Ahhhh!!!! Stress Free!!!!

This has been an AWESOME weekend!  Completely stress free!  Just for fun, I'm going to list all the things that have made me sooo happy this weekend.

1. Girls Night Out....2 restaurants and lots of laughs made this night great!!!!  Such a fun time!!!

2. A pedicure!  I even have a design on my toes!!!  It makes me happy!

Are my toes really long???  :)  I love the design..I may be a little weird!  :)

3. Allie playing with her friend!!!  Allie was happy=I was happy!

4. Pool Time....I just love it!!!  Fun with the family!!!

5. A date with my awesome husband!!!  Ahhhh!!!!

6. Sleeping in on a Saturday morning!!!  Yea!!!!!

7. Buying flowers....it just makes me happy!

8. Mama Mia!!!!!  I love that movie!!!

9. A nice run on a Monday morning....no school and I woke up on my own!!!!  Great weather and a great run!

10. More Pool Time!!!!  Such a fun time with family!!!  I still just love it!!!

11. Time with family.....makes it so nice!

12. Grilling in the backyard!!!  I love it!!!!

My handsome husband!!!  

I hope your weekend was great!!!

Manners....

Tonight Mark and I went out for dinner.  Yes, just the 2 of us....it was awesome, we didn't even talk about butter!  :)

I was SUPER impressed with a young boy I saw there.  Mark dropped me off at the door of the restaurant (Copelands) to get a table.  Three guys were walking in at the same time, a boy (around age 8-10), the dad, and the grandfather.  The dad had to go back to the car, so the grandfather and boy proceeded to walk towards the door.  The grandfather immediately walked in front of me, opened the door and walked in.  The boy grabbed the door and held it for me.  There was a 2nd door into the restaurant and the boy held that one too...the grandfather was just worried about getting a table.

As we were leaving, we got to our car and I saw the three guys walking to their car.  I actually got out of the car (no fear...Mark was near) and bragged on the boy.  The little boy had the biggest smile when I thanked him and the dad was BEAMING!!!  Grandpa was proud too....but he could work on his manners! :)

I LOVE seeing kids using good manners (especially when their parents are forcing them to) and I think we should let parents know when we do see it!  So, AWESOME job to the parents who are raising a gentlemen!  

Through my girls eyes...

Ahhhh!!!!  To be young again!  Summer as a kid was AWESOME!  I remember playing outside until it was dark....we were hot and sweaty when we came in and we liked it!  My sweet girls have been loving playing outside, even in the rain....just an excuse to use the umbrellas!  I've noticed a few things, about how my girls see the world...which is different than how I see it as a parent:

1.  Mud puddles...what could be better than jumping in them!  Who cares that they stain clothes, or create a bigger mess.

2. Water...why not use the water hose after a massive rain storm?  Who cares what the water bill will be if we continually run the sprinkler on the already wet front lawn?

3. Food....why eat inside?  Why can't they take anything outside to eat????  There really isn't even time to eat!

4. Making a mess....who cares that the front yard looks messy...forts have been built, sprinklers have been used, toys have been played with...but "I don't wanna pick it up!!!"

5. Bedtime....sooooo difficult when it isn't dark outside!!!  Why go to bed when the sun is still out!  Why do we have to come in when the sun is still out!

6. Clothes...the less the better!!!  Hmmm.......:)

7. Fun.....everything is about having fun!  Their day is all about having fun.....exactly what it should be, and I am loving being a part of that fun...and slacking on some of the "work" I should be doing!!!

Happy Almost Summer!!!!  This is the last week I will work a full week for a while!  Yea!!!!

Saturday.....Yea!!!

Today was a good day!!!  I got to sleep until I woke up!  I love it when that happens...which is like NEVER!!!!  The girls just watched TV in the living room.  They never woke us up!  YEA!!!!

I ate like the rapture was coming....of course it didn't come...so I will have to do better tomorrow!

We went to Lowe's today and priced carpet, hardwoods, and looked at stuff for a new patio and yet made it out of Lowe's without spending ANY MONEY!!!  Yea!!!

The girls played outside with some neighbors and I got to sit and visit.  YEA!!!

We watched High School Musical 1, 2, and 3...the sing-a-long version so we could actually sing all the words!  It was GREAT!

Mark is still having headaches...there is our bummer part of the day.  It has been a week now.  He's supposed to go out of town Monday...I told him if he has any tomorrow, back to the doctor for him on Monday.

It was such a nice day!!  Yea!!!!

Lessening the load!!!

I feel better....I feel more like my normal self.   (I put old self first, but I don't want to feel old.)  I've smiled a little more and been able to focus on other things the past few days!!  Yea!!!  Yea!!!!

It's funny....when you hit a rough time, all you want is life to be better again.  It doesn't always happen like we want.  I'm not going to lie...life has made me crazy lately.....too much stress, so many burdens, I physically was wearing down.  There were moments when I felt I couldn't keep my heart in my chest...I would pray....pray for strength, peace, help...I would be thankful for the trials and tribulations...knowing it would make me stronger.  Nothing seemed to be working.  People who could normally make me feel so much better....couldn't.  I have been PITIFUL!!!

I know 3 things that made a difference this time.

1. I know people were praying.  Praying for situations in my life and I believe they were praying for me too.  For that, THANK YOU!!!!  It has helped and I am sooooo grateful!!!

2. I just finished Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent.  I highly recommend this book.  There are several reasons I recommend this:
   **It is precious...I had moments with tears in my eyes, and then the biggest smile I could manage.
   ** It mentions John Brown University in Siloam Springs....YEA!!  Love it when my hometown makes
          a book!!
   ** It is a great book, an EASY read, and I love the childlike innocence of it!!!

3. I found a new blog that I LOVE/NEED!!!!  It is:   thesullivanfour.blogspot.com
     A little over a year ago Hannah Sullivan lost her battle with cancer.  She was 17 at the time.  I had followed her journey at that time through e-mail updates.  She and her family had/have an amazing outlook on life and the role that Hannah served in it.  As I have been dealing with a girl who is terminally ill with cancer....I found this blog at just the right time.  I can't tell you how uplifting this blog is and how amazing the mom (Jill's) faith is.


Sometimes our problems aren't solved or fixed by those we expect, it is the disguised that make such a difference.  I am blessed.  Have a wonderful night!

The Glad Game!

Those of you who know me, know my life has been insane lately!  The emotional journey I have been on is definitely taking its toll on me in many aspects of my life.  I would not change the things I am doing, but it's time to try a different outlook.  So, I am going Pollyanna on you!  Time for the Glad Game!!

LOVE this movie!!!

No real point to this picture, I just always thought the cakes looked soooo good!

Things I am glad about:

1. My husband.  He stands by through EVERYTHING.  He makes me laugh, holds me when I need to cry, and is just there for me.  He is my rock.  I could not be luckier to have such an awesome person in my life and I am so glad he is here for me.

2. My girls.  There is nothing better.  Just their smiles, hugs, and loves....I ADORE them.  They make me want to be a better person.  I have 2 beautiful, healthy girls....God has blessed me!

3. Family---especially my mom.  I am so glad she came down this past weekend....especially since Mark was sick.  It made it so much easier having her here.

4. My friends......I know they get so tired of me...but gosh, I LOVE that they are in my life and all have such different purposes.

Time to branch out a little:

5.  Exercise:  Gosh...I feel soooooo much better after it!!!

6. Soccer games: I LOVE being out on the fields, watching my girls play; watching Mark coach, visiting, and cheering!  LOVE it!

7. Chick Fil A:  Enough said!  Can't wait until Friday night!!!

8. Cheddar Jalapeno Cheetos:  Yep, still LOVE them!!!!

9. Music:  I love that the song you need to hear can come on the right time and it speaks to you...today that song was "I'll Stand by You" by the Pretenders.  (It made me appreciate my husband that much more.)

10. The fact it is almost June 8th!!  I need summer!

11. Prayers, because I know I wouldn't be doing the things I am doing without the prayers I am receiving.

12.  The weather....LOVE sunshine and warmth!!

I hope that everyone can find something to be glad in!!  Doing this list...I could have gone on and on, puts a lot of things in perspective!

Reverend Ford: [reading Pollyanna's locket] When you look for the bad in mankind, expecting to find it, you surely will. - Abraham Lincoln. 

Mother's Day....

Today has been pretty much perfect!  I have been spoiled today and I have loved every minute of it!  I have also been surprised this year at how much reading various Mother's Day comments have made me feel.  Some have made me so proud, others have made me so sad, and others have made me laugh.  I have a wonderful mom!  She has always been there for me, it didn't matter what time of day, where I was, or what I needed.  I knew/know I can always count on my mom.  I have been so saddened as people my age and younger have started losing their parents.  I just can't imagine and my heart hurts for them.

Being a mom is the most AWESOME thing in the world.  I have said it before and will say it again...I had no idea how much my mom loved me until I became a mom.  The sleepless nights and crying fits are all worth it.  I have loved the gifts I received from my girls (and husband) this year.  Allie made me a card and a paper doll of what I look like.  Autumn made me a stained glass picture for a window and cute card holding a type of tea.  Mark took the girls to Pottery Works where they made me super cute hearts!!  Plus, I got a certificate for a manicure and pedicure.  (Of course the girls want me to take them with me...not sure on this one!!)  :)

I LOVE that this says I am 29 years old and weigh 22lbs!  :)

I picked out everything we watched on TV today; which included, How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days, The Proposal, a Cubs game (they lost), and Armageddon!  I also picked out what we had for dinner!  I picked all my favorites...I know it is not very colorful...but I didn't want color...I wanted AWESOMENESS and Mark came through....we had bratwursts, Mark's fantastic grilled fries, deer poppers, and corn on the cob.  There is also an empty pineapple in my freezer....can't wait to see what that is for!  :)

BEST DINNER EVER!!!!

I hope everyone had a GREAT day, but the truth of it is....just being with Mark and my girls....almost always makes a perfect day....so this was more like having cool whip and a cherry on top!!!  Happy Mother's Day to all Mom's out there!

I have added these next pics to FB...but just too fun not to show.  These are birth announcement pics of the girls.

This pic is what we were sent after Autumn was born....obviously not what we were expecting.
When I called the company, they asked if I was SURE this wasn't my baby!!  I was SURE!  :)

Autumn...July 19th!!

Allie...September 2nd!!!

I love my sweet family!  Have a GREAT week!!

Innocence...

I love the innocence of my girls.  I love that when the say they heard the "B word" at school, that it still means "butt."  I love that they can't sleep the night before the Easter Bunny or Santa comes to our house.  I love that when we drive past the nuclear plant in Russellville they still think it is a cloud factory.

See...it could be a cloud factory!!!

I know it won't be long before this innocence is gone.  I see glimpses of it fading, questions that are asked that can no longer just have a simple answer.  Some people always give their children the exact meanings behind things, they are very factual with them.  There was one time that Autumn asked Mark how to play basketball...he explained there are 5 people on each time and that you have to go to your end of the court, passing and dribbling the ball.  He went into lots of technicalities, the 3 point line, free throw line, double dribbling.....I looked at her and said...shoot the ball into your basket...have the most points.....you win!  We are both correct...we just explain things differently.

Life isn't always that simple.  I like the idea of letting my kids be kids.  As a teacher I think it is important to educate our kids...but I'm not sure I want to spend a lot of time explaining terrorism or nuclear radiation to my girls just yet, so until it is a necessity...the nuclear plant will be a cloud factory, and when it is thundering...the angels are bowling.  :)

My sweet and innocent girls...as of now.  :)