Another beautiful day in the Ham. Gosh its always amazing how mother natures wrath can be so mean and scary and do so much damage and then boom, beautiful days to follow. Rick was telling me that the projects in Tuscaloosa were hit really hard and there are actually about 2 dozen misplaced babies. The parents are gone and there aren't family members to claim them. They are being kept at the hospital for now until they can become ward's of the state. My friend Laurie works at our vet's office and she will be helping with collecting items for misplaced animals. she said that yesterday was really sad at work b/c people were coming in to board their pets b/c they don't have anywhere for them to go. Also, some people were coming in to visit their pets b/c they've been there for a day or two and they miss them. Bryan Tate, a friend of ours in T town said that people are sort of walking around carrying suitcases in a daze. Alabama told students to go home. If they're happy with their grades then they don't need to be there to take their final. One of the bus drivers from Bumpus was killed. He was staying with his brother in Pleasant Grove and they were all in the shelter. He thought the storm was over and he said he was going up to bed. He opened the door and bam the tornado was right there and it sucked him up and carried him out and dropped him in a pasture. Alabamians are great at pulling together just as most Americans are. As Rick Leventry says, "tornadoes really do happen here."

Now on to the royal wedding. Again, I really didn't get into it as it just seemed a bit silly with everything going on around me. But I did love Kate's dress and who wouldn't love to marry a prince??? What I can't believe is that Charles and Diana's wedding was 30 years ago. That is crazy to me!! I think Jennie Efinger had a birthday at the country club the day of their wedding. Kate seemed so much more confident than Diana. Diana was so young. Kate has been with William for a long time, she wasn't just thrown into the royal spot light. or the world spot light for that matter. I'm loving on facebook all the sisters picking which Middleton girl they are. Pippa stole the show, she is beautiful and she is the younger sister so I would be Kate I suppose which is fine because at the of the day Kate is the princess!

Goodness gracious, I'm not really sure where to begin. I guess with the major tornadoes that ripped Alabama to pieces on Wed. We knew the weather was going to be bad, we had no idea that it was going to be this bad. Tuscaloosa is an absolute mess. So many homes and restaurants were taken out and there have been a number of deaths reported including students. The tornado kept going and going and going, through Birmingham, pleasant grove and Pratt City, St. Claire and Calhoun counties all the way to Rome GA. Horrible. We were very lucky here as one friend put it God had his protective hand over Hoover. We experienced some power outage but that was all. Debris fell from Tuscaloosa all the way to bluff park and Oxford, AL which is 2 hours away. Maybe more than 2 hours. The state is coming together to donate items for everyone that has been hurt. There are donation stations all over Birmingham and it is awesome to see the Auburn fans helping the Bama fans during this time. I know that sounds weird to anyone who isn't from here or living here but there is such a rivalry all year long with these two schools except when there is tragedy. That is true team spirit. Rick and I being from Illinois certainly grew up with tornado warnings and watches, I remember a lot of watches but nothing ever happened. Here, they happen.

This morning, William and Kate were married. I didn't get up to watch or set my dvr for it. I figured they'd be fine w/o me viewing. I did see some pictures and oh I love her dress! It is so Grace Kelly and just classic. I don't think William will age well, although, I would marry him. :) Harry on the other hand, now he is cute! I think William and Kate are very sweet together. they've been dating so long , I think they'll be okay. Diana was a lot younger than Kate and she seemed to be sort of plucked out of women to be the princess for Charles. I feel like William chose Kate b/c first of all he thought she was "hot" haha and and then b/c he loved her. I can't imagine my sister marrying a prince. wow! that would be crazy. I bet they'll be a lot of baby girls named Kate! One of the commentators said oh I suppose we should call her Kathryn. I love the name Kathryn and having a princess named Kathryn is really neat. I bet she ends up being Kate. My Kate doesn't like her name. I can't imagine! I would love to have her name.

Crazy Storms!

What a crazy day. We woke up to no power this morning. Rick grabbed his Ichabod Crane lantern and woke the kids up. HOover hadn't said a word about school so we had to get ready as if there was school. Kate cannot miss a day or check or out w/o a dr. note. She had to go. By the time she left the storm had passed but the traffice was terrible and there were trees down. Jack and Joe both took the bus but it wasn't long and they called and said, school was canceled and we needed to get them. Crazy HOover! The kids came home, Jack and Joe went up the street and Kate went to see Alex. I cleaned the bathroom, did some yoga and said the rosary. Saying the rosary helps me sit down and take a few min. to just sort of meditate. I also painted some pottery and took a nap. WEird day. Thankfully, we have power again. More storms are on the way and these are supposed to be really bad. I'm sure we'll lose power again. I was talking to Kate the other day about college and such. Rick and I are so happy she is considering a college close to home. She said she doesn't want to miss the boys middle school and high school years. We must be doing something right as parents and instilling a strong sense of family. We were also talkng about how Lauren has lots and lots of weddings to go to this summer and Kate said that her wedding will be very small and not fancy. She has always wanted a small wedding and she said she wants her fiance to wear khaki's and a white shirt, no shoes. She said she isn't wearing shoes either but she said she will have a beautiful dress, knowing Kate and her dresses, I don't doubt that... I love it! I think that is wonderful. I told her if she picked a wedding like that we could give her money towards a house which really makes more sense, I'm always amazed when I hear people spent 40k on a wedding!!!. Who knows, she may change her mind a hundred times before she gets married but I some how doubt it. She said she doesn't want to invite anyone because she has to. She only wants people there that are close to her. She remembers having to invite people to birthday parties and a mother asking for an invite for her child. I mean, really? Celebrations are for close friends and family,  she said, that is just ridiculous, she will never do it again. Love that girl!!!

First flowers from my little garden

I have lots of painting to do! Alabama Goods called again.

When we have restraint, we do not breathe deeply. We breathe in a shallow way, and we do not use our lungs to their full capacity. Thus, we do not oxygenate the blood as well as we can and the nutrients don't get into the cells in an optimal way. The result is that what goes with restraint are aches and pains. When we have aches and pains, we have an excuse not to do what needs to get done.




What is it that restrains us? Often it's other people's opinions or our thoughts that we won't have enough money to do what we want and, as we've seen, our fear of making a mistake. This leads to our not following through, which in turn leads to our not trusting ourselves. Not trusting ourselves leads to our not being able to make up our minds and proceed with purpose.



Can you now understand how restraint can be a disease? It's not a disease in the medical or pathological sense; it's a disease of consciousness.



- John-Roger

menu for the week

Tortellini, Salad & Bread
Grilled Chicken Broccoli & Rice
Wing Wednesday
Italian Beef Roasted potatoes, Asparagus
Pizza

I'm posting this morning  because I'm totally procrastinating with getting on with my day. The play school is out this week b/c of the teachers going to NOLA for a conference. I have a lot to do here but I just don't feel like doing it. Rick is on his way to GA, Kids are at school. Kate had a great time at the lake yesterday. She came in and said she was exhausted. Tonight is the meeting for the 6th graders. Also, today starts a 5 week session of boot camp. I'm starting my Hawaii diet. I'm usually always pretty good about what I eat but now it's time to get serious, like no bloat serious! lemon water, fruits and watery veggies. We are leaving in 2 weeks so i think I can do it! I signed the permission slip for Joe to watch the maturation videos and to attend the lesson about HIV/AIDS. I told Joe that it won't be any big deal for him b/c he has two older siblings. He said yeh, I'm used to Kate talking about her boobs and her periods. haha. Oh to be the youngest. I think being the youngest is best b/c nothing is a surprise and you get to see everyone go through everything and know that they are okay. I hated being the oldest. Oh and I learned that Joe has a little girl friend which when Kate was in 5th grade totally freaked me out. Poor Kate, she has to go through all the freaking out stuff with me and Rick. With Joe, we're like aww that is so cute.

Oh goodness... What a fun weekend. I have no idea what in the world we even did but it was fun, nice, relaxing. You get the idea. I worked in the yard on Sat. I planted, transplanted and pine strawed. The yard looks great and it is certainly on its way to looking fabu! yay! I love that. Kate and Jack woke up fairly early looking for their Easter baskets. They had cool stuff in there, magazines, mascara for Kate, candy, i tunes gc and snacks. We went to 11am mass and Kate wanted to go to 830am but since I just can't do that mass due to bags under my eyes, she didn't get to go to church with us. She headed to Lake Martin to be with Alex and his family. Today is his birthday and the whole family is celebrating Easter and Alex's big 18th at the lake today. It turned out to be a beautiful day. Rick and the boys and I made it to church. We left at 10am to get our usual seats. I always love getting there early so I can see everyone come in. Fr. Fallon did a nice job with his homily and the songs were good. We went to Beef O Brady's for lunch. We love supporting the McCluney's when we can. I took a nap on the back porch, did some laundry, did a little work out and then finally grilled steaks. Kate should be home soon. I know she has had a great day. the boys have enjoyed hanging out at home doing their thang! Tomorrow starts a new boot camp. Lord help me as I pay Tatum 100.0 for 5 weeks! Its working though! I just need to throw all left over Easter candy out with the trash!

Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory Glory

Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory Glory

Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory Glory

Children of the Lord!

As a Christian I'm  truly blessed. Easter is so awe inspiring. Knowing that God sent Jesus, his son, part of the trinity to walk this earth and be human and to eventually die for my sins is almost unfathomable. Believing in this is not always easy as it is something that I cannot see or touch but my faith is strong and deeply rooted and I know in heart of hearts that Jesus will be there on the day I die. My sins will be washed away because of his sacrifice.I'm thankful every day or his pur unconditional love!

Busy Week

This week has kind of gotten away from me. It was a good week, filled with thunderstorms, birthdays, festivals and work. Lauren turned 23 on the 21st. Wow! I cannot believe she is 23. It seems like yesterday she was born. What a night that was. Went to the hospital at 8:30, she was born at 3:28 am. Not bad for the first baby. She weighed 7lbs 15oz and she was 21" long. The biggest baby I ever delivered! She certainly is amazing and has blessed this earth with her sweet heart. We both know how fortunate we are to know each other and not only know each other but have a place in each others lives. Fr. Tom knew what he was doing when he placed all the babies that he placed. Each one that we know that was placed by Fr. Tom and Mr. Penn  are all reunited with their birth families and not only that but the birth families all love the adopted families as well. Lauren and I think that because we all had Fr. Tom in common our families all had a good strong sense of faith and love. That has to be the common denomitor. A friend of mine has a friend who's daughter was adopted 18 years ago. She recently found her birth mother and she left home to live with her. I called Lauren to tell her and she said, oh goodness that is every adopted mothers worst fear. We both agreed that this girl is going about it all wrong. A person cannot just up and leave the family she has known for a person who most definitely loves her but has probably been built up as a fantasy. It will never work like that. Building a strong foundation takes time. It takes baby steps to truly truly know each other. Birth mothers are just girls. We are not perfect and if that is recognized over time, the relationship will grow. Lauren said that in the beginning when everyone is meeting, everyone puts on their best face. lol. It is so wonderful that we have gotten to the place where when I texted Lauren last week and told her I was struggling with putting a seat cushion together.. She said, "and I can see the perplexed expression on your face." She said, " i love that I know that expression!." I told my friend that I will pray for her friends family and that the daughter will be able to find a balance with her parents and her birth mom. It can work. It can be wonderful and so filled with love but there is a lot of give and take and letting go on everyones end.

Last night was the SSC family fun fair. Joe was so excited about it. I rounded up several parents from his class to work concessions. I worked concessions for about an hour. The rain held off which was great. It is so strange because I really don't know anyone up there anymore. I mean, I know some people but now that Joe is in 5th grade and he is our youngest there, there are so many young families.  Joe went home with friends and spent the night there. it's Good Friday, so no school today! Jack had an early morning apt. with Dr. Jaffe His collar bone is healing nicely so we don't have to go back there anymore. Kate was with her friends last night. Alex had an away game in Tuscaloosa. She was able to work a belles event at Wrapsody yesterday. I think she has 17 hours now. She has 13 more to do and then she is finished. I want her to just finish them this summer. I know she won't want to be doing them senior year. I saw one of the peer helping teachers yesterday and she said she sent Kate to Simmons to help with a mediation. There were several girls having some issues and she said Kate did great. She loves working through drama when it doesn't involve her. I hope she continues with peer helping. She is good at it and that is experience that could help her in college and maybe with deciding her career. I invited some friends over for wine by the fireplace this evening. I kind of forgot it was Good Friday when I texted her. Not sure if we'll be doing it tonight. Might have to save it for next Friday. I'm going shopping today. I need a black strapless swim top. I might even pick up a new dress for Sunday. I decided that it was way more fun buying Easter basket items when the kids were little. I'm working in the nursery tomorrow evening for the Easter Vigil service. I love working with Adrianna and I love seeing all of our POP families. We are brain storming about a couple of camps we're doing this summer. Like I said before, we have a great group of teachers and we all enjoy working together.

Good Friday

Good Friday






Behold, the man! (John 19:5)



When Pilate spoke these words on that first Good Friday, he was trying to prove Jesus’ innocence. He had tried him and found nothing in him worthy of the death that the Sanhedrin was demanding. “I have interrogated him. I have even punished him for whatever crime you may think he committed. Look at him now! I’ve done all I have to do. Now leave him—and me—alone!”



But it wasn’t enough. Incited to a near riot, the crowd demanded that Jesus be put to death. And Pilate, forever known as a weak-willed government functionary, caved in.



Two thousand years later, Pilate’s words continue to ring out, only now with a new, prophetic meaning. On this day above all other days, God himself is asking us to behold the man. He is asking us to look at Jesus—wounded, bruised, crowned with thorns—and see him as our Savior, our Lord, and our King.



Yes, behold the man! He stands before you as an innocent victim. Behold this man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, and see the One who bore all of your sins. Fix your eyes on him, and see your redemption. See the lengths to which God went to rescue you from death. See the love of Christ—a passionate love that is willing to endure the cross for the sake of your salvation. Behold the man, and know that he embraced this fate because he loves you.



But there is more. As you behold the man, you are also beholding humanity itself. You are seeing what our sin, our jealousy, our selfishness look like. You are seeing a picture of how sin has marred us. Like the man beaten and left for dead on the roadside until the good Samaritan rescued him, Jesus stands before you now, showing you how desperate and needy we are without him. He is showing you what sin does to you, in the hopes that you will surrender yourself to him anew today. So behold him, and see what he has saved you from.



Yes, behold the man today. Praise him. Thank him. Worship him. Give him your life today, because he gave himself so completely for you.



“Jesus, as I fix my eyes on you, give me a glimpse of the salvation you have won for me. Lord, I want to belong to you alone!”



Isaiah 52:13–53:12;



Psalm 31:2,6,12-13,15-17,25;

knock out roses!

Thankfully my flower fund recovered! I finally broke down and bought four knock out roses to put out front by the house. Rick and I cleared all the garbage bushes that were just yucky and I've been trying to decide what to do there. I think the knock out roses will be great and they're supposed to be so easy to maintain. We shall see. I also bought a carnation plant to put in the cutting garden. I can't remember if it is just a spring bloomer but I figure it will be a nice addition to that area. I bought pine straw from the guys last week but I really need double that amount. Maybe they'll be back out here or I guess I could just call them, they gave me several cards. We had a staff meeting today, I can't believe the end of the year is coming so fast and after next week, I only have one full week with our babies and then I'm off to Hawaii where Vonnie is praying I don't get radiation or swept away by a tsunami. We really have a wonderful group at the playschool. Kara has settled in and everything is running smoothly. I miss Trisha but I know she is happy where she is with her family and Kara has done a nice job making it her own and we have all adapted nicely. I am looking forward to helping organize a couple of summer camps this summer. I love having the kids old enough that I can do that now. Boot camp was tough tough tough yesterday. We did bear crawls and crab crawls and frog hops which I have a hard time doing so I usually do lunges. We didn't directly work our abs but we did something to work them because I can feel it. I can do 30 guy push ups on a good day and I am happy I'm getting stronger. It has taken 6 months to build up to this. I want Rick to take it with me but he is hesitant. Terri has the basketball coach doing our camp now. He said he wants his players to do a camp also. It will certainly whip them into shape. Kate isn't working today, not sure what she has planned. She has been working on Alex's birthday present. Lauren's birthday is in 2 days. Her presents are in my car in boxes. They're ready to ship. She is going to Texas for her birthday and Easter so I'm not rushing out to mail them and I know she is busy so she probably won't have time to check her po box.. April is a busy busy month for birthdays around here!

You are in this world to learn to use the energy of creation wisely in order to bring about completion. An important key to remember is that the energy of Spirit follows the thoughts you hold. Wherever you direct this spiritual energy in the material world, things are manifested.




There's an old saying: "What you fear comes upon you." It means you become a magnet for what you fear, and you create for yourself the very thing you're afraid of. Is there a real source of fear? No. Is there real fear? Yes. It is inside of you, and you are the creator of it. You give birth to your own fear.



Under the energy of fear is the energy of pure Spirit, which allows you to create whatever you want. This is the unconditional loving of Spirit, allowing you to do whatever you will with your body, emotions, and mind.



- John-Roger

Saturday

Yesterday we had crazy spring storms! Goodness!! This morning was picture perfect even though it was a little windy for my taste. I went to bootcamp and had a good work out considering it was 8:30 on Sat. morning. I bought fabric yesterday so I can work on the chair covers and cushions. I love having my sewing machine up and running again. The boys are each at their friends house and Kate just left to go to the lake with Alex and friends. Hopefully today will be a great day!

new crop

Rick and I went to the Law Academy banquet with Jack last night. Even though Kate is in Law 3, she chose not to go. She had attended the previous two banquets and this year she wanted to go to the soccer game. She will for sure be there next year as they do special things for the Law 4 students. Jack was invited because he will be a new law student. There were a lot of the 8th graders there and he has some good friends in the class. 8th grade boys are so squirrley. They had a hard time sitting through the whole thing. We ended up leaving after Amy King introduced the junior kids. I think Jack will enjoy being in law academy. I know it will be a challenge. It is a lot of reading and critial thinking. Kate has enjoyed it even though Law 3 has been so hard and this class is an elective. There are so many things to be involoved with at HHS, I'm glad Jack has chosen something that will help him learn to think and study. Even if he doesn't go into law, it will surely prepare him for other careers. The senior law students handed each 8th grader a tshirt as their name was called. Passing the torch so to speak.

Happy 17 Kate Kate!!

Well, 17 years ago today Rick and I were eager to see what Dr. Crane would say. I was actually sort of hoping for a blood pressure spike so he'd say, "let's get this baby here." Mom and I went to the dr. that morning and Rick went to work. Dr. Crane said the words I wanted to hear. I called Rick, he came home, we packed everything in the car and we were at the hospital by noon. I wasn't induced with Lauren so I really didn't know what to expect. Rick and I got settled in the labor room, he had the tv on, I was lying there with the pit drip. Mom had taken Jayne to get her passport for her trip to France. It was warm and really breezy that day. By the time mom got to my room at maybe 3ish, I was really hurting. The nurse started the pit at 1. Dr. Crane popped in my room and took a look at me and said, "well, good it looks like youre in some pain." "thats a good thing." I was like, yes I'm in pain! Geez. Mom was surprised that I was in as much pain already. Usually these things take time. I know I couldn't look at the tv, it made me sick. I think the nurse finally checked me around 4:30 and she was amazed that it was time to get pushing. Dr. Crane had just left the hospital to work on something for his taxes. They called him back, I was moved to the delivery room and Kathryn Elizabeth Leventry was born at 5:04pm! She was born w/o any pain blockers. It was really an azmazing experience. I'm not one to go on and on about not using epidurals b/c I had planned on using one but she came too fast. One of the things that is so amazing about child birth is that it is so very painful and I really think stress adds a lot to it but it hurts something fierce and when baby is out, it's done. Bam, no more pain! Kate came out absolutely perfect! She weighed 6lbs5oz. Dr. Crane said she was small probably b/c of my blood pressure being high. I just looked at him and said, I dont' think Rick and I are going to have big babies. Look at us! Rick weighed 6lbs3oz and I weighed 6lbs15oz. No way were we going to pop out a big fat baby. I think I got to my room around 6, I had visitors that night. I remember just looking at her thinking, wow wow wow! When they were bringing her down the hall in her little strolling bed thingy, I heard her cry and I immediately knew it was her. Amazing how I had known her cry for three hours and I could already decipher her from all others. It truly was a great day. Rick's parents were in Ecuador in the middle of their peace corps committment. 17 years ago, that was before cell phones and texting and the every day use of email. It was a big deal to call Ecuador! They were pleased as punch to know Kathryn Elizabeth Leventry was here safe and sound. She is named for my great grandmother, Kathryn Miller. My mother is Cathy, who I'm sure is named for Kathryn too but she has her own version of her name. Elizabeth was rick's Grandma Leventry's name and my grandpa Maury's mothers name and also, rick's sister's middle name. I can't imagine Kate being named anything else. What is really crazy is Rick and I almost named her Lauren. I love the name Lauren but I worried that Lauren Leventry was a bit much. Little did I know God already had a Lauren for me.  I know Kate thinks her name is boring but I love it, I can't imagine her not being Kate! 

Homespun fabrics and french decorating!!

I'm Eager to get my chair done although I have to call the guy back!! I hate calling people I don't know. Also, I'm thinking about making chair cushions for my kitchen with the ticking. My favortite looks are French decor and British Colonial. They are both so wonderful for families who "live" in their homes. The perfect imperfections are what make these designs appealing!

blown budget!

I have totally blown the budget this week and I have no idea what I've bought. Welcome to my world... Between, the law banquet, the pine straw, the dr. apts. and who knows what else, I'm out of cash and ready for Friday!! Thankfully, Friday is tomorrow and that is a very very good thing. Spring time is almost as expensive as Christmas with all the birthdays and events and my love of flower shopping. Soon, this week will be a mere blur and th blown budget will be a thing of the past. Thank goodness!! Rick asked why I bought the pine straw when we usually do bark. He knows I just can't say no to someone who really needs the money worse than me and really did need the pine straw. Now, if the steak guy had come to the door, well, I probably would have had to say no. Although, I always find it hard to say no to him too b/c I honestly can't imgaine being a door to door salesperson. I'm just not good at asking people for money. That is why I would be terrible on a charity committee. Rick took Jack shopping last night. I had planned on Kate taking him but Jack didn't want Kate to take him. I knew Rick would not do well trying to pick clothes out for Jack. They ended up calling Kate and she and Alex met them at Kohls. Turns out Jack is in a really strange size right. His waist is a 31 and his in seam is a 26.... Ummm, I think he could definitely use a good growth spurt. Thankfully, Alex came to the rescue and he remembered he had a pair of trousers that he wore a while back that had to be hemmed. Jack has the Metz booty for sure! Now, I have to rummage through his room and find a belt and his shoes I bought him last fall and hope they both fit. He is excited about the banquet and law academy. I just hope he is excited about all the work law academy requires! 17 years ago today, actually exactly today, I was preparing for my big dr. apt. tomrorow. I was hoping it would be my last Dr. Crane apt. and he would induce me. Rick and I were very ready to meet Kathryn Elizabeth! And, 23 years ago, I was very ready to meet the very active baby I was carrying. Lauren Renee was a wild wild baby in there! She flipped and turned and kicked until she came out! Kate wasn't as busy. Joe is home today with possible pink eye. I'm wondering if we'll ever be all better here. Hopefully, we'll hear soon about the pool. Hawaii is coming up, less than a month now. I've been working super hard in boot camp so I'll feel good on our trip. Adding Saturday to my work out schedule should be good too.

Restraint means that we want to do something, but we are not sure how it will turn out. In not knowing how it will turn out, we tend to constrict ourselves inside.




Restraint is where we hold ourselves back from living our life fully and where we won't allow ourselves to move forward because the thoughts and beliefs we are holding onto block us from looking and perceiving accurately. When we restrain ourselves, we go out of balance.



Part of this process is thinking that if we make a mistake, it will be a disaster. But the opportunity in making a mistake is, when we know what the mistake is, we can correct it. When we correct it, we're wiser than before we made the mistake. A mistake shows you what we can learn.



Do not be afraid of mistakes. This planet is full of them.

It was picture perfect yesterday. I think today looks like a carbon copy which is so great! That means, for bootcamp, we'll be in the courtyard and not in the hot stuffy gym. I stayed home all day yesterday and cleaned. I whipped up a good bleach/water solution and cleaned my bathroom, I used a toothbrush to really clean and I found that a toothbrush works great on the beveled doors! I also cleaned my bedrom and really cleaned the kitchen. I always wondered how my friend, Arika kept her kitchen floor looking crumb free. Like really crumb free, I'm certain she was always using a toothbrush to brush out any tiny crumbs from the corner round trim. Mine look amazing today. I don't think that is something I can do every day though. Goodness! Theresa will be shocked at how good it looks, I hope it helps her day go faster cleaning here since I did some hard stuff yesterday. So poor Sugar Ray is gone from dwts. I'm glad Ralph is still there, I just like him and he realy tries so hard and he is cute and sweet. Not sure why Kendra is still there. I'm not a big fan and I really thought she would be gone. Maybe next week. Rick will be home today, Ralph is off to the groomers, Kate is taking Jack shopping for a new outfit for the banquet tomorrow and she said she needs three new dresses. haha.. always! the boys get 1 new outfit Kate gets 3. However, she does have money to pay for some things so that helps. We've totally lost Joe's reading log. this happens ever spring. School should be out like now. Ugh!!!

Stress reducer... I think yes!

Dark chocolate

A 2009 study in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research found that consuming about one and a half ounces of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of stress hormones in highly stressed subjects. Keep in mind that chocolate is high in calories and fat, so be mindful of portion size (one and a half ounces has about 230 calories and 13 grams of fat).

I buy the dove dark chocolate. I love that it has 6 or 7 small squares. I just eat one a day and it is perfect. Now, if Rick finds the bar, that is a whole different story. He cannot eat just one a day.

Pine Straw, the Puggle & More

Had a fairly decent Monday yesterday. It was actually a nice pretty day even though we had some grouchy babies. Spring weekends are always so fun and busy and come Monday, the babes are just zonked! I popped into the Hoover Urgent care on the way home from work to have a strep test done. Mine was neg. Dr. said I either have a virus or my sore throat is caused by allergies. I bought some claritin D after bootcamp yesterday. I think its helping, at least I hope it is. Kate is better and back at school, unfortunately, her sweet bf is sick. The nasty strep bug is definitley making its way through the classes at HHS. Rick texted this morning and said he is back to 100%! yay!! Also said the numbers were out yesterday and with 8 weeks left to go, his team is #2 in the nation, on track once again for platinum performance. It would be fabulous to get that again. So, yesterday afternoon the pine straw guys came by. I wasn't going to buy any even though I really needed it but I couldn't say no. They are so sweet and I didn't know when they'd be back so I just had them put it down. Thankfully, it all didn't blow away in the storm last night. There is some in the grass that I will go and put back this morning. Dancing with the stars was on last night. James Spann was on there too talking about tornaodes and all the hate mail he was getting because of the severe weather interruption. haha. Its not like they don't have a replay tonight of the dancing even though I do prefer to watch it on Monday night. I'm still pulling for Ralph just because  I love him and he tries so hard, but I really love Chelsea. She loooks like Lauren and she seems to be soo sweet and she can dance! I pulled my yoga mat out last night to do some abs while watching dwts and Owen decided he wanted to do some yoga. He is quite the handful but he is sooo stinking cute. he definitely adds flavor to our house and sometimes a smell that's not so flavorful. Found out one of our sweet families from the play school is having another baby. Baby # 5!! We were just saying the other day that it was about time for them to add on. They're building a gynormous house so I'm happy they're filling it up! The more babies our families have the more job security I have which I love! I'm working tonight in the nursery and tomorrow night too. With Kate's college coming up and gas prices rising, I need all the hours I can get. I'm in a great place right now with the kids and I feel like I can add more hours to my schedule. I called the upholstery guy yesterday but he wasn't home. Not sure when he'll pick up my chair. Not that I'm terribly worried about it as I've had it for 15 years with the same ugly green fabric on it. I need to pull my sewing machine out but I know it has an issue with the needle and I don't want to try and mess with it now but I want to make some fun things too. Its a beautiful morning, I'm hoping to run outside today and work in the yard.  whoo! done with this post. it's long! oh ps.... in one month, Rick and I will be in Hawaii!!! Spa days, zip lining, pool lounging, snorkeling here we come.

Senior Picture Preview!

Lollipop flowers. Not sure but I think the leaves and stems need to be darker. I'll have to sleep on it. The word decal I ordered says Dwell in Possiblity and it is 3'x18" and it is chocolate brown.

Spring

I feel like I'm really rushing spring.. I keep forgetting it is only April 10th. We have two oak trees out front that don't have leaves yet and I was getting mad at them! I thought, come on guys, I'm ready for you to be big and blooming but it isn't time yet. Soon, I know soon, they will get there. I such a June girl. I get frustrated with the time it takes to get there. I noticed today I must have kicked up some seeds in the cutting garden b/c I have some zinnia seedlings. Not sure how good they'll do as I have the weed liner down. I'm just letting them to, they'll probably find a way to grow. I took some pictures this afternoon just to document. I realize everything looks rather pitiful. We haven't stainded the deck yet. I'm waiting for the pollen to cease and the area under the deck is being prepped for a patio and I'm still trying to figure out what to plant out front. I'm leaning towards knock out roses against the house. The crepe myrtle was actually trimmed right this year and is doing awesome! I can't wait to see what it ends up looking like. I was going through really old country living gardener magazines the other day, I mean, back to 1994. I love them. You know what is so weird is that there are no websites listed. Ha. Crazy!!! I can't imagine not being able to go to a site and look something up.

Compliments!

Had two compliments this weekend that are def. blog worthy! I was shopping  yesterday and the check out lady told me I looked 29 or 30.. Bless her sweet heart I think we could be friends! Terri told me today at BC that it looks like I'm losing this stubborn few pounds and toning. NOt sure if shes right about the lbs but I think I'm toning and I'm definitely stronger. I figure it will all come together eventually!

dumpster diving so to speak!

This is the vision for the orange chair. Obviously, its not exactly the same but similar. I can't have white either but it will be similiar with a skirt.

I've had a jam packed busy day. Woke up at 6, took the dogs out ate breakfast and then headed off to boot camp this morning. Terri was surprised to see me. Ha! I made it. There were about 10 of us there. The gym was sooo hot but I had a great work out. Rick went to the dr. b/c he didn't feel well and even though the strep test came back neg, the dr. gave him the same prescription the kids have for strep. He has been sleeping all day. Vonnie and I had a totally awesome and successful day. We were going to just sort of do the Pelham thing and hit the stores there but on our way to the gas station we saw that S.P. was having a neighborhood sale and then we popped into a garage sale in W. L. Boom, Jack pot at the one in W. L. I bought a really cute over stuffed chair that is in great shape and is not in need of recovering immediatley for 25.00. The ottoman is also in great shape and it too was 25.00. I was so excited! Then we ate lunch at Zoes and then headed to Encore in Pelham. That store is huge and there is a lot in there that was way too expensive but I did find a really great chair way way in the back of the store. This chair looks like it belongs on the Archie Bunker set but I love it. It has breat bones as they say in the designing world and it is really comfortable. For as old as this chair is it really isn't terribly worn. I told Vonnie I hope noone died in it. lol. Anyay, it was 25.00 and when I have it recovered like the ones I saw in homewood, it will be perfect! The chair in homewood that I liked is 1695.00! Goodness! That is way too much. I ordered the Uppercase Living decal, Dwell in Possibility and I'm going to paint the lollipop flowers on the wall soon. Vonnie also found a super cute desk chair at encore! We decided since the Suburban as stuffed it was time to go home. Kate is out with the photographer working on senior pics. She had a rough night last night with the strep but I think with 24 hours of anitbiotics in her she is feeling better however she missed the ACT this morning. She'll need to make it up in June if we're not at the beach. Joe bought a skate board with his own money today. It was between that or a knife. He and his friend Sam have a knife collection which worries the bajeebies out of me. I was strongly pushing for the skate board! Jack was at his friends all night and I scooped him up on the way home from shopping with Joe. I had a small power nap on my back porch and now I'm ready for the evening which will probably consist of me doing laundry. Always good times here!

Strep is certainly making the rounds in our neck of the woods. Joe is almost finished with his meds, Kate went to the dr. yesterday and she has it and Rick is sick too. He is going to the dr. later. I'm up and going to bootcamp and then out shopping with Vonnie! I'm looking for some chairs for the family room. I need to make that room cozy, its such a weird shape. I finally called the upholstery guy about redoing the 15.00 yard sale chair. I bought 3yds of red ticking for it. Yay! I think its going to look great. I think its going to be a beautiful day, I just need all the Leventrys healthy!!

I really wasn't going to do any gardening this spring/summer. It is so hard here and it gets so hot that I lose interest. Also, my flower beds were a complete mess and looking at them all grown over with dead hydrangeas bushes a rose bush that has gone wild made me twitchy. But then I thought, you know. I am better than this mess. It is not in my blood to just let this go and I always go back to the dream I have of a beautiful yard. That is how I grew up, keep planting, keep trimming, pull out the dead ones, make it new again. What fun would it be to enjoy the fireplace and patio and look at a complete disaster? So last weekend I tackled the back gardens. It took about three days but I did it. I bought the weed liner and put it down. i bought 20 bags of top soil and used all of them. I was going to go all veggie this year, thinking I do not need a cutting garden and then I thought, who am I kidding? I do need a cutting garden. I love the English gardens but the Alabama summers are not like English summers. It is rather impossible to grow lavender here. Lavender is one of my favs and it loves a cool summer and a rainy one. We might have rainy but we sure don't have cool. Rannuculus is also another fav. again, cool and rainy or even just not super hot and they'd probably grow. Can't grow them here. I moved some day lillies to the front. I also moved some of the hostas b/c we are putting a flagstone patio under the deck. This space will be beautiful when its done. It might take me 10 years but I'll get there. So far I have a cherry tomato and a beefsteak tomato in one bed. I was going to do peppers but really, no one here even likes them. I'd love to add baby's breath to the cutting garden but again, it would burn up here. Right now that garden has an Annabelle Hydrangea which is doing well there and in the sunnier spot I put a purple cone flower and a fabulous red yarrow. I'm excited to get back to the nursery to see what else is there. I will keep trying to garden here until I get it right.

I am filling out the swim club ap today and sending it off with our check. Joe is actually excited about the pool. He is never excited about going to the pool so this is a new thing. I'm glad b/c I'm a summer girl and I need a reason to be at the pool. It will be nice to be at Willow Trace again. We always loved going there. It is a beautiful pool and the committee has done a nice job maintaining it. They've made the nonresident fee a steep. But if we were to put a pool in our back yard it would be about 40k initially and then chemicals and inurance and then I would worry about accidents happening. So the fee we have to pay for a summer membership is relatively cheap! Bring on summer. :)

God's Gardening...

This earth experience is valuable for you

because it is the garbage dump, and out of

garbage you get compost, out of the compost you

get fertility, out of fertility you get life,

out of life you get awareness, out of awareness

you get Soul recognition, out of Soul

recognition you are recognized by Spirit, and in

that recognition you become a co-creator with

God

The family is the foundation of society. Love is the foundation of the family. God is the foundation of love.

You can be honest and true to yourself without making anyone else wrong.

Wild Wednesday!

All Leventry children are going to school today. Jack was in bed all day but is much much better today! Joe is jazzed about his SAT party today. I brought the ice cream and goodies with me yesterday so everything is there and ready to go. Kate is tired and very much over school at this point in the year but she'll finish strong, she always does. She is getting her hair cut today, lots of long layers put in it. I'm sure Brittney will do a great job as usual. It's sunny and cool but I think its going to be a beautiful day. I'm looking forward to seeing the babes this morning and then its home for a bit, bootcamp where I will probably pass out and then home and then helping in the nursery at church. I need all the hours I can get these days! Rick Leventry is right! We do have an expensive life. :) All is good in my world and I'm thankful for that. I watched the teen mom finale last night. Oh goodness is all I can say about that........

Totally inspired, filled with love and loving

every single second of it!

whooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so excited about doing some new pieces. I finally ordered a ug paint pen so I can write on the bisque like a sharpie and it will be permanent. they'er expensive but I think it'll pay off. Karyn bought Britches and Bloomers which I'm soo excited about. I love that she and Trish want to add a couple of my baby pieces in there and I'd like to work on some sweet tiles too which would make a nice addition to a gift. But I needed the pen to do it so I just broke down and bought it. I'm also firing Jenna's custom ornaments for her bridesmaids. I'm happy I can do a neat gift for her to give her girls. Maybe someday they'll catch on. the ornament is a precious little keepsake for them to remember being in Jenna's wedding. they're very sweet. I created them from clay, stamped a bouquet of flowers and fired them to bisque. the wedding date with Jenna's new last initial is on the back.

A min. of some quiet. Rick is turkey hunting this morning and two of the three Leventrys are off to school. Jack just said he threw up last night and has diarreah. I know he hasn't felt good the past couple of days so hopefully whatever is in his system is out now. I'm sure we'll get the notice from the Hoover board saying he's missed too many days blah blah blah. Ugh! Poor guy. He's had it rough the past couple of days. Kate has her year review at Wrapsody today. She has really enjoyed her job and I know when she is older she'll look back on everything she's learned there. The managers there run a tight ship and even though its a "cute" little shop, its a shop that is run more like a big shop. I have to sit in Joe's class today for the teacher planning. I think this is the last one. I also have to pick up all the goodies for the SAT party. My duties as room mom are coming to an end soon. Its been a good year. I'm excited about picking up more hours at the play school eventually. Now that Joe will be going on to 6th grade, I'm ready to get out there and work more hours. It's time to shift gears. I've been trying to decide what pool to join this summer. I've gone back and forth from Alabama Adventure which I think the boys would love but I'm not so sure about being out there all day and I've heard its sort of gone down hill and guests aren't allowed to bring coolers into the park which is annoying. So, I think that is a no go. I don't want to do the pool we did last year. I've had enough of it and a lot of the fun people have moved to different pools. Lake cyrus isn't opening again this year which is sad b/c its the prettiest pool out there. South Pointe is too small and kind of boring so I think its going to be willow trace. We've belonged there before and liked it. Joe has a lot of friends in there and so does Kate. Its a pretty pool in a great location so I think thats where we'll end up this summer.  Went to bootcamp yesterday... I think Tatum thinks we are all in stellar shape, we must be in some kind of good shape to do her class. It is soooo ridiculously hard and I hate it and I love it. She is really pushing our class. I asked her how many calories we burned in a session, knowing she wouldn't want to give me an answer, I told her to just guess, throw a ball park number out. she said around 600. I thought, okay, its worth being here. It is hard and I've never sweated more but I always go back for more! I watched dwts last night. Love the chelsea from disney and ralph machio. I thought maybe he'd pick the song from the Karate kid but he picked the song from the outsiders. My guess is Wendy Williams willl be going home tonight. She is hard to look at and she is huge! like amazon huge!

mama's bed

Every time I turn around there is a different child sleeping in my bed. Sometimes Jack is in there, sometimes, Joe and sometimes Kate. I have one major rule when it comes to sleeping in my bed, no school clothes!! Blech. school germs are not allowed. But seriously, what is it out my bed that is so great? They love it. It must have something to do with when they were babies and they all slept in there at one time or another. It was warm and comforting. I suppose its a place where they feel safe from this bazaar world they live in. I would love to have a beautiful bed, not the frame so much because I love our bed frame, but the linens, not so much. I'd love to have all white with lots of different silk pillows and fabulous blankets but as long as there are precious children under my roof, that will not be happening, and that is perfectly fine. There is always time for beautiful white linens, someday, they'll have their own bed with their own children snuggled in there. Hopefully when they come home to visit, they'll curl up in my bed.

When Kate and I visited Ole Miss this past fall, we stayed at a super cute b&b. Our room had a bed very similar to the top photo. The headboard was different but the bedding pillows were almost exact. the girls who own the b&b said their grandmother made all the bedding. Ugh! I was wishing my grandomther would make me bedding like that. It was the most comfy bed I'd ever been in besides the bed in Vegas at the Ritz. Getting lost in all the yummy fluffy pillows was just perfect! So, while I dream of a bed such as those pictured, I know that for now, I will have to be content with my basic bedding. Owen would have a blast tearing apart all those pillows!!

Gorgeous day today. My plan is to work outside in the yard. Kate is off to work and the boys are still sleeping. Jack got a good report from the orthopod. We have to go back in 3 weeks for a recheck. Rick and I are going to Hawaii in 5 weeks and I need to get my groove on with my diet! I think I'm finally rested from my crazy week. I slept in this morning and ahhh, it was fabulous!