Can you do these?????

So I've been trying these Sudoku puzzles (Thanks Dad!). I'm SO frustrated! I've tried about 5 or so and have only been able to complete one! I usually think I'm doing great until I get near the end and then numbers start not fitting in right. But I've gotten so far and I don't know how to back track to try and correct everything....so I just give up!!

If you do these puzzles, any tips would be greatly appreciated! They really are great brain excercize!

If you don't have a clue what I'm talking about or would like to print free puzzles, try this link:

http://www.websudoku.com/

Guess what I just figured out.....

Towels that cost more really ARE better than cheap ones!

I was just working on the laundry...folding towels....and all of the sudden it hit me. I have some nicer brand bath towels that I bought way back when I was young, wealthy, and single and they are in MUCH better shape that some that I bought at Target about three years ago. The Target towels are faded and basically just haven't washed up as nice.

Hmmmm....go figure! And just so you know.....I can SEE all of you out there who are rolling your eyes at me!!!!! ;o)

The nice towels are Cannon by the way.

Missing In Action

So why have I been missing you ask??? Here's just a little bit of what I've been up to since Jan.27th (the date of my last post)......

* wiping noses....three noses times "I can't even count that high" times!

* deciphering cold medicine labels....deciding which one will bring the most good to the most people (ie. not totally messing up the WHOLE family's sleep schedule....you know, awake during the day and sleeping at night.)

* determining who is well enough to go to school and making sure they and all their stuff (back pack, lunch, papers, etc.) actually get there.

* picking sick kids up from school.

* taking Samuel to the doctor ( not related to being sick...he just had a scheduled appointment.)

* getting prescriptions filled.

* keeping up with the dishes.

* trying to get the laundry caught up.

* buying and making Valentines.

* changing videos for sick children.

* and numerous other things I can't remember!

Neve and Gliz

Do YOU know who they are???

Well, from their outfits you can probably tell that they are the official mascots of the Winter Olympic Games that will be starting next month in Torino, Italy.

Okay, but do you know WHAT they are? My first thought was that Nev e(on the left) looks like the Kellogg's Special K. And maybe her friend Gliz is a relative of Gumby or maybe he's really the son of the Michelin man or a marshmallow???

Well in case you haven't figured it out....Neve is a snowball and Gliz is an ice cube. Who comes up with this stuff? Whatever happened to cute little animals with big heads as mascots I want to know!

Am I the only one who didn't know this?

Do you "Google"? Well, if you do, did you ever notice how some days the Google logo is "decorated" like maybe for a holiday or something? There have been times though that I didn't know what the occasion was. Turns out that if you roll your mouse over the logo, it will tell you what the occasion is. (Who knew?)

So for example, try it out today.....

http://www.google.com/

[Just another bit of almost useless information from me!]

Don't worry! Be happy!

The Journey

"We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, when we are able to go on a nice vacation, or when we retire.

The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.

Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with...and remember that time waits for no one.

So, stop waiting....
--until your car or home is paid off
--until you get a new car or home
--until your kids leave the house
--until you go back to school
--until you finish school
--until you lose 10 lbs.
--until you gain 10 lbs.
--until you get married
--until you get a divorce
--until you have kids
--until you retire
--until summer
--until spring
--until winter
--until fall
--until you die

There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

So-work like you don't need money, Love like you've never been hurt, And dance like no one's watching."

Can I brag a bit?

The other day we received a note home from school telling us that Samuel had been chosen as "Student of the Month" for his class for the month of December. Each month the school focuses on a particular character trait. December's trait was courage. At the end of the month, a student from each class is chosen who has best represented that character trait throughout the month. Apparently a photo is going to be taken of the students and will be in our small local newspaper.

A week or so earlier we also got a note from Samuel's aid, Mrs. C, telling us how polite Samuel is at school and that when he saw her that morning he asked, "How are you today?"

Obviously we are very proud of Samuel. We have so many people tell us what a joy Samuel is. I don't consider that a testimony to our parenting skills, but to Samuel's character. My prayer for him is that He will grow up to love the Lord and that he will "grow into", so to speak, this testimony that the Lord has given him.

Thanks for letting me brag!

Extreme Makeover

We had our own "Extreme Makeover" of sorts at our house today. The reason....well, it was bound to happen eventually....Grace decided to cut her own hair. A nice big chunk right on the side. It's my own fault....I let her watch me trim my bangs last week. But there was no getting around it....she had to go get a real hair cut. So as soon as Mike got home today, we were out the door to Great Clips.

Funny but she's told me several times this week "I need a haircut when Grandma gets home from Florida Mom!" :o)

So here's my girlie's new "do"..... (See previous post for "before" photo!)

Some cute kids!

They just happen to be mine! :o)

Yesterday afternoon, Samuel put this whole train track set-up together himself. I was amazed and very proud of him. When I saw it I assumed Mike had helped him, but he didn't. It kind of felt like trying to figure out how the Egyptians built the pyramids! LOL! But apparently he went back and forth from the box with the track in it to where he wanted it. Pretty cool!

Here are Grace and Noah posing together after Noah's bath....sporting new PJ's BTW. Pretty rare to get such a nice photo of both of them at the same time. Noah hates having his hair washed. But we've just recently discovered that he LOVES to have his hair blow-dried (go figure!). So I had just blow-dried his hair and he was feeling like a new man!! (PTL!!!)

This is me!

Food for thought from Chuck Colson

Here is a great commentary from Chuck Colson's Breakpoint radio program. If you love someone with special needs it will ring true to you as it did me.

http://www.pfm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=BreakPoint_Commentaries1&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=17585

Cobwebs

Okay, can somebody please explain cobwebs to me? Do they really come from spiders? Or are they just because there is a lot of dust in your house?

I'm sitting at my computer desk. I looked up and the corner is filled with cobwebs. This is the most "cobwebby" house I have ever known. Even our previous house that was 80+ years old was not this bad. We do have a lot of spiders too! I guess it's just because of the setting in which we live.....which is kind of a crack-up because we don't live in the country or anything, but it is kind of wooded.

I think I could dust every day (but I won't) and I would still find cobwebs every day. You should see what it's like when we come home from a week-long vacation....they take over!!!!

But anyways, if anyone has comments or information on cobwebs please post it.

Editing to add: I did a search and this is what I came up with. This is pretty much everything you ever wanted to know about cobwebs...but were afraid to ask. Aren't you glad I asked for you?
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcobweb.html

Major Technological Breakthrough

"Introducing the new Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge device, trade named: BOOK

BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: no wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so easy to use, even a child can operate it.

Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere -- even sitting in an armchair by the fire -- yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM disc. Here'show it works:

BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper(recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. The pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder, which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence.

Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs. Experts are divided on the prospects for further increases in information density; for now, BOOKs with more information simply use more pages.

Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet. BOOK may be taken up at any time and used merely by opening it.

Unlike other display devices, BOOK never crashes or requires rebooting, and it can even be dropped on the floor or stepped on without damage. However, it can become unusable if immersed in water for a significant period of time. The "browse" feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet and move forward or backward as you wish. Many come with an"index" feature, which pinpoints the exact location of selected information for instant retrieval
.
An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session -- even if the BOOK has been closed. BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single BOOKmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers.

Conversely, numerous BOOKmarkers can be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to store numerous views at once. The number is limited only by the number of pages in the BOOK.

You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with an optional programming tool, the Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Language Stylus (PENCILS).

Portable, durable, and affordable, BOOK is being hailed as a precursor of a new entertainment wave. Also, BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform and investors are reportedly flocking. Look for a flood of new titles soon."

[Too funny!!!! - Jill]

Happy Birthday My Friend!!!

Happy Birthday to my dear friend Tina!! She's celebrating the big 3_? this year! It's hard to believe, but Tina and I met over 20 years ago (YIKES!) in college. We had just about all of our classes together since we were both in the nursing program. But we really became friends through boys and basketball...that is the boys who played basketball.....I won't even go there! After college, we both took nursing jobs at the same hospital and rented an apartment together....a first for both of us. We were roomates for about 2 1/2 years until we both decided to move on to other things in our lives. We've gone in very different directions....I exchanged the RN after my name for the MRS. before it. Tina has gone on to become an intelligent professional in the field of pediatric oncology nursing (She was ALWAYS intelligent BTW! LOL!). She has also travelled extensively for both personal and professional reasons. She is very independent and loyal, and passionate about what she believes in. I'm very proud of all she's accomplished.

Our friendship has survived us living together, traveling together (I'll have to write sometime about the trip we affectionately refer to as "the weekend from HE_ _!"), marriage and kids (both mine), living in different states, living in different countries, and the afore-mentioned "boys" (back then, yes, they were definitely BOYS!)

Tina, I'm very blessed to call you my friend!! I wish we were together today.....consider yourself hugged!
Happy Birthday my dear friend!!!!!!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2006 everybody!

Here's something to keep you busy on these cold January days. Try making paper snowflakes online. (As if I need something else addicting to do to waste my time....but it is pretty cool!)

http://www.popularfront.com/snowdays/

Merry CHRISTmas!!

One Solitary Life

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself...

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.
I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas is coming....

The goose is getting fat! Please put a penny in the old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny a half-penny will do. If you haven't got a half-penny, God bless you!

Sorry, I just can't say "Christmas is coming!" without saying the rest of the song! We used to sing it in music class when I was a kid. Did you?

Anyways, I digress......Soon our Christmas festivities will be beginning. I feel like a little kid. I can hardly stand the wait. The problem with getting things like shopping and wrapping done early is that then you have to wait for everybody else to get done too! LOL!

This afternoon Mike's family will be coming over to celebrate Christmas together. Saturday we will be celebrating our own little Christmas here at home. We opted out of going to church on Christmas Eve and having our annual big Christmas Eve party this year. Since Christmas falls on Sunday this year, we felt there was no way we would make it to church on time if we also did "Christmas morning". So on Sunday, we will go to church and then to my Mom and Dad's.

So today we are cleaning and cooking and getting ready for this afternoon (Mike is off work). Thank goodness for PBS. They are playing all kid's Christmas specials today...Barney, Elmo, Angelina Ballerina, and much to our surprise this morning, Veggie Tales' "The Star of Christmas". So they've been entralled all morning and I've been able to get things done. (Just taking a break because I realized I never ate breakfast!)

Better get moving!

On the 12th day of Christmas....

my true love gave to me....

On the 11th day of Christmas....

my true love gave to me....

On the 10th day of Christmas....

my true love gave to me....