Website Wednesday!

This week's website is Fark.com. This website has every news story you need to know and more, including some not-so-news stories, too. I have not been one to read this website much, but my husband reads it daily, sometimes more than once a day and I frequently hear bursts of laughter coming from the corner of the room when he's reading Fark. There are tabs dividing the news into categories, so if you are interested in Sports, Politics, Showbiz, Music, there are tabs just for you. There's even a tab marked Geek and we won't have a show of hands here as to who would be interested in that tab. You can also choose to see all stories displayed.

From the company's website:

The first thing you should know is that Fark.com isn't a Weblog. Fark.com, the Web site, is a news aggregator and an edited social networking news site. Every day Fark receives 2,000 or so news submissions from its readership.

What is Fark exactly? Fark is what fills space when mass media runs out of news. Fark is supposed to look like news... but it's not news. It's Fark.

Feeling bored by the every day news stories? Check out Fark...you'll definitely find stories there you won't see on your local news station.

Just thought I'd share...

On Facebook, I was tagged to list 25 random things about me. It was hard to come up with 25 things about myself! So, because I worked so hard, thought I'd get more bang for my buck and share it here as well. BTW, have you joined Facebook? I have reconnected with people I haven't talked to in years! But, just a warning...it can be addicting!

So, here goes...

1. I have a wonderful husband, who is completely opposite of me, and makes me strive to be a better person.

2. I have 3 amazing, beautiful, smart, funny and talented children...yes, I am proud to be their mommy!

3. I am a Texan living in Ohio...you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl!

4. I love my job.

5. I live in an 80 year old house and love it.

6. I have some awesome friends. Though distance separates us, we can pick up where we left off and that is so nice.

7. I strive to be the woman God created me to be and struggle with it daily.

8. I am determined to read the entire Bible in 2009 and I'm right on track so far!

9. I am a musician, trained from 4 years of age on, but very few have seen my hidden talent of playing the recorder with my nose.

10. I am an extreme introvert who has learned to function as an extrovert, but I definitely need alone time on a regular basis to recharge.

11. I love decorating.

12. A town in Texas is named after my ancestors.

13. I have never had a brain freeze...and believe me, it's not from lack of trying!

14. I met my hubby the summer before our senior year in college in an English class.

15. My favorite hobby is reading. (Is that a hobby?)

16. I have not sung very much since moving to Ohio after singing daily for the past 6 years.

17. My first piano teacher, my great aunt, played the piano on the Lawrence Welk Show when it was on the radio, prior to airing on television.

18. I have never broken a bone.

19. My favorite vegetable is yellow squash. I'm the only one in my family who likes it, so I don't get to eat it very often.

20. I am a cat person...never thought I would be, but 'fraid so...my two new kitties are named after Texas counties: Harris and Taylor Bell.

21. I am the third consecutive generation on my mom's side to have three children, girl-boy-girl...thought it was up to the man's gene?

22. I love working with kids...all ages.

23. I am organized to the point of being obnoxious...at least, it drives my hubby crazy!

24. I have one living grandparent...Mema, who is an amazing 84-year old woman. She plays the Wii better than I do and walks 2 miles a day.

25. I am looking forward to a visit to TX in March...family, friends, a wedding, WARMTH and TEX-MEX! I'm counting down the days!

What we're reading this week...

Wow, it's been a while since I blogged. We have been sick in our house and still have one sick. Actually, she's sick again with something totally different. Needless to say, we haven't had a full night's sleep for at least two weeks, so I have not had the "with it"-ness to write. So, hopefully, I'm back on track this week.

This is what we're reading this week.

(Click on the image to link to Amazon's website.)

Jason and I are reading the Bible in chronological order in 2009. 

Jason reads his excerpts on Bible Gateway 

and I read mine using this version:

Jason's reading...

My reading...

Emily's reading...

Ben's reading...

Abby's reading...

Happy reading!

Almost back...

...to the land of the living. We still have one sick-ee, but we're getting there. I will return to blogging this week. Just have to share a cute conversation Abby just had with us...

Abby: Daddy, what can I be when I grow up?

Daddy: You can be anything you want to be when you grow up, Abby.

Abby: Can I be a snowman when I grow up?

So, I guess she can't be anything...she's now settled for being a farmer and a mommy and her farm will be in Texas.

The Infirmary

The Curtis Household is sick...falling like dominoes, so not much time for blogging right now. Hopefully, it will be over quickly, but when there are three children, that never seems to be the case! 

Be back soon!

Happy 1st Birthday!

Happy 1st birthday to a very special little girl who has touched many,  many hearts!

You can read about her here.

Website Wednesday!

Today's website is Snopes.com. You may be familiar with this website as you may have used it several times yourself! You know all those forwarded emails that you get claiming all sorts of things and insisting they are true? Well, Snopes is the place to check their validity. It's very simple...type in the subject line or keywords of the email that was forwarded to you. Snopes will let you know whether the email you received was true or false and will also give you the background, including the origination of the email and more info than you would ever want or need to know!

Let me go ahead and help you with an easy one... Applebee's is not going to send you a gift certificate for forwarding emails to your address book. I know, disappointing, isn't it? Well, save yourself the embarrassment of forwarding the message...it's false! And, if you've already fallen prey to the scam, have no fear, redemption is granted and adding Snopes to your toolbar will save you from such horrendous mistakes in the future!

What we're reading this week...

I am a sucker for routine. Although, I like downtime and need it every once in a while, it's the return to routine that makes me feel on top of things. Today, we returned to routine; kids are in school, hubby at work and back to work for me, too. 

I didn't get as much reading done as I wanted to over the holidays because with three kiddos home, I just don't get the quiet, uninterrupted time. But, we had plenty of time to play games, watch movies and even play in the snow.

Here's what we're reading this week...

(Click on the image to link to Amazon's website.)

Jason's reading...

(Jason and I are both reading through the Bible in one year, using a chronological Bible.)

       

My reading...

(Three books at once...a first for me!)

           

Emily's reading...

Ben's reading...

Abby's reading...

(We're reading this book alot! I'm hoping it will help!)

Happy Reading!

Got Church?

We have been in Ohio for about 16 months now as a family. We have yet to find a church home, which is so frustrating! Coming from a life of nothing but church, surrounded by Christian friends and relationships in the workplace and in our social circles, to a life where we can't seem to find the right place for us has been a bit of a downer. We know what having a church home will do to our lives, we know what serving in a church does to our spiritual lives, and we know what having our children in church does for their spiritual foundation. So, knowing all these things, we are more than ready to be able to belong to a church. In Texas, there is quite a selection of churches, but here in Cleveland, the pickings are not the same. We have added two more to our list to visit (although they require a 30-minute drive from our house) and will see if these are where the Lord is leading us. 

In reading about one of these two churches, I came across this video that the lead pastor created. This particular church meets in a movie theater and they have quite the plethora of videos on Youtube that are pretty impressive creatively. I'm not sure yet the spiritual depth of the church, but I think we might check it out. The other church is probably nothing like this first one. It follows the doctrines of the Southern Baptist church and may be closer to what we're accustomed to. 

So, we will visit each one and pray that God will show us where He wants to use our gifts for His kingdom. For now, enjoy this...

Happy New Year 2009!

Happy New Year! Can you believe it's 2009? Our 2009 started off great with a visit from our dear friends from Texas who were able to include a stop at the Curtis house for a couple of days in their winter vacation. Today has been a sad day as we said goodbye to them. Abby went up to her room and cried, wanting them to come back. Friends are such a gift and the Brady family is a huge blessing to us! We're already planning when we will see each other again and counting the days.

So, have you made your new year's resolutions? I'm not really one to make them because I'm not really one to follow through with them. However, this year, I have a few that I am determined to work on. My first resolution is to read the entire Bible in 2009. I started today with a chronological Bible that is divided into daily readings. I believe 100% that the Bible is true, inspired by God and want to soak in all that He has written, and in turn, learn more about Him. Hand in hand with this resolution is to become more obedient and follow His leading in my life.

From there, there's the token lose weight, be a better mom and be a better wife. I'm hoping that my Wii Fit can help with the weight and the Bible will help with being a better mom, wife and friend.

I hope your new year is full of blessings.

Happy New Year!