hello monday {2}

{hello monday}

{hello recovery from a 24 hr. stomach bug}

{hello 8:30AM wake up call [i got to sleep in]}

{hello to the almost end of my school reading book}

{photo credit}

{hello latin lady}

{hello 1st lesson of math}

{hello confusing chemistry}

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{hello lunch break}

{hello clean room and clean sheets}

{hello 2nd lesson of math for the day}

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{hello homemade cookies}

{hello hot shower and PJ's}

{hello epic CHUCK episode}

{hello late night texting with the cousin}

{hello bedtime routine}

{hello monday}

scenes from {last} saturday

Oh, how I love lazy Saturdays with trips to Lowe's and Sam's Club...

 {Apparently Clark has decided he doesn't like the camera anymore. Sorry, buddy, but that's not working for me...}

So, what did we do when we got home? Well, put all that money we spent at Lowe's to good use and started to paint the trimwork. Yay for that distinct wet paint smell that makes you eyes water and throat close up. Not.

 {Yes, we paint in our PJ's, so now you know.}

{It's good to know our dining room is being put to good use [we never eat in there because it's one of the coldest rooms in the house]}

Don't you just want to come on over to our house now? We'll feed you and let you play Wii in return for some good ol' fashioned manual labor! No takers? Yeah, I didn't think so... :)

Happy Saturday, readers!

friday nights at our house

Here lately, Friday nights are full of fires, food {usually soups}, homemade dessert, and video games. Because, I mean, what's a family to do when it's 19 degrees outside?! Last weekend was no exception...

{Guitar Hero III, baby. Note: I can play right or left handed! I'm awesome.}

{Now you know our ceiling is falling down. We're working on it.}

 We all take turns like good girls and boys, but not without some, ahem, friendly competition. Usually it involves us playing the same song and seeing who can get the highest score. Oh, not to mention the screaming and trash talking that goes on... ;)

 {P.S. I have awesome form when I play. Well, at least I think so...}

 {Clark dances to the songs. Don't ask.}

 {Apparently it was wear Dad's glasses while he takes a turn night. I didn't get the memo, or you'd totally see a pic of me with the professor glasses on the blog.}

After a hour or so, Mama begs to play Just Dance, and we oblige. And yes, I can play and look back at the camera at the same time. Thanks for asking! :)

{Again, don't ask.}

Now that you've seen all those pictures of our crazy awesome Friday nights, don't you wanna come play?! I promise we're not really that crazy, but you never know...

Happy Friday, readers! You've made it to the weekend, so kudos to you. 

P.S. You'd better believe we're doing all this again tonight. We're cool like that.

hello monday

{hello monday}

{photo credit}

hello unread emails

hello blogger dashboard, full of new posts to read and comment on

hello quiet bible reading time to start off my day

hello to catching up on my school reading

hello to not having so much math to do at one time

hello semi-bad grade on math

{photo credit}

hello short chat with a friend

hello latin lesson and all your confusing second declension pronoun ending

hello more new blog posts to read

hello helping with chores {laundry, dinner prep, trash collection from around the house}

hello ordering pictures of the sweet faces from CBS for Thursday

{photo credit}

hello scheduled posts for this weekend

hello another quick chat with a friend

hello dad

hello dinner

hello dinner clean up

hello PJ's 

hello family time

hello Chuck and Castle

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{hello monday}

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Inspiration for today's post comes from Lisa's post today. Thought I should give credit where credit was due. Thanks, friend! 

mini photo shoot with em

Last weekend, Emily and Andrew invited us to spend the night. Lots of Just Dance, hide and seek, eating and laughter made it a time to remember. Oh, and Colton {a family friend of theirs who stopped by for a surprise visit} only added to the fun. Memories were made, let me tell you. *UPDATE* Emily posted about it HERE. Click the link if you want to see me, Clark, Andrew, and Colton dancing, me laughing hysterically, and longest scarf known to man. But only if you want to see that. I guarantee you'll laugh.
I was too busy having a good time to bust out my camera and actually take some pictures, but Emily and I did have a mini photo shoot in our winter coats and scarfs. And by mini, I mean 20 minutes tops. Eastern NC winters are not warm, ya’ll.

{Quite the photographer, no?}

{Brown grass does not make for pretty pictures. Keep that in mind.}

I love this girl. Beautiful, no?
Thanks for the fun times, guys! It’ll certainly be a night to remember…

my handsome little bro

A week ago today, we were on the way to the Nichols' house {more on that tomorrow}. Dad had meet us at our favorite place, The Coffee Shack, and had just showed us his new glasses. Since he was going out of town that weekend, and we wouldn't see him for awhile, we decided to go hang out somewhere. BUT. Before we left, I had a mini photo shoot with Clark. Because he's just so handsome...

At first, he was not into the whole shutter clicking thing...

P.S. This face was totally for show, and I couldn't help but share it. Haha!

{Discussing the stupidity of replacing the main guy, Tobey Macguire, for Spiderman 4. Absurd.}

...Then he warmed up to the idea...

Gosh, I love this dude. Too bad he's all mine for the next couple of years. Photog-wise, that is. ;)
TGIF, readers!

today was a good day...

It really was.
But, you know, I don't think  it could've gotten worse than yesterday.
Anyway, it was better.
Wanna know why?

{I checked my email around lunch and realized I had three emails about comments I had left on other's blogs. It blesses me to see it blesses others that I comment. Plus, having emails to read always perks me up}

{I just checked it again and I had two more emails. My life is complete.}

{I rocked the homeschool world by finishing before 3PM today. And Wednesday are usually my busy days. Yay for me!}

{On that note, I did well in school today, and I'm on track to do well the rest of the week.}

Side note: The parents read my blog last night, and I think reason #5 that today was a good day was inspired by that post.

{We went to Barnes and Noble [pic below] saw some friends, and left with four new books. Squeal!}

{Today is Wednesday and that means we're halfway through the week. Fist pump.}

{Tomorrow is Thursday, and that means friend time, CBS time, and fun time all in one.}

{And then, it's the weekend and I'm chilling and reading blogs all day long. Ahhh...}

So, today was a good day.

Thanks for sticking with me as I try {and pretty much succeed} at keeping it real. 

And now, I'm off to visit with my family. I love them. 

Happy middle of the week, readers!

things that make me sad

Wow, this post is a stark contrast from my last post. Some days my thoughts {good and bad} are begging to be spilled out, and since I have a blog, it's where I spill my thoughts. Apologies in advance. P.S. It's another post without pictures. I'm giving out hall passes if you and your eyeballs can't handle my glass half empty approach to life...
Today's not a good day, and here are some reasons why...

 {Tuesday is the equivalent of other people's Mondays. For the past...let's see, year or so, I've been trapped at home from Sun to Thurs. working on schoolwork all. day. long. Thus, I view Tuesdays as the day with no hope since I still have two more days before I can go anywhere}

{We have no visitors coming to see us [after we had two days this week where we had friends coming out]. Normally, this wouldn't bother me, except I was really, really, really looking forward to it. I can't remember the last time friends came to our house and we were the hosts.}

{My mom's stressed over the fact that her once a month book study is kinda sorta falling apart. *UPDATE* Except for the leader of the study being sick and the book study as a whole being moved to another house entirely, things are going great}

{Two of Clark's friend's have the flu and their mama isn't feeling so hot either}

{I'm behind in reading blogs [which is a good thing too, actually. nothing i love more than a full dashboard]}

{I'm behind in posting, too.}

However, today I've been encouraged by these things...

 {I finished school at 4:00PM for 2 days in a row}

{I won a giveaway over the weekend}

{On that note, there's a bunch of giveaways going on in the blogosphere}

{This post encouraged me today}

{This post encouraged me as well, for some odd reason}

{We're going to have pizza and cookies and play with the father while Mama's away.}

I'm fighting to see God in all of this. Really, I am. It's not something I'm good at, and I'm so glad I was able to find these things, however little and few they are, that allow me to see the good in my life. Because God is good, amen?
So, I've just emotionally vomited all over your screen and I'm afraid I can't clean it up {because, you know, I'm not there with paper towels and Windex}. Will a virtual hug and pat on the back make up for it? :)
Happy Tuesday, in Rachel's words. Thanks for listening to me ramble on. Not that you had a choice or anything.

things that make me happy

We interrupt your regularly scheduled posting {again} to bring you this post inspired by Linsday...

{1}Castle. Supposedly Castle and Beckett kiss in this long awaited episode. I'm a sucker for that kinda stuff, you know?And that was just
{2} Blogger/blogging. Because, I mean, duh! I sometimes want to cry because I feel so loved by my readers and friends I've made. Yes, I'm looking at you, Gussy, Ruthanne and Rachel {better known as Mrs.No17}. Love you girls!
{3} My camera. Another duh! I busted out that bad boy and took some pictures of the beautiful Emily this weekend and it felt. so. good. to hear the shutter click and see the end result. Pictures to come, I promise.
{4} Chuck. Apparently I have a thing for TV shows. This week's episode {after a 2 month hiatus, gasp!} was no dissapointment. Good thing I have a stuffy nose that I could blame my snifflings on that. It goes to say that it was a tear-jerker for sure.
{5} Yoga pants from Old Navy. I tumbled about it today, and I'll say it again: I wore these for two days in a row and I'm prepared to sleep in them two nights in a row as well. Don't worry, they're different pairs for each night, and I showered in between. ;)
{6} Rain. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I love it. We'll see if I think the same thing after tomorrow and Thursday {the days it's supposed to rain this week}...
I totally think Lindsay should make this a semi-regular thing, no? Go HERE and let's try and convince her that it needs to be done! 
Happy Monday, folks!