Three Boys, Boots, and Belt Buckles!

Remember Me? Summer Recap

2011-10-12T11:08:00.000-05:00

So I've taken a huge blog hiatus which seems to be the norm for me. Whatever. Sometimes it just gets to where the blog feels like one more thing I have to do, and if I'm not enjoying it, I just need to take a break. But I'm back for now. For today at least :)

There have been a lot of things going on around us lately. I have a lot I want to say, but right now I'm still sorting through. Nothing groundbreaking, I promise. Until then, let's have an update, shall we?

Wednesday nights at church. My big boys and some of our favorite friends!

Bray went to Southern Miss football camp again this summer.

Football in action!

Trace was a huge fan :)

I hosted a baby shower for my dear friend Kisha at the home of one of our church ladies.

Kisha and Jan, both preggers at the time! Kisha and Dax are doing amazingly and Jan just had her triplets yesterday!

We took an overnight trip to Jackson and got to hang with the uncle at the Natural Science museum.

All my favorites!

Museums rock.

Spent some time at the splash pad at Renaissance. Guess which mom forgot to bring towels? This one.

The boys came to work a lot this summer and helped out! Caleb's my statement stuffer.

And mail opener. Bray prefers to work out front or build something while he's at the store.

We spent lots of afternoons tubing at Flint Creek. Got to have the uncle around for one of those too.

Trace...he's such a trooper!

Brothers!

A few of my favoritest people in the entire world!

Birthday lunch for Cyd and Kisha (with Dax) and Amy!

Date nights with our best friends, Cyd and Wayne

Took an anniversary trip to Boston in August (although our anniversary is in June!)

Watched our Red Sox play! Saw a triple play from 3rd to 2nd to 1st.

Pretty sure that may be a once in a lifetime occurrence.

Dinner dates with my hubs in Boston.

We ate lobstahhhh.

Complete with bibs. Oh yes.

Surprised my mom in Jackson for her birthday.

Love Caleb's face on this!

Well, that brings us up to September. I purposely skipped our Disney trip in July because that is probably multiple posts in itself! I promise I will work at blogging more frequently! :) Ya'll hang in there with me.

Meaningful Monday

2011-09-19T08:40:00.000-05:00

...a post of something meaningful in my walk with the Lord this week.

Listen to This:

"I'm a Lover of Your Presence"- Bryan and Katie Torwalt

Remember This:

"My own flesh is twice the enemy to me that Satan is. Once we know how, we do not hesitate rebuking Satan, because we despise him. On the other hand, we dearly love our own flesh. We have far more difficulty rebuking it." -Beth Moore

What God's Word Says:

Romans 7:14-25

The Message Paraphrase (MSG)

^14-16I can anticipate the response that is coming: "I know that all God's commands are spiritual, but I'm not. Isn't this also your experience?" Yes. I'm full of myself—after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.
^17-20But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
^21-23It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
²⁴I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?
²⁵The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

Young Retailer of the Year

2011-08-05T12:36:00.000-05:00

Back in February, one of our hardware suppliers, Handy Hardware, nominated Jeffry for an industry award. We were interviewed and gave the interviewer the needed information for the application. We really didn't think we had much of a chance to win because it's a national award, but you never know.

Well, Jeffry DID win Young Retailer of the Year, an award bestowed by the North American Retail Hardware Association. This is a huge honor! Jeffry and I flew out to Vegas in May for him to receive his award along with 4 other deserving retailers. I am beyond proud of my husband!

If you'd like to see Jeffry's application, complete with photos of our store, click here, read the intro and then click more info to see the entire portfolio. It's pretty impressive if I do say so myself!

Here are some photos from our trip to Vegas!

Ginny (one of our bffs and the mastermind who designed Jeffry's nomination portfolio) and me in the limo headed to the NRHA Awards Ceremony

Jeffry with the Hall of Fame boards

Our place cards at the tables on stage

Jeffry walking up to receive his award

The 5 honorees for 2011

Jeffry and me with Lynn Bradley of Handy Hardware

Jeff and his dad with his award!

Dixie National and Little Big Town!

2011-05-03T09:14:00.000-05:00

I am obviously way behind in posting this, but here are a few pictures from when we went to the Dixie National Rodeo and saw Little Big Town perform.

Bray with his cowboy hat and corn dog!

Caleb with his new cowboy hat.

Bray bear...notice the cowboy shirt.

The girls of Little Big Town!

Jeffry can you see?? haha

We were able to get pretty close!

My hubby and me!

They put on an awesome show.

Getting the crowd to sing out!

We had SUCH a great time! The boys are really into cowboy stuff so the rodeo was a hit for us. We will definitely be going again next year. Little Big Town was the highlight for me!

Dirt Bikes!

2011-04-05T12:51:00.001-05:00

We've spent several weekends camping and letting the boys ride their dirt bikes!

It's been a lot of fun for them because several of the kids from church have bikes, and they can all ride trails together.

Jeffry checking Bray's tire

Caleb and Paris

Bray bear

Off he goes!

Caleb with a double thumbs up :)

All the bikes and gear

Love this guy

One Kings Lane

2011-04-04T14:43:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of One Kings Lane? Amazing gifts for you or for friends! I found out about it from The Nester.

I just bought a little herb garden set for $9 and some great Seda candles.

One Kings Lane is a private sale website that features items up to 70% off on home furnishings, decor, gifts, candles, accessories and more. I received a gift certificate to One Kings Lane for my birthday, and it's so hard to decide what to spend it on because I want so many things! Go check it out!

Hate is Done...Honor has Come...

2011-03-07T08:46:00.000-06:00

To see the original post from Steven Furtick, click here.

And then he was 8

2011-03-03T07:55:00.000-06:00

Brayden's Birthday Celebration at Gatti Town in Hattiesburg

He turned 8 on January 17th

I want to eat him up

2011-03-02T09:48:00.000-06:00

I love how he "fixes" his glasses

Obligations

2011-03-01T15:10:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I feel like there are so many obligations that I just want to stop it all and do nothing.

I'm kind of an over-achiever in a lot of areas, and I make these super-high standards for myself that I know I'm not going to be able to achieve. I just set myself up for failure. Mainly in my home and with my kids.

Take blogging for example. My blog is here to record personal thoughts, photos, etc. I'm not going to be the next Mom Creative or theNester. Why do I put pressure on myself to do more than I feel like doing? I haven't blogged in a month because I just haven't had time, yet every time I read someone else's posts, I feel guilty for not doing my own. Why do I put that pressure on myself? In the long run, it doesn't matter a bit.

Laundry. Paying bills. Organizing. Keeping sand off of my wood floors from those little boy shoes. Getting the boys to put their toys back where they belong. Laundry. Trace eating a meal without making a huge mess. Having the kids bookshelf in order. Keeping my clothes in color order. Laundry.

I'm realizing more and more that I hate to see the mess. I love clothes hampers because you can shut the lid and they look pretty, not chaotic and overflowing. Even our living room bookcase makes me crazy sometimes with all the different colored books and different sizes. See, I told you I was kinda weird.

All these things that super mom should be able to accomplish and so many times I fall seriously short.

Some days I read Proverbs 31, and it just makes me feel worse. I don't rise before dawn.

Days like this I just want to lean back into my Savior and take a deep breath. I want to sit there in that moment forever and pretend the world doesn't exist.

He lovingly reminds that my value is in Him.

My purpose is to know Him and to make Him known to others.

So take heart, moms...for every obligation you place on your own shoulders, realize that Jesus only desire of you is that you surrender your worries to Him and spend time having a relationship with Him. He's ready and waiting to take those burdens...if we will only let go.

Anthem Lights

2011-02-04T06:20:00.000-06:00

Brayden and I went to The Rock and Worship Road Show in Biloxi this past Saturday night.

It was Bray's first-ever concert experience (he's 8), and I think he had fun!

Performances included:

Anthem Lights

The Afters

Thousand Foot Krutch

Jars of Clay

MercyMe

While all the bands were cool, I had ulterior motives for going.

My "other little brother" Alan is a member of Anthem Lights.

They have serious talent, and I was beyond proud to see him perform on such a big stage!

It really all boils down to their love for Jesus and for making Him known.

Check out the schedule and see if the Road Show is coming your way. Tickets are only $10 at the door!

Here are a few pics from the night...mostly all of Alan (that's for you Brycie!)

Alan and Bray!

So go right now to iTunes and download Anthem Light's EP! Full album launches in May! :)

30x30- Day 2, 2.2.11

2011-02-03T06:08:00.001-06:00

Ok, first the obvious issues.

The only full length mirror I have access to is at our store...in our bathroom.

Hence the toilet in the background.

Oh well, you do with what you have...isn't that what remixing is all about?

And I forgot to photograph my shoes. But I wore the black flats.

I think there's a learning curve with this!

How do ya'll take such fantastic pictures?!

Oh and please feel free to leave me outfit ideas since I'm a newbie :)

30x30- Day 1, 2.1.11

2011-02-02T15:08:00.000-06:00

Here's Day 1's outfit.

My husband made fun of my belt insisting it didn't match.

I know it doesn't match but it goes.

Hopefully the picture taking skills will get better as we progress.

I only got one good shot (the cut off head was on purpose):

a) because my 8 year old was the photographer

b) because our Australian Shepherd, Isla, kept trying to show you her outfit and

c) it was sprinkling and then started pouring while we were photographing!

Do you see that white dot on the upper left of the pic?

That's a raindrop. Oh well. It will get better!

30 for 30 Picks

2011-02-02T14:08:00.001-06:00

**Running a little behind with my posts because my baby has been sick! Sorry, but I'm catching up!**

I'm linking up with Kendi Everyday and a ton of other bloggers to participate in 30 for 30.

The idea is to pick 30 items from your closet and remix them for 30 days.

Accessories are free! Here are my picks:

3 Skirts-

Black with Lace Trim from Gap

Black and Blue Tweed from Gap

Gray Ruffled From Gap

2 Dresses-

Flowered dress from Target

Leopard print from Belk

3 Sweaters-

Gray Button Down from Forever 21

Maroon from Kohl's

Black Lacey from The Buckle

1 Sweater Vest from Forever 21

5 Pairs of Shoes-

Brown Tall Boots

Black Shiny Flats

Nude Cutouts

Black Suede Ankle Boots

Black Tall Boots

4 Patterned Shirts-

Black and Gray from The Buckle

Navy and White flowered from Old Navy

Peacock Feathers and Gray from F21

Flowered multi-color from Gap

3 Pullover Sweaters-

Ivory from Gap

Turquoise from F21

Lime Green from Gap

4 Shirts-

Purple V from Old Navy

Black Button Down from Banana Republic

Navy 3/4 Sleeve from JCrew

Black Tee from Target

3 Pairs of Pants-

Gray Dress Pants from Kohl's

Wide Leg Denim Trousers from Gap

Black Skinnys from Kohl's

And 2 Pairs of Jeans (no picture sorry, they were in the washer) both from The Buckle

Weekend Progress and Recipe

2011-01-29T12:59:00.000-06:00

I'm making some progress on my to-do list, yay!

Last night Jeffry and I put together the bookcase for Caleb and Trace's room.

It was a lot bigger than I expected! It fits perfectly right next to Caleb's dresser. Here it is:

(the pic was taken from my phone so it's kinda grainy)

And another project I forgot to add to my to-do list (but I will just so I can cross it off)-

my Valentine wreath!

I'm so in love with how it turned out! I want to make another one for Easter in maybe light yellow or pink...I'm full of ideas for this!

And I've probably done 4 loads of clothes. Making a dent. Do you realize how many clothes big boys and little boys can wear in a week? Bray and Caleb wear uniforms to school so they may come home and have to change into another outfit if we are going somewhere that night. Trace is a 2 year old so he's just messy anyway. Jeffry is no exception. His stain of choice is grease or...well, we live on a farm so just use your imagination. I won't spell it out.

I made this chicken pasta last night and had to share with you. Sort of like chicken floretine but I did it my own way.

Ingredients:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

1 bag fresh spinach

1 container fresh mushrooms

4 roma tomatoes diced

8oz sour cream

1 can cream of mushroom soup

chicken broth

1 package medium egg noodles

In a large boiler, heat several cups of water for your pasta. Be sure to salt the water. Once water is boiling, add egg noodles til al dente. Drain and set to side. Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken to the pan and season with Lawry's and black pepper. Once chicken is thoroughly cooked, set it to the side in a large bowl. Add a teaspoon more olive oil to the skillet and turn the heat down to just under medium. Add the bag of spinach and the entire container of mushrooms. Once they have started to cook, go ahead and add the diced tomatoes. Let these simmer until spinach is wilted and mushrooms are golden. Add sour cream, and cream of mushroom soup and mix together. Add chicken back to mixture and stir. Add chicken broth to thin the sauce to your desired consistency. (I added maybe a 1/4 of a cup.) Add salt and pepper to taste.

I mixed the noodles and chicken sauce mixture together in the large bowl I had put the chicken in.

My family loved this pasta! It's a great way to get some veggies in...you could add lots of them. Also, I used fat free sour cream and cream of mushroom soup and low sodium chicken broth. Still plenty of flavor but better for us! Hope you try this sometime.

Off to finish my laundry so I can pick my 30 for 30!

This Weekend

2011-01-28T13:29:00.000-06:00

will be spent:

* Doing all the week's worth of laundry that I have neglected. Mainly folding clothes. Cuz let's face it, the washing and drying part is not hard...just the folding and putting away. Are there machines for that too?

* Taking down the cowboy themed curtains and hanging blinds in Bray's room. He got a new USM comforter and sheets for his new room. Which is still dark brown and clashes with the bedding...oh well, one day we will paint it gray.

* Putting together the $70 Target bookcase I got from Dirt Cheap for $14! So proud of myself! I'm NOT a Dirt Cheap shopper. After I put it together, I'll be going through our multitude of books we have for the little boys. Hopefully getting rid of some!

* I hope to carve out some extra time this weekend for songwriting. I've got the urge.

* Making my list of picks to remix for the 30 for 30. Gotta get that post up before Tuesday! I'm excited!

* Being Mama to my three favorite people in the entire world. Cherish the time you have with your family! The other day I was unloading groceries and Trace was playing in the yard. He picked up his bouncy ball and said "throw ball, Mama". In my head, I was thinking...I need to get these groceries inside, get dinner going, put on a load of clothes...but my heart said no. So I stopped what I was doing and threw the ball with him for a few minutes. It wasn't long before he wanted to go on to something else, but it meant so much to ME. Just a little challenge to me and you!

* Leading worship Sunday at church. Well, I do this every week. But we are playing a new song this week which is always fun. Check out Yahweh from Hillsong.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Confessions

2011-01-28T05:49:00.000-06:00

...because sometimes it just feels good to lay it all out there.

* I overuse exclamation marks. Even in professional business emails. Oops.

* I really hate lotion unless it's thick like a body cream. As in, if I have to use regular lotion, I end up wiping half of it off because I don't like the "feeling".

* I'm probably the nicest person you will meet and would never say anything ugly to you. I can't be mean to people. Like the other day when the waitress totally got my order wrong, did I complain and get a new dish for free like ~~my husband, my mother, my mother-in-law~~ other people? No. I sat there and ate it. I don't like people to feel bad.

* I drank my weight in caffeinated beverages yesterday. And I liked it. Oh well, back to water today.

* I'm kind of OCD when it comes to certain things. Lots of things. More than I can go into here.

* I wear jeans almost every day because I work at a hardware store/lumberyard. Part of the reason I signed up for Kendi's challenge- to help me branch out!

* I'm pretty old school and love to read real books- as in ones on paper. I even print out emails sometimes if they are long because I prefer reading on paper than on a digital screen. But I did get a Kindle for Christmas and I am very much enjoying it!

***Tell me I'm not the only one who has some quirks they wanna 'fess up to? Comment with yours!

Let's Play Dress Up

2011-01-27T16:04:00.000-06:00

So my friend, Emily, introduced me to Kendi Everyday.

I have stalked this website up and down, and I love it.

Kendi has awesome style and mixes prints, colors, and textures in ways that I never thought of!

So inspiring really. Makes me wanna wear more than jeans every day which says a lot.

Kendi is kicking off her 4th session of 30 for 30 -Winter Edition; a blog challenge to readers to pick 30 items out of their closet and mix and match them into 30 different outfits for a month. Readers post photos of their outfits each day.

(Umm, I'm already telling you, I know mine will not be daily. But I will at least get them on here!)

So come on and sign up with me and Em! Let's play dress up...

Naked.

2011-01-24T16:24:00.000-06:00

I LOVE Naked Juice.

Have you ever tried it?

A cross between juice and a smoothie.

I brought home a bottle of Green Machine the other night, and my husband totally made fun of me.

This convo is on the side of the bottle:

"Looks weird." Sip. "Tastes amazing." Sip. "Hey, 10 green turbo-nutrients?" Sip. "Still looks weird."

And it's very true. Looks nasty, tastes so yummy!

I love that the exact number of fruits/veggies is listed on the side of the bottle.

Today I downed a huge Mighty Mango with no shame.

I've really been trying to eat healthier foods and make more intentional choices

about what I'm putting into my body.

And Naked Juice has been one of my favorite additions to my diet thus far.

*Do you have any favorite healthy snacks you could suggest for me to try?

Last Week

2011-01-24T13:59:00.000-06:00

*Monday was Martin Luther King day, but most importantly my Bray bear's 8th birthday! So hard to believe. He has truly changed my life for the better. We celebrated by staying at the camper all weekend and letting the boys ride their dirt bikes that they got for Christmas all day. They had a blast! We'd gone out for his birthday dinner at Red Lobster the Friday before.

Our trip to Gatlinburg this year

In his football uniform after their state playoff game

Little cutie at Christmas 2005

Oh, and it also was my sweet IRL friend Em's bday; she was in my wedding. Go visit her here.

*Tuesday was Caleb's day to bring snacks at school. I worked most of the morning, and then ran by Walmart to pick up some juice boxes and snack mix bags for his class. He was so excited that I brought them by and stayed for story time, ran by Bray's class, and then took them both home. It really is the little things we do that bring our kids so much happiness. I spent the afternoon baking birthday cupcakes for Brayden to take for his class the next day since it just so happened to be his snack day!

*I let Bray take his cupcakes with him like a big boy. No need for Mama to pop in to his class two days in a row. Wednesday night I led worship for The Chamber which is our midweek prayer service. Our church is in the midst of 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, so this worship time was especially exciting.

*Thursday was Sales Tax day at the store. Blah. I have to do it once a month, but I never enjoy it. I mean who enjoys paying taxes? Usually my focus on Thursdays is more about what's coming up for worship team practice that night. I look forward to practice all week long; it's my passion! We just got an actual acoustic drum set! We've had electronic drums which totally work, but wow, a real acoustic set just makes a huge difference. Exciting stuff.

*I was so excited for Friday! I had a few things to do at the store before I got to leave to go to lunch with my Dad in Hattiesburg. He had to come down for a doctor's appointment, so we met at Newk's. After a great lunch, I had the shopping bug. I ran by Forever 21 and got a couple cute shirts. Then I went to GAP where I had a 30% off my entire purchase email! Let me tell you, I racked up on some sale rack deals in GAP. The two best buys were a thin gray sweater for $2 and a cute tweed skirt for $9. I still had some money left on a Belk gift card from Christmas, so I went there next. I grabbed up some super cute Jessica Simpson black suede boots at 50% off! I was so proud of my sale-finding self that day. :)

*Saturday was Brayden's birthday party at Gatti Town. All of our family came, and we invited several of Bray's friends from church and school. It was such a blast. The party "hero" (the Gatti Town worker) made balloon animals, painted faces, made an obstacle course for them, served the pizza, drinks, cake, and ice cream, decorated the room, and cleaned up afterwards. This was our first birthday party that wasn't at home and I must say it was SO nice to do nothing but sit back and take pictures. Speaking of pictures, there aren't any yet because I left my camera bag in my mom's car! :( I have to wait until I see her again to get it back...we live a little over 2 hours away. Stink.

*Sunday was tremendous. I love Sundays because as a worship leader, they are what I prepare for all week long. We had a great set list including a new song to us called "Hallelujah" by Stephen Cole. You can find it on the Catalyst Music Project in iTunes. The sermon was so incredible though. So many people were touched that day. I left saying, "I really wish I could do that everyday". Maybe one day...

________________________________________________________________________________

* What is your biggest passion in life?

* What's the best deal you've ever gotten on a piece of clothing?

You Can Thank Me Later

2011-01-19T12:55:00.000-06:00

Yall, I have to share with you my latest favorite blog.

(Besides yours of course!)

Are you ready?

It's called... (drum roll)

i hate pickles like whoa.

It's one of my sweet besties IRL who has a hilarious sense of humor and shares it with us daily.

But better yet, she's a makeup artist.

And today she's sharing tips on how to get cheekbones like J-Lo.

(Who doesn't want cheekbones like J-Lo?)

And she has the cutest tiny sweet baby who I think should marry one of my cute little boys.

And she lucked out and got a hot hubby that smells like dirt.

So why are you still here? Go see her!

And tell her you hopped over from Morgan's :)

You can thank me later.

Storyteller, Part 3

2011-01-18T08:41:00.000-06:00

I knew that I wanted to share our story on our blog because although a lot of you know us personally, a lot of you don't. And even those who know us may not really know the details of what God has done in our lives. So I'm starting at the beginning. Our story is real, raw, and unrehearsed. I hope you read with an open heart.

_________________________________________________

In September of 2007, we found out we were pregnant with our third child. We were so excited! Instead of just calling and telling our parents outright, we sent them a bouquet of yellow flowers with a note that said "Congrats on Baby #3!" Our family's were surprised and so happy for us. We went to the doctor for our first ultrasound on a Friday in October. We went into the ultrasound room and within minutes the technician told us she couldn’t find a heartbeat, and said she was sorry. She walked out to go get my doctor. I had to go to the bathroom to get dressed after that, and I just broke down in Jeffry’s arms. My heart was broken again. I can't tell you how thankful I was that Jeffry was there with me and that I wasn't alone. I had to have a D&C that Monday so right after we left my doctor we went to the hospital to get my pre-admission forms done. It was one of the longest days of my life. The poor little man who was filling out my forms was making me so irate. He was trying to crack jokes and make light of things when I had just lost my baby. All I wanted to do was crawl in a hole and die. That night was a bad time for me. I wrestled with sleep; all through the night the Holy Spirit was singing in me that “Jesus’ Blood never fails me”. That Sunday, we went to church and I stood in the audience with my husband and my mom. It was so hard but I didn’t know anything to do besides praise my Jesus for whom He is and cling to Him. I’m not going to lie; I struggled with depression over the next month. I tried explaining it to my mom like this, "I felt like I had something on my back, pushing me down, but I never fell completely to my knees. I never fully gave in to it." I really think my battle with depression was a spiritual one. But I had a Savior who said He’d never leave me nor forsake me. He followed through. He carried me again.

It was hard for me to hear that other people got pregnant or had a baby after that. I was so sad about the baby we had lost that we never had the chance to meet. I think was such a shock because I'd had two perfectly normal pregancies with no complications at all. I cried out to God for another baby, and He answered our prayers in February of 2008. Trace was born in November 2008, and as most of you know, he is truly a gift from the Lord.

If it weren’t for Jesus, I wouldn’t be who I am today. If it weren’t for an intimate relationship with Him, I would probably be in a totally different place in my life. But because He has healed and restored my family, I can be real. I can show people who I really am because He has changed me from the inside out. If you don't know Jesus or if you're still unsure if He even exists, please feel free to contact me. I've shared how He has changed my life in the hopes that He will use my story to affect someone else.

Storyteller, Part 2

2011-01-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

_________________________________________________

But our story doesn’t end there obviously. Jeffry and I got married in June 2002 and had Brayden in January 2003. One of the hardest things we both ever had to do was to tell our parents, but they supported us every step of the way. What a blessing to have parents who loved the Lord to walk through this with us.

Over the course of our first year of marriage, we had Brayden, bought our first car, decided to open our own building supply store in Wiggins and bought our first house; most of these are things people do in the first five to ten years of marriage! We searched for a church in Wiggins and eventually settled down at one, but it just wasn’t what either of us were used to. It was small and just didn’t seem to be life-giving. I think we both knew that I was a little more spiritually mature then Jeffry was, especially evident when he did not understand why I wanted to go to special things at church. He was a good guy, but he had a good time at poker night with the guys and wasn’t ready to change that. Jeffry remembers me asking him one night, “Why can’t you and your friends ever get together without drinking beer?” He really didn’t have a great answer; he just said “That’s what we do. It’s how we have a good time”. Don’t get me wrong, I was not the picture of perfection either. I went to church more out of obligation because I grew up doing it and I knew it was the right thing to do. But we got to the point where church just wasn’t a priority any more. We would be up in plenty of time to get ready to go to a Sunday morning service, but it seemed like we could always find a reason not to go.

In February of 2006, we began attending Northwood Church. Jeffry was brought up Methodist and I was brought up Baptist, so we both had a lot of questions and were a little skeptical about Northwood because it was non-denominational. However, we continued to come to services, and we could not deny the power of God in that place. It was something we had been longing for and searching for when we really didn’t even know we were missing it. We loved the fact that the people at Northwood were REAL. We wanted Brayden and Caleb to grow up loving Jesus in an atmosphere like the one at Northwood.

We jumped in with both feet. We both attended an Encounter Retreat over the next few months, and then we started some discipleship classes in August 2006. We both grew spiritually by leaps and bounds during that period, and it was so great to do it together. Jeffry really stepped up as the spiritual head of our household. We really felt like we fit at Northwood and loved getting to know Jesus better with other people who loved Him and made Him their priority.

In December of that year, my grandfather passed away unexpectedly. He was supposed to be discharged from the hospital that Saturday morning, and my parents, my brother, and I were on our way to see him. He died before we got there. I was so mad at God. Why didn’t He give me the chance to get there and lay hands on my grandfather? I could have prayed for healing! Why did I not get that chance? I never got to say goodbye.

I felt like I just had my knees kicked out from under me. The day after the funeral I drove home and attended our church's Vision Convention that night. I remember singing, “You have turned my mourning into dancing”, and I just felt the release as I gave everything to the Lord. It took time, but God carried me through that dark place.

To Be Finished in Part 3 Tomorrow...

Storyteller, Part 1

2011-01-13T06:00:00.001-06:00

There are probably a lot of you who think that Jeffry and I have it all together, that our lives look too good to be true from the outside. But it’s not. We are just as real as you are. God has brought us through things that I never in my life thought I’d be able to walk through.

Jeffry and I met in the fall of 2001; I was a freshman Music Education major at the University of Southern Mississippi, and he was a sophomore majoring in Business. We both attended the Baptist Student Union on campus, which is where we met. I sang on with the praise team each Tuesday night. Jeffry came in late from work one night in the first few weeks of school and saw me singing on stage. He asked a friend of his whom I was and if he would introduce us. We met that night, but I really didn’t pay him too much attention. I thought he was a lot older than me and was just being nice! We sat together that Thursday at lunch at the BSU and he asked me for my number. We went on our first date the following Monday night. From that point on we were almost inseparable. We officially started dating in October. Seeing as how school started in August, that was pretty quick! But I think sometimes when you know it’s the right person, you just know.

Both of us were Christians, but like many college kids, we weren’t living daily as we should have been. We were both “good people”, we didn’t get in trouble, but we weren’t seeking God’s face in our day to day lives either. Christmas holidays we spent some time apart, but we each got the chance to celebrate with the other’s family. It was great. I loved his family, and he loved mine. I really knew Jeffry was someone special when he was the first guy that my dad never complained about. My dad was very tough to impress, but it seemed Jeffry had won him over the first time they met! That’s what worried my mom! Haha.

Things were great in our lives. On the outside we looked like good kids. School was good; we even took a class together that spring. I would help him study, and he’d go to my required music recitals with me. We were probably living more like a married couple at that point than two Christians in a dating relationship. I honestly never thought I would see myself in that situation, but once you start down that slope it’s easy to keep sliding on down. In May, right before school got out for the summer, we discovered I was pregnant.

Talk about changing your world. We were both in shock. I can still remember being at the clinic on campus when the nurse came in and told us the test was positive. We both just started crying. Not really the way you want to find out about having a baby. Not really the way God meant for it to be....

To Be Continued in Part 2 Tomorrow...

2010 Favorites

2011-01-12T14:20:00.000-06:00

Thought I'd share just a few of my favorite things from this past year with you...

1. Coach Poppy Perfume

Jeffry got this for me for Christmas, and it's fantastic! Jasmine, gardenia, cucumber, and candied rose petals. I'm not a gardenia fan but that doesn't come through to me with Poppy. My new favorite everyday perfume. Still loyal to my Coco Mademoiselle for date nights.

2. Tiffany Onyx Toggle Bracelet

Perfect addition to my everyday jewelry because I live in black and gray clothing.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this bracelet.

3. Kenra Platinum Boosting Spray Foam

This stuff is an amazing spray mousse. I love all of Kenra's products that I've tried from my salon and this one is no exception. The smell is so nice and clean.

4. Secret Wonderland Triple Moisture Body Cream

So we all know that Bath and Body Works Body Cream is phenomenal for it's moisturizing powers right? Well mix that with a new yummy flavor, and you make my favorites list! :)

Secret Wonderland is a combination of jasmine, strawberry and white amber. (Obviously I'm having a thing for jasmine right now??)

5. One Year Bible

I've always wanted to be "better" at reading my Bible; you know, more consistent, read ALL of it, not skip around randomly. Enter the One Year Bible. Our church began reading from the One Year Bible as a congregation a few years ago, and it truly has transformed my Bible reading. Not only do I read on a consistent basis, but I also read parts of the Bible that I would have skipped over before (hello, Leviticus?) Now I have a greater picture of who God is throughout the entire Bible. Not just God in the New Testament; because face it, that's usually where I ended up reading. It's exciting to be reading the same thing as my husband and friends because we can chat about things we read that day.

6. Jesus Culture- Come Away Album

Please do not pass GO or collect your $200 until you BUY THIS ALBUM. Jesus Culture is a group of amazing worshipers, and I promise you will love their anointed music. Pinky promise.

Christmas with my Hubby

2011-01-03T15:16:00.001-06:00

I guess it's about time that I should post some Christmas photos! As I explained in my Christmas Traditions post, Jeffry and I always exchange our gifts to each other early. This year we exchanged gifts December 22nd due to the fact that I had worship team practice the next night and Christmas Eve was booked full!

Both of the big boys were gone spending a couple of days with Jeffry's brother and sister in law, so we only had Trace. We went to Hattiesburg to get a last minute gift for the big boys and then enjoyed a quiet dinner at Bianchi's Pizzeria downtown. Their pizzas are amazing! After dinner, we headed back home to open our gifts. Here are a few photos I snapped that night:

Jeffry excited about opening his first gift!

Which was a New Orleans Saints tshirt. We had to immediately "pause" our gift opening session so he could go put it on! At least he likes it!

John and Kira's Chocolates....

One of the best things you will ever put in your mouth. Notice my excitement.

I got a new little camera! (I still use my Canon Rebel XTI SLR for many outdoor and long range shots.)

It's a Canon PowerShot SX210. Phenomenal. I used it for most of our Christmas pics.

We get creative with our "To's" and "From's"

Jeffry opening another gift...new church shirt from The Buckle.

We had a great night enjoying each other's company and a quiet gift exchange. The calm before the storm...

Christmas Traditions

2010-12-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

My friend, Ashley, did a post on her family's Christmas traditions, which got me thinking about our traditions. We have several that have been in place for generations and a few that we have started on our own.

Cookie Decorating- I'm a huge baker. The boys and I always bake some sort of cookies and decorate them. This year we've been loving peanut butter cookies with Hershey kiss centers, reindeer sugar cookies, and drop sugar cookies. Some doughs I make from scratch, some we start off with a mix. I don't really think it matters as long as you're getting quality time with the kiddos!

Caleb 2010

Caleb 2009

Bray 2010

Me 2009

Trimming the Tree- This is always done as a family. Gone are the days when I was obsessed with having just the right mix of ornaments on the tree- this red glittery ball can't be too close to another red glittery ball- and now I unpack the ornaments and let the boys do as they please. I may or may not still "fix" a few after they've gone on to other things. :) Oh, and shatterproof ornaments are of utmost importance.
Christmas Movies- We love movies anyway, so Christmas movies are extra special! We start watching them around Thanksgiving and until the New Year. It's a great way to spend some relaxed time as a family. Some of our favorites include The Polar Express, Charlie Brown's Christmas, Prancer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street (both versions), It's a Wonderful Life.
Christmas Books- My boys love to read as much as I do! We have a stack of Christmas books that only come out with the Christmas decorations. We curl up together on the couch and they listen for as long as I will read!

Christmas Parade- Our town has an annual Christmas parade, usually the first Saturday of the month. We love to ~~bundle up~~ wear our short sleeved Christmas shirts, go see all the floats, and catch candy! This year Jeffry helped direct the whole parade route.
Gifts with Jeffry- Jeffry and I always pick a special night, usually a night or two before Christmas Eve, to open our gifts to each other. We started this a few years ago, and it's one of my favorite traditions. It gives us a chance to take our time and enjoy each others reaction without the craziness of extended family and the kids around!
Deanash Party- Our church hosts a party for the local children's home each year. We buy the gifts on the children's lists, and then we bring food and our families to celebrate with them. Half of the fun is having our children play with them! This is always a special night.
Christmas Eve Communion- This is an important tradition to Jeffry's family. We usually spend Christmas Eve with his parents, grandparents, brother, sister in law, aunt, uncle and cousins opening presents and stuffing ourselves. Then at 6 or so, we drive over to their church and partake in Communion as a family. I always get teary!
Table Gifts- My grandmother started this with my mom and my aunt. Either Christmas breakfast or lunch, the table is set and each person has a small "table gift" at their place setting. They are usually just a small $5 or less gift that's something fun or useful. My grandmother still buys them all for us, so I always buy hers! This year she's getting 2 crossword puzzle books. Sometimes she will buy the boys character bandaids or playing cards. Just a little happy.
Christmas PJ's- Every year I buy the boys Christmas pajamas, which they get to open on Christmas Eve. I got this idea from my childhood best friend's mom. I don't buy matching sets; I usually pick something individual to the child. I also buy them for Jeffry, me, and my brother. We're kids at heart! (And I like having something new to be photographed in Christmas morning, haha).

Better Late Than Never

2010-12-23T12:32:00.000-06:00

I have been so busy and overwhelmed lately that blog posting has taken a backseat. And I'm okay with that. Trying to lower my "perfection" standards and accept that sometimes my best is good enough. Thanks to you all who stick by me and still read when I do post!

Now that it's almost Christmas, I guess I should start by going back to Thanksgiving and sharing our photos with you! We are so blessed to have wonderful extended family, and we got to celebrate Thanksgiving twice. We started out Thanksgiving week in Gulf Shores with Jeffry's mom, dad, brother, and sister in law.

Jeffry, Caleb and Trace playing a toss game at Lulu's.

We rode the boat from our bayhouse and parked right outside. So cool.

Bray and me on the ride back from Lulu's.

Thanksgiving dinner...Bray's view :)

Everyone filling their plates!

Looks like Trace is trying to steal some pie!

Sweet Caleb

Ready to rest after eating too much!

Caleb and Trace at Thanksgiving dinner #2 with my side of the family.

Jeffry cooked our first turkey on the Big Green Egg! It was sooooo yummy! Not dry at all. Success!

Going thru the buffet line.

Trace enjoying his dinner!

Haha, Trace waiting on everyone to go through the dinner line.

And after dinner...football. Love Bray's outfit.

All the guys kicked back enjoying some down time.

The big boys at their special table...complete with candle.

This Christmas season has been so enjoyable. Although we have been beyond busy, I have been able to relax and enjoy things in the moment. God is truly blessing us right now! So thankful.

From Our Family To Yours!

2010-12-17T09:06:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas from The Peters!

Christmas Cheer and Random Acts of Kindness

2010-12-08T09:16:00.000-06:00

Our church is on a mission through the end of December.

We are performing Random Acts of Kindness to unsuspecting recipients in our community. I'm so excited about this!

Did you know that the holidays have the largest suicide rates of any time of the year? That breaks my heart. People feel so lonely and with the busyness of the holidays, we often pass them by. As a church, we are pledging to stop and care this season. We are making a concentrated effort this month to perform Random Acts of Kindness to show people the love of Jesus. We even have cute little cards to pass out that say "something to show you that God loves you".

I love this YouTube video of a choir singing the Hallelujah chorus in a mall food court. How's that for a RAOK?

I challenge you to join with us this month in spreading Christmas cheer, Random Acts of Kindness and most importantly, the love of our Risen Savior, Jesus Christ. He's not a baby any more. :)

I Can't Shop Anymore

2010-12-01T12:37:00.000-06:00

Ya'll, I think there's something wrong.

I can't shop anymore!

And it's December 1st! As in 23 days til Christmas....

I have some (very little) of my Christmas shopping already finished, but I'm having a hard time committing to things. Like I will be in a store, pick up an item intended as a gift, and then talk myself out of the purchase. I just can't commit.

For different reasons...price, quality, they have something similar, is that really the best thing for the money, etc.

What's wrong with me?

This has never before been a problem, I assure you.

I must really find out what happened to my old shopping self...before my family has no gifts to open!

23 days....

Last Night

2010-11-30T17:01:00.000-06:00

We decorated our tree last night.

Our first fake tree since Jeffry and I have been married (8 years).

Growing up, we always had a fake tree. My dad has bad allergies and couldn't stand to have a live tree indoors.

So when Jeffry and I got married, I was so excited for our first Christmas together.

Excited for my first real, live evergreen.

We always bought the tallest one possible to fit our high ceilings.

You know, the ones that come from North Carolina? Blue Spruce perfection.

But after years of the real deal in our bigger house, Jeffry's allergies just can't take the living evergreen scent anymore in our little farmhouse.

So I caved for my husband's sake and bought a fake tree. Because as much as I love Christmas and my live evergreen, I love him more.

And I can already tell his allergies are thanking me.

Drum roll.....

2010-11-19T11:22:00.009-06:00

Holly Frame Christmas 5x7 folded card

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Dinnerware

2010-11-19T06:55:00.000-06:00

Okay ya'll...seriously needing some input on the Dinnerware Debate.

I found this Casafina pattern that I'm loving. It's Casafina Meridian in Cream.

What do you think?

Like I said before I'm leaning more toward neutral colors that will go with anything.

The amazing thing about Casafina is that it's stoneware made in Portugal that is....

Dishwasher, Microwave, Freezer, and Oven Safe!

ALL OF THOSE!

The plates are heavy and don't seem like they will chip easily, which is super important with three boys.

Here's my second option from Lenox. It's Butler's Pantry Buffet.

I haven't felt these plates in real life to see if they are heavy enough. I don't want thin plates!

I'm also thinking these may be a little dressier than I want. I really need to see them in person.

Third choice is FiestaWare in Ivory. These plates look more substantial to me.

It seems like EVERYONE has FiestaWare these days, and I know it's a great option. Just not sure that it's for me. However, I would buy it just for their Christmas plates.

I LOVE THEM!!!!

Do you have any other suggestions? Christmas is almost here, and I need to decide!!

Tennessee Trip

2010-11-18T17:55:00.000-06:00

Trying this post again!

We had a great family vacation in Pigeon Forge the beginning of this month. We left after school Tuesday night and drove all the way through with our camper in tow. Jeffry and I got in the bed at about 3:30 AM just knowing the kids would sleep late. They woke up at 7 AM! Crazy start to vacation, but it was great.

Our Tennessee vacation schedule usually adds up to this: NO schedule! Everyone gets to chime in about where they would like to stop, and we work it into our day. It really makes for a laid back time, which is what I think we love most about our time there.

We visited the Titanic museum that opened in April. It was very educational and interesting; Brayden especially enjoyed it because he had recently read a story about the Titanic. I didn't get any pics because they won't allow cameras. So sad.

Our favorite thing about our Tennessee trips is hiking trails. VERY important seeing that we have three boys. This is what boys live for! Last year, we saw a mama bear and three cubs...hard to top that, but this year we found SNOW! The roads around Cade's Cove were closed due to snow and ice, but Jeffry does not give up until he has exhausted every effort! Especially when it comes to his boys seeing snow. We drove back into Gatlinburg and got some info on another area of the National Park that usually only locals go to. The guy at the gas station assured Jeffry that if there were snow to be found, we would find it there. And we did!

I love this picture of all my guys hiking. Bray's pointing at something and looks so excited!

I love this picture of Jeffry and me. Taken on the Sky Line in Gatlinburg; it was my first time! I was a little nervous. You should see how you are barely strapped in that thing!

Breakfast at FlapJack's. Our favorite pancake cabin...a must for every Tennessee trip!

I think this was my favorite picture of the trip. Trace outside of the Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen with his lollipop. Sheer joy.

We had a great vacation and really just enjoyed some quality family time together.

Everyone is well now, thank you to those of you who asked! Hopefully I can get back in the swing of posting now. I've missed it!

Sick day

2010-11-16T09:07:00.000-06:00

I'm home today with Brayden and Caleb. Seems they both have the stomach bug that Jeffry and I had last week. There is lots of sanitizing, washing of sheets, and resting going on here at our house today. The sad thing is that today is their Thanksgiving lunch at school. All of the parents go up to the school for a traditional Thanksgiving meal with their kids. We've done this every year with Brayden, and I'm so sad Caleb has to miss his first time!

Aside from my sick boys, a huge thing on my mind today is our Thanksgiving menu. My parents and grandparents will be at my house this year and I want to cook my first-ever turkey. Do any of you have any turkey tips or tricks to share?

One more thing- I'm going to ask for new casual dinnerware for Christmas and I want to know what you have or what you love. There are so many choices...I lean more toward neutrals like ivory or taupe but I'm not ruling out colored patterns. If I could use the new Fiestaware Christmas pattern everyday I would but Jeffry won't go for that. Help me find something I will love for years to come....that's durable enough for my three cowboys. :)

...this was my first post from our iPad. I'm figuring it out! Hooray! When I get back to work I will retry my post with our Tennessee pics.

UGH BLOGGER

2010-11-12T14:14:00.002-06:00

I just had a whole update post complete with pics, and it magically disappeared. Why???

Right Now...

2010-11-08T09:15:00.000-06:00

...I am really wondering how Jesus would go about getting three kids ready for school on a Monday after vacation.

...I'm overwhelmed by all the work I have to sort through on my desk!

...I want you to hear this from yesterday's sermon..."Other people's opinions are not always WISDOM"

...I promise to update later today. With pictures hopefully! Sorry I've been so absent. It seems our holiday chaos started in October.

Giveaway Winner and New Song!

2010-10-12T17:10:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Katie from Amos Adventures for winning the giveaway! Stop by and congratulate her.

Sorry it took me so long to post the winner. More on what I've been up to coming soon!

For now, I want to leave you with this song by FFH that I came across today. The lyrics are amazing. Here they are so you can read through them.

What If Your Best
Jeromy Deibler and Mia Fieldes

I'm trying hard to keep from falling off this wheel
Trying hard to keep so still
As you’re shaping, and remaking
Something new is bound to surface
Something bound to bring you fame
Something sure to make you great
Something you can use
But I am only clay and clay doesn't get to choose

I want your best but what if your best is brokenness
Would I be broken?
I want your best but what if less than what I ask
And what I'm hoping?
What if your best is here in the waiting, here in the going thru the motions?
I'll still be trusting all I am, and all have, and nothing less to Potter's hands

I'm trying hard to keep from giving you advice
It’s like teaching Shakespeare how to write
Or Monet, the way to paint another scene
But there's just something in this amateur that thinks
That my opinion's what you need
On how to work in me
But I am only clay, and clay probably shouldn't speak

Take my life and let it be consecrated just to thee
Take my voice and let me sing for you my King
Take my moments and my days and let them flow in ceaseless praise
For You always, for You

Only here for you to mould, I'm holding on, because I belong in Potter's hands

Monday Musings & GIVEAWAY

2010-10-04T08:55:00.004-05:00

* First things first...I LOVE THIS COLD WEATHER! Sorry. Had to get that out of my system. I woke up to 43 degree temps which is so not South Mississippi. And I love it. :)

* I had an incredible weekend. Friday night was spent at home doing absolutely nothing with my family. I relished every minute. Saturday morning, Jeffry played in a golf tournament and then we went to the USM game that night. I won tickets for a suite! Pictures to come later.

* Yesterday our Northwood Church Senior Pastor, Van Ducote, came to preach the morning and night services. The morning sermon was on marriage and the evening was on raising godly kids. Wow. I LOVE that I attend a church that teaches the family! I will post some quotes from what I learned over the coming days. Still mulling over it all. I took a million notes!

* Today I get to take the day off and go shopping with my mother in law in Hattiesburg! Excited to say the least.

* Remember I mentioned I'd be doing my first ever giveaway today? Well here are the details!

In tribute to my Bookworm post, I'm giving away 2 books that I have enjoyed reading.

I love Kristin Billerbeck's books because they are Christian chick lit that you can read quickly and without putting a whole lot of thought into them. A great read on your front porch during the fall season.

Promises for Life for Women is a collection of scriptures and devotions divided by subject. For example, grief, availability, priorities, time with God, etc. I love to use this book when I'm seeking a scripture on a certain area of my life. It's great to be able to pray scripture out loud that applies to specific situations!

I hope you like the selections! So here is how to enter. Each number will count as a separate entry.

1. Leave a comment on this post (make sure to include your email address or your blog address)

2. Post about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link

3. Tweet about this giveaway and RT to @made2sing or paste your tweet here

4. Become a follower of my blog

Giveaway will close Tuesday night at midnight. The winner will be randomly chosen. Be blessed!

SUYL-9.24- Master Bedrooms

2010-10-01T10:34:00.000-05:00

I missed this post of Show Us Your Life, so I decided to go back and do it anyway. This is our Master Bedroom. I love our bedroom furniture! For years, we had a several pieces of mismatched furniture, as do most newlyweds. You know, Jeffry's bed from his old room, a huge oak dresser and tv cabinet that someone let us have, 2 totally different nightstands, etc. When we moved into the house before this one, we finally bought a bedroom suite, and I looooove it! It's not super fancy, but it's big and stout. I guess I should mention that we built this house knowing we are going to add on. So while this is our master bedroom, it won't be once we add on. This room is still a work in progress!

I got our bedspread last year from Anthropologie. It's ruched eggplant purple heavenliness. I love it. The bedskirt came from JC Penny I think? It's an ivory voile material. The door leads to our bathroom. Speaking of, all the doors in our house are the old fashioned 5 panel like you would find in an older country house. I used them in our last house too!

This is my nightstand. I'm not crazy about the cross there, but I guess you work with what you have. The lamps are hammered metal oil rubbed bronze with a natural linen shade. Chunky and rustic. I love them. Notice my stack of books on the nightstand. Along with a picture of my three boys, a scrapbook I made of Jeffry and me, candle, vitamins and lotion.

The plaque above our bed. God's still writing our story and it doesn't say it's easy, but this statement will always be true.

Jeffry's nightstand. It's usually covered with fishing lures, sinus medicine, asthma inhalers, and bronco magazines (as in Ford Bronco, not the horse!). But I cleaned it off just for you. And yes, that is a gun in the corner. We live in the country, people!

A view as you walk into our bedroom. I wanted a deep purple accent wall. I stole the LOVE idea from Ashley- she's an interior design genius. Obviously that cell phone does not usually reside on the bed. And the pillow shams are on their way out. They just haven't found a replacement yet. Does anyone want to be my personal shopper/decorator?

This is the view from the foot of our bed. That armoire houses our television. The drapes for the windows are being made as we speak! The door to the right leads to our closet, the door to the left is a storage/office area. More storage than office!

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

SUYL-10.1- Dining Room

2010-10-01T10:02:00.002-05:00

Today I am participating in Show Us Your Life from Kelly's Korner. We don't really have a formal dining room. Our dining area is adjoined to our kitchen. It's small, but I love it. My husband says it's "cozy".

Here is the view from our living room. The china cabinet was actually from Jeffry's mom and dad. I'd really love to paint it black but it's technically not mine. I've already set out my pilgrims and indians on the top of the cabinet. The small buffet on the right was Jeffry's grandmother's. I have it covered with a fall-ish tablecloth for now, but I'm thinking of painting it in the near future. It's a great storage piece.

I took this photo while standing beside the china cabinet. You can see into our living room from here. I forgot to take a picture, but that white cased opening is actually sliding french doors. I saw them in a door catalog at our store and told Jeffry that we had to figure out how to work them into the house! They are one of my favorite features. The boys' artwork on the wall is displayed on decorative racks from Southern Living at Home. The kids love having their artwork where everyone can see it.

And please ignore my table. It's in the middle of being distressed and painted. Remember those chairs I was working on? 3 down, 3 to go. Who knew it was so much effort to spray paint with 3 kids around?

This is the view of the dining area as a whole from the kitchen. Those black french doors lead out onto our screened in porch (with outdoor fireplace!). Ballard Designs used to carry black and white large checked silk drapes that I want to hang from the floor to ceiling on either side of these doors. I can't find them any more! :( If anyone knows a place I could find well-priced silk drapes, please comment and let me know!

Hope you enjoyed the tour of our Farmhouse Dining Area! Thanks for stopping by!
Come back Monday for my first-ever giveaway!

Here's last week's Master Bedroom post that I missed.

Essential Element

2010-09-30T07:35:00.000-05:00

May I submit to you that the essential element of a fall wardrobe is the perfect scarf? I love to wear scarves with everything. You can just throw one on with jeans and a tshirt and look completely put together. Or dress up an otherwise plain dress with a glitzy scarf. The possibilities are endless.

Ahhh, this Spice Collection Neck Rag is so perfectly fall in the color Turmeric

Seeing as how fall has decided to finally show up, I just ordered this incredible scarf from Textilemonster. I think it will be perfect with my black dress for the USM Homecoming game! Thanks Cole for posting about it!

Bookworm

2010-09-29T07:25:00.000-05:00

I must confess something to you. I'm a bookworm. I always have stack of books on my nightstand that I'm currently reading or that are next in line to read.

I remember when I was younger, I would read every spare minute I had. If we had to drive in the car somewhere, I'd bring along my book and devour as many pages as I could before we made it to the grocery store. My parents used to say, "Morgan, put down the book and look outside at the scenery." How many of you have had to tell your kids to put the book down and stop reading?

My love of reading translated into my college education. When I settled on a degree in Elementary Education, I selected math and history as my concentrations. I picked math because there was no subjectiveness as far as grades were concerned. You either got the problem right or wrong. No gray areas. Obviously, my OCD tendencies were showing themselves there. History is a subject I have always loved; especially American history or military history. I don't know if it's because my dad has such a love of history or if I was just blessed with great history teachers. Either way, after some time in the education department, I decided to change from Elementary Education to a full on History degree. The History world is full of reading. For one class, I was expected to read a book a week during the semester, and they were great books! We had incredibly stimulating class discussions on these readings, and I always left craving a little more.

However, by the time I received my degree, I was burnt out on reading. It made me feel kind of lost to not want to read because it really is one of my passions. But having to read and being able to read what I wanted when I wanted was completely different. Time passed and slowly I began to pick up some books again. Quick, easy reads that didn't require any thought.

Years have passed now, and I'm back to my pre-degree bookworm status. My Amazon cart is always full of my next purchases. I redeem Swagbucks for Amazon cards. I joined Paperback Swap (Genius! Go sign up and tell them made2sing referred you.) I love participating in things like The Bloom Book Club.

Here are the books I just purchased on Amazon yesterday.

By Angie Smith, who blogs at Bring the Rain

I've heard great things about this book; several people have mentioned it lately.

This book was just announced as the next book for The Bloom Book Club. If you want to join in, we don't start reading until October 17th, so you have time to get your hands on a copy!

And here are the books I'm currently reading.

I'm actually one chapter away from finishing this book. Incredible account of the life of Mary Beth Chapman, wife of Christian music artist, Steven Curtis Chapman. You may be familiar with the tragic loss of their 5 year old daughter, Maria.

Bobbie Houston, along with her husband Brian, is the pastor of Hillsong church in Australia. She's a powerhouse for Jesus, and I can't wait to finish this book.

Lisa Bevere's ministry is all about inspiring women to be who they are in Christ. She just released Lioness Arising last week (which is in my Amazon cart), but I wanted to read this book first.

So I want to know; what are you all reading?

*All images courtesy of www.amazon.com. Go there and buy these books!

Weekend Wrap-Up

2010-09-28T09:05:00.000-05:00

I'm a little late on posting this! Busy weekend and super busy Monday at work, probably one of our busiest days in a while! So thankful.

Friday I spent the morning at the store planning out the rest of the year as far as advertising, sales, etc. I'm SO excited about all the great deals we are preparing. Wish I could spill the beans, but I can't! If you live in our area and are interested in the sales we have coming up, just keep up with Jack's on our Facebook page or our website.

Jack's car show last year

I left the store about lunch time on Friday, got Trace from daycare, and headed home to pack for a quick trip to Jackson to visit my family and honor my great aunt for her birthday. Trace and I left to get Caleb from school and then started on our drive to Jackson. We got there just in time for dinner and met my parents and my brother at Vasilio's. It's this great Greek restaurant in Madison, where I waited tables all through highschool. Bill and Soula, the owners, are like extended family to me. My grandmother is Greek, so naturally, they always called me a "good Greek girl". :)

My Greek grandmother, Andromache "May" - I've always called her Mom

After dinner, we went back to my mom and dad's house. I've been in desperate need of a pedicure for a while, so I got the great idea to take advantage of the free babysitting and go get a pedi. I went to the mall and got there at about 7:50; an hour and ten minutes later, I had freshly manicured hands and feet! Ahhh, I must say it was so nice. I remember thinking how I loved that they were so fast...they just get you in and out...part of the big city mentality that I miss sometimes.

I went back to my parents and talked with my mom for a bit, then my brother and I left for our tradition: late night movie date. Whenever I come into town, we always go to the 10:00 movie at the Madison theater. It's such a fun tradition for just me and him to spend a little time together. It usually ends with us having to go to Walmart in the middle of the night. Last time we bought 10 cases of blueberries...you never know!

My baby bro back when he graduated highschool

My great aunt Mable (my grandaddy's sister) is moving to Florida on Friday to live in a retirement home near her son. Her 80th birthday is in a few days, so we went ahead and celebrated her birthday with a family lunch on Saturday. We had a private room at AJ's for family members and the sweet lady (and her mother and daughter) who helps take care of Aunt Mable during the day.

Aunt Mable with my Grandaddy

The food was so incredible. I ordered red fish tacos and all I can say is that I've thought about them several times since then and I want more! The lunch was such a sweet time of honoring my great aunt, who really is the epitome of a Southern lady. I mean, look at her picture. How many 80 year olds do you know that still look that classy?!

Aunt Mable with Trace...Did I mention that I have that same leopard jacket?

It's Here!

2010-09-23T15:14:00.000-05:00

Just received a package from Prissy Peacock Designs! While browsing online, I fell in love with the Black and White Houndstooth Longall from Prissy Peacock's Etsy shop. I was thinking it would be the cutest outfit for Trace to wear to USM football games once the weather got a little cooler. I messaged Laura to see if she could applique a gold "T" on the front to bring in the black and gold like Southern's team colors. This is the end result!

I am beyond happy! I can't wait for it to cool down a little so Trace can go to the games styling his new look. He will definitely be wearing Prissy Peacock Designs for the Homecoming game on October 9th!

Go shop Laura's Etsy store. You won't be sorry!

As For Me and My House...

2010-09-23T12:37:00.000-05:00

Since I became Lifegroup leader for my church, we have been meeting each week in my home. One week we were talking about meditating on Scriptures, and I was telling my ladies how I like to write favorite scriptures on notecards. Then they all started commenting on how they had already noticed how much scripture I had throughout my home. I guess since I'm used to it, I really didn't realize how I have things posted everywhere! I took a few pictures to share with you.

This canvas was given to me for my birthday a few years ago from Jeffry's parents; it hangs in our living room above our sofa. Jeffry's mom and dad had taken the boys (only 2 at that time!) to get their pictures made while Jeffry and I were on a trip. The canvas is an actual photo made to look painted on.

The photographer added this Scripture at the bottom,

"For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these."

Needless to say, I was SO surprised; I bawled my eyes out!

These two Scriptures are taped on my makeup counter mirror. I got them from Angie Smith's blog post about Praying For Our Children. I have notecards for the different verses Angie listed taped up in each area (by the tub, on their bathroom door, etc.) I have a button for Angie's post (one of my favorites of all time) on the right side of my page; see Praying for My Children.

These two notecards are also on my makeup mirror. (I spend a lot of time there!) These are Scriptures that the Lord has given me lately.

"He keeps us alive in times of famine." - Psalm 33:19

"The famine was so bad that there wasn't so much as a crumb of bread for anyone. Then there was a breakthrough." - 2 Kings 25:4

"God has chosen you to take your place before Him to serve in leading worship- this is your life work; make sure you do it and do it well." - 2 Chronicles 29:11

This verse is my new life verse! Since I lead worship at our church, it totally struck me when I read it in the One Year Bible. When I was struggling with my fears of inadequacy about God's call on my life to lead worship, He gave me the Scripture from Esther 4:14 about having been chosen for such a time as this. So how cool is it that this verse in 2 Chronicles starts with the same phrase?!

Another favorite scripture hanging over my piano in our entryway.

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for some have entertained angels unaware." - Hebrews 13:2

These notecards on posted beside the door frame near our kitchen table. These are verses the boys are working on memorizing. We make them into songs or clap a rhythm along with them to make them easier to remember. We actually have "Do everything without complaining and arguing" posted in more than one place in our home. I need it as much as they do sometimes!

I love this plaque! Right now it rests on my mantle in the living room. It was a gift from my bestie, Kisha. The phrase "The Lord is my Strength and my Song" is found several times in the scriptures.

Exodus 15:2, Psalm 28:7, Psalm 118:14, Isaiah 12:2

These two notecards are on my bathroom mirror. The first is a scripture and the second is a phrase that I daily remind myself of right now.

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things." - Philippians 4:8

Hope you have enjoyed a little tour of the Scriptures in my home!

Tailgate Time!

2010-09-21T15:30:00.000-05:00

Another home game weekend! We spent Friday night at The Rock cheering on our Eagles. They were facing Kansas and the game was being broadcast on ESPN. I knew it was going to be a long night for the boys because the game didn't start until 7 and with it being a televised game, there'd be a lot more timeouts than usual. However, that is the beauty of tailgating with our camper! My mom actually stayed behind at the camper to begin with, so at the end of the 3rd quarter when Caleb and Trace had had enough, I just took them back to her. They fell asleep so fast!

Here's a little view of our tailgating setup.

Jeffry's mom and brother with Caleb.

Some of the crew. We didn't even set up our tent this week.

The newlyweds! Jeffry's brother, Johnny and his wife, Danielle got to come to the game.

Trace, again, enjoying his food. Remember last week?

We brought the big boys' scooters, which was a great idea! They got to ride around on the sidewalks and in the parking lot near us. They burned lots of energy and had a blast doing it!

Danielle and me

The Pride on the field getting us ready to start the game!

My hubby is so crazy!

Sweet Caleb

Bray with the scoreboard in the background. We beat Kansas 31-16! Woop woop!

Caleb and me. I never get this many pics taken of me in one day.

My hubs and me so excited about beating those Jayhawks! SMTTT!

Fireworks after the game. Great way to spend a Friday night with the fam!

Mississippi's Got Talent!

2010-09-21T10:28:00.001-05:00

What a week last week for Mississippi! I was so excited to hear of the awesome wins in reality tv for our state!

Michael Grimm from Waveland, MS, beat out some incredible acts to win America's Got Talent with his blues singing.

The winner of Fox's reality show, MasterChef, was a Whitney Miller from Poplarville, MS! She is a student at USM and was recognized at the USM v. Kansas game Friday night. Check out this article about her win!

'MasterChef' Whitney Miller talks chicken, earrings and Food Network - From Inside the Box - Zap2it

Just for Fun

2010-09-16T14:11:00.000-05:00

I can't even remember who I got this from, but I wanted to fill it out just for fun. Fill one out yourself and comment to let me know you did!

The weather in my neck of the woods:
Still hot. Still waiting for fall.

Things that make me happy: A clean house. Dinners at home with my family.

Book I'm reading: Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman and Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry by Lisa Bevere

What I'm enjoying on TV: Anything on Food Network

On the menu for dinner: Not sure yet! I didn't plan ahead for tonight.

On my To Do List: Finish working, pick up boys, homework, quick dinner, then I leave for worship team practice and they head to football. ~~And the cleaning fairy comes and cleans my house.~~

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon: I made some yummy stuffed bell peppers from the latest Paula Deen magazine. They were yummy!

In the craft basket: Well, I don't really have a basket. My craftiness right now is limited to decorating for fall and working on Project Life.

Looking forward to this week: Southern Miss vs. Kansas tomorrow night! Hoping the Eagles will show up strong!

My favorite blog post this week: Angie Smith's Pillar

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Me and all my boys last year in Tennessee

Lesson learned the past few days: Compassion- looking beyond myself and my immediate family

On my mind: A lengthy to-do list

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses: This is from today's One Year Bible reading

Isaiah 23:11
"You looked and looked and looked, but you never looked to him who gave you this city, never once consulted the One who has long had plans for this city."

This verse really reminded me to seek God FIRST for my questions and problems. It seems like many times I search out the advice and counsel of my husband, pastor, or friends before I actually turn the problem over to God and ask His opinion. I need to go to Him FIRST! He's the One who "has long had plans" for me! Wow, I love the sound of that.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

Shhhh...

Seeing in Black and Gold- Part 2!

2010-09-14T14:52:00.000-05:00

So on to the rest of our Saturday! We left Brayden's football game and headed back home to load up our camper and head to Southern Miss for the first home game of the season. We didn't really know what to expect since we have always just tailgated with Jeffry's parents in their spot. When we bought our camper, we decided it would be fun to take it to Southern's games! Not to mention that if Trace gets tired, I can bring him back to the camper and let him rest while everyone else can stay at the game.

We had entirely too much food! But I think that's how it is supposed to be. We were supposed to have another family join us, but they didn't make it in time. So it was just Jeffry, me, the boys, and his mom and dad. We pulled the camper in at about noon. Jeffry and I got everything set up and then we got the boys to lay down and watch a movie for a bit. Caleb got a little bit of a nap, but Trace never did fall asleep.

Jeffry's parents arrived at about 2. I went with them, Trace, and Brayden to the Campus Book Mart across the street from USM. We loaded up on lots of black and gold USM items! Trace got a cute stuffed eagle that he insists on calling "doggie". Hilarious.

Jeffry was our grillmaster! The hamburgers were fantastic.

Trace loved the ranch dip with the veggies. He sat there for the longest time dipping and licking the dip off of his carrots. He was a mess but it was so cute!

Brayden and Paw Paw throwing the football.

Trace cheesin' it up. I just love this pic.

The back of Jeffry and Caleb at the game. We have great seats!

Trace and me...please ignore my hair. I'd been outside for about 8 hours at this point and it was HOT.

Getting ready for the team to run out on the field!

Caleb and Trace watching the game.

Brayden and Paw Paw.

Bray showing off his dance moves, lol.

Jeffry and Trace.

My favorite picture from the day! Brayden, Trace, and Caleb

Seeing in Black and Gold

2010-09-13T14:14:00.000-05:00

Saturday was so tiring, but so much fun! We got up early, rushed to get some breakfast and left the house at 7:30 for Brayden's first football game. He plays for the Dixie Yellow Jackets. I took a million pics at the game. I was so happy about his very first football game and his first-ever jersey with his name on it. Oh, AND he has the same number that my brother always had! #33...we didn't even choose it. So cool how God throws us little happys like that. Here are some of my fave pics:

Warming up before the game

That's Bray with his arms crossed and back to you. #33

Bray drinking water in front of the coach

He's right in the middle with his knees bent

On the sideline in his "PETERS" jersey! I love it.

He's kinda in the middle if you can see his number.

On the sidelines cheering for a touchdown!

By his coach listening to instructions

One proud Mama with her first football player!

My three boys! So blessed.

Daddy with his football star.

Brotherly love!

Fall Craftiness

2010-09-10T14:02:00.000-05:00

*Go visit Michelle from Sweet Something Design and check out this Dry Erase Frame. I love this idea. She always has great, crafty ideas!

*I just placed an order with Laura from Prissy Peacock Designs. She makes the most adorable handcrafted children's clothes! I love this Funky Turkey Ribbon and Applique Tee. Go shop her Etsy store!

*I am in such a hurry right now! Leaving to go pick up the boys, grocery shop for tailgating, cook dinner, and head to Northwood Gulfport campus for The Current Party tonight at 7. Bray's first football game is tomorrow morning and then USM is playing Prarie View A&M tomorrow night. So ready for some black and gold tailgating with the fam! SMTTT!

The Nines Recap

2010-09-09T16:30:00.000-05:00

Some great quotes from The Nines leadership conference today. The theme this year was Game Changers.

"Risk everything to reach everyone."
-John Bishop

"Ask the right questions." "You can't always choose what happens to you, but you can choose how you respond." "The questions determine the result." "What does this experience (conflict) make possible?"
- Michael Hyatt

"Mission requires permission. Without a “yes”, followers never engage in the mission. Yes reflex – is the reflex of a movement leader."
-Dave Ferguson

"To be fully loved, you have to be fully known. {Do everything you can} to live an authentic life. There's hope, health and healing that can come when you do the scariest thing- tell someone else that you're struggling."
-Toby Slough

"What we see primarily depends on what we're looking for. Look at things differently."
-Scott Williams

"Live with unction: holy urgency. (Psalm 39) There is a direct connection between you understanding how short your life really is and the urgency with which you’ll live that life."
-Matt Carter

"The answer when you don't know what to do: Trust God and expect God to come through." "What if God actually showed up? We honestly don't know what we are doing but we are begging Him to show up and we expect Him to do it on a regular basis."
-Scott Lehr

"Less time often leads to a better result. Less resources means more innovation."
-Craig Groeschel

"If we don't deal with it, God's going to deal with it." "If someone writes a song about me, I want them to write "He stood up".
-Raphael Castillo

Change is in the Air

2010-09-09T09:56:00.000-05:00

It's finally fall! By the end of August, I am itching for cooler weather and the smells and sounds of fall. To me, Labor Day weekend signals the final end of summer. Minus the fact that I live in South MS where the weather does not always change with the seasons as it should. We enjoyed two cooler mornings over the weekend, but the past couple of days we have been back to heat advisories of 102-105 degrees.

This time of year always puts me in a mood to change things. Redecorate my mantle, organize cluttered spaces, try new recipes, etc. I mentioned last week that I am organizing my office at the store. Let me just say, this is no small task. My office is the storehouse for all of the paper work that the store brings in and puts out. For those of you who don't know, my husband and I own a building supply and hardware store. Paper work multiplies quite rapidly every day. From invoices we owe, to invoices we've billed, to shipping tickets, to receipts, to faxes, to sales reports...it's quite an expansive list. I'm getting it all put away in boxes slowly but surely. Things are looking a lot better; it makes me feel more accomplished to work in a clutter-free zone.

Speaking of change, how do you like the new look of my blog? I owe a HUGE thank you to Ashley of The Happily Ever Afters of the Lancasters. Ashley and I went to highschool together, and I emailed her the other day to see if she'd be willing to help me spruce up my blog a little. She did an awesome job in no time! Go check out her blog! We share a love of Jesus, music, history and Christmas. I promise you'll love her. Also, grab my new blog button and stick it on your blog. If you have one I don't have, comment and let me know!

I also added a new playlist of music dedicated to Fall/Harvest/Thanksgiving. These selections are some of my favorite mellow, background songs for this season. Be sure to listen through it!

Today's a really busy day at the store. Tomorrow is the 10th so that means bill-paying time. Also, our stock truck comes today, so I'm going to help with that as much as I can. I will pick the boys up from school, hurry to get homework and dinner done, and then Jeffry will take them to football practice while I head to the church for worship team practice. Thursdays are so busy for us! Somewhere in the next two days, I have got to get the camper cleaned for tailgating Saturday and I need to shop for our tailgating food. Whew, how to squeeze it all in?

Labor Day Weekend, Projects, and Tailgating!

2010-09-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

What a great weekend just relaxing! This was our last weekend before Southern's home games kick off, so we really didn't make any plans. It was nice to just be at home as the five of us and not have anywhere to go or be at a certain time. I think it's really important to have time for your family to regroup and relax. Sometimes you have to say no to other invitations in order for you to have family time. It's a priority in our house!

Can I just say how excited I was when I woke up to cool weather Saturday morning????? I opened all the doors and windows, and I made the boys go outside to play before we even had breakfast. I didn't want them to miss the wonderful playing weather!

While they were playing, I grabbed my coffee and dug into the One Year Bible for the day. Then I made a huge stack of our Saturday morning staple: chocolate chip pancakes. They came, ate breakfast, and headed back outside. Even Trace! He is no longer a baby, I'm afraid. He gets right in the middle of whatever the big boys are doing!

Over these few days, I got a lot of laundry and organizing done. I'm working a couple of projects including painting Trace's dresser. I chose this gorgeous red from Devoe paint called Century Brick. It is actually the same color as our guest bath; I'm being frugal and using leftover paint. I'm still finishing his drawers but the red is so precious in his cowboy-themed nursery!

I'm also painting my kitchen table and chairs. The chairs were a pretty walnut color with rattan seats. They were perfectly fine. But I got tired of them so I decided to paint them. They're still in progress but here is the before.

I would like to thank The Nester for inspiring me to paint. Somewhere in life my creative juices have gotten a bit stymied when it comes to home-related projects, and I think "if it's not perfect, I can't do it". The Nester's motto is "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful"...and as I paint, I keep repeating that in my OCD-prone head. It works! And I must say I'm so happy to be accomplishing these projects in my home. So thank you, Nester!

So, switching gears...the boys stayed out in their tree house on Sunday night. They anxiously wait all week long to be able to stay in their tree house on their bunk beds their Daddy built. I sent them out Sunday night with a big bowl of popcorn and a movie on the portable DVD player. They were in heaven!

Yesterday we went to Jeffry's parents house for lunch. They grilled tuna steaks and hamburgers on the Big Green Egg. Lots of sides and an apple pie for dessert. SO yummy! What a way to finish off a great weekend!

Oh, one more thing. Tailgating starts Saturday! This will be our first year to do all our own tailgating food. I need your recipes and ideas! Do you have certain recipes that are no-fail, super easy-to-make, or kid-friendly? Please share! I'm trying to pick some healthy things too. Are there certain things you do to make tailgating easier? Especially with kids? Let me know! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! God bless!

Just wondering

2010-09-04T09:17:00.000-05:00

Has any else seen the preview for the creepy owl movie coming out? I mean...really. They're just scary looking! I'm not an owl person anyway (no offense if you are), and this movie just looks weird.

10 Things About Me

2010-09-03T13:15:00.001-05:00

Random tidbits since I haven't posted in a bit. I haven't had the time to actually think up a lovely post.

1. I love foaming hand soaps. Especially ones from Bath and Body Works. I stocked up during their semi-annual sale. Right now in my kitchen I have the Coconut Verbena. Yum-o.

2. I judge books by their covers. You know you do too.

3. I'm apparently a natural to live on a farm. My dad grew up on a dairy farm and Jeffry's dad did too. What are the chances?

4. I'm growing out my hair. My husband never had any preference on the length of my hair until recently. I decided to grow it out...now he decides he likes long hair. Men are so fickle.

5. I lead worship at my church every Sunday. And I love every minute of it. I get to make our set lists, run the practices, etc. It's not a glamorous job by any means (although some people think that!!); actually, it's not really a job when it's your passion.

6. My boys are in a fighting phase. Like not physically fighting, but arguing over the tiniest things! My nerves are constantly on edge. Paging Dr. Dobson....

7. I'm going through a declutter phase. Right now I'm working on my office in the store. It's so freeing to throw things away!

8. I am in love with Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes. My bff, Kisha, told me they aren't on the menu yet but you can ask for them when you order! AHHH, now I just need a Starbucks here in small town.

9. My church family is my second family. I don't know how else to say it. They are. I just recently became a Life Group Leader of some really wonderful ladies! We meet every Sunday night. I love them to pieces!

10. College Football is in the air. We have our season tickets for Southern Miss! If you watched them play South Carolina last night, please just disregard. We had an off night. Mizzou plays Illinois Saturday....woop woop! Go Tigers!

Ready for Fall!

2010-08-24T11:28:00.000-05:00

I'm so ready for fall! It really is my favorite time of year. Just the other day, my friend Kisha and I were longing for Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks which I must say are simply-one-of-the-best-things-ever-about-fall. Sorry I get passionate about them. :)

I bought these last week:

I'm not a Yankee Candle snob, but yummm, how I love their Apple Cider scent. I haven't lit it yet...but this week for sure.

Every time I've been to the grocery store lately, Caleb has begged me for Apple Cider, but they don't have it in stock yet. Boy takes after his Mama!

I'm ready to wear lots of dresses with leggings. And boots. And scarves. And jackets.

I'm thinking about spending a lot of time here cheering on the Eagles with my boys:

Southern Miss TO THE TOP!

I'm wondering if I'm talented enough to make this wreath like The Nester.

I'm getting excited about our 2nd Annual Antique Car Show at our store, Jack's Home Improvement Center. I hope it's a chilly day like it was last year!

I really was going to pull out my fall decorations yesterday and start changing my mantle, but I thought my husband my think it was way too early. And then I looked back to see on my blog that I did it the exact same day last year! Haha! Maybe August 23rd should be my Fall Decorating Day. :)

Is anyone else anxiously awaiting fall and it's cooler temperatures?

Cyd's Bday Partaaaay!

2010-08-20T08:42:00.000-05:00

This post is dedicated to my bestest friend, Cydnee! I am so excited because Cydnee, Kisha, and I are going to celebrate today. We always get together for each others birthdays. It seems like that's the only time we have been able to set aside lately! Everyone is so busy that it's hard to get schedules together. Cydnee's birthday was August 11th, and I ate lunch with her here in town...but let's be honest. Lunch at Pericos is not the greatest birthday lunch. We usually head to Hattiesburg or the coast for birthday celebrations and have lunch or dinner and a movie. Today we are going to Olive Garden in Hattiesburg and then we are going to see Eat Pray Love (I think!). I'm so excited to get to spend some time with my girlfriends! They are totally my support group! Here are some pics of Cyd over the years :)

(Kisha is in half of these too! We are the 3 Musketeers!)

Christmas 2008, after I just had Trace

Preschool Awards Day I think

Cyd's bday last year (Julie and Julia) and my baby shower for Trace

Bachelorette party for our friend

Kisha's bday this year

One of our bdays in like 2007?

Bachelorette party!

Cyd with Trace at our church picnic this year

Cyd and me...date night with the hubbys :)

LOVE YOU BESTIE!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Groupon Deals!

2010-08-18T09:24:00.000-05:00

Have any of ya'll tried Groupon? It's a website that offers a daily deal, and there will be a certain number of people who have to buy the deal in order to get it.

For example, today I just bought a $25 Groupon for $50 worth of personalized photo cards from Photo Card Creations. I'm thinking Christmas Cards! The deal required 20 people to buy in order for it to go through. You only have that day to buy it. As I'm typing, 30 people have bought that deal and it has 13 hours and 30 minutes to go.

Many Groupons are region/city specific but a lot, like the photo card offer for Brooklyn, are not. If you have time, just click around on different cities to see what their deals are! Go check it out!

The Tale of a Legend

2010-08-13T12:33:00.001-05:00

My Great Grandaddy bought B.B. King his first guitar.

That statement sums up one of my family’s most well-known stories that has been shared and passed on for generations with so much pride.

Let me start at the beginning…

Riley (B.B.) King lived in Kilmichael, MS, as a young boy with his mother, Nora Ella King, and grandmother, Elnora Farr. His mother died, and a year later his grandmother passed away. Riley went to live with his father, Albert King, in Lexington, MS, but he didn’t like living with his father. In 1942, at the age of 16, Riley rode his bike 50 or so miles back to Kilmichael. He was planning on staying with his family but all of his relatives had already moved back to the Delta.

A relative of Riley’s, John Farr, asked my great grandfather, Flake Cartledge, if Riley could stay with him. Grandaddy Flake picked up Riley and brought him home to Cartledge Farms. He moved into a small one room cabin that John and Lessie Farr had just moved out of. Grandaddy Flake took care of Riley; he bought him new clothes and gave him some work on the farm. Riley ate his meals at the Cartledge’s table.

A local young man named Denzil Tidwell had a guitar for sale. Riley asked Mr. Flake if he would buy the guitar for him and let Riley work to pay the money back. Grandaddy Flake agreed and paid the $15 to buy Riley his first guitar. Before that Riley had put nails and strings in the wall of his cabin and would play them like a guitar. A local minister, Archie Farr, helped Riley start to learn the chords, but he really more or less taught himself to play. This was the humble beginnings of the King of Blues, B.B.King.

Wayne Cartledge

My grandfather, Wayne Cartledge, was 9 at the time Riley came to live at the Cartledge Farm. I don’t know that you’d call them “friends” as there was a 7 year age difference, but my grandfather followed along behind Riley as any younger boy would do. Riley was the one who taught my grandfather, Wayne, how to ride a bicycle. They remained friends for life. Every time Riley was in town, he contacted my grandfather. The relationship was something that my grandfather was so proud of. He would always talk about B.B. and force us grandchildren to listen to B.B.’s blues music. Looking back, I can appreciate it, although I must say that at the time I often plugged my ears. Too young to understand good blues I suppose.

Papaw showing the documentary crew around the farm
Photo Credit Suzi Altman

Several years ago now, BBC sent a crew from England and author Charles Sawyer also came to the Cartledge Farm to gather information for a documentary and book on B.B. King. My grandfather loved entertaining the documentary crews and driving them around our family’s property showing them the spot where B.B. lived. "You can still drink from the creek B.B. drank from when he worked here as a young boy."

My grandfather, Wayne Cartledge, died suddenly in December 2006. One of the most meaningful things we received was a huge bouquet of flowers from B.B. himself. He was out of the country at the time, so he was unable to attend the funeral, but his gift meant so much to my family. My grandfather would have LOVED it. We placed them right beside the casket.

Photo Credit Suzi Altman

The B.B. King museum recently opened in Indianola, and my family received a special invitation to attend the pre-opening ceremonies. The picture taken above was taken when they were filming a documentary that is in use at the B.B. King museum. One of the exhibits are donated items and artifacts from the Cartledge family and a video interview with my grandfather. Since he’s no longer here, it’s my job to carry on the family story of how my Great Grandaddy Flake bought B.B. his first guitar.

*Some details paraphrased from Charles Sawyer’s The Arrival of B.B.King. Other details obtained by oral interviews of Jocleta Cain Cartledge and Marshall F. Cartledge, II.

Teaser

2010-08-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

This photo is a little teaser for tomorrow's post.

This is blues legend B.B.King and my grandfather, Wayne Cartledge.

Wanna know the full story? Stop by tomorrow :)

Photo Credit Suzi Altman

Wordless Wednesday- Camping Edition

2010-08-11T06:46:00.000-05:00

First Day of School!

2010-08-10T06:28:00.000-05:00

Brayden and Caleb on their first day of school this year. Their school just started requiring uniforms. I really think I'm going to like it though! It's not super strict; they have a choice between red, white, or royal blue polo shirts and khaki or navy shorts or pants. The hardest thing so far has been finding solid colored shoes.

Bray is starting 2nd grade and Caleb is starting Kindergarten.

Caleb was so excited to go the first day, but he cried when I dropped him off! I think navigating the school overwhelms him. Their school ranges from K to 8, so from his perspective, there are a whole lot of people who are a lot bigger than he is! I'm so glad that Bray is just down the same hallway and can walk him to class every morning. It's so great to have a big brother!

Where I've Been- Part 2

2010-08-09T12:36:00.000-05:00

Oops! I didn't exactly show up the next day as promised did I? SO sorry. I've got to get back in a posting routine! On with June and July...

We hosted The Current at our house for an event called "Back in the Saddle". The Current is our young adult ministry for ages 18 to thirty somethings at Northwood. We had a blast! The day started out with a huge thunderstorm which dumped a ton of rain, but we still had over 20 people show up. Jeffry had penned up a calf and greased a pig...I can't even begin to tell you how hilarious it was to watch everyone!

A pic of some of The Current group

Jeffry and Micah, our youth pastor, playing on the trampoline

On June 9th, Trace had his 2nd eye surgery to correct the strabismus in his eyes. I wasn't nearly as nervous this time, having gone through it once before, but I was still anxious. Jeffry and I prayed over him before he went in, and the surgery went really well. He has healed up even better than expected. We actually go back to the eye doctor tomorrow for another checkup.

On his surgery bed, waiting to go back!

Sleeping off the drugs after surgery

Hooked up to his IV. His poor little face got super red from a reaction to the anesthesia.

A couple days after surgery. You can see how red the outer corners of his eyes were. But SO straight!

The boys spent a week at Vacation Bible School at FBC Wiggins. They had a great time, and I got to see their "performance" that Friday at noon. That's actually where the above picture of Trace was taken. I also got to celebrate one of my besties bdays a little early! We met in Picayune, got pedicures and had lunch with her family. It was a great day!

Me, Kisha, Cydnee

Jeffry and I celebrated our 8th anniversary in Jamaica again! SO relaxing. We left early on a Monday morning and came back on Saturday around noon. People keep asking us what we did, and we say NOTHING! Haha. We really love Sandals resorts because you can stay completely on the property, have great food and entertainment, and just relax and enjoy each others company. Can't wait til next year!

We came home from Jamaica on Saturday, stayed the night at home, and then loaded up our camper to take the boys to Flint Creek Waterpark on Sunday the 4th. Flint Creek is not too far from our house, so it's like a vacation, but we can still go to work during the day. Several of our friends were out their with their children, and the kids would play for hours. We actually stayed for just over 2 weeks! I was so ready to be home by then, but the boys had a blast. It was our "family vacation" since we skipped the beach this year.

Bray, Trace, and Caleb in the camper getting ready for bed

Caleb chomping down on a Smore!

Bray with his Smore

Trace playing in the camper

I think that brings us through the end of July! I will post the boys pics of the first day of school next!

Where I've Been- Part 1

2010-07-19T15:17:00.000-05:00

A few of you have asked me what happened, where did I go? I took a little break from blogging because honestly it just felt like one more thing I had to do. I didn't really feel like anyone was reading anyway, so I just quit for a while. I have finally felt like posting again because I missed it and things in my daily life have slowed down some.

So let's get to it. Where have I been?

We spent many hours at the baseball field. Brayden and Caleb often had games at the same time or game times that overlapped. Since Jeffry helped in the dugout for Brayden's team, that left Trace and me running back and forth in between fields! I would carry my camera in one hand and Trace in the other and we'd try to see each boy bat and at least see a little of their time in the field.

Caleb in the dugout

Bray playing catcher!

Trace was such a good fan.

Caleb graduated K-4 at First Baptist in Wiggins. We were blessed to have both sets of grandparents attend! It was a special day for him.

Caleb and Madisyn (I'm trying to arrange their marriage...her mom is my bestie, Cydnee!)

Caleb turned five and we celebrated his birthday 5 times! Yes, he had 5 different parties. Not because I was trying to be Mom of the Year but because Jeffry and I were going to be out of town on his actual birthday. And I felt bad. So we celebrated at Gatti Town, at home with our family, at home with his friends, at my grandparents, and then again with our church family.

Memorial Day weekend, my cousins and aunt came to visit from New Jersey. It was so great to see them! We had everyone at my house for the holiday and had so much fun just spending time together. Jeffry took my brother, cousins, Brayden, and Caleb to float the creek. They all came back a little burnt and exhausted from a great day.

Here is most of the crew at breakfast one morning. I need a bigger table!

This brings us to the end of May! Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow!

Great news!

2010-04-21T10:29:00.002-05:00

I have some great news!

Head over to my worship blog, OFFthePAGEworship to find out!

And if you're interested, feel free to become a follower over there!

Baseball

2010-04-12T14:55:00.000-05:00

My lack of blogging of late can be attributed to a couple of things. One of which is baseball.

Brayden is 7, and Caleb is almost 5, which means they will never be close enough in age to be on the same team for any sports. This year is our first year with both of them playing a sport at the same time. It's been kinda hectic so far.

Take this week's schedule for example:

Monday- Brayden- batting cage at 5:20 and game at 6:00
   Caleb- practice at 6:15

Tuesday- Brayden- batting cage at 5:20 and game at 6:00
   Caleb- game at 6:00

Wednesday- Prayer at 7:00

Thursday- Morgan- worship team practice at 6:30
   Brayden- practice at 7:00 (I'm hoping this gets canceled due to 3 games this week!)
                 Caleb- practice at 5:30

Friday- Brayden- batting cage at 5:20 and game at 6:00
Caleb- game at 7:15

Needless to say, we are spending lots of hours at the ball field. There's a whole lot of needing to be two or three places at once and juggling who is taking whom to where and when. (And making sure they are fed and wearing what they should be with all their equipment!)

But it's America's pastime right? Nothing like baseball to ~~divide~~ unite a family :)

I know it is just for a season, and I am happy that my boys (and my husband) are enjoying themselves. I'm also thankful that Trace is a very content baby who puts up with a lot of time at the baseball field!

He Came For Us - Easter 2010

2010-04-08T14:13:00.002-05:00

Trace was happy with his one egg. He carried it all around the yard. It had a dollar inside which he thought was unnecessary and threw it on the ground! Haha.Caleb with his full Easter bucket! He found one more egg than Bray which was a big deal!!

Trace "How He Loves"

2010-03-29T12:21:00.000-05:00

Trace has a love of music already, and it's just exciting to watch him! Here he is dancing to Kim Walker's version of "How He Loves". I think this makes Jesus smile. I know I do!

Black and White

2010-03-26T12:57:00.001-05:00

Jenn Johnson from Bethel Church in Redding California

This is definitely worth the 12 minutes it takes to watch. Gives you something to think about.

We need to figure out what we love, who we are, and what makes us come alive, and partner with who He's called us to be.

Spring Clean!

2010-03-23T09:20:00.000-05:00

In true Spring-like fashion, I'm getting the itch to organize and clear the clutter. What is it about this time of year that makes me feel like a nesting pregnant woman again? I've heard of several people lately who are starting their spring deep-clean. However, I'm at the stage where I need to get rid of clutter before I can deep clean the way I would like.

I have decided that I am going to get rid of the clothes I no longer wear. Why do I keep them in my closet when I know I'm not going to wear them? It just causes me extra stress and makes things look more crowded. I'm all about simplifying things lately, especially within my home.

I loved this post over at The Inspired Room on "Order Before Beauty". So true. That's where I am right now...getting my house in order.

And this one- "Real Simple Solutions for an Organized Home". Please look how adorable the teacups are! I'm totally stealing this idea. Also, I love the idea of using all white towels with the colored tabs to keep track of who left their towel on the floor. There's something about a white towel that's just clean and fresh. When it's time for us to buy new ones, I'm investing in white.

After the clutter is cleared, I'm using this Spring Cleaning Checklist. It's so thorough and goes by room. I really can't wait!

Sarah Mae over at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee has a great collection of blog posts entitled "31 Days to Clean". She also has linked to some other cleaning resources that you may find interesting.

Do you have any articles or ideas for clearing clutter or spring cleaning? Please share!

NEW WAVE LIVE

2010-03-22T08:44:00.000-05:00

God is doing great things in South MS...we are so excited to be a part of the awakening that's going on here! My church released our worship album, New Wave Live, yesterday on iTunes! CLICK HERE to download your copy of Northwood Worship's premier album! Rate it and review it! Let us know your thoughts. And please let me know if you purchase it!

There's a stirring in South MS, and it's evident in the music on this CD. All original songs written by people who run after God. I'm so proud to be a small part of this project.

Go get your own copy!

Giveaway Day at The Nesting Place!

2010-03-16T17:11:00.000-05:00

Pop on over to The Nesting Place and participate in Giveaway Day! Even if you don't win one of the incredible giveaways, it is a great way to find new incredibly talented businesses. I can seriously say I want to order something from each of the businesses participating in Giveaway Day.

ONLY GOOD TODAY, MARCH 16th!! SO HURRY!!

And I'm even being sweet enough to tell you so you can go register to win against me. Haha.

Quotable Moments

2010-03-11T13:59:00.000-06:00

Some of my favorite quotes from the boys lately.

Looking at the pink sunset and Caleb says, "It's cool pink. It's not girl pink."

Bray reading out of his new Bible, "Mama, I just love that story so much I hafta read it again and again!"

Caleb- "Where did Satan find the snake suit he wore in the garden?"

Caleb- "Can we rent Up?" Me- "We've already seen it." Caleb- "Well then can we rent Down, that would be ok too?"

Bray to his piano teacher- "I don't have a lot of time to practice because I just work outside a lot."

Bray- "I'm gonna be a scientist tomorrow and microwave a pinecone." (For the record, this never happened. I prayed he would forget.)

Caleb playing his new guitar- "Mama, how do you change the song? Do you have a tick {pick} for it?"

Caleb- "We are men cuz we like jalapenos!"

Spring, come quickly!

2010-03-02T08:19:00.001-06:00

In honor of how beyond ready I am for Spring this year, I changed my blog background to something bright and colorful courtesy of Shabby Blogs. I also added a new Playlist of some songs that I am loving right now. If you haven't heard them, you should really check them out!

Where I Belong- Cory Asbury
How He Loves- Kim Walker (this song is on David Crowder's newest album but I LOVE Kim's version)
You Won't Relent- Misty Edwards
A Little Longer- Jenn Johnson (Totally in love with the words to this song. Sung from God's perspective)
Desert Song- Hillsong

Have you heard or seen the background story of Desert Song? Click here to see the video on you tube. Trust me, you do not want to miss this story. What's crazy is that this is almost my exact testimony of when I had a miscarriage. I need to write a post on that. The first time that I sang this song in church, I shared my testimony about having a miscarriage. I think it's something that some people just kind of overlook as not that big of a deal. Anyway, more on that later.

I'm so ready for Spring! And the "real feel" temp outside today is 32 degrees and windy. Am I still really in South MS??

Lazy Saturday

2010-02-27T10:49:00.000-06:00

I love Saturdays! Especially with spring right around the corner. I love being able to open the windows around the house while I'm doing laundry and cleaning. I'm getting in the mood to do some spring cleaning soon!! The bad part is that we have something scheduled for almost every Saturday in March.

Today so far I have been doing laundry and just spending some time playing with the boys. Caleb has a soccer game this afternoon, and I want to take them to the new ice cream shop that opened in town afterwards. Then tonight, Jeffry and I finally get to celebrate my birthday! My bestie, Cydnee, graciously volunteered to keep the boys for us while we go out to dinner. I can't wait! I don't even know yet where I want to go for sure, but it really doesn't matter. Nights out are a rarity these days! We usually have date nights at home since our favorite babysitter went to college.

That's all for now! Birthday post coming soon! :) And updated pics!!

Sickness/Birthday/New CD!

2010-02-26T13:57:00.000-06:00

I've taken another unexpected leave of absence from blogging for a bit! This winter has been so hard on my family, health-wise. It seems that the day one sick boy is ready to go back to school, another has to stay home. And they aren't really even sharing the same illnesses! We've had strep, stomach viruses, bronchitis, viral throat infections, allergic reactions, croup...all within the past few months. I've been home from work with a sick child at least once a week. It makes me so thankful that we own our own business (even though it's not easy!!!) and have the ability for me to have the best of both worlds: SAHM and working mom! Right now, Caleb is getting over bronchitis, and Trace has a stomach virus. It seems like it never ends.

Have I even told you guys that Trace got glasses?!?! He looks adorable in them. I was very nervous about the prospect of glasses for a one year old; I guess mainly because of my pride. I didn't want anyone to look at him funny or think less of him in any way. My mama bear instincts coming out, I suppose! I adored Brayden's reaction to Trace's glasses:

"Trace, those look cool, dude. No don't take them off! They make you look cool!"

I was so proud. He's such a good big brother. They both are.

I celebrated my 26th birthday on Wednesday. Although there were a couple of bumps in the morning, the day ended up fantastic! I'll post about it later. I'm so blessed to have a great family and friends...especially my hubby!

Other big news....our church is releasing our first CD on March 21st! Click here to see a video promo of New Wave Live on You Tube . The CD was recorded during our annual Night of Worship this summer. I'm totally excited to get ya'lls responses on the sound. Let me know what you think! The CDs will be available for purchase on iTunes or our church website www.northwood.tv on March 21st.

In case you're confused, our church has two campuses, one in Gulfport and one in Wiggins. Jordan Ducote leads worship at our Gulfport church, and I lead worship at the Wiggins location. For Night of Worship, both worship teams come together at the Gulfport church and have an awesome time of praise and worship. Most of the original songs on the CD were written by Jordan. I hope you love it!! A lot of work has gone into making this dream a reality. :) Let me know your thoughts!

Widget

2010-02-23T14:30:00.001-06:00

Update on my Dad!

2010-02-11T10:35:00.001-06:00

Thanks for your prayers!! My Dad is doing great! After several rounds of blood work, they ruled out a heart attack. This morning he had a stress test, and he passed with flying colors! Whatever was causing the chest pains, it was not his heart. No blockages or anything. God is so good!

He should be checking out of the hospital around noon today! He will be seeing a regular doctor next week to see if they can determine what was causing the chest pains. I'm confident that it will be a minor issue!

Thank you again for your prayers and concerns! I have the greatest friends :)

Prayer Request!!!

2010-02-10T14:41:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone.

I just wanted to post and ask for your prayers for my dad. My mom called this morning on her way to meet my dad at the ER. He had been having some chest pains throughout the night and attributed it to indigestion. However, after he got to work this morning, the chest pains continued, he was lightheaded and dizzy, and had a tingling sensation in his arm.

He called my aunt who works in the medical field, and she insisted that he go to the ER not a doctor's office. (Especially with his medical history). Someone from his office drove him there while my mom had someone drive her to meet him.

His EKG looked good, as did his initial blood work. They went ahead and gave him aspirin and triglycerides when he arrived. The doctor wanted to keep him overnight to continue monitoring his blood work, and they will do a stress test tomorrow.

I am standing on a verse that one of my friends texted me this morning.
Matthew 21: 21-22
"Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can SAY to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you BELIEVE, you will receive whatever you ASK for in prayer."

I'm asking you to SPEAK and BELIEVE with me that my dad is healthy! Thanks in advance for the prayers. I will keep you posted.

Am I The Only One...

2010-02-03T13:43:00.000-06:00

- who can't remember when I last had time to sit and paint my toenails?

- who wonders what it is like to read a magazine in the pediatrician's waiting room?

- who wishes my house looked like a Ballard Designs catalog- even with three kids?

- who loves to cook but seriously tires of going to the grocery store?

- who can't remember life before the iPod? (Love that thing!)

- who is great at making lists and only halfway accomplishing them?

- who is amazed that you can still learn things from child #3 that the first two didn't teach you?

- who has a serious stack of reading material...and laundry...to get to?

- who has to herd animals back to where they belong? (Wait, I probably am...)

- who can't remember the days of a clean car?

- who sometimes gets tired of the unending questions from my kids but then remembers I only have them for so long?

- who wishes my house would clean itself? (Where is Mary Poppins when I need her?)

- whose life is more perfect and blessed than I ever dreamed?

- who wonders why God chose me?

- who is so grateful that my God can take what others view as a mistake and use it for His glory?

- who realizes that He loves me just the way that I am and calls me His daughter?
I certainly hope not. If you don't know Jesus, you can today! Email me at current601 (at) gmail (dot) com and let me tell you about the best Daddy ever.

Project Life

2010-01-20T14:45:00.000-06:00

Project Life post is coming! I'm a little slow....

For now, head over to Jessica's and see what everyone else has done with their photos for Week 2!

Necessary evil?

2010-01-19T15:52:00.003-06:00

My Blackberry Curve kicked the bucket. Actually, it still worked when it felt like it...but I was really ready to throw it out of my car window.

Since last Tuesday, my Curve had been shutting off and rebooting itself. It could be while it was charging, while I was on a phone call or internet browsing; it didn't matter. Over the past week, it had probably rebooted on it's own ohhh about 60 times.

Talk about frustrating!

It really made me want to say all kinds of ugly things to my phone.
Even though I love it.

It took a week to get to Cell South because...it just did. Busy busy. I did call last week, and they said it would probably need to be sent in. Great.

I finally made it to the store this morning at 9am. My phone had already rebooted itself 4 times this morning. Love that. Thankfully, it was still under warranty, and they gave me a new Curve to be my best friend.

The sales rep was able to transfer all of my numbers, but all of my applications and the BB pins' of all my friends were lost in Never Never Land.

Starting from scratch. And add in the small fact that I couldn't send SMS texts which I didn't realize until leaving the store.
ON THE NEW PHONE. What in the world?

Finally, after chatting online with Cell South for about 20 minutes this afternoon, they walked me through the process of fixing the text messaging issue. My other problem was transferring my email account to the new Curve. The technician quickly accomplished that as well, and I was ever-so-grateful.

Now if you'll excuse me, I must go delete one-by-one the 174 emails and 51 Facebook messages that my new Curve found from way back when in Never Never Land.

Super Bowl Recipe Exchange

2010-01-15T09:59:00.002-06:00

I'm participating in a recipe exchange over at Katie's Southern Kitchen. Go link up! I wanna see everyone's recipes!!

This is probably my favorite dip. I first had it at Jeffry's cousin Amy's house, hence the name. We usually serve it with Fritos, and I just never can quit eating it! SO yummy! If you're serving men, you better double the recipe!

Amy's Corn Dip

2- 11oz.cans of Mexi-corn(drained)

1 can of Rotel(drained)

1 cup of Mayo

1- 8oz pkg.cream cheese

8oz shredded cheddar cheese

Just mix everything together and chill for about an hour (it's hard for me to wait that long!) Serve with Fritos or tortilla chips.

Project Life - Week 1

2010-01-13T08:40:00.005-06:00

I'm participating in Project Life Tuesdays (yes, except that today is Wednesday, oops) with The Mom Creative! It's not too late for you to join in! Just start where you can.

Friday, January 1, 2010 - Caleb outside Dacus Furniture in Kilmichael. We were touring around town with Aunt Teresa, NooNoo, and BecBec. I thought this brick wall would be a great picture opp!

Saturday, January 2, 2010 - Trace had been playing the piano with Granny for about 30 minutes when he finally gave up...right on the keys!

Sunday, January 3, 2010 - Our church has a new service time! We've been meeting at 9, but starting today it's 10:30!

*I didn't get a pic of the clock this day like I wanted to, so I just made a "10:30" on some cardstock with stickers I had in my supplies.

Monday, January 4, 2010 - My new soup pot that Daddy gave me for Christmas. Soup is our staple meal this winter!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010 - Trace has learned to "share" and was feeding Mommy a piece of paper! He says "tan tu" when he gives you something.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010 - This rustic metal "P" hangs in our living room. I love that it represents our name and embodies the feel of our farmhouse.

Thursday, January 7, 2010 - Cold little boys, but you still insist on playing outside! It has been record-setting temps this week in South MS!