I have not posted since April 8, 2009:

I have not posted anything on my blog since April 8, but I do hope to make a fresh start. This blog will be mostly about every day things: viewpoints, thoughts, dreams, wishes, statuses, etc. I hope you enjoy spending a bit of time with me every day.
My youngest daughter, who is my third child, celebrated her 16th birthday yesterday! So hard to accept the fact that she's growing up! She's taller than me now and her feet are quite a bit longer, too. Before long, I might get to ask her if I can wear some of her clothes! LOL We went to Samurai Steak and Sushi restaurant to celebrate last night. Our friends, Jessica, Trinidad, and Melinda joined us there. There was 9 of us altogether. The chef made us laugh, several times in fact! Peyton and I wore dresses, as did her friend Jennifer, and the guys all wore dress pants and dress shirts! Wow! It was fun dressing up! And our friend Jessica brought her 16 pastel roses in a pretty purple vase. How special is that? I decorated the dining room with black, silver, and pink "Sweet 16" items that I found at Party City. Very cool! And she wanted a cheesecake instead of a "regular" cake, so that's what she got! Fun times and some great pics!

Project 365 ~ Day 63 (Wednesday, March 4, 2009)

Hunter's basketball team (Rockets of Clear Lake Boys' Basketball, age 10 Juniors) go to the play-offs tonight! Woo-hoo! His team is ranked second in his age division. They played well and the game was very exciting. They came in runners up. Right after the game, they received very nice large trophies. The winners received embroidered nylon sports jackets (which were actually way over-sized). TG3 came to watch the game with us and then we went to Star Fire Grill for a late snack (while TG3 had dinner). Thanks for the support by coming to Hunter's game, TG3! We love you!

Project 365 ~ Day 62 (Tuesday, March 3, 2009)

Wow! I have really gotten behind with my posting, but I am going to try (again) to catch up. The date of the posting will be later than the date that I am writing for it to be (clear as mud?).
In other words, today is actually April 7, but I am writing for March 3. I have a lot of things to say and reflect on, so it shouldn't be much of a problem to catch up! For example, after having taken the baseball scorekeeping class, I didn't realize how difficult it was until sitting in the scorekeeper's box! Yikes! Not only do I not know all of the baseball terminology (although by now I should), I also found that the umps are not always that cooperative when it comes to calling "ball" or "strike"! From now on, I would prefer sticking to pitch counts and/or announcing the players! Yikes!!

Project 365 ~ Day 61 (Monday, March 2, 2009)

Out of the mouths of babes: My son, Hunter (age 10), said to me the other day that he cannot wait until the year 2011. Of course, I asked him what he meant by that and he replied: "because I'll be a teenager then"! Not something I even want to think about, especially with having raised two through the teen years already and I have another one that is there now! As my dad would've said "may the saints preserve us"! :)

Project 365 ~ Day 65 (Friday, March 6, 2009)

Do you ever have random thoughts enter your head without provocation? Does it ever make you wonder why? I was once told that when a person pops into your head, it is the Holy Spirit's way of letting you know that that person needs prayer and maybe a helping hand. Maybe they could use a friendly phone call or a kind note. The next time you think of someone that you haven't thought of in a long time, stop and take a moment to pray for them and to ask God what you can do to help that person.

Project 365 ~ Day 64 (Thursday, March 5, 2009)

I went on the fourth grade field trip with Hunter's school today. We went to the San Jacinto Monument. I rode with a friend, Amy Schlauch, whose family we've known since we started attending the same church as they do. Amy (who happens to be from Thailand) and her husband, Art, have three wonderful children. The oldest, Wittiker, is the same age as my son Hunter and they get along beautifully. Wittiker and Hunter were on the same baseball team at Bay Area Texas Baseball for at least three seasons! The first two of those were coached by Wittiker's dad, Art. I'll post more about the field trip and the San Jacinto Monument at a later date.

Project 365 ~ Day 60 (Sunday, March 1, 2009)

I love our Church! There are so many wonderful friends that we have made there and our minister, Randy Hageman, preaches the Bible truths. Our lead singer, Betsy Burke, as well as the other singers of course, all have beautiful melodic voices and the instrumentalists are just as wonderful. We also have a church band called "The Resurrection Band" which is working on their second CD! Mike Lively, the youth leader, is well respected by my daughter and my 10 year-old enjoys the 11 a.m. Sunday School class (especially the Sundays that I help in there; ha)! There are many southern baptists that attend there, as well as "reformed catholics", etc. PLUS: we have the bonus of a real Starbuck's inside of the church!

Project 365 ~ Day 59 (Saturday, February 28, 2009)

Today is Little League Opening Day! All of the teams of the Nasa Area Little League lined up on decorated floats for a 9 a.m. parade. And...all the team players had bubble gum and/or candy to throw-out to the parade viewers! The boys (team players) have as much fun, if not more, than the siblings trying to catch the candy that they are tossing to them from the floats! A funny thing happened with our float, however (and I am sure it was not funny to the dads at the time). One of the team player's dad's made some awesome large wooden Astro's stars to put on the flat bed to decorate the sides and back of our team's float. They were scurrying in an attempt to hurry to get all nailed in place by the time the parade headed out of the parking lot. Well, as soon as they got to the end of the parking lot, they were stuck! It seems that the beautifully made wooden stars were too tall to fit through the height limit at the parking lot entrances! Not only did they hold up the floats following behind them, but they had to quickly dismantle the wooden stars even more quickly than they had nailed them up! And the parking lot entrance was only a few yards from where the float had started. After all of that, everything turned out to be a beautiful day! The boys teams were all announced on the major ball park diamond and then they all enjoyed a rock climbing wall, inflatables, cake walk (my son won TWO cakes!), hair painting (my son had an Astro's red and black star spray painted on the top of his head), pitching game, tug of war, etc., not to mention all the food provided by Chick-Fil-A. (BTW, Chick-Fil-A is another fast food restaurant that I had not heard of before moving to Texas)!

Project 365 ~ Day 58 (February 27, 2009)

Girl Scouting: We are a "scouting" family. My youngest, Hunter, was a cub scout in first grade. Had things gone more smoothly that year, I am sure that he would still be a boy scout! My daughters, Courtney and Peyton, were both in scouting (and Peyton still is). Courtney was in girl scouts in elementary school. Peyton started in scouts in fifth grade in Texas. I would have put her in a troop in Ohio, but there was not enough interest at her elementary school for a troop to be formed. The troop she is in here has been the same one, with the same leader and same girls (except for the addition of a couple and the leaving of a few girls), since she was in fifth grade. Peyton's leader's name is Kim and her "fellow" girl scouters are Sarah, Nikki, Caroline, Summer and Maddie. This is a great group of girls! No problems whatsoever. And they are now considered "senior" scouts! Peyton is working on her silver award now. One of the troop members has a very ill parent and the girls are going to cook a meal for that parent (and family) this week. This is also teaching them the christian principle of reaching out to others in need. And as Mother Theresa would say: "Even if they don't want help, you help them anyway".

Project 365 ~ Day 57 (February 26, 2009)

My 10 year-old son's baseball team, the "Astro's", have their first practice game of the season tonight. If I am not mistaken (imagine that! LOL), Little League's Spring season started a month earlier this year. We're still finishing up basketball and yet baseball games are starting. We've been having baseball practice since January! I don't recall it being this early in the past. Or maybe I am just more tired than usual? Go 'Stro's! (And after the practice game tonight, I am taking a scorekeeper's class)!

Project 365 ~ Day 56 (February 25, 2009)

The kids and I saw 'Coraline' a few days ago. It is directed by Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas". The movie is based on a 2002 fantasy/horror novella written by Neil Gaiman. I believe that Peyton (my 15 yo) enjoyed the movie to an extent, but my 10 yo son thought it was scary in parts, especially when Coraline's "other mother" wants to sew buttons over Coraline's eyes. She escapes but not without severing the hand of her "other mother" which comes to haunt her by trying to steal the key to the hidden door and allowing the "other mother" to visit. After Coraline has escaped, she finds that her real parents are missing. Hence, there are some scenes that are terrifying to young children. I would recommend the movie for those over the age of 11 at least.

Project 365 ~ Day 55 (February 24, 2009)

Today is International Pancake Day! Mmmm.... love those pancakes! My mother used to make what she called "sand dollar pancakes" which were in fact the size of the larger sand dollars (only about 3 to 4 inches in diameter). I miss those days of my mother cooking when I was growing up. But my favorite pancakes as an adult are the cinnamon pancakes found only at Bob Evans restaurants. We had one back home but they don't exist in Texas (the Bob Evans restaurants that is). Oh, if only I could have another Bob Evans' cinnamon pancake!!!

Project 365 ~ Day 54 (February 23, 2009)

Bunco! I love Bunco! I had never heard of it before moving to Texas, however. Here it seems to be almost as addictive as scrapbooking amongst the women. The first time I played it was during a Girl Scout Mother-Daughter Mother's Day event with my daughter, Peyton. Then not very long ago, a dear scrapbooking friend (Suzanne) asked me if I would like to fill in as a bunco player at her house one evening. I had a blast! I even won a prize (although I don't remember what the prize was for LOL). And the food was wonderful! Tons of it! I am now going to play with them every month (there's about 12 women in this group that get together once a month to play bunco). Bring on the dice! I call BUNCO!

Project 365 ~ Day 53 (February 22, 2009)

Woo-hoo! My little boy's basketball team, aka "Rockets", is going to the play-offs! Their semi-final game is on March 2 and if they win that one, they'll go to the finals on March 4. Only the top two teams of both the east and the west divisions go to the play-offs. They then have tournaments starting on March 7. All teams go to the tournaments. Those playing in the all-star games will have those after the tournaments are over. The league that my son plays in is Clear Lake Boys Basketball. He had to try out to get a place on the team! Let's go, Rockets! Win, win, win!!!

Project 365 ~ Day 52 (February 21, 2009)

I cannot help but wonder what's going on with our country that we are slowly losing our freedoms. This is happening right under our noses and we are so oblivious to what's going on or is it that we just don't care? Why can't we speak up and let our voices be heard? Our country is turning into a country of socialism; we are losing our freedom as individuals. With the plans to make health insurance a government choice and not an individual's choice, we are slowly beginning to fade. If a procedure is needed to prolong life, the government will have a say as to whether or not it is worth it according to how long that person's life will be prolonged and so on. We won't have the choice of paying out of pocket as europeans do because the government won't allow those who have the most money to pay for the best care. We also depend on imports and exports and when other countries get wind of us becoming socialists, they won't want to trade with us and we'll be doomed. And once our government takes away our freedoms to choose our own healthcare, there will be no turning back as we won't have any other option open to us. What is happening to our freedom of choice? Somehow, someway, we need to let our voices be heard!

Project 365 ~ Day 51 (February 20, 2009) Friday

TGIF! I love Fridays. I believe that started when I was working at Honda and would look forward to Friday nights. Our shift at Honda started a half an hour earlier on Friday evenings, meaning we would get out of there by 12:30 a.m. instead of at 1 a.m.! That half an hour seemed to make a world of difference. Now that I have been off work (for approx. six years now), my Friday nights are still my favorites. For me, it is a night of relaxing, enjoying my free time, and watching television late into the night. Sometimes in the past, I would light candles and drink a glass of wine while watching a movie on TV. All by myself. I felt so loved by me. There's nothing wrong with pampering yourself and everyone should do something like that for themselves from time to time. Something that is relaxing and makes you feel happy and warm all over. Something for just you.

Project 365 ~ Day 50 (February 19, 2009) Thursday

Today is the 50th day of the year. Not sure why I mentioned that! LOL On my mind today, however, is something sad. A dear lady that worked in the childcare department at our church passed away unexpectedly. She was only a couple or so years older than me! She had gotten pneumonia and finally ended up in the hospital a couple of weeks later. She died that weekend. Peyton worked with her on Monday nights and at other times at church. We didn't go to the funeral as it was during school hours and I thought it best that she remember Rachael the way she was and not what she looked like at the funeral home. The sad part though is that Peyton didn't get to say her good-byes to her at the viewing. We had wanted to go to that, but things happened that prevented us from doing so. I really regret not getting her there even though I physically couldn't. I will be touching base with Peyton and I will ask her how she feels about Rachael's passing.

Project 365 ~ Day 49 (February 18, 2009)

Today is Wednesday the 18th. I have been concentrating this morning on things that I need to get caught up on: phone calls, bill paying, finishing recipes for a recipe swap (scrapbooking group), etc. I procrastinate way too much! I have asked God to help me be better about getting things done on time and not waiting to the last minute to do so. Be careful for what you ask God to help you with! Be ready for what happens when He begins to teach you a lesson! Because I procrastinated, all kinds of things happened (a chain of events) that would not have happened had I not put things off to the last minute. Wow! I could see God teaching me a lesson in every step of the way! I am very aware now of consequences to our actions, late and otherwise.

Project 365 ~ Day 48 (February 17, 2009) Tuesday

Today is the 17th of the month already. Time sure is flying by. I think that the older I get, the more it seems to evaporate.

Project 365 ~ Day 47 (February 16, 2009) Monday

Peyton's back in her school today although I am not sure she's very happy about it?! Hmm....not sure why but I will be trying to find out. Her high school is very over-crowded and students get lost in the shuffle of things. It can be very overwhelming for a student with ADD.

Project 365 ~ Day 46 (February 15, 2009)

Yesterday was a very busy day. Hunter had a basketball game in the morning, then we went to his baseball practice for two hours, then had basketball team pictures taken and then he had another basketball game! His team won both games. Woo-hoo! They are in second place out of eight (8) teams! His team is the "Rockets". They wear red shirts and black shorts, and their jerseys are either white or black, according to whether they are the home team or visitor at any given game.

Project 365 ~ Day 45 (February 14, 2009) Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! Even though today is Valentine's Day, our busy Saturday schedule goes on as normal. For Valentine's Day, I got Peyton a lunchbox tin full of Hello Kitty pez dispensers (various characters). She is really into "Hello Kitty" stuff right now, as some of her high school friends are again. Cute! Hunter wanted a "chocolate rose" for Valentine's Day and that is what I got him, along with a DS game to help him with his chess playing ("Chessmaster"). He got me a white lip-shaped sucker that he bought at school for me and he got his sister a green one (her favorite color). Sweet! However, he bought them earlier this week and had given them to us right away as he didn't want to wait until today. LOL He gets so excited!! Cute!!

Project 365 ~ Day 44 (February 13, 2009) Friday

Yikes! Today is Friday the 13th, not that I am superstitious or anything like that! But instead of it being a bad day, it is a good one. We got word from the associate principal today that they made a mistake and that Peyton can return to her high school "at her earliest convenience". Woo-hoo! I can now cancel the appeals with the school superintendant (which would have been the next level up). Happy Valentine's Day early, Peyton!

Project 365 ~ Day 43 (February 12, 2009) Thursday

Today is Thursday, February 12, and still no word from the associate principal. Therefore, I take Peyton to an orientation this evening. Not anything that we wanted to do, for sure! I take my 10 year-old with us and amazingly, he sits as quiet as a mouse behind us for over an hour! I am so proud of him! With his ADHD, that could not have been easy!

Project 365 ~ Day 42 (February 11, 2009)

Still waiting for results of the meeting with the high school's associate principal yesterday. She told me that the longer it takes for her to make a decision, the better the answer will be. Therefore, I should be glad to not know yet. Still, I am not a patient person and the time of not knowing what is going to happen is what wears me down.

Project 365 ~ Day 41 (February 10, 2009)

When Peyton was caught skipping from school last week, she also was "accused" of something else even though they had no real proof. I wish not to go into details, but I truly feel that my daughter was railroaded. Of course, I am fighting it and I have a meeting with the associate principal today. I hope and pray that all goes well so that my daughter is back in her high school this week! (And I hope that my daughter is a better judge of people from here on out).

Project 365 ~ Day 40 (February 9, 2009)

Wow! I had better get busy with my blog so that by the time the new month comes along, I am caught up! This weekend has been a nightmare! Peyton decided to skip classes at school, for the first time ever, and got caught doing so. Her punishment? A three-day suspension. I agree that she should receive discipline for skipping classes. What behooved her to do so? The fact that a close friend of her's was moved to another state without warning due to problems in her friend's home, and the students making fun of the girl and also of Peyton because she's the girl's friend. Peyton feels as though the teachers allow the students in their classrooms to be "rude" as she puts it. Peyton befriends anyone that is an "underdog" because Peyton has compassion for people. She sees their hearts instead of their outward appearances. I can identify with so much of that and I hope that she has learned that from me, although I have oftentimes gotten away from that and I sometimes get caught up in the cliques and the way of thinking that certain people just aren't "good enough" to befriend. I pray that God forgives me for taking my eyes off of him and putting my sights elsewhere from time to time. Thank you, Peyton, for reminding me of compassion!

Project 365 ~ Day 39 (February 8, 2009)

My daughter went on a weekend retreat to Carolina Creek Camp near Huntsville, Texas, with the high schoolers from our church. She had a wonderful time. They not only had devotionals, of course, but they also did zip lining and a rope obstacle course. In addition, they had a late night camaflouge water fight.... now she cannot wait to go on the youth group's next outing: a 4 day "mystery tour" that involves going out of state during spring break. The destination is a total surprise! Cool!

Project 365 ~ Day 38 (February 7, 2009)

This is a Saturday and our Saturdays are very full with sports right now. My little boy has both basketball and baseball today. He has two games of basketball and a two-hour baseball practice in between the two! I don't mean to sound as though I am complaining because I do love staying busy. I truly enjoy taking Hunter to sports events and I enjoy watching him participate. I also truly believe that it is healthy keeping children busy. I am not saying that one should over do it, of course, but the physical exercise and the healthy use of time is important to teach a child. Plus, with my son's level of hyperactivity, it doesn't hurt helping him use his energy in a positive way. Way to go, Hunter!

Project 365 ~ Day 37 (February 6, 2009)

Today I am really upset with my teen daughter. She was caught skipping classes. She has never skipped classes before (proven by attendance records for each class) but got caught the one and only time she does. Don't get me wrong; I am glad that she got caught as she needs to take the consequences, but why in the world did she think she could just skip her classes? She couldn't have had much fun doing so as there was only restrooms to hide out in (where she got caught, by the way). Her school punishment is three days suspension! She says she will never ever skip again and I hope she remembers how she felt when she got caught.

Project 365 ~ Day 36 (February 5, 2009)

Working on catching up on my blog: My blog for today is about my friend Christie. She's become a dear friend from church. We haven't known each other for very long but she's one of those people that when you meet them you feel as though they are already a friend. Each month, we meet some place different for coffee. So far, that's been the Coffee Express, Starbuck's, and Dunkin' Donuts. Christie has two children that are each one year younger than each of my two youngest children, and both are boys and girls. Christie is a prayer warrior and is planning an upcoming wedding to Sam. Congrats to Christie and Sam; and Happy Birthday, Christie!

Project 365 ~ Day 35 (February 4, 2009)

Wow! I haven't blogged in over two weeks, so I am going to try to catch up! My mind hasn't been blank all those days (LOL) and I still have plenty of things to blog (aka "talk") about and pictures to take! This is going to be counted as "Day 35" as though I didn't take a 16 day break! I realize that it will automatically post as though this is February 19, but instead please read the date in my title line. I guess what I should talk about today is the fact that I sometimes become overwhelmed with stress and even the ordinary daily events seem to be too much at times. That's the main reason for having missed so many days on my blog. That, plus unexpected family events that definately took a toll. I am going to try to do better and not get so far behind ever again, although that's going to be a tough promise to keep knowing how I am (:: rolling eyes at self ::)!

Project 365 ~ Day 34 (Tuesday, February 3, 2009)

Today I am blogging about my dear friend, Trinidad. He turned a whopping "65" today but you would never know it to look at him! Younger men should be so lucky! He has been a dear and dependable friend since I met him about 4 years ago in a church outing (not long after the kids and I moved to Texas). He is a strong Christian and knows what he's talking about. In other words, he "walks the talk". This is a man that anyone would be lucky to call "friend". Happy Birthday early, Mr. T!!!

Project 365 ~ Day 33 (Monday, February 2, 2009)

I treated my sweet daughter of 15 years to dinner at the following restaurant:
http://www.samuraisteakandsushi.com/hibachi.html
Peyton and I ordered the chicken hibachi and fried rice. It was fun watching the chef prepare the food right in front of our eyes. Peyton had been here once before with her Girl Scout troop for their Christmas dinner just last December. She loved it and was so intrigued by it all. She says that this is where she wants to come for her birthday dinner this year (not until August). When a diner celebrates a birthday at Samurai, they are given a sword and a crown to wear! How fun! I can just imagine the scrapbook pages from those pictures!

Project 365 ~ Day 32 (Sunday, February 1, 2009)

February already? It seems like a week or two ago we just had Christmas! Hunter has decided that one of his favorite foods is baby back ribs. Not long ago, we ate dinner at Chili's and Hunter ordered the kid's meal rib dinner and was in love! LOL Today, we prepared baby back ribs for our Super Bowl dinner. He asked if he could have ribs for his bedtime snack! LOL (Needless to say, he had ice cream for his bedtime snack instead).

Project 365 ~ Day 31 (Saturday, January 31, 2009)

What a busy day today was! Hunter, my 10 yo son, had two basketball games and a baseball meeting! Baseball practice (for Spring season) starts on Monday with the first game being the first weekend in March. Basketball is only one-third of the way through the winter season. We are looking at a couple of very busy months with both basketball and baseball practices and basketball and baseball games!!! Basketball did get a late start this season due to the number of gymnasiums damaged at schools caused by Hurricane Ike in September. Basketball practices started in the outdoors this winter season! I am sure that there are many states that cannot say that! :)

Project 365 ~ Day 30 (Friday, January 30, 2009)

Today was a very bad day for my 15 yo daughter (therefore, for all of us)! She made a poor choice with her classes today and because of the poor choice she made, I have alot of "fighting" to do this week on her behalf. Monday will be another bad day as that is the day that I will have to try to keep my emotions in check as I fight for her! This poor girl has been through so much already. I believe that poor choices have consequences, and I am not arguing that, but I feel as though she is being railroaded and this is far worse than an expected consequence. This changes everything!

Project 365 ~ Day 29 (Thurs., January 29, 2009)

I got a call this evening that my 10 yo son will be on the "Astro's" team for Spring 2009 season of Little League. He's really excited (jumping up and down) because he found out that his good friend, Harrison Rodriggs, will be on the same team with him. Harrison and Hunter met last Spring season 2008,when they both played on the "Cincinnati Reds" team together in Little League. They currently are together on the "Rockets" team in Clear Lake Boys Basketball. There weren't any requests (none were allowed in these leagues) to be on the same team, so this is miraculous! They both are thrilled, of course! Harrison is the second child in a family of four boys. They are a wonderful family and we are happy to have met them, of course. We are so blessed by the many friends we have met here.

Project 365 ~ Day 28 (Weds., January 28, 2009)

Today I attended a new ladies' Bible study at my church, "When Wallfowers Dance" by Angela Thomas. It is about becoming a woman of righteous confidence. This is a six week study and here's a quote from the author's introductory page: "My dear friend, Most of my life I have felt like some sort of wallflower. In my awkward high school years, I was the textbook wallflower in glasses and braces (boy, does that sound familiar!). As time went by, the physical attributes of wallflower began to fade, but its spirit was never far away. In every little defeat or big disappointment, I'd retreat into the heartache of being unseen and unknown. (I can so identify with this)! ....As it turns out, the woman who retreats into the spirit of wallflower eventually becomes an un-woman. Empty. Numb. Barely present. Just breathing, smiling, and blending in to stay out of the way. ...I called God my Father and claimed Jesus as my Savior. ....Our God is a pursuing God. God dragged me out of the dark and into the light. He held me close and gave me safety. As I came to know deeper truths of His desire and passion for me, the most beautiful picture I could paint of His love was the picture of a wallflower being asked to dance. This study is about dancing --about not just living with God but spiritually maturing to dance in His arms. About responding, "Yes", when He chooses you and asks, "Would you like to?" I believe that answer requires total surrender to God's sovereign will and a complete trust in His tender love. The woman who is dancing with God is captivating. ....My dear friend, lift up your weary head. Look into the eyes of your Heavenly Father. When God is in the room, all of the wallflowers get to dance. (I absolutely love this)! Looking out from His arms, Angela (Thomas)
I hope to share more about this study at later dates.

Project 365 ~ Day 27 (Tuesday, January 27, 2009)

My 10 year-old son is sick today and home from school. Poor little guy! He has a low-grade fever and you know that he's sick when he lays around a lot. Highly unusual for him! He even took two naps today! Another oddity for him. I am having "sympathy symptoms" for him. I do love it that he loves to share everything with me but I sure wish, by golly, that he wouldn't share his illnesses with me! Gotta love 'im!!

Project 365 ~ Day 26 (January 26, 2009)

Today is actually Monday, January 26, although the post will read as though it were Tuesday, January 27 (rolling my eyes because I have not yet figured out how to change it). From time to time today I have been thinking about an odd dream that I have been having lately. Off and on since graduating from high school (let's not say how many "moons" ago that was!) I have been dreaming of classmates and school assignments (or would one say that is more a "nightmare" than a "dream"?), and the school assignments are not any that I have ever participated in! I am not sure if this means that I should be praying for them (perhaps the Holy Spirit is bringing these people to mind?) or I am missing them (even though many in my dreams I was never close to) or that it is possible that they are thinking of me, too??! And "they" do say that we only remember a small portion of our dreams. Makes me wonder what I dream about that may be even stranger than the ones that I remember?! I do know that we have a high school class reunion coming up this year. I attended our fifth, tenth, fifteenth, and 20th, but did not go to the remaining ones. I felt too sad to go to our 25th reunion because so many of my beloved classmates had passed on. These were the ones that I only saw at the reunions, but couldn't wait to catch up on what was happening in their lives, such as: Steve Heinz, Mike Hentze, Kraig Tallman, Lindsay Thomas, Ted Johns, Joe Wish, Herb McPherson, Doug Weeks, Greg Hurney, Tim Vicario, Tim Irwin, Chuck Hildreth, and that's just a few of the guys!; then the girls included: Patti West, Helen and Ellen Carpenter, Kim Shepherd, Sarah Young, Kathy Knack, Vicki Syler, Cindy Krouse, Sue Vicario, Toni Scott, JoAnn Brown, Kathy Ritchey, Anne Stockton, etc.
Hmmm.... looks like I may have had more male friends (just friends nothing more) than girl friends! LOL
A little background: Steve Heinz moved to Florida before we graduated. Actually, I don't remember if he moved when we were in junior high or in high school, but he still comes to the reunions (or at he least did) and is very handsome! I would say that he's kept his looks more than any of the other guys. And a plus: he's an attorney!
Mike Hentze and I became friends in sixth grade. I had a big crush on him! And we bonded over dodge ball! LOL Our sixth grade teacher was a dodge ball fanatic. He had divided our class into three teams (blue, red, and white) and each one of us had a number 1 to 5 within each color team. I don't recall our number for sure, but Mike and I had the same number (whatever number that was and I think it was "5") and we were on the blue team. I was so good at dodge ball that if I did not get out of the locker room as timely as Mike did, he would be yelling at the top of his lungs for my help! LOL I was good at dodge ball because I had a total fear of that ball and would do whatever it took to dodge it!! :))
Kraig Tallman and I became friends in junior high. He was a very likable guy until he was involved in a horrible automobile accident that left his face disfigured in high school. We all were devastated by what had happened to him. He had to have his jaw wired as it had been broken in the accident; he had to have facial reconstruction and plastic surgery and still never looked the same. He still looked as though someone had bashed in the side of his face, even several years later! After that, Kraig was not as friendly and jovial (as was understandable, of course). Kraig was our school mascot in high school. After graduating from college, he went on to New York and became a fashion designer of sports wear. Kraig died a few years later, and I am still not sure why except that some of our classmates had said it had something to do with his heart. We still miss him, of course! (BTW, his older brother, Cole, had a crush on me when we were in junior high. I was in 7th grade and Cole was in 9th grade).
Lindsay Thomas and I became good friends when we were freshmen in High School. We were in the same advanced english class and sat beside each other. We talked every day and shared a lot of our thoughts and ideas. One day that summer, Lindsay suffered a terrible tragedy when his brother was killed in a car accident. His brother, Tim, was a senior in high school at the time. Tim had been drag racing and lost control. It was a very messy accident. Even his head had been severed when the car hit a cement embankment and the body threw over (through?) a telephone pole at a high rate of speed. His shoe was stuck under the accelerator pedal. I remember seeing that picture in the newspaper! When the sheriff's department went to the Thomas home to tell the family, only Lindsay was at home. His parents were at work (his father owns a construction company, Thomas and Marker Construction). Instead of the officers waiting for his parents, they told Lindsay! Lindsay was only 15 years-old. How could they do that to that poor boy?
Ted Johns moved to our elementary school area (Western Elementary) when we were in fourth grade. His dad was on the police force. Ted was the cutest blond I had ever seen! LOL When my parents would go to visit good friends of theirs, the Kemps, I would visit my best friend Sarah, who lived only two houses away. Sarah and I would walk down to Hubert Gainey's house, who was about three or four houses from Sarah. (Hubert was my first "real" boyfriend and that was in first grade, unless you call my five year-old step-cousin that LOL)!
Ted ("Teddy") lived around the corner from Hubert (aka "Huey") and we would all play together. That usually involved playing in the creek or going for walks or playing hide or seek, or whatever we could find to do. BTW, Hubert was part Cherokee and dark and very handsome!
Joe Wish was a fellow redhead. He was next to the youngest in his family of many. His parents had a nice sized farm and he was very popular, as well as handsome. A classmate in high school once teased and said that he and I should marry some day so that we would have redheaded children! (My friend Sarah sat behind him in a class or two and said that she would count his freckles; LOL)!
Herb MacPherson was my fifth grade boyfriend! He was also very handsome and had light brown wavy hair and blue eyes. He was quiet and I was quiet (you wouldn't believe that about me now; would you? LOL)! He played trumpet and I (tried to anyway) played clarinet. One week I was out of school with the flu and came back with Herb very upset with me. It seems that our teacher moved our seats around and he and I were no longer seated beside each other. He was mad at me for it! I don't know that he ever forgave me for being out sick!!
Doug Weeks was the most handsome man in our graduating class (at least in my opinion) but also the first one to lose his looks (as well as his waist)!
I had a crush on Tim Vicario in high school. He had blond curly hair and blue eyes. His father was the mayor of our small city. Tim and I were friends but I didn't know then what I know now: he just was not into girls! After high school graduation, he went to nursing school and moved out west (Arizona I think). He died a few years later of Aids. His mother told me that when his father was sick, and I was taking her back and forth from The Park University Hotel (where I interned at the time) to University Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where her husband (Tim's dad) was hospitalized with heart problems.
Tim Irwin was another redhead in our high school class. The only redheads were Joe Wish, Tim Irwin, and me! Tim's father was a veterinarian and Tim later took over his father's practice. Tim was (is) a very nice and decent person. He married a girl from our class, Pat Rinehart. Pat's an artist.
Chuck Hildreth was "in love" with me in first grade! He would write me secretive notes and leave them in my school desk. (Randy Schrechengost and Hubert Gainey also competed with each other for my attention by writing me notes, but not so secretively). At one point, our first grade teacher moved me out of the aisle and sat me by the windows by myself because of all the attention those boys were giving me!! Chuck later (after high school) dated a good friend of mine from my youth group at church, Connie Britt, a beautiful blond who became my matron of honor, and another "friend" of mine, Linda McClain, who was actually one of my dear friend's ( Linda Briggs) good friend. Small world! Chuck was also the first boy from our high school graduating class to go bald! He was so self-conscious about it that he had hair plugs for a while. The last time I saw him was when we both worked at Honda.
Last but not least, we come to Greg Hurney. I left him last on purpose. I had a huge crush on Greg from 7th grade through our freshman year in high school! He was one of the best looking and sexiest boys in our class (although the word "sexy" was foreign to me back then). Of course, he was also trouble, but not for me. He had stood up for me on several occasions, especially when other classmates would tease him about the crush that I had on him. He and I never dated and were only friends, if that, but I had wanted so much more! I wanted to go steady with him! Now I look back and am thankful that we didn't date. Greg was a "bad boy" and probably would have caused me shame. (His family, however, was one of the wealthiest in town, along with Ted John's family. But money is not what had attracted me to Greg. Money didn't mean anything to me as a teenager, of course. Not in those days! That was never something that attracted me to anyone, anyway).
That'll be enough on the reminiscing (for now, anyway). More will follow at a later date....

Project 365 ~ Day 25 (January 25, 2009)

Today I was able to I'M with both my older children, Nathan and Courtney. Courtney was at Nathan's house and it was a wonderful thing to feel so close to them, even if it is through cyberspace! I love you both so very much!!!

Project 365 ~ Day 24 (January 24, 2009)

Today is a chilly and dreary and rainy day. It was a beautiful warm day yesterday. I am beginning to think that the saying we have in Ohio ("If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it will change") pertains to Texas pretty much, except that it would be more like "if you don't like the weather, wait 12 hours and it will change"! Ha! If you like change of seasons, Ohio was wonderful for that. Here, in Texas, you have two seasons: summer and hotter summer. Actually, we do get cold sometimes in the winter (even down in the 20's at night on a rare occasion), have frost on our car windows several mornings, and we have even seen the occasional snowflake! They say that Houston is the most air-conditioned city in the nation, and one of those few places where you can run the heater and the air conditioner in the same day. It's true!

Project 365 ~ Day 23 (January 23, 2009)

I had a hard time deciding which subject to write about today. I have so much on my mind (imagine that)! But one thing is for sure, I certainly do have some wonderful friends. And I am meeting one of those friends, Sue, for coffee at our new Starbuck's today. This is the second time I have been to this Starbuck's. I was here the week before with another good friend, Christie. That week I had their hot chocolate supreme, which is made with four kinds of chocolate, and I requested a half-shot of espresso in it. YUM! Today, I am getting a raspberry mocha frappucino with a full shot of espresso. If that doesn't wake me up, I am afraid that nothing will! I love meeting friends for coffee. It is a warm and comfortable way of carrying on a conversation, almost as comfy as being at one's own home. Christie told me that she was going to say "yes" to Sam's proposal in two days. And Sue and I talked about her husband's medical tests, Karen's recovery from surgery, our grown children, and many other things. Oh, if the walls of all the Starbucks everywhere could talk!!!!!!
BTW, did I tell you that our church has a real Starbuck's in it?!

Project 365 ~ Day 22 (January 22, 2009)

Due to the timing of my last post, it was automatically generated as being Thursday's blog, but it was Wednesday's and today is Thursday's (although it is actually Friday and I am trying to catch up; make any sense? LOL)!
Thursday's prominent subject for me was my little boy's strong wish to bond with me, even scrapbooking with me. He's mentioned this before but we hadn't actually gotten around to doing any of it together nor had he had the opportunity to do any scrapbooking himself. (BTW, a good friend of his, Travis, has been scrapbooking with his older sister and mother for quite some time). And these boys are not "girly" boys in any sense of the word! Continuing: After I picked Hunter up from school in the afternoon, we headed to my favorite LSS ("local scrapbooking store") for a make & take. He grumped all the way there because he thought it would be boring! I proceeded to do the make & take once we there, and after watching me for a couple of minutes, he wanted to do one himself. I can honestly say that his turned out so much better than mine!! He asked me if I was going to buy the kit to go with it and I told him that I usually do and that we could share it. No, he wanted his OWN kit! Okay, this one time, son. After this, we share; okay? Okay! So after homework and dinner (yummy chicken alfredo with veggies in it), we set out to scrapbook. All I had to do was show him how to use my Tombow tape runner (after this he's using his own acid-free glue sticks to save on my tape! LOL) and I cut "his" kit down to an 8" x 8" size. I showed him how to follow the picture (that's the only thing that comes with these kits; no written instructions) to make the layout that the kit is designed to make. Walla! His turned out beautifully! He then proceeded to do a layout page for his dog, Charlie, who lives at his dad's house. He then did a third layout: his sister Peyton and him (Hunter) when they were 9 and 4. That photo is black & white and he chose the remaining paper (that was not used) from the kit and some embellishments (by his own choosing) to complete his layout. He just had me do the journaling and told me what to write. LOL By that time, it was his bedtime. I look forward to setting aside time in the near future for Peyton, Hunter and me to scrapbook together at our kitchen table. More quality family bonding time!

Project 365 ~ Day 21 (January 21, 2009)

Today is Wednesday and we (my daughter Peyton and I) received a frightening email this evening. One of the girls in the Stars girl scout unit, age 15, went missing at about 5 p.m. last night and hasn't been seen of or heard from since. She's in the same girl scout unit as Peyton and she's the same age as Peyton. Her little sister is in Hunter's fourth grade class and I have seen her walk to school every day to pick up Lily, her little sister, to walk her home after school. Only today I saw an older woman, probably her grandmother, walking Lily home. I wondered then if Julia (the missing girl) was sick, before I received the email. I forwarded the alarming email to all the parents at Ward Elementary who's email addresses I knew as they would also know the family and could be on the lookout for Julia, as well as pray for her safe return of course. Receiving that email from my daughter's girl scout leader dredged up horrible memories and feelings of when my own daughter was abducted just two-and-a-half years ago. I can imagine how horrible Julia's parents must be feeling. I am sure that they are feeling lost and frantic and numb and angry all at the same time. UPDATE: Thankfully, I received another email later tonight saying that Julia was found and is safe. I don't know any more of the details but I thank the Lord that she's safe. I pray that she is well. Too much of this is happening and of children being approached by strangers. One detective told me a couple of years ago: "You live in the big city now". Our area of Houston, Clear Lake, is an excellent area. It is the home of many professionals (mostly engineers, astronauts, teachers, etc.) who have chosen Clear Lake as their home. So why is crime escalating? Some purport that it is from the displaced evacuees that moved here from Hurricane Katrina's devastation of New Orleans. Some think that it could be that criminals in Houston are moving further south of the city. I don't know why it is happening, but it makes me think that NO WHERE on earth are we really safe! God, please plant a hedge of protection around us.

Project 365 ~ Day 20 (January 20, 2009)

Today is Inauguration Day as Americans celebrate the 44th President of the United States, Barrack Hussein Obama, taking oath to be our leader. He is the first African-American president of the United States. The office of president is the most powerful position in all the world. What lays heavy on my mind today is the fact that our 43rd President, George W. Bush, steps down from the oval office leaving his shoes to be filled by another man. I admire President Bush and everything that he has done for our country. He tells us that he would make different decisions about some things if he the chance to redo them. But what I especially don't like is the bum rap that many Americans have given the man! He stepped into office when the country was not happy about the previous president (Bill Clinton)'s actions. He had a negative start due to that presidency, plus only nine months into office we had the worse terrorist attack in our history. That for one thing disrupted all of our lives. It also started the recession! President Bush did keep his promise to us and kept us safe from another terrorist attack for the next 8 years of his presidency. Because of him, our homeland security was made stronger, our military was made stronger, new "things" were put into place for our protection, etc. Our country has prospered under President Bush! Our country's financial crisis is not because of him. It is due to the "liberals" putting into place a fair housing program for everyone to be able to buy homes, even if they could not pay the mortgage. Banks were offering loans to lower income people. When they could not pay back the loans, the banks lost money and a higher authority had to take over where the banks couldn't. And if things don't change or mistakes are not corrected, it can only get worse. On the other hand, we have a lot of reasons to thank President George W. Bush! Our country has always been one to help the oppressed. Yes, we went to war in Iraq. Things did not turn out as well as we had hoped and that could not have been foreseen by our president. Still, Iraq is now our ally instead of a foe, and Saddam Hussein is no longer a threat to us or to Iraqis. We need to continue to lead the world in fighting for everyone's freedom! If we don't stand up for our freedom and show others that they can have it too, then what do we stand for? It would no longer be for freedom if we don't take the stand! Our country was founded on Christian beliefs and faith in God. President Bush stands for everything that our forefathers stood for. God tells us to not kill, yet killing babies is murder! God tells us that homosexuality is wrong, yet there are those who pick and choose what they want to believe in the Bible. "They" would rather not offend anyone yet they don't think twice about offending God! Please pray and continue to do so for our country and that God will find favor upon us. So many future actions are at stake. It only takes one bending of the rules for future rules to be bent. God is still on His throne. Let us not forget.

Project 365 ~ Day 19 (January 19, 2009)

This morning, I am looking at the five layouts and one paper craft (a Valentine mini-book) that I made yesterday at a three hour "Sunday Night Layouts" class that I took at my fav LSS ("Local Scrapbooking Store"). I am so pleased that I am finally beginning to learn new things and that I can see an improvement in my style. I have been scrapbooking since my youngest child was about 2 years old and he's 10 years old now. What I love about this area (the Clear Lake area of Houston) is that we have so very many specialty scrapbooking stores as well as the chain stores that carry scrapbooking merchandise (Michael's, Hobby Lobby, JoAnn Fabrics, etc.)! There are many cropping opportunities as well as classes that one can take. What a change from Ohio! Yes, I have scrapbooking friends there, but scrapbooking stores were a distance and not very convenient. Thank you, Kathy, for getting me started in scrapbooking! Kathy Pope is a dear friend of mine who also lives in Ohio. Other friends of mine there who also scrapbook include:
Linda, Virginia, Anita, Tara, Anne.....! I wish we could get together for a scrapbooking retreat; wouldn't that be fun, ladies?!!

BTW, our kids have school here today, even though it is Martin Luther King day! This is due to the fact that our kids had to miss twelve (12) days of school due to Hurricane Ike's tour of the area.

Project 365 ~ Day 18 (January 18, 2009)

My youngest son's sports activities has occupied my weekend, for the most part. I am not complaining! Quite the opposite; I truly enjoy it. He had baseball tryouts today for Spring season. Yes, this is January, but it was 72 degrees today (never mind that it will be down in the low 40's again tonight). He did fairly well; he was better at pitching speed and running fast than at batting and fielding today. But there was also problems with the batting machine and it was not set at the correct speed, so we'll see how that affects the draft.

Project 365 ~ Day 17 (January 17, 2009)

Today my topic is about my 10 year-old's basketball team! He currently is playing basketball for Clear Lake Boys Basketball, which is an excellent league. The only time he played basketball before this was for one winter season at the local YMCA. For this league, he tried-out for it last November. Results were posted a week later. Even the players were not allowed into the gymnasium to see the results (in order to protect those that did not make the draft) and only the parents were allowed in. Parents had been told in advance that if their son made the team, the registration and fees had to be paid for that night ($230) or they would lose their spot! When Hunter had try-outs for this league, it was the first time that he'd had a basketball in his hand since he played on that YMCA team nearly two years before! I was amazed (surprised?) when I saw that my son had made the list! Woo-hoo! The sad thing is that I had to tell one of his friend's moms that her son had not made the team. Both our boys were at fall baseball practice that evening and I offered to check the results of the basketball try-outs while she stayed with our boys at baseball practice. Needless to say, that was tough on me, especially when she asked me if Hunter (my son) had made it! Hunter's team is called the "Rockets" and they wear their league jersey tanks (white on one side and black on the reverse side) over short-sleeved red t-shirts and with black gym shorts. His coach is Bruce Johnson. Also on Hunter's team is his friend, Harrison Rodriggs, who played baseball with him at Nasa Area Little League last Spring season and also Austin Thornton, who Hunter knew from Cub Scouts in first grade and who attended Hunter's elementary school up until this year (Austin's mom is now vice-principal at another elementary school). Today, Hunter's team played another team (the "Spurs") and beat them! It was a close game with the other team having a 10 point lead through the first half. During the third quarter, the spread wasn't as bad but the other team was still ahead by several points. In the fourth quarter, Hunter's team caught up and ended up beating them by a 2-point spread! 14-12 Woo-hoo! The other team, the "Spurs", has a good friend of Hunter's from his elementary school (Matthew Tamburello) as well as two other friends from his last Spring baseball team (Travis Neill and Christopher Jacoby). It was fun watching them play each other. Hunter was guarding Travis most of the time. Christopher has stitches in his chin and wasn't playing this game. Hunter has another basketball game today that we are heading to shortly. By the way, his coach told him that he played "excellent defense" today. Way to go, Hunter! UPDATE: My son's team also won their second game of the day, 11 - 8! Way to go, Rockets!

Project 365 ~ Day 16 (January 16, 2009)

Today I worry about my 15 year-old daughter's grades. She doesn't seem to have much motivation and gets angry when I talk to her about studying. Her grades have been slipping since the first grading period this year and I really think that she has given up on them! She is a freshman in high school and it is time for her to get serious since her semester grades and final year grade will go on her high school transcript that all colleges will see should she apply to them. She just finished up first semester exams this week. I know she has it in her to excel, as I have seen the results on her TAKS tests (even receiving commended on one of them last year). If her grades on these exams are not good, as I have talked to her about, I will be changing her to a different high school. There's one available for students that struggle with grades. It only has 6 to 7 students per teacher (per classroom!) and I have heard excellent results from it. Even the students that have attended the alternative school have "loved" the experience! The school that I am writing about does not have bad behavior students there; it is not that kind of alternative school. Peyton struggles with ADD and she just has too many distractions in the high school she is currently attending. It is over-crowded and very hectic. I've been praying for the answer!

Project 365 ~ Day 15 (January 15, 2009)

Wow, I am so trying to not get behind in this. Today's post is about my little boy, age 10, calling me his "hero"! That warms my heart in a way that is just too emotional for words. I picked him up after school and on the way home he said that to me. I asked him "why" and he said: "Because you are a good cook, and you do scrapbooking which is really cool, and you go to church and you pray. You are my hero, mommy!" Wow, that is a lot to live up to. I hope he always will think of me as his hero. I couldn't wait to get home in order to give him hugs and kisses! What a blessing it is to be a mom! Thank you, God, for giving me this opportunity!

Project 365 ~ Day 14 (January 14, 2009)

Today I am sick. I am thinking it is a bad sinus infection as I get one every year. My head is pounding and doesn't want to stop. It makes me sick, literally, to my stomach. It all started this afternoon. I don't have time to be sick! My son has basketball practice the next two evenings, baseball try-outs on Saturday morning and two (yes, 2) basketball games on Saturday afternoon! I have a scrapbooking class for three hours on Sunday afternoon, unless I need to be out of town that day. Go figure!! Oh, and my sinus is part of my disability listed with social security. I have unusual holes in my sinus! More holes in my head than the normal person? That sure explains a lot! :)

Project 365 ~ Day 13 (January 13, 2009)

For today, I choose to write about "fear", mine in particular. I woke up this morning feeling fearful, especially because I have a phone call to make and have been putting it off. It is one of those things that I don't want to face but have to nonetheless. I am a procrastinator, which doesn't help when it comes to fear as that just prolongs it and makes the fear much more intense. If only I would learn to get things done and over with! I guess I fear the phone call because I don't want the answer that I probably will get on the other end. Another thing in the list of unwanted things to do in my life. But who's fault is it? Mine! And why don't I learn? Why do I continue to make stupid mistakes, even at my age? I worry about me! And then I think back to all of the things that I have been through in my life and wonder if I have reached a breaking point. I was strong but now I am becoming broken. Isn't it amazing how we each can feel deep inside when things have changed and when things have to stop? I need to heal from the past and to stop allowing it to affect my future. I need to face the truths head on, to do what I have to do to put them in the past, and then to lead my life without those "things" buried inside of me. I cannot do it alone. I have Jesus by my side and He will guide me every step of the way, as long as I allow Him to lead me.

Project 365 - Day 12 (January 12, 2009)

Today is my oldest daughter's birthday! Courtney turned "26" early this morning (12:29 A.M., to be exact). She is so beautiful and has a loving, generous heart. She and her husband, Jim, have a beautiful 2 year-old boy (making me a grandmother!) who turns "3" on May 1. I hope and pray for a wonderful day for Courtney to celebrate her birthday. I miss her and I hope she knows in her heart that I am thinking of her! I love you, Courtney!

Project 365 ~ Day 11 (January 11, 2009)

For today, I decided to continue blogging on the subject of "snow" in my life. I do miss having a white Christmas, but even in Ohio we were not always guaranteed one! We moved to Houston, Texas, in 2004. That Christmas Eve, it snowed here! We are in the southeast part of Houston, between the city and the bay. It was the first time in 18 years that it had snowed in this portion of Texas, and the first time in 25 years that it had snowed on Christmas Eve! We are sure that we must have moved it here with us (or the wish for it anyway)! Ha! Then, during Easter weekend of 2007, we had gone to the Scarborough Fair (a renaissance festival) in Huntsville, Texas (approx. a two hour drive north of Houston) and it snowed! On the way to the "Fair", we saw bluebonnets and paintbrush (flowers) in full bloom. On the way home later the same day, they were covered with snow! We stopped so we could play in it. Then, on December 13, 2008, it snowed in our area of Houston, Texas, again! Wow! What a treat! Not late enough for a white Christmas, but still it put us all in the Christmas mood. And to think, my 10 year-old son flew to Ohio to visit his dad over Christmas and did not get to see any snow there! Go figure! By the way, my young son also learned how to ice skate here in Texas (in an indoor rink of course) versus learning in Ohio where the ponds freeze on their own every winter!!

Project 365 ~ Day 10 (January 10, 2009)

This is day 10 of my Project 365. Today I am going to concentrate on my younger son's love of basketball and how he made it onto the Clear Lake Boys Basketball team! Woo-hoo! We waited too late last year and didn't find out about the try-outs until after they were over. But this season, we found out in plenty of time to set up a time for trying-out. Even though Hunter had not had a basketball in his hand in nearly two years (since he played for one season for the YMCA here in Texas), he still made the draft! His team is called "Rockets" (after the Houston Rockets of course) and they wear red, black and white. Today, January 10, was his first game of the season and his team won (24 to 17). What an exciting game! And Hunter made a free throw shot (after having been "tackled" by another player)! :) Way to shoot the hoops, Hunter! It is so much fun watching your child excel in something that they love, not to mention seeing them have so much fun at it, too! I had a hard time getting him out of there after his game was over. The two teams that were scheduled to play a game in the gym next had friends of his on both teams! So....we stayed and watched that game, too, and then he shot some baskets with them afterwards for fun.

Project 365 ~ Day 9 (January 9, 2009)

Today is Day 9 of my Project 365. Today I wish to write about how much I loved snow when growing up in the snow belt in Ohio! My mother would tell me that when she was growing up, the snow would be so deep that it would be packed to the top of the fence posts and she and her brothers and sisters could walk along the tops of the fence! When I was growing up, we had snow most of the winter, but not quite as deep as she had described. When my older children were growing up, we would get snow quite often but it seems that we are getting less and less accumulation of it. Even my younger children have known winters of very little snow. Where is it all going one may ask?! One assumption is that it has to do with the global warming. Another is that it goes in cycles, as do the hurricanes (supposedly). Even though we only lived 10 minutes (10 minutes!) from a ski resort, I was never allowed to snow ski. I now regret (resent?) not getting to try it and the older I get, the more timid (afraid) I get to even try! It doesn't help being afraid of heights, let me tell you. However, I have taken my younger children to the ski resort to snow tube (which they did not have when my older children were little) and they love it!

Project 365 ~ Day 8 (January 8, 2009)

Today is day 8 of Project 365. Today, the most recurring thought on my mind has to do with my high school! Wow! That was many many moons ago. I had a dream last night about some of my classmates that I have not seen since the last class reunion that I attended, which was ten years ago (or was it 15 years ago? I honestly don't remember)! I have dreams involving high school every once in long while. (Some might be more like nightmares than dreams). I hope that all my children will have good memories of their high school days! My freshman class was the first freshman class to attend the new high school in Bellefontaine. The high school had formerly only held 10th to 12th grade, but they added our class the second year the new building wsa open. My graduating class was comprised of 188 students (compared to my mother's class size being only 17)! That was a fairly nice size graduating class back "in the day" (when I graduated). :)
My best friend, Sarah, whom I have been friends with since we were in first grade together is the one from high school that I am in the most contact with. Sorry to say, I have lost touch with the rest of the class for the most part! We have a reunion coming up this summer and I have just started to think about whether I wish to go to it or not. It would be worth it to see Sarah (who lives in Denver, Colorado, now) and many of those that I have lost contact with. It would also be wonderful to visit "home".

Project 365 ~ Day 6 (January 6, 2009)

Today is day 6 of my Project 365! Today I choose the OSU logo as my favorite thing to showcase. This is my alta mater and I am very proud to be a graduate of The Ohio State University. I transferred credits here after receiving my Associates of Science degree at Edison State Community College. I then attended OSU as a full time student, carrying two full case loads and being a single parent to two children and working part-time as well! I received my degrees in 2003 (after having completed credit hours and degree requirements in 1993 when my daughter, Peyton, arrived on the scene and I delayed doing my internship and then skipped right to receiving my diplomas) with Christopher Reeve as my graduation speaker. I received two degrees upon graduating from The Ohio State University: a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Management as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Italian (the language and studies). Also, if I watch a football game, it will only be a OSU Buckeyes game! I bleed scarlet and gray!

Project 365 (Day 5 ~ January 5, 2009)

My favorite item for today, the fifth day of the challenge, is my "personalized" Cricut. The Cricut was a gift to me last year and my dear friend Bibi personalized it with vinyl that she cut with my Cricut, using the SCAL (Sure Cuts A Lot) program. With my name on my Cricut, it is easy to identify at crops in which many ladies take their Cricuts!

Project 365 (Day 4 ~ January 4, 2009)

The item that I chose for today (the fourth day of the Project 365 challenge) is my brand-new Dell laptop computer. This was my Christmas gift and I love it! It's my first laptop and it is "spring green", which closely matches my Cricut accessories!

Project 365 (Day 3 ~ January 3, 2009)

I chose our Christmas stockings for this third day of the challenge. I have always loved the "nostalgic" look at Christmas and hanging stockings on a fireplace couldn't be any more nostalgic! We have a long-standing Christmas tradition, from the time I was a child, of investigating the stockings on Christmas morning before doing anything else. I hope we keep our traditions as family traditions make up a big part of our lives and connect us to our past.

Project 365 (Day 2 ~ January 2, 2009)

On the second day of Project 365, I have chosen this adorable picture of my one and only grandchild, Aiden, sitting on Santa's lap. Look at that big smile of his! Aiden is two-and-a-half years old and is the son of my gorgeous daughter, Courtney, and her husband Jim. Aiden and his paternal grandmother sent this special picture, complete with special frame, to me for Christmas. How sweet is that? I love you, Aiden, and I am wishing you tons of kisses from Grandma Robin!
BTW, I see that you are looking more and more like your mamma! :))

Project 365 (Day 1 ~ January 1, 2009)

The first item on my list for the first day of the Project 365 challenge is this beautiful ornament given to me this holiday season by my beautiful 15 year-old daughter, Peyton. She knows how much I love snowmen and I would love to have all snowmen ornaments on my Christmas tree.

Project 365

After seeing a couple of my scrapbooking friends jumping into this challenge, I have decided to do the same. The challenge is to take (and post) one picture a day on our personal blogs. The pictures do not have to be of humans. They can be of objects that mean something to us or have significance for that particular day. We can journal about each picture or choose not to journal on any particular day. This way, by the end of the 365 days, we have a composite of every single day of our lives. What an awesome way to share our lives with our children or other loved ones! We can also look back in a year or so and see what we were doing or read what we were thinking about at that particular time in our history. Suggestions are taking photos of someone new that we've met, a food that we've never tried before, a favorite pair of shoes, a special Christmas ornament, a lock of a baby's hair, etc...! How awesome is that? This is an exciting challenge and I hope you will all join me in this endeavor. Jump in and take the challenge! I'll be posting pictures as soon as I can catch up. And since my new laptop won't recognize my compact flash media card, this might be easier said than done. (::rolling eyes::)

Happy New Year!

A new year and a new way to look at things, that's what I hope!

I've made my resolutions and I hope to stick to them (this time):

• Call my family more! I really don't like using the phone much so this is really going to take effort on my part.
• Use snail more; I recently discovered that I have many friends whose mailing addresses I don't even know (even though I've been to their homes)!
• Cut back on the sweets that I crave so much!
• Drink more water and less soda!
• Read my Bible daily and set aside time for the Life Journal that I'm doing through my church.
• Stop procrastinating (I've asked God to help me with this and He really taught me a lesson today)! Lesson to learn: Be careful what you ask God for!
• Try to become more organized! "They" do say that a sign of genius is a cluttered desk (so what is a cluttered anything-else?).
• Take charge of my life and change the things that are causing my depression! Life is too short to spend it depressed and I want to be happy and share that with my children!
• Learn to say "no" when it comes to spending; learn to save!
• Spend more quality time with my 15 year-old and really talk to her and listen. Maybe then she wouldn't be so stand-offish to me so often?
• Maybe find a part-time job? I did say "maybe".