sevenchicks

raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

by photochick~ We just got the kid in the bed by 7 for the first time in months. We skipped a nap today in hopes of getting him back on a normal schedule. He was up until 11 for three nights in a row while we were gone to my dad's tournament. Drastic measures were absolutely necessary since mom and dad have to go back to the "real" world of work tomorrow. Let's hope.

So I just sat down for the first time all day and The Sound of Music is on. How funny is it that I remember watching this movie just about every year of my life growing up. My mom loved it and I love musicals, so i loved it too.

In the third grade I had my tonsils removed as the same time as either planner chick or baby chick's husband (remember, they are twin brothers and my first cousins), I can never remember which one. Pretty sure it was baby chick's hubby though. I digress. So we had our tonsils out the same day and shared a room.

That night while we were at the hospital The Sound of Music came on and I remember watching it with my mom and my aunt. For the life of me I can't remember what the cousin was doing, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't watching a back in the day musical.

So that's a totally random story, but it just struck me as funny that they still broadcast the movie every year, some, well we won't even mention how many years later. I guess some things never change. Let's hope a few anyway.

What's not to love about fraulines, pompous girlfriends, outfits made of curtains and smarty pants kids? But of course, all I see when I watch it now is all the political undertones. Funny.

Oh, and by the way . . . Alabama has returned to the level of all other states when my cell phone was stolen at the gym yesterday. Urghhhh. Cuban chick called to fill me in on the wedding/honeymoon details as we were getting out of the vehicle to head inside so I carried it in chatting and then laid it down on the bleachers.

So eventually when I get a new phone I'll need everyone's number again. That's about the worst part. That and the $95, WITH insurance, that it will cost to replace it. Urghhhh again. Anyway, so friends and family . . . please send me your numbers again.

So long, farewell, auf weidersehen good-bye!

two points

by photochick~ Score two more for Alabama.

We stopped in Birmingham on the way to the tourney to eat lunch. We had a Longhorn's gift certificate to burn. When we headed out it was flooding. As in monsoon, monster flood. Get an ark flood.

So the hubby goes to get the vehicle and pulls in front of the door to pick up myself and punkin. While he's doing this two men walk out and comment on how bad it's raining. I just smiled thinking about how wet I was going to be by the time I opened the door and threw myself and the kid in the front seat and then tried to get him in the carseat from in side the car.

And that's when it happened. Out of nowhere this sent from God stranger goes out into the rain yelling back, "let me get the door for you." And proceeds to open the door, we run out, jump in the car, and he shuts the door behind us.

That, my friends, does not happen where I live. I may be looking to relocate to Alabama.

(insert "sweet home alabama" here, except that i don't know how)

temptation

by babychick~ in the past couple of days i have had an epiphany. ok so not really an epiphany maybe more like a better understanding of something, but epiphany sounds so much more intellectual right?

anyways i have been thinking about temptation a lot lately for no apparent reason. i haven't really been tempted with anything in particular, except maybe all of the great food at Christmas or maybe spending a little more money than i need to, but nothing really important. but everywhere i would turn something about temptation would pop up, and then finally as i was reading a book i realized what i need to hear out of all of this wondering.

the book was talking about a mother who had wondered all these years why God had let her give in to temptation and made a decision that led to one of the biggest mistakes in her life. and then she read in 1Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has taken over you but such as common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."

i've read this many times but i never really heard it. i always thought that you were supposed to beat the temptation, to be stronger than it. that if you got past it, that situation would be easier the next time around. but in reality we are supposed to find a way out. and according to this verse there will always be a way out. God is never going to give us something that we can't handle, because he has given us an escape route to be faithful and trust him.

i know this isn't the most deep subject but this just opened my eyes a little more. so anyways i hope everyone has a safe and happy new years!

the one where they speak English

by photochick~ Sometimes the customer service people of the world surprise you. Not often, mind you. But sometimes.

For starters, when they speak English proficiently. Even better when they speak "southern" English. That would be a shock itself, without the actual ability to perform their job. Just to be competent in the English language would be an improvement.

Two weeks ago at work I ordered a printer from a barely English-speaking person in a ONE HOUR long very confusing conversation in which I said, "I'm sorry, I can't understand you," at least ten times, only to find out the next week that the confirmation number I was given doesn't even exist.

"O.k. I say," when I call to find out why said printer has yet to arrive. "I was just trying to trick you out of a $1,000 printer with my made-up number. I guess you caught me." Right.

Tonight, however, was one of those very infrequent nice surprises in the land of customer service. We're headed to my dad's basketball tournament in northern Alabama. Nothing like waiting until the last minute to make reservations so I was dreading the "we're all out" answer when I asked if they had a vacancy?

Why yes, they have a vacancy. And while we're chatting, would I like directions because the front desk gal just moved there from Ft. Walton? Sure. Who doesn't want directions, I replied. All the while not expecting much. I am notorious for asking locals for directions only to get something more reminiscent of a buried code only a CIA agent could decode.

So I get the directions. And they are in my language no less. "When you get to this exit get in the far left lane because you'll need to turn left at the "y-ee" looking thing. Why yes, I speak that language. Thank you very much.

And since I'm not familiar with the town, would I like to know what there is to do there and what restaurants are good?

At which time I replied, "Am I being punked?"

i got it!

by photochick~If you've been reading the blog, you know that I wanted an ipod for Christmas. It's rare for me to want an expensive gadget. I'm frankly just too cheap. Even if I want something, I always manage to talk myself out of it before the time comes.

In keeping with this lifelong tradition of backing out . . . a few weeks ago I had told my husband not to worry about getting me an ipod. Or if he had to, just get the cheaper shuffle. Thankfully he ignored me and merry christmas to me . . . came an ipod nano!

I really think that I'm going to love it. I've already found a bible in a year podcast and Focus on the Family podcasts that I'm dying to sign up for. We bought the punkin a portable dvd player for Christmas, but we're thinking of exchanging it for one that has an ipod dock. You can buy kid's videos for $1.99 each. Compared to 3 episodes for $15 on a dvd, it seems like a no brainer.

So now that you've figured out that I'm totally excited about my new gadget, the real point of the post was to say that I need music suggestions! I have a $15 itunes card burning a hole in my pocket and no idea what to spend it on. I'd really like to get some good praise and worship music first.

Suggestions??

(Oh, and I posted photos from our Christmas over at my blog HERE.)

cookie central

by social chick~ some of the chicks and i decided to get together and bake last saturday. wow did we have fun! we definitely can't say that we are professionals but we tried. sassy, baby, planner, singer, my mother, and me got together at my house and made peanut butter bon-bons, almond joys, turtles, peanut butter ritz dipped in chocolate, drop cookies, white chocolate crispies, and many many more. our chicklets decorated sugar cookies.

well lets just say that *most* of it turned out good, but the experience that we shared was priceless. we had the best time and this was probably the best gift that we could of ever given to each other. we are hoping to do it again next year. so here are a few pics of the big night.

   

woo hoo!!!!

by social chick~ just wanted to report that I went to the doctor yesterday and everything turned out great. if you remember my blog from last month he told me to watch my weight because I had gained 8lbs in one month. well needless to say i was bitter about this. he told me to count my calories and my philosophy was i will count my calories as they go down my mouth.

so after one month of being very hungry and wanting to eat every 3 hours i got back on the scale. let me just add that i did try to watch what i ate but not a whole lot. i tried fruit but that does nothing for me. (how come the healthy stuff is not filling). so the big gain was 3lbs yea i could of jumped for joy in the doctor's office because i stressed about it all day. anyways i was happy. the dr. exact words were you did so good this month that you have room for Christmas. well you bet your little tush i have room for Christmas. so bring on all the peanut butter fudge, monkey bread, candy, and anything else you have for me to eat. lol!

anyways i hope you all have a great Christmas. Love you all!

vacation for me

by babychick~ this week has been such a relaxing, stress-free week. i took the week off from work so i could finish up with christmas shopping and clean house and do whatever needed to be done. little did i know that i would have everything done by last saturday. except for the few forgotten items all of my present wrapping is done and this week was made strictly for relaxing.

yes maybe i've been a little lazy, especially in the blogging world, but i feel so rested and so in the holiday spirit. i've slept in everyday, made myself a pot of coffee and cuddled up to watch some holiday t.v. i'm kind of getting the good side of the stay at home mom, in which this little dream will be over next week but its just nice to relax once in a while. i've also had lunch with a friend and spent some time with my grandma.

which i think spending time with my grandma has been my favorite part so far. she is getting older and she's beginning to realize that she can't do as much as she would like. she is 86 years old and just now beginning to realize that. i've always admired her because she seems like such a strong woman. making her weekly trips to marianna to her favorite store, Lowes, gardening, and always thinking of others. this year i haven't seen her as much as i should have and i definitly regret that, but this week i told her i would come by and help her clean up for some company that is coming in this weekend. i think she just enjoyed the company more than me helping. but i was glad to do it.

so tomorrow starts our holiday weekend with chicklet and i'm so excited. we plan to take her to see a movie tomorrow night and saturday its me and her time. i think we will bake some cookies, watch christmas movies and visit the grandparents. sunday we have church and then a christmas dinner at my parents house with my grandparents that are visiting from indiana. on monday, christmas eve, we have no major plans. a tradition that mr. baby chick has always had is to open presents from the parents on christmas eve and have santa on christmas morning. this is new to me but i like it. then on christmas day, this is a special christmas for me. this is the first christmas with my new family, my first one that i get to wake up with my husband and we get to watch little chicklet suprised by what "santa" has brought her. it will be one that i cherish forever.

i know next week will be a bit of a drag, but i'm so glad i've had this time off from the "real world". i hope everyone has a merry christmas. 

7 years and counting

by social chick~  sunday is my 7th wedding anniversary. although i'm very proud to have been married this long, i'm a little upset that we don't get to do anything for it. i know i was the dumb one who chose  December 23rd for our wedding day. we never get to celebrate because it is so close to Christmas. we never get to buy each other a gift because we have spent all the extra money on Christmas presents. many people tried to tell me not to get married then but at 18 you don't think of the future.  i was living in the now.

the last time we celebrated it was our 1st year and we spent the night in a nice Hotel for a night. the last time i got a gift was our 5th and i got a diamond necklace which i still love. why is this so hard for me when i know it is just another day?  well i'm such a gift giver and i love to celebrate. they say however you give your love is how you like to receive it. well i give my love out by celebrations and giving gifts. so i'm a little down about this year. i don't get to dress up with my chicklet for church because we have nursery. then we have Christmas with the father-in-law.

anyways on a happier note i was looking back at our wedding pictures and i decided to share some. you can see below. i could not of asked for a better wedding. it was at 12:00 p.m. on the beach and it was one of the warmest days that winter. my colors were black, white, and red. it was so special and fun all at the same time. after the wedding we went to the reception where i had a D.J. and we danced the night away.

7 years is along time in today's world, so i feel honored to still be married to my best friend. he has brought so much joy into my life. not only is he my husband, but my friend, my strength, my comfort, the love of my life, my first and only love. he is the best father in the world to my pris. he is my strong teddy bear that i can run to and will make me feel so safe. he has those gentle words that i need to hear when i'm stressed. he is a God fearing man that takes the role as head of household very seriously. he prays with me when i'm sick, and loves me through the hard times. he cuddles me when i'm tired and corrects me when i'm wrong. he spoils me when he gets the chance. to him i'm always beautiful and he lets me know it. i can be the weakest person around him and he is there to help hold me up. i can be the strongest with him and he is there to back me up.

so to you mr. social chick i love you. i know that we don't have the money this year for gifts, but i have the best gift in the world; you and our chicklet. thank you so much for giving me a secure home and the opportunity to stay at home with our little ones. you are truly the love of my life and i thank God each and every day for you. I Love You!

Merry Christmas!!!