Crazy Cat Lady 3

So my sister in law's name is Beth and she is a pharmacist and her husband is a Lutheran minister. They don't have any kids but they are a blended family... of cats! They have about 14 or 15 to be exact.

My husband's aunt has about 6 I think.

So when I started feeding Cocoa James told me pleaseee no more cats we have reached our cat lady quota for the family lmao. I have disappointed him because now we have about 5 cats being fed LOL

Cocoa
Cocoa started hanging around the bus stop a few months ago. She looks like a full blooded Siamese Cat. She was very thin and very sweet. There is a house actually where the bus stop is but they have a cat and the cat didn't like Cocoa. So I fed her at my house and now she won't leave. I am very attached and William loves her. Cocoa doesn't want to come inside she is very nervous being inside. So she stays in the front yard. If we walk to the bus stop she comes after us. If we walk around the block she walks with us lol. I took her to the vet she has no chip and she looks pretty healthy. I can't believe someone would abandon this cat!


A few days after Cocoa got comfortable She brought a friend, we saw this orange cat and Orange Cat had a collar but was too afraid to come near us. Finally Skylar got to pet her by giving her a bunch of treats. Now she is still scared, hanging around the back yard and no collar *shrugs* I call her Lucy. (Like I love Lucy lol)

Lucy

Then there is our other household cats....

Peanut is our house cat. Peanut is about 2 years old and came to us because I was friends with another Army Wife who had to move in with someone who was allergic to cats so I was going to keep Peanut for the year her husband was deployed. Well a few months into the deployment she left her kid here for 24 hours and I told her to come get her kid and cat and now I am stuck with Peanut because I couldn't see her throwing away yet another animal. Although Peanut and I aren't getting along he is mean to the other cats and I want to indict him on Avian homicide RIP Lily and Attempted Rodent homicide for seriously injuring Skylar's hamster Munchy. Rick thinks he is cute because if William cries Peanut will come to investigate.

Mittens is my ball of anxiousness. I swear she is half rabbit. She is considered a Hemingway cat. She has 6 toes on one foot and no tail. She is 7 years old and I adopted her from a rescue after my sweet Lightening passed away in 2009. Mittens stays in my room 99.9% of the time and only comes out to find me. She isn't very photogenic because she is scared of everything and doesn't lay down.

Tinker Bell is my 4 year old cat. Actually she is Skylar's cat. We have had her since she was a baby. She stays upstairs too but wants to be with Skylar every second. Its like Mary had a little Lamb but its Skylar & a cat.

I think seriously all I am missing is a black cat to be happy lol well maybe hehe

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods:
We have Fall so far only in the AM haha. Nah I am kidding we have a low of around 41 and a high of 75 degrees. Partly Cloudy. Its crisp like Fall and a nice breeze no humidity. I love Fall.


Things that make me happy:
Today is Gene Simmons Family Jewels. Its also the cutest thing to see William hold a picture of his big brother as a baby and say Baby and kiss it lol


Book I'm reading:
nothing... waiting on Vampire Diaries



What's on my TV today:
I missed Pan Am, Tonight is House and Castle

On the menu for dinner:
We call it Dinner in a Box


On my To Do List:
Clean up
I need to go to Walmart for a new Table Cloth and some Ribbon
I need to go to Publix for Coca Cola :)


New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
Cannoli French Toast http://noblepig.com/2010/10/10/cannoli-french-toast.aspx


In the craft basket:
What's NOT! LOL

Looking forward to this week:
Time with Alex, Girl Scouts, Halloween Parties, Gymnastics, Dr Stienner appointment, and Green Mountain for Family photos.


Tips and Tricks:
A Life without Sleeping Pills – Ending the Cycle of Insomnia
Another sleepless night. We’ve all been there at one point or another watching the clock roll past midnight, one a.m., two a.m., and perhaps even seeing dawn before finally drifting off.

Insomnia typically strikes when we’re feeling particularly stressed or anxious about events in our lives, but for nearly 10 to 15% of the American population bouts of insomnia can last more than six agonizing weeks. It's no wonder we have a hard time falling asleep, with the constant worry of issues such as the economy, or juggling the responsibilities of our daily lives as well as the inundation and constant stimulation of our minds from television and the general noise of the outside world. Our hectic schedules cause an array of stress responses in our bodies; such as elevated alertness, increased heartbeat, and breathing rates, all of which cause a loss of sleep.

Traditional medicine offers the sleeping pill as a solution. It’s astounding to think that nearly 42 million sleeping pill prescriptions were handed out last year alone. While effective in the short term, these pills do not treat the root causes of insomnia and instead only temporarily mask symptoms. The end result? Those who take sleeping pills build up a tolerance and dependence over time. They need more pills in order to get much needed sleep, and once they stop taking pills will typically suffer from rebound insomnia along with drug withdrawal symptoms such as nausea and headaches. Furthermore, sleeping pills are not without side effects - they cause a general lack of clarity, drowsiness the day after, confusion, and an increase in forgetfulness.

Resting easy can be as simple as making some adjustments to our daily lives and incorporating some restful periods into our ever-busy schedules. Toning down the pace of our life, at least long enough to allow our bodies to feel tired and drift off to sleep, is the key to curing insomnia.

Early to Bed - From a scientific standpoint, our body's Circadian rhythms are very definite about when it's bedtime and time to get up. Operating outside of these normal hours will cause problems such as fatigue, malaise, and sleepless nights. We are naturally “set” to awaken each morning around 5:00 a.m. (with the rising of the sun), and so in pushing the envelope to watch the late show or get that last chore completed before going to bed, we're disturbing the natural rhythm. Most experts agree lights out should be around 10:00 p.m. In order to ensure proper rest and wakeful periods.

Ritual and Routine - Just as our children respond well to a bedtime ritual such as bath time followed by story and lights out, so too do adults. The reasons for this are many. First and foremost, having a nightly routine will train your body to feel sleepy when it's supposed to. Secondly, the process of getting ready for bed in the same manner each night will serve to distance bed time from your hectic day. The routine will be calming by nature, and with the addition of sitting quietly with a warm cup of herbal tea, or having a long, quiet bath to soothe frazzled nerves, your body will unwind and be ready for sleep.

Write and Read - Quite often sleepless nights are caused by the thoughts and worries that swim around in your head that you simply cannot let go of. As you lay in total darkness, feeling exhausted but unable to stop thinking about a problem or replaying the day, it becomes increasingly more difficult to drift off. To that end, writing in a journal every evening will help purge your mind of worrisome thoughts and allow your mind to relax. Reading also helps to quiet the mind by giving it focus and allowing your imagination to become engrossed in your reading. This will help unify your thoughts and at the same time naturally release any worries.

Teas and Herbal Supplements – The simple of act of drinking warm tea has a calming and soothing effect for many people. In addition, there are many herbal teas that have sedative properties. Lavender, valerian, and chamomile are especially recommended for their calming and sleep-inducing nature, as is catnip and lemon balm. Herbal teas such as those made with skullcap and passionflower help dispel anxieties, and St. John’s Wort is said to promote deep sleep. Drinking a warm beverage, such as these herbal teas can become part of your bedtime ritual, as well as offering these sedative qualities. Ordinarily, they do not cause the negative side effects of sleeping pills, nor do they create the same level of dependency or tolerance.

Exercise Regularly - Regular exercise of any sort during the day improves the quality of sleep by relaxing muscles and inducing a natural feeling of drowsiness. Yoga is an excellent choice to help with insomnia because performing the correct poses, breathing techniques and relaxation practices actually prepares the body for sleep. If your insomnia is stress-related, yoga provides physical and mental relaxation. Hatha Yoga poses can be divided between those that give energy and those that relax. Soothing poses influence the nervous system so that it responds with calm. Yoga relaxation incorporates breathing, visualization, and slow, deep stretching movements.


My favorite blog post this week:
Its only Monday!

Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
http://apronstringsandholythings.blogspot.com/


No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days:
I need to make more effort with meal planning


On my mind:
Alex's visit


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
None this week I downloaded yesterdays Sermon so I could listen to it.http://familycorner.blogspot.com/

Pray for Me Monday

http://trooppetrie.blogspot.com/

http://homegrownfamilies.blogspot.com/

This is a blog meme co-hosted by my friend Pam. Pam is one of my favorite Army Wives. One of the most devoted moms and home schoolers I know.  I met her here at Redstone and her lovely family. Her husband and my husband had similar jobs. Anyways ;)

The phrase "Pray for Me" I have struggled with lately and I kind of cringe when I hear it or read it. I haven't lost my faith or anything like that but I do feel it has been abused lately. You ask how can prayer be abused? Its abused when you really don't have faith in the first place and you use it to get attention. Its abused when you ask someone to pray for you, in return they do, when it seems that your prayer is answered yet your still unhappy with the outcome so you ask them to keep praying for you. In my opinion God doesn't work that way. You can pray to win the lottery... A) You may win a million dollars or a 1000 dollars be happy with what you get and don't expect MORE out of our heavenly Father B) You may not win at all... that's God's will suck it up buttercup and deal with it! C) the person that prayed for you to win the lottery may have been the actual winner. Its okay to feel some jealousy I think its human nature. But the 10 commandments say don't be jealous. You should be happy for them! D) You really aren't doing anything to help yourself. You don't have faith and you just want things handed to you.  So don't ask me to pray for you if you don't like the outcome, your jealous of the outcome, or you expect God to answer every prayer and you expect him to answer the way you want him to!

I am a strong believer in the power of prayer. I am a strong believer in God's Will. I don't think we should be able to see all there is too see or his reasons why. That isn't for us to understand or deal with. No more than it for our children to understand our stress trying to provide for them and our heart ache when we can't do something we want for them. That's giving it to God. Speaking of Giving it to God. I am a strong believer in that too because I know it works. I fail him sometimes I am ashamed to say but I know you can do this. I wouldn't be alive today without that!

This weeks prayer request: Please pray I can truly understand the words Love IS Patient and Love IS Kind. Please pray that William will eventually allow me to enjoy worship because he will love being in his classroom without us! Please pray my marriage therapy is productive I really need it to be. Pray I have a little more patience in dealing with Rick and the kids. Please pray God gives me what I ask for in the Serenity Prayer. Please pray that God gives me the wisdom to say what I need to say to certain people in my life. Please pray for my health and my own personal struggles.

Praise Report : Skylar is doing very well in school. She came home crying because she has been missing her Inclusion teacher. I emailed her Inclusion teacher to find out why she wasn't seeing her. She emailed me back and said Skylar's getting A's! She doesn't need the extra help. She is scoring right along with her age group and she is the model student. She see's her in the regular classroom but doesn't want to interrupt instruction to remove Skylar from the class. She also wants Skylar to know she is there if she needs her but she isn't a crutch! I love this news! I am thankful Rick loves his job and I admit I love it too! LOL

Prayer List

1) Pray for A.G.

2) Pray for A.S. 

3) Pray for my friend A.K. that she has a safe delivery on Monday. Pray also that her newborn is perfect and healthy.

4.) Pray for Alex to have safe travels and a straight head on his shoulders

5.) Pray for J.S.

6.) Pray for our troops overseas and here. Pray for the troop withdraw to go smoothly

7.) Pray for our government and church leaders as well

8.) Pray for J.P. He has CO Poisoning.

9.) Prayers for Pam Petrie and her family

10.) Prayers for Dawn Meehan and her family

11.) Prayers for mom, my sisters, My nieces, and nephews.

12.) Prayers for D.T.'s Family

13. Prayers for baby Lisa and the other missing children right now.

14.) Pray for M.L. and her family

15.) Pray for my friends and my online friends

Oh Monday!

It wasn't me that lost her temper when Skylar whined she was too tired to do her book report. It also wasn't me who told her I didn't give a crap *hangs head in shame* then proceeded to tell her on Saturday when I was awoken at 3 am I was tired but I still gave her a big birthday party. But if it was me then Dear Lord please forgive me I felt guilty immediately afterward.

To you on your 9th Birthday

To you on your 9th birthday..
I can't believe how quickly the years have gone by. From the moment I found out about you, I felt blessed. From that moment it's been just the two of us. Even now that we have daddy, Alex, James, and William, a lot of days it still can feel like it's just us two. Today I want to tell you I would love to be at your wedding, hold your first baby, give you a high school or college diploma but you can stay 9 forever it's easier to protect you. Born at 5 pounds barely 8 ounces . It was easy to protect you then. You were so small you fit between the crease of my elbow to my wrist. I wrapped you snug in your "B" and cradled you in my arms. Unless I had to I was rarely apart from you. I even kept you to myself. Even from Butch & Donnie. You were my little Angel, just for me to love. I made a promise to you before you were born that I would try to do anything I could to take care of you and protect you. Being a kid isn't always easy. Watching you grow up though is hard. If you do have to grow up promise to always be close to me as we've always been. Remember I am always here to listen, to hug, to rub your head and play with your hair and to wipe away tears. Moms never loose boo boo healing powers. Even as you get older there isn't a hurt I can't try to make better. I will always want to protect you. Don't get to angry when I won't let you do what you want it's just me protecting you. By the time I married daddy James and Alex were too old to protect and every time they get the boo boos adulthood brings. I feel them to when you & your brothers hurt I hurt too.

I hope you take things slow. Enjoy the moments that William is small and loves your attention. One day he will be taller than you and too cool to hang out with his big sister. Before you know it James & William will be busy with their own lives and families. Take the slow days of childhood, the innocence and don't forget to show them and Daddy and I how much you care. Don't forget to say I love you even when your mad because next time might never come. Life should be filled with hugs, kisses and even tears.

I would give anything if I didn't have to protect you. If the world was safe and no one broke your heart or let you down. I wish I could lock your newborn age in a box so I can bring you out just to hold you again. I wish I could lock away your silly laugh, or the way you said banana (be-na) and band aid (bam bam). The way you told people you hope they deel bebber when they were upset. Or how every time I cried you would try to feed me when you were 4. In Georgia the many nights we laid near the Christmas Tree in the lazy boy together sleeping next to the magical lights. I would give almost anything just to be able to have some of those moments again.

Don't ever forget the wonderment in your eyes when your around Alex. Don't forget how much William is the same way with you. He gets so excited just to be near you. That probably won't last forever.

When you grow up I hope you hold on to the faith I have hopefully have taught you. I hope you stay strong but weak enough to admit that our heavenly father carries your worries too! I hope you always try to reach your dreams. Don't forget dreams don't die priorities change. I hope you live life to your fullest and never let fear slow you down and hold you back. Don't take a single moment for granted. When you love give all of yourself. When your scared I'm always there and pray everything will work out.

You can stay little forever and never grow up but watching you grow up will be an adventure I will take right by your side. Hand in hand.

I love you baby.

Happy Birthday Skylar

Happy Birthday to my princess Skylar.

9 years ago my sister and I were pregnant at the same time. She had twins weighing around 6 lbs each the on the first week of October. I remember that day as much as I remember Skylar's own day of birth. Since she was in labor off and on for over a month I think. I thought I kept having pregnancy symptoms. Finally when she had her babies I really started feeling strong Braxton Hicks. On October 20th I went to L&D with pain. They checked me and said I wasn't very thinned out or dilated much but they felt her "head". They were quite sure her head was down low so that could be causing the discomfort. The next day I went for my usual OB appointment and I told him and he decided to go ahead and do an Ultrasound. I guess it was a type of stress test? They wanted to monitor Skylar being only 36 weeks gestation and I was dilating some, like I was at 3 centimeters. They said she would only weigh 3 or 4 lbs. They didn't think there was any way she would weigh more than 4 lbs. They said they were watching her on Ultrasound to see if she would make movements more than 3 times in thirty minutes. She didn't move in those thirty minutes. The Ultrasound Tech gave the Ultrasound over to the OB who stayed with me. Dr Bailey was the greatest while I was pregnant! With the weight of the news that was a tiny tiny baby and the worried scramble of the Ultrasound Tech and Doctor it didn't help me ease my worry. I knew I was in labor. I knew there was something wrong. I did try to tell them she was probably just sleeping. She wasn't as active as her older brother. Donnie, my boyfriend at the time tried talking to her since she would usually respond to one of our voices. We tried shining a light at her. There was no movement close to 45 minutes. She was also Frank Breech. He talked about an aversion. The thought scared me to death! Eventually he checked me again and I was still about 3 or 4 centimeters dilated. He sent me to L&D to hook me up to the monitors. The OB office was inside Gordon Hospital in Calhoun, GA at the time so I could just walk down the hall way and through the big doors to get to Labor and Delivery. By the time they got me hooked up I dilated to 6. I was dilating quickly and the labor wasn't going as it did when I had my first. General signs I won't go into too much detail here (TMI).. So they paged the doctor and started paperwork for a c-section. There was no time for the aversion and it was too risky now. There wasn't enough time to even have my family there, or the biological father and his family. Donnie made the calls while they were prepping me. They did the epidural spinal block (I disliked that Anesthesiologist long before I was ever in labor by the way.) When the doctor was swabbing my tummy with the iodine? He started poking me with a  sharp object and I said I FEEL THAT! He said oops they pushed Donnie in the OR and back out again and the next thing I know the Anesthesiologist had me by the throat and was giving me gas through the oxygen mask. I had to have general anesthesia. When I started coming too the same thing always bothers me that tube in your throat for stabilization. Once I got that out I was talking to the nurse. My mom had called so I was talking to her. I hadn't yet seen Skylar or Donnie. I heard Donnie in the hall way begging to come in to see me. Finally they let him in. He counted all her fingers and toes for me. 10 each! But he said she had to have an X-ray. I then worried I had never heard of giving a baby an X- Ray. I didn't find out till years later when I actually read her record that she had a problem being born and her first Apgars were very very low. 

Finally they brought her to me and she was perfect just the tiniest baby I have EVER seen in person!

She was due on November 17th but came early on October 21st 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v396/Sntfrmgod4me2lve/personal%20tags/Picture%20Tags/Bella-Siggy-3.jpg

Yard Sale Day

Today was Yard Sale day so I spent my morning at the yard sale. I tried to make a post while sitting around but the wind was so strong it kept blowing my clothing racks over. I made $50 though! 
We came home enough to change a diaper and let William nap and then I checked the mail before pulling out of the drive way... Its a good thing I did the mall sent me a letter saying someone turned in my wallet! I was heading to post to get my step son from work but I had to have an ID to get on post which was AT THE MALL. The letter said it was only open Monday - Friday. So driving in the car (ok I was a passenger) I canceled credit/debit cards. I picked up my step son outside the gate then I met the girl with the American Doll at a Kroger and I am so elated about the doll! Hehehe. We went back to the mall to see if the security guard could get it for me. I found a cop and asked him and he got a security guard to get my wallet. So nice!!
We played outside with the kids awhile. My wonderful husband made Cracker Barrel Meat loaf yum!

I saw this quote on Facebook and thought it was cute so I stole it and changed the wording!
Was planning to take over the world, then a soldier in a Navy Hat showed up and distracted me! Oh well there's always tomorrow I guess I need to have a tag made.

I know I have a habit but you don't understand

Hello I am Bella I am a shopoholic and I love clothes!
My kids have probably a lot of clothes but I don't know. I need a personal organizer! I watch Hoarders and Clean House and I feel like purging everything I own!
You know those nifty lists they give you when you have a newborn that tell you what to buy -- Like this Baby Checklist 
Why can't they do this for older kids! I feel like I over buy because I am afraid they will grow or they won't have enough. I know they probably don't need more than 7 tops and 7 bottoms enough to get them through a week We all have more than 7 tops and 7 bottoms don't we? I guess I just love clothes and love buying them for my kids. I wish I wasn't having a thyroid and weight problem I would like to dress as nice as they do.

Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi - Video | CopyKat Recipes | Restaurant Recipes

Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi - Video | CopyKat Recipes | Restaurant Recipes:

'via Blog this'

Um Yum we had this on Friday. We love the all you can eat soup, salad and bread at OG. Its seriously unhealthy and full of sodium but we really really love this soup.

9/11

Her hair was up in a ponytail... Her favorite dress tied with a bow... Today was Daddy's Day at school... And she couldn't wait to go... But her mommy tried to tell her... That she probably should stay home... Why the kids might not underst and... If she went to school alone... But she was not afraid... She knew just wh...at to say... What to tell her classmates Of why he wasn't there today..... But still her mother worried, For her to face this day alone. And that was why once again, She tried to keep her daughter home. But the little girl went to school, ......Eager to tell them all. About a dad she never sees, A dad who never calls. There were daddies along the wall in back, For everyone to meet Children squirming impatently, Anxious in their seats. One by one the teacher called, Each student from the class. To introduce their daddy, As seconds slowly passed. At last the teacher called her name, Every child turned to stare. Each of them was searching, For a man who wasn't there. "Where's her daddy at?" She heard a boy call out. "She probably doesn't have one" Another student dared to shout. And from somewhere near the back, She heard a daddy say, "Looks like another deadbeat dad, Too busy to waste his day." The words did not offened her, As she smiled up at her mom. And looked back at her teacher, Who told her to go on. And with hands behind her back, Slowly she began to speak. And out from the mouth of a child, Came words incredibly unique. "My daddy couldn't be here, Because he lives so far away. But I know he wishes he could be, Since this is such a special day. And though you cannot meet him, I wanted you to know. All about my daddy, And how much he loves me so. He loved to tell me stories He taught me to ride my bike. He surprised me with pink roses, And taught me to fly a kite. We used to share fudge sundaes, and ice cream in a cone. And though you cannot see him, I'm not standing here alone. Cause my daddy's always with me Even though we are apart. I know because he told me, He'll forever be in my heart." With that, her little hand reached up, and lay across her chest. Feeling her own heartbeat, Beneath her favorite dress. And from somewhere in the crowd of dads, Her mother stood in tears. Proudly watching her daughter, Who was wise beyond her years. For she stood up for the love Of a man not in her life. Doing what was best for her, Doing what was right. And when she dropped her hand back down, Staring straight into the crowd. She finished with a voice so soft, But its message clear and loud. "I love my daddy very much, He's my shining star. And if he could he'd be here, But heaven's just too far. You see he was a fireman And died just this past year. When airplanes hit the towers And taught Americans to fear. But sometimes when I close my eyes, It's like he never went away." And then she closes her eyes, And saw him there that day. And to her mother's amazement, She witnessed with surprise. A room full of daddies and children, All starting to close their eyes. Who knows what they say before them, Who knows what they felt inside. Perhaps for merely a second, They saw him at her side. "I know you're with me Daddy." To the silence she called out. And what happened next made believers, Of those once filled with doubt. Not one in that room could explain it, For each of their eyes had been closed. But there on the desk beside her, Was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose. And a child was blessed, if only for a moment, By the love of her shining bright star. And given the gift of believing, That heaven is never too far..