Stood Up

Well friends...we've been stood up. David Beckham did not come to Dallas because of his injury. Quite a bummer for all...

I'm "major" excited...

I've got to find something cute to wear tomorrow and maybe add in a cute pair of pumps because I'm going to see David Beckham play tomorrow!! Whoa...I'm "major" excited because I'm sure Victoria will be there and we can discuss fashion and and sing some Spice Girls songs. Then maybe all 4 of us can go to dinner afterwards. Wouldn't that be splendid.

Boy has informed me that pumps are not a good choice for a soccer game, we can not listen to my tracks on the way over there, and no I cannot have his binoculars to gawk at Beckham all evening.

He's such a bummer to take anywhere.

Fried Butter & Lifetime Dreams

Sunday's always go in this order.
1. Sunday School
2. Church
3. Lunch at Jason's Deli (the worker's don't even need our order anymore)
4. Nap

All are critical and all are looked forward...but I can't lie I love me a nap! Naps are wonderful aren't they? I mean come on how did we fight those as children? I remember being at the babysitters house during the summers as a kid and she was so mean because she made us eat our entire bowl of macaroni and cheese and then take a nap!! What was I thinking? I'd die to eat a big bowl of macaroni and cheese without a calorie worry and then take a nap with no obligations. Parents should really sit their kids down and explain the importance of naps carefully.

So back to my nap. We get home and immediately I crash on the sofa and flip on my friend the tv. Ms. Paula Deen is making fried butter. Yes friend butter and then I switch over to the trusty Lifetime Channel. I know laugh now. But I love it. I mean come on where can else can you find a movie where the daughter is poisoning her stepmother and the brother pretends to be getting out of jail but is really an undercover cop. Lifetime has it all!

I put it on the Lifetime channel and then drift off to sleep. Word of advice. Don't fall asleep to the Lifetime station. I love it but friends I was having some crazy dreams. I woke up in a panic because I was running around pregnant with multiples and solving crimes. Good Night it was wild. After trying to find my bearings I noticed what channel I was on. No wonder!

Maybe I'll just stick to Paula Deen's fried butter next time...and no I'm not pregnant either?

whats yours is mine...and what's mine is mine

Mia the houseguest

"Mama when they comin to get her?"

The babies playing outside

Pug drinking out of an ozarka water bottle. Apparently tap water is not good enough for him.

That's our new motto around here as pug adapts to our 4 legged house guest stealing and chewing on HIS toys. He's absolutely beside himself at the fact of some girl pug taking over his domain. He does love chasing her around the ottoman in circles and smelling her rear. What gentleman!

We are both absolutely exhausted since Mia has barked all night for the past two nights. Word of advice Mia...keep up the barking and you might find your self with a FREE sign around your neck or on the next flight to meet up with your owners.

I promised some pictures of the babies.

I've been memed...

What an exciting Friday...I've been memed or asked to meme or memod; whatever the proper English would be on that. But first...slight delay in my little game "Don't forget the worship Lyrics". Ughh. Very frustrating trying to get the clip made and then put it on the blog. So please bear with me, our houseguest barked all night. Oh yes all night. Even pug was like be quiet already!

Okay Ms. Mandy here you go...
5 Thinks I want to do before I die.
1. Have babies...and be the first to do it without any pain!
2. Publish a book maybe even a children's book.
3. Ride a gondola in Italy
4. Walk the beaches of Belize
5. Sit on the front porch in white rocking chairs with my husband with my children, grandchildren and maybe even my great grandchildren watching the sun set.

5 Thing I Can Do.
1. I can pick things up with my toes.
2. I can remember crazy details like what I wore on the day I got engaged or 2 Christmases ago.
3. Sleep 12 hours straight...I love to sleep.
4. Decorate
5. Read a good book by the pool.

5 Things I Cannot Do.
1. Drink Diet Coke/Pepsi...I allergic to aspertame in it
2. Sing...it's like nails on a chalk board
3. Burp on command...never have been able too. I guess I'm just so lady like.
4. Go a day without a Dr. Pepper. It's how I function in the morning.
5. Eat any kind of fish. Ugh just gagging typing that word.

5 Things that make a man attractive to me. (Since I've found my soulmate already I'll tell you what made Boy attractive to me).
1. His smile.
2. Sense of humor
3. Tall and athletic build (he's such a hunk)
4. Can't dance, but sure tries.
5. Love the Lord first and foremost.

5 Celebrites I Crush On. (I love my hubby, but these are some cuties)
1. David Beckham...oh and I get to watch him play in Dallas on Tues. maybe he'll take me to dinner afterwards :-)
2. Matt Damon
3. Patrick Dempsey
4. Jim from "The Office"
5. Jude Law

I'm supposed to pass this along...but I'm so new with so few blogging friends that I'm going to leave this open to anyway. Do let me know if you do it so I can come read it.

Pug Fest 2007

Have I mentioned I'm blonde? Ughh. I hate to use it as a cop out, but seriously y'all I forgot my login. Good night. It's either the blondeness or I'm getting old.

Well we have a houseguest. A baby girl pug named Mia...well her real name is not Mia but her name is so stinking long it takes me 5 minutes to say it (or remember it) so I changed it for the week. No worries though I don't even think she knew it in the first place. Pug is not sure what to think. When Mia arrived she sat by the front door with a look of horror that her owners had ditched her. She's nested in fine and that means sitting on Pugs sofa, eating Pugs treats and playing with Pugs toys. Pug + Sharing = NOT HAPPENING! If Mia comes and sits in my lap within 2 seconds Pug is right there pushing her away. Before her arrival he never wanted to be in anyone's lap! But friends the snorting is terribly annoying. They never stop snorting. It's so loud I keep having to turn up the tv just to hear my self think. But praise God for 2 sleeping baby pugs and finally the return of my hearing. I promise to post pics tomorrow.

Has anyone seen "Don't forget the Lyrics" on tv? It is such a blast if your music fans like boy and I. We can't sing for our lives, but do love trying. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to play around with a little blogging twist so come blog sing with me in the next 24 hours (and practice up on your worship lyrics).

P.S. If anyone can share with me the best way to make a clip, do share before I pull all my blonde out!

Sunday's

I love Sundays.

It's sort of the icing on the cake from the busy week you just conquered.

Our Sunday mornings are blessed with rounding up 6 year olds and in between comments of "Please sit down", "Don't pick your nose in church" and "Do you two need to be separated" we pump them up on God's word. Boy and I feel so blessed to get to serve these little people. I sometimes think that we learn more from them than they do from us. For example...

1. Abraham was born in a log cabin. (uh let's try the other Abraham)
2. Many of them can "tithe" their shoes (we're still working on the meaning of that one)
3. While Moses led the Israelites thru the desert he did comedy (boy I missed that verse in my bible)
4. Manna is also referred to as mayonaise (yum)

After church a nap is order.

Home Sweet Memories

I'm going to take a walk down memory lane today. Mary at Owlhaven has put a great POST together for all to reminisce.

We moved around a few times with my dad's job. So many of my childhood homes have very special meaning, but one in particular just screams true childhood. There was nothing fancy about this Kansas home on a cul-de-sac looking back at it, but it sure seemed like a castle to me full of space to spread out Barbies and build forts to hide in.

The outside was a dark red brick with a small patio off the front door. It was great for eating popsicles in the shade. There was no fence, so the sky's the limit to run and explore with all the neighborhood kids who we still love so dearly. On the inside it was wonderfully cozy, but can you say wallpaper? Wallpaper was all the rage and so I don't believe that there was one room in that house that wasn't glued up with some flower print. I remember asking my mom when we were transferred again and boxing everything up why she was not packing the comforter off their bed and she said the new owners had asked for it. It all makes sense now that the wallpaper was the opposite floral pattern of the bedspread. But still I always thought that was gross.

The kitchen full of beige fermica and laminate had a huge window and a built in desk and next to us was a huge cabinet pantry with pull out shelves. I lost a library book one time and about a year after my mom made me earn the money to replace it and apologize to the library for my 5 year old irresponsibility we found it one day while organizing. That's always how it happens isn't it?

The living room was right off of the kitchen and that is always where Santa worked his magic. He would leave a stocking full of trinkets and goodies and some umwrapped toys were miracously put together and laid out in front of the large fireplace. Christmas was so wonderful and innocent in this home.

Upstairs where 4 bedrooms, with one in the back all for me. It was painted pink with a border that matched my comforter, that matched my curtains, that matched the rug. It was a great collection from JcPenney's might I add, but it was my big kid decor from the graduated crayon bedding days and I loved it so. It was a great room with a window seat to sit on and a closet full of puffy dresses and overalls for school (I had an overall phase). I can smell the wonderful house scent now as I go back through it.

These are some great memories and I'm so thankful to get to write them down. Please comment if you do this so I can come visit you and take a tour.

The day I realized I'm not in control

I'm going to direct you over to Shelly's blog
Her post though today reminded me of the first time I witnessed how in control God was. I have not shared this yet, but I am a truly a new believer! I so love saying that too! I was raised Catholic, and yes we worshiped God and walked in His word. However, there was a HUGE part missing to that. God was not a Father figure to me. I never could have dreamed that He could love me so unconditionally and it took me 18 years to find that LOVE!! Wow friends...it's an amazing love and trust isn't it? Just like that song goes..."I could sing of His love forever!!" Well know I truly can. I'll share later about becoming a teenage believer, but back to my story first.

After my senior year in high school, I was all set to attend a ginormous state school in their pre-law department. At the very last minute and I mean like a few weeks before I headed off something changed that. Well that something was God and only He can make incredible successful last minute change in lives!! I ended up being called to a small baptist college. Yep, baptist!! So I loaded up my rosary and holy water...just kidding bad joke. And set off for one wild ride in salvation. I was the ONLY catholic at this Baptist school and so surrounded by me were all these people lovin' on this intimate relationship with Jesus. I took a lot of grief for being Catholic...I won't lie. I was dumbfounded though and I will truly never forget the first time I realized He was in control and can make it happen. We were in chapel, which we had 3 times a week, and one kid stood up in front of thousands of people and shared his testimony. He also shared that he came to school with NO money and by God's grace random checks were being sent to his home for the amount of tuition he owed. It blew me away. How in the world...I kept trying to figure out the science of it...and finally I caved and said "It's you God...they are right only you can do it" It was such a light bulb moment and you can't reason or explain it. That is just the faith in it. I see that now. I get so many times people asking me if I missed out on His relationship going through some of the toughest moments of my life. And I always answer yes...but y'all it is so cool to have these God moments so fresh and so new. I don't know if I'd change a second of it.

Nooma

Hey Friends!

Just curious to see if any one is familiar with Pastor Rob Bell or his ministry called Nooma. In my lifegroup a church we watched one of the DVD's titled "Rain"...WOW! I was totally blown away...and sobbed the whole way home. It was a beautiful description of God's love for us as our Heavenly Father!! I've also been told his books are great too! I'd love to hear if you've seen any of the others in the series and your thoughts!

Enjoy the video preview from Youtube and by the way Happy Monday!

It's Late

I've been having quite a bit of insomnia for the past few weeks. No idea why...I've just been using it to my advantage to catch up on laundry, reorganize my office, and watch people try to sell pure junk on t.v. Rule of thumb...if they never mention in the 30 minute infomerical what it is that you will be doing to make you $100,000 in your first month...then it's either a scam or something you probably should not get into in the first place.

Tonight though I got rather domestic. I even sort of scared myself. On my way to the grocery store I made a stop for a craft shop and picked me up some knitting supplies. Knitting to me is like a dying art. My grandmother always knitted and I told myself one day I would learn too. Well that day came today. I checked out with my "How to Knit for Dummies" and a giant roll of yarn and headed home. After making a fabulous dinner I was feeling pretty crafty and so I picked up the book and dove into Knitting 101...yeah my first lesson. I felt for sure I'd have a blanket busted out in no time. Needless to say...their is no blanket! Nor was it the "Little House on the Praire" seen I have envisioned. What really endured was 2 hours of pure frustration ending with yarn spewed and thrown across the living room and one angry girl yelling "I QUIT". Boy came down to see the show and ended up walking away with knitting needles that he says will make great chopsticks the next we order in Chinese food.

The whole bummer of it is now I need a plan b for christmas gifts as I had pictured everyone jumping for joy when they opened up their new handmade ponchos.

And then when all else fails you can use your kit to make cool yarn people. (sorry you have to tilt your head to view)

Spoiled "Flamboyant" Pug

Any suggestions on keeping your dog off the dining room table. On numerous occassions he has gotten stuck and can't get back down. So I laugh and take pictures of him!


Look what pug got for his B-day! A squeaky Chewy Vuitton and a cup of Barks Coffee! He's stylin' now. Boy was not pleased that I bought his "tough" male dog a purse and has tried to dispose of it! It's so stinkin funny when he runs around the house with it. Ha!

New Header!!

I keep forgetting to mention my blog header. Vanessa put this together for me and I think she did an amazing job. Do holler at her if you are looking for a new affordable look on your blog.

Diet Nachos

I got this great new recipe book the other day and guess what it had in there....NACHOS! I almost passed out in excitement because no diet I have ever been on told you to eat nachos. So tonight I made out my list of ingredients and went to the store for our Nacho Night evening. At the check out I was blindingly reminded of why we Do just eat our Taco Bueno nachos...because it's CHEAPER. My ingredients for healthy nachos and guacamole cost over $25 bucks. Can you believe it??? I could have just driven a little further and gone through the drive thru, paid $5 for a ginormous meal, and not had to spend 45 minutes cooking it or cleaning up. And we wonder why the nation is overweight? I vote we switch the prices of the 2.

Anyway, our Diet nachos were still very tasty. Boy even approved although he couldn't quite figure out where the salt was.

Here's the recipe if you want to break the bank:
2 Avocados
2 tomatillos (the store was out so I had to improvise) chopped
1/2 cup onion chopped and seedless
1 garlic clover minced
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tomato chopped and seedless
1 tbs. lime juice
Mash avocados, then add in the rest and stir

Chips: Buy corn tortillas and cut each into 6th. Spray pan with Pam and then bake on eachside for 5 minutes at 400 degrees.

Nachos:
Homemade chips, reduced fat monteray jack and chedder cheese, 1 can of pinto beans rinsed and drained then mash up, guac., and a lowfast salsa. You can also add any pepper or chiles if you want.

Enjoy!

Pray

Please make a prayer stop by this BLOG that Especially Heather shared. This woman just found out she has liver cancer...she is 27 with a son and is single. This little boy is all she has. Please lift them up in prayer.

Lapping Up His Grace

I so needed to be with my Heavenly Father this afternoon. It was truly a perfect afternoon with just me and him in my big comfy chair. I could have stayed there all day basking in His grace.

My heart has been so full of worry and anxiety with desicions that need to be made or don't need to be made and finally after trying to solve them all by myself I gave up and came running to His arms. How amazing is it that we have a God we can do that with? The concept is truly just too much for me to wrap my mind around.

There in my chair I sat curled up with my Bible and a study on Daniel that I "dropped out" of last summer for no real reason other than time. I picked it up and turned right to where I left off...and it was so right where I needed to be. And although Ms. Moore gives instructions just to do 1 a day...I couldn't help it and kept lapping up His word. Time had no meaning, it was just me and God and kept asking for second helpings.

Lord, thank for our day! I praise you so for the grace, mercy and wisdom you bestill upon us each and every day. Lord, I have foolishly tried to control Your will and I pray that you will take the wheel. May we always search for the joy in lapping up your grace!

Love this idea!! Click HERE to learn more!!

deodorant drama

This is a special anniversary shout out to some dear special friends of ours who after the inccident I'm about to tell you all have graciously remained friends to us. God Bless them! My husband actually grew up with her and come to find out for the first time last night while watching "My Best Friend's Wedding" with Julia Roberts the two of them actually made that dorky pack that if they both weren't married by 28 they'd marry each other.
I almost died laughing on the floor for 2 reasons:
1. that they made that pack
and
2. my husband watched that girly movie as a teen!
Anyway...back to my story...God graciously saved her from marrying boy and found the most precious man and 3 years ago today they married.

At the time boy and I were still dating (he actually proposed a week after their wedding) and were able to be at their beautifuly ceremony of I Do's. Now check your calendar...which month are we in? Yes, July. July is not the month to have a wedding in Texas much less outdoors. That's right outdoors. It probably would have been cooler to set me on fire.

So we arrive, me in a sleeveless dress, I did think about a bathing suit but since they I knew their would be no dancing for religious purposes I felt a bikini would not go over well with the family. It was a gorgeous ceremony and as we all mingled with lemonade and cake after the reception we went up to give the bride & groom a hug.

I hugged my sweet friend in her beautiful white gown and then leaned in to hug the groom in black with one of those side hugs. You know the ones with one arm where your pit is all over their side. Know if you haven't seen what's coming let me give you a hint heat + sweat= deodorant melting. Yep I totally ruined his tuxedo with my hug. He was COVERED in white goop from my smelly pit!! I was mortified. If I didn't have heels on I would have sprinted for the nearest exit. I quickly began wipping this poor groom down grasping for napkins and water galore. PRAISE GOD the gunk got off and the tux was not ruined nor the evening.

I did however spend the night waving instead of hugging.

A Note to the Pug

Dear Sweet and Fluffy Pug,

I just had to write and thank you so terribly much that after you had a violent spell of #2 you felt the need to grab a sock from the laundry and put it on top to somewhat hide your mess from me this morning. You are way too stinking smart for a dog and as very generous as that was of you it then left me to clean one more thing you destroyed.

With Love,
Girl

Contentment

Well, I have to say that for us DFW folks this has been on of the first days in awhile where is hasn't been pouring. I took advantage of the day by getting out and enjoying running errands without an umbrella in hand. I headed to Michael's for a quick trip to get some supplies for a project. I even ventured down the knitting section only to be somewhat intimidated. Sarah at In the Midst of It has inspired me with her craftiness to begin a to knit... something I have always wanted to take on, but kept putting off. I decided to just order a book off of Barnes & Noble with a gift card instead.

The off to the grocery store for my least favorite activity grocery shopping. Although to my surprise the store was having 10% off a bag you filled with frozen foods. So like teturis I gracefully placed so frozen veggies, bread, and ice cream into my bag sparing no room.

Driving home from my domestic adventures my heart leaped with joy to find a woman selling Gucci, Tiffany, Coach and Louie items. They looked oh so real and for the price I doubt they are real, but I couldn't resist a look. And then $15 later I walked away with this great find!! $15 dollars folks.

And with that I am beginning to prepare for our lesson in Sunday school tomorrow on contentment. I really do set a fine example don't I with my necklace?

one year

One year ago, on July 3rd, I lost my grandfather. Not to old age or a disease as we all thought one day may take him home, but to suicide. I have to admit that I never thought suicide in my family would happen. To me suicide was for "messed up" people not every day families like mine. But on July 3, 2006 I'd meet it head on. I'd be lying if I said that past few days around this holiday went smoothly. An anniversary from a death is always painful you remember the day like it was yesterday recalling the smallest details. On that day we had slept in and were heading out the lake house for the holiday. The phone rang and boy picked it up and handed it to me immediately. Something in his face told me I'd remember this phone call for the rest of my life. My mom had that voice...there is just something awful about a voice getting ready to share bad news. She told me my grandfather had commited suicide with a .22 on the church steps that morning. I collapsed in sobs. From that point it seemed like such a blur as we drove all day to my grandmother. I remember the shock, I remember the tears as I held my mother, I remember the pain I felt for my aging grandmother as she was given this news, I remember the sun setting on the Kansas plains as we drove, I remember the panic and fear of the unknown days ahead, I remember the rain as it fell driving into their hometown, and I remember the silently prayer of thanks for God giving us this rain to wash it all away. I wanted so badly for God to take this all away and for this to be one bad dream.

That night I tucked my sweet grandmother into bed. I held her tiny hand and we prayed in sobs. She would go for the 1st time in 61 years of marriage without her sweetheart lying next to her that night and that was almost to painful for me to bear. "How God are we supposed to do that?" The pain of losing a loved one is so painful, but for that life to be ended out of choice makes the questions flow uncontrollably. Some days moments like this one stand out more so than others. I think I will end here tonight. I will leave you with a reminder of God's grace and mercy. As painful as this experience was and is, God has overflowed our cups with love and strength to deal. His word was the rock I needed and the rock in which I leaned. The verse 2 Timothy 4:17 has a new meaning to me now, "The word stood at my side and gave me strength" I love that scripture for it's power and relentlessness. Sometimes we may forget to seek His word when we need it most. But our Heavenly Father knows and is without a doubt there even if we forget to ask.

Good Night

our "fancy" feast

Alrighty friends...need a little recipe help. I am pulling out all the cookbooks and online recipes in search of a killer bake bean recipe for the 4th. I'm not talking a can of bush's finest...I need the good stuff. So spill your little cooking hearts. Here's also what's on the menu in case you want to stop on by.

Chips and Queso for a post lake snack...I found a new rec. I am going to try. People swear by it so we'll give it ago.
Boy's Ultimate Mini Cheeseburgers: These little drops of heaven are "yumo" and in fact great for pick eaters.
Corn on the Cob: Grilled with a little garlic powder and drenched in butter.

Now off to watch "The Next Foodnetwork Star"!! Whoa!!

4 more days...

Boy and I have a confession...we are HUGE Big Brother fans! I actually started the trend before I met him beginning with Season 2 and sucked him into it so that together for 2 months we become glued to the t.v. The obsession is so bad that on our wedding day, I made him double check to make sure that TiVo was recording it so not to miss it...how romantic huh? If you are unfamiliar with the show, it's on CBS Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays and basically consists of a bunch of people stuck in a house for 60 days, they vote 1 person off each week and there are crazy twists in the midst of it. Exciting huh? Now we know we are not the only ones this crazy. My parents dig it, one of my best friends from college and our cousins too. So there are 7 losers walking around in Texas talking about this Emmy worthy show. So just far warning...there will be much more Big Brother chat to follow!

**UPDATE** No we have never subscribed to the online 24 hour viewing...we're crazy, but not that crazy.