Game On!!

For Christmas the kids got a Wii. 

WHO KNEW WE WOULD LOVE IT AS MUCH AS THEM! 

I fell in love with it when I learned we could stream Netflix through it.  I changed our Netflix membership to online Instant Play only and no longer get DVD's.  I pay a lot less, and can watch limitless movies now.  Not all movies are available on Instant Play, for example, the new releases, but for those there is always Red Box. 

Then, we got some new games.....

  Wii Fit, Just Dance 2, and Resident Evil.

I had heard so many good things about the Wii Fit, that it was a must for us to buy.  Every morning I jump on and get a workout in. And the kids love it as well. That was a pleasant surprise and an added bonus.  It gets them both active.  They don't look at it as exercise.  To them it's just fun and they beg to play. Yay!! Thumbs UP!!

Greg wanted the Just Dance 2 game.  He had seen someone playing it somewhere and thought it would be fun for everyone.  I LOVE it!! It is something we all play together, and have a BLAST at! I think I get more of a workout on that game than I do the Wii fit sometimes.... And I learned it has a "Just Sweat" program on the game that tracks calories burned.  (DOUBLE Thumbs UP!!) So OF COURSE I added it to my morning workout!  Now I do the Wii Fit AND the Just Sweat games every morning. 

We bought Resident Evil and tried it out that night.  It is too graphic for the little ones, of course.  I've never been a big gamer, but Greg and I had SO MUCH fun killing zombies! We don't get a chance to play it very often, with Greg's schedule, but we have a file that is "ours" that we have saved we go back to. 

We WILL be kicking some zombie butts again soon.

I'm a Survivor

The kids have gone all week without Television or Video Games, and.....

I SURVIVED WITH MY INSANITY INTACT!!!!!

The first day I heard a lot of disgruntled sighs and "I'm Bored"s, and at bedtime I had to go in their room SEVERAL times to tell them to be quiet and go to sleep. The second day was much better. Each one grabbed a book and read quietly for a long time, then played quietly in their rooms. At night time, once they got into bed, I never heard another peep from them. It was SO NICE to have a quiet house all evening.

By the third day the transformation in my children was AMAZING ...... Homework is done each day without any protests, Binders are staying organized, the kids are playing together and there has been less arguments (coincidence or result of?) . They are finding things to play with, and using their imaginations. At night, they haven't been arguing over who goes first in the shower, and after I read a chapter or two from the book I am reading to them, they go to bed and are asleep within 20 minutes!!

Why the hell didn't I do this a LONG TIME AGO??

Winner Of The MEANEST PARENT AWARD...

And the Meanest Parent Award goes to..................

GREG AND TERI SNELL

 __________________________

We decided yesterday to implement a new rule for the kids.....

Monday - Thursday NO T.V. and NO Video Games. 

Sunday - T.V. and Video Games will be turned off by 6 p.m.

- Please Pray For Us -

Snow Day

Late Saturday night as I sat on the couch reading a book, Spencer at the computer, we suddenly heard the "tick tick tick" sound of ice hitting the windows.  Spencer and I looked at each other, then jumped up and rushed outside to see.  Snow was in the forecast, and we were both hopeful.  

It was too dark outside to see anything, but as we put our hands out into the night, tiny flecks of ice occasionally came to rest in our palms.  We were ECSTATIC!!

Wayback Wednesday #5 - My Older Brother, Kevin.

  I have an AWESOME older Brother! I don't get to see him very often, especially now that he is deployed, and I miss him terribly.  There are times when I see my brother in my oldest son, Garrett.  Certain expressions Garrett makes, or mannerisms he has reminds me SO MUCH of Kevin.   

Looking back on our childhood, I am assailed by so many wonderful memories. I treasure the memories I have with him, and I am so incredibly proud of who he has become.    I have always looked up to him, I suppose I always will.  Kevin was 5 years older than Keri and I, and I thought he hung the moon.   He could do no wrong in my eyes.  I followed him around like a puppy at times, which I'm sure irritated him to no ends.

Happy New Year! ......... Let's Roast Some Weenies!

Saturday on New Years Day, Greg and I had a Bonfire/Weenie Roast.  Cause nothing says New Years like Weenies roasting over an open fire...... right?  LOL.

Actually we just wanted to have some friends over, but needed to watch our budget.... and Hot Dogs are pretty darn cheap. 

But it was fun!  The adults gathered around the fire, chatting, and snacking on the Cheese Dip until time to Roast the Weenies.  We had Chili, Cheese, Onions, Relish, and all the fixings for our "Dogs".  For dessert, we had SMORES! (Thanks Amy).  The kids LOVED roasting their own Marshmallows.  A game of Hide and Seek outside in the dark for the kids followed, and then we all went inside and played on the Wii. Well,......... Gregory played on the Wii with the kids. The rest of the adults sat around laughing at him.  Once he was thoroughly exhausted, we put on a movie.

It was a great way to start out the new year...... surrounded by family and friends, all having a good time.

Update - Finally Getting Well

The Sunday before Christmas I began feeling a little sick.  Sunday it was a tickle in my chest and throat, Monday it had become a rattle in my chest and I just didn't feel good, Tuesday I developed a cough and my energy level began to drop, Wednesday the cough got worse and I began sneezing.  I told Gregory Wednesday night as I was getting into bed that if I did not feel better in the morning,  I was going to go to the Doctor.  That night I could not get warm, I had chills, my body ached, and by morning time I was feeling miserable, so as soon as Greg got off work we set up an appointment for me to be seen. 

Maternity Shoot

There is just something so beautiful about pregnancy, and the miracle of a life growing inside you.

Over the past weekend I did a Maternity shoot with my cousin Alicia, and had a blast taking her photos. We went shopping Friday night looking for props and inspiration.  We searched ALL OVER for wooden alphabet blocks, but were unable to find any ANYWHERE.  Saturday we made one last attempt to find the blocks, but were unsuccessful.  The remainder of the day was spent doing makeup,  setting up the backgrounds (with my husbands help of course), lighting, and doing the actual shoot.  We were both really excited about getting them done.  

I'm Baaaaaack!!!!

After a very long hiatus, I am finally back online!!

Words cannot express my excitement!!  And without any further ado.......

I end this brief post so that I can "officially" start blogging again.  :)

Teri

Our First Game - In Pictures

Our First Game was last Saturday and it was HOT!!! 

I'm talking about "Fry an Egg on the Pavement" HOT!! Except... we were the eggs out there frying!  Our girls were troopers though, and did a great job despite the heat.  

We had a few little mishaps during our half time performance, but overall they did an awesome job.  I am very proud.  For most, this is their first year cheering.

Below are some of the pictures from the game......

Enjoy!

Flying Fairies and Giant Ants -

Last night as I lay in bed at 2:00 a.m! I could not get to sleep.  

I wasn't the only one having that problem, my youngest two, in bed with me, were also restless, moving around and whispering in between my repeated Shushes.  I finally sent them to their rooms, but still failed to go to sleep. After a bit I got up to check on them, and found them both in Emily's room, laughing, giggling, and having a good ole time.  

WAYBACK WEDNESDAY POST #4 - THE JOYS OF MOTHERHOOD (Not for the squeamish)

Aaaahhhh...... The joys of Motherhood.  When we take on our role as mother and provider, we find ourselves doing and saying things we never thought we would.  It opens a new world to us of things we thought we would never see.  Such as poop in hair.  I'll explain below....

Who Says You Can't Eat Your Cake and Enjoy It Too?

Oh how time does fly.

My baby girl just turned 14.  It is still so hard to believe that I have two teenagers.  Not to mention a preteen and a 9 year old.

For Lauren's birthday we went to my mom's house and swam.  They fixed burgers on the grill, and we had homemade ice-cream.  I made Lauren's favorite cake......chocolate cake with chocolate icing......yum! 

We let the kids swim for a bit, then had them come in for the cake....

Lauren REALLY enjoyed her cake!   

Summer Time Fun -

I love Summer Time.  Not really the heat so much, but all the time we get to spend together as a family.  Growing up, it seems my sister and I had a friend over nearly every day of the summer.  If they were not at our house, we were at theirs.  We even had a friend that came on family vacations with us.  She became a part of our family.

My kids too have friends that they are always with.  Each of them have become so much a part of our family, that it seems there is something missing when they are gone.  It can get pretty hectic around the house to say the least, but I enjoy every moment of the madness.

Clutter Me Crazy -

I hate clutter.  I really do.  My house can be spotless, but if I have a lot of knick knacks out, or appliances on my counter, for me..... the house feels dirty.

We recently downsized and moved from our 2 story house to a small one.  Until we can get a shed for storage, we are having to store everything inside the house, which means boxes and storage bins stacked against the wall.  It is driving me crazy!

Ready - Set - CHEER!

This year I am an assistant Coach for my youngest daughter's Cheerleading Squad.  I'm super excited about it, and I think it is going to be a lot of fun.  A lot of hard work....... but fun, too.

It Was An Accident - I Swear!

Last week I murdered our Mower.....

Just to clarify, it wasn't on purpose, more like involuntary manslaughter.   Sure, I'll admit, I hated that mower.  Well, maybe not the mower, but the whole mowing thing.  I am not ashamed to admit I was not cut out for hard manual labor.  That, and heat....and sweating.  Unless it is the good kind of sweat, and working hard out in the Texas sun is not the good kind of sweat.  Not for me.

In Loving Memory of Mamaw Carter -

After watching a show on PBS on Geneology the subject of my family and ancestors was brought up.  This led me to think of my Mamaw Carter, who has been gone for several years now.  Last night as I lay in bed, I thought of her and all the wonderful memories I have of her.  It is so hard to believe sometimes, that someone who was so "large in life" and so much an integral part of me, is now just a memory.  A lot of who I am today, I owe to her.

WAYBACK WEDNESDAY POST #3 - Pain In The Butt

california-lake-tahoe.jpg

Lake Tahoe - A Pain in the Butt

When my mom was married to her second husband, Larry, every summer we went on vacation somewhere.  We would load down the van with luggage, drinks, and groceries.  I can remember traveling many a mile with my hand stuck in a box of Lucky Charms.  

Cyber Junkie - Back at Last

Finally! We have internet again!

I hadn't realized how dependant I was on the internet until I had to spend a couple of months without it.  My only glimpse into the "cyber" world was my iPhone..... I'm not sure when or how it happened, but I have become a Cyber Junkie.