not me! monday

welcome to not me! monday! this blog carnival was created by mckmama. you can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. but as for us...

i did NOT let ryan wear big boy underwear for a couple days just to make myself remember to take him potty. we did NOT have two successfull days with no accidents. and ry does NOT look super duper cute in his undies!

unfortunately, ry got sick last week so we've been taking a few days off. he did NOT have a fever last tuesday and wednesday, and then on saturday night i did NOT notice that he had a rash on his legs and arms. it did NOT turn out that the poor boy has hand foot and mouth disease. he does NOT have blister like sores all over his hands and feet, and inside his mouth. and i do NOT want to pop them so badly. (but don't worry—i won't do that!!!)

so remember last year when i realized that my mom had sent me the same birthday card three years in a row? well this year she didn't send me a duplicate, although she did tell me that was the first card she picked up in the store... anyway. every year mom sends samantha and ryan valentines. so i did NOT crack up laughing when samantha opened hers and exclaimed "MOM! THIS IS THE SAME ONE GRAMMA SENT ME LAST YEAR!!"

we don't usually do anything for valentine's day or get each other anything, so when ben had to work yesterday it was no big deal. but even though we don't do anything to celebrate doesn't mean i don't appreciate it when we do! so i was NOT super excited when he told me he'd go get dinner so i wouldn't have to cook! and then after dinner? ben and samantha were being quiet in the kitchen when suddenly he did NOT bring me the canola oil and ask "is this our vegetable oil?" when i told him yes and asked why, he told me he was just making sure it was okay. and then samantha, the queen of elusiveness, did NOT bring in the same oil and ask "mom? is this good brownie oil?" and then later, she did NOT bring me the rubber scraper and ask "do you want a lick of batter? it's not any special kind of batter, it's just brown batter."

well, it turns out that it was special batter. because can i tell you that those perfect ghirardelli brownies were NOT the best valentine's day present (and the best brownies!)?! Mmmmmm! i did NOT enjoy one for breakfast this morning. or two...!

here's to a good week—happy monday!!

just another day?

so let's get right down to it—it's new years eve. but to me it feels like just another day. we have no plans to do anything tonight and no parties to attend. and ben and i were never into the party/drinking scene, so this holiday probably isn't as important to us as it is to other people.

and earlier this week as i was asked a few times if i was excited for new years, i'd say "no, it's just another day..." and at the risk of sounding exactly like my dad (which isn't a bad thing!) it is just another day. it's no different than yesterday or the day before. there really isn't anything super significant about this day apart from this: (and my dad's birthday—happy birthday daddy!!!)

it's another day that i'm alive!

it's another day that i get to enjoy my husband. my daughter. and my son.

it's another day that i can experience God's love, grace, and mercy.

it's another day closer to a new year, a new beginning, a chance to start fresh.

it's another day closer to Jesus's return!

so while it is, in fact, just another day, today i rejoice—for God has granted me yet one more day.

life is fleeting. it is a vapor, a breath, a blink of an eye. so not just today, but every day, take a moment to enjoy the gift of another day! that's what i'm celebrating today!

happy new year!

not me! monday

what a fast, busy, fun week! we did NOT have a wonderful thanksgiving with ben's family on thursday. we did NOT eat to our heart's content and did NOT gaze for hours at all the black friday ads.

ben and i did NOT make a spur of the moment decision and we did NOT take his mom up on her offer to have the kids spend the night so we could go shopping on black friday. after deciding we weren't going to go to toys r us at midnight (the line was crazy long) we did NOT go get "dinner" (no we hadn't eaten dinner yet) at the gas station. i seriously did NOT eat a hot dog, half of an apple fritter, and a cappuccino at 1am. really, who would do that?! we did NOT stay up until 2:30am shopping online, go to bed, and then get up at 4am to go to target.

we did NOT have so much fun! after the day was said and done we did not go to target, walmart, toys r us, a different walmart, and a different target. and then on saturday ben did NOT go back to target. two times. we did NOT get a LOT of our Christmas shopping done!

we do NOT have a stack of items to return to walmart and target...

and speaking of Christmas shopping, ben did NOT tell me that he was going to buy me a present. (we normally don't exchange Christmas presents, so this was a surprise!) and then he did NOT tell me that it was in the ebay room. i have NOT been wrestling with the thought of going and finding said Christmas present.

the more i think of it the more i do NOT want to go peek...

i am NOT staying out of the ebay room...


how was your week?! go check out mckmama.com for more not me! monday fun!

proud to be loud!

happy 4th of july!