Semi Wordless Wednesday-Flowers

My Adorable Husband had these flowers sent to me following my Blah day! Yes, Daisies are my absolute favorite flower. They always make me smile! I am pretty lucky I found a guy who can put up with my Blah days!

First Day of Preschool

Well, we made it to the first day of Pre-K only 5 minutes late! (Hmmm. I can throw a rock at the school we live so close and we were still late-Ha!).The K-Man just did not understand the concept of, "hurry, eat your oatmeal!" The morning went smoothly and K. was excited. We had gotten him a gift to get him pumped for the big adventure. It was a United States puzzle. He loved it and started finding the states that we have learned from all of my adorable husband's travels.

I made a brownie pencil for K.'s first day. I thought it turned out pretty good. We will see how it tastes when K. comes home from school while we talk about his day. After I came home from dropping him off I did notice some icing was missing- the stinker!

The K-Man is sooo used to me taking pictures of him constantly (poor kid!)! Here is a "cheese" in front of his classroom door! Notice the sign says, "Today is Tuesday."...I knew this would be a good school!

Here is my sweet first born with his teacher, Mrs. Nikki. Doesn't she look so kind and fun? She better have eaten some Wheaties for breakfast!

The K-Man walked in, put his backpack where it needed to go and found a puzzle. The morning was done and the school day started! I am blessed that K. has always been confident in himself and makes friends easily. He is such a trooper.

Quotes for the first Day of Pre-K:

"I will be coming back!" After we make K. give B. a hug for a second time.
"Thanks for the Luck!" After giving his Daddy a hug.
"I know Momma, I know!" After me telling him I love him while driving to school.

Blah Blah Blah...

Do you ever have one of those days when you just feel BLAH! For me, that's today!Blah, Blah, and Blah. I have wondered what could it be that overwhelms a person to the point of a Blah day. So I started thinking:

1. The K-Man starts Pre-K tomorrow in a new place and with new kids. I don't know one child in the class or one parent. This is when being the new family in town is not too fun. I'm sure he will do wonderful. He is my social dragonfly (I can't say butterfly...too girly!) I am sure he will walk in and make a friend right away!

2. Little Bit will be ONE in a couple of months! I LOVE birthdays and I LOVE having birthday parties. For the K-Man I had two big birthday parties when he turned 1 (Friends and Family)!!! However, for Little Bit we don't really have a huge group of friends with little ones SOOOO a HUGE, I mean a pull out all the stops, Family Birthday will have to do! I am blessed to have a Little Bit!

3. I decided I just couldn't continue training for the HALF this year. BIG SIGH!!! It kills me to even type it. I have prayed and talked and thought and prayed...AND I am mentally and physically spent right now with two small kids and dealing with all the life changes that have flown my direction the last several months. Training for a Marathon is both physically and mentally challenging...I am totally up for the challenge, BUT just not today. It is still a life goal and I know I will do it, BUT not today.
To ease my mind as I ran this morning (kind of sad not to be training) I decided my time running during the week would be spent in prayer. I am a runner and I have always been one...so to continue using this time wisely I am calling it my "Prayer Run". I will run 3 miles several times a week and pray for YOU. Anytime you have a specific thing you would love to know another is praying for...just let me know and I will pray for you during my run! Today was for my friends and their kids starting school today and for my Mom who teaches school.

4. I will be looking for a job soon! TOO soon! I knew the day would come and...yes, I need to start looking. I am looking for something just a couple of days a week while the boys are busy at MDO (B. starts in OCT...another sigh.)and Pre-K. I really enjoy being a Occupational Therapist. It is rewarding in many aspects, but after being away from it for a while you just get comfortable being "around" all the time. I am blessed to have gotten to spend so much time with the boys at home AND that I don't have to work full time. Just another unknown that needs to be conquered!

Sorry, for the book! Just having a Blah day! Tomorrow the sun will shine brighter- It ALWAYS does!

Momma Bear

(My sweet K-Man)

We were at Chick-Fil-A the other night to eat and let my adorable husband get the chance to see the boys in action in the play area. Everything was going good. The K-Man had found a "friend" his age to play with and Little Bit was crawling around everywhere! However, after a little while I noticed K. had gone up to the top and had not come down. So as a good mother...I wait with my eyes glued to the bottom of the slide. Hmmm. No K-Man. I motion to my husband who was in the play area with B. to check on K. Finally, my husband gets K-Man to come down. To make the story move a bit faster...We find out a mean, stinky, bully of a boy had told K., "I'm going to bust your nose!". WHAT??!!

As my adorable husband put K. on his lap he starts to explain that he needs to tell boys like that to be nice AND he shouldn't be afraid that the boy was just talking mean...Yada Yada Yada! All good stuff, but I was thinking, My poor baby...He was scared. Where is that little snot? I want to give him a little talking to! Where is his Mom? I need to talk to her too! Don't parents these days talk to their kids about being nice? What is this world coming to? I then calmly tell K. that if ANYONE talks to him that way, "you come tell ME!"

Finally, my Momma Bear instinct calmed down and my claws relaxed, but it took a couple of minutes. This was my first (and I know not last) experience with a bully bothering one of my boys! K. was scared by this "big" kid. He had never been talked to that way. It just broke my heart.

BUT, I have to finish the story by saying that while my adorable husband was trying to teach my 3 year old a life lesson at this teachable moment, K kept looking around asking about the MAYO packets and straws he had stuffed in his pockets. *Sigh*

Oatmeal?

What did we have for lunch today...Well, The K-Man had oatmeal, corn dogs, and scrambled eggs with a glass of water(and a small amount of sweet tea). Oh, and a purple sugar free Popsicle. Little Bit had a slice of cheese, a piece of bread, and carrots with a bit of a water and juice concoction. Wrapping the meal up with an orange sugar free Popsicle (we couldn't leave the little guy out!).

Looking over the lunch menu I can't say that I would win the "Mother of the Year" award with this meal, but everyone was happy!

What did you serve for lunch today?

Semi Wordless Wednesday

Kim , Deanna , Holly , Robyn , Heather , Maria , and ME!

The Flamingos. We are girls just trying to live the "Christian Life" in a not always so nice world. We hold each other up and hold each other accountable for the decisions we make and the life we lead. We help each other and encourage each other to have a Christian marriage and happy family. God comes first! We also love to drink coffee and have fun...We are the Flamingos!

Good Mail for the Boys!

My boys LOVE getting the mail. We are usually at the table eating lunch when the "mail lady" comes and delivers the GOOD MAIL. To K-man it's like Christmas everyday! As soon as he sees her, "Lets get the MAIL! I bet there is something for ME!" The funny thing is a lot of the time there is something special for the boys. The concept of Good Mail has taken over our home! Thanks to wonderful friends and family Good Mail bring much joy to our days! Here is a THANK YOU to:

The Sabs (Troy, Heather, Reid and Macy) for the Dinosaur Book- How did you know K. is CRAZY about dinosaurs? It is really that obvious?!

Rylan and Jacob for the Bible Story CD and Book. Little Bit dove right into "reading" the book (it tasted good too!)

Annelise for the fun animal crafts! K. had to make them, "RIGHT NOW"! I hope we made them right. We had to guess on a few pieces.

Paw Paw and Gramzie for the shirts, coloring book and book. We were such mean parents and made K. wait until he took a nap before jumping into the color book. I know, I know...a grandparent would never have let that happen! The shirts are perfect!

Thank you ALL for making my children feel special and bringing excitement to checking the mail!

Sweet Tea for Sweeties

We went to Cracker Barrel tonight after church to give Me a break from cooking before the week starts. I love Cracker Barrel. It is a place where I can get "home cooking" without having to cook or clean up afterwards, K. and B. can always find something they will eat, I can shop while waiting for our food (Can I just say, I can't leave without buying something!) AND OHHHHH...thier SWEET TEA! Tonight I think I drank about 4 glasses full of sweet tea and got one to go!!! What's funny is I came across this article and had to share it with all of my sweet tea buddies!

News Releases

Sip on Something Sweet:
Sweet Tea Drinkers Perceived as Friendlier and More Laid Back

Cracker Barrel Survey Reveals the Allure of Sweet Tea

(Lebanon, TN – July 11, 2007) – As temperatures rise, consumers may not want to grab their favorite drink too quickly as their beverage of choice could reveal more to others than they may think. A national survey conducted by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBRL) found that 55 percent of Americans prefer their iced tea sweetened and more than one in four men and women perceive sweet tea drinkers as friendlier and more laid back than drinkers of other beverages such as soda and bottled water. Sweet tea drinkers are also perceived to be funnier than unsweetened tea or coffee drinkers. True to their family friendly personality, Cracker Barrel stores served more than five and a half million gallons of sweet tea, enough to fill almost nine Olympic-sized swimming pools, accompanied by more than one million lemon wedges in 2006.

Respondents also believe sweet tea drinkers are more exciting than their unsweetened tea counterparts; while bottled water drinkers are seen as less shy. Those consumers who favor a cup of coffee are seen as three times more serious than those that go for the sweet stuff.

Personality aside, male respondents even went so far as to admit that they find sweet tea drinkers attractive. Sugar and spice really do seem to make everything nice.

"Sweet tea was on our menu when we opened the first Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in 1969 and it continues to be one of our most popular menu items," said Diana Wynne, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Cracker Barrel. "Through surveys such as this one we are able to determine how some of our key menu items are seen through our customers’ eyes and also gather additional data to help us to expand our menu selections."

Findings from the Cracker Barrel sweet tea survey prove that consumers aren’t just what they eat but also what they drink.


Go enjoy some Sweet Tea!

Balance

I'm like any mother with two children...busy! Having two small boys keeps me hopping and mentally tired. Sometimes, I think too much...I start wondering, Am I being a "good" Mom to each one of my sweet, precious boys?, Do I spend enough time with each one of them?, Do I give them the attention they need?, Does K-Man know that I still love him so much it hurts (though I have another adorable boy that makes my heart swell)?, Does Little Bit feel like he comes second (when K. demands my attention!)?, Am I devoting enough time to the spiritual and physical growth of each child, Am I being the Mom that each one deserves and needs?

With these thoughts comes much prayer! I desire to be the best Momma for my boys, but sometimes I am worn out or need Me time. I was told once that balance does not mean spending the same amount of time with each child everyday. Balance is giving each child (and your husband and self) the things that are NEEDED at that moment(there will be other moments that the pendullum will swing the other direction). For example, Little Bit may be teething and need a full day of holding and cuddling. While the next day K. is having a "Question Day" and needs me to give him full attention all morning answering his desperate questions! Perhaps the next day the boys are doing fine playing together and I can have Me time with a magazine. As long as you keep God as your focus and strive to be the best you can be for that day...you will find balance.

Last night myself, my adorable husband and the K-Man waited until Little Bit went to sleep and we played "Go Fish", and a "Fishing" board game. We had a blast! K. was thrilled with the attention. I realized it does not take much to make a child feel important...and balance is really not that hard to achieve. It's all how you perceive the balance in your life.

Blogging

I just wanted to express how much I enjoy blogging. I have found that it is such a wonderful way to keep up with my favorite flamingos and friends that I miss something horrible. It has also been a wonderful way to keep family updated on the happenings with "the boys". However, there are many other perks to blogging! I have connected with many girls, mothers, and wives that are doing some incredible things that have inspired and encouraged me. I have also found it a fun way to record and reflect over the adventures of the last few months. When reading over some of my "old" posts I just cracked myself up!

When I first started blogging I was CRAZY over it! I wanted to check it constantly and if I missed a day posting I felt I had let myself down. I was also so disappointed when there were no comments. Now, I have found my grove and I am more confident in what I want my blog to represent...ME! Though I may not post everyday or not until late at night it is a way to express what is on my mind. Blogging also gives me the opportunity to enjoy all YOU wonderful and creative people "out there".

Many more posts to come in this fun world of blogging!

Thursday Tips and Tidbits

Here are some things I have discovered:

1. Chocolate Animal Cookies are NOT just for kids! YUMMY!!! I find myself snacking on them all day long.

2. Chick-Fil-A has wonderful Sweet Tea. My car seems to just head for the drive through everytime I venture into town.

3. Story time at the Library is fun for "K-Man", but I sit and analyze all the different parenting styles the whole time...even when I try not to!

4. The Fly Lady has wonderful ideas to organize and keep the home running smoothly. I have gotten great tips from this site.

5. No matter how well you think you know your closest friends, there is always more learn!

6. Being 10 months old is not to young to enjoy Spaghetti O's!

7. It is never too hot to drink coffee with Pralines and Creme' creamer!

8. A three year old getting out of bed to tell you he loves you never gets old.

Just thought I would share!

8 Things About My Marriage

Laurie and Holly tagged me to answer 8 Things About My Marriage...Ready are not!


1. Where did you meet your husband?
Believe it or not we were high school sweethearts- yes, it really does happen! We attended different high schools, but went to the same church. I was a social butterfly and he was the strong, silent type (Ha!)

2. What was the first thing you said to your husband?
I don't remember. I know we probably did a lot of small talk. I know when I started realizing I would like to get to know him better was at Thursday night Bible studies. I specifically remember us sharing a Bible and talking about Matthew 6 one night and thinking...he is so cute (Ha!)

3. Where was the first date?
The wonderful guy he is, he talked to my best friend and they came up with a plan. He took me to eat at Tejas and then to watch Corina, Corina. Loved the fried pickles and movie.

When he asked me out, he quietly said..."you want to go to a movie or something sometime?"...I answered as I climbed into my car with my best guy friends, "sure just call me sometime." Door shut. To this day we laugh because it took so much courage for him to ask me out and I was so casual about the whole thing! The joke is also that I kicked off my shoes when I climbed into his truck on our first date and sat "Indian style" in the front sit- I was so relaxed.

4. Where was the first kiss?
I'm not sure how many dates we had before "the kiss", but imagine...6'5 Trey...5'4 Lacie...and braces (Trey). Let's just say it got perfected over the years (Ha!).It makes me laugh (and my heart swell)when Trey tells me he whooped on the way home!

5. Did you have a long or short courtship/ engagement?
We started dating our senor year in high school and continued through college...grand total of 4 years. He went off to A&M one year before I did and we wrote LETTERS to each other! Yes, real letters I still have all of them! We were engaged for a year before the wonderful wedding day around 7 1/2 years ago!

6. Where did we get engaged?
I will try to make this long story short! Trey the wonderful guy he is had planned this wonderful dinner out at a nice restaurant and had planned flowers and yada yada (it was my birthday)...BUT, I was having a breakdown (Ha!) with tests and finals...so he threw it all to the wind and told me to give him one hour. He arrived at my apartment with roses, a birthday cake, pin the tail on the donkey, and the most wonderful birthday present! Babe- it was the most wonderful, thoughtful engagement in the world!

7. How did the wedding and reception go?
Wonderful. Everything went smooth. It was like I had always dreamed. Thanks to my Mom, Dad, and our wonderful friends at Church.

8. How was the honeymoon?
We went to Galveston, Texas...the beach in January! It was my fault I was in the first week of an OT program and just couldn't be gone long! However, it was wonderful to just have the whole place to yourself (not many people on the beach in winter-. We stayed at the Galvez which has a lot of history (I love history stuff!). We had our second honeymoon 2 1/2 years later in Playa Del Carmen...wait we are still honeymooning, right?

Laurie and Holly thanks for the tag it was fun to think back over the past. I have such an adorable husband!

I tag Heather , Maria , Deanna , and Shaka

To Run or Not to Run!

I have been training to run a half marathon for about 3 months. I got up to 10 miles on my long run...everything was going great...and then for about two weeks everything slowed town BIG TIME! My adorable husband had a conference out of town and was gone longer then was expected!

So, as I crawled out of bed this morning and donned my running shoes I kept asking myself, is this really a good time for me to do this with two small children, do I really want to get up at the crack of dawn (before the family rises) and then stay up late to get everything done I couldn't during the day, am I loading my plate too full, am I tired from running or from just life in general, am I even training "right", can I really do this by myself????

I didn't even listen to my music for the four mile run this morning because my mind was running too! I just can't decide- I wish I wouldn't have had two weeks to sleep late and get away from the routine. I know I need to start registering for the marathons I have been looking into...Oh what to do!

Quick Fix Meals

With the extra time on my hands I was able to watch the Food Network. I love to cook and I am always looking for new ideas. However, with two young children and a husband who travels with his job cooking "good" and fast meals has been my new challenge. While watching Robin Miller on the Food Network it occurred to me I have got to get things ready ahead of time. It is always the prep work that takes so long. I also need to plan my meals a bit better.

So I am going for it. I am going to try to plan my meals maybe two weeks at a time(if I get good at this maybe 4 weeks). Then I am going to try to cut all onions, bell peppers, etc. up at one time. I am also going to try to de-bone/cut up the chicken and brown all the meat all at one time (when my adorable husband can give me some time in the kitchen without the kids hanging on my legs- Ha!). This will hopefully cut down the prep time on the actual day I am cooking the meal. I may even try to make big casseroles and freeze half of it for later. I am really lucky that my husband likes casseroles and that my children aren't picky eaters.

Well, this is my goal...we shall see how it "really" works. You never know until you try, right? Well, so far I have: 1.De-boned the chicken and put it into two cup portions 2.Browned 2 pounds ground meat 3.The bell peppers and onions have been diced and 4.All the cheese has been shredded! So far so good- Hopefully the next two weeks will be smoother!

What are your cooking secrets when cooking for your family during the busy week?

What have I been doing?

What have I been up to while the K-Man has been vacationing with the grandparents and my adorable husband has been busy....


1. I watched the 1968 Yours, Mine, and Ours with Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda. It was so funny! I actually laughed out loud.
2. Ate 4 pieces of veggie pizza (Yes, I said 4 and it was at one sitting!!!)
3. Went on a Hobby Lobby Run
4. Made an arrangement for my dinning room table
5. Found a MALL!
6. Videoed Little Bit without K-Man yelling, "Watch Me, Watch Me!"
7. Spoiled Little Bit Rotten
8. Visited a neighbor who just had a baby
9. Had a girl day with some new acquaintances
1o. Watched more TV then I have in Months...Years!
11. Read, Read, and more Reading!
10. Last but not least...stayed in PJ's until lunch!!!!!

Wow, the last few days have gone by so fast and I have had a blast! However, I am ready to spend some time with my adorable husband and see my cute first born.

Thank You Mr. Holley

With the move came the hard transition of becoming a part of a new church family. It is never easy being the "new guy" even in a warm environment of a church. The first time we visited the Aledo Church we were a bit late and sat towards the back next to a tall man with a kind smile. This sweet older gentleman talked to us and made us feel very welcome. He had a sincere smile and "really" talked to us and wanted to "know us". The next time we visited he made a effort to find us and again "really" talked to us. He remembered our names and smiled his kind smile at our children.

From that first visit to the Aledo Church Mr. Holley has made a huge impact on us. He has made us feel welcome and our boys feel special. We have talked on MANY occasions on the way home from church about how Mr. Holley is such a kind man and a quiet leader in the church. He is a quiet, meek, gentle man that touches you heart with his sincerity.

Today we found out that Mr. Holley had a tractor accident and passed away. My heart is heavy for the man who touched my life so greatly over such a short period of time.With the announcement came many stories from others that knew him much longer. These special stories have only confirmed what I witnessed over the last several weeks. A man who loved his God, wife,family, and those around him. His quiet actions touched many lives.

In honor of Mr. Holley I encourage you to lead a life that could touch another...beacuse it will. Live a life that speaks through your actions.
Thank you Mr. Holley for your Christian example.

For A Week!?!

My "K-Man" has escaped my tight hug on him for a week! He is off to Paw Paw and Gramzie's house for a few days and then off to Poppa and Grammie's house for a few more. Will my heart make it? The one thing that makes it ok...is I know he will have a blast with his Grandparents! The time he spends with them and the memories he will make are valuable for him becoming the young man he will be. Now, that sounds great-BUT I have to tell myself that every few minutes!

While the K-Man is on vacation I will be running around like a crazed women having some girl time(clothes shopping, girly movies...) and catching up on projects (scrapbooking, cards, sewing...)that are hard to complete with a 3.5 year old and an almost 10 month old pulling on my clothes! I will also get to spend some one-on-one time with "Little Bit"!

Still, my heart is a bit weaker without the "K-Man" here in my arms! Have fun little guy! Momma loves ya THIS much!!

Neighbors

We have officially been in "tiny country town" for 4 months. There have been good days and trying days. There have been ordinary days and adventurous days. BUT we have survived and are surviving. I was once told it takes 6 months before you feel like you are at "home" in a new town...Hmmm, we'll see!

This leads me to the neighbors we have inherited by moving onto the "loop". The "loop" is also known as "my track" and has about 15 houses all around it. This morning while I was running I came across the two older ladies that walk in the mornings together. I see them sometimes and we usually just smile and say good morning, but this morning was different. They were wearing their PINK baseball caps and cotton Capri's looking adorable and as I ran by they said, "We saw your bottles on your mailbox and knew you were out and about this morning". I was so excited!!! They know who I am and notice what we are up to! I have been dying to ask one of the ladies about a beautiful plant she has growing in her yard- I think I might just ask!

However, we just had some neighbors that moved onto the "loop' that may be a bit of a challenge. I don't really know their story, but we first met them after watching their 10 year old daughter and 3 year old son walking around rummaging in garages!!! Yes, we watched them for a while and then my adorable husband went outside to make sure they were ok. Their Dad leisurely came out and walked them home-not really acting concerned (they were far from their house and had been gone a while!)

Then lately we have noticed on several occasions them playing with K-man's toys outside and on our play set. Well, Wednesday I had to go talk to the Dad. We were loading up for Church and K. walked into the house like he had seen a ghost. When I went into the garage there was the little boy pulling out all of K's things. Before I could say too much to the little boy, the girl appeared with K's critter box and shovel that had been on our back porch. I kindly told the children they needed to go home because we were leaving for Church. the little girl said, "no I don't!". So, I tried again to explain we needed to close the garage. As I was leaving I notice the girl going into Trey's shop so I turned the car around and went to their house...Rang the door bell...Dad comes out smiles and said, "I thought they were playing in our yard." NOPE!

So, like all neighbors you take the adorable walkers with the overly relaxed parents. But all in all the "loop" has been very welcoming. Do you have "good" neighbors?

Gig'em Aggies- Wordless Wednesday