Paybacks...

I moved this chair into our bedroom to make room for the Christmas tree.  After some rearranging, I decided it should stay in our bedroom, under one condition.  It was NOT a clothes hanger. 

I don't really think that someone (DH) listened, do you?

And even though I have never sat in this chair to read a book or just daydream, the moment is going to come and when it does...

this is what will be greeting me.

Hhhhrumpffff.

So, while cleaning it off the other day for the umteenth

(did your mom ever use that word?) time. 

I found a gently worn (not needing washing, you know the kind) shirt that belonged to none other than DH. 

It was a nice shirt,

but it had been left inside out. 

So, in another trick passed on from my mother, I hung it up.

DH wore that shirt to work the other day.

I got a phone call from him at my work.

Cringe.

I really hadn't intended it to go that far.

Are you following me?

Yep, he wore it to work inside out.

Paybacks???  I'm really not into that, but...

Love ya, DH.

Table tent

Somedays are just perfect for homemade tents.

So, out came the blankets.

I told the boys to gather some items for the inside.

Sam came back with lights (from my college dorm) and the portable DVD player

(not sure he will be the rough & tough camper type)

so mama got a cord and strung the lights

and Joe, well he came back with every toy he could carry.

Not that he planned to stay long...

Saturday Morning Muffins

Rough Patch

Sam hit a rough patch yesterday, literally.

He loves to play lion, down on all fours growling as he swings his head.

The floor won.

Ouch, carpet burn.

But, Sam keeps on growling and says, thumbs up.  I'm OK.

Go Dawgs!

College visits?

Seriously, I just visited this girl in the hospital when she was born, watched her jump on her new trampoline, I remember a time when she was shy with the camera, but now she is a Junior.  And while she loves high school she is also responsibly preparing for college.  Again, did I say college.

And of course, I am certainly partial since she has her sights set on my alma mater!

Go Dawgs...

We had a lot of fun touring the campus.  Her mama did well when the announced the tuition fees but I did not fair so well when they announced the direct admission pharmacy school requirements. They have both sharply increased.  But what did I expect, Blake is already taking much more advanced courses that I could have ever thought of!  We had a great day - all loved the campus (once again) and now Blake is back to her Junior year, more certain than ever, and beefing up her GPA! 

I had a lot of fun today Chris and Blake, loved the time with my family!  Thanks for inviting me!

$1 Crafts

I love crafts.

Especially the inexpensive ones for kids.

Michaels has a great $1 wood section right now for kids (and adults, too).

Like these frames.  I saw them at the store and loved them.  The shape, the size, modge podge, scrapbook paper, embelishments...ah the possibilities.

I had a special vision for them, and then I got some help from 2 boys.

They wanted to use finger paint (uugghhh, it would look messy I thought) but then

good mama came back to Earth and decided that they would go in their bedroom...

so finger paint them we did.

I love the look, kinda distressed without the work!! 

{But since the paint is washable, maybe we shouldn't get them wet}

And then there are these treasure boxes.

Blue by Joe and Orange by Sam.

And these wood crafts came with their own markers.  Grandma gave them to the boys for Vtines day.

I think we got our dollars' worth, what do you think?

I have been so impressed by Sam's {Joe had help with the horse} coloring and writing skills lately.

More on that later!

Beth Moore: Week One

This book is really growing on me! 

Our assignments for week one felt as though they were directed at me, and I am certain that I was not the only one.  There are thousands of readers following along on her blog and posting their thoughts and comments.  Our first assigment for reading this book was too right a note on the inside cover of the book (in prayer form, if we know Jesus) as to our intentions with this book.  I was honest of course stating that while I don't think I am riddled with insecurity like some, there is room for improvment in everyone. 

My real reason for joining this study? 

As selfish as it sounds, for some me time, devoted to self...seeking what God has to reveal to me. 

So I jumped right in, it is an easy read, very real and candid.  One of the thoughts that the author reveals is that if we know Jesus Christ Personally that he has chosen us, and appointed us to accomplish somehting good....Perhaps we entertain the idea that we know ourself better that God and he couldn't possibly mean us...I mean we're not qualified, right? 

Seriously, haven't we all been there!

And the other thought was a sort of laundry list of items that you would answer yes or no.

I had a lot of no's but felt the items in my yes column were big rocks(Franklin Covey)...

Last week, I asked for prayer for a situation I was facing and this situation has passed. 

I read an excerpt from this book and it was perfect and helped me thru that situation

as well as your prayers, thank you.

I  think this study was placed here so I could hear God's support for me as I faced that.

Does it hurt my feelings when I learn that someone doesn't like me? 

Yes, breaks my heart and I can't get over it. 

But I dread the backlash of people more than God.  Why?  He is more merciful (thank goodness!)

and

for

the

kicker...

In your pursuit of God-vested security,

 the only relationships in your life that will suffer

rather than improve are the significantly unhealthy ones.

-Beth Moore

I was reminded as I read this statement that these relationships are most likely built upon worldy things and desires.  Relationships of the heart will last becausethey are not built upon satisfactions of the world.

So, my thoughts were all over the place, I guess that is how my measley (I had to remind myself I am reading a book on insecurity) mind works! But I really like this book ,will post more as the study continues!

At the beach..

Daddy really did take a weekend trip to Florida.

We live in Indiana, this is not a weekend trip.

But, he is dreaming of buying an investment property.

{All I keep hearing in my head is that George Strait song, I've got some ocean front property in Arizona...}

Since he is there and we are here.

We pretended we were on the beach today.

Sweet.

More Jessica love

The boys love their baby doll.

And even though I bought the $5 dollar doll with the blue outfit,

she is most definitely a girl.

Baby Jessica rules in our home.

I love that they take naps with her {sometimes}

I mean we don't really miss her in between pretend sessions, but when they see her she trumps all.

We must find her bottle and booties.

And she even displaces the tools in the tool chest so that she can have her very own crib

And one more nap for good measure.

Snow Adventure

Today I went on a snow adventure with my 2 little men.

Isn't everything an adventure with 2 little men?

We have had a lot of snow. 

The good kind of snow.

Perfect for this...

and this

and this

We treked down the driveway to get the mail and circled back across the yard and then through the ditch towards home.

We stopped to roll down the hill...

and take a much needed break

because Sam said

 {at this point in the trip}

that home was far, far away.

We ended the trip full of smiles.

Grabbed some lunch and since we had treked so far...

naps for boys, blogging for mama.

Oh happy day!

Creative Space

My new creative space.

I was a scrapbooker.

Now I am a mama, and a blogger.

But oh how I still love pretty paper, stickers, brads, punches, and all things creative.

And it was time to bring it back into my life.

So up from the basement it came...

I was inspired by a ribbon project and a jar I had bought for a candy buffet.

So I turned my mess of ribbons...

I have a thing for striped kind I guess.

The idea came from a crafty blog of course, I will look for the link to post here.

It involved the old fashioned clothes pins.  But, I am the queen of using what I have

on hand, so popsicle sticks looked very similar.

And I love how it turned out!

This was the space before. 

DH built it for me when we moved in. 

I love it because it is at the corner of our playroom,

so the boys and I can spend hours in here, no joke.

But it had come time to spiff it up a bit and oh how refreshing!

I did not buy anything for the makeover, lets face it,

I have enough stuff...

And I have posted these pictures here

which hold me accountable to keep it this way.

Grin.

Missing Guato.

I took this snapshot this morning.

I couldn't resist.

Guato (yellow) and Mala (gray) were so warm and loving on each other.

But, let's be honest.  In the rush of the morning routine, getting myself and 2 young boys up, dressed, fed breakfast and thenout the door is about enough... photos don't generally happen. 

This morning I was going to unload the dishwasher with that sweet 2 extra minutes I had, but God put that picture of the kitties in my mind and so I grabbed the camera to take this sweet photo instead.

And tonight, am I so glad I did.

It was a blustry winter day and the kitties were seeking warmth, I am certain.

When we returned home from DH picking me up from work, we saw Guato.

I gulped and DH felt so bad.  I tried not to cry so DH didn't feel worse and the boys didn't worry.

  We think he had been in the truck engine.

Thoughts ran thru our head, wasn't he past this stage (I have lost little kitties to this). 

 Dan has seen Mala run from the truck as he got in, but did not see Guato. 

I have a lump in my throat.

The boys don't know.

Mala does, he has been giving me sad eyes all night.

How will we tell the boys?  Any thoughts?

If we treated everyone we meet

with the same affection we bestow upon our favorite cat,

they, too, would purr

Snow day for some!

We have a lot of this today.

Enough that most people have a snow day.

The kitties favorite winter spot is in on top of the hot tub.

They looked toooooo warm this morning, so cuddly.

So I took them food and water so they could have a snow day.

And then daddy called b/c grandma was having a snow day

 and she wanted her boys to spend the day with her.

So we put on our winter gear and waited {comfortably?}

for papaw to come and be our hero.

And even though mama wished she could pretend she had no shoes, {because the ones she wore yesterday and stepped in dog poo and had to leave on the porch were covered in snow}  we all know that mama has more shoes and so...thanks to papaw...I, too, bundled up and treked into the snow.

So much for my snow day.