I Was Tagged

I've been tagged.... by several!

Annie, Kate, Shelly, and seems like someone else, but I can't remember. Anyway, here goes.

1. I grew up in a town with less than 400 people.

2. I graduated 3rd in my class of 19. I know, that's not saying much, but still...

3. I went to college at the community college in Harrison and got my Associate Degree. I received a vocal scholarship to attend Ouchita Baptist University but the summer before I was supposed to go, I decided not to attend college, but instead move to Fayetteville and manage the first Christian Book Outlet in the area.

4. I'm a procrastinator. I hate that about myself.

5. I was a cheerleader in high school (you can stop laughing now) and the first game of my 11th grade year was our blue and white game, not even a "real" game. The cheerleaders were warming up and doing some jumps on the sidelines and one of the other cheerleaders was spotting me while I did one of my jumps. As I was supposed to be landing, I ended up with the outside of my ankle kissing the gym floor. I was in a cast for about a month after that from a severe sprain. I still cheered even with my cast and a walking boot.

6. I'm extremely cheap. I mean, really. I do not buy any clothing unless it's on sale. I hate getting groceries without saving AT LEAST $5 in coupons. It turns my stomach to buy expensive things. I don't mind purchasing things for other people and in fact, I really enjoy that, but can't stand to do it for myself because I feel like I'm being too selfish.

7. I'm really good friends with my husband's ex-wife, although I think of her more as my step-daughter's mom than the "ex". :) It's really weird to think that she was married to my husband at one point and I usually DON'T think about that because it does sometimes weird me out. It definitely weirds my husband out. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I can't imagine how life would be otherwise.... well, I can and that just would suck!

Now I think I'm supposed to tag other people. The only problem is I don't know of seven other people that either I read their blogs or they read mine that haven't already done this. So, I guess the tagging ends here.... unless you take it upon yourself to tag yourself. Would there have been a better was to phrase that last sentence without using "yourself" twice? Does anyone even care?

I had too much fun on yearbook yourself the other night. Then I got REALLY freaked out when I looked at my 1964 picture and saw MY MOTHER! Oh my word....

Here's me in 1960

Here's me in 1964, aka "my mother"! I swear she has a picture that looks just like this!

Here's me as if I'd graduated with my mom in 1968.


This is me, circa 1984 :)

This is me in 1990... and I DID have that hair do.

And this is the kicker... This one looks EXACTLY like me the year I graduated! I think my hair was shorter, but oh my granny. I should find one of my pictures just so you can compare.

Now, go have fun and yearbookyourself.com. :)

Mike is home - thank you, Jesus!!

You wanna hear the latest? Boy, oh boy, life just isn't boring, that's for sure!!!

Thursday - I tried to go get my van, thinking it was fixed. I got all the kids out of the little car, loaded car seats, kids and stuff all in the van. Got about a mile down the road and wasn't sure I could even get it off the road! It just stopped wanting to work. So I went back and reloaded everything I'd just unloaded from the little car and took off in it again. Come to find out, it was the transmission (like I'd said from the beginning) and thank GOD it's covered under our warranty! So, we're driving the little "gray ghost" for a while longer. You should see us try to fit all 5 of us in this little 1990 Toyota Corola! It's pretty funny, but it can be done, just in case you were wondering. :)

Friday - on Friday afternoon, I was on the phone with Mike. I'd just found a dead possum in our back yard that our dogs thought was their new toy. I told Mike he would be handling that when he got home because I was NOT going to be touching it. He was just laughing about it and I said, "That's just par for the course this week. There's no telling what else could happen. Oh, nevermind. I don't want to know." I swear to you, it wasn't 5 minutes after I said that until Tanner called crying and said she'd fallen as she was walking home from school and hurt her wrist. I just thought it was her being a bit dramatic. Oh no. Her mom came over and thought she better take her to have it x-rayed, just to be sure. That child BROKE HER WRIST!! She's got it in a splint now and will see the orthopedist Thursday to determine whether or not they will put a permanent cast on or if they'll just keep the splint.

Sunday - Porter was HORRIBLE in the nursery! I mean, that child was absolutely screaming his head off! He never does that and I figure something was wrong, but oh my. I had to go get him because he'd been screaming for over half an hour without anyone being able to calm him down. That is so not him and he was fine after we got home, but heavens. That kid can wail, let me tell you!

You know, that old saying "when it rains, it pours" could not be more true. I hate to think of what else could happen, but I tell you, it wouldn't surprise me. I'm not even going to vocalize (or type) anything worse that could happen for fear that Satan could take it and use it against me. :) No, no. We're only thinking happy thoughts in the Langham house today! We're thankful that we had a vehicle to drive, regardless of its age or condition. As long as it gets me from point A to point B, I'm cool with that. I'm thankful that we just got the van back today and so far, it's working like a charm, and praise Jesus, that transmission was under warranty! Hallelujah! We're thankful that Tanner has such a great attitude about her arm and is doing so well figuring out how to still do almost as much as if she hadn't hurt that arm at all. We're thankful that I made some extra money at the consignment sale this past weekend as well as getting Porter and Rachel a few needed winter items. I'm thankful for my friends Tami and Robbie that are doing some redecorating in my house and figured out a way to use what I have and save me from having to buy an additional piece of furniture that I really couldn't afford right now. I love creative people! And praise the Lord, I'm beyond thankful that my husband is in town this week!!!

Today, I got to rearrange some of my furniture and get it ready for my creative geniuses to come back and do some more decorating. I went tonight to our sorority function and had a great time with girlfriends. Tomorrow night is children's choir and praise team try-outs (pray hard for my nerves!!). Thursday night is our Holiday Preview Sale for Mary Kay with my director, which I'm very excited about, and Saturday is a Hogs game and we're having some smoked brisket and will be doing a bit of Hog calling. I'm praying this week turns out better than last. It's looking like it's headed in that direction...

I'm going to start with something positive. This is the one thing today that made me not want to crawl in a hole and not come out. This is our Kids Day Out "Miss Jilly Bean" time. I go into each of the classrooms and have some music time with all the kids. I have so much fun and today realized just how much this kids have learned just in the past couple weeks of me spending 15 minutes or so with them twice a week.

This is one of the smallest "people groups" I have. They are all just one year old and it only takes about 3 minutes, if that, to totally loose their attention. I get about 1 song in and it's time to move on to playing something else. There's one little girl sitting on the floor in this picture that just sits and stares at me the whole time I'm singing. She loves it and doesn't want to move. It's hilarious!

I think I was singing "God's Big 10" in this picture. It's a song that tells the 10 commandments. Ask me any of them. I can rattle those suckers off in no time. So can my kids at KDO! We rock!!

I've got no clue what I was singing here. I was apparently trying to do some sort of face contortion.

A big thank you to Annie for taking these pictures. They are precious and I love all those kids!

Now, to vent a minute. Where to even begin? This past week, I notice my van was on the fritz. Saturday, the gears were jumping. Mike thought he had it fixed Saturday night. He did not. Thought I could drive it through this week and take it to the shop next Monday. Nope. Not in the plans, says the demon of vehicle destruction. So, after being sicker than crap yesterday, my hubby leaves town first thing this morning for the fourth week of travel out of the last five. I think my van will make it this week and we'll try to get it to the shop next week when Mike is back home and I have an extra hand. No can do when I get in the car line to pick up Tanner and the thing starts jerking on me again, push the gas peddle and the thing just revs but doesn't go anywhere, and then the lovely check engine light pops on. I got on the phone right then with my mechanic and said, "yeah, you know how we were going to bring in the van NEXT Monday? Yeah, never mind that. I'll be there in 30." Then before that little jaunt was finished, my car stalled right in the middle of the street at an intersection. There were several, "Help me Jesus" prayers that went up in that 10 second span until my car caught into gear. Our dear friends, the Thompsons, have an extra vehicle which just happened to be at the shop I was taking my van to. So after having them follow/meet me at the shop, I was able to borrow one of their vehicles so at least I would have wheels for a few days. So I left the shop and headed to put my clothes in the consignment sale in F'ville. I was driving a little Toyota car and felt like I was absolutely sitting on the ground and thought my booty was going to drag the pavement at any moment. Boy, did I forget just how much higer up I sat in that van. Hallelujah that I have a vehicle to drive and by no means am I complaining, but that was a funny feeling. Anyway, I got to the consignment sale and realized I'd left a bag of stuff to go in the sale sitting on my kitchen table. UGH! Oh well. I then took Tanner back over to Shelly's (thank you for the stuff! It has been my saving grace tonight!!!). We got home about 6:30 and had a bit of dinner and Porter was in bed by 8pm since that child has only slept for about 45 minutes total today. Rachel was in bed by 9pm. All that was good and fine. Then I got to go to the bathroom, finally, and found out that I have a visitor this week. For the love of Pete. I just really want to find that hole to crawl in. Either that or a few hours of nothing. I mean, absolutely nothing. No children or husband, no phone or internet or TV, no other people - just NOTHING. If I don't get some alone time soon, and I mean, SOON, I may loose any sanity that I'm desperately hanging on to.

Miss Jilly Bean

Today was my first day of doing Miss Jilly Bean at Kids Day Out. It was really fun! The older kids caught on really quick, but there were a few in the "little" rooms that liked to sing, but could only be capitvated by it for about a second and a half. Hopefully before too long, I'll have those kids spouting off the 10 commandments and a couple other verses.

Annie says I need pictures on here. Papaw is probably thinking the same thing. :) I'll get to that soon. I promise.

For now, there is much rejoicing in the land.... Penny is back with Grandma Lynn. Oh glory hallelujah!!