The Best Medicine

At my Brother in Laws viewing last month, I got to see an old friend I hadn't seen in way too long. We grew up in Church together, and she was one of my best friends through my teen years. We had a lot of good times together, and she could always make me laugh, and you know how I love to laugh! (If you have any doubt, check out the name of my Blog!) :)

Well, come to find out she is a professional Stand-up comedian now. And last night John & I, and some friends went to see her perform at a club in Scottsdale. The Comedy Spot. It's always good to laugh, and we did, a lot. Date night is always fun, but it was great to do something different, like going to a comedy club. What fun things do you do on your date nights?

You can check out her web site here. And if you live anywhere in the Phoenix area, go check her out sometime & tell her Star sent you!
And have a good laugh on me. After all, they say:
Laughter is the Best Medicine!

My Friend Andrea, (otherwise known as A.J. The Comedian) & I!

Car Trouble

Right after the girls were born in October 1997, we got a brand new mini van for our family that now boasted 6 people! It was a '98 Plymouth Voyager. With the greatest invention for the parents of new born twins: doors on BOTH sides! We loved our new van. We leased it & latter bought it.

Well my twins are now 12 years old! This van has seen our family through many first days of school for all 4 kids, sporting events, band concerts, youth & school trips, family vacations & 3 cross country moves. And just a couple of weeks ago we took this picture (below) when we realized we had gone over 200 Thousand miles on it. Not bad for a little 4 cylinder engine!

Then soon after this picture was taken it passed emissions one last time, & then broke down on our sons way to a college class. It would cost us more than the van is worth at this point to fix it. We are all sad to see it go, it's been part of our family basically as long as our girls have. . .

So now our family of 6, is down to 1 car. John's little 2 door that can't seat all of us in it. And it is a stick shift. And I'm ashamed to admit it, but I am an intelligent woman in my 40's who does not know how to drive a stick. Kyle can drive it but is not really comfortable yet & stalls a lot. So, John has to chauffeur us all everywhere we go. Some days he drives Zach to & from High School, Kyle to & from College & work. Me to & from work, and some days he has to come run me to the bank when I need to make deposits for work. All 4 kids to meetings or events or friends houses. Besides driving himself to work, rehearsals, etc. You get the picture, and it's not pretty.

And if you read my Blog you know my husband lost his job this past year, and even though he now has a new one that we are so thankful for, we're not really in a position to have car payments once again. So we are looking for a new van that we desperately need, but we don't have much money to put down on one. So basically what we need is a miracle. Please pray with us that we find just the right vehicle. At this point we'd settle for just another car, even though all 6 of us couldn't fit in it together. It would be more than we have now. Thanks friends.

And to our Plymouth mini van I say: Thanks for all the years you gave to our family. And for all the fun memories we've had in you. You were a great vehicle!" Now if we could just find another one just like that!

Bloggy Boot Camp

I'm so excited. When I first started Blogging I joined the Blog Group The Secret is in the Sauce. And through them I have found some great Blogs & some new friends through sharing the comment love. The SITS girls host weekend seminars for Bloggers to connect with each other, and learn the tricks of the trade. They call them Bloggy Boot Camps. I've really wanted to go, but with family, work, church, etc. I couldn't get away. And now they are coming to me . . .

That's right on May 1st SITS is hosting a Bloggy Boot Camp right here in Phoenix! I can't wait to meet some of these women, to pick their brains and learn from their expertise. If you are a Blogger or want to become one, join me at the Phoenix Bloggy Boot Camp. It's gonna be so much fun & informative at the same time.

I'm so there!

The Weaker Sex

I had to have my blood drawn & some tests ran today. There was a young guy in front of me at the lab who was having what they called a Boxing Panel done. Apparently he fights with Rage In The Cage & they have to be tested for HIV, and some other things before they can fight publicly. He asked "your only gonna stick me one time right?" (That should have been my first clue) They took him back, & a few minutes latter the nurse came out to get a glass of water. A few minutes after that we hear him getting sick in the back. We tried not to laugh.

There was also a pregnant woman waiting to have her blood drawn yet again, having the glucose test for Gestational Diabetes. (Which I had when I was pregnant with my girls, the stuff you have to drink for that test will make you get sick!) We giggled about the tough guy not being able to take a needle.

When it was my turn to go back, the nurse told me they hadn't even gotten any blood out of him yet, and he'd gotten sick. His friends waiting for him all had a good laugh at his expense as well. She said it's always the men, that can't take it! We women know who the weaker sex really is. I tweeted as I left the lab about who's tougher, the fighter? I don't think so, just little ole me! The Mom! Hmmmm, Maybe I should look into Rage In The Cage!

The Perils of Jr. High School

Last night I took my baby girls to the 6th Grade Parent Night at the Jr. High School they will go to next year. I don't think (no, I know) I'm not ready for them to go to Jr. High. They, on the other hand are all excited. They love the idea of being able to chose an elective class for themselves. . . Lexi is going to stick with Band, she LOVES playing the flute! And practices non stop! Erica on the other hand, we can not get to practice her French Horn any more, and she no longer wants to be in band. She wants to be in Drama or Choir.

I've been dreading this for a few years now, Jr. High girls can be extremely mean! With boys, (and I know this to be true, because I have two sons & five brothers!) when they get angry with each other, may get into an argument or even a fist fight, but, the very next day they can be best buds again. With girls there is much more emotional damage, one girl will tell all the other girls not to like you or talk to you if she's mad at you. And they can say very hurtful things. That saying "Sticks & stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me" is so untrue. Words hurt the most! And in this day & age, with Facebook & texting, even when you go home, you can't get away from it . . . the meanness can follow you right into your own house.

So, I'm being pro active for my girls. Now grant it, it's been quite some time since I was in Jr. High school, but, I do manage a clothing store at the mall, and employ four young ladies, two of which will graduate from High School this year, and two who recently graduated. And I asked them for advice. To come up with some tips for my girls as they enter into Jr. High school. I thought I'd share their advice here, so other moms & girls can benefit from their great advice too. Now some of the things I had thought of, but they thought of things I never would have. So here is the advice of Taylor, Olivia, Hannah & Brittany for girls just going into Jr. High . . .

-Don't run to the lunch room. Everyone will laugh at you.

-Smile & try to say Hi to everyone.

-Try your best to remember the names of the other kids you meet.

-Don't read the school map after the first week of school. You might get made fun of.

And yes, they will have P.E. everyday. Their advice for that is . . .

-Don't wear little girl underwear, like the kind with Barbie or Disney Princesses on them. You will be laughed at in the locker room.

-Wear the little bootie socks, not ankle or high socks. That is uncool.

-Keep an extra deodorant in your P.E. locker.

Now I knew about the deodorant, like I said, I have two sons who went through it. But, I never would have thought of the underwear thing. I guess I better check to see if my girls still have any of that little girl kind. I don't know if I'm ready for this.

If you have some good advice for girls going into Jr. High school. I would so appreciate it. Just leave a comment on this post with your words of wisdom for my girls, and anyone else's who might read this. The easier the transition, the better.

And How in the world did my girls go from this to this? Help!!

Be My Valentine

Happy Valentines Day!

I thought I'd celebrate by sharing with you some loving couples that have impacted my life. Both My parents, & my in laws meet as teenagers, married, and have stayed together for over 50 years! Raising a family through the good times & the hard times. They have been great examples of what true love is for us and for our children. Of course my dad is spending Valentines day in heaven, but their love lives on. . .

Then & Now

John's Parents:
Bob & Bobbie Forbis

Star's Parents:
John & Pat Fink

And The Winner is . . .

Tonight was the first meeting of the Book Club! We had 11 women come, ready to read together & build relationships together. I'm so excited! I love to read good books, and I love getting to know people. And that's what this is all about.

I had set the first meeting to be at Wildflower Bread Company. And last week sometime I got an E-mail from them thanking me for choosing to host my upcoming book club at their place. They monitor all the various social networking sites & had come across my blog post. They wished me luck with the book club and said they would like to provide me with a complimentary dessert tray to kick things off. Wow! I was so impressed. How nice of them. I E-mailed them back thanking them in advance. And tonight I introduced myself to the manager when I got there, and she had a tray all ready for me. And It was yummy! I highly recommend The Wildflower Bread Company to any one hosting a meeting or gathering. And Thank you so much Wildflower, we will definitely be back!

I had a contest here on the Blog to help name the Book Club. And at the Super Bowl Party I was at last night I had some Family & Friends look them over & vote for the name they liked the best. And I thought it was interesting that not knowing that this is a Life Group out of LifeChurch, the name that got the most votes, had Life in it. The winning name, and the Name of the Book Club is "Life on The Same Page" And the person who submitted it was Michele. Michele, contact me and I will get you your prize! Thanks to everyone who entered, and came up with some really creative names, both here and on Facebook. And Paige, your Cover to Cover came in second place!

The first book that we will be reading is The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. "The tale of one Motherless daughter's discovery of what family really means-and of the strange and wondrous places we find Love." "A remarkable novel about divine female power, a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come." And you know me, I'm all about Girl Power! :) I've been wanting to read this book since I saw it some time ago on Oprah. It was made into a movie as well. And I will be watching it too! And Michele, as the winner of our contest, I have a copy of it for you. Congratulations!

If you'd like to read along with us, pick up the book and dive in! We will meet the second Monday of March to discuss this book, and announce the next one we will be reading. And the way we've set this club up, is that if you know you are super busy one month, and won't have time for reading, that's okay. If the next month's book interest you, you can join in then. We don't want this to be a hardship that takes away from the other aspects of your life. We all have lives, careers, or children, that demand our attention. We don't need one more thing that could be draining on us. We want this to be a time of yes, reading good books that enrich our lives, but also of building relationships with other women, of all ages, and backgrounds and grow together.

Come and live Life On The Same Page with some great women. And Happy Reading!

In Honor of The Super Bowl

We lived in Lafayette Louisiana for about a year and 1/2. We were about 2 hours from New Orleans. So, in honor of the Saints making it to the Superbowl for the first time ever, I thought I'd share some pictures of my kids first ever Craw fish Boil, and some shots in The Big Easy. Enjoy. And Geaux Saints!

Craw Fish Boil:

I just knew my little girls, who love all animals, would never eat Craw fish
after seeing them alive, then watching them get boiled.


But Kyle, and the girls Loved them!
(I'm thinking either Zach wasn't with us that day,
or didn't like it too much. He was my pickiest eater.)



Real Southern eating!


New Orleans:
Me with John's sister Pat, who came for a visit,
on the Trolley!
Brother & Sister in the Big Easy!

With our friend Suzy, from Michigan.
Having fun in the City.

Lexi and Erica!
Beautiful Girls in a Beautiful City!!

I took this one of John and our kids, pictured with Suzy,
on Bourbon Street! In the French Quarter.

The girls showing off their Balloon hats a local vendor made for them
on the streets downtown!

Are You Ready for Some Football:

The Super Dome where the Saints go Marching in!

Kyle was a Saint for Halloween that year!
(The only time he could be considered a Saint!) :)
One of the girls getting in on the act!
Who Dat?!

The Greatness of a Life

Thank you all so much for your love, support and prayers for my family during this time. My Brother in Laws funeral was very nice. It was so great to see friends I grew up in Church with, and hadn't seen for many, many years.

I was able to speak at the funeral and shared some of the stories I told about here on the Blog (see below) & also shared some things Tom had taught me throughout my life, that no one else could have. . . like how to siphon gas out of a car! (I've never had to use that one yet!) The one and only puff of a cigarette I've ever had, was Tom's, he showed me how. And though I don't know how to change to a flat tire, thanks to Tom, I do know how to let air out of someones tires! :)

I also shared that Tom had a special way about him, and if I asked how many people knew that they were one of Tom's favorite people, pretty much all of us who knew him would raise our hand. And we'd be right. He just had a way that let you believe you were his favorite. (Of course I really was his favorite person!) ;) He was a very special guy.

Pastor Paul of Lighthouse Church did the service, and he shared something that I loved & wrote down right away so that I wouldn't forget it, to share it with you here. He said:

"The Greatness of a life is not measured by the duration of the life, but by the Donation of it!"


My Brother in Law's niece brought me this picture, the night of the viewing. It is my sister Debbie & I teaching her some dance many years ago. I love it! We all LOLed over this one.