Thursday Thankfuls

My new found friend Jennykate has came up with Thursday Thankfuls and I just had to join her since this is such a great idea to count your blessings and not your tragedies!

Although I have had a not so pleasant day, I still have alot to be thankful for...

*Im thankful we have the freedom to worship God and go to the church of our choice.

*Im thankful that we have such an awesome God that baby Stellan was born yesterday without any heart defect, he is totally healthy and absolutely adorable. Go see for yourself Stellan&Mckmama!

*Im thankful for my children without them I would not be what I am today...Crazy, but in a good way!

*Im thankful for my husband of course he is the best!

*Im thankful for my family they are awesome and Im thankful we are all healthy, happy and full of life!

*Im thankful tomorrow is Halloween and I get to raid the kids candy bag!!!

What are you thankful for?

Wordless Wednesday~Pumpkin Patch

We finally got to the pumpkin patch this past weekend. I had a great time watching my nieces run around and crawl all over them. I got in some practice photography too.

Savannah is 1 and Katie is 3! Look how cute they were dressed!

Not Me! Monday

I missed last Monday so I have a little catching up to do! Actually I cant think of any from the week before, but that could be the old age creeping up on me, since I will be 33 in 11 days!

Here is another edition of Not Me! Monday brought to us by MckMama (you may click the link at the bottom of the page to join in) Also please remember her and her family this week in your prayers as she will be having a new arrival which is planned for this Wednesday. If you dont know her blog already you should stop by her blog and check it out http://www.mycharmingkids.net/. Believe me you will be addicted and must check it often!

*I WAS NOT lazy last week and didn't feel like running to Walmart to get worms for our Bass...(yes we have a bass for a pet in which we have to feed worms) so I DID NOT go out into the yard and chase & catch crickets to feed him! One most certainly did not jump down my shirt and scare the you know what out of me. I just hope none of my neighbors saw me out there with the dog (who in turn was also Not trying to catch crickets too!)

*My daughter DID NOT scream my name from the porta potty at the park only to open the door before I got to her with her pants around her ankles ready to jump out of there! She was not screaming to "GET IT OUT!"
(here's the mental picture for you, I look around the corner to see a lizard sitting right beside the potty seat!) She said she didn't see it when she went in, but it showed no interest in leaving but she did! I had to stand in the door way so she could pull up her pants!

*I DID NOT work on learning photo editing all week last week instead of getting my regular house chores done. (The important chores did: everyone ate, slept and bathed)

*I DID NOT almost have a mental breakdown over not being able to edit a shadow off of a picture. I still cant but I am still learning!

* I DID NOT threaten to wreck my car just to get out of the high car payment but only if I knew I wouldn't get hurt and of course no one else would be in the car.
(I DID NOT get a lecture from my mom for that one! It was just a thought, but not like I would really do it!)

*My husbands dog Chance (since he is in trouble he is Larry's) DID NOT chew up my hibiscus plant, my rose bush, dig up around my gardenia, drag a dead squire onto the porch and get into Larry's fishing tackle and tear all the worms to shreds...No not that sweet little lovable baby puppy!!!! Look at this face and tell me he could do that!
*Oh I almost forgot, I DID NOT almost eat a bag of candy corn and those little pumpkins Hannah loves so much! They are NOT addicting!

Do you have any Not Me! Monday moments to share? Leave me a comment of click below to visit Mckmama!

My Husband Rocks Friday-Reason #2

Friday already? Where did this week go? Oh, I know where it went...I will be posting that on Monday in my Not Me! Monday Post so you will have to wait until then! But for now another reason why My Husband Rocks!

First of all, I always told everyone "When I get married again, I want someone who can fix things, a real handy man!". Well I got one! There is absolutely nothing my husband can not fix or build. I bought one of those tiny little 5.00 personal shaver things and when I put the battery in it didn't work. I was going to throw it away...nope, he took it apart and fixed it and I have had it almost 3 years!

It's really not about that he can "fix" so much though, its more that he is willing to do anything for anyone even if he has never done it before! I can not count how many nights, weekends or days off he has given to others to help them when needed. Some have been a "side job" to make money but for the most part it is all out of the goodness of his heart. From taking care of our neighbors yard, electrical wiring a whole building, fixing a car, building a dog room for my mom (which turned out awesome!) actually the list is too long, but you get the picture he can do it all...

He feels guilty sometimes because there are things here at home that need to be done and he is stretched so thin helping others that he cant get to ours, but I know in time ours will get handled too. I have never seen someone so talented and willing. He is truly a selfless man. He doesn't always get rewarded with money, but he has told me he knows he will be rewarded in Heaven and that is all that matters. Just knowing that he helped someone and that they appreciate it is all he needs.
There are not enough words to tell you how proud I am he is my husband and I appreciate all he does!
This is my 2nd reason my husband rocks, I have lots more so check back next week! If you would like to see more My Husband Rocks Friday or want to join in the fun click the collage above or the link below!
http://honestandlasting.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-husband-rocks-thoughtful.html

Slideshow of pics

Here is the slideshow of my favorites from Sunday!

Yesterday I took the pictures to Walgreens to print. So when I returned to pick them up the lady behind the counter asked me if I had a card. I said "No, Why?" She told me that the girl who helped me first wanted me to take some pics for her! How awesome is that? I remembered I had an Avon card in my purse with my info on it so I gave her one of those. So lets see if she calls!!!

I have alot of ideas running around in my head. But first thing first, I need a catchy name and to make some business cards! So I hope you enjoy the slideshow...Im going to be enhancing some of them before they are completely ready. But over all Im very pleased with the outcome!

My First Photo Shoot

Yesterday I had the privilege to take maternity pictures for my honorary sister, Sloan. My sister Mandi and Sloan have been best friends forever. Her and Toby are a big part of our family and we all love them. I was so excited (and nervous) when she asked me to take her photos. They are the cutest couple and I enjoyed helping make the memories of her pregnancy!

This is my first "official" photo shoot, though. I have played around with my camera and I took our family photos last year. I have often thought it would be lots of fun to take pictures for a living and I really enjoy it! This is a path of new discovery for me and I'm excited to see where it leads me. I'm hoping to have a few more scheduled shoots in the near future, I want to do babies, kids, maternity and families! I may try one of those "trash the dress" sessions too, they look like alot of fun!

So here are just a few of the pics from yesterday and I will be making a slide show by the end of the week to post! I hope you all enjoy them! Feel free to comment, good or bad! I need constructive criticism, its good for learning!

"My Husband Rocks" Friday

I came across this blog today My Husband Rocks Friday and thought this is such an awesome idea and I have to participate in it.

The Reason My Husband Rocks is because every time I talk to him on the phone, before we hang up he tells me he loves me and says "Bye Beautiful"...if there is nothing else in my day going right when I here him say that it makes my heart skip a beat... He literally has told me this since the first time we talked on the phone. I think a time or two we may have been cut off and he called back just to tell me that...

Gosh I could go on and on, I have so many reasons why he rocks but I will only tell this one
today! I will have more next Friday. If you want to join in click the links above!

Hurry to enter Jennykate's Giveaway!

Tomorrow is the last day to enter Jennykates 25th post giveaway! The winner will receive a surprise gift and Im sure it will be awesome! She is a very crafty lady and oh so very sweet for giving me a blog award! Hurry on over to her blog to enter before time runs out! Click the link to visit her JennyKate

Almost~Wordless Wednesday~

Who ever knew me to be wordless??? I just wanted to share these pics. My dear friend Mrs. Tammy bought me this hibiscus. The first picture was taken the first time it bloomed in May and the second was taken last week!

Look at the difference in color!!!! They are not enhanced this is truly how the color has deepened over the summer!

These are my favorite flowers and Mrs. Tammy thank you so much, I love my hibiscus!

Not Me! Monday- Week 3

It's Monday already?! Here's another installment of Not Me! Monday hosted by McMama! Click the link below or the button above to visit her blog and join in!

MyCharmingkids

Here are My Not Me's!

* I DID NOT go off on a tangent about something that bothers me this morning to my son, when I really shouldn't have. He is the innocent one in the situation.

* I DID NOT forget my husbands work uniform pants in the dryer, only to turn them on again to dewrinkle and forget them again! They ARE NOT still wrinkled!

* I DID NOT spend almost a whole day playing on my photo editing program and not do housework!

*I DID NOT have a great time Saturday night out having dinner and going dancing to celebrate my 3rd Anniversary with my husband, sister and her boyfriend and we DID NOT stay out until after 1:30 am! That is most certainly NOT the reason I was completely lazy all day yesterday and did nothing but lay on the couch watching movies with my husband!

* I DID NOT make Rice Crispy treats last week and eat most of them myself!

Well that's all I got this time! Do you have any Not Me's you want to confess?

It's Not Forever, Just For Now!

I have a friend that always used to tell anyone who was complaining about anything "It's Not Forever, Just For Now" . How right she is. I have to tell myself that one all the time and the kids too... Its one way to look at a situation you maybe in, it may seem like forever especially if its bad, but eventually it will fade away (usually) I know this is not the case in everything.

I tell my kids that when they dont want to do homework or go somewhere they dont like...If they will just grin and bare it for a little while it will soon be over! Im having to learn this myself with the financial situation we are in as a family and the whole USA! I know this strain can not last forever, it will get better eventually. Right now things look pretty dim for Americas, our economy and our government. I sometimes wonder if we will ever see the light at the end of the tunnel, but know in the back of my mind there will be but it may be a long time from now. I know more than ever we have to turn our eyes toward God and keep faith he will watch over us all and the good will come out of all this bad.


As it doesn't look like Im going to find a job anytime soon (I know I sound like a broken record "Its Not Forever Just For Now!"). Im going to have to be pretty creative for Christmas this year. We are going to give handmade crafts and for the kids be more selective in what we buy instead of buying the whole store. Its gonna be a shock this year for them, not that I have always been able to give them every expensive thing on their list but for the most part they got what they wanted plus some! However, Im excited that maybe this year they will actually understand what Christmas is all about, the birth of Jesus and feeling the joy of making & giving to others and not getting, getting, getting (all that extra stuff usually ends up in a yard sale anyway!) I think they will enjoy it more when they have a gift to give that they made themselves or at least I hope they do! They will get a few things they want, a few they need and a heart full of Love!


So last night I implemented something I had been thinking about doing...NO TV/COMPUTER/VIDEO GAMES NIGHT! You would have thought I told them I was gonna shot them when I mentioned it... but it was actually pleasant, we completed a few "to-dos" like o like their Christmas list, some 4-H paperwork for the fair, extra reading for AR points!!! Since it was rainy they were a little bored at first but during a few minute break we went for a quick bike ride/walk and ended up getting rained on before we got home...hehe... Brant sliced the potatoes for supper and then after dinner we sat down together to work on our No Sew Blankets we are making for Christmas and 4-H! Wow that was fun! It also gave me a chance to go through some of my craft supplies that Ive had forever, I found some cross stitching pieces that I havent finished so I may start working on them again...what the heck I need just one more thing to add to my to do list...LOL...Over all, the night went by pretty good without any total breakdowns. I will say Larry did watch a little news after Chey went to bed (but that's OK) then we all went to bed earlier than normal! Wow I may have to do that twice a week!

We are taking my nieces Katie & Savannah to find a pumpkin patch tomorrow (or at least I hope we find one) I cant wait to take pictures of them! If you haven't seen my gorgeous nieces wait til I post those pics! I will share next week!

One more little thing, I ask that you guys will remember us in prayer for Larry's job. With everything happening to the economy most companies are having cut backs and lay offs. We are hoping it will not effect us, but have been told no one is safe from a layoff...so with that said we are a little scared but keeping the Faith that God will watch over and keep us and if it happens we will deal with it keeping our eyes on him!

Hope you all have a wonderful Weekend!

Our 3rd Anniversary

Today is our 3rd Wedding Anniversary...Hard to believe that is has been 3 years already and then in the same breath it feel like its been a lifetime! To us our relationship has been like a fairy tale...no not always as perfect...but really amazing. I have been thinking about this post for a few days and how I wanted present it. There are so many things I want to write but it would take all day to read what I have in my heart to say. So I'm gonna give a brief overview of my thoughts and I have included a slide show of my favorite wedding pictures (That was hard in itself to narrow down).

Sometimes I'm still in awe over how we started out! Both of us broken and bruised from our past. I myself was in a relationship at the time that had been bad for a long time...My mom kept telling me that by 30 I better have my life straight or she was going to intervene...Moms you gotta love their persistence! So there I sat at 29 & a half watching my life go by virtually out of my control...then in the blink of an eye it all changed...

We knew each other already, he worked with my dad, he had became a part of the family at their house. We saw each other on holidays and cookouts, but only talked a few times. He says he had a crush on me the whole time, I guess I was blind, I can say there was a time that we were there and he was on the phone with a girl and I felt jealous! I went home thinking to myself "Why are you jealous, you don't even know him!" Then the time he walked in and time stood still for both of us, we sat and stared at each other for what felt like an eternity but was really only seconds (thankfully no one else noticed). About 3 weeks later we ended up going to the same place, me with friends,him with my Dad & Step Mom and that's when it clicked! We ended up moving in together after 1 month, got engaged after 2 months and were married in 6 months. I married him 29 days before my 30Th birthday!

Our wedding was on Daytona Beach, thanks to all my family and friends. It was truly a group effort. Everyone pitched in to help along in some way, my mom worked endlessly on the flowers, decorations, planning and plotting;) My dad made the lovely chocolate starfish on my cake (which I had decided to forget when they kept breaking, but he found a way to make them for me!)My sister in law Kiley married us, my friend Mina took all my pictures. I would be here all day listing everyone that helped us through it,but if you were one of them know how much we truly appreciated everything and we love you all for it! I have to say it was a family affair one of which was the most enjoyable times of my life, I had my Mom's family & My Dad's family all working together as One! We all stayed at the Americano Beach Resort and made it a weekend complete with a Rainbow in the sky after our first kiss as husband & wife! They also surprised me at the reception and Brant sang "God Bless the Broken Road" to us...needless to say I cried the whole time! We are such a Karaoke family, pretty much everyone sang that night!!!

I cant really express to you all how lucky I feel when I think about the last 3 years, what it took to get me here and where we will be going. Larry has truly been a gift from God for me, my children and my family. I don't know where we would be without him. Looking back I wouldn't change anything, since I had to go through all of that to find him. Despite the small struggles we go through as a blended family, its all been worth it to me. He makes me laugh, he opens my doors, he holds my hand, loves to see my tears of joy & compassion, loves my kids and family as they are all blood to him and has a heart bigger than he is. My only regret now looking back is that we decided we wouldn't have a child together (for various reasons) now we wish we would have waited to make that decision, our feelings are quite different now more than 2 years ago...but we enjoy the ones we have and love them dearly (just secretly I think it would have been awesome to share that experience with him) So here is to my husband, the man I thought would surely never come because I was not worthy of such love. But God showed me differently and I will thank him everyday for what a blessing Larry has been to all of us!

Not Me! Monday- Week 2

Well this is my 2nd week doing Not Me! Monday, I really enjoyed writing it last week and thought I would continue joining MckMama www.mycharmingkids.net/2008/10/nothing.html, and all the other Mommies out there with Not Me's!

*I most certainly did not buy more scrap booking stickers just because there were "On sale", I have not scrap booked in over 2 years, but I keep saying every weekend..."Im gonna get out my scrapbook stuff and work on it...hasn't happened yet, but I can't resist all those cute stickers!!

*I did not go to Starbucks to get a Grande Mocha Frapaccino this morning after grocery shopping because I felt I deserved it after fighting that crowd in Walmart, plus I hadn't had my morning coffee yet!

*I was not completely lazy all day Saturday playing on the computer and spend 3 hours at my best Friend Rhonda's house instead of scrap booking!

*I did not let my kitty Tabby play in the toilet because I think its funny when she plays in the water...Larry doesn't like it she wets the seat...LOL...

*I did not have another conversation with the kids AGAIN, about being nice to each other...what is it with siblings?

*I did not go to Office Depot last week, after not washing my hair before hand with it all pulled back in a pony tail, While looking at computers and the man decided to show me the new technology of computers which have built in web cams and proceeded to show me how it works...So my not so beautiful face & hair was plastered on the big computer screen in the store!!!!

Well that's all I can think of today! Hope you all enjoyed it! If you have some Not Me! Moments I encourage you to join in the fun with MckMama & all her friends!

Just A Little Walk

It's amazing how just a walk can do wonders for your mind, soul and body. I try to walk a few times a week for several reasons not only for exercise...however I do feel better after I walk physically.

The past few weeks I have only walked once or twice a week and boy do I feel it! We have had sickness in the house, then followed by too much stuff to do or just feeling lazy...So I need to get back on my routine... Funny how you can start a routine, any routine including something with the kids, eating healthier, exercising, going to bed earlier, getting the kids up earlier, and then something comes along and disrupts the whole house! Then your back to square one again, saying to yourself you need to get back in the routine you started! I have never quite figured out how to make a routine a habit...they don't last long enough to turn into a habit, not with kids...

Anyway back to walking...I usually take Chance our puppy. He loves it when I come out with the leash he sits patiently waiting for me to latch it on his collar. I just recently started listening to Cheyenne's Hannah Montana MP3 player, which has a mixture of her favorite songs, but sometimes I like to walk in silence... I use the time to pray or think out a problem we are facing...If I'm stressed that little 15 minutes can make all the difference in the way the rest of my day will go...I come back feeling recharged and ready to go again. It reminds me of that song "Just A Little Talk With Jesus"...so true...its a great time to look at nature and see everything God has made for us and truly thank him for his blessings, rather it be the sun shinning down on you or the breeze that seems to wrap you up like a big hug, it all just feels so good!

Yesterday I put some songs by Chris Tomlin on her MP3 player and listened to it while I walked, it had to be the best walk Ive had in a long time...I really listened to the words and concentrated on how it made me feel like I was walking closer to God than I have in a lot of years, I have always prayed and believed, just not always been as close as I should have been.

We are trying so hard to "Keep the Faith", we tell each other daily to Have Faith, the Lord will take care of us. Sometimes its hard to see it through all the bad news about our failing economy & government. With so many people facing unemployment and foreclosures, we feel there is no relief in sight...however there is...we must all "Keep the Faith" that the Lord will see us all through this hard time! So take a few minutes and take a little walk with Jesus and tell him about all your troubles! He will listen and you will feel better I promise!