What a Difference a Minute Makes!

This morning I started week two of my training with a new partner! Kelly and I both got up early and started our driveway run. Oh my, what a difference a minute makes. I thought I was going to die!!! Kelly did much better than me and he didn't run half as much as I did last week! Someone please tell me it gets easier?!! I drank plenty of water last night, ate a breakfast bar before heading out... I am wondering if it would be better to do the run/walk on the treadmill until I get my endurance built up? Anyway, I did it today, we'll see what tomorrow brings! I am not discouraged!

To Everything There is a Season...Eccl. 3:1

This weekend I was privileged enough to go to a Christian Women's Retreat in Olive Branch with my dear friend, Roan.


The theme of the retreat was "Seasons of a Woman's Life," and it was terrific! Each session was an analogy of the seasons and how each is such an important time in our lives as Christian women: spring being a time of discovery 1 Tim. 4:12, summer a time of learning Titus 2:4-5, Fall being faith in action Proverbs 31:10-31 and winter a season of influence and reflection Titus 2:3. The speakers were awesome and so full of enthusiasm, wisdom and encouragement! The singing was amazing - I know this must be how Heaven will sound one day!!! It was a great surprise to see my friend, Stacee, her mom and sisters, there!!

The lessons were great, the fellowship was great, the singing was great, and the food was not bad either - I ate way too much!!! I am looking forward to next year and can't wait to get more to go and share in the wonderful time of encouragement! I enjoyed myself, but am thankful to be back home with my family to experience these "Seasons of Joy!!!"

Redneck Runner!

You might be a Redneck Runner if your cheering squad is the cow in the pasture next door!!! More on that later....

I have been hanging in the balance for months on possibly trying to run, but until this past week I had decided it was not for me! A couple of reasons have changed my mentality on the subject. First, my friend, Roan, who ran a long run of 7 miles this week, has inspired and encouraged me! I am amazed at her determination and endurance! It made me realize that I could do it - probably never 7, but at least 2 or 3! My other friend, Emily, was the one to push me over the edge. After reading her post, "Something Big Chasing Me," I was laughing so hard - I decided that if she could run around her pasture in pj's - then 'By George' I could run the trail that Kelly had bush hogged for our family a few weeks ago! So after looking at several sites that Roan gave me, I found a training program that looked manageable for me! It is an eight week plan, that slowly builds each week. I have to admit, it has been really hard to make myself get up each morning, but after each time, I feel great! This week I a have alternated between walk two minutes, run one ten times for a total of 30 minutes - this is 1 1/2 miles and on the other day I walk. On the walk, run days I have been on the treadmill and on walking days I have walked our driveway and trail. I have had two faithful companions on those days, Jake and Hunter, our Labs. They stay with me the whole time. Here's where the title of this post comes in. I have made a new friend next door, he's a cow! He follows along with me as far as the fence will allow, and after that he stands and "moos" really loudly - I am sure he is rooting me on!!! Anyway, everyone keep the encouragement and motivation coming! With the help of that, and of course my "mooing" squad, I might be able to do this!!!

Birthday Girl & Big Bubbas!

I have to post one more time about Avery's birthday. Her party was on Tuesday, but her actual birthday was Wednesday. She woke up again, coughing and barking, feeling terrible, so we let her have breakfast in bed! Here's the bed head princess practicing showing us how old she is! It takes her a few minutes and lots of concentration to get those fingers just right!

Parker and Carson were so incredibly excited and couldn't wait to give Avery her gifts. They helped me wrap them last weekend, and they also put her stroller together. They hid them in the attic until her big day!

Here they are outside the bedroom ready for the big reveal!

Avery closing her eyes tight waiting for her big surprise!

Big Bubbas each gave her a new outfit for her Bitty Twins! They were so excited for her and helped her put them in their new clothes!

Avery loved her new stroller and outfits for her twins! She has pushed them around and pretended that she was in the mall and at the park for the past two days!

Giving Daddy a bye hug before he leaves for work!

Avery has been such a joy in our lives! She is so precious to us all, always giving us kisses and hugs and telling us she loves us! I pray that God blesses us with many more years to enjoy her sweet spirit!

Happy 4th Birthday Avery!!!

Today was finally Avery's big day,Party Day, the one she has been talking about for a month! She kept telling me over and over again how excited she was about her party. This day was definitely fun-filled and action packed! We ran several last minute errands this morning to prepare for the party. I was totally prepared with my list, all stops carefully thought out to run smoothly and return home to set the party up in time! First, we made a stop at a local florist to leave Avery's very cute Strawberry Shortcake balloon to be blown up and a few latex ones added. Then, off to Hobby Lobby to pick up some art supplies for the craft. Next, we picked up some fresh fruit and ingredients to make chicken and fruit dip. A quick drive through lunch in the van at Chick-Fil-A. Everything is going pretty smoothly so far, we head over to pick up the cupcakes and small cake and they are so cute.... As I made it successfully to the van, here's where the trouble started...the cake box slid off the top of the cupcakes and the cake got a little smashed on the edges. Almost home bound, only two more stops... the balloons and to pick up Avery's little cousin, Maddie at her daycare. We are 2-3 minutes from home, when the 'birthday girl" rolls down her window... bye bye Strawberry Shortcake... I'm driving and realize what is happening and slam the brakes to try and catch the balloons ... it was all in slow motion.... I'm yelling at Avery to roll the window up which at this point it was already too late, but somehow, her tiny little fingers grasped one single piece of the ribbon and she saved all but Strawberry, who is nestled in the branches of a tree. I pull into the drive of the house where the balloon is stuck, get out to see if possibly the boys could scale the tree and save Strawberry, but it was too high! Okay, the time is now 2:00, party starts at 3:00 and nothing is ready at home. As I give up hope, I think maybe I can drive the van under the tree and stand on top to reach it, but still it was too high up! The only other option was to call the fire department to save her, but I am not so sure they would have obliged! I'm thinking, oh me... Avery is going to have a total meltdown, but my sweet little angel says, "It's okay Mama, I don't need it anyway." We arrive home to find that some, not all of the cupcakes are squashed, due to the slamming of the brakes! With the help of Lesley and the boys we are successful with party set-up!! Mission Accomplished! Avery's little friends trickled in one by one.
Avery with some of her guests!
Okay, I guess I should have said this before, but Avery woke up yesterday with a slight cough and yucky nose! I told her you can't get sick until after your big day! Jinxed... no, but really, it seems like my kids are always sick on their birthdays. This morning, she woke with the croup, barking like a seal kinda croup! She actually seemed fine though, or at least she played the part well with all her excitement. I could tell she was really feeling yuck though. All the little girls sat to eat at our dining room table, I went in to take some pictures and this is what I saw!

It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To!!!!
I guess with all eyes on her, it was more than she could take. She started to cry when we sang to her. Poor Baby! She did get happier though. She enjoyed her cupcake and ice cream- but not as much as Leah and John Ashford!!!! Leah enjoying the icing off her cupcake! Yum! More please!
Okay - hate to do this, but I totally can't keep my eyes open - will have to finish post tomorrow!! This is also my excuse for any typing errors!!! LOL

Morning! Back to the post!
In an effort to cheer Avery up, we let her open her gifts next. All the girls gathered around to watch! They are all so cute and sweet - sharing in Avery's fun!
She received some great gifts, I am sure she will have so much fun playing with them today! Avery getting her new Bible from John Ashford - It has a pretty little butterfly on it! All the little girls painted a small canvas! They basically just covered the canvas with different color paints. After they were dry, Lesley stenciled their initials, put polka dots on the edges and put on a ribbon hanger so they can hang them in their rooms. They turned out so cute!!! Thanks Lesley for your help!!!!! Here are a couple of the finished canvases! Leigh and my mama holding Emily and Annie! Is that Leah Johnson?!!! John Ashford, when no one was looking, climbed up to the art table and took a sampling of pink acrylic paint! For future reference, the paint is non-toxic. We found this out after Lesley made a call to Poison Control!!!! Oh my, he is a little rascal! Annie, Emily and Gracie had fun playing together on the floor! Avery had a great Birtday Party! She enjoyed so much spending time with her friends! Thanks everyone for coming and making another memory for her book!!!

New Look!

Thought I would try a new background- I was getting tired of the old one! I loved the little hoot owl-thought he was too cute and makes me think of fall! This last part of our week and weekend have been incredibly busy. The boys started their art classes on Thursday with Mrs. Vicki Farmer. They absolutely loved it and came home with beautiful pictures! Also, soccer season started for us and both boys will be playing two nights a week with some practices between! We had our first home school skate day on Friday and it was lots of fun for the kids. Friday night, Parker cooked supper for us with very little help from me, I stayed and supervised, but he did most of it all by himself, he made Creamy Italian Chicken, and it was delicious! Avery practiced setting the table for her 'Lil Keepers badge - so cute! My washer and dryer arrived at 6:30 and as soon as they were installed and dinner finished we put them to work. I love them, they are so cool - the kids do too, especially Carson - he thought it was Christmas! They wanted to know if they could do all the laundry from now on?! We will see how that turns out! Saturday mornings around here mean Daddy in the kitchen making a huge breakfast for us! This is a real treat, because during the week it's usually mom's boring old cinnamon rolls - not homemade ones either, cereal, oatmeal and toast and on occasion scrambled eggs. This morning, Carson took his turn in the kitchen as our chef, and he and Kelly whipped up one yummy breakfast for the whole family! John Ashford came in, smelled the food, climbed on the bar stool, grabbed a pancake off the platter and took a huge bite- he said forget the butter and syrup! It was so funny! He is a stinker! The rest of the day was packed full with chores, working on the tree house, football, and a little shopping for Avery's birthday gifts. Can't believe my sweet baby is almost four! Okay enough rambling- going to bed now!

A Week Already?

I can't believe it's been a week since my last post! I can't seem to get this blogging thing into my routine! Some of my buddies are posting 2-3 times a day, need I mention any names - farmer's wife? Just kidding Emily - keep the post coming - I am lovin' them! I guess if I would rise with the sun - which I wish I could do, well I guess I might if I could fall asleep before 12-1 a.m., I might post more. I really envy you morning people, I want to be one too - but just not happening, never been an early riser, 7:30 is the earliest for me. Sad, I know, but so true. But anyway, what a difference a week makes! I have been in much better spirits this week, nothing has changed except possibly my ATTITUDE, OUTLOOK on things and PRAYER!
This week has been crazy, and it's not over yet! My faithful washing machine of 13 years started pouring water out all over the laundry room floor on Saturday. We could never find the source of the leak, just that it was not coming from the pipes, tubing whatever it's called! My dryer has also been on the brink of death for some time, it was taking 3 cycles to dry a load of towels. Anyway, my sweet husband pulled them both out into the garage, went to Sears and bought me a new washer and dryer! Front loaders-Yeah! They will be here tomorrow, and we will be breaking those babies in - probably have 10 loads of laundry- no exaggeration. I think Carson is more excited than me! Anyway, you know how terribly nasty is gets under your washer and dryer, so with them out, I have scrubbed the floors sparkly clean! While in the cleaning mood, why not give the laundry room a fresh coat of paint - I had 2 extra gallons left of my kitchen green, so now the laundry room is green! Sounds gross, but it is really pretty- well, I like it anyways! Parker came in while I was painting and said eewww this is ugly! I told him it's the same as the kitchen, and here's a man for ya- he said really?! I didn't know our kitchen was green!
We will be here 5 years in November!!! Just like his daddy - bless his heart!
Poor Carson got into chiggers sometime this past weekend, and you know where they attack! Long story short, a doctor's visit, consult with urologist and medication - oral and topical antibiotic and steroids- he is on the mend!!!!! Bless him, he has been absolutely miserable! Next time, he will be wearing bug repellent! Okay, I am going to try and sleep now, so maybe I will wake by 7:25!!! LOL

Dose of Laughter!

God certainly knows what our needs are, lately I have been ummm, how do you say it - just downright crabby and not very much fun to be around! I don't know why really, just wound to tight, I guess!!! Any of you ever feel that way, or is it just me?!!! I take things and myself just too seriously sometimes-well most of the time! Don't really know why that is- but I am what I am! You know, sometimes you just need to laugh and tonight that's just what I did, we all did! Through my homeschooling journey, I have been blessed with some pretty great friends. Tonight, many of us got together to celebrate the upcoming birth of one of the moms, Anita. Spending the few hours with these wonderful, encouraging, inspiring and incredibly funny mamma's really lifted my spirit, gave me the "dose of medicine" that I needed! Our group has lots of colorful characters who can keep a group rolling- what a great time of fellowship we had! I think we could have pulled an all-nighter! Everyone agreed that we needed to do this more often and are looking forward to the next event! So, as I type this I am smiling from the inside out because I am so blessed!!!!

Parker is a Blogger!

John Parker is a computer kid! He has been successfully using a computer since he was 2! He loves anything that has to do with computers or any kind of electronics for that matter. He has been asking me to help him start his own blog, so we did tonite. I am sure that he will be teaching me a thing or two before it is over. Stop in and say hello to my little man!

Wednesday's Words

Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
but a good word makes it glad. -
Proverbs 12:25

A wholesome tongue is a tree of life,
but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. -
Proverbs 15:4

Not that I am full of wisdom or anything, because I am most definitely not, I read and study and sometimes come across inspiring words. I wanted to share my morning devotion.

The story was told of a teacher who asked her students what they wanted to be when they grew up. As you know, the responses were all different: president, fireman, teacher.... When the teacher came to Billy he responded "possible." The teacher asked "possible?" "Yes," Billy said, "My mom is always telling me I am impossible. When I grow up I want to become possible."

Oh my heart broke for this little boy. I thought back to times when I may have been a discouragement to my children. Honestly, I never would intentionally or purposely do this, but I am sure there have been times when I have been guilty. Encouragement and discouragement are worlds apart. How do we feel when encouraged? It gives us a boost, comfort, faith, cheer, hope, optimism, support and trust. When we are discouraged we feel sadness, rejection and loss of confidence! I know it doesn't take me long to know that I want to be the encouraging kind of mama! We all do- I am sure. I pray that God will forgive me for all the times that I may have discouraged my children and give me opportunities to encourage and praise my precious gifts.

Our Little Gymnist

Avery is loving her gymnastics class at Flip Flop Gymnastics! She can't wait to get there and as soon as class is over, even before we get to the van she wants to know when she can come again!!!

Avery with her teachers Miss Misty and Miss Dominee



Avery seems very enthusiastic about learning the new skills. She is really paying close attention to her teachers and wanting to learn more and more! It has been a great energy outlet for her!

Tooth Fairy Blues!

The Tooth Fairy is failing miserably at our house! I am thinking that she most definitely needs to be fired and replaced. The last tooth that my precious Carson lost and so carefully placed for her to pick up and leave that so much anticipated dollar must have been sick, on vacation or extremely exhausted! Hummm.... because she forgot to stop by and make her pick-up! She was forgiven, and we hoped for better next time. Well.... Last night, Carson finally let his Aunt Lesley pull one of his front, top teeth, after it has been hanging by a thread for quite some time! He fell asleep forgetting to place it under his pillow. I found it this morning and decided I would shine it up for the Fairy tonight. I told myself while brushing, not to drop it down the sink - you see it coming right!? So what to do now? Do we call a plumber or leave a note. Oh me... decisions, decisions! What will the fairy do?