Better late then never-Winner : Facepaint Edition

Oops! I was still out of town on Monday so I never posted the winner! Sorry 'bout that. We have a winner for last week's installment of Freakshow Friday. Please take note that my super hilarious and non biased best friend was the judge. Here are the top three in no particular order.

Linda D.
The XFiles lab failures: cloning a human
with an insect didn't quite turn out right.

Caroline Ray
That's how we keep you young and fair in the merry old land of Oz.

Snidely Whiplash
You had me at "Why so serious?"

And the winner is..
Caroline Ray

That's how we keep you young and fair in the merry old land of Oz.

Caroline Ray
is the funniest blogger in all the land.
Please visit her blog
and marvel at this fantastic award she just earned!

Thanks to all the people who played.
Tune in this Friday for another installment of Freakshow Friday!

Summer Survival Tips for Parents

Do any other moms out there feel like you are preparing
to be in the trenches now that the kids are out of school for the summer?
I've put together a little survival guide for staying sane this summer.
Have any other ideas or advice?

Please click here to join the discussion
by leaving a comment over at Athens Patch.

My perilous adventure in the mountains.

While we were on our little mountain getaway
we paid a visit to Amicalola Falls State Park.
The map presented a 1 mile hike up the mountain
to reach the beautiful falls.

It was a sunny spring day that was
perfect for a little trek,
so up the mountain we went.

It was a breathtaking slope
lined with rocks and waterfalls.

We had such a great time as
we meandered through the woods.

I got a little breathy half way up but nothing too strenuous.

As we approached this sign, I started to feel
a little unsure that walking up 175 steps
would actually be fun.

But I was a trooper and up the steps we went.

By the time we reached the top of the steps,
I was breathing like dragon with a bad case of the croop.

It was worth it though, the falls were just amazing.
We stood in awe as I caught my breath
and patted myself on the back for making the trip up the mountain with a smile.

Little did I know that just around the corner
was this stupid sign.

We stood at the bottom of the steps
and contemplated if we wanted to continue the trek.

This is when things turned perilous
because I decided that I would regret
not hiking to the top of the falls.

So, up into the stupid trees we went.

Now, under normal circumstances I would
never ever post such an unflattering picture of myself
but I wanted you all to see what a hot mess I was.

It was almost silly how out of shape I was.

Small children, old ladies, and even
two women dressed in traditional Indian dresses passed me.
(They were all wrapped up in shiny fabric and wearing little strappy sandals)

Just so you know,
I think that I almost died three
times on the way up.

When we finally made it to the top
I was not impressed with the stupid view.
It was pretty and all but
not worth the 425 steps it took to get there.

On the way down,
I told every single person who
looked like they were on death's door
that the view wasn't worth the climb.

Then I showed them the photo that I took
so that they could see what they would be missing.

I convinced at least 4 people to turn around and not trek to the top.

I felt like a hero.

52 Weeks of Happiness :: Week 12

We left the kids with my parents and
escaped to a little cabin in the woods
to celebrate the fact that we've been
married for 9 glorious (yet sometimes crazy) years.

It was right next to a babbling brook.
The sound of rushing water was
almost intoxicating.

There was a fire pit beneath a canopy of trees
and we just sat there and relaxed for hours upon hours.

We talked, laughed, cried, drank, ate, smooched,
and smacked at bugs all within that circle.

We played Skip Bo and listened
to good music on the screened in porch.
A little competition keeps our marriage spicy.

I totally won, by the way!

I would sneak off in the morning while
Roger slept in and eat my yummy breakfast
right on the river every morning.

The air was crisp and my soul felt full.
It was solitude drizzled with honey.

We took a bunch of stupid movies
and watched mindless films in the middle of the afternoon
while sipping on glasses of wine.

It was totally indulgent.



Our little cabin was the prefect home away from home.

Tune in tomorrow
and I'll tell you all about one of
our perilous adventures in the mountains.

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Want to join me in my quest
to scout out happiness for a whole year?
Simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy and tell us all about it.
Then, steal my button and include it in your post.
Don't forget to link up to Mr. Linky.

Freakshow Friday : Face Paint Edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, I love this lady!

I didn't know that the had a looney bin in the Shire.

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this awesome award
and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

If you win then I'll link up to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday.

Thoughts on Motherhood : The Burden of Responsibility (this is a long post but one that needed to be written))

Lets' face it, as a mom I put myself last all the time. It's all too easy to fall into the trap of self neglect when I am wrapped up in mothering my children. I hate to admit this but until recently I hadn't been to the dentist in a hundred years. Somehow, I just fell of my own radar. Shameful, I know.

So when I read an article that linked heart disease to tooth decay, I foolishly decided to research the symptoms of heart disease on the Internet. Just the day before I had pinched a nerve in my shoulder when I was dragging the trash can down the driveway and carrying Koen on my hip. I bent over to grab the trash and felt my shoulder, left peck muscle, and arm strain to hold my big boy's weight.

You can imagine my shock to see that pain in the shoulder and arm is one of the symptoms of heart disease. At that moment, I decided that my heart was in trouble. It is so unfortunate that the symptoms of a panic attack are so similar to a heart attack because I worked myself up into quite a tizzy time and time again. Heart racing, head pounding, short of breath, pain in the arm, chest heaving, panic induced moments. My mind wandered to unsafe places late at night, where my children were left confused and motherless.

I eventually couldn't take the worry and went to the dentist and the doctor to get checked out. There was good news at the dentist, only a good peridontal cleaning would be needed to get my mouth back in shape. The doctor visit went well too. My heart was healthy and my shoulder pain was due to my pinched nerve. She referred me to a physical therapist and told me to quit searching the Internet to self diagnose.

She also said that it is really common for mothers of young children to fall victim to the burden of responsibility of raising kids. There is more to live for and more to lose than ever before and so the worry creeps in that maybe one day, you won't be there for your kids. I wasn't crazy or dying, I had just allowed myself to go to that scary place.

I wish that my story ended here, happy and with a healthy heart but a whole new set of problems manifested after my trip to the dentist. I had been prescribed Lortab for pain after my deep cleaning and it inflamed what I thought was my spleen. The pain started out subtle and I'll spare you the gross details but I had some serious digestive issues.

I just couldn't resist doing a little research on WebMD even though I knew better. All kinds of dangerous diseases could be found there that matched my symptoms. Pancreatitis , cancer, leukaemia, irritable bowel syndrome, gall stones, the possibilities were endless. I laid in bed at night and worried as my tummy churned.

4 months went by as I struggled with my digestive issues. I tried cutting out all kinds of things from my diet. Bye bye alcohol, caffeine, sodas, and fried foods. I drank a ton of water and I did yoga. Nothing helped. In an act of desperation I said a prayer late one night.

"Dear God,
Please take away my spirit of worry and give me clarity."
Amen

After my prayer, one word popped into my mind loud and clear. It was as if God sent an angel to whisper comfort and the truth into my ear. "Gluten" was the word that I heard.

The next day, I had a follow up visit with my dentist and the conversation came around to my phantom terminal illness. She listened intently and told me that she thought that it sounded like I had a gluten intolerance because she had been diagnosed and had some of the same symptoms.

I rushed home and made an appointment with my doctor to discuss this possibility. I felt calm and peaceful for the first time in months. After we talked, she agreed and I am going on a Gluten free diet. I feel so relieved to know what has been happening to my body. I am on day 3 of my new Gluten free life and although I still have some healing to do, I feel much better already.

So, I am not dying from a horrible disease. My back is strong and healthy after completing my physical therapy. The panic attacks are gone. My head feels like a fog is slowly lifting. I can't believe how worried I've been about myself. Now that the burden is lifted, I have to promise to not let myself go to that worry place again.

I am strong.
I am healthy.

I feel like I'm coming home to myself.

Gender Letdown

Were you disappointed when you found out the sex of your baby?

I admit that I was at first but found
several ways to overcome my sadness about not giving birth to a daughter.
It's been a huge blessing in my life to work through it.

Have any of you felt the same way? How did you handle feeling let down?

Click here to read the article and leave a comment on Athens Patch.

The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles : Daddy's Tools

My days around here seem to run together.

Ordinary moments unfold around me daily
and I need to stop and relish in them.
One day, my boys will be out living life
and I will miss these everyday experiences.

So, I am taking the time to document
the simple moments that pass between us.
I'm calling this little collection of memories...





Koen is obsessed with Roger's toolbox
and if daddy is working on a project
our little guy is close by
"working" on a project of his own.



We have some wood scraps left over from
when our stairs were built
and they make perfect pieces for constructing a little house.

Koen takes it very seriously
and mumbles a running commentary as he builds.
"I get this tool and scrape this,
and then measure,
and I need a hammer."

We give him access to real tools
(under our supervision)
and you can tell that he feels so big.



I just love seeing his plastic saw and "pocket knife"
intermingling with the real ones on the lawn.
Roger talks to him about the work that he's doing
and what each tool is used for.

I will always treasure his sweet pretend play.
He's going to be a pretty handy guy
to have around the house when he becomes a man
because of time spent now rummaging through daddy's toolbox.

52 Weeks of Happinees :: Week 11

We went to a dear friend's 2nd birthday over the weekend.
They had the sweetest little petting zoo set up.
Koen was tentative at first and cautiously reached out
to various baby animals.

It was really touching to watch his curiosity unfold.

He edged his way into the pen

and watched as the baby animals

waddled, scooted, clucked, and lounged before him.

He became more and more comfortable
and made fast friends with the bunnies.

Happiness is spending time with
squealing children,
a soft lamb,
fuzzy baby chicks,
a silly white duck,
and a little bitty wagging pig tail.

It was cute overload, for sure.

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Want to join me in my quest
to scout out happiness for a whole year?
Simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy and tell us all about it.
Then, steal my button and include it in your post.
Don't forget to link up to Mr. Linky.

Winner : Violin Edition

We have a winner for this week's installment of Freakshow Friday. Please take note that my super hilarious and non biased best friend was the judge. Here are the top three in no particular order.

moooooog 35
I'd like to fiddle with the brunette in the front row.

Linda D
Leave it to the English to come up
with a new Olympic sport that tries to integrate the arts!

Heidi
Redneck Twister takes more skill than you think.

Redneck Twister takes more skill than you think.

And the winner is..
Heidi
is the funniest blogger in all the land.
Please visit her blog
and marvel at this fantastic award she just earned!

Thanks to all the people who played.
Tune in this Friday for another installment of Freakshow Friday!

Freakshow Friday : Violin Edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, these folks are out of control.

Violinists gone wild.

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this awesome award
and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

If you win then I'll link up to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday.

"The birthday of the day that we got married" (that's how Roger explained our 9 year anniversary to our children this morning).

It was a hot sticky day in Georgia when I married my love.
We had planned a garden wedding at a beautiful hotel
but dark clouds loomed in the sky in the morning when I woke up.

The first thing that I did when I opened my eyes was to start crying.
My nerves were getting the best of me and
I was just so tired from staying up too late laughing
with my bridesmaids who stayed the night
with me in the hotel room the night before.

That was what I did all day, I cried on and off.
I was just so emotional and as we sipped Mimosas
at the salon where we were getting all dolled up,
the tears just kept coming between moments of calm.
I was surprised to see myself so unsteady on my big day.

In retrospect, I think that the idea of doing something
as intimate as promising your life to someone
in front of 105 of your closest friends and family just seemed so daunting.

Also, I had to make the decision if I wanted to get married
in the garden and risk getting rained on or setting up
the ceremony in a beautiful room in the hotel.
I agonised over what to do.

My vision had always been me, walking down the aisle
with flowers all around us.
In the end, I had to let that dream go.
We would not have our garden ceremony after all.
My heart heaved with disappointment.

After we finished at the salon, we were running late for pictures.
My bridesmaids and I piled into the car and
stuffed bottles of champagne all around us.
(We had a designated driver, don't worry).
We were such rebels as we sped to my wedding.
I was a crazed woman, drinking bubbly
straight from the bottle and trying to calm down.
When we arrived at the hotel we must have been quite a sight to see
as we hopped out of the car, bubbles practically floated all around us.

From there it was a whirlwind of getting ready.
My dress was slipped on by my mother and zipped up by my friends.
I floated around the room as my lovely bridesmaids
helped to place my veil on my perfectly fixed hair.
I was covered in glitter and felt beautiful.

I rushed downstairs to see my father waiting for me, he looked so proud.
As we all waited for the ceremony to start,
my nerves rattled and my sweet dad had to fan me with a napkin.
I just didn't understand why I was so shaky inside.
I could hear the music starting and watched my bridesmaids
file away to walk down the aisle.

It was time!

I rounded the corner to see a beautiful room before me.
Flowers were everywhere.
The preacher stood in front of a wall of windows
and outside a storm blew the trees and the rain pounded on the window.
Thank God we had decided to have the ceremony inside.

Then, I saw Roger standing there.
Our eyes met and suddenly,
I felt peaceful as I practically floated to him.
All the nerves that had rattled me all day
just dissolved when he took my arm.
The storm swirled on the other side of the
window as we started to say our vows.

We had decided to have a traditional ceremony
and not write our own vows.
There just seemed something so romantic
about saying the same words to each other
that people had been saying for generations before us.

When it was my turn to speak,
I felt warmth on my shoulder.
I looked behind me to see that a single ray of sunshine
pushed through the clouds and drenched me in sunlight.

It felt like God was smiling on our union.

Happy Anniversary, handsome.

Are You Mom Enough? Who Cares?

Want to my take on the Time Magazine hullabullo?
I think that it was a manipulative move!

Please click here to read my article and
leave a comment over at Athens Patch.
I want to know how you feel about it.

Mama Got a New Couch!

Roger and I were doing a little spring cleaning over the weekend.
We came to the conclusion that our couch was on it's last leg.

It was covered in 7 years worth of "kid mess" and looked
like it belonged in the dump.
So, on a whim, we took it to live in a new home...
the dump.

We didn't think it through,
we just tossed it.

Then, we were couch-less.

We pulled out all the chairs we had in the house.
It looked like the 4 bears lived in our home.

Then, we set out on a quest for a new couch.
Luckily, we found a great sale
and with a little help from my mama
(because your kids are never too old to need help from mama)
we found a glorious new couch.

It was delivered yesterday and Koen
was so excited to see a big delivery truck in our driveway.
He thinks that delivery guys are the coolest thing in the world.

It was quite an event.

The guys were really sweet to Koen,
talking to him about their job
and even letting him help carry stuff in.

Our new couch is fanc-y!
It's really making our place look classy!
Mama is happy!

52 Weeks of Happiness :: Week 10

Mother's Day was so dreamy for me.
I woke up to a beautiful bouquet on the dining room table.
What lady doesn't love getting flowers?

We celebrated with my parents
and the site of gifts, gifts, and more gifts
was so exciting.

Let's see, inside those bags there was
a vintage table cloth, pink sunglasses, a necklace,
books, goodies, treasures, and knick knacks.

My mama made my very favorite Rosy Pear Upside Down Cake.

It was splendid.

The best gift was a sweet painting from Griffin.
I put it in a place of honor on our refrigerator.

Also, my dad offered to wash 2 loads of laundry for me.
You can't beat that!

I felt so very loved!

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://leighvslaundry.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i969.photobucket.com/albums/ae172/leighbug_photo/stuff2/2875824415_abeaebc155_m-2-1-1.jpg" /></a></div><br />

Want to join me in my quest
to scout out happiness for a whole year?
Simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy and tell us all about it.
Then, steal my button and include it in your post.
Don't forget to link up to Mr. Linky.