The good, the bad and the ugly

We just finished a wonderful week celebrating Thanksgiving. Hubster's family all came. By all I mean his brother and his family, both his sisters and their families, his aunt and her four kids and all their families. We had about 30 something people here. Lots of people but it was lots of fun.

We only had one almost catastrophe. And it involved the stove and a little fire, but all was good.

Needless to say, I was exhausted yesterday. So exhausted that I did some crazy things. So I'm telling on myself.

The boys and I were running late to church in the morning. Hubster is in the Praise Band, so he was already there. We ended up sitting in the very back. The kids go off to Children's Church and Hubster comes down to sit with me.

We listen to the message being preached and it's good. Well, in my hastiness to get to church on time, I forgot my Bible at the house. I do however, have a Bible on my phone. As I was looking at it, I saw some messages that AB had sent me. They were actually pictures. I decided to open them up and look. Brother J was already closing up his message at this time. I zoom through the pictures and click one that starts to 'play' the song, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly".

Remember, we are at church. It's very quiet as people absorb the message that Brother J has shared. He's getting ready to start the invitation and then it happens. Cue music.

It was loud. Hubster gives me a look. The people in front of me look back at me. I am beat red and panicking and trying to turn off the sound that I thought was already on. The song keeps going, but I finally stop it.

That was the first instance.

The second one happened after Sunday evening church. I was leaving church to go to the store for some milk and eggs and chips to dip in the last jar of homemade salsa I had left from the family gathering. I drive down the main road and stop at the stop light. I am behind a car and there are other cars next to me. The light turns green and the car in front of me goes. I follow. As I'm crossing the road, I see red.

I then see it. The green ARROW on one stoplight and the red as can be red light on the other stoplight.

I am already in the middle of the road. I can't stop. So I just keep going. Good thing there were no cars turning from the opposite direction.

So as to not draw anymore attention to myself. I turn at the next street to go down the back roads to the grocery store.

I did make it to my destination and got what I needed then went straight home.

Exhaustion makes you do crazy things.............

Me and My Mouth Before my Caffeine

The alarm beeps, or should I say, makes annoying sounds at 6:00 in the morning. I roll over and Hubster pushes the snooze button. This goes on for another 20 minutes. He finally gets out of bed. I lay in bed contemplating whether I should pretend I'm asleep or get my hiney up and make him breakfast.

Now, before you think I'm the wonderful wife. Let me tell you, I am no June Cleaver. I do not have a smile on my face while doing this so called wonderful thing for my husband. I make him breakfast because of his diabetes. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I usually get up and quietly and alone proceed to make breakfast. Usually breakfast tacos of some sort. I'm alone in the kitchen, no one to talk to me, no one to distract me and I'm great with that. Simply because I need my caffeine in the mornings. Caffeine in the form of an ice cold coca-cola. Caffeine that is usually not ice cold at 6:30 in the morning because someone (me) forgot to put it in the fridge the night before. Caffeine that is stuck in the freezer getting super cold, super quick.

One day this past week, I was in a not so good mood. I let other people get to me especially at 6:30 in the morning. I was thinking about something that someone did and that got me riled up. I then took it out on Hubster. I didn't hold back. I told him what I thought about the situation.

I had forgotten that when I haven't had my caffeine, I am a not so nice person. I say things without thinking them through. I say things that are hurtful. I don't ask God to shut my mouth.

Hubster went on to work and I grabbed my can of coca-cola that I had stuck in the freezer and I went to sit down and have a talk with God. Just me, my coke and God.

It's funny how He never says, "I told you so" or "why did you do that" or "are you stupid or something?"

He shows us in a loving way how how we were wrong, and then He waits for us to acknowledge it ourselves.

Well, while I was spending time with Him, I realized what I had done and said and knew that I was wrong. And I am never wrong. Ha Ha Ha, that was a joke.

I did the right thing and called Hubster and apologized.

I have to remember that I can't control other people. I can't have that hang up in my life.

All I can say is that I'm glad I have a loving Heavenly Father who showers me with His Grace and Mercy on a daily basis. Even though I don't deserve it.

A little miracle

I'm baaaaaaacccckkk!!! I've been in hiatus for what seems like forever. I just got tired of writing. Mostly because even though this is MY blog and I can write about whatever I want, I still care about people's feelings. So therefore, I don't write what I really feel as to not hurt anyone.

But I'm over that.

Lot's has happened. End of school, summer break, vacation, death, mission trip, family time, salvations, new friends, new school year, frustrations, joys, and the list goes on and on.

There are these friends of ours that had a baby last Wednesday. All seemed well with baby Jenna and then they tested her oxygen and it was low. They medi- flighted her to a bigger hospital and there they determined that she had heart problems. Yesterday was the surgery, so I found me a substitute teacher. Actually, she volunteered. She came over to the house, did school with the boys and then hung out with them.

While I was walking into the hospital, I was thinking that my problems just seem so small compared to others problems. I think that is God's way of humbling me. And boy is it humbling.

When I saw my friends, the mom and dad, they looked tired, wore out and just plain weary. They had talked to the surgeon and the surgeon had done many surgeries like this one, so it was a relief to find that out. The surgery was risky but the Doc said there shouldn't be any problems. We waited and the phone kept ringing. Updates on how baby Jenna was. Finally four hours later, they received the call they had been waiting for. Surgery was over and baby Jenna was doing great.

Praise the Lord!!!

The relief on my friends faces didn't show right away. Might have been because there were many people there they were trying to inform, maybe it was because they hadn't actually talked to the Doctor. But when that Doctor came to talk to them, to tell them that their baby was going to be fine and was doing great, that is when the relief showed.

It was awesome to witness this miracle. Baby Jenna has to have a couple more heart surgeries as she gets older, but a big obstacle was conquered yesterday.

I find it amazing that a baby's heart is the size of a grape. Add to that all those tiny vessels and veins that probably look like thread, but God equipped Doctors to perform surgery on this. But only God is in the miracle business. And His miracles are many.

I'm back

So I'm back. I've had a hard time getting motivated to write anything. Mostly because what I would like to write about, I can't and what I can write about, I don't want to. Call it stubbornness if you must.

There have been many changes in my house and most of them good. We are still adjusting. But we are all doing great. Boys are growing and Hubster is working hard.

I did run the 5k that I had signed up for back in March. I finished with a slow time of 32:14.
Not bad since I had been hurt, but it could have been better.

AB wanted to run it as well. He wouldn't go train with me and said he could do it. We started the race with some friends and then AB and I went off together. Before I knew it, I left him behind.

I guess if I were a better mom I would have stayed with him. Hope he's not scarred for life.

I was the first of our group to finish and then 6 min later another friend finished and then the other friend after her. I sat there and waited for him and waited and waited. I walked back towards where the last quarter mile was and finally saw him. He was walking with some people. I cheered him on and told him he had a little ways to go. He started running again and then stopped again. But he did finish the race. I was proud of him.

When we got into the car to head home, he said that it was harder than what he thought. He wants to start training with me in order to get better.

I want to do a half marathon in November so I'm starting training for that. I do need to find me a good training plan. I think I'll do some more 5k's between now and then and maybe a 10k. I wish I could say that I'm doing it for the time and winning but i'm only in it to finish.

Since the weather had been so pretty here, I was running outside but it's crazy weather time and now in order for me to guarantee myself a workout, I started back at the gym track.

So this morning I went running for 30 minutes (3 miles) and then walked for 20 minutes.

My next goal is to start eating better again. I've sort of not been doing very well in that category.

I like to make excuses and say that busy times at the baseball field for games is the reason we don't eat good, but I can always plan ahead and make something to take. Those concession stand nachos are pretty yummy as well as those burgers. Of course, everything is pretty yummy when you are starving.

So enough babbling for now. Going to finish up school with the boys and then go for a nature walk. Taking advantage of this pretty day.

Back to the old fashioned way to drying clothes

My dryer is broke!!

Don't know what's wrong with it, but what I do know is that it won't dry my clothes.

Last time I had an appliance mess up, I called the repair guy and he came to charge me $55 and to tell me that the microwave just needed to be unplugged and plugged again.

Can you say RIPOFF?

I could have bought a new micro for that amount of money.

AND, it still doesn't work properly.

So I spent last night after church playing repair woman.

Hubster is out of town, so that means I get to figure this out on my own.

I'm determined not to call a repair guy(dryer no longer under warranty) until I have done everything I can to make sure it's not something that will make me look like an over worked, underpaid house wife/mom.

I got my handy dandy little screwdriver and my just as handy dandy little flashlight and set off to work.

I took off the lint screen thingy ma jiggy and vacuumed all the lint and sand and you don't want to know what else, out of there.

I then pulled the dryer out and tried to see if the vent hose was clogged up. It's such a tight space so I can't really see.

Then I talked to Hubster and he said just to wait for him.

So I guess I'll wait for him to come home and pull the dryer out enough for me to clean the vent hose.

I'm sure I'll have to call a repairman, but in the meantime I am making sure that it's not those things.

I had washed two loads yesterday before I came to the conclusion that the clothes were just not going to dry in cold air. There was no hot air coming out.

If you come to my house today, you will see clothes on hangers all over the house. From undies to bras to shirts and karate uniforms.

Very cool huh?

It's a good thing nobody comes visit me.

Nothing like having to explain why all my undergarments are drying in the dining room.

No more cavities

I do not like to go to the dentist. I've got nothing against dentists, I just hate having to keep my mouth open, wide at that, for such a long period of time.

Not to mention, it hurts.

We hadn't gone to the dentist in over a year. I know, I know.

But when we did go, it was to a dentist that didn't take any x-rays. Only cleaned our teeth and I'm not really sure he did such a great job.

So when in December, UB started complaining that his mouth hurt where a particular tooth was, I noticed he had a cavity.

Our insurance, to say the least, is stupid. The dentist that had semi-cleaned our teeth retired and that meant that the closest dentist to us was over an hours drive away.

We tried going to a closer one that was actually cheaper than all the other dentists around, but the insurance wouldn't go for that.

So off Hubster went to take UB to the dentist to see how they could help him.

He had 4 cavities that required extensive work. We took UB twice in December to get them fixed and then set up an appointment in January for the rest of us to get our teeth checked and cleaned.

All of us, with the exception of Hubster, have finished all our dental work. And let me tell you, I am quite happy that driving over an hour is done for now.

I don't mind driving, I do mind having to pay the toll. It starts adding up after a while.

Anyway, yesterday, both boys had fillings put in. It was funny to watch them with their numb lips and cheeks after the procedure.

AB did not like the feeling and kept putting his lips like Donald Duck. UB just stood there and was drooling because he couldn't feel his bottom lip.

I didn't want to laugh, but of course I had to.

So today, when it was my turn to get numbed up, they thought it was funny. But they took it a step further. They kept pinching my lip and cheek to see if I felt it.

Crazy boys, I'm numb, not dead.

So I consider dentistry in my top three list of jobs I'm glad I don't have.

The other two are.....gynecology and podiatry.

Anybody else with me?

You know your kids watch too much Biggest Loser when......

..........you are in a crowded restaurant and in a loud voice ask "How many calories are in what we are eating mom?" and "Whose food has the most calories, mine or yours?"

My Monday Pet Peeve

Having gray hair blended with black hair has been an experience.

I actually like the way it looks.

I also like the fact that I don't have to spend lots of money coloring my hair every 2-3 weeks.

Maybe one day I'll go back to coloring it, but right now, I'm enjoying it.

I have encountered a lot of people that have known me before I went gray and don't recognize me.

I have also encountered a lot of people that talked to me before I went gray and now act like they are going to get a 'gray hair' disease.

It's actually quite humorous.

They are just jealous because I'm not afraid of showing my wisdom. (gray hair is a sign of wisdom)

I still have a lot of people tell me that I'm crazy for not coloring my hair.

Some just ask "why"?

I think it's to each his/her own. I feel comfortable with my hairdo and it's no one's business what I should do.

I don't mind people's opinions but if they are just telling me things because they are shallow, then that's another thing.

In people's eyes, gray hair means old.

But sometimes I look younger, with my gray hair, than those shallow people, that wear 3 inches of caked on makeup, 1/2" thick eyeliner and globs and globs of mascara.

And they are 5 or more years younger than me.

I know this is a negative post, but I just had to get this off my chest.

Besides, it's my blog and I can write about whatever I want.

I don't like people that treat you one way when you are alone with them and then another way when they are around their friends.

So that is my pet peeve for this beautiful Monday Morning.

What is your pet peeve?

3/4 of a year in pictures

My internet is acting up and I wanted to post this as it is the 1st day of January and didn't want to start off not posting anything. So I'll just start with April.

April:

Friends

May:

AB playing Coach Pitch

UB playing T-ball


Cool clouds

June:

Big fat toads

Crazy times

Silly times

July:

More baby cliff swallows





Mission trip to Ecuador

August:

Hummingbird

UB starting Kindergarten

AB starting Second Grade

September:

UFO according to the boys

2nd scorpion that stung AB

October:

Must have these red converse

fun times at pumpkin patch

November:

Missing two front teeth

slick hairstyle

December:

Posing at the Japanese Gardens

God's beautiful artwork

I've been busy- at least that's my excuse

I hadn't blogged in a while because I'd been busy.

Busy with last minute Christmas stuff.

Busy with parties. (kids)

Busy with dentist appointments and other appointments.

And just busy baking.

We made these blueberry thumbprint cookies.
Then we made these Oreo truffles. Or Oreo balls as I call them.

And we even made these little Mexican shortbread cookies in 6 different shapes.

I was even able to make some tamales this year. It had been a couple of years since I'd made any. They are a lot of work for just one person. But boy are they sure yummy.

So now that I have eaten all that I made, I think it's time to get some exercising done so that my hips don't become wider loads.

Any ideas on how to get my workout started?

Am I truly listening?

I had been feeling sort of guilty for not doing more during this Christmas time. It being the most wonderful time of the year. I didn't even want to put a tree up. I know, I'm a scrooge, so what.

Anyway, the boys helped put up and decorate the tree and it was fun. They even took out a little one that they have taken over and use it as their 'toy' tree. I will post later on this.

The craziness and business actually was dominating my life. Doing this, doing that. Going here, going there. Getting this, getting that. Well, you get the picture.

I hadn't been feeling the spirit of getting ready for Christmas.

Along this line, there were other issues that were arising in my life.

I had been asking God to show me what it was that He wanted me to do. I took the quiet and the no response as a sign that maybe He was not ready to reveal His plan to me on these certain issues.

Yesterday at church, our pastor was taking about these issues that I had been dealing with. How not to let the business take over our lives because we would miss what God wanted us to see.

He even said that God sometimes wanted us to be alone. Alone with Him.

Have you ever felt like the sermon is speaking directly to you? Well, it couldn't have been any plainer than if the pastor put my name on that sermon yesterday.

I then realized that God was talking to me. I just wasn't listening to Him. Not because I was too busy, but because it wasn't the answer that I wanted to hear.

I felt much better with what I knew God had been telling me and it felt great to know that I wasn't a scrooge.

I had lost focus on the reason for the season. I had allowed the business and craziness to take control of my life.

I am concentrating on making sure that my kids know the true meaning of Christmas. And that they understand it all.


Anyway, I just wanted to relay that message to you out there.

There is a difference between being alone and being lonely, but maybe God is trying to get you alone with Him.

Pepita and her Chocolate cake

Pepita looked in the cupboard for the cake mixes. She had to make a cake for the cake walk. They asked her about it a month ago.

"Where are my cake mixes?" she asked the kids
"Remember Mamita?" said one of the kids "we said we wanted to make a birthday cake for the dog and we asked you if we could use the cake mixes. You told us yes."

Oh, Pepita remembered alright. But she thought they had made a cake out of dog food, not cake mix.

"We mixed the cake mix with the dog food and that was the birthday cake" said the children

That could explain why the dog was sick for a month.

"I guess I'll have to make one from scratch" she sighed.

After she kicked all the kids out of the house and locked them out, she started making the cake.

A decadent double layer of chocolate cake made with creamy chocolicius frosting. All made from scratch.

She was finishing up her masterpiece when the baby of the family, Jr., named lovingly after his father Pepito, came asking if he could lick the beaters.

Actually, after 10 kids, names just didn't matter anymore. The last four kids were named Jr. And two of them were girls.

So Pepita gave Jr. the beater and finished frosting the cake.

"Mamita," said Jr. "there is stuff all over your carpet in your bedroom. I tried to clean it but it's not working."

Pepita goes to take a look. Chocolate frosting all over the carpet.

She leaves the finished masterpiece and sets out to take the stains out of the carpet.

When it was time to leave to drop the cake off at the school, Pepita gave it one last lovingly look. Martha Stewart would be proud of her. But not really because she didn't put fancy shmancy stuff on top like Martha would probably do. But then again, Martha doesn't have 10 kids, so there.

She tells the kids to get ready to go run some errands after they drop the cake off. They all gather their coats and bags for fencing class.

Pepita goes to the kitchen to put plastic wrap over the cake when she notices a smudge on the side of the cake. All the way from the top layer to the very bottom of the cake.

She looks around and who is standing there looking at her with the most innocent eyes around?Why Jr. of course.

"Did you lick the frosting off?" she asked

"No" he says shyly with innocence

"Why did you lick the frosting off?" she rephrased the question

"Because it's so good Mamita"

She shooed him off before she would lock him up in the closet for a long time. With his own chocolate cake.

Pepita fixed the cake and put the plastic wrapping on. She then loaded it in the very back of the van.

"It will be safe here" she exclaimed

The kids were loaded in the van and she drove to the school. The lady in charge came out to receive the cake.

When Pepita opened the back of the van, she is dismayed at what she finds.

One of the kids had thrown their bag with their fencing equipment in it, on top of the cake.

The plastic was looking very chocolaty by that time. It no longer protected the cake, it was the cake.

Pepita looked over to the lady who looked at the cake.

Pepita picked up the plastic off of the cake as much as she could and then handed the cake over to the lady.

Smiling, Pepita said, "I hope you enjoy. Gotta go."

And with that Pepita made her grand exit out of the parking lot.

She didn't know why, but she had a feeling that they wouldn't be asking her to make anymore cakes for the cake walk.

The lizards in my house

Last week, AB brought home a toy lizard from church. The instructions on the lizard said to put it in water, leave in there between 3 to 7 days and it would grow to be 36 inches.

So we put it in a bowl and watched it grow.

And grow.


UB wanted one too. He found a lizard in his toy box and put it in a cup of water.

We watched it. And watched it.

AB's lizard had to be moved into the bathtub. It was getting too big for the bucket. This thing grew and grew.

When it was ready, the boys took it out of the tub and has now been used as a weapon. A weapon to hurt each other. Their logic? "It can't hurt too bad mom, it's soft and wet."

AB twirls this thing by the tail. He throws it by the legs. He grabs it from the head and whacks UB with the tail.

Meanwhile, UB is very optimistic that his lizard will grow to be 9 feet long. So we are still waiting.

He has big plans for his lizard. The lizard that will never grow. The lizard that is actually not there anymore.

Plans that include whacking AB with the tail. Or throwing it while it is still wet, up against the wall to see the water splat out.

Poor UB is going to be disappointed when he finds out that I threw the water away because I was tired of it hanging around my kitchen counter.

It's all my fault that I prevented this little lizard from growing to be 9 feet tall.

I think I'll just tell him that AB's lizard ate it.

Funny Spanish T'was the night before Christmas

This is for my Spanish understanding wannabe's.



T'was the night before Christmas, and all through the casa,
Not a creature was stirring- Caramba! Que Pasa?
The work was all done, and the tired old nanas
Had tucked all the children away in their camas.
The stockings were hung in their places con cuidada,
When all of a sudden I heard such a grito.
I jumped to my feet like a frightened cabrito!
I ran to la ventana to look para afuera.
And whol in the world do you think que era?
San Nicolas in a trineo and a big red sombrero,
Came flying along like a crazy bombero!
And, pulling the sleigh, en vez de venado,
Habian ocho burritos, approaching volados;
I watched as they came, and this quaint little hombre,
Was shouting and whistling and calling my nombre:
"Ay, Pancho! Ay, Pepe! Ay Licha! Ay, Beto!
Ay Nato! Ay, Memo! Maruca y Neto!
Then standing erect with his hand on his pecho,
He flew to the top of our very own techo!
With his round little paunch like a bowl of jalea,
He struggled to fit down our own chimenea;
Then huffing and puffing at last in our sala;
From bags full of trinkets and toys from Guatemala.
He filled all the stockings with lovely regalos,
For none of the children had been very malos.
Then chuckling aloud (he seemed very contento)
He turned like a flash and was gone like the viento.
But I heard him exclaim- and this is the verdad-
SALUD Y PESETAS! FELIZ NAVIDAD!

Taking a bloggy break

To my one faithful reader,
Sorry I haven't been blogging. I have not been inspired. I will continue to take a bloggy break until next Monday. Hope you come back.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Where did all the Pizza go?

I signed the boys up for the Pizza Hut book-it program. I received the coupons for a free personal pan pizza (monthly) but due to my wonderful organizational skills, I can not find them.

So I promised them that I would treat them to Pizza monthly if they did their reading.

Last night, I took them to a local Pizza place. I do believe it was senior citizen night because the room was full of them.

I notice several different kinds of pizzas on the buffet table. Cheese, pepperoni, sausage, sausage w/jalapenos and Canadian bacon. I bend down to ask UB which one he would like. "I'm thinking mom" he kept telling me. When he finally decided he wanted pepperoni, I look for it and it is gone.

I tell UB to pick another one. "Pepperoni mom" I explain to him that during the time that he was thinking about it, it finished.

He settles on sausage and cheese.

When I sit down to eat and look around at the seniors in the room, I notice a table with two senior couples. They have plates loaded full with pizza. I then realize what they had done.

On an empty chair next to one of the men is a pizza. The pepperoni pizza that mysteriously disappeared from the buffet table.

I then notice another empty chair with another pizza on it next to the other man.


So, I ask you, is it still considered a buffet when you have the pizza's at your table and don't share with anyone else?

To the lady who was speeding at Wal-Mart

Dear Speed Racer,

I'm not sure you are aware of this, but striped lines in front of the doors at the grocery store mean that pedestrians are walking and you should SLOW down.

Now, I'm no expert on line color and line details, but I do know that when you are driving and you see people walking with grocery bags in their hands or in the their shopping carts, you should slow down and not try to run them over.

The only reason that I didn't roll my shopping cart in your path is because my kids were with me. And I don't want them to think that it's OK to do that.

The only reason that I didn't walk straight onto your path and end up on your hood is because I was trying to keep my kids from getting run over.

So be prepared speed racer lady, next time you come zooming in front of me be hoping that I don't have my kids with me because I will jump out in front of you. And if you don't stop, then I will end up as your hood ornament and hold on for dear life as you either speed up
or stop and see if I have damaged your beautiful speeding car.

But don't be surprised if my shopping cart full of groceries paid for with Hubster's hard earned money ends up accidentally hitting your beautiful speeding car. It won't be my fault, the slope of the road made it go down by itself.

I'm warning you speed racer lady, be afraid , be very afraid.

Signed,
angry mom with two kids who you almost ran over at the grocery store

Why I had to drop my pants down

Yesterday, I had to have a procedure done that involved dropping my pants , taking deep breaths, then laying still.

I am taken from the waiting room by this young guy. Mid twenties at least.

He takes me to a cold, semi dark room and tells me to lay down on the table.

He then puts a sheet over my lower body and tells me to pull my pants down to above my knees.

I'm a little nervous about this whole thing so it doesn't amuse me at all.

I then have to take a deep breath, let it out, deep breath and hold it. Lie still.

This is done twice.

When It's all finished, the young man comes back to my side and says "We're done now. You can pull your pants back on."

By this time, I'm feeling relieved about the whole thing and look at him. He didn't realize how it sounded, but I couldn't hold it in anymore.

I burst out laughing.

He of course looked at me strange.

The whole thing was just funny to me at that time. Dropping my pants down, taking deep breaths, laying still, and then being told we're done.

And all of this just for a CAT scan.

For those of you that didn't know I was having this done, bet y'all thought it was something else.

What your child draws during art!

If you really want to know what you look like to your family. Look at the picture that your child drew of you during art. Signing off to go get an attitude adjustment. I'm off to choose joy!!!!

The many hats

As a woman, and I'm speaking as a woman because that's what God made me. Anyways, as a woman, we are expected to wear lots of hats.

Here are some examples of the hats that I wear:

Wife, mom, daughter, teacher, cook, cleaning lady, nurse, laundry worker, housekeeper, bookkeeper, accountant, taxi cab driver, entertainer, jungle gym.

I know that there are lots more, but these will do for now.

Sometimes I find it hard to wear all the hats. I know that my Lord sustains me and he makes it possible, but sometimes, I don't listen.

I'm always too busy to stop and play games with the boys.

Last week, as I was wearing the teacher hat, UB and I were reading on the floor cozied up on lots of pillows. All of a sudden he started tickling me. It went into a tickling party. Pretty soon AB joined us and we were all playing this game.

We laughed and played for a good 30 minutes. I had taken off all my hats and was just me. When it was time for me to put on my cook hat, the boys said they would like to do it again.

I just can't believe that it took me that long to realize that sometimes we have to take off all our hats and let God hold them for us.

Anyway, so here is a picture of me as I continue my au naturale hair color. I wasn't going this short, but decided that in order to get a lot of the color off, I needed to. It was actually shorter not too long ago. Some places were even shorter than the rest of my hair. So short that UB said I had a mohawk. I'll be so glad when my hair grows out.