Happy Fall Y'all

I can not believe that 2009 is almost over. Where has this year gone? How has it been nearly 10 months since my last post? I recently started updating my recipe blog , to get all my recipes in one place. In doing so, it has gotten me excited about returning to blogging. It also helps that I have a brand new *shiny* reliable laptop (thanks honey!) that makes getting on the computer fun. Back in January, our family PC began giving us fits. I only got on it when it was absolutely necessary because it stressed me to deal with that dumb machine!

Another reason to start posting again-my boys. They miss seeing their lives on here. Since I am not a "scrapbooker", I originally started this blog to log their lives. They loved seeing their pictures and would often ask me to read what I wrote in posts about them. They were always telling me things like "take a picture of this to put on your blog" or "you should blog about this". I plan to make a blog book containing posts about our family - so they would have a scrapbook. Side note- I was telling Amber today about the blog books that you can make at The Cutest Blog on the Block. Has anyone made one of these? My hope is to recap our 2009 over the next several weeks. I am looking forward to doing these posts, as it will be fun to look back over the year and relive our memories.

We are having beautiful Fall weather here in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. I am looking forward to getting out and enjoying it with my four guys this weekend. That is if C. starts feeling better, he started running fever today and even got "sick" tonight. I thought it was Strep Throat again, but now wondering if it is the flu. Confused though because they all had the flu mist on Wednesday. hmm... Poor little guy! Looks like we will not be hanging out with friends to watch the TX/OU game on Satuday.
Hook 'Em Horns!!

Until next time friends and family (let me know if you are reading this...) enjoy your weekend!

Why a sabbatical?

The past three 3 months Jeremy's work schedule has been beyond busy. He is working late every night and still has to bring work home in the evenings and on weekends. The hours are taking a toll on him and we miss him, but we try not to complain. We are just thankful that his industry is not being affected by the current economy issues. We really cherish our weekends with him! I told myself about a month ago that to manage things - I had to get organized and that my computer time would have to wait until everything was done in my day. Three weeks have past without blogging because when I have free time I just want to sit, sleep or veg.

It sounds like I am complaining, but really I am not. The last three weeks have been wonderful. How my heart has smiled to have laundry folded and put in its proper place (not on the dining room table). It stresses me out when my house has stuff everywhere and it has been so peaceful to have it picked up and clean. I have enjoyed cooking meals nearly every night and finding new recipes (which I will share at a later date). Clipping coupons (I am following Meredith's guide ) and finding deals in the paper has become a fun hobby. So far it I have not found a fast way to meal plan, make the grocery list and clip coupons, but I am okay with it when I see the savings at the store! My time with the boys has been good too - it has been fun to just hang out with them. Plus with all the above getting done my patience have been at an all time high.

The only thing is - I have missed reading friend's blogs. I hope to find a happy medium and that I can let go of the all or nothing part of my personality. As you can see I have many new posts today. I had to get them down for scrapbooking purposes, but if you want to see what we have been up to check them out. My goal the next few days is to catch up on your lives, so look for lots of comments from me!! I'll try to be more consistent with reading your blogs in the future.

It is good to be back and caught up on my blog! :o)

New Look

When you are ready to pull a Britney you know it is time for a new hairstyle. I am so bad about getting regular hair appointments. Today the appointment before me was running a little late so I was given a 30 minute shampoo/massage. It was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Before

After

I am so glad that I got it cut and already have an appointment for December to maintain my new 'do. Do you have a hard time getting your hair to look as good at home as your stylist does it at the salon? Eva Scrivo's blog has several video posts on how to get that professional hair blow out. She also tells you the best tools to use, shows you how to revive your hair and how to style your bangs. These videos have been helpful to me - hope they work for you!

A Serenade and a Question...

Today was a monumental day! I paid only $2.49 a gallon for gas. Isn't it sad that this price gets me so excited? Just curious - what are y'all paying in other parts of the country?

On another note (no pun intended)...

Here is a little diddy for your listening pleasure. First, I feel I must ask you to excuse his lack of attire in the video. He was on the way to the shower when he pulled out the guitar. If you can not understand 2 year old language, he is singing "Jesus Loves Me" - "the Bible tells me so" part. :o)

Baby Fix

Wednesday I kept Karen's baby while she went on a field trip with her oldest daughter's class. It was honestly a joy to spend part of my day with this precious little one. She was so easy and it was awesome holding her and getting to feed a baby a bottle again. That smell - there is just nothing like the sweet smell of a baby!

Just look at that face!!

Our 4 year old was glad he had a few minutes with her before school.
He loves babies! He kept kissing her head, so naturally I had to get a picture.
While the baby was napping he drug her car seat into the family room. He was so proud that he could get in by himself. Not too long ago he fit in a seat just like this - how is he almost 2 already?
Of course being boys they made a fort out of the playpen. They said "Mom take a picture of us for your blog ". So I did. :o)

The Last Seven Days...

have been full of germ buggies at our house. Everyone but our 8 year old has had some form of a stomach virus and the two youngest are still fighting theirs off! The doctor says it just takes awhile to get out of their systems - but SEVEN days? The little boys are about to start a riot because I have taken away their dairy along with almost everything else they enjoy eating. I would be mad too if my diet consisted of plain noodles, white bread, potatoes, Gatorade and water - yum!

The good news is even though the 4 year old and the baby have had tummy issues they did not run fever like mom and dad did. That is also some bad news - even though he acted fine our 4 year old could not go to preschool this week because he was living in the bathroom. Everyone definitely had cabin fever and it was a shame we were couped up because we had beautiful fall weather. We did manage to sneak out in the backyard a couple of times and it was great medicine for us all (especially mom).

It has been a long hard week and I am sad to say I have not been a very good mommy. My patience has been low at best. I was quick to fuss or yell before I knew the whole story. I nagged about things this week that at other times would have rolled off my back and would have been no big deal. The worst this week was when I over reacted about something - I knew I wanted to take it back as soon as it came out of my mouth but it was out there and I said it to the people I am supposed to love more than anyone. Nothing stops me in my tracks faster than the look in their eyes - the one who is suppose to protect their hearts and build them up is the one that hurt them. What amazes me is how openly they always accept my apology and afterwards everything is right in their world again. I am thankful for their innocence that allows them to give forgiveness so freely. Even if I walk away full of guilt and shame.

Today I was reflecting on the week and trying to figure out how to control my responses so I do not get to a point where I am at my limit. God kept bringing to mind James 1:19 (You should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry) and I began to pray that He would keep that at the forefront of my mind. Prayer - I think that is key. When it is a stressful week I think my prayer time needs to be on overload. Just thinking out loud here, but maybe during these kinds of weeks when I am about to lose it I should step away from it and get on my knees to gain perspective - His perspective.

I am thankful the weekend is here and we can leave this week behind us. We are working in the yard and decorating for Fall. Have a wonderful weekend.

Oops!!

Sorry for the tease today with the accidental post about Savannah. Amber and Karen , your comments made me laugh. I will try to post Friday afternoon after I take the 4 year old to his wellness check up. He is so excited about going to see our Pediatrician because she aways gives them little trinkets and stickers. Sadly the appointment will not end well, as he will receive 5 shots. I hate that the mom has to participate in the shot process - they look at you as though you are betraying them. Maybe a sucker out of the treasure box will help a bit. :o)

Have a great Friday!

Not Today...

I told someone that I was going to start posting about our trip to Savannah today. I am still planning to do it, just look for it later in the week.

I have a friend who's father passed away on Saturday and I along with some other girls from church are planning to drive to Tyler for the funeral tomorrow afternoon. This friend also co-leads with me in our Bible study small group, so I have to get ready to facilitate (and finish my homework) in the morning. Just realizing how much I need to do before bed (school lunches to pack, get clothes ready for the service, laundry *always laundry*) better get busy!

I hope you all have a great Tuesday. :o)

Taken Care Of...

I have to share a little secret desire - I would love to have a garden. Not just one garden but three.

*Flower Garden* How wonderful to sit outside in the morning with a cup of coffee during my QT or entertaining family and friends.
*Veggie and Fruit Garden* To teach my boys that carrots and strawberries do not grow at the grocery store.
*Herb Garden* I'd love to step outside and snip what I need while I am cooking.

The only thing that stands in my way is that all important green thumb! I wonder if that can be a learned skill? I have so many stories of plants coming to their demise on my watch. After several attempts to keep anything alive I finally gave it all up. In May we bought some Geraniums (see picture above) and until vacation they thrived. Even though they were being watered, they were practically dead when we got home from Colorado. Once home from Savannah I tried one last attempt to revive them by deadheading the plants down to the stem. No luck, they were D-E-A-D. I am embarrassed to admit that the very dead plants remained in their pots for several weeks (if you notice in this pic and this one I cropped them out so no one would know I have dead plants in my front yard.). It make me laugh that I was worried about the people reading my blog noticing the dead plants but I wasn't even concerned about my poor neighbors seeing them every day. Just sad! :o)

Something happened on September 9th -the plants that had not been watered in FIVE weeks (except for the very rare rain shower) were getting buds and new leaves!! What was this -a miracle - a little smile from God? The pictures above were taken Wednesday, just 10 days earlier they were dried up brown sticks - still just shocking to me!

Over the last week I have been trying to see what God is trying to teach me through this little unexpected gift. I have realized He is trying to show me that He is in control of this great big world and all we have to do is trust in Him to lead the way. Easy to say I believe this - but do I live it out in my actions?

It is easy for me to pray for others when they have uncertainties in their life and I believe in my heart that God is in control. If Jeremy is stressing about something, I confidently tell him to give it to God because He is the only one who can guide him through whatever is going on. It is not just the easy "Christian thing to say" - I honestly believe it. But this belief does not always translate into my own life when things feel out of control. Instead of praying first, I tend to freak out and let my over active imagination take control. You will see evidence of this in this coming Mondays post. Meredith had a post last Friday that really hit home. When she said "calm isn't really my first response" I laughed out loud because that is so me!

All this to say, I feel like God was trying to say"Even when things feel out of control or that there is no hope in a situation" trust in Him enough to take a deep breath, pray and then let Him take control of whatever it is that I am facing.

"And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen."

Philippians 4:19-20

Vacation Over - Housework Begins

Today was a busy day of cleaning, unpacking, yard work and laundry. I am happy to report that we are completely unpacked and almost all the laundry is done - makes me smile! Thursday is a sad day because Jeremy has to go back to work. I guess all good things must come to an end. :o(

If you are interested in seeing the Chapman's interview that was on GMA this morning you can click here. Thursday the whole family will be on Larry King Live - please pray for them - for strength to get through the interview. Jim House (Steven's manager) says that the family is sharing their story so that people can see WHO is helping them through their grief and helping them find their "new normal". They ask that we pray for those watching and those involved with the interview - that those who do not know Jesus will see that they need Him in their lives. Thanks for praying!

Home and FYI

We are home! The boys have been fed - time to get everyone ready for bed and then time to unpack but maybe I will be lazy tonight and save it for tomorrow.

I wanted to do a quick post to let you all know that Wednesday the Steven Curtis Chapman family will be on Good Morning America. It looks like it will air in the 7 AM hour (where ever you are). You can read more details here at Jim House's blog.

Looking forward to catching up on all your blogs and posting about our adventures. Have a wonderful night. :o)

Whistle While You Work

It may be a little quiet around here this week as we are getting ready for vacation. I am taking a cue from Meredith - I am going on a blog fast (writing and reading) for the next two or three days so that I get everything done before we leave.

Have a great week! Off to fold laundry before bed.

Quiet Moment

How did another week go by so fast? We had a fun week of swimming lessons, parks, picnics, splash parks and a Wii tournament. I am having a hard time balancing house stuff, cooking, activities with the boys and finding time to blog and visit friends blogs. How do you all manage to do it all? Any practical advice would be helpful! Thanks! :o)

Jeremy and our oldest are at the movies tonight seeing Wall-e. The 3 year old and 20 month old are in bed so I am taking a few minutes to myself. Off to make a breakfast casserole to eat in the morning. Then off to bed to start reading my next Sisterchick Book (btw -this one has been my favorite so far with this one being a close second) - I can not tell you how much I LOVE this series.

Looking forward to an afternoon date with Jeremy on Saturday! We thought about going to a movie but the list of choices are not that appealing. Maybe we will just go to a quiet place and chat. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Lemonade Stand

Last Saturday our 8 year old, along with his friends, had a lemonade stand to raise money to find a cure for Niemann-Pick Disease which their friend's twin sisters' were born with (you can learn more about the family and the disease by clicking the picture of the angel twins on the right side of my blog). Our neighbors and community really stepped up by donating $624.50! I am so proud of these kids for spending a Saturday helping others. What a great day.

Happy Day!

Yeah it's fixed! It was the power source (not sure what that really means) - not the mother board. Going to take my friend Leah Belle's suggestion and during the next lightning storm unplug the computer from the wall!! The boys and I sat down last night and said a prayer of thanks that our computer is back.

I have a few things to blog about - so check back later! It is becoming a habit, but I am again behind on blog reading. I am looking forward to catching up with you all soon. Just wanted to let you know I am back.

Computer

Well Jeremy could not fix it with the troubleshooting documents. It is not looking good - probably the motherboard. If it is the motherboard it will be the second computer in two years that lightning struck and ruined. See our luck with computers? So our friend is now in the hands of the Geek Squad. Praying they can fix it - sad how dependent I am on the computer!

Lightning...

struck my computer yesterday. We have such bad luck with computers! I hope that Jeremy can figure out what is wrong - if not we may have to take it to have someone look at it. Praying it is fixable!

I will use Jeremy's laptop Monday evening to do the drawing. I will have the winner posted by 10 PM. Side note- I will try to check my email tomorrow night - so if I owe you an email I will try to get back to you soon.

**UPDATED** Just saying Hello

I just wanted to say good morning and let you know I am not on hiatus. In 15 minutes I leave to work out with my sister-in-law at a real live gym. This body has never worked out at a REAL gym (apartment gyms do not count) - it is used to DVDs and walking so pray it can handle this foreign environment. Ha, Ha! I will be back later today.


Update: 10 minutes into the elliptical machine (which sadly I was already dying) I received a page from the kids club, so I went down and the 20 month old had been crying the whole time - we had to leave. Tomorrow I am going to put him with his 3 year old brother to see if that helps. Thanks everyone for asking.

A New Book

I love it when I do not have time restraints and can just take my time at a store - Thursday I was able to do just that (thanks again Sloan). This is one of the things I bought.
I have been wanting to pick up this series since Amber mentioned it on her blog. I started the first book Friday and I have already read 4 chapters. I will let you know what I think after I finish it - but I am really liking it so far. We are driving to Oklahoma today for a day trip and I wish I could read it on the way - but I get car sick. I may chance it and try to read it anyway !Have a great weekend!

House Showings

You can tell school is out - we have had 5 showings in 4 days (that is good for us as things had slowed down quite a bit). So with showings come cleanings. I do not know how 5 people can cause a house to have to be cleaned on a daily basis? I have mentioned before that I am missing the housekeeping gene, so these past 8 weeks have been a challenge for me. But oh how peaceful it is to have a clean and de-cluttered home!!

These 4 products have made the daily cleanings so much easier! As I was cleaning today I was thanking God for these products. I wonder if He got a chuckle that I thanked Him for my Swiffer and Dustbuster?

What about you - what cleaning products make your life easier? Maybe I will add them to my favorites.