Apostles' Creed...Amanda's Creed...

Book of Common Prayer [16][17][18]




I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth:
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried:
He descended into hell;
The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
The holy Catholic Church;
The Communion of Saints;
The Forgiveness of sins;
The Resurrection of the body,
And the Life everlasting.
Amen.



My mother grew up Baptist. My father grew up Presbyterian. I grew up Presbyterian. After my parents got married, my mother's folks came up from Tuscaloosa to visit one weekend. The Presbyterian (USA) Church recites the Apostles' Creed every Sunday. My Baptist grandmother nearly had a coronary when she heard my mother state that she believes in the holy Catholic Church.

Some people sing in the shower; I tend to recite the Apostles' Creed. Maybe it is because it is the only time I am alone for an extended period of time. I find that I can pray a more meaningful prayer when I am in the shower. I also flesh out the rest of my personal creed. Such as:

I believe one person can make a difference.
I believe in true love.
I believe in helping others.
I believe Sam Walton sold his soul to the devil. (that one is a joke)
I believe pain is necessary.
I believe my life is no more important than yours.
I believe I have a purpose.



Challenge: If you could write your own creed, what would it say?

Trivia Question of the Day...

Last night, I met my sister and her husband at the Limestone Tavern for Tavern Trivia. It was super fun! Our table won! Lots of prizes were given out, and Tommy Smith bought a round of drinks for everyone. If you like Trivial Pursuit or Jeopardy, then you would love Tavern Trivia night. It's every Wednesday.

Yes, I Deleted It...

Due to overwhelming concern that I came across as a nut-job, I deleted my post from earlier today.

My Newest Favorite...

Another exciting post about my favorite things! My newest favorite has to be Mary Kay's tinted lip balm. Dana recently sold me a couple of tubes. I am already in love with it! If you already use Mary Kay, this is a must have for the summer. If you don't use Mary Kay, give my rep Dana a call. She is excellent and very helpful. My favorite thing about using Mary Kay is that when I need to place an order, I have a variety of methods to do it. I can go to Dana's website, text her, call her, or email her. Then, the next day, the products I need miraculously show up at my office.

On the Farm Again...

The nuggets wanted to go to the farm, so we took them. They love it there!!! Hadley drives the RTV, Layton runs until he can't go anymore, and Ella hides in the shade.





The white, green, and brick church you can see in this photo is across from the farm house. Jay's great grandfather made this church a reality by donating some of his land in order to build it.

You can tell how hot Layton is in this picture. His face is all red! He had so much fun. I asked him what he was going to do at the farm. He told me, "My gonna run." Yes, he still uses the word My instead of I.

Hadley couldn't wait to get on the RTV. She will stay in that thing forever! Between the RTV and Harry Potter books, I felt like I didn't see her all day!

She even took her brother for a ride.

That is the rusty barn. I don't go in there much.

The rest of the family doesn't mind heading into the barn though.

Happy Birthday Jimella...

Last Friday, we went to the Village Pizza for Jim's birthday. It was a blast!....until I got sick. Some chose to bring their children. Davis sat next to me. He is such a cutie. I tried to get a good picture of him, but he wasn't having any of it! I never got a good shot of the birthday boy either. The next time we go out I will be sure to get several good pictures.

FTC Plans to Monitor Blogs....

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090621/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_bloggers_freebie_disclosures



If you or someone you know receives freebies or compensation for their blog, please read this article.

Obviously, I have nothing to worry about, but many of you do receive an income from your blog.

The Last Supper...

On Friday, I took the nuggets (mine and KK's) to Red Robin to eat. They are very "allergy-friendly, " so I like taking Ella there. This post is entitled "The Last Supper" because this was the last time I ate a meal without complications. Let's put it this way....I had a ton of things to do this weekend, but none of it got done because I was stricken ill Friday night. We had to leave a party because it happened so fast. Why don't I ever have Phenergan when I need it?

Does Anyone Remember This?...

We've Got Spirit...Yes We Do...

This afternoon, I was fortunate enough to eat lunch with Trisha Black. She is the Project Director for the Spirit of Athens organization I mentioned a while back. We ate at a fabulous downtown restaurant...Luvici's.

The food was wonderful. I had the coconut cake for dessert. Wow! It was so good that I almost licked the plate!

Dinner with the Hubs...

Last night, I met the hubs for dinner after my continuing education class. We ate at Shogun. I enjoy the show and the food. I could eat my way out of a vat of that rice! My fortune (which I could not get a decent picture of due to its size) stated....Don't let friends impose on you. Work calmly and silently. For a self proclaimed enabler, that fortune seems perfect!

I Know I am Biased....

They are so cute! Hadley didn't want to play outside last night. She stayed inside reading a Harry Potter book.

I attended a continuing professional education class yesterday. I have to be honest. Spending hours listening to someone talk about changes to individual income tax returns is not real exciting. There were several interesting topics though. The "First Time Home Buyer Credit" was a hot topic. Our office hasn't had anyone take advantage of this credit yet. For calendar year 2009, the credit does not have to be repaid. This is an $8,000 refundable credit! Seriously, they should have one for third time home buyers.

After a day of tax updates, it was nice to go outside and watch the little ones play for a bit. Yes, Ella is playing in her pajamas. She loves to wear pajamas....all the time.

That Face....

To Stalk...

–verb (used without object)
1.
to pursue or approach prey, quarry, etc., stealthily.
2.
to walk with measured, stiff, or haughty strides: He was so angry he stalked away without saying goodbye.
3.
to proceed in a steady, deliberate, or sinister manner: Famine stalked through the nation.
4.
Obsolete. to walk or go stealthily along.
–verb (used with object)
5.
to pursue (game, a person, etc.) stealthily.
6.
to proceed through (an area) in search of prey or quarry: to stalk the woods for game.
7.
to proceed or spread through in a steady or sinister manner: Disease stalked the land.
–noun
8.
an act or course of stalking quarry, prey, or the like: We shot the mountain goat after a five-hour stalk.
9.
a slow, stiff stride or gait.
Origin: 1250–1300; ME stalken (v.), repr. the base of OE bestealcian to move stealthily, stealcung stalking (ger.); akin to steal Related forms:
stalk⋅a⋅ble, adjective
stalker, noun
stalk⋅ing⋅ly, adverb







I decided to post this definition because I believe I have become a stalker. I am not the kind of stalker that sits outside of houses waiting for another glimpse of my prey. I am the cyber-blog-stalker. There are a number of blogs that I check everyday to see if there are any updates or new posts. Most of the blogs I check are not people I know. People that I have never met and will never meet give me small glimpses inside their daily activities. I have become an admirer of MckMama...from afar of course. I have prayed for Kayleigh...from afar of course. I even got duped by "B"...from afar of course. I have watched Brayden and Harper grow...from afar. My heart has ached for the Macs...from afar. Do you think it concerns them that people all across the country are stalking their blogs? Seriously, do you ever wonder if Angie wakes up in the night terrified that a crazed blog stalker is outside her house? The more I type, the more I feel like I might have a blogging addiction. Is there a 12 step program for blog addicts?



"Hi, my name is Amanda, and I am a blogaholic."



Do I have to track down all the blogs I left negative comments on and apologize? I openly admit I have only left one negative comment on a woman's site who declared that parents whose children have food allergies are bad parents. She was a little strange for me; I haven't stalked her since.



I decided to take a little test to see if I need professional help. My results were:



You are 1% Stalker!

You aren't a stalker by any stretch. You don't even seem to have much of an interest in anything. Do you even have a pulse?





The quiz was silly, but it did make it clear that checking blogs every day is not even remotely close to actually stalking someone. Yes, I have made light of this. I am mocking myself for loving blogs. There is a serious side to this though. There are some predators who use blogs to track down vulnerable people to victimize. Clearly, I am not an actual threat to anyone. After doing a little research into the cyberstalker, I have determined that I probably have committed a cardinal sin of blogging. I have given too many personal details to the world. Anyone who wants to find me has the ability to do so. I ask you this....how does one blog without pausing to consider "What have I done?"

Ella and the Chop...

Ella and Layton are like peas and carrots most of the time. They enjoy playing together. Sometimes, Layton gets a little too rough for Ella. They adore spending time together though.

Weekend Activities...

Over the weekend, Ella got another pedicure. You can tell from the picture that she is loving every minute of it.

Layton made some more faces for the camera.

We went to Outback Steakhouse.

Wow. We are so much fun. (Read that last bit in your best Ben Stein voice).

Mmmmm...Spicy...

Friday, my family went to Maria Bonita to eat. Maria Bonita is a quaint restaurant in downtown Athens. Having eaten there before with little success, I was skeptical to try it again. I was thrilled this evening. The service was fabulous and the food was excellent. After we ate, we walked about downtown and took a few photographs. Have I mentioned that Layton is obsessed with making crazy faces for pictures? I think the one of him sitting in front of the Confederate memorial is hilarious! Also, notice how girly Ella looks. She is sporting her Vera Bradley purse which was also purchased in downtown Athens at Trinity's Gifts and Interiors (formerly Grayson Scott Interiors).

Belles and Beaus...

Recently, some young women I know took a huge step. They opened their own business! It's bound to have been a huge undertaking, but Lacy and Kate have handled it with grace. I have been in several times already. They have tons and tons of cute stuff!! In fact, I purchased something that has me squealing with glee! I'll let you guess what it is. I am planning a post about this item for next week. If you are in downtown Athens, make sure to stop by Belles and Beaus. You will not be disappointed!

Dinner with the Family...

We recently ate dinner at the Village Pizza. It is a great pizza parlor located in downtown Athens. The owners are friendly and keep the atmosphere casual. They serve excellent bread sticks, grinders, and paninis. I don't even know how to spell that. The BLT is to die for!!! Ella insisted I make her picture with the flowers out front. I have no idea why Layton is making that silly face while sitting on a bench. He likes to pose and make silly faces right now. I suppose it is just a phase.

Don't They Ever Get Tired of Being Cute?...

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun...

Last night, some ladies I know had a girls' night! We went to the Limestone Tavern for drinks, song, dance, food, and FUN! These were some of the snapshots I took. Lacy has some on her blog too!

The Tavern is having its own version of American Idol for the next several weeks. There is a $500 prize for the winner. Vote for Lacy! :)

More later......

Hadley...Nuff Said...

Plugging a Cyber Contest....

So, I have never done this before, but I'm gonna do it now. One of the blogs I stalk is having a contest. Mommiedaze is giving away a product from Bags by Annie. I love to wear an apron while I'm cooking and cleaning. I probably don't wear an apron often enough...as evidenced by the splashes of grease, bleach, and other food items all over my clothes. I only have one apron at home. There are a number of vintage inspired aprons made by Annie. They remind me so much of the ones my grandmother used to wear when she was teaching me how to make various treats. I couldn't resist blogging about it; I think I am going to have to get one of those aprons. My grandmother will be so proud! :)

Name This Blog...

Greetings my followers! I need an actual name for my blog instead of just random titles that are changed from time to time. Suggestions? You are all invited to help give it a name!

Blurry Photos I Told Steve I Would Put on the Blog...