Friday Funny!

One year ago today we adopted our beautiful daughter Maleia. We feel so blessed to be her family. It is a day to celebrate and the best way to celebrate is spending the night in the hospital, right?

 Wrong! Unfortunately Mia has RSV and has become very dehydrated which means she has to spend her special day and night in the hospital hooked up to an IV.

The good thing is we live in a country with wonderful medical facilities who are taking very good care of our sweet little girl. Seeing as it must be a medical kind of day I decided to leave you with this Friday Funny.

Enjoy and have a safe and wonderful New Year!

http://www.vidaddict.com/kid-wakes-up-from-surgery-as-a-mafia-boss/

Friday Funny!

Christmas is just around the corner people. Literally folks, if you look at a calendar Christmas actually looks like it's around the corner. Anyway, I hope everyone is getting in the Christmas spirit. I am sooo ready for Christmas because that means soon I get to start taking all the decorations down and putting my house back together. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Christmas as much as the next person who doesn't like Christmas all that much, but after a while I feel like the house is trying to smother me Christmas cheer.

 There are two things that I love about Christmas though; the first things is spending all my money on items that my kids are so excited about for about a week and then I find broken on the floor under their bed the day after New Years. The second thing is taking down the Christmas while my family is still opening presents. Those two things just scream Christmas to me. 

I'm just kidding. I am enjoying this Christmas season and I hope you are too. One of my favorite things about this season is the music and family. I am missing so many members of my family this year and so I've tried to make up for it by listening to Christmas music twenty four-seven.

I hope you all have a safe and merry holiday season. Merry Christmas to all! 

http://skitguys.com/videos/item/johnny-and-chachi-christmas-medley

Friday Funny!

I just want to start by saying my heart and prayers go out to the families of Newtown, Connecticut. I know as a country we are all horrified and heartbroken for them and will keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

I don't have much to say this week except remember to tell the ones you love how you feel about them and remember this Christmas season that there are many out there in need of love and support. Give of yourself to those who need it most.

Make sure you smile this weekend.

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=KGPLYGNX

Friday Funny!

Our visitors are gone and we are missing family already. It's hard to be so far away from family during the holiday season, but we are doing our best to enjoy the season all the same. I'm not one who enjoys all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, but ever since last year it brings on a totally different meaning to me.

Last year at this time we were preparing to adopt our sweet little Mia. She has brought so much joy to our family and I feel so blessed to have her in our lives. I know she will never see this, but I want to thank Mia's birth mom for giving our family the best Christmas present we will ever get.

This weeks Friday Funny is from my mother-in-law. I'm not sure if it's for real or not, but it made me laugh either way. Just so you know I am not encouraging drunk driving, just laughing.

http://www.vidaddict.com/the-funniest-dui-stop-and-sobriety-test-ever-reno-911/

Have a great weekend!

Friday Funny!

I am having a fantastic week with my in-laws. My father in law is fixing all the things that need fixing. He is also making me a shelf to hang on my wall. It's gorgeous and it's not even finished. I promise to post a picture when it's up. My mother in law is helping my get my home holiday ready. We are crafting queens this week. My kids are loving every minute of it.

I am usually not a huge fan of Christmas, but this year I'm really getting into the spirit. I even have all my Christmas shopping done. I feel so grateful to all those who have sacrificed their time and finances to come help me during my recovery. You have all made the time go by so quickly. Thanks again to my sister Julie and my mom for coming out for two weeks, to my husband for taking the time off of work for a week and for my in laws for being here now. I feel truly blessed.

For those of you who are asking, book two is going to happen. I am finding it harder to fine tune than book one, but please don't give up on me. It will happen and I hope you will love it.

Now onto my Friday Funny. You know I love animals and that I have two dogs, a Yorkie and a Lab. Mack is my black lab and if I haven't mentioned before I'll mention it now, he is neurotic. I love him to pieces, but the dog needs to see a therapist. When I found this clip I immediately could see Mack doing something like this out of fear of being left behind and my kids would be the one to pay the price.

http://uberhumor.com/and-leap

Have a great weekend!

Friday Funny!

It's my birthday! Yep I'm another year older and loving every minute of it. I love my birthday because I don't just celebrate one day, but a whole week. I do this to be sure I am not disappointed just in case something goes wrong on the day of my real birthday. Sounds crazy, but it happens a lot. Take this week, my whole family came down with a stomach flu. It was so bad that we celebrated Thanksgiving today because no one was in the mood to eat yesterday. Sickness is one of the major reasons for the thought process behind the week long celebration. Anyway, today is my birthday and the kickoff of my birthday week. Very excited for it!

So we are going to kick off my birthday week with a video that makes me happy. I love animals especially baby animals so this video has it all. Now, if you aren't into baby animal videos I strongly suggest you move onto the next video. It still has an animal in it, but it is neither warm or cuddly, just funny. Have a great weekend.

http://www.vidaddict.com/kittens-and-ducklings/

http://www.vidaddict.com/how-to-piss-off-a-frog/

Friday Funny!

Still recovering from surgery. It's going really well. The first week was easier than the second which seems a little strange to me, but it's still very manageable as long as I take it easy. I am grateful that my mom and sister are here to take care of things while I heal. They have been such a huge blessing.

This weeks Friday Funny takes me back to my childhood. In 1993 a new candy was brought to the US from Tiawan. They were called Warheads; a crazy sour candy that my friends and I would stick in our mouths and try not to make a face while eating it. The rules of our game stated you could not bite the candy and had to suck on it until it became sweet. I was pretty good at it back then although I'm sure I wouldn't fair as well now.

Have a great weekend!

http://www.vidaddict.com/grandpas-reaction-to-eating-warheads/

Friday Funny!

The surgery went well! So far I feel pretty good and seem to be recovering very well. I have my mom and my sister here taking very good care of me and my family and after they go home my wonderful in laws are coming. We are very excited.

My recovery should take about six weeks before my doctor will allow my to start picking up my baby girl and returning to normal daily activity.

Until then I will enjoy the fruits of my children's halloween labors! Have a great weekend!

http://www.vidaddict.com/round-2-of-hey-jimmy-kimmel-i-told-my-kids-i-ate-all-their-halloween-candy/

Friday Funny!

In four days I go under the knife. I'm a bit nervous, but I'm hoping this will solve my pain problems. The recovery period is longer than I would like, but I'm hoping it will pay off in the end. I'm not sure what kind of condition in will be in the next few weeks, but I am hoping to get book two finished if possible during my down time.

On a different note I had a fabulous Halloween. My kids loved trick or treating and my husband truly enjoyed scaring the kids that came trick or treating at our house. Now, I have to control myself and not eat all my kids candy while putting away the Halloween decorations which if you've ever been to my house on Halloween you know is an all day task. Thank goodness my husband is such a big help.

Now onto the Friday Funny. This is to celebrate the end of my favorite season. This is the type of thing my husband and I would do to scare our trick or treaters. Enjoy!

http://www.vidaddict.com/halloween-spider-drop-prank/

Friday Funny!

I must be getting soft in my old age, but while I was searching for my Friday Funny I found this video. I love this video. It makes me smile and if I wasn't such a tough son of a gun it might have even made me cry. Yeah, I might be feeling a little emotional tonight.

http://www.vidaddict.com/leopard-seal-tries-to-feed-cameraman-penguins/

Okay, so now that I have you all softened up here is your Friday Funny! You might wonder why I find this funny and all I can say is Wendy, my sister-in-law. She hates spiders and just thinking of her watching this makes me laugh.

http://www.vidaddict.com/spider-vs-mirror/

Have a great weekend! Especially you Wendy.

Friday Funny!

I know, I know it's a little late. I have been thinking about it all day, but the day has been busy and this is the first time I've had a moment to myself. We have been cleaning and trying to organize the house. For those of you who don't know I've been having a lot of back pain with sciatica which has caused a great deal of pain when I sit or stand or bend or twist or..you get the idea. It has made writing very difficult. I've been receiving treatment  to help with the pain, but nothing has worked. I have now exhausted all my non-surgical options which is why I am getting surgery next month. Not thrilled about it, but hoping for the best.

 Anyway, that is why I am trying to get the house pulled together. It may be several months before I am back on my feet again. The good thing is I have great family support so I can take the time I need to heal and know that my home and family will be taken care of. The bad news is book two's release date is being pushed out. I am so sorry for those of you who have been waiting for it. It is still going to happen, but like most things in my life, not on the time table I had hoped for.

I have been asked why I don't write laying down and the answer is; I do. It's just not as easy as it sounds. It's not comfortable and it's hard to write when I'm uncomfortable which slows down the process. I am still making progress and I want this book to be the best it possibly can so I refuse to just rush through it just so I can get it out. Thank you for being so patient with me. I will get it done.

Now, on to the Friday Funny. I was going to pick a scary video and call it Scary Friday Funny, but after watching several videos I started getting a little freaked out.Some of those videos are super creepy! I decided if I was going to get any sleep tonight I had better stick to funny. I hope you all have a great weekend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQdpLRocsEg

Friday Funny!

I don't know why, but just the sight of a Jack-o-latern makes me smile. This week for Halloween Wednesday we did a pumpkin theme. We carved pumpkins, played a few pumpkin games, roasted pumpkin seeds, and made sugar cookies shaped like pumpkins.

I am loving the season!


This weeks Friday Funny is a mixture of people getting scared and funny videos. It's a little long, but I enjoyed it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnBW4bJGLG0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Friday Funny!

It has begun people; the best month of the year. As many of you know I love October. I love the weather, I love candy, I love scary movies and I love Halloween. I love Halloween so much that several years ago when living with the best in-laws in the world we started what is now referred to as Halloween Wednesday.

What is Halloween Wednesday you ask? Well, on Wednesday the elementary kids get out of school early so to entertain them  in the month of October we started doing Halloween themed activities. It was so much fun that we decided to continue the tradition.

Sadly, my family moved away this year. We can no longer celebrate Halloween Wednesday with the rest of the family, but to keep the tradition alive we held it on our own and then shared  pictures online of the food, projects and fun. This last Wednesday we did a Ghost theme. It was a lot of fun, especially now that we have Pinterest to give us new ideas.

Last year in October all the Friday Funnies were Halloween themed and I plan to continue the tradition. So here we go...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky2Pc5XNtrw&feature=related

Friday Funny!

Once again I found myself spending most of the day trying to find something funny enough to post today. It's getting harder and harder. I'm starting to wonder if it's just me. Maybe I've lost my sense of humor...or maybe I just never had one. ;) I finally asked my husband to help me and this is what we came up with. I've seen a few of these and I think they are pretty funny.

In the future if any of you find something worth posting as the Friday Funny please let me know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjGk_jU6t5A

Have a great weekend!

Friday Funny!

Who is your favorite fictional character? It can be from a book or for those of you who do not read it can be from a movie. Maybe it's from a book made into a movie. I have noticed that Hollywood does that a lot, make books into movies. I am rarely impressed with the outcome when they do this because most of the time the director takes too much artistic license and ruins it for me.

 An example of this would be Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkbaban. I love the whole Harry Potter series. I even enjoyed the first two movies because I felt it stayed true to the book or at least really close. Then came along the movie of book three, Prisoner of Azkbaban. What the heck! It was terrible. The director took way too much artistic license. I mean seriously parts of the movie looked like a cartoon. I was so disappointed I almost didn't watch the rest of the movies.

I do have to admit there have been a few movies that, although I liked the book better, the movie wasn't a complete train wreck. I have two examples that come to mind the first being; Hunger Games and the second; The Help. I really enjoyed both the book and movies.

 Which brings me to the next question, do you like when Hollywood makes movies out of your favorite books? Does it ruin the book for you or does it enhance the experience? I have often wondered what my book, Celtic Illusion, would look like if it was made into a movie. Would I even want that? Part of me says, "absolutely not", because I remember all the books that have been ruined for me because of this and I'm hesitant to let my creation be tampered with. However, there is a part of me that's curious to want to see what it would look like on the big screen through a different person's eyes.

Something to think about, right? Anyway, here's your Friday Funny.  I hope you all have a great weekend!

http://www.vidaddict.com/honest-iphone-5-commercial/

Friday Funny!

The topic of discussion for today is drama. How do you like your drama? Do you like it online, on TV, or in a book? Do you watch movies to get your drama fix? Maybe you have someone in your life that creates drama for you and that's how you satisfy your drama addiction.

I prefer my drama on the medium side. I like it when it doesn't affect me personally. How do you know how you prefer your own drama? I created this chart to help you decide how you like your drama served.

Rare= You prefer not to have any drama in your life at all. I find that most people like a little drama if not a lot of drama so to find a person like this is pretty rare.

Medium Rare= You like drama as long as it doesn't affect you personally. You like it on TV or in a book, but even then it needs to be mixed in with something else like romance or adventure.

Medium= You like your drama to be personal, either through family or close personal friends. You tend to spend time looking for drama and drawing it out of people. You may even stir up a little drama of your own.

Medium Well= You like to look for drama and make no qualms about it. You like it whether it's close personal drama or drama once removed. You know, like a friend of a friends drama. You tend to get overly involved in other peoples drama.

Well Done= You create drama where ever you go. You make drama up just to feel important. If something dramatic is going on you try and find a way to tie yourself to that drama. When drama is dying out in a situation you find ways to bring it back to life.

Hopefully this helps you next time your out on the town and you want to order a little drama.

Here is an example of Well Done drama.
http://www.vidaddict.com/how-to-ruin-a-wedding-in-five-seconds/

Have a great weekend!

Friday Funny!

I have spent a good part of the day sleeping so I am sorry this is late. I've had a flu like bug the last few days so anytime my one year old takes a nap I do too. That also means I haven't been able to write much the last few days, but that's probably a good thing because if my writing is anything like my dreams have been book two would be pretty messed up. The good thing is I am starting to feel better so hopefully tomorrow I can get some serious writing done to make up for the last few days.

Okay, I have been really disappointed in the funny videos on the internet lately. It would seem that in order to be funny you have to say the "F" word or some other curse word and I try to keep the Friday Funny curse word free if I can. That means no video again this week. Instead I decided to post two humorous items I found and have you vote on which one is funnier. Here we go.

http://www.sawdustcityllc.com/product_images/p/930/4697_1__81010_zoom.jpg

Or

http://ifunny.mobi/#NPGoLm8J

Have a good weekend!

Friday Funny!

Very excited with how well book two is coming along. I've been making some serious progress. For the first time in a long time I really don't have a lot of time to blog because I'm actually writing!!!!

I realize this isn't a video, but I'm having a hard time finding video I feel is funny enough to post.That is why I'm posting this. When I saw this I laughed so hard I had tears running down my face and my husband thought I might be having an aneurism. It's funny, but it's even funnier if you have a dog like this...which I do. So here's to Courage; the cowardly dog.


http://hahafunnylol.com/post/17134422891#.UEEJ-qAdySo

Have a great weekend!

Friday Funny!

I am so excited.My four older kids are back in school which is also helping with getting more writing in. I was also able to get past a part in book two that has been slowing me down.Things are looking up.

I got my first steroid shot in my back. I was numb for fifteen blissful minutes and then the pain came back, but they said it could take up to a week and a half for me to really tell a difference. I will get a series of three of these shots and if they work no surgery will be require, if not then onto the spinal surgeon. Here hoping the shots do the trick.

Your Friday Funny for the week is not a video this time. I found a video I thought was going to be funny and then it went horrible wrong. I had my husband watch it and he said it might be pushing things so I found this instead.  If you know me you will know that math is not my favorite subject. I was definitely one of those people always asking the teacher, "When will I have to use this in real life."

http://www.collegehumor.com/article/6801144/math-youll-actually-use

Have a great weekend!

P.S. If you want to see the video that I didn't use let me know I will post a link, but keep in mind it's a little disturbing.

Friday Funny!

I don't know how funny this is, but apparently I only have a few months left to get book two out. Somehow, I'm not laughing. It always surprises me when I think I've got something handled to find out latter it's not as handled as I thought.Still, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. My characters tend to be a little difficult. They do and say things I don't always approve of. It also doesn't help that I have to writing on my back because sitting is too painful. I will prevail in the end...I hope.

Anyway, this week I have two Friday Funnies. One is for everyone and the other is for those who don't get offended easily. Number two is funny, but just not for everyone.

http://www.vidaddict.com/batman-in-real-life/   This one is for everyone.

http://www.vidaddict.com/guy-in-bikini-does-call-me-maybe-dance-on-chatroulette/ This one is a bit racy so view at your own risk.

Have a great weekend!

Friday Funny!

I'm late, I know. Sorry. I have been very, very busy...looking at Pinterest. I have just enough time to get this Friday Funny out and then I will have to get back to my Pinning. I will be blogging more in the middle of the week because my husband is taking away my Pinterest privileges. I'm kidding, my husband wouldn't dare take away my Pinterest privileges. He knows better. ;)  

This week was my son's birthday. He turned 11 on Thursday. He is a big fan of the Hunger Games series so for his birthday he asked for a bow and arrow which he has been kind enough to share with the rest of the family. We have been shooting at the target we set up in our backyard for the last two days. I'm not ready to take my talent on the road yet, but I would have to say I am improving. I can see why people enjoy this sport.


http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6743777/the-hunger-games-game

Have a great weekend!

Friday Funny!

Back home in Missouri. Had a fun time with family, but driving nineteen hours has really taken it out of me. I will probably need several good nights of restful sleep for my body to catch up. The good thing is between sleeping and writing I will also be catching up on the Olympics that my husband recorded for me. Hurray for me!

In honor of the Olympics here is your Friday Funny. Have a great weekend!

http://www.vidaddict.com/man-does-womens-gymnastics-routine/

Friday Funny!

I'm still in Utah enjoying time with family. I love Utah. I miss my early morning walks here without humidity. I love that it cools down at night. I love the mountains. I love that most my family lives here. I do not love that it's nineteen hours away from Missouri and my poor husband who had to fly back home to go to work. Sorry Sugar, we miss you. I hope you are enjoying your quiet solitude and taking advantage of it to get some rest and do some homework.

I was shown today's Friday Funny by my brother, David. He is recovering from foot surgery so I am sending him a shout out. Get better soon and thank you for this weeks Friday Funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnpTcrtsN3U

Have a great weekend!

Friday Funny!

Sorry I'm late today. I'm back in Utah spending time with family and loving every minute of it. We celebrated our youngest daughter's first birthday. I can't believe how fast time goes by. She is the sweetest baby and we love having her as part of our family.

Now onto the Friday Funny. If you liked last weeks then you will like the first link. I think it teaches a good lesson in treating animals with respect. If you didn't like last weeks than you might want to skip the first link and move onto the second. The second one is just something you don't see everyday and I wish I had these Nun's mad ninja skills.

http://www.vidaddict.com/sheep-attacks-mean-little-girl/

http://www.vidaddict.com/ninja-nuns/

Have a great weekend!

Friday Funny!

Okay, I already know that after you watch this weeks Friday Funny some of you are going to be thinking, "Gee, that's not very funny. Why would she post that?"  Well, here's the answer to why I think this is funny.

I'm in a bad mood!

 Yep, that's the only reason. It was a very painful morning. My back is killing me which made it hard to sleep. I finally woke up at 5:30 am to walk, because walking makes it feel better. The only problem is I have a huge blister on my heel so I can't wear my walking shoes. Instead I had to walk slow, in flip flops on my treadmill this morning. I don't like walking slow. It doesn't feel very productive. Oh, and because of the extra slow walking the pain is still there which means my daily push ups, crunches and other exercises were out the window as well. Grrrr!

I like my routine people. It's what gets me through the day. So, because my morning was ruined and filled with pain I found this funny. I realize this is not very kind of me and I'm sure when I feel better I will feel bad about it, but until then I'm going to laugh wickedly every time I see this.

http://www.vidaddict.com/girl-scouts-painful-mistake/

Have a great, (hopefully pain free), weekend!

Friday Funny!

I have to say that the last year has been incredible. I feel very blessed to have all the wonderful people in my life. Celtic Illusion has been out for a year now and is still selling very well. Book two is still coming along although not as quickly as I would like due to my health issues.

I did find out at a doctor's appointment that I do not have piriformis syndrome, but instead a bulging disc. It took over a year to figure this out which is why I haven't been getting better. Hopefully, with this new info, I will be able to get this fixed and be able to sit for longer than five minutes at a time.

I do love a happy ending, especially if that happy ending happens to be no more pain!

Here is your Friday Funny.  Watching this helped me remember it's not over til it's over and always give 100%.

http://www.vidaddict.com/incredible-turn-of-events-in-basketball-game/

Have a great weekend!

Friday Funny!

It's hot...really hot. Yesterday it was 106 and today its 100. The good thing is we have central air, the bad thing is anytime we have to go outside all my energy drains from my body. It looks like the rest of the summer is going to be extra hot so I guess that means I will have to stay indoors and write.

 It could be worse ;)


This video makes me miss my backyard farm, but it also makes me laugh. Have a great weekend!

http://www.vidaddict.com/little-boy-chased-by-chickens/

Funny Friday!

Still dealing with sciatica, but I have hope that if I never get better I will still be able to enjoy life.

Have a great weekend!

http://uberhumor.com/video-nothings-ever-gonna-keep-you-down

Friday Funny!

This week I have had to ponder what motivates people to do what they do. It's an exercise I use when writing different characters. I will even call friends and family to ask them what they would do in certain situations and then ask them what motivated them to react that way.

 It's a fun exercise, especially if you know someone who is a little crazy and give them a situation that creates a strong reaction. You know, like if you know a germaphobe and ask them what they would do if they caught you sorting your dirty laundry on their bed. Fun times, I promise.

Here is your Friday Funny. I found this blog and had to share. Have a great weekend!

http://www.tarasviewoftheworld.com/2012/04/pretty-on-pinterest-things-that-make-me.html

Friday Funny!

I did not forget. I've been gone all day at youth conference. I am exhausted! I feel like a zombie.

http://www.vidaddict.com/zombie-attack-prank/

Have a great weekend!

Friday Funny!

The last few weeks I've been pondering something and I think I've finally figured it out. I need to let people know my limitations. I realize for many of you this might seem silly because obviously if you can't do something then you can't do something, but for me it's not that easy. I don't like to tell people I can't do something, on any level, whether it be physical, mental, emotion, financial, or spiritual and because of this problem I often make myself stressed and unhappy.

You might ask me why I do this and I've come up with several reasons;

1. I'm too prideful.
2. I really want to be able to help others when they ask.
3. I don't want people to think I'm weak or not worthwhile.

and the last and probably the most truthful reason,

4. I'm an idiot.

I have got to stop pretending I can do everything everyone wants me to. I need to start being honest with myself and realize that sometimes I've not going to always have the energy. I'm not going to always have the strength. I'm not always going to have the money. I'm not always going to have the emotionally or spiritual stability. These reason don't make me weak, they make me human and I need to be okay with that. Rome was not built in a day and it certainly wasn't build by one person.

So if for some reason you ask me to do something and I tell you I can't please know it's most likely not because I don't want to. It's probably because I have realized and am honoring that I reached my limitation of some level.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way here is your Friday Funny! I guess I'm not the only one reaching beyond my limitations.

http://www.vidaddict.com/scooter-wheelie-fail/

Have a great weekend!

Friday Funny!

I'm not going to say much today because I didn't sleep well last night and my head hurts so I'll probably misspell everything anyway. I have had a great week though. Love the company I'm keeping this week. Family is where it's at! 

I do want you to remember one thing this week and that is,  "Don't judge a book by it's cover. You never know treasures you may find in between the pages."

http://www.vidaddict.com/rookie-of-the-year-kyrie-irving-pretends-to-be-old-man/

Have a great weekend!

Friday Funny!

You are as young as you think you are...unless you're old. In all seriousness I must think I'm really old because I'm falling apart. Still have sciatica. I have been trying a few new stretches and I think they are helping a little. The only problem is the longer I sit the more it hurts so writing has been painful, both physically and mentally. I am making progress though. Happy with how things are coming along.

Speaking of old. I hope I'm as cool as this "Grandpa" when I'm his age.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr8a0LiB0JY

Have a great weekend!

Friday Funny!

I can honestly say that it's been a more productive week on the writing front. I didn't get as much in as I would have liked, but at least I got some in. A little is better than nothing at all, right?

For the Friday Funny this week I would like to give a shout out to my brother, Jordan, who after many years of schooling finally graduated with his PhD in Chemistry. Yeah, he's that smart. I'm so proud of you and wish you the best of luck in your new job. This one is for you Jordan, although you probably already know what's going to happen.

http://www.vidaddict.com/awesome-chemical-reaction/


Have a great weekend!

Friday Funny!

Lately I have been feeling guilty for not getting my writing in. I make up reason after reason why I'm not writing. Silly things really, like we just adopted a baby and I'm not getting any sleep, or we have to clean up, pack up and moved across the country and then unpack and clean up once we've done that, but my favorite one is when I sit for very long my sciatica acts up and is incredibly painful making it hard to function for the rest of the day. Yeah, I know, I need to just buck up and get it done. So that's exactly what I'm going to do, right after I finish my blog, clean the house, do the laundry, walk on my treadmill, take care of Mia, and take a nap...wait I'm doing it again.

I realize all these things are good things that need to get done, but if you are really serious about writing somethings in life have got to give a little. You have to be willing to put the time and energy into your craft if you want to succeed. I've decided that cleaning the house and doing the laundry can wait...indefinitely. I have also decided that I am going to have to put another hobby on hold, (baking), if I'm going to meet my deadlines. (Don't worry Beth and Gene I promise to bake while you're here!)

Anyhow,  I love living in Missouri. It's been a fun few weeks. The only down side to living here is the weather. It's scary to say the least.

Have a great weekend!

http://www.vidaddict.com/large-hail-in-missouri/

Oh, and when I saw this it totally reminded me of my six year old son. Love it!

http://www.vidaddict.com/puppies-chase-kid/

Friday Funny!

I don't know how many of you have started a diet just to watch the rest of the world feed their faces with everything you would rather be eating. It's the story of my life. After watching this video I can tell you I feel the same way the monkey with the cucumber does.

Have a great weekend!

http://www.vidaddict.com/monkey-jealousy-experiment/

Friday Funny!

We have now lived in Missouri for over a week. I actually really like it here. The only thing that is starting to bug me is I think our moving boxes are starting to breed. They are everywhere and no matter how many I unpack and break down I still don't seem to be getting anywhere. They seem to be multiplying. It's like a Hydra. I cut off one head just to have two grow back in its place.

Anyway, I wanted to clarify why I am posting this Friday Funny. Our youngest daughter, Maleia, is part African American. She is the most beautiful girl you will ever see and we get a great deal of attention because of this. There is one little girl in particular who loves to play with Maleia and apparently has never noticed the difference in their skin coloring until one Sunday after playing with her she looked up at my husband and said, "Her seen is darker than mine...I think she's going to be black when she grows up!"



I thought this was hilarious because she said it so innocently. She seemed almost positive that you start out white and then grow up to be black or something so when I saw this video I had to post it. Don't take offense because none was meant.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

http://www.vidaddict.com/girl-doesnt-want-to-turn-black/

Friday Funny!

I've decided that after driving 1235 miles with five kids and four dogs in two vehicles, then spending the last two days trying to unpack my life out of hundreds of boxes that I didn't pack with those same five children running around that I don't have enough drama in my life so I've decided to push the button.

Have a great weekend!

http://www.vidaddict.com/a-dramatic-surprise-in-a-quiet-square/

Friday Funny!

This is my last Friday Funny as a resident of Utah. Next time I post I will be living in Missouri and I am praying I am one of the .oooooo1%. http://www.vidaddict.com/this-has-a-0000001-chance-of-happening/


Hope you have a great weekend and watch out for the bears in the forest at night.

http://www.vidaddict.com/what-goes-down-in-the-forest-at-night/

Friday Funny!

This really should be titled Friday Awesome Video instead of Friday Funny. After watching this I can honestly say I live life on the very safe side unless you consider buying a house an extreme sport.

Have a great weekend!



http://www.vidaddict.com/people-are-awesome-2011/

Friday Funny!

On Monday I will be saying good bye to my house and staying with my in-laws for a few weeks until we can move to Missouri. I have to say I am a little sad. I have loved living this close to my parents, (they only live a few houses away). I love the people in my neighborhood. The only thing I'm not going to miss is the monstrosity they built on the property behind my house. It's not so bad now that all the construction is done, but during construction I would have like to have thrown more than just dirt.

Have a great weekend!

http://www.vidaddict.com/gorilla-throws-dirt-at-zoo-workers/
 

Friday Funny!

The first video really isn't funny, but I thought it was pretty cool. The second one is your Friday Funny. I hope you all have a great weekend.

http://www.vidaddict.com/japanese-tron-lightsuit-dance-routine/

http://www.vidaddict.com/epic-water-bucket-prank-backfire/

Waiting For the Stars to Align

The last eleven months have been insane.  I was able to release Celtic Illusion, my first novel, the last week in June of 2011, and then three weeks later we ended up with a beautiful four day old baby girl who we adopted in December.  We love having Maleia as part of our family. She is a blessing in our lives and I can't imagine my life without my little, "Mia".

Both have been exciting, but exhausting experiences and I was ready to get back to a somewhat normal routine, but this was not going to be the case because in January 2012 my husband got a new job which required him to move to Missouri leaving me behind with five kids and a house to sell. (Thank goodness for Cargill who is buying it from us if we can't find a buyer this month. I love this company!)  We will be following behind soon, but at times it doesn't feel soon enough.

The question I want to know is after all these life changing events when does one find time to write. Well, let me tell you, "one", doesn't. It's been so crazy I've been lucky to remember to pay the bills, feed our pets and help my kids with their homework. Thankfully the older kids know how to feed themselves.  ;)

If you can imagine life with a newborn, (for the first four months she woke up every hour and a half), leaves little time to sleep let alone time to write and exercise. I do have to sleep sometime people. I love being a mom though and so I have been more than happy to let things slide for a while, but enough is enough. I am starting to run out of clothing that fit and I miss my time with my characters.

So, now that I've bored you to death with all my whining are you ready for some good news? Here it goes, I am very pleased to announce that I have a time frame for the release and title of book two.

Book Two, Celtic Shadows, will be released Fall 2012!

Thanks to everyone for their love and support.

Friday Funny!

Yesterday my daughter decided she wanted to make cookies. I love cookies so of course I indulged her. We found a new recipe on Pintrest called Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Shortbread cookies. It was a fast easy recipe. I baked them last night, but it was so late my kids didn't get to try them so I let them have one this morning.

Here is my youngest son Gavin's reaction: "These cookies taste like dirt."
Me: "Really, I didn't think they tasted that bad. I thought they were pretty good."
Gavin: "Well, they taste like peanut butter and chocolate, but it feels like I'm eating dirt."
Me: "That's because it's a shortbread cookie. They have a little different texture then regular cookies. It will probably just take you a while to get use to their texture is all."
Gavin: "I don't know, Mom. I don't think I'll ever get use to eating dirt; even if it taste like peanut butter and chocolate. Will you finish it for me?"
Laughing out loud I took the cookie and ate the last two bites. 
Me, "Well, Gavin I guess that's the difference between you and me because as long as my dirt tastes like peanut butter and chocolate I'll eat it with a smile.

What I really wanted to say to him was, "When I was young we ate our dirt  and were grateful to have it", but I decided he might actually believe me and try to eat dirt. Generation gaps can be funny. Here is a video showing another type of generation gap. It's almost too painful to watch if you know how much an ipad can cost.

http://www.vidaddict.com/what-grandpa-does-with-his-ipad-gift/

Have a great weekend!

Friday Funny!

Hey folks this week has been a week of reflection on how it felt to be the new kid in school. I've been trying to teach my kids to treat others how they would like to be treated and that even if you think someone is weird looking or is different from you everyone has something to offer. Like this kid,

http://www.vidaddict.com/boy-drops-sick-beat/


Have a great weekend!

Friday Funny!

Apparently my life will never be as hard as this guys...at least I hope not.  Have a great weekend!

http://www.vidaddict.com/best-answer-to-a-question-ever/

And The House We Chose...

We chose house number 3. The price couldn't be beat for the size, location, and condition. We love the charm of the house and although we wanted land with gas prices going up the commute of house one wasn't economical.

We put in an offer yesterday and after several counter offers we settled on the price of $114,000.00. Like I've said many times before, I love a good deal.

House Hunters Marshall Style

Okay folks this is it. We are down to the final three choice. A few things have changed since I last blogged. One, we are no longer looking in Sedalia. Two, because of some issues we are facing with the relocation company we are no longer considering the older home although after looking at them this isn't a problem. Pictures are very deceiving peope. Beautiful homes with a whole lot of work attached to them.

So that leaves us with homes in Marshall. This should make several peope happy because they liked the idea of the Marshall family living in Marshall. Here are the the final three choices. No decisions have been made yet so these all still open to comments and we would love to hear what you think.

House #1 Acreage we have always wanted.

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/21947-Lime-Ave_Marshall_MO_65340_M81362-80321?source=web


This home is large with a huge master room and closet,but it does have a lot of updating to do. It sits on three acres which is something we have always wanted. It has a walk out basement that needs to be finished and seemed to have experienced a bit of water damage in the basement. The house is not our favorite color and it is at the very top of our budget.

House #2 Attractive Rambler on a quiet cul-de-sac

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/821-Sunrise-Ct_Marshall_MO_65340_M74336-14986?source=web

This is a beautiful home with a great master suite and fabulous addition added to the back of the house to be used as a family room. It's well taken care of with a fireplace upstairs and one in the basement. The basement is not finished, but has been started. The downsides are once again it's in at the top of our budget, you can see the kitchen from the front door, and it's only three bedroom so we would have to finish one in the basement fairly soon.

House #3 Charming updated home with great price

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1460-S-Salt-Pond-Ave_Marshall_MO_65340_M71984-93700?source=web

This is a cute home with a lot of character. The price is great and it has a ton of closet space through out the house. The kitchen needs a refrigerator and new stove, but all the cabinets are in great shape. The flooring is new through out the house and one of the rooms upstairs is large enough for all three of my boys to share or for a large master bedroom. The basement has two rooms that are finished minus the flooring so we could have five bedrooms in all. This home has a really good feel to it, but it feels a little small even thought it has well over 2400 square feet. The price of this home is excellent for the condition and the lower house payment would leave extra money in our budget.


There you are folks. Those are the three houses we are considering. I cannot get the links to work so you will have to copy and paste them into your address bar. Let me know what you think and then once everything is all said and done we will tell you which one we end up buying.

Friday Funny!

As part of getting ready to move I've had to sell my Gold's Gym membership. This is a sad thing for me because I know if I don't get a treadmill soon this is going to be me...except in the female form of course. Have a great weekend!

http://www.vidaddict.com/fat-guy-vs-soccer-ball/

Nothing Says Love

Valentine's Day is a wonderful day for some and a horrible day for others. I have had some of both. I find it interesting what people do to celebrate the day. I know some call it single awareness day and celebrate being single while others go all out to celebrate with a special person in their life. My sister's husband who lives in Texas while she lives in Utah, (it's a long story), sent her chocolate covered strawberries which she shared with me. They were divine, so a big thanks to you Dale. You rock!

My in-laws dropped off a pizza from Papa Murphy's shaped like a heart for my family. I can't tell them enough how much I appreciated that today. It was a lifesaver because we have been working on the house to get it ready to put on the market.

My children all brought Valentine's to school and exchanged them with their fellow classmates and had a wonderful day reading and eating the treats they brought home from their school parties.

My husband on the other hand got me absolutely nothing, which is exactly what I wanted. I know some of you are thinking he should have gotten me something even if I told him not to, but he's smarter than that. You see I love to get a good deal. I love to get things on sale and I love to bargain shop so my husband is under strict guidelines not to buy me anything until the day after Valentine's Day when everything from candy, flowers, stuffed animals and other wonderful items are half off or more. Nothing says love to me like a fifty percent off tag.

You would think my husband would be thrilled with this, but at first he struggled. He loves buying me things and celebrating holidays. He felt like he was being a bad husband by not buying me something that day, but to me if he waits he can spend the same amount and get double the stuff. I don't see the downside at all and now that we've been married thirteen years and with five kids he's not complaining anymore either.

I'm not suggesting that everyone do this. There is nothing wrong with buying something before the holiday and celebrating it that day, but I'm cheap and I know it. I realize some people struggle with my thriftiness so I don't suggest men do this unless your wives are okay with it and that goes both ways for the women out there.

I hope that everyone out there had a great Valentine's Day today because I plan to have a wonderful one tomorrow.

Friday Funny!

My dad loves Bill Cosby. I was raised on this stuff, but I never truly appreciated it until I had my own children. I now not only appreciate it, but I am living it. I used to be a beautiful woman...until I had children ;) 

Enjoy! Have a great weekend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyMSc97UksM&feature=related

Narrowing It Down

For those of you who don't know I am moving. Yep, it's true. I am moving to Missouri. I have lived my whole life in three states all of which reside in the west so moving to the middle of the country is going to be an adventure to say the least. This is one of the many reasons book two has yet to make it to publication, but don't worry I am still working on it and I do hope to have it out this year.

Now back to the situation at hand. My husband and I will be flying back to Missouri on a house hunting trip and for those of you who don't follow me on Facebook I have decided to do this trip House Hunter style, like the show on HGTV, for those of you who have no idea what I am talking about. My husband and I love that show and think it will be fun to let all of you vote on which house we should pick. The problem we are having is there are so many houses we are considering we need to narrow it down and I am hoping you will give your input.

This is how it will work. I will list the houses we are looking at by town, and yes there are multiple towns we are considering, and give each house a number. After you have gone through and looked at all of them please comment and let me know your vote. Here we go.

Marshall, Missouri
1. http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/951-S-Redman-Ave_Marshall_MO_65340_M88084-70032?source=web

2. http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/664-S-Odell-Ave_Marshall_MO_65340_M81448-58764?source=web

3. http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/608-E-Yerby-St_Marshall_MO_65340_M73808-78237?source=web

Sedalia, Missouri

4. http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/30741-Summers-Dr_Sedalia_MO_65301_M79493-49065?source=web

5. http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/24201-Smasal-Rd_Sedalia_MO_65301_M88604-75343?source=web

6. http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2018-Fairview-Ct_Sedalia_MO_65301_M87243-25490?source=web

7. http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/19724-Ridge-Crest-Pl_Sedalia_MO_65301_M76474-96306?source=web

8. http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/19015-Butterbaugh-Ford-Rd_Sedalia_MO_65301_M72663-40949?source=web

9. http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2614-Stephenson-Ave_Sedalia_MO_65301_M76378-89060?source=web

Gilliam, Missouri

10. http://www.homes.com/listing/156594789/GILLIAM_MO_65330

Friday Funny!

Here's a little something to think about. I hope you all have a great weekend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5bbvMR8Ee4

Friday Funny!

Do we really only use 10% of our brain? Is our blood really blue? Watch this video and it will enlighten you...and maybe creep you out!

Have a great weekend.

http://www.vidaddict.com/10-misconceptions-rundown/

Friday Funny!

For those of you who read my last blog entry I wanted to let you know that I was able to convince my husband to drive to Maverick and get me a cookie. He came home with not only one cookie, but every type of cookie Maverick's baking department was selling at the time...I love that man! I chose to eat the No Bake Cookie first and I have to say it actually made me feel better. As for the other cookies, I chose to save those and share them with my kids who were very grateful to my husband as well because who doesn't love cookies for breakfast. ;)

I am posting this video today in honor of my husband. You're my hero honey. I love you so much!

http://www.sportsmashup.com/2011/10/hitler-isnt-pleased-that-byu-is-not-big.html

Random Thought...or Maybe It's a Question

I have not been feeling well the last few days. Nothing serious just headache, nauseated, congested...you get the picture. This normally wouldn't be a problem except I had to clean the house for our home inspection to renew our foster care license.Those who know me know I hate cleaning when I'm well so cleaning sick is not my idea of a good time. Let me say that I love my sister for helping me and my kids for doing their part as well. The inspection went well and we are now licensed for another year. (And now I have to go out to the car and bring in the four trash bags full of laundry I didn't get a chance to fold...yes I'm being serious.)

So here's my random thought. I woke up this morning feeling tons better, but by noon I was sick again. Tonight I am still not one hundred percent, but better than yesterday. I am still nauseated, but the weird part is I'm craving cookies. How is that possible? I'm sick and the thought of eating makes me even more so, but I still want cookies. Too weird.

Now I have to decide if I should go to Maverick and buy a cookie at ten o'clock at night and risk becoming even more nauseated or just go to bed.

So what will I do? I guess you'll have to check back and see.

To Be Continued...

Great Advice?

Has anyone in your life ever given you advice or said something to you that actually changed your life? I've been thinking about that today and I have thought of a few sayings that have changed my life even though at the time it was hard to hear...and even a little hurtful.

1. "You're not special!"
This is by far my favorite. My dad said this to me when I was about eleven. My mom had made me an outfit for school and my best friend wanted to barrow the pattern so her mom could make her one. I was not happy. I threw a huge fit because if she had the same outfit as mine I wouldn't be special. This is when my dad broke in with, "you're not special!" Kind of harsh I know and I know he didn't mean to say it that way he just wanted me to stop complaining, but it actually has helped me in life. I am special to many people, but what I got out of it was life doesn't owe me any favors. I have to work for what I have and most importantly I am not the only one in the world with pains, sorrows and troubles. We all have to deal with our own burdens.

2. Let Go and Let God.
This one is from my mother-in-law. I love this saying because I used to be and still can at times be somewhat of a control freak. I just knew if I wasn't in control every little thing in my life everything would have fallen apart. After hearing this saying and having her explain what it meant I felt so much better. It means I have to do my part, but after I've done everything I can I have to let go and allow God to take me the rest of the way. I know a lot of people who struggle with this because it takes a large amount of trust and faith, but for me it allowed my to relax a little and enjoy life more.

3. Do you know how much a judge makes? 
This one is from my mom. It was her way of warning me to stop judging others. She asked me one day after I had been particularly judgmental, "Do you know how much a judge makes?" I told her no. She then smiled at me and continued, "I believe they make a good deal of money and everyone has to listen to what they say." She then looked me right in the eyes and finished with, "Right now you're doing it for free and no one's listening." That's all she said, but it hit home loud and clear.

4. You are not a victim.
I don't remember who said this to me. My sister said Oprah used to say it, but I'm positive I heard it somewhere else. I am not a victim. I am and continue to be the result of the choices I make in my life. I really like this. It makes me take responsibility for my life and not blame others for my hardships.

These are just a few, but all of them have had an impact in my life. Do you have any sayings I can add?

Friday Funny!

It's almost the Super Bowl!!!! I am so excited and I don't even care who's going to be playing in it. I am excited for the commercials. I love to laugh and I am hoping if this commercial didn't make the cut it's because the other ones are super funny. Here's a little taste of things to come... I hope. Have a great weekend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3usaGfn7r0w

Friday Funny!

 It's been a great week. I had a major break through in book two. I am so excited about it, but most of the week I've just been enjoying my sweet baby girl. I promise to get some serious work done tomorrow, but until then I hope you enjoy watching this baby as much as I enjoy being with mine. I hope you all have a great weekend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Nj1pf5fY7g