Just one more word on the matter

I should have shared this website a long time ago.

I can't remember where I found Politics 4 Moms, but I have really appreciated what she has to offer.

If you need an unbiased place to go where you can read the simplest versions of what the candidates believe and have to offer America, then this is the place to go. From time to time, she does allow guest writers who freely share their opinion, but Natalie has kept her contributions very neutral. I am sure she has an opinion, but that has not been the purpose of her blog.

And while I have a very strong opinion about who I think is best to lead our country right now (at least who is our current best option!), I still can appreciate a place where I can read what the other person is offering without a lot of muddled rhetoric.

Be sure to check out her latest batch of posts especially. She has taken many specific topics and bulleted each candidate's record or stance on the topic.

I love bullet points!

Stacey

p.s. And of course, if you want to go read someone who has done a great job sharing my opinion over and over, you can always go see my girl MommyZabs!

I voted.

Yesterday.

My little man got to help me.

Want to know his favorite part?

Getting to actually touch the GRAND OLD FLAG!

(I just type it the way I hear it!)

Both of my kids have been learning the song at their respective schools. I get to hear them practice. A lot! I need to write down their versions one day while they are singing before they actually start singing all the real words! L's is particularly humorous!

As we drove away from the election place, he continued to impress me even more as he told me:

* The flag has 50 stars.
* Because there are 50 "stakes".
* The Texas flag only has 1 star.
* And that Texas is a state.

The brain of a 4-year old continues to amaze me!

Especially when I have to ask myself WHY I would find said 4-year old "washing" his hands in the toilet water that he just did his business in.

Thankfully, all solids remained intact.

Momma just about lost her lunch though.

I know you too really want to ask "WHY?".

Can we ever really know or understand the grossness that comes with boyhood?

I have to go wash my hands again just thinking about it!

Stacey

p.s. The fact that he really did know better furthers the uselessness in even bothering to ask "WHY?"! All I can say to his future wife right now is that I am trying. I really am trying! :)

Today is the day that my friend, Andrea, is having a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. She is in the operating room as I type. Thankfully, she found out that her lymph nodes were clean and she will not have to do treatments after her surgery. Please pray for her surgery today and her recovery. A few friends and I are hoping to take her out for some girl fun in a few months!

Also, for my friend's husband who has recently been diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Cancer. It is good to hear that this is usually a non-aggressive and very treatable cancer, however hearing anything to do with cancer leaves a family feeling overwhelmed.

There are so many other things, but these seem most important right now!

Stacey

Tell your Momma to get her own blog!

Some people have such nerve!

They find out that you are famous and expect all kinds of favors!

Just take these two innocent-looking characters, for example.



Just because their wife and momma is one of your good friends, they seem to expect you to plaster them all over your blog.

I think his exact words were, "I want to be on your blog.".

Well, there you go!

I hope you both enjoyed your 2 minutes of fame!

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OK, OK!

That was fun!

K is one of my sweetest, dearest friends who is a faithful and always-encouraging reader! I just didn't realize some of her family stayed caught up here as well! So, of course I am totally teasing them! I mean how cute is that sweet girl of hers!

I keep telling her to start her own because she always has a tale to share. Usually about some crazy thing she has gone and done! Her latest one was quite a doozy, but I will never tell in hopes that she will one day! Suffice it to say that she earned her key to the Golden Gate a few weekends ago!

Come on K! You can do it!

Stacey

The saddle feels broken, but I'll jump on anyway!

My house is atrocious and I have a to-do list that is acting like rabbits as I type.

But I wanted to get back in the groove, so here is my lame attempt.

Two funny stories.

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Earlier this month, I finally bought my kids new tennis shoes.

After discovering that their toes had been suffocating for an unknown amount of time!

Later that night after bath time, I discovered this:





I guess they liked them!

(Sorry for the skin action!)

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When my grandmother was visiting, we experienced a chilly day. I decided that it would be the perfect time to make stew. Over the last few months, I had been freezing leftovers in glass jars in anticipation of this day. I had corn, green beans, broccoli, tomatoes, tomato juices, beef broth, roast stuff (meat, veggies, and broth), and more! Plus, I threw in some leftover hamburger meat that I had cooked a few days before.

I was getting so excited as I defrosted it all and watched it start to simmer in the pot! Unfortunately, I forgot my husband was in the kitchen as well, and soon I started hearing grumblings about old food and food poisoning. He doesn't really get the freezing potential of most foods.

So my word of advice if you have a picky husband too.........

Be discrete. Be very discrete!

Because oh.my.word!

It was some delicious stew!!!



I enjoyed almost all of it myself that week!

Back to stocking up again!

Stacey

Sorta like the Tin Man

Well, the computer is back.

But besides the overwhelming numbers on my email and my reader, I am feeling just plain old rusty.

I managed to clean out my two email accounts this morning. One was a reasonable 52 emails while the other was a shocking 192! Had I not done a quick check on Friday at my Dad's house, no doubt it would have skyrocketed over 250!

My Google reader is a WHOLE.DIFFERENT.STORY!

I was seriously having a little panic attack as I awaited for the screen to pop up this morning.

759!

I knew I had to make some tough (and some easy) decisions pretty quickly.

I bit the bullet and quickly deleted all my non-essentials. PopSugar, Celebrity Babies, and other informational reads. That helped a LOT! But there was still a LOT to deal with!

I didn't want to miss anything, but for the sake of my sanity, I decided that I would read (scan) as much as I could, but just not comment. That last part kills me. It really does. Just know, if you visit me, then I have caught up on your life but just didn't feel I could spend the time it takes to comment as much as I like. I played fair, whether you had one post or 21!

Not sure? Well, I know there has been a trip to Hawaii, a potential move to Africa, upcoming trip home, lost teeth, lost time, parenting issues, concern for friends and family, and much much more! And so many wonderful pictures!

I realized while getting through the long, long list, that bloggers fall into several categories (all in jest, of course!):

The Over-Achiever Blogger. Otherwise known as, the ones who make the rest of us look bad or lazy!

The Regular "Joe"Ann Blogger. Those of us who make regular decent attempts at this thing.

The Check-In Blogger. Those that drop us a crumb now and then.

and

The Complete-Slacker Blogger. Those that we know and love, but they just don't make it a priority. Over, say, things like working or feeding their children!

At this time, I would like to personally thank all of the Complete-Slacker Bloggers in my reader that had mercy on me while I was gone!

Because frankly, many of you in the other categories talk way too much and made my life miserable today! ;)

I will try to clear out the cobwebs and download a few pictures before I return next week.

Missed you guys!!

Stacey

Out of Order

Computer has been acting ugly.

Going to the shop today.

No reading or commenting! :(

No writing! :(

Hope to be back soon!

Stacey

Duped. Twice. But more importantly!

I heard the faint cry last night around 10:30 pm.

"mommy"

I bolted upstairs.

I knew.

She slightly resembled Linda Blair.

Only no head spinning.

Cleaning and rearranging for the night ensued.

This morning.

No warning.

He was just a pathetic little man sitting in a mess.

I almost joined the club as I cleaned up that time.

Safe now.

On a pallet of well-covered furniture and a trash can near by.

Cartoons.

The whirring and tumbling sounds float from under the door of my laundry room.

I need a nap!

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Today, my friend Andrea is having surgery to remove lymph nodes and have them tested for cancer. On October 29th, she will have a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery for a cancer that is currently contained. She is a mom of young kids. She is not giving "chance" an opportunity.

She is brave. She is strong. She is faithful. She has a strong and supportive network where she lives, including her family.

As you find a moment during your prayers or quiet time, please remember her. Today and in the next few weeks.

Stacey

Rodeo

Saturday afternoon, we took the kids to the local junior college rodeo competition.

They had free tickets.

And it had been awhile since they had experienced something new and different.

It was interesting, to say the least.

I had no idea how much bling would show up at a small town rodeo arena.

There were boots for sure.

But the bling! A little over the top!

And what is it about people that have to bring their little smooch-smooch dogs?

You know those little dogs that people treat like humans. And then spend all their time smooching them and letting them "smooch" them. Plus, all the smoochy dog talking.

Personally speaking-Yuck! But that is just me!

It was pretty breezy and nice for most of the competition. It held the kids attention most of the time.

Pre-competition. The kids watched the "cowboys" and "cowgirls" warm up on the grass behind us.




Bull riding



The escape cow!


Lots of bronco riding.





My little cowgirl!



Stacey

In the kitchen

My grandmother spent the past week with us.

On Saturday, she needed to bake a cake for the family reunion on Sunday.

She got some little helpers to join her in the kitchen.

Here is a little cake baking between generation 1 and generation 4!

Along the way

On our way to visit family and friends two weeks ago, we stopped along the way and enjoyed some time with friends. We stopped at a yummy & kid-friendly place half-way between our homes.

The boys getting in some pre-dinner fun!



Can you tell that they all enjoyed their after-dinner ice cream?!!





This girl is serious about cleaning!



Our best attempts at a group shot before we said our good-byes!



It was refreshing to see our dear friends and have some time to catch up while the kids played.

Stacey

New

Three weeks ago today, this sweet little girl joined my sister's family!

We enjoyed loving on her a lot while we were there!

Although many times, you could barely pry her out of my dtr's arms!











Stacey

Tap, Tap, Tap

Anybody still out there?

If you are, then check back on Monday when I return.

Three sentences is about all I can muster for this week!

Stacey