Happy Memorial Day!

Today is Memorial Day, but in our house, it has been FAMILY day.  We have had an absolutely wonderful day playing together as a family.  First, we all slept in a little bit.  Then, after doing some things around the house, we all got around and got dressed and headed out the door.  We surprised the kids with a trip to our local zoo, the Columbian Park Zoo.  It was VERY busy, but so fun.  We saw lots of animals, like wallabies, monkeys, tortoises, bald eagles (only appropriate on this Memorial Day).  We also saw a very pretty llama that made my heart hurt for it.  Someone really needed to clean the shavings out of the poor animal.  He (she?) was so soft though and had such kind eyes.  I have a soft spot for llamas since people make yarn out of their fleeces.  I actually asked the zoo employee what they do with the fleece when they shear the llama (yes, I am a nerd, but come on you knew that already!).  For the record, the shearer takes it.  The kids really liked the butterflies and the goats the best I think.  The girls enjoyed looking for prairie dogs in their tunnels, but we didn't see any today.  Maybe next time.  Here are some pics of the kiddos at the zoo:

After the zoo, we watched the Memorial Day Parade.  L asked why they were having a parade.  We explained to her the reason we celebrate Memorial Day.  We told her it is to thank those that have served in any of our armed forces, our police, and the fire department, or anyone who works and serves to keep us and our country safe.  She has been asking questions about death (I think this has something to do with the funerals I have been singing at), so we had to explain to her that we particularly want to give thanks for those that have died while serving our country.  She said she understood and we watched the parade.  Afterwards, we were driving past a cemetery and there were a lot of American flags posted at the graves.  She asked, "Is that why we celebrate Memorial Day?".  Yes L, yes it is.  She is so smart.

Then we went to McDonald's for lunch.  We even went inside.  This is an exciting thing for my kids because we RARELY go inside when we get McD's.  If I am by myself, it is just too difficult for me to handle all three of them.  I would rather go through the drive-through and bring it home.  Anyway, we had lunch and then treated the kids to ice cream cones.  The evidence is below!

We decided to make a list of things we want to do as a family this summer.  Then we will see how many of them we can get done before Labor Day.  Our list is already pretty long.  But, we are open for any ideas you have!

Everyone but mom is napping now, but after the Diet Coke from McD's, I'm a little wired.  I am going to knit a little while watching the Cubbies play Houston.  Trying to come up with more things to do with the kids when they wake up.  What a great day it has been!  I hope that your day has been wonderful too.

Before I go though, I want to post a big, huge, gigantic THANK YOU to all of our service men and women; past, present, and future.  I know that our freedom isn't free, and I appreciate so much the price you are willing to pay to keep us all safe.  May the Lord be with all of you.  Thank you.

With Love!

Getting To Know You Sunday

I am joining in on MannLand5's Getting To Know You again.  I'd love for you to check out my answers and then do some of your own.  Make sure you link up and let me know so I can check your answers out too!

The Questions:

1. What's your favorite rainy day activity?  It should come as no surprise what the answer to this question is.  But, for the uninformed (just kidding!), my favorite rainy day activity is knitting.  I also love to read and take a nap if I am able!

2. What time do you go to bed?  I think I answered a similar question on Friday.  My bedtime completely depends on how I feel and what is going on the next morning.  Sometimes I got to bed at 9pm when E does, and sometimes I stay up until midnight or so.  It also depends on what is on TV and what I am doing.  If I am knitting something really fun (and let's face it, all knitting is fun!), then I tend to get sucked in and stay up to finish "just one more row".

3. How many magazines do you subscribe to?  Let's see, I have a subscription for "Family Circle" and "Taste Of Home".  My wonderful hubby bought me a subscription for "Interweave Knits".  So, three subscriptions. I think that is it.  I might be missing one.

4. Did you sell all your belongings because you thought the world was ending yesterday?  Uh, no.  I did not at all believe that the world was ending yesterday.  I know that when that time comes, I can't take anything with me, except for the love I have for my family and friends and the faith and love I have for God. 

5. What's your beauty obsession?  I don't know that I really have a beauty "obsession", but we will go with shoes.  I LOVE my shoes. 

6. If you could only wear one designer/brand for the rest of your life...what would it be?  I seriously have absolutely NO idea.  I am not a designer shopper and have never really stressed about what the labels on my clothes read.  I remember once my grandparents very kindly bought me a pair of GUESS? jeans (am I totally dating myself there?).  They weren't very comfortable to me, so I returned them for 3 pairs of jeans that were really comfortable.  Comfort is much more important in my eyes.

7. What's your summer must have?  Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!!  I have had a couple of skin cancer scares and I am a big believer in sunscreen.  I make sure the kids wear it too!!

8. Do you make weekly dinner menus?   I don't really make an actual menu, but I do try and think ahead of what I'm going to make for the week. 

I also have a little favor to ask of you.  My sweet friend Natalie over at Mommy On Fire is in the running for the Circle of Moms Top 25 Faith Bloggers.  Check out her blog and if you like what you read (which I KNOW you will), click on this link: HERE and vote for her.  You can vote once a day!  Thank you so much!!!

Have a great day and a wonderful upcoming week!!
With Love!

Grandma Visits & A Little 5QF!

Today has been a wonderful day in the life of me.  My mom is up visiting and we spent a wonderful day together yesterday and today.  She came up yesterday and went to the park with me and all three kids for L's very last day of pre-school.  Then we went to L's last soccer game of the season and my aunt, and my cousin, and her husband, and son (my godson) came and watched and then after running over to L's Kindergarten for a couple of things, we went to dinner.  We had a large group at Pizza Hut, but it was a lot of fun.  Once home and after the kids were in bed, my mom and I went for a 3.5 mile walk and stayed up chatting until late.  Then today we went shopping some and had lunch with my aunt and cousin.  She has decided to stay another night and will leave in the morning, but it has really been a great day.  I have really missed her a lot and have truly enjoyed this visit.

Now, how about a little 5 Question Friday?  If you want to participate, head on over to My Little Life and get the questions.  Answer them on your blog and make sure you link up!!




1. Do you and your spouse go to bed at the same time?  We sometimes go to bed at the same time.  It depends on how tired I am.  My hubby gets up pretty early, so he usually goes to bed early.  If I am sleepy, I will go to bed when he does.  If not, well, then I tend to stay up too late!


2. A question for the ladies...What kind of facial hair do you like on your man?  My hubby has no facial hair and I like that.  But, I LOVE it when he grows out his goatee.  He rarely does this, but I absolutely love the look on him.  I know it is a lot of maintenance though, so I understand that he doesn't want to wear it that way usually.


3. What's the worst vacation you've ever taken?  I don't know that I've ever taken a "bad" vacation. E and I have only been on one real vacation and that was our honeymoon.  We might have gone on a bad one when I was growing up, but I don't really remember.  Is there even such a thing as a bad vacation?  I could use a vacation so bad right now, I think I might gladly take a bad one!!


4. What's the first-ever blog you followed?  I am pretty sure that I first started following The Yarn Harlot.  I didn't really get into blogs too much until I read hers.  Then I really got into it.  She is HILARIOUS!!  As a knitter, it makes me feel better that I am not the only one that may let the dishes slide just so I can finish "one more row"!



5. Do you enjoy amusement parks?  I do enjoy amusement parks.  But, that is mainly because I LOVE and I do mean LOVE roller coasters!!  I am a coaster fanatic.  I haven't been on one in a while, and I am really jonesing for that rush.  I might have to figure out to save up some money so E and I could take a trip to Cedar Point or Kings Island and ride some good ones.  Yes, we are closer to Indiana Beach, but I said I want GOOD coasters.

I hope you all have had a great week!  Happy Friday!!

Pre-school Graduation

I can not believe the time has come that my beautiful L has graduated from Pre-School.  The past 5.5 years have gone SO fast.  She was very cute today as they sang songs and received their "diplomas".  L received an achievement award for being a "Terrific Helper".  I am very proud of her!!

I also wanted to let you know about a contest my sweet friend Natalie is doing over at her AWESOME blog Mommy On Fire.  Natalie is an uber-talented writer and is incredibly inspiring.  She has been a wonderful support to me as I have found my way back to my faith.  I really just can not say enough wonderful things about this kind, sweet, beautiful woman.  She cares so much for the people around her, she is a wonderful mother, and she is an incredibly strong believer.  I adore Natalie.  So, I really really think you should go check out her blog!!!  Besides, she is giving away a $20 gift certificate for Dayspring.  There are some seriously cool and inspiring things for the home there!!  Again, it is Mommy On Fire!

Have a great Wednesday!
With Love!

When Kids Are Sick...

I had some amazing women over last night to knit and have some girl time.  It was so much fun and I had some great conversations.  I didn't get much knitting done, but that was all right.  I just really enjoyed the time with friends.  Three of us hung out until about 11:30 discussing our Faith and what it means to be Catholic.  We talked about seeing God everywhere and how God gives us what we need when we need it.  I really enjoyed the time.

I ended up getting to bed pretty late and then couldn't fall asleep so I read for a while.  Once I finally got to sleep, I heard L crying about 2 o'clock this morning.  I went in to check on her and she said her head hurt.  I gave her some Tylenol and sent her back to bed.  Then, I stayed up for about another two hours worrying about her.  She has been coughing for a couple of days, so I was worried that something more was wrong.  I still don't know what was the matter with her, but she woke up feeling much better this morning.  But, as I laid in bed last night, I couldn't help thinking, "What if it isn't just a head ache?" and "I hope it isn't strep or something."  And, I won't even go into the worst case scenario thoughts that float through my head. I know that as moms we are hard-wired to worry about our children (well, most of us, I'm not going to get into the moms that don't take care of their children, that whole situation just makes me super sad), but is there anyway to turn off that little voice in my head at 4am?  I really couldn't go back to sleep until about 4, when I went in and checked on her and she was snoring.  I finally was able to fall asleep, but as soon as I heard her cough this morning about 6am, I was wide awake scared that something was wrong.  Once I calmed down and thought I'd go back to sleep, M woke up and I was up for good.  But, that is what being a parent is, isn't it?  We put their needs first and that is the way it should be.  That said.  I am exhausted today!!

I hope you all have a wonderful day.  And, for me, well, for me I hope I get a nap later!!
With Love!

Getting To Know You

Happy Sunday!!  I am getting in on MannLand5's "Getting To Know You" BlogHop.  Want to join me?  Well, read my answers, then head on over to MannLand5, get the questions, post and answer them on your blog and make sure you link up!!!

The Questions:

1. Have you ever gone to see a movie by yourself?  No, but I would have no problem doing it.  I would actually LOVE to go to the movies by myself.  It would be awesome to sit and watch a movie and knit.  Yes, I knit during movies.  It is not difficult, promise!



2. Would you rather go through a tornado or a hurricane?  I've actually been through 3 tornados in my life.  Once my mom and I couldn't get to the basement fast enough and we watched one go across the back yard.  Then the next summer I was visiting my aunt and uncle and we were in the basement watching out of the little windows and we watched one come up and go right over the house and then a few minutes later, another one came and went right over the house.  But then again, come to think of it, I was in Florida when Hurricane Erin went through Florida.  To be honest, I really would rather avoid any and all weather related fiascos.  I hate and I mean hate and am severely scared of bad weather!!


3. Have you made summer vacation plans?  We probably won't do anything special this weekend as we are trying to save our pennies.  But, hopefully we can get in some fun mini trips and some trips to grandma and grandpa's house!


4. What's your favorite accessory?  My shoes, most definitely my shoes.  Hands down, no questions. Well, wait.  I forgot about my hats.  My shoes and my hats.  Yes, my shoes and my hats.


5. Have you ever been thrown a surprise party?  My mom through me a little one on my 16th birthday, but it was just family.  It was fun though. 


6. Are you friends with your neighbors?  I am friends with my direct neighbors, the ones on either side of our house.  But that is it.  I know no one else on our street!  That is sad, yes I know, but some of the people in our cul-da-sac seem to be a little sketchy so we tend to avoid them!


7. What's the last movie you saw in the theater?  We went and saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1.  A sweet friend watched the kids for us.  E and I have seen all of the HP movies together in the theater.  I even had to get special permission from my OBGYN to go see The Half-Blood Prince since I was on bed rest.  I can not WAIT for Part 2 of The Deathly Hallows to come out!  There are a TON of movies I want to see this year though.  I'm sure I will wait until some of them come out on DVD, but we will see!

8 What's your favorite food network show?  I guess Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  My favorite food type show though is Man Vs. Food, even thought it is on the Travel Channel.  It makes me super hungry every time!!

Well, I hope you all had a great weekend!

With Love

Five Question Friday

It is Friday, so here are the answers to "Five Question Friday"!  If you want to join, click on the link below, go get the questions and put them on your blog.  Make sure you leave me a note and let me know so I can check you out too!!




1. Tube socks, calf socks, crew, ankle, none? It depends on what I am doing.  I prefer "no-show" socks while I am working out.  But, my favorite socks are Knee-high ones!  I LOVE them!!

2. Was your child's (children's) name a mutual decision or was it a debate? If you don't have children, do you plan on giving your spouse a say, or do you have a name you MUST have, regardless if your other half likes it or not?! There really wasn't any debate about our names.  I had knows L's name for a long time.  I think the only debate was about M's middle name.  I originally wanted Jesse and E wasn't thrilled about it with the name M's name.  Then, we both decided on George kind of at the same time. 

3. What is your favorite type of weather? Fall, hands down.  I love it when the weather gets cool enough to wear jeans, sweaters and knee high socks (see question #2) and most importantly, boots!!

4. If left to your own devices, what time would you wake up every day? If I didn't have to wake up with the kids, I would totally sleep until I absolutely had to wake up!!

5. Have you bought your cemetery plots yet? No, I have no intention on being buried in the ground.  I have a serious fear of spiders and worms and even though I know people are buried in "insect-proof" caskets and all, I shiver at the thought.  It's weird though, because I'm completely piro-phobic as well, but for some reason that doesn't bother me.  I plan on being cremated and having my ashes spread at my parents' farm.

With Love

My Man

I sang at a funeral this morning and I got a lot more emotional than I thought I would get.  The funeral was for a gentleman from our church whose wife used to sing in the choir.  I had only met him once so I figured I would be OK singing and wouldn't get too teary-eyed.  I was wrong.  I watched this man's wife walk up to the pew, being supported by her children.  She had tears flowing throughout the entire mass.  As I watched her from the the front of church, I felt tears spring to my own eyes.  I thought about what she must be thinking.  She and her husband had been married for 54 years.  That's fifty-four years of love, laughter, and I'm sure even some tears.  As I watched her I thought about my wonderful husband.  I thought about how our life would be in 47 years when we celebrate 54 years of marriage.  I thought about our marriage and our life right now. Our marriage is by no means perfect, but I love that man with all of my heart.  And, really, what is the fun in perfection?  I mean, how can you get to the fun of making up if you don't fight occasionally.  I love that E knows when I really need a hug.  I love that he flirts with me even though we've been together for almost 10 years.  I love to watch him read to the kids and play games with them.  I love that he works so hard so that I can stay at home with our children.  I love watching him help at L's soccer games as he helps "corral" a bunch of 5 and 6 year olds.  I love when he wraps his arms around me squeezes me tight.  I love him.  I love that man with all of my heart.  I thank God every day for having him walk into that bar almost 10 years ago.  By watching a woman grieve for the loss of HER husband, I think I fell in love with MY husband all over again

With Love

When Did I Become My Mother?

I love my mom dearly.  She is one of my best friends and it is rare that we go more than a day without talking.  Sometimes I really struggle when she goes on trail rides down in Kentucky or Tennessee because there is no phone service in most of those places.  I enjoy talking to my mom. 

That said, when I was growing up, sometimes things between my mom and I were a little tense.  My mom was a teacher, so she dealt with obnoxious teenagers all day and then had to come home and deal with one.  I can not imagine that was fun.  There were times that we would get really frustrated with each other, especially when it came to sports and school.  I always remembered thinking, "If I'm ever a mom, I'm never going to say that to my kids." or thinking that I would never get so upset with my kids if they don't perform perfectly.  I know I'm not the only one here.  As parents, don't we all think that?  We say that we are never going to be our parents.

If my mom reads this, she is going to shake her head and laugh.  Because, I have totally become my mother.  I watch my children, and I just completely hear myself saying things that she used to say to me.  Whether it is with L playing soccer or telling me about her day at school.  Or J not listening and me having to repeat myself 18 times.  Or M getting into everything.  The things that come out of my mouth are things that my mom totally yelled at me as a kid.  At L's game on Sunday, I yelled something out to her and just started cracking up.  I completely sounded just like my wonderful mother. 

As I think about it, I realize that it is a good thing I have become my mother.  My mom was and is a wonderful mother.  She has taught me what it means to be a good mom, to have my children respect me, to have them respect others, and to respect themselves.  I can teach my kids to do this because she taught me to do these things.  She taught be to have a good relationship with God and even though I struggled for some years, she was right there beside me to help make sure I could find my way back.  I know that I can be there for my children as the learn about their faith.  She taught me to love myself (and we know that is a never ending battle) and how to be a positive woman.  I know that I will be able to teach my girls to be positive and have respect for themselves and I will be able to teach M to be a positive young man and for him to respect any young women he encounters in life.

Please do not think that I think I am a perfect Mom.  I know I am not, I struggle daily!  And as much as I love her, I know my mom isn't perfect either.  But, she is strong and has taught ME how to be strong.  I think having a strength in faith, a strength in oneself, and a strength of the heart are some of the most important things, especially when it comes to parenting.  After all, if you don't have the strength to believe in yourself, how on earth are you going to teach your children to have strength in themselves?

I know that this post about my mother is a little past Mother's Day, but I have been trying to phrase it in my head about how I wanted it to go.  I just want my mom to know how much I love her and how much I appreciate all that she does for me and all that she has taught me.  She has taught me how to be a parent.  I pray that one day, my children will be saying the same thing about me.  And, since she taught me so well, I know that they will. 

Thank you Lord for the wonderful mother you gave me.  You couldn't have done better.  Thank you mom for everything.  I love you.  You inspire me daily.

Before I started this post, I had a little writer's block and my wonderful friends on Facebook gave some suggestions and I said I would discuss them.  Here you go!  Enjoy!

1.)  "Does Man have Free Will or is he merely a series of learned responses to environmental stimuli?"  I have no idea, but in my mind, it is like this: God has a plan, but he also gave us Free Will.  He knows our hearts and knows what will happen, but He allows us to make our own mistakes.

2).  "A peanut is neither a pea nor a nut."  A peanut is in the legume or bean family.

3). The Spring that disappeared into 86 degree weather.  I live in Indiana.  One of the great things about Indiana is the beautiful change of seasons.  Apparently this year though, someone missed the message.  We have completely skipped Spring.  It went from cold and wet and frosty to hot and humid.  It is crazy.  I like spring, I don't know what happened to it, but I know that in a couple of months, Indiana better not forget Fall!!

4.)  Did chicken or egg come first???  I heard this joke not too long ago.  Be warned, it is a little racy!!  The chicken and egg were laying in bed.  The egg is relaxed and almost asleep.  The chicken is irritated and upset.  The chicken says, "Well, I guess that answers THAT question!".  I hope I didn't offend anyone there!  It is just a joke!

5.)  Did the taco or taco salad come first?  I am going with the taco.  I do not think that you can really have a taco salad without first having a taco.  Great.  Now I want a taco.

6.)  Why do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?  I have absolutely NO idea.  Oh, the things we ponder!

Thanks to my Facebook friends for the questions.  Pretty humorous!!  I hope you have had a fantastic day!!
With Love!

5 Question Friday

Happy Friday!  This week has been a pretty busy one for our household.  It isn't over yet though, we still have a lot to do.  So, I'm going to take a moment and do My Little Life's "5 Question Friday".  If you want to participate, read through my questions, then go check out Mama M's site, get the questions and link up.  Let me know if you do so I can check out your blog too!!




1. Have you ever had roommates?  Yes.  I have been very lucky.  I have only ever had one bad room mate (my freshmen year in college).  The girls I was lucky to share a dorm room or an apartment with have been fabulous.  Stacey, Jen, Tracy, Jen, and Lisa, I love you all!

2. How many names do you/your children have? (i.e. Prince Charming William Phillip Arthur Louis John Jacob Jingleheimer-Schmidt)  All three of our kids have a first, middle, and last name.  That's it.  What I think is neat is that all three of them have 2 "L"s in their first name and 2 "E"s in their middle name.  All their first names have pop culture origins, although that wasn't really our plan, it just sort of happened that way.  L is after a song, J is after a popular physical trainer, and M is after a character on a TV show we love to watch.  All three of their middle names are after their grandfathers or great-grandfathers.

3. Did you watch the Royal Wedding?  No, I really had no interest in watching it.  Also, it was on at 4 am here and there was no way I was waking up that early!

4. What is the messiest room in your house?  Currently?  Either the toy room or the girls' bedroom.  I try and keep those clean, but it is a losing battle.

5. What is your ideal mothers day?  For me, it would be not having to cook and getting a lot of time to knit and read, but also lots of time to just play with my kiddos.  This Mother's Day, I will be singing in 2 masses and watching my oldest "play" soccer.

With Love

Random Wednesday

1.  I sprained my knee Friday night by stepping into what was probably the ONLY hole in a parking lot.  I'm guessing wearing heels did not help.  It still hurts.

2.  My children are chasing a jump rope around the house.

3.  I have a very busy day and the rest of the week ahead. 

4.  I have been in a major reading mood lately, I just can't get enough books.  It has gotten so bad it has taken over knitting time.  Wondering if something is wrong with me.

5.  Today is "Star Wars" Day...May the Fourth Be With You!

6.  I'm hoping my voice will survive the next couple of days.  I have rehearsal tonight, a funeral tomorrow, mass on Friday, and 2 masses on Sunday.  Oof.

7.  Catching up on "Castle" and Nathan Fillion is such a cutie.

8.  There are "baby" blankets strewn throughout my house.  Each of my kids have pulled them out of the blanket chest and have left them throughout the house.  Just more things for mommy to clean up I guess.

9.  My laundry has over flown.  Anyone want to come do it for me?

10.  I want a lemon shake up.  I think I'm going to go make one. :)

Exciting blog post today huh?!

With Love

Getting To Know You

Happy May Day!  I hope you have all had a great weekend.  We have had a really nice one.  E did a great job in his marathon.  He was a little over this goal time, coming in at around 4 hours and 38 minutes.  His words about the experience: "That was the hardest thing I have ever done.  What the f*** was I thinking?".  I am so very proud of him.  I do not think that he will ever do another full, but I think he is glad that he did it.

We are having a movie night as a family here and getting ready to watch "Despicable Me" so I am going to make this short.

Really quickly, here is my contribution to MannLand5's "Getting To Know You" page.  Want to participate?  Go on over and get the questions and link up.  Let me know if you do so I can be sure to check your answers out!

1. Did you watch the royal wedding?  No I didn't.  First off, it was on at 4am here and I was alseep at that time.  Secondly, to be honest, I wasn't all that interested.  I remember thinking when they got engaged that the wedding was all we were going to hear about.  I am really just glad for it to be over. 

2. Tea and crumpets or coffee and a scone?  I prefer tea and scones. :)

3. Who's cuter..prince William or prince Harry?  Prince William

4. Can you speak in a English accent?  No.  I CAN pull off a southern accent and a valley girl one, but that is about it.

5. Do you own a fancy hat?  I own lots of hats.  I love them.  My favorite is my new fedora that is black and has hot pink netting on it with pink sparkles.  However, I do not own any "fancy" hats like what you might see at the royal wedding or at the Kentucky Derby.  Believe me though, if I ever go to the Derby again, I am SO buying one of those hats!!

6. Would you rather live in a castle or an English cottage?  Can it be the cottage from the movie "The Holiday" with Cameron Diaz?  That cottage is adorable!!  But to be honest, as long as I have someone else to clean it, I would LOVE to live in a castle.

7. How old were you when prince Charles and princess Diana got married? were you even born?  I was 1 1/2.  I don't remember it at all obviously and maybe that is why I didn't care much about William's wedding. 

8. Have you found your prince? Absolutely.  Although, sometimes he may seem more like the court jester!  Just kidding baby!  Love you!!

With Love!