Bohanon Family

Year of Tears...

2010-01-05T05:39:00.001-06:00

Today's question:

What's the last thing you cried about?

Missing my mother in law in our first Christmas without her. It's become very lonely for me since she passed away. My father in law isn't a real big talker, especially to me. It's okay, I know it's not personal, but with my mother in law gone it's just a little more obvious that when we are all together I have no one to converse with.

What's in a Name???

2010-01-05T05:05:00.001-06:00

Today's question (01/04/10) - forgot to hit SAVE yesterday!:

If you could rename yourself what name would you choose?

I'm not that crazy about my name, but I do like an alternate version of it... Suzanne.

Okay... that wasn't a super exciting one, but you got the idea!

Welcome to My Revolution...

2010-01-02T07:10:00.001-06:00

So one of my resolutions for the new year is to blog/journal a little
more. The fact that I discovered a much quicker way to do it certainly
helps this goal.
And holy cow I'm already a day behind! But, hey, it was a holiday...
right?

I have come to love a particular Christmas song by Shedaisy... Brand
New Year. And the fact that last year was so rough really makes me
even more adamant about claiming the lyrics of this song. So I just
have to share... if you've never heard the song go take a listen. It's
an upbeat song that really has the power to motivate.

BRAND NEW YEAR by Shedaisy

Learning to turn the outside inside out (inside outside inside out)
Having the courage to find what life is all about
Loving so purely can surely melt a frozen heart
Knowing sometimes all over's
The perfect place to start

Chorus:
Welcome to my revolution
Lucky you, lucky me
The way we were meant to be
This is my one resolution and I make it with no fear
To live, to love today
'Cause it's a brand new year

Seeing the world through rose-colored eyes
Yeah, this is my one big chance and I'm gonna take it twice
With the past down below, I know love lifted me up here
So I'll take a breath, kiss the sky, toll the bell
'Cause it's a brand new year

Bridge:
Resiliently reclaiming me
Refining my recovery
Untwist my fate, unlock the gate
Let's make a little noise
'Cause it's a brand new year
Oh, welcome to my revolution

Second Chorus:
Welcome to my revolution, baby, yeah
Lucky you, lucky me
The way we were meant to be
This is my one resolution and I make it with no fear
It's never been so clear
Second chance is what got me here
To live, to love today
'Cause it's a brand new year

In addition to the sharing this song I also decided to journal a
personal element. I could say that I plan to journal daily, but... oh
boy, hate to make that commitment. I have a random stack of questions
that I plan to just pull from the hat. Today's question:

When you are down what do you do to feel better?

Typically I will either watch a movie or listen to specific music. It
depends what path to recovery I'm wanting to take. Do I just want to
wallow for a time or move on? I can be honest... sometimes I just want
to stay in my down mood... work it out... get through it. I'm not a
"jump in to a good mood" kind of gal. I have to work through the
thoughts and emotions. Now sometimes I can recognize that I'm in a
downright pathetic mood and will purposely work to get myself out of
it. This is where music usually comes in. My newest theme song is
"Happy" by Natasha Bedingfield. LOVE LOVE LOVE this song and I want to
share it with everyone I know!! But I also l like to watch movies to
help me escape reality for a short time and help me "reset".

Until next time...

All this tagging...

2009-01-19T16:39:00.004-06:00

After being bestowed this lovely award by Christine and Nancy I must also complete another tag.
The title this time is "addictions". Oh that's bad...

1) Well, I guess I should point out the obvious, lest I leave it out and someone calls me a liar. - Scrapbooking - digital scrapbooking to be specific. My galleries would probably not support this said addiction today as much as it did in the past. You can see somewhere along the line I had a change in careers, thus adversely affecting my digital scrapbook production. I hate it when the need to make money gets in the way of the way of need to spend money... don't you?

2) Office supplies - There can never seem to be enough pens, pencils, post it notes, tape and of course, office gadgets - around my house. And upon occasion I actually NEED some of these products. I kid you not... I have to do the "do I need or want this item" test before I buy any kind of office supply.

3) Movies - and if I could break this down and be even more specific... the movie theater! See related post - Someone Broke My Child... Hey - what's a film major suppose to be addicted to? Oh... I know....

4) STARBUCKS - this is starting to sound a lot like my other tagged post. There are 4 very specific addictions I have at Starbucks. Decaf skinny vanilla latte, Iced Passion Tea Lemonade, Peppermint Mocha (only about one per holiday season), petite vanilla scones. And sometimes I can't figure out if the only reason I love Starbucks so much is because I haven't a clue on how to order anywhere else.

5) Bookstores/Library - I love being surrounded by books. The scene below is something I can totally appreciate!!!

And if you put a Starbucks IN a bookstore - Oh, well... you might as well just leave me there all day! And I love buying them, but time has a way of preventing me from actually reading them... unless they are a novel I can get in to. And, please... if you have any novel suggestions please feel free to make them!! And I'm a total nice, clean love story or story of friendship kind of gal.

A girl and her grocery store...

2009-01-19T11:41:00.003-06:00

Well this is going to be a super exciting blog about... a grocery store. But not just ANY grocery store... oh no... this is THE grocery store.

I can still remember the first time I saw a HEB. I had just moved to Austin in 1997 and saw some store I had never seen nor heard about. "Heb. What's a heb?" It didn't take long for someone to defend the pronunciation of this blessed store. It's not a word. It's 3 letters. It's a grocery store haven I soon discovered.

So 9 years later when they built a HEB Plus! less than a mile from my house... you can imagine my excitement. And then imagine my disappointment when a year later we moved to an area that... get this... not only didn't have a HEB close to my house... it DIDN'T HAVE A HEB.... AT ALL!!!!! NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Imagine the scene in Elf when he learns his dad is on the naughty list... yea, that would be me.)

So this past weekend when we went to Austin for a visit there was no way I was going to leave town without taking a stroll through my favorite grocery store. The struggle was not being able to get anything cold since we still had to go to church, drive 2 1/2 hours to my mom's, have dinner and then go home.

So here is a little sentiment from my trip to HEB...

And now I say... "You know your life is pathetic when... you make a big deal about a grocery store." But for those who have loved and lost this irreplaceable grocery heaven they'll completely understand. Because, truly, "everything is better" there.

Tag, I'm it...

2009-01-11T17:49:00.006-06:00

I've been tagged by my sweet friend Nancy!

I love her humor, her sincerity and her amazing photo, scrapping and designing skills.

The purpose of this tag is to document 6 (un)interesting things about yourself.

This is tough.

1. If I was to wildly abandon my life and pursue the impossible dream it would be to sing on Broadway.

2. I think and talk in movie quotes ("I'm not high maintenance. I just want it the way that I want it." - When Harry Met Sally)

By the way... the below video almost clearly defines what it looks like when my husband and I order a meal. He's a number and I'm a long sequence of high maintenance details. He loves me.

3. I'm actually kind of shy and rather an introvert. I have to force myself to put myself out there... takes me WAY out of my comfort zone. So much so I need a passport.

4. I'm a total gadget girl and geek. I don't care anything about flowers (although nice sometimes), jewelry (except maybe a charm for my James Avery bracelet) or chocolate (only occasionally) - No, ME.... I love gadgets and hardware and software and an upgraded computer!!

5. I have a very specific ice to liquid ratio in my beverages.

6. I am beyond annoyed that I've been going to the same Starbucks a couple times a week for over a year and the same people working there STILL don't know my drink order!!! My 5 year old daughter can now quote my drink order and yet they still look at me like they've never seen me before. And yet I always smile and always TIP! ggrrrr.....

Whew... well I feel better after that little therapy session. And I know YOU feel better after having learned more about me.

And if you're wondering... it's a tall skinny vanilla latte... seriously - how hard is that to remember??

Healthy Habits Monday

2009-01-11T17:31:00.004-06:00

So this weeks Healthy Habit is all about planning. Perhaps this comes a little more naturally to me (not easy!) because I'm a planner by nature. Plan, plan, plan. Perhaps it's that element of not liking any surprises.

My healthy habit to share this week is all about meal planning.

Make a spreadsheet outlining each day of the week. Sit down and map out what you're going to eat each night for dinner. And if you want to take one step further (and you know I do...) plan out each meal of the day. Honestly, this habit saves me having to think too much, too often. If I wait until 5pm each day to figure out what's for dinner it's going to be eating out every time. I never make wise choices in the 12th hour.

This tip will ultimately save you time, save you money and create a way to map out healthy choices.

Now, please share your healthy habit tip by posting it on your blog and come back here and linking it with Mr. Linky!! Thank you to everyone who shared their tips last week and helped kick off the first week of Healthy Habits 2009!!

Someone broke my child....

2009-01-11T07:46:00.003-06:00

How could this child belong to me? She spoke words to me that, frankly... I just don't understand! She said them... I heard them... but WHAT did they mean?

Friday night we went to dinner at Chili's and we offered to take her to the movies afterwards. Do you know what her response was.... "No. I don't want to go to the movies." I'm sorry.... WHAT? I don't understand those words. Being the total movie junkie that I am can not fathom not wanting to go to the movies.

I believe there was a mix-up at the hospital when she was born. Afterall, there was another Brooke born a couple of hours before her in the same hospital.

Come back on Monday for HEALTHY HABITS 2009! Share your newly learned OR tired and true healthy habit with us! Share with us success and victories over your healthy lifestyle! Can't wait to read all about it. Be sure to post on your blog and come back and use Mr. Linky to share with the world!

Work it... Own it...

2009-01-08T05:34:00.003-06:00

Well looky here... another blog post. Here I am to say "toot toot" - and that's my own horn by the way... in case you didn't visually catch that.

Day 3 of returning back to the workout world.

I get bored with working out so I have to keep things spicy. Yesterday as I was doing my 15 minutes on the treadmill (after the 15 minutes on the elliptical), I looked down to see the racquetball courts (my gym is 2 levels). I thought to myself "mmmm, I remember doing that in college and it being kind of fun." So I made it a goal today to bounce that little ball around in the little room (after I sent Jeff to WalMart to get me a racquetball racquet last night!).

My last memory of me playing racquetball in college was slamming myself in the wall (several times - did I say it was "fun"!?) to get to the ball. Hey - it's a small room... you get that momentum going and it's hard to stop yourself! Maybe that's part of the exercise. Anyway... I digress.

So I was little nervous to get in there knowing that the WHOLE (LA Fitness workout) WORLD could see me. Do they really have to have a floor to ceiling glass wall there facing the workout floor?

But I just walked in like I knew EXACTLY (ha ha!) what I was doing (own it!) and hit the ball around. It is quite the workout!!! After 10 minutes that heart was A-PUMPIN'!!!! I managed to make it 20 minutes and was satisfied. And hey - it left me a few extra minutes this morning to write this post!!!

Healthy Habits Monday - the FIRST one!!

2009-01-04T14:01:00.006-06:00

Hello all!!!

I just inspired myself (fun when that happens!) and decided to start a weekly participation blog.

Since this is the season for renewal and checking our health habits I figured this would be a great place for people to share what tips, tricks and experiences they have for living a healthy lifestyle. This could be anything from your favorite kitchen gadget to a review on a new workout video and even motivational sayings. Anything is relevant that you feel would inspire others on their healthy lifestyle journey!

Mr. Linky resides over at Lana and Lisa's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday blogs and so I invited him to venture over here on Mondays and help us out with sharing all your great tips! Using Mr. Linky is about as easy as it gets. The way it works is you post a blog entry on your own personal blog with your Healthy Habit tip. Come venture back here and post your name and the link to your personal blog Healthy Habit entry. (great way for you to get blog traffic by the way!!).

And then be sure to keep a watchful eye for everyone's suggestions. You never know which one is going to catapult you in to a sea of inspiration!!

You are not required to comment on everyone's blogs, but it is encouraged! :) Who wouldn't want some love left on their blog??

So let's get started!!!

**update... I did learn that if you do not have a blog, but have a Facebook page you can post a note on your Facebook page, set the privacy to "Everyone" and link back here. But only people with a Facebook account would be able to view your note. If you have neither a blog, nor a Facebook page (first of all... do you realize what you're missing out on??!! :) ) Second, leave a comment on the weekly post. I'll take the inspiration any way I can get it!

2009 in review...

2009-01-04T13:01:00.004-06:00

Review? How can we review 2009 when it hasn't happened yet?

What is it about the new year that calls everyone to action for weight loss? Is it because we're all so convicted about our horrible eating habits? Is it because the start of a whole new year makes us feel as though ANYTHING is possible. And you want to hear a secret? Anything is possible. It really is.

So these questions were proposed by my Weight Watcher leader as something for us to prepare for throughout the coming year. When we look back on 2009 what do we want to remember and be proud about?

If you were to write a year-end letter at this time next year, what would you like to be able to report...regarding your weight management?

I want to be able to say that I tried new things... experimented with new flavors... gave my daughter a solid basis for healthy eating. I want to be able to say that I cooked for my family more than we ate out. I want to say that I was committed to working out and it was something I looked forward to, rather than dreaded.

What do you want to build on?

I want to build on the foundation of consuming balanced meals. The right portion amounts, the right amount of proteins vs. carbs. I want to understand how the body processes the food. Not just eat those things because someone told me to.

What would you like to change?
My need for medication for acid reflux and living on the cusp of diabetes.

What would you like more of?
Energy.

What Helpful Habits do you want to improve?

Ask for Help, Learn from Experience, Manage Your Environment, Manage Your Feelings, Manage Your Thoughts, Monitor Yourself, Prepare Yourself, Take Care of Yourself
For me it would be Managing Your Environment and Prepare Yourself. I have to have things easy or else it's more likely I will fall off track. i have to have the right foods in all the right places or else I will slip. On "Preparing Yourself" I've got a spot in my closet where I separate out all my work out clothes for the week so that is one less thing I have to do on a daily basis.

What needs to happen for these things to become reality in 2009?
Commitment. Quit making excuses.

Seriously, I can come up with the best excuses as to why I can't workout or fix dinner. Or any other host of things that are "too hard". Some are valid... most are not.

I've got several little companions with me on the journey right now. One being my sister in law. I hope we can really work to encourage and motivate each other.

I will be sharing many avenues of my journey with you and how things are progressing. For instance, one of my goals was to try new things. Think outside the box. We made homemade pizza last night. Brooke and Jeff had pepperoni. I had mushrooms, grape tomatoes, spinach and fresh basil. IT WAS WONDERFUL!!!!

If you're on a journey this year to lose weight, or simply live a healthier lifestyle I hope I can be a source of inspiration for you. THAT would be the greatest accountability partner EVER!

Season pass.

2009-01-04T10:33:00.002-06:00

Trust me. I'm well aware what excites me, excites very few others. But I'm really excited about a purchase we made yesterday. Two years ago we bought a Texas State Park pass. Sadly, we didn't utilize as much as we would have liked, but we're going to try again. We got another pass yesterday when we went to the park. My mom gave us each some money so we combined the funds, added a little to it and wah-lah!... a state park pass we have.

I'm desperate for time outdoors. I love creating on my computer, but I'm also mindful of the time it zaps from my family and household chores. And something about being outside and experiencing God's creation and making memories really excites and inspires me.

And whatever you do, don't mention "camping" to Brooke. She'll never shut up about it. She loves to go camping!

season confusion.

2009-01-03T16:22:00.003-06:00

hello spring.... err, summer.... uhm, WINTER? Yea, it's 84 degrees and the ice cream truck just sang by our house. Did you note the date of this post?? JANUARY 3rd.

I said to Jeff earlier today... if anyone is in their house today they are a fool. (meaning anyone who is experiencing a day like we're having).
We went to Lake Mineral Wells state park today to have a picnic and take in some exploration and hiking. Jeff would refer to the weather as "Chamber of Commerce weather". I refer to it as "Heaven!"

"rock climbing" with daddy

Who says girls can't play in dirt??

Stuck between a rock and a... well, a rock.

gps. found.

2008-12-23T17:42:00.003-06:00

Amazing. I know.

So I filed a police report regarding my stolen GPS the day after it happened. Someone suggested I should do so because the police somehow communicate with the pawn shops.

Sure enough... got a phone call today from the Ft. Worth Police Department telling me they located my GPS. They found it in a pawn shop in one of the neighboring towns. So in about 30-45 days I have to attend a property hearing with all my documentation to retrieve my GPS.

So here's is the irony... I am now in the possession of not one, not two, but THREE GPS's!!! I got one when I was in California, but never felt that great about it or the price I paid so I've left it in the box and kept the receipt. And then I found one at Sam's that I LOVED for a great price - which will be the one I keep. And now my original. I waited over a year and in a matter of one month I've owned 3. Crazy business.

Thanks for all those people who consoled me on my stolen GPS! Rejoice that filing a police report CAN actually do some good!!

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday... GIVEAWAY!!!

2008-12-16T05:25:00.004-06:00

Today is the day that has been talked about for AGES! The day where you will wait in expectation! The day where you will dream of the big prize! The day where you hope that Mr. Random.org has a favor to pay you... today is TEMPT MY TUMMY TUESDAY GIVEWAY! Hosted at my dear friends blogs... Lana and Lisa!!!

The awesome prize is

So now for my recipe. In honor of my friends Lana and Lisa (whose birthday is tomorrow, btw!) I will post a recipe that Lana gave to me last year. And, I believe, Lisa gave to her.

MINTY CHOCOLATE TREATS

*this is not my photo. Very pretty, just not mine. I ground my peppermint to almost a powder.

Using a food processor grind the following ingredients together:

1/2 container of Oreo cookies (or any chocolate/cream cookie)
3/4 c slivered/sliced almonds
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 c sugar

Transfer the ground ingredients to a bowl.
Stir in 1/4 c chocolate milk
1/3 c light corn syrup

Mixture is thick and gooey.

Shape in to 3/4 inch balls and roll in crushed peppermint candy. If you want really fine, ground up peppermint use the food processor to grind)

Store in refrigerator.

Now post your own holiday recipe or foodie item, tip or trick and run on over to Lana AND Lisa's blog and post!!!

Christmas Photos...

2008-12-15T05:26:00.003-06:00

So off we go for more photos!!!! This time in Brooke's Christmas dress.
I love the one with the look of total annoyance. HA! Reminds me way too much of myself!

Christmas Craft

2008-12-14T21:29:00.003-06:00

So this was a little craft project we did today. And when I say "we" I mean "me". I had great intentions of it being something Brooke could help me do, but didn't really think it through when everything has to be hot glued. But aren't these just the cutest? And super simple!

And then we had our usual Sunday afternoon naps. Got gussied up and went to Grapevine for a little impromptu "yeah-momma-got-her-camera-back" photo shoot! This probably wouldn't have been necessary were it not for the fact that we didn't buy Brooke's OH SO ADORABLE school pictures. They must have known just how adorable they were and jacked the price WAY UP. For one 8x10, 2 5x7's and 4 (or 8) wallets was $60 (yes, SIXTY!) dollars. Yea, ain't gonna happen. And I spent $27 on Brooke's Christmas dress and decided I'd just do my own pictures. We also went to a church in Grapevine and listened to their Christmas performance. It was so lovely!

And now I'm exhausted and headed to bed. I'm going to have the most ridiculous busy week on the books and I need all the rest I can get!

Don't worry... photos from tonights shoot is forthcoming!

My heart hurts...

2008-12-14T06:11:00.003-06:00

Oh my gracious... do you ever have a certain moment where something weighs so heavy on your heart that is just hurts? Maybe it's because I've been hanging out in a land where all my worlds have collided. Where every decade of my life is represented and housed in a single location. Where the memories... good and bad... can be recalled in a single instant. And it has served to remind me that... after living here for almost a year and half I have made no friends here. I have never made friends easily and knew this would be a challenge when we moved here, but it's this holiday season when we have no friends to celebrate with that is has seemed to hit me the most.

My prayer really is that the Lord would bring some godly people in to our lives. Some people we can share our daily lives with. We hear so often about the importance of friendship, especially for women, and how they serve to enhance our daily lives. And then a part of me wonders if I've closed myself off somehow. I'm still very hurt over our move and how after 2 decades (for Jeff) and 1 decade (for me) of living in the same town, and a member of 2 churches we could not hardly get anyone to help us move. If it wasn't for the help of some dear friends keeping Brooke and allowing Jeff time to pack and then the help of 3 friends who dedicated a couple of hours (you know who you are) I would have thought that we had made no impact on people whatsoever. Does it sting a little to know that after 3 emails begging people to help that we could get hardly none? I can't describe the depth of pain. To this day it hurts more than you know. And the fact that people didn't even respond to say they couldn't help is beyond painful. No fond farewells. No hugs good-bye. Nothing to say "We love you and will miss you."

So... maybe somewhere deep inside I've put up my walls to prevent being hurt again and thus created this friendless atmosphere for myself. But I so dearly love having friends. People to celebrate with, rejoice with, cry with, have fun with.

Wow... what a downer blog, huh?!! I thought blog world was suppose to be happy world!! So... this is just an opportunity, once again, to have a front row seat to an answered prayer. I know the Lord knows the value of friendship... he hand picked 12 of his own to surround Himself with. If anyone can bring someone along to share the joy and laughter of sisterhood with it is the Lord. He knows my desire and my fears better than anyone.

The song "More Than You'll Ever Know" by Watermark immediately comes to my mind when I think of friendship. I have always reserved this song for my best friend, Sandy, because if ever these world emulated a friendship it would be ours, but as an upbeat note to this downer blog I'm quite certain she's okay with me sharing the words... and I promise the next blog will be more upbeat!

Something brought you to my mind today
I thought about the funny ways
You make me laugh
And yet I feel like it's ok to cry with you
Something about just being with you that
When I leave I feel like I've been with God
And that's the way it ought to be, yeah

Cause you've been more than a friend to me
You fight off my enemies
Cause you have spoken the truth over my life
And you'll never know what it means to me
Just to know you've been on your knees for me
Oh, you have blessed my life
More than you'll ever know
Yeah, yeah, yeah, more than you'll ever know
Yeah, yeah, yeah

You had faith
When I had none
You prayed God would bring me a brand new song
When I didn't think I could find the strength to sing
And all the while I've been hoping that I'll
Do the kind of praying for you that you've done for me
And that's the way it outght to be, yeah

You have carried me
You have taken on a burden
That wasn't your own, yeah
May that blessing return to you
A hundredfold
Oh oh yeah, a hundredfold

Most Wonderful Time...

2008-12-13T22:15:00.004-06:00

There truly is no denying that my camera has arrived!! And to test the baby out we went to downtown Fort Worth this evening to check out the magnificent tree and other holiday dressings.

Go to the album and check all the pics out!

DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH AT CHRISTMAS.

Here's a little preview...

Pacific Ocean at Sunset

2008-12-13T18:36:00.000-06:00

Welcome Home!

2008-12-12T20:00:00.004-06:00

I finally feel like my body is put back together... my camera arrived today! YIPPEE!! I now feel whole again. Oh how I have missed my camera! I seriously can't remember the last time I was without a nice big camera. I've had one all the way back to high school. So here's a product of my returned camera back... how sweet are they??

I miss my camera!!!

2008-12-11T04:39:00.002-06:00

I'm still waiting to receive my camera from shipping it off to be repaired. I miss it so much. Especially this time of the year! I can't take a single (good) picture of my tree or my daughter or decorations or anything. And with all the great Christmas scrap kits coming out... errr... I'm so irritated! Thanks to my favorite boss in the whole wide world she has said that I could borrow her husbands. So maybe I can actually get some Christmas pics of my daughter this weekend. My camera is suppose to be shipped soon, but I need this weekend and can't wait a whole other week to get pics done.

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday... Pretzel Delights

2008-12-09T19:43:00.003-06:00

This delightful little holiday treat was introduced to me by my best friend Sandy. It's by far the EASIEST holiday treat I make. The most time consuming part is removing the wrappers from the Kiss, which of course, can be done while watching TV.

All you need is:

- twist type pretzels (and I really do recommend the name brand because every off brand I ever bought had to many broken pretzels, which you can't use for this treat)

- Hershey's Caramel (or Peanut Butter) Kiss.

Preheat oven to 350. Lay pretzels out evenly over a cookie sheet. Place a Kiss in the center of each pretzel. Place in the oven for about 3-5 minutes. Depending on your oven you will need to watch very carefully for the that first batch to gauge the time. You will kind of see the tips give just a little and you'll know they are done. You just need them to melt to the pretzel so the Kiss does not come off.

Now... head on over to Lisa's blog and check out all the goodies for this week's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday! If you're not tempted, you're not paying attention!

ENJOY!

The Lord giveth... the Lord taketh away...

2008-12-04T18:35:00.003-06:00

So imagine my excitement when I get my first bonus check last week... AT LAST I get to purchase the GPS I've been desiring for over a year. Ever since I moved to this crazy town and had no idea where I was going. So of course I rise early on Black Friday, venture out with all the other crazy's and stand in a line for an hour to the GPS of my dreams. And now a distant dream it is. After 4 days in my beloved possession, someone felt like they shouldn't have to work for the item, broke in my car (that was in my driveway) and stole it. FOUR DAYS I had this long awaited item. I'm sure there is a lesson here somewhere, but right now I'm too ticked to soak in the lesson.

Of course I cried all the way to work yesterday morning. I'm sure the dry cleaning lady thought I was completely off my rocker as my face was still tear soaked and I'm passing off my clothes to her. I was still crying when I arrived at work. After about 2 hours at work I'm able to focus a little more about putting things in to perspective. My job is to save people's homes. To keep them in their homes. And I'm distraught over my 4 day old stolen GPS. Granted, the GPS represented a month long battle of late nights and difficult, heartbreaking conversations for my bonus check.

Jeff promises that if his promotion ever comes through I can get another one. We'll see. I just had to spend $228 to repair my beloved appendage - my digital camera!!! So I don't know have the heart to spend another $200 any time soon.

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday... Christmas Crunch

2008-12-01T20:43:00.007-06:00

mmmmm.... it must be Christmas-time with the smell of brown sugar, butter and lots of calories wafting through my house. And as my precious friend, Lana, can attest... this treat is truly a holiday delight!! I had resigned to not sharing the recipe this year. Of course the reasoning was totally selfish. I mean, if I continue to give out the recipe then "my" special season treat will cease to be special. :) It's so special that it has it's own cooking dish and mixing spoon. But how could I resist the plea of my friend to post the recipe?! And besides, once upon a time the recipe was shared with me. One of my best friends mother-in-law shared the recipe with me many years ago. So here it is...

Christmas Crunch

1 lb box of light brown sugar

2 sticks of unsalted butter

1 tsp salt

1/2 c white corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 16 oz box of Crispix, Corn or Rice Chex cereal

1 lb peanuts

Bring mixture of brown sugar, butter, salt and corn syrup to a boil for one minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda. Mix in cereal and nuts until thoroughly covered. Spread out on one or two large cookie sheets. Bake at 250 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool on wax paper. Break into pieces once it's cooled. Serve to anyone you want to impress!

Now head on over to Lisa's blog and check out the rest of the delightful Tempt My Tummy Recipes... special edition... holiday treats!!!

Birthday Video...

2008-10-27T18:54:00.001-05:00

Birthday #5...

2008-10-26T12:27:00.008-05:00

Well, we made it through another birthday party for my daughter. It's hard to believe that it's #5. And then some days it seems like she should be 25. We had the party a local gymnastics venue where she takes lessons each week.

The girls had a great time jumping on the trampoline.

And then they got to draw on the trampoline... with chalk I guess. What a great idea!

Next they played games that were orchestrated by their coaches: Sam and Beanie.

And then the birthday girl got a medal of honor.

Coming of Age...

2008-10-24T05:47:00.003-05:00

Is it possible that my baby is about to be 5. That next year she will officially be in school. It's an unexplainable privilege to watch a baby grow into a little person. She will be 5 next week, but her party is this weekend. Know there are pictures coming of that!! I so enjoy the little conversations as a person with her now. She can truly be insightful on certain matters. Right now, she is quite taken with the thought that God is riding next to her in the car. Somehow she is stuck on that thought. But when she mentions God or Jesus we just take the opportunity to tell her a little more about Him.

Okay, well sorry for the short post... but at least I made one. It's Friday which means before I even get to work I have to stop at the donut shop, Starbucks, Brooke's school and THEN work!!!

Source of Strength

2008-10-09T21:55:00.002-05:00

These are very difficult times right now. If you are missing the American economic struggle right now then please feel free to come out from under the rock you've been residing under. People are losing their homes in record numbers and many are being displaced to the great unknown. I'm not economist, I don't know what the answer is. But this I know... I can't help every single person. I work for a mortgage company. My job entails assisting customers to lower their interest rate so they can afford their payments. Many people have legitimate needs and I desperately work to help them. I take each case way more personal than I should. I fall asleep at night praying for customers the Lord has put on my heart. I think of them putting on my make up, driving to work, when I take the beloved potty break at work. They are always in my mind. And then there are those customers who don't need help and are greedy and bombard me with phone calls and emails thinking they are the only customer I have. And you know what I do with them? I help them too.

But honestly, I'm completely drained. Some days I can't handle one more person whining and complaining because they can't keep their timeshare or they can't keep their kids in all their sports activities. These are tough times people... it requires tough decisions. And seriously... there are some days I just can't walk in to work. I'm petrified. Who did I overlook? Who will lose their house because there are not enough hours in the day to help them all?? Who is screaming at me on my voicemail? If you know me at all you know that I can not handle someone raising their voice to me.

But mostly... I HATE the attitude I'm developing. I hate the callousness that see starting to take over. I listen to a voicemail and just want to tell people to "shut up. you're a liar and I don't have time for you."

And then there are those moments. Those quiet moments when I stop and I realize... there is more to all of this. There is the Lord. HE can provide me more hours. He can make things happen quickly and swiftly. He can guard my heart and protect my spirit. He is my ultimate source of strength - and oh my gosh how I love Him for that. My goal is to please him. And I really need his protection, guidance, wisdom and many days, His deliverance.

FIREPROOF...

2008-09-27T23:48:00.003-05:00

What can I say.... it's awesome. If I had the money and resources I would buy the ticket and escort everyone I know to this movie.

When it ended everyone in our theater started clapping...

Buy the Fireproof iMix Movie Soundtrack at iTunes HERE

My relenting...

2008-09-27T19:07:00.002-05:00

When I was struggling to my deepest core with my previous employment last year, my good friend Amanda, provided me with a word from the Lord. I love this scripture and now whenever I feel as though I'm facing defeat I want to claim it to my heart and hold on with the tightest grasp.

I Peter 2:12-21

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

This new role at work is extremely challenging and very stressful. I've been in stressful jobs before, but this one truly just takes it all. Our company is not exactly known for it's stellar training program so really everything you learn is pretty much "baptism by fire". That is a HUGE risk and major challenge when your ignorance can cost someone the roof over their head.

So the other day I had a huge epiphany (or an awakening from the Lord!) and realized that the Lord knew LONG before I did that I would be there. He isn't surprised by my lack of knowledge or experience. And just perhaps He placed me here for such a time as this. Someone right now needs to hear my voice and know I'm working to help them. So I am relenting... I am submitting to the Lord's authority and to the authority of those He put above me at work by placing me a role that I was not wanting.

I found myself recalling my customer names throughout the day and in to the night and I say prayers for them. My heart hurts for people who are truly suffering in this economy (and my heart is annoyed when I deal with people who are trying to cheat the system!).

And there are some changes about to occur for our team. I just pray I can be a source of strength for people who may struggle with the changes. Knowing other people may be looking to me for my reaction holds me a little more accountable.

Okay, so this was kind of a hodge podge post. It's hard to put it all in to words when the Lord is working on so many areas of your life!

Palin vs. Hollywood...

2008-09-27T13:04:00.002-05:00

Oh my stars... literally, stars - Hollywood Stars. People who think they are the voice of America and therefore have some incessant need to give their highly-skewed political opinion to anyone with a microphone. I just got through reading some of the comments actors/actresses are saying regarding Sarah Palin. And my co-worker said it best when she said "I think celebrities think that they are more important than they really are." Well said. Many comments were made about "Does McCain think that we're dumb enough to vote for a woman just because we supported Hillary?" Well - do YOU think we're dumb enough to vote (or not vote) for someone just because of your golden, red carpeted opinion?

Out of all the comments I read the one I could most respect was Meg Ryan's - "It's amazing that a woman has come that far. But from what I know about her, her policies are not things I agree with." GREAT! I simple stance that she just doesn't agree with the policies and congratulates a women for her efforts. Enough said.

I'm just worn out with celebrities trying to use every avenue of their stardom to sway a nation. The very nation that gave them their stardom.

Exiting my soap box now...

Sassy New...

2008-09-25T06:48:00.003-05:00

glasses!!

Growing up all my life with having to get cheap, unfashionable glasses I have been marred from ever wearing them. But this time around I resolved myself to the fact that I was going to get very stylish glasses. Must have tried on 20 pair. Probably because I'm getting older and I've been wearing contact lenses since I was 15 I just can't wear them as often. And anytime I would put on my glasses I would feel frumpy and unattractive. Well no more.

And now I feel very "presidential"... now if only I had tiara and pageant sash...

So here are my new peepers!! Next step... getting my eyes lasered! :)

Define Irony....

2008-09-23T22:55:00.002-05:00

So here's a thought... as I'm sitting there with my big ole butt lounged across the couch and watching The Biggest Loser it occurs to me... shouldn't I be working out or something?? Just a thought...

Sorry, I did my "deep thinking" post just prior to this.

First Verse...

2008-09-23T20:32:00.006-05:00

I gotta say that I'm a proud momma tonight. Brooke started T-Kids at church last week. For those of you who have Awana's, it's essentially the same thing. Brooke memorized her first scripture this evening.

Luke 15:10 - There is joy in heaven over one sinner who turns away from sin.

She was so proud of herself. And we were proud of her. We called her Grammy and let her recite the verse to her. There is something unlike anything you've ever heard when a child speaks the Word of God. Just takes your breath away.

Kitchen Tip...

2008-09-21T10:53:00.006-05:00

Okay, I know I should totally wait until Tuesday and submit this for the Tempt My Tummy blog, but I was so excited about it I couldn't wait!!

So in my new Kraft Food magazine they advertised a crock pot that has a delayed timer on it. PERFECT! This is exactly what I need because I rarely use my crock pot because of the time factor. If we leave the house at 7am and don't get home until 6pm it's very difficult to find something that will be okay to cook for 11 hours. So when I saw this new crock pot with a delayed start timer I was super excited, but only partially... I mean, there is nothing wrong with my current crock pot. Would I abandon it simply because it didn't have that one feature that I needed?

So I started reading reviews, etc. and someone offered up what they currently use for a delayed start... they use one of those timers that you can use to make your lamps come on at a certain time. HOW COOL IS THAT?? So I just returned from Home Depot where I purchased a digital timer. I tested it out... and it worked GREAT!!! The best part... the digital timer was $15.... the new crock pot... $60!!
And I don't have to get rid of a perfectly good crock pot!

I hope you can use this great kitchen tip. And if you were already aware of this... why didn't you tell me??!! :)

Wait. What? Five? No way.

2008-09-19T05:56:00.002-05:00

No way my baby girl is going to be 5 next month. Just impossible. Sometimes I just stare at her hoping to get a glance of her infancy just one last time. But alas, it is not there. A young lady has taken its place. And one, I might add, that I'm very proud of. No doubt there will be more blogs in the future as the party planning proceeds, so here is the beginning one. We decided this year to take it low key. Last year there was no party at all since we had just moved here and knew no one to invite. But in the previous years we had it at our house... negative ghost rider. I'm all for taking those parties elsewhere. Less for me to clean up before and after. This year we'll be having it at the place where Brooke goes to gymnastics. She is way whoa pumped about it.

As a designer and her momma I've also prided myself on designing her invitations every year. This one is no different. When the woman tried to hand me the carbon copy on colored paper invitation, my "no thanks" probably came out a little too fast. So attached is the invite for this year. The gymnastics place is loaded with primary colors. In fact, it looks like the Crayola factory threw up in there. So we will just be sticking with the primary color scheme for the party. No special characters.

And can I just take this moment to do a little venting about children's birthdays? When did the tradition start that the birthday child had to give a gift (aka goodie bag) to every child that showed up? Uh huh... someone in the party planning marketing business thought up this ridiculous idea. Yea, I don't get that at all. This year I will simply have to boycott the goodie bag. The rental of this place is costing a pretty penny and to sprout a gift for each child that, let's be honest, is just nothing but junk is just a little extreme for me. We're already entertaining the child for an entire hour and a half. I would think any parent would be grateful for that! Okay, that's my vent for this blog.

Something New....

2008-09-18T05:12:00.002-05:00

So my favorite sister in the whole wide world showed up last week, gift in hand. And one I'm super excited about it!! The Deceptively Delicious cookbook. While I'm not on board with "lying to my child" as some people have deemed this book, I am on track with wanting to provide her with a balanced diet. If these recipes give a little creativity on how to provide my child with healthy eating choices then I'm all for it. My life has not slowed down enough for me to actually try one of these recipes, but this weekend seems the perfect opportunity. I can't wait!! And thank you sister for the book! It was a big surprise!! Who knows... maybe I will actually have something to contribute to next week's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday. Either way it goes... when I make something I will be sure to provide some feedback!

See the Aquatic World!!

2008-09-11T06:47:00.002-05:00

So yea! My sister and nephew are in town and we went to the Dallas World Aquarium yesterday. I wasn't expecting much because the website isn't much. And I thought the price was a bit much. But then we show up and WOW and I was very impressed with it!! And thought it to be worth the price. Here are some of mine and Michelle's pictures from the day!

What About You Wednesday...

2008-09-10T05:51:00.002-05:00

I promise I just randomly pulled this question out of the stack! And the question that came up was: "Which three political issues are the most important to you?"

Now before you answer that you may want to read a recent article that my friend, Lana, suggested: Voting as a Christian in the Upcoming Elections

And while I do agree and appreciate the article I don't think I've let it set in just enough to change any of my top 3. But Mr. Blomberg makes some interesting points that I have not thought about before. Hey, I'm willing to take any suggestions on how to vote as a Christian in our extreme corrupted and hard-to-believe politicians (oops, was that my adoring cynicism coming forth?!)

Ruling the Roost

2008-09-08T06:35:00.002-05:00

So we started a new sermon series yesterday at church. It's about parenting. It was a great sermon yesterday. It opened up just reminding us that we can not parent on our own. We have to rely on God's strength to parent as He intended.

We sang this "Stronger" by Hillsong and it just brought new meaning to our parenting efforts.

You can subscribe to the podcast feed of the sermon series by going here or going to iTunes and searching for Northwood Church. Again, the title of the series is "Ruling the Roost".

What About You Wednesday....

2008-09-03T05:04:00.002-05:00

Good Morning!!

Here is this week's WAYW question... pretty simple this week. Should have started with this one last week! HA!

What goal do you hope to accomplish this year?

And since the year is almost up I wouldn't make it a big goal! HA!

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday...

2008-09-02T19:17:00.006-05:00

Hello all!! For this weeks TMTT I thought I'd do something a little different. Instead of posting a recipe I thought I'd post my meal plan for the week. I sooooo greatly lack creativity when it comes to creating meals. And in an effort to save money, meal planning is always the way to go.

Typically I make my plan for the week and then "shop" my house for items I already have and from that I make my grocery list.

And after you've checked out my list head over to Lisa's blog for some more yummy weekly recipes/ideas!!!

Monday, Sept 1st

Turkey burgers

Tuesday, Sept 2nd

Ravioli Alfredo

Wednesday, Sept 3rd

Spaghetti

salad

Thursday, Sept 4th

Potato Casserole (something I acquired from kraftfoods.com )

Green beans

Friday, Sept 5th

Beef Stroganoff

broiled veggies

Saturday, Sept 6th

Chicken stuffing Florentine

carrots

Sunday, Sept 7th

roast

corn casserole (that I acquired from TMTT!!)

Monday, Sept 8th

Deep Dish Chicken pot pie

If anything peaks your interest just let me know and maybe that will be my next TMTT recipe!

Now that I've posted this to the world I feel accountable to stick to it!

Achieve the Unexpected

2008-09-02T05:17:00.004-05:00

okay, this is the last post I'm going to do about this blasted 5k. But I figured since I did a LO about the beginning I should do one about the achieving.

LO Credits:

Papers: Ecologie Kit, Twiggy Kit - Paislee Press

Circle Stitch: Pinkish Kit, Fei-Fei's stuff

**all can be found at Oscraps**

Yea! Tired. Owie.

2008-09-01T12:27:00.003-05:00

Well, I got it all done! And I did it in less than an hour. 56 minutes. I know some people will laugh at that, but that's okay. I accomplished a goal. What more could I ask for. I'm grateful my friend Shelley who came along for the ride.... or walk!

I think one of the most interesting things was that once the race was over there was a party... literally... where everyone was drinking beer.... at 8:30 in the morning! :) But we were eating hot dogs... at 9am. Strange running habits!

The funniest thing I saw out there was a t-shirt that said "Low carbs are for lazy people." ha ha!!

Anyway, thanks to everyone to came along for the journey!! I'm still contemplating about the next one.

Start line

2008-09-01T07:30:00.000-05:00

My friend Shelley and I getting ready to go!

Today is the day!

2008-09-01T05:29:00.002-05:00

Well here it is the early morning of the race. Most people are sleeping in because they don't have to work today. But oh no, not me. Not one ever to sleep in I had to find something creative to do this holiday morning.

And I find it a little odd to call this thing a race, okay. Let's just be honest. I won't be running at all. And the one image I've kept to keep me going is... Indianapolis Motor Speedway is 2.5 miles around. So essentially I will be walking IMS 1.25 times (my math's not the greatest so don't grade me on that!). The funny thing is I will walking in about an hour and a half what would take race car driver 30 seconds to drive.... ahhh, so continue with... this is not a race! :)

I'm more excited just to come back and say that I did it. And I feel a little behind the curve ball because people are coming out of the woodworks to talk about their 5k's that they've participated in. And now I'll have my story...

okay, off to stretch!

Proud Moment. Starbucks Moment.

2008-08-30T09:40:00.003-05:00

Oh yes... any moment with your child, free of whining and crying and cleaning up after, is a special moment, but this one, oh yes - this one with the Starbucks... this was one to savor. It's that first moment where you feel like you're with a friend. The best part about Brooke's hot cocoa is the lady at the bar automatically cooled it off for her where she could drink it immediately. Brilliant!

LO credits:

Template: Press Plate #6, Paislee Press

Paper (recolored): Loopty Loop Kit, TaylorMade Designs

Border Brushes: Fei-Fei's stuff

all available at Oscraps!

Homework has commenced...

2008-08-29T21:03:00.003-05:00

Amazing... they even get homework in preschool. I'm quite certain given a few more years and preschoolers will be taking laptops to school.

Here's just a little video of Brooke's first homework assignment this year.

Abundantly Blessed...

2008-08-28T19:50:00.002-05:00

Well the time has finally come for me to shed the "contract worker" label at work. After 6 months, the company I've been with has finally opened the door to hire me on permanently, along with 3 other co-workers. The team I'm on is pretty tight and so we were all concerned for one another and equally excited when it finally came through.

And all the current permanent employees were just as joyous at the turning of our status.

I know all things happen in God's timing and He has a purpose and a plan. Waiting 6 months, when the standard is 90 days was tough. It definitely took faith and trust in the Lord to bring that through.

Along with the changed status also brought about some different job duties. Some that have me feeling like I'm back at day one. Nonetheless, I'm thrilled to be where I'm at and helping people stay in their homes. Also now that my status has changed so has my travel plans... I will now be put in to the travel rotation and will be traveling to meet some of our customers. Although I have my preferences of places I'd like to go, I simply want to go where I'm needed. I pray the Lord sends me and uses me to bring comfort to people and work with them during this volatile time.

To think of God's amazing plan and how He orchestrates everything in His perfect timing never ceases to amaze me and completely humble me.

What About You Wednesday....

2008-08-27T06:31:00.004-05:00

I've always been a little obsessed with those questionnaire's that people send out via email. I'm always intrigued to learn more about people and hearing about their experiences. While in Colorado I came across the Table Topics cube of questions. Each Wednesday I will post a question and would love for you to answer it so I can learn more about you!!

The VERY FIRST What About You Wednesday Question:

Which moment from your life would you choose to relive if you could?

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday...Salmon Balls

2008-08-27T05:14:00.002-05:00

Okay... so I am a little late for Tuesday - so I'm delivering on Wednesday.

The recipe I have to offer is from the South Beach Cookbook. A friend at work made these the other day and were really really good! And only because she gave me the recipe yesterday do I have something to offer for TMTT!

Salmon Balls

2 cups canned salmon, drained, flaked and skin and bones removed

8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1 Tbsp finely chopped onion

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp prepared horseradish

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp liquid smoke

1/2 c chopped almonds

3 Tbsp chopped parsley

In a large bowl combine the salmon, cream cheese, onion, lemon juice, horseradish, salt and liquid smoke; mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm enough to form into balls.

In a small bowl, combine the almonds and parsley. Scoop about 1 Tbsp of salmon mixture at a time and shape in to balls. Roll in the almond mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled.

Since this is a South Beach, Phase 1 recipe you're not suppose to eat crackers with it, but you totally could and it would be wonderful!!

Thanks Shelley!

One Proud Momma....Brooke's Beginning Portfolio

2008-08-24T18:14:00.003-05:00

Every parent is proud when their child starts to show signs of talent in a particular area. But when Brooke's emerged this week in Colorado I was ecstatic! She asked me if she could take a picture with my camera. And me being the one not to really put off her curiosity gave her the camera and a few instructions on how to hold it. My VERY expensive camera. But, hey... let's see how she does. Her first couple of shots just left me totally in awe. I was SO impressed by her ability to frame a shot. They weren't all perfect, but for a first timer they were pretty good!

Now, believe me when I say, I'm not one to have pictures taken of me a whole lot so this is by no means a pathetic attempt to say "look at me!". Instead I just wanted to show off some of my daughter's emerging skills and talent. Will she follow in her momma's footsteps??? Time will tell!

PICTURE time!!!

2008-08-24T15:22:00.002-05:00

Okay, the moment you've all been waiting for... our pics from our Colorado trip! Don't worry, I didn't not include all 1300+ photos that we took. I hope you enjoy them and taste just a little bit of the beauty that we got to experience!

Colorado or Bust!

HOME! & Breckenridge Sunrise

2008-08-24T11:33:00.003-05:00

Well there is certainly something to be said for vacation, but being in your own bed... there are no words to describe. It felt so good to sleep at home last night. Now the clean up and laundry and photo prep... that's going to take a while! I saw a quote recently that is sooooo applicable here - "No vacation goes unpunished." Boy is that true.

I wanted to share with you a video time lapse of a Breckenridge sunrise from the balcony of our room. I hope you enjoy it! It's only a minute long, but the time length of the sunrise is an hour.

Also, I have one HUGE very proud moment that occurred on the trip... I will be sharing that soon! Stay tuned!

Vacation Last Day

2008-08-22T19:49:00.000-05:00

I sit here atop the Balancing Rock in the Garden of the Gods at
sunset. The rich vibrant colors are impossible to explain. The cool
breeze blowing through my hair is impossible to convey. Tonight is our
last night in Colorado. It has been a glorious vacation and this was
the perfect ending. Now I'm ready to go home. I miss my computer!!

Vacation Day 5

2008-08-21T13:54:00.000-05:00

Well here we are today in Cripple Creek. A town known for it's
profitable gold mining. Now that the older form of the "get rich
quick" has all but moved on (gold mining) it has been replaced by the
newest "get rich quick" - casinos. The quiet quiant little historic
town of one street is completely lined with nothing but casinos.
We did not partake in the gambling, but just walked the street
enjoying old time wall murels such as this one. And continue to relish
in the cooler temperatures and being in a valley surrounded by
mountains.

Vacation Day 5 - Manitou Cliff Dwellings

2008-08-20T11:09:00.000-05:00

Here we are this morning at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. These are
original structures built by Native Americans. The clay structures are
a marvel and you have an excellent view of the mountain peaks that
surround Pikes Peak. Speaking of Pikes Peak... We're are headed to the
top today! 14,110 feet here we come.

Vacation Morning Day 3

2008-08-18T07:43:00.000-05:00

The Lord has truly blessed me this morning! It's 6:30a. How anyone
could sleep through this I'll never understand!! Simply breathtaking!
Literally. I haven't been able to catch a full breath yet in this high
altitude!

Vacation Day 2

2008-08-17T16:57:00.000-05:00

How's the view where you are? The view here in Breckenridge is nothing
short of magnificent.

I realized today, Sunday, that although I was not in a church I still
had the most AMAZING worship experience. How could anyone question the
majesty of God after having experienced the magnificence of His
creation?
I feel small and insignificant in the shadow of this mountain and yet
amazingly humbled that He sent His Son to die for me - that He calls
me His child and this mountain His creation.

Vacation Day 1

2008-08-16T13:46:00.000-05:00

We're not in Texas anymore!!

Grown up job???

2008-08-13T05:42:00.002-05:00

So, my senior VP at work recently asked me "Well, Susan, what do you want to be when you grow up?" I'm sure my stunned silence was very reassuring to her, but my response (or lack thereof) was more of a result from a huge unexpected announcement she had made about 30 seconds prior to that.

After going through a wave of emotions and thoughts at her surprise announcement and question I realize that what I want to be when I grow up is known for someone who made a difference. I want to be get up every morning and say "Use me Lord for Your glory." And sometimes that comes in the form of just being used. Or at least it does to me these days. Waiting is never easy. Especially when something on the other side of that waiting expects to bring comfort. But I'm called to find my peace and my comfort in the Lord - to calm my crazy moments and to know that no matter where I go or what I do I'm riding in the palm of His hand.

Lord, please put the sparkle in my eye, the smile on my face and let people see Jesus in me. There is no greater honor, no greater privilege, no greater peace and no greater moment than to be used for His glory.

So as far as what I want to be when I grow up... used. I just want to be used... for His glory.

Wedding Exhaustion...

2008-08-10T21:26:00.002-05:00

I'm quite certain I wasn't this exhausted after my own wedding. And I was SICK on my wedding day. We got my brother married off this weekend. The funnest wedding I've ever been to. An outdoor wedding that became a pool party! What a perfect way to stay cool and entertain the kids.

I do pray my brother and his new bride, Deb, have a wonderful life together. They both deserve it. I will post some pictures later... right now... I gotta go to bed!

Labor and Delivery

2008-08-07T06:20:00.002-05:00

Did you have a rough labor and delivery with your child? Was it a 24 hour ordeal? Let me just tell you the worst kind of labor and delivery. The kind where you are waiting on the government to deliver your child... or in this case, children. And not the American government, but the Russian government. Some very good friends of our down in the Austin area are literally just sitting and waiting on the Russian government so they can adopt their children. They are in Russia right now, I believe in Siberia, just waiting because their court date, which was suppose to be today, has been postponed due to a tiny piece of paper. This is where the physical Siberian image collides with the metaphorical.

We are in deep prayer for these friends of ours as they await the delivery of their children. I can not imagine what it would be like to be stuck in a foreign country where I don't speak the language, have severe jet lag, have no interest in site seeing and just praying for my children to be in my arms and to be officially called mine.

We are in need of prayers warriors to stand in the gap and pray for strength for this family. Pray for the Lord to move the Russian government and for the courts to allow 2 children to be held by a family who desperately wants and loves them.

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday...

2008-08-04T22:06:00.005-05:00

Well, since I'm on kind of health kick right now AND I found a veggie recipe that Brooke just gobbles up I thought I would make that my recipe for TMTT this week.

Check the L & L's weekly Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Lisa's blog this week!!

Whipped Sweet Potato Casserole

4-5 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (yea, I actually peeled them!)

1/4 c fat free half and half

3 tbsp light butter

4 tsp brown sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

Place the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in water and boil for approximately 20 minutes. Drain.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine the butter and half and half and heat in the microwave for a minute or until the butter melts. Add this to the cooked and drained potatoes. Also add the cinnamon and brown sugar. Using and electric mixer, whip the potatoes until smooth and creamy. Add more brown sugar and cinnamon, if necessary (okay - I believe I will!!)

Brooke had TWO helpings of this!!

This could be bad...

2008-08-04T19:33:00.004-05:00

So, just curious... do they call it Facebook because it's basically like your face is buried in a book and no one is ever going to see a non-digital version of you ever again? Is that it? I'm thinking it is. Yea, I'm all set up on Facebook now... and oh my stars... yea, it's another total time sucker! And my best friend is all bragging that she was on there before I was. I quickly had to reminder her of all my other web obligated items: 2 websites, my scrapbook page, my MySpace page, my SparkPeople page AND, of course, this blog - which by the way is really my fav right now only because I can blog from my iPhone. I haven't even broken the news to my husband yet that I've added another item to the ever growing list of items that is allowing me to master the art of total time suckage.

So that is truly the highlight of my day. My favorite thing about that Facebook thing... yea, the flairs. What fun!! Very unique way to introduce people to the world of ME!

Bad timing...

2008-08-03T13:22:00.004-05:00

Oh my gosh... did I pick THE hottest summer to choose to take up walking?? Sure, I can walk indoors, but that really doesn't prepare you for a long distance walk in the outdoors. I certainly hope the temperatures cool down by the day of the walk. I'm suppose to go walking outside tomorrow after work with a friend who has committed to do the walk with me.

I've got lots to prepare for this week. My nephews are down in the south visiting my brother for a couple of weeks. I will see them Wednesday night briefly before they head out to go a Yankee/Rangers baseball game. And then on Thursday I will take them to Texas Motor Speedway for a tour. They'll head home and then I'll see them again the next day for the weekend of my brother's wedding. Stayed tuned for pics from that event!! And then the next week will all be about preparation for our vacation to Colorado.

Scrapbook Layout Credits: Press Plate 3, Twiggy Lime Kit - all by Paislee Press, Oscraps

Learning something new

2008-08-03T08:48:00.001-05:00

If you know anything about me you know that I love to learn new techy
stuff. This is my messy desk and the instructions on the computer on
how to blog from my iPhone! :)

Random thoughts...

2008-08-03T08:29:00.000-05:00

1) Sunday... often times in my life should actually be RUN-day. Run, run, run all day long. And for some crazy reason it's always the day when the spirit strikes to clean my house. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I want to start my week with a clean abode.

2) So to make my life a little less hectic I've decided to set up a blogsite area. I love my website and it's super fun to do, but a little more time consuming than I really have time for.

3) My baby girl comes home today. She's been gone since Thursday. She loves going to her Memaw and Papaw's. Over the past several months they have been taking her at month in an effort to help us work some required and needed overtime.

4) I'm soooooo ready for the fall. The 100+ temperatures have GOT to go.

5) okay, yea, so that cleaning thing... I better get going on that...

Until next time...