nothing new on this end.....Tommy got out of work an hour ago. He is now looking for a part for the van, then will head home. Then it is off to Sam's Club to pick up some things.

Marti~ We have had plenty of moments with our friend, but in the end, all the good outweighs the bad. So she has been a great friend, and godmother to all three kiddos. The only reason why Tommy asked her to come over was because he couldn't get a hold of me on my phone. And since Brandon slobbered and spit into the part that you plug into the charger, it got water logged. So, I had to take my phone all apart and let it sit out to dry. Once it was all dry, I was back in business!

Great job on the walking! I agree....if you are not sweating, then you are doing yourself any good. Awesome on the OT and it being payday! Those are always the best!!

Tammy~ I can't wait to see those pictures!

Hi ladies, TGIF!!

Sue - ever since I went through the big M, my middle has spread. Even at my heaviest weight, my waist wasn't nearly my biggest problem, my bottom and hips were. Now, it's a 3-way tie! No fair! I've got so much ironing to do, it's pathetic. But who wants to stand over a hot iron in this heat, even if the house is a/c'ed?

Sassy - glad you've taken control of your own happiness. Like Dr. Phil says, You're the only one that decides your reaction to any given situation.

Mindee - yes, we have scrapbooking software here, but what I use is Microsoft Works and do my text and imported graphics there. The really neat 3-D stickers I buy are what makes the pages, imho.

Marti - the book is Me and Emma. You won't be sorry you bought it! Have fun on your vacation, and don't worry about checking in, unless you have some extra time. We want to see pictures! Speaking of which...

Tammy - I've never done an attachment, either, lol. I just go to photobucket and browse from those files. I think I'll try to make an attachment, just to try it out. Anyway, we wanna see those drapes!

Hello to everyone else reading this.

Can't wait for my scrapbook crop after while. I've got several pictures ready to go.

Neal's taking off to St. Louis with Terry and his family tomorrow, and staying the weekend. I'm staying home, out of the heat. Not sure what I'll do with my time. I thought about getting together with a friend for dinner, but I think I'd just like some peace and quiet.

Have a good weekend!

I tried to show a pic of Neal and me, but it was blurry, so here's a pic of a robin's nest from one of the trees out front, instead. The baby robin was brand new, and the mama was squawking a loud warning overhead.

Hello ladies...

JANE...you know I know it's not until next month and what I was thinking didn't come out, lol. I meant to write/type...I know you and Neal are going to have a nice getaway, lol. Love the nest...we had some little, and I mean little birdies last year in our tree...not sure what kind but I watched them and got some pictures.

MARTI...enjoy your vacation! I'm jealous...80 degree weather?! I would love to have those temps!

SUE...I am careful as well. I mowed both the front and back last week and felt like I was having a heat stroke...will NEVER do that again, not in this heat! It doesn't take long for the front and there was a breeze so it was fine. Didn't do the back until 8 p.m. so it wasn't bad.

Hi to everyone else :wave:

Just a quick one right now ladies...running out of time, almost my jeopardy time, lol.

Cristina- Jeopardy time is 7:30 here, so I always try to have dinner finished and the kitchen cleaned up so I can sit and watch. I don't even think about riding or walking until after the show. :)

Jane- See, you do know how to do attachments...I learned so I knew anyone could. (and I mean I just learned last week) Cute nest.

I meant to mention here that last week two different nights we had new visitors to our yard. We had a family of 4 Eastern bluebirds. Daddy came first to check out the birdbath, then Momma and she was followed by two babies. The babies were pretty big and I only knew they were the babies because their breast and neck area was mottled with some brown spots. Momma was really pale colors, but Daddy was the brightest blue and so gorgeous. I had caught a glimpse of him before, but in another lot. I was happy when he decided we were safe for the whole family, but they only came on 2 nights and I haven't seen them since. A pileated woodpecker made a brief appearance that only DH saw also. He came in to tell me it was there and when we went out it was gone. (think Woody Woodpecker...) Anyway, I do enjoy my birds.

Mindee- Great job on the losing...Have fun at Sam's.

Marti- Have a nice week and pop in here if/when you have a spare minute.

Did half of my ride this morning, and now it is cooling off, so I know I can finish it later. I ran some errands, Wally World and such. Did a 5 minute session on the stepper and a 1 mile WATP. Swept all the floors and made some potato salad for dinner. We are having club sandwiches and salads. Using up lots of the tomatoes my neighbor shared. DH will probably have some leftover mac and cheese. I am proud to say I ate a small spoonful the night I baked it and haven't touched it since. Same with the ham. DH had a ham omelet this morning, but I had cereal. I AM really trying to be good. And I plan to do another 5 min. on the stepper before my shower.
Hopefully I am getting things under control.....foodwise. I know I am racking up the miles on the bike.

Okay...off to look up a dvd I want to buy my SIL for her birthday. That is why I got on the computer right now in the first place, BUT I always have to check in here as soon as I get online. :)

Okay..back to say I did get in the rest of my ride, five miles today. Also did well at dinner and just a graham cracker for snack after my shower.

Happy Saturday to you all.....Have fun!

Thought I would stop in and say hi. Live in the Akron area.

Gosh has it been hot. When the kids want to turn on the air I tell them 2 things. 1. You can eat or have air conditioning make a choice lol. 2. If Lara Ingles could live on the prairie without air so can you. I know, I am terrible :)

Been a pretty good week. We are heading off to the camp grounds again for the weekend. Two days of doing nothing. I love it.

Temps aren't the problem in ohio it is the darn humidity. I stay in the house when I can unless we are at the camp grounds.

Marti what a beautiful flower.

Latest news: my daughter has added another animal to her zoo. A dwarf lop eared bunny. I swear I feel like I live in a zoo

Hope everyone has a great weekend

For those of you in ohio. Don't complain about the heat remember last winter, 18 inches of snow in one storm.

Hello ladies….how are you all doing?

Well, we got a shock Friday night. I was feeling in Marissa’s mouth, and wouldn’t you know it, she popped through two teeth! No crying, no fussing, no crankiness! Before I even realized that there were teeth in there, Tommy said “I bet she is going to be the easiest teether out of all three of them. You remember how Brandon and Logan were cranky as can be. She is going to be so laid back about it.” I then gave her some Oragel on her gums because her bottom gums are getting really puffy, so she will have some teeth coming through on there as well! Oh yeah, the two that she has are on the top, and are the top two cuspids. And here we thought she was going to get the two front ones first! Not Marissa! She is getting the same two teeth on the bottom next!

Jane~ I will have to check out Microsoft Works sometime and see what ours has on it. How did your scrap booking go? That is a great picture!

Cristina~ Thanks for that lovely email about Temple Baptist Church! I sent it on….it was great!

Sue~ We always have a blast at Sam’s…..I think it is because by the time we leave, we are so wired up from being in the store just walking that we act goofy! They had some sample stands while we were there, and I did really good! We picked up some muffins for breakfast. They had a muffin mania! You can make your own tray of muffins for $5.86 or something like that for 12 of them, and you could pick which ones you want. We got 4 banana nut, 4 apple cinnamon, and 4 pineapple orange. The pineapple orange, to me, tastes just like orange sherbet! It is very good!

PJ~ Great shot of Cinderella’s castle!! When I was there, it rained the day we went there. But it was a lot of fun! Tommy wants to take the kids to Florida for a vacation sometime….but I refuse to fly so it will probably be a long time before we make it down there.

Rennie~ How far are you from North Baltimore area? Friends of ours used to live there, and we have been down there a couple of times. Now, they are moving to south carolina, so we won’t be making that many vacation trips to see them.

Before & After pics of Living/Dining Room
 

Before & after of Dining Room: New paint, wallpaper, curtains, tablecloth, wall hanging and chair covers. I need something to go over the curio cabinet. Maybe a decorative grill?

Before & After Pics of Living Room
 

Here's the Living Room: Didn't change anything but the paint

Before & After of Kitchen
 

I never got a chance to show you my new countertops:

Tammy- I LOVE your house. I thought the befores were pretty, but the new colors and countertops just make everything look wonderful. I know you are thrilled and rightly so. Beautiful! Really pretty colors throughout.

Rennie- Being in Indiana I know about humidity too. Hasn't it been the pits? We also tend to stay indoors more and really miss our afternoons of sitting on the porch. Have to do things early or late in the day.

Mindee- Yay for Marissa for getting those teeth without a fuss. She IS the little Princess, don't ya know? Sounds like quite an easy baby.

Pink Jane- Sounds like the heat is everywhere...but the midwest gets that awful humidity. Aren't we lucky? :) 30 days and counting! I know you will have fun.

The heat was less oppressive this morning, lower humidity. Thank goodness. I rode 3 miles and felt pretty good. Peanut butter on a wheat english muffin and watermelon were a good breakfast. I know this sounds crazy..but I am craving popcorn. I told DH, don't be surprised if I have popcorn for lunch. I wanted it the last few nights, but know I will overdo it at night. For lunch, a little bit will do me. So...I think I will indulge, just a bit. I can make a micro bag...eat half (or less) and freeze the rest for another day. Yes, it freezes so well and you can take it out and eat right away...it is not frozen. That is my plan...........

Have a great day everyone.

Good Morning Ladies!

Jane: Beautiful pic of the baby robin. I know you are counting the days till your anniversary trip. My dh and I were talking about wanting to take another cruise next year. We go about every other year with our dancing buddies but if they are not game, we may go back to Lake Tahoe for our 10th anniversary next year.

Mindee--Just think if you were nursing Marrissa with those teeth...ouch! Congrats on your weight loss :carrot:

Rennie--Nice to meet ya!! Camping was not so relaxing for me. It was a lot of work and I used to have a 35 ft 5th wheel with 3 slide outs with all the bells and whistles. We had it parked in a campground in Gettysburg PA and while it was nice to get away every other weekend or so, the upkeep was getting a little tiring. Instead of getting away to relax, we were always washing it (it was under a lot of trees) and doing repairs. When the snake decided to visit us, we decided to sell it!

Pinky--What's the countdown for WDW? I guess you are getting excited.

Sue--I see you have changed your avatar to "Bikerchick" Love it!!

Sassy--I'm happy to hear the positive note to your voice. I'm trying to keep the "glass is half full" attitiude with my workplace. They are building a new parking garage at the hospital and we all have to park off site. The place that I have to park is totally out of my way. But I figure when the bad weather hits with snow, rain and sleet, I'll be getting picked up steps away from my car in a shuttle that will drop me off at the front entrance to the hospital. I'll be loving it then.

Marti--Never got into Harry Potter. That flower you posted was beautiful. Thanks for the help with posting attachments. I couldn't find it at first because I was always doing a "quick reply" when I posted and there was no way to attach a pic there. Have fun on your vacation!

Cristina--I hear ya about Wally World. I have a love/hate relationship with that place.

Well, it's not a happy place today in my household. There will not be an engagement party today. My dh's ex-fiance decided to break off the engagement two days ago. He is very controlling and manipulative and got mad at my dd for sending a text message to another male friend. Did I also mention that he is overly jealous? My dd made him call everyone on the invitation list to cancel considering it was his idea to break the engagement. Then he had the nerve to come and collect her ring 1 hr before she was to go to work. Poor thing was devastated. Now she says that they are going to try counseling. I wish she would just let the whole thing go. I told her that there would not be another engagement party (at least with him) and that I wouldn't trust that, even if they got back together, he would ever follow thru with a wedding. I could go on and one....

Now I have to figure out what to do with a bunch of crab and shrimp. I was looking up recipies for a Seafood Linguine (sp) and tomorrow I'm going to a pool party with my dancing friends and will take some crab dip and the desserts that I already made and froze. I'm kinda beside myself today...thought I would be knee deep in party prep but I think I might make a pillow for my blue chair in the living room with the left over curtain material. I'm also wondering about a table runner. Do you think that will be too much having the runner on the table??

The weather here is finally beautiful in the mid 80's so I will take the dogs on several walks today, get some laundry done and try to relax. Hope you all enjoyed the pics I posted. Have a wonderful weekend! Despite the setback, I plan to!