life, the way it is

oh, how i wish i had more time for this. i really do. i wish even that when i DO get on to post (which has been what? like every 3 months?) i wish i could take the time to post everything. well, i don't really. i could i guess if i really was that dedicated but it seems that every time i think about sitting on the computer there is another cookout, another friendly get together, another birthday party, another diaper to be changed, another bottle to be filled, another boo-boo to be medicated and bandaged. or, quite frankly, another gorgeous day that i absolutely refuse to sit in front of a computer. no offense to anybody (if there is anybody) who follows. i was raised that way. there are plenty of winter months in the state of OH to sit on the computer and idle your day away. about a good 6 months worth it seems. during those months, i promise, i will try harder to be a better blogger. for now, it is summer and we prefer to spend our days like this!!

DIRTY SMOKER NO LONGER

A "dirty smoker" I am no longer. I have decided to quit. I have, as of this post, not had a cigarette for 17 hrs and 25 minutes. I have talked myself out of buying a pack of cigs 5 times so far. I have gone through a bag of sunflower seeds and have started into a bag of pistachios. I'm far from being successful as I see it but at least I'm trying. Ugh, they say this last about a week. I hope I can pull through that long. We'll see...

BITTERSWEET

Wow! I'm really terrible at this blogging thing. I haven't posted for about 3 wks!! Crazy! That's how my life has been lately...CRAZY busy. Since I've been such the slacker I will update.

Yesterday was Duncan's last day of kindergarten. I am now the mother of a 1st grader!!! I think I shed more tears of pride yesterday than I did on that first day when I sent him off looking so little on that big bus. I was sad when I turned 30 this year, it got worse when Duncan turned 6, and then even worse when Danicka turned 1...AND NOW THIS!!! I can't believe how big my "little" man is getting. I can't believe how fast time has flown. The other night he sat on his bed and read an entire book to me w/out hardly any help. As he sat there sounding out words about Arthur and D.W. going to the dentist I watched his face and his concentration and you could see how proud he was of himself when he got the word right. I cried. I cried a little because I was sad he was growing up so fast but I cry mostly because I am SO ENTIRELY PROUD of my Duncan!!! Mama loves you son!!! Keep up all of the good work!!!

This past Saturday May 30th we had a benfit for my father-in-law who was diagnosed w/ esophageal cancer last November. It was a wonderful event to help raise money for all of the medical expenses but also an event to celebrate him, his fight, and his life. 490 people came through that place that day! 490 family and friends and friends of friends blessed us w/ their presence and their donations. You know, Marty was nervous the whole afternoon before we got there. Worried about how things would end up, who would show up, would people get too emotional. The unknown kind of scared him I think (although he would kill me for using that word in reference to him). He worried for nothing (well, except the emotional part...I did get emotional). When you see that many people come out in support it really opens your eyes and lifts your heart. It was amazing. I want to thank all of the people who put forth efforts to come out and help our family. EVERY single person who took the time to come out to the benefit, anyone who donated anything to the cause. All of the people who volunteered their time to prepare the evening and to make sure the evening ran smooth. Anyone who did anything. I...WE thank you all. This is one of the hardest situations and to see that so many people care enough to come out and support and TRY to make things better...there aren't words...

On about the same note, last week we (Marty, Duncan, and I) were all crammed in the bathroom trying to figure out how to fix the shower knob that Duncan "didn't" break. It was about 9:00 and I hear a knock at the door. Odd. Nobody knocks when they come to my house. I go to the door and it was my cousin. I was shocked, surprised, and then a little worried that someone (eh hem...shane) had gotten themselves in some sort of a "bind". Nothing of the sort. He was there to inform us that Marty's dads' name was turned in 13 times to be part of the anual golf tournement that my cousin puts on for people who are sick w/ cancer. He was there to ask us to get his dads permission and to accept the invitation. What a glorious compliment. Of course, the invitation was accepted and here in a couple of weeks we will have yet another reason to be so thankful.

Full of Wonder and Thanks

So, I know that I have mentioned (yesterday) about a site that I've taken upon myself to follow. In doing so, of course, as most of you know, you get turned on to millions of other sites that you find yourself going and checking on as well. I find tons of blogs through others that I find captivating and find myself going back to at times to catch up on. Here is another one. Absolutely heart wrenching but at the same time also miraculous. Another life, another battle fought as hard as the littlest heart could fight. God bless and rest her soul.

To the family of baby Kayleigh, I can never put words to how sorry I am for your loss. As my 6 year old put it, "no fair". What a miracle your little precious baby! As little and young as she was...how many lives she touched. She was put her for a reason and fulfilled her destiny here in this life. She touched me, she taught me, and she made me praise the little things. I may not know you but feel for you and your family like you were my own.

From my family to yours,

The Finfrocks

Not Me Monday

I've become a little freakishly obsessed w/ this site and she has this theraputic way of letting everyone tell a little of their "flubs" (but "not" flubs) from the past week. I thought this week I would participate.

I absolutely would never wear a get up the other morning planning to wear a pair of pants to work only to find that there was a laundry detergent mess on them only to throw on a skirt instead and look down 3 hrs later and realize that I planned on pants for a reason. I did not forget that I hadn't shaved my legs in about a week and a half. I did not then make a mental note to self that is now Spring, Winter is over, shaving is a must...at least every other day.

I don't know who would ever (definitely not me) go an entire day singing the Humpty Dance. I absolutely don't know every single word to that song. My son absolutely didn't catch on and start singing parts of it with me either.

I did not find my 12 month old daughter elbow deep in the toilet the other day either. NO WAY. NOT ME! I didn't take said daughter who uses her hair (what little she has) as a napking to Red Lobster for lunch yesterday either where she continued to reek of seafood for the rest of the entire afternoon until I finally gave her a bath before bed last night and she went to sleep finally smelling like a fresh clean perfect little baby girl!

AND...i did not have to wear Marty's deoderant this a.m. because i totally didn't forget to buy my own deoderant at the store yesterday!

I didn't do any of it. It wasn't me!!

Begging For Toothpicks

Yes, toothpicks. I'm begging here people. My eyelids literally need propped open today. I'm utterly exhausted. Thursdays are usually my "tired day". The week finally catches up w/ me by Thursday and I find myself yawning, dragging, and doing LOTS of complaining about it but today is different. By the end of this day someone is going to have to get scrape me off of my desk w/ a spatula! I'm mushy. The girls here at work love to joke (because they know how much I DO NOT want to get pregnant again-and take good measures to make sure that doesn't happen) that it must be because I am pregnant. (NOTE: I AM NOT PREGNANT!! ) I don't find it all that entertaining but they get their thrills out of the reaction it has on me. I'm looking back on this week and can't put my finger on what exactly I have done to have drained myself to this extent...oh...wait....STESS!!! Yep, loads of it. My brain has been fried like an egg. I do believe it is definitely a go-home-do-nothing-movie-night kind of day. Where oh where is the weekend?!

Nothing really particularly interesting going on today aside from sitting at work "laboriously" doing my job...eh hem....maybe. A friend kindly pointed out to me that in my initial post I flubbed already. I promised pictures to be posted but ended w/out doing so. Way to go. Honestly, that kind of thing happens w/ me quite often. Embarrassingly often. At any rate. Here's what I owe you...pics of each. Enjoy.

This is my initial post and I'm not so sure how good I'm going to be w/ this sort of thing but I thought I'd give it a shot after reading a tid bit of so many others that I enjoyed. My life isn't really all that entertaining but sometimes we do have our moments and I'm thinking that if I share them, maybe, just maybe, someone will smile for no apparent reason. Even some of the things that I may not personally want to have fun w/. Sometimes it's better to smile (or laugh hysterically outloud) at someone elses situations than it is to do in your own life. So, here it is. Take it or leave it (and, if you keep up, you'll find that MAYBE should have been the title to this blog).

I will start w/ introductions (pictures will follow in order)

MR.= Hard working man of his own. LITERALLY! A great time. Tries to be "THE TOUGH GUY" but melts like butter when it comes to his daughter. A great influence and teacher to my son. Dropkick Murphy fan but still listens to country and oldies. Is fighting a battle that I know from experience has got to be the hardest thing but still stays strong. Most importantly, THE LOVE OF MY LIFE AND MY BEST FRIEND.

MRS.=I just am who I am. I try to do the best I can by my kids and try to get them to understand (as young as they are) that THEY are my world and nothing will ever stop the love I have for them. I have lived the past almost 16 years w/out my mom (JOHANNAH L. "TUTTI" POWELL) but have luckily been able to make the best of friends w/ my dad and the rest of my family. I have a life full of friends mostly who keep me happy and keep me who I am and would never give a single one of them up. My life is full of happy and that's what I am.

Dunc=6 yrs old. Kindergarten (for another month). Best big brother a girl could ask for. One heck of a wrestler and a t-ball player. Athletic, musically inclined, smart, funny. Everything a girl could want.

Dani Shayne=Girl believe it or not (real name Danicka). Named after my older brother (middle name). 1 yr old. 7 teeth. Not too much hair. Vocab of about 8 words. She's 1...she hasn't built up too much of a resume yet! ;o)

That was making it short. There's too much that I can blog about in later post. I have to keep you hanging or you'll never come back! ;o)