Yikes!

Meet my new personal trainer......



Jillian Michaels.

She told me this morning that she is the meanest personal trainer there is....and you know what? I believe her.

She scares the daylights out of me.

The next 30 days are going to be pure torture.

As I put in my new 30 Day Shred DVD each morning and subject myself to torturous, rigorous exercises I'll be thinking about how fabulous my shoulders and biceps will look when it's all said and done.


Maybe this DVD will make me tan and have white teeth too. (Look at her...she looks like she's ready to eat someone!)

Day 1 - down
29 - to go

I've traded in my cigarette smoking Curves instructor, for this flesh eating trainer. Her voice alone intimidates me and when she looks into my eyes (ahem...camera) and tells me how hard the next 30 minutes with her are going to be, I'm ready to run back to bed crying.

Tomorrow morning as I open the door to the "gym", I'll walk in with a little more respect for her. Because after one workout, I've discovered muscles I forgot I had.

You might even hear me respond with "Yes, Mam!!" After each command.

This lady is no joke.

2 Years in Portugal

Today, two years ago we left America.....





Flew on three different planes over a 24 hour period.....




And finally arrived at our new home....


with our 17 pieces of luggage...


and found cala lilies in our yard!


God is So Very Good!
Happy Anniversary to us!

Friday Photo Flashback

Wow...I feel old.

Here is a picture of the girls when they were about 5, 4, 3 and 1.
This was on Easter morning. The ladies of my Sunday School class collected money for me (I was the Pastor's wife) to buy all us girls new Easter dresses. It was the first time and has been the only time all of us had new clothes to wear to church on Easter. Those ladies were such a blessing to me! (Some are reading this now.....thank you again!)



Now.....here's a picture I just took last week. The girls are now 10, 9, 8 and 5. (see why I feel old?!)






Hope you have a great weekend and Happy Valentines Day!
I've already received my gift! (My husband is never good at keeping surprises)

Lunchtime Conversations

Faith: What??!!, on the Bee Movie?

Trin: You know..when the bee showed his........huh, Daddy, what did you say?

Daddy: "Trin, say 'girl'...."

Trin: "guhhl"

Faith: ...giggling ..."Trin, say 'squirrel'....."

Trin: ...."guhhl"......

All of us..laughing hysterically


brief lull


Faith....humming to herself as she pulls the burnt bottom off her pig in a blanket.

Trin: goes to the bathroom...wait.... she came out of the bathroom and went to the bathroom upstairs...

Faith: "Excuse me....excuse me again...."

Mom: What's your problem?"

Faith...."I burped." "Just thinking about Beethoven"

Mom: "what about Beethoven?"

Faith ...In Beethoven 2...the eating contest..and the end when Beethoven called all his kids and the house shook because all those dogs were running down the steps! Moe, Dolly, Chunky..and what was the other ones name?? ......."Hey Moe, what do you know? Do you have a friend named Joe?"......what's so funny Mom? ...... Are you writing about me?!"

Mom: ...trying to change the subject..."Hey Trin, where'd you go?

Trin: To the bathroom.

Mom...."Why is everyone scared of the downstairs bathroom?"

Faith...."I'M NOT scared of it!, but everyone else is!" There was a spider in there once!


They all left....I think they figured out what I was doing.

....to be continued

I'm a Good Mom...Promise.

So I was having such a good time playing with play-doh and talking with my two Brazilian friends Letícia and Aline, I lost track of time.


(Picture courtesy of Aline)

It dawned on me I hadn't seen or heard from Justice in quite a while. I went looking for him and this is where I found him.....



Bless his heart.....



He fell asleep in a plastic tote of books.


What about you?? Where have you found your kids asleep before?

I found this old picture of Trinity, asleep in her walker.



(Now that I'm beginning to doubt my parenting skills...some, anyone...please tell me you've done the same...)