Queenies Little Kingdom

I have been dying to go to this conference! It is the JACKPOT of conferences! BlogHer 09 is going to be held in Chicago this summer (July 24-25). Anybody who is anybody……is going to be there! I need to meet these people! So, here’s my flippin sweet entry to win a trip there! Wish me luck, ya’ll!

What have been the rewards and benefits of participating in the blogging community?

Great question, Mabel’s Labels! I have been a closet writer for years. In my heart, I have a dream to write a good book! Maybe someday, I will! My husband introduced me to the idea of blogging more than a year ago. At the time…I was clueless. I would shoot him down and change the subject. By April of 08, I was on my way into the blogosphere! Baby, I’ve never looked back!

Blogging has helped me “find my voice”. Which isn’t easy to do. I like writing about my family and about my faith. Blogging has allowed me to do both and invite reader’s into my world because of it. Now that’s a pretty sweet perk.

Blogging has helped me “find new and exciting friends”. Wow, what a great connection maker. There are so many wonderful people out there, blogging! I have grown as a person, mom, wife and blogger because of the great and brilliant bloggers out there.

Blogging has helped me “find the confidence to shoot for my dream”. That book idea? Doesn’t scare me as much anymore thanks to blogging. I can write daily and the feedback I receive blows my mind! And it encourages me to go farther. I heart you blogging!

Blogging has helped me “get stuff”. I have received so many things through blogging. Prizes, books to review, ideas for home, marriage helps, clothing, and so much more. Who wouldn’t find that beneficial?

I’ve influenced other friend’s to start blogs. All because of my love affair with blogging. It’s one of the best mom networks out there. I hope to keep on blogging for a long time. 🙂

For more information about this rockin contest….please go here to Mabel’s Labels and find out.

I am in love with giveaway’s….of course! Who isn’t, right? I have won some great things lately. Yesterday I won a book from Tim Challies blog. This morning I was notified that I won $25 to spend at Homestead Originals (yay, candles…yum!!). Thank you, Momma and More! So, it’s the least I can do to share some hot happening giveaway’s going on out there. Enjoy my sweet bloggy friends! I hope you win something wonderful!

THE cutest chicBuds ever! Over at Seeryus Mama’s blog. Ends 2/11

You’re gonna love this one! A flip camera!!!! Yes, IT’S AWESOME!! Over at Craftymama of 4! Ends 2/15

Who doesn’t need a beauty fix? Here’s your chance to win one! Go to Bionic Beauty and enter now! Ends 2/20

If you are a lady with a purse…then you must enter this contest! It’s a FUMI! It’s over at A Little Bliss! Ends 2/13

Who wants to look skinny??? Go here….and enter to win the Slim-perfect giveaway. Wow! Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls has more stuff to look at too. Ends 2/14

I love pHisoderm….like mad. This giveaway is for Baby pHisoderm. Woohoo! Love it! Her blog is so cute too. Ends 2/14 NOTE: this is two contests…two prizes. Click both to enter.

Oh to live in luxury! This giveaway….Bedroom Bliss is definitely luxurious! Hurry over to SITS and enter. Ends ?? Not sure!

Win a trip to Blogher 09 in Chicago this summer! Yes, you heard me. Go see Mabel’s Labels and she’ll tell you how to enter. Goodluck! I hope to go myself! Winning would surely be the cat’s meow! Ends 2/9 HURRY!
I’ll be posting a bit about this conference tomorrow. I really need a ticket….so I have to enter ya’ll!

That’s plenty to keep you busy. I wish you some serious good luck! If you win…let me know. I love to see good things happen to people. God bless you this week. I pray it’s a great one! Our snow is finally melting! Yeehaw!

I’ve always been the skinny girl….till lately. This last few years have weighed on me in more ways than one. The stress of ministry life, being a busy mom and wife and that perimenopausal monster stage that I’ve been stuck in for almost 2 years have nearly done me in. It’s been a wingdinger, ya’ll! There have been times….that I’ve thought surely I’m losing my mind! Hormones are the devil! And I’ve had them so strong I’m convinced the dudes are wearing capes! It’s bothered me to watch my body change, it’s just not the same. I’ve been on a quest to make it as healthy as I possibly can without killing myself. Let me tell you about today.

My good pal Valerie (first off…this chick is the original “brick house”….oh and she’s a PE teacher at my school) blessed me with a VIP pass to a local gym here in town for this month. We’ve planned and cancelled several work-out sessions over the last few weeks. The snow is a big hinderance on getting to go and DO THINGS!! Anyway, yesterday I was hoping to just go up to the gym by myself and do a little treadmill work…you know….get some blood flowing in these here limbs. I put on an exercise top and pants then a t-shirt over it. By 10pm last night…I still hadn’t gone to the gym. So I confess to hubby that I am doing this in bite-size steps. I wore the work-out clothes today…tomorrow….I might actually go do the work-out. 🙂 Oh why get crazy huh?

Today, Valerie and I head to the gym. I should have known there was a problem when she says…I’ll be back, I need to go change. Remember, she’s a PE teacher…SHE’S WEARING GYM CLOTHES!?!! She comes out ready to hop in the fight ring. She’s decked out in her butt-kicking gear…..me, in the fatso warm-up pants and Panama City Beach t-shirt from summer 2006. I remain cool…until she whips out this multiple paged work-out regimen. I’m not calling her Valerie ANYMORE….from here on out….it’s KILLAH! Have you ever heard of a “jump squat”? Yea, me either. This must be what those hot-bodied celebs are doing….cause I can’t hardly feel anything from the waist down. I’m a hurtin, ya’ll! I’m not even going into detail on her push-up system. I’ll just say, did you know you can walk on all fours side to side all while doing a push-up? I was waiting on her to ask me to hop on her back for a little challenge! The girl is amazing! Or a psycho!

If I wake up tomorrow and can actually walk, I’ll be happy. At this moment, my feet feel just like they have bricks tied to the bottoms and my legs are wobbly like jello. Will this ever pass? I’m afraid I might need some medical attention. I can’t quit …..I want to fit into my clothes again. Besides I want to look good and feel good too. I have to climb stairs at school tomorrow and I’m a little worried how I’m going to do it. I might just take the elevator. I’m determined to get fit. If it kills me! So if you read my name in the obit’s in the next few weeks…..it was Valerie, aka KILLAH! Turn her in! And don’t take any VIP cards from her…she’s crazy!

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (New International Version)
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

Everybody wants to fit in, right? We feel that way our entire lives. From the time we are little munchkins….most of us are trying to get accepted. By peers, parents, siblings….anyone. We know somehow that being accepted means we’re worth something. We’re of value. But that’s not really where we get our value from, is it? Those of us who are born again saved Christians know…..our worth is from Christ. People don’t make or unmake us valuable. That’s a lesson in itself. I have felt “less than” myself at the hands of other’s. Something that I feel passionate about……not doing to anyone, ever! I really want to make other’s feel important and valued by me.

Today….my baby, that Sweetboy I love so much got accepted! It was exciting to see his name and then beside it “Congratulations” you’ve been admitted to Indiana University! I can’t explain it. I’m thrilled for him. But I have this lump in my throat that only another mama might understand. I feel sad too. It’s been wonderful being his mom. I can’t find anything about him I don’t love. Even the messy stuff! He’s a wonderful person…..and an amazing young man. I’m starting to feel the “realness” of the time we’re facing. Graduation is June 6th! It will be here in a flash of time. I say that because I’ve just lived through twelve of the fastest years of my life. How can 4 1/2 months not fly by?

Don’t let me sound too sappy here…..I’m just a mom that’s having to watch her first-born babe leave the nest! It’s hard, ya’ll. Letting go is not in me…..I’m hooked! Ally asked me the other day how mom’s give up so much for their kids? Are women especially equipped or something? The only answer I could come up with is yes. I told her, something happens……once you have a baby, God takes away most of your selfishness. You start to think of someone besides YOURSELF! Then I remembered how I was as a teen. It was all about me. But now……I’d walk through a burning building for my kids. I love them that much!

I’m going to celebrate my sweetboy and his accomplishments! How exciting it is to “get accepted”! This is a big deal! He has great goals set for himself and he’s going to need all the support from home he can get. I can’t wait to cheer him on in his next phase of life. IU Bloomington isn’t too far away either. We can be there in an hour and a half. Now….it’s time to focus on how to pay for it all. Hmmmm! Pre-med, YIKES!

GAVIN…….WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!! GO I U !!!!You’ve always been a happy kid….and your smile proves that. I love being around you….you’re magnetic! I hope your future is even greater than the first 18 years of your life. You deserve it! God bless you, son!

I couldn’t believe it when Michael Phelps won the gold….over and over (he won a record of 8 gold medals) during the 2008 Olympic Games. I sat amazed, like most of the world at his incredible victories. It was a very exciting time for Americans! I felt so proud for him. What a great accomplishment. This would put Michael Phelps in the record books as being a 14 time gold medal winner. WOW!

I sat again in disbelief as I watched the news during dinner tonight. I’m behind on the “happenings” usually. I don’t watch very much tv. On Foxnews, the story was Michael Phelps pictured smoking pot!?! Huh? What in the world? Oh man! No way! What a total let-down! After doing a little reading on the superstar athlete, I found this wasn’t his first brush with a crime. He was arrested in 2004 at the age of 19 (ahem!) for drunk driving! Hello? Is anybody listening? This kid is not ok. He’s 23! What’s ahead?

I can’t help but feel disappointed. I’m a mom. I’ve worked daily to instill positive behavior into my kid’s lives. They’re teenagers….and people influence them. We all influence someone. It’s just how it goes. I’m angry that he would be so STUPID as to do this kind of thing. Obviously it’s in his lifestyle. He seems to have party type habits. I can’t help but think of all the times he wasn’t caught. Or why would he do this type of thing to his body? He’s making gazillions because of his physical abilities. What a dummy! What a sad fact that he is influencing young people all over this world to “PARTAY”!!!! Oh….and please…..don’t tell me he’s not. Read around. You’ll find witnesses describing him looking quite at home with the bong in South Carolina. Sad!

I’ve experienced let-down before over sin in someone’s life. This isn’t my first time. It just reminds me how we so easily put people on a pedestal. We put our faith in people….when we really need to focus in on God and follow only Him. If you’re a parent….and you’re hearing these stories about famous people doing crazy things, talk about it with your kids. Point out, mistakes….and regret. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone usually regrets them. Be sure you are teaching your kids WHO to follow. His name isn’t Michael Phelps…it’s JESUS! While it isn’t our job to beat up on Michael Phelps……it is our job to pray for him. I challenge you to do just that.

Galatians 5:4  “You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.”

When I was growing up my family never watched sports on tv. Except the Olympics, of course. By the time I reached high school though…..I never missed a Super Bowl game. It’s the day football fans eagerly await after that last playoff game is played….THE SUPER BOWL! This year, I’m sad. My sweet Colts won’t be there, neither will little brother Eli with his Giants. But, I’m not gonna let it spoil my fun for the game to be played tonight. I’ll be yelling and jumping up and down (this is really how I act, ya’ll) all during this game. Who will I be cheering for you ask? ARIZONA CARDINALS!!! Of course!

So….if you’re one of the only people in the entire country on this computer instead of screaming and eating in front of the football game! Get to it! Go watch some football! It’ll do you good!
Oh and good news to fans in my county……we’ve already gotten a call for 2 hour delay for school in the morning. Woohoo! I can stay up and watch ….GUILT FREE! It’s been a rough time being out of school all last week thanks to that killer snow and ice. I’ll need that extra rest time in the morning. heehee!

Here’s a little Card love by the Golden Cousins! These guys are believers! GO CARDS!