Life With A Bugg!

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T10:51:00.000-07:00

Here is Sister Bear, from the Berenstain Bears. We are crazy about the Berenstain Bears at our house! Maddy found this mask at a Halloween shop back in the summer and knew right away that this is what she wanted to be. I had to come up with a plan to get Sister Bears outfit, which was no easy task. I can't sew worth a flip, so I knew I wasn't making it. An old friend of mine made the overalls for her, which were made out of felt. We painted her shirt, and my mother in law made her hood, paws, and feet from furry material. She won 2 costume contests, one of which scored us a $25 gift card to a local restaurant! As cute as the costume was, I think this is the first and last time we do something like this. WAY too much work getting the feet on!! I'm going for simple next year! We'll see......

It's me again, Margaret..

2010-10-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

:::SIGH:::
It's been over 3 months since I've updated this blog. A lot has been happening around our house. I started babysitting my sweet little nephew, Asa..aka Ace-man back in August, and Maddy started 2nd grade around the same time. Between two kids, school, soccer, piano, and gymnastics, I have little time to update. But I'll try better! Facebook also takes up a lot of my time too. Again, I'll try better!
So, Maddy has moved to another gym for gymnastics and is now going twice a week for 2 hours each time. She is now a level 4 gymnast (10 is the highest) and will probably be competing pretty soon. She was able to land her round-off backhandspring and her chin-up pull over and back hip circle on the bars all in one week. We're very proud of her! Bars has never been her strong point. She used to be terrified of them but decided that they're not *that* scary a couple of years ago, but due to her still being timid and not having the best instruction, she was a little behind in bars. But she did it!! She worked very hard and is now where she needs to be!
She also started piano in August. She is doing GREAT! To me, it seems like her piano teacher may be rushing her a little, but she does have 25 years experience, so who am I to say she's rushing. She obviously knows what she's doing, because Maddy has caught on and is doing so well. She's now playing both hands and both lines (treble and base cleft). I probably just butchered those words, but you get the idea. If she were sitting beside me, she'd probably correct my spelling!
Soccer season has picked back up again. She has about 2 games left. She's been on defense a lot this year. I swear, one day she's going to kick somebody's teeth out! She is so flexible that when she goes to kick the ball, her foot kicks it, but her leg keeps going...and going..and going up into the air until it's over her head. LOL! We're trying to teach her to have some control over the height of her kick, but how can you teach that to someone who is pretty much a human pretzel? =D

Ryan and I started the hcg diet again after being on maintenence for 6 weeks and so far it's going well. We switched doctors and feel really good about our new doc. He goes to church with us, and used to be our Sunday School teacher when we first joined the church. He's actually a hormone replacement doc, and is pretty much a walking encyclopedia. He knows his stuff, and I trust anything he says. We are feeling great on the diet. Not to say we don't have cravings, because we do, but we're feeling much better this time around than last. True hcg medicine helps, I guess. We have to give ourselves shots in the stomach for 40 days, since the diet is for 40 days before going into maintenence. I thought it would hurt so I was worried about it, but the first one I gave myself, I kept wondering when it was going to start hurting and I looked down and the needle was already all the way in! It's actually kind of fun, honestly. If you came to my house, and didn't know we were taking injections, you'd probably think we were druggies! ; ) But we're doing great so far. We've both lost around 17 pounds and this is only day 20! Which means, at midnight tonight, we are officially halfway done with this round!! October 30th will be a great day! It will probably feel like Thanksgiving not to have any limits on anything but starches and sugars! I can live with that!!

Well, there's lots more to report, but that will have to do for now. But I'll leave you with a Maddy funny....

A few weeks ago we were in Dollar Tree and decided to buy some sponges for the bathtub. Ours were getting old. I told Maddy to pick her out a color. I figured she'd go for the pink or purple sure enough. But, she picked the blue and white. I picked the pink. She said, "The reason I picked the blue and white is because I'll use it until it gets old, and then I'll give it to daddy so I can get me a new one. He wouldn't like pink or purple anyhow." Ryan is looking forward to getting an old ratty sponge soon! ; )

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday (What I found when I woke up one morning)

2010-06-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Beach Bums

2010-06-04T18:06:00.000-07:00

We took a mini-vacation last weekend for Memorial Day. Myrtle Beach had a "Meet and Greet" with some of the people who play on the Disney shows, and since we have a Disney freak in the house, we decided we'd head down there, with 10,000 of our closest friends! The lines for autographs were outrageous. We did manage to get two, though. We got Freddie (Nathan Kress) from iCarly and Tiffany Thornton who plays on Sonny With A Chance. We were in line for about an hour and a half to meet Debby Ryan (from Suite Life on Deck), but then the security guard closed off the line. So, we didn't get her autograph, but we did manage to get a picture of her! The next day was spent at the hotel pool and the ocean. We never left the place. We had a late breakfast at the hotel and then ordered pizza from a place that delivers. It was nice to be able to relax for a change. Our hotel had about 8 pools, 12 hot tubs, and one really long lazy river. We stayed in that thing for about an hour and a half. It was Heavenly!! Monday we drove back home, but first we stopped at Broadway at the Beach. We found a HUGE candy store called It'Sugar. Maddy bought a gummy bear that was about 5 inches tall. She's still working on it! We spent way too much $ there, but it's not often I find those little pieces of Heaven also known as CHOCOLATE COVERED GUMMY BEARS!!! Needless to say, I loaded up! As we were leaving, Ryan noticed a Zhu Zhu pet store, so of course we had to stop. Maddy got her 8th Zhu Zhu pet and her official name is Carly, but Maddy named her iCarly Sam...I wonder why?! We had a great time! We were glad to get back home, but we're already talking about our next trip down. There's just one problem. I think I have "sandyphobia"! ; )

Rock-N-Roll

2010-05-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful that I have a child who gives me a comedy show on a daily basis. Here lately, she has made me want to rip my hair out, one by one, but then she says something funny to make up for those times.

If you see her around town, you'll probably notice that she's not walking. Ever since I found a pair of Heely shoes for her for a dollar at a yard sale, she has been wheeling around everywhere. I don't know how she does it, but she's pretty good on them and can even do a few tricks. Every time we get groceries, she likes to hold onto the side of the buggy and kick her heels up and enjoy the ride, instead of walking. It's a little aggrivating, because I have to push the buggy plus pull her weight with it. Well, today was no different as we were "rolling" through the parking lot at Publix. She looked up and said, in true Maddy fashion, "I may not can rock, but I can roll!"

Thank you Lord, for this child. If it weren't for her funny personality, I'd be on Prozac!

When I was your age, we walked to school!

2010-05-14T09:56:00.001-07:00

That's what I grew up hearing from my grandparents! I knew the day would come when I get to pull that ol' "when I was your age" line on my own child! Today was that day! I had a few dishes in the dishwasher, and if you know me well, I tend to have severe OCD about things around the house! I knew there weren't enough dishes to run the dishwasher, and even though I couldn't see them in there, I knew they were in there, and I thought I heard my name being called a few times from that part of the kitchen. So, I decided to wash those few dishes by hand. Maddy saw what I was doing and said, "You're washing dishes in the sink? That's how the old fashioned people used to do it!"

I'll be 30 next month. I am beginning to have mild panic attacks just thinking about it. The fact that my daughter called me old fashioned has just sent me over the edge! But, coming from her sweet little mouth, I'll take it!

Bugg Quotes

2010-05-13T17:19:00.000-07:00

Easley has been having a lot of construction lately. They are supposedly building a Super Walmart (UGH!) across from Rock Springs church, and re-doing that awfully dangerous bridge there at the intersection (thank God). In addition to that, they have just finished re-paving the street that we live off of. The street that we must take to get home. I have spent many many minutes waiting on the guy to flip the sign around to tell me that the traffic going the other direction can go "SLOW", and that means I get to go home! Needless to say, it's been highly aggrivating. What makes it worse is that the road wasn't bad to begin with. Teachers are being layed off, and they are concerned about a couple of pot holes in the road. Oh well...its my tax dollars but not my decision apparently.

Tonight as we were heading home, and waiting in construction traffic, Maddy says out of the blue, "What is this, like National Construction Summer or something? I mean, seriously, they are working on the roads, working on the bridge, working on our church. This must mean it's a construction Summer around here!"

I think she's right!

Reading

2010-04-14T08:16:00.000-07:00

Guess who scored 56 on reading? That means she is now reading on a 5th grade level!!

We're so proud of her!

Wordless Wednesdays

2010-04-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

Worlds Most Gullible Husband

2010-04-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

If only there were such an award, Ryan would certainly win it! Yesterday was April Fools and Maddy and I got him over and over again! It was priceless!

We have a sink attachment for the bathroom sink. It's a whale that slips over the faucet and you can hold it's "flap" shut and the water will shoot up out of the hole on top of the whale, like a water fountain. If you close the flap all the way, the water will shoot pretty high. So, I put tape on the flap to completely close it. Hiding back laughter, I asked Ryan if he could check the water pressure in the bathroom because it wasn't that strong. Of course, he turns it on full blast to check the "pressure". When he did, water shot out everywhere, and Maddy and I ran downstairs to get away in case he were to have something up his sleeve for payback. Little did I know, that our trick was better than we planned it to be, because when we saw him again, his pants were soaked from the crotch to the knee, in a perfect line streaming down his pants! Ha!!

If that weren't bad enough, we got him again just 5 minutes after the first trick. Luckily, Maddy was doing school work so we pretended to do an experiment in the kitchen. We took 2 paper cups and filled them to the top with water. We were in there pretending to try to balance one cup on our hand. Maddy asked him to come into the kitchen to see if he could try to balance 2 cups, one on each hand. He fell for it! So, we helped him put both cups on his hands, and then walked away! He had no other choice but to spill the cups of water to get them off of his hands! Trick number 2 a success!

Trick number 3 was not as successful as the first two. I pretended that there was a bug in our living room so I grabbed a paper towel and chased the "bug". Once I caught the "bug", Maddy said, "Oh let me see!" With Ryan watching, she picked the bug off of the paper towel and ate it! No, I did not let her eat a real bug. It was the best kind of bug...a chocolate one! ; ) He wasn't the least bit amused by that one. But that's all right, because Maddy and I got a kick out of it atleast. We thought our tricks were doomed. He had finally caught on to what we were doing. What fun would it be when we couldn't trick him anymore. We almost lost hope. But then Mr. Lyons called and left a message!

I asked him if he had seen the note I left for him while he was in the shower. I showed it to him and told him that Mr. Lyons had called to see about getting some computer help. He called the number I had left for him, and then he said, "Greenville Zoo??" You can just imagine the hysterical pee-your-pants kind of laughter that followed! That was probably my favorite trick of the day! I tried to come up with a good first name for Mr. Lyons. I thought about Harry, but Harry Lyons..well, you get the picture!

I can't WAIT until 4-1-11! I have a few things up my sleeve already. I can already predict that Mr. Behr will be calling for computer help next year!

Coming Back Soon...

2010-01-23T13:55:00.001-08:00

I'll be back. I promise! I know it's been a while, but I've been so busy with everything, and burnt-out, the Winter-time Blues, you name it. Until next time, I'll leave you with some Maddy funnies.

I found some white stuff on the carpet, and right before that Maddy was eating one of those Oreo Cakesters on the living room floor. I asked her if that was what it was and she said, "Yep, but don't worry..I'll lick it up!"

She asked me this morning what happens when the Tooth Fairy loses a tooth. I told her maybe she has her own special fairy and she said, "I doubt it. She probably just pays herself." LOL

She likes to make "Maddy cream" with her ice cream. She just told me that she will teach me how to make it in case I ever want to make "mommy cream". She said, "First you cut the pieces of ice cream up. Then you start swirling it. If it's sweet, keep stiring it. If it's sweeter, just keep stiring it. If it's sweetest, then you can stop stiring it cause it will be juuuuuuussstt right!"

Grades

2009-12-20T18:53:00.000-08:00

Grades are in for the Semi-Annual Progress Report.

English: A+ (100)
Handwriting: A+ (100)
Spelling: A+ (100)
Math: A+ (99)
Social Studies: B+ (89)
Science: A (96)

Darn that Social Studies! : ) She's just like her mama. I never cared for it myself.

Great Job, Maddy! I am very proud of you!

Happy Birthday Maddy!

2009-12-11T12:28:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the big day! Maddy will be 7 years old! It's so hard to believe that the sweet little baby I once held is growing up so fast! Slow down, please!!! If I could stop time I would. I always get emotional when another birthday rolls around. I do want her to grow up into a respectful young lady (and give me lots of grandbabies...many many years from now, of course) but another year older is another year closer to her being gone from our home. She tells us that she is never leaving us! She says she has no desire to get married and have babies. However, she is in love with a boy from church already! ; ) Although I am always sad to see her leave a stage of her life and enter into a new one, her stages have never ceased to make me love her more! I do sometimes long for that fat baby I used to hold, and for that toddler with the squeaky voice, but as each new stage of her life approaches, I love it more than the last one. She is at such a fun age right now. She loves make-up and pocketbooks, American Girl dolls, Build A Bears, reading, games, gymnastics, dancing around the house, and just acting plain silly. I love that we can have mother/daughter conversations with each other and she actually pours her heart out to me. I love how she will come up to me and say, "I want to ask you something." It's like a wrapped present when she says that because I NEVER know what's coming next. I just love this little girl with all of my heart and I am so incredibly blessed that God chose me to be her mommy!

Out of the mouth of Miss Maddy

2009-11-18T09:22:00.000-08:00

I always get a whole story every morning told to me about whatever Maddy dreamed about that night. This morning, she told me of how she dreamed about a little girl up the street named Megan.

Maddy: "I dreamed I went to Megan's house and she had LOTS and LOTS of dogs!"
Me: "Oh really? Were they big dogs of little dogs?"
Maddy: "Well, half of the lots were big dogs, and the other half of the lots were small dogs!"

May you have LOTS of whatever makes you happy! : )

Mondays with Maddy

2009-11-16T13:33:00.000-08:00

No time today to share an old picture and a story, as I have to start supper (we don't have dinner, we have supper around here..lol), get Maddy to gymnastics, and then go teach a coupon lesson to some friends. Instead, I thought I'd share some of the many pictures of Maddy's photo shoot with you all. I present, our daughter....

Leaf Jumping

2009-11-14T13:30:00.000-08:00

Mondays With Maddy

2009-11-09T16:33:00.000-08:00

I've been going through old baby pictures of Maddy for the past few weeks. There is no organization involved, but oddly enough, I can remember the day and time and how old she was in every single picture. Maybe it's a mom thing, or maybe just an OCD thing, but either way, it's a blessing! From now on, I'll share a picture of my sweet daughter (and maybe a story too), so that anyone who didn't know her when she was a baby can get to know her.

This picture was our first family photo. Granted it was taken with me upside down and you can't see Ryan's face for the mask, it's still our first family picture and one that I will treasure forever!

I remember the night of her birth like it was yesterday. I remember when the nurse brought her to me, I fell in love with her! I remember Ryan leaving my side to go kneel down beside her bed as they were cleaning her, and singing Happy Birthday to her. I remember the song that was playing on the radio, "My Girl!" How perfect was that? I knew she was gonna be a big baby. After the ((insert obscene number)) pounds I gained, I knew she had better be big! She was 2 weeks early and 8lbs 15 oz, so I guess I grow 'em big! After I heard her cry, that was the one thing I wanted to know, how much she weighed. It wasn't that I was in a competition or anything. After all, it was my body that would suffer the consequences of all the peanut butter shakes and double cheeseburgers! I just didn't want to gain all that weight and she come out a 5 lb baby. Then I would have felt really bad! : ) After the doctor got her out, I started worrying if she was really a girl. I mean, we saw a girl on the ultrasound, but sometimes they can be wrong! So I asked the doctor, "She is a girl, isn't she??" And his response was, "Oh yeah, she's a girl. Now just lay real still for me, cause I'm about to pull her baby brother out!" I think that was the moment when I had my first panic attack. Only God knew at the time, that this sweet angel would give me my fair share of panic attacks over the years! And He was right! The joys of being a mom...are priceless!

Introducing Madelyn Alexandria Kouvolo, our long awaited miracle! 12/12/02

Mondays with Maddy

2009-11-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

Maddy went missing on Saturday, and in her place, was a cute little blonde haired girl who prefered to be called Hannah Montana! Hannah was adorable, but we're glad to have our Maddy back!

Speaking of Miss Maddy, for some reason, she has been writing Madelyn on her papers. Not every time, but a few times here and there. I am beginning to wonder if she is going to switch names on us soon! The name Madelyn would be fine, of course, since that's what we named her, but to me, she'll always be my Maddy Bugg! We called her "Baby Maddy" when I was pregnant with her, and she was Madelyn her first year of life, but when she started talking, "Maddy" was a lot easier for her to say, and it just stuck. With a name like Madelyn Alexandria, you have to have something short to call her! : ) It makes me a little sad that "Maddy" may be a name of the past soon, but as long as she doesn't stop calling me "mommy", then I think I can handle it.

Your daily dose of funny....Last night we were getting a bath and she kept tootin' non-stop! She does it a LOT and thinks it is just so funny! She said, "Gah I toot all the time! I think I'll have gas for the rest of my life!"

Tuesdays with Maddy

2009-10-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

Everyday with Maddy...is sweeter than the day before!! Well, that's my excuse for not blogging on Monday atleast!

Little Miss ate some garlic butter from Little Ceasars on Sunday evening and got sick as a dog! Three loads of laundry throughout the night, and 4 hours of sleep was rough! Combine sleep deprivation with the fact that my computer got a horrible virus on Monday afternoon, and by the time my favorite IT guy had time to fix it, I was already in bed, sick as a dog. It's been an adventure the past couple of days!

Maddy has said some funny things lately, and I try my best to write them down when she says them, but that doesn't always happen and then I forget. Here are a few that I did write down....

*After Wednesday night Team Kids: "Whew, I have fun with my friends, but they sure do wear me out!"

*Sunday night/Monday morning around midnight as we were cleaning her up: "Gosh how in the world am I gonna make it through the night?" : (

During devotion, we were talking about good qualities and Ryan asked her, "What is one thing that God sees when he looks at you?" We were aiming toward a "friendly" or "kind" answer, but she thinks for a minute and then looks up and says, "CUTE!"

Yes, she sure is cute! That's why she's survived almost 7 years!! TOTALLY kidding....well, kinda!

Mondays With Maddy

2009-10-19T15:11:00.000-07:00

Maddy was in a wedding on Saturday and did great. The only hard part was telling her to be still....constantly. I felt like I was speaking to a wall! This girl can NOT be still. No, I am not medicating her. I don't feel that's right. She's a child, and children are supposed to be bouncy, happy, playing little people. LOL! If she just sat there all the time, then I'd be worried. The only time she sits still is in Church (because she fears the wrath of her mother!), school, and if we go to a movie. Movies at home, well, you'll find her watching TV with her legs behind her head, doing splits, and cartwheels. No lie! But, don't let that fool you, because she can recall everything in the movie!

I think she has found a new buddy in Crystal. Normally, she doesn't say too much about the adults in her life, but Crystal, well...Maddy has fallen in love with her. Crystal was busy getting her pictures taken and Maddy said, "I'll be right back!" So she jumps up from our table and runs to Crystal, just to tell her that she's going to see grandma and grandpa after the wedding! That is so out of character for Maddy to do that, so she must love her new cousin!

The only other thing to report is that she is getting very tall! I don't notice it, because I see her every day and it's very gradual. But it showed in her dress. When I bought her dress back in July, she stood bare feet and it touched the floor. When she put it on Saturday, it was atleast 3 inches off the floor! I had no idea she had grown that much in 3 months! She may be tall like her daddy afterall!

Thankful Thursdays...on Friday!

2009-10-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

Better late than never, huh?!

I am thankful for....

1)PBS! <-So I can get breaks during the day!

2)Happy Cow Milk <-Because not only is it the healthiest milk, it is soooo good!

3)Pumpkin muffins from Rose Hill<-Enough said!

4)Almost being done with school for the week <-Because of a very self-motivated little girl!

5)The Doctors TV show <-For providing me information about health!

6)Tri-Art at Clemson University <-For the $2 plays we get to go to!!

7)American Girls!!! <-although, my bank account isn't very thankful!

8)Our Wednesday night class that Ryan and I teach <-We have a themed week each week and this past week was crazy feet week! Ryan and I have more fun than the kids!

9)Our church <-We are so spoiled by awesome people and the most wonderful pastor ever!

10)My cousin, Michael, is marrying my great friend, Crystal tomorrow! We are thrilled to have her a part of our family (officially). LOL!

So, there you have it! Short and sweet and to the point!

Mondays with Maddy

2009-10-12T10:26:00.001-07:00

My little girl is a mess!!! But she's also a sweetheart and I love her so much! I have truly been blessed beyond belief to be chosen to be her mom. I will be starting a Monday blog with all of her latest "sayings" and "doings".

Saturday night, Ryan and I wanted to watch a movie so we tried to get her to go to bed a little earlier than she normally would. She normally goes to bed around 9pm. We told her to go brush her teeth and get ready for bed. She ran to the kitchen clock and said, (with her hand on her hip, mind you!) "Umm...is this clock broken or something?" I said, "No, not that I know of." And she came back with "Well, it says it's 8:00 and I don't go to bed till 9!" Gah she doesn't miss a thing! She's smarter than her parents sometimes!

She did end up going to bed shortly after 8, btw! She didn't win that battle! This is how we normally find her whenever we head to bed....

Thankful Thursday

2009-10-08T05:56:00.000-07:00

I've officially caught the crud that's going around. But God says to praise Him in the good times and bad, so here it goes..

1)I'm thankful for Alka Seltzer Cold! In the midst of feeling like a big pile of poop, it gives me a little relief atleast.

2)I'm thankful that the rest of my family hasn't caught this yet!

3)I'm thankful that we took this week off from school!

4)I'm thankful that I have pretty much lost my voice, so that way if I'm asked a question I don't want to answer, I can plead the 5th! LOL!

5)I'm thankful for the ability to stay in my pajamas all day if I want.

6)I'm thankful that my husband loves me for who I am and not what I look like, because I haven't looked good at all this week. LOL!

7)I'm thankful that my daughter knows how to make her own waffles(frozen) in the morning so I can still sleep even if she wakes up before me.

8)I'm thankful for my comforter set because it came at a good time!

9)I'm thankful for the black out curtains we bought to go along with the set. They filter 98% of the light that comes through our room so it's nice and dark in there!

10)I'm thankful for a very independent daughter, who understands when her mommy is sick and knows how to play by herself.

So, there you have it! I can be sick and still be thankful! Gosh I surprised myself!

This is what my sweet daughter did all afternoon while her sick mama was in bed!!

Ooops...let me add something here. Since my uncle likes to stalk my blog, here is a shout out to him...
I am thankful for my uncle, Keith. I am thankful that he (so far atleast) is the only sane uncle I have, he doesn't scratch and sniff like someone else I know, and for giving me those mudslides and strawberry shortcakes years ago. Haha!

Thankful Thursday

2009-09-30T20:10:00.001-07:00

I know, it's Wednesday. But I only have approximately 45 minutes until it's Thursday, so I'm getting an early start. Because that's how I roll! Always thinking one step ahead, and that's a good thing! So to give me some motivation to start blogging again on a more regular basis, I'm following in many other bloggers footsteps and stealing..um..I mean...borrowing their ideas! ; ) I'm not making any promises, but I will atleast *try* to blog every Thursday to post what I am thankful for that given week.

1)For my loving husband who works so that I can stay home and take care of our daughter and the house. I am working my dream job thanks to him!

2)For my beautiful daughter, Maddy. She means the world to me and I would be so lost without her. She tells the funniest jokes ever and her crazy dance moves and off the wall questions make me fall in love with her over and over again on a daily basis. Not to mention her adorable freckles spread all over her sweet face!!

3)For fall weather!!! Fall is my favorite season and it brings with it the atmosphere that I wish could stay year round.

4)For Pumpkin Spice Frappucinos at Starbucks!! =P

5)For the priviledge to homeschool my daughter. Some would look at it as a burden, something they dread doing or wouldn't/couldn't do, but I love it and it's truly a blessing!

6)For the fact that my teaching is paying off! Maddy has passed every test so far with flying colors. I guess I'm doing something right!

7)For a field trip to Happy Cow tomorrow!

8)For the season premier of new shows! Greys Anatomy, Private Practice, and SVU! Gets me all excited!

9)For the consignment sale coming up in 2 days! It's one for the whole family..not just for kids! I hope to find some good fall clothes!

10)For Bargain Foods! Funny, I know, but I LOVE this grocery store! And I am going there tomorrow!!! YAY!!

Monday Mumblings

2009-09-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I updated, but I've just been waiting to get that "perfect" post in my head. No, this one is not it. So for now, just some things going on in our lives.

This past Friday marked a year from when baby E came to live with us. I always thought she'd be here to celebrate that milestone with us, but God had other plans for her life. As time goes by, I miss her more. When she first left us, I was too numb to realize what had happened. I tried to supress my tears from coming, and tried to carry on with my life. It's been over 3 months and I can't say that it ever got any easier. I did okay for a while, but when that anniversary date came last Friday, it was a constant reminder that she is no longer in my arms! I know the whole "5 stages of grief" thing, but I think that was wrote by someone who has never really experienced grief. The final stage is apparently acceptance. I know I'm not there, or if I'll ever be there. I had a dream a few nights ago about her leaving, and the very thing that happened that day, was played out in my dream that night...every single horrifying detail. So, no, I am not at the 5th stage yet. I don't know what stage I'd be considered at this point. But I do know that my life will never be the same. Losing a child is life changing, just as welcoming a child is. It becomes a part of you, a part that I will carry on for the rest of my life. I hope that I don't always tear up when her name is mentioned or thought of, but losing her will always be a part of me. Why does God think it's in mine or his best interest for me to experience losing children? I don't know the answer to that question. Hopefully one day I will. Ryan always said that he thinks God allowed us to go through 2 miscarriages to teach us how to truly love a child. Maybe he's right about that, because I love Maddy so much that words can't describe. So why did He allow us to lose the other child that we wanted so desperately to be ours (legally)? I don't know yet...maybe there are more children in our future. Maybe not. But I will keep praising Him either way and letting Him live through me. It would be very easy to get bitter at God. I'm thankful for my faith in Him, and know that He holds my future!

We are in our 6th week of 1st grade! Next week is a break week! We're on a 6 week on/1 week off schedule, so I'm really looking forward to having a nice long break next week to do...nothing! Maddy is doing exceptionally well this year so far. She has passed every single test that I've given her!

Ryan and I saw Mark Lowry in concert last Friday night. Grandma kept Maddy overnight and we had a date night! It was so nice to see him in concert and just LAUGH OUT LOUD! If you ever get to see him in concert, GO! You will not be disappointed.

So, those are my random mumblings! I'll try to get my mind wrapped around something in particular for the next post! : ) Happy Monday, everyone!

First Grade

2009-08-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

We started our school year today. Maddy is a big First Grader this year! Our subjects are English, Math, Spelling, Handwriting, Science, and Heritage Studies..aka Social Studies. So far this morning has gone pretty well. I fully intended on getting up early and working out before starting school, but the beauty of homeschool is that if plans change, so be it, as long as we still get the work done! : ) Needless to say, I'll be working out this evening instead of this morning!

We started with Bible reading for about 30 minutes. We started in Genesis, and I hope to have the whole Bible read with her by the end of the school year. Then we went downstairs to the school room for the rest of the subjects. English, Handwriting, Spelling, and Math will take up the whole year. There are 54 Science lessons, so we're doing Science 3 days a week. There are 60 Heritage Studies lessons, but most require 2-4 days per lesson, so that will take up most of the school year, give or take about 20-30 days. Ryan will be doing music lessons with her on Thursday evenings. Our schedule is so jam packed in the evenings, that we don't have time to do music everyday, but she is such a fast learner that I think she'll pick it up in no time. Mondays she goes to gymnastics for an hour and a half, Tuesday nights are soccer practice nights for an hour, Wednesday is Church, and Ryan and I are teaching the first grade class, so that keeps up busy! Thursday is gymnastics again for an hour, so our free nights are Friday and Saturdays. Maddy also joined the Kid's Choir at Church so that will keep her busy on Sunday afternoons.
Well, I must go. Our lunch time has went a little past what it should. We're off to do a science experiement right in our front yard. Ahh..the beauty of homeschool! The world is our classroom!

We survived Atlanta!

2009-08-13T06:33:00.000-07:00

We decided to take Maddy on a little trip to Atlanta last weekend. Our purpose for going down there was to go to Six Flags, thanks to a generous friend who gave us some complimentary tickets! We had a lot of fun, although Maddy is still scared of most rides. She must get that from her daddy! He never rode a roller coaster until he met me, and now he is a thrill seeker too. Well, he has yet to ride the one where you lay on your back, but he's making progress! I, being a big thrill seeker, did something that I never thought I'd do. I chickened out of riding something for the first time in my life! The ride is called Acrophobia. It looks like the devil designed it. It's a 200 foot pole and there are seats all around the pole. It's very similar to any of those "drop" rides, but this one appears (remember, I didn't ride it, so I have to say appears) to be much more intense. It takes you up 200 feet, while spinning you. Strike one! I get very sick on "spinny" rides. Yes, even the Carousel! Then, once you're at the very top, it tilts your seat to where you're looking straight down at the ground, instead of looking out like most *sane* rides do. Then after about 5 seconds of looking straight down at the ground and hoping that you don't fall out, it drops you....very fast. I couldn't do it! I stood in line trying to find my courage from somewhere, but when Ryan looked at me from the outside of the line and (laughed first) told me that I didn't have to do it, I took his advice and got the heck out of line! Maybe one day I'll ride it, but I'll have to be knocked out first!

Saturday, we went to Underground Atlanta. When Ryan and I were dating, we went and had a blast. Oh, how that place has changed. It was down right scary, and definitely not a place for kids, so we left. We went to the mall and they had a Disney Store, so we bought Maddy's Halloween costume early! She will be Hannah Montana this year. We ate at Joes Crab Shack after the mall and then Ryan suggested Toys R Us. Thanks, dad! ; ) Maddy got a new backpack for co-op, and if you bought a backpack, you got a free lunch box! Can you guess what kind she picked out? You got it! None other than Hannah Montana!

Sunday was probably the highlight of our trip, according to Maddy. She got to go to the American Girl store for the first time! She had a BLAST! She didn't know what to think as she was walking around looking at everything. She ended up with a big Kaya doll, a Ruthie mini-doll, and a Felicity book. She tried to talk us into getting Chrissa (her modern doll) a new hairstyle and some earrings! She's sneaky like that! We told her that she had to leave something for when we go back in November. I bet you can't guess why we're going back!!! Ahh, you should know! It's to see Miley Cyrus! HA! ; ) We got to eat at the American Girl Bistro. A 60-something dollar meal for 3 people, but she's our only one...she's allowed to be spoiled! : ) The food was great, and EVERYTHING in the bistro was PINK!!! Ryan looked so happy to be sitting there in a pink room with pink columns, pink tables, pink chairs, pink menus, and everything else pink! No, really, he did enjoy it. He wanted Maddy to be a boy so bad he could taste it, but I know he wouldn't have it any other way now.

I guess I should talk about our hotel. When we booked our hotel through Expedia, I had no clue that it was going to be where it was. We booked it because it was cheap, and it was less than a mile from Six Flags. When we turned down the road to get to it, there were 5 strip clubs, 2 "toy" stores, and a liquor store! If that wasn't bad enough, there were 3 or 4 "undesirable women" selling their services! Ahhh!!! The hotel itself wasn't too bad, although the beds were so hard that Ryan and I debated about sleeping on the floor instead. It really made me sick to my stomach to think that we had brought our daughter to a location like that. There was nothing we could do about it, since it had already been paid for. Trying to get out of it and get our $ back would have been like pulling teeth. Trust me, we've tried before! On Saturday night, Ryan was getting out of the van and sorting our bags, and Maddy and I were still sitting in the van. A lady that would make a corpse look good, came walking up to Ryan. She said, "How are you doing, honey?" Ryan cut his eyes at me in shock and then looked down and tried to ignore her. She kept coming!! It wasn't until I got out of the car, that she turned around and walked off. I told Ryan that he should have asked her how much she charged, in case times get tough, I'll know what the market is. HAHA! TOTALLY KIDDING!!!! I have never been in a situation like that and it just blowed my mind! And Ryan's too! At least we know not to ever go back there again!

So, all in all, we had a great trip, despite the skanky women and the scary people at Underground! When we go back in November, we'll definitely put more $ towards a hotel, and hope and pray that the beds are softer, and the only people offering "services" are the people doing valet parking! ; )

Our Own Horror Film!

2009-07-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

On the way home from grandmas last night, Maddy said, "My nose is bleeding." Well, I figured it was just a little nose bleed, but when I turned around to look, she had blood everywhere! It scared me to the point I was shaking. Luckily, we had to pass my parents house on the way home, so we made a stop there. My poor baby had blood all over her dress, her face, her arms, legs, everywhere! I have never seen anything like it, and the end was no where in sight. Her whole face was red from where she was trying to wipe it. I tried my best to keep her away from the mirror while I got her cleaned up, but she managed to catch a glimpse of herself. I thought, "oh no...she's gonna flip out!" Lord knows I was flipping out! When she looked at herself in the mirror, her exact words were, "This is cool! I look like a clown!"

So much for my girly girl! She has moved on!

Lazy Summer

2009-07-26T15:40:00.001-07:00

Not much to post this time. We've been enjoying our summer by sleeping late, having breakfast on the couch, lounging around in our pajamas all day...not doing much of anything except relaxing! So as you can see, there isn't a whole lot to talk about this time. LOL! Maddy is closer to 7 than 6 now and it's breaking my heart that she's growing so fast! I want her to grow up and be a successful adult (and hopefully wife and mommy some day, although she tells me NO!), but another year older is another year closer to her being gone. She thinks she is about 16 and is already laying out a plan for getting her first car. She wants a yellow Volkswagon Beetle! What's so funny is that when I was a kid, a little older than her, I used to want a yellow Bettle too! I never told her that, and when she picked that as her first car, it was really sweet. She is so much like me, and she has a few of her daddy's personality traits, but for the most part, she's a mini-me! She now knows how to get on the internet, and her favorite site is youtube. I really thought I had more time before any of this happened!! She likes to listen to Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, and Carrie Underwood songs, and will type them in herself. I made her a list of their names that she keeps right by the computer so she can search them. This afternoon, Ryan and I told her that we were going to take a nap, and she said, "Okay, well, I'll be doing my normal Sunday thing...listening on youtube!" LOL!!! When I woke up, she told me she had a music video that she wanted me to watch. She said, "I think you'll recognize it." Turns out it was *Just A Dream* by Carrie Underwood. I started crying, because it's such a sad song and she looked over at me, laid her head on my shoulder and said, "Yeah, it really is sad, isn't it?" Little stinker!!!
So, that's it for now. We'll be starting school again next month. We've taken too long of a break this summer, but I'm starting to find the motivation again. I've switched curriculum this year, so that helps to motivate me. Maddy is ready and would start back tomorrow if I was ready. I'm thinking of closing the homeschooling blog, since I don't use it very often. I'll be making a decision about that soon. If I do, I'll post all of her school stuff here. Who knows! All I know is that it's summer, and I just want to be lazy! : )

Soap

2009-06-25T06:47:00.001-07:00

Maddy loves to take baths with me. I don't mind it most of the time, but it makes shaving pretty hard when she's in the tub with me. I bought some really good smelling soap a few weeks ago that we both are obsessed with. She was washing her body and said, "This soap smells so good and I can put it all over my body. Well, I guess I can put it everywhere except for my booty, cause if I put it on my booty, it would make the soap stink!"

Guess a lesson in hygiene is in order....LOL!

Can you tell she loves to read?

2009-05-30T10:06:00.001-07:00

We're organizing books today. She's racked up quiet a collection. There were alot more, but we gave them away, when we didn't expect another baby in the house. Oh well! I don't think E will hurt for any books. LOL!

Trophy Time!

2009-05-23T07:23:00.000-07:00

Last night was the Team Foothills Annual Banquet. Maddy was so excited because she got her GymKix trophy, as well as her 5 year trophy. Yes, you read that right. My big girl is only 6 and got a 5 year trophy. LOL! She started gymnastics at Foothills when she was 13 months old and has stuck it out this long. We had a rough year when she turned 3, because it was then that she went to her "big girl class". Until then, Ryan or I were always with her in the "parent/tot" class. That was always more of a workout for me than it was for her. LOL! Then she turned 3 and moved to a class where mommy and daddy had to stay behind the window. That really upset her and she didn't want to go out with the other kids. So, for a good 6 months, Ryan or I sat out in the gym on the sidelines to give her the peace that she needed. She loved the sport, just not doing it without us.

The next year when she turned 4, she was asked to be a part of GymKix. It's a performance team that travels around to different College ball games as well as school functions and nursing homes, etc. It took about 3 months and then she became a totally different child. She was still a little skeptical, so every performance I would just pray, "Lord please let her go out there without me". They might have expected me to fill in for her, and the thought of me doing a backbend or a cartwheel, well, they might as well go aheand and have 911 programed into their phone. Hahaa! By the end of that year, she was a shining star. This year was no different. She was front and center on her routine and had all the self confidence in the world. I still wonder where did this child come from. All those days I wanted to choke her for screaming and crying for me, well, they were worth it, I guess. ; )

She'll continue GymKix another year this coming year, but unfortunately, Mrs. Krista won't. : ( She has been Maddy's gymnastics instructor since she was a baby, and we will miss her sooooo much! Maddy has learned so much from Mrs. Krista. Last year she learned her backbend kickout, and this year she learned her back handspring! All thanks goes to Mrs. Krista for working with her and helping her along the way. We'll miss you, Krista! And to our big girl, way to go! We're very proud of you! Just one request though, can you pass on some of your endurance and flexibility? LOL!

With Mrs. Krista, the one to thank for Maddy's gymnastics skills.

Posing with her GymKix trophy and 5 yr gymnastics trophy.

Yogurt Feeder!

2009-05-06T07:55:00.001-07:00

Your Maddy-ism of the day...

She was feeding E some yogurt while I folded the laundry. I told E, "Wow you have yogurt all over you!" And Maddy said, "Yeah, well, I guess I'm not a very good yogurt feeder." It's never a boring moment at our house!

A day with my Bugg

2009-04-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

Today was homeschool day at Biltmore. We booked a "Grandma Fun Day" for E, and woke Miss Sleepy Head Maddy up and we were on the road by 7am. It's been a while since I've seen 7am. Don't hate! I've got kids that love to sleep!
We had such a great time. She had her guide book and was reading about each room that we passed. It was precious! I think I paid more attention to her expressions than I did the rooms.
Enjoy the pics!

We won!

2009-04-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

I was driving down the road one day listening to HisRadio 89.3FM, and they announced a contest for free tickets to the Family Life Weekend to Remember Marriage Conference. I got home and figured what the heck, I'll give it a try. So I wrote a story about Ryan, and then I checked the prices for the conference if we went and paid for it. When I saw the price, I clicked off the site, because it was pretty steep. So, I guess I forgot about the contest, because I really didn't think that my entry would be picked when they had thousands of other entries to choose from. Well, guess what? They picked mine! They called Ryan to let him know and when he called to tell me, I was so excited! Life is full of surprises, and this was one for me! So without further ado, here's my entry...

Ryan and I met exactly one day after we "met" on America Online! I was scared to death because even 10 years ago, you just didn't know who you were really talking to online. He picked me up at my parents house and we went to Pizza Hut. The funny part is, he thought they took a credit card, but they didn't. So guess who had to pay for our 1st date? Yep, you got it..yours truly! And yet I still fell in love with him! I tell him often that he owes me twenty bucks, but his response is always, "I think you've been more than paid back by now." : ) Ryan is my rock. We have been through 2 very devastating miscarriages, and he held my hand all the way. When our daughter was born in 2002, I fell in love with him even more. He is the man I prayed for, and God gave me a miracle when He put Ryan in my life. We have had really great times and really sad times, but through it all, we've kept Christ in the center and He continues to bless us over and over again. We'll be celebrating 9 year in July, and it seems like yesterday that I walked down the isle to his loving arms. I thank God everyday for him, and I look forward to many more years of loving him!

We are planning on staying one night at the Hyatt during the conference, since that's where they're having it. The Hyatt is also where we spent our wedding night!

Congrats, my love!!! We're gonna have a great time!

Let Me Hold You Longer

2009-04-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

This was sent to me through Facebook, and has really tugged at my heart. So many times we get so caught up in doing things, that we don't even realize how fast our children are growing up right before our eyes.
To all the parents out there, this one's for you...

Let Me Hold You Longer

Long ago you came to me, a miracle of firsts:
First smiles and teeth and baby steps, a sunbeam on the burst.
But one day you will move away and leave to me your past,
And I will be left thinking of a lifetime of your lasts...

The last time that I held a bottle to your baby lips.
The last time I lifted you and held you on my hip.
The last night when you woke up crying, needing to be walked,
When last you crawled up with your blanket, wanting to be rocked.

The last time when you ran to me, still small enough to hold.
The last time you said you'd marry me when you grew old.
Precious, simple moments and bright flashes from your past----
Would I have held on longer if I'd known they were your last?

Our last adventure to the park, your final midday nap,
The last time when you wore your favourite faded baseball cap.
Your last few hours of kindergarten, those last days of first grade,
Your last at bat in little league, last colored picture made.

I never said good-bye to all your yesterdays long passed.
So what about tomorrow----will I recognize your lasts?

The last time that you catch a frog in that old back yard pond.
The last time you run barefoot across our fresh-cut lawn.
Silly, scattered images will represent your past.
I keep on taking pictures, never quite sure of your lasts...

The last time I comb your hair or stop a pillow fight.
The last time I pray with you and tuck you in at night.
The last time when we cuddle with a book, just me and you.
The last time you jump in our bed and sleep between us two.

The last piano lesson, last vacation to the lake.
Your last few weeks of middle school, last soccer goal you make.
I look ahead and dream of days that haven't come to pass.
But as I do, I sometimes miss today's sweet, precious lasts...

The last time that I help you with a math or spelling test.
The last time when I shout that yes, your room is still a mess.
The last time that you need me for a ride from here to there.
The last time that you spend the night with your old tattered bear.

My life keeps moving faster, stealing precious days that pass.
I want to hold on longer----want to recognize your lasts...
The last time you need my help with the details of a dance.
The last time that you ask me for advice about romance.

The last time that you talk to me about your hopes and dreams.
The last time that you wear a jersey for your high school team.

I've watched you grow and barely noticed the seasons as they pass.
If I could freeze the hands of time, I'd hold on to your lasts.

For some bright fall morning, you'll be going far away.
College life will beckon in a brilliant sort of way.
One last hug, one last good-bye. one quick hurried kiss.
One last to understand just how much you'll be missed.
I'll watch you leave and think how fast our time together passed.

Let me hold on longer, God, to every precious last.

Written by, Karen Kingsbury
From a book titled "Let me Hold you Longer"

God at work!

2009-04-07T11:50:00.000-07:00

This video is so powerful! I just got home about an hour ago and was having a horrible day. I won't go into any details, because it really doesn't matter at this point. God knows what kind of day I had, and after getting home, putting Diva down for a nap, I came downstairs to cool off and this video was in my email. It was just what I needed to see. Normally I don't open a lot of forwards, but I did, and by seeing this video, I felt the Lord speak to me and tell me to let it all go. No problem that we can ever face compares to what God did on the cross for you and for me. With God as our leader and our comforter, we can get through anything. So whatever problem you are facing at the moment, let go and let God! Enjoy the video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3qBt-INLq8

A funny Bugg!

2009-03-30T07:09:00.000-07:00

Maddy has really taken a liking to sleep here lately, and I love that! When Diva wakes up before her, she will walk into her room and bang on her bed and say, "MaaaMaaMa-dddddd". Maddy will get so mad!
We were supposed to go to a play this morning, but it's all the way in Clemson (25 min drive) and it started at 9:30! I asked Maddy last night if she still wanted to go and these were here exact words.....

"Um...I think I just want to sleep in. That is, as long as E doesn't wake me up. I get so mad when she does that, because you see, I may not take a nap during the day, but that's because I combine my night sleep with a morning nap. I just tag them together and it's called a sleenap. When E comes into my room and wakes me up, I don't get to finish that morning nap!"

This morning, everybody slept til 9:30 (Hey..we deserve that!) and when Maddy woke up, she came into my room, and the picture says it all.....

Love Your Man!

2009-03-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

I recently read a great book. It's called *For Women Only* by Shaunti Feldhahn. I recommend it to every woman out there, whether you are married or not. It has really put things into perspective for me, and so this blog will be made to encourage all you ladies out there!

I've been married for almost 9 years now, and for those 9 years, I have been trying to figure out how my husband thinks, or why he thinks the way he does and why he does the things he does.Men are mysteries, and vice versa. This book has opened my eyes to a whole new light. I was reluctant to read it at first. I am not very good at making the "sorry" move and admitting I've been wrong. So for me, it was a very humbling experience.

So to recap the book...

*Your love is not enough. We'd like to think like the song says "all you need is love", but that isn't true. I learned that respect means so much more to a man than loving him. As women, we hold all the power in our hands. We have the ability to either build up or tear down our men. Respect at home affects every area of a man's life. You have to respect his judgement, respect his abilities, respect him in communication, respect him in our assumptions, and most importantly, respect him in public. To tear your man apart in public is like ripping his heart out. Teasing can be torture to your man. And don't assume that he is ignoring you if he doesn't do something you want him to do or whatever the case may be. They simply just don't think like women.

*Your Mr. Smooth looks so impressive, but feels like an impostor. Sometimes he may try to hold it all together, but he may feel inadequate at work, or at home. So what should we women do? Don't tear him down. Affirm him. After all, if a man doesn't feel affirmation from his wife, he may look for it in other places. Take care of your man, ladies! Boost his confidence!

*Men like to be providers. It gives them a feeling like they can conquer the world to be able to provide for their families. Even if a wife works full time and helps with the bills, a man still feels the need to be that provider for his family. Providing is a primary way to say "I love you."

*Sex changes everything! Ahh, my favorite chapter! Sex unlocks a man's emotions, and guess who holds the key? ; )Listen to me ladies! If we are going through the motions and only "giving it up" because we feel that we have to, that is doing nothing for our men! He wants you to want him. The way it was put in the book says, that if you are only doing it because you feel like it's your duty or chore, he would much rather be sent outside to trim the shrubs, so go ahead and give him some clippers! Men want to feel wanted and desired by us. 74% of men said that if their wife had sex reluctantly, then it still wouldn't be enough to satisfy them. WOW...and all this time I've thought it was just the act that pleased a man! By a woman participating willingly, it gives a man a boost of confidence and makes him feel loved and desired. On the other hand, if we do it reluctantly, he feels incredible rejection and it can send him into depression. No lie! So what can we do? We can choose to love him in the way he desires. Get involved, and have more fun too, and most importantly, make sex a priority. As the book says, men want a girl next door in the living room, and a wildcat in the bedroom! So let's not cheat ourselves or our men! Now the only thing I can think of is that oldies song...."Let's get it on..!" ; )

*He is a keeper of a visual rolodex. Men are very visual. What does that mean? Well, if a woman is dressed to show off her body, she is an eye magnet that is incredibly difficult to avoid, and even if a man forces himself not to look, he is acutely aware of her presence. Secondly, even if there is no "eye magnet" present, every man has a "mental rolodex" stored and can intrude into his thoughts without warning. Think about this statement: A man can't not want to look. To quote one man from the book, "It is pleasurable-in a small way- in the same way that sex is pleasurable. Forcing myself to remove that thought from my mind is something as difficult as it would be to stop in the middle of sex." Now if it ended there, that would make every woman feel insecure, but it gets better. Every man has to make a choice. They can choose to dwell on the images and thoughts, or they can choose to dismiss them and honor their wife. Here comes the good part..there is reassurance in this. His temptation is often not primarily sexual. Every man is different. It's not because of you, and this does not impact his feelings for you. It used to be that a man had to find visual temptations, but now they can't be avoided. And last but not least, realize that God doesn't make mistakes. Women sometimes wonder "God! Why did you create him like this?" But you have to remember that God created man like he is, and He said His creation was good!

*He really does want romance! 84% of men want romance, and only 16% said they could take it or leave it. So why oh why do they not do enough of it? The number one reason is because they feel like their efforts won't be good enough. So what can we do? Encourage him, entice him, tell Harry what Sally needs, and keep him number 1!

The last chapter I won't say anything about. She warns all women before reading that chapter to pray first! And boy am I glad I did! The chapter is called *The truth about the way you look. Why what's on the outside matters to him on the inside." So I encourage you to read this chapter, but have your heart right first. ; )

In the end, there was a survey. The question to all men was "what is one thing you wish your wife knew, but you feel that you can't explain it to her?" And the number 1 response was "How much I love her."

So I challenge you, ladies, love your man, respect them in all areas of life. You will be a much happier wife and you've made your man feel like he can take on the world! Why should we want anything different than that?

For the record, the author and her husband have a book for your man! "For Men Only"! Pick him up a copy...and see what happens!

To my husband,
I love you more than words can express. I know for the past years in our marriage I've been trying to get into your head and try to figure out why you do what you do, but now I know. I look forward to the rest of our lives together. I am ready for this challenge!

FOOD!!

2009-01-24T10:37:00.001-08:00

Eat to live vs. live to eat, now that's the question!

Ryan and I, or maybe I'll say *I* have been hitting the gym hard and kicking the habit of bad eating for 24 days now. Ryan tries, but I think I'm a little more dedicated than he is, so hopefully my good habits will rub off on him, instead of vice versa! EEEK!!

So as we sat at the lunch table today, I started wondering, why does everything revolve around food? Our Church class is having an "after church lunch" tomorrow. Ryan said, "That's gonna be good." As I felt my hips growing further apart as he said that, I said, "No, it's not!" Sure, there's gonna be fried chicken, potato salad, and every other fixin' that a good ol' Southern Baptist would love! But I can feel myself gaining atleat a pound just thinking about it.

You'd never hear tell of anyone getting together for a game of softball or some other form of exercise..um..I mean...fun! Nope, food's gotta be there. You'd never hear of a family getting together for Christmas or any other time of year just to get together. Nope, you can bet your life there's gonna be food! Don't get me wrong, I love food just as much as the next woman with big thighs, oh shoot, I mean, the next person, but what has happened to us that we have to make the food be the center of our lives?

The other day as I was driving to the gym, I thought to myself how I was gonna celebrate when I reached my goal, and you know what thought popped into my head? Not shopping, not a mani/pedi, not a romantic getaway with my husband, nope...a celebration FEAST at a nice restaurant! Ahhhh!!!!

Seriously, I guess I have issues. LOL! Maybe it's the way I've been trained growing up, maybe I just go with the flow of the rest of society, or maybe I really do need some serious help. After all, I found myself leaning my arms and upper torso on the bathroom counter this morning just so I could see a number on the scale I'm happy with.

To date, since January 1st, I have had 8 oz of soft drink, and 5 french fries. I won't try to hide it. But that's much better than what I'm used to..french fries at every fast food restaurant! I'm looking forward to the end. Not too much more to go in the big scheme of things. But the depressing part is, no matter how much I lose, my body will never go back to the pre-pregnancy shape. Nope, my gut sags, my boobs sag, but that's okay, because I got a sweet little girl out of it, and everytime I see her sweet face, I'll embrace the saggin' skin and my ugly c/s scar! She was worth it!

What has gotten into her?

2009-01-16T10:22:00.000-08:00

As I was in my bedroom folding laundry, Maddy must have stolen a bra from the basket. No, there will be no pictures to accompany this post, because my "*Double Dang* Slingshot" doesn't need to be posted for the world to see! HAHA! I closed the bedroom door and about a minute later there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find sweet lil' Boo standing there wearing my bra, and laughing! The things that happen when I leave the two of them alone for 5 minutes!

So after I struggled to get the bra away from Boo, because she loved wearing it, I about fell in the floor laughing when Maddy said, with girl attitude....

"I'm gonna daaaaance like an octopus sprayed with dental powder!"

What in the world?

My American Girl

2009-01-08T13:04:00.001-08:00

Maddy received a movie for Christmas that she has been wanting, *Kit Kittredge An American Girl.* Now she is head over heels in love with the American Girls! I'm gonna be taking her to her first American Girl Day on Saturday, so we're looking forward to that. Kit Kittredge, in particular, was a 10 year old girl growing up during the Great Depression in the 1930s. Maddy's learned a lot about that era lately. Last night we finished her first American Girl book, and it was set back in 1933-1934. Since my grandmother (Maddy's great grandmother) was born in 1933, I thought that would be a neat thing to tell her. So, this is how the conversation went:

Me: "Hey, do you know who was born in 1933, when this book was set?"
Maddy: "Umm...Jesus?"

It took all I had to keep a straight face. I can't wait to go tell granny that Maddy thinks she and Jesus must be the same age! ; )

Yes, I am raising a Mikey! Cause Mikey will eat anything!

2008-12-23T09:33:00.000-08:00

After eating from a bag of Doritos that Maddy grabbed from the cabinet herself when I wasn't looking....

"If you need anybody to finish off any food around here, and if I like it, just call me!"

Quote of the Day

2008-12-15T10:15:00.000-08:00

There is always something funny coming out of Maddy's mouth. I asked her to watch E for a few minutes so I could go downstairs and switch out the laundry. When I came back upstairs, she said, "E must be pooping out rubber duckies cause her bottom smells like rubber! Maybe she's got a rubber duck factory going on!"

A party fit for a Princess

2008-12-13T12:38:00.000-08:00

We had Maddy's birthday party this morning. It was sooo cute! They got their nails painted, put on lip gloss and blush, and then headed to the dress-up room. They got to choose from different dresses, and then they put on beads, high heel shoes, and feather boas for the fashion show. They sat around the table and had an etiquite lesson and learned how to hold their teacups like a fancy princess. It was so much fun and I think every little girl truly felt like a special princess. Enjoy the b-day pics!

Happy Birthday Beautiful Princess!

2008-12-11T08:07:00.000-08:00

December 12, 2002

December 11, 2008

Sleeping in her Birthday present!

Her long awaited for birthday gift!!

This is one day early, but we'll be so busy tomorrow celebrating your special day that by the time the day is over, all I've have the energy to do is fall in bed!

Six years ago you came into this world. That was one of the most happiest days of my life, and one that I will never forget. I look at you and wonder where did the time go? It seems like yesterday you were looking into my eyes and smiling while you drank your bottle, and it seems like yesterday you were learning how to walk, with your hands held up in the air for balance. Someone once told me that by the time you grow up and get married, I'll be ready to let you go into someone else's arms, because babies don't go from the cradle to the altar. While most of that is true, I don't think I'll ever be able to let you go. It seems to get harder to "let go" as you get older, because now you are becoming your own little self with an amazing personality. I know there are days when you can't get my full attention because we are so busy. I apologize for that, and promise to make time for you every day, regardless if there are dirty dishes to wash or a floor to clean. I admire you every day for sharing your life with your your little brothers that left, and your little sister you have now. It takes a lot to understand why we take in children in need and provide them a loving home, but you understand, and give those babies all the love in the world.

You mean the world to me, and even though people say that children look up to their parents, I actually look up to you! I know that one day, you'll be a wonderful wife and an amazing mommy, even though you say you're not having kids when you grow up. I know you'll change your mind someday, and seeing you in that role will be so special and rewarding, but for now, I just want to hold you a little longer....

HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY PRINCESS MADDY!!! I LOVE YOU!!!

A Masterpiece!

2008-12-07T09:44:00.000-08:00

While we waited on the chili to cook for lunch, Maddy and I made brownies! I let her lick the bowl, and Ryan and I couldn't help but laugh as we sat in the next room listening to slurping and smacking sounds! Ryan asked her if she'd bring the bowl to him and let him have a lick too, and when she brought the bowl to him, she said, "Look! I made a masterpiece in the bowl!" I think we need more *masterpieces* in this house!

Pumpkin Time!!

2008-10-30T07:29:00.001-07:00

In reverse order.... Baby Tweety with a mask on. Well, somewhat..haha!

Scooping out the guts. This is her 1st time ever touching the insides. She's always been afraid of the insides..LOL!

Maddy and me : )

Maddy washing the pumpkin.

Last night we carved our pumpkin. I waited till the last minute to buy our pumpkin, so the choices were limited. I don't know why I waited...maybe it's because dragging two kids to the store is more difficult than dragging one out.

Last night for supper, we had mummy dogs (hot dogs wrapped in croissants), Frankenstein fingers (french fries), witches hats (peanut butter cookies with a Hershey kiss in the middle), and Dracula's blood (aka..fruit punch)!

Maddy insisted that she wash the pumpkin before carving it because it was "dirty." She wanted an original pumpkin face with triangle eyes, nose, and a mouth. Ryan has carved some pretty neat pumpkins before, so he talked her into doing a Tweety face instead. He drew it on the pumpkin and then worried how he would carve it out..LOL! I have to say, I was a bit skeptical halfway through carving, because it didn't look like Tweety at all. It turned out to be okay, though. The way he carved it makes it look like Tweety is wearing a mask. I'm just glad he carved it instead of me, because I can't carve a pumpkin to save my life! By the time I get done with typical faces, you can't tell an eye from a nose!

Lucky Ducks!

2008-10-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

The YMCA had their annual Halloween Party tonight. I don't believe in luck, but if I did, I'd say we were the luckiest people around! Maddy won twice at the cake walk, BooBoo won 3rd place in the costume contest, Ryan won the candy corn guessing game, and I won a raffle! We got two t-shirts, a ton of candy, free Firehouse sub, free car wash, free day of play at Partee Time, a water bottle, a Bible, and a free week of summer day camp at the Y! I fully intend on using the day camp! : )

BooBoo won't be Eeyore for Halloween this year afterall. I let Maddy talk me into buying her a Tinkerbell costume to match hers, so now we have big Tink and baby Tink! Both of them are so cute in their costumes! I'll post a pic later...it's been a long night!

I had to share some funny things Maddy said today....

She is such a big helper and she was feeding E her lunch while I got Maddy's lunch ready. She said that her jar of baby food stank! I said, "It's got peaches, bananas, and apples in it." Maddy said, "No matter it stinks...whew!!"

While she was eating, she looked over on the bakers rack and said, "We have a book called Fix It Yourself." I said, "That's daddys book." She said, "Well why doesn't he use it??" Yeah Ryan, she's telling on you!!!! I said, "What does he need to fix?" She said, "The TV!" ((Our TV went out last week..ahh!!)) I told her that the book tells you how to fix things like floors, walls, electrical outlets, etc. I must not have made myself clear because she said, "What's a vegetable outlet?"
It's never a boring moment at our place!

Three Funny Princesses

2008-10-14T07:50:00.001-07:00

Lunch is ready!!

Maddy has two friends over to play this morning since their mom had a meeting. I am cracking up at the sounds coming from the next room over......

They are making Snow White and her prince get married in the castle, and they are doing it up big! They're making invitations for the wedding and everything. So, here are some things coming from the playroom....

"You know, you have to get married to have a baby. Let's get our princess married to her prince so they can make lots of children!"

"Yeah, her leg broke off. That's okay, cause she'll be a one-legged bride."

"I have one naked princess. Let's pretend that this boy and this girl stole her clothes and that's why she's naked!"

Sweet little Rebekah needed a piece of paper to make an invitation, so she came to me and said, "I need a page."

"We need to go wash up all this ink on our hands." UH OH!! Better go check on them now!
From little Rebekah: "Let's pretend the sink is a horsey with water in his mouth and that's where the water is coming from." From the other two girls: "EEEEWWW!!!"

Well, it's lunch time, and I've got three hungry princesses and one sick tiny princess that will be waking up any minute now, so I'd better get lunch ready before these princesses work their magic and turn me into a toad! Looks like I better make a yummy lunch cause I just heard..

"Let's have a gymnastics contest and whoever does the best gets the yummiest lunch!"

All for a bag of grapes!

2008-10-02T19:43:00.000-07:00

This has been the day from doom! I could have said a lot worse, but I'll try to choose my words nicely! : )

I'll spare you all the details on how I tried my best to clean my house today with a "one step forward, two step back" process, or how my foster baby girl's sweet personality is missing somewhere and we haven't found it yet! Or how she had somehow managed to pull 4 diapers off her changing table while still in her crib and attempted to eat them when she was supposed to be napping! Or, the fact that it is 11pm and my stomach's growling because I didn't have time to stop and breathe today...let alone eat!

So I dropped Maddy off at gymnastics and told her that I was gonna go to Bilo and Kmart and I'd be back to pick her up when her class ended. She's finally old enough that I can do that now! I told her that if for any reason I wasn't back exactly when her class ended, to go into the playroom and wait for me. She said, "Well, can you be late, please?! I want you to be late every time so I can play in the playroom with the beanbags!" Yeah, um...thanks so much, Maddy!

I went to Bilo with 4 things on my list to buy: Sirloin tips for tomorrow's special home-cooked meal that I promised my husband, rolls, a tomato, and a cucumber. While I was walking toward the meat department I realized I needed dog food, so I almost threw my already hurting back out lifting the bag in the cart. Once I reached the meat department, I saw that they had everything covered in plastic! Everything! All meats, all refrigerated items, eggs, milk..everything. I figured something had gone wrong, so I kept on going to the produce department. While I was in that area, I noticed their grapes were on sale for 99 cent a pound, but it was just the white seedless ones. The original price and all the rest of them were $2.99/pound. I picked up a bag and headed to the check-out. The lady rang up my groceries and I noticed that the grapes rang up $2.99/pound, so I questioned her about it whenever she told me the total. The total was $13 and some change. She got a girl to run back to the grapes to make sure they were on sale for 99 cent/lb, and sure enough...I was right! Go figure! So the girl adjusted the price and my total now is....$13 and some change! Now had I not recently become a nitty-gritty bargain grocery shopper, I would have paid, taken my bags and my shy self, and left. But, with the price of everything going up these days, I had to question it. I'm getting brave as I get older I guess..LOL! Or maybe it's just that I don't care anymore, but with the 2 pounds of grapes I got, that equals $4 more than I should have had to pay, and maybe I want to buy my girl a Happy Meal tomorrow..LOL! So, I asked the lady (very nicely might I add) why I'm getting the same total give or take a few cent, when they just did a price adjustment. She tried to show me my receipt, but if you've ever tried to figure out a Bilo receipt, it will take all day!

She called the manager over there, and all I wanted to know was why I'm getting the same total even though they adjusted the price from $2.99 to .99! He must have been in a foul mood, because he then jerks all of my things out of my cart, jerks them out of my bags, and throws his hands up before he starts to re-ring everything up! OMG!!! The baby was crying by this point because she was so tired and I am livid! Why do people do things like this when they're supposed to be there to please the customer?! Well, sure enough, after re-checking everything out, my total was.....$13 and some change! Apparently, the lady didn't scan something the first time around, which was why I got the same total (give or take a few cent) I did the first time...when my grapes were $2.99! Boy did I feel like the biggest idiot on the planet when he told me my total! I was embarrassed, mad, hurt, but I paid for my things, and got out of there as fast as I could! I'm sure they laughed me all the way home!

So now I've got a hurt back (darn dogs!), crushed pride, NO meat, a tomato, a cucumber, 2 packs of sweet rolls, and a bag of grapes that scream at me everytime I open the refrigerator! I don't know that I can even eat these grapes now because of what they have caused me! Maybe I can try to crush them and make some good wine, cause I sure could use a good glass right now!

Oh yeah, and in case you're wondering why everything was covered in plastic, it was because their power got shut off and they were running on back up generators and they wanted to keep all of their refrigerated stuff cool! Serves them right, the ol' suckers!

Don't worry though, Maddy Bugg...you'll still get your Happy Meal tomorrow, cause mommy will want a burger tomorrow for lunch. Lucky you, sweet girl! LOL!

Calling Customer Service! Are you out there? Do you still exsist?

2008-09-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

What I want to know is, when did customer service go from a good thing, to a big pile of whale crap on the bottom of the ocean floor?

We decided, or maybe I just decided, anyway...to get a new camera. I spent a while last night searching for a good one (unfortunately it had to be within my budget..LOL!) and finally settled on one. I called the store (none other but good ol' Walmart) and after the girl kept me on hold for about 10 minutes, she came back to the phone and said they had 2 in the back, but couldn't hold one for me. The store was about 45 minutes away, I still had laundry going, floors to vacuum, and emails to check, plus I wasn't planning on going that way till later. I nervously prayed that they would still have this camera when I got there. Maybe anxiety got the best of me, but I just about sprinted into Walmart's front doors and headed to the Photo Lab. My heart was racing, probably cause I was still carrying my 5 year old in my arms, and...I really wanted this camera. Well, lo and behold, who else is propped up against the counter in the photo lab than the meanest ol' bitty I've ever seen! She looked like she was ready to bite someone's head off, and I was scared it would be mine! I caught my breath, and told her that I was there to buy a camera, and she just looked at me like she didn't speak English! I froze as she said in her deep burly voice, "what camera do you want?" I told her, and she rolled her eyes at me!! She asked a girl on the floor to get it out of the locked case, but I told her that the woman on the phone said they were in the back. She asked me, "Well why didn't you tell me that in the first place?" OMG!!! I don't care how big or how mean this woman was, I was about to use all my might and pull her across the counter. But then I looked down at the little face that looks up at me, and took a deep breath and decided I'd kill her with kindness! Apparently it didn't do a bit of good, because she was the same ol' sour puss when I paid for my camera and walked away!

Another situation happened last week to Ryan. We are not really a big TV watching family, but my husband got an itch to get the digital converter boxes, so he and Maddy set out to find one. He called (again...none other than) Walmart and the guy told him they were in stock. When he gets there, there are none. He asked the guy about it and the guy told him that someone must have came and got them from the time he talked to Ryan on the phone until then, which was probably about 15 minutes. He told Ryan, "If you see someone walking around with one in their buggy, just take it out of their buggy. I don't care." WHAT?!?!

Customer service used to mean so much more. Nowdays, it's just about a paycheck. Why oh why can't we live like we did when we were kids? Why do things have to change for the worst? It really makes me sad, because my daughter will grow up experiencing this mess. We try our best to teach her proper manners and how to be nice to people, and then she goes out into the world and sees people acting like they do. It's sickening! I guess the only cure for that is to just stay out of Walmart!!

On another note, I want to say that I feel good! For the past two weeks, I have not been myself. Ever since we got back from Disney World, I have not been motivated to do anything at all. My body is at home, but my mind and my heart is still on vacation. I guess it was the fact that we got to spend every waking moment with Ryan, and then we had to come back to reality, and I just wasn't ready! I felt like a kid about to explode in a temper tantrum lately. Nothing has gone the way I wanted it to, and even though it's getting close to my favorite time of year, I still felt the need to hide like a hermit in my house. I have been dreading Ryan leaving for business, and that's probably the root of this funk I've been in lately. Things have changed, though. We started our Friday co-op back, and I have to say also, that we have some really great friends! I have found that if I put myself out there and actually do things instead of thinking of doing things, I am a much happier person. For the past two days, we have spent with friends and now I know that we all need friends to lift us up. I am so thankful for the people that God has put in our paths, and one couple in particular will be greatly missed when they move. To friends, to family, to Maddy, and to Ryan...thanks for brightening my day...over and over again!

Okay...now I'm gonna go play with my camera!

Disney Tips have arrived!

2008-09-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

Since I spent many many hours researching Disney World, and asking countless questions from friends who have been there before, I thought I'd put a list of tips together for those of you who are looking to visit Disney World! Keep in mind these tips are from two people with a 5 year old little girl, who learned their lesson on what to do and what not to do : )

*You will want to get a PhotoPass. The card is free, and you are able to view all of your pictures after your trip. You can spend around $13 for one picture, or you can spend around $100 and get all of your pictures, plus the copyright to print as many as you want. Pretty much a no-brainer if you ask me. We were able to get a lot of family shots this way. When you get the card from the Phtopass photographer, make sure you write the number down, just in case you lose your card. You can always get another card from a photographer, but if you don't write your photopass # down, there's no way to view your pictures from the card if you lose it. With the photopass, they will also do photo-edited pictures as well. Tinkerbell and Simba showed up in our daughter's hands! : )

*Photopass Photographers are not in the Character dining places, so you'll need to bring your own camera for character pictures at your table. If you chose the Princess Storybook Dining at Norway (Epcot), you will receive a 5x7 and four 4x6 of your child and one princess for free. I believe you get free Princess pictures at the Cinderella's Royal Table dining too.

*If you have a daughter, take lots of money! No joke! We thought we'd be able to hold off on buying things, but it is very very hard! Save up and treat your princess. How often do you get to go to Disney World anyway?! : ) In Downtown Disney, they have a toy store with some great deals. You can stuff a box with Mr. Potato Head (Disney Themed, btw) stuff for $19.00. The best thing to do is if you already have a potato head, just get the accessories, so that way you can get more, because you won't have a potato to take up space. You can also stuff a box of My Little Pony things for $18. They have all of the Princess clothes, and accessories for My Little Ponies that you can only get at Disney World. They also have a "Make Your Own Light Saber" station for the little boys in your life : )

*If you're going to Downtown Disney, get a map before you go. The place is huge, and you'll want to park close to the part you'll be visiting. If you're not going to any shows or the "nightlife" stuff, then you're probably gonna be going to the Marketplace side, which is where all of the toy stores, Christmas stores, etc are.

*If you do Character dining at 1900 Parkfare at the Grand Floridian, request a table in the center of the restaurant. You will get to meet all of the characters regardless of where you sit, but Cinderella and Prince Charming come out for a dance in the center of the restaurant, and Prince Charming will dance with the little girls sometimes.

*If you have little kids, start with little rides first. Trust us, we learned this the hard way, by taking our daughter on the big rides first. After a scary ride on Splash Mountain, she thought all of the rides were scary....even Winnie the Pooh : )

*In Magic Kingdom, get seated for the parade at least one hour before the parade starts. As the time gets closer, it's very hard to find a seat. The best place for the parade, and fireworks afterwards, is on Main St. USA right down from the bridge that crosses over into Tomorrowland, looking toward the castle. Make sure you look up to the right of the castle before the fireworks start, because you might just see someone flying from the castle! ; )

*In Magic Kingdom, right after you pass the bridge into Liberty Square, there is a lady that does silouhettes. It is only $8.00 per person and you get two copies. It is very cool, because she cuts your child's profile out of paper, just by looking at them! If you get any kind of drawing anywhere else, you'll spend a fortune! This was a really neat thing to have, and very inexpensive.

*If you are doing a character dining for lunch, schedule it for an early lunch. If it's a buffet, they will still have breakfast food on the bar, so you can get the best of both worlds! : ) My hubby enjoyed this at the Play N Dine at Hollywood Studios!

*The best way to meet characters is to do character dining. We went during off season, so we met a lot of characters in the parks, but I would imagine it's pretty hard to meet them during peak seasons. If you have a little princess that wants to meet all of the princesses, the best place is at Akershus Royal Princess Storybook Lunch in Norway at Epcot. All of the princesses come around to your table, so you don't have to worry about standing in line in the parks to meet them. The Hall of Fame tent in Toontown at Magic Kingdom is good for meeting several characters at once...and it's inside...so no standing out in the heat!

*If you choose to use fast-passes, get them early. Some of the most popular rides only allow a certain amount of fast passes per day. If you choose to use the fast pass, make sure it's something that you really want to ride. If you get a fast pass at 1:00 and it tells you to come back at 3:00, you can't get another fast pass until you ride the ride at 3:00. If you don't mind being split up on rides, the easiest and fastest way to ride is using the single rider que. You can pretty much walk right on the ride, and beat the line!

*Ellen's Dinosaur ride is pretty neat. However, depending on what your beliefs are, you might want to skip it. They talk about how the world came into existence by the Big Bang, and for us, personally, we believe it was God that created the world and not from something just all of a sudden exploding, so if you choose to ride this ride, be warned!

*You'll want to get drinks in bottles instead of cups with lids. You're allowed to take bottled drinks into shows and rides, but not drinks in regular cups with lids. You'll have to leave those outside.

*Epcot has a KidCot thing, but all it is, is just coloring. You can color a mask and go around to the different countries and get a stamp from the different countries, but it wasn't worth spending time on in my opinion.

*If you're looking for something really educational, go to the American Theater in Epcot. It's got a lot of information on the history of our Country.

*Epcot has the best fireworks I have ever seen in my life! Don't miss them!

*Animal Kingdom is not worth spending the money on! It is very hot and humid and almost imposible to find your way around, even with a map! You almost need a GPS in that park..LOL! They have a neat safari ride, and the Everest coaster is really cool, but it's not worth spending your quality time on. We won't be doing Animal Kingdom when we go back.

*If you have a small child, definitely check out Turtle Talk With Crush from Finding Nemo at Epcot. Crush interacts with the kids, and the kids love it!

*Be sure to check out some of the 3D shows. Be prepared, because they do have special effects!

*When you get into the park, be sure to pick up a times schedule in addition to a park map. The times schedule will tell you what time everything is open, the shows, parades and fireworks times, and where the characters are and at what time.

*As far as the hotels, you get what you pay for. The budget hotels are pretty small, but it was fine for the 3 of us. If you stay at a higher-end hotel, you get to ride the monorail to the parks, instead of the bus.

*Take VERY comfortable walking shoes, and if you're not already walking everyday, start now! LOL! We were very sore from all of the walking, because we weren't exactly used to it. We would have enjoyed ourselves much more had we not been hobbling around from sore feet! : )

We hope you'll get some use out of these tips, and keep in mind, these are just our personal opinions! : ) Hope you have as much fun as we did! : )

We saw the magic....and then we cried!

2008-09-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

Getting Sprinkled with magic Fairy Dust!
Isn't she beautiful!
A picture I will cherish forever! This was her expression after seeing the castle for the first time!
A Tigg-er-if-ic TiGgEr and Maddy!
Sitting by the fireplace in Minnie's House
Ariel's Grotto! Maddy was soaking wet from playing in the fountains, but I guess it fits!
Cinderella's Castle before the fireworks.
" Welcome to MY place!"

Princess Jasmine and Princess Maddy...and Dumbo!
Princess Cinderella and Princess Maddy
Our Princess with her favorite Princess of all times....Princess Belle!
Play N Dine at Hollywood Studios.
What happened to my roll of film?!?! LOL!

We're back! We had such a great time at Disney World! We've got lots of pictures to share, so these are just a few of the hundreds! There's so much to tell you about our trip, but I'll stick with the basics, because there won't ever be enough time to explain to you what fun we had!

We started the trip by taking Maddy to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for a make-over. We were hesitant to do this, because it's pretty expensive, but the memories we all share from the experience was worth far more than what money could buy! Maddy chose the Princess Package and they fixed her hair up like a princess...complete with a crown and "fairy dust"..aka glitter! We left the Boutique and went to have supper with Cinderella, Prince Charming, Anastasia, Drizella, and Lady Tramaine. It was quiet an experience. They all played their parts very well. Maddy was a little hesitant to have her picture taken with Lady Tramaine (Cinderella's step-mother), but we talked her into taking a picture. Maddy and Lady Tramaine have the same expression in the picture! A big frown!

After supper we went back to our hotel for the night. We stayed at All Star Movies in the Mighty Ducks building. We had a huge 3 story duck hockey mask on the side of our building, and our pool was called the "duck pond." It was a pretty decent hotel for the money.

The next day we went to Magic Kingdom. Seeing Maddy's expression after seeing Cinderella's castle for the first time was absolutely priceless! All she said was "LOOK!" Of course Ryan and I cried like a baby! I don't know why we get so emotional when she gets so excited, but we do. Maybe we just love her like crazy! : ) We made the mistake of taking her on Splash Mountain for her first ride. She wanted to ride it, but I don't think she expected it to drop like it did. After Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (small coaster), she was very hard to convince that the other rides would be okay. Ryan and I thought we were going to pull our hair out because of how she was acting. Now we can laugh about it! She would always ask questions like, "Is it gonna be dark? Is it scary? Does it drop?" It was pitiful, but at the same time, when you're trying to get a child to ride Winnie the Pooh and she's freaking out, it was quiet stressful! After she rode all of the other rides and she realized that it wasn't a scary ride, she was perfectly fine, and she rode them again...and again..and again! I got to ride Dumbo for the first time! There's a story that goes behind that! When I was 6 years old, I went to Disney World and was in line to ride Dumbo when a big thunderstorm hit. I didn't get to ride Dumbo, and I threw a fit all the way out of the park screaming, "I WANNA RIDE DUMBO!!!" My parents will never let me forget that, but now I can tell them that "I GOT TO RIDE DUMBO!!!" : ) We had supper with all of the Pooh Characters (Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore) that night. Maddy enjoyed meeting all of the characters.

We spent the next day in Hollywood Studios. It's a really cool place! Maddy got to play in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids area, and it was made just like the movie set. Blades of grass were 10 feet tall, and the kids could crawl through the fake ant hills. It was really neat! I got to ride the Tower of Terror finally! It was definitely a thrill ride! We saw the Beauty and the Beast Show, and had lunch with the characters from Playhouse Disney. Maddy got to meet two of the Little Einsteins and Jojo and Goliath from Jojo's Circus. The kids get to go up to the front of the restaurant and dance. Maddy loved dancing with the characters! We also took a movie ride to see how they film different movies and had to walk through the Villian side. They had costumes that the villians wore in the actual movies. Maddy was excited to see the witch's costume from Enchanted that Susan Sarandon wore.

The next park was Epcot. Of course, Maddy was freaking out in the big ball, but now she says she liked it. Go figure! LOL! We got to ride on Ellen's Dinosaur ride, the Star Wars ride, Finding Nemo, and got to meet Crush from Nemo! They have an interactive show called Turtle Talk with Crush and Crush is on a big screen, and moves his mouth and interacts with the kids. It's really cool! We visited all of the countries, which was neat! We had lunch at the Akershus Storybook Dining at Norway. All of the princesses came around to our table to meet Princess Maddy, and she was sooooo thrilled! The fireworks at Epcot are a must see! They were amazing!! I've seen great fireworks, but nothing like they have at Epcot!

Wednesday we spent the day at Animal Kingdom. I was less than impressed! The safari ride was neat, and the Everest Roller Coaster was wicked, but other than that, it wasn't exactly a good park. They do have an awesome Nemo show, that is inside, in the cool! It was just really hot that day, and very humid. We left Animal Kingdom and had supper at Chef Mickeys. Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, and Minnie came to our table for pictures. Maddy liked Donald the best because she said he was soft! The food was really good....all of it!

We spent the last two days in Magic Kingdom. Maddy's favorite ride was Small World and Peter Pan's Flight. Favorite ride, after she got over her fear, of course! I think we rode Small World about 10 times, and Peter Pan at least 6! Ryan surprised her with a big Princess Minnie and a Small World pin when we got off our 3rd ride on Peter Pan. We bought her a Dumbo too, which is now her prized possession. It's a baby Dumbo, and I have to admit he's sooooo cute! They're inseparable now! Thursday we ate at a nice Italian restaurant that was themed after Lady and the Tramp. Friday we ate at Liberty Tree Tavern with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto.

We got to meet just about every single character except for Daisy. It was a great time to go. The crowds weren't bad at all, and the most we had to wait to ride a ride was 20 minutes. It was such a great trip, and we now have memories to last a lifetime. We're already looking forward to going back, after my feet re-cooperate from all of the walking! LOL!

Beautiful Biltmore

2008-08-23T20:40:00.000-07:00

All I can say is "WOW!"
Ryan and I in front of our wanna be home!
And a kiss for good luck!
Amanda in the gardens.
Ryan under some sort of cabana thing. It was so breezy and cool under there!
So I've lived in SC all my life, and I can't believe I've never taken the 1 1/2 hour trip to Biltmore. Now I know what I've been missing! Ryan and I continued our celebration weekend with a trip today to see this magnificent place. I was blown away! So apparently, George Vanderbilt built this house, later married, and he and his wife had one child....ONE CHILD....and this big house!!! The house has 250 rooms, but the tour only takes you to about 65 or so. There are 40-something bathrooms, all of which cannot be used. There's about as many fireplaces as bathrooms. What they call their "small pantry" is about the size of my living room! What I thought was a bit funny is how George and his wife, Edith, had separate bedrooms! Very interesting! I wonder which one their baby girl was conceived in? Okay, that was out of line..haha! Their basement was wild! They had an inground swimming pool, their own bowling alley, everything! It's a house where if you lived there, you'd never have to, or want to leave. I think my favorite room was the main dining room. The dining table was 40 feet long. It was absolutely amazing! Words cannot describe the beauty of this house. If you're ever up that way, I highly recommend a trip! We left the house and went to the gardens. I love flowers, but I don't have the patience to deal with them, but there were more flowers than you can imagine in the gardens. I highly respect whoever takes care of them all....that would be one heck of a job! We visited the winery when we left the gardens, and got to see how the wine was made, and we did our first wine tasting! I'm not a big fan of wine, but I think I could be after today! LOL! We got some Christmas presents bought today for the wine lovers in our family! One thing I forgot to mention earlier was that George and Edith's only daughter, Cornelia, was born on August 22, 1900. There was a quote on the wall made by her mother the day after she was born, August 23, 1900. It was ironic that exactly 108 years later to the day, we were standing in the room where baby Cornelia was born! So needless to say, we had a wonderful day, and now I'm headed to bed...with aching feet! Enjoy the pictures..they speak for themself.

Ten years?! Really? WOW!

2008-08-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

It started with a kiss and wound up like this....and the rest is in the making!

Ten years ago I met a wonderful man, who later became my husband! It's so hard to believe it's been 10 years. Yes, I know that's cliche, but it's so true! So, this is the story of how we met, and how it took a really funny turn.

Ryan sent me an IM on AOL on August 20th, 1998. I was in the process of signing off AOL, and had already gotten the "sign off" confirmation when all of a sudden an IM pops up, because he was in the process of sending it as I was signing off. Normally, I'd get those idiots IMing me saying, "Hey, got a pic?" or "18 year old male here, what's your stats?" But for some reason this one seemed sincere. It said, "Hey, wanna chat?" It was from a person who identified himself at CUSaxMan. Something was telling me to sign on again and talk to this person, so I did. I gave him my number, and he called me that night. We talked for 4 hours, and decided to meet the next day. All I knew was that his name was Ryan, he was 21, and was finishing his senior year at Clemson, and he was a saxophonist. So somewhere around 6 that next night, 8/21/98, this man I didn't know pulled into the driveway. He came in, and we talked for a bit while my mom sat on the couch with her skeptical face! Ha!

Then we went to Pizza Hut for supper. We had a mushroom and green peppers pizza with extra cheese : ) Now here's where the funny part comes into play. Ryan assumed that Pizza Hut took a card, so when he went up to pay, he gave him his card. Well, Pizza Hut didn't take a card back then..only cash! I saw the sweat forming on his forehead..haha! He turned to me and asked if I had 20 dollars. Normally I wouldn't have carried cash with me, but it was a good thing I did that night! So, needless to say, I paid for our first meal. That's something that I'll never let him out-live. I still nag him from time to time about it : ) Everytime I ask him where my 20 dollars is that he owes me, he laughs and says, "I think you've been more than paid back." Haha!

So after supper, and after I paid (((Hint hint, honey!!))), we went to Blockbuster and rented "The Ghost In The Darkness". It wasn't a movie that I would have rented myself, but it was alright. The best part was sitting next to this man and cuddling with him. Yes, we cuddled. I barely even knew him, but something about it just felt right. I didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable, despite what friends and family warned me about "Internet Lovers".

He took me back home that night and was a perfect gentleman! He leaned into me and before he kissed me he said, "May I?" So, he kissed me! LOL! I'm normally not much of a kiss and tell kinda girl, but I'm not ashamed..hehe!

We really hit it off and never broke up, well, not for more than 30 minutes anyway! We were engaged 14 1/2 months later, and married almost 8 months after that. We've had some great times, and some really bad times together, but that's what makes us stronger. So, on our 10 year meeting anniversary, I want to tell you, Ryan, that I do love you more than life itself and thank you so much for 10 short years!

New Blog

2008-08-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

I've created a blog about our homeschooling journey through K5! Check it out! www.amandakouvolo.blogspot.com

Maddy through the years

2008-08-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

When my friend's kids throw tantrums, I just bow my head and say a prayer for them..LOL! It's hard for them to imagine Maddy throwing a fit, because they know her now, but here is living proof that "I've been there!"

5 weeks old and adoring her daddy!
8 weeks old, and already a Ham!
15 months old in her favorite chair
This was her sneaky grin! I could always tell she was up to no good when she made this face!
First hair cut. She was born with barely peach fuzz, so she didn't get her first trim till she was 2!
I realized that most of my friends that I have now only know Maddy as she is...a cute, busy little 5 year old girl. I thought I would add a few pictures of Maddy from a baby until now. There are so many more I want to add, but not enough time to go through every set. We were very much into snapping her picture round the clock. She got so used to it she would start smiling as soon as she saw the camera.

She was born on December 12th, 2002 at 7:58 weighing in at 8 lbs 15 oz, and 21 inches long. People said her cheeks were so rosy, so my mom called her "Rose Bud". Ryan and I were crazy and clueless and gave her applesauce at 2 months, which she loved, but her tummy didn't. She celebrated her first Christmas when she was only 12 days old. She went to her first Church service at 10 days old. She was Eeyore for her first Halloween, a lady bug for her 2nd, Dora for her 3rd, a "fancy witch" for her 4th, and Dorothy for her 5th. She got her first tooth, crawled, and pulled up all in the same week. When she was first starting to walk, she would hold her hands up in the air like a mummy! She started taking gymnastics when she was 13 months old, and has become a great gymnast, if I say so myself. ; ) When I took her to her 1st class, they sat in a circle and rolled a big ball around, and Maddy clapped and screamed out "BALL!" She's always been such a great sleeper. She started sleeping through the night about 9 weeks, and until she was 3, she would sleep 12-14 hours at night, plus take a 3-4 hour nap during the day! I started missing her after a while! Two weeks before she turned 14 months old, she morphed into a monkey and climbed out of her crib. I put her in the crib, and shortly after started hearing a bunch of commotion coming from her room. When I opened her door, I saw her standing in the middle of her room, everything dumped off her changing table, and she had two Q-tips hanging out of her mouth like a walrus, and was clapping her hands..wanting praise for her "great accomplishment!" She took her first cruise in 2006, and loved it! She was known as "Monkey Maddy" around the boat. She got her hair put in braids and beads by a lady that lived on the island in the Bahamas. She still asks me when can she get her hair braided like that again! Her birthday themes were 1st: Dragonflies and butterflies, 2nd: Elmo, 3rd: Chuck E Cheese, 4th:Ariel, 5th: Belle, and she is forever changing her mind about her 6th birthday theme! She has never been much of a baby doll lover, but instead she adores stuffed animals. She had two old ragged bunnies that she used to drag around from place to place. Their real name was Peaches, but when she was learning how to talk, she called them "Chi-Chi". Both Chi-Chi's became a valuable part of our family. It was like having three kids, because where ever Maddy went, two Chi Chi's would follow. She drug them when she was learning how to crawl, carried them when she started walking, and she finally quit carrying them when she turned 3 1/2. They were horrible looking by then, but I cried because, like I said, they were part of our little family! We still have those Chi-Chi's packed away somewhere, and as long as there is breath in me, we'll be holding onto those things! So, if you've read this far, God bless you! Maddy is such a special little girl that we just can't seem to get enough of! Sometimes I have to pinch myself because it feels like such a dream, that God would allow me the un-deserving priviledge to be this little girl's mommy! I love you, Maddy Bugg!

~Pretty as a Princess~

2008-08-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to leave for the tea party!
My little *brown-haired* Cinderella!
Looking at the other girls card to make sure they "really did have Bingo!"
The yummy food and punch!

Maddy went to a Princess Tea Party at Chick Fil A tonight. This was her 2nd tea party there. The host actually laughed a little when we walked up, because she knew we would be there. If it involves a princess, we're there! Maddy won a tea party a few months ago from a raffle at gymnastics, so the lady will be coming to do her very own Princess tea party in December! They played Princess Bingo, got their nails painted, had an etiquite class, ate chicken mini's and cake, and had punch. There were lots of little princesses there. Maddy's favorite was the little girl dressed just like Cinderella. She had her blonde hair balled up and everything! My favorite princess was the cutie pie in the white dress! : )

First Trip To The Riverbanks Zoo

2008-08-09T15:45:00.001-07:00

"GRRRRrrrrr!!!!"

Baby Flamingos in the Bird Nursery!
For some reason this one reminds me of the kids song "Matilda Gorilla"
"I've got my eye on you!"
The Penguin exhibit was great!

Maddy and her mommy standing in front of the penguins.
" Surfs Up, Dude!"
My Two Tigers....on a Tiger!
Maddy holding a stuffed giraffe, and standing near a *real* giraffe!
"I'm gonna eat you up!!!"

We took Maddy to the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia today. It was her first trip. We all had a good time, but it was so HOT! The sea lion was being lazy and sleeping, the gorilla was hiding, and they were all sold out of giraffe food, but we did get to see some great animals, including a grizzly bear!!! We're planning on taking another trip there, but it's gonna have to drop below 70 degrees first!

What is snow?

2008-07-31T12:01:00.000-07:00

Our unit study has been on weather for the past two weeks, and today we talked about snow.

So, what is snow? The book says that snowflakes are made of air, water, and dust. They are made in high clouds.

So, Maddy, what is snow?
M: "Snow is ice cream that doesn't taste like anything!"

The Elephant Book

2008-07-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

God made the elephant.
What a huge animal he is!
God gave him large ears.
He can hear sounds well with his ears.
He can cool his body from the hot sun by waving them back and forth.

The elephant has a large nose called a trunk.
He can smell well, but he cannot see well.
His eyes are small and weak.
The elephant can hear and smell danger before it is near.
He does not have to see it.

The elephant eats grass, leaves, and fruit.
He is big, so he must eat much food.
When he eats, he uses his trunk to bring food to his mouth.

The elephant drinks water with his trunk, too.
He sucks water up into his trunk like a straw.
Then he shoots the water into his mouth.
When he is hot and needs a shower, he sprays water with his trunk.

The elephant can do many things with his trunk.
He can pick leaves from trees.
He can haul big, heavy logs.
Or he can pick up just one nut!

God gave the elephant two tusks.
His tusks are big teeth.
He can dig up roots with his tusks.
He uses his tusks when he has to fight.

When the elephant is tired, he may lie down on his side to sleep.
But sometimes he sleeps standing up!

Elephants live in large groups called herds.
They must look for food and water.
If one elephant is sick, all of the elephants stop.
When the elephant gets well, all the elephants will start to look for food again.
Elephants take good care of each other.

Maybe you have seen elephants in a circus.
Men can train elephants to do tricks.
Others are trained to work hard.
God gave you a mom and dad to train you to be a hard worker.

You might be taller than a baby elephant.
But a baby elephant weighs much more!
When he is born, a baby elephant weighs about 200 pounds.
That is why God made the elephants with heavy legs.
God made the elephant just right!

No, I did not just develop a typers cramp in my hand to teach you about elephants. Hopefully you already know all about them and what a great creature they are! I typed that out, because that is the latest book that Maddy has read. We are doing a summer reading with ABeka books, and she read that book today, word for word, with no mistakes! And in case you're wondering, no, she has not ever seen this book before...LOL! We are so proud of her! She is such a fast learner, and it gives me so much joy in my heart to know....I did that!

It's Official...she's a Kindergartner!

2008-07-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

Our baby girl is growing up! She started K5 today, and if you're wondering why on earth we start school in the middle of summer, it's because we do year-round school. We decided to try it this way and see how it goes. We start after the 4th of July, and finish up mid to late May. Instead of taking the whole summer off in June and July, we take all of December and all of June off. Besides, what is a kid going to do in the dead of summer in SC? If you guess sit in front of the TV and become a couch potato, you guessed it right! So why not do something productive and learn? Of course, kids learn every day whether they are in a classroom setting or not. They see our actions and learn from them, which means we all should be the ones setting examples for our children, and hope and pray that we bring them up to know the Lord, and to be a respectful adult.

Maddy did very well. Honestly, the work was a bit tedious! The curriculum we chose is called http://www.abeka.com/. From what I have been told, it's a pretty advanced curriculum, and the best thing is....I don't have to do lesson plans. They put it out there for you and you work off of their lesson plans. What I thought was silly was the phonics lesson today, and for the next few weeks. Maddy has become an excellent reader and is reading on a 2nd-3rd grade level now, so the phonics is nothing but a review for her. She doesn't seem to mind, and we keep it fun, and that's what counts. She has been reading out of her summer reading books and is doing wonderful! She doesn't even need our help anymore. She can pick up most any children's book and read away now! I am so proud of her and the feeling that I have knowing that I taught her what she will take with her the rest of her life is unexplainable!

We celebrated her first day by going to her favorite store...Build A Bear Workshop! Despite my sickies (strep throat and a stomach bug..ugh) I managed to pack us all up and head to the mall so she could build a bear. She chose the Red White And Blue bear, complete with a gymnastics leotard, warm up suit, an American flag, and a gold medal. Hmmm....I wonder why she chose a gymnastics outfit? LOL! As my bumper sticker reads, "Life is.....Never mind...my daughter is a gymnast..I have no life!" And she paid tribute to our country by naming the cute teddy...*America*.

So here's hoping for an awesome year in Kindergarten with the best student any teacher could ever ask for....!

Beach Trip

2008-06-23T08:31:00.001-07:00

I'm just finally getting around to blogging about our beach trip, and I'll add pictures soon. We had a great time! One night as we were walking along the beach looking for seashells, Maddy ran up on a huge crab in the water! It scared her so bad that she didn't want to go back to the ocean the next day! She quickly got over her fear when she realized what all she was missing out on! We didn't do a whole lot, other than relax, because what are vacations for, right? I could really kick my butt right now, ever since a friend of mine told me that they had a Disney Store at Broadway at the Beach, and Ryan and I drove right past Broadway!! UGH!!! We played Bouche Ball just about every evening. I hope that's how you spell that, because for starters, I had never even heard of it until Ryan's sister brought the thing out, and when I just looked up the spelling, there's about 10 different ways of spelling it on the search engine. Maddy was the "Bouche Princess" because she got to throw the first ball out that we played off of. It's a neat game.
Ryan took me out to a place called Cagneys the night before my birthday...good food! The next day, he sent me to a spa. God I love that man!!!! He had arranged for me to go to a spa in Pawleys Island for a massage and a facial. It was so relaxing! When I was finished, the ladies were telling me how sweet my husband was, because when he called them several weeks earlier, he asked lots of questions, because he wanted to make it special for me. I know I've got the best husband in the world. Just when I think he doesn't have it in him to do something like that, he springs that on me....so thank you, my love! When we got back to the house, there was lots of food and birthday cake waiting on us! Maddy had picked out the colors and decorations for my cake...sweet little girl!! There was a rainbow, hearts, and a giraffe on the cake! I got a gift card for the Olive Garden that Ryan and I intend to use this weekend, some collectible shoes from my sweet princess, a pancake/muffin mix set (YUM), Burts Bees stuff (that works wonders), a cute ladybug purse, and two tickets to Biltmore!! I have always wanted to go to Biltmore, and now I finally get to go! Our anniversary is coming up next week (Happy 8 years, babe!) so we are taking an overnight trip to go see this beautiful place this weekend. I can't wait!
We were sad to leave the beach, and we were just saying last night that we wish we were still there. Needless to say, we had a wonderful time, and were able to bring back some pretty shells, sunburns, and I'm still finding sand! LOL!! I have to run for now. Maddy is in gymnastics camp this week, and it's time to go pick her up. It's gonna be a great week for this mama!! : )

She's still our little girl!

2008-06-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

Our girl is growing up so fast and now I understand what people mean when they say that they just wanna put a brick on their kids heads!! She says things that just blow me away and often Ryan and I just look at each other and have to ask the other, "How old is she again?" Sometimes she seems like she is 5 going on 16. In the midst of her big girl talk and actions, I got a simple reminder a few days ago that she still has her little girl innocence. We were driving down the road and she saw a cloud in the sky that resembled something you would see on a cartoon. She so innocently looked up at me and said, "Mommy, do you think that's where the carebears live?" Awwww!!! Our sweet little girl is still there...tucked deep under the lip gloss, high heels, scented lotions, deodorant, and pocketbooks! LOL!

May you always be our baby girl, Miss Bugg....no matter how old you are!

Desperate for a husband!

2008-05-30T05:45:00.000-07:00

We're gonna have to lock our daughter up NOW and throw away the key! I thought I'd share our conversation as we were driving home from Church Wednesday night....

Maddy: "I whispered into Katy's ear that I had a boyfriend and his name is Tucker. Katy told me that Tucker couldn't be my boyfriend, cause she is gonna marry Tucker."

Me: "Well, you don't have to be thinking of that right now anyhow."

Maddy: "I wish Katy would marry her brother, because *I* want to marry Tucker!! I'm gonna whisper in Tucker's ear on Sunday and ask him if he wants to marry me or Katy."

Me: "If you do that and Tucker says Katy, don't get upset, because he might change his mind later."

Maddy: "I won't get upset. But I'll let him know that I'll give him two weeks to change his mind and in two weeks, he better say he'd rather marry ME!"

Me: "You've got a long time before you get married. Why are you worrying about it now?"

Maddy: "Cause I want to know that Tucker is mine! But, whoever I marry, I am NOT having kids!"

Life With A Bugg!

Halloween 2010

It's me again, Margaret..

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday (What I found when I woke up one morning)

Beach Bums

Rock-N-Roll

When I was your age, we walked to school!

Bugg Quotes

Reading

Wordless Wednesdays

Worlds Most Gullible Husband

Coming Back Soon...

Grades

Happy Birthday Maddy!

Out of the mouth of Miss Maddy

Mondays with Maddy

Leaf Jumping

Mondays With Maddy

Mondays with Maddy

*Tuesdays* with Maddy

Mondays With Maddy

Thankful Thursdays...on Friday!

Mondays with Maddy

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday

Monday Mumblings

First Grade

We survived Atlanta!

Our Own Horror Film!

Lazy Summer

Soap

Can you tell she loves to read?

Trophy Time!

Yogurt Feeder!

A day with my Bugg

We won!

Let Me Hold You Longer

God at work!

A funny Bugg!

Love Your Man!

FOOD!!

What has gotten into her?

My American Girl

Yes, I am raising a Mikey! Cause Mikey will eat anything!

Quote of the Day

A party fit for a Princess

Happy Birthday Beautiful Princess!

A Masterpiece!

Pumpkin Time!!

Lucky Ducks!

Three Funny Princesses

All for a bag of grapes!

Calling Customer Service! Are you out there? Do you still exsist?

Disney Tips have arrived!

We saw the magic....and then we cried!

Beautiful Biltmore

Ten years?! Really? WOW!

New Blog

Maddy through the years

~*Pretty as a Princess*~

First Trip To The Riverbanks Zoo

What is snow?

The Elephant Book

It's Official...she's a Kindergartner!

Beach Trip

She's still our little girl!

Desperate for a husband!

Tuesdays with Maddy

~Pretty as a Princess~