LoOkinG aT liFe fRoM a diFferEnT pOinT of viEw

Kayla's Birthday Party

2012-01-23T21:07:00.063-05:00

The decorations were beautiful!

Kayla with her god-mommy

The balloons were awesomely decorated

We frosted the cupcakes

All different colors

The table of goodies and gift bags

LaDonna with the skating rink monies!!!!!!

The pizza arrived hot and melty
Soooo good!

LaDonna found these tiny little cans of soda

As we were eating we talked about what was happening in our lives

We opened presents as soon as everybody arrived and had eaten dinner

Excitement

LaDonna modeling Kayla's gloves.

Kayla with some of the people who blessed her with gifts

THE BIG GIFT!!!!!!!!!!

A complete doll kitchen set and the schedule for the evening

We went outside and the girls were playing. We called them over and surprised them with silly string!

There was going to be a silly string war, but silly string has really gone up in price

They loved it.

:)

We came inside and decided which activity to do next

The girls decided on glow sticks!

It was beautiful

Well many things involving glow stick are beautiful

Sisters till the end

We prepared for the next activity and the girls waited

The game was.....Drum roll please.....WHAT'S IN MY MOUTH?

The game was pretty simple to figure out.

Their facial expressions were hilarious. Sadly, I forgot which kid won.

We made bracelets when the game was over

These lil kids are really talented

This was a game similar to musical chairs but with sleeping bags

You walk around the sleeping bag with the music. When the music stops you flop down on the nearest sleeping bag and pretend to be asleep.

The pajama modeling walk was next

Kayla

All the girls...minus one

We sang Happy Birthday to Kayla

and to Lauren....*note* this is not Lauren.

Cupcakes and ice cream

We chilled for the rest of the night until it was time for bed.

TTYL ~GGTG~

Kayla's Birthday Party Day 2

2012-01-22T22:51:00.000-05:00

We had cereal for breakfast

Many different types of cereal

Sitting around enjoying each others company

We watched TV and fellowshipped together until it was time to go.

We played with Kayla's kitchen

It had so many awesome little pieces

LaDonna made grilled cheese for lunch

Chris

After everyone finished lunch, we got in the van and went to the skating rink

We got in line to pick up our skates

So many skates and shoes

A show of hands over

what flavor smoothies they wanted

Jayden

The other kids with the smoothies

Light up pacifiers

They are a big deal at the skating rink

3 little boys that Lord willing will grow up to be men

Light up braces

The kids went off to skate

I went to find the skee ball machines

I spent all my quarters, but I won a ton of tickets

I was all out of money and LaDonna gave me another quarter. So much awesomeness

I had a creative moment

The skating rink hot dogs are so pretty

As the evening worn on, the skating rink started to close and we went home

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAYLA!!!!!!!!!!!!TTYL ~GGTG~

True Words

2012-01-18T13:03:00.000-05:00

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).. Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit.

If not, then just discard it.... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

The Death of Pretty

2012-01-18T13:00:00.007-05:00

The Death Of Pretty

by Pat Archbold Wednesday, December 21, 2011 11:11 AM

This post is intended as a lament of sorts, a lament for something in the culture that is dying and may never been seen again.

Pretty, pretty is dying.

People will define pretty differently. For the purposes of this piece, I define pretty as a mutually enriching balanced combination of beauty and projected innocence.

Once upon a time, women wanted to project an innocence. I am not idealizing another age and I have no illusions about the virtues of our grandparents, concupiscence being what it is. But some things were different in the back then. First and foremost, many beautiful women, whatever the state of their souls, still wished to project a public innocence and virtue. And that combination of beauty and innocence is what I define as pretty.

By nature, generally when men see this combination in women it brings out their better qualities, their best in fact. That special combination of beauty and innocence, the pretty inspires men to protect and defend it.

Young women today do not seem to aspire to pretty, they prefer to be regarded as hot. Hotness is something altogether different. When women want to be hot instead of pretty, they must view themselves in a certain way and consequently men view them differently as well.

As I said, pretty inspires men’s nobler instincts to protect and defend. Pretty is cherished. Hotness, on the other hand, is a commodity. Its value is temporary and must be used. It is a consumable.

Nowhere is this pretty deficit more obvious than in our “stars,” the people we elevate as the “ideal.” The stars of the fifties surely suffered from the same sin as do stars of today. Stars of the fifties weren’t ideal but they pursued a public ideal different from today.

The merits of hotness over pretty is easy enough to understand, they made an entire musical about it. Who can forget how pretty Olivia Newton John was at the beginning of Grease. Beautiful and innocent. But her desire to be desired leads her to throw away all that is valuable in herself in the vain hopes of getting the attention of a boy. In the process, she destroys her innocence and thus destroys the pretty. What we are left with is hotness.

Hotness is a consumable. A consumable that consumes as it is consumed but brings no warmth.

Most girls don’t want to be pretty anymore even if they understand what it is. It is ironic that 40 years of women’s liberation has succeeded only in turning women into a commodity. Something to be used up and thrown out.

Of course men play a role in this as well, but women should know better and they once did. Once upon a time you would hear girls talk about kind of women men date and the kind they marry. You don’t hear things like that anymore.

But here is the real truth. Most men prefer pretty over hot. Even back in 6th grade I hated the “hot” Olivia Newton John and felt sorry for her that she had to debase herself in such a way. Still do.

Our problem is that society doesn’t value innocence anymore, real or imagined. Nobody aspires to innocence anymore. Nobody wants to be thought of as innocent, the good girl. They want to be hot, not pretty.

I still hope that pretty comes back, although I think it not likely any time soon. For every Taylor Swift, there are a hundred Megan Foxs, or Lindsay Lohans, or Miley Cyruses etc.

Girls, please, bring back the pretty.

Videooosss

2012-01-18T12:48:00.023-05:00

CREDIT TO ALL THESE VIDEOS GOES TO YOUTUBE, THE PEOPLE THAT UPLOADED THEM, THE PEOPLE OR ANIMALS IN THEM, THE PEOPLE THAT CREATED THEM.....I OWN NOTHING. On to the videos :)
This one is awesome and amazingly true

He's quite awesome and I enjoyed some of the videos on his video channel.

Utterly impressive

Impressive as well.

Poor lil kid

She seemed a little crazy...but you can not deny her reading skills

These 3 brothers are amazing and I'm not a huge fan of country music ;)

I like this. I like it alot

They are adorable!

He's so cute

I hope you enjoyed them
TTYL
~GGTG~

Mikey has his 2nd tooth!!

2012-01-17T21:50:00.001-05:00

He's the cutest little guy

TTYL
~GGTG~

Taking the kids out for ice cream

2012-01-16T22:46:00.001-05:00

Miller's ice cream even taste good in the winter

Danni loved it. Red Raspberry is one of the best flavors

Cousins for life

Friends.....depending on what day of the week it is and who has gotten on who's nerves ;)

David patiently waiting for me to unlock the door

Later that evening, We went to the Matthew's house. They have been blessed with two puppiesI don't know what their names are.......This one has a strong face. I shall call him....Jeffery

This one reminds me of a Saint Bernard. I shall call Theodore

Miah was super happy

The kids with the new family members

TTYL ~GGTG~If you have any better name suggestion let me know and I'll pass it on to the family. I will let you know when I find out what their actual names are.

Gary's 18th Birthday!!!!!!

2012-01-14T22:15:00.000-05:00

My lil bro has made it to adulthood!!!!!Here he is giving mom a thank you hug for making his breakfast.

He requested bacon and sausage

LOTS OF FRENCH TOAST!!!

Carlton and the boys came over to share with the birthday joy. We said grace

And everyone started eating

Gary going crazy with the syrup

After breakfast, the kids sat around eating cookies and watching Gary play on his new electronic gidgeygadget.

When we finished cleaning up, the opening of presents began!

He was blessed with pillows from mom, sweat pants with pockets from Lydia, a pack of candy cane oreos

David made a lovely card. Lydia made him one too. David brought him his own container of Hidden Valley Ranch. I brought him the lovely t-shirt.

I also blessed him with these Spongebob items

He believes what the work out shirt says. Mom brought him his own plumbers bag. I lovingly gave him a box of 36 poptarts.....with 32 poptarts in it... ;)
Dad isn't much for wrapping gifts,

But when an Apple bag is in the box.....who cares how it's wrapped. Gary receiving Dad's old iPhone in the new iPhone box

Gary sitting with all his birthday loot

As soon as I got home from work. Mom and I started rolling eggrolls. We worked for so long! Finally, we were finished. I tried cheese eggrolls. They weren't all that.

Enjoying dinner

It was an awesome dinner

The facial expressions of Gary

Happy Birthday lil broLove ya

TTYL ~GGTG~

The First Snow of the Year

2012-01-09T21:50:00.022-05:00

TODAy......started like a normal day. I was doing stuff and heard yells. I looked out the window and there was SNOW.

Moses has never really seen snow

Kat on the other hands abhors it

My goal today was to take a picture of a snowflake

That was not the best goal I have ever set for myself

This picture is cool

I tried to take a picture of the snowflakes as they were falling. I learned snow flakes fall quickly and you can not predict them

Snow on a box of kale greens

Pharaoh wanting to play rock.....which is a game similar to fetch with more available throwing objects.

This is the only picture that has a snowflake looks like an actual snow flake

Moses trying to look at all the snow at once

He realized snow was edible

Also snow taste similar to ice. Ice is one of Moses' favorite treats

The snow continued to fall quickly and thickly.

A snowflake I managed to catch on my mitten

So beautiful!

These look like little Christmas bells

The snow had melted by the next day TTYL~GGTG~

TO my lil bro

2012-01-07T21:39:00.000-05:00

You turn 20 today. You're not here with us. No worries internet people, He just moved to a different city. Nat, this is our first year that you were not here for your birthday since the day you were born. You were missed and January the 7th.....just wasn't the same. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love ya

Gary taking part of the family out to eat

2012-01-06T20:48:00.001-05:00

Carlton was being a gentleman

Gary blending in with the cars

The dumsters where they dump the grease behind Tyson's mallnasty

Gary was taking us to Coastal Flats for dinner

There is a waiting list to get seated

We had about a hour wait before it was time to eat

Mom and I spent forever inside this store

It is pink galore

They even have a style area

Mom being impressed by the quality and price of the items for sale

The salon hair board

BITTY BABY TWINS!!!I remember when these came out!

Little clothes for the babies

This is the baby I had

The poor fathers at this lovely establishment

The mini dolls

The many different Mollys

A view of the store

A portion of all the many dolls of the store you can obtain

Many colors and hair types

Her glasses are awesome

After we walked all over the entire store. We exited......right before these lovely people with happy little kids carrying bags full of goodies

The restaurant signal went off and we headed back

The passing out of the menus commenced

Looking over menus is serious business

and requires great thought

We all decided what we wantedThis picture is awesome
The bread was wonderful and there was a different bread type for everybody.Warm doughnut balls were at the bottom. They are super good.

The food arrives!

Mom and I shared a plate. The crabcakes are WONDERFUL! The potatoes...weren't all that. The fries were so skinny and awesome! Mom liked the mushrooms. The steak was beautifully tender.

Carlton looking over the receipt

Gary payed for the whole thing. I was so proud of him.
TTYL ~GGTG~

Trying out Spaghettios.....and other canned products

2012-01-06T20:35:00.007-05:00

A family friend gave us a whole bunch of canned food.

We tried Spaghettios with meatballs.....Because we had never had them before

We learned a lesson.....Don't eat the meatballs

Mom's face after just trying the spaghettio part of it

Lydia's stomach couldn't really handle the richness that is spaghettios

Such a shame....a lot of people like them.TTYL~GGTG~

Strawberry Popsicles

2012-01-05T20:23:00.007-05:00

We tried these awesomest pops from Aldis.

They are wonderful

Dave enjoys them a ton

They really are good. Mom even liked them

TTYL ~GGTG~

Going to Subway

2012-01-03T20:00:00.016-05:00

After rehearsal, we stopped at Subway

They make the awesomest sammiches!

Always add extra meat and cheese

They work so quickly at Subway

The many different types of topping for ones sandwich

Once one has figured out everything you want on a sandwich, pick out a cookie.

And go home

TTYL ~GGTG~

The Bailey Family Photoshoot

2012-01-02T19:38:00.031-05:00

Mommy and the boys

Focus on Jim

Focus on CJ

Focus on Mommy

Funny faces
Couple time

The cool look

Jim pulls it off well

Family :)

I love this pose. It didn't turn out the way I thought it would, but it's still awesome!

Daddy and the boys

Come with us to the dark side......We have cookies

The boys

Lil MikeyHe was the main reason for the photoshoot

His teeth are coming in!

He's such a handsome lil guy. Reminds me of Gary when he was a baby. Mom thinks it's the 3rd child syndrome

I in no way shape or form indorse this picture

The brothers

The oldest and the youngest

Mike Future baseball player

TTYL ~GGTG~

Going to the Movies with the guys

2012-01-02T19:09:00.011-05:00

We arrived at the movie theatre bright and early in the morning

To see the first showing of this most excellent movie

After we finished the movie. We went McDonalds.

I got a Big Mac for the first time in a really long time. It was not as good as I remembered.

The guys finishing off the rest of the fries

TTYL ~GGTG~

Spending New Years with the Taylors Day 3

2012-01-01T19:02:00.010-05:00

The 1st day of the new year, Aunt Crissy made breakfast

Rai eating breakfast

Everybody else eating breakfast

The meal was awesome!

Has anyone ever noticed that the Soothie pacifier looks like a smiley face?

Kai looking all thoughtful like

Heading out to church

It was an awesome weekend
TTYL ~GGTG~

Spending New Year's with the Taylors Day 2

2011-12-31T17:48:00.052-05:00

I woke up to a little kid in wearing jammies and the cutest pair of socks. Wellll....I thought they were cute.

She got her hair done about a hour later

Rai eating her breakfast

Complete with milk

The many faces of Kai

We had a mini discusion about to whom the colorful piano belonged too.Me: Kai, can I have the piano. Kai: No, it's mineMe: nooo that's my piano. Kai: NO, IT'S MY PIANO!!!! NANYA GIVTED IT TO ME FOR CISTMISS!!!!

Which escalated to an argument with multiple juvenile gestures :DThat was awesome....until she accused me of making her hit her elbow on the bed. That wasn't true. She did that all on her own.

We finally agreed that it belonged to Raiyah

The playing of the piano commenced!

Cute lil Raiyah

We spent the rest of the afternoon watching Cupcake Wars. Which in my opinion is one of the greatest television shows ever created!!After we finished watching shows. We got hungry and ordered from the menu

This is what happens whenever paper and writing utensils are left around LaDonna :)

OUR FOOD CAME!!!!!

Kai saying grace

Playing with an entire box of tissues later on that evening

The facial expressions of Raiyah

TTYL ~GGTG~

Spending the New Year's Holiday with the Taylors Day 1

2011-12-30T16:20:00.040-05:00

A little while after I arrived. Bruno received his bath :)

He didn't take it well. As soon as LaDonna finished drying him off. He rolled all over the carpet

Until he collapsed

Chocolate covered ORRRRREEOHHHS

Lil Oliver

Chinny kisses

Oliver is so adorable

After many hours waiting, Donald arrived with pizza

It was so good

The cheesey bread was still HOT!

Cute sisters

Kai getting her hair taken out

Rai having a slight meltdown.........She was teething

Building a toy

A comercial came on with about 4 different songs on it. She danced to the entire thing. Twas pretty impressive for a 2 year old.
Funny faces while taking medication

Pretty girl

Getting ready for bed

Such cuties

This picture was taken about 9 months earlier
I love the lil boogersTTYL

CHRISTMAS DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-12-25T15:10:00.001-05:00

We walked in the house and Carlton was fixing a pipe under the sink

Nee-Neee was frying potatoes

Dad was frying fish

The fried fish in all it's fried fishy beauty

Dad watching the fryer

Wendy dipping the fish into the breading

A Christmas gift!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A possible future in Nat's life :D

Jim drawing pictures

Aubri and Miah

The opening of gifts

Mikey in all his chunky cuteness. He has a tooth coming in.

Bre and Gary

The beverage counter

Dad bringing in the last of the fish

Playing outside with the kids

Saying the prayer over the meal

Everyone in line getting ready to eat

A small portion of the food we had to enjoy

Families eating

Enjoying each others company

Dad

Various people's plates

Mom and Avery enjoying dinner

The desserts!!!!!!!They were so good!!!!!!!!

Avery a right after he finished dinner

Getting ready to go.

We sat around and enjoyed each others company

My sister's Christmas tree and our cousins

Dad, Nee-Nee, and Wendy

The family :D

It was a wonderful Christmas

TTYL~GGTG~

What we did on Christmas eve

2011-12-24T15:08:00.001-05:00

We ate popcorn and watched Christmas videos!!!!

TTYL
~GGTG~

Christmas Movies and shows!!!! Happy Christmas eve

2011-12-24T13:31:00.001-05:00

I was on Youtube a couple of days ago and noticed people had uploaded Christmas videos and shows.

The true reason for the season...sure they got a couple of the facts wrong...but what can you expect from Hollywood. Go read the full story.

This one might be a little scary for younger kids.

:)

This one is in honor of my Mom who loves this show.

This movie....is sooo wonderful.

I have not seen this one either.

KUUZZZCOOO

Another classic..of some sort

The penguins :)

I personally have never watched this but some others seem to enjoy it.

I love Winnie the pooh

In honor of Shrek. This one might have crude humor.

And my favorite Christmas video this year

Welll I hope you were able to enjoy them.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!!!!!!
TTYL
~GGTG~

Ham and Potato Chowder

2011-12-23T20:36:00.000-05:00

Mom made a chowder for the first time

It was so good

Moses wanted it.

He didn't get a single smidgen

David in awe over the tastiness of his meal

TTYL ~GGTG~

Out and about in the evening

2011-12-23T20:21:00.013-05:00

The evening and morning light are some of the most beautiful things in the world.

Just the way the golden streams flow across everything in it's path

The clouds reflecting light and holding on the darkness from a previous rain shower

The sun just streaks through them

Cars are so tiny which makes the people inside them even tinier.

I love this picture

*note* shopping two days before Christmas is NOT a good idea.

Nat....this picture is in honor of you

We finally made it home

TTYL~GGTG~

CJ an Jim coming over.

2011-12-22T19:38:00.003-05:00

They haven't been over in a while. This was their first time coming over potty trained.

They seemed to enjoy themselves

CJ giving subtle hints about what he wants for breakfast

Jim cleaned his entire plate ;)

CJ with his banana. He likes to peel them himself

After breakfast, they tackled David

Bopped his head with toys

Fell off Dave and hit their heads

Then jumped right back into the fight

Pummeled him with their little fists

Bounced on his cushy tummy

It amazes me how they can go from beating each other up to giving bear hugs.

They played with the train track

Then we had errands to run. Which included a trip to the park

I love this picture

Airplanes and birds fly together

Tackling the challenge of a big kid's playground

Lookit me Ains!!!! Lookit me

Walking the tightrope

Going down slides

Stretching those little legs

Being brave

Just running

Singing on the tree stump

When we got tired. We came to the car and had an apple break.

We had a pretty good time TTYL~GGTG~

Bath time for the larger Thomas pets

2011-12-19T19:29:00.001-05:00

This is always a struggle

Pharaoh goes first. Because he is the easiest to bathe

And I needed to give him a hair cut

There would be pictures of Moses and Kat's bath experiences. Sadly, Kat hates a bath and Moses was a huge pain in the butt about getting in and out the bath tub. I was exhausted by the time they were all clean. TTYL~GGTG~

The Smith's Church Play 2011

2011-12-17T17:22:00.044-05:00

The choir was impressive

The angel ziplined across the church to tell the shepherds Jesus was born

The choir in their robes

Mary and Joseph after Jesus' birth

Joseph singing
The angels singing in the heavens

The shepherds coming to visit baby Jesus

The wise men visiting Herod

The wise men visiting baby Jesus

The wise men headed home another way

Explaining some more parts of the Nativity story

The last singer

The play was beautiful

After the play ended

There was punch

and cookies

People stood around and fellowshipped. The next couple of pictures are of that :)

They ate allll the cookies

Many thanks to the Smith Family for their kind invitationTTYL~GGTG~

Out with Carmen

2011-12-15T17:18:00.009-05:00

Today I spent majority of the day with Carmen. Due to a previous shoulder injury, I didn't carry my camera with me. This is the only picture I took the entire day. When we went to go see this movie. We were the only people in the entire theatre. That was a little creepy. We had an awesome day.

TTYL
~GGTG~

Gary is officially..........

2011-12-14T17:16:00.000-05:00

A HVAC employee

Congratulations Gary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TTYL
~GGTG~

Out with Mom :D

2011-12-13T17:01:00.020-05:00

One of Mom's yogurt cups. We have started taking healthier snacks with us when we are going on outings.

We stopped at the Library first

Then headed to town. On the way there, we saw this huge group of birds

A semi circle of cars

This truck reminded me of Mater

Going into one of our favorite stores

Lydia tagged along with us

It's amazing how out of all the stores. Aldis is the only store that does not have any shopping carts in the parking lot

Loading all the groceries into the trunk

We stopped at Sams

Our food supply was starting to run low

This is what America is coming to. Little kids will be ringing the salvation army bell. He made some good money though. *note*He is not an orphan. His guardians were nearby and he had wanted to ring the bell

It was a good day and we were able to pick up all the items we needed

TTYL ~GGTG~

Christmas Lights

2011-12-12T16:34:00.004-05:00

One of the most special looking set of Christmas light our family has ever seen

TTYL
~GGTG~

After church and setting up my first Christmas tree

2011-12-11T16:22:00.000-05:00

Jim has got to stop growing ;)

After church, I went to the TaylorsApples make teething babies

All happy like
Kai and I still have that odd relationship

The tiniest little Christmas tree

MY COUSIN BROUGHT ME DINNER!!!!!!!It twas awesome :D

Kai giving me that funny look

and smiling

We started setting up the Christmas tree after dinner

Christmas Trees are a LOT of work

I love laying down underneath them once they are all set up

It's so beautiful

Kai trying to figure out what I was doing under the Christmas tree

Some more pictures that were taken from under the Christmas tree

Kai putting her Christmas ornament on the tree

It turned out ok :)

Kai kept wanting to put more ornaments on the tree

She never really got the hang of it but she did try

The tree once we had finished putting everything on it.

That was an experience I will never forget :D TTYL~GGTG~

Women's Prayer

2011-12-09T23:38:00.013-05:00

The moon was super bright this evening. It was the first thing we noticed when we walked out the door.

Esha was hosting Women's prayer

My sister's brought root beers

Esha made an awesome shrimp pasta dish

Complete with salad.
It was a really good women's prayer. When we got home.
The moon was still lighting up the sky and we could see even though it was night time

TTYL ~GGTG~

Lydia's 11th Birthday!!!!

2011-12-07T23:17:00.000-05:00

It actually started around 12 that morning for me. I was hard at work wrapping her gifts. It was then I discovered I love Bottle Caps. Especially the cola, root beer, and grape flavors. We use candy instead of bows.

All the gifts are loaded into a suitcase.

And the birthday person gets the joy of opening each one

Admiring her gifts

The candy bows are beautiful

Getting the Bible she had wanted

You have to admit it is a really cool looking one

She knew what this gift was before she even opened it :)It was the Fancy Nancy doll from Wal-Mart

Black paper and video games

A pretty froo froo bag

Filled with socks. She plans to carry her Bible to church in it.

A set of hard cover Nancy Drew books 1-6They retail for about $30 at Sams Club. God blessed and I got them for about $3.
A Thrift store gift card

Jell pens to be used on the black paper

All her candy bows

Dad opening the Fancy Nancy doll box

He had a bit of a struggle

Fancy Nancy free at last

David cleaning up the wrapping paper.

Lydia's birthday breakfast. It was utterly scrumiilicious

Lots of maple syrup to pour upon the fluffy pancakes

Note the graceful swoop the syrup makes as it streams down towards the plate

Happy Birthday LydiaI love you.

TTYL ~GGTG~

Skeeter and her afternoon veggies

2011-12-06T22:56:00.001-05:00

Lydia makes her a beautiful dish of fruits and veggies

Skeeter loves apples more than anything else

She is rawther fond of the lettuce too

Such a lil cutieI love this picture

TTYL ~GGTG~

Rufus getting his bath

2011-12-06T22:13:00.009-05:00

Rufus in the bath tub aka the bathroom sink (For all of you rat phobia people who come visit us. Do not be alarmed the sink is disinfected after each bath)

Look at his little Santa Clause beard

Alll squeaky clean

TTYL~GGTG~

Smoking is not good for you

2011-12-05T00:01:00.008-05:00

Sobering....

Slightly comical

Lydia was watching this while I was picking videos. She prefers the original Brady bunch theme song

:(

TTYL
~GGTG~

Setting up the Christmas decorations

2011-12-04T22:25:00.016-05:00

Before one can properly hang Christmas decoration. You have to clean the area.

Attempt to kill the spider that JUST WON'T DIE!!!!!!!

20 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS

We took all the decoration out of the boxes.

Lydia hung the star

Our angel.......it's so hard to find male angels

My supposed helper

She didn't hold out long at all, but for a 10 year old...I guess she did the best she could

The decorations after the sun went down the evening.

They are truly beautiful

Our star

One of the many nativity sets

The little town of Bethlehem, We have had this set for as long as I can remember

Pharaoh in Moses' bed.....He's normally in Moses's bed

This is where Moses is.....He's such a wimp

TTYL~GGTG~

One leaf waving in the wind on the end of a stick

2011-12-04T22:22:00.001-05:00

As my Mom saysStand even when you have to stand alone or

Or don't stand at all

TTYL ~GGTG~

The Princess Party

2011-12-03T21:11:00.024-05:00

On the way to the party!!!!!!!!!!!

The party plates were adorable, but had a slight mishap in the microwave

Mom getting caught up on the schedule of the evening

There were so many cupcakes!!!

Lovingly frosted

The princess table

The pizza was delicious

The cupcakes being passed around

The girls decorated their cupcakes with various sprinkles and candies

It was greatly enjoyed

Decorating takes great dedication and patience :)

A sad face and one that has been graced by the wonders of chocolate

More cute little chocolaty faces

The girls birthday cake
Singing Happy BirthdayGotta love little kid grins
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUBRI AND ALL THE OTHER DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TTYL~GGTG~

MY 1000th post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-12-03T20:34:00.000-05:00

It's probably over 1000 cause I had to delete a bunch of blog posts when I was first starting up the blog........anywhoo.....3 long years ago, I saved up my money and brought a small Cannon point and shoot camera. I had previously been using a film camera given to me by my loving parents many years ago. After about a year with it. Due some .........circumstances I could have avoided....the camera was dropped. I was without a camera for a couple of months. For another birthday, I was given a Minolta DSLR. It worked wonderfully. I used it for about a year and my talents continued to grow. In the middle of severe poison ivy outbreak, Dad told me he had a photography job and that I could use his camera. Which was a Nikon D50. We had 2 BEAUTIFUL years together. Then one night after I took my last photoshoot of George. My camera screen started flashing the dreaded ERROR signal. The shutter locked up and that was the end of that wonderful relationship. It was a rough 6 months. I was given the opportunity to go help someone in need and by some miracle, I was blessed with a Nikon D500. I've been taking pictures with it ever since. Welllllll...I had not meant for this post to be so long. It was just to be a 1000th post :D
Thank you guys so much for all your support.
Ainsley
~Giving God The Glory......or at least really trying too~
TTYL

Subbn at the daycare

2011-12-02T18:47:00.027-05:00

I have been the substitute at this daycare off and on for the last couple of weeks. This time I brought Lydia.

The kids got off the school bus around the normal time

The daycare helper poured the juice

The kids had their snack and started on their homework. Who knew kids had to do algebra

They cut. They paste

When they are finished. They played with Lydia's toys

We played video games

We played multiple games of UNO!!!

Some continued to play video games

Others watched TV

While others myself included.....played split the deck. The hardest game of UNO known to woman and man.

You split the deck of UNO cards and play a game of UNO as one normally does

It's lots of fun. TTYL~GGTG~

This lady...truly is a hero.

2011-12-01T21:51:00.000-05:00

The Holocaust - the systematic annihilation of six million Jews - is a history of enduring horror and sorrow. The charred skeletons, the diabolic experiments, the death camps, the mass graves, the smoke from the chimneys ... In 1933 nine million Jews lived in the 21 countries of Europe that would be occupied by Germany during the war. By 1945 two out of every three European Jews had been killed by the Nazis. 1.5 million children were murdered. This figure includes more than 1.2 million Jewish children, tens of thousands of Gypsy children and thousands of handicapped children.

Yet there were acts of courage and human decency during the Holocaust - stories to bear witness to goodness, love and compassion. This is the story of an incredible woman and her amazing gift to mankind. Irena Sendler. An unfamiliar name to most people, but this remarkable woman defied the Nazis and saved 2,500 Jewish children by smuggling them out of the Warsaw Ghetto. As a health worker, she sneaked the children out between 1942 and 1943 to safe hiding places and found non-Jewish families to adopt them.

For many years Irena Sendler - white-haired, gentle and courageous - was living a modest existence in her Warsaw apartment. This unsung heroine passed away on Monday May 12th, 2008.

Her achievement went largely unnoticed for many years. Then the story was uncovered by four young students at Uniontown High School, in Kansas, who were the winners of the 2000 Kansas state National History Day competition by writing a play Life in a Jar about the heroic actions of Irena Sendler. The girls - Elizabeth Cambers, Megan Stewart, Sabrina Coons and Janice Underwood - have since gained international recognition, along with their teacher, Norman Conard. The presentation, seen in many venues in the United States and popularized by National Public Radio, C-SPAN and CBS, has brought Irena Sendlers story to a wider public. The students continue their prize-winning dramatic presentation Life in a Jar.

Irena Sendler

Irena Sendler was born in 1910 in Otwock, a town some 15 miles southeast of Warsaw. She was greatly influenced by her father who was one of the first Polish Socialists. As a doctor his patients were mostly poor Jews. In 1939, Germany invaded Poland, and the brutality of the Nazis accelerated with murder, violence and terror. At the time, Irena was a Senior Administrator in the Warsaw Social Welfare Department, which operated the canteens in every district of the city. Previously, the canteens provided meals, financial aid, and other services for orphans, the elderly, the poor and the destitute. Now, through Irena, the canteens also provided clothing, medicine and money for the Jews. They were registered under fictitious Christian names, and to prevent inspections, the Jewish families were reported as being afflicted with such highly infectious diseases as typhus and tuberculosis.

But in 1942, the Nazis herded hundreds of thousands of Jews into a 16-block area that came to be known as the Warsaw Ghetto. The Ghetto was sealed and the Jewish families ended up behind its walls, only to await certain death. Irena Sendler was so appalled by the conditions that she joined Zegota, the Council for Aid to Jews, organized by the Polish underground resistance movement, as one of its first recruits and directed the efforts to rescue Jewish children.

The Warsaw Ghetto

To be able to enter the Ghetto legally, Irena managed to be issued a pass from Warsaws Epidemic Control Department and she visited the Ghetto daily, reestablished contacts and brought food, medicines and clothing. But 5,000 people were dying a month from starvation and disease in the Ghetto, and she decided to help the Jewish children to get out. For Irena Sendler, a young mother herself, persuading parents to part with their children was in itself a horrendous task. Finding families willing to shelter the children, and thereby willing to risk their life if the Nazis ever found out, was also not easy.

Irena Sendler, who wore a star armband as a sign of her solidarity to Jews, began smuggling children out in an ambulance. She recruited at least one person from each of the ten centers of the Social Welfare Department. With their help, she issued hundreds of false documents with forged signatures. Irena Sendler successfully smuggled almost 2,500 Jewish children to safety and gave them temporary new identities.

Some children were taken out in gunnysacks or body bags. Some were buried inside loads of goods. A mechanic took a baby out in his toolbox. Some kids were carried out in potato sacks, others were placed in coffins, some entered a church in the Ghetto which had two entrances. One entrance opened into the Ghetto, the other opened into the Aryan side of Warsaw. They entered the church as Jews and exited as Christians. "`Can you guarantee they will live?'" Irena later recalled the distraught parents asking. But she could only guarantee they would die if they stayed. "In my dreams," she said, "I still hear the cries when they left their parents."

Irena Sendler accomplished her incredible deeds with the active assistance of the church. "I sent most of the children to religious establishments," she recalled. "I knew I could count on the Sisters." Irena also had a remarkable record of cooperation when placing the youngsters: "No one ever refused to take a child from me," she said. The children were given false identities and placed in homes, orphanages and convents. Irena Sendler carefully noted, in coded form, the childrens original names and their new identities. She kept the only record of their true identities in jars buried beneath an apple tree in a neighbor's back yard, across the street from German barracks, hoping she could someday dig up the jars, locate the children and inform them of their past.

In all, the jars contained the names of 2,500 children ...

Nazi Genocide

But the Nazis became aware of Irena's activities, and on October 20, 1943 she was arrested, imprisoned and tortured by the Gestapo, who broke her feet and legs. She ended up in the Pawiak Prison, but no one could break her spirit. Though she was the only one who knew the names and addresses of the families sheltering the Jewish children, she withstood the torture, that crippled her for life, refusing to betray either her associates or any of the Jewish children in hiding. Sentenced to death, Irena was saved at the last minute when Zegota members bribed one of the Gestapo agents to halt the execution. She escaped from prison but for the rest of the war she was pursued by the Nazis.

After the war she dug up the jars and used the notes to track down the 2,500 children she placed with adoptive families and to reunite them with relatives scattered across Europe. But most lost their families during the Holocaust in Nazi death camps. The children had known her only by her code name Jolanta. But years later, after she was honored for her wartime work, her picture appeared in a newspaper. "A man, a painter, telephoned me," said Sendler, "`I remember your face,' he said. `It was you who took me out of the ghetto.' I had many calls like that!"

The Holocaust

Irena Sendler did not think of herself as a hero. She claimed no credit for her actions. "I could have done more," she said. "This regret will follow me to my death." She has been honored by international Jewish organizations - in 1965 she accorded the title of Righteous Among the Nations by the Yad Vashem organization in Jerusalem and in 1991 she was made an honorary citizen of Israel. Irena Sendler was awarded Poland's highest distinction, the Order of White Eagle, in Warsaw Monday Nov. 10, 2003, and she was announced as the 2003 winner of the Jan Karski award for Valor and Courage. She has officially been designated a national hero in Poland and schools are named in her honor. Annual Irena Sendler days are celebrated throughout Europe and the United States.

In 2007, she was nominated to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. At a special session in Poland's upper house of Parliament, President Lech Kaczynski announced the unanimous resolution to honor Irena Sendler for rescuing "the most defenseless victims of the Nazi ideology: the Jewish children." He referred to her as a "great heroine who can be justly named for the Nobel Peace Prize. She deserves great respect from our whole nation."

During the ceremony Elzbieta Ficowska, who was just six months old when she was saved by Irena Sendler, read out a letter on her behalf: “Every child saved with my help is the justification of my existence on this Earth, and not a title to glory,” Irena Sendler said in the letter, “Over a half-century has passed since the hell of the Holocaust, but its spectre still hangs over the world and doesn’t allow us to forget.”

Irena Sendler

This lovely, courageous woman was one of the most dedicated and active workers in aiding Jews during the Nazi occupation of Poland. Her courage enabled not only the survival of 2,500 Jewish children but also of the generations of their descendants.

The Nobel Prize recipient, Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, has dedicated his life to ensuring that none of us forget what happened to the Jews. He wrote:

"In those times there was darkness everywhere. In heaven and on earth, all the gates of compassion seemed to have been closed. The killer killed and the Jews died and the outside world adopted an attitude either of complicity or of indifference. Only a few had the courage to care ..."

- Louis Bülow

~I found out about her through a friend. I researched her a little bit more and she really hasn't gotten ANY of the credit she deserves for the incredible things she did. ~
TTYL
~GGTG~

Funny pics and interesting videos

2011-12-01T21:50:00.000-05:00

I was looking on a funny picture website and these are some of the ones that either impressed me or made me laugh.

Welll this picture isn't funny but it is cool. These are all pictures of the moon.

Impressive

Sadly so true

Ironic ;)

:)
With some of my cousins going to college next year.........I hope they choose wisely.

I LOVE YOU SONIC!!!!!

The sentiments of Moses

Stuff was always WAY cooler when you were little.

The food never does look like the picture.......

I sooo would have done this :D

Like nobody has ever been tempted to do this...

THIS VIDEO IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!The whole music video background was made of Jelly Belly bean mosaics

THIS LIL KID IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!! I don't even think I could skate in a straight line...
Here's the link to her youtube account:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Tskystarr?feature=watch

These are 7 foods you should never eat!!
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/12/01/7-foods-should-never-eat/

With Christmas coming so soon. This light display is beautiful.

TTYL
Hope ya enjoyed it
~GGTG~

Game Night at the Thomas house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-11-27T22:16:00.033-05:00

We gathered all the games we could find

Prepped the bean dip

And people started arriving to partake of sammiches and fellowship

The beauty of cranberry grape punch

Gary carrying in Dad's sodas

Mom made a batch of sandwich rolls

We had plenty of ham and turkey left from thanksgiving

Somebod'ys plate

All the toppings and spreads to go upon the sammiches

MY SAMMICCHH!!!!!!!!!

They started playing Go Fish! while waiting for the rest of the family to come

Another game of UNO was being started

A house full of family....pretty awesome

Mom's mud cake is really good with marshmallow spread and peanut butter too

We played Twister

Some drew in coloring books

Some played the drums

Others played Scrabble

This was actually in someone's letter rack

As the evening dragged on...people had to go home. We started cleaning up

The games of Scrabble kept going strong

Babies are so cute

And so emotional

Dave and Jim playing Connect 4

Jim won.................more than once

I GOT THIS AWESOMEST PICTURE FOR MY BIRTHDAY........with another item....that will not be pictured.....due to personal reasons :)

After almost everybody had gone home. James just started singing :)*note* The following video's are over 30 seconds long.......enjoy!!!!!

Love this lil guy

It was an awesome night TTYL~GGTG~

All the money that a lil kid had...she gave away....

2011-11-26T22:00:00.005-05:00

Lynda had given me a present with money in it for my birthday. I found it when I was cleaning my room. Miss that lil kid.....and her brother too ;)

TTYL
~GGTG~

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T21:19:00.000-05:00

Wellllll.....Gary cooked the turkey this year. It looked a mess, but it was the best tasting turkey I've ever had.

We seasoned rubbed the ribs and prepped them for the grill

David and Dad getting the grill ready

Kat waiting in the basement for the ham to come out the fridge.....she likes ham

Dad slicing the ham

Moses loves ham...well he loves anything food related

He fell into depression when he realized he was not going to be given the entire ham.

Dad kept slicing and we went to Miller's to go get some doughnuts for breakfast.

They are SUPER good

We brought a whole dozen home

I got really busy after that and couldn't take anymore pictures.

We got to the church house and started setting up for the meal. I set up the photography stuff and took a couple of test shots of David and Lydia.

The shelf with all the drinks on them :)

I headed over the house next door and played with Luke some

He had to tie his shoes before we could head to the others people's thanksgiving dinners :D

The guys eating dinner

The men eating and watching the game

People fellowshipping in the kitchen

All the different types of food, we got to enjoy eating.Ham, Ribs, Sweet Potatos, Rice, Potato Salad, Mac n Cheese, Turkey, Corn Stuffing, and Cabbage

Some lovely person's plate

The Matthew's Thanksgiving table

Crossing back across the yard while the sun was setting :)

The kids watching TV

Our cousins

They have such a beautiful family

Mom showing off her beautiful apron

Cherish making a funny face

Jenna trying Uncle Steve's for the first time and 4 generations of Aunt Geri's family :)

The guys playing video games on the porch

TTYL ~GGTG~

Going to get pies from Millers

2011-11-23T21:19:00.013-05:00

Rufus has learned to call when he hears his name...or noises that sound like his name. Sadly, all the other pets occasionally come by for treats too.

Miller's was packed up

So very many pies

All different types and flavors

They are baked every day

They are so beautiful

Dad picked out to of them

Different types of cakes as well

So lovely wrapped

Tables filled with baked goodies

They even sell individual pie slices

EGGNOG ICE CREAM IS BACK!!!!!!

I missed it so much

TTYL ~GGTG~

The day before Thanksgiving in the Thomas household

2011-11-23T12:24:00.006-05:00

Skeeter bit Lydia for the first time. It didn't go well

Mom demonstrating the proper way to slice onions

Aren't they beautiful

The CHIMICHANGA I had for lunch!!!!!!!!!!These things are AWWEESSOMMEE!!! Needs more chicken

My beautiful little baby

The preemptory stages of potato salad

My photo cabinet.....I need a bigger cabinet

CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE!!!!!!!

TTYL ~GGTG~

Moses in his cushy new bed

2011-11-20T21:14:00.000-05:00

A couple of days ago, Moses was blessed with this HUGE doggy pillow cushion.

He loves it and is learning that it belongs to him and not to Pharaoh. This is a long and SLOW process. Moses is a wimp and Pharaoh loves being in charge of anything.

Many thanks to the family that blessed us with the pillow TTYL~GGTG~

Out at Ruby Tuesday with Carmen

2011-11-17T21:07:00.001-05:00

We arrived around lunch time.

We looked over all the menus before deciding what we wanted to order

Ruby Tuesday's decor

My meal. It looks beautiful. Let it be known, I can not eat anything with Creole on it. My stomach was upset for a couple of days

Carmen ordered the Almond Crusted Fish

We decided on a fudge cake and ice cream for dessert. That thing was awesome. The ice cream was smooth and creamy.... *bliss*

On the way home, We saw a Redskin's ambulance. That was pretty cool

Carmen, it was awesome hanging out with you and I hope we can do it again soon. TTYL~GGTG~

Mom spending all morning make breakfast

2011-11-17T20:56:00.004-05:00

It's amazing to wake up to the smells of breakfast cooking :D

With canned biscuits...I love the home-made ones way more

Mom trying to make us think she cooked for ours. She spent maybe 15 minutes

I really don't care. It was good.

Thanks so much, Mom. Love you TTYL~GGTG~

Pet cage cleaning day!

2011-11-15T20:48:00.011-05:00

Getting Skeeter out of her cage is always a challenge....

We had to change her cage, Skunks

Rufus',

Pip's and Kat's litter box

Skeeter and Rufus meeting for the first time

These are the different types of bedding we use. Yesterday's news used to be fore Rufus. The petco brand is way softer. Skunk is using the Yesterday's news now. The orange bag is Kat's. The Ultra Care-fresh used to be for Rufus, but it's pretty dusty and did not eliminate odor at all. The pine pellets are for Skeeter and Pip.

People have asked how Kat feels about having so many other animals in the room. She's normally ok. As long as her food dish is filled and an animal carrier isn't blocking her path to it.

TTYL ~GGTG~

After Church

2011-11-13T20:40:00.007-05:00

Amy and Lydia, friends from the beginning of time.

May they always stay that way

Lawrence came to Church today!

Ginger came too. She's such a sweetheart.

TTYL ~GGTG~

Esha's Party

2011-11-12T18:52:00.045-05:00

The hotdawg are always a welcome entree.

Mac and Chez on the side

A lil Hummus and pita bread

Deviled eggs

And all the sugary drinks one's heart could desire

Jim

Esha made smoothies the whole time we were there

Complete with pretty toppings

Any of these goodies could go in your smoothie

So beautiful

Playing coloring games

The kids about to have a soda drinking contest

They drank quickly and ended up getting a lil sick

But they were dedicated

Somebody's plate

Another beautiful smoothie

The guys about to have there own drinking contest

Carlton won and Nat came in second

Gary and Denzel....not so much. Gotta give them points for effort

Some loving person filled CJ's mouth with whipped cream....turns out CJ doesn't like whipped cream

More strawberries

The kids on sugar

They had gone through the hyper stage and had moved on to the tired looking stage

Which can awesome make them a lil goofy

I love this picture for some reason. They look so candy focused

My lil friends

There was a slight dancing session. It's a decent long video and probably boring to some.....but I thought it was funny. The guys....drinking sugary beverages

MY SMOOTHIE!!!!!!!!!

Rai and TT, they became quick friends.

Aubri...hopefully drinking out of her cup

Carl lighting the candles
We are the only family I know the specializes in singing Happy Birthday loudly and off note. :)I wouldn't have it any other way.The kids waiting for the cake to be cut
Avery has grown so much.

He has a complete lil mohawk

Dancin in the kitchen

Ya know it was a good party when you leave the event full, happy, and tired. If there is food leftover....well that makes it even better.

TTYL ~GGTG~

FAJITAS!!!!!!!!!!!! and Popeye's chicken

2011-11-11T18:42:00.007-05:00

We came home from a busy day of being out and about. Mom had made fajitas

Complete with all the toppings

and fillings

and all good stuff the makes a fajita a fajita

Dad brought home some chicken and that was dinner. Fried chicken and mexican food was meant to go together

Sadly, we didn't completely understand what fajitas were and ended up making something similar to a mini burrito...or a soft shelled taco.

TTYL ~GGTG~

The Thomas family pets.....the smaller ones

2011-11-09T16:21:00.026-05:00

Skeeter.....she is not a fan of pictures.......she just likes food

Moses.....He's not small at all

Pip....

She's the not the lil pipsqueak she used to be

So chunky.

I love her a ton!!

She is very photogenic....when she's not to busy exploring.

INTRA DUCING RUFUS!!!!!!!!!

I had to try out some props for smaller animals.

Rufus was nervous at first, but over came his nerves

He looks like he's praying. Probably for more yogurt drop ;)

He's tamed really nicely and I'm very proud of him.

David recently was blessed with a hamster.

Due to the way he smelled when we first got him.

He has been named Skunk

He was grouchy when he first came, but he has really warmed up to us since then.

I also tried out some Christmas props. He does pretty well with the flash and getting his pictures taken.

Well until he tried to eat the candy cane

........and fell asleep in the gift box....

......buried himself under the beads and got stuck

He's a sweetie pie

TTYL ~GGTG~

Running errands with the family

2011-11-03T15:56:00.025-04:00

I enjoy this place

So many different food types and hardly any are name brand

Hunney

I love this goopey stuff. It cost me 79 cents

Dave looking over the freezer section

I brought a little box of chocolates

which I shared

Mom tested the Wheat Thin wanna bees. They taste better than the brand they are made of

Lady bugs

We stopped past Jo-Anns to pick up some yarn for Lydia's knitting class project.
Yarn.......

We looked and looked
For this special type of yarn she had to have for her project

I didn't know there were this many types of yarn

Finally she found the type she was looking for*note* this is not a picture of her finding the yarn. She was just tossing a yarn lump (I know that's not the proper term for it). Mom kept looking for the right type.

This is tassel

Of different types and textures.

TTYL ~GGTG~

Fall Scenery and on the road

2011-11-03T14:02:00.017-04:00

We had to go run some errands and I took my camera along with us.

Autumn in so beautiful

The sun shines through the leave and lights them up. Making them almost appear to glow.

Ahhhhh so much yellow

Red is a brillant color

Looks like a post card

This tree (the one on the left has two different colored leaves

I didn't know people had to do this

God's creation is amazing

TTYL ~GGTG~

PIZza Party at the Smiths

2011-10-28T20:35:00.018-04:00

I was invited to an impromptu pizza get together

She would take it out of the oven and the cheese would be bubbling.

Then the cheese would melt off the pizza and stick to the plate.

To the great anticipation of all those watching and smelling

The melted cheese stuck to the pizza cutter

Pepperonis being sprinkled over the cheesiness of pizza

So beautiful

The kids playing

Pizza were cooked until people couldn't eat anymore

We ate junk food and played Maffia late into the night.

Twas a wonderful evening

TTYL ~GGTG~p.s. To those who are wondering what mafia is....here is a link with instructions how to play.http://toast.topped-with-meat.com/connector/mafia.html

A pretty glass makes all the difference in the world

2011-10-27T14:49:00.005-04:00

.....to a glass of tea

TTYL
~GGTG~

Moses playing fetch in the yard

2011-10-25T16:51:00.023-04:00

Mom was in the Petsmart and found this clothes line that's like a LONG leash.

Moses can play fetch all over the lawn

He enjoys it greatly

There is definitely purebreed in him.

He won't stop growing

Grass is beautiful with dew on it.

The ball gets nasty after a few minutes of playing ball

He discovers the frisbeeIt took him forever to get if off the grass

But once he did.....he was running all over that lawn. Like I actually wanted to catch him

He truly is a complete and utter moron

He ran in circles until he got tired of it.

Then he grabbed the leash, pulled tight, and runs in a circle around me

I outsmarted him :)

Fall is almost here!!!!!!!!!!

TTYL ~GGTG~

Skeeter Pope Thomas

2011-10-24T23:31:00.001-04:00

Lydia was blessed with her guinea pig.

We went to Petco to pick up some kitty treats they had on sale.

There was an 10 gallon aquarium on one of the cashier's stand.

In it was a little guinea pig.

Her name was Max........her parents....didn't do to much guinea pig research. After some prayer and discussion, we signed the papers and picked up some items at Wal-Mart. She was ours and we brought her home.

She's pretty skittish but calms down once you start holding her close

She was said to be 9 months. She's pretty small and she doesn't like veggies or fruit much. I found out we might have been feeding her a little to much of her pellet food. We started cutting down on her portions of that and hopefully it will help.

She is a cute lil thing and Lydia is learning to love her.

TTYL ~GGTG~

After Church and Fall is coming!!!!!!!!

2011-10-23T23:28:00.000-04:00

My sister did an awesome job. We had bean dip, chips, ramen, apples, and gummy bears for the church meal. Twas weird but good

We were driving about later on that day and I noticed something

Fall is coming!!!!

My allergies are starting to kick in too.

Allergies or not fall is one of the most beautiful time of the year.

TTYL ~GGTG~

RUFUS!!!!!!!

2011-10-18T22:14:00.000-04:00

He came to live with me 2 weeks ago. I couldn't do much with his cage the first couple of days except put the essentials in his cage. Water, food, hiding place, and a heater.

A week or 2 later his cage was decorated and enjoyable. Rufus is a hairless rat. He doesn't like his hammock at ALL!!!! I had to put him in the hammock and take it out.

A close up of his top floor

And a close up of Rufus

This is a picture of his second bath. He wasn't very corporative the first time.

He did really well this time. I was proud of him. His taming is coming along pretty well and he has learned to love certain treats.

As soon as he gets more comfortable I do a proper photoshoot. TTYL~GGTG~

Bath time pictures from the internet :)

2011-10-18T16:42:00.026-04:00

I had to give all the pets a bath today. I was almost as wet as this lil kid.

Kat gives me looks like this

George (our first dog) used to have this attitude with the hose

Moses is more of this mindset

This is Pharaoh and Kat's view of bath-time
Moses this picture is all Moses

Also Moses

Kat does this with the sink handles and she looks like this wet.

All of them have this look.....accept Moses....He's not to bright

This picture is for all the millions of people who were given baths in the kitchen sink

No matter how you felt about

TTYL~GGTG~*note* All pictures belong to the people who took them. I took none of these pictures.I love this picture.

Nursing Home

2011-10-16T23:12:00.003-04:00

We had nursing home today :)

Lukey has lost his two front teeth at the same time :D

We had a really blessed time this Sunday

TTYL ~GGTG~

Daily Photo

2011-10-06T16:39:00.000-04:00

Today's challenge
Make a photograph that illustrates technology today.
I gave them Mom's opinion of technology :D

TTYL
~GGTG~

Flowers!!!!!!

2011-10-05T16:36:00.000-04:00

They are really beautiful. Some look like faces.

Others like little canyons

Dandelions may be weeds, but I love them anyway.

TTYL ~GGTG~

Daily Photo

2011-10-04T16:24:00.007-04:00

Today's photo challenge was
The horizon can be a strong composition element. Make a photograph that emphasizes the horizon today.
Horizon can mean many things. It can mean something we wish to obtain. I want a closer walk with God. By studying the Bible I obtain it :)

TTYL
~GGTG~

Utube vids

2011-10-03T18:53:00.034-04:00

This was hilarious and sobering at the same time. Make sure your heart is in the right place when you're praising the Lord.

This is a beautiful video that a friend shared with me.

HE'S 3!!!!!!!!! (Lil kids are like lil sponges:)

I would not know what the best robot dance is, but this is pretty awesome.

This is a little violinist. He is three years old. Skip to 3:40 for when he starts playing.

Here's another video of when he is 5. He is an amazing lil kid.

Here is a more current video. Just when you think he can't get any better he does. He's 10 now

THE WORLD'S LARGEST FRO!!!!!!

For those who came to church last Sunday......this is Kerri Strug (the person Nee-Nee was talking about)

This is a amazing film. Viewer digression is advised and it's 30 minutes long.

It's cold outside and that reminds me that the holiday season is coming ;)

Hope ya enjoyed it.
TTYL
~GGTG~

Buffalooo wings :)

2011-10-02T16:21:00.001-04:00

Mom made one of my favorite meals for dinner

A whole pan of buffalooo wings

Even Mom likes them

Dad mixes his wings in with salad or dips them.

Regardless to how you eat them, they are super good. TTYL~GGTG~

Daily Photo

2011-10-02T16:19:00.003-04:00

Today's challenge was to photo what it's like around you. Today it's cold, wet, dreary, and the leaves are starting to change.

TTYL
~GGTG~

My Daily Photo

2011-10-01T19:50:00.001-04:00

Take a picture showcasing communication.

TTYL
~GGTG~

Going to Ocean City day 1

2011-09-30T19:08:00.001-04:00

It was a foggy morning when we went to go take the pets to the kennel

Moses thoroughly enjoyed himself

Kat cried the whole way

She doesn't take well to leaving home

Moses is friends with whoever will scratch behind his ears.

Our load of stuff

Joe and Dave

Danni was excited. She wore her swimsuit under her clothes

Her and Lydia ended up being riding buddies

The cars preparing to leave

The cousins in backseat together

The boat in a cloudy sea

Orange cones..

Trucks

Lil cars in a row headed far away

The clouds were beautiful once the sun started coming out. One of the looks like a horse either spitting or breathing fire

We stopped at McDonald's for lunch

Mom and Nee-Nee having a moment

Luke with the toy that came in his happy meal.

I got chicken nuggets and a carmel sunday

More of the beautiful clouds

I love both of these pictures, but couldn't decide which one to upload.

Countdown until Ocean City

And we arriveddd

Kai resting

The cousins

Danni singing her lil heart out.....Lydia tolerating it

Cherish is walking.

I unloaded my food

And headed to the beach

Micah and I had the awesomest time

My family went to the ocean and had a good time

Micah played in the sand

Nee-Nee relaxing on the beach

Micah daring the ocean to get him

Kai came down to the water a little while later. We had fun running back and forth in the waves

Kai having a meltdown over something. She has the best sad face

We went to Food Lion to pick up a few more essential food rations

The best water ice on the board walk

I just like this picture

This one too

I never noticed this totem pole before

:)

It's a feeling I can't really explain to walk up the boardwalk back to a hotel that's full of family and friends. Where is a whole row of doors to bang upon, tons of food to snack on, and just a huge feeling of love and acceptance....

Anywho I stopped at the pool to see what the kids were up to

Kai and Danni

Miah

Playing catch in the pool

Only Micah would figure out boogie boarding in the pool

Mom and Mrs. Michelle can talk for hours

Examining the light in the pool

They always have a good time

The guys had congregated in a room to watch the football game.

TTYL~GGTG~

Ocean City Day 2

2011-09-29T18:13:00.000-04:00

My breakfast....It was soooooo goooddd

Cherish payed us an early morning visit

She loved Karen's hat

She loved putting it on and taking it off

Playing with Karen's touchy thingy

:)

Mom and Mikey

Later that afternoon, we went down the boardwalk. Kai had one dollar to spend. Takes great decision to decide what to buy when one has a whole dollar.

We headed down the boardwalk.

A plant can grow almost anywhere

It twas a cloudy day but comfortable

Different things one sees on the boardwalk

Kai decided to get a dollar's worth of butterfly gummies

So much joy

She decided to get only red ones

I got an ice cream cone. This one place I know of makes the awesomest cones at the lowest prices.

Sand toys

We went to Dough Rollers for dinner. This was the first time I had either eaten inside a restaurant on the boardwalk.

Kai gave me this look quite often doing our trip ;) We had some minor disagreements......something about putting a crab in a bucket....

On a side note, the buffalo wings at this place are SO good.

TTYL ~GGTG~

Ocean City Day 3

2011-09-28T21:53:00.000-04:00

We awakened to a lovely cloudy morning. The sun was trying to break through the clouds

The view from the hotel.

It's pretty interesting. So many things to see

I went to the lobby to get breakfast

Not much has changed. They have a different type of muffin

They also have strawberry waffles this year. For all you plain waffles lovers (myself included), They have normal waffles to.

Just a beachy feeling picture

I sat outside on the board walk talking to my sister

Another one of my sisters walking out to sit on the beach

It had drizzled or rained or something. The benches were wet

Dave and Joe went for an early morning ride with Uncle Steve

Later on the morning, we did something we had never done before.

I was excited

We traversed

Passed the Dough Roller's headquarters

Past the pond with docks

Until we arrived hereIt was so awesome.

This picture is from a different store

I brought so many lovely items

For such beautifully low prices

We shopped for hours. I headed back to the boardwalk later

Yes, he has no shoes on

:)

I didn't know you could go kayaking in the ocean

This place makes really kewl things with your name on rice.....sadly they stopped being open where we are there.
Fried cheesecake!!!!!!!It tasted weird.....like warm cheesecake dipped in funnel cake batter and fried

We gotta a funnel cake covered in caramel sauce. It taste better than the one covered in chocolate sauce

I love this picture

I spent a portion of my evening chilling with CJ and Jim.....Well they were sleep

TTYL~GGTG~

Ocean City Day 4

2011-09-27T18:11:00.084-04:00

It was a very cloudy morning

We spent the morning at a couple more thrift stores

We drove all over and got a little lost

It was a lovely time non the less and pretty different from what we normally do on vacation.

After we came back, I stopped by the hotel to see what people were doing.

CJ and Carl taking a break

Jim wearing Daddy's shoes

CJ

Lil MikeyHaving his hair slicked back suits him

Jim back in the pool

After I left the pool....went back upstairs to the room and did some odds and ends.I went to the boardwalk

The sun had come out and the Kiteloft was flying some beautiful stuff

There were so many I couldn't fit them all in my frame ;)
I met up with Jenna and Cherish
The kites were completely beautiful against the blue sky.

This gives you an idea of what you would see on the boardwalk

This was odd. The three birds just stood in a row

The sun blaring into my lens

I love this shot. Even though I despise seagulls.

This guy airbrushes t-shirts. He's awesome

Bags

Red stools and the menu from a restaurant. I think the same guy that airbrushed the t-shirts made this sign

A pizza diner

Cherish and I had some time to get to know each other while we were walking

She is a pretty girl

I love how she's in-between hair types

Jenna's intense look.....just in a smaller version

A ton of the stores sell sunglasses

Who says you need a double stroller?

One of my favorite stores on the boardwalk

We had to rush to get back in time to meet everyone in the hotel lobby

We were going to Hooper's Crabhouse for Dad's birthdayFor those of you who would like to visit.......here's the websitehttp://www.hooperscrabhouse.com/
Waiting in line to be seated

The HUGE menus

A long table surrounded by family and friends

This guy on the bike is a statue. They had different statues all over the restaurant. A couple of them startled me
Once we had placed our orders. We were told it would be awhile until the food was ready.I explored the restaurant
It had a semi-outdoors section the faced the bay

This is where they cook the crabs and seafood stuff

The semi outdoors part of the restaurant

It was beautiful

This is the inside section

The little hut outside the restaurant.....it wasn't little but it was small compared to Hooper's

I don't think the bay is as deep as we think it is. There were birds standing up in different parts of it.

The superman telephone changing booth exists.

The sun was just starting to set when Mom called and wanted to know where I was. The food came awhile ago

It was good :D

I liked the fish the best

The servers put buckets on all the tables for us to put shells and other unwanted items in

CJ and Jim in a race car

Luke dived in head first

The moon was beautiful that night

I knew I had a ton of packing to do, but this cafe sells the best ice cream cones. I really wanted to get one more before I came home

Micah having a spiderman moment

Gary got cone too. He was quite pleased with his chocolate/cookie dough concoction

Cherish with a mouth full of ice cream

TTYL ~GGTG~

Ocean City Day 5 (Going Home)

2011-09-26T14:36:00.028-04:00

The sun rose beautifully that morning. After foggy mornings and missing some of the sunrises because I was sleep.

I was thrilled to see this one

Guess who??? :)

This was a stunning sunrise

It's always a sad morning when you take that last look up at the hotel and say gbye.

Gbye doors that open with needing to be touched. Gbye patio set where I have so many good memories.

It's sad to be leaving........but I really missed my cat, my bed, and not having to fix majority of my own meals.

We stopped at McDonald's for breakfast. I had.....the only thing I have for breakfast at McDonalds

We past tons of farmland headed home...

A whole field full of cows

I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I did on the ride to Ocean City because I fell asleep. It was awesome spending time with family and friends and making new memories. Love you guysTTYL~GGTG~

Spending time with Mom outside

2011-09-25T13:40:00.007-04:00

The flowers are beautiful this time of year

I had ordered a reflector and wanted to test it out. Mom was a semi willing participant

I like it a lot and should have brought one a long time ago.

Many thanks to Mom for her willing participation TTYL~GGTG~

A creepy spider and on the road.

2011-09-19T11:10:00.007-04:00

I love this picture.....not sure why...but I do

We saw this creepy looking spider when we were coming out the nursing home

I've seen some like it....

This thing was huge

TTYL~GGTG~p.s. I google it.....that is a Garden Spider.

Odds and ends from the web

2011-09-18T11:43:00.000-04:00

This is incredible

Ok
This guy ate Spam for 30 days straight.....This is a blog of his recipes and concoctions.
http://30daysofspam.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2007-08-01T20%3A03%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=7
TTYL
~GGTG~

Dad's Birthday Party

2011-09-11T22:17:00.029-04:00

We were cooking up a storm ;)

CJ and Jim were there as well

The sausages fresh off the grill

Moses was outside with Dad grillin

It was beautiful

Smokey and hard to breathe at times but beautiful all the same

I love this pic :)

The boys in their party hats

Steve came to enjoy the festivities with us

Soon all the food was grilled or cooked to perfection

We said grace and sat down to eat. Some sat at the table and others sat in the living room

As soon as everybody had eaten we lit up the cake. There are 65 candles on the cake....only about 15 are lit. They started melting before we even started singing

Dad was giving Jim the "look" cause he wasn't singing

The cuttment of the cake

Total and utter blissThis cake is so good

Jim eats his a little to fast

Dad started opening his presents after he finished his slice of cake.

Nee-Nee framed the poem she wrote him for Father's Day. It's so beautiful
He was blessed with so many amazing gifts

Including a card that sang to him

A humungous box of Nilla Wafers

A beautiful card..........from me :)Plus tons of other wonderful gifts from family and friends

We spent the rest of the evening goofing off and enjoying each others company.

TTYL ~GGTG~Happy Birthday, DadLove you

Women's Prayer

2011-09-09T23:04:00.012-04:00

The fried chicken was utterly delicious

The strawberry cake was so very good. There was a chocolate one to but I liked the this one best

Kai was there

And Mariah . She has gotten so big and chunky. Love her

Poor lil Mikey he wasn't able to hold out.

TTYL ~GGTG~

Going to the Vet for shots

2011-09-07T15:08:00.033-04:00

I love this picture. Moses and Gary are such goofs

Moses loves car rides

Mom was checking the map to make sure we were going the right way

Gary and Moses having a bonding moment

Dad drivin

Awwww

The scenery of a part of the USA

Not very natural, but interesting

The is called "little red crane in corner"

"salmon colored corner store"

"The stone church"

Gotta love the little city apartments

Moses waiting for the vet to give him his shots

Gary and Pharaoh

Kat cried the entire way to the vet. She didn't make a sound the entire time we were there

There were other dogs

We were called and the vet started preparing the shots

Moses took his shots like a man......Pharaoh was a wimp

Kat had to be dumped out her carrier. She had an accident in her cage and wouldn't look at me the entire ride home. The fact that it was raining when we left the office didn't help matters at all.

Moses forgave instantly. He and Gary were friends again in seconds

The rain is still going strong.

TTYL ~GGTG~

Labor Day Party with the Bailey's

2011-09-05T13:53:00.000-04:00

It was good to see Aubri again.....though she has grown

The lil peeps played their own game of football

Which eventually turned into a game of fetch

They all seemed to enjoy themselves

Aubri especially

Jim not so much

He is not the best runner

He eventually gave up. I felt sorry for him. We shall try again later

He entertained himself playing in the grass and pouting a little.....That I understood. Losing sucks, but it's part of life.

Aubri and CJ continued to run around

I started to over heat and had to come in from the field. Carlton was still working on the grill

Passing out some of the chicken

Mikey about to have a meltdown

It had started to rain, but the grill didn't slow down in the least

This was hilarious ;)
The kids playing the game

Miah enjoying his piece of chicken

The rest of the meats waiting to be grilled

Gary doesn't take smoke well

The smidgens of BBQ sauce being poured over the meaty goodness

I love this pic

Dad and Carl sitting around the grill

TTYL ~GGTG~

Kat, Dinner, and the aftermath of the hurricane

2011-08-31T13:19:00.009-04:00

She is still in recuperation mode

One of her favorite sleeping spots is on top of the kid's tv

:)

For dinner, I was some how put in charge of the meal plan.We had buttery garlic herb mashed potatoes

Meatloaf

And brocoli

There was some damage done by the hurricane. A lot of trees fell......It sliced right through the roof

TTYL ~GGTG~

My Ukulele

2011-08-29T16:21:00.000-04:00

I was first attracted to the ukulele by this lil guy playing it. I figured if he can I can too.

I asked for one for my birthday

Isn't he beautiful

I kept the original strings. I brought better ones, but decided to wait until I get better at playing before I change them.

It's really tiny and looks kinda like a toy

On a side note, Moses has grown

David played around on him a little

Even Dad was impressed with this lil instrument

After he heard this guy play.

Here's what mine sounds like. Guess what I'm playing!!! I bet you can't ;)
I couldn't until I listened for a little while. *hint* The artist for whom the song is known has the same first name as one of my younger brothers

Hope you enjoyed the musical experience.
TTYL
~GGTG~

p.s. This has abosolutley nothing to do with a ukulele. He's just so cute and tiny and really good....to be soo tiny.

I brought myself a remote for my camera

2011-08-29T13:13:00.005-04:00

It's quite awesome

Place the camera somewhere and just press the little button :D

TTYL ~GGTG~

The Hurricane Aftermath

2011-08-28T15:51:00.015-04:00

Kat has not been taking these earthquakes and hurricanes well at all.

She has so much sleep to catch up on. Poor baby

We turned on the grill and Dad started grilling

Our electric stayed on PTL

Moses waiting for a piece of hotdog

They really turned out pretty well

The light shining through the trees....that were left.

We lost a tree. Thankfully it fell towards the woods

It crushed our little shed ;(

Annnddd all the trees in it's path

The mudhole created by the tree toppling. This root base was almost as tall as me. Which isn't saying much but it's still pretty incredible.

The little acorns never had a chance

Thank God for his protection over usTTYL~GGTG~

Our family prepping for the hurricane

2011-08-27T19:42:00.001-04:00

We did all we could. Gathered all the lamps

Put the flowers on the deck floor

These are beautiful

The kids were in the yard chasing each other

I like this picture for some reason

The sky was cloudy from the moment I woke up. Who knows probably before that

It had drizzled a little bit previously

A little name calling

We have a family rule, when the electricity might go out eat the ice cream first

These Magnum bars are SUPER good. If you like a lot of chocolate and caramel and chocolate and a smidge of ice cream in the middle

So good

Moses wanted some

Mom and Lydia finished their bars first. This is a show of their sadness

Mine lasted the longest :)

TTYL ~GGTG~p.s. sadly with all my planing and charging of electronics when the power went out for a couple of minutes. I realized I hadn't discovered where I had previously placed my flashlight. ;(

Recently a missionary family's child died while they were over seas

2011-08-27T18:23:00.001-04:00

I didn't know them, but some of my friends did. Please keep them in your prayers. A friend of the their family wrote this page.

TTYL
~GGTG~

What to do when a hurricane is coming

2011-08-25T23:36:00.001-04:00

How to Prepare for a Hurricane

Did you hear? Hurricane Irene is going to slam into New York City . It's going to be horrible! But we're sure you can make it through if you prepare adequately. Here's how.

Evacuate

Do you know if you're supposed to evacuate your home? What, you don't know?? Is this your first hurricane? Did you learn nothing from Katrina? If you are not supposed to be in your home, get out! If you live in New York, download this map to let you know if you should evacuate or not.

Don't Panic

Until Sunday, when the storm is projected to hit, the job of the media is going to be to scare you. Why? Cause it's good for ratings. Don't freak out. It's going to be OK. This is no Katrina and we've learned a lot since then. By the time it hits New York, it might not even be that bad. So, yes, evacuate if they tell you to and make sure you are prepared, but this is not the end of the world. You are not going to die. Your co-op building or Park Slope brownstone is not going to blow over. A tree is not going to fall through your roof into the crib and kill your baby. Well, all of those things could happen, but they probably won't. Probably. So just chill.

Stock Up

You're probably going to want to spend the better part of Sunday indoors, which means you're going to need things around the house. You're going to need some food, but don't buy up all the white bread in the supermarket. You're not going to be stranded in the wild for months on end. This is just a day with really bad weather. That also means you don't need to hoard toilet paper. You're not going to be using the bathroom anymore than usual. Well, you may have an accident if the storm gets really bad, but you're going to need paper towels for that. Just have enough food on hand for a couple of days without delivery and plenty of snacks. If you stock up on canned food make sure you have a manual can opener......the kind you don't plug into the wall.

Fight the Power

Get batteries for sure, and a flashlight to put them in, just in case the lights go out. Don't go insane and get like 20 9-volts. Just get enough for your flashlight, a radio, and your Nintendo DS. Yes, batteries, for sure. Don't get candles. Sure they're romantic, but the last thing you need is to have your apartment burn down while there's a hurricane. Oh, and charge your phone, iPad, computer, video camera, and other necessary battery-powered electronics. If there's no power, you'll be having major difficulties and then how can you look at Twitter to know when the rain stopped? Also on a side note, some gas stations have electric pumps. Make sure you have gas in your car before it starts raining bad

Batten Down the Hatches

I don't think boarding up the windows is going to be necessary in New York. If you're closer to North Carolina, a) we're sorry; and b) get to a Home Depot before everybody realizes two by fours are really a necessity. If not, taping the windows to keep them from shattering in on you is probably adequate. Oh, and block up any doors, windows, or any other openings that have a tendency to leak. Don't bother cleaning. You're going to have all weekend to get the dust bunnies under the refrigerator.

Have Something to Do

Chances are you're going to be stuck in the house with nothing to do. That's going to get boring really quickly. So, get on iTunes now and start downloading now. Even if the power goes out, you can still watch on your phone—until that dies too. Cards are a good idea too. You can play with someone else whose stuck in the house or you can play Solitaire. Yes, it's just like on the computer, but with real live cards. Have some reading material on hand, cause that will keep you entertained with just a flashlight.

Plan a Party

Why should you and all your friends be stuck in your respective houses when you can all be stuck in the same house with four bags of pita chips, some hummus, some Chip Ahoys, and a bunch of different flavors of generic Kol-Aid. Commiserate together! With your battery powered radio, you'll even have tunes to dance to! And if things get really bad, you'll have people to help you defend against the looters. And if things get really, really bad, you wouldn't want to die alone, would you? Get that Facebook invite going. It's happening rain or shine.

This was brought to you by Gwaker....and edited by me....

In all seriousness.

BEFORE a Hurricane happens know this
Hurricanes can be dangerous killers. Learning the hurricane warning messages and planning ahead can reduce the chances of injury or major property damage.

Plan an evacuation route.

Contact the local emergency management office or American Red Cross chapter, and ask for the community hurricane preparedness plan. This plan should include information on the safest evacuation routes and nearby shelters.
Learn safe routes inland.
Be ready to drive 20 to 50 miles inland to locate a safe place.

Have disaster supplies on hand.

Flashlight and extra batteries
Portable, battery-operated radio and extra batteries
First aid kit and manual
Emergency food and water
Nonelectric can opener
Essential medicines
Cash and credit cards
Sturdy shoes

Make arrangements for pets.

Pets may not be allowed into emergency shelters for health and space reasons. Contact your local humane society for information on local animal shelters.

Instruct family members.

Teach family members how and when to turn off gas, electricity, and water.
Teach children how and when to call 9-1-1, police, or fire department and which radio station to tune to for emergency information.

Protect your windows.

Permanent shutters are the best protection. A lower-cost approach is to put up plywood panels. Use 1/2 inch plywood--marine plywood is best--cut to fit each window. Remember to mark which board fits which window. Pre-drill holes every 18 inches for screws. Do this long before the storm.
Trim back dead or weak branches from trees.
Check into flood insurance. You can find out about the National Flood Insurance Program through your local insurance agent or emergency management office. (There is normally a 30-day waiting period before a new policy becomes effective. Homeowners polices do not cover damage from the flooding that accompanies a hurricane.)

Develop an emergency communication plan.

In case family members are separated from one another during a disaster (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school), have a plan for getting back together.
Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the "family contact." After a disaster, it's often easier to call long distance. Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person.

DURING A HURRICANE WATCH
A hurricane watch is issued when there is a threat of hurricane conditions within 24-36 hours. A hurricane warning is issued when hurricane conditions (winds of 74 miles per hour or greater, or dangerously high water and rough seas) are expected in 24 hours or less.

Listen to a battery-operated radio or television for hurricane progress reports.
Check emergency supplies.
Fuel car.
Bring in outdoor objects such as lawn furniture, toys, and garden tools and anchor objects that cannot be brought inside.
Secure buildings by closing and boarding up windows. Remove outside antennas.
Turn refrigerator and freezer to coldest settings. Open only when absolutely necessary and close quickly.
Store drinking water in clean bathtubs, jugs, bottles, and cooking utensils.
Review evacuation plan.
Moor boat securely or move it to a designated safe place. Use rope or chain to secure boat to trailer. Use tiedowns to anchor trailer to the ground or house.

Here's a link to the governments instructions of what to do doing natural disasters.
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/types.shtm

Stay safe
TTYL
~GGTG~
p.s.
Our area has called in for help with keeping the electricity on from Ohio.
The officials of the areas that the hurricane is intended to hit have ordered way more body bags than they normally have in the city.
Do your best to make sure you are not in one of them.

Hi,

2011-08-24T22:53:00.002-04:00

I'm sorry, something went on with youtube and it wasn't letting my videos come through to the blog. The problem has been taken care of. I'm sorry for the inconvenience.
TTYL
~GGTG~

Utube vids

2011-08-23T22:31:00.001-04:00

Hi,
Here are some youtube vids to enjoy or boringly glance through while waiting for the rain to stop :)

This video was awesome and pretty informative.

I didn't know there was a 4th verse......I don't know the second verse......I'll have to work on that

*note* If you don't like rats you should not watch this video.
RATS CAN DIVE :)

This must be something like what heaven will be like

He's so cute and tiny!!!!...The bunny I mean. The dog is nice too

Awwwwwww

I'm considering getting one of these one day

I found this choir sometime last year. They are really good.

I love this song :)

THIS MAN IS AMAZING!!!!!!!

We all know Jon Schmidt is awesome, but when you add Steven Nelson......it's super impressive. The music, the players, the video editing..............sigh...

This is in honor of the Hoffman's who so generously let us come and enjoy their pool annually. Many thanks to you guys.

This was such a beautiful moment ;(

I've been keeping an eye on this choir for awhile. They are really starting to be noticed

This is my last clip.

That's all for now. Hope ya enjoyed it :)
TTYL
~GGTG~
p.s. all credit goes to whoever filmed, edited, or performed in all the videos

Surprise waffles for breakfast

2011-08-21T22:24:00.009-04:00

We came out of our rooms expecting to go find some cereal and look for the milk. We are normally only allowed to have cereal on the weekends. Anywhoo, instead of cereal we smelled waffles

Sausages

Pancakes

This was so wonderful

Thank you so much, Mom

TTYL ~GGTG~

Pizza Party at the Smiths

2011-08-20T21:07:00.000-04:00

By the time we arrived at the Smith's house the pizzas were already going into the oven

Mrs. Deborah slaving over a hot oven

The first pizzas that came out the oven

They look so good

More lovely pizza fixings

Sliding the pizza off the pan onto a plate

:)

Patting out the dough

The people were called to come eat

Basically rule was......There will be plenty of pizza thoughout the evening. Don't pig out on the first batch that comes out the oven :)

The pepperonis being spread upon the lovely cheesy goodness

I love this pic

This is my favorite pizza. A Chicken Alfredo. It was so very good.
Enjoying the goodness that is the pizza

What the pizza plates looked like after people ate

Laughing and enjoying each others company

Getting pizza that just came out the oven is VERY difficult, but worth it

These lil goo jello like things were awesome

When they were full of pizza they started playing a game. I never really understood how the game was played and I watched it for a while

Dessert Time

Our lovely dessertsFrom left to right:A lovely peanut butter and chocolate fudge brownie thingy (This was super good), A fruit cobbler, Ice Cream bars :), and a cool whip dessert

Mom came by a little while longer and couldn't fathom how Mrs. Deborah did it all

Many thanks to the Smith family for their hospitality and pizza :) TTYL ~GGTG~

Different License Plate

2011-08-19T00:27:00.002-04:00

But I like it.

TTYL
~GGTG~