Friday, October 27, 2006

Fun Fridays in October


Crazy Dress Day

Ethan - PJ Day

Nolan - PJ Day

Crazy Hair Day

You're such a PUMPKIN!


Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff; including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Ethan's Christmas Wish List (in his own words)

1. "Ariel" (The Little Mermaid DVD)


2. "The Race Cars One" (Cars DVD)


3. "A watch"


4. "A car to drive" (child's motorized vehicle)


5. "A bird" (he wants another pet)


6. "Maybe my own church" (what?)

New adventures for the Maples Family

John (my husband) has applied for the LPD. The hiring process takes months, and is very selective. If he is chosen he will begin the academy in late January/early February. After a phone conversation with LPD yesterday he sent this out via email to friends/family...

I'M RANKED #9 IN THE GROUP OF APPLICANTS FOR THIS ROUND OF POLICE OFFICERS. THERE ARE 45 REMAINING OUT OF THE 150 SOMTHING THAT PASSED THE EXAM AND THE PHYSICAL TEST. WHOOOO HOOOOOOO!

INTERVIEWS START ON DEC 4TH AND I SHOULD BE ONE OF THE FIRST INTERVIEWED. I WILL FIND OUT AROUND NOV 19TH WHEN I INTERVIEW BUT I HAVE NOT BEEN DISQUALIFIED AND IN FACT IN AM RANKED PRETTY DANG GOOD. YEAH!!!!

JUST WANTED TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS WITH EVERYONE. I AM MORE THAN LIKELY A SHOE-IN SINCE THEY TYPICALLY TAKE 30-40 FOR THE ACADEMY. WON'T BE MUCH LONGER NOW. KEEP PRAYING FOR ME!

JOHN

Goodbye Magnet!

The car I had from my senior year of HS in 1996 until just after Ethan's birth in 2003 was a Ford Taurus. In college me & my girlfriends named her "Magnet". So to me this is sad news - read the news article below...

Sometime next week, the assembly line at a Ford plant near Atlanta will come to a halt, signaling the end of a family sedan so revolutionary that its 1985 debut changed forever the way cars look, feel and drive.

Say goodbye to the Taurus.

After 21 years and sales of nearly 7 million cars, Ford Motor Co. is giving up on what some call the most influential automobile since Henry Ford's Model T. The Taurus is credited with moving America away from boxy V-8 powered gas-guzzling bedrooms-on-wheels to aerodynamic, more efficient cars with crisper handling.
To many, the Taurus' death was slow and painful as Ford in recent years abandoned the car that saved the company, focusing instead on high-profit trucks and sport utility vehicles.

"When that thing came out, it was a big deal," said Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University. "It so much became kind of the template of what a modern car was going to look like."

The Taurus, so futuristic that critics called it a "jellybean" or a "flying potato," made its debut late in 1985, with 1979 gasoline shortages still fresh in consumers' minds. The U.S. economy was just pulling out of a downturn when the scalloped Taurus, initially equipped with V-6 and four-cylinder engines, hit showrooms. It was an immediate hit, with buyers snapping up more than 263,000 in 1986, its first full year on the market.

It became the best-selling car in America in 1992 with sales of nearly 410,000, unseating the Honda Accord just as Japanese imports were starting to take hold in the U.S., and it held the top spot for five straight years until it was supplanted by the Toyota Camry in 1997. Even near death in September, it remained Ford's top-selling car.

Ford also sold another 2 million Mercury Sables, the Taurus' nearly identical twin.

Dominated the sedan segment
"It was really the last full-size American passenger sedan to dominate the segment," said Jim Sanfilippo, senior industry analyst for Bloomfield Hills-based Automotive Marketing Consultants Inc.

Ford was losing billions in the early 1980s when Taurus was just an idea. Philip Caldwell, chief executive at the time, challenged designers and engineers to come up with a radically different car that would return Ford to profitability.

"We were in terrible condition financially," recalled Jack Telnack, chief designer on the original Taurus who retired in 1998. "He said `Look, we need something really different, really new, that will kind of set the pace out there.' "

Nearly 1,000 people worked on the car, many coming from Ford's European operations. They had spotted a trend that U.S. buyers were moving away from big, cushy cars to better-handling European models, Telnack said.

-Associated Press, October 20, 2006

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Untitled

Quote:
“Every six months or so, I think it’s important to try and find out who you are. I (still) have no clue.” –my HS friend Amanda

I feel like I have a good grasp of who I am. But what I am truly good at? What do I truly enjoy? What do I want to be when I grow up? Where is my niche?
I know I value time with my family, living a comfortable life (which means having enough money to support my current lifestyle), making a difference & doing what I am supposed to be doing. I don't mind working hard, but I want to work smarter not harder. I want to do what I do best everyday & excel at it everyday.

I don't understand why there has to be a rat race. We are literally making our selves sick & working ourselves to death. Instead I want my work to be a joy, an extension of me as a person. And I want a career, not a job. I want to postively impact those I serve/teach/work with & also impress those I work for. Is this possible? Is it possible for me? Am I capable? Is it possible for anyone?

I have concluded that I hate failing. At work today I am supposed to juggle 100 balls. I am capable of juggling most of them - if I do enough to get by. I don't want to do enough to get by! I want to be innovative, resourceful, smart, strategic about my actions. I want to impact the system & the people. I want what I do each day to lead to better outcomes in our healthcare facilities. I hate simply checking off things from the endless to-do list.

And I have also concluded that I am not giving up the dream that I can do this. I don't want to settle for mundane or mediocre in anything I do. I want my relationships and my labors to be extraordinary. I won't accept anything less.

And those are the only conclusions I have come to. I hope that somehow, someday I will learn how to consitently excel (I think I need an administrative assistant - or less job responsibilities). Until then I will practice the art of prioritization & knowing when & how to say no. And I will try to forgive myself for "dropping the ball".

I am so tired of being tired - mentally, emotionally & physically...Fun times in the reality of adulthood!

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Supposedly, these are the celebrities that I most resemble...
Yamila Diaz 62%...
Lisa Ling 67%...
Brooke Burns 73%...
Jennifer Aniston 67%...
Janeane Garofalo 63%...
I ran the test with 5 different photos & these are the only ones that repeated on any list. Other people that matched one photo were - Daryl Hannah, Andie MacDowell, Brittany Murphy, Victoria Beckham, Rachel Hunter, Debra Messing, Annette Bening, Molly Ringwald, Kate Beckinsale, Alyssa Milano, Selma Blaire, Laura Linney, Meryl Streep, Nicky Hilton & Jennfer Love Hewitt.
You can do it too at myheritage.com - it's a fun, silly thing to do. The only draw-back is that you have to sign-up.

ACU Memories



Candlelight devo, opening chapel, homecoming floats, Welcome Week, Spring Break Campaigns, curfew, pledging, Freshman follies, eating at Cici's after church on Sunday, "studying" at Denny's, Sing Song, dorm life, the Bean & the Bean Sprout, concerts on the patio, the piano man...I am sad that we missed the reunion last weekend. ACU is such an amazing school. My life would not be the same today without it.

Friday, October 13, 2006

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Please be patient as I change the blog around. I got bored...
Also, if anyone can help me to add links to friend's pages I would really appreciate it...I am having trouble & I know there must be an easier way ---- So Lyns, Smash, Sue...somebody please help!

Other than that no big changes. I hope to have more pics loaded here next week.

Oh, and Ethan didn't cry when Daddy dropped him off at school today! YIPPEE! Please keep him/us in your prayers.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

South Plains Fair





And last but not least - LEROY! He was my favorite part of the fair. He was so cute. He'd tip his little hat & everyone was enjoying him so much. I laughed so hard, I almost cried.

South Plains Fair






We loved the rides!

South Plains Fair






Other attractions we enjoyed.

South Plains Fair!





We loved the "tractors"!
(That's what the boys call any heavy machinery - we'll be driving down the road & we'll pass a construction crew & they yell, "Mommy, look at the tractors! There are three tarctors! They are working hard! Why are they doing that, Mommy?" I get play-by-play commentary in every aspect of life!)

South Plains Fair!





We love the food! It was so good we had to take the corn to go! YUMMMMMM!





South Plains Fair! We love the animals!

Monday, October 09, 2006




Here we are having fun at MaMil's. The boys love chasing the rabbits...and one lives in MaMil's front yard! Can you see it?

Monday, October 02, 2006




Having fun in the "Bouncy Castle" at Ava's 2nd birthday party...




Adventures at the park