{Dinners and Winners}

Today I wrote my very first little note on my Lilly Pulitzer note cards.  She would be so proud. 

As I was grabbing this evenings dinner at our local CV's I spied Jolly Rancher Apple for the Scentsy!

  Oh my!

(They had watermelon too.  It was really a tough call, but I went with the Apple.) 

I am melting her right now so I will let you know if its a winner. 

Speaking of dinner and winner . . .  this ladies post today is perfect!

I am so the "5:00 Lady"!  Everyone's tired and whiny and starved.  I am tired.  No dinner plans.  Ugh.

It is my hearts desire to do better! I actually have been doing much better.  We have no extra activities going

right now and have been home most every night.  Warm dinner and togetherness is the most perfect combination.  I love her ideas and I am beyond on board!

I am so ready for her "nitty gritty"!

 I also decided that it was high time I started taking this job, that I was apparently going to have to think about every day, seriously. Edie @ Life in Grace

{I am Grateful.}

{The Hunt! The Score!}

Sooo, my last post was a real cliff hanger. . . I know y'all were anxious to see loads of weekend excitement! Well, the above was the most absolute delight of my day.  We all piled on the couch and enjoyed! 

Thank you, Mrs. Emily for loaning them to me!

The Mr. went to the Polar Bear Plunge today to support Special Olympics.  I usually go watch "The Plunge" but I didn't this year.  I was super excited when he brought home a new white long sleeve t-shirt!

(Those are my favs!) 

Tonight I have been piddling around the house.  Moving "junk" here to there. . .and there to here. 

I found this Congress book over the holiday and I love it! 

I love old books.

This thick green one was my dads dictionary from grade school. 

The Girl Scout Handbook was my grandmas.  Treasure. 

I am breaking out some green for Spring.

(Jumping the gun a tad. . .) 

If I could find a set of these Spode Woodland dishes. . .my heart would stop beating!

I love them.  They cost as much as an organ.  (yes, I mean a body organ).

I want to find a neglected box of them tucked away in the corner somewhere at an antique store.

For cheap.  I am such a dreamer. 

All the glass is empty again. . .mmmm?

What can I dump in there?? 

Along with my Bible Study change for 2013, I am also hoping I can figure out some sort of way to

feed my antique problem, passion, love, habit,. . . desire.. . I am not sure what you call it.

All I know is my heart starts beating fast upon arrival of the antique stores. 

It's so much fun to me! The hunt! The score!

We'll see. . . 

{Zero on the Excitement Level}

I went to town today. . .I came home with an ironing board cover and a new can opener. 

Mercy. . . lets hope I manage to get into something more exciting this weekend.

{DayCation/Bible Study/Inhaled Play-Doh}

Hello there! I must begin to try and explain what I was saying yesterday. . . .  It is simply finding a place and taking refuge! Resting. Relaxing. Sucking up the air. Running in the breeze.  Listening to every single bird chirp.  Closing your eyes.  Raising your head. Let the sun or the rain beat down on you! Enjoy the day!

Take a friend. Go alone. Leave the phone.  Its the atmosphere.  Its the soaking up all of Gods free goodness.  You can do this in your stinking backyard! Drag a chair to a park.  Or. . . you can drive. Park your car in the trees.  Sit. Slurp a drink. . . for hours. 

Stay close. . .or go.  Take a short trek to somewhere new.  That somewhere should make you feel like you are far far away. . .from the stresses and worries.  Its a DayCation.  Get a tank of gas.  Pick a place. And explore.  Enjoy meeting someone new.  Listen to a story.  People most often will talk if you smile and say Hello.  Oh how I love long talks with complete strangers! It is freeing!  I could go on. . and on. . .thus take the "Flying Fish" for example.  It made me feel free! and I had fun! I escaped for a bit.  I am not talking about running from reality.  I am encouraging being a free spirit!

 (If I get too much more free I am going to start wearing sunflowers in my hair).  

Stopping the insanity of doing the same thing everyday darn day of my life!

I am there!  

One simple (but yet kinda major for me) change I am making this year is . . . leaving my Bible Study I have been going to. . . for. . . years.  Years, people!  And for the last couple of weeks I just thought I would 

find me another one. . . 

But days passed and conversations about cracked pots happened. . . and now. . . I am praying about leading one! 

It might be just me, myself, and I.  But I am in "go for it!" mode! Well, and "prayer mode"! What in the

world to do????!!!!????  As you can see I have scoured the internet tonight for "what in the world" to do?

Yes, I seriously looked at the Seal Team book. That boy is from AR and he paid the ultimate price. 

I am a HUGE practical application person.  Learn. Apply. Do. Teach Someone Else!  Who teaches someone else! You see?  Books or Bible Studies, and perhaps a session of ideas and challenges to help us be better mothers, friends, wives... just wherever a person is. . . I want to meet them there.

It will be swell.  It will.  As soon as I put my finger on it.

Will you pray with me about this?

Better yet. . .join me!

Speaking of swell and well. . . look at this precious boy, would you?

That is a dinosaur.  A Play-Doh creation. 

Oh yes, I thought of this one too. . . Fresh Air! Who doesn't need Fresh Air??!!

He brought me that dinosaur and before I snapped a photo 

I inhaled a big whiff of it.  Who in their right mind wouldn't do that?

Feel free to share any thoughts, or maybe a great Bible Study experience you have had. . . 

{Her Post}

I got giddy when I read her post! I have so much more to say. . . but it will have to wait!

Talk Soon!

(I do have a point to make about the photo above!)

{My Little Tyler Wilson}

He is so proud to wear "8".

{A Glitter Crown}

GOOD FOOD ALERT!

This Pinterest Recipe is so worth the PIN! Simple. Delicious.

Spray pan w/ PAM

Crescent Roll bottom (Full Sheet kind, who knew?)

Sprinkle browned sausage

Sprinkle 2 cups of mozzarella cheese

mix together 6 eggs & 1 cup of milk

Pour over the top 

Bake 425? (Oops. . . cant remember!) About 25 minutes!

Amazing.Easy. (I love the word Sprinkle, btw)

On the same night that I was going all out. . . I browned bacon (I think its actually all that grease your after!) and added cabbage.  The Mr. loves cabbage. Me? Not so much, but it was a lovely thing to do. 

While at the church (for hours as I worked) before school started back, Lily

made a lovely crown.  She LOVES to get in the glitter (drives me nuts!). Now don't get me wrong. . .

I LOVE glitter.  It's just the cleaning it up that makes me want to shave my eyebrows off kind of crazy!  

But who could get upset with that little face? 

I am suddenly reminded of how Buddy was with me the all the time before he started school.

  My little fellow.

My little shadow.

Oh, K and 1st grade you have robbed me.

Speaking of Buddy. . . he is surviving without his front tooth.  So cute. Adorable. Adorable!  You can really see his battle wound in this picture.  A little scar from a fall on a Thomas Train Table. Crazy, really. 

Look who showed up tonight!

TSGT HOBBS

Oh how I love and adore dress-up and pretend!

(Pay no attention to the glass jars, dusting polish, 18 pairs of tights and such on my kitchen table) 

I recently bought vitamins for Buddy.  Have you ever shopped for vitamins? For children?

I was a tad overwhelmed. . . and who knew Flintstones were $16.99 a bottle.  Granted, it was a large 

bottle but surely my little store-brand bottle will do? Surely. 

I put out some old photos out last week. . . 

Look at my beautiful mom. 

Look at me and my sister Carla!

Um, I am guessing you know which is me. . .

A tad darker and a tad larger. . .

Yes. Yes, indeed.

Here we are again. . .I love my sweet little bunny overalls.  Of course, I don't remember a thing about either of these moments captured, but I love both my sisters dearly to this day.

(Look at those red socks!) 

My friend Rachel gave me this book for Christmas.

Very thoughtful.  Very much loved. 

I will share a bit with you today. . .

We create so much unnecessary hoopla in our own regularly scheduled programming.  We plan, we implement, and we work hard. . .and get frustrated when nothing comes out of it.  Desperate and empty, we finally look to Jesus as a last resort-because we don't recognize who He is.  And sometimes, really all He's asking is that we come join Him and take part in what He's prepared and created.  The rest will come.

So declutter your mind of plans, schedules, and "to-do" lists.  Instead, look out upon the waves, wiggle your toes in the sand, absorb the sights, smells, and sounds, and enjoy the moment for what it is-not what it means, not what lies ahead, nor how your arrived here.  There will be another time for that.  For now, just be  present with Him.

After all, in the best relationships, sometimes words are unnecessary.

( It is a good thing since The Mr. is a man of very few words)

{Sweet Dreams}

Is Hedbanz not so fun??!!!  We have played it & played it some more!

And. . . I stink at it!  I mean really stink!  I always end up caving and taking a chip! 

{Sweet Kate, Madi Bell, and Lily}

We had a our Sweet Ryan over this week.  Him and Carson are just the sweetest. . . 

Am I a pet?

Am I a cat?

Am I. . .

Am I. . . 

Speaking of sweet. . . 

I love my new linen "Sweet Dreams" pillow.  The Mr. keeps trying to sleep on 

it.  Bless his heart.  He doesn't have a clue what "just for looks" means.

Please tell me my husband isn't the only one?!?

{This is Wrong at All Levels}

Yes, that is a spoon sticking out of the container. . . 

Yes, that spoon has my prints all over it. . .

At least I am honest.

Milk, please. . . 

{Elf Watching ~ Christmas Eve 2012}

Every year after the Candlelight Service we head to The Mr.'s Sisters House.  Look at all those boys. . . and girl.  They are all growing like. . . weeds. Oh, I sound old.

{Uncle Brian giving Cole some rabbit ears.} 

We ate delicious food. 

Lounged around. 

Opened presents.

{Brads mom (NaNa Mary) sews, and she made Lily her name.  She was super excited!} 

The kids snuggled up and watched Elf. 

Cole & Clayton opted out of Elf for video games. 

So Pretty. 

Buddy was super excited he got the web blaster from his Auntie Misty. 

We finished off the evening seeing who could manage to eat the hottest pepper.

{See that tasty jar of red and green fire bombs??!!} 

{The Mr. wiping his face. . . Cole holding his throat reaching for the water. . .}

For some reason all eyes are on Uncle Mark. . . 

and he's not in my picture.

MMMmm?