Took Advice...

This has been a long, wonderful weekend.....I have been off since Friday. We've had so much going on of late, this was a huge need....a couple of days off to rejuvenate. So, I took Sis. Smith's advice (you can see it on Tracie's Thoughts) and turned STRESSED into DESSERTS.

Friday, I spent the day with the girls while daddy worked. We made a trip to downtown Houston on the hunt for window treatments. I forgot my directions at the house so I basically did it by memory. That's pretty scary. We found what I thought I needed and wanted at Glicks. We then decided to go to High Fashion Home to see if I needed anything from there....well, it may not have been what I needed but it sure was what I wanted. That place is amazing. If you are ever in that part of town you will want to stop by. It is worth it. I loved it. After we left there we headed to the mall, where I found a couple of valances for my kitchen windows. I love them....they added so much to my dining room. Then the girls and I got a dessert, well actually a strawberry/bananna smoothie.....I consider that a dessert don't you. We watched the carousel ride and drank our smoothies. The girls couldn't watch any longer they had to ride....so we choose which animal we wanted to ride on and waited for the bell to sound. Soon after we started Ashlynn began her Miss America wave. She waved and blew kisses to everyone she saw, she was soooo cute. We finished the ride and headed over to the pet store. Ashlynn went crazy, hitting the glass trying to wake the puppies, she would make her tweet, tweet sounds to get the attention of the birds, and meow to the kittens. Then we headed over to the playground in the middle of the mall where we would stay until daddy arrived. We were there about 20 or so minutes and we got the call that daddy was near by and to meet him at the resturant. We loaded up and headed to PF Chang's for a nice dinner. My stomach has been upset for the past several days and I hadn't been able to eat well up until this meal. I sooooo enjoyed it. It is by far one of my favorite meals. After eating we decided to go for a walk on the waterway next to the mall. We found ducks, turtles, fish and even a nuetra rat. (see pics) YUCK!! We walked all around the entire waterway and ended at a waterfall display. We had no clue it was even there nor did we have a clue they were doing a patriotic display. We literatlly walked up and it started....the music was playing loud "I'm Proud to be an American". The water fall/fountain were timed with the music and were red, white & blue. That was a beautiful ending for a beautiful day.

Saturday, we decided to do a few things around the house and then headed back to Glick to buy more panels for my windows. After leaving there we spotted the Aquarium Carousel from the freeway...hey, that looks fun...let's stop....we could ride that and take some pictures....my oldest daughter said MOM.....why do we always have to take pictures....well soon did we find out that mom left her camera card in her computer when she downloaded her pictures from Friday night. Bummer said mom....YES, said Brooklyn & her dad. I was so sad we could not capture our moments on Saturday. Well, while in the carousel we decided we were all hungry so why not eat at the Aquarium. Well, this was another reason I was sad...I could not take pics of the girls reaction to all the BIG fish. We even got to see a diver in the aquarium. It was cool. After we left the aquarium we headed back towards the Woodlands on the hunt for hardware for my window treatments......no luck...after 4 different stores....we did not find anything we liked. BUT we did find one for the dining room so we got them hung. I love being productive while having fun or having fun while being productive......which ever sounds better....hahaha!!!

Sunday, church time!!! Our pastor decided to let us come patriotic casual to church. It was so pretty to see all the red, white and blue. We had a beautiful service. Flag display, tapps presentation, beautiful instrumental of Glory, Glory Hallelujah and to top it off Bro. Smith preached a beautiful sermon and we had 2 visitors in altar. After church we had a recreation/watermelon social....it was a great time....HOT but fun.

Today.....we slept in.....yeah!!!! 9:30 is when I finally rolled out of bed....yeah! Rest...just what I needed. We ate breakfast and got ready....we are headed over to the in-laws house. We are going to have BBQ and head back over to the waterfall display this evening.

I hope each of you have enjoyed a wonderful weekend as I have......if not take Sis. Smith's advice and turn STRESSED into DESSERTS....to me it doesn't necessarily have to be something sweet, it could just be sweet times, sweet memories, sweet things to do....etc....FIND SOME DESSERTS...it's worth it.

Thanks for stopping by.

Today is a very special day for me. Today I have been married to the most wonderful man I know for 8 years. He is so caring, supportative, providing, loving and the most awesomest DADDY a kid would want. He is all about making memories for our family. He works hard to provide for us. I appreciate him today and love him with all my heart. I can't wait for the next 8 years. I can't believe I caught someone like you.

I love our lift together...as parents and partners, we share everything-each joy and challenge that a family can bring. As partners we live and we love side by side, and as parents we give with our hearts opened wide...and that's why there's nothing that I'd rather do , than to spend my forever together with you.

Happy Anniversary babe...all my love always.

Happy marriages begin when we marry the ones we love,

and they blossom when we love the ones we marry. -Tom Mullen

Another big, special event is happening today.....Brooklyn is graduating Kindergarten today. WOW!!!! is all I can say. I can't believe this day is here already. I will be crying tears of joy today as I celebrate this special day....with my daughter & with my husband. Last night while I stood in the kitchen putting away groceries I watched as Brooklyn sat in her daddy's lap reading her practice sheets that she will be reading today at graduation and I thought to myself....what a priviledge we have as parents to train, teach, love & care for our children. I want to give the best that I can as a parent...I want my kids to have what I didn't have growing up as a child....no, I am not talking about material things.....I want her to have a daddy's lap to sit in....I want her to have a good education, I want her to have that quality time with us....because QUALITY time does not come without QUANTITY time. I look at it this way....investing is simple, but not easy because good children don't just happen because they are raised in Godly homes. We must invest everything we have in them.

Anyway.....thanks for stopping by and listening to me ramble....

WILD LIFE PICTURES

Let's Go Feed The Ducks...

Our day was pretty much spent completing tasks around the house. Mowing, cleaning, laundry...etc...you know the not so fun stuff.....Well we got finished with a little bit of extra time on our hands so we said let's go feed the ducks...

But before we go feed the ducks let's go feed the kids...so we stopped and had some katfish....yummy....then we headed to the corner store to buy a loaf of bread and went to feed the ducks

So when we got there we couldn't find a duck in site. Usually there are about 30 ducks out there. We got to our normal feeding spot and waited for the ducks to notice we were there. But it wasn't too long before the birds noticed. So we started to feed the birds....then here come the ducks.....then the ugly ducks....and NOW the huge catfish....the catfish so all the bread the ducks were leaving so every once in a while the catfish will jump up out of the water and grab the bread. This was sooooo exciting for the kids....not to mention mommy with the camera.....snap, snap, snap.....finally got the fish coming out of the water.....COOL!!!!

Then we headed over to the inlaws house to help move a piece of furniture and on the way over there saw a unique bird with a mohawk, a squirrel posing for a picture on a tree trunk. After leaving the inlaws we spot an owl in the tree of their backyard. Cool picture....

We went to prayer meeting at the church and then after that headed home...while driving home we decided to stop by a friends house who say deer are always in their yard at night....and sure enough they were there.

This was a cool day for all kinds of wild life pictures....ENJOY!!!

I GOT IT!!!

My New Toy!!!!

This was my Mother's Day gift from my sweet husband. He knew how bad I wanted one. I've been wanting/asking for one for quite some time now but it wasn't until my photography buddy, Redonia got a new one that it just made me want one even more. I fell in love with hers....I couldn't put it down. I think I played with it more than her the first night that she got it. It's an awesome camera....it takes amazings photos...it makes me look like I know what I'm doing...ha! Redonia is pursuing a photography career and she has taught me everything I know. I haven't yet mastered Photoshop...it's been a long process. I enjoy this hobby. Take a look of some photos I have taken with my new toy. Thanks babe!!!! I love you!

Happy Mother's Day

MOM

I love my mom. I was so priviledged to have her sit by me in church today. I got to hold her hand and pray with her. What a most awesome Mother's Day gift. Plus, we had a drawing to day at church for the visiting mother's. Guess who won. My MOM!!!! I was so excited for her. Thanks mom for coming to church with me today. I salute my mom today for raising 3 children by herself for most of our lives. She did her best to meet our every needs. She sometimes had to work three jobs to pay the bills and keep food on the table. (thanks mom for teacing me how to be a hard worker) We could not afford a sitter so I learned at a young age to cook, clean and bath kids. I thank my mom today for never neglecting her kids. We see that so much today.....in this world...parents are so self absorbed that they neglect or forget to teach/train their kids how to do simple things like cleaning up after themselves, taking baths...etc. If you have children, then you know what it's like to be a Mother. Often, it's a tough job. You can have unruly children and many heartaches before they are grown, but mom has done her best in order for us to be well-adjusted teenagers and now adults. Most times mother's worry that they haven't done their best with her children, especially if they don't turn out as she thought they should with all the training she had given them. But Mom today, you have done a great job, you have 3 grown children with families and 5 grandchildren and 1 on the way. (No! to all my friends I'm not expecting) I have learned to appreciatiate my mother more & more through the years as I have become an adult and mother. I realize how strong & how selfless you were & are. Mom I honor you today and love you very much. Happy Mother's Day!!!

Mother-in-law

When I first saw my mother-in-law I was soooooo scared. I kept thinking in my mind about this tall, mean, harsh spoken lady that I was about to meet. When I got to her porch, she opened the screen door and said hello in the most soft spoken, sweet and heart felt voice. (btw, she was not tall....lol) I love you Debbie. I have grown to love her very much. She is so precious. I can't say enough about her. She has been so good to us.....helping us with our kids, she has kept both of our children until they were school age. Poor thing....both of our girls have almost been as big as her. I am suprised she hasn't broke her back yet. I appreciate the special time she has spent with them. My kids think Grammy's house is better than our house. I thank you Debbie, for accepting me so kindly into your family for making me feel so loved. Thank you for raising such an awesome son, my husband. You have done such a great job with him. I see you alot in him because he is so careful to make me, our children, our home feel so warm and special....It's the extra special touch that you give to our children that he has. We teased him today.....and told him Happy Mother's Day too.....he helps me sooooo much. I thank YOU for that. I want to take this time to let you know that everything you do for us does not go unnoticed. I appreciate your sacrifice from the bottom of my heart. I love you dearly, Happy Mother's Day!!!

My Spiritual Mom

Well, where do I start. Much of who I am today I have learned from you. I have learned alot from my mother, I have learned alot from my mother-in-law...but since my spiritual birth I owe alot of what I have learned to my spiritual mom, Sis. Tracie Smith. The one who I call "My other Mother." Much of my organization skills, leadership skills, how to help others, how to pray, & how to just get the job done, I have learned from this lady. (oh, I must add...how to be a work horse) Yes, I agree, most things just come natural or you pick up on as you grow older, or you are born with, or is just plain talent....BUT I have watched this lady, help sooo many people, love other peoples kids, I have watched how unselfish, how compassionate, & loving she is that you can't help to learn or pick up on. When I first got in the church and didn't know how to pray or what to say, I would just listen to her. Today, as I watch her with two grown kids...I am still taking notes. This lady is so special to me. She has loved and treated me like her own. I even call her children bubba & sissy and refer to them as Mom & Dad sometimes. I have had many trials, situations, ups & downs that she has coached me threw as if I were her own child. Thanks for telling me like it is....for being sooooo real. I appreciate you so very much, you are soooo very special to me. Happy Mother's Day!

Mini Getaway

This past weekend we loaded up the kids and a change of clothes and got away. Away from responsibilities, Conroe, laundry, yard work....etc....you get the picture. We have only taken one vacation as a family and that was this past Christmas. We went to Branson, MO. With our busy schedules, work schedules, events, happenings...etc...we really hadn't had the chance to just getaway....so this past weekend we were determined. We took the girls to Galveston. It was a fun time. We left Friday afternoon and rushed back Saturday evening. Brooklyn our oldest daughter has been begging to stay in a hotel. I am still trying to figure out what is soooo special about a hotel room verses her room. HA! I think it is the same reason why I wanted to go stay in a hotel.....different atmosphere....no stress, no pressure, no cooking, no cleaning.

Anyway...about our weekend...

We took the girls to Rainforest Cafe...they loved it. The animal action & sound effects that they do every 20 minutes or so scared them at first but they learned it was fake and enjoyed it. We played a few games...enjoyed the rainforest water ride, watched the volcano errupt, took pics by the beach, went to see a couple IMAX films, walked in the water, ate ice cream and then headed home. It was fast & furious....but we had a blast. We discovered that Ashlynn does not like the water at the beach....Brooklyn thinks it's chocolate water, and Jeff has really, really, really white feet....HA! Me on the other hand...just sit back, enjoy the moment and snap pictures. I love to take pictures...I'm not that good at it, but love to capture the moment. I am trying to get my husband to buy me a new camera....but so far not so good at accomplishing that. Anyway, that is a different blog a different day.

I am a firm believer that not only is date night important for spouses but also for our children...alot of times our children are being drugged here and there so we can accomplish all of our tasks, errands, duties, jobs....etc....they need their time...so this was a much needed mini getaway.

If we have no time for our children while they are young, they very likely will have no time for us when we are old.

Psalm 127:3-5 (NIV) 3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. 4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.

Watch the slide show to see pics of this weekend.

Pics of our Weekend in Galveston