My beautiful cats

The Orangie is my precious Padmae, oddest cat I've ever know, but I simply adore her. She hates other cats but is very attached to me! She follows me all around the house, never looking at me, like she couldn't care less, but always close by. She will never let me pet her until we get on my bed, then she goes nuts, want to climb right inside I think. It must feel like a afe spot to her. She is starting to like our new Bill a bit, and I have caught her playin' with Boba before too, she'll never admit it though!

The big guy is Boba, coolest, funniest cat I've ever know. Very laid back and easy going yet loves to play. He adores other kitties, embraces them immediately, literally. Whenever we bring a new one home he sniffs it, puts his paw around them and starts licking, as if to say 'oh, your finally here'! Never hisses, never meows! He is so smart, one of those cats that seem like they get what your saying, knows his name, climbs ladders, steals food from our plates by sneaking it off with his paw. We don't let him, but we all find it so funny, and he does it every time we eat. I keep telling Keith we need to stat video taping him and make a montage to send in somewhere, it really is funny, because it's so smart and sneaky.
The Baby Bengal looking fella is baby Bill. Bill loves his food and really loves to cuddle, he is sweeter than honey! I love the circles and swirls on his sides!

Sweet Sentiment

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'
'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches

Gluttony

This was Tatum's fifth birthday bash. One of my favorite ways to do dinner.

We buy corn on the cob, garlic bread, potato wedges, shrimp skewers, king crab, craw fish, mussels, snow crab, rock crab and chicken skewers (for those non-seafood lovers). Then we just dump it all in the middle of the table and dig in.

The pictures are before, during and after. What a feast!

This is where it gets good... {laughing devilishly} You see that mess, well, you just roll up the table cloth and dump, no dishes, that's it. Such a wonderful feeling. I recommend it for everyone to try. It makes you feel almost naughty!

That fella sittin' at the table all alone is My bro Tom, always the last one at the table...

Your choice?

I present to you...

A cup of happy or A cup of sad

what sounds good today

you decide?!?

My sweet Son!

On how I miss him!

Tyler Adam had the opportunity to go fishing in canada with his Papa for a week!

I neveR would have imagined how much I would miss him.

I never realized how much of a comanpion, a pal, he was to me!

He finally gets home tomorrow, I can't wait!!!

My new baby...yay

If you are familiar with my Dryer story, you'll know that my new, upcoming, addition is bitter sweet. (if not, see beware of dryers)

I introduce to you Bill, my new baby boy! He was born 1 week ago, July 29th. In this picture, Bill is the fourth one from the left, with the markings of a Bengal.

I can't wait to introduce him to my other fur balls, in about 5 weeks.

Were ready for ya Mr. Bill Banger my Bengal!

By the way, Bill's mom was also my sweet Wookie's mom!

SO SO bitter sweet!

Who the heck am I?

My name is Niki! I am very passionate about several things in life; my family, my faith, being a great Mom, healthy living, clean eating, home remedies, animals and crafting. I hope to share information and products I find very useful in all these area’s!
I really look forward to meeting new people and helping enrich the lives of many! I very much believe what goes around comes and try to live my life by that. I hope that if I give kindness to others, it will come back around my way, blessing me and my family!

My life

I have been a bar server for almost 13 years now, I just gave my notice! I’m a bit nervous about it, I don’t have a new job yet and this is about all I have ever done, aside from hobbies. I’m so tired of my kids coming home from school and I have to walk right out the door for work 4 or 5 night a week. It was time, I’m over that life style.
I am so deeply passionate about being with my family, working in a bar is just a really bad fit for me. It really goes against everything I stand for, especially the good health aspect of my life! Bar people are a bunch of drinking, smoking, dirty, loud mouthed, vulgar drunks! Don't get me wrong, there are exceptions and for the most part I really enjoyed the friends I made there, they made it all tolerable! But most people aren't really the kind you want to surround yourself with when your goals in life are to be honest, caring, spiritual, moral, kind, healthy, fit, energetic, fun, friendly and family oriented.

Folks you meet in bars are more often than not the opposite of these things! I’m so excited about the chapter in my life I am about to embark on, I hope you will stay with me on my journey {getting out map and dusting it off}!
With Love and Anticipation, Niki

Short n’ Sweet

One of my favorite saying

'A man stands tallest when kneeling to help a child…'

My darlin’ daughter

I always try to get the positive out of life whenever I can! In somewhat yucky situations, like a rainy day, I tell my kids I love the rain because feeling it on my skin lets me know I’m alive {you know what the alternative is}!

I 'try' to be grateful about everything I have. When my kids give me a kiss, or do a good deed, or for no reason at all, I tell them they “make my heart smile”!

A couple days ago when I was making lunch for my daughter, she looked at me and said “Mommy, you make my heart smile”! I know she was just happy to be getting her beloved spaghettio's that I only allow about once a wee, but I'll take what I can get! My heart was soaring in that moment!

Then, this morning it was raining pretty good when we left for school, and she said “this rain makes me feel alive!... Right Mommy?” Of course I agreed, with a smile on my face and soaking wet cloths. A year from now, 20 years from now, I will remember her words and the look on her face! I already forgot the feel of the uncomfortably wet cloths on my body!

These are the little moments in life I embrace and crave every day!

Your kids will pick up things from you, the good and the bad. Watch your words, watch your actions, watch your attitude and watch your heart! Even when it comes to the little things that might seem insignificant… Like a rainy day!

Watch yourself!

Watch your thought... they become words!
Watch your words... they become actions!
Watch your actions... they become character!
Watch your character… It defines you!

About YOU

Everything that happens to you,

from this moment forward, good or bad,

will be of great benefit to you!

There is a purpose, there is a reason!

Beware of Dryers... sad story

My sweet 3 month old kitten, Wookie, passed away in our dryer on the Fourth of July and I am mortified {shaking and crying uncontrolably}.

I found her myself and will never forgive myself.

I am a huge animal lover. I have two other beautiful grown cats and they loved our new addition we called Wookie. I got her on Mothers Day!

The thing that kills me is that I know to watch for them in the dryer, my sweet baby girl, whom passed, and my male tabby, Boba, love to get in there. I always check for them, always, always, why didn't I check that day, why?

On the morning of the fourth I was busy running around getting ready to go to the beach to visit my inlaws, then to my moms for Fricano's pizza, then to go on their pontoon boat for fireworks. My husband was anxious for me to cut his hair real quick. I had a zillion things going on.

I said,"let me just throw this load in the dryer real quick and I'll do it!"

I, for probably the first time, didn't check for my sweet Wookie, again, why?

The worst part was that my husband and I were only about 5 feet from where our dryer was when I cut his hair. I never heard a sound, not a single cry or thump

'oh sweet girl, why didn't you cry for me???'

I can only pray that that is a sign that she was unconsious fairly quickly, I pray this is true, I need to believe this is true.

I am writing this as a testiment that you can never be to carful with your kittens, they get into many dangerous places. ALWAYS check your dryer before starting a load. I am crushed by this loss and will be for some time!

Especially when I watch my grown cats walk around the house...

...searching

... for her, I just know it!

Thanks for listening, and always be alert!