The 'Hip'est Mom Around

My Mom had hip replacement surgery. She's doing well, but the doc said she was literally bone on bone and it was a lot more needed than anyone knew. She's being a trooper, but she wouldn't let me take any pics... she's so vain! Wink! I love you, Momma! Get better fast... my kids want to go to Disney with you!

Pimp My Yard, please

We have been focusing mainly on our indoor renovations since we moved into our new house about 8 months ago. But I think after income tax season, we will begin focusing on some outdoor items. We want to extend our deck, add a pation/grill area and possibly a play place for the kids. Of course, I want to add a fence to that list. We looked into having someone come and do the fence installation but the cost jumped up more than double, so my husband says he feels like he could do that himself with some help from family. I would love to have a retreat type feel to our backyard! I already so enjoy the privacy that we forfeited by living in a garden home about 25 feet from other houses just like it.

High School Revisited

I think I'm revisiting my high school days... zits are just poppong up all over my stinkin' face!! Help! Help! Help! It's not full blown acne or anything, but it sure is unattractive and unwelcome.

I can't think of a real reason that this is happening now, of all times. We've been busy with the business of life... carpool, lunches, laundry... and then my Mom had surgery so throw in trips to the hospital somewhere too.

I just hope it stops before it reaches epic... or pizza like... porportions! I'm changing my face wash TONIGHT in hopes of getting this under control.

Computer May I?

We've been having some computer issues lately. Our internet connection was as slow as Christmas! It made me think about when we first had internet and it took forever to get a connection, and if someone wanted to call you, they were out of luck... or the call would kick you off of the internet. I'm really glad that we don't have to go through that again, but having a slow connection made me realize how spoiled we are to having INSTANT access!

Hank decided that this would be a good time to get some virus detecting software, defrag our hard drive and transfer some pics to disk and clear out some space. He said, short of buying a computer with a bit more ram, that was all we could do. It seems to be doing the trick, though! I'm navigating around the internet at warp speed again... just like I like it!

My brother-in-law, Brett... aka 'The Computer Guy'... said that if we needed him to get us any parts, like new KVM or something that he could. We'll see if Hank's amatuer tinkering did the trick!

Computer Overhaul

So, if we keep these computer issues going, we might have to give my brother-in-law the go ahead to rebuild our computer. He said that he could get some used cisco parts... but not yucky cheap parts, just parts taken from units that we not used or used for parts only. I'm on board with the idea if we actually need to do it. It would save us a bunch of money in the long run. I guess my hesitation is that I really, desparately want a laptop!! We're talking portable and way cooler than an old, chain-you-to-your-desk computer that's been rebuilt. However, my practical side wins out 9 1/2 times out of 10!

Vacation options

As most of you may know... my family holds season passes to Disney World in Orlando through the end of this year. I never thought I would say this, but I'm looking for other things for us to do while we are in Orlando! Last time we went, I found an outlet mall that had a Disney outlet store in it! I was so excited to be able to get a few souvenirs without breaking the bank! And we have talked about checking out the water parks next time we got if it's hot enough. Hank has even said that the Orlando golf courses are pretty darn good! Maybe he and his dad will go play a round next time we're there. Although, I think it might be hard to pry my fourth child... also known as, my husband... away from the happiest place on earth!

New Products!

On my most recent trip to CVS, I bought a new name brand product. Normally, I stick to brands I know, but lately I've been having some break-outs and wanted to branch out a bit and find something new and different and more age-appropriate. I've been using the same facial cleanser for over ten years, and I think it's time that I find something that not only handles occasional break outs, but also combats the signs of aging. It was a 24/7 product... I don't think I need acne cream... but I definitely need something to keep those monthly break-outs in check!

Swatch Watch

Do you guys remember how popular having a Swatch Watch was? I had a HUGE one that I wore every day. It had like five different faces that I could change out. I believe that after my Swatch Watch infatuation, my parents got me a one of the new Guess watches for Christmas. It was the perfect transition watch for me. It was small and classy and went with everything! I wore that one until the band broke and the battery went dead! It's had to believe that Guess is still around and now catering to the next generation of trend setters! I still remember the ad campaign for Guess jeans that had Drew Barrymore that shocked everyone.

Another State Checked Off The List!

My sister-in-law, Betsy and her family used to live in North Carolina. One of my regrets is that in the two years they lived there that we never made it up to visit. Now, they understand why we didn't. We had Tres, then Bryant a year and a half later and that 8-10 hour trips (depending on how many stops you have to make with kids) would have been unbearable!! But I am a person that LOVES to travel. I like to be able to say, "I've been there! And this is what I loved about it!" I did a little research on North Caroline when she lived there. There's a stretch of vacation destination property called the Outer Banks. It's beach front and from the pictures looks absolutely GORGEOUS!! Now that my SIL doesn't live there, do you think she would get upset if we went to North Carolina now?

A Biker Chick and a Golfing Fool

Lately, it seems that two of my siblings are taking up new hobbies. My brother, Matt, recently had a pretty scary wreck and totaled his motorcycle. His wife, who just recently had a baby, asked him to please leave the bikes behind and find something new. So Matt is golfing more now. That made my aunt super happy! She is a golf fiend! Just last month, I think, she won a women's tournament and came home with a bunch of new Cobra golf stuff! She's been golfing for quite a while and enjoys teaching and showing someone the ropes!


Then my sister Tonnie and her husband both went and bought a motorcycle. And now all they do is talk about that!

Anyway, I found this random picture that I took when I was coaching a volleyball tournament in Atlanta. It was snowing and I was trying to capture the moment... but I ended up with this huge Cobra truck!

The Friendly Plumber

My Dad owns a plumbing company. They were some pretty typical uniforms that they have picked up and cleaned once a week. Jeans, khakis, button down service shirts... like I said, typical. I think it would be great if Dad invested in some new company logo shirts for him and the office workers. That way, when he goes and bids jobs, he looks neat and professional and is a walking advertisement for the company. I think it would be a nice change of pace for most people to see someone look well put together for a service industry. My Dad's company is definitely not stereotypical, but they do tend to fall into industry cliches.... example: Plumbers Cleavage!

Momma's Girl

She's getting so big, huh? Our one and only princess...