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!!! :)

Gracie Girl!!!!

Just had to post a quick pic of our Gracie!!! :) She just turned "one" on May 19th! We took several pictures of her, but these two were my favorites, so I had to show them off! :) My mom got her the big bear for her birthday and Gracie loves it! The little pink thing in front of her is her favorite little blankie - she takes it with her everywhere! :) She is such a sweetie and we love her lots!!!! HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY, GRACIE GIRL!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!! :)

My Boys!!!!

Hey there, my blogger friends!!! :) I just had to post some pictures that I took of my guys! The four of Jacob are from his b-day (April 23) and the four of Jackson are from his birthday (Feb. 6). I usually take in-door pics for their birthdays, but this year I went outside!!! :) Jackson's were taken at the zoo (and you all know that I love it there)!!!! It is one of my favorite places!!! And Jacob's were taken at Schiller Park (which is another of my favorite places to be)!!!! :) I have the best time taking their pictures (I can't say the same for them, though)! LOL!!! But, at least, they smile and don't give me too hard of a time!!! :)

Today was the 4th grade graduation as well. We took several pictures of 4th graders who were graduating and we also did the slide show! The slide show was adorable! The only real problem was that it wasn't really dark enough in the gymnasium - so if you were in the back - it was definately hard to see. Plus, the pictures looked a bit dark on the big screen as well. It just couldn't be helped. But.........the kids were all up front by the screen (where they could see good) and they loved it!!!! They were all clapping to our songs and laughing at the pictures (I got some real funny ones)! Anyway, it was so cute and we were so happy to be a part of it! And..........getting to take their graduation pictures was fun, too!!! :) Mark made an awesome little frame that printed with their picture! The frame was the school color (royal blue) and had the date and year on it and said something about graduation on it! I tell ya, having a programmer around is pretty handy!!! :) We are totally getting back into the photography thing! They have already asked us about taking pics again for Secret Santa this year!!! They want us to plan on it!!! :) Taking pics is truly my passion!!! I had such a fun time going to the school and getting pics of all the kids!!! Hopefully, more opportunities will come my way!!!! I didn't get a chance to do a Top Ten this week, but I would like prayer for my photography business. I would like to have more "gigs" to do!!! :) I know if given the chance, I could take some cool and unique pics that people would love! So, that is definately a top ten on my prayer list!!! :) I'm not looking to "get rich" or anything, I just want to get my name out there (and be more busy doing pics which I love)! :)

Well, I am gonna sign off b/c it is pretty late now! Oh, real quick tho, I just have to ask - has anyone watched that show "Reba?" I watched it sometimes when it was on, but now I am watching reruns and..............it is hilarious!!!!!!! :) Check it out sometime if you haven't ever saw it!!!!

Enjoy the pics and talk to ya'll later!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

Just had to post a pic of my Jackson!!! :) This is his 2nd year playing baseball and he is enjoying it (and I must say his mom and dad are, too)! :) His team is the "Reds." I told Miss Carleta to post a pic of Dallas and I would post one, too! So..........Carleta's turn now!!! :) We gotta show off our guys!!!! Oh, I guess I should tell ya that Jack is #2!!!! :) I thought this second pic was so cute showing the teams shake hands!!! I just want to "freeze" these moments in time! It goes by far too quickly!

Anyway, I had to blog a more "positive" blog after my last post! Enjoy!!!!!!! :)

Ten Things To Know About Me!

Hey fellow bloggers!!! I hope everyone is doing well and having a good week! We are doing good, just seem to be busy along with everyone else! :) Last week was sooooo good, except for Friday (and one little incident can ruin everything - how sad is that)? And, actually, Friday was good as well, but I had one "minor" challenge to deal with. As I mentioned in my previous blog, we got the yearbooks back. A really good friend of mine helped me sort them all out - BIG JOB - and I took them to the school on Friday to put in the teachers mailboxes. Well, not to "toot my own horn," but I got some really nice comments. The teachers and staff really liked them. This is all volunteer work so it means a lot to hear nice comments. Plus, for one, we worked really hard all year to make it nice and secondly, pictures are my thing. I would only give my best to anything involving pictures. If my name is gonna be on something with pictures, that I did, it better be good!!! LOL!!! :) Well............I got nothing but wonderful comments until "one" parent came in to get her daughter!!! I had already spoken to this woman the night before b/c Mark and I "did" make one mistake! Some of the yearbooks were supposed to be "personalized" on the front (meaning put the child's name on the front of the yearbook). Well, we "accidentally" left about sixteen names off of the personalization list! OOPS!!!!! So..............sixteen kids didn't get their books personalized! So.........we called each family this happened to and explained what happened and apologized! Most everyone understood and was okay with it (we also gave them back the "extra" money that was paid to have it personalized - it cost two dollars more to have it personalized, so those sixteen people each got two dollars back). What more can we do, right?! And, believe me, I felt bad!!! I took this job so seriously and "still" made mistakes!!!! But that is life!!! Mistakes happen!!! We are not perfect!!! And making the yearbook isn't like a "real" job where you have "checkers" to make sure everything is right! I mean, Mark and I both checked EVERYTHING and voila - still mistakes!!!! There is just no way around it! So..........this one parent is VERY UNHAPPY!!!!! She comes in and gets her daughter and is waiting at the table for me. I come smiling and ask what she needs. She proceeds to go on and on about what she doesn't like - which is crazy - and I just listen. I finally apologize one last time, but she is relentless! I must stop here and ask, "What is wrong w/people??" IT IS AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YEARBOOK!!!!!!! It shouldn't be this big a deal!!!!!!! Personally speaking, and this is gonna sound sooooooo conceited, but..........this was a fabulous yearbook for an elementary school!!!!! Especially when it was done by complete volunteers who, I must add, got it in color for the first time instead of continuing to stay black and white!!!!! I am just still angry at how this awful person could treat me like that!!! I have left out some things that she said (too mean to repeat), but after she left, I cried!!!! And I don't usually go and cry at my kid's school!!!! I am a happy parent! :)But.......... there is a good ending to this story! The principal heard what happened and talked to me about it! Supposedly, this "parent" is a problem maker!! They have trouble with her! The school secretary gave me a hug and talked to me about it also! It just made me feel good b/c I have worked REAL HARD to do a good job on the yearbook. At least the school staff saw that and stand by me!!! I seriously hate to sound so harsh, but this parent was so dag on mean, I guess I am still not over it! I can't believe she said what she said to me in front of her daughter!!!! And what if other kids had walked by??!! I wasn't going to have a conversation like that in the school lobby!!!! I just don't think that was appropriate! My mom and Mark said I handled it professionally! I must agree (except for the crying part)! LOL!!! Anyway, aside from the "lunatic" parent, I got many nice compliments!!! It got me to thinking tho, how one comment can seem to "erase" all the others! I had nothing but postivie feedback all that day concerning the yearbooks. Then, BAM, one negative comment and it was as if the "positive" things were completely forgotten! Why do we do that??!! If ten people tell you that you look great, why do we focus on the "one" person who says we don't???!!! Just something to think about! :) I had to mentally stop and remind myself that everyone loved the yearbook!!! One person not liking it shouldn't speak for everyone! Out of 20 people - 19 gave rave reviews!!!!! Wow!!!! :) I feel like, in the end, I learned something!!!! Don't listen to the negative 'cause they are only here to bring you down!!! Surround yourself with the people who are positive b/c they are the "correct" ones! Negativity gets you nowhere and being around negativity brings you down as well!!! Am I making any sense?! :) Anyway, it was a very hurtful experience. I feel way better, but I am still trying to "forget" what happened! I am also, I must say, proud of myself for not arguing with the parent. The only thing I said to her was, "I'm sorry!" And I only said it once 'cause I had already said it on the phone two times and I wasn't gonna keep indulging her and acting like I did something wrong! I also told her she was welcome to take over the yearbook this coming year if she wanted! LOL!!! :) But, of course, she didn't want to do that! LOL!!!! She just wants it done right!!! Don't you love it?! :) Oh well. Please say a prayer for me to let this go once and for all!!! I am really almost past it now, but I felt the need to write it down and therefore, blog!!!! :) I hope ya'll don't mind!!!! :)

So, on to my top ten!!!!

1)I LOVE pictures!!! I have them all over my home! I take way too many pictures, but I LOOOOOVE them!!!
2)I love photography!!!! I would love to have my own studio someday! :)
3) I love going to the zoo! It is peaceful there (even on a busy day)! But have you ever gone on a slow day?! Wow!!!! It is like no other!
4)I am married and have two boys! I would talk about my kids!!!!! :)
5)I stay at home, but consider it a full-time job!
6)I have babysat for many years and think I was pretty good at it! I love kids!!! :)
7)I am devoted to the people in my life!
8)I try to have a sense of humor! It can get you through the hard times!
9)I try to live a Christ-like life!
10)No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to get organized (or stay organized)! :)

So, there you have it!!! LOL! The good, the bad, and the ugly!!!!!!!! :)
Thanks for listening!!!!!!! :)

Having fun in the sun!!!!

Having fun with friends!!! :)

Gage, Jacob, Jackson, Ethan, and Richard is pulling!

Our newest family member "Potter!"

Jackson and Jacob in front of our new pine tree!

More fun with friends! :)

Jackson, Michael, Samer, Jacob, Ratah, Sabrine and Cole

Playing in the sprinkler with friends! :)

Jackson, Sabrine (bending over), Alya, Samer and Jacob

The school carnival! :)

Gramsey, Jacob and Jackson

They had their faces painted (Gramsey, too)!

Hey bloggers! I have been having the BEST week!!!! It has been sooooo nice outside and I am thoroughly enjoying it!!! The kids have played in the sprinkler the past two evenings and tons of neighborhood kids came and joined them! Mark and I sit on the porch and watch them play (and sometimes join in as well as we are "big" kids ourselves)! :) We have adopted a new kitty who found his way to our home. We have no idea where he came from, but he is the sweetest thing! Right now he is living on our porch and sleeps in our gigantic bush out front. We made him his own bed, but at this point, he prefers the bush! LOL! He is very loving and has quickly become a part of our family. We named him "Potter." We got it from the Harry Potter books and movies. If anyone is familiar with these books, you will remember that Harry had to live under the stairs with his aunt and uncle. Well, our "Potter" has to live in the bush, so therefore, he is now known as Potter (Harry just didn't quite sit well in the vote)! LOL! :) Anyway, he always comes out of his bush to greet us and lays on the porch and seems to enjoy all the craziness! :) We are going to try and introduce he and our indoor cat "Stubby" to see how they do. They have met once, but didn't like one another at all. I have asked around and it is just luck of the draw if two cats will take to one another or, at least, co-habitate even if they don't really like each other. I just don't want Stubby to start spraying. That would be the worst case scenerio. I have also asked around the neighborhood and no one seems to know anything about Potter. So, it seems, for now, that Potter is ours! :) Awwww! One more addition to the Archer household! LOL! :) Also, this past weekend we planted "5" trees all in our front and side yard. We live on a corner lot so we planted "3" trees on the side and two in front. It is about time after living here for "TEN" years!!!! Can you believe this July will be 10 yrs. that we have lived here!!!! Time flies!!! I was pregnant with Jackson when we moved in. Wow! And now Jackson is nine. And, thinking back, I do believe a certain "Emjaye" helped us move in!!! :) Boy, do I owe Emjaye or what?! Thank you, Emjaye, for being a life-long, honest-to-goodness, true, caring and loving friend!!!! It means a lot to me! :) Now.........back to the trees!!! LOLOLOL!!!! We got four maples, two of which are red maples. And we got one pine tree also. Man, it took my dad and Mark several hours to plant them all, but boy, do they look good! :) Thank you, dad and Mark, for all of your hard work! It means a lot as well! On top of all of that, we got the school yearbooks back!!!! WooHoo!!!! Exciting!!!!!!! They look real good and I am anxious to show them off! I have already showed three moms from the neighborhood! They were making fun of me and saying that I would be likely to go to each classroom and watch the teachers pass them out! :))) One mom said I should wear a hat to take off and say I am taking donations!!! LOL!!! Too funny!!! The sad thing is..........they are soooooo right!!!!! I wouldn't put it past me!!!!! I want to see everyone's expression when they see it for the first time!!!! :) And last, but not least, we have four baby robin birds living in one of our light posts!!! It is on the side of the porch and up high and out of reach from predators (and safe from bad weather)! They just hatched this week and we got to see the mommy bird feed the babies!!!! Talk about the wonders of the world!!!! It was very, very cool watching the babies open their mouths to be fed!!!! And it was equally as cool to watch the mommy bird sit on the fence with a "worm" - food for her babies!!!! :)

So, it has been a good week, overall, and we are enjoying the nice weather! Now.......if only school could end..........it would be perfect!!! We have a couple more weeks to go and then, swimming time!!!! :) The pool opens over Memorial Day weekend and the kids can not wait to go!!! :)

Well, my show is on so I gotta sign off! I, too, like some others, am addicted to "my shows!" I will miss them over summer break! :)

Oh, I forgot about the Tuesday Top Ten!!!! I could only think of one!!! I must be crazy 'cause there has got to be more than one!!!! But this "one" keeps coming back to me!!!! :)

Cissa's Top Daredevil Pick...............................................is.........................

GET A TATTOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)))

If I wasn't so afraid of it hurting, I would totally get a tattoo!!!! :) But.........I'm a chicken........so it will most likely never happen!!!! :)

Okay, gotta go watch my show! More later!!!

Arizona Pictures!!!! :)

Jackson and Jacob in Arizona taking a hike in the mountains! :)

Mommy with her boys! :)

The Grand Canyon!!!!!

Another view of the Grand Canyon!

The Archer "Cousin Reunion"!!! :)
Justin, Levi, Taylor, Jackson, Jacob and Jade

Jackson having fun at the Grand Canyon!

Mommy is having fun, too!

Daddy can't be left out!

America's Next Top Model Contest!
Contestants are: Mark............

Jacob having fun at the Grand Canyon!

And Heather is contestant #2

We are taking votes for the WINNER!!!!!

Jackson at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon!

Horse Back Riding @ the Apache Stables
(right outside the Grand Canyon National Park)
Yep, that is Cissa right up front in the red shirt!!! :)
Jackson is third from the back.

Mark and Heather! Awwwwwww!
Can you believe this pic was taken at a "rest stop" on the way

back to Phoenix from the Grand Canyon!

The cousins back at Grandma and Pa's House!
The best part of the trip was having all of the cousins together!!! :)
Taylor, Jackson, Justin, Jacob, Jade and Levi

Hey there, fellow bloggers!!! I am soooo excited to finally be showing my Arizona pictures!!!! Looking at them has helped to remind us of some of the fun parts of the trip!!! I must say that some of my favorite pics are of the cousins all together!!!! :) I love group pictures of the kids like this and we rarely get an opportunity for it to happen (with everyone living so far from one another)! But, we got some good cousin pics on this trip and for me..........they are priceless!!!!!! :) I hope you enjoy them, too!!! :)

Btw, I took about a total of 600 pictures!!!! It was definately hard to decide which ones to post! Let me know what you think! :)

Looking at these pictures made us feel good about the trip! There certainly were some difficult times, but there were also lots of fun times, too!!!! I feel in my heart that this trip was something we needed to do. It was a special treat for Grandma and Pa and I know they loved it!!! :) And I am soooo thankful that Julie (my sister-in-law) could come with her kids, Jade and Levi!!!! It would not have been the same without them! She is a dr. and is soooo busy and I'm sure she could have said no about coming. But.........she didn't.............she came. And her husband couldn't come 'cause he had to work. So............she came by herself! To me, that says a lot about her!!!!! It certainly meant a lot to us!!!! Mark has a good family and I am proud to be a part of it! I only wish we all lived closer! It would be cool for Jackson and Jacob to see their cousins regularly! Oh well! In the meantime, we have these awesome pics to remind us of the fun times we do have together!!! :)

Oh, and let us know who the winner of "America's Next Top Model" is!!!!! :) I may lose points b/c I have used that "pose" in a previous blog!!! LOL! I did it again on purpose (it is my "signature" pose now)! LOL!!!! :)

Anyway, enjoy the pics! I have more pics to come! Some will be from Jack's b-day and some from Jake's b-day! And...........we are supposed to get the yearbooks back this Friday!!!! WooHoo!!!! I am excited!!!! :)

Keep me in your prayers this week. I have a drs. appt. on Wednesday (with a new dr.). I am feeling better, but I want a full check-up and tests done. I am 36 yrs. old and it is time for a full physical. My cheeks have been totally red this week (probably from my rosacea). I think I may need some cream for that. Anyway, thank you for the prayers!!!!!

And on a last note: what a beautiful day we had today!!!! I just wanted to say a special thank you to God for giving us these sunny days!!! Everything looks different when the sun is shining!!!! Isn't that amazing?! And if it rains tomorrow, that is okay, b/c it makes me appreciate the good days even more!!! Life lessons - we learn something new almost daily!!!! :) My favorite saying is: LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where Has Cissa Been?!

Hi there, my fellow bloggers!!! :) I must apologize for my recent absence! It has just been such a busy time of year! For starters, Jackson has had baseball going on. And I will be the first to tell ya how much I enjoy him playing, but man, how LOOOOONG the practices last (plus he had his first game Monday evening). And, in truth, the practices aren't "always" that long, but even a couple of hrs. crunches your evening time. By the time you get home and have dinner and baths, it is pretty much bedtime. And, oh, let me tell ya about bedtime!!! LOL! :) The end of the school year is always the hardest b/c the sun is out till the wee hrs. of the night! And you see, my kids DO NOT want to come in and get ready for bed and I can't blame them! Neither do I!!!! It is soooo hard b/c they are having so much fun outside - and by seven or so it has also cooled down enough for the "perfect" take a walk weather!!!! :) Let's just say we are ready for summer to be here. Then, if we stay up late, it is okay b/c we can sleep in!!!!! :) Which reminds me - Jack also had the 3rd grade Ohio Achievement Test on Monday and Tuesday. It really ended up not being so bad! (How did it go for you Amy)? Good, I hope! I am just glad it is over with!! :) And Jack seemed fine about it as well, so that is good! I also took some pictures of my aunt, uncle and cousin while they were visiting from New Mexico. I think they turned out pretty good, so if you are interested in seeing them, let me know, I will give ya the pass word (the pics are on my web page). Plus, speaking of pictures, I have been at Jack's school taking yes, MORE PICS!!!!! The yearbook is finished and we should get it back next Friday!!! WooHoo!!! I can't wait to see it!!! But, now, I am finishing up pictures for the 4th grade graduation slide show!!! It will be on May 24th. I always feel like I don't have enough (and then I end up with too many)! LOL!!! :) Better safe than sorry is my motto especially regarding pics!!! :) Oh, and I took Jacob's birthday pics myself at Schiller Park (this park is not too far from Grange in German Village). They turned out pretty cute as well. I will have to post some for you all to see! :) Anyway, it has been busy around here, but is starting to settle down! I am also starting to "diet" and I have been walking for exercise this week! I am definately NOT a good dieter - I have no idea what to eat! I seriously need some ideas!!! Please send any advice my way!!! I desperately need some recipes that would be good for me!!! :) And to end, I must admit, that after returning from my vacation, I think I might have been in a slight "depression" when I got back! For at least two weeks since coming home, I did not feel right! I had migraines, dizziness and lightheadedness. I don't know for sure, but in retrospect, I think I was slightly depressed! Although, the trip was fun, it was extremely stressful! It just wasn't a "kid" place to be! I am sooo glad we went and know that it was the "right" thing to do (b/c Mark's parents have always wanted us to come), but it was simply stressful. I loved seeing Mark's family and his sister and her kids and grandma and pa, but I can't quite describe what was so hard! It was partly the heat (90 and no air conditioner) which can make a person cranky! But there were so many good things during the trip, too! It is sad b/c until recently, those good things had been put on a back burner, since I wasn't doing well. All that was remembered was stress!!! Oh well, maybe it was just me!!! :) But.........bottom line is............I feel better now, so that is good! And, I am finally thinking of the "fun" things that we did on our vacation! So..........now that I am feeling better, I will be blogging once again!!!! :) I'm back, baby!!!!!! :) I would like to say "Welcome" to our newest blog member "SGE" - we are soooo happy to have another blog to read! :)
If anyone is interested, my web page is: Portraitsofalifetime.com
If you want to see any events, let me know, and I will give ya the password! :)
I am looking to slowly get back into my photography! It brings me such great joy and I absolutely love it!!!! So.........if anyone knows anybody in need of some "different" types of pictures, let me know! I especially love taking "park" pictures at this time of year!!! You can get such awesome pictures!!!!
Okay, okay, I will sign off for now! I am rambling at this point! I'm just glad to be back!!!!!
Welcome Home Cissa!!!!!!! :)

Top Ten Candy That Cissa Loves!

Okay, my friends, this one is gonna be short and "sweet" - LOL - no pun intended, or was there?!!! :)

Cissa's top ten favorite candy:

1)M&Ms (both peanut and plain)
2)Sprees (especially the red ones)
3)Zero Bar
4)SweetTarts - maybe b/c, like me, they are just sooooo sweet! :)
5)Butterfinger
6)Reese's Pieces
7)Reese's Cup
8)Hershey Bar (and kisses, too)!
9)Gum
10)Sugar Babies (I go thru phases where I eat them constantly and then it fizzles out)! :)

Hmmm, hmmmm, hmmmmm, good!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm Walkin' On Sunshine!

Hey fellow bloggers!! :) I was trying to think of a song w/the word "sunshine" in it! This was pretty much the only one that came to mind besides "You Are My Sunshine." And although I have two "sunshines" of my own, this particular blog is going to be about the beautiful weather we have been having for the past few days!!!! :) I, for one, am loving it!!!!! I'm not sure why, but things just seem "better" when it is sunny outside!!!! So..........I just wanted to take a moment and say "THANKS" to God for giving us these wonderful sunshine days!!!! For me, they are a reminder of how beautiful our world truly is! And, these kind of days, when I feel soooo close to God, it feels like anything is possible!!!!!! :))
So...........go enjoy this incredible weekend (I hear it is supposed to rain tomorrow)! :) Great things lie ahead for each and every one of us!!!! Oh, and one more thought for the day: I think us grown-ups need to see the beauty in the simple things like our children do. A few of us have talked about dandelions this week and how our children love to pick them. I think it is soooooo very sweet how our children see these flowers as something of beauty (while soooo many adults try soooo hard to get rid of these flowers)! It just made me think of how innocent and rewarding children can be and that, maybe, just maybe, we could learn a lesson from them!!!!! :))
Children, along with the sunshine, are the greatest gifts from God!!!!!!!! They are constant reminders of heaven!!!!! :)

Top Ten Female Singers!!

There are lots of songs and singers that I like, but it wasn't too difficult to narrow them down to my top ten! :) Sorry I am late listing these, I , too, have been busy! I think it will be much easier from here on out! I am totally enjoying these beautiful sunny days we have been having!!!!! Taking walks with Jacob, picking flowers, seeing my neighbors, hearing lawnmowers, people working in their yards, kids playing and having fun, and just seeing the sun shine in through my window!!!! These are the days when I feel God most!!!!! Who, but he, could have made such a beautiful earth???!!!! :))

So.........on with my top ten!



1)Cher - her "old" stuff totally ROCKS!!!! "Jesse James" "Heart Of Stone" "If I Could Turn Back Time" - the list goes on!!!!!!!!!

2)Jewel - I am pretty sure I have every CD she did!!!! :)

3)MaDonna - her "old" stuff ROCKS, too!! "Like A Virgin" "Crazy For You" "Papa Don't Preach"
"If I Live To Tell" - again, the list goes on!!!!!

4)Martina McBride - I have several of her CD's! "Blessed" "Anyway" "This One's For the Girls" "Independence Day" - the list never ends!!!!

5)Faith Hill - I have several of her CD's, too! "Fireflies" - her duets with "THE" Tim McGraw!!!!!!!!!

6)Reba McIntyre - I can't even think of all the songs she has sang!!!!!! I have CD's and she just rocks!!!!! Plus, has anyone watched her TV show called "Reba?" Adorable! I just saw a rerun where she sings a song to her grandchild. I loved it soooo much I had to look online to find it (well, Mark helped). Reba rocks!!!!!!!

7)Wynonna Judd - I am a huge Judd's fan!!!! I think Naomi and Ashley rock, too! Goooooo, Judd's!!!!!!! :)

8)Miley Cyrus - yes, I am a Cyrus fan, too!!!! We got her CD for Jack and we love her, too! She really can sing and has a great voice!!!!

9)Christina Aquilera - I like what I call her "normal" songs! "Genie in a Bottle" "Beautiful" "Ain't no other man" - she has a great voice! I don't care for her "rap" type music!

10)Natalie Maines - from Dixie Chicks!! I have all of their CD's, too! Good music!!!!

I think I pretty much nailed my top ten!!!! I have almost every CD these girls have made!!! So, I hope I like their music!!! If not, I just spent a TON of money with nothing to show for it! I am gonna have to go "fish out" some of these CDs now. Every time a new one is bought, an old one gets put away. It is good to be reminded so I can listen to them once again! It is also good 'cause it keeps them rotating and they seem like new again!!!! :)
Btw, Miranda, I love doing these lists. I am still planning on doing a "Five on Friday" - just as soon as things get a little "less" busy!!!
Two more days till the weekend!!!!!! Hang in there, everyone!!!!! :)

Where Have I Been?!

Hey, guys, I am here!!!! It has just been a VERY long week! Jacob and I took all week to get over the Arizona time difference! We could not get to sleep at night and then were tired all the next day! I have no idea how Mark and Jackson did so well with school and work! Jacob and I just tried to make it through!!!! LOL! Maybe going to work and school forced them to sleep better. They were tired at the end of the day and, therefore, able to sleep. Jake and I - not so lucky! We tried to keep busy, but there wasn't anything that made us soooo tired that we easily went to sleep at night! Anyway..........we are both feeling a bit better, so that is good! I am going to see a new doctor this week. I just haven't been feeling good and I keep getting my migraines. I have been waiting to see if it was just the time zone difference or, maybe, me stopping my cycle (for vacation). Well, after waiting it out all of last week, I am still just not feeling right! I have gained weight, so it might just be that I need exercise. Who knows?! I just want to have a thorough physical by a new doctor who can check things out. Keep me in your prayers!!! Thanks!!!!! :)
So........I watched this movie today (it came on HBO) called "The Lake House." Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves starred in it. I remember back when it came to the theater - it was not at the top of my list. I thought it would be okay since I really like both of the actors, but it just wasn't at the top of my list. Well, let me tell you, it was really good!!!!!! My aunt and my sister both have recently watched it. My aunt said she had no idea what was going to happen while my sister said she totally figured it out! So..........I was very intrigued to see what would happen for me! And...........that's right!!!!! I had NO IDEA!!!!!!! I mean, you certainly have little guesses, but, basically, you have no idea! Well, at least my aunt and I had no idea!!!! :) Anyway, it was very good and I totally recommend it!!!! It even made me cry a little at the end!!!! It was a good cry, not a bad one!!!! :)
If you haven't seen this movie, rent it!!!! A must-see!!!!! :)
It also made me realize that "Keanu" totally used to be on my favorite actor list! I forgot about him!!!! What a cutie!!!!! :))
I will post some pics later this week! :) I would do it now, but I need Mark to help and he went to bed!!! :) I seriously need to learn how to do these things on my own!
More later!
Have a good week!
Cissa Says: Rent the movie and Good Night!!!!!

There's No Place Like Home!

Hi there!!! We are HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are soooo happy to be back!!!!! I will be posting pics later this week! I just wanted to say "HI" to my fellow bloggers and let you all know that I am BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Now, on to the good stuff, my top ten actresses:

1)Reese Witherspoon - Legally Blonde, Walk the Line, Sweet Home Alabama
2)Drew Barrymore - Never Been Kissed, Ever After
3)Kate Winslet - Titanic, Sense and Sensibility
4)Cameron Diaz - Charlies Angels, In Her Shoes, Shrek
5)Ashley Judd - Kiss the Girls, Double Jeopardy, Where the Heart Is
6)Jennifer Aniston - Picture Perfect, The Object of My Affection, Rock Star
7)Scarlett Johansson - Match Point, The Prestige
8)Angelina Jolie - Gia, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Bone Collector, Tomb Raider
9)Sandra Bullock - Miss Congeniality, Hope Floats, Practical Magic, A Time to Kill
10)Kirsten Dunst - Spiderman movies, Bring It On, Little Women, Jumanji

There are more, but these are my favorite at this time! I think these ten actresses are terrific and they play a key role in whether I am intrigued in seeing a movie - along with their male co-stars, of course. LOL! :)
Enjoy my list and keep watching for my pics from vacation!!!!! :))
It is good to be home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Top Ten Things I'd Like To Be!

Hi guys! Sorry it has been sooooo long since I last posted! It has been crazy around here. For starters, Mark and I have been working on Jackson's elementary school yearbook. I am happy to say that after all of our hard work, it is finally finished!!!! WoooooHooooo!!!!!!! I love it and hope that everyone else is equally happy with what we did! We certainly put a lot of work into it! We get to pick them up on May 11th, so I am looking forward to showing them off! :)
Okay, second, as you all know, we are leaving for Arizona this Saturday! WoooHooo, again! But that hasn't been a picnic, either! :) There has been so much work to do to get ready. And......I have been sick off and on for the last two months! I just got sick again yesterday with a horrible head cold and I am a little worried about flying! Please say a prayer that everything will go well. This is our first vacation in years and it would really suck if I remain sick! Not to gross anyone out, but I puked earlier today! I think I had a slight fever, but I feel a bit better right now! :) I am trying to remain positive, but man, I feel like I am in a batting cage and the balls keep coming! LOL!!!!! :) Just pray, pray, pray!!! Thanks! As some of you know, also, on one of our last vacations, we got in a major car wreck! A lady pulled out in front of us and Mark had to be life-flighted to a hospital. So.........again, just keep us in your prayers! :)
We are looking forward to our vacation!!!! We have lots of things planned to keep us busy! Mark talked to his parents the other day and they are totally excited!!!! That makes us feel good!!!! Plus, as you all know, I love pictures! I can't wait to go to the Grand Canyon! I want to get LOTS of pics, of course, but I especially want a sunset picture there! That would be so cool!!!! So, I will have fun taking all of my pictures, you know! :) Mark already bought an extra memory card 'cause he knows I will take soooo many! So, all of you scrappin' sisters, be prepared to look at all my pics and the school yearbook at the next meeting!!! ROFL!!!! :)
Okay, here are my top ten things I would like to be in life:

1)photojournalist - pictures and writing!!!!! :) My two favorite things!!!!!
2)lawyer - it would be fun trying to win! :)
3)teacher - I think I would have been good at this! (My sister is a teacher and my brother says he would have liked it, too). It must run in the family!
4)therapist - this one is right up there w/photojournalist. I think I would really like this!
5)actress - famous and make lots of money!!!!! :) Plus, probably marry a hot actor like Brad Pitt!!!! :)
6)talk-show host - not an actor, but get to meet them all!!!! :)
7)chef - just would be cool, I think! :)
8)writer - I have always wanted to write a book! Hey, maybe there is still time! :)
9)singer - a famous one, of course! Platinum albums and all!!! :)
10)accomplished photographer - such as, have my own studio!!!! This is probably the one I would truly want most of all! :)

So......just wanted to make my list before I left for vacation!!!! I hope everyone has a great week! I will miss you guys! I check my blogs every day! What on earth am I gonna do?! :) I will truly miss checking it every day! Good luck starting your anatomy class, Miranda! And I hope Steph is feeling better or, at least, finding out what is wrong! Keep me posted! I will be praying and thinking of you all! Take care, Amy and Carrie and Carleta!!!! And, Heath, if you read this, I love ya!!!! :)
Talk with everyone when I get back!!!!
Have a good week!

Will it ever end??!!

Yes, I am about to complain!!!! :) I can't help it!!! My cycle is all off (check Emjaye's blog and the comments I left)! LOL!!! :) I had my cycle stopped for my vacation! Otherwise, I would have been right on my period during my first vacation in seven years!!!!! Wasn't happening!!! No way!!!!!! So........my dr. okayed it for me to stop my cycle for my vacation! Well, lucky me, I am having "horrible" side effects!!!! The worst being the "hot flashes!" If this is any indication of what menopause will be........well, then........I don't want that, either!!! LOL!!! I was at Jack's school yesterday and at two separate intervals, I started sweating like a DOG!!!! Each time, there was another woman there, and I asked each of them (each time) if she was hot! Each woman, at each time, said they were not and, in fact, they wouldn't mind a sweater!!!! And there I am, sweating like a DOG!!! You could see the sweat dripping down my face!!! EMBARASSING!!!!!!!!!!! :))) The only thing I can connect it to is stoppping my cycle! I have also been moody and emotional. I watched some show and cried like a baby! ROFL!!! It wasn't something I would have normally cried about! And, poor Mark, I have been irritable! He is hanging in there, as am I!!! He knows that I can't help it!!! I have good days and bad ones! The good ones are good, but the bad ones........watch out! :) Seriously, tho, I am hoping that my hormones level out a bit. We will see!!! So......please pray for us! At least, we are aware of what is going on, and we can more often than not, laugh about it!!!! I thought it would be great having no cycle! Boy, was I wrong! I still don't like periods and all, but, I must admit, I will be grateful when mine returns! :) I just have to ask before I sign off! Were periods part of the punishment for Eve for eating the apple and disobeying God?! Or, did the human body sort of evolve over time and it sort of happened?! Does anyone know the answer to this question?! :) I know childbirth suffering was put on Eve, but, seriously, how did the "period" come to be?! LOL!!!!
Aren't you guys so glad you read my blog?????!!!!!! ROFL!!!!!! Sorry, guys!!!!! I am a mess right now! I'll be better soon!!!!! :)