a different kind of same

Alas, I have not disappeared...

2010-12-03T09:50:00.000-06:00

...well at least not entirely anyway. For the duration of our hiatus, whether it be temporary or permanent, you can find me here. I started up a tumblr a few weeks ago and I've been enjoying posting completely random thoughts and pictures, so come join me!

Mary

Ciao for now!

2010-11-30T21:12:00.003-06:00

This blog has been so much fun! I've learned some really great, funny, interesting, surprising things about some friends I thought I already knew backwards and forwards! It's been a neat insight into their lives, and I've enjoyed sharing things with them and with our faithful readers :)

God bless all of you!
Later taters!

So long farewell...

2010-11-29T22:36:00.001-06:00

So we have decided to take a hiatus from blogging. Not sure if it will be a temporary or permanent hiatus. I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing my life with you! I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Always remember that Jesus is the reason for this season! I wanted to leave you with some exciting news and that is that I'm expecting my 2nd child due in June!

God Bless!!
Beth

Black Friday

2010-11-16T22:13:00.003-06:00

Considering what a bargain shopper I am, you'd think I'd be all over Black Friday. Instead, I avoid it all costs. For one thing, I'm not the biggest fan of unwieldy, jostling crowds. Nor do I like long lines. Or getting up early. I know the deals are great, but to me it's just not worth it. I don't think it was actually Black Friday, but I did get up really early once with a friend in Mississippi to go to the mall for some sort of early bird thing. It just didn't make a big impression on me.

So this year, as usual, I'll be sleeping soundly in a nice warm bed the day after Thanksgiving. I'll leave the trampling to someone else :)

Can't post in the body of the blog - darn!

2010-11-10T20:02:00.001-06:00

Fall: I'm Lovin It

2010-11-07T20:55:00.002-06:00

In no particular order...this is why I love fall:

I don't immediately start sweating when I walk outside.
Random fall scents, especially this candle I got from Bath & Body Works called 'leaves.'
Getting to sit outside at a restaurant to eat and not leave completely drenched in sweat...Joe T's, here I come!
I get to wear my boots. (Not cowboy boots, though I secretly want some for fun)
I get to wear my scarves! I love scarves!
Thanksgiving: turkey and dressing and green bean casserole and pies. And spending time with family.
FOOTBALL (though my Red Raiders and the Cowboys are having a tough year).
Time off from work for Thanksgiving.
Christmas is just around the corner, though I wait until after Thanksgiving to bust out with decorations and Christmas music.

And the list could go on. Happy Fall!
Cass

Happiness in Season

2010-11-05T00:08:00.000-05:00

I am in love with Fall. If it weren't a season, I would totally marry it. Don't tell my husband.

So here you have it - my favorite things about my favorite season:
(In random order, except for number 1, which is definitely number 1.)

16. Daylight savings time. The gaining an hour part, not the darkness at 5:00 p.m. part. I realize it's just a day, but clearly it's the best day all year.

15. Squash. (The vegetable, not the sport)

14. The first cool breeze that surprises you when you were expecting to be smacked in the face with oppressive heat. Also known as: "euphoria"

13. The possibility of making smores over a crackling fire. (not that this usually even happens)

12. The absence of sweat. PRAISE BE.

11. The feeling that the Holidays are right around the corner, thus, family gatherings and vacation days are almost here. See again: "euphoria"

10. Pumpkin flavored everything. Yum.

9. Bath & Body Works "Winter" home scent. I have to resist the urge to hoard.

8. Clothes with long sleeves. Hallelujah. Amen.

7. Stuffing. Why do I only eat stuffing over the holidays?

6. The logical use of blankets. I always use blankets, even in 100+ degree Texas summers. I feel less crazy using them in the Fall.

5. Tights!

4. The anticipation of pumpkin pie. (Sometimes actual pumpkin pie misses the mark)

3. The general feeling that Fall makes people happier (at least in Texas). I swear you can see the relief on everyone's faces the first day we hit 75.

2. The smell. I hope heaven will smell like fall. It just seems right.

1. This:

I will never get over not living somewhere beautiful in the fall. Le sigh.

Note: I am aware that the number of food related entries in this post is a wee bit disturbing. But let's be honest, it's entirely unsurprising.

Mary

Fallin'

2010-11-04T14:34:00.000-05:00

Things I love about Fall:

Being able to wear a long-sleeved (or 3/4 length - are those still in style??) shirt and walk outside without feeling sweat start to drip immediately. Texas may have super hot summers, but I wouldn't trade it for super cold winters. But it sure is nice when fall rolls around.

School supplies! And now that I have a child in school I get to enjoy this fall-ish thing again. So fun... am I weird? Surely I'm not alone here. And I guess the school supplies technically had to be purchased during summer, but at least it means fall is surely coming.

That I can still wear sandals or flip-flops. I really dislike socks and shoes, but as I'm getting older, I'm staring to think my feet need them. I recently purchased a pair of new running shoes. I'll let you know once I test them out... hopefully within the 30 days I have to return them!

Pumpkin patch fun. There is a great pumpkin patch here that we have gone to the last few years. Everything is free, but they encourage you to bring a donation of canned goods. There are bounce houses, hayrides, TONS of wooden cutouts for picture taking fun, hay mazes, etc. The kids have more and more fun every year, and it's so fun to watch.

Fall decor. I really don't like Halloween decorations, so I had the "Give Thanks" centerpiece up in October. I had a five-year-old tell me, "It's not November yet." But who cares!! If Beth can start playing Christmas music on November 1, I can certainly decorate for Thanksgiving mid-October.

Thanksgiving.

College Football. More specifically, Texas Tech football. One thing I do not like about Fall is what happens to my husband after a Texas A&M loss. It's a strange and sad thing, really.

I totally forgot to post this on my day - Wednesday, so pardon me, Staci. :)

amelia

Fall

2010-11-01T20:54:00.001-05:00

I used to think my favorite season was Spring, but in the last few years Fall has become my new favorite. Maybe it's because now living in the Midwest I get to see trees change colors. Beautiful reds, oranges and yellows! Or maybe it's because I love dressing my little girl in all the cute Fall clothes especially the jeans! I love that Starbucks begins selling Pumpkin Spice Lattes! I love the smell of my pumpkin candle burning! And I love my Fall decorations! Why do you love Fall?

Beth

Halloweens Past

2010-10-31T14:07:00.001-05:00

Remember when Halloween used to be so fun when you were little? Or how creative your parents could get with your costume? I sure do! There was one picture in particular that I was looking for and couldn't find...me, my brother and sisters all dressed up as crayons one year for Halloween. We were each a different color and even had hats...it was so long ago that at the time, my youngest sister wasn't even one (and she's now 22). So to commemorate Halloween's past, I thought I'd share some random pics:

This was in 1986...I was a jelly bean bag (filled with balloons). My brother was a Care Bear and I have no clue what my sister was.

This was either my freshman or sophomore year at Tech...several of us went as Army girls.

Me and Beth...2 of the 3 Charlie's Angels (the 3rd was around there somewhere). Like our guns?

This was probably 3 years ago at my church's Trunk Fest. I was the school girl on the left, with my Christian pumpkin...and my roommate at the time was a cowgirl.

My all time favorite costume though...Wonder Woman!!

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween. If you live in the DFW area, swing by First Baptist Euless' Trunk Fest tonight from 6-8pm.

Cass

Who Needs Halloween?

2010-10-29T15:11:00.002-05:00

As I was combing through boxes of old photos last night, I came to a realization (actually, a few realizations.)

1. I don't think my family was much for Halloween when I was little.
2. I have gotten ooooollllldddd.

3. Apparently, I have ridden an elephant. How do you not remember riding a full sized elephant???

4. Years 1 and 2 of my life were a really unfortunate phase for my noggin. I had a HUGE head, and not much hair. At first I was a little dismayed that there are more pictures of my sister (who was 2 at the time) than there are of me as infant. However, that feeling quickly morphed into gratitude, as I realized that my parents were sparing me the lifelong memories of my first REALLY awkward stage.

Though I didn't find photographic evidence, I do remember trick or treating with my cousins at least once. It was sixth or seventh grade, and I was a cow. Let's rephrase - I was dressed as a cow. I distinctly remember attaching black felt spots to white sweats, and painstakingly painting my entire face and head (I had a bald cap on) white with black spots. That picture apparently resides at my parents house, which is truly a shame. But let me show you what I did find....

Not Halloween:

Also not Halloween:

Not Halloween here either:

Finally, Halloween:

And not just Halloween, but one of the worst Halloween memories I have on record. I was going to a party being thrown by the cousin of my boyfriend at the time. Being the naive 22 year old that I was, I wore this little get up with a black long sleeved shirt, black pants, and a tail. (I made that collar myself, and I was terribly proud.) I was by far the most modestly dressed female at the party, but that wasn't the problem. A very drunk family member (who I was meeting for the first time) introduced himself by way of a VERY inappropriate comment about my costume, and it's relation to my boyfriend, within 5 minutes of our arrival. I was mortified. As was my boyfriend. Though we dated off and on for 5 years, I never got over the awkwardness with the family member in question. Good times.

I have to concur with Amelia. Who needs Halloween as an excuse to dress up? I'll take random costuming and less scary movie commercials any day of the week.

Mary

Harvest time!!

2010-10-28T07:48:00.003-05:00

Yes, Harvest time...that is how halloween was explained to me growing up. We didn't celebrate halloween...in fact, my parents would turn out all the lights and we would all go to the back part of the house and watch a movie as a family to avoid trick or treaters. So, I don't have any fun costume pics. Even to this day, I struggle with the relevance of celebrating halloween (other thank just an excuse to dress up in a silly costume), but I do enjoy going to the Trunkfest at our church-it seems like a fun way to celebrate fall.

There is a halloween memory worth mentioning though, that is a the halloween costume party that Randy and I went to for our 2nd date(in Octobwer 2002)...the party was with my college friends- so Randy had some pressure to impress, I guess...and he could have been mild with his costume as to not appear too dorky, however, he totally dressed up and I LOVED him for it! We dressed up as a 70's basketball couple (he was a player and I was a cheerleader)...he wore this HUGE afro wig and a basketball uniform- I was so impressed that he went all out- I think that may have been one of the first moments I fell in love with him.

Any Excuse to Dress Up

2010-10-27T17:55:00.002-05:00

I love dressing up. Still. Why should you only be able to dress up once a year?! While I'm not too hot on celebrating Halloween, I love coming up with costume ideas (mainly for my children now) and then executing them. This year, my girls are hitting the princess stage, and I cannot say that I'm thrilled about it. Sure, they'll look cute in their princess garb... just like every other princess out there prancing around the streets. Oh well. I'm being a good mom by letting them choose for themselves, right? So here are a couple of my old costume pics that I had handy. One is from high school, and I remember having so much fun at that party. I was Marilyn Monroe with the big hair and formal gown... laying across people's laps on the couch. (Mary didn't have her Ace of Spades costume on in the picture, but see if you can find her.)

And here's a post-College days Halloween picture. I'm the nerd on the left. I was actually with a whole group of nerds... too bad I don't have a handy picture of the entire nerd group. My favorite part was my retainer, but you can't really see it in this picture. I even dressed up in my nerd gear at my "real" job that year (or maybe the year before) with my co-worker. I guess it was quite appropriate for us bankers. Another year, we dressed up as an 80's prom king and queen. We were the only ones on the "lending floor" that dressed up, but we didn't care! (Notice Cassandra in the picture below?)

I don't have a lot of dress up memories from childhood. I'm pretty sure we weren't allowed to trick or treat... minus that one year that we had Mary and Joseph costumes for something from school/church, so I think they let us go out in those for a bit. Is that right, mom?

Will you be dressing up this year?

amelia

Playing dress-up

2010-10-26T22:54:00.007-05:00

There's either a huge gap in my memory, or there really was a long span of time when I didn't dress up for Halloween...I remember childhood costumes, but I can't for the life of me remember dressing up in junior high or high school. We always did something at my (private, Christian) school where we would dress up as Bible characters in junior high, and I guess Halloween just wasn't that big a deal to me in high school. Or, as I said, my memory is shot :)

College was a different story altogether! Halloween was a HUGE deal at Millsaps and EVERYBODY dressed up and went to the fraternity houses, where there were bands or DJs, for a long night of fun. I'm kinda proud of the fact that I have never, that I recall, bought or rented a Halloween costume. And so, it is with great pride that I present, in all their homemade glory, my college costumes:

1996 - Freshman year. That's me on the right. We were going for "futuristic alien girls from outer space" but it ended up more like "shiny go-go girls"...oh well.

1997 - Sophomore year. That's me on the bottom left. Somewhere there's a better picture of this costume, but it's probably fairly obvious that I was a ballerina. Sidenote: the day after this picture was taken I ended up in the hospital with a kidney stone. I was in a little bit of pain that night, but I thought it was the tights pinching my side!

1998 - Junior year. That's me on the left, with the beard. I am either Moses or Noah. My roommate had an identical costume. So if she was Noah, I was Moses, and vice versa. I think I was Moses. I actually loved this costume. I was anonymous under all that hair!

1999 - Senior year. Biker chick. Hardcore. I've actually worn this costume several times since then. It's fairly easy to pull together and COMFORTABLE! Jeans, t-shirt, boots - perfect!

It's looking like this Halloween might be the first time in a long time that I don't dress up. We've been so busy, and just put it off, and now I don't know what I'm going to do. I wanted to be Coraline, but I don't think I have time to make it happen. So...it might be another biker chick year!

As for Asher, I think we have finally decided that he is going to be Shaun from Shaun of the Dead.

We're not quite sure how we're going to do the moustache/goatee, but we'll figure something out.

Happy costuming, everyone!!

Holloween Past

2010-10-25T20:47:00.001-05:00

So this week we are blogging about Halloweens past.

I remember my favorite Halloween costume was Scooby Doo. I'm not sure how old I was, but I couldn't quite say Scooby Doo. I called it cooby goo! Even after Halloween was over I wanted to wear my costume. Over the years I have been a punk rocker, a ballerina, a pumpkin, a baby, a cowgirl and even Axle Rose (long story and strange now that I think back on it). Halloween was fun when I was a kid, but now that I have a child it's is even more fun. Last year Reagan was a bumble bee for her first Halloween (pic attached) and this year she is going to be a butterfly fairy! I'll attach a pic next week!

Beth

Staples

2010-10-24T21:02:00.003-05:00

My meal planning pretty much consists of a few staples. Why? Because they are so quick and easy to make. That and the thought of trying something new is always good in theory, but I never seem to get past the "oh, this looks like a good recipe. I'm going to print it off and try it soon." So what's on my list? Well, you can pretty much guarantee that one night we will have hot dogs, another night will be baked chicken, then Mexican casserole or tacos, throw in either spaghetti or ravioli another night, and probably sandwiches or cereal another night (usually on Wednesday nights when I get home late from church). Every now and then I will make something different...not necessarily something new...but something I haven't made in a while. AND, once in a blue moon I'll have my husband cookout on the grill. I ALWAYS make a list before I go to the store. I usually look through my fridge, the freezer, and the pantry and plan out my meals based on what we already have. A lot of times I buy things in bulk from Costco...such as hot dog buns, ravioli, chicken, spaghetti sauce. I try my best to stick to the list, but I usually end up buying stuff I really didn't need. Like those Oreos! Or M&Ms. So, my meal planning isn't very elaborate...it's pretty much the same things week after week. And if/when my hubby complains, I tell him, "next time you can cook." HA!

Cass

The Sweeney Larder

2010-10-21T13:58:00.002-05:00

Larder - that word just makes me chuckle. You know what else made me chuckle? When I was told what our topic is for the week. Meal planning? HA! I have tried to get consistent with that for a looooong time, to no avail. I'm not giving up necessarily, it's just one of those things that doesn't really seem to make it to the top of the priority list.

Since my husband is the stay-at-home parent, he does most of the grocery shopping. I really appreciate this, but he doesn't often shop with actual "meals" in mind. We're pretty good at staying stocked up with the basics, but I often look through my recipe books trying to find something to whip together and I'll have everything I need except __________, and it's usually a pretty key ingredient. Oh, and our list is NEVER organized by the items' location in the store. We just add things as we think of them and then hope we don't have to retrace our steps too often.

So what usually happens is that we just throw meals together on the fly. I have about 10 recipes that are always on standby that are simple, relatively fast, and we typically have everything needed to make. It's not perfect, but it usually works out. I know it would be much easier if I would plan ahead and recruit Adam to do some prep work before I get home. Maybe we'll get there eventually!!

Gathering the Harvest... at Walmart

2010-10-20T07:45:00.001-05:00

If there's one area I am inconsistent in (I'm sure there's way more than one), it's my meal planning. Some weeks, it looks like this: I sit down at the computer looking up recipes (saved or new), come up with a nice little list of Monday thru Sunday meals, make a list of ingredients needed, go to the store, and then try to somewhat stick to that schedule throughout the week. Other weeks, meaning most weeks, it looks like this: I go to the grocery store when I get a chance... especially a chance with only one or two kiddos. Sometimes I take suckers. I didn't learn that trick until a year or so ago, and it can really come in handy. I always have a growing grocery list, and I, like most of you, put it in the order of how I walk through the store. This comes in handy until you go to a different store... then it's just plain annoying. I stay stocked on all of our kid-friendly essentials and try to get the things to make a few good meals. The other nights, we're talking leftovers or quick fix things... and then we often throw a Little Caesar's $5 pizza night in there when it's a crazy day or a busy night. My hard-working hubby doesn't get home at a consistent time every night, so this has contributed to my lack of meal-planning. It's quite frustrating to make a dinner that the kids or may no eat, only to have the hubby call to say he's working late... and then by the time he gets home, he's not hungry anymore. Yay. And coupons... well, I have not conquered that skill at all. I have a great little organizer thing, and I have quite a few coupons in it. But do I use them?? Hardly. Someday I hope to get better at this. And if I had a dollar for every time I was at the grocery store with my children and someone said, "Boy, you sure have your hands full." Well, I'd have a lot of dollars... but I love it. I do have my hands full, and I'm so thankful... even for those moments where Ivy's yelling in the store and I have to hold her while pushing a heavy cart with two other children in it... even then, I am thankful... sweaty and looking like a disoriented, overwhelmed mess, but thankful.

amelia

Grocery trip

2010-10-18T22:11:00.001-05:00

So this week we are all going to blog about how we put together our menus and grocery lists for the week.

I have several recipe apps on my IPhone that I like to use. So I look through those and see what ingredients I need and write out my list. I try to go grocery shopping once a week, but sometimes have to go a second time for milk and fresh fruit. For lunches I plan on hotdogs or sandwiches so I buy all the necessities for that. And then Reagan and I are the only ones that eat breakfast so I get her pancakes and then cereal for myself. And of course I have to have my coffee (which I can only get at Target) and creamer. I try to mix it up so we don't eat chicken two nights in a row or beef two nights in a row. Once I have my list together I plan on what day I go to the store. I try to go on Tuesdays while Reagan is at preschool, but every other week Shop n Save has $10 off a $50 purchase. Which is awesome, plus for every so much you spend that give you 3 to 6 cents off a gallon of gas up to 20 gallons at their gas station. I used to go to Super Walmart, but it's just too much for me. So I usually get a few items at Target (oh how I wish it was a Super Target) and then I go to one of three grocery stores. I really enjoy planning my meals and then grocery shopping. So how about you? Are you a meal planner or a fly by the seat of your pants kind of cook?

Oh and GO RANGERS!!!!!!!!

Beth

Good Times at the Office

2010-10-18T15:07:00.003-05:00

Please allow me to interrupt our regular posting schedule to bring you an update from Friday's post.

I should probably find this embarrassing, and yet I find it quite funny. These are the comments I received from co-workers Monday morning upon witnessing the gleaming empty space where my piles formerly resided:

"Did we get robbed?"

"Are you quitting?"

"What is this? I mean, really, what happened in here?"

"Oh my gosh! I've never seen it like this...like, since I started working here."

Sad but true friends, sad but true.

Mary

The Results

2010-10-17T18:48:00.005-05:00

So remember a few months ago I decided to try Mederma? Well, it has been a little over 3 months and I thought I would update you with my results.
Before:

After:

I feel that the picture doesn't do it justice because I can really tell a difference when I look in the mirror. The marks are not that dark in person. As you can see though, I haven't started working out yet. : ) I've been quite pleased with Mederma and would definitely recommend it to anyone.

On a different note...here's my cute little pumpkin (I just had to share):

Have a great week!
Cass

Progress

2010-10-16T11:03:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I gave you a little peek into big chaos. Behold, my office:

I had the good fortune of a quiet Friday at work yesterday. This is a very rare occasion. Everyone complains about Mondays, but for some reason, my Fridays are usually packed with putting out one fire after another. It's my wrap up day for everything that's been put on the back burner throughout the week. But yesterday, it was blissfully low key. So I forced myself to tackle the stacks.

Oh, the stacks. When it gets to the point that I cannot tell you that without question the paper I'm looking for is 3/4 of the way down in the second stack to the left, I am in trouble. It gets difficult to accomplish new tasks, and I get frazzled, hoping I haven't lost things, which undoubtedly are not lost. So I spent the better part of yesterday tuned into the John Mayer station on Pandora, sorting all of the stacks into piles spread out across my floor. (If only I'd gotten a picture of that part of the process.)

The finished result?

Ahhh, sweet relief. The untrained eye may miss the subtle differences, but people - this is some serious progress. I can't tell you how much better I feel about showing up to work next week knowing that my office is in order and I can tackle the next project on my list. Bring it on Monday, bring it on.

Mary

Greater Tuna

2010-10-13T11:58:00.003-05:00

So recently, Mary, Hillary, and I went to see Greater Tuna at the Flower Mound Performing Arts Theater. While I thought the two actors, who each played multiple characters, did a fantastic job, I can't say that I will be attending any other "Tuna" shows.

We had previously attended a couple of other performances at this particular theater, and we have always been very entertained. We've all heard about Greater Tuna, so we thought we would check it out. Well, if you're into announcements from the KKK and other racist comments, this will be right up your alley. I am not a fan. As we discussed after the show, this sort of humor will probably (and hopefully) begin dying down with our generation. The older white folks in the audience got a big kick out of it. And they get a big kick out of several other things that went right over our heads. Maybe we're just too young for Tuna?! Alas, something that doesn't make me feel old! We still had a fun time together... minus one inconveniently timed trip to the bathroom, but that's another story.

A few months ago, we were able to see A... My Name is Alice. This show was so much fun, and we all loved it. If you get a chance to see this one, I would definitely recommend it.

Do you have any shows or theaters to recommend?

amelia

I have one too!

2010-10-11T21:38:00.002-05:00

I too like Mary have an iPhone 4! It is absolutely fabulous and can't believe all the neat things it can do! This passed weekend I found out about another cool feature it has. I had gotten an email about the grand opening of the new Kohls in Collinsville and there was a 20% off coupon in the email. So my mother-in-law and I were at the Kohls and I opened up my email at the checkout and they scanned the bar code straight off my phone and it took the 20% off. I couldn't believe it, and either could the kid checking us out! Technology is just absolutely amazing! You need an iPhone 4 people!!

A Whole New World

2010-10-07T23:24:00.004-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, a modern miracle took place in my very own home today.

I finally got an iPhone. And OH MY GOSH I can't believe I ever thought I was just fine with my 3 year old, piece-of-junk, antiquated, Samsung slide phone. I was being a reasonable adult, saying I didn't need a fancy phone, that I'd eventually get one, that we didn't need to spend the money, blah, blah, grown up excuses, blah, blah, etc. At some point my husband realized that I was never going to just say to heck with it and spend the money, so tonight he surprised me with a fancy new phone. And despite all of my protests, it took me all of 45 seconds to get good with it, and less than 30 minutes to go buy a pretty purple case and add a matching wallpaper. Two hours later, I have access to all three email accounts (personal, junk mail, and work), I've set all of my different alarms for their respective days of the week, my favorite wordgame app is downloaded, another app that will tell me what any song is in 30 seconds, a barcode scanner app that will price check any item at any store, and most importantly, Pandora. I sit here in a state of euphoria my friends. Words, music, and shopping, oh my! How did I spend the last three years denying that I even wanted this? Crazy talk. Clearly.

The icing on this delicious cake is definitely the Pandora access. As I type this post I'm listening to the Ray Lamontagne station and I've already heard Van Morrison, Ben Harper, and at this particular moment, Adele. How did I ever live without this??? For someone who loves music as much as I do, 24/7 access to Pandora (and thus music that I'm almost guaranteed to love) is worth every penny of what this phone cost us. Granted, I can listen to Pandora on the computer - but A) not in my car, and B) not at work (streaming music is outlawed - boo IT guy, boooo) - until now. It's a whole new world people!

To commemorate this new chapter in my life, I will share a photo. A photo of me with no makeup and some really lovely pre-bedtime hair. I'm that excited. Friends, meet my precious:

Mary

What's Up, Big Perm?

2010-10-06T22:21:00.004-05:00

Ten points to whoever knows what movie that title came from. :)

I can't believe I used to like my hair PERMED. I'm going with Beth on the whole 80's thing. Although, a lot of that is coming back already. Crazy! The tight rolled jeans were possibly the worst thing. Possibly. I would probably do the perm all over again, but maybe not the stacked, feathered, cement-sprayed bangs. Ick.

I kept trying to brainstorm on this today... all the things that came to mind were things I couldn't say I used to like, because I still kinda do.... or at least I totally get why I ever did like them. These things included: wearing green mascara (it brought out the color in my eyes, right?!), watching Blind Date, overalls, dressing up in random costumes and doing corny things... the list could go on and on, and I'm probably just a fad or a random urge away from doing any one of those again. Watch out!

One thought to leave you with. I also can't believe that I used to like thong underwear.

amelia

Tight roll jeans

2010-10-04T20:07:00.001-05:00

So this week we are blogging about something we used to like and now can't believe we did.

It's the 80's! I got bangs to the sky, tight roll jeans, blue eye shadow, my shirt with a tshirt tie at the bottom and big plastic earrings! Where could we have gone so wrong! It's just absolutely hideous that was the style! I cringe when I think about what I wore back then! How about you?

- Beth

Yellow Submarine

2010-10-03T16:57:00.001-05:00

For some reason I named my first car 'the yellow submarine' even though it was a tiny little car. Anyways, my first car was a Plymouth Horizon (see picture to the left, though invision it being yellow). I don't even know what year but I'm thinking sometime in the 80's.

The only reason I got a car when I did was because my grandad wanted to give me his old car...and it was OLD! But it was a car! It also had a manual transmission and every car I've had since then has had a manual transmission.

I remember me and my dad driving back from Lubbock in the car. I was so excited. Once we got home I wanted to go drive around, so I headed out and while I was sitting at a light my car died. It overheated or something (must have been that 5 hour drive from Lubbock), but it took me FOREVER to get it started again. I was so embarassed just sitting there trying to get my car to start. I also did my best to avoid hills. There is this HUGE hill in Arlington, where I grew up, and I hated waiting at that light, especially if a car pulled up behind me. You basically had to gun it and hope you didn't die and start rolling back.

My car had its share of issues: one of the side mirrors fell off and eventually so did the rearview mirror, and more often than not you had to open the passenger door, lean over, and try to get the driver's side door to open because the outside handle was broken...but then you also had to wiggle the inside handle for it to open. That was always fun! It was a good little car though.

I tried to find a picture of my car and this is the only one I could find...it'd be the little yellow one on the left. And those two adorable kids...well that's me and my husband back in high school (me in my color guard uniform and Scott in his band uniform).

Fun memories.

Cass

Dorcas

2010-10-01T14:59:00.002-05:00

When I was 16 my parents bought me a brand new midnight blue 4 door Saturn. I actually drove it right off the lot and headed straight to Wednesday night church to show it off to my friends. I do remember it was really important to me that it was a stick shift, because a boy had once told me he didn't think I was smart enough to drive a stick shift- so I wanted to prove him wrong!! Ha, and I did!

The name "Dorcas" came from the cars ability to be revived (in the Bible there is a story about a girl named Dorcas who was raised from the dead). You may be asking why did my car need to be revived, it was brand new?? We'll....2 weeks after my parents gave me the car, I got in an accident, and then a few months later another accident...and then before the year was over one more accident...if you addition is up to par- that would 3 accidents in less than a year...a few years later I was hit a few different times(those were not my fault)...it's ridiculous, I know! My sweet Dorcas kept going and going- it was amazing!

Bubbles

2010-09-29T16:38:00.004-05:00

No, Bubbles wasn't a stripper. For some reason, it's the name I decided to give my first car. It was a 1987 Honda Accord, and I loved that car. If I remember correctly, the technical color of the car was "Champagne", so I'm pretty sure that's what led to the name Bubbles. I did not have this car, which was previously my Dad's car, until I was going into my sophomore year in college. That means that it was already 10 years old when I started driving it. Most of my high school driving experiences were done in my mom's awesome minivan. Although this wasn't an ideal ride for a high school student, I could always fit my friends in it, and it never hindered us from having fun! We, of course, had to call it the Party Wagon. One of the memories in that car that sticks out the most is when I was riding in the passenger seat as my brother was driving one day. He told me to watch out and then proceeded to spit a lugi over me and out my window. However, he didn't quite make it out the window. Instead, it attached just above the window and then just dangled. EWWWW!

Back to my girl, Bubbles. I think the previous owner smoked some sort of pipe or something, because that car had a sweet and distinct smell. And I liked it. The tint was bubbling, the paint was coming off in spots, and the sunroof leaked if the car wasn't parked on a downhill slope when it was raining. But she was a great car. After I graduated from college and actually had a steady and decent income, I purchased a newer version of the same car... but in red and with a spoiler. My dad still goes on about how ridiculous of a splurge that spoiler was. :) Or actually, I think it's the fact that I let on to salesman that a spoiler was a must. I think my dad saw that as dollar signs just flying right out of my mouth! When we sold Bubbles, she was 13 years old and had traveled over 200,000 miles. What a great car!

amelia

Stan

2010-09-29T09:53:00.005-05:00

My first car! So many memories. It was a maroon 1988 Nissan Stanza. It was the first car my mom ever bought entirely on her own after she and my dad got divorced. She was so proud, and it was a pretty nice car. It had tinted windows and a sunroof and power locks and windows - that was high living to us at the time! I always thought the coolest thing was that the back seat folded down for access into the trunk. By the time I turned 16, my mom had remarried. She and my stepdad bought a minivan and the Stanza was "mine"! Like Beth's Gray Ghost, Stan had a manual transmission. It took a little getting used to, but in the end I thought that was pretty fun (so fun, in fact, that my current car is manual!). For some reason, boys were often impressed to learn that I could drive a stick shift, and I was all about impressing boys! :) (Beth - did you find this to be true?). I drove that car until I graduated from college - I got in one fender-bender, got 3 tickets, ran out of gas once, and had at least 3 flat tires. I remember my stepdad, Greg, put me through a little test before he let me drive the car by myself for the first time - I had to check the oil, change a tire, and know how to jump-start a dead battery. I didn't realize at the time how handy that knowledge would be! Thanks, Greg! I cried in that car after breakups, sang at the top of my lungs, took lots of road trips, and packed it from top to bottom moving back and forth from school.

After college graduation, it was determined that I should get something a little newer and more reliable since I would be footing the bill on repairs and maintenance from then on. We sold Stan to a girl who really needed it, which I was happy about, and I ended up getting a Dodge Intrepid...I won't even start on that car. Many times I lamented selling Stan when I started having major major problems with that dumb Dodge.

You don't see Stanzas on the road much anymore, but when I do, I always smile. Love ya, Stan!

Erica

The Gray Ghost

2010-09-27T21:18:00.002-05:00

So this week we are all going to talk about our first car.

My first car was a 1987 gray 2 door Cheverolet Cavalier with blue interior. I remember the day I got the car. I was 16 years old and had recently received my drivers license. I was working at Discovery Zone as a birthday party hostess and when my shift was over my dad pulled up in this car. I was so excited, because my best friend at the time had just gotten her new car and it was a hoopty to say the least! The only downside to the car was it would be a while before I could fully drive it being that it was a stick shift and I had no idea how to drive a stick. My dad started teaching me right away and it wasn't an easy task. I remember one of the first times I drove it on my own. I had my sister and her friend and one of my friends in the car and I was stopped at a light and when the light turned green and went and then the car stalled in the middle of the intersection and I couldn't figure out why and couldn't get it to start and all I could do was laugh hysterically. I finally did get it to go. Another time I was parked in the high school parking lot and leaving for the day and I couldn't get the stick into the back up position so I had to go ask this older guy to put my car in reverse. Yea I felt pretty stupid! Oh but we had some fun times in that car! Do you remember your first car?

These are the Days of My Life

2010-09-26T18:08:00.019-05:00

Monday through Friday are typical days for me...Saturday and Sunday are like mini-vacation days from work. So here we go:

My alarm goes off at 6:00 a.m. every morning, Monday through Friday. I usually hit the snooze button twice (ten minutes each) and then there's another 10 minutes or so that I just lay there. On this particular morning this week, I got up at:

As I'm getting ready, my dogs take over my side of the bed now that I'm gone:

Finally leave the house.

And this is my lovely drive...there's always a lot of traffic.

Surprisingly, I actually get to work a few minutes early.

Here's me at my desk.

Work, work, work until about 10:45ish, then I take a break and pump.

Here's my pumping room a/k/a the conference room:

Lunchtime varies...it depends on if I bring my lunch or not. If I bring my lunch then I'll eat at my desk while working and then later on I'll take a break to run errands or sleep in my car (I've done this several times). On this particular day I go to Target:

I love the $1 aisle at Target. My finds for the day were all for Jackson: 3 little books, a little Halloween bucket, and this cute hat for Thanksgiving.

The afternoon consists of more working, another pump break, and then:

5:00 BABY!!!

My drive home is pretty much like my drive to work, traffic.

I do a lot of this on my drive home:

I get home anywhere between 5:45 and 6:00. My evenings consist of transporting the pumped milk to baggies, getting dinner ready, cleaning up, and then getting ready for the next day. My favorite time of day though is getting Jackson ready for bed. I put his pajamas on, nurse him, sing a few songs, sometimes read a book, and then kiss him goodnight. A perfect way to wind down from the day.

Cass

Day after Day after Day

2010-09-24T16:35:00.002-05:00

This is when my alarm goes off:

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This is when I actually start paying attention to it:
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This is a happy morning moment:
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This is 6:40 a.m.:
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This is my office:
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This is my view:
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These are invisible walls:
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These are creepy shrunken head ladies:
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This is the magnet that makes me laugh when I'm cranky - 10 points if you know why, 20 if you refrain from leaving it in the comments:
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This is a plant with a secret:
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The secret's name is Seamus:
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This is page 1 of a censored to-do list:
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This is the cookie the to-do list made me eat:
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This was going to be lunch, as a result of the aforementioned cookie:
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This is God's way of saying, "Stop being such a headcase and just eat a sandwich woman":
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This is lunch in the ghetto:
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This is my fabulous lunch date:
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This is what happens when you work late and share a communal light switch:
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This is the end of a long day at work:
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This is my entertainment for the drive home:
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This is someone who is happy to see me:
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This is another someone who agrees:
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This is chasing a sock thief around the coffee table:
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This is finally relaxing while the husband plays racquetball:
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This is my stockpile of bedtime TV:
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This is the end:
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It's a beautiful day!

2010-09-23T07:28:00.001-05:00

I woke up, we'll actually, I got woken up today at about 6:30 by my sweet baby boy, Chase. I had a few minutes to snuggle on him until my sweet girl, Allie was up for the day. We all migrated to the kitchen where I plopped Chase in his bouncy seat, and Allie and I(she likes to sit on the counter and help me) made some scrambled eggs and toast, and then I got her situated in her booster seat for breakfast. We all sat at the table, where I nursed Chase and visited with Allie as she finished her breakfast. We got all cleaned up from breakfast, then Allie watched some Dora the Explorer, and Chase played by himself for a while on the play mat. I took a minute to eat breakfast and then clean up dishes from the morning.

After breakfast, we all moved in to Allie's room and spent about an hour doing our little quiet time/prayer time, reading books , and playing Allie's instruments, and having a tea party. Chase isn't quite sure what to do with the all this activity, but seems to be content with it. We went to Chase's room, and Allie and I played with Chase and his toys- Allie likes to play with him-it's cute! Then Chase had some tummy time, and Allie sat at the table and colored- while I got dressed for the day. Chase then took a nap, and I made out a grocery list, washed some diapers, and made my bed. I got Allie changed/dressed for the day, and then after Chase's nap I got him changed/dressed for the day. Allie had a quick snack of avacados and cheese, while I packed up the diaper bags for the day, and then we headed out the door to go run a few errands.

I went to Target, the cleaners, and Kroger. Home after my errands, unloaded the groceries from the car and then I made PB&J's and cut up carrots and bananas for lunch for me and my girl. Nursed Chase while Allie played for a little bit, then put Allie down for a nap. Chase played for a while and I was able to talk to our realtor about house stuff(we are selling our house and trying to buy another house)...checked my email, then put Chase down for a nap- and I took a 45 min nap. Ahhhhh! Chase woke me up from my nap, nursed him, Randy got home early- so we visited for a while about house stuff- then Allie was up. I cut up some grapes for Allie's snack and let her watch a Dora, while Randy and I continued to discuss house stuff, played with Chase, had a dance party with Allie and we played airplane for a while, then I started getting dinner ready. I got all ingredients together to make Beef Stroganoff, sliced some top sirloin into thin pieces, then cooked the meal. Allie and I set the table for dinner(she helps with napkins), then we all sat down to eat. After dinner, nursed Chase while Allie and Randy played, then I cleaned up the kitchen. At about 6:45, Randy and I started getting the kids ready for bed. He bathed Allie, while I was getting Chase in his jammies- Randy put Allie to bed and I got Chase to bed about the same time...then Randy and I looked at our budget to see if we could afford another house we are looking at to buy...ate some Blue Bell banana pudding ice cream, talked to my sis in law, Jen for about an hour, then watched tv in DVR mode(the Office, Outsourced and Grey's), made Randy's lunch, bed.

Now sprinkled throughout my day are many time outs for my 2yr old, and lots of diaper changing for both kids...but couldn't remember exactly when I did those things...

A Day in the Life

2010-09-22T22:35:00.004-05:00

I decided to do my day in the life by video today. And by the end of the day, I don't have it in me to even watch it back or edit anything... Hopefully I didn't say anything I'll regret!! So here it is... totally unedited and choppy, just like my typical day. And a few things I left out... talked to my mom, Ashley, and Emily, did some laundry, dishes, went to the bathroom a couple of times, changed a few diapers... you know, the usual.

And an award should go to anyone who watches that entire thing. I really didn't think it would be this long when all was said and done!

Amelia

A day in the life of Beth Harris

2010-09-20T23:35:00.001-05:00

This week each of us will describe our day!

So my day started about 6:30am. That's when my little munchkin Reagan woke up. So I got up and we ate breakfast (bananas and pancakes), I took our two pups out and then we watched Handy Manny. I seriously get into these shows. It's funny! Then I got Reagan dressed and then got myself dressed, which usually consists of saying No Reagan don't do this or don't do that in between putting on my makeup, doing my hair and getting dressed. I guess I could get up early and do this, but every moment of sleep is precious when you are a mom! Then Reagan and I headed to one of our favorite places, Target! Had to grab a few things and saw a couple of friends there. Home for a snack and playtime. We ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch and then Reagan colored while I peeled apples for a dessert I was making for after dinner. At 1pm it was nap time so I laid Reagan down for her nap. I got busy doing laundry and then worked on my Daniel Bible study and then did some Greek homework (my husband is a Greek scholar and is teaching about 35 of us on Wednesday nights at our church). Reagan got up and we had a tea party and then played with baby dolls. We read some books and sang. We had an a afternoon snack and I started making a pot of Taco Soup for dinner. My husband John got home from school (he goes to Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary every Monday for his PhD seminars). We ate dinner, I cleaned the kitchen and then we all played in the den. Reagan goes to bed at 8pm so at 7:30 I gave her a bath, we read Biscuit (Reagan calls it Beebee, it's a cute book series about a dog named Biscuit. I think I read it about 4 or 5 times everyday). Then John and I ate some Apple Brown Betty and watched the season premiers of our Monday night shows including the new remake of Hawaii 5-0. It was really good and all I can say is "book em Danno"! Now it's time for bed and then I get to do it all over again tomorrow! Good night blogland!

- Beth

Serve Others

2010-09-19T14:20:00.002-05:00

We are all given various gifts/talents, and it is God's desire that we use those gifts/talents to reach out to those around us, whether it be in church or in our community. I encourage you to think about what you enjoying doing and then find something in your church or in your community and get involved. For example, I like working with younger kids, so I will help out on Sundays in my church's Preschool Ministry. I also recently started helping out in a program our church started up for 3-5 year olds called Faith Builders. I signed up to tell the Bible story to the 3-year-olds and also help our coordinator, but as God would have it, our coordinator had to move off and so now I am taking on that role. It fits my personality though, so I don't mind one bit.

I am also involved in my community, through the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. I previously shared my experience with the Relay for Life in this blog before, which you can find here, so I won't go into detail. I just want to say that I got involved with this event because I wanted to find a way to honor my Grandad Moseley and Mema, who both died of cancer. The Relay was a way for me to remember them and also raise money in the fight against cancer. I'm excited as preparations are underway for the 2011 Relay and this year I'll have a more active role on the committee. If you're interested in participating in the Relay, let me know as I'd love to have you on my team...or you can form your own!

So really, serving is just finding something you're good at or finding a cause that's important to you and then getting involved in some way.

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10

Cass

Playing Catch(up)

2010-09-17T08:14:00.004-05:00

I've missed a few weeks due to...life, I guess. I know I'm tromping all over Staci's blog day (again), but maybe she'll forgive me once again! I have a spare minute or two and want to respond to the last few topics!!!

So, POST ONE: five things that annoy me. Strangely enough, I already covered this in my very first post:
1. Cursing
2. Bad drivers
3. Losing things
4. Soggy bread
5. People who talk in the theatre during movies

Five things about me that annoy others...let's see...
1. I roll my eyes a lot, so much so that I don't always realize when I do it. Usually it's in a joking way, but sometimes not so much (just ask my husband!).
2. I chew gum really loudly. Again, I usually don't realize it while I'm doing it unless someone points it out. I wonder if Cass has ever noticed it since she hates loud eating noises. Any comments on this one, C?
3. I'm not very good about returning phone calls, or even answering my phone, especially when I'm at home. My phone is usually in my purse, which inevitably is in a different room. Or the ring volume is too low and I don't hear it. I'm honestly working on this one. Since my cell phone is my ONLY phone, I know people need to be able to get in touch with me in case of an emergency or something. However, for the record, if it's an emergency and I don't answer the phone, call Adam! He's rarely far from his phone.
4. I sometimes tend to finish people's sentences in conversation. I had someone do this to me several times recently and realized how jarring it is, so I'm trying to be more mindful of it.
5. I correct people's grammar and vocabulary a lot. If I were using a word or phrase incorrectly, I would want someone to tell me, but I'm pretty sure not everyone is like that.
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POST TWO: Service
Even though I grew up in church, I was never really that plugged in to service opportunities. I remember a few times, like when our school choir would visit a retirement home around Christmas or something, but it wasn't an ongoing priority by any means. When Adam and I moved to Austin, we started going to our church, Immanuel (see this post). Immanuel places, rightly, a high degree of importance on service, both in the community and worldwide. A portion of the church's tithes is donated each month to blood:water mission, an organization that raises awareness and the necessary funds for the provision of clean blood and clean water in sub-Saharan Africa. For a long time, our church volunteered at a local food pantry called Micah 6 on Saturday mornings, but they were blessed enough to have so many people commit their time that they actually ended up with too many volunteers. So our church is currently researching new opportunities. One of the possibilities is Church Under the Bridge. The description on the website says: "Church Under the Bridge (CUB) takes place at 7th St and IH-35 on Sunday mornings. You will find live music, testimonies of changes lives, and a down-to-earth message for Austin's street population. Church Under the Bridge is a place where the Body of Christ in Austin can build relationships with those living on the streets. Volunteers at CUB tangibly demonstrate the love of God to others through a corporate worship time, the provision of hot meals, clothing, blankets and sleeping bags." We have a group planning to attend next Sunday, so I'll be sure to update about how it went! The experience of getting involved has been hard at times, and it's taken a little getting used to, but it's also been unbelievably rewarding. I am finding that to be true more and more as I strive to be obedient to God.

Erica

Just Do It

2010-09-17T07:52:00.001-05:00

First - a rant:

Can someone please tell me why Blogger sucks so much? It should not be this hard to make a post show up with correct formatting. I kind of expect to just be able to type, format, and post, and then have it show up on the screen just like I did it in the editor. Or maybe hit return, and actually have the cursor move down a line. CALL ME CRAZY. Seriously, Blogger, you. are. making. me. crazy. And a little cranky. Obviously.

And on to our topic.

Being something of a shy bird on the outside, I sometimes have trouble finding ways to serve. I head up the Charitable Events Committee at work - but that's part of my job, so I don't really feel like it counts. It's also kind of a beating (because of the whole work aspect of it) and that pretty much takes the right attitude out of the equation. In spite of that, I have been lucky to work with several great organizations over the past few years (Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, JDRF, Habitat for Humanity), and it has opened my eyes and increased my gratitude. It's crucial to look outside of yourself from time to time, and see that your particular set of problems may not be quite as challenging as you think. To see people walking through a difficult set of circumstances with grace can be a great attitude adjuster.

I've been giving a lot of thought to other ways I can serve outside of my required service at work. Mark & I joined a new church a few months ago, and I've been keeping an eye out for ways that I can get involved there. It's hard for me to walk into a situation where I don't know anyone and offer to help. That's probably true for a lot of people, but what I've realized is that I just need to get over myself. I know I've already missed some great opportunities by second guessing myself. The first time may be uncomfortable, but it's not going to kill me, and eventually, I may even get to know a few people that way. What a novel idea.

As far as serving in the community, I've thought about volunteering at the new animal shelter by my house, but I decided that would be disastrous. The types of things I'm drawn to do are often the things that would emotionally suck the life out of me. We would end up with 8 dogs (minimum) if I started working with homeless animals. Either that or I would come home crying every time I volunteered!

So what's a girl to do? I found a couple of great websites that just might have the answer to that question. Volunteer Match, United We Serve, and the Volunteer Center of North Texas (for you local peeps), can help you find volunteer opportunities in your area. I was amazed to see how many different ways I could get involved, all within 15 miles of my house. Stay tuned, I'm excited to see where this takes me. And I'd love to hear of ways our readers get involved too, so come out of the woodwork and comment!

Mary

Serving

2010-09-15T15:26:00.006-05:00

When I found out what we were writing about this week, I was like hmmm. I could tell you about how I do all of the laundry, wash all of the dishes, cook (or at least heat up!) all of the food, clean the house (sometimes), etc... I do believe all of those things are very important, apparently so important that nobody else who lives here even knows how those things are done! Amazing. But I won't bore you with all of that. I do have to say, though, that all of those things can be done with many different attitudes (trust me, I have many different ones), but when I have an attitude of service, it is a much more pleasant "job."

I believe we are all called to serve in some form or fashion. Right now, although I am able to do small things here and there, I do not have the ability to serve outside my home in a steady (i.e. weekly) commitment. I worked with the student ministry at our church shortly after I graduated from college (2000 or 2001-ish), and that was probably the most rewarding "service" I have ever done. That wasn't the reason for doing it, but it turned out to be a pretty awesome thing for me in return. I started out with a small group of eighth graders, and now they have almost all graduated from college. Although this fact makes me feel quite old, it brings me so much joy to see these girls walking with the Lord and still striving to grow in their walks with Him. I admire these incredible women so much. This group grew from four to plenty more over the years, and I was able to lead that group up until we moved to Oklahoma City in 2005, right around the time most of them graduated high school. I learned so much from them, and hopefully they learned something from me. I believe the Lord knew exactly what He was doing (He is God and all - duh.) when He put our group together. I am blessed to still be tight with many of these girls, and I love that all of these friendships are a result of me saying, "Sure, God. I'll try that if you want me to." I would love to be able to serve with high school students or even college students in the near future. I pray that the Lord will show me His timing in this, because I really do miss it.

Here's the original gang...

And a couple others. I have a big group picture that has EVERYBODY in it, but I couldn't find it on my backup drive to post it. So if you're reading this and don't see your picture, just know that you are special enough to be on the wall in my house. :)

And now for my random note: It has been brought to my attention that those who subscribe to our RSS feeds (I say that like I actually understand how that works!?!) and view the blog on their iphone cannot see the label to know who actually wrote the post. So, for Courtney (and maybe two other people), we will start signing our posts again. You're welcome. :)

Ameeeeeeeeelia

Serving

2010-09-13T08:17:00.001-05:00

And no I don't mean in tennis! I mean serving in our homes, community, or churches. Over the years I have served at church in many different capacities. I have found that it is so rewarding to serve others. Christ even spoke many times on service and He was the ultimate servant having laid down His life for us! Currently I am the MOPs coordinator at our church. What is MOPs you ask? MOPs stands for Mothers of Preschoolers. It is an amazing ministry that exists internationally! Moms of all nations are meeting together with other moms in their local church. We meet once a month and also have play dates, moms night out and craft nights. Being a mom is the hardest and most rewarding job their is and it helps to get together with other moms to bounce ideas off and just have support. Someone that knows exactly what we are going through. If you are a mother of a preschooler I encourage you to try and find a local MOPs group in your area!

www.mops.org

Overload

2010-09-10T19:02:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been feeling a little twitchy. The phone rings...twitch; a new email pops up on my screen...twitch, twitch; the television is a little too loud...twitch, twitch, twitch; a co-worker passes yet another project off on me...twitch, twitch, twitch, TWITCH.

Work has been pretty unbearable lately, and its tentacles have worked their way around things I usually enjoy and squeezed the life right out of them. For instance, I cannot seem to make myself respond to my personal emails this week. I open my inbox, I read the emails from my favorite people and acquaint myself with what their days have been like. I hit reply, and type maybe two words, then delete it and close my email. It's like my brain is closed for business and it's too much effort to even try to explain it. No more in, no more out, please. I'm tired of saying "work is so busy" and complaining about the mundane. Even I don't want to hear it anymore. I mean, it's just work, right?

I've been functioning at maximum capacity for several weeks now, but even though my workload is finally beginning to ease up a little bit, I still can't relax. I'm attacking the backlog, and it feels just as suffocating as everything that's been barreling down on me on a daily basis. I even had a full-out breakdown in front of one of my bosses last Friday, complete with barely contained tears. I had scheduled to leave a few hours early to kick off the three day weekend and give myself a break from the long hours I've been working, but from 7:01 a.m. everything had been going wrong. So at 2:45 p.m. when I finally dragged out of the building an hour and 15 minutes early (though technically only 15 minutes early, since I hadn't even stopped to eat lunch - not that I was counting - ahem), I was undone. The three day weekend helped, but it had it's own stresses. So here I am a week post-breakdown and I'm still not right.

I think I need some time off work. (Ladies and Gentlemen, I have provided you with the understatement of the year!) Unfortunately, now is just not the time to take it. I want to turn off the computer, the phone, the tv, the noise, the lights, and just have a little peace. I want to get in my car and just keep driving; past home, past work, past the state line. But I guess this little venting session is as good as it's going to get for awhile. So readers, thanks for reading. The outlet, though small, is much appreciated.

Things that make you go "Hmmm"

2010-09-05T17:40:00.001-05:00

Or "AAAAGGGGHHH"

A few things that drive me crazy:

1. Chewing or talking with your mouth open...I don't need to see your food!

2. Crunching ice.

3. Honestly, any kind of loud eating drives me crazy! (just ask my family)

4. People who can't drive...those who weave in and out of traffic like they own the road. And don't even get me started on those that own what I'd like to call 'crotch rockets.'

5. Laziness. I could get on a soap box with this one, so I'm just going to leave it at that.

I had to dig down deep for things that probably drive people crazy about me:

1. Inability to make a decision. I'm not talking about really big decisions either. I'm talking about small, insignificant decisions such as where to go eat or what to do. My husband can't stand it, and I'm sure others can't either. There are rare times when I can tell you exactly what I want though, or what I don't want for that matter. I'll try to work on it.

2. Putting my makeup on while driving. Yes, I realize this can be dangerous, but I only put makeup on while traffic is stopped. Not an excuse though. I'm sure people around me are shaking their heads or cursing at me. Sorry!

3. Punctuality, or lack thereof. I know my employer would appreciate me being on time to work I love sleep. I can't help it. I DO! (this would explain #2 above.) This one actually drives me crazy too. I hate being late. Now I have a little person to get ready as well, so you can only imagine how late we are now. It all comes down to this: GET UP EARLY, CASSANDRA!

4. I don't have a lot of mercy. I know I need to work on this.

5. And really, I don't have a lot of compassion sometimes either (just ask Scott when he's sick). Again, something I should work on and will probably have a greater chance now that I have a child.

So there we have it. Whew, that wasn't too hard!
Cass

Me, annoying? Never.

2010-09-03T16:54:00.000-05:00

And now, for your reading pleasure, a random selection of things that drive me bonkers:

1. Procrastination - I think this is a particularly agitating pet peeve for two reasons. 1) My job partly revolves around assisting people, and many times this requires those dear people to fill out mandatory forms that must be returned by a specific deadline. I think I spend half my life figuring out who hasn't turned in their form yet. This often makes me want to punch people. 2) See item 1 in the list below. I also often want to punch myself.

2. The sound of non-carbonated liquid being poured into a glass/container/etc. (Carbonation fizzes, which drowns out the noise I hate, so thank you carbonation) I don't know why, but this makes my skin crawl.

3. Arrogance - If I find someone to be primarily arrogant in nature, I have a hard time seeing past it. Ever. Please get over yourself and act like a normal human being. Thanks.

4. Insane drivers - Did you seriously just pull around me, just to cut me off, when I am already exceeding the speed limit? Again, get over yourself. This is the worst, because I'm not about to flip somebody off, and there's just nothing you can do but say angry things to yourself in your car like a crazy person.

5. Mean people - This one just makes me sick. If I see/hear you being blatantly mean to someone/about someone/etc. I feel their pain. Literally, it's like a kick in the gut. I've become one of those people who has to hold their tongue when I'm in a grocery store and someone says something really ugly to their checker/child/spouse. I most likely couldn't actually come up with anything effective to say on the spot, which is probably better. Mean people suck.

WAIT - I have to do six. Amelia just wouldn't have it if I left this one off.

6. People touching my face. Don't. touch. my. face. I can make exceptions if you're doing it lovingly. But if you're doing it to annoy me? Stop it. Now. Also? Don't hit me in the head. Even playfully. I do not like to be hit in the head.

Although I'm sure it's hard to believe that I could ever annoy anyone (ahem), here's the good stuff:

1. I'm a procrastinator. Big time. If I get overwhelmed at the thought of a task, obviously the best thing to do is to leave it for the absolute last minute possible, right? Even worse, I do great work under pressure. This vicious cycle started back in school, when I realized I could put something off until the last minute, work on it all night, and still get an A. This killed my roommates in college. I specifically remember a conversation about an English Lit/Comp class that four of us were taking together. I missed more class than they did, waited until the last minute to do everything, and was hanging in right at the top grade-wise. And the professor loved me. This little trait is horrible for my mental health though. Like I don't stress out enough on a regular basis. Which leads us to...

2. I'm a worrier. That would be the understatement of the year. I try to keep it to myself, I really do, but that's fairly impossible, as it helps me take the worry down a notch if I talk about it. (Also, keeping it to myself is highly ineffective. I'll have to tell you the story sometime about the paddle boats. The word implosion comes to mind. Geesh.) I know it wears on people, and trust me - I hate that probably more than they do. I'm lucky to have a lot of patient, wonderful friends.

3. I'm wordy. No, really Mary? We've never noticed that your blog posts are twice as long as everyone else's on a regular basis. :)

4. I'm an introvert. I think my friends are used to this after a decade (or two), but my husband hasn't had quite as long to adjust. My job requires extroversion, and I fake it really well. However, I think that doubles my introvert tendencies at home. Mark is an extrovert all the way, so I know how annoying it must be to him when my brain shifts to quiet mode and I just don't want to leave the house for an entire weekend.

5. I chew ice. Sorry Cass! I also apparently breathe loudly. Sorry everyone who talks to me on the phone! I'm going to blame my merciless allergies for that one.

And since I said 6 things about other people, it's only fair...

6. I talk about my dogs like they're my children. I even commiserate with people's stories about their toddlers with stories about Milo (because we all know Max is the good child). See? See what I did there? Yes, I'm that girl. I apologize. I try to stop myself, really, I do.

Just six? There are so many more annoying things about me. I guess I'm thankful we aren't going to ten. Everyone needs a little mystery in life.

Annoyances???

2010-09-02T21:24:00.003-05:00

My top 5 annoyances would have to be:

1) Unattended children in public places.

Last time I went to the movies (to see Iron Man 2), there were toddlers and kids running up an down the theatre and the parents didn't seem to care that their children were disturbing everyone else there. Plus, why do they have their young children at a very grown up movie?? Maybe that should be an another annoyance...young babies/children at grown up movies or at late movies when they should be in bed...

2) The sound of smacking.

It just makes my skin crawl to hear someone smacking, or even a dog/animal smacking from licking themselves. It drives me NUTS!

3) REALLY negative people.

4) People who have too many dogs and don't play with/take care of them. So sad to see!

5) Seeing someone at the grocery store loading up their basket with junk food(cookies, sodas, chips, sugar cereals) and then seeing them pay for it with Food Stamps/Lonestar card. I am all for helping others in need, but I hard time having my tax $$ I am required to pay be put towards paying for others junk food.

6) This is just a personal annoyance, that is, it is annoying that I have to floss every day...I hate doing it, but I know it's necessary.

Things that may annoy others:

1) I can talk too much- I realize this and have tried working on this through the years, but some times I still get too wordy!

2) saying "I'm fine" when I am really not fine

3) this annoys my hubby, when I pick out my flaws in a picture

4) this also annoys my hubby, when I like to open up all the blinds in the house and let a bunch of light in the house- he would live in a dark cave if possible-maybe he's a vampire?

That's all I can think of for now...it's funny stuff to think about! :-)

Buggin' Me

2010-09-01T20:51:00.003-05:00

1. My Husband - As I sat down to type this, I asked my husband what he would say were the top 5 things that annoy me. And his first three responses began with, "When I..." So he came to the conclusion that he annoys me. And I suppose he does. But I love him and am so thankful for him!

2. The outside rim of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup - This part is just completely unnecessary. Have you ever made a homemade Blizzard with these? You go to take a bite and all you get is a hunk of hard chocolate with NO peanut butter. Maybe it's plain chocolate that annoys me? So sometimes I will cut the outside edge off before using the cup... and this sends my husband into a ranting on my weird food ways (there are lots), and then that annoys me.

3. Sales Calls - And I will also include in this category the creditor calls for someone who apparently formerly had our phone number. This is SOOOO annoying.

4. Junk Mail

5. Watching a show with the commercials - The DVR has spoiled me, and I can hardly stand to watch a show without being able to hit the fast forward button during commercials. I'm impatient that way.

6. The noise of the windshield wipers when there's no water on the windshield - This one has bugged me for years.

7. When people spell my children's names incorrectly - I realize this is silly. But it bugs me. And so I'm letting you in on my silly secret.

8. People who drive in the fast lane and aren't going faster than the other lanes.

9. When people are so narrow minded that they think their way is the only "right" way - And don't worry, I'm not talking about anything that's black and white in Scripture.

10. When people don't take responsibility for their own actions - Just fess up and let's get past it already.

I know I was only supposed to do 5, but I pretty quickly came up with 10. I guess I'm annoyed about a lot of things! I can only list one thing I do that annoys people right now and that's me making my husband leave the lights on so I can finish this post. He really wants to turn them off to watch a show (on the DVR, thank goodness), so I will have to save my annoyances for another time. Plus, I probably need some time to think about that one.

Annoyance

2010-08-30T13:55:00.001-05:00

This week we are blogging about the top 5 things that people do to annoy us and the top 5 things thy we do that probably annoy others. So here we go!

Top 5 Annoyances:
1. Women who continue to have children (that are poorly taken care of) so they can get more welfare money.

2. People who don't have a job who are collecting unemployment while sitting on their rear ends playing video games. (please know that does not apply to those who are out of a job and on unemployment and actually trying to find a job). These same people also annoy me because they think they deserve things they didn't work hard to earn. Example: someone who has worked hard all their life and paid all their bills on time having more taxes taken out of their pay so the government can give free healthcare to someone who hasn't even tried to work hard.

3. People who complain about Southern Baptists. It drives me nuts!! I am very proud to be a southern baptist. I believe that the beliefs of the southern baptist church are closest to scripture. I am proud that the Southern Baptist Convention is the 2nd largest relief organization in the world (1st being Red Cross) and that we send more missionaries than any other organization. Are there problems in the southern baptist denomination of course there are. But what denomination doesn't have issues.

4. People who work in the service industry who provide poor service. If I am a paying customer please give me good service. And it is hard these days to find good service. But when I do I definitely praise them for it!

5. People who use foul language. I really really can't stand it. I have told people I don't know to watch their mouth and even threatened to have some teens kicked out of the theatre. There is just absolutely no reason for it! And you really better watch out if you use bad language around my child!

I have a sixth one too: people who are getting in their cars in a shopping center and see that someone is waiting for their space and take extra long to leave. Oh soooo annoying!!

Top 5 things that I do to annoy: (I can't think of a single thing, just kidding)

1. Probably my political speech. I am pretty outspoken about it (but I am glad my DKOS friend Cassandra is too). I have lost Facebook friends over it. Oh well!

2. If I can get something in yellow I want it in that color. Sometimes it can be extreme and I think it may annoy people.

3. I am always talking about how I wish we had a Super Target and a Chick-Fil-A close by. Probably a little too much. But if you only knew how amazing the two are you would understand!

4. I like to argue. If you say left I will say right just to be obstinate. I know this to be true as my husband has told me I do this a lot. I think it makes life less boring. Hee hee!

5. I think I may talk too much in bible studies. I do try and wait to see if anyone else will answer or read aloud and if they don't I will. So sometimes it just seems like I am the only one talking and that is probably annoying to people.

While I am sure that my friends and family could come up with a lot more things that I do to annoy them I think we will just keep it at those 5!!

I am interested to read what annoys my fellow DKOS bloggers!!

Snail Mail

2010-08-29T21:45:00.003-05:00

This isn't really a hobby, but I love to make cards. I was first introduced to card-making several years ago when one of my friends invited me to a Stampin Up party. I had so much fun that I hosted several Stampin Up parties of my own and would buy items here and there for making cards. In the age of e-mail and Facebook, I find there's something really special when you take the time to send a card...I know I get excited when I receive a card in the mail! So over the years I've accumulated ink pads, stamps, craft paper, ribbon, etc...all the essential tools for creating a card. I love to get creative with my cards and try to make them extra-special. I also find that it's cheaper to make a card than it is to buy one. The best places to go for supplies are craft stores such as Michael's or Hobby Lobby or JoAnn's. You can buy anything and everything there: blank note cards, scrapbook paper, ink, stamps, ribbon, buttons...whatever you will need to create a card. I usually try to buy the ribbon when it's on sale. Oh, and occasionally the $1 aisle at Target will have all kinds of scrapbooking items that you can use too. Making cards does take time, but the finished product of brightening someone's day is totally worth it!

Cass

Hobby in Hiatus

2010-08-27T21:31:00.004-05:00

I picked up knitting a few years ago. I think it actually began with crochet - my sister would bring her latest crochet project to family gatherings and one Thanskgiving I decided I wanted to learn. I picked it up pretty quickly (well, the basics anyway) and resorted to online videos to remember what I had learned that day. But I soon realized that I like the look of knitting more than crochet, and there began a love/hate relationship.

I learned to knit mostly through the knittinghelp website. My sister showed me a few starter techniques and I had a good basis for developing my skill from there. My first project was a reading wrap for my mom. The pattern was quick and relatively simple, and I couldn't believe that my hands had actually made the finished product!

I then embarked on the baby blanket business. Erica had just found out that she was expecting Asher at the time, and it was the perfect project to tackle. I had grand delusions that every baby born in my family of friends from here on out would have their own special Aunt Mary-made blanket. I found a striped pattern on Ravelry, modified it a bit, and got to work. The thing about stripes that I didn't realize? Every time you change colors you have 2 ends to weave into the project. For an experienced knitter? No big deal. For me? Well, I never actually took the time to learn to do it properly, and then I got all stubborn about it, and just decided to do it my own way. That was brilliant - let me tell you. Oh, and the other thing I didn't mention...I was not only taking on my first large knitting project, I had decided that it would just be so much cuter if I batted it, backed it with fabric, and gave it a piped edge. And that decision wouldn't seem like such a big deal if I had a sewing machine (or even knew how to use one), but I just figured I'd sew it all by hand. I think this example could probably give you some keen insight into my life decision making processes. I don't necessarily make things easy for myself, and yet I set some pretty high expectations. Good times! After hour upon hour of toiling endlessly (I even took a full vacation day to get it finished before we went to Austin to meet Ash)....voila! The results were well worth it, and I love that Erica has gotten so much use out of it!

(Photo Courtesy of Amelia)

Easier projects I have done since then are a scarf for my niece last Christmas, and a baby bear hat (in crochet) just in time for a few sweet friends new baby boys to have their first photo shoots.

Here's the problem though - I've been working on a blanket for Jackson since Cassandra found out she was pregnant. You may have noticed that Jackson is several months old now. And, um, yeah, that blanket? Well let's just say that knitting got the better of me and I can. not. do. it. I don't know what my deal is, it's about a quarter finished, but I can't make myself pick it up again. (Forgive me Cass & Jax!) I felt that coming on though, and let Cassandra know on the front end that Jackson would definitely have an Aunt Mary baby blanket by the time he was two. Or five. And poor little Chase may be somewhere around ten.

I'm getting the itch again, so maybe there's hope. Knitting projects can be time consuming, and my brain feels the pressure of the length of a project from the first stitch - which obviously works against me sometimes. I love the finished product, but getting there can stress me out - and that's not really the point of a hobby. So I've been taking a knitting sabbatical. But believe me, the day I finish Jackson's blanket...you will ALL know it (assuming we still have this blog in 2014).

A few interests...

2010-08-26T21:12:00.006-05:00

The first things that come to my mind when I think of hobbies/interests are running and quilting...they are kind of random, but I do enjoy both! I started getting in to running in 2001 when I started training for my first marathon. I remember talking to a girl who was not very athletic, and she had just finished running a marathon- and I thought, if she can do it, then CERTAINLY I can do it- because I had been pretty athletic my whole life...so
I thought, why not?
So, I started my 18 week training and completed my first 26.2 mile marathon in Vancouver, Canada in May 2002. Since then, I have run 2 other full marathons- one in Austin and the other in San Diego, as well as, completing two 1/2 marathons- one in Nashville and the other in Dallas. I have also run like 15 or so 5K's and a couple of 10K's...it has been fun over the years challenging myself and learning how to improve my running abilities. I am currently training for two 1oK's in September- the Tour De Fleur in Dallas and the Spur On in Ft Worth, and I will continue training until December for the White Rock 1/2 marathon-it will be a great time to run as the fall season kicks in! I have great aspirations to run in the Boston marathon one day, but that will have to come later down the road.

On to my other interest, quilting...it's funny, I would never have thought I'd enjoy sewing just because I wouldn't think I have the natural "patient/detailed" temperament for it-however, I have come to like sewing- especially making quilts. It started one evening when one of my friends came over and told me she was going to teach me how to make a quilt with my new sewing machine (a bday gift from my mom that year) before the night was over. She was right, by the end of the night we had made a crib-size quilt together. Really, I just took it from there- and have worked on my quilting skills- hopefully getting better each time I make one. I love making these blankets for different people for different reasons...a new baby, wedding present, bday gift, even when someone has a sickness...also, it has been a privelege to make quilts for my sweet babies, too! I have had to take a break from making quilts since having baby #2(sweet Chase) but I am hoping to be able to get back in to it soon!

Say CHEESE!

2010-08-25T20:41:00.004-05:00

I've been snapping photos since I was posing my Cabbage Patch Kids for pictures with my 110 film camera way back in the day. I wish I could find that picture right now, because I wanted to add it to the post. I have always loved capturing moments, and photography is fun to me. I can't say that I have a passion for the technical aspects. I really wish that I did. My partially fried mommy brain really puts a damper on my knowledge retention, but I'm slowly learning more of the technical side... very slowly... and I am a work in progress. But what I do have a passion for is making someone smile when they see a photo I've taken. Whether it's their child, their pet, something funny, a memorable moment... I could go on. I love and prefer candid shots, but I have also come to appreciate the challenge of getting a good, posed family shot. Most of my friends that I have photographed have young children, so a good family shot is definitely a challenge. My love for photography grew a giant leap when I got my first digital camera. Holy cow - the freedom of taking as many pictures as you want and being able to delete them before they're printed!! And then my love grew another giant leap when I had my first child. And I have thousands upon thousands of photos to prove it. I've been working on backing up photos (twice, because I'm that paranoid), and let me just say that is yet another aspect of this that is not my passion. If only someone else could deal with all of that for me.... but if I were going to hire someone for something, I think I'd choose a maid first. :) If you're interested in photography, the best advice I can give you is to take in small tidbits of instruction/information at a time and practice, practice, practice immediately after doing so. You'll have so much fun!

The Simple Life

2010-08-24T21:48:00.006-05:00

As life becomes more and more full, busy, and complicated, I often find myself pondering ways to simplify it. So that's probably my biggest interest right now - finding ways to scale back, acquire less, spend less, waste less, and live more "green". I used to think my parents were so square and ridiculous for making us turn out the lights when we left a room and stuff like that, but now I get it! I'm all about turning out lights, unplugging things when they're not in use, recycling everything possible, and using more earth-friendly products. Some of our recent efforts include switching to cloth diapers and wipes, replacing burned-out lightbulbs with those super-energy-efficient ones, and taking reusable bags when we go shopping. Something else "interesting" that I've recently switched to (this might fall under the category of TMI) is the Diva Cup, which is an alternative to standard feminine hygiene products. I'll admit there was a rather sizable adjustment period/learning curve, but I'm definitely a convert now. It's stuff like that that I really enjoy finding - little-known options that have a big impact without a big dollar investment. Goals for the near future include 1)growing more of our own food and 2) giving away/selling a BUNCH of stuff (there's just no reason for 2 adults and a toddler to be outgrowing a 1600 square foot house!!!). I am also really interested in trying out this thing called the Sabertec Blade - it attaches to the tailpipe of your car to reduce air pollution and make your gas burn more efficiently. Apparently you can get as much as six miles more out of each gallon!

I have a lot more to learn, and a long way to go before I could be considered an eco-warrior, but I'm a firm believer that every little bit helps! So I'll keep looking for ideas and trying new things in my quest for a more simple and sustainable existence.

Erica

Puzzles & Food

2010-08-23T21:45:00.001-05:00

So this week we are blogging about a hobby or interest we have. And the only thing I can come up with is my love for Word Search and Sudoku puzzles. Every single night without fail when I get into bed I do one or two puzzles. I feel like it keeps my mind sharp and I have read that doing puzzles like that can help to prevent alheizmers. So I am all for preventing that! As I was typing this blog I thought about something else I have an interest in and that is cooking. I absolutely love to cook. I love searching for new recipes and implementing them into our weeknight dinner schedule. Some of my favorite shows are on the Food Network. I really enjoy watching others cook and then trying out some of the recipes. So that's what I am interested in. How about you?

Let the Children Laugh

2010-08-22T20:19:00.007-05:00

I will do absolutely anything in order to make my child laugh...and as I write, Scott is in the living room making these crazy noises in order to get Jackson to laugh...I just love the sound of his laughter. The sweetest sound! (and you could have enjoyed his sweet laughter too but I was having technical difficulties and the video was taking an hour to upload...sigh...so here's a picture to enjoy instead):

Have a great week. And laugh a little, it's good for the soul.
Cass

BTW, my favorite quote from the weekend was, "Mommy doesn't like to blow." Guess which ADKS blogger said that.

I Make Me Laugh

2010-08-18T19:37:00.002-05:00

Among the many things and people that make me laugh, I would have to include myself. It just seems like life would be a little bland if we weren't able to laugh at ourselves. Anywho... I've been looking around for something to put over our master bed. We have a big empty wall, and I just haven't felt the inspiration with anything I've seen thus far. However, I was looking in a shop last week and saw a sign that said, "Welcome Friends." I couldn't help but wonder what people would think as they were nonchalantly touring our home and then saw "Welcome Friends" right above our marriage bed. And then I got a good chuckle to myself thinking about what my dear hubby would think if he came and saw our new wall decor. :) I wish I had done it just for fun, but don't worry, I did not buy it. I ended up purchasing a blank canvas from the craft store, and that will surely lead to another laugh-at-myself moment!

Laughable

2010-08-17T22:13:00.004-05:00

I can tell you right now it's been toooooo long since I had a really, really good laugh. I mean, of course Asher does cute little funny things every day that make me laugh, and I can always find something to chuckle about on America's Funniest Videos, but it's definitely been a while since I had one of those I-can't-breathe-tears-running-down-my-face-abs-hurt-the-next-day laughing fits. This is kinda random, but something that always comes to mind when I think about laughing really hard is Jerry Seinfeld's book SeinLanguage. I'm not the world's biggest Jerry Seinfeld fan by any means, but I can remember sitting in the break room at work during lunch reading this book and laughing so hard I thought I was going to choke and have to perform the Heimlich maneuver on myself. Literally other people in the office would come in to make sure everything was OK because I was laughing so hard (and trying not to laugh so hard which, of course, only makes it worse). Another sure giggle-fest-starter? The Would You Rather...? books. SO INCREDIBLY HILARIOUS to me for some reason. Excerpts from one of the books:

Would you rather...
walk like a runway fashion model all the time
OR
automatically revert to jazz hands whenever your hands are not in use?

Would you rather...
have an indelible grape Kool-Aid mustache
OR
have permanent Doritos residue on your fingertips?

Would you rather...
have a digitally blurred face like criminals on TV
OR
have your range of bodily movement reduced to that of a G.I. Joe action figure?

Would you rather...
Have glow-in-the-dark veins
OR
be able to watch only one television show for the rest of your life: Charles in Charge starring Scott Baio?

Anyway, those really get me going. I should go look for that copy of SeinLanguage and see if I can get some good belly laughs going. And I hope all of you have a good side-splitting laugh attack soon! It does a body good!!

Reagan the ham

2010-08-16T22:44:00.000-05:00

My daughter makes me laugh so much! She is just a little ham! I love it when she lets out a belly laugh when I am tickling her! I think the thing she does that makes me laugh the most is her dancing! Any time music is playing she starts to dance. Sometimes it's like this head bobbing around like a chicken and sometimes it's full on dancing around in circles! But it always makes me laugh. Even now while I am typing this I am laughing just thinking about her dancing! I wish I could post a video of her dancing, but every time I turn on the camera she stops. Reagan is definitely not shy and I have already begun praying for her teachers at preschool. They are going to have their hands full!!

My New Friend Ree

2010-08-14T11:53:00.000-05:00

I’ve mentioned before that I read a lot of blogs. This makes sense really, because I love to read, and my favorite books are always memoirs. So it would figure that I would love to read about real people’s lives. I’ve always had an uncanny talent for predicting fiction. I can almost ALWAYS figure out the end of a book before I’m a quarter of the way through it (with the exception of Little Bee, but I’ll save that for another post). It’s the same story with TV shows and movies. So I love the unpredictability of reading along with someone as they narrate their life.

One weird side effect to this though, is feeling like I’m friends with people who I don’t know, will never meet – and generally never even contact. I’m not a big commenter, even on sites I frequent. There are blogs I’ve been reading for years that I’ve never commented on, or maybe just commented once. But that certainly doesn’t make me feel like I know these people any less. For example, one of my favorite bloggers recently got engaged, and after years of reading about the ups and downs of her dating life, I was as happy for her as if she were a dear friend.

The opposite can happen as well. There are a few blogs I’ve read where over time I’ve genuinely begun to dislike the blogger. One who was just so crass I finally had to quit reading, even though I felt like I was invested in her life. One who genuinely seems like a good person, but she recently starting being really nasty and immature in the comments section when someone had something negative to say. I understand what a negative comment feels like, and it doesn’t feel good. It can be a very personal attack, which you do open yourself up to just by having a blog. But willingly putting yourself out there doesn’t necessarily mean you’re excited about being annihilated in the comments section. However, her responses were so disappointing that I’ve just stopped reading her altogether. I read plenty of blogs written by people whose beliefs, politics, life choices, etc. differ vastly from mine, and that’s all good – it’s an insight into a life lived differently than mine, but I just can’t get behind ugliness.

So back to my new friend Ree. I’ve recently taken the time to read some of the archives of Confessions of a Pioneer Woman - specifically the story of how she met her husband, which she titled "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels". I’ve always loved the cooking section of her blog, but never really read beyond it. I have discovered that I adore this woman. I’d rather read her archives than the next book I have waiting on the nightstand. Which brings us to another side effect of blog-loving…feeling a bit like a weird stalker. Maybe if I commented more I wouldn’t feel that way – but I’m not sure that’s really the fix. It’s kind of like having imaginary friends. I know every detail of their life, but it’s kind of all in my head since they don’t actually know I exist. Oh well, weird stalker or not, I love my blogs and bloggers. Tell me I’m not the only one who feels this way??

Walker Jack Rainey

2010-08-14T07:00:00.002-05:00

My heart has been heavy this week after learning that little Walker passed away Tuesday morning. So many mixed emotions...sadness for his mom and dad, yet joy that he did not have to suffer and now gets to spend eternity in Heaven. Please be in prayer for Chad and Missy today, along with their family and friends, as they celebrate Walker's life and lay him to rest.

Below is Walker's obituary, so beautifully written by Chad:

Walker Jack Rainey (2009-2010) Walker Jack Rainey was granted his angel wings on August 10, 2010. His final days were spent in the arms of his adoring family. Seventeen months ago Walker was welcomed into this world by two loving parents who had anxiously awaited his arrival. Sent with an agenda of warming hearts and opening eyes, he wasted no time doing so. Walker reminded us of how wonderful, fun, and innocent life can be, and that the value of a life is defined not by duration, but rather its work and witness.As God unfolded His plan for Walker's life, He did it in a way that would capture the attention of many people. It would be in vain to try and summarize all that our Lord has done with this child. But, those whose lives he touched know precisely. Perhaps the greatest lesson from Walker's life is the peace and hope that Our Father gives us when we really believe ... Walker enjoyed every little boy's dream of fishing, baseball, bubbles, and ice cream. Among his favorite things were GO-GOs (turtles), playing in the water, and pointing to things he wanted you to see. He always lit up a room and put smiles on the faces around him. We anticipate the same scene at the Gates of Heaven, as he is welcomed home. Walker is survived by his proud and loving parents, Chad and Missy Rainey of McKinney; maternal Grandad and Mimi Mike and Linda Barnes of Sherman; paternal Pops and Gram Lan and Sharron Rainey of Commerce; his Great "NeNaw" Hazel Shrader of Healdton, Okla.; Uncle Steve Barnes, Uncle Matt and Aunt Marci Barnes of Dallas, Uncle Lance Rainey of McKinney; cousins Haleigh, Blake, Bailey and Abigail Barnes of Dallas; and various great aunts, uncles, and cousins. We would also like to acknowledge Walker's friends Dr. Paul, Dr. Scott, and the infantry of angels/nurses at Children's Medical Center of Dallas. Visitation to be held Friday, August 13, 2010 from 6-8 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Sherman. There will be a celebration of Walker's life at 10 a.m. August 14th, 2010 at the First Baptist Church in Sherman. The register book can be signed online at waldofuneralhome.com.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Tiny Sparrow Foundation, 12181 Flynt Drive, Frisco, Texas 75035 http://www.tinysparrowfoundation.org/ (please memo: Walker Rainey) Children's Medical Center, c/o Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, 2777 Stemmons Fwy. Ste 700, Dallas, Texas 75207 (please memo: Walker Rainey)

God Bless, Cass

A message to me at 16...

2010-08-12T09:43:00.002-05:00

I know this was the theme for last week and I missed it, but I still wanted to write about it

Hi, 16 yr old Staci...

There are so many things I could say to you...I would love to warn you about some of the hurts and disappointments you have ahead of you over these next few years, but really, those are the things that have shaped and molded you in such significant ways.

Actually, the hurts you have from friendships and relationships during your teens- prepare you for the priceless friends you have ahead of you and how to cherish them...so hang in there and KNOW God blesses you in ways you never dreamed with authentic relationships that challenge and inspire you. Oh yeah, and the "boy thing"- don't get serious with ANYONE- you have an AMAZING man waiting for you a few years after college...he's worth the wait!

There are so many little bits of advice to give you, too many to even write, but here are a few to think about 16 year old Staci...

-Believe God, and don't try to take things in your own hands or jump ahead as you are waiting on HIS timing...rest in knowing GOD loves you and has the best for you

-Finish what you start and finish strong in the things you do

-Join the track team, turns out you love running(maybe even more than cheerleading)...

-Be open to new possibilities that you weren't expecting...like some of those "non-TCS" girls at church...turns out they will be some of your best friends...and you will always have a blast when you are with them...who knew, right?

-Fall in love with the Bible- it's full of great wisdom that helps you make big decisions...

-In 1999, you will go through some craziness and actually almost lose your life- but turns out that God uses that to amaze you, change you, make you more bold, and give you certainty that God is Sovereign- yield to the process HE has for you...

-Be sure to ask questions about things you don't understand- I know you get scared to look dumb, but turns out if you don't know what something is there is probably someone wondering the same thing...

-Forgive quickly and move on- grudges only really hurt YOU...

-Allow God to mess with "your" plans...

-Love learning new things...also, read more...a great book is Stephen Covey's 7 habits of Highly Effective People...

-LOVE people and invest in their lives...

-Lastly, have fun being you-big curly hair and all!

Much love- 31 yr old Staci

Blessed Be Your Name

2010-08-11T19:59:00.003-05:00

Do you have one (or more) of those songs that just take you back to a very specific time in your life? When I was pregnant with Aidan, I remember singing "Blessed Be Your Name" in church quite often. It must have come out around that time. Every time we would sing it, I would almost be brought to tears thinking about the precious boy growing inside me and trying to fathom the depth of the words I was saying. "You give and take away. You give and take away. My heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be Your name." Would I really be able to bless His name if He allowed something to go wrong with that pregnancy? If something were to happen to that child? The song begins by talking about praising Him in times of abundance. Sure, it's easy in the good times. Or actually, maybe it's not. Maybe that's when we forget to give Him the glory because we're content and comfortable. "Every blessing you pour out, I'll turn back to praise. When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say... Blessed be the name of the Lord." Are you in a time where "streams of abundance flow?" Or are you "on the road marked with suffering" right now? I pray that we will be able to bless His name no matter what road we're each on right now. As I read through some of Walker Rainey's Caring Bridge site (Erica wrote about this yesterday), I am blown away at the faithfulness of his parents. What an amazing testimony. "Though there's pain in the offering, blessed be Your name."

If you have time, just take a few minutes to listen and let these words sink in.

Walker

2010-08-10T22:28:00.003-05:00

Some of you might remember an earlier post of mine about a sweet little boy named Walker Rainey who was diagnosed with a very aggressive type of cancer when he was 6 1/2 months old. Jesus called Walker home this morning, though he and his family and his doctors spent the last 11 months doing everything they could to beat the disease. Missy and Chad, Walker's mommy and daddy, are strong Christians who stand firm in the promise that God's will is perfect, but there's no doubt that they need as much support as they can get right now. Please take a moment to lift them up in whatever way works for you, whether that be through prayer or silence or song, etc.

Cake This Cake That

2010-08-09T22:31:00.001-05:00

Have you noticed the new obsession with cake? There are at least six or seven shows on television about cakes or cupcakes and all these little bakeries and cupcake stores are popping up everywhere. We have a cupcake place here in Illinois called The Cup (formerly The Cupcakery, and I am not sure why they changed this name) and their cupcakes are AMAZING!!!! They have about seven cupcakes that are their staple and then they have a monthly flavor and then a seasonal flavor. My favorite is their red velvet. Oh it is chocolate goodness with some cream cheese icing on top! Last month in celebration of Elvis' birthday they had a banana cupcake with peanut butter icing. Ummm yea I would love for them to bring that cupcake back sometime! It is just delicious!! My mouth is watering while I type this!! Now while cakes and cupcakes are all fine a good it's really the salty stuff I prefer! I would like to see little chips and salsa places open up, where they only serve chips and salsa and cokes! (can't have Mexican food without a coke). I sure do miss all the yummy Mexican restaurants in Texas!! So my question for you is.... Sweet or Salty?

LYLAS

2010-08-08T20:03:00.004-05:00

Dear Cassandra:

I'd love to take this time to tell you all the things you should avoid in the next 16 years but those are some of the very things that will contribute to the woman you become. I'd also love to say that things will be easy but then I'd be lying to you. You are going to have some rough times ahead but you will come out on the other side stronger.

Follow your dreams. Go where you want to go and do what you want to do...and don't let anyone tell you you can't do something. Try your hardest and never give up.

Your parents are not stupid and they really do know what they're talking about. You may think they're being unfair, but their rules are in place because they love you. And honestly, nothing good happens after midnight anyway! Also, you may not think this will ever be possible, but your mom will become one of your best friends later in life.

Your brother and sisters may drive you absolutely crazy right now and you may sometimes wish you were an only child, but try to go easy on them. You will one day become fiercely protective of each of them. The sounds of fighting and bickering may fill the house right now, but down the road there will be lots of laughter and the occasional sounds of Rock Band (try to let loose).

Boys! Ah boys! Live and learn my dear, live and learn. All I can say is stay true to yourself and what you believe. And your thoughts on those three BIG words and how they aren't meant to be thrown around so freely, well keep telling yourself that and you will be rewarded in the end. Trust me. I'd love to tell you who you marry but then that would spoil all the fun. You two are going to have such an adventure!

Friends come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. You will be blessed by each and every friendship you make, but there are a certain group of girls that you will meet during your college years that will be your friends for a lifetime and will bless your socks off.

Finally, remember this verse: "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

On a lighter note:

Go to your ten year high school reunion...it's fun to see old faces/friends.
Never forget the yellow submarine!
PLEASE stop wearing big bows in your hair.
Easy on the perms.

So what if you're a "band nerd," flags is fun and you're pretty good at it too.
You do not always have to come back from camp or mission trips with a boyfriend.
The boys were always intimidated by your dad. Little did they know that it was your mom they needed to be worried about.
Remember to have fun!

LY,
Cass

Oh Dear Me

2010-08-06T22:54:00.008-05:00

Dear, sweet, 16 year old Mary,

Oh precious girl. You are young and innocent, and you don't even know it. You think you're not...you think you've been through it all already, but sadly, that is far from true. Should I even tell you that? That's kind of depressing, right? But I think you need a little preparation. The upside? You will eventually realize that you are so much tougher than you think you are. You may be sweet and innocent, but you have some serious perseverance that you haven't even discovered yet.

On a lighter note...lighten up kid. It's really okay not to be so serious all the time! I know you think everyone is watching and judging, and maybe some of them are...but who cares? If not for the invention of Facebook (I'll spare you the details) you would never have to know what 90% of those people are doing for the rest of their lives. So unfortunately, I can't tell you that you'll never see most of these people again, but I promise, you will eventually realize that it truly does not matter.

And those crazy girls you hang out with? They are the best thing that's ever happened to you, so don't alienate yourself so much. Let them off the hook for having a lighter view of life...you are SIXTEEN Mary...you're supposed to have a lighter view of life. It's even okay to be silly-in-public sometimes. You've got silly-in-private down - and you will hone that skill in college - but it's okay to loosen up a little. Really. And while this is easier said than done, try not to be so afraid of new things. Push yourself even when you are afraid. You truly will not believe what you can accomplish in spite of yourself.

I would love to give you some cautionary advice about the boys in your life...but I think you're going to learn some really good lessons out of all of that...so keep doing what you're doing. Trust your judgment and forgive your mistakes. You will stay friends with the people that matter, so stop worrying so much about losing everyone. You can't keep them all, and I know that will make you sad, but the ones who stay with you are the ones that you really need, and that is so much more than enough.

Also, that master plan you have in your head? Please release it immediately. Things will not go as planned my dear girl, and it will not be the end of the world. I know this will come as a shock, but you will not be married by 25, or a stay at home mom with 3 children by 30. I'll let you in on a little secret...you probably don't actually even want 3 children. And the world is still turning on its axis. Promise. So stop making decisions based on that plan. Really.

Lastly...please, please, please...step away from the dark red lipstick. Also, avoid the Clinique counter in college. That woman is a liar, and it definitely does look like you are wearing that much makeup.

Ain't no thing but a chicken wing. Honestly.

Love,
Your older, wiser, 30-something self

Word from the Wise (ha!)

2010-08-05T08:55:00.009-05:00

I know my post is a few days late, but I didn't want to miss out on this week's topic!

Dear 16-year-old me (SYOM):
Haven't seen you in a while! Boy, do I have some stories to tell you... So look, I know you're not really into taking advice from an old lady at this point (since you're so smart and grown-up and all), but I'm going to give you some pointers anyway.

Your parents are smarter than you think, especially your mom. Their rules aren't as ridiculous as they seem, and they're not trying to cramp your style. They just want you to be safe. Spend some more quality time with them; they miss you.

Don't drive so fast through your neighborhood. It's rude and scary to people who have little kids. In fact, just don't drive so fast, period.

Those crazy friends you've made, they're forever. Well done, SYOM, well done.

Over the next few years, especially when you're in college, don't spend your summers working really hard at not working too hard. Does that make sense? That restaurant hostess job isn't going anywhere. Instead, look for interesting internships and learning experiences that might help you figure out what kind of career you might really enjoy, even if it means you can't spend as much time with __________ (insert name of guy here).

About that guy, and the others, you don't have to get so serious! It's OK to have some space! When the right one comes along, you won't have to force it.

Moving to Mississippi next year is going to seem exciting, then scary, then a little lonely. Do it anyway; it's the right thing and it will be great!

Keep up with those journals! Write more! You will love reading them and reminiscing.

Overall, SYOM, you're doing OK. You've got some tough times ahead, but some super-terrific times also. The important thing is, you'll learn from them all. Roll with the punches. Remember who you are and Whose you are. Your hair looks great, by the way.

Your future self,
Me

A Letter to my 16-year-old Self

2010-08-04T23:04:00.000-05:00

Dear Amelia,

-You really do have the best friends in the entire world. In fact, you'll still be this close to them when your age doubles. And you'll all be blogging together... blogging... you'll figure out what that is.

-Be careful what you do in silly pictures. All of them have the potential to end up on facebook one day. Facebook will be on the internet.... Hmmmm... not sure I can explain either of those, but you will see!

-Respect your parents. They really do know what they're talking about.

-No, you will not marry him.

-It's okay to not have a car. And when you eventually get a car, it will be okay that it's more than 10 years old.

-You may date three guys with the same name, but that does not mean you'll marry someone with that name.

-Be yourself. And let your self imitate Christ.

- Serve others.

-Give more.

-Enjoy life! Be spontaneous. You'll be an old married lady with three kids before long. And when you are, still have fun!

Letter to my 16 year old self

2010-08-02T21:35:00.002-05:00

Dear Beth Pitman (wow haven't used that name in almost 10 years),

Ahh I envy your youth! You have so much to look forward to in your future! But I wanted to give you a little advice on some things I wish I had known when I was your age.

1. Trust the Lord in all things and at all times
2. Really really study and memorize scripture
3. Trust your parents in all things and at all times
4. Love your sister and be sweet to her, she will be your best friend
5. Don't worry about boys and concentrate more on school work
6. Treasure your friendships more
7. Be kind to all and never look down on anyone
8. Don't sweat the small stuff, there is much bigger stuff that will come your way
9. Never get a credit card
10. Invest in Apple (seriously!!)

Most importantly enjoy life and live it to the fullest. Don't try to grow up so fast!!

Love,

Your 32 year old self

Same Song, Different Dance

2010-08-01T14:25:00.003-05:00

I, like my fellow ADKOS friends, also came to know the Lord at a young age. Nine years old to be exact. I am so horrible with details that I honestly cannot remember where I was when I asked Jesus into my heart, plus I have mommy brain, so everything is a little hazy on top of that. I can safely say that I was either at church or at home though. One thing I do know for sure, I was baptized on May 10, 1987, at Lamar Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas. I can also tell you that two of my classmates, Matt Wills and Billy Peel, were also baptized on that date. (I do remember that oddly enough). I am blessed to have Godly parents who have always lifted me up in prayer and who thought it was important to have me and my siblings in church (which was pretty much every time the doors were open) when we were growing up.

My relationship with Christ is just that, MINE. While we all have similar stories on how we came to know Christ at a young age, we do not have similar testimonies of what God has done in our lives since that first step of faith. Thank you God for that. How boring would it be if we all had the same story! It's like I mentioned a while back in my Hot or Cold post, we were all created uniquely and we all have a unique relationship with God...so my relationship with God is not like anyone else's relationship.

I can tell you that my relationship with God has had its share of ups and downs, times when I was on fire for God, and times when I walked down the wrong path. Through everything God was right there with me, even sometimes carrying me through those dark times.

My testimony right now is this: I am a sinner, saved by the grace of God! I am not perfect. I am a work-in-progress. God is teaching me to trust in His provision for my family (my husband was laid off in May, just 6 weeks after our son was born). My relationship with Him is not strong right now, but I'm working on it through daily Bible reading and time in prayer. (And you know what, I think that pleases Him.)

So even though we've all asked Jesus into our heart (Same Song), it's our unique relationship with Christ that sets us apart (Different Dance). I for one have enjoyed reading everyone's testimony this week and hope you have too.

Blessings,
Cass

Long ago, in a land far away

2010-07-30T08:00:00.002-05:00

There's no way for me to tell this story briefly, so settle in, grab a cup of something, and get comfortable.

I decided to follow Christ as a child. I was in church every time the doors were open, my parents were Sunday School teachers, and my life was centered around that building. Somewhere around 8 years old, I walked down an aisle and asked Christ to come into my heart. As I reached my teenage years, I questioned that moment over and over. Had I known what I was talking about at 8 years old? Did I do it the right way? Did I do it because my friend did it? Do I need to try again? I would talk it over with adults who I respected and I remember one specific night in junior high that I sat down and said, okay, this is it. If I never knew before, I know now, and I choose this now. It seems so funny looking back...so legalistic for such a young girl. I was worried because people talked about a time and a date, and I felt like for me it was more of a gradual understanding. But I was a rules girl, and man I wanted to know a date that I could spit out if someone asked.

The honesty of the commitment I had made was tested pretty early on. My family had some rough times as I finished junior high and entered high school, and suddenly I found that it was just me at church every time the doors opened. It had always been me, mom, dad, and my sister and brother. It was a family event, a family belief, and it was understood that we were all going. But out of nowhere, I had a choice. And I ended up being the only one who chose church. There is no doubt in my mind that was a turning point in my life. There were several rough years, and God placed people in my life - my friends at church, their families, and Godly men and women who knew and loved me - to keep me afloat. I look back and I see the way He orchestrated my life, providing for me in so many ways. If I had not made that commitment to follow Christ, I really don't know who I would have become. I needed a refuge, and I don't know where else I would have found it. I have to think that all of my early questioning was just laying the groundwork for the tough times ahead.

Even as I got older, there were times that I thought, I've never done anything that really needs "saving". I was a good kid, I came to faith early, and I made the right choices. In hindsight, it kind of seems like I was daring God with that train of thought, and oh did I get what I asked for. The worst thing I had done as a teenager was talking trash about a girl...whom I asked forgiveness from...and discovered she had no idea what I had said. And then we became friends for life. (Hi Amelia!) So you can see how maybe I was missing out on a depth of understanding when it came to redemption and God's grace.

I struggled with my faith as I became an adult. Wrestled with what it all means. Made decisions I wasn't proud of. I walked away and said, I know what is right, but I choose this instead. (If I could only tell you how well that went) But I have always found a loving, forgiving God at the end of that rope. I have learned lessons that I wish I could have learned another way. I have seen the consequences of choices that I made that didn't line up with the life I have chosen in Christ. But they have made me who I am. They have given me a sense of compassion that it can be easy to miss in life. I'm thankful that I made mistakes. I'm thankful that I had to choose early on which path I wanted to follow, and that I learned early on that even that choice has consequences. I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to learn that choosing to live for Christ does not make me better than anyone else. The Christian life is not about perfection. It's about choosing every day, sometimes every minute, to honor the God who created the universe in every way you know how. It's about realizing that apart from Him, you don't even know how to do that. It's about knowing where your forgiveness comes from, because my don't we all need it. It's about loving God, and living with the grace He has afforded to you. Loving other people and letting them know that grace is there for them too.

I feel like a "testimony" is a work in progress. It's not just an account of history, it's a story that grows with you each day you live. I never want to stop learning more about Christ. I want to continue to be surprised by something new, even after 20+ years of believing. Sometimes I fail to look, but sometimes I get it right, and I see things that I never imagined. Faith has never been simple for me, but there's a God that understands that, and lets me hash it out. I am forever grateful.

Jesus in my heart...

2010-07-29T14:33:00.005-05:00

My testimony begins at the age of 5 when my Kindergarten teacher, Mrs Branning helped me to ask "Jesus to come in my heart", and then I was baptized a few weeks after being saved. What is neat about my testimony is that when I was 2, my parents(who didn't grow up in Christian homes) decided to move to Anchorage, Alaska so my dad could be near his father there...in the 6 years that we lived in Alaska each of my family members was saved. So, we went to Alaska to meet Jesus!

My mom said that when I was saved, I couldn't wait to tell every person I knew about Jesus and what He did for me by dying on the cross to save me from my sins. I grew up in a newly Christian home, and went to a private christian school K-12- so I was surrounded by biblical principals. However, when I was 14 I went to a camp in Tennessee called Christmas Challenge and it was there that I really questioned my salvation- I had struggled off and on through the years about is I had really accepted Christ in my life at 5...which I felt like I had, but felt uneasy that I wasn't 100% sure. One night while I was at the camp, I just knelt down and asked God to save me from my sins and make me 100% sure about my salvation. After doing that, I told one of the counselors, Mrs. Hill about my decision- so that settled any lingering doubts. Later on when I was in college, I did get baptized again to signify the decision I had made at 14.

Overall, my growth as a Christian has been pretty forward moving- with a few detours...that the Lord has taken those detours and used them for good...thank you Lord for that! I thank the Lord for pouring HIS grace on me- what an amazing gift! To know Christ and grow in a relationship with Him is the sweetest thing...if you don't know Him- you should...life will never be the same!

My Boring Testimony

2010-07-28T13:18:00.004-05:00

Let me just start out by saying that I totally understand what people mean when they refer to their testimony as "boring," however, I completely disagree! There is absolutely nothing boring about the fact that Jesus Christ died for me and the fact that I get to experience complete freedom in Him.

My story, quite like my other gals pals, started with my Bible-believin', church-goin' family. My parents were very involved in the church, and it was very clear to me from an early age that they loved the Lord and that their relationship with Jesus was of high importance. I accepted Christ's gift of salvation at an early age and was baptized shortly thereafter. While attending a camp during junior high, the camp speaker was going on and on one night about how to know if you're really saved. He had a serious list, and a couple of things included knowing the exact date and place where this took place. Well, I have very little memory from anything before 6th grade, so there's no way I could tell you that information. But, I felt so convinced by this speaker that I had to know those things that I accepted Christ again. Did I need to do this? Nah, but I understand what the speaker was trying to stress in that you do need to know for sure that you have made this decision. It's not as simple as saying, "Yeah, I'm a Christian." when you're asked. I had made that decision, and then I (whether necessary or not) definitely reaffirmed it. I had a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Lord has given me an incredible faith. Faith that is really hard to shake, and I am so thankful for that. I am definitely nowhere near perfect, but thankfully, the Lord has never allowed me to veer too far from His path. He has, however, taught me many lessons along my journey. Even though some of those were quite tough to learn, as the others have said, that's what makes me the woman I am today. I love that He is shaping me, molding me to be more like Him (hopefully He'll work on my thighs, because surely His aren't like this!) There is so much He is even teaching me now, and I love that I will always have new things to learn in my walk with Him. I have a very long way to go, but then God's redeeming love wouldn't be so great if we could be a "know-it-all" at the snap of a finger. Do you have a relationship with Him? If you do, is it growing? We all get "stuck" every now and then. If you need a hand, reach out, and any one of us would be glad to help you! The gift that we have been blessed with is too amazing and wonderful not to share it.

Amazing Grace

2010-07-27T21:55:00.007-05:00

My testimony, much like Beth's, starts long before I was born. I have the great fortune of coming from many generations of God-fearing, churchgoing folks. I'm not sure I was attending church with my parents when I was 2 days old, but I will say that I was born on December 13 and played the role of Baby Jesus in the nativity play at our church that year. Not too shabby :) My dad was the music minister at our church, so I grew up in Sunday school and choir and Vacation Bible School and GAs (Girls in Action) and the whole works.

On my first day of school, in 1984, my mom gave me a red Zondervan NIV Bible. My first big-girl Bible. While the pages have long since separated from the binding, I still have that cover, because written on the inside, in my 6-year-old hand, is the following:

APRiL 7, 1985
EasTeR Sunday
I ask'ed JeSuS into my heaRT

Like I said, I was 6, so my memory isn't crystal clear, but I'm pretty sure I was sitting on a bean bag in one of the back bedrooms at my Mema's house after church; my mom answered some questions and made sure I understood, then prayed with me. Even now, I remember knowing that something big and wonderful had happened, that I was changed.

Due to my apparent need to document these types of things, I have another Bible (navy blue this time) with the following written inside (in my 11-year-old very round cursive handwriting):

I was baptised on:
mo./dy./yr./
5/13/90/ Mother's Day

My brother and I were baptised together. I love the words I always heard said during baptisms - "Buried with Christ in baptism, raised to walk in a new way of life." If you dissect that phrase and really think about it, it's deep. It's awesome. Your old life, your past mistakes, your shame, your guilt is GONE. It DIED WITH CHRIST ON THE CROSS and your life is new. Praise God!

I think one of the great things about a testimony is that it keeps changing and growing. Those pivotal moments of salvation and baptism are obviously constants, but the rest is an ever-evolving story. I have had dark times in my life, times when I strayed far, far, FAR away from God. Times that I was too ashamed to tell people I was a Christian because I knew my actions were not an accurate reflection of the Christian life. Even darker times when I stopped worrying about that.

God is merciful. God extends grace. God forgives. Thank you, God. He never let me go; He never turned his back on me. He kept showing up, and waiting, and drawing me home. I am not perfect, and neither is my life. I have a list of faults and foibles a mile (or two) long, but I have learned that a life without God is meaningless. I have learned that I can't do life without Him and I don't want to try.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Amen!

Testimony

2010-07-26T23:10:00.001-05:00

Hi my name is Beth Harris and I am a Christian!! This is the most important title I will ever have!! So this week each of us will give our testimony.

I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior in March of 1985 (I was 7 at the time). I had been going to church every time the doors were open since I was first conceived (my mom even delivered me on a Friday and we were at church on Sunday). So I had heard about Jesus hundreds of times. I distinctly remember riding my bike in my neighborhood (it was safe to do this back then and I didn't have to wear a helmet) and having a conversation with God. I told God that I knew who His son was and that I knew that He sent His Son to die on the cross for my sin. I immediately went home and told my mom. And that day I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I went forward and prayed with our pastor on Sunday and was baptized the following Sunday, April 7th which was Easter. So Easter is always an extra special time for me! And of course I was only 7 years old so my sins consisted of things like disobeying my parents and being mean to my sister. My relationship with Christ has always been pretty strong, and of course there were times when I strayed from what was God's best for me. But those were times God was allowing me to mess up so I could learn from my mistakes and strive to be more like Him!

I hear people, that started their relationship with Christ at an early age, say that they don't really have a testimony like someone who was radically saved later in life. And my comment to that is that how much more of a testimony do you have that because you were saved at an early age you were kept from years and years of darkness. I am so so so glad that I can say that I have known Christ for 25 years!!

If you do not know Christ I encourage you to seek Him! Ask anyone of us and we can share Christ with you!!!

Bienvenidos

2010-07-25T18:33:00.005-05:00

I have to say, it's been tough trying to pick my favorite vacation. I've been to some really fun places with family and friends: a cruise many moons ago with my family, two trips to Las Vegas with friends, New York City, Destin, Florida, several trips to Mexico, and so forth. This post made me think back to all those trips and the fun memories made, and I'm so glad to have pictures that documented each adventure. If I had to pick though, I think my favorite vacation to date would have to be my honeymoon.

Scott and I went to Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico on our honeymoon and stayed at the Grand Velas Resort. We enjoyed a breathtaking view of the ocean from our room, meals that were truly delectable, and a staff that catered to your every whim. While all this was fabulous, it was our excursions that definitely made the trip so memorable. One day we went and swam with the dolphins. I have always loved dolphins and how beautiful they move in and out of water, so to be able to swim with them was so exciting. I was pretty intimidated at first, but these dolphins were so friendly and well-trained.

Our other excursion was to go on a whale watching tour. We just so happened to be going to Nuevo Vallarta at a time when Humpback whales migrate to the area, so we jumped on the chance to go on a tour. We loaded up in this little motorized raft boat (no joke - I could have leaned over a bit and put my hand in the water - Mary would not have approved) and set out into the ocean. Our tour guide was awesome and taught us all about the whales we would be seeing. There were several other tours going on in various size boats, but what made our little raft so fabulous was the ability to take off quickly when someone spotted a whale. I was truly blown away at my first whale sighting. Remarkable. Graceful. Beautiful. God's magnificent creation. I fell in love instantly (which is probably why I love watching Whale Wars on Animal Planet). An unforgettable experience!

To top it all off, I was able to experience everything with my new hubby!

Homebody on Holiday

2010-07-23T12:01:00.008-05:00

As someone whose favorite place is curled up on my own sofa with my husband, my dogs and a good movie marathon, vacations can be a tricky thing. I have a vacation routine that begins with anxiety, transitions into ecstasy, but winds up with a good dose of near misery. By day 5 in a different locale, I'm pretty much ready to be back in my own bed, no matter how wonderful the week has been.

I never really figured myself for a beach girl. I begin to wilt when the thermostat creeps above 89 degrees, so I was surprised when I absolutely fell in love with Mexico. My first trip was with a few girlfriends approximately 7 years, 4 husbands, 3 children, and 1 baby-to-be ago. We stayed in Akumal, and as we stepped out of the cab that first day, I was struck by the unbelievable roar of the ocean and the miraculous breeze coming in off the coast. Add in some white sand, crystal clear water, a stack of books, and the smell of the sea...and I was hooked for life. Growing up in the burbs sandwiched between two concrete jungles can really make a tropical locale seem just a bit magical. But even on that trip - which was truly one of the best ever - I'm pretty sure I had a meltdown by day 5. There's something about missing the familiarity of home, coupled with the realization that home is so much more complicated than a week away. It always gets me. I end up feeling like a toddler who's been kept too long at the in-laws. The grandparents spoil you, but it's just not your crib.

Even still, there's just a vibe about being on vacation that really can't be replicated at home. If you could bottle it, I'd need a 12 step program. I've had a few less than stellar vacations, but even those beat the pants off of a regular week at home. It doesn't take much to please me when it comes to time off work. I love long weekend road trips, and Mark and I take plenty of those, but the beach has been calling my name. We both agree that we are long overdue for some R&R in a foreign land. I don't know where the next trip will take us, but I'm sure hoping it promises plenty of this:

Vacation is my love language!!!

2010-07-22T21:10:00.001-05:00

I LOVE to travel...over the years I have been able to visit some fun places- so it's hard to say what my favorite vacation is???? So, I may have to include a couple of trips...

I guess my most memorable vacation is when I backpacked in Europe for 7 weeks- I was able to visit several countries...France, England, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Italy. I felt like it was the experience of a lifetime just seeing so many different ways of life and meeting to many different people from around the world during my travel. Each country had such a rich history and culture...even just thinking about my experiences makes me want to go back. I did go on this trip by myself and just made friends along the way at the different hostels I stayed at...some of the highlights were- seeing the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, kissing the Barney Stone, Hangliding in the Swiss Alps, Hiking in the Alps, touring the southern part of Ireland-amazing, touring the Colleseum in Rome, all the amazing museums- it was priceless to see so many works of art that I had seen in books right before my eyes...I could go on and on...it was an amazing vacation with lots of big moments and little moments that warm my heart to think about.

Another favorite vacation has been going to Kauai and Maui with my hubby. We have been twice and both times have been an absolute blast...in Kauai we did so many amazing things- hikes, ATV tour, helicopter ride, a luau, Na Pali coastline tours, and just spending time on the beach...it was such a lush and majestic place...

Maui was such an amazing place too...so beautiful! The Road to Hana was probably my favorite thing to do there- we just loved the drive there- such beauty! Plus, we were able to pull over on our drive there to take different trails leading to waterfalls. We also we able to see the 7 pools- which was priceless...we ate at Mama's Fish House- which was FABULOUS- it was such a treat to eat there...I could go on and on about our time there- it is definitely a place that is worth going to!

I can't finish this blog without mentioning my trip to New York with my hubby...we LOVED our trip there. There was so much to do- and we had so much fun exploring the city... there are so many things we enjoyed there...Greenwich Village, walking the Brooklyn Bridge, going to Brooklyn and attending a service at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, eating at Grimaldi's pizza, shopping, ice skating in Central Park- overall the amazing feel of the city just created such a fun trip for us.

Really, I could go on and on about vacations because I LOVE to travel- to just get away and experience something new...

The pictures above are of NYC, Kauai, NYC, Kauai

I Have to Pee on my Arm??!

2010-07-21T21:50:00.006-05:00

I can't say that I will talk about my favorite vacation today, but I will talk about a very memorable one. To talk about my favorite, probably our honeymoon, I would have to go digging through my external hard drive to find photos. Actually, I don't know whether that would be my absolute favorite or not, but it was definitely the last time I had a kid-free, care-free vacation... and it was great. Another favorite would be our trips to Ouray and Lake City, Colorado. Amazing. We're hoping to get back there next summer, and I am really excited about that.

Now, I'm just going to give you a few highlights (or maybe lowlights) and pictures from our recent trip to the coast. And when I say coast, don't go picturing crystal clear water and white beaches. I'm talking Port Aransas, right on the Gulf of Mexico.

1. You do not go through the Padre Island National Seashore to get from Corpus Christi to Port Aransas. We pulled up to a guard office going into the National Seashore, and he told us how much it cost. I said, "We're heading to Port Aransas.", and with a big grin, he said, "No, you're not." We had to go back 15 miles or so to take our proper turn.

2. Just because seafood is near the gulf does not mean it's fresh from the gulf. I love, love, love seafood, but I have to say I was disappointed in our two seafood dinners while we were there. I even researched some places ahead of time. I'm pretty sure I ate some previously frozen shrimp, just like I've bought at the grocery store. Darn.

3. It is not fun to go to the bathroom in the beach porta-potty with three children. Actually, this event is not fun anywhere we go. But this was an extreme situation (For your benefit, I will not go into greater detail!), and it was definitely not fun.

4. Sand gets everywhere.

5. Only one of us had to pee on what we think was a jellyfish sting.

6. The Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Chrsti is lots of fun!

7. My children love to press elevator buttons. Every time we left the room, they would establish who would press the button on the outside and inside of the elevator, both for the trip down and the trip back up.

8. There's no place like home. As much fun as I had, it was so nice to get home and to sleep in my own bed. However, it was really nice to have someone wash towels and sheets and make breakfast for us. I could get used to that! Here's some of our fun pictures:

Me and the hubs

Look out Baywatch...

The dolphins at the Aquarium were tons of fun, and the shark was pretty awesome! Why are their eyes so crazy looking?? I think the otters were my favorite, though. They were so fun to watch!

At the Aquarium, there were three scuba divers in one tank trying to catch a wounded fish. Aidan is already fascinated by scuba divers, so he was really excited to watch them. I think he thought they were cooler than the shark, etc. One of them came right up to the window and posed for pictures and gave hi fives. The kids loved it!

Vacay!

2010-07-20T22:19:00.001-05:00

I am blessed to have been given the opportunity to do a lot of traveling in my life thus far. I've been to Europe (4 times), Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Tibet, Nepal, and various places in the good ole U.S. of A. Scuba diving, sight-seeing, trekking...so many fun things! And there are so many more places I hope to see! I've never really taken a trip I didn't enjoy, and I peruse my photos and journals often, remembering the little stories and funny things that happened.

Out of all the awesome trips, though, my all-time favorite destination so far has been Kauai. I have a hard time writing this (remember my earlier post about how difficult it is for me to decide on favorites?) because, like I said, I've been to some really incredible places, but the trip to Kauai with Adam was different and neat in so many ways. First, we found this outstanding cottage to stay in (click the link and definitely give this place some serious consideration if you're ever planning a trip to Kauai!) - staying there almost made it feel like we lived on the island, not just visiting. Second, we planned only a few scheduled activities (zipline, massages on the beach, the requisite luau), but really left most days completely open and relaxed. Usually our trips are scheduled down to the minute! Third, the weather was awesome and the island is so incredibly beautiful! We did some amazing hikes, snorkeled in the crystal-clear ocean, and relaxed on pristine beaches. We saw rainbows every day! We also bought fresh fruit at a local farmer's market - I still can't eat a mango without being transported right back to the Aloha state.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that there were a few low points. I got SO INCREDIBLY CARSICK driving up to the Waimea Canyon lookout and on to the Alakai Swamp. Getting back down was just as bad, if not worse. It took several hours for me to recover. Yuck. Also, Adam got really sick with some kind of viral throat infection a few days into the trip and we had to make an appointment with a doctor. So, Adam might not call this his favorite trip of all time (I'm pretty sure Disney World would walk away with that title), but we both agree it was a blissfully magical trip. We can't wait to go back, maybe with our little guy in tow!!

Vacation

2010-07-19T20:11:00.006-05:00

So this week we are blogging about our favorite vacation. But before I get to that I have to talk about the event that rocked my world this past Friday.

Friday was a normal day. Did our normal routine. When I got Reagan up from her nap she had 102 temp, but had not shown any signs of being sick. So I gave her meds to bring down her fever and then came downstairs to play for a little bit before lunch. My husband John had come home for lunch to mow (his parents were flying in that afternoon). He had finished mowing and came in to grab a quick bite before going back to work. He gave Reagan a couple of pieces of cantaloupe and turned to me to get some more and when I looked at Reagan she was hunched over to one side, her eyes had rolled into the back of her head and she was shaking. I screamed for John. He rushed over and grabbed her out of the seat. We thought she was choking so he did the heimlich, but there was nothing there which meant she was having a seizure. She started turning blue and I called 911 while he breathed into her. Ambulance on the way, she started breathing but was totally limp and moaning. She slowly started being able to move her legs and arms. Ambulance showed and up and took her. I rode in the front and John followed behind in the truck. We got to the ER and they hooked her up to all the machines. By that time she was screaming and crying. She was saying mommy and daddy and Abby (her doll) and giving high fives and kisses. Another one of our pastors came in to make sure we were ok and he offered to pick up John's parents from the airport. Very grateful for that! They put in an IV in Reagan and drew some blood for tests and took some x-rays. We were there almost 5 hrs. The x-ray showed a little bit of bronchitis which caused the fever. Which caused the febrile seizure that she had. The ER dr. said that 1 out of 25 children have a febrile seizure and 1% of those children have more than one (we are hoping and praying she is not in that 1%). She checked out just fine and we got a prescription. The next day you would never have known Reagan had a seizure. She was back to her normal crazy fun self. Today I took her to her pediatrician to do a follow up and Reagan checked out just fine. I am so thankful to the Lord that He protected my precious baby girl! It was the scariest moment of my entire life, but I can clearly see the Lord's protection over our family! And I have to give props to my husband for just doing what needed to be done without any hesitation or freezing up. And as a result of this event, I am definitely going to get CPR and First Aid certified and I encourage all of you to do so!!! Here is my husbands blog post about what happened.

So on a lighter note.... John and I have been on several amazing vacations. But my all time favorite vacation was our trip to NYC we took 2 years ago. John surprised me for my 30th birthday with a 6 night/7 day trip to New York. We stayed in the DoubleTree (a couple of blocks from Time Square). And if you have ever stayed at a DoubleTree you know they have the most amazing chocolate chip cookies ever. I mean ever! We had such a great time eating at incredible restaurants and sightseeing. Here is a brief list of all the things we did.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
took the subway down to Ground Zero
cruise down the Hudson River and up the East River
top of the Empire State Building
toured NBC studios and SNL stage
top of the Rock (whoa that was high up)
Guggenheim
MoMA
The MET
American Museum of Natural History

But the highlight of our trip was going to see Mary Poppins on Broadway. We got to sit on the 2nd row and it was just phenomenal!! It was just an absolute fabulous vacation and I can't wait to go back! Here is a pic of us on top the Empire State Building.

It's Gettin Hot in Here

2010-07-18T22:21:00.004-05:00

So take off all your clothes! It is so stinking hot that we've stripped down to the bare essentials at our house. I love Texas, but man, the summer can be brutal. Makes you want to just stay inside and hibernate.

Hope everyone is having a great summer. I'm off to go stand in front of the freezer door for a bit.

Cass

Clinically Proven

2010-07-11T20:38:00.003-05:00

Ah stretch marks...gotta love em, right? My body went through the rigors of pregnancy and now my tummy is adorned with lovely stretch marks. At my six week appointment after having my baby I asked the doctor if there was anything I could use to get rid of them and she said no. Well this was the doctor I do not like, so I didn't take what she said very seriously. Fast forward a few months and I finally decided to do something about my stretch marks. I am using Mederma Stretch Marks Therapy. Now on the box it says "clinically proven to reduce the appearance of stretch marks" and "noticeable improvement in 4 weeks." Well we're going to see about that. I debated on whether or not to try it out because it is pricey ($39.99 for a 5.29 oz bottle), but I found a coupon online that I could use and took the plunge. I've been using the product for almost a week now and following the directions:

"Gently massage into all areas of the body where stretch marks occur 2 times a day. For best results, apply a sufficient amount to the affected areas in the morning and evening and massage into your skin in a circular motion until absorbed."

It says that with consistent use, I should begin to see noticeable improvement in about 4 weeks and optimum improvement in 12 weeks. The cream is supposed to reduce discoloration, improve texture, and enhance softness.

This may seem a bit silly to do, but I don't care. I'm willing to try it out and see if a) the cream works and b) if my stretch marks disappear even a little bit. (Every little bit helps, right?)

So here's my before picture (I'm comfortable enough to show you my belly...stretch marks and post-baby flab):

(a picture adds 10 lbs, right?)

And in 4 weeks, I'll post another picture to show if there's been any progress. (here's to hoping...and maybe I'll start doing some crunches during that time too)

In the meantime, I wonder if there's anyone out there willing to share what they did in order to get rid of their stretch marks...would love to hear from you.

Cass

The Wisdom of the Veggie Patty

2010-07-09T18:17:00.010-05:00

I had a slew of new things I wanted to try this week, but they all required more of a financial investment than I could justify, so I give you….

...Burger King. Not exactly what you had in mind, right?

I’m terrible at bringing my lunch to work. It bores me. I’ll have a good streak, and then one day I’ll suddenly decide that if I don’t physically remove myself from the building for at least an hour a day I might self destruct. The trouble is that there aren’t a whole lot of great options near my office. I work in an area that I like to call the Industrial Ghetto. It’s a little piece of no man’s land sandwiched between four intersecting highways, a railroad, and a river. It is stuffed with warehouses, manufacturing plants, and beaucoups of 18 wheelers that are the bane of my existence. The neighborhood is all business during the day, but I wouldn’t advise visiting at night.

The location makes it tricky to get in and out of the area if you’re not familiar. One wrong exit, and you’re stuck in a series of loops that will set you down 10 minutes out of your way and leave you scratching your head wondering how to get back. I can’t tell you how often people get lost on the way to meetings we’ve scheduled. All of that to say, getting out for lunch is a hassle. My lunch of choice would be fast casual – Jason’s Deli, Pei Wei, something like that, but fast food is much more accessible from here, so it becomes the default.

But here’s a newsflash for you - fast food is kind of gross. I don’t really like burgers, so chicken is usually the choice, but fast food chicken can go terribly wrong. And don’t even get me started on most fast food salads, with their droopy wet lettuce and tasteless tomatoes. Ick. The exception to this rule is Chick-Fil-A, but everyone knows this, thus the line is easily 20 minutes long in the drive thru, with nary a parking spot to be found.

Why did I start this post again? Oh yeah, Burger King. So I passed a Burger King while on my quest for non-disgusting lunch today, and suddenly remembered that a friend had mentioned that BK had a veggie burger. I threw caution to the wind and gave it a whirl. I ordered the veggie burger with apple fries. The first thing I noticed when I opened the bag was a sort of sickly sweet smell. It was the burger. Hmmm. While the smell was off-putting, I chose to ignore it and took a big bite. Again, hmmm. It was a little mushier than I’d like, and it did taste a little sweet, but it wasn’t terrible. I love black bean burgers, but I’ve never had a straight up veggie burger before, so I don’t really have a good comparison for the quality. Would I order the burger again? Maybe. I think some mustard would have helped, rather than the sweetness of the ketchup and mayo that are the standard, so I’d probably give that a go before writing it off entirely. The apple fries, however, were fantastic. They were lovely fresh-tasting little slices of apple with a small packet of yummy caramel sauce. Yes, please. They far exceeded McDonald’s apple slices.

Did I mention that before eating, I spilled hand sanitizer on my pants and it left a big mark that I’m pretty sure isn’t going to come out? Or that a random man came up to my car window while I was eating in the middle of a fairly empty parking lot and asked me for a dollar? And then when I said I didn’t have cash he asked me for change, and then I just felt really bad for not giving it to him, because I did have change, and clearly he needs it more than I do. But wouldn’t it be a better idea not to approach a woman alone in her car who might be afraid of you? If I’m rooting around for change in my console, then I can’t be looking at you, and then you could then catch me off guard and try to carjack me. That’s what’s going through my head. So wouldn’t it be a safer bet to go with a man, who is statistically less likely to think you might attack him? It was a weird lunch. And kind of a weird burger. I guess we’ve found a theme.

So what have we learned by trying something new today? Let’s see… At least with fake meat you don’t have any expectations? Burger King wins the fast food apple war? Hand sanitizer stains pants? Panhandlers shouldn’t target women alone in their cars? That every sentence in a paragraph probably should not end in a question mark???

Who knew you could learn so much just from trying a veggie burger?

Something new...well sort of

2010-07-08T07:51:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I tried something sort of new, that is- I haven't been able to do this in while, so it feels new to me. I got to take a REALLY hot bath for the first time in 9 months...it was fabulous! Since getting pregnant in September, hot baths have been on the no-no list. This has been a tough "prego" rule to follow because hot baths have always been my way to unwind and wash the day away. My doctor finally cleared me to presume normal activity- so this was first on my to-do list for today.

I love getting in the bath to where it stings just a little bit from the heat- yes, mam- and sometimes I go crazy and add bubbles...it really is such a decadent treat for me. So, last night I took my HOT bath and ate my almond butter and jelly sandwich while soaking the day away- it was yummy in several ways...

This brings me to another new thing, that is almond butter!!! Hallelujah, hallelujah...I LOVE this stuff- it takes pb&j's to the next level- like more of a grown up sandwich. You have to try it at least once...I can't seem to get enough of the stuff.

One more new thing is I ran for the first time on Monday with my new Garmin Forerunner 110 watch. (Hopefully the picture will show up below)

This watch has GPS capabilities that tracks your run, measures your pace and gives you your time. During my run on Monday, I couldn't help but smile every time I would glance at my new handy dandy watch to see my pace...it really motivated me to push harder and try to improve my run overall. I am going to be training for a 10K in September and a 1/2 marathon in December- so this watch will help reach my goals for each race...it's like my accountability partner in running- LOVE it!

The New Girl

2010-07-07T15:02:00.004-05:00

Around the time that we decided this would be our topic for this week, I had been invited (along with every other woman in my neighborhood) to attend a Book/Bible Study. So that gave me the extra push to just go. I have met several ladies on my street, but I would not say I have become friends with anyone in my neighborhood to this point. My son is beginning kindergarten in August, and I have really been wanting to get to know some families who have boys around his age. Another reason I wanted to attend was to meet some other Christian women in my community. But there were several reasons not to go, the main one being the fact that I would not know a single person there. I thought it could be awkward.... and it was awkward, but only as long as I allowed myself to feel that way. I could tell right away that a lot of the women there already knew one another. We came in, got a name tag (There were around 20-25 women there, so I was really thankful for the name tags.), then we got a name tag on our back to play that really difficult game where you have to guess who you are by asking yes/no questions. Ah, icebreakers. And I'm even one of those "game people." Once I finally figured out I was Queen Latifah, we sat and went around telling a little information about ourselves. We're reading the book Girl Talk: Getting Past the Chitchat (A Modern Girl's Bible Study) by Jen Hatmaker. It's a really long title. She starts out talking about saggy boobs and swimsuit shopping, so we're off to a good start! I think there are some really neat women there, and I'm hoping to get to know some of them better. So I went the next week, and it was possibly even more awkward at first. Several people were already there, and there were already two groups of 2 or 3 ladies in the middle of conversations. Weird. Do I just stand here? Go sit down?? But nobody else is sitting yet, but nobody is acknowledging that I'm standing here so awkwardly either.... ahhhhhhhh!!! It all worked out fine. I'll probably just get there a little later next time. :) Anyway, I did it. I did something new, and it felt good... and weird. I think it has definitely been a good reminder for me to be more conscious of new people in group settings. I think our study is six weeks long, so I'll let you know how it all goes by the time all is said and done. Oh, and we've been invited to one of the leader's homes for dinner, so I'm making friends already. Bonus - she has a son starting kindergarten with mine!

Something New

2010-07-05T21:58:00.004-05:00

So this week we are going to each try something new and blog about it.

Last year John bought a bullet reloading machine. And last week he finally built a table and put it together. So I reloaded my first bullet today. It was really interesting to learn how a bullet is put together! Here is the process: FIrst you load the primers into the reloading machine. Then you take the brass and slide it into the first position and as you pull the lever down it reforms the shape of the old brass and takes out the old primer. Then you push the lever forward and it puts in the new primer. Then you slide the brass into the second position. As you pull the lever down it loads the brass with gun powder and bells the casing. Then you slide it to the third position. You place a bullet on top of the brass and as you pull the lever down it seats the bullet to the proper depth and position. Then you slide it into the fourth position and as your pull the lever down it crimps the brass and removes the bell of the casing. Then you slide it down the shoot and you have a reloaded bullet! And I learned that a .45 caliber automatic colt pistol bullet costs about 44 cents a piece if purchased at the store and if we reload our own bullets it costs about 11 cents. So this is a big savings (maybe i can use the difference to buy myself a new Chi since mine broke last week). And don't worry the bullets we are reloading were only used in target practice! Here is a pic of me reloading the bullets.

Heartbreaker

2010-07-02T12:46:00.000-05:00

I need to print a retraction. Remember the time I admitted that just maybe I love one dog a teensy bit more than the other? I have to exercise the law of take-backs. It seems I misjudged myself.

The pitiful looking little guy to the left got sick a few weeks back.

I had already gone to bed for the night, but when Mark brought the dogs in from their evening walk, I woke up to the sound of fits and fits of sneezes. I jumped out of bed and went into the other room to see what was going on, and there was little Milo, sneezing violently and uncontrollably, and it looked pretty painful. I picked him up, chunk that he is, and tried to calm him down. He eventually went to sleep, but I was worried when the fits started again the next morning, so I decided to come home at lunch and check on him. Things weren't looking any better, so I called the vet and made an appointment. I was maybe a wee bit over-concerned (I just might have called the vet back to beg for an earlier appointment), and I kept having to remind myself that he was in fact a dog, and not my child.

The kicker came when I took him out to do his business. He tried to sniff around for a spot, which of course reactivated the crazy sneezing, and my normally rambunctious and slightly insane dog just gave up on trying to potty and curled up on the grass at the end of his leash. He laid his head on the ground and looked up at me with the saddest eyes you have ever seen. And then, it happened....my heart broke into 182 pieces. I tried to keep him still and calm the rest of the day, and he snuggled up and gave me sad puppy dog eyes and rested his little chin on my leg. When we finally got to the vet, they flushed his nose with saline, which didn't immediately work, but eventually solved the problem. Apparently my little explorer had sniffed something right up his nose and it had gotten stuck. I hear that happens to two year old humans fairly frequently too.

A day later, he was back to his usual antics, stealing socks, bullying his brother, eating anything that would fit in his mouth faster than you can see what it was, and generally creating mischief and insanity in our home. But I have to admit, I was happy to have Crazy Milo back. I'd be just as heartbroken to lose that dog as I would be to lose his calm, gentle counterpart. I think my jig is up.

(All photos in the post were taken by the lovely Amelia D)

All Because...

2010-06-30T21:25:00.009-05:00

When we recently (over a year ago) moved into a new home, I had so many new walls that needed some sort of decor. I love decorating, but I am extremely picky. Lucky for me, my husband is also extremely picky, and sometimes that means making a decision on something to put in our home may take, well, a very long time. Don't get me started on how long it's taken us (ahem, him, but shhhhh!) to make a decision on tile for our currently-under-construction shower. But anyway. I love old family photos and had always wanted to have a wall to display them. I still don't have a wall for all kinds of random old photos, but what I do now have is a wall of photos of the couples who have gone before us. These photos include our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents, and this project got the stamp of approval from the hubs. I used wedding photos for all of the ones that I could, but those are pretty hard to come by. This is what you're greeted by in our entry way, and I just love it. The sign on top reads, "All because two people fell in love," and then our wedding photo is in the bottom corner. Just thought I would share with you. And if you have any decorating ideas, please share! I really need something over our bed. Any tips? I also probably need to get the ping pong table out of the formal living room, too, but oh well!

Time flies

2010-06-29T21:58:00.004-05:00

Hard to believe, but my little Asher turned ONE last Saturday!! Wow!! We threw a "Splash with Ash" pool-themed party at my mom's house (thanks, Mom and Greg!) and had soooo much fun celebrating our baby boy's first year of life. We were so blessed by the people that drove in from out of town (and drove waaaay across town (my parents live pretty far out)). I realized as we were doing all the planning and executing that it's been a long time since I put something like that together without the help of a handful of others. Whew! Thankfully, once it was all set up we could just party it up and enjoy ourselves - and we did!

A few months ago, my mom and I came across a book called What's New, Cupcake? at Bed Bath & Beyond. The ideas in there are so cute! One in particular was perfect for our theme, so we stayed up kinda late the night before the party making these:

Talk about fun! Quite a bit of work, but definitely worth it in the end.

Last but not least, a shot of the birthday boy. He bring us such joy - we thank God for him every day!

2010-06-28T21:06:00.001-05:00

So this week we decided to blog about random things! And I decided to blog about having a quiet time.

Several weeks ago I was really convicted about prioritizing and setting aside a specific time to spend with the Lord each day. Of course I spent time with the Lord everyday but it was whenever I got around to it. So everyday for the past two weeks I have been getting up at 6:15 am, getting completely dressed for the day, going downstairs, letting my dogs out, making a cup of coffee and then sitting at the kitchen table to read my Bible and spend time in prayer. And I have to tell you that I feel more productive. I feel like I can take on the day and battle whatever is thrown at me.

So my question to you is are you putting time with the Lord at top of your list or is it something you just get around to doing?

Location:Time with my Savior!

Sports Enthusiast

2010-06-27T16:28:00.006-05:00

To wrap up our week on things to do in our city, I am going to write about the many options you have if you are a sports enthusiast. We live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and pretty much every sport is covered here. We've got the Dallas Cowboys (football), Dallas Mavericks (basketball), Dallas Stars (hockey), and the Texas Rangers (baseball)...all big time sports teams. We also have several minor league teams...Frisco Roughriders (baseball), Dallas Burn (soccer), Fort Worth Cats (baseball), and Texas Brahmas (hockey), to name a few. Most of these teams have pretty good tickets prices and on occasion they'll even have ticket specials. For example, the Dallas Mavericks will have Dr Pepper Family Nights where you can get 4 tickets and 4 McDonald's Extra Value Meal coupons starting at $49. And I am almost certain that on occasion they will have some tickets going for $2 (in the nose bleed section). The Texas Rangers offer many great discounts throughout the season, from All You Can Eat Seats, Military Mondays, Free Kid Tuesdays, and so on. And my favorite...Fireworks Fridays! I love fireworks. Check out any of the above-mentioned teams' website and I'm sure you'll find a good deal somewhere.

Recently we went to Jerry World (a/k/a Cowboys Stadium) as an early Father's Day gift to my dad and husband. I had bought discounted tour tickets on Groupon (if you don't know about this, you must check it out) and it just so happened that the team was going to be practicing in the stadium that upcoming weekend. So we went, did the tour, and then got to watch the team practice. What a fun experience! Here's a few pictures of our adventure:

This place is Ginormous!

(Ah, Tony!)

The O's

Future Quarterback

Favorite places...

2010-06-24T19:35:00.002-05:00

There are a few places that I find myself visiting pretty often. One place is Coneheads Snocones...this is one of the BEST shaved ice places I have ever had in the DFW area. Luckily, it is in Irving just down the street from where we live. The ice they use there is so yummy and the flavors are super fun- Randy and get so excited when they open for the summer...we visit there at least once a week. My favorite flavor is sour grape- even writing about it is making me crave one.

Another place I love to visit in the city is the Euless Public Library. Every Tuesday, the library offers a story time for toddlers, which is really fun for Allie. The teacher who leads the class (Mrs. Letta) always has really engaging activities for the toddlers, and it gives me a chance to expose Allie to community activities. I look forward to taking Allie every week.

Fly High and Sweat

2010-06-23T14:59:00.005-05:00

In the great Metroplex, there are so many fun things to do. I could probably use some fresh ideas myself, but one new thing we did recently was attend a birthday party at the Frontiers of Flight Museum near Love Field Airport.

They have a fantastic children's area. In fact, we never even made it to the portion of the museum for grown-ups. The children's area included the front portion of a REAL Southwest Airlines airplane. The kids were able to climb up into the plane, buckle in, pretend in the flight attendant area, etc. I think this was their favorite spot. There was also a huge bounce house, a slide, an air control tower. There was another airplane that seated 6 or 8 people, plus two pilots. They really enjoyed playing in that one as well. I had never heard of this museum, so surely there's someone else out there who didn't know about it! The party was great, and the kids were worn out by the time we left. I call that a success. Oh, they also had a small theatre of sorts where the children can push a button to start a Jay Jay the Jet Plane show. From what I saw, they really just enjoyed pushing the buttons more than actually sitting still and watching the movie. Surprise.

One more kid-friendly suggestion I have for you is going to the Dallas Arboretum in August. That's right, in the heat of the summer! We went last year, and they were having Dollar Days. Now I think the Arboretum is a spectacular place, but in my opinion, it's not worth the full price admission to drive all of the way over there with younger children. It's pretty pricy. But if they do that again during the month of August, I highly recommend it. The children especially enjoyed the log cabin area. They could have played and pretended there all day, and it's nice that they can play inside the cabins (in the shade)! I had my children and my niece and nephew with me, and they all (ages 1 to 11) loved it. I definitely hope to make another trip over there this summer.

I have to add this in. I just called to see if they would be offering that special this August, and they said they did not yet know. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Are there any fun things you have to share, wherever you are?

Keep Austin Weird

2010-06-22T16:27:00.004-05:00

There are so many things to love about Austin. In fact, the entertainment options can be downright overwhelming sometimes. Here are some of our tried and true faves:

1) Alamo Drafthouse Cinema - it's like "duh", why hasn't this caught on in more cities? Eat good food, drink good beer (or soda, or whatever), watch a great movie. Genius! An added bonus is that they are super-serious about people being considerate moviegoers. If someone is talking and disturbing those around them, they get a warning; if they continue to be annoying, they're outta there. This is made clear before the movie begins. Again, genius. I've never seen anyone get kicked out - people go to the Drafthouse because they want to watch the movie, not talk and goof off. Plus, you have to be 18 or older to go (anyone under 18 has to be accompanied by a parent or guardian). It's hard for us to see movies anywhere else. In addition to regular movies, they also do special stuff like: Sing-A-Longs (Grease, Ladies of the '80s, etc.); Feasts (the menu is specifically designed to correlate with the movie); Master Pancake (comedians John Erler and Joe Parsons sit on the front row and make fun of movies, very similar to Mystery Science Theater 3000) and dozens of other cool, different things. They also do Baby Days where people can bring their little ones and not get the stink-eye if said little ones get fussy or cranky. AND you always want to get there as early as possible because they show the funniest, most random stuff before the movie starts. Like if you go see Ironman, they'll show old Ironman cartoons and clips of Robert Downey, Jr. interviews and footage from his early days as an actor - stuff like that. I could go on and on. The place is just THE BEST. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT.

2) Did you know that Austin is home to North America's largest urban bat colony? Over 1 million Mexican Freetail bats live under the Congress Avenue bridge, and every night between March and November you can gather at the bridge to watch them fly out to spend the evening eating bugs. It's usually quite spectacular (sometimes, though, they come out so late that it's too dark to really see them - a definite bummer).

3) I've talked about BookPeople before, but it's worth mentioning again. It is simply one of the best book stores ever. The employees really know their stuff and they're friendly. The store is laid out in such a way that you will find what you're looking for and also stuff you didn't even know you were looking for. There are lots of comfy, out-of-the-way places to sit and chill and it's also an awesome place to people-watch.

I haven't even touched on the subject of fantastic eateries and music venues - they are legion. My suggestion - come check out Austin for yourself!

Strawberry Picking & Fresh Corn on the Cob

2010-06-21T22:51:00.001-05:00

So this week we will all be blogging about fun things we like to do in the cities we live in. There are several fun things we do here in Illinois, but I will just blog about a couple of them.

For the first time this year I took Reagan strawberry picking. There are several places around here to pick. It was really fun, although Reagan was a little young to really have a good time. You just picked a row and grabbed a bucket and picked until you were done. We picked so many strawberries!! I froze half and with the other half made strawberry shortcake!

So Illinois is a huge producer of corn (this is an understatement). My subdivision is in the middle of cornfields. It is really neat to watch the corn grow (as high as an elephant's eye). And the best part is getting to buy corn from the local stand down the street. We got to eat our first corn of the season yesterday and it was so delicious!! On a side note, I owe my eating of corn on the cob to my fellow ADKOS blogger Amelia! I couldn't stand corn growing up an even into adulthood. Several years ago we had a supper club and Amelia brought corn on the cob one night and I didn't want to hurt her feelings so I ate it. And it my amazement it was fantastic! So thanks Amelia!!!

A Pinch of This

2010-06-20T19:38:00.003-05:00

Let me start off by saying Happy Father's Day (to maybe the handful of men who read our blog). Hope you were blessed beyond measure today.

To finish off our week on recipes, here are a few you might enjoy:

Recipe for a Happy Marriage (for the husband and wife)

1 cup consideration

1 cup courtesy

2 cupfuls flattery carefully concealed

1 gallon faith and trust in each other

2 cupfuls praise

1 small pinch of in-laws

1 reasonable budget, a generous dash of cooperation

3 teaspoon pure extract of "I'm sorry"

1 cup contentment

1 cup each confidence and encouragement

1 large or several small hobbies

1 cup blindness to the other's faults

Flavor with frequent portions of recreation and a dash of happy memories. Stir well and remove any specks of jealousy, temper or criticism. Sweeten well with generous portions of love and keep warm with a steady flame of devotion. Never serve with cold shoulder.

Inedible Play Dough Recipe (for the kids)

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

1 tbls cooking oil

1 cup water

2 tsp cream of tartar

Food coloring

In heavy aluminum saucepan, mix dry ingredients. Add oil, water, and food coloring. Cook 3 minutes or until mixture pulls away from sides of pan. May add a few drops of oil of wintergreen, cloves, or cinnamon to give a more pleasant aroma. Knead slightly, almost immediately. Store in airtight container. Will keep several weeks. Has a pleasing texture.

Probably cheaper than store bought play dough and the kiddos will love helping make it.

And finally, I'd like to share a yummy staple we had growing up and which I've used several times since I got married (though my husband would probably say every week if not every other week):

Enchilada Casserole (for the whole family)

2 lb. ground chuck (hamburger meat) (though for just me and Scott I usually use 1 lb.)

2 cup grated cheese (we like cheese, so I use more than 2 cups)

10-12 corn tortillas

1/2 medium onion (chopped) (I do not like onions, so this doesn't go in my casserole)

1 (14 oz.) can enchilada sauce

In heavy skillet cook chopped onions and ground meat until done. Line a large baking pan with a layer of tortillas (usually 4). Layer meat and onion mixture, cheese and sauce over tortillas. Repeat. Place remaining tortillas on top and pour sauce over all covering all tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted.

Serve with your choice of beans and/or rice and chips and salsa. YUM!

Have a blessed week!

Cass

A Little Slice of Reality

2010-06-18T08:08:00.007-05:00

I think it's clear by now that I have no great culinary wisdom to share with you. However, I will pass on an easy recipe that's really tasty and takes very little time to prepare. It doesn't really fit in with my quest to use less processed foods, but that's a work in progress, so we'll go with an old favorite from the Kraft kitchens with a little twist:

Baked Pesto Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 packet of Shake and Bake Chicken Coating Mix

2 Tbsp Pesto (homemade if you're industrious, but I use a jar of Buitoni premade)

2 Roma Tomatoes - sliced

1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 400ºF. Coat chicken with coating mix. Place in baking dish.

BAKE 20 min. or until chicken is cooked through (165ºF).

TOP chicken with pesto and tomato slices, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

It's super easy and super yummy. And you can omit the Shake and Bake and/or the tomatoes and it is still pretty fantastic, but I like it just as it is. And just a note - I don't know about you, but I'm a freak about making sure chicken is fully cooked, so I usually let this go a little longer than the 20 minutes suggested. I could buy a meat thermometer and simplify this process, but why, oh why, would I make life easier on myself when I could spend all that time worrying and overcooking my chicken instead?

But let's be honest...if we're not eating out, this is what dinner really looks like at my house most nights:

I haven't inked my endorsement deal with Morningstar Farms yet, but if they could see my freezer, they'd totally hire me. But that's beside the point. So my secret is out. My pantry/freezer staples have been revealed. On nights when work has been killer and I just don't have an ounce of energy left, I can't bring myself to stand in front of the stove for what will inevitably be at least an hour (regardless of what the recipe says) and then tackle the dishes afterward. We're also on the go fairly often and sometimes time just does not permit. Luckily Mark is pretty easygoing and he'll eat just about whatever I prepare. (I did however, wait to tell him that the BBQ Riblets and Italian Chik'n fillets were veggie patties until after he ate and enjoyed them. Worked like a charm!) We do some grilling, we make some crockpot meals, and though I act like I don't, I really do cook warm homemade meals fairly often, but this is the stuff that gets us by in the in-between times. Suzie Homemaker I am not. And I'm really quite okay with that.

Great Cookbook

2010-06-17T21:13:00.002-05:00

Since we are posting about recipes this week, I thought I would write about one of my favorite cookbooks. It is the Better Home and Gardens Cook Book- I have been using the recipes from this book for the last year or so and every recipe I have used has been an AMAZING dish! Just a few of my favorite dishes so far have been the Chicken and Creamy Mushrooms(p. 468), the Meatloaf(p.377), Beef Stroganoff(p.369), and Spinach stuffed pasta shells (p.431)...I have added these recipes to my dinner rotation. It has been fun to find a great resource to keep things interesting at dinner time. Hope you enjoy cooking!

Staci

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2010-06-16T08:13:00.000-05:00

We've been blogging for a year now, friends! And like Beth said, we're going to be doing some theme weeks, so watch out! And if you have any ideas on themes you would like to see us all write about, please comment with suggestions.

I'm going to take this recipe thing in just a slightly different direction. Not like from East to West type of thing, more like from East to just a little bit Northeast. Anyway... I know I am always trying to come up with fun ideas for my children's birthday parties. Last year, Aidan was turing five (I know, how is that even possible?!), and he told me he wanted a knight birthday party. Okay. So I did some thinking, internet searching, etc. and came up with some decent ideas. I'll start with the food, since that goes with our theme. We had the following:

For the cake, we used a 9x13 pan and then just cut part of the cake to make the shield shape.

We had Dragon Scales (Doritos) and Dragon Eggs (grapes).

Dragon Snot Punch - This was a huge hit with the kids. Simply mix lime sherbet with Sprite or 7-up.

Shield Cupcakes - For these shields, my mom (gotta give props!) melted chocolate into the shield shapes on wax paper, let that set, and then used melted white chocolate to drizzle the cross on the shield.

Princess Popcorn - Well, since we had some little princesses at this party along with all those husky knights, we had to do something in honor of the ladies. Actually, it's just the only way I could think to name the popcorn. This popcorn is so yummy and SO easy! I use the Orville Redenbacher Natural Popcorn and then white chocolate chips. You can use food coloring if you need to make it a specific color. I used a little red here to make the chocolate pink. I usually pop two bags and then melt somewhere between 1/4 to 1/2 cup white chocolate chips. I'm not super precise on this, which means Mary will never try this. She likes exact measurements. :) Follow the instructions on the bag of chips, because it's easy to burn them in the microwave... and that really stinks, especially when it's the last of the bag that you use. And you don't want to totally saturate the popcorn, or it will get mushy. I usually drizzle a light layer, then stir it around and drizzle again. Then I let it sit for a little while before serving it.

This has nothing to do with the food, but I made these flags to go along with our theme. Simple and cheap!

Happy Humpday!