Live, Laugh, Love

This saying is everywhere right?

I've seen it on wedding cakes, in dr.'s offices, and on blogs.

I'm sure you've seen it in vinyl on someone's living room wall.

You know when you hear or see something so often you just kind of ignore it?

That's kind of how I am with this saying.

Don't get me wrong, it really is a beautiful saying.

It was just kind of tired to me.

And then I was going through some pictures of a sledding/snowmobiling trip we recently took with my whole family.

As I was looking at the pictures this saying just kept popping into my head.

We simply had a ball.

Live

It was a Saturday morning and we were all still in jammies enjoying the day off. We had just enjoyed a yummy breakfast and I was anticipating a day of nothingness at home.
Then my cute dad called and wanted us to come play.

*insert bad attitude here*

I was reluctant at the thought of getting 4 kids, a baby and 2 adults 'snowworthy'.

I asked Greg if he wanted to go (half hoping that he would say no).

Of course, he thought it would be great fun.

So off we went.

And he was right.

We all had such a fun time with my family

and I was so very glad we went.

I feel like a lot of times in my mind, it's just easier to stay home.

It's inconvenient to get snowsuits and accessories on.

(that's 14 gloves, 14 boots, 32 socks, 7 hats, and 7 scarves people)

...and you know at least one of the kids will have to go to the bathroom

after

they're all done up in the snow gear.

But we all know that we have to live life and not just exist in our comfy jammies.

The kids built a snow fort, threw snowballs, and made memories.

I hate to think that not only would my children have missed out on the fun,

I would have as well.

Live

laugh

This is my cute sis in law Steph.

She was trying to take our picture and just

couldn't quite get us both in the frame.

This is about the 5th attempt and we were laughing

so hard. (like pee your pants hard).

By the time we finally got a picture it felt like I had just done

an ab workout.

I am a firm believer in laughing.

especially at yourself.

Love

I have to be one of the most fortunate people ever to have so many people in my life who genuinely love me and accept me for who I am.

How lucky am I to know without doubt that I have a partner

who loves and supports me in everything I do.

To have someone who usually has to rummage through

the sock basket to find a pair of matching socks

yet never even complains about it.

Yay for me.

I have no doubt that if I randomly out of the blue told Greg

that I wanted to become a bungee jumping instructor,

he would do whatever it took to make it happen. Lucky girl.

It really is all about

not just living but trying to

live well,

finding things to laugh at and to

laugh often,

and not only being loved but learning to

love much

in return.

What the What?????

Search: Aiming to be the world's fattest woman
Donna Simpson is working as hard as she can to get fat -- very, very fat. She weighs 600 pounds, she claims, and is vying for the title of world's fattest woman from the Guinness Book of World Records.
If she can't do it, she'll settle for world's fattest mom. She faces some sturdy competition from this woman, who had triplets in 2008, when she reportedly weighed 560 pounds.
How does Simpson do it?
Her daily caloric intake goal matches that of world champion swimmer Michael Phelps -- when he's training ... a lot. Simpson can't move more than 20 feet, reportedly, without help from one of these.

Hey, everyone needs to have a goal right?

And I'm glad she hasn't put too much pressure on herself...she's okay just being the fattest mom.

That extra pressure could become really stressful on her.

Her children must be so proud of her.

SERIOUSLY!!???!!!!

Liar, Liar Pants on Fire

Lying kids are like poker players.

They each have a "Tell".

A little sign giving away their bluff.

Most professional poker players try to disguise these

"tells" by wearing sun glasses or horrible hats.

It must work for them because they make ridiculous amounts of money.

I would not have been a successful poker player.

When I was a kid I was always shocked when my

mother knew that I wasn't being completely honest with her.

How ever did she know?

I'm sure I messed up my hair and

rubbed my eyes enough to look as though I had been napping for hours.

(Unfortunately, my 5 year old concept of time was

much more skewed than my wiley mother's.)

I now realize it was not that my mom had some

truth uncovering ability...

I just wasn't very smart or creative.

I don't think any sort of eyewear or hat could have helped me.

I was a lousy liar.

Fortunately, my kids inherited this trait.

I've got their "tells" down pretty pat...

except for one of them.

Lindsay just breaks down crying, racked with guilt that

she has disappointed her mother.

And she rarely lies anyway.

Easy Peasy.

Miss Makenna says "uhm" and "well" a lot

while she looks around aimlessly......

like candy from a baby.

Ethan simply stares at me in silence.

Tyson is just fat.

They do the same thing every time they lie.

Now, if she knew the difference between

a spade and a club and if it

wasn't breaking some sort of child labor laws,

I would sign

Olivia

up on the National Poker Tour....

Lie detector tests break down in fear when she is nearby.

She's figured it out -

no glasses or hats necessary.

She has no "tell".

She simply does something different every time.

It's very confusing.

It's like she has some juvenile form of Jedi Mind Power...

"These aren't the droids you're looking for...move along".

She's very clever and quick on her feet.

My only hope is that she will channel this power for good

and become a best-selling fiction author instead

of author of some Ponzi scheme.

I've somehow got to crack her.

Since Gepetto already owns the nose growing trick

I'm currently in the process of developing a pair of pants

that will actually catch on fire when a child tells a lie.

But I've got to hurry up,

I only have 9 years until she's 16...

and dating boys...

and driving cars.

I may have to resort to a plan involving handcuffing her to her bed.

You know, if the pants don't work out.

There must be hole in my pocket.

I seem to have misplaced the

month of January.

How is it February already?

How do you lose entire weeks at a time?

I don't know where it went

and most of the events are a blur...

but at least I know that I am

one month closer to sleep outs on the tramp,

baseball park nachos, and bright toenail polish.

Oh, how I do love the warmth.

Maybe I can misplace March as well.