Up On The Roof

So, Monday was spent trying to get someone to our house to fix the roof. Seems there was quite a bit of storm damage in our area - some people did not get their power back on til Tuesday!!! So, needless to say the roof dudes were just a tad busy. So, we finally got a call around 7PM and they were gonna come over. 'Cause more rain was coming that night. And seeing as how we were looking at bare plywood up there, and they did NOT want to cover water damage in our home as well, they were gonna at least patch it, by golly!!!

They got here around 8:30 and by that time the rain had begun AND it was getting dark. But they climbed up there anyway! So, now I have men with flashlights, metal hammers and various tools and metal stuff to hold down the tar paper walking around on the TOP OF MY HOUSE in a thunderstorm ... complete with lightning!!

I asked my man to out there and talk to those boys about Jesus. 'Cause I did not want someone dying on my roof, especially if they were not gonna go to Heaven!!!

I mentioned power outages around town. These included some of the school district buildings. So school was canceled. NOW, Hattie didn't have school on Monday and yesterday was supposed to be her last day. So I got her up and dressed and had her waiting at the door for the bus. And waiting. And waiting. Then, being the quality parent that we all know I am (not), I checked the TV. Schools closed. Apparently they were closed Monday too, and I was unaware. So, now we get to do it all again tomorrow. 'Cause that is her NEW last day of school.

Here is a preview of Hattie's First Last Day Of School!!!

Waiting patiently


Patience wearing thin


Maybe there is NO SCHOOL!!!!


Seriously, where is that bus?


And, my personal favorite ...



Man, I love that girl!!

Well, we are off to get ready for our day at the beach with our buddies Owen, Mrs. Cheri, and maybe (hopefully) Mrs. Kathy, Evy and Jerzey!!!!

Picture Perfect Monday - Welcome

The sign on the door may SAY welcome ...

... but that does NOT mean that sick little girls are "welcome" to go out side and play (which apparently does not make her too happy)!!!

A Blustery Day

We had a little excitement around here today. First of all, we had church. And it was GOOD! Worship rocked, the sermon was great (GO ANDY!!!) and the girls were in very good spirits. So, we decided to go for lunch and then I was gonna take Hattie for a haircut. So we get to the restaurant and I look at Hattie and she does NOT look good. Now, 15 minutes earlier she was running around the church, playing and being social, but now... I could see it was about to get ugly. We skipped the haircut and came straight home. She walked in the house, passing two bathrooms, the laundry room AND the kitchen, walked over all of the hardwood floor and onto our expensive rug and ... puked. AAAGGGGHHHH!!! I ran her to the bathroom with her "letting loose" the entire way. By the time we got there she spit into the toilet and was done. That's my girl!

I took her temp, and it was 102!!! YIKES! I got her cleaned up and she retired to the couch in her Barbie pj's and snuggled up with her Little Mermaid blankie. (And yes, my little tomboy is discovering the girlie side of life!)

So, there we are quietly watching NASCAR when all of a sudden the Emergency Alert thing goes off on the TV and the warning sirens start going off outside. Now, since living here we have had warnings before - so much that it is really nothing to even get excited about. But this was different. We look out the window and it is going nuts out there! We grab the girls and a bottle for Sophie and we are off to the basement. Now, our basement is unfinished, so it is a mess, but we had a swing and some toys and a TV, so we were good.

Here is a look at how we spent our time:

At first Sophie was a little dismayed at the swiftness of our descent into the basement.

But then we brought out the bucket o' fun ...

... and she was good to go!

My wonderful hubby let his little girl open up a tornado warning beauty shop!!

Then she spent some time trying to asses the possible damage occurring outside.

So, after a few minutes, everything blew over and, it turns out, we did NOT have an actual tornado. We did, however, have some serious wind. Which did do it's share of damage ...




... fortunately, we only lost a few branches off of our trees, a few shingles off of our roof and the flag off of our pole (and, oh yeah, and our pole too!). As far as we know, no one was hurt. Hubby's sis lost some shingles too. There was more damage to a few houses in town and downed power lines etc..., but over all everything is OK.

Thank You. Father God, for Your protection and Your shield. We are truly humbled by Your power and the care that you give us.

Then Sings My Soul - I Don't Wanna Go

It is Saturday, and that means it is time for my favorite meme!!! Then Sings My Soul Saturday, sponsored by Amy over at Signs, Miracles and Wonders.

This one is special to me, on many different levels. Today is the anniversary of the day I married the most amazing man on the planet. I have been so Blessed to be his wife - he is truly a gift from Heaven. He is my very best friend, my greatest supporter, the love of my life and the best husband I could have ever asked for. I am truly honored to be his wife and to spend my life with him is simply wonderful.


This is the song we chose to have our buddy Alice sing while we lit our unity candle. We did the candle thing a bit differently. We lit a 3 wick candle, signifying that not only were we united with each other, but also with the Lord. HE is the center of our home, our marriage, our family and our love for each other. We chose this song because not only were we committing to go forward together, but to also go forward, as a couple, with God. Because, without HIM in us, we are a lie. To ourselves and to each other. We only know how to love because He first loved us. And we have chosen to keep our love sacred and pure - only for each other - through HIS love for us.



I don't wanna go somewhere, if I know that You're not there, 'cause I know that me without you is a lie...

Me with out my man - a lie...

Me without my Jesus - a bigger lie ...

US without our Jesus - the biggest lie of all.


I love you Honey, more every moment. You are everything I could have asked for and more. I can't wait to see what each and every tomorrow holds. As long as I have you by my side and we are following the Lord, we can do anything. Thank you for the best 5 years of my life. Thank you for my children, my home and the life you have given me.

Lord, thank You for my man, for his heart that is pure and for the love you show me through him. Thank you for making us whole and bringing us together. Let us glorify YOU through all that you give us.

It is Friday - Fitness Friday - which means it is time to check in on my progress this week...

Well, I have lost two more pounds. Which considering on my date last Friday we went to a Mexican Restaurant - which in my world, spells doom for the diet! I ate, not one, not two, but THREE enchiladas! Can you say "big goofball"? I knew ya could! BUT, I jumped right back on the wagon on Saturday. Then Sunday came and we ate lunch at Olive Garden. Pasta, in diet lingo, is the same exact word as mexican food. Same results too.
So, as of Monday I was down to a 5 pound loss (after the seven on Friday I was clearly disappointed in my self!!). I was back up to seven by Wed. and now I am at 8.9 - which counts as 9 in my book. Please do not pop my bubble. I am very happy in my dream world!

So, something that I learned this week.... Well, I got nothing. However, I will share something that I learned from Biggest Loser. And if you have kids - and therefor kid SNACKS - you may find helpful. So, the losers were going on a plane trip. And, can I just say that airports are NOT the place to be when hunger sets in! Forget the fact that there is a Cinnabon waiting in every terminal. Forget the fact that IF you can get past the Cinnabon, you will pass a news stand selling every type of CHOCOLATE known to man. Let's just focus on the fact that ANYTHING you find to eat - healthy or not - is gonna cost you FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS! 'Nuff said.
Anyway, the losers wanted to keep on track, so they packed snack baggies. Each baggie contained 100 calories only. SO, if they did eat, they would know WHAT and HOW MUCH they were eating. BRILLIANT I tell you. 'Cause, let me just say, when ya got a pantry full of animal crackers, teddy grahams and fruit snacks, you can get carried away FAST. Just another little way to be prepared.

Also, if you are feeding your child a PBJ and chips and she leaves a little on her plate, take said plate DIRECTLY to the trash can and DUMP IT OUT. 'Cause leaving it in the sink with chip crumples and PBJ crust remnants can get pretty tempting very quickly.

I learned that just now.

And, were I not typing this as it happened, I may have found myself licking the plate.

But I didn't.

I dumped it.

And I am proud!

Visit Natalie at Bye Bye Fat Mom for links to more tips. Let's lose it together!!!

Thank You Lord ...

... for a man that can fix dern near anything on the planet!!!

My man, may I just say here and now for all of the world to hear, ROCKS!!! I love him far a million and five reasons, but today, today I love him for this: Proof positive that the Lord has give my man a gift of handy-man-ness!

The parts arrived yesterday afternoon - have I mentioned my fondness for FedEx lately - as a sweet surprise. And by 8:30 my man had that thing up and running. So, I took all of the laundry out of the room, sorted and arranged in order of importance all items (there were piles all the way down the hall and around the corner!) and started her up. Here is a glimpse of the laundry room this morning:


And this is three loads into the fun!! However, I must say that the room has not looked this organized in a loooooonnnnnngggggg time. I did not have to make a trip to the laundr-o-mat land of fun, and I am getting her done with great swiftness. Why? Because the great shaking has stopped. Not only did my man get her running, he got her running RIGHT! Funny thing, it wasn't supposed to shake like that! IMAGINE THAT!!!

In other news, Sweet Sophie Lee is 9 months old today!! I can hardly believe that this amazing child has been on this earth for NINE WHOLE MONTHS!! And, honestly, I look at our home and our family and our lives and TRULY can remember none of it before she came. I know I was happy and fulfilled and totally in love with my man and my sweet Hattie Grace - and NONE of that has changed (except maybe to grow), but she has made this life just that much more amazing. I cannot believe all that the Lord has Blessed me with.

We've got bills up the wazoo, laundry piled sky high, my house is never clean, and about 90% of the time I don't know which end is up. But I know this 110% of the time - I am loved by a God who has fulfilled my every dream and who loves me beyond all comprehension. And I know that He has blessed me abundantly, so I know that I will PRAISE His sweet and Holy name with all that I am for all eternity.

Thank You Father God, for my life. May I use what You have given me for YOUR glory.

Up To My Eyeballs In Laundry

I have been drowning in laundry lately. And if it were a deadly fate, I would surely be six feet under this week. Ya see the washing machine, the one that rocks my house, in spin mode, with such velocity that NO ONE can sleep through it, was apparently rockin' too hard for even itself.

I am telling you, this thing SHAKES the house. Pictures are literally crooked on the wall. Sophie has been awakened from a dead sleep. Hattie, who fears nothing else on earth, runs for cover when the thing goes into spin cycle. Now, it had gotten worse as of late - shaking even harder than normal. Then it suddenly, last week, started stopping mid spin and I would have to resart it - at least once or twice per load. Then on Saturday it just stopped - period. I could hardly turn the barrel and the clothes were literally dripping wet. YIKES!

Now, of course we didn't buy the extended warranty. Because, honestly, how often do you really need an extended warranty. I will tell you how often, precisely the number of times that you do not buy it!!! Thankfully, my man happens to be pretty stinking handy. So he went in to take a look-see. It wasn't pretty.

The belt had snapped - as I suspected. But the whole pulley system had become unbalanced and had actually begun to wear into the metal around it. THUS THE SHAKING!!! So it all had to be replaced.

And because of the shaking I have had to plan and purpose every load of laundry and had gotten seriously backed up. Now we have no washer till the parts arrive and Hubby can fix it. Any one want to meet me for lady's day at the laundromat?

'Cause I will be there a while.

On a happier note, Miss Belle is with us today. She is SUCH a cutie. Seeing as how I have not gotten permission from her mommy and daddy to post a pic of her, I won't. BUT, I will give you a hint. They have a blog of their own - complete with a proud parent display - and there is a link to it on my little sidebar.

She is such a sweet heart - and to make it even better, I now have an excuse to watch Sesame Street when she is here. If not just to hear her say "Elmo". Which is seriously one of the cutest things you have ever heard.

That and listening to Sophie say "Dada". Which she does now. Over and over.

And my heart, it soars.

Picture Perfect Monday - Dedications and Graduations

So, yesterday was a BIG day here in B land. We had our sweet Miss Sophie dedicated at church (pics of the actual dedication to come - thanks to my sweet friend Amanda Jo, AKA "super model"), and our niece Chelsea graduated, after which we went to lunch at Olive Garden with ...
... Sophie ...

... Hattie ...

... Chelsea (the Grad) ...

...... Niece Kayla and "unofficial, but close enough, niece" Jessica ...

... and my parents in-love!!!

(I had to add this picture of Jess, 'cause she is so stinking pretty in this shot!!!)

Then Sings My Soul ... Cartoons!!!

So, it's Saturday - which means it's time for my favorite Meme (nope, still don't know what the word means!)...

This week I decided to have a little fun.

Five years ago today I was one week away from getting married. SEVEN DAYS!!! I was freaking out - excited and nervous, impatient, anxious, scared and sure, all at the same time. My bestie Paula was my saving grace at that time. I was waiting for my mom and dad to come into town to help with all of the final details and Paula distracted me. We used to laugh and sing along with this song at the top of our lungs. This album (A Night In Rocket Town) got us through MANY things, her cancer battle and my wedding impatience just to name a couple. A few weeks later I came home from the honeymoon to learn that her cancer had returned. We turned to the more serious songs then. But this was a happy, fun time.

And this is one of the funnest songs I know.

Try not to take it too seriously, it's just for fun. BUT, it can still make ya think...



Nope, cartoons weren't made for praise, that's OUR job!!!

So, let's do it ... 'cause if we don't, the rocks will.

Stop by Signs, Miracles & Wonders for more songs that speak to the soul.

And The Winner is ...

So, in the big hair poll, the darker colors clearly won out (so sorry to the two of you that voted for the blond). SO, some changes have been made.

Here is a glimpse of the old:


And, now, the new. Which is based on the old.

'Cause it was this color before.

And ya chose it from old pictures.

You OVERWHELMINGLY chose it from old pictures.

And, ya know, I aim to please.

Is it bad that I am such a people pleaser?

Should I be worried about that?

OH, OK!!! Here ya go:
(see all of the fun colors - a little blonde, a little red, a little brown ... I mean, c'mon, for total amateurs, I think we done good!)


Yeah, I like it!

Please, pay no attention to the pile of laundry visible through the bedroom door or the open toilet seat. I took these with my phone and did not see them in the tiny little screen .... There I go , tryin to please you again!

So,like it, or don't. I don't care.

Wait, I'm just kidding. I do want you to like it.

Don't go away mad.

I hope you like it.

Do ya?

Are ya still there?

Gettin' Fit ... or Fittin' In To The Jeans

Is it weird that my last couple of posts have more than one title? Am I over thinking just a tad bit? 'Cause, ya know, I have been known to over think a time or two. Of course, not as much as my man who has to analyze every episode of Wonder Pets and figure the quotient of possibilities that said rescue could actually happen. Like, for instance, the episode with the dinosaur. He insists that they would have had to borrow Marty McFly's DeLorean time machine - or at the very least have had Doc Brown install a flux capacitor into the flyboat - in order to get to the dinosaur. He has no concept of reality, because, clearly, they did not go back in time. Duh, they entered the story book to save him!!! Now that, my friends, is some over thinking!

But that is NOT what I want to tell ya about today. So, onto the real item of (I hope and pray) interest for the day.

I have been reading the Friday Fitness posts at Bye Bye Fat Mom for a while now and am finally gonna participate. Better late than never, I always say. But it is time. And I am ready to get (back) into shape. For real this time. For GOOD this time. So, here we go:

I have been doing the "lifestyle" thing for over a week now. I refuse to call it a diet, cause that is what always gets me into trouble. Once I reach a good weight, DIET OVER! Pass the fries! No more. I am soooooo not saying no more fries. I am saying no more to the lifestyle that has me eating EVERY FRY in the box and those left by my daughter. I am saying no more to deciding - on a whim - that making dinner is just too much and it is about time to use the Dairy Queen bucks in the car and have a healthy dinner of fried foods and milkshakes. I have had about enough of that.

So, in the week and a half I have lost 7 pounds. I did gain a tiny bit back when, in my sicky-ness, I decided that I needed Chinese food. And had not prepared for it. I had already had my carb allotment for the day. And I did not order the dish with the veggies and stuff. Nope, The fried chicken in the sauce with the noodles. Oh yeah, that was smart. BUT, I bounced back and have already lost back most of what I had gained.

So, that is my fit tip for the week: Plan ahead. For instance, I know I have a date with my man tonight. PLUS, Fridays are ice cream nights for me. (Paula and I had icecream on Fridays and as she was dying I promised her that I would have it every Friday and think of her. So I do. And I aint givin it up! I have the No Sugar Added variety and have learned to put it in a dish and NOT eat from the carton, so I can see how much I am eating!!!) So, today - in preparation for all of that - I will go very light. Green Veggies, light protein, no carbs, small portions and LOTS of water. That way, if I do slip tonight, it won't be as bad as it coulda been. And tomorrow morning, I will get right back up on that horse and get back in the game.

So, there ya have it. And here I go. I hereby give you all permission to keep me accountable. Ask me anything and keep me on track. PLEASE!!!

So Much For Mother's Intuition

(Could also be titled "And This Is Where My campaign For Mom Of The Year Comes To A Screeching Halt")

So, I said my baby was NOT sick - after all, she was running around the house like a banchi yesterday all day long (and by the way, what is a banchi? Oh, but I digress ...). Then, about 5 PM the running stopped. And it stopped abruptly, I might add! Sophie woke up from her nap and I was changing her diaper and taking care of her with all intentions of putting the girls in the tub afterward. H was behind the couch playing and all of a sudden it got real quiet. I went back there to check her and this is what I found:


And, of course, being the quality parent that I am I immediately (after verifying that she was, indeed, breathing and had a pulse) ran for the camera. Oh yeah, sign me up for that Mother Of The Year thing. I'm a shoe in!

Now, I believe I have mentioned - back in the days of the plague we endured in February - that Hattie ONLY naps when she is sick. Even with this nap, I can still count on one hand the times that she has napped in the last two years. She woke up with a fever. I had a meeting at church so Daddy took good care of her while I was gone. They watched the Tigger movie - TWICE and drank lots of juice and had lots of cuddle time. She would not eat dinner though, so when I got home around 9:30ish and she was still up I gave her some Tylenol with a cookie chaser, and put her to bed. Where she slept until 9:45 this morning. Still running a slight fever this morning, so more Tylenol - with a Skittle chaser - and more juice.

She refused to eat breakfast - maybe she's holding out for the cookie.

I don't know about you, but this mama don't like no sick babies. So, needless to say, I am not having fun and I am worried about my girl. And then there is Sophie. She was sick on Monday (well, started late Sunday), but is fine and dandy now. She is such a bouncer backer... OK, I might be stretchin' it a bit on that label, but ya know what I mean. She's a trooper that girl.

I have a few other things that I have been savin' up for a post, but now I need to cuddle a sick big girl and play with a well baby girl and love on em both and cherish every single moment. Even the "NOOOOOOOOO CARS! Want Tigger!" crying fit moments that come when a parent makes an apparantly WRONG choice of entertainment for a sick child.

Oh yeah, it was pretty.

Summer? Anyone?

We had a brief, beautiful glimpse of it on Monday. 80 some degrees, sunshine, kids playing in sprinklers, lemonade stands (no kidding, and we stopped!!), flip flops, shorts .... ahhhh, it was sweet.

Did you catch that - WAS! Tuesday we put Hattie on the bus in 40 degrees chilliness! Today Hubby had to scrape ice of the windshield. Is it just me or is that just plain WRONG!?!?!?!?!

It is so strange to think of summer vacation being days away when I am still bundling my baby up to catch the bus every morning. Seriously, sweatshirts and jackets and mittens - it's that cold. 37 degrees this morning!!!! What is up with that? I am not even going to go into my "stupid Al Gore" speech.... global warming - psh! ... oh wait, I said I was NOT going to go there. Sorry.

Anyhoo, yesterday I was sick. Sick as a DOG. Hattie had a cough and a fever this morning (well - 99ish), so I kept her home today. I am still not feeling 100%, so chasing after a very active and NOT SICK four year old is not.so.fun! But, I love her so very much and really AM looking forward to the summer. Even if it never gets warm I will have my girlies all day long and we have us some plans!!! PLUS, sweet Miss Belle is going to be joining us a once or twice a week maybe and that will be FUN!!! That girl is a cutie - and a talker, so I am hoping that she will egg Hattie on. So excited about that! Plus, I happen to LOVE Belle's mommy and daddy and will get to see them a little more often, so YAY!

Today is my friend Laura's birthday - she lives under the heat lamp that we escaped from to come here to the land of 38 degrees AFTER Memorial Day!!! And, being the well organized and put together NON-procrastinator that I am (in my dreams!!!) I have not sent her card. it is sitting on the counter with the birthday cards for mom (Feb. 10), Savannah (Feb. 23) and Trinity (March 15). So, yeah ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAURA!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!! Jamba anyone ... tell Jon it's ok. I will drive! Invite Mari Girl - she's Jamba-ing for two - and we'll have a girl's day out!

Good Times

So, we had a GREAT weekend. Hubby was home and all ours for three whole days. And after hearing about the loss that the Chapman's are going through, we spent a good amount of time loving on two little girls and thanking God for the gift that they are to us. It is so humbling to think that He, in all of His love and provision, chose US to be their mommy and daddy. Lord, please let us cherish each moment - we have learned this week that it can all be gone in an instant. Let us live each day like it could be the last.

We had a whole lot of plans for the yard and we got a pretty good deal of it done too. Fulfillment of plans doesn't always happen around her, so we were soooooo thankful that this one did. The weather was amazing this weekend - actually broke a sweat while we were out working today - so the girls got to have a ball playing out in the yard. We even got in a trip to the park on Saturday!! Plus, and this made Hattie's whole weekend, we took a trip to Dairy Queen. That girl loves her a milkshake!!! Then we went to the store, picked out some flowers and stuff for the flower boxes, hanging baskets and such. By the time we got home it was too late to do anything with them though. Fortunately, we had two more days to fit that in.

Neither of us had church duty on Sunday, so we got to drive there together, sit together, worship together and drive home together. May not seem like much, but, I am telling ya, it was sweet!!! We stopped at Costco on the way home. Costco is Hattie's favorite restaurant (hey, they have pizza!!!), so we had some lunch, did some shopping and headed home to our yard. The girls had a field day out there. Sophie LOVES to swing and Hattie loves anything with dirt involved! I planted the flowers and Hubby cut up part of a tree that he had to cut off a few weeks ago, we pulled some weeds, cleaned some stuff up and got ready to spread some mulch.

Today, we headed back to the store 'cause we learned from the next door neighbor that mulch was on sale!! YAY!!! We picked up a few more flowers and 16 bags of mulch. When we headed out to work on the yard some more, I got to talking to the same neighbor and she had just returned from buying another 30 bags of mulch! And that made 62!!! When I told her and her daughter how many we bought, they laughed and said "you're cute". Somehow, I don't think that was a compliment.

After Hubby went BACK to the store and bought another 20 bags, we got the front yard done. So, I guess we were pretty "cute" thinking that 16 would fly. Funny thing is, that was our HIGH estimate. Ah well, the front of the house looks good!

And now, here we are. Girls are all tucked in and prayed over (until we go check on 'em and pray over 'em again) and we are ready to hit the sack ourselves. It was a good weekend all in all. I am reminded over and over again, and saddened again, to think of Steven Curtis Chapman and his family. Sophie's lullaby CD has two of his songs on there - including the one he wrote about adoption - and every time I hear it, my heart breaks. But I am also reminded to pray for them, so I take that opportunity. Please pray for them too, and remember their son in those prayers. He was driving and must face guilt amidst the pain. Pray that he knows he is forgiven and that God would heal all of their hearts.

Blog at ya soon!

PS - as you can tell, the darker colors won out in the hair survey. So my buddy Kathy and I decided that we would start slow and do some low lights. However, because we don't really know what we are doing it turned out to be MOSTLY dark. And that aint bad. Some reds, some browns and a LITTLE blondies in there. I will take some pics for ya soon. Just know that I LOVE IT!!!!!!

Picture Perfect Monday - Memorial Day

This one is for all of the soldiers ...



... thank you and may God bless you.

God Bless the USA!!!!