The 6 Ws Meme..Sunday Stealing

As I have done for the last couple of weeks, I am once again joining Sunday Stealing.  Today they have ripped off this meme off a blogger named Notbob at the blog Notbob's Bits.  He states that he stole it at Milly's Big Fat Me blog. But, it was probably stolen there as well. So, of course, that will be as far as we go. Tracing back our theft's thieves might take some time. Link back to us at Sunday Stealing!

Soooo here we go!!!

Who...


Is easy to love?  My husband, my daughter, my son, my family, my friends, my bloggy friends, my pets...hmmm not gonna add the neighbors to this..some are and some aren't

Do you just wanna smack?  Did you not read about my neighbor's kid??  Or how about the neighbors themselves?  Did I mention my brother in law?

Do you trust?  My husband

Do you talk to when you're alone?  Are you asking if I'm insane?? Ok yes yes I talk to myself.  Wait I also talk to whoever's blog I am reading.  Yes I answer questions that you write outloud.


What...

Dangerous things do you do while driving?  Wait you don't think my driving is dangerous enough??  Ok I'm guilty of eating while driving, changing the radio, arguing with the kids ( I did say I was human..yes I can argue with a 4 year old like the best)

Are you allergic to?  Does my husband count?  Ok well I found out that I'm allergic to the dish detergent he just bought.  And beeesss.

Is Satan's last name?  Walmart

Is the freakiest thing in your house?  Depends on the moment..sometimes its my husband.


When...

Is it time to turn over a new leaf?  When the wind blows?

Will you be all that you can be?  Every day of my life

Is enough enough?  This question has plague my mind for a long long time.  One day not to long ago I realized that enough was my family.. as long as I have my husband and kids..it is enough.

Do you go to the dark side?  Yes quite often.  Wait..wait.. Haven't you been reading my blog?


Where...

Are your pants?  Hopefully still on my butt.  Heyyy stop looking at it.  My husband told me I look mighty fine in them.  The big lovable liar!!! He's a liar.

Is your last will and testament?  in the bank

Is your junk food stash?  I am not telling you.  I know you are like my kids and will try to get it.

Is Carmen Sandiego?  Look its not my fault you lost her


Why...

Was the Lone Ranger alone?  He was the last one??

Was The Scarlet Letter scarlet?  Well if it wasn't..why was it called Scarlet?

Are musicians sexy and plumbers not?  I can say with a resounding they are BOTH sexy.  My husband is sooo hot.  But ok crack kills and he is a plumber.

Are there no seat belts on school buses?  Cuz kids eat them?


Would you...

Swim the English Channel for a doughnut and coffee? If not that, what?  No I'm not insane.  I'm not fit enough for that.   How about two million and an excellent coach.

Forgive someone who deliberately hurt you?  Honestly it would depend on what they did to hurt me.

Rather believe a lie if it hurt you less than the truth?  No I want the truth. 

You still be alive if you were sucked out of an airplane window?  Well yes until I hit the ground with a splat.

If you would like to link up, please go to Sunday Stealing!  I want to read all the great responses.

Tips from a Plumber

I was talking to my husband yesterday who is a licensed plumber in two states.  I was asking what his tips were to stop him from coming out.  What were the most common things that he has to fix and what could the common man do to stop it from happening?  I thought I would share this with you.

His pet peeves:

1. Tampons are not meant to be flushed in the toilet.  Tampons swell when they hit water.  They will block the sewer.  That's an expensive fix.
2. Flushable wipes - They are not flushable.  It does not matter what the package says.  They do not flush.
3. Garbage Disposal will cause the sink to clog.  He said that the knows that people will do this anyway but to just use it for light scraps if at all.  They, also, put out an odor. Note:  We don't even use ours.
4. If you are working in an office all day, don't try to fix your plumbing (or anything else).  Weekend warriors tend to make it worse.  I don't care what the guy at Home Depot or Lowes said.  It doesn't mean that you can fix it.
5. Paper towels, tissues, napkins especially Charmin toilet paper are not to be flushed down the toilet.  They will stop up the toilet.

He did mention some other things like how dirty some houses are but we all know that one.

Disclaimer:  These are not solicited by anyone.  They are simply my husband's opinion.

Being evaulated for mental problems

Douglas was being evaluated for mental problems and was asked by the doctor, "If a train was coming down the hallway toward you, what would you do?"

Douglas replied, "I would get in my helicopter and fly away!

The doctor then asked, "Where did you get a helicopter from?"

Douglas replied, "The same place you got that freaking train!"

I have the best followers - Tips to help and Awards

I've been saying this for the longest time but it is soooo true.  I have the best followers.  My followers are wonderful.  Yes yes I'm buttering you up.  You see this week I have been trying to catch up on all my reading.  I'm sure that most of you saw me commenting.  But I ran into a few things that slowed me down.  I know I know.. So I'm going to give some tips that I got from my friend, Lee at Headaches, Hotflashes and Hormones.  Now if you haven't checked her out, get your butts over there.  She's totally funny and upfront.

So here are the tips:

NO REPLY AT BLOGGER DOT COM

I mean I hate it.. I despise it.  I want to respond to you all by email.  I love responding by emails.  I love talking to you all.  I want to know about my readers.  So I respond to every email I get.  Until I see the hated "no reply at blogger dot com."  So Lee taught me how to get rid of this issue.  You can find this information here as well.  But to make it easy I am going to post it here for you.  I expect you to visit Lee though.  The directions are as follows:

1. Go to your Dashboard on Blogger dot com.
2. Hit your edit profile, right next to your picture, avatar or whatever else you have showing.
3. Scroll down to the line that says : Show my email address and CHECK THE BOX.
4. Hit save.

Now, for those of you who do not want a regular email address to show, go to Gmail, Yahoo or any other number of places and get a FREE, yes FREE, email account and set it up.


WORD VERIFICATION

Ok I hate hate this as well.  I don't know why but my eyes do not do this well at all.  Or I hit save and then close.  Guess what happens?  You don't get my comment and sometimes I don't realize.  So I might have been commenting all along.

Now to turn off this awful thing and to help all of your commenters' eyes, do the following:

1. Go to your Dashboard at blogger dot com.

2. Click on Settings, which is under the name of your blog.
3. Click on Comments, which is on the top of the page.
4. Scroll down until you see this: Show word verification for comments?
5. Click the box that says NO.
6. Click Save settings at the bottom of the page. Please do not leave this page until you have saved settings.

Again you can get this information from Lee's blog here.

I am begging you to fix these things to help me get to know each of you even better in the future.

Ok..as I said before I have the best followers in the blogosphere.  So much so that its award time.  Lots of awards to do.

I received the Lemonade Stand Award from my good friend Sophia's Mom @ The Wannabe Wahm, Andrea @ Arise2Write, and Yonca at Yonca is Cooking.  Thank you so much, Sophia's Mom and Andrea.  I love both of their blogs.  Please go check them out.

The rules for this award are:
- Put the Lemonade logo on your blog or within your post.

- Nominate at least 10 blogs with great attitude or gratitude.
- Link the nominees within your post.
- Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
- Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

I am pleased to pass on the Lemonade Award to the following 10 (in no particular order) who have given me great attitude and gratitude:

3 Little Monkeys
A Woman's Life Stages
Deal'ightfully Frugal
Domestically Challenged
Finding Trinity
Just Breathe
Mamahood, Among Other Things
Midday Escapades
Two Peas in a Pod
The Balancing Act of One Chic Mommy

Please check them out at your first opportunity.  I love them all.

I received the Heartfelt Blogger Award from Ali @ OneChicMommy.  I love her blog.  I have learned so much from her.  Now I don't know the specific rules to this award so I am going to give it to the blogs that I feel our written from their hearts.

A Nut in a Nutshell

Headaches, Hormones and Hotflashes

I'm Living Proof that God Has a Sense of Humor

Keeping Up with the Schultz

Stir-Fry Awesomeness

They are all awesome writers.  I read their blogs every single day.

I am a Sugar Doll Award came from my friend, Lynn at Midday Escapades.  I have been reading her blog for some time.  I absolute adore it.  I have even posted my Top 5 Jokes there.  As most of you will remember.  Please stop by and visit her.

Now, my turn to play the game and list 10 random facts about me, per the rules of acceptance of the award:

1. I am a Taurus
2. My parents owned an alarm company when I was growing up.
3. I have 3 brothers and 1 sister.
4. I don't have a specific type of music that I like.  I love it all country, tap, jazz, blues, opera, etc.
5. I don't cook very well but I can make a mean pot roast.
6. I am a night owl.
7. I have been a brunette, red head, blonde throughout my life.  My hairdresser always has to use two applications of hair coloring because my  hair is so thick.
8. I love General Hospital since I was about 13 years old.
9. I wear t-shirts and blue jeans all the time.
10. I won a typing contest when I was in the 3rd grade.

I'm giving this award to the following people:

A Nut in a Nutshell
A Woman's Life Stages
Arise 2 Write
Bacon is My Lover
Headache, Hormones and Hotflashes
Heart 2 Heart
I'm Living Proof that God Has a Sense of Humor
Just Breathe
Keeping Up With the Schultz
Life of a Tater Tot Mom
Menopausal New Mom
Running Away?? I'll help you pack
Stir-Fry Awesomeness
Vodka Logic
Welcome to Laurieville Population 1

I received the Anysparklies from Daffy @ Batcrap Crazy.  She actually created this one herself.  There were no rules to this at all.  This award comes with no strings...no rules...please take what is yours knowing it was created with gratitude, shame, love, honor and obey til death do us part...

I received the Circle of Friends Award from Andrea at Arise2Write, and Corrie at Just Because My Pickle Talks, and Country Mom.  To accept this award, you have to tell 5 things that you love to do. 

I love to:

1. 
   
   I love to write..wait thats obvious lol. 
   
   
   
2. 
   
   I love to go boating.
   
   
   
3. 
   
   I love to swim.
   
   
   
4. 
   
   I love being married to my husband.
   
   
   
5. 
   
   I love the mountains over the beach.
   
   
   

I am giving the Anysparklies Award and the Circle of Friends to all of my loyal followers.  Thank you all for following my blog.  I really do love you all.  I hope that you share 5 things that you love to do. 

Please check them all out as well.  I promise you will have a great time.

Memories of Christmas Past

I can remember being a child and being downstairs with all the other kids on Christmas Eve. We were sitting on the steps looking up trying to see anything under the door... we saw Santa's red boot under the door. Just a bit... we all scrambled so fast to our new assigned beds. Usually we slept upstairs. And so the dreams of Santa continued on that night. By this point, my brother was telling us that he wasn't real. I think he was more excited that night than we were.

(I'm in the middle)

Then there was the year that I had the chicken pox on Christmas day. I'm walking around polka dotted in the living room and crying cusp we couldn't go see my grandma and grandpa. God bless his soul. The cheer and laughter that was shared among my family was so amazing. The look of happiness upon my mother's face as we all giggled and unwrapped gifts. My mom has always done Christmas to the hilt. She has always spoiled us all rotten. Christmas was to me as a child one of the most joyous occasions. It was one of the most special moments of seeing my mother so incredibly happy.

As I grew older and got married the first time, I remember the very first Christmas that Michael and I shared as a married couple.  The love that was in our hearts and not much else.  We had just gotten married come this Monday, December 14.  The excitement that was on his face.  The joy in my heart.  We had his foster family around us to celebrate.  Marsha (my kid's biological mom) was part of that joy.  She was 4 years old.  There was so much laughter in the air.  We decorated trees and we laughed together.  Michael told me that year that if he had known me before he would have changed everything about himself.  We didn't know that in a month he would have no sight.  We were dirt poor and so in love that it simply didn't matter.  Isn't that a wonderful feeling? 

After he was gone, I created a new tradition where I would go to my sisters and send them out for the night so that my niece and nephews could make a gingerbread house.  We would laugh and giggle as the house would fall apart on some occasions.  I remember watching as the gingerbread house started from one little house to a landscaped house later on in another year.  I knew by this point that I would not be having in children so I chose to take whatever time I could with my nieces and nephews to fill that void in me.

Then there was that beautiful first Christmas with my husband, Ken.  My family had always been dysfunctional.  Actually sometimes I think we gave new meaning to that word.  Here I was in a family that was so incredibly close to me.  Let me tell you it scared me.  I didn't understand this closeness.  I always (even to this day) have to put space between us.  I didn't grow up with this closeness in a family.  Oh I dreamed about it but to see it up close for the first time.  It was sooo eye opening and my heart felt as if it would burst at any time.  That first year when Ken goofed up with my present..we bought the same presents for each other.  Something that I knew he wanted.  He thought my hints trying to figure out what he wanted was about what I wanted so he bought me the same thing.  Honestly, at this point in our relationship, I didn't think that we were going anywhere together.  I never dreamed there was a future.  Ken was so young.  I do mean young.  He was 22 years old.  I was 32 years old.  I knew that he saw life through totally different eyes than I did.  But he didn't.  I just wasn't aware that he had such an old soul.  That year he apologized because his cousin was giving his girlfriend an engagement ring.  Ken wasn't giving me one.  It was way too early and I never dreamed we would get married.

But the following year, Ken did get me an engagement ring for Christmas.  We were so in love.  I told him that we had to wait for a while until he grew up.  Yes I did say that.  I was so scared to marry him.  I knew that I couldn't have kids.  I didn't think that I should make him miss out on being a father.  He told me that it didn't matter he didn't want kids.  Problem was he was 23 years old.  I don't know most men that don't some day want kids.  I was suddenly part of the family for real.  I can't explain it but it did feel like his family treated me differently since I was going to be in their family legally.  I know they didn't mean to.

Then came the Christmas before we got married.  We both knew it was the last one.  We were getting married on Valentine's weekend.  We were teased that it was the last time.  We were so very much in love and we were fighting constantly.  I was being plagued with these doubts about never having kids.  The doubts were stupid but they were there.  You see, I couldn't shake the notion that Ken would eventually leave me so that he could have kids.  Or the thought that I didn't have the right to take that from him.  I so desperately wanted children myself that it was inconceivable that I could do this to him.  Thank Goodness we survived that.

The following Christmas was a totally different experience.  We had Faith for two months by then.  We were struggling financially but so very much in love.  Ken decorated our house for the first time.  We decorated the house very lightly.  I kept saying that Faith wouldn't know.  But that thought changed when Faith's face would light up with every twinkle of a light.  But sadness was in the air.  Ken's father had passed away on December 14 of that year.  His mother wasn't his mother anymore.  She never has fully come back to us.  And Ken was suffering with thoughts that his dad should be there to help him raise his daughter.

The following Christmases have been totally amazing.  There was Faith's next Christmas where she was walking.

The year that she knew what Christmas was.

The year that my grandma and her great grandma was able to be there.  See the idiots in the back?  My family won't let you take pictures of them.  Sighs.

Which was the same year that my sister's bird came.  Faith was fascinated with it.  I was terrified for Faith.

Then as she started to grow up and understand all the great things about Christmas.  We were broke that year.  We had just remodeled our kitchen.   See the awesome counters?  We went to Home Emporium for them.  They were 1/2 of the price of what Home Depot wanted.  I am telling you if you are remodeling check to see if you have one local.  Of course, our counter tops are granite.  They came from the Tile Shop.  Absolutely awesome having granite in our house.  It cleans up so well and very sanitary.

They call it Green Diamond but it looks Black with gray in it.  Its absolutely gorgeous.  Funny store... we were so poor that I lived with a cardboard counter for almost 2 years waiting on us to have the money for the countertop.

We have been so blessed and then Jason came to the family.  We went through a year of hell with foster care as we tried to get Jason into our family.  Christmas as a complete family was incredible.  When I say complete, its because all of a sudden we felt complete.  We had our boy.  Of course we never realized that until after we got him.  We went to the train display with him.  We had his first real Christmas with him.  The first one that he remembered well.

And that brings us to Christmas Current... what wonderful gifts do we have in store.  What memories do you have?

Side note:  Why do men think they can get you an engagement ring for Christmas and nothing else?  And why do they try to combine Mother's Day with your birthday? 

The Bucket List

I saw this over at Just Breathe so I thought I would join her.  Please join us.  It's called the bucket list.

THE BUCKET LIST


(x ) Shot a gun? - Although I wouldn't give me one now... wait don't you remember I have men-o-pause?

( ) Gone on a blind date - My husband went blind..but I was already married to him.

(x ) Skipped school.

(x ) Watched someone die - Don't remember..read here

(almost ) Been to Canada - Does it count that we got thrown out at the border?  Equipment in the car for my dad's business.  Sheesh.. all we wanted was lunch.

( ) Been to Alaska

( ) Been to Cuba

( ) Been to Europe

(x ) Been to Las Vegas

( ) Been to Mexico

(x) Been to Florida - Didn't you all see my posts?

(x) Been on a plane

( ) Been on a cruise ship

( ) Served on a jury - I think they are afraid of me. 

(x ) Been lost - physically yes..sometimes i am mentall too lol

( ) Been on the opposite side of the country

(x ) Gone to Washington , DC

(x) Swam in the ocean

(x) Cried yourself to sleep

(x ) Played cops and robbers

(x) Played cowboys/girls and Indians

(x ) Recently colored with crayons

(x ) Sang Karaoke - I'm sorrrryy if you were there to hear me.

(x ) Paid for a meal with coins only? - Haven't we all been poor at some time?

(x) Made prank phone calls.

(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose.

(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue

(x ) Danced in the rain - I love to dance in the rain..its soo refreshing

(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus

(x ) Been kissed under the mistletoe-

(x) Watched the sunrise with someone.

(x) Blown bubbles

( x) Gone ice-skating

( x) Gone snow skiing

(x) Camped out under the stars.

(x) Seen something so beautiful that it took your breath away? - the birth of Faith

( x) Are or have been Married? - been married twice..both times madly in love..i'm lucky

( x) Children? - do you not read my blog?

( x ) Have a Pet? - I have 2 pets and 1 big monster newfoundland..she's 80 lbs now.

(x ) Been skinny dipping outdoors - Can you skinny dip indoors?  oh wait duh..inside pool

(x) Been fishing

(x ) Been boating

( x) Been water skiing

(x) Been hiking

(x) Been camping in a trailer/RV

(x ) Flown in a small 4 seater airplane

( ) Flown in a glider

(x ) Been flying in a hot air balloon

( ) Been bungee-jumping

(x ) Gone to a drive-in movie

(x) Done something that should have killed you

(x) Done something that you will probably regret for the rest of your life

1. Any nickname... LOL Sassy or Frog

2. Mother's name - Phyllis

3.Favorite Drink?  Sweet tea or Jack and Coke

4. Body Piercing? Ears

5. Tattoos? No

6. How much do you love your job? What job! Housework-No!

7. Birthplace? Cincinnati, Ohio

8. Favorite vacation spot? was Sarasota, Florida but you all know what happened.  Now it is Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  But I want to go to Italy.

9. Been to Africa ? No

10. Ever eaten just cookies for dinner? Yes

11. Ever been on TV? No

12. Ever steal any traffic signs ? No

13. Ever been in a car accident? Yes

14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 2 door

15. Favorite number? 7

16. Favorite movie? Ghost

17. Favorite Holiday? Christmas

18. Favorite dessert? Graeter's Ice Cream Mocha Chocolate Chip

19. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Watching my kids as teens.. Did you have to remind me?  I'm scared already.

20. Furthest place you will send this message? Blogosphere.

21. Who will respond to this the fastest? I really don't know
Go ahead, give it a try.
 

Christmas Decorations and Kids

Santa and Mrs Claus

Outside Decorations

Spongebob wouldn't you know it?  Hubs loves blow ups!

Sorry couldn't get the picture to go the other way

Faith and Jason being goofy

The kids playing

Aren't my babies adorable?