"Come in Planet Flip-Flop, we are ready to land!!"

Brain Dump

Okay, so I've been a HUGE Bloggy Slacker for the past, oh, several months. Especially these past several weeks. But I have been BUSY y'all! And when I haven't been running around like a chicken with my head cut off, I haven't really had anything profound to write about. Today is no exception, but you're getting a post from me anyway. So here's what's on this little mind of mine:

• Jake has been working out of town in Kansas for the past 2 weeks and will not be back until this weekend. He did make it home for a few days this past weekend for a VERY important event (you'll see in a minute) and left again this morning before the sun even came out. All I have to say is my appreciation for my mother and all other single moms, military moms, and moms who's husbands travel has skyrocketed. I always knew it was hard on my mom raising me alone, but I had NO IDEA how hard it truly is to be the only parent 24-hours a day. And I'm not even trying to juggle a job and go to school while doing this Mom Thing! Last night was my very first time to be truly alone, and that only lasted about 20 minutes while Jake took the boys with him to go grab a bag of potatoes from the store. I am SO READY for a break!

• As some of you know, Jacob prayed this past summer at Kid's Camp for Jesus to take up permanent residence in his heart. Well, on Saturday he made his faith public by getting baptised! WOO HOO! It was one of the greatest moments of my life. I got to actually witness my baby boy being Born Again. Words can not describe. I got some great pictures and video that I'll post later.

• In regards to my last post on my indecision of whether to go Mac or PC on my next computer, I am really leaning towards Mac. There are several reasons, but the biggest ones being that Macs aren't susceptible to viruses, adware, and other yucky stuff I don't want creeping on my computer. Plus, I can do WAAAAY cooler stuff on a Mac. BUT! My final decision still hasn't been made. I still may end up getting a "Dell, Dude!". Honestly, anything is better than this piece of you-know-what I'm working with now. So for all of you that gave me some really great pros and cons on both, THANK YOU! Because Lord knows I am NOT technically gifted.

• After struggling to keep my house in order for the past year (and failing MISERABLY, I might add), I decided to finally try out "The Ladies". The Ladies are here right now and I can't begin to describe my love for them. Before they came over I was in a tizzy grabbing any and all clutter, random blankets laying across couches, papers laying all over any flat surface, and what seemed to be my entire shoe collection strewn across the house (but in reality it was only a small fraction) and just threw it all into my big 'ole bedroom closet. I thought "Oh, they'll never clean my closet". Well, I was wrong. Dead wrong, my friends. I went into my bedroom to find my closet, my bathroom, by bedroom all SPOTLESS and Picture Perfect!! They had taken every blanket and folded it neatly in a nice pile in the closet, lined up every pair of shoes, neatly stacked any and all random papers laying about, and hung up all of my clothes that were haphazardly draped over my clothes rod. I am officially The Ladies Fan Club President and I will be offering to pay them double what they quoted me simply for the amount of hair they have prevented me from pulling out of my head over the stress of trying to keep up with this monster house. Do you think they might find it offensive if I try to give them a big, huge hug before they leave?

• I'm currently reading A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George for a Women's-Only bible Study at church. I've heard about and seen this book eleventy-million times before, but always shrugged it off as another one of those "feel good" books. OH MY GOODNESS was I wrong! I love her writing style and her amazing view of scripture, not to mention her ingenious allegories. I highly recommend picking this up. You'll be glad you did.

• I realized this morning that out of the past, oh, 14 days, I have not worn a baseball cap for 4 of them. This is a big no-no in my personal appearance handbook. But I have been either too lazy or too busy to actually take the whole five minutes out of my morning to fix my hair. Seriously, y'all. It only takes me five minutes to fix it, yet I haven't mustered up the energy to do it. What's next? Not brushing my teeth? This is going against every moral fiber in my body that says I MUST be put together when I leave the house. But I've been telling myself it's okay because I make sure to wear some sassy earrings and slap on some lip gloss before I walk out the door donning my grungy baseball cap for the 6th day in a row. I need my husband back home. I'm turning into the Frumpy Housewife I swore I'd never become. I've realized he is my only motivation to look like I give a hoot about my appearance. So, Jake, get back home already so I can have a reason to look cute again!!! (And so I can smooch you.)

That's all that's rattling around in this pea brain of mine. I promise to come up with something a little more profound next time. Or not. We'll see. I'm off to sit and gaze at my spotless shower doors and roll around on the pretty carpet that I haven't seen in months and almost forgot existed.

HELP!

I have a dilemma and I am turning to you, my dear friendternets, to help me solve said dilemma in an effort to prevent my head from exploding.

I have a VERY old computer. As in 'it was brand new EIGHT YEARS AGO' old. Needless to say it has paid it's dues and it is SCREAMING at me to put it into retirement (while I am screaming right back at it at least 100 times a day when it decides it's going to be fickle and just shut down for NO. APPARENNT. REASON. *GRRR!* ).

I know I want a laptop so I'm not tied down to being in my office. But here is where my little dilemma comes in: Should I go MAC or PC?

Jake is a die-hard Dell guy, but I'm totally open to what would be the best fit for me.

I only need it for my bloggity pleasure, being able to actually download music (which I have never been able to do on this piece of poo), and doing pretty things with pictures, video and such, BUT! I still have a need for those pesky spreadsheets on an almost-daily basis.

So you tell me: Which version have you found to be better and more cost-effective? I'm begging you - help a girl out, pretty, pretty please with sugar on top!

Check it out!

Check out the new 'do, courtesy of the oh-so-fabulous Karen! I guess you could say it's a bit, ummmm, RED! Hey, a girl's gotta have a hobby. Mine just happens to be a hair hobby.

Just promise me you guys will still let me come to the We Wanna Meet shin-dig in October. ;o)

me-me-me-me - Meme!

Saw this meme over at BooMama's pad, so I thought I'd partake....

1. If you make sweet tea, do you use Luzianne, Lipton or _______ whatever your brand is?

I use Luzianne combined with a few bags of Lipton Mango or Blackberry to give it a little kick. **And it MUST be sweet. It is a mortal sin to make unsweetened tea. Look it up, it's in there.

2. What brand of toilet paper do you buy, and is it the larger rolls or regular?

Ultra Quilted Northern, double rolls, Baby! We have a lot of tushes to wipe 'round here and we likes it soft!

3. Which brand of bath soap do you use? Is it body wash or bar style?

Dove Gentle Exfoliating Body Wash (LOVE this stuff!!)

4. Which cereal do you buy for yourself?

**Okay, promise you won't roll your eyes and make fun of me. I am one of those freaks that eats organic and all-natural food, but I promise I have bags of chocolate and I do partake in some heavy-duty Mexican food intake. And I don't look down on people who don't eat like me!

Kashi Organic Promise Strawberry Fields (my FAVORITE!!!) or Nature's Path Organic Optimum Zen (cranberry & ginger - YUM!)

5. What brand of dishwasher detergent do you use and is it liquid or tablets?

I use the Cascade 2-in-1 tablets. LOVE them!!!! Just pop one in and shut the door. And no squeezing and shaking the bottle like a spastic lunatic trying to get that last blob of liquid detergent to make it's way out.

6. What is your favorite fruit to eat?

MMMM....hands down Mangos. I could live off them. I even bought this handy dandy mango slicer. It's a must-have for the mango lover.

7. Which brand of clothes detergent do you use?

Liquid Tide or Woolite (depending on the load)

8. Do you like chocolate?

Does a good dog hunt? Why, yes, I consider it a very important food group, thankyouverymuch.

9. Are you right-handed or left-handed?

Right

10. Do you still write checks or use a debit card?

I am the debit card QUEEN! I never carry cash and I can't even remember the last time I wrote a check (I couldn't even tell you where my check book is). I don't understand the reasoning behind people still using checks. It's such a waste of time (and paper!).

Jeana and Carol, you're it next! So get crackin'. And if anyone else wants to join in, just let me know in the comments section so I can swing by and check you out!

Peace out, Homies!

Praying for Baby Eliot

Sometimes we run across stories that you can't help but allow to give your faith a huge jolt and remind you of the amazing, loving, sovereign God we serve. This family's amazing story did just that for me this morning.

I was forwarded a link to the family blog for this sweet, sweet baby, Eliot. He was born with a condition known as Trisomy 18. The condition is fatal and the babies diagnosed with it are usually stillborn or only live a day or two.

Baby Eliot has lived for 46 days now! Praise the LORD! His sweet parents have a birthday celebration for him every day and have been sharing their amazing journey thus far with this small bundle of miracles they've been blessed with.

So GO NOW and read thier phenomenal story and be sure to fill up their comment box with your prayers!

Baby Eliot

Nanny, Nanny, Boo, Boo! Guess who I got to MIRL with!

For the last several months I have been lurking on a certain person's blog, commenting once in a while (but always intimidated to do so because she is a TOTALLY GIFTED writer, sucking me in daily with her mesmerizing accounts of everyday life and occasionally causing me to spew whatever beverage I'm consuming all over my desk and computer screen), and secretly wishing I could "MIRL" with her.

Well, Ladies and Gents, I am here to state that God cares about even our teeny-tiniest desires and He is willing to make them happen!

At the beginning of the week I got an email from this "certain person" asking ME if I would be interested in joining her for lunch. *commence loud squealing* I calmly and coolly responded that, yes (Ohmygoodness!), I would, in fact, love to get together. I never vocalised to anyone that I was interested in meeting her, but God knew. He also knows I'm too chicken to have ever asked her myself. That's why the Good Lord brain-washed her into thinking she would want to meet me. HA!

So yesterday I nervously walked into a local restaurant and was greeted with a warm smile and big ole' hug by the oh-so-famous Antique Mommy. Before I met with her, I was a little nervous if she would take me seriously or judge me by my appearance. None of that ever took place. In fact, I felt like I was sitting down with someone I had known my entire life. She's way cool, comical, witty, and told me a bit of her story that has me completely blown away and yearning to hear more.

I can't wait for many more lunches and more great conversation! (By 'conversation' I mean me babbling on incessantly not giving her a word in edge wise)

Her account of our lunch date is entirely more compelling than I could ever conjure up, so be sure to read her version here.