Something cool I found for parents....& other random thoughts & stuff!

http://www.atlantakids.net/
It has a list of things to do with your kids and family friendly places to eat. Pretty interesting, they also have this thing call E-zine for 6.99 it is quarterly magazine through email about freebies and what not in Atlanta. I personaly did not sign up for that but they also have a free email list that you can sign up for. Anyhow - just thought I would share.


For Valentine's Day, I think Joe and I will take the babes to the Imagine IT Children's Museum and then to the California Pizza Kitchen in Atlantic Station...then maybe Ikea because I love it there! I always have throw something in there for myself...I have to get it where I can! (haha!)


Random thought: So exciting that VDay is on a Saturday this year so we can have a family day with the ones I love the most!

IMy Boys!

I am really trying to keep my un resolutions...I am trying to plan new and different things to do each month. This month we did the Annistion Natural History Museum- Feb is the Children's Museum and Atlantic Station with babes and Kooza and Atlantic Station for Mommy & Daddy. March is Chat-a-nude-a' as Cayden says. April, I don't have anything planned, maybe a Braves game or something along those lines...Are the Braves playing in April? I guess I need to figure that out!

If the Aquarium is still doing the Mommy & Me in April - I am going to take the boys to that on the 27Th. My office is closed that day soooo... we have to do something fun!

http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/visitus/meandmommy.aspx I said that I would never go back to the aquarium after the last time we went, but I am starting to soften up and I don't want the kids to miss out on anything!!!!!!

Well, that is all the random thoughts and stuff I have for now! Happy Rainy Wednesday to you!

Oxford/Anniston - Saturday

Chase Mommy Cayden

Jake, Cayden, Chase (looking at the water), Me

The BIG one

Chasey

...buddies...

jacob

all the boys

wow - a cave

my favorite picture of cayden and jake

We had a good time on our family retreat. Jake came with us because his mommy had baby #3! Jared made is grand enterance at 5.30 Friday Morning! I will post pictures soon. I would highly suggest going if you are close. It took about 45 minutes to get to the museum. The cost is 4.50 per adult and children 12 and under are free for the next couple of months!

Google : Anniston Natural History Museum

Winter Blues

I am counting the days to warmer weather, the way a child counts the days until Santa comes for a visit. Now that all the holidays and other excitement have passed; I find myself having a bit of the winter blues or season depression. I have been trying to plan something to do every weekend. If I just sit at home and have lazy weekends all winter I will be some what of a grizzly bear come spring, in size and mood! Monday, I had a doctor's appointment and was told he could tell I had eaten well over THE Holidays. He said that I needed to stay active through the winter months. Well, well, well! I have really just run out of things to do inside that are inexpensive for the whole family. So Mrs. Inactive Flabby Butt is taking the family to the Annistion Natural History Museum for the afternoon. Maybe, I can think of some other things to do in between now and March-ish. I will not whine about how I feel like sitting in bed, eating, watching t.v., therefore I am at a stand still with life passing me by. I refuse to be a stalled car on the side of the interstate as 18 wheelers fly by me rocking me a little just never quite enough to make me want to get in the flow. So, off to see the wizard this weekend...&

there is a new

in Anniston/Oxford!!!! So off we go on a family adventure...I am going to see if Jayme can go too!

My goodness I feel much better now that I have whined a little bit!

Happy Wednesday! Maybe it will snow soon and make all this cold weather worth the jackets, mittens, hats and gloves!

PS- I would love to go to Snow MT.

or some where similar and

take the kiddies!!!

I will have to check into that!

Open House

In September, the GaDot Credit Union merged with State Employees Credit Union. Thursday, we had an open house for our members and the GaTech folks. GaTech is in our membership and the location is perfect for them. It went a lot better than I planned. Here are a few pictures from that:

Me, Pam D, Pam M, & Dana. Yours truly:

(I was the drink pour-er) (...I made that my job!)

Linda, Pam, Ken (the President of the CU), Me, Dana (my manager)

All aboard the..... BiRtHdAy ChOo ChOo!

Happy Birthday to Cayden (4th) and Joe (30th)!!!!

March 13-15, 2009

(A gift that, Chase and I can enjoy also!!!)

MySpace Countdown Clocks

We are going for 3 days - 2 nights to Chattanooga...

I told the kids last night what we were doing and they are so excited they were both talking about this morning getting ready for school.

Joe and I are each taking a day off work. (Me=Friday, Him=Sunday)

We are going to leave at nap time on Friday morning and I will drive up so Joe can rest (he will not get home until Friday early AM) and the kiddies can nap. That should (if I do not get lost)put us there are lunch time. We can grab a quick bite to eat for lunch and then head to the children's museum Creative Discovery Museum (http://www.cdmfun.org/)

After that we can check into the hotel the Sheraton Read House!

Where the hotel is located at we will be one of the stops for the free downtown trolley/bus/train thing. For the day(s) that we go to the Creative Discovery and the Tennessee Aquarium we will not even have to drive ourselves! I love that!

So here is what we are thinking for our fun filled weekend in Tennessee:

Friday:

Leave at nap time like I said earlier.

Have a quickie lunch.

Creative Discovery.

Check in at the hotel

Snack TIME.

Tennessee Aquarium for a little while. (http://www.tnaqua.org/)

Dinner at the Choo Choo in the Pizza car (Silver Diner). (www.choochoo.com)

Saturday:

Tennessee Aquarium in the morning. (http://www.tnaqua.org/)
Lunch & Nap.

Look Out Mountain: (http://www.lookoutmountain.com/)

Ride the Incline (ridetheincline.com)

& Ruby Falls (http://www.rubyfalls.com/)

(Joe and I decided not to do See Rocky City...).

Dinner.

Swimming at the Hotel (the indoor pool of course).

Sunday:

B'Fast & check out.

The Zoo (zoo.chattanooga.org) (so the babies will be tired for:)

time to head home.

The Tennessee Aquarium has this thing called:& how it works is you pay 24.95 for each adult and 17.95 for kids 3-12 and you get to go to the Aquarium for unlimited times for 2 days. With each 2 day pass you also get discounts like:

IMAX Theater — $2.50 off adult and $1 off child tickets
Tennessee Aquarium & IMAX Gift Shops and Concessions — Save 10%
Creative Discovery Museum — $2 off each ticket purchase
Ruby Falls — $2 off each ticket purchase
Big River Grille & Brewing Works — Save 10% off food or beverage purchase.
Blue Water Grille — Save 10% off food or beverage purchase

WOW WHAT A MAJOR PLUG FOR TENN AQUA!


I know I drive Joe crazy with my over the top planning for trips with who, what, when, where, how much, how to get there, how to get back...but he as never gotten lost, run out of money or had a bad time!



So the whole family is excited... &

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAYDEN & JOE!

Oh yeah 1 more thing: I asked Joe's parents if they wanted to go and that Joe did not know that I was planning a trip to Chattanooga...Joe found out b/c he saw where his dad asked off for that weekend too!! So maybe one day I can plan a surprise getaway for JOEY BOY.

In case you would like to know where I got all my information check out the following websites:



http://www.tripadvisor.com/


http://www.chattanoogafun.com/



& all the links in the blog!

.... and Happy Hump Day to you!

****Cayden's birthday is March 3 & Joe's is March 11

Love Wins & Hope Lives

Sunday morning ... I got up the kids like I do EVERY Sunday and Joe stayed in bed to sleep so he could get up and get ready to church then off to work that afternoon. We all get ready and we are running late as usual when Joe is coming along. I we are all in the car minus Joe and he comes down the stairs opens the door and says hold I have to go back up and got to the bathroom. While I am waiting I go ahead and pull out of the garage and sit there for what feels like 6 hours waiting- waiting- waiting! Then my phone rings and I think to myself...this better NOT be Joe calling me from inside the house....and of course, IT WAS. I could feel the blood rushing to my head...instant headache...I answer the phone...Hello? Joe says: Hey I don't feel so good just go ahead with out me...okay? Fine, I say, I will talk to you in a little while!

I get no more than about 3 miles down the road and the phones rings yet again...Yes, dear. I say ... all I get is a Love you...which is always how he starts he phone call when he is feeling guilty or knows I am pissed or upset. In this case I think it was a little of both. I know for sure that he knew I was upset - Anyway...so he proceeds to tell me how his tummy is upset (like it has been for weeks now) so I tell me to call the doctor on Monday and go in because I am tired of listening to him whine about stomach issues. So, the kids and I get to church with 3 minutes to spare. Scott meets we outside to help me get the kids in the building out of the cold.

So we get the kids to their rooms and we meet up with my mom and find a seat.

Mike comes up and is talking about what would Paul say to us if he were here today...about love?

Mike ask is Love the supreme value in YOUR life? How do you treat people in your "private" life...any and everyone...

So I think ... I am nice to cashiers, waitress and waiters, I let people in front of me on the interstate (only if they have their blinker on, otherwise I do know that you want over (that is for a whole different blog)), I am always trying to help, go the extra mile, and just generally try to be someone that everyone wants to have in their life...BUT

I just went crazy over my husband not going to church because he was "sick"...

then Mike reads...

1 Corinthians 13

The Excellence of Love

1If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
9For we know in part and we prophesy in part;
10but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
11When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
13But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The part that stuck with me is:


4Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,

Well let's see: I was not patient or kind...I was a little be jealous that HE got to stay at home and I was doing the "right thing". I boasted that his life was passing him by and he was at home, that church is a FAMILY activity. Which that made me arrogant that I was boasting that I was doing "the right thing" and that I was doing the FAMILY activity and not him. I definitely was not becoming...I was seeking my own, I was seriously provoked and provoking...and finally I took in to account all his "suffering"...

So anyway...Why is it that I can be nice to the cashier, waiter, and blah blah blah...but one of the MOST IMPORTANT relationships I have I get so upset so easy?

I do not have the answer to that question...BUT I am going to work on it and see what I come up with...and I WILL NOT act that way in the future!

To Joseph - I am sorry for being so ugly and not just about the church issue just all the things I do that are unbecoming as a wife to you! I have no reason to act that way or treat you that way.

So in closing, where hope lives, our love wins....

Eat, Pray, Love - My new found LOVE of books!

www.elizabethgilbert.com (she has some pictures of her travels)

I bought this book around Christmas time. I have been reading on it for a few weeks & yesterday I finished it! I loved it. I would love to have the "balls" to travel like that. I don't know that I would go to India but Italy and Bali- I am all for that. If you are looking for something to read I would highly suggest this book....Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Target has it for 20% publishers price!

****You can also look on www.half.com (eBay's bookstore)

or www.amazon.com see if there are any deals!****

My next book will be something more superficial like sTori Telling by Tori Spelling or one of Chelsea Handler's books (Are you there, Vodka? It's me Chelsea or My Horizontal Life: A collection of one night stands)& finally Jenny McCarthy's Life Laughs: The naked truth about motherhood, marriage, and moving on. I read Jenny's Belly Laughs when I was preggers with Cayden and it was so funny. (Side bar: I do not plan on "moving on")

Friday afternoon: I ordered

sTori Telling

&

Life Laughs

on www.half.com for 19.00 which is less than sTori Telling by it's self at a "bookstore"!!

After, I have had my feel of superficial I am then going to read:

Multiple Blessings: Surviving to Thriving with twins and sextupletssimply because I love to watch the Gosselins when they are on TV. I admire they way the mom (Kate) is so organized and not a nervous wreck. The dad (Jon) is every involved with the Kiddies! I have gotten a lot of good ideas from watching them and the boys can watch with me if they want to and I do not have to worry about what might pop up on the screen. You can visit them online:

http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/jon-and-kate/jon-and-kate.html

Happy Reading!

Goal One : 2009

Okay here is what our family will be doing for the rest of the school year as part of my goals for 2009...our church also does this...so I am thinking it is the same program but there are other things we can do at church to help the community! We did this at the start of the school year & it was nice but I always forgot to grab the things in the mad rush to get out the door on Sunday! Anyhow -

From the Temple website:

"Temple Backpack Program"
This will be an ongoing project that the City is helping with, and we are looking for community involvement with this as well! The program helps children that may not have a parent home with them all the time and might not have the financial means of getting all the groceries that they need. How the program works: The schools provide the “back” packs for the volunteers and we usually pick these bags up on Wednesday or Thursday, we then pack the bags on Thursday and try to deliver back to the selected schools on Thursday afternoon or Friday morning.What to pack: We are looking for non-perishable foods such as cup of soup, ravioli, grits, oatmeal, peanut butter, crackers, and because these are for children, they all like sweets too, so Debbie cakes, cookies, etc. We also like to pack apples, oranges and bananas. A donation box is located in the lobby of City Hall.This pack provides food that these children would not normally have, and that is easy enough for them to fix on their own and gives them food to last over the weekend. You can help by volunteering to pack, pick up or deliver these bags.
We always need food or monetary donations to help keep this program going and give back to our wonderful City of Temple.
Please contact Ashley Hulsey @ 770-562-3369 ext. 103

Our Grown- Up Weekend...

The W

Joe and I are going to have a Mommy & Daddy weekend Feb 21, 2009! We are going to stay at The W in Downtown. Then we are going to Kooza, the show, then dinner!

I AM SO EXCITED! ....can't hardly wait....