Friday Fill-Ins

It's been awhile, but I am making the point of taking more time for this blog. And now on with the show ...

1. Music is my passion.

2. More sleep is what I like first thing in the morning.

3. The first thing I said this morning was:"Don't wake up Grandma" .

4. Pizza?; it's what's for dinner tonight.

5. It's all been fun

6. Nothing is what I feel like doing right now.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to reading and hopefully watching more Grey's Anatomy, tomorrow my plans include laundry, more reading, vet appointment for the cat, and more Grey's Anatomy and Sunday, I want to read some more, watch more Grey's (I have two discs on hand right now), finish laundry!

If you want to play along, you can find this week's thread HERE.

Random Dozen 8/11

1. When was the last time you laughed until you cried? Gosh. Somewhat recently. I think laughing at/with the kids.

2. If you found $10 today, what would you do with it? Pocket it and save it until I need some cash.

3. Do you volunteer anywhere? No. I should.

4. What is your favorite summertime veggie or fruit, and how do you eat it? Fresh sweetcorn. YUM! We boil it, then smother it in butter, salt, and a tiny bit of pepper! YUM! I LOVE living in the Midwest!

5. Is your social sphere (circle of friends) small, medium or large? Depends on how you define my "sphere of friends" – all friends, or just people I know IRL? All friends (including those I only know through online interactions), I would actually say it's medium-to-large. Just IRL people, miniscule.

6. When was the last time you attended a family or school reunion? How did that go? Our 10-year school reunion was 5 years ago. I was VERY pregnant with my son, and my husband (who was in my same graduating class at the same school) was gone for a 30-day civilian deployment to New Orleans. (It was his first time helping out with post-Katrina stuff.) It was neat to see people, but I kinda felt like an odd-woman-out.

7. When you're feeling blue, what is the best way someone can cheer you up? Hugs, making me laugh, and relieving me from kid duty for a few hours.

8. Have you taken a vacation this summer? No. I wish we had, but it didn't work out. Maybe next year.

9. What is the most unnecessary item you carry with you all the time? A book. About 90% of the time I have a book in my purse. It goes everywhere with me, because I just never know when I'll wish I had it. It's great for waiting on the doctor at appointments, stuck in a traffic jam (I'm talking stand-still for 30 minutes, which I've experienced), waiting for the bell to ring when picking up the kids after school, etc.

10. What is the best summer flick you have seen so far? Eclipse.

11. Describe a perfect summer day. Hmm ... I could go one of two ways with this. Day 1: AWESOME, powerful thunderstorms. It's not too hot, so I can sit comfortably on the front porch and enjoy the smell of the rain, the feel of the wind, and the sound of the thunder. It's also not too cool, so the rain doesn't make me chilled. It's also not too windy, so I can read a book while enjoying the storm. Day 2: About 75-80ºF, no humidity, a perfect light breeze.

12. Please a share a favorite photo from the summer so far! Umm....all of the pics are on my hubby's laptop, which is going to St. Louis with him today. So, I can't get those right now. Sorry!

Tuesday Tunes #8

For the newbies, here’s the scoop: Tuesday Tunes is a hopefully weekly meme hosted here at Rambings & More. What’s the point? Sharing music. I LOVE music. LOVE it. In fact, I would say it’s very reasonable to say that music is my passion. It’s one of few, very few, things that I couldn’t imagine living without. As such, I’m always looking for new music, and I’m more than happy to share my favorite music! Well, not just my favorites. I also share whatever’s in my head at the moment, and sometimes that’s determined by what my KIDS are into at the moment. Anyway, please share your music with me! For now, just leave me a comment with your link. (And please link back to me.) When we get some more participation, I’ll make a button and get us a Linky to make sharing easier! Note: Sometimes (likely more often than not) I will share Christian music. That does NOT mean only Christian music is welcome. I wanna know what YOU’RE listening to, whatever genre it is!

This week’s picks:

Once again, I set my iPod Touch on shuffle, and this is what came up! (Click the links to listen.)

1. Amazed by Building 429 ~ Great song.

2. Everlasting God by Chris Tomlin ~ Chris Tomlin is one of the best Christian songwriters out there right now. He writes some of the best, most worshipful, songs I've heard in a while. I don't think this is one he actually penned, but that's beside the point! ;-) This is a great song nonetheless!

Enjoy!

Blogger Appreciation Day: July 2010

It's hard to believe it's already August! Where is this year going?

As such, it is time once again to say thanks to you, my readers. So, thank you for your support! It means a lot to me!

This is also time to thank those who share this blog with others.

This was started by Kelli at 3 Boys & a Dog.

Here’s how it works:

1. Go into your tracking service (I use Google Analytics) and set the time period for July 1st – July 31st.


2. Find the sites that have referred readers to you and put them in order from most sends to lowest.


3. Write a post (like this one) listing your top 10 referrers.


4. Link that post up in Kelli’s MckLinky, which is HERE.

It would be appreciated if you could link back to this post, you know – return the favor! ;-)

Without further ado …

Thank you to my top 10 referrers for July!

1. 3 Boys & a Dog ~ 17


2. Proud Book Nerd ~ 16 (yes, it's mine, but there were slim pickings in July :oops: )


3. Sunday Stealing ~ 13


4. The Undomestic Momma ~ 8 <– first time on the list! ***TIED with #4 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***


5. The Girl Creative ~ 8 <– first time on the list! ***TIED with #3 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***


6. BlogUpp! ~ 4<– first time on the list!


7. MomDot ~ 3 ***TIED with #6-7 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***


8. There's A Book ~ 3 ***TIED with #5, 7 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***


9. Trendy Treehouse ~ 3 ***TIED with #5-6 – listed in same order as on Google Analytics***


10. Busy Moms Who Love to Read ~ 2 <– first time on the list!

(I do not list engines, Twitter, FaceBook, etc.!)

Tuesday Tunes #7

You know what would be really cool? If anyone played along with this! I'm lonely! :-( You know I love you all! ;-)

For the newbies, here’s the scoop: Tuesday Tunes is a hopefully weekly meme hosted here at Rambings & More. What’s the point? Sharing music. I LOVE music. LOVE it. In fact, I would say it’s very reasonable to say that music is my passion. It’s one of few, very few, things that I couldn’t imagine living without. As such, I’m always looking for new music, and I’m more than happy to share my favorite music! Well, not just my favorites. I also share whatever’s in my head at the moment, and sometimes that’s determined by what my KIDS are into at the moment. Anyway, please share your music with me! For now, just leave me a comment with your link. (And please link back to me.) When we get some more participation, I’ll make a button and get us a Linky to make sharing easier! Note: Sometimes (likely more often than not) I will share Christian music. That does NOT mean only Christian music is welcome. I wanna know what YOU’RE listening to, whatever genre it is!

So, as I recently mentioned, I've finally started watching Grey's Anatomy. (If you haven't read about it, you can find the post HERE. Go ahead, I'll wait ...)

And now that you're back ... As I said on the post linked above, one of my favorite things about Grey's is the music! I like it so much I actually went out and bought a 3-disc boxed set of Grey's Anatomy soundtrack music! And, it only seems fitting that I share one or two songs from that! So, here we go (click the links to listen)!

1. Cosy In The Rocket by PSAPP ~ This is the full song from which the title song for the show is taken. I love it!

2. Song Beneath The Song by Maria Taylor ~ Another one I love.

I'm gonna stop now. Both of these are on the first CD. Maybe, if I can't think of anything else next week, I'll share more favorites then!

So, how about you? What are you listening to lately?

It Really Is True ~~~ And I'm Late to the Party

Odd title, huh? I know, I know. That's because you're in for a treat: TWO posts in ONE! How cool is that? (LOL I'm in a weird mood.)

Post 1: It Really Is True

What's true? You had to ask. Well, they say that when you become a mother, things really, really change. And, well, that's a DUH statement, huh? But, I've also heard that when you have children, it's like your heart is running around. Like they ARE your heart. And, before this weekend, I thought I knew what it meant. But I didn't. Not really. I had an idea, but now I get it better than I had before.

What's changed? Well, the wonderful Mr. Ham kindly gave me the weekend home ALONE! He took our three wonderful children downstate to see his family. Just so I could get a break! (This was originally planned because we thought he was going to be away for the fall semester, but that's another story.) Don't I have the best hubby ever? Isn't that the SWEETEST thing? I have been away from my kids before, and even for about the same amount of time. The difference is that I'm home and they aren't. I haven't been home alone for more than a few hours at a time since before they were born. This is S-T-R-A-N-G-E. Quite different from what I'd expected.Don't get me wrong. I'm enjoying my much-needed ME time. But, it's weird. Everything is empty, quiet, still. I don't mind, really I don't.

Back to the original point – about the hearts running around. It dawned on me yesterday – even Friday night. It is HARD for me to not worry with them so far away. I don't worry about them nearly as much when I'm the one away from home. But, my three little hearts – four, if you count Mr. Ham – are running around four hours away from me. They have to travel for four hours on the Interstate tomorrow to come home to me. A path that very well could be wrought with danger. A path that could lead to my losing them! :-( Yes, I trust God for their safety. I'm praying for traveling mercies, that they each come home in one – very much alive and healthy – piece.

How is this like I have little hearts out there running around? Well, because my heart aches – and not with worry. But like a piece – or a few pieces, I suppose – of me is missing. Little portions of my heart are running around with their cousins downstate, and I'm a bit fragmented. I won't be whole until they return – safely. God forbid – and I mean it, God, FORBID anything happen to them – I don't know how I would move on. But, thinking like that only leads to unhappiness. So, I'm writing this out to help get such things off my mind, and get myself back into enjoying what few hours left of freedom that I have to enjoy.

I feel like this half of the post is rambling. Sorry. But, hey, I'm true to form, right? This blog is, after all, Ramblings & More! I would be a liar if I didn't ramble! ;-) Anyway, summary: My kiddos (and wonderful hubby) are away for a weekend. And FINALLY understand what is meant when they say motherhood means you have your heart outside your body!

Post 2: Late to the Party

What party? Oh, just hold on there. I'll get to it, I promise. Just brace yourself: more rambling is on the way ...

When I was in high school, I was busy. Not only did I have school work and Treble Choir, but I had a boyfriend and Falconettes (poms). Well, this is specifically my senior year – and the boyfriend in question is none other than Mr. Ham. Yes, he's my high school sweetheart. God has been good to me. I digress ...

Anyway, as such, I missed the boat on the popular TV shows of the day. Friends, ER, and other goodies. I started watching them my freshman year in college, when I finally had time – sorta. I got hooked. When Mr. Ham and I were done with college, married, and moved to our current locale, I watched all of the old ER episode reruns on TNT. I had to see what had already happened. I wasn't having trouble understanding anything, but I wanted to know what I'd missed. I picked up the show the first year WITHOUT George Clooney. Yep, I missed Dr. Ross! But, I was a faithful watcher from then on out. Even through the last few, less-than-stellar (in my opinion) seasons. I had watched them ALL and HAD to see how they ended the show. I was satisfied with the way ER was wrapped up, but also happy to see it go. Talk about beating a dead horse ...

Anyway, because of my loyalty to ER, I missed out on many other good shows, one of which was Grey's Anatomy. And I regretted that once I heard about how good it was. But, I'm loyal – often to a fault – and I wasn't ditching a floundering ER for an "ER wannabe" show.

Cue NETFLIX!

Netflix, how I love thee ... let me count the ways ...

1. Grey's Anatomy


2. Grey's Anatomy


3. Grey's Anatomy

You get the idea. I'm FINALLY watching that show. I've only got a few episodes left in Season 2 – Netflix says the last disc is coming tomorrow. (The last episode I saw was when Dr. Burke got shot and Dr. Bailey finds him in the ambulance bay. And Izzy decides to cause a patient's heart to fail so he can get a transplant.) I gotta tell ya, I LOVED the show from the pilot! So fresh, offbeat, and fun! I love that there's drama, but the show also cracks me up at times. And I love, love, LOVE the music! What an excellent show!

Although, I must complain. The whole Addison-Derek-Meredith thing. Um, hello! He's married. Meredith, back off. Of course, now I should mention that I've been watching Private Practice since its pilot, so maybe that's why I really love Addison so much. But, ya know, she's Derek's WIFE. Anyway, I must say that I cannot stand Izzy. I liked her in the first season, but this inappropriate relationship with a patient (Denny) just PISSES ME OFF! Of course, my distaste for her in general might have something to do with the way the actress (whose name eludes me at the moment) became such a diva by the end of her run on the show ... But, the Denny thing. The whole time I'm thinking "Someone stop her!" Ugh, and waiting one more day for the conclusion to that ... TORTURE!

All of that to say that, while I've got some issues with it, I'm loving Grey's Anatomy. Never thought I would be, but I'm glad I gave into my curiosity. This show makes me laugh, makes me cry, makes me angry. Excellent, excellent show. I'm glad I finally joined in this party!

That said, I won't be able to watch this season as it airs. Mr. Ham likes NBC's lineup during the time slot of Grey's. But, Netflix has been good to me, and I'll just keep going that route. Plus, then there's very little waiting between episodes. Gotta love that! ;-)

Tuesday Tunes #6

Still thinking about a button ...

Anyway, I'm a little late today. Sorry. Life's busy. Today is registration for school for two of my kids. (How is that even possible? :shock: ) And I have too many books to read in too little time for my blog. Note to self: say no sometimes ...

For the newbies, here’s the scoop: Tuesday Tunes is a hopefully weekly meme hosted here at Rambings & More. What’s the point? Sharing music. I LOVE music. LOVE it. In fact, I would say it’s very reasonable to say that music is my passion. It’s one of few, very few, things that I couldn’t imagine living without. As such, I’m always looking for new music, and I’m more than happy to share my favorite music! Well, not just my favorites. I also share whatever’s in my head at the moment, and sometimes that’s determined by what my KIDS are into at the moment. Anyway, please share your music with me! For now, just leave me a comment with your link. (And please link back to me.) When we get some more participation, I’ll make a button and get us a Linky to make sharing easier! Note: Sometimes (likely more often than not) I will share Christian music. That does NOT mean only Christian music is welcome. I wanna know what YOU’RE listening to, whatever genre it is!

Today I'm just sharing one song. It's one of my absolute favorites. (Click the link to listen.)

Hold Fast by MercyMe ~ AWESOME song. It reaches me when I really need encouragement. I hope it ministers to you, too.

To everyone who's hurting
To those who've had enough
To all the undeserving
That should cover all of us
Please do not let go
I promise there is hope

Hold fast
Help is on the way
Hold fast
He's come to save the day
What I've learned in my life
One thing greater than my strife
Is His grasp
So hold fast

Will this season ever pass?
Can we stop this ride?
Will we see the sun at last?
Or could this be our lot in life?
Please do not let go
I promise you there's hope

You may think you're all alone
And there's no way that anyone could know
What you're going through
But if you only hear one thing
Just understand that we are all the same
Searching for the truth
The truth of what we're soon to face
Unless someone comes to take our place
Is there anyone?
All we want is to be free
Free from our captivity, Lord
Here He comes

Sunday Stealing: Meme of Many Odd Questions, Part 3

Taken from the-blog-that-encourages-stealing, also known as Sunday Stealing!

45. Favorite color? Purple

46. Have you ever slapped someone? Probably.

47. Is your hair curly? Yep, naturally.

48. What was the last CD you bought? Umm...I'm not entirely sure. I've bought a few from MusiChristian.com this summer, and it's hard to remember what I purchased last. Especially because I usually purchase several at one time! LOL

49. Do looks matter? To some extent, yes.

50. Could you ever forgive a cheater? My gut reaction is a firm NO. But, well, Jesus tells us to forgive. I don't think that necessarily means forgive and stay together, though. Would I want to forgive? Heck no! Given that forgiveness is something I should do, I would try to. It would probably be the hardest thing I ever did!

51. Is your phone bill sky high? I don't think so. What's considered "sky high" nowadays?

52. Do you like your life right now? Yes and no.

53. Do you sleep with the TV on? No way!

54. Can you handle the truth? Yes.

55. Do you have good vision? Only when I have my contacts in ... ;-)

56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? Hate? No. Dislike? Of course!

57. How often do you talk on the phone? As infrequently as possible!

58. The last person you held hands with? Either Mr. Ham or one of the kiddos.

59. What are you wearing? White socks, brown yoga pants, and an olive green T-shirt.

60. What is your favourite animal? Can't say I have a favorite. I love animals in general.

61. Where was your favorite picture taken at? Either J.C. Penney or at home. Not sure which is my favorite at the moment.

62. Can you hula hoop? Gosh, I don't know. I used to be able to, but it's literally probably been 2+ decades since I last tried ... :oops:

63. Do you have a job? You bet I do! I don't work outside the home, but being a stay-at-home mom isn't easy! Overworked and underpaid, I tell ya!

64. What was the most recent thing you bought? Um ... a book for a giveaway winner on Proud Book Nerd.

65. Have you ever crawled through a window? Not that I remember.

Flashback Friday #2

Again, this is from Larissa’s Bookish Life, and this week she's gone back 27 months. Once again, my book blog hasn’t been around long enough to do it there right now, but I thought I’d find something here. No book reviews this time. I think that might have been before I started writing book reviews. Anyway, I was a sparodic blogger at that time, so the closest thing to 27 months is from April 26, 2008.

I hadn’t intended to be away this long. Sorry. Although, I don’t think anyone’s even reading this so perhaps I’m only letting myself down! LOL Still, this can be therapeutic, so I really should do it more. Now to explain my absence.

It’s been a helluva couple of weeks. This past week I’ve been spending most of my time (when the kids allow, of course) helping a dear friend of mine launch a new Web site. It’s phpBB based like mine is, so I’ve done most of the modifications and stuff. That has been fun – I like doing stuff like that. (Yes, I know, I’m a nerd! LOL) I’ve even taken a bit of a hiatus from my own site in my efforts to help her get things up and running. I let my Staff know, as I felt they should be aware of my whereabouts. The good thing is I have good people on my site, and me being gone (or in much less than usual) for a while isn’t going to cause it to fall apart. I tried to get on a minimum of once per day. I must’ve done pretty well, as no one seemed to notice my absence.

I have since been made one of four Admin on my friend’s site. I haven’t let anyone on my site know that yet. Do I have to? I don’t think it’s a conflict of interests. My site is for Christian women; the new site is for moms. We aren’t what some would call “competitors” or anything. Plus, I’m one of FOUR Admin there, all of which can do techie stuff. I might say something at least to my staff. But, I don’t want to cause any drama. I know one of my staff members is on the new site, and so far she hasn’t said anything about it to me. (If anyone DOES read this and you happen to be on my site, please comment here to let me know your thoughts.)

Well, laundry beckons. So, I must go for now.

I gotta say it's interesting looking back. It's both fun and a little humbling. :oops:

To add your post to the linky list, see this week's POST.

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. I feel tired and mildly annoyed.

2. I really need to catch up on my reading.

3. Do what works for you.

4.I am completely unique.

5. It's hard to know how much of what I think I need is actually something I want.

6. Not sure what, but something follows suit.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to reading – or watching a movie with Mr. Ham, tomorrow my plans include catching up on reading – and laundry – and Sunday, I want to continue reading and finish laundry!

Tuesday Tunes #5

For the newbies, here’s the scoop: Tuesday Tunes is a hopefully weekly meme hosted here at Rambings & More. What’s the point? Sharing music. I LOVE music. LOVE it. In fact, I would say it’s very reasonable to say that music is my passion. It’s one of few, very few, things that I couldn’t imagine living without. As such, I’m always looking for new music, and I’m more than happy to share my favorite music! Well, not just my favorites. I also share whatever’s in my head at the moment, and sometimes that’s determined by what my KIDS are into at the moment. Anyway, please share your music with me! For now, just leave me a comment with your link. (And please link back to me.) When we get some more participation, I’ll make a button and get us a Linky to make sharing easier! Note: Sometimes (likely more often than not) I will share Christian music. That does NOT mean only Christian music is welcome. I wanna know what YOU’RE listening to, whatever genre it is! ;-)

This week's picks:

Once again, I set my iPod Touch on shuffle, and this is what came up!

1. Lucy by Skillet ~ Great song. So emotional. Amazing. I would LOVE to know the story behind it, but last I heard they have no intention of sharing it any time soon. Hopefully they'll share someday.

2. Taking Over Me by Evanescence ~ Another great song. Enjoy!

So, how about you? What music would you like to share?

Sunday Stealing: Meme of Many Odd Questions, Part 2

Taken from the-blog-that-encourages-stealing, also known as Sunday Stealing!

23. Do you rent movies often? Yes, thanks to Netflix.

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in? The diamonds on my engagement and wedding rings.

25. How many countries have you visited? Excluding my own, three: The Bahamas, Germany, and France.

26. Have you made a prank phone call? Yep. Lots in junior high.

27. Ever been on a train? Lots. Growing up near Chicago, it's next to impossible to not go on a train! It's one of the best ways to get downtown!

28. Brown or white eggs? White

29. Do you have a cell-phone? Yep.

30. Do you use Chap Stick? Not unless my lips are chapped.

31. Do you own a gun? Nope.

32. Can you use chop sticks? Not very well.

33. Who are you going to be with tonight? My family.

34. Are you too forgiving? One can never be too forgiving.

35. Ever been in love? Definitely.

36. What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow (or the next soonest week day)? Dunno.

37. Ever have cream puffs? Yes.

38. Last time you cried? Not sure. (Why does this question come up so much?)

39. What was the last question you asked? See above.

40. Favorite time of the year? Late spring/early summer

41. Do you have any tattoos? Nope.

42. Are you sarcastic? Sometimes.

43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? Nope.

44. Ever walked into a wall? No.

Flashback Friday #1

I saw this on Larissa's Bookish Life, and decided to play along. My book blog hasn't been around long enough to do it right now, but I thought I'd find something from 16 months ago on here. And, ironically, it's a book review (with spoilers)!

The Gnostic Mystery by Randy Davila

rating: 2 of 5 stars
This book wasn’t much of a story, but more of a preaching. It’s clear that the author believes what is being preached in this book. There is very little action in the book – most of it is just people explaining why Christianity is a farce. Or at least why some people think that. The characters weren’t very believable. For Jack to be such an intelligent businessman you’d think he’d be a better conversationalist and you’d think he’d not be such a simpleton.

To be honest, this book has instilled a little bit of questioning into my head. I’m a born-again Christian, and won’t take something like this at face value. However, I’m also educated and somewhat interested in possibly doing my own research into this subject. I’m not going to take what one man writes about this and accept it as fact – I don’t care how many sources are cited. Where am I starting? Mere Christianity is my starting point. So, stay tuned to my reviews if you’d like to see the impression I get from that.

One thing I wanted to say about a specific plot point. And that’s about the differences in the disciples from the main Gospels to the Book of Acts. I believe Chloe and Punjeeh called it a “transformation” and as though the Disciples were re-born. Despite the author’s intentions, this does not prove that these are fabricated stories. On the contrary, it shows the change that happens once someone becomes a Christian. There’s a radical transformation, and the individual becomes a new creation. So, despite the author’s best effort to use that to show another reason to believe the New Testament is just a bunch of stories, this actually was a comfort to me. Because that’s what being a Christian is: it’s becoming a new person who (hopefully) bears little resemblance to the original.

While I did NOT like that book, I think it's a well-written review. Enjoy!

Tuesday Tunes #4

For the newbies, here’s the scoop: Tuesday Tunes is a hopefully weekly meme hosted here at Rambings & More. What’s the point? Sharing music. I LOVE music. LOVE it. In fact, I would say it’s very reasonable to say that music is my passion. It’s one of few, very few, things that I couldn’t imagine living without. As such, I’m always looking for new music, and I’m more than happy to share my favorite music! Well, not just my favorites. I also share whatever’s in my head at the moment, and sometimes that’s determined by what my KIDS are into at the moment. Anyway, please share your music with me!  For now, just leave me a comment with your link. (And please link back to me.) When we get some more participation, I’ll make a button and get us a Linky to make sharing easier! Note: Sometimes (likely more often than not) I will share Christian music. That does NOT mean only Christian music is welcome. I wanna know what YOU’RE listening to, whatever genre it is!

So, this week, I'm gonna take the easy way out. I'm sorry. I'm participating in a read-a-thon for my book blog, and got lucky – one of the mini-challenges asked for us to associate music with books. I apologize for this, because I generally hate when I do this! :oops: Anyway, to find the music I'd like to share this week (and if you've read The Time Traveler's Wife, then I'd love to hear your thoughts on my choices), check out my post at Proud Book Nerd, HERE. (Scroll down to where it says "Second challenge.")

Oh, and a side note: I'm hoping to get a button for this soon ... (anyone wanna volunteer to make one?)

Sunday Stealing: Meme of Many Odd Questions, Part 1

Taken from the-blog-that-encourages-stealing, also known as Sunday Stealing!

1. First thing you wash in the shower? Usually my arms.

2. What color is your favorite hoodie? Gray

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? You betcha!

4. Do you plan outfits? Only for VERY special events.

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? Tired – it's been a long, exhausting day.

6. What's the closest thing to you that's red? Dr Pepper can.

7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? Umm ... I don't remember it well at all. Just blurs. Sorry.

8. Did you meet anybody new today? Nope.

9. What are you craving right now? Sleep.

10. Do you floss? Occasionally.

11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? Corned beef.

12. Are you emotional? Not really. Well, I shouldn't say that. I feel emotions, of course, but I don't always show them.

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? Sure – by 100s ...

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? Both.

15. Do you like your hair? Yes.

16. Do you like yourself? Not really.

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? For sure. In fact, I just recently posted five people I'd love to have a lunch date with, and he's on the list!

18. What are you listening to right now? The dryer and the a/c running.

19. Are your parents strict? They were when I was a kid. I'm a grown-up now, though, so this question doesn't really work! ;-)

20. Would you go sky diving? Absolutely not.

21. Do you like cottage cheese? Sure.

22. Have you ever met a celebrity? Do politicians count as celebrities? If so, I met a governor of Illinois back in the '80s – Governor Thompson.

Small Talk Six: T-Shirts

Today’s topic is “6 t-shirts you’ve read and loved.” You can answer this with a list of 6 words, 6 phrases, 6 sentences, 6 paragraphs, 6 photos, 6 videos, etc . . .

OMGosh! This is gonna be AWESOME! I will dig up six pictures. These are in no particular order. (Except where noted, these are from CafePress.)

1. Exercise: Some motivation required. ~ I actually bought this one! :oops: It cracks me up every. single. time. I look at it! This one is from shirt.woot! – a site I frequent because it's just too dang funny! Unfortunately, most of their shirts don't require reading – they just have funny graphics (with a funny title for the shirt). But, I had to share this one!

2. Supply ~ This one coupled with the one below is another favorite of mine. Although, I can no longer wear it, as it no longer applies to me.

3. Demand ~ I just thought these were too cute when I was breastfeeding.

4. I'm 2. What's your excuse? ~ I've seen this in many places in many different styles. It cracks me up. 

5. I do all my own stunts ~ Target had a similar shirt (with the same phrase) somewhat recently. We have one in size 2, and one in size 5 ... 

6. I still live with my parents ~ Another shirt similar to something they once had at Target. Grant wore it a year or two ago. Everywhere we went, people thought it was the funniest shirt! LOL I so wish I had bought it in bigger sizes! 

OK, this was too much fun! I could've listed tons and tons of shirts! LOL Now it’s your turn! Post your list and go back HERE to link up and find others’ lists!

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. Layers of chocolate.

2. Divine insight.

3. I'd be willing to bet that summer will be over before we know it.

4. The cats scare the dog.

5. I'm fond of books, reading, my family

6. Sometimes I wonder if I read too much!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to chillin' and possibly watching some TV, tomorrow my plans include Abby's family birthday party and Sunday, I want to RELAX!

Top Ten Picks: Summer

One of my favorite memes, this is from Jillian at Random Ramblings. This week us to name our Top Ten summer must-haves.

1. Books ~ On comfy, breezy days/nights, I love to curl up with a book on the porch swing.


2. Sunglasses ~ My eyes don't do well with bright sunlight.


3. Ice cream
   


4. Tank tops
   


5. Flip-flops


6. Ice-cold drinks ~ Water and/or Dr Pepper


7. Air conditioning ~ I don't do well in HOT temps with HIGH humidity. (Interestingly, I grew up in a house that had NO a/c. I often wonder HOW I survived! LOL)


8. Bug spray ~ I don't handle mosquito bites well at all – they swell up HUGE and drive me BONKERS!


9. Leash ~ For walking the dog, of course!


10. The Stroller ~ Makes taking three kids (one of which is still a toddler) to places like the zoo a LOT easier! ;-)

You're next! What are your summer must-haves?

Top 2 Tuesday: Shopping

This week's topic is to name the best things you've purchased (so far) this year.

1. Our new new mattress. If you missed my tidbit about the trials of buying a new mattress (or two), you can get the scoop HERE. We've had the new new mattress for about a week, and I LOVE it! I'm so glad we got it. Mr. Ham asked me today how I'm doing with the new mattress, and I told him great. :mrgreen:

2. Our Blu-ray player. Don't tell Mr. Ham I said this, but I am SO happy we bought it. It was in January, and we had gift cards to Best Buy, so we bought one. Well, I should say HE bought one. I was not sold on the idea. But, let him – most of the gift cards were his. While I don't care too much about HD visuals and whatnot, what I'm happy for is Netflix. We can stream Netflix things on it, and that has made a HUGE difference in the life with the kiddos! (Background: When I got knocked up with Natalie, we canceled DirecTV to cut down on monthly expenses.) While not everything I miss from the DirecTV days is available, we get enough that the kids have more variety than just what PBS has to offer! :-) Best of all, it's significantly cheaper than DirecTV was! ;-)

What are your favorite purchases so far this year? If you wanna play, you can link up (and find other responses) at the post HERE.

Tuesday Tunes #3

Note to self: Schedule this ahead of time so you're not scrambling to get it done on Tuesday! ;-)

For the newbies, here’s the scoop: Tuesday Tunes is a hopefully weekly meme hosted here at Rambings & More. What’s the point? Sharing music. I LOVE music. LOVE it. In fact, I would say it’s very reasonable to say that music is my passion. It’s one of few, very few, things that I couldn’t imagine living without. As such, I’m always looking for new music, and I’m more than happy to share my favorite music! Well, not just my favorites. I also share whatever’s in my head at the moment, and sometimes that’s determined by what my KIDS are into at the moment. Anyway, please share your music with me! For now, just leave me a comment with your link. (And please link back to me.) When we get some more participation, I’ll make a button and get us a Linky to make sharing easier! Note: Sometimes (likely more often than not) I will share Christian music. That does NOT mean only Christian music is welcome. I wanna know what YOU’RE listening to, whatever genre it is! ;-)

I had fun last week, so I'm going to do it the same way. I'm going to set my iPod on Shuffle and share the first couple of songs that come up.

1. Forsaken by Skillet ~ You know me, I LOVE Skillet. This is a great song off their Collide CD.

I recall going madly in love with you
And I remember this
How could I forget?
Regret is a needle
In my neck
It's slowly filling me
With poison
Spreading to my chest

Take my pain and numb me from this

Why do I have to beg
When all that's left
Is a memory
Forsaken [2x]

I recall pledging my sole devotion to you
It reminds me how
Now I'm on my knees
My guilt consumes
Lost the will in me
Wasting away before you
Hold me closer please

Take my pain and numb me from this

Why do I have to beg
When all that's left
Is a memory
Forsaken [2x]

Yeah, yeah, yeah
You break me

Forsake
You break me [2x]

You're breaking me

I recall going madly in love with you
And I remember this... Tell me

Why do I have to beg
When all that's left
Is a memory
Forsaken [2x]

Yeah, yeah, yeah
Forsaken
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Tell me why, why, why, why

2. Welcome to the Show by Brit Nicole ~ No real thoughts on this one. It's not my favorite of hers, but it works. I don't feel the need to share the lyrics. Hope you don't mind!

So, that's it for this week! This is a fun way to do it! If you've nothing specific you wanna share, try the random/shuffle trick! It's kinda fun seeing what comes up! :-)

Have a blessed day!