Quote

I think the best quote I have ever heard was:

"Resentment is like poison you swallow and pray that the other person dies."

I'm not sure where I heard that, maybe on Oprah. But it is always something I have tried to remember. And when I think about it, it just seems so true. Resentment can hurt you so much more than the other person.
I don't know what the point was in sharing that, just thought it is worth pondering.

Do you have any favorite quotes you'd like to share?

FW: Forgiving Your Enemies

Forgiving Your Enemies Toward the end of the service, the Minister asked, "How many of you have forgiven your enemies?" 80% held up their hands. The Minister then repeated his question. All responded this time, except one small elderly lady. "Mrs. Jones? Are you not willing to forgive your enemies?" "I don't have any," she replied, smiling sweetly. "Mrs. Jones, that is very unusual. How old are you?" "Ninety-eight," she replied. "Oh, Mrs. Jones, would you please come down in front and tell us all how a person can live ninety-eight years & not have an enemy in the world?" The little sweetheart of a lady tottered down the aisle, faced the congregation, and said: "I outlived the bitches."

And then the music played

My favorite song of all time is Into The Mystic by Van Morrison. Whenever I hear it, I have to stop to listen. It is so relaxing to me. It's strange to me that no matter what kind of mood I am in, I can listen to this song and be a bit more at ease.
So, tell me, is there a song that does this for you? In the middle of your hectic day, you can hear it and it calms you?
Music really is theraputic sometimes.





Not sure if the link to the song is working, but am working on it. Well, actually Christina is helping me work on it :)

**Christina rocks!! She got the code for the song to work, so you can actually hear the song now if you click on the link. THANK YOU CHRISTINA**

Ahead of myself

All day yesterday I was thinking that today was Friday! It wasn't until I was talking with my friend this morning that she told me today was Thursday NOT Friday. It completely burst my bubble! I was so happy for the weekend. Well, tomorrow is actually Friday and it can not come soon enough. Today was a long day and I get to do it again tomorrow.
Until next time...

Wanted: More Photos

I have concluded that I have not been taking enough photos of the kids. I have this wonderful camera (Digital Cannon EOS xti) with an extra zoom lens. A high dollar camera, and I barely use it. I always forget to take it with me or am too lazy to carry it around all the time. Well, I have decided that I am going to make a more conscious effort to use the darn thing. And I really love taking photos. I have totes full of photos from film that I totally gave up trying to scan into the computer. So, starting tomorrow, I am going to be taking more photos, the kids are going to hate seeing that camera before I'm done!
I will post some maybe this weekend.

Why I love the weekends...

A typical day:

5:00-6:00am - get out of bed, shower, get ready to go to work, etc
6:00am - Wake kids up and get them started for the day. Dressed, breakfast, teeth brushed, hair fixed, out the door. Does everyone have everything?
7:00am - leave house to take the older boys to school
7:30-9:00 am - have to be at work at one of my jobs, different day, different job thru the week
2:00-5:00 pm - it depends what day it is as to what time I get off work
2:30pm - pick up Myles from school
Pick Luke up from daycare somewhere in this time or do grocery shopping while waiting to get Dustin
4:45pm - pick Dustin up from school
5:00pm - Myles baseball practice
6:00pm - Dustin swimming practice
6:30 - Myles practice over
7:30pm - Dustin's practice over
Drive home, check homework that has been completed in the van, waiting for the other kid to get out of practice or school.
Sometimes we have dinner out, sometimes I still have to make dinner when we get home while the kids are getting ready for bed.
9:00pm - all kids go to bed
I do some homework, clean up the kitchen, do some laundry, whatever else needs to get done for the day
11:00-11:30pm - I go to bed to start all over in the morning!

On the weekend, Myles will usually have a game on Saturday until the end of September when baseballl is over. And Dustin will have swim meets thrown in on the weekends too. But on the weekend, I don't have to drive around as much. I also work on my homework a lot on the weekends. And of course, I am able to stay connected to the internet via laptop when I am not at home, which feels like I'm rarely at home. I'd really like a vacation from life sometimes. How does one go about arranging that??
No wonder I feel so stressed out all the time.

Another week, too much to do

Another LONG week ahead. I have tons of work to do, actually at work. I have huge assignments due for school this week. Myles has baseball practice and not one, but two games this week. I have to take the boys back and forth to school. Sheesh! I'm barely going to have time to breathe this week. And I'm already tired and the week just started.

A journey in Internetland

Isn't it amazing how you can get so attached to your computer? I sit in front of mine and check blogs reading about other people's lives, posting on a mom's group that I have "met" several women that I actually consider my friends although we have never met, doing my school work online, browsing the Internet. I could go on and on. It is also just as amazing to me that being online can be so stressful with people that you have never personally met and yet have felt so close to.
There was recently an uproar in a group that I belong to that has had me thinking this week about friends, loyalty, and cyberspace. This particular uproar caused great stress for me and quite a few others that I talk to online. It even got me temporarily banned from my mom's group (not a very good feeling) through misunderstanding and maybe a lack of communication. I must add for reference that I do LOVE the mom's group and the wonderful ladies there that have shared experiences and support.
It's hard to feel pressure in life and then also through your computer screen. But, all is well in Internetland this morning. I am happy that there really are friends out there that understand me and I do consider friends despite the fact that we live miles apart and have yet to meet up, close in person. Maybe some day. I can only hope.

Oh what a day...

Today on my way home from work, I notice that my van is making a weird noise. So, I go to the oil shop that changes my oil all the time (they are wonderful there) and all the guys are looking at my van right away and says "wow, you're leaking coolant". Looks under the hood and says "yep, you need a radiator." That's just great! Exactly what I did not want to hear. Damn van! Damn radiator! Damn Monday! Oh, it's not even Monday. What was I thinking? Long day.
I drive directly home from the oil shop, and find Buck with a terrible toothache. He's miserable. Poor thing, a toothache hurts so bad. And my van is messed up. I work part time at a junk yard, but my boss needs the radiator to make sure that the parts match up. So tomorrow, Buck is supposed to take the radiator off and I will take it in to see if my boss can match it up with something we have at the yard. But, if his tooth hurts too bad, he's really not going to feel like doing that. And I am going to try to get him into the oral surgeons, but tomorrow, of course is Saturday and I don't even know if he can get into the office for that tomorrow or have to wait until Monday.
What a great day.

Another year older

I remember a time when 33 seemed so old! Now, I know it's really not, but it sure feels like it some days (well, ok, a lot of days). My birthday is today. 33. Yeah.......
Not really excited about it. Really, it's just another day. Maybe we will go out to dinner, but we've already went out twice this week for dinner, so I don't know about that.

Summer is officially over!

OK, I was all ready for school to start, yes. And now I am rushing around like a crazy woman (not that I wasn't already a crazy woman!) after school, eye doctor, store, dinner, baseball practice, and then we did not even get home until 8:15pm and Luke is already supposed to be in bed by then and Myles is supposed to be in bed by then too! Dustin takes an hour shower, which I still can not figure out. I mean, really...He takes longer showers than I do. He's a boy. Hour showers?? Hmmm.

Smokey, the cat with an attitude

I got smokey when he was five weeks old. He's ten years old now, and has such an attitude! It's funny, but then sometimes it's really not. He has to sleep with one of us. He usually makes his way around with each of the kids and then ends up sleeping with me. Last night, he kept me up half the night. He lays across my legs and no matter how many times I move him, he's right back a few minutes later. Even after being catapulted off the bed, he comes right back.
How dare you, I was sleeping there!
And after keeping me up all night, I get up this morning and he's howling at me to fill his food bowl, now! I couldn't even go pee first. I am beginning to think maybe he is just a spoiled old man cat. I think that's it.
But he's like one of my kids.

Ahhhh, School starts...

My boys go back to school tomorrow. I'm glad. They have fought most of the summer and when they were not fighting, they were complaining about one thing or another. They just need to get back into the routine of school, homework and activities. I will be doing more running around chauffering kids, but that's how it goes. I'm sure that most moms are happy, although a little sad to see the kids go back to school. I can't believe that the summer went by so fast. It's the middle of August already! Next thing I know it will be Christmas. I'm so not ready for that yet.

What happened?

So last night when we got home from dinner, we played baseball with Luke, which he loved. I was taking some photos of him. Then B took the camera and snapped a few shots of me. OMG!! I look so fat. No, really, I do. I look all puffy. I could not believe it when I saw those photos. I obviously did not realize this. I mean I look in the mirror everyday when I am getting dressed and doing my hair, but to see me in a photo, I look fat. I don't know when this happened. And I don't know what to do about it. But seriously, I have to do something.

Needless to say, those photos got erased. No more photos allowed!

Sometimes, I wish I could slow time...

I can barely believe that my baby, my last baby, is going to be five years old in a couple months. He's grown so fast. I don't know where the time has gone. Lately, he has started kissing me like all the time. He will come to me many times throughout the day just to give me a kiss and say 'I love you, Mom.' It's so sweet. My second boy does this too, but Luke just recently started this. And he has such a good personality and just happy. I can't believe that he's going to be five soon. And those eyes, oh my, up close, he has the longest beautiful eye lashes.

I love you, my Lukey Bear! :)

Finally Friday!!

This week has been exhausting. Work. The kids. The boys fighting as the norm. School is starting next week for the boys. I have had a ton of school work to do, myself. I'm so glad it's Friday! I can't remember the last time I was so happy to see a Friday come. I have actually been counting down since Tuesday. Hopefully Luke will sleep in a little in the morning and let me sleep in as well. I still have two large assignments due for Sunday, so I will be trying to focus on that this weekend and the Mount Everest of laundry waiting for somebody to wash it. I was hoping it would just magically wash by itself, but I know that isn't gonna happen. Just wishful thinking.
Ever have those days that you just want to stay in bed? For like, maybe a week strait!

Just a funny

This made me laugh!

Blah...

I am at work and well, I should be working, but I am having the worst time lately getting motivated. I could sit on the computer all day and get nothing done! I had two new classes start last week and I can not get motivated to read the material, nothing! I feel really tired all the time. And, no, I am not pregnant! Depressed, maybe. There is just so much going on all the time, and the kids start back to school on the 20th and then I will be driving twice as much as I do now, and I drive A LOT. And then Myles will have fall baseball starting soon. And Dustin will be starting swimming. I just want to stay home for about a week and not leave the house, but I don't think that would help me feel better either. I just need to get motivated. Any suggestions on how to do that??

Really...What was I thinking?

A little over two years ago, my friend's Gramma called me to ask if I could take her for her Coumadin test. OMG, I wish I just told her no then! She is blind, so she can not drive. She calls me for everything!! I know that it must sound mean, but this old lady is making me crazy. I do not have time for this. I do her grocery shopping, I pay her bills, I take her to the doctor, I take care of everything for her! Her husband is in a nursing home. And get this, her daughter lives near by and does nothing!
I have said many times that I am not doing this anymore and that her daughter will just have to take care of her, but then well, her daughter's car broke down and she does not have a phone and a whole list of reasons that she can not take care of her mother! I swear I am gonna lose it if she calls me one more time this afternoon. She calls me when I am at work. If I do not answer the phone, well she calls so many times that I have to answer the phone to tell her to stop calling me. She thinks that I am just supposed to drop everything and come running over there when she needs something or wants something. And did I mention that she lives about 45 minutes from me? Well, I do not have time for this.
She is not my responsibility. I have three kids, I work two jobs, I go to school full time, I am in a relationship, and I DO NOT HAVE TIME!!! What does she not understand about that. I swear, she has no consideration for me. Just what can I do for her. I know this sounds harsh, but it's true. This old lady fully has her wits about her and she is manipulative. And I am such a sucker. I should have stopped this a long time ago, but then I feel bad that she has no one else to take care of her. But does her daughter feel bad, NO! Not one bit. So why do I? Why should I have to do everything for her when she has a daughter that lives around here and can help out, but there's a thousand excuses that she can not do it, but I am supposed to. I know that I am being taken advantage of, but then I still feel bad.
I have flipped out on her a few times and told her that she is not my responsibility and that I am not going to be doing these things anymore, and then she starts crying, "I know I'm a burden, I'm sorry. But I don't have anyone else, Bonny. You're the only one I have to depend on...." It just makes me sick! Today, well actually since yesterday she has been calling me like 100 times, because she needs groceries and she needs cigarettes, and her TV is messed up. I have said a million times don't wait until you are totally out of something to call me. I can not just run over there! But does she listen, no. She has no cigarettes and she is freaking out, and I don't have the time to go running over there. Really, I don't want to either. It is not my problem. She is not my problem. I have three kids. Three! I don't need this. And I have told her that I think that she needs to go to the nursing home to be by her husband, she won't even think about it. I think because they won't let her just sit around and smoke all day long. But, really, I am no relation to her, and her daughter does not want to take care of her and there is no one else around here to take care of her. It would be a different story if this were my MaMaw, but it's not!
Why should it be my responsibility? If she went to the nursing home they would provide her with meals, they would wash her hair, they would take care of her medical needs, she wouldn't have any bills to pay, and it would be so much easier for me. B has told me more times than I can count that I need to cut the old lady off! But then I feel bad. I am in a terrible situation with this and don't know what to do about it. But she is making me crazy!!

Ugh!

OMG! I get a phone call this morning. My storage shed was flooded from the storm on Monday! And I just get a phone call today. There was 24 inches of water in there. I had most of the stuff in plastic storage totes, but a couple boxes got wet and ruined, and then I got to the last two totes and they were completely full of water. Of course they had the boys baby stuff in them and photos and paperwork! Their outfits they came home from the hospital in. First Christmas stockings and outfits. UGH! I was so upset. I don't remember putting those on the bottom, but I was not the only one putting stuff in there.
So, I spent the day cleaning up that mess and moving stuff around and washing the wet clothes! Not a great day.

My oldest

I don't know where I'm going with this one. While scanning the old photos, my oldest son looks back smiling in almost every photo. Happy even. That's a rare sighting these days. He is so darn crabby. He's not happy about anything. It's driving me crazy. I can't believe this is my kid. He is constantly complaining about EVERYTHING. I swear everything. I try to do things for him that I know he will like or want, and he still manages to complain or find something wrong with it. This past weekend, he found a car model that was put up until he was older. Well, he wanted to put it together, so he needed glue and paints, so I drove into town to go to Walmart for what he wanted. I was only going for his things, and I had to go by the mailbox to drop some bills and he was huffing and complaining...This does not look like Walmart to me! I couldn't believe it! I drove all the way up there for him, and he's crabbing that I had to go by the mailbox! What the heck is wrong with him?? I really hope that this is just a phase he is going through. I mean, he is 12 almost 13. I realize that this age is difficult, but jeez, give me a break.

I just can't believe that this is my kid! Please whoever took my smiling first born, please return his former self.

Missing happy smiles, please return!

Times Past...

It took me all weekend, but I did it! These are some good memories I found while scanning my photos.

Dustin was wearing my brother's football jersey. He thought Uncle P was so awesome! It's hard to believe that this is my grumpy pre-teen I have walking around my house now. He used to be so happy. I don't know what happened to him!

Same grumpy kid at 6 years old. I love the reflection off the glass in this photo. We were at Celebration Station for his birthday party.
Myles was 5 years old in this photo. He's the artistic one of the kids. He loves to paint, model clay, draw, anything that is artsy.
This is my Ma-Maw and Luke. Luke was 7 months old. This was the first time I took him to Kentucky. I refused to cut his hair until he turned 1 year old.
Luke pooping! He will propably hate me for this photo later in life. Right now, he thinks it's funny. :)

This was always something I made their Dad do with them. The pumpkin insides are just too gross for me, and by the looks of Dustin in this photo, he thinks so too!

He was so happy to be a big brother. I don't know what happened. Luke was brand new in this photo and Myles was 4 years old.

This is truely the coolest cake I have ever seen. I did not want to cut it. I saw it in a magazine and took it to the bakery and the lady made it, I just had to bring the candy pieces.

I think this is really one of the best photos of me that exist. I have found only a rare few that I think look good. This was 2001, Myles was 2 years old.

Christmas 2004. Another one that I think is good of me, although I am in my PJ's. Luke 1 year old and Myles 6 years old.

Thought I would share some that I found. There's more, but maybe I will try to incorporate them in a post.