Feeling Grateful & Giving Thanks

Can you believe it? Thanksgiving is here and we're getting closer to wrapping up 2008. It's been a year full of ups and downs. So much has happened. And, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, it's good to reflect on all the blessings God has given me. I'm sitting here in my cozy little home with my healthy little energizer bunny (my son) and a great man I'm proud to call my husband. I'm not rich in money, but rich in all the important things in life. The things that memories are made of and will last a lifetime, my family and my friends. Sunday I came across an article in the paper about the St. Jude Hospital and I started thinking about all those families who will be spending their holidays in a hospital desperately hoping for the recovery of their little ones. It reminded me that although my little energizer bunny gives me a run for my money, he's healthy and full of life. What a blessing. St. Jude Hospital has raised the survival rate for the most common form of childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, from just 4 percent in 1962 to 94 percent today. What an accomplishment. St. Jude never turns it's back on any of the children seeking it's help because of inability to pay. They pay for everything — food, travel, and lodging for all the families. This Thanksgiving, I wanted to show my gratitude for my healthy little boy by giving to those who are not. Every Thanksgiving St. Jude Hospital runs it's Thanks and Giving Campaign. You can donate just $1 at participating stores. Eighty-five cents of every dollar received supports the research and treatment at St. Jude. My donation will be made in memory of my wonderful mother-in-law who I miss and think of everyday. She was always thinking of others and I wanted to honor her memory this holiday season. Times may be tough for some of us at the moment, but we can all afford to give that one dollar. So as you're out doing your Christmas shopping give thanks for the healthy kids in your life and give to those who are not.

Yearbook Yourself

Want to step into a time machine? Then yearbook yourself. Come on you know you want to. This is me back in 1960. What did you look like in the good o'days?



If you're one of my peeps, check out your e-mail and join my homeroom. To see my homeroom photos click here.

So glad you made it over.
But please don't look at the mess.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT?

THIS IS WHY I TURNED INTO A PACK RAT.

IT'S MY BLOG!

It's such a cluttered mess!

I just can't help it, my blog nor my impulsive blog hopping.

Did it take you long to get here?

OH! HOW EMBARRASSING!!!
I'm soooo sorry....

Don't mind all those links sitting around. Just push them out of the way and grab yourself a chair. Can I get you anything? A cup of coffee? My email address? A calender?

Are you hungry? I just put a Baked Apple Streusel in my oven. I'd offer you a piece of my cake creation but it's been sittin' there for a while now.

Here, have a little button while you wait. Don't be shy. Have one of each if you'd like. There's plenty to go around.

Want something to read? I think there's a People Magazine somewhere on the left there. Look underneath my stack of memoirs. Yeah, there it is.

I've been meaning to clean this place up, but just when I think I've got it all, I find something else out there that I absolutely LOVE! Like a to-do list. Maybe that would motivate me to clean up in here. And wouldn't a list of all of Mason's funny little sayings be cute?!! But I don't know. I've put so much in here that I think I'm getting lost in the shuffle.

Wait a minute... Hmmmm, I think I've got a map here some where.... Do you see it anywhere? Ahhhhh HA!!! Here it is!

I better put that where I can find it, just in case.

Now let me see.....

What can I get rid of here????

Nope, not that.

Not that either.

{Penless Pen Pals}
DEFINITELY NOT THAT!!!

Ahhhhh, who am I kidding? It's no use. I'm completely hopeless!
Maybe I should just make peace with it.
What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday

All they want for Christmas

Are your friends and family constantly asking you what gift your kids would like for Christmas? Then check out the Toys R Us website and make their very own wish list. It's pretty simple to do. Just select Wish Lists from the menu and follow the steps. And viola, all they want for Christmas is right there! No more wondering or guessing, "Will they like this?" It's not just for Christmas though. You can make a wish list for any occasion. So, log on to Toys R Us and start making wishes come true.

Time to Downsize!

It didn't just occur to me. I've known it all along. I've got to lose this baby fat. Let's face it, the baby is technically not a baby anymore. My quest for skinny jeans began Wednesday when I joined in on the fun at a Zumba class. Yes, I said fun. Who would have thought that exercising would be fun! Not me, that's for sure. I guess you could describe Zumba as aerobics meets Latin dancing. It was fun, but keeping up with the rest was a different story. Coordination is not my thing. You would think it would come easy to me since I am a latina. But, that's o.k. It didn't discourage me. I'm determined to make Zumba a piece of me. But that's not all. My hubby and I have also started doing the Weight Watchers thing together. The future's looking skinny for me and my jeans.

Oh Deer!

A deer came out of nowhere a couple of days ago as my Daddy was driving home from work. He swerved to try to miss it and hit the cable median on the highway. Thank God he's o.k. He had no serious injuries. There were only some minor damages to the car. It could have been worst. Knowing this could happen to any of us, I wanted to pass along some tips on how you could minimize the chances of it happening to you.

I did my research and this is what I found:

• Colliding with a deer can happen any time of the year, but chances are higher in the fall and winter months because 1) it is deer mating season and 2) low food supply. A doe may stop to look both ways but the buck chasing her has other things on his mind. If you see one deer on the side of the road, there's usually more along with it.

• Flash your lights or honk your horn to frighten deer away from the side of the road.

• Stay alert. Deer can be very unpredictable, especially when they are frightened.

• Be on the lookout for deer crossing signs and slow down. Be aware of your surroundings, just because you don’t see a deer crossing sign posted, it doesn’t mean deer won’t unexpectedly appear.

• Don’t swerve your vehicle to avoid hitting a deer. If you can’t avoid the accident, then just hit the deer while maintaining control of your vehicle. Some experts say that if such a collision is inevitable, you should avoid braking at impact so that the deer may pass underneath your car as opposed to hitting the windshield. (See picture below)
  

• When you encounter deer along the roadside, turn on your emergency lights to let other motorists know about the potential danger.

• Don’t rely on hood-mounted deer whistles and other devices to scare away deer. Wildlife biologists have not found any conclusive evidence that these type of devices work.

• Always wear your seat belt.

Tip Source: By Laura Jones, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Fall 2004






Please remember these tips and DRIVE WITH CAUTION!

Halloween has Come and Gone.......

but the candy is still lingering. It's like a bottomless pit of sugar just waiting to be gobbled up. Mason's favorite is M&M's and anything with peanut butter. He's got the biggest sweet tooth I've ever seen. The hunt for candy started at Nene's house where Papaw, Aunt Janet, and Aunt Mae paid a visit to the amazing "space ranger", Buzz Lightyear. The journey continued at Christian's house (oops I mean Diego). Door to door, it was trick or treat galore! Friends joined the fun in forms of rabbits named Max and Ruby, a pumpkin princess and superheros.

Blogger, Take Me Away

I guess you've heard the news. I've been bitten by the blogger bug. This is officially my first blog entry. I'm so excited and looking forward to sharing all that's going on with me and my little Chapman family.