Misc.

I never knew my brother, Craig, disliked flying. Last October, when we needed to get down to my dad's immediately, I told Craig we needed to hop on a plane. That is when he informed me he didn't fly. So, we drove. And drove. And drove. Now I don't particularly love to fly, but I do it. Last weekend, Craig & I were discussing flying again. Here's what he said:

"Oh I don't mind flying, I just don't like the height." LOL!

:)

Welcome! To my FREE blog!

Did you know I was so frugal? :)

Good glory, building this blog was like pulling teeth. How many people in the world use Blogger? Sheesh! I'm not kidding you - I literally spent 2 full days trying to find a site that wasn't already taken. Adding 'bliss' was all I could come up with without changing my entire blog name. That said, though, I love, love, love the word 'bliss'. The dictionary definition reads: "1. complete happiness 2. heaven or paradise". How awesome is that? My life is an amazing journey, full of bliss! So I guess it's just perfect. <-- Uh, obviously that site name didn't work for me (amazingjourneybliss). :) Question to all you blogspot bloggers - do you resize your photos? When using Typepad, I always resized them to a 4 X 6 & changed the DPI to 72. The above photo has been resized, but I don't think I'm going to from here on out. What do you do?

Ok, time to prioritize. I'm a prioritizer. :)

1.) Time to decorate the trees & house for Christmas. My children are becoming impatient. :)

2.) Get my Typepad blog saved & printed. Fortunately, husband can do this at work. Once it is printed, I've decided that once a day I will add a post/photos. No hurry I suppose. The only odd thing is that all of my posts will be out of whack until I get the transferring completed. Ah well. I won't sweat the small stuff. :)

3.) Get this blog's banner & background customized. It's time for me to update my banner anyhow. That's one thing I love about Blogger - you can have your own personal banner (& background) with no size restrictions & it's free of charge. :)

Somewhere in between all that I will be mourning the end of DWTS. No more until next year. How will I get by? I know Kat is feeling my pain. lol! :) Don't fret, I have another DWTS post & then I should be finished. I know you all want just one more dancing video. :)

Here is a photo of my wee ones. Yes, they are still here. I know everyone was questioning their existence since DWTS temporarily invaded my blog. :) Christmas came early. A few weeks ago we bought a trampoline & my cuties just love it. We still need add the safety net - all in due time. Christmas decorations first! :)

Off to get busy! Happy Wednesday! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

My Typepad is up for renewal. Again. In January. I pay $90 yearly for this blog. And I hate that. So here I sit again. I want to switch to Blogger. It's free. Basically, give or take a little, it functions like Typepad. Did I mention it's free? It's free. And I can have my own personal banner. And it's free. Ü

What to do? I tried to make this switch last year, but couldn't get everything transferred in time from this blog to my new blog. So I renewed Typepad. Instead of trying to transfer all my posts, maybe I should just start fresh with Blogger...? I'll 'lose' 2 years worth of posts & photos. I guess I could print out my Typepad blog.

Happy Thanksgiving! We are headed to the Hilton. They cook much better than I do. Count your blessings today! You'll be amazed at how many blessings you come up with. God is so good to us. :)

I Swiffered.

And they're sick. All three of my miniatures. Sick. All have stuffy & runny noses.
Coincidence? I don't know.

* Bentley was at the pediatrician this a.m. & he is now on breathing treatments for the first time ever. She seems to think that his cold has been brought on by allergies. Audi is pretty much fine & Jaguar has a cold too, but not as bad as Bents. Due to Bent's allergies (she also gave him 3 prescriptions to try to help his allergies! No one has ever done that before) I will not Swiffer anymore. Honestly, with his severe allergies, I can't believe I didn't remove all chemicals years ago. I'll wash my floors with vinegar & water until I find something organic that I prefer. The kids can just walk around with dirty looking socks, if that continues to happen. Their socks may look dirty, but their lungs will be cleaner. I hope. Ü

Goin' Green update.

This is mostly for my benefit so I can keep everything straight! I'm still experimenting with certain items & I don't want to get confused.

Glass/Mirrors - vinegar or diluted vinegar. Can't tell a difference - both work great.

Toilet bowls - Arm & Hammer or Bon Ami and/or vinegar. I'm going to try Borax next.

Exterior toilet - Clorox Anywhere. Soak all parts - let sit- wipe with paper towels, including surrounding floor.

Laundry - perfume/dye-free detergent & Borax (at the same time). Love, love, love this. I probably will never use anything else.

Floors - I'm disappointed in this area & very frustrated. Initially on my hardwoods/marble/ceramic tile I used hot water & a tad of dish soap. Floors looked beautiful, but I think the dish soap attracted dirt. I noticed the bottom of my children's socks were "dirty" & no way will I do that. No way. Never will my children run around with dirt on the bottom of their socks. (That's my OCD factor.) So next I tried vinegar & water (but not on the marble as vinegar is too harsh for marble). Same outcome. I finally broke down & bought some more Swiffers. Voila! Clean floors & no dirty socks. UGH! I don't want to use perfumed Swiffers. But for now, I will until I find another solution. I need to try to find something different though for my ceramic tile floors as those are way more hearty.

Bathroom counters - Arm & Hammer, but I may switch back to my Bon Ami since it's a tad more abrasive. Still no chlorine, perfume or dye.

Shower - finally! - Bon Ami. Works like a charm & rinses quickly. April tipped me off to Mr. Clean Magic Erasers - which I think worked great! However, my shower is so large, it would take me about 15 erasers each cleaning. So I tried Bon Ami & loved it. The minor issue I have with using Arm & Hammer on the shower tile is that the product "gunks up" on the cloth/sponge & it's difficult to spread. Maybe I'm doing it wrong...? Bon Ami was super simple to scrub with & rinsed effort-free.

All purpose cleaner - still using Clorox Anywhere. Love it. Typically I only use it in the kitchen & on the toilets.

TV/TV screens/Computer/Computer screens - diluted vinegar & paper towels. Works great.

Dusting - right now using Scotchbrite's Microfiber Cloths - this area still a work in progress.
And just so you all know - NO ONE has been sick at all since I switched my cleaning products. No one. Has been sick. At all. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

* I think, for now, I'm going to stop using Arm & Hammer & begin using Bon Ami. Bon Ami is a tad more abrasive & comes in a shaker can which is easier to use. Arm & Hammer is "Sodium Bicarbonate", Bon Ami is "Calcium Carbonate". Not sure what the difference is. Hubby stated the obvious - Arm & Hammer is sodium based, Bon Ami is calcium based. Makes sense, but not sure if it's accurate. Bon Ami also states it is biodegradable detergent & contains no phosphorus. :)

Just a mom.

Maybe it's just me. Maybe you agree.

I've been a play-at-home mom now for almost 7 years. To me, I have the most important 'job' in the world. I am shaping, forming & building our future - my children. I get paid nothing for this venture, other than 3 beautiful smiles as my reward. And those smiles are good enough. Witnessing my children grow into honest, responsible, hard working, happy, intelligent, determined children confirms to me I am doing my job. I'm doing it darn well & I don't take this task lightly. It is extremely difficult & challenging.

Many of you know hubby is in the advertising industry. His company has a new logo, & personally, I dislike it. It's no big deal, I just don't like it. Hubby happened to share my thoughts with his brother, who works for the same company. My brother-in-law responded with "let the advertising people handle the advertising, let the mom take care of the children". Originally I laughed it off. Then I became disturbed. It's disturbing to me that because of my status, I may be viewed as possibly not being worthy of opinions. This particular brother-in-law I just love, love, love. Never would he do anything to hurt my feelings. That was never his intent. However, his comment got me thinking.

Isn't that just like society, to belittle the mom, because after all, she's 'just a mom'? No, I don't wear heels every day anymore. I don't apply my makeup daily. My hair is not perfect. I don't have all the fancy dancy clothes anymore & I don't bring home a hefty or contributing paycheck. But I'll tell you one thing, I still have a mind of my own. Being a mom is what I do - it does not define me & who I am. I think the same, I have opinions & I have feelings - for crying out loud, I'm still a person. So my daily duties have changed. This makes me no less smarter than society, & it certainly makes me no less of an individual. When I quit my job years ago & made the decision to be a play-at-home mom, let me tell you what happened. I got a promotion! Raising my children is way more important than any advertising business. Jobs come & go - but I'll have my employment forever. Seems I'm the winner. :)

It infuriates me that moms typically get a bad rap. I am a firm believer that society puts us last, & society stereotypes us. That's a shame. I am a mom, but I am also a woman. I need love, I need affection, I need attention, I need passion, I need romance, & I need the spotlight, too. I deserve the spotlight. I am the very same individual I was when I went to work every day. I have the exact same needs, wants, desires, hopes & dreams. Just because I work inside the home now, doesn't mean I will settle for less than I deserve. And never in my life will I accept or tolerate belittling or degrading for a position God has designed me to do.

A year or so ago statistics showed that play-at-home moms made approximately $182,000.00 yearly. Wow! I'll take that - I earned it! Fortunately though, I don't get paid in funds. I get paid with three small children who respond respectfully with "yes ma'am", three children who have nothing less than gracious hearts, three children who have huge, beautiful smiles & eyes that sparkle, three children who well up with pride when they have given it their all, & three children who love my high fives & "you did a great job!". That's how I get paid. I'll take my payment, over society's payment or a monetary payment, anyday.

So maybe next time I don't like your logo, take it for what it's worth. Realize I'm someone not in the advertising industry & value my opinion. You don't have to agree, but don't stereotype me as ignorant or dumb just because I work inside my home every day. Treat me with respect. I deserve nothing less. Keep in mind, too, that your job is much easier than mine. You're building advertising, I'm building character.

Will You Dance With Me.

Beautiful song by Julianne Hough. Because I love dancing so much, I thought I'd post the video. :)

Forgiving will never mean forgetting.

My childhood memories. For some reason I've been thinking about this alot lately - & I've come to realize that I have not forgiven my parents for my horrendous upbringing. I think down deep in my heart I have forgiven my dad, even after all he has put me through since I was a young child. My dad has been an alcoholic for many years & even though that is no justification, it is a disease. My dad loves me & I know that. I have not forgiven my mother, though, & I don't know if I ever will. I don't know if I ever can.

I have a very, very selective memory when it comes to my childhood. I'm not sure if it's because my memory is not all that keen anymore, or if it's because I have subconsciously chosen to block it out. Quite honestly I believe it's the latter of the two.

I look at the things I do with my children & I attempt to "go back" when I was their age.

I never remember halloween/trick or treating.

I never remember being read books by my parents.

I never remember baking cookies with my mother.

I never remember being asked if I did my homework.

I never remember playing at a park or taking long walks with my parents.

I never remember anyone sitting me down & saying "Follow your dreams. You can be anything you want to be & you can do anything you put your mind to."

I never remember being hugged by my mother.

I never remember going to a movie with my parents.

What I do remember is my mother not removing me & my siblings out of a horrible home atmosphere. Her parents lived in another state, but financially they were well off & I know they would have helped her/us.

What I do remember is being allowed to car date at age 13. To this day I am appalled & disgusted about that.

What I do remember is a living hell with my father. Every day I stepped out of bed, he would look at me & cruely call me a "queen". "There's the queen. You just think you're something, don't you?" Every single day.

What I do remember is being completely terrified of my father.

What I do remember is being called a "slut" by my father. I think I was 13, maybe? I remember him chasing me around the house trying to catch me. He had a broken leg prior, so he was chasing me with his cain. I think he was going to beat the crap out of me with that cain. I remember I made it safely upstairs to my bedroom; he then grabbed my princess phone, yanked it out of the wall, threw it at me & actually hit me with it. I remember my arm bleeding. I still have the scar. I remember my mother screaming at him to stop chasing me. I did nothing to provoke any of that. Neither of my brothers were home at the time. I still wonder, to this day, what would have happened if they had been home.

What I do remember is hating my mother from the age of 5. I couldn't stand the sight of her at 5 years old. That recollection is very vivid.

What I do remember is being drug to bars, happy hours, etc. drinking "Shirley Temples" while my father intoxicated himself. I was young...9 or 10 maybe...I used to cry & beg to go home. That memory is also very vivid.

What I do remember is commending my mother for being so tough when she had so little. I do give her credit for that. She had no family local & I do honestly believe she did the best she could/knew how. Until we were finally kicked out of our home, she worked a job (or two, I believe) trying to make some money since my dad took her money away. He had 5 cars at the time, & she was not allowed to drive any. Her parents finally gave her their car & because it was from up north, it had no air conditioning. Her evilness & abuse didn't start until myself & my brothers got older. And it still continues to this day.

Let me say - I, at this point in my life, am completely happy with where I am today. My life is incredible. My life is amazing. I am so incredibly blessed. My children mean everything to me & I am so blessed that God chose me to be their mother. For the first time in my life, I am so happy & so fulfilled. I have complete peace with my life & have had for several years now. I have reached the light at the end of the tunnel. :)

That said, between there & now my journey was awful. I was one screwed up girl & I didn't even know it. I had a great job, I was a very hard worker, I made great money & I was completely self sufficient. But I look back now & I read a different story. I didn't do drugs & I didn't drink (only socially) - but so much was missing from my life. I went through guy after guy after guy & now that I look back, they all resembled my father. I've always heard that girls tend to do that - pick guys who resembled their dads - I guess it's true. I married the first time at a very young age, only to divorce & marry three more times. When I finally made the decision to leave my last husband, I remember well he was pinning me down holding a knife one inch from my face. I remember laying there thinking "oh dear Lord, please don't let his hand slip". I used to be the manager of apartments & I lived on site. I remember my residents calling me, the manager, to complain about some guy beating the crap out of their wife. They were calling me about me! I was the one being abused! I will never, ever forget that. And no, I never confessed that to my residents. I've recently realized that I blame my parents for my actions & bad choices when I was in my 20's. That & the fact that I was not a Christian then.

I remember never wanting to be a mother. If anyone would ask me "do you plan on having children?" my curt response was "no!" I think that is because of the relationship I had - or didn't have - with my mother. Now that I have children, I can't even begin to imagine not having them in my life. They are nothing but pure, pure joy. I cannot imagine not protecting them. I cannot imagine not prompting them to follow their dreams. I can't imagine not saying to them "go! you can do it!" no matter what "it" may be. I can't imagine not encouraging every single step of their life. I can't imagine not wanting only the best for them. And I can't imagine them not loving me. I adore them. I treasure them. I cherish them. I am so completely in love with them. I am completely honored to be their mother. Never in my life will I take my three little blessings for granted. I think my children are just another reason my childhood is still so shocking to me.

I don't know why I sat down & typed all this out. Lord knows I could write a book - I've only mentioned a few of my life experiences. I'm not looking for a pity party. I'm not looking for sympathy. Good heavens those things happened years ago & the past is...the past. I do wish my childhood, & my 20's, would have started out differently, but then again, no I don't. Had I taken a different path, there's a good chance I wouldn't have the perfect life I have today. And for that alone, I am eternally grateful for all the heartaches I had to suffer through.

I pray my children don't ever experience any of what I did. I hope to guide them & help them any way I can, no matter how young or how old they are. I hope to always listen & be there for them. That's what I want to do! That is my heart's desire. I want to be their friend. But I do know it's more important to be their parent. I pray I can balance the two.

I look at my children & they melt my heart. It amazes me to see me in them. It brings a smile to my face (& a good laugh) when Bentley says "you're gonna kill someone with those nails!" That is so me. I cracked up last night when Audi mumbled to hubby "oh for cryin' out loud" under his breath. That is so me. Or when Audi got angry with me at the grocery store & I was trying to make him laugh. He said "quit it. I'm not in the mood." That is so me. It's amazing to me how children can change the way you live & look at life.

I will do everything in my power to protect them. Children should never, ever have to live a childhood that I endured. Funny - when I was feeding Audi & Jaguar lunch today, there was a story on the news regarding depression. Now in no way am I depressed. But many people are. The doctor who was doing the segment made the comment "adults who had a negative childhood experience need to understand it affects them for decades." Oh yes it does. Isn't it a shame that those of us who lived a dreadful childhood have to suffer with it for the rest of our lives? That's why I continue to tell myself that if I haven't forgiven yet, it's ok. The day will come. For now I just tell myself that forgiving will never mean forgetting. :)

Calling all moms.

Since Bentley is my first child to lose teeth - I have a question!

When he lost his bottom teeth, one got knocked out by a ball & the other one we had to have extracted. Now, one of his top teeth is very, very loose. However, that sucker has not fallen out & Bentley won't let us yank on it (not to mention I'm about to pass out when I watch it wiggle :). It's been loose for about 4 days (or more) now.

My question is this: I have noticed the tooth has "relocated" & changed positions. For example - I have noticed it has moved up some & turned inward a bit. It's making me extremely nervous & I'm thinking I need to have it extracted. Hubby says not yet.

You moms that have gone thru this - is a loose tooth "moving positions" normal...???? Thanks! :)

Did you know?

I think everyone was shocked when Mark & Sabrina got booted from DWTS. Grrrrrrr...such a shame! I would have loved to see Sabrina & Mel battle to the end. Mark & Sabrina were so fun to watch too. :) And yes, I know it was time for Mark Cuban to go. He was very entertaining - but getting a little out of his element. :)

Did you know Mark & Sabrina are now a couple off the dance floor? Tooooooooo cute! :)

And Mr. Derek. Holy smokes, is he adorable or what? I love him! What a cutie-patootie, fun guy. :)

Did you know Derek (age 22) & Julianne (age 19) are brother & sister? Julianne dances with Helio. :)

However, did you know this...???????

Click here! :)

I am...addicted! Love the acoustics! :)

Halloween '07.

Whoa. I got burned out from bloggin' there for a second. Or a day or two. :)

Halloween night was loads of fun! My good ol' "Halloween is cancelled" idea was rejected, once again. I guess I'll give that up. :) Anyway, I am really disappointed in the photos I took - but some are better than none! :)

First off - our "Tubbie Tubbie" as Miss Jaguar says:

And second - our prisoner - who was completely unimpressed w/ me taking his photo:


And now our cute little witch (with a tiny fat lip due to busting it on her crib rail):


And all three who were not going to cooperate for anything!

Love this photo. Some little witch pooped out quick, so her & hubby loaded in the truck & I took off with the boys on foot. :)


Husband sent these to me Halloween morning. I put smiley faces on everything & he thought this would make me smile. It did. I love them. :)