Buh Bye Trees!!!!!

I just wanted to let everyone know that I love my husband! After church today he went out and chopped down the HUGE cedar trees in front of my house that have been there for the past 6 years… all because I hated them! And look!! I have this pretty rock thing on my house that I didn’t even know was there! I am so excited that I can now see the front of my house and that I can plant flower in the front and make it actually look like, well a house!!! It is no longer hidden by the hideous trees that have made me go ‘grrrrr!’ every time I would drive by. Now it is time to start finding things to make my house have more ‘curb appeal’ as the people on HGTV call it. Yay again!!!

Photo Friday Week 4: Tired

I love Photo Friday! It is a great opportunity to get some wonderful shots of my kids. This week I took a picture of Jacob sound asleep in his bed after a long day of cleaning his room. He is such a sweet, handsome young man!

You can visit Trina’s blog to see all the wonderful photos that everyone has submitted.

Next weeks theme: Sleep

x Fingers Crossed x

The weatherman is predicting a polar front that might bring snow for next Monday night through Wednesday morning. Yes, you heard correct… I said SNOW! Jacob has been hoping and praying for snow since Thanksgiving, but so far we have not got a single flake this year. It’s been kind of depressing having 75* days in January, but we have to take what Mother Nature gives us at this point. And with the possibility that snow could be on it’s way, I thought I would post a few pictures from snowy days in the past. So here is my little flashback!

The first 2 pictures are from Thanksgiving 2007.
It snowed from the night before Thanksgiving until Sunday night.

Jacob all bundled up as we head to church.

These next two pictures are from February 23, 2010.
We got a total of 4” for the day and underneath all the snow was about an inch of ice.

You think I would be better prepared for situations like this, but it never fails, somehow I always end up needing something from the store or have to run errands for Michael.

Photo Friday Week 3: Macro

Sorry I am behind again this week too. We had a relapse of the stomach flu, but it seems like it is going away for good now. This warm winter weather just helps breed all these germs!

This week I was so excited that my herbs were starting to grow. I have a little window garden going on to get my herbs started this year, and they are doing great!

This is a picture of my parsley. I don’t have a macro lens yet, but this was taken with my EFS 18-55mm lens with my camera set on Macro mode.

Head on over to Trina’s Blog to see all the other wonderful photos!

Next weeks theme: Tired

Siesta Scripture Memory Team: Verse 2!

It’s that time again! What do ya think of the cute little button I made? I thought it would be nice to have something colorful to put at the beginning of my post. Hope you like it! You are more than welcome to steal… okay, use it if you would like.

If you would like to participate you can still do so by heading on over to Living Proof Ministries Blog. I never in my dreams thought I would be participating in something that was so meaningful. I am trying to pick a verse every two weeks that pertains to something going on in my life. Like this week for example, my husband and I have been going through a rough patch and I am starting the ‘Love Dare’, and the first week is all about love being patient. And I can promise you… I need to be way more patient with my husband.

Here is my Verse # 2:

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
Ephesians 4:2 NIV

Photo Friday Week 2: Breakfast

With everyone sick this week I was not able to take a current picture of to represent breakfast…. or post on time. So I am using my favorite breakfast picture. It was taken in August, when Jake and I made donuts for breakfast, which we like to do often. Next week I promise it will be a current picture.

They were yummy! Enjoy!

A {very} Small Party

It seems like forever since I have posted on here. It has been crazy busy with Tyler’s birthday and then both the boys had the stomach bug. It was just awful! But everyone is better and I now have a free minute to get up some pictures.

Tuesday was Tyler’s 3rd birthday. I can’t believe how fast these past three years have flown by. He has grown into such a handsome, independent little monster. And I could just eat him up! Here are a few pictures from the little get together we had Tuesday night at our house.

It was funny because Lance would light the candle and then blow it out before Tyler had the chance. The look on his face was priceless.

My Little Monster is 3!

I can’t believe how fast they grow. It seems like only yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital. Now he is an independent little boy who is growing up so fast!

Here is my little monster now

Happy Birthday Tyler, I Love You!

A Father’s Love

I snapped this photo today while Michael and Tyler were taking a nap in the recliner. I thought that was a great representation of his love for his children and his stained hands represent how hard he works for his family.
I just love it!

Changes Changes and More Changes

I know it has probably been confusing lately with the blog name changes and everything. I feel like I am going through an identity crises,and well, I kind of am. My blog name has always been uninspired and not thought out at all. I hate that about it. I feel like it does not reflect me at all. I want a blog that when you read the title you know exactly who I am.

I have been racking my brain crazy trying to come up with a name and nothing screams ‘ME’! So that is where my biggest dilemma lies. So, just in case you were all wondering if I was having a spaz attack or not, it’s just me trying to find the perfect name. Hopefully it comes along soon, if not I may scream! :)

Photo Friday Week 1: Cold

Today I am posting my first Photo Friday picture. I am with Trina, I took a million pictures of everything and nothing just screamed ‘this is it!’, but when you live in Texas it is never cold enough to take pictures of anything good outside. The only thing that came to mind that I knew represented cold, was ice cream.

Now, it is not the greatest picture, and I am going to try and do better next week. But on another note, the cobbler in the background was really yummy!

I promise next week will be better!

Looking Forward to Warmer Weather

When I took Jake to school this morning it was 28*, for me that is way to cold. I am a warm weather kind of person, maybe that’s why west Texas suits me. And I will be the first to admit, when it is 115* outside with no breeze and the electric bill is $200, I am begging for cooler weather… like in the 80’s with a nice breeze. But I know that Spring and Summer are right around the corner. Yay!

There is just something that is just wonderful. I don’t know if it is the smell of sunscreen or the cheap flip flops that I love more!? There is one thing I look forward to more than anything during the summer, and that is spending long days at the pool with my kids. We have a really nice pool, that for the most part stays un-crowded during most weekdays.

The little monsters back in July of 2009

This picture was taken with my iPhone


With all this talk about warmer weather I have been thinking about my backyard. I need to get it cleaned up and start prepping it for this coming spring. I am so ashamed that I will not even show you a picture of it right now, just know that it is really, really bad. I want it to look like this again…

(For it to look like this I am going to have to water, a lot and keep my dog inside as much as possible… just till it’s green again.)

I defiantly want something like this in my backyard… but not a Pottery Barn one, something from Wal-Mart or Target. I just need someplace I can go lay and tan.

Siesta Scripture Memory Team: Verse 1!

I’m a little late getting this up, but I just wanted to share with y’all that I have joined in on the 2011 Siesta Scripture Memory Team, or the SSMT over at Beth Moore’s Living Proof Ministries Blog. Being the HUGE Beth Moore fan that I am, I thought that this would be a lot of fun.

The general rundown is really long, and I wasn’t sure about the best way to let y’all know. It was either just give the link or cut and paste… so I cut and pasted the instructions from the LPM Blog for you and I am also giving you the link. You can go HERE and read the instructions from Beth herself on the website.

Down at the bottom is my first memory verse of the year!

OK, NOW FOR THE INSTRUCTIONS. You can cut and paste these somewhere if necessary. Here’s how it will go:

1. On the 1st and 15th of every month of 2011, you will find a post by 8:00 in the morning where I will ask for your memory verse and give you mine. This will begin New Year’s Day. You are committing to 24 Scriptures in 12 months. In previous years, I’ve found this to be a very doable pace. If you do much more, you’ll tend to fall behind and not retain. If you do much less, the impact is negligible. You really can do this. So many of you will surprise yourselves with what you’re capable of doing in the power of the Spirit. Yes, it takes work but it’s tremendously fulfilling and the results are nearly immeasurable. Look at it this way: you’re going to be meditating on something: unforgiveness, toxic memories, misery, lust, greed, dissatisfaction, jealousy, competition. Choose Scripture! Christ Himself said as a man thinks, so is he. He also said His words are spirit and life. This is work worth doing, Sweet Thing. Never – NOT ONCE – have I ever known anyone to get to the end of a Scripture memory commitment and say that it didn’t make any real difference. Not a single time.

2.You are to enter the verse you’ve chosen to memorize for that two-week period within twenty-four hours of the post going up. I’ve been asked many times if it’s okay if you’re late supplying your verse and, yes, of course it is, but try to avoid doing it often. The people who make it to the very end of the year are overwhelmingly those who stay up with it month to month. Please know up front that one of the important parts of this process is the exercise of self discipline. This culture is mass producing wimpy narcissists. Year-long commitments like these that require punctuality and focused energy push back on that degenerating trend. All that to say, please don’t drop out if you get behind. I just want you to know that this will be much more successful if you treat it as a real, live commitment you are willing to work hard to keep.

3. When you clock in with your verse those two times a month, keep your comments limited to your name, city, verse and translation. Long comments on SSMT days are no-no’s. It won’t take you long to figure out why we maintain that rule. Wait till you see the powerful sight of hundreds if not thousands of verses flowing down the comment stream. It is a gorgeous sight. When you’re having a bad day, all you have to do is scroll down a few hundred of your sisters’ Scripture selections and I promise you, you’ll get a word. It’s a very powerful thing. Here is a sample comment:

Beth from Houston, Texas: “Forget about what’s happened! Don’t keep going over old history. Be alert! Be present! I’m about to do something brand new. It’s bursting out. Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road in the desert and rivers in the badlands.” Isaiah 43:18-19 The Message

(That was my first Scripture from last year so I wrote it from memory. If you choose that one, you better double check it. It’s at least 95 per cent accurate…I think. Yep. Double check it.) Always add your translation because so many of your sisters will want to know where you found the wording for your entry. One of the great impacts of this process is how much we reap from each other’s selections. Often you’ll see a sister say, “I’m doing the one so-and-so did last time!” (Yes, you can make a comment that brief. Those can be fun. Occasionally you’ll even see someone write, “For the sake of my marriage, I’ve chosen to memorize…” That’s okay, too, but try to keep it very succinct.)

4. As often as possible, choose a verse that means something to you in your present season or circumstance. This is the reason why we don’t all memorize the same Scripture. We’re not all going through the same things. The more you let God lead you to verses that direct you or edify your soul in your present circumstances, the more He will renew your mind toward your challenges. This is a huge part of 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 where we’re told to demolish strongholds and take our thoughts captive to Christ. If you don’t have a verse on your mind or you’re drawing a blank when the 1st or 15th rolls around, you are welcome to share mine. I will always include it in the post. You might also look at a few of the comments and see if one of theirs resonates with you. I say this next part with a grin: try to refrain from memorizing Scriptures that you think your spouse or your children need to learn. Memorize what you need to learn. That means do your best to avoid jotting your verse on a stick note and planting it on your bathroom mirror where your man can see it and repent of his sins. He probably won’t because he’s got your game. I bet you can guess how I know that.

5. I strongly recommend that you stick with only one verse to memorize each time. (This is just a recommendation and not a rule. You’re free to do whatever works for you.) Keep it simple and meaningful. (If I were addressing you live, I’d have you repeat that sentence back to me so just go ahead and say it out loud in order to nail it down. That sentence could be your best friend through this process.) If you do too many verses or get too complicated, you will soon be overwhelmed and want to drop out. Better to do 24 simpler verses over a 12 month period of time than a chapter over the first month then quit. We want this to be a discipline we practice for the rest of our lives. Think marathon. Not sprint.

6. Either shortly before or after making your entry each 1st and 15th in the blog comment, write the verse by hand in your own spiral. (Again, that’s a recommendation and not a rule. I’ve discovered that there’s something about writing it with your own hand and picturing it later in your own handwriting that helps it sink into your memory bank. I’m not entirely sure why.) Take that spiral with you everywhere you go. Read it and read it and read it and read it. Do mental gymnastics with it. Flip that baby over and over. Many women have told me along the way that they’re not good at memorization and I truly understand that. I also beg to offer two responses: First, that may change. Give the Holy Spirit a chance to do something brand new with you. Second, even if you don’t get your verses down word for word, you are still meditating on them as you read and reread them. You still, thereby, accomplish one of the most important goals: captivating the mind to Christ. You just can’t lose on this one. Either way, it has a powerful effect.

My first verse is:

“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”
Matthew 6:33 NIV

West Texas Sunrise

This was my view as I drove my monster to preschool this morning.

Hey! Who broke my crayons?

Here is a little collage of the boys coloring the other day. They had tons of fun coloring and Tyler had tons of fun snapping all of the crayons he didn’t want to use anymore, which in turn made Jacob mad. All in all it was fun all the way around and I now have pictures to frame and put on the wall.