What's Your Style?

So, which type of new humble abode would you prefer if you were one of the two lucky winners of the Mega Million Jackpot Lottery this past weekend and were going to split the money ($ 166.5 million each):

A $43,000,000 estate in Aspen:



Or, a $25,000,000 estate in Connecticut:



Maybe, you'd prefer your own island in Emerald Cay for $48m:



Or, perhaps, you're a city girl and would rather spend your $48m on a 6BR condo in San Francisco:



You may decide to maintain your Southern roots and drop a mere $31,500,000 on this property in Maysville, Georgia:



No fear, the good news is that you shouldn't have any problems finding a cool new house even if you take the lump sum and have the taxes withheld (no matter what your style is)!

Random

That about explains it for the weekend - "random". The activity level, emotions and tone of voice have been all over the board. So, in an effort to try and sum it up:

1. I went to: the little league football game, the grocery store and church.
2. I didn't go to: the mall or anywhere else that had something for me.
3. I should have: gotten my hair cut and my eyebrows waxed.
4. I should not have: eaten that chocolate muffin for dinner Saturday night.
5. I wanted to: get some exercise and take a brisk walk/run by myself.
6. I did not want to: go for a walk with ALL of the kids in tow.
7. I regret that: I yelled at K2 for saying "But, Mommy" for the 267th time.
8. I wish that: for a day no one would refer to me as "Mommy".
9. I was impressed when: K2 ate an entire ice cream cone without spilling or dripping any of it.
10. I'm tired of: washing bottles.
11. I thought about: how amazing God is when I watched the sunset on Saturday.
12. I never considered: how quickly our kids will grow up.
13. I loved it when: all three kids piled in our bed Sunday morning!

Hope your weekend was great!

Have You Ever Wondered...

...who you'd be if you weren't you?

Really.

Not in the sense of being schizophrenic or having mutliple personalities - but more in the sense of daydreaming of an alternative career choice (come on, I know you've dreamed of being something else). Ya know, what would it be like if you had moved to Hollywood at 18 and tried out for American Idol; dropped out of college and just hung out at the local homeless shelter and devoted your time to helping others; or, maybe, just maybe, your daydreams are more along the line of fancy cars, long blonde hair that put's any Pantene commercial to shame, a diamond ring that makes everyone wear shades and a body that denies even Halle Berry a moment of pride!

I actually heard a talk show host say this morning that he thought about law school but decided against it because he considered his eternity more important and he wasn't sure lawyers made it into Heaven. Wow, that's some heavy stuff! Truth is I'm very happy with my job and my career choice but it is always fun to let my mind wonder. For years, my alternative career choices were "Official House Flipper" or "Travels by Tracy"...I love to look for a good deal whether it's a house or a vacation. But then reality sinks in and it takes a lot of money to buy houses and a lot of babysitters to travel without three kids (let alone a husband with a sense of adventure outside of his suede recliner and three remote controls).

Now, I've added Amateur Photographer to the list (and trust me, amateur is an understatement). Below are some of my favorite shots from yesterday's outing - I've numbered them so be sure to cast a vote for your favorite shot!



#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15

The Angels are Rejoicing!

Our precious daughter (they're all precious but this post is about the oldest, K1) went to the alter this morning to make public her acceptance of Jesus into her heart - yeah, girl!! Her Daddy and I are so excited and proud of her - she has been beaming from ear to ear all day!


After church, we went to Aldridge Gardens to have her cheerleading pictures made with her squad. I've posted a few pictures of her below (since this is her day). Next post I'll share more pictures - I'm really digging my new computer and would love to have feedback regarding what pictures you like best - so be sure and come back tomorrow for more photos.


But, for today, we love you K1!!

A Meal With Mrs. Rosie Lee Lewis

It's a running saga in our house that I don't routinely prepare meals for my family. Honestly, routinely is not the right word. Truth is I rarely prepare meals for my family. My analysis concludes that it's just not worth it - the girls eat like birds and while Heath eats like a grown man, he rarely appreciates the fact that there is a lot more to "making dinner" than simply standing in the kitchen for 20 minutes. It takes quite a bit of preparation, a trip to the grocery store (and all the trauma that comes with that experience), then the 20 minutes in the kitchen - next you move on to washing the dishes which is inevitably a daunting tasks with a family of five. Usually (on the rare occasion I have prepared a meal) I have to listen to tons of whining at the table about how nobody likes the food choices, etc etc etc. You know the routine - and, it's flat out not worth it. It's much easier, and typically cheaper, to pick up fast food. We can eat at Little Caesar's for $9.18 (pizza, crazy bread, sauce and a 2-liter), or we can get 5 sandwiches at Arbys for $5. We can get Sonic on Tuesday's for 1/2 off....

So, the next time someone thinks about saying something sarcastic about my failure to "cook a meal" I hope he remembers this article and the wrath of Mrs. Lewis:


Authorities: Wife whacked husband with frying pan



Posted: Aug. 18, 2009

Enfield, N.C. — An Enfield woman was being held in jail without bond Tuesday after Halifax County authorities said she beat her husband over the head with a frying pan.

Deputies responded to an assault call Friday morning on the 5000 block of Justice Branch Road and found paramedics treating James Lewis, 85, for head injuries. Lt. Stevie Salmon of the Halifax County Sheriff's Office determined that Lewis and his wife, Rosie Lee Lewis, 71, had argued over what she had cooked for breakfast.

The couple continued to bicker as Rosie Lewis cooked another meal, Salmon said, and the argument escalated to the point that James Lewis raised his cane as if he were ready to hit his wife. Rosie Lewis then hit him on the head several times with an iron frying pan, knocking him to the ground, Salmon said.

Rosie Lewis was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, and authorities said she was being held without bond because the charge stemmed from a domestic dispute.

James Lewis was taken to Halifax Regional Medical Center, where he received 50 stitches to close his head wounds, Salmon said.

Good Stuff

Got these in an email today from a great friend. If you've already read them - well, read them again 'cause if some of them don't make you laugh you are wound way too tight, ha!

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.

There is a great need for sarcasm font.

Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

Was learning cursive really necessary?

I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

Bad decisions make good stories

If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from; this shouldn't be a problem....

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

Cupcakes for Daddy's Birthday

The girls had a great time dressing up like chefs and baking cupcakes for Heath's birthday. If you notice a strange animal hanging out on the kitchen table - don't worry - it's not another loose animal in the house. K2 was "Student of the Week" so she had to entertain the class animal, Chester (a stuffed raccoon). Chester was lucky enough to help the girls make cupcakes for Daddy. Other than that, a pretty uneventful weekend. Just hanging out and moving clothes around from one girl's dresser to another (or the attic) and vice versa.