A Visit From Sis

A Visit From Sis

My Sister spent the past week with us and, as usual, we had a great time together! I wanted to give her a break from her daily routines as a busy homeschooling Mom of two (wonderful) teenagers, a wife and homemaker. Not to mention her newest job as band manager and sound tech for the "oldies band" her husband is involved in.

So, we ate out...alot..., went shopping, watched movies (a scary movie and a few love stories), played cards, stayed up late, slept in late, exercised together, ate out some more...ate at home... more shopping, visited with family and friends...etc, etc, etc! Fun week!

Thought I'd share just a couple of the pictures to give you a taste of a few of our activities.

Dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant

Yummmmm...The BEST Fajitas!

Our Traditional outing to The Olive Garden Restaurant. Some day I'll have to post the story of why it is such a special tradition with us!

Lunch at Panera Bread with "the girls". Did I mention we ate out alot??!!

We taught Sis a new version of our favorite card game: Hand and Foot

One morning we had fun out in the yard snapping pictures of our new family of barn swallows. They return annually to the same nest under the eves of our front porch.

I also caught this picture of Freddie, the lizard that frequents our front porch.

I am blessed to have such a special sister and by the relationship that we have developed over the years.

Inspirational Quotes for Mother's Day

'The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.' Author Unknown

"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life." Abraham Lincoln

"If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much." Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

"We never know the love of the parent until we become parents ourselves." Henry Ward Beecher

"The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness." Honore de Balzac, author

"The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom." Henry Ward Beecher, US Congressional clergyman

"All mothers are working mothers." Author Unknown

"It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't." Barbara Kingsolver

"Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs... since the payment is pure love." Mildred B. Vermont

"Nobody knows of the work it makes to keep the home together. Nobody knows of the steps it takes, Nobody knows-but Mother." Anonymous

"When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child." Sophia Loren, Women and Beauty

"No gift to your mother can ever equal her gift to you - life." Anonymous quotes

And remember.... "Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your children!" Sam Levenson

Before I was a Mom...

Before I was a Mom…

Before I was a Mom…
I set my own schedule.
I could sleep in or stay up as late as I wanted.
I had a wardrobe full of unstained clothing.
I enjoyed uninterrupted conversations with my husband and on the phone.

Before I was a Mom…
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or found my car keys in the toy box.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I remembered things.

Before I was a Mom…
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
I never held down a screaming child so the doctors could do tests, give a shot, or sew stitches.
I had never been puked on, pooped on, spit on, chewed on, and peed on.

Before I was a Mom…
I never looked into the face of a child with teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin or a few steps taken.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I never held a sleeping baby just because I wanted to watch her sleep.
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night... every 10 minutes, to make sure all was OK.

Before I was a Mom…
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

Before I was a Mom…
I didn't know the strong bond between a Mother and her child.
I didn't know the challenges of each stage of parenting.
I didn't know the pain of feeling rejected by my child and trying to survive their "teen years".
I didn't know how much it could hurt to watch them learn a lesson "the hard way."

Before I was a Mom...
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonder or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much......
......before I was a Mom.

A Mother At Home...

One week ago today was national "Take Your Daughters to Work Day". In line with my current "theme" of posting on topics concerning Mothers, Mothering and Homemaking... I would like to post a reprint of the following article. It originally appeared in the Wall Street Journal on April 28, 1994. It was on that day, 13 years ago, that my husband cut the article out of the paper and gave it to me. I taped it onto a page in a journal that I keep for preserving notes, articles and comments of interest. It can now be found on-line at: http://www.familylife.com/daughters/mattox.asp

A Lesson for Allison

By William R. Mattox, Jr.

I am not the kind of guy who normally takes part in feminist “consciousness-raising” efforts. But I am participating in Take Your Daughters to Work Day today because I have an eight-year-old daughter whose self-esteem matters a great deal to me.
For the uninitiated, Take Your Daughter to Work Day is an annual event dreamed up by the Ms. Foundation in response to research showing that girls’ self-esteem often plummets during the fragile pre-teen and early adolescent years. By exposing young girls to successful women in the workplace, organizers hope that girls will learn to think more highly of females in general and of themselves in particular.
I have a great day planned for my daughter, Allison. This morning, I plan to take her by the offices of two women whose job it is to meet regularly with members of Congress and other public officials. Then, I plan to have her talk with a young woman who just finished graduate school at Johns Hopkins University and is now serving as a health policy analyst. At lunch, she’ll chat with a woman who does some public speaking, and another who crunches numbers in our accounting department. Finally, in the late afternoon, Allison is scheduled to meet with a woman who used to practice law and now manages a bevy of staff writers.
I am sure all of this will be interesting to Allison. But the time I am most looking forward to is the ride home. For it is then that I plan to point out to my daughter that some of the exciting tasks carried out by my female colleagues in the workplace are tasks my wife performed in jobs she held prior to motherhood. She used to meet regularly with congressmen and senators. She used to do some writing and public speaking. And she has a Phi Beta Kappa key from her college days.
After I remind my daughter of these things, I plan to turn to her and look her in the eye and say, “Allison, you must be a very special young girl. Your mother could be using her talents and skills in all sorts of jobs in the workplace, but she has chosen instead to use them at home teaching you. She must love you very, very much and think you are very, very important.”
Somehow, I think that at that moment my daughter’s self-esteem will rise to a level heretofore unimagined by the organizers of Take Your Daughter to Work Day. And for that I owe a debt of gratitude to my wife, whose esteem-building job as a mother at home rarely receives the public esteem it deserves.

Mr. Mattox is vice president for policy of the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C.
Article originally printed in the Wall Street Journal April 28, 1994.

Mom's Value over $138,000

My sister is here, safe and sound, and we are enjoying time together. She is getting ready for our traditional outing to The Olive Garden, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to post this article I just read. With Mother's Day right around the corner... I would like to focus on those topics related to Mothers, Mothering and Homemaking. Do you realize what kind of monetary value you add to your home by using your homemaking skills and raising your children? Read on...

Mom’s Value
One day a man came home from work to find total mayhem at home. The kids were outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud and muck. There were empty food boxes and wrappers all around.
As he proceeded into the house, he found an even bigger mess inside — dishes on the counter, dog food spilled on the floor, a broken glass under the table and a small pile of sand by the back door. The family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing, and a lamp had been knocked over.
He hurried up the stairs, stepping over more toys, looking for his wife. He was becoming worried that she might be ill or that something had happened to her. He found her in the bedroom, still in bed with her pajamas on, reading a book. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, “What happened here today?” She smiled at him again and answered, “You know everyday when you come home from work and ask me what I did today?”
“Yes,” he said. She grinned. “Well, today I didn’t do it!”
This is something most women feel at sometime or another. The laundry doesn’t thank us for scrubbing their backs. The dishes don’t praise us for the Jacuzzi we fix for them on a daily basis. The towels and sheets don’t salute when we walk by.
I did an estimate to see what the financial worth of a homemaker would be if a family had to pay for the typical services mom renders year after year:
• Housekeeping, $13,000 (20 hours per week for 52 weeks)
• Nursing, $1,300 (1 hour a week for 52 weeks)
• Cook, $21,840, (3 hours a day/7 days a week/52 weeks)
• Psychologist, $36,400 (1 hour a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks)
• Taxi, $21, 840 (3 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks)
• Tutor, $3,900 (1 hour a day , 5 days a week, 52 weeks)
• Party Planner, $22,500 (10 times per year, 10 hrs work each party)
• Sec./Receptionist, $17,472 (3 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks)
Grand total: $138,252
As you can see, most of women can’t even afford themselves! So, Dad, instead of looking at all mom isn’t doing, this Mother’s Day, thank her for something she is doing for you and the kids and have them write a card of thanks too! Words are the best gift a mom can get on Mother’s Day!
Source: Pam and Bill Farrel are speakers and best selling authors. Their newest book is Why Men and Women Act The Way They Do! They can be reached at www.masterfulliving.com.
http://www.goodnewsetc.com/054FAM2.htm

Last Week...I fell Off The Wagon

Actually, I didn't "fall" off... I jumped!! FlyLady would NOT have been proud of me. Yes, it is true... I was living in CHAOS! (can't have anyone over syndrome) Mount Washmore was piled high, my "hot spots" weren't just "spots" anymore and... a shiny sink? Ha! What sink... it's view was obstructed due to the piles of dirty dishes on the counter. No Proverbs 31 Woman delusions on this end!! I will spare you most of the sordid pictures as I choose not to embarrass myself any further.

What was the problem?? The BIG FIVE reasons:

1) My dear hubby was in Atlanta on business, so I was in mourning over his abscense.

2) Week before last we were in Phonix visiting Brad's parents. I ALWAYS get a little off kilter after a vacation with family. Doesn't matter whether we go visiting, or they come here... I really enjoy our time spent together and get rather meloncholly for a few days after we part. I miss the "fam". Which leads me to reason #3...

3) I think I had been taking FLYLADY'S "Pamper Yourself" missions just a little TOO seriously! I have learned over the years that I just need to give myself a little space after a visit or vacation... but... well... let's just say I was "given an inch, but I took a mile!" I guess since we recently have enjoyed: a three week visit from my parents, a one week visit from our youngest daughter, and then spent an enjoyable 9 day vacation recently with Brad's parents... I've had a slow time getting back into my routines!

4) Our dishwasher broke back in March. Actually, I've been a good sport about handwashing dishes for the past 6 weeks. Yep... I made it through a dinner party with 25 guests, through Easter, and through weeks of daily chores. But I have to admit, last week I cracked. I went on a dishwashing strike. It was a sad state of affairs over here! Actually, our new dishwasher was delivered last Monday, but since hubby was out of town, all I could do was stare at it longingly all week. There is sat... quietly hidden away in it's big cardboard box awaiting the day when I could load each and every dirty dish inside my new servant...push a few buttons...and walk away! You know, a dishwasher is one of those things that it's easy to take for granted. I think I have a new appreciation for the priviledge of owning one.

So you ask...what HAVE I been doing? Among other things, the THREE R's: Read'n, wRiting, and Restauranting. Yep, it's true. While hubby was gone I treated myself to a ban on housework. I played on the computer... alot... doing some bloggityville reading, doing some bloggityville writing...and cleaning up photo folders and files. Actually, I've had alot of stuff floating around in my head that I've wanted to post here...so last week I did a "brain dump" into my draft folder and now have a headstart on future posts. Do any of you ever do that? I also wanted to post a few pics from our trip to AZ... hopefully within the next week or two.

Last Monday night it was fun meeting with some friends to help our MOB (mother of the bride) address wedding invitations. She made us a wonderful dinner and we enjoyed fun fellowship. Also, I enjoyed lunch outings with both Erin and Megan this past week. So, you see, I HAVE been busy. Just not exactly keeping up with the whole housework scene.

But... this week is a new week and I can start fresh!! Hubby is back home (yeah!!!) Thankfully, he installed our new dishwasher over the weekend, so I ended my moratorium on chores and hand washing dishes. Now this week I have a fresh start...a new outlook! My chores are up-to-date and life feels much more "in order" now.

I am actually VERY EXCITED as today my sister comes in for a week long visit!!! (you wouldn't know her... as she doesn't blog...which, by the way, is in my "serious injury file") It will be great to spend some time together in R&R. I hope to provide a fun and relaxing break from her normal routine. She is in a busy stage of life right now; homeschooling two teenagers, playing "taxi", managing her husband's band, and generally busy with all things related to being a keeper of the home. So this little "get away" is a well deserved break for her. While she is here I may try and razz her some more on how much fun we would have if she started her own blog. (Maybe you could help me by leaving her some sweet comments, encouraging her to venture out into bloggityville. Maybe tell her why you enjoy blogging so she can become inspired!! :-) In all honesty... I remember all too well that stage of life. I can see where blogging may not fit into her schedule at this point in life. Well, we'll see. I'll keep you posted!

Also... I have a VERY SPECIAL announcement!!!! This post marks my 100th POST!!!! Somehow that kind of feels like a milestone! I've enjoyed having this outlet for my thoughts, rants and raves. Thank you to those of you who have been visiting me here and leaving comments, as I have been blessed and inspired by reading so many of your blogs and getting to "know you" through the blogosphere.

Happy Anniversary!

I thought I'd take this opportunity to honor our youngest daughter, Ashley, and our son-in-love, Casey, on their First Wedding Anniversary! And, of course, what a fun way to share some more pictures!!

The NEW Mr. & Mrs!!

The "Fam"

A Dreamy Wedding...

Still My Baby... ;-)

A Kiss For Luck And We're On Our Way...

Surrounded by Friends and Family as We Celebrate the Beginning of This New Family!

Love & Prayers, From Mom & Dad