Who made you?

I mentioned the other day, I'm loving the show "Lie to me" ....I watched an episode Monday that involved a man who was in prison.  One of the younger ladies who works for the agency was having a hard time being involved with this man they were investigating.  The premise is this agency can tell what people are really thinking by their facial expressions & body movements.  To make a very long story short, the head honcho man could tell this lady had had issues with violent people.  It was written in her body language.

He went on to encourage her though by telling her that even though she went through some bad situations, it made her who she was today... someone who wanted better, someone who had compassion, someone who was strong.

Then she was reading his facial expressions & said, "so.... tell me... who made you who you are?"

That sentence kinda knocked me in the head...

I mean, we kinda have people who make us who we are. 

Whether it be our parents & the examples they set for us & we want to grow up to be just like them.  Or someone who has been abused may grow up to give that same sort of abuse to others.... or it could turn them into someone different - someone who will do anything to not hurt someone.  People can make us stronger or weaker... encourage us or defeat us... giving or shelfish...but do we even realize that people have that kind of power, or control over us?

So I thought of all the people who "made me who I am" .... and I can come up with both good & bad.  I mean, my parents raised me to love God... I have people around me that can make me angry sometimes... I have people who have made me into someone who can be very bitter....I have people who have made me want to give more of myself... all kinds of people have made me who I am...

But ultimately, I want only one person to be the one who made me everything that I am... Jesus!

I mean, I know He IS ultimately the one who made me who I am - but I'm saying all the other things - the things that make me want to be a kind, giving, compassionate, loving person...

Life is hard... we run into things that form us & shape us into people we sometimes thought we'd never become. 

But I'll ask you too.... Who made you who are are?

Embrace Life

If you never watch a video - watch this one - please...

Its an ad for seat belts - & its about 90 seconds of your life to watch...but my gosh... Its so powerful... the first time I saw it, I literally gasped...

Its so beautifully done...

Project 365-22 & 23

Because it was a wedding last weekend, I missed Project 365 so I got two weeks of catching up...so lets get to it!

Sunday - July 4 - Dog Days of Summer....  Its so hot, we dont stay outside long... but it didnt take Buffy long to find this MASSIVE stick & she just wanted to carry it around...

Monday - July 5 - God Bless America & good yummy desserts!! .... This is Rachel & I let her hold my dessert I made.  No... OK... I'm lying... she made it, but I tried to take credit for it!  My sister-friend Lynn had us over for a yummy cook out & some "Minute to Win It Games"... along with some pool time & just laughing & time together with friends.  That's a way to spend a holiday!

Tuesday - July 6 - Update on the runners toe.... Yep.. its still black.  But it looks like its growing upwards so keeping fingers crossed its not going to fall completely off!!!

Wednesday - July 7 - You're so square!! ... I pulled this can of Diet Coke out & it was square shaped!  What the heck happened to it?  I mean it was perfectly square on all sides... I wasnt taking any chances if anything happened to it that I shouldnt drink it so I emptied it... such a waste of a Diet Coke.

GASP... didnt get pictures in Thursday - Friday...

Saturday - July 10 - I'm matchy .... Ricky took a picture of me going into the wedding reception because he said, "look, the present matches your dress"... I'm good like that!  And no - sad to say, those are NOT white pantyhose... those are my LEGS... Oh wow... I need some sun on those legs!

Sunday - July 11 - The after effects of heels.... Sorry its another foot picture - but yeah, this is what I had to deal with the day after wearing heels at the wedding... blisters on my feet... both feet actually.  It was painful!  My poor feet take a beating!

Monday - July 12 - Leftovers are the best.... Yep, it was a Monday... & that meant I wasnt cooking... so we had pizza left over from the weekend - & it was the perfect dinner.

Tuesday - July 13 - Love my new necklace... I usually stick with my normal cross necklace & never venture out of my box... but I see some of you fashion bloggers & how cute you look changing up jewelry so I've been looking into getting some new fads.... I picked up this necklace & loved it... But felt funny without my cross on....

Wednesday - July 14 - We may have lost Minnie .... I came home & looked in our front yard & our Minnie Mouse concrete statue had been knocked over... not sure how... wind?  A dog?  But needless to say, Minnie lost her head!  It makes me sad because Stephanie bought this for me from an antique store... Ricky's gonna try & put her back together again.  A real day Humpty Dumpty...

Thursday - July 15 - I do eat green sometimes! ... I'm not a huge veggie fan, but I made some chinese & was so proud of myself with all the color that was on my plate!  I felt so healthy afterwards... And Ricky even ate all of his - which is always the true test of a dinner...

Friday - July 16 - What I look like with short hair! .... with the layers in my hair, I happened to pull my hair up & it fell where it looked like I had had a hair cut.  It was a good way to see what I look like with shorter hair.... so what do you think?  Short or long?

Ahh - there's all of my hair....

Saturday - July 17 - I keep the postal service in business.... I have had to go to the post office for awhile, & I couldnt put it off any longer.  Needless to say, this wasnt easy getting in the doorway - but I managed... & can I say?  Mailing something aint CHEAP!  Mercy!

If you lasted through all the pics, I applaud you!  I just had to get the two weeks in because I'm planning on putting a book together of my Project 365's & I dont wanna miss a thing... (Are you singing Areosmith now too?)

Six Word Saturday

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MOM AND DAD!!!!!

Tomorrow, my mom & dad will be celebrating another year together... I'm thinking its hitting 46 years...

46 years?  wow... impressive...

Look at them here - how cute are my parents?  That is my brother they are holding...

I have to laugh because my parents got married when mom was still in high school.  Apparently, that was normal thing to do... Can you imagine that today?  Whewwwww... I know some of you with teenage daughters just got a little dizzy.

But my dad actually then became my mom's "Guardian" & had to sign her report cards while she was a senior in high school... that story always cracks me up...

And then, my mom was pregnant at the end of her senior year with my brother.  But luckily, it was right at the end of her school year so she was able to graduate with her class...

You all know I brag all the time about my parents... I think they are some pretty special people... I know I'm blessed to have them in my life...

After all these years... still looking good!

Happy Anniversary mom & dad!!!  Love you!!!

Friday Fragments

Oh Thank you Lord... its Friday... lets get through the work day so the weekend can begin... & while we're waiting, lets frag a little...

*****

Anyone have a "pet hair" vacuum?  I got a 30% off coupon for Kohls for this weekend (LOVE when I get a 30%!!!) & I saw that Bissell has their pet vacuum on sale anyways... plus add in the 30% & I may have to give it a go.  With 4 dogs - we go through the vacuums like most people do bread...

*****

Thanks to Netflix, I am now loving the show "Lie to Me" ... & because of it, I'm totally addicted to watching people's actions & their facial movements.  If you havent seen the show, its about an agency that deals with reading the way people say thing, the tone of their voices, the subtle way they move their face, their hands, the way they stand - & all of it can show if you are lying, or how you are feeling... afraid, happy, jealous, angry... Its crazy because they show real-life pictures for examples... like Bill Clinton when he gave his "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" speech....

So I'm so obsessed with this idea that the other day I was pumping gas & a couple was in a car behind me & you could tell they were arguing... I couldnt hear a word they were saying, but I just kept staring to read their facial reactions & their hand movements... They were probably yelling at each other to go confront the strange woman who was staring at them outside their window... oops!

*****

I'd like to draw your attention to the side bar on the left... yep - I have now officially ran 200 miles this year.  Now, time to get to 300 miles!

*****

For the record... I TOTALLY called Annie as the saboteur on Big Brother!  With her being on the floor during the lights out, that's what gave it away for me.  And then when she got nominated, she kept saying "I'm so embarassed" - so that made me go "hmmmm" too... I love being right!  Doesnt matter anyways - she's outta there!  You totally know CBS is so angry about that one... the twist of the year, gone in the first week!

I'm loving Brendan & Ragan...And Mr. Meow Meow (Enzo) is just entertaining... Its the year of Italians, isnt it?

*****

Are you KIDDING ME?  I heard that they are going to offer Lindsay Lohan over a MILLION dollars to do a interview after her little prison stint.  Because that's what she needs... publicity on this... almost like a pat on the back ... how messed up is that?

*****

Is it hotter then Hades were you live?  I feel so bad for my poor husband who has to work outside & in a warehouse.  He said the other day that the temperature in the warehouse was 113 degrees... He comes home looking like someone beat him with a heat stick... it doesnt help when I tell him that my coworkers are FREEZING me out by cranking down the air conditioning.... I need to work on that sympathy thing...

*****

Is this the most hideous sweater ever?  Who doesnt want to look like a real life cookie monster?  Every woman wants to look like she's gained about 30 lbs of fat around her belly area & her arms...

But this one did make me happy... I wonder how long it would take to make a cover for my car...

*****

Have to leave with a cute picture of my nieces... well, any picture of them is cute... but love their faces with one of their doggies... & really love the doggie's face...

Hope you have a fantastic Friday!!!

Cleaning up the dirt...

We have 3 bathrooms in our home.  One is the bathroom in the hallway that everyone uses. The second bathroom is in the master bedroom.  The third bathroom is down in the basement connected to Ricky's xbox den, as I like to call it..

I dont go near bathroom #3 - that is all Ricky, even though I did glance in the other day & notice that you pretty much cant even see the floor due to clothes thrown everywhere on the floor.  (And he wonders why he cant find any t-shirts?)

Bathroom #2 is the one that we pretty much live in.  Its connected to the bedroom so easy to just roll in when your eyes arent open early in the morning.  Its where we take our showers so towels are drapped over the shower doors.  Its where we brush our teeth & wash our face - so there's usually tooth paste tubes or wash clothes on the counter.  Its where the dog's water bowl is at so there's usually splashes of water on the floor.  Its where we brush our hair - & have you seen the two of us?  There is a LOT of hair that will hit the floor or on the sink.  Its a USED bathroom...

Bathroom #1 is the one where Ricky will use when I'm hogging the mirror in the 2nd bathroom, but its the one that guests use when they come over. 

Needless to say - I am fanatic about keeping bathroom #1 clean.  Even if no one goes in there during the day - I have to go in & clean it.  Wash down the sink - wipe up the floor - fluff a towel - make sure there is soap & toilet paper ready.  I usually even have a candle lit up in there to make the atmosphere oh-so-homey. 

On the floor the other day, I was kneeling to scrub the floor & something hit me as plain as day... it was like God just laid something truly on my heart & said to me, "Why do you put all this work for everyone else, but you dont expect the same for yourself?" ... afterall, I do clean my bathroom - I'm not living in a bathroom where its never picked up or cleaned... gross... but I dont do the extreme cleaning in my bathroom as I do the main bathroom.  I'll "straighten" up daily & really clean it once a week... but it doesnt get the attention as Bathroom #1.

Do you do that as well? I mean, we all love when people come to Christ & have their lives cleaned up - but we're used to our own stuff we live in - dont really think much of it - its normal - its OUR mess - we can live in it.  But God doesnt want us to.  He wants us ALL to have clean, fresh, NEW places in our lives... Jesus died so we ALL can have the same cleansing. 

I will say - this week, I have gone through my bathroom everynight & gave it the same attention as the other bathroom & it has been so nice to walk in it every morning - its a great way to start a morning...

Do you feel like that sometimes?  That others deserve the good stuff?  The clean lives? 
Well Jesus wants you to know that He thinks YOU deserve the best as well!!!!

Now... if I can only get Ricky to understand this thought & tackle Bathroom #3...

"Create in me a clean heart, O God..." - Psalm 51:10

Come on... admit it...

This morning, Ricky was singing a Tone-Loc song, "Wild Thing" ... (& you thought his long hair made him solely a rocker!) ... & I told Ricky, "He was really great in concert".  Ricky just laughed at me & said, "WHAT?" - Oh yeah baby - I saw him in concert in the height of his career.  When "Funky Cold Medina" was all the rage.  Then we got to talking about concerts that would kinda be embarassing to admit you were there.... I'm all about self-embarassment - so here are just a few of the ones that people are like, "Seriously?  You spent money to see them?" .... come on, you too can admit some concerts you would rather not say you were there... Hey, I was probably sitting next to you...

Probably the BEST of the embarssment comes with a concert I saw not ONCE - but TWICE!  Seriously - I paid money TWICE to see these people.... MILLI VANILLI

And how did anyone not notice that these people couldnt speak english but could sing it?  Oh, I didnt care - it was a big dance-fest anyways.  Getting my little leg swinging action going on.... They actually were the headliners to a CLUB MTV concert... where also Young MC was singing at... & yes, Downtown Julie Brown was there in all her neon colored glory!

Its also funny now to look back & see that I saw Paula Abdul in concert... Back in her heighs of "Straight up" & "Forever your Girl" .... lets please try to forget the song with a cartoon Skat Kat though (oh mercy)
She totally lip-synced the whole concert but girl could dance her way through the show...

Let's get even more embarassing... who else have I seen?  How about Color Me Badd ... & dont mess that up by forgetting the 2nd "d" on the word BADD... "I wanna Sex you up" ... there's an 80's classic for you.  Remember "I Adore Mi Amor" ... oh geez... that's a big throw back right there.  Didnt one of those guys end up on a VH1 Reality show?

And lets take a turn & BIG turn & bring out another side... I went to the MTV Headbangers Ball!  I'm not even sure how I got tickets to this one, but that was the funniest concert because I went with two of the preppiest guys & we just sat at the top & rocked out in our own world... my neck seriously was sore for a week from literally "headbanging"... And the stars of that concert... Anthrax, Jackyl, Slayer & Megadeth... oh my... my ears are ringing again thinking back...

In the world of my music listening - lets take a HUGE U-turn & think of another concert that I really actually enjoyed... WEIRD AL!  Oh my gosh... dude was funny ... & talented... I would totally go see him again if he came around today! 

Another "group" that got its 2nd life in the world of MTV - when they actually played videos - was the MONKEES... & let me tell you - I got Monkee Mania in the 80's... I was in love with Davy Jones.  Which by the way, we have the same birthday... its fate... But I saw the Monkees in concert twice as well!  (& no, they didnt look like this picture... I dont have the heart to put their older pics... even though Davy is still dreamy)

I totally LOVED this concert - it was the DIRTY DANCING CONERT!!!! True Story!  They had the dancers from the movie do dancing to some old songs & "The Contours" were there singing - as well as "Eric Carmen" singing Hungry Eyes & Yep - BILL MEDLEY was there to see "Time of our life" with some generic Baby & Johny doing the lift... I actually had front row seats to that one... & it WAS the time of my life!

Hey, I went to some great concerts too in the 80's - like Bon Jovi with Cinderella opening up for them... (totally hair band time) & I saw Run DMC in the height of "Walk this way" ...Goodness knows I saw a variety of music...

So, do tell - what concert did you go to that you hang your head when you have to admit it?

In need of some advice...

So my car gets paid off in 3 months... & because I just said that, I'm going to say a quick prayer my car doesnt break down in 3 months... but with that payment off my back, Ricky told me I should go ahead & start looking at some SLR Cameras.  I think because he's just plain sick of hearing me say how much I want one & tired of me going into Best Buy to just hold one & pet it & hold it against my cheek like a small furry animal. 

This gives me some time to investigate though since I'm not buying it tomorrow but in a few months.  So give me some advice you camera lovin' people.  What do I need to look for in a good camera?  I heard someone say not to worry so much about the "package deals" because they lens they give arent the best ones anyways - is that true?  What kind of batteries do these cameras take too?  I need some details... Nikon?  Canon?  Any special lens I should want?

And my next question... & this probably sounds so dumb but I'm not technology minded in the least... but I KNEW I needed an external hard drive.  After conversations with my Canadian buddy, Jennifer - she gave me all the low down on which one to buy.  I ended up getting a 1TB  WB My Book... My laptop is getting slower & slower & I was in constant fear of losing all my iTunes music and all my 7,893 pictures I have on my computer... (Can you imagine how many pictures I'll have with my SLR?)

Got the Hard Drive - hooked it up - it was simple enough.  Everything is transfered over on it...

BUT - and if you laugh at this question, I'll cry, so dont do it... I dont have a pretty cry & no one wants to see that.  So if I go back & delete some older pictures now - they are saved on my hard drive, right?  Because it said that my hard drive will scan my computer & save the changes... so that's just meaning it'll save the NEW stuff?  I'm thinking that's how it works...but again, I'm a person who cant figure out how to read a compass or do some simple things... so just shake your head at me & humor me by reassuring me I can delete some old stuff & it'll be safe.

Thank you all you camera lovin', computer technology people!  Where would the world be without computers to get answers?  Because my husband sure aint no help!  Love you honey... especially because you gave me the OK to get a camera... YAHOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Beautiful day for a wedding...

Today, one of my cousins got married... get prepared for a bunch of pictures... but who doesnt love a wedding? 

You can see the skies were blue & we've been having some hot weather, but it broke just in time for today.  Warm, but not humid & just a nice day - with a gorgeous church....

This was the coolest wedding I've EVER been too... before the bride & groom came out, they had the Gospel preached... it was pretty powerful... I've never seen that done at a wedding... but what an opportunity to get God's word out!

Then the bride came out to her groom... this picture is at the beginning when a bridesmaid was singing... too early for a kiss, but they were so happy to see each other, they just put their heads together.  #2 crying moment for me.  The first was when the bride's father "gave her away" - he lifted her veil & then just hugged her for a few minutes... pulling out the Kleenex from that moment on.

This was crying moment #3... the groomsman that was 2nd in line prayed for his friends... & he got choked up which about did me in.  It was the most beautiful prayer that could have been said for a friend getting married.  What a wonderful friendship they must have...

And finally - the moment they'd been waiting for... the KISS...Crying moment #4 - after they kissed, they just stared at each other & then just grabbed each other to hug & they just held each other for a litle bit.  Oh my goodness - how precious are these two?

Smiles of a newly married couple....

And then off to the reception.  Isnt that cake beautiful?  I love fresh flowers on a cake.  Smelled so lovely..

I got to catch up with some family.  This is Jasmine.... I was there the day she was born!  And now, she's working for the FBI in Indianapolis... I told her it blows my mind that she's even old enough to have her own apartment, much less a JOB... for the FBI!!!! 

And this is my cousin Craig.... I just love this man!  We grew up together spending so many weekends at the lake with our grandparents - went to the same high school - just have always adored everything about him.  He lives in New York so I dont get to see much of him now so when I heard he was there, I literally ran across the room to hug him!  I will most DEFINITELY be planning a NYC trip soon... I've got my own personal tour guide.. how do I pass that up?

We wanted to get a picture of all the cousins that were there... but first, my cousin Jasmine stood up just in time to stand on the bride's dress... Her reaction was so funny, I just about peed from laughing.  All was well though - no dresses torn, no tripping... just laughing...

And we pulled it together for a picture.  These are all cousins - 1st, 2nd, 3rd cousins.  We dont get to see much of each other, so I was thrilled to get hugs in.... & we got to add the bride in the picture... who doesnt love a bride?  Especially one as stunning as Kristen!

Byron & Kristen - I pray you have a wonderfully Blessed marriage - I know God is the center of it, so I know there is nothing you will face that you wont get through with Him leading you.  Now, its just time to live Happily Ever After....