All You Photo Bugs, Help Me Out! PLEASE!!!

So I've been working on the ward newsletter (which I love doing even if people don't get me their info until the VERY LAST MINUTE!) and I'd like to include a few photo's of ward activities. The bishop sent me a handful and I'm using one of them for the June newsletter, but I'd like a better selection of pics for one or two more photo opportunities.

So all you out there with fantastic photos that you're keeping all to your lonesome, send me a few of your best and let me see if I can put in one or two of them for the ward newsletter.

Thanks!!!! (candsthompson@gmail.com)

(This is the picture I'm using from the bishop.)

Scrapbook Victory

I'm just not patient enough to do a good job of scrapbooking, but a good friend asked me to motivate her by scrapbooking with her every other Wednesday, and I love her so I said yes.

You can stop laughing now, mom!

Anyway, after stressing for three days on a possible layout and going nearly into hysterics trying to decide which photo to use, (I'm already starting to feel the panic flutters in my heart for the next scrapbooking date) and changing my mind several times on possibilities ...

This is what I ended up with.

I LOVE my siblings!!! They are ALMOST as crazy as me! : )

PS - The quote on the top right hand is from Erma Bombeck ...

"The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together."

If my mother were dead, she'd be rolling in her grave!

So Saturday was the BIG day. Landon has embraced the "Chore Incentive" plan with vigor. He earned $3.75 and received his earnings Saturday afternoon. This money combined with what's left over from his birthday sent him to the store for some hard earned, frenzied fun. (All of this took place after we deducted 10% for tithing and 15% for savings.)

The toy's in question, the ones Landon had been dreaming of all week ... were gone! No square or triangle Bakugun balls anywhere within not just one Walmart, but two different Walmart's!

SO ... MUCH ... DISAPPOINTMENT ... HARDLY ... CAN ... BELIEVE ... IT ... CAN'T ... BREATHE ... MUST ... GET ... HELP!!!!

Maybe that's just slightly an exaggeration ... MAYBE!

...

Disappointment's over. Time to figure out another way to spend the money burning a hole in his pocket.

(Here is where mom would be turning in her grave! I think an alien is living in my body and in control of my limbs and mind during moments like the following!)

He bought a Colt 1911 6" Target model Softair Spring Powered Laser Sight Airsoft Gun. The mag holds 12 BB's, it has a velocity of 210 Fps and a range of 22 Yds with an accuracy of 18/25 (whatever that means?!?!?).

Believe me, I grilled the associate about the safety (it does have a safety on the handle of the gun) and if there was ANY way for Landon to hurt anyone with it. As long as he only uses plastic BB's, (duh!!!!) and doesn't hit someones eye, he can't really hurt anyone.

So we had a VERY serious conversation on gun safety and how he is never to aim at anyone, or any animal (especially bears!). Should mom ever find out that he has, the gun will be taken away and never returned.

So the especially funny part is, ... we are all enjoying target shooting in the backyard and the wasp's trying to build a nest in the corner of the roof will probably be moving somewhere else shortly. Also, Landon isn't strong enough yet to pull the barrel back to load the BB into the barrel. He has to come to me to do that each time he wants to shoot.

Are you laughing yet, mom?

Landon is already counting down the days until his next payday to purchase more "bullets".

PS - Notice how it looks more like a water gun than a real weapon ... granted it's quite a bit heavier than a water gun and I don't know of any water gun that has a laser sight on it. : )

Family Love Scrapbook

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

I love Janette!

I love Janette for so many reason's. I thought I'd list just a few ...

1. I love her for our laughing at BIG shadows (this is going to sustain me for a really long time)

2. I love her for not making me feel like a freak even when I know I am

3. I love her for being willing to talk with me when even I get tired of hearing from me

4. I love her for her blog. I've never read anyone who writes just as she talks. I laugh every time

5. I love her because I feel like I can tell her anything and it's safe

I love Janette!

Free Car Friday, continued ...

So I've been asked multiple times about the turn out for "Free Car Fridays". Of course it fluctuates each week, but in general, there is probably around 200 applicants each week.

You know what is funny, even when we don't win (which we never have yet), you still feel like you've won! Everyone is happy and chatty and it feels just like a big, happy party. It's a good way to spend an evening.

Did I mention that the food (hot dogs, soda, last week Baskin Robbins was handing out ice-cream) and the music and people are FREE?

Bragging Rights ...

So I want to take just a moment and brag a little bit about one of my little bits.

Landon is in kindergarten. He doesn't get as much attention right now as his other siblings, mainly because Colbey is a teenager and we're dealing with all the angst that accompany that time of life, and Ryleigh is potty training.

Well, two weeks ago, he brought home his report card (which was stellar by the way) and a certificate informing us that he had made it on the Honor Roll. I was shocked!!! I remember sitting on the couch looking at him thinking, "Is this going to be my genius child?" I couldn't believe it and am SO proud of Landon.

Then to top it off, he brought his behavior chart home at the end of April with absolutely NO MARKS on it! He didn't have a single incident for the entire month and if you know Landon with all of his energy, that is not just a minor miracle, but a gargantuan miracle!

He is this weeks "Star Student" in his class.

GO LANDON!!! My little miracle worker!

Free Car Friday

So I don't really want to list this posting, but maybe I'll be blessed by sharing this with others?!?!?

Nissan of McKinney has been doing Free Car Friday for the past 4 weeks. Scott and I make it our weekly date because, hello, it's free.

You show up between 6pm and 7:59pm to enter your name into the drawing and wait around. You get tickets for free hot dogs and soda and then chill. Every so often they draw a name out for a gift certificate and it feels just like a block party. Everyone is happy and excited. It's great people watching too.

Scott and I bring our camping chairs and play cards while we wait.

So tonight is our date, and maybe we'll see you there for your date night with your other half. Someone is going to win a free car, it might as well be me!

Money, money, money ... I want the pie in the sky ... (think 80's song)

Nissan of McKinney is on the corner of 75 and 121. : )

The Confessional

There have been times in my life that I've been exposed to more information about individuals that I felt I should have been or wanted to be. I grieved when it wasn't my grief and judged when I didn't have any right to judge. That being said, I am now warning you that this will be very personal information about me and if you feel so inclined not to be burdened with my admissions, leave now ... or forever hold your peace. : )

This past weekend was orchestrated just for me. I was in a situation Saturday morning to have an unexpected counselling session that although I didn't necessarily agree with everything said (when have I ever totally agreed with anyone????), it did indeed prick my mind and heart.

Then Saturday afternoon, I was confronted with another situation that again pricked my mind and heart.

That evening, Scott and I had a very open conversation about some of my feelings that I had been covering for too long.

Then a bomb was laid in my lap Sunday morning during our Special Conference. My mind and heart that had felt the prickling of the past 24 hours finally burst and the words spoken by a general authority were spoken to enter into my heart and heal and institute change within myself.

I've been welling up all weekend and continue to well today. (What a sap! ) : )

Several truths have been finally exposed to my reluctant brain. I am not the wife I imagine I am. I am not the mother I view myself as. I am not the daughter or sister or friend that I've imagined I was for so long. I have had such a huge understanding (obviously not a perfect, but definitely a very strong understanding) of the Saviors love for me and have never doubted that one day I would be back with Him and my Heavenly Father that I got caught up in the "Big Picture" and ignored the steps to live a path that the Lord would be most pleased with.

I'm getting bogged down with trying to walk on egg shells so I'm going to stop and just say what I'm trying to say.

I've been blessed with a deep knowledge of many things spiritual. I feel that a good portion of that is a gift from God specifically for me because of the many trials He knew I would go through in this life and the rest was taught to me through my parents. I find the spiritual side in nearly everything I see, do and read. That's just how my brain works and regardless of the intent of the person or things that are happening and the expectation they have, it all boils down to spiritual knowledge to me. I am grateful for this quirk of my brain and honestly feel bad for those that don't view life the same way as I do. I can't tell you how many times people have said, "Really? I didn't see that at all!" when talking about a truth I gleaned from some random thing.

Anyway,I'm also extremely stubborn. I decide on a plan and follow through because I've already decided it's the best course of action. I generally don't bother asking Heavenly Father if this is His will because it makes sense to me. (I said I was stubborn, not smart! Don't be judging me just yet! : ))I've been content with my lot and the rough road that I've been traveling because that's just what this life is about, right? WRONG!

After this past weekend, and then beginning to read Dave Ramsey's book "The Total Money Makeover" last night (Sorry Janie it's taken me so long to get to it, but now I'm devouring it!)I see that I've been bringing a good portion of the "rough road" on myself. This is not God's plan. Yes, we are here to learn and grow, but He doesn't wish to cause us the ultimate pain for the ultimate gain. If we can learn with little pain, all the better and it's up to us to make the decision which way we are going to learn ourselves.

We've been living with debt for so long, and although the debt is less than some, it is definitely more than other's and in my mind, excruciatingly crippling. I didn't think there was a way out of it and it was just part of our life. A trial we were meant to go through. I have been SO WRONG!

I'm angry with the collective body of the population for not teaching me otherwise and even more angry with myself for not working at figuring out that this was a huge lie that I could disprove and live a life so much better than I ever imagined possible in this existence. So much time has been wasted!

Just this past month I was speaking with some church friends (people who are not saddled with my same money issues at this time) and said that I was OK being poor. What an idiot I have been. When is it ever right to be OK with mediocrity?!?!? That is by far the most gleeful moment Satan has had with me in ages and I didn't even realize it. How sneaky and insidious; that old serpent had entered my soul. How grateful I am to finally see his downward pulling fingers!

When the church has counselled that we be out of debt, I always thought that was a dream that could only come through some dead rich relative, a stroke of extreme dumb luck or some lottery jackpot (which we don't play). I couldn't see how we could do that on our own. I have been left without the knowledge of how to help myself as so many other people find themselves. But there is a way. A Christ-like way that is available to everyone regardless of their race or creed, financial situation or religious background.

I CAN NOT ADEQUATELY EXPRESS HOW MUCH THIS NEW KNOWLEDGE IS CHANGING ME IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS!!! When it comes to money matters, PLEASE, please, please, check out this man's work. DAVE RAMSEY - He's not of my religion but truth is truth, no matter where it comes from.

As far as the other truths brought to me this weekend, I have the knowledge and the change is being worked out. I will become the wife I dream of being and the mother my children deserve. I will live to my full potential for my earthly family and friends and for my heavenly family. I have a clearer picture now and that knowledge is power.

I will never be able to thank the Savior enough for the healing power of the atonement. For the ability He has provided for me to forgive when I couldn't imagine being able to forgive. For the forgiveness He offers me when I couldn't imagine being forgiven.

This has been a weekend of intense pain and growth and joy but a weekend I wouldn't want to have missed!

I Really Like Him ...

So we've been receiving a lot of emails about the "End of the World" and the preparations that need to take place to be prepared. I'm taking those suggestions seriously and figure, even if it isn't the "End of the World" that's imminent, it's better to be prepared than caught with my pants down.

As such, we've been working very hard on collecting a year's supply of "every needful thing". I've taught myself how to make bread and am very happy to announce that we have not bought store bread in over two months. Not only that, but my family is now completely wheat tolerant, which if this is a foreign term to you, means that we've built up the internal systems to handle pure wheat in their diets. You must start out with small amounts of wheat and build up to greater amounts gradually. The young and old are susceptible to death if given too much wheat too quickly. The rest of us in the middle just end up on the "porcelain god" for a good while.

Anyway, I've also been getting links to video's about the words of the prophets with regards to this type of preparation. My favorites are by DavidKat99. His video's are touching and profound. The music is amazing and the artistry is amazing. Here is the most recent video I've received ...



Of course, you can always take a look at all of his amazing video's on You Tube.