I am so happy for you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is just wonderful news!

Saying prayers for you... :grouphug:

From DH and my boys: 2 sweaters, a shirt, 3 pairs of PJ's, 2 pairs of silver earrings, 2 cd's I wanted, and The Help. We haven't opened gifts yet, but I know of 3 gifts that my mom bought me - a 12" skillet with a cover, a Pandora charm for my bracelet, and some slippers.

I'm so sorry to hear about Oscar. He looks just like our cat, Jax, whom I couldn't imagine losing. He's a lot like your Oscar - so friendly, loving, and docile. I pray Oscar returns home soon. A similar situation happened with my aunt's cat a couple of years ago. It turns out she went to ALL her neighbors after waiting and waiting, and he was living in someone's garage a few streets over. I'm glad your daughter is smiling again. I hope Lily brings her much love and joy.

Merry Christmas everyone! Great poem from your boys... thank you for sharing it with us!

I never thought of it this way... hmmm... I was just looking at it as it being ours, kwim? I don't know that I want to do our last name... maybe because I don't really like it? It's choppy and no one ever knows how to say it correctly. :confused::confused::confused:

This is exactly what we are trying to figure out. We have the DVR with cable right now, and Dh doesn't want to give up his ability to watch shows later, ff through commercials, etc. But, we are tired of paying the ridiculous price of cable. So, we began looking into Roku. We like the idea of it, but not the inability to dvr things. Then we found TiVo which is the dvr part and it can also stream live from Netflix - at least that is what we were finding - is this true? Then we realized we'd need to pay a monthly fee on top of the Netflix fee. It all begins to add up again. Which is why we are unsure as to where to go. I really think we could completely get rid of cable, but dh is not so sure :tongue_smilie:.

Yes, this is why I'm struggling. I really see no reason for us to leave NC, so that is why I want it to be good. And, there won't be any other children, so I don't need to worry about that... Dh already took care of that :D

According to NC law, I have to apply to open my homeschool within 30 days of my son's 7th birthday, which brings me to the beginning of March. I cannot figure out what to name our school! I asked dh what he thought, and in his true fashion, he answered, "whatever you think is best." Schooling is my area of "expertise" according to him (since I have a M.Ed in Elem. Ed) so he really leaves much of it up to me; however, he supports me whole-heartedly in this endeavor. Basically, he was useless in helping me! :tongue_smilie: I've come up with one name, but I'm not sure if I like it enough to have it be our school name, and once you name it, you can't change it. Anyway, I took the first initials of dh's and my name and then combined my sons' names to get this: B.J. Garlan Academy. What do you think? I'm open to any suggestions too! :)

Thanks for all the replies everyone! Dh and I have some decisions to make.

Congrats to your dh!!! I'm so glad it worked out for him!

Were these taken at Garden of the Gods in CO Springs? I love it there!

This post has me heartbroken even though she is okay now. I cannot imagine the fear everyone has felt, especially her dh. Saying prayers while praising God that she is alive. :grouphug:

I'd really like to do this too. Count me in! :)

That's fabulous news! Great work to both of you!

After dinner, I put my casserole dish on the stove top to cool before I covered it. We had a chicken dish with sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and cheese in it. The kids got us distracted, and 4 hours later, I realized I never put the casserole away. Can we still eat it if I refrigerated it as soon as I realized it? I'd hate to lose an entire meal for my stupidity, but I'd rather us not get food poisoning. Thanks!

A man that cooks is worth keeping around!

That's SO wonderful!!!! Congratulations! Wishing you all the best!!!

Yes, I see my GP for a physical once a year for the routine bloodwork and to check on one of my meds. I also see my ob/gyn once a year too. If I could go to her for everything, I would. She's amazing, and I truly love her. I see her for my pap and routine woman stuff.

I would have to agree about the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire series books too! Ugh... I got to book 3, didn't finish it, and declared myself done. As for others hating The Shack, I really liked it. Granted there are holes in the theology part, but I thought it gave a great example of God's love, grace, and redemption if we let Him in. It's just a story, and many have tragic stories in their lives, as the main character did. When we let God in, as the story showed, we can begin to heal. That is why I enjoyed it - it was a reminder to rely on Him at all times. I guess I needed that reminder this year, and reading The Shack came at just the right time to nail that home to me.

Wow, this is actually hard to answer since I read so often! Great thread idea though as I'm happily adding to my book list for 2010 :) Here are the three I can think of right now... The Shack by Wm. Paul Young Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

If any of you use TiVo, can you tell me the pros & cons? We're considering this for our home. TIA! :)

So precious!

I don't have any btdt stories to share, but I wanted you to know that I'm saying a prayer for you and ds. :grouphug:

What about a sugar glider? They're small, love to cuddle and bond with their owners, are clean, and very cute. Neighbors of ours have two, and they love to be worn in little pouches (usually hanging from the neck) since they are part of the marsupial family. http://www.sugargliderinfo.org/