Day 26 through Day 30

Day 26 – A photo of somewhere you’ve been to. When I was 16 I had the opportunity to do an exchange in Germany. We traveled all over the country including Austria & Switzerland. I was able to have extended stays with two families, one in Berlin and one in Wiesbaden. While there I saw enough castles and cathedrals to last my whole life and then some. Serious. Remember those overalls that I talked about in yesterday's post?? I'm wearing them in the above pic!! Tee Hee!

Day 27 – A picture of you last year and now and how have you changed since then?

It's obvious the biggest change is that I'm not pregnant anymore...lol. OH and my hair is quite a bit longer. I'm debating cutting it short like this again. Hmmmmmm?!?!?!

Day 28 – Your favorite movie.

50 First Dates

Doubt

Annie

Nottinghill

Day 29 – Something you could never get tired of doing.
Singing

Day 30 – A photograph of yourself today + three good things and three bad things that have happened in the past 30 days

Me & my baby boys

1.21.11

1. Awesome: I got a gym membership so now I can start working out....

Sad: I haven't used it yet.

2. Awesome: Elise was baptized on January 8, 2011
Sad: I didn't get any pictures

3. Awesome: I got 2 new cardigans and a top that I'm in love with.
Sad: The store that I got them from is closing down :(

Day 21 through Day 25

Day 21 –

A photo of something that makes you happy.

Day 22 –

A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.

Dear Chocolate.

You're hurting my girlish figure.

Stop being so deliciously tempting.

Love Always

(and forever)

Alida

Day 23 –

15 facts about you.

1. My favorite colors are purple & green. I like bright greens.

Think: chartreuse/lime green/candy apple green

2. I'm a HUGE procrastinator

3. I really enjoy reading

4. I hate being tickled

5. I enjoy watching iCarly and Phineas & Ferb,

just as much as my kids do!

6. I have a pair of overalls in my closet that I wore in highschool. I keep thinking one day they will come back in style and then I can pass them on to my daughters! Bahahahahaha!

7. I really love Italian food.

8. I have this pair of sweats I wear on days that I don't want to get dressed. They are so comfy and probably my favorite "outfit" although I would never be caught dead in them.

9. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

10. I love pizza with chicken, spinach and white sauce.

11. I'm a closeted blog/facebook stalker.

12. I have been dyeing my hair since I was 13. I don't know what my natural hair color is. Black, Dark Brown....wo, maybe I'm a blonde.

13. I went to college and was edjumicated in Legal Studies. That means I can be a paralegal, which I was for 6 years. Now I just BRIEFly PLEAD with my children.

(I crack myself up...get it Briefs and Pleadings....hahahahahaha...what you didn't get it?)

14. I only think I'm funny.

15. I overuse '.....' and parenthesis....(like now)....see I told you

Day 24 –

A photo of something that means a lot to you.

The Pena Family

Circa 1981

Mommy, Daddy, Eddie, Me, Ernie, & Eric

Day 25 –

What’s in your purse?

Purse?! You mean diaper bag?

Well...diapers, wipes, broken crayons, my wallet,

a couple random McDonald toys...you know, stuff.

Day 13-20: Breaking the Rules

So this 30 day blog challenge was kind of fun but now the questions are getting LAME-O. I still want to finish the challenge BUT I just don't want to keep dragging it out any more. So, I'm going to answer all the remaining questions over the next 3 days. 8 today, 5 tomorrow and 5 Friday. Then I'll be back Monday the 24th to talk about what I want to talk about...spontaneously. It's my blog, I do what I want and not because some made up challenge tells me to. ;)

Here goes:

Day 13 – Your favorite musician and why?
I don't have a favorite musician. I'm a lover of music and to say I have just ONE favorite would be a BIG.FAT.LIE. I do however really, really like Simon and Garfunkel (stop laughing), Ke$ha (for my inner party girl), and Jason Mraz. (I've liked him since before it was cool to like him) See how much my music likes vary?!

The Boxer, Feeling Groovy, & Sound of Silence are my favorite Simon & Garfunkel songs.
Your Love is My Drug is my favorite Ke$ha song, and it's a toss up between Wordplay & You and I Both from Jason Mraz.

Day 14 – A TV show you’re currently addicted to
We don't have cable or basic tv, everything we watch is on Netflix streamed through the Wii. My most recent TV series discovery through Netflix is "The Secret Life of the American Teen" it is a horribly cheesy show, with bad acting, a teeny bopper story line and a hilarious script (teenagers don't really talk like that do they?) But, somehow it has completely become my guilty pleasure and I'm hooked. Thankfully I have 5 straight volumes of episodes on Netflix to fuel the addiction.

Day 15 – Something you don’t leave the house without
These guys:

Day 16 – Your celebrity crush
True Story, I like older men. My celebrity crush is Sean Connery. I've been in love with him since I was 15. Coming in at a close second is the not so old but still 15 years older than me, Adam Sandler. I'm a sucker for an egg shaped head.

Day 17 – A photo of you and your family.

SEE DAY 5

Day 18 – Something you crave a lot.
ummmmm.......SLEEP!!!

Day 19 – Another picture of yourself.
Me...Christmas 2009, I'd like to look like this again someday... need to lose a couple lbs I gained from baby Aidan.


Day 20 – The meaning behind your blog name.
I was trying to be clever. The Bowles Family sounded so generic so I went with ghetto fabulous and chose Bowlizzle Famdizzle for the blog address. The actual name of the blog, although I don't use it in my header any more, is "Living Somewhere Over the Rainbow" we live in Kansas, it seemed fitting.

Day 12: Our Town

30 Day Blog Challenge
A Photo of the Town You Live In

Pittsburg, KS
Population 20,000 ish
2 grocery stores, 1 Walmart
1 Mall we like to call the "Hall" because its just an indoor strip of about 8 stores and includes a movie theater.
4 Elementary Schools, 1 middle school, 1 highschool....Go Dragons!
Home of the Pitt State University Gorillas (yes....the Gorillas!)
Home to us as of October 2011

BROADWAY, our "Main Street" all decked out for the holidays. Taken by me January 1, 2011

Day 11: Makeup?!

30 Day Blog Challenge
What's in your makeup bag?

Makeup bag?! Nothing.

I don't really own a makeup bag. I don't really wear makeup. My daily makeup routine includes mascara and sheer lip gloss. When I want to be fancy I'll put on a powder foundation, blush, eye shadow, lipstick...which I keep in a drawer, in my bathroom. Truth is Ashlynne, who is only 11, has more make up then I do!

BUT her makeup is for cheer competitons and includes lots and lots of glitter.

Day 9: A shopping we will go....

30 Day Blog Challenge
A Photo of the Last Item You Purchased

2 boxes of Cereal, a gallon of milk, a Salad Kit, & a bag of Spinach

Photo stylized, taken, photoshopped via my Photoshop iPhone App by ASHLYNNE :)

Day 8: A Song

30 day Blog Challenge

A Song to Match Your Mood



Lovely, Love My Family
by:The Roots
as seen on {Yo, Gabba Gabba}

Sometimes when I am sitting by myself
Those quiet moments when not with no one else
I’m mesmerized by all the many good things in my life
I think about the time when I was younger
And the older that I get the more that I feel wiser
With the love of friends and family
Get stronger and it carries me on through

So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family
So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family
So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family

Sometimes when I am waiting for the bus
The sun shines bright and I feel peace like nowhere else
I know I'm in good health and life keeps going, I keep moving, I’m alright
I go to school and educate my mind, and the way the world is spinning
makes me want to turn around and start all over, hit the reset and go back in time.

Oh baby love me
Oh spread the love around, yeah

So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family
So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family
So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family

Day 7: Wedding Rhymes with SLEDDING...

30 Day Blog Challenge

Describe Your Dream Wedding

aka This idea is dumb so let's talk about SLEDDING...

AARGGHHGH!!!!! I spent a really, really long time on this post about our Snow Day/Sledding Fun last week and when I came here to post it, IT. WAS. GONE! Apparently it didn't save or something.

:( Pouty face, pouty face, pouty face.

I'm not going to write it all over again so here is what you needed to know:

• I woke the kids up at 6 am, got them ready for school, had them wait for the bus, bus didn't come, realized it was a Snow Day, went back to bed.
• When we woke up we decided to go sledding
• Needed to buy a sled
• Spent over and hour driving around trying to find a sled...ALL. SOLD. OUT.
• Opted for a home made sled....cardboard box inside a trash bag
• One more try at Walmart. Miraculously found Snow Tube for $10
• Went to Schlanger Park for some Schledding (ha! I crack myself up
• So cold my breath froze everytime I tried to blow up the Snow Tube....dud.
• The box inside the trash bag.....super fast.
• Yay!
• The End.

Somehow I didn't get a picture of Julianna. Sad. She was cold and cranky anyway.

Day 6: 2 Years Ago

30 Day Blog Challenge

A Photo of you 2 years ago

my grandmother & I, outside my mother's funeral

I really don't want to revisit January, two years ago. *sigh*

On January 22, 2009, I lost my best friend. My mother. She was the most amazing, loving, selfless, outgoing, funny, loud, crafty, smart, friendly, and kind person I have ever known. After a two year battle with cancer she passed away at home surrounded by her children, husband, mother and sister. Cancer sucks. I know I shouldn't say "sucks" but it's actually the nicest word I could muster up. Cancer stole my mother from me, from my dad...her eternal companion of 46 years...from her grandchildren...

Before she passed we spent a wonderful Thanksgiving together, a lovely Christmas, a Happy New Year 2009, and then my parents got on a plane and flew home. 20 days later she left this mortal life. The only thing she hoped for was to spend the holiday with us and her every wish was fulfilled. The Lord is good.

2 years seems like an eternity since I've seen her. 2 years feels like she just left my side. 2 years has only slightly numbed the pain and closed the wound. Oh how my heart aches for my mommy. I miss her on important days, holidays, and birthdays. I miss her when I want to complain about how hard being a mom and wife is. I miss her when I want to share how fulfilling it can be. Sometimes I pick up the phone to call her and tell her something funny and I remember. 2 years hasn't been long enough.

The last phone message she left me just 2 weeks before she passed away went like this: "You know, you have 5 kids and right now it's hard but as they grow they'll settle down and you will see, it will be a pleasure, it will really be a pleasure. I love you. I want you to know I love you...."

Those words have become my motto, my personal theme when days get rough....IT WILL BE A PLEASURE.

So I know this is supposed to be a photo of me 2 years ago {see above} but I couldn't close this post without leaving a couple more photos.

Day 5: If I could have any pet...

30 Day Challenge

A Photo of an Animal you'd like to keep as a pet

I'm not a pet person. I've desperately tried to be a pet person but I'm just not. They require A LOT of work and frankly I'm too darn busy with children to add a pet to the mix. We've tried... over and over again...we've tried. Our most recent pet was a Western Plains Toad that we found outside our home in Olathe and named JayJay the Toad. His original name was Jeremiah but we changed it so that we wouldn't get too confused. JayJay the Toad lived with us for 18 long months and even made the move with us to our new home. Unfortunately, just before Christmas JayJay went home to live with his toad mother and father in that great big swampy pond in the sky. It was a sad day for all of us.

Today's challenge was really hard for me, it was to post a picture of an animal I'd like to keep as a pet. I thought long and hard and I think if I could have any pet in the world, I would really want...

A whole barrel of monkeys!!

Like These...

Day 4: You are my best friend....

30 day Challenge

Your favorite photo of your best friend

There is a song by John Michael Montgomery called "Home to You"

The chorus says,

"You are my best friend,

and you are where my heart is.

I know at the days end

I get to come home to you,

oh, I love coming home to you."

Along with our wedding song, "I Do, Cherish You" by 98degrees, the above song has always been our song. Jeremiah truly is my best friend. Sometimes, I'll admit, we get wrapped up in our roles of Mother, Father, Nurturer, Provider. However, all it takes is a night out or few quiet moments alone and we are able to reconnect, laugh, and enjoy each others company as best friends. I'm so lucky that I married my best friend.

Day 3: Perfect Date...aka Elise's Baptism

30 Day Blog Challenge

Your Idea of the Perfect First Date

AKA: This idea is dumb so let's talk about Elise's Baptism

Today was the "perfect date" for a baptism. Elise turned 8 years old on December 10 and this morning she was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was a very special day for her and for our family. One of the neatest things that happened today was that Elise's school teacher, who is not a member of our church, came to the baptism. Elise had been talking about inviting her teacher for weeks and she was so excited when she saw her come through the door. She adores her teacher and it was a wonderful expereince to have her join in celebration with us on this day.

Ashlynne wrote a beautiful talk on baptism and told Elise not to be scared because daddy would be holding her the whole time. It was such a sweet experience between sisters because it was a real fear that Elise had and Ashlynne's calm words soothed her. We went to the baptismal font and gathered around to see Elise be baptized by immersion by her father. As soon as she had been baptized I met her at the side of the font with a towel. I wrapped her tight and she said, with the biggest grin and the brightest eyes, I GOT BAPTIZED! It was so wonderful and she just kept smiling and smiling.

I'm a little sad that we didnt get a picture of the whole family but we have some wonderful memories. Unfortunately, the only camera we have requires a special battery and I failed to charge it prior to the Baptism. I took a couple pictures with my iphone plus we did have GrandMarie take Baptism photos when she visited during Thanksgiving. It was an absolutely beautiful baptism with lots of friends and family.

{{Check out some photos from her Baptism photo shoot here}}

Day 2: Food

30 Day Blog Challenge
A photo of something you ate today

Most days are filled with cereal for breakfast or eggs if I get a little ambitious. Lunch varies between Left Overs, Sandwiches or Mac n' Cheese. For dinner I usually get fancy with casseroles and pasta. mmmmm yummy. I'm a culinary genius. It's funny that today happened to be the FOOD day for my blogging challenge because I actually ate something worth blogging about!! Whoomp there it is!!

I present to you my lunch:

Exhibit #1: Arroz con Gandules, aka Rice with Pigeon Peas, aka Yummy Puerto Rican food

Exhibit 2: My Dinner. A whole bunch of seafood-y, sushi stuff from Kyoto Restaurant here in Pittsburg. I was in an "Andrew Zimmern" mood and decided to try a whole bunch of Bizarre Foods. I know. I'm amazing.

Crawdads, Stuffed Mushrooms,
Oyster Stuffed Mushrooms,
Crab shell crab meat thingy (atleast I think thats what it was)

Cheesy Mussels, Sushi with Salmon,
Sushi with Crab, Seafood salad with a bunch of sea creatures

Day 1: Me and My Chaos

30 Day Blog Challenge
A photo of yourself and a description of how your day was

WOW. What an unflattering picture to start the blog off with. I look so tired! Bleh! So today's topic is to post a photo of myself and describe my day. My day=Chaotic

Here's the rundown for Wednesday, January 5, 2011

...

6:00 am: alarm goes off. Kids go back to school today after a long eventful Christmas Break. I'm really not ready to wake up so early. Snooze

6:09 am: alarm goes off again....alright I'll get up....

6:18 am: OH NO! I fell back asleep! Ashy, Brinton, Lisey, GET UP, GET UP, GET UP! You have to leave for the bus in 20 minutes!!!

6:40 am: Family Prayers, Kids out the door....Feed the baby. Laundry or go back to sleep? zzzzzzzzz

9:00 am: Wake up. We're supposed to go to Story Time at the Library today. It starts at 10. I wake up Julianna who is eager to get dressed and ready to go. Liam does not want to wake up. Feed the kids breakfast. Feed the Baby. Out the door by 9:50.

10:00 am: Arrive at library. There's NO STORYTIME TODAY (I totally just rushed out the door for NOTHING) Let the kids play board games and puzzles for an hour. I guess the trip wasn't for nothing.

11:00 am: Go to Walmart. Return Redbox movies that were due yesterday. Go home to make lunch and realize I have no bread. I was supposed to get that at Walmart when I returned the redboxes....along with milk. Feed the baby. Get Julianna, Liam and the baby back in the car, head to Walmart. Decide to go to Sonic instead because I don't feel like getting the kids out of the car again.

1:00 pm: Home again, Home again, jiggity jig. Laundry or nap?? zzzzzzzzz

1:05 pm: Aaaahhhh. I just remember I have Scouts tonight and haven't planned any activities. Spend the next while planning.

Feed the baby.

3:40 pm: Kids arrive home from school. Check back packs.

4:25 pm: pack the kids in the car and drive Ashlynne to Cheerleading

Feed the Baby

5:00 pm: Start dinner. Get a knock at the door. New neighbor wants kids to come over and play. Talks to me for a long time....I forget I'm making dinner.

5:40 pm: Guess we're having leftovers...pasta has turned to mush. Warm up some left over chili.

5:58 pm: Go get Ashlynne from Cheer.

6:30 pm: Stop at the Gas Station (because anything else is too far at this point) and pick up Skittles to use as bingo markers for Cub Scout Bingo. Pick up Brinton from new friends house.

7:03 pm: Arrive at church with all my crew. Ashy and Lise go to Activity Days. The rest of the kids go with me. Start Cub Scouts. Aidan's crying wants to be held. Continue scouts. Julianna wants to play too. Liam is standing on the table dancing around screaming at the top of his lungs. I'm holding Aidan. My scouts think its all hilarious. Start to play bingo. Liam is knocking into the table making the boys skittles fly all over the place. My scouts DON'T think this is Hilarious. Aidan's happy. I put him down. Julianna is whining in a corner. Trying to teach the Cub Scout motto. Liam figures out how to open the door and takes a fast run down the hall. I catch him and drag him back to the classroom. Cub Scouts finish. The boys are excited. I hear one tell his dad the Cub Scout Motto (yay! He learned something) Liam takes off running. Aidan's crying. The girls are done with Activity days. Julianna is no where to be found. Put Aidan in his carrier. Take Ashlynne, Brinton, and Aidan to the Car. Run back inside....find Elise (she is talking to the Bishop and inviting him to her baptism.) Find Liam flirting with some teenage girls and Julianna running the halls......drag them all out to the car. Put on my seatbelt. Look at the clock 8:08pm.

Call my husband and vent. Jammies on. Say prayers. Veg on the computer after everyone has gone to sleep.

10:30pm Go to bed

And that was my day. They say I'll miss this one day.

2011.

The start of a new decade. The start of a new year. The start of the new day. And now the start of a new blog. Well not really the start of a new blog it's still just this same old blog I've been writing at for over 3 years with a new background, new header and a new me. I can't wait to get started writing more frequently since I've been a bit of a blogging bore the last year. They say it takes 30 days to build a good habit, so to help me get started and back into the routine of posting more often I present to you...

30
days
of Blogging

I've looked all over the web and all over the web again to find the perfect 30 day challenge because I'm too lazy to come up with my own challenge. I finally picked this one because I was tired of looking. I didn't even look at the whole list, so I'm in for a surprise I guess. lol.

Happy New Year.