Random Thoughts - Random Pictures

Random Thought -Random Picture #1:

I'm learning to pick my battles wisely...

With the most recent Swine Flu threat, I started making a point to have all 3 kids wash their hands, a lot! It didn't take long for Isaac to discover that the more soap he put on his hands, the larger the amount of bubbles in the sink. It takes all my strength these days to pull him away from the sink and the bubbles. I'm ready for summer break! :-) Most days I just let him play in the bubbles for as long as he wants to.

Random Thought - Random Picture #2:

The garden is doing great.

Random Thought - Random Picture #3:

Our banana tree finally came back to life.

Random Thought - Random Picture #4:

Isaac has a great big sister.
Random Thought - Random Picture #5:
Avery has a great Daddy.

Random Thought - Random Picture #6:

My cat would stay in this same position all day, every day, if I'd let her.

Random Thought - Random Picture #7:

I am so proud of Samuel...

Last night, Samuel had his Cub Scout Blue & Gold Banquet. This past year, he earned 5 belt loop awards in Archery, Bee Bee Gun Shooting, Ultimate Frisbee, Flag Football and Fishing. He also earned his Tiger Cub patch, and 9 elective beads.

Random Thought #8 - With Several Random Pictures:

I don't like snakes...

Especially when some guy waves one over my head while it's hanging onto the end of a long, metal pole.

For the entertainment last night, after the Cub Scout Banquet, they hired a snake guy/magician (I don't really know what else to call him). While the boys loved it and showed no fear (they thought the snakes were SO cool), Avery and I had other feelings when it came to the snakes. She pretty much hid behind Hector the entire time. All it took was that man waving that snake on the end of that pole over the crowd at the very beginning of the show, and Avery didn't come out from her hiding spot for the rest of the night. And I was content to sit on the back row and keep an eye on Isaac for the remainder of the show.

Isaac with his friend, Nolan, watching the snake guy...
Random Thought - Random Picture #9:

I am so proud of Avery...

Although Avery's troop was not able to participate in the Girl Scout Daisies Investiture Ceremony (it was cancelled due to the threat of the Swine Flu), she still earned her 3 membership pins for the year. Her leaders asked the local Girl Scout "head-honchos" to make an exception for our girls, in light of the fact that they were ready for their ceremony and would have gone through with it, if it weren't for the Swine Flu. Man, how many times can I mention the Swine Flu in this blog? Anyway, next year her troop will be able to pick right up where they left off at the end of this year. They won't need to re-do anything and start over again, as we were all afraid would be the case. Her leaders are hopeful that the girls will be able to have their Investiture Ceremony rescheduled sometime after the start of next year's meetings. And since the girls weren't able to have the ceremony, the leaders planned an "End-of-Year" party for the girls at Build-a-Bear. Avery had a great time and got a really cute teddy bear, which she named Princess (of course). Princess came with her own Girl Scout Daisies uniform. And this past year, Avery earned 4 petal patches; Light Blue Petal for being Honest and Fair, Yellow Petal for being Friendly and Helpful, Spring Green Petal for being Considerate and Caring, and Red Petal for being Courageous and Strong. She also earned her Daisy Blue Center Flower Patch for learning the Girl Scout Promise, as well as a patch for going to Daisy Day (where she rode Bueno the horse), a patch for selling cookies, and a patch for completing a Staying Safe program.
Random Thought - Random Picture #10:

I feel the same way as Avery...
I brought cupcakes up to school on Friday, to celebrate Avery's birthday with her classmates. She told me that even though she knows she's 6 now, she still can't believe that she's a whole year older.

Random Thought - Random Picture #11:

I am losing my mind...

It's My Day - I'm The Princess! How perfect is this shirt for Avery? I bought it for her last summer, almost a year ago, at the Children's Place outlet store. I paid 99 cents for it. That's right people. I love a great deal! Especially when it comes to really cute clothes. I bought it so that she could wear it to school this year for her birthday. I took the shirt out from amongst the other clothes in her closet early last week, and hung it up in such a way that I could see it and wouldn't forget about it. Good plan, right? So, you can imagine how disappointed I was when I opened up Avery's closet this afternoon (Sunday @ 1:30), only to discover that I had, indeed, forgotten to have Avery wear her birthday shirt to school this past Friday. A year - a full year - gone... I've held onto this shirt in anticipation of Avery wearing it to school for her birthday for a full year. AND I FORGOT!!! :-( She doesn't know it yet, but I'm making her wear that shirt to school tomorrow!!!

And here's my final random thought: Thursday is the last day of school! Wow!!!

Bundles of joy!

I had planned on sharing this news with everyone sooner, but life got really busy... Go figure! I was planning on putting a cute little title on here, saying that we were "expecting." And then I was going to write a blog sharing the wonderful news that we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of several new "bundles of joy." I had even planned on taking a picture and putting it on here. Unfortunately, our bundles of joy arrived much earlier than anticipated. Yep! That's right. The babies have already arrived. All 5 of them!!!!!

You see, our Purple Martins are now the proud parents of quintuplets. The eggs hatched much faster than I thought they would. Thus, I never got a picture of the eggs. But I did manage to snap these pictures today, after I heard the babies chirping!!! Here's the nest in the birdhouse:And here's the babies:
Here's a better picture of the babies (a little to the left, pink bodies, black eyes):

And the mother bird circling up above as I checked the nest:
We met a very nice couple this morning. The man was wearing a Purple Martin Conservation Association shirt, and that sparked a conversation between us. They have been Purple Martin "landlords" for almost 9 years. They have 137 eggs that should be hatching any day now in their backyard birdhouses. They were so nice and helpful. They came into our backyard, cleaned out the birdhouse, removed 2 "unwanted" bird nests, checked the babies for mites (yes, he really checked all the babies!), and gave me tips on how I could be a better landlord to my Purple Martin family. And I just want to say that I drove by their house after they invited me to come look at their bird houses, and all I could think to myself when I saw them was "WOW!" Their houses are very impressive. They have quite a thriving population in their backyard. It really was a sight! Anyway, when I saw those baby birds in our bird house, I started crying. I know, I know... I'm a softy! But seeing those tiny, helpless baby birds in there on my baby girl's 6th birthday, just made me want to cry. It touched my heart to see such a miracle, the miracle of life, right there in my own backyard. And it reminded me of my 3 tiny baby birds, my own 3 miracles of life, 1 of which was born on this very day just 6 years ago.

Happy Birthday, Princess!

Just take a look...

And you will see...

Like the unfolding pages of a book...

Our Princess turned from 1...

T0 2...

Then 3...

Then in the blink of an eye, she turned 4...

And we wished she'd stop growing up so quick...

Still she went and grew up some more...

And then she turned from 5, to the great big 6!

Happy Birthday, Princess Avery Grace. Words alone can not even begin to describe how proud we are of you, and just how much we love you. You make our lives exciting and fun. We love your curiosity, enthusiasm, and zest for life. We love your compassionate, caring nature. We love the fact that you can be such a "girlie-girl" and yet you can get just as dirty and stinky as the boys. We love to hear you sing, watch you dance, create your art masterpieces, and listen to you ask all those questions! We hope that you never lose your spunk. We hope that you never stop asking questions. We pray that you will always know just how special and unique you truly are.

With The Deepest Love,

Mommy & Daddy

Take A Tip Thursday!

Good morning, everyone! If you didn't read yesterday's blog, click here. Reading it first will help you understand a little better what I'm writing about on today's blog. So, are you ready? Because it's time for another...

Take A Tip Thursday!

As I wrote on here yesterday, I've been a little discouraged lately about my dieting and weight loss efforts. In an attempt to get my motivation back, I'm reaching out to all of you. I read an article several months ago that talked about new research that has been done, showing that when kids see their parents exercise, they're more likely to exercise when they become adults. So, I asked a really good friend of mine who exercises on a consistent basis and seems to actually enjoy it (which is something I honestly struggle to understand), if she saw her parents exercising when she was a child. Her answer... Yes! In fact, she and her mom started taking exercise classes together when she was a teenager. The result? She learned to enjoy exercise from an early age, she realized that exercise is a family affair, she's always exercised, she makes it a part of her daily routine, and she's never struggled with her weight.


I, on the other hand, did not go to exercise classes with my mom and I have never learned how to find the fun in exercising. That's one big strike against me. Another strike against me is that I love food. I love cooking and creating new dishes. And I love combining different flavors and textures, to make a truly tasteful meal. Hector pokes fun at me from time to time when it comes to my cooking habits. I can't simply boil pasta, open a jar of Prego, and combine the 2 ingredients to make spaghetti. No, no, no. I feel the need to cook 3 different types of meat, then saute onions, bell peppers, carrots, and mushrooms with fresh garlic, then throw in some olives, diced tomatoes and fresh basil from my herb garden. Now that's spaghetti! And don't forget the verde bread and baked squash. :-)


Who's hungry? Wait a minute! What was my point? Oh yea... I love cooking and eating, and hate exercising. Knowing these 2 facts about myself, several months ago I sought the advise of another friend of mine who knows a lot about nutrition. She gave me some really good "tips." And now I'm going to pass them on to all of you.


* Do not think about all of the little things you need to change as a whole. Instead, pick 1 thing, and focus on it first. Do not see the change as something negative, like you are having to give something up. Instead, see it as something positive, that you are adding something good to your life. Don't take away a negative, add a positive... Her example was to eat a piece of fruit instead of a less healthy snack, just once a day. Very simple. Very easy. I like it!


* If you can't find 30 minutes to exercise all at once, break it up into 2 or even 3 exercise sessions throughout the day. It doesn't matter so much that you do it all at once, but that you get your heart rate up and break a sweat every time.


* Set small, attainable goals. And when you reach each goal, reward yourself. Her example was to not think about the total amount of weight that I wanted to lose, but to set a goal to lose the first 10 pounds. And when I lost the 10 pounds, to reward myself for reaching my goal. Then I should set another goal, and so on.


* And finally, don't give up when you have a "set back." Giving up and going back to your old ways shows that you're still thinking about the positive changes you've made in your life as a short term fix to a long term problem. This is perhaps my biggest struggle. Not giving up... Seeing it as a life long change for the better...


So, now it's your turn to leave me a tip. I would love any tips you are willing to share on dieting and exercising. Something practical... Something that has worked for you... I look forward to all of your tips!

Difficult questions...

As a Mommy of 3 very curious and inquisitive children, I get asked difficult questions from time to time. For example, last week Avery asked me, "If God never lived on Earth and never asked Jesus into his heart, then how did his soul find it's way to Heaven?" WOW! Right? BTW, if anyone cares to give me a better answer than the one I gave her (God has always lived in Heaven, so his soul has always known the way), please feel free to leave me a comment.

But I think yesterday's question is by far, the most difficult question I've ever been asked by a child of mine. As I was brushing Avery's hair for school, she asked me, "When are you going to lose that baby belly?" Ouch! I don't like to talk about my weight. I don't like talking about exercising or dieting. And I don't like watching what I eat, and then having to talk about what I'm not eating (or what I did eat but probably shouldn't have eaten). I don't.... Why? Well because they are difficult subjects for me. I've opened myself up to Avery on more than one occasion with these subjects in the past when she's asked questions, mainly because I want her to know that we're all different, and that just because someone is overweight it doesn't mean they lack the ambition or desire to be healthier. I've been honest with her because I want her to know that this subject is not taboo. I want her to know that she can talk to me about it now, and in the future.

I probably shouldn't have been all that surprised with her question. And even though I wanted to bust-out singing my best rendition of Hannah Montana's Nobody's Perfect, I instead simply told Avery that I was trying my best, but that these things take time. It's hard work... And then Avery said to me, "Well you're doing a good job, but I think you need to try harder." She wasn't being mean, just honest. And I truly appreciate her honesty. It was refreshing, and at the same time it was the honest slap in the face that I needed because I've been slacking off a lot lately...

So, here I go! I'm going to be honest with all of you. I've been trying to lose weight for some time now, but I've been going about it half-heartedly. I don't enjoy dieting or exercising. In fact, I fight it tooth and nail. I can always find an excuse to not exercise, and I can always justify eating something I shouldn't. But, as much as I hate all of those things, I hate being overweight even more. And I'm tired of making excuses. Why is it that I can take care of everyone else in my life without even thinking twice about it? I give my all to them, to ensure that they are happy and healthy. But when it comes to myself, I struggle. I struggle to keep myself happy and healthy, and to do the basic things I need to do in order to maintain that "happy and healthy" lifestyle for myself.

In the past 9 months, I have lost 31 pounds. There! I said it! I'm not telling all of you that because I want credit for it. I'm telling you all because I still have such a long way to go, and I've lost my momentum, my drive, my fight. So I'm opening myself up here on this blog, and I'm scared about it. I don't want to talk about it. I don't. But I'm doing it because I've realized that I can learn a valuable lesson from Avery's difficult question. Even though it's a difficult subject for me to talk about, maybe if I'm honest with everyone reading this, then maybe I can finally be honest with myself as well. Maybe if I allow the wall of shame and embarrassment that I've built up around myself to be torn down, I can open myself up to your prayers, your encouragement, and to the occasional honest slap in the face that I so desperately need!

And so I ask all of you to come along with me on this journey, as I continue down the path towards a happier, healthier Patty. I'll make a point to post updates on here, as far as my progress (and set backs) go. But I'll also be asking you all for tips and suggestions as well. Tomorrow is Thursday, which means it will be time for another Take a Tip Thursday blog. I'll be posting a few tips tomorrow, that I have found truly helpful when it comes to dieting and exercising. But I have so much to learn, and I know that I have tons of people in my life who know tons of great information about these subjects. So, please make sure to check out my post tomorrow, and leave me a tip!

-31 pounds, and counting...

How does your garden grow?

We did a lot of gardening over the Memorial Day weekend. When we moved into our home, almost exactly 4 years ago, there was nothing in the way of landscaping in the front yard. There was 1 tree, and 2 shrubs. Oh yea, and a horribly mangled rose bush with huge thorns. Honestly, it was drab looking...

But the landscaping in the back yard was even more puzzling. There were 10 crepe myrtles, all along the fence. And we don't have a big back yard here, people... They weren't spaced out evenly and they weren't lined up with one another in any way. And right behind 1 of the crepe myrtles was yet another mangled rose bush. It was a big mess!

So shortly after we moved in, I dug up the rose bush from the back yard, and tried to transplant it to the front yard, but it died. Hector and I also dug up 2 of the 10 crepe myrtles, in an attempt to open up the back yard just a little. And I slowly started trying to see if anything would grow in the front yard. But the dirt was so full of clay that nothing lived. I worked the dirt and added sand, and waited. A year later I bought a few plants from the clearance greenhouse at the local garden center. I wasn't going to pay a lot of money for plants, only to have them all die. Sure enough, most of them died, but a few lived. Oddly enough, I paid a dollar for this plant from the clearance greenhouse (it's on the left in the picture below). And it's done the best out of anything in the front garden. I don't even know what type of plant it is (but I know it's not Dusty Miller). I would welcome your comments if you think you know what it is. It was about 4 inches tall and about 2 inches wide when I bought it. But as you can see, it's taking over my garden now. It smells great, especially after it rains. The kids and I love running our fingers over the leaves, because it gives off the most wonderfully fresh scent. Over the past few years I've added landscaping bricks, Spiraled Junipers, purple Pampas Grass, Dusty Millers around the trunk of our tree in the front yard, and an herb garden. Avery's added her own herb garden too.
I also planted a butterfly bush that attracts the most beautiful butterflies every spring.

And this past weekend I finally dug up that horribly ugly rose bush in the front yard...

...and planted a trumpet vine in it's place!

I also planted a Texas Sage in the front yard, and 2 Indian Hawthorns. And as for the back yard, well I added some Lantana shrubs this past weekend. And last summer, Hector and I dug up even more crepe myrtles (6 more, to be exact!), and made room for something I truly love, our family garden! Which, if you know anything about me, you already know about our garden because I talk about it all the time... Yesterday, we harvested tons of green beans, 2 carrots, 2 spears of broccoli and yet another potato. :-)

I've got a few tomatoes, and tons of flowers on my squash, cucumber and cantaloupe vines. But nothing that's ready to be picked quite yet.

But perhaps the thing I am most proud and excited about is the fact that I finally planted a tree in the front yard. I've always known I wanted a tree in the front yard, but I never could decide what type of tree I wanted. I've researched several different types that I find absolutely beautiful, but when I saw this poor creature in the clearance greenhouse at the garden center (notice a trend here?), I knew I had to bring it home with me. It's a Flowering White Dogwood. It had fallen over during the last big rain storm we had here, and it looked pitiful. Funny enough, it rung up as costing only 2 cents (2 pennies). When I called the cashier's attention to it, she told me that 2 cents did seem like the wrong price, but that's the price it rung up, so that's the price I was paying... Okay!!! I didn't see the need to argue with the lady. :-) So, I brought my 2 cent tree home, and planted it!!! Hector and I let the kids play in the mud that we dug up. It was a crazy mess! But we had fun. And it may look pitiful now, but I seem to do really well with nursing pitiful looking plants back to health! :-)

I am hopeful it will look something like this next spring...
And eventually, something like this...

So, how does your garden grow? What are some of your successes, as well as some of your not-so-successful gardening ventures?

Avery's School Musical

Avery had her school musical last week. She did SO good!

We were laughing from the very beginning. They sang the ABCs, much like Samuel did last year (a more modern, Rock-n-Roll version of the ABCs).

They sang 4 songs in all, including one about Humpty Dumpty falling off the wall. It was so cute!

And at the end they sang "This Show Is Over" and they all pretended to cry. It was really sweet!

Bubba loved the show - but he needed a little popcorn to make it all the way through to the end...