goodbye 2008

Hello 2009! I have major goals for this pretty new year. I'll post them tomorrow. For now I just like remembering this past year. A few major moments stick out. The biggest of which was fully surrendering myself to full time ministry and thus taking the plunge and enrolling in Liberty University Online. It's been an interesting semester, but I finished on top and am deeply encouraged about the upcoming semesters. The other major moment was Scott and I making choices to better our family and marriage. Most are too personal to go into, but all have had the same amazing result. We're a stronger couple, with a stronger family, and more deeply rooted faith in the power of God to heal everything we lay at His feet. Yep, 2008 has been full of happy, difficult, irritating, awesome, ecstatic, sad, heartbreaking, strengthening, encouraging, and dissapointing moments. 2009 holds the promise of the same, but also a deep resounding feeling of hope. God has stirred me with hope this season and I can't wait to see what He's got in store. I know my plans for this upcoming year, I can't wait to find out what His plans are!

What about you friends? (and lurkers, I know you're out there! :) ) What sticks out most about 2008? What are you hoping for most from 2009?

So long 2008!

Happy New Year, friends!

(time to get ready for a *teensy* get together, hope your night is full of friends, food, family, and fun! and of course, a kiss from your sweetie!)

a few Christmas pics

Thought I'd share some of our Christmas with y'all. :) Enjoy!

Scott's brother Andrew got our family a Wii for Christmas. We have not stopped playing this thing, it is SO cool.

This is Daniel being silly at Scott's oldest brother Allen's house.

Our tree Christmas morning...

Daniel opening his Star Wars: The Clone Wars Transformer. (say that 3 times fast!)

David with his new red Jungle Fury Power Ranger.

Ah yes, Elmo Live. Thank you Bonnie Hunt show!

David opening the Rudolf book I made for him.

Daniel loving on the Power Rangers fleece blanket I made for him. Score!

David got a cool Spiderman Digital Camera from my mom and dad.

Look at his face!! Lol, this is Daniel with his new Hermie book.

The boys in their new clothes. David in "fancy" clothes, Dano in Star Wars.

Oh yes, can't forget Kung Fu Panda. They actually got several vidoes from Santa; this was the most popular because it came with Po the Panda. :)

And last but not least, here is yours truly on Christmas morning. Yes friends, I have no makeup. Love me anyway.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you all a very Happy New Year!

seven.

Seven years of laughs.

Seven years of deep blue eyes.

Seven years of that awesome belly laugh.

Seven years of kissing away boo-boo tears.

Seven years of hugs and kisses.

Seven years of birthday wishes.

Seven years of "mommy watch this".

Seven years of milestones.

Seven years of watching you grow.

Seven years of waking you up in the morning.

Seven years of Spiderman, Batman, Ironman, Superman....

Seven years I would not trade for anything in the world.

Seven years of being your mom.

Seven years of first. For you and me.

Seven years of you.

Happy Birthday, my sweet sweet boy.

I love you more than you will ever know.

fudge

Oh y'all. This girl just made fudge for the very first time. It smells divine! I'm secretly praying that manna tastes like this fudge smells. Wow. I can't wait for it to set so I can try it! Lol. Pics to follow, of course. So tell me... what is your favorite holiday treat? What one thing do you save until Christmas time to make? Any special holiday traditions?

Growing up my parents and Grandmother would have a Christmas Eve get together. There would be fudge, my moms cheese rolls, cookies, and other sweets. It always seemed so magical to me. I think they were probably wrapping all our gifts and maybe putting together a bike or two, but when we were young we had no clue. I love thinking of our childhood Christmases. They were full of family, fun, and food. We hope to bring the same feeling of joy to our kids as they grow up. Above all, we hope to share the joy of Christ with our boys. I love reading the real Christmas story to the boys before they go to bed on Christmas Eve. For our family, that's our tradition. We started it a few years ago and it's quickly become my favorite part of the holiday. We spend so much time going and visiting family, that those few moments when we can slow down, remember Christ, and pray together as a family are the most cherished.

What special moment of Christmas do you cherish?

let them eat jelly!

I finally got the jelly baskets ready for giving. :) Each of our staff members at church will be receiving one of these. The baskets each contain homemade strawberry and blackberry jam, and a loaf of fresh baked bread. I hope they like it! :) Here's a pic so you can see them.


**I bought the neat neat baskets when we had a ladies shopping trip to Canton for $1 each!

in love with UPS right now

Okay, let me just preface this by asking that anyone reading this who will come into contact with my children between now and Christmas please not breathe a WORD of this to them. Okay? Okay.

So, if you don't watch The Bonnie Hunt Show, you must. It's cute, it's funny, it's not "racey" like some of the other talk shows. It's just a good show. This week she's doing something called "Give & Get". It's where you Give $10 to Cancer Research through an e-bay charity auction, and in return you Get something really cool. All of the products retail for WELL over the $10 and there is also no shipping charge on the item. We won the first days item but have not been able to win anything since. The items are so phenominal each day they are selling out in 8 seconds flat. No joke. So what was the awesome first day product??? Oh my stars I'm so excited to even be posting this! Monday's item was Fisher Price's Elmo Live! Elmo Live, friends!!! It retails for $60 or more and all our stores have been sold out of them. But for our $10 donation, Fisher Price's amazing freebie, and my quick typing skills, we purchased one for $10 flat and it is now hiding in my room awaiting it's opening on Christmas morning. Of course, I couldn't put him away without testing him. Oh my stars y'all. He is SO stinkin cute! He moves just like the real Elmo. He is just darling. Daniel has almost every Elmo made. He's a major Elmo fan. I mean we're talking, if kids could stalk Elmo, he would. I can not WAIT to see his face when he opens this little guy. Oh the joy! And even better is that the money we sent in will go to research cancer and better ways to combat it. How cool is that? That money will hopefully go to bless someone and in turn it also blessed our boy. God is awesome! Totally awesome.

Siesta Ornament Exchange

Hello and welcome to my fellow Siestas who stop by here in the next few days! I'm so happy y'all are here! And a special hello and welcome to Siesta Kathy with whom I swaped ornaments. I receive my box yesterday and oh y'all. (feel free to imagine I sould like Paula Deen there :) ) It had the most gorgeous Angel ornament inside a cute cute snowman gift box. And underneath the ornament was a yummy smelling Christmas Cookie candle. I may be in heaven. God must have put in her heart that that is my favorite candle scent ever. My house smells darn good right now! And my tree is looking quite a bit more sparkly with the precious angel hanging on it. Thank you thank you Kathy for the sweet gift. I hope you enjoy your package as well!

my goodies...

my ornament before it went on the tree...

the angel found a nice home nestled next to our "Jesus warms my heart" gingerbread man.

lost a tooth!

On a completely different tone from my last post....

David lost his first tooth tonight!!!

I am upset today

On the news for the past several days they've reported a story about a foster mother being arrensted for sexually assaulting her foster son. DNA results have proven her newborn child is the product of the abuse. Where does someone even get the idea that something like this is okay? What happened in her mind to make her think it was allright to do something like this? Many times news stories can be explained away for one reason or another. But this one I can not reconcile with. It's wrong. Flat out, plain wrong. One of my deepest desires is for us to become foster parents. We pray about it, think about it all the time, talk about "someday" often. It's unbelievalbe to me that someone who signed on to protect this child from something like this, ended up being the one to do the worst damage to this child. And why? For what? This child will now be sent to yet another foster home with yet another spotlight shining down on him. Do people not think about children anymore? Do adults forget that the decisions they make affect their children as well? Last weeks news just about sent me over the edge. Three reports in a row about 3 seperate children being abused either sexually or physically. It makes me sick. What is going on in the world that makes attacking young children a "typical day in the news"? What's happening to children in our community is sickening. The forgotten, the hungry, the lonely, the abused - I can not stand it anymore. I can not hear another story about an abused or neglected child and not do something. God's stirring His purpose in me and I'm on fire for it. We have got to stand up for these kids. They are defenseless. What's happening to them is not their fault. It's the fault of adults who've given up their responsibilities for whatever makes the moment for them. I see too many hurting kids every Sunday morning to hold back anymore. These children need love. REAL love. Jesus love.

Turkey Pot Pie

So, have too much turkey? Need to use it up? Here's a recipe that's great for leftover turkey!

You will need:

leftover turkey
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
Veggies - you can use any kind you like. I used Birdseye mixed veggies because I can steam them in the microwave. If you use canned or fresh veggies you don't have to cook them ahead of time, frozen veggies will need to be heated or cooked.
1 box Pillsbury roll out Pie Crusts - these will need to be room temp to roll correctly so set them out 20 minutes before you plan on preping your pot pie.
1 deep pie plate
1 large mixing spoon
Pre-Heated oven to 350


First you need to shred your leftover turkey; I use my food processor because it's much easier than doing it by hand. If you want chunks instead of shreds, simply dice your leftover turkey.

In a large bowl mix your cooked/canned veggies, one can of Cream of Chicken soup, 1 tsp of powdered chicken bullion, and salt and pepper to taste. Add in shredded turkey and mix well with a large spoon.

Roll out one pie crust into the bottom of your pie pan, smooth it out so there are not bubbles or bumps.

Pour turkey mixture into pie crust, smooth top with spoon.

Roll second pie crust over the top of the dish, vent with a knife and cut off an excess pie crust. I aslo use a fork on the edge to make a "lined" design around the pie.

Place in the oven for about 60 minutes or until the pie crust is golden brown. If you find the inside is not as hot as you like (sometimes it takes a bit long with the deep dish pans) cover the edge of your pie with a pie protector or foil and continue to bake until it's done to your liking. Remember that everything you've put in the pie is pre-cooked, so don't over bake or you'll burn your piecrust.

Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. You can serve it with your leftover sides or a fruit salad will compliment nicely.

Enjoy!

Tips - You can make everything from scratch if you choose for a more "homemade" feel. You can also use non-fat or low-fat ingredients for a more healthy dish.

Another tip for leftover turkey - you can mix up some easy turkey salad using mayo and relish, serve on wheat bread and enjoy!

parade pics

Abilene's annual Christmas parade was held tonight. The boys LOVED it. This year we decided not to ride on the church float and instead watch the parade as a family. We had a great time. The boys loved getting to see all the floats and getting candy from the Marines, AHS Cheerleaders, Cowboys (HSU students), and many others. Their favorite was, of course, Santa Clause, but the APD and AFD were a very close second. It was really fun to not be in the hustle of kids and float deco and just sit and enjoy the parade. It was an hour long, and jam packed with lights, music, and plenty of Merry Christmases to go around. Here are some pics from tonight. Enjoy! *all of the Trinity pics are of kiddos and adult from our church, aren't they sweet!*

Dano waiting for the parade to begin.

Santa kicked the parade off, and yes, oh yes, he looked straight at my screaming boys and smiled reallllly big and waved. Might have been the hightlight of the night if the AFD hadn't come right behind Santa and wailed on their horn :) .

Your eyes do not deceive you, this is a giant grocery shopping cart done by HEB. Everyone applauded and laughed when this one came down the route. Too cool. :)

The Trinity floats. The first is of our bus that picks kids up on Sunday morning. The second is Charlie Underwoods racecar; he races every other week I believe, but the kids LOVE when he brings the car for them to look at and sit in. The third is a train built by one of our members.

the tree is up

Yes folks, the Christmas tree went up today. :) I absolutely love putting up the tree. It's one of my favorite traditions. Scott lugs out the box, puts the tree up, and fixes whatever lights might be out. (we have one of those pre-lit trees) and then I get out the ornaments and decorations and decorate to my hearts content. It's the best after Thanksgiving afternoon we have. We have many wood ornaments the boys can help us with so they get to be a part of the tree tradition as well. So here are the fruits of our labor...

Our tree, some of my favorite ornaments, the little guys under our tree, and our shelf sitters...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi friends! I just wanted to take a moment to tell you all Happy Thanksgiving. I'm so blessed and grateful for the friendship we have and I'm even more blessed that you all count me as a friend as well. I hope you all have wonderful days full of family, fun, blessings, and thankfulness. At the top of my list of things I'm thankful for is my salvation and my relationship with Christ. If not for His sacrifice, I'm not sure we'd have much to be thankful for! What are you thankful for?

I'm leaving you with some photos of some of the yummies that will be on our Thanksgiving table.

Pumpkin Bread - made from REAL pumpkins (!!) Cherry Pie, and Apple Pie. :) Wanna come join us for Thanksgiving???

small group

I love our small group. I normally do not blog about them, and this is no exception. Not blogging about group, just about how much I love our group. Every Sunday night I leave feeling so encouraged. I've never been a part of such amazing people. I know that each of them genuinely cares about my family, and I hope they know I feel the same about theirs. I deeply love my brothers and sisters in Christ. Being part of such an amazing group brings joy to my Sunday nights and is something I am forever grateful to God for. Two years ago I was alone. I was in the middle of a horrible situation that forced me to see, without any doubt, who my true friends were, and who they were not. Sadly, I came out bruised, beat up, and alone. (with the exception of one friend whom I cherish every day!) I felt so incredibly alone. I was depressed and severely hurt. Trust was blown. There was no way I was opening myself up to become close with anyone. If that was what "friendships" did to you, I wanted no part of it. I isolated myself and tried as much as I could to "play" friends but never really have to break the barrier. But praise God, He had a better plan. Through this group I've learned to open up more than I ever have. I still feel myself pulling away sometimes, but God is working it out for me. This group has helped me open my heart in a new way. Fully. We may not always agree, and we always have different opinions, but what makes this group so incredible is that we thrive on each others differences. By everyone having and sharing their own thoughts, we grow closer because we openly share with no repercussions. I feel safe and free here. Free to be who I am with no pretense. As dorky as I can be sometimes, this group still loves me. And safe knowing that everything I say in group, stays in group. I'm shaking my head right now because I've never had friendships like I do now. I feel so unworthy of such friends. In tonight's lesson one of the gentlemen said that when we call on God, He doesn't just do what we need, He goes above and beyond anything we could imagine. I desperately needed a true friend a year ago. God not only gave me a true friend, He gave me more true friends than I can count on both hands. These people have changed my life and I love them more dearly than words can express.

If you're reading this and are part of our group, you are more precious to me than anything I know. I am blessed for knowing you. Thank you for putting up with my dorky ways, and thank you for being there for me. Y'all are something this dorky gal can't live without!

dano

snagged this pic a few days ago. enjoy.

I have smart children

Today was report card day. Now, no, before you ask I don't stress report card days. Our boys are in pre-k and 1st grade, not much to stress over. However, David did manage to surprise me. Not by his grades, but by all the rewards his school gives out for each level they achieve. David got straight A's on his report card. I'm so stinkin proud of him! He brought home 4 certificates for free kids meals at various restaurants and got a card for game tokens at THE coveted Mr. Gattis. If I could stress to you the importance of Mr. Gattis in the lives of my little boys, oh my. It was like manna was falling from heaven the way this boy hopped and danced around once I'd read what the cards were for. I have to admit, I actually teared up a bit seeing how great he felt about working so hard and getting such great rewards for his work. Add onto that the $1 he got from his Daddy and I thought the boy might just fall over. He really felt special today and I'm not ashamed to tell you all that I am one PROUD momma today. David has never struggled in school and is actually learning on a 2nd grade level, but to see the fruits of his labor and hear him talk excitedly about what he's accomplished is awesome. I love that he has such a passion for learning and for setting and accomplishing his goals. On his way to bed he asked me if there was something higher than an A. I said, "well sometimes teachers give an A+ for extra good work". He's already planning out how he's going to get a report card full of A+'s next time. :) Oh that boy fills my heart.

Daniel also got very good marks. They grade pre-k differently than elementary so it's not A's and B's but rather where they are improving and by how much. He is right on target and is improving as he should be. He loves going to school. Mostly for his "buddies" (shout out Tristan!), but he also likes all the learning games they play. He didn't get the rewards like David (the don't do the rewards in pre-k) but he did get the $1 from daddy and some M&M's from mommy. After that he didn't care about the "papers" (rofl!) that David got. Silly guys.

I love these guys. And I'm so glad they got my smarts. haha, j/k hubs! I love my family. We've had the amazing blessing of having family nights every Friday night for the past several months. It's something that until August, we'd never been able to experience. Hubs schedule was/is hectic and rarely ever left time for us to spend quality family time. There would be weeks where the boys wouldn't see hubs for 3-4 days because their schedules were opposite. We prayed earnestly for things to change and God blessed us with a schedule much more manageable than before. Hubs is off on Friday nights and we're able to connect as a family like we've never been able to before. We go to the drive in, go out for dinner, and have game/movie nights at home. There is such a difference in our family I can't even begin to explain the things God has done for us. Several months ago we turned our marriage and family fully over to God and the rewards have been astounding to say the least. Our eyes are opened wide to even the smallest victories. Which is why today's report card day was so touching for me. It may be something that sounds silly to you all, but for us it's a family victory. We got to spend 30 minutes cheering, hugging, encouraging, and praising our boys. It was awesome and it reminded me again of the blessed healing road God is taking us down. When I say I love my family it breaks me inside. I am so full of love for my guys. At times it spills out in laughter, sometimes in tears, most times in hugs and kisses. And like today, sometimes in all those forms. I am so proud of all my guys I could just burst. And I'm so grateful to God for getting us to this point. I can't wait to see what's next for us!

** and yes mom, and friends, there will probably be another sappy blog entry next report card day. I can't help it, those boys are too awesome. :) **

my hero

Yep. Hubs is a hero y'all. In Sunday's paper the K-Mart ad was like a beacon of happiness calling to us. You see, Power Rangers are on sale. And not just any sale my friends, a Buy-One-Get-One-Free sale. Oh yes. And underneath that little pretty line, it said, "on ALL Power Rangers". Gasp. Yeah. We were pumped. Any parent who has a little boy that's into Power Rangers knows what I'm talking about.

Then I got sick and paid a little visit to the ER. Turns out I have Disfunctional Uterine Bleeding. Ew. Anyway, so no shopping for a few days. Okay, I'm thinking, the sales not over for several days, surely I'll have my energy back by then. Down comes more rain. David is sick. Not just any sick. Flu sick. Now for sure I'm out for about a week. David thows the meds up so it takes him longer to get over the flu.

In comes my knight in shining armor. Scott volunteers to go to the store and claim victory over the Power Ranger sale. I make him take the ad with him. (note to all of you who know how K-Mart is, TAKE THE AD with you!) He calls, we figure out the right sets and all that. I wait. And wait. And wait. And finally I call to see if he's doing okay. He's laughing and tells me that the store tried not to honor the ad but when he pulled it out of his back pocket they knew they'd lost. Hubs pulled through in a major way and saved us $53!! I am so darn proud of him! He's usually not confrontational, but these are Christmas toys for the kiddos, and the price was too goo to let go. He stood his ground and brought home 5 giant sacks of Power Ranger Jungle Fury goodness. Can I get an Amen?? :)

We're both quite sure there is now a sign on the aisle of Power Rangers stating there is a misprint in the ad, but that's okay, hubs managed to get ours on sale and I'm so durn proud of him I could jump for joy! But a good Praise the Lord is gonna have to do for now. :) Bedrest stinks.

free starbucks? say it ain't so joe!

Oh yes friends, free Starbucks on Election Day! I got this in my e-mail just a few sweet minutes ago. Any takers?

why?

*steps on soap box...*

Why. Why do some parents believe they are above the sick rule at school? Why? Are you so supreme that the sickness that SURROUNDS your child won't pass on to the HEALTHY children by your supreme, germ maintaining, super kid???? I mean honestly. Daniel went to school HEALTHY, and is now running a fever and coughing. TWO kids in his class were sick and were brought anyway by their parents. There was a sub today (don't EVEN get me started on the sub, let's just say I've have several discussions with his normal teachers about how this particular sub treats the kids, anyway...), and she allowed one sick child to stay while telling another to go home. Seriously. The one that got to stay.... oh my goodness. The poor kid was obviously sick and feeling rotten. His eyes were swollen and red, glassy and runny; his nose was runny and he was barely alert. As I'm noticing this, the mother tells the sub, "he woke up with a fever but I gave him Motrin and it worked right away!". Seriously??? DUH. Okay. Just DUH. Of course the medicine you gave your SICK child ONE hour ago is now working. (I'm smacking my forehead here). Does said sub tell this mom to take her child home? NO. She smiles at the woman and says, "well that's a relief" and let's her leave. UGH. Then second sick child comes in. No fever, but had one last night. No, no symptoms of said illness, doing okay, just high fever during the middle of the night. Now, technically, no the kid is not supposed to be in school. You have to be fever free, WITHOUT tylenol or motrin, for a full 24 hours before you can return to school. However, sub let the other sick kid stay so I'm anticipating yet another sick kid in the room. Sub tells mom in not so nice tone that sick kid #2 cannot stay and she has to take him home. So... why follow the policy for one child and not the other? I'm still scratching my head on that one. Anyway, now Daniel is sick. Red eyes, runny nose, cough, and fever. All the same symptoms as sick kid #1 who was brought by mom who doesn't understand the working effects of Motrin; allowed to stay by sub who has many many issues of "favortism" in the classroom. People... these kids are FOUR years old. VERY succeptable to illness, especially when it's staring them in the face. Stay home with your sick children. Follow the rules, isn't that what we teach our kids??? STAY home with your sick child, don't bring them and get my child sick. It will only lead to mean blogging and probably a cross look next time I see said sub and mom. Yes I know, I should be nicer, but my son is sick and it's not his fault. Use the brain God gave you people. Use the brain.

*** and before you all jump on me about working single moms not being able to take time off, this is not that type of situation; this mom stays home like many of the rest of us and could have taken care of her child, she choose not to. ***

spider cake lives

Yes folks, the spider cake lives again. I attempted to make mini spider cakes this year, but they were not good. Cake was good, decorating them was a nightmare. So I whipped up a simple bundt cake and went to work again. The end result is pretty cute! Much different than last year, but I was working with what I had. :) What do you think? It's all edible. The spider looks "hairy" thanks to my cool cake decorating tips and chocolate sprinkles, the legs are red twizzlers, the head is a mini milky way, and everything else is icing. Some child is going to be a happy camper at the cake walk tomorrow. We're having our annual Fall Festival. If you're in town, come by our church (Trinity Baptist). The festival is from 5 - 7 pm and afterwards, at 8 pm we'll have our opening night of Judgement House. Come have a great Sunday night with us! And who knows, you might win this cake! :)

I voted.

Have you?

Are you able to vote early in your state?

Whether you're able to vote early or not, make sure you DO vote. Hubs and I voted together this morning. This is the first time we've gone in together and voted at the same time. We both left the booth feeling relieved and as though we'd done our part. So go vote! If you're in Tx, you can vote today in some places, tomorrow for sure! Get out there and do your part!

oh.my.word

I have lots to update you all on, but not lots time. Just one little blip here... I finally made strawberry jam for the Christmas baskets I'm making for Scott's family (3 types of homemade jam/jelly & freshbaked bread in a smartly dressed new basket, with some new kitchen towels and things... Scott LOVES the idea, yay!) but of course, I have to try anything before giving it out. :). Oh my stars y'all. It's GOOD. And I mean GOOD GOOD. Like, let me lick the jar good. Scott even liked it and he's not a sweets guy. (he's a sweet guy, just not into sweets). Wow. It's better than any store jam. No chunky parts of strawberry, not too runny, not too sweet... it's terrific! So... I don't have enough (yet) to share with all of you, but maybe one of these days. Trust me, I will be making more of this! I'm going to try blueberry jam as well. Each basket will have strawberry, blueberry, and peach jam. Fun times!

OPAM - halfway done!

So over at Debra's blog she posted a "One Project A Month" Challenge (you can get to her blog by clicking her name link on the right side of the page). My project is to finish some quilted VeggieTales pillows that will be one of Dano's Christmas gifts. I finished the first pillow and wanted to post some pics. Hope you like it! (and yes, the tops of each side were hand stiched to get that "quilty" feel) These pillows are going to be so darn cute on his bed!

lookie lookie!

I just finished this cute little deco for halloween. The boys are going to flip out when they see it. :) The cost you ask? (well even if you didn't I'm going to tell you, haha) I managed to snag all of it on clearance at Michaels today and made this little cutie for $6! Yep, six bucks. :) Enjoy!

done done done!

Yes folks, college girl is DONE with her first set of classes! Yessirree! I just finished my last of 3 courses ending this week. Evangelism, English, and the dreaded Biology are now past me! I feel like dancing! hang on....

*** we pause for dancing break ***

*** can hear wiggles music playing..... (I turned the boys movie up, hehe) ***

Okay, I'm back. Can I just tell you how relieved I'm feeling? I got one A and two B's but I'm thinking that's pretty good for a girl who hasn't been in school in over 10 years! Hubs and I are celebrating by having our first date night in almost a year and a half. Maybe more than that.... sheesh. Our schedules have not lined up, and we basically haven't made the time. But Date Night is ON folks! We're going to dinner at Olive Garden and then we're going to see "FireProof". I can not wait! Join me in celebrating and have yourself some chocolate. You deserve it! :)

*** passes out the whoppers..."

Hillsong - From Inside Out

this song is amazing. it means much to me, i hope it will to you as well.

Sonic Commercials Compilation

I may be the only person on the planet that loves these commercials but oh my gosh I love them. Lol! Enjoy! :)

One Project A Month

Check this out over at Debra's site! My project this month will be to quilt some VeggieTales pillows for Mr. Dano. I won't be using the machine, I'll be quilting by hand. I def need a whole month! Lol :) Wanna join? It's easy, pick a project and post some before, during, and after pics. Go get your project on friends!

** pics to follow **

blackboard is down

I have read over 40 pages of notes and 6 sections of biology today. I have spent 5 hours in front of this durn computer studying and getting ready to pass my test. I go to take the test while all the info is still floating in my brain but guess what?

.... Blackboard is down. grrrrrr. I can't do anything with blackboard down. I can stare at a pretty screen, but that doesn't get me any closer to my test.

I know this sounds like a dorky post but I'm frustrated after half an hour of trying to get blackboard to load so that I don't lose the junk stuffed in my biology-defying brain. :(

This is a difficult week for me. LOTS of homework, several papers, all due by Saturday night. Pray for me friends.


What are you up to today?

do you hear howling?

If so, it's cause the Wolves put the hurt on! Lol. :) We have become football people. Yes, I fit well into the role of "football mom". David started flag football two weeks ago and today was their first game. The Wolves (our team) - vs - the Bulls. Although there is not an official score, let me assure you, our Wolves and their 6 touchdowns did a mighty fine job! David was unsure of what to do or how to play, but his coach found a job that suited him VERY well. The boy is a snapper. I want you to know, he snapped that ball straight into the hands of the quaterback every time! He is a natural. Each time the team "scored", he was on the snap. We parents were all unsure how the kids would do because this is each childs first year to play, first game, and they'd only had 2 practices. But boy did those kids play their little hearts out! And oh man are they serious about their football now. I see why football is so major in Texas. I'm so stinkin proud of the way David played today! He did everything exactly how his coach asked him to and he delivered when he needed to. He even managed to gain his team 5 yards by running the ball on one play. Friday night football may be huge in this awesome state, but I think I'm really going to enjoy me some Saturday afternoon football for a while. :) Here are some pics from Mr. Snappers first game:

the huddle - David is the short one

lining up - David is on the left

first snap of the game (David is in the white jersey), and oh yes, that's a "play holder" on the boys arm.

have you heard from my friend?

Debra and her family are in Houston and Ike paid them a visit this weekend. Have you heard from them? I'm putting this out there because I don't have their phone #. Well, lol, I have the cell phone #, just not the area code. Anyway, if you've heard from them, e-mail me please, dizzy4daizey@yahoo.com and let me know what you've heard. Last I knew their power was probably out, but we haven't heard much else. Debra if you reading this drop me an e-mail if you have time/power. We are praying everything is okay and that your house/cars are without damage. Love you guys!

please please pray

Hurricane Ike hit Cazalle, Haiti hard. This is where the Rescue Center I've mentioned is located. Please please pray for Licia, the workers, and the children. I can't even imagine being in that situation. And please pray for Licia's sister Lori, their home is pretty much a total loss due to the flood waters getting so high. It is a mess. People have died. There has been little rest at the center. They were allready facing a water shortage and damage from Hanah, and now Ike has hit and left much much more destruction and loss. Go here for the full story. And please, please pray for the people of Haiti.

****** UPDATE ******

This is an update from Licia's blog - please continue to pray for the center. Right now there is no water line, no water reserves, and very VERY limited supplies. Please pray for God to move in a mighty way and help keep these children and family safe and healthy.

**It is beginning to rain here again.

**Reports on Haitian radio is 46 dead from the river here.

**They were three men that tired to cross the river up higher than our village and the river washed one of them down, a father of 5 children. They pulled the father out and laid him out front for several hours until the family came to retrieve the dead body. We learned that hurricane Hanna damaged his house this past week. He walked 6 hours down the mountains to try and find some work to feed his family. He knew it rained a lot last night and told his friends he was worried about his wife and kids. He was trying to get to them when he was killed. One of the volenteers here J.L. is going to be working on raising funds for his casket.

**A family here in Cazale was trying to get out of their house last night and the water washed the mother and two children away. They found the mother about 1/2 a mile down the road hanging onto a bananna tree. They have not found the two children.

**The water line is NOT going to be fixed anytime soon.

**The foot bridge washed out, the water line ran across the foot bridge.

**There was a man that got his house washed away that follows in the clinic. He has a catheter in. The water washed away his house and ripped out the catheter. He got here today with a very swollen bladder, no catheter and no clothes. He was raising his hands thanking Jesus when we got it in and relieved his suffering. I got some stuff from Enoch’s closet and we got him dressed.

**We had a child die last night in the middle of everything, Herode. It was a challenge to get him buried today.

**My two volunteer’s were great last night. They helped me out SOOOOO much and I truly do not know what I would have done without them. When someone tells you “give me something to do, no job is to dirty for me” you know they are ready to help.

**I was scared last night, really scared. Some of the ladies were screaming, yelling and crying as they were so worried about their families. We had to calm them and get the children to safety.

**Amos, Henley and Trey did not know what was happening. They just thought it was cool they got to play in the middle of the night with so many babies.

this is too good

This....

makes me smile.

Sanctus Real - Whatever You're Doing Music Video

This song is so SO good I just had to post it again. :) Enjoy and let God lead you, wherever, whatever! Just let Him do.

NKOTB - Hanging Tough

Oh man. I just had to post this one too. How funny! This song meant LOTS to me in Jr. High. :) BF had a jacket JUST LIKE DONNIE'S. Swoon.

NKOTB - Step By Step

yeah, this is what it's all about!!! Go NKOTB!

oh.my.gosh.

Okay, if you're a guy, I warn you now - gushy girlie-ness is about to happen.

Did anyone catch the View today??? As in just NOW? Like 5 min ago?? Let me say this so you know how excited I am....

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK WAS JUST ON THE VIEW!!!!!

**** insert excited jumping around and singing at the top of my lungs here ****

Yeah baby!! The sang a new song, "Single", and an oldie, "Step By Step". And you better believe this NKOTB chica was steppin every second of that song! I'm so excited! I even found my old (OLD) cassette and am thinking of popping it in. Am I crazy? Maybe. But "Please Don't Go Girl" is on my mind, and it's about to be on my radio!

C'mon friends, I know there are some closet NKOTB fans out there. Where you at?!?!

hot pepper jelly

Okay. I tried something new. I found a recipe online for Hot Pepper Jelly that I HAD to try. It is H-O-T!!! I don't like spicy foods so I won't keep any of it, but of course had to taste it last night. Wow. It's good, but durn. Take it in small doses if you're not used to Texas jalepeno hot!

So I'm thinking these will make fabulous Christmas gifts once I get them dressed up with some raffia, ribbons, and fabric, BUT, what I would love to do with this first batch is help out a friend. Licia and her family run a medical clinic and Rescue Center in Haiti. Over this past year God has really burdened us for the children at the center. The men and women that serve there are nothing short of amazing. Currently they are raising funds to ship a semi trailor of supplies to Haiti, as well as raising funds for many of the children there to attend school. I would love to sell these jars of jelly and send the money to Licia for the center. So, here's the deal: I'm selling the jelly for $6 a jar (they are 8oz jars), plus $3 to ship them. $1 from each jar will help cover the supplies to make the jelly, so $5 from each jar will go straight to the Rescue Center. I will sell as many jars as I get orders for, so there's no limit. :) If you'd like a jar please e-mail me at dizzy4daizey@yahoo.com with your complete address and I will send you our PayPal information.

PS - Please note that these are all home-made and may have a slightly different taste than storebought. Most are a bit sweeter. Also, after shipping it helps to put the jelly in the fridge before using it to help it firm up. Sometimes the heat from shipping it causes it to loosen a bit. I haven't had issues with the seals popping though so you can eat it as soon as you get it, just if you want it to thicken, put it in the fridge. :)