Thursday Thirteen #50

Thirteen Random Things about Qtpies7

1.I have a senior this year. Ugh! I am so proud of him and so not ready for him to grow up.

This is one of his senior pictures. It is my favorite.

Next year I'll be displaying a picture of him in his Air Force uniform. THAT will make me tear up for sure!

Drew is a smart, responsible, and caring Christian young man.

2. I'm nearly done Christmas Shopping! I am! For the first time ever, I have gotten close to done at the beginning of December. Of course it was easy this year because I enter a million contests and my winnings will make several great gifts, and I have earned some additional money and gift certificates that I was able to use for gifts.

3. I'm babysitting today and the kids are nutso! I was hoping, in vain, that their cold medicine their mom said to give them would make them sleepy. Who was I kidding? Not that it is just them, Trinity is right there with them.

4. I put my tree up. Ok, Donnie put the tree up, but I wasn't going to put one up until the day before Christmas, and I certainly wasn't going to have a real tree. But we have a real tree, and it is up already. Not decorated. The Tree Adventure

5. Online school is tough. Hate it. I loved online college, I hate online public school, because high school they did school with a teacher, but 6th grade they are making ME teach, when it is "online" but not really. Just the assignments are online. If I wanted to homeschool, I'd homeschool without their deadlines and stuff. Won't be doing this again, even if it does come with a computer.

6. I want to have a baby!

7. Actually, I want to have twins.

8. Even after 7 kids, I haven't learned the rule about not saying something or your kids will make you a liar. Open Mouth, Insert Foot
9. Diet Dr. Pepper is the best!

10. I'm in a stamping club, and we make the cutest little projects each month and take turns being the hostess. When the leader said she was having trouble getting volunteer for December hostessing, I took it since I am the newbie. It was the best sacrifice I've ever made, lol. We had an amazing amount of sales and I got so much free! That helps me a lot because I am starting over.

11. Walmart.com is the best place to order prints. I love Snapfish, too, but Walmart is great because I can get the size pic I need for my Wall-o-pics of the kids, and they offer portrait packages, like an 8x10, 2-5x7's and 27 wallets for under $7! Oh, yes, that IS amazing! And with in store delivery there is no shipping fee, but the delivery is FAST.

12. Samuel can climb now. He seems to really enjoy climbing on my dining room table to take all the candles out of my center piece.

13. There is a LOT of snow in Minnesota with lots more on the way. I hate snow. I hate cold. I hate going outside. But, I'm not going anywhere. My husband loves it here, and we have family here.

It's only a season, it's only a season, it's only a season.........

Happy Thursday Thirteen!

Thursday Thirteen #45

Thirteen Things Great Contests to Enter 1. Amanda is having a giveaway of the most adorable pair of Reindeer hair clips from SimplySweetBowtique.com that I have ever seen. Ends December 5. 2. Jason’s Random Thoughts is having a different sort of contest for Canadian money, via paypal for internationals. Three ways to win, all through commenting. Ends December 31. 3. Andrea at The Laughs Will Go On is giving away a Tummy 2 Tummy babywearing DVD. Ends December 3. 4. Boston Mama is giving away 5 Brain Candy DVD’s about the 5 senses. These are for the littlest kiddos. Ends December 23. 5. From Dates to Diapers is giving away some stocking stuffers for your little girl. Ends December 3. 6. Mellissa’s Idea Garden is giving away the Numero Uno book ever written for parenting teens! For Parents Only, by Shaunti Feldham and Lisa A. Rice. I have a review up on my blog about the book. Fantastic, fantastic book. A must read for all parents. Ends December 5. 7. Artistic Blogger is also giving the book For Parents Only away! 8. Boutique Café is giving away an apron from Sommer Designs. Ends November 29. 9. Girl on a Mission is giving away a copy of Deceptively Delicious cookbook. Ends December 13. 10. Booksplurge is giving away several books, all I have personally read, own and HIGHLY recommend. 11. Homeschoolers, there is a great Holiday giveaway with 20 winners, awesome prizes! Ends Dec. 8. 12. Mom Logic is giving away Born Free baby bottles to 200 people. 13. Design Mom has a few giveaways this week. Kodak Easyshare 5300 All-in-one Printer, Baby Linen Gift Set from Spongy Feet, $200 of Scrapbooking Goodies from Glitz, and Jewelry from Blue Poppy Design, all end today, Thursday, November 29. She is also having 4 giveaways tomorrow. Don’t forget to check back in with her!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

Thursday Thirteen Thankfulness week

I started to write this last night, but Sam was so grumpy that I couldn't get anything done. And I am glad I had to wait because I am just giddy today and over flowing with thanks and Praise to God for his goodness! Now I have to list it.

1. I am thankful to God for His goodness and mercy and love and answered prayers. He always provides what we need when we need it. I know, sometimes bad things happen, but God can turn them for good, and I believe that all our cars dying over and over and over this year have been for our good. Character issues, probably

!2. I am so thankful for my friend Sarah. She brings me so much joy and laughter and support. I don't think I've ever had so much to laugh about since in the last year. Thank you, God for putting Sarah in my life!

3. I am so thankful for my friend Jody. She is always, always there for me and I have the deepest feelings of being rooted in family with her in my life. I know she'd fight for me even if I didn't know about it. And Jody, I know some of the the help you've done without me knowing it, Thank You! Thank you, God, for giving Jody's friendship to me.

4. I am so thankful for my friend, Jeannie. Jeannie brings me peacefulness and calmness. We laugh and get crazy all the time, but there is something about Jeannie that lets me know that I don't have to be worked up, God will make things work. Maybe maturity, I don't know, but I feel more grounded with her in my life. Thank you, God for bring Jeannie into my life.(pause to stop the crying I've been doing since I started!)

5. I am so thankful for my friend Sheree. She has been a rock in my life for 10+ years. She is like my sister that chose me. And you can't replace that. Thank you, God for Sheree in my life!

6. I am really thankful that my husband's parents moved 3 blocks away. (no, they didn't move out of our house, the were 3 hours away) I am glad because we have been able to help each other out and it is so nice to have family near by. I have really been blessed.

7. I am thankful for my husband. He drives me crazy, we miscommunicate all the time, but he loves me no matter what. And we are equally yoked. And he's gullible. Makes it fun to tease.

8. I am thankful for all of my children. The bring me the most pain and most joy of all. I use this blog to laugh at all the horrible and stupid things they do, but really they are such wonderful children. And I am blessed by them. I know they will all serve God.

9. I am thankful for my home. I have a love-hate relationship with my house, but recently we were looking at not having it, but God stepped in and answered our prayers. Miraculously the mortgage company changed our rates and kept the 2yr ARM from bring our mortgage up so high we couldn't pay it! It wasn't even a refinance! We just said we couldn't handle that payment and they said "Let us rework it" and they did! It isn't even adjustable anymore.

10. I asked some friends to pray for a friend, earnestly and strongly without knowing why, the other day. And this morning I found that half of her needs were met yesterday! I am thankful for praying friends. I know they would do that for me, too.

11. I am thankful for traditions. We have our Thanksgiving traditions, and we'll be eating them today. Like Lefse! A Norwegian delicacy! OK, not a delicacy, but so delicious!

12. I am thankful for my parents. My parents are both still alive, and they are really supportive. They think we are nuts for some of our beliefs, but they have never disowned us, even for having 7 kids and homeschooling like freaks.

13. I am also so thankful that my dad, who isn't normally all that thoughtful, asked his sister to let me have their mom's nativity set. He knows I don't have anything from either of his parents. And he knows that the nativity set is something that I would cherish even without it coming from my grandparents. I am just blown away by that. Maybe I can part with my broken Christmas ornament now.

Dang it! I'm crying again!

There are more of you who read my blog that I know and love in real life, and I am glad to have you in my life, too. I don't know when I have ever been so richly blessed with friends.And I forgot to say I am thankful for Quelf, which we shall play today with unsuspecting relatives! Yeehaw!I can't stop crying!

Thursday Thirteen Thankfulness week

Thirteen things that I am thankful for. I am reflecting and preparing my heart for Thanksgiving. Or maybe just trying not to kill someone. Same difference.

1. I am very thankful that I am married to a man who shares my life views. Many people are unequally yoked in so many areas, and we are not.
2. I am so thankful that we have 7 children. We have the most amazing family, and I am always glad to have every one of my kids. (even when I want to strangle one, or six)
3. I am thankful that we have a big enough house for our family. Big enough to live and entertain. It is a real blessing. Even when it is cluttered and messy and loud and on the brink of needing to be condemned.
4. I am thankful for a working furnace. We have had a few weeks where we did not have a working furnace in the cold weather. It was NOT fun. We have heat, and I am very thankful.
5. We have ONE working car. At least Donnie can go to work, because if he makes money, we can survive, but the rest of us can take or leave our jobs. (we should have 2 working cars by morning, Lord willing, as Donnie and the teens are out in the garage working hard to get the car fixed.)
6. I am thankful that my mom is living and there for me. We talk just about every day, even if it is just through IM. I can't imagine not having my mom in my life.
7. I am thankful that my life is rich in friends right now. I have been without close friends before, and it was a nice time to get close to God. (and drive Donnie insane) But having several really close and wonderful friends is such a blessing! I love you girls!
8. I am thankful that I live in the years of computers, because life was not as fun without blogging. Love you bloggy friends!
9. I am thankful for our dog. He is a giant pain in the butt. However, he saved us from being robbed, and he brings the baby so much joy, even though he could swallow the baby whole.
10. I am so thankful for my husband's job. He brings home a decent income, and great benefits!
11. I am very, very thankful that my husband is willing to work at his job. He hates computers, but he is good at it, so he goes to work at a job he dislikes so that we can live a good life with health care, dental and vision and even life insurance. Oh, and food. We have food.
12. I am thankful for good health care. I really like my doctor and my chiropractor.
13. I am the most thankful that I am saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. He is my provider, my savior, my strength, my rock, my Shepard, my healer, and so much more. My All in All.

Thursday Thirteen~ More Randomness

1. I am so excited about Christmas this year!
2. I have won several Christmas presents already, cutting down the costs for me!
3. I have earned almost $200 in paypal through Payperpost , and $20 from Bloggerwave. That will help a bunch, and I'm going to go for more, too.
4. If you want to win some great prizes for Christmas, check out my contest blog for listings and momsblogging today for a list of 50 sites having contests!
5. I am also babysitting for extra money, it is fun, but boy, twins can be lots of work!
6. I can't decide which room I want to tackle for a contest on Organizing Junkie. A closet I can't get into, or a whole room? My room, the entryway? I don't know.
7. I now have TWO teen drivers and I am so happy! Why? Because I have much less running to do now, and they are both very safe and conscientious drivers. My next child? I won't be happy with him driving.
8. Hubby volunteered to work Christmas Day. Great, it gives us double time, but that is when Christmas at my family is taking place and my brother is coming home. We'll have to find a way to work it out.
9. Samuel has figured out that I leave some mornings before he wakes up, so he has taken to waking up every few minutes after 5am just to be sure his milk supply is there. Not that he needs it.
10. Samuel cut his 7th tooth this week and is working on walking.
11. Seven kids can trash an entire house in 30 minutes.
12. It takes 30 days to clean it back up.
13. There is a giveaway for the cutest shoes for toddlers, but I have to ask, why on earth would you WANT to get shoes that squeak with ever step of a toddler? Don't they know kids take 1,578,492 steps a day? I don't have that much Vicodin. But it would be fun to give them to my siblings kids!

Ok, and that is it for randomness for me!

Thursday Thirteen~ Quelf

Thirteen crazy things about the game Quelf in honor of Quelf being sold at Barnes and Noble starting in October. This is a must have party game, and your crazy fun relatives will love you forever for giving it to them for Christmas. So will your teens! Who am I kidding? Even the younger crowd loves it, but you can get a younger version called Flapdoodle from the WiggityBang's website.
How fun is this? Well, my mom called me after playing it and chewed me out for not telling her to wear Depends while playing it.
1. My sister-in-law, Samantha, had to run around and make a mask and wear it the rest of the game. She was regretting not making a hole so she could drink with it on.

2. There was a global rule that whenever the phone or doorbell rang everyone had to stand up and yell "Pizza Party!" and whoever was last had to pay the penalty. Each and every time. (our kids found out and thought it was funny to use their cells and call us)

3. One time, every time I laughed I had to snort like a pig. Try not to laugh after you have snorted like a pig in front of your mayor. I dare you. Because then you laugh again and have to snort again.
4. There is a card where you have to go sit on some one's lap until its your turn again. If you are not a spring chicken, please choose wisely who you sit on, because it can take an awful long time for your turn to come back around.

5. My brother, the nuclear scientist, seriously, a nuclear scientist, had to play Peek-A-Boo anytime someone talked to him. That was funny, right there. Not to mention his having to play Pat-a-cake with his wife, but that video got a little R rated, so I'm not posting it, hehe.
6. HIT THE DECK! NOW! Hit the deck! There's a tornado full of manure coming! HIT THE DECK!!!! Anyone who hit the deck can move forward.

7. What is the nuclear scientist doing? What is that on his head? He failed a card so in order to avoid the penalty he drew a picture of a tube of toothpaste and is wearing it on his forehead. If it comes off FOR ANY REASON he pays a penalty. Hmmm, he's ahead, I think I'll just flip that right off of him.

8. There are Quizzle cards that are like trivia. That is pretty fun, but surprisingly hard sometimes.

9. You have until your next turn to make up a rap about yourself and then rap it.

10. Every time someone uses a pencil say "The pen is mightier than the sword" in your best English accent. And I mean every time through the whole game, lol.

11. Quelf has won many awards and is an amazing work of comedic genius. It is available on amazon, Barnes and Noble, and at WiggityBang.com, but the makers would love it if everyone would buy it from Barnes and Noble because if it sells out B&N will pick up their other games next year.

12. Mr. Rivaldi gave me a bunch of things to give away, including 3 shirts, so I am having a Quelf Give-away! Who doesn't want a Super Ninja Monkey shirt?

13. I promise that you will laugh very hard, there will be tears, even if you are too snooty to play and just watch. My dad won't play but he was laughing so hard that we thought he was dying. He had to leave the room before he exploded. And my dad does NOT laugh. Nor does he ever get silly. My sister doesn't either, and she wouldn't do a lot of the cards, but the brat won the game anyway.

I do not make money from this game, I just love it that much! Well, if you did buy it from my link I would make a whopping $.84, but that is not why I tell about it. Quelf is a really fun game and a great way to REALLY get to know your friends. It should be under your Christmas tree this year!

Thursday Thirteen~ e-proverbs

Thirteen e-proverbs for the 21st century~ 1. Home is where you hang your @. 2. A journey of a thousand sites begins with a single click. 3. You can't teach a new mouse old clicks. 4. Oh, what a tangled website we weave when first we practice. 5. C:\ is the root of all directories. 6. There's no place like home page. 7. Don't byte off more than you can view. 8. Fax is stranger than fiction. 9. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him to use the Net and he won't bother you for weeks. 10. Virtual reality is its own reward. 11. Great groups from little icons grow. 12. Windows will never cease. 13. The geek shall inherit the earth. And because I have totally lost my mind, (you do see I have 7 kids up there, right?) I did a second TT on my contest blog~ Thursday Thirteen #1 Win a Wii . Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway for this wonderful book and 5 items from Wiggitybang!

Thursday Thirteen~

Thirteen reasons I'm not doing Thursday 13 this week.

I know, I'm actually "doing" it, but I'm not going to be blog hopping so much.

1. I have a foreign exchange student coming to stay with us for 2 weeks tomorrow.

2. I have to clean my room, I don't even know what color the carpet is at this point, lol. Ok, so I know its purple, but I haven't done a deep cleaning in ages, and with my laundry room problems, my room became the place for every one's dirty clothes.

3. I need to wash every floor in the house.

4. I need to freshen and wash all the bedding in the house, ok, so at LEAST the room Max is going to be staying in.

5. I have to finish moving things from switching Trinity to Hope-Anne's room and Drew to Trin and Sam's room.

6. I need to make a DVD of pictures for my dad's 60th birthday party next weekend. I have not even started beyond getting most of the pics scanned.

7. I need to somehow steam clean my living room furniture and carpet. (2 couches, a loveseat, a chair and a large throw rug.)

8. Put laundry away, while constantly washing more. Now that I have my washer and dryer fixed!!!!

9. I need to go to the store and get some food and some baking soda to freshen the old fridge we replaced our broken fridge with. But I don't have a running vehicle right now.

10. I need to go see my son Devon's home football game tonight.

11. I need to make the kids actually CLEAN, the house and their rooms. (do I hear a "good luck with that?")

12. I have a 3yo and an 11 month old at home "helping" me by messing things up faster than I can clean them.

13. I need to get votes for a contest on Fuelmyblog.com. Please be kind and vote for me, as you can see, I really need the $500! If you enjoy my blog, would you go vote for me, please? You can vote once a day. I'll be your friend, give you links on my blog, show you lots and lots of bloggy contests to enter, what do you want? lol Oh, and I will be giving away some shirts and hats soon, so keep watching my blog for details!

Make an account at fuelmyblog.com, confirm your email, then you do a search on qtpies7, my blog will come up, click on "fuel" and then put what you like about it, click "fuel blog" and your done! I'm in the top 100 right now, and I was blog of the day yesterday.

Thursday Thirteen~ Silver Linings

13 Silver Linings

1. I have the best friends.
2. I have the best job!
3. My church is filled with fantastic believers that bless my socks off.
4. My in-laws live near us now- this IS a good thing, for our kids, us and them.
5. Our furnace may have died when the power was "accidentally" cut off, but it didn't happen during the cold season and it is CHEAP to fix, praise God!
6. We are getting a foreign exchange student for 2 weeks, it will motivate us to do some deep cleaning and make for a great hospitality opportunity.
7. Our freezer may be going wacko, but we have a deep freeze to fall back on.
8. Our transportation may be trying to die on us, which keeps us from being able to work on our ministry opportunities, but God has provided ways for us to get around, or even have meetings in our home.
9. My washer and dryer died, and I had to do a TON of laundry at the laundromat, but I met a woman there who I was able to encourage a great deal, she called me an angel sent by God.
10. And I can use my laundry as an excuse to go see my friends, girl time!!!
11. My working has been a great opportunity for me to bring in some extra money at just the right time, but also I believe there is a bigger purpose, and it is a blessing to me.
12. Someone is going through a really rough time right now, for years, actually, but through that sacrifice some children are getting a good life they wouldn't have been able to have. Love and stability and normalcy.
13. I have a great husband and terrific kids! The biggest blessing of all!

Check out my give-away for a terrific book on journaling for your children!

Thursday Thirteen 13 reasons for missing WW

Thirteen Reasons Why I Missed Doing My Wordless Wednesday Yesterday 1. 18 loads of laundry I did on Tuesday night. 2. I had to work on Wednesday, which is not normal for me. 3. Samuel "sleeps" in my bed, but his version of sleep is not the same as mine. I like to actually get to sleep. He fusses ALL night long, for a week now. (he finally settled down at 5:45am, just when I had to get out of bed to go to work) 4. If I do get to sleep, Sam bites me in my sleep. I wake up screaming in pain. 5. I have 7 kids. 6. I have 2 kids in football right now. Not on the same team. 7. I had to go grocery shopping. 8. We had MOMs group on Tuesday morning, being busy distracts me and I lose focus. 9. I am so tired. 10. Did I mention the 18 loads of laundry? Ok, how about the fact that I had to load them in the van, out of the van, in the washers and dryers, fold them, put them back in the van and bring them home? The kids unloaded them. 11. Trying to keep track of what I had to do this week was enough for my brain, that just slipped. 12. I met Beverly Lewis this week! I was star struck. 13. I have 7 kids with activities, babysit, temp work, football games, house work, wifey stuff, friends, Women's ministry leader, spoke to the youth group, wrote my column and Once a month cooking tonight.

Thursday Thirteen~ Randomness

Thirteen Things about Lisa 1. My mom posted a really funny little something on her blog, something said by a little kiddo! Check it out for a quick giggle. 2. Love contests and giveaways? Check out my contest blog and my contest column. 3. Even with all the things that have broken down at our house lately (washer, dryer, car, furnace, freezer), I am so thankful that I have a great home, family and husband who is willing to work 6 days a week to help us get through this. 4. I am thankful that I am able to babysit for some extra income, and I am thankful it is only two days a week, but long hours so it is still good money, and I am thankful that it is for a friend and her kids are good. (though they ARE busy!) 5. I am so happy with meeting new friends via blogs. I've just been so blessed by people. 6. Oh my goodness is it ever fun to win giveaways! I won an amazing scrapbook box STUFFED with cool things, I nearly cried when I saw all the wonderful things in the box. I won a t-shirt, and you can, too. I also won a nursing necklace! And that is just in the last week. 7. Monopoly Goes Cashless, seriously, Monopoly is going to start selling their new games with credit cards and NO cash moolah. Is this wrong? How are kids going to learn real money skills and not irresponsible credit card usage? 8. A friend of mine had an 11lb even baby boy last week. Yes, he was 11 pounds! Barely fit in the bassinet! He's so yummy! 9. Why do teens turn into disrespectful know-it-alls? We show them time and time again that we are right and they are wrong but they never get it. It is apparently dumb luck that we are right more than they are? 10. Diet Dr. Pepper is just the bestest! 11. Quelf is the most amazing game! I think it is tons of fun and am so glad I found it. I want to promote it all over the place! And I have some plans in that area soon! 12. You can see my pee in a cup at To Drano, or not to Drano... seriously, lol. Only my friend Sarah or I would be that weird, right? 13. You think you are having a bad day? Think again! This guy has the award. We've all had trouble with our animals, but I don't think anyone can top this one: Calling in sick to work makes me uncomfortable. No matter how legitimate my excuse, I always get the feeling that my boss thinks I'm lying.On one recent occasion, I had a valid reason but lied anyway, because the truth was just too darned humiliating. I simply mentioned that I had sustained a head injury, and I hoped I would feel up to coming in the next day. By then, I reasoned, I could think up a doozy to explain the bandage on the top of my head. The accident occurred mainly because I had given in to my wife's wishes to adopt a cute little kitty. Initially, the new acquisition was no problem. Then one morning I was taking my shower after breakfast when I heard my wife, Deb, call out to me from the kitchen. "Honey! The garbage disposal is dead again. Please come reset it." "You know where the button is," I protested through the shower pitter-patter and steam. "Reset it yourself!" "But I'm scared!" she persisted. "What if it starts going and sucks me in?" There was a meaningful pause and then, "C'mon, it'll only take you a second." So out I came, dripping wet and butt naked, hoping that my silent outraged nudity would make a statement about how I perceived her behavior as extremely cowardly. Sighing loudly, I squatted down and stuck my head under the sink to find the button. It is the last action I remember performing. It struck without warning, and without any respect to my circumstances. No, it wasn't the hexed disposal, drawing me into its gnashing metal teeth. It was our new kitty, who discovered the fascinating dangling objects she spied hanging between my legs. She had been poised around the corner and stalked me as I reached under the sink, and at the precise moment when I was most vulnerable, she leapt at the toys I unwittingly offered and snagged them with her needle-like claws. I lost all rational thought to control orderly bodily movements, blindly rising at a violent rate of speed, with the full weight of a kitten hanging from my masculine region. Wild animals are sometimes faced with a "fight or flight" syndrome. Men, in this predicament, choose only the "flight" option. I know this from experience. I was fleeing straight up into the air when the sink and cabinet bluntly and forcefully impeded my ascent. The impact knocked me out cold.When I awoke, my wife and the paramedics stood over me. Now there are not many things in this life worse than finding oneself lying on the kitchen floor butt naked in front of a group of "been-there, done-that" paramedics. Even worse, having been fully briefed by my wife, the paramedics were all snorting loudly as they tried to conduct their work, all the while trying to suppress their hysterical laughter......and not succeeding. Somehow I lived through it all. A few days later I finally made it back in to the office, where colleagues tried to coax an explanation out of me about my head injury. I kept silent, claiming it was too painful to talk about, which it was. "What's the matter?" They all asked, "Cat got your tongue?" If they only knew!

Thursday Thirteen~ 13 give-aways!

My Contest Frenzy Column is up at Momsblogging.

Here are a few of the contests I am featuring over there!

1. Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer is having a Kajeet Cell Phone give-away through Sept. 9th. I was a beta tester for Kajeet and I can tell you it is a wonderful program for a cell phone for kids, really! Shannon also is giving away some jewelry from Lisa Leonard! I love jewelry give-aways!

2. Don't Forget my Little Miracles Give-away for some mom-made laundry soap! Ends this week!

3. Adventures in Babywearing is having a giveaway $50 gift certificate to Vincent Shoes! Who doesn't need some new fall shoes? I have already bought 5 pairs, and I have 3 kids to go. Post by 10pm TONIGHT!

4. Mama Loves Giveaways by Pinks & Blues is giving away a Skip Hop Duo Double diaper bag filled with all sorts of goodies! Ends Sept. 12th.

5. Bargain Hunting Moms is giving away some Tupperware! This is a link up contest that ends September 7th.

6. Contest - $30 Gift Certificate For SuperMomz.com give a link back to KaTasidy and a link to SuperMomz Blog. Contest ends at 10pm September 28.

7. mod*mom says “enter these giveaways by september 15: sparkability :: infant transportation systemboon :: infant + toddler feeding products enter this giveaway by October 1: dyson :: pink vacuum” And her new Magic Show Kits is open for entry, too.

8. Don’t forget Scribbits amazing give-aways every Saturday! Her monthly writing contest is started up for September. It is on learning, and you could win an adorable purse made by Scribbit herself! Enter your post by Sept. 19th to be eligible for judging.

9. Christelle from Beloved Mama is having a Back to School Party Giveaway! Leave a comment with a school memory and enter by Sept. 8th for the book Slightly Bad Girls from the Bible by Liz Curtis Higgs!

10. Keeping Feet’s First Giveaway! This pouch is the unpadded Catherine Twill Stretch sling, enter by Sept. 9th. I love babywearing almost as much as I love jewelry!

11. Calling all knitters! The Baglady and the Pro is having a knitting contest! She made a pattern for a dishcloth and you knit it and answer some questions about it. The winner gets few hanks of lovely Blue Sky Cotton, which I have NO idea what a "hank" is, lol. You need to knit and post by Sept. 23. I'm a sucker for a knit dishcloth, and I can't knit at all. That is the SOLE reason I want to learn to knit.

12. TeaTime Ramblings is giving away 5 knitted dishcloths in various colours and patterns. Ends September 7th. Enter now.

13. Nell is having a give-away on her blog, Casual Friday Everyday. Win a free year to a menu planning service called “menu planning central!” This is a very generous gift, enter by Sept 15. ($239.64 value)

Happy entering!

Thursday Thirteen~ Contest Answers

Last week I used my Thursday Thirteen to celebrate my 1yr blogaversary. I asked 13 questions that could be answered somewhere in my blog. One was really tough because you could not find it in the search blog feature! Seven people got all the answers right, so I put their names in for a drawing for a $25 Gift certificate to Amazon, or elsewhere if the winner chooses.

The WINNER is...................... Denise of Denise's Den! I numbered all the entrants and used a random number generator to get the number.

Now, as promised, here are the answers to the questions:

1. What is my favorite sitcom/tv show? I love this show! Its the only show we've bought on DVD. But I wouldn't watch it at first because we thought it was so stupid it would dumb us down. (is that enough hints?) Scrubs!

2. Where were my first 3 kids born? Germany it is number 47 on my list of 100 things.

3. What is my one true phobia? Spiders! This is probably ALL over my blog. #62 on my 100. It is number 10 in Thursday Thirteen #20.

4. Who is my favorite author? (there are two listed) Beverly Lewis or Jeanette Oake. #95

5. Why would my husband be afraid to give me jewelry? Because it frequently accompanies me getting pregnant. #83

6. What was the topic of my very first Thursday Thirteen? 13 Things I like about my kids.

7. What did Devon do to shave time off his swim that made his father gag? Shaved his legs!

8. Boys are pretty gross, but what is the most disgusting thing my boys have said they would eat for money, and for how little bit of money? Poop, for as little as $50.

9. You have to have a sense of humor when you have lots of kids! What is my favorite come-back to the question "Don't you know what causes that?" (there are two answers, either one is fine!) Yes, but we just love pizza! or Yes, and we are REALLY good at it!

10. Here's a tough one: What sport is a "religion" to our youth group? Dodgeball! The kids love it and play it every week. They had shirts made that say "Dodgeball is a religion, Christianity is a relationship." This was a hard answer to find because the answer is in a picture.

11. What did we tell our kids is the most powerful weapon on Earth? The Tongue! Several people said "A Devotional" from the title, but in the post is the answer.

12. Besides the computer and blogging, what am I addicted to? (sick, twisted addicted, according to the kids) Not coffee or chocolate! Cloth diapers!

13. Who was the uninvited guest at our ladies night out? Bats! That was a fun night out!

Thursday Thirteen~ Blogaversary Contest

Instead of just a give-away for my blogaversary, I decided it would be fun to do a contest inspired by No Diet Coke for Mommy! She ran a TT contest while on vacation, ensuring we'd be back over and over to find all the 13 things she had us hunting for while she was gone. I won the $25 gift certificate!

Now I shall do the same thing: 13 questions for you to answer about my blog. And I will give the winner a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com.
1) This contest is open to anyone who can use Amazon.com, the gift certificate comes in an email, so I don't even need an address! (if you would really like the certificate to be from somewhere else, I'm open to that, too)
2) Email the answers to qtpies5(at)msn(dot)com.
3) Contest ends Wednesday, August 29th. Winner to be announced Sept. 1st.
4) Winner will be picked by the respondents with the most answers correct randomly drawn by one of my kids. No, family and friends, you can't win! Sorry, but you know me too well.

Don't forget my Blogaversary Give-away! for the movie Joshua. And tomorrow there will be another give-away starting!

1. What is my favorite sitcom/tv show? I love this show! Its the only show we've bought on DVD. But I wouldn't watch it at first because we thought it was so stupid it would dumb us down. (is that enough hints?)
2. Where were my first 3 kids born?
3. What is my one true phobia?
4. Who is my favorite author? (there are two listed)
5. Why would my husband be afraid to give me jewelry?
6. What was the topic of my very first Thursday Thirteen?
7. What did Devon do to shave time off his swim that made his father gag?
8. Boys are pretty gross, but what is the most disgusting thing my boys have said they would eat for money, and for how little bit of money?
9. You have to have a sense of humor when you have lots of kids! What is my favorite come-back to the question "Don't you know what causes that?" (there are two answers, either one is fine!)
10. Here's a tough one: What sport is a "religion" to our youth group?
11. What did we tell our kids is the most powerful weapon on Earth?
12. Besides the computer and blogging, what am I addicted to? (sick, twisted addicted, according to the kids) Not coffee or chocolate!
13. Who was the uninvited guest at our ladies night out?

I will answer these next week with links to the posts.
If you are not interested in playing, then you should at least have something fun to take away from here! The Perfect Gift is the perfect post to get a laugh, enjoy! There is also a funny story on my post Day 2 of the blog party!

Thursday Thirteen~ Hmmm

Thirteen Things that drove me nuts! 1. We paid off the car last month, and the "Service Engine Soon" light came on and we lost power steering. Knew something would happen though, that's the law of paying off your vehicle. 2. The electric company mistakenly turned our power off yesterday and I had to go yell at them to get it back on, the tech did not believe me that I should not be on his "list" to shut it off. And now the A/C or the furnace doesn't work because of it. 3. We are trying to move our in-laws to our town, but I could not go because of the car and because I can't speak. I have laryngitis. 4. We are camping this weekend, but even though Donnie is on vacation, he can't get the stuff together because he is busy constantly until Friday morning. This means I have to do it, while sick, and busy. And I hate camping, I don't know what we need. 5. I enrolled Cody in online public school, but our two schools don't agree on the paperwork, so he may have to start in October instead of September. (but they supply the computer and printer!) I have to run around today trying to fax and print things without either machine.Can't work it out on the phone because I have no voice. 6. Tuesday we went to Minneapolis to drop one kid at the airport in the am and pick another up in the evening. LONG wait in between. Wasted a whole day in the cities. (well, it wasn't a waste, we just didn't get the stuff we needed done at home done.) 7. Everywhere we went Donnie drove the wrong way first. Weird because he is incredible with directions and finding places. And I do mean "everywhere we went" he went the wrong way first. 8. Our dryer is broken. Hope to get that fixed soon. And our freezer doesn't freeze ice cream but does keep meat frozen. 9. Two of our vehicle windows are broken. One from a bathroom sink, and one from a rock off a gravel truck. 10. Our roof leaks in windy storms. Won't be fixing that any time soon, but need to. 11. Sam is teething and has a cold so he can't breathe, is in pain, and nurses. We are not getting enough sleep especially when he has to open his mouth to breathe, but to keep hold of his food supply he has to use his teeth. I woke up more than him with my scream! (And I am positive I will NEVER get a piercing on my chest area thingies!) 12. We are missing one of our hamsters. It has been missing for a couple of weeks. Imagine when we do find it...... 13. While in Minneapolis on Tuesday, someone dinged our car with his door, while we were in the car. Didn't even acknowledge it. I wanted to go all "Lois" on him, but Donnie wouldn't let me. I know once I post this, I will have a dozen more, but I struggled to get 13. My brain is stuffed up. Next week will be a surprise with a surprise!

Thursday Thirteen~ injuries

Thirteen injuries/bad things my kids have done Drew 1. Drank Windex. The poison control center said that he'd probably seem to have the flu, but he could just have the flu so who knows? Yep, he got the "flu." 2. He reached into a drawer that was over his head and grabbed a tube of super glue. Know where this is going? He super glued his eye OPEN. Kaytlin 3. Fell in the bathtub and split her chin open and needed stitches. TWICE. 4. Sprained her ankle doing gymnastics. Devon 5. Fell off of a Little Tykes gym at the mall and fell on his head on a stone floor. Later I couldn't wake him up. 6. Fell off the playground in our backyard and landed on the support beam on his nose. I was sure it was broken. While I was arguing with Donnie about taking him to the doctor over a broken nose Devon got up and went to play. 7. Walking down the street Devon sprained AND broke his ankle and I didn't even know he'd hurt it until 2 days later. 8. He skateboarded off the roof of the CHURCH and landed on his butt on the skateboard. Probably broke his tailbone, but I don't cater to stupidity so I didn't take him in. (they don't do anything for a broken tail bone anyway) Cody 9. Fell sideways off a chair and broke his collar bone. 10. Got flung off a tire swing and broke his nose. The pediatrician LAUGHED and laughed at that! 11. Sliced his finger open cutting summer sausage with a "miracle knife", needed 4 stitches. Trinity 12. Tried to go outside naked, so Cody slammed the door right on her finger, she needed 4 stitches in her little, tiny pinkie finger. 13. She was running and fell and hit her ear on our baseboard slicing through the cartilage even. They thought they would need at least 3 stitches, but one on the edge held it! And she did NOT cry at all for the stitches. So far, Hope-Anne and Samuel have not had to go to the ER for anything they caused.

“Let’s rock The Rock Chick’s World! Send Life is RANTastic to the A-List.” Shelly says "Jessica’s posts are pithy and fun to read. She knows what’s happening in the world of entertainment. She’ll take you on a journey without you having to leave your chair, as she tells you about stalking Jon Bon Jovi or riding on an elephant at a Renaissance Fair. She can tug your emotions with a post about her grandfather, or have you rolling on the floor with laughter as she muses about Paris Hilton."

Thursday Thirteen~ ingestion

13 Things ingested by my kids that shouldn't be ingested

1. Windex with Vinegard~ flu-like symptoms.

2. Bottle of Infants Tylenol~ way more serious than the Windex.

3. 3/4's of a crayon

4. Various coins- they make pretty x-rays!

5. A bunch of dead lady bugs in a bottle of water on a bet.

6. An uncle's chew spit that he spit in a soda can. (and yes I did ream him a new butt-hole! and no, he didn't have kids then)

7. Beetle and a June bug.

8. Soggy, ant covered Oreo.

9. Plasticy backing to a band-aid, found in p00py diaper.

10. Human p00p.

11. Cat p00p.

12. Cat litter.

13 Cat food, dog food, bird food.

I have to work hard to kiss my kids! I really never know!

Don't forget to go see what my BIG announcement is!

Thursday Thirteen~ Dog Days of Summer!

Thirteen awesome giveaways in the Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Give-away! These are but a small portion of the items, and there are some I don't want you to find because I want them, but alas, they all have at least 100 entrants, lol.

1. Rocks in My Dryer is hosting the most amazing mass blogging give-away ever!

This is a first in bloggy history, I would imagine. There are over 500 bloggers giving away prizes or multiple prizes on their blogs, all linked up here for one week of bloggy love!

2. Skimbaco is giving away this cute swimsuit with matching sandals and hairbow! Isn't it cute? Trinity would look so cute in it and she needs a new suit.

3. Are We There Yet is giving away a Bath and Body Works lovtion and shower gel, plus two books. She is even giving them in my favorite scents, lavender and vanilla!

4. Love, Laughter and Laundry is also giving away a Bath and Body Works Shower gel!

5. Jesus and Dark Chocolate is giving away........ guess.......... yep, chocolate! Super awesome chocolate!

6. Highlights from Higher Ground is giving away this incredible crocheted doily name. Well, not that one, unless your name is White, she'll custom do your last name, or someone you'd want to gift it to. Plus she has two other things up so far, too.

7. These gorgeous earrings are being given away by a very generous and talented lady at Fruit of Her Hands. They are real silver, and I hope to win them for Kaytlin. She loves silver jewelry and I am a gold only lady.

8. I love, love these baby leg warmers! Crawler Covers is giving away a pair of these and a fancy little tutu! You can even pick the colors you want.

9. Heartsong is giving away a $10 gift card to Starbucks!

10. Sgt. and Mrs. Hub is giving away a $25 gift card to Starbucks!

There are at least 3 more if you search for them at Rocks in my dryer!

11. Sugarfoots is giving away this awesome blanket, and it can be personalized.

12. Multitasking Moma is giving away this awesome Scrabble Blog bracelet! Please don't go enter, I want this!

13. Praise the Lord and Pass the Prozac has 12 books to give away, and I want the first one, its an awesome book!

Check out all the wonderful blogs and their generous gifts! I've gone through over 400 of the blogs so far, and yes, my house is completely trashed now! LOL

Thursday Thirteen~ Dental nightmare

Thirteen things that happened at my routine cleaning at the dentist today. Or 13 reasons I am going to be drunk next time I go to the dentist!
I thought I was going to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned because I couldn't get it finished after the x-rays last time and the hygienist made it sound like that would be my next appointment. I am a complete puddle of mush when it comes to going to the dentist. I am frightened silly, and I won't go until its so painful that its better to risk the dentist than live with the pain. I was traumatized by a military dentist years ago.
1. I sit down in the chair and the hygienist says "Ok, we're going to get those cavities on the bottom left filled today." I say "Um, oh no we are not!" And we sort of go back and forth on what I expected and what they actually scheduled. I most definitely would have cancelled if I had known!
2. They bring me into the financing office because I am crying and making a scene and because I say there is no way I can afford it this month. They talk me into doing it now and paying later since I'm already here. I'm pretty much crying uncontrollably, but they talk me into one tooth.
3. Then they come back in and tell me they may as well do the other two since I will be numb already. This brings it up from the $50 tops they were saying, and I do NOT want to rack up debt. (I have three kids going to the orthodontist already this month!)
4. Ok, fine, I sit in the chair, all the while the tears won't stop. But we numb me up. This is at 2:20pm. Appt. was for 2pm.
5. After I am numb they get started on the first cavity, which is kind of deep. It hurts as they are working on it, but not bad enough that I want to get another shot.
6. They start on the next tooth's cavity. Oh boy, this one hurts, I gotta say something. Ok, more Novocaine and waiting for it to work. More crying.
7. They get back to work. I still feel it, but I'm not going to say anything! I'm gripping the chair so tight that I am left shaking.
8. They put a weird contraption in my mouth which holds two long, rolled up pieces of gauze in my mouth on either side of my teeth. I have a BAD gag reflex, so this was FUN. And it clamps in there. Oh, the shaking continues from being so tense all over waiting for the agonizing pain to start like the military dentist did to me.
9. They put some sort of metal ring around my tooth, it feels like that, anyways. It bends, they have to do it two more times.
10. They fill the cavities, and they rise the stuff out because my gums won't stop bleeding. My gums don't normally bleed, so I have NO idea what they did to cause that. But they spent 10 minutes putting stuff in my gums to get it to stop so they could finally put the fillings in both teeth.
11. Then they go to extract a bad tooth. It hurts, but again, its gotta be over soon, and I just want to leave. They start cutting and pulling, and piece by piece it falls apart. I'm starting to cry again at this point. They can't get the roots out. I have to go to an oral surgeon NOW, and its 3:45pm.
12. I run out to the oral surgeon who agreed to fit me in at the end of the day on a moments notice. And as I wait there, hoping that they take my crappy MetLife insurance that almost nobody takes, they tell me I have to pay right then or they won't do it. I can't do it today, I expected a free cleaning, not to spend a month's paycheck! So, finally they agree to a postdated a check, and they do take our insurance.
13. The surgeon asks if I am still numb and I say I think so, but she thinks she should give me some more. I'm thinking she wants $$$. She gives me the shot and oh man does it HURT!!! I'm so glad she did that! That makes 3 numbings in less than 2 hours. And when she does to get the roots out she tells me to close my eyes before she brings out the tool she is going to use. Like I'm not crying again???? And it HURT!!! But it was over in a minute. And then they had to lay the bed back and let me get over the crying and shaking and light headedness before they let me up.
I was shaking so bad I could barely sign the check. And I was pretty scared to drive. And I definitely was thinking about getting drunk when I got out of there! I don't drink hardly ever, but I'm pretty sure I will be drinking before going in again!

Thursday Thirteen~ Rock, Paper, Scissors

13 new Rock, Paper, Scissors moves.

I don't know how long ago Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS) was invented, but it is typically a kids game to decide who gets to go first on something. We've all played it. You know you have!

But last week as I was blogging along, I came across a blog talking about how they were surfing through ESPN and saw an ADULT RPS championship game. This was on ESPN. This was not a game, it was a championship!

I told my husband and boys about it, saying there was a game they could all compete in. Well, on Tuesday, while sitting in the dentists office, my husband and Devon read a science magazine and found out there are hundreds more RPS moves now! I couldn't fathom this, so we looked it up. Here are 13 of those new moves. You can even get shirts and posters with the new moves on it.

1. Sword. Outclasses scissors, stabs woman and man, slays the king, impales the vampire, faster than poison.

2. Poison. Endangers the planet and the church, kills the man, woman, king, baby, duck, snake. It even knocks out the vampire.







3. Pit. Oh, this is a dangerous one! It swallows the gun and sword, engulfs poison, contains fire, and knows no law!






4. Peace. Peace is a powerful one, too. Peace protects man, woman, king, queen, even the snake! It even cleans the toilette!








5. Law. Protects the wall, prevents death, sets in stone (rock), protects man, and keeps the peace.







6. Gun. The gun breaks the law, shoots the prince, closes the school, but best of all: it shoots the spider! It doesn't get any better than that!






7. Dynamite. Well, you know it explodes! So it beats lots of thing, like all the living creatures. It breaks chains and the Law. It creates the pit. Good stuff.







8. Duck. I didn't think this one could be all that powerful. But never underestimate a duck. It flies from the wolf, its bigger than a bird, swallows diamonds and lays golden eggs. It even hides from UFO's and Aliens. But best of all: it eats the spider!





9. Camera. The camera captures things, like the community, peace, duck, even the spider!









10. Cage. Not affected by the axe, keeps the peace, and even traps the spider!












11. Computer. Now we all know this one is powerful, but it has powers that rival nature! Not only is it sexier than butter, but it can turn your brain into a turnip and prevents babies! Tell me that is not one powerful weapon!

(my pictures did not all want to cooperate!)
12. Toilette. I had to know what this one was about. It answers prayer. It stinks SKY high. It is easier than math. Pollutes the planet. And it flushes the law.
13. Video Game. It is a mental pit, confuses the baby, and entertains the man. It couldn't be more true than that! It entertains the man.