HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

weather pixies

The Weather Pixie girls are cracking me up. You are supposed to pick a pixie that looks most like you. Well, I may have dark hair and eyes but my pixie has a better figure and a better wardrobe and has no problem showing some skin! O my! I picked 3 weather stations to monitor, Alaska, Minnesota and our hometown. I may change them up some. For now we have Alaska, since I've always wanted to visit there. International Falls, MN is one of the coldest places in the USA so I'm thankful I live in TX every time I look at their temp. Who knows what my hometown weather pixie will be wearing next? Maybe a bikini if the weather gets any warmer! ; )

running

I ran with a friend tonight for 4 miles. It was great and we got up to a super fast pace (for us). I was looking for a runner's book online and came across these runner's t-shirts. I laughed out loud when I saw the one that said, "In my mind I'm a Kenyan!" I felt that in real life the one that showed the turtle saying "I am running!" was probably more my speed!

You know Kenyans and Ethiopians win almost every major marathon. Tonight, I felt like a Kenyan running my 4 little miles(just 22 miles shy of a marathon/9 miles shy of a half marathon)in the dark down the sidewalk. I love running at night. It is great after my body gets over the shock of the first mile and my brain and my body have this conversation:

Body - "This hurts and we are doing this because????"

Brain - "O it will be fun!"

Body - "Fun, I'm not feeling it! And I see no bears, lions, or tigers chasing me for their dinner so why am I running again?"

Brain - "Stop your whining! You just have to get all of your fat moving at the same rhythm"

Body - "Shin pain, knee pain, breathing hard.....waiting on the fun! where is the fun? (in loud voice)FFFUUUNNN where are you??"

Brain - "It is ok to rest when you need to but you can't stop running. Run for those that can't run."

Body - "Ok, since you put it that way. I guess I'm feeling a little better. I am moving and that counts!"

Brain - "Push yourself! Keep going and make it to the stop light and then you can rest if you think you need it!"

Body - "O man, should've had some water before I left!"

Brain - "You should've tinkled too before you left! Squeeze army!"

Body - "Wow, my fat is all jiggling in sync and I'm moving faster and it feels good!
Is this the runner's high that everyone talks about?"

Brain - "See I told you it would be fun! Let's go further!"

Body - "Umm...that sounds great but I do have to be physically able to make it back to my starting location."

Brain - "O, details - shmetails!"

Body - "Feeling great, knees lifting higher, strides getting longer - FUN, I've found you!"

Brain - "Told ya! By the way, mile one is history and you've been running for 17 minutes without stopping!"

Body - "No way!! Thank you brain for not letting me quit!"

Brain - "Keep going body. You can do it! Only 30 more minutes to go!"

I never ever wanted to be a runner. Running is what you did after softball or basketball practice for punishment oops I think the correct term is "endurance and conditioning." ; ) I never thought I could do it and it still amazes me. If I can do it anyone can. Start slow and build up but don't quit. Just move your body!

"But those who hope in the Lord....will run and not grow weary." Isaiah 40:31

"I pinched myself and I wasn't sleeping and it was really snowing outside! I can't believe it! This is the best day of my life!" - Puddin'

Praising Voices Praising Hands

Praising Voices
I don't know how many of you were at church tonight for the Family Christmas performance. I thought it was one of the best I had seen in years. I was almost moved to tears when the Mariachi Band played. I love hearing songs about Jesus sung in other languages especially if I recognize the tune. I've got to mainly hear Spanish and German praising. The Mariachi singers sang their hearts out and though I didn't know exactly what they were saying, I knew they were worshiping. Their Spanish speaking voices took me back to the mission trips I went on to Mexico. The singing was one of my favorite parts. We taught VBS in some of the little towns and I loved hearing the children singing our traditional Sunday School songs in Spanish. I remember Padre Abram for Father Abraham and I've got the joy joy joy joy down in my heart Donde? In mi corazon! The people of the church always called you "hermana" which means sister because to them you loved the same Lord so you were family. I felt that tonight with the Mariachis - they were our family in Christ.

Praising Hands
I openly admit to being a weeper. I wish I was not but that is how God wired me. If the Mariachis weren't enough to prime the tear ducts, then the sign language girl sent me over the edge and it was to one of my favorite Christmas songs O Holy Night. I love signing and wish I knew more. I feel my hands wanting to move during worship but not sure the right signs for the words. I guess that goes back to my years of teaching preschool where there are movements for every song. Daddy Boy leans over to me during the performance and says that we need to be thankful that someone translated God's word from Greek and Hebrew for us. So that we can understand and read in our own language just like someone developed sign so deaf people can understand spoken word. Wow! I had never thought to be thankful for that! I think we occasionally forget that Jesus was not a white guy speaking English back in the day! Anyway, I was uplifted tonight! I am looking forward to hearing all of the tongues and tribes and nations singing and waving our hands in harmony when we get to heaven! What a rockin' good time that will be!

Laura B

Sorry for the delay! Life is a wee bit busy these days! I have also been searching for a funny picture of Laura and I but I have "filed" it away in a safe place. I found it in September and do not know where it ended up. Anyway, Happy Birthday Laura! I miss our days of car dancing to our homemade cassette tapes while you quite remarkably held a fiesty Jack Russell Terrier, a Route 44 Sonic drink and drove a stick shift and never managed to wrecked the little apple green Geo! Fun times! I've enjoyed being your roommate, teammate, student worker, mission trip buddy, Sunday School pal, but most of all I've enjoyed just being your friend! Looking forward to many more years of friendship!

This is a picture of Laura kissing a frog if you can't figure out what the green thing is. It was a joke since she has a fear of frogs and toads - she swears that they come after her and charge her! ; ) Hoppy Thirty- something!

The Anatomy of a Turkey

My girls are helping Daddy Boy get the turkey ready this morning. They have never been awake in the past in time to be a part of this Thanksgiving Day experience. They are fascinated by this thing! They keep coming in to report to me that they have seen the inside of the turkey and the neck of the turkey and the innards. Daddy Boy is doing a great job of leading this lesson in anatomy and agriculture. It is made even more amusing by the turkey calls the girls are making as they watch their dad. They are practicing their calls waiting for the day they get to actually go turkey hunting. I just received a report that they got to inject the marinade and get out the big oven bag. They are insisting that baby sister say "hi" to the turkey now and singing a made up song that goes something like this, "Are you going to eat turkey turkey? Are you going to eat turkey turkey?"

I love this day!

LET THE HEARTS OF THOSE THAT SEEK THE LORD BE GLAD!
1 CHRONICLES 16:10

Remember When

Last November, we went camping at Garner State Park. We surprised the girls by getting them out of school early and drove a VERY LONG way to Garner. We made some fun memories that weekend! Wish we could go again soon! Sorry about the dumb horoscope thing but I didn't know how to make it go away.

What a difference a year makes!

I am so proud of my Puddin' Pop today! She received 4 awards for the 6 weeks for being in the 100 Book Club(she's read over 100 non AR books), All Es, BUG award for bringing up her math grade and she met her AR goal. I was a little teary eyed today when they announced her name. Last year was a struggle for her (and for me), we knew she had it in her but she had a hard time focusing and staying on task. She also seemed to find trouble pretty easily. It was even suggested to us that we get her tested for ADHD and get her medicated, which broke our hearts. I was frustrated with all of the issues we seemed to have last year and had strong feelings about moving her to another school. However, when I prayed about it, God's answer was always to leave her at her current school. I really did not prefer that answer but I was reluctantly obedient. What a difference a year makes! She is doing well and has a wonderful teacher that knows exactly how to deal with her personality and get the best out of her. I wish we could just keep her for the next 4 grade levels. (Thank the Lord for good teachers!) I think Puddin' is feeling good about herself too! Thank you Lord for your plan and not mine!

I need a haircut

I desperately need a haircut but this decision is always surrounded by so many questions and feelings of doubt and insecurity. I need to get hip but what does that mean for an almost 40 woman on a Walmart budget? What kind of cut do I need? Will my hair type work with the styles I like? Will I look good? Who should I let cut it? Can I re-create this look after I leave the beauty shop with 3 kids running around,3 minutes to fix my hair and no fancy expensive salon type products to hold it in place? Can I still wear my cap after I get it cut and not look like a player on a collegiate softball team if you get my drift!? Can I hope that Pluto and Mars line up in the solar system so that time, money, an appointment and a babysitter all come together and gel at the right moment in the universe?

I was sharing my hair woes with my middle child the other day. Here was her solution. "Mommy, let me have some scissors and I will fix your hair. You just tell me where to cut!" Wo! Now that's a thought! I might be looking like her in the above pictures. LPie could introduce me "this is my mom, Scary Larry." I thanked her for the offer but said that she had to have a license to cut hair and that she was lacking the license.

For those of you that do not know, we have had a few "scalpings" in our family over the years. Puddin' has scalped LPie twice. Once playing beauty shop and the other to get gum out of the hair so I wouldn't notice the gum. I guess I wouldn't notice the absence of bangs and the new Billy Ray Cyrus mullet look. Hope you enjoy the beauty shop pictures that went terribly wrong! Happy Hair-cutting!

Psalm 37

1 [a] Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9 For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.

11 But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy great peace.

12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;

13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.

14 The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.

15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;

17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

18 The days of the blameless are known to the LORD,
and their inheritance will endure forever.

19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:
The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
they will vanish—vanish like smoke.

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;

22 those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be cut off.

23 If the LORD delights in a man's way,
he makes his steps firm;

24 though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.

26 They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be blessed.

27 Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.

28 For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
They will be protected forever,
but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

29 the righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is just.

31 The law of his God is in his heart;
his feet do not slip.

32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
seeking their very lives;

33 but the LORD will not leave them in their power
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

34 Wait for the LORD
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,

36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.

37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
there is a future [b] for the man of peace.

38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
the future [c] of the wicked will be cut off.

39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

40 The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

A Few Fall Pics - More To Come!

Singing Over Me

Click to hear a 30 second blurb of a cool song by Building 429. If you click the title below it will take you to imeem for the whole song. I don't know why it won't play the whole thing on my blog but I'm tired of trying to make it work.

Well, this blog has been on my mind for quite a while now. I had the idea way back at the beginning of the summer when I watched the intro to the Beth Moore study on the Psalms of Ascent. In the intro, she mentioned the importance of song/music to the pilgrims on their journey to the feasts. She kept saying that we are pilgrims on a journey as well. I immediately thought of the intro to the TobyMac song Lose My Soul that says,"I'm trying to get somewhere! Somewhere good and pure and eternal!" After hearing Beth, I guess I paid closer attention to the lyrics of the songs I was listening to and they seemed to touch me more. I wanted to share a few with you. I want you to share some with me. I think I'm going to make a list for my side bar so we can add to the them. Nothing can really change my mood more than a song. It is hard to be cranky or mad when Third Day is singing "you are my Jesus who loves me!" I could probably write a 100 songs down but here are a few to start us off:

"He holds my hand and the universe together" - song God is Great God is Good

"Everyone of us has stumbled, everyone's humble,
we hit the ground and our lives crumble. Everyone of us will fall. Have our backs against the wall and everyone shares the need to be loved." - song I'm For You by TobyMac

"Still I'm broken, I'm broken
Only one can understand
Only one can hold the hand
of the broken, of the broken

When no one else knows how I feel
Your love for me is proven real
When no one else cares where I've been
You run to me with outstretched hands
And you hold me in your arms again."
Song - No One Else Knows by Building 429

If you don't know these tunes, listen to them on imeem.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. Psalm 95:2

7 things

I saw this on another blog and thought it was fun. I thought of lots of different 7 things categories so for today I am asking for 7 Things You Like About Today and 7 Things In Your Fridge Right Now. It's silly and brainless but that's where I am today after being couped in a house full of sick people all week. What's your list look like?

7 Things I Liked About Today:
1. I washed panties and socks!! :)
2. Big girls' room is clean and organized - a rare thing
3. Daddy Boy got home from work early
4. Sweet friend surprised me and took big girls to the park to feed the Koi and turtles
5. I'm wearing my new I LOVE PALIN FOR VP t-shirt that my mom-in-law got me
6. No one has vomited or had diarrhea today!! HALLELUJAH!
7. Daddy Boy has volunteered to make dinner and it will not consist of any BRAT diet items!! Praise the Lord!

7 Things In My Fridge Right Now:
1. Jalapenos
2. Propel
3. Soymilk for Sugar
4. Grapes
5. Laughing Cow Cheese
6. Grape Jelly
7. Applesauce

In An 80s Mood

After a few unsuccessful attempts at housework, I have put away the thought of getting anything accomplished with a sick baby here at the house. She wants to be in her momma's lap and nowhere else, so we are embracing the moment and listening to tunes. She's happy, content and we're in an 80s mood. Sugar is appreciating the beauty of a rock ballad, the smoky sounds of FMac, and she's got the beat with the Go-Go's. Click on your favorite from the list below and play a little air guitar or air drums and reminisce of big hair, vans, parachute pants (yes, I owned a pair in 7th grade) and leg warmers. My favorites list could go on for miles so I just picked a few. I know there are some closet rockers out there!

Wonder Woman

Look who's turning 40!! No, not Linda Carter! Cece aka WonderWoman!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy Birthday to my friend and super hero!!!! You still amaze me!! Break out your cape and party, girl!!!

Tune - Wonder Woman theme song removed

So Long Sweet Summer

Tune - So Long Sweet Summer removed

September is the Month...

for lots of birthdays! Well, I think this friend thought that she had dodged the birthday posting bullet but that is not so! It's just that I've known her soooooo long that there were lots of photos to go through. I found some and there has got to be more somewhere of all of our adventures in singlehood! Some little known facts about our friendship:
1. I accidentally took her seat in church the first time we met
2. She got me my first job in public education
3. She has been my boss twice
4. Our first born were born in the same hospital room (at different times)
5. Our second born were born on the same day 2 hours apart
6. She paid my way on my first mission trip
7. We were roommates
8. She was there when Daddy Boy and I accidentally had our first date
9. We went to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans together
10. We both have psoriasis
11. We played on the Central Baptist Slow Pitch Co-Ed softball team together!
12. She is about the only person I let see my dirt! And she still loves me!
13. We have eaten waaaay tooooo many meals at Casa Ole!

Happy B-Day Lora! CeCe your next!

The Tale of the Otter and the Beaver!

There once was a beaver all busy and driven.
She organized the office and the paperwork she was given!
She moves around at a rigorous pace,
You might think this beaver is running a race!
Assisting a director is serious business,
"We've got to be ready when the state comes to quiz us!"
Records,documents, and all of the forms
she's dotted, and marked and signed with a storm!
She is accurate, detailed and her standard is perfection!
But she is also kind and wise and full of friendly affection!
If you need a coupon, stop by her desk!
You will never find it looking a mess!
She tells funny jokes and has been a disc jockey!
This beaver however has never played hockey!
She's so busy she might get hired in a bee hive,
Or she could star on Saturday Night Live!
When I'm feeling stressed, she is my brain,
Thank you Mrs. Becky for keeping me sane!


There once was an otter all relaxed and chilled out!
She's silly and fun and can give a shout out
to everybody from Trisha to Garth.
She knows so many people it makes me want to barf! (just kidding)
She is a good conversation waiting to happen
and for hours she can keep my lips flappin'!
She can ask any question to anybody she meets,
and she really likes the art of Matisse.
She can make up a song at the drop of a hat
and can put back the coffee like swingin' a bat!
She has a creative streak and a helping hand
and drives a cool white mini van.
Her filter has holes,
But her heart's like dessert bowls,
Because she scoops out her love and sweetness
from the greatest to the meekest!
Jamee, Happy thirty - one!
This silly ol' rhyme is done!


Happy Birthday Ladies! Sorry for the layout, it has a mind of its own when you click post!

Coming Soon!

My birthday tribute to 2 special ladies in my life is coming soon! One turned 40! One turned 31! 31 - I miss that age! Sorry for the delay but life happens between blogs! ; )

A Good Way To End A Wednesday

Today was a whirlwind day of flying solo with 3 kids, a dead refrigerator, fun birthdays at work, webcam visits with Daddy Boy, and hearing about the Lord's work in China. It was all good. I got all the kiddos to bed but not for long. Sugar had fallen asleep on the way home from church so I thought she was out for the night. She slept for about 15 minutes then woke up crying. I tried to wait it out to see if she was really awake. She was and was letting me know it! I fixed her some "yummy" soy milk and went to get her out of bed. She cuddled up in my arms, drinking her milk, gazing up at me and quietly giggling at me looking at her. What are you thinking in that cute little head of yours? How did I get so blessed? I held her for a long time and she finally fell asleep in my arms.

She has never really been one to fall asleep with me - that has been Daddy Boy's privilege since she was tiny. She loves to play and kiss and act silly but does not want to have anything to do with falling asleep in Momma's arms. So, I was glad that we got to end our Wednesday this way - with my sweet Sugar dreaming in my arms. I hope your Wednesday ended well.

P.S. One funny thing to add about my Wednesday. I went to wake up the girls this morning and I was telling them that breakfast may not be spectacular because the refrigerator died. "Did it go to heaven?" was LPie's completely serious response to the news of the refrigerator's death. LOL!!

Hurricanes Are Bad...

for all the normal reasons and.......

bad for my waistline! I'm couped in the house, it's a rainy sleepy day, watchin' the Ike coverage and I'm grazin' like a cow in a pasture!! I did buy some healthy snacks but since last night there was the chex mix, the pretzels, the Kashi bars and the IBC rootbeer Daddy Boy surprised me with. And there is no running or exercising outside in a hurricane either - that's bad. Daddy Boy is off in the "danger zone" checking on his stores and we are being lazy, the girls are still in there jammies, and we're grazin'! Phone ringing!! I hope its my family in Humble!
I haven't made contact with them since the storm started ................................nope, it's Granny - she's bringing over movies and ice cream! Once again, hurricanes are bad! ; )

Where were you?

Everyone is gearing up for the hurricane as they should but I feel like we missed out on remembering 9/11 somewhat. I did watch the service at the Pentagon yesterday morning as they unveiled the new memorial. I was doing well to hold back my emotions until they said that the lengths of the benches (for each victim) were by their age. The shortest bench for the youngest, a 3 year old, that was on the plane that hit the Pentagon. I could no longer hold back my tears.

I went back to that day in my mind. I was at SRMS teaching special ed. I was on my way back to my room from the bus lane and I passed the cafeteria. They had the TV on and one of my principals and our school resource officer were watching it with what I call the "Oklahoma City Bombing" look on their faces. I knew something big had happened. I stopped and saw the towers on fire and hurried to my room to turn on my TV and tell my teaching partner. I thought what is happening Lord? Could this be the last day as we know it in the USA? Could this be the last day? We watched in horror knowing by now that we were under attack. I saw the second tower fall and kinda felt like "this is not real". I was pregnant with Puddin' and Daddy Boy was in San Antonio. I called him and told him to get home ASAP. We had to turn off all the TVs in the school so not to upset the kids. I cannot remember but I think we might have left early that day. Daddy Boy and I watched Fox News all night and cried and cried. I held tight to him. I remember the people in NY looking for their loved ones. It was hard to watch. I remember the fireman and policeman running toward the danger. I could write for a long time on all the things about that day that I remember.

After remembering all this, I felt guilty for the petty things I stress over. People lost loved ones, they lost 3 year olds, in a horrific manner and I'm irritated that the lady behind me in line has her cart too close to my rear end. Why do I think I am entitled to a good day, a smooth road, no carts near my rear end, a stress free life? The Bible never says that but still I gripe because the road is bumpy and the world is broken. I stop or God makes me stop to rethink my attitude and make adjustments. Thank you Lord for patience with me! What does my attitude say about my character? I'm afraid it is not as good as I would like it to be in times of stress. Would I be one of those people that you hear about in twin towers that said "I'll hold the door for you. You go ahead and get out of the building." Or the guy that sat down next to his co-worker in the wheelchair and basically said I'll stay here with you while we die! Or would I be a track coach's dream hurdling people and running like the wind saying "outta my way!!"

9/11 just reminds me of so much to be thankful for! Thankful to be born here! Thankful to our brave soldiers or "precious brave soldiers" as one of my former students called them! Thankful to the Lord that I have his peace, love, and Holy Spirit despite my fleshly flaws! Thankful that no evil plot by evil men can take away what we have in Jesus! Thank you for those in our nation that still choose to stand against the evil ones and stand for your principles! Forgive me Lord for my petty gripes and woeful moaning over dumb stuff! Hold tight those that lost love ones on 9/11 and let them know your comfort and bring those that do not know you closer to finding you! Honor the sacrifices of our precious brave soldiers and gird them up for the battle both physically and spiritually. For your word reminds us that in this world we will have trouble but to take heart that you have overcome the world! Thank you Lord!

Where were you on 9/11/01?

The Backpack Fairy Was Here!!

Puddin' and LPie had to finish out there summer break with a splash in the pool with their grandparents! When they returned the Backpack Fairy had left a note in their room that said:
The Backpack Fairy was here,
to leave some back to school cheer!
Inside your backpack you must look,
For some new trinkets and back to school books!

The Backpack Fairy left lots of fun necklaces, pens and stuff but most fun was the new back to school books!!! Critter's Best Teacher Ever, The Berenstain Bears Go To School, and There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly and read below to hear about Puddin's other special book.

After dinner and a bath, we finished the night out with Puddin' getting her nails painted with glitter nail polish, setting out her new clothes and reading the very cute new book The Night Before First Grade!! LPie fell asleep so we will paint her nails and read her books next week when she starts her new class!

I hope each of you had a fun day with your kids! What did you do to make this last day of summer break special?

ON YOUR MARK....GET SET.... GO!!!!!!

Well, it is here again!!! I am sooo excited!!! The OLYMPICS!!! Since 1972, I've been watching the Olympics. It is one of my earliest memories! I distinctly remember watching gymnastics. I was fascinated by it and wondered how anybody could flip their body through the air like that. When 1976 rolled around, I found in the funny pages an advertisement for these medallions representing each Olympic event. I begged my mom for a gymnastics one and she ordered it for me! I wore it all around and still have it to this day!

When I hear the Olympic Fanfare I get so pumped! It gives me goose bumps! I love the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat! I love the stories of athletes that win the gold on Saturday and have to be back at work at Pizza Hut on Monday to pay for their private lessons. Or the country that only had a hotel pool for their Olympic swimmer to practice in but they made it to the big time anyway! I love to see the world come together for just a moment and put aside differences to compete. I get emotional when I see the parade of nations at opening ceremonies. I am reminded of the verse in Revelation "with Your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation." It's like a little glimpse of heaven to me, when all Christians, from all over, will sing and celebrate together. And just a side note, in heaven, I will be able to run fast like Flo Jo (Florence Griffith Joyner 1988 Olympics)!! That would be 100 meters in 10.49 seconds at the Olympic trials fast! No junk in the trunk in heaven!! Can I get an Amen? ; )

I want to see every competition from table tennis to track knowing that I only have 2weeks to soak up all this Olympic goodness! Last time, I had an opening ceremony party complete with an Olympic flame in my yard! I even had toga wearing friends come over(it was in Greece last time - you know, the originators of the Olympics 776 BC). I so wanted to do that this time but life is much busier now. So, put on your red white and blue, grab your popcorn, guacamole, or whatever you like to munch on and enjoy a little bit of these Beijing Olympics! Pray for those countries that refuse our Lord! Pray for those athletes that know Him to be provided opportunities to share their faith! Learn a lesson or two about life and be thankful today you can move! GO USA!! Olympic Fanfare by John Williams removed!

Some Day Soon..... I hope!

Some day soon, I will get back to blogging....I hope! I've had a lot to do and I'm trying to soak up the rest of the summer with the girls before school starts and clean my house. What's going on in your world?

PRAISE!

I've had 2 mommas share with me this week that their children have professed their faith and asked Jesus into their hearts!! Whoop!! mary mary "shackles" removed.

My Father Rejoices!

Wow! My oldest child's name means, "my Father rejoices" and He sure did today when she asked Jesus to live in her heart. The rest of her family rejoiced too! She surprised her dad and I when she asked to do this today. We asked her several questions about why she wanted to this and she answered them confidently and insisted that today was the day. On the way home from church, she got excited listing all of her new brothers and sisters in Christ. "Daddy's my brother in Christ, Mommy is my sister in Christ, my teacher from last year is my sister in Christ, Mrs. Lora is my sister in Christ, my friend G will be when she asks Jesus into her heart, etc." Wow! Love you so much Puddin'!

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us! Romans 5:8

Summer Fun!

Schlitterbahn

We had a blast at Schlitterbahn! Look at these girls riding an alligator down the Kristal River with their Daddy Boy! It was great to have friends and family there to make our time even more special! We are looking forward to next year!! More pics coming soon!

Better Late Than Never

Here are some pics from Puddin's Little House on the Prairie Party better late than never! We made butter and put it on biscuits, had a sack race and an egg on a spoon race! We had some fried chicken and washed it down with a sasparilla (root beer). It was a beautiful day for a beautiful girl!

Look who turned ONE today!!

Happy Birthday Sugar!! Sugar went to the splash pad with friends today to celebrate big ol' #1!!! This was her first time to get to play in the water, wear her swimsuit and eat a cupcake!! She had the sugar coma double cupcake special and some goldfish for lunch then passed out for the rest of the afternoon! She fell asleep before we could feed her some regular food. Some very sweet friends even brought her presents which was a nice surprise. It was a great day filled with fun, friends, sun and cupcakes!! What more could you want?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET BABY GIRL! WE LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!

Your Happy Birthday Music by Children's songbook removed.

Aquarium 1 Sugar 0

Now that Sugar is walking, she has discovered the fish in our aquarium. Yesterday, she was determined to get around behind it and wedged herself between the corner of the aquarium stand and the molding around the office door. When I made it to her, it looked as if the corner was embedded between her eyes. I thought how am I going to get you out of this without hurting you more. I was able to gently pop her head out but we were left with very deep indention that turned red as the day went on. Our first recorded injury! I hope that this is not a trend! My brother had a knack for head injuries so its in her genes! ; ) Come to think of it so did her Daddy! Oh boy! ; )

Memorial Day Meal & Family Entertainment

This evening, my kitchen elves and I were busy making a yummy Memorial Day meal. I didn't make it outside with the camera in time to see the elves and Daddy Boy shucking the corn. I did manage to get them snapping the fresh green beans to go with our blackened tilapia! I discovered that my memory card was full about the time we broke out the cold watermelon slices for dessert. I cleared the memory card just in time for Daddy Boy to catch the entertainment below!
SCROLL DOWN AND HIT PAUSE ON THE MUSIC FROM THE LAST POST BEFORE YOU WATCH THE VIDEO! After their bath, the girls in their gowns, Easter bonnets and purses, with a footlocker as their stage, entertained us with this moving rendition of Jesus loves me complete with sign language. Hope you had a good day with your family.

Feeling Blue

Not in the sad sense but in the summer sky sense! It's summer and let's change up the blog a bit to laid back blue!

Blue things off the top of my head:


1. Blue sky
2. Blueberries! Yum! - plan to go blueberry picking in July, wanna go?
3. Blue Bell
4. Sugar's blue eyes
5. Blue corn chips
6. Blue jeans
7. Blue morpho butterflies - brown when wings are together blue when they open up - cool!!
8. Bluebonnets
9. Blue hydrangeas - wish I could grow these, they were my Granny's favorite! She had them all the way around her house!
10.Blue Moon - you know that old song
music removed.

Coupons

Ok, so like I said on my side bar, I am taking baby steps with this coupon thing. I did buy a binder today and some b-ball card holders so I can organize my coupons. I went Krogering today and followed the sales, tripled some coupons and got a Kroger card. I only bought sale items (oops, correction, I either bought sales or stuff I had coupon for)and saved $38.?? bucks when I was done!! Then I went to Walmart and I saved $16.22 there. I was excited but cutting out and organzing them took a while. Hopefully, the binder will help with that. I am not ready for CVS yet. Baby steps!

Does any one know if Walmart will match sale prices? will they match the deals like buy one get one free?

Happy Savings!

Power Outage

My mind thinks I'm still 25 and can go 90 to nothing as I take on life's challenges full speed ahead! I hit the wall today. My brain has a power outage! Wendy, unplugged! J-E-L-L-O! As the day went on, I could feel my brain slowing down like someone was turning the volume down to nothing. I want to do NOTHING or I think correct grammar would be ANYTHING! I don't want to do anything!

I've been burning my candle at both ends since last Saturday. I've been staying up late! I have had a little more on my plate this week both at work and home. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and my family. I loved creating the slideshow, all the end of the year stuff, the excitement of a new year coming, and all that it entails. I love doing family stuff, taking care of things and I even like cleaning the house(hard to believe when you look around here) when I can really have time to accomplish a task. But, the days have been fast and furious and I'm officially too old to keep up this pace! I must go to bed before midnight. I'm praying for a good full night of sleep!

I want to dream of .... hmm...
the sun shining,
a cabin in the mountains(bug free with hot water and real potties,of course),
I'm sitting on the porch,
drinking ice tea,
with my feet up,
cool breeze blowing,
watching the elk and birdies go by,
God's glory all around,
laughing til it hurts,
enjoying my good friends as we watch JB do her best Tina Turner impersonation! ...rollin' on a river....rollin'...rollin' .... LOL!

....rollin' off to sleep now! ; ) Sweet dreams!

Happy Mother's Day!

Playlist Attempt #3

Well, this is all I could get to work. It is a big sluggish in parts but it's playing. I'm afraid that our added music feature may be short lived. I was hoping to get to share a few tunes each week while you perused but can't spend this much time on trying to make it work. For some reason, I can only get snippets of all Christian music. It plays fine on the playlist website but it is lost in translation to the blog. So, enjoy what I was able to come up with.

We have the Texas Playboy theme song, it is divided into an opening segment and closing segment on this website. I've only heard it sung as one song. You may ask, "Wendy, why Bob (Wills & His Texas Playboys)?" I do like Bob's music for the most part, not every song, not so much his lifestyle but I mainly like the the fact these guys were homegrown musicians that brought their talents and instruments together (fiddle, mandolin, piano, etc) to make a sweet sound (forgive me, I was a band nerd and I like that kinda thing). If you listen to some of their instrumentals, they really had skills! My URL is named after the song Bob Wills Is Still The King (of Texas Swing that is) because I could not find any combination of "Wendy" that would work and as a joke typed that in and "ta da" it worked.

George sounds a little goofy too but it makes me wish there was a family friendly place to go dancing with my Hunny! Don't you wish you could go scoot your boots or sock hop in a well lit, clean, smoke-free, booze-free, type place? I know I'm totally rusty but it would be fun to try! Daddy Boy said that when he was a kid that they had places like this and the whole family went to dance. There you learned how to do the Cotton Eyed Joe, the Schottische(sp?), the two-step, the chicken dance, etc. Since most of us do not know the traditional/cultural dances of our heritage (no Michael Flately Irish Folk River-dancing here - I wish! no Scottish Highland Fling either), this would be a good way to pass on some of our Texas heritage to our kids and have fun. But I digress!

Our playlist is under construction!

Music will return soon, hopefully! I can't get it to work today for some reason! It won't load! Any advice?

An Apple A Day

Whatcha got there, big sister?

I think I want it!

Let's share it!

It's yummy!

Who wants formula when you can eat your sister's apple!

A Tender Heart

I thought I would only have one post today but I am compelled to share tonight's prayer time before bed. We say our prayers then we have a list of Most Important Things that we repeat. Our first one is this - God loved us and sent his son Jesus to die for our sins. The second one is this - We love Jesus because he first loved us and died on the cross for our sins. The first two sparked a conversation about Jesus. Puddin' said "you know Momma, Jesus did not have to die on the cross. He made the choice to get on the cross for us!" I'm thinking, "wow, she knows he volunteered!" We discussed this point then she said, "and he rose on the 4th oops I mean 3rd day. And all the disciples even Judah got to see him and the ladies at the tomb." I then got to delicately explain why Judas not Judah did not get to see him. She remembered that he was the "bad" disciple. Then her face changed and she looked concerned and said "maybe Judas was a bad boy and grew up to be a bad man? And there is a little boy that was in my class and he is a bad boy and maybe he is going to grow up to be a bad man and he will not get to go to heaven because he won't know Jesus! She's crying by now! Her heart is grieved about this boy, J. She proceeded to tell me some of the bad things J has done at school. He has apparently been moved to a school for bad kids now. I asked her "why do you think J is so angry and does those things?" She said "because maybe nobody loves him at home." I'm weeping by now. So, we prayed for J tonight that he would be safe and that somebody would show him love and that he would find Jesus. Thank you Jesus for showing us Puddin's tender heart! Stop and say a prayer for J too!

Toe Tapper

Even before Sugar made her debut into this world she has been dancin' and toe tapping to the beat of just about every song. I recall taking my preschoolers to music class and a bulge would appear on my right side. It was Sugar's foot tapping to the tunes. She is almost one now and still loves to dance and tap those toes to songs she likes! It looks like she is shaking her head to say "no" but she is really shaking her head to dance. She also likes to wave her hands like she's directing the band - she's taking after her Momma! ;) I told Daddy Boy that I wanted to video her dancing and moving and then speed it up a bit and play that Johnny Cash song Get Rhythm because that is the tune that comes to my mind as I see her enjoying music "come on get rhythm". Sometimes when she is fussy, I will bring her into the office and we will listen to tunes on the computer. She gets especially excited by the green moving bars on the Windows Media Player.

So in honor of Sugar's toe tapping talents, we have added some tunes to our blog. I like all kinds of music so you will see a wide variety over time. We especially like old country stuff which is not easy to find or the renditions are not so great on Playlist.com (no Orange Blossom Special worth a flip, no Bob Wills - what is wrong with these people!). I did manage to find a childhood favorite by Dolly Parton Mule Skinner Blues(click on it below to listen). (No, I was not raised by hillbillies in Appalachia somewhere! No, I have never fallen off of a turnip truck! Yes, I have all my teeth and I am not currently wearing overalls, barefoot or chewing on a hayseed. Yes, I did watch my fair share of the Dukes of Hazard and Hee Haw! LOL!). My dad and grandpa always loved music(Daddy Sang Bass was one of their favorites). They did not play instruments but always enjoyed listening to those who could. When my grandpa was a boy/teen, he would hang out at the edge of town listening to the Black folk play the blues and sing gospel. He was a character and I just imagine him dancin' a jig while listening. So, Sugar and I have come to enjoy music honestly. Here's a few random tunes we enjoy so we hope you enjoy too! Feel free to click on your favorite! Make sure you listen to Love Song! I guess I also need to Get Rhythm on this playlist!!

Little Marble

Little Marble,

You went to be with Jesus last Monday in the wee hours of the morning. We got to see the surgery pictures and there you were, our little marble, snuggled up in the wrong place. We all wished that we could just scoot you down to the right place so you could be with us in a few months. I'm sorry that it doesn't work that way. I'm glad I got to see you as painful as it is. I don't know what Jesus does with little marble babies. Maybe you grow and play Red Rover and hopscotch with all the other little babies that went to heaven before you. Knowing my children, I'm sure you have climbed like a monkey to the top of the tallest tree! I will look for you and your sibling there when I get to heaven. Until then, I am sure that Jesus has a rocking chair and He is taking such good care of you right now. You are loved. You are missed.
~Mommy

Magnificent!

We have been patiently waiting for the butterfly to emerge from his cacoon. I checked on him yesterday and he was still hanging out. I walked by this morning and noticed the poor thing struggling to get out of the little cup he was in. We took him outside to release him and this is what we saw! It was amazing to look at all his intricacies - the subtle shades of blues and browns in a wild pattern on one side of his wings and the bright orange on the other. It is hard to believe that this all started with one ugly fuzzy black caterpillar. Puddin' was delighted!!

Happy Birthday Amanda!!!

Here we are on our way home from Austria

many many years ago!

Lots of fun memories were made that week!

Amanda, I hope you make new memories today and remember all of your fond ones from days gone by! Happy B-Day!

Throwback Thursday!! Ode to an old friend!

When I was in the 6th grade....

(yes, I needed a fashion consultant, didn't we all?)

I made a friend in beginner band! Her name was Jenny! Today, she is turning thirty something! Let me tell you a few little known facts about Jenny...

1. She was voted most likely to steal a car at our HS senior banquet (it's a long story)

2. Her name was almost Cookie

3. She once was asked out by one of the cutest boys in the band (he was voted band beau our senior year) and she said "no"

4. She loved the Donnie & Marie Osmond TV show as a kid

5. She is an excellent scorekeeper for most sports - that way she doesn't have to actually participate in the sport

6. She is an award winning car dancer

7. She has a master's degree

8. She loved the same boy our entire high school and college years!

9. She busted out her two front teeth out in the PE locker room in 6th grade

10. She loves Dr.Pepper

11. We were the drum majors of the Humble High School Military Marching Band

12. She played the flute

13. She helped me pass computer math

14. She has been to Europe more times than I can count

15. She hates cockatiels but they love her

16. She had gravity defying hair in HS thanks to her giant can of Aquanet hairspray

17. She hates tomatoes

18. She does a stunning impersonation of the Statue of Liberty

19. She can drive a car with the windshield shattered

20. She can order her food at Whataburger in French

21. She's a Phantom of the Opera fan

22. She owns the world's heaviest dictionary

23. She once played a boy in a classroom re-enactment of Return of the Native. Our friend John played the girl (Eustacia Vye) and our English teacher was not happy about it! Needless to say, it was funny!!!

24. She once owned a Bobby Brown cassette tape and put My Perogative on her answering machine

25. She used to think LL Cool J was a hottie

26. I HAVE KNOWN JENNY FOR 26 YEARS!!!

We have had our fights!

But we always made up!

Thanks for all of the fond memories Jenny! I hope your birthday rocks!!

Happy Birthday Friend!

Yesterday was my sweet friend's birthday! She has been there for me more times than I can count! She listens to me , laughs with me, cares for my babies, plans birthday parties, prays for me (etc. etc.) and has always kept pointing me to Christ through it all! You are the best S!! I wish we had more time together! She will kill me when she sees this but I had to honor her somehow! Thank you Lord for my special friend and all the ladies in my life that point me to You!

Welcome Baby E born in February!

My neice!!! Isn't she cute! Looks just like her momma!

Babies & Bluebonnets

We spent last Saturday morning in Independence. We visited the Antique Rose Emporium for an egg hunt. Then we stopped by Old Baylor College for a few bluebonnet pics. Here are my babies!