10 Things of Thankful

It's time to be thankful again!

1. I am thankful that my Mama made chocolate delight for my husband's birthday dessert, because I am enjoying the leftovers right now.  Mmm-mmm, good!

2. I am thankful that my whole family and hubby's whole family got together Friday night to celebrate his birthday.  We had a great time!

3. I am thankful for one friend who is doing something fantastic for my extended family.  I will elaborate on that later.  ;-)

4. I am thankful for HOT showers.  Most days I just jump in and jump out with little thought.  But have you ever had one of those showers that just feels amazing?  The other day, I woke up sore and crampy and crabby.  I was hurting and stiff and had sheet-wrinkles all over me.  I stumbled into a hot shower and came out feeling a million times better.  Thank you, Hot Shower.

5. Thankful for Tums, because my tummy is currently not very happy about my late night snacking as mentioned in #1.

6. I am thankful for modern technology.  I ordered a frame for my dad for Fathers Day; it's a wooden frame that says We <3 Papa and then has my kids' names all over it.  It's really cool.  Anyway, yesterday at Byron's mom's house, I took a picture of my dad with my three kids and then was able to print it right there at his mom's house with her printer (I brought my own photo paper so I was only mooching her ink).  I just LOVE that we are able to do that; I was born in the 1970's so I am old enough that modern technology really amazes me.

7. I am thankful for these sweet boys.  They were very closely watching me eat breakfast.  They don't beg, they just watch.  Very intently.  And Patchy, the one in the back?  He drools.

8. I am thankful that I was able to un-clog our vacuum cleaner with a wire hanger and a lot of hard work.  Because I am Superwoman!  And this Superwoman likes a clean floor.

9. I am thankful for Summer.  It's my favorite.

10. I am thankful that I am co-hosting Medical Mondays in two days!!  Be sure and come back to visit!

Pretty Little Tidbits

Well I'm late to the frag party, but that's something I do every once in a while.
Fashionably late, right?

They opened up a new Walmart in my town today.  Hunter was so excited he said it felt like Christmas.  Seriously, I can't make this stuff up.  I told him I hate Walmart, and he looked at me like I'd just said I hate Jesus.
The new Walmart is a nice one.  It's amazing how all four wheels actually turn on the shiny new carts, and they don't make that horrific banging noise.  They actually had more than two checkout lines open too - like 7 or 8!  Let's see how long it takes before this Walmart becomes yet another cesspool....

Have you ever met someone and just clicked?  You like the same things, finish each other's sentences, blurt out the same thing at the same time?
No, I'm not talking about Hunter -I'm talking about his BROTHER.  I just love him!  I met him at Christmas time and now he's back in town.  He is a nurse and came to be with his father and help him get set up for Hospice, but once he got down here he knew that his dad didn't have much time, so he has stayed.
I literally threatened to marry him last night, I just adore this guy.
(he's gay, so it's a safe joke.) ;-)

I've been updating my cooking blog lately.  Today I posted a recipe for Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers.  They're great  - check it out!

I don't know if I've mentioned any of this before, but a few random pieces of trivia:
I went to Kindergarten with Hunter's ex-wife and my first husband.  We were all three in the same class.  It's pretty funny to look at the class picture and see the three of us.
I also went to elementary school with Hunter's (step) brother and sister.  My mom worked at that school and we all remember each other quite well.  The other day when we went over to Hunter's parents house, his sister pulled out a picture from an elementary school performance.  I'm standing beside her.  So, for many years, there's been a picture of ME at Hunter's parents' house.
Hunter's sister married a guy who used to work with my first husband years ago.
Shelbie has went to school with Hunter's son since 7th grade.
Hunter's mom was Shelbie's 9th Grade Algebra Honors teacher.  (hell yeah I'm bragging throwing that "Honors" in there - I have no clue where she gets her Math skills!)

So, hanging out with all of them is not like hanging out with strangers; it's like being in a room of old friends.
One more interesting tidbit - my first husband's late mother (my kids' grandma) and Hunter's mom have the same first and middle names.

You may have noticed that I am using my actual name on my blog, in comments, Twitter, etc. I've noticed many bloggers lately have been using their name and dropping the blog-related nicknames and I've decided to do the same thing.  So if you see a comment from Cyndy Newsome - that's me!

Alright, amigos and amigas.  Hope you're having a great weekend.  

We are just spending time with Hunter's family.  

The viewing is tomorrow and the funeral service will be on Monday morning.
We expect packed houses both days; he was a very well liked and respected man.

Visit Mrs 4444 for more Friday Fragments!

Where I'm From

I am from the Lake Road; from catfish and alligators swimming in the sun.

I am from the dirt road on the outskirts of town; quiet, dusty, and hot.

I am from the boon docks; from magnolias with Spanish moss and wisteria hanging from their branches, blowing in the breeze.

I am from Thanksgiving Family Reunions and stubborn pride; from Cherokees and Pilgrims.

I am from fiery tempers and fierce love.

From "be home before dark"; from bicycles and jars of fireflies.

I am from Southern Baptists and dinner on the grounds; musty-smelling hymnals, hard wooden pews; from Thou Shalt Not and Amazing Grace.

I’m from Florida crackers; from chicken & dumplings, boiled peanuts and banana pudding.

From my father's father with his moonshine still and goats; mama's daddy with his tobacco farm and pigs. From farmers tans and tractors; hard work from dawn till dusk.

I am from reel to reel silent movies; black and white pictures in an album and sepia photos with smiles on demand, all arranged in meticulous order by my Mama after we were grown.

I am from old-fashioned values; from country music and the salt of the Earth.

{Linking up very late to Mama Kat's workshop,

because this exercise truly called out to me.}

I Don't Know If I Can Yell Any Louder

I feel like I've been run over by a truck. Physically, emotionally, dysfunctionally.

It's been even more chaotic than usual around here.

It feels like being on a ship that keeps filling with water, and as soon as I plug one hole, another one pops up.
It's like one step forward and two steps back.

It's like my life is a giant whack-a-mole game.

I need a vacation. One that involves copious amounts of alcoholic beverages.

But, alas, that's not on the horizon, so I guess I'll just frag!

I already decorated my house for fall/Halloween. I figure if the stores can do it, why can't I? This is my favorite time of year and I'm going to enjoy every moment. I have fall tarts burning, too. Mmmm....

It's that "special" time of the month (ugh) so I stocked up on chocolate at the grocery store today. So what do you think I'm craving?
Oatmeal raisin cookies.

The number of dogs in my possession has suddenly tripled. My neighbor's dogs got out today, and have been on the lam all day long. They've been in and out of our yard, and at one point they had Meep treed! (they're hunting dogs.) Finally tonight, I heard the distinctive beagle bark out in my yard. Two of the three were hanging around, and came right up to me. Since it was so late, I just put them on the screened porch with my boxer. Thankfully, she's the sweetest dog alive and is just thrilled to have two new friends visiting for the evening!

I made Mexican Lasagna for the first time tonight for dinner. It was so good, I posted the recipe on Southern Loving!

This video absolutely cracks me up, which gives you some insight into my twisted sense of humor. Love it!

That's all I got for ya, folks!

Have a great weekend, and

GO GATORS!!

I < 3 Summer Weekends

It's been a great weekend, and it's not over yet!

First order of business:
I start taking care of my new client on Monday!

I'm super-excited.

Thank you all for wishing me well!

Next: On Friday night, I took the girls (Shelbie, Elayna, Elayna's friend)

to the Caitlyn Eadie concert. They had a blast!

Elayna

{Elayna's friend's parents are very concerned about her internet privacy,

so to respect that, I blurred her out of all pictures.}

This is Caitlin Eadie with Elayna & friend.

When Caitlin was autographing a picture & CD for the girls, I mentioned that we saw her a couple of years ago and Elayna danced on stage with her, so she called the girls up on stage with her during her last number. This time, they hula hooped!

And in other news: I did it! The craft was a success!

We made Popsicle Stick Bracelets.

I got the idea from Housewife Eclectic.

Visit her for the instructions.

This is Elayna painting a bracelet.

Shelbie, painting hers.

works in progress

and one of the finished products.

The girls all loved them!

Hope you're having a great weekend so far.

Check out my food blog, Southern Loving, for pictures of the very unique restaurant we visited for lunch today,

AND

visit Unknown Mami for more Sundays in my City posts!

Playing CatchUp

I know, I know; Friday is almost over and I am just now fragging. It's just that I have so much random stuff to post, and finally had a moment to sit down and post it!

I'm trying to get caught up, and starting (sort-of) fresh. So if I've missed anything, I'm sorry, I still love you, smooch smooch.

I am 'marking as read' everything in the reader that's older than one day, and clearing out the mailbox, to save what little is left of my sanity.

I am SO ready for summer break! I feel like life is full of running from this appointment to the next, picking kids up, dropping kids off, soccer practice, soccer games....then, starting all over again. I'm not complaining - I'm just TIRED!

I chose the ladybug dividers because today, after picking up the big kids from high school, I pulled into our lane to find Elayna (who had stayed home with John & Andrew) walking along the wildflowers, holding a ladybug. I love that girl SO much!!

Today I walked into the seasonal aisle of Walmart, which was full of graduation gifts. I immediately teared up, turned around, and walked away. Sigh.

Andrew: Mama, today one of my friends said something about Elayna that was NOT nice and it made me really mad.

Me: What did he say?
Andrew: He said "your sister is a BABE".

Me: Died.

Go check out what I've been cooking and snag some fun new recipes!

Southern Loving Food Blog

Don't forget to visit Mrs 4444's for more Friday Fragments!

And I hope you have a great weekend.

We will be at Soccer Tournaments all weekend!

Go Green!

Now -

Time for Friday Song Sharing!

Getcha Some Southern Loving

Nothing to see here today.

It's Monday, and I got nothin'.

BUT- head over to Southern Loving to see what I cooked this weekend! Yum-yum!

My Happy List

I have some ~*Happy*~ to share with you today!

So I'm joining in with Mamarazzi's Happy List.

~* I think we've found our house. I don't want to jinx anything, so I'm not going to say much....but I'm crossing everything crossable!

~* My parents invited us to go out for dinner with them tonight - their treat! This is a rare occurrence, so it definitely goes on the Happy List!

~* I won an adorable Coffee Cozy from Cream No Sugar via Mamarazzi's Taking Back Mondays. It came in the mail today (so fast!) and I just love it! Thanks, Sue & Mamarazzi!

~* One of our cats scared us very badly this week. I was certain we were going to lose her. Now - she has made a full recovery! I will post the whole story next week. But I am SO happy that she is okay!

~* I start my new job on Monday! Happy happy happy!

~* After a run of some bad luck, it seems like maybe things are turning around for us. What a relief!

~* I have a giveaway up at Southern Loving. Giveaways make everyone happy!

~* Mamarazzi makes me happy. I'm so glad I found her blog; she is one of the sweetest bloggers I've ever "met"!

Hope you have a ~*HAPPY*~ weekend!

Philly Cooking Creme Giveaway at Southern Loving

I'm giving away a Philadelphia Cooking Creme prize package over at

Southern Loving - Click here to check it out!

Don't Miss Out

As some of you know, I also have a "food, etc." blog called Southern Loving. It has been slightly neglected lately but I'm working on getting it revived.

One thing I'm going to do is move any reviews & giveaways that I do to that blog. So, if you're not already following over there, hop on over there and become a follower so you don't miss anything!

And there will be recipes, food tips, and other tips there as well. So join the fun!

Tea Time!

I have mentioned here before that birthdays are a big deal at the Dysfunction Junction. The celebration usually lasts for around a week. My kids celebrate with their dad, as well as here at home. Andrew celebrates with his grandma and then here at home. Since their birthdays usually fall during the week, we celebrate as a family on that day. Then on the weekend, we have the 'friend' party. We usually get together on yet another day with my family. Sometimes we also send treats in to school, although they're starting to outgrow that.

Anyway.

This time around it was Elayna's turn to celebrate; she turned the big 1-0. It started on Saturday the 22nd at her Dad's house. She came home early on Sunday the 23rd, her actual birthday, and we gave her most of her gifts and had her dinner of choice: cheeseburgers, macaroni & cheese, and asparagus. (Yes, I'm serious.) We had brownies for dessert, with 10 candles stuck in them.

Saturday was the friend party. We have been planning it forEVER. We had a tea party. I posted about the food over at my food blog, Southern Loving, so that this post is not ridiculously long!

There was only one rule: NO boys allowed. John and the boys headed to the arcade in the mall, only to find that it was closed. Permanently. But they found other things to do.

We had real china tea cups & saucers. The girls were asked to come dressed up, and they all did. They all put makeup on each other, and then we had tea. Afterwards Elayna opened gifts, one of which was Just Dance for the Wii. So of course, they played with that until the party was over.

Tea Time!

Cake Time!

Bow Time!

*Cheese!*

Just Dance!

And now for the finale....my family will be coming over today to give her presents and have (yet another) cake & ice cream.

And then maybe I can get to bed early! Birthdays are exhausting.

Oh wait I forgot.....she requested Sausage & Rice casserole for dinner tonight, and of course, I am complying....so it's time to start chopping veggies. *Yawn*

Christmas Crack, Christmas Cheer, Christmas Charity.....we've got it all right here.

~Friday Fragments~

It has been ridiculously cold here this week. As in, dipping down into the TWENTIES at night. It should be illegal for it to ever get this cold in Florida. It's just wrong!

There has even been talk of snow flurries next week. I am appalled.

But I am very cozy in my warm house, with my fireplace crackling. I absolutely love it! I'll be just fine....as long as I don't have to leave my house.
Here are some pictures to warm you up:

Andrew made a Christmas list this week. Andrew is 11, and apparently our talk about how Christmas was going to be very simple and minimal this year went in one ear and out the other for him.

His list consisted of these three things:

1. iPod

2. iPhone

3. iPad

iLaughed! iDon't think so! iBetter get one first!

In case you missed it, yesterday I posted a giveaway....I am spreading some Santa Magic for those of you with kids who still believe, so check it out!

My friend Shannon at The Nuthouse is doing something wonderful again this year for Christmas. For each comment she gets on this post, she will donate one non-perishable item to her local food bank. I love this! Please go over and leave her a comment for a great cause.

I posted a recipe on Southern Loving this week for Saltine Cracker Candy, which one of my Facebook friends told me she calls "Christmas Crack". I have since decided that Christmas Crack is the perfect name for this candy and that's how it shall be known in our family from here on out! This stuff is addictive. You have been warned.

And I will close with Dysfunctional Mom's song of the week. I LOVE Miranda Lambert; she is beautiful, tough and a great singer. I love chicks like her! This song is one of my favorites of hers, I love it for so many reasons! Check it out! And as always, visit Mrs 4444's for more Friday Fragments.