Blogging is the New Email

I can't believe how quickly blogging has caught on within my little circle of friends. It started with two chubby chics chatting and just like the Florida wildfires, boooooom! I actually caught my husband trying to set his up this morning! I love it! This, to me, is such a great way to share who I really am. Those of you who know me best have already discovered I am an open book anyway. I wear my feelings on my sleeve. However, I love having this outlet to share my life experiences with anyone who cares to inquire.

I have discovered, since I started this venture, things about my closest friends that I never knew. For example, my friends are great writers! I truly relish every entry I read in their blogs. I also didn't know that DeeDee's parents made the most important decision anyone can make before they depart this planet. I concur with Sara that even though we may not see each other everyday, when we reunite, it's just as though we were never apart. My friends are also extremely creative! Check out Emily's pics! I love her idea and I wish I had thought of it. We are truly "fearfully and wonderfully made." God has gifted each of us with different talents and abilities. I love that I can learn things from other people. God didn't create me to know everything. He created me to need Him first and He also created me to need others. That's what really makes our lives what they are. I would not be who I am without what I have learned from my family and friends. God is sooooo good. How can people not see that? If you have a broken fellowship with Him it may be hard to recognize how good He is. Sin keeps us from seeing things clearly. Anytime I allow sin to creep in and destroy my fellowship, I don't value the goodness of God. Jesus gave His all for me, why can't I seem to give my all for Him? That's the burning question................Melissa

My Toes

I just went and had a pedicure. I feel great. Hold on while I scream!!!! Emily is throwing herself on the floor because I won't relent and give her a third nectarine. I know they are good for her, but those things cost a lot of moola!!! I enjoyed having my feet massaged and painted. Especially since, right before I left, I was cleaning up poop from my undiapered daughter! My fault. I let her run around for a few moments and got distracted. The next thing I know, Emily came running up to me saying, "Mommy, I poop!" Wanna get away? That commercial was made for me. I know other mothers go through some of the same things. How do they handle it? I don't handle it well. Stress for me is like that zit that won't pop! You know the one I'm talking about. It hurts really bad, then it swells up. Your face looks like you got punched. It seems like it's never going to go away. Then, it finally fades away, just in time for your period! Can anyone relate? Show of hands? Leave comments if you wanna holla! .....Melissa

I Can't Make Up My Mind

If you regularly check my blog, I'm sure you have noticed I don't stay with one color too long. For those of you who know anything about me, this pretty much describes my personality. Get inside my head for a few moments and you will come out very dizzy!!! I can't seem to make up my mind on what color best describes me. Some days, like today, I feel earthy! I stink a little, for lack of my daily (sometimes every other day) cleansing. My hair is a mess, and I'm still in my PJ's at 11 a.m. I'm a little earthy today......
Some days, I'm cute. I get my shower, fix my hair, and cover myself in Mary Kay. Pink would be a good color for days like this. They are rare, so don't come looking for them often.
Green. I love the color and my kitchen is a beautiful shade called Moon Tide. I love to cook in my kitchen, I just don't like to clean it......however, if I don't do it, most likely, it won't get done. Then I will get the look from my "just-home-from-work" hubby that says, "Have you been blogging all day?" That may be the case. It's then I sit down and read Proverbs 31 for more than the 31st time. It's good to check back on it every now and then.
I've picked the color blue (not because I feel that way, even though I do on occasion) because I like how the eggs look against that color. Good enough reason, don't you think?
So, from day to day you never know what you will see when you come to "Paradise". However, you may, at least, know how it's author looks and feels..............Melissa

Insanity

My title today should say it all. My kids were pretty good today. Yes, there was the occasional screaming match, but overall, not too bad. Tonight, however, was a totally different ballgame! We got home from church, which is always hectic. I'm trying to get the kids bathed and teeth brushed, diapered, and pottied.......it's always a treat. Tonight, none of the kids were listening. I started yelling to get their attention, which worked. Emily had to be chased around the house several times just so I could brush her teeth. The last time, I stubbed my toe on the door jam. I screamed and said a little something. It was about this time I hear my husband on the phone saying, "I think I should go help my wife." Lauren decided to pretend to be a lion. Lions don't wear underwear, or so she tells me. I said, "This lion will be wearing underwear." She then says,"Mom, this is vawry seweous." It would probably have been really cute an hour before.

We always pray with the kids before bed and Emily is learning. Tonight she couldn't have been cuter. She squinted her eyes and said, "Jesus.........day.........food.........amen." Out of the mouths of babes.

Dinner was yummy and fairly healthy. Here's a pic for you to enjoy! Melissa

It's Weigh Wednesday

Ok, so I was pleasantly surprised by my weigh-in today. My starting weight is 211.5 lbs. Happy eating..........Melissa

New Eggs

This morning we found 16 more eggs. I can't wait until our chicken pen is done so we can actually find them before it's too late. The chicken chased Eric down for the food this morning. It was very amusing.

Father and Son

I can't think of anything more precious that seeing a father and son spending quality time together. Tonight, Michael and his daddy were outside, working together on our chicken pen. Michael had such a sense of duty about him. He would wheel the garden cart, full of dirt, to a pile and dump it. Then he would wipe the sweat off his brow, just like his dad. It truly warms my heart to see my children have a sense of purpose. Michael was so proud to be helping his daddy. He came inside not too long ago and said, "Mom, can we have some big glasses of water, please? We've been working really hard out there and we're thirsy." That even got my lazy butt up to help!!! I get motivated by the hard work of my boys! I pray that Michael and Eric have many more times to share like this. If there's one thing my husband knows for sure, it's the value of a close relationship with his father. I pray he will pass that passion down through many more generations.......Melissa

I'm fat and I know it!

You know, sometimes you just get to a place in your life where you realize, you're fat.........I'm so there. I gaze despairingly at old photos of myself and see that skinny girl and think, "How did I get here?" The other day I was viewing some before and after photos from "The Biggest Loser" and decided to calculate my BMI. I landed in the obese category! Now, I know I'm overweight, but obese? Nahhhhhh! Anywho, my best friend and her mom (I was invited to jump on the bandwagon) have devised a scheme to see if we can really make a change for the better. We are going to start our own weight loss club. Forget paying someone else to tell us when we are skinny. Why not pay ourselves? We have decided to give $5 a week to "us" and when we have achieved our desired goals we are going to do something fun together! You will be able to track our progress on our individual blogs on "Weigh Wednesday." I have spent entirely too much money on my weight for nothing. It's time to start rewarding myself! I will be posting a before pic and will be keeping you updated on my weight. Yes, I will be broadcasting my weight for the world to see. I hope this will inspire others to do the same. Happy eating...................Melissa

Lawn Mowing and Chicken Pens

Wow, I feel quite a sense of accomplishment. I mowed my lawn for the first time ever. Come to think of it.....I've never pushed or ridden a lawn mower before in my life. It was fun. I never thought I would say such things about manual labor. I'm what you would call an "indoor girl." My hubby is quite the opposite. He is always outside. He's a doer, I'm a thinker, well, actually, I'm more of a contemplater (is that a word? spell check says no.)
Our chickens are very close to having a safe haven. Eric, the great outdoors man, spent a good portion of today constructing a chicken pen. We have 4 hens left and they are supposed to lay eggs, but we haven't seen many. Until today........Eric uncovered his saw and discovered about 15 eggs! The hens have been hiding them.
I took the kids swimming today and boy was that fun!!! I'll just say it's a little something I like to call "Sensory Overload!" Trying to watch 3 kids in the pool is a challenge. I constantly feel my eyes moving! A word of advice to you parents who would even think about taking 3 children swimming by yourself............it's a stupid idea.
At least the water tires them out.......bedtime was a snap.
I'm tired and ready to say nighty night! Until next time.......Melissa

What am I doing?

Three kids.......1, 2, 3, it's paradise.......occasionally. Don't get me wrong, I love my children. I have a tick that creeps up on me at about 7:30 p.m. every night.....just before they hit the hay. Then it's usually, "MOM!!!" I'm changing my name. I'm going to change it to something NO ONE knows. Not really..........I do adore my offspring. They are so funny. Tonight, Emily, my baby, kept telling me how cute she is. She's almost 2 and very stubborn. It's my husband's genes that contributed to that!!!
Michael, my oldest is six, and he loves for mommy to sing to him. Tonight, I sang "Jehovah, Jireh", which my mom used to sing to me. I used to love that song when she would sing it. However, Michael informed me this was not a goodnight song. I said, "You don't like this song?" He replied, "Yes, I like it, just not right before bed." So, of course, I started clapping and stomping as I sang the song again. He just giggled. I adore that boy. He was my first. The "Guinea Pig." If he ends up normal, it will only be by the grace of God.
Then there's Lauren. What can I say about my "mini-me." She is three and a half and must dress herself. I don't dare try to pick out clothes for her. Today, I slightly suggested she shouldn't dig her dirty skort out of the hamper and she proceeded to protest very loudly for about 20 minutes. She got over it and actually got dressed in something else!!! Shocking! I think her daddy talked her into it.
Speaking of him, "daddy", my spouse of 9+ years, Eric.......if he ends up normal it will only be by the grace of God!!! He is married to me and has been renovating our home for about 2 years. He is a pastor and he takes care of dying chickens. Let me explain. Yesterday, I heard one of our six chickens (I told you it was paradise!) clucking and looked out the door. She was up on our deck and she seemed a bit distraught. I glanced up at something and realized there were 2 dogs in our yard! "This is not going to be good", I thought. I went outside and noticed one of the dogs eating something. Long story short, it was a bloody massacre!( I can just hear Desmond from Lost saying that!) All of our chickens survived, but one. Michael called her beautiful. Daddy and he had to take care of that today. Eric tried to keep the method of her euthanization from me, but Michael was all too eager to share.......just before lunch. See, I have this problem with association. If something gross is being discussed while I'm eating, my food becomes the gross thing and I can't eat. I will leave the rest of Beautiful's demise to your imagination.
So, this is my life......in a nutshell. My best friend, Robin, would say, "This kind of stuff only happens to you." It seems that way, at times, but I'm sure others have unique parenting, marriage, and otherwise stories............I'd love to hear them............

Melissa