The Thoughtful Homemaker

This knight’s armor wasn’t exactly shining, but he is very interesting nevertheless. This is a rewrite. I think my writing was so terrible that I feel that I didn’t give this prince enough respect.
Enrique was the younger son of King Fernando III, a great-grandson of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Fernando was King of Castile, Leon, […]

I was doing some research on Melusine, an actual mythological being from Anjou and found a weird book “The Dragon Legacy: The Secret of an Ancient Bloodline” by Nicholas De Vere. I was specifically reading about Melusine but as I read on the book got weirder and weirder.
It started out very interesting. I studied […]

Think about that word. Doesn’t that sound like a beautiful word? How I wish humans could go hide in a cave for a few months and just sleeeeeeeeeeep. There would be no cold, no snow to dig, no stupid illnesses, just sleep. I would turn off my phone and just have weird dreams for months. […]

I had insomnia one night and so I watched the entire first interview of Yoko and John on the Dick Cavett show. I have always heard about it but saw it for the first time. After watching that show I understand now why people so despised Yoko. I know that I really wanted to hear […]

I looked out of the window and saw this:

Just when I thought the zombie threat was defeated, they came back again in a second form known as strep throat. The zombies go right to the throat and multiply and multiply and you can’t swallow and you freak out thinking you have a tumor or something. […]

I have read once that zombies represent the passing of disease, the spread of death that eats our flesh. Stories of zombies and vampirism (except the ones who sparkle:-)) come from that inner fear of disease that in times past would wipe out entire villages. Today on the USA, death is not as common, but […]

One thing I am sooooo sick of is that whenever there is a disaster of some sort and Pat Robertson, Rush, or somebody generally hated by the media shares their opinion, the media takes that person’s opinion and SHOCK it becomes news. With Rush however, it is usually taken out of context and Pat Robertson […]

I froze all weekend. Aziz would say that a certain organ was frozen off. It got down to about 17 degrees F over the weekend and my heater decided to break down. Then when cooking pizza in my oven something dropped into the gas flame and my house was filled with smoke. The smoke alarm […]

Our lesson today will be about the importance of having a family home evening. We will discuss how to have a more successful Family Home Evening. After the short lesson we will make an assignment wheel. Lds.org has an instant family home evening agenda that you fill in and print out. I hope it all […]

This is the first day we went back to our old routines. Aziz started his training again. The kids went to school and Aron had his first day of joy school. I held it at my house and it went well. I had a lot of fun with the boys. We made igloos out of […]

I am trying to be a better blogger this year. It does take a lot more work than you might think!
So it is the start of a new year, twenty ten not two thousand ten. I was tired of saying “two thousand” so I am excited to say twenty ten. I didn’t do too […]

Since no one reads my blog anyways, I will vent. I don’t have any patience anymore. I have a lady living with me and helping me out. She helps a lot. However, she is also driving me nuts. I think it is bad to have more than one woman in a household. It never works […]

On December 7:
1941- The Japanese attack Pearl Harbor killing 2,300 Americans. “A date which will live in infamy!” I had the opportunity to go to Pearl Harbor. To this day you get a strange feeling of sadness for the young men who were killed. Everyone is quiet as they read the names on the memorial. […]

I realize I need to make some changes and to back the dates up a bit. The main character in the first chapter should be Prince John but not in 1199 but back to 1183. Prince John was in Le Mans celebrating Christmas with his father. His eldest brother Henry had died some months earlier […]

Blogging got boring for a while. I just don’t like to write about myself. I facebook my life or will tell family in a letter, but I don’t like to blog about it.
The blogging history of the day was a great exercise for me and I am now excited about blogging again. Now blogging […]

Before I get into the list of Saintly deaths I will state that Francisco Pizarro captured the Incan Emperor Atahualpa on this day. I told you it didn’t take long. Atahualpa was executed the next year by garrote.

This is someone being executed by a garrote in Manila.
On November 16 . . .
1384 Poland […]

In the year 1200, in the city of Murau, in the castle of that city, a young knight began his life. He was Ulrich Von Liechtenstein a Styrian noble whose family owned three castles, one in Liechtenstein. He was the son of Dietmar III von Liechtenstein zu Murau. He received his training as a knight […]

Any killer can be a “loner” but we seem to have a problem with Muslim Loners who make spontaneous terror the past 10 years. It is an interesting trend that seems to be repeated. The media always mention the killer or attempted leader as a “loner” and worries about anti-Muslim backlash. The media and now […]

Turkmenistan was like a dystopian Oz. My husband, an Uzbek American, and I had no words as we stepped out of the airport of As. My three children, Viki, Jon, and Aron were amazed by the sparkling white buildings and golden statues dedicated to the past dictator of Turkmenistan, Turkmenbashi, leader of all Turkmen.
The […]

I had this nightmare two nights ago but cannot forget it because it was so different.
I was with a group of American students in Vietnam. We were told to stay around the University where we were studying. We made friends with the local kids and had fun eating at local cafes. One boy we […]

This is the official history—Roosevelt’s successors, Republicans Calvin Coolidge and Warren G. Harding, “wanted to have so little federal government that, if it closed down, nobody noticed, and the main place most people saw the federal government was at the post office and only there.” Roosevelt started the Public Works Program of 1933.

WRONG– Harding might […]

I was complaining in the last post pet peeves of mine. I will in this post explain further why the political debates I have seen sadden me.
A lot of political arguments are based on emotion rather than reason. A reasonable person will conclude that it is near impossible for George Bush or the federal […]

Topic: The Depression
I hate it when this topic comes up. Republicans and Democrats are sure to bring out the talking points.
I think Democrats misunderstand something vital. Conservatives like myself who lean libertarian are not out to Demonize FDR. I dont believe FDR was a Communist or Fascist but merely a man of his […]

I used the word pop meaning “popular” so it can mean rock, etc.
1. “Sun King” by the Beatles- Here is a great commentary on the song by a professional. The first memory of this song I have is in my basement on Capewood Dr. in Memphis, TN. In the summer, my family would “live” […]

The current political debates are sickening and prove how dumb the masses are becoming. Can’t someone form an objective opinion anymore? If you do then you are accused of being on the payroll of the oil companies or being a Bush operative. I mention the right point of view because it is usually the right […]

I am back in good ol’ Virginia. Let me specify, Northern Virginia. Since driving through southern and central Virginia on Wednesday I realize that Northern Virginia is a place unlike any other in Virginia.
Thursday was exhausting as long road trips are terrible when you have an inflamed bladder. I am still getting used to […]

My biggest complaint is that there aren’t enough Medieval movies to watch. I love to watch Medieval movies, but there just aren’t enough made which is surprising because so many great stories come from the time period.
I read on imdb.com that the novel “Azincourt” by Bernard Cornwall will soon be adapted to film. I […]

I was talking to Jon Jon about gymnastics. He really likes it and would like to continue it for now. I told him he might even be able to compete and win a trophy. He said, “why would I want a trophy? It just sits there and gets dust on it.” I then told him, […]

When I was writing about my experience at the National Gallery I thought about an early childhood memory. . .
I knew about Spain before I knew about Mexico. When I was about 5 (my mother can probably help me out here) I had a Primary teacher from Spain. Our ward had a naval base […]

My real vacation was to London for my anniversary, but I needed something to look forward to so I decided to plan a “vacation” to Spain and Provence places I dream of visiting next.

I got my passion for Provence and the Midi-Pyrenees after working on some royal genealogy. I did the ancestry of Eleanor […]

My sister-in-law awarded me the “Honest Scrap Award” and the “Love Ya” Award. I introduced her to blogging a few years ago and now she is way better at than I am. Now I have to tell you ten honest things about myself. Honestly though, I share something honest in almost every blog post!
1. I […]

I was up most of the night last night so I listened to my I-pod on shuffle. Oh, my shuffle was so cruel. She waved her hand on my Cover Flow and pulled up a song I had been avoiding.
I was searching for songs to put on my I-pod and remembered there was a song […]

The media is calling those speaking out at Health Care Town Halls part of the “Brooks Brothers Brigade”.
Press Secretary Robert Gibbs: “I would point out that I don’t know what all those guys were doing, what were they called, the Brooks Brothers Brigade in Florida in 2000, appear to have rented a similar bus […]

I am getting a little bit better. I am still real tired and still trying to get my insurance fixed. I am being careful about the medications I take.
The kids are getting used to their summer routine and so am I. I still am not well enough to do fun summer things like go to […]

Victoria and Jon Jon are in Alabama with my mom while I recover. I just didn’t realize how much I would miss them. I even got a little depressed yesterday. I know my mom feels the same way about her kids even though we are all grown up. She also misses the grandkids. Aron is […]

I went to the doctor today after feeling like garbage for the past few days. I have a bladder, sinus, and ear infection. I will be in la la land for the next few days!!! I will shave my legs and rainbows will come out and then I will fly over the Beatles singing […]

I am sad to announce that my genealogy blog is down. It has a bug in it and I can’t fix it. I am still writing about history, though not exactly family history. I am writing a blog about 13th and 14th century Europe my favorite period of history. I was real inspired after my […]

It is amazing that when an official insane person kills an abortion doctor they become an anti-abortion activist and are made to represent the anti-abortion movement when they are truly certifiably a nut case. An 88 year old man, James Von Brunn, with obvious insane traits like paranoia is said to represent the far right. […]

Not like anyone missed my posts anyway! Well, I read a neat article about what would happen in America became like Europe. I think it was meant primarily as a joke as he writer complained about not having any ice in his drink or paying to go to the bathroom. It was the comments that […]

We got through the remodeling anything else can wait until later. Now we are focusing on cleaning the house and carpeting it.
I am also trying to get my house now ready for the move. That is difficult because I am sick with a bad cold and Aron is being sooo rotten! I also had a […]

I know I am moving soon to my new house yet I haven’t blogged much about it. I guess that is because I think about it all day and the blog is where I relax and vent.
I am happy about my new home. I am surprised at the work my husband does. He […]

I am doing a lot of reading on Philip IV, Edward II, and Isabella of France. I thought I was pretty obsessed, especially once I found out I am a direct descendant of these people. That was until I found a blog exclusively about Edward II and then found a blog on Hugh le Despencer. […]

I have watched The Young and the Restless since I was about 4 years old. My mother watches it, my grandmother watches it, and my great grandmother watched it. Lately the show has taken a disappointing turn. One of the main characters has three potential fathers for her unborn child and almost everyone in town […]

The year was 1631 in during the Golden Age of the Mughal Empire in what is now India. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (King of the World), a descendant of the great Babur who was a descendant of the great Timur was at the bed of his third and beloved Persian wife, Mumtaz Mahal. She […]

This is a wonderful talk given by Elder David A. Bednar of the LDS church given to BYU Idaho for their CES Fireside. He talks about the dangers of minimizing the use of our bodies and how it can be as dangerous as misusing our body. We minimize our body by living in a […]

It has been a while. My ears were seriously in pain, especially the right one. Any loud noise sent me running off in tears. I still have trouble being in restaurants and when people blast rap crap from their SUV’s I go near insane and scream “turn it down!!!!” Other than that I am feeling […]

I haven’t been keeping up with my blog because I am still sick. I have a retracted ear drum that is infected. Yes, it is very painful.

I don’t really have a favorite word right now. I am enjoying Aron’s new words too much to think of any of my own. He calls tacos “cocos”. He thought I was making tacos last night. When he saw that I was rolling them up to make enchiladas he said they were “coco rolls”. I […]

I haven’t been great about keeping up with my blog. I haven’t felt real well and plan to go to the doctor tomorrow. My ears have been bothering me and this morning when I got up my ears hurt so bad and my head was spinning. I don’t feel like I have an infection, but […]

Cinnabon is giving out free Cinnamon Roll bites today from 5PM- 8PM. Thought I might spread that news around.

I found a great website and video on how to hem pants and make them shorter. I actually looks easy. I will wait until my mother comes and have her help me the first time though. The website is here with a great instructional video.
I think I can do it, though I am not […]

I got tricked by my own daughter today! It was a good trick too. She told me she wanted Cocoa Pebbles for breakfast so I got the box out to give her Cocoa Pebbles. She was standing in the corner snickering. When I poured the Cocoa Pebbles, my healthy fiber cereal poured out instead. She […]

My husband complains that I am stuck in the past. I have what is considered a nostalgic personality. I love talking about memories and looking at old pictures. I have always been a huge fan of history ever since I was little and read about Queen Mary I of England. That is the first encyclopedia […]

I don’t know if it is the antibiotics, but I have really been feeling drowsy and . . .idle. I sat on my bed and read tabloid British news online and basically wasted my time. I felt so . . .idle. I ended up watching the old “Six Wives of Henry VIII” the BBC show […]

I am slowly making plans for what I want to do. I am a history buff and in university focused on Tudor and Stuart literature. That is why you might see that my plans lean more towards historical sites. I hope my husband won’t mind. (He can use a lot of “I feel” statements)
Westminster Abbey- […]

As many of you know, my husband and I aren’t the best communicators. We are currently taking the parenting classes offered by the stake. I strongly recommend the classes to everyone. They help not only with communicating with children but with your spouse as well.
My problem is with the “I feel” statements. Instead of […]

Aron is real mean when he is sick. Unlike most kids I know of he doesn’t bite when he doesn’t feel good he hits and kicks. I think I would rather be bit. He slapped me so hard that he left a mark on my neck.
Aron was sick last week but doesn’t seem to […]

After my little sewing accident I mentioned earlier I tried again to hem some old nasty pants no one wears anymore as practice and the result did not look THAT bad. I think with a little practice I can make my hems look pretty good.
I picked up the pants and showed them to my […]

My sister-in-law nominated me for the honest scrap award. In order to receive this award I must tell you ten honest things about myself. I guess this is like the “25 Things” note on Facebook.
So, blog readers, this is my ten step tell all story. . .
1. I was born in the same […]

Am I a manic- depressive, or am I finally feeling better after two months of suffering through infection and illness? I am trying to conquer the world today. I woke up very early and cooked breakfast for the family. I usually just throw something in the toaster. I was in the kitchen this morning for […]

Victoria and I went shopping last Saturday at Potomac Mills Mall. We had to park far away because there was a carnival in the parking lot. I wore my pedometer to keep up with how many steps I was taking. We walked 20, 412 steps by the time we were exiting the mall and over […]

Well, actually it is a townhouse, but still!! By May I will be a proud homeowner. By June, I will be able to move in. The place needs some fixing up. I need to put in new carpet and the walls need painting. We will get the home inspected to see if there is anything […]

As many of you know my husband is in the military and loves it. He is finally after a long time of waiting an officer. There were many times I was not all supportive of his military career for my own personal reasons, but I was never ashamed of his service. I am proud of […]

At first I wanted to go to London and then to Paris, but I have since decided to stay in London. The more I read about London, the more I am falling in love with the city. Maybe it has to do with all of the Anne Perry books I read! Only if we have […]

I usually do not watch shows like the Today Show on NBC or Good Morning America on ABC but I was trying to find out if schools were delayed due to the snow. I caught a program on Finland and its wonderful government programs. The government allows mom and dad to stay at home with […]

I don’t know if it is the Zoloft but I am having very vivid dreams. My dreams are more entertaining than television shows.
I already told my parents about the dream about my Uncle Jimmy setting me up on a date with Hulk Hogan. (He is friends with Hulk Hogan and I just emailed my […]

I am so tired of this, “How could you want our president to fail?” Nonsense. I don’t HOPE he will fail, I KNOW he will fail. The policies Obama plans to use have already failed, ask Hoover or Johnson. (or even Bush for that matter) Whether Republican or Democrat a more centralized government (leaning towards […]

I set some goals for myself and so now let’s see how I am doing so far.
I didn’t make it past the first hour at church because I felt so sick. My bladder area was in pain and I hurt my side fighting with Aron. It is rough the first day after daylight savings […]

I got a book on how to take beautiful pictures of children and I am trying to practice. What do you think?

I just came home from Jon Jon’s birthday party, and boy am I exhausted! We went to Chuck-E-Cheese’s. We didn’t do their party but just sat at a table and brought our own cake. We ate their pizza and drank water. We also got 110 tokens. Jon Jon’s friend Neil, with his brothers and sisters […]

Though I am not going on a mission anytime soon, I am working on the book, “Preach My Gospel”. In it the book has a test that you can take to see what Christ-like attributes you need to work on. My two weaknesses are patience and diligence.
Part of the reason that I am lacking […]

I never ask for jewelry or furs for my anniversary. I only have one wedding band and a diamond I inherited from my mother. I prefer to go on trips. Luckily, my husband has a similar taste so he doesn’t mind spending the money.
He took me to New York City before I had Jon […]

Barack Obama was not joking when he said he would bring change. Since January 20, I hardly even recognize the country anymore. I feel like I am reading the news from an alternate time line! I always knew that the Democrats were for larger government control, but I never thought they would actually go so […]

I am back to being a full time contact lens girl though I am still trying to get my prescription right. I wore contact lenses exclusively for almost ten years. When my husband was unemployed for a while, I went back to glasses. I got tired of dealing with glasses and having them fall off […]

I finally had a nice day after weeks of illness and cold. The temperature got up to 61 degrees and it was sunny and breezy. Now it is beginning to storm, but that is fine because I love a good storm. I opened up all of the curtains and blinds to see the grey clouds […]

My son Jonny says some interesting things. He makes up words and uses an adult like vocabulary. This morning he reminded me of how I made him leave my room to go back to his bed. He said, “last night you removed me from your room.”
Aron is a talkative two year old. He teased his […]

Sunday I had my worst menstrual period in months. I could not get out of bed. Blood literally dripped down my leg. It was terrible and a little bit painful. So, Aziz took the kids out and I laid down in the bed all morning.
I decided to read articles on the internet because there […]

Aziz and I watched this on Netflix Instant. It is a three hour movie from India, a “Bollywood” period film starring Aishwarya Rai. It is a 3 and a half hour movie so make sure you have plenty of time to watch it. It is the story of the Mughal emperor Jalal/Akbar and his Hindu […]

I refused to go out and made excuses to stay in.
I avoided to look at the faces of friends.
I spent my days in my room worrying about life.
Worried about how I am a terrible mother and wife.
Spent all day obsessed with silly things-
Black hole death, Spanish Influenza, Alzheimer’s, “The Tennessee Waltz”
Spontaneous Human Combustion whenever […]

I still haven’t had any soda despite having a terrible headache yesterday. I never want to relive the pain I had last week again. I even went to Ladies Night Out last night at Macaroni Grill and still ordered water with lemon.
I say Ladies Night Out because when I wrote Girl’s Night Out my […]

It has been four days since the last time I had a Coke or Pepsi. I have been fighting this addiction for at least 12 years. A soda drink addiction may seem small but it can have some harmful affects.
Last Friday I was diagnosed as having a pretty serious bladder infection. I know it […]

I went to the chiropractor today and I feel like I have a new back! It is a strange feel but I already feel a little bit better. I am not running to the bathroom as often either so I wonder if that is connected.
I was reading other people’s blogs and I never realized […]

I may have Sciatica because I heard my lower back when I fell down the stairs. I am sure something is inflamed and is pressing on the nerve. I read about it and found out that many people have sciatica because of the trend of wearing low cut jeans. The pockets press on the area […]

My brother JJ and I love history books, the more detailed the better. I recommended From Dawn to Decadence. I think he still likes it! it is one of those books that you can read several times and read something different each time. The book is written by Jacques Barzun so it has a sort […]

When I get an idea in my head, it is very difficult for me to get it out. I also become obsessed with the idea. I think that is why I like genealogy. Obsession breaks down brick walls in your family tree.
There is a negative to this, however. My mind will determine something to […]

I had nothing to do with this. I was giving my youngest a nap and the older two decided to play with the webcam! I made the video public since I don’t know anyone’s You Tube account name!

One thing that my family does for fun is actually make movies. Last Saturday we simply used our webcam. You can edit the videos on Windows Movie Maker. It was a lot of fun to do. The kids love making movies!
You can have a simple script and act out each scene. You can edit it […]

Last night we watched Eagle Eye, starring Shia LeBeouf, (the actor who I think looks a lot like Ryan) The night before on instant play we watched Vantage Point.
I would rank both about a 7 only because they were both very entertaining to watch and I love thrillers/action movie. There was very little romance […]

I spent the morning writing angry letters to Senators. Nine Republican Senators voted for SCHIP expansion, the leader of them is Bob Corker from Tennessee. I remember him from when he was mayor of Chattanooga. HE tried to expand government in Chattanooga as well and is a known RINO. (Republican in Name Only) I am […]

I have to wake up early in the morning to the sound of roosters and the light of the sun. I have to plow the fields and dirty my hands. I am a farmer and to get my food I have to work hard. If one of the kids gets sick I must work double […]

I am finally keeping a journal. Victoria is keeping one too. I am avoiding anything political or intellectual in my journal. When I do that, I tend to lose focus and then my journal becomes filled with odd notes. Perhaps some day that might amuse someone, but they won’t learn anything about me. Journals are […]

I have finally reached a point when genealogy is fun. I have a theory! The fun things about theories is that you have to prove them. That takes a lot of work.
Right now I am doing research on my grandfather’s family. (Gee) I was sad that there wasn’t much known about my paternal side […]

I am still reading From Dawn to Decadence.
Now I am also reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain. As an English major I am surprised that I never read this book. I did focus more on 16th and 17th century literature.
I actually became interested in this book after doing […]

I wanted to briefly review my year.
January- I was living in Hermitage, TN. Aziz moved to Woodbridge, Virginia to take a job at the Department of Defense. We went ice skating as a family for the first time. I was sick all of the time. Victoria was in gymnastics and hated it.
February- Victoria turned 6. […]

Many of you know that I live in the D.C. area. Inauguration Day is a huge deal here no matter how you voted. My husband who is in the Army Reserves was recently activated and is now work for the Armed Forces Inauguration Committee. (AFIC) He will be an usher.
I guess it is exciting […]

From Dawn to Decadence by Jacques Barzun. I already read it once but enjoyed it so much that I want to read it again. I am still reading about Luther and the Reformation. This is my favorite history book. History buffs may snub me, but that is alright!
A book I just finished is The Great […]

Genealogy Goals
Make book for Henry/Spalding County Georgia Families
Find a least one family cemetery
Finish website
Scrapbooking
Finish scrapbooking pictures that I have currently
Physical
Go to the gym at least twice a week
Loose 10 pounds

I can’t believe it! Victoria woke up in the best mood this morning. She woke up by herself at 7:30 AM and got dressed and ready with no help. We ate breakfast together and she was telling all about her stuffed animals and their talents. She was all smiles and love. I wish she would […]

I was reading stories about birth stories, usually about women giving birth. As I was reading them I thought about my own birth story. I mean, of course, the day of my birth. I admit this will date me a bit.
My parents were up late in their small apartment in Memphis, TN watching the […]

I woke up with a sore throat and I hope I am not getting strep! I had Strep Throat for the first time in memory this year. If I had it as a small child I had forgotten. I will never forget the strep throat I had. My husband was in Massachusetts and I was […]

I was listening to the radio and an another annoying ad came on. It wasn’t the normal ones that say a phone number four times in a row or the one about gritting teeth but it was just as annoying. I don’t remember the product but it asked a question, “Do you remember what you […]

I typed up my personal thoughts for all to see, but I felt like I should put them down. I hate to read the deep personal thoughts of others. It is rough knowing that someone is reading about what pains you full of judgements and misunderstandings. I like to read personal thoughts of those who […]

This is my kids’ Christmas list. I will write a post on my Thanksgiving another day. I had a successful dinner and want to share my recipes. I am posting this list for my family members.
Viki
anything to do with pets
no Barbies!
gymnastics stuff
music
Jonny
Clone Wars
Transformers
Ben 10
Aron
Anything to so with trains
Transformers
Ironman/ Hulk
Amber and Aziz
Electronics!
Cooking stuff

What do you think? I got this from simplyjacy and thought it was cute! I really would like my sisters-in-law to try it!!! I guess I am tagging you!!!

Answer the questions using Google Images. Type in the answer in Google Images pick a picture from the first two rows of pictures (in case there are bad or lame pictures)
Me

My Spouse

Mother

Father

Grandmother

Hometown

Favorite Food

8 Things About Me
Rules, Rules - here are the rules:
1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Answer all 8 of the six items listed below.
3. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog
8 Favorite TV Shows
1. House
2. Heroes
3. Ugly Betty
4. Fringe
5. Young and the Restless
6. Dirty Sexy Money
7. […]

My face still feels like there is acid in it but I am ok I guess. I got a great nap, proof that God answers prayers because I prayed a lot this morning. Aron fell asleep, I put on Ironman for Jon Jon and fell asleep. The TV is in my room so Jon Jon […]

The past couple of days have been weird. I have horrible sinus pain but otherwise feel fine. The weirdest thing is that I have been waking up at 5AM. Any of you who know me knows that is totally out of character. I NEVER wake up before 7:30 AM. Even that is extremely early for […]

Our recent Netflix pick was The Last Legion. This movie stars Colin Firth and Ben Kingsley with Aishwarya Rai and Thomas Sangster, the kid from Nannie McPhee. This is a fun movie not a serious movie!
It takes place at the end of the Roman Empire when Odoacer takes over the Western Empire. The last emperor, […]

I haven’t been writing much because I have been busy and just generally troubled by what is going on in my country. Barack Obama is quickly becoming a disappointment. He has the chance to be a wonderful leader and unite the country and finally put race politics in the grave, but he is choosing not […]

I am trying desperately to figure out a way to get my kids to do chores. I tried charts, but they never work for me. Charts only work when I am trying to get them to get a new habit like bedroom or a morning routine. Chores are another thing because we need to do […]

On March 29, 2008, when Obama was speaking in Pennsylvania he was asked about his views on abortion, this is what happened:
“He was cruising along in the question-and-answer format, when a woman asked his view on abortion, but what he said surely did not please his pro-life supporters:
“Look, I’ve got two daughters — […]

It may be innocent, I don’t know, but there were members of the Black Panthers with clubs “guarding” a polling place in Philadelphia. Is this the new civil service corps that Obama was talking about? Of course, I am joking! I still have to wonder what people would say if members of the KKK in […]

S’ils n’ont plus de pain, qu’ils mangent de la brioche

After two years of torture, the election is over! I am actually relieved even if I don’t agree with the outcome. I have decided to stay positive however!
I will hear no more anti-Bush hatred! Angry Conservatives are much easier on the ears then angry Liberals. (for those overseas, Liberals are the American Left) I have […]

I am not turning this blog in to a political one. My last two blog posts are part of an experiment.

Obama is a Socialist. Ever since Obama said those famous words, “spread the wealth”, the mainstream journalists have done nothing but try to prove that Obama is not a Socialist and are trying to scare Republicans by saying that Bush also supported big government as if we didn’t know that.
The Globe and Mail […]

Just five more days of election nonsense. I think this is the most disappointing election I have ever lived through. McCain had only just recently began getting his message together and the Democrat position is based on lies and scare tactics. The truth is that I think Obama is going to win. I am not […]

For two days now we have had very strong, cold winds in D.C. It is not that cold until the winds hit you. I still am very busy running many errands all day.
I have been going to the gym Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. I had to go shopping. I had to take Victoria to […]

Autumn is here, my favorite time of the year. It has been here since September, but now it finally FEELS like it. It finally smells like it. Sometime after the time when the moon is at its fullest the air and my world becomes a more calm, more crisp, freer place. I love the Halloween […]

I went to Ikea last night by myself. I decided I needed to take myself out on a date. Ikea has a cafeteria on it top floor so I went their to eat. I ate a nice meal for only $5! They serve nice European food in a cafe like atmosphere. There was a man […]

Aron and I play a little game. I ask him who he is, he tells me he is hulk or ironman. Hulk and Ironman are his favorite cartoon characters. Then I tell him, “no, you are Elmo!” Then he tells me, “NO! I am Peter Parker! You are a pizza!” Then I tell him, “you […]

On Cartoon Network 2 at 9 AM the new Transformers cartoon comes on. My sons love it. I remember my brothers loved to old Transformers growing up. I remember that the old TRansformers would some how always teach a lesson. Most eighties cartoons did. I remember the GI Joes warning against getting sun burned and […]

I admit that I have a problem with self control. I have a weakness for junk food. I can avoid sweets and chocolates with no problem. My problem is with salty foods. I love french fries and potato chips. My favorite thing is to eat chips and to drink a pepsi. I guess it is […]

I always hear about those political polls and wonder where they get those polls from because I never get asked who I will vote for. Yesterday, I finally got polled. A man with an Obama cap on his head knocked on my door and said he was representing Barack Obama. He had my name on […]

King Carlos II of Spain
King Carlos II of Spain was the last Hapsburg to rule Spain. He lived from 1661-1700 and ruled from 1665 to 1700. He was extremely disfigured and mentally retarded after years of double cousin and uncle/niece marriages. He mouth was so disfigured that he was unable to close his mouth and […]

Here is picture from the ward campout Aziz and the kids went to. I just cooked hot dogs and hamburgers and went home. The camp out was at Prince William forest near Quantico.

Doesn’t Victoria look so happy? She is sitting with her friend from school. They are about to make smores. I was just about […]

Yesterday we went to Six Flags and had a blast. From now on I will plan to go to Six Flags in the fall. It is so much more fun than going in the summer. There were no lines and we rode some rides more than once. It wasn’t hot so it was no problem […]

Here is a king I would totally date!
I am now reading about Louis XIV, a king I haven’t read about in detail since high school. I love British monarchs, but from Charlemagne, the French monarchs are way more interesting.
My favorite books in high school were historical fiction books about French royalty like […]

I am doing a little better today. This week has shown many improvements. Monday, Aziz was off work and we had a great day together (with Aron and Jon Jon). We had a nice Family Home Evening about the Word of Wisdom. We played a little game the kids loved. Tuesday I worked out without […]

I think last night’s debate was the best one, but I still found myself dozing off. McCain really seemed to be doing good in the beginning but then backed off. To be honest I don’t like either candidate. I think Obama’s run is too premature and McCain is too liberal. Our economy needs more of […]

I had such a busy weekend that I didn’t even have time to blog. On Friday, Aziz took the kids to the Ward Campout. Because I have an over active bladder right now (I am currently seeing a urologist) I didn’t stay. We cooked out hamburgers before I left with Aron. I didn’t sleep though. […]

I actually shopped at Target for two hours! I had to buy Halloween costumes, birthday presents, and other things. The boys hung out in the toy section for a long time and we saw a lady from church there. I got Jon’s costume for only $10! The trick is to go to the toy section […]

Are you looking for my post on last night’s debate? I almost forgot about that. I guess because the debate was mostly forgettable.
That was the most boring debate I have ever seen! I felt like I was watching one long political advertisement. Neither of the candidates said anything new with the exception of John McCain […]

Lately blogging has been such a challenge. I do not understand how people work from home. I am sure they have some sort of system that I would like to know about. It is even difficult for me to check email or the news sometimes.
[…]

I am not completely recovered from my bronchitis but I decided to go back to the gym this week. My BMI is finally in a healthy range and I want to continue to strengthen my body. I went Monday afternoon because Monday morning I had to go to the store. There is free childcare so […]

We had a nice weekend. The weather is finally cool and I am feeling a little bit better. I still can’t laugh without coughing but I feeel well enough to start going back to the gym.
Friday night I was not able to do much but watch Clone Wars on Cartoon Network. Jon Jon waited […]

I used to keep a strictly political blog. I had to stop because instead of real political discussion, I instead received a line of comments full of ad hominem attacks. For some reason I always received comments from communists from around the world and I was always called, “honey” or “small brained” or unable to […]

I was tagged to post the fourth picture on my computer. This is a weird picture in Gary, Indiana of the car that almost hit us and then flipped us up. I took a picture of the car in case I needed to call the police. If you look to the right, you can see […]

I overslept this morning. I was so excited to watch the Vice Presidential debate last night that I forgot to set the alarm. I stayed up until midnight listening to commentary about the debate. My biggest surprise was that most people believed that Palin had won even after the horrible Katie Couric interviews. I thought […]

I was reading the peoples cube and they were talking about pasting Obama’s picture to this poster.
So I was looking at the poster laughing thinking about Obama’s face being there (this is in response to the you tube video where the kids are singing praises to Obama) when Jon Jon comes over and sees […]

I usually do not watch Dora because I am currently boycotting Nickelodeon because of Viacom’s leftist agenda. Since I am not feeling too good today and wanted my boys to learn something I turned it on Dora. Aron never gets to watch shows for his age group.
Well, today Dora had a Russian friend Yelena […]

I finally went to the doctor yesterday and found out that I have bronchitis so I will be back on antibiotics. My body never agrees with antibiotics so I am basically bedridden for a couple of days. I feel better though congestion wise.
The boys were terrible at the doctor’s office. They would not sit […]

Aron told me he hated me for the first time. I was sending Victoria to the neighbor’s house to go to school. We live less than a five minute’s walk from school and the neighbor’s daughter is in Victoria’s class so Victoria goes to school with the neighbors. We decided that was better than me […]

You can find out by going to whoismyrepresentative.com.
Mine is Tom Davis (R). He is not running again this year. Fimian (R) and Connolly (D) are running against each other. I live in a very Republican part of my district. There are a lot of retired military in this area. However, Annandale is also in my […]

I got to watch live the $700 million bailout fail. They still have not made a decision. It was like watching an Olympic 50 yard dash and was pretty exciting. I heard that many changed their minds because of the voters calling and making complaints, so calling your Congressman does work. I think it is […]

On Saturday, we decided to go to Eden Center, a Little Vietnam in Fall Church, VA near Arlington. We used to eat Vietnamese food all of the time in Hawaii and I used to eat it all of the time in Atlanta. I especially love “pho” a Vietnamese rice noodle soup and I thought it […]

I have been coughing all day and all night despite all of the medicine I took. I feel fine otherwise I just hate all of the coughing coughing coughing. It makes it hard to concentrate on anything.
It is now cold in DC as we are in the middle of a Nor’easter storm. IT is […]

Today is not so good of a day so I am glad that we went to the park yesterday. Our ward recently started a playgroup on Wednesdays. I am real excited about it. I love the group of women who go. They are all a lot of fun. Jon Jon has a couple of boys […]

I had such a busy week that I should have to write a novel! On Thursday, I went to the urologist and discovered that I left my insurance card in another purse. So I had to drive home and get it and then return back to the doctor. I got a prescription for a medicine […]

I am now taking the yoga pilates class at Powerhouse Gym where I am now a member. Since joining I have lost 4 pounds in one week. I am very excited about that for I feel that it is about time for me to lose a little weight. I am getting a double chin that […]

I spent my Sunday in bed because of a cold. Aron caught the cold earlier in the week from the Powerhouse gym child care. Victoria and Jon caught it then finally I started to get sick on Saturday. My husband drove me crazy constantly picking on me and taking unflattering pictures of me all day. […]

This week has been so busy. This week I worked on getting my Virginia Driver’s license and my passport renewed. That took up more time than I thought. I also started going to the gym. I am busy most of the day running errands or doing laundry. Laundry takes up most of my week. Jon […]

To all of those who wrote me comments and did not see them appear forever, I apologize. I forgot to check my dashboard and check the comments. I was on vacation for a couple of weeks as well and just didn’t feel like blogging.
I am back into it and hope to make a little […]

One day people will look at the 20th century and wonder why we fought a battle against nature and why women inject themselves with hormones to prevent having babies, or that women played the same role traditionally for a man. Why do some even try to change the very definition of marriage? Our descendants will […]

Today is my 31st birthday. I celebrated my birthday last night by eating at an Italian Restaurant and then going to see The Dark Knight. The movie was good but I would give it a 6 mainly for the annoying voice of Batman and the fact that the Hong Kong businessman story kind of got […]

I waited until Wednesday to go grocery shopping because I was having post IUD removal bleeding and hormonal changes. Tuesday I threw up because I had a terrible hormonal headache and took Tylenol to relieve it. Of course then I threw up the Tylenol soon after. I had physical therapy Tuesday morning. Because of my […]

Well, I am in lots of pain again. This is the worst pain I have had in a while. I slept being covered in icy hot patches and ice packs. I even took a flexeril which did help me sleep and I woke up not being too sore. Then I got up and walked and […]

They were not kidding when certain people put this books on the list as one of the best historical fiction books ever written. This is the book that inspired countless other romantic historical authors from Jean Plaidy to Philippa Gregory.
This novel doesn’t just tell the romance story between Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt. […]

Last year Doritos had a mystery flavor bag of Doritos chips. They tasted like grilled cheeseburger. I actually liked them. This year I decided to try it again. It was a black bag so there was no way of knowing what flavor it was going to be. So I opened the bag and tasted the […]

I have to back to physical therapy. My back is giving me trouble again. I really like the place I am going to. I get adjusted, massaged, and then I exercise. The therapist does say there is a connection between back pain and birth control in some women. I will finally get the mirena out […]

I just finished reading Ivanhoe. My university was to snobby to read Sir Walter Scott though we learned a little about him and his style. He is definitely a Romantic. I usually do not like romantic nationalism but Sir Walter Scott does it better than anyone. He doesn’t his heroes near translation to heaven and […]

Aziz has long talked about wanting to grill meats outside so I finally bought a grill at Walmart for $10. It is a tiny grill, but that is all we need really.
Last night we had the missionaries over for dinner and Aziz asked them to show him how to use the grill. I guess […]

What happened to my lazy summer days! It seems that the days are busier in the hot months over those during the school year. I spend my time shopping for the best food deals and keeping my children occupied. I finally started my antibiotics. This is the third round that I have to go through. […]

Victoria still loves rhythmic gymnastics. She looks forward to her class every Thursday and practices everyday. For a six year old she is doing well. I have never seen her so determined to do something well before. She wants to be a part of the team so she is working hard towards her goal. I […]

Aron is going through another phase of separation anxiety. This is the worst anxiety he has ever had. None of my other children ever had it that bad. Victoria got anxious, but showed it in different ways.
Aron screams whenever we walk towards an official looking building like a church, doctor’s office, or library. It […]

The BBC reports that toddlers who say “yuk” to spicy curries or say that they “stink” should be flagged as having racist tendencies and should be educated about racism. That includes children who stare at a black child or a woman in a hijab. Nowhere does it say anything about Muslim children who refuse pork […]

Right now we live in one of the most priciest areas, the Washington D.C. metro area. Housing prices are dropping all over the place so we decided to look at homes in Alexandria. We found homes under $250,000. Of course we were tempted! However, we discovered that the property taxes are over $4,000 for some […]

Saturday, after leaving the mall, I fell to the ground because of back spasms. They felt like someone lit a match on my spine. It was super painful. I rested and took Flexerall, muscle relaxer, but it did no good. I was still in pain and was in tears most of the night. I had […]

Everyone knows I love history. So it is natural that my favorite kind of fiction is Historical Fiction. In Historical Fiction you set a novel with the same drama and plot so forth as a normal fiction novel, except the setting and sometimes characters are based on historical fact. This is usually a writer can […]

I went to the doctor finally! I found a doctor I like. She was kind to my kids and actually took time to listen to me. I have tennis elbow and a little arthritis in my back. I was finally given some medication to help the pain. She will test my bladder and tell me […]

Did you know that I have been married for five years? Did you know I did absolutely nothing for my five year anniversary? I just thought about that the other day for some reason. My husband used to try to be romantic in the past, now I am lucky to see the back of his […]

My mother told me that she keeps up with the family by reading our blogs so I decided I would do a better job and keep up with my blog. I kind of got depressed for a while mainly because I kept getting sick. I still have some bladder problems and have already been through […]

Maybe it is global warming or just weird luck, but everywhere I move, even if it is for a few months, I have to endure the threat of tornado warnings. I always take such warnings seriously.
The only places in my entire life where I didn’t have to worry about tornadoes were New York City, Korea, […]

This year has been a particularly rough year. I have spent most of the year alone raising three children while my husband pursued career goals. This after almost a year of unemployment. We have had bronchitis, influenza (the 2 week kind), and strep throat. Then the dog I took care of as a puppy died […]

I decided to get back into voice lessons. I was tired of saying to myself, “one day I will get back into singing!” I sing around the house all day and look forward to singing hymns at church. I think it is time to do something more with this love I have for singing.
My […]

Last week I was given the anti-biotic Bactrim. I went through two horrible nights of illness soon after. I had terrible chills and I had trouble breathing. I was so sick I could hardly get out of bed. The worst part was that my chest was in pain. I went to the doctor and she […]

I am now living in a townhouse in Prince William County, VA (in Woodbridge). Prince William County is a beautiful, less expensive county 30 minutes from Washington D.C. There are many beautiful parks, rivers, and friendly neighborhoods. There is a lot of shopping with a mall with a lot of outlets, and an Ikea. Ikea […]

I am actually excited! My back is real sore though. I will write more when I have time I promise!

Sometimes when you are raising babies by yourself, you feel yourself going into insanity. I do this when I am super tired and my children refuse to go to bed. Victoria’s teacher was absent yesterday so she was in a bad mood. She hates change and has been diagnosed with having separation anxiety problems. I […]

It seems that when toddlers reach 18 months old they receive this burst of energy that never burns out. Right now my youngest, Aron, is in that stage. It is time a when strollers are absolutely needed. If you don’t bring a stroller, be prepared to run and fight your toddler into you are exhausted.
I […]

I have been sick the past week, so it was party time for my kids! No more! Momma’s back and she is feeling fine! Victoria got four time outs. She is six years old so that means she got 6 whole minutes!! Jon got two time outs for four minutes. I gave Aron 30 second […]

Even though I felt terrible, I was able to pull off Victoria’s birthday party with success. My parents helped out a lot! I am thankful for all of the help I received this past week while I was sick with the flu. Many women from church came to help. They watched my kids, cleaned my […]

I was up all night trying to hear the news. It wasn’t because of Super Tuesday. We had tornado warnings all night. I was worried and could not sleep. At 10:30 I heard a rumbling and my lights flickered. Forty miles away a tornado touched down in a rural area and killed almost 30 […]

Though I felt deadly ill, I promised my daughter that I would make cupcakes for her class, and made them I did. Victoria helped me and it was a lot of fun being with her. I felt ok in the beginning, but after an hour I had trouble holding myself up. I so exhausted myself […]

* Fever of 100 F to 104 F, which can reach 106 F when symptoms first develop. Fever is usually continuous, but it may come and go. Fever may be lower in older adults than in children and younger adults. When fever is high, other symptoms usually are more severe.
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My children had the flu! My poor babies. I discovered this when I became sick myself and recognized the symptoms. The flu is the worse Hell! Even worse when you have three babies to care for. Some how I am making it.
One thing that I have learned about the flu is that caffeine and […]

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe
She had so many children, she didn’t know what to do. . .
Even though I have three children, I felt like I was that Old Woman. It is very difficult to raise children alone, and I don’t recommend it!
I live in an apartment. Outside they […]

I had a full nights sleep last night! Aron, Jon, and Victoria all went to bed by 9PM. Jon woke up again because he is sick, but he went back to sleep. I went ot bed too! Oh, I have finally weaned off Aron!! I feel so free, and full if you know what I […]

I tried vitamin water last night and really like it. I drank the purple one that has potassium. I do feel revived. I noticed on the bottle the marking for 5 cents when you recycle the bottle in Hawaii and it brought back some funny memories.
I lived in Hawaii when they first started the […]

We are still sick. We have this annoying little head cold. Victoria missed her second day of school. She had a 103 degree fever last night and is still dizzy and weak today. I am also very weak. Taking care of three small children alone is difficult. Doing it sick is even worse.
I woke […]

With the leftover chicken I had from Sunday I made made chicken fried rice. I just fried some onions and garlic. Then I added the chicken and poured a little soy sauce in it. Then I added some rice and fried it all together until almost brown. The kids loved it. Yeah, it is not […]

I am afflicted with an addiction to genealogy. It is an inherited condition passed on from my paternal grandfather, to my mother, to myself. (DO you want me to draw my tree? Ahnentafel #’s 3 and 6 are the guilty parties!)
It started with trying to see if I am related to someone famous. Then […]

I took the weekend off to do research on the Majors family of TN, GA and SC. Genealogy is a lot of work but very rewarding. If you are a history buff, then genealogy is for you. At the same time I am reading a book about life in England during the year 1000 AD. […]

My brother recently started working for Pilgrim’s Pride and my children think that is real cool. He is a manager at a chicken plant. I rarely get Pilgrim’s Pride chicken because I usually just buy the cheapest chicken I can find and don’t look at labels. Well, I was getting out chicken to thaw and […]

This is my first time doing something like this, but it looks like fun! Thank you Kara!
Appetizer
How many times per day do you usually laugh?
-I don’t know. Probably more than most. My kids can be pretty funny!
Soup
What do your sunglasses look like?
-None because if I had some they would be twisted and broken. Sunglasses attract […]

The blog The Online Recipe Box has a page on the National Food holidays. There is a holiday for each date. I think it is a good way to plan a menu.
Today was National Peanut Butter Day which was interesting because I ate the usual snack my father eats when he is hungry, peanut butter […]

The overnight low will be 14 degrees. I put the kids in their warm pajamas with the footies in them to keep them warm. For supper we ate sausage and potato soup. I added some cabbage that I needed to get rid of. Since cabbage is so cheap right now I bought a few heads […]

I took Victoria to gymnastics class full of excitement. We had just read a gymnastics book together the night before. Victoria got reay an hour in advance and kept asking me if it was time to go to gymnastics yet.
We get there and watch one of her classmates practice. Her classmate was preparing for […]

Well, one of my goals this year was to be more organized. I am still working on that. I got the night time routine down. It is the morning routine I still struggle with. I hate mornings, especially now that it is cold. It was 30 degrees this morning. What was strange was that my […]

We ate leftover pizza and leftover spaghetti that I froze last week before I went to visit my mother. We ate fruit and crackers for dessert. I got home late because after going to the library, picking up Victoria, and going to the grocery store, I only had time for something instant. The kids got […]

It was a rough day. Jon missed his Papa so much and asked for him most of the day. Other than that Jon cried in that most annoying noise that reminds me of a scene from the movie Dumb and Dumber! I had to rush to the library because our books were due. We got […]

On Friday we ate a t McDonald’s! We were driving down to Alabama which is a three hour drive from where I live. I was going to wait, but the kids woke up after a long nap and began to fuss. When we got to my parent’s we ate Taco Salad. The missionaries came over […]

I went to Alabama to visit my parents during this holiday weekend. My husband is already in Virginia. Victoria understands why he is gone, but Jon does not and has been asking “when is Papa coming home?” Aron has been looking for Aziz at the door. Poor babies. I miss him too, but I know […]

I had a rough day yesterday. I was down and in low spirits. I can’t be a happy homemaker all of the time. Sometimes a homemaker has down days, days when it seems like the world is crashing in on you. My day was slow. I didn’t do much housework. I didn’t even read or […]

“Oh Oh Oh” is now Aron’s favorite thing to say. Aron has discovered new things to do with his face. He scolds and does this weird thing with his face. He opens his mouth wide and says, “Oh, Oh, Oh” He does this when we let him change the channel or in response to us […]

Because I took Victoria to gymnastics class last night, I didn’t have time to prepare a huge meal.
Victoria has gymnastics on Wednesdays 5PM to 6PM. She goes to a wonderful gym. Last night the advanced team was practicing and it was like watching routines that you see in the Olympics. Victoria worked on the bar […]

Yesterday the van died while I was driving to the grocery store. All of the sudden, the wheel stopped turning. and the brakes and the gas pedal stopped working. I used all of my strength to turn the wheel and roll into a Kroger parking lot. At least I got my grocery shopping done.
Today we […]

The whole family went ice skating last Saturday. Because of the military discount, we all skated for $8. I was wobbly at first, but then I got the hang of it.
We loved it so much that we plan to go again.
Even Jon Jon skated. He actually did well.

Spiritual Challenge: Go to the Temple. I need to go to temple classes and do some baptisms and try to be ready by March.
Service Challenge: Help my grandmother. I will write to her and call her and visit her by February. I would like my kids to sing a song for her and make a […]

Last night I took the kids to gymnastics class for a trial class. Jon Jon went first and then Victoria. This was Jon Jon’s first class. He listened to his teacher and loved the trampoline, but otherwise seemed to be tortured for an hour. I think I will wait until next year to put him […]

This is in Centennial Park in Downtown Nashville. It was such a lovely day on Monday that I decided to take the kids out to enjoy the fresh air after enduring the cold and sickness for so long.

Sorry that I haven’t written in a while. I have been battling illnesses in my family for the past three weeks. First, my 15 month old got the stomach virus and threw up the whole time I was at the Mall  of America in Minneapolis. Then, he had diarrhea all the way back home to […]

After three kids and over five years of marriage, Aziz finally has a new car, a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. I finally feel free!!

I always hear the advice, “remember to take your prenatal vitamins” because I am nurse all of my babies. I always avoided taking prenatal vitamins though because they make me so sick. I think I am sensitive to the iron.
With my first two children, I did ok. I nursed mainly in the mornings and at […]

We finally have our washing machine and dryer, cable, and DVD player all set up! I finally feel at home.
All I need to do now is to organize the closets and I will be done. I am doing so much better than my last move to Louisville. I was still post partum at the time […]

I heard about the infant medicine ban but did not think much of it. My kids were not sick at the time and I was too busy packing and getting ready to move.
Now my 5 year old and my 14 month old have pretty bad colds. My 5 year old daughter is coughing and my […]

My mother came to visit last Friday to help with unpacking and I already miss her. It was a lot of fun to talk about decorating ideas and to go shopping with her. She loves to decorate and doesn’t mind driving long distances to army bases! It is also nice to talk to someone about […]

Aron is 14 months old and I still haven’t had a period. In fact since I became pregnant with Aron I haven’t felt like myself. I have felt tired and out of it.  Part of it is the birth control I am on.
Well, I finally feel crampy and hormonal. I told my mom that I […]

It seems to be that our family Halloween tradition is to move to a new city and then find a place to go trick or treating. We drive around until we find a neighborhood with large homes and go there. Usually you find in the “rich” neighborhoods older couples and empty nesters who love to […]

I ha a Yard Sale today at my friend’s house. It was more fun than I thought it would be. Four hours flew by.
My friend threw a yard sale at her house and invited us who do not have a yard to sell our things. I brought some clothes and some baby things. My old […]

Melissa’s Place referred me to this fun website called makeoversolutions.com
I decided to go with with Jessica Simpson look. It was a lot of fun and a great way to try out new make up and hair colors. I always wanted to see what I would look like blond. . .

In all honesty I think I […]

I took these pictures in November 2004. I was in Hawaii and my husband was in Iraq. While I was cleaning my two year old daughter decided that she was thirsty after marking up the computer desk with permanent marker and stole the apple juice. She hid under the desk while I looked for her. […]

Last week I was still suffering from my annual month long cold. I was trying to prepare for our trip to Nashville and get all of the laundry done. I noticed that my clothes in the dryer had purple spots all over them. After searching for a pen I discovered crayon paper in the lint […]

February was a rough month for my family. My husband got laid off, he got Bell’s Palsy and became seriously ill, I was super sick and had gastroenterological problems.  At the time we felt like it was the end of the world.
Then my husband got a temporary job with Google and did some work for […]

Everyone knows that I fell off of a horse in December 2005. I found this link to how to fall off of a horse. After reading the page I have learned that I almost did everything right.
Yes, I was 1 month pregnant at the time. We are alright now though.

Well, the dizzyness and irritability is caused by labyrinthitis, an inner ear infection. Boy, do I feel terrible!

Goodness! The past few days I have not been myself. Well, I haven’t been myself more than usual. I am super tired and irritable and I feel like my brain is floating in my skull. I have hot and cold flashes and a feeling that the world is over. I feel like my body doesn’t […]

Today I went to Music Makers at the stake building. Music Makers is a music program for toddlers and preschool children in our stake.
First, we have our opening exercise where we sing a song to get to know everyone. There is a thought for the day for the moms and some announcements. Then we have […]

It is the middle of September so that means your local mall will probably open up one of those temporary Halloween Express stores.
Last night after eating at Frisch’s Big Boy, food that tasted like school cafeteria food, we checked out our Halloween Express in the building that used to have Dillard’s. We had fun looking […]

I can stand to be outside for more than 5 minutes. I can sit on my porch and read a book while the soothing wind blows through my hair. It smells cleaner and fresher outside. The smells reminds me of Trick or Treating at my Aunt Ida’s house as a child. It smells like school […]

The library is the most fun place for me. I guess that makes me strange. I love going through the aisles looking at all of those books. They take to me places all over the world. I travel all through time. I see all sorts of political opinions. All of that knowledge just waiting for […]

Last night I went to Victoria’s Open House. The first hour was pretty boring so I am glad that I did not take the kids. We got the PTA speech twice. I can’t join PTA this year because we might move anyway. I go to the PTA activities and try to support them because I […]

Last night I was on my exercise ball showing Jon Jon how to do stomach crunches. I was on the ball next to the couch. Somehow sat wrong and I fell off of the exercise ball and got stuck between the ball and the couch. It was difficult to pull myself up. In doing so, […]

There is a report says that over praising your can set them up for failure.
I had to laugh when I read this article because it made me think of this lady I saw a McDonald’s the other day. She had her two small children with her and she did everything by the book. Her kids […]

This week there has been a lot of changes. Victoria started Kindergarten this week. Because of that I am forced into a routine. I needed a routine anyways so that is fine. I am still getting used to it. I take naps when my youngest two do and spend most of my day in a […]

Nursing a baby is not only beneficial to the infants development, but to the mother’s emotional and intellectual development as well. Nursing forces a woman to pause, rest, and think. Some women use that time unwisely and worry about what needs to get done, or what they could be doing instead of nursing. I used […]

I want to publically thank my husband for allowing me to take a nap. For the first time in weeks I feel great. I also for the first time had a very vivid dream.
I was taking care of Aron and I put him in his car seat where he fell asleep. I then went to […]

I finally took the kids to the Louisville Downtown Library one hot day. Since I knew we would have to pay for parking I took three dimes to pay the meters so that I could have enough time to break a dollar. After driving around we finally found the parking lot. I put the three […]

I love my pediatrician and hate that I don’t have insurance to go back there. There is never a long wait and they have a nice train track for the kids to play with while Disney movies play on televisions throughout the office. I was have a little laugh when I pass the neighboring law […]

Our life is a battle a war of will. Right now we are battling the evil croup monster who is currently attacking my 10 month old son. I hate battling germs and goblins on the infant front. That evil croup monster makes my baby bark and struggle at night. I hold him at night until […]

You primarily lose weight for your health. In the past I tried to lose weight only to fit in skinny pants or to look good in a swim suit. Now I have more important reasons to lose weight. Unfortunately as you get older it is more difficult to lose weight.
Though looking at recent pictures […]

1. I don’t follow rules well
2. I won the most improved student award in high school right after stating out loud that only losers get the most improved student award.
3. I took Hula lessons in University
4. I crave kim chi and cheesecake but not at the same time
5. I have a long list of allergies
6. […]

My family and I took a little excursion to downtown Louisville, a mere 10 minute drive from my home if you go by freeway. Our first stop was the beautiful and fun Water Front Park. This park is right outside of downtown and overlooks the Ohio River. There is a huge playground built with a […]

As I was super tired, I spent a big part of my morning watchign Project Runway. Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model are the only reality shows I watch. Even then I watch them only on marathon reruns. I like watching how the contestants meet the different challenges and how each challenge tests different […]

junk food is no longer fun. I think about being “regular” and dread hemorrhoids. I have to make sure I have enough fiber. If I eat fried foods, I pay for it later. I even took my kids to a fast food restaurant the other day and just got me a water and refused to […]

I have been living the housework schedule of a 19th century housewife and I must say, it works. It is more convenient and organized. On Mondays, I do all of my laundry. Of course, laundry today is much easier than it was in the past. On the other hand, we have more clothes. I also […]

I actually finished all of my laundry. I prepared salads and vegetables for dinner that were very delicious. I made Salad Olivier, Green Bean Casserole, Black Eyed Peas, and Macaroni and cheese, the kids’ favorite.
I talked to my mother and told her about how tired I am. She asked me if I was taking […]

Saturday was another depressing day. We got our severance pay but most of it was gone due to taxes!!
I spent most of my morning griping about taxes.If I wasn’t taxed so much I could buy a house, an additional car, and I could even invest more. I am poor and I DO NOT WANT the […]

I wasn’t much into housekeeping today. I had trouble sleeping Thursday night even though I had to take my 6 month old son to the doctor for his check up. I am trying to keep a positive attitude through my trials, but last night I was overwhelmed with worry. I had little sleep and […]

Since I already went to the commissary last Friday, I did not need to go to the grocery store. I just cooked some instant food and spent most of the day trying to help my husband find a job. He told me his dream is to get into intelligence. He lacks clearance at this time. […]

Today is the traditional Wednesday baking day. I decided to do some baking of my own. I planned to make some Uzbek non for my family. I planned to wake up at 8:30, but my daughter woke me up at 7:30 coughing. I then had to nurse my son at 8 AM. I decided to […]