A Person I Would Love To Meet!

Hey blogger buddies! This one is gonna be quick b/c they are getting ready to show the fireworks here in Grove City! I gotta go and make sure my boys can see them! We don't get a real good view from our house so I usually walk down the street a little ways where you get a slighty better view! :) Anyway, I just had to add one more person to my Tuesday Top Ten list (people I would love to meet who are no longer living). Actually, I must admit, I had a little help from Mark on this one. I asked him who he thought would be someone on my list..........and, boy was I impressed w/his answer! All I can say is.............he knows me well!!!!! :) I would love to meet Mary!!!!! The mother of Jesus!!!!!!! How cool is that?! How cool would that be?!!!!! She raised boys and me having two boys............I just feel that, maybe, we would relate!!!! And, oh, so many questions would I have!!!!!! How did it feel being the mother of Jesus???!!!!!!! I am gonna stop 'cause I could go on and on!!!!! But, she definately is at the top of my list!!!!!

So, I gotta run, but three down and seven to go!!!!! LOL!!!!! If I ever even truly finish!!!! But, I am gonna try!!!!
Happy 4th of July!!!!!!!!

If Only!

Man, I feel like I haven't blogged in FOREVER!!!!! It is a sad day when Cissa is coming up empty w/not much to say! LOLOLOL! :) I do have a "slighty" funny "dr." story that I will be blogging about soon! It isn't as funny as some as my previous ones, but still worth mentioning, so be on the lookout for it!!! As for now, I am blogging about the Top Ten Tuesday list and ten people we would love to talk to who are no longer living! I think it is a great top ten! I am, however, still in my "brainfreeze" stage, so for the moment, I have only come up with two people! There are definately more, but I wanted them to be "right" so I am not rushing it. I figured I would blog them as they came to mind. Soooooo, on that note, the first two people to come to mind are:
1)Steve Irwin- The Crocodile Hunter! I absolutely loved this man! He was sooooo passionate about animals and probably inspired (even more) my love for the zoo as well. He truly loved and cared about wildlife and I think his show was wonderful for children! He also seemed like a genuinely good man who loved his family! I would love to be able to have met him and say I knew him! For the record, there was a contest to name the new "Wyandot Lake" that the zoo now owns. I submitted a "name" to be entered into the contest! I haven't been telling people 'cause I'm sure there were a lot of nominations, but I just looooove my own nomination! Not b/c I am braggy and think I am all that or my idea is all that, either! LOL! You guys know that I am not like that! I simply love it b/c I named it in honor of Steve Irwin!!!! Neat, huh?! Steve always seemed to say "Crikey!" That word has become well known b/c of him! :) Sooooooooo, my name is simple and sweet and in honor of him! "Crikey Island!" :) Now, stop laughing! I had other ideas, but felt that it would be soooooo nice to name our new waterpark after him - mainly since it is owned by the zoo! I thought about Jack Hanna and honoring him in some way, but it felt more right to name it after Steve! Oh, well! I wanted to tell you all this to show why I chose Steve as one of my "top ten" people to talk to! I am a huge fan and think he left the world waaaaay too soon! His memory will stay alive in his family, especially his daughter (she now has her own show)! I just have to say that for someone who I never met - he certainly touched my soul! :)
And now for #2)my cousin, Michelle! She passed about two years ago this past February! She was only 38 yrs. old and also left us way too soon! I hadn't spoken to her in a couple of yrs. before she died, but still cared for her dearly! I have many memories of growing up with her. It would be nice to be able to talk to her one last time! You see, that is the thing! You never know when it "might" be the "last" time we get to talk to someone in our lives! I, for one, usually assume that there is always tomorrow! I am learning that it just isn't so! From this, I am also learning to try and have a positive attitude! I don't want to be annoyed or upset with people - I want to be happy! I don't want there to be any regrets! I want to treat people kindly so I will know that "if" it is the "last" time I get to talk to them - then, that is okay 'cause it was good! :) Okay, I am rambling now and probably not making sense! LOLOLOL! It would just be nice to see Michelle and tell her I love her!
Sooooooo, these are the first two people on my list! Sure, there could be past Presidents and people in history to list, but they aren't the first two on mine! There are many, many important people, but they just didn't feel "right" to me! That is what makes people so interesting! We are all so different and what is "right" for one person may not be "right" for another! :) I love that! I love reading and learning about others! I hope you all enjoy "my two cents worth" and aren't totally "bored" by now! LOLOLOL!
So, that is two down and "8" more to go!
Stay tuned! :)

Peeing In the Pool - Not Cool?!

Wow! I have a story and, I must say, it made Mark, Jackson and me laugh a LOT!!!! :) I hope it brings a little smile to you all, too!!! :)
So, the boys and I decide to go to Alum Creek yesterday. Our city pool, the Big Splash, has been closed all week. We have a summer pass and should be there soaking in the sun and splashing in the waves, but no, it has to close during the hottest week of the summer!!! Stinks, big time!!!! All we know is that it is closed due to mechanical problems. I do know that a couple of years ago the Powell pool had to close down for a week due to someone "pooping" in the pool. Usually when someone (a kid, I hope) poops in the pool, it only shuts down for about a half hour. At the Powell pool, however, it must have been more severe and the "poop" must have gotten into the pipes or somewhere like that 'cause it had to close for that whole week!!!! So, who knows what "mechanical problems" really means!!!! LOL!!! :) I will let ya know if and when I hear anything more! LOL!!! :) Sooooooooooo, my kids have been playing in the sprinkler and our little "baby" pool, but are getting very tired of it. They want to swim soooooo bad, but where do I go??!! There are some other public pools such as "Ted Lewis or Reynoldsburg," but they all cost money and........are far to travel. I didn't mind traveling, but it just didn't feel right paying when we already have a summer pool pass. So...........................the kids finally decide that "Alum Creek" would be a fun to place to go and it would be FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is far, but "free" beats "far" any day!!!!!! :) So, we head off yesterday afternoon and Mark meets us there after work. We had a great time and I totally recommend it for an afternoon of fun in the sun!!!!! Deer Creek works, too!!!! :) Now here comes the funny story part! I never "pee" in the "real" pool or let the boys do it, either! :) However, here we are at the lake, and the water is all "dark and gloomy" anyway and the restroom is soooooooo far away from where we are!!!! :) Well, Jacob says he has to "pee." I am sitting and taking a little rest at this point. I tell him to go and "pee in the lake!" For his part, he is like, "huh?!" He knows this isn't something he is usually allowed to do. So..........he makes sure I realize that he has to pee by telling me again. And, again, I say, it's okay and go pee in the lake!!!! (Btw, Mark and Jack aren't too far away standing at the waters edge). So...........Jacob walks into the water and, meanwhile, I notice a "cool" jetskier flying by. When I happen to look back at Jacob (a second later) he is standing in the water - only up to his ankles - and he has pulled the front of his trunks down just enough for his "private part" to hang out and there he is with a stream of pee flowing out!!!!!!!!! LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!! :)) I yelled his name and, of course, Mark and Jack look and we all start laughing our heads off!!!!!! In retrospect, Jacob did exactly what I asked him to do! I said go pee in the lake and he did! He is only four and had no clue that I meant to put your "butt" in the water and pee through your trunks!!!!!! Too funny! I only wish I had it on film!!!!! :) Mark, Jackson and I thought it was hysterical!!!!! Lucky enough, there weren't many people around us at that particular moment, either!!!
So.................my first truly funny summer story!!!!!! Thanks, Jacob, for making us laugh and being such a good little boy!!!!! He showed us that he listens to what we say and does what we tell him, also! What more can a mother ask for?! :)

Oh, and I have some pictures to post later from our day at Alum Creek (ya'll know I need Mark to help me)! LOL! Stay tuned!!!!! :)

Top Ten Stores To Shop At!

Hey there blogger buddies! I keep trying to think of things to blog, but (believe it or not) I keep coming up empty handed!!! LOL! I think it must be this summer weather. It must have my brain on "pause" to make me simply enjoy the beautiful days outside!!!! :) But I, seriously, can't seem to come up with anything to write about! And, those who know me, know that is a pretty rare thing when I have nothing to say!!!! LOL! :)
Not much is going on in my neck of the woods. We (the boys and I) have been sleeping in (and that is great in itself) and staying up late, too. Jackson has had baseball and we have been to the pool and sometimes play in the sprinkler here as well. The days seem to pass by much faster at this time of year. Before we know it, Mark is home and it is evening. Jack's really good friend, Richard, who lives three doors down, comes over quite often and spends a lot of time with us! My kids love him coming over!!!! His mom works and he and his sister stay home alone during the summer. Richard is thirteen and is sister is sixteen and they are really good kids. We have been friends with Richard for several years and he is a wonderful role model for Jack!!!! It is also nice having him come over (for me) b/c he helps keep my kids entertained. And he is so sweet - sometimes it is like having a "mini" adult here to hang with. He is just soooo helpful (I probably should pay him for babysitting)! LOL! Anyway, this is just a beautiful time of year! It rained last week at Jack's baseball game and then got sunny pretty quickly afterward. I was talking to a little girl (her brother is on Jack's team) and telling her that you sometimes see a rainbow when the sun comes out during or after rain. Well..............wouldn't you know it......................as soon as I said that...........................boom - there is a rainbow!!!! Pretty cool!!!!!
Sooooo, on that note, here is my top ten for this week:

Ten Stores I Like To Shop At:

1)Cord Camera - this is probably my #1 store of all time! I only wish I knew how to develop my pictures myself. Oh, and had my own dark room, too! :)
2)Wal-Mart - I love this store for developing pics, but it is great for everything else, too.
3)Kohls - picture frames, of course! LOL! And shoes, and clothes, and purses, and...........etc.
4)Target - this is just one of those stores that you just gotta go too!!!! It's great!!!
5)Big Lots - I love a bargain!!!!! :)
6)Kroger - my favorite grocery store!!!! :) And, believe it or not, I enjoy taking the kids with me!!!! I know - I must be crazy!!!!
7)Meijers - just an old store I am still faithful too! Wal-Mart is the "new" Meijers. I don't get to go as much, but it feels like an old familiar friend. Is that weird?! :)
8)K-Mart - same as Meijers! :)
9)Hall-Mark - I love their knickknacks! They have such neat things to look at! :) Oh, and of course, their cards!!!!
10)Tuttle Mall - for one thing they have the playplace! But let's not forget the shopping and the food, too!!!!! :)

I have always found that shopping can be peaceful, too! Even just looking seems to make me feel better after a hard day. I think just being around people is part of it! I am known to go to one of these stores just to get out of the house! :) Of course, having money is even better! And......spending money is the best!!!!! LOL!!! :)

I hope you all are enjoying the summer as much as we are!
Take Care and more stories to come soon! LOL!!!! I guess my brain stores them all up for the winter months!!!!! LOLOLOL!!!!!! :)

Top Ten Suggestions!

Okay, Emjaye! Here I go!!!! LOL! :) After reading some of our fellow bloggers lists, I got motivated into listing my own! Here goes nothin':

1)I already listed my first one on SGE's blog! But to repeat for those who haven't read it yet -let's list our top ten favorite recipes! I know I would love to have some new ideas and this way we would all get several!!! :)
2)Top Ten Pet Peeves! :)
3)Top Ten people we admire on TV - for example, one of mine would be Kelly Ripa! And, of course, tell "why" we admire them! :) I admire "Brad Pitt" for his simply gorgeous good looks!!! LOL!!!! :) This list is, hopefully, different than our favorite actors and actresses b/c we might have different ones!
4)Top Ten Stores! (This one is for a slow week, but could still be interesting)!
5)Top Ten Chips! LOL! I am serious! I think it would be hilarious!!! :)
6)Top Ten moments in our lives!
7)Top Ten Books! (Did we already do this one)?!
8)Top Ten things we have learned from church!
9)If we could have been anything we wanted to be in life, what ten things would we have been?! For example, one of mine would be: actress! :)
10) Ten things you wish you could do over in life!

Wow! I did it! :) Some of these are goofy, but some aren't so bad, either!!! LOL!!! :) My favorite just so happens to be #1!!!! Hope I helped a little, Emjaye!!! I look forward to your list every week, so I am happy to help whenever you need it!!!! Thanks for starting our little blogging club and doing the top ten each week! It is something I look forward to every day!!! :)

Things to do this summer (w/out spending a bundle)!

Hey guys! I am gonna get right to it with this week's top ten list! :) Summer is my absolute favorite time of year! We spend most every waking minute doing things and most of them are very, very cheap! Here goes Cissa's summertime list of fun!!!!! :)

1)Alum Creek or Deer Creek (whichever one is closest to ya) - we are pretty much right in-between, so we go to both! It might cost a "little" bit of gas money, but if you pack a lunch and snacks, it truly ends up being a very cheap day of FUN!!!! We love it!!! :)

2)Parks! There are soooooo many different parks to visit!!! They provide fun for the whole family! Lots of toys for the kids and walking paths for adults. And.........each park is unique in its own way!

3)Swimming pools! You can either buy a summer pass (they are usually not too high), but if you only go every now and then, it isn't horribly expensive for a day. The price is usually worth the fun time you have. Also, if you truly don't have or want to spend the money on the city pools, then...........a friend who has a pool (no names need be mentioned) would be a lot of fun!!!!! :) Again, bring food and snacks to help save money! Peanut butter sandwiches or ham sandwiches are cheap and not so bad on hot, summer days!!!! :)

4)Hiking! There are soooo many different places to hike! Even if you aren't an avid hiker or simply don't want to hike - you can slowly walk trails and sight-see! Parks are good for this, but Old Man's cave and that whole area are perfect!!!!

5)Walking! Simply walking in your own neighborhood can be fun! Especially in the evening when it isn't so hot! Plus, you get the added bonus, when hiking or walking, 'cause it is considered "exercise!" :)

6)4th of July fun!!! 'Nough said!!! LOL! :) There are sooooo many different 4th of July activities to chose from!!! I, personally, loooove the 4th!!!!! :)

7)Kings Island! This activity does end up costing you some money, but we usually consider it a "mini" vacation (I think Emjaye described it this way also). Plus, when I was little, my mom used to pack lunches and snacks to take with us. You can't take food into the park, but we would come out to the car and eat and rest and then, go back in for more fun! It might not sound appealing to some, but for those who truly don't have a lot of money, it is a way to be able to still go yet save money also!

8)Sprinklers! My kids loooove this! Running around in the sprinkler is a good way to cool off and have fun! We usually do this when it isn't convenient to "go" anywhere, but the kids are bored! :)

9)Riding Bikes! Exercise and Fun!!!!! :)

10)Hanging out w/friends! This is probably one of the best parts of all!!!!! :) We love going to see friends and having friends over! We sit on the patio and the kids jump on the trampoline or play in the sprinkler! Fun, Fun, Fun!!!!!

There are sooooo many other summertime things to do for fun!!!!!! I tried to think of "cheap" things to do to save money!!!!! :) I had a mom and a good friend who taught me the best way to save in any situation.....................pack lunches and snacks and drinks!!!!!!!! No matter where you go or what you do, it ends up saving!!!!!
Let's all have a fun, happy, sunny, safe, awesome, jam-packed summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ('Cause it will be over before we know it)!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!! :)