White Stuff in Your Hair?

Wow, let's see.  Is it Friday yet?  I got up at 5:45, hit snooze, got up at 6:00, hit snooze, got up at 6:15, hit snooze, hubby got up at 6:30.  HOLY SMOKES, I was supposed to be up 45 minutes ago!  Ran to my daughters room, "get up, its 6:30, we slept in".  Hair straightening iron goes on, and the day begins.  My son sits up in his bed as I walk to the bathroom.  "good morning mom" he yawns.  I say "lay back down" he replies "I slept a long time, I want to get up". 

Let's go back to this weekend and why we were all so sleepy!  My hubby and son went to the deer lease for a boys weekend with my hubby's dad, brother, nephew and friend.  Had a blast!  I stayed home w my daughter, had a blast!  Went to church, home to meet the boys and then go bowling w our church and then home to scream at the tv because my husband beat me in week 1 of our fantasy football!  URGH!  Stayed up until 11:00 hoping for a fantasy football miracle in the form of Santonio Holmes or Dustin Keller, and NOPE!  No miracle!

Back to my son this morning!  He's up, daughter is up, sausage and biscuits are going, thanks to my amazing husband and I go lay back down until 6:50.  Yes, I was that tired! 

Hubby says breakfast is ready, we eat and my daughter and I are out the door at 7:05.  Get her dropped off and I am back home at 7:30ish but I sit in the car for five minutes listening to the rest of Roula and Ryan's Roses Update on the radio, don't ask, but it involved a hubby cheating on his wife NOT w a female!  Tortured story I had to finish!

Back in the house, my AMAZING husband has our son dressed, I look for socks, fill out his fundraiser form, stick it in his back pack and he and I are off!  THANK THE LORD he was eating at school today, chicken nuggets and green beans to the rescue!  No lunch was needed!

Get him dropped off by 8:00.  Home to an important conversation with my best friend as I started a load of clothes and then finished our talk while I enjoyed a slightly cool humid hot breeze outside.   I then walk in the house and my husband tells me to follow him 45 minutes away to take my car to a shop we use now since my car is out of warranty and it specializes in my car and is half the price.  Ok, so I am off again!

Half way home after all these plans of lunch and grocery shopping together (yes, my exciting life with my husband while the kids are away involves grocery shopping), I realize I am supposed to be at my sons school at 11:00 to take Grandparents Day Pictures as a volunteer.  We race home, I throw my dirty hair into a pony tail, change from my "mommy pants" to some fancy "mommy pants".  Then I get to his school at 11, stay until 1 taking pics and pulling him out of class while his teacher and I re-measure him for a tux he has to wear in two weeks for his Aunts wedding!  (measurements got mixed up). Then I race home, load the dishwasher up and decide to leave a little early to pick my daughter up from school for her Orthodontist appt because my husband had to go look at a job and I was afraid I wouldnt be back in time for my son to get off the bus!  So I had my neighbor and friend on stand by and even the bus driver, texting her and telling her just to take him home if noone was outside!  She's a friend of the family thank the Lord! 

Orthodontist appt. went well, got elastics, don't ask, and then home by 4:00 (got son off the bus) for me to realize I have a math quiz due by midnight and homework due by 8:00 AM tomorrow.   So, bootcamp is out, I am staying home, washing clothes and doing math until I pop!  Daddy is handling dinner, boiled shrimp and football! 

Oh and if you got this far I will save a little tidbit for you:  As I sat in the orthodontist office with my slick backed dirty pony tail, my daughter says "you need some head and shoulders, you have white stuff all on the side of you hair".  I just sighed and kept playing Words W Friends on my phone.

This is Me, Always. 

Really Don't Know What to Blog About Anymore!

Well, I am at a loss for words.  Yes, me! Crazy huh?

I was hurt very badly this past Spring and putting my life out for all to see has been hard for me.  Do I stop blogging all together? Do I just blog what we cook? Do I just blog crafts or decorations?  Do I just let myself blog whatever is going on that day?  These past six months I have had some major ups and downs and my eyes have been opened to numerous things.  First off, facebook is a tool used to hurt people.  Not everyone does it, not even mean people do it.  People in general use Facebook to post about their magical life and all thats in it and what someone else wasn't invited to.  People will post about this and that while their friends read it and wonder why in the world they werent invited and then remind themselves that they are adults and this crud shouldnt matter.  Then people don't use the private message button to ask someone a question or thank them for something they did because they want the entire world to see!  They WANT their friends list to see that not only where they not invited but they had a blast too!  LOL! 

How did I figure this out?  I was doing it!  Not only was I doing it, I was reading others posts that hurt my feelings because I didn't understand why they didnt invite me! 

So, as hard as it is for me, I have tried to make my status updates about me only and not who I just had dinner with and you didn't!  Its a learning curve and I also don't want to give away so much of me that people think they know me just because of my status updates. 

Really people need to think!  You are posting these things publically because deep down you want people to know you did something fun without them!  It hurts!  Ha!

So, I am trying to stop doing that myself!  I may slip a time or two, but I am trying!

With that said, I want to get back into blogging.  I don't know when or how but I want to.

We'll see what happens!

This is Me, Then.

When Life Throws You Lemons, Make a Lemonade Stand!

I have been out of the blogging loop lately and then I try to jump back in and I fall right back out.  Ha!  Well, my life has had some wild, sad and amazing turns these past few months and I feel even more blessed than before.  To make a long story short we have changed denominations, joined a church, got the kids Baptized, joined the Chamber of Commerce, started selling Advocare (https://www.advocare.com/11068824/) and I have taken control of my life.  Getting involved in my community, my church and people that care about me for me has been a huge eye opener. 

I am back to being happy in my life and having fun. I am back to standing tall and not letting negative people or things in my life.  I am back to being me, all the sparkles and all. 

I can't make you love me, forgive me, hate me or like me. Only you can do that!

With that garbage out of the way I am going to finish posting pics of my house this week and I am starting the 24 Day Challenge w Advocare next week and I am SUPER excited to report I have lost 5 lbs in two weeks just by adding Spark to my life.  Its a mix in for your water and I LOVE it!  I am off all sodas and Vitamin Waters. 

Did I also tell you I attended a NKOTBSB concert?  If you don't know what that is, dont ask!  LOL!

This is Me, Again.

You May Want to Rethink How Long You Want to Punish Someone...Because They May Not Be There When You Are Through.

RELEASING ANGER AND BITTERNESS



While God desires that we recognize our anger and bitterness toward others, harboring those feelings and refusing to work toward the restoration of broken relationships is contrary to His will. We need to prayerfully confront and confess inner feelings of anger, and then surrender them to the loving healing of our heavenly Father.



God calls us first to confront our own feelings openly and honestly....



Stop being mean, bad-tempered, and angry. Quarreling, harsh words, and dislike of others should have no place in your lives. Instead, be king to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving you because you belong to Christ.

Ephesians 4: 31-32 TLB



For, dear brothers, you have been given freedom: not freedom to do wrong, but freedom to love and serve each other. For the whole Law can be summed up in this one command: “Love others as you love yourself.” But if instead of showing love among yourselves you are always critical and catty, watch out! Beware of ruining each other. Galatians 5: 13-15 TLB



Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God’s best blessings. What out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives. Hebrews 12:15TLB



Anyone who says he is walking in the light of Christ but dislikes his fellow man is still in darkness. But whoever loves his fellow man is “walking in the light” and can see his way without stumbling around in darkness and sin. For he who dislikes his brother is wandering in spiritual darkness and doesn’t know where he is going, for the darkness has made him blind so that he cannot see the way.

1 John 2: 9-11 TLB



A man with hate in his heart may sound pleasant enough, but don’t believe him; for he is cursing you in his heart. Though he pretends to be so kind, his hatred will finally come to light for all to see. Proverbs 26: 24-26 TLB



Our heavenly Father calls us to work actively toward forgiving others and restoring broken relationships...



Your heavenly Father will forgive you if you forgive those who sin against you. Matthew 6:14TLB



I am warning you! “Rebuke your brother if he sins, and forgive him if he is sorry. Even if he wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, forgive him.” Luke 17: 3-4 TLB



Follow God’s example in everything you do just as much loved child imitates his father. Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and gave himself to God as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, for Christ’s love for you was like sweet perfume to him. Ephesians 5: 1-2 TLB



But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive you your sins too. Mark 11: 25 TLB



Dear brothers, if a Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humble help him back onto the right path, remembering that next time it might be one of you who is in the wrong. Galatians 6: 1 TLB



When you forgive anyone, I do too. And whatever I have forgiven (to the extent that this affected me too) has been by Christ’s authority, and for your good. A further reason for forgiveness is to keep from being outsmarted by Satan, for we know what he is trying to do. 2 Corinthians 2: 10 -11 TLB



BEHAVIORS AND ATTITUDES



The Scriptures are clear that we are both responsible and accountable to God for our behavior and attitudes:



Yes, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Romans 14: 12 TLB



And I tell you this, that you must give account on Judgment Day for every idle word you speak. Matthew 12: 36 TLB



Your words now reflect your fate then: either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned. Matthew 12: 37 TLB



God tolerated man’s past ignorance about these things, but now he commands everyone to put away idols and worship only him. For he has set a day for justly judging the world by the man he has appointed, and has pointed him out by bringing him back to life again. Acts 17: 30-31 TLB



Remember, too, that knowing what is right to do and then not doing it is sin.

James 4: 17 TLB



God disciplines those He loves in order to bring about a change of behavior or attitude:



Being punished isn’t enjoyable while it is happening -- it hurts! But afterwards we can see the result, a quiet growth in grace and character. Hebrews 12: 11 TLB



And we will never stop thanking God for this: that when we preached to you, you didn’t think of the words we spoke as being just our own, but you accepted what we said as the very Word of God -- which, of course, it was -- and it changed your lives when you believed it. 1 Thessalonians 2: 13 TLB



Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from you own experience how his ways will really satisfy you. Romans 12: 2 TLB



When we submit to the loving discipline of our Heavenly Father, He is faithful to lead us toward righteousness:



But if we confess our sins to him, he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. (And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins.) 1 John 1: 9 TLB



Do not let sin control you puny body any longer; do not give in to its sinful desires. Do not let any part of your bodies become tools of wickedness, to be used for sinning; but give yourselves completely to God -- every part of you-- for you are back from death and you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes. Sin need never again be your master, for now you are no longer tied to the law where sin enslaves you, but you are free under God’s favor and mercy. Romans 6: 13-14 TLB



If you have really heard is voice and learned from him the truths concerning himself, then throw off your old evil nature -- the old you that was a partner in your evil ways -- rotten through and through, full of lust and shame. Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better. Yes, you must be a new and different person, holy and good. Clothe yourself with this new nature. Ephesians 4: 21-24 TLB



But when the Holy Spirit controls our live he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; and here there is no conflict with Jewish laws. Those who belong to Christ have nailed their natural evil desires to his cross and crucified them there.

Galatians 5: 22-24 TLB



And I will give you a new heart -- I will give you new and right desires -- and put a new spirit within you. I will take out your stony hearts of sin and give you new hearts of love. And I will put my Spirit within you so that you will obey my laws and do whatever I command. Ezekial 36: 26-27 TLB





BOUNDARIES



God helps us to establish healthy boundaries through His strength and guidance. Proper mental, emotional, and spiritual boundaries enable us to focus on God’s love for us, as well as the ways in which He can use us to better serve the Body of Christ.



When personal boundaries are weakened from turmoil...



We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us -- they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5: 3-5 TLB



He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in Him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! Trust in the Lord God always, for in the Lord Jehovah is your everlasting strength. Isaiah 26: 4 TLB



I have told you all this so that you will have peace of heart and mind. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up, for I have overcome the world. John 16: 33 TLB



For the Scriptures tell us that no one who believes in Christ will ever be disappointed. Romans 10: 11 TLB



Establishing boundaries under God’s direction...



Lord, I am overflowing with your blessing, just as you promised. Now teach me good judgment as well as knowledge. For your laws are my guide.

Psalms 119: 65-66 TLB



In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success. Proverbs 3: 5-6 TLB



So ever since we fist heard about you we have kept on praying and asking God to help you understand what He wants you to do; asking Him to make you wise about spiritual things; and asking that the way you live will always please the Lord and honor Him, so that you will always be doing good, kind things for others, while all the time you are learning to know God better and better, We are praying, too, that you will be filled with His mighty, glorious strength so that you can keep going no matter what happens -- always full of the joy of the Lord, and always thankful to the Father who has made us fit to share all the wonderful things that belong to those who live in the Kingdom of light. Colossians 1: 9-12TLB



I will instruct you (says the Lord) and guide you along the best pathway for your life; I will advise you and watch your progress. Psalms 32: 8 TLB



God’s continuing work in our lives...



And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in His grace until His task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns. Philippians 1: 6 TLB



It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago He planned that we should spend these lives in helping others. Ephesians 2: 10 TLB



I am expecting the Lord to rescue me again, so that once again I will see His goodness to me here in the land of the living. Don’t be impatient. Wait for the Lord, and He will come and save you! Be brave, softhearted, and courageous. Yes, wait and He will help you. Psalms 27: 13-14 TLB



Respecting the boundaries of others...



Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and in what they are doing. Philippians 2: 3-4 TLB

Yes, I am Still Here!

Yes, I am still here, just have had a crazy, stressful few weeks, months, really.  All is well and God will prevail like he always does!

I hope to start the summer off with LOTS of new blogs and get back into the swing of things!

This is Me, Then.

My House: Back Porch

Well, I told you last week I was going to walk you through my entire house.  Well, my camera caught a cold (aka, I stuck the wrong memory card in it and it got stuck), but all is well now and we are ready to roll!

I wanted to start with my back porch and end with my front yard because we actually use our back door as our front door.  Weird, huh? But it makes perfect sense once you come and visit.  So here we go. 

Next up is my office/entrance.

This is Me, Then.

Quick Tip to Sneak Some Veggies In!

*I grated a medium sized zucchini into my ricotta cheese and egg mixture for my homemade lasagna tonight.  It gives the mixture a light green tint and the kids won't even notice with all the sauce and cheese on top!

This Is Me, Then.

Please take a moment to read about something.

Please take a moment to read about something horrible going on in the Houston area and I am sure many other areas as well.  Thank you in advance.

Brothels

Baptism Gifts...Shh, It's a Secret.

I am so excited about getting my kids Baptized.  The date will be set soon and we all sat down as a family and chose God Parents.  I thought it was going to be hard to decide but our daughter knew exactly who to pick and we all agreed.  SO, I have ordered these necklaces above for the God Mothers.  One will have my son's birthstone, and his God Mother's birthstone, and the other will have my daughter's and her God Mother's.  Then I am having a cross stamped on both circles and the word God Mother.  THEN, I ordered one for me with mine and the kids stones and their names on my circle. 

I sure hope these two ladies say yes!  HA!  I am asking them very soon and presenting them with the gifts to wear to the Baptism.

God Bless everyone during this Holy Week and always.

THIS IS ME, THEN.

My time away from facebook

I gave up Facebook for Lent. 

 It was a CRAZY decision,

 but God sure knew what he was doing. 

I have been searching for a church for years now, but really made the decision in the last 6 months to really do it and be done.  I found myself in a brand new journey during the season of Lent and my family and I are even changing denonimations with this new path.  You can check it out here 

My Church 

and I hope to bring you blogs about our joining, getting the kids Baptized and  becoming Anglican.  

Then,  I gave up Facebook for Lent and would have never known I would have a major stumbling block occur that involved Facebook.   I thank God that I had the strength to not break Lent and reply and put hateful things out on the world wide web. 

With that said, its all in the past and I thank God for opening my eyes over this season of Lent and showing me how to stand up for what I believe in.  I can't wait to begin this new adventure and building my faith from the ground up.  It's all so new and exciting to me!

THIS IS ME, THEN.

*update, my camera has a cold and should be up and running next week to bring you awesome pics of my entire house!  I am going to walk you through each and every room!

 

Cottage Style, I heart you!

I have finally come to a point in my blog where I need to stop blogging, or blog!  I have been so busy with life that blogging has been put on the back burner.  Well, I am about to blog it up!  I am going to start a series in the next few days and take you on a journey through my home, one room at a time!

Here are some inspirational pics to get your minds a spinning!

Of course these are pics of my home, I wish!  LOL!

These are just some wishes!

This is Me, Then.

My Day!

Let's see. My day M-F goes something like this, unless I get called into work and then the house goes into complete disaster mode!  LOL.

THIS WAS MY WEDNESDAY

6:00 am (really, no way, I reset it for 6:40)
6:40 am hit snooze once
6:45 am hit it again
6:50 am seriously, I gotta get up

My Morning Routine Moves Very Quickly. No time for error.

I brush my teeth, throw my hair in a bun, place my sunglasses on top of my head, turn all bedroom lights on and fans off, start a load of clothes, throw some biscuits in the oven, place 5 frozen sausage patties in the pan on low heat, kiss my hubby goodbye, he has an early meeting, and then go back into my daughters room and say "seriously, GET UP" and she always responds, "what time is it" and I scream "7:10, GET UP NOW".
7:10 Sissy is up and she also moves very quickly because we lay our clothes out the night before and bathe.
I made my bed and started working on my bedroom a bit (deep cleaning it this week)
7:25ish Sissy finishes breakfast and makes scrambled eggs and plates our yummy meal! 
7:30 I try to wake my son up. He is not having it this morning and I HAVE to get him up because his daddy is at work and he has to ride to take his sissy to school.  Oh well, I give up and decide to eat my breakfast warm!
7:35ish I eat and watch 2-3 music videos with my daughter. I notice my Mom's husband drive up a little earlier than he did yesterday, he is doing some work on the outside of our house, and I get an idea!  Cash can stay in bed!  He will be here in case he wakes up!  WOOHOO!
7:50 we jump in my truck! 
7:55 we pull up to the grocery store to pick up some bottled waters for lunches.
8:00ish Can't Beat Maria comes on the radio and i try to call and never make it through.
8:10ish I drop my daughter off and head home!
8:25 I pull in and when i walk through the door my son wakes up.  He never knew I was gone!  YES!  Good Mom!
I give his plate a quick 30 seconds in the microwave, make him a milk (he has to take a stool softener daily and milk is the only way I can hide the nasty powder)
8:30 I start another load of laundry and start cleaning my room (which has a sunroom attached which acts as our second living room)
8:40ish I get on the phone with my dear friend and we yap until almost 9:15. I gotta go, i tell her, I gotta clean! 
9:15-11:00 I cleaned my bedroom while my son went in and out playing and watching tv (i let him stay home from preschool)
11:00 I made us some yummy canned raviolis!
11:30 I was back in the midst of my bedroom deep clean makeover!  I was moving stuff, hanging stuff, taking stuff down, just lots of stuff!
1:30 rolls around and another load of laundry later i started dinner. spaghetti with deerburger. Family fav!
2:00 I take a break on the porch to look at my new Pottery Barn Catalog.
2:30 Back in my bedroom and i must say its looking fantastic by this time but I am feeling funny. Must be the canned meal I devoured for lunch.
3:00 Oh, thats why i feel bad.  My monthly visitor showed up, Mr. Period.  I know he's a man because no woman would do this to me each and every month!
3:15ish. Still cleaning my room and sunroom. By this time I am mopping and dusting.
4:00ish My daughter gets off the bus, my hubby is home and its a bit of chaos.
4:30 my husband has to leave again for a quick trip, I feel like laying on a heating pad and everyone is screaming they are hungry.  We eat at 5:00 around these parts!
4:35 my hubby calls and tells me he hit one of my new pots with his trailer when he pulled out.  He will fix it when he gets home, I should not panic.  I shockingly say ok, and dont' panic.
5:00ish we are eating, cant wait for daddy and the garlic bread.  5:30 Daddy is home, and he brought ice cream for dessert (love my hubby). So we all venture outside till dark playing volleyball and t-ball and just enjoying the spring time weather.
7:30ish I am back in, I take a shower and tell everyone mommy is off the clock. Dishes can wait, it can all wait.  I curl up in bed w my laptop around 8:15 and just VEG OUT!
9:30 the kids come and ask if they can lay with me.  I of course say yes, only until Daddy comes to bed.  I turn my noise machine on to Oceans and set it for 30 minutes.  I don't know when, where or how, but I woke up this morning and they were gone to their bedrooms and I slept like a log! 

I live a charmed life, I know!  ;o)

This is Me, Then. 

"Cash, Want to Ride With Me?" was all it took.

Field Trip Fun.

This is Me, Then.

In the eyes of a boy

"hush, now, I see the light in the sky...

Oh, it's almost blinding me...

I can't believe I've been touched by an angel of love..."

"All in the eyes of a boy"

I signed my baby boy up for Kindergarten today. 

I thought i had it under control, I don't.

I thought I was handling it well, I'm not.

If your volume is down, turn it up and listen to the words of this song by Celine Dion.  My son was a gift sent from heaven and this song kills me everytime.

This is me, then.



Opening Day Of Little League

The Real Me

The real me is a city girl that loves the country.  I truly LOVE all things homemade, old, seasoned, stories. I love it!  I want to go to church and worship God and sit back with a cold one by a fire if I want to. I want to be the REAL me, not a certain me on Sunday mornings, but on a Friday night I am someone else.  I don't need constant social gatherings or sitting around talking about how much I just spent on a new pair of jeans or a purse.  I need the 3 people in this house to love me and I need my husband for the rest of my life.  I need to go to our deer lease even though I would really like to be at a Macy's one day sale.  I need to be home baking cookies and watering my plants.  I don't NEED all these crazy things I see people needing around me.  I truly LOVE spending my Friday and Saturday nights with my husband and kids.  I am truly blessed and I thank God every day for those blessings and for taking the glasses off of my eyes and letting me see who my real friends are around me, that want the same things I do.  And friends that forgive me when I stumble, not judge me.  I am so thankful!

We ended our Spring Break with our son at our deer lease. (Our daughter stayed back with a family friend all weekend). We bathed under the stars, watched the Super Moon, road four wheelers, ate at the County Seat Cafe and just had an amazing East Texas Weekend.

This is Me, Then.

I Love My Life

This is Me, Always.

Teaching My Kids To Fish

 I found these AWESOME chore charts on etsy.com and found out they have an actual website to go with this system of teaching your child responsibility along with their weekly chores.  We aren't a "chore" kind of family.  We mainly just scream once we are fed up with stepping over shoes or backpacks. 

The two above pictures are my systems that I ordered.  I have not hung them up yet.  We are starting fresh on Monday.  Take a look at the pics below and at the website for the exact system and video details.  I will post more details next week when we get started. OH, and say a little prayer for my mom.  She is having back surgery on Monday.  God Bless!



Fishers Kids

This is Me, Then.

Spring Break 2011 "A Day At The Beach"

We spent the day in Galveston.  I brought my 2 kids, my niece and picked up my daughters friend that lives on the island.  We had a great time and I LOVE the beach when its cold and windy.  The waves were crashing and I enjoyed just laying on the beach and watching the kids have fun. 



This is Me, Then.