Sun Fun

It's been a while since I last posted. The motorcycle drama has thankfully died down (at least for now while he saves his money) thanks to the purchase of a wii fit and a very competitive father / son duo. It is considered an early gift in honor of mine and Pete's anniversary coming up next week. Oh, I will most definitely have to post some photographs of my unbalanced guys doing the hula hoop. It is quite comical.

But for now I must share the latest happenings.

It has been a whirlwind of a week. One that included lots of eating out (which contributed to a little set back on the scales this morning), and lots of fun in the sun.

Last Tuesday we visited some friend of ours that live on one of Arkansas' beautiful lakes. We took the boat out and did a little tubing, swimming, and snorkeling.

Although I love water slides and an occasional dip in the pool, I wasn't raised too much around water. We managed to visit the ocean once when I was a kid, and would swim in hotel pools while on family vacations. My dad and brother would go on overnight fishing trips, but my mother has a fear of water so she and I would always find something more exciting to do instead of roughing it with the dudes at the camp.....

like shopping.

hmmmm.....camping, shopping, camping, shopping. There was never really any contest.

In the early years of our marriage, Pete was hard pressed to get me to do anything boat, lake, river or camping related, but hey, I've mellowed with age. I guess I'll try anything once....(well, maybe not anything).

I like it.

I like it a lot...especially the part when we take the boat out in the calm of the evening and just enjoy the peacefulness and serenity of God's creation.

and fish.


haha...yeah, we threw him back.

And the beauty of the sunset. It takes my breath away.

Another day we did one of my favorite things. We floated a river that is also near the lake. It takes us about 4 hours from point A to point B, but I find it very enjoyable and relaxing.....(minus the sunburn).


Friday of last week, Pete and I went to a water park in the big city. Little Ann was with a birthday group and we were invited to tag along. It is something we usually do every year at least once without any kids. I know...it sounds cruel, but I can't seem to get enough of those water slides, and I can really let my hair down and be a kid when I don't have to stress over my kids. I tend to do that, ya know.

I've been in the sun so much recently. I think I'm going to turn into one big freckle.

So tell me...what have you been up to this summer?

Singing Praise

Pete's mamaw passed this evening. I thank you for your prayers. God answered them and now she is singing praises to our Heavenly Father.

And continue to remember us all for the remainder of this week. It's gonna be a doozey. Tomorrow is Big Dan's last day of school. (sigh)

We also have one more game to get out of the way which determines if we will play in the State Championship in Fayetteville on Saturday. (doing the happy dance)

But it's going to be difficult saying our goodbyes to a precious little lady this week. Truly it's a blessing though for at this moment I know she feels no more pain.

Prayer Warriors...We Need You!

I lost both set of my grandparents early in age. My mom's parents passed away when I was 8 and 16, but I managed to keep my dad's around for a little longer. My paternal grandmother died from lymphoma 2 weeks before Big Dan was born. It was an extremely hard time and my grandfather died from complications from a surgical procedure just 8 months later. I was 20. I miss them, but I know I will see them again one day. All 4 of them.

But Pete....he's been so blessed to have both of his grandmothers around for such a long time. Although he lost his maternal grandmother 2 years ago, it's been hard to keep the other one down. She is 88 and has hung with the best of them....until now. She fell off a ladder back around Christmas and has since been in and out of the hospital having 2 back surgeries giving her no relief. It seems that the pain is too much for her to bear, yet the medication makes her too ill for an appetite. She has just given up. Hospice is taking over tomorrow. My prayer is that God will either use His Almighty power to heal her, or He will scoop her up in His loving arms and bring her home. Her 70 pound body is absolutely pitiful and I can't stand to see and hear of any more suffering.

Please remember her when you pray.

Total Randomness

Some randomness for you...

This past week seems nothing more than a whirlwind for me now as I look back. I'm so tired as I write, I can't really even remember what the past 6 days beheld. I do know that today marks the beginning of a new week and represents the day my Lord and Savior rose from the grave. Oh how I am so thankful for that "agape" love He showed the day He died for my sins.

It seems as though I'm missing Pete more and more. He's been working so much lately. Part of our mutual total money makeover plan. I am so grateful to him for the sacrifices he has been making and appreciate the contributions, but I must admit I miss him.

You know..(in deep thought)...as much as I miss him, marriage is a hard thing. I sometimes wonder for the life of me why Pete can't understand me. He thinks I speak some foreign off the wall idiotic female language, (but it all makes perfect sense to me). When I nag, he goes outside to escape me. When I cry, he tells me to stop wallowing. When I am angry, he tells me I sound like a banshee. And when it's that week of the month...well, he tells me to talk to him again next week. It must be true what they say about men being from Mars and women from Venus. I guess what I'm trying to say is...I wish they'd offer a crash course in "listening, consoling, understanding, and apologizing" on Mars.

...and I know it's a two way street.

I can be difficult. I know this too (but I won't take credit for all of it).

Oh well, in changing the randomness, just so you know...(even misunderstood), I'm pretty sure I love him.... alot.

We played lots of baseball this week. A game on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and a mini Tournament on Saturday. It was pretty exciting and we won all of the above.

Good Friday really did turn out to be a pretty "good" day. We welcomed this new precious boy into the world....

and then Little Ann and I went to see.....

which was pretty good for a Hannah Montana movie. (shhh...don't tell anybody I said that.)

Dissatisfied

I will admit....I've got like a thousand things to do today..and tomorrow...and the next day. It's a bit overwhelming. I wouldn't even allow myself to crawl back under my warm covers after taking Little Ann to school this morning, which is a pretty normal thing for me.

No, today, is filled with "stuff". An already packed full calendar and a death in our church requiring me to take out even more time to prepare food and a song since the family asked me to sing at the services. Wow. That adds a little stress to my weary, stressed out, hormonal body this week. But in reality, maybe it's what I need to make me me feel a little better about myself...you know. Being able to serve someone other than self right now.

As I write, I am listening to the rolling thunder. Seems a storm is blowing in (which actually may cancel the ballgame this evening alleviating something from my calendar without adding the guilt).

The storm makes me consider my life at this moment.

I am a terrible Christian. I fill my life with nonsense. A snippy tongue for no apparent reason. (I am working on that one.) A lazy..it'll be there tomorrow attitude. Blogging and Facebook.. which takes up an extreme amount of my time. This alone is the biggest storm I am having to row through at this moment. I seem to be letting things go...and then wondering why I feel the pressure. And my relationship with God. You don't even want to know. I should be spending time with Him. In study....in prayer.

I'm dissatisfied..with myself. No one else. It's all me. I'm upset because I can't seem to get control. I'm upset because I allow things to go on inside myself that shouldn't go on. I'm upset because I won't even do my Sunday School lesson and I can think of every excuse why. Our Pastor says if we are going to be Christians, then we should be Christians.

God's been speaking to me...

And I've been running...

Why God? Don't you know there are so many more important things to do?

I'm such a hypocrite.

O Lord My God..
When I in Awesome Wonder.
Consider all..the works Thy hand have made.

I see the stars. I hear the rolling thunder.
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then Sings my Soul...My Savior God to Thee.
How Great Thou Art! How Great Thou Art!

Oh Heavenly Father. Please don't give up on me. Help me get through this storm. Continue these convictions that our relationship may be restored. I love you Jesus. Amen.

Vodoo

I got your attention, didn't I?

Big Dan has been beside himself the past couple of days. He bought a brand new baseball bat for the upcoming season from here


He was so excited because this was his first ever purchase off ebay. He sat in anticipation as we outbid the competitors in the last few seconds and I laughed at him as he was able to taste his sweet victory. I got pretty good at some outbidding at one time too, but my urge to ebay has subsided. I've found better things to do like....um, blog.

Then, he was able to pay for his purchase with........(drumroll please)...his own debit card.


The bat came today and I told him I'd blog about it tonight since he hasn't been my topic of conversation in awhile. (I am supposing that's a good thing.)

A couple more things I wanted to share.

-Our puppies are now 2 weeks old. They are growing by leaps and bounds, trying to bark (which is too cute because they try to act all big and bad with little pipsqueak barks. haha), their fur is really beginning to thicken and their eyes are finally open. Is this not the cutest thing?

-And finally, Big Dan and I attended the funeral for his friend today. It was a packed house and so, so sad. I have wanted to kiss Big Dan a thousand times today. Please continue to pray for this family. The mother is divorced and this girl was her oldest. Her other 2 kids are boys and the youngest is in a wheelchair. He's had spinal bifida since birth, but is such a precious person. The boys were devastated. It absolutely breaks my heart, but I know my God is in control.

Have a happy Wednesday everybody!!

Wordless Wednesday - Not really, but they're a good kind of words.

A Beautiful Story

Before I get to the point of this post, I just wanted to let all my facebook and blog friends know I didn't really go blonde Thursday when I went to the beauty salon. I went in with all intentions of getting lots of highlights that would give my hair an overall blonde look, but when I got there my hairdresser decided I should mix some darker streaking in with the highlights. Normally, my analytical personality would have been tossing any detour from the original thought around for a while, but on this day, I thought...why not? So, in all reality, I'm still a red head. I'm just an assortment of shades.

(laughing)...So there you have it. And you can totally see my scalp. I'm glad I didn't have dandruff!!

Last night the girls and I got together for our monthly Bible Study. It was a special one this month because not only did we get to stuff ourselves with all kinds of delicious holiday foods, we had such sweet, sweet fellowship and had our Secret Sister reveal. I had no idea who mine was until her daughter had a little slip up a few weeks ago. lol. She was a great one!!

Notice Chickadee's baby belly. She is less than 2 weeks from her due date. We all got to ooo and ahhh over little chickadees movements and the fact that after 4 pregnancy's, she does not have ONE SINGLE STRETCH MARK!!! So, what do you think of that? That is soooo not right. I'm still stretching and marking even 10 years later!

I love the fact that we get together every month. Although we have gone to church together for years, getting together outside of church, in one another's homes, just makes our friendships so much stronger.


One of the highlights of the evening was when the Christmas story was read. What a beautiful story to be told. And although we unwrapped lots of gifts last night, when that story was being read from God's word, oh how the room was filled with tears and touched hearts just by hearing those beautiful words. Jesus Christ really is what the season is all about.

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over the flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men". And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is to come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Luke 2: 1-20

Have a wonderful weekend.

Yeah, so what...

if I complain.

Pete says I complain.....alot. That's one thing about me that really gets on his nerves. (Hey, at least he's honest about it). It's too hot. It's too cold. I'm too tired. I can't sleep. Don't go to work, I'm lonely. Get out of here and make me some money. Yeah, so what. I'm a woman. I'm fickle and as a woman, it's my right to complain.

I went most of my adult life without voting. I'll tell you why I didn't vote. I was ignorant....and scared, that's why. I had no clue who and what to vote for and I couldn't stand the thought of making a wrong choice. One thing I realize now, is I had a say, yet all I did was sit around and complain. And you do too. You have a say. You have a say, today.

And although I'm still afraid of making a wrong choice, I know God cares how I vote. So, I pray. I pray for His guidance in my decision. He has all the power and ultimately no matter how I vote, He is in control.

And if it goes my way.....maybe I won't complain.

Finishing Up..The Scenic Route

I've done so much yakking on my first, second, and third posts about our Mission Trip, that this time, I think I am going to just let you sit back, relax, and enjoy God's marvelous handiwork.

The only thing I do want to tell you is where you will be seeing sights from. The first pictures will be from Iron Mountain (located in the Black Hills of South Dakota). I also have some beautiful scenery from "Custer State Park". ENJOY!

How Great Is..

Our God!!

This has been such a great week. I have enjoyed each night's message immensely and gone home feeling God's presence.

Yes, I have been too busy to blog. I did read a few each night as I tucked myself into bed, but just wasn't in position to comment (very hard to do lying down) and couldn't spend the amount of time I needed to read everyone on my list.

I thought I was getting the next couple of days off, but upon arriving home tonight, I found a message from our principal needing me tomorrow too. Guess I can't afford to turn him down....I'm actually putting my "sub" money back for the mission trip and for Christmas.

I really need to get in bed, so I don't have much time. I just wanted to say hello to everyone, and leave you with this wonderful thought. (Yes, this would be part of the text for our message tonight). Now you can all feel a little "Revived". lol.

Psalm 145:3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.