Where Has Cissa Been?

Hey guys, it's Cissa! :) Long time, no blog! Man, has it been busy around here! I had no idea that the older my kids got, it would be even more hectic!!!! You think when your kids are little that things are crazy! And, they are! It is just a different kind of crazy! As your kids get older, that craziness changes - it shifts! And, it is probably MORE crazy than you can even prepare for! And, my kids aren't even in sports or any extracurricular activities at the moment! I don't know how we would even squeeze that in!!! I have friends who do it, so I know it can be done, but I can't imagine having one more thing on our plates to do!!!! And, I don't work! I stay home!!!!! How do working moms do it??!! I have no idea 'cause I am barely hangin' on and I am at home! All I know is this: we are all in this crazy boat together!!!! We are all busy!!!! We are all trying to do our best!!! My only advise is: hang in there!!! :) I know that isn't saying much, but I do know that the busy times end and then there are some slower times! The slow times are the times when we need to be aware and take advantage of them!!!! And, during the crazy times, it is okay to let certain things go! We simply need to decide what things are the most important and focus on those things! The other things, the ones we let go, we will get back to them eventually! Don't make yourself "go crazy" in all the craziness trying to get everything done! Cause guess what?! You can't do it all!!!! All your plates you have spinning will come falling down if you don't let "some" things go! Give yourself permission to "only do what you can do!" And, remember, that we are all in this together! We all have our own crazy things going on!!!! So, let's pray for one another!!!! :)) Let's lift each other up in prayer b/c I know we all need it!!!!! :)

So, speaking of prayer, yes, I do need it!!!! :) I had my drs. appt. yesterday! I don't really know anything now (I had a physical), but on the outside everything looks good! They are doing all kinds of blood tests which I am confident will be fine! The dr. wants me to come back, for results, in two weeks! The big news is that I am going to the hospital! They want me to get an ultrasound on my neck! Yes, the dr. thinks I have a big, fat neck!!!!! LOL!!!! :) It is probably nothing, but my neck does look a little large (which some people just have larger necks)! LOL!!! :) They want to check my thyroid. Sooooo, just keep me in your prayers!!!! I am not really worried, just more concerned! It is always nerve racking when they send you for tests and you have to wait for the results!!!!! That is the nerve racking part - the waiting!!!!!! My appt., at the hospital, is on Tues. morning (the 2nd)! I won't know anything more until Weds. (the 10th) when I go back to the dr. You know they never tell you anything until your drs. appt. Until then, just be praying for me! THANK YOU, GUYS!!!!!!! It means a lot to me!!!!!!
Until next time, hang in there! :))

Answers with an "H"

Okay, I just read Carleta's blog and thought this was so cute! Of course, I ran off and answered them all right away! I don't know why, but these things are so much fun!!!! :) Enjoy! Oh, btw, some of my blogger buddies need to read my last entry (the one before this). I asked a question (for all my fellow bloggers to answer) and said I would "help" Emjaye (w/the top ten) while she is busy w/her studies! :) If you wanna know this week's question, check out my previous entry! With my question and Carleta's as well, we are keeping you busy!!!!! :)


Four letter word: HARP

Vehicle: HONDA

TV Show: HOUSE

City: HILLIARD

Boy Name: HEATH (my brother)

Girl Name: HEIDI (my sister)

Refreshing Drink: HAWAIIAN PUNCH

Occupation: HOUSECLEANER (I was gonna put "Hooker," but thought otherwise)! LOL!!!

Something you wear: HATS

Food: HOTDOGS

Something found in a bathroom: HAIRBRUSH

Reason for Being Late: HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING READY

Cartoon Character: HE-MAN

Something You Shout: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Place to visit: HAWAII


I LOOOOOOVE these kind of questions!!!!! Thanks to Carleta for passing it on for the rest of us to have fun with!!!! Some of the questions are harder to answer than others!
Have a great weekend!!!!!!! Maybe I will run into you at Arts in the Alley! We are bringing my niece, Gracie, so that will be fun!!!!! Look for future pictures coming up!!!!! Stay tuned!!!! :)

Here Comes Cissa!

Hey guys!!! I have noticed, that w/out Emjaye's Top Ten, it has been awhile since we all have updated! :) I know we are all very busy, but I think the top ten also helped us to check in and write a tad more. Sooooooo, on that note, here goes: I am listing "one" question for everyone to answer! It just so happens to be one of the suggestions I had passed along to Emjaye! :) I apologize upfront if it is a pain!!! You all will be screaming for Emjaye to come back!!!! :) I just figured I would "help" fill in a bit while Emjaye is busy w/her classes.
Sooooooo, the question is this: blog one favorite recipe to share w/the rest of us!!!! :) I am asking for a regular recipe - NOT a dessert! We will do a favorite dessert at another time! :) Again, this might sound like a pain to do and I apologize! I just, personally, need some new ideas! :) You all can vote me out of being the "temporary" fill in person!!!! LOL!!!! :) Anyway, I hope everyone is having a good week! We are going to be busy working on the basement this weekend. I will, however, find time to go to Arts in the Alley at some point!
Take care everyone and I am looking forward to seeing your recipes (or I am gonna look real stupid if nobody does it)! LOL!!! :)

Jacob's 1st Day of Preschool!

Sooooo, yesterday was another "1st" for us!!! Jacob and I started our preschool routine! As w/Jack, everything went very well! Actually, even better, if you consider Jacob's personality!!!! He woke up and was very tired, but still happy to go! He said he would sit w/out me and I hoped he was right! I am staying at the preschool due to the drive being so far and I feel it is best, as well, for Jacob at this time. I did keep telling Jake (to prepare him) that I couldn't sit w/him. I told him I have to sit at my own table away from the kids. When we got to preschool, Jacob sat down in his seat (I hear it is a pretty special seat) and once I got him started he said, "okay, go away!" Wow!!!!!!!! After that, he did really well. You can tell that he is still a bit shy and it will take time, but man, what an accomplishment for him to go off and be w/his class w/out me!!!!! He even went outside to recess w/out me tagging along! This is a huge, huge, big deal and we are sooooo proud of him!!!! It certainly makes him starting kindergarten next year feel less anxious (well, for mom, that is)! By then, he will be a whole year older and do even better! Sooooo, I am very happy that things went so good! And I am very proud of him! It is hard to watch the other kids run and play and have fun while your baby "wants" to go play, but it is harder for them to join in! Heck, even adults are like this! Some adults have never learned how to join in w/the others! Being shy can really inder your abilities in life! I was once way more shy in my life as well. I learned to become more outgoing and I hope to teach that to my children! I do think it is a process, tho, and it takes time! Every step someone like Jacob takes is a huge and special accomplishment!!!!! It is usually baby steps for Jacob, but today, it was one "giant leap!" :) Soooo, on that note, "YOU GO, JAKE!!!!!!" You did a fantastic job and we are proud of you!!!!!

And let's not forget to thank special teachers like Miss Carleta for her caring soul!!!! I hope she knows how much it means to us!!!! It was a really good first day!

Oh, and btw, Cissa made a friend as well!!!!! A little girl in Jake's class comes w/her grandma (Connie). Well, Connie stayed and we did laminating and had such a nice time talking! She was very sweet!

Plus, I must explain why I didn't have my camera in the class with me (Miss Carleta asked me where it was)! :) I "did" bring it - it was in the car. I decided not to bring it inside b/c if Jacob "did" go off w/his class - I didn't want to interfere and distract him. I was afraid if he saw me - he would want to come w/me or have me stay w/him. Believe me, it was HARD not to be taking more pictures!!!! :) I just told myself that I will have plenty more opportunities to take more!!!!! I just have to let Jacob get used to it first!!!! :) Stay tuned for more pics of both boys! We are doing the yearbook again this year, so I'll have plenty of pics to post in the near future!

Fall brings some pretty fun things!

As most of you all know, I had an anxiety attack, back in July, over summer ending and fall beginning! It probably seemed crazy to be upset that early in the summer, but unbeknownest to me, it was probably meant to happen that way. Having already been upset, I am now able to embrace the fall season and all of the wonderful things it has to offer! I am also not as upset about winter coming, as I usually am, either! Sooooo, on that note, here are my favorite things that the fall season brings! :)

1)Halloween! This includes pumpkins and gourds and all that fun stuff!!! It is my favorite holiday! I think I even like it more than Christmas!!! :) I am known to dress up in my own costume along w/the kids!!!! Hey, speaking of that, I will have to blog some pictures of past Halloween costumes!!!! I used to co-ordinate my costume w/Jackson's, but the older he got, that didn't quite work! That doesn't stop Cissa, though! I still find something to dress up as even if it doesn't match the kids!!!! :)
2)Circle S Farms! I think this is one of the most fun places to go to during the fall season!!!! I look forward to every year!!!!
3)Renicks Farm Market! We go here every fall as well. We can spend a couple hours out in the pumpkin patch playing!!! And......it is really fun to watch Mark try and carry as many pumpkins as he can!!!! You pay a certain price (like around $12) and you get as many pumpkins as you can carry!!!! Believe me, we pile him up pretty good!!!! :)) Funny!!!! :))
4)Pumpkin Show! This is something we always look forward to as well. We have been known to go even in the rain or snow!!!! :) Good food, fun rides, and sometimes see old friends you haven't seen in awhile! :)
5)Leaves changing colors! It is always so beautiful to see the changing colors of the leaves!!!!! I want to get some good pictures this year (future blog material)??!!!!! :)
6)Holiday shopping! I usually start my Christmas shopping in October or by the latest November!!! :) This is a really fun time 'cause I get to be Santa!!!! :) It is so sweet to see kids faces when they open their presents! I really enjoy the "behind their backs" shopping and all the preparing us moms get to do!!!! :)
7)Cooler weather! Even though summer is my favorite time of year, I am always happy for it to cool down by the end of August! If it could only be "three seasons" and not "four," I could live w/that!!!! :) Let's just leave winter out totally!!!! During the fall it is nice b/c you can wear jeans and a long sleeve shirt (maybe a light jacket or coat), but it is soooo comfortable!!!! Not too hot, not too cold!!!! Perfect!!!!!
8)Arts in the Alley Festival! I'm not sure if this would have been on my list in previous years, but I really like it now!!!! :) It is Grove City's annual Arts and Crafts show. I particularly enjoy the arts and photos displays. I also love getting ideas that I can re-create at home! Anyone interested in going this year??!! :))
9)New picture opportunities! The fall brings all kinds of new picture taking ideas!!!! My mind is continuously spinning and coming up w/new things to take pictures of!!! And w/Halloween and pumpkins being my favorite, pictures are definately a priority!!!! :)
10)Pumpkin pie, sugar cookies, etc.!!!! I seem to make these things more in the fall season than any other!!!! Yummo!!!!! That is all I have to say!!!!!! :)

Now that school has started and things are getting underway, I am looking forward to the fall and all it has to bring!!!! I may even go to a Buckeye game this year! I am really not a football fan (I love the Bucks and want them to win), but I don't watch it! However, I may be going to a game this year, if for nothing else than, to get some cool pictures for my Buckeye basement!!!!! :) We will see! Speaking of my basement, Mark and my uncle have started working on it (they are working as I write this)!!!! WooHoo!!!! You will all have to come and see my new re-modeled basement when it is done!!!! :) We are excited!

I also just have to say before I sign off: what a BEAUTIFUL weekend we have had this Labor Day!!!!! Who could ask for more??!! What a wonderful way to say "goodbye" to summer; we will see you next year!!!!! And hello to fall; we have lots of fun things planned!!!! :)

1st Day of School!!!!

Jackson's First Day of School!

Jackson is now a big 4th grader!!!! I can't hardly believe it!!!! He is growing up waaaay too fast! At his school, it is K thru 4, so he is the top dog this year! WooHoo! He has to set the example for the other kids this year! We are pumped for this to be a great year! Since it is his last year at Richard Ave. we want to make it special! Soooo.................here's to a "GREAT YEAR" and we are here to "PUMP YOU UP!!!!" LOL!!! :) Anyone thinking of Arnold right now??!! LOLOLOL!!!! :)

What Makes Cissa Smile?!

Okay, once again, I am the "last" person to do my weekly top ten list! I think the best is saved for last! LOL!!! :)

Things that make Cissa smile!

1)Well, of course, the number one answer to this question is............hmmm, what could it be????!!! Hmmm.......................is it my two fabulous boys I have the privilege of raising??!! Why, yes, it is!!!!! LOL!!!! :) My number one answer would be: Jackson and Jacob!!!!
2)Would definately be my precious girl, Gracie! She is my niece for those who might not know ('cause so many people read my blog I have to be specific)! LOL!!! :)
3)Music helps me stay in a good mood and can turn a bad mood into a better one! :)
4)The zoo! I always feel better when I go to the zoo!
5)Movies (especially the movie theater)! It is soooo relaxing to go and see a movie. Plus, bonus, you have friends who go w/you, too!

Things that make Cissa frown!

1)When traffic is stopped! You don't want to be around me in a traffic jam! I absolutely HATE it!!! I just hate being at a "stop" when you are supposed to be driving! And the not knowing when you will start moving again! It drives me crazy!!! Plus, while we are on the subject of traffic, I also don't like people who just dart over (with or w/out their signal)! I am surprised there aren't "more" wrecks out there with the way people drive anymore!
2)People who think they know it all! This is a BIG turn-off for me! I prefer people who are kind to EVERYONE! If you really "do" know it all, that will automatically show on its own! :)
3)If one of my favorite shows is cancelled due to a Presidential speech! I know, I know, I should care what the President has to say! But the truth is, I would rather watch my show!!!! The President should come on at times that do not interfere w/our TV shows!!!! I guess I don't qualify as one of those people who "know it all!!!" LOL! Those people probably watch the Presidential speeches and such!!!! LOL!!!!! :)) And, btw, you don't always get to see a "makeup" show later, either! A lot of times you are simply "out of luck" until the summer reruns (which sucks)!!!!!!
4)Negative people! It just brings everyone else down around them! Now, I know everyone has bad days! That is okay! I am talking about the people who are continuously "down" and "negative" on almost a daily basis! These people are not fun to be around!
5)Last, but not least, I can't stand when people "dish" you in line!!!! COME ON!!!!! Get in the back of the line like everyone else!!!! Oh, and cars do this as well, which also drives me crazy!
So, there you have it!!!! Cissa's top ten list!!!! :)) WooHoo! I finished another one!!!!! A big accomplishment for someone who is having trouble sitting still lately!!!! Oh, and stay tuned for "1st Day of School Pics" of Jackson!!!! Today was his 1st day of school and everything went very well!!!!! He should be getting home in about ten minutes so I gotta run!!!!! :))

Fill In The Blank!

Okay, so this one might be a little late! :) I guess the old saying, "Better Late Than Never!" is true in my case! LOL!!! I am finally getting around to doing "another" top ten! Unfortunately, it is about two or three weeks past the deadline! :) But, I wanted to do it 'cause I enjoy the top ten's, so here are my "fill in the blanks:"

1)Married or not, I have a "secret" crush on: well, I don't think it is much of a "secret," but my answer is BRAD PITT, of course!!!! If only he could see my "top model" pics!!!! :))
2)A genie came out of a bottle. My three wishes are a)health for my family! b)bright future for my kids (they make good money, they are happy, etc.) and c)I become famous (such as a famous photographer or something like that).
3)I could go the rest of my life without hearing the song: "We've Only Just Begun" by Karen Carpenter. Don't get me wrong. I like Karen Carpenter and I like the song. It just gets played waaaaay toooooo much! So do her Christmas songs, at that time of year, on the radio! I like more variety!
4)My pick for Bob Barker's replacement is: I would pick Rosie!!!! I think Drew will be fantastic, though! I just think Rosie would be good at this kind of thing! No politics involved for her to get into trouble about!!!! LOL!!! She would be funny!
5)When I'm hungry, I will most definately eat: well, I would "drink" Dr. Pepper, of course! LOL! :) I have also been into flavored water this summer (which I hope continues into the winter months as well). I will eat lots of junk fund such as chips!!!! I will eat pork chops! Oh, I love Red Robin No Bun Burgers and Bob Evans Chicken Meal with garlic butter!!!! Yummo!
6)The strangest thing about me is: you will probably have to ask my brother and sister about this one! Or, maybe, ask Mark, but he will be afraid to answer 'cause he might get into trouble! :) I mean, come on, I am like next to "perfection!" LOL! :) If "I" have to answer this question, I would honestly have to say, my sweaty hands and feet! They sweat horribly!!!! It is really kinda embarrassing to tell the truth!!!! :) But, that is the "strangest" thing I can think of! :)
7)The biggest thing I miss about elementary school is: oh, most definately, the innocence! I go to Jack's school quite often due to taking the yearbook pics. I always sit and watch and listen to the kids and I always come away thinking, "why can't we be this way as adults?" For the most part, they haven't been jaded yet, so most of them still care about each other. And for the "few" that have problems, they are mostly still "reshapable" with a little guidance! All the kids seem to get along! And when there are problems, they are fixed pretty easily. It is just simply the innocence! I would also have to say I miss having my "mommy" taking care of me! Dinner was always ready, breakfast was made, I could sleep in, etc. :))
8)The reality show I'd most like to be on is: Work Out! It comes on Bravo on the cable channel. I would love to be on that show! It might kill me, but I would do it in a minute!!!! :) I would have to answer to a trainer who doesn't take excuses and makes me really work out! Whatever doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger! LOL!!! :)
9)I am/am not smarter than a 5th grader? Definately NOOOOT! :) Jackson is practically smarter than me now when it comes to school stuff! I've still got him beat on life skills though!!! LOL! :)
10)In 5 yrs., I will hopefully be: happy! I just want to be happy! That is all I really truly want!!! :)

Okay, now it is on to doing "this" week's top ten! WooHoo! :)) I am on a roll!!!!

America's Next Big Star!

I think you all should start calling me "Tyra!" Or better yet, maybe I should change my blogger name to "Reflections From a Supermodel!" LOLOLOLOL!!!! :) I just had to post these after seeing Emjayes! Oh, btw, Emjaye took these two pics as well. We were at the church waiting for Carleta and Steph to get there and, well, you know the rest!!!! :) I will be signing autographs this Friday, at the Kids Night, at the church at 6:00! :)

Inspiring Quote I Just Heard!

I just heard this quote and thought it was worth passing on! I hope you guys like it as much as I did! :)

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything! They just "make" the best of everything!"

Very true, indeed!!!!! And a great reminder for us all!!!!! I know I needed it!!!! :)

Top Ten List!

Not much time, but I have been forgetting to do the top ten lately! I didn't want to forget this time! LOL! :)

1)Leno or Letterman? Probably Leno, but for some reason I really like Conan O'Brian almost better than either of my choices! :) Conan is kinda dorky yet sweet at the same time!
2)Choc. and Peanut Butter or Choc. and Strawberry? Definately choc. and peanut butter!!! Yummo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3)Disney or Warner Brothers? Disney, for sure! Jackson watches it all the time! Hannah Montana is my personal favorite!!!! :) Suite Life of Zack and Cody is his fave!!!!! :)
4)Movie Theater or VCR/DVD? Um............movie theater!!!!! :)
5)Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi (Pepsi used to make Dr. Pepper, my fave). I am pretty sure Dr. P is independent now, though.
6)Pens or Pencils? Pens!
7)60s, 70s, 80s, 90s? 80's!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Best of Times!!!!!!!!!!! :)
8)Dog or Cat? Cat!!!!! :)
9)Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit? Probably neither, but if I "have" to pick, I would say Trivial Pursuit! I was always horrible at monopoly!
10)CBS, ABC, NBC? ABC b/c of Desperate Housewives and Grey's!!!!! CBS would be a close 2nd, though! And, nowadays, there are a lot of cable channels I really like! :)

Wow, I finally did a list!!!!! I am pretty proud right now!!!! :)
Hope everyone is having a good week! :))

Ohio State Fair!!!!!

Fun Day At The Fair!!!

Jacob loves trains and enjoyed this Thomas the Train exhibit! :)

Jackson and Jerod loved the super slide! Jerod is on the left and Jackson is on the right!



My dad did chin ups at the Marine Corp Challenge!!! He did TEN, THAT'S RIGHT, TEN chin-ups! The crowd was cheering him on!!! Only two other men besides my dad could do ten!!! :) And, the other two men who did ten, were young while my dad is 58!!!!! GO, DAD!!!! We were sooooo proud!!!! :)


Jerod and Jackson having fun!


Jackson cooling off!!! It was sooooo hot!!!!


Jerod and I had a blast on this ride! Jack wouldn't ride it at first 'cause he was afraid it would make him sick! But he rode it the 2nd time around! This is the only ride I ended up riding, but it was totally worth it!!! :) It goes in a circle sooooo fast that everyone to your right ends up squishing you!!!! :) Can ya tell I was enjoying it?!!! LOL!!!!

This is the 2nd time around w/Jackson! I am telling you, my whole right side hurt the next day!!!

Jerod, Jackson and I enjoying ice cream and seeing the famous cow made out of butter! Go, Ohio, #1 Swiss Cheese Maker!!!!! :)

Jerod and Jackson goofing off!

Every great day must eventually come to an end!

But, man, what a fun day!!!! :)

What a great day we all had at the Ohio State Fair! We hadn't been in about three years, so we had a real nice time! My mom and dad joined us and by the afternoon took Jacob home so we could stay and enjoy the big kids! It might sound sad that Jacob had to leave, but he actually wanted to go (it was his idea) and he had more fun being the "only" child w/Gramps and Gramsey! He ended up staying the night w/them and we ended up staying at the fair until eleven!!! Jack and Jerod had a fabulous time and it was sweet watching them! Jerod stayed the night again (this is his third time), but we love him, he is a sweetheart! Today two other boys came over and joined Jack and Jerod, plus I picked up Jacob! Stop and think for a moment (well, some of you have probably experienced it, so you know firsthand), but a house with "FIVE" boys!!!!!! Needless to say, a little wild!!!! But, soooooooo worth it!!!!!! They are all good kids!!!!!!

Fun weekend! Fun friends! Fun family time! Fun food! The list goes on!!!!!!! :)

I just also have to add on a more "serious" note! While at the fair, I ran into two little boys who had down syndrome. I saw them both at separate times! The one little boy was sitting beside me and kept putting his precious little hand on my leg! It was the sweetest thing! He had no idea who I was, but felt comfortable enough to almost lay his head on my shoulder! On top of seeing these two little boys, I also saw a young man who was probably anywhere from 16 to 20 or so! He was mentally handicapped! He stopped and said hi to me! Then, if that weren't enough, I also pass an older gentlemen (60's) and he was mentally handicapped as well. I probably am not making sense right now but, it was just really powerful!!!! It makes ya stop and think!!!! It was like seeing three generations, back to back - the little boys, the teenage boy and the older man! I guess it felt like God wanted me to see them! Like he was talking to me in some way! Does that make sense?! Anyhoo, it felt powerful to me! I wasn't gonna blog about it, but it felt like I was meant to! :) Oh, and also, I met a man (I was taking a break while the kids rode more rides). I got a horrible migraine from being in the sun. I had to take my medicine and take a break and ended up talking to a grandpa (there with his two grandkids). He was also taking a break, but wait till ya hear this!!!!! He had a prosthetic leg!!!!! From just below the knee his leg was gone! I had never seen a "fake" leg up close like that before! We got to talking and he took his leg off and showed it to me and how it worked and all! Plus, I find this amazing, but he had just lost his leg this past March!!!!! Who would think that 5 months later he would be walking at the Ohio State Fair!!!!! Amazing!!!!! I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with him!!!! I guess I am feeling like God sometimes puts people in our lives - if only for a moment - for a reason! Maybe to remind us of something, or maybe, something we need to learn! Or maybe, simply to bring us back to him!!!!

Anyway, I had a great day and so did the kids!!!!! :) And Mark got to go golfing at Foxfire for FREE today on top of it all!!!! Can't beat that!!!!!

More blogging to come!!!!!! :))

Have a good week!!!!!!

Meet The Robinsons

Just have a quick moment to blog, but wanted to send out a "Wha'Sup" to my fellow bloggers!!! LOL! :) First off, I wanted to say "Thank You" to everyone involved in the "Summer Nights for Kidz" at Pickaway Church of Christ! I know a lot of people helped in the planning and did a lot of work to make it nice! And.........I hope you know your efforts paid off!!!! It was a really nice turnout and a really nice time! My boys had a blast! :) Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication and for inviting my family to be a part of it!!!!! :) It was so nice for me to see my fellow bloggers in person!!! LOL!!!
Okay, second of all, has anyone got to see the movie "Meet The Robinsons?" My mom and I took the boys to see it last week (it was one of our mystery trips). I thought the movie was decent (kind of longer than I would like for kids). I don't understand why they make some of these movies soooooo long for children! That discussion is for another day! LOL! Anyway, the movie was decent, but the end was my absolute favorite part!!! The last ten minutes totally captured my attention and brought tears to my eyes!!! Plus, on top of that, they played a "Rob Thomas" song at the end called "Little Wonders." Now I am gonna have to download that song or heck, buy the Rob Thomas CD!!!! :) I am telling you, the song was powerful! I loved it!!!!! Has anyone else heard it? Let me know.
Well, I gotta sign off! Jerod (Jack's cousin) is spending a second night here and we are planning on Alum Creek for tomorrow! Fun, but loooong day! :)
Thanks again for the Friday night fun for the kiddies!!! We truly enjoyed ourselves!!!!! :)

Gracie Girl!!! :)

Just had to post the latest pics I took of our Gracie girl!!!! :) She is walking all over the place and growing up sooooo fast!!!! She is a sweetie!!! :) She looks sooooo much like Heath it isn't funny!

I hope everyone is having a fun summer! It sure is busy, but lots of fun!!! My mom and I have started a thing for my boys called "Mystery Trips!" We surprise them! They know we are going somewhere, but they have "no clue" where that might be! One week it was Chuck E Cheese, one week a movie, one week a cool park, etc....sometimes we even do more than one thing. It is pretty fun!!!! :) We want to continue doing it throughout the year!

My week is going much better than last!!!! Thank you all for your caring words and thoughtfulness! It means a lot to me!!!!

One more thing - did anyone watch the new show on TBS called "Saving Grace?" I taped it, but haven't watched it yet. I just wondered if it was any good or not! Let me know! Holly Hunter stars in it, so I would think it would be good, but ya never know anymore! :)

Take Care and more later!!!!!

Top Ten Things That Bring Me Joy!

This week's top ten was so appropriate for me - you have no idea! :) I am having a bit of a hard week than normal. It is embarrassing to admit, but I have a very hard time dealing w/the start of the school year! And, I was hoping, my OCD and worry about it wouldn't start until, at least, mid-August, but no such luck! It has begun NOW!!!! I wish I didn't get this way! It is a horrible feeling. I worry about things that are really not that important, but my mind sort of twists it into something more! I think I definately don't like school. I didn't like it when I was there and I don't care for it now. My sister reminded me that Jack does like school more than I did. I can't put my finger on it exactly. I can't put it into words to describe. I just get this awful feeling in my mind and the beginning of school seems to bring it on! I am trying to put it all into perspective and realize that it always ends up okay! I usually worry for nothing! I am definately praying for the Lord's guidance and to see me through this. For as ridiculous as it may sound, it really, truly can be life-altering! And...............I don't want to live my life this way! It is not me! I want to have fun! I want to be happy! I want to have joy!!!!! I don't want to worry about silly little things or people, who in the long run, aren't that important to my life! I know who the important people are and they are the ones that should have my attention! My 100% attention!!!! These people are, of course, my family and my friends! I just wish I knew why I get like this. I just think that people can be unthoughtful. People get mad at me for such little insignificant things! I could handle it better if I really did something wrong! But, in my experience, more often than not, I get the silent treatment for doing something dinky! Anyway, I had just had to right it down in the hopes that it might make me feel better! Please say a prayer for me! Thank you soooo much! I don't want my children to have a crazy mother!!! LOL!!! :)
Sooooo, this is why this week's top ten was a good match for me! I need to remind myself of all the joy I have around me! I don't want to miss the joyous things I am surrounded by due to obsessing on some stupid issue! I want to rise above it and realize that I do the best I can and that is all I can do! And, in a nutshell, give any problems or issues I have to God! Let him fight it out for me and show me the way! :)
Thanks for listening!

Top Ten Things That Bring Me Joy!!!!!!!!!!!
1)My Boys! They can be a lot of work, but I wouldn't trade it for the world! I sometimes think I learn more from them than they do me! :)
2)Pictures and Photography! I get such joy from getting and taking pictures! It is especially a good (joyous feeling) when "I" am the one who took the picture that is simply "fabulous!" And it is fun to try new things and get people's reactions! :)
3)Mark! I sometimes forget (we have been married for soooo long) how important a part in my life that he plays! He has a good sense of humor and helps remind me what is and what is not important in life! :)
4)Going to my favorite places (such as the zoo or Schiller Park). I call them my calming places! Seeing nature in its fullness reminds me that God is near! :) I usually take a moment to stop and look around and soak it all in! :)
5)My family and friends! These are the people who make me feel good about myself and they are there for me! :) They truly bring such joy!
6)Blogging! I love it! It is so nice to write my feelings and stories and also to read everybody elses! I look forward to it every day (well, sometimes I check it several times a day)! LOL! :)
7)Helping others! This gives me a good, joyous feeling b/c I know I did something good! And, I have found, that what goes around comes around. This is not why I do it, but I think you do reap the rewards of what you put out there! :)
8)Shopping! Even when I don't spend money I truly enjoy being there! I think I like to be around people! It is amazing how many nice and fun people there are that you meet! I will, more often than not, always talk to, at least, one person every time! I like the atmosphere, too! I enjoy getting out and just walking around! :) Don't laugh at me, but.............I always try and smile and I hope that, maybe, just maybe, I helped someone else who might have been having a bad day themselves! Sometimes a smile is all it takes! :)
9)Watching TV or the movies! It is fun to lose yourself in someone's life! And, some of these TV/movie shows............the people have to go through such hard or funny things................it makes me feel better about myself! LOL! (Even if it is just pretend that I'm watching). :)
10)Trying to focus on the positive! I get joy by getting something accomplished! And, believe me, I am pretty sure I have ADD, so finishing a project or even getting started is a big deal. And it feels soooo good when I complete it also! At this point in time, I have several little projects that need to be worked on. By doing this week's top ten, I am now motivated to start working on them once again! So.............thank you, Emjaye, for that! :)) And this top ten has also helped me focus on the positive things after a hard couple of days! Thank you for that also! :)
Btw, I think I actually kinda slipped in "two" answers on my #10. One is staying positive and two is finishing a project! Oh well. They kind of go together anyway! :))

On a separate note, I taped the movie "The Break-Up" starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston. I had always wanted to see it and never got a chance to. It came on HBO so I taped it and just watched it last week. Let me know if any of my fellow bloggers have seen it?! I must say, I really liked the entire movie...................................except that is, for the end!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What was up w/that???!!! I didn't like the way it ended at all!!!!!!
Cissa Says: Two thumbs up for the movie over all!
Two thumbs down for the ending! I think they could do better than that!!!!!!!!!!

Ten Things That Make Cissa Smile! :)

I just have to say how much I am enjoying these wonderful summer days!!!! I wish they would never end!!! It is absolutely, without a doubt, 100%, my favorite time of year!!!!! I guess it goes without question that this weeks top ten fits in perfectly w/my favorite time of year!!! :) What makes Cissa smile?! I have to warn ya - it doesn't take much!!!! LOL!!! :)
Here goes (in no particular order):

1)Jack and Jake - my boys!!!! Becoming a mother is the best thing I ever did! :)
2)Gracie (my niece)! She is the cutest thing there ever was! :)
3)Pictures! Taking pictures and getting pictures from others (and developing the pics I have taken)! I swear I get a "rush" when it is time to develop them! I don't need drugs 'cause developing pictures gets me high!!! LOL! :)
4) Movies and my TV shows! I have certain TV shows that I just love to watch! And, yeah, I am soooo happy going to the theater! :)
5)Summertime! I feel free and not on a schedule! :)
6)Going to the zoo! I always smile when I am there! :)
7)Seeing a newborn baby! I always smile when I see a new little one! What a precious sight to see! :)
8)A rainbow! It is so rare and beautiful! I always smile when I see one! :)
9)My dad's jokes! He has told them a million times, but they still make me laugh every time! :)
10)Mark! He can make me smile (but, then again, he can also make me frown)! LOL! :)

And, of course, good friends and family are also included! That goes w/out saying! :)
Good night!

Top Ten Chips!

Where have all the bloggers gone???!!! I feel bad 'cause I haven't been blogging as much, either, but I am really missing reading everyone's! :) I just wanted all my blogger buddies to know that I miss ya!!!!! I am looking forward to a time when we are all less busy and can blog more often!!!! :) I hope everybody had a nice holiday week! It comes and goes so quickly anymore! We went to Grange and watched Red, White and Boom from the garage roof! It was a fun time w/some friends and family!!!! We also went to the zoo (again) and had a great time there as well. I know I say it all the time, but I find the zoo to be very calming! I feel good when I am there and enjoy it tremendously!!!! There is always something new to see when we are there. Yesterday was no different! We made friends w/an orangutan!!! He didn't seem to want us to leave (no one else was around except for Mark, the boys and I). When we started to leave, he came running back over and got as close to us as he could! It was too sweet! I, of course, was talking to him as if he were a person! :) Anyway, it was a fun time and the animals were adorable, too! :) We never made it to the Ashville festivities this year! It sounds like it was fun, also, as usual!!! I missed the fish fry and those yummy fair french fries they always have!!!! I guess that means I am gonna have to go to the OSU fair this year in order to get some!!! We don't always make it to that, either! I would like to try and go this year, if we can! :)

Okay, now, on to my top ten for the week! Chips!!!!!!!!! Yumm-ooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1)FunYuns (they are smelly, but, oh, so gooood)!

2)Cool Ranch Doritos (smelly, also, but I love 'em)!

3)Mini Rice Cakes (Quakes) - Ranch or Cheddar Cheese! Regular rice cakes, I do not like, but these mini ones are pretty good!

4)Cheetos - I have to be in the mood for them!

5)Baked Lays - Cheddar Cheese

6)Salt & Vinegar Lays

7)Chex-Mix - Cheddar (I eat the other flavors, too)!

8)Cheese Puffs (I have to be in the mood for these, also)!

9)Pretzels (Kroger Twists)!

10)Gardettos Pretzels (Deli-Style Mustard)

Wow! I actually thought of ten!!!! WooHoo! I counted pretzels b/c they are usually in the chip section and I truly eat pretzels more often than chips anyway! :)

This was a fun list to do!!!! :)

Enjoy the pics from our zoo trip!!!!! :)

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

Jackson Tyler and Jacob Collin

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July!!!! Have a safe and fun holiday week!!!! :)

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! :)