Blogging Mom's Challenge Day 26- 30

Wow, did I get behind!  But this is the end of the challenge:

Day 26 — A childhood memory
Dancing with my mom when I was a little girl to the song Put a Little Love in Your Heart by Jackie Deshannon.

Day 27 — A physical feature you love
Ugh, there's not much I love about my body right now, so probably my big brown eyes (love that song Brown-Eyed Girl).  My husband of course would list another attribute of mine.  ;)

Day 28 — A scar you have and its story, or if no scars- a tattoo & story
I don't have any scars (knock on wood) but have 1 tattoo.  It's a sun on my lower abdomen- I was a "sun worship-er" back in the day and got it while I was in High School (without my parent's knowing).  What's weird is that it looks sorta similar to the Sun of May on the Argentina Flag and my husband, who I hadn't met yet, is part Argentinian.  I found this picture online that comes close to what mine looks like.

Not a photo of my actual tattoo

Photo Source

Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
I'm hoping we'll be able to pay off most of our debt, then start putting money away for the girl's college funds.  I'd also love to be able to remodel our kitchen sometime next year... it so needs it (there's apple wallpaper and the cabinets are falling apart)! 

Day 30 — A motto or philosophy
Realistically, my motto is probably 'be realistic'- but I'd love to live as freely as this:

Work like you don't need the money,
Dance like no one is watching,
Sing like no one is listening,
love like you've never been hurt...
and live life every day as if it were your last!

Blogging Mom's Challenge Day 23- 25

I have been feeling very overwhelmed lately with a lot going on, so once again I'm playing catch up on the Blogging Mom's Challenge.  There's not too many more days left in September though, so I'm sticking it out and finishing the best I can.

Day 23 — A way in which you want to be remembered
Well I of course want to be remembered as the best mom & wife EVER!  ;)  And for always being real and true in all I did.  This song sticks out as one I'd love to have played at my funeral (bleh, who even thinks about stuff like this).

Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers


Day 24 — A movie no one would expect you to love
I'm not sure on this one... maybe Mamma Mia?  Of course people might expect me to like that movie, so instead I'll say any Guy Ritchie films- Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch are a couple of my faves of his.  Oh and his new one, Sherlock Holmes, was really good!



Day 25 — A recipe
Sweet Potato Casserole- this is one of my favorite holiday recipes that I got from a friend when we lived down south in Texas.  I make it every year now for Thanksgiving and usually Christmas too.  I won't give the recipe today and I don't have any pictures to put up, but watch for a post sometime around the Holidays... it's de-lish!!

Blogging Mom's Challenge Day 22

Day 22 — A website...

This one is very open-ended.  I could use this to list a website I love:
Cafemom
all the great blogs I read  :)

Or a website I use daily:
Google
Yahoo

But instead, I'm going to tell you about an up and coming site for listing free ads- The Exclaim.  Why you ask?  Well, first of all because it was invented and designed by one of my sister's and secondly... well, who doesn't like a free ad site?

I'd best describe it as a cross between Craigslist.org and ebay.com.  Like Craigslist because it's free, but like ebay because you can customize your ads with optional upgrades, buy right off the site, and leave feedback.  You can read how my sister describes it here.  It's super easy and fast to register (and of course free) and there's even an affiliate program built in.

So go check it out, tell all your family and friends, and help the site grow.  And remember it's still in beta phase so if you have any problems, questions, or suggestions just click on the 'Email Us' icon at the top of the site to share your thoughts.

Blogging Moms Challenge- Day 20 & 21

This is becoming quite a habit... doubling up on challenge posts.  I'm trying, really I am!

Day 20 — A hobby of yours

I love to read, when I have the time.

And run, when I'm motivated. ;p
 

 
Day 21 — Something you know you do differently than most people
 
This is kinda weird, but the only thing I can think of right now is that I know I load the dishwasher different than most people.  I've had my hubby, my sister, and the girls' grandma all load our dishwasher the opposite of me, especially the way the plates face.
 
And they tend to put the silverware in upside down too- I put the handles facing down.  I always appreciate when someone else does the dishes other than me of course, so I don't dare say a word... it's just something I've noticed.  :p

Blogging Moms Challenge Day 18 & 19

Day 18 — A time when you felt passionate and alive

Hmm, I'd have to say the time I went skydiving and jumped out of an airplane at 18 years old ranks up there pretty high as feeling passionate and alive!  The picture below isn't me, for some reason I can't find any from when I jumped, but this was how I jumped- it's called tandem skydiving.

Day 19 — A talent of yours

Um, is being a stay at home mom considered a talent?  I'm not really sure on this one... I think I'd fall into the category- 'Jack Jill of all trades, master of none'...  ;-)

Blogging Mom's Challenge Day 17

Day 17 — An art piece

Um ok, I'm not a big art person.  I don't buy art or look at art or make art.  I would eventually like to add some nice pieces to our home, but for now my daughter's art is going to have to do:

Oh we did used to have this framed art picture.  It was a gift from my sister years ago... not sure where it is now with all the times we've moved since then.

Source

Blogging Mom's Challenge Day 16- Cry Baby

Day 16 — A song that makes you cry

Wow, this one was hard, I have so many songs that really move me, not always to tears, but they bring back tons of memories and emotions for me... the lyrics are meaningful and tell a powerful story.  Here are a few of my fave power ballads and sad/sappy songs from back in the day (try not to cry):

Crossroads by Bone Thugs n Harmony
Photograph by Nickelback
One Last Breath by Creed
Whiskey Lullaby by Brad Paisley
Leaving on a Jet Plane by John Denver
Every Rose Has It's Thorn by Poison
Have a Little Faith in Me by John Hiatt
This is War by Smile Empty Soul
Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith
Home by Chris Daughtry

I'm kind of all over the place with this one, but after I listed all those and listened to them again on YouTube, I realized none of them actually brought me to tears.  Sure they have a lot of meaning and take me back to a different place and time, but they didn't give me that tear-up kind of feeling.  So I thought some more, and remembered these two songs... they got me the first time I heard them, and back when I was in Army Basic Training, and when my hubby deployed to Iraq... and they still get to me when I hear them now... gives me the chills... and makes me so proud...

God Bless the U.S.A. by Lee Greenwood


American Soldier by Toby Keith

Blogging Mom's 30 Day Challenge- Admire

Day 15 — A person you admire

ad·mire (d-mr)
v. ad·mired, ad·mir·ing, ad·mires
v.tr.

1. To regard with pleasure, wonder, and approval.
2. To have a high opinion of; esteem or respect.

Photo Source

Hmm, I'd have to say a person I admire isn't just 1 particular person but a group of lots of different people- those that devote their lives to helping others and sometimes even put their lives on the line... military service men & women, rescue workers, firefighters, aid workers, missionaries, etc.  They do a job that not everyone can do and that not everyone wants to do.

Want to take the challenge for yourself?  Click here to see the topics and to link up.

30 Day Challenge Day 14- Vacation

Day 14 — A vacation you would like to take

Uh vacation... any vacation at all would do at this point!  My hubby and I have never been on a vacation other than a weekend driving a couple hours up north.  I guess my dream vacation spots would be Hawaii:

and Italy:

30 Day Challenge (days 10-13)

Ok, I am waaay behind on this challenge so I'm going to play catch up today.  These first two challenges are quite epic since up to this point on my blog there hasn't been a picture of me.  So here we go...

Day 10 — A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Wow, talk about a trip down memory lane... I had to dig out my photo albums for this one.  I can't show you the really embarrassing ones (those are locked in a vault) but here's one of my senior pictures from '97.

Day 11 — A photo of you taken recently

This was just taken from my birthday last week

Day 12 — A song that you want played at your wedding (or was played)
Hubby and I didn't do a church wedding- just the quick courthouse hitching.  But our songs from back in the day were 'All My Life' and 'I Swear'.  So when we renew our vows we'd definitely play both of those.

Day 13 — A guilty pleasure
Hmm, I'm not sure I have a guilty pleasure, though I guess everyone probably does, so I'd have to say it's blogging since I'm on the laptop so much (hehe).  Oh, and I LOVE McDonald's McCafe Caramel Frappe's... delish!
 
To link up your own challenge posts click on the Blogging Mom's button in the top right sidebar.

Blogging Moms Challenge- Day 8 & 9

Day 8:  A thank you letter to someone who's changed your life

Well this one is kinda hard, so I'm gonna cheat a little and use a letter/poem I wrote for my Dad for Father's Day last year.  It was part of a custom photo book all us kids made for him.

Dad I'm not quite sure just where to start,

to tell you all the things I have in my heart.

Each day that I've grown you've been right there,

you taught me how to be honest, just and fair.

There've been triumphs and trials, smiles and tears,

but through it all you've calmed my fears.

And I know now that I have kids of my own,

I'll love and protect them even after they're grown.

For even though I'm not a little girl anymore,

I know when it matters I'm welcome at your door.

And you'll always have a shoulder or ear to lend,

because you're my dad on whom I can depend.

So I guess there's just one more thing I'd like to add,

I'm proud to be your daughter... I love you Dad!

Love Always, Susan

Day 9:  a photo you took

I'm adding two, both from our trip up north during the summer last year.

Challenge Day 7- Five things...

5 things you could not possibly live without (now this is things, not people):

1. internet
2. cell phone
3. double stroller
4. razor (I cannot handle hairy pits or other areas)  ;)
5. water (for drinking and showering)

That was actually a little harder than I thought it was going to be... how about you, what's your 5?

30 Day Challenge Day 6- a moment...

Day 6- a moment you wish you could relive

For me, I break this into two different categories- moments I wish I could relive and change; and moments I wish I could relive to enjoy them again.

For the first part, I wish I could relive the last moment I had with my mom the day she died.  I was a teenager, what did I know, I was moody and rebellious... if I knew then what I know now...

For the last part, well this could be several moments- the day I first became a mom, such an amazing and proud feeling... or the day my husband came home from Iraq, God it was good to have him home safe... or a happy memory I have with my mom- us dancing together when I was little... the song was 'Put a Little Love in Your Heart'...

Pearista Pen to Paper Challenge Week #3

Well I'm squeaking in right under the deadline for week 3 of the Pearista Pen to Paper Challenge.  If you haven't heard the term Pearista yet, it's a group of bloggers sponsored by Pear Tree Greetings that value the power of connecting through stationery.  Pear Tree Greetings is an online stationery company that loves to help people connect, whether it's via a personalized note card, party invitation, or birth announcement.

For the Pen to Paper Challenge I'll be writing a hand-written note once a week for four weeks.  I'll be sharing my experience with you by blogging about who the card was for, what writing a hand-written note means to me personally, how I felt when I wrote it, etc.  In addition, during the 4 week challenge, Pear Tree Greetings will be picking one Pearista post each week to win $50 to put towards Christmas Cards... Yay!

So for this week, I decided to write a card to my oldest brother who lives over 800 miles away.  We don't see him much, maybe every other year if we're lucky.  I talk to him occasionally online and every so often on the phone.

He's what I'd call somewhat of a free bird- he flew the coup early on and never looked back.  We actually got to stop and see him a couple years ago on our way thru to see another family member.  But other than the standard birthday & Christmas card I don't ever write to him.  So I thought this would be a nice surprise as an out-of-the-blue card 'just to say hello'.

Even though we don't see him that often, he still means a lot to us.  My 5 year old, who I'm surprised even remembers him, every so often will say she wishes she could see her uncle again.  That just melts my heart to hear her say stuff like that.

So the card is on it's way, 800 miles to go, and I'm sure I'll receive a nice phone call after he gets it.  It's always good to re-connect with family and friends, just to let them know you care and are thinking about them.

Missing you lots bro'...

30 Day Challenge Day 5- Favorite Quote

This is tough, I'm not a big 'quote' person per se, but I do like this one a lot:

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."