Wonderful Past

Back In Business

2008-07-09T23:38:00.001-04:00

This is the beginning of our adoption adventure! Will be posting more sometime soon. Stay tuned.

Remembering My Grandmother

2006-12-21T20:08:00.000-05:00

My Grandma Rose passed away on Wednesday, December 13. She was 66. You might know her as my SuperHipGMa. She was a blogger. I love the fact that I can go back and look at what she wrote. There is more to the story but I don't feel like sharing right now. The loss is way to new. One good thing is that my grandpa is coming to visit for Christmas.

Nothing to say

2006-08-12T12:38:00.000-04:00

I have been MIA for awhile now. I haven't had much to say. I know there are a ton of things going on in the political world but I have not been able to come up with my own profound responses so I have just been laying low.

Alot has happened since I blogged last. I went on vacation to Boston, My cousin got engaged, and my only uncle passed away. My uncle was very pivotal in my life. He rescued me from a bad situation when I was little and I will be forever grateful to him. I loved him dearly. I don't really have anywords to describe how I feel about his passing. His body was full of cancer, and he was in a lot of pain. I will someday be able to reflect more clearly about how he changed my life. For now, all I can think about is my cousin- his daughter. I don't know how to ease her pain or know the words to let her know it will eventually be ok. I love her so much and it hurts me to know she is in pain.

2006-08-08T22:11:00.000-04:00

This is NOT a surprise

2006-06-07T23:00:00.000-04:00

You Are Not a Cook

You know cooking isn't for you, and you wouldn't even consider trying to make a homecooked meal.

And this is a very good thing. You've saved all your friends and family from unintentional food poisoning!

Are You A Good Cook?

SUMMER GIRL 2006

2006-06-01T09:56:00.000-04:00

SUMMER GIRL 2006

Why would anyone ever blog about a scent? Read on!

I went shopping at Marshall Fields at the Somerset Collection on Tuesday with my brother. We had a lot of fun. I really LOVE having a brother that likes to shop and also has good taste. We did some serious damage as far as purchasing is concerned. Everything Nautica was on sale. I was excited/SURPRISED by the NAUTICA sale because the only reason we even ended up at the mall was because I was taking Jason home after a successful Memorial Day weekend on the boat and I needed to go to the Clinique counter to pick up some MOISTURE SURGE for my hubby. It works wonders on sunburned skin and it is the best peel preventative we know of. To walk in the mall and be bombarded with 40% off sale signs was AWESOME.

Anyway – I got Matt 5 Nautica Golf Shirts, a Nike Golf sweater vest, a pair of shorts and a Tommy Bahama T-Shirt that I loved but I wasn't so confident that Matt was going to. Jason bought the same shirts I did for Matt, a pair of dress pants and a sweet dress shirt. We were very successful to say the least. Then the absolute best find of the day appeared before my eyes as if God aligned the stars in HEAVEN and created this day specifically for me to shop:

I decided I wanted to go to the fragrance section. Everyone knows that I am always searching for "THE ONE" –we walked over to the ladies section and I noticed the new Tommy Girl bottle, a cool pink color. I wasn't to optimistic considering I have NEVER been a TOMMY fragrance person (men or women's). Anyway, I picked up the bottle and fell in love. I made my bro smell it and he loved it. I knew if he loved it on me then it was a hit since he is usually really picky . I bought it, and not only did I buy the women's, I ran over to the men's version and fell in love with it too. Matt and I could be the best smelling married couple around now. I love this stuff. I am getting a lot of compliments on it. I decided I will share the wealth with this one. If you are looking for a light scent that lasts ALL DAY and is uplifting – GET THIS AS SOON AS YOU CAN. The only thing is, you have to get the 2006 EDITION. There are different versions available from past years, but the one I LOVE is the NEW one - REMEMBER TOMMY GIRL (or BOY) SUMMER 2006 EDITION Fragrance. That is the name of it: Summer 2006. I will be living in this stuff until September!

Happy Shopping to ALL!

X3 The Last Stand

2006-05-26T18:03:00.000-04:00

YAY-YA - I am going to see X3 tonight and I CANNOT wait.

I love Rogue, I so want to be her

Jean didn't die, and I AM SOOOO HAPPY!

The #1 reason to see the flick - THE HOTTEST GUY EVER

HJ, gotta love a man with hands of STEEL

More DaVinci Code Debunking

2006-05-25T16:49:00.000-04:00

So I am a major Lee Strobel fan. He wrote The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, and The Case for Christianity. He used to be an atheist and is now a believer. This article is a great guide to converstation about the falsehoods in the book.

Truth v. 'The Da Vinci Code'
The bestselling book and blockbuster movie present the best evangelistic opportunity in recent memory - by Lee Strobel

Oh and Focus on the Family has also created a place to search for answers, just check it out here:
KNOW the TRUTH, Share the TRUTH

For the Love of Unbelievers

2006-05-25T11:13:00.000-04:00

For the Love of Unbelievers:

I am not a Christian that believes I am better than anyone else, I believe that the best way to show unbelievers the love of Christ is to be a good friend and listen to them.  I am not choosy about who I befriend.  There are a ton of people in my life that I LOVE very deeply who are unbelievers. I am not embarrassed to be seen with them, nor do I hide the fact I am friends with them.  I have a heart for everyone and the best thing I can do is be there for them when they are hurting.  I also have a heart that burns for the salvation of those same unbelievers and pray for them everyday.  I can get along with anyone because, even though I believe strongly about certain things, I can listen to an opposing view and not get angry (unless someone attacks me then I get defensive).  There are a lot of reasons why a person chooses not to believe and we cannot assume we know what those reasons are.  One thing I do know is that sometimes it takes more than the bible for people to believe.  It takes showing love for people that we might be uncomfortable with.

One thing I know is that my Grandma "an Evangelical minister" (Paris side of family) taught me about the love of Jesus.  A love so strong that he willingly died on a cross to prove that love for me.  If you are an atheist, guess what God still loves you.  If you are any kind of an addict - Jesus still loves you.  You can deny Christ but he will always love you and there is always a door for you to run through when you are ready to realize the fullness of that love.

My brother Jason is a prime example of what the love of Jesus can do in your life.  He used to be cynical, sarcastic, angry and very defensive.  When he turned his life completely over to Christ I witnessed a remarkable change. His voice is full of confidence, love and a yearning to witness to others.  If there is anything in my life that has ever proven that God exists, it is the change in my brother.  I have prayed for him for almost 20 years and at times felt like God would never get a hold of him.  Thank GOD I never gave up because the thought of being separated from my brother from eternity was almost unbearable.  No one can ever know the love that I have for my brother.  Although he has challenged me at times, I wouldn’t take any of it back.

I LOVE YOU AMERICA

2006-05-24T22:09:00.000-04:00

You GO TAYLOR HICKS!!!!! Wohoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

Da Vinci Code Skepticsm - THE MOVIE ROCKS

2006-05-19T11:34:00.000-04:00

When the Da Vinci Code first came out, I made a decision to pass on reading it. The reason I passed was because I had heard from many people that it was a book about Jesus and Marry Magdalene being married and that they had a baby. As a Christian this was very disturbing to me. I was so disgusted that I took of my logic cap and started protesting it. I was given the impression that it was a book of historical facts. I skipped articles about it, I skipped discussions about it, and I let it fall off the face of my earth. Most people who know me well, know that I love to read and I read fast. I love books and I always have. I have never been one to turn down a novel that has been recommended to me by someone who knows my reading style. Boy did I miss out on this one. All I had to do was do a little research and come to the understanding that it is FICTION.

I am not going to spoil the movie for those who have not seen it yet. I saw the preview last night and I am probably one of the first to see it in my circle of friends and family. I have to say, this movie is one of the best movies I have ever seen. It is suspenseful from the beginning and it keeps your brain moving as the characters go from place to place trying to crack the "Da Vinci Code" to find the books version of the Holy Grail. It is a movie more about this search than anything else. Tom Hanks' portrays one of his better characters with historical substance, educated and very fascinating. It was fun to see the historical banter between Hanks and Ian McKellen. You might remember Ian McKellen from a little known role as Gandalf in Lord of the Rings.

IT IS A GREAT FLICK

Basically my take on the controversy is this:

Don't see this movie or read this book to learn who Jesus really was, it is FICTION. The definition of FICTION is :

fic·tion n.
1A An imaginative creation or a pretense that does not represent actuality but has been invented.

1B The act of inventing such a creation or pretense.

2 A lie.

3A A literary work whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact.

3B The category of literature comprising works of this kind, including novels and short stories.

Law. Something untrue that is intentionally represented as true by the narrator.

Please turn to the Holy Bible for your answers about who Jesus really was, and if you need to -read this book to learn about all the falsehoods that are in the book, which in turn make it a FICTION book:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0785260463/102-2869370-9636154?v=glance&n=283155

BOY AM I PISSED!!!

2006-05-10T21:42:00.000-04:00

AMERICA....WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU???

I am MOURNING THE LOSS OF MY AMERICAN IDOL!!!

PLEASE VOTE FOR TAYLOR. KATHARINE NEEDS TO GO HOME!

Updates and Tidbits

2006-05-04T12:03:00.000-04:00

Updates & Tidbits

Matt is now on the Audit Committee at church. Yay! I think he will really be able to help them. He is such a smart guy. Brilliant really, but seeing as we are married, I am a little biased. If you ever need to know anything about internal controls, he would be able to help you.

THE U.N.

I just heard on the Paul W. Smith show on 760 AM WJR that the UN is holding a summit this summer about banning firearms for all citizens of the world, except GOVERNMENTS. Ok, this is getting a little freaky and a little too much like what happened in the "Left Behind Series" for my liking. This is just crazy because when Citizens cannot have guns for protection, Governments start murdering people. Look at the Sudan. I can't get really in-depth at the moment, but this is a BAD IDEA. The U.S. cannot let this happen. As much as we would all like world peace, it will never happen. All people don't want peace, they want power, if they did want peace then we would NOT have criminals. Talking to people who are evil will not convince them to hug trees and love everyone. I am sorry to have to tell you this, if you don't know it by know - Some people just don't want to be educated, and even those that are can still be power hungry and selfish.

Summer Weather!
The temps have been awesome and I think we are going to be able to take the boat out this weekend. That is, if we can get cleaned up in time to go for run. It needs a pretty bad bath. I cannot wait to take it for the first run. That is always a spirit lifter.

Matt's Blog

Ok so for those of you who want to know what Matt is writing about, you can check his blog out on MySpace. He is actually keeping it fairly updated but his page still needs a little work. So, if you want to check it out the link is on this page at the top. MySpace is fun. You should do it if you haven't already. I think it gets way more negative exposure than it should – PARENTS do you know what your kids are doing? I think that is key when kids are involved with the internet.

Irrational Anxiety

2006-04-25T14:38:00.000-04:00

Ever noticed how when you are having a bad day, EVERYTHING goes wrong? I admit I freak out towards the end of the day too. Unfortunately Matt gets to experience the wrath.

Granted, I have an anxiety disorder, Panic Attack Disorder, also now known as Agoraphobia, so for me when I get really nervous about something and the result of the item I am anxious about turns out different than my expectation, I freak out. This is mostly due to the fact that I HAVE NOT had dependability in my life-ever. The only dependability I have had, is that my life really isn't stable. I move every year, mine and matt's schedules are not constant, there is always an issue in my family or matt's family, amongst other things. But imagine that the only thing you can depend on is instability? I try to be decisive and I want people in my life to be decisive. I shouldn't demand this, I know it isn't fair. But I would rather plan something and know what is coming and be able to count on it rather than have my life turned upside down.

Sunday was a very bad day for me! Very BAD.

I drove home from Indianapolis and I left my best friend. She got on a plane to fly back to Boston and I drove 4 hours home to Belding. This sucked because I knew I would not see her again until the end of July. We don't talk much, but I know when I am with Nicole I can just be me. She knows all the good and bad things about my personality. And I know hers. We have come through a rough time in our friendship (before we all got married) and we are always honest with each other. I HATE that she is so flippin far away. She is the sister I never had.

I tried to call Matt several times on my way home and he didn't answer. He was shopping for a new computer, groceries etc. (I didn't know this at the time). I got really upset because I AM A NERVOUS driver. As soon as he didn't pick up I flipped out, not mad at him, but paranoid that something was going to happen to me on my drive and I would be stuck and he wouldn't know Â TRIGGER - I got super scared and almost threw up. I called my mom, but it didn't help. This is hard for people to understand I know, but I try to overcome it and I just can't. So, I tried to call my brother, because he is the next person I would call to make sure I could get a hold of someone, he didn't answer. That made me feel a hundred times worse. So I drove four hours in utter terror Â ridiculous I know.

On my way home, I saw a dead English Bull Dog on the side of the road. I became distraught. I love animals and it really really disturbs me when I see them on the side of the road. This dog looked like it fell out of car. It had a collar with tags and everything. I wanted to stop but I didn't. I got mad at myself. CONVERSATION WITH SELF went something like this:

"Self , why didn't you just get out and check on it?"

"Because it was dead."

"So. You could have buried it"

"With What?"

"I don't know you could have figured something out!"

Someone (the owner?) just left it on the side of the road. That is an abomination in my eyes.

When Matt finally got home (about 3:30 pm) he called me, Ahhh relief, but then I got a little agitated because he bought a Gateway after we had talked about a Dell or an HP over the last few days. Again, I don't know why but spontaneity is just something I really struggle with. Matt got upset with me. I didn't condemn him or anything I just asked why, but I guess he thought I was being critical. Anyway, I was only asking because again, we had originally talked about a DELL or an HP. But he did a good job picking it out, the new PC is AWESOME.

In Ionia, about Â½ away from home, after I forgot about the Dog in Indiana, I noticed a dead German Shepard on the left hand side of the road. I could not believe it. WHAT THE DEVIL?!!!! I just couldn't believe it. I cried because I knew it was someone's faithful pet.

THEN, I got home and I became REALLY annoyed because there was like 6 days worth of JUNK mail that I had to go through and rip up because it was all credit card offers or re financing offers that had all our personal information on it. I will admit this pissed me off, because who wants to rip or shred this crap. You have to do it or someone can steal your identity and everything you have worked for.

After talking to matt and visiting with my mom and the dogs, I then I realized that since my computer died and could not be repaired, I LOST FIVE YEARS worth of AWESOME memories (PICTURES) that where all on the hard drive. I always meant to save it all to a CD and I never did. Way to go IDIOT. I have lost all the memories of stuff that I can never get back. I am always over cautious about this stuff to, and why I didn't just take time to save it to disks? I HAVE NO IDEA. And that is what makes me really upset, that I was a complete moron and didn't just take the time.

I lost an Excel Spreadsheet that had ALL of my friends& family e-mail addresses, home addresses, and Phone #'s and now the list is GONE. This list took me 2 Â½ years to put together.

The stability I had created for myself, GONE in one Lightening Storm.

Not to mention the BIG HONKIN BOIL on my face (yep I got another one) was hurting so bad it was making my face feel like I got punched in the face, and causing a headache.

THEN Matt takes me to Burger King and I order a sandwich without MAYO because I HATE IT. IT IS GROSS. I tell Matt to please make sure at the window it HAS NO MAYO. He tells the lady, she says "yep, no MAYO" I get home and of course IT HAS MAYO, of course I LOST IT. I went upstairs checked myspace, and went to bed.

If you think I am crazy, I am sorry. I just get really upset. I am a perfectionist and I live in constant fear that something bad is going to happen if things are not perfect. People try to tell me to "JUST GET OVER IT, or JUST CALM DOWN" this irritates me more because all I would like is for someone to say "It will be OK" to be understanding of the fact that I am not just experiencingover reactiontion but that what ever happens when I experience this anxiety makes me sick to my stomach and I feel like I am going to die.

DON'T FEEL SORRY FOR ME, JUST TRY TO UNDERSTAND ME. Don't judge me; you have no idea what I am feeling. What is probably just a minor irritation to you, is a HORRIBLE feeling in the pit of my stomach. Imagine if you had to learn to survive on your own as a kid and that you could not trust anyone because they always let you down. It carries over into your adult life. It isn't just a habit it is a way of liingrainedined into you. It is an actual medical diagnosis, call my shrink she will tell you. This isn't a cop-out. I hardly ever bring this up, but I am realizing that I try to explain what I am feeling to often and to most people I am irrational.

Or

Maybe you are just a better person than I am.

Special Thanks

2006-04-25T11:16:00.000-04:00

My Brother-in Laws STEVE & TODD ROCK! So does their friend Charlie and our friend D.J.

While I was in Indianapolis having fun, these special guys kicked my NASTY Landscaping Job (that we paid for last year) in the butt and completely redesigned everything.

They chopped a HUGE pile of dead branches from the over crowded trees in our mini forest, thy laid down new ground cover to prevent weeds in my garden boxes, they laid down new mulch, and WHITE ROCK (HEAVY STUFF), they spread out all the new dirt, redesigned the front walk way, with a fountain and everything (I LOVE FOUNTAINS) and made my mailbox the feature of the neighborhood. Thanks to them, when everything grows in, my house will be the best on the block. I have to take some pictures but I have not had a chance yet.

Words can't really explain how awesome it is to have brothers who will do stuff like this for you. They do it and they do it with hopes that it makes you happy and that you love it. I do, and I just hope they know that I totally appreciate it. I know it is really hard work. I really admire their creative talent and how they work together too. They should seriously open up their own landscaping business. I think they would be really successful.

THANKS THIS AWESOME GROUP OF GUYS (Sorry Charlie I don't have a pic)!!!

The PC is DEAD

2006-04-20T14:27:00.000-04:00

Our One Year Old Computer is Dead!

A week ago lightening struck really close to our house and caused a surge. It set off our fire alarms. Our house did not get fried or anything, but since we had a surge and the computer died. You might be thinking "don't you have a surge protector?" OF COURSE. It just doesn't work when lightening hits your power lines. So THANK GOD for home owners insurance, so that we only have to pay half the cost of replacing it. At any rate I can't blog or play with MySpace much since I can only use my laptop.

Also, I will be in Indianapolis over the weekend hanging out with Nicole. I will be back Sunday.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Monster Rabbit - No Joke

2006-04-11T12:57:00.000-04:00

This thing is huge, you can read about it here - Monster Rabbit

I soooo have to get me one of these. I am sure Booker and Fritz would not know what to do with themselves. Look how cute he is though. Like a stuffed animal I once had from FAO Schwarz. I just want to hug it and play catch with it, except with carrots not bones. LOL.

4 MORE DAYS & Other things

2006-04-09T15:28:00.000-04:00

Thursday I am going to see Kutless, TFK, and Falling Up!!! SWEET! I really can't wait. We are going with Beth and DJ! Hopefully, we will not see any little man(s)- lol.

Easter is at the Dad-in-laws. I love him and I love spending holidays with him. It will be nice.

Then, on 4/20 - the girls weekend in Indi. I love Indi. I used to go every quarter for user group trainings for a software I used to use in non-descrimination testing. Anyway, I stayed at the Crowne Plaze kitty corner to the RCA dome. Across the street from the RCA Dome there is a place called HOT TUNA, that I am scared to go to just because of the name- but I think I can talk Nichan into going, I am hoping they have some fabulous Cali Rolls. That weekend is going to rock! I will however miss the opening day of boating season, so hopefully it is crappy that weekend in MI so I don't miss much.

Myspace

2006-04-08T22:02:00.000-04:00

Hmm, I did it and it is done, at least for now. I am not embarrased of it anymore. Thanks to Beth's encouragement.

For all to see:

Baby Blogger on MYSPACE

I got this e-mail today

2006-04-06T14:15:00.000-04:00

I got this in an e-mail today from Keely. Kind of a bizarre thing. Rather than forwarding I just decided to blog it.
______________________________________
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too
Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55% plepoe can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it.

Rejected Names for Brokeback Mountain

2006-04-04T21:46:00.000-04:00

OK so Beth is someone I first met almost a year ago when I started blogging in May 2005. My first clique consisted of Beth, Patrick and Eddie (a conservatives conservative RIP) and Pappy. They had many before me, but they were my first. Beth hasn't been blogging for awhile - and really, neither have I. Not as much as I used to. Anyway, I switched templates and had some time the last couple days to visit my clique. BETH had what is to follow on her blog - I have posted 13 of the 23, trust me you have to go visit her page and read the rest of them. They are flippin hilarious. I was dying. I really hate taking stuff from other people so I hated to do it (grandma I am sorry), but I knew Beth would understand.

Names they rejected before choosing Brokeback Mountain:

1. OKLAHOMO
2. HIGH NOONER
3. THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN INCHES
4. JEREMIAH'S JOHNSON
5. POLESMOKE
6. BUTCH ASSIDY AND THE BUNDANCE KID
7. THE MAN WHO SHOT ALL OVER LIBERTY VALANCE
8. HOW THE WEST WAS HUNG
9. THE LEGEND OF THE LONG RANGER
10. DOC'S HOLIDAY WITH BILLY THE KID
11. VERY RAW HIDE
12. LONESOME DOUG
13. A FISTFUL OF NED

Also, Pappy has some super hilarious stuff on his page. You have to go check it out. Plus he is from the city I grew up in. I have to show him love.

And Patrick as always, has some brilliant stuff too.

No Surprise Here Either - Thanks PJC

2006-04-03T23:10:00.000-04:00

Your Political Profile

Overall: 85% Conservative, 15% Liberal

Social Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

Ethics: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

How Liberal / Conservative Are You?

Ugh but OK

2006-04-03T23:00:00.000-04:00

So I had an issue with my template (ya know the cool black one) so I had to change it to this. I guess it is ok. I have made a lot of changes to this one to make it better. Hopefully over time I can make it look outstanding.

So after long thought and trying to determine what the point is of doing it, I signed up for a myspace account. Mostly because Dejana told me too, and I wanted to comment on Beth's blog. It kind of sucks right now, and since I am a perfectionist, I will put the link up here when I finish it.

Hope everyone is doin' alright in blog land.

How I see it

2006-04-01T23:27:00.000-05:00

The HEART of Jesus is the Cross

To me this is a profound way of remembering how much God loves us. Think about what this means for a minute. A man took all the sins of the world (that is a lot of sin) on his back (ouch could you do it?), was crucified on a cross, and was comletely seperated from GOD (HELL).

All so we can be free.

It is awesome to know that I don't have to be perfect (because it is impossible to be perfect) before God accepts me. It is absolute relief to know that EVERYONE is broken in some way. It doesn't make us BAD it makes us human and that is our nature. So to bridge that gap between our sinful ways God gave us Jesus.

Yep, I said it, he GAVE US Jesus.

Folks, this is a free gift (don't you like presents?)

God so desperately wants a relationship with every single one of us on this planet. Honestly, what is keeping you from trying this relationship on for size (truly a one size fits all)? Check it out, see if you can trust him. Chances are, you will experience Joy you didn't even know existed.

Who doesn't want JOY?

We try everything else in life ( sex, money, alcohol, drugs, et. al.) to find happiness when the simple answer is right in front of our face.

So, what represents your heart?

Spring is here.....

2006-04-01T23:17:00.000-05:00

I really need some -DAY OF FIRE- right now

2006-03-31T17:01:00.000-05:00

Weird though it may be I have an insatiable craving to listen to some DAY of FIRE. The good sister that I am, I let my bro take the CD. Now I am at the beck and call of the radio to hear some of my favorite band. Now this isn't your AVERAGE christian band, DOF JAMS and I want to hear it RIGHT NOW. To bad we don't always get what we want. Well, the CD is probably doing Jason very well. This music totally takes me to a place that I can just worship GOD with my entire heart. I love it. Here are some lyrics of Cornertsone.

All other ground is sinking sand
A doubting maze of desert land
Where darkness rules the heart of man
Til the Son shines light on him

Lord of all
Show You’re strong
On our knees we fall
Be a cornerstone
Be a cornerstone
Be the rock higher than I
Be my fortress wallBe a foundation for all, my cornerstone

The buildings swaying in the wind
The towers crumble down againThis certainly will be the endOf them not built on Him
You, You are the builder of my heart
You’ve held me together from the start

I feel overwhelmed

2006-03-30T13:35:00.000-05:00

I feel overwhelmed, so much to do – so little time.

Now that we know we are not moving for a few years we can do all the stuff we wanted to do when we first moved into our house. There was the possibility a couple weeks ago that we might move again. Matt was offered his ULTIMATE dream job and he turned it down so that I/we could remain at the church we are at. I say I because I was the one who begged him to not uproot us again. In the end he felt it was the right decision to not to make the move.

Some of you may or may not know last year we paid $2,000 to have our front and back yard landscaped. Basically - the guy did a horrible job and we have 50% weeds, 40% Crab Grass and 10% Green lawn. Now we have to reseed both the front and the back to repair it. I am not looking forward to this. One, I would not have paid someone to do it if I wanted to take the time, and two, I have other things I could be doing. That is selfish but hey, I think we are all selfish about things in our life, so no passing judgment.

Anyway – here are the things that are on our "to do" list before the end of spring

1 – Put crab grass preventer on both yards
2 – Fertilize both yards
3 – Plant the grass seed
4 – Finish the basement (our neighbor Jim is doing it for a awesome price)
5 – Paint all the rooms – Saturday night we start with both the bathrooms
6 – Get Seemless Gutters put on (for some unknown reason the builders didn't do this)
7 – Plant all the bulbs we bought (about 250 of them) for the planter boxes in the back and the front of the house
8. – Cut down the dead trees in the very back of our yard
9. – Put in a sprinkler system
10 – Get the boat washed, and the carpet cleaned
11 – Oil Change for Boat
12. – Get the dogs trained on the underground fence

It's just overwhelming.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T......find out what it means

2006-03-18T00:56:00.000-05:00

We went to the first session of the Love & Respect Conference at church tonight. It was awesome. I will write more about it on Sunday. The second session is all day tomorrow. If you want to read a little bit about it check out the link under my "Crazy-Insane-Life Changerz" section.

If everyone understood this the divorce rate might be a lot smaller.

Oh, and I have NEVER laughed so much in my entire life.

From the O'Mitchells

2006-03-17T23:58:00.000-05:00

American Idol Junkie

2006-03-16T13:28:00.000-05:00

American Idol Junkie

Yep. That is me. I admit it. At least it is something like this rather than drugs or alcohol or smoking (which by the way – MY MOM IS A NON SMOKER NOW – Congrats to her!)

Anyway, if you have not watched the show (you must live in a cave somewhere in Afghanistan without a TV), WATCH NOW! There is no reason not to with DVR. Record it, and BAM watch it at your leisure. It is the only way to watch TV anymore.

This show gets better and better every season. The problem this year is that there are 5 peeps that I think are AWESOME and I can't choose a favorite. I am just hoping one of these 5 win and then I will buy all the albums. These guys will all have hits.

Chris is amazing and is great at the rock stuff.

Taylor -reminds me of my dad- Hicks is also a tremendous performer, quirky but entertaining nonetheless.

Mandisa can sing anything and puts a lot of the other vocals to shame.

Paris (ahhh who can't love a girl with the first name that is my maiden surname)- SHE IS ONLY 17!. Unbelievable.

Yamin – looks just like my bro's best friend Isaac. He has a fabulous R & B style.

Bucky – can sing country like best of them.

So, go to AMERICAN IDOL .COM now and check'em out.

Mitchell ……OUT!

Ahhhhh Massage Day!

2006-03-03T16:14:00.000-05:00

I just got done with my Friday massage. I am so relaxed now and ready to go home for the weekend. Going to a Sweet concert this weekend at church.

We are going to see Apologetix on Saturday night. Click the graphic below to check them out. I I think it is going to be pretty funny.

This one is for Beth and DJ - If you LOOOOOVE 80's Glam Bands you gotta check out STRYPER. There is no love, like the love of a fan of STRYPER. LOLOL!!!!

Birthday!!!!

2006-03-02T10:40:00.000-05:00

Happy 2nd Birthday to Ava Renee Botimer!!!!

Gettin' Kinda Crazy

2006-02-26T15:49:00.000-05:00

New Friends
New Hope
seismic Changes in my brother
New Life
New Me

Can't explain it but it is amazing the people God puts in our lives at the right times. Booyah!

We are in the process of becoming members at Greenville community Church. We have become friends with two of the coolest people ever. Beth and DJ. DJ is the youth pastor at GCC and he plays electric guitar, sings, and is an amazing witness to what Christianity can be in our lives. DJ's youth ministry is called Impact (yep, that is DJ below in the pic). Beth is his totally fabulous wife. I have never felt so comfortable with two people in the short amount of time we have come to know them. THEY ROCK! We are now in a small group with them, and will probably share some of the stuff we talk about here.

All you pastors/church leaders from GCC reading this, you are getting it right, and I just want to encourage you to keep on keepin on. I am very excited to be a part of something that is sooooooooooooo right! That is what church was meant to be.

Check out the Staff at GCC here!

I am trying to convince my awesome husband to run for the treasurer of the church. I think he would be awesome since he is a CPA and loves managing the DINERO! We will see what happens.

Look people, God is awesome, and he can work amazing wonders in our lives if given a chance. Christianity doesn't mean you have to be perfect man! Lord knows I am not. I am no longer sitting on the side lines, I am making my life's mission to get all those who come with in 5 feet of me get to know the love that they can know through Jesus.

Also, if you like music and you are into some heavier stuff check these bands out.

Message Therapy - What a Wonderful World!

2006-02-24T16:30:00.000-05:00

If you have never had a Therapeutic Massage, you totally need to get one if you can.

Since it is tax season, the firm [ (where I work - Plante & Moran aka known as "planet moron" by Beth) a little redundancy there for you Greg] is generous enough to give us fabulous things to make the stress a little more bearable. 20 minute Therapeutic Massages are just one of the many things we get. Monday, I had my first one. I thought it would just be my arms and shoulders. Boy was I wrong! It starts at your head and goes all the way to your lower back. She rubs your shoulders, your neck , head, arms fingers, and sides etc. It is so relaxing. The lights are off, and she brings in a cd of rushing waters, and also has an aroma therapy candle lit. It is to die for.

I went again today, and I spent 20 minutes praying while she was performing the massage. It was awesome. I have never felt more in tune with God. I was thanking him and telling him I love him – Jason says he really likes that. Anyway, I have come to the conclusion that for the rest of tax season I will get a massage on Monday and Friday. What better way to start and end your week, in relaxing solitude with GOD.

Superbowl Festivities - Revealed

2006-02-15T22:22:00.000-05:00

Ok, sorry. Not quite yet. I need to download the pics off the camera and I have not had a chance yet. Let's just say this - VERY COLD, STOOD IN LINE FOR WAY TO LONG TO GET ON THE BUSSES, and Matt did not wear a hoodie so he FROZE. Wait till you see the pics. Oh, I will say this, Me, my mom, Jason and the two people who sold us our SBXL stuff where the ONLY SEATTLE fans in the entire state of MI I think. SEATTLE got JIPPED!

The Chronic-les of Narnia?? SNL Fans WHHAAATT

2006-02-15T21:57:00.000-05:00

Super Bowl XL Festivities - Downtown Detroit

2006-02-02T08:45:00.000-05:00

So, we decided to do it. We are going to go pick up Jason on Saturday and head downtown to attend all the superbowl festivities. First, I should say for those who don't live here, the only bad parts of the city are the parts outside of downtown - where the residents don't take care of their properties etc. Also ALL OF Detroit is NOT like it is portrayed in the movies. Yeah 8 mile & 7 Mile are bad, but that is only a couple parts of the city.

Downtown is AWESOME there are really cool casinos like the MGM Grand and Greektown. There is also the FOX Theatre and DIA. The main reason we didn't know if we wanted to go was the traffic - well there are shuttles all over town that cost 2$ per person to go anywhere you want.

So we are going to do take my mom downtown and show her:

Winterfest - where there is a snow slide, free ice skating sponsored by Ford, Tons of really huge ice sculptures, and my personal favorite - Sled Dog Races, featuring the dad of our pup Booker. These take place all day. And a TASTE OF DETROIT.

The American Online NFL experience At COBO: - this is a 800,000 sq ft facility of nothing but football praphenalia and famous people. Technicaly, they are calling it a "THEME PARK" we will see about that.

I will be taking lots of pictures - so look forward to those.

2006-01-26T21:24:00.000-05:00

You scored as Mermaid. Mermaid: Mermaids are also known as Sirens. These creatures were beautiful women who tricked sailors into becoming completely entranced by their haunting voices and found death soon after. Not all stories of Mermaids are about gentle loving sea people. They are mystical, magical, and extremely dangerous. They have a way about them that brings anyone they are around to seem enchanted. They are very mysterious creatures and to meet one... Would mean certain Death. Let the song of the Sea fill your soul, for you are a Mermaid.

What Mythological Creature are you? (Cool Pics!)

Peja got traded ? WHAT!!!

2006-01-26T11:04:00.000-05:00

traded for :

Peja got traded to Indiana for RON ARTEST??? This is bad bad news for my Sacramento Kings. Artest is a trouble maker, and I think he is going to cause a lot of problems.

Why in the world would a team trade someone like PEJA? He is one of the best scorers in the league.

Dude, this is just NOT RIGHT. I am highly disturbed by this terrible news.

81 Points

2006-01-23T10:50:00.000-05:00

81 Points

What in the heck??? 81 Points scored by one individual in a basketball game? Do you know how CRAZY that is?

I can't get over it. Michael Jordan never did that.

By the way GO SEAHAWKS!!!

My FRIENDS - UPDATE YOUR BLOGS

2006-01-22T14:48:00.000-05:00

Nicole, you have plenty to update - christmas pics of AVA, how things are going at work etc. PEOPLE READ YOUR BLOG even if they don't comment. I MISS IT, the banter between me, you, t.o.e and grega!

Chrissy - more pics, more Schnauzberries, more pics!

The NEW Sarah Mitchell - JULY 23??? Common I know you can talk about your Honeymoon and stuff

Cherish - THERE IS BIG NEWS for you to blog about.

The LINK

2006-01-22T14:45:00.000-05:00

If you want to take the quiz that I took below, click on the link that Mahndisa provided in the comments. The html code you are supposed to copy after you take the quiz doesn't link correctly.

At any rate, I admit it - I need to go to QTA (quiz takers anon) I am a total quiz junkie. 3

Hmm - I am VERY ANALYTICAL

2006-01-21T14:28:00.000-05:00

You scored as Mathematics. You should be a Math major! Like Pythagoras, you are analytical, rational, and when are always ready to tackle the problem head-on!

Mathematics

100%

Philosophy

92%

Sociology

92%

Journalism

83%

Psychology

75%

English

67%

Anthropology

67%

Linguistics

67%

Engineering

67%

Theater

58%

Dance

42%

Art

42%

Biology

42%

Chemistry

25%

What is your Perfect Major? (PLEASE RATE ME!!<3)
created with QuizFarm.com

Healthy for GOD

2006-01-16T12:25:00.000-05:00

Since this is a new year and I am trying to apply biblical principles to to my life and I am re-discovering the self that God wants me to be I came up with this post. I was there once, and I can get there again. I just need to call on the Lord.

1 Chorinthians 10:31 - Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the GLORY OF GOD.

Jeremiah 30:17 - I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds" says the LORD.

New Breath.......Isn't it refreshing?

2006-01-15T14:23:00.000-05:00

Yeah, that is right. I said NEW breath and not FRESH breath. For over a year now, (since Matt and I moved to the west side of MI) I have felt that something has been missing. Part of it is leaving a church like Kensington Community Church. It's your home for so long that it becomes like your family and anything else seems "pale" in comparison. So, while it has been great moving to a slower pace life, I have really felt something missing. I read my bible, pray, and listen to worship music everyday, but it just can't seem to shake the void I have been feeling. I am a Christian, I know that the only way to the father is through the son. I believe he died on the cross and rose again the third day. I have lived this life for years and this past year, is the first year I have felt this VOID. It is weird because Matt and I prayerfully made the decision to move here and it seems like we both don't FIT here. But we KNOW it is where God wants us to be. How can that be though. To not Fit but to feel you are where you are supposed to be. I haven't been able to figure it out.

That is until.........

Today! Today I take a new breath. Thanks to "back to back" weekends of attending Greenville Community Church. I feel like a new person. I feel that I have Jesus so deep within my soul I could do anything. I am ready to really DIG deep and be a part of this church. I think it has awesome potential and I feel like I FIT. Even though I still don't know anyone yet. However, that should change with in the next week or so.

It has been awhile since I have felt this fire! I wish you could all feel it.

Thanks to Jesus, and his speaking through our Pastor Tony Myles! THIS GUY ROYALLY ROCKS!

Check him out, he has a BLOG - who doesn't these days?:

DON"T CALL HIM VERONICA -

Humans Existed as Nomadic Hunters - from my Daddy-in-Law

2006-01-07T14:57:00.000-05:00

Humans existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunter/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer & would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in winter.

The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beer and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer. These were the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into 2 distinct subgroups: Liberals and Conservatives.

Once beer was discovered it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early human ancestors were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.

Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as "the Conservative movement”.

Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the sewing, fetching and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal movement. Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became known as “girliemen”

Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy and group hugs and the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives provided.

Over the years conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized as the jackass.

Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare.

Another interesting revolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't "fair" to make the pitcher also bat.

Conservatives drink domestic beer. They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, Marines, athletes and generally anyone who works productively.

Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work to work for a living.

Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to "govern" the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America. They crept in after the Wild West was tame and created a business of trying to get MORE for nothing.

A Prayer for My Husband

2006-01-05T12:07:00.000-05:00

Lord, I lift my husband to you today and pray according to your word, that he wold meditate day and night on your word (Psalm1:1-3; Psalm119:18,73; 1 Thessalonians 5:17), and stay faithful to Christ to the end (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Lord, I ask that you bless his work and show him daily how to honor you in his attitude and spirit; confirm the work of his hands unto your purpose (Psalm 90:16-17; Luke 16:10-13)

I ask that you tug on his heart and let him know you are here, alive and in the midst of everything.

He is yours and nothing breaks the bond of Christs love. I love him.

Amen!

The Funniest Interview Ever - Bill O'Reilly on David Letterman

2006-01-04T20:31:00.000-05:00

Check this out and laugh your hiney off. LOLOL.

O'Reilly on David Letterman's Show

Hate to say it Dave but you sound like a complete moron. Admitting that you don't believe 60 % of what a person says and then when asked to provide evidence as to why, you give an answer like "I don't watch your show, but there are things I know and things I have read." That's nice. This just shows there are idiots who do not research things for themselves and think they know everything because "someone told them something."

Happy Birthday To My Mom

2006-01-03T06:27:00.000-05:00

It has been complete joy to have my mom with us. She is the best. She cleans, keeps my dogs company, and cooks very good healthy dinners for me and matt, so that we can eat at a decent time after work. She is a VERY STRONG Spiritual woman that has been through her share of hardships, and I am very glad God gave her to me. She is truly an inspiration and if you knew her you would be just as proud to know her as I am.

I love you mom!

If you need prayer of any type, my mom is the one to ask. She is a warrior.

Visit her blog so see what she has to say about life.

MY MOM

Happy New Year 2006 - Goals & Comedy Club

2006-01-02T23:42:00.000-05:00

GOAL SETTING
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *****
Well, today Matt and I put together a budget. It was an extremely daunting task. We started at 2:00 this afternoon and we just finished. It is now 11:50 pm. We still have some final touches to add to it tomorrow. It pretty much covers any possible thing you can think of. It is just stupid to waste money when you can save it for awesome things. But - it takes looking at a before and after picture to see where the dollaz go to really understand what a person can accomplish if they alter their spending habits. This is a budget that is attainable, but it is altering the way we view our finances so that we contribute to the most important things in our lives. That is the hardest part, changing how we view the items we spend most of our money on.

Matt and I have set some pretty aggressive goals this year, NOT New Years Resolutions, but our yearly goals. We almost always accomplish the goals we set together, when we do it seperately it just doesn't work. We have a binder complete with a contract we made and signed.

Our three most important GOALS that will enable us to live by our budget are:

Strenghthening our Relationships w/

God
Our Marriage (each other)
Family/Friends

By working on our relationship with God as a couple, we will remain focused on what the intention of our budget is. We figure the better we are as a married couple focused on God, the better our marriage will become too. So we will be strengthening our marriage by starting two different things:

A nightly devotial for couples called"Moments Together for Couples" by Barbara and Dennis Rainey

and

Reading and Completing the "Rescue Your Love Life" Hardcover and Small Group Workbook by the guys who wrote the book "Boundaries" - Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend.

This is something ,as a couple, we decided to do on our own. We understand the importance of having a grounded marriage in Christ. Although you can't always tell because we are human and we can sometimes lose sight of this, however, we have also come up with a list of "Goal Enablers" that we agreed will help us stay focused on not just the goals we have, but why the goals we have set are important to us.

NOW FOR THE FUNNY STUFF
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ***
Here are some pics of Matt, Nicole and Jason on NYE. We went to the Comedy Showcase in Ann Arbor. We have done this for 4 years. Last year we did not go because Greg and Nicole came to visit us in BFE. But, it is really fun. We usually eat dinner before and then go to the club. The first year we ate a Palio, then Real Seafood Co., The Earle, and this year we went back to Real Seafood because the Earle could not accomodate our party of 10. The main comedian was Kenny Rogerson. He was pretty funny. Although, I had a difficult time laughing because I HAD TWO VERY HUGE FAT BOILS on my face (I have never had anything like this before) and one of them started to bleed through the bandaid because of the heat. That was realy nice, I sat there holding napkins to my face the entire night. But the Jokes were HILARIOUS.

Matt making noise for 2006

Matt Dancing on Stage for 2006

Jason and his Noise Maker - the other guy in the pic was the headliners brother and he ruined all the jokes for Jason because he kept saying the ends of the jokes before the comedian. It was actually pretty funny. We were in the very first row too.

Nicole making noise for 2006 too. If you look closely you can see that we had a champagne toast in our very high class plastic champagne glasses. LOL. It is always FUN!

Welcome to the Republican Party.....

2005-12-29T21:10:00.000-05:00

This is a pretty funny story that I got from my Brother-in-Law Todd. It is GREAT~

Father/Daughter Talk

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many
others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and
was very much in favor of the redistribution of wealth.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a
feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had
participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her
father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he
thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on
the rich and the addition of more government welfare programs. The
self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth
and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was
doing in school.

Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let
him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very
difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time
to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time
for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she
spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, "How is you friend Audrey doing?"
She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes,
she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on
campus, college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the
parties, and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because
she's too hung over."

Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office
and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who
only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that
would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA."

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired
back, "That wouldn't be fair! I have worked really hard for my grades! I've
invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to
nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!"
The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, "Welcome to the Republican
Party."

2005-12-29T00:18:00.000-05:00

You Are 32 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

A Special Prayer Request for Stuffle's Family

2005-12-28T13:05:00.000-05:00

Things like this always break my heart. I am super sensitive to it because I can't have children. If I were to ever become pregnant and lose my child, I don't know how, or if I would ever be able to handle it, as it would be a loss of a tremendous miracle. I do know that I would hide myself in the Lord and try to take comfort in knowing that as believer I would someday be reunited with my child.

I ask you all, freinds, family and visitors to please pray for Stuffle's Family. His brother John and his sister-in-law were pregnant with their second child and found out that the baby as died. Please pray that God will comfort them in this terrible tragedy.

Please visit Stuffle and send him your thoughts.

Thanks!

2005-12-24T12:49:00.000-05:00

You Have a Choleric Temperament

You are a person of great enthusiasm - easily excited by many things.
Unsatisfied by the ordinary, you are reaching for an epic, extraordinary life.
You want the best. The best life. The best love. The best reputation.

You posses a sharp and keen intellect. Your mind is your primary weapon.
Strong willed, nothing can keep you down. Your energy can break down any wall.
You're an instantly passionate person - and this passion gives you an intoxicating power over others.

At your worst, you are a narcissist. Full of yourself and even proud of your faults.
Stubborn and opinionated, you know what you think is right. End of discussion.
A bit of a misanthrope, you often see others as weak, ignorant, and inferior.

What Temperment Are You?

The Color of My Heart

2005-12-24T12:46:00.000-05:00

Your Heart Is Pink

In relationships, you like to play innocent - even though you aren't.
Each time you fall in love, it's like falling for the first time.

Your flirting style: Coy

Your lucky first date: Picnic in the park

Your dream lover: Is both caring and dominant

What you bring to relationships: Romance

What'>http://www.blogthings.com/whatcolorheartdoyouhavequiz/">What Color Heart Do You Have?

December 16, 2005 - J. & Sarah's Wedding

2005-12-20T23:09:00.000-05:00

Well, the big day has come and past, My brother-in-law is now a married man & there are officially TWO Sarah Mitchell's (me and Sarah LOL). The wedding was absolutely beautiful and I was happy that the entire family got to be a part of it. My mother-in-law looked smashing. My father-in law is the best! Steve and Todd - you guys ROCK and I am so happy you are my BROTHERS! Todd, it will forever be engraved in my mind how beautiful you sing Christmas carols at the top of your lungs. Steve I will never forget how gracefully you tossed your glass in honor of our new sister. I lOVE YOU BOTH VERY MUCH!

Here are a few pics to hold everyone over until the next time I post.

Announcing Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan Mitchell

Sarah, Excited to be announced

Beautiful Smile on J.

The Brothas Grimm

Todd, J. Matt, and Steve (Sexy, aren't they?)

Me and Jason

Sarah Dancing w her Ringbearer (adorable kid)

Snow Day & Happy Birthday Little Brother

2005-12-09T17:52:00.000-05:00

SNOW DAY - So I know that I have said so many times I have been swamped. But, I got a much needed break today from God, it is called to much snow, very cold temperatures, and working over 50 miles from home. So.....I walked my dogs in the snow, watched movies with my mom, and re-put the christmas lights on my tree since the first set of lights got chewed by a very cute dog named Booker. Anyway, I added my 9 new hallmark ornaments too. My tree looks awesome! This picture is of my pups eating CHEW-gars from their Grandpa Mitchell. He is a Cigar Conesuire and thought his grandkids should be too. This is the "BEFORE BOOKER CHEWED THE LIGHTS" pic of my tree.

Happy Birthday Little Brother - Today is Jason's Birthday. For those of you who do not know. Me and Jason are 1 year and two days apart. I hope he has a great birthday today and here is a little bit about his birth from my mom's site - - JASON'S BIRTH STORY . This is Booker kissing his uncle Jason.

My Grandpa - He had his first day of chemo yesterday, he is doing well. Thanks everyone for prayers. Please continue to pray for him as he is not out of the woods yet. Also please pray for my Grandma so that she can keep her energy up while taking care of him during this tim.

My Mom - My mom has officialy spoiled her grandkids. No more crate during the day, treats all the time, and lots of hugs and kisses.

Holy Mole-y Spicoli

2005-11-21T09:31:00.000-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE - Late I know

WOW, it has been WAY TO LONG Since my last blog.

Things have been really crazy lately.

Here is a list of all the things that have happened since the last time I posted:

1. My mom made the move to MI. She is staying with me and my husband. It has been awesome. She has been cooking for us and she cleans up and she plays with my dogs. They are in HEAVEN! It has just been awesome. Although the terms of her being here are not so great, it is ok because we all have faith that what needs to happen will - GOD WILL HANDLE IT.

2. Wedding Drama - my brother-in- law J is getting married on Dec 16th. I will not go into all the details but I will say that I hope his day is not ruined. My, Matt and my bro Jason are standing up and look forward to it.

3. I have been super busy at work. It seems like I get to the office and the day is over. There is not enough time to get everything done that I want to get done.

4. Me, my mom, and Matt went to see Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire. I LOVED IT but it still is not as WONDERFUL as the book. I can't wait until the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe comes out on December 9th! I love C.S. Lewis.

5. We went to see Jeremy Camp, The Afters, and Bethany Dillon @ Sunshine Community Church in Grand Rapids last Friday. It was awesome and just what I needed after I found out the worst news ever:

6. My Grandpa, my best friend, whom I love DEARLY has lymphoma (cancer). I will not know how serious it really is for the next few days.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST - WE PUT ALL THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AND OUR TREE UP!

I know this is a boring post, but I will get back to normal soon!

Here is a picture of my dogs, bighting on to the same piece of string from a toy and growling at each other to see who will let go first. LOL!

The Birthday Bus

2005-11-06T10:01:00.000-05:00

Our friend Amy's birthday was on 11/3 and our friend Korey's birthday was yesterday 11/5. They chartered a TRAIN BUS to hang out on for their combined birthday bash. It was hysterical. It looked like a train and it had three blow horns on the front. When you got in, the first thing you noticed it was ghetto fabulous with blue vinyl seating and white washed wood as the body of the bus. There was 18 of us. These people were AWESOME , we had met most of them at Amy's wedding back in April. What is funny is that most of them at one time have worked at Plante & Moran too.

The people in attendance where: Amy, Amy's Best friend Carrie, Korey, Korey's bro David, his two uncles, David's friend Nate, Me, Matt, Andrea, Max, Heather, John, Heather's Bro, Heather's best friend Kerri.

Meet Korey

Meet AmyThe bus picked us up at Waterworks in Grand Rapids and then drove us around for an hour and we listened to a cd player that worked part of the time, and skipped the other part of the time. We then went to this little whole in the wall bar where we got into some in-depth conversation about Delphi and GM (AGAIN), Although it was intriguing at first, it got a little tiresome for a birthday party. Then we left and went to this place called Level and while we were waiting in line to get in it started pouring rain, so Amy, Matt and I got the first cab we saw and took it back to our cars and ventured home. It was AWESOME. We had a blast. Too bad Caleb was not there. Caleb is Amy's hubby and he was in Wyoming state hunting some deer. He was missed.

NOW - I have to get one thing off my chest. Weddings should not be a source of drama. They are to show our support for the people in our lives who we love very much. People who are so in love with each other that they are committing to spend the rest of their lives together. Weddings are about the people who are getting married.

It was a success

2005-11-01T16:09:00.000-05:00

In the six years that Matt and I have been living together we have never had a single "trick-or-treater" until......last night. We figured we might have a few because we have some "friends" that always stop us when we are walking Booker and Fritz so that they can pet the rambunctious pups. These friends (a boy and a girl) are our neighbor kids that live across the street. We live in the new subdivision and so we thought we might get at least a few ghosts and goblins this year. The last time we walked the dogs our little friends were petting the pups, and Matt and I asked how many bags of candy they thought we should get. We wanted to make sure that we had enough, ya know. The little boy said "oh man you should get like three bags, every year we get like three bags and then we end up having to pass out random stuff from the cabinets that we don't eat." Matt and I were laughing so hard. We took his advice to heart and bought 5 bags.

I left work at 4:30 yesterday, so that I could be sure that I would make it home to light candles to put in my ceramic cat, pumpkin and frankenstein faces that sit on my porch. I got home at 5:30 and was waiting for Matt and the first set of kids came. I went through 5 bags in about 20 minutes. I had to start giving out granola bars and ..I sent Matt out to get more candy. I ran out of stuff to give so I had to turn our lights out until Matt got home. He came back with 5 more bags and we went through all of that in about 35 minutes. We stopped at 10 bags. IT was awesome. I loved seeing all the little little kids in the super cute costumes. It was funny because they were to young to say trick-or-treat but they could say "sank you". Sometimes they would walk up and just keep saying "sank you, sank you, sank you" until you put the candy in their hands. IT WAS SOOOO FUN. Next year, we are going to get really into it and decorate a lot more because I think we will have a lot more next year because the sub isn't even fully developed. I think we will dress up too, I have never been into holloween, but I AM NOW!!

Happy Holloween

2005-10-31T16:28:00.000-05:00

Oh the Joy.....

2005-10-29T18:14:00.000-04:00

TECHNOLOGY ROCKS!!!!

We just bought a wireless router last night. I am sitting on the couch watching the Perdue and Penn State game with my husband and blogging with my laptop at the sametime! It is the best. Good thing I am a pro at multi tasking.

Anyway, if you have a laptop that has wireless capabilities I HIGHLY reccomend you get a wireless router so you can have access to the internet at ALL TIMES.

I love being a child of the technology AGE. How did we ever get by without all this stuff?

Thelma & Louise Style

2005-10-24T18:52:00.000-04:00

SO with all the fun at Danielle's wedding, taking pics in sepia tone - I found it comical that I found this picture going through my hope chest.

My mom and I took this picture when I was 17 (1995). We went to visit my aunt in Reno, NV and in the Reno Hilton, they have this place where you can shop and do fun stuff like this. My family has a few different pictures like this of My mom, Grandma and Aunt.

I remember my mom begging me to do this picture. I was totally embarassed to put this outfit on, it was bright yellow, and the hat was red, but it didn't matter because the colors were not going to show up anyway. Hopefully my mom doesn't get mad because I posted this. I think she will remember it and laugh her but off.

If you ever have the opportunity to do this, you should because it is kinda cool when you find it like I did - 10 years down the road.

Must.....have.....air!!!

2005-10-19T10:16:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posting. Things have been really busy for us. Matt has been working from 6:00 am - 10:00 pm (sometimes 5:00 am - 11:00 pm) on the Business Plan/Strategic Plan for his plant. He has been working his tail off. I am so proud of his determination. Although it does wear on us, to not to be able to spend time with each other. So is the life of a successful CPA.

It's my busy season too, and although I get home at 6:30, I have so much going on during the day that I can't even think straight when I get home. After I get home, I try to clean up whatever messes we have made (which for two people we can make some pretty big messes) and then play with the Dogs. All while trying to hold out for my husband so that we can eat dinner together, and everynight - we pretty much eat alone. So is the life of working in governmental and education audit groups at a CPA firm.

Tiring as it may be, we seem to thrive when things are like this.

ALTHOUGH - We really need a vacation. We have not been on vacation since our honeymoon and that was 4 years ago. I don't know how we can go much longer without taking a relaxing break.

Anyway - I must get back to plugging away. Sorry for not making as many comments as usual. I miss everyones blogs. I hope everyone is doing well.

Geoff Fieger

2005-10-13T23:03:00.000-04:00

So you want to be Attorney General of MI Mr Feiger? It isn't too surprising. Your last run at Governor didn't work out to well. The people of MI know you are only tacking a stab at Attorney General because you want to follow in the footsteps of Jennifer Granholm. So be it, but I don't think you should bad mouth Mike Cox for tackling druglords, gangs and pedophiles. Contrary to what you think, THE TOP 2 Issues concerning this state are not "WHITE COLLAR CRIME AND CRIMES AGAINST THE ENVIRONMENT" I do consider these things important, but I would rather my friends and family be safe by putting the violent criminals behind bars.

P.S. I beg to differ with your statement that "People of Michigan should vote for you, knowing that you will get things done because the ATTORNEY GENERAL position would mean a drastic pay cut for you and you have nothing to lose" that is an ignorant statement! First of all, you own your own law firm, with many lawyers working for you. While you may not be getting personally paid for representation, we all know damn well you are still getting a pretty penny from the people who work for you. Stop underestimating the intelligence of Michigan citizens, it is INSULTING.

And one more thing, Tell your best friend Gretta, to put a sock in it. I am tired of hearing about Natalie and Aruba.

Welcome to a Global Economy UAW

2005-10-10T19:43:00.000-04:00

Most of you are probably aware that Delphi filed Chapter 11 reorg. Matt used to be a staff member of the Delphi Business Leadership Group. He left last October to take the Controller position at Federal Mogul, Greenville, MI. Federal Mogul has just finished with what Delphi is about to begin - the journey of reorganization.

(In case you need a familiar product to associate Delphi with, think XM Satelite Radio.)

What people need to realize, specificaly unions, is that they can't continue to demand ridiculous wages (holidays, leave time, etc.) for the manufacturing of non specialized parts that can be made overseas. There is a bubble when it comes to labor salaries, and when people have been paid 25-50$ an hour for a job that can be done overseas for 8$ an hour there is a problem, and the salary bubble will burst. Again, it sucks that jobs are going overseas, but businesses do what keeps them in business. It is a GLOBAL ECONOMY. Stop trying to deny it. Accept it and move on.

Yes, this is going to hurt the employees and it sucks, but why didn't they think about losing their wages and jobs while trying to negotiate the union contracts. It sucks to have to take a pay cut, but wouldn't you rather take a pay cut and have a job, than to not have one at all? I sure as hell would. But we are talking about people who pay 700$ a month for Cadillac Escalades and other high dollar cars because they are GM employees and they get a discount. All they care about is how much bling they can get. As in any case, it is not the job of an employer (or the government for that matter) to have to pay for living expenses of employees who were not smart enough to save for a "rainy day." It sucks but that is the way it is.

I would also like to say to those people who are complaining about the "retention bonuses" -THIS IS BUSINESS FOLKS. These people are highly educated and extremely talented, not to mention have a boat load of experience in the industry. When most people hear that their company is filing bankruptcy they jump ship as fast as they can. The problem for Delphi is that there are other businesses in the auto industry (i.e. Federal Mogul) who could steal this talent. To prevent this, they offer retention bonuses. I don't fault them. Besides, the executives are just as nervous as the men & women in the plants. However, executives don't have union representation lobbying for their jobs.

The argument could be made " if they are talented why can't they fix the company?" Well, Delphi was a spin off of GM, it was a new company with old GM liability. Just think if you started your own business with millions of debt, and labor & pensions costs that outweighed any money you made? It is impossible to dig your way out of debt. It isn't the fault of the executives. If your expenses (costs) out-weigh your income you are going to fail.

While this seems like it is bad for the economy, in the long run it will be better. Delphi will emerge from bankruptcy stronger and will continue to provide jobs. If Delphi doesn't do this now, eventually it would be worse. Imagine if Delphi had to shut down all operations - EVERYSINGLE JOB LOST. It would be far more devastating. DELPHI is the MAJOR Supplier to GM. IF Delphi shut its doors GM would be screwed - not to mention all the people who work at GM. Then there is all the the little suppliers and tool & die shops that would have to close because their business would then be lost.

Below are the 39 entities that were included in the filing.
1. Delphi Corporation (Parent) (Delaware)
2. ASEC Manufacturing General Partnership (Delaware)
3. ASEC Sales General Partnership (Delaware)
4. Aspire, Inc. (Michigan)
5. Delco Electronics Overseas Corporation (Delaware)
6. Delphi Automotive Systems (Holding), Inc. (Delaware)
7. Delphi Automotive Systems Global (Holding), Inc. (Delaware)
8. Delphi Automotive Systems Human Resources LLC (Delaware)
9. Delphi Automotive Systems International, Inc. (Delaware)
10. Delphi Automotive Systems Korea, Inc. (Delaware)
11. Delphi Automotive Systems LLC (Delaware)
12. Delphi Automotive Systems Overseas Corporation (Delaware)
13. Delphi Automotive Systems Risk Management Corp. (Delaware)
14. Delphi Automotive Systems Services LLC (Delaware)
15. Delphi Automotive Systems Tennessee, Inc. (Delaware)
16. Delphi Automotive Systems Thailand, Inc. (Delaware)
17. Delphi China LLC (Delaware)18. Delphi Connection Systems (California)
19. Delphi Diesel Systems Corp. (Delaware)
20. Delphi Electronics (Holding) LLC (Delaware)
21. Delphi Foreign Sales Corporation (Virgin Islands)
22. Delphi Integrated Service Solutions, Inc. (Michigan)
23. Delphi International Holdings Corp. (Delaware)
24. Delphi International Services, Inc. (Delaware)
25. Delphi Liquidation Holding Company (Delaware)
26. Delphi LLC (Delaware)
27. Delphi Mechatronic Systems, Inc. (Delaware)
28. Delphi Medical Systems Colorado Corporation (Colorado)
29. Delphi Medical Systems Corporation (Delaware)
30. Delphi Medical Systems Texas Corporation (Delaware)
31. Delphi NY Holdings Corporation (New York)
32. Delphi Services Holding Corporation (Delaware)
33. Delphi Technologies, Inc. (Delaware)34. DREAL, Inc. (Delaware)
35. Environmental Catalysts, LLC (Delaware)
36. Exhaust Systems Corporation (Delaware)
37. Packard Hughes Interconnect Company (Delaware)
38. Specialty Electronics, Inc. (South Carolina)
39. Specialty Electronics International Ltd. (Virgin Islands)

THE DOG - Siberian Huskies

2005-10-08T14:50:00.000-04:00

I love my dogs, I thought that these pics where so cute, I had to post them here. Fritz looked just like this when he was a pup. If you want to see THE DOG pics of your favorite pup go to :

Patrick - Born Again Redneck!

2005-10-07T21:12:00.000-04:00

So, some of you may have noticed the link under my "policitally inclined" section to the right. Patrick is someone I have come to know from blogging. He is truly a fascinating fellow, originaly from South Africa. He is very articulate and I absolutely adore his writing. I put the link there in hopes that the people who read this blog, will stumble upon his blog and get to know him a little bit. But after visiting his blog today, I have to call your attention to something he has written that is very profound. Maybe everyone can learn something from him. This is a portion of an essay he has written and I think it is tremendous.

Please read it.

"Gay Rights" - by Patrick Joubert Conlon

Most of my regular readers know that I am homosexual but I seldom blog about "gay" stuff mostly because it is not all that important to me. It is actually the least interesting part of who I am and there's much more significant stuff to write about than what I do in private. Also most people find the subject boring or distasteful but, whether we like it or not the "gay rights" agenda has raised it's hydra head.

Recently I discovered that there are quite a few conservative gay blogs. Some call them themselves right-wing Libertarians and others say they are Republicans. Many are patriotic and support the War on Terror. Some are pro-Christian and anti-abortion and believe in old-fashioned morals. When I first started reading them, they were a breath of fresh air to me after being surrounded by the America-hating, anti-Christian, communist gays in San Francisco BUT I soon realised that I part company with most of them because nearly all of them are proponents of "gay rights" and "gay marriage" and I am not.

I read and comment on several of these blogs and have tried to explain why I don't believe in "gay rights" but the leftists start in with their usual collectivist nonsense and skew the whole debate to their paradigm. It is impossible to make oneself clear because the gay commies have created the playing field and have made the rules for the past 20 years. Even the socalled conservative gays have been suckered into thinking like the leftist gays.

One of the "conservative" gay blogs recently wondered if Harriet Miers is "gay-friendly." I commented that I did not care as long as she was anti-abortion. If Miers is anti-abortion, I trust her to be sane on other topics. Some leftie took umbrage that I was only concerned with Miers' stance on abortion. I replied that I was also concerned about her stance on the Second Amendment but that I could not care less about her stance on "gay rights" because there is no such thing as "gay rights." I said that I thought that the arrogant demand for "gay rights" had actually done more harm than good. I bowed out of the debate when someone started using the fallacious comparison between blacks and gays. That exchange triggered off this post.

PLEASE VISIT HIS PAGE HERE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE POST - (taking a page out of Beths books with this format)

Another Quiz.

2005-10-07T13:36:00.000-04:00

You are a Believer

You believe in God and your chosen religion.
Whether you're Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or Hindu..
Your convictions are strong and unwavering.
You think your religion is the one true way, for everyone.

What's" Your Religious Philosophy?

Click the above link to take the short quiz.

Happy 4th Anniversary!

2005-10-04T10:26:00.000-04:00

October 6, 2001
Our Wedding Day,
The happiest day of my life.

I could not have asked God to give me anyone greater than you.
If I had it to do all over again, I would have only changed one thing. The first song we danced to as a married couple. I would have chosen this song instead. It embodies all that I feel about you. It is beautiful like you and I think of us every time I hear it. It is a song written by Jim Brickman and vocalized by Micheal W. Smith.

Cheers to 4 Years and Many More.

LOVE OF MY LIFE

I am amazed when I look at you,
I see you smiling back at me,
It's like all my dreams come true.
I am afraid if I lost you
I'd fall through the cracks and lose my track,
In this crazy, lonely world.

Sometimes it's so hard to believe,
When my nights can be so long,
And faith gave me the strength,
and kept me holding on.

You are the love of my life,
And I'm so glad you found me,
You are the love of my life,
Baby put your arms around me,
I guess this is how it feels,
When you finally find something real.
My angel in the night, you are my love...
The love of my life.

Now here you are,
With midnight closing in.
You take my hand as our shadows dance,
With moonlight on your skin.
I look in your eyes,
I'm lost inside your kiss.
I think if I'd never met you,
about all the things I'd missed.

Sometimes it's so hard to believe,
When a love can be so strong,
And faith gives me the strength,
and kept me going on.

You are the love of my life,
And I'm so glad you found me,
You are the love of my life,
Baby put your arms around me,
I guess this is how it feels,
When you finally find something real.
My angel in the night, you're my love...
The love of my life.

You are the love of my life,
And I'm so glad you found me,
You are the love of my life,
Baby put your arms around me,
I guess this is how it feels,
When you finally find something real.
My angel in the night, you are my love...
My angel in the night, you are my love...
The love of my. life.

This might be boring - sorry.

2005-10-03T19:24:00.000-04:00

So MSU lost. It really sucks. All you winners out there should start praying that I do not start supporting your team because if I do they will lose. It is just the way it is. Whatever team I want to win LOSES. So a bit of advice, DON'T MAKE ME MAD BECAUSE I CAN RUIN THE SEASON FOR ANY SPORT OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM AT ANY TIME. BEWARE!!!!!

I attempted to play my first round of Golf (in seven years) yesterday. Apparently the game of golf is supposed to be played like Nascaar here in MI. The faster the better. (For those who like to play speed rounds that is probably why you suck.) This will not keep from playing, I will just play with those who want to become good and want to teach me the correct way. My brother was really patient and was trying to help me. He realized that even though I generally know how to swing a club, after seven years, I was gonna need some help with my stance. Thanks to him for the patience. What a good brother!

The Return of the Mac! Nosaj NR Sarip.

2005-09-30T19:22:00.000-04:00

without further ado......

Jason has created some posts now, and I think he was letting of some steam. I checked it out and I figured I would remind everyone since it has been like 15 days since his last post. I did my sisterly duty by advertising his update here - he is one funny cat.

CLICK THE PICTURE TO HIT HIS PAGE.

#14 U of M vs #11 MSU.....GO GREEN~

2005-09-27T11:14:00.000-04:00

The Spartans play the Wolverines on Saturday. This is the BIG game for Michiganders. Spartans are 4-0 as of now. They rank in the top ten nationaly in both passing and rushing. Drew Stanton, the MSU QB is ranked first in the nation in passing efficiency.

MSU IS GOING TO KICK THE CRAP OUT OF MAZE & BLUE

See the post below for some very entertaining pics of Matt and his Spartan Enthusiasm. Keep in mind these pics were taken at 10:00 am. Ahhhhh GOOD TIMES.

SPARTAN SPIRIT - My Hubby in all his Spartan ALUMI Glory

2005-09-27T10:09:00.000-04:00

Further

2005-09-25T16:59:00.000-04:00

It is very hard to list a "FAVORITE" band for me, there are so many. There are two however that I would lay down my life to see (that may be a little extreme but ya know...) We saw Jeremy Camp last winter, and I love him- he is at the top of my list of favorites. HOWEVER, the two bands I would lay my life down to see are Superchic and Pillar. Pillar is the band playing now. These are the Lyrics to the song that is playing.

It's pressure the pleasures measure
The pressure is overbearing
Is it me myself that's caring
For every double-minded joy
And I admit that when I submit to you
I feel so unreal when I'm still
When I'm waiting for you to reveal
And from myself I seem so far away
And I admit that when I submit to you
I can see all of the selfish things I do

Chorus:
I'm further, further from myself
When I'm next to you
When I run to you
I was wasted embraced it but faced it
With you inside my heart you replaced it
Can't believe you have erased it
Selfishness and foolish pride
And I admit that when I submit to you
I can see all of the selfish things I do
Chorus:
I'm further, further from myself
When I'm next to you
When I run to you
Further from my future
Further from the past
Further from the starting line
Further from the last
Further from my doubts
Further from my fears
Further from temptation that I faced throughout my years
Further from agitation
Further from distraction
The reaction of the dissatisfaction of others actions
Further from myself
Further from my flesh
Further from my birth and I'm
Further from my death

Chorus:
I'm further, further from myself
When I'm next to you
When I run to you

BABY Got Book

2005-09-24T05:20:00.000-04:00

Ok, so at the begining of spring the radio station I listen to, played this song. I wanted to e-mail everyone about it but I never got around to it. Now with this blog, I can put it in one spot and if you want to see you can.

It is a christian remake of my grandma's all time favorite rapper (j/k grandma I know if you had your choice Sir-Mix-A-Lot would have been stoned and you would have married LL). Anyway, I find this remake to be HERLARIOUS YO! It is NOT making fun of christianity, it is actually really good.

So check out the video

Baby Got BOOK (bible)

By Dan Smith the White Boy DJ

HA HA HA HA LOLOL LMAO

2005-09-23T19:24:00.000-04:00

Ok I know you guys visit our friend Greg's Northshire Abbey Blog, BUT YOU HAVE TO GO VISIT IT NOW AND SEE THE FREAKIN HILARIOUS PICTURES OF Alan Colmes, Nader, and Kerry.

I have been LAUGHING AT THIS SINCE HE POSTED IT.

GO VIST THE ONE AND ONLY CUTIE B NOW FOR A GREAT LAUGH.

THE BEST PART IS HIS description at the bottom.

Gonna Get a Lil' Political Again

2005-09-23T00:37:00.000-04:00

So I was checking out Pappy's site, and I read his most recent post on George Soros (the Biggest Creep to ever walk the earth) and there was a comment from Free Agency Rules. NOW, I want you to visit both pages when you have a chance, but more importantly, I want everyone to go to Free Agency Rules and check out his side bar, you are looking for the "Important Documents" Section.

This Section of his sidebar has links to

The US Constitution
Federalist Papers
The Law
Declaration of Independence
Bill of Rights
Amendments 11-27

Every American should be familiar with these documents and I think it is so wonderful that he has them all in one convienent place.

Toodles.

2005-09-22T16:59:00.000-04:00

How Evil are you? Take the quiz to see. I found this on my third favorite(i do have two of my own ya know) Husky's blog - Indy.

Raw evil score: 13.33%

The Life Changing Pizza Hut Questions

2005-09-21T20:02:00.000-04:00

I am still sick, and I don't feel like blogging much today, but

Matt finally updated his blog with some "life changing questions" he got off the little kids pizza hut place matt. LOL.

So I promise to respond to all your comments tomorrow, but until then, please visit Matt's blog and participate.

VISIT MATT HERE TO ANSWER PIZZA HUT QUESTIONS

The EARTHQUAKE PANTS

2005-09-20T14:52:00.000-04:00

I have the flu today. I have been sleeping all day. I decided to check my blog and noticed that my cousin reminded me to do a post about something that was is so funny I almost pee my pants everytime I think about it (sorry for the visual.)

Growing up in California you either become very used to having earthquakes or you hear about them everyday somewhere in the state. Those of you from California know what I am talking about. Earthquakes are just a way of life.

My cousin( yep my white trash cuz) has a history of having very active dreams. She once had a dream that Rainbow Bright was chasing her over the rainbow to try and kill her. She also had a dream that Strawberry shortcake was trying to kill her too. Needless to say she couldn't have either of these toys because she was deathly afraid of them.

I am also a very vivid dreamer. When I eat tapioca pudding it is all over, I will have dream after dream of very wierd stuff. Once I had a dream that someone was trying to kill my family, we found a tree and we hid in it, but soon after we were in the tree I left the tree because I needed to go find my baby brother Christopher. I don't know why he wasn't in the tree to begin with but it was a dream, and folks you know that things that occur in dreams don't make a lot of sense. Anyway, the tree squished my family and ate them. I could not believe it. The tree was supposed to be helping us.

In a dream long ago............

There was going to be a huge earthquake, no one knew where to go, it was complete chaos. Where is a building located that could withstand the magnitude of what this earthquake was going to be? No one knew. But because my family is so brilliant, apparently my aunt Sharie-Poo had the foresight to come up with a very important item before this earthquake occured. Earthquake PANTS. PANTS THAT COULD PROTECT YOU FROM ANY EARTHQUAKE ANYWHERE. JUST put them on an you would be invisible to the devastation of the earths trembles. And there was enough for everyone. The earthquake started and there was a mad rush to put the earthquake pants on.

Hmmm I guess having earthquake pants is better than having an earthquake IN your pants. ROFLMA!!!!!!

Remember you can get your very own EARTHQUAKE PANTS for $29.99 or 2 FER Fitty!!!

Full Potential

2005-09-19T12:15:00.000-04:00

Life is an ever changing experience. Nothing in life is certain or set in stone. One thing I know is that sometimes we have to make uncomfortable changes in our lives to better our situation, and the situation of those we love. Some call this selfishness; I call it living to my greatest potential - the potential that God wants me to live up to.

In "98" I made a very hard to decision to leave California and move to Michigan. I left everything that was familiar to me. I ruined a very important relationship with my grandfather for a few years because of this move. He thought I was running from problems, when in fact I was running to change myself. I felt that I couldn’t do it with the influence of my family around. Not because they where a bad influence but because it was a safe environment and I never had to step outside my comfort zone to really push myself. Ruining our relationship made the move to Michigan horrible at first. My grandpa was my absolute best friend. We have everything in common. We used to talk for hours about anything and everything. He thought I was crazy for leaving. He still helped me make the move though, and now he is very grateful that he did. He realizes it was the greatest thing that I could have ever done for myself

Because I moved, I ended up married to the greatest man in the world. I started school again, and have become a completely different person. Not only has my move created amazing positive results in my own life, It did for Jason, my brother, too. Now, I am not taking any credit for the changes Jason has made in his life, but, I will say this, If Jason did not move from California and come to live with me and Matt, he would not be where he is today. The move is what opened the door for him to make the changes. He started going to a private/Christian university, became a Christian, and has a great job. Now, everyone knows the move isn't what made the changes. God is and will always be the key to personal change. But you have to want to change in order for him to help you.

God is lover of people (his children) he wants us to live a fulfilling life. If we choose not to live the life he wants for us it doesn't make us bad people, it just means we are not living to our fullest potential.

Crying

2005-09-16T23:11:00.000-04:00

All I want to do today is cry

I feel so sad

I am emotionally tapped out

In 40 days I remember my best friend Jessica who was killed 10 years ago by a drunk guy in a van who ran a stop sign. We were in youth group together. She was a year older than me. She moved up to the highschool that year. I saw her the Thursday before she was killed. I was supposed to be with her the night she died. I was at a youth function, she went to a party with her new highschool friends.

Although I love fall, I hate it too. I chose to get Married the same month she died so that I had something happy at the sametime so I don't spend so much time missing her. Every year about now I remember that next month it will be "insert # of years here" that she has been gone. I think about all the things that I have gotten to do that she hasn't.

I miss her.

She loved english muffins with blackberry jam and those stupid little trolls with the crazy hair.

I see her in my friend Amy.

I wish she was still alive.

Another Something Interesting From Another Wonderous Blog

2005-09-14T22:51:00.000-04:00

So their used to be this blog that I read all the time, the link is still to the right. I am hoping he eventually comes back. Madman was his name and venting about the DG was his game. It was awesome. Anyway Suzie, whom I have not had many conversations with, but have enjoyed reading her comments frequently, has a gentleman named MIKE who comments on her blog. I checked his profile out and went to visit his blog. I am impressed. He is under my "politicaly inclined" section, yet I am not quite sure if I should have him there or if I need to create another section. Anyway - he has this link on his page called TRIBES. YOU HAVE TO READ THIS. I AM NOT GOING TO POST THE COMMENTARY HERE (encouraging a little blog surfing here). But please, check out Mikes - Wild at Heart Blog. and THEN DO NOT MISS:

Tribes - EJECT EJECT EJECT!

Also, you might be interested in checking out this blog too - Recycled Thoughts

Allah or Jesus? Another way to look at it.

2005-09-13T22:04:00.000-04:00

This will most likely stir up some controversy, but it gives you an idea of what we are dealing with in this day and age. There really isn’t anything to debate here though. You may think this is intolerant, but they don’t care who you are if you are not a believer in Allah, you are an infidel. Separate this from the war in IRAQ. Just think in terms of Homeland Security. IF these people are promised into heaven for killing infidels, who knows if we can really live among them in peace. I don’t hink it is possible. Open-mindedness is not on the top of my list. Making people feel good is not at the top either. Being realistic is, and so is my beloved America. I am a patriot. I would never want to live or die anywhere else.

Allah or Jesus?-by Rick Mathes
Last month I attended my annual training session that’s required for maintaining my state prison security clearance. During the training session there was a presentation by three speakers representing the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim faiths, who explained each of their belief systems.

I was particularly interested in what the Islamic Imam had to say. The Imam gave a great presentation of the basics of Islam, complete with a video.

After the presentations, time was provided for questions and answers.

When it was my turn, I directed my question to the Imam and asked:
“Please, correct me if I’m wrong, but I understand that most Imams and clerics of Islam have declared a holy jihad [Holy war] against the infidels of the world. And, that by killing an infidel, which is a command to all Muslims, they are assured of a place in heaven. If that’s the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?”

There was no disagreement with my statements and, without hesitation, he replied, “Non-believers!”

I responded, “So, let me make sure I have this straight. All followers of Allah have been commanded to kill everyone who is not of your faith so they can go to Heaven. Is that correct?”

The expression on his face changed from one of authority and command to that of a little boy who had just gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He sheepishly replied, “Yes.”

I then stated, “Well, sir, I have a real problem trying to imagine Pope John Paul commanding all Catholics to kill those of your faith or Dr. Stanley ordering Protestants to do the same in order to go to Heaven.

The Imam was speechless.

I continued, “I also have a problem with being your friend when you and your brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me. Let me ask you a question. Would you rather have your Allah who tells you to kill me in order to go to Heaven or my Jesus who tells me to love you because I am going to Heaven and He wants you to be with me?”

You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam hung his head in shame. Needless to say, the organizers and/or promoters of the ‘Diversification’ training seminar were not happy with Rick’s way of dealing with the Islamic Imam and exposing the truth about the Muslim’s beliefs.

I think everyone in the US and Canada should be required to read this.

This is a true story and the author, Rick Mathes, is a well known leader in prison ministry.
*Think about this, with all the Islamic people now in the Canada and the USA . How do we really know that we are safe here in our own country?

Republicans and Democrat - Best Friends Always

2005-09-12T20:34:00.000-04:00

Shorty M (R-MI) and Cutie B (R-MA)

Ster (R-MI) and Nichan(D-MA)

If you weep, I will weep with you, If you sing for joy the rest of us will lift our voices too, But no matter what you feel inside, there's no need to pretend. That's the way it is in this circle of friends.

EXTRA EXTRA - TO FAMILY MEMBERS

2005-09-11T22:31:00.000-04:00

My mom will not be posting or answering e-mails for the next week. She will have limited access to her PC. DO not worry though - she is moving to Michigan this Saturday. Her ticket was purchased this evening. I will be picking her up on Saturday night. I AM SO EXCITED!

Fabulous Wedding!!! Take this test first.....

2005-09-11T00:42:00.000-04:00

So we went to the best wedding ever this weekend (not better than ours though) and it was the most fun I think I have ever had. It was for Danielle & Steve (Nicole's Sister). WE HAVE AWESOME PICS AND STORYS TO TELL. But that will be in a couple days. I have to get all the pictures organized.

For now though, ANOTHER test :), My cousin sent me this "Disposition Test.” Plante & Moran uses personality tests like this to analyze whether an individual will fit into the culture that we pride ourselves on. This is one of a series of tests you would take if you were going to apply for a position at Plante. I have been through this testing to determine what I should go to school for. The testing helps you understand that types of things you will excel at. FOR THE RECORD, I am an ISTJ personality.

Here are my results for this TEST (GO AHEAD TAKE IT):
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

YOU ARE A GAURDIAN

Guardians, are the cornerstone of society, for they are the temperament given to serving and preserving our most important social institutions. Guardians have natural talent in managing goods and services--from supervision to maintenance and supply--and they use all their skills to keep things running smoothly in their families, communities, schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses.

Guardians can have a lot of fun with their friends, but they are quite serious about their duties and responsibilities. Guardians take pride in being dependable and trustworthy; if there's a job to be done, they can be counted on to put their shoulder to the wheel. Guardians also believe in law and order, and sometimes worry that respect for authority, even a fundamental sense of right and wrong, is being lost. Perhaps this is why Guardians honor customs and traditions so strongly--they are familiar patterns that help bring stability to our modern, fast-paced world.

Practical and down-to-earth, Guardians believe in following the rules and cooperating with others. They are not very comfortable winging it or blazing new trails; working steadily within the system is the Guardian way, for in the long run loyalty, discipline, and teamwork get the job done right. Guardians are meticulous about schedules and have a sharp eye for proper procedures. They are cautious about change, even though they know that change can be healthy for an institution. Better to go slowly, they say, and look before you leap.

Guardians make up as much as 40 to 45 percent of the population.

The Four types of Guardians are:
Supervisors (ESTJ) Protectors (ISFJ) Inspectors (ISTJ) Providers (ESFJ)

Which one are you?

Blog Overboard - TWO PARTS

2005-09-04T15:10:00.000-04:00

PART 1
So, I created blogs for Fritz and Booker on Dogster.com. Please look under the links to right called "My Husband, kids and such!" I know it is probably way overboard, but if you go look at the pictures you will see why I do it. They are just toooo adorable. Mom - I am sure you will get a blast out of it.

CAT LOVERS (Greg, Nicole & Andrea) - you can also do this on Catster.com

PART 2
Also - as a result of all the recent hurricane stuff, I am going out on a limb here - and I would say that, we are most likely living in the END TIMES. If you don't believe it, that is your choice. I do, however, believe it. What makes me even more certain, is that in a time of dire emergency, people are raping, shooting at, and trying to force themselves into power in a flooded, devastated and basically annihilated area of our country.

If you ever question whether God really exists check out this video "STEPS TO PEACE WITH GOD"- by Billy Graham and explore the rest of that website. Knowing God has nothing to do with being terrible person - honestly, every single person on this earth is imperfect (even if you would like to think you are perfect and if that is the case, you probably do not have a lot of friends!) Knowing God is about knowing that you have been set free from all the sorrow and pain that you have ever felt. There is no joy that could ever be felt that is like that of knowing that GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE! If all of a sudden there are millions of people missing from the world, PLEASE KNOW IT WAS NOT AN ALIEN ABDUCTION - AND BE SURE TO READ THIS - HOLY CRAP WHERE IS EVERYONE? & WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Now - if you are are a Christian already, Please check out Kirk Cameron's (yes from growing pains) CALL TO ACTION - THE WAY OF THE MASTER

That is all folks. You may think I am crazy but it is ok. I KNOW WHERE I AM GOING AND I KNOW WHAT I AM DOING. I LOVE EVERYONE who reads this blog, even if you disagree with me. Christianity is about love - the love of a man, who died on a cross, and rose on the third day. Check out Joel Osteen.

Life is about questioning, and getting answers to questions.

Goodbye Sweet Hummingbird!

2005-09-03T14:19:00.000-04:00

Matt and I got home from shopping this afternoon and I saw a tiny hummingbird on the floor of the garage. It was only alive for about five seconds after I found it, the little legs where shivering and all of a sudden it died. I was really upset. I have no idea how it got in the garage.

It was beautiful though. It had really pretty shades of yellow and green.

I gave it a proper funeral. That may be weird to some, but I felt like it was appropriate. I got the shovel and I dug a tiny little hole in the ground.

How sad!

FYI

2005-08-31T11:38:00.000-04:00

Due to something that is happened on Nicole's blog, I want everyone to KNOW:

IF YOU SAY SOMETHING IS UNCHRISTIAN, and you bring your politics into it I WILL ANALYZE EVERY SINGLE WORD YOU SAY and I WILL PUT MY TWO SENSE IN.

I AM NOT ATTACKING ANYONE! ALSO FYI - YOU CAN VISIT ANY OF THE BLOGS I GO TO (THEY ARE ALL LISTED ON THE RIGHT) AND READ ANY COMMENTS I HAVE WRITTEN. They are not VULGAR, MEAN OR JUDGEMENTAL. GO AND READ them. I DISAGREE WITH LIBERALS and if that is JUDGMENTAL, then WE ARE ALL GOING TO HELL! Oh wait, I forgot that is why JESUS CHRIST DIED ON THE CROSS AND ROSE AGAIN ON THE THIRD DAY!

I AM NOT LIBERAL, I WILL NEVER BE A LIBERAL! I AM A CONSERVATIVE. I BELIEVE IN WAR. I THINK CINDY SHEEHAN SHOULD SHUT UP. A lot of people have lost loved ones, I am sorry for her. MY BEST FRIEND WAS KILLED WHEN I WAS 15. I KNOW what loss is like. I DO NOT KNOW what it is like to lose my son or daughter, but my dad was in the ARMY and if my dad died, I know he would have died doing something he loved. HE WAS IN DESERT STORM AND if you are not in the MILITARY you have no idea what goes on. I WOULD, HOWEVER, NOT try to become rich or famous by milking the media for everything it is worth.

I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ALL YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE MILITARY ARE THERE ONLY TO BE ABLE GET AN EDUCATION. IF YOU BELEIVE THAT, then START TAKING POLES OF YOUR FRIENDS IN THE MILITARY.

I DON'T DELETE COMMENTS - N-O-N-E go check my Words from the LORD blog, I WAS TOLD TO F-OFF by someone I HAVE NEVER EVEN VISITED.

THERE ARE SEVERAL LIBERALS IN MY LIFE WHO I LOVE VERY MUCH.

ANYTHING ELSE, OH YEAH - I DON'T CARE IF THE PERSON I AM DEBATING IS A FAMILY MEMBER OF A FRIEND OR NOT - IF THAT PERSON CLAIMS TO LIKE TO DEBATE, THEN IT IS ON. OH WAIT, they only like to debate if they can get down and dirty but I guess I can't because I claim to be a christian so I have to just take this BS etc. etc.

IF YOU POST A COMMENT HERE - BE PREPARED FOR PEOPLE TO DISAGREE WITH YOU!

Would you pass the US Citizenship Test?

2005-08-29T23:23:00.000-04:00

Another fun little test to take. Beth's Blog always Rocks!

The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service administers a test to all immigrants applying for American citizenship. For years, these questions have been selected from a list of 100 questions. Inspired by another, shorter BlogThing test, I have selected a few of these questions, or variants thereof, for this test. Correct answers are worth 10; incorrect answers are worth 0. The bonus question, if answered correctly, is worth 50 (it will not affect your score if answered incorrectly). How will you do?

CLICK HERE ~~THIS TEST IS WAY BETTER THAN THE COMPASS TEST, SO GO TAKE IT!

P.S> it isn't political in nature, historical rather~

What is your worldview??

2005-08-29T22:57:00.000-04:00

What is your worldview? Do you believe that all humans are basically good? Are you Agnostic? Atheist? What causes you to believe what you believe?

What is philosophy? Philosophy is the activity of thinking, questioning, and living. Everyone has a philosophy. There are four different parts that make up a philosophy.

Metaphysics
What is really real, the nature of things.

Epistemology
How you know the nature of things. Epistemology is the root of all philosophy and is concerned with the nature and limits of human knowledge. Basically it is how and what we can know.

Logic
Critical thinking (inductive and deductive reasoning), basically the reasoning behind a belief in something.

Ethics
How do you live out that belief.

Here is a thought provoking Socratic saying:
Sow a Thought, Reap an Act;
Sow an Act, Reap a Habit;
Sow a Habit, Reap a Character;
Sow a Character, Reap a Destiny

I will give you the reasoning of my personal worldview/philosophy in the next post.

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE CAN BE A MORAL LAW, WITHOUT A MORAL LAW GIVER?

What my compass said!

2005-08-24T21:52:00.000-04:00

I AM A PAUL MARTIN ON THE SCALE! CLICK THIS PIC OF PAUL TO READ ABOUT HIM!

What is Your Poliital COMPASS?

2005-08-24T18:32:00.000-04:00

I was visiting a friend's blog when I stumbled upon a comment that mentioned a political test. I am a political test junky so it should be no surprise to anyone reading this, that I went and took the test.

It is not the normal Right or Left test. In fact here is a description as to why they have created this unique test.

“There's abundant evidence for the need of it. The old one-dimensional categories of 'right' and 'left' , established for the seating arrangement of the French National Assembly of 1789, are overly simplistic for today's complex political landscape. For example, who are the 'conservatives' in today's Russia? Are they the unreconstructed Stalinists, or the reformers who have adopted the right-wing views of conservatives like Margaret Thatcher ?

On the standard left-right scale, how do you distinguish leftists like Stalin and Gandhi? It's not sufficient to say that Stalin was simply more left than Gandhi. There are fundamental political differences between them that the old categories on their own can't explain. Similarly, we generally describe social reactionaries as 'right-wingers', yet that leaves left-wing reactionaries like Robert Mugabe and Pol Pot off the hook. “

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???? TAKE THE TEST ALREADY!!!

At the end of the test, you'll be given the compass, with your own special position on it.

I am so excited

2005-08-22T09:48:00.000-04:00

I am so excited and I just can't hide it,
I'm about to lose control, and I think I like it……..Yeah!

As you can see I am really hyper today. I love the crisp air, it was 55 this morning. I am so looking forward to the fall season. I love FALL. No hot, humid, stanky air. Not to mention my wedding anniversary (10/6), Thanksgiving, my birthday (12/7) and J & Sarah's wedding on 12/16. I love Christmas too, but it can be over commercialized. Anyway, I LOVE FALL. I love the changing colors, I love EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.

In about four weeks, something very special will be happening in my family. My brother Jason will be a COLLEGE GRAD!!!! Wohooo! I am so happy for him. I could not be a more proud sister. He has made so many changes in his life over the last two years and I cannot express the emotion that comes along with anticipating this great event.

Here is to all the above mentioned things:

CHEERS

A note of thanks!

2005-08-18T22:10:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the card NICOLE. I LOVED IT!
It really made my day!

2005-08-16T18:43:00.000-04:00

Indy Pindy & David Letterman

A Husky's Life - Indy Pindey & David Letterman

2005-08-16T18:15:00.000-04:00

If you have ever watched David Letterman's show, you know all about the segment Stupid Pet Tricks (Kelly, if you are reading this, this one is for you.)

A couple days ago I was looking at blogs that had "Siberian Huskies" listed as an interest. I came across Indy Pindey's Blog. Apparently Indy is sooo smart he can say Hello and No - To those of us who own or have been around huskies, you know that NO is probably their most favorite word (unless you have a piece of cheese or other edible item in your hand). At any rate, I found out that Indy was on the David Letterman Show to perform his talents. That is sooo AWESOME. Maybe we can get Booker on the show for his identical immitation of CHEWBACCA. Lord knows he has that perfected. Indy is very beautiful Sibe (he is a red head.)

Anyway, Fritz and Booker really appreciated the shout out INDY gave them, since they have been feeling left out lately (with matt working so much and me becoming a blogger extraordinaire), they got really excited when I played Indy's voice. They thought that their friend Kelsey Ross was here to Play. They were a little disapointed at first but then got really excited that they might have a new friend in Maryland!

Remarkable Church Signs

2005-08-12T09:21:00.001-04:00

Ever been driving down a street, and read a super stupid church sign. I have. However, I have never seen any as LAME as these.

You have to check these signs out.

Visit this blog:

http://skypilotjourneyman.blogspot.com/