Wild Wednesday

First off woke up to a beautiful snow day...which means I got to sleep in. The snow was only a factor for about an hour. Sophie didn't go to Ballet and we did not have church tonight. We pretty much just vegged out today. It was GREAT!!!! I spent a wonderful day enjoying my children.

My sister however did not have such a great day. She had to be at the hospital for surgery at 9 am. She waited until almost Noon before they took her back. After the surgery, which went very well, she had an allergic reaction. Nothing like trying to recover while scratching out your eyes and rubbing your skin off. Benadryl was not strong enough so the doctor she works for suggested taking something on top of it. She may sleep till next week:) The clincher to all of this is that she had this same surgery last month and they did not take out what they were supposed to. Praying her results are great!

Just found out that another friend of mine had a brain scan today...will be praying fervently for her!

You never know when you wake up what you will face...thankfully we do not face things alone. God will never leave or forsake! Sometimes that is the only thing that we have to cling to...cling to it with your life. God is the only thing worth clinging on to...not the job that may dissolve, and not the relationship that may dissapoint. The economy is fleeting and love fades but God endures. I know this sounds a little dark but I mean it to be a flashlight in a gloomy time for some. Today everything in my life is intact and wonderful but as my sweet husband found out today all of that can change in a moment.

I called Jerry today to talk about where Freddie (our Choodle) would stay this weekend as the family leaves town. He sounded a little strange so I asked him what was wrong. He said that he hated his job. Usually the only time he says this is when the powers that be ask him to do something boring or ridiculous. So I waited to hear what they had asked him to do this time. This time it was not the people he worked with but the story he had to cover that bothered him. He had to go to a story where he saw them pulling a dead child out of a burning house. They pulled a second child out who thankfully is still alive. I can not even fathom the things this guy has had to see in the line of his job. I do know that I held my kids a little more today and gave hugs and kisses a little more frequently and was held tight by the love of my life a little tighter when he came home today.

Life is good and I am thankful.....

Ice Day Snow Day Rain Day...welcome to the wonderful weather of TN

My county did not have school today. My son goes to school in another county and they had school today. This morning there was ice on the car and the trees but the roads were GREAT! Not sure who goes and decides that school should be cancelled due to rain and the slight chance of something more. I do know that there are a lot of frustrated moms in this town that had to figure out something to do with their bored kiddos today. Alot of them showed up at storytime:) If they were going to do anything they should have just delayed school a little while and then decided just how bad this rain was going to be:) Anyway...don't ever remember missing so much school due to rain. Need to sign off now and run through my list of errands today. So excited that my prayers worked and the ice storm stayed away from us! Now tomorrow I hope we get measurable snow.

Tuesday

Well I know today was the big day for our Country and I am a little ashamed to say I didn't watch any of it happen. I went with my sister in law to Starbucks, did a little shopping, and met friends for lunch. I did all of this because I can. It's a free country and I am free to do, within limits, what I need to do. Today this was what I needed to do.

I did catch bits and pieces about the new limo while I was getting ready. Facebook has been buzzing with everyone changing their status by the second. My sweet husband however is in the same boat with me. We had things to do today. First on his agenda was going to a farmer he knows and getting country sausage. So he did and that was his status on facebook. He is a news man and was off today so he let the rest of the media handle all the hoopla...tomorrow he will plug back in and cover something news worthy. Actually the most important thing he will do today is make Cajun Chicken Fettucine Alfredo for our sweet dear neighbors Bro. and Sis. Grisham and our pastors wife Sis. Becton. We are so blessed to be in such close proximity with this awesome couple of God.

Actually we are surronded with wonderful neighbors and they are the true celebrities of my life. The closest of our celebrity neighbors are the Grishams, 2 doors down is the famous songwriter (Orphans of God) and our choir director Twila LaBar. A block down from her is where the people who raised the man of my dreams and the grandparents to my children live. Across the highway are the two most generous individuals I know and VIP's in this area but most importantly they are our friends...Jackie and Donnie Kemp. Jackie is also our church Care Group leader for this area and I have the honor of being her assistant. Across from our subdivision are condos and my personal chauffer to choir practice lives here. She is responsible for getting me to choir practice on time every week, she also likes to put a little culture and trivia into my life, and she loves my kids and they think she is a rock star. Mysty Westfall is a dear friend to me and a professional praise singer. A few of my past neighbors that have moved on to other areas of town include my best friend soul sister Tera, who just so happened to give birth to my childrens best friends. Her son is 6 weeks older than my son and my daughter is 8 weeks older than her daughter. We lived across the street from each other on this hill for several years. I literally thought my heart would break when they moved. Luckily they didn't move off to another city or state they stayed in the area so I see them at church 3 times a week. Some of my other celebrity friends are Brian and Valerie Dreier. Brian has started competing in Duck Calling...he and my husband have the male bonding hunting thing going on. They lived across the street from us up until 2 years ago. Actually Brian started out living across the street from Valerie and they met and started dating and the rest is history:) Valerie just opened her own CPA office in town and her open house is Thursday. She is a master wizard in the finance department. She worked for a lawyer/CPA in town for over 10 years and I am so proud/excited that she has gone out on her own. All of these people go to my church and I am thankful to call them neighbors, friends, and family. So yes in Washington someone got a new neighbor in the new president but from where I sit in this little town I am surrounded by the most important people in the world. If I ever get the urge to move or my husband wants more land I just remind him of all we would be missing if we were not positioned where we are on the map. Please whisper a prayer for Bro. and Sis. Grisham today.

Have a happy day because well it's Tuesday.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

BRRRRRRR I was listening to the radio earlier and they said it is 14 no 15 degrees it keeps going back and forth. Does it matter? It's cold. I spent today running all over the world buying groceries. Was very excited when I got to Publix. I had an ad that ended on Tuesday so the things I went for were no longer on sale:( The new ad was even better. I racked up on one of our favorite things...Betty Crocker Muffin Mix. BOGO Free. YIPPPPEEE. Doesn't take alot to rock my world people...that did it. I also bought Brownie Mix that has Resses Peanut Butter cups in it. Is that legal? I don't know if they are but they are in my oven as I write and smell divine. I must go now and check on the pretties.

First day of ballet-So cute!

So today I had a new experience...a real girlie one that I will always cherish...The first day of ballet lessons. Well tap, ballet, and tumbling. Okay so I get points off for not knowing about the needed tap shoes. Luckily one of the other mothers was on top of the game and found some tap shoes for Sophie. In this picture she is patiently awaiting instructions ...criss cross applesauce style.

Started off ballet time with a few stretches.First position

Not sure what this is called but she sure looks pretty and graceful doing it.Okay so the shoes have to go. I have ordered her ballet and tap shoes from the studio. Next week we should be all set in footwear. The slippers I got from Wal-Mart with the rest of her ensemble were just that... slippers. They slipped off of her feet while she was trying to do her spins...not fun. She had a lot of fun, listened attentively to the teacher, and picked up the moves very quickly. She is a week behind the other girls (they started last week). I am looking forward to our Wednesday mornings filled with pink girly fun.

What is your favorite flavor of Jello?

We are having a sick day today:( Stomach bug has hit everybody in the house except for Jerry. Sophie is okay today she is playing at Grandma and Grandpa's house while Jaden and I drink Gatorade, and eat Jello and Ramen noodles. Had to go to work this morning took this of Jaden on the way. So glad to get out of the house... been cooped up since Friday.

If I would not have gotten to work this morning I would have missed this. Love the way the frost makes the trees look. BEAUTIFUL.

Happy Friday

So far it has been a very relaxing lazy Friday...well sort of. I didn't have to get out of bed until 9ish when Sophie finally woke up (this is not usual for her at all she is always up at 7:30). Sophie will be starting ballet on Wednesday so we decided we needed to go today and buy her dancing duds.

So glad ballet is inside out of the elements. When Jaden was 3 we put him in soccer. It was great but I am not missing the cold, the hot, the bugs, the allergies etc. etc. the screaming parents (for which we took him out 3 years later). Love little girlie and can't wait till she puts on her little leotard and ballet slippers.

So Sophie and I spent most of the day in Bellevue looking for her ballet clothes. Wouldn't you know we would find everything at the last place we looked ....Wal-Mart. I started at Macy's which was having a One Day Sale 50% OFF of their clearance. Didn't find anything. Went to Sears...they didn't have anything. Went to Bath and Body Works and got some sweet deals on lotion and my favorite thing they have Lemon Hand Soap! Love the stuff. They didn't have my favorite Lemon Hand Soap with Lotion so I bought the apple soap lotion. So that was a happy. Went in Old Navy and found Sophie a long sleeved t-shirt that was cute. Sophie got her favorite snack from Target -The Popcorn Combo. They had ballet things but not in Soph's size. Then we headed to Wal-Mart where we hit the jackpot. Finally we picked up Jaden from school. I may need to go back to Wal-Mart to buy some embellishments for the slippers and her leotard. In fact I'm logging off to go do that now!
Farrah and Dad will be arriving later this evening. Farrah is on her way back to IBC and Dad is coming up to hunt with Jerry (deer season is over this weekend). :( :):):).

My One Little Word - LOVE

Tammy and Renee have inspired me to choose one little word to live by this year. I choose LOVE. I went to the bookstore to find a devotional last week and picked out The Love As A Way of Life Devotional by Gary Chapman.

Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

-1 Corinthians 13:13, MSG

So my goal is to love in 2009. EXTRAVAGANTLY. To all of you who read my ramblings and random thoughts- I love you.