You're invited........

Wanna come????????

Come see Angie Smith (www.audreycaroline.blogspot.com)

October 16-18,2009

At the beautiful Westfields Marriott in Chantilly, VA. www.westfieldsmarriott.com

Register online at www.lifepointchurch.us. Click connect and then Women for details. We'd love to have you join us.

xoxo

So how are your New Year's Resolutions coming along???

Here we are 5 days into February and I'm just wondering....how are your New Year's Resolutions coming along??  

Broken??

Forgot about 'em???

Doing great???

Checking 'em off??

I was messing around online and came across a list of the most popular New Year's Resolutions (These are from www.boncherry.com):

1.  Lose Weight

2. Pay off Debts

3.  Save Money

4. Get a Better Job

5.  Get fit

6. Eat Right

7.  Get a Better Education

8.  Drink Less Alcohol

9.  Quit Smoking

10.  Reduce Stress Overall

Quite a list, huh???  Sound familiar??

How about these funny New Year's Resolutions? (From the same website):

1.  I will do less laundry and use more deodorant.

2.  I will give up chocolates totally.  100%.  Completely.  Honestly...

3.  I will figure out why I really need 9 email addresses.

4.  I will not bore my boss with the same excuse for taking leave.  I will think of some more excuses.

5.  I will stop sending emails to my wife or husband.

6.  I resolve to work with neglected children- my own.

7.  I will spend less than one hour a day on the internet.  This of course will be hard to estimate since I'm not a clock watcher.

8. I will not tell the same story at every get together.

9.  I will not read email or text when I am on the phone with someone else.

10.  I will think of a password other than "password."

I no longer make a list of New Year's Resolutions.  A whole list is a lot to change.  I used to do it in the past, but by Feb I'd already failed.  Instead, each year, I focus on one thing that I'd like to emphasize.

This year, 2009, I am trying to laugh more.  That's it. Laugh more.  Two little words.  It's something that I can think about as I'm going through my days and it's a change that I can make.  2008 was a trying year for me, both emotionally and spiritually.  It was a rough road. Laughter is good for the soul.  I mean the real laugh out loud until tears come...that kind of laughter.  Laughter is healing.  That is why I'm trying to laugh more.

Let me share what I was striving for the past couple of years with you:

Last year, 2008, I was trying to be authentic.   Not that I was a liar before, but there were certain areas in my life where I'd kind of hide behind a mask.

In 2007, I was trying to simplify.  That's it. To simplify....in all areas, organization, schedule, kids stuff and mine.

I've found that focusing on one little area can bring true change.  It's something that can be achieved.

So, I probably should've posted this post Jan 1....but you know, I've been busy.  I've been living life.  So, I'm sharing it with you now, better late than never.  Who needs a new year to make change?? Start today!

Computers and a Prayer

Isn't the power of technology incredible??   Generally, technology and myself are not a good match.  It's kind of like oil and water.  When it comes to the computer, I've had a love/hate relationship with it.  Mostly hate. I love the endless possibilities but hate that I really don't know how to do much other than email. Seriously, until two years ago I didn't even know how to upload my digital pictures on to it!!!  All of my precious family memories were trapped on memory cards....when one would get full, I'd go to WalMart and by a new one.  Sad?? I know!

Thankfully, some friends showed me the light one evening when I confessed that I had about 15 memory cards, and I've been uploading ever since!  

Excel???? Powepoint???? You scare me!

Let's just say that when the computer isn't working right, I'm the kind of girl that turns it off and hopes it will get better by "resting."  

Over the past year and a half something has happened thanks to the computer, that I never would have thought possible.  I have made some wonderful friends and reconnected with old friends.

Have you met a friend over the computer???  

Last year I was the team Mom for my daughters cheerleading squad.  As part of my "duties" I had to update the parents through email.  Often I'd do this late at night after 11PM when everyone was asleep.   Many times one Mom would be up and email me right back.  I'd email her back.  We just connected instantly.  We talked about raising teens, lice, friends, even death. We never met each other because she wasn't able to attend the games.  After a few months of emailing each other she finally came over to my house.  When she pulled up and got out of the car, we just hugged each other. It was so nice to finally meet in person.   (Of course my kids thought it was pretty dorky.... they call her my email friend.)   We've stayed friends, done lunch,  and she was one of my biggest encouragers about running in the marathon this past fall.

This year I joined facebook.  Talk about a mind boggling experience.  Let's just say that if you join facebook you will be reconnected with people that you've known through every stage of your life.  It is the new version of "This is your life." Everyone from people you went to elementary school with, sorority sisters, past co-workers, family members, to friends and neighbors that your close with today. It is so strange to see them all listed side by side on one computer screen.

About a year and a half ago, I started this blog.  My sole intention was to update my friends and family on my kids.  As time passed I connected with other women and got to know them and their stories through their blogs.  I like to think of it as the new way for Mom's to connect.   When my Mom and Grandma had their kids, most Moms didn't work outside the home.  They'd get together and share stories, recipes, laugh & cry together.   I like to think that in a way, the blog kind of replaces the over the fence talk of generations past.   

I've met many women through my blog. Including a few that go to my church.  One friend that I met used to go to my church and had moved to Florida and started blogging.  We read each others blogs and finally got a chance to meet in person this fall.  How cool is that?  There have been many friends I've met that either have a blog that I started reading or who've somehow stumbled across mine.  It is always so neat to meet them in real life.

Then there are those people that I've yet to meet in real life.  This is one.  Her name is Kelly and right now she can use our prayers.  After battling infertility she got pregnant and just gave birth to her first baby, a girl named Harper. Harper was born at 40 and a half weeks and is in critical condition right now in Tulsa. She is having problems with her lungs and her heart. She can give you the details better than I, so if you have a few minutes go over to her site and read about her.  If you could stop what you're doing right now and say a quick prayer, I know it'd be greatly appreciated.

Your smile for the day!!

Remember Evolution of Dance??  Well he's BAAAACK!!

Check out Evolution of Dance 2!!  Love this guy!!  Enjoy!

So what did Mary & Joseph do while waiting for baby Jesus??

Apparently they played Bakugan!!  I thought this was funny.  My 8 year old left his Bakugan balls here before he went to school.  I did a double take when I walked by...it really looks like they are playing doesn't it???

More than you ever wanted to know....

This is fun!!! I got this first 150 things from Jennifer and Jenn. The extra 99 things are from Lizzy. The things I've done are in bold.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink

02. Swam with dolphins

03. Climbed a mountain

04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive

05. Been inside the Great Pyramid

06. Held a tarantula - (Never!!!)

07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone

08. Said "I love you" and meant it

09. Hugged a tree

10. Bungee jumped-(on my list!)

11. Visited Paris -(on my list!)

12. Watched a lightning storm at sea

13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise

14. Seen the Northern Lights

15. Gone to a huge sports game

16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa

17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables

18. Touched an iceberg

19. Slept under the stars

20. Changed a baby's diaper

21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon - (See Here!!!)

22. Watched a meteor shower

23. Gotten drunk on champagne

24. Given more than you can afford to charity

25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment - at a wedding (I know that is terrible.)...my friend and I were totally out of control...the couple ended up divorced 5 years later...hope we didn't jinx them!!

27. Had a food fight

28. Bet on a winning horse (okay, this was when I was a kid...my family would always bet on the Kentucky Derby.)

29. Asked out a stranger

30. Had a snowball fight

31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can

32. Held a lamb

33. Seen a total eclipse

34. Ridden a roller coaster

35. Hit a home run

36. Danced like a fool and didn't care who was looking

37. Adopted an accent for an entire day

38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment

39. Had two hard drives for your computer

40. Visited all 50 states-(Close!!! I've been to 45!)

41. Taken care of someone who was drunk

42. Had amazing friends -(Still do!!!!)

43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country

44 . Watched whales

45. Stolen a sign

46. Backpacked in Europe

47. Taken a road-trip

48. Gone rock climbing -(on my list!)

49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach

50. Gone sky diving -(on my list!)

51. Visited Ireland

52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love

53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them

54. Visited Japan

55. Milked a cow -yep, it was gross!!!

56. Alphabetized your CDS

57. Pretended to be a superhero-Wonder Woman...loved the outfit...funny thing is that Brian actually met Linda Carter about 10 years ago....and was at her house in Potomac Md!!!!

58. Sung karaoke

59. Lounged around in bed all day

60. Played touch football

61. Gone scuba diving

62. Kissed in the rain

63. Played in the mud -(need to do this!!!! Sounds fun!)

64. Played in the rain

65. Gone to a drive-in theatre

66. Visited the Great Wall of China

67. Started a business

68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken

69. Toured ancient sites

70. Taken a martial arts class

71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours (LOSER!!)

72. Gotten married

73. Been in a movie-(No, but I was in a commercial!)

74. Crashed a party

75. Gotten divorced

76. Gone without food for 5 days

77. Made cookies from scratch

78. Won first prize in a costume contest

79. Ridden a gondola in Venice

80. Gotten a tattoo

81. Rafted the Snake River

82. Been on a television news program as an "expert"

83. Gotten flowers for no reason

84. Performed on stage

85. Been to Las Vegas

86. Recorded music

87. Eaten shark

88. Kissed on the first date

89. Gone to Thailand

90. Bought a house

91. Been in a combat zone

92. Buried one/both of your parents

93. Been on a cruise ship

94. Spoken more than one language fluently

95. Performed in Rocky Horror

96. Raised children

97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour - No but I've seen Jimmy Buffet & Huey Lewis each in concert about a bazillion times!

98. Passed out cold

99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country

100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge

102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking

103. Had plastic surgery

104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived

105. Wrote articles for a large publication

106. Lost over 100 pounds

107. Held someone while they were having a flashback

108. Piloted an airplane -(on my list!)

109. Touched a stingray

110. Broken someone's heart

111. Helped an animal give birth

112. Won money on a TV game show

113. Broken a bone

114. Gone on an African photo safari1

15. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears

116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol

117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild

118. Ridden a horse

119. Had major surgery

120. Had a snake as a pet - NEVER!!!

121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon-(No, but I watched the Brady Bunch do it!!)

122. Slept for 30 hours in a 48 hour period

123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. States

124. Visited all 7 continents

125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days

126. Eaten kangaroo meat

127. Eaten sushi

128. Had your picture in the newspaper

129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about

130. Gone back to school

131. Parasailed -(on my list!)

132.Touched a cockroach

133. Eaten fried green tomatoes

134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey

135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read

136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating-(Never!)

137. Skipped all your school reunions-(Nope, been to them all and even helped plan them!)

138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

139. Been elected to public office

140. Written your own computer language

141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream

142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care

143. Built your own PC from parts

144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you

145. Had a booth at a street fair

146. Dyed your hair

147. Been a DJ

148. Shaved your head

149. Caused a car accident

150. Saved someone's life (When I was a lifeguard!!)

These are the 99 from Lizzy, a couple of them are duplicates, but not all.

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii - TWICE & still want to go back!!!!

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland/world

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon - Oh Yea!!! I did it!! See Here!

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching - and seen tons of whales too...in Hawaii!!

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book-(on my list!!)

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous -(Was asked out in college by the quarterback who went on to play in the NFL for many years....I turned him down...it was a smart move.)

92. Joined a book club -(Started my neighborhood book club.)

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

Winner!!!

The winner of The Shack is.....Mikki at Living Life Where Shoes Are an Option!!!!!  

Mikki is an old friend of mine....from way back before we had kids.  She started blogging years ago....I remember when she sent me an email about it...I thought to myself, what is a blog??? What is the point of that???  Ha Ha...look how far I've come!

To the rest of you....put this book on your Christmas lists...or go buy it..it's paperback, so therefore less than $10.  Trust me, it'll be money well spent.

Happy Monday!!!

Giveaway/Must Read!!

If you have not read this book, you need to!!!!  It is truly the best book I've read this year.  If you're curious about God and relationship with Him, then you must read this book.

I am giving away a copy for free, just leave me a comment to enter.

The winner will be chosen on Monday.

I Met a Friend!!

Me and Steph at my church's Women's Retreat!!!   

This whole blogging world is soooo cool.  This is Steph from The Scoop from the Loop. She used to live in Maryland....near me.  She also used to attend my church!!!  We never knew each other when she lived here, but met through blogging after she moved to Florida!!!  

This past weekend my church had it's annual Women's Retreat in Virginia and guess what??? Steph came.  We finally got to meet each other in person!!!  What a neat experience....and she is just as nice & funny in real life!

I love a RAINY day!!!!

Hello my laptop friends,

I haven't forgotten about you. I'm still here and all is well. No need to worry. My life's been busy, that's all.

First, I got a job!!! I am still subbing, but last year it was sooooo inconsistent. I decided to take a little part time job and I'm loving it. I am working with 2 of my good friends so we're having a blast. (Lots of talking and laughing to accompany our work, if you know what I mean!) I'll be back in the classroom too, but this will give me something to do that is a little more consistent.

The great thing is that the office is only 10 minutes away from my house. My hours will be very flexible....on working days I'm only in the office from 10:00AM-2:30PM or 3 so I'm home when my people get off the bus. So far, the first week's been great.

Second, I have to confess that I've been cheating on all of you with facebook. I'm totally addicted to it. I love going on to see if I've got any new friends and who they are and I'm really loving the flair!!!

Here's the pathetic part, I went on fb to check it out for Veruka. Just to see if we thought it was safe enough for her to set up one. Well, in doing that, I set up my own facebook. I started getting requests from people that I know in real life who want to be my friend on fb. At first I was emailing people and telling them that I really didn't have a facebook, partly because I knew I'd get hooked on it, but soon there were so many requests, I said what the heck and just went with it. (I was right too, I'm totally hooked on it!) It's pretty cool. I've reconnected with some friends from High School & college plus lots of other friends. If you don't have a facebook, you've gotta check it out!

So, now I sit here on this rainy day and I'm finally catching up with my blogging buddies. Today, I was supposed to wake up at 6AM and run 12 miles (yes, you read correctly, I said 12!) Our boys were each supposed to have football games which Bri was going to leave for at 6:45AM. It all was cancelled thanks to my good friend Hanna!!!! So instead, I slept in, drank my coffee in my pj's, read my People magazine (because a girl's gotta have her priorities), did a ton of laundry, cleaned my house and am catching up on my blog! What a great day!

Also, when our mail came, look what was in it....

I won this from Nancy at her blog. This is the first time I've EVER won anything!!!! How fun!

What did she win????

So are you wondering what was in my giveaway??

Ta Da!

Just a few of my favorite things...

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

A Gift Card to Starbucks

A Can of Old Bay Seasoning...

and if you want to know what's in the package....

You'll need to go here to find out.

Have a great weekend!  We finally get to sleep in tomorrow!  Yea! 

We have a WINNER!!

First of all, I just wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you to each of you for stopping by my blog.

I was blown away by all of your comments!!  Thanks for helping me feel the love.  If you were here, I'd hug you all.  

Without further delay, let's get to our winner.....

103 of you commented....so I used the old fashioned method (aka:  Debbie's method)....because I have zero skills when it comes to technology and computers.

(I mean seriously, it is a miracle that I've been able to actually have this blog.  I am that pathetic.)  

So, no random generator for me.

Can I get a drum roll???

Isn't my helper cute??

Our winner is.....

S'more of My Thoughts at My Wheels are Turning!!!!!

Now here's the funny part, when I went to her blog...guess what it's theme is???  It's all about camping!  I thought that was pretty funny considering I am so...."not the camping type."  

(Although, maybe if I had an RV, I'd be singing a different tune!)

Congratulations S'more!! I'll be in touch with you.

For the rest of you, I've got a question....  

Earlier today I had commented on a friends blog that I was so excited because unleaded gas was $3.53 a gallon here.  Well, when I was running around today I saw that it had dropped to $3.49 a gallon for unleaded!!  Boy was I excited.  I pulled right in and filled up my Mommivan.

Isn't that sad that in my mind $3.49 is a bargain???!!!

When I was in college gas was 70 cents a gallon for unleaded!  That right people I said 70 cents!! (Yes, I'm old....it's okay...the 40's rock!)

So, here's my question...since you guys are from all over....how much is a gallon of unleaded gas where you live??

Come On In!!

Hey Everyone! 

Come on in. I am so excited to be one of the featured bloggers representing the great state of Maryland!!!  All of you ladies from "Blog Around the World"  come on in and make yourselves comfortable.  For my old friends, who don't know about BATW, click on the link and go check it out.  Basically, it started as a post that turned into a Ms. USA pageant, that turned into a brand new blog for my friend Debbie.

  

I am so excited that Debbie chose Maryland today, because guess what??? This is also my 100th post!! You know what that means??? That's right a giveaway!!Keep reading and I'll give you the details.

So, I guess I should post some fascinating facts about Maryland, but I'm too lazy to look anything up.

Here's what I can tell you off the top of my head......

Maryland is just a hop, skip, and a jump from Washington DC.

You pronounce it Mair-uh-lind.  Kind of like Meryl Streep, but Meryl Lind instead. You do not pronounce it Mary Land. Got it?  Good, let's move on.

Maryland is all about steamed crabs.  (Sorry Louisiana, we don't boil the crabs over here on the East Coast.)  We steam them and then smother then in Old Bay. What's Old Bay, you ask??? Only the best seasoning ever invented by anyone anywhere.  You can put Old Bay on just about anything (right Jon??) It is especially good on crabs!!!  

(It is sooo good that when my hubby and I moved out west we actually packed a case of it to take with us.  They didn't sell it where we were moving to, and there was no way we could live without it...that's how good it is!)

Maryland is the home of the Baltimore Orioles....even though they've stunk since Cal Ripken Jr. retired....we still love em!  Go O's.  

If you come visit, be sure to spend a day at the O's super nice stadium, Camden Yards and then you can shop and dine at the nearby Inner Harbor.

My friend Steph just reminded me that Maryland is also the home of Duff aka: The Ace of Cakes.  We can swing by Charm City Cakes and see what he and the gang are up to this week.

If you like boating and history, then we'll head on over to Annapolis for a day at our beautiful waterfront state capital.

I almost forgot to mention, we also have a football team here.  They shall remain nameless. My hubby and I aren't fans of that team.  We were both born and raised in Maryland. We moved away and came back after that other team came to Maryland....so we are die hard REDSKINS fans here in our household.  We've done our duty well and have raised our sons accordingly.    

(Our daughter has somehow decided that she is a Cowboy's fan....I'm afraid she's going to have to be disowned.)

Maryland is also the home of the Gold Medal Man, Michael Phelps.  Woo Hoo!!!  Was he awesome in the Olympics or what???  My friend Mikki asked the question that I just can't seem to answer.....Why was his suit sooooooo low?????  My goodness, every time he swam I was afraid we were just one air bubble away from finding out if he shaved his whole body before each race -- do ya know what I mean???!!!  

Michael, we love you, but please do us all a favor and hike up your suit.

If you decide to stay we can "go down the ocean, Hon."  Now that is not how I really speak, but that is how a true blue Baltimorian speaks.  Translation = we can "drive to the beach."  (Don't worry, I am fluent in their language, I'll stick close by your side and translate all of your conversations for you.)

I know you've got lots of other blogs to get to today so, lets move on to our giveaway.  

What will you win????   You'll have to wait and see!  All I can say is it'll be good.

When will you know if you're the big winner? Check back with me on Friday and I'll let you know.

What do you need to do to enter this fabulous, wonderful, one of a kind, 100th post/BATW giveaway???

Leave me a comment.

That's it!!!

  

Thanks for stopping by.  Now go check out those other awesome ladies that Debbie has listed today! 

I'll see you Friday, when we reveal the big winner!!

PS.  Since Debbie mentioned my Hot Air Balloon Ride.....click HERE if you want to read about it!

No Cable, No Internet....5 days!

Hey All,

Yes, I'm still here...I've had no cable and no internet for the past 5 days!!  Can you believe it???  I finally got reconnected this morning....hallelujah!   I've got lots to share with you...it's been a busy week around here....but have too much to do right now.  Check back in tomorrow.

Check this Out

Do you want a new look for your blog???  You know I love, love, love Darcy and her work at Graphically Designing....if you want a custom blog....head on over to her website.

But, if you're just looking to make your blog pretty and would like to spend zero dollars....go to this website:

www.thecutestblogontheblock.com

I found out about it from my niece, who blogs.  (I'd link you to hers, but she uses their real names and would like to keep her blog private.)  Her new look is so cute!  I love it.  If your interested.....go check out some of their great layouts.

Unlike Pyzam, you don't lose all of your links and other goodies from your blog when you upload one of their layouts.

Can't wait to see your new looks!  If you make a change, link back to me and let me know.

Have fun!

How'd you find me??

My statcounter at the bottom left side of my blog has a neat feature. Not only does it tell me the # of people who've been to my blog, it can tell me what people googled that led them to my blog.

Some of them are pretty funny and pretty strange.

Here are my top 10 favorites:

10. Tales from the Homefront - That one's obvious and googled the most.

9. Poetry project - Hmmm. You wouldn't be trying to copy someone elses project would you??I'm sure teenagers never use the internet to cheat.

8. Crutches - Got it, maybe someone needed to research the different types or wanted a picture of crutches.

7. Boy on crutches- Strange!!?? Why do you want to see a boy on crutches?

6. Laundry Room makeover - Hopefully, they liked what they saw. :)

5. Big hair- I think maybe it's coming back.....of course, the year I get my sassy short haircut.

4. Beth Moore's hairdo - I bet this person was sorely dissappointed. They were looking for Beth, and all they got was my blog! Ha!

3. Plantation Beige by Duron - There are tons of people googling this! Who knew???

2. Tobacco Road by Duron - Again tons of people looking for pictures of Tobacco Road paint. I'd never have thought to google paint color pictures.....

....and the #1 strangest phrase that people have googled that led them to my blog is:

1. How to torture your family- Who is googling this???? Apparently, the people at google, think my blog will tell them how to do this!

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I am feeling so much better this morning, although still not 100%.  Now Charlie has it. He's staying home from school today.  Poor guy!

Yesterday, Mike had an early dismissal.  Normally,  I try to do something fun on those days, but that was not happening yesterday in my condition.  Instead, the 2 of us had "Movie Monday." When he was in Pre-School and in Kindergarten we used to have "Movie Monday" every Monday.....so this was kind of fun for both of us.  We snuggled up on the couch with a blanket, turned on the fireplace, and watched a movie while it rained outside.  Perfect!  

We watched the movie "August Rush" and it was EXCELLENT!  I had never heard of it, so I don't know if it won any awards, but if it didn't, it should have.  It stars Kerri Russell and Robin Williams as a bad guy.  It's rated PG, and we had to fast forward through one kissing scene....yuck....it also had a couple of bad words...so it may not be good for younger kids.  It has some "deep" story lines....the boy is born to unwed parents, given to the state for adoption, and is hoping his real parents find him.  Robin Williams plays a creepy guy who has a bunch of kids working for him.  All of this was over Mike's head.  For him, it was about a boy who could play great music and was searching for his parents. It will make you want to learn how to play an instrument....great music, very inspiring.  If you're looking for a good movie to watch, check it out.

Also, I wanted to let you know that Darcy at Graphically Designing is having a post-Mother's Day contest where she is giving away a FREE blog makeover!!!!!  If you're interested, go on over to her blog and check out the details.  You have to enter today or tomorrow, because the winner will be chosen Thursday. Good Luck!