the reason why...

...you don't have a drink when you are already tired and still have christmas presents to make for your 3, 4, and 6 year old neices...



yeah those are supposed to be a MATCHING set...crap..

Merry Christmas!

I got this from hubs today and just laughed too hard to not share it with all of you :)

Tbwa_xmas_wmv
Uploaded by cooperden

Perfect Angle

Some of these just make me say..."what the...heck..???!!!!"

more this 'n that

Ok so I LOVE this Wii. My favorite has got to be the tennis. However, the golf absolutely irritates me because I can't do it right, thus, I tend to play that one more often. I feel like Happy Gilmore...."Go To Your Home!!....just taaaapppp it in..just taaaappity taaap taap it in". I really could throw my "golf club" through a window right now. Ugh! I will beat that game if its the last thing I do...

Anyways, on to other things...

Abqchunk mentioned the other day about looking for a gift for her brother and his fiance for their wedding. Which got me thinkin...she had a pretty good idea with the plush frivolous bathrobe idea...So I decided to check my brothers registry...Get this...theres only one bathrobe on there. Not just one available, but only one (under quantity) selected... so my question.. who is the one who will be walking around neked? Not that I really want to know...just saying.. abqchunk...ya really got me thinkin there..

Ok other things in life...wait, lets go back to the whole wedding thing...

I absolutely D.R.E.A.D. having to find a dress for my brothers wedding. I hate spending the $$ on a dress I will probably only wear once. (The last dress I bought for my other brothers wedding is still sitting in my closet) Needless to say, the afore mentioned dress no longer fits, nor is in style. Thank God I only have one other wedding after this one that is mandatory to attend. (That would be my little sister).

So in order to make it a little easier finding a dress, I've decided its back to the diet time..ick...and lucky me, just in time for all the holiday goodies...oh well, guess I will just have the upper hand on those who have the new year's resolution of dieting and losing weight...

Calm after the storm

So last night, after staying up fairly late playing Wii Tennis, I took a long hot shower and headed to bed. Only to be disturbed from that "almost asleep" state by my crying baby girl. I coaxed Anthony to get up and go check on her. After a few short minutes I hear him yelling "honey you'd better come up here, I need help NOW". I get upstairs to see Anthony holding Elizabeth by the back of her PJs (Mission Impossible style) over the lanolium floor in the bathroom. She is completely covered in puke, as well as her bed, her favorite bunny (that she can't go to sleep without) and all her blankets. Let me tell you it S.T.U.N.K.!!!!!

After getting her into the bathtub, washed, dried and redressed, she threw up again. We repeated this process most of the night, at least til around 1:00 a.m when we all dropped into bed from exhaustion. (Big kudos to Anthony for enduring the puke with me - thanks babe!!)

Thank God this morning she was back to her normal cheery self. Now I just pray the rest of our family doesnt get whatever it was she had.

boxing

Wii ben
Uploaded by cooperden

Heres a little preview of my 4 year old playing Wii sports boxing. This truly is a system for all ages. Of course, you dont have to stand that close to the tv to play. I will post a more detailed review in a few days (along with some more pics or video)

Yet another...

Here is a Meme my friend Cindy emailed to me. It had some good questions, so I thought I would blog it instead of emailing it to all of you :)

If you want to repost it to your site...feel free!!


1. What is your occupation? SAHM & Daycare Provider
2. What color are your socks right now? White
3. What are you listening to right now? The fan next to my woodstove and my windchimes outside
4. What was the last thing that you ate? Im drinking a peppermint mocha right now, otherwise, cheerios
5. Can you drive a stick shift? Yes
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? um, i think i would be pink
7 Last person you spoke to on the phone? Anthony
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? of course!
9. How old are you today? eeekkk...never ask a woman her age...okay fine, 30
10. Favorite drink: homemade peppermint mocha
11. What is your favorite sport to watch? Football
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Yup, too many to count
13. Pets? none
14. What was the last movie you watched? Memoires of a Geisha - I HIGHLY recommend this movie if you haven't seen it!!
15. Favorite day of the year? I would have to say christmas. I love the cozy feeling of waking up and having that special family time.
16. What do you do to vent anger? Clean the house
17. What was your favorite toy as a child? hmmm i dont know that I had a favorite toy, but I did like the good ol fashioned sit 'n spin.
18. What is your favorite fall or spring? fall
19. Hugs or kisses? Hugs
20. Cherries or Blueberry? Blueberry
21. Living arrangements? Own my home, well technically the bank still owns it
22. When was the last time you cried? a few weeks ago...got in a fight with hubby
23. What is on the floor of your closet? pillows
24. What did you do last night? babysat my neices and nephews and played on my Wiiiiiiiiii :)
25. Favorite smells? christmas tree (evergreen) scented candles
26. What is your dream car? don't really have one
27. What are you afraid of? being in a car accident, losing my husband and/or my family.
28. Plain, cheese or spicy: spicy
29. Favorite dog breed? don't have one
30. Number of keys on your key ring? 1
31. How many years at your current job? 6+
32. Favorite day of the week? Saturdays
33. How many states have you lived in ? 4
34. Favorite holiday? Christmas
35. Ever driven a Motorcycle or heavy machinery? nope
36. Who's your favorite NFL team? toss up between broncos and giants
37. Do you have a house phone that is NOT cordless? no house phone - only cell phones
38. 10 inches of snow or 100 degree weather? let it snow, let it snow, let it snow :)

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Ok so, once again, it has been a few weeks since I posted. Sorry. I guess its a good thing I didn't opt to do that blog every day for a whole month thing.

Anyways, there hasn't been a whole lot going on here. We survived the holidays and some how I didn't get any pictures from Thanksgiving. Oh well.

So the reason I am posting today is because my husband (and I) have been on a ravenous hunt for a Nintendo Wii. We bought a Nintendo 64 when they first came out and had a ton of fun with it. Since then we haven't had a gaming system. ( I remember my friend Heidi having the original nintendo when it first came out [back in the day] ...I was soooo jealous!!! I would go to her house just to play duck hunt LOL).

Okay, getting side-tracked here...So today I am sitting in my chair giving my neice her bottle when my husband rushes in the door, all out of breath hollering something about me not answering my cell phone. I quizically gave the "whats going on" look. He yells...Walmart has THREE Wiis in stock right NOW.....gimme all your money!!!!

Needless to say, I surrendered my checkbook and he came home with this...




Please ignore the folded laundry in the background. I intended to finish laundry today, however, now my plan is shot. I believe I will be spending the next 12 hours (at least) playing :)

Meme

Randomness

1. Explain what ended your last relationship?
Moving out of state

2. When was the last time you shaved?
This morning.

3. What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.?
Feeding the kids before church.

4. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
Checking email.

6. Your prom night?
Don't really remember....too long ago.

7. Do you have any famous ancestors?
Yes but I cant remember who...go figure.

8. Have you had to take a loan out for school?
No.

9. Do you know the words to the song on your myspace profile?
Most of them.

10. Last thing received in the mail?
Junk mail.

11. How many different beverages have you had today?
3 - water, coffee, limade

12. Do you ever leave messages on peoples answering machines?
Depends on whether i was calling just to say hi or if i actually needed them to call me back.

13. Who did you lose your CONCERT virginity to?
Hmmm. I think Jars of Clay, but im not sure.

14. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?
No.

15. What was the most painful dental procedure you have had?
Well my first thought is a root canal I had done when I was 18, but I think I would have to say having my wisdom tooth pulled a few months ago.

16. What is out your back door?
The deck where our hot tub used to be.

17. Any plans for Friday night?
Yup!!! Girls night out!!

18. Do you like what the ocean does to your hair?
Ewwww NO!!!!!

19. Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorns?
yup...won it in a white elephant gift exchange

20. Have you ever been to a planetarium?
Not that i remember.

21. Do you re-use towels after you shower?
Of course - do you really think Im going to wash 5 towels every day...that would mean I would be washing 35 towels a week for a family of 5. Eek thats a lot of laundry.

22. Some things you are excited about?
My new computer (yay!), girls night out

23. What is your favorite flavor of JELLO?
Not a big jell-o fan. Ick!

24. Describe your keychain(s)?
um...keys on a ring along with the keyless entry for my van?

25. How many times a day do you check your email?
Way too many :)

26. Where do you keep your change?
In a jar...but im not telling you where, just in case you come to my house :)

27. What kind of winter coat do you own?
A yellow one that is nice and toasty warm. I bought it at an outlet in Silverthorne 2 years ago.


28. What was the weather like on your graduation day?
Oh gosh...that was a loooonnnngggg time ago...like 12 years ago. I think it was warm and sunny.

29. Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed?
Open. If the kiddos cry in the middle of the night, I need to be able to hear them.

30. Did U read this far?
Nope, sorry becci - got excited about this meme and had to give it a try before I lost all ambition to blog.

Sign seen at my local coffee shop....

"Children left unattended will be given a free puppy and an espresso"

if I ever own a shop of some sort I will HAVE to get a sign like that!!

The Seamstress

One day, when a seamstress was sewing while sitting close to a river, her thimble fell into the river. When she cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, "My dear child, why are you crying?"

The seamstress replied that her thimble had fallen into the water and that she needed it to help her husband in making a living for their family.

The Lord dipped His hand into the water and pulled up a golden thimble set with pearls.

"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked

The seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord again dipped into the river. He held out a silver thimble ringed with sapphires.

"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked.

Again, the seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord reached down again and came up with a leather thimble. "Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked.

The seamstress replied, "Yes."

The Lord was pleased with the woman's honesty and gave her all three thimbles to keep, and the seamstress went home happy.

Some years later, the seamstress was walking with her husband along the riverbank, and her husband fell into the river and disappeared under the water.

When she cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked her, "Why are you crying?"

"Oh Lord, my husband has fallen into the river!"

The Lord went down into the water and came up with George Clooney.

"Is this your husband?" the Lord asked.

"Yes," cried the seamstress .

The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is an untruth!"

The seamstress replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to George Clooney, you would have come up with Brad Pitt. Then if I said 'no' to him, you would have come up with my husband. Had I then said 'yes,' you would have given me all three. Lord, I'm not in the best of health and would not be able to take care of all three husbands, so THAT'S why I said 'yes' to George Clooney.

And so the Lord let her keep him.

This and That

I have decided my next house will not have cable, nor will there be a television in my bedroom. I have fought the battle of trying to keep the tvs off in my home but when you have 3 people (especially hubby) who are addicted to tv...well its hard to get them to keep it off. I've thought about disconnecting our cable, but then we would be without internet since they go through the same company. I have come to realize when my husband is home he is in one of three places. Either he is in his studio (in the backyard above our detached garage), outside dinking with "stuff" or he is in our bedroom watching tv. All of these things completely detach him from our family and any possible family time. Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind watching a little tv now and then, and sometimes it is a complete life and sanity saver with the kids, but there is no reason why we have to have 2 tvs on 24/7...right? Come on people, get a grip...

Gripe #2...this weekends project was to turn this...


into a makeshift scrapbook room for me to work in while we are trying to sell the house. My husband was supposed to start cleaning and organizing his mess on Friday (I just had this room spotless a month ago when we listed our house) so I could move all my stuff in tomorrow afternoon...well it is now Saturday evening and not a single thing has been done...oh yeah unless you count the few hours of studio work along with the many hours of "hide-out tv watching". Grrr...maybe I should burn dinner tonight??!!

On a little lighter note...
Ryan got some candy as an early halloween gift from my inlaws today. When I asked him what types of candy he got he replied..."I got candy bars, gum...oh yeah, and TIT-sie rolls"

Sittin' Pretty

I dont know how I managed, but I got lizzie to sit still
for 15 minutes while I did this to her hair...

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE having a girl?

Things I can't live without...

Not a whole lot happenin on the homefront so I thought I would blog about a few of my favorite [can't live without] products.

My first and foremost is this...

I have curly, VERY curly hair [natural not permed]. I have tried many many many anti-frizz, curl taming products and have NEVER come across a product I am completely in love with and cannot do without...until now. This stuff is great. I just let my hair air-dry after washin and then spray/spritz this stuff in my hair, scrunch with my hand and go.

Heres a pic...can you tell which side I used my favorite product on??

Heres another product I love...[I actually use the fat-free hazelnut kind but they didn't have a pic available]coffee just wouldn't be the same without it, and of course, I just can't go without the caffeine buzz I get from my coffee each morning. Trust me, you DONT want to see me before I get that first cup of caffeine flowin in my system...

Yet another fabulous product...

This cleaner can get stains out of just about anything. I mainly use this on laundry. 1/2 scoop in a gallon or two of cold water and let the clothes soak for a few hours, throw in the wash and *poof* the stain is gone. I have 2 very active [stain magnet] boys...need I say more?

Okay, one more...this has saved me many times. Or at least my peace of mind. I keep this stuff everywhere...the diaper bag, the cup holder in my vehicle [after I've been out shopping, after seeing that commercial of people sneezing on the handle bars of shopping carts...eww..need I say more]. I even keep it on my window sill above my sink to use after wiping the runny noses of my daycare kids.

What is your favorite product that YOU can't live without?? Share it on your blog and I will do a post linking to all your faves...just drop me a line to let me know you did the post!

A good funny

I came across this blog. Theres quite a bit of funny stuff...and its all clean, rated G. Anyways I laughed pretty hard at this particular video...take a look

its titled "what old people do for fun..." (you may have to scroll down a little)

*sarah I think this is a site you would really get some good laughs at, as well as enjoy reading this site (they are written by the same person).

Starting a tag - 20 random things about myself

This is a tag I did when I first started my blog a year ago (see link below) and I realized how many things have changed, so I thought I would re-write this tag each year to keep track of life in a nutshell...

1. I have my nose pierced.
2. We are trying to sell our house.
3. I finally found a beer I actually like as long as I have lime to add to it. (Dos Equis)
4. I was going to do something big, like a tattoo, for my 30th birthday and then realized that was very stereotypical so I decided against it.
5. I run a daycare and at any given time have up to 10 children running through my home.
6. I love tv lately...mostly addicted to Greys Anatomy, CSI: Miami, Miami Ink, Ugly Betty, Extreme Home Makeover, Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters (this show really reminds me of my family..)
7. I wish I were more of a health nut and could stick to one healthy regimen instead of going back and forth between healthy and junk food.
8. I love to fly...or maybe I just love the excitement of being in airports?
9. I love to travel but don't get to do it often.
10. Cold rainy weather makes me feel lazy.
11. I can't wait to get my new Mac Book (after we sell our house)
12. I have 4 brothers, 1 sister, 4 sisters-in-law, 4 neices, 4 nephews and the family is still growing... you should see the look on a hostess' face when we walk into a busy restaurant and tell them we need a table for 14 plus 3 high chairs.
13. We usually have to wait a good hour for a table.
14. I really feel lazy today...oh, i think i already might have mentioned that.
15. I am getting really involved with my church Sunday school and am excited to see where it will go and how it will change my life as well as the children in our church.
16. My parents got a new (used) Jeep its pretty cool!
17. Im proud of my husband for following his dreams
18. I need to find some dreams of my own to follow.
19. Today is laundry day...I hate doing laundry
20. I have no idea what to write for this one. I am completely brain-zapped. Must be the weather. Have I mentioned it has rained for 3 1/2 weeks daily? For those of you who don't know...I live in a desert-like area...we almost NEVER get rain...

Okay so Im not going to tag anyone in particular but I would love all my readers to do this list. Drop me a comment if you did it so I can check out your list.

Happy Blog-iversary

One year ago I created this blog. Tomorrow I will take you for a walk down memory lane, but today...here are a few of my first entries

1. A little about my family

2. My first tag

3. You NEVER buy me anything

enjoy!

Too tired to post...

but here are some pictures from Ryans birthday. Ryan turned 6 last tuesday. He got special pancakes for breakfast, Daddy took him to McDonalds for lunch, I brought cupcakes to his school for snacktime and then we had a birthday party for him that afternoon. THEN at his request, we had his family birthday party (with my family) at Chuck E. Cheese last night. We also celebrated my niece, Kaley's birthday (hers is the 18th) We had fun, but it was a BIG mistake....you NEVER take 9 kids (with parental supervision) to Chuck E. Cheese on a cold, rainy Saturday night. (maybe thats why im tired today??) Anyways, we also celebrated Ryans birthday with my inlaws yesterday earlier in the day.

Happy 6th Birthday to my big boy!

(my niece Kaley, also 6)

Cruisin...

So I mentioned Lizzie is walking but I wanted to post a little video of it so in years from now I have this to look back on as a reminder...and yes, that is "daddy" she says at the end, though I was the one videoing. Daddy wasn't even in the room...shows who her loyalties are to :)

Lizzie walks
Uploaded by cooperden

Heres to happy endings...

She spent the first day packing her belongings into boxes, crates, and suitcases.

On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things.

On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining room table by candlelight, put on some soft background music, and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar, and a bottle of chardonnay.

When she had finished, she went into each and every room and stuffed half-eaten shrimp shells dipped in caviar into the hollow of all of the curtain rods. She then cleaned up the kitchen and left.

When the husband returned with his new girlfriend, all was bliss for the first few days. Then, slowly, the house began to smell. They tried everything: cleaning, mopping, and airing the place out. Vents were checked for dead rodents, carpets were steam cleaned, and air fresheners were hung everywhere. Exterminators were brought in to set off gas canisters, during which they had to move out for a few days, and in the end they even paid to replace the expensive wool carpeting. Nothing worked. People stopped coming over to visit. Repairmen refused to work in the house. The maid quit. Finally, they could not take the stench any longer and decided to move.

A month later, even though they had cut their price in half, they could not find a buyer for their stinky house. Word got out, and, eventually, even the local realtors refused to return their calls. Finally, they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place.

The ex-wife called the man and asked how things were going. He told her the saga of the rotting house. She listened politely and said that she missed her old home terribly and would be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for getting the house back.

Knowing his ex-wife had no idea how bad the smell was, he agreed on a price that was about 1/10th of what the house had been worth, but only if she were to sign the papers that very day. She agreed, and, within the hour, his lawyers delivered the paperwork.

A week later, the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched the moving company pack everything to take to their new home, including the curtain rods.

I just love a happy ending, don't you?

something to cheer you up

just in case you were wondering...

Merry Christmas

"Can you hear me now?"

I HATE cellphone companies!!! Why is it the most incompetent of incompetent people work at these types of companies???

I recently started a new 2 year contract with a particular cellphone company. I ordered my phone from them online because they offered me an additional $50 rebate if I bought the phone online rather than in their store...no brainer...right?? WRONG!!!

After 3 days of anticipation for my new phone that could, not only provide me with cell phone service, but would also provide me with the ability to take photos, movies, AND have real ring tones, not those dumb synthesized songs I receive THE PHONE (happy happy joy joy). I call said cellphone company to activate my phone. I spend 2 hours (give or take) on the phone with the customer service rep that spoke VERY broken english only to find out that the memory card chip thingy was bad. They tell me to go to the local cellphone store and have them "fix" it. (This is where I remind you that I run a DAYCARE out of my home) I pack up all 5 kids and run down to the local store. The gentleman there, who was extremely nice, apologized and said there was nothing he could do because I bought this fabulous phone off the internet through the cellphone company and so I had to deal with them directly. I informed him that I had already called and they told me to go visit his store. He apologized again, told me he couldn't help me "fix" my phone but did offer me some helpful information. He told me to call the company again and tell them my account was never switched over properly and this is why the memory chip card thingy wouldnt work. He offered me (for free) a new card just in case the company wanted me to ship the phone back just for the card replacement.

I take the card and all 5 kids back home where I call the cellphone company AGAIN. I explain to them what the nice gentleman told me and they said "oh, I guess you are right". After another hour on the phone they were able to "fix" my phone with the use of the new card chip thingy (thanks to that gentleman who was as helpful as could be *side note* he was not affiliated with this cellphone company, just a provider).

Sooo all should be working fine and dandy now...right??....WRONG again. I get my first bill in the mail. It is an outrageous $215. I was so irratated with this bill I threw it in the drawer and refused to look at it for a week. Finally, after calming down I rationally looked over my bill to see what the error was...because I was SURE there was an error. Sure enough...I was charged for 307 minutes at 45 cents per minute. These 307 minutes were supposed to all be FREE mobile to mobile minutes. Sooo, once again I call the cellphone company, explain to them what happened, spend another 45 minutes on the phone getting it fixed to have my bill reduced from $215 down to $62. I send payment and life goes on....right??....yup, you guessed it...WRONG AGAIN!!

I look at this months bill online...once again, its $124. Now I am starting to see red...seriously...Im at the point of arguing with this company in my head...I am going to LET THEM HAVE IT...I call...the phone rings...."thank you for calling xxx cell phone company...how are you today" ... I completely lose my mean face..."im doing fine...thank you" I say....GEEZ what happened to the arguing?? What happened to the "Im going to let them have it" voice???

I explain to this lady that, once again, my bill is screwed up. "What seems to be the problem" she says. "Well, for starters you are only crediting me for 270 minutes per month when I am allotted 450". She said "well let me look into it...can you hold for a few minutes?" GEEZ, why not, I have spent more time on hold with your company in the last 2 months than I have actually used minutes on my phone service...GOSH!!! She comes back on the line after about 5 minutes telling me the reason I was only "given" 270 minutes was because I never signed a 2 year contract with them and out of the kindness of her heart she would alter this months bill but I should have done my part to sign the contract....

WHAT THE HECK???? SERIOUSLY???? At what point should they have gotten the idea that I was agreeing to a 2 year contract...hmmm, maybe when I ordered the phone and clicked the box that said I AGREE TO A 2 YEAR CONTRACT... or maybe when I called to activate the phone and was asked if I was signing up for a 2 YEAR CONTRACT...OR better yet, maybe it was when I called the most recent time telling them my minutes were goofed up???? COME ON PEOPLE....What is the DEAL here???? Why can't someone simply set up an account and have it run properly??? AAArrrrgggggghhhhhh - so help me if I wasn't locked into a 2 year contract I would change my service...then again, I would have to go through this whole process all over again with the next company...I mean really, get your heads out of your butts and use a computer...geez!!!!

update part 2

Here are a few more updates on things that have been going on around here...

1. Elizabeth is FINALLY walking. Both the boys were walking by their 1st birthday...not Lizzie. She is 14 months and is now just starting. She still prefers to crawl the majority of the time. Last week we were sitting in the living room together and Anthony walked in. She looked at him and just walked to him, out of the blue. We were both super shocked and she was quite tickled pink with herself.

2. I learned about deep dish cookies. If you haven't ever had them...well, they are my new junk food obsession and you should try one. Take cookie dough and squish it in the bottom of a little pyrex or corningware (ovensafe) cup...like the size of a custard cup. Bake it at 350 for about 15 minutes. Take it out and put the whole dish in another bowl (to prevent spillage) Let it cool for a minute or two and then drop a good sized scoop of vanilla ice cream on top...yummm... (if you use the premade cookie dough, just use about 2-3 cookies worth) I prefer the plain ol chocolate chip cookie dough, but I have also tried the oatmeal choco chip as well as the peanut butter cookie dough and those are good too.

3. I've become completely and hopelessly addicted to Grey's Anatomy (thanks toKatie J.)

4. I've been learning to play poker. Now, growing up my brothers prided themselves on their poker abilities. Quite often they took advantage of my sister and I, taking all our pennies. Soooo, for my birthday, we played some poker and I must brag...I kicked my brothers butts along with my hubbys and brother-in-laws. Now, really Im not that great at poker it was just fun to have the biggest pile 'o chips at the end of the night :)

Cute things from Ben

Yesterday we decided, since the boys were pretty grouchy after church, we would have to take naps. After they slept for a while, I went in to wake them up. As soon as Ben heard my voice he sat completely upright and looked at me telling me he wasnt sleeping. I told him "Yes you were". In return he said "Nha anh I didn't see my eyes close." At that I just giggled and agreed with him that I guess he really didn't sleep.

This morning, while sitting down for breakfast Ben decided to share with his cousins something he learned at school. Here is what he said... (I had to have him repeat it just so I could get it on video...)

Bens Pledge
Uploaded by cooperden

Meme

I got this from Becci. I don't usually like memes because the questions are usually dumb (sorry) But this one was kinda fun...so here ya go...

(I typed this yesterday so technicallly some of these questions apply to tuesday rather than yesterday...)


1. How many keys are on your keychain? Depends on which vehicle im driving. Van, 3 keys, 'burban, 2 keys

2. What curse word do you use the most?
I don't use 'em

3. Do you own an iPod?
No, not really, though I did borrow one from DHs office. I don't use it all that often though.

4. What time is your alarm clock set for?
I don't use an alarm clock, but Im usually up between 6:30 and 7.

5. How many suitcases do you own?
I personally have 1 but we have a bunch of "extras" in the closet.

6. Do you wear flip flops even when it's cold outside?
Sometimes, especially if I've just gotten a great pedicure :)

7. Where do you buy your groceries from?
Walmart

8. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture?
Well, usually Im always the one taking the picture but secretly wish I were IN more pictures than taking them.

9. What was the last movie you watched?
Batman Begins-adult
Veggie Tales Sumo of the Opera-kids


10. Do any of your friends have children?
Yes, most of them do

11. If you won the lottery, what's the first thing you would buy?
I would pay off my mortgage...so technically the first thing I would buy would be my house. 2nd thing...a new MacBook.


12. Has anyone ever called you lazy?
I don't think so

13. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster?
nope

14. What CD is currently in your CD player?
Abandonato-house
Goo Goo Dolls-car

15. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk?
hmm Im not a big milk drinker...but really, I think I would have to say coffee milk (east coast thing)


16. Has anyone told you a secret this week?
um..probably

17. When was the last time someone hit on you?
last night

18. What did you have for dinner?
Spaghetti

19. Do you wear hoodies often?
YES!

20. Can you whistle?
you betcha

21. Have you ever participated in a protest?
only if you count protesting your curfew

22. Who was the last person to call you?
my sister i think **checking cell phone log** yup, my sister

23. What is your favorite ride at an amusement park?
tilt-a-whirl

24. Do you think people talk about you behind your back?
oh im sure they do

25. What is your favorite color?
um, lately it has been sage-y/army greens

26. Did you watch cartoons as a child?
yup, the good old fashioned ones

27. How big is your local mall?
not big enough

28. How many siblings do you have?
five (4 brothers and 1 sister)

29. Are you shy around the opposite sex?
sometimes

30. What is your biggest regret?
don't know that I really have any..well, maybe allowing ourselves to get into credit card debt

31. When was the last time you laughed so hard your sides hurt?
not sure, its been a while

32. What movie do you know every line to?
probably the Wedding Singer or some veggie tales movies

33. Do you own any band t-shirts?
Five Face Down. Of course, I used to own a Wynonna Judd tshirt too. And probably some others at one point or another.

34. When was your last plane ride?
Heidi's wedding in 2003

35. How many chairs are at your dining room table?
eight

36. Do you read for fun?
not usually, but I wish I had the time to do it occasionally

37. Can you speak any languages other than English?
nope

38. Do you do your own dishes?
yes, at least until I train my kids to do them :)

39. What color is your bedroom painted?
cranberry

40. Have you ever cried in public?
of course

What is the deal...

...with my photos not working? Is it me or blogger? I've tried reloading them, re-uploading them, etc and nothing seems to work. I've never had this problem. I noticed on other peoples sites that they seem to be missing pictures too...maybe its something with blogger. Well I will leave it alone for a few days and hopefully it will fix itself. If not I will try to re-upload my pics again. All my info on the last post isn't near as good without the pictures to go along with it. Sorry!

Its been a while

Wow, I just realized how many things have happened in the past few months that I have not posted about...

So heres a flashback post of what I have been up to...

1. Ryan started kindergarten *yay*!!! He is loving school although he lost his brand new backpack within the first 2 or 3 days of school (grrr!) Thank God I only bought him the 5$ bag and not the 20$ spiderman bag he really wanted.




2. Elizabeth turned a year old. I posted her birthday pictures, but here are a few pictures from her birthday party. She really wasn't sure what to think about her cupcake. The boys just dove into their cake on their 1st birthday so I guess I was expecting her to do the same. In fact, for the most part, she was quite lady-like.




3. I started a daycare. Finances have been tight and I was really stressed on what to do. I couldn't afford to go back to work because it would cost me more in daycare than I would get paid. Anthony has been too busy to pick up any extra side jobs, so I decided to start a daycare. Lucky for me, most of the kids I watch are my nieces and nephews which allows me the freedom I need for my "traveling" schedule.

4. I finally upgraded and got a new cellphone that is quite cute. I am able to download real ringtones (no more of that synthesized stuff). I have also learned that downloading ringtones can be the death of me :) PLUS I can take pictures AND video. The best thing...the phone was free too :) Isn't it cute??!!




5. It has already snowed for the first time of the season. Can you believe it? It was only September too. Anyways, I have a video I took with my camera just to prove that it really was snowing here...It was raining at the same time, but that doesnt matter, it still counts as the first snow :)

MVI_9642
Uploaded by cooperden

6. The big oucher...I turned 30 last Monday. Yup. Big. Ouch. Ugh. And no, I don't feel any older (I have been asked that quite a bit lately)

I had a goal of losing weight before my birthday and I succeeded. I've lost 20 pounds. I still have about another 10 pounds I'd like to lose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but at least I've lost the majority of it. I also was due for a haircut and color (too many roots showing) so I decided to go with something new. No im not going through a mid-life crisis. I just have never found a cut/color I am just really happy with so I am continually trying new things. This cut is the first one Anthony has been really "wowwed" by. Usually he says "yeah its okay" but this time he was quite impressed. So I think I might stick with this one a while.



For my birthday celebration Anthony took me to Zen Garden for dinner and then to Kohls for a shopping trip. I didn't buy much. Im always self-conscious when it comes to buying things when he is with me...soooo...Im going back on Friday without him to shop some more :) Here are some pictures of what I did buy. They look much better on than hanging on a hanger but I didn't have time to model them for you. I also got a pair of really cute sunglasses (not pictured)






Okay...theres more, but I will save that for another post...maybe tomorrow...

Welcome to my home

A while back Sarah had a blog post about her home. She basically gave you a tour through photos. Well, we are selling our house and since I just had to clean it spotless to take pictures for our realtor, I thought I would share them with you...so....

Welcome to my home...



Heres what it looked like when we bought it 3 years ago.



When you walk through the front door, you walk into the dining room



While standing in the dining room, if you look to your right, you will see the kitchen. Not my favorite room as far as appearance goes, but it works and I guess that is all that matters right?



If you glance straight ahead from the dining room, you will see the living room A.K.A. the kids play room when it is cold, muddy, rainy, or just plain yucky out. I realized that you would have to classify our living room as a den seeing how, very rarely, do us adults get to use this room. This has become their domain. You cant see it in the picture but in the far corner to the left I stacked all their toys so they wouldn't be in the picture.



Down the hall from the dining room you will find the master bedroom and master bathroom. I must say, out of all the rooms in my house, my bedroom is my favorite. Its warm, inviting, and just all around relaxing. I love the way these pictures came out of this room.




We recently remodeled our master bathroom as some of you know. Here are pictures of the finished project. They don't do justice at all, but the doorway was so narrow I couldn't get a better shot.



This is my other favorite room. From the day I found out I was having a girl, I started designing this room. I looked, researched, and pondered about what would be the perfect little girls room. This is what I came up with. I think this is the one room I will truly miss when we sell the house. Again, the pictures do not do justice to this room. The top is a lavender color with a sage-y green on the bottom separated by a white chair rail with adorable little ballerina girls on it.




So this is my home. Its not much, but its filled with love and warmth.

Saying Goodbye

Last week my dad got a call from a family member back East (Rhode Island) saying that my grandmother was very ill and the doctors saw no hope in her getting better. Her health has been on again/off again for quite some time. Last night, at 10:45pm eastern time, my grandmother passed away. Im not sure how I feel about it right now. Part of me wants to deny that this has happened. I remind myself that, while we were growing up, we were never that close to her. I remember she came and visited us kids (me and my 5 siblings) once a week bearing gifts of peanuts, but that is about all I can remember other than the various pictures I've seen of them with us at a lake. The other part of me feels a large amount of grief for the loss. I have a huge lump in my throat that won't go away. I never had the chance to introduce my kids to her. They will never know who my grandmother was. I knew she was dying but it was easier to put it out of my mind. I really didn't think it would affect me in this way...

Tubing

This last weekend my friends and band family all got together for a fun 5fd day. We met up with my brother (*thanks isaiah!*)and his boat and spent the day being thrown off tubes, skies and kneeboards. It was a little stormy but the storm held off for us to have some fun. Heres the video of my tube ride.

(for those of you who were there and want your (or your hubby's) copy of your video clips, let me know and I can upload them to your dailymotion.com account so you can put them on your blog or myspace)

Anyways, enjoy watching me being thrown across the lake :)

Pc tube2
Uploaded by cooperden

VeggieTales on TV

Series to Launch on NBC and Telemundo September 9 and and i Network September 15


Get ready VeggieTales fans -- have we got a TV show for you! After 13 years, VeggieTales will make its debut in living rooms all across America thanks to the wonderful world of broadcast television. Beginning September 9, Big Idea will introduce their host of animated veggies to the viewers of NBC, i Network and to the Spanish-speaking audience of the Telemundo Network.

The Saturday morning block will begin on September 9 on NBC, beginning at 10:00 a.m. EST followed by a 3-2-1 Penguins! or LarryBoy Adventures show at 11:00 a.m. Telemundo will carry the same blocks in Spanish beginning on September 9 at 8:00 a.m., while the i Network will air the blocks beginning on Friday, September 15 at 3:00 p.m. EST.


Big Idea has an amazing opportunity to bring "Sunday Morning Values, Saturday Morning Fun" to television and reach a huge audience which may have never heard of Bob, Larry, Silly-Songs or The Pirates who Don't do Anything. Along with the ever-adorable VeggieTales crew, 3-2-1 Penguins! and the LarryBoy Adventures 2-D series will also be featured in the Saturday morning and Friday afternoon time-block.

Join Big Idea and Veggie-fans everywhere as we tune in to celebrate this momentous occasion.