May 31, 2012

31 Day Blog Challenge...Day 31

Why I Blog

This is the last day of the 31 Day Blog Challenge.
I have enjoyed it so much!!
I just started this blog recently and this challenge has helped me grow.

There are many different reasons people blog.

Just like there are different reasons I started this blog.
I wanted to record things in my life to be able to look back on.
As well for my family to look back on and reminisce.
It's sort of a .com scrapbook if you will.
I also wanted to connect with other bloggers.
There are millions upon millions of blogs out there in the blog world
and if I connect with just a few of those, it will be awesome!
I also hope to inspire, even if it is just one person, in one way or another
through my blog.
To be honest, at this point, I really do not know what direction my blog will go.
Right now, it is about my life and my family
and it is perfectly fine with me for it to stay that way.
I just want it to go on the path that my God wants it to go on for His glory.

JMD

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May 30, 2012

31 Day Blog Challenge...Day 30

What's in my Makeup Bag

I am one of those that put my makeup on in the car.
Yes, I'm one of those people that you get mad at that is driving with one knee,
putting on eyeliner with one hand while holding my eyelid closed with the other hand.
I have put my makeup on like this for YEARS.
I am not really sure why.
I guess I need something to do while I'm driving.
Seriously, I do get bored when I am driving.

So, my makeup bag has almost all of my makeup in it.

 
Then I have a lipstick/lipgloss bag that I keep in my purse.





What's in your make up bag?

JMD

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Wordless Wednesdays



JMD

May 29, 2012

31 Day Blog Challenge...Day 29

Where I Have Traveled

Unfortunately, I do not have readily available pictures to share of all the places I have travelled.
So I am just going to list them.  Ok?  Ok.
Here goes in no particular order...
  • Florida
  • North Carolina
  • South Carolina
  • Kentucky
  • Ohio
  • Indiana
  • Virginia
  • Georgia
  • Alabama
  • Texas
  • California
  • Hawaii
  • Bahamas
  • Mexico
  • Oklahoma
  • Mississippi
  • Washington, D.C.
If you notice, I have never been overseas.
I would love to go to London someday.
Other than that, there are a lot of places here in the States that I want to visit.

Where have you traveled?

JMD

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May 28, 2012

Memorial Day







JMD

31 Day Blog Challenge...Day 28

What I am Looking Forward To


I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING
DEBT FREE!!!!!!

My husband and I are on the Dave Ramsey plan.
We attended Dave's Financial Peace University last year
and are still working his plan.

I CANNOT wait to be debt free!

To owe money is such a burden.

"and the borrower becomes the lender's slave."
Prov. 22:7b

That is exactly how I feel!
I feel like this debt rules me!
I feel like we can't do the things we want to do because of our debt.

It is very hard getting out of debt.
But I know the end is in site
and when we pay off that last dollar
we will get to give ol' Dave a call and say

"WE'RE DEBT FREE!!!"

JMD

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May 27, 2012

31 Day Blog Challenge...Day 27

My Favorite Recipe

Some of you may have never heard of this recipe
and some of you might think it sounds gross
but it's not.
And it is my favorite recipe in the whole wide world!
This is a recipe of my Mom's
and when she makes it
it is such a treat!!!!

It is called...
Chocolate 'n Biscuit



Chocolate Gravy:

  • 1/3 stick butter
  • 2/3 cup sugar  
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa
  • 2 cups whole milk

Heat butter in a cast iron skillet over low heat.  Mix in sugar, flour and cocoa.  Slowly pour 1 cup of milk into the skillet and wisk well to remove lumps.  Whisk in remaining milk, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick, being careful not to scorch.  Serve hot over biscuits.


JMD

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The Ball Claw Giveaway at Organizing Homelife

Ginny over at Organizing Homelife is giving away a set of Ball Claws.


These are the coolest things!!

They are made of hard plastic, but are slightly flexible.
A ball pops in or out very easily.]
They come in several sizes for all types of balls including,
basketballs
soccer balls
volleyballs
footballs
and even kids' bouncy balls!

They attach to the wall easily with the screws and anchors provided in the package.
A cover hides the screws and makes it look really cool!!


You can win a set of 3 ball claws!

Just go to Organizing Homelife to enter here.

If you would like to purchase the Ball Claw, go to their website here.

JMD

May 26, 2012

31 Day Blog Challenge...Day 26

An Old Photo of Me


Oh yeah!!
Check out the banana clipped hair!!
I think I was around 13 or 14 in this pic.
Whew! I was putting a hole in the ozone layer back then!!

JMD

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May 25, 2012

31 Day Blog Challenge...Day 25

My 5 Favorite Blogs

I have a long list of blogs that I read.
Sometimes it takes me...well...a long time to read all of them.
To name my top 5 is difficult but here goes.


1.  iHeart Organizing    
2.  OrgJunkie                 
3.  MoneySavingMom  
4.  WomenLivingWell   
5.  life.yourway.net       

JMD

I am linking to
 

May 24, 2012

31 Day Blog Challenge...Day 24

My Favorite Childhood Book

When I was little I LOVED reading "The Littles" books.

They were little mouse like creatures that lived in a house owned by the Biggs.

The Littles lived in the the Biggs' house....get it?  hehe

JMD

I am linking to

May 23, 2012

31 Day Blog Challenge...Day 23

My Dream Job

If I could have any job in the whole wide world, I would want to be
a Stay at Home Mom.

I hope women that get to stay home with their child(ren) cherish it
because it is a blessing.

Z is 15.
I never got to stay home with him because I was a single parent
until I met Jad.
He is in high school now
but I still wish I could be there when he gets out of school.

Tanman is 4.
In the mornings, he wakes up 30 minutes before Jad takes him to my mother-in-law's
for her to keep him while we work.

I get home at 4:30pm with my son from work.
He goes to bed at 8:00pm.
That is just three and a half hours with him at night.

That is just not enough time.

But, you know what?
It is my fault.
Debt is the reason why I can't stay home.
If we didn't have any debt, we could live off Jad's income.

That is what really bothers me.
To know that I could have my dream job
if I would have just made better choices in the past.


What is your dream job?


JMD

I am linking to

 

Wordless Wednesdays




JMD

May 22, 2012

31 Day Blog Challenge...Day 22

Best Thing to Happen This Year

The best thing to happen this year would have to be that....

I QUIT SMOKING!!!

I quit on January 2nd
and I am so glad I did!

Until then I had smoked for 18+ years.
What is crazy to me and will probably be to you too is that
I quit both times I was pregnant.
And both times, when the boys were 3 months old
I started back.

It was knowing that I had a little human inside me
that made it so easy for me to quit.

My youngest son is 4 and I had been wanting to quit for a long time.

My dad passed away from cancer in 2010, not from smoking cigarettes, but still.
He would tell me that I needed to quit smoking because having cancer was not fun.
A month after my dad passed away, my mom found out she had skin cancer.
Thankfully, the doctors were able to remove it.

Therefore, I have a HUGE chance of getting cancer.
This was 2 years ago.
I couldn't quit.
It was too hard.
I was addicted.

But on January 2nd of this year
something clicked
and by the grace of God
I quit
cold.turkey.

Something that helped me was Electronic Cigarettes.
Even though I quit smoking
I still craved them
BAD!
So, when I did crave a cigarette I would puff on the ecig and it would satisfy my craving.
My favorite thing about the ecig was that I could blow out "smoke."
It was just vapors, but it made me think it was smoke.

I am so thankful that I quit smoking.
And that is the best thing to happen to me this year!

If you smoke, oh how I hope you can quit too.


JMD

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The Great Garage Clean Out Challenge...Week 3

The Great Garage Clean Out Challenge Button The Great Garage Clean Out Challenge!

This past weekend, my husband helped me with tackling the garage.  We got a lot done!  But we still have a lot to go.  I missed week 2 because I was down with my back, so I am behind.  If I don’t finish this challenge this month, that’s okay because I KNOW that I will definitely finish it this summer.  My garage has been filled from front to back, top to bottom for over six years!!  You can read my first post for this challenge here.  The main thing I noticed when I posted those first pictures was how much money was sitting in my garage.  So, that was my focus this weekend.  We pulled out all the baby items, cleaned them up and I put them on Craigslist.  We have made $60 already!  WOOHOO!!!  That’s what I’m talking about!!  It was cracking me up because we had pulled so much stuff out of the garage that people were stopping by thinking it was a garage sale.  We had pulled a little desk out and I was going to put it on Craigslist.  A couple walked up and we told them that we weren’t having a yard sale, but if they needed any baby stuff it was for sale.  They saw the desk and asked us how much we wanted for it.  Yep!  We sold it!!  Then later, two women walked up.  One of them bought my son's bike that he has outgrown.  The other one offered to buy all of the baby stuff sitting there!  (She worked at a consignment shop the other one told us)  I thought to myself, “No way!  Seriously!!!  Ok, don’t act excited.  Don’t let it show.”  We were not prepared for that so we had not come up with any kind of price.  We told her we had to think about it.  After a few minutes, we told her a price.  I’ll admit, we went a little high because we knew she would counter offer.  Oh she counter offered alright.  She said, “I have $170 in my pocket.”  A HUNDRED AND SEVENTY DOLLARS????  I was bent down trying to put a foot ledge on the stroller and when she said that I about choked on my tongue.  I thought, “Lady!  You have GOT to be out of your mind.  I may be wanting to get rid of this stuff, but I am NOT gonna just give it to you.”  Actually, I thought that after I huffed and said, “There’s no way I’ll take $170 for all of this” because those words just fell out of my mouth before I even had time to think.  I mean, we’re talking about 17 items that are in great condition.  Ok, I’ll get off my rampage now and talk about the subject at hand.  But here is a picture of what she wanted to give me $170 for.


I mean, come on, really??
Would you have taken $170 for all of this?
Like I said before, we got a lot done, but we still have a lot to go. 

BEFORE



AFTER



Not much difference.

But when I see how much we put in my van to take to charity....
I was pretty happy.
13 BOXES BABY!!!!


JMD
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May 21, 2012

31 Day Blog Challenge...Day 21

My 10 Favorite Foods

I.Love.Food.
I think I might do better if I list the 10 foods I don't like.
Just kidding.
Here ya go.


1.  CHOCOLATE!!!
2.  California Rolls
3.  Ice Cream with Oreos
4.  My Mom's Chocolate and Biscuit (I'll share on another post)
5.  Salad
6.  Japanese food...especially when it is cooked in front of me on the hibachi
7.  Funnel Cakes
8.  Anything My Husband Cooks for Dinner
  9.  Chinese Food - Tso Chicken and Noodles
10.    Cheese Dip at Mexican Restaurants

JMD

I am linking to
31 Day Blog Challenge over at Boy Oh Boy.


May 20, 2012

31 Day Blog Challenge...Day 20

A Difficult Time in My Life

If you are in my life, then you know that the most difficult time in my life is losing my Dad.
He passed away on June 14, 2010.
He succumbed to cancer.
I.miss.him.
very.much.
I thought he would be around forever.
He said he would.
My dad was big and strong.
He could do anything.
He knew how do to everything.
He was a cowboy and a motorcycle rider.
I am proud to say that he was...
MY daddy.


My mom, my two sisters and I were by his side when he took his last breath.
He was at home.
He knew we were there.
We were touching him and kissing him and telling him how much we loved him.
It was not easy and I picture that moment very, very often.
But, I would not have had it any other way.




My mom and dad were married three and a half weeks shy of 49 years.
There were two things my dad told my mom that bothered him about leaving her and us.
One was that he wouldn't be here to protect her anymore.
And two was that he wouldn't be able to watch his grandsons grow up.

There are 5 grandsons.
I'll insert something I find quite humorous here.
My dad wanted a son sooooo bad.
When my oldest sister was born, it didn't bother him.
When my next sister was born, my dad was upset because they thought she was the last one.
Well, buddy, when I came out and I wasn't a boy....
My dad was (excuse my language)...pissed off!!!!
I was for sure the last one, so he knew he would never get a boy.
My mom told him, "Don't worry, we'll have some grandsons some day."
Well, thanks to my mom and dad,
No granddaughters!!!
All grandsons!
FIVE OF THEM!
I always kidded my dad that he jinxed us.
LOL

At the time of my dad's passing, the grandsons' ages were 13, 9, 8, and 2.
Sixteen years ago, one of my nephews passed away at the age of 7.
(That was a difficult time for our family as well.)

There are moments that I think of my dad and my heart actually hurts.
My chest will hurt and I feel like someone just punched me in the gut.
Knowing he is not here anymore breaks.my.heart.
I will see things that make me think of him.
Simple, everyday things like passing a motorcycle going down the street.
Seeing a horse on TV.
Passing a Roadway truck going down the interstate
because that is who he drove for before he retired.
My sons will do something and I think,
"Oh, Papa would have loved to have seen that." or
"Oh, Papa would be so proud right now."

There are only 2 things that even begin to make me feel better.
1.  I know I will get to see him again someday.
2.  I would not want him here if he would have to suffer.



Not only do I grieve for my loss, but I grieve for my sons' loss as well.
Papa hung the moon according to Tanman.
It is hard trying to explain to a 2 year old that their Papa went to heaven.
He just couldn't quite understand why Papa wasn't here anymore.
He thought he was coming back.

Then, for Z, Papa had been his father figure for years before I met Jad.
Which leads me to another difficult time in my life.
Z's biological father was murdered when Z was only a year old.
Therefore, Z never knew his dad and had to grow up without him.
So, Papa was his father figure and now he is gone too.

I tell my husband so many times that I want to get to the point where my grief is not this bad.
I say, "I want to be on the other side of this grief."
It hurts so bad that it physically hurts.
I sure hope one day I can.

Guess what?
Jad's birthday is June 14th.
Bless his heart.
I try real hard to make his day special,
but at the same time my heart is ripping apart inside because I'm thinking about my dad.
Not only that, Jad's dad's birthday is the day before on the 13th.
And he passed away four years ago.
When a birthday celebration should be going on, both of our hearts are heavy for the loss of our dads.

As I mentioned above, another difficult time in my life
was when Z's dad was murdered.
First, because how can someone take someone else's life.
I mean, really?
They thought about it, planned it out and actually did it.
They didn't even think or care what it would do to those left behind.

Second, my baby didn't have a daddy anymore.
He didn't know it.  He was 1.
But I knew it and I would have to tell him someday.

This is something you never get over, you just try to get through it over time.

I know we are not supposed to question God.
But Joe had been in a motorcycle wreck a couple of months before he was murdered.
He was hurt pretty badly in the wreck.
I kept asking God why He just didn't let Joe die in the motorcycle wreck.

But I know everything is in God's plan and who am I to question it.
And it wasn't his plan for Joe to die in the motorcycle wreck.

However, I don't know if I will ever know why those two losers took Joe's life.

JMD

I am linking to
31 Day Blog Challenge over at Boy Oh Boy.


May 19, 2012

31 Day Blog Challenge...Day 19


What I Collect





Willow Tree Figures


I have been collecting these figures for a few years.
I have not bought any of these.
They have all been given to me and they all have meaning behind them.
That is why I adore them so.
They are unique in the fact that they do not have faces and I think that is neat.






Jad gave me this to me for our wedding anniversary.
I.Love.It.
My first charm is a pillow with wedding rings on it
like a ring bearer's pillow.
Perfect for our anniversary.
I cannot wait to get more charms!!
I will collect charms like my Willow Tree Figures...
I will not buy them
they will only be ones that are bought for me.

I am a very sentimental person.
These two collections mean so much to me
because each one has so much meaning behind them
and have and will have a story to tell.


Not pictured that I also collect are Nativity Scenes.
There is one in the first picture with in my Willow Tree collection.
I have many different kinds of Nativity Scenes:
glass, porcelain, fabric, plastic, etc.
I really enjoy displaying them at Christmas.
I have a curio cabinet at my mother-in-law's that I will be bringing home soon
and my plan is to use it to display all my Nativity Scenes.

  JMD

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May 18, 2012

31 Day Blog Challenge...Day 18

The Meaning of My Blog Name


23thirty


It's quite simple, actually.

Those are the numbers in my house address.

(2330)

I wanted to name my blog something
that would represent my life in someway.
I have seen numbers for blog names around the web.
So, I thought that would be perfect for mine
because that is where my family lives
and I thought using part of my address would give me
the opportunity to be able to post about anything related to life.

JMD

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May 17, 2012

31 Day Blog Challenge...Day 17

What Is My Most Proud Moment

Of course, like every other mom, my proudest moments are when I gave birth to my two sons.
I consider the whole creation of human life a miracle.
For a woman to grow a baby (or babies) in her belly and give birth, she should be proud
because she has just brought human life into this world!

JMD

I am linking to
31 Day Blog Challenge over at Boy Oh Boy.



May 16, 2012

See Spot Run 5k



Saturday I participated in another 5k.
I did a 5k back in February.
There are a couple of differences between the two.

In February, it was 12 DEGREES!!!!



Saturday, it was 72 degrees.


In February, I was with my Best Friend!




Saturday, I was with a precious Greyhound.




In February, I ran half of the 5k and walked half of it.

Saturday, I walked the WHOLE thing!  =(

Oh well, at least I participated.
And it was for a good cause.
The money went to support Habitat for Humanity.
And I got my exercise for the day
with a sweet friend, Scout.





HOWEVER...
I need to get my butt in gear and get to training.

I want to be a runner.
I want to be able run a 5k...
a 10k
a 15k
a half-marathon
a full-marathon
a tri-athalon

I want to be able to do all those things!

And.I.will.



JMD



31 Day Blog Challenge...Day 16

What's At the Top of My Bucket List

I do not have a Bucket list per se, but I do have a list called
101 in 1001 that I posted about here.

This list is like a bucket list but on a much smaller scale.
There is nothing extreme to do on this list.
It consists of 101 things I want to do in 1001 days (about 3 1/2 years).
I love this list because I look at it often and it keeps me motivated to accomplish the 101 things on it.

If I did have a bucket list, I would have to say the top thing would be

TO GET DEBT FREE!!

Jad and I are currently working on our debt and I CANNOT wait until the day we get to scream those famous words.

Until then, take a look at my 101 in 1001 list.
I encourage you to make one.
It is fun and gives you goals, something to look forward to, something to accomplish and something to keep you accountable.

If you do, please let me know.
I would love to read it.

JMD

I am linking to
31 Day Blog Challenge over at Boy Oh Boy.