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i was tagged by vintage mommy to answer 7 random or weird things about myself.
so here goes-
#1. when i was 8, there was a show & tell day in my class. i chose 3 things to share- my roller skates, purple ziggy bag, and a rock that i got in Columbia State Park. i roller skated to school, carrying my (very large) rock in my ziggy bag.
i still have the rock. oh, and i got roller skates for my birthday last year :-).
#2. at age 10 i dressed in my mom's waitress uniform, walked 10 blocks to the restaurant where she worked, and asked the owner for a job. he told me to come back when i was 16.
i didn't, and have never waitressed.
#3. in 4th & 5th grade i would sing "Gloria" by Laura Branigan, and "Harden my Heart" by Quarterflash (wow, am i aging myself), at the bus stop, and at recess. i even had back up singers!
#4. as a 7th grader i was invited to an 8th grader's slumber party. the 8th graders all spoke giberish, and kept talking about "de thg n thg ise." ME, aahhh! i learned how to speak giberish the next week!
#5. in jr. high i carried a red brush with me at all times so that i could make sure my feathered hair lay perfect. this was before i discovered aqua net!
#6. i went through an Elvis Presley phase in high school. my room was decorated with elvis pix, i sang an elvis medley in Oakdale's Jr. Miss, and did a Cheap Trick lip sink of "Don't Be Cruel" for a school rally. WHY, WHY!!!!
#7. my first car was a 65 ford falcon (which might explain the elvis phase). i use to honk the horn a lot! until it was dismantled by a classmate. 
oh how i miss this car (gulp)! it was so FUN, and so me (maybe if i painted my mini-van red with a white stripe it would fit me??). the previous owner even had a banner made for the back window that read "NEICIE."
and here it is, my senior photo! i sit here thinking- i spent a lot of time, mousse, and hair spray to get my hair to look like that, just so i could make fun of it now!
i'd love to hear wacky things you did during your childhood, see pix of your first cars, and see your embarrassing hair dos (and you should know this isn't my worst. the hair styles got much worse before it got better).
i'm here today with homeschooling tips to say "goodbye to the mundane!"
i enjoy looking at your blogs and seeing the creative touches many of you add to your homes.
i imagine us having great conversation over a cup of tea while sitting at your witty kitchen counter, or cozy-ing up on your back porch.
if you came to my home you would soon discover that i am a mary engelbreit collector.
our yard would welcome you with some "mary" touches. 
our kitchen, laundry room, and girl's room also reflect my love for all things M.E.
however, my favorite M.E. items are the ones my mother-in-law, cindy, has made for me. cindy found this chair in the trash, repaired it, painted it, and surprised me with it one christmas.
this was a plain table we had, till cindy took it and painted it. we have had many tea parties, and have shared many delicious (plastic) meals at this table.
this was a house warming gift, painted by cindy! i just can't bring myself to put it outside, it's too cute!
do you have a collection?
did your mother, grandmother, or other family member have a collection that you have fond memories of?
We miss you everyday
Miss you in every way
But we know there's a day
When we will hold you, we will hold
And you'll kiss out tears away
When we're home to stay
Can't wait for the day
When we will see you, we will see you
So baby, let sweet Jesus hold you
Till Mom and Dad can hold you
You'll just have Heaven before we do
from Glory Baby by Watermark
we're not sports people.
yes, we can be found glued to the tube during the olympics, cheering on michael phelps, oohhing and aweing at the sincronized swimmers, complaining about the girls beach volleyball briefs.
you would also find us at a super bowl party. we'd watch the commercials and the half time show, but during the actual game we'd be huddled around the food table for "super snacking." (michael says, "i like to watch the game")
and, if it counts for sports (and i think it does) we could be found with a wii controller in hand, in front of the tube battling it out in tennis, golf, or bowling.
still, one of our favorite fall activities is going to the local high school's football games.
it is fun to be a part of the community, cheer on the team, snack on junk food, and be with some of our favorite people ever!
What is one of your favorite fall activities?
the vest is back! and i am thrilled. 
this vest is vintage, retro 1989. uh huh, i wore it in high school. however, back then i had to steal it from my sister's closet. some years ago i snagged it from her, and i have been saving it, waiting for the vest to make a comeback.
uh huh, i like vests. i am always sad when they aren't trendy, i anxiously wait till i see any sign of their return. i saw the sign, and got mine out!
btw- in case you didn't know vests are perfect concert wear. i have seen steven curtis chapman, michael w. smith, d.c. talk, brian duncan, kim boyce, michael damian, jefferson airplane (or was it starship? the one that "built this city on rock & roll"), geoff morre... and some others, while wearing a vest.
and here is a question, at what point is something considered "vintage?" and another question, at what point is something considered "retro?"
i just want to know so i can get away with wearing something ridiculous, call it "vintage" or "retro" and then it's all good.
i do think i need to update this good ol' vest. maybe peel off the fake flowers and apply some of these from the pleated poppy. wouldn't that be CUTE!
i also think that since i am promoting the pleated poppy on my blog i should get some kick backs. lindsey???
what item of clothing do you want to see make a comeback?
i'm 34 years old, and i 'm afraid of the dark.
michael photographed a wedding near tahoe this weekend, while the kids and i stayed home. and here is the thing- i don't do dark well. i sleep with one ear open... okay really, i don't sleep.
first night, i had all 3 kids slumber partying in my room, door locked, keys and phone next to me (are you laughing??! it's not funny, i'm seriously afraid). i think i may have dozed off around 2:00 a.m. and woke at 6:00ish. the kids were well reasted and ready for saturday a.m. cartoons and saturday a.m. b-fast (which is michael's thing).
second night, the kids were in their own beds (they were too shuffly the night before), determined i said, "i'm not afraid, i'm not afraid, i'm not afraid." so i climbed into bed about 10:30, and sang (in my head) praise songs, and told myself again and again "i'm not afraid," i had a phone on each side of the bed, my keys and shoes near by, and an escape plan if they're was an intruder (stop laughing, it's not funny!), and i think i finally dozed off again at 2:00 a.m. ish. ughhh!
and know this, i'm not an altogether wimpy person (okay a little wimpy), but i brave through a lot of things i do not want to brave through. but i think next time michael goes out of town, i will have a friend over, or go stay at a friends...
because my kids are afraid of me when i don't get sleep because i am afraid of the dark.
what are you afraid of? here are a few pix from the wedding. this couple had some creative touches on their big day!
the bride did not have a traditional wedding dress, she chose a party dress instead as this was..
bride and bridesmaids on the trampoline
the bride showed up in a canoe
the happy couple
you would find me to be very different in flesh life, different than i am here in blog life.
you would be disappointed when you discovered...
i'm a complainer.
i like my way.
i can let pride lead me.
i think too much of myself.
i am not gracious (especially to myself).
i can be lazy.
i am unforgiving.
i have a crooked smile.
i am self conscious.
i worry a lot.
i fear too much.
BUT, here on this blog i aim not to be those things. i dig deeper, to who i am when i am real.
am i portraying a false image of who i am? i don't think so. i think i am encouraged to be a truer image of I Am. i'm encouraged to "enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart" and to step away from the complainer, worrier, fearer, unforgiver ..... in me.
here, i am cautious with my words, cautious with my thoughts. this is caution i need to develop in my flesh life, when i step away from the keyboard.
i wonder what it would be like to sit and visit with you. i wonder if it would be more comfortable with laptops between us (like a battle ship game) typing back and forth?
i'd hope it would be like this-
"When I look at you it is as if I am in the presence of Christ... It is the Christ in you who recognizes the Christ in me...Yes, He indeed is in our midst.. and from now on, wherever you go, or I go, all the ground between us will be holy ground."from Henri Nowen's book Reaching Out
like any school, home schooling has it's good days and bad days. somedays i dance as my 3 pupils work diligently, but there are days when i sound like a broken record playing the same tune over and over, "pay attention, do your work, sit down." on these days i want to pull my hair out and scream!
i am attempting this school year to be more proactive about our school days. here is a quote from linda at "thoughts on these things."
"If i am not proactive, we'll end up reactive, and the whole scene can become quiet unattractive."
so that is my goal- to avoid reactive, unattractive, home schooling mommy days.
i have already shared about car schooling, my attempt to be proactive when we are on the go.
here is another way i am being proactive-
life schooling.
this year i am asking individuals from our community to share their lives with my kiddos. i have asked these individuals to give 3 hours of their time, to share their lives, and a skill with my children.
where am i during this time? ALONE, getting a much needed break.
this week my kids spent time with one of our favorite people ever dave pounds!
with dave, they learned about, and worked in a garden. dave taught them about pollination, propagation, and germination.
did you know that a strawberry plant can propagate in 3 ways; #1- is to plant seeds directly from the strawberry, #2- there are runners which grow off of the plant and drop roots into the soil growing more strawberry plants, #3- the one plant can divide into 5 or more runners (if this makes no sense to you then you need to go visit dave).
from dave's garden my kids tasted things they would never taste with me like rubarb and black eyed pea pods.
they also learned that corn-silk is the name of the hair at the top of the corn husk, and that each strand of silk forms one kernel of corn. if a corn-silk is not pollinated than it will not grow a kernel.
dave gave the kiddos this huge pumpkin!dave has also become well known for telling jokes. here are some he had ready to share with the kiddos-
Q- "what if all the women in the u.s.a. were named paula?"
A- "then this would be a paula-nation."
Q- "what if all the cars in the u.s. were pink?"
A- "then this would be a pink- car- nation."
HAHAHAHAHHAHAA!!!!
we HEART dave!
i look forward to next month's life schooling days, the kids are going to learn about horses.
future plans include learning to play tennis, making candles, and sewing. the possibilities are endless! i am grateful for the relationships my children will form with people who will invest their lives in them. what a blessing!
that is a prayer i pray often, that i would be so full of Jesus that all of Him would spill out of me.from Oswald Chamber's, My Utmost for His Highest
"He that believeth in Me... out of him shall flow.." John 7:38
Jesus did not say- "he that believeth in Me shall realize the blessing of the fullness of God," but- "he that believeth in Me out of Him shall escape everything he receives."
Our Lord's teaching is always anti-self-realization. His purpose is not the development of a man; His purpose is to make a man exactly like Himself...
If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain, but what He pours out that counts.
It is not that God makes us beautifully rounded grapes, but that He squeezes the sweetness out of us...
Spiritually, we cannot measure our life by success, but only by what God pours through us, and we cannot measure that at all.
as i type noah is on the phone with his good buddy nicholas. they're just talking.
when did he grow up? when did he get to talking on the phone age? is 10 talking on the phone age? it's harmless, they are talking about legos and mega blocks.
Last weekend we said goodbye to summer and enjoyed the fall weather with a hike up Fresno Dome.
michael and i also celebrated a dozen years of marriage!
we are VERY blessed!
oh how i miss this car (gulp)! it was so FUN, and so me (maybe if i painted my mini-van red with a white stripe it would fit me??). the previous owner even had a banner made for the back window that read "NEICIE." 
Aunt Violet, is that you!
" Uh Mom, nice hair do!"
our kitchen, laundry room, and girl's room also reflect my love for all things M.E.
this was a plain table we had, till cindy took it and painted it. we have had many tea parties, and have shared many delicious (plastic) meals at this table.
we're not sports people. 
it is fun to be a part of the community, cheer on the team, snack on junk food, and be with some of our favorite people ever!
bride and bridesmaids on the trampoline
the bride showed up in a canoe
the happy couple
"Hey Michael, how about a teeter- totter this Christmas for the kids."
Michael in your spare time could you photograph this couple at church that are due to have a baby, we need photos for an invitation.
i lOVE him (and you can see why he doesn't need, or have time for a social network).
they also learned that corn-silk is the name of the hair at the top of the corn husk, and that each strand of silk forms one kernel of corn. if a corn-silk is not pollinated than it will not grow a kernel.
dave gave the kiddos this huge pumpkin!
