all because i fell in love

2009-10-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

today i am VERY thankful for chad...

my best friend...

great dad to kaden & brock (not in picture)...

family man...

no clue...

2009-10-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

for a week now i thought i lost all my blog list, about me, you know all your sidebar stuff.

well, today i discovered it at the bottom of my blog.

not a clue how it got there.

not a clue how to get it back to where it needs to go.

do you? can tell me how... please!

i want my blog to look normal again :) ha

BEWARE: lots of fun

2009-10-12T05:08:00.000-07:00

a friend a mine told me about this AWESOME site... photofunia.com

all you do is select the background you want (they have A LOT to pick from) & then a picture you want from your computer. it does the rest!

we spent an hour or so making some cool photos!!

BEWARE: its addicting!!

2009-10-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

today i am thankful for...

WASHABLE MARKERS!!!

(the pictures explain it all)

simple as that...

2009-10-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

i have one of these in our living room. i am ALWAYS cold so having something warm close-by is a must!

one problem... BROCK!!!

he finds it fun to play with them - make tents, have a picnic, or just pull them off because he can.

i was getting so frustrated every time i walked into the living room to see 5 or 6 blankets on the floor.

"didn't i just pick those up?" i would ask.

all i would get back was his cute smile & laughs.

i feel dumb admitting it but my solution... taking 3 away. simple as that! not sure why i didn't think of it earlier!

((i can handle picking 3 blankets off the floor about 15 times a day!!! haha))

**does your kid do something over & over & you finally just figured out a simple solution?**

my simple woman's daybook... 10/5

2009-10-05T08:59:00.001-07:00

outside my window... cloudy & cool

i am thinking... today is the day i must go grocery shopping. one of my least favorite things to do.

i am thankful for a great weekend in edmond... HS football game, allie (from our old youth group) won homecoming queen, fishing (kaden caught 2), eating, spending lots of time with mamaw & papaw

from the kitchen... not sure (yet!) but i'm thinking its homemade soup weather.

i am going... tuesday - i work & then STATE FAIR!!!
wednesday - church
thursday - work
friday - no plans
saturday - no plans (love these kind of weekends!)

i am hearing... silence - which means brock is more than likely doing something he shouldn't be!!

noticing that... i came home to a clean house last night but this morning its dirty again. funny how fast that happens!!

i am hoping... chad gets to feeling better.

you can join or read more here

my sim

2009-10-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

a day late...

2009-10-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

on thursday i usually write or make a list of things i am thankful for.

well, i didn't get to it because yesterday was horrible & to be honest just didn't feel like making a list.

i was tired & the boys were let's say... a (little!) cranky.

**so the first thing i am thankful for - its FRIDAY! we all had a good night sleep & we all woke up in good moods!

and b woke up dry (praise you jesus!) so i didn't have to wash the sheets for the first time in 3 days!

**the second thing i am (very) thankful for is the sweet photographer girl at picture people.

we had an apt at 5:30 wednesday. this would give us time to get home, let kaden play, watch his favorite cartoon & then we would head to the mall.

that plan was good but what i picked out was all wrong. (jeans, shirt & NOT his tennis shoes)

nope not what he wanted to wear & so the crying, arguing begins.

and it continued for 30 minutes.

he was crying & i was beyond mad.

we were late to our scheduled appointment but i couldn't reschedule because i had a coupon to get (free) 8x10, 2 5x7 & a sheet of wallets that was about to expire.

i felt sorry for whoever was going to end up taking his picture & trying to get him to smile.

the poor girl.

but she had a way with kaden & ended up getting him to smile.

i thanked her about a million times.

check out for yourself...
(and you will notice in the pictures that he isn't wearing the jeans. i took shorts just in case & that is when the best smiles came out !!)

85 days...

2009-09-30T07:28:00.000-07:00

if i added it right that is the days until CHRISTMAS!!

((but i could be wrong so please do the math yourself. it was always my worst subject in school))

i have made my list of people that i need to buy for.

even, started looking online.

chad has even me the envelope with the christmas money so i am ready. set. go.

sunday... i bought my first christmas gift for my niece. brock saw it when i got home & when i wasn't looking he tried to open it. his face was so sad when i took it away, so i have decided to give it to him. i am hoping he forgets about it & will actually be surprised when he opens it! ha

and then yesterday... bought 5 more gifts.

i'm pumped that i have started this early. i am hoping to be done by black friday!

let the good times begin... shopping & finding good deals!!!

my simple woman's daybook... 9/28

2009-09-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

i found a new blog here & every monday she makes a list of things going on in her life, sometimes it the same. sometimes she changes things up & adds new one.

either way... i love me some list!!

************************************************************************************
outside my window... some men painting the house behind ours

i am thinking... i have alot of my to do list - i don't need to be on here much longer. ha!

i am thankful for... my super clean garage. chad worked in/on it all day saturday - hung the bikes, put tools away but most importantly we can park both cars in there.

from the kitchen...
monday - tacos
tuesday - breakfast (biscuits, eggs, bacon, grits)
wednesday - grilled chicken
thursday - not sure
friday/saturday/sunday - will be in edmond with chad's parents

i am going...
tuesday - work (6am-10)
classroom birthday party in kaden's class
wednesday - kaden getting his picture taken at picture people
thursday work (7am-11)
friday - headed to edmond

i am hearing... music from the office (chad is working from home this am) and i hear brock laughing as he jumps off the couch onto the beanbag

pondering words... regardless of what else you put on, wear LOVE. it's your basic all-purpose garment. never be without it.

i am hoping... that i can actually post this. my computer keep being dumb.

around the house... cleaning up after my 3 year old - every room he goes in there is a mess when he leaves.

happy monday!

sad, sad day...

2009-09-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

the neighborhood pool is now closed :(

and to make it a little worse its rained the past 7 days straight so we couldn't even use it.

stink!

i won't start worrying about bathing suit season just yet... i've got 8 months till it opens back up!! ha

happy fall ya'll!!!

summer fun... 2009

2009-09-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

the summer is over :(
we had a great one & made alot of great memories!
since i didn't post this summer due to lack of internet access i have ALOT of pictures to post.
i didn't want to post them all separate, that would take forever.
slide.com came to my rescue.
enjoy!!

ALL DAY...

2009-09-16T17:52:00.000-07:00

its been a month since kaden started kindergarten ALL DAY!
so its just me & brock (and sometimes chad is around)
brock is my little helper... he loves to help me do my chores! we play with cars & get out every board game, we make yummy desserts & run errands.
man, its so much easier having one kid. lol
but ALL DAY brock will say, "i miss kk" or "when we going to go get kaden?"
i love this time with just him - having so much one-on-one time. i have never had "this" time, esp the ALL DAY amount. its special mom & brock bonding time.
love it! love him!

makes me smile...

2009-09-15T10:01:00.001-07:00

at my house we have had overcast, raining days.

4 of them... right in a row!

i enjoyed the first day of all rain & staying inside, the second day was great too, third day i was just lazy & today... i need sunshine.

so today i am posting pictures of all things that make me smile even though the weather outside is not!

cheesecake factory strawberry lemonade with sugar around the rim... so, so good!!

our new church:

getting my paycheck every friday!

the original pacman:

LEMONS!

getting my pottery barn kids magazine in the mail

cupcakes!

chick-fil-a lemonade!

the beach... the sound of the waves, the smell, the sunrise & sunset... like it all!!

and i can't leave off my 3 favorite guys!!!

what are some of the things that make you smile?

birthday celebration...

2009-09-14T11:18:00.001-07:00

the day has final come & kaden is now 6!!!

we got him out of school early (lunch of his choice) then headed to the tulsa zoo. after seeing all the animals we went to chuck e cheese to play games & then came home to finish putting up the trampoline from the grandparents.

learning process...

2009-09-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

*instead of sweeping the kitchen floor, i read books to the boys.

*instead of putting the clean clothes away, i am a band member in the band.

*instead of just putting a movie on & walking away, i stay & watch it too. (with popcorn, of course!!)

*instead of putting the dishes away, i play a board game.

*instead of cleaning the toys up right away, we leave them & i follow them outside for a walk or head to the park.

i have not always been this way. and to be honest, its still hard sometimes to see all that i need to do & not do it.

i am learning that "in the moment" with the boys is most important.

i am realizing that all my "have to's" can really wait until after the boys are in bed.

i need to enjoy today... NOW!!!

i need to remember that i can't get time back from them.

my sweet boys are growing fast & i need to make the best memories with them everyday!

every.single.day

2009-09-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

8 years ago i was younger, skinner, no kids, we had no ministry experience but we were in love & getting married.

since then we have moved three times, i've gotten older & fatter, some gray hairs are showing & a lot has been colored, 2 boys were added to the family but one things remains... STILL IN LOVE!!

we are celebrating 8 years strong today!!! so this post is dedicated to him...

1) i love how you make me laugh with your facial expressions, your quick comebacks, your smells, your wit, its something different but its every.single.day

2) i love you as my best friend, one who i truly enjoy & love being around every.single.day

3) i love you for the father you are to the boys. they adore you & love to be around & play with you every.single.day

4) i love you for being faithful. never, ever have you given me any reason to doubt. i know, i know, i know you love me & only me every.single.day

5) i love you for the man of God you are, the spiritual leader of the family. we are blessed because of what you stand for every.single.day

6) i love you for the sacrifice you make for the three of us. you provide & give but expect nothing in return every.single.day

7) i love you for the challenges. its not always the easiest, especially on my part to step out of my comfort zone, to change & grow, but we are there with support & love every.single.time

8) i love you because your nice on the eye every.single.day!!!

just the beginning...

2009-08-31T14:00:00.000-07:00

The whole reason for moving up here to Tulsa is for the very important calling to be apart of the church plant. Right from the beginning Chad meet with the (three) other guys daily. All kind of decisions had to be talked about & made. **The first & most important decision made was the name of the church: CITY CHURCH / love God... serve the city (i the think the model wearing the shirt is super cute!!) ((wink wink)) **We meet & have been meeting monthly since January. Its a time of vision casting & fellowship. **We are in the process of finding a location... very exciting. ** We start (three) community groups in September. **We already have forty people committed to being apart of CITY CHURCH with us. **I love the other pastor's wives & the kids pastor... an answer to pray. (will have to write another blog about this) **It's very exciting times. I had no idea what to expect moving here & us being apart of this. I still have no expectations except something great will happen because I know God is in this!

an afternoon stroll...

2009-08-27T16:23:00.000-07:00

this afternoon i had the privilege of being by myself. (((doesn't happen very often))) i didn't want to be home doing house chores so i headed to downtown jenks.

its a cute little one way street that i have been driving on the last fews months & have really wanted to walk down & go inside every single shop.

my idea of fun!

the one store that i have been dying to go inside is called the spotted umbrella. so i went in there first. super cute homemade stuff from local people. i will for sure being going back!

the next store... antiques

across the street... antiques

one scrapbooking store that is overpriced in my opinion

the next store... antiques

a store where you wash your dog (((why i wonder? why can't people do it at home?)))

the next store... antiques

a store full of peace frogs items (((clutter)))

the next store... antiques

SEVEN antiques shop on one street!

that is just crazy to me - why so many?!?!

is your downtown like this???

i'm back..

2009-08-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

where to beginning...

so many stories to share. and lots & lots of pictures to show you since the last time i wrote.

i will just share one for right now & say that we are in our house. (((a BIG yea!!)))

all the curtains are hung, things on the wall where i like them & most importantly the boys have ALL their toys back. (((most of our things have been in storage for a little over 4 months... everything seemed brand new!)))

we can't park in the garage yet. soon... i'm hoping! and i can't find towels to make the boys shower curtain i bought so that bathroom does not look good, but it feels like home & that is most important!!!

the boys seem to be adjusting & liking home. every once & a while the youngest will say, "i want to go home"

i will respond, this is our new home, we aren't moving from here for a long time.

"no, i want to go to mamaw & papaw's house!"

it makes me sad - i have moved my boys 3 times in the last 5 months. the poor guy is so confused as to where home is!!!

b hasn't said it in the last week... thank goodness! i know my God has been faithful to us every step that we haven taken since saying yes to being apart of this church plant. we know we did the right thing by moving even though it has been a little rough on the boys.

great days are ahead!!!

the best part...

2009-06-20T08:03:00.000-07:00

my favorite & only reason i like living at the apartment is getting these:

everytime we walk out the door both my boys pick me a flower.

everytime!

simply the best part!

let me explain...

2009-06-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

the last post i wrote that i would be writing less to spend time with my family. little did i know how i would be made to do that!

our temporary living (the apartment in tulsa) doesn't have internet. it really stinks! to be honest - i hate it! there is just no reason to get it when we will be moving to our house at the end of the summer. the nice guy i married let's me go to panera bread every couple of days to get my fix on their free wifi :)

that's just the way it is & i will have to deal with it.... unfortunately. so my blogs will be very few until we move & no pictures.

stink. again.

we moved to tulsa (a week ago)

we had a rough start... dirty apartment & i mean gross dirty. hair in the bathrooms, stains on the comforters, dog hair, all the drawers & closets needed to be wiped down, the pans in the kitchen had looked used & i'm not sure they were washed... ever.

when we signed up for the furnished apartment this is not what i was thinking. i wanted to move in & have no signs of no one living there. it really grossed me out. (((i still does))) it really made me upset that i was paying them all this money & i had to come in & clean the whole thing before trying to get settled.

that same night at bedtime b started crying saying, "i want to go home" i was trying to comfort him by telling him this is our new home, we live in tulsa now but by the end i was crying along with him.

saturday was a little better. we stocked up on food & new towels (((no way was i going to use the ones there!))) that night we meet up with friends & played at the park. just hanging out, cool weather... nice & relaxing.

sunday was even better! didn't have to be at church until 10:45, didn't have to sit on the front row, no responsibilities. i little weird but it was a nice change. good service & then lunch with friends.

me & the boys are staying busy with swimming, library trips, getting lost figuring out the new town (((it would help if i could figure out how to use the GPS he bought!))), free movie, free bowling, spray grounds, free concert. (((do you get the theme... FREE!!!)))

it didn't start out how i thought i would but by the end of the first week its all good. i like tulsa more & more. chad likes tulsa & the boys, well they like anywhere if they are getting to have fun!

i know, i know, i know we are suppost to be here & that gives me peace & makes me like this new city even more. we are in God's perfect will.

summer, summer time...

2009-06-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

summer is here...

moving to a new town
swimming
taking the boys to the park
meeting new people
vacation
ice cream
start exercising again
trying to get the boys back into a routine
sleeping in
dates with my husband
grilling out
family
trying not to get lost too many times in Ttown!
movie nights
getting tan by the pool
spending time with friends

our summer is going to be fun... laid back... spent together!

this will be a first for us.

in the eight years that we have been married chad & i have done youth camp, i-camp, mission trip, national trip & then all the stuff you do in between with & for the youth every summer. its fun, no doubt with those crazy teenagers, but at the same time it left little or no time for us as a family.

this summer WILL be different. it already feels a little weird with chad not talking about or planning things for the youth.

i am sad - for the last 8 years this is all i have known. so many, many emotions. what keeps me going is knowing without a doubt that God wants us in tulsa. that excites me to know we are in "His Will"

i write all this to say that i will be here in the blogosphere hit & miss this summer. i have never been good at writing everyday & so i won't even try this summer.

this summer will be spent making great memories with my family!

2009-06-01T06:46:00.000-07:00

happy monday! a new blog that i have been following, all that is good does this "friend makin monday" every week. each monday it is a different format, question & so i thought i would go for it today & play along. want to join the fun? go here

Today's task is to share as few or as many everyday, little tips that you use to make your lives easier. You know- all those special tricks you might have to cook, clean, raise kids, work in the yard, and on and on!

1 - i have a list that i keep in the kitchen (on fridge) & write things down when we are low or completely out. if i don't do this i will usually forget. ha

2 - my husband & i both write thank you cards RIGHT AWAY when we receive something. if we don't then we usually forget & then it never happens. which is sad.

3 - i am always doing laundry. i don't like a full basket. i may do more washes but they are smaller, so easier & quicker to put away :)

4 - i always go to bed with a clean house. i love waking up to everything in the right place.

5 - to keep clutter down we clean out toys/clothes at the beginning of every new season.

6 - i give myself time outs. i walk away & then come back to the situation/problem when i can talk & handle it better than when i am upset or mad.

i scream, we scream, we all scream for FREE ice cream...

2009-05-30T06:33:00.000-07:00

Stop by Walmart TODAY from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for FREE Ice Cream! You can choose from 1.57 fl oz. Dibs Snack Bag, 24 fl oz. Blue Bunny Aspen Frozen Yogurt Granola Bar or

4 oz. Ben & Jerry's Flipped Out Cup.

let the fun begin...

2009-05-29T05:47:00.000-07:00

busy, busy day...

2009-05-28T08:49:00.000-07:00

(((warning: long email with lots of pictures!)))

yesterday was a happy day,

sad day,

some tears where shed,

we felt lots of love,

throw in some tantrums (a day without one just wouldn't be normal - ha)

it started at 10:45 when kaden graduated from pre-k.

we went to his school & they sang a couple of cute songs they had learned.

they even had little hats & thru them up in the air after getting their little diplomas.

(((a few fits in the afternoon!)))

that night was church, but it wasn't like any other wednesday. it was our last :(

they planned a great service - two songs were created in chad's honor - a funny song of events that have happened while being here the last five years & a rap.

really good stuff!!!

then it was our turn - to be up in front of people AND holding a microphone is not my thing. but i knew i needed to. i was nervous, shaking from being so nervous, & then the sound booth guy started playing music & i lost it - big tears. another thing i hate is too cry in front of people. so 3 things i hate the most i did last night! ha

(((the first two pictures are the boys with their friends)))

crazy MS boys!
HS guys (below)
MS girls
HS girls (below)

our AWESOME leaders: (((below)))
(((alicia {the jean girl} she always noticed when chad & i had a new pair of jeans on & knew what brand they were - she is all into fashion)))
(((smart boy going to PENN in the fall)))

(((crazy, crazy girl but love her much, much)))
(((3 of the nicest people you will ever meet)))

gospel & chad (((the guy who wrote a GREAT rap about chadallic)))
(((i wasn't ready for the picture to be taken... can you tell?!?!)))

2009-05-27T05:49:00.000-07:00

i have a love/hate relationship with facebook.

it has been great getting back in touch with friends from HS & college, old church friends, family friends. this past i really do like. without facebook i most likely would have never found & talked to these people.

the negative (or atleast for me) is seeing/reading all the gossip that goes on locally among the teenagers. too much so i have basically quit facebook, maybe getting on once or twice a month.

but i'm moving in a week & so i have a question...

-i can delete people?

-if so, how?

-and if i do delete, will it show up all on pages what i did???

i just want to get rid of a few people that i don't talk to - if i don't talk to them now then they don't need to be on my page finding out info about me!

my {3} favorite people...

2009-05-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

LOL...

2009-05-22T04:52:00.000-07:00

the only reason i want chad to get a mac is because of photo booth.
so fun & funny... hours of FREE fun!!!

free haircut anyone???

2009-05-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

of course! everyone likes FREE but what if i said it was by a five year old!!!

change your mind, huh?!?!

kaden came home with (((A LOT))) of coloring papers that the teacher was getting rid of. he was sitting at the table cutting, coloring & even letting brock join it.

they were coloring, drawing, cutting, sharing.... life was perfect!!!

i went into the kitchen to talk with chad - he was fixing lunch. (((i told you life was perfect! ha)))

(((at the table eating now...)))

brock comes in with the scissors & paper in his hands wanting to finish his masterpiece at the table with us but instead of cutting the paper he grabs for his hair.

i grabbed them out of his hand JUST IN TIME!

chad & i were talking, laughing, in shock about it when kaden walks in (((he overheard us talking) and points to his head.

we laughed & in shock some more.

he then goes to look at it in the mirror & when he walks out of the bathroom he tells us he, "brock wanted me to cut his hair too & so i did!"

thankfully neither "cut" way too bad. kaden is worse than his brothers since its right in the front.

i have put the scissors up... in a very, very high place.

i am actually surprised that he is five & this is the first time he has tried to cut his hair.

(((kaden is crying in the above picture because he didn't want his picture taken or for me to write about it... i told him it was a must!!! ha)))

great advice...

2009-05-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

last night for dinner we grilled out.

chad was glued to the tv watching american idol but i asked him o' so nicely to please grill the hot dogs.

i laughed at myself & said, "some day i will learn."

my mother-in-law then spoke up & said, "if you never learn then you never have to do it!!!"

i like that! ha

is there any (((good))) advice your in-laws have given to you that is worth passing on???

nothing...

2009-05-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

blank...
-i have nothing to write about.

life right now is boring, well plenty is going on just not blog worthy: (((ha)))
-get up
-morning stuff
-take kaden to school
-keep my niece
-pick kaden up
-lunch
-back to the in-laws house
-eat dinner
-maybe do laundry
-and the whole time trying to keep my boys under control
(((that's not going so good since moving there)))

a routine.... not really!

its so hard not having a "home"

i love my in-laws & we get along great, but i am ready to move & us have "our" life again.

the countdown is on... 2 and a half weeks till we move!

soccer season...

2009-05-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

it came to an end (((3 weeks ago))) because the last 3 saturday's it has rained & the games have been canceled.

kaden gets so disappointed when it rains & he can't play. he loves any & every sport, soccer being his favorite!

this season was harder than last year... playing with kids 2 & 3 years older than him, taller than him, bigger goal, bigger field.

but he played well... every game! his wasn't scared of the taller kids or the ball! he is in game mode when he is on the field.

some of my favorite pics from the season...

on a hunt...

2009-05-15T09:17:00.001-07:00

he is cute... no doubt about it but when it time to go, get ready for school, walk out the door which means putting on shoes another side comes out.

kaden is EXTREMELY picky about how socks feel on his feet.

- can't be thick

- thin is A MUST!

- the seam around his toes must be straight

- no strings hanging or seen... inside the sock or out

i have looked at walmart, target, old navy & thought i found some at the dollar store but it was no.

i have let him go without socks some because i don't like to deal with the whining & complaining every morning but then his shoes begin to smell.

his dad came up with the idea to spray cologne in the shoes. kaden loved this! that works just for the little while. the smell is still (((gross)))!

i am so glad that summer is here & he will be wearing crocs everyday.

but it will come to an end like all good things must do and so my search is on... i need to find some (((super thin))) socks for this cute boy to wear by the time school starts back & before i lose my mind!!!

can anybody help me... where should i start looking at???

i'm thinking arby's...

2009-05-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

its the place to eat at on wednesday's in may, june, july & august.

something FREE every wednesday all summer long!

*************************************************************************************

May 13th - Free Roastburger with and soft drink purchase

May 20th - Free Chocolate Malt Swirl shake with any sandwich purchase
May 27th - Free Regular Roast Beef sandwich with any soft drink purchase

June 3rd - Free FruiTea with any sandwich purchase
June 10th - Free Roast Chicken club with any soft drink purchase
June 17th - Free Regular Sidekicker with any sandwich purchase
June 24th -Free Regular Roast Beef with any soft drink purchase

July 1st - Free Regular Beef ‘n Cheddar with any soft drink purchase
July 8th - Free Orange Cream Swirl shake with any sandwich purchase
July 15th - Free Regular Roast Beef with any soft drink purchase
July 22nd - Free Roastburger with any soft drink purchase
July 29th - Free FruiTea with any sandwich purchase

August 5th - Free Regular Roast Beef with any soft drink purchase
August 12th - Free Roast Chicken Club with any soft drink purchase
August 19th - Free FruiTea with any sandwich purchase
August 26th - Free Regular Beef ‘n Cheddar with any soft drink purchase

*************************************************************************************************

2009-05-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

so much to be thankful for this week..,

* for kaden showing care & concern for brock TWICE last night. he can be a good big brother!

* that we found & bought a home in tulsa to call home.

* getting very excited about moving & living/doing life with the other 3 couples we are starting the church with.

* for a good haircut by one of a wonderful sister-in-laws! (((thanks a million sherri)))

* for days like today where i don't have much to do but play with the boys.

* for God's faithfullness he shows me.

* for getting to sleep in an extra 30 minutes this morning... it makes a big difference!

now your turn... what are you thankful for?

worth more than $2...

2009-05-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

every holiday i want a family pictures. the boys have different opinions & usually never are in the mood to smile, esp when the holiday falls on a sunday & they have been at church all morning.

this past sunday was different (((thanks to my husband))) we took the pictures as soon as we got to church.

they were a little late to sunday school... i didn't care i wanted some good shots with my boys on mother's day.

AND we told them we would give the one who smiled the best ONE dollar!

that's all it took! everybody was ALL smiles!!!

now i'm wondering why it took me five years to think of this great idea! haha

these pictures are well worth the $2 i forked over to each of them!

i need a nap!!!

2009-05-12T09:49:00.001-07:00

i'm back!

worn out & tired to say is an understatement.

let me do a highlight of the past week/weekend for you -

mondy - friday at boot camp which was 8:30 - 5. yuck! i felt like i was in school again but only this time they extended the hours. i did learn some things & it was nice to see my family.

get home friday night right in time for chad's grandma's birthday party.

i'm not sure what we were thinking earlier in the week when we called the newspaper & put an ad in it to have another garage sale. thank goodness this time we didn't have to set up. my wonderful in-laws let us keep everything up from the saturday before.

we started at 7am saturday (((we are crazy & worn out)))

by 11:30 kaden's soccer game was canceled & i called it quits. i was tired of being out in the cold & rain.

12:30 chad & i headed to tulsa to look at one apartment & one house.

we got them both!!!

the apartment we need for just two months because the house we bought will not be ready until july or after.

the apartment is fully furnished so we don't have to move all of our things twice (((thank you jesus)))

we are super excited now about moving to tulsa now that will have a place to call home!

sunday was mother's day. for the past 5 years this isn't a day that i really enjoy because its sunday which means chaos in the morning time. lunch is always rushed because chad is one of the youth pastor's leading the senior baccalaureate service so he has to be there by 2:30pm ((( why they do it on this day i don't know)))

after our rushed lunch me & the boys went to get food for home groups.

no nap for any of us.

all this week - keeping my niece

wednesday night is senior night at ignite

friday & saturday - 3 graduations to go to (((woohoo!!!)))

sunday - honor the graduates & then party that night

its a fun but busy time of year.

i guess i can always catch up on sleep later :)

mom's eat FREE!!!

2009-05-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

i really don't have time to be writing this but i just couldn't not share with my friends this good deal...

at johnny carino's mom's eat a 3 course meal + a drink for FREE!!!

it end may 8th

to get this great deal all you have to do is buy one meal at regular price.

happy early mother's day to us!!!

some sad news...

2009-05-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

headed to dallas, texas today for boot camp for the week.

this is put on by the assemblies of god to partner with church planters... to help us grow, learn, think through things that maybe we haven't thought about yet. its all day / everyday for the week. the boys are super pumped to see & play with their grammy & pops & their cousins this week. the sad news: no blogging this week since i will have school & homework each day / night. so don't write too much on your blog this week so i don't have that much to catch up on this weekend! ((haha)) have a great week everyone!!!

love/hate relationship...

2009-05-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

***yard sales is what i'm talking about***

we had one today... in the pouring rain

when i woke up at seven am this morning & heard the rain i was just a little excited, thinking the yard sale would be canceled.

i was wrong.

what i hate about yard sales:
- pricing all the items
- the time it takes to get ready for one
- how the boys walk by the table of "junk" grabbing something saying "i want to keep this forever"
- the rain
- the cold
- i'm horrible at math so added, giving back change... its just too much for my little brain

what i LOVE about yard sales:
- decluttering of all the rooms inside the house
- the $$$ i make
- when the sun is shining & i can get some sun (not the case today)
- all the different people i meet
- did i mention the $$$ i make in just a short few hours

we made over $300 dollars in just a short 4 hours.

i would say well worth it... even if i was cold the whole time!

something to be thankful for...

2009-04-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

(((i am really enjoying these "thankful thursday" list. i go, go, go, rush from here to there every week so i don't always think of all the things to be thankful for until thursday. sad, i know.)))

here goes:

*support money is coming in - so thankful for all the families who pledge to support us monthly thru money & their prayers.

*for jordan - a college student who is helping chad more than i could ever do. it really is a load off his shoulders.

*for a girls night out i had tuesday night. the girls were college seniors, so i was about ten years older than them. o'well - i still had a blast!!! it just made me realize that i have missed not having some close girlfriends & started praying for some great ones in tulsa.

*for the storms. i know that sounds weird because when i'm there i hate it, i am upset & just can't understand, but i know that God is with us, our family, our future He is holding in His hands.

*for kaden's energy & excitement on the soccer field. he scored a goal last saturday & was beyond thrilled. his face was priceless!!!

*for all the ice cream i have enjoyed this week... so yummy! i need to work out now & will... once i move to tulsa (((wink wink)))

*that brock is starting to tell me he needs to go to the bathroom. maybe he will potty train himself, brillant child of mine. (((ha ha)))

*yesterday it a rained, the boys slept in & so we made it a pj's day. it was so what i needed!

(((we all have something to be thankful so take a little time to think about your's)))

what's your answer...

2009-04-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

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i found this on rachel's blog & wanted to play along this week. its a fun way to find out a little about the people who read your blog.

1. excluding shampoo and conditioner, how many products do you use on your hair?

2. excluding the Bible, what is your all-time favorite book?

3. is there a household chore you actually enjoy? if not, what is the one you mind doing the least?

4. do you scrapbook? digital, paper, or both?

5. do you use a reader for the blogs you read? which one?

my answers:

1. 3 {gel while my hair is wet, a pomade after & then hairspray}

2. i don't have an all time favorite book. i use to read all the time - not so much anymore, but when i do find the time to read i like books on parenting & marriage.

3. i don't mind doing laundry - its got to get done by someone so you have clean clothes to wear. what i hate to do is sweep & unload the dishwasher.

4. i use to scrapbook & then baby boy #2 came around & i ran out of time... and energy! i now do photo books from shutterfly. i do one a year for each of the boys.

5. i just use my scroll on the left side of my blog to read my friends blog. is their an easier way... please tell!!!

now, it your turn!

look yummy???

2009-04-29T06:14:00.000-07:00

tonight at baskin robbins you can get one of these for .31 cent

5pm to 10 pm only!

yea baby! that is what i'm talking about!!!

there is one across the street from our church so we will be heading over there after youth... hope you have one near you too :)

today is going to be a great day!

worth trying...

2009-04-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

the second & fourth
or maybe its the first & third -
either way, every other sunday night we have small groups at our house {well, not at "our" house anymore... tear}

these two or so hours every other week is a time that chad & i look forward to. {the boys as well!} we have the ninth & tenth graders that we are with & we have a blast!

they come with a hungry stomach but cooking is something i have never been good at. i try & try but its just not going to happen. i wish i could give up & just eat out for the rest of my life... that would be the bomb.dot.com!!! ha

i say all that because this group of students are so easy to please. they would be happy with bagel bites every week. i do try to change things up but they are a little disappointed if i don't pull a tray full of them out of the oven. ha

also, they are BIG into trying new things, wierd flavors. so every time we meet i buy something new for us all to try.

this week we tried two new things:

they both were a hit!
so good!
so yummy!

i bought the vanilla fun stix's... it tasted like a vanilla wafers with just the perfect amount of icing on the inside. i ate so many that night... we will be buying more or maybe that's a bad idea. you should try them though!

and the chips... a crunchy version of funneons!

what about you... have you found something new that you think is worth trying???

overwhelmed

2009-04-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

since chad and i our decision to move to tulsa to be apart of the church plant our life has been crazy. but every moment i still know that God is telling us to do this. when we got married {eight years this september} we never thought we would take such an adventure but through learning, growing, & TRUSTING we know God has a different & better plan for our life, for our family.

everything has been falling into place... {selling our house in 3 days & for more than we asked... getting money back from different things that we didn't know about or just didn't remember... raising support is going well... and i could list more... God is so good!} but through all of this its been tiring, esp for chad who seems like he is working two full time jobs... youth pastor & church planter. this past weekend was the hardest we have faced yet, since we began this journey.

we went to tulsa this past weekend to find our "new" home. we don't know the area or the schools very well so we just started driving around. our target area of people that we want to love & reach is a big triangle in tulsa. inside that triangle are ghetto schools, not so nice apartments & then really expensive homes & privates schools.

feeling overwhelmed seats in now!

we meet up with some dear friends that live near there & they asked us about where kaden will go to school. we said tulsa schools. and they advised us just the opposite.

so we are torn & more feelings of overwhelming feels us very fast. we want to be missional, to live there, to be the church to those people but at the same time i want kaden to get a good education and not learn horrible habits everyday while around those kids at school. maybe i am being a sheltered mom little too much but i feel its my job to protect him as long as i can.

the next day, we drove to all kind of apartments. since we don't know the area we don't want to buy right away. we were thinking apartments... swimming pool... fitness room... no yard to cut!!! but every person we talked to told us the same thing - "don't go to tulsa schools, jenks, union, broken arrow is your best place to go to school"

the boys went with us... not such a good idea! they did ok the first two places we looked at & then it was all downhill from there... and we were going downhill fast!!!

towards the end of our LONG day brock said from his car seat, "i want to go home" and kaden said to him, "we don't have a home, remember we sold it". my heart was filled with sadness & tears filled my eyes. our home - the only "home" they have known is just a memory now.

i felt very overwhelmed at this point. what is God thinking, asking us to move, relocate our boys from "home sweet home"???

***since being home from our weekend up to tulsa we have talked to more people that gave us the same advice. since they all are saying the same things about the schools we are going to try to find a rent home in jenks school district. we did find some nice apartments but still very tiny. we would be on top of each other at all times. we know that its a great time to buy right now but we don't want to rush into buying just yet. we want to live there at least a year, get to really know the area before we settle down.

so i end with asking you to please pray for us. this is huge & like the title says... we are feeling overwhelmed about all the decisions that effect our future that need to be made now. all the prayers are greatly appreciated!

thankful thursday...

2009-04-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

so much to be thankful for...

{even though i still can't post picturs or get the THANKFUL THURSDAY logo from my computer...}

*for the WARM weather... its been over 80 degrees everyday this week

{i'm loving it!}

*that tomorrow is FRIDAY... its been a long week & i'm ready for a FUN weekend

*for my boys who make me smile BIG & laugh HARD every single day

{i need to tell them MORE that i am thankful for them}

*we found out we are getting {extra} money back from our house taxes

{like that a whole lot!!!}

*that my boys still feel close & love my parents even though they have never lived near them. thanks mom & dad for making such a GREAT effort to! and for skype that we just got... we have got to see them EVERYnight

*the move to mamaw & papaw's house really messed up the boys sleep schedule up. not anymore... they are both sleeping sounding all night again... & so am i!!!

*for the easter candy {chocolate} that the boys have forgotten about & now i am enjoying {this may turn into a bad problem & me having to start exercising}

*for blogging & blogging friends - i really do enjoy writing & knowing that people read what i write! also, the things i read is encouraging & uplifting, challenging & makes me laugh. i have some real friends in you all - thank you!

happy thursday!

chart it...

2009-04-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

i am a list maker.

i think i have said {written} it a time or two that i get a {high} i mean a thrill for marking things off my to-do list.

well, yesterday i came across an awesome site - goal for it

they have tons of charts {goals} for you, the family & kids already created or you can make up your own. super cute colors & designs!

i have saved it as a favorite & when we are moved, settled & have a routine again i will be printing {alot} of these babies out!!!

go check it out... i know you will like it!

today is EARTH DAY... we are going to the disney store after school. if you bring in 3 plastic bottles they give you something free. and you all know i'm all about FREE stuff!!! :)

tag... you're it!!!

2009-04-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

i was tagged by the o' so cute jennifer at love, laughter & lyrics. if you have never been to her blog... its a must! she is a mom of two super cute kids & funny... every post will make you laugh!

8 things i'm looking forward to:
1 - this week... warm weather EVERYDAY!
2 - moving to tulsa... having our own place again!
3 - kaden going to kindergarten all day
4 - family vacation this summer
5 - my hair being long... my hair grows sooo slow so i may be old when that times comes but i will have long hair again before i die! ha
6 - brock being potty trained
7 - running again... its in my near future... i just know it, i mean i NEED IT!
8 - going to a fashion show... one of the girls in the youth group is in it next week!

8 things i did yesterday:
1 - unloaded the dishwasher
2 - dressed myself & the boys
3 - cooked breakfast & lunch for me & the boys
4 - took kaden to school / picked him up
5 - text a few people
6 - on the computer way too long... blogging... looking for a place to live
7 - actually got to take a nap... this NEVER happens
8 - we talked to my parents on skype... anybody ever done this? so fun for the boys to actually get to see grammy & pops, not just hear their voice!
{ i know i live a very boring life!!!}

8 things i wish i could do:
1 - keep a clean house
2 - draw a straight line - world's worst drawer right here!
3 - sing really good... like belt out some high notes good!
4 - make everyday a day at the beach... relaxing, swimming, getting a tan
5 - get paid for being on the internet... that would be the best job EVER!!!
6 - not get nervous talking in front of people
7 - fly everywhere instead of taking the car... my boys ARE NOT good travelers
8 - cure chad of ALL his allergies

8 shows i enjoy:
1 - csi: miami
2 - what not to wear
3 - jon & kate plus eight... i watch this & realize i have it made!!!
4 - anything on HGTV
5 - friends
6 - the view... i watch it because i like elizabeth & feel sorry for her because she gets ganged up on most days
7 - dateline
** that's about all i watch... if the question was "what do i hear all day"... elmo / dora / diego / thomas the train / curious george / word girl / authur / clifford

8 friends that i pass this on to...
stephanie
sarah
rachel
http://naturallycaffeinatedfamily.blogspot.com/
becky
amber
audrey
melinda

*

ruthless trust...

2009-04-20T07:41:00.001-07:00

{reviving our trust in the one worth trusting}

chad preached in both services in the am yesterday.

i was not the good wife who made it to the 8:30am services to hear him preach. no way - no possible way for me to have myself dressed, the boys dressed & be in a good mood! its hard enough most sunday's getting there cheerfully at 9:30. anybody know what i'm talking about?!?!

back to his sermon... really good stuff... two pages of notes i took...

*most of us don't trust the Lord like we should because its risky, its scared, its the unknown. most of us like to plan things out ourselves, to be organized, & everything thought out, leaving no details unanswered.

*John 14:1 - TRUST HIM

*when you TRUST HIM you are in His WILL

*II timothy 1:12

*the more you TRUST - the more you GROW. the more you GROW - the more you TRUST.

* TRUST = discipleship

*TRUST is blind faith

*it's all about Him. the more you know Him, the less scary it is. and the more willing you are to TRUST HIM.

*the challenge is to go to the unknown! TRUST a little more, let God prove how awesome HE IS!!!

* another story to read about God being faithful if we TRUST is gideon in judges 6&7

chad was passionate & spoke from his heart. trusting God is what we are totally doing right now. when we said "yes, we will be apart of the church plant in tulsa." since we have been married, our decision making has been pretty easy. no huge decisions, no yes/no choices to make, everything usually fell right into place.

leaving the church where we have been youth pastor's for 5 years, moving our boys, no salary, one or both of us maybe having to get a job, all of chad's family here, leaving friends... but we knew/know that God was telling us to go. its the scariest decision we have ever had to make as a couple, for our family.

but as soon as we said "yes" God beginning to show us that He is faithful & that by TRUSTING HIM we will be alright. every detail He will work out & we will be just fine if we keep TRUSTING HIM. and that is just what we plan on doing!

full of it...

2009-04-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

my camera... its full of PICTURES

from our empty house {tear},

the FULL storage building,

spring break camp,

100,000 easter egg outreach our church did,

easter sunday,

warm days at the park,

soccer games,

the boys & their cousins,

backyard fun...

but my printer all of a sudden (well really since mid march) will not reading my card.

not sure what is going on... i just want it fixed!!!

aahhhh, i hate when things don't work! and chad is a little too busy to figure it out... or atleast today he is.

so i'm frustrated, mad, confused to why the dumb thing is not reading my memory stick.

doesn't it know that i have a blog & i NEED to post pictures!

i think it cares less. haha

welcome to saturday... its going to be a GREAT day!

in my dreams...

2009-04-17T11:54:00.001-07:00

last night i was on the bachelorette... in my dreams!

the "he" was chad!!!

i was one of two girls left that he had to choice between, to receive the pretty engagement ring, to marry, have two kids, one dog & white picket fence. you know... to live happy ever after with.

the other girl was drop dead gorgeous. i never saw her but i image she was... aren't they all on the show?!?!

it was the night before he had to make the big decision. i got to spend some one-on-one time with him. he was feeding me all the right lines making me believe that I WAS THE ONE!!! i was going to be the lucky girl he picked.

you know how in the "real" show the girls always look pretty with the latest fashion on, make-up perfect, hair just right. well not me... i was wearing black sweatpants that were too shorts and my hair in a side ponytail.

why? i'm not sure but its funny. {i really think i was wearing them because chad told me just this week that he doesn't like a pair of my sweatpants!!!}

back to my dream... i never found out if i was "the" girl because i got loudly awaken by a scream, "MOM!" "mom, come here!"

brock was having a bad dream.

of course i went in there, but i was mad! {haha}

i wanted so badly to go back to sleep & finish my dream.

i know chad picked me in real life {smile} i just wanted to see if he would pick me all over again in my dream while wearing sweatpants that were way too short!!!

excuses...

2009-04-16T11:02:00.000-07:00

lately, when i ask b to start picking up toys. he responds: "my ankle hurts."

when i ask him to take something to his room: "my elbow hurt."

yesterday, i told him to go tell his brother that its time to get ready for church: "my tongue hurts"

i laugh each time because he is full of it! those things don't hurt.

he is just trying to get out of doing something he doesn't want to do.

he just hasn't learned yet that i am smarter than him. {haha}

but where or where did he learn this from?!?!?

midnight hours...

2009-04-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

back during my college years {8 years since i've been out} it was no problem for me to stay up till midnight or later every single night.

i remember thinking that people who went to bed early had no life! {haha} how shallow of me.

times have {sure} changed.

last night chad & i stayed up finishing our support letters to send out today for our wonderful new adventure starting in june.

i was {past} ready to be asleep, dreaming sweet dreams so i was no talk - all business!

we got them finished at midnight & i slept solid/strong/good until 7:30 this am.

no little ones waking me up.

no alarm clock.

i woke up in a good mood.

now in a even better mood when i watched the weather & saw high 70's. {that is something to get excited about!!}

happy wednesday!

lately...

2009-04-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

i haven't shared any of the good deals that i have found in awhile & boy have i gotten some!!!

yesterday at cvs:
{2} softsoap body butter scrub
{3} colgate 360 toothbrush
{1} colgate toothpaste
{2} pantene 2-n-1 shampoo/conditioner
{1} pantene gel
{4} excedrin express gels
total: 80{cents}

one day last week at target:
{2} dry idea deodorant - FREE
{3} pledge multi surface - 33{cents} a piece
{4} complete contact solution - FREE

walgreens:
{1} schick quattro razor {3 pack}
{1} schick xtreme3 razor {4 pack}
total: less than 2 {bucks}!!!

new york & company:
last week there was a coupon for $15 off anything - only on friday
i found a thin purple sweater that was 50% & minus the $15 coupon i got it for $2.83!!!

wal-mart:
{2} salad dressing - .08 {cents} a piece

have you made/found any good deals lately that you want to share?

did you know???

2009-04-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

just wondering...

2009-04-10T07:43:00.000-07:00

many of you have a "signature" at the bottom of each of your post... just wondering how you do that???

also, many of you have your email address on the right or left sidebar... how do you do that???

still trying to figure things out in the blogging world & need your help so my page can be cool like yours :)

thanks a million & happy Easter!!!

check...

2009-04-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

moved out - check

house spotless {thanks to my mom!} - check

everything in our home moved into a storage building - check

settled into the in-laws - {nope!}

really tired but have to keep going - check

easter outfits bought - check

easter baskets filled - {nope}... maybe tonight

the laundry basket overflowing {x3} - check

missed my favorite show {csi:miami} because of college basketball - check

the little one threw a rock hitting k {on accident... i think} - blood EVERYWHERE - check

closed on our house - check

made $$$ on the house {yea!} - check

want to buy a new wardrobe - {nope!} not going to happen, but i can dream!!!

my boys don't listen as well when the grandparents are around - check

our life is a {little} crazy right now but i keep telling myself... 2 months! - check

something for us all...

2009-04-03T02:39:00.000-07:00

chad got home around 7 last night & i was more than THRILLED for him to be back home.{single parenting is over!}

so were the boys!

k said several times, "we should all sleep in your room to celebrate you home"

{smart & tricky boy}

we had dinner & then we all crashed but not before chad {surprised} us with some gifts.

the boys got a few small things he had gotten at the conferences he was at... {a flashlight, blue bracelet, something to color on}

me - well, i got this...
he is just {TOO} kind! i had mentioned {maybe} a couple of times that i wanted an across the shoulder purse for convenience when shopping.

i have taught him well, so don't worry - no full price for this cute thang! he found an outlet :)

{HAPPY} friday & weekend to you all.

we move out today & tomorrow... funfun!!!

2009-04-02T06:49:00.000-07:00

* that chad will be home tonight {yea!}... i won't be a single parent packing the house by myself any more!

* that my mom is coming in the morning to help me clean the house once all the furniture is moved out. she is {truly} the best!

* that i have wonderful in-laws that are letting us stay with them for two months before our move to tulsa.

* that my boys have played together {very} well this week considering they only had a few cars & lego blocks to play with.

* our roof was replaced 100% by our insurance.

* i moved some clothes yesterday... we have alot & THAT i am thankful for.

* for chad's encouraging words & texts during a situation this week.

this is how i feel today...

2009-04-01T06:20:00.001-07:00

just a BIG mess!!!

finish line...

2009-03-31T04:14:00.000-07:00

almost finished...

{5} days left

i can do it!

i [THINK} i can finish packing up the house with a [WILD] 2 year old!

after its all over with i {WANT} a vacation!

picture perfect...

2009-03-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

i'm not sure how but we managed to squeeze in a photo shoot of the family this week.

bedtime routine...

2009-03-26T07:12:00.001-07:00

chad is the one that puts the boys to bed while i finish cleaning the kitchen or doing some kind of house work before i head to bed.

i like this because i am with them all day & this gives him some good time with them... talking, getting lots of hugs & kisses, reading stories & praying.

last night he was tired & asked me to do it.

really it was more like, after kissing them goodnight, "mom will be in here in a sec to read to you"

he walked into the living room & said read, "the very hungry caterpillar" & they will be out by the end of the story"

i laughed & said "ya right"

i went to find the book because i was tired & wanted to get to bed soon so i followed my wise & the bedtimer {PRO} advise and...

HE WAS RIGHT!!!

i don't say that very often... haha

but last night i was glad to say it!!!

i'm not sure what is it or why they fall asleep to this book but i'm glad he shared the secret with me.

so the next time your ready for bed & its your turn to read stories to the kids, go find this book & hopefully it will work on them too.

or what is something that puts your kids right to sleep???

2009-03-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

my day on monday packing boxes went great!

i packed close to 30 boxes that day.

yesterday {tuesday} not so good...

4 boxes totally i packed... not so good at all, huh?!??

and i only have ONE reason why... BROCK

don't let that cute face & dimple fool you. he was a {MESS} all day!

found him outside naked jumping on the trampoline
changed clothes about 5 times
dumped out my laundry detergent... TWICE
found the winter gloves & had to wear them ALL
climbed to the top of the boxes in the garage
rode his 4 wheeler into the boxes

{CRAZY} boy!

the countdown begins...

2009-03-23T06:30:00.001-07:00

14 days

april 6th is when we close on our house.

so you all know what i get to do for the next 2 weeks...

PACK!!!

i will be doing most of it by myself since chad has jury duty this week & a conference next week.

{all planned before}

but in the middle of that i still have to catch up on laundry,

keep my niece,

soccer practice & game,

fine arts friday & saturday,

church,

hopefully my boys will be angles {ha ha... i am praying for the impossible!}

is anybody feeling sorry for me & wanting to come over & help?!?!

together again...

2009-03-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

this picture is a new favorite of mine...

the boys were so {HAPPY} to see each other.

k was in georgia with my parents & b stayed in edmond with chad's parents.

it was a GREAT sbc {problemly the best ever!}

{very} tired

i have lots {and i mean LOTS} of clothes to wash

but i am getting {lots & lots} of

hugs & kisses from my sweet boys...

so glad to be back together again!!!

so long....

2009-03-16T04:24:00.000-07:00

farwell....

i'll see you in four days {thursday}

we leave today at 9am for sbc

{spring break camp}

hope you all have a GREAT week!

new discovery...

2009-03-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

i have found quite a few wonderful $$$ saving blogs lately... so great!!!

they find the deals, post them & i get the benefits of cheap or even better FREE items.

on all of the blogs they talk about the magazine ALL YOU...

they only carry it at wal-mart... have you seen it???

the awesome thing about it is it has TONS of coupons in it each month.

this month over {$51.00} worth of coupons!!!

i got excited {& made me buy another one!} is the FREE sexy curves mascara!!!

{$6.47} value... that is something to get excited about! ha

cheap is good but FREE is better!!!

i love....

2009-03-12T07:25:00.000-07:00

chad's sermon last night in ignite was great!!

i am guilty of hearing sermons & then doing nothing with what i had just heard. ((( i could write a whole post about this!))) is this only me???

he talked about how we say "i love" for any & everything that we really, really like...
i love chocolate
i love lucy
i love my new flats
i love this song
i love summer time
i think you get my point

we also say "i love God" but we shouldn't be putting Him in the same "i love you's" with all the rest of these things.

he encouraged & challenged the students & adults in the room to be "captivated" by God. instead of saying "i love God, say "my heart is captured by Him"

that we should not be just camping out enjoy life, but we are working hard at knowing Him more. that we need to do things in life to get close to God, sacrifice some things, some sleep, some meals. alot of times we say we want to be close, want a heart like God's but our actions don't follow thru.

i went to bed thinking about this & woke up still on my mind.

i know there is a WHOLE LOT more i can be doing for my heart to be all His.

no clue...

2009-03-10T08:23:00.001-07:00

this past sunday i was doing grocery shopping for small groups that night. it was going to be larger than normal because we were combining the 3 of them so i needed alot of food. (((50 hot & warm cookies, 4 bags of chocolate, 2 bags of chips, 5 two liters, a fruit tray, & lots of pigs in a blacket all gone in no time )))

to save time washing dishes later that that night i picked up these ((( selfish of me, huh?!?! )))...

i just liked the color (((they matched the plates i had already picked out))) & just glancing at them i thought the blue sticker was a coupon!!!! ((( i'm a little obsessed with finding coupons! )))

i get them home to discover that you PULL the blue sticker off & underneath is a black square for you to write your name with your fingernail.

BRILLIANT idea!!! no more running around to find a permanent marker!

i had no clue that these simple cups that i picked up by accident would be the hit of the party with all the teenagers.

every time one would walk into the kitchen, another student would tell them about how cool they were. it was really funny to watch them all talk about cups.

just a reminder that:
its the small & simple things in life that make us smile!

our future...

2009-03-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

our life, simple but fast pace life here in edmond is changing.

we will be moving in june to tulsa to be apart of a church plant. we have along side us three other wonderful couples that we know will be lifelong friends on this journey we are about to begin.

((( i will share the long verson of this story another day )))

when you move that mean... you have to sell your house. we thought at first we would try to sell it ourselves but we quickly changed our minds about that idea. we have been doing house projects around the house since january to make it "ready" to sell.

((( living in crazyness begins here )))

* last monday morning chad woke up & says to me, "its march, we need to get our house on the market"

* that evening he tells me a realtor is coming tuesday afternoon at 1pm to take pictures of our house, for us to sign paper, etc, etc...

*by 4pm on tuesday there is a "for sale" sign & flyers out in our yard

* wednesday at 3:30 our house is shown

* thursday - chad goes with a guy in the church to buy carpet. they are back by noon & they start to install it in the 3 bedrooms. we all work NON-STOP moving furniture back & forth out of rooms because at 5:30 the house is getting shown again.

* that evening kaden has his first soccer practice.

* friday - the house is shown at 3pm & 5:30.

* at 9:20 friday evening we get a call from our realtor with a contract!!! and for more than what we are asking for!!!

*saturday at 9am kaden has his first soccer game. ((( won 5 -1 )))

* as soon as the game was over we went to the realtors to sign the papers!

* so we have contract on the house (after 3 days for being for sale!) & we close april 6th! ((( that was CRAZY fast! ))) we were not expecting that AT ALL!

* the GREAT deal on the carpet, selling the house so quickly just reassures us that we are doing the RIGHT thing. that GOD is in this move & He wants us in tulsa.

* we are tired , excited & still in shocked that we are homeless in a month. ((( we will live with my in-laws until june )))

* we have so much to do & so little time. march is a busy month for us & the youth... spring break camp, fine arts, youth conference, & i will have to pack up my WHOLE house in between all of that. ((( i see A LOT of late nights in my future! ha )))

* please keep us in your prayers as our new journey is about to begin.

whirlwind...

2009-03-07T04:36:00.000-08:00

this week has been one big blur... life is moving fast, really fast.

so fast that i haven't been home to even write here or read your blogs.

i hate not doing this & feeling disconnected with all of you.

that is why i'm up now (6am) trying to catch up & read because we have another busy day.

kaden started soccer this week... first game this morning.

so i hope i haven't lost any readers/friends... i am still here, wanting & thinking about blogging just didn't have the time for it.

come back tomorrow (i have church & lunch first) then i will be able to write about our WHIRLWIND OF A WEEK!

mavs fans...

2009-03-03T13:30:00.000-08:00

some friends of ours gave us 4 tickets to the thunder/mavs game last night.

i'm talking AWESOME seats... 7 rows behind the thunder team.

i know we live in oklahoma & should be have cheered for the home team but we didn't.

we are HUGE mavs fans, & even BIGGER dirk fans for two reasons: (1) my oldest brother works for the mavs & gets us cool apparel for us to wear. the boys were head to toe mavs out! (2) my little brother looks just like dirk. so every time i get excited about something he did i feel like i'm yelling for lance! ha

don't you agree... they look A LOT alike???

we (the mavs) didn't win but we had a GREAT time!

your help... please!

2009-03-02T07:30:00.000-08:00

when it comes to cooking i'm no good, not even close to good!

i do try to cook somewhat good & healthy meals for my family several times a week.

recently, a family in the church gave us a WHOLE LOT of meat, but i have not a clue how to cook it.

i have tried looking up recipes in cookbooks & on the internet but can't seem to find anything worth trying or doesn't included 50 ingredients i have to buy.

this is where i need your help... please!

the meat we were given:
beef steak / round steak / beef chuck roast / bone steak

if you have a good & EASY recipe you don't mind sharing or know of a site please tell me.

thanks so much (in advance!)

just because...

2009-02-28T15:08:00.000-08:00

just because...

he wanted to.

he's a keeper!!!

one of the benefits...

2009-02-27T12:11:00.000-08:00

ONE of the pluses of being a youth pastor (or just a yp wife) is that i get to tag along (i mean "help") at all the events.

last night i was lucky enough to go to... WINTER JAM

o.my.word was it CROWDED! we walked around, up & down the stairs looking for seats for about 30 minutes... no lie.

finally at the VERY top we found seats... our view: the top of their heads

chad left to meet someone & ended up finding us better seats.

well, some might say they are not better - they were behind the stage but to us & our OLD ears it was not so loud back there.

was that even possible?!?! my ears were ringing by the end of the night!

i got a little tired (it was past my bedtime) so i started taking pictures to stay awake... these pictures make me laugh!

i like music... to sing along. making-up words is what i do best!

i'm not too big on knowing who sings what songs. i am always asking chad who sings this.

last night i was singing along but did not have a clue who it was UNTIL... TOBY MAC!!! huge fan, have been since his dc talk days. anybody know who i'm talking about???

it was an AMAZING show... even though we saw it all from behind!!!

if winter jam comes to your area you need to go... worth the $10 to get in.

2009-02-26T09:58:00.000-08:00

* i'm thankful for my husband... the man of God he is, who listens & does what he knows God is telling him to do, even though its hard.

* i'm thankful for the nice weather today... 78 is the high today!

* i'm thankful that my talk with k was helpful last week & that a good note was sent home today from his teacher.

* i'm thankful knowing that God is FAITHFUL!

* i'm thankful for the lessons i learn while teaching the middle school girls sunday school class every week. i was not excepting that!

* i'm thankful that i got my lazy behind out of bed... finally & started working out again this week.

* i'm thankful that i was able to bless someone with some stuff out of my FREE stuff cabinet.

thunder thighs...

2009-02-26T07:26:00.000-08:00

click to enlarge

my feet are in heaven...

2009-02-25T08:29:00.001-08:00

all because of this... the PED EGGthis is ONE of the things i asked for for my birthday.

i had seen it out on the shelves at stores for months, seen commercials about it, read some of your blogs & so i wanted to see... feel for myself why everyone just loved this enlarged egg.

when i saw it in the bag i was squealed with excitement like a little kid.

i then spent the next ten minutes trying to get it out. man, i hate all that plastic! i was so ready to try it out!

my opinion:
not as good as a pedicure... because you are the one doing the work but its cheaper than going to get one & it has made my o.so.rough & dried out winter feet ready for spring!

if you don't have you... its a must!!!

trueBEAUTY...

2009-02-24T07:24:00.000-08:00

has anyone else heard of this show?

been watching it???

i think it is a BRILLANT idea... they were being judged on their inner beauty during the competition.

the catch: they didn't know it!

the judges set up situations each week & if they "failed" the three judges then would decided who needed to go. they watched video tapes of them & would see their "true beauty" come out.

this is when it would get funny because most of them had some big heads & think they ARE the most beautiful person on the world. how they talked about themselves just cracked us up!

i just LOVE the idea of this show. a show where you were judged & viewed on your INNER BEAUTY instead of what's on the outside. so good! i wish every teenager would have watched this show & caught the very important message they were getting out.

too much & for way too long we have let LA & NY, & the magazines tell us its about the size we wear our or what brand are jeans are... SO WRONG! its ok to look good but when that is all you care about then its wrong.

the Bible tells us, "God looks at the heart" & "true beauty is from Him"

during the show i had to do some examining of myself. i would like to say that true beauty always shines from me but that would be a lie. but its a reminder now, at the front of my brain that "TRUE BEAUTY" is my actions to others, to the people around me. doing nice, thoughtful things when NO ONE ELSE is watching. doing acts of kindness because that is what God wants that from me. and i want to make Him smile.

all aboaut me...

2009-02-23T08:25:00.000-08:00

it should have been since it was my birthday yesterday, but things don't always seem to work out like i plan them in my head.

i guess the bad weekend started on friday night when i opened my BIG mouth & told my nice husband he was lazy. horrible & mean of me, i know & i wish i would not have even said it.

i did say sorry. (and sorry again chad if you read this - you & i both know lazy is not a word to use to describe you)

saturday was the day we were going to "act like" it was my birthday since sunday's chad is gone most of the day practicing fine arts (human videos) with the students.

after breakfast we headed to the mall for chad to check some shoes. i told him i would buy him a new pair since last week his got reaped while doing something for ladies night... that is the least i could do!

we had a little over an hour before we needed to leave & head to the circus.

we left the mall with no shoes & everyone hungry.

we headed to some fast food restaurant that we had never gone to. i'm cheap & compared to mcdonald's this place was EXPENSIVE! i stated i didn't want to waste money on this food when i knew it could be bought cheapier somewhere else.

from there the attitudes just got worse... we did have a good time at the circus though.

chad tried to redeem the day so we headed back to the mall so i could shop. bad idea! well, i did find 2 cute shirts but by this time the boys had had enough & did not want to be there. there were very bad which again put us all in bad moods again. (our fault we shouldn't not have gone back to the mall!)

at home, we all said sorry & went to bed.

SUNDAY (my actually birthday) was MUCH better!

every sunday i have to get myself dressed & the boys & out the door by 9 to be on time for sunday school. we did it & without me having to send either one of them to time-out or give any death threats. (ha!) we all left happy & in a good mood!!!

off to a good start!

people & students were sweet with nice things to say & cards. i did get called "old" several times, but that doesn't bother me. age is just a number.

for lunch we went to chiplote. i like going there just for the chips & guacamole. the boys were good the whole time. it was wonderful!

chad then headed back to the church for the afternoon & i needed to go to a few stores around town. it was brave of me to try that with the boys but i squeezed in the pest store in between my stores & it made a world of difference with them. :)

that evening we had home groups, small groups, whatever you want to call them at our house with 9th & 10th grades. after a few of them had arrive one of them jokingly said, "what a great way to spend your birthday... with a bunch of teenagers!" it was a great way. i love those students & so glad that they come into our home every other sunday night. they sang to me, ate & drank all my food, had alot of fun playing, learning, being a small family.

it was a rough start but how it ended was GREAT! then k, b, and chad sang to me one more time & i was knocked almost down with kisses & hugs. it was a sweet ending!

a week ago....

2009-02-21T07:06:00.000-08:00

valentine's for us is about FAMILY.
we started a new tradition this year for the boys... instead of buying them a card that will get thrown away sooner or later. we are going to buy them a valentine book for them to keep & read over & over.
no date for chad & i... i like it that way. why pick one day to share the love? it should be EVERYDAY!!!
for breakfast we went to krispy kreme doughnuts... heart shaped!
for lunch we had pizza... heart shaped!
then that evening my brother, michael got us FREE tickets to the PBR. (so fun - kaden talked & squealed with excitement the whole time we were there)

it was FUN FAMILY FILLED day with alot of LOVE, HUGS & KISSES!!!

life made easier...

2009-02-20T15:22:00.000-08:00

for breakfast, i would say 5 out of 7 days of the week my boys want pancakes.

frozen, blueberry, homemade... doesn't matter to them.

not hard... i can handle that.

well, yesterday while folding clothes i watched jon & kate plus eight.
(could you even imagine that many kids?!?!?)

they made my mornings easier... all because of this...

cut the pancakes with a pizza cutter!

i tried it this morning & it saved seconds!!! alot easier.

now i just need to find a travel pizza cutter to fit into my purse for when we eat out... anybody seen one?!?! ha ha

iii'm baaack....

2009-02-19T09:15:00.000-08:00

i'm here
did you even notice i was gone for a couple of days
or even miss me?!?!?!
i didn't leave the blogging world
my life here in oklahoma has been a LITTLE busy!
every year for the past 4 years we do an outreach/event on a wednesday night in february called "LADIES NIGHT"

(this is the only pic i took - i will post more once i get some from the guy who took them)

its a BIG deal... decorations in the youth room, gym, & outside, giveaways, food, things for them to do while waiting for the service to start. its ALOT of work but so worth it!

the whole night is around one theme. this year it was BEAUTIFUL.

over the years of doing it the students have started dressing up, even the guys! i'm talking dresses, high heel shoes, the guys wear ties (they don't even do this on sunday's) its CRAZY but you can tell that they are having a blast. we are creating some memories that will last a lifetime for them.

i say all that to say, my house is a MESS!!!! piles & piles of laundry & dirty dishes, unmade beds & i don't even want to take a picture after i sweep today! (ha)

i also need to do some picture posting from our family valentine's day (great day!) and i will come visit your blogging world again soon.

i have missed being on here. its an addition, a drug for me! ha

i'm off to do some MUCH NEEDED cleaning...

i passed 3rd grade...

2009-02-16T06:12:00.000-08:00

my niece sent me a link to see if i knew where the 50 states were.

just a fun internet game - WRONG!!!

it turned into 10 or 15 minutes of me trying to pass the 3rd grade!

i have to confess something.

i cheated.

i had to look at this:
i was just getting so frustrated & mad that i could not figure out those small northern states.

i only looked at it maybe two or three times.

and of course, not while i was actually taking the quiz. :)

i want you to take 50 states challenge & see how well you do & how long.

go here
let me know how long it takes you... happy monday!!!

what i love about k & b...

2009-02-14T06:12:00.001-08:00

* i love he's dark eyes & long eyelashes.

* i love to watch him play sports.

* i love to receive pictures that he draws for me.

* "aah pickles" is what he says when he messes up.

* i love that fact that he is so honest... that he comes & tells me when he did something wrong.

* i love that he puts his plate in the sink after every meal.

* i love his smile!

* i love that he takes so many great pictures - he's photogenic.

* i love his passion that he has.

* i love his HUGE dimples!

* i love the fact that he's a mama's boy.

* i love that when he takes he's shoes off he either takes them to his room or put them neatly somewhere.

* i love that he only says 2 words & you know what he's talking about or what he wants.

* i love the sound of he's laughter... & we hear it often.

* i love how easy going he is.

* i love his cool hair... born with it... so easy to fix!

* i love his hugs i receive every morning.

* "lovey" is how he says love you.

* i love how quickly he obeys.

* now you go & tell your kids or write them a note, call them, tell them some how what you love about them. it will do wonders for their confidence! and it will make you both smile for sharing some love!!!

what i love about chad...

2009-02-13T05:41:00.000-08:00

*chad, chadwich, clifton, chady-chad... i love that he lets me call him all these names.

* i love his feet... the prettiest & softest feet you will EVER feel.

* i love that he gets kaden dressed for school in the mornings.

* i love his eyes... they change colors with what he's wearing. so cool!

* i love how funny he is... really the funniest guy i know.

* i love he's creativity... it amazes me the ideas he pulls out of he's head.

* i love that he's a perfectionist, list maker & neat like me.

* i love how well we get along.

* i love that we are each others best friend.

* i love that he always keeps my car clean & gas tank full.

* i love that he is trying his best to be the best father to k & b.

* i love that taking out the trash is his job!

* i love that he makes me & the boys his TOP priority.

* i love that he is always trying to learn & grow.

* i love to hear him speak on.

* i love that he likes to shop with me.

* i love that he always drives when we go on trips. (i hate to drive!)

* what do you LOVE about your husband?
go & tell them... it will make his day!!!

LOVE DAYS...

2009-02-12T08:26:00.000-08:00

in honor of the upcoming valentine's holiday, i am declaring it Love Week here on my blog.

today i will simply kick it off with a short list of insignificant things that I love.

my chi straightener... o' what did i do before those things were invented!

coupons & getting things for free. it really excites me to organize & save money.

flat shoes... i'm 5'7 (pretty tall) so i have never worn heels much. i own at least 15 pairs of flats (maybe more) & even more flip flops.

lip gloss... any kind. i just think my lips, my face looks a little bit better with some shine or color on the lips :)

my coach purse... in the perfect shade of blue. i have owned MANY of purses but this one is just perfect. i love everything about it!

my digital camera... what was i thinking not wanting to get one??? it took chad at least a year to convince me that digital is the way to go. so glad i finally gave in! now i can take, take, take & then delete, delete, delete!

now you tell me... what are some of the things you LOVE?

the list could go on & on...

2009-02-11T10:51:00.000-08:00

want to see something gross, nasty, dirty???

i know you do!

i skipped sweeping my house one day.

that's it... ONE day & this is what i get... i was shocked! grossed out!

how could a family of 4 produce that much nastiness in such a short amount of time?!?!?

am i the only one living this way?

hope not! :)

etsy finding...

2009-02-10T07:35:00.000-08:00

i have read many post about people LOVING esty. actually, it was one of my sister-in-laws who first told me about it a year or so ago.

i would look on there every once in awhile but never bought anything until last month.

i was in search for the perfect gift for my mom.

yes, its really late birthday gift but i think i accomplished what i wanted to do... finding something she will love & cherish forever... put it in a frame & you have our family tree.

the lady making it had to make it larger than she normally does - ha! i would say 21 family members is a BIG family! anybody else have that BIG of a family?

i have had it over a week now (sorry mom!) i am enjoying looking at it but its in the mail today!

2009-02-09T12:40:00.000-08:00

for the past 3 days it has felt like spring - nice 70+ degree weather.

we are loving it, esp the boys!

we spent ALL of saturday outside - painting the garage door & shutters, mowing, new mulch & of course it would not have been a successful day if the boys didn't play in the dirt.

just look at their faces... too cute, even with dirt all over it!!!

almost perfection...

2009-02-06T15:59:00.000-08:00

last night chad & i went on a DATE!!! shame on us, but we don't do this enough. our only rule for the night - no talking about work/church stuff. it was REALLY & fun! we went to a nice dinner & then late movie. almost a little late for me. i almost feel asleep in the movies. ha what do you & your husband do for date night??? give me so ideas for the next time :)

kaden found the remote control to the t.v. we looked everywhere but here...
a man in the church is a chef at the chef school & he invited us in today to try some things. FREE yummy lunch!

happy friday! hope ya'll have a GREAT weekend!

something old / something new...

2009-02-05T08:38:00.000-08:00

SOMETHING OLD...

i think it was last month that i was given an award by a beautiful friend rachel (sorry rach for taken so long to get it posted & pass it along)

The Great Attitude/Spirit of Gratitude Award

rachel, thank you to for seeing my blog as a place where positive attitude is expressed and gratitude is present!

Here are the guidelines.....

put the logo on your blog or post.

nominate at least 10 blogs which show GREAT ATTITUDE and/or GRATITUDE! be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog. share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

Now to pass it on.....

the following ladies are simply incredible. its a privilege to have a small glimpse into their lives. they make me laugh, smile, think & challenge me.

becky @ the branches

ronel @ mommy accountablity

shannon @ bless our nest

tanja @ on that note

sarah @ life in the parsonage

lindsay @ bales & tales

lisa @ blessed

jennifer @ love, laughter & lyrics

michelle @ the froggy bottom blog

megan @ tales of the trees

melinda gave me my SOMETHING NEW...

it is the Friendship Award which means:

These blogs are exceedingly charming.
These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends.
They are not interested in self-aggrandizement.
Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated.
Please give more attention to these writers.
Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

i pass this one to:

i HATE to leave people out so please - if you want either one of these awards then i award it to you :)

go & share the LOVE!!!

book #2...

2009-02-04T10:54:00.000-08:00

i read this book in one day... not sure if i have ever done that before?!?!

AWESOME book! short (only 110 page) & easy reading.

the book: the truth about you / your secret to success

by: marcus buckingham(the picture is kinda small & you can't read it all)

not a christan book (usually what i read)

not a parenting book (usually what i read)

but a friend of chad's gave him this before christmas & said he thought we would both like it.

throughout the whole book it talks about finding & knowing your strengths & weaknesses.

to thrive in life, you must understand your weakness, so clearly that they never trip you up.

learn how to name, own & channel your strength's so that the rest of us can benefit from them.

weakness - any activity that leaves you feeling weaker after doing it

strength - pay close attention to what you're feeling before, during, after an activity.

along with the book come with a REMEMO PAD (helping you reveal your strenths using everyday experiences) - you carry this notepad around with you for a week & when you feel strong / weak you write down the activity you're doing.

i can't tell you enough, explain any better how good & how this book has changed my outlook on what i do as a youth pastor's wife. i no longer feel guilty for not doing certain things because i know its not my strength. i don't need to foucs on my weaknesses which makes me tired, upset, & discouraged. i need to focus my time & engery on what excite me, encourage,& uplift me. if you're doing something that you really like & you do it well then your attitude, your life will show it. the people around you will also benefit from it too.

a HUGE burden was lifted!

canvas pictures...

2009-02-03T07:42:00.000-08:00

a few of you have asked how i did the picture canvas' of my boys, so i'm going to tell you.

all you need is 3 things:

print out pictures
canvas
mod podge

we used 16x20 canvas' (it was a big wall we were putting them on, so we needed a bigger impact) got the canvas' at hobby lobby. i bought the 2 pack for $9.99 & had a 40% coupon.

mod podge can also be bought at hobby lobby.

the prints we got printed out at kinko's. i had them printed out a little bit larger (18x22) so i could wrap the picture around the edges. why do this you might ask??? i didn't want any of the white around the edges to show. i got all 3 prints for $3.26, but nothing i do EVER comes out right the first time. chad went back the second time & they charged him $2.50 each. not sure why???

i did black & white because we like it better but also because of $$$. if you would get this size print printed out in color your talking about spending A LOT of money.

why i had to buy extra prints from kinko's was because at my first attempt i put mod podge all over the canvas. this made the picture bubble & look horrible. we finally figured out to only put a little in the corner. let it dry, then seal it all over the top of the picture.

easy project & the whole thing cost less than $25.00 - SUPER DEAL!!!! you can't buy art work that cute in the stores!!!! ha ha

i hope i explained it well enough for you to try at home. please let me know if you do - i want to see your masterpieces!

2009-02-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

on thursday i begin to feel a little "not so good"... sore throat, headache, neck pains, the chills...

perfect chance for me to get some good sleep, so i headed to be at 8pm!

(thanks chad!)

friday i was no better. actually i layed around until 4. i needed to get up & start cleaning the house. we were having out of town friends come over at 6:30.

i faked it & i think i was a good host!

saturday morning i woke up with knots down both sides of my neck. i was made to go to the dr right then!

i don't like to go to the dr... not because i'm scared but because i don't want to pay the money for the visit when i will feel better in a few days.... (just let me lay here a little longer in my warm bed while you take care of the kids is what i was thinking! ha ha)

so i went to a walk-in dr office place, like a good girl.

i was told i had something (inflamed throat & lipnoids)... she used this BIG word that i couldn't say, nor remember once i left that office building.

i am taking some HUGE pills twice a day for the next ten days. funfun!!!

so that is why i haven't been on here for the last 4 days (i think a record)

no fun adventurous to tell you about. sorry.

i do have something to brag about... chad finished my canvas project for me while i was laying around sick. so excited about this... he did an AMAZING job!

thankful thursday...

2009-01-29T13:55:00.000-08:00

1) the snow is melting & i got to get out of my house today. a HUGE yea!!!!

2) that k after many, many, MANY talks & a few spankings is finally beginning to obey the first time.

3) that toys r us let me return the smart cycle that k got for christmas. he wanted it, so mamaw bought it but only played with it maybe 3 times total. i was so nervous before returning it - that they weren't going to let me & i would be stuck with this bike forever. but not the case. easy return & i walked out with a gift card.

4) for my heater during the cold weather we had this week. i'm sure i won't like the bill when it comes but its money well spent!

5) for the close relationship i have with my parents. i talk to one of them everyday. they are so awesome!

6) for my FREE stuff that i have gotten this week (3 bottles of gillette's... guy shampoo for chad)

7) for the m&m's i'm eating right now... i'm having a chocolate attack!

8) for the 60 prints FREE i got at shutterfly.

i hope you will take a little time, maybe you won't write them down or post for everyone to read, but STOP & think... remember back to earlier this week & ALL THAT YOU HAVE TO BE THANKFUL FOR!!!

God is good!

2009-01-28T07:01:00.000-08:00

ice, ice & finally some SNOW!!! only for about 30 minutes did it SNOW. HUGE snowflakes came down from the gray sky - it was beautiful. and i wish of k's came true. he has been wanting it to SNOW since before christmas. not enough to build a snowman but still fun to run around in.

since all this ice we have been stuck in our house since monday (yuck!) & i'm going CRAZY!!! i'm a go kinda girl so not being able to leave (daddy chad says i can't drive in this kind of weather... because my car... not my driving!!! ha)

since being stuck indoors for over 48 hours i have watched A LOT of tv, ate every meal at home (yuck again!), played wii, board games, finished the spare bathroom (putting shower curtain / picture frame / vase in their right places)
i have also touched up all the door frames, around our bathtub, & vanity. the boys helped me paint this: (i love things with our initials & i loved that it was only $1 at hobby lobby!!!)
and my last project - picture canvas. i got the idea from pottery barn kids but they were WAY expensive. i am doing one of each of the boys & then pic of them together. i have 2 more to go & then its ready to hang on the wall! i almost forgot about this... i have had this "BELIEVE" uppercase living sticker since before thanksgiving. chad found me a scrap piece of wood for me & tada i turned it into this! ha

i guess its a GOOD thing that i have been ICED in for days. other wise, none of these projects would have gotten down! :)

all because i fell in love

no clue...

BEWARE: lots of fun

simple as that...

my simple woman's daybook... 10/5

my sim

a day late...

85 days...

my simple woman's daybook... 9/28

sad, sad day...

summer fun... 2009

ALL DAY...

makes me smile...

birthday celebration...

learning process...

every.single.day

just the beginning...

an afternoon stroll...

i'm back..

the best part...

let me explain...

summer, summer time...

i scream, we scream, we all scream for FREE ice cream...

let the fun begin...

busy, busy day...

my {3} favorite people...

LOL...

free haircut anyone???

great advice...

nothing...

soccer season...

on a hunt...

i'm thinking arby's...

worth more than $2...

i need a nap!!!

mom's eat FREE!!!

some sad news...

love/hate relationship...

something to be thankful for...

what's your answer...

look yummy???

worth trying...

***overwhelmed***

thankful thursday...

chart it...

tag... you're it!!!

ruthless trust...

full of it...

in my dreams...

excuses...

midnight hours...

lately...

did you know???

just wondering...

check...

something for us all...

this is how i feel today...

finish line...

picture perfect...

bedtime routine...

the countdown begins...

together again...

so long....

new discovery...

i love....

no clue...

our future...

whirlwind...

mavs fans...

your help... please!

just because...

one of the benefits...

thunder thighs...

my feet are in heaven...

trueBEAUTY...

all aboaut me...

a week ago....

life made easier...

iii'm baaack....

i passed 3rd grade...

overwhelmed