Halloween 2008.....being Sarah Palin.

Halloween 2008 was unlike any halloween we had ever had in the Rees household. To begin, we didn't do the normal Trick or treating in the neighborhood. Our church, Two Rivers, held the first annual Fall Family Frenzy and I was on the committee with a fun group of men and women....or should I say "man" and women. Steve Pridmore, our pastor of Family Ministries, was the lone man in a committee of very talented women!!! and he faired pretty well. Our whole family, minus Jake, spent halloween at the church. Jake had decided early on that he would hang with his girlfriend Emi and her family for the evening. So Jason, Me, Jamesen and Christian headed to the church for some fun, fellowship, outreach and ........TONS OF CANDY!!!

Christian wanted to be REALLY SCARY this year and ended up being successful in his venture. He went from wanting to be a vampire to devil to grim reaper to .......Skulkor. Pretty scary huh? Still not sure who SKULKOR is but quite scary! He enjoyed all the activities, but the one thing he loced the most was the rock wall. I was in charge of "candy distribution"....making sure all the stations were full of candy. Everytime I walked past the Rock Wall, Christian was on it. There were tons of games, bounce houses, EXTREME face painting, cotton candy, popcorn and pony rides.

There were also some celebrities.....including ...


SARAH PALIN!!!!!

Yes......you heard me right!!!! Sarah Palin joined us Two Rivers Fall Family Frenzy!!!!! All the way from ALASKA! Well, not really. From the moment Jamesen Rees heard her name be announced, he was determined to be Sarah Palin for halloween. Takes guts huh? Not only does he admire her for her beliefs, determination, and ability to handle all she

handled during the election, but he thinks that baby of hers is quite

cute....and he believes it is hers too!!!! He makes quite a nice looking lady doesn't he? She / he can even climb the rock wall.....I'll bet the real Sarah could too! Although she and John McCain didn't win, Jamesen will never forget the Halloween of 2008....and neither will we.....they ended up with pounds and pounds of candy!!!! We will be eating on it till the 4th of July 2009!

Michael Buble' in Concert

Back in the summer while checking out the Michael Buble' fan club website, I noticed, much to my satifaction, he was going to be in Knoxville. Now, I am not a member of the fan club, I was just looking for a video he had done to show Jamesen........just to clear up any confusion. I immediately called up my husband to inform him of the dates and also that if he wanted to stay in my good graces, he would take me. He is a very good listener when he wants to be.....he got online the day they went on sale and got us tickets. This is a link to the video I wanted to show Jamesen.....it is Michael buble singing my favorite song....and yes everytime I hear it, I know he is singing it directly to me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPUJIbXN0WY .....well I can think that can't I???? Jason just smiles and agrees with me. He had to admit that the concert was quite good. Michael's adult humor and potty mouth always goes over well with the male gender....he laughingly admits that the men aren't there to see him sing.....but they will "thank me in the morning" if you know what I mean.

The group he is singing with in the pic to the right

is called Naturally 7. Everything they do is accapella. It is unbelievable. They make the sounds of all the instruments as well. Here is a youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jtklE-jdQI Check them out! They will be on Michael Buble's next album with him. It was a great show. We had a great night out! Thanks Jason!!!!

Missing in Action

I can't believe how time flies!!! My last post was over a month ago and I have no idea where life went during that time. Let's see....since September 22nd, what have we been into? Jake and Christian finished up football, Jamesen earned a Bobcat badge and sold over $700 in boyscout popcorn, the diagnosis of a dear friend with breast cancer, I volunteered to help on the committee for the Fall Family Frenzy at church, Michael Buble' in concert, the passing of an unbelievable child in our church, Disney World on Fall Break, Ole Miss may be bowl bound for the first time since 2003, U of Tenn has a losing record and fans are finally eating humble pie, Halloween (dressing Sarah Palin) and the Fall Frenzy, Tina Fain's Spooky forest which I understand has been going on for years and now this was The Rees Family's first experience, and now it is November 3rd. I guess I will have to elaborate on each of these as my time permits. After our whirlwind weekend, I have LOADS of laundry to do. I do say I love it when the weather turns chilly enough for sweatshirts and jeans, but the laundry tends to quadruple in size. There was one thing I wanted to "blog" about before I forget the precious moment.



Notice the pic I have scanned in and posted. This was before I had the nerve to buy a digital camera (which got stolen while in Orlando....Disney). That precious pic is of my youngest, Christian. He was such a beautiful baby!!!! In the pic, he is taking a bath in the sink in Mungy and Sandy's bedroom at "The River". I found the picture while cleaning out a wardrobe in his room last week. I was doing the bi-annual sorting and shifting of clothes in each of the boy's rooms. This was the pic that I had placed in a "slide in" frame on the top of a baby wipe container. When I found it I immediately took it downstairs and placed it on the chalk/magnetic board in the office. When Christian arrived home that afternoon, I was at the computer doing some sort of research or email checking.



As usual, he walked in the door and yelled his usual "hello.....anybody home?"

"I am in the office Christian" I replied.

"No sticks and no warnings!" he proudly boasted.

I came back with " I am so proud of you Pee Wee!" (that's his nick name given to him by Mungy)
"I am getting better at controlling my talking and just staying quiet" he informed me. "Who is that in that picture, Jamesen....Jake?"


"No, that is my precious Pee Wee" I said in a mommy loving kind of voice.

"Where was that?" After a few guessing games and finally explanations it all ended up with how sad I was that he is all grown up now and such a big boy.

At that very moment, he grabbed me, squeezed me, and as he was patting me pretty darn hard on my back, he said in such a grown up way, "that's ok mom, I will always be your baby, I promise!"

The hugging and patting went on for quite a while, and I think he even repeated himself a few times. It was such a precious moment. He is a sweet spirited child and definitely loves his mom. I made the past month worth all the craziness. I constantly have to remind myself that Christian really is "still my baby". He is only six years old, but how easy it can be to get so wrapped up in the older kids world and forget that. Not to mention how he wants so bad to be a big boy like Jake and Jamesen. I even made the point of sending the pic to my sis to help her understand at this crazy time in her life of child rearing, how important it is to cherish the precious moments and younger years......they don't last forever!

Local Celebrity

As usual, our life has been consumed with football, cross country, boy scouts, and more football. Whether it be CBFO, Farragut Admirals or the Ole Miss Rebels, we've been playing, watching, or listening to it over the last two weeks. We will start with CBFO......Christian has been playing and practicing on a regular basis. They don't typically keep score in his Flag league his team wins every game according to him. Jake and his team lost a game last weekend only to come back and win the next game 4 1/2 hours after losing the first. This past weekend they played area rivals Concord Warriors and tied 14 to 14. We have a few key players who are injured. Jake scored on the first play of the game only to have it called back...something about a player illegally up field .....not sure but he scored a second one as well and a 2 point conversion. Once the other team caught on to Jake being the receiver.....they had 3 to 4 guys on him at a time.

Farragut played rival Bearden which is THE GAME of the season. One has to arrive there at least an hour before the start to get a seat. Students are usually dressed in a variety of outfits from overalls (Farragut Farmers...old joke) to blue and silver body paint. Bearden loves to dress as pirates in the hopes of "sinking the Admirals" and maroon body paint. My boys wore their CBFO jerseys and as you can see, Jamesen made the local newspaper. I mean who could pass up such a good looking kid as that. I had to scan it in. I had to fight him for it this morning. He wanted to take it to school to show everyone. I made him a color copy and sent him on his way. Needless to say, Farragut won by a landslide, 48 to 10. This past weekend the Admirals won again against McMinn County, 28 to 10.....not such a landslide but a win.

Jamesen ran his first cross country race with a time around 11 to 12 minutes. The timer wasn't working right but I was just proud that he finished it.....and looked quite good doing it. We also went to Ijams Nature Center with Jamesen's Boy Scout Troop. We took about a 45 minute hike down by the Tennessee River. Forgot my camera so no pics. He enjoyed it ....my nature lover for sure!!!

As for Ole Miss.....we lost....but so did the Vols....he he he! So that made up for it. Jake hung out with his girlfriend Emi Saturday night .....She and her family are Auburn fans so we are 3 for 3 in losses this weekend around this area.

Well, another week has begun.....the wiener dog and the hamster are snoozing....I would love to join them. I can't.....I have too much laundry to do, dinners to plan, and carpool routes to organize. I better get started.

Friday Morning "Beef"!

I have a beef.....I HATE FRUIT FLIES!!!!! These little insects are ruining my life!!! These tiny little creatures inhabit my kitchen from about mid August until I guess the first freeze. I thought getting rid of the bananas (by the way, I have always had a hard time spelling bananas until Gwen Stefani came out with the song "Holla Back". Thanks Gwen!!) in my kitchen on the little banana stand would do the trick.....OH NO! They are still here and in full force! Where do these freaks of nature come from anyway. If Jamesen were home he could probably tell me, considering the fact that he knows EVERYTHING there is to know about any animal, mammal or insect mind you. They seem to multiply and grow......and you can't kill them....they are SO FAST! I have tried "clapping" them between my palms, slapping them with a dishtowel, and so far what has worked best is just spraying them with Lysol antibacterial spray.....in mid flight mind you. They make me want to scream!!!!!!!! But when I do that, it startles the Wiener Dog and he comes out from under his blanket wanting to go outside only to sniff , roll and scratch in the grass, or simply take in the view on the back porch. I just don't have time for that....we don't have a fence and I can't leave the vicious animal alone outside. So instead of screaming, I blog. My dad always told my mom to "write a letter" and file it when something makes her angry. It was the safest way to get out her frustrations without getting into trouble. Boy would she love blogging......if only she could figure out the stinkin' computer.......sorry mom.

If anyone can shed some light on my ordeal, I am all ears!!!!! I think I am feeling a bit better now.....

FOOTBALL FOOTBALL FOOTBALL!

Well, this past week was about football. Christian played Tuesday....nobody "won".....they don't keep score. But believe me, the Lions win every game! It is always close, I have to admit, I lose count because more than likely each team score on each possession they have. They try this play, they try that play, then they finally give it to the token "fast kid" and he usually runs down the field with no chance of anyone catching him and SCORES! Christian will probably win the award for the most flags pulled. He has made that his priority in his flag football career. I mean, I don't even have to keep count....after each flag pulled, I hear "Mom! that was number ........!" followed by a thumbs up. When they give him the ball to run, he still hasn't gotten past the "shock and awe" factor of actually having the ball and all those kids coming after him. We Rees' don't have the "gift of juke" mind you.

Jake's team beat Inskip 40 to 0. I think each boy got to play his "dream" position. By the time we got to the last 2:00 of the game, the 200 lb lineman was running the ball. Jake did score one or two touchdowns. There were also two girls on the opposing team. Some tough ones I do have to say. My dad always told me I should have been his linebacker. I mean, I was built more like a football player than my two brothers. Little did we know I could have tried it! They two girls go by "Big Momma" and "Baby Girl". Let's see.....maybe I could have been "Daddy's Linebacker" or "Baby Sister". Not really, I would have rather climbed in a hole for the rest of my life than played football at the awkward age of 13. My dream was to be the cheerleader, although it never came true. I think that is why the Lord gave me all boys.....so I wouldn't just make my daughter be one because I wanted to.....she probably would have wanted to play football. I do have to admit, I would much rather be watching football than cheer leading competitions. I mean, in football, if Jake gets upset with one of his buddies, he just plows over him, calls him a few names, texts them for forgiveness, and they are over it. If I had a cheerleader for a daughter and she got into it with her cohort, she would probably have a myspace dedicated to blasting , humiliating, and with ugly pics made up by the cohort she is feuding with. Thank you Lord, thank you!!!!I

Jamesen starts Boy Scouts tonight and has his first Cross Country meet tomorrow. The running is definitely doing him good. I am so proud of his dedication. Now the talking in class is another story. Christian too. Man, that gift of gab really gets us in trouble.

Mom did get to take in the Ole Miss / Wake Forest game in between runs to the Movie Theater to take Jake. I had promised him that he could go Saturday night. He decided on Saturday afternoon because his "friend" Emi could only go during the day.Wow, that says a lot for him to miss Ole Miss on TV. He also ended up spending the night out, only to stay up all night playing video games and watching Freddy Krueger which he dubbed "lame". We picked him up after church just in time for him to shower and head to the tutor. After a dip in the pool with Jason, Christian and Jamesen, we got ourselves ready for another busy week. And yes, the wiener dog spends a lot of time with his head on that pillow. He's not spoiled or anything. Quite pathetic huh?

Boomsday / Labor Day '08

OK!!! As one can tell, that last weekend wore me out so I haven't been able to catch up. Not really....It has just been crazy hectic. I hosted a "Girl's Night" this past Friday and it was all about yard work, and house cleaning this week.....along with food prep and the rest of the normal daily routines. Let's see, Labor Day weekend was quite uneventful for the most part. Well, I say that.....now that I think about it, Jamesen did wake up at 4:30 am throwing up and again at 6:30, then the big D the rest of the day into Sunday. Poor guy, must have caught something at school. Jake had his first official game Saturday morning. They beat Bearden 12-0....he scored a touchdown (pass) and a safety. He is having a fun season and loving every minute of it. Well, maybe every minute....I do hear a lot of complaining come practice time. I think once the cool weather gets here it won't be so bad.

Christian and Amberly

Jake taking in the view

Sunday we went to the annual Boomsday Celebration. It is on Labor Day weekend each year. It is in downtown Knoxville on Neyland Drive on the River. Food vendors, activities, inflateables,etc. then in the evening, they put on a HUGE fireworks display off one of the bridges. It is the Nations largest Labor Day weekend fireworks display. Because Tennessee RV loans Motor Homes to the officials, we get tickets to go on the VIP River Boat. It drives us right up to the bridge with a front row seat to the fireworks display. It is quite the fireworks show. We met Roger, Amberly, Casey, Robbie, Charlie, Gail,Cindy, Larry down there and had a good time.

I do have to admit, if it is in the 90's next year, we probably will not attend. We lived here 3 years before even attending our first Boomsday. I would rather stay home than fight the crowd. Being able to see it via the River Boat makes all the difference in the world. It was just almost unbearable HOT!

After a french fry stop at McDonalds we got home around midnight. Thank goodness we had Labor Day to sleep in and recoop before the school week started again!

What a Weekend

Friday started off pretty good. I mean it was Friday for goodness sakes! The plan was to head to
the first Farragut game of the season after "tailgating" so to speak with some friends of Jakes. Well that fell through, but no big deal right? So instead, we decided to grab a burger at Aubrey's before Jake had to be fitted for a new helmet. So, the kids and I headed to Aubrey's to meet Jason and that is when it all started......THE MOUTH!!!! Jake just couldn't control his flapping tongue....it will be the death of him. I can't imagine where he gets it. His problem is that he just can't stay out of everyone's business. I mean, I am the mom here. If he would just leave the other boys ALONE and let me handle things, he would stay out of trouble. But NO!!!! After about 15 warnings I had had it......finally I had to just remain silent after a comment that "broke the camels back" so to speak . When Jason arrived, the table was SILENT and I was about in tears. Through all of the chaos, I neglected to notice all of the chocolate milk Christian was "slamming". By the time we got through dinner and we were standing up to leave, Christian mentioned he didn't feel good and was giving the "wiener dog urp" look. UNBELIEVABLE!!!! I pushed him on to the restroom as fast as I could with no luck.......yes he did! Right at the entrance of Aubrey's.....all over the floor, himself and me. His crocs were FULL!!! I didn't know whether to help clean up or go with him to the bathroom. Needless to say, by the time I had cleaned out the crocs in the bathroom sink and somewhat cleaned Christian up, you would never know he had done it .....they were fast.....Jason had no idea what had happened!

Jason went on the game with Jamesen and yes, Jake stayed home grounded as well as his phone taken away. Christian ended wanting to eat again and then snuggled up next to mom while she watched the Olympics.....poor baby!

On Saturday we had Jake's game that he won thanks to his AWESOME CATCH in the end zone for the two point conversion. They ended up winning 8-6....way too close! Saturday evening Jamesen spent the night out and Jason and I went out to dinner. A much needed break. Jake stayed at home to babysit Christian and tried to convince me he would need his phone for safety purposes. And I just laughed.....I mean we have a land line. Is land line even in the dictionary? About an hour into our meal we get a call from a frantic Jake.....he swears there was a "drive by"....he had heard a big POP and a flash of light. OK....we live in a culdesac in one of the nicest areas in town.....it couldn't be a drive by. I questioned him for a moment...neighbors shooting fireworks....etc. He was FRANTIC...had christian and the wiener dog behind the bar under the comforter...yelling at them to stay down....finally coming to the conclusion that the oven had shorted out...."oh wait a minute mom....the oven is off....it was just the oven...oh ok .....just the oven....ok mom we are ok.....no y'all don't need to rush home.....I love you" Was I even feeling like finishing my dinner? After a while it seemed pretty funny but at the time I was about to think we had actually had a "drive by". You never know this day and time.

Sunday was ALOT calmer. Went to service at Cove Park, stayed to eat some lunch and let the kids play.....Jake went to batting practice while Harrison came over to play a while with Jamesen...and Jason worked on the range. The mother board was completely fried! Jason the handy man was able to take it apart and before the afternoon had turned to evening, he had it all back together with new parts on order.....and we grilled out burgers. I am so Glad it is Monday and it is just me and the wiener dog asleep on the couch!

Oh......and

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUSTIN SAMS!!!!!!

AND A HAMSTER NAMED HENRY!

Yes, we have added another member to our entourage.....Henry the Hamster. Jamesen has been "working" us for a hamster for months. He is our lover of all animals and felt like having just one wiener dog wasn't enough for the Rees household. And five males wasn't either. Yes, obviously Henry is male. We have added more testosterone to the household!

When Jamesen approached us for about the 15th time about acquiring a hamster, he made all sorts of promises. Of course all I could imagine was me cleaning the cage ,all the while chasing the hamster down while keeping him safe from the wrath of a wiener dog. We made him do his research so that he would know what to expect and how a hamster should be cared for.....I have to admit, he did a darn good job of it. He even offered to pay for it out of his own money until Mungy came through with an offer to pay for it. To top it all off, he even found a place for Henry to stay while we are in DisneyWorld for Fall Break......his buddy Chase. After all that, how could we say no.

Henry "Spiderhamster" Rees came to us via PetSmart on August 18th (our cousin Becker's Birthday). As you can see from the pics, it was an exciting time in the Rees household. And I do have to admit, he is growing on me. Henry is what you call a Robo Dwarf Hamster so he is tiny like a mouse and has quite the personality. All he needs is a motorcycle. He loves his exercise ball and his exercise wheel, although he does get going so fast in both that he can't keep up and ends up being tossed about. It is quite comical. He also enjoys his newest hobby, cage climbing. Hence the middle name Spiderhamster".

So we say WELCOME to our newest family member in hopes that life in the Rees home is all you could possibly want it to be!

We Made It!

Well, we made it through the first week of school with minimal damage. Jake seemed to have the best week, although I don't know things sometimes right away with him. Christian and Jamesen were getting warnings and pulling sticks because of their social nature. We reiterated with the two of them that it better not last!!!! Our plate stays full after school with Jake and Christian playing football and Jamesen talking "hamster talk". He has been begging for one since the middle of the summer. I have been just putting him off by making him do research on the little creatures. He loves all types of animals and I guess Obie isn't enough for him. Not sure where this hamster idea came from but I guess we'll have to give in.....for now. Soon we should have another addition to the Rees household.

Friday night we went to the Jamboree at Bearden....Farragut did very well. Jake actually watched the game along with the fights that went on. I guess one has to expect that with 10 different schools in one high school stadium. It is a bit nerve racking....thank the Lord for cell phones. Saturday we were able to "farm" all the boys out so Jason and I could attend the Robert F. Thomas Foundation Evening of Elegance Gala up in Gatlinburg. It is a benefit held each year for the Sevier County Hospital and Cancer Center. Tennessee RV donated a travel trailer and we joined a group up there for some fun. It is always nice to have a reason to get dressed up. We had a great time, but 24 hrs. with no children just isn't quite long enough. In no time we were back to baseball, hamster talk, and a trip to the pool before getting organized for another big week ahead! We have football practice 4 nights this week for Jake followed by a game on Saturday. Christian has practice Tuesday and a game Thursday. One of those evenings we have to find time to purchase a Hamster. Oh, and Jamesen has decided he may want to try Boy Scouts. Whew!!! Well, many thanks to the Toney, Fain and Ross families for giving us 24 hours of much needed "couple time". Oh and by the way, this past Friday at 10am Jason and I purchased 2 tickets to see Michael Buble on October 5 at Thompson-Boling Arena. Any takers on the kids.......just kidding!

Back to School!! YEA!!!

Finally.....they are gone! Today was the first day of school and as you can tell, I am not the least bit teary! Don't get me wrong, I love my boys and it makes my heart hurt that they are growing up so fast, but they have been grating on my nerves for the past week. I finally have some peace and quiet around here! Just me and the wiener dog.....he's just snoozing away. I am sure he will begin to wonder why he hasn't been taunted or fought over in the next few hours.

Let's see.......I have exercised (combined with quiet time) , started dinner in the crock pot and am now blogging. Wow!!! I am doing ok! The morning started early at 5:15 am. By 7:05 everyone was ready and in the car......pics included. I even got a smile out of Jake! Jason took Christian and I took the other two. It was pretty uneventful on my part but Jason had some trouble finding a parking place at the Primary school. All in all the morning went smoothly!

Journey is "Beastly"!

"Beastly" is how Jake described the "80's" rock band Journey. As I mentioned the other day, he attended the concert with three other friends and two 40 something moms. Saturday evening at approximately 10:45 pm est my phone rang. I was in the middle of dozing and watching the Michael Phelps win the Gold in the 400 IM. It was Jake on the other end at trying to speak over "Send Her My Love". "Listen mom......can you hear it? Aren't they 'beastly'?" Of course I have always loved Journey, but Jake wasn't too "in" to my renditions of "Open Arms"," Faithfully", and "Don't Stop Believing" two days before when we were downloading it on his Ipod. But at that moment, I think he may have understood what his "lame mom" had been telling him. For the next 1/2 hour or so, he held his phone up so that I could hear those songs that took me back to my teenage years. From the reaction of the crowd, they must still have it. It does a 40 year old mom's heart good to know that she actually can be right about something in her 13 year old's eyes.

Seagrove Beach fall 07

Let's Get it Started!!!

I guess now is as good a time as ever.....I have decided that I might as well try this thing they call blogging.....since I spend a lot of my time reading others. My main focus with this thing is to keep somewhat of a diary. I wake up nights in anxiety mode stressing over things I have no control over....one being the aging of my precious boys. Jake, 13, wants nothing to do with being photographed, our family outings, or me when he is around his friends. Jamesen, 9, is as sensitive and precious as ever, but has gone from the ever so laid back easy child to the one always contemplating death and dying. His conscience gets the best of him so he is always telling on himself and his friends when he feels they have done something that might disappoint me. Jake is constantly calling him a "suck up" but I honestly think he has a strong sense of "pleasing". Christian,6, is trouble with a capital T! He has no problem with lying when it benefits him, he's ALWAYS RUNNING, and deserves about 95% of what he gets!!!!! He, like Jamesen, still loves his momma and loves to snuggle in mom and dad's bed when he is overly tired. Now my fourth child, my husband Jason, is my best friend. He is caring, sensitive, pretty laid back when it comes to the "child induced anxiety" thing, and tends to handle the teenage stuff better than me....although he is a little lite on the discipline compared to me. He, like Jamesen, aims to please for the most part. He loves his boys (and his wife) and spends most of his free time wanting to "hang" with the family. Needless to say, he doesn't play much golf and only got into watching sports after marrying into the Sams family and having three boys, the oldest of whom loves SPORTS! Then there is the WIENER DOG......Wiener One Kenobie....fondly known as OBIE. He is our 5 soon to be 6 year old red dachsund that we acquired from a lady in my brother's office for a mere $50. He was the last of the litter but definitely not the smallest. He was supposed to be a mini....but his body and his territorial instinct is neither. Let's just say " Enter the Rees house and yard at your own risk"! BEWARE OF PROTECTIVE WIENER DOG!

Then there is me.....MOM.....I guess you could describe me as always having good intentions, but following through for very long is not what I do best. I am doing exactly what I have always wanted, being a stay at home mom. I do tend to envy those who seem to be able to do it ALL, but I love the fact that I really don't have to DO IT ALL. I have tried a few business ventures from home and also opened my own gift / monogramming shop. Then I realized that I had disobeyed my Lord and Saviour in doing so. With help from my Father above, we bowed out gracefully just as things were becoming profitable. I am coming to the conclusion that the Lord put me here on this Earth to raise three positively productive boys who will one day grow up and leave me for their own families. I used to be excited about that .....being in a QUIET home with only me and Jason to care for.....but now I am having second thoughts. Maybe it is that I just turned the big 40! I just have to trust that he Lord will find me three wonderful daughter-in-laws to enjoy who will bear me many beautiful granddaughters.

Now, just so you know that if you ever visit the Rees household, let's say at dinner time, it may not seem that I am doing my God-given duty. First off, we are lucky to be at the dinner table all at the same time.....maybe once or twice a week. If we are, the conversation usually revolves around the male anatomy. If the table is quiet, one brother has probably "dissed" the other one , another has taken up for that one only to "diss" the other one and I end up "dissing" one because I have allowed myself to be brought down to their level because I get so angry and my husband has cut all conversation to a halt. Once in a blue moon we have good, meaningful family dinners, but don't hold your breath!

So now that I have given everyone an overview of life in the Rees household, I am now ready to start this thing. The boys all go off to school on Monday....the house should be totally empty by 7:30 am until around 3:30 pm. Only Mom and Obie. I have a lot of plans :

1) Spend some quiet time with my Heavenly Father.
2) Get this place organized!
3) Keep exercising on a daily basis.
4) Maybe even keep up this blog!

So as the Black Eyed Peas so appropriately say,

"Let's Get it Started!"

Oh...... my 13 year old would let me know that "that song is SO OLD" although he just left for a
JOURNEY concert with 3 more of his friends and two 40 something moms!