"Cuwah"

Before she eats breakfast,
Before she has drinks her juice,
Before she starts her day,
My girl
wants to
cuwah. (color)

And this cutie pie dress was handcrafted by Mimi at Millie Pie Designs.

A Baby Changes Everything

Tonight was date night! Yippee! Pleae indulge me as a I share with you a few pics of former date night highlights...

Dinner...

Entertainment...

Now let me share with you a few pics of  tonight's date night highlights...

Dinner...courtesy of the red roof place 

Entertainment...courtesy of Crayola

Cute date night picture...awww...

Date nights sure have changed. Can't quite put my finger on the difference...Hmmm..

Why I Put Up a Christmas Tree

because in the eyes of a child...

there is nothing more beautiful...

more interesting...

more awe inspiring...

more wonderful...

than a glittering, sparkling, Christmas tree, covered in ornaments that are

huggable.

You Know You Live in East Texas When...

Two pitbulls are relaxing comfortably in the front seat of a dually diesel truck with the engine running in front of Walgreens at 10:15 at night...

and you think nothing of it....
and you wonder if anyone would be stupid enough to try and steal that truck...
and you take a picture with your phone...
and chuckle about it all the way home....
and you wonder if maybe you ought to get one to protect your one and only child...
cause afterall you have to admit they look pretty fearsome...
and would most likely eat you in small bites...
or lick you to death...

Parched

We missed Sunday morning church this past weekend due to sickness, and when church is missed, you better believe it is a sickness like no other. All 3 of us stayed home. I chased around my child catching fluids projectiling from her body in all directions.

It is so strange for me to be home on a Sunday morning.

You see, when I "came to and realized consciousness" way back when as a small child, it was under a church pew.

My parents were determined that every time the door was open, that I was going to be in God's House. It was instilled in me. It was pounded into me. It was drilled into my head...and I thank God for it. Unless you were sick or in Tahiti, you were in church.

My Dad tells a true story about a young man who needed weekly kidney dialysis in order to survive. His situation was dire and the only way he was going to keep his body from becoming dangerously toxic was to get to dialysis on time twice a week. He was undisciplined in many areas and often forgot to go to dialysis and became deathly ill on several occasions. And then, his parents set him down and drilled, pounded, and instilled in him the absolute necessity of going to dialysis. Rain or shine...whether he felt like it or not. He decided to make this a habit of his life.

After 21 days of leaving himself reminders, a habit was formed....and one day he looked up and realized he was at the dialysis clinic. He was already hooked up and his blood was already being filtered through the  machines. He never even remembered coming to the clinic or walking into the door. It was now a habit. A life-saving habit.

Is going to church a habit for you? Is missing church no big deal? Does every excuse in the book keep you from gathering together with other believers? Hunting season? Fishing? Shopping? Too cold? Too hot? The list goes on and on...

God knew that we would need to band together as believers in order to fulfill His will for our life. That is why he established the church and emphasized its importance in His Word.

The presence of God is powerful. If you can miss several Sundays and it not even phase you, you may need to check and see if your blood needs filtering. I can guarantee you it does.

There is just something spectacular about corporate praise and worship. When two or more are gathered, God is IN THEIR MIDST. His presence fills my soul and pushes out the worries. Singing and praising Him realigns my priorities, quenches my parched spirit, and recharges my battery. Even though I spend time worshipping Him and praying through out the week, there is just something about experiencing the sweet fellowship of other believers in His House where He dwells. It reminds you, "Hey, I'm not alone. I'm not crazy. God is really who he said He was and these other folks realize the truth as well."

So, needless to say, I am parched and ready for dialysis come Sunday.

Never Knew

I'm learning things this week I never knew.

I never knew the most horrible and frusrating feeling as a mother is to be:

1. puking your guts up
2. running a fever of 102
3. with an excruciating headache
4. listening to your child scream bloody murder behind you
5. as she yanks on your shirt
6. wailing, "Ma, ma! Ma, Moo!"
7. and all you can do...is keep your hair pulled back, lay on the floor, and cry.

That my friend, I never knew.

Strange Gifts & My Fave Ornament

Some people are good with faces. Not me.

Some folks are terrific with names. Not me.

Some people are excellent at recalling dates and song titles. Not me.

So, what is my gift? Well, a couple of things that are REALLY strange.

I can remember folks' license plate numbers. If I ever see you crawl out of your car and I glance at your license plate, I will forever connect you with your license plate number. I may not know who the sam hills you are, cannot for the life of me call your name...but I can say, "Hi, 783 R3F!" I think this gift stemmed from an experience I once had with my parents when we were checking into a hotel and they needed the license plate number and I was sent racing out to the carport to retrieve it and I had to remember it long enough to tell the clerk and I kept repeating it over and over in my head...and the rest is history.

My other strange talent is being able to remember who has given me a gift. If you have ever graced with me with a gift, and I looked at your beaming face as you gave me this gift, I will forever connect you with that item.

For example, I can tell you at this exact moment that my friend Martha gave me the set of salt/pepper shakers sitting on my stove top...and....that my Aunt Cecily gave me a Pampered Chef baking stone...that met an untimely death here......and...that a little girl named Maria gave me a beautiful silver beaded bracelet about 8 years ago and I still wear it regularly...and...

a little boy named Nick gave me this...a retired Christopher Radko ornament that probably costs more than my weekly trip to Wal-Mart which I have always been afraid to hang on  my tree until this year. If my house ever catches on fire, I will grab my child, my Bible, and this ornament...in that order.

and a charming young man named David gave me this...an acrylic eighth note because I was his favorite piano teacher at that time...well, his only piano teacher at that time, but that is beside the point...

and my adorable friend Kim gave me this personalized "we're expecting" ornament when we discovered we were pregnant with Sydscrumptious...

and my precious friend Valerie gave me this hand print making kit for Sydney to forever stamp her hand onto my tree...and permanently implant in my heart forever.

Golly... I suddenly want to have another baby REAL bad.