He Arose

My mother in law sent this clip to me.

And it is to precious not to pass on to y'all.

It's so hot I think my brain is fried

I can not believe it's the end of June, what happened to April and May?

I also can not believe how hot it is! The temps have been running in 100's and that's with out the heat index.

Even the pool water is warm, and that is just gross. It's like taking a bath!

So in honor of the heat I am posting this picture.



And yes it is hot enough to fry an egg on the cement.

How hot is it by you?

Elvis now has a mullet

I couldn't resist taking this picture the other day.

R4 went into my closet and pulled out my dress boots and also found Hubs' Elvis wig from my 40th birthday party.

This is the lovely creation he came up with.

Sweet sleeping faces

The burn pile

We have trees here. Big, huge mammoth trees.

Hubs and I decided to cut one down because we wanted to start a fire in the fire place.

You know it's only 100 degrees outside and we thought it would be a great idea to snuggle and roast marshmallows.

Who am I kidding, it's freakin' hot already and who needs a fire in the fireplace when you can go outside and cook on the sidewalk.

We didn't like where the tree was so we cut it down.

This lead to on massive burn pile. And before our county puts out the annual burn ban we thought it was best to hold our very own bon fire.

Thanks for coming and the marshmallows are already made into smores. Please join us inside where the temperature is a cool 65 degrees!

Happy late Father's Day

I hope everyone had a great Father's Day with their family.

Hubs, you are a wonderful husband and father, I couldn't ask for better! Thank you for all you do for us! We love you.

I am still recovering from the days activities.

We got a late start for church, so I made pancakes for breakfast.

Then we played out side and play so much we came in and took a nap.

Then we went to some friends to swim and grill.

The boys had a blast.

And R4 is swimming great! By the end of the summer he will be just like his brother, a fish!

I hope everyone has a great start to their week.

As for me, I think I might have found a job! I will know more by the afternoon.

Keep your fingers crossed and please send up a few prayers!

Tighten up, hit it!

R4 wanted me to buy a small pool for him to play in so he could just jump in and out.

So I indulged him and he has had more fun this week.

He wanted to play and not wear a life jacket or floaties.

When we go to the lake and ski, we always say "tighten up", this lets Big Guy know to tighten the ski rope and "hit it" means to take off, we are ready.

R4 decided that flopping on the side of the pool was a bit like water skiing.

What do y'all think?

VBS kitchen stadium and the 30 day shred

Yeah, I'm still choppin', slicin' and dicin' in VBS kitchen stadium.

Oh did I also tell you we are still in the middle of All- Star baseball?

That's how we roll.

And only bad thing I have found is that working in the kitchen during VBS you get to sample all the desserts that are brought in for the night.

And now my hips, thighs, and butt have all grown another size.

Maybe next week would be a good time to start The 30 Shred.

I bought the video a few weeks ago and then hurt my back and then you know I got distracted with my lack of employment. And well now it's STILL sitting on my counter in the plastic wrap.

Yeah that's how I roll. Or maybe that's why I still have rolls.

At some point I lost my mind

For the first time since Hubs and I have been married and going to church our VBS (vacation bible school) is at night.

I am so excited about this. Usually we aren't able to attend our home church VBS because it is during the day and I am normally working. Emphasis on the word normally.

Any way,

So VBS kicks off tonight with a parade and BBQ.

And I have volunteered to work in the kitchen preparing meals for the evening. I will be helping with meals for around 200 people. Hence loosing my mind.

In the past we have attended another churches VBS at night and I have worked in the craft room. I loved it.

Now I'll be in the kitchen chopping, slicing, and dicing just like on Iron Chef, OK well not so much.

But I will be chopping, and slicing, and what ever else is needed.

And I am almost certain that for the next week my mind will be on auto pilot and the posts might be scarce.

So please come back and check on me to make sure I haven't been banished into kitchen stadium which I'm sure Bobby Flay, Michael Simon, or Kat Cora have all been anxiously awaiting my arrival.

Summer and I'm a winner

First I owe a huge THANK YOU to Boo Mama!

I was one of the winners of the Travis Cottrell Live CD give away she had.

One word...AMAZING!!!

I love it! I have been listening every chance I get. And if you haven't heard it, go out and buy the CD, it will not disappoint.

It's summer time and for the first time since high school, and that's a long time ago, I find my self not employed.

And I have to say I am really enjoying the time with my boys.

We have had some lazy days and some very busy days.

I have also been actively pursing employment and have been pretty busy doing so but I am also taking time out to have some fun.

So while the job search is ongoing, I'm going to do my best to set time aside each week and focus on just them.

Because who knows when I might get the opportunity again. And it has become a precious time with my family.

Mr. President, here is your reminder!!!

Minus one

I am minus one child.

Right now R4 is at the lake with the grandparents.

I love my in-laws, have I told you that?

I really do. They are wonderful people.

The grandparents take each grandchild by themselves for a week to spend some one on one time with each of them.

So this is R4's week and some time in July will be R8's turn.

I love that they get to hang out with them at the lake.

For one week they get to do pretty much whatever they want. And as a bonus for Hubs and I we get to spend some one on one time with R8.

I also like knowing as some point during the summer I get to just lavish all my attention on one child. And I know they love it too. Not having to share mom or dad with anyone, what more could a child ask for.

So since R4 is gone, I'm off to go play a marathon round of Uno with R8.

Why is it so hard?

Believe me when I say I am no parenting expert.

But why in the world is this job so stinkin' hard?

It lifts you up to the highest floor only to bring you right back to ground level.

It fills your heart with so much love you think it will break only to have it pinched so it hurts.

It makes you laugh a big belly laugh only to bring a waterfall of tears from your eyes.

It makes you feel as if nothing else matters only to make you feel as if everything matters.

So why is parenting so stinkin' hard?

It's only the second week of summer and I have feel as if I have been put in blender and turned into a grape slush.

I know I signed up for this parenting gig, full force, 150%, 24/7, forever, but someone please help!

My buttons have been mashed in not pushed and the finger paint therapy is no longer working.

So what do y'all do when you feel this way, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Just a great day!

Have you ever had one of those great days? Where everything is just easy, fun, and relaxed?

I had one of those days yesterday.

We got up, went to church, came home, ate lunch, played in the pool, went to a meeting at church, ate dinner, and just hung out.

It was so nice.

I loved spending time with all three of my boys. We even sat on the couch for some family time.

Our new favorite summer time show is Wipeout! If you haven't seen it, check it out. It comes on ABC.

I've even made it easy for you, here's the link.

Anyway.

The weather was even nice for June, the temps were great and we even had a breeze.

We haven't reached out 127* mark yet but I know it's coming!

We have another black eye

Life has been so crazy here lately I can't remember if I told you R8 made All-Stars for baseball.

I'm so proud of him! And this means that I get to eat pickle flavored sunflower seeds for at least another month!

Anyway.

Hubs and R8 were in the yard the other day, practicing some catcher drills.

And the next thing I swear happened in slow motion.

Hubs threw the ball and R8 didn't move, I don't think he was fully paying attention.

(His own fault if you are going to play catcher)

((I'm such a sympathetic mom, huh?))

And the ball hit him square in eye. Well really the outside of the eye right around the temple and the cheek bone.

R8 even had the baseball stitching print just below his eye brow.

He cried for about 2 minutes and got right back in position and he and Hubs threw for a few more minutes.

And right now R8 has the beautiful colors of black, blue, purple, green, and yellow all around his eye.

It looks as if he has applied some bad eyeshadow from back in the 80's.

And the ironic thing is at some point during baseball season every year since he has been playing he receives a black eye.

Usually it's from a team mate, this time it just happens to be his dad. Hubs really did for sorry for him.

Get a load of this.

Driving around in my automobile

I literally drove all over town yesterday filling out job applications and putting out my resume.

I'm tired!

Who knew getting in and out of your car all day could wear you out this much.

I kinda felt like Big Mama when she talks about her days as a medical drug rep. minus the food. (and please correct me Big Mama, if I'm wrong) How she was always in and out of her car toting food to a doctors office.

Most places do everything on line now but there are still some out there where putting a face with a name says something.

So while I still don't have a job, it was a productive day with many possibilities.

I feel up lifted and encouraged.

And that's a good thing.

He is leading me

I don't know about you but when bad or rough times are upon me and I am in "the valley" I truly believe that God is right there with me.

And when the tough time are over and I am at the top of the mountain I can look back and see exactly where He was walking with me or holding me or just nudged me in the right direction.

For the past week for some reason, even before I lost my job, God had woken me up in the wee hours of the morning, 1:38 or 3:27, to be exact to talk to me.

And while sleeping is something I love, I get up, go sit in the recliner, and listen to Him.

I ask questions too. Like show me all the closed doors so I can focus my time and energy on the open ones.

Well, He listened to me and showed me a closed door yesterday for I job that I thought I really wanted.

And I thanked Him for that and began to ask Him again to show me the open ones. To nudge or shove, a huge shove, in the right direction.

I used to be in banking and I really don't want to go back into that field, but I think the nudge I'm receiving is back that way.

Every time I am on the phone with someone, banking comes up. Every time.

Not talking about my old job, but new ones that are available.

So today I am going to be "pounding the streets" going the mentioned banks and seeing what's what.

I'm listening to God. I being reverent. I going where God is leading me.

I'm at a fork in the road and He is the only one to tell me to go either left or right.

I only pray I take the right road.

It happened

You know I'm all about honesty here so I'm just gonna put this out there.

You know I told you all about my job and the the situation.

Well it happened. The end has come.

And know what?

I'm OK.

I think I'm OK.

I loved my job, the old part not the new.

But I also know God shut that door and has opened a new one. I just need to seek it out.

I need to have personal time with God so I can hear him speak and seek His will

I have had several interviews and still have one more this week. And I know Gods hand is all over it.

He brought me much comfort today. He gave me peace and wrapped me in His arms and held me tight.

He told me things are going to be OK, in time, His time.

So here I am again, on my knees, praying, seeking His will.

And again, I am asking for prayers for me.

And thanks, it means the world to know some one, some where is praying you through.

Bittersweet

My dear friend S has a daughter who is graduating from high school this year.

Well actually she already did, graduation was Friday night.

WAY TO GO H!!!

I have watched her daughter grow from a little girl of six years old to a beautiful young lady.

And the time for S right now is filled with bittersweet memories. Sweet because she remembers all of her time with H. Bitter because H is growing into a woman and taking her own path in life.

S talks about the memories of her first baby cuddled in her arms. Her first smile. Her first steps, and her first words.

Memories of H walking down the kindergarten hall at school and being promoted to Jr. high and then high school.

Memories of her being a cheerleader, to her getting her drivers license and her beloved Ford Mustang.

And while the road hasn't always been easy it has been paved with love. Only love that a mother can give.

S just told me last week, she blinked and the years are gone. She blinked and H went from turning one to turning eighteen.

Again she holds on to those bittersweet memories.

Her baby will be going off to college and leaving home. S knows the days H being at home every day are few and precious.

She wonders if she had taught her daughter everything she will need to grow in life. To become a woman one day. To follow her heart and God's will in her life.

S wonders if she had taught her daughter to be strong and gracious. To be bold yet humble. To search God when times are troubled. To listen to Him when He speaks to her heart.

I know she has taught her daughter these things.

Know how I know? I take one look at S and see all of the above listed things and so much more.

H has had the best role model in life. She has nothing to worry about.

H, I'm so proud of you! I know great things are in store for you. God has a wonderful plan for you.

S, I love you! And yes the time is bittersweet. But know this my friend....You are a Godly woman, a gracious woman, a loving woman, a smart woman, and a kind hearted woman. You are a wonderful mother and role model for your children. You are the epitome of what a mother should be.

I only hope that when I grow up I am half the mother and woman you are!!

I love you both!!