The Sweet Life

It's Here!

2010-12-03T11:36:00.002-05:00

I LOVE this time of year. The excitement, the hustle and bustle, and I LOVE shopping for people. I love picking out gifts for people and thinking about what they will enjoy. This weekend (tomorrow in fact) Richard and I will leave the kids with my parents and spend the entire day shopping. And because I know how much my sweet husband does not care for shopping, I've overdone it a little on the organizing the day part. I've got a spreadsheet of the stores, what order to go to them in, and what to get at each store. Added to the spreadsheet are the appropriate discount coupons and codes. It's a sickness. I can't help it. Then we'll get to enjoy a nice dinner and night out. I look forward to this every year!

9 months

2010-11-22T12:13:00.003-05:00

9 months.

When that phrase comes to mind I think life. New life. 9 months of wonder. Making plans and God creating and molding. 9 months of development for a new tiny being. Excitement, joy, and so very anxious to hold this new person in your arms.

But the phrase 9 months today, means 9 months without the physical presence of a mother, daughter, sister, wife, and friend. 9 months without Jenny.

But this past 9 months HAS been about wonder, development, and molding. Anxious to feel and new found joys. A new life. Mine.

Just one without Jenny.

Well maybe not without, just temporarily postponed.

Back in the Saddle

2010-11-17T11:03:00.005-05:00

It's been a very overwhelming and busy 8 months. I'm up and at em again though.

I am so very thankful for the blessings in my life. I have a new blessing each and every day. Many of which I'm going to try and share over the next week.

Today I'm thankful that I have a wonderful job. I have employers who know my family is my number one priority and will let me take off as much time as I want for that purpose.

I am blessed to be doing what I love in an environment that encourages my family.

Ashlyn

2010-04-10T22:47:00.003-04:00

9 years ago today, God gave me a gift I daily do not deserve. The blessing of being a Mom. It is a gift that encourages me, strengthens me, challenges me, scares me, and blesses me. I could have never guessed how much joy and growth would occur within 9 years of time.

I have many identities but a favorite is being Ashlyn's mom. She is smart, funny, outgoing, kindhearted, generous, empathetic, talented, loving, hardworking, and she is mine.

Sweet Ashlyn, your smile is contagious. Your joy lights a room and I pray that your light never fades. You are a wonderful example to me of happiness and excitement. Your giggle brightens my life and I'm so thankful for all the special smiles we share.
Your sensitive heart speaks to me and while I don't have all the answers to all of life's questions, you take my limited knowlege and wisdom in like a sponge and are always searching to understand. I pray that your enthusiasm for learning never slows and that you search the Word and God's heart with the same zeal. I will never be the perfect Mom, but I pray every night that God will cover those mistakes with his Grace and Love.
Ashlyn, I will fight for your faith with every breath I take. That you see Jesus in me and know I seek him even in the midst of my mistakes and fumblings.
God has given you great gifts. You heart is amazingly kind. I smile when I see you run into church to see your friends and then you stop to hug some of the Elderly in church. You make them smile and I love how you care for them.
You take after me with your love for reading. I love that we share that and I love picking out books that I know you'll enjoy.
You have an amazing athletic ability. Very few can outrun you and I love to see your concentration when you play any sport. You have a natural talent that surprises any who watch you and I pray you can use that to God's glory.
I love to hear your sweet voice sing. I love to watch you sing and dance and I love to hear you sing along with your ipod. You have no idea we are listening but it softens my heart.
Thank you for being open with me and confessing things to me that are difficult to say. Please know that you can always come to me and talk. No matter what it is, I will not love you less.
While part of me is sad to see this time slipping through my fingers, I can't wait to see the plans God has already made for you. Plans for your future and plans to bring him glory. I love you sweet girl.

The Weekend

2010-04-08T22:38:00.002-04:00

This weekend is already mixed emotions for me. Because as we are celebrating Ashlyn turning 9, our sweet friend Malaya will be turning 10. And there's someone missing that.

One thing I KNOW....I'm just so thankful that just as Christ's story does not end on the Cross, Jenny's story did not end in that hospital room. And that makes me smile.

We are celebrating Ashlyn very low key this year. Just a couple sweet friends coming over tomorrow night to have a slumber party, pizza, and fun decorating cupcakes.

Ashlyn is actually getting her bedroom redone (a Big girl room! Makes me kind of sad.) and some new furniture.

Birthday Pics and Birthday Blessing to come....

Easter

2010-04-05T17:27:00.003-04:00

What a wonderful day! It was filled with mixed emotions but there was HOPE and it blessed me.

We spent a wonderful day at church and then to my parents. We decided to ditch the traditional ham and my Dad grilled us AWESOME steaks. You can definitely tell it's a holiday when the dessert dishes outnumber the dinner/lunch dishes~

Just a glimpse of what the kids and I worked on for our Easter treats!

Braden again...

2010-04-02T20:47:00.004-04:00

It always seems to be Braden.

Braden had a vaccine reaction at 8 months and we spent 7 days at the hospital. We had hoped that he would have outgrown whatever it was. Apparantly not.

The good news is that it's already healing. The bad news is that it was really painful, came with a HIGH fever and this picture wasn't the worst it got. The good news is that it's already healing. :)

2010-03-29T17:04:00.002-04:00

Richard and I went away for the weekend. It was a wonderful 2 days filled with rest and relaxation and wonderful down time. I'm so thankful for Richard and the patience and support he has shown.

In truth, I'm not enjoying this season right now. So many things I'm reading and learning. I've learned what "lament" really means. What mourning feels like. And I understand all the traditions that went along with mourning and why. I wouldn't have to explain my sadness if there were an outward symbol of this. My days are filled with sadness, memories, and self/spiritual discovery. A lot of which in myself needed to be priorized and pruned anyway. I'm not pretending happiness with the kids anymore, it's become much more genuine. I can't say I'm ready to dance and say I'm filled with joy, but I do think I'm on my way.

One month

2010-03-22T21:45:00.003-04:00

It's been one month. The longest month I've ever known. A month of questioning, crying, waiting, changing, praying, living, and hoping.

It's still hard to believe our Jenny has been transformed. I still can't/won't think of her in death. For to know Jenny and to be in Jenny's presence screamed LIFE. I know that is true right now. Jenny is LIFE. And it helps to think she's been transformed. And that there's a someday. And it may be soon. I can only hope.

Little did I know when Jenny sent me a messsage a couple days before she became ill telling me to get ready and pick the dates for our mini vacation in the summer that it would not come to pass. And that hurts.

A month ago today I sat in a hospital room surrounded by Jenny's loved ones begging for her life. I pleaded for God not to make me mourn for his Glory but to celebrate his choice to let her live. I felt the presence of God as prayers and love were poured over her. I heard the sound of hearts breaking. It is a groan that cannot be spoken, a feeling of suffocation and the sensation of being in a vise. It is the true definition of pain. In that moment I also felt a peace. I understand a peace that defies understanding and yet with it a pain so strong that you cannot breathe.

and I will not forget. I will not forget those moments nor will I forget the reasons for that moment. I do not know the why, but I do know the who.

I'm scared...

2010-03-14T01:31:00.001-04:00

I'm scared to write more memories of Jenny. I will eventually run out. Then what?

2010-03-09T22:07:00.002-05:00

I have no title for this blog. Nothing seems to capture the memories that flood my mind today.

Ashlyn was born on Malaya's first birthday. They have been the cutest friends since. Jenny actually came to spend some time with me while in labor. I had been given a shot of some relaxing medicine which had an adverse effect. Jenny prayed over my labor and birth and I had the giggles. Which turned into guffaws, tears and all. Jenny got her cute laugh going and I can still hear that laugh when I close my eyes. I pray I never forget that sound.

Ashlyn told me last night as I was praying with her before bed that on Sunday she had gone outside to get in the car for church and the sun was shining. She said she had to look up at the sky and she KNEW Jenny had smiled at her. I do believe she did.

Jenny

2010-03-07T14:35:00.003-05:00

I'm still just so sad. I have so many thoughts, some profound, some not even intelligible. And many, many memories. They just creep up out of nowhere.

I miss that girl like crazy.

I never thought I would ever have to write a "memorial" blog about one of the sweetest people in my life. To try and sum up feelings, conflicting emotions, and a crushed heart is almost impossible to articulate in black and white. Jenny was much more than that. I guess I should start at the beginning...

Richard and I moved to Texas in January of 2000. After visiting churches for a month or so, we walked in to Mesquite. It was home. That immediate feeling of belonging. I sat in on Beverly's Wednesday night classes. I fell in love. Not only with her, but with the God that she loved. She told me that she had a daughter and husband and that she was really trying hard to get them to move to Mesquite. And that if they did, we would be fast friends. Oh, how right she was.

Jenny, David, and Malaya did move to Mesquite. We IMMEDIATELY hit it off. Oh how we could laugh. They had just moved into their first rental in Mesquite (is it sad I still remember the address?) and had us over for dinner. We had fajitas, David's homemade salsa and chips, and her "sin" dessert. We did small talk for a while and asked questions like, "What did you do in college?", What's your favorite restaurant?" and things like that. Until I asked Jenny "Did you ever play sports". David choked, Jenny spit out her sweet tea, and they both laughed until they cried. Oh what a sweet memory.

That's all I can do for now. But I have 10 more years to work through.

Cake Balls

2009-08-10T11:51:00.003-04:00

I get a lot of requests for this recipe, so I decided to post it. *I did not create this recipe*

Cake Balls

1 box cake mix (plus ingredients to make cake)
1 can frosting (any flavor that compliments cake)
1/2 bag chocolate chips (milk or white)

Make cake according to directions. Let cool for 10 minutes. Dump cake into a large bowl. Microwave frosting for about 20-25 seconds until smooth. Pour into large bowl. Stir until all combined. Will look like wet dough. Use a scoop to make 2 inch balls and place on cookie sheet. Refridgerate until firm. Melt chocolate chips and drizzle on top or you may dip into chocolate. Store in fridge. Makes about 3 dozen.

Some great cake combinations

Chocolate cake/chocolate frosting/chocolate chips
red velvet cake/cream cheese frosting/white chocolate chips
spice cake/cream cheese frosting/white chocolate chips

Enjoy!

My Bed

2009-07-29T23:38:00.002-04:00

There's something magical about my bed. It's not the sheets or the cute comforter I love. It's definitely not the squeaky matress where you may feel a spring or two in your back if turning the wrong way. It has to be something else.

How else could it be a place for comfort, solace, and love for our family?

Whether sick with fever or other ailments, sliding between the sheets of our big bed instantly brings at the least, some small measure of relief.
Whether tormented with a dream that will not leave the mind, the smell of mommy and daddy brings comfort that a small twin bed cannot provide.
Whether frightened when storms pound away outside, laying on mommy or daddy's pillow sweeps the crashing thunder and loud claps away.
Whether laughing at that days memories and the fun moments that were shared.
Whether praying for forgiveness in lapses of judgement and disobedience
Whether confiding secrets and sharing sensitive words...
Whether comforting tears and heartaches or fears for the future....
Whether soothing wounds where words cut to the core....
Whether teaching life's lessons to sweet earnest ears....
Whether singing sweet lullaby's to end our day...
Whether seeking counsel on matters of importance or unimportance...
Whether laughing in the dark until it's hard to breathe...

My bed is magical.

A sprinkle of this, and dash of that.....

2009-07-15T14:28:00.002-04:00

An eventful and busy couple weeks have kept us hopping. Ashlyn has made it home from camp with lots of new friends and wonderful memories. She has enjoyed telling us all her sweet stories and reintroducing us to some great camp songs. And some of those songs, I can't believe they still sing!

Our town has some wonderful outdoor pools/waterparks and we have a summer pass to these pools. We've been spending a lot of time at them and the kids are enjoying working on swimming. Braden is working his confidence up to putting his face in the water.

Richard is on to a new shift and we are enjoying having him at home with us for the evenings. It's definitely made bedtime a lot easier on me!

This weekend Richard's sister and her husband will be coming to visit for a few days. We're looking forward to fun times with family.

Now although they are coming in this weekend, I may have to make a quick trip for a funeral. A sweet friends father died this morning and I'm still awaiting the services to be decided.

And last but not least, the Parade! The small town I grew up in hosts a parade each year! And we went. And it was memorable. In many, many ways. Nothing says small town like dressed up ladies missing some teeth. :)

I'm still here...

2009-07-06T21:11:00.004-04:00

I can honestly say since I started facebook, this blog has been a distant memory. But, there's just something different about a blog and I've decided to rejoin the land of blogging.

There is way too much to catch up on in the last six months so I'll just start with this week and as important memories/events surface since my last post, I may blog on it or not.

Yesterday we dropped Ashlyn off at camp for the very first time. She has been so excited and couldn't stop talking about it. She made us teach her camp songs and tell her all about what would happen while she's there. While we know she's having a great time, we are kind of mopey at home. We keep looking at the clock and wondering what she's doing. It's so strange to think she's old enough to go to camp by herself. Where did the time go? We pick her up on Thursday and I can't wait!

Just a couple pictures I'll include of our family!

Creamy Coffee Punch

2009-02-21T22:43:00.002-05:00

I have had no motivation to write a blog lately, so I decided to write down one of my most requested recipes.

Creamy Coffee Punch (this rivals Starbucks any day!)

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup instant coffee granules
1 cup boiling water
8 cups milk
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened (go cheap, since quality won't matter here!)
1 quart chocolate ice cream, softened (same as above on cheap factor!)

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and coffee; stir in boiling water until dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Just before serving, pour coffee mixture into a 1 gal pitcher. Stir in milk. Add scoops of ice cream and stir until ice cream is melted and creamy. Serve immediately or freeze and then thaw out before serving. If freezing and thawing out, punch will be slightly more granular than if you were to serve immediately after making! Enjoy!

The year in a Quick review

2009-01-02T21:07:00.002-05:00

Well the beginning of 2008 started off with a quick family trip to Branson. What a wonderful time just to get away. Winter flew by and spring was quick to follow with baseball for Carter and Ashlyn and birthdays for them as well. Ashlyn has turned 7 and Carter had his big 5 birthday. By this time, Braden had made his 2nd trip to the ER and I had injured my neck. Summer was spent with more games and swimming lessons. I had neck surgery and Braden broke his leg all within a few weeks of each other. I still insist he takes after his dad and not his accident prone mommy. Braden celebrated his 3rd birthday at the end of July and August came with the excitement of school starting. Ashlyn started 2nd grade and Carter entered Kindergarten. Fall was quick to pass with soccer for Ashlyn and Carter and a trip to San Diego for my sister Michelle's wedding. Back to the daily grind filled us up in November and Christmas came in with a rush to finish off the year with lots of celebration and joy! We've had ups and downs but such a wonderfully blessed year! May 2009 be filled with even more joy and blessings for all you!

Sew Much Fun!

2008-11-19T09:33:00.002-05:00

While many of you know how much I love to cook, and do other "homey" things, sewing is not one of them. And I will freely admit that many times I gave away or threw away things based on a missing button, undone hem, etc. Well no more! My girlfriend has taken pity on me and is teaching me to sew. This is my first project that I completed!

And a big shout out to Jenny, my partner in crime about this: If I can do it, you can do it! Tell B, she'll be so proud!

And Danna, you can tell Mama Sue that she doesn't have to be shocked anymore by my lack of needle knowledge!

BOO!

2008-11-05T12:27:00.002-05:00

ER speedpass?

2008-10-22T10:25:00.002-04:00

Well for our 4th visit in ten months, I wonder if you can guess which child it was?

If you guessed Braden, you are correct!

I'm copying from hubby's blog since the story is to the point and oh so true!

I guess everyone has or has had some desire to be well known or famous at some point in their lives. But I never wanted to be well known for taking my children to the emergency room.

Once again the youngest made a visit. I had just laid the kids down for bed and was walking out the door for the ever exciting midnight shift when I heard a "thump" and a cry come from the boys' room. Braden. The last time I heard that noise Braden had put his teeth through his bottom lip. So I went in to investigate.

I have never in my life seen something like this. The boy had a hole in his forehead. Literally. The skin wasn't broken but it looked like he had a 1/4" hole about an inch above his nose. I believe he was playing around and was flopping his head down on his pillow...and missed. I think he hit it right on the corner of his wooden bed. Thank goodness I am in the profession that I am in or else I probably would have flipped out at the sight.

So I "calmly yelled" downstairs to Melanie and we were off to the ER (after dropping the kids off at a friend's house-Thanks Mike and Valerie!) We went because the injury never swelled and it appeared to be swelling to the inside.

After a few hours in the ER and an x-ray later Melanie and Braden got to go home. No hole in the skull; no concussion; nothing else wrong. Just a great looking bruise.

So, this is now the fourth time with Braden. Stitches in the lip, French fry up the nose, broken leg, and hole in the head. I love you buddy!!

My New Hobby

2008-10-14T12:36:00.002-04:00

While those of you who know me, know I love to cook, I've never ventured into the canning arena! Well now I have, and I think I may be addicted. I've been working on apples for the past week and have successfully canned a 1/2 bushel! While I'm definitely late in the season for other things, I'll be ready next summer!

California

2008-09-24T14:34:00.008-04:00

We are back from an AMAZING vacation! We had so much fun and loved every minute. The kids were incredible and could have spent the entire trip on the plane! Just some pics to recap our trip!

This is Ashlyn's first REAL view of the ocean. She loved it and didn't want to be out of it! She collected lots of shells and sand.

The baby seals that we got to see. They were so cute!

Just the cutest, sweetest little boys!

She was so happy to be a part of the wedding!

I and Braden

Richard and the kids catching a big wave!

We can't wait to go back!

First Day of School

2008-08-28T09:20:00.007-04:00

Excited and ready to go! They were waiting by the front door and I had to practically beg to get them to sit still for pictures!

Ashlyn 1st day of 2nd Grade

Carter's 1st day of Kindergarten

Someone else can't wait to go to school as well!
(He's finally better, but the first two weeks were hard for him as his "friends" went away. He didn't understand why he was being left along. Now I think he loves all the attention and wants to know when he can play with their toys)

Braden's Birthday!

2008-08-26T11:35:00.005-04:00

Yes this is a month late, but I didn't get to really do a lot for him since I was only a week out on surgery. But we made the day special for him anyway, and here's the rundown....

Braden is... well he's... Well. Braden is just Braden. There's no other way to describe him. An example....

Yesterday Braden told his Nana that when we get on the plane next week he's going to roll down the plane windows and throw candy out to all God's animals. He wants us to have a plane parade.

That boy makes me smile. He's so busy and doesn't stop talking at all. If he's awake, he's talking or singing. He's so full of energy it's not even funny. Well, I mean you guys remember the whole stitches, then french fry in the nose, blue cast on the leg right?

He loves Mater and Lightning. He takes his race car and tow truck with him everywhere he can get away with it.

God has really blessed us with this sweet three year old.

Braden blowing out his candle!

Braden opening his Cars backpack filled with fun stuff. (he had a hard time with Carter and Ashlyn getting their backpacks with school supplies!)

Braden with his scooter and his "arms and knees" as he calls his gear. He has been asking for a scooter since he played on one in March. Oh, and for Christmas he wants a skateboard.

Oh and for some reason the date labels are really off!

I don't know why

2008-08-20T09:31:00.002-04:00

but I just haven't felt like posting. Lots of happenings here. Braden got his cast off. He also turned three. Carter and Ashlyn have started school and I am back at work. We're getting ready for our vacation to San Diego in two weeks, and soccer has begun for Ashlyn and Carter. Richard and I also celebrated nine years of marriage last week. I'm going to try and break the posts down this week! And of course, pictures!

On the Up and Up

2008-07-29T12:15:00.002-04:00

I'm finally getting back on here! We are doing very well. I'm doing great except for some Minor stomach issues and some soreness. The arm pain and numbness is completely gone and is definitely a prayer answered. I see my surgeon in one week and we'll test to make sure there was no permanent nerve damage. The kids are doing great with me too. While Ashlyn and Carter weren't scared, they were very cautious. Braden on the other hand, wouldn't even look at me. Apparantly the neck brace is very frightening to him, but he has gotten tons better. My parents have moved back out and so now Braden chooses me (since Papa isn't here!) and will lay with me on the couch. Thanks for all of your prayers, emails, and kind thoughts.

Who needs a diamond necklace

2008-07-17T11:39:00.002-04:00

when you can wear a beauty like this for 6 weeks?

A Pain in the Neck

2008-07-16T10:45:00.004-04:00

Well it's official. I'm scheduled for surgery the 22nd. I have a severely herniated disc that needs to be removed and has been causing me pain since March. The official name is Anterior Discectomy Fusion. While I'm jittery about the procedure and extremely confident in the Doctor performing it, the kids are not at all okay with this. They have been on an emotional roller coaster. They are either upset with the fact I'll be in the hospital away from them or that I'm having "surgery". Please be thinking of my family this week and next as we get through this!

The smallest member of the blue man group!

2008-07-07T10:59:00.004-04:00

Just a little background:

www.mommywiggy.blogspot.com/2008/01/built-ford-tough.html"
www.mommywiggy.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html"

Last Saturday (the 28th) Braden started limping. I just thought he was outgrowing his tennis shoes and we immediately put him into sandals. Didn't work. So then I thought maybe he sprained his ankle. Nope. No swelling or bruising. By this time days have gone by. Wednesday I get a call from his daycare saying he's still limping and it hasn't gotten better. On Thursday morning we go to the Dr, who sends us to get xrays, who sends us back to the Dr, who sends us back to pick up the film on our way to another Dr. We end up seeing a Pediatric Orthopedist who takes a look at the xray and determines a "greenstick" fracture. Braden is now casted and will be for three weeks. We'll have it taken off, rexrayed and then go from there. So far, it hasn't slowed the little booger down! And he's pretty darn tough to have a broken leg for 5 days without us knowing. What's in store for us next?

Perception

2008-07-07T10:55:00.003-04:00

Carter is trying pretty hard to learn to swim. Except for one small problem that he has (which is a fear of getting water in his face) he does really well. He has amazing teachers and in his 3rd week of lessons is finally reaching for toys at the bottom of the pool. Every day the kids get the opportunity to jump off the diving board at the end of the lesson. Carter HATES this. He refuses to jump off. So his instructor picked him up by his armpits, and drops him off. (He's got a deathgrip on two noodles) His little head bobs up and he paddles to the side. He then quickly runs over and asks," Did you see me dive into the pool?". Oh to have the perception of a child!

Leprosy

2008-07-07T10:49:00.003-04:00

I've got a post for everyday this week *I think*, but don't hold your breath!

Ashlyn was riding in her aunts car last week and randomly asked where her (my sister's) leprosy was. My sister was stumped. Ashlyn is 7 and pretty sure of herself and was completely serious. She again and again tried to rephrase her question but was still wanting to know where in the car is the leprosy. Her aunt finally got what she was trying to say. :) She was listening to Carrie Underwood and her lyrics, "That I dug my key into the side of his Pretty little souped up four wheel drive
Carved my name into his leather seat"

Yep, Leather seat is now translated to Leprosy.

So many times have I heard songs that I didn't quite get the lyrics.
Like when I was little I thought "Secret Agent Man" was really "Secret Asian Man". Any mistaken lyrics for you?

Cowboy Carter and His Gang

2008-06-02T14:15:00.008-04:00

Carter's birthday was last weekend (and I'll do a seperate post on just him) so I'm posting his pictures!

This is Carter super excited about his party! Can you tell?

He's got to have a big breath to blow out all 5 of those candles.

Carter loving his ponies!

Ashlyn has her turn.

Can't forget Braden!

Carter's Texas Cowboy Cake

A costly trip to McD's!

2008-05-14T09:34:00.003-04:00

Leave it to a two year old...

I decided to treat the boys to the zoo one morning and due to rain and tempers we left early. So we ran through the golden arches for a quick lunch. Only it turned out to be a very long lunch. About 5 hours to be exact.

After giving the boys their food, Braden started complaining that his nose hurt. Yep, I bet you know where this is going! I asked him why to which he stated there was a french fry in his nose. I, being a skeptic of course, told him in sweet words to pretty much suck it up and eat his lunch. A few moments later he complained again about his nose,and yet again I thought he was stalling so he didn't have to take a nap. So I took him outside in the sunlight, tilted up his nose and sure enough....

Yep. He did. So off to the Dr we went (of course the nurse thought this was so funny!) and the kind man could not get it out. It was not a crispy fry and therefore was coming apart in tiny pieces. Next stop. The hospital. Which after a long wait time was able to vacuum the entire thing out. No more happy meals for this kid until he graduates. But then, I've seen what college kids can do.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2008-03-19T11:46:00.002-04:00

We are so tired of the snow and rain. Just yucky days here. The sun is supposed to shine on Friday and the rain to start up again this weekend!

On a brighter note, we are off in 6 days to the ISWW! We are so excited to be going this year. It's a wonderful time of learning, reuniting with friends near and far, and lots of good food! Can't wait!

While it's dreary outside, the spring busies have definitely picked up. We're getting ready to start spring baseball for the two oldest kiddos and of course the little man will cheer from the sidelines with mommy and daddy. A celebrates her birthday in just a few weeks and has spent alot of her time discussing how we should celebrate. She starts a mini soccer series tomorrow if the rain lets up. Carter is just a little away from two big milestones. His upcoming 5th birthday and his preschool graduation. He's grown so much! B is crazy as always. Plays hard, talks hard, eats hard, loves hard, and sleeps hard. Just the way life should be at 2.

Weekend Getaway

2008-01-29T11:08:00.000-05:00

This past weekend hubby and I took the kiddos, mom and dad, my sister, and my brother and his wife for a little R & R. Here's a couple pics from our trip!

Carter eating the breakfast of champions

Mr Blue Eyes on the Bob the Builder Train

Braden riding the train outside an outlet mall with Ashlyns help

Our traditional rocking chair picture

There are more pictures and a few videos that aren't safe for public viewing. I'm sad to say Richard got his hiney kicked by his wife in an incredible sweep in boxing.

Carter's Pics

2008-01-23T10:13:00.000-05:00

Carter got a digital camera for Christmas so here's a couple shots from him:
This is his picture of the TV.

This is a small peice to his matchbox garage set

This is the front of a Barbie Movie (the Island Princess)

This is Ashlyn with the DVD of the Christmas musical she was in.

Built Ford Tough

2008-01-07T12:25:00.000-05:00

Well after numerous visits to the ER with our family of 5, Braden Ford is the first child to receive stitches. Nine to be exact. 6 on the inside and three on the outside. While he's doing very well now, I'm sure that he'll be back to jumping on the bed in the very near future. But for today, lesson learned.

Family Dating

2007-12-05T13:42:00.000-05:00

This post has been constantly worded and reworded in my mind and I'm still not certain I've said all I need to say on it. It's just such a sensitive, bittersweet topic for me and mine.

Can I just say how much I hate when you make good friends and then life happens and you're seperated? And it's not like those friendships are easily replaceable or that they happened over night. You know which relationships I'm talking about. They're not the ones where the wives get along and the husbands pretend to and the kids bicker back and forth. It's the close relationships that the women love each other and the husbands consider the other someone to help keep them accountable. It's the relationships where your kids call the other adults "aunt and uncle". It's the easy going way you don't care that your house isn't clean or that you can just say that you are in a bad mood and please don't take me seriously today. The friendships where you can just look at each other and know what they are thinking.

I've been blessed to have been given some of these relationships. Although distance has seperated us we still think of those relationships every day. And we know if we were to move next door the relationships could pick up where they left off.

And then there's those relationships where distance doesn't seperate but some dynamic does. It's unexplainable. You put effort into the relationship. You get along with the wife, the husbands get along. The kids have a great time together. You move forward and then something changes and the close friendship that could have/would have been is gone. I used to think it was easy to find friends. And to a point it is. But finding a family that fits into your family so well isn't as easy. And when you've already had those great relationships that you want again, not only for you but for your family, it's hard.

And then God surprises you. People you've been around for a while. Those that you've never thought would have the same interests, the same belief system, the same love of God just walk into your life. And you just hope it's for good.

A Wednesday Yummy!

2007-11-28T15:19:00.000-05:00

A word of warning. Do not bake this alone. You must bake this for your family or a group. You will eat this by yourself if you do not heed my advice!

Pumpkin Cake

4 eggs
1 cup pumpkin
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 ½ cups sugar
2 t pumpkin pie spice
3 cups yellow cake mix
2 sticks butter melted

In bowl beat eggs. Stir in pumpkin, milk, sugar, and spice.
Pour into 13X9 pan. Sprinkle cake mix on top. Pour butter on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until lightly golden. Will look a little jiggly when it comes out but will solidify upon setting. Dust with powdered sugar and serve, or dollup (and I mean big dollups!) with cool whip!

A little Boo

2007-11-07T11:54:00.000-05:00

I'm posting this late since one of our "boo-ees" is a reader.

The kids decided to "boo" this year and we had so much fun. All the kids loved sneaking around and each got to do one house and then they got to do the 4th together. They were great with leaving our little gifts on the door, especially Carter who did Dukes of Hazzard style car moves when a certain person's windchimes scared the pumpkin seeds right out of him. So, so, cute! We had a great time and can't wait to do it again next year. Who knows, we might decided to "Jingle" someone.

Family Pics

2007-10-29T08:47:00.000-05:00

Thanks to a fellow mommy and a new friend, our family pics are here! My babies are getting so big!

http://www.jennifernahm.com/webgalleries/melanie/melanie

Puppy Chow

2007-10-24T11:05:00.000-04:00

So the kids and I had a craving for this and this is what we made. So yummy. Be prepared. It's addictive!

1 stick butter (real butter only!)
1 cup peanut butter (must be creamy)
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips
1 box (12 oz) rice chex or corn chex cereal
4 cups powdered sugar

In saucepan melt butter, peanut butter and chocolate. Stir often and melt completely. In LARGE bowl pour cereal. When chocolate is melted pour over cereal and mix well. In brown shopping bag put two cups of powdered sugar. Pour chocolate cereal in and shake well. Add remaining two cups of sugar and shake again. Store in airtight container or ziploc bags!

My first award!

2007-10-22T13:08:00.000-04:00

My sweet friend Amy (link to the left) has given me such a sweet reward today! Thank you dear friend!

This is copied from Amy's blog:

Mathetes is the Greek word for disciple. The Mathetes Award was created by management by God and I would like to pass it on to the following :

Melanie at Mommy Wiggy - Melanie is a dear friend of mine. She has been given the gift of hospitality and she continually blesses those around her.

Tradition

2007-10-17T10:49:00.001-04:00

This is from Branson just a couple weeks ago. We decided to make it a priority for family vacations about a year ago and since then have taken three trips to Branson for little family get-a-ways. We have started some traditions there, one of which is hitting Mel's Hard Luck diner. A great diner where the waitstaff, busboys, and even grill cooks sing for you while you are there. Great music. Country, Oldies, Gospel, Gospel, Gospel! Wonderful family place. Enough on my plug on that. But there is a rocking chair outside in the villages there that the kids think is so cool. So, as long as the chair is there, we'll get the kids pic taken in the chair to mark their growth! I LOVE traditions! Sometimes Richard looks at me like I'm crazy as I tend to try and make everything a tradition! Any fun traditions out there?

Songs of Faith and Praise

2007-10-09T10:47:00.000-04:00

I have a confession to make. There are very few "new church songs" that I like. I can actually count them on one hand. I usually find myself just listening the the congregation sing those songs. It's not that I don't enjoy them or that I don't think they are beautiful, I just don't have an attachment to those songs. Yet. I'm from a generation that should be all about the new songs, but in church on Sunday I find myself more focused when I sing the songs that I KNOW. And when I say know, I mean the songs that have touched my life in someway. So many songs I can think of have special memories for me...

I remember singing Does Jesus Care in church the sunday after my aunt lost the only baby she was ever to carry.

I remember singing 728b over and over with Bonnie and Boyd.

I remember singing Thomas' Song in Mesquite on our last sunday there.

I remember singing Just As I AM (all verses and then the last verse 12 times) for the invitations in chapel at Harding with a certain person.

I remember listening to Ashlyn sing Cloudless Day over and over in the car when she was two.

and tons more songs that have special meanings to only me.

So many old classics that I love. And I know that I will someday (if not sooner rather than later) enjoy and be blessed by the new songs we sing now. Because at one time, weren't the classics new? I know what the true focus is of worship and I know where I am in worship. I'm lecturing myself here. But when I catch myself singing a song, it's usually the old traditional songs. So, I'm working on not picking and choosing what I sing, but worshipping with the song in my heart.

Any songs (and yes, they can be old OR new) that touch you for a special reason?

Prayers

2007-09-12T09:37:00.000-04:00

Please pray for Danna (she's a link to the left) and her family as they mourn the loss of Danna's father. E.W. was a great man who loved and was loved dearly.

An Ordinary Family

2007-09-04T10:45:00.000-04:00

Last March I attended a Hearts at Home conference and loved every minute of it. I'm hoping that schedules work out for me to attend again next March. I enjoyed listening to great speakers and something one of them said struck a huge chord in me and I've been constantly reminded of this and so I thought I'd share.

From the moment we find out we're expecting, we pray for healthy ordinary children. An ordinary pregnancy, an ordinary birth, and an ordinary child. The moment that child is born and we count the 10 fingers and 10 toes and find out our child is ordinary, we determine ordinary is not enough. We want "our" child to be extraordinary. The star athlete. The academic. The Popular child. The graceful dancer. The overacheiver. And the list goes on.

So what's wrong with asking for extraordinary? Nothing really as long as you don't forget the ordinary. I know that there will always be someone more beautiful than my children (however, don't tell me if you find them!), there will always be someone smarter, and more talented. I want my children to find themselves okay with being ordinary. I wish I was a writer so I could convey exactly what I feel. But you'll have to make due with my stumblings. There are so many things I want my children to delight in and you know what? They're ordinary things. These are some ordinary things that I've found such delight in.

A sonogram and seeing all three sucking their thumb and little button noses.
My babies first cries.
Feeding my babies.
First steps.
First coos.
First time I heard Mama and I Love You.
Holding my children's small hands in mine while we walk.
Hearing my children's voices sing and praise God.
Hearing my children pray each day.
Little feet kicking me in my bed.
Sending my oldest off to school for the first time.
Little kiddos helping me cook and set the table.
Hearing my children giggle in the bathtub.
My children telling me how much they love church and their teachers.
My children coloring pages and pages each day. The fridge is FULL.
The concern and caring that my children show to me when I cry. (which if you know me is often)
The love my children have for other people.

I have so many more "ordinary" moments in the future! I can't wait!

Back to School

2007-08-29T09:48:00.000-04:00

Well Ashlyn is officially a 1st grader. (She started a couple weeks ago, but slow mommy is just now posting!) She loves her new school. She was a little nervous, but when she saw a couple children she knew, she was excited. She loves her teacher and loves being a big girl and getting the choice to buy or take lunch. What choices!

Wedding Photos

2007-08-14T12:27:00.001-04:00

Wedding Photos

2007-08-14T12:26:00.001-04:00

Wedding Photos

2007-08-14T12:23:00.001-04:00

Wedding Photos

2007-08-14T12:21:00.001-04:00

Tagged

2007-08-14T11:24:00.000-04:00

Apparently it's come to a game of internet tag. Like my friend who tagged me, I'm not fond of being tagged. It's kind of like getting a Fwd, not one of my favorite things. But I decided to play along as well. It is a great way to get to know people a little bit better. So here goes...

The rules are... 1) I have to post eight random facts about myself, 2) I have to list these rules and 3) I have to tag eight other people.

And we're off...

1. I'm afraid of clowns. Yep, you read that right. They freak me out. And no, my children will never get to dress up as one. Tragic childhood for them I know.

2. I have this urge to play BINGO with old ladies. Don't know why, just looks like fun.

3. I LOVE to cook. Everything except for seafood. Yuck.

4. I read cookbooks like some people read books. It's fun for me.

5. I've had dreams while sleeping about how nice it would be to take a nap. Weird I know.

6. The St Louis Zoo is one of my favorite places.

7. I CRAVE Taco Bueno and I'm not a huge fan of Mexican food.

8. I'm a bargain hunter. I can tell you where ALL the sales are and where the places to go are. From groceries to pretty much anything. I have lists of Kids Eat free places, etc. I LOVE to rummage!

I'll tag: Jenny, Amber, Elizabeth (who already did 100 so she's exempt), Stephanie, and I can't think who else...

Dinner Time

2007-08-01T14:09:00.001-04:00

2 posts in one week? Do I get an award or something? I (with the help of friends) have found an incredible place to do great suppers. Ours is locally based, but I know there are chains available. You sign up for the amount of meals and which specific meals you want to make. You show up. The give you an apron, show you the fridge and the stations and you create your meals. They are packaged in freezer safe containers and then you take home and bake! I love this! We've saved money, had GREAT food, and have tried things I probably wouldn't have made had I seen the list of ingredients! If you have one in your neighborhood, I definitely recommend checking it out! My kids eating the Parmesan Encrusted Chicken with Pesto Sauce will second that!

Milestones

2007-07-29T21:04:00.000-04:00

We made it. Well, Braden made it. I had a difficult time of course.

Braden is officially a two year old. Braden's birthday was Saturday and we HAD to start the day off right with homemade chocolate chip pancakes. We took the kids to Grants Farm (which if you're ever in St Louis is a must see place!) and Braden took charge of the goats. I was stung by a wasp at the park and unfortunately am still trying to get my arm back to normal. We then came home to have Braden's favorite food: Amburbur's. Hamburgers for those of you that don't know toddler lingo. We capped off the birthday with a trip to Nana and Papa's house for birthday cake. Braden got some great gifts and has since decided not to remove the conductor's hat he got, nor sleep without the John Deere tractor. While singing happy birthday Braden sat stone still and when we started cheering Braden wanted us to sing it again. And again. And again. 4 times and we forced him to blow (or spit on the cake in his case) out the candles. All in all, I think Braden had a great day! As for a little about my special boy:

Braden is a boy! No doubt about it, his favorite past times include playing ball, and playing in the dirt.
Braden can actually play baseball. Braden since 18 mos has an uncanny ability to actually catch a ball when you throw it to him and really has a great arm. So great in fact that most of his teammates are unaware of his abilities until they catch one of his passes in the head or chest.
Braden has favorites. Braden loves his Papa like no other bond I've seen. Every item or activity in his little life refers back to his Papa. If Richard is cutting the grass, we have to hear about Papa's lawnmower. If we are in the car, we hear about Papa's car. Papa is the first one Braden cries for when he gets in trouble or when he gets hurt. Braden looks just like his papa as well.
Braden does not like to sleep alone. I can actually count one one hand the number of nights Braden has slept without one of the four of us in his lifetime. His most favorite place is my bed. And if you ask him whose bed it is, he'll reply with his! He's a stinker but we love him. Happy Birthday Braden!

Our 2nd major milestone, is Ashlyn. On Saturday Ashlyn was having issues keeping her mouth closed as her teeth hurt. She's been battling two loose teeth for over a month and it finally came out. This morning while getting ready to eat breakfast she told us she couldn't eat since her tooth hurt. Daddy told her to just pull it out ( and if you know Richard this was sarcastic) to which she reached in, pulled it out, and set it on her plate. That's my girl. So the tooth fairy will get to visit our home two nights in a row. And just in time for all the wedding photos we'll be taking in the next two weeks!

Daddy and Braden

2007-06-18T10:50:00.001-04:00

Travel prep

2007-06-18T10:32:00.000-04:00

I love going places, but boy do I hate the packing (read as last minute laundry to do) and all the car time. The kids travel great so that's no problem. It's just so drawn out! We are off to Texas (via Tulsa) on Wed for a wedding this weekend. This is the first of three weddings we'll be attending in a time span of 7 weeks. And to top it all off, Carter and Ashlyn will be in all three. We are unable to make the fourth, or we'd have another one to add in there. So, I'd say by the end of August we'll be able to rent out the kiddos for all your flowergirl and ringbearer needs. I'll also have lots of pics to post and probably some wedding attire to loan.

Baseball is our current season of life and Carter had an exciting weekend. Carter has been unable to get a hit during an actual game. Fouls yes, hits during practice and scrimmages yes, but a game NO. So this Friday, (after we've been practicing at home a lot thanks to a great new birthday gift that helps hitters) Carter got his first hit. All the parents (on both sides) stood and cheered and clapped for him. And because of the great hitting of the boys behind him, he got to run home and score. Again, all the parents stood and cheered for him!! He could not stop grinning and the first thing he wanted to do was call his Dad who unfortunately didn't get to see it because of work. He had a game the next day and got another 2 hits!! We now have a little slugger on our hands ladies and gentlemen!

Saturday, I missed the game for Carter and Ashlyn due to the Race for the Cure. It was amazing! I've NEVER seen that many people in one place. It was so humbling to see so many "pink" survivors and all the families with them. During the race, I couldn't keep my eyes away from all the signs people were wearing in memory of their loved ones. So very touching. I can't wait to do this again.

I'm also trying to post pics from Photobucket and unsure how to link to this post, so we'll see what happnes.

Sweet Carter

2007-05-25T23:07:00.000-04:00

So obviously I'm posting this while the household is sleeping and I'm trying to adjust to using a laptop and a new photo host. So bear with me and the pictures I'll try to edit later. On to the important things:

Carter

Such a sweet little blessing wrapped up in a shell of rambunctious giggles and sweet(read little boy smelly) hugs! Carter is officially 4. Carter has been preparing himself for his birthday since Ashlyn turned 6 in April. We've been counting down a while and this past week he's celebrated his birthday a couple times with a couple more celebrations to go! So each morning he's asked if this was a fake birthday day or a real birthday day! I love 4 year old logic already! Carter can steal your heart with his smile and his giggle. As well as make you laugh with his solemn faced looks when he knows he's in trouble. He loves to sing and play and as you saw in earlier blogs, he's learning baseball. He loves cowboys. Not the Dallas cowboys, but cowboys. He wears his cowboy boots with everything and loves that he has a cowboy room. I'll try to post pics another day....Don't hold your breath though. He loves Ashlyn fiercely and is very headstrong with having his now 4 year old voice heard along with hers. He's so tender with Braden but is not afraid to let us know when Braden has done him wrong. (aka tattling). He gives the sweetest kisses and cannot do so with a straight face. He has a sweet special love for his nana and she loves him so. Carter loves Jesus and isn't afraid to tell you that. He loves to sing (read make up his own words ) to songs and is currently a fan of the Veggie Tales, "Crocodile Rock" and Veggie Tales, "Lean on Me". I'm so excited about the years to come and am savoring one more year home with Carter before he starts school. I love you Carter!

2007-05-25T23:05:00.001-04:00

Carter

2007-05-25T23:04:00.001-04:00

The Monday Update with random photos

2007-05-07T11:30:00.000-04:00

So, a lot has happened since April 10th. But unfortunately I can't remember half of it. The big thing right now is Baseball! The kids are doing great (when the weather cooperates and they love it!!
This is Carter being the catcher!
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/TheSweetLife_2007/100_1082.jpg

This is Carter with his 2nd place medal:
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/TheSweetLife_2007/100_1085.jpg

This is Ashlyn's team:
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/TheSweetLife_2007/100_1053-1.jpg

And this is Ashlyn hitting the ball:
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/TheSweetLife_2007/100_1063.jpg

And we can't forget dear Braden:

This is Braden after learning how to take off his clothes and diaper:
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/TheSweetLife_2007/100_1088.jpg

And this is a pic of the kiddos last week:
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/TheSweetLife_2007/100_1090.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/TheSweetLife_2007/100_1089.jpg
That's all for now!

6 years ago today

2007-04-10T09:43:00.000-04:00

we were blessed with a tiny little pink bundle of joy. We are still filled with joy each day that Ashlyn is in our lives. She is the sweetest most thoughtful blessing. She can cheer you with a smile and is RARELY sad or discouraged. She has an amazing voice and loves to sing. Her current favorite CD's are Lincoln Brewster LIVE, Acapella (Heaven and Earth), and Veggie Tales (O Veggie Where Art Thou). She is so talented in whatever she is doing. She is trying out T-Ball this year and is so excited to play! She giggles all the time! And I mean all the time! She loves Jesus! She can tell us Bible Story after story and verse after verse! She loves to tell her brothers about Jesus. (I've heard the resurrection egg story 10 times a day before and after Easter!) She is THE BEST big sister.. She takes such good care of Carter and Braden and loves to read to them. I can't say enough about our precious girl! We love you Ashlyn and hope you have a wonderful 6th year!

*A Big Happy Birthday to our Special Friend who turned 7 today!*

Finding a mom's purpose.

2007-03-14T12:11:00.000-04:00

So many times I allow Satan to bring me down by insulting my choice of staying at home. I hear many questions asking," don't you want more? what are you going to be"? These questions do nothing but discourage me which I know is exactly Satan's purpose. I really do find joy in my children and staying at home with them and I don't want to have an attitude of this being temporary. God has blessed my family with the financial ability for me to stay home. I want to use that blessing for his glory. A blog that I read so touched me today. It says exactly what I've been feeling.....

The funny thing is, I do not remember ever specifically aspiring to my current occupation: motherhood. I guess maybe I always assumed I would be a mom and never really thought about balancing motherhood with whatever my current career aspiration happened to be.

The transition from diaper bag to backpack and lunch box really caught me off guard. I'm a smart girl, I knew with each birthday my boys were getting older; it was my transition that surprised me.I once knew what I did: I changed diapers and filled juice cups and pushed strollers. For years. One baby boy after another. And now?That transition plunged me into what has been at times an almost frantic search for purpose and validation. I bought the lie of our culture that we must accomplish to be significant. I knew God called me to be home, even now with the boys in school, but I couldn't shake the feeling I was supposed to be doing something, some accomplishment, some more worthwhile endeavor, something I could tell people I "did with myself all day now that the kids are in school." Somehow, laundry wasn't enough!

Our faithful God has taught me the value of an ordinary life lived for His purposes and His glory. The privilege of serving Him in the simple tasks of laundry and grocery shopping and shuttling kids all over town. The holy responsibility of raising a generation of godly young men. The call to say Yes wherever He leads, whatever He asks. The freedom of living in the today of my journey, and knowing He holds the tomorrow

Simplify

2007-03-07T13:13:00.000-05:00

I'm really working on this. I know that I overcommit myself. Actually, everyone knows it. I don't want to live in busyness. I am committing myself (no not like that, but I probably should) to living a simplified life. I'm going to stop the hustle and bustle that our family seems to fall into so many times.

Blogger Blues

2007-02-28T10:08:00.000-05:00

I don't know why, but I guess this is like a lot of things in my life... I get excited and can't wait to tell all the funny little things about our life, and then there's days for the life of me I just don't want to type!
We've all been really sad the last few days as the realization has hit that we are not going to be in Tulsa for the workshop this year! This is big news for me since I go every year! Richard's new schedule is not allowing it. It's spring break here, so taking off for him is not an option. So, Richard is scheduled off three days before the workshop so we are taking the kids away for a little R & R. They are really excited and I know they'll have a great time! Carter just wants to take a "Acation".

The Chopping Block

2007-02-20T11:17:00.000-05:00

Well today is the day. The big haircut. I've been trying to grow out my hair, but it has too many layers and is starting to be shabby. So, I'm off later today to get it chopped.

Just a picture of the kiddos and their snowman!

Fashion Don'ts

2007-02-16T09:32:00.000-05:00

Okay, I don't claim to be a fashionista, but I do have a couple of pointers......

If your hair is white with a blue tint, you should not wear halter tops
If you wear a hair scarf, a back tatoo is not for you.
If you are eligible to collect social security, do not wear embellished jeans(glitter, sequins, etc)
If you wear granny panties, do not wear low rise jeans. (This is a must, however I would rather see this than a thong on you.
I'm sure you can think of more, but these are a few I noticed yesterday while going to ONE store.

Ashes to Ashes, Beans to Beans?

2007-02-13T09:30:00.000-05:00

So Ashlyn has an aha! moment yesterday!
She runs in and says,"I get it".
Mommy: Get what?
Ashlyn: Why we are called human beans.
Mommy: What?
Ashlyn: We are made from beans. That's why we are called human beans.

My next goal: Enunciate my words more clearly.

The Ugly Cry

2007-02-12T10:13:00.000-05:00

Yep. It came out. I hate the ugly cry. Where you are trying to cry silently but can't. Where you immediately get pain above your eyes. Ughh! But it happened. And it happened while watching the movie, Facing the Giants. Obviously I like it. It really made me reflect a lot. People I know, things I've done, etc. Just a really good movie. So for today, whether it's a good day or a bad day, I'll still Praise the Lord.

Back from the Cold

2007-02-07T12:58:00.000-05:00

Well we've started the recovery process from our trip. I can't believe my husband actually beat me posting about it. Oh well. He also mentioned putting some pictures up but I will warn you (and him) they will be censered first! We had a great time and can't wait to do it again! I will say however that I can check learning to ski off of my list. It is NOT my sport. Let's just say the young man operating the lift had quite an entertaining morning watching myself and another who shall remain nameless get off of the snow. We were able to laugh at ourselves, and that's the most important thing! However, if said husband decides to surprise wife with another trip, please make it a tropical location!! A huge happy birthday to husband as well. I am now married to a 30 year old. Uggh! Since he's working afternoons this week, we'll probably celebrate Saturday!

Birthday, Jam, and Bread

2007-01-30T11:52:00.000-05:00

Well my birthday this year was bunk. Not sure if that's a word, but that's how it felt. Richard is on days so I got up and got the three kids ready and took all of us to church. A teacher comes and gets me in the middle of class and says Carter threw up. Fun. So I go and get Braden and Ashlyn, load them in the car (it's freezing outside) and pull around to Carter's class. I get him in the car and tell him it's okay, we are going home. He says he isn't sick. He says he coughed a big coff (his words) and that he spit it in the trash. So, he's hungry for lunch. Off to home we go. I made a huge pot of soup. The kids play, I clean. My parents come over after church and we eat soup. I put the kids down for a nap. So Richard gets off work, my family is watching the kiddos and we go to the Winter Jam concert. Our friends drive behind us and on the way into the venue our cars get seperated. We park, pay, and go in. They tell us to find a seats. We can't. They've admitted too many people and the Fire Marshal is yelling for everyone to find a seat. (This was general admission at the door, no tickets) So we call our friends who can't get in because they've closed the doors and said sold out. They didn't want us to leave ( we were a group of seven in our van) and so they missed it. We stood for at least an hour with no seats and let me tell you I was not impressed with the concert. Don't get me wrong, but do you really need a lot of "love offerings" and a sermonette from each performer? So that was it. Bummer. Oh well, I ended up getting new living room furniture as my birthday present and they are beautiful! Thanks hubby.! And we are going on our trip on Friday and hubby is taking me somewhere nice!!! Yea!!
Saturday I made cookie sandwiches (chocolate chip cookies with buttercream in the middle), but Carter couldn't find where I'd put the bread in them! :)
Friday Carter got a papercut and needed a bandaid. Ashlyn said she wanted to do it. Well she thought she was putting Neosporin on it, but instead blood curdling screams erupt from the bathroom. Oh no, Carter was screaming, "my hand is burning". Yep, you guessed it. Ben-Gay. Poor kiddos. Carter cried for an hour while it went from burning to freezing, and Ashlyn cried for putting that on his hand. Oh the joy!

Feeling the Burn!

2007-01-22T11:27:00.000-05:00

Okay so this past week I've been running. And oh I can feel it! My legs were on fire and my nose was so red! It was so cold outside. I decided to go ahead and start running outside no matter the weather. I could feel my lungs. I'm not talking about feeling a tightness in my chest. I felt my lungs breathing in and out. I also thought, "Oh, Lord, please don't let me die with snot on my face!" Hopefully this week will be better. I don't know how I'll run today since the sidewalks are all covered in snow. I may just have to do my dance moves (workout DVD) at home! Bummer. Only 1 week and 5 days till we leave for our trip. I'm so excited!

Recaps and Resolutions

2007-01-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

Okay so we are all over sickness at this point. Fingers-crossed. We were well at Christmas and then got it again from those down there! Yuck! Anyway, thank goodness we are all well! So we had a great Christmas. Three celebrations and way too much stuff. All of which we love and are grateful for. So Richard surprised me with a trip. Actually let me rephrase that. He tried to surprise me. The company emailed me to confirm the trip and the cost etc, and of course I read what I'm emailed. So I call Richard knowing this is a mistake since I know we are going on a cruise this summer and why would he book two trips like this in one year? But my poor hubby who tried so hard, bless his little heart! Needless to say I'm really excited and have determined (since I have never skiid (sp) ) that I may not know what I'm doing, but I'm gonna look good on the slopes! Yeah for hubby. What a fun gift!
And Resolutions. I didn't plan on any. I never really do. But yesterday's sermon was 7 in 07. And one of them was living a healthy life and giving full control to God. I never really thought about it in those aspects. I can live healthier, longer, and give MORE glory to God. So our preacher announced he's going to run the 5k in June for Race for the Cure. Well, I decided that I am too. I know a couple of you who are laughing at this very minute. Are you picturing Phoebe running through Central Park? Well I'll have you know that I may not know how to run, but it can't be that hard right? So, Richard and my loyal readers are really the only ones that know. I'm not keeping it a secret mind you. But there's just something about saying your Resolutions outloud. At least for me. Another resolution along the same lines is we are totally revamping our food lifestyle. No more eating out. No more quick drivethroughs! It's camping around the kitchen table for us! I'm really excited about this one! Cause you know I like to cook. Now the challenge is converting our not so healthy casseroles and meals to good ones! So feel free to send me your recipes!! So that's 2007. Anyone else doing resolutions this year?

Kenny

2006-12-19T16:25:00.000-05:00

My little brother says I never mention his name so here goes. Kenny. He is actually getting married next August and has just turned 21 last week. He's home from Harding on break and has been staying with us and picking up extra work with the company I work for. His wedding website is www.theknot.com/ourwedding/AmandaHarrison&KennyFester. They are just so cute together. Ashlyn is the flower girl and Carter is going to be a ring bearer. I can't wait to see them. So that's my post for Kenny.

Mullet

2006-12-19T16:19:00.000-05:00

I think I spelled that correctly. It's not every year I write that word. Anyway, Richard and I were at the Salon today. Me haircut and arch, Richard haircut. Anyhow, a woman comes in and proceeds to tell the stylist what she would like done. I look at Richard, he looks at me, I look at the stylist who's looking at the floor. And what do you know, the Lady wants a mullet. So the stylist proceeds to tell her exactly what she's asking for and if she's sure that's what she wants. And yep, she got her hair cut. A mullet.

Incommunicado

2006-12-18T10:46:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. I've been hearing it. I'm finally posting again. Can I just say how much I hate viruses? I hate, hate, hate when my kids are sick. So last week the first boy gets it. Two days later I think the last boy is getting it. Nope, just a tease. Then Saturday the girl gets it. Not fun at our home. And it reeks of Lysol. At least the house got a major scrub down before Christmas! I've been in a clean freak mode lately. Not just a clean, but it has to be CLEAN! Not a bad thing, just not me normally. So we are off to another busy week. Haircuts tomorrow. Last minute shopping!(No, I haven't finished yet), Dropping 2k for a new transmission put me behind. And one more Christmas party. Then it's the Christmas celebrations. The kids have been doing their advent calendar. It's a good thing they are still young because Santa is actually coming to the "W" house on Dec 22nd this year. And then he'll be at Nana and Papa's on the 23rd, and then Nana and Papaw's on the 25th. Carter couldn't control himself this week and unwrapped a present at my mom's house. Too bad it was on my mom's 3 foot tall Santa's bag. Oh well, he was just warming up! I have so much baking to do it's not even funny. Okay, maybe this year some of our friends will be getting a bag of Oreos!! Hope you have a great and Merry Christmas!!
FYI: I need some addresses! I have Christmas cards to still send out! Sorry, had to manipulate our children into smiling while still ill!!! So if you are reading this email me your address! And be forgiving if you get it after Monday!!

Oh and Jenny, I loved your picture. Carter wants to come see Malaya, and Ashlyn has written her a letter! I'll include it with the Christmas card!

Turkey and Ham Overload

2006-11-27T09:23:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Way too much food here, but hey it's only one day! Well for a couple more weeks then it's Christmas Day!

Wednesday night Richard and I and my two Siblings went to Guns and Hoses. We had a blast. For those of you who don't know what that is let me explain...... Guns and Hoses is a fundraising event for Backstoppers. Backstoppers is an organization that provides monitary, emotional, spiritual, and physical assistance in the case of a fireman, police officer, or emergency medical worker's death in the line of duty. This organization is a tremendous blessing to those in this area. So every year on the night before Thanksgiving is Guns N Hoses. It's a huge fundraising event to help Backstoppers. It's a part of the Amateur boxing league and it's firemen against the police. There are 17 matches and it's so much fun. I never thought I would have a good time at a boxing tournament, but the energy is unreal. There were over 18,000 people there and you had to root on your team. The boxers are from all over St.Louis area and surrounding Illinois towns as well. The best fight of the night was probably the women fighting. We had to laugh at ourselves when it was over, since you are so revved up, you just want to fight someone. You want to be a part of it too!! :) I actually call this event the Mating Ground since it's about 5 guys for every girl in the audience and the girls that are in attendance are probably not of the highest caliber. Obviously I am not talking about myself!! :)
Thursday we dropped the transmission on our vehicle. Talk about a bummer.
I also ate myself into oblivion.
Thursday night we had an outreach dinner at church. We made to go meals for people who had to work and delivered them. We had a blast! I loved this and can't wait to do it again!
Friday...no shopping for me. That whole new transmission thing.
Saturday....We finished putting up the Christmas that we started on Friday. Only one ornament broke in the process. And wouldn't you know it was the Harding one. And no snide remarks from you ACU readers! :)
Sunday..Small group at our house. Well they call it that but it's not really small anymore. Only one incident this week. A child (older) somehow managed to jump through the back sliding screen door. I'm going to have to take out a small group insurance policy for damages. Can you do that? Just kidding. That's the risk you take having people over.
And today....just sitting at work thinking about that silly transmission. (thank goodness my mom and dad let us borrow another car!, Pray Richard's keeps going until mine is returned!!)

Happy Turkey Day (well tomorrow anyway!)!

2006-11-22T11:52:00.000-05:00

I know it's a day early, but tomorrow I'll be eating. And eating and eating. I love Thanksgiving! For me it's such a time of relaxation and family and good food! Bring on the potatoes! We are headed to Guns N Hoses tonight (not a spelling error, no Guns n Roses) and this will be our 2nd year. I had so much fun last year and can't wait to do it again!! Hope all of you have a wonderful turkey day!!

This is Ashlyn on her first day of Kindergarten. Yes it was 3 months ago, but maybe by July I'll get Christmas up!!

Hiding

2006-10-25T11:46:00.000-04:00

Just some thoughts from some books I've been studying:

Am I hiding by acting like the girl my father/mother has always expected me to be?

Am I hiding by trying to be the kind of woman my husband wants me to be?

Am I hiding by trying to stay in line with the kind of woman I think my kids will want to remember me as? I don't want my kids to grow up wishing for another kind of mom.

Am I hiding by constantly trying to be a composite of many women I see around me-usually women who have skills I lack or personalities different from mine.

Am I hiding by agreeing to fit nicely into the roles I feel are acceptable in my church and social community?

Am I hiding behind what I feel are cultural norms ascribed to women and mothers? Do I have the courage to buck the tide?

Am I hiding behind my own fears? Am I afraid of failing or looking stupid, or being rejected if I raech for my dreams and let my latent true self emerge?

"to live as an authentic, ransomed, and redeemed woman means to be real and present in this moment. If we continue to hide, much will be lost. We cannot have intimacy with God or anyone else if we stay hidden and offer only who we think we ought to be or what we believe is wanted....You have only one life to live. It would be best to live your own."
John and Stasi Eldrige in Captivating

Weekend Update

2006-10-23T13:58:00.000-04:00

Halloween is almost here! I just had to throw that in there!

Friday night I got to spend time just hanging out with my husband and children at home! We watched a couple new releases and I folded laundry. Oprah calls that multitasking. Saturday we got the kids up bright and early and drove to my mom and dad's. I had another funeral to attend. This one for a former teacher that I dearly loved! She made 2nd grade my favorite! She was still very young at her death, and this has been extremely difficult for her friends and family. After her service we left the kids at my folks for an overnighter and went to 6 Flags! Now Richard says he's never been there before! I have a really hard time believing that, so Kathryn if it's different, Let me know! He's not really a roller coaster type person! So he held our bags, while the rest of the group went on the rides! Now we did go for Fright Fest, but I can honestly say there was no Fright! The only Fright I saw was a whole section of clowns! I hate clowns! Happy, sad, it doesn't matter! They really freak me out! No I didn't watch IT or any other creepy clown movies, I just get freaked out by them! So a big disappointment that there were no scary things! I really wanted to see Hubby scared just once! So maybe we'll slip in a Haunted House before next Tuesday! Doesn't look too good though!

On Sunday our small group started our new study! We've been meeting for about 5 weeks, but last night we finally started it! It went great!

Before I forget, funny story with my firstborn!
She was helping me fold laundry and I noticed after about ten minutes that she had created a pile of daddy's "underthings". I assumed she just didn't want to touch them. So I asked her why she wasn't folding them and if she needed me to fold them. She said,"No, these have to go in the trash. They all have holes in the front" Poor kid. I choked on my drink. So needless to say Ashlyn had a refresher course in "Boys Anatomy".

No, cute little

2006-10-17T14:31:00.000-04:00

sayings so I'll get right to the point! What fun we had this weekend! We planned for our small group to go to the Pumpkin Patch on Sunday so the kids have been talking about it for quite a while! But first I had a Ladies Retreat this weekend and then my brother brought some buddies home for the weekend from Harding and then we went to the Pumpkin Patch! The weather was beautiful and the crowd was minimal! I got alot of great pictures, and hopefully I can put them on here in the next day or two! We all picked out pumpkins and the kids have already put them on the front porch!
Ashlyn has taken a major growth spurt in the last couple of months, so I'm on to clothes shopping! We can't wait until Christmas so I've been scouring the stores. Sadly enough, I've found that for her age the clothing is either really kiddy(like Dora, and other characters-and those of you who know me well know I HATE character clothing! No offense, I just have a huge aversion to it!) or it's very provocative. And so if you have any suggestions let me know! I've checked out Gap (not a lot of selection), Old Navy (really tween look which we don't mind, but she's in their in between sizes, so 4's are a little too small and 5's a little too big), Children's Place (not really impressed with their fall Line) and Target (not impressed here either). Yes I'm picky, but I rationalize that with the fact if I'm going to spend a lot money I would like trendy clothing that fits and covers her and will not look faded and hoosier after one washing! So, since I think everyone who reads this is probably female (Sorry Chad) give me your best suggestions!

Friday Night

2006-10-04T14:32:00.000-04:00

After we bankrupted ourselves to our babysitter this weekend! Just kidding! But seriously we had a great time going to the Mark Schultz concert. We went to his first concert of the Broken and Beautiful tour and it was incredible. Big Daddy Weave was with him and I was surprisinly impressed. We had so much fun with great friends and a great trip! I can't wait to do it again! For those of you who have no clue who he is ( I promise you've heard some of his songs on non-christian radio as well) he's worth going to see in concert or listening to on CD! That's my mommy-wiggy guarantee! Well for all that's worth!

Also this week, the dreaded paint project! Ashlyn's Room! Only two rooms left to do in the entire house! Hers and ours. So, she's asked and we've promised. The paint has been bought and we need to complete it! Wish us luck and sanity! It's just so hard to complete things quickly and without interruptions with three kids hanging onto your kneecaps! Thank you God for Baby Gates!

Sidenote: We'll be seeing all of our extended family this weekend as we go to my Great Aunt's Funeral. I haven't seen any of them in 10 years. This will actually be the first time they will have met Richard or my children! I'm sure I'll have some stories to blog on this after the weekend!

The End of September

2006-09-26T13:14:00.000-04:00

Well the end of September is near! Our trip is over! It was so quick! We got to see almost everyone and spent way too much time in the car! I'll be happy not to do that anytime again soon! It was in the 90's in Texas and today it's in the 70's. I much prefer the 70's! I'm going to a MOPS meeting tonight! I'm really excited about this group of women! More so that I don't have to plan or organize anything!! Yea! Sometimes it's nice just to join a group and not do anything but go!!

Jenny---I'm praying for Papa-I saw your Dad's blog this morning-I'm so disappointed I didn't get to see him-can you email me his address? And I'm going to a Mark Schultz concert on Friday! I'll think of you!

Fall is Here!

2006-09-18T16:49:00.000-04:00

I love Fall! It's my favorite time of year! Hot apple cider. Pumpkin bread. Picking Apples (which we did on Saturday and the kids had a blast!) Football Games (High School and Sunday Afternoon!) Tomorrow we leave for a 7 day trip to Houston, Tyler, Van Alstyne, Tulsa, and a couple other places thrown in. We're going down for a wedding and seeing some relatives we haven't seen for a few years. Can't wait!

Recovering

2006-09-06T14:46:00.000-04:00

Well I am officially recovering. I am on a new medication that seems to be working very well. The problem has not gone away so we are still doing tests, but it is manageable for the time being. So thank you for all of your prayers!! The weather has been so cool here! I love it!! Fall is my favorite time of year! To me there is nothing like it!! The pictures are when the Jackson's came up for vacation and we had a little bit of a sleepover!

A week's recap

2006-08-24T10:46:00.000-04:00

Just a family picture we took at Richard's police graduation! Yes I know it's old, but I'm just getting the hang of this picture thing!!
Last week really started off with a bang! As you know Ashlyn went to Kindergarten! She was just precious and so excited! I'll upload a picture later! It was also our 7 year anniversary on that day, as well as I had been having severe migraines up until that point. That day marked day 6. So I dropped Ashlyn off saw the Dr(who immediately gave me an RX and scheduled tests) and then went to pick up Ashlyn! She had a great first day! When I asked her how it was---her reply, " Moommmm, they didn't teach me to read!!" So of course I told her that she had to wait until they knew her name! She's been very emotional about this since she reads small words so well, but thinks she needs to read everything! So we get home, Richard takes off early from work to celebrate our anniversary, and I proceed to get very very ill. Husband takes wife to the ER where wife spends next four days on and off Morphine (not a good thing by any means) and finally gets to come home. Prognosis, still undecided, so wife gets to go to the Dr every other day for blood draws and medication reviews. So, as of today this is day 16 with migraine but I am on medication and I did have two days on Monday and Tuesday with no pain!!!! So keep me in your thoughts as I deal with this. Not because I can't deal with the pain, it's annoying and obviously painful, but that I remain patient and loving with my family. Loud noises really hurt and since I have three small children, well I don't need to go any further with that!!

Braden/TEST

2006-08-10T10:10:00.000-04:00

Braden

2006-08-10T09:44:00.000-04:00

This is the Birthday Boy!!

Special Birthday Blessings

2006-07-31T12:41:00.000-04:00

Our little guy turned one on Friday! I know I say it over and over, but I can't believe how quickly he's grown. He's got the most charming personality. He's a wonderful child. So content in whatever situation and he loves to snuggle. That's my kind of lovin'!! He loved his birthday cake, so much in fact he cried hysterically when we took his plate away!! Because of all the storms and chaos, we haven't had his birthday party yet, so that will probably take place next week sometime. Special Blessings to you sweet boy on your happy day!! May you continue to be blessed and may you rest in the love of your family, friends, and your Lord. We love you!!

The Post Storms Update

2006-07-24T17:19:00.000-04:00

Well, we've officially recovered. Well almost. The church is still without power so there's no daycare so I've had to get home babysitting for a few days. Not a big deal since it's my brother's girlfriend, but just the same the kids are at home :) Our boil order has been lifted and most of the people I know in the north part of the county now have power. Our hotel has ended but now we are cooking meals for people who had to throw out all their food. So, what a summer!! My sister flew up for the weekend, but not a lot to do, since everything was pretty much closed. We had a great time hanging out and catching up! So tonight, my husband is taking me out to dinner. And the kids too of course. We are driving out of state to go eat some great Italian! (It's really only 25 minutes) Thanks to all of you who prayed for us and for thinking of us. It's really been a time of reflection for Richard and I and how selfishly we rely on things so materialistic. As well as this has been a great lesson for the kids. Love and miss all of you!

Can't Find Water

2006-07-20T15:48:00.000-04:00

Well we're okay, but I'm having the hardest time finding water! Who would have though that it would be hard to buy water? We have power so we still have A/C, but two houses down is where the line is for no power. We've been very fortunate. Anyway, I have to run open the Wiginton Hotel! Love you all!

Back to Normalcy

2006-06-28T12:51:00.000-04:00

Well after an amazing week we are back to normal. Or what our little family calls normal. Great friends came to see us for a whole week! We loved every minute of our time together. We got to go eat at great places, the zoo, the Magic House, a Cardinals Game, catch a movie, play with the kids at the playground, etc. Too many things to try and name them all. I so wish I could have pushed pause on so many occasions. I am definitely looking forward to the next visit! Is it too early to start planning one?

Random

2006-06-19T13:05:00.000-04:00

This blog is going to be very random! Sorry if it confuses you, but I sometimes forget or don't have time to blog about everything I want to, so I'll just summarize and save myself!!

Braden has two teeth! Yea!! He's 10 months old and finally has teeth! They are so cute. Like little chicklets!

Church had a musical and we loved it. We saw it twice and can't wait to get our copy on DVD or as Carter says, "DBDBD"
During the musical which was "Fiddling on the Ark", Carter says, (outloud for those rows all around us to hear)"that is NOT Nowah! Ms. Wanda said he's up there (heaven) AND he's in a dwess."

Ashlyn is registered for Kindergarten. We are still a little up in the air on which school she is going to. Lines are being redrawn and she's at one school for KG and then will transfer to another for 1st grade, so we are going to appeal and see if we can get her to the one she'll be at for 1st through 6th. I really like both schools, I just want to save ourselves and mainly Ashlyn from starting over at 1st grade.

Our great friends are coming tomorrow! I am so excited! They will be here for a week! It's truly going to be one big slumber party! Can't wait to squeeze those kids! And my kiddos are really excited about all the fun stuff we are doing! Can't tell you Jacksons! Its a surprise! And shouldn't you be packing?

Ashlyn's dance recital is this upcoming weekend, she is adorable! Just a little diva!

Our young marrieds got together on Friday night and played the Not So Newlywed Game and had a great time. We got done early and since we all had babysitters we decided to do something else. So we turned off all the lights in the church building and played hide and go seek. We freaked each other and ourselves out and had a blast! Who knew there were so many good hiding spots in the building? Some were so scary (at least to me and a couple others!) we couldn't even go and try to hide there!

Hope you have a great week!

TA DA!!

2006-06-05T11:38:00.000-04:00

Okay folks! Here it is! A very sinful cookie!

Frosted Double Chocolate Cookies

2 Cups ( 12 oz package) Semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

Microwave 3/4 cup chips in small microwaveable bowl. Zap until melted. Cool to room temperature.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Set aside
Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla in large mixer until creamy. Beat in melted chocolate and egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto cookie sheets. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 7-9 minutes. Edges will be set, but centers will be slightly soft. Let stand 3 minutes and then remove to wire racks! I know it's tempting to eat them now, but I promise it's worh the wait if you use the icing!

Chocolate Frosting:
Microwave remaining 1/2 cup chips and 2 Tablespoons butter until melted. Stir. Add 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoons milk. until smooth. To get frosting consistency, you may need to add more pd. sugar or milk!

Let me know how they turned out!!

Memorial Day

2006-05-30T11:32:00.000-04:00

What a great day! We took the kids to a park out by my mom and dad's and had about 20 people join us! We BBQ'd and played all day. The weather was warm but a really nice breeze. Richard came for half the day and then had to work. The kids were so dirty!!! They had so much fun playing in the dirt!! They wanted to stop for icecream, but since you couldn't see but their eyes and teeth(for all the dirt) we just went straight home and into the bathtub! What a great way to kick off the summer! I hope all of your memorial day celebrations were just as nice!

Chocolate and Cowboys

2006-05-22T12:19:00.000-04:00

Well catchy title huh? Anywho, last night was our Dessert Auction at church! What a fun time! They raised over 5K and yes I mean thousand! The teen group is going to Mississippi for the summer to help with Hurricane Katrina rebuilding! So I made a yummy chocolate cake and it sold for over $200! I was really excited about that. I did get an order and another on the way for making some for a couple folks. And on to the Cowboy! Well our cowboy turns three on Wednesday! What a fun little boy! He truly thinks he's a cowboy and has been heartbroken that he's outgrown his boots. So his ranchhand(me) has bought him a new pair to surprise him for his birthday! And yes, we are having a roundup on Saturday! Can't wait!

It all started...

2006-05-16T12:58:00.000-04:00

about 4 days ago. I took a whirlwind trip to the Big D for a momentous occasion. My great friends celebrated a graduation! Not just any graduation, but the first time Shannon Jackson walked to receive his diploma. I am so very proud of you Shannon, and for Danna as well. I'm so blessed to have your family in my life! Thank you for all you are! Congratulations!!

I know, I know...

2006-04-26T10:57:00.000-04:00

I know. It's been a while. It's just that sometimes I get so busy and life just flies by. But I do need to sit down and relax and update all you impatient people!! Our big news is.......Ashlyn is 5! Yes I know this is hard to believe. 5 years ago, God blessed us with the most joyful child. She is truly a wonder to watch grow and mature! I can't wait to see how God uses her in her new arena known as Kindergarten! Watch out school, she's a preacher! Her birthday party was great! Of course hectic, but what do you expect with 12 little four and five year old princesses running around! But the day is over and we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of school. I'm dreading it while she's already planning what to wear and when she can invite friends over! It's going to be a very short summer :(

The Long Road Home-Our New Home~!

2006-03-27T11:58:00.000-04:00

Well, what a quick little trip we had!! Our little family left Wednesday (a big thank you to my boss who gave me the day off) and drove to Tulsa OK! We attended the International Soul Winning Workshop! We had so much fun reconnecting with friends and lots of people that we only get to see there! And the shopping! Loved it! Lots of new books that I am really excited about getting to read! One is called "A Promise Kept" about a more committed marriage relationship! And another is called" I love You Unconditionally, on One Condition". So if you' ve read these and have any comments, let me know! A Huge thank you to my funnel cake and Farkel friends! I really needed those laughs as well as the great conversation! Love you to death, and hope to see you in May! The kids did great, but they were definitely tired! Between In-Laws, Two 6 hour trips, workshop hours, different beds, and lots of other things, they really held up well, at least until the trip home! We hit rock bottom. I was travelling with them by myself(hold all comments here please) and was probably two hours from home! Life was sweet. They were great! Then it happened. Road construction. Not just normal construction. Two miles an hour with 10 miles of one lane blocked construction. Yes. we missed church. Yes, I had to feed Braden on Interstate 44 with no way to pull over. Yes, Carter got out of his seat to potty(please don't ask how we completed this feat!) and Ashlyn helped me get extra clothes for Braden out of the suitcase since he pottied through his diaper. Believe me when I say there wasn't even a shoulder to pull over on and so the kids sang, drew pictures, I started a new book ( A Mother's Heart) and lots and lots of fruit snacks and water. We finally made it home and took the kids to see the newly painted house while we waited for pizza! It looks amazing! Richard and my dad did such an incredible job! And so tomorrow is our much anticipated move in day! I have lots to do today! Wish us luck!