I Must Have A CrazyFamily

Today was a very special day because it is my 45th (did I really type that LARGE number?) birthday today. I decided that this is really the true new year for me verses January 1st. So like so many middle age American's at the beginning of the year I to began my new beginning by going to the gym with Carley.


As Carley and I arrived home from the gym, we discovered that David had come home early to spend time with us since he is leaving for Chicago. After we did what all people do after returning from the gym, we ate lunch and did some schooling. Being the great guy David is, he suggested that we go out and do something which usually translates into shopping. He is leaving tomorrow and needed a book to read on the airplane. Carley had pre-bought David Ted Decker's book Kiss around Christmas from the Family Christian Bookstore. FCB had sent me a 50% off coupon any one item, sale or non-sale item for my birthday. What better place to go shopping than the Family Christian Bookstore. Off we went, all of us, David, Colton, Carley and myself. I have had my eye on the ESV Study Bible for several months. Low and behold, the Bible was on sale for $53.00. Can you guess what I bought?

I consider this gift from the Lord. The Bible is normally $75.00 and I got it for $26.

Here are some pictures of some other nice gifts from my family. Some you may have already read about.

You may recognize the pink notebook that I just love so much and use everyday.

I am not sure if you can tell this is a digital photo frame, but this is what it is.

Colton and Carley gave me this much needed gift certificate. My mom gave me a gift certificate from the Back Rub store. David being gone, I see pampering on the horizon.

After all the shopping, I couldn't wait to get home to break into my new Bible. After Carley and I ate one of these,

I began working on the Bible Study that I am currently working on with many other ladies that come to my home on Wednesday night.

As I was studying with my new Bible in hand, I came across a verse that just spoke volumes to me. I did what any other die hard Bible study person does, I highlighted and underlined. Here it is, the documentation of my first highlight in my new Bible that I hadn't had for more than two hours.

After doing some studying and David going over some Algebra, we went out to dinner to one of my favorite Mexican restaurant. Nothing like salsa and chips for one's birthday. Having a soon to be 18 yr old, good thing it was an all you can eat night. Just in case any of you are wondering, I stuck to my favorite, taco salad. This taco salad was not point friendly. After we ate, we decided to take pictures of ourselves. This activity naturally leads us into entertaining the staff and patrons of the restaurant. Too bad we couldn't collect an entertaining fee. Here are just a few of the pictures that were taken.

Not bad considering Carley just poke the camera out there and said smile.

Want to guess who took this one? It isn't the person who is missing.

The same person took this one and managed to get Colton in the picture.

At this point we were sure we needed a new photographer. Can you tell we were laughing very hard at ourselves.

Carley and I laughing and smiling at ourselves.

Not sure what happened to David. I think Carley is trying to send him a message about him leaving for Chicago.

I will leave you this picture. After our impromptu photo shoot, this is the one we ended with so I will end with it too. Over all, turning 45 has been great. I got to spend it with the craziest bunch of people in the world, the ones I love more than life itself. I hope everyone has people who love them as much as these three people love me. Thanks family, I love you soooooo much!

Blessings to all!

Being Kind Does Bring Blessings

This has been on interesting day today. Colton leaves the house around 8:30 to attend class at PJC and calls at 9:20 to tell me that class has been canceled. He then asks if he can hang out with a friend of his for the rest of the day. Being who I am I suggested that Colton bring his friend Vincent over and they could just hang out at the house. It wasn't 30 mintues later when Colton and Vincent came through the door and began playing Rock Band. Carley and I continued to wade through all the school work we needed to get done. We went over predicate nominatives, predicate adjectives and other little grammar details. From there we reviewed the Stamp Act, Sugar Act, and many other great details of the beginning of America History. Reviewing American History really stirs up the idea of wanting to give each Congressman a test of his or her own knowledge of American History. If our forefathers could see what our country is like today, they may have stayed in England or let the France and Spain have the USA. We are not the same nation at all. After History, Carley and I found ourselves knee deep in Algebra and consecutive integers. During all this schooling I was thinking Vincent would be staying with us all day and eating dinner with us. Colton and Vincent went to the movies and by the time Colton came back, Carley and I were almost done with school. My brain was dead by that time and I needed a nap. After napping for awhile, I woke up to find Kelly, the minister of music, at the house working with Colton on a project. Instead of Vincent eating dinner with us, Kelly ate with. I tell you all this to say I NEVER know what each day brings, and sometimes what I think will take place, never does.

The purpose of this e-mail is to share what happen to me a few weeks ago. Like most women who are married, we are the ones who are responsible for most of the washing of clothes. I spent a good part of my day washing clothes in this washing machine.

As I pulled the clothes out of the dryer, most of them were quite wrinkle like this.

I felt really bad that all the clothes that I had washed for David were not just wrinkled, but really wrinkled. Most of the clothes looked like a topical geographical map that a grade school child would do for a school project. Are you getting the picture? Lately David has been putting a lot of thought into what he wears since he has lost the weight he needed to lose. I will say this as bluntly as I can, David is looking good, real good! I love the way David looks when his shirts look all crisp and not like a topical geographical map. I did what I had to do.....IRON. Did I just hear some gasping sounds?


David and I went out to dinner and then to Office Depot to pick up a few things. While we were there David showed me a netbook and asked what I thought of it and wanted to know if I would want one. I naturally fell in love with it and of course I would want one. I think I wanted one, I am not sure what I need when it comes to electronics. David is so patient with me and explains most of the ins and outs of what this netbook can and can't do. After my crash lesson I knew this is what I needed. What does the man of my dreams and my knight in shinning armor do when he comes home? He begins to research the internet about netbooks and the best price he can get for a netbook as I begin to iron and iron. I ironed many dress shirts and pants. I must have been in some really weird mood but really didn't mind ironing. About the time I am done ironing, David asks me what color would I like my netbook in? I could have chosen white, black, blue, or pink. Let's see here, I have two males that live in the house and a girl who hates the color of pink with a passion. You want to guess what color I chose?

Here it is.......


Here I am sitting here with my little pink Acer typing away. Thank you for humoring me with reading all the details. I can't wait to see what this weekend will bring. I know what I want to do, but lets see if I get to do it. It has something to do with unpacking boxes of books. Hope you get to blessed by being kind and you get to do at least one thing you have planned for the day.

Not Me Strikes Again

We all have this extra person in our lives named Not Me. This individual lives on all continents and can speak all languages know to man. Most of the time Not Me gets a bad rap and is known for his bad and very destructive activity. Something unusual happened today.

On Wednesday evenings I host a ladies Bible study in my home. There are 16 ladies who attend so I have to do some rearranging of the furniture. I bring furniture from different areas in my home which includes two dinning room chairs. I was so tired from last night that I didn't place all the furniture back to where each piece belongs. This morning I began moving pieces back to where they belong but got interrupted shortly after I got started. I had it all done but one dining room chair. Carley and I left around noon to meet my mom and sister for lunch and than ran errands. When I came back, the dinning room chair had been moved back to where it belongs. It only made sense that Colton had moved that chair back for me. When I thanked him for taking care of moving the chair, he quickly told me he didn't move it back. Carley looked at me and said it wasn't her that moved the chair either. I knew it couldn't be her because she was with me. David was at work, so that only leaves one person left, Not Me.

Not Me, if you are reading this, I want to thank you for helping me out today. Don't ever give up on Not Me; one day he or she may just surprise you with some act of kindness. Maybe I can keep Not Me around for awhile. Maybe just one day this Not Me may visit you.

Have a great day!

Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving

****Update on the finished product. We have heard the project was a success!



It is the night before Thanksgiving here at the Cash home. The house is clean, the pre-Thanksgiving prep for tomorrows dinner has been done, and now it is a time of relaxing, so we thought. One of the Cash family member is in the local Christmas play, The Christmas Carol, playing the role of Bob Cratchit. From what we understand, it is theater tradition for each cast member to bring little trinkets to give to each other as a gester of encouragement. The mom here had a brilliant idea. I thought since Colton is playing the role of Bob Cratchit, let us (family project) make little gold coins and engrace a little something on each of them. Each of them went from 12 to 20, and now the number has increased to 25 coins to be painted and engraved. I have already purchased 20 bags of chocolate gold coins to add to our "little gift." Our inspiring actor has been too busy with school, work, and rehersals to help with the family project. Here are a few photos to see how this process goes. The first step is to paint all the wooden nickles.

The next step is to engrave.
This is a slow process when one has to do twenty-five coins.

The next step is for someone to color in what was "drilled" out.

Then we have the finished product of our great adventure.


If I remember I will show the absolute finished product of the bags that Colton will be handing out to all the cast members. We are looking forward to his great production. Hopefully I will be able to get a few pictures to post on the blog.

Until then...Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Where does the time go

Ok, let me try to see if I can form a sentence or two that will make sense here. I have just been released from taxi driving prison. I have been incarcerated since February 15, 1991 and was released this past Monday. I am not able to articulate what this freedom means to this mere woman. I had the opportunity to actually finish a load of laundry today without having to leave our home to go drive someone to school. work, or theater practice. If you are still wondering what I am talking about, my son, Colton, who is to be 18 in a few months finally took his drivers test and passed with flying colors.

Needless to say, my prayer life has picked up tremendous speed since Monday afternoon. I know we all have God on speed dial, but I just wonder if mom's of teenage drivers prayers are on a faster speed than say those who teenagers are not driving. Maybe, just maybe I will now have the time to write and post pictures. So much has happened this past year.

If anyone who reads this will give me a few days, I promise I will return.