Look Good, Feel Good...Right?

Ok, here is the breakdown...
These Crocs have been my absolute fav sandals this summer! Major COMFORT and... I think stylish!

These were a $10 purchase!!! I have a strong feeling these my be a fav for the fall/winter season! AND...
These were the shoes of choice for our Ladies Night Out last night- "Christmas in August"-Fun!

Any favorite shoes for the summer?

Any good shoe finds?

First Day of Pre-K

The Teacher 's Survival Kit was made...

(Thanks Tip Junkie for the idea.)

The "A little bit about me" was typed...

(It gives the teacher a little more info such as: K-Man take a while to warm up...he love Dinos...

I also made one for Little Bit's new MDO teacher! )

* I had a picture of it, but it gave too many readable details-sorry!*

The clothes set out...
(The new blue tennis shoes were the highlight of the new stuff for school. K-man is convinced they make him run faster!!)

The backpack was hung...

(Notice the theme of blue?)

The "First Day of School" cupcakes were made...

The Good Luck letter from Daddy written...
(We have started a tradition- the parent who does not take the boys to school leaves a note. It started because I'm often gone before the boys get up on the days I work and my adorable husband has a job that he has to travel with.)
All for this special day...Being in the Pre-K class!!!
Here is a SPT taken before K-Man left for school!

The day went great EXCEPT he didn't use the bathroom all day! I found this out while he squalledand danced all the way home (about 2 minuets) from school! No worries- we had a long talk about not being scared to go to the potty! Poor Guy!

Have a GREAT Pre-K year!

Wordless Wednesday

Terrible Twos!

The other night I was in the kitchen washing dishes and I heard the water running in the bathroom..."Is that water? Everyone's at the softball game- everyone but Little BIT! Oh'NO!"

As I run into the bathroom the shower curtain is closed, but on the other side is this...

Yes, I know he is cute and has the biggest brown eyes (good thing!)....And while I did laugh at this incident... this is just a taste of what our lives have turned into lately!

Again, while I was cleaning the kitchen I turned around AND Little Bit has discovered carrots are better tasting in the nose than the mouth!

See that face...A face of mischief!

What have I learned:

1. The next several months are going to be like this...

2. We need to stop hiding in the bathtubs during games of hide and seek...

3. I need to stop feeding my children carrots...

4. I NEED TO STOP CLEANING THE KITCHEN!

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Philippians 4:13

Thoughts...

I have been reading "At Home in Mitford" by Jan Karon. I love it when you read something in a book that makes you stop and meditate on the thought. In this wonderful read an older women who has lived a very full life asks this question to her friend...

"Did you ever think that just when people grow old and have so much to tell, that's when people want them to hush?"

As I though about this question I realized that the thought was very true. I feel strongly that God has placed a special spot in my heart for the geriatric population. I work in two nursing home and rehab centers. The age population ranges from around 70 to 100+ years old. Let me just tell you that I learn something EVERYTIME I take the chance to slow down and just listen! When you look into these sweet people's eyes you can just see they have so much to share and so much wisdom just bursting to come out. However, our society sees them often as burdens and too slow to keep up.

I also took this thought one step further...

"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanders or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God" Titus 2:3-5

God gives us so many opportunities to share the wisdom we have been blessed with. More then that he has blessed each of us with older and wiser women to honor, respect, and learn from. I looked around our church family this morning and noticed how blessed I was to be be in a family that has "grey hair". I am encouraged to be around these special women and learn from their full lives. I also looked around and noticed the range of young girls/women that I have the opportunity to instruct and encourage. We need to be women who lean and learn from each other.

Listen to the sweet elders around you...they have "so much to tell."

Philippians 4:8

Summer in Review Part 3 (Peach Festival)

We are lucky enough to have a Peach Festival in our area. It is a summer highlight. Here is our family before hitting the streets in 100 degree weather!
Peaches...Peaches...and more Peaches!
My parents were brave enough to spend the day with us. The festival had MANY wonderful booths with peaches, food, rides, games, crafts, home decor, antiques...
AND PEACH JULIPS! My absolute favorite! I had about three cups full! I can't believe I have to wait until next summer for another!
Here is Little Bit with his sweet red face from the heat!
And the K-man with a good smile! Oh, you see that whale he is holding...he saw it at the entrance of the festival and would not stop asking for it until it was his own (which my adorable husband had to back track and find!!!- thanks babe!)

I love the Peach Festival, but I wish peaches grew at another time of year! It is just SO SO SO hot in JULY! But...we will be there next year-Want to come?

Summer Review Part 2 (The K-Fish)

One of the BIG events during the summer was K-man's first summer of swimming lessons! He has never been excited about getting his face wet and he strongly dislikes water in his eyes.

With all that said you can now understand how...
this picture makes my heart joyful!
Ohhhhh~ This one too!
We had no idea how swimming lessons would go. On a crazy whim I decided to buy K-man some goggles and now he can't be without them! It made all the difference! There was actually one day we could not find his goggles before swimming lessons--He was devastated and would not even think about putting his face in the water. At home I found them and quickly ran back to the pool to a VERY excited little boy! I am greatful for the invention of goggles...
AND for Mrs. Amy!
Now my K-man is the K-Fish!

Wordless Wednesday

Summer Review Part 1

Ok, while some of you wonderful bloggers stayed up on the events of your summer...I did not! I know... how could I get so behind on blogging??? Well, I had two options...1) just let it go OR 2) catch up and have the freeing feeling of documenting some of our family highlights of this summer. Number 2 won out so here is our July 4th highlight!

We finally went to Bushland and spent some needed family time with my adorable husband's sister and her family. Diane was a wonderful hostess and we had a blast. Here are my precious nieces with my boys.
We went to the small town parade that didn't feel small town once we got there! It was PACKED. The kids loved it. I think there were over 50 firetrucks and police cars in the parade. It made me hope there would be no emergencies that morning-Ha!
Fourth of July would not be complete with out a cook out...
AND homemade ice cream!
Oh, and if your from a "small town, country loving family" the Fourth of July would not be complete without lessons in roping! Watch out Poppa I think the K-man is getting the hang of it!
Now...Who does not love Sparklers?
My adorable husband and Jay put on a firework show that was memorable in more ways then one!
Thanks guys!


While in the area we visited the Palo Duro Canyon State Park and watched the play "Texas".
Smile you cuties!
"Texas" is a must see for all those proud Texans out there! The K-man was memorized through the whole thing. However, the ice cream during the intermission was also a highlight!

Have you seen Texas?

Saturday Reflections

As I think over the week...

1. We have stayed up too late and let the kids stay up too late watching the Olympics- Go USA! We have loved watching Micheal Phelps swim his way into history. Along with all the wonderful stories and history being made in Volleyball and gymnastics. K-Man loves to cheer, "Go United States of America!"

The other night the K-Man and I stayed up way to late and were watching the girls gymnastics-The only way he could tell the difference between the teams was by the color of their uniforms...not their physical appearances. Oh, too see the world through the eyes of a child!

2. Organic food vs. Whole food vs. Shop Cheap- The more I have learned about our "American diet" the more frustrated I have become with how we have let ourselves become "large" and lazy (eat out and eat fast). There are so many smarter ways to eat and feed our children-with that said...it is so expensive to eat "right"!!!! Seriously, I am overwhelmed by the change in our food bill with more veggies, fruits and healthier options for snacks!GRRRRRRR~

3. Can't we just skip the terrible two's...

4.I have finally taken my house as my own! I know is sounds crazy, but the first year here I was just trying to figure out who I was. However, I am still me (Ha!) and I am ready to move onto my house! I have painted a BOLD color in my dining room! If you want to see it you have to come visit! I have also painted the hallway and now it's off to the kitchen. The color has been decided and just needs to go on the wall! I love to decorate my house!

5. Texting...While I was driving home from South Texas a moron (ok, that wasn't nice, but true!) driving a motorcycle pulled out in front of me on the highway off a ramp then practically stopped! I pushed hard on the brakes and as I moved around him I looked over and he was TEXTING!!!!!!!! Get off the road you moron!

6. If feels good to be blogging again!

Takes my breath away!

During this BUSY summer...I had the honor of Ashley taking pictures of the boys. Let's just say... her photography takes my breath away! We drove around our small Texas town and when Ashley saw something she liked we stopped the car and she took pictures. Man, did she take pictures! I wanted to share my "sneak peek" with you. If you want to enjoy more of her eye for beauty check out her photography blog Here .

Bummer!

Tonight I was ready to jump back into the blogger world after almost 4 WEEKS of trying to just hold myself and family together during the whirl wind of July! So, I sit...reflect...decide on pictures...and then...THE VIRUS STRIKES AGAIN! The virus we had on our computer has messed up my pictures and I am unable to get them to do anything!!! This has been the 2nd virus in 6 months! I have about had it! (Good News!- I haven't deleted the pictures from my camera yet...YES!)

*sigh*

So, I guess it will just have to wait. That's ok-I think my lemon meringue pie and the Food Network are calling my name! Good Night!