The Help

Set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What a great book, especially for someone who didn't experience those times. I loved the characters, they came to life for me and I could see this book being played out in my head the whole time. I enjoy books that take me into another society and time and that's exactly what The Help did. This book is a light read with a heavy theme; I had no problems forging through. I'm excited to say this book is scheduled for the big screen in 2011.

Happy Reading!!

40 Years of Earth Day

Today, April 22, 2010 is the fortieth anniversary of Earth Day. Before 1970 factories could release black clouds of toxins into the air or dump toxic waste into rivers and streams, and it was perfectly legal. In 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day as a ways to "force this issue onto the national agenda." President Nixon and Congress established the Environmental Protection Agency in response to an increasing public demand for cleaner water, air and land; this agency would be known to tackle environmental issues facing the United States and world today. From news.gather.com.

I like Earth Day and the meaning behind it. God entrusted us with a magnificent gift and we are responsible for its well-being.
God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth."
Genesis 1:26 (The Message)

Look for ways to conserve energy, spend time outside, and better the earth. The kids helped me weed the garden yesterday. Hopefully soon we can get some things planted, I know the kids enjoy helping with that as well.

In honor of Earth Day, I think we'll make dirt cups as a family tonight. What a fun way to celebrate and the kids will be so excited! Here is a link to a recipe...have fun!! dirt cups recipe at kraftfoods.com

Visions of Eskimos

Parker's soccer team, 98 Vision, played a game in Stillwater this past Saturday. We LOVE Stillwater. The team went to eat at Eskimo Joes afterward. Our kids had never been so it was a lot of fun. Phil and I think it's good when the kids can hang out with kids from their team at times other than games; builds good relationships. Oh BTW, Parker's team is undefeated this year and they start state tournament play this weekend!! GO VISION!
Liv and Easton enjoying the store

The team enjoying a great meal!

Easter

I'm disappointed with the 'lack-of' pictures I got this year for Easter. I guess part of it is that my kids are getting bigger and it's not 'cool' for mom to take a million pics. This is usually the time we're able to get atleast one good family pic and none were even taken!! Bummer! I'm sure that's why I'm so late posting this...I wasn't even going to. Brad and Catherine and the girls were here for Easter and I didn't even get any pics of them!! Urgh!!

Well, here's what I have!!
Liv was the only one of my kids that hunted eggs this year!! So sad!


Olivia & Parker

Livie sharing her loot with Easton!

We have a Hat Trick!

Yay!! All three of our compassionate and caring children have made the 'Principal's 200 Club'. Olivia came home yesterday and said she got it for staying behind and pushing in all the chairs! Wow!! That is such a good feeling for me and Phil that our kids can go out into the world and give of themselves at such an early age. I pray they continue to grow and continue to develop a love for people and a servants heart!

YAY Livie!! We are SO proud of you!!

My life...

My life consists of soccer, cooking, cleaning, walking, reading, softball, work, Air1, family, The Biggest Loser, fundraisers, homework, baseball, church, small group, reorganizing, redecorating, budgeting, book club, church functions, American Idol, eating, facebook, Modern Family, corralling, driving, emailing, cheering, gymnastics, texting, surfing, planning, drama, tears, phone calls, The Office, sleeping, getting ready, yard work, disciplining, blogging, friends, birthdays, joy, shopping, tournaments, fishville, naps, sadness, practices...

I think you get the picture. One thing that is totally missing is time with God. I sent out a Daily Verse yesterday, it's one of those verses that truly puts the fear of God in me. It was Luke 13:24-25 "He said to them, 'Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'"

I don't want to be one of 'those' people! I want God to welcome me with open arms and be so elated to see me! I desire for him to call me HIS and to tell me how beautiful I am. But the way my life is SO packed full right now, I'm not making Him a priority. I need to manage my time better and instead of fitting God in, I need to fit the other things around my time with God.

Lord, please help me get the priorities straight in my life. I want you to be number one. Help me to see what I can do without to make you Lord of my life. Thank you for your grace and the new opportunity everyday to get it right!

The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. When his mom tells him the truth about where he came from, she takes him to the one place he'll be safe--Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island). There, Percy learns that the father he never knew is actually Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon Percy finds himself caught up in a mystery that could lead to disastrous consequences. Together with his friends--a satyr and other the demigod daughter of Athena--Percy sets out on a quest to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

This series was recommended to us by our friend, Ellen. Parker read it at the beginning of the school year and enjoyed it. I'd been wanting to read it so after we heard they were making it into a movie I decided to move it up on my reading list. It was a very quick read and continuously entertaining. Now we just need to go see the movie. I can't wait to start the second book!

They also have this "character companion" for the series. This will be great to have to keep everyone straight throughout.

HAPPY READING!

Fools Day!!

How ironic is it that today is not only 'All Fools Day' but also my brother, Jace's birthday AND my s-i-l, Catherine's?!? Just kidding guys!! Haha!! I love you both and hope you have a GREAT birthday!!

How did April Fools come about you ask??? Well, that's a good question. I checked out www.april-fools.us and here is what they said...
The history of April Fool's Day or All Fool's Day is uncertain, but the current thinking is that it began around 1582 in France with the reform of the calendar under Charles IX. The Gregorian Calendar was introduced, and New Year's Day was moved from March 25 - April 1 (new year's week) to January 1.
You can click on the above link for more information on the holiday!

I've never been very good with dishing out pranks but I sure do like to see them played out or stories about them, and being married to Phil I've heard a lot of good ones. The best April Fools prank I was ever involved in was safety pinning my dad's underwear together and folding them up neatly in his drawer. When he went to pull one out he got all of them. I know...pretty lame, but as a 8 or 9 yr old I thought that was pretty funny, and harmless!!

Well, I hope you all have a very 'funny' day...and try to prank someone in the honor of the day!!

Muffin Tops...NO MORE

Note: This is NOT an actual depiction of me. I am being portrayed by an actor.

From Wikipedia:
Muffin-top (or muffin-top girl) is a generally pejorative, slang term used for a person, usually female, whose flabby midsection spills over the waistline of his or her pants in a manner that resembles the top of a muffin spilling over its paper casing.
Something clicked for me yesterday...I am SO ready to exercise and workout to lose weight and get healthy! I watch The Biggest Loser and it really encourages me, even when I'm sitting on my couch eating cake while watching. My weakness is sweets, they always have been. I worked at Lollipops for three years after high school and at the time that was my 'dream job'! Ha!
The biggest obstacle I face is patience. When I don't see results quickly I give up but I just have to keep remembering this is a life change...not just a quick fix. I took Parker to practice last night and there is a track that's over 3 miles; I walked the entire track, plus some! It felt so good and after the first mile all my ailments disappeared. I've also figured out that I get a second wind after work if I don't sit down for too long. I love my naps and that can easily take over.
I know I can't do this without strength from God. I am looking to Him for will power and strength to do what I need. I'm also putting this on my blog as a way for accountability. It's a hard thing to admit I need to lose weight and even harder to share that publicly! I'll try to post my successes and failures in hopes to encourage others to "GET HEALTHY"!!!
If anyone has any healthy recipes or workout ideas I'd love to hear them.

Can ya feel it???

Spring is HERE!! Can ya feel it? I sure can and I can tell my kiddos do too! The sneezes and itchy throats and noses are in full force. Ugh!! I just hope since we had such an eventful winter that it killed off a lot of the allergens.
Good luck this spring if you're an allergy sufferer like we are!!

Financial Peace

Our church is finally offering Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and Phil and I went to our first class last night! I REALLY am looking forward to getting rid of our debt, but I'll admit I was a little bitter last night about the realization that we are going to have to buckle down. Ugh!! All I could think about were the things we really need to buy before we dive head first into this. What I'm most impressed with so far is that when we go to figure our debt we take our contribution and savings off the top, it's not even counted as part of our income. I LOVE that, just wish we would have started it years ago.
Something Dave talked about in his video, which was very good btw, was an example of a 19 yr-old saving $2,000 annually into an account that earns him 12% interest. After only 8 years, age 26, he wouldn't have to put anymore money in that account and by the time he turned 65 he would have over $2.2 million dollars saved. That just blows my mind. We talked to Parker about this last night and I think he's going to start putting money towards his savings. He's always had good money sense.
Dave also quoted several scriptures in his video, another thing I really appreciated. One that really spoke to me was from Psalm 62:10, "If riches increase, do not set your heart on them." I know I have a tendency to look at what we'll 'possibly' have in the future and start spending it, in my head anyway, before we actually have it. I know this is a bad trait and I hope this class will help me train myself not to be like that anymore.
I'll try to keep you updated on our progress. I WON'T be sharing our debt, it would probably blow you away! Ha!! Our homework for this week is to go through our budget, something Phil has wanted to do for a long time and I've successfully avoided! Not anymore!! Sheesh! Pray for us that we don't get into any knock-down-drag-outs...SERIOUSLY!!!
Step 1: As quickly as we can we have to put back $1,000 in savings.

Happy 'Belated' Birthday, Dr. Seuss!!!

I think it's fun that the schools celebrate an icon in children's literature. I'm sure we've all tried to make up our own little rhymes to One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish or Hop on Pop. This is a little 'belated' birthday tribute to the master of tongue twisters himself.

Liv's class had a Dr. Suess carnival and I was able to attend with her. I surprised her by being there, she was so excited. We had a really good time hanging out.

Here are some pics...
Livie with "The Cat in the Hat"

She got to make a hat! She wanted hers to match the Cat's hat!

Playing the carnival games...


Livie and Mrs. Dorran

Livie and Mommy

Love it...or Hate it

Okay, let me preface this post with, "We are a Ford family." There is a new trend coming around in cars and I know it's hard for some people to take hold of, but if you look at every car manufacturer they almost all have a similiar style. I'm talking about the Nissan Cube...I think this is the cutest little car. And if I didn't have 3 kiddoes to haul around, with an occasional friend, I'd jump on board for one. On my way to work this morning I saw one and it just reminded me how cute I think they are.

Sanctus Real

I am a HUGE Christian Music fan. I listen to Air1 radio all the time and if I don't get to for a day or so I really start missing it! It's so encouraging and a great outlet away from the negative drama mainstream radio stations typically play. It truly gives me the desire to live a better life.

On my way to work this morning they played a brand new Santus Real song called "Lead Me" from their new album that just came out. The song is AMAZING and made me tear up. You can click here to check out the story behind the song. I think so many people today can relate to this song. Make sure you check out the link and watch the 'in-studio' video below.

Air 1 - Sanctus Real "Lead Me" LIVE from Air 1 Radio on Vimeo.

My 'Irish' Dinner

I made my first 'Irish' dinner this year for St. Patrick's day. I'm not even sure there was anything Irish about it but it was fun and really yummy!! I made Mini Shepherd's Pies and green leaf lettuce with green cupcakes for dessert.

I actually adapted the Shephard's Pie recipe from several recipes I found. I've never made Shepherds Pie and never thought I would. Here's the recipe...
2 cans refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
1 lb ground beef, browned
1 pkg frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, corn & green beans) I took out the green beans
1 pkg brown gravy mix (beef flavor), prepared
chopped onions
salt and pepper
2 med potatoes, boiled
2 tablespoons butter
3 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup milk

Brown the hamburger meat and add onions. Mix brown gravy according to directions. Cook frozen vegetables according to directions but for only half the time. Combine beef, vegetables, gravy and salt & pepper. For the potatoes, combine potatoes, butter, cream cheese, milk and salt & pepper; mash together. Put the dinner rolls in the bottom of a muffin pan pressing down to make flat. Add the hamburger mixture followed by the potatoes. Cook at 350 degrees for about 25 min, or until rolls are browned.

This was really simple to make and my kiddos seemed to even like it!!
WE HAVE A WINNER!!!


Sorry my pictures are bad quality!! :(

A Movie I WOULD see...

One of my blogger friends, Amy, posted a link about the Pioneer Woman. Ironically Ellen and I met Amy while in line at the PW's book signing in OKC. Anyway, the post was about a movie being made on the Pioneer Woman's life. Her story will make a great movie which will be based on her upcoming book, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. You heard right my fellow readers!! Boo-yaw!!!

You can read the article here.

This is one movie I would go see!!

Maybe we could be extras!! Haha!!

Lateral Epicondylitis

Lateral Epicondylitis is the medical term for "tennis elbow". I went to the doctor this morning after about of month of pain in my elbow and this is what I was diagnosed with. Now I have to wear a geeky wrist brace for a month and I have to be careful lifting things with my right arm. If I could only get a massage...

Here is what webmd.com says about tennis elbow:
Tennis elbow is caused by either abrupt or subtle injury of the muscle and tendon area around the outside of the elbow. Tennis elbow specifically involves the area where the muscles and tendons of the forearm attach to the outside bony area (called the lateral epicondyle) of the elbow. Overuse injury can also affect the back or posterior part of the elbow as well.

The pain has started to run down my arm and up my shoulder! :( The doc said if the wrist band and ibuprofen for a month doesn't help we'll move on to a different treatment, shots! I have no idea what I did that caused this but it's annoying! Sheesh!!

Happy St. Patricks Day

Here's a holiday that most of us know only for wearing green so you won't get pinched. I decided to look up the true meaning of St.Paddy's day and why we, Americans, even celebrate an Irish holiday. I looked up History.com and found some facts about St. Paddy's day...
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years. On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast—on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

You might even be surprised to know that an Oklahoma town was named after this holiday...
There are four places in the United States named after the shamrock, the floral emblem of Ireland: Mount Gay-Shamrock, WV; Shamrock, TX; Shamrock Lakes, IN; and Shamrock, OK.
Nine U.S. towns share the name of Ireland's capital, Dublin. With 39,328 residents in 2005, Dublin, CA, is the most populous, followed by Dublin, OH.

How was St. Patrick's day introduced into the US...
The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place in the United States on March 17, 1762, when Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City.

Why is the shamrock significant...
The shamrock, which was also called the "seamroy" by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. As the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language and the practice of Catholicism, many Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage and their displeasure with English rule.

I think I might 'go green' for dinner tonight! Let me know if you have any dish ideas. I'll post my meal tomorrow! In the mean time, I hope you don't get pinched today!!!

Play Ball!

Easton is back in baseball for the spring and he is really enjoying it! I think the "I wanna be good at this" bug has finally bitten. Wawhoo! He's been going to hit with his Papa G and dad and sometimes we can even get him out to play catch! He is really a good little ball player and it helps that he's on a rockin' team. They had their pre-season tournament the first weekend of March and they won their league. E has many fans and we all have a great time watching him.
YAY Oklahoma Cubs!!

Coupon Divas ROCK!

My friend, Becky, turned me on to the coolest website. If you're a saver or thrifty, or if you're like me and just want the savings to come easy, then you're gonna love this website. The Coupon Divas are AMAZING! I've only been able to make my way through part of the website, but I LOVE IT. I've printed off so many coupons for great deals. Easton needs new shoes and I found a coupon for 20% off your entire purchase at Famous Footwear. I've also printed coupons for:
Target
Old Navy
Justice Just for Girls
And there are so many more.

START SAVING!!!