Do YOU Have Your Tickets?

I Do! I am SO EXCITED about the new Indiana Jones movie coming out Thursday! YAYAYAYAY! My husband got us tickets on Sunday and I have been glancing at them at least twice a day since. I LOVE INDIANA JONES!

As an early anniversary present, we are going to go out to eat (fun!) and then go to the movie at 7:15pm(SUPER fun!) and get popcorn (oh yay!!!). My brother in law, John, is super sweet and offered to baby sit for us, so it is going to be an awesome night!! Bill keeps making fun of me for being an Indiana Jones freak, but really, I don't understand the people who aren't freaks! I can't remember the last time we went to a movie-it might have been back when I was pregnant with Little Dude! So, even if the movie doesn't hold up, it will still be a wonderfully fun night!

So, as you can see, I have Indiana Jones counting down on my blog, and you can see the movie trailer here. Or by clicking on the bottom of the ticker above. Awesome, I know!

Tag!

I got Tagged by Steph! How fun! So, I have never been tagged before, but it seems that now I must share 10 random, weird, fun facts about myself with all of you! OK, here goes:

1. I play the french horn and flute, neither one terribly well, though I do really enjoy it. Same can be said for most of my hobbies. I have tried my hand ad sewing, knitting, crocheting, scrap booking, and other such things; I'm not impressive at any, but find them all fun and relaxing.

2. I taught myself to play piano-again, not very well and I can only make it through a handful of songs without sounding just awful. So, I guess you could say I have been teaching myself for over 10 years without much progress, but still really enjoying it.

3. When I was a sophomore in high school a group of my dear friends and I skipped school to be extras in the movie "My Fellow Americans". We were part of the 'Danny Schmidt Band' and got to play in the 'Gay Parade' scene. I got bumped into and knocked down by James Garner during one of the takes (I am very small and was carrying a big mellowphone, so it didn't take much to knock me down) and he came up and talked to me afterwards to make sure I was OK. He was a super nice guy. So was Jack Lemmon-I was quite lucky to meet both of them during the days of filming. It certainly ranks as one of my favorite memories.

4. As a freshman in college I got an internship with Walt Disney World for a semester working in management, business and finance. I got to work at a hotel, in a park gift shop, and at the company cast newspaper, the "Eyes and Ears". I LOVED IT. I am a HUGE Disney fan now. In fact, I loved it so much that I went back many times to work, even auditioned for a character spot and was able to play Mickey, Minnie, Pooh, Piglet, and Alice's White Rabbit. Yes, you have been talking to Mickey Mouse and didn't even know it.

5. I absolutely hate snow. Give me warm, hot weather any day. I am a skirt, tank, flip flop girl. I think my hatred of snow stems from the fact my parents live in the mountains, on top of a mountain, and at even the slightest hint of cold they seem to loose power and have to 'mountain man' everything-and somehow every year they are never quite prepared for it, either. Some people like pumping water and having to build a fire to keep warm and eat. I; however, HATE THAT and would much rather just turn the heat up than to go outside in a snow storm searching for wood so we can heat up beans.

6. I was raised an atheist, but am now a Catholic. Going to church as a family is very important to me and I am so glad my husband and I have a strong footing to help us with raising our sons. Also, as Catholics, we are pro-life, we follow Natural Family Planning (and we have followed it for 4 years now). Also as a side note, I saved up money and went to Italy for a few weeks after high school graduation; I am quite lucky to have seen our late Pope, John-Paul II in person.

7. I LOVE to read. Especially historical fiction and action adventures.

8. I would like to have a lot of kids someday and I would really like to adopt a child at some point.

9. I worked my way through school, and got out with very little debt. I worked as a manager for Starbucks, a preschool teacher/daycare provider for Bright Horizons, and at the school gym, all at the same time and all while keeping a B average GPA and graduating in 4 years. No one can tell me that they can't afford school or 'have to join the army' to afford it. It can be done, you just have to WORK. I am also glad to say, it is all paid off and we are debt free besides our mortgage.

10. I love photography and for a summer worked with a wedding photographer and got to photograph a wedding-that was SUPER FUN!


Well, I guess that is some good, random info about me! I am going to tag the following people:

Miss Priss
Smockity Frocks
Life with the Hippie and Rifle Collector
Quilt of Grace
Rocks In My Dryer

Mother's Day Pictures

We were able to go down to my mother-in-law's new home for Mother's Day, and it was a fabulous trip! John and my sister Lisa got to come, and Little Dude LOVED the pools! Swimming lessons are in order soon....Enjoy the pictures!




Me and my sis, Lisa











Little Dude splashing in the kiddie area of the pool









Some of our Family: Me (and JR)Bill, Little Dude, Grandpa, Grandma, Lisa and John



My fabulous mother in law, Patty, and me.










Little Dude loving the ribs Grandpa made-they are all over his face! He enjoyed chewing on the rib bone too, just like one of the boys!

My Little Dude

We went out to Fat Daddy's (like Fudruckers) last night for our friend Alan's birthday and had a great time hanging out with all our friends! It hit me hard though, when someone commented that Little Dude won't be a baby anymore. It is true-as soon as JR gets here, Little Dude will go from being the baby to being a little boy. He is almost two!! I think I'm going to cry.

Now I know exactly what my parents felt when they said "You'll always be my baby", and I, a silly teenager, would roll my eyes and get embarrassed...yes, I am going to be doing the same thing to Little Dude and someday to JR.

Diaper Bag Organization

It is another Works For Me Wednesday! What works for me this week? Diaper Bag Organization; as in, carry as little as possible with this nifty little trick!

I hate it when I am out and about with Little Dude, and something happens, like getting the sippy cup lid off, or worse, forgetting the sippy cup at home, and even though my diaper bag is crazy heavy from all the other "I might need it" items, I don't have the ones I need!

So, I went to Target and bought a cute little wire basket that is about 9"x9" and about 6" tall to turn into a PERMANENT "diaper bag" for my car! In this box I have:

* 3 or 4 extra sippy cups that I bought just for the car-and marked on them in permanent marker "car"
*a ton of bibs
*half a pack of diapers
*1 box of diaper wipes
*various toys
*a hat for Little Dude
*a few books
*baby sunscreen
*one of Little Dude's sunglasses
*2 extra outfits-nothing nice, since in all likelihood they will stay in the car, just some cheap pants, shorts, socks, two tops and a jacket from good will, all bought for about 4 dollars
*a ton of granola bar snacks. (Little Dude and I love the Nature Valley brand).
*I also always have bottled water in the car because as a kid our car always broke down, and even though I an quite certain our van wont break down anytime soon, I still fear being broken down and Little Dude (or me) being thirsty, thus the bottled water

Now, in my Diaper Bag that I carry everywhere, I only need my sunglasses, my wallet,a sippy cup, 1 or 2 diapers, a small bundle of wipes, my inhaler (I have asthma), Little Dude's other pair of sunglasses, coupon holder (when going to the grocery store or shopping), phone, camera, chap stick, a small stick of sunscreen for quick touch ups, lotion, and a small toy or book. My bag is soooo light now and not a hassle to carry-wonderful! And when I forget an item at home, I don't have to stress or head home early-I have a replacement in the back of my car!

Moms: Win with Whirlpool!

I was contacted by a representative of the Whirlpool appliance company to share information about a contest they are hosting just for MOMS! Super!

This Mother's Day, May 11, Whirlpool brand will kick-off the fourth annual Mother of Invention Grant Program – just in time for the 100th anniversary of Mother's Day. In the past three years, Whirlpool brand has recognized and helped more than 15 moms turn their innovative ideas into reality.

The Whirlpool brand Mother of Invention Grant Program provides seed money and expert guidance to moms to turn their invention, business or service ideas into full-fledged businesses.

This year, Whirlpool is greening the program by adding a new category focused on moms who create an environmentally friendly product/service or use natural/recycled materials to create their invention!

Here is the Contest Information and Details:


-Program opens May 11 and entries are accepted through July 31, 2008
-Entry forms can be found at www.whirlpool.com/moms
-Contest winners receive
-A $20,000 grant for the grand prize winner
-$24,000 in grant money for the four runners-up
-Appliance prizes
-Invitation to business boot camp where winners will receive guidance from Whirlpool and industry experts
-Each mom can submit up to 3 ideas
-This year we added a Green category focused on moms who create an environmentally-friendly product/service or use natural/recycled materials to create
-The ideas submitted in this contest remain the sole property of the contestant
-Appliance and appliance component submissions will be disqualified
-Judging Criteria
-Creates a solution to an unmet consumer need
-Is unique in the current marketplace
-Could be a viable business
-Has an interesting story around the creation
-Winners will be notified around September 8, 2008

The Whirlpool representative assured me no spamming would result of your entries, and you would not be contacted by Whirlpool for marketing unless you specifically sign up for their newsletter.

So, good luck Moms!!

The Weekend

Well, we had the most wonderful Mother's Day-so far each year has gotten better and better!

Bill gave me a Yankee Candle, which I LOVE, and he got me a gift from Little Dude and JR-a willow tree carving of "Quietly". It is a beautiful wooden carving of a mother holding her two sons. When I opened it I was so close to crying because it was just such a sweet, beautiful gift and the way he gave it to me from Little Dude and JR was just too much for my little pregnant body to keep inside. My husband is the greatest!!

We also got to spend an AWESOME weekend with my in laws in their new home down near Wilmington. Their retirement home is SO LOVELY-you'll see pictures soon-and I know they are just going to love all the fun activities and day/night life going on in Wilmington as well as their community.

We got to see St Mary's Cathedral in Wilmington (which we drove to in a monsoon and everyone ended up DRENCHED except Little Dude) and enjoyed the historic, beautiful church. The church was built sometime in the late 1800's and the stained glass is just magnificent!

We also enjoyed some nice seafood along the Cape Fear River and Little Dude SUPER LOVED watching a big river boat pass by while we ate. Bill and I decided Little Dude's dream job would be a River Boat captain because then he could DRIVE, be on the WATER, and get to turn LIGHTS on and off. All three are things he is super obsessed with right now.