Thirty Day of [Blank]--Join In!

Not sure if any of you read Room 704.  I don't very often, because...um...well...um...no good reason really. 

Anyway...Room 704 is doing a "30 Days of [Blank]".  After I read about it, I thought it was a pretty grand idea.  So I'm going to go for it.  Basically the gist of it is....studies have shown that it takes 30 days of doing something to make it a habit.  Oh, shoot, you can read about it here.

Now, contrary to popular belief, I DO NOT work out.  Oh, yes, I used to.  I used to be an exercise fiend and would rarely miss a day. But since the birth of the kiddos that has gone out the window.  I did Boot Camp one summer and I've gone for the occasional run/walk.  But there will be months between.  And that just can't be good.  

So I decided my 30 Days of [Blank] will be exercising.  I'm going to do some sort of physical activity for the next 30 days.  I'll take you along for the ride and let you know how I'm doing. 

And I hope you'll join in, too.  It starts tomorrow...Aug. 1 (sorry for the short notice, that's just how I roll).  It can be anything...30 Days of...healthy eating, trying new foods, prayer, singing in the shower...whatever you think would be beneficial for you.  Leave me a comment and tell me if you're "in" and what you're going to do.

Come on...join in!

Now for my answer for What Would You Rather Do? Wednesday...I would take the beach.  Anyday, anytime.  I'm a beach girl through and through.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the beach.  One day on the beach would refresh me more than a week anywhere else.  So, yep, it's the beach for me.

What Would You Rather Do? Wednesday

Since it's the vacation time of year...let me throw this question out for this What Would You Rather Do? Wednesday...

Would you rather

Spend 3 days on the beach

or

Spend 5 days in the mountains?

Lessons Learned

Whew--what a weekend.  Apart from giving all the details...which I'm not going to do...there are a few things I learned this weekend.  Or at least God put me in some situations where I was reminded to put things into perspective.

This weekend I learned:

A girl will always need her mom.

My mom will come when I call--no matter when/what.

Never send a loved one away without saying "I love you."

"Thank You" goes a long way.

Talking to a nurse at 4:00 a.m. is NOT reassuring.

It is possible to stay up for 39 1/2 hours--straight.

St. John has the BEST nurses EVER.

A mother/wife will always wish they could take the pain in place of their loved one.

A mother can function as if nothing is wrong even when riddled with worry.

No matter how much you brush your child's teeth, they will still get cavities.

A 2 year old cutting molars can be grumpier than a bear waking from hibernation.

Children will always be on their worst behavior when mommy is the most tired.

I love my husband very much and don't tell him enough.

Sometimes God gives us a little shake up just to remind us what's important.

So....

What lessons did you learn this weekend/today?

Sing for Joy

Perfect Pairing for this week.  Go to Baloney's blog to see more perfect pairings...

Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. Psalm 33: 2-4  

Whoops...Here's My Answer

Whoops...I forgot to give you my answer from the last two What Would You Rather Do? Wednesdays.  So let's get caught up...

Allergic to flour or sugar??

I would choose to be allergic to flour.  Sugar is just in everything and so many people have gluten allergies these days that I think I could find some pretty good recipes that would not involve flour.  It would be tough--but I just can't give up the sugar.

Now...would I rather run 10 miles or bike 50 miles?

It was unanimous among you commentors that you would all rather bike.  I'm not just going against the grain here, but I would rather run the 10 miles.  Sure, I'd have to stop and walk A LOT...but I don't think you realize how hard it is to bike 50 miles.  Plus, I don't think any of you know this but I have bike 'issues'.  As long as I'm going, I'm fine.  It comes to the stopping part.  For some reason, I cannot stop without falling over and hurting myself.  It happens every time I stop.  I tip over and end up bruising and scraping myself all up.  It's a real problem to not be able to stop, unless you're riding in the Tour de France, where you don't have to stop (until the end where there are people to stop you).  

And I'm not riding in the Tour de France.

At least not this year.

Boys...A New Lesson Every Day

My little guy has taught me a lot.  

He's taught me that some things that boys/men do are just part of their genetic make up and they can't help themselves.  And that sometimes we women should cut them some slack.  Sometimes.

Like this....

(he's asleep--probably fell asleep on the couch while watching golf or something)

(sigh)...they just can't help it, can they?

But I sure do love that little guy.

What Would You Rather Do? Wednesday

Here's a What Would You Rather Do? Wednesday for all you exercisers out there...

Would you rather...

Run 10 miles

or 

Bike 50 miles?

Hmmmm....

Now, get your heart rate back in check and let me know!

Pink Power!

I haven't done too much shopping for myself in the last 6 years lately.  Any extra "shopping" money I have usually goes to contribute towards my kiddos wardrobes.  In the case of the past few weeks it has all gone towards birthdays (and Baby Lam's is coming up in 4 weeks).  I'm in pretty desperate need of a wardrobe make-over.  Lately I've been trying to pick up things now and again.  But the other day, I noticed I have a problem...

...a problem with pink.

Here are some of the things I've picked up in the 1-2 months.

A couple pink t-shirts

A bright pink scarf

Katie needed some new sneakers, so I got her some PINK ones.

Another pink t-shirt

Work out shorts--they're black, but there were many options for the accent color (white, red, yellow, black), I chose pink.

Pink golf hat

There are several other things I've purchased--and they were pink, too.  I have to admit that pink is my most favorite color.  It's my signature color (I said that even before the movie Steel Magnolias came out).  Even as a little girl.  My room was done with pink floral wall paper, pink & white bedspread.  I would do my current bedroom in pink, but I don't think WM would appreciate it.  I love pink.  But I'm beginning to think I need to branch out a little.

Guess what the next most popular color in my wardrobe is?

Black!

But we established early on that I'm weird.

Power to the Pink People!

Peaceful Dancing

They send forth their children as a flock; their little ones dance about--Job 21:11

Go to Baloney to see more "Perfect Pairings."

Girls Night Out--PJ Style

I was planning on blogging about my weird obsession with pink, but I'm really tired today.  Mama stayed out until 1:00 a.m. last night--I don't do that...I'm a wimp!  And because I was being a 'tard and forgot my camera, I can't even share photos of my fun evening. :(  But I had a great time! Met some girlies whose blogs I've followed for some time and some other girls who are friends of Baloney's.  Mostly we just laughed and chatted and had drinks and ate.  Great fun!!  

To see pics of our evening, click here:  That's Baloney!

Now...I'm off to take a nap (or just go start dinner).

Have a super weekend!!

What Would You Rather Do? Wednesday

For today's What Would You Rather Do? Wednesday...let's think food...

Would you rather be allergic to flour

or

allergic to sugar?

I have no food allergies and neither do any of my kids.  I just thought it would be interesting to see what more people would be willing to live without.

Have a Happy Wednesday!

Happy, Happy Birthday, Big Girl!

Happy Birthday to my Katie!

Six years ago I made my leap into motherhood.  And I've loved every minute!  

Just as I did with Patrick last week, I'll give you the story of Katie.  Again, it's not eventful and exciting like so many others, but I love the story of my road to motherhood.

Katherine Elizabeth just minutes after she was born.

I found out I was pregnant in November of 2002.  I tried to think of inventive ways to tell WM, but I knew he was going to freak out, so I thought I'd make it fairly calm.  It was a Tuesday, I was home from work and getting ready to go to a meeting.  So I just sat him down on the end of the bed and told him we were going to be having a baby.  He just kind of sat there in shock, and I just said "I gotta get to my meeting," and I left.  I thought it would be best to give him time to let it sink in without me there jabbering on and on.

Katie's first few minutes at home.

Plans were in motion for our first baby.  My pregnancy was pretty uneventful, everything looked good the whole time.  We didn't find out the sex of the baby.  I never saw the need for that, and there are so few good surprises in the world.  Baby showers were thrown, baby items were bought...my belly grew (though I didn't have to wear maternity clothes until I was a good 6 months pregnant).  Spring turned to summer and we were getting close.

One-year-old Katie!

Sometime during the night of July 12/13 I started to have some back pain.  Nothing terrible, but definitely more noticeable than what I'd been feeling during that last month of my pregnancy.  So when the sun rose on that bright, HOT, July Sunday morning, I told WM "I think I might be in labor."  Unfortunately for me, I hadn't met Susie yet--my sweet, dear friend who was my L&D nurse with Patrick and Baby Lam so I was on my own to figure out if I was in labor or not.  I called the doc's office--not much help.  So finally around 8:30 a.m. we decided maybe we should head to the hospital.

Yay! I'm a 2-year-old!!

We were checked in, sent to triage and assessed.  Hmmm, are you in labor?  Not sure.  Is your water broken?  Can't really tell.  Maybe we should just send you home (please, no!)...but first let's contort you into positions not natural for a 9 month pregnant woman to try to decide if you are really in labor.  After 30-45 VERY uncomfortable minutes (with a 16 year old in the next curtained area screaming "GET IT OUT OF ME--IT HURTS"--oh do I have a lot to say about her), it was determined that, yes, I was in labor and progressing.  Off we go to our own L&D room!

Celebrating being a 3-year-old.

IV's were started.  I got Stadol or some other kind of 'crazy juice' that made me feel drunk--WM thought I was being funny and wanted some of that drug sent home with us.  Then the doc came into to start the epidural.  He looked like a leprechaun!  I was cracking up--because of that 'crazy juice'--everything was funny to me!  Epidural in...more waiting.

A proper Princess must have a proper Princess Party when she turns 4!

Finally around 2:45 p.m. the nurse declared it was time to push.  The doctor was called in and about 30 minutes later--at 3:13 p.m. WM turned to me and said "it's a girl!"  A girl! I couldn't believe it (I was pretty sure it was a boy).  All I kept saying was "really? A girl?  Oh my gosh!"  Katherine Elizabeth was the cutest, dark haired, green eyed baby I'd ever seen.  She was perfect.  WM and I instantly feel in love with the beautiful girl who was looking back at us with the sparkliest eyes and longest lashes.  Katie weighed in at 8lbs. 10oz.--pretty big for a first baby.  She was a chubby little thing.   After the nurses cleaned her up a bit, I nursed her, then WM and the nurse took her for her assessment and first bath.  WM picked out a red bow to go in her hair.  She smelled so good when she was brought back to me.  I still love that clean baby bath smell.

Princess Katie at her 5-year-old party.

After a couple days in the hospital we took Katie home on one of the hottest days of 2003--it was 105 degrees.  But we were so happy to go home and start our lives as a family.

Beautiful Katie...turning 6!

Katie is an absolute delight.  She personifies the girly girl.  She's dramatic, loves dolls, Barbies and can tell you all the facts about all the princesses.  Pink is the world's best color and if it sparkles she loves it.  Her heart is filled with song and dance and when she grows up she "wants to dance on pointe on a stage." And...she will only wear skirts and dresses.  She is such a joy to be around, she has a contagious smile and still has that sparkle in her eye.  She's a true blessing from heaven.

We love you so much Katie--Happy 6th Birthday, Big Girl!

The Silver Lining...Make That Liner

As a mother I've learned to be very resourceful and inventive.  Especially in times of crisis.  I've mastered the art of acting calm, cool and collected when I've wanted to freak out.  But last week I had to reach deep down into my "inventive" soul and come up with a solution to a problem--quickly!

Let me set the stage:

The kiddos and I were in the car on the way home from the swimming pool when all of the sudden Patrick begins to WIG OUT!  Screaming, crying, yelling.  What could be going on in our car that would have him this worked up? I look back and he's holding out his hand and it's barely bleeding and he's crying "it fell off!! It fell off!"  He was talking about the scab that was on his hand.  It did NOT need immediate attention--but he was persistent that he needed a band-aid right away.  

"I need a band-aid...A BAND-AID RIGHT NOW MOMMY!"  

I knew I didn't have any band-aids in the car, so I told him he'd be fine until we got home.  

"NO, MOMMY--NOW--I NEED A BAND-AID NOW!!!!"  

The situation clearly needed to be addressed but I didn't have a band-aid and I wasn't going to pull over at the nearest QT or Walgreens and unload 3 soaking wet kids just to go get a box of band-aids.  So we did the best with what we had.  I dug around in my purse and made a band-aid with the only thing I had available...

...a tissue and...

....a panty liner.

So I folded up the tissue and stuck it to the sticky side of the liner and wrapped it around his hand.  He was soothed and actually LOVED the homemade band-aid and refused to take it off when we got home.  He never questioned what it was that I stuck onto his hand...he believed me when I told him that all I had was a 'giant' band-aid.

WM was laughing so hard I thought he was going to spew beer out of his nose--seeing his son so proudly walk in with a panty liner stuck to his hand.

Patrick has two sisters--I have a feeling this won't be the last time he has a run in with a feminine hygiene product.

Hope you have a great weekend!!!!

Oh--my answer to What Would You Rather Do? Wednesday?  I'd wear ice skates.  They're prettier.

Happy Day to My 4-Year-Old

Happy Birthday Patrick!

My little guy is 4 years old today!

So I thought I'd give his story.  Compared to some stories out in the blog world, it's probably rather boring and uneventful.  But to me...it's a wonderful story.  The story of my little guy and how much he's loved.  I'll make it brief.

We found out baby #2 was on the way when Katie was only 15 months old.  When was baby #2 due?  On Katie's 2nd birthday.  What's the chances of that happening (our doctor told us to quit 'celebrating' our anniversary if we didn't want any more July babies.  Ha ha, very funny).  For WM's birthday I surprised him with the news that baby #2 was on the way.  What a great gift, huh?  So plans were underway that fall...our family was growing.  By summer we would be a "party of 4."

Patrick with his daddy and grandpa--he is named after both of them (all three go by their middle names but have the same first name)--on the evening he was born.

My pregnancy with baby #2 was fairly uneventful...no morning sickness, my hair and skin looked fabulous, weight gain was less than with Katie and I craved steak, hamburgers, potatoes ('man food') and I ate 4 Twix candy bars a day (not 4 Twix, but 4 packages--8, yes 8 candy bars), I couldn't get enough of those things (which, by chance, I now don't really like).

On his first birthday...enjoying some cake.

So when Friday, July 8 rolled around, like any other morning I got up, got Katie breakfast and sent WM off to work. I was still a week away from my due date so I didn't have plans in order for the 'big day' yet.  I felt a little crampy, but nothing to get excited about.  But about an hour later, maybe around 9:00 a.m. the 'cramps' (a.k.a. contractions) were becoming stronger and more regular.  But nothing I couldn't handle, I thought I was in early labor--I thought I had probably another day or two before I needed to pay attention to what my body was telling me.  Around 10:30-11:00 a.m. I called one of my best friends (who happens to be a labor and delivery nurse) to just talk to her about it.  We timed a few over the phone and she told me "call (WM) and tell him to come home, you need to get in here.  Your contractions are 3 minutes apart and last 1-1 1/2 minutes."  "But they don't really hurt," I said.  "You're in labor, if you want an epidural you need to get here soon."  "OH, we'll be there shortly," I said (yes, I wanted that epidural).  So WM came home, Katie was sent off for a fun day with Aunt Amy and cousins and away we went.

Two-year-old Patrick.

When we got to the hospital at 12:30 p.m., my dear, dear friend (who I'd talked to earlier) was there waiting for us.  She got me checked in, took my stats, asked all the necessary questions, filled out the necessary paperwork for me, etc., etc.  Then she sent our other friend in to see how far along we were.  "You're at a 6," she said.  WOW--over half way there and I hadn't felt bad yet!  I rock!  Fluids were pushed in quickly, epidural was started and there we were.  And about an hour and a half later it was time to push.

After about 2 pushes...at 3:16 p.m. on July 8, 2005, Robert Patrick L. was born.  Weighing in at a whopping 10 pounds (well, 9 lbs, 14 oz to be exact, but what is 2 tiny ounces)..  He was a big boy.  And it was love at first sight.

On his 3rd birthday.

I loved his chubby cheeks, black curly hair, green eyes.  I loved everything about him.  The newborn nursery nurses would tease us that the OU football scouts were hanging out in the nursery checking out their newest recruit.  He was a big, healthy boy.  And I just kept saying..."I have a son!  I have a son!!"

I loved having a son!

I still love having a son!

Patrick at his 'park party' this past Monday...celebrating his 4th birthday.

He's such a joy and so easy going.  He's your typical middle child--social, a leader, happy.  Even being sandwiched between two sisters, he faces the world with a happy face, tender heart and caring spirit.  I've been told by many, many people (teachers, friends, etc) that he is very compassionate and loving.  And he truly is.  He will melt your heart.  He has melted mine.  I love that boy!!

Patrick is an absolute joy in our lives.  

Happy birthday, Patrick!  We love you SO much!!!

Tuesday Edition of What Would You Rather Do? Wednesday

Because tomorrow's post is going to be dedicated to celebrating my little guy's birthday, I decided to have a Tuesday Edition of What Would You Rather Do? Wednesday. I like to shake things up that way. So here's this week's question:

Would you rather...

Always wear ice skates

or

Always wear flippers?

I like to just throw out those silly, nonsensical questions every once in awhile. Definitely not a philosophical question...it's just plain, silly, fun.

Leave me what you'd rather do in my comments section, and I'll give you my answer in TWO days (on Thursday)...plus I'll update you on everything else that's been going on...we've been a busy bunch these days.

Happy Day!

God Grants Me Freedom

Good Sunday morning...here is my Sunday photo and verse.  Go to Baloney's blog to see more inspirational photos and Bible verses.

I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.  Psalm 119:45

God Bless America!!

Winners & Answers!

I'm actually going to have two posts in one day! Wow!! I just wanted to real quick announce the winner of the Name that Photo Contest and give you my answer for What Would You Rather Do? Wednesday.

The winner....and let me tell you I loved every one's entries. Most of them were potty related, which wasn't actually was going on in this pic, but since I love the idea of Baby Lam going potty on the potty, I'm choosing...

Mandie!

I don't know Mandie, we've never met and I think it's the first time she's commented, but that's the beauty of blogging...new friends! YAY!!! I'm sure we'll be fast friends now! :)

So, Mandie, shoot me and email (outonalam@gmail.com) and let me know where to send you your Sonic gift card. Then you and your family can enjoy some nice cool slushes during these hot summer days!!!

Oh--and what was Baby Lam doing in that picture? She was singing I Got You Babe by Sonny and Cher.

Now to my What Would You Rather Do? Wednesday answer...

...SO EASY!!! I would definitely rather never use computers. Can you imagine me trying to get anywhere with my three kiddos without modern transportation? The idea of a horse and buggy is kind of quaint and appealing...but have you been to Oklahoma lately? It' friggin' HOT here in the summer (which I love, I'm not complaining) and cold in the winter. Plus, I just don't really need another mouth to feed--and I hear that horses eat quite a lot.

So there you have it!

Stay tuned, though, I'm planning on doing another post later today. Let me just give you a little teaser...it involves one of my kids and a feminine hygiene product.

What Would You Rather Do? Wednesday

G'day all my fine friends! (Sometimes I like to pretend I'm Australian--just to be funny).

Happy July!

Here is today's question for What Would You Rather Do? Wednesday.

Would you rather...

Never use computers

or 

Never use modern transportation

Leave me your answer in the 'comments' section and I'll give you my answer tomorrow...(even though I already know what it is).

Happy Wednesday!