Wordless Wednesday

Rays of Sunshine, Fields of Purple

My grandparents' yard is completely covered in purple...purple weeds to most people, but children know them as the most beautiful purple flowers.  So, you know we had to find a day to enjoy the beautiful rays of sunshine and fields of purple to welcome in the early spring!

I don't know the "official" name of these unique weeds/plants, but we grew up calling them "bunny rabbits", and that was good enough for us.  Can you see why we called them that?? 

We also made sure to teach the kids the "bunny rabbit" names...and why we call them that.  Katie had to do some major investigating to be certain they indeed looked like bunnies ;-)

And sweet Sydney loved the "bunny rabbits" as well!

Austin was trying to teach Sydney where the "bunny rabbits" were.  They play so well together...most of the time *grins*

As you can tell, all of the kids had a great time at Granny and Papa's house!

And you know I enjoyed being the photographer of all of the fun!! ;-)

I love you too much...

{I'm interrupting our normal blogging to talk from my heart today.  It's long...it's serious...and it's heavy on my heart.  I warned you...now you can decide whether you want to read on or not.}

To my "little" sister, with love, from your "big" sister:

I am well aware that this could turn your thoughts of me from your friend and confidante to your stick-in-the-mud, overprotective sister, but I love you too much to let that stop me.

I love you too much...

not to tell you how I feel about your current motorcycling endeavors. 

to let you think I'm totally cool with the thoughts of you riding down the road with all of the other drivers out there.

not to let you know how much I disagree with 14 years old being the legal age of motorcycle riding.

to let you think, as most teenagers (and some adults) do, that you are safe enough...smart enough...good enough not to end up a statistic for motorcycle riding.

not to tell you how heavy it makes my heart to think that over 80% of motorcycle accidents end in injury and/or death, compared to 20% in cars...and that with the average motorcycle driver being around the age of 35!

to encourage or even accept this desire of thrill-seeking adventure.

not to beg you to forget the motorcycle antics...at least for a while (though, I wouldn't mind if it were forever!)

to let you think it infuriates me that you are being encouraged to pursue this by someone who has seen first-hand the effects of motorcycle riding because he's been an EMT, fireman, and now law enforcement.

not to tell you that you are loved so much that you had to be told the truths of the matter...

I know this is an exciting new adventure for you.  I know it is fun.  I know Dad is encouraging it...even being an EMT, firefighter, and now, law enforcement...and he's seen first-hand the dangers involved, so why wouldn't you trust his judgment over mine?  I know you've found your motorcycle already.  I know that all that stands between you, the motorcycle, and the road is a little test.  I know you are planning to retake the motorcycle examination soon...probably until you do finally pass.  I know what I say will probably be pushed to the back of your mind, while you run toward the new past-time that awaits you.  But I also know the terrible dangers that are present, especially for motorcyclists.  I have read the statistics (trying to make sure I was being fair to you about this, and not just giving opinions)...only to find myself almost sick thinking of you putting yourself in the chance of becoming a statistic like others.  But, before you retake license exams or buy a new motorcycle, would you consider these statements (that were not made by me):

•  "Most people literally don't see motorcycles, because they're so used to looking for larger moving objects...you are virtually invisible to everyone else." 
•  "It isn't just your driving skills that affect your safety on a motorcycle...things even as simple as a chasing dog is enough to change your stability enough to crash."
• "Motorcyclists were 34 times as likely as passenger car occupants to die in a crash in 2004, per vehicle mile traveled." {yes this one is old...but the statistics have not improved!}
• "There are two types of motorcyclists: Those that have crashed, and those that are going to crash." {This is just an old saying, but those sayings came from somewhere...}
• "You can't account for everything.  How much is your life worth? Mine's worth more (to me) than gambling it that the other drivers on the road know what they're doing and their vehicles aren't going to fall apart in front of me." {From a motorcycle rider...who learned the dangers of motorcycling the hard way.} 
• "The trouble with motorcycles is, as mentioned above, the high cost of crashes. Had I been in a car, it would have taken the bulk of the damage, not me. I stopped riding because, despite having worn proper clothing, going under the speed limit and the weather being perfect, there was too much out of my control. In such an environment, I'd rather have the steel around me, thanks." 
•  "No matter how good a rider you are, you are going to be taken out eventually by something outside of your control. You have to decide if it will be worth it in the long run."
•  "Motorcycle riders between the ages of 16 and 24 are significantly over-represented in accidents; motorcycle riders between the ages of 30 and 50 are significantly under represented. Although the majority of the accident-involved motorcycle riders are male (96%), the female motorcycle riders are significantly over represented in the accident data."
•  "Crash bars are not an effective injury countermeasure."
•  "According to the federal government, per mile traveled in 2007, the number of deaths on motorcycles was about 37 times the number in cars."
•  "Although rider education courses can teach novice motorcyclists basic operating skills and help experienced motorcyclists refresh their skills, they don't appear to reduce the risk of crashes."

     

·         

I love you too much not to pray you change your mind...and so do so many others.  And, if it will change your mind in the least, I'll start counting votes to see just how loved you are...but I'm quite confident I'd win that one!  :-)

Look-Alike??

As Mark and I were looking at our pictures from the Rodeo, we couldn't help but freeze when we saw this picture {that hides the lighter and shorter hair}...

WHO does this look like to you??

Just wondering if we were the only ones who were beginning to see that Katie and Austin were turning into look-alikes?!

A Little Country Fun...

Mark and the kids experienced their first RODEO last night...and from the looks of it, had a great time!  I know I loved being there with them.  

Katie said her favorite part was the bull-riding...which I never would have guessed...as much as she loves horses!  

Austin enjoyed it all, but really wanted to ride those tractors they had ;-)  And, if Uncle Myles has anything to say about it, he'd probably agree that Austin was born to be a cowboy!  What do you think??

Katie is stylin' and profilin' in her new hot pink

cowgirl boots...and loving every second of it!

Sherriff Woody Austin

 Kicked back and relaxing while watching the rodeo...

Brother had to be just like his big sis...

Austin was wearing down toward the end, but 

still enjoying his first rodeo with Daddy

Great times...country fun...loads of laughter...perfect family evening.

Wordless Wednesday

Katie said these silly faces were especially for Nana and Pawpaw :-)

Not My Child!

This week, my son did not come after me one his front end loader, AKA his tractor, yelling "I'm gonna throw you in 'da ga'bage can! hahahahaha!!"  When I began playing along and saying "oh, no!  don't do that!" , he came back with "it's otay, Mommy...I'd get you back out!!"  Gotta love little boys...

Speaking of boys, my sweet little boy definitely did not help me turn at least 3 shades of red while in line to check out recently, when he started telling the world {very loudly, might I add} that the lady standing only 2 feet away from us had PURPLE HAIR.  And, since Mommy was trying to nod and get the subject changed, he insisted that I had indeed not heard him, and broadcast the news even louder!  Not, my child!!

Over the weekend, the kids and I used Mark's little Aveo {quite a funny sight, might I add}...which meant the kids had no kid CDs to hear, no DVDs to watch, and no toys in the car to play with.  That didn't deter them, though.  My kids did not decide to invent a new game with a piece of shoe string that Austin had grabbed on his way to the car...  I did not hear the kids in the backseat yelling, "I've got TOE POWER!"  When I started trying to see what they were doing, I found them playing tug-o-war with the string and their toes...gotta love their creativity!

And, I cannot forget to mention that Mark and I did not make a little boy mad at us yesterday, after refusing to let him hold the "Princess's" hand (AKA our little Katie).  Bless the kids heart, he was so frustrated at me when I told him a second (or fiftith) time, he kicked my shin and stepped on my toe!  LOL I'm definitely not ready for boys to be chasing her...not until she's at least 25-30! haha  But it does look like we may have our work cut out for us...

Sorry about the lack of pictures...places to go, things to do today :-)  I'll be posting more with pictures later this week! 

More than 100%

It's really sad that it has taken me 10 days to add an updated post here of our family.  What's more sad is that it wasn't that I didn't have things to say...I just couldn't find time to do it!  

I know we all have the same 24 hours in a day, so I've been trying to find that perfect balance in all of my "jobs" that will all time for everything to be done.  However, I'm learning, more now than ever, that I have a problem...a perfectionist problem...

You see, one of my {many} life mottos is that whatever I start, I finish...and finish the right way.  I give it 100% of myself, and see the benefits of holding to that at the end of the project, when it's done as expected or better than expected.  What could possibly be wrong with this motto?!

Well, apparently, I've found a large error in my motto lately...

{hold on to you seat...this one is profound...and in random order}...

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100%  + 100%  + 100%  + 100%  + 100% + 100% DOES NOT EQUAL 100%

You see, no matter how hard I try, I cannot seem to get everything done...

if I give homeschooling my children 100%, then my house goes uncleaned...my business lacks what it needs to survive and thrive...my family blog is neglected...and on and on it goes. 

Now, I know what you're going to say...balance...and that's what I've been working on...trying to see how many tasks I have to complete on any given day, then deciding what percentage of my energy and time I can dedicate to each task...being sure not to let priorities go awry.  It's a work in progress...really...but at least I've finally learned the basis of the problem...

100%  + 100%  + 100%  + 100%  + 100% + 100% DOES NOT EQUAL 100%

Now, hopefully, you'll be hearing and seeing more updates from our family...but be patient...there's much to sort through!  This relationship-building, child-rearing, home-managing, homeschooling, home-based business owning stuff is TOUGH! ;-)

In the meantime...here's a snapshot of Katie taken this past weekend...

And, for laughs, courtesy of Katie:  Katie asked to please play the computer games yesterday morning, so I agreed while I was getting ready and preparing breakfast for the kids and our house guest.  Within minutes she found me with a very confused look on her face.  She said "Mommy, I wanted to play  the Backyardigans In Outer Space game, but Mommy, they said I had to have a SPACE bar!  How do I get that!?!"

Going to Nana's...

I've been looking the last few months for a great vintage suitcase for a few photography sessions I'll be doing in the near future.  I know those "great treasures" are out there...people just wanting to get rid of "junk"...so, I look and wait (instead of paying the outrageous prices many charge for them online.  

And, my waiting finally paid off!  We were walking around in the Habitat ReStore yesterday afternoon with the kids, and I spotted this awesome vintage green set...in near perfect condition, especially on the inside.  I was thrilled for my $6 find {large suitcase and smaller matching suitcase - not pictured}.  What I didn't know was how much my kids would love them, too!!

Katie found a similar small blue suitcase that she needed...and for $2 purchased it with her own money...the best $2 she's ever spent, if you ask her!  Now, I have little ones that go around the house with all of the suitcases completely packed and ready for their trip to Nana's.  They've been going to Nana's since their eyes saw the suitcases in the ReStore...it's been hilarious!  

So...now that I've taken tons of time explaining the old suitcases...here's a few funny pictures of the kids this morning.

Meeko needs to see Nana and Pawpaw soon...

And so do these little jokers 

{they're trying to make "puppy dog" faces}

"We're ready for Nana's!  Can we go now??"

{gotta love those silly faces...and Katie's bedhead!!}

We're pretty certain Meeko wants to come, too...

So...get ready, Nana!  You may have extra suitcases coming with the kids soon!  We haven't been able to get them to leave them alone...

Double Yellow

Thanks to Pawpaw Barton, we are now enjoying our beautiful

DOUBLE YELLOW Daffodils

straight from Mawmaw Walker's flower gardens

I just love early spring colors and blooms...

even more so, when they have a little history and sentimental value :-)