Fun New Blog - The Nerd's Wife

I just stumbled upon a fun new blog. Click HERE to visit The Nerd's Wife. There are such talented people out there!

Megan & Bakerella

My sister Megan just discovered that she was featured on the website/blog Bakerella in July and didn't even know it! :) How fun. And how cute is my niece Monet!? She sure has one talented and fun mommy!

Click HERE to see!

And the award goes to...

me. For being a horrible blogger.

I just haven't felt motivated lately. Summer is draining it all out of me.

New Blog Templates

Shabby Blogs has a bunch of new background templates out. They are so cute. Click HERE to see them all.

I cannot stop thinking about Haiti. I am consumed by it.

As I sit here reading about this little girl who is having her fingers amputated – I think about Carson who just got out of a warm bath, is wearing his new Spiderman watch, is going on his 3rd bowl of Lucky Charms while telling me he that he wants to sit on the couch with his SpongeBob blanket and watch a movie and eat popcorn.

And my eyes are all teary – not because of how unbelievably sad these stories I am reading are, but because my head hurts so bad and nothing I take helps it. And then I think of the story I watched the other night where they were interviewing crying nurses who were reporting on how they amputate without anesthesia - and then after the surgery they have nothing to give them but Advil. And I think of the woman below who is dying of breast cancer and the only thing that she can do is get to a small clinic to try to get some help with pain management.

Why are some so blessed and others not? Why are WE so blessed? Why was my spirit given to my family to be born into? Why are Carson, Parker and Demi living in Spring, Texas rather than sleeping under a tent in Haiti right now wondering if they will be lucky enough to get something to eat tomorrow?

It is so easy to think of the stories we see on the news as some abstract scene until I see a picture like this...

A boy brought his 3 year old brother into the clinic because he had burns on his chest and he was crying and crying because he was so worried about his brother being in pain. They are children just like our children. They are family and they love each other and worry about each other just like we do. It would be just like Parker carrying Carson into a clinic and sobbing with worry for his little brother. It is hard not to wonder during a time like this why these children have to suffer. What is the plan & purpose of all of this?

The pictures & stories above all came from the most moving blog that I have ever seen. Click HERE to visit The Livesay {Haiti} Weblog. You won't be able to quit reading it. And if you are all like me - you will be a sobbing, crying mess. You can also access some other incredible blogs by following the links within some of the posts.

There are some incredible people out there.

Cute New Blog

My sister just started the cutest blog! She started it just for herself so she could have a place to collect her ideas - but it is too cute not to share. Only 4 posts so far and they are the best & cutest ideas.

Click HERE to go to www.megansideas.blogspot.com if you want to snoop like me!

Nie Nie's Story: Part 2

The second part of Stephanie Nielson's amazing story is posted. Click HERE to continue with chapters 5 through 10.

Also for some beautiful photos of a 'day in the life' click HERE to go to Nie Nie's blog.

HILARIOUS. AND SKETCHY! :)

Oh my gosh. This site is so funny. And just a tiny bit disturbing. Click HERE to check out Sketchy Santas. Lol.

Climbing Back - Stephanie Nielson's Story

Stephanie Nielson is discussing her horrible plane crash and her long and difficult recovery in an amazing series. Click HERE to read the first 4 chapters. It is really interesting.

Coolest New Blog!

Oh my gosh. This is the cutest new blog!! It is Ree Drummond's (Pioneer Woman) new recipe sharing blog. Click HERE to visit The Tasty Kitchen! She always does everything top notch and this blog is no different! :)

Oh... Click HERE if you want to see the recipe for these cute Candy Cane Treats. I don't know how appetzing they are - but they sure are darling and festive! :)

It's Official

NieNie will be on Oprah tomorrow (or possibly Thursday). If you follow NieNie then don't forget to watch! Click HERE to visit NieNie's blog.

For those of you that follow...

Rumor has it that Oprah was at Nie Nie's house this week.

Click HERE to read NieNie Dialogues. It makes me count my blessings.

Ok. I am ready to start posting again.

I have been so frustrated that I haven't wanted to even bring up my blog to post. But finally, tonight, I think I am ready.

I have been learning to use Photoshop over the last couple of days and my header (back to school edition) was my first project. I think I have finally gotten the hang of it and I LOVE it!! (Photoshop that is) It is right up my alley! My sister-in-law Tiffany gave me her copy to put on my computer. Thank you sooo much Tiffany! I have wanted it for so long and was hoping to MAYBE get it for Christmas. But thanks to Tiff - Christmas came early! :)

So after finishing my header today I tried and tried to make a background to match it with no luck. I researched online and tried some different ways but I must still not be doing it right. It is all the HTML computer code that is the hard part. Oh well. I will eventually get it. For now I put another Shabby Blogs template on it. Which I love, but I really want to make my own.

So that in a nutshell is why I have been avoiding my blog. Cause it has been causing me stress and when its not perfect, I can't bear to look at it. LOL.

I wish I was like that in the rest of my life. My house may be a pig pen, and I may not get dressed for 3 days in a row, but damn it! My blog margins better be lined up perfect or I lose sleep at night!

Oh, and playing Farm Town on facebook with my father-in-law and sister-in-laws might have a tiny bit to do with not posting too... :)

Wanna see my farm?

It might not look like much to you, but let me tell ya... It's a darn good one! :)

Work In Progress

I know I have been a terrible blogger this week. It is because I have found a new vice. I have been playing Farm Town on facebook. Why is it that life usually only allows time for one obsessive hobby at a time?

I have lots to report and LOTS to do to fix my blog up with my new ideas... So check back. :)

Snatched from my sisters blog...

Ok. This is so hilarious! This is straight from my sister's blog. It is a pic of my brother-in-law, Clayton and my niece, Monet - and a copy of the caption that Megan had attached to it on her blog. Cracks me up! And so true Clay! ;)

Notice Clay's hairdo?........ So I'm like, "What's with your hair?" and he says, "What do you mean? I woke up this morning and thought it looked like the guy who plays the vampire. So I left it like that."

Cute. Ha ha. Clay thought he looked all sexy like Rob Pattinson. (And he did) :)

Cool & Easy Photo Editing Site!

This is a really cool website - especially if you do not have photo editing software. There are lots of quick little tools to easily edit your photos. I converted the photo above to black and white in about 60 seconds. It is a photo of us in California a couple of years ago.

Click HERE to visit Pixenate.

You can also click HERE to visit Phixr. It is another similar site, although I seem to like Pixenate a little better.

Ok. I couldn't help myself.

Back to a 3 column blog. Who knows. By the end of the week it could be back to my original.

I don't handle change well.

My new favorite blog background site!

Here is another super talented person who shares her darling stuff for free! I LOVE it all! So much that her stuff finally motivated me to put a background on my blog. :)

Click HERE to visit the Shabby Blogs Site and click HERE to visit the Shabby Blogs Blog. Both have great downloads and information.

I also put a direct link button to her blog on the bottom of the right column on my blog for easy access. Enjoy!

An Unbelievable Site for Free Fonts!!

I can't believe the super talented people there are out there. And then on top of it to share their creations for free! It is so great!

Click HERE to check out Kevin&Amanda.com. Once you click on this link you will see there are 2 links on the page. One link is for free 'handwriting fonts' and the other link is for free 'scrapbooking fonts'. They are all great! And actually, all of this girls sites are darling, so if you want to check out her other stuff (her personal blog, her recipe blog, her scrapbooking blog) then click HERE to start at her blog 'homepage'. Then you can start by clicking the tabs on the top to go to her different stuff. Got all that? :)

Here are a couple of hers that I got the other night...

I can't wait to download all of them. She makes it super easy with instructions and even a button you can use to get them all at one time. I did it super quick and they are immediately available in all your programs to use with all your other fonts.

I have also put her own button link that goes directly to the font site on the bottom of the right column of my blog for easy access! :) Hope you enjoy as much as I did - and thanks Amanda for sharing your talent with all of us!!!

A Quick Update

I am done with the blog and I love it. Hopefully you will too! :)

And a quick update of today...

Fishies are still kickin'. Although Robert saw one get gobbled up right in front of him tonight. And the reason he saw it is because he literally has been in front of the aquarium all night trying to find out how many there are. He was even crushing up food for them so they would get a little nutrition. He has done his homework. He is practically a professional Molly breeder now. :) I actually heard him in the office tonight, by himself, in the dark, say, "Well little guys. I am doing my part. Now all you have to do is stay alive." LOL! I sure hope they pull through or Robert might have to take a personal day off work to grieve.