Friday Frag - 1000 Post!!!!!

Its Friday... & its time to frag... but first, I had no idea but when I went to create a post, I see that this, today, my Friday Fragments will be my 1,000 post!!! HOLY COW!  I have a lot to say apparently!  I think Ricky is just thankful that I have this blog because that's 1,000 less things I have to talk to him about! :)  A blog is a dream for husbands of gabby wives...

And to top off todays Friday Fragments, I saw over at the lovely Mrs4444's blog that I got the Favorite Friday Fragmenter award from last week... & what pushed it over the edge or me?  That adorable picture of my nieces!  See?  I told you they were cute!  Thanks Mrs.4444 ... it makes the 1,000 post even more exciting for me!

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I saw this in a catalog.... a 6 Pack Drink Holder... & it even comes in PINK.  Now, I love my Diet Coke - but does someone really need to carry around 6 drinks ... around their WAIST?  Does anyone really want to carry this look off & think they look decent?  And what kind of situation are you in that you need to tote around 6 drinks that are going to get hot? ... I guess its a new way to look at your stomach area & think "6 pack"

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So I just got a new laptop, right?  Literally, on day 30 of owning it, I started having problems with it.  When you turn it on, the fan kicks in high gear & just runs with the screen stuck - not budging - refusing to open Windows.  I called Best Buy who just told me to bring it in & then I called Toshiba.  They walked me through - had to take the battery off, hold down the start button for 20 seconds & put the battery back.  It worked... but it keeps doing it!  They told me, its getting "static in the computer" ... what the heck?  I'm not rubbing a balloon across my computer!!!  Where is this static coming from?  And I've never heard of this - but Toshiba says "This is common".... in what area of the world?

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A BIG Congraulations to my Canadian friend, Jennifer!  She just gave birth Wednesday with her 2nd baby!  Jennifer is one of those nutty people who have patience enough to WAIT until the birth to see what the baby is... & she had a girl!!!  Paige Rylee!!!  I cant wait to see my friend, who is on roofs nailing shingles down & building homes with her husband - now turn into a pink loving, bow wearing, baby doll toting, kinda mom!! ... nah, Paige will probably be on top of a motorcycle before she can walk & have her own pink tool belt decked out with Dora stickers! :) 

Congrats Johnson Family!

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So people on Twitter are pretty hilarious!  During the Chilean Miner Rescue, I created a "stream" that had comments from people everywhere about that topic... I literally choked from laughter on some of the comments... It was better then having a TV on Comedy Central.  Here is just an example of some Tweets:

*Whats up with the one miner predicting 6 more weeks of winter?

*At what point in the Chilean miner rescue/rehab are we going to bring them up to speed on Antoine Dodson? .... (Come on, you all are now singing "Hide your kids/Hide your wife")....

*If Nicholas Cage stars in a movie about the Chilean Miners wearing a fake mustache & sombreo, I'm quitting life.

& for those of you missing LOST
*Some time in the future, all 33 Chilean miners will find each other & say, "We have to go back"

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SPAT OF THE WEEK:  "I'M SORRY" - NOW GET OVER IT!!!.... Ever have an argument & you just go to seperate corners like a boxing ring to stop for a minute... stew over it some more?  Yeah, we had that kind of argument this week - & I cant even remember what it was over - isnt that what most arguments are about - stuff you cant even remember?  And then the bell rings & the fight is back on & Ricky says, "I'm sorry" ... & because he said those words, you're supposed to immediately be like, "Oh, ok" - commence birds chirping & rainbows coming out of the sky... No - sorry, it doesnt work that way.  Which caused another argument... Am I alone here?  For me, I gotta have some Diet Coke & some knitting & possibly a run... & THEN the bird chirping & rainbows can come back out :)

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Gonna finish off this week with this picture... It totally made me laugh... I love how proud this kid is!  ... I also, being a "background looker" - love the kid picking his teeth...

Happy Friday everyone... hope its FABULOUS!!!!

The "After-effect"

I was up to teach the youth last night...

If you ever teach a lesson, you know the "after effects" of it...

You sit & you question everything you said.  I honestly believe Satan has a way of attacking you after you share God's word.  Throwing things at you like, "No one was listening" .... "You are a horrible speaker" ..... "You made no sense" ..... "You really messed up by sharing that"

Its a weird feeling...

The message I spoke on last night was on regret..... oh mercy!  Regret... who doesnt have it?

Well, I know for the Senior High & especially the Jr. High, they really dont grasp what "regret" is... I know I didnt at that age. 

The Biblical message of David & his story with Bathsheba was the Biblical example... how David thought he had it all covered up, until Nathan came & BAM!  He told a story that showed David the truth of the situation....

David took his grief & wrote a Psalm ... expressing his regret... Psalm 51

I then shared some stories of regret in my life... some funny, some insightful, some heartbreaking....

Then I go home & sit & then here come the things Satan throws at me... I thought it was funny because that stupid devil WANTED me to regret things I said, things I brought up, stories I told...

But that just proves how stupid he really is - because the point is, God will take ANY regret & use it... God can turn a regret around & use that exact thing to bring Glory to His Name...

So Mr. Stupid Devil... I have no regrets about my lesson... & the regrets of my life? Well, I know God is in control of them...

"And we know in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" -Romans 8:28

I had to sit up & watch....

I couldnt turn off the rescue of the Chilean Miners last night....

I was a nervous wreck when they showed the first rescue worker getting into the capsule, & saw how tight the squeeze was.  When it was lowered in the small looking drain hole, I seriously gasped ... Praise the Lord there are people who can handle situations like that.  I'm sitting in my home in Indiana & I cant handle it... whew!

Then the pictures of it actually making it down to the miners - it was amazing... It was nearing 11:00 pm at that time where I'm at... & I couldnt even THINK about going to sleep.... It was watching history in the making. 

Not to mention, the human side of the story.  Praying that these people would be safe after all they've gone through trapped below the earth.  Seeing family members waiting anxiously for their loved ones to come out of this tiny hole in the ground...

When that first man came up, & his son started crying - I just teared up & watched with my mouth dropped. 

Human nature is just universal - isnt it?  I couldnt understand a word they were saying - but it didnt even matter.  You just saw a man reunited with his son & his wife... you saw a man who has a second chance at life... you saw the efforts of thousands of people who came together to rescue these men...

I have been up most of the night taking it all in... I'm now trying to find a live feed so I can watch it all day at work too...

But the one thing that stuck with me more then anything - the strength & faith of these men... & one thing they said just touched me more then anything....

"Everyone keeps saying there was 33 people down there... There were actually 34... God was with us & never left our side"

Amen.....

I'm hiding the guns

(Some of you may have seen this already - Blogger pulled a fast one on me & posted it early - but Steven Curtis Chapman took top priority - so I pushed this back... so if you DID see it before in Google Reader, just be a pal & act like this is the first time you're reading it....thankyouverymuch)

I read recently a blog buddies take on marriage... its right here on Amy's blog over at "Chapters" ... its really insightful...

She was talking about where someone told her that marriage "is like you are standing with the barrel of a loaded shotgun pointed at your forehead.  You're pointing one at him and he at you.  It all comes down to the fact that you believe the other one won't do it.  They won't pull the trigger."

So... I go to tell Ricky this anaology & said, "Listen to what I read today that I thought was so cool.  Someone said the idea of marriage is having a loaded shotgun & you both have it at each other's head....."

Ricky then cuts me off & says "And you're seeing who pulls the trigger first"...

Umm... honey... that's the OPPOSITE of what I was going to say...you're NOT supposed to pull the trigger.

He just went "...ohhhh...."

I'm hiding all the guns in the house....

Dancing with....yeah - it was a bad night...

8:00 - "We're getting down in the round" - Its Accoustic Week!!!!  "LIIIIIVVVEEE - this is Dancing with the Stars" .... we ready folks?  I'm excited to see what the night is all about - how the difference between a rectangle floor & a circle floor makes for the night???

8:05 - "This isnt just new for the stars.  This is something new for all the dancers - something we've never done before" -Tony

8:07 - Dmitry & Chelsea giving an example of the Rhumba... feels like I'm watching "So you think you can dance" with these two

8:08 - "Being a Christian guy, its hard for me to dance intimately with someone who isnt my wife" -Kurt Warner... who is now in my top 3 just for that sentence alone!!!

8:09 - "Are you okay with me going out there doing a "Dance of Love"?" - Kurt to his wife

8:13 - I just have to insert the comment from my husband - "Kurt, PLEASE STOP!  You're supposed to be a manly man" ....I need to let him host the blog for Dancing with the Stars one night...that'd be interesting!

....

& yeah - it all went downhill from here...

My computer had issues - I had to reboot 1,451 times - I'm sure that was the official count...

I had to call Toshiba for help even...

So while screaming & crying & throwing a 2 yr old tantrum, I continued just watching it....

The Clif Notes version.....

Brandy - still think she's fake... will pay someone for her not to win

Rick Fox - How did they not like him?  He was A-maz-ING!!!!  I think this is where the judges like to try & not show favoritism to the best dancer... he'll still get my vote.

Kyle Massey - adorable as always.  Didnt think he'd be able to pull off sexy, but I thought he gave it a big go at it.  I wanted Lacy's dress with the flowers across her body & down her leg... that'd be the best Halloween outfit EVER!

The "Sitch" - how is he still there?  ... but I'd keep him over Brandy... just saying.

Florence Henderson - The sexy side of Mrs. Brady just made me very, VERY uncomfortable....VERY!

Jennifer Grey - perfection!  Literally - with 2 tens!  She looked like a pro!  And does Derek get more adorable each week too?  Love the two of them together!

Bristol Palin - I just remember Mark without his shirt....his abs made the Situation's look like fat rolls!... oh yeah, the dancing... she got a 4 from Carrie Ann - enough said.

Audrina - something just seemed weird.  I couldnt tell if it was her shoes or what - it looked like she was stomping or something.   She's a beautiful girl though, isnt she?
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Sorry this isnt the original "recap" - I actually would hear things they said on the show & think, "DANG - I need my computer"... sigh... it was rough on me... is that a sign of addiction?  hmmm....

The good thing - there's always next week... if I dont throw my new computer out of the window....

Who do you think is going?  Bristol or The Situation?  Did you feel funny seeing Florence getting all "Freaky"... (shutter) .... Did you like the stage in the round?  Was I the only one all messed up with the judges being in a different place?  And dont you think Derek & Jennifer deserved bonus points for playing the piano on TOP of dancing?

Project 365-35

Here's what the week looked like for me...

Sunday - NO PICTURE ---- do WHAT?  I was so lazy this day... I literally only went for a run so you really didnt want a picture of me...sweaty, stinky, red faced... not pretty.... moving on...

Monday - Where's the FlipFlops? .... It felt like a Fall day - & what did that mean?  Having to put the flip flops away.  (Insert sad face)  My toes were literally in pain from regular shoes.  Have to break the tootsie's in all over again for the season... & for the record, today, as I type this - its now back to 90 degrees so I have wore flip flops every day since Monday! (Insert happy face)

Tuesday - My Boyfriend... & his wife... You all know about this day... it was wonderful... how could it NOT be?

Wednesday - Breaking out more Fall decorations... love this time of the year... I think I want to redecorate my home in pumpkins & leaves for a year round look...but then maybe I wouldnt love it each year during this season...

Thursday - Dangers of picking up a packet in the mall.... I had to run to a mall to pick up the packet for the 5k that I was running on Saturday.  Well, I'm female - which means you have to travel in some stores to reach your destination in a mall.  For me, that meant a trip to Claire's for some more fun hair accessories ... & then to Panera Bread for some yummy bagels.  I even had dinner in there because Ricky doesnt care for Panera & I wasnt about to let the opportunity pass on having some awesome soup & sandwich!!!

Friday - Field Trip!!!  ... I posted on Facebook - "The advantage of living in Kentucky:  The boss shuts down the office & is taking us to see "Secretariat"" - & it was WONDERFUL!  I literally teared up in like 6 different places.  Its a beautiful movie, has a great message of never giving up, its a great GIRL POWER movie & just the magestic animal of horses was amazing to see up close... If you havent seen it, GO!

Saturday - 6 yr olds are FUN! ... Here are my twin nieces along with their friends who came over for pizza & jumpy time to celebrate their birthday... The hot topic of conversation?  What is everyone going to be for Halloween!  They all agreed I should wear a TuTu :)  See?  I like 6 yr olds for a reason!

I hope you've all had great click-worthy moments in your life this past week!

I was proud to wear PINK!!!!

I WAS PROUD TO WEAR PINK

This morning, I got to witness heroes... all in pink!

It was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure....

I have been dying to run another 5k & was excited for this race to be the next one I did....

Before the race, they had a "Parade of Survivors" with all the kick-butt women & a few men, who have battled Beast Cancer... they got to walk with pink pom-poms & have people cheer them on.  I knew no one in this parade of people, but I teared up at just the smiles on their faces.  I was inspired just seeing these warriors...

I used this motivation of strength to get myself ready for the race....

Seeing the signs on people's back on why they were running was just a reminder on how many people are touched by Breast Cancer...

Can you see all the people getting ready to cross the bridge?  I believe they said there was over 10,000 people there.

There was definitely an energy in the air.... the strength of people who have face a battle - & who have WON!  And people there in honor of those who had finished their battle...

There were young, old, every size, shape of people there.... Breast Cancer... it has no favorites - it'll pick anyone... why we all need to keep fighting together.... SAVE THE TATA'S!!!!!

For the record - this was my best 5K I've ran!!!  I think all the pink was inspiring!  And who knew I could run while toting my camera!  Now, that's talent!!!!

 

Friday Fragment ...Disney has taken over today...

Friday - Friday - Friday!!!! Time to get frag the day away....

OK - so last week was my mom's birthday ... followed by Isaac's birthday... & to keep the trend going - tomorrow is another birthday of two beautiful, awesome, fantastic little princesses!  My twin nieces!  They are going to be 6 years old!  I cant even believe it myself.  I remember being there at the hospital holding them just minutes after they were born.... now, its not so easy to hold them - but I do! :)  I can see Sophia being 16 & I'll still try & swing her in my arms like a baby!

(2004)

Where does the time go? ... & does this mean I'm older too?  ....nah....

(2010)

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The advantage of working in Horse Country (aka Kentucky) - our boss is shutting down the office early & taking us to see "Secretariat" ... I'm so excited.  I feel like there needs to be permission slips & a yellow bus outside the door like an old-fashioned field trip!  Bonus of the day - he always treats to the BIG SIZE drinks & candy... Diet Coke Heaven, here I come!

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I think I'm allergic to something in my office... I sneeze constantly there!  It's so bad, my co-workers keep track on how many times I sneeze through the day!  And I always sneeze in multiples of two so when they hear the first sneeze, they always wait for the 2nd one before the count it... my record is around 12 in one day.  I told them the other day, if I was a dwarf, I'd be "Sneezy".... I work with someone who I would also say if she was a dwarf, she'd be "Grumpy"... just saying...

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With the re-release of Beauty & the Beast, can I tell you how much I love going into stores & seeing tons of B&B merchandise?  I was in the Disney Store yesterday & just stood in front of these amazingly beautiful collectibles of Lumiere, Cogsworth & Mrs. Potts & Chip.... I think I was drooling...

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There was a girl about 18 yrs old in the Disney Store who was going completely crazy finding "Alice in Wonderland" stuff... dont ask me how we got to talking, (I talk to everyone!) but I ended up talking to her & her mom & she was saying how she always felt Alice was the "forgotten Disney character" & now its back, she was buying everything she could.  I told her that's how I felt about Belle.... (hence the drool still on my face from previous frag)... we got to talking how everyone seems to have ONE special favorite from Disney.  How did Disney do that?  Make people go nuts for their characters?  ...Its magic I think...

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Alice was my mom's favorite too... she used to dress me up in "Alice" dresses all the time when I was little... & I had a mirror - or "Looking Glass" if you really want to get into the fan side of the story - in my room that was beautiful & had curtains around it... So I have to say, I do feel a little connection with Alice too... By the way, I was blond too, so I could really pull off the look

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And STILL speaking of Disney - a awesome blog buddy sent me an email & said she instantly thought of me & I had to go check this out... This was at Bakerella & I am in love... going to have to try my baking skills...

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Since the Frags have taken a Disney theme, I'll go the rest of the way with it & give you....

SPAT OF THE WEEK: BEAUTY & THE BEAST RE-RELEASE .... So Ricky doesnt understand why I need to get the new version when we have the VHS, the DVD, the re-release the first time of the DVD & now this one.  But I keep trying to tell him, this has BLU RAY - & we all see VHS is now obsolete... what happens when DVD players are gone?  I've got to have the BLU RAY too!!!  Its a MUST!  Truth be told, our only Blu Ray player is in his "man den" & I think he's afraid I'll take it over with sounds of "Be our Guest" floating out the room... which is a no-no for a "Man den" ... I'll win this one - watch & see!

Well - didnt plan on this Friday to turn into a DISNEY kinda day... I mean, the twins are pretty much Princesses in my eyes - Secretariat is made by Disney... & the rest is obvious... I think Disney World needs to send me some free tickets for all this promotion!

Happy Friday Everyone!!!

A Night with the Chapmans - Photos

So I know you all dont want to see all 75 pictures I took... so here are some of my favorites of the night

In the lobby of this church, they had these HUGE boards up with tables of Post-its... you could write one question you want to ask God... I got choked up at a few of the questions that I read... some, were just cute from the kids & some were just funny... I saw one that said "Why am I such a chick-magnet"

Can you see the one that said, "When will you stop my seizures?" - yeah, that's one I got choked up on, thinking of my friends in the battle with their baby Emily...

See?  There's my big pink flower.  How can Steven miss me in this?   This isnt my favorite picture - I had my zoom lens on my camera & this was the furthest away it would take... I feel like I'm BAM!!! in your face... but wanted to show my excitement... see?  Bouncy kinda smile, dont you think?

There they are!!!!  The most awesome people in the world!!!  And Yes - that's from my question!!!! Proof - I made them smile!!!!!!

Time for the serious questions....

Mary Beth has such a sweet, caring voice... what a mighty soul in a tiny little body...

I LOVED hearing "Caleb"... which is actually Caleb & his brother, Will Franklin.  I remember when they would come on stage as little boys with their dad... & now look at them.  Caleb has a fantastic voice & Ricky really liked them because they had a more "rock edge" to them... More concerts we'll be going to, I have a feeling...

This is probably my favorite picture of the concert!!!  Seeing them sing together... & it was a song about Maria & how they cant see the plan now, but they will on the other side of Heaven... some powerful stuff!

Oh, the light this man shines for God...

... What an wonderful family that serves our God in an amazing way...

Me... Steven Curtis Chapman.... a few feet apart

So last night was the night I had been counting down to....

The Night with the Chapmans...

And you all know, all I ask in life is to get my picture with the love of my life, the most amazing man ever, the perfect father, husband who has the most incredible voice...(NO!  Not my husband!!!)... Steven Curtis Chapman... duh!

So are you prepared?... you ready for this?  Here we go!!!!

NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I didnt get a picture with him!!!!!!!!! 

And actually I havent downloaded any of my pictures from my camera...I will be doing that tonight & I did get some A-maz-ING pictures of Steven & Mary Beth... just none with me in it... (big ole let down sigh)...

We got there for the meet & greet & I should have suspected something when I was the only one there bouncing off the walls, jumping with excitement, all giddy as a 10 yr old at a Justin Beiber concert... everyone else was very serene looking, dressed in very dark clothing - I thought there was a dress code I missed because everyone was in black/brown/grey... Me?  I was in a bright pink sweater with my bright pink flower in my hair...

We get in the room & there are chairs in the front ... I look at the door & I thought I heard angels sing because there he was.... walking in the room ... I think my mind must have played games because I think he was moving in slow motion aka Mr. Hoff on Baywatch... but there was no red swimming trunks...

He & Mary Beth sit in the front chairs & welcome everyone & are just as cute as can be.  One thing about Mr. Chapman - he's a talker... see, arent we perfect for each other? 

But then his manager - who I was so excited to see because I follow his blog & have never seen him in person - was going around with a microphone asking if anyone has any questions...

crickets... crickets... no one was talking..

So leave it to the giddy, jumping, ready-to-pee on herself girl to ask a question... yes, that would be me...

And I thought, lets have a light hearted question - something to break the ice since no one is talking.

My question - WILL YOU MARRY ME? .... no!!!!! I didnt ask that!

I said - "So lets go back to the early 90's - tell me about that hair & about the big dramatic hair cut from the mullet" - he laughed... YES, I made Steven Curtis Chapman LAUGH!!!! I even made Mary Beth giggle & then he went on to tell the story of his hair...

All the while looking right at me... into my eyes... I saw the connection... he could tell in my eyes I love him... I know he saw it

The microphone was taken away... because hold up, if no one else is going to talk - I've got 1,001 questions I can ask... but the next question... someone asked him if he would come to his church to promote adoption.  (Rude?)

He politely declined...

Then the air went out of the room - the next few questions showed me why everyone else was so serene & not as "bouncy" as I was....

A grandmother told her story of her grandchild being stillborn after a perfect 9 month pregnancy & how she cant get her son & daughter-in-law to move on 10 months later to healing... what advice do they have?

Another woman talked about how she lost her daughter at 2 months old & what advice would you give for a grieving mother?

Finally, a woman told a story of her daughter who had drowned & their song going to day care every day was "Dive"... & when her daughter was drowning in their pool, that song was actually playing by the radio station... this woman believed it was a sign that there was celebration even in the loss of a life here on earth...

Folks, there was not a dry eye in the room... It was heart wrenching to hear these stories...

There was even a news reporter in the room that was bawling his eyes out... I'm talking SOBBING... that's how emotional the room was...

So needless to say, at the end of our time with Steven & Mary Beth, they just had the manager pray & they slipped out ...

So there were no autographs & no pictures with anyone... & really, who wanted a picture when everyone's faces were red-nosed & snot covered? 

Yep - the quest for a Steven Curtis Chapman picture will continue... & I will not be faltered! Just gives me even more reason to stalk follow him to all his concerts...

And in the end, Ricky said, "you know he totally noticed you the whole time with that big ole flower on your head" ...  And at least he'll remember I was the girl who caused laughter in the room... I made an impression, I'm sure :)

It wasnt what I thought it would be... but I wouldnt trade it for the world... AND I was a few feet away from THE man himself... who can ever turn that down...

And believe me - you're going to love the pictures I took of Steven & Mary Beth in the room... & some of the concert - which was, as always, FANTASTIC!!!!!! 

The Quest .... to be continued....