Our Joy...His Glory

the {true} vow

2012-02-14T12:18:00.000-06:00

A few days ago, some friends and I went to see THE VOW. It was an okay movie, but I was disappointed because I had already read the true story of Kim and Krickett Carpenter and the movie didn't portray it the way I would have liked--that's Hollywood, right? In fact, in the movie, the couple gets divorced. DIVORCED!!! What kind of vow is that???? (sorry if I spoiled it for some of you) Just like Hollywood to make a movie called The Vow where the couple breaks said vow.

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The actual story is wonderful--no divorce here. That story would have been a terrific movie. It is a story that starts with a commitment to God and then to the vows made before Him to love one another no matter what. They had a tough go round, but in the end they remained committed. In fact, Kim had to date Krickett all over again just like he did to win her love in the beginning. She didn't recall him at all, but Krickett fell in love with her man again for the second time.

SO........if you get a chance, pick up the book:

And that is my two cents.

swim.in.

2012-02-14T00:00:00.000-06:00

Aunt Ann and Aunt Dorothy came to see us this weekend. One of the highlights of their visit was the trip to the hotel pool--indoor pool.

new swimsuits (in February)

first pair of flip flops {i think....i can't remember}

Awwwwwww.

{love} is in the air

2012-02-13T21:08:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day is tomorrow.

Today, Graham came home early from work with roses and some cards. The first thing he said as he entered the door was, "I know you don't like gifts early, but there's a reason."

He handed each of his girls a single rose (a little tradition he's created).

Then, he handed me a card that contained seven separate cards...

Apparently, I'm going to get a little something each day this week. How sweet is that?

Today, we headed to some local antique/junk stores looking for a little something for the house. He knows me well.

We LOVE {our} man!

{play}date

2012-02-09T09:48:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I hosted a play group at our house. We had a wonderful time--kids and mommies.

I'm so thankful for these kiddos and the friendships their mommies and I have with one another.

Lunch at the Cabin

2012-02-07T14:14:00.000-06:00

The girls got a Little Tikes Log Cabin from some family members for Christmas. It happens to ~~still~~ be in my living room. When it gets a little warmer, it will find a new home outside. For now, it's nice to have lunch in the cabin while watching a little Sesame Street.

Q & A Christianity

2012-02-06T20:10:00.000-06:00

Some of you may remember the Q & A time we have with AG. If not, you can check it out HERE and HERE.

Edy has learned the first five questions and answers. I'm one proud momma!

WOW!! There's just something about your kid saying, "For HIS glory!" I pray that both of my girls will begin to understand what that truly means.

Cool Gabbies!

2012-02-04T16:19:00.002-06:00

Bye, bye fleece-footed gabbies. It's too hot for you.

Can you believe it's February? I don't know about other parts of the country, but around here it feels like May.

Yesterday AG said, "Mommy, it's a cold summer day!" There's a lot of truth in that statement.

Biker Buddies

2012-02-02T08:30:00.000-06:00

{new} coffee table

2012-01-31T09:07:00.003-06:00

A few days ago, I was doing some cleaning at the church and came across an old coffee table. I asked around and nobody wanted it (it was about to get trashed) so I brought it home. After some tlc, sanding and staining, I have a new (to me) coffee table.

I wish I had taken a pic before I did the make-over. It looks a whole lot different now.

I {think} that's all of the home/craft posts for a while. Pics of the kids coming soon!

Revamp an Old Canvas Painting

2012-01-30T09:39:00.001-06:00

I've been getting brave--remember my home goals post?

I focused on these two goals when I did this project:

I'm not going to be scared to do what I like
I'm going to be frugal

How many of you have a canvas "painting" just hanging around that sparks no interest and just fills a space to fill a space? I DO!!!! I DO!!!!

I got a wild-hair (do people still say that?) and took some initiative, didn't worry about messing up, and I think I made something sort-of nice. By the way, I didn't steal this one from Pinterest!! Yay for using my own mind!

[before]

Step One: I painted over the "painting" with black spray paint (Chalkboard paint would be cute if you wanted to take this project in a different direction.)
*tip: My painting had texture, but it wasn't in any certain shape. If you have a painting where the brush strokes are raised, you will need to sand them down so the design doesn't show through.

Step Two: After the paint dried, I covered it up with paper and painters tape and spray painted the frame a creamy white.

Step Three: When I peeled off the tape and paper, I had some spots where the spray paint leaked a bit. I took a black Sharpie marker and touched it up.

Step four: I painted the canvas. I free-handed the word faithfulness with a paint pen and then stenciled the rest of the words with acrylic craft paint and a sponge.

Step Five: I touched up the mess-ups with a black paint pen.

So..........it's not perfect. I can pick out about five things I wish I could fix, but that's not inline with my goals, right?

New Wreath

2012-01-29T21:16:00.000-06:00

After church, some of the ladies hung around and worked on different craft projects.

Here's what I made:

It needs something else...maybe a little banner of some kind.

I've never made rosettes before and I found a tutorial on...wait for it...PINTEREST!

I need more practice, but I like how they turned out. I'm excited to make some hair clips for the girls, maybe one of those bib necklaces for me, who knows--the possibilities are endless!

Makeshift Mudroom

2012-01-28T12:49:00.001-06:00

I've always loved the idea of a mudroom. Hmmmm...if you know me well enough you know that {MUD}room and me don't quite go together. I don't know...I guess I just like cubbies, lockers, baskets, a small space for everyone to put a few items, etc.

I would love a piece like this...

Even better, this:

But for now, I'll have to settle for a little space I created with 12 bucks!

A while back, a friend of mine was getting rid of an old bench and I saw it as an opportunity to {be creative}.

[before]

So, I painted it, hated it, and stuck it outside.

After Christmas, my sweet mother-in-love saw it outside and suggested I bring it in to fill a small narrow space I have by the backdoor(s). I argued that it was ugly, but she won! I also had an old mirror that was in AG's nursery that I hung above it. I bought a basket and a coat rack to finish the project. Done!

AND, I haven't given up on those lockers. I'm on the look-out.

Rainy Day Fun

2012-01-25T16:16:00.000-06:00

It's been raining and raining and raining...

So....we've been painting and painting and painting...

And I don't mind at all...

Cause the the clean-up is as easy as turning on the shower!

{sweet}

2012-01-23T18:52:00.000-06:00

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Minis

my. new. favorite. candy.

Today, Graham came home for lunch (something he rarely does) with a sweet card and a package of these. What a nice surprise! Hello, 360 unexpected calories!

Happy Birthday, Edy Rose!

2012-01-21T15:18:00.000-06:00

Today is Edy's birthday and we had a little party to celebrate her special day.

Keeping with tradition, we've been trying to have a bigger {more extravagant...if you wanna call it that} party every other year. Last year, we had a huge shindig for Edy's first birthday. This year we kept it simple and cheap!

Edy loves The Veggie Tales and I thought that would be simple enough to do--WRONG! Walmart discontinued Veggie Tales cakes, Great American Cookie can't use them because they are a trademarked cartoon, I don't ~~can't~~ make cakes, and I didn't want to spend more than 20 bucks--which ruled out any special bakeries. Brookshires does edible images so I printed a picture of Bob and Larry and they applied it to a cake. One problem...when we got the cake home, we found a misspelling: "Happy 2cd Birthday, Edy Rose". I called the store and they made a whole new cake. In a nut shell, I got the cake for free! Now how's that for a cheap party!?!

Cute enough.

Cheap decorations (i.e. 5 minutes = print outs from the internet, construction paper, popsicle sticks, mason jars, and tissue paper)

It wouldn't be a Veggie Tales party without...VEGGIES! Uh huh, I spot Bob and Larry on that tray (poor guys).

I made this sign a while back and it makes an appearance at all of our birthdays.

The Birthday Girl!

TWO YEARS OLD

Make a Wish!

AG was SO excited for Edy!

Edy got a CAR--a Cozy Coupe.

Nice Ride!

Parking the car outside of the cabin (All of this stuff will be making it's way out of my living room and into the yard VERY SOON!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EDY ROSE!

Growing Girl!

2012-01-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

Somebody's TWO!

2012-01-21T00:00:00.000-06:00

Edy's two!

Last week, I took some pictures of her in honor of her second birthday! Here are a few of my favorites.

Dinner for Two

2012-01-20T00:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday afternoon, I noticed that it was abnormally quiet around the house. I peeked in on the girls to find them calmly enjoying this quaint little dinner for two.

They love their vintage Tupperware tea set. Thanks, Gran!

Oh, I forgot Bitty--make it dinner for three.

I love my little sweethearts!

Let Me Introduce You...

2012-01-19T19:11:00.001-06:00

...to Edy's friends

from left to right:
Bardey (Barney), Monk (Monkey), Baby Pony (My Little Pony), Warry (Larry), Dordee (Dora)

Every night, Edy sleeps with these guys. If I accidentally leave one in the basket, she reminds me. It's not bedtime without them.

***By the way, I took down the baby bed. Edy is officially sleeping in her "big girl" bed and doing a great job. We will hit the ground running on Monday for "Potty Training Boot Camp". Ch-ch-ch-changes are a comin'!***

It's a Beautiful Day {in the neighborhood}

2012-01-19T17:36:00.001-06:00

Question: Is it really January?

Just look at these temps...

It's been gorgeous and we've spent some much needed time exploring, riding bikes, finding treasures, using our imaginations, and just having a good ole' time!

I found a big patch of clovers with a red dot on each leaf. Strange? I've never seen them before.

I hope all of my southern friends are enjoying this fun in the sun because next week it could be snowing. You never know in these parts!

What I'm Reading...

2012-01-16T18:23:00.002-06:00

Be Mature: Growing up in Christ by Warren W. Wiersbe

AG's special verse

2012-01-15T09:19:00.001-06:00

"Do everything without complaining or arguing." Philippians 2:14

AG is giving Philippians 2:14 a lot of air time here lately. She pretty much has to recite it on a ~~daily~~ hourly basis.

Don't we all???? Every day--every hour??

1 Week from Today...

2012-01-14T17:27:00.000-06:00

...Edy Rose will be TWO!!!

I just can't believe how my little baby is growing. In honor of her birthday, I took her out for some pics and I will post the final cut on her actual birthday. Here are a few that are cute, but the lighting isn't quite right, I didn't like the outfit for outdoors pics, and so on and so forth. As I learn more about my camera--more about photography in general, I see how far I have to go. Can you tell I'm hard on myself?

But....when my subject is as cute as Rosie, it makes up for my poor skills, right?

I had to post this picture of Ro's hair. Can you tell it's growing? I got it cut last week to try and even it out a bit. It's slowly shaping into a bob. Cute, huh?

{ahem} She SO lacks personality!

That's the look of a gal who's almost TWO!

Wook at MEEEE!!

2012-01-13T00:00:00.000-06:00

We're wookin', Edy.

This girl--she's a climber!

She loves hats.

She's entering TeRRiBlE TwOs, Oh My.

She's an actor!

Yep, always putting on a show!

She's a fighter--doesn't take any crud from her big sister!

She's a beaut!

A video of her climbing and saying, "Wook at MEEE!":

Desktop Background

2012-01-12T20:41:00.001-06:00

Thing of the past...

2012-01-12T08:03:00.000-06:00

As I was cleaning, it dawned on me....Why am I keeping these space suckers!?!

With the rise of smart phones, I'm afraid these guys are a thing of the past.

Home Goals

2012-01-11T08:11:00.001-06:00

I'm linking up with The Nester for this post and jotting down my...

Here goes nothing...

I'm not going to be scared to do what I like.
I'm not going to be okay with a "pretty house" at the expense of things I love.
I'm going to lighten up a bit--literally (more cream, white, sage, yellow, etc.)
I'm going to keep it simple and not "over-think" things.
I'm going to be frugal.
I'm going to add more natural stuff around the house.
I'm not going to let my home become an idol.

my attempt at "lightening-up" my dark leather couch

With every new year, I revamp my house a bit. This year, I have really had more creativity than normal. I've been doing a lot of things around the house (rearranging, adding/taking away, spray-painting, etc.) Things are beginning to come together and...I like it. After 18 months of stale, I am finally starting to figure it all out! I think. As The Nester says, "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." True.

Stole it from Pinterest: Homemade Sugar Scrub

2012-01-08T08:49:00.000-06:00

I. heart. Pinterest. Y'all know that, right?

I pinned this scrub a few weeks ago and made it for Christmas gifts.

Source: maybematilda.com via Leslie on Pinterest

It was so simple to make and fun to create.

I got the clamp jars from IKEA for next to nothing, the essential oil came from a whole foods store, the spoons came from Wal-Mart, and everything else was stuff I had around the house.

Farm Christmas

2012-01-06T09:30:00.000-06:00

Each Christmas, Graham's family has a reunion out at "the farm". There's always a ton of wonderful food, catching up with loved ones, great singing, and lots of laughs. This year was no exception.

Uncle Wayne, Edy Rose, and Na

AG loved playing with her cousins

Edy was content playing all by herself.

The future of the Ward family

Uncle Wayne, "Christmas", and Rosie

the oldest and the youngest at the farm

(Mamaw and Edy Rose)

Each year, everyone brings a gift for the person he/she drew the previous year. Most of the time, the gifts are homemade. I love seeing what everybody came up with or created.

The kids get a little something too!

Unlike most of the Ward family, Corey is NOT a Razorback fan. Brian drew Corey's name and gave him his "famous shirtless pose". This year, the theme was "house-divided"...you get the picture!

Here's a video of the Ward family singing to end the fun day:

Christmas in Conway {in pictures}

2012-01-03T06:30:00.000-06:00

Christmas in Magnolia {in pictures}

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

Christmas Day

2012-01-02T19:47:00.000-06:00

I have been on a blogging break and now I'm back--lots and lots of pictures to post (not much to say right now). Hopefully, in a week or two, I will be back to normal (unpacked, settled, and back in the swing of things).

I decorated the church for Christmas. It was fun, but this week I have a TON of work to do before Sunday.

Our "Christmas" Day {in pictures}

2011-12-24T20:11:00.000-06:00

...LOTS of pictures

Fruit Dip

2011-12-23T07:30:00.000-06:00

When Graham and I were engaged, we got a bunch of recipes from our marriage class as a gift. One recipe that I make quite a bit is the fruit dip and I made a special change a few years ago. It's easy, yummy, and a hit around here.

Fruit Dip

ingredients:

8 oz. sour cream
1.5 cups light brown sugar (You can add more or less of the sugar, it's not a deal breaker.)
Heath toffee chips (my special change)

directions:

Mix the sugar and sour cream and then add as many toffee chips as you like.

Puppy Chow {for humans}

2011-12-22T08:58:00.000-06:00

Along with the pound cake in a jar, I made puppy chow and chex mix for some staff members and close friends. Even though, I'm not much into baking, every year I enjoy making a few things for friends and family.

I've been making puppy chow for years, but I have never looked at a recipe. I first had it back in 8th grade Home Economics and fell in love. I tried to recreate it and I think I've got it down.

So, here's my {totally unhealthy} version of Puppy Chow (hate the name, btw):

Ingredients:
Chocolate Almond Bark
Creamy Peanut Butter
Powdered Sugar
Toasted Rice Cereal

Melt the entire package of almond bark in the microwave and then add peanut butter to taste. I add about 2 cups of peanut butter. Heat the peanut butter and chocolate in the microwave until you have a creamy mixture.

In a LARGE bowl, coat the chex with the chocolate peanut butter.

Then pour powdered sugar (it will take close to a whole bag) over the gooey chocolate and coat the chex (it helps if you have a bowl with a lid so you can shake it really well). After the chex are covered with powdered sugar, put the puppy chow in the fridge to harden.

Once the chocolate is firm, sift off the extra powdered sugar and ENJOY!

I'm here to tell you, this stuff is so good. I literally can make myself sick eating it!

"Talk to Towatoes"

2011-12-21T22:30:00.000-06:00

What's with the title? I'll get to that.

First off....the wig is BACK! We've got a lot of wear out of this thing. Remember when AG first got it? If not, this should refresh your memory.

This girl puts a big 'ole smile on my face!

So, about the title--Edy LOVES Veggie Tales. You know these guys, right?

Instead of singing, "If you like to talk to tomatoes, if a squash can make you smile/ If you like to waltz with potatoes, up and down the produce aisle..." Edy sings, "If you like to talk to TOWATOES, if a squash can make you SMIIII-ULLLE/ If you like to waltz with TOWATOES, up and down the produce SMIIIII-ULLLE!" Or something to that effect. Check out the videos and watch my little cheeseball in action.

O Holy Night

2011-12-21T09:41:00.000-06:00

Last night, we had a play using the Bible as our script. We acted out the night of our dear Savior's birth. *the things we do to teach our little ones*

O Holy Night

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;

It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born!

O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,

Here came the wise men from Orient land.

The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,

In all our trials born to be our Friend!

He knows our need—to our weakness is no stranger.

Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His Gospel is peace.

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother

And in His Name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

Let all within us praise His holy Name!

Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!

Christmas Kids

2011-12-19T20:00:00.000-06:00

Keeping with tradition, I took pictures of the girls in their "Christmas" church attire. Plus, it gave me more time to practice with my new camera. I am slowly but surely going to move from P-mode to manual--just say no to auto, right? It's going to take some time and practice, but after Christmas I plan on reading a book I have on digital photography and watching some video tutorials. I just wish all of that stuff I learned in college photography class would come back to me.

Anyway, here are the girls...My Christmas Kids

Christmas kid(s) 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Brown Sugar Pound Cake {in a jar}

2011-12-19T08:57:00.000-06:00

First off, I must give props to my wonderful mother-in-love, Renee. She gave me this great recipe and I have to share it because it is easy and makes an excellent gift!

Brown-Sugar Pound Cake

(in a jar)

You will need pint sized jars. *Make sure they are wide mouth jars or the cake won't come out.*

Clean the jars and make sure they are completely dry. Coat the jars with Baker's Joy. I sprayed the inside of each jar and then rubbed it in with a paper towel.

Here are the ingredients:

1 lb. box of light brown sugar
1 cup of milk
1 cup of white sugar
3 cups of all-purpose flour
6 medium eggs
1/4 cup of vegetable or canola oil
1 cup chopped pecans
2 sticks of soften butter
2 tsp Vanilla ( I used Mexican vanilla)

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl--I used a hand mixer. Pre-heat oven to 350.

Once the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, fill the jars a little over half-way full. I was able to fill 7 jars with the the batter. Clean off the rim of the jar with a paper towel.

Place the jars on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven for and hour and a half.

You will notice the cake rise and some will rise out of the jar. This freaked me out, but it is normal. They will shrink a bit and you will push the rest of the cake in with the lid....no worries!

When the cakes are finished baking, take one jar out at a time. Make sure the rim of the jar is completely clean and then firmly press the lid to the jar (pushing down the cake) then tightly twist the ring.

In about 30 minutes the cakes should be completely sealed in the jar (there won't be a bubble when you press on the the lid if they sealed correctly) If they didn't seal properly--it's okay. They should last about a week. If they did seal, then they should be good for about a year.

Once they have cooled, fancy them up how ever you like!!!

When you are ready to eat the cake, it should just fall right out!!

It tastes wonderful and it's great with a cup of coffee!!!

Christmas Parties

2011-12-18T16:03:00.000-06:00

Other than a small party we are giving the children's workers at church--we are done with parties! They are fun while they last, but I usually breathe a sigh of relief once they are done and over with.

This year, I hosted two parties {and loved every minute of it} along with attending three others.

Last Friday night, we hosted appetizers at our church's annual progressive dinner. It was a lot of fun to travel to a few homes and fellowship with our church family.

I am the publicity coordinator for our local MOPS group and Monday we had our steering committee dinner. Nothing fancy, but a nice time out with the girls.

Tuesday night, I hosted the ladies Christmas party. It was SO. much. FUN! We had lots of great food, a great ornament exchange where the claws came out, and a great time to talk with the wonderful ladies from my church.

Here are some pictures from the Ladies Christmas Party...

{Holding our ornaments}
I love looking a pictures of people having fun!

Wednesday, we had our MOPS Christmas party.

Before we left, I took a picture with my "big" girl! Check out those earrings. Aunt Christmas lovingly gave those to AG and she begged to wear them to the Christmas party. I obliged.

Edy had a little fever and stayed home with Graham, but she joined us for a picture.

We played a "reindeer game" and stuffed panty hose with balloons.

We also had a gift exchange, but it didn't get near as crazy as the one on Tuesday night!

The 2010-2011 Steering Team

On a sidenote: One of the first things I noticed about this picture was that I don't look short...and I love it! [ahem...wearing heels]

Wednesday night, we had our small group party. It was chill....which was good after all of the "big" parties.

What I'm Reading...

2011-12-16T20:12:00.000-06:00

The Reason for God by Timothy Keller

The Final Biography

2011-12-15T19:43:00.002-06:00

I just finished Forgotten God by Francis Chan. Wow! What a wonderful book! It is a must read for sure.

He ended his book powerfully and I wanted to share:

The Final Biography:

What if this last biography were about your life? What would be written here? Would we read stories about the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit or stories about what you have accomplished on your own? Don't be discouraged if there is not a lot of the Holy Spirit's working in your past. Pray in complete faith right now. Ask God to have His Spirit work so mightily in you that it would make for an amazing biography. A biography that speaks of a life so supernatural that no one would even consider giving you the glory. A biography that displays the power of the Spirit and lifts up the name of Jesus to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

What a wonderful challenge for believers. I want this kind of biography--one that proclaims the name of Jesus and gives God all the glory!!! I'm convicted, I'm moved, I'm encouraged, and I'm excited to see the Holy Spirit at work in my life!

Forgotten God Widget testgreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

Fa-la-la Fabulous Fridays

2011-12-15T19:30:00.000-06:00

I was highlighted on...

Check out the post on Finding Home.

Santa????

2011-12-15T13:12:00.000-06:00

Every year, we are confronted with the whole Santa issue. Where do we fall? In the past, I've fought the urge to put our position (or lack of) out there. Our kids have been young and we haven't looked at the issue critically. But, alas, we've landed on one that works for us. But instead of writing it all out, I'll share a few links that have helped us along the way.

Santa, Strategically by Jen Wilkin

Thinking about Santa by Noel Piper

These are just two of the MANY positions out there, but these are the two that we have come to merge. You will find that these links contradict one another...to an extent. I guess we are a combination of the two views. We've thought long and hard about it and had lots of discussions and I'm good with where we have landed. I'll leave it at that.

Linkin' Up {Christmas Tour}

2011-12-13T16:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, I did a complete Christmas Home Tour HERE, but I combined it into one post so I could link up to all of the great home tours in blogland. I've said before that I enjoy looking at home decor and these tours are just what the doctor ordered!!

So, Blog World, here is my Christmas Home Tour 2011. . . . . . .

{kitchen and entry way}

{living room}

{fresh greenery all around}

{mantle and nativity}

{little touches}
{entryway tree}
{Ava Grace's tree}

{the tree}

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!" Yes it is! I love all of the fun--the decorations, the home tours, the parties, the giving. Most importantly, we celebrate a Savior--that's what makes this time of year so wonderful. In John 1: 1-5, 14 we are told that...

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

In this passage, John tells us that the Eternal Son of God--the second person of the Trinity equal in person to God the Father left the riches of heaven and came to earth to dwell among us.

He stepped down into this dark and dead world to bring light and life.

Jesus is SO much more than a baby in a barn or the son of a carpenter. He is our Creator King who came to bring us life by giving up his own.

She's Country

2011-12-13T10:44:00.000-06:00

You boys ever met a real country girl?Talkin, true blue, out in the woods, down home, country girl

Country, (shoot) from her cowboy boots to her down home roots

She's country, from the songs she plays to the prayers she prays,

That's the way she was born and raised, she ain't afraid to stay, country

Brother she's country!!!

A "How-To" Post

2011-12-10T11:53:00.000-06:00

I have these glazed ceramic canisters I got at Pier One a few years back. They are really dark, but I love their shape. I decided (on a whim) to paint them and they turned out GREAT! So I'm here to tell you all about it. Yes, you can spray paint ceramics!!!!

{the canisters before I spray painted them}

First, I gave them a coat of Krylon Dual Paint and Primer.
I let that dry and then gave them a second coat.
I let that dry and then gave them a coat of some regular spray paint. I used a creamy white.

After the spray paint dried, I gave them a coat of Rust-oleum Crystal Clear Enamel for a little bit of gloss.

{the finished project}

YAY! for spray paint! What would I do without you?

It's Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas

2011-12-10T11:52:00.000-06:00

We've been in TX for over 15 months and I don't think I have ever posted a pic of our house. I took a picture walking down our driveway.

We have been so blessed to get to live here while we are trying to sell our home in Ft. Smith. We are still praying for that house to sell every day, but we are thankful to the Lord for providing for us in the meantime.

Since we are having a couple of Christmas parties at our house, I decorated the outside just a little.

A pro for living in the piney woods of East Texas--lots of pine limbs for the taking!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Hush Little Baby

2011-12-09T21:00:00.000-06:00

So thankful.

Crazy Cleanin' Lady

2011-12-09T18:14:00.000-06:00

That's me!!!

Every year, about this time, I do a MAJOR cleaning of the house and get rid of old stuff. (At Christmas, we try to take a big load to The Salvation Army or Goodwill.) Plus, I am hosting two Christmas parties and that is another motivation to get my house spotless!! So, for the past two days, I have been cleaning like crazy--dusting (fans, baseboards, furniture), scrubbing (any and everything), vacuuming, mopping, polishing furniture, fixing stuff, spray painting stuff, washing linens, etc.

On the topic of washing linens, I decided to wash the sheets on the top bunk of AG's bed. No one has ever slept up there, but I thought those sheets might be a little dusty.

Oh. my. goodness. Changing a top bunk bed should be used to torture people. It is insane. I don't think I have every tucked, folded, or maneuvered like I did to fix that bed. It was a work out! I took a picture to ~~brag~~ show the fruits of my labor.

Speaking of torture...I LOATHE cleaning the shower--always have. You with me? More than anything, I hate cleaning a shower with a shower door (the old kind). Those things are cesspools for mold and mildew. I just want to take that blasted thing off and put up a curtain. And yes, I use that spray that your supposed to use after each shower--the mold still has a way of creeping in the picture. I clean that shower weekly and hate it every. single. time.

So what were my kids doing while I was cleaning?....running around with nothing but panties/diaper on, sporting ratty hair, unbrushed teeth, and dirty faces! Judge me all you want! :)

Tomorrow, I will put the finishing touches on the house. That's always fun! Gotta go on a nature hunt to get some pine limbs to place around.

I'll post pics of the party sometime this weekend. In the meantime, my family is glad that the "crazy cleaning lady" has left the building!

Gingerbread House

2011-12-06T13:03:00.000-06:00

It's that time again. Time to make a gInGeRBrEaD hOuSe!!!!!

We have enjoyed this tradition for many years and this year was no exception.

I did most of the icing and the girls did most of the candy. They ate a lot too. At one point, Mother Hen aka Ava Grace told Edy that she was going to get a tummy ache.

These little gum drops are so pretty, but they taste SO nasty (to me anyway).

{my little cheese balls}

{finished project}

For our past gingerbread masterpieces, click HERE, HERE, and HERE.

It's Snowing...

2011-12-05T23:26:00.001-06:00

...on the blog!

Nope, it's just raining in East Texas, but I found an cool gadget for adding snow flurries to blogs and had to try it out. I think it's cute, especially since I didn't make a Christmas blog design this year. What do you think? Annoying? But it's cute right?

I did make-over my blog for a less home-spun look and a more clean and polished one. I'm kinda getting tired of all the makeovers, so I wanted something that would look nice and neat for a while. We shall see how long it lasts!

*Family: I noticed that the new look takes a bit to load. Give it a chance to load and then it should move quicker the next time you visit.*

Christmas Parade

2011-12-05T00:00:00.001-06:00

One thing that is cool about a small town...PARADES!!!

We went to the Christmas parade downtown and the girls loved it.

Growing up {sniff}

2011-12-04T00:00:00.000-06:00

Last week, I converted Edy's crib into a toddler daybed. The first nap went well and that night she did great. She even waited on us to come and get her the next morning. The second day her nap was a little different. I noticed that it seemed awfully quite and I went to check on her. Instead of sleeping, she was sitting in her rocking chair reading books. Other than that, she has been doing great. We have come in to find her asleep on the floor so we put some pillows next to her bed to cushion her fall. :)

Slow down, Time! I can't believe my baby is growing up so fast.

Christmas Tour: Little Touches

2011-12-02T09:00:00.000-06:00

This is the final installment of my little Christmas Tour...

I'll end with the little touches around the house.

Click HERE to check out the other posts on the tour.

Christmas Tour: Mantle

2011-11-30T13:30:00.000-06:00

Back to the tour...

Can I just say, I love my mantle!?! In the six years I've been fixing a mantle, I finally got the look I've been striving for--natural and elegant.

Is it bad that I actually bought those California pine cones? We don't get those suckers here in the piney woods of East Texas. I love them!

After all these years, I still LOVE my simple red stockings. I hope they are with us forever.

The verdict is still out about separating the stockings into groups of two. I've never done that before, but I think I like it.

{love} my basket of ~~birch~~ logs on the hearth

I'm on the hunt for a good fireplace set that is simple, discreet, and affordable. Any suggestions?

{gush}

I love this pine cone, cinnamon, and berry garland.

For other posts from the Tour, click HERE, HERE, and HERE.

A Few of My Favorite {Christmas} Things

2011-11-30T08:44:00.001-06:00

I'm linking up to The Nesting Place for this post.

It's never crossed my mind to have a "Favorite Things Party". It sounds wonderful, though. We are used to the traditional ornament exchange and the white elephant game, but a Favorite Things Party seems WAY more interesting. I guess the gist is to bring an inexpensive item that would be considered one of your favorite things and share it with your guests. I'm putting that on my list of party ideas...along with a Pinterest Party!

It was easy for me to think of a few of my favorite things because I narrowed the field to Christmas faves. Here goes: Raindrops on roses and ~~whiskers on kittens~~/ Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens/ Brown paper packages tied up with strings/ These are a few of my favorite things...couldn't resist.

First and foremost, my house wouldn't SCREAM Christmas without Aromatiques: The Smell of Christmas. It's just a classic smell of cinnamon and clove and I. love. it.

Yes....pine cones are one of my favorite things. I have them all over my house and I love the simplicity they bring. I also have branches of green pine laying everywhere--natural and nice. {and an allergy attack in the making!}

It wouldn't be Christmas without The Rat Pack. Before Pandora, before Spotify, even before iPods, I would blast this album on my good ole' CD player.

I guess any pepper jelly will do, but this stuff has a nice blend of sweet and spice. I love it, but for some reason, I only enjoy it around Christmas.

I. Heart. World Market. How bout you? I. love these. candles. You? Natural {looking} beauty!

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes/ Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes/ Silver white winters that melt into springs/ These are a few of my favorite things

By they way, this isn't my first rodeo. I've posted a few or my favorite things before HERE and HERE.

Christmas Tour: Main Tree

2011-11-29T21:00:00.000-06:00

I told you the tour would continue. And so it does...

For the past five years I have had a silver and red Christmas tree. I didn't plan for that, it just kinda happened. After years of the silver and red, I am ready to take the tree in a new direction, but I have so many ornaments in silver and red. Plus, I really love all of my ornaments. I have decided to add a rustic twist to my tree--partly because I like rustic stuff and partly because we live in the sticks! It may take a few years to perfect it, but it'll get there.

This year, I added pine cones, sticks, and cinnamon sticks in with the silver and red for a more natural look. Hopefully over time I can get the look I'm really wanting. Next year, I plan on replacing the mesh with burlap.

Next up...THE MANTLE.

For other posts on the Christmas tour, click HERE and HERE.

Christmas Tour: Entryway

2011-11-29T00:00:00.001-06:00

For the past several years, I have had a tree in my kitchen/entryway. Most of the ornaments are baking related, but we also hang a few of our cutesy, keepsake ornaments and a few special ornaments.

Graham's favorite Christmas book/movie is A Christmas Carol (with George C. Scott or Patrick Stewart). He has a whole collection of ornaments related to the story. Needless to say, The Ghost of Christmas Future is on the back of the tree.

I hope these Christmas Tour posts don't bore everyone because I have a lot more where this one came from!

Christmas Tour: AG's room

2011-11-29T00:00:00.000-06:00

FYI: I plan on linking up to The Nester's Christmas Home Tour, in a few weeks. I must mention that I absolutely LOVE The Nesting Place. I wish I could pick her brain OR, even better, have her come help me with my house. She has wonderful taste! Anyway, all of you bloggers should join in the tour. It is a lot of fun to visit new blogs and look at Christmas decor around the blogosphere.

On to Ava Grace's Christmas tour:

Last Christmas, ~~I gave you my heart~~ was the first year for AG to have her very own Christmas tree. It is candy/cookie-themed, which is so adorable for a sweet little girl like Ava Grace. Agreed?

We begin with...

A Gumdrop Star

Lots of candies and cookies

...and even some ice cream

Each night, AG goes to bed with her Christmas tree lights on and her iPod touch playing Christmas tunes. She and I are two peas in a pod!

What I'm Reading...

2011-11-28T14:43:00.001-06:00

Advent Guide

compliments of The Village Church

SANTA!!!

2011-11-28T13:30:00.000-06:00

***If you read the title of this post with Buddy the Elf in mind, then you and I are on the same page!

On Friday, we took the girls for their annual Santa picture.

Before we left, we snapped a pic with Mamaw. It's too sweet not to post!

We expected to wait a while, but we happened to be the first people in line...

And then they told us that their computer crashed....so we waited....and waited...

In the meantime, I talked to the girls about sitting in Santa's lap and smiling. AG even practiced her smile. When I asked Edy if she was excited to sit in Santa's lap, she emphatically replied, "YES!"

BUT.....

A picture is worth a thousand words. And.........I love it!!!

The Polar Express

2011-11-27T14:44:00.000-06:00

While in Dallas, the girls went back to the Christmas Capitol of Texas to ride The Polar Express with Na, Pops, Aunt Cherie (Christmas), and Mamaw.

The kids wore their pajamas and enjoyed a show, a Christmas tree maze--complete with snow, a train ride, and a Santa spotting!

From what I hear, they had a great time!

For last year's trip, click HERE.

So Thankful

2011-11-27T14:42:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Dallas with family--lots of laughs, food, fellowship, and NO shopping!!!!

Thank you Cherie and Wayne for a great time at your house!

Desktop Background

2011-11-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

H-O-M-E {sweet} home

2011-11-22T13:40:00.000-06:00

I've got a lot of catchin' up to do so you can either bear with me or skip this post (I'll understand!)...

*The girls and I headed to Arkansas on Nov. 7 for a trip across the state with lots of friends and family to see and some minor business to handle.

*First, we stopped in at my parents house for a few days. I had so much fun decorating my parent's house for Christmas. I also got to spend some time with a very close friend.

*Next, it was off to Conway for some time with Graham's family. It's been almost a year since we were in Conway and I love it there. Not only did I go to college there, but I've got so many close family and friends that live there. Thankfully, I was able to have some much needed "girl-time"with two of my closest friends.

*Meanwhile, Graham packed up and headed on his annual mission trip to Nicaragua.

*Last Thursday, I headed to Fort Smith to check on my house and handle a few items of business. I dreaded that particular trip like the plague. I haven't wanted to go in my house for a whole number of reasons....so...instead...I hung out with two of my best friends and bypassed my visit to my house. I had a great time catching up, but the trip to my house was inevitable.

*Thursday night, I went to visit my sis-n-law in Springdale. We enjoyed the night visiting and she was so kind to make the trip back to Fort Smith with me on Friday. We went to the house, I saw that everything was in order and there was nothing of importance for me to handle, I had lunch with another great friend, and we headed back to Conway.

*Friday night, I went to see Breaking Dawn! *like*

*Graham made it home safe from Nicaragua.

*The girls and I made the long trip from Conway to Jacksonville on Saturday.

As we headed into Texas, AG said, "Mom, are we back in our land yet?" It really felt like we were coming HOME...that was a neat feeling. Home is definitely where your heart is!

*The girls and I were so excited to see Graham. He had a wonderful trip in Nicaragua and brought the girls some adorable dresses.

*I'll end my long, listy post with some cute pics of my girls in their Nicaraguan attire.

Sneak Peek

2011-11-21T14:15:00.000-06:00

Other than the outside of our house, I am pretty much finished decorating for Christmas!

Here is a sneak peek of some of the decorations...more to come later.

I love looking at Christmas decor pics so I hope my fellow blogger friends will get to postin'!!

Photo Shoot

2011-11-21T13:52:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, we had professional pictures taken of our family. Here are some of my favorites:

Thanks, Confetti Photography, for capturing these great shots of our family!

Photo Card

2011-11-21T08:57:00.001-06:00

Sweet Little Label Christmas

Customize your Christmas cards this year at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

It's a Journey

2011-11-14T14:30:00.000-06:00

About four years ago, I started looking more critically at our diet and what we consume on a daily basis. Although little changes were made at the time, the seed was planted and I began to make minor tweeks in the grocery list and my daily food choices. As the years have gone by, I have gotten more and more conscious about food....it can be pretty overwhelming, though!!

A few nights ago, I went to a breadmaking class. Sounds easy enough, right? No! Instead, we learned about flour (the things that happen to manufacture it), salt and sugar (what the real stuff should look like), grains, etc. This class was VERY informative. Not only do I need my own grain mill for making fresh whole grain flour, I also need a new mixer for kneeding my dough! (These items are very pricey so I will just have to deal for now.)

Along the lines of healthy living, I thought I would share some items that we have grown to love. Of course, these things are all in addition to fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, smaller meat servings, no soft drinks, lots of water, etc...

****Barley Life Xtra: The girls and I have a couple of tablespoons a day in our water or juice. Although I'm not a huge fan of the taste, it does give me so much energy and the girls love their "green juice" concoction.

****Agave Nectar: Great sweetener for cooking and enjoying. I like it in my coffee!

****Teeccino: Tastes just like coffee without the caffeine or the acidity. I love it!!!!

****I think I see a juicer in my near future. The girls drink a cup of Odwalla Superfood everyday for more fruits and vegetables mixed with the Barley Life and water. We all love it!

Anywho...these are just a few of the many things we have changed in our diet. I'm certainly not where I would like to be, but we try to get our foods as close to the whole food as possible. I try not to get too wigged out about it just yet...that's the goal, though.

Also, we try to stay active. In my opinion, there is nothing like a good run. I hope I can always run, it's my "me" time about four times a week and I am just a better person after a few miles....in more ways than one!

Why the post? I don't even know....maybe one day I can look at this post and say, "We've come a long way!" I sure hope so!

eleven.eleven.eleven.

2011-11-11T14:40:00.001-06:00

Enough said.

God's Country!

2011-11-11T14:17:00.001-06:00

Can I just say...I LOVE and MISS The Natural State AKA Land of Opportunity AKA Hog Country AKA ARKANSAS!!!!!!!!! *Don't be offended, Texans. I love the Lonestar State, but I'm an Arkansan by birth!*

I have been traveling this past week and I got a little choked up driving across the state line into my home state. I think I was even humming "country road, take me home...to the place...I belong..." Forget West Virginia--Arkansas is BEA-U-TI-FUL, especially this time of year!!! I even took a few pics via my phone while crossing the Arkansas River ~~while driving...but not texting.~~

Now you will have to excuse me. I'm off to get a tissue (tearing up again). Did I mention I love Arkansas?

Trick or Treat

2011-11-02T18:00:00.000-05:00

For Halloween, we went to a friends' house and took the kids on a hayride around the neighborhood to trick or treat. (What's up with me and prepositions?) I'll spare you the details and just let the pictures do the talkin'. You're Welcome!

Remember These???

2011-11-02T16:23:00.001-05:00

Oh how I loved my CABOODLE!!!! I remember youth choir tours--every girl had one. They were a MUST have, fo sho!

Who's too cool for school?

THIS GIRL!!!

I bought her one to keep up with all of her hair stuff. Fixing her hair is a constant battle....I have to continually bark out orders like...bring me a brush...a hair tie...the water bottle...a barrette...etc. So when I saw this lone Caboodle for 10 bucks at Wal-Mart, I said, "SOLD!"

You would have thought this was the best. gift. ever. She loves it and I'm a little jealous. I must get video of each girl saying "Caboodle". Ro's version is hysterical!

So ladies, are y'all with me? Who had a Caboodle?

A Mighty Fortress

2011-11-02T15:50:00.000-05:00

Personally, I never get tired of hearing/learning about the great visionaries of the faith--like Martin Luther. I am so thankful that Luther, although an imperfect saint (like me), was not a coward but defended the Scriptures!

Luther redirected us to the clear teachings in the Bible that salvation is by grace alone through faith in Christ alone and not a result of works--contrary to what the church was teaching at the time.

The true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God. - Martin Luther

Evangelical Christians will either stand upon the authority and total truthfulness of the Bible, or we will inevitably capitulate to the secular worldview. - Albert Mohler

My prayer is that we will continue to be faithful to the true gospel and joyfully declare it to the world!

For Reformation Sunday, the sermon was on Martin Luther *big surprise, right?*. If you're interested, you can listen to it here. good. stuff.

A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD....HIS KINGDOM IS FOREVER! - Martin Luther

And all the people said.......AMEN!

Sweet Treats

2011-11-02T14:52:00.004-05:00

*Bare with me....I'm a little behind on blogging--the next few posts I will be playing "catch up"!*

Every year, I am in search of the perfect caramel apple as seen here and here, but this year we got the bright idea *I wish there was a sarcasm font* to make our own. Uhhh....might have been fun for the kids, but not near as tasty as the ones I've enjoyed in the past.

We also made pumpkin spice cookies ~~from the box~~. They were really yummy!

The girls had so much fun "helping" make the goodies while I, on the other hand, hated the mess. I know, I know...roll those eyes...it's how I'm wired.

After dinner and baths, we enjoyed our sweet treats.

What a great day with my girls (and husband, of course)!!!!

HaPpY HaLLoWeEn!

2011-10-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

Blog Button

2011-10-30T20:57:00.000-05:00

I've created a blog button!!! Don't jump for joy all at once! Now then, I'm not implying you grab one, but feel free....if you want....no pressure....email me if you need help....just kidding....Seriously.

<center><a href="http://grahamandlesliehale.blogspot.com"target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Our Joy…HisGlory" src="</span><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "> http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc497/lhale794/button.jpg<span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "> "/></a></center>

Baked Acorn Squash

2011-10-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

I want to share one of my all-time favorite autumn meals, thanks to my momma...BAKED ACORN SQUASH.

There really isn't a recipe. Just cut the squash in half, gut the seeds, put butter in the center, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and bake at 400 for an hour or until tender. DELISH!

By the way, remember the pumpkin seed post? I'll now be answering to the name Culinaire Extraordinaire! I'm Kidding! But they are too good not to mention again! I have a few more pumpkins that I will be stealing seeds from after Thanksgiving.

Spunky Lil' Edy

2011-10-29T19:51:00.002-05:00

While AG was jumping on the bounce-arounds at the zoo, (if you only knew the hilarity in that phrase...she used to HATE bounce-arounds) I took some snapshots of my cute and spunky Edy Rose.

Enjoy.

Love me some RO!

Daddy's Girl

2011-10-29T19:46:00.000-05:00

Boo at the Zoo!

2011-10-29T19:44:00.000-05:00

Today, we went to the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler for Boo at the Zoo! It was really nice and the girls LOVED it! We will be going back more often for sure.

*HINT: Christmas gift idea--Season passes to the zoo!!!!*

Why did I take a picture of this lovely couple???......They melted my heart.

I know, I know....once you've seen one picture of an animal, you've seen them all, right? But, for documentation purposes, I will show you mine....National Geographic, prepare to be impressed. I jest!

{my} AnImALS!

Edward Cullen, eat your heart out!

[BIG]mess and [BAD]smell

2011-10-28T18:00:00.000-05:00

This is what happens when you unknowingly have a plastic cutting board attached to the bottom of a cookie sheet and place it in the oven at 400. BIG mess and BAD smell (fire up the Scentsy). Luckily, when it dried it popped right off, but it took a lot of grunt work!

{ladybug} phone pics

2011-10-28T14:00:00.000-05:00

I cleaned the pics off my phone once again...I feel the need to upload and organize often. Are you surprised?

How sweet is that???? Melts my heart, I tell ya.

Gawgeous (see Urban Dictionary), Darling.

Simply gawgeous!

Note to self: Don't tint the girls' hair on Halloween--family pictures on Nov. 1. [WASH OUT IN ONE WASH....LIES,lies,LIES!] I'm still finding traces of RED!

{easy} Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2011-10-28T09:53:00.000-05:00

For years, I have tried to roast our pumpkin seeds only to be disappointed. This year, I was determined to have well-seasoned,CRISP, gOLdeN, tasty seed. For the record, I SUCCEEDED.

I'm writing this down for next year!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

ingredients:

2 cups of pumpkin seeds (thoroughly washed)

1/2 stick of butter

season salt (to taste)

garlic salt (to taste)

Cajun seasoning (to taste)

dash of pepper

(optional: crushed red pepper)

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300

2. Melt butter in a bowl.

3. Add pumpkin seeds and seasonings

4. Pour seeds on a cookie sheet

5. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown (stir occasionally)

6. ENJOY!

These seeds are Won-der-FUL!!!! I feel/smell a tradition coming on!

Carving Pumpkins

2011-10-28T09:39:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin Showcase

I just love family traditions! Especially the one we keep on Nov. 1--smashing pumpkins!

Last year's pumpkin, click HERE.

Day at the Park

2011-10-27T23:30:00.000-05:00

Wednesday was MOPs annual Day at the Park. Here are some of the pictures from our fun day...

Scarecrow Trail

2011-10-27T13:25:00.000-05:00

The city of Jacksonville puts on a scarecrow trail each year. People, businesses, churches make scarecrows for the viewing.

We went with some friends to check out all of the scarecrows. As we entered the trail, we noticed a sign that read: "PLEASE DON'T TOUCH THE SCARECROWS!" Question: How's that workin' out for ya!?! Our kiddos touched every.single.one.

Check out the pics of the scarecrows AND the rebellious children we are raising! :)

DON'T TOUCH THE SCARECROWS! Yeah right!!!

Article: Sent into the Harvest...

2011-10-26T09:16:00.003-05:00

I wanted to share this article: Sent into the Harvest: Halloween on Mission from the Desiring God blog.

Ladybug Pics

2011-10-25T22:49:00.002-05:00

A friend from church had a photo booth at the Fall Festival and took these pictures of the girls in their Halloween costumes. (did you catch all the prepositions in that sentence...whew!)

Aren't they cute?

Thanks, Confetti Photography, for the awesome pics. I am looking forward to our family photo session in a few weeks.

Tears of the Saints

2011-10-24T13:54:00.001-05:00

I dare you to watch this video--this is an emergency...

Are you a Christian? If so, YOU ARE CALLED. Are you ready to LOVE.....GIVE..... MOBILIZE.....GO..... PRAY.....????

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28: 19-20 ESV

Thank you, Becky for reminding me of this video. I don't normally do this, but I encourage my blogger friends to repost. Until Christ returns we have a job to do!!

Bambi

2011-10-23T19:42:00.000-05:00

A guy in our church rescued a little baby deer (fawn, right?) and invited us over to see her.

The kids were intrigued by little Bambi ~~(original, huh?)~~.

They will let her go in just a few weeks. All deer in Texas are owned by the state and cannot be kept as pets after a certain amount of time.

Meet Soldier--He is almost 35 years old. Isn't he beautiful?

I counted four roosters. That's got to be pretty annoying come sunrise!

Y'all know I'm not a cat fan--not a rabbit fan either. Good thing this little guy was behind bars! I'm certain I just got some rolling of the eyes from some of you!

Phone Pics

2011-10-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

The cooler temps have meant more coffee and...

Fall Festival 2011

2011-10-22T19:22:00.000-05:00

Fall festivities have official begun and we are L-o-v-i-n-g IT!! Today was our annual Fall Festival at church and the girls had a ton of fun ~~except that neither one of them had a nap, which made it hard on me.~~

Little Ladybugs

~~FUSSY~~ little ladybug #1

little ladybug #2

Tat came down for the day to go to AG's soccer game and a little bit of the festival. The girls were thrilled that he shared in their day!

Off to trunk or treat!

Graham handled our trunk while I kept up with the girls.

What a sweet picture of a sweet girl.

FRIENDS....and that's how it shall remain.

What's a fall festival without a hayride?

Since there is a burn ban in our county, we had a make-shift campfire!

I'm here to tell you, this is one worn out little ladybug.

I love getting together with my church family for fellowship. We had a wonderful Fall Festival!

Train Ride

2011-10-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

There were a TON of people at Six Flags last weekend so it was nice when we finally took a breather and road the train for a little bit...

Aunt Ann and Graham

Edy Rose and Aunt Dorothy

AG and me

Here is a short video from our ride on the train:

Spooky Maze

2011-10-21T09:30:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share a few pictures from the {SpOoKy MaZe} at Six Flags...

I thought the fam would enjoy these pics of the girls! Am I right?

Thrills by Day

2011-10-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, we went to Six Flags over Texas for Thrills by Day, Frights by Night.

Graham rode the Superman ride! Do you see how high that is??? I passed. If I had been eighteen, I would have jumped right on, but I ain't eighteen no more.

Edy got to ride a few rides and had an absolute blast!

Yosemite Sam's is AG's favorite ride. It's an indoor floating-type ride--kinda like "It's a Small World" at Disney World. Edy rode it this time and...

Check out this face! She was taking it all in, but loved every minute of it!

To end the day, we watched a very cute show before heading back to East Texas.

You gotta watch AG doing Scary-oke...

Guess Who?

2011-10-20T20:48:00.000-05:00

Can you name this kid?

Last weekend, while at D.J and Ann's I ran across this picture in one of their old albums. I couldn't believe my eyes--looks so much like Edy. Most people tell me that Edy looks like me and AG looks like Graham, but this pic is just a little proof that Edy looks like her daddy too. Yes, this is a picture of little Grahammy! Isn't he a cutie!

{face-lift}

2011-10-20T16:37:00.002-05:00

I have been bummed at the appearance of my blog for the past few months. The last couple of make-overs have been off and I just couldn't get it right. Recently, a friend of mine asked me to help her set up a blog and I gladly helped. I made her blog header and it turned out so cute. I guess it helped me to get my creative juices flowing. So...I tackled a face-lift of my own and I think I'm pleased this time around. Check out the new look...

Don't forget to visit Amy's blog. She is in the process of chronicling past events, but I know she is going to be a great blogger! Can't wait to read all about her family.

By the way, for fun I made a new page on the blog with past headers! Click HERE to access the page.

Downer

2011-10-18T13:26:00.001-05:00

I hate to be a downer, but I was not a fan of Nicholas Spark's latest book, The Best of Me. When I finished it, I just sat in the chair and stared at the pages. What? He should have let me write that one.