Good Tidings of great joy...

2 months since we last spoke.
Where the heck have you been? :)

Christmas has come and gone. We had a great one here on Farmingdale Road. 3 boys got lots of toys. Momma and Daddy have a new obsession - Mexiacan Train dominoes. The house looks like a bomb went off. The trees are all still up. It is freezing outside. Last night, we ate a dinner of pizza and mini pecan pies around the fire pit outside with our neighbors. Life is good.


I have already purchased 12 Christmas gifts for next year, all my cookie/candy tins and buckets for school (a total of 14), and I finally organized my countless rolls of ribbon.

We are all healthy, happy, and blessed beyond what we deserve. God is so good.

Hope that you and yours had a Merry Christmas, and that 2010 holds many blessings and wonderful things in store. Keep your eyes peeled - you never know when I'll be back. :)

What Swine Flu Makes Me Do

It's a miracle.
I remembered the password for this blog.
Much has happened since my last post.
Good thing, right...since it was on July 27th.

I am a busy gal, but there is a better reason for my absence.
I like to include pics with my posts. My good camera is my big 'ol honkin Sony digital. Well, I lost the cd that loads the software on my laptop. So I need to call the company and get a new cd so I can use my camera.

The boys are good. All 4 of them. School is busy. Good, but busy.
And I have swine flu. That's really why I have the time to sit and post a blog. I am high on Tamiflu, my cough medicine, tylenol, sprite, and pull-and-peel twizzlers. I slept all day, so I am WIDE AWAKE now. I feel like crap, so I will probably go and swig some more sprite and wash down a couple'o Tylenol pm's. Have I mentioned that I am totally addicted to them? I AM. As are many of my fellow teachers. What is up with that?

If you haven't already heard, I got the best package EVER in the mail on Saturday. It was the wig to my Halloween costume; I am going as Kate Gosselin. If you are on FB...go RIGHT NOW and see my pics. I am obsessed with my new wig. Now that I have fallen vicitm to the H1N1 pandemic, I'm not wearing it nonstop like I did Saturday. But once I regain my strength, i.e. will to live...she will adorn my head once again.

Gotta run. My stomach is bubbling again. I don't know if it is because it's full of sprite, pull and peel twizzlers, and random narcotics, or if I am about to see my grilled cheese again. Whatever the case - somethin' ain't right. I am, however alive. Not so much well, but alive. I know all of your days are better just knowing that.

More soon. Hopefully not in 3 months, but soon.

i'm learning

This picture doesn't really have anything to do with this post, but I love these boys so much...I just wanted to share their beauty with my reading masses.

Been a while, eh?
I can't for the life of me be that devoted daily blogger. I don't see how all of you do it! Since we last spoke, lots has happened. We've had a birthday (Keith), a massive spend the night camp out with 14 other boys, done a 3 day training in The Seven Habits (life changing), done a 5 day training on Math Investigations (loved it), worked in my classroom along the way, prayed LOTS for Gigi and Grandadddy as they were on a mission trip in Costa Rica, read to my boys, read to myself...you get the picture.

Over the course of my absence, I have learned some things. I thought that I'd share them with you today.

#1 - I wouldn't trade my family for ANYTHING. I have the best husband, children, parents, brother, sis-in-law, nieces, and extended family in the world. Sorry readers...it's true.
#2 - I am really close with my mother. I always knew it...I have never said, "I'm not close to Sue." But having her gone for 9 days made me realize...my Mom is one of my best friends. She is NEVER allowed to go on a mission trip, ever again. Period.
#3 - I have decided to celebrate the "sacred ordinary." Saturday, I was out running errands listening to Dr. Dobson on the radio. He had a guest who was fabulous. She is a mom and has written a book that yes, I stopped @ Lifeway and bought. She was talking about finding what is wonderful in your children and clinging to it. She talked about having a teenage daughter who was a hormonal, raging mess. She said that it helped her to remember her chubby 3-year old hand rubbing her face saying, "I love you bunch, Mommy." She talked about finding beauty and joy in the "sacred, ordinary things." Well, Steven Covey turned my life around during my 7 Habits training, so I put it to good use. In my new, awesome Franklin Covey binder, I have listed just a select few of the "Sacred, Ordinary" things that I love so much. I won't share them today...but I will one day. You'll love them too...I promise.
#4 - Laughter is priceless. I have laughed a lot lately. Sometimes to keep from crying. I heart laughing. I'm really good at it. I like to make people laugh probably more than I like to laugh myself. Laughter is great.
#5 - 3 boys are FABULOUS. 14 boys...that is not fabulous. That is borderline mania. Good thing that 10 year old birthday parties only come around once.
#6 - I only thought my boys ate a lot. They are growing, and so are their appetites. They are lean boys, but I am in awe at the amount of food they require on a daily basis. I need to take a day and journal what all they eat, and share it. I just may do that.
#7 - I probably love the sport of golf. Were it not for our new Wii, I would never have known. I am obsessed with playing golf on the Wii. I told my Dad, if it weren't for the blazing hot sun, I could TOTALLY see myself as an avid golfer. Maybe I can be a winter golfer.
#8 - There is nothing funnier than watching my 3 sons play the Wii. Oh, the laughter it has brought to our house. Back to #4.
#9 - Shawn Martin is one good Daddy. He has ON HIS OWN established a new system where the boys have to earn Wii/Playstation time by reading to or with him. He is reading The Boxcar Children with Keith. I love to listen.
#10 - My parents, while amazing, extreme blessings, have a twisted side. They brought everyone treasures back from Costa Rica. While I am appreciative, I am also disgusted, and frankly, angry. They brought the boys flutes. Hand carved flutes. 3 of them. I can only imagine their maniacal, evil laughter as they chose them. I was honestly frightened at the maddening looks of sheer joy and elation when they handed them over to my guys. Do you know what 3 flutes sound like, played at the loudest volume possible, in the highest pitch? I do. And it isn't pretty. These flutes are certainly NOT a sacred, ordinary memory that I will cling to. Something tells me that Harold and Sue are adding this little episode to their catalog of special memories. I must talk to them about that.

back to life...back to reality

And just like that - it was over.

We had a great week at the beach. What did we do, you say? Here's a brief recap of some highlights.

We ate at Lambert's. Caught some throwed rolls. Waited in 150 degree heat for what seemed like an eternity while Griffin made werewolf noises the whole time.

We accumulated a nice shell collection. Daddy and Keith and Zack got some really nice ones from a sandbar and we all collected a few each day. Now they have a new home in an old jar in our guest bathroom. Picture to come later.

We watched as Grandaddy lost his glasses by a massive wave, then realized that he really is blind without them. They were new glasses. $400 glasses. We learned that when on vacation, if you are pretty much legally blind and without glasses...your trip isn't that fun. We watched Grandadddy and Gigi spend a whole day in Robertsdale waiting on some random place to make Grandaddy new glasses.

We ate lots and lots of popcorn shrimp. Daddy ate lots of raw oysters. We puked in our mouth a little each time Daddy ate them. We oooohed and aahhhed at The Original Oyster house when we realized that Daddy found not one, but 2 pearls in his oyster. The waitress verified that they are real, and that it is VERY rare to find 2 pearls in 1 oyster. We just laughed, bc hey - that's how we roll. Those pearls are in Mama's makeup bag just WAITING to be turned into a lovely little pendant. (at least 1 of them, anyway)

We dressed up like cows to get free food at Chick-fil-a. Seriously. Thursday was customer appreciation day, and if you came in dressed as a cow, you ate FREE. So we got black construction paper, scissors, and safety pins. We made spots and pinned them on our clothes, and our family of 10 (w/Uncle Chris' bunch) ate a TON of yummy Chick-fil-a for FREE!

We got really tan. And we heart it.

We laughed. A LOT.

We came in from the beach to watch the Michael Jackson memorial. At least I did. So did Shawn. And Chris and Amy. And Gigi. Who had the kids? I guess it was Grandaddy. Poor, blind Grandaddy. I loved every minute of the memorial. Paris Jackson...I love you. And Prince Michael I. And blanket. Your spontaneous words touched my heart, and hopefully quieted numerous haters. Who better to speak of your father's true character than you? Beautiful and touching. I am impressed and touched by you. And Jennifer Hudson...please come to my house and sing. I am begging you. You sang my FAVORITE MJ song. (besides Dirty Diana, but I don't think that would have been appropriate). You were radiant, and you are amazing. Mairah Carey, you are a hot mess, but at least you were conservative...for you. Brooke Shields...perfection. Your quote from The Little Prince wasn't lost on me. Spot on, my lady. You were a great friend. Al Sharpton, I even loved you. "Wasn't nothing strange about yo' Daddy...what yo' Daddy went through was strange." Yes. If by "what yo' Daddy went through" you mean Joe Jackson, the Mommy Dearest of fathers...I agree wholeheartedly. One last MJ note, and this is priceless...as soon as the service started and the 14k casket was being wheeled in to the choir singing, Gigi informs us all, "Well I think that is REALLY sacrilegious." I quickly informed her that they weren't singing about MJ as "The King" but that it was indeed a spiritual entitled "Soon and Very Soon." It was beautiful. The greatest entertainer of all time indeed. We mourned Michael Jackson, then went back down and busted some awesome cannonballs in his memory.

We rode go-carts, and Grandaddy almost killed a poor teenage worker. Seriously. And this was WITH his new glasses. If ONLY we had this on video...we would be rich.

The kids with Daddy, Grandaddy, and Uncle Chris went to a Mobile Bay Bears Game, Bass Pro Shop, and Ryan's Steakhouse. All 3 are yucky to me...all 3 were gold to them. To each his own. I was with Gigi and Duke at the Outlets.

We took our traditional beach pictures, and watched a wedding on the beach. Nice.

Lots and lots of other stuff. I'll probably remember/post it later. I'll leave you with this...Griffin just came in here and informed me that he didn't clean his room as I told him to, because he has decided that he needs his space. His exact words were, "I didn't clean it, Momtee. Yeah. I didn't. I just need my space, alright?"

"Soon and very soon..." HELP ME LORD.

My friend, the STAR

Recently, I was in the presence of celebrity.

Let me venture back...way back. Like 26 years back. My Mama was a teacher @ the Elementary School with Mrs. Waldrop. I prefer to call her Gabardine. Her name is Geraldine, but to me, she will forever be Gabardine. I heart Gabardine. Always have...always will. For as long as I can remember, I have been dear friends with Gabardine's daughter, Lisa.

When we were really little, we both had waist length hair that Gabardine and Sue forced us to wear in 2 ponytails. People thought we were sisters. Somewhere @ my Mom's house, I have photographic evidence to support this theory. Sadly, all the pictures I have here are after what I refer to as the "Dorothy Hammill incident" so you'll just have to take my word for it. The point I am trying to make is - we've been pals for a while.

While Gabardine and Sue did their teacher stuff, Lisa and I roamed the halls of the school playing. *for the record, I am talking about Summertime and after school* We went in the kindergarten room and climbed in the loft. I actually got hung on a breaker box once, thankfully Lisa managed to dislodge me. We talked, we laughed, we sang. We were even majorettes for a few years. That alone deserves its own post. We shook our moneymakers, and batons to such lovely numbers as "Puttin' on the Ritz" and Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York." Sue and Gabber pimped us out to half-time shows, Miss Merry Christmas pageants and any other place that would showcase us. We were their little show ponies, forced to gallop and trot on command. *Mom, before you have a heart attack, this is sarcasm. I am being funny*

I would go to Lisa's house to watch the Barbara Mandrell show. She would come to my house and we'd listen to my Dad's Merle Haggard cassette tapes. We grew up together. We loved John and Isabella on Days. I marveled at her collection of VHS tapes of Days episodes. I loved her brother, Lane, with his sweet smile and easy way with sarcasm. He was a boy after my own heart. I really loved her Granny Louise, with her red hair, red lips, and red nails. Granny Louise...I could dedicate 50 posts to her alone.

As we grew older, we remained friends. Lisa graduated the year before I did, and like any good Christian girl, she went to THE University. Of Alabama. Now, I had somewhere to go and spend the night "in college." Sometimes, in papasan chairs. I have eaten Guthries with her, tried on Gucci Go Go boots with her, taken her to the emergency room when she was burning up with fever, made fun of bouffant hair with her, almost to the point of causing 15 car pile ups, etc. We have laughed, we have cried, we have made memories that I will treasure for my lifetime.

I remember one night at her apartment in Tuscaloosa admiring her music box/globe collection. (Lisa, am I dreaming this, or did this really happen) I believe that she had either a globe or music box that played "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music. Since then (or since I first dreamed this 15 years ago), whenever I heard that song, I thought of Lisa. "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..."

Lisa became involved with the theatre (or is it theater) when she moved to Tuscaloosa. I always said that I would go and see her perform. When I heard that she was THE LEAD in The Sound of Music, I knew that I had to go. I am SO GLAD that I did.

I may be biased, but I am not exaggerating. Lisa Waldrop was MADE to be Maria. Her first scene, when she sang her first "The hills are alive..." took my breath away. I was sitting there beside my mom thinking, "Don't cry Amy...don't you DARE cry." I was overwhelmed with emotion. I was so happy for her, I was so proud of her. I was so touched that my friend was fulfilling a dream...and I was there to see it. She was phenomenal. She was fantastic. She was amazing. I'm not just saying this because she is my friend, but she was every bit as good, and I believe BETTER than the original. Every nuance, every ounce of her being WAS Maria. It was magic.

So, this post is dedicated to my pal Maria, I mean Lisa. I heart you, Lisa Waldrop. I wouldn't trade our childhoods for anything. Every Sour Cream and Onion Tato Skin, every milkshake @ Argo's, every reference to "Bran Flake," every laugh, every tear...I heart them all.

I am totally serious when I say this...remember the name. Lisa Waldrop. It will be in lights one day. There is NO REASON she shouldn't be on Broadway. None whatsoever. I knew she would be good...I had no idea she would be THAT GOOD. I look forward to seeing her again, stealing the show. As always, I'll be her #1 fan...sitting in the audience, wearing my floor length denim skirt, Garth Brooks shirt, black Reebok hi-tops with my air-horn and cow bell...beaming with pride. If you are totally lost...good. You should be. That picture of beauty was an inside joke...just for Maria, I mean Lisa.

Throughout our lives together, we've traveled many paths together. I am so happy that I can honestly say that the hills have been alive...with the sound of music.

Bravo, Lisa...Bravo.
Or, as Granny Louise would say, "LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-Saaaaahhhhhhhhh...." I give you two thumbs up...2 bright, red thumbs up. You are one of my favorite things. And I heart you.

*i heart this guy*

Sunday was my anniversary.
Shawn and I were married on June 28, 1997.

You may not know this, but Shawn is extremely thoughtful. Seriously. He comes up with stuff that I would never think of. Here's a perfect example. When I walked in "big church" Sunday morning after Sunday school, one of the giant screens had a picture from our wedding and the caption said, "Happy 12th Anniversary Shawn & Amy." He had secretly arranged a deal with our Pastor and our Media Lady so it would be there when I came in. I know! Who thinks of things like that? IT GETS BETTER!

He took one of our wedding photos that had the cake in it. We never got to eat any of our cake. We had that single bite that you feed each other, but we were so busy talking to our guests that we didn't actually eat anything. Some ladies made us a picnic basket with a sampling of all of our wedding foods, but we left it in our car at the hotel. It was late June, 100 or so degrees...we didn't chance it. Back to my story...I loved our wedding cake. It was beautiful, basket weave with fresh flowers. It wasn't your traditional "up and down" cake, it took up an entire table, each layer was a different size on a different level. Oh, I hearted it. HE HAD A REPLICA MADE FOR ME. It is just 1 cake, but come on...WHO THINKS OF THINGS LIKE THAT? Here's where it gets even more precious. The sweet lady that he asked to bake it actually had to make 2 cakes. The first one was a true replica of our cake. She made it and placed it in her freezer. Well, some people were doing work at her house and the freezer got unplugged . Cake was ruined. So, she had to hurry up Saturday night and make a different cake. So it didn't actually look like our cake, but what a sweet thought. I HEARTED IT!

I'm not supposed to know this, but I have another surprise on the way. Shawn has been going behind my back taking all kinds of pictures of us from the past 20 years. We have been together for 20 years. Ca-RAYZEE!!! Those pictures are now on 8 cd's in Louisiana. My brother the producer is putting them all on 1 DVD with music and video clips, and I'll be getting that at the beach.

Even if he hadn't done all this fabulous stuff, I'd heart him anyway. Throw all this stuff in the mix...I heart him even more. He is a wonderful Daddy, terrific husband, amazing dancer, master of impersonations, and nobody makes me laugh more. He is my soul-mate, the one created just for me. And I heart him.

Here's to many, many more anniversaries.

going green

Yesterday was Homecoming at church. There was so much food...so much food. Of course, as we did our good Christian duty and got at the end of the line, I was questioning if there indeed WAS enough food. I was also making mental notes of who was going back for seconds before some of us poor souls preferring our brothers were waiting with rumbly stomachs IN THE BACK OF THE LINE. Anyhoo, we got fed. I had a hearty lunch of grease and flour, bc I chose a MASSIVE piece of fried chicken from Wal Mart. Oh, I heart Wal Mart chicken. I could've chosen from a million delicious sides, but with 3 boys and 2 adults...fixing plates is tricky. I made a deal w/Griffin. I told him that we could share a plate, he could eat from my plate. He quickly informed me that yes, we could make a deal, but that it wasn't going to go down as I suggested. I could eat from HIS plate, thus eliminating many of my delicious side items. So I got 1 piece of chicken.

All Keith wanted was green jello. There was any dessert known to man, crafted by the finest Christian hands on the earth...and he wanted green jello. Of course, by the time we got to dessert...the green jello was gone. Blasted pigs. (forgive me, Lord). My sweet boy...he doesn't ask for much. Shawn looked at me and made this vow, "I WILL get Keith some green jello...I will." And he did. Last night @ 10:30, he went to Winn Dixie and came home w/green jello.

Flash forward to this morning. It's the darnedest thing...as soon as my kids wake up, you can bet you'll hear this, "I'm starving. What's for breakfast?" We almost always do healthy stuff. NO sugary cereals, no pastries, etc. It's usually a healthier cereal and fruit, sometimes biscuits, sometimes pancakes, sometimes granola bars. Not today. Today calls for something special.

on the lookout

So much has happened since we last spoke! Mom and I saw my sweet friend LISA steal the show in The Sound of Music. It deserves its own post...be on the lookout. Today is my 12th Anniversary. Shawn is so thoughtful...I can't wait to share all the sweet things he did for me. Be on the lookout. We had a photo shoot with our FAVORITE photographer, Kamin. I don't want to give away too much, so I'll just offer this tease - antique tractor, baseball gloves, Ninja Turtle. Be on the lookout.

Finally, Gigi surprised me w/an anniversary surprise. I guess it was for my anniversary. Or it could be just for being an altogether super awesome amazing daughter. Yeah, that's probably what it was for. Anyhoo, she did these w/her very own hands. She's super crafty and talented. And for the record...I heart these silhouettes. And Gigi.

More to come this week. Be on the lookout!

the day the music died

I remember this poster.
I had it on my wall when I was in the 2nd grade.
I loved it.

I remember when MTV first came on the air. There were no trashy dating shows, no disgustingly lewd documentaries. There were these cool things called music videos. I lived for them. We all did.

The best videos were by Michael Jackson. His videos were like movies. No lie...they really were. When a new one would debut, people would make plans to stay home and watch them. There was no Tivo. No DVR. You cancelled everything, sat in your living room, and watched.

I remember Thriller. I remember the album. The real, vinyl album. I had it. I also had the cassette version. Not one, I had 2. I wore one out and had to get another one.

I remember Thriller the song. I remember Thriller the video. I remember Thriller the movement. Thriller is the background music for my elementary school years. PYT. Wanna be Startin Somethin. Human Nature. Beat It. Billie Jean. I heart those songs...and I remember them.

I remember We are the World. I remember that Michael Jackson wrote that song. I remember seeing all of those celebrities standing together, singing it. I remember singing along. I remember thinking that we really could make a difference, if we all stood side by side and worked together. "It's true we make a better day, just you and me." I remember.

I remember hating Pepsi even more, since MJ's hair caught on fire during a Pepsi commercial. Sheesh...Pepsi has always been inferior to Coke. That's just a little bonus here...back to Michael Jackson.

I remember the jacket. Yes, I had one. Mine was pink. With silver zippers. Mine came from TG&Y. Oh, how cool was I in that jacket? I never got into the glove phenomena, but it worked for Michael. I remember that sequined glove.

I remember trying to moonwalk. He made it look so easy...effortless. I remember trying - and failing. I can moonwalk, yes. But not like Michael could.

I remember "The Wiz." Do kids today even know about "The Wiz?" Oh, I hearted it. I wonder where I can get copy of it. I want my boys to see The Wiz.

He was the King of Pop. He was the Elvis of my generation. He was the greatest musical icon probably of my lifetime. He was 50. Are you flippin' kidding me? 50? Gosh, I'm old. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was in the 2nd grade, and Mom and I were at Brenda Lowe's house for dinner, watching Thriller? We were amazed at his dancing. His performance. His talent. That was just yesterday. Now he's gone.

Lots of time has passed from then to now. There have been highs, and lows. Shady stuff. Physical changes. Lots of them. A marriage to music royalty. More physical changes. More shady stuff. I won't try to deny any of that. I won't dispute any eccentricities, problems, or other general weirdness. I will, however choose to remember other things. Other days. Earlier days. I will remember the days where this very poster hung on my wall. Michael Jackson in his yellow outfit. Michael Jackson, the King of Pop. Michael Jackson, the voice of the music of my childhood. I don't deny the issues or problems. I simply choose to remember the magical side.

I feel old today. I woke up, went about my day like usual. When I heard about Farrah Fawcett, I intended to blog about her. Then came the news of MJ. Both were such integral parts of my childhood, pop culture royalty. It's hard to be a child of the 80's today. I am sad. I am healthy, have a wonderful family, I am blessed beyond what I deserve. I am a wife, a mama, a teacher. But the little girl inside of me is sad. Pieces of her childhood are fading away. And it makes her feel old. Distant. Lonely.

I remember where I was when the Challenger blew up. I remember where I was when Kurt Cobain killed himself. I remember where I was when the Berlin Wall fell. I remember where I was when the 1st Gulf War started. I remember where I was when Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died. I remember where I was when JFK Jr. died. I remember where I was when Chris Farley died. I remember where I was when Princess Diana died. I remember where I was when my beloved President Reagan died.

I remember love, love, LOVING Thriller. And now, I remember where I was when my beloved King of Pop died. Justin Timberlake, Kanye West...you guys don't have a clue. Talented? Yes. Iconic? Nope. Michael Jackson...he was an icon.

And I will always remember.

Stuff we heart

When I was a little girl, I loved getting new stuff. I mean, I HEARTED it. My kids heart new stuff too. I also heart a good deal. My boys, they have always just liked stuff - the price of the stuff was no concern. Until now. I have introduced my children to an amazing place, a virtual heaven on earth. Kind of. I have revealed the secrets of the Thrift Store to my boys...and they heart it.

I took them for a date day a few weeks ago. We went to Chic-fil-a for lunch, and to the Thrift Store. I told them that they each could get 1 bag of goodies. You know how the Thrift sells stuff in those clear bags...it's like getting a goodie bag of treasure. You can see what you are getting, and there are literally HUNDREDS of bags to go through. And we went through all of them. I knew that Keith would be in Heaven with the Hot Wheels and toy horses. My 1 bag rule, it didn't last. How could I only get 1 bag, when there were awesome horses, Hot Wheels, AND army men? And all 3 were cheaper than 1 blasted toy at blasted Wal Mart! Zack isn't into cars or action figures, so he wasn't really impressed. Yet. Griffin found lots of action figures he liked, but nothing that he really hearted. Until we went to the magical place called...the showcase.

Ah, the showcase. The place where the true treasures are located. I happened to look behind the glass counter and what did my eyes land on? The holy grail. The jackpot. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle carrying cases. Not one, but 2 of them. Be. still. my. HEART. To say that Griffin likes the ninja turtles is like saying that it's warm outside. He HEARTS the ninja turtles. He hearts them a lot.

I asked the sweet lady working the showcase if those TMNT cases had anything inside. She said, "Girl, I don't know. Here...look." She handed me the cases. They were FULL. Griffin was in full hyperventilation, seizure, hysteria. I guessed there to be about 25 TMNT figures inside. I told him that if we got them, that would be all he could get and he'd have to put back his other stuff. He was cool with that. Each case...$12.88.

Zack quickly realized the magic of the showcase when he spotted his prize...a binder of baseball cards. He asked if he could see the binder, and the sweet lady handed them across the glass counter to him. The heavens opened up and angels descended and for a minute, I think I heard the Hallelujah chorus. It. was. FULL. Chock full of cards. Once we got home, he counted and told me exactly how many cards...252. It was a good day.

Once we checked out, we realized that it truly was a magical day. The turtles were 30% off. They were a green tag item, green tags were 30% off. The baseball cards...70% off. Are you KIDDING ME? It was SO meant to be.

3 happy boys, 1 happy Mama. A little Clorox water bath and voila...those toys were like new. On a side note...those TMNT cases actually held 48 TMNT characters. Most of them can't even be bought today, except for on Ebay. Just last night, I found one on ebay for $39.99. 1 Turtle. I got it, plus 47 more for less than that. That my friends, is why I HEART the thrift store.

We're BAAAA-AAAAACCCKKKKKK!

Yeah, I was tired of the old blog. Plus I hadn't posted anything since February. What's new with you? We've been great. Busy, but great. I'm sure that I'll devote some postings to things we accomplished over that last 4 months, but not tonight. Tonight I just wanted to let you know that unlike the Gosselins...we're in it for the long haul. :) I always loved their little mantra, "It might be a crazy life, but it's our life." Somewhere along the way, they lost sight of the "our" part. I'm afraid it became "my" life for the adults in the equation. I have loved that show since day 1 and will pray for their family. In the meantime...I look at my house full of boys. I hear their loud voices. I feel the walls shake as they play basketball...inside...AGAIN. After I took the darn nerf ball away...and hid it on top of the refrigerator. I see the milk glasses on the table that they *forgot* to take to the sink. I see the wet swimsuits on the carpet floors, waiting for a Mama to pick them up. I see the action figures arranged PERFECTLY, all 1,375 of them. I see the tractors, monster trucks, army men, and baseball cards. Treasures. Thrift store purchases...priceless to them. I see my 3 little boys transforming to 3 big boys...and it makes me sad. Just yesterday K and Z were new. 3 and 2 year old "newborns" to us. And G...wasn't he just born? Now he is starting kindergarten. Oh, my heart aches. And my face hurts - from smiling. These kids are hilarious. They are wild, lively, loving, beautiful messes. I heart these boys. And their Daddy. It may be a crazy life indeed, but it's OUR life. And I wouldn't trade it for the world.

**DISCLAIMER*** Given the recent Jon & Kate drama, I would like to make a few things clear. First of all...don't expect me to cut my hair in some scary asymmetrical backwards mullet. Won't happen. Secondly, if you're looking for Shawn on the bar scene at night cuddling up to some young teacher...you're wasting your time. He's got all the teacher he needs right @ home. :) Also, he will not be sporting fancy 3 carat diamond studs in his earlobes anytime soon. If any bling is to be purchased...it will be for Mama. Maybe this will clarify any confusion you may be having. For those of you not familiar with Jon and Kate, you probably think I have lost my ever loving mind. Just play along...you know Amy...she's crazy like that. :)