Here's a treat for you.

The girls getting dressed up, and ready to go to Trunk or Treat at Church.

A punk rocker, a cotillion princess, and a bunny rabbit.

Amen

It's that time of year again

Yes ladies and gentlemen, it's here. It's the time of the year when the air goes crisp, candy wrappers can be seen littering the streets, and usually one member of each family in the neighborhood is violently retching over (what we have affectionately named) the puke pot. It seems like the plague. First, one tiny member exhibits symptoms. A runny nose, then the occaisional sprint to the bathroom. Then the symptoms get worse. Breakfast returns for it's encore presentation, and you know that you are doomed for the next 2 weeks or so. It's almost a game for me. I silently make predictions in my head about who will be the next to be afflicted. I constantly assess each child and/or spouse as if I'm a doctor doing rounds, and I will away the grumbling in my stomach that tells me that I'm going to need my own mommy.

Hello fall/winter, my old friend. It seems like only yesterday I basked in the phlegm of your presence. How quickly I had forgotten all about this part about you when I wished for colder weather on those days that it was too hot to go to the pool. So, November is in 5 days, that means there's only 5 or so months until spring...

Friday Funny

Dear Jesus

Taylor's Prayers


Dear Jesus,
We are about to eat dinner.

Amen


Dear Jesus,
Please let this food make us strong. Please let Avery's mom call so she can come and play. I really want her to come over. And thanks for the food to make us strong.

Amen

Must see t.v.?

Last night after suffering through "Destroyed in Seconds" for Baxter and Kayleigh, the preview for the next show started to come on. Here's the description..

"From the dawn of civilization, mankind has been preoccupied with its own demise. All of the world's major religions have their own theories about how and when the world will end. Apocalypse How asks: If the apocalypse is coming, what form will it take?"

Is this something that people want to sit around and watch after a hard day? What a way to wind down. I can't think of a better way to bond with my husband than learning of all the ways we're doomed as a planet. No thanks, I'd rather just watch my Golden Girls, thank you very much.

Anybody watch it?

Caption Contest #1

Anybody got any good ones?

Non Traditional Jobs Day

I think it's great that they are emphasizing that your gender shouldn't be a factor in choosing your career. Somehow though, I don't get the feeling Kayleigh will be going into the construction business. She sure does look the part, though.

Just a walk in the park

Can your dog do this?

Six Flags of Fun

We took a family day trip and had a little "FrightFest Fun". So, here are some pictures for your entertainment.

Breaking a sweat

Tonight, I went for a run. I've been running a lot lately (for those of you who haven't been keeping up with me). But this was rare, I mean this was a real sweating, sucking wind, calf cramp, bugs your teeth, kind of run. I've never really considered myself an athlete, but I just have to say, there's something to be said for leading your sack 'o bones places that you didn't think were possible. Sometimes you just have to break things down before they can be whole again, and after the week I've had, just with every day stress and pressures I put on myself, I really needed it. It felt so good just to feel completely drained and weak. It really puts things into perspective about what's worth getting tense over, and what to just throw into the wind.

Here's to breaking a sweat!

Wordly Ramifications

Following the problems in the financial sector in the US , uncertainty has now hit Japan ..

In the last 7 days the Origami Bank has folded, the Sumo Bank has gone belly up and the Bonsai Bank announced plans to cut some of its branches.

Yesterday, it was announced that the Karaoke Bank is up for sale and will likely go for a song, while today’s shares in the Kamikaze Bank were suspended after they nose-dived. While Samurai Bank is soldiering on following sharp cuts, the Ninja Bank is reported to have taken a hit, but they remain in the black. Furthermore, 500 staff at Karate Bank got the chop and analysts report that there is something fishy going on at the Sushi Bank where it is feared that staff may get a raw deal.

Tee Hee

Now I have to make an announcement. After McCain's $300 Billion Dollar proposal to help out people who can't afford their mortgages, I have to relinquish my hope for his campaign. It's not that I don't hurt for those people, but that doesn't mean I want to pay for their houses. I don't want either candidate AT ALL. Where do we go from here? I have to vote, but for whom? Should I write in someone else? I told you all to vote for Mike Huckabee, but you just wouldn't listen. At least now I can watch his show....

Boo Frickin' Hoo

Madonna is clearly not a fan of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
During the U.S. kickoff of her "Sticky and Sweet" tour at the Meadowlands in New Jersey on Saturday night, she shouted: "Sarah Palin can't come to my party. Sarah Palin can't come to my show. It's nothing personal," according to the New York Post's Page Six gossip column.
She also told the crowd, "Here's the sound of Sarah Palin's husband's snowmobile when it won't start," followed by a loud screeching noise.

Source: FoxNews.com

Well, I don't know anyone who doesn't like to watch a surgically enhanced geriatric writhe around in leather leotards while "singing" songs that all sound the same (and have sounded the same for 25 years), but I bet Sarah Palin is down in the dumps today...

Thanks, Madge for the entertainment and for reaffirming my position. If I disagree with you, I know I'm right.

Restless rantings...

If you're not a parent, and you're planning on being one anytime soon, you might not want to read through this if you're looking for encouragement or a reason to start trying. If you are a parent, you're probably going to want to nod your head in agreement at least at some point while reading this post. I'll also throw in some of my whiny (albeit sincere) angst that I'm dealing with at this point.

Being a mom (or dad, okay?) is a great joy, yet a great trial. I've been craving a "real" job lately. I've been actually feeling the onset of panick attacks because I just don't feel a purpose at this point. I haven't been getting my daily dose of praise, or acknowledgement. I spend most of my time either breaking up fights, or cleaning up some bodily function gone awry. I love the teaching moments where I know my child understands the point of her punishment, and I love enjoying the simplicity of childhood with them. I guess most of my desire to get out is that if I succeed in the job market, there'd be somebody there saying, "Hey, look what she did" "Great Job". Who doesn't love affirmation that they are, in fact, worthy of a little praise? Could I even succeed anywhere else? I haven't held a job in 8 years! Don't get me wrong, my husband knows that I need that affirmation, and he shows his appreciation for all I do. I'll only really know if I've done a good job in 10 or so years. If you know me, you know I'm not a patient person. I simply don't like to wait on anything. It's this endless cycle for me. There's this fear that I want to step out and extend myself, but to what end? What do I even do with myself? Excuses are becoming rationale, and time is becoming cruel.

There's passion inside me somewhere, I feel it for our family, ministry, and my circle of friends, but beyond that, I don't know where to direct myself.

Meanwhile, I'll keep picking up the toys off of the floor, doing the endless supply of laundry, sending various children to various corners, and I'll keep the baby wipes handy in case anyone needs me.

Where I get my huzpah...

My mommy wrote this. I've always wondered where I get my opinionation...

Feminists, elitists, and the election
I grew up in the era of the birth of women's rights, equal pay for equal work, equal opportunities, bra-burning, and the whole gamut. On the surface it seemed like a logical position. Why not pay a woman the same as a man? Why not hire a woman over a man if she was equally or better qualified? Although the ERA amendment never passed, it seemed we made progress, and with time, would see our gender on equal footing with our male counterparts.
Fast forward 30 years, and the leaders of the 'Women's Movement' has morphed into a bitter, hate-filled, vitriolic group of voices who have turned against the very constituency they claimed to represent. The nomination of Sarah Palin has brought out the very worst in some of the members of our fair sex, simply because she does not share their particular views. Believing in gun rights, hunting, life, and being a working wife seem to be qualities that drive the feminazis right over the edge. I thought the whole movement in the 60's and 70's was to enable women to make their own life choices, and now I discover that it only applies to people who are Pro-PETA, pro-abortion, and I guess pro-divorce. Most of these harpies have been married multiple times, view men as the enemy, and have complete disdain for women who elect to be stay at home wives/mothers.
It is just another facet of those on the left. March in lock-step with us and our position, or we'll crucify your reputation. Leftists like to line up groups of people that are 'disenfranchised', and lump them all together. But if individual members of those groups raise objections to methods or messages, they are maligned and ridiculed. Take, for instance Condi Rice, Colin Powell, Clarence Thomas. According to the politics of the left, they should be aligned with the Democratic Party, because they are members of a 'disenfranchised' group. But because they are, in fact, conservative, the merits of their views are not even discussed. They are simply ridiculed as 'Uncle Tom's', or more disgustingly as 'house n*ggers'. The same thing is happening to Palin. Her views don't line up with the feminazis, so she is depicted as mindless and inept, completely disregarding her accomplishments as a woman in her own right. And sadly, it is our media that allows them, and is complicit in their efforts, to do so.
Americans need to wake up. Our country is being overtaken by elitists who don't really believe in free thinking, and they are doing their best to make us believe that they are better suited to deciding issues for us.

An interview with Gabi

Name: Gabi Pate
> Status: Married
> Location: Wylie
>
> Question 1.
> Can you explain what your job entails? I work for a local representative. I handle casework for people having problems with Federal agencies. I also do community outreach.
>
> Question 2:
> What is your favorite/least favorite part of your job? Somedays it feels like I work for the customer complaints line of the government. Also, it is hard when it feels like you can't help people who really need it.
>
> Question 3:
> Where do you get most of your news? Fox News Channel and MSNBC.com
>
> Question 4:
> What is your favorite thing to go out and do on the
> weekends? Spend time with my husband and dogs (Cooper and Chloe). We can usually be found watching movies.
>
> Question 5:
> Favorite Book, can you summarize the plot? The Great Gatsby. I fell in love with this book as a kid and still pick it up. It is about the age old story of wanting love and a lifestyle outside of your grasp and the lengths people will go to get it.
>
> Question 6:
> What is your biggest hope for the future of our country? That the economy and political climate stabilize. That Social Security will be fixed before we retire. That we leave this world a better place for our children.
>
> Question 7:
> Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Hopefully with children. But I am not quite sure where I see myself in one year. Eric and I are nomadic at heart.
>
> Question 8:
> What did you want to be when you were 10 years old? A lawyer. Law school got that out of my system!
>
> Question 9:
> What is your biggest success thus far in life? Finding a man who loves me and who I love just as much. Relationships are a lot of work, but sooo worth it.
>
> Question 10:
> What is your biggest failure thus far in life? Wow. Depressing. Not being closer in proximity to family in NM. I feel like now that I am an adult I want to know my family in a different way than I did as a kid. Losing my grandparents was a wake-up call, because you always think that you have more time left with a person.
>
> Question 11:
> What's your guilty pleasure? i.e. chocolate, cheesy
> lifetime movies, 80's hair bands...Baked goods. Brownies, pie a-la-mode, cookies. The holidays are pure torture.
>
> Question 12:
> Name something that you seen in the past 5 years that has
> inspired you? I can't think of one thing in particular. But I am always inspired by those around me that lead the types of lives that I strive to. People who are good, Godly, patient, kind. People who are strong in the areas where I often struggle.
>
> Question 13:
> Where's the best vacation locale that you've ever
> been? Aruba. As a beach bum, I enjoy a good seaside getaway. But Aruba's white sands are the consistency of brown sugar (no seaweed, shells, etc.). The waters are this amazing aqua color, but are so clear you can see amazing fish swimming around.
>
> Question 14:
> What advice would you give a newly married couple? Fight naked.
>
> Question 15:
> Favorite Bible Verse, why? "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:25-34). I am such a worrier and a control freak. Sometimes I have to just remember these words.
>
> Would you rather....
>
> Sleep in your car on the side of the road, or listen to
> smooth jazz for 24 hours straight? Listen to smooth jazz. Serial killers seem to strike on lonely roads.
>
> Eat an onion sandwich or have to kiss someone who just had? Kiss someone who just had. Hopefully the onions were not raw.
>
> Give a 20 minute extemporanious speech on the fundamentals
> of the Constitution, or Try out for the Dallas Cowboy
> Cheerleading squad? Try out for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleading squad. I would rather look foolish than sound foolish.
>
> Meet President Bush, or Oprah Winfrey. President Bush

A few other tidbits about Gabi: She's my shortest friend, she's really great at analyzing literature, and her new favorite animal is the Manatee. I love you, girl!

Friday Funny

Quick Note

Gabi, I need your email addy...
Can you email it to me at
prettypictures25@yahoo.com

That is all. Thanks!

Bouncetown Delight

We headed to Bouncetown this morning and the girls (as always) had a blast. Here's some pictures for your viewing enjoyment as you go through the day awaiting the debate tonight moderated by someone who wrote a pro-Obama book. That's fair. I digress... Enjoy.

Hey Mom, I'm makin' a tower.

"Cheeeeese"

We call this face

"Razorback Fury"

Taylor in Mid-Fall

Why do I get the feeling Taylor's

about to push Ella back down?

Problematic Politics

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid her husband's real estate and investment firm nearly $100,000 from her political action committee over the past decade, a practice that she voted to ban last year and that her party condemned as part of the "culture of corruption" when Republicans did it.

The Washington Times is reporting that the California Democrat's husband, Paul F. Pelosi, owns Financial Leasing Services Inc., which has received $99,000 in rent, utilities and accounting fees from the speaker's "PAC to the Future" over the PAC's nine-year history.

Last year, Pelosi supported a bill that would have banned members of Congress from putting spouses on their campaign staffs. The bill banned not only direct payments by congressional campaign committees and PACs to spouses for services including consulting and furndraising, but also "indirect compensation," such as payments to companies that employ spouses.

The bill passed the House in a voice vote but died in a Senate committee.

Last week, Pelosi's office defended the payments, saying they were legal because she is compensating her husband at fair market value for the work his firm has performed for the PAC.

Ethical watchdogs called Pelosi's arrangement "problematic."

(source)www.Foxnews.com

Here's the problem, we don't trust anyone in Washington. Either party, either ideology. Americans simply don't believe a word that comes out of their mouths. That's the main reason the bailout bill failed. We're done, we're ready to just scrap them all and start over. Granted, there are a few that are actually decent, but they are akin to covering up the smell of diarrhea with potporri. Come November, we're going to fire some people, aren't we?