OK, HERE'S THE DEAL.....I NEED HELP

***** 1:00 PM
I am so excited...Keep the suggestions coming. I have an entire afternoon and evening free, fire roaring, candles burning, lifetime movies tivoed, to look through all the blog sites and read blogs. My husband is out of town on business, the little ones are all at their own homes, staying warm and getting well, so it's a ME day. Now if I can just think of some great food from a place that delivers. Hopefully I will get to drop by and visit you today...

For the past month I have gone from one blog designer to another's website, looked at more blogs that I care to admit and am still no closer to finding the NEW LOOK that I want. MAYBE that's because I do not know exactly what I want. I NEVER dreamed there were so many designers. And on practically every site I LOVE something. I have kept a file of what I like and what I don't. BUT NOW I am ready to FIND SOMETHING THIS WEEKEND. I need your help.....

I need you to help me to find the perfect design. I love the scrapbook designs, I love the simple looks, I love the very unique sites. I love the bells and whistles that I see on other blogs. I want great pictures. I love RED! I love GREAT font, but easy to read and on and on.(confession...I know so little about blogging that you would laugh)
If you are a designer, I would love to hear from you. I will not only pay you, I will do an entire post on your blog design business.
If you are a blogger, send me your ideas.....the biggest problem is that I LOVE TOO MANY THINGS.
SO, I want YOU to submit blog designers that you LOVE. I am not smart enough to use the free ones that I have to put together myself. I even want you to look through their portfolios and send me examples that you think would fit my BLOG. There will be a PRIZE TO THE BLOGGER that helps me the most and submits a site and designer that I USE. I have packages to mail next week and would love to mail you one. I am home all weekend, so send me some suggestions........You know my personality, my message and my blogging style.

And on a side note, my husband had some heart tests this past week.We got a call yesterday that there were some abnormal readings on it. So we need to meet with the doctor on Monday. He had a quadruple bypass 18 years ago and has never had another problem, but we are ALWAYS anxious when he has his check-up. So your prayers would be so appreciated. Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

ALL I EVER WANTED TO BE

Dear Greg,

At just about this time, late on a Monday afternoon, 30 something years ago, you made me all I ever really wanted to be

A MOM

What can I say without embarrassing you.... You were the first EVERYTHING. You were the first grandchild, the first boy in a long time.

Meme and Gramps really loved you. I had NEVER seen Daddy show any physical affection EVER until you were born. You melted his heart and I think that continued through the rest of his life. You speaking at both their funerals was only fitting and made this MOM so proud.

THIS past year I got to see you be all that you have EVER really wanted to be...A DAD! So many emotions, as I saw you meet your BOY, which was a long awaited dream come true for you. It was a day of joy and then it quickly became a day of fear. I saw your lips quiver and your eyes fill with tears as you told me they were transferring Grayson to another hospital because they had a state of the art NICU. I met the ambulance, as you made your way across town, hating to leave Dana, but knowing you had to be with your new little man. I remember a scared Daddy asking the NICU doctor details about his little ones situation. And forever I will remember our walk out to the car after midnight that night and you putting your arm around me and telling me you had listed Denny and Johnny as your pastors, in case they needed to call one. That said it all to me...you feared you might loose your baby. Thank God that did not happen and today Grayson is perfect, after just a bump in the road. And I know that you know, God answers prayer. But this Mother's heart hurt like never before for you that night.

For 10 years I had watched you be the worlds greatest UNCLE, AKA UNC to Parker. I always laughed when Parker would call your work and ask for UNC! And even funnier, the receptionist knew who he was talking about. When Amanda was a young teenage Mom, you made your Mom more than proud. You made stepping up to the plate more than words. You filled in EVERY blank, every time. What great male role models Parker has and still has. I will always remember your unbelievable generosity to Amanda. If she had a need, you met it and did it with joy. The time you invested in Amanda and Parker, never went unnoticed.

Then you became a step dad to Austin, though no one would ever know that he was not your biological child. Again you filled in the blanks in his life and fell madly in love with him. You are every little boy's dream.

Making their lives fun is your top priority. If there is any gaming device or game that Austin and Parker don't have, its because it has not been released yet. If there is a movie that's out, they have seen it. To those boys YOU ARE THE BOMB.

And now this year in your life, Grayson arrives. He is a lucky boy to have you as his Dad...and equally lucky to have his sweet and beautiful Mom. You really won the lottery when Dana entered your life.

You are more like Dad everyday and that's a GOOD THING. You are less like me and that's a good thing, though our sense of humor is a lot alike.

Happy Birthday to one of the BEST GIFTS WE ever received. Dad and I are SO PROUD OF YOU.

I love you, Mom

SOME SNAPSHOTS THAT MAKE MY HEART SMILE

Random Things That Make Me Happy

I have seen this on several blogs and loved reading what makes others happy, so thought I would give it a shot today....if for no other reason than to count my blessings. I would love for you to share with me 3 random things that make you happy!
I will give you a few more than 3 .....

a grandsons hug (am about to get one)

great sheets

fine hotels

good football

errands FINISHED

an hour of free time in a book store

the mail ...I love a good letter or a new catalog

cold weather

planning a trip (that's the best part of it)

several hours of uninterrupted blogging time

a new set of nails

people watching in airports

a roaring fire (have one right now)

candles burning in every room of the house (happening now)

freshly vacuumed house

great coffee

a massage

an entire day in pajamas (today is one of those)

a clean car (high priority)

an all day card day with the girls

great baked potato soup

new pajamas (that's a post in its self)

a great movie with my husband in the middle of the afternoon

knowing I have a GOOD nine or ten hours that I can sleep!

a great book and time to read

Ok..its your turn....tell me the first three things that come to mind..

AS FOOTBALL 2009 COMES TO A CLOSE, THE WINNER IS

NOT the WINNER IS, the WINNERS ARE! How could I stop at one on such a MONUMENTAL NIGHT!
It took me awhile to go through all the entries and find just SAINTS entries and then give each the right number of entries. The I had to wait on my main man, Parker, to draw. He had hurt his toe over the weekend. It began to hurt so bad at school (probably his shoes) that he had to come home and have it checked out by the doctor. Not broken, but he has this funny shoe he has to wear. It has been a rainy and very dreary day here...Baby Jack is still home sick. Amanda and I both feeling like we might be getting sick. I am SO ready for the sick season to be over. So sorry it has taken me all day to get this done. I so wish that everyone could have won.
THE SUPER BOWL GRAND PRIZE WINNER IS Mary Kate @ The Webb Family
the 2 runner ups are, or the second draws as Parker would say are Thoughts of a Bama Belle and Gloria @ Happy To Be !
As soon as I receive your mailing address, your package will be on the way....Congratulations.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SAINTS. The more I read about Drew Bree's, the more I see what a class act he is. And he had his GAME on yesterday. What a precious picture. Talk about touching my heart.

There were 13 entries that could have been winners. I plan to list all those blogs over the next few weeks so you can visit them. The other 10 bloggers will automatically get 5 entries each in the first anniversary prize that I give next week. Some of them I know, others are new to me. I love connecting PEOPLE to PEOPLE. So be looking for a post on SATURDAY or SUNDAY starting the 2 weeks of gifts and more gifts...I want to bless as many people as possible. You have sure blessed me. FEBRUARY 14th will be my ONE YEAR BLOG ANNIVERSARY.

I had hoped to have a new design up by then, but I still cannot decide for sure what look I want. I have narrowed it down to 50 or 60. I can hardly believe that it has been a year. I well remember the long debate with myself about whether I had time to blog, had anything to write about and had anyone that would ever read it. February 14th will begin 2 weeks that will be full of fun and prizes in appreciation for all my NEW FRIENDS and even followers (though I don't really get that...How could 444 plus be following me? and where?) Regardless, I am VERY THANKFUL. This will be my 118th post and I have another blog that has 60 posts on it. So that means within one year I have written 178 posts, with lots of pictures...and I have over 700 followers on the two blogs...For a girl that was not sure, blogging has taken me by storm and shock.

I am still amazed everyday. I have made so many new friends...Friends I am absolutely sure I would know if I ran into them in the mall. I have been blessed more than you can know, I have been touched, I have been moved to tears many times, I have been amused, I have been moved to help someone, I have been moved to pray, I have been admonished and spurred on to make better decisions. There are still so many things I cannot do, blog wise and some that I do in such a weird way that what takes me 2 hours, you could do in 10 minutes. I am embarrassed to even tell them. How I wish I could find someone to give me a one day blog course and teach me all the neat things that most of you do. But until I find that person, I will struggle along!

MORE THAN A GAME

Laptop on my lap, have watched 8 hours of all the pregame shows and interviews (and my team is not playing) and still chill bumps when it all begins. First off, we would normally be at our annual friends Super Bowl Party, but yesterday I was taking Bella (our year old cocker spaniel) out on her leash and somehow she decided to run before I opened the back door and pulled me down on the brick. Ouch! No one saw it and I got right up, skinned knees but OK, or so I thought...I called Amanda and told her Bella had drug me out the back door only to land in a not so cute position, but at least no one saw me. Amanda had been cooped up a few days with a sick baby, so Micah stayed home with the boys and she and I went to eat and do a little shopping as she is redoing her living room. Wrong on the hurt part, as today as I can hardly move. That would be old age and every muscle in my body feels like it is sprained. So lots of biofreeze and the couch have been my friend today. Back to the beginning of the game....For as many years as I have watched football and I have watched a lot of games, I am always moved by the national anthem. I love the song. I feel the tears forming as they begin to scan the crowd. Today I loved Carrie Underwood singing it. I liked Queen Latifah singing America, even though she had sound trouble from the beginning. That has to be a nightmare for a singer. I watch every face of every player, every coach, think of their stories and how they made it to the BIG GAME. I wonder what they are thinking. I think of the men and women that are serving our country to keep us free. AND I always have a lump in my throat. The game begins. If my team was playing, I would be pacing, and that would be hard tonight...but since its 2 other teams, I am just watching.

I will go through all the comments and have a winner sometime tomorrow. I have a sick little one to keep so it may be later tomorrow.
Football is OVER for another year and that ALWAYS makes me SAD. Only football lovers understand that. It is the 2 minute warning and unless there is a MIRACLE, the SAINTS WILL GO MARCHING IN. Congratulations to all the Saint fans. (my hope is the old man will play one more year, but that may be wishful thinking)