Oiy!! I don't know if that's how you spell it, I just spelled it phonically :) LOL Is "phonically" a word?!?! LOL

Kooky mood, huh...is that how you spell "kooky"? Does "kooky" even have a correct spelling?

See, told ya, wierd mood :) LOL Did you know that there's only 116 days until Christmas?!?! I'm ready to put my tree up already!! LOL :) I told you I'm in a kooky kinda mood :) LOL

Hmmm, so, what've I been up to lately?!?! HUGE weekend!! I barely had time to sleep at night with all the stuff going on...

Thursday night, Princess stayed with Mom & Dad (SO NICE!!) and King & I watched "Last Holiday" with Queen Latifa & LL CoolJ (hubba hubba!! LOL), and then he took Friday off!! What a sweetie!! We ate at Cracker Barrel for breakfast/lunch (we had breakfast for lunch, we were even too late to call it "brunch"), then just killed some time before we met Mom & Dad at Danberry to see Cars!! :) It was Princess's 1st movie in a movie theatre!! CUTE MOVIE, too!! Although, I didn't get to see some of it because I had to take Princess to the bathroom like 3 times...More about that later...

Then, we went out to eat with the Indy-laws (cute, huh? LOL BB's parents if you didn't catch that :) LOL). Hung out some more at Mom & Dad's then went home. Saturday was our benefit Talent Show for PraiseFest & PastorP's hearing aides. We had an ethnic smorgasboard (sp?), and I cooked some ground beef & cut up some onions, & decorated my table with Fiesta kind of party stuff...CUTE :) Another lady helped me make the Mexican portion of our "Taco Bar", and it was a lot of fun. Dad & Daisy & I sang 3 Accapella songs (He Leadeth Me, My Rock, & Blind Bartemus (again, spelled phonically!! LOL) Wait, is that "phonetically"?) Anyways, that was a lot of fun...Oh, all day Saturday, I was baking cakes, too, for a surprise vow renewal ceremony on Sunday, and, again, more on that in a minute...

So, we were at church probably until 10p.m.ish on Saturday night. Sunday was a Baptismal service (and the water in the baptismal was GROSS!! It was a nasty pond scum green, you couldn't even see to the bottom, it was just so gross...They forgot to turn the water circulation thingy on, and it got all nasty.) Anyways, I sang with the PT, then we had the baptism (SO cool...there were 4 teenagers who accepted Christ over the summer at church camp), then after church, there was a cookout for these kids. I had to be BACK at the church at 3 to help decorate for this vow renewal ceremony, so it was a crazy day. I got to the church & brought in my cakes & stuff, and there's only one other lady there!! And, she's pretty, um, just not strong enough (physically) to handle all the preparations & moving of furniture & stuff, so guess who did that? :) LOL It was a lot of fun, and really, a bit of a challenge. We had nothing to spend (that we hadn't already) and we had to set up an area on the stage for them to renew their vows, and light the unity candles, and, set up tables & centerpieces before they got there, and, of course, the cake table. I made one sheet cake & one cake topper (like the top of a wedding cake) for them to cut into & serve each other. I don't think the husband expected all the different stuff we had!! It was great to treat them to a mini-elegant ceremony. Oh, and last minute, Worship Minister & I sang "I Will Be Here" just to add a little pomp to the ceremony, ya know? So, we sang it while they lit the candles. Worship Minister took LOTS of pics, so as soon as I get a few, I'll share with you. PastorP asked me if I would be intersted in being the church's Wedding Coordinator (I'm thinking it's more like a liason job between the church & the people getting married, not really decorating & stuff, although, I'd do that if they wanted...well, at least help). So, he said they don't really get a whole lot of weddings, but there are 2 coming up in December!! LOL Of COURSE there are!! LOL :) Only the busiest time of the year!! LOL :)

So, that's where I've been. After Sunday night, I crashed!! Monday I didn't do anything until it was time to go to Water Aerobics, and yesterday was another hang out & do laundry day (we're getting ready to go to Reunion this week!! YAY!! I'm getting excited!! And, then we get to go on VACATION!! DOUBLE YAY!!) So, that's what the rest of this week has in store for me...Packing & Laundry, and probably a lot of trips to Wal-Mart!! LOL :)

Better go...Talk to ya'll later :)

Just sitting here, browsing the web, and I remember that Mom said our cabin we're staying in (with BB's parents, too) is owned by the same people who own Lid'l Dolly's in Pigeon Forge, and that there's a link, I can look at our cabin from there...so I googled, and found Lid'l Dolly's!! WOW!! I'm SO EXCITED for vacation!! Here's a link to the cabin we're staying in!! The Rodeo Cabin

I've got to do a few other things online & offline, too. I'm starting a little newsletter-type thing for my Sunday School class & all the kiddos who could be in my Sunday School class, but don't for whatever reason. I'm really excited to get my class numbers up, and to get them into a really neat routine & stuff. It's the teacher geek gene in me, I guess. I went to the Teacher Store today...MAN, I could've REALLY gone wild in there, let me tell you...It's time to change the church bulletin board, and I got a few new things for that, and my Sunday School room. I want it to look like a Sunday school room, not just a storage/daycare nap/junk room. What would be REALLY cool, is if they got those little storage sheds (the plastic kind) that could just sit in the sanctuary for all times (in the back) to store all the daycare's "big room" junk. That would be AWESOME!! A splurge for our church, but it would be SO nice!! I'd love to make the place where they keep their cots a kind of big fake cabinet, too. (Only, it would be a frame, kinda thingy, and we could just hang curtains/material to cover it. Trust me, I see it in my head. It wouldn't be that expensive, really. Just the cost of wood, and we have a ton of "crafty" men in the church who could "whip" it together in a jiffy.) But, I digress...

Actually, this whole journal entree has been a big digression, huh? LOL

So, anyways, we went to the teacher store today, or as I like to refer to it, heaven :) LOL It was really neat, I got a lot of stuff for my Sunday School room (which, btw, doesn't even have a bulletin board...just a mini one). Anyways, I got a few things laminated, too, so they'll last longer. I got a lesson book all about the fruit of the spirit (totally a God thing!! I've wanted to find something online about it, and here it is in my face on my way to the restroom, "Fruit of the Spirit" 9 weeks of lessons, grades 1-3!!) I was even thinking about finding skits, and finding stories, yada yada, and it's ALL included!! It's everything I had thought about doing in one nifty little book!!

So, a little poorer later, we left the teacher store & came back home. I found out that praise team practice is cancelled tonight (actually a load off my mind, because I really wasn't looking forward to "going out" again tonight, and King has a class on Thursdays, now, which means that Princess comes with me...last time she was good, but this time could've been TOTALLY different...).

Mom & Dad should be home from their mini-vacation tonight (they take so many mini vacations!! LOL). We'll probably go over & see 'em tomorrow night. At least, that's what I'm thinking :) LOL

Well, I'd better go. I've run out of things to yack about :) LOL Believe it or not!! hehe

Talk to ya'll later

Just a flyby post for me right now...I may be back later...

So, we've just started with big girl underwear (pull-ups only at naptime & nighttime), and so far, she's had only a few accidents, and they've all (except for one) have been somewhere out...Monday it was one at Target (in the bathroom...RIGHT after I had sat her on the potty...TWICE...You can imagine my frustration!!) and then again at McDonald's...again, RIGHT after we got back to our table from sitting on the potty TWICE!! I was NOT a happy Mommy...That was just blatant rebellion to me, no matter what all the parenting books say!! LOL I KNOW she knows when she needs to go potty...She'll even GO potty when she needs to (on the pot), and since she's peeing RIGHT after I sit her on the potty, I know it's just a "You can't make me" attitude!! ARGH!!!!! It's SO frustrating...Oh, and don't tell me maybe it's something with public restrooms, because she's gone in them before, no problem...She's rebelling in a lot of different areas lately, too. The ECE major in me can tell it's just the developmental stage she's in...lot's of changes, not quite a baby, not quite a big girl thing. But the Mom in me wants to PULL MY HAIR OUT!! So, please pray for me...I'm not into the bald thing...LOL

My backgrounds & "decorations" are me paying homage to my Teacher Friends!! :) I LOVE back to school sales!! LOL I don't usually buy a whole lot, but it's fun to take a walk down memory lane...And, did you know that Staples has Crayola Crayons, 24ct., for $.15!! FIFTEEN CENTS, PEOPLE!! Those are Little House on the Prairie Prices!! LOL I live right by one...I hope they're not out...it's a good time to stock up on them at that price...There's a limit, though, of like, 5 or something. I'll go back & get some more for White Cross (they're always needing crayons.)

Well, I told you this would be a drive by...SweetiePie's asleep (oh, yeah, I'm watching her today :) Mom & Dad went on a little driving vacation), and Lord only knows what Princess has gotten into while I've been in here. I told her I needed 5minutes, go watch Sesame Street!! LOL Five minutes is almost up!! LOL

Here's a cute pic to leave you with, though :) This is one that one of King's uncle's took back in May when we went to PA. What a stinker!! LOL You can just see the wrotten-ness in her eyes!! LOL That's my baby, though, no matter how big of a stinker she is :) LOL

Talk to ya'll later :)

So, today was SO nice to sleep in a little (Princess didn’t wake up until around 9a.m.), and just hang around. I didn’t get much else done…I tried, but I’ve REALLY gotta get some stuff done tonight. The girls are coming over for lunch tomorrow afternoon, and NeighborGirl (for those of you who remember “Little Neighbor Boy” this would be his older sister LOL). Anyways, she’s coming over tomorrow, too, I think, so it’ll be fun :) Oh, speaking of, I need to call Daisy real quick…

OK, I’m back :) LOL Of course, how do you really know if I’m just typing while still talking to Daisy?!?! LOL

I guess that Daisy’s SIL got the job she interviewed for…please keep her (Daisy) in your prayers with that…let’s call her LeftWing…Anyways, Daisy said that it’s actually a good thing. It’s really good money, and a LOT of traveling, so that means she won’t really be around that much, and she’ll soon have enough $$ to get a place of her own. Plus, she has a new boyfriend in Indy, and it sounds like it’s going to be a serious relationship, so that will be more than enough to keep her occupied & “out of Daisy’s way” if you know what I mean. I think she was just really nervous about LeftWing becoming a 3^rd parent to SweetiePie, ya know? Especially while living there with them.

Okay, moving on…

We went to the zoo yesterday!! What fun!! I think that Princess’s favorite animal was the elephants. There was a baby elephant that was just SO cute :) Before we left, Mom said she wanted to get her a stuffed animal of her favorite animal she saw all day, and as soon as Princess spotted this smaller very soft plush elephant, she wouldn’t let it go!! She said, “This is my favorite animal. This is my best!!” LOL So, of course, we gave her ample opportunity to change her mind, but she wouldn’t let go of her “ew-phant” even if she got excited over something else. She’d put it down, but wouldn’t let go of that elephant…so that’s what won as her favorite…Now, if there had been giraffes & zebras at this zoo, you’d better believe it would’ve been a giraffe!! She loves looking at picture of those!! But, those won’t be at the Columbus zoo until 2010…Polar Bears are coming in 2008…

We really had a great time. Princess had a little catnap before we got to the zoo, but she didn’t get to sleep again until after we dropped Mom & Dad off, and the last (honken) episode of Caillou went off (we started that video in Columbus, and it is the LONGEST video ever made!! LOL) Anyways, she just crashed last night. Today was nice & easy, and she took a VERY good LONG 3hour nap :) She’s already gone to bed, although she’s been up once asking for juice…

Well, I think that’s all…Oh, I do have a prayer request, if you would remember…Last weekend we ran into one of the pre-school teachers I used to teach with at Kiddie Launch, and she told me because of her husband’s health (he was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of the year, and they’re both in their 60’s), she was going to retire, just not come back, this school year. I didn’t think anything of it, but then today as I was thinking in the shower (one of my best thinking spots!! LOL), I got to thinking about teaching again. I really do miss it, sometimes. Her schedule was pretty easy, too. She only worked mornings, and she had the whole summer off. Since I have Princess that’s what I’d want. Enough time during the day with her, still, but to have the summers off just like a “real” teacher?!?! That would be awesome!! So, I’m thinking of calling the director up & just saying, “Keep me in mind if you have any morning openings coming up.” kind of thing. We’ll see what happens. TexasRose’s shoes are big ones to fill, but I think I have enough teacher connections that I would have a lot of sounding boards & help with that…Plus, NeighborGirl is moving up to 1^st Grade this year & is wanting to get rid of all her Kindergarten stuff!! I just thought of that!! :) Now, a lot of this depends on if Mom will watch Princess for me in the mornings, and if the daycare will agree to this schedule…So, please pray?!?! I really think this would be cool/fun/rewarding…Just keep me in your prayers. This is really, kinda, my dream gig :) LOL This would fit into me going back to school, too…

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!! :) I’m getting all excited about this, but have nothing to base it on…I just need to talk to people & pray some more!! LOL :) King is behind me 100%, too :)

Okay, I’d really better go. Talk to ya later J

This is Princess & King before the SCC concert :) I told her that she was at her 1st concert & she got SO excited!! :) LOL When the concert started, though, she got a little scared, and CLUNG to either King or me...She was OK once the louder & faster songs were over :) LOL So funny...who knew that a kid of mine & King's would NOT like loud music?!?! LOL She might grow out of that, though hehehehe...

We got a later start than we had planned (what else is new, huh? LOL), but we still had plenty of time before the concert to walk around the fair...and because it was a weeknight & threatening rain, the crowd wasn't bad AT ALL :) It was very enjoyable :) Except for the heat...there was NO air moving & it was just so stinkin' hot & humid!! We were dripping with sweat just standing still...Thank heavens the concert place was air conditioned!! What a blessing!! :)

Princess was still too short to go on any rides, but that didn't seem to really bother her. I think she would've enjoyed a couple of the rides, but we just didn't mess with that. We figured next year we won't be able to get away with that!! LOL She was about 5in. too small for about every ride (give or take a couple inches!! LOL).

SO, we didn't get home until almost midnight, but Princess was already asleep, and after carrying her to her bed (we just took off her shorts & let her sleep in her T-shirt last night), we both crashed!! LOL It was a lot of walking & a LOT of HEAT!! LOL

Today we're just chilling out...tonight I have an eyebrow apt., but other than that, not much else. Tomorrow is Zoo Day!! LOL I think Princess will LOVE that :) Mom & Dad are going with us, too, so that should be fun :) We're leaving here about 8:30-9a.m. to pick them up, then stopping for breakfast at Hardee's in Springfield (I LOVE breakfast at Hardee's). Mom's making a picnic lunch for us to eat at the zoo (Princess will LOVE that!!), and we'll probably stop somewhere on the way home tomorrow night...Another trip to Columbus, but it'll be fun :) It's not that bad a trip up there, really, especially if you miss the rush hour traffic...

Well, I'd better go...Oh, I think Jodi asked what hotel we're staying at in KY...We're staying at the Comfort Inn, too!! I agree, it is a lot more fun when we all stay at the same hotel :) Since we're going on vacation again, right after (we're going to the Smokie's again :) ), Daisy & BB & King & me are sharing a hotel room again (cheaper, so we can save some $$ for the rest of the week!!).

Okay, seriously, better go...I do read journals, but please don't be offended if I don't comment...Sometimes I just don't have time to, then forget later!! LOL But, I always enjoy reading about ya'll's days!! :)

That is where I was this week!! LOL It has been one CrAzY week!! But fun, too... Monday, I got to church a little later than planned (about 3:00 instead of 2:30) and hadn't been to Wal-Mart yet, like I had planned. Okay, no big deal, right?!?! NOT!! LOL BIG DEAL!! LOL I wanted Princess to get her nap in, so as I waited "patiently" for that, precious minutes were slipping by...Anyways, I never would've made it if it weren't for some pre-teens/early teenagers there to help with the signs, the little cards that needed laminated, and a "window frame" for a train that someone painted for the "Crafts Depot" (not in pic, but VERY cute!! :) I'll have to find a pic of that) Anyways, it was supposed to start at 5:30-6 as registration time, and kids sitting in the sanctuary (as you can tell, the sanctuary is a big multi-purpose room.) Well, thankfully, no one was there, yet, and I flashed out my handy-dandy roll of duct tape!! LOL That, my friends, along with prayer, is what held VBS together this week!! LOL Everywhere you looked, there was something held together with duct tape!! LOL It was pretty funny...

Anyways, after the mad dash of Monday night (oh, and another funny thing...I had gotten all this cardboard at the last minute from Lowe's on Sunday (because I ran out of it Sunday morning, and was desperate, so I called them.) Anyways, I had all this cardboard. Our theme was "Arctic Edge: Where Adventure Meets Courage" so everything was supposed to be very big bear lodgey...While at Wal-Mart on Saturday afternoon, I found this contact paper that was wood grained (not textured, just the pattern), and had a great idea instead of painting a bunch of cardboard like wood, I could just peel & stick this stuff onto cardboard (and hold it together with the duct tape on the back if need be!! LOL) WOW, was that a timesaver... Anyways, Monday night I had these "peices of wood" that I wanted to have framing the doorway as people came in through the sanctuary doors, and it was NOT up at 5:20p.m., and as people were walking in, I told them to grab a piece of duct tape and stick some cardboard together!! LOL I guess you had to be there LOL).

Monday night was the worst...then Tuesday night went a *little* smoother than Monday, but here's our dilema...Our church has a daycare, and they use the multipurpose room ALL THE TIME....Well, we had cleared it with the director that they could have their kids out of there by 4:30-5p.m. so we could start setting up the sanctuary for VBS...Tuesday night, it WAS 5p.m. when I went into the sanctuary & "kicked them out"!! LOL They had all their toys still out there, and it was a mess!! So, Tuesday night was kinda a mad dash...Then, Wednesday, it was AWESOME!! LOL I got there about 4:30ish, 4:45ish & just had to set up my scenery & when the head director got there, she had her hooligans (she's watching a few kids from church this summer) got there, they arranged the Bible study areas for us...SO nice to have some kids there & to have something that simple for them to do so they are 1. Doing something constructive and 2. Out of your way!! LOL All the kids were so very willing & great helps this week.

So, those were just my logistics reports...Our mission offering for the week was 101 & some odd cents (going to the American Baptist Affiliated Missionaries), and I know that there were LOTS of seeds planted this week!! The music was actually pretty cool & not *too* lame (you know what I mean!! LOL). There was a DVD drama instead of half-hearted actors from the church to watch (which made life that much simpler this week!! LOL), and we had a "mascot"...our Youth Minister got a moose get-up :) He didn't really have a name for himself, but the kids started calling him "Moose Head Ed" LOL :) Lots of fun :) And, there was a contest between the boys & girls for the missions offering, and I kinda volunteered him to get a water-balooned :) LOL The winning team got an extra water baloon!! Boys ended up winning, after the girls dominated every night but Friday...

On Tuesday night, we took home 2 extra kiddos...overnight...They live with their grandparents & their Grandma had a shoulder re-replacement (this is like, her 3rd surgery this year or something), and they wanted/needed 24/7 care for the kids this week. So, when the Hugs lady called me (Hugs is a ministry in our church that helps when one of our families is faced with a crisis situation/emergency situation & provides meals, running errands, and this time, short-term childcare for families in the church. There's a list of volunteers that the lady in charge of it gets to contact others & asks for help for our families during those times...) Anyways, I'm starting to wonder if this family is taking advantage a little of this Hugs service...Granted, they're older people & don't have a lot of family around here, except their church family...It's just starting to look that way...Anyways, so, they came home with us on Tuesday, and we had them until right before VBS Wednesday night (5p.m. their Aunt came & picked them up & was taking them to KI on Thursday)...Then, I picked them BACK up on Friday morning around 10a.m. They didn't leave until 10:30a.m.ish on Saturday for their next stop along the Hugs list :) LOL They weren't bad, and thankfully, we had VBS to keep them occupied on Tuesday & Friday night!! Friday during the day, they just had to come with me for my girly luncheon at Carebear's house :)

This morning during church, the kids who came to VBS sang 2 songs for the congregation & I had all the helpers/workers stand up for some much needed applause!! Everyone was just so great & when VBSHeadDirector & I said to jump, they all asked how high!! LOL :) Very good group of willing workers this week (what a blessing!!).

So, that was my week in a nutshell...there are so many stories to share, still, and I promise I will try & share them as they come to me this week...

Speaking of this week....Guess where we're going tomorrow night?!?! The Ohio State Fair to see Steven Curtis Chapman!! :) YAY!! :) Then, on Wednesday, we're going to the Columbus Zoo (free child's admission!!)!! YAY!! :) So, I won't officially get to crash until Tuesday!! LOL Although, I pretty much crashed already when we got home from church & lunch :)

Talk to ya'll later :)