Ordinary Days

My Entry Way

2011-06-21T10:17:00.000-04:00

I wanted to show you all my entry way.
It has been this way pretty much since we moved here three years ago.
I would love to make some changes, but it probably won't happen for awhile.
I'd like to have a new rug that is bright and maybe has a touch of black in it (since it will be connecting to my dining room).

I'd also like to paint this table.
Not sure what color just yet.

This is the view from my front door.

This light... bless it's heart. :)

I'm just not sure what to do with her.

The brass metal shades have.got.to.go.

Don't know whether to try to paint them, replace them, or nix the lamp altogether.

Do you see those dark spots on the ceiling over the lights?

Can't figure out if they are shadows or dark spots literally on there due to the lights.

Weird.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed the little tour of my entry way.

I just love the tone an entry way sets for the house.

Maybe I need to work on these projects sooner rather than later. :)

Linking up to:

Tabletop Tuesday

Make a List Monday Linky Party #2 Going On Now

2011-06-19T09:00:00.007-04:00

Time for Make a List Monday Party #2.
This is a great time for you to make a short list of things you would like to get accomplished this week.
It always helps to be intentional.
Give me a list and I'm more likely to get it done.
Declare that I'm gonna get it done on my blog, and then there is an even greater chance it will get done.
Notice that I still didn't say 100% chance? :)

So go ahead and link up your list.
Remember, it can be either big or small things.
Small things add up and give a great sense of accomplishment.

Each Monday for the next two months, we'll meet up for the linky party.
I'll keep the Linky up until Tuesday evening for those that want to participate.
Sound like fun??!
I can't wait to see what everyone is going to work on this week!!

Here is my list from last week.

1. Paint Megan's new dresser/armoire and get as much completed on it as possible this week. Remember that her birthday party is coming up in 6 days and it must get finished. It's not there yet, but SHOULD be by her birthday. I have a trip planned to purchase the rest of my supplies on Monday. Here is the progress so far...

As you can see, we have a long way to go but some progress has been made!

~~2. Plant flowers in our old fish pond that we had to fill with dirt~~. Check. I will have a more detailed post on this soon, but for now...

3. Get party supplies purchased and ready for Meg's Birthday party. I have made some progress here.

Can you believe I found those for $1 each at the Dollar Tree? I thought the trays would be perfect for serving the little sandwiches we will be having. Also, remember the pennant banners I found for .25 each at Goodwill?

Okay, now for this week!!

1. Finish Meg's armoire before Saturday!!

2. Finish purchasing and making the remainder of Megan's birthday supplies.

3. Make a gallery wall in my Sunroom.

Now it's your turn!

What do you hope to get accomplished this week?

Remember, it can be big or small.

Please add my link or button to your post.

Remember, linking is open til Tuesday night, so plenty of time to join in

If you are not already a friend, I would love for you to become one.
Please try to visit some of the other links and show them some support and encouragement!! :)

Linking to:
A Bowl Full of Lemons

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T00:01:00.001-04:00

Happy Father's Day Tim!!
We love you!!!

My Happy List #2

2011-06-18T00:01:00.005-04:00

We have been out of school for two weeks now.While things haven't slowed down for us a lot, they have slowed down some.
Hopefully there's much more relaxation in store for us this summer!

1. I am happy that the girls and I got our Summer to Do List ready this week and have already been able to mark a few things off. We have lots of plans in the works! :)

2. I'm happy that the girls and I started a Bible Study/Devotion time this week that really went well. I love spending time with my girls talking and learning about God. They ask such good questions and have such sincere hearts.

3. Kacie Beth came back from her Mission Possible event at church and has told us how much she has loved serving others and her community. She is starting to form friendships with other kids in our new church and that definitely makes me one happy Momma!!

She's such a carefree child.

Notice the food that usually can be found around her mouth. :)

I'm am so happy to be a Mommy to these two girls!

I have so much to be happy about!!

Linking up to:

Friday Favorites

2011-06-17T09:42:00.003-04:00

I haven't gotten on the Pinterest Bandwagon yet. I played around on there one day but never got back on.
I plan to play around a little on it over the summer.

I had quite a few photos saved on my computer in my idea file and the hard drive crashed.
I had not saved them anywhere else and therefore all was lost. :(
I've slowly started building my inspiration files back again and thought I would start sharing a few of them each week.
They may not necessarily be photos that are actually from the past week and probably will not be.

I just love this photo from Pixie Lane.
Actually, I think I love EVERY photo she has!!
She works magic with her displays and her pictures and I could just look at them for days.
Just look at that bench.
It gets me every time!

This closet makeover from Bower Power caught my attention.
It was built in a basement and looks functional and do-able.
Just what I like. :)
Not only that, Katie is hi-lar-i-ous.
You just never know what she's gonna say.

Here's the other side of the closet.

While we're on that note, I spotted these boxes while drooling over at Whimsy Lane.
Don't you just love that name?

$5.99 for two at Ikea!!
Wow.
I really need to get to Ikea.

And this next project is A-DOR-A-BLE!!

You must go over to Love of Family and Home and check it out.
You will never believe the before.

If this next photo doesn't make your heart skip a beat, you may not have a pulse. :)

Is it just me, or is that gorgeous?
A Thoughtful Place is quickly filling up my inspiration file.
Perfect combination of comfort and class.
I love it and I love the feel of it and the colors of it and I would love to curl up in there and call that living room mine!!

Thanks for stopping by and viewing my Friday Favorites.
I hope you gained as much inspiration as I did!!

Have a GREAT weekend!!!

Going on a Treasure Hunt

2011-06-16T11:00:00.006-04:00

After Megan's dance practice the other day, I braced myself and informed the girls we were going to stop by Goodwill.
Insert moaning and groaning here.
Megan doesn't mind it much because I think she may have inherited a little bit of my decorating obsessed gene.
I mean, seriously, the kid asked for paint for her 6th birthday to paint her room.
Kacie, on the other hand, does not care for Goodwill.
As we get out of the van she informs me, "Well, okay, but I'm not touching anything."
In her 8 year old mind it is junk and it smells and I will have to agree with her, most of it is and it does.
Megan responded to Kacie's comment by saying, "Remember Kacie, there are treasures in there."
Wonder where she heard that? :)

I had in my mind that I would like to find something to use for decorations for Megan's upcoming birthday party.
I glanced around and, as usual, did not find anything I was impressed with.

Then we found it. Our treasure.
I spotted it and my heart started racing and I got SO excited.
So did the girls.

Pennant banners with initials on them!
They are from a company called Bombay Duck.
I really needed one more "a" to have a complete set for Kacie and Megan but I could only find one "a".
I looked online to see if I could find another one.
Apparently this company is from London (I think) and they were $6.75 each!!
I think we'll share the letter "a". :)
They are a very high quality and remind me of Pottery Barn and Land of Nod.
Most of them were still in the package.
And for .25!!!
That's not just a bargain, that's a steal.
I figured the possibilities for them when decorating for birthday parties are endless.
And they can hang them in their rooms (if they take turns). LOL

So one decoration for Megan's party purchased.
For $1.25!!

Let's just say Kacie is now a believer and now has bought into the idea that there really are treasures to be found at Goodwill.
Who knows?
We may go back again today. :)

Linking to:

Christina's Adventures
Frugal Friday
Sew Darn Crafty
Southern Hospitality

Splashes of Color

2011-06-15T11:44:00.005-04:00

I wanted to join Tracy's Nature Photo Party so I went out looking for some inspiration in my backyard.

Disclaimer: My camera is not the best and I did the best I could with it. A new camera is on my list. :)

Don't you just love the splashes of colors that flowers bring?

Hope you have a wonderful day.
It's raining and storming here, but we need the rain!

One of My Favorite Displays

2011-06-14T09:50:00.004-04:00

I wanted to show you one of my favorite displays.

The lamp was on clearance at TJ Maxx.
Plate and rooster-Homegoods.
Vinyl A- Leen the Graphics Queen
Print- Steinmart ($14.99)

Last year on my birthday I went looking for a small piece of furniture for my dining room.
I wanted to paint it.
I found this washstand, that I LOVE!
Got it home and my husband said I could not paint it, that it was too nice.
I was frustrated for a couple days and now I'm glad I didn't.
I really do love it.

I just love the details on the sides.
We think we should probably replace the hardware, but that won't be happening any time soon.

Linking up to Table Top Tuesday.
Also: Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

Join My Make a List Monday Party!!

2011-06-13T14:57:00.028-04:00

Those of you that have read my blog at all know I LOVE lists!!
I get lots comments from people saying how I am organized and other cool compliments that simply aren't very true. :)
The truth is, lists keep me sane and actually help this person with ADHD tendencies to stay on track and to stay motivated.
I am a teacher and am out of school for the summer!
Can I hear a WOO-HOO?!?
Needless to say, my list is LONG and my time is way too short so I (like most of you) need to make the best of it.
I like to choose 3 things a week that I would like to accomplish, whether big or small.
Small things actually give me a boost and actually add up, you would be surprised!!
I've had some interest so I thought I'd try to open up a linky party so the rest of you guys can get motivated and show some support to everyone.
Each Monday for the next two months, we'll meet up for the linky party.
Sound like fun??!
I'm SUPER excited but you will just have to bear with me because I am figuring out the whole buttons and linky thing. :)

Here is my list from last time.
Notice I didn't say last week?
I gotta get on the ball.

1. Wash down the baseboards. This job is done! Yay!!! Ok, don't laugh but I paid the girls $2 each to help with this task. Tim actually laughed out loud when I told the girls I would give them $2 cash. What I meant was that I would actually pay them and not give them and IOU that I would forget about. They are gun shy. My thinking is...they live here. They were lucky to get $2 each! lol They worked really hard and my baseboards look great.

2. Organize Kacie's ka-trillion stuffed animals. Kacie has a big closet with lots of shelves. She's a big stuffed animal collector. We arranged them on a shelf so that she can see them all and pull off her favorite(s) when she wants. It's working out really nicely for now and is getting them out of sight in her bedroom which contributes to clutter.

This is a terrible picture but it's the best I could do.
The lighting was not good in there today.
This is the bottom shelf.
It's not the most clever idea for storage, but it works and she has the space, so why not?

3. Spend 15 min. each day organizing the garage. I really meant to do this but it was the end of school (excuses, excuses) and I just didn't have the time (or the energy) to take this job on. However, I did take it on last Saturday in 15 minutes intervals and got it looking MUCH better. Not perfect, but better.

Here is my list for this week...

1. Paint Megan's new dresser/armoire and get as much completed on it as possible this week. Her birthday party is June 25 and it is part of our gift to her so I have to get it done! ASAP!!

Remember what she looks like right now...

2. Plant flowers in our old fish pond that we had to fill with dirt. Oh my goodness. Help if you have any ideas on this. I need something pretty but cheap. We're talking maximum impact for little $ here. Also, I need to plant some flowers in our bench seat boxes.

Can you say EYE SORE?!?

3. Get party supplies purchased and ready for Meg's Birthday party. I'll show you my progress on this next week. Hold me accountable people! :)

Now it's your turn!

What do you hope to get accomplished this week?

Remember, it can be big or small.

Please add my link or button to your post.

If you are not already a friend, I would love for you to become one.
Please try to visit some of the other links and show them some support and encouragement!! :)

My Happy List

2011-06-11T16:32:00.000-04:00

1. First and foremost, SCHOOL IS OUT!!!
I teach preschool and while I love my kiddos, I am beyond thrilled to be at home with my own kiddos for the summer.

2. It makes me very happy to be at home with my kiddos doing things like this:

And this...

3. It also makes me happy that I was able to start jogging again this week.

My jogging partner and I were able to job 26 minutes which is great for us considering we haven't done it in a long time!

I am so thankful and glad it is finally SUMMER!!

Linking up to Dandelion Wishes:

Anyone Having These Issues With Blogger?

2011-06-10T17:04:00.000-04:00

My computer recently crashed and I had to install everything back on it.
About the same time, Blogger started acting crazy.
So I don't know what the root of my issues are.
Wow, that's a loaded statement. :)

Anyway, my latest frustration is that most people are not able to see my followers gadget.
I just received a comment from a viewer saying she was unable to see my followers gadget and unable to become a new follower.
I notice that I can't see it either if I am using Internet Explorer but in Firefox I can.
Anyone know how to fix this?

Also, every time I download a picture into a new post I have to log out of blogger and log back in in order to post another photo.
In other words, Blogger will only let me load one photo each time I am logged in.

Last but not least, I cannot comment on MANY of the blogs I want to unless I am in Firefox.

Anyone know how to fix these issues???

Thanks!!

Ahhh...Summer Break at Last

2011-06-09T15:16:00.000-04:00

It is finally Summer Break for my girls and I.

We have been soooo busy already and am hoping things will slow down soon.

We have had a ton of doctor and dentist appointments this week.

The girls have a GREAT dentist and love going.
They went this morning.
No cavities.
Yay!!!!

I wanted to catch up on some summer photos I haven't been able to post yet.

Last Sunday was my 12 year wedding anniversary.
12 years.
Wow.
Tim surprised me with my favorite cupcakes.
Strawberry with cream cheese icing and cream cheese filling.
Yum!!!

The last 3 nights, my girls have went with Tim's mom, their NeNe, to Vacation Bible School.
I can't say enough about VBS.
Kids learn sooooo much about the Bible and they never forget the love that is shown to them at VBS.
So many people volunteer their time and energy in the summer to help out with VBS's.
I am SO thankful for that, it really takes so many people to help out!!
We laugh and say each summer that our girls travel the "VBS Circuit".
They go with us, both grandmothers, and their aunt. :)
They never get tired of going!
Here they are the last night of VBS while they were waiting for their NeNe to pick them up.

After dentist appointments today, we headed to the YMCA in the next town over where the dentist is located.
We had never been there before and the girls had a blast!
They even had a wave pool!!

I love spending time with my girls in the summer!!
Being a teacher sure does have it's perks!!!

Furniture Makeover Intervention~Help!!

2011-06-07T21:38:00.000-04:00

This little treasure has been sitting in my basement for over a year now.

It belonged to my husband's grandmother.

Let's just say I don't believe anyone else considered it to be a "treasure" like my husband and I did.

Can you see the potential?

It is about 6 foot tall and 2 foot wide.

It is quite large.

It has been in the family for years and is probably 60-70 years old.

We're not sure what it is made from.

It is painted a distressed (?) pink paint with a groovy fabric. :)

I believe at one time it was used for hanging clothes, but Tim's handy grandfather made some cardboard shelves and drawers to put in it.

Here's where you all come in...

Megan's birthday is coming up at the end of the month.

I want to redo this piece for her bedroom.

She is SUPER excited about it and all that it will hold. :)

Her walls are a very bright, springy green.

Spring Lettuce, I think it is called.

Her bedding and decor are bright pinks, yellow, purple, green, etc.

Very happy colors and patterns.

Her bed and nightstand are white.

I want to replace the groovy fabric and repaint it.

I'm thinking white.

I've tossed chalk paint, milk paint, and regular paint around and cannot decide.

As far as these drawers go, they are in great shape and work well.

Should I cover them?

I am thinking of replacing them with baskets.

My husband would have to build some wooden shelves in them or we'd have to cover the cardboard shelving.

Here is a picture with the doors open to give you a better view.

The top, middle cabinet opens from the bottom and swings up.

Here is an open view.

I really think clear knobs would be cool...

Okay, all you furniture makeover creative geniuses...

Any suggestions out there???

Goodbye Kindergarten

2011-06-02T18:49:00.001-04:00

Today was a happy and a sad day.
My sweet little Megan graduated from Kindergarten today.
She cried last night because she didn't want to leave Kindergarten or her friends.
It makes me sad to know that I will have no more children going to Kindergarten, but I am happy for the fun milestones ahead as well.

She looked so cute this morning!

Here is Megan and her proud big sister Kacie Beth.

Her Dad and I got Megan this cute little graduation owl as a graduation gift.

Geez...Do you think I need a new camera or what?!?

Megan and her Daddy.

I told myself I was not going to cry this time.

I would hold it together.

I would be a big girl.

For once, I would not be emotional when my kids reached a milestone that meant they were getting older.

I tried.

I really did.

I was taking pictures like any other happy Momma there.

Then it happened.

The principal started talking about the Citizenship award.

Each classroom had a boy and a girl.

When they called out Megan's name for her class, I was so surprised and excited for her that I totally forgot to even take the picture.

She makes me so proud of the little girl she is and the little person she is shaping up to be.

She is very considerate and thoughtful of others.

When I talked to her teachers afterward, they both mentioned the fact that they had heard Megan make the comment to another student, "That's okay, I forgive you."

On the way home, Megan showed me another reason that she is a good citizen.

She talked about her good friend, Kiera.

She said, "Mommy, I told Kiera we would share this award."

I said, "Why?"

She said, "Because I know she wanted it, too."

My heart swelled with happiness for Megan.

I am glad that she is observant and perceptive toward others' feelings.

It makes me a happy Momma.

Here is Megan and her Principal, Mr. D.

I told you I needed a new camera.

Cookies were served afterward.

Notice the little medal around Meg's neck. :)

Ms. Kelly, Meg's Kindergarten Assistant and Dance Teacher.

Mrs. Rison, the best Kindergarten teacher in the world.

Both Kacie and Megan were lucky enough to have Mrs. Rison and Ms. Kelly.

I went looking for Megan to let her know dinner was almost ready.

This is what I found.

She was a tired little girl!

She also got to meet her new teacher for First Grade.

Also, Kacie's old teacher (the best First Grade teacher ever)!!

Hopefully this will ease some of their worries over the summer.

I love you Megan Grace!!

You make Mommy's heart so happy!!!!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Make a List Monday #15

2011-05-16T20:00:00.003-04:00

My last Make a List Monday was, um, several weeks ago.
You know why?
Cause it took me forever to get it done.
Not because they were extremely time consuming things, but because one of them I did not want to do.

This was my list and progress from April 18.

1. Finish downloading pictures to my digital frame. Okay, so apparently this one little monster is the hold up. It continues to be put on my list and I continue to put it off. I sat down to work on it the other day and realized I had lost my directions. Then I thought I had it figured out and then realized when my computer crashed a few weeks earlier, I lost all my previously installed software. I have misplaced the software CD and could not re-install it. Oh well. I decided to let it go and display my frame as is. I will update again when I run across my software CD.

~~2. Make a separate basket or designated spot for all my exercise clothing.~~
To-Da...

Okay, yes, it is a little big.
I only put an outfit or two in it along with socks, exercise bra, etc.
I will add more or eventually make a smaller basket, but for now, it is something.
And it works.
I just slide it in the bottom of my closet under my dresses and it works perfectly!

~~3. Make a designated spot in my kitchen for activities for the girls (playdoh, coloring books, water paints, etc.)~~
To-Da...

The girls have already tried it out and love it.
Not only is it a fun time filler when I am working in the kitchen, it will also make a great place to grab needed supplies for homework.
Now, if I can only get them to keep it straight!!

Now for next week.
Summer is coming and I will soon be out of school for the summer.
Hip-Hip-Hooray!!
I need to get some things going so we have a productive summer.

This will be my list for this week.

1. Wash down the baseboards. Oh, how this needs to be done. I know two little girls that will be helping me!

2. Organize Kacie's ka-trillion stuffed animals. Anybody got a good idea for this?

3. Spend 15 min. each day organizing the garage. I feel like I'm always needing to work on the garage. I know I can't just say "Clean the garage" because I will never get that accomplished. I will put it off. I can, however, clean for 15 minutes every night until the job gets done.

I am thinking about starting a linky party for "Make a List Mondays".
Several people have expressed an interest for doing this.
Please let me know if this is something you would like to do too!

I am excited to get started on this week's list and to get'er done!! :)

Joining Debbiedoos Newbie Party

Surrendering

2011-05-15T20:22:00.003-04:00

Those of you that read my blog know that I have been struggling as we left our old church and have been seeking God's will and direction in our lives.
No, there was absolutely no one reason we left.
We just felt that God led us away.

We tried a couple different places and felt a strong pull toward one of them.
It just happened to be the same church we had attended before we went to our "old church".
This is hard stuff.

We came at just the right time.
The church was doing a series on 40 Days of Focus and we started attending the week before it started.
The week we started the pastor explained to the congregation that he was going to give them a "tweener" sermon.
This was a sermon that was "in between" two different series, apparently.
In this particular sermon, the pastor talked about what they do with the resources the church gives them.
Let me just say, I was blown away.
The Bible says where your treasures are, there your heart will be also.
This pastor layed it all out there for everyone to hear of what they were doing with the money being given to them through tithes and offerings.
I loved, loved, loved how much they were investing in the children, the youth, and the community.
I loved their vision.
I loved how mission minded they were.

I got in the car and my husband immediately asked me what I thought.
My words were, "Sign me up".
He was in complete agreement.

We didn't really make our decision right then.
We decided we would stick with that church for the "Forty Days of Focus" series, pray about it, and then evaluate to see if God had given us an answer by then.

The church was doing small groups and we felt so out of place.
After all, we had once attended there for a few years and had left.
What if they thought we had no business coming back?
What if they wouldn't accept us?
What if they thought, what are they doing here?
Once again, no particular reason we left other than this church is quite large.

My husband wanted to sign up for a small group.
Me, I wanted to be contacted by someone.
I felt that would show me where God wanted to put us.
We knew that if we hadn't heard from anyone by Sunday of that first week, we would have to talk to the small group coordinator and ask her to put us in a group.

Friday night, I got an email from the guy that took us in and invited us to his new Sunday School class when we had first attended this church.
He invited us to join his small group.
What?!?
Are you kidding me?
Of course we wanted to join!
We later learned that three of the couples in this small group were also in groups we had been in in the past and our old Sunday School Class as well.

We were so nervous and intimidated when we went to that small group.
I have never felt so welcome.
This was such a wonderful group of people.
We felt like we had picked up where we had left off 4 years ago.
There were four small group meetings and we were sadly only able to attend two due to prior plans.
We absolutely felt so happy to be among this group of people that made us so comfortable to be ourselves.
They openly discussed their thoughts about the Bible study we were doing.
They openly discussed their weaknesses and faults.
I love that.
I love people that are strong enough to discuss their weaknesses.

Lots of things have happened since we started attending in March, and we feel that we are where God wants us to be for now.
It is still scary sometimes.
It is still hard sometimes.
But God is slowly showing us that He is in this thing.
That is a great feeling to have. :)

I didn't mean to go on about all that.
It just kind of happened.
I meant to tell you about the sermon we had this morning.
It was actually about something God has already been talking to me about.
You see, I've sang the song, "I Surrender All" a gazillion times.
I've thought I meant it a gazillion times.

But...

I think that God showed me something in a different light a few weeks ago.
I have made bargains with God in the past.
Gasp.
Have you ever done that?
I have told God that He can do whatever He wants to in my life.
I have told Him that I will do whatever He asks of me.
I have told Him that I want to do His will.

Here's the but.

I have told Him, "Please, do not ever make me have to move away from home.
You know God, you wouldn't do that to me anyway.
Would you?
Well...please don't.
I'll do anything but that.

I have also told Him, "Please, whatever you do, take care of my family.
Don't let anyone get sick.
You wouldn't let that happen anyway.
Would you?
Well...please don't.
I want your will but not that.

Okay, I'm sure those may be just fine things to say to God.
I still don't really know.
All I know is that He showed me these thoughts for some reason.
I'm working on it and I'm still not quite there yet.

The sermon this morning was about "Who is the boss of your life"?
Pastor Jeff made it clear that you could not be a disciple of Christ unless you let God be the boss of your life.
That everything must be surrendered to God.

I would really like the prayer of my heart to be, "Lord, I truly surrender all.
Not my will, but yours."

Here is one of my favorite older songs by Clay Crosse.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T20:39:00.001-04:00

My little family celebrated my Mother's Day yesterday.
My sweet husband knew that Sunday would be crazy busy and that we would be running around and rushed before church this morning

So Friday night my husband prepared a "surprise" that I was not allowed to look at in the frig.
Saturday morning, I was informed that I would be having breakfast in bed.
Tim got up around 8:30 (which was a sacrifice for him) and put my breakfast in the oven.
He had put together the yummiest french toast casserole.
YUM-MY!!!
While Tim was working away in the kitchen, Megan was trying to make me more comfortable.
She brought me books to read and Reese Peanut Butter eggs out of her Easter basket. :)
Don't worry.
I didn't eat them.
Not for breakfast anyway.

Kacie finally got out of bed and came in to visit me.
She brought her CD player along with her favorite Beauty and the Beast CD.
It was so cute.
She had the Beauty and the Beast song, "Be Our Guest" starting just as Tim brought my breakfast in on a tray.
It was precious.
I could have cried but the french toast and bacon distracted me. :)
Megan stayed close by and brought me refills or anything else I needed.
Afterwards, we all threw on a hat and headed to our local greenhouse.
Tim and the girls let me pick out flowers for Mother's Day.
That is what I wanted.

We came back home and showered and got dressed to head out to the girls' Girl Scouts Mommy and Me Spa Day.
It was so fun.
We got to have a Mother's Day tea, make foot scrubs (which I am soaking in as I type), bath salts, we painted nails, talked about table manners and the proper way to set a table, and even painted a service project.

When we got home, Tim had cooked another one of my favorite meals. Pinto Beans (soup beans, as we call them in Kentucky), cornbread, and fried potatoes.
It was DELICIOUS!!
After dinner, we soaked in the foot scrubs (together in a big pan) and watched the Kentucky Derby coverage together. It was the best Mother's Day (Saturday) ever!!

Friday night, the girls and I were hanging out at my Mom and Dad's.

While I was inside, my Dad took the girls into the field behind the house and helped them pick wildflowers.

They came rushing in the door like little bullets.

They were so excited to give me their bouquets of flowers.

When we got home, I immediately put them into a vase and that just made their day.

They were so pleased with themselves.

Oh, my Mom is SO much fun to take pictures with.

I.AM.LYING.

She is a nightmare.
I love her to pieces, but it is terrible.
She laughs.
She talks.
She looks at me.
She makes weird faces.
She fusses.
Get the picture?

Anyway, after 513 pictures, this is the best we could get.
Remember, my camera is awful and getting worse everyday and my mother was a moving target.
She stripped out of her church clothes and jumped straight into her t-shirt when she got home.
I love that silly woman anyway and finally got a decent picture with her. :)

Happy Mother's Day Momma!!

Even though my camera is the pits, this is one of my favorite pictures of me and my girls.

We are always snuggling.

The girls sang me songs they made up and played the guitar.

We video-d (how do you spell that?) them singing for me.

We were in tears.

It was precious.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful mothers out there and thank you to the best little girlies in the world for making my Mother's Day so absolutely special (and to Tim for helping them)!!!!!!!!!

Gettin' Crafty

2011-05-07T17:38:00.004-04:00

My Mom had a little get together at her house today.
She had her Mom and her two sisters over for a little "luncheon".
Before she had them over, she had a few little projects she wanted to get done.

This is where I came in. :)

She has recently redone her kitchen and has done it in sort of a candy/bakery theme.
She likes to make homemade candy all the time, so she thought it would be fun to decorate her kitchen in this theme.
She bought a few little theme oriented knick knacks and took them to a local florist to be put on a wreath.
She decided it wasn't what she wanted and gave me some poly mesh to redo it.

Let me just say...I have never done this before and had no.idea.what.I.was.doing.
I did the best I could and I think it looks better than it did before.
In all fairness to the local florist, I don't think my mom really articulated what it was she wanted because I'm not sure she even knew. Ha!

I hate that my camera STINKS.

It really is much more vibrant than this photo portrays.

I did take the photo in the evening though and I'm sure it didn't help my pitiful little camera.

So Mom decided that since she had another plane grapevine wreath and leftover mesh, I could do a wreath for her front door.

As before, I had no idea what I was doing.

I had no direction to go in because all I had was pink and blue mesh.

I had a couple hours to do it in so I had to get it done in a hurry.

I live in a fairly small town with little options as far as purchasing cute supplies but I was determined to make it work.

I started out and bought the ribbons and tried out one of our new stores and found the little plaque.

I think it turned out kinda cute.

Kinda "Easter-y", but oh well. :)

The verdict is still out on what I really think of decorating with this meshy stuff.

Do any of you decorate with mesh?

Linking to Debbiedoos Newbie Party

Met Monday

Easter Recap 2011

2011-04-28T16:29:00.001-04:00

I have always loved Easter.

It is just a happy time for a child and holds such deep meaning for me as an adult.

I can still remember the coloring sheets as a child of Easter bunnies and eggs.

I always thought it was so fun to make them colorful.

Holidays are such busy times and the busyness makes it hard to keep things into perspective and to truly reflect on the the real meaning of the celebration.

I am so thankful that my God is ALIVE and I can talk to Him anytime I want to!!

Before I show you anything, let me first apologize that my camera is the pits right now.

It was not focusing on anything and the settings are all messed up.

I see camera shopping in my future!

Here are a few of our Easter activities.

Coloring eggs is always one of my favorite things to do.

My girls were so excited and asked me ALL DAY on Saturday when we were going to get started.

Tim always looks so excited that he could just pop in all of our holiday pictures.

The Easter bunny left the girls a few surprises.

They loved the Bambi movie he left them to share.

They even left some food out for him to eat (strawberries & bananas).

They were so surprised and excited when they saw where the Easter bunny had nibbled!

Oh....this picture is terrible but I wanted one of the girls and me.

Kacie Beth at my Mom and Dad's.

There's the return of the lovely black spot that is showing up in all my pictures.

Uuggghhh!!!!!

Finding the lucky egg(s).

My parents made sure both girls were able to find a lucky egg this year because Kacie always find the lucky egg and Megan is always sad.

We had to do the hunt inside because it was so wet and muddy outside.

We had a fantastic day.

After lunch and the egg hunt at my parents' we went to Tim's parents' and had another egg hunt and dinner.

Life is good and we are blessed!!!

Bring It On!!

2011-04-27T16:59:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was...let's just say...interesting.

The weather around here has been c-r-a-z-y.
Lots of storms and my sweet little preschoolers couldn't go outside to play.
Let's just say there was lots of energy that needed to be expended.

It turned out that most all the teachers were frazzled by the end of the day.
I don't know what kind of effect the weather has on children's behavior, but let me just tell you, IT DOES AFFECT them!

So I was exhausted last night.
I prayed this morning that we would have a good day.
Now I know that God hears all of our prayers but I thought I would do my part to help Him out.

I am an emotional eater.
I take care of stress by eating and drinking (chocolate and coke that is). :)
I told my assistant that I could go swimming in a bowl of brownie batter last night.
I didn't though. :(

This morning I loaded up my pockets with change (that may or may not have come out of my husband's "fishing fund" jar).

I went to my favorite spot for this.
This is heavy ammunition for me.
I rarely do a 20 ounce but that seemed to be the only thing that would do the trick.
I had visions of myself sipping on it all day.

As I heard it come out of it's spot and fall to the bottom of the vending machine, I started getting happy.
When it hit the bottom and was in plain view, I actually heard the words, "Come to Momma" come out of my mouth.
You see, it was my worst fear that I would hear it get hung up in the machine and this dream would never become a reality.

I knew that Coke would get me through the day.
As I walked into the building, I almost felt giddy.
I said to myself, "Bring it on, Preschoolers!"
And I meant it.

It was a MUCH better day today!!!

What do you do to relieve stress?

My Gallery Wall

2011-04-25T22:00:00.003-04:00

The wall in my living room has been causing me anxiety.

We filled in one of our doors and the arrangement on my wall that was previously there had to go.

Everything was now off center.

I have oodles and oodles of framed photos.

I played around with some of my favorites and arranged them on the floor.

I finally had a design I liked.

I went to work hanging them on the wall.

I didn't hang ANYTHING the way I had arranged it on the floor.

It just didn't transfer from the floor to the wall they way it was suppose to.

SO....I just said forget it and put 5,023 nail holes into the wall.

Yep, I did.

I told my husband that whatever he did, DO.NOT.LOOK.AT.THE.HOLES.

He happily obliged because I'm sure he didn't want his blood pressure to rise. Ha!

I'm still not finished tweaking it but this was the best I came up with for now.

As always, I'd love to hear any suggestions!!

Please try to overlook the black smudgy circle on the right of my photo. It must be an issue with my lens and it won't come off my photos. I really need a new camera!

I didn't do so good with my Make a List Monday last week.

I will update my progress on my list later this week.

Have a GREAT week!!!!!

Linking to Debbiedoos Newbie Party

Amaze Me Monday

Storms of Life

2011-04-23T08:50:00.002-04:00

It's been stormy here the last 24 hours.
Last night we had a tornado warning for our county.
It happened pretty quickly.
My girls were spending the night with Tim's mom.
Tim was in one room and I was in another watching Lifetime. :)
My mom called and told me to turn on the TV.
Before I could even catch what the news was saying Tim's mom called and asked if we had the TV on.
It was kind of scary for about 5 minutes.
I knew when we were right in the middle of it.
We went to our safe place.
My heart started beating faster.
I began to pray.

There was lots of rain, wind, and hail.
I never hear anything inside my house but it got very LOUD.
I HATED that my girls were not with me.
I worried about them every second.

Thank God nothing touched down around here and everyone was safe.
The rain, lightning, and thunder woke me up early this morning again.
More hail.
There is still lots of rain and lightning going on as I write this post.

This is the way it looks outside this morning.

I tried to go back to bed but couldn't.
I kept thinking about the storm.
I thought about how it came with very little warning (maybe because I just wasn't watching for it) and how the tornado warning moved so quickly in and out.

Storms come and go in our life the same way sometimes.
We may not always be watching for them but they have a way of sneaking up on us anyway.
Sometimes they are here and we are in the middle of them before we even know it.
The weather forecaster was on the news warning people to take shelter and go to their safe place in their homes.
I can't imagine enduring storms in my life without my "safe place".
God has not promised us there will not be storms in our life but He did promise He will never leave us or forsake us.
I am so thankful that I have a God I can call on immediately when I have a need or trouble hits my life.
My goodness.
What kind of hope would we have if we had no God to call on?

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:7

Storms can be very scary and they are mighty and powerful and we have no control over them.
I see God in storms but sometimes it's hard to see God in some of the storms in our life.
But in every storm I have had in my life, in time, I do see God's hand in it and how He was with me all the time, even though I may not have understood the things that happened.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11

It's one thing to praise God when things are going great for us.
Actually, sometimes we (I) forget to praise God when things are going great.
Sometimes we (I) don't realize it, but we (I) don't realize we need Him as much when things are going great.

It's another thing to praise Him when things are scary and sad and confusing and you're hurt and you can't figure out where God is in all of it.
It doesn't always happen this way, but it is my prayer that I will praise Him in the good times and in the bad because I know He is always there.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28

Love this song!!!!!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2011-04-20T18:43:00.026-04:00

Kacie's 8th birthday was a couple weeks ago.

We celebrated by having a few friends over for a sleepover and some family.

I wanted to add lots of pictures of the sleepover, but I am always hesitant to include pictures of other people's children online.

There are a couple on here, but I tried to be discreet.

Kacie requested ice cream cake from Dairy Queen.

It was YUM-MY!!

The wind kept blowing the candles out, which made all the girls giggle.

I have no idea what was going on here.
Apparently it was funny. :)

One of the girls' favorite thing to do was paint these little wood boxes I got for them.

They had a BLAST with this!

I wasn't even sure they'd want to stop long enough to do it, but let me tell you, they would have painted those boxes all day and all night!

They were up and at 'em at 6:00 the next morning and were finishing their boxes up by 7:00!!

Pay no attention to the disaster that has exploded in the kitchen! Ha!

We settled down at 10:30 to watch Tangled.
The last two fell asleep when the movie went off at midnight.
Yep, MIDNIGHT!!

Peaches, our cat, was a big hit of the sleepover.
The girls kept bringing her in and playing with her.

These girls were serious artists.

Some even painted the bottoms of their boxes!

We even had some sparkly "bling" to put on them (which they LOVED of course)!!

And last but not least, our Dog Willy enjoyed some attention Saturday morning.
I can't believe he is getting so old and his poor little face is white.

Happy Birthday sweet Kacie Beth!

Mommy loves you more than you will ever know!!!

Make a List Monday #14

2011-04-18T05:00:00.007-04:00

*I had this post ready to go over a week ago. My computer crashed. :( I was without my beloved computer for over a week. I am going to pick up here where I left off.

I did it last week!!
I managed to accomplish the things on my list.

Here is my list from last week.

~~1. Paint and hang chalkboard in the kitchen~~

I love my chalkboard but it has been a bit of a thorn in my side.
First of all, I bought it as a chalkboard at Homegoods.
The frame was black and I thought it was just too much black
Tim painted it and put tape around the edges to protect the chalkboard.
When he removed the "painters tape", part of the chalkboard came up.
Ugghhh!!!
So...he bought chalkboard paint and repainted it.

I erased the birthday message I had written on there for Kacie and it did not really erase.
I had used chalk-ink pens.
Has anyone else had this problem?
I really want to use it and change the messages out frequently.

~~2. Bring shelf in from the garage and arrange the books and other items on it.~~

This shelf has been sitting in our garage for over a year.

We did have the piano in this spot but we are moving everything around, trying to find the best arrangement.

I would like to paint this shelf.

I'm thinking about white.

Any suggestions?

~~3. Hang the girls' portraits in the living room that were moved when we did some re-arranging.~~

These photos once hung here and I have been moving everything around.
They are back.
I wanted something kind of tall and substantial on the top of the bookshelf since the ceiling is high and peaks above here.
These are just some things I found around the house.
A friend gave me the platter and my mother-in-law gave me the antique trunk.
As always, I am open to suggestions!!

It makes me feel so good to be able to look around and see all of the things I have accomplished around my house because of my Make a List Mondays!

Here are my goals for this week.

1. Finish downloading pictures to my digital frame. This has been on my list before. I got some photos downloaded but not all of them. After our Disney vacation I have more to put on there. This is the one I will have trouble completing.

2. Make a separate basket or designated spot for all my exercise clothing. I've also had this on my list before and never got accomplished. This was about the time I quit making my lists.

3. Make a designated spot in my kitchen for activities for the girls (playdoh, coloring books, water paints, etc.)

This should all be possible!!

What are you going to try to get accomplished this week?

Linking to Debbiedoos Newbie Party

Displaced

2011-04-17T17:37:00.007-04:00

I mentioned in my last post that my family is struggling about church.
We have recently felt that God has lead us to leave the church we have attended for the last 4-5 years.
It is hard.
There is no real "reason" we have left.
It's just little things that add up to the fact that we think God is leading us somewhere else.
Some days we really wrestle with it.
Some days it would just be easier to stay.
Getting out of our comfort zones is not fun.
It is not comfortable.
Did I mention it is hard?
I have cried.
My kids have cried.
Still...the same answer.
Go.

I want to have a plan (remember Disney?)
I want to know what will happen next.
Remember my recent comment about faith?
It's putting your money where your mouth is.
It's hard.
(notice a pattern here with the word "hard"?)

We have been visiting the church that we attended once before.
There are some wonderful people there.
The pastor is wonderful.
The children's ministry is wonderful.
We were even invited to attend a wonderful small group.
Is this where God is leading us?
We're still not sure.
We have felt displaced.

God recently told me that He will show me enough.
He'll show us what we need to know when He wants us to know.
His ways are not our ways and we should be thankful for that.

Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet,and a Light unto my path. Psalms 119:105
I have clung to this verse for the last several weeks.
I know that I know that I know that God has not left my family or forsaken us.
I know that He loves us and cares for us and wants the best for my family.
I know He knows what is best far more than I know what is best.
It is my prayer that God will lead us exactly where we need to be.
~~Most days~~, I know He will.

On some of my hardest, darkest days I think of this song.
It has two of my very favorite artists from all time in it.

Here are some pictures of my sweet, precious girls this morning.

When you pray, if you think about it, I would really appreciate you keeping us in your prayers as we seek out God's will for our family.

Thanks ♥