Merry Christmas

"The Simple Christmas Story"
Merissa Lee Kelley (2005)

A simple cradle…made from wood is where it all began
A Savior sent from Heaven's realm to redeem the soul of man
Grace and mercy intertwined in the form of love so sweet
For no one but the Son of God could make the joy complete

Peace had come to all mankind…a treasure from above
Only the Son could be the vessel to express the Father's love
Although his birth was long ago…the message is the same
Salvation's plan designed by God…is the reason why he came

Emmanuel means "God with us" what a wonderful, precious treasure
The gift of Christ goes far beyond what we could ever measure
The joy he brought that Christmas night is just as real today
And the simple truth behind the season…will never go away

So we rejoice and celebrate as Christmas time draws near
And memories made become so rich with every passing year
You can’t replace those cherished times…so treasure them with care
Cause memories are a precious gift you can carry everywhere

Even when you're miles from home…and you have to be apart
Loved ones won’t feel far away…with Christmas in your heart
And maybe those who dwell in Heaven have hung some shining lights
That from our view, look like the stars that glow so pure and bright

May the perfect peace of Christ our Lord surround your home this year
May the reason why God sent His son…become more real and clear
May the joy of Jesus give you hope…as you give him praise and glory
And may you always feel the endless love…
from the simple Christmas story

"Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son,
and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is,
God with us." Matthew 1:23

DIvine cookies

If you don't follow the cooking blog, Plain Chicken, then you should.  Stephanie (not me unfortunately) has some good stuff on there.  With the exception of the Meow Monday (where she posts pics of her cats), she posts some great recipes that she has concocted herself or a family recipe that she has tweeked to make it more of "hers."  She didn't fail to deliver on these cookies either.  The only thing she forgot to mention is that this recipe makes a LOT - even after I ate myself silly with the cookie dough.  They are quick, cheap, and very tasty!

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Printable Recipe)

1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (12 oz.)
1 cup crushed candy canes (1 6oz box)

In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir or beat into butter mixture until well incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and candy canes.

Drop dough in 2-tablespoon (1/8-cup) portions, 2 inches apart, onto buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.

Bake in a 400° oven until cookies are lightly browned and no longer wet in the center (break one open to check), 6 to 8 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.

With a wide spatula, transfer cookies to racks to cool. If hot cookies start to break, slide a thin spatula under them to release; let stand on pan to firm up, 2 to 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Tasty Treats

What a difference a year makes.  Last year at this time, I was trying to squeeze in time at work to click on the "add to cart" button on Amazon.com for my Christmas shopping.  Instead of baking/making Christmas gifts, I was just buying everything.  Yes, it was expensive to do all of my Christmas gift shopping that way, however I wanted as much time with my precious pretties & heavenly husband at night.  Dragging them around from store to store just wasn't my idea of a great way to spend the evening.

However, this year is much different.  We have less money now since I am not working, however I have more time which is priceless.  Less money doesn't mean less thoughtful gifts though.  A lot of people are getting baked goods that I actually MADE this year.  WHAT?!?  Yes.  Stephanie has been slaving away in the kitchen.  So, instead of going to a store and buying a cute dish towel or candle for teacher & neighbor gifts, they are getting some chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate cake balls, ooey-gooey pretzel sticks, peanut butter cup cookies, and cracker toffee.  They taste good, and you can make a lot with not a lot of money.  Here are just two recipes that are quick & easy:

Ooey Gooey Pretzel Sticks (A Shout out to Julie Gunn Strihan for the recipe!!)

Get the big pretzel sticks - I think they are the brand Hanover.  Just don't get the little butter twig looking pretzels.
1 Bag of caramels
1 package of chocolate almond bark
1 Bag of crushed Heath Toffee Bits
Wax or parchment paper

Melt caramel in one pan (I added two tablespoons of water and 3 TBS of butter for a thinner consistency
Melt almond bark in another pan
Pour bag of toffee bits on a plate.

Dip half of pretzel stick in caramel, and tap it to get the excess off.
Dip same half of pretzel stick in chocolate, and tap to get excess off.
I let them cool for a minute or two on the parchment paper (while I was busy dipping other pretzels)
Once they cooled off a bit I then rolled them in heath bits and put them back on the wax paper to dry.
They are the bomb.com!
Now Julie drizzled chocolate over the sticks once they were dry, but since I am not a big chocolate fan I didn't.

The recipe I am making tonight is the Saltine Cracker Toffee.  I have heard you can also make this with graham crackers.  (Shout out to Carlye Bindel for the heads up on this tasty treat!)

Ingredients

• 4 ounces saltine crackers
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
2. Line cookie sheet with saltine crackers in single layer.
3. In a saucepan combine the sugar and the butter. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour over saltines and spread t cover crackers completely.
4. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate and top with chopped nuts. Cool completely and break into pieces.

Christmas Time is Here..

...Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of year.

I love this song. Actually, I love 98% of all Christmas music. But there is something about the Vince Guaraldi (sp??) Trio & this song that makes me feel like I was doused with a big bucket of happiness everytime I listen to it.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of Christmas albums out there that tickle my fancy. Mariah Carey (but of course), Celine Dion's & Mannheim Steamroller can have me dancing like Carlton from the Fresh Prince of Belair every time I listen to them because they bring me so much joy. But not a lot of songs can make me just stop, smile & give me a full heart as fast as this one can.

Anywho--the Foley precious pretties have been busy celebrating the season! We made Christmas cookies Thursday night after dinner in our reindeer aprons (bought these from Diane Sargent--so cute!) while sporting our own antlers!
The antlers actually light up! I'll have to remember to keep these out for baseball season!






Merry Christmas!!

Blessings,
SF

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Five Fingers

I don't know about you, but I think turning five is a big deal. Not just for the child, but for the parents as well. Don't get me wrong, every year that our precious pretties are with us needs to be celebrated, but birthday #5 is like a right of passage of some sort. When a child turns five, they are finally able to proudly hold up all the fingers on one hand to display their age. That's a big deal for them! Five is typically when children start learning how to spell, read, do basic math, learn how to ride a bike without training wheels, & master the art of tying their shoes. Not only does each finger on that high five represent every year that precious & pretty year that the child has unknowingly blessed us with, but they also represent some of the big milestones that child will accomplish this upcoming year. The five fingers are also a big deal for the parents, especially if the child that is turning five is your first-born. Each finger represents the yearly anniversary of being a parent. I look at those fingers on Kate's hands and wonder if I have been the best mom to her. If I have taught her enough about our Christian faith, love, kindness, generosity, and forgiveness.....

Those five fingers also represent everything our children have taught us. Since becoming a mom, I have learned to be more selfless & less selfish. Patience was not a virtue I was blessed with in my younger years, but I possess it now. I have learned to forgive & forget. Have you ever noticed how quickly a child does that? I have learned to embrace the little things & I honestly try not to take anything for granted. LOVE. My heart swells with so much love for my two precious pretties that sometimes I think it is going to burst. Yet I am humbly reminded that all the love I have for my husband, my children, my family & friends is nothing in comparison to the love that God & His only Son has for all of us.
Kate was excited, yet nervous, about turning five yesterday. I had to go to a fundraiser at her school Saturday night, and before I left she asked me if she was going to feel anything when she turned five. I guess my Precious Pretty #1 thought she was going to feel something like a pinch or a tickle when the clock struck midnight on November 21st. She, of course, was sound asleep and didn't feel anything at that hour. I felt a lot though, of course, & was overcome with emotion all weekend. I found myself sneaking off from the girls & shedding a few tears (of joy) when they were busy playing and I didn't want them to think mommy was sad. My phone was "blowing up" from my precious family & friends calling & texting Kate to wish her Happy Birthday. It got to the point that when the phone would ring Kate would smile & ask if it was for her again. ;)
We went shopping yesterday morning & then spent the afternoon getting ready for her art party. A fun time was had by all!!


















Kate & friends getting ready to paint!





Some of her friends from St. Mary's.





Bailey admiring the art gallery we made on the sidewalk to allow the paintings to dry. I made a personalized sketch book (made out of a composition notebook, a couple of post cards & a gluestick) and coupled it with watercolors & crayons. I put the gift bags above the paintings on the sidewalk so we would know who the artist was for each painting.







having fun afterwards at dinner with the Boatners!

I hope Kate felt all of the love, kindness, & generosity that was running ranpid around us yesterday. I sure did. Thank you, Ann Katherine (& Mary Clare), for being my precious pretties. You two are a constant reminder of how precious & how pretty life is. Mommy loves you to outerspace & back.

blessings,
sf

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Greatness

This past weekend in WF was just pure greatness. Kate was able to see one of her BFF's Presley, and I had a long overdue visit with her mom, whom I adore! Friday night I was able to get away for a night out with some of my BFFs thanks to my amazing MIL who watched the girls for me. Lauren & I hit up How Great Thou Art & painted. Of course the night wouldn't have been complete without dinner at Pasqual with Lauren & Sarah.




Saturday I was able to see my "third daughter" Kateri & the girls were ecstatic to see her. We played all morning, and after lunch I took the girls to Holiday Hangar where Kateri's mom was helping in a booth. The girls LOVED shopping & looking at all of the jets & planes! MC was having so much fun she passed out!




We booked it back home Saturday evening, so Tim & I could go to OKC Sunday. Tim got four AWESOME tickets (think 5th row courtside) from a guy he trades with, and we were able to watch Greatness. By Greatness I mean Tim Duncan & the San Antonio Spurs. Of course, when I refer to the Spurs & greatness, I am also referring to my awesome BIL Nixon who works for the Spurs & who we never get to see because he is busy working....for the Spurs.



This coming weekend Kate turns 5. That's huge. I hope I handle it ok. I cried like a baby when I ordered her birthday invites. Self-control, Stephanie. Self-control.

Xoxo
sf
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Kind of busy

I know I haven't blogged in a couple of weeks. I've been busy. I know I was busy before but this is a different kind of busy. A kind of busy to where sometimes I wish I had my old life back. My tightly over scheduled life. But I'll take this kind of busy life anyday. It suits me better.

My mind is racing trying to remember everything we have done these past few weeks.

The precious pretties both recieved their first blue ribbons ever at gymnastics a few weeks ago for successfully completing the first round of core exercises. It wasn't an official first place blue ribbon, but it was first place to them!!






One of our favorite things to do is go to the animal shelter and loving on the dogs up for adoption. It makes me really sad knowing that these animals are euthanized if they haven't been adopted in seven days.......




We celebrated Halloween...




And we celebrated All Saints Day at Kate's school. She was St. Anne, the Virgin Mary's mother (or Jesus' Grammy if you ask Kate)




Hard to believe precious pretty #1 will be five in one week. Or that Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away. Let's just go ahead and mention Christmas is 41 days away. So no matter what kind of busy you are, as the splendor of the season is approaching, let us remember Him who is worthy of all our praise.

Xoxo
SF

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Memory Makin' Mondays

Ooey Gooey Fun

Precious Pretty #2 is not thrilled with PP #1 right now

Showing little sister how it's done

Getting her own ooey gooey prize....

and not really impressed with it.

But she is still a happy-cheetos-face girl!

I really look forward to Mondays.  Not as much as I look forward to Sundays, but Mondays are now one of my favorite days.  I couldn't have said that when I was working, but now that I am "retired", Mondays are pretty great.  It usually starts up with me rounding up the girls and heading out to their preschools.  After the double dropoff, I grab a coffee and either balance our bank account, or have some bible/Jesus time.  Then it's off to the gym to meet up with some new gym buddies and go to some classes.  I have enough time to squeeze in a quick shower or and couple of errands before it's time to pick up Precious Pretty #2.

During her nap, I usually eat lunch, fold laundry (story of my life!), make an after school snack for Precious Pretty #1, before it is time to go get her.  We come home & eat snacks, and then we pick something to do together.  Two weeks ago, we went to the pumpkin patch and carved a pumpkin when we returned home as documented in the pictures above.  Last Monday, we baked and decorated Halloween cupcakes which are still sitting in our kitchen.  I refuse to eat them because I am trying to keep my Eye on the Prize (which I wrote about in my last post), and Kate refuses to eat them because they have orange icing.  Why is orange icing so bad?  Because it is the color of the Texas Longhorns, and Kate is an Aggie.  I am not kidding.  Kate wore her orange Halloween shirt once for me this month and is adamant that she will not wear it again.  Since Mary Clare prefers to eat nothing but apples, the cupcakes are going to waste.  It was fun nonetheless.

This week our Memory Makin' Monday will consist of gathering leaves from our backyard and using them to make a family tree.  I have brown construction paper to make the trunk of the tree, and I plan on going to Hobby Lobby tomorrow to get some large sheets of scrapbook pages to use for the background and to mat the leaves on.  Should be fun.  I hope to post pictures of our tree this week.

I will leave you with a quote I heard on my favorite show.  It's not verbatim, but it's close enough.
"Being a great parent is the best gift you could ever give."  - Nora Walker
With God's guidance, it is what I strive to be every day.

blessings,
sf

Eye on the prize

I have a huge problem with staying focused, especially focused on one specific goal.  I let too many things get in my way.  Call it ADD - call it life - call it what you would like.  But the bottom line is at least I am admitting that I have a "problem".  

 Since moving to a new town a couple of months ago where I really don't know anyone, I have made an effort to go to the gym more.  I've met some other mommies to meet up with there at the different classes, and you can ssssllloooowwwllllyyyy but surely see the poundage coming off.  That's great, right?!?!?!

My problem is, despite the lack of focus, is that I can't seem to have any self control when it comes to the consumption of food part.  Since moving here I have lost 7 pounds, which needs to be celebrated, I know.  However, I can't help to think how much more I coulda/shoulda/woulda lost if I had been more diligent with my workouts, eating habits, and especially keeping track of everything that goes into my mouth. I'm bored with the things that I cook ALL. THE. TIME.  I took up watching the Food Network to help revive my cooking creativity but that doesn't help either, because I get online and print off the sugary, buttery, and salty recipes.  I guess I need to watch Rachael Ray and cook her healthy stuff.  She does have healthy food, right?

It's time for me to do this.....Again!  As of today, I am grabbing on to the reins of the food log again.  And I'm keeping my eye on the prize which is that I hope to lose another 15 pounds before my sister in law's wedding in January.  Did I mention the wedding in is the Big E-to-the-Z?  I need to lose this weight because I will more than likely gain half of it back during my trip there!  I know I can do it!  I'll keep ya posted.

blessings, 

SF

Entertaining ourselves

 Those of you reading this more than likely know that I went to Boston, Massachusetts, last Thursday for my cousin Laurie's wedding.  She actually lives in Leicester, Mass., and we stayed in Auburn, Mass.  We were all over that state!!!  The gorgeous brunette who joined me on this trip was my cousin Carolyn, and we were so excited about this trip that we maybe got three hours of sleep the night before.  You would have thought that we would have slept on our flight that departed at 6:35 am, but we didn't because we were too FIRED UP.  Plain and simple.  I attempted to do a couple of pages of my bible study that I wrote about on my previous blog, and Carolyn didn't have anything to read/do so I gave her my MacBook to entertain herself.  She discovered some bells and whistles on bad boy Mac that I had no idea he had!  She took a picture of us to document our trip, and then that is when the giggling began.....

 She would take a picture of herself and try to stifle her giggle.  

This picture brought her to tears she was laughing so hard.  I finally had to join in on the fun!

Camel!!!!!!

Our seats were in the very back of the plane (2nd to last row to be exact).  Every time some one would go to the restroom or an attendant would walk back there, they would stop to look and see what we were doing and laugh with us.

Once we made it to BAH-ston, we showed our family all of the fun we had on the plane. (we took over 100 pics!)

They wanted a piece of the fun too!

This picture is kind of scary, but it makes me laugh.  I LOVE mi familia!

90 (89) days

I. Am. Truly. Blessed.  Really!

Woke up this morning to two, healthy, sweet, beautiful precious pretties.  Got Kate off to school and Mary Clare and I headed to Target to purchase some airplane friendly toiletries for my trip Thursday (I'm going to Boston, baby!!).  We then headed to LifeWay Christian Book Store because I wanted to get the new Mary Beth Chapman book, Choosing to See, and my beloved Target didn't have it.  Mary Beth is married to the world-renowned Christian music artist Stephen Curtis Chapman, and her book is about her struggle through the loss of her daughter, and how hope is carrying her through it.  (Their daughter was playing on the driveway and their son didn't see her and backed over her with his car.)  I snagged the picture of the book from Amazon.com, and I should have bought the book from Amazon as well, but my impatience cost me six extra bucks.  Oh well, at least I'll have something to read on the plane.  I'll give my opinion of the book when I finish reading it and let me know if you would like to read it when I am done.  I'll be more than happy to mail it to you!

When I moved to Sherman, I looked for a women's/moms group at a church to join but to no avail.  I want to join a bible study group, but can't seem to find a meeting time that works with my schedule.  So, I called my sister in law Carlye, and asked her about a particular bible study she just finished.  She asked me what I was doing, and once I told her, she recommended the Beth Moore 90 Day Bible Study with Jesus the One and Only.  I actually had the Beth Moore's 90 Days with Paul study in my hand, but I thought I would go with her recommendation first.  (again I snagged the picture from Amazon)  I realized once I got in my car that it is 89 days until Christmas, so if I doubled up on days 1&2 of the study, then I would finish the bible study on Christmas Day!  90 Days (well 89) to becoming closer to the One and Only, and the last day of the study is on the day we celebrate His birth.

After our shopping excursions Mary Clare and I went over to the AWESOME park down the street from our house and walked 3 1/2 miles on the walking trail.  Ended our morning of fun at Chick-Fil-A.  Today was just wwwwooonnnnnnddddeerrrfffuuullllllllllllll.

The only way the morning could have been any better is if Tim and Kate could have been with us.  Tim, of course, is worked hard to provide for the pretties and I.  My precious pretty #1, on the other hand, has been having some trouble adjusting to our new life in Sherman.  She had a set schedule for four and a half years, and out of no where, mommy & daddy up and move her to a new town, house, school, etc.  I knew it would be an adjustment, a difficult one at that, but I didn't think it would take this long for her to get the hang of things.  Kids are resilient right?  She definitely is, however, it has been rather hard for her, and she has some anxiety issues.  After a long, heart felt discussion with her pediatrician, we decided to see if how she would respond if we put her back on a similar schedule that she had in WF (school everyday from 8-3), to see if her behavior at home and school starts to improve.  Once we have things under control with her then I will slowly start to decrease her time at school.

Life is good.  G-Double-Oh-D.  Good.  And that's all I have to say about that.

 

Whirlwind of a Weekend

Whew--this weekend flew by super fast! I know it's still Sunday morning, but I'm trying to figure out what happened to Friday & Saturday.

One of my best friends Sarah brought her kiddos Luke & Elizabeth to Sherman for a weekend visit. Friday night we enjoyed pizza & the kids got some much needed playtime.

Saturday we went to breakfast, playtime at the park, and then headed over to Fairview Park to
cheer for Kate in her first soccer game.

She's #6 & a head taller than some of her teammates.


Getting ready to start the second half!



Luke & Mary Clare watching from the sidelines.








Later on a babysitter came to be with the kiddos while Sarah & drove to Dallas to watch Coco try on wedding dresses. We ended the night with an amazing meal at Roys Hawaiian Cuisine.

All in all it's been a whirlwind weekend, but we loved every second of it!

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Answered prayers

So, as you know, I have had a bit of a time adjusting to this new life in Sherman, Texas.  Not just living here and hardly knowing anyone, but living here and being a full-time stay at home mama.  It took me about month to get everything out of the boxes and in their place, and I have spent my extra time this week putting the final touches in different rooms.  I have also been making lists of things I want to do/add/change to each room so that should keep me busy too once I can save up some money to do it!

I have also been praying....ALOT.  I pray for guidance, patience, forgiveness, etc., but also for God to guide me to do something that would allow my light to shine.  For Him to open a door to allow me to be more involved, and meet new people.  Last week, I went to each lunch with Kate at school and as I was leaving I told the secretary that I would like to help out at the school whether it was being a cafeteria monitor, reading to the preK and kindergarten classes, etc.  I was a little surprised when she called me a few hours later asking me if I could come in a meet with the principal.  My first thought was, "Oh no - They aren't going to let Kate come back to school until she stops sucking her thumb."  I am going to get off subject here and rant for a second on the fact that Kate is the only child in the 3K, 4K, & kindergarten class that still sucks her thumb (that I have noticed).  I have tried about three-to-four different ways to help her stop, but to no avail.  Her teacher has talked to her about not doing it, but that isn't working.  Her teacher changed her color green (which is good behavior) to yellow (not so good) and it still doesn't work.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Now back to the subject at hand.  When I calmly asked Mrs. Martin what the meeting was regarding, she stated that Mr. Scheibmier wanted to visit about getting more involved at St. Mary's.  "YES!" I tried to do the best I could to stifle my excitement.  Maybe I can be the room mother and have fun planning all the classroom parties!  OR...maybe I can help out the lunch lady and pass out mashed potatoes!  Or what about making copies for the teachers?  I was all about it.  Little did I know what was in store for me.

I met with Mr. Scheibmier this morning after Mass, and we really hit it off!  We visited about a number of things and then he slowly approached the reason why he asked me to come in today?  I was already nodding my head in excitement thinking I was going to be the room mother for 4K.  But then he started talking about Casino Night and how it is the biggest fundraiser for the school because it helps pay the salaries, benefits, insurance and he thought with me being "new blood" at the school that I can bring in ideas that will make the Casino Night even better.  I went from, "Let me think about it" to him shaking my hand at the end of our meeting and telling me how excited he is that I am going to chair this event.  WHAT???

I got in the car and the song Crazy by Gnarls Barkley was playing in my mind.  But then I remembered the lyrics to an amazing song that my precious friend Jaclyn told me about yesterday and I realized that this was how God was answering my prayer.  It's not what I was looking for, or expecting, but this is my life God has blessed me with and I am going to let HIM make the most of me!  Because EVERY moment is a chance to let your light break through.  Can I get an AMEN?

I highly encourage you to listen to the song on itunes or you tube.  LOVE IT.  I told Jaclyn that we need to write Mercy Me a thank you note because they wrote it just for us!

This Life 

by Mercy Me

this is not my home

(this is not my space)

this is not my style

(this is not my place)

Can't get comfortable

(cant get settled in)

I simply dont belong

(cant get used to this)

But I'm here right now

(I can hear You say)

make the most of Me

(this wont go to waste)

If Im out of my mind

(yeah its all for Christ)

if Im making sense

(then get in line)

every moment is a chance to

let Your light break through

this life (oh oh oh )

this life was meant to shine

this life (oh oh oh )

this life was meant to shine

I dont have to stall

(I dont have to wait)

dont have to bide my time

(till I make my escape)

cuz heavens in my heart

(I won't settle for less)

I will lift Your name

(by the life I live)

every moment is a chance to

let Your light break through

this life (oh oh oh)

this life was meant to shine

this life (oh oh oh)

this life was meant to shine

its in my heart

its in my soul

I'll live everday

just to make You known

cuz this life (oh oh oh)

this life was meant to

meant to shine

hold your heads up high

this is our moment to rise

we were meant to shine

not just survive

hold your heads up high

this is our moment to rise

we were meant to shine

not just survive

hold your heads up high

this is our moment to rise

we were meant to shine

this life (oh oh oh)

this life was meant to shine

this life (oh oh oh)

this life was meant to shine

its in my heart

its in my soul

I'll live everday

just to make You known

cuz this life (oh oh oh)

this life was meant to

meant to shine

its in my heart

its in my soul

I'll live everday

just to make You known

cuz this life (oh oh oh)

this life was meant to

meant to shine

oh oh oh 

we were meant to shine yeah!

Best buddies

We went on a very-long-overdue roadtrip to see Boatners this past weekend and the girls picked up right where they left off. You never would have known that they hadn't seen each other since the beginning of the year! Mary Clare has been asking of Lilly's whereabouts since we left their house. I hope Liz and I can keep our word and visit each monthly since we live closer to each other!

Here MC is pulling a Britney by driving while holding her baby as Lilly calls her mom.



Monday was a pretty slow day. Today we tried out a gymnastics class. I don't know if we'll sign up or not seeing how I noticed their teachers got a little frustrated. Everytime the girls did something they were yelling from across the gym to give me a thumbs up. Or to say, "Hi Mom!" and wave. Or how the best buddies yelled words of encouragement to each other (they are in separate classes). It did make me beam to see how excited they were & melted my heart that they wanted to share their excitement & their triumphs with me!




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Thursday

Kate was so super duper excited about soccer tonight. She picked out her all pink outfit & hardly ate a bite at dinner because she was ready for her coach to teach her new skills. Unfortunately the coach was sick so all we did is meet him & the other girls on the team, confirm our practice time, and decide the team name. Future soccer sensation with the Sherman Butterflies!




There is a quaint little park by our house that Tim & I took the girls to since practice was cut short.



I asked Mary Clare if she was having fun. Her reply was, "Yes because I love it this much!"


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Location:W Washington St,Sherman,United States

what a month....or two

So Sherman is ok.  Not so bad.  I would like to say that it is growing on me, however I have only been here for a month so I don't want to jump the gun.  It's just ssssooooo different.  When we found out we were "officially" moving at the end of June, I don't really think it sunk in.  I was still working, and Tim was busy working 12-15 hour days traveling back and forth from Sherman to WF.  I "retired" from MyStaf after almost 10 years of job pimping on July 30th, and I will admit that things have been a blur since then.  I had some super sweet friends at work give me a royal send off fit for a queen on my last day of work which made it very bittersweet to leave.  I don't think I got to enjoy my first day of not having to go to work because I started packing up my house so we could move that following weekend.  The night before the moving truck came my dear sweet friends & sister in law Colleen hosted a surprise dinner party for me at Pasqual, and then about 15 of us then went off to How Great Thou Art for some butterfly painting fun.  It has been a blur since that night, and not just because of the La Crema Chardonnay we indulged ourselves with.

 I was so happy with my life in WF.  Truly happy.  Some people consider it the armpit of Texas, but at least it is my armpit.  (who knew you could have 3??)  I was content.  I loved my parish and my church family.  I loved my neighborhood.  I loved the fact that I was becoming great friends with the mommas of Kate & Mary Clare's friends.  I loved that my mother in law lived a block away and my mom was a mile away.  I loved going into Market Street and being recognized by the cashiers because of my frequent trips there.  I loved that I had a handful of babysitters to call for the girls because they wanted to spend time with my precious pretties.  Life was good.  While working at MyStaf for the first six years I had a schedule that I would abide by no matter what I did (or didn't do) the night before.  Then I had my first precious pretty, and I adjusted to my new schedule.  My dad passed away unexpectedly, but I adjusted.  I didn't think I had enough to do, so I started volunteering at church, the JLWF, and other organizations more. Then I had my second precious pretty, and even though it was a little bit of a juggling act & I kept looking for the circus tent above my house,  I was able to get it under control. I was going ninety to nothing and I am 100% confident that the reason why I was able to get it all done every day is because I had faith that no matter what happened that God was going to see me through my day.  If HE brings you to it then HE will bring you through it.

Sherman is different.  So much different than what I was expecting.  Not that it has been bad,  it has been challenging.  It has been sad & lonely.  Aggravating.  Tiring.  I've only cried a couple of times out of frustration.  I didn't just go from 187 mph to 100 mph.  I went from 187 mph to a screeching halt.  And I went from knowing 600 people in WF to 6 here.  As of right now, I don't have to work.  I am so grateful that I don't have to, and I know how fortunate I am to not be able to do so.  I don't have the JLWF to keep me on my toes unfortunately, and we haven't joined a church yet.  However, I know that this was all part of God's plan for our family.  I don't know why, but it is.  And because of that, and how much He loves us, then I am 110% ok with that.  This move has enabled me to spend more time with my precious pretties.  It will allow me to be able to spend more time volunteering at their school.  I have been struggling with my weight for the past couple of years, and now I have more time to actually focus on losing weight.   It has allowed me to lean on my dear, sweet husband more.  Despite the fact that he is STILL working crazy busy hours, he calls me randomly through out the day just to check in on me.  Just to let me know he is thinking of me.   But most importantly, it has enabled me to grow closer to Jesus Christ, and spend more time focusing on God's word.  So, after a couple of deep breaths, I'm buckled in and ready for this crazy ride that God is sending us on.  And I am ready to get my groove back.  Because after all, if HE brings you to it then HE will bring you through it.

Pick a culla

Mary clare didn't think I did a good enough job on her manicure/pedicure last night at the Ooh La La Beauty Spa. So she took it upon herself to fix it to her level of satisfaction.


"I make it better mama".


Mama's in t-r-o-u-b-l-e..........

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Oh so close........

We are oh so close of moving into this house.

and we are oh so close of swimming in this beautiful salt water pool.....

But because of this house and pool I am oh so close of a freak out melt down.  For reals.  I have been packing all day and it is 86 degrees in my house.  The AC guys didn't mention to tell me that they were going to have to shut off my main AC today while they installed a small AC in the playroom for our renters.....that are moving in next week!  

My cup is runneth over from all of the continuous blessings we are receiving, but I am having a hard time grasping the fact that I need to enjoy them because I am completely overwhelmed.  I know that just offering it up, and letting go and letting Him then everything will be ok.  So I think I'll take a break and go do that, and enjoy some cheesecake at a taste testing tonight.

Friends Night Out

Sarah & I both had hubbys that were out of town yesterday evening, so we took Luke & his pretties out on the town. We started the night at their fave restaurant Chili's, and our waiter was surprisingly patient & fantastic with us! We then headed over to another fave spot Yogurt Journey and the kids had a ball! I think the sweetest part of the night was watching BetBet grab Mary Clare's hand and hold it as they walked up to and through out YoJo--until it was time to get the toppings..... Thanks for a fun friends night out! The Pitts family is going to be dearly missed when we move!!


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Thanks for your list Craig!

I don't check Craig's list often. Hardly ever is more like it. I have been wanting some wing back chairs for a long time so I randomly got on facebook Tuesday & low & behold?!?!? You guessed it-there they were. I would have been happy with one, but there were two!



And I got both of them for $75. 37.50 each isn't bad--in my opinion at least. The expensive part is going to be finding the right fabric to have them recovered in, but I think it will be worth it.

She had another piece there and I loved it as soon as I
Saw it because I think with the right fabric it would look really cute in our new house. I love the sway back.




Now I am only pondering getting that piece. The lady I bought the chairs from is actually holding an estate sale for some elderly family members at 4305 Pasadena this coming Saturday. They've got TONS of stuff so go check it out if you can. From Kell: Head south on Fairway & make a right on Pasadena. It will be the first brick on your left.

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Jummy Joy

Mary Clare & Kate were invited to a double birthday party this past weekend at Jump 4 Joy......or as pretty #2 calls it--Jummy Joy! I have been there a number of times with my pretties and they have a blast everytime. Stockton & Dawson's mom had a genius idea of having the party in the morning right before lunch to get the kids good 'n worn out right before nap time. It worked!! Both of my pretties took llllooooonnnnnggggg naps Saturday afternoon. Here are some friends of Mary Clare that I think she is really going to miss once we move here in a few weeks. These girls have been together since they were infants at SLP & I am going to miss their mamas as well!

Mary Clare & Amy



Mary Clare & Reece (or Reecey as MC affectionately calls her)


Yeah for green cupcakes & Jummy Joy!!


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