Lamppost Academy

Reptiles

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:41:00 +0000

Pictures from a recent birthday party for a friend. The kids held all kinds of snakes, a turtle, lizard, bird, alligator, scorpion, tarantual, and other creepy creatures!

Starting to look a lot like Christmas

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:19:00 +0000

We visited our local Bass Pro Shop yesterday and the Christmas decorations are everywhere! The kids hoped to see Santa and tell him what they wanted for Christmas, however Santa is available only in the evenings right now. We did get to see him in his green Bass Pro shirt walking around working, but he wasn't very friendly--maybe he wasn't in the Christmas spirit without his red jumpsuit. We had fun walking around and seeing all the animals and other goodies though. And the kids got to have some 99 cent candy at the little store.

Noccalula Falls

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:08:00 +0000

We went to Noccalula Falls last week to camp-out. We had prepared the kids for the waterfall, train ride, and all the other things we'd get to do once we got there; however, we were disappointed that everything was temporarily closed while they set up Christmas lights. :( We did get a little peak at the lights on our way into the campsite Friday night and they looked gorgeous! I had no idea we had such a pretty place to see lights so nearby. Saturday morning we were able to get out and walk across the bridge and see the Falls. We hope to go back sometime soon when the park is open.

Our dog waiting for us while we looked at the Falls--she's in the driver's seat. :)

Road Trip

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:12:00 +0000

We took a road trip this week to Anniston. Kevin had a job nearby, so we loaded up the RV and made an adventure of it. We visited the Anniston Museum of Natural History and it was AMAZING! The last time I visited was pre-children, so it was a lot of fun to experience it through the eyes of my kids. Their favorite was the African Exhibit. It was really good--there were tons of real animals (dead, of course) in very natural settings. KK was SO excited to see a real cheetah--we had to visit it several times before we left. The Reptile Exhibit was also really good. We even had a close encounter with some alligators that attacked the glass when my kids walked up...it was a bit scary, but also hilarious because they kept trying to attack them over and over again! After the museum, we rode by the cemetery where my grandparents and great-grandparents are buried and took some pictures. I had the unusual opportunity of knowing my great-grandparents through my entire childhood and part of my adulthood. They were precious Godly people that were really special. I miss my grandmother most of all...she would have loved my kids. She only met KK when he was a few weeks old...she was at the hospital with health problems and got to hold him for a few minutes. She passed away a few weeks after that and I'm so sad she never got to know them. But, what a blessing to know we will see her again one day! And I also wonder if there are windows in heaven...if so, she's smiling down on us and watching my children grow.

These Alligators were trying to attack!

JC sitting atop a real tortoise shell

The Egyptian Exhibit

KK is one happy camper seeing a cheetah!

Leopard

This hyena was huge...the picture doesn't do it justice! I had no idea they were so big!

Ha ha! One of our favorites--the naked mole rat! :)

This elephant was really cool. There was an arrow in the display that was shot by tribesman in an attempt to kill the elephant for its ivory. It didn't kill the elephant but made it really sick and somehow the museum got ahold of the elephant and was able to put it to rest & preserve it for the museum!

Another trip back to see the cheetah AGAIN

Really cool display showing how venom comes out of fangs

huge lizard (monitor)

Authentic Friendships

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:37:00 +0000

Thought this was good...

Healing Choices: Authentic Friendships

By Rick Warren | Thursday, October 22, 2009 | 2:12 PM EDT

From PurposeDriven.com

In our Devotionals series, Pastor Rick Warren discusses the Bible passages that inspire him the most. Today's Devotional is based on this passage:

“But if we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other. Then the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from every sin. If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:7-8 NCV).

In Biblical fellowship, we should experience authenticity.

Authentic friendships are more than superficial, surface-level chit-chat. They involve genuine, heart-to-heart, sometimes gut-level, sharing.

These friendships develop when we get honest about who we are and what is happening in our lives. They develop when we share our hurts, reveal our feelings, confess our failures, disclose our doubts, admit our fears, acknowledge our weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer.

Unfortunately, this level of authenticity and intimacy is the exact opposite of what we find in many churches. Instead of an atmosphere of honesty and humility, we often become involved in pretending, role-playing, politicking, superficial politeness, and shallow conversation. We begin to wear masks, keep our guard up, and act as if everything is rosy in our lives. These attitudes are the death of real friendship.

It’s only as we become open about our lives that we experience authentic fellowship. The Bible says, “If we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other . . . If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves” (1 John 1:7–8 NCV).

The world thinks intimacy occurs in the dark, but God says it happens in the light. We tend to use darkness to hide our hurts, faults, fears, failures, and flaws. But in God’s light, we can bring them all out into the open and admit who we really are.

Of course, being authentic requires both courage and humility. It means facing our fear of exposure, rejection, and being hurt again.

Why would anyone take such a risk?

Because it’s the only way to grow spiritually and be emotionally healthy. The Bible says, “Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed” (James 5:16 MSG).

Human Contact in a Facebook World

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:26:00 +0000

An article in today's paper really makes me ponder modern-day relationships. Long gone are the days where we'd have to wait weeks or months to hear from our loved ones through a telegram or the mail. It is amazing that we can instantly communicate with people across the world with the click of a button on our computer. As much as I love modern-day conveniences, I also think there is a personal aspect that is lost through my daily surfing on Facebook and blogs. I quickly feel out of touch when we travel somewhere for just a few days without Internet access--not to mention being away from home for just a few hours without email access! Yet, what am I really missing? A Facebook status update from someone I haven't seen in 20 years?

While I love staying in touch with friends and their day-to-day lives, my close friends will continue to be close friends whether or not I am on the Internet. While I furiously surf the web and update my Facebook status, I wonder what I might be missing of greater importance. Like investing further in the lives of the people who share the same house as me--the children who are watching cartoons behind me while I'm trying to find friends from high school on the computer. Or, more importantly, spending time with my husband! My son recently asked me "how come you're always on the computer mom?" Whoa, that's a wake-up call! How often do I tune out the people I love the most and instead choose an empty relationship with online people I don't really know?

Does that mean I will no longer blog or jump onto Facebook? NO! It just means that I'm finding some irony in my choices...and the choices of others. How easy it is for us to think we have deep and meaningful relationships with complete strangers or people whom we've never met in person--all through the internet or email. What a easy place for us to hide--we can be whoever we want to be with people we don't really know, people we don't talk to face-to-face. They don't have to see the yuckiness of our own lives. Yet, on the other hand, I see some some people think it is completely okay to spew their personal relationships and private details all over blogs and Facebook--what are they thinking? What happened to privately seeking help professionally or through true friends verses the public forum of 400 facebook "friends?" I am rambling...but here is the article that is really worth reading...

We still must have human contact

Two girls from Australia were recently trapped in a storm drain. They had a cell phone with them that had a connection. The two girls chose to update their Facebook pages to convey their status as being stuck in a storm drain and in need of help. They never used the cell phone with a connection to actually place a call for help.

Ridiculous, but it raises the question about how social media are changing not only the way we communicate, but what we communicate.

The other day, I was on my Facebook page while at work during my usual post-lunch motivational delay. During that time of day, most posts from at-home parents are about the need for nap times and most posts from those at work are also about the need for nap times. But on this day, one of my Facebook friends, a woman I went to high school with (but was not close to then nor now) put up a string of posts just minutes apart outlining that her husband took their baby and left her. The angst of the posts struck me deeply. Watching her self-worth diminish through her string of comments set off my internal alarms. This woman was not in a good place. She needed help, but her other Facebook friends were responding with superficial responses about getting a drink or a better husband. Only one or two responded they would pray for her. But they were all posts. Given the short timing, I did not get the sense that anyone was calling this person.

I was truly concerned for her well-being and safety. I considered all the options. Did I want to call her? That seemed an intrusion, and, regardless, I did not have a phone number. Did I want to post a serious response on her page? That seemed more of an addition to the problem. Finally, I sent her a private e-mail through Facebook stating I was concerned and giving her a list of area counselors who might be able to meet with her on short notice.

After agonizing about this exchange, her next posts within 30 minutes were the following:

* He’s at his parents
* I’m in carpool line and about to run out of gas. Great.

Someone responded they should get their children together for a playdate. Nothing else was said.

A few days later, a post appeared that she and her husband could get through anything together if they stayed a team. By the end of the whole saga, I was not sure what most horrified me—that Facebook was her chosen medium to announce the breakdown of her marriage, the casual and playful responses of her other Facebook friends, or that the whole incident was treated the same as my post that sneezing while your mascara’s wet makes for a bad start to a day.

Would this woman have really walked into a room of 400 friends and acquaintances and made the same proclamations? Would they have responded like they did online if she had? I don’t think so, I think the safety (and distance) of the computer erases emotions and emotional growth.

It’s easier to text someone you know at a social function than speak to someone you don’t. It’s easier to send back a quick and angry em-mail than to call to resolve a conflict. It’s easier to post a critical comment than to engage in actual conversation. In taking these easy ways out, we are losing the ability to learn how to govern ourselves—both in real public and in public forums like the Internet.

The electronic exchanges fail to establish a set of social norms that translate to in-person contact. Were those same exchanges to take place in real time in front of a group of others, the room reaction would dictate future behavior….

We need to ensure that those coming of age in this instant-messaging era still know how to communicate well and in person. The computer screens and cell phones provide a layer of protection when 'speaking' out and lack of regulating feedback.

Ultimately, I believe in her anguish, my Facebook friend was reaching out for comfort in the only way she knew how. How sad, though, that the first thought for a connection was through the Internet. Electronic hugs have not been invented.

Crying on your computer just makes it wet. Human contact is still a necessity and, perhaps, even more so in this electronic age.

--Abigail Lounsbury Morrow The Birmingham News September 27, 2009

Eight ways to recognize a friend

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:19:00 +0000

Eight ways to recognize a friend

Posted using ShareThis

The Sacred Path

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 02:35:00 +0000

We have all faced such moments--times when we recognize anew that we are called to a journey that will shape us and change us. The journey has the potential to heal us or harden us. It will harden us if we attempt to do an end run around the desert, valley, or craggy peak where God compels us to walk. It will soften, break, mold, and heal us if we choose to take sorrow and suffering by the hand and walk by faith into the damage of our past, the struggles of the present, and our fears of the future.....

God promises us redemption, but his sacred path leads us away from safety, predictability, and comfort. Any attempt to fly over the dangerous terrain or make a detour to safer ground is doomed because it will not take us to God. Instead, it leads to a host of other idols that can't provide us with the confidence of faith, the dynamic of hope, or the passion of love we so deeply crave.

-Dr. Dan Allender in his book The Healing Path

Space & Rocket Center

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:49:00 +0000

What a fun trip! We went to the Space & Rocket Center this week and had a blast!

Laying in a simulator

Darth Vader

KK with a stealth bomber

Kev seeing what it is like to drive a moon rover

WOW! The boys had so much fun climbing the rock walls & rapelling down

Kev riding up the Sling Shot ride

The kiddie version of the sling shot...they liked it!

Camping

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:17:00 +0000

Some pics from our various summer camping adventures...

One of my all-time fav pics of MG--laying on the merry go round after a swim in the lake

Playing at a campground park at Wind Creek

The boys hanging out on the merry go round

After a swim in Lake Martin

One of the most unexpected things to see when driving through rural Demopolis, AL--a tin man and other bizarre creations made out of bales of hay and scraps of metal. We felt a little like we were driving through the Twilight Zone!

Bunny

Monster truck

Barons Game

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:54:00 +0000

I am waaaayyy overdue in updating my blog! Here are some pics from earlier this summer from a minor league baseball game. KK's entire baseball team was recognized and they got to walk out on the field before the game. It was our kids first experience at a baseball game and we stayed until the very end to see the fireworks.

KK looking suave in his sunglasses

Nothing better than a baseball game and a big salty pretzel

It was free jersey night and they kids got a Baron's jersey

Getting My Feet Dirty

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:11:00 +0000

I climbed over a chain-link fence this summer--bare footed. My toes frantically tried to grip the wobbly metal like monkey fingers. My brain thinks I am still young and lithe, like a panther. Yet, my body does not jive with my brain's assessment. I am sure the sight of a 36-year old mom quavering on top of a fence was comical to anyone passing by. Thankfully I made it to the other side of the fence safely, yet very ungracefully.

As a child, I ran barefoot all summer long. I remember the gentle tickle of grass on my feet as we ran barefoot playing hide and seek, tag, and red rover with neighborhood children. And I remember the heat of the Alabama asphalt on my feet as we ran down street after street chasing the ice cream truck. We spent summers climbing trees searching for the shed skin of cicadas high in the tree branches. I remember getting to pick a watermelon out of my uncle’s garden one summer. My cousins and I were joyous as the adults cut slices for us to eat on my uncle's back deck. The ripe fruit juice covered our bare arms & legs and we were sticky for the rest of the day, with dirt and watermelon seeds covering us.

I loved my messy, sticky, wild and adventurous childhood. Therefore, it would seem logical that I would want similar experiences for my children—squishing barefoot through mud, climbing treacherously high trees, having sticky fingers and feet all day long. Yet, my agenda includes safer things, neater things—like soccer lessons, ballet, or playing in the driveway (no mud there).

One of the things impressed upon me this summer was how the Lord often places people in our lives to shake us up a little. One of these people for me was a sweet friend (yes, she’s the one that had me climbing the chain-link fence). One evening this summer, she and I walked to her neighborhood park, with our 5 kids in tow. To get to the park, we had to walk through a field that was full of mud from a few rainy days we had that week. There was also a little creek at the back of the park in a wooded area. I was immediately certain the water was infested with water moccasins and all kinds of other deadly creatures. I was silently praying my children would have NO interest in the creek. To my dismay, my children are forever drawn to water and mud.

I was shocked as my friend’s children happily jumped barefoot into the muddy little creek. My friend did not bat an eye—she was not whipping out hand sanitizer or forbidding them to explore the creek. In fact, she was encouraging it! I stood on the little bank of the creek wondering, WHO is this woman? Her son waded into the depths and caught tadpoles and a crayfish. Her daughter got her shoe stuck in the muddy water. My friend patiently dug through the mud to retrieve the shoe and then rinsed it in the creek water. She then patiently tended to my daughter who was covered in mud and crying. I just stood to the side trying to avoid the mud and diligently watching for snakes in the murky water.

We were all covered in mud by the end of our excursion, but we washed off in the creek as best as we could. We were sweaty and muddy and still had to walk quite a way to get back home—pulling a wagon of children, a bucket of tadpoles, and at least one child who was crying most of the way (my child). Adding to the adventure, we climbed the fence on the way back into her backyard-- the wobbly fence that almost cost me my life and a few toes.

After we got back to her house, we rinsed off again--this time with a water hose and soap. We scrubbed little feet one after the other unable to eliminate the mud stuck in toe crevices and under toenails. My precious friend then served us dinner. I don’t remember everything we ate, but I think there was a delicious salad somewhere in the mix. More importantly, I remember feeling loved and encouraged and alive. As the breeze gently blew through the screened-in porch, I could hear the muffled laughter of our children wafting through the air and a dog barking in the distance.

After dinner, I watched in amazement as my friend grabbed a container of gasoline and proceeded to make a bonfire in the backyard. Again, I was stunned and wondering WHO is this person? Ironically, our daughters were in the same ballet class. I had no idea that Moms scaled fences, waded in mud, or could use a gasoline can to start a fire.

We roasted marshmallows and made s’mores as the sun set. And I was truly thankful for the wonderful love that my Savior has for me--through a friend giving me and my children a night of adventure and surprise. And how He used it to rekindle the flame of adventure in my own heart—a desire to put away the hand sanitizer every now and then and let my children be wild and messy and free. Heck, I may even get a little wild and get my feet muddy too!

Back to school sale - Ecostore USA

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:32:00 +0000

BACK TO SCHOOL SALE

You have got to check out this AWESOME BOGO sale at ECOSTORE USA!!! This is a great time to stock up on affordable eco-friendly products!

Winner Winner Winner Winner!

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:31:00 +0000

I used the random number generator to select a winner for the Eco-Friendly Giveaway for a $25 gift certificate to Ecostore USA and the WINNER is:

Entry #89 - Courtney Stoffel

CONGRATULATIONS COURTNEY!!!

Little Chefs

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:52:00 +0000

KK spent the entire day yesterday with sweet friends. He had a blast playing and even got to help make Cherry Crisp! It was yummy! Good job little chefs!

Baseball

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:32:00 +0000

Eco friendly giveaway! Win $25 Gift Certificate to ECOSTORE USA!

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:39:00 +0000

Ecostore USA contacted me to review some of their products. I was happy to take them up on their offer to send me free products! I am also excited to announce that I am giving away a $25 gift certificate to Ecostore USA. These products are truly wonderful! As a mom, it is nice to find a company that offers chemical- free products at affordable prices! Ecostore's product line includes household cleaners, body and baby care, and pet products--all plant-based and chemical free! I have loved using Ecostore's coconut soap and baby shampoo. The coconut soap has gentle coconut milk and strands of coconut that helps exfoliate and replenish the skin. I was pleasantly surprised the bar of soap easily worked into a rich moisturizing lather, unlike many other eco-friendly products on the market. Likewise, their baby shampoo is very rich and worked into a nice lather, leaving my child's skin feeling very soft. I am so excited to have found such cost-effective and quality products without compromise the health of my family or the environment! See below to enter the contest to win a $25 gift certificate to Ecostore USA.

HOW TO ENTER:

1) Visit Ecostore USA 's website and view their line of products
2) Leave a comment on my blog, including your email address and 2 products you'd like to have from Ecostore's product line

It's that simple! Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win. The winner will be chosen by random drawing on July 31, 2009. You must be 18 or older to win and a resident of United States.

You can also follow Ecostore on their blog and on Twitter

Snakes, Water Park, and Ice Cream

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:33:00 +0000

On Friday, we had a fun day at a new water park in Gardendale. MG would not get in the water and only wanted to be held...she finally decided to shoot some of the water guns. The boys ran right in and had a blast. They also played in the adjacent playground. Today we went to Oak Mountain State Park to see a snake show. We paid our entry fee and drove the 6 miles into the Animal Wildlife Center and were disappointed to find the snake show was canceled. However, we were in for a snake show of our own! We saw a HUGE rattlesnake at the base of a pine tree with its head poking up watching birds at some nearby bird feeders. As we watched the rattler, I happened to catch movement out of the corner of my eye. Low and behold, there was a rat snake slithering up the branches of a tree above the rattler! Truly a freaky moment! We later cautiously hiked down a gravel path, making the children walk in the center of the path as Kevin and I scanned the edges of the path closely. Wouldn't you know we'd see a 3rd snake??--a king snake coiled up in some leaves at the edge of the path! We later drove to the petting zoo at Oak Mountain and thankfully did not see any more snakes!

JC was so sweet to hold MG's hand and take her through the water--she finally decided to give the water a try!

Sister still cautious about the water

Boys shooting a huge water gun

I got a picture of him with his tongue flicking out--gross!

MG and Daddy heading into the petty zoo...MG is holding a goose feather that she found

What better way to end a day with ice cream at a birthday party?

4th of July

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 03:43:00 +0000

Our sweet friends invited us to a 4th of July get-together and monkeyball tournament. We had lots of good food and fun! I think my kids had at least 4 pieces of cake & 2 bowls of ice cream each...along with a yummy dinner. The sugar overload kept them awake to see the 9pm fireworks. It was a wonderful and fun-filled day!

The kids got busy right away playing with toys in the yard

KK & Sam trying to play badmitten

The "Battle at Bull Run" monkeyball tournament...I won 3 games--congrats to Kevin for winning the whole thing!

Group pic of the kids...MG wouldn't sit for the photo...she was too busy playing. :)

Waiting for fireworks

KK took pics and video of the show

Blueberries

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 03:35:00 +0000

For the past 3 years our sweet neighbor lets us come over and pick blueberries. We always come home with full bellies and buckets of berries. This year we also discovered blackberries nearby.

MG eats as she goes

Our week

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:16:00 +0000

This week we've traveled through Montgomery, Troy, and Tuscaloosa. We bought an RV last weekend and enjoyed taking it on our first camping trip to Deer Run RV Park in Troy. It was certainly a great place to start our camping adventures. It was very clean and nice, with a bath house, laundry room, swimming pool, and lakes for fishing. We had a great time and the kids enjoyed spending the night in the camper. We also discovered some new playgrounds on our trips to Montgomery and Troy. Our favorite stop this week was the Children's Hands On Museum in Tuscaloosa. It was awesome and we will definitely go back again soon!

Walking down the path towards the swimming pool

KK having fun jumping in

3 peas in a pod...they all slept in the top bed over the cab

The museum in T'loosa--awesome!

JC at the fishing site of the museum

Daddy showing his skills

MG getting ready to drive the boat

The boat was really neat...it simulated the sounds of a real boat

Paging Dr. Singleton...and Dr. Singleton...and Dr. Singleton!
The hospital was one of their favorite places at the museum! They loved it & I could hardly get them to leave!

JC and Mads taking care of a newborn

The boys making some great scientific discoveries

A shot to the head is always nice! Sweet MG could not stay away from "George"...she had a 30 minute screaming fit when we left the monkey behind to go home!

How about a shot inserted in your mouth while the other doc uses the stethescope to listen to your hipbone?

Ahhh, MG connecting and bonding with George...she is still talking about George and the museum!

Dr. KK goes above and beyond by typing his own medical records

Mommy goes on a rampage to scare her children and husband senseless....
obviously MG isn't fooled

Pretty frightening...but the husband snaps a picture & is obviously not scared

JC was only momentarily fooled...obviously Mommy is the only senseless one!

"I whistle while I work"

JC caught the big one

MG in the Japanese exhibit

KK in the mirror house

Gigi Party

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 03:18:00 +0000

We love Sheila Walsh's Gigi series of books and DVDs at our house! MG watches one of her Gigi DVDs every night before bed. I love that the focus is on being God's little princess and how Gigi is loved dearly as His daughter. Gigi is not some fairy-tale princess that is perfect. Like all of us, she is flawed and has things go wrong in her little-girl world. Our local Christian Bookstore had a Gigi Princess Party this weekend and we had to attend! Sweet and Sassy was there painting fingernails and giving the girls' hair a "princess bun." Here are some pics.

MG having her fingernails painted

Here she is getting her hair done...she also got a glittery purple star painted on her face

Check it out!!!

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:44:00 +0000

Check out this awesome opportunity to win the new Oreck Halo vacuum cleaner at the Short Pump Preppy blog. I have been drooling over this vacuum cleaner and would love to have one of my own! Not only does it have a HEPA filter and amazing cleaning abilities, but it also has a really cool UV light that kills germs and bacteria. Go check out the blog to find out more about this neat vacuum and enter for a chance to win!

New area farmer's market

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:00:00 +0000

Valleydale Farmer's Market

Money saving tips for families

RUTHIE5573@BELLSOUTH.NET (Ruthie) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:50:00 +0000

Examiner.com article on saving money for families