Happy Halloween

Halloween is one of my most favorite times of the year. I love getting all dressed up and going out to parties or trick-or-treating. I love the goodies, I love the costumes, I love the decorations, and I even love the television specials.

Here are a few links of fun things for Halloween:

My YouTube Channel

Here is a sample playlist from my YouTube channel for Halloween:

Happy Halloween

One of the games I like to play around Halloween is the M&M game online. It is a pretty fun game with spooky music that gets you thinking creative. Here is the link:

The M&M Game

For those of you who like to be a little more interactive in their games I found a fun little Zombie game called Plants vs. Zombies:

Plants VS Zombies

For those who don’t like the scary stuff, a dress up game might be fun for you:

Halloween Dress Up

Here is a place you can go to find recipes, crafts, and printables:

http://familyfun.go.com/

For all of you crafty people out there, here is a link for pumpkin carving and decorating ideas:

http://www.marthastewart.com/276965/halloween

And here are some pumpkin carving templates:

http://www.hgtv.com/topics/halloween/index.html

Here is one more link for recipes, crafts and costumes:

http://www.amazingmoms.com/holidays-seasons/halloween/

I hope you all have a Happy, Safe, and Fun Halloween!

Happy New Year

It is the beginning of a new decade, the year 2010. Wow, it came so fast. Remember when it was the year of the new millenium? That seems like ages ago. I can't believe how fast time has gone.

I brought in the new year with a bad cold. I'm actually still sick and wasn't able to party at all; sad, but true. However, I had a great Christmas and had so much fun that it makes up for me missing my New Years Eve party.

With every new year comes New Year Resolutions. Well, I like to call them goals. I don't like the idea that from day one I'm going to try to flawlessly accomplish something and if I trip up then I'm done, I've failed my new years resolution. Um, no thanks. I like the idea of try, try, and try again. If I mess up, brush myself off and keep trying. I also like the idea of a goal picture collage. I don't have one yet this year, but will post it when I do. In the meantime, here are a few of my goals:

 To maintain a clean, fresh, and healthy mind. How?

• Write In My Journal Every Day

 To maintain a clean, fresh, and healthy body. How?

• Drink 64oz of H2O each day, 16oz of water before each meal.
• Exercise every day implementing cardio, weights, and stretching
• Eat healthy, well proportioned meals
• Awarding myself for exercising with TV, Video Games, or free time.

 To maintain a healthy and successful writing career. How?

• Read for at least an hour each day
• Write for at least an hour each day
• Practice vocabulary and grammar rules each day
• To keep notes of all my ideas

These are just a few of the goals that I am setting and working towards for the year 2010.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Christmas Entertainment Continued

While sharing my youtube channel with my family, I noticed that the play all feature is not working.  I hope these links will correct any problems if you have experienced any.

CHRISTMAS CARTOON CLASSICS

CHRISTMAS CARTOON RETRO

CHRISTMAS CARTOONS

WINTER

CHRISTMAS CARTOON ANTIQUES

CHRISTMAS COMMERCIALS

CHRISTMAS STORYTIME

CHRISTMAS MUSIC

Christmas Entertainment

Every year around this time I love to turn the lights down low, turn the christmas tree lights on, and cuddle up with a soft, warm, fuzzy blanket while watching a good Christmas special. 

Well, nothing has changed, I still like it.  I thought I'd share some good links for you to some great sites that will allow you to either watch those Christmas specials online or inform you of when all the Christmas shows are appearing on the good old fashioned television.

101 Classic Christmas videos

My Holiday Youtube Channel

2009 Christmas TV Schedule

2009 Color Coded Christmas TV Schedule

Merry Christmas with Cartoon Network TV Schedule

Christmas Television Specials List (USA, Canada, UK, etc.)

Holiday Specials List

Ok.  Well, I hope you enjoy :)

Thanksgiving Fun

So I thought I would compile a page of fun activities that I like to do on Thanksgiving.

I love reading the comics in the paper: Peanuts and Garfield are my favorites, but I couldn't find embeds for them, so here are some other goodies:














I love crossword puzzles and other similar fun word games:

http://holidays.kaboose.com/thanksgiving/thanks-word.html

http://www.mahalo.com/thanksgiving-crossword-puzzles

http://www.theholidayspot.com/thanksgiving/activities/crossword/

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/thanksgiving/wordsearch/index.htm

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/thanksgiving/wordfinds/thanksgiving-challenge.html

http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/game.htm




I also love to watch a good movie or television special on Thanksgiving:



























I also like to read a good book:

http://www.ipl.org/div/subject/browse/hum60.60.00/%3C/


http://books.google.com/books%3C/

http://www.readprint.com/%3C/

http://educhoices.org/articles/Online_Libraries_-_25_Places_to_Read_Free_Books_Online.html%3C/

http://www.childrensbooksonline.org/%3C/

http://classicbook.info/

Yea, so pictured a more fun interactive page, but I think this one still does the job.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

Time to Give Thanks

I was going to individually thank everyone for all the big and little things they have done for me throughout my life. That seriously was taking forever, and I wasn't even a quarter of the way done when I decided that I needed to take a different approach. Just try to picture your own name in this message, because in a year or so I probably would have been done with an individual thanks for everyone.





I wanted to thank my family whom I love with all my heart for loving me unconditionally. Thank you for teaching me responsibility, love, integrity, and unity. I love each and every one of you, my sisters, my brothers, my mom and dad, my Grandmas and Grandpas, my cousins, my Aunts and Uncles; thank you all of you.





I wanted to thak my friends whom I love. Thank you for being a shoulder to cry on. Thank you for your companionship. Thank you for helping me see the best side of myself. Thank you for not giving up on me, even when I should have called or written. Thank you for understanding me. Thank you for all the time you have given to build and keep our friendship alive. Thank you for your strength, your courage, your honesty, your wisdom. Thank you for being a friend.





I also wanted to thank my teachers. I have had many wonderful teachers, whether it be from school, church, or the walk of life. Thank you Grandpa for teaching me your wisdom. Thank you Grandma for teaching your love. Thankyou teacher for teaching me a formal education. Thank you teacher for teaching me values. Thank you teacher for helping me build my future. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for investing your time in me. Thank you for helping me get my Associates degree. Than You for leading and guiding me.

Thank you all for walking beside me and helping me find my way.

I love you all, and as you can see, this thanksgiving I am thankful for you.

Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween everyone! What an awesome year. I had so much fun, I wish I could do it again this weekend.

Saturday I was able to take the day off from working so that I could enjoy the festivities of Halloween; I love Halloween!!!

I dressed up like Mrs. White from Clue...You know:

I was able to experience my nieces very first trick-or-treating, we had a blast, and scored big.  Lots and lots of candy.  Everyone on her block seemed to be a Halloween humbug, so we scouted out the best neighborhoods and chose our spot by how decorated every house was.  We did good!

It was an awesome Halloween, I felt like a kid.

Saint Valentine: A Martyr for Marriage

There is a legend that I like to think of on Valentines Day. Forget the modern day holiday that is meant for romance and courting, this legend is about uniting a love that is deeper than crushes and lust.

During the third Century when the Emperor Claudius II reigned, a terrible law came into effect that put marriage on the path to extinction. Claudius outlawed marriage with the belief that his married soldiers were weak because of love; with their families back home they would often be homesick and half hearted while out on the battle field. To create a stronger army, he passed a law that prohibited young men from getting married. By doing this he would have his pick of soldiers with their hearts dedicated to their work, ceasing any worries of their loved ones back home; a strong heartless army.

There was a priest who disagreed with Claudius and began to secretly fight the outlawing of marriage. Soon after marriage became illegal, Valentine risked his life by meeting young lovers in secret to marry them, keeping the sanctity of marriage alive.

When Claudius discovered Valentine’s treasonous act, he had him arrested and sentenced him to death. While Valentine was in his prison cell, young couples that he’d married slipped him notes through the bars of his cell thanking him for his brave acts. It is said that while in his cell, Valentine fell in love with the Jailer’s daughter. The night before he was put to death he wrote her a letter and signed it “from your Valentine.” A saying that is now used every Valentines Day.

There are other legends that portray Saint Valentine a hero to the Christians not only for assisting in keeping marriage alive, but assisting Christians to escape Roman prisons where they were being beaten and tortured.
These acts of bravery and love should be remembered each Valentines Day. Valentine became a hero to love, families, and marriage.

So, where did the idea to give Valentine Cards come from?

Some suggest that Valentine’s letter to the jailer’s daughter started the tradition. While this may be true, the oldest existing valentine today is found to be a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife after being captured in the Battle of Agincourt. He wrote it while he was locked away in the Tower of London in the year 1415. It can now be found at the British Library in London, England.

It wasn’t until the 17th Century that Valentines Day became popularly celebrated in Great Britain and America. By the 18th century it was common to exchange hand written notes or small gifts of affection. Printed cards began to replace the hand written notes by the end of the 18th Century.

Esther A. Howland became the first to sell mass-produced Valentines in America in 1840.

When people hear Valentines Day they don’t think about family and marriage, instead they think of romance, chocolate, flowers and cards. It is unfortunate to the man who gave his life to keep families and marriage alive, that no one today celebrates this day in his honor, but instead believe this holiday was invented by the “card companies.”

Now that you know about Saint Valentine, maybe Valentines Day to you like it has for me will become more of a family celebrated holiday than a quest for romance and candy.

Happy New Year!

Chris and I spent New Years Eve at the beach this year; his mom and aunts rented a beach house at Gleneden Beach. It was so cool and so much fun!


The first night we arrived everyone was snuggled up in a warm blanket watching the movie "Quigley Down Under" with Tom Selleck.



After the movie we played the funnest game! If you haven't played "Taboo" yet, you have to give it a try! It was so fun to laugh at myself and try to think of words to get people to guess the word I had drawn. It was fun to watch others struggle just as I had done and laugh at themselves as well.





We all had alot of fun with a puzzle Chris and I had brought, I think it was the most popular entertainment.



I did alot of reading and relaxing while I was there. I am almost done with Stephenie Meyer's fourth book in the "Twilight" series: "Breaking Dawn." EEEEEE!




We all enjoyed watching "The Sound of Music" starring Julie Andrews, before I went and took a much needed nap to be able to stay up for the New Year. It was the first time Chris claims to have seen it; impossible...hmmmm, maybe not.

I was torn about taking my nap, because everyone gathered to play my very favorite game "Cranium". It is such a fun game. I found myself lying in the dark room with my eyes closed whispering or singing softly the answers to the questions being read. I couldn't resist, even when trying to take a nap.

At a quarter to nine, chris ran into the room I was taking my nap and had me get up to celebrate the new year with New York. What a fun idea! We all toasted and wished eachother a Happy New Year. Chris and I had a New York New Years Kiss, lol.

At exactly nine a fantastic and unexpected fireworks display started just down the beach from our house. It was a wonderful performance.

Chris and I left shortly after that and drove home. We made it home right at the stroke of twelve our time. We were happy to be home with our girls, Tenshi and Koko, who we always miss when we leave home. It was nice to be able to wish them a Happy New Year and they seemed very excited to see us.

Happy New Year Everyone!