5 years ago...

Matt and I were married 5 years ago today. I am amazed at how far we have come and what things have changed since then. We obvioulsy have grown older (and we can tell it) but we also have grown closer. We have been through quite a bit in our 5 years of marriage. Just like every marriage we've had our ups and downs...our ins and outs...but no matter what we have stuck together.

I am gonna ramble for a bit, so if you don't want to take a journey of mushed together memories then go on and move to your next blog of choice...I promise my feelings won't be hurt.

Way Back Then...

When we were little, my sister and I loved to play dress-up. We always had tons of dress-up outfits...some made by mom and some purchased. I remember vivedly playing dress up one time at my Nanny and Granddaddy's house. Kristen and I dressed up in our play wedding dresses and we both married our Granddaddy. Too funny! What's even funnier (and true) is that unconciously we were already visualizing our weddings and future husbands.

A wedding is something a girl dreams of forever. Even after the big day is over, your wedding day stays fresh in your memory. Forever. It's one of the biggest days of your life and it's something you will never forget.

We were engaged in July of 2003. I will never forget that day. Matt called me and told me to wear something nice that night but didn't tell me where we were going. I had no clue what the evening would bring. He picked me up late in the afternoon and we headed to the Botanical Gardens. We walked around talking for a while and then finally found a little secluded gazebo to rest in. We talked some more and then it was time...he got down on one knee and popped the big question. I, of course, cried and said yes. We then headed to my most favorite restaurant, Copeland's (which is now closed). After dinner was over and we were getting out of the booth Matt spilled an entire glass of tea on me. Oh the memories. (By the way, I still have that dress...tea stain and all...and I can't even wear it anymore.)

Matt and I were married in the same church we attend now. The same church we met in back in 1998 (although he had a girlfriend then). The visual appearance of the sanctuary has changed but I can still feel the same anticipation and excitement and Holy Spirit I felt that day.

I won't bore you with the details but I will say this...that day changed my life forever. I no longer will encounter life alone...I will always have someone to share the ups and downs with.

Here are some pictures of our big day:

The Handsome Groom

Me (aren't our stained glass windows beautiful?)

I love him even more today...

We had our pictures made before the wedding so this was the first time we saw each other that day...

The entire wedding party...L to R

April, Casey, Whitney, Alline, Amanda, Kristen, Me, Matt, Matt's Dad, Jason, Cory, Kris, Ryan, Daniel...the kids L to R...Devyn, Ivey, Garrison, Walker

Exchanging our rings

Our Unity Ceremony...much thanks to my friend Heather for the idea...we used colored water instead of candles

Our new family

(L to R My Dad, my Mom, me, Matt, Matt's Mom, Matt's Dad)

Our Reception...we opted to do this ourselves...more for less, ya know what I'm saying?

Leaving the church in Matt's Camaro...

What about now?:

Well, now...now we are more in love than ever. We have our beautiful daughter to keep us busy (what we did with "free time" before her is something I can't even remember). We have all we need...a roof over our heads, clothes, food and transportation and most of all...love. We have our ups and downs but we always manage to figure things out.

We have been through alot in our 5 years of marriage but I won't post all that in this post...maybe one day...but not today...today we are just celebrating!

Matt,

I can't believe it has been 5 years! It seems like just yeserday we were making weekly trips to and from JSU so you could march with the Southerners. And now...now you are the music director at church and you are instilling your same love for music in our daughter. I seems like just yesterday we were planning our wedding and now here we are five years later with a wonderful house, a beautiful daughter and more love than I ever thought I could have. You are my best friend and my soul mate. God truly blessed me when he brought us together. I can't imagine my life without you. Thank you so much for being such a hard worker, an understanding (and forgiving) husband, and a wonderful father. You make me so happy and I am so proud of you for everything you do. I love you, Matt, with all of my heart!

Love,

Karmen

All photographs by Randall Veazey Photography. (And yes...we bought the proofs and rights to these so that we could make more copies later on down the road.)

We've Officially Lost Our Minds....

We got Ava a fish aquarium Tuesday night. It was her final surprise for being completely potty-trained...yes you read that right! She is just now 2 1/2 and is fully potty-trained. Some say we are late...some say we are too early...but we wanted to wait until Ava was ready and that happened to be now.

So anyway, back to the fish tank. We took her to Wal-Mart (yes, Wal-mart...I'm not paying a ton of money for something that could potentially die in a few weeks) and let her pick out two fishies...yes 2! I told you we had lost our minds!!! We have a little black one and a little gold one. She is overly excited about them and has been doing really well with feeding them and not tapping the glass etc. She loves them. It's the first thing she thinks of when she wakes up and the last thing she thinks about before bed. TOO CUTE!!!

(And I am aware that fish is plural as "fish" but Ava calls them fishies so that is what we call them.)

A Contest for Those Who Like to Write on Pretty...

All of you hard working people and all of you SAHMs will love this giveaway... It is for some pretty cool stuff from Carolina Pad and the giveaway is being hosted by AuntieThesis... Hop on over to her blog for your chance to win!

Want a Pretty Blog?

Hop on over to Finding Joy In The Journey and enter her contest to win a blog makeover from Selective Beauty.

I am so hoping I win...My poor blog could use some help!

Works For Me Wednesday

I enjoy cooking. (see here)

Today's post is all about some of my cooking shortcuts.

I love recipes. I have cookbooks galore and tons of loose recipes. To maintain order of all those loose recipes I use a pocket folder. Yep, a regular old pocket folder. I can thumb through and find what I need and easily pull it out to use or loan to someone.

I love cinnamon toast. But mixing cinnamon and sugar EVERY.TIME.YOU.WANT.TOAST is inconvenient. So....I got a handy dandy shaker from the Pampered chef and made up a batch of my cinnamon sugar concoction and keep it on hand so I am always ready for cinnamon toast.

Ever cook pasta that sticks together as soon as you drain it? Put a little oil (I use EVOO) in the water before it boils and that always helps my pasta not to stick together.

Aluminum foil is my friend! I line everything with aluminum foil if possible to aid in clean up (you're welcome honey!).

It works for me...and I hope it might work for you!

Prayer Request

Will you please take a minute and say a prayer for my friend's mom? She is in the ICU. Will you please pray for her, the doctors caring for her, and her family?

Also, Kayleigh passed away last night. Will you please pray for her family?

Thank you so much!

A Day For Mom's

Today's the day we celebrate all the Mom's in our lives...Mother's, Mother's-In-Love(replacing the law with love...much nicer term), Grandmother's, Grandmother's-In-Love, Aunt's, Wives...all of the women who play such an important role in who we are.

Mother's Day is such a special day, even more so now that I am a Mother. There is something special about a Mother's love. I am sure some of you can relate. Sometimes I get frustrated with Ava (she's 2, remember?) but my love for her never changes. And oh, a child's love! A child's love is even more special. A child loves you with an unending love. It's the best feeling in the world.

As a mommy, I appreciate all the Mom's in my life. I value their opinions so much more than they realize. They, after all, have raised those around me that I love. So, this post is for them. I love each of you so much! You mean so much to me and my little family and you never truly will know how much you all have impacted my life and how I raise my daughter.

Mom-I strive to raise Ava the same way you did Kristen and I...to be well-mannered, polite, and caring. I try and share in the joy of some of the same things you did with us. I appreciate you so much and I love you to the moon and back!

Nonna-Matt and I try so hard to raise Ava with the same love that you raised him. We appreciate all your medical advice :o) ! It makes me so happy to watch Matt with Ava because I know he is imitating the both of you.

And there are others...I could go on for days listing all the women important to me, but that would make for a pretty lengthy blog post...

I will close with this quote...

"Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs... since the payment is pure love." -Mildred B. Vermont

I love that quote! And it's so true!

Happy Mother's Day!

Oh, What a Night

Ava spent the night with Nonna and Granddaddy (Matt's Mom and Dad) so that Matt and I could have a date night. I just love date night because it gives us the opportunity do things we normally wouldn't do with Ava in tow. Like last night...we dropped Ava off around 5:45 and headed out to eat somewhere new. Well, 78.8 miles later we ended up a Hooters on Lakeshore. 78.8 MILES!!! (And we have eaten at Hooters before.) Oh how my husband loves me!

We slept in this morning...until 9:30!!! It was fabulous! We went and got Ava around 1:00ish and man, did she grow up over night! It's so weird! My baby is growing up.

Now we are sitting here trying to figure out what we are gonna do next. It's kinda overcast here so playing in the pool is out...hmmmm....maybe a trip to the antique store is in order???

I am working on a post of funny things Ava says. Look for that coming soon! I also have a post scheduled for tomorrow (because I am not even thinking about the computer tomorrow). Our anniversary is coming up soon so be on the look out for a post regarding that (and maybe some pictures too!).

Take care!

A Picture For You...

Isn't she the cutest? She loves her some "cornbread on the cob"!!!

Works For Me Wednesday

It's that time again....

This week I am gonna spotlight several secrets revolving around your freezer...since that is all that currently works on our Refridgerator.

A friend sent me an email quite some time ago about Household Secrets...you know, using something totally off the wall to clean your bathtub and such. Well, it also included some pretty cool things for your freezer too!

Tip #1
Do you have candle holders that have wax in the bottom and you just can't seem to get it out? This has worked for me...put them in the freezer (I didn't even try to scrape mine out, just stuck them right in). I forgot about left mine in the freezer for about 2 days. I took them and and stuck a knife dwn in there and it all popped out in one big piece.

Tip #2
Have a little one that likes to chew gum? If your kiddo gets gum on their clothes just stick it in the freezer for a few hours (or longer...see tip #1) and it picks right off. Woohoo! And you thought you could only keep food in the freezer.

Tip #3
Got a teething Baby? We would wet clean wash clothes and put them in zipper baggies and freeze them. Instant chewie!

Tip #4
I don't know about you, but our mail gets wet if it rains. (We are too cheap frugal to buy a new one.) One time our Water Bill was soaked. We let it dry out and then opened it. Low and behold...the return envelope was sealed shut! I put it in the freezer and with little effort I had it opened. Too cool, huh?

Tip #5
Have you ever left your purse or make-up bag in the car just to come back later and find that your lipstick (or concealer) is all melted? I HAVE!!! Stick them in the freezer in their tubes and in a few hours you will be able to use them again. They may look a little funny but they will be useable.


That's all I have time to write right now...do you have any freezer secrets?

Why Are We Dancing?

Since the birth of "Dancing In The Rain" I have never really explained the meaning of my choice of name. (I don't think I really gave it much thought...but little did I know God had some big plans in store.)


At first, I found a quote that said "Life isn't about surviving the storm, it's about dancing in the rain." (Author unknown to me.) I loved it! Recently, with a little help from Angie, I came across MercyMe's song "Bring the Rain". I love it! God must have been trying to teach me something that week because not only did I discover that song but our preacher did a sermon that same week out of James that flowed with the same message! If that ain't God workin' I don't know what is.


Anyway, It gave me a whole new outlook on the name of my blog. And here is my best attempt to explain my new found meaning...


James 1:2 (NIV) says:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds..."

When I sat and mulled over this verse I realized that it went right along with my blog title. Dancing In The Rain...while those words seem so common and even childish, the meaning to me is really powerful. When we dance, we dance because we are happy or joyful. We don't dance around when we are sad or mad or down. We dance because we have something to be happy about...something to celebrate. And we do have something to celebrate...we ALWAYS have something to celebrate...James 1:12 says:

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

I don't know about you but, as if we didn't already have enough to celebrate...here's one more reason to encourage us.

Dancing...to move about joyfully.

Now, when you look at the play on words...we can view the word "rain" to be all of our trials and tribulations. Most of us view rain as a burden...I know I do...my hair frizzes in the rain...I am not a fan of rain. But we all face "rain" all.the.time...And when you look at rain in the context of a trial (or burden), God says we are to "count it all joy" (that's from he KJV of James 1:2). I'm not gonna lie to you...that's hard for me (and I am sure it is hard for a good majority of you, too). How am I supposed to count it all joy when some major, minor or in between burden is bringing me down? We are supposed to give it all to Jesus and and let Him guide our paths.

...in the rain...in the trials we face that bring us down.

After I had pondered these verses for a few days, I came upon a quote on Angie's blog. It said "I know there'll be days when this life brings me pain, but if that's what it takes to praise You, Jesus bring the rain." An email later I found out that it indeed was from the song "Bring the Rain" by MercyMe. The chorus of the song goes like this:

"Bring me joy, bring me peace

Bring the chance to be free

Bring me anything that brings You glory

And I know there'll be days

When this life brings me pain

But if that's what it takes to praise You

Jesus, bring the rain"

How awesome?

So...thus is the new meaning of my blog name. I am going to choose to dance in the rain and praise God for everything He's given me...the good and the bad...

Thank You God for blessing me beyond measure. Thank You for the good...and the bad...and thank You for loving me no matter where I may fall. Thank You for picking me up out of the pit of sin and please God, draw me closer to Your side. Teach me to persevere under trials, Lord and help me, Lord to be more like You. I love You, Lord! Amen.

The Big Reveal

Those that follow me on Twitter have been waiting on this post...the big reveal of my BIG NEWS!

So here it is! Ava got her very FIRST HAIR CUT last night. She has needed one for quite some time but I have been too afraid that whoever cut it would cut too much off and I definitely wasn't going to cut it because I would never forgive myself for jacking up her hair. There are somethings that I am just not willing to try.

Our friends next door have a friend that comes to their house to cut their hair. Long story short we joined in on the hair cutting action and voila! A new do!

Ava wouldn't sit in the chair at first so Bryce got to go first so that Ava could see there was nothing to be scared about. After Bryce was done...it was Ava's turn. She still wouldn't sit in the chair so she sat on Matt's lap.

All in all it wasn't an awful experience and I am very pleased with how it turned out.

Here are some pictures:

Before

During...

After

Another view of the after...

I love it! It is much more tame now. Thanks to Aunt Heather and Uncle Cory and Bryce for letting us crash their hair cutting session and a BIG thank you to Ms. Kristen for easing my hair cutting woes!

The view from my seat...

I will be the first to admit that I care not one bit about racing of any kind. I just don't get into it. I do however care about my Hubby and HE LOVES IT!

So...we set off to the Barber Motorsports Park. We packed a picnic lunch and headed off to the races. We braved the rain and centipedes (side not...BMP has a ton of these...those things freak me out!) and survived with no major malfunctions. (Unless you count the fact that we got wet more than once.)

It was so nice to spend time with Matt alone. Having a two year old makes it hard to be able to sit and talk...about adult things...without being interrupted...to take said two year old to go potty.

I actually had a good time and would go back again. (The picnic was pretty good too!)

Off to the Races

The Motorcycle races that is...

Matt received some tickets from a friend to attend the Honda Superbike Championship on Saturday. I am not in to motorcycle racing but I am in to spending one on one time with my Hubby. So...Ava is spending the night with Mia and Pop (my mom and dad) tonight and we are off bright and early to soak up some sun at the Barber Motorsports Park. I am excited. Not so much about the racing but about the picnic we are taking with us (and being with my one and only). I love me some picnics (and my hubby)! Anyway...I hope you all have a great weekend!

"Bring the Rain" by Mercy Me

I love Love LOVE this song!

A Stylin Giveaway

Hop on over to www.holdituptothelight.com for a stylin giveaway.

I am working at the school today (currently on break and using my phone Internet, so sorry for mistakes) but I will try and make a post tonight.

Works For Me Wednesdays

Welcome to my very first "Works For Me Wednesdays" post! I am super excited about sharing with all of you some of the easy, short-cut things that work for me. I hope you enjoy!

As many of you know, I am a stay at home. That doesn't mean that I don't work. My job is to raise our daughter to be a well-mannered, God-lovin, intelligent little girl. I am also the one who buys the groceries and attempts (notice I said "attempts") to maintain a clean semi-tidy home.

Today I am going to talk about a new process that seems to work for me when buying groceries and planning our meals. I used to make a "menu" where I wrote a meal for each day of the week etc. and rarely did we ever eat what was supposed to be made that day because honestly I like to cook based on my tastes that day and not off of a pre-made menu. While I made up the menus, I didn't like being told what we were gonna eat each night. We would waste so much food because I would pull food out of the freezer and then never cook it because I wanted something different for dinner and it would spoil. I know...I'm bad.

Anyway...I have come up with a new system and it seems like it will work. I now make a "Meal Options" list. I write out all the meal options we have on hand and each night we go to the list and decide what we want the next night. That way we all have a say in what we eat therefore causing less waste. As we prepare a meal we mark it off the list. Pretty easy and works for us!

Give it a try and let me know if it works for you!

National Infertility Awareness Week

I was just over at Kelly's Korner and saw that this week is National Infertility Awareness Week. I had no clue that such a week was set aside. What a blessing! So many woman (and men too!) suffer from infertility (minor and major infertility, it's all infertility nonetheless) and it's great to know that there are people trying to spread the word.

Here is a fabulous website I found with some great information.

Kelly herself battled infertility and as someone with PCOS (more on all that in another post saved for another day), infertility was and is a real possibility for me. Thank God I was able to get pregnant easily with a little help from my Reproductive Endocrinologist but some women aren't so lucky. There are women who try for years and years and never get to feel joy of being called "Mommy".

Please pray for those who battle infertility and PLEASE support them.

Out of the Mouthes of....Fashionistas?

Matt was getting Ava some clothes to put on so they could go outside (yes my child runs around naked half all the time because she refuses to keep clothes on) and this is how the conversation went down as I sat in another room...

Matt: Do you wanna wear this bathing suit top?

Me (from the other room): It's too small...

Ava: It's too small...

Matt: What about this shirt?

Ava: It's too small...

Matt: Ok...what about this one?

Ava: That's not a cute shirt, Daddy!

Me (from the other room): laughing!!!

Oh, my poor child! I feel we are in for some big trouble when she gets older.

Monday...already?

Ahhh...our weekend was fabulous! We had GREAT weather and spent some much needed time outside just soaking up the sun! As a SAHM...the winter sure can bring you down...it's too cold to go out and play and you feel like a prisoner in your house...ah, but when spring comes...that first gloriously warm day, the chains are broken (totally reminds me of a song...) and we are FREE!!! Ah...spring/summer time...how we long for you all winter!

We had some fabulous dinners this weekend. Hop on over here to check out the recipes. We enjoyed them sooo much!

I must share this with you...Saturday morning my friend had a Pottery Party. I must admit, I had never heard of a Pottery Party and had no clue what to expect. But, it was the neatest thing...Southern Clay Babies came out to her house and brought all kinds of pottery for your little ones to personalize. Check out their website and look at all the cute designs (I especially like the ones with the little tooshy prints! too cute!). Which one did I get, you ask? I got a round plate with Ava's hand as a grey elephant, of course. It will say "Roll Tide" and have her name and age painted on it. Very cool company! (A little pricey for me but totally worth it.)

Sunday we went to church and boy was it good. Ava and I were able to stay in the service the entire time. She was so good! Our pastor gave a wonderful sermon out of the book of James about Trials and Tribulations. It was something we ALL could relate to as everyone has, at some point in time, gone through some sort of trial or tribulation in their lifetime. Very good!

Now it's Monday and it's back to the daily routine. Is it Friday yet?

And because I can't leave you without a picture of my baby...

We hope you have a GREAT week!

This Is How We Do It...

What do you do in Alabama when it's 88 degrees outside (in April)?

Well of course you go outside and take pictures...which we did!

You play in the pool...in your panties...check!

You learn some life lessons...including the fact that spiders are EVIL!...done!

You splash Daddy...who then splashes you in retaliation and Mommy somehow manages to get wet...double check!!

You eat some homemade Chicken Parmesan...and enjoy it so much that you want to share with your cheeks...and chin...and chest...affirmative!

You discover that one of you have poison oak/ivy...GREAT!

You spend time together as a family...MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

Want A Blog Makeover?

I DO!!!

Hop on over to Well, That's Just Fabulous and enter. She does awesome work. My fingers are crossed that I win! (Or maybe you could win?!?) Hurry hurry on over!

Check, Check, Check It Out...

I have added some new blogs...there isn't any thing on them yet and they are still works in progress but hopefully soon they will be off and running.

Cooking Up A Storm -A recipe blog

Sewing Up A Storm -A place to display my creations and what I have learned about sewing

Guess what?!?

I'm back! After a short hiatus of being beyond busy and figuring out who I want to be/become I have decided to come back to blogging.

After much thought of where I want to begin again with this I have decided to just start with my day to day life from here on out. It's too hard to play catch up.

I am not guaranteeing daily posts nor am I gonna promise that they will make any sense. (I will try, however, to make them coherent...)

So until my next post...

Profoundly Seth's "Profound Pictures Prize Package"

Hi! Just a quick little post. Hop on over to Profoundly Seth and help little Seth raise money for cochlear implants. Click here to read about the awesome prizes up for grabs...love yall!

Getting to Know Me Monday

It's Monday again and that means....it's time for "Getting to Know Me Monday"!

I have decided to go on and finish out this series so here are the last 50.

Here you go:

51. I love spring and fall.
52. I love consignment sales.
53. I love antique stores.
54. I love random junk…
55. I love wireless internet/printing…
56. I love homemade sour cream pound cake.
57. I use … too much. (The actual three dots.)
58. I love Outback’s Cheese Fries.
59. I have too many freckles to count.
60. I don’t like coffee (unlike Hubby and his entire family as well as my Mom.)
61. I love the Holidays.
62. My favorite Christmas song is The First Noel.
63. I love spinach-artichoke dip.
64. I don’t throw up. Ever! I force myself not to throw up.
65. I hate to touch raw meat. I wear gloves.
66. I don’t drink milk.
67. I love peanut butter.
68. I love homemade chili.
69. I love a good club sandwich.
70. I think my daughter is the funniest person I know.
71. I am very logical. I will toy with an idea before doing it/purchasing it.
72. I have a fabulously rectangle house. Literally. But I love her with all my housey heart!
73. I refuse to be a “Mini-Van Mom”.
74. I love bread. Any kind!
75. I have a new found obsession with Vera Bradley products. I love the Raspberry Fizz line.
76. I drive a Chevy Trailblazer.
77. I love Christian music.
78. I don’t like to be late nor do I like when people are late.
79. I have always lived in Alabama.
80. I love Bath & Body Works “Country Apple” scent. Too bad they only have it for their semi-annual sale.
81. I have never purchased my own camera. I always get my twinkie’s hand-me-downs. Now only if she will get a new camera so I can have her Canon Digital Rebel!
82. I love to look at houses. We aren’t moving any time soon but I still look.
83. I love Victorian style houses and the old Plantation style houses.
84. I want a Garden Tub to take a relaxing bath in after the kiddo goes to bed.
85. I can’t find a hair style that I continually like. I change all the time.
86. I have never dyed my hair.
87. I love how my daughter says “I lalu” instead of “I love you”.
88. I used to want to be a teacher until I substituted at the school. Not anymore.
89. I love all things Monogrammed. The only down fall is when all of your kiddos clothes say xZy they are kinda hard to get rid of.
90. I love to swim.
91. I love the feel of baby’s skin.
92. I love Target.
93. I collect Willow Tree Angels.
94. I was a cheerleader in high school.
95. I try and see the bright side of everything.
96. I like to scrapbook and do all things crafty.
97. I like to doodle. I am really only good at flowers and hearts and my name.
98. I love Arby’s and Chik-Fil-A.
99. I love hugs and kisses.
100. I love my life!

Hope you enjoyed "Getting to Know Me Monday". Hopefully I will come up with something else soon! Take care!

Getting to Know Me Monday

Here it is...does it really need an introduction?

"Getting to Know Me Monday"

41. I like to get in the car and just ride around.
42. I have been to Las Vegas. I was like 15.
43. I love to go on vacation.
44. I am not very smart technology wise but I have good friends that help me along.
45. I am a little bit OCD.
46. I am a germ freak! I hate the thought of germs.
47. I am a self proclaimed red-head even though my hair is now a brownish red color.
48. I have blue/grey eyes and Hubby loves them.
49. I am blessed with a wonderful family…on my side and Hubby's.
50. I hate to sweat.

Half way there people! Half way there!

Sent by a Friend

This was sent to me by a friend this morning and it sums up so much...I love it!

"If you will take the time to read these. I promise you'll come away with an enlightened perspective.

The subjects covered affect us all on a daily basis: They're written by Andy Rooney , a man who has the gift of saying so much with so few words. Enjoy.......

I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.

I've learned .... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I 've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only Letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned.... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them. I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.

I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned.... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned.... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done."


It's so true! Love yall!

I'm Sorry

Sorry guys! Posts are coming soon! I have alot going on right now. New responsibilities, growing in my relationship with God, improving my family and their life, meetings, get together's and the like. Don't have too much time to blog anymore. I will try and blog when I can but I am not making any guarantees. I hope each of you are doing well.

PS I have "Getting to Know Me Monday" posts scheduled so at least you will have those to read until I can find a few minutes to post.

Nothing Else Matters...

because Jesus loves me! And that's more than enough for me!

God has been working in my life alot here recently by way of blessings and with me as a person. One of the recent things that I have come upon is that nothing else really matters but His love. God is going to love me no matter what. He knows I am not perfect and that I make mistakes and yet He forgives me and loves me anyway. Alot has happened over the last few months that has really made me turn to Him more and more everyday and you know what...God has been there...He held me when I was down, He provided when we needed, He gave me comfort in everything, and He has guided my path to make me who I am today. I am not the same person I was this time last year. I am bettered because of God's infinite love. I have done alot of growing over the last year; Spiritually, emotionally, as a person...all because of Him...He has showed me who I need to be. I don't want to be a negative person (see below) and I know in the past I have hurt people and done things that I should not have done (who hasn't...we all make mistakes). I am ashamed of some things I have done in my life time...but God has showed me these things and I have used them as "lessons learned" to help me grow. And you know what else...He forgave me of those sins. I feel His love everyday and I can see Him in my life. He truly is amazing.

Here are a few of the other things I have realized and I want to share them with you...

Lesson Learned #1: I don't need "things"...while designer jeans or shoes would be nice, does that really make up the meaningful things in life? I may not have a top of the line car, or live in a mansion, or eat out everyday of the week, or have Ralph Lauren clothes hanging in my closet...but I have a car that runs, Hubby still has his job, my family and I have a roof over our heads and clothes to wear and we have food to eat and money to pay our bills. That's more than enough as some people don't even have that. God has blessed us immensely with what we have and we are so grateful.

Lesson Learned #2: Be happy and seek joy in all things. This one is rather easy when you think about it. Jesus created every thing and person around us. Why not see the good in everything? God put so much time and effort into creating our wonderful surroundings...why not rejoice in a flower blooming, or the rain falling, or a smile from a stranger, or waking up this morning? To me happiness is a choice...you can either choose to be "half-full" or "half-empty". I choose to be a "glass half-full" kind of girl.

Lesson Learned #3: I don't need for everyone to like me. (This one was hard for me to swallow because as humans we, by human nature, want to be liked and accepted, but when I thought about it, why would I want to surround myself or be affiliated with someone so hurtful or negative?) I know Jesus loves me and so does my family and friends...and nothing else matters. Say what you want and feel anyway you want about me...I am happy with my life and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks or says. Yes, I have flaws and I am by no means perfect, but I am loved by those who are the most important to me...and that is ALL that matters. God loves me for who I am and always will.

Lesson Learned #4: Be thankful always. This one is hard for me. Sometimes I just have those "woe is me" days to where nothing seems to go right. It's easier sometimes to ask God "why me?" than to thank Him for what ever the situation may be. What's the old saying...that which doesn't kill us only makes us stronger...or something like that. I know for me it's hard to thank God sometimes in situations...Peanut not listening (thank You God for my child), a mistake I made (thank You God for helping me grow as a person and as a Christian), an argument with Hubby (thank You God for Hubby and for helping us make our marriage glorify You)...you get my point. Sometimes it is hard to thank Him but without Him...we wouldn't be here and we wouldn't have these blessings.

I have decided that with my new found knowledge, I will surround myself with positivity (is that a word?). Negative things, situations, and people bring you down and the only thing we can do for negativity is pray. Pray that the situation will change, pray that things will get better, pray for those who are negative. And I chose to do just that...and to not be affiliated with good ol' Mr. Negative. I will thank God for everything because He is a generous and loving God!

I am so blessed to have wonderful a wonderful Hubby, daughter, parents, in-laws, sisters, cousins, grandparents, and friends...I thank God for each of you. Thank you ALL for loving me for who I am and supporting me no matter what. And to all those reading my blog...I hope that something that God has laid on my heart to share with all of you may in turn help us all become better people. Tomorrow isn't promised...so we need to make our "todays" as glorifying to Him as possible.

Thank You Jesus for forgiving my sins. Thank You so much for blessing my family immensely and thank You for Your undying love. Thank You for showing me my flaws and helping me work on them and thank You for loving me no matter what I might say or do. Thank You God from the bottom of my heart! You truly are an awesome God! Amen!

I will leave you with the lyrics to one of my favorite songs...it is actually one of the songs at the bottom of my page.

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found;

He is my light, my strength, my song;

This cornerstone, this solid ground,

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!

My comforter, my all in all—

Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,

Fullness of God in helpless babe!

This gift of love and righteousness,

Scorned by the ones He came to save.

Till on that cross as Jesus died,

The wrath of God was satisfied;

For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—

Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,

Light of the world by darkness slain;

Then bursting forth in glorious day,

Up from the grave He rose again!

And as He stands in victory,

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;

For I am His and He is mine—

Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—

This is the pow'r of Christ in me;

From life's first cry to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny.

No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,

Can ever pluck me from His hand;

Till He returns or calls me home—

Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

Getting To Know Me Monday

Is it Monday already? Well, you know what time it is...here is the next installment of the "Getting to Know Me Monday" series...

31. I like to shop off season. SALES!!!
32. I know all the words to the theme songs of Peanuts favorite TV shows. Dora Dora Dora the Explorer…
33. I am a furniture hoarder. I love buying random pieces from antique stores for next to nothing and keeping them “just in case”. Need an end table?
34. I love pictures but very rarely do I get them developed.
35. I like sweet tea with lemon.
36. I like my glass of water completely filled with ice.
37. I love eating out at super nice places. (Although this doesn’t happen often...really it only happens when we receive gift cards) We have been to Copper Grill, Ruth’s Chris, Flemings…
38. My favorite TV show is Jon & Kate Plus 8.
39. I like to read when I have time.
40. I no longer carry a purse. I throw all my junk in Peanuts diaper bag.

K Mommy Ramblings

Whew! We made it home in one piece and boy are we exhausted! The graduation went great...I cried as soon as the music started and the men started walking from behind the smoke. Very moving...I will do a detailed post about it later...right now we are still recovering from the long night we had and the long day that followed.

We have been kinda lazy today. We went outside and played a good bit but nothing too big. The weather has been so nice here lately and I am going to be sad when Mother Nature decides to throw us another cold spell. Peanut loves to play outside and I honestly love just sitting there taking it all in (and taking pictures, too!).

We all are recovering nicely from our sickness. Peanut is 100% better and Hubby and I still have a little bit of a lingering cough and some drainage (which is probably causing the cough).

Big things to look for: Sing-A-Long Time, Update on Graduation, The Life and Times of Hubby and K Mommy, More Pictures from our Family Pictures...and other exciting things (maybe a contest to bring all of you lurkers out of the woodwork)!

I will close with this...What are your plans for Valentine's Day? I heard Whitley's Life got something sweet...hop on over and check it out...And Chickie over at I Love You To Pieces is getting to spend time with her Huggy Hubby...nothing could beat that!

We have no big plans for Valentine's Day...we're boring, I know...We are not big on celebrating our love in one day when we could celebrate it everyday...Hubby does plan to cook us some steaks (a rare treat for us) and Peanut will be celebrating with us. I can't wait to show you what we got her.

Anyway...love and kisses to you all!

I'm Proud to be an American

Far too often we take our freedom for granted. It's easy to do. Simple things like going to Church, wearing the clothing of our choice, and other things we do everyday that people in other countries have no control over. Freedom is a wonderful thing. Recently I have gained a new perspective on freedom. My brother-in-law joined the Army Reserves back in November. He has been in Boot Camp since then learning how to serve and protect our country. And tomorrow...he will graduate Boot Camp as a squad leader and with a slew of supporters there for him. Thank you to each and every soldier...active, inactive, disabled...all soldiers past, present, and future! Thank you for your selfless love for our country! We are so proud of each and every one of you!

This man...this soldier...has made the choice to help serve and protect our country...and for that I am eternally grateful. This, by the way, is my brother-in-law. You can continue to follow his story over at my sisters blog, I Love You to Pieces.

Oh the Warmth!

Saturday was absolutely beautiful here! The high neared 70 and it was so nice to be able to go outside and not have to have 5 layers of clothes on. Ah...warmth!

We made use of the warmth by going to the Botanical Gardens for some pictures. We all still felt like poo but I wanted pictures of all of us since it has been awhile since we have had pictures made. Hubby and Peanut were such troopers. Here is a little peak at some of the pictures...Love yall!

This last one cracks me up...Peanut is all about making silly faces right now and some of the things she comes up with are hilarious!

More to come...check back soon!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! And we're praying the warm weather keeps on coming!

A Giveaway Over at "An Island Life"

I am sure I could put this to good use with all the remodeling that is coming up around these parts. Hop on over to "An Island Life" and check out her drawing for a $50 gift card to The Home Depot. Go on...what are you waiting for...I am sure you could think of a thing or two that you could use that $50 for...Take care!

Getting to Know Me Monday

Because I know you are dying to know more about me! Here is the next installment in the "Getting to Know Me Monday" series.

21. I have no pets.
22. I LOVE chips and Barber’s French Onion dip. (It’s an Alabama company.)
23. I love the color yellow. Just recently have I switched from pink.
24. I would love to volunteer more.
25. I like to plan things...birthday parties, a nice sit down dinner, functions at church, a day of girl stuff, holiday functions...
26. I want to start a business. (Any thoughts?)
27. I love pedicures and manicures but rarely do I get them.
28. I love spending time with Hubby and Peanut.
29. I am a little less than 5 years younger than Hubby. (He’s old…j/k)
30. I like to shop sales. I feel like I have accomplished something when I get $158 worth of merchandise for only $66.

There you have it...take care!

Friday Frustrations

Happy Friday All!

Don't let the title fool ya...we have had a fairly good Friday. We ate lunch with Nonna (Hubby's Mom) and her friend at Cocina Superior...YUMMY!!! I lurve me some Mexican food! I had never been and was pleasantly surprised with it! Definitely a new go-to place.

Anyway, on to the frustrations...Hubby is sick. You all knew that, right? (Why is it that when men are sick they act like babies?) Well Hubby laid in bed last night hacking up a lung and blowing his nose so hard that at one point I honestly thought he might have blown his brain into his tissue. He tossed and he turned and he grunted and he sniffled...I thought I would never get to sleep. I feel bad for him but buddy I have been sick to and all I wanted to do was go to sleep. Finally at 1 am he decides he is going to Wal-Mart to get some nose spray. I told him we had nose spray so he tried it but it didn't work. How does nose spray not work? Whatever! Long story short...he went and I zonked while he was gone. Don't even remember him getting back home.

On another note but still keeping with the frustrations...my driver's license is expired. Apparently it has been for a little bit but I had no clue until I bought my new cell phone and he asked to see my license to verify the name on my debit card. He told me it was expired. I don't use my license at all since I don't write checks and hardly anyone asks to see your license anymore and I don't drink so....anyway...it's expired! I decide today that I am going to get it renewed. We have a county satellite right up the road for "convenience". I call to see what kind of payment they take (God forbid they be up with the times and take debit cards!). Here is how the conversation goes:

Satellite Lady: County Satellite

Me: Um, yes ma'am...I was calling to see what type of payment methods you take for renewing a Driver's License...

Satellite Lady: Check and Money only...

Me: Ok...thank you!

And we hang up...

I am on my way to the DMV from lunch with Nonna and now I have to run by the house to get a check. No big deal. I get to the house and get the check...and then head to the Satellite office. I get Peanut out of the car and we walk in. I look over at the DL line and there isn't one...HECK YEAH! I head that way and notice that it is completely roped off...dang it...a man stops me and asks me if I need my DL renewed. I say yes and he tells me that the system is down. What the heck? I just talked to a lady why couldn't she have told me that! I told the man that and his response...maybe she didn't know!!! Those of you who know that satellite isn't that big and for her "not to know" is full of baloney! Whatever! Frustrations!!! I just turned around and walked out. Oh what a day!

Hope yall have a great weekend!

Hello Lovers!

I love many things...my family, my life, my friends, a good salsa :o)...but here are a few of my loves when we have a little extra cash on hand...

I am so in L-O-V-E with Vera Bradley! Chickie (my Twinkie) got me the Raspberry Fizz Laptop Tote. She introduced it to me and I shared it with Ms. Manna (as Peanut calls her), my friend in Hunstville. We have fell head over hills in love with it and I can't wait to make my next purchase, the Large Backpack to use for Peanut's Diaper Bag in the Capri Melon print. (Capri Melon is a retired color so everything is on sale!) Forewarning: She is kinda over-priced...well ok alot over-priced...but if you can catch things on sale...JACKPOT!!! I love me some sales!
I am also in L-O-V-E with Levi's 512 Jeans. I posted about these a few days ago. They are the best Jeans I have ever found and they are soooo comfortable!
I L-O-V-E antiques. We have an antique store near by and I love to just go and walk around and look for random junk. I have several pieces of furniture from there. Hubby calls me a furniture hoarder (is that a word and if so I am sure I butchered the spelling...) My logic is someday I might need that piece. And we have the space to hold onto it so why not keep it? Anyway, Love me some junk!

My Mom and Dad got me this when we moved into our new house (we've lived here almost 4 years and I still call it our new house)

Hubby despises this chair...I must agree that the orange is awful but it has good potential...you have to look at the bones of the chair to really appreciate it. Who knows, one day I might recover her and you might find her proudly displayed in our living room...but for now she is the catch-all in our bedroom (and no, my room in not decorated in orange and yellow).

I found Peanut this bed at a flea mall in a nearby (and nasty, might I add) city (I totally made my Mom go with me because it isn't exactly the best city to be in by yourself). It's a twin bed. Right now she sleeps in a double bed but it takes up so much room in her bedroom that we decided to down size. Now I just have to save up so I can redecorate! I love me some decorating!

I L-O-V-E monogrammed outfits for Peanut. I have made several little dresses and had them Monogrammed! It is just too cute! They only down fall is that when all of Peanut's outfits say "Peanut" or "xYz" it kinda makes it hard to resell them...Oh well! We'll call them family Heirlooms and box them up for her. :o)

I did manage to make this one say "Yea Alabama" but that isn't always the case...

I L-O-V-E consignment sales! I love to sell and shop them! Last Fall I sold several items of Peanuts in a local consignment sale and made $175! I have also purchased some good bargains. Last year at one of the consignment sales I attend I got Peanut an Old Navy Denim Jacket and a nice Jogging Stroller for $35! Not too shabby, huh?

Don't misread this as I shop too much...I am a SAHM after all! But when we do manage to find a few extra dollars and I manage to find a few extra hours, these are the things I choose to spend them on. Hubby buys for his Motorcycle and I buy a little of everything!

Anywho, I just wanted to share some of my favorite things with you! Who knows...maybe one of you will find a new love too...or just need a piece of furniture and now you know where to look first! Take care!

The Sickies Have Hit Us Hard...

Peanut and I both are sick. Head colds. I have determined that they are of the devil! My head might explode today and Peanut sounds like she has a bunch of change rattling around in her chest. It's fabulous! Hubby said this morning that his throat was a hurting a little. Oh joy, oh bliss! The only thing worse than being sick is trying to take care of your sick kiddo while being sick yourself and the only thing worse than that is trying to take care of a sick kiddo AND a sick hubby all while being sick yourself. Pray we make a quick recovery!

To make this post worth reading (because I know she is why you are here) I have included some pictures that we have taken recently of Peanut...ENJOY!

Cheese!

What?

Taken with my phone...not great quality but it captures her personality!

We are so lucky to have such a happy daughter. She really is like this all the time. She is funny and she knows it! She is sweet and sincere...she is loving and kind...and is sooo smart! Anywho, take care!

Getting to Know Me Monday

Here is the next installment in the "Getting to Know Me Monday" series...

11. I like to cook new things.
12. I have a sewing machine and an embroidery machine.
13. I love Milky Ways. (The candy bar)
14. I love fried rice and have a fabulous recipe for it!
15. I love sweet surprises (roses just because)
16. I LOVE to decorate.
17. I look for reasons to redecorate.
18. I like to think I am always right. Ask Hubby.
19. I have amazing friends.
20. My first trip to Disney was when I was 23. (It was my 2 year old daughters 1st trip too!)

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Life's a Circus!

The circus is in town! We went friday night and had a blast! Peanut loved everything about it...I was very nervous about how she would react but she did very well!

The Grand Finale!

Tigers (and NO I would not be caught dead in that cage...or alive either)

The Elephants Showing Off

And Again!

The Family at the Circus

We can't wait to go back!