Thirteen

Just a few short minutes ago, at 6:14 a.m. to be exact, my baby boy turned 13!!

How did this happen??

Where did the time go??

Can somebody please send me the customer service number where I can make a complaint about children growing up without their mom's permission??

What's a mom to do? Well, I guess I'll spend this day like I do most others: being so very proud of my amazing son. He's smart, funny, tender-hearted and so good-natured.

I used to joke that he never went through the "terrible twos" and he still hasn't - he just doesn't have a cranky bone in him!

So here are some pictures of my baby. I won't force you to watch the 8-minute slide show!! :)

This last picture was just a few minutes ago. (notice the remnants of the traditional birthday donut cake) He doesn't like to have his picture taken anymore. I had to use my mother's guilt to get this one!

Happy Birthday Joshie. You are one of the best things I've ever done.

Love,

Mom

Big Day

It's a big day here at the Wright house. Long story short...Patrick met a girl from Virginia on Facebook and she's flying here today to spend a week with us.

I know. I know. It's a lil' bit strange but really OK. They've talked, texted, facebooked and skyped for months now. I spent about 30 minutes talking to her and her parents Sunday night. (Richard had to skip out to be at Southlakes.) They are completely worried about their 19-year-old daughter trekking cross country to meet this dread-locked boy. I've tried to put myself in their place and 'bout had a panic attack just thinking about Roman doing something like that!

Patrick is so excited.

Who knows how it will go.

Times are so different, aren't they???

B.

p.s. Josh's team went all the way to the finals of the state tournament but ended up losing. It was so exciting to be a part of that and being #2 in the state ain't bad, right?

Take State!

These guys
will be playing in the semi-finals of the state tournament tomorrow. If they win in the morning, they advance to the finals in the afternoon. If they win the tourney, they advance to regionals in South Carolina in June. It's all so very exciting!!!

So, I bought them these
cuz I'm sure it will help them win!!! Aren't they cute?

Go Celtic 96! Take State!

Proud Mom of #26

Cousins

First of all, let me just tell you about my day yesterday. I spent ALL DAY on the computer.....scanning pics, getting pics off wal mart cd's, organizing the pics on my hard drive and.........drum roll please........I made a slide show - WITH music - for Josh's 13th birthday party!!!

All.

By.

Myself.

(and one little phone call to walmart photo tech support.)

And today........I'm cross-eyed!!!

Ok. Ok. Back to the subject of this post. I had a surprise party for my mother-in-law Sunday evening for her big 6-0! It was lots of fun. She was surprised. yada yada yada. And all the cousins were together again - which doesn't happen too often now that the big ones are out doing their own thang, kwim?

So I had to get a cousins picture. And then I had to compare it to another one I had. This is from Christmas 2000. Sam, my nephew, hadn't even come on the scene yet.
Front row: Roman, Josh, Wyatt and Kenzie. Back row: Jeremy, Brandon, Kayla, Logan and Patrick.

And then, from Sunday:
Front row: Sam and Logan. 2nd row: Kayla, Roman, Kenzie and Jeremy. Back row: Brandon, Josh, Wyatt and Patrick.

Wowzers!!! Where did the time go?
They are such a sweet group. They get along so well when they're together and treat each other like brothers and sisters!

My kids are so lucky!

B.

10 Years Later

I thought I would do a post yesterday about the May 3rd tornado since it was the 10 year anniversary but I was too busy getting ready for my mother-in-law's surprise party and taking pics of pieces of saran wrap hanging under my cabinet!!

So it had to wait until 10 years and 1 day later!

This post is more a memory-keeper for me than anything else. Roman was only 8 months old and Josh was just turning 3 so they don't really remember it. The big boys remember more. I wish I had written down everything I saw, heard, and felt those few days and weeks after that monster tornado changed our lives forever.

So here are the most memorable parts:

It was a Monday afternoon/early evening. Cutest Boy was working on his MBA and had a class on Monday nights. He was having back pain issues and decided not to go to class that night - the only class he missed in that program! He came home and we watched this storm develop in Lawton - which is 1 1/2 hours from us - while we ate dinner. This is crazy to me now - that we watched this massive storm that was coming for us but we didn't know it at the time.

I've lived in Oklahoma my whole life and have had to "take tornado precautions" before so I wasn't too worried. When it was in Chickasha headed to Bridgecreek, Gary England (the ONLY weatherman for us) was tracking it in our direction. At that point, Cutest Boy thought we should probably leave. I really thought we would be OK - I had dinner to clean up, laundry to fold and mounds of clothes and toys I was going through to get ready for a garage sale the next weekend. We had just been through a close call that October and nothing came of it, right?

Then it got to I-44 and was headed for my best friend's house. She's across town from us but CB decided it was time to go. We loaded up all the kids and the dog and headed to my MIL's house in Midwest City to get in their cellar. (Who knew it would eventually track about a mile from there!!) I remember driving away, talking to Katrina, crying because it was headed right at her. I was so scared for her! It ended going about a mile north of her but cut straight through the heart of south OKC - where so many of our friends from church lived.

The rest of the night is kinda foggy to me. I remember riding out the storm in the cellar, coming out and debris was falling out of the sky like rain. There was the smell of natural gas in the air and it was so weirdly calm. No electricity at my in-laws and I remember it started getting warm and muggy.

And we had no idea what was going on at our house. It was hard to tell by listening to the radio if our neighborhood had been hit - we knew it was close, but not certain.

I had to respond to a Code Black at the hospital - they were expecting massive casualties. I can't even remember the patients I saw that night but I do remember a Chaplain saying he thought my neighborhood had been hit. I couldn't even think that thought.

After CB dropped me at the hospital, he tried to go to our house. He couldn't even get close to it - trying from every direction. We even tried again after he picked me up at midnight. We spent that night not knowing what we would find the next day.

Here's what we came home to:

This is the back of our house. We didn't take a direct hit - this was all wind and debris damage.

Side note: I don't even know where some of these pics came from. I don't remember taking any pictures but I sure wish I had. I was just so numb for days. I do know that Clifton Briscoe gave us a bunch of "general" pictures but I don't remember taking any!

This is looking into the dining/kitchen area. What you can't see is the layer of mud and glass on everything. I've always said there was the tin from 2 barns in my front room! But, the vase with the guppies in it (on the bar to the left of Brandon's head if you look closely) was sitting there undisturbed!

To this day, I am so thankful my husband thought to drive us away from there. We would have been fine in the bathroom we would have hid in but to walk out to that MESS...oh my.


This is photo is looking toward my neighborhood from the adjacent field. If you can click and make it larger you can see the houses more clearly. Several houses on our street - just a few down from us - were almost wiped out. About half a mile from us, 2 men died at their work place.

We spent that summer in CB's best friend's mom's guest house. Super small - but not a bad way to spend our time since they had lots of land and a beautiful pool. We were out of our house for about 4 1/2 months and got a great re-model out of it all.

I remember so many helpful people - friends and others that just wanted to "do something." I remember never wanting for anything. I remember going through the house and making list after list of things that were destroyed but knowing that all the important things had been saved. I remember the insurance company being so easy to work with - making sure we were reimbursed for every little thing. I remember the construction company that worked on the house did a wonderful job.

It's hard to believe that you cannot tell where that tornado ate up the countryside and destroyed house after house. 10 years ago, I was convinced that we could never get rid of all the debris and devastation. Go to www.kfor.com - I think they have a whole section called May's Fury. We watched the special Saturday night. It's hard to believe that happened to us!

There's so much more - but this post is definitely long enough!

But, of course, all the glory is the Lord's. He knew Richard shouldn't be away from his family that night and then He led him to drive us away from the terror we would have experienced if we'd stayed. He directed our steps that night and in the days following.

For that, I am grateful!

B.

Can Your Dust Bunnies Do This?

I know this appears to be some sort of magic or illusion that might be performed by Houdini himself but...........no..........
It's just a piece of plastic wrap suspended in mid-air by the power of..........trumpet sounds here........dust bunnies!

This post brought to you by the Cutest Boy on the Block who thought this blog-worthy. Funny thing is I left this there for a few weeks cuz it cracked us up! It's the little things in life, right?

Another slow news day in the rain-soaked heartland!

B. - who would like to see the sun shine!

Mammogram Scare

...or the scariest, most horrifying day of my life.

So, I had my first mammogram the other day. (see my post from Tuesday.) About 3 hours after the test, I got a call from the Breast Center asking me to come back for some more views of the right side.

I'm so NOT a worry wart. I didn't jump to any conclusions or start planning my funeral. Cutest Boy did, though. He was more than a little concerned. I had heard that it was not uncommon to be called back in for more pictures.

I went back yesterday. As I was sitting in the waiting room listening to Kathie Lee Gifford be completely self-indulgent, I started getting a weird "vibe."

The staff was looking at me differently. Their voices were quieter, more solemn.

The radiologist gets me in the room and tells me the doctor saw something and that because it was my first mammogram and because I have such dense breast tissue (code speak for "your boobs are fat), she wanted another test. Could be something. Could be nothing.

That seemed pretty straight forward. So, she gets 4 more views and says, "Follow me. You'll be having an ultrasound in this room."

What??????!!!!!!!!

I'm thinking: She saw something that warrants an ultrasound???!!! I have breast cancer.

She sits me in a quiet dark room to wait for the US tech. She comes in, gets me on the table and starts the test.

I'm laying there trying not to start crying. So, my breathing is rapid and jerky. I close my eyes and desperately try to quote scripture.

Nothing. I can't grab anything from my brain.

So, I try to make a list in my mind for everything I need to do to get ready for my mother-in-law's surprise party Sunday night.

I can't even do that. My mind is racing.

Panic and fear are trying to take over my body and I'm desperately trying to fight them off but I can't even get a prayer to form in my brain. The tech asks me if she's hurting me and I realize that tears have slipped from the corners of my eyes. I am losing the battle.

About then, I grab the song "Strong Tower" and sing it - or some version of it - in my mind. I wish I could say peace washed over me, but it didn't. I was sinking.

She finished about then. And, in a quiet voice told me she would get the doctor. Another bad sign. Why do I need to see the doctor unless it's bad news?

As I sit there, I am completely overwhelmed with fear and uncertainty. I'm sure every scenario of my life passed through my mind in those few minutes I was in there alone.

But, my worst fears did not come true yesterday. The doctor kindly delivered the news that I have two cysts, benign, that will probably resolve on their own. No more treatment required. Come back in a year.

I'm still processing that whole 45-minute ordeal. I had a terrible day and evening after that. Today that sounds a little ridiculous but I'm still a little shell-shocked. I've never, ever dealt with anything like that with my own health, my own mortality.

I didn't like it.

B.

Quotes From the Backseat

...and the front seat. And the third row seat.

This is dedicated to the fabulous Princess Booski over at Things No One Tells You. (see my blog roll on the side somewhere.) (remember I don't know how to do the linkie-thingie!!) Super funny Bonnie always cracks me up when she writes about the things her 3-year-old daughter says.

So, Bonnie, this is what you have to look forward to.

Yesterday when I picked Josh up from football, I also picked up 4 of his friends. This is just a snippett of the MANY conversations that occurred in that 20 minute drive time:

"Look at all those golf carts!"
"Dude, golf carts are so cool!"

"You could always live in a red shack."
"Dude, red shacks are so cool!"

"Remember when we tp'd Kaley?"
"One time I got 6 people in one night."
"All in one night?"
"Dude, tp-ing is so cool!"

"What if we hooked it up to electricity and it went psssshhhhththhtt ?(some sound only made by a 12-year-old boy)
"Dude, that would be so cool!"

Cool, huh?

B.

Somebody Said...

"Get a mammogram at age 40."

I'm 41.36 years old so I decided it was time.
And it went something like this:

Radiologist Donna: "Mrs. Wright, are you ready?"
Mrs. Wright: "Sure. Do you want to start my IV and get the morphine drip going before or after I change into your super-fashionable poncho-type thin floral garment?"
RD: "We don't use morphine for this procedure."
MW: "So, valium, then?"
RD: "Not valium either. It's a simple procedure."
MW: "Demerol and Versed?"
RD: "No."
MW: "Tylenol? Baby Aspirin????" (desperation noticeable in her voice)
RD: "It's not as painful as your friends have told you. I will make sure you're as comfortable as possible."
MW: (under her breath and with more than a little sarcasm) "Yeah, right. You've prolly never even had one. Keep me comfortable, my eye. What does she know?"
RD: "I've had 10."

Well, shut my mouth. Next thing I know, she's putting "the girls" between the plastic things, smooshing the snot out of them and I'm done. The worst part was holding my breath and really, really hoping I wasn't part of some Ashton Kutcher Punk'd show! **grin**

Donna really was the best - so professional and as gentle as she could be considering the task she had to accomplish. I'll definitely ask for her next year - mostly because...ummmm...now that I've gotten that "close" (coughcoughfeltupcoughcough) to another chick, I'm sticking with her!!!

So glad that is over, but you know which dr's appointment comes next, right???

Aye yi yi.

B. - whose mammies have been grammed.

Scroll On Down...

...if you're here to see my THONGS!!! bwahahaha

My April 13 post (I think) has my beeeeee-utiful flip flops. Thanks for stopping by and thanks to Linda for being a supah hostess!

Peace, love and painted toe nails,

B.

The Week In Review

Did you ever just have one of those weeks??

Last week was super crazy at our house - which seems to be the norm these days. Soon, I'm gonna have a post that starts out: "There's nothing going on around here. I watched paint dry today."

But, for now, it is what it is.

And, what it is...is a lot of soccer. Good thing I {heart} that sport!

Easter was very enjoyable with our family. We had dinner in Guthrie Saturday night with my mom, brother and sister on our way home from a soccer game in Tulsa. Sunday, we went to church with my sil to see my nephew get baptized. (It was kinda funny being back in a traditional baptist church!! We only bought new jeans and flip flops for our Easter service at LC!! haha) But, they had poster testimonials - people wrote their testimony in just a few words on posterboard and walked out onto the stage with them, no speaking - and it was SO powerful. I wept and wept. You just don't know what people have gone through in their lives by looking at them from the outside!

Here are a few pics of Josh and Roman from Sunday morning. You know Josh would rather gouge his eyes out than wear khakis...they're so goofy!

The rest of the week was spent going from practice to practice to Beauty and the Beast rehearsals to games yada yada yada.

Josh's team practiced with their "A" team Wednesday night and, afterwards, Josh was invited to play in a tournament with them in Tulsa over the weekend. Very exciting for Josh but the downfall of the very quiet, laid-back weekend that was supposed to be. He played with his own team Saturday morning in Norman then we left from there and raced up to Tulsa to play that afternoon with the other team. I drove back up on Sunday with him and Richard stayed here because Roman had a game that afternoon.

So, lots of soccer with life just thrown right in the middle of it.

Today, the weather is beautiful. Roman and I have played tennis and gone to the Library. I wish I could have done that from the comfort of the couch and without a bra on but...oh well! I'm sure a bra-less couch day is coming soon.

But for now, let the dinner-making, taxi-cabbing hour begin!

Toodles,

B

Somebody Please Remind Me

...that I am in my 40's and planting 15 pots of flowers in one afternoon in Oklahoma hard, red clay is just downright crazy - not to mention painful! Today, my bum muscles hurt so bad I grimace to walk or sit down. I'm wishing I could just lay down the whole day but, sadly, this is a busy day with no time for laying - but lots of walking!! ouch.

This new house has lots of flower beds. The previous owners had lots of "schtuff" planted in them but not a flash of color in a flower to be found! And I do love me some flowers! (so not a shrub/bush person) I had a difficult morning Tuesday and ended up in the garden section at Lowe's. Nothing like rows and rows of colorful plants and flowers to lift my spirits.

(side note: we are really struggling with one of our children. not anything i want to share on the world wide web, but i would covet your prayers. 'nuff said.)

So, this flower bed is on the south side of the house. Same side as the garage. It's the one I see the most so it had to get flowers right away! You can't really see them but I planted all kinds of perennials - phlox, dianthus, and lots of others that I will never remember the name of!! I did get some shasta daisies and lillies from my friend, Susan. They were from plants that I had given her from my flower garden at our old, old house. (I gotta quit moving so much!) I was so happy to have some of those back.
Although I could hardly move by the time I was finished, I tucked them in with a little water and miracle grow and told them to get busy and G.R.O.W.!!

This is just a shot of my side porch. I bought that little antique bike at a garage sale. The little old lady that was selling it said, "Honey, it only needs a new chain." Little did she know that for 75 cents that cutie was going up on top of an armoire! It's seen all of its riding days.

I'm off to the grocery store for an hour of torturous walking. Cutest Boy told me to "stretch it!" I'm going to pinch his ear when he gets home for that suggestion!

Peace, love and planting,

B.

Flip Flop Frenzy

Now it's a fun day when the postwoman drops off flip flops in your mailbox!! These cuties were sent to me from southern Texas by the fabulous Laura A.

I {heart} them muchly!!! Thank you so much, Laura and, yes, they are squishy enough!

We participated in Linda over at Growin' With It's - see my blog roll on the side - flip flop exchange.

I had so much fun shopping for my gal. Seriously, I had 4 pairs in my hands and I almost bought them all because they were super cute and inexpensive. So I carried them all around the store with me until I could decide. Have I ever blogged about how indecisive I am??? It's a real problem for me.

Anyhoo....that was a few weeks ago and I just put them in the mail today. Can't wait to hear if she likes them!

So much fun!

Thanks again, Laura! Now I'm ripping that cute lil' tag off and puttin' those babies on!!!

B.

He Is Risen!

Was it a morning like this
When the Son still hid from Jerusalem?
And Mary rose from her bed
To tend the Lord she thought was dead.

Was it a morning like this,
When Mary walked down from Jerusalem?
And two angels stood at the tomb,
Bearers of news she would hear soon.

Did the grass sing?
Did the earth rejoice to feel you again?
Over and over like a trumpet underground,
Did the the earth seem to pound:
"He is risen"
Over and over in a never-ending round:
"He is risen, alleluia, alleluia!"

Was it a morning like this,
When Peter and John ran from Jerusalem?
And as they raced for the tomb,
Beneath their feet was there a tune?

Was it a morning like this,
When my Lord looked out on Jerusalem?

He is risen, alleluia, alleluia.


This Sandi Patty song stays in my head on every Easter day. I wonder just exactly what it was like to be there and experience the miracle of Jesus' resurrection. I think it was like she writes: the earth rejoicing, the grass singing and anticipation and wonder filling the air.

It's rainy and gloomy here in OK but my heart is bursting with joy and gratitude and wonder and delight at the resurrection of the Saviour who died to save my life. I know Him and I am changed forever.

For that I am grateful.

B.

Look What You Started, Linda!

One down, five to go. Oh...um...I mean five left for the easter baskets!

Yes, that's me eating a pb egg and, yes, I'm hiding in the closet where the children can't see me and, yes, I went straight to the treadmill after I finished it!! (ok. that last part was a total fib.)

So worth the diabetic coma I'm fixin' to slip into!!

Thanks, Linda.

Peace, love and peanut butter,

B.

The Trouble with Starbucks...

...is two-fold as I see it. (giggling cuz I used the word two-fold!!!)

First, is the much-too-happy voice that comes through the speaker to take my order. It is only 8:15 in the morning. I am quite sure there is nothing to be so sunshine-y about at that awful hour of the day. No, I don't want anything to eat. No, I don't want a shot of your crack/energy boost in my drink. (Although, that might help my non-morning loving self. I might consider that next time.) Just take my order and STOP TALKING!!!

The guy that took my order did get a smile out of me this morning. He sounded just like Will Farrell in Elf - one of the funniest movies evah! It was that sing-song "Your total is somethiiiiing and I don't know what it iiiiiiis but I'm running over to look at iiiiiit" that made me let out a little laugh.

Secondly, is the humongous 50-bazillion car long wait. ugh. Which is only made worse by the terrible drink I got this morning.

I'm not a coffee drinker. I'm a whipped cream-hot milk-peppermint-with-a-little-coffee-thrown-into-the-mix drinker aka Peppermint White Mocha. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh...that is good stuff. But today, my precious drink was mostly mocha with not enough peppermint. It tasted like coffee!!!! I wanted to go back and have Happy-Loves-the-Morning Boy give me a re-do but it would have meant another 10 minute wait!!! argghhhhh. And, I couldn't go inside because I was bra-less.

That's what I call a conundrum. What's a girl to do?

But, even this little cranky-pants can have a meeting with the Lord in the midst of a faux-crisis! While in line, I watched the sun come out from behind the darkest cloud. You know those few minutes when it's a brilliant white light before the sun actually comes out? I just sat in anticipation of what was coming. Knowing that the light can never be stopped.

The Easter season does this to me. I try to stay mindful of what Jesus was going through at this time, on this day a few thousand years ago. I hate to think of it. It makes me squirm with guilt that He endured crucifixion and the horrible beating before it to save me. He knew that all these years later I would need a Saviour - that I cannot do this life on my own.

So the crucificion makes me cringe, but the Ressurrection - now that's worth waiting for!

Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!

B.

Snapshots of the South

I am a road tripper. I {heart} it - really, I do. Now, I'm a road tripper with a blog so everything is seen in a new light. It's all fodder for the blog.

This trip to Shreveport gave me plenty to blog about. I'll try to keep it short but it's gonna be tough! *wink*

Roman and I left around noon Friday for our 6-hour drive. (Richard and Josh stayed home since Josh had an OPL game on Sunday. Can't really miss those!!)

Just south of Norman, we started driving through grass fires right on the side of the road - actively burning!!! Some didn't even have firemen at them yet! It was very strange. At #6, I think to get my camera ready for the next one. Of course, that was the last one so no photo.

But I was ready for the rest of the trip!

This picture of the billboard is right before Shreveport. I guess S-port is like a mini Las Vegas - tons of casinos. And they advertise each one. But at the bottom of each billboard (I know you can't read it in the picture) it says: Gambling problem? Call 1-800-blah blah for help.

Every single sign. Now that's funny!
We call these mix masters here in the south. Ya know where several highways come together and you can go any direction. I've seen bigger closer to Dallas but this one's pretty high up there!

I can never get enough of these pines that cover east Texas and Louisiana. They stretch to the sky and seem to be perfectly straight. Sure makes for a nice drive.

Oh yeah. We were there for a soccer tournament! Roman's team is a U-10 Academy team. They are still considered a rec team that is preparing to play competitive soccer next year when they are U-11's. For this tourney, they played up a year against girls that are already competitive so they could get a little more competition. They lost the first 2 games although they were good games and the girls played very well. They won on Sunday in another very competitive game. They didn't advance to the finals but we were happy with the win. Here they are with Coach Brandon:

And here are just a few of the things I saw/learned that do not have a photo to go along with them:

**Valley View, Texas, mexican restaurant sign that advertises "Home of the El Farto Grande." (Shoulda stopped there!!)

**Another billboard: Big Bill's BBQ and Bait Shop

Live minnows

(what do they do with the dead ones???)

**OG

(learned this from the desk clerk at the hotel - thankfully when I was checking out)

Original Gangsta

(get me out of here FAST!)

**DQ's everywhere. That's Dairy Queen, if you didn't know already. The best soft serve ice cream EVAH!!

I am not an ice cream eater. Just not my thing but I do like soft, yogurt-y ice cream. So, after seeing the 8 bazillionth DQ sign on the drive home, I decided to stop at the next one.

Wouldn't you know it - there wasn't a next one!!! That stinks but I'm sure there's a life lesson in there: "Don't put off today..."yada yada yada. Or, more likely: "Sister, your hips don't really need that ice cream cone!" (It wasn't a weekend of healthy eating!!)

So glad to be home - even though we're back to howling winds and cold temps!

Peace, love and pilates,

B.

Hello, My Name is Beverly...

...and I'm addicted to reality tv.

And my husband is my pusher. Just last night he introduced me to Mantracker on the science channel. Last week, it was Exterminators.

Like I have any time to watch more tv!! Thank goodness for the DVR!!! bwahahahahaha

I have learned something about myself and my tv habits: I like to know about other people's lives! Like the Gosselins, the Roloffs, the Duggars - they are like family to me!

I prolly have some more things to learn about myself when I equate tv personalities to my own family, right?

So, back to Mantracker and Exterminators. Mantracker is a race between the "prey" and the "tracker." The prey, usually two people, are on foot while the tracker is on horseback. There's a start and a finish and it's an overnite experience. Mantracker has a 68% capture rate. He's good! (of course, he does have the advantage of being on a horse!)

Exterminators is about a family in Louisiana that get rid of all kinds of critters for the residents of their area - rats, hornets, crocodiles - just to name a few. The main character is a mix of a WWF wrestler (not his size - just his "style") and a member of Motley Crue! But, he's so well-spoken that it catches you off-guard. It's funny to see him out wrastlin' a gator in his faux-leather pants!

Ahhhhh...that's good stuff! You've got to catch an episode or two to really appreciate it!

Speaking of Louisiana...Roman and I are off to her first out of state soccer tournament tomorrow in Shreveport! She is so excited. I'm excited because the weather is going to be beeeeee-utiful with no wind. Did you read that??? NO WIND. I can't tell you how much I have had enough of the wind in our state. Today - gusting 30-50 mph at all times. Never stops.

I'll prolly get down there and be wishing for a breeze!!! Go figure.

Go Cosmos!

B.

Is this really a holiday???

An April Fools Joke Gone Wrong.

Roman and I are plotting and planning against Josh - we're going to get him good!!! Don't feel bad for him. He is always doing things to us like jumping out of closets or putting a giant spider somewhere we'll find it.

It's sooooo his turn.

(insert evil laugh here)

B.

Ramsey Rocks

Let me just tell ya what my sweet daughter suggested for a title of a post..."Things You Might Find in the Cat's Poop." While it can be very interesting when emptying the litter box, I'm afraid that only the Wrights can make an entire conversation out of that!!! bwahahaha

(btw, it was a rubber band she found the other day in case you wanted to know. Call if you want to discuss it further!!!)
Ahhhhhh.....Dave Ramsey. The bomb-diggity of financial gurus - and a Godly man, at that! When we found out he was doing a series of messages for LC, Josh and I got so excited. We listen to him several nights a week on our way home from his soccer practice. (I'm hoping some of this $$ stuff sticks with my 12-year-old!)

Today was the last day of the 3 messages and it has just been a blessing for us. But, I have to give my secret confession of why I enjoy him so much. It's a pitiful reason, really, but here goes:

BECAUSE WE ALREADY DO WHAT HE TEACHES!!!!!

So, I just nod my head and think things like "Preach it, brother" and "That's right" and "Y'all better listen and do what he says." And, then I 'bout pull my arm out of the socket trying to pat myself on the back!! It's quite a workout being such a know-it-all!!!

This could have possibly been the only 3 times in my life that I have been in a church service with a pastor giving a sermon that I haven't wanted to crawl under the seat because I just knew he was preaching right. at. me.


Seriously, there was plenty in there for me to learn still. (and I don't ALWAYS feel, in church services, like the sinner I truly am!) What I really want to do is to shout at the top of my lungs:

"It's true! Financial bondage is the worst. It eats at every part of your life. It is an easy path for the enemy to take to kill us mentally, physically and emotionally. It doesn't have to be like that. You can do it!!!"

God speaks clearly in his word about debt.

Proverbs 22:7 says: "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender."

So true, so true. I'm working very hard to change my way of thinking about borrowing money. Although we only have car and house debt, that's only because Cutest Boy is wise - not me. When CB and I met, I had several (coughcough6cough) store credit cards with balances. My theory was that it didn't matter because the minimum payment was $20 and I could certainly afford that cuz I was a workin' girl at the Lazy E making good money.........see where I'm going with this??? I can't imagine how much in interest I have "given away" over the years with my financial wisdom! But, I still struggle with instant gratification. I want it and I want it NOW! (Varuka Salt could be my bff!)

So, while I just smiled and nodded my head at Dave, the wheels were turning in CB's head. He wants things now, too. Only he wants less house and car debt. Aye yi yi. Slow down. I haven't finished with the patting of the back!!

Here's an advertisement for a special tv event Dave's doing. I think it's so relevant for what we're all going through with the financial situation of our country.

You can also watch his messages at lifechurch.tv. The 2nd week has a part that is so funny, I about pee'd right there in church I was laughing so hard.

Closing thought: Our hope doesn't come from Washington, right? Our bail out comes from the Lord!

Financial peace to all of you,

B.

March Madness

It's the most wonderful time of the year.....................not Christmas, but the NCAA Basketball Tournament!!! It pairs 2 of my faves: college hoops and tournaments. College b-ball is so fun and tournaments are good for my adhd - concentrated action that gets wrapped up quickly with a winner! {although, a whole month to get to a championship game is a wee bit tough for me!!}

I filled out a bracket just for fun. (interpreted to say that Cutest Boy did not enter my bracket in his office pool, so it has to be "just for fun.") And, I am doing SOOOOOO good with it!!! Of last night's games, I was 3 for 4! Only my sweet Duke lost to Villanova - which hasn't happened in 50 years.


I picked Pitt to win it all and they just barely eeked out a win last night. Whew! But, hey, a win's a win, right? And just why did I choose Pitt? I don't really know!! It's not like I studied the ESPN website or just chose based on mascots or school colors. I had no rhyme or reason - I just picked and they got to be my #1. Go figure.

This is Levance Fields who hit a 3-pointer that really was the game-changing moment for Pitt. He deserves to celebrate!

If you need any help filling out a bracket, you should call Roman. She has a very simple method: Skip right to the championship game and fill in the winner's blank with OU!!

We'll see how that works out for her! Hope you are all enjoying some of the madness and that your favorite team wins!

Peace, love and go Pitt,

B.

I Am A Thief {and other rambling nonsense}

My bff from college, Mindi, is having a birfday on Monday. Proudly, I have a little something for her and went to the p.o. to put it in the mail so she will actually get it BEFORE the actual day.


(This is huge for me. I love to give gifts but the actual getting them to the person seems to be monumentally difficult for me. Don't know why. I could fill a cabinet with little treats I've bought just to brighten someone's day or for a birthday. It's very strange. I probably need more therapy for that than can be achieved in this post. tee hee)


Anyway, back to the real story. I had the gift and wanted to mail it in one of those decorated bubble mailers they have at the p.o. So, I'm there. I get it all packaged up with one of their cute labels. I turn around and the line is about 8 bazillion people long and every single one of them have a huge box or boxes to mail. No one's just getting stamps!

And, joy of joy, I have a lunch date. At a Mediterranean restaurant. I'm very excited - not only because of the food that I've never really had - but because it was with a super sweet friend.

I look at my watch and decide to ditch the line and come back later. So, me and my cute envie head to lunch. About half way across town, I realize that that cute envie isn't F.R.E.E!!!!!!!! I didn't pay for it!! Of course, I turned right around and headed back to do the right thing.............NOT. I've got my priorities in order. Lunch first. But I was certain that at any second the SWAT team was going to pull me over!!

On to other news.........

We had a great spring break. I'm always sad when it's time to go back to school.

Roman went camping in the Wichita Mountains with a friend we've known for a long time. She was gone for 5, yes, I said 5, whole days up in some place where there wasn't cell reception unless they hiked to the top of a mountain!!! That was soooooo hard on this mom. But, she didn't miss us. She had a great time and loved the fact that she smelled like a big ol' campfire! She spent the rest of the week ripsticking - or *trying* to ripstick. Look at her legs after that week:

Josh spent his spring break running around our new neighborhood with all the boys he already knew here. Now that was a beautiful thing. He did start reffing soccer games last weekend. Isn't he cute? I'll be the mom sitting at every game he refs and then tackling any coach or parent that even THINKS about yelling at him! (I mean it.)

Brandon and Patrick went to Wolf Creek to ski at the beginning of the week. Is it wrong that I am totally amazed that they were able to get there and do all the things necessary to have a vacay??? They had a great time. They called Tuesday morning, their 2nd day on the slopes, and both were sick. Pat had an ear infection - which happens every time we ski - and Brandon had an upset stomach. Aye yi yi. I got them going and after a trip to the clinic, they were back on the slopes by afternoon!

And, then there was the previously mentioned anniversary. Now we have decided that we already got the best present - getting to move into our fab new house -but that Cutest Boy...he could not go wrong with the present he had for me.

Chocolate.

Godiva Chocolate.

Godiva espresso truffles to be exact.

I'm still swooning even though those babies are long gone.

Really, it's been a whole lot of schtuff at our house. Unpacked boxes are still everywhere. (still waiting for them to up and empty themselves!!) The fish is refusing to eat. There is a non-stop stream of kids in and out of my house.

And, I couldn't be any happier!

B.

Happy Anniversary, Cutest Boy!

Dear Cutest Boy,

15 years - wow!!! Remember the first year of our marriage when, at every holiday or event, we would say "I can't wait until we have a history together"? We definitely have some history now, don't we?

I love you for so many reasons. And I can't wait to spend another 50 years with you.
You are my 2,

Bev

I {heart} Movers

Movers are my new favorite peeps - especially Renardo and Anthony who moved my whole house in the snow and drizzle.
See the snow on the house across the street?

And what was I doing while they were moving all my junk? I was not laying on the couch eating bon bons - which is where I would have liked to have been and would like to be now.


Like the Cutest Boy seems to be doing, right? Can you believe all the work is done already? Aren't we so speedy? And now we (and by we, I mean CBOTB) can lay on the couch and watch the bracketing for March Madness. (insert dripping sarcasm here)

Seriously - there is so much work to be done but some couch time was much needed this afternoon and CB definitely deserved it.

The good news: we are moved in.
The bad news: the previous owners left the house a MESS.

I almost cried when I finally got over here on Thursday. There were dustbunnies the size of baseballs in some of the corners, not a single cabinet had been even slightly wiped out and there was even "gunk" in the toilets. They had 3 long-haired cats - need I say more??? All this after I had been killing myself to clean the house we were leaving. I wanted it to be spotless for the sweet couple that bought it.

So, instead of unpacking boxes and putting things away, I have been cleaning this house top-to-bottom for the last 2 days. Tomorrow my other favorite peep, Paul-the-carpet-cleaner, is coming to hose the place down! Then, I can really start to move in.

Whining over.

Here's a peek at my kitchen - THE most beautifu feature of the whole house! I'm sure I'll be cooking so much more. *wink*


I'm ready for you all to come visit! The front porch light is always on...

B.

We're Outta Here!

See you all as soon as Cox Cable gets to my new digs and works their magic on the 'puter!!

B. - who is freezing her tail off with a big ol' smile on her face!

Preamble

I have just spent 10 minutes (that I should be packing something) trying to figure out how to put a you tube video on my blog. grrrrrrrr Now all I have is the pitiful graphic below for this post. Oh well...

Roman has to recite the Preamble to the Constitution tomorrow at school. When she got the assignment last week, I got so excited because I could still remember it from years ago. And do you know why I can still remember it when I can't remember the cat's name half the time?

Because of Schoolhouse Rock!! The way I learned everything I know now! Like how a bill becomes a law and the uses of conjunctions!

Today I thought to google it and was able to show Roman - thanks to You Tube! (Is there anything you cannot find on that site???) She thought it was cute and I was flashing back to the days of Roadrunner escaping Wile E. Coyote every Saturday morning with Schoolhouse Rock playing during commercials!

Those were the days!

Three days until the big move. I should go pack something or clean something or order something for dinner. My cooking days have come to an end because the oven has been industrial cleaned and is surrounded by police tape!

But, good news. It's supposed to snow here on moving day. (rolling my eyes) 80's today - 30's Thursday. Yay us!!

B.

You Wanna Wax My WHAT???

So I went to a new gal to get my hair done on Friday. She's the mom of one of Roman's friends and I always enjoy talking to her and she has cute hair herself - important qualifications when I'm choosing someone to do my hair!

She's washing my hair in the sink of death as I call it - because the base of my skull hurts for 3 days after laying my head on that hard porcelain!!! - when she says "Do you want me to go ahead and wax your upper lip while we're back here?"

Shock and awe!!! My what??? "I have a mustache???" says the Queen of Denial. (I've seen it before but have always had a dream of looking like my Aunt Bonnie who had a mustache darker than Hitler's) I'm sure if I don't acknowledge the 'stache then nobody else will EVAH notice it, right?
Another random confession: I have never, I repeat NEVER, had anything waxed on my body. It strikes more fear in me than a root canal ever has. And, her shop was filled with people - a couple I knew and hadn't seen in a long time so if I screamed or cried or both, that would be way too embarassing.

So I quietly said "I think I'll wait until the year 2000 and never."

And I've been talking with my index finger positioned under my nose ever since. I'm quite convinced I can live the rest of my life that way without drawing too much attention to that area of hairiness. Is that a word??

Oy vay.

What am I going to do? All suggestons accepted. All pain-free ones will be considered first!

B. - who needs to be hair-free

Like a Jellyfish

Or the title of this post could be "One Thing To Know About Beverly." And that thing would be that I do not like confrontation. I mean I really, really, really DON'T. I could go on and on about situations that make me squirm but just know that I have to turn the tv channel when people start acting ugly to each other so when I'm actually involved...aye yi yi. I'm not sure how I walk upright when I'm convinced I have no backbone.
Like this jellyfish. (picture shamelessly pulled from internet because you might remember that I still do not have my camera and aren't posts more interesting visually when there's a photo involved?)

But, that all changed yesterday afternoon! It all started when...

Josh came home from school to tell me that the screen on his phone was messed up. Emergency! Dial 911!! Call someone, anyone!! HE COULDN'T READ HIS TEXT MESSAGES!!! Oh, the inhumanity of it all. Drama, much?

Being the loving mother that I am, I rushed to the AT&T store yesterday. Not really rushed so much as it was on my way to Sonic. The guy took one look at it and gave me 2 options: Call and have a replacement shipped to us or drive up to the north side of the city and walk out with a replacement. Hmmmm...it was a beautiful day here so I decided to put the top down on the 'stang and take a little drive. The sacrifices I make for my children. :)

I get to the service center after a 30-minute drive and THAT guy took one look at it and said "That's physical damage. It's not covered by the warranty" and handed it back to me.

Whhhhaaaaaaaaatttt?? He obviously doesn't realize how precious my time is and that gas just shot back up to $1.79 and that the guy at the other store SAID they would take care of it here. So, I say - and just know that my heart is pumping out of my chest and I have to pee all of a sudden -

"That is just not going to work for me. I drove up here on the advice of _____ _____ from your store on the south side and I want this phone replaced TODAY."

Short version - they replaced it. Yay me!!

I'm so glad I didn't have to argue further because that took about everything I had. That might just be my one time for the whole year!

In other very important world news...all the finalists are selected for American Idol. I do have to say that as much as Tatiana absolutely drove me bonkers, she did make for some good tv!

We really only watch tv anymore on our dvr. FF'ing through commercials is the only way to go. But last night it came back to bite us on the booty! Our dvr is set to automatically record every episode but I guess last night's lasted a little longer than it's time slot.

Yep - you guessed it - it cut off right before the very last contestant was announced!! We all just sat there stunned with our mouths hanging open. Reality set in and we all ran for the computer but couldn't find the results ANYWHERE on the www. One quick text to Randy N. - the original AI biggest fan - and we got the results which were totally unexpected!

Spoiler Alert!! Stop reading now if you don't already know.

Yay Anoop Dog and Matt!!! And 13 finalists - wowzers!! That was a fun twist.

Do you have a fave yet? Danny G. seems to be the natural choice and I do like him but you just never know. Americans are funny when it comes to voting.

Now that's a whole 'nother post topic!!! LOL

Peace out,

B.