Whatever things...

FREEBIES!

2009-10-02T14:13:00.008-05:00

For those of you that have a facebook account, you can become a fan of Walgreens thru facebook and get a free 5x7 photobook,All you pay for is shipping and that's only $1.99! If you're like me and already thinking about Christmas,this will make a great gift for a friend or relative.You have only until midnight tonight to get the credit on your walgreens account and then you will have 30 days to redeem it.
Also,on October 15,theaters all around the country will be offering a completely free night of theater.Online tickets reservations began yesterday but some tickets aren't available until a later date.Go HERE to find out if theaters in your area are participating.
There are several shows available in my area and they offer 2 tickets per reservation. I've decided on taking my daughter to the Juni B. Jones show.I'll let you know if I'm able to get a ticket since they are limited.

The weather here has been gorgeous and I went out for the first time in a long time to take a walk in the park.Yesterday when I picked the kids up from school, the teachers were handing out letters to all the parents informing them that the school will be closed until Tuesday because of high incidents of influenza......great!
Hope everyone has a wonderful swine flu free weekend!

A quick update...

2009-09-30T09:30:00.012-05:00

A friend emailed me this morning to ask if I was ok cause I haven't blogged in a while,can't believe it's been 2 weeks since my last post but I've been really busy.Yes,I am ok I've just been trying to get things organized around the house and get it ready for my family who will be coming in from out of town on the 17th for my niece's birthday party.She'll be having a Quinceanera,if you have never heard of it,it's a coming of age 15th birthday ceremony.They are about as big as a wedding would be.I had been in charge of invitations,photography and the day before I'll be making the cookies that will be served with the cake and punch.We are expecting 150-200 people!
My mom called Saturday to say she was on her way to my sisters house to drop some things off for the party so I got to spend the day with her and my sister.It was a nice surprise especially since I haven't seen her in a while.
If anyone reading this knows my mom,please don't tell her I put this picture up,she'll kill me! The picture below of my beautiful niece,she turned 14 on Saturday!
Right before I left to my sisters house she told me her sister in law was getting married in a small ceremony and didn't have anyone to take her pictures and asked if I can do them for her.Of Course I would!She didn't have to ask,I love taking pictures! So I made it to my sisters house right before my mom got there and she took all the grandkids out to lunch while we went to take the pictures.It worked out great cause we all got back at the same time.My feet got sunburned,I was tired,hungry and I got bit by ants while I was taking pictures(in front of the brides family) but I still had fun! Hopefully she'll like the pictures(she better LOVE them) I took through all my blood, sweat and tears. :) She really was a lot of fun to work with.This is her with her father and her son.
Oh,I almost forgot,I won the giveaway Carol was having a few weeks ago for the free 24x24 wall graphic.I decided to order a picture of my niece she can use for her party.I received it yesterday and I love it! Have a great rest of the week!

Temp My Tummy Tuesday - Easy Chicken Lo Mein

2009-09-15T09:52:00.005-05:00

I love eating chinese take out but sometimes it can be pretty expensive.I found this recipe for an easy chicken lo mein to make at home.You can use chicken,beef or tofu.I always use chicken,it's fast and easy.One thing I love about this recipe is you can use any veggies you like and I almost always have the ingredients on hand.
This time I already had cooked chicken,I just cut it up into pieces.

You need 1 package of Oriental ramen noodle(I used 2 for 4 servings)
garlic,minced
chicken or your choice of meat
any veggies you like( I used broccoli,red peppers,onion,carrots,pineapple and green onions.
First take a little oil and stir fry your your carrots,they take the longest to cook.I then added the garlic,red peppers and onion and cooked for just a few minutes.
I put that in a bowl to the side since I everything didn't fit in my pan.Next,I stir fried the brocooli,pineapples and added the chicken.While the last of your ingredients are getting cooked,start a pot with boiling water and cook your packages of ramen noodles but do not add your seasoning packet.Cook your noodles just until they start to seperate then add it to the pan with the broocoli,chicken and pineapples.It should finish cooking in the pan.Add your carrots,onions and red peppers back into the pan.Clear a small space int he pan and add a little of the boiled soup water and then add your seasoning packet and soy sauce.
Mix it all together and voila!This recipe is very kid friendly.My kids love it.Hope you enjoy!

Visit Lisa at Blessed with Grace for more TMTT recipes.
Have a wonderful Tuesday!

A Giveaway

2009-09-11T09:30:00.004-05:00

Carol from My World is hosting a giveaway for a 24x24 wall graphic!She is hosting this giveaway for Large Format Poster.com
It's hard for me to choose one picture if I won but if I did, I think I'd choose a picture of my kids.I've never had any of their pictures larger than an 8x10 and I think I'd put it up in our family room when we get it finished.
Visit her blog about all the details on how to enter and hurry cause I and another winner will be announced on Sunday!(he he)

Our Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-09T08:50:00.007-05:00

I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend!It was pretty busy but we enjoyed it.
We thought about going out of town to see my mom,then decided to stay and spend it here at home.Friday we went out to eat at our favorite fast food place,Chick-fil-A,it was family night and they were serving free ice cream sundaes.They had a few tables taped off for a competition of tabletop football and,the kids were invited to to play and the grand prize was a nugget tray,a brownie tray and a gallon of ice tea.Caleb made it to the finals and we were sure he was going to win.Whoever scored 5 touchdowns first,wins.They flipped a coin and Caleb got to go first and he scored every point first before the other kid until the very last point,he missed,giving the other kid the chance to get the 5th touchdown first.I felt so bad for him,he really loves those nuggets!:]
But he made me so proud cause he was such a good sport,he reached over to shake the winners hand and told him "good job"(something he learned to do well while bible quizzing) and then went over to get his free sundae.
Saturday,we picked up his instrument for band,I had to go and pick up invitations for my niece's Quince next month and we bought groceries and spent the rest of the day at home.

Sunday we only had one service in the morning and a cookout after wards,everyone was invited to stay and eat.We had a bounce house for the kids,snow cones,hamburgers and hot dogs and karaoke! It was a good time of fellowship for our church family.
My sister and her husband were also having a cookout so I went over there for the rest of the day.I spent time with my dad and the kids went swimming.We had so much fun we decided to do it again on Monday.Everyone brought some food.I brought two cakes and bacon wrapped jalapenos.We had fajitas,mexican rice,beans,potato salad,smoked sausage and grilled corn. Oh I'm getting hungry now!I love sitting by the pool and soaking my feet I hate when someone is always ready to pull you in!

Hope your having a great Wednesday!

Simple Woman's Day Book-- Aug 31,2009

2009-08-31T00:59:00.003-05:00

FOR TODAY August 31 2009...

Outside my window...It's a gorgeous day.Sunny and in the lower 90's.I know that's still hot but nothing compared to the triple degree heat we've been having.At night it get's down into the 60's and 70's and we can drive with our windows rolled down.I feel Fall in the air :)

I am thinking...of psalms 46:10.Be still and know that I am God.
Sometimes I'm so worried or anxious about something that I forget that He is in control.

I am thankful for...my husband.I just am.

From the kitchen..I'm in a baking mood so I'll be making some banana bread later.

I am wearing...my family reunion t-shirt and a black skirt.

I am creating...My Sunday school class is moving to a bigger room and I've got some great ideas in my head on what I want to do.Can't wait to get started!

I am going... to stay home until the kids get home from school.

I am reading...nothing right now but plan on making a trip to the library soon to see what I can find.

I am hoping...for a great Labor Day weekend.

I am hearing...quiet.The kids are in school.Some times I'll play a c.d. but most of the time I like it just like this.

One of my favorite things...burning my favorite candles.

A few plans for the rest of the week:Tuesday night at church we're having High Heels in the Kitchen.Some ladies will do a cooking demonstration and we get to wear our favorite high heels, eat,laugh and have a great time!

Hoping everyone has a great Monday!
You can get your own Day Book here.

Back To School !

2009-08-27T08:52:00.003-05:00

One of them was not very happy about going back...or having his picture taken on the first day.
They actually started last week and now they both love it.They go to a charter school that is K-12.Caleb started 6th grade which is considered middle school and he loves it now.He is taking beginning band and he'll be playing the trumpet this year.Sara is in 3rd grade and she just loves everything about school.She even plays school during the summer.I told her the other day I think she was born to be a teacher and her face just lit up!

I've started babysitting so I'm staying busy during the day and my days start at 5 a.m. now,a big change compared to waking up during the summer at 9 or 10 a.m.But I love it! Almost makes me want another baby.
Just kidding!
well, maybe just a little.
no no really,just kidding!
OK maybe I'm not kidding.

Alright,alright,I'm stopping now.

Outdoor Wednesday -- Dallas Arboretum

2009-08-18T07:30:00.014-05:00

Just wanted to share some pictures of our trip to the Dallas Arboretum.Through the month of August admission is only $1 + parking $5 .Join Susan for more Outdoor Wednesday posts.
It was hot but there was plenty of shade all over.
Some parts of the Arboretum overlook White Rock Lake.
It's a very popular place for weddings.
It's also a great place for brides or anyone to get their pictures done.This young lady was getting her pictures done for her Quince(15 th b-day)
One of my favorite places here is Crape Myrtle Allee.It's a sidewalk leading to Toad corners and Pecan Grove.I love how the ground is covered in crape myrtle flowers.
This is Toad corners fountain.Every corner has a toad squirting water from it's mouth.
And here is where we had our lunch,Pecan Grove.You can see other people in the background enjoying a picnic and playing football and frisbee.Oops!sorry bout my granny pannies showing :/LOL!
Here's another crape myrtle garden.When you walk through it's like a light snowfall of crape myrtle blooms.This is one of 15 storybook houses they had on display.Can you guess which story this is?
It's Hansel and Gretel.Isn't it cute?
I'll just leave everyone with some of the last few pictures I have.
Thanks for stopping by,enjoy your Outdoor Wednesday!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-08-17T01:12:00.008-05:00

FOR TODAY (August 17,2009)...

Outside my window...Another beautiful day that the Lord has made!

I am thinking...of the great weekend we had.Friday night my sister kept my kids for me so Joe and I can go out on a date.It was so much fun!Saturday we had a block party at church,served free hot dogs and nachos and handed out free school supplies.Can you believe I didn't take not.one.single.picture. I can't believe it either! I think it was one of the best block parties we ever had.
I just looked at our ladies church blog and they have posted pictures of the block party here.

I am thankful for...my family.

From the kitchen...spaghetti dinner,need something quick and easy tonight.

I am wearing...a gray around the house dress.It's so comfortable and the perfect thing to wear for cleaning and doing laundry.

I am creating...A portfolio of some pictures I have taken these past few weeks.I'm loving it.

I am going...to church tonight for sign practice and it's Meet the Teacher night at the school tonight.I'm upset I won't be able to go,I always like to go meet the teachers before the first day but hubby will have to take the kids this time.

I am reading...Love&Respect By Dr. Emerson Eggerichs.A great book for married couples!

I am hoping...for some rain soon and I am hoping we get to go see my mom and my brother in early September!

I am hearing...it's actually quiet right now.yes,the kids are home but they are in separate rooms so it's nice and quiet.
Around the house...kids are cleaning up their rooms(Sara will have a friend sleepover tonight), laundry needs to be done and Caleb needs to mow the yard.

One of my favorite things...taking a walk in the park.I love the excersize!

A few plans for the rest of the week:Getting ready for the kids to start school this week.I can't believe their summer is already over.

If you'd like you own SWD,click here.
Have a wonderful Monday!

The Gaylord Texan

2009-08-07T01:10:00.008-05:00

I spent yesterday with my sister again taking the last of my nieces pictures.We had to go somewhere indoors since it was so hot outside and decided to go to the Gaylord Texan Hotel.It's always a fun place to go during the summer.Even if you're not staying at the hotel you can go just to walk around and enjoy the scene.They have several different entertainers like balloon artists,face painting,musicians and stilt walkers.Inside they have pretty indoor gardens,restaurants and a train exhibit.This is the inside of the hotel.Here's Sara getting her balloon animal.

My niece picked a butterfly hat.Can you tell she loved it?I don't think the little girl behind her did.
This cute little monkey(his name is miki) was there too,taking pictures and doing shows.
He's jumping through the ring of fire! Ha!

After the show,the kids got to take pictures with him.Well today I'll do the rest of my back to school shopping for the kids and Saturday,we plan on packing a pic nic lunch and taking the kids to the Dallas Arboretum.Right now the tickets are only $1 through the month of August.Regular price is almost $10!
Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

Monday

2009-08-03T13:12:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! How was your weekend? We had a good weekend.Nothing special just stayed home and worked on our front yard and cleaning out the storage room. I had a few boxes of clothes and other garage sale items but I'm tired of it taking up space I don't have so I'm going to donate it to our church block party we'll have in a few weeks.Hubby's gonna start on trying to expand the kitchen a little.I can't wait! My kitchen is very small and any added space will help.Oh,my dad stopped by for a few minutes on Saturday.I haven't seen my daddy in a long time so( a long time for me is a couple of weeks)I was really happy to see him!
The kids go back to school soon so I'm still trying to get all their school supplies and uniforms shopping done.They say they're not ready to go back yet but I think they kinda can't wait to see all their friends again.We didn't get to go on a family vacay this summer but we're planning on saving it till this November(Lord willing)We want to take the kids to DisneyWorld and go and visit my oldest sister,she lives in Tampa and the last time I was there I was 15 I think.I have about 4 or 5 nieces and nephews I've never met before!Sad isn't it?We'll see how that plan goes.

I'll be taking more pics of my niece this weekend but that will be in her dress so I'm excited about that.
Tonight I've got sign team practice and ladies prayer meeting.I just wanted to let everyone know what I've been up to.
Hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday!
Hugs,
Monica

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-07-20T12:33:00.009-05:00

FOR TODAY July 20,2009...
Outside my window...It is raining.We finally have relief from the 100+degree weather.

I am thinking...of how this year has just flown by!Before we know it,it'll be Christmas!

I am thankful for...my husbands job.So many people I know are without jobs and I'm thankful that my husband still has his.I'm also thankful for friends and the good times that we have with them.(Pictures below)

From the kitchen... Ham and turkey sandwiches and fruit and cottage cheese.

I am wearing...white t-shirt and gray pajamas

I am creating...signs for our children's prayer revival at church this week.

I am going...to sign team practice tonight.

I am hoping...to get a new bike soon!I've been wanting one for a while and I found one last night on the internet.It's not exactly what I wanted but this comes close.Look how cute it looks with a basket.

I am hearing...Girls laughing,boys making a club house and video games.The kids had some friends over for a sleep over.

Around the house...I've got laundry to catch up on.

One of my favorite things...Capturing memories on camera.

A few plans for the rest of the week:It'll be a busy one.We've got practice tonight for sign team and then for the small skits we'll do for the children's prayer revival.Tuesday night the youth ensemble will practice a new song for Sunday morning,Wednesday night is reg church service and the start of the children's prayer revival on thru friday.Saturday I hope to have a nice relaxing day with the family.

Friday night,some friends invited us to dinner to celebrate their anniversary.We went to one of my favorite restaurants,PF Changs.Here is the happy couple.And another happy couple.
And another.Ha!Don't know why my husband looks like that in this picture!

These are my favorite!Lettuce wraps.There was 10 of us and we were in a booth so space was tight but it was still fun!
Here's my other favorite,for dessert,we hadBanana spring rolls with coconut and pineapple ice cream! these are soooo good!

My friend had a strawberry cheesecake shooter and also a tiramusu.
We had a great time!Thanks Jess for inviting us to share your special day with you guys.I love y'all and wish you many more happy years of marriage!

Saturday,several of the Sunday school teachers met at the church to go over the skits for the children's revival and to work on our classrooms.It was our Sunday school director? coordinator? (I don't know what you call it but she's in charge of our Sunday school department)birthday and we surprised her with a small party before we got to work.

They gave her this beautiful cake.
Hope you had a great birthday Sis.Kim! I feel your pain,I just turned.....ahem, 21 a few months ago too!
Wink-wink ;)

Sneek Peek

2009-07-16T12:58:00.004-05:00

So I got the ok from my sister to post some of the pictures I took of my niece last Friday.
She is having a quinceinera in October.It's just like a Sweet 16 birthday party but we celebrate when they turn 15.I'm in charge of invitations so I wanted to take some pictures that I can put on the invitations.I'll just show you two.what do you think?
We had so much fun when we were taking these pictures.I got to spend the day with my nieces which I hardly ever get to do.While we there, Caleb tripped and fell into a rose bush and got stuck with thorns in several places including his side (by his ribs) and on his hand.I had to use a tweezers to pull out the one in his hand whats weird is that he started feeling sick right after he got stuck.He got pale and almost threw up.He laid in the shade for a while cause he said that made him feel better.It went away soon after that.Any one know why that happened??
Tuesday he got a MARA appliance put in his his mouth and it is so uncomfortable for him.
He's having a hard time chewing food so I've been making mashed potatoes,cream of wheat and anything else that is soft.I feel bad for him and I'm thinking that if it dosen't get any better I'm going to have them take it off.
Can't wait for the weekend,it has been SO hot outside and we spend our whole day inside all week, so Joe's taking us out Friday night and he said the kiddos can plan our Saturday.Yep,that means we'll be eating snow cones for breakfast on Saturday! LOL! It'll be fun to see whta else they come up with.
Hope everyone is having a great day!
Monica

TATT -- Chicken Sausalito

2009-07-14T09:53:00.007-05:00

This is a new recipe I tried last night and it was a hit with the whole family.

olive oil
3-4 chicken breast,chopped
1/2 c. onion chopped or a little less(your preference)
1 teaspoon garlic,minced
1 can(15 oz.) black beans,rinsed well and drained
1/2 c.mild or hot salsa-I used Pace
1/2 c.sour cream( you can used reduced fat if you like)
1/2 c. chicken broth(I added this ingredient at the last minute)
shredded mexican style cheese
cooked white rice

Heat pan on medium heat until hot ,add a little olive oil and saute chicken with onion and garlic until chicken is cooked.

Add beans,salsa and sour cream.At his point it was a little thick and I wanted more of a sauce so I add the chicken broth.You don't have to add the whole 1/2 cup just add enough to make it as saucey as you want it.

Stir.Cook until hot,about 1 to 2 minutes.Add salt and pepper to taste and right before serving I added the shredded cheese.
You really can't mess up this recipe just add more or less of what you like.

Soon over hot rice and serve with a side of salad greens,tomato and avacado slices.YUM!
I think the kids really liked it.
Cole is hosting this week's TATT for Andre so stop by her blog at All The Small Stuff to link up there.
Happy Tuesday everyone!
Sorry I didn't post any of the pictures I took of my niece on Friday like I said I would but they didn't want me to post them on here.

Random Thursday

2009-07-09T16:41:00.006-05:00

The kids came home last friday and they can't wait to go back to camp next year.
I have to say I'm kinda looking forward to it now that I know they enjoyed it so much and were ok without me for a whole week.
I heard they had awesome services and all the kids came back excited about what God had done for them.
We haven't had a lot going on this week just trying to stay cool inside the house.
It has been so hot the kids don't even ask if they can go outside,not even to go to the neighbors house! Tomorrow I plan on spending the day with my sister and my nieces.My niece is having a 15th birthday party in October and I'll be doing her pictures for the invitations(or at least try).We'll see how that goes cause we'll be doing them outside! We'll start early though,before it gets too hot.

Our church has started a new blog for ladies and our Pastor's wife posted a great blog on friendship.It's called Honorable Vessels and several ladies from our church including myself, take turns posting everyday,mon-fri.so stop by and take a look.
And my friend Kim has started her own blog too!When you have a chance,stop by and say HI! You can find it here.

Hope to post some of the pictures I take tomorrow so I can get your opinions.I wish a certain friend still lived here so she can help me cause she does an awesome job and actually knows what she's doing!
Have a great Thursday,
Monica

I miss em already!

2009-06-30T14:33:00.005-05:00

They've been waiting for this for the last 2 months and they couldn't be happier that they're day finally arrived!They're off to summer camp and that means a whole week without mom and dad!

This is the first time they have been away from home without either me or my husband with them so you can imagine how I'm feeling.So far it's been ok.I know they are in good hands and they are having the time of their life.I'm getting things done around the house that I normally wouldn't be able to. I walk into Sara's room to put something of hers away and I read her dry erase board...
I'm gonna go sit on the couch with some kleenex and look through their baby pictures and cry now.:(

Outdoor Wednesday

2009-06-24T11:39:00.007-05:00

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is going for walks at the park in the evening.
It's been too hot here in Texas to do anything outdoors,we're talking triple degrees HOT!So when the sun is starting to set,we'll go to the park.To me,It's the best time.The park we went to has a memorial for Veterans.I love the way the silouette of the soldier statue looks in this picture.

There are all sorts of paths you can can walk thru.This one is going thru the garden area.
As we were walking by,my husband noticed what he thought was a toy plastic solider that someone placed on the lattice.When we looked closer we saw that it was made out of twist ties.

This is the pond area.

These people were having a hard time getting their dog out of the water.

My family taking a break after our walk.
Thanks for stopping by!If you'd like to participate in Outdoor Wednesday,stop by Susan's blog.
Happy OW to everyone!

TMTT-- Peanut Butter Cookies

2009-06-23T12:37:00.009-05:00

It's TMTT time again!
I gave Sara this easy recipe for her to try.Someone else posted this recipe on last week's TMTT but it was so good,I thought I'd share the recipe again!
Recipe for Peanut butter Cookies
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
that's it!Just 3 ingredients.That's why I love this recipe so much!
We doubled the recipe so we could have more cookies.
First,just add all ingredients to a bowl.
Mix well.

After mixing,you can roll the dough into 1 in. balls but I let Sara use a tablespoon to scoop out the dough onto the baking sheet.( I used a pizza stone)

Then,press the cookies with a fork.
Bake at 350* for 10-15 minutes.Be sure to let them cool down about a minute before removing them from the baking sheet unless you want crumbled cookies.Let them cool and enjoy!

This recipe is great for kids who love to help out in the kitchen.For more delicious recipes,visit Lisa at Blessed with Grace.Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Wordless Wednesday - Daddy

2009-06-17T00:36:00.004-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday click here.

Temp My Tummy Tuesday --zucchini patties

2009-06-15T23:35:00.007-05:00

Like everyone else,we have an abundance of zucchini and yellow squash from our garden and I couldn't wait to use this recipe.
2 cups shredded zucchini
2 eggs,beaten
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
salt to taste
oil fir frying
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.Stir well enough to to distribute all ingredients evenly.
Heat oil in pan over a medium high heat.Drop zucchini mixture in heaping tablespoonfuls and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden.
I changed the recipe a bit,I used only a tablespoon of flour and a 1/3 cup of italian seasoned bread crumbs.I also didn't use the mozzarella cheese since I didn't have any.Be sure to squeeze out the excess water from the grated zucchini otherwise it will be too runny.These were really good and my hubby loved them!I had left over zucchini so I slice the rest up into thick slices,dipped them in the leftover egg mixture then in the bread crumbs and fried until golden brown.Those were good too!I served them with grilled chicken,corn on the cob and a salad with our garden tomatoes!If you've never had homegrown tomatoes,you must try them,they are delicious!For more great recipes or to join TMTT visit Lisa at Blessed with Grace.
Have a yummy Tuesday!!!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-06-15T00:13:00.005-05:00

FOR TODAY June 14, 2009...

Outside my window... the sun is shining bright and it's gonna be another HOT day.

I am thinking...of the talk I had with my son last night.When we got home last night from church he had a smile on his face and asked if we could talk.I said yes so we went to my room,shut the door and sat on the bed talking about a girl he thinks he has a crush on.I reminded him to always respect girls and to be a gentleman.Then I smelled his feet and told him he still had a lot to learn:0)

I am thankful for...air conditioning.

From the kitchen...can't wait to eat our homegrown zucchini, squash and tomatoes with some grilled chicken.

I am wearing...my grey pajama pants with a green top(so comfortable)

I am creating...an idea in my mind about how I want to redo Caleb's bedroom while they're away at camp.We redid Sara's and never got around to doing his.It's gonna be a surprise!

I am going...to the grocery store today to shop with coupons and hopefully find some great deals!

I am reading...I just finished reading The Rescue by Lori Wick.I also have,Barron's American Sign Language on my nightstand and I try to read it when I have time.

I am hoping...that the shoes I saw at the store the other day will be on sale when I go back.

I am hearing...Caleb and Sara talking.

Around the house...Caleb needs to mow the yard,I've got to do laundry and Sara has done a good job of keeping her room clean.

One of my favorite things...peppermint foot creme

A few plans for the rest of the week:Joe and I want to take the kids swimming,I need to catch up on some sewing,maybe have a yard sale and then we're going to a wedding on Saturday.

For your own Simple Woman's Daybook, click HERE

2009-06-11T15:34:00.007-05:00

Were were hit with some severe thunderstorms yesterday on our way to church.The power went out twice while we were at church but it happened before the service started and then after,so we were still able to have church,praise God!
I was a little nervous on our way there because the wind was so strong and the whole way there we saw the tree limbs and traffic lights swaying,heavy rain and we later found out that there was a tornado somewhere near by!I know some people had more damage than this and had power outages in their homes so I'm thankful this was the only damage I found this morning.

Looks like we'll be staying home this weekend cleaning up this mess.
Hope everyone has a wonderful Thursday!

Last Day of School!

2009-06-04T19:22:00.007-05:00

Does anyone else get sad at the end of the school year? I do.I can't believe how the years have just gone by so fast!I love that now the kids will be home and we can"hang out" but it still makes me sad that this school year for them is over.I love their teachers and always wonder what they're next ones will be like and what this next year has in store them.
Here are a few pics of they're last days of school.
This was field day,May 22,09The girls had to fill up a bucket with water with only a soaked sponge that they had to pass over each others head.The tire relay below.Go Sara!!!
This was my favorite,tug-o-war!I heard the girls on the other team saying how it wasn't fair because Sara and Emily(her best friend) were on the same team and they're just too strong.Ha!It's true,these girls are very competitive!
I can't say the same for the boys in Caleb's class,they lost to the girls every time! Ha!
Here are the boys after losing.....again!It was quite embarrassing really,but they were all good sports.

Monday,they get to bring home everything they worked on throughout the year.Yay for me!yeah right!I usually look through everything and keep only a few papers and artwork from each year.
The kids in Sara's class planted herbs a few weeks ago and they got to bring them home too.

Yesterday was their last day of school and also their awards ceremony.Caleb received awards for citizenship,social studies and his elementary school diploma :] He also got a personal award from his teacher for being virtuous.She said it was because he always does the right thing.
Sara received several awards.First she was awarded the principal's award for having a 95% and above average in all her classes throughout the whole year.She also got awards for excellence in reading,spelling and language arts.There she is with her and her BFF again.
I always like to buy a small gift so the kids can give their teachers on the last day of school.This year they gave them some flowers in a cute pot.Here's Caleb's teacher giving him a hug after he gave it to her.
This summer I told my husband I would like to go bike riding at least once a week at a park and pack a lunch to enjoy while we're there.I also plan on signing them up for summer reading clubs at our library and local bookstores,they'll be going away to summer camp with our church for a week,and they've been wanting to visit grandma so we'll do that too.We also want to go camping this year,which will be a first for us.So what does your summer look like?

Trash to Treasure Tuesday

2009-06-02T10:08:00.009-05:00

Today I'm linking up to Kimm's Trash to Treasure party at Reinvented and 2nd Time Around Tuesday over at A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words. Thank you ladies for hosting these parties! Be sure to clink on their links to join!
I bought this small dresser at a yard sale for $8.I had been looking for a side table to place by the front door and this one was too low but for that price I brought it home anyway.I was throwing out my old dining table so I decided to use the legs for it.I didn't know if it would work or not but if it didn't it was only $8.The brown paint on the dresser was a thin coat and was flat so all we had to do was attach the legs and paint.I didn't use spray paint this time I just went ahead and bought some black paint in an eggshell finish since I'll be using the rest of it for my new(new to me) dining room table.
Here is the after.
What do you think?I still need to work on my accessories on top of the table but other than that I think it turned out okay.Thanks for stopping by!And since you're already here,I wanted to get some opinions on painting my dining room table.Should I paint it all black or leave the table top a dark wood stain?

Outdoor Wednesday

2009-05-27T09:28:00.006-05:00

I have been so busy lately I haven't had time to blog so I'll start to get back in the swing of things by posting some pics for Outdoor Wednesday hosted by Susan.Last week I went on a field trip with my Sara to Log Cabin Village.You take a tour through all these old log cabins and they tell you about the families who lived in them and how they used to live.

The village is surrounded by lots of trees,small bridges and brooks.It was very pretty outside.
This is my favorite picture.
I had to get a picture of this little guy.
Enjoying our picnic lunch.
The rest of these pictures are some of the veggies growing in my garden,finally!We enjoyed these tomatoes in my guacamole on Memorial Day!
Snow peas growing on the trellis.
Yellow squash and zucchini.My husband picked the zucchini before I could get a picture of it. I can't wait to make squash patties.
And some romaine lettuce.We are always eating salads so we planted some lettuce this year.These pictures were taken last week and we've had more rain since then so there's a lot more growing like our cucumbers,green beans and carrots.I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend.Thanks for stopping by!

Weekend Update

2009-05-19T09:34:00.010-05:00

Just wanted to share a few pictures of our day Saturday at the wedding.It turned out beautiful and I'm so happy for the couple.The bride is Caleb's Sunday school teacher and the groom is Sara's Sunday school teacher.She had Bro.Martinez give her away.Bro Martinez used to be our Pastor until he retired after suffering from a heart attack that nearly killed him.He was left in a coma for about two weeks but God did something miraculous,Pastor came out of his coma and everyday since he has improved.I love that she thought it appropriate for him to give her away.Here's Caleb,he was an usher and escorted the mother of the bride.
The happy couple.
Lifting her veil for the kiss! awww!
The wedding party getting ready to take their pictures.I was off to the side trying not to get get in the photographers way.

The girls keeping themselves busy while everyone took pictures.
Don't these boys look like they are having the time of their lives?You would think they'd feel special being ushers and all!HA!
We finally got to the reception to eat and while waiting for cake we were being entertained by....

Layla. Hope you enjoyed,thanks for stopping by!Anyone else having beautiful weather?It is gorgeous outside!Have a happy Tuesday!

TGIF!!!

2009-05-15T12:24:00.002-05:00

Well it looks like another busy weekend,tonight we'll be going to a rehearsal dinner for my friends wedding tomorrow! I'm so excited,I love weddings and I haven't been to one in a long time.My son Caleb will be an usher so you know I'll be taking lots of pictures to share with you.Saturday night I have to come home and bake some cakes for a bake sale we'll have at church on Sunday.We're trying to raise money to send over 50 kids to summer camp!If anyone has good fund raising ideas let me know cause we need to raise about$ 7,000!!!
Have a great Weekend!!! and I'll see you back on Monday with some pictures of our weekend!

Wordless Wednesday - Favorite Flowers

2009-05-13T09:37:00.004-05:00

For more wordless wednesday posts go here.

How Was Your Mother's Day?

2009-05-11T11:16:00.005-05:00

I am feeling much better and thankful I got to enjoy my Mother's Day.We had a busy weekend starting Saturday with a block party at our church.We do this as a way of reaching out to all the people around our community and invite them to church.We have been having so many visitors that are now members coming because of our first block party last year in October and yesterday for Mother's Day we had even more come that were at our block party Saturday!We donate all kinds of things we don't use anymore and let everyone come and just pick out whatever they can use.The best thing is it's all free!

So is the food.We served hamburgers and hotdogs.
Here is a picture of some of the new friends we've made.
We also have drawings for gift cards,a digital camera,mp3 player and a new kids bicycle.
We had a good time and the weather was just perfect.This little guy was there too,look familiar?It's Landon. I don't think he was too happy about me taking his picture.
For Mother's Day service, a few ladies including myself,participated in a" what mom's wear" fashion show,it was really cute.I asked my husband to take pictures..................I'll never ask him again.These are the only two that came out right.The first one is New Mom,she wears everything she'll ever need for her new baby.She was cracking me up with her catwalk!
And then Activity Mom,you know those mom's who have their kids in every sport and never miss a game?
There was also a toddler mom,project mom,laundry mom(me) and grandma mom.All the mom's got a rose and some won door prizes.I didn't get to see my mom because she lives out of town and for these past couple of years she's been going out of town herself to spend Mother's Day with my grandma,isn't that sweet?My aunt did come to church with me and I really enjoyed having her there with me.Hubby and the kids took us out to eat after church and then we headed home to rest and go back to church for evening service.It was a good day.

I'm sick....

2009-05-08T11:47:00.003-05:00

Joe came home from work Wednesday not feeling well so I went to church Wednesday night without him,Thursday morning I woke up with a sore throat,fever and a headache.It just kept getting worse throughout the day so I didn't get to go to my friends personal shower.I stayed on the couch all day yesterday and finally cried because my headache was so bad and because I really wanted to go.Carol's so sweet,she called me yesterday and asked if I needed anything,medicine or just something to eat,said she didn't mind coming over to drop something off if I needed it since Joe wasn't home from work yet.I am so blessed to have friends like her.I'm feeling a little better today but my throat still hurts when I swallow.I know Carol had to take a lot of pictures so I might just share hers later.I can just imagine all the crazy things they did last night!
Hope everyone has a great Mother's Day weather it be with your children,mom or mother in law,have a good one!

Outdoor Wednesday

2009-05-05T21:29:00.005-05:00

Susan@ A Southern Daydreamer is hosting her weekly Outdoor Wednesday.If you'd like to join or just want to look at some beautiful outdoor pictures click here.
While my husband and I were out running errands Saturday,we stopped by this nursery.All the plants there are so pretty and well taken care of.
So many rows of beautiful plants,I just wanted one of everything!

But this is the only plant I brought home,angel wing begonias.Aren't they pretty?These baskets were a little pricey so I opted for the smaller ones in the pot so I could plant them in my own basket or a pretty pot.
Well, there's more rain in the forecast for today so looks like I'll be staying home.Tomorrow some friends and I are going to go walking at the park,have lunch and then go shopping for our friends personal shower tomorrow night.
Hope everyone is having a great Wednesday!Thanks for stopping by!

Friend Making Monday

2009-05-04T10:16:00.010-05:00

Well it's Monday and this time for Friend Making Monday, Amber will be hosting it for Kasey.List 5 of your favorite childhood toys.
I noticed how some of us that were born on the same year have almost the same exact list.

1)Rainbow Brite
2)My Little Pony
3)Care Bears

4)Strawberry Shortcake
5)and my all time favorite Cabbage Patch Dolls
I'm so glad most of these toys are still around for my daughter to play with.

So how was your weekend? I had a good one even though it looked like this most of the time.

This was on our way to choir practice Saturday that ended up being canceled because of a tornado watch and some areas were starting to flood.
I was looking at the calendar and realized how busy this month was going to be;can you believe it's May already? Caleb will be celebrating his 11th birthday,me my 30th birthday,our church will have a community block party, a friend of mine will be getting married,a sunday school teachers potluck and I think my mom might come for a visit.WHEW! Makes me tired just thinking about it all!
Thursday we'll have the bride's personal shower and I can't wait to see what kind of pictures I get from that!I hope I get the ok to share some of them on here on Friday.Thanks for stopping by and have a great monday!

Metamorphosis Monday!

2009-04-27T10:53:00.002-05:00

Susan at Between Naps On The Porch is hosting Metamorphosis Monday,go over there and join in the fun!
I've always wanted one of those cute chandeliers with the pretty shades for my kitchen but they cost more than I wanted to spend.A few weeks ago I went to a church yard sale and they had one,I asked for the price and he said $10 so I snatched it up!I called my husband to make sure it wouldn't be a problem for him to hang it up,he said no but while I was on the phone with him I guess the guy that was trying to sell it to me thought I might change my mind about taking it so he said he would let me have it for $5! WooHoo! While I was waiting for my hubby to pick me up I noticed a small sticker on the very bottom of the chandelier that said $2! UGH! Oh well,I still think it was a good deal for 5 bucks.Here it is before Here is the after,excuse all my mess please!I still need to buy the shades for it but I just put one on to show what it will look like.
I know,I know, the green on my walls are ugly but it looks worse in the picture because of the flash and it's just a temporary color until we remodel the kitchen;I just got tired of having white walls.I'm thinking about repainting them a wheat color or maybe a red? Stay tuned!
Thanks for dropping by and have a great Monday!

Worship and Praise Sunday

2009-04-26T14:22:00.005-05:00

I just wanted to share a song we sung this morning at church.It's called You are good by Gateway Worship.Sometimes that's all we need to know is that He is good.No matter what we go through in life,He still deserves to be praised just because He is good.His kindness,His goodness and His mercy are forever.I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do,head on over to Brittany's blog,Sweet Nothings to join in Worship and Praise Sunday.

I got an Award!

2009-04-24T11:14:00.013-05:00

Carol over at My World gave me this award for showing an Attitude of Gratitude. Thanks Carol!So here are the rules to this award:
1.Put the logo on your blog or post
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs that show an attitude of gratitude
3. Link to your nominees within your post
4.Comment on their blogs to let them know they've received this award
5.Share the love and link to this post and the person who nominated you for the award. Tell us how you've come to have an attitude of gratitude.

Having an Attitude of Gratitude to me,means being thankful for everything that is in my life.The good and the bad.About 8 years ago I went through a really bad depression after having my daughter.I wasn't able to do a lot of "little" things that we get used to doing everyday like cooking a meal for your family,taking care of your kids,washing the dishes,going to the store to pick up a few things.I was so sick I could hardly get out of bed and when I did,I was very tired right away.
I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am that I have been healed from it and that I am able to do these things today.Had I not gone through it I would have never learned to be grateful for all the little things in life,things that we take for granted.
I want to pass this award on to a few other bloggers.I'm supposed to pass it on to 10 but a lot of them already have this award.

Alexis at Where He Leads Me I Will Follow
Beca at Ruby Lanes
Debbie at Ribbonwood Cottage
Rachel at A Romantic Porch

Thank God it's Friday,we've got a lot planned to do around the house.I've been doing a lot of spring cleaning and hopefully I get to finish this weekend.
Have a wonderful weekend!

A Giveaway

2009-04-23T10:19:00.005-05:00

Tanya at Miller Racing Family is celebrating her 100th post and she's having a giveaway.
Click here to check out her blog.I'm not telling you what it is ,you'll have to go see for yourself(it's a good one!)
The winner will be announced on Monday,April 27th so hurry!

2009-04-21T13:23:00.006-05:00

Sara stayed home from school today;she's got a fever her head,stomach and legs hurt AND she's throwing up.She's resting right now so I just wanted to post a quick blog about what I've been up to the last few days.Saturday we woke up early and went to that huge community yard sale that I mentioned before.I wish I had gotten pictures but I was so busy going through everything and going from house to house that I forgot to take pictures.Here was my favorite find of the day,I spent $6 for all this clothes( I forgot to include another shirt)2 shirts,2 skirts,and the dress with the cardigan.One of the shirts is American Eagle and the brown skirt is Banana Republic,the dress was brand new still with the tags for $80,I got it for $2! SCORE!!!I also got some of those "o" rings that you clip on fabric to hang up for curtain.I bought 2 rooster prints for my kitchen and a few other things.I didn't go overboard,believe me I could have.
Sunday we went to church,Sunday night after service we had a wedding shower for a sweet couple from church.My Pastor's wife was teasing me about my blogging and said all the pictures I was taking would probably end up on my blog.Too bad I didn't get anymore I was trying not to lose my place in line for the food.
She made another comment to her daughter saying that I was going to take her picture of her hair and blog about it so I did.See her hair,CUTE!See the girl in the back with the red shirt that's Neda,she's the one we were having the shower for so she and the groom to be wore shower caps and bathrobes.They're so silly:)
And this little cutie is our Pastor's daughter.She just wanted me to take her picture so I did.
And by the way,she says she can't help it if all the little boys like her!
MondayI stayed home to clean and do laundry,then we went to singing practice at church for a new song we'll be singing on Sunday.Here's the video.

Hope everyone 's having a great day!

Cascarones

2009-04-17T14:33:00.004-05:00

I wanted to show some pics of our Easter with our family.Our family reunion was Saturday and Sunday so for Easter everyone got together at the park.A traditon we have on Easter is breaking cascarones on each others heads.We haven't done this in years since we usually spend Easter here at home.I don't let my kids think that Easter is all about the Easter bunny and eggs and candy and egg hunts and baskets.Don't get me wrong I don't have anything against people who do all those things ,I think it's fun and I even bought Sara a basket this year.My kids know what Easter is really all about and to me that's remembering and celebrating what Jesus did for all of us,to remember his death and ressurection.This year since we would be spending Easter with our family and I wanted them to know how their parents spent Easter when we were kids.
You can read more about cascarones here.Here are some pictures to show you how it all goes down.You kinda have to hide your stash until that one person brings one out and then it's on! Any one else do this?It's mainly popular in hispanic culture.

Yard Sale Season

2009-04-16T15:48:00.007-05:00

There has been yard sales all over these past few weeks and I can't wait to go out and see what I can find this weekend.I wanted to share a picture of everything I found the other day at out annual "spring fling" sale at our local recreation center.People can rent spaces and sell anything they want,new or old.I'm thinking about renting a space next year just to see how it goes.I found lots of books for the kids and I bought some for Sara's classroom,her teacher has lots of books for them to read.I found a Magic School Bus boxed set of books for only .50 ,beads for Sara,an outdoor flag for he backyard,some dress shoes for Sara for $2 that are almost new.My husband found a brand new visible human body model kit so the kids can learn about all their organs and bones and my favorite score of the day is the chandelier I bought for the kitchen for $5.I've been wanting one for a while now but didn't want to spend a lot of money on it.I am painting it black to look like iron and i'll buy some shades for the lights.I'll show a picture of it once it's done.
There will be a huge community yard sale starting tomorrow thru Saturday that some friends and I will go to so I'll try to take pictures of that to share.
Hope everyone has a wonderful Thursday.

I'm back!

2009-04-15T08:41:00.004-05:00

I'm so glad to be back home!I had a great time seeing all the family and I wish I had more time to stay longer but there is truly no place like home and I couldn't wait to be back.I really want to go back again this summer and visit those I didn't get to see.It was an emotional time for me and others in my family especially my dad.My grandparents both passed away before I was born so never knew them only the very little that my dad tells me about them.My dad is the oldest sibling so he's the one that looked after all of the other 7.From what I've heard,family that should have stepped up to help,didn't, so this left a lot of anger and bitterness from all of the siblings through the years.I convinced my dad to just go with me for the ride and told him if he didn't want to go to the reunion he didn't have to.That first day everyone asked for him and I told them that I wasn't sure if he was coming but that he was in town.We left around 4 o clock to go back to our hotel, freshen up and meet again to have dinner at 6.I tried to get my dad to go but he wouldn't, then my aunt(his sister) called and said "put your dad on the phone!" and for the next 2 minutes my dad just sat there quietly listening.When he hung up the phone,he kind of sighed and said"o.k.,let's go buy me something to wear."
I can't even tell you how happy I was! When we got there,we didn't even make it to the door before aunts,uncles and cousins all came to give him hugs and kisses.One aunt(his dad's sister) came and gave him a hug and said something to him and he almost started crying which made me almost start crying! :) We had a great time that night and took lots of pictures and by the time it was over my dad didn't want to leave,it was the funniest thing cause he'd be talking with someone and we'd be behind that person motioning with our hands to let's go!!
The next day for Easter everyone got together at the park and again my dad didn't want to leave and he finally told me to go ahead and go, that he would catch a ride with his sister;too bad she was getting ready to leave too! LOL!
This first picture,is of some of us eating breakfast at the hotel.
The first day of our reunion,when all the family met,we all got in a circle and prayed,I was trying to get a better picture but from where I was standing,I couldn't fit everyone in.

This is the oldest member of our family he is 91. We call him Tio Beto or Uncle Beto.He is my great grand father's brother.... or uncle .....I think.Everyone gave him a standing ovation when he walked through the door.
And this is just a picture of me with two of my cousins I haven't seen in a long time.I hope to share more pictures of Saturday night and Sunday hopefully tomorrow.

So now I want to know what y'all do when you have a family reunion,I'm trying to get ideas for our next one,I might in charge of our next on and wanted to know how often your family has them,every 5 years,2 years,annually?We are thinking of having another one next year because a lot people weren't able to make this one.

Now, other stuff, my friend Carol from My World tagged me for a game of eights.I have to list 8 things I'm looking forward to and 8 things I did yesterday.
Here goes 8 things I'm looking forward to:
1.Turning 30 next month,I think I have finally embraced it!
2.Summertime
3.eating fresh veggies from my garden
4.starting to excersice daily
5.the huge community yard sale that will be going on this weekend,it gets so packed,cops are out there to control the traffic.
6.fixing up our home.
7.getting a new puppy
8.summertime...I know I already mentioned it but I can't wait!

Now 8 things I did yesterday:
1.unpacked
2.read blogs
3.watered the garden
4.went with my husband to musicians practice at church
5.while I was thee I went over my Sunday school lesson
6.went grocery shopping
7.talked to my dad,my cousin,my aunt,2 of my sisters about when I was going to send them pictures of our weekend.
8.took both kids to a dentist appointment. (no cavities.yay!)

I'm suppose to tag other bloggers but everyone has pretty much been tagged already so if you want to join in go ahead!
Have a wonderful day!!

Road Trip!!

2009-04-09T09:49:00.004-05:00

We'll be headed out early in the morning to go to Corpus Christi for Easter!It's been a couple of years since I've been there so I'm really excited.My dad's side of the family has planned a family reunion so that's why we're going,otherwise I'd be staying home.I love going on road trips and what makes it even more special is that most of my extended family is coming with us.We'll be making a stop in Austin to see my mom(that's where she lives) and eat breakfast there.

Then we'll continue on to Corpus Christi.Friday we'll just enjoy the day and maybe take the kids to the Texas state aquarium or just go down to the bay.Saturday will be the first day of the reunion and and then Sunday we'll be having a BBQ at a park and probably spend the whole day there.I'm really proud of my family for getting together and making the effort to go cause they are not the type to do anything together anymore.We used to be such a close knit family but throughout the years it's changed.Hopefully this will bring us close again!
So today I'm packing,charging the cameras,and cleaning up the house so all I'll have to do when we get back is unpack and rest.
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and Easter with their family.

Metamorphosis Monday!

2009-04-06T09:12:00.006-05:00

Happy Monday to all! I'm joining Susan for the first time today for Met Monday.Metamorphosis Mondays are all about before and after projects you do all around the house.You all know how much I love before and afters!
A few weeks ago our neighbors had a yard sale and everything they didn't sell,they let look over and grab what we wanted. My husband brought home a comfortable rocking chair,ugly, but very comfortable.After reading about how another blogger reupholstered (don't think I spelled that right) an old chair,we decided it couldn't be that hard and so we tackled the job ourselves!Here is the before.Sorry bout all the mess.We took it outside and gave it a good beating to get all the dust off.
and here's the after.My husband didn't really like the fabric but I loved it!I'm trying to add more black accents to my home.It was our first time doing this and it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be but I think it looks good for our first try.Tell me what you think!

Spring time in Texas

2009-03-26T14:02:00.005-05:00

I wanted to show a few more pics of us finishing up our garden.
We were finally able to get everything in the ground.

Sorry for the blurry pictures.Above is Joe and Sara planting the last tomato plants.
This is the bigger garden getting watered.Whew! We were so tired;I'm glad we finally got it done!
My garden has been doing pretty good.
Here's a picture of the radishes,
green beans,and a tomato plant in the back ground.
and the snow peas getting ready to climb the trellis.

These pictures were taken last week so they've grown a lot more.We were having some beautiful weather but yesterday we had lots of rain and today is cloudy the weekend is gonna be about the same and I think it's supposed freeze tomorrow night UGH! That's spring time in Texas! We'll have to cover up all our plants just to be on the safe side.
Hope everyone is having a great day!

FMM

2009-03-23T11:30:00.005-05:00

It's Monday you know what that means,Friend Making Monday! Head on over to Kasey's blog to join in.
Today we have to list 10 things that we are super thankful for.

1.GOD. I'm thankful that I serve a God who loves me no matter what.He's good to me even when I don't deserve it.

2.My husband. He's a good husband (most of the time) lol! ;) he cares for me and he's a good father to our kids.

3.My children. I'm so thankful that God has blessed me with two beautiful babies that bring me so much joy.

4.My vehicles. They're nothing fancy but I'm super thankful because they get us to church,my husband to work,my kids to school and me to wal-mart. :]

5.My mom and dad. They are good parents that love and care for me and have always been very supportive of me and my family and have always trusted me.
(Not good pictures of them,but it's all I had.) Hopefully they won't see it.

6.My home. I wasn't always as thankful as I should have been but I am now.I always wanted a bigger, newer house and now that ours is paid off and I see other families who have lost their homes because of the economy,I'm super,super thankful! My family has a roof over their heads,a big yard to play in,good neighbors and a warm cozy bed to sleep in every night.

7.Our health. I'm thankful that we are all pretty healthy.

8.My husbands job. A few months ago,he moved from second shift to first,a few days later everyone on second shift was laid off.I'm praying that work starts to pick and there will be so much, they have to call all those people back.

9.Great friends. I'm blessed that I have some great friends who are always there for me.

10.Creativeness. I'm thankful that my showed me how to be creative.

There's a lot more ,but we could only choose 10 and I think that was a good idea since I know all of us have so much that we are thankful for.Thanks for taking a look and have a great rest of the week!

TGIF

2009-03-13T10:36:00.003-05:00

I'm so thankful the weekend is here and my kids are off for spring break next week.
I was hoping to show you some pictures of the work we've done in the garden but it's been raining and cold all week and we haven't done a thing!We probably won't get started until next weekend (I hope).But,I'm thankful for all the rain,we really needed it.
I did start planting a few seeds in some jiffy pots to get stared.Joe got home from work and tried to get my garden ready but it started raining as I took this picture.UGH!
This bed is right behind my house and I'll only plant my tomatoes,peppers,green beans,snap peas and maybe the radishes there if I have enough room.I like it close to the house so I just walk out the back door and grab a tomato or some herbs if I need it.I might have to grow the herbs in a pot on the patio so I can have enough room for everything.Everything else like the squash,carrots,lettuce,cucumber,cantaloupe and watermelon will be further out in the back yard where we have more room.This year we're adding corn,broccoli,and red onions so we'll see how that turns out.This is only our 3rd year growing vegetables so a lot times things don't come out as we had hoped but it's still fun and we learn from our mistakes.
The weather is supposed to be beautiful next week when the kids are out for spring break so we'll going to the park a lot and maybe to the library and just hanging out at home.
Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day!

Wordless Wednesday - Friends

2009-03-11T09:32:00.000-05:00

Today is Wordless Wednesday hosted by Dixie,click here to join in.This is my first time joining and I'm glad I did,today's word is friends.

Finished skirt

2009-03-05T09:57:00.000-06:00

The other day I told you about a skirt I wanted to finish for Sara.I took the before and after pictures but I was having problems with my camera so, they got deleted by accident.I retook the finished skirt and here's one I took with just the fabric and the small piece of trim I had left over and the skirt.
I bought this Ralph Lauren jean skirt at the thrift store last year.It fit her just right around the waist but with her long legs it was too short.I almost threw it in the yard sale box.I'm so glad I didn't.I'm just thrilled with the way it came out.What do you think?

I love the orange,she dosen't have any orange in her wardrobe so I thought it'd be a good color to add.

Here's a close up of the fabric,the blue flowers match the jean skirt and the trim has shiny sequence on it.I just started sewing a few weeks ago thanks to Sis. Borlick,(their the ones that I told you about a few weeks ago that do children's ministry) she inspired me to take out my sewing machine and start using it.Luckily, I already had a sewing machine my mom had given me.Thanks Mom! and thank you Sis.Borlick!

The weather here in Texas has been wonderful and I just started my seed planting for our vegetable garden.I hope to share pictures of that soon too!
Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

I'm pooped...

2009-03-03T08:30:00.000-06:00

It's only Tuesday,and I'm already tired.We had a busy weekend starting out Friday night.My friend had a birthday party for her son on Friday night but I forgot my camera at home so I didn't get any pictures.First thing Saturday morning,I took the kids to another birthday party and we we stayed there for about 4 hours.It was a Stars Wars themed party and let me tell you the kids had so much fun!I did take a picture of the Yoda cake but I guess I forgot to get it uploaded.Here are the some of the boys playing outside.

Even the girls got in on the action.
Here's the birthday boy blowing out his candles.
After that,we went home and paid some bills,went shopping,grabbed something to eat then came home to take a quick nap before choir practice Saturday night.Sunday morning we went to church.I'm a Sunday school teacher and my husband plays the drums so we have to be there at 9:00 or is it 8:45?I'm sure my Pastor's wife will leave me a comment telling me what time we need to be there ;)

Anyways,I teach the 4&5 year olds and we've been learning about Creation,The Garden of Eden and Adam and Eve.Below is a picture of our room and I hung up stars and a moon and made them glow with a black light.They really thought this was cool.

Here are some of my kids in the Garden.
This is the part when God puts Adam into a deep sleep to take one of his ribs to make Eve. :)
Here's Eve taking the apple from the tree after the serpent tricked her.I hung up real apples so they could bite it.
They are such great kids and I love being their teacher.

After church on Sunday we went home to eat,went back to church at 4:30 for choir practice,church starts at 6:00 for our evening service and we were out around 8.
Monday after I dropped the kids off at school I went to run some errands,came home cleaned up
by that time it was time to pick them up again.Got home and made them a lasagna for dinner (their favorite)since we had to be at church at 6:30 for my son's bible quizzing practice.In between the time we get home from school it's just enough time to do homework,eat, clean up their rooms and study,get a call from hubby asking me if I made dinner. You see he's on a diet(but don't tell him I told you) so he can't eat lasagna,he needs his fish and veggies or chicken and whatever it is he's eating .So 30 minutes before me and the kids have to leave I'm back in the kitchen whipping him up something healthy.Didn't get a picture of that cause it didn't look appealing at all!

So now it's Tuesday and it's gonna be another busy day but I thank God for it all.Today I'll just stay home, do some laundry and work on a skirt for my daughter that I bought at the thrift store that fit her too short.I'm adding some material to the bottom and it look s like it's gonna turn out cute!I'll share the before and after photos some time this week.
Have a wonderful day!

Worship and Praise Sunday

2009-03-01T13:12:00.000-06:00

Brittany over at sweet nothings is hosting worship and praise sunday.All you do is share one of your favorite worship songs.Check out her blog to learn more.
This is one of my favorite songs I listen to when we are getting ready for church on Sunday mornings.
Here are some of the words.

Jesus,the most beautiful name of all names.
Jesus,the only name that brings healing and strength.
When I speak Your name,mountains move,chains are loosed.
When I speak your name,darkness flees,it has no hold on me.
Jesus,the most beautiful name that I know...

The words to this song really mean a lot to me because there was a time in my life when I was so afraid of everything,I mean I was just losing it!My mind was being tormented,I had panic attacks and going through a very bad depression after having my youngest.The only thing that gave me strength was to speak His name.
That's just a little bit about why I love this this song,I'll have to tell you more about it another time but it is Sunday today and Sundays are busy for my family;I just couldn't wait to share this song with everyone.
Oh and I think this song is originally from Christ for the Nations(please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)This version is done by Indiana Bible College.I hope you enjoy!!

Friend Making Monday

2009-02-23T10:01:00.000-06:00

Kasey over at All That Is Good is hosting Friend Making Monday.Every week you'll have to share something different about yourself if you participate.I think it's a great way to get to know more about each other.Here goes mine(I have way more than 10 but these are some of things I thought about at the top of my head and they are in no particular order.)
#1.Dresses.I love dresses and I love this one.I can just picture it with the perfect shoe.Speaking of shoes,that's my #2.

#2.Shoes.I love shoes,all kinds of shoes but you wouldn't know it cause I wear the same ones all the time.I wish I had a pair of shoes that go with every outfit I have .

#3.Post-it sticky notes.These are great for reminders.I use them on my front door so I have to read my reminders before I leave the house.I use them in the bathroom mirrors and anywhere I can think of.Also,when I was going though a depression after I had my youngest I wrote scriptures on them and posted them all over my house so I could read them and feel encouraged.
#4.Candles.Good smelling candles.It makes me feel relaxed.

#5.Salads.I can eat a good salad everyday.
#6.Thrift stores.I LOVE to shop at thrift stores,one day I'm gonna do a post on all the things I find at the thrift store.
#7.Books.I like to read books,mainly christian fiction.

#8.Michael Buble.Need I say more? No.
#9.White chocolate macadamia cookies.My favorite.
#10.Chap-stick.Always gotta have it.
Well that's it.Can't wait to see everyone else's favorite things and see what we have in common.
Hope everyone is having a great monday.

Bakers Rack Redo

2009-02-19T10:12:00.000-06:00

The nester is at it again,she's hosting a 10 minute makeovers party.It's fun to see what everyone can do in just 10 minutes to make their home more beautiful without spending money.Go on over and check it out!I couldn't figure out how to link to her page so just click on the box below and then click on home.

So here is my before.I've been wanting something to go on this wall of my kitchen next to my table for a while now and so my husband got me this bakers rack for Valentine's Day.I want to paint it black and darken the color of the wood but that's for another post.It looks very bare right now.
Here is the after.I added greenery,a lamp and a few picture frames.I like to leave the bottom shelf empty for placing our casserole dishes when we eat to free up some space on the table.
What a difference.Thanks for taking a look!

Field Trips & Parties

2009-02-13T10:22:00.000-06:00

My son's 5th grade class went on a field trip to The Meyerson, home of the DSO.
Here's Caleb with a few of his buddies on the bus.
I think I was a little more excited to be here than the kids were but I was trying not to show it.
This is the view as we were walking in.
This lady is practicing before the show.We got to sit in the first rows to the left.
See that lady behind the railing there?She did a beautiful job of playing the pipe organ,I think it was one of the kids favorite part of the show.She played the theme song from the The Addams Family and the kids were snapping their fingers.
This place is just beautiful.I came home and told my husband I want him to take me to a concert there again soon!
Some of the music was just breathtaking.

Here is the orchestra at the end of the show.
After that we had lunch at Cici's Pizza.What a fun day!Caleb and I will never forget it.
The next day I went to Sara's class for a Valentine's party.Here she is with some of her best friends.
They had a pretty good spread with fruits,veggies,cookies and cupcakes.
I love how the teacher let's them pray before their meal.
Some of the other mom's that came to the party.My friend Isela is trying to be sneaky sitting in the corner hoping not to get noticed eating up the cupcakes.I caught you! Truth is we hadn't eaten anything for lunch so we were quite hungry when we got to the party.
The teacher got so many gifts from all the kids.She is so sweet.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look.Have a great weekend! :]

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

2009-02-12T17:15:00.000-06:00

Our kids are going to another bible quiz tournament so as a fundraiser we made chocolate covered strawberries for Valentines Day.

We got together at our Pastors house and had a chocolate dipping party! Here's Krish and Nikki melting chocolate.
Makes my mouth water all over again.
It was so much fun,several people from our church came to help out.

Here,my friend Carol is decorating them with white chocolate.I'm telling you this girl is talented.I tried doing this and I ended making a huge mess.
Aren't they pretty?
They're all wrapped up and ready to go.
They were delicious!Does anyone have any special plans for Valentines?I'm not quite sure what the hubby has planned but I think we'll be going out to eat,but other than that,I don't know. Hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Big announcement & a busy weekend

2009-02-09T08:53:00.000-06:00

First a big announcement,my hubby and I finally paid off our house!!!We are so happy,it's by no means my dream house,it was just our starter home but we are still here 9 years later and I'm thankful that we have a roof over our head and my family has a warm place to sleep every night.God is so good,even when Joe was out of a job for almost a year,He still provided for us in every way.Joe has been working now since October and we were able to pay off our mortgage this year!To celebrate,Joe took me out to The Cheesecake Factory.I had the cobb salad YUM!! and Joe had

the spicy crispy chicken sandwich.
Friday night my mom came in from Austin and Saturday we took the kids ice skating.I'm kicking myself for not taking any pictures of my mom with the kids but I'll get some next time.
Sunday morning at church we had The Borliks.They're a family who does children's ministry,They are awesome,even the adults get in on the fun.
I think we had about 6 van loads of kids from the neighborhoods around our church.They all had such a good time
Look at how they have have this little guy's attention.The show on Sunday was about peer pressure.
After the morning service,our church provided free pizza and drinks for everyone!
We have 4 teams that do outreach every Saturday,this Saturday will be our turn to go out and invite people to church.It'll be Valentine's Day so I'm hoping to make some goody bags for the all the kids that we meet.
Hope everyone is having a happy Monday!

Bible Quizzers

2009-01-29T08:58:00.000-06:00

Well we are back and our team placed 6th place out of 29 teams that were there.If we had placed 5th we would have brought home a trophy.There's always next month!They'll be doing this until July,if they go to nationals.They are studying the book of Luke and by the time they are done they will have memorized over 200 verses.This is such a great way for them to study and store God's word in their heart and have fun while doing it.They love going out of town,staying in a hotel,and meeting new friends.

Here they are quizzing,there are 15 questions and whoever buzzes in first gets to answer.They are also able to interrupt the question being asked but then have to finish the question and answer it correctly.Here they are studying in between quizzes.Jacob (in the red) is our Pastor's son,he got a trophy for second highest score quizzer of all the kids that were there.
Way to go! Our whole church is proud of all of you!

Bacon wrapped stuffed jalapenos

2009-01-22T09:38:00.000-06:00

These are sooooo good and so easy to make.I tried them for the first time the other day and I wanted to share the recipe.All you do is take a fresh jalapeno pepper,slice it in half,scoop out the seeds and spoon cream cheese in it,then wrap it with a half slice of bacon.You can secure it with a toothpick but I didn't.If you you want them a little spicy then leave some of the seeds.Bake them at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes or until bacon if done.I used a baking pan with a rack so all the bacon grease can drip onto the pan.I think you can grill these too.Even my 8 year old liked them.
Well I'm off to wal-mart now to get some things I need for my trip.I'll be going out of town tomorrow with my son to a bible quizzing tournament.I'll post some pictures when I get back and tell you a little more about it.
Have a wonderful day!:)

Please don't judge me....

2009-01-21T14:36:00.001-06:00

I was afraid to show this picture because I don't want anyone thinking I'm always this messy,but I wanted to show you what I'll be doing today.Cleaning up! Pretty much the rest of my house looks like this too but not for long.
Ahhh,much better!
Hope everyone has a great day!

Starting Over

2009-01-21T10:48:00.000-06:00

Here I go again,I've tried blogging before and it was going great until I just quit.I have really been wanting to do his for a long time so let's try this again.Hopefully it will be as delightful as all the other blogs that I love to read.I'll be blogging about my family(of course),sharing recipes,small projects and just about everything in between.Can't wait to make new friends with all of you!