just a tad bit rowdy)! What did we buy you ask???? Well.....hubs got Rock Band 2 for his Xbox 360,we bought D. a handmade bedside table for her room, we bought a certificate to Bouncin' Bears for R.'s birthday (yeah we are just a bit ahead of the game since his b-day isn't until March), I got a beaded bracelet.......oh, and we *think* we won a Bocce Ball set- we just forgot to pick it up off the silent auction table! Oops!

Can I tell you how sick of school I am??? Just in case you were wondering....................... enough said!

I am sooooo read for all of the election crap to be over. All of the mudslinging is making me crazy!

Did I tell you I am sick of school?

My CAbi order came in & I love every piece of it! :)

Yeah.....has anyone started Christmas shopping? I really gotta get on the ball with this. Ugh!

Can I tell you how irritated I was to see a 5th grader in D's class wear an uber slutty costume on Friday at school. Yes...sadly I did say 5th grader & slutty in the same sentence. I feel bad about that but seriously when an 11 year old shows up to school in thiswhat I just said is the least of some poor kid's issues...................... And NO I am not kidding :(

My friend Zoe (who actually is a diehard liberal, while I am a diehard conservative) have decided we are tired of all the PC terminology out there. As my hubs says, he is an American....not a Mexican American or Hispanic American....he insists he is an American & that's that! So in protest she & I have decided from here on out we will introduce each other as "Female Americans" just to appease all of those P.C. junkies out there. Yeah....it's getting to be that time of the semester & we are a bit irritatable.......

So it is really cold here (like low single digits) and I am dreaming of spring already.......so soooooooo sad.....

Later gators :)

I drank the Kool-Aid......

the Dyson Kool-Aid that is......and dang it is A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

Let me back up a tad.......

Friday night my mom & I were hosting a CAbi party here at my home. So that afternoon I was doing the obligatory "tidying up." As we were vacuuming the stairs my Dirt Devil bit the big one. We are talking dead with a capital "D." My mom oh-so-graciously came to my rescue by loaning me her Hoover Wind Tunnel and all was well. In fact the party was fab-u-lous!

But....insert a very big but here...... that didn't solve my long term vacuum issue. We simply cannot live a single day without a vacuum. Why you ask?

This 80lb fur ball is why. As much as we love her....she is a giant shedding machine. Seriously we constantly have dog hair everywhere. A vacuum is a necessity of life around here.

So yesterday before we headed to a Halloween party I drug my kiddos to the store to lay down some cash for a new vacuum. And after a ton of research I bought this new beauty....

It works wonderfully! Can you see all the crud in the cannister?? That is what the Dyson picked up after we did a thorough job with my mom's vacuum cleaner. It was crazy!

Notice how Shotzie refuses to look at my new Dyson in the picture....it was no coincidence...she truly refuses to look at it. The only reason she was even this close to it was because she had been given a very firm "Sit. Stay" command. I think the big D. is her new arch nemisis. :)

I only wish our Target had had the pretty pink one in stock.......................that truly would've been heaven!

So where have I been?

Every-stinkin'-where.......that's where :)


Yep......college classrooms, the college library, my office (or on the sofa with my laptop), elementary & middle school classrooms......you know I am just all kinds of crazy I tell ya! So I am pressing on with this Master's program (4 classes this semester) & uber-busy writing my thesis on Japanese American internment during WWII (as it applies to freedom & democracy.....yada, yada, yada) plus I having been subbing in our local school district. Yeah.....i have all kinds of free time, ya know (said with by best Minnesota accent)?



So obviously I've been busy....with nothing exciting to write about but I do have to throw this little tidbit out for my sister Femmie. I know she'll get a total kick out of it....................




Today I taught 8th grade at our charter school. Part of my day included an hour and a half lesson in Pre-Algebra. Yes, Femmie....................I said algebra. Okay....let me tell you all that right about now my sister has not only shot diet coke out her nose all over the comouter screen, she probably has also wet her pants laughing so hard........................and with good cause, I tell you. Let me explain.......while we are both relatively smart (not to brag) & are really good students (with slight over-achiever issues) we both absolutley suck at algebra! Seriously....this notion is absolutely hysterical! And the kids actually thought I 'had it together". One girl even said "I wish Mr. G could explain it like that!" And another said as I left "Man I wish you were our regular teacher."

See, Femmie....there is hope for us yet...........................:)

Just because it is FUNNY!

So a while back my uncle sends me this video via email. This is the Uncle that my son seems to think is just the coolest guy in the entire world. Said uncle also happens to be married to fellow blogger (also named) Stacy.
Anyway my son saw this video & is majorly impressed. However my son also seems to think that because my Uncle sent this video the Uncle MUST be friends with these guys. And that my friends, has majorly increased my Uncle's "coolness factor" in the eyes of my 6 year old son. What is a mother to do???

Alaska (& the nation) is all abuzz

So I don't usually use my blog as a platform for my political views but this is HUGE! Too huge to ignore! My phone has been ringing all morning & everyone here is soooooo excited. So before I go I jus wanna say one thing....GO SARAH!....well, GO McCain & Palin! :)

And it brought me to tears.........

So today I was out shopping for groceries, going about my day......buying the necessities but admittedly throwing some random odds & ends in my cart as I went. You know what I mean~ the Banana Split Oreos & the ole standby case of Diet Coke...the things that are NOT necessities (although on most days I would argue that diet Coke is essential- I digress). And as I placed these little extras in my cart I never gave them a 2nd thought.

So as I am pushin my cart out to my van I see a young man sitting on the ground outside the door & didn't really give him a 2nd thought until I heard someone raise their voice in that general direction. As I glance over my shoulder I see the young man is sitting on the sidewalk with a 'pack' complete with a monster-sized back pack & sleeping bag. He also had a sign saying

Stranded while traveling

Fell for a job scam

Out of money

Very hungry

Will do ANY work

Desperate

And there was a middle age man giving this young kid "the business."

Man: Get out of here....we don't welcome bums in these parts. Why don't you go join your amigos in Anchorage?

Kid: Sir....I wish I could....I really am stuck

Me: Quit trying to mooch off the good people of this community

Kid: I'm sorry sir. I just really am hungry................

Now, for those of you who don't live in Alaska I need to explain that Anchorage (40-ish miles from here) has a horrible homeless problem. Many of the grocery stores have had to quit selling mouthwash like Listerine because the police were finding hundreds of empty mouthwash bottles littering the homeless 'camps' in the woods. And wouldn't you know that stores in these areas were having an astonishingly high amount of 'missing' mouthwash inventory. Hmmmmm?????

And if that isn't enough, about a year & a half ago the homeless people of Anchorage wanted to unionize. Seriously. And they wanted to be able to lay legal claim to certain street corners for panhandling purposes.......yeah.....serious problems.

With this in mind I have to admit I regularly have had to turn a blind eye to beggars in our community. But something about this kid just struck me. So I went to my car, loaded my packages & prayed for guidance. Then I got in my car & drove off........

*****now do you seriously think this is the end of my saga?????****

I drove to the fast food joint next door & bought a gift card. Then I drove back & parked in front of the young man & walked right up to him. I have to admit I was shaking (why? I'm still not sure) when I looked him in the eye.

Me: Are you truly hungry?

Him: Yes, ma'am I am. (you know, I think he was shaking worse than I was)

Me: Then go eat (& I handed him the card)

Him: Thank you ma'am. Really-thank you.

Me: God bless you

And as I started to walk away I saw that he was starting to cry.

I made it to my car...and then I fell apart.

I know it may have been a scam....but if it was, oh well. He scammed me for a couple burgers, NOT a bottle of booze. And my heart broke thinking if it was a scam this young man must be so lost that he thinks this type of life is okay.....

But something deep in me said it wasn't a scam.

And I wondered if his mom knows where he is right now. And my heart broke for her .....

And then I wondered if maybe she is the type that just doesn't care & then my heart broke for him.....

And then I cried for my own children. I prayed that they never have to face such circumstances...to be alone & hungry......

And I was ashamed that I had been so concerned with Oreos & Diet Coke................

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......

can you keep a secret? Cause this is some serious stuff here............

We have officially made it through the first week of school and I have a big surprise for the kiddos.....I won't be picking them up in my uber chic minivan (you know that is gonna traumatize them LOL)....instead I will arrive in a friend's vehicle to snatch up our combined crew & we are headed to the Alaska State Fair!

You gotta understand living here in AK, the fair is a huge deal.....we are talking BIG TIME! It is funny & scary all at the same time. All the kids beg to go, all the teenagers sport their skankiest outfits to troll for dates (okay not ALL of the teenagers, but a huge number of them), and all the adults go to stuff their faces with any kind of fair food you can possibly imagine. And while you can find a fair just about anywhere in the good ole U.S.of A., you have to keep in mind we only have 1 (yes, just 1) fair per year. There's no driving to the next town or county to go to another fair. There's no Six Flags or even rinky-dink amusement parks. This is IT! And boy is it expensive.......$10 per person admission, food is crazy insane high & the Alaska Fair gurus don't believe in all-you-can-ride armbands. I *think* last year it cost us about $60 for ride tickets and our kids each only got about 6 rides. It is highway-stinkin-robbery! Yet, it is a HUGE Alaskan tradition. I mean how can you possibly not go to see the 100lb cabbages & 700lb+ pumpkins???

And the kids know nothing about it! I love surprises! Love, love love 'em!! The kids know we are gonna do something fun but I have been convincing for them for months now that I wasn't messin' with the fair chaos this year. I even overheard them trying to figure out what we are doing . They discussed that it can't possibly be the fair "cuz mom said we weren't going this year." Can you say 'Bah Humbug?' But I am giving in & I will brave all of the craziness. They are gonna be sooooooooooooooooo excited!

So I am thankful that it is Friday so I can have my kiddos home with me for 2 whole days. I've missed them this week. However, I don't know how much quality time we'll get together as they sleep off the inevitable sugar-hangovers as a result of all the fair food. And while they'll be thinkin' mama is the greatest tonight, they will surely change their tunes as I detox them with copious amount of green smoothies for the next 2 days . :) Hey, what are moms for?!

But you gotta promise not to tell................

Time for a quick "breather"........

The kids are back in school & getting all settled in. Now I am just trying to enjoy my week off before classes begin for me. While I miss the kids bunches while they are gone, I have to admit the quiet has been kind of nice. I've just been getting a few things done & enjoying some 'mama time.' This morning I am going to a brunch that one of ladies from church is hosting. Can't beat that- 2 of my favorite things: good friends & good food!

I know I am way behind on posting my photos, so for the viewing enjoyment of our OH family in particular (but I hope everyone likes them) over the next couple days I am just gonna put up a variety of photos from the summer :)

And speaking of Ohio family~ I can hardly wait.....in 2 1/2 weeks my sister & brother-in-law are coming to visit! It is gonna be the best! We are soooooo excited!

So as I promised here is just a few from GEORGIA 2008

D. Showing off her 'moves' in the pool

The kids at the Georgia Aquarium

R. on the jet ski at Westpoint. And NO he was not riding alone! He just wanted a pic by himself :)

Me go-carting with our nephew

The reason we spent sooooo much time in the water (lake, pools, etc.)

How sweet it is...................

So you all know about our 'flood' issues and our extended vacation....blah, blah, blah....

Anyhoo....in the midst of all the chaos we had to postpone D.'s 10th birthday party. See we were due to have a sleepover 2 days after the Great Laundry Room Flood of '08. Bless her heart she didn't complain a single bit about having to cancel. And that was a very good thing cuz how in the world would I have had a house full of 10 years old girls in the midst of house demo????

So with school starting 2 weeks from today, I have realized 'if' we are going to do this whole slumber party thing, time is of the essence. D. is such a great kid and says we don't need to have one at all but she is a awesome kid that never asks for anything. It is our priviledge to give her her 'special day.' The party is now scheduled for this coming Sunday night. Withing our group of friends weeknights actually work better during the summer so the date is set.
So our *spur of the moment* theme is "D's Sweet Shop." This came about because my dear friend Denise, who owns both NonEssentials and Cups, Cones & Candy , volunteered to come up to the party and bring all the fixings for a banana split bar. She adores D. & says this is her present to her. Denise so rocks! So we are gonna run with that & turn it into the theme of the night. decorations will be pretty simple but bright candy colors. And party favors will be candy colored Chinese takeout boxes filled with candy from Cups, Cones & Candy. Now I am just looking for some misc. ideas for the evening. Soooooooooooooooooooooooo if you have any ideas, any at all, let me have it...........



I can't wait to hear what you guys come up with!

Back in the Great Land.....

So we've been back in Alaska for a couple days now & I feel like I have accomplished NOTHING! Doesn't that just make ya nuts..........
I have laundry to do.....but I finshed the Shack. Again I have to say it say it was amazing!
Final exam still isn't done but I have until noon on Monday so it's all good :)
I also need to get our house put 'back together'- construction is done. Now to put everything back in its place........... wish me luck cuz I am sure gonna need it.

Have a great weekend!

Instead of focusing on my final exam.....

I have been goofing off a tad....okay just for a few hours



First of all I am totally blown away by a book I am in the middle of
I don't want to give it away for those of you who haven't read it but it is utterly amazing. Although it is fiction the author William Young presents our relationship with God in phenomenal way. If you haven't read it you absolutely must...... And if you have don't talk to me about it for another day or so cuz I'm not quite finished yet. No spoilers!

Another way I have been procrastinating over my school work is by watching America's Got Talent. While I am not a huge TV junkie I love this show. Last season I was able to just pick a favorite act & stick with it. Not this season! I am totally torn...........
For your viewing enjoyment here are my 2 choices

and

Why can't they both win? They are both incredible! Man this is going to kill me............

Okay, back to my final I must go! Wish me luck!

Hey y'all.................

yep......in typical "Life Inside" fashion I have been MIA (again). Since nearly the beginning of the month we have been soaking up the sun in Georgia & it has been glorious! Especially considering the fact that the summer in Alaska is one of the worst in history....seriously they are saying we might very likely set the record for the wrost summer on record. Blech!

So we've been loving the heat & sun here just south of Atlanta & the kids have loved spending time with their cousins that live here. We will be all-too-sad to get on the plane come Tuesday morning. There remains one bright point in our return trip- we get to spend some time with some dear friends in Burbank, California. The kids are so excited to see where their friends live & we might even hit the beach for a bit! I promise to share oodles of pics once we get back home.

Speaking of home.....by the time we get home our house repairs should be complete........oh yeah that right, y'all don't know about our house issues. The very issues that kept me away from blogging in the weeks leading up to our trip......

About 2 weeks before we left I went down to the laundry room to throw in a load. As I walked down the hall wall in our lower level, something seemed "off".................well, to make a long story uber short, the drain in my laundry room backed up. The water then soaked in the carpet in my hallway outside the laundry room & proceeded to flow wherever it possibly could. All in all it'll be over a $13,000 repair! YIKES! Thank the good Lord for a awesome homeowner's policy! And rather than stress, I am attempting to find joy in the fact that my hallway, 2 bedrooms (the spares) & my family room will get brand new carpet plus the laundry & bathroom will each get new vinyl flooring. The downside of all that is that is the part of the house that DIDN'T need new carpet! LOL

On a completley different note I have a heavy heart this evening. I sat down here at my in-laws to do some of my schoolwork on my laptop & thought I would take a peak at the Anchorage paper online first. To my utter shock I found out a friend of mine passed away on Monday. We knew each other through our daughters being on swim team together. She was only 41 & apparently passed due to heart failure following a surgery. Since I have been gone for several weeks I know very few details.......but to say I am shocked is an understatement. My heart aches for this dear woman's her family.......... her girls were so young...........she was so young herself............

Later...............

Show a little love.....

for a new blogger! My friend Jennifer just started blogging today, so stop by her site for a visit & show a little love. She is fabulous.....a bit crazy at times, but I love her for it! You've all heard the saying:

A GOOD FRIEND WILL BAIL YOU OUT OF JAIL BUT A TRUE FRIEND WILL BE SITTING NEXT TO YOU SAYING 'DAMN THAT WAS FUN'

Yep, that's Jen & me in a nutshell! GOT. TO. LOVE. IT!

God save the Quee..*uh*...the Cupcakes?????

While we eat pretty healthy fare in our house ( except my 2 nights out last week *Ooops*), I couldn't help but laugh at this clip from ZeitGeist...the News You Cannot Use! I love a little...okay, alot.....of sarcasm. Femmie & I would so have a blast if we could convince this guy to come over for dinner! Dare to dream...................

Hitting the town...twice in one week!!!!

Yes......the SAHM who normally has her head buried in school books hit the town twice in one week. To be honest...twice in a 3 days period. What is the world coming to????

First, on Wednesday night my friend Jen & I went to the long-awaited Elton John concert in Anchorage. You see, EJ has never played in Alaska before so this was a huge deal. So we abandonded our housewife-wear (AKA sweatpants & pony tails) & hit the town.....stillettos and all..............

Before the concert we enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Bernie's Bungalow...great food (I had the Thai Lemongrass chicken) and sitting in the sun. And little did we know Bernie's & one of the local radio stations was hosting a party for all the people who couldn't get tickets to the concert. It was EJ music & trivia galore..................

After stuffing ourselves we headed to the concert. It was crazy...it was packed but it was oh-so-fun! Sadly, neither of us took cameras with a strong enough lens to get a really good picture (I mean you all know mine got STOLEN).....but none-the-less, it was fabulous!

Sorry about the poor video quality...I was using D's little pink Sony Cybershot...plus....I had a raging drunk sitting next too me who kept wacking me as she danced. And believe me ...she danced whether the song warranted it or not......

In fact in the clip you can hear Jen talking about how "jerky" her dancing (and I use that term loosely) was.....seriously you would have thought she was at Headbangers Ball or something..... Then you somebody mention YouTube. That wasn't about my video clip, but the girl sitting to Jen's left who was taking video of the crazy drunk with her iPhone & uploading it to YouTube and Myspace right there from section 215! You gotta love the digital age.......................

So after totally exhausting ourselves Wednesday night we took a day to recoup & then hit the town again Friday night with a group of six women to go see the Sex and the City Movie. Jen & I drug them all down to Bernie's with us again for more yummy Thai food. This time I had the Coconut Curry Chicken washed down with a couple of Bernie's delicious Cosmos

There was loads of crazy antics (like Jen popping across the street to get $$ from the ATM.....but when I went off in search of her I found her trying on shoes in Nordstroms. But I do have to give it to her...the shoes were really cute....) But alas....we headed off to the movie & we got there safely thanks to our DD MaryAnn. :)

Afterwards we hit Outback for another round ...plus some warm yummy bread! It was a fabulous night. And now this mama will be crawling back into her housework/schoolwork shell for a another month or 12. But it was fun while it lasted.......................

STOP the insanity already......

Seriously, in the last 2 weeks my life has felt as crazy as this little dude looks....no joke!

Let me break it down for you:

·I have not been able to log into my blog in over 2 weeks......yeah....you can imagine the things I was thinking about that. And the Blogger techies couldn't tell me why. Go figure! But I am back on now, so keep your fingers crossed!

· Little R. got a wicked case of strep the last week of school & missed all of the festivities at school. That meant the hubby & I were playing "musical children" during the busiest week of the school year.

·So last Tuesday we were getting into my van to head to the school for the kids' exit interviews (end of year conferences) & as I climbed into the driver's seat I couldn't help but notice the front seats had stuff everywhere. Apparently someone had broken into our van overnight & was looking some goods. Of course they found my uber-expensive digital camera that was in the console between the front seat (mistakenly kept there so I wouldn't forget it during all of the aforementioned school activities). They also stole our dual-DVD system. But with that the joke was on them......first of all they forgot the power cord. I know for a fact a replacement for it runs about $25. So once they buy a cord to power the system, they will discover it BROKEN! Ha! Jokes on them........ serves 'em right!

Needless to say I am super mad about the whole ordeal. I ♥LOVE♥ my camera *makes super sad face*. And the whole ideal of somebody breaking in creeps me out. I mean we live in a nice, well-lit subdivision. But this just goes to prove nobody is immune. The cop that came out said tons of people in our town have been hit in the last 2 weeks or so like we were . They suspect its kids doing the work......great........just what I wanted to hear........

· Anyway...if you are still with me, it gets better.............

Thursday night I am grilling up some fabulous steaks for dinner & I hear R. say to his sister "I'm going inside, my eye hurts!" I took a quick look at it as he came onto the deck & it was a bit red. I told him to go get a wet cloth & I'd be right there. Anyway...I'll spare you all the details but in less than 10 minutes the area around his eye had swelled to the size of a baseball & the conjunctiva (the membrane in the eye socket) had swollen up & was actually bulging out. Ewwww......it was so not pretty. Needless to say we were at the ER in under 10 minutes. For a brief moment I wondered if we were overreacting.....then as soon as we set foot in the door, the nurse at the triage desk took one look at him, and told us not to move. Even though the waiting room was packed, they ushered us straight back to an exam room.....they didn't even take his name. While we were pleased with the immediate attention, we got really freaked out then. You know to be concerned if they don't even take time to slap an arm band on you.

In the end, they determined he was having an acute allergic reaction to a bug bite & were able to get him fixed up with some meds & such. Then we followed up the next day (at the ER doc's recommendation) with both our pediatrician & an opthamologist. In the end everyone is in agreement - little dude is having progressively worse reactions to bug bites. We have seen bad reactions to mosquitoes in him before....but this was this was the worst (thus far). So now we armed with prescription emergency antihistamines out the wazooo as well as the almighty Epi-pen! Fun...............oh yeah.......................

So there is my fun in a nutshell......how are things going with everyone else????

Oh & by the way, since I wasn't able to log on to blogger, I wasn't able to reveal the answer to the the Jellybean challenge. The number of Jelly Bellies in the jar is 3670! Seriously...talk about sugar rush! And the winner is...............drumroll, please....................Corey. Congrats! I will be contacting you via your blog Corey to get your goodies to you!

Lator gators.................

So it'a time for the "Slow Down".......

At least in my delusional little mind it is.....

Friday was the last day of Spring semester- can you scream hooray???? I did :) And in the last 3 days I have had literally dozens of people ask me if I'm "done". Cheerily I say "Yes I am....for the next week & a half!" Pretty sad that I am ecstatic about a week & a half off...... But you gotta take what you can get!

So...the kiddos have less than 2 weeks left of school before summer vacation & we are all thrilled about that. However, I about had a heart attack when I woke up last week to this

Holy guacamole.....seriously people we got a record amount of snow (over 10 inches in a matter of hours in APRIL none-the-less)....3 weeks to the day before summer vacation. Something is seriously wrong with this situation! But now the snow is gone **crosses fingers** and its is 60 degrees as I type. Let's pray that it stays this way.

On another note....I have decided my children must get jobs. Jobs to support their Webkinz addictions. They are kind of high-tech Beanie Babies. It is some weird elementary school craze that is sweeping Alaska and from what I hear, the rest of the nation. Well last Saturday, Patty who owns Sidekicks here in the Valley hosted the annual Webkinz party & it was crazy! There were Buy One-Get One Free specials followed by an entire afternoon of games....games for which she gave Webkinz as prizes.....literally hundreds of them. My kids won over a dozen Webkinz combined that afternoon. And then we found out later in the day that D. had won the "Guess how many Jelly Beans Are in the Giant Jar" game and won not only the aforementioned jar & Jelly Bellies, but also a bag full of Webkinz & goodies!

Seriously it was insane!

On another note~ my kiddos sent me flowers for my last day of school on Friday (with the help of their Gma.) They made my heart melt....

until little R. came and snuggled up on the sofa with me

R: Do you like the flowers Mama?

Me: I LOVE them!

R: We got them for you cuz it your last day of school.

Me: I know...you are tooo sweet!

R: We only have 2 weeks of school left.....

M: Yep! Then we'll be home together for the summer.

R: So when my school gets out what kind of present are you gonna get me?

UGH!!!!!! Seriously....only out of the mouth of a soon-to-be 1st grader.....

So, since I am feeling cheery with school being out & all I figure I'd have the first ever "Life Inside" contest. I will take entries until one week from today, Monday May 12th at 12noon AST. In the comments give me your guess of how many Jelly Beans are in this jar. See the above photo of my almost-10year old holding said jar to get an idea of how big it really is. For reference she is 5 feet 11/2 inches tall. The winner will get a care package of some Alaskan goodies! Good luck!

P.S. Mom & Jen....you can't play cuz you already know the answer, but I promise I'll make you Cosmos really soon!

You have got to me kidding me.....

That is what I thought as I drove into the UAA campus this morning. As I pulled out of my driveway before dropping the kiddos off at school, I was so depressed about how hideously brown my grass still is in the 2nd week of April. Spring is always sooooo slow in coming here.
Anyway, have you ever heard the saying "Be careful what you wish for?".....while I was wishing my yard didn't look so...uhm...YUCK, the Big Man upstairs had a little surprise in store for me.....

Let's just say my 42mile commute took me almost 3 hours & by the time I got home this afternoon my yard looked like this...........

I know I am really working on the PMA thing but this seriously put a damper on my mood............

Good grief it is the 9th of April........... I mean it was so bad that the University canceled late afternoon classes (yeah, I wasn't so lucky) & D's youth group was nixed too......in April people.......

I want Spring! I want green! I want flowers! I wanna wear flip flops! *okay...tantrum is over & I promise I'll try to behave from here on out*

And do you wanna know who is just LOVING this? The dog! Look at the crazy mutt! See all the prints in the snow on the deck? Those are ALL from her wallowing in the snow...............

On a more constructive note.....

I did manage to find something in the midst of this "Indian Winter" that cheered me up (if only just a tad)...

I don't think you can make out what the line I have circled says:

Bag refund -0.05

I got 5 whole cents refunded to me for taking my own bag to the store. I carry a Chico bag in my purse & I ♥ it! And mine is pink to boot!

I do it 'cuz I am sick of 10 billion plastic bags taking over my house. I do it 'cuz it is good for the environment. I do it 'cuz this sucker holds a ton......and now when I use it they are gonna give me 5 cents to boot! I love this! You know...if I did this like 2 million or so times, I could put one of the kids through college or something :)

Hey...just humor me here...did I mention how much stinking snow we got today?????

Hmmmm....I think my sour mood is screaming for a Diet Coke, don't you? Better yet, I think rather than putting my "windfall" (ya know the 5 cent deal) into a College Saving Plan, I am gonna start saving for my own Fountain Soda Machine for here at home.....now that would be cool.........

The quest for a PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) continues.....

So, it's 11:11pm on Sunday evening & I still have hours of work ahead of me. So rather than whine & complain, I decided to "take 5" and type up a quick entry and focus on a few little things that I am thankful for this evening.....

Let introduce you to my "Best Friend" this semester....well, I mean not BFF like my dearest "Jennicrust" but it sure has gotten me through the past few months! I *heart* Zipfizz Liquid Shots! This stuff puts those popular energy drinks to shame without all the yucky side effects! Love it! Oh & did I mention the one I just downed about 15 minutes ago..........

Next on my list is the one, the only Diet Coke!!!! Seriously, I love this stuff so much that if I was still in 8th grade I'd have "Stacy ♥'s Diet Coke" all over my notebooks! I don't care what anybody says, this stuff is the elixir of life! And it is excellent as a Zipfizz chaser (but only when I am working on a major project)!

Okay...I think this photo speaks for itself...enough said.....

So why am I up so late if you ask?? Well I am working on a major research paper for my Western Religion class. I have been working on this monsters for days now, but I just can't seem to get it 'wrapped up'....

Secondly I have to be logged into the University website at midnight to secure my classes for the fall. One of the 2 classes I NEED only has 15 slots....wish me luck!

Ya know, I was talking to my husband on the phone this evening & he was wonderfully supportive of how hard I am working right now. And while I was tempted to bask in his sympathy for a minute or 10, I forced myself to buck up.......

I told him I am grateful for the following:

~that I have the opportunity to go to school at all (I know there are so many women out there who will never have the opportunity)

~that he is so supportive of what I am doing (he has even turned a blind eye to the ever-mounting housework that needs done around here)

~ that I have an uber awesome Mom & BFF who are willing to help me out with the kiddos when I have class

~ lastly that overall I have the 'ability' to succeed in school. I know that sounds conceded...what I mean, compared to many of my classmates school comes fairly easy for me... note I said comparatively................

Okay...enough rambling...I guess my point is that I am trying to stay focused on the positive things right now. If I start to let the 'negative' creep in ,it can get out of control & well I just can't waste my time or energy on that garbage.....

Update: Score! I got all the classes I needed for Summer & Fall semesters!

*****************************************************************************

On another note please keep the Smith family in your prayers. Angie's C-section is scheduled for 2pm Monday. I am amazed by this family's faith and their ability to trust in whatever God's plan is for baby Audrey.