Photo shoot

Tonight was the kids photo shoot at Portrait Innovations for Linda. They had a blast. Then we went out to dinner. I posted some of the 133 pictures on facebook http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=48378&l=01d0c&id=550377911
If you have a problem accessing them, let me know and I'll send you some. The best part of the pictures was getting them all tonight.

After the pictures we all went to Olive Garden for dinner and closed it down. It was a really enjoyable evening.

Happy Thanksgiving

I can't believe it's only 2 days until Thanksgiving. This will be the first Thanksgiving I will spend with Kelly since 1993. Her dad always had Thanksgiving as his holiday. It will be really weird, but nice to be with her. We are going to Glenn's parents house for dinner and dessert. Glenn's brother Paul and his family are coming to town tomorrow. I have not seen them in years and I'm quite excited to see Sherry, my sister in law.

Today, we went to Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Oakland. The highlight tour included the Polar region, ancient Egypt and Wildlife of North America. Our doucet (tour guide) was old, very slow and disorganized so we did not get a good tour. After our tour we went downstairs to see the dinosaur exhibit.
Cameron and Glenn really enjoyed it.

While upstairs at the wildlife exhibits, Kelly discovered that she matched the zebras.
All in all it was a great day despite the freezing cold and snow. We had to walk about 3 blocks to get from the garage to the museum and then past the museum and around back to meet our group. Kel did not bring a jacket...it interfered with the "cute factor." I was wearing Glenn's two part jacket so I gave her the outer part and kept the inner fleece.
As you can see I gained back a good deal of the weight I lost last year. :< I plan to really diet this year. I also cut my hair off on Thursday. It feels so much better. When I wear my glasses, the kids say I look like my mom.

Tomorrow I'll be making pies and getting ready for Thanksgiving. We have to drive to Cranberry tomorrow night to meet Glenn's brother and sister to get the kids pics taken for Linda.

I'm off to call Kel's friend, Sean's, mom to see if she can go over tomorrow night. Have a Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Pre New Years Resolutions

So I've finally come to terms with the future of our nation and I'm onto now trying to figure out how it will affect my friends and family. I'm not quite sure, but, I do know that I am not going to dwell on it to the point of distraction.

I'm finding that there are a great many things that I don't like about myself. I'm not having a pity party, just finding that there are things in need of improvement: weight, mood, how I handle situations, my relationship with God, etc.

I realize it's only November, but, I'm starting my New Years Resolution list early.

1. I want to lose weight so my knees stop hurting and I don't feel ill when I see a photo of myself.

2. I want to wake up each morning and go to bed each night with a smile on my face and remember to thank God for allowing me to wake up and for allowing me to spend the day with my friends and family. Also, for guiding me to tell at least one person a day about Jesus Christ.

3. I want to remember to stop, count to 10 and then walk away before I react to situations. Keep my mouth shut even when I want to yell and scream. Not comment on a situation or problem until I have had time to form a smart, rational and helpful answer.

4. I want to have at least one positive conversation with Kelly and Cameron each and every day where we each laugh freely and smile without reservation at each other.

5. I want to make church and God a larger part of my daily life.

6. I want to remember to stop saying unkind things to my husband, even when it's right on the tip of my tongue. I will bite my tongue to the point of blood if necessary.

7. I want to make more time to talk to my mother, sister and grandfather.

These are the things I want to accomplish. I cannot promise that each will come true. I just want to make my best effort to accomplish them. I am getting onto Middle Age and realize that although I love myself, my husband, my God and my children, I am not perfect, will never be perfect, nor do I want to be. I just want to be a better person for my family. I want my family and I to become closer and work to overcome the past few years. I hate my actions and words when I am being unkind, I just can't stop myself sometimes. My husband and kids are in my mind always and I want what is best for them and to be close to them.

Happy November

So much has happened this week and it's taken me a little time to process it. First, President Obama. I can type it, but still can't say it. His news conference yesterday was something to behold. Loved how he reiterated his talking points when asked about raising taxes and ran for the hills. How much info do you think we'll ever get during these press conferences?

Sarah Palin being bashed by McCain staffers. I don't know what their deal is but the Rasmussen polls show that Sarah Palin is quite loved by the Conservative base. They make themselves look like a pack of "mean girls."

My beautiful family.

KELLY GOT THE JOB AT HOT TOPIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She starts on Sunday. She is very excited. Her punishments are being slowly lifted, but not totally. I reserve the right to hold firm for the full month.

Cameron is....well.....Cameron. Just being his ornery self.

We got Milo a costume this morning. He's so cute. I'm off to enjoy my evening of no cooking while Kelly makes grilled steak, parsley pototaes and brown sugar glazed carrots. Yummy.

It has happened

Well, as I sit here pondering our future I can't help but wonder if, despite my hopes and prayers, Obama could be a good thing for this country. I can't see how based on his ideas, but, if only for racial tensions being eased, it could be a positive thing. Maybe now the african-american citizens of our country will realize that we are not a nation of racist rednecks and accept that the civil rights movement did some good. That we are not still trying to oppress them. I never wanted Obama to lose because of his race only because of his ideas. God has a plan for every nation and every person. All things are preordained by Him. He would not have pressed upon so many souls to be open to these ideas if He did not intend for it to happen. Is this the beginning of then end? We shall see.

Now, more than ever our prayers our needed for the leaders of our nation. Let any who read this remember that God has not forgotten us and we need to speak to him daily. God bless America.

The Election

I'm going to go off my normal plan of updating everyone about my family and just put my thoughts about this election in writing.

This was sent to me by Aunt Sharon.

Listen to this http://cdn.sfgate.com/blogs/sounds/sfgate/chroncast/2008/01/17/20080117-obama-interview.mp3 it tells how Obama wants to bankrupt the coal industry.

I'm unable to vote, yet I'm still an American citizen and I love my country. I do want everyone to share in the wealth that this nation has to offer, but Obama's plan to "share the wealth" is not the way to accomplish it. Every country that has ever attempted to make their citizens equal by sharing the wealth has only succeeded in making everyone poorer.

America was built on the entrepreneurial (sp) spirit. When a new town was started the citizens saw what was needed and everyone put their talents to work and made the town successful. You worked to keep your family fed and in good shelter. Yes, occasionally there was a family that the dad ran out on or was a drunk, but the rest of the family understood that the help they received from their neighbors were just that...a help up. They wanted to work to do better for the rest of the family and when they could help others, they did.

Watching the news channels last night with the sound off I saw a comment that Obama's plan is like "the teacher who takes away from someone's A to give part of it to all the C students." Kinda makes you not want to work harder and learn more to get that A, huh? Once the students discover that they need not study and learn to get a good grade, where will we be? An uneducated nation? Can we get any lower on the scale of education in this world? If Obama wins, check back next year and I'm sure that the answer is yes.

I'm in the lower economic class that Obama wants to share the wealth with. Honestly, I don't want his check, I want my husband to continue to have a job to go to everyday and collect a weekly check rather than a $1,000 check once a year. That check will only pay part of one months bills. How will I feed my family the other 11 months? I have no plans or desires to stand in a line for free cheese or anything else.

I'm not being selfish in that I don't want to pay more taxes. I live in PA, we pay alot of taxes already. I come from Florida where there are no state or city employment taxes. You just pay the federal taxes and that's it. That was nice, but gotta say the educational system is not the best. Although the roads are better. LOL

Am I a true McCain fan? No. But I am a fan of Sarah Palin. She has more executive experience than anyone else in this race. She knows what it's like to make decisions for the good of her citizens and not just get pork for them. She is the only one who is "one of us." She's not a millionaire. She had to "borrow" clothes for the campaign. So what. If she dressed in normal Wal-Mart attire, you'd have something to say about that. All of the men in the race have women to raise their families while they work. The Palins work as a team. Sometimes she's a single mom while he is on the slope and vice versa. That is more in tune with us than Obama, Biden or McCain. I don't care that she has a nanny. Fact is, we see her kids with her. Not pushed back with the nanny while Mommy has her spotlight.

Obama is not black. He wants you and I to believe that he has lived the life of the oppressed black man. He did not live in the "hood" or the "ghetto." Fact is, he lived with a white middle class family. His grandmother knows what hard work is about she worked her way up the ladder at a bank to support her family. How would he feel if we said that we should take part of her money to give to that family down the street who just sit home and collect welfare? I don't think he would have liked it. *update* My thoughts and prayers go out to Mrs. Dunham's family. Her passing will leave a marked void in Obama's life and as someone who was extremely close to her grandmother, I feel his pain.

I care about who he surrounds himself with. I don't buy the "I didn't know what they were up to" line. I want my leader to know who and what is around him and helping him to make decisions. I want him to know their backstory, why they feel the way they do, and why they are advising him to make certain decisions.

I certainly don't want a woman in the White House having pillow talk with our leader who has never been proud of our country until her husband was winning his party ticket. And I don't want a man who doesn't believe in the Constitution to "swear to defend the Constitution." How can you defend and uphold something you don't believe in?

In the past 10 weeks we have watched the wage of the middle class drop from 250,000 to 120,000. Even if you ignore Gov. Richardson, then $150,000 as Biden says. I don't care that Obama's plan is in writing. If it's in writing then they should be able to keep their facts straight.
Obama supported a ban on guns in Illinois. I don't own a gun or plan to own a gun, but the founders of our nation gave us the right to bear arms...2nd only to free speech. That tells you how important it was to them that we have that right. Banning guns will not deter crime. It will only keep the law abiding citizens from being able to defend themselves. I assure the criminals will still get their hands on them now. How many times do we see convicted felons arrested for committing crimes with guns that they are forbidden by law to own or carry? They don't care about the laws so passing a ban means nothing to them.

Free speech is the #1 right given to us by our founding fathers. If the democrats take control of two branches of the government then the fairness doctrine will come in to play. As it stands, there is no fairness and it leans towards the liberals. Mainstream Media is liberal. I have one TV channel and one radio station where I can hear the conservative side. How fair is that? Yet, the fairness doctrine will limit those two stations to how much time they can commit to conservative views. Scary thought!

I'll pay more taxes. But it's been found that a tax cut across the board, even to the top 10% will actually put more money in the coffers. Let's take a look at Reaganomics, it worked. I don't look forward to double digit unemployment. That's where Obama's socialistic plan will put us. I realize that the liberals have drank the kool-aid and this kool-aid seems to be addicting. They can't live without it. But, personally I prefer Pepsi!

I've never volunteered for any political activity in my life. This year, I signed up to help on election day. I will be calling people tomorrow to remind them to get out the vote. Anyone who reads this....please vote. But, before you do, read a little history of Cuba, China and Germany.

Update

I found my pots and pans. I'm so excited. I was able to cook cauliflower and mashed potatoes on the stove at one time tonight.

A new home

How does one react when she has finally moved and is without a critical box? You know, the one with the pots and pans! We finally got everything out of the old house on Tuesday night and everyone sans Cameron has been searching for that crucial box. I'm convinced that it is either behind all the Christmas decorations or gone. Every box that is accessible has been opened.

So we are finally moved and it feels great. I can't wait to get completely unpacked but it will take weeks as Glenn needs to finish painting the outside of the house before he finishes the inside. I'm hoping it will be done by Thanksgiving.

Halloween was a hoot last night. Cameron dressed as an ER doctor. He went trick or treating with Jalyne and her friends.

Kelly was a surly teenager. She went to Sean's to watch scary movies. To see all Halloween photos click here http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43988&l=ea5e8&id=550377911

She almost did not get to go as she had an accident with my car last week. We told her she could go see Sean if Jim and June would watch Cameron while we went to see Sarah Palin. The Daugherty's had her drop Cam at the neighbors and she was not used to driving on their steep driveway. She lost her traction and slid into the trees and scratched the car and ripped off the antenna. She lied about it and it got her grounded from the car indefinitely and from the phone and dates for a month. But, Glenn gave in and let her go out last night. I'm leaving at 2:30 to deposit the insurance check and pick her up today.

Cameron's grades are all A's and B's on his report card, verified by his teachers. Kelly is all A's B's and 1 C. Like I said before, I'll give a pass on Geometry.

Cameron went to the doctor last month and had his physical. He has grown 3 1/4" in one year and his shoe size grew 4 sizes from a 12 to a 2. Wow. His weight is still in a good place. He goes back to the endocrinologist in December.

Kelly has been to the doc three times this month. Physical, infection in her face (her gland was swollen in her neck and it made her face swell) and a UTI. The doc referred her to a urologist. She goes to UPMC Children's Hospital on November 17th.

I'm getting ready for this election and very nervous about the outcome. Please pray that the voters of America see the right future for our nation and vote accordingly.

As for me, I have a cold and I feel like crap, but I'm surviving and preparing for more snows. We had our first snow this week. The kids can't wait for the first laying snow.

Feel free to post comments below.