Life With Three Reds And A Husband

How Time Flies!!!

2010-05-30T15:35:00.002-04:00

I cannot believe I haven't posted a single thing since last October! WOW, time sure has been zipping by. Home schooling has taken a huge priority in our lives and along with that our intense Iron Man Triathlon training. Since my last post, my husband & I have ran several half marathons, a few sprint triathlons and the BIG one, Iron Man Florida a few weeks ago!!!! The training was intense, but well worth it! Victory tasted so good when I finally crossed the FINISH LINE 8 hours later. EEEEK! Our journey is just beginning and I'm loving every minute of it! Training for a second Iron Man as my hubs trains for his FULL Iron Man in August is time consuming but it is a journey we are embarking on as a family. The blood, sweat & tears bring me joy when I hear all 3 of my boys say "Mom, when can we do our first triathlon?" Luke, my middle child, told me the other day he wanted to be a pro triathlete when he grows up! I got great joy in sharing that with Steve later that night. We must be doing something right!

My Baby Turns 5

2009-10-14T15:50:00.004-04:00

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY Jack!

It's so hard to believe but my "baby", Jack, turned 5 on October 3rd. In my eyes Jack is still "baby Jack" and we just recently stopped calling him that on a regular basis! When I go to pick him up he is all legs and long, not what I remember of when he was short and small. I apparently have a hard time making my brain catch up to reality! I now know the true meaning of "enjoy them while they are small". I can't tell you how many times I would hear that from family, friends and strangers, where ever I would go. When you are a stay at home mom, and you have more than one small child at home with you, you live for the next "step" and not the now. I have tried to soak up the smaller years with Jack knowing he was to be our last child. How I wish I could go back and keep doing all those baby things over and over again as I now miss them. I truly am enjoying seeing him and his brothers grow up into young boys.... cherish every moment of your kids younger years.... they are only little for a short time!

Iron Man 70.3

2009-10-04T22:50:00.002-04:00

I DID IT!! I have taken the plunge and I am diving in HEAD FIRST!!! 2010 Iron Man Half 70.3 here I come! The coming months should be interesting.... Steve is also competing in this endurance event so our training schedules should be interesting! I never thought I would ever be blogging about doing this kind of stuff, but never the less here I am in the middle of it all. My prayer is not only to just finish the race, but to be a shining light for Jesus and to be given the opportunity to share in his love while encouraging others to reach their goals. Gonna need LOTS of prayers coming my way over the next 7 months!!! I did fail to mention that a good friend of mine who recently lost her husband to cancer, will be training with me and competing in this race as well. I find this to be an honor to share in this experience with her as well with my husband. God is GOOD!

Reading Made FUN!

2009-09-03T14:47:00.002-04:00

Who says school should be boring, all work and no relaxation? Today the boys got to do school in their jammies and kick back a little while reading. I stumbled upon these amazing outdoor lounge chairs while zipping through one of my favorite stores. To my amazement, the lounge chairs were 75% off! So what's a girl to do when ya see that kind of a deal! I tossed 2 of them in my cart and scrambled out of the store before I spent any more green backs. Once I got home I realized I should have picked 3 of them up instead of 2. What was I thinking??? Did I honestly think that my boys would be able to share the 2 loungers and take turns during reading hour? HA! So it's back to the store we go later today to retrieve one more lounger... hope they still have at least one! I had a heck of a time explaining to the hubs why I bought these "mattresses" as Luke called them. I was quick to correct him in saying they are loungers, and were purchased for our quite time when reading. Needless to say, my plan worked and the boys were thrilled to lay down, get comfy and read. Money well spent I say!

First Day Of School @ Rolling Acres Academy

2009-08-31T14:48:00.002-04:00

BBBBBRRRRRRRIIIIIIING, school is officially in session! Today was Jacks very first day of school and boy was he excited! This was my first day of teaching 3 boys but I embraced the challenge. When all was said and done, we had a great start to the new school year. Besides the usual book work of language, arithmetic and spelling we are embarking on some new territory. Every 2 weeks the boys and I are going to do a unit study on a country. To start us off and rolling, our first country is Mexico. Today the boys learned how to say all the primary colors in Spanish and some of Mexico's customs. Tomorrow we will be making home made corn tortillas and diving deeper into Mexico's history. I never thought home schooling could be so much fun! Here's to a fun filled school year... CHEERS!

Rolling Acres Academy

2009-08-27T15:31:00.002-04:00

Welcome to Rolling Acres Academy! The boys and I have been hard at work getting our school room ready for class on Monday. After we placed all the final touches we decided our school needed a name. So we came up with Rolling Acres Academy since we live on acreage on a small hill, tons of trees and a lake. HA! I know it doesn't make any sense but it sounded good, so it stuck! Today our last shipment of books came in so we can officially start on Monday and the boys couldn't be more excited! I too have to admit I am anxious to start the new year.... ya know, get back into a good routine and have a schedule to stick to. Summer has been a blast, but we haven't kept to a schedule much. Then again that's okay cause it's summer and that's what your supposed to do... have fun..... and we did! We lived it up! Now it's back to reality. Happy home schooling to all you moms out there in blog land who take on this very rewarding challenge! CHEERS!

Back From Break

2009-08-10T10:21:00.003-04:00

Wow.... time sure flies by when you having fun! We have had one crazy, busy summer! I cannot believe it has been so long since I blogged, but with three very busy boys who have kept my every moment running, and I mean RUNNING, I only seem to find a few minute here and there for blog land. Summer has never been better! Besides the usual visits to the pool and play dates with friends we have taken a couple of road trips as well and had a visit from Steve's brother Dale and his family for July 4Th. Our first road trip was to Tennessee to visit my dad with a quick stop over in Atlanta for the night. Seven hours is about all I can handle in the car alone with three boys. HA! We spent several days in the Cumberland Mountains with Pappy (my dad) then returned to Atlanta to visit my sister and her family. This was the much anticipated visit of the year as my sister recently had her second child and the first girl for this side of my family. We spent the rest of that weekend spoiling her rotten and making wonderful summertime memories with all the cousins. After a week of all that we headed home to unpack, clean then turn around in one week and head to the Florida Keys for a mini vacation with the hubs. This was the boys first trip to the Keys and their first time snorkeling. Needless to say Andrew is hooked... I think we have a future marine biologist on our hands. Andrew couldn't get enough of the water and marine life! Amongst all the trips to the reef we managed to fit it a glass bottom boat ride, that was spectacular, and a trip to Key West that is a whole other story in itself. On Saturday Steve competed in another triathlon, that was a sprint distance, and placed 5Th in his age group and completed the race with a new PR of 1 hr 10 min. We also celebrated Luke's 7Th Birthday while in the Keys and to Luke's surprise at dinner he received a birthday cake like no other!!!! The restaurant that we were having dinner presented Luke with a whole raw fish on a platter with a lit candle in the middle. His face, as was ours, was priceless upon seeing this creature on a platter with a candle in the middle! Good times and great memories. Now we find ourselves back in a groove and getting ready to kick off another school year. This year is a bit different that all the past ones as we will be home schooling ALL they boys this year. I'm looking forward to the change and embracing what God has in store for our family. Only two weeks to go and we're off and learning! Until then we plan to soak up as many pool days as we can and enjoy every moment God has given us! Happy summer to all. :)

Summer Flops

2009-04-21T17:59:00.002-04:00

So this is what I've been up to lately.....

I have been making book marks for the teachers at Luke's school for Teacher Appreciation Week that is coming up. And I've been mastering my skills at making summer flip flops. I am tired of paying large amounts of $$ to buy all the fun stuff I love so I figured I would set out and just make it. Turns out it isn't hard at all and I am loving the craft time to let me creative juices flow! So now that I've mastered jewelry making, book marks and flip flops my next task is to conquer the Danskin She Rox Triathlon on Mother's Day. Only a few weeks left!!!!

Princess Half Marathon COMPLETED

2009-03-08T19:48:00.002-04:00

Princess HALF MARATHON
Clock Time 2:24:10
Chip Time 2:23:33
Overall Place 2248 / 6150
Gender Place 2150 / 5956
Division Place 481 / 1211
Age Grade 46.4%
5K 31:07
10K 1:04:05
15K 1:39:35

A NEW PR!!!! So there it is! I shaved off about 15 minutes from my previous Half Marathon time. I will admit I was hoping to have completed the race in 2:10, but I started having a cramping issue around mile 9 that was very painful. I pushed through the pain and completed the race and that's what matters I guess. This was an amazing race, and not only that it was the first of it's kind so that was even sweeter. I tell ya.. there ain't nothing like crossing the finish line and getting a big fat medal placed around your neck. I will have to share some pics of the medals in my stash. It's all about the medals... LOL Any takers for next years run? You can't get any better than sunny Florida, on the brink of spring and the running temps in the morning are cool with the sun shining. CHEERS! I'm off to celebrate!

God's Grace

2009-02-25T11:23:00.008-05:00

I don't know about any of you but I have to be reminded (daily) of God's Grace in my life. Just when I think I've made it over a vast mountain, I feel like I am going up against another vast mountain. Life is full of twists and turns and I am beginning to think I don't like some of them. I love adventure and I am always up for a new one but when I don't see the map laid out ahead of me I get freaked out. I like to think that I am truly living my life to it's fullest each day at a time, however I have come to the realization that I am so very wrong. God has amazing things in store for us all, even in this crappy economy, I just need to focus on HIM and HIM alone. I can no longer rely on what the stock market says or what comes down the line in the corporate world. I am choosing to take a stand on scripture and what the Lord has set before me. Here are a couple of scriptures I've been praying.....

"Because I seek the Lord, I shall not lack any beneficial thing" Psalm 34:10

"My God will meet all my needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:19

I have been reminded today of how precious life really is. It's been almost a year ago that a friend of mine lost her battle with cancer. Her husband posted a blog today about his beautiful wife and how she chose to live her life, even in the last days. Here is a tidbit of what she wrote on her blog regarding her circumstance in the midst of fighting cancer:

"I’m still angry at God, but I know He is there with me. I am still learning to accept this. But, I’m going to stand up and take it like a child. Fearless, full of life, full of fun and talking all about it. The good stuff is right there in front of all of us. We are just too grown up to realize it or enjoy it. To all my little people out there, keep your parents on track! Remind them to play more, smile more, enjoy life and ROCK ON!"

I feel so guilty for feeling sorry for myself and what circumstances I may be facing. I have learned a valuable lesson today and it is to stop having a pity party and get up and live life. I need to stop and smell the roses more often than I do. I need to stop taking what I have for granted and most of all get off the speeding train that I am always on to get from one place to the next.
If you stop and think about it, life 30 years ago was so much simpler and laid back. Neighbors were friends, kids played outside with other kids, and families sat down to dinner together. I thank God today for shifting my focus from the material things I've been focusing to more focus on HIM. After all HE really is the one in control, not us. I will close this out with this:

GOD DOES NOT GIVE US GRACE FOR OUR IMAGINATION

I'm Diving In........

2009-02-10T10:21:00.003-05:00

OH BOY..... so I am diving in feet and all.... can you guess what this means? I'm going to college! I must admit I'm a bit nervous and excited all in one. I have had a life long dream to go to dental hygiene school since I was 18, and as God would have it he had other plans for me. If I could go back 18 years I wouldn't change a thing! I have been so blessed to have been able to be a stay at home mom and raise my 3 adoring boys. I do however feel a tug at my heart regarding going to college. I have made this decision to better myself and personal growth, not to go out and make tons of money. I worked in a dental office as a dental assistant for 8 years before I had my first child and quite working full time, so I have the experience in the field. I told Steve I wanted to go get my degree and maybe work a couple days a week, and still feel like I'm at home with the boys. This endeavor of course will take several years to accomplish and that is if I go full time. I am going to start off slow and work from there, as I want to do well in each course and not bog myself down with too much. I love home schooling so this will all take place while I am home schooling all 3 boys next year! :-0 Am I crazy or what? HA! Never the less I am very excited and cannot wait to see how God steers my path. It has been in my thoughts and prayers for over a year now and I am finally ready to take that leap of faith! First step is making that appointment with the college advisor in the next couple of weeks to map everything out. Prayer has been my rock so when you think about it, please pray for God's plan in my life. I am SO NERVOUS!!!! :) I keep telling myself, With God ALL things are possible!

I'm In......

2009-02-04T21:32:00.004-05:00

I cannot believe it.... I'm in!!!! Yesterday was THE DAY, and when 10 o'clock rolled around I was hot on the Danskin website making sure I got in for the Danskin Triathlon. To my surprise the distance has changed, which in a way is a good thing, I think! Last year the distance was shorter and so this year they have increased the distance. We will be swimming 1/2 mile, bike 13 miles then run 3.1 miles (5k) to the finish! This event closed last year with in 24 hours of opening so I was stoked that I was able to secure my spot. Now the REAL training begins! I am not much of a swimmer so I have opted to join a triathlon training group. My coach who trains me now for races is overseeing the triathlon training group so I should be well prepared. I just need to get over my fear of swimming in the FL lakes.... you know our lakes in FL have some very nasty creatures living in them! The race is planned for May 10Th, Mother's Day. Anyone else out in blog land competing in this? I'd love to hear from you!

Correction.....

2009-01-26T09:59:00.005-05:00

Breaking News...... apparently in my oversight I have left someone out in one of my recent blogs. Not that I did this intentionally BUT so no ones feelings get hurt I need to clarify things. My step brother in law Chris and his wife Julie are due to have their baby in February. They were accidentally left out of one of my recent blogs regarding family members who are pregnant and will be having babies this year. Life with 3 boys and a husband, home school, sports activities, church, friends, and basically just life in general has kept my mind in overload. I'm sure most moms can relate and understand. Stay tuned for an update in the coming month on the impending birth of Chris and Julie's baby boy who will be arriving soon. Hopefully by then I will be able to find out this sweet prince's name as I have not been successful in doing so yet.

Prayers For Harper

2009-01-17T10:09:00.005-05:00

I am NOT savvy in blog land BUT I did want to add this to my page. Another blogging mommy named Kelly has just given birth to a baby girl named Harper, last evening. Harper was immediately flown to Tulsa OK to the NICU as she has pneumonia. From what I know she has a strong heart but needs all the prayers she can get from all the prayer warrior mommies. I am not sure how to post the link to her blog so here is her address: Kellyskornerblog.com

Pink Or Blue?

2009-01-16T22:56:00.004-05:00

Let me start off by saying this........... NO I'm NOT pregnant, But I am very excited about some news to share. 2009 is going to be a VERY busy year I must say! My sister Elizabeth is due to have a baby girl in April, Halee (my sister in law) will be having their 4Th baby, my girlfriend Andria will be having her 3rd child . AND tonight I just received word that Susan (my other sister in law) is also expecting! Susan and her husband have been praying and waiting patiently for God to bless them with a child. So praise God there will be 3 new additions in the family this year and one amongst our church family. Praying many blessings upon these families in the coming months and may God be with them every step of the way through their pregnancies.

Disney Half Marathon

2009-01-10T19:56:00.003-05:00

Today was the BIG day! One of my dreams came true. Steve and I competed in the Disney Half Marathon, 13.3 miles. Our journey began at an early time of 3:00 a. m. Luckily we booked a hotel room at Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter and took along a babysitter for the boys. We boarded the bus headed for the START line @ 3:30 and basically hung out at the START line for 2 1/2 hours in the 50 degree chilly air. I will admit I have learned a lot from this experience. One being come prepared to be cold unless you bring a blanket and just toss it along the path when you start the race. Even thought we had on the right clothes, it was still COLD! The race itself was nothing short of amazing as there were hundreds of cheering crowds along the way, and not to mention all the Disney characters along the route. In the end Steve finished in 1 hr. 54 min and I finished in 2 hrs. 34 min. There was a total of 12,434 racers and I came in 6,308. This was the most amazing race I have ever been apart of and am looking forward to the Disney Marathon 2010! Anyone care to join?

Miami Man Triathlon

2008-11-09T20:52:00.005-05:00

What an amazing weekend! The weather in Miami was picture perfect and great race weather! Steve competed in the Miami Man International distance Triathlon on Sunday and finished in 2 hrs 44 min. The biggest shock to us all was that he completed the swim distance of .6 miles in 27 minutes!!! Then it was off to the 22 mile bike ride which he completed in 1:06 then ran 6.6 miles in 1:01. The boys and I had a GREAT time in Miami and I came away inspired and ready to sign up for some more races! This must be a disease that I cannot get away from! Our weekend was packed full of surprises while we were down in Miami. For one, we spotted an Iguana roaming around on the beach next to the waters edge where the triathlon began. And second we had a flock of birds as our welcoming committee. These birds are not your typical birds you see flying around town. I captured one of them on camera when he landed just outside our hotel window, 17 stories high. Oh and did I mention our hotel was in downtown Miami? Very strange I tell you. One things for sure..... I am glad to be home!

Trick Or Treat

2008-11-01T19:52:00.009-04:00

Trick or Treating this year was sure to be a blast with this crew! The boys were so excited they could hardly wait! You would have thought it was Christmas around our house. It all started the day we bought the boys costumes, and that was just the beginning. Every day Luke and Jack tried on their "power suits" to make sure all was in working order. Andrew was Darth Vader, Luke was a Clone Trooper from the Clone Wars, and Jack was a blue Power Ranger. Some how Steve and I got suckered into buying the really cool helmets for the Darth Vader and the Clone Trooper costumes. They came with real sounds effects as well as a voice enhancer.

Mark and Jason in their usual form while "T" is sitting pretty. Watch out "Girls Next Door"....... there is a new crew moving in!

Harvest Festival

2008-10-29T21:35:00.005-04:00

Each year our church puts on a great Harvest Festival, and this year was not different. You name it, they had it! We usually have 3 services on Sunday morning, but this year we had one and we had it outside on the church property, stage and all! The service was short and sweet then it was off to have some fun. The boys enjoyed a hay ride or two, games, crafts, jumping in the jump tents, pony rides, BBQ, ice cream and of course eating too much cotton candy! Oh and did I mention a candy hay dig? UGH! And people wonder why kids are so wild these days! Before all was said and done I managed to round up the boys and Steve for a quick family picture. No one got the memo for the right dress attire but me...... all the boys had on tennis shoes including my adoring husband. I however chose the right dress for my WILD and CRAZY "Love & Peace" boots. Can I get a big YEE HAW!!!

Tower Of Terror 13K Race

2008-10-28T17:56:00.007-04:00

Last Saturday night @ 10:00 p.m. Steve and I ran in Disney's Tower Of Terror 13K Race, 8.1 miles. This was the longest race for both of us and I was pumped! The air was a bit chilly but that soon wore off around mile 3. The course was fabulous and loads of entertainment on every corner. Dinsey really knows how to put on a race! There was even speakers throughout the course with music being blared and a few characters along the way as well. In the end Steve finished the race in 1 hr 5 min and I finished in 1 hr 23 min. I still haven't been able to catch up to him to beat him but his day is coming!!!!! Funny thing, Krista, from Bits and Pieces of a happy life, was walking in this race with her husband. We were hoping to meet up but the time got away from us and we were not able to. She did a fabulous job on her time as well so CONGRATS Krista! This is by far now our favorite race to date and I highly reccommend running in it next year!

GREAT Monogrammed Totes By Faith

2008-10-22T20:14:00.005-04:00

Okay, so most everyone knows I LOVE anything monogrammed. I am so in LOVE with this really unique tote that Faith from www.walkwithmebyfaith.blogspot.com sells. She has an online store and you can visit it at www.adesignoffaith.com. I'm not savvy at all when it comes to blog land and I don't know how to add a link for you to go directly to her store but there ya have it. Stop by and check out some of her fabulous monogrammed items, you won't be disappointed. So wish me luck as I have now entered in a drawing for the special tote!

2ND PLACE!

2008-10-19T18:01:00.002-04:00

Time 29 minutes 29 seconds ....... that was the time I ran the 5K race in on Saturday morning with the Mosaic Chicks. New record for me once again! Now let's add the icing on the cake if I may......... I came in 2nd place in my age division!! I totally didn't expect that and as you might figure it was a total surprise! WOOHOO! 2nd place baby!! In the picture above I am on the end with the black shirt and white running skirt. Also posing with me are the gals who came in 1st and 3rd along with the mayor of Ocoee and the sponsor for the race. Below I am proudly showing off my trophy.

Funny thing is the 3rd place winner was neck and neck with me during the whole race and I, being quite competitive, decided to sprint the last 1/4 mile to the finish line. I found out later I beat her out for 2nd place with that very smart move. Now that I've had my feathers fluffed, I am rested up and race ready for Disney's Tower of Terror 13K on Saturday! I've told my husband, who is also running in this race, to be on his toes as I am planning to give him a run for his money!!

Victory!

2008-10-14T08:25:00.004-04:00

The Rosser family is celebrating VICTORY! In Saturdays triathlon Steve placed 9th in his division out of 45 other males. His splits were fantastic and ranked 1st in the bike division and 6th in the run. Andrew giving daddy Steve a high five as he crosses the finish line!

Sunday came and it was time for the Race For The Taste 10K and more celebrating! I ran the race with a pace of 9-10 min per mile and finished in 64 min. Steve finished just ahead of me in 51 min. WOOHOO!!!

Next it was the boys turn to burn up the pavement. Luke and Jack were pumped and ready to run!

Andrew was eager to run and wasn't too thrilled with me and my need to snap a few shots of everyone before their run. I managed to get a couple of him but only after I demanded he pose for me. You can tell he is gritting his teeth through the fake smile. HA!

Luke and Jack ran in the 400 meter dash division. Luke was in the top 5 of this group and could be seen way out front running like his feet were on fire! I think we may have a future Olympic athlete! Jack wasn't too far behind and was seen pushing his way through the sea of kids to make his way to the front. I think he is a little bit competitive! Andrews division ran a 1/2 mile and it was a straight out sprint to the finish. Below the boys are proudly showing off their gold medals they received from Mickey & Minnie Mouse upon crossing the finish line. I think they've been bitten by the race bug....... they all want to know when their next race is!

Triathlon's and 10K's

2008-10-10T16:13:00.007-04:00

This weekend is going to be CRAZY! Saturday morning Steve will be competing in his first triathlon. The event will take place at Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven Fl and starts at 7 a.m. Therefore the boys and I will be leaving the house before the chickens are even stirring. Then on Sunday morning we wake up and do it all over again! This time we will be leaving the house around 4 a.m. and head to Disney for the Race For The Taste 10K. This will be my 3rd year running in this race and I couldn't be more excited, especially since Steve will be running with me! He's pretty fast but I'm real competitive so I won't be too far behind. This year the boys are going to be running in their very own race. Their races start shortly after the 10K ends. You would have thought it was Christmas in my house this morning when we got up and headed out the door to pick up every one's race packets! The boys are so excited to get their very own race packets and t-shirts. One thing they don't know is they will be getting special commemorative race medals upon finishing their race. Disney spared no expense for the medals either........ they are VERY nice! I told Steve's mom (who is coming to help with the kids) to get, sit down and hold on tight cause it's going to be a WILD ride this weekend!

Time: 30 Min.

2008-10-06T20:45:00.010-04:00

Here are the hotties getting ready for the Susan G Komen 5K to "Save The Ta Ta's". Melissa, Myself, Tara and Michelle just before we headed to the start line. We had our chanpion timed chips, I-pods in place and we were ready to GO! Thanks to Michelle and her wonderful husband Mark, we all adorned signs on our backs with the loved ones whom we were running either in honor of or in memory of. We made our way to the starting line and anticipated a quick start, but you know how things go and well....... 30 min after we were supposed to start, the horn blew and we were off! I flew out of the crowd determined to get a good start and continued with that pace til the end. I set a new PR (Personal Record) time of 30 minutes!!! Needless to say I was STOKED beyond words! My time was 10 min pace per mile. Michelle wasn't too far behind as she came 7 minutes after me. This was Michelle's first competitive race and she did fabulous! Way to go Shell! Tara followed close behind with Melissa on her heels. The hotties in pink were tearing up the pavement! To celebrate our victories we loaded up the kids and headed to Chili's. While feasting on a delicious yummies, we were able to catch a quick broadcast from the race on one of the local TV stations. Towards the end of the broadcast of clips, Steve yelled out "Hey it's Meredith"!!! I was taped by the television station running across the finish line with my hands up in the air and my mouth wide open and of course whooping and hollering. If you know me well then you know I can (and usually am) pretty loud and sometimes crazy. In the end we all had a wonderful time and raised some serious $$$$$ for the fight against breast cancer. Oh and did I mention that there were over 6,000 participants in the race and that over 3,000 had just signed up in the last couple of weeks? If your considering getting involved go to www.komen.org. It's never too late! Remember...

"YOU Are The Cure"

Race For A Cure

2008-10-03T10:42:00.003-04:00

Only 2 more days! Sunday October 5th, my girlfriends and I will be running for a cure in the annual Susan G Komen 5K at Disney. I am finding myself a bit emotional right now just thinking about the loved ones I will be running in memory of. It seems to me that this disease is taking over so many lives and I'm ready to stand up and FIGHT! I run because I enjoy running, but on Sunday I will be running because so many women have either lost their fight against breast cancer or are currently battling the disease. Remember October is breast cancer awareness month so wear your pink proudly! Together we can raise awareness!! Let's go get 'em team "T, Me Me and Shell".

Expedition Everest 5K

2008-09-30T16:15:00.003-04:00

Expedition Everest complete! Steve and I ran in the Inaugural Expedition Everest Challenge 5K this past weekend. There is nothing like running a race with your honey!! He really pushed me to beat out my previous time so therefore I set a new PR!!! (That is personal record if you don't know what PR means.) 31 minutes I say! The race began with a dart out of the coral at 7:30 p.m. and ran through Disney's Animal Kingdom, 3.1 miles. Once we completed the run we had to find our way through an obstacle course then race to the finish for our passport. Upon receiving our passport we raced back through the park on a scavenger hunt. With that completed it was a mad dash to the end where we received our "gold compass medal". What an amazing experience and I got to do it with my sweetie. To top off the night, there was a post race party immediately following that went on until midnight. All the great rides out @ Disney's Animal Kingdom were open for everyone to enjoy. There is nothing like riding a roller coaster in the dark of night, especially "Everest." Fall is in the air and race season has begun! Now I need to focus on getting my time down below 30 min. I've got another race this weekend so I'm training hard and got my goal set high!

The Three Letter Word Conversation

2008-09-20T22:20:00.006-04:00

Don't you ever wonder what is going on in a child's brain when he is reading scripture? Andrew was reading his "Read the Bible in One Year" the other day and was apparently reading about the 10 Commandments. I often get beckoned from across the house with "MOM........MOM..... I NEED YOU". This day was no different. Upon hearing Andrew calling for me as if there was something terribly wrong I ran to his aid only to find him perplexed with a question. Our conversation went like this:

Andrew: "Hey mom, I don't think what I'm reading is supposed to be in a kid bible"

Me: "Okay, so what are you reading about"?

Andrew: "God says.... husbands, only have ___ with your wives, and wives only have ___with your husbands" (Note, this of course was with total disbelief on Andrews part)

Me: "So what is the ___ (blank) part"?

Andrew: He looks at me very seriously and quietly says "SEX"

Up until this point I had complete composure....... needless to say that was out the window now. Andrew is only 9 so he doesn't know what sex really is. As I am gathering my thoughts he is still insisting that he thinks something is wrong with his bible and that particular part of the 10 Commandments doesn't belong in a kid bible. Steve and I are still laughing about this one and probably will be for a while!

Hill Training

2008-09-09T21:14:00.003-04:00

Tonight I hung with the best! My girlfriend Tara and I met up with the Tri-N-Run running group we run with on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and did some major hill training. Let me put this into perspective for you. Florida is not supposed to have hills, so considering I am used to running on a pretty flat surface for 6 miles, this hill was like a mountain after about 3 miles. The women of the group were told to do 6 laps and the men to do 8. Being that I'm pretty competitive, I set my eyes on 8 laps. In the end my body did run out of some gas so I ended up doing 7 laps around. My clock time stayed consistent with 1 min and 50 seconds which I must say I was flying high with that one! The team we run with is fantastic and very encouraging! "T" and I felt pretty good afterwards and are hoping to get another hill workout in sometime over the weekend. Rock on T..... you are AWESOME! Any one up for the challenge? If so I'd love to hear about your workout! Oh and to my dear friend South of me towards Miami, "Bits and Pieces of a Blessed Life" I can't wait to finally meet you! We are about a month away from the 13k...... WOOHOO!

2008-09-06T12:08:00.003-04:00

Today I woke up early to hit the trail and ride with the "peeps" and rode my Trek for the 4th time. I LOVE this road bike and was able to use the tri-bar or areo bars for the first time today. Believe it or not I was even able to remain steady and not wobble! No crashes this time. WOOHOO! We were only able to get in 20 miles but hoping for next week to be better, more like 25-30 miles. Our goal is set high @ 50 miles and being that our weather is getter cooler, if that is such a thing in Florida, I am hoping to accomplish this by January. Our tradition afterwards is to meet up with a few friends and sip espresso's and such at a French Bakery right off the trail. Today was no exception! You know the weather is getting cooler when you can sit outside on the veranda, sipping hot espresso and sharing in great conversation and not dripping wet with sweat. Yes today was a grand day and I'm looking forward to the Florida winter season! The temps may be going down but the trail is heating up with runners, bikers and walkers alike. Anyone up for a quick run or a ride?

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-02T16:45:00.004-04:00

Ahhhhh... Labor Day! This year Labor Day weekend for the Rossers was definitely a busy one. Friday night I hung out with the ""peeps" for a girls night out and a quick trip to a Sushi Bar. Don't quite remember the name of the bar but it was my first experience with sushi. Needless to say I am HOOKED! The Mexican Roll and the Krunch Roll were my favorites just to name a couple. To end our weekend on Monday we had several families over for a cook out and rounded off the day with game of Kickball. We started off with about 21 people playing, including all the kids, and about half way through the match it was just all adults. HA! I am sad to say my team did lose by 1 point but we have vowed a re-match since we were down a few key players. He he he. Take notice: For those of you who are the "other" team....... YOU ARE GOING DOWN!!!

Fay Is Moving Out!

2008-08-22T16:48:00.005-04:00

Fay, Fay is going away! FINALLY! Five days of rain and three boys stuck in a house don't make a good mix! The boys started school on Monday, had Tuesday off, went back for Wednesday and Thursday and had Friday off due to a tropical storm. Mind you it never became a hurricane. I have been joking around about how I've been wishing for a couple of hurricanes to pass through and dump much needed rain in my lake. Sad thing is, Fay never became a hurricane and brought more rain than some parts of Florida could handle and to top it all off it didn't make a dent in our lake! Hurricane season has just begun and I'm done..... done ... done.

First Day Of School

2008-08-20T10:37:00.002-04:00

Summer came to an end for the boys on Monday as it was time to get back into the groove of school. Funny thing is there was no school Tuesday due to Tropical Storm Fay so the kids all got an extra day of sleeping in. Luke has to be in class by 8:30 and Andrew has to be in his class by 9:00, halfway across town, so needless to say Monday mornings are going to be CRAZY! Andrew takes classes on Mondays and is home schooled the rest of the week. This will be a BIG change for all of us but so far so good! Check back in a few weeks....... I may be pulling my hair out by then. :-0

Luke Turns 6

2008-08-03T19:38:00.004-04:00

Luke (aka Superman) turned 6 last week. It seems like yesterday when I was rocking this sweet bundle of joy in my arms. On each of our boys birthday they get to choose where we will go to eat. This year Luke insisted we go to Friendly's to eat so we can get ice cream afterwards. All I could think was UGH...... above all places to eat and he chooses Friendly's! I am not a big fan of this place as many of you know I am a health nut when it comes to food! Nothing fried or greasy and that is pretty much all they have on their menu! I will say I have tried their salads before but let's just say that was the first and last time. Luke was flying high since he knew he would be diving into the biggest ice cream sundae that money would buy, this according to dad. In the end I survived the meal and shared a nice watermelon sherbert slice with Steve and Luke was happy. Guess I'll be making that up this week in my runs some how!!! Happy 6th Birthday my sweet Luke!

WOOOHOOO!!!!

2008-07-29T19:27:00.006-04:00

I am celebrating!!! I broke through my barrier in running and have now made it up to 6.3 miles!

I will admit around the 5 mile mark my shoes feel like I have lead in them. I usually then change out a song on my ipod to something with a lot of good old rock and roll beats to make it. Now I just need to stay focused and run this 3 days per week and hopefully can move up to 7 miles by mid August.

Any Journey or Heart fans out there? My husband just surprised me with tickets to see them in concert tomorrow night via a limo!!!! I am STOKED! You can tell I'm an 80's girl through and through. LOL Hopefully I will be able to post some good concert pics.

To answer the BIG question from my last post, the creature in question is in fact a "sea urchin". Many of you guessed correctly but as I said I returned from the beach with 13 of them and now I'm down to one thanks to the cranes. We have a family of sand hill cranes who call my 4 acres of property their home. My prize possessions were pecked to almost nothing this morning as I believe the cranes were scoping them out for a little snack. I salvaged two of them in hopes they will look nice in a glass jar with my other shells and sand dollar finds.

Guess This.....

2008-07-26T17:35:00.003-04:00

Can anyone guess what this "thing" is? I had to convince Steve to let me bring 13 of them home! I have never seen one before until now. Can you guess what it is...........

Heading to Siesta Key

2008-07-20T16:27:00.002-04:00

We are off and heading to the beach for a week! I have been so swamped with trying to balance 3 boys, packing, laundry all the while trying to fit some running time in before we go. I really need a week @ the beach after all that! Keeping my running steady @ 5 miles 3x per week and hoping to get a run or two while were gone. Beach running is so nice but I find it a bit harder to run on the sand so we'll see. Hoping everyone in blog land is having a great summer! Will share some beach photos soon!

Up To 5 Miles And Climbing

2008-07-08T16:54:00.005-04:00

I cannot believe I did it!! I ran 5.2 miles yesterday and only slowed down for a quick drink once. WOOHOO! I am now convinced it really is mind over matter and you just have to dig your heals in and do it! It did take me about 50 min to do the 5miles so my next goal is to get my time down. I only have 3 more months til the 15k and of course the Disney Half Marathon in January so gotta get a movin'.

July 4th

2008-07-05T10:25:00.004-04:00

July 4th...... time to fire up the grill and celebrate our freedom! This year we opted to stay in town and celebrate with our friends the Bertones. There was plenty of finger licking ribs and chicken with all the fixins' and of course yummy desserts. For the big event we headed into a local small town for a down home fireworks spectacular. Thinking this was going to be a local good old boys fireworks display, we were pleasantly surprised. After all...... being that we have seen endless fireworks displays out at Disney we weren't expecting the kind of show this little town was putting on. With old American hymns being blasted out on loud speakers and the fireworks being set off over the lake it was a grand show!

Andrew and Luke enjoyed the blasts and bursts that you could feel in the pit of your stomach each time a firework went up. However Jack wasn't too thrilled with the whole thing and Steve had to give him some loving reassurance.

Oh, in case anyone is wondering ......we are Yanks fans when their not playing the Sox!!!
So how did you celebrate July 4th? Any family traditions?

Going Up!

2008-06-30T18:57:00.003-04:00

As most of you know I am training for my first Half Marathon in January. I have added a few 5k's and 10k's and one 15k in the mix but just recently signed up to do my first Triathlon next Spring. I have been running for 2 years now so I know I should have some miles underneath my belt, but I feel I need to break through the 4 mile barrier. I run 3 times per week and my longest distance per run is 4 miles. I have got to get my miles per run up in order to be effective in the 10k's and 15k. So since I'm laying it all out there for everyone to see, I have to ask: Got any advice to pass along? I love running but living in Florida makes it difficult to enjoy running in the summer months. I think if I can push through to the 6 mile mark in my daily runs I at that point will be "grooving". So bring on the advice blog land!

Camp Rosser

2008-06-28T20:06:00.004-04:00

I know this sounds like my usual blog but what a crazy week it was again! Life with 3 busy boys is a full time job! My summer job is tripled now that their home all day. The usual question I get each morning is "Where are we going today and what are we going to do"? I have had to map out each week ahead of time so they have a schedule to look forward to and follow. I feel like I'm camp counselor! Welcome to Camp Rosser! The usual is clean on Mondays, pool on Tuesdays with friends, run/bike on the West Orange Trail then off to Bible Study, Thursdays is play dates with friends/park day, and Fridays it's pool day with friends again. Somewhere in the mix I fit in my runs and some road bike time. I tell Steve I don't know how women who have to work out of the home do it! I don't need a full time job....I already have one! Throughout the week I try and snap a few random pics of the boys and this past week they decided to have their own sleep-over in Luke's room, sleeping bags and all! I don't why they like sleeping on a hard floor all night. You couldn't pay me to do that now!

Visit With Mamaw

2008-06-25T18:46:00.003-04:00

Summertime is my ONE of my favorite times of the year. No getting up early to rush the boys off to school and no need to hurry off to any baseball games and practices. Another plus is this is the time of year when everyone wants to come for a visit since we live in Florida. My mom, aka Mamaw, came down last weekend for an extended weekend vacation from the hustle and bustle of Georgia. While she was here we spent some quality time shopping without the boys in tow and some late night chats! The boys enjoyed hanging with Mamaw and eating "junk" while she was here. Ice cream, milkshakes and hot dogs, just to name a few, were on the menu for the weekend. A trip to the Rosser house wouldn't be complete without a bike trip down the West Orange Trail, so Saturday we took the clan for a mini bike ride into town and back. Time always seems to zip by when your having fun and Mamaw's trip seemed to come to a quick end on Sunday afternoon as she was headed back to the peach state. Thank you Mamaw for a fun filled weekend!

Cousins

2008-06-13T19:19:00.003-04:00

To kick our summer into high gear, Steve's brother and his family came down to hot sunny Florida for a visit last week. Matthew and Hannah have never been to the beach so needless to say I think they are maybe ready to move! All kidding aside everyone had a great time with trips to Disney, the beach and of course hanging out with cousins Andrew, Luke and Jack. To complete a long hot day everyone enjoyed devouring the homemade pudding pops I prepared earlier. I was feeling like Martha Stewart that day for some reason. HE HE HE I have to say, pudding pops are just as good now as when I was a kid! YUMMMMMO! By the looks of the picture I think everyone else agreed.

13 Years of Marriage

2008-06-10T21:13:00.003-04:00

WOOOHOOO! Steve and I have been married 13 years today! Hard to believe it has been that long.... several houses and three kids later! I will admit it has been a wild and crazy ride but I thank God everyday for that divine appointment 14 years ago. Cheers my honey bear! I'm looking forward to our next adventure and many more races and triathlons to conquer!

Kindergarten Graduation

2008-06-09T11:43:00.003-04:00

I present to you Luke Rosser........ Kindergarten graduate! I cannot believe my little Luke will be starting first grade in the fall. It seems like yesterday that I was bringing him home from the hospital. I was not at all prepared to see him in his little cap and gown , beaming from ear to ear and accepting his awards of achievement from the year. Luckily I had plenty of tissues on hand to dry my buckets of tears! Luke came away with the A/B Honor Roll award, all A's in Bible and perfect attendance along with the Fruit of The Spirit Award. Can you tell I'm a proud momma?

Gotta love the innocent way they pray.

Luke sharing a moment of excitement with his best friend Will.

An Unwanted Pet

2008-06-03T21:22:00.003-04:00

Today the Rosser Family inherited an new family pet.......

A baby red fox!!! At this time there are three of them living underneath our boat house down by the lake. I wasn't able to capture all three on camera as once they spotted me they took off running for cover under the boat house. I'm not too sure how to get rid of them as they are a protected animal in the State of Florida. Don't think I'll be going down by the lake anytime soon!

Sunset At The Beach

2008-06-01T21:10:00.002-04:00

I just couldn't resist posting another set of pics from the beach. This time we were there to see the sun go down over the ocean horizon, and WOW was it beautiful! The boys had fun running through the surf, clothes and all. Of course once the sun had set and the ocean breeze kicked into high gear they were not so happy to be wet!

Camping Trip At Ft. Wilderness

2008-05-24T22:40:00.004-04:00

We took the boys out to Disney Ft. Wilderness Campground last weekend to try out our new camper and boy was it an experience!!! Three boys, woods and campfires..... you get the picture. The first night out was a doozie as we were just trying to get settled in and grilling out dinner around the 10 o'clock hour was not a good start. Saturday was filled with a trip to see the movie "Prince Caspian" (which by the way is fabulous), a quick lunch and a short bike ride to the pool to cool off. Daddy Steve grilled out some yummy chicken for dinner so we could make our way to the "Chip-n-Dale Sing Along Campfire" and marshmallow roast/movie. I ask myself this time and time again, but why is food that is prepared outside and eaten outside always taste so good? With dinner out of the way, we made our way to the campfire/sing along with a bag full of marshmallows and skewers for roasting them. We had to lay down the law to the boys that the skewers were NOT for sword fighting with your brothers. That fell on deaf ears! With very sticky mouths and hands we managed to get a quick photo with Chip-n-Dale . The movie that was showing was Meet The Robinson's so we opted to go on a family bike ride instead of watching the movie. By the way if you camp, this is the best campground to take kids to as there is so much for families to do. Each night they have this campfire sing along and when it gets dark the show Disney movies on a huge outdoor movie screen, kind of like a drive in movie theater, except you take your blankets, chairs and pillows and sit on the ground. After our long bike ride we went down to the beach to watch Disney's Electric Light Parade on the lake and then it was off to bed! I was so tired I didn't think ANYTHING could wake me up!!! I just knew I could sleep through a hurricane....... until some little black bird nested in a tree outside the camper. I don't think the sun was even up yet! You don't need alarm clocks when you go camping......you have birds who do that job very well. Sunday was check out day so we packed things up quickly so we could go watch the Disney Iron Man Triathlon participants. The race began and ended at Ft. Wilderness, so we got to see the first 4 male competitors and 3 women competitors win the race. What an inspiration those athletes are! We asked the boys who might like to do that one day and Luke (my 5 yr old) was the only one who said he would, Andrew (my 9 yr old) thought we were crazy!

My Munchkin Turns Nine

2008-05-21T16:13:00.005-04:00

It is so hard to believe my "baby" turned nine of May 14th. Yes I know I am a bit behind in blogging but that's what the end of the school year and baseball tournaments do to ya! Unfortunately Andrew's birthday fell on a school day so he HAD to go to school but not before we showered him with gifts! Besides money and gift cards and games from the family his daddy and I got him his first all terrain mountain bike. We do a lot of trail riding so we figured it was time to graduate to a big guy bike, one that will grow with him for a few years.

To top the evening off we whisked everyone off to dinner at Universal Studios City Walk for dinner at the Nascar Race Car Cafe. And of course no trip to dinner anywhere would be complete without a trip to Starbucks, considering Starbucks is on every street corner now!

Andrew has come a long way from the NICU weighing in @ 6lb. 11 oz.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUNCHKIN!

Luke The Mud Monster

2008-05-20T19:43:00.004-04:00

Luke has always been my sweet, doesn't want to get dirty or wet child. This all changed recently.....

As you can see, he has discovered that playing outside in the water hose with his two "partners in crime brothers" can be loads of dirty fun! Just prior to me grabbing my camera to capture this Kodak moment, I was doing my best to calm him down from the trauma his brothers had inflicted upon him. Needless to say I got a good laugh and a great picture!

Up To NO Good....

2008-05-06T18:23:00.002-04:00

You know when you have boys (and I have 3) that when it is completely silent in the house that someone is doing SOMETHING! Jack, who is usually up to no good, pulled another one of those today. I was too pressed with time to snap any pics but it would have made for a great Kodak moment. As I'm folding the usual endless basket of laundry, Jack is somewhere in the house being awfully quiet. I hadn't seen him in a while so I ventured out to investigate. Jack met up with me in the living room, and might I mention naked as a jay bird! He immediately said this one sentence word I had been dreading of hearing..."Nothing". That is all he said so I knew there was something! It was easy to follow his little trail to the "nothing" as he had stripped himself of all his clothes which led me to his "nothing". Since mommy was doing laundry, Jack felt it was his turn to do his laundry, therefore he was working hard on washing his shirt in his bathroom sink. His choice of detergent was his hand soap, which was overflowing with suds from the sink. His sweet little face and naked tush won my heart over so I very well couldn't be too angry. They say girls change their clothes several times a day, but I beg to differ. Jack has proven that to be wrong! Jack goes through several articles of clothing a day! So now you know what I mean by folding the endless basket of clothes. It just NEVER ends!

The Things Boys Do

2008-04-28T15:51:00.002-04:00

Today I picked up the boys from school and on my way home stopped to get some gas. As I'm trying to recover from the shock of how much gas is, $3.55 per gallon to be exact, I am hearing some noises coming from my vehicle. Once gas was pumped and we were getting on our way Andrew informed me that Luke had mooned him along with everyone at the gas station pumping gas! My first reaction was to explain to him that his behavior was not appropriate. My second reaction was a bit more humorous as I was thinking.."What if there had been a police officer next to us pumping gas and his reaction to being mooned by my precious 5 year old." What I would love to know is what are little boys thinking?????

Gulf Coast Beach Weekend

2008-04-25T22:30:00.004-04:00

Recently Steve and I visited his mom in Bradenton, Fl, which is just North of Sarasota Fl. We love any beach but we truly love the Gulf Coast! The water is so green and clear and is usually calm. The day we were there the waves were in high gear, but the boys, including daddy Steve, just loved it! Andrew enjoyed using his body board while daddy did a little body surfing. To finish the day off we cleaned up and had a spectacular dinner @ The Sandbar Restaurant. Our dinner table literally was on the beach........ sand and all! The view was breathtaking and the boys enjoyed playing in the sand while waiting for dinner. Living in Florida has it's perks and one of them is living 2 hours or less from either coast. Gotta love it!

Life's Roller Coaster Ride

2008-04-20T20:01:00.006-04:00

Life has its twists and turns but I have truly been experiencing many of them in the last couple of weeks. After my friend Tish passed away from Ovarian Cancer, another friend that same week committed the unthinkable. She leaves behind a 5 yr old little boy, who is Luke's friend, and a husband. No one knows for sure why she committed this senseless act but as a mother and a friend I have had a really tough time dealing with this tragedy. I don't think anything could have prepared me for all of this, but I am trusting in God and I set my sights on him. I have not felt like doing anything these past couple of weeks, including taking car of my house, much less blogging but I have now decided to open my heart and share it with all who are reading this.

I have to say I have learned a few things through all the hurt and tears. One being I need to cherish my family more, hug them and kiss them more often than I do. Spend more quality one on one time with each of my boys more often than I do. Most of all I need to tell loved ones and friends more often how much they mean to me and that they have made a difference in my life. Everyone remembers the old saying, "Live life to it's fullest and cherish every moment like it is your last moment." I plan to live by this daily and remember I'm not promised my next breath. Tish's quote she used often was "Drive On". I plan to adopt that quote and live life like it is my last day here. What would you do if you knew today was your last day on earth? Make your time here count and make time to show Christ love to others.

I close with this..... DRIVE ON!

Remembering Tish

2008-04-09T11:01:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I lost my friend Tish to ovarian cancer. She was way too young to die, but I know she was okay with the path God chose for her. She is no longer suffering, but is healed from this horrible disease. Tish loved a party.... in fact, life to Tish was ONE BIG PARTY. That is how I remember her. She lived life to the fullest and left a finger print in so many lives. She may not be here in the physical form but she continues to leave fingerprints in so many lives of others, even complete strangers. Her legacy will live on through her husband and two beautiful boys. I was thinking about this the other day when I was spending a little time with the Lord and I want to share this with all who are reading this blog.

Don't wait until someone you love and care about passes away to tell them how much they mean to you or how much you love them. Don't wait until they have passed to share stories about their life. Cherish them now, love them now, tell them how much you love them and what a difference your life is because you have them in yours. Tomorrow may never come and you may not get that chance again. We were never promised our next breath, so live life in the NOW and not for tomorrow.

With that said I will close with Tish's favorite motto: "Drive On"

Good Times In Cocoa Beach

2008-04-06T21:29:00.002-04:00

Living in Florida has it's advantages and one of them is you can go visit the beach on a whim. During the boys Spring Break, a couple of gal pals and I took the kids to Cocoa Beach for the day for some hot fun in the sun. The weather couldn't have been more beautiful either! There was not a cloud in the sky and the water was just the right temperature to cool you off from the hot blazing sun. Andrew and his friend Brandon used their body boards to ride the waves into shore while Luke and Jack frolicked in ankle deep surf. As the day wore on Jack decided the waves of the Atlantic Ocean were too much for him so he passed the time playing in the sand and building "sand buildings" as he called them. As always we all got a little too much sun! You would think as long as I have lived here in Florida that I would have a master plan at applying sunscreen down pat........ NOT! Thank goodness for hats and face sticks as I believe our faces faired okay. The rest of our bodies are a different story! Here is some advice for the upcoming summer months.......

CHECK THE EXPIRATION DATE ON ALL OF YOUR SUNSCREEN TUBES FROM LAST SUMMER!

That is the one thing I didn't do. I can now say I will never make that mistake again.

Rosser Tent City

2008-04-03T15:33:00.003-04:00

Remember when you were a kid and you had a blast building tents in the living room? In order to accomplish this feat you had to hunt down every blanket and pillow in the house. The boys discovered this past time the other day and needless to say they had every throw blanket and pillow they could find to build their tent city, including a couple of kitchen chairs. I was on a mission that day to get the house cleaned and ready as we were heading to the beach in the morning and didn't want the house to be a mess. This was one of those times where I just threw my hands up in the air and joined in on the fun. To heck with the house, hanging out with the boys in their tents was priceless.

First Vegetable Garden

2008-04-01T11:42:00.003-04:00

Spring is in the air in Florida so Steve and I decided to plant our first vegetable garden with the boys. We figure if the boys can grow a few vegetables they would be more likely to eat them! Our adventure started out at Lowe's Garden Center and the boys got to pick out what vegetables they wanted to grow as well as a flower for color in the garden. We also picked up a few herb plants as well since I love fresh herbs. Our cart was loaded down with an array of pepper plants, tomato plants, peppermint, cilantro and parsley plants, cucumber seeds, green onion seeds, carrot seeds, bell pepper seeds and to top it all off four flower pots of flowers and not to mention the 6 bags of soil and organic plant food. The idea was to keep this garden as natural and organic as possible so we lucked out in finding organic gardening soil. As soon as we got home the boys were in high spirits and ready to plant. After 4 hours of turning the soil over, weeding and grating it was finally time to get the plants into the ground. I think the boys had more fun playing in the dirt than they did planting and watering their crop! To add the finishing touches on the new garden, we dug out Scarecrow Rosser to keep all the critters away. Speaking of critters, we have one eagle, two owls, four sand hill cranes and one raccoon who call this area home. Not to mention a couple of alligators that live in the lake and a passing red fox once in a while! Hopefully Scarecrow Rosser will do his job and keep everyone at bay! Stay tuned for more updates on the Rosser farming adventure.

I've Been Tagged!

2008-03-31T20:55:00.002-04:00

I've been tagged by a fellow blogging friend. I now have to list 10 random facts, habits or strange things no ones else knows about me etc.... Then upon finishing I have to tag 5 more friends. (This should be interesting as I only know a handful of people to tag!) Here goes......
1. I love rutabagas, collard greens, brussels sprout and grits. I know what everyone is thinking too..... Yes I am from the South! I'm a GRITS girl..... Girl Raised In The South!
2. I love my kids feet and their toes. Especially when they were babies.
3. I cannot burp to save my life! It is something that has probably happened just a handful of times in my life. (I know...I'm weird!)
4. I recently discovered that I have an addiction to blogging. My husband thinks I need to go to therapy for this one! LOL
5. I love coffee..... any kind.... anytime! Especially espresso! I can make a mean espresso so if your ever in Orlando Fl stop in and have a latte with me!
6. I met my husband in a bar on St. Patricks Day, got SAVED (asked Jesus into my heart and decided to have a personal relationship with him) 2 months later and engaged 4 months after meeting him. I KNEW he was to be the man I would marry from the moment I met him.
7. When the back of my throat itches, I make a very strange sound with my throat and jiggle my ear to itch the "itch". My husband says he would have never married me if he saw me do this before we were married. LOL
8. I lived in a house in Highlands, NC that had no air/heat so I heated the house with a wood burning stove during the winter. To top it all off I had to wake up every 3 hrs to put a log on the fire to keep the fire burning....otherwise no heat! I was 20 and single at the time. Decided after a year that "mountain life" was NOT for me and moved back to the big city (Atlanta).
9. I like to eat macaroni-n-cheese doused with Italian salad dressing. Gross I know! Don't get to do it too often anymore since we don't eat that kind of food any longer.
10. I love to encourage others and pray for or with them. If you ever need a little encouragement or for someone to pray with I'm your girl!

Hope I did this all correctly. I'm sure if I called my husband in here he would be able to come up with so many odd things I do and random tales. So now it is time to tag some people....... HMMMMMM...... Let's see who is the next 5 lucky bloggers......
Meredith T., Sara, ADD Pastor, Pappy and Cougachick Let me know when you've completed the task on your blog and don't forget to "tag" 5 more people when your done.

Roller Skating Blues

2008-03-27T16:36:00.003-04:00

Over Easter we attended an anniversary party at a roller skating rink. I didn't think too many of these still
existed but needless to say this place has been around for over 30 years. All I could think of was how many germs were floating around! The kids had a ball and that was most important. Andrew and Luke started out hanging onto the (germ infested) wall and built up their confidence to navigate towards the middle for safety. It wasn't much longer than maybe 5 seconds and they ended up wiping out. Through a few laughs and tears they both seemed to want to try it again. I had skates on myself so trying to balance them and myself was not going to be easy. In the end Luke decided it was much more fun to hold onto the wall as it didn't seem to move around so much like mommy. Andrew just kept going...and falling...and going.... As for myself, I made a few rounds on the rink and even remembered how to skate backwards! I really impressed my kids with that one! Jack wore his skates literally for 2 seconds and quickly decided it wasn't for him. He found much pleasure in playing on those nasty, germ infested video games that I think have been there as long as the skating rink. Note to myself: Buy stock in Purell and Anti-Bacterial wipes.

Tales On The Trail

2008-03-22T21:34:00.002-04:00

We did it again, even though we knew we could run into a bit of rain. Today we rode another 10 great miles on the West Orange Trail. The exception this time was I was going to be pulling the boys in the bike trailer with my bike. Last time Steve did all that work......and let me tell you..... it was WORK! We figured I was pulling a total of about 100 lbs. Andrew and I biked 5 miles into Winter Garden and stopped at a park to play. Meanwhile Steve ran the 5 miles to meet up with us, then bike back 5 miles home. (Earlier in the day we parked Steve's bike at the park and chained for safe keeping) This journey started out around noon so by the time Steve met up with us the kids were pretty hungry! Before heading home we refueled ate at a local pizza joint and had some YUMMY New York style pizza. I must say.... THERE IS NOTHING LIKE NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA!! This is of course after I had the opportunity to eat authentic New York style pizza last spring in the Big Apple. This made the trek back home much easier. Andrew, who is my oldest, surprised us all and made it all the way home without any complaints. This was a bit of a surprise to Steve and I considering he almost gave out last week and had only 1 mile to go. I told him he is in "training" so he can run some more kid races and that seemed to put some spark in his pedaling. All in all it was another great day to be out on the trail and I may have to consider pulling the boys more often than Steve. That is a great workout especially if your training for a long run as I am. I highly recommend the Columbia Bike Trailer to anyone who has kids as it has been money well spent.

Happy Easter to all who are reading this...... come back again soon and leave a note.

Kissable Lips

2008-03-20T09:11:00.003-04:00

Gotta love that face.....and those pouty lips to boot!! When I tell Jack "If you stick your lips out I'm going to kiss them" he gets even more angry!! Boys......

Weekend Rush

2008-03-17T16:00:00.008-04:00

What a weekend I say! I need to go on vacation to relax from all the hussel and bussel. Friday night Steve took the boys out to dinner while I haded to Bunco. Saturday morning I treated Steve and I to a caramel latte. This was courtesy of my new espresso machine from Starbucks. YUMMO! And I actually managed to froth the milk correctly on the first try! If you love coffee and don't own your own espresso machine, then you must try out the on Starbucks sells by Saeco. LOVE IT!!! Then it was up and running to Luke's baseball game, and by the way, they won by a 12 point lead over the other team! Go Yankees! For the reminder of the afternoon Steve and I took the boys out on the West Orange Trail for a 10 mile bike ride. This was the first time we got to use our new bike trailer, the one the boys are sitting in behind Steve's bike. They really enjoyed the ride while the rest of us did all the work! The trail was absolutely gorgeous. Most of the trail was covered up in the shade under big canopy oak trees so staying cool was easy and not to mention the fact that it was quite windy too. Andrew got a bit tired towards the end, around the 9 mile mark, but was a trooper and stuck it out. Any takers on a 20 mile bike ride? Sunday morning was spent at church then it was time to rest and re-coup from all the happenings over the weekend. Time for an espresso break!

A Birthday Surprise!

2008-03-13T10:29:00.004-04:00

Today I woke up to a Birthday Surprise! My darling boys decided to make a pact to "get along" today for the special occasion. This is a big feat for them considering they argue quite often! In honor of this "pact" the boys made I have decided that my birthday should be celebrated everyday! To heck with celebrating birthdays once a year!

Little Helper

2008-03-12T14:20:00.003-04:00

Just when I thought I had cleaned the kitchen....... Luke (aka: Little Helper) found my pink dish washing gloves and decided that he needed to give them a try. He insisted that I didn't clean some of the dishes good enough so he needed to step in to show me how to properly get the job done. SUPER Luke to the rescue! I'm thinking this picture may come in handy in about 10 years!

OOPS!

2008-03-10T16:38:00.002-04:00

Got a good laugh out of this one!! Noticed my spelling needed to be checked prior to posting! Now that won't happen again!

A Baseball Weekend

2008-03-10T16:06:00.003-04:00

Andrew and Luke posing for a quick picture for mom and dad before opening game day ceramonies. Jack had to get in on some of the picture taking action too! Life for us has not been the same since baseball season started.

The Baseball Club

2008-03-05T17:30:00.002-05:00

We have officially joined "The Baseball Club", exclusive to parents who have more than one child playing baseball. A requirment to being in this club is you have to be at the field at least 3 times a week for either games or practices, and serve your time in concessions. This year is new territory for us as we have Andrew and Luke both playing baseball. We decided to play with Dixie Youth League this year in hopes the load would be a bit lighter with a new league. BOY were we sadly mistaken!!! So far this league is turning out to be VERY competitive. Andrew and Luke both have two games and two practices per week! Between school, homework and after school activities I have hardly had a chance to post any recent pictures, much less the ones I have of opening day for baseball. I hope to get some of those up in a day or so. Andrew has been chosen to be his teams catcher. Andrew is really good at this and seems to be built for this position. Steve and I saw him in action on Monday night and I was amazed with his new found talent. He made me real proud! (sniff sniff) Luke on the other hand has just begun to get his feet wet. He is playing T-Ball and absoutley loves it. He knocked the ball off the tee at his last game and WOW'd the crowd! I fear what our schedule will be like when Jack gets in on the action. For us that is just around the corner! Until then we will have to surrender ourselves to baseball and many fast and quick meals on the go. Casseroles may soon become my best friend!

A New Journey....

2008-03-01T18:39:00.002-05:00

Steve and I are taking our running to a new level. We are planning to run in the 2009 Disney Half Marathon, which will be held in January thank goodness! The way I see it we have 10 months to perepare for the long run. The longest race I personally have competed in is the Disney 10K Race For The Taste with a few other small ones in between. To get us started we have joined a running club at our church and will be competing in several races through out the coming year with a 10K, 15K and a nightime race to name a few. I have had a mild set back in my training as I am bouting another fight with pnemonia and such but plan to get back on the trail in a couple weeks. (If it was up to me it would be in several days!!) Steve had a personal best today in running 7 1/2 miles on the West Orange Trail, so he is off to a decent start! (Lucky duck!) Our prayer for the coming year is NO injuries, so let's hope we can keep out of the doctor's office. Anyone want to race? There is still time to sign up!

Coming Out Of The Fog

2008-02-27T09:29:00.002-05:00

I think I am finally coming out of a 4 day fog! Upon returning home from Atlanta on Sunday I seemed to have contracted some kind of violent cold. I really don't think I have ever had a cold quite like the one I have been batteling for 4 days now. I know the older one get's, the harder it is on their body when their sick, however I am only 34 yrs old and somehow I have felt like I may have been possibly dying! To sum it all up, the symtoms are ones that usally follow the flu and add the sinus infection and severe cold symptoms, and put it all together and this is what I have been batteling. To make things more complicated, Andrew now seems to be coming down with this "cold" now and opening day for Baseball season is Saturday. I am holding out that he will be feeling better by then. In the meantime it is time to buy stock in Lysol and Clorox! Now that I've gotten that off my chest I feel much better!

Weekend in Atlanta

2008-02-25T11:12:00.002-05:00

What a fabulous weekend! I left Friday morning for Atlanta to spend some time with my sister, Elizabeth and her family. This was the first time I have gone away by myself without any of the children. This was also the first time I have been away from Jack since he was born. I think this was a long over due break for me. Upon arriving in Atlanta, I found the weather to be much colder than I'm used to! Living in warm, sunny Florida has it's perks and cold 50 degree weather is not one of them. None the less I had a fabulous time hanging out with"E" and bonding with Colby. Colby, who is only 2, took to me pretty quickly and calls me "MeMe". Talk about feeling like a grandma! We spent all weekend training him to call me "Aunt MeMe" instead of just MeMe. Firday night Mamaw came over to have dinner with all of us, and rescue my failed attempts at making a great chicken dish. Saturday started out with errands and a hair appt for E. I, along with her hair stylist, convinced her to chop off several inches of her hair. It was time for a change! The rest of the day was spent catching up on laundry and cleaning out closets as well as organizing! Everyone knows how much I lOVE to organize!! Sunday morning came and I dragged myself out of my warm bed to put work out clothes on and head to the gym with my brother in law Lee, who by the way is personal trainer part time. All I can say in regards to the training session is "He kicked my butt"! I am a bit sore today to say it mildly. Ten o'clock arrived and it was time for me to head home. I found myself getting teary eyed at that moment but knowing my three boys at home were anxioulsy waitiing for me made the long 7 hr trek bearable. Monday is here and it's back to the bump and grind!

My Sister....My Hero

2008-02-15T21:59:00.002-05:00

Many of us have loved ones in our lives whom we can call our heros. I happen to have a couple of loved ones I call my heros and my sister Elizabeth is one of them. My sister, who is married with a 2 year old little boy, got pregnant with her second child back in the fall. Yesterday, February 14th, was to be the day she and her husband found out the sex of the baby, as she was 20 weeks along. Within a couple of minutes into the ultrasound appointment, the technician said there was something wrong, and they were not able to find the heartbeat. To everyone's shock and disbelief, the baby had passed and now my sister would need to be put into labor to deliver her deceased baby. With everyone in shock, the plans were set into motion quickly to get her admitted to the hospital and start the process. What seemed like a great start to a Valentine's celebration ended up becoming a pregnant mother's worst nightmare. But you see, somehow my sister found the courage to do what needed to be done and perservere through the tragedy with amazing courage. I cannot imagine what that expierence was like, but I know this...... she is an amazing mom and has amazing strength! Most women would have fallen apart at the seams. But not my sister! She did what she had to do with great strength, and gave her baby back to God. So I am proud to say this........ Elizabeth ( aka: EE ) YOU'RE MY HERO!

A Must Read

2008-02-13T14:15:00.002-05:00

I am almost finished reading a book titled "The Mom You Were Meant To Be" by Cheri Fuller. I have decided it is one of the many books that every mom should read. It is very easy reading and the chapters can be read within 10 minutes! Raising three very busy boys I pretty much figured I knew all I needed to know about being a good mom. My sense of wisdom was extremely warped to say the least. Cheri is a mom of three and now a grandmother, so I think you can pretty much get an idea of the knowledge and wisdom she delivered into this book. I found myself laughing a few times and even felt she must have been peering inside one of my windows at home. Life is oh so short and if you don't rush out and buy this incredible book, I must say this: Take time out of your busy schedule to stop and smell the roses with your kids and don't get too caught up in life itself. I have a tendency to GO-GO-GO, as many of you know, and I learned that it is okay if everything in my house isn't perfect. Even more so, it is not the end of the world. I am happy to say Cheri taught me how to perceive life like my children do and to spend more time skipping through the daisies with them and spend less time cleaning and putting things in order. Did I say what a GREAT book this was? Check it out....... you won't be sorry!

A Conversation With Jack

2008-02-12T14:23:00.000-05:00

Jack is 3, so having a conversation with him now days can be quite entertaining. Today on the way to the gym he informed me that he didn't like girls. I told him that mommy was a girl and asked him why he didn't like girls. His response was he just didn't but told me that I wasn't a girl, that I was Meredith, aka bat-girl. (You see, Jack loves Batman so that was a compliment! ) We often talk about Disney and he quickly reminded me that I was a Princess! Now your talking! Now who has who wrapped around their finger? The life of being the only female in the house definitely has its advantages! Such innocence....... (sigh) If only it would stay that way.

Potty Training According To Jack

2008-02-09T15:08:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting outside enjoying the beautiful day, a bit cloudy but cool, while Luke and Jack are playing and jumping on the trampoline. Unknown to me, Jack just decided he would yank his pants down and take a whiz! Oh, did I mention he was on the trampoline at the time!! After a little devious giggle from Jack, Luke was quick to tell me that he (Jack) had just peed while on the trampoline. I have to keep asking Jack if he needs to go potty, but today, being Saturday, I have been forgetting to stay on top of him. While I was catching up on some emails, Luke again informed me that Jack was pulling his pants down to pee. Jacks words in defense were, "Mom, I went pee on the grass, okay"? Living out on property with no immediate neighbors around is a good thing right now. I can tell that raising three boys is not going to be such an easy task. If Steve and I can survive the next few years, or in Jack's case the next 24 hours, I think we can accomplish anything!

Cupids Arrow

2008-02-08T16:05:00.000-05:00

Today is ending up to be quite the busy day for the Rosser's. Andrew came to me in the car line at school with the biggest grin on his face and I knew something was up. Let me say this first.... I am so thankful God gave me boys! As usual the boys share their days events with me and Andrews went something like this:

Andrew: Mom, I have a crush on a girl.

Me: He He He... Who would that be? (like I don't know who as he has liked the same girl since Kindergarten)

Andrew: It's Nadia!

Me: Oh, that's nice. (I'm holding my breath for the next statement)

Andrew: Today I went to the prize box and got a ring out and gave it to Hannah.

Me: What????? What happened to Nadia?

Andrew: Well, she wasn't around so I gave it to Hannah and she can show Cana and Nadia.

Me: Oh, that's nice. ( I was speechless for one of the few times in my life)

Andrew: Yeah, I would have given it to Bella but she wasn't there.

Now let me say this, Bella is a absolutely gorgeous 8 yr old girl from church. So once again I was speechless and was not sure what to say at this point so I again said "That's nice honey". What does one do when their child, who by the way is ONLY 8, is bitten by the love bug? This is new territory for Steve and I. I am not too sure how we are going to handle the whole crush thing, but I will say deep down inside I was chuckling to myself. I believe Steve and I have a little ladies man on our hands and we thought Luke was going to be our little charmer! Guess I need to be praying for more than just patience from God right now! Don't think I have mentioned this either..... I found a "love note" in Lukes backpack as well. That note was written from a girl in his class. The note was addressed

To Lake (don't you love it when their just learning to spell)
Love Melanie

I love you a lot Ok?
Love Melanie

I will say this, didn't see that one coming! After Steve read this he asked Luke who Melanie was and all he could do was blush with no explanation. We left it at that. Hopefully that is as far as it goes! I don't want to get a call from the school regarding love notes and such.

Almost There!

2008-02-08T13:17:00.000-05:00

Well, yesterday began a day of "potty training" Jack. Needless to say to my surprise he remained dry all day and even wore his new Batman underwear with not skid marks! I have to admit I was a little scared that I would be throwing away a lot of new underwear, but we managed and so far so good for today. Jack loves his new potty. I also took a risk in buying one of those portable potty's but it was a good risk as he only wants to use his potty. I think the fact that it plays music when he goes it is encouraging for him and he knows after the music has played that he is rewarded with a few M&M's. Thank goodness for bribery! Tonight will be a test as Luke has baseball practice for an hr at the baseball field and need I say more about the bathrooms?

POOP!!!

2008-02-08T11:21:00.000-05:00

This new blog deserved to be posted right away........I just had the wonderful experience of dancing around the room signing the "poopy dance song" with my now BIG boy Jack. This of course was celebrated after I had the gross task of cleaning up escaped poop from his potty chair. Jack likes to be my big helper and he feels it is his duty to dump out his potty chair chamber into the adult toilet and as a result some of the poop never made it to the toilet. Thank goodness for kid wipes and Lysol!! I am finding a new found gift that I never have been able to obtain much until now......... PATIENCE! All I seem to be praying about these days is for God to give me patience. I might not recommend using a potty chair to anyone after this experience, but the jury is still out on that one.

The Reds

2008-02-07T21:55:00.000-05:00

Well after much thought I decided I would take a leap and try this whole blogspot stuff. I have never blogged online before but it seemed like it might be fun and a great way for all of the family to keep in touch with the day to day affairs of the "reds". I think I need to do a little more messing around with this spot and tweak it some, but for now this is what I have come up with. Stay tuned for more exciting pics and stories to come!