Patty Jo

Homemade Advent Tree Tutorial

2011-12-01T21:54:00.000-06:00

Here is a short tutorial on how I made my Advent Tree.

First I cut some branches from the tree in the front yard. I looked for one that had forks in them so I knew there would be many places to hang the little packages.

Then I went to the Dollar Tree and bought a ceramic flower pot. I wanted one heavy enough so it wouldn't fall over with all the top weight. I also found the floral foam and moss there as well.

I had red spray paint at home.

Total so far I've spent $3.00 plus tax.

I cut the branches to the lengths of my liking. You can cut them long and then shorten them as needed.

I spray painted my pot as it was yellow and not very Holiday looking.

I used a kitchen steak knife to trim away the foam so it would fit into the pot. This is the messy part. LOL

I added small pieces back in the sides to make it a tight fit.

We then glued the moss onto the foam.

Below is the semi-finished product.

Below you can see I bought a silver charger plate from Walmart for .99 cents. And used Handy Man glue I already had to glue the pot down as my pot wasn't very wide at the bottom and was easily tipping over. Easy fix! And now that total is $3.99 plus tax.

As for the little boxes I bought those at Dollar Tree as well. You can find several different ones but I preferred them to be white or silver. They came in packages of like 6 to 8 for $1.00. I have 26 little boxes. (silver and white) So I spent maybe $4.00 on these.

I used a heart punch that I had from previous yrs. of scrap booking. And card stock. Had that too. For day "25" I used a piece of red construction paper. Had that too. LOL I used a fine tip Sharpee to write each number. It was the most economical way. And then glued each one on with Tacky Craft glue. I also had the white curl ribbon from gift wrapping and balloons from who knows when. Imagine that I had that already too! haha

Here is a view of the little nativity Gabriel bought for me last year at the school sale. It's perfect for the bottom of our tree. And of course the final gift!

These boxes are from Dollar Tree as well. They came together inside of each other. I have 4 boxes total for $2.00.

One other thing I purchased was tiny little zip lock bags I found in the office/craft supply at Walmart. I paid something like $1.40 for 100 of them. I had to use these for the candy. Since I have three children and wanted each one to enjoy the prize for the day.

I bought small bags of candy from the check out lane. Keeping it cheap! ha M&M's, Skittles, Mini Reeses, Almond Joy Minis, Hershey Kisses, Mini Hershey drops, whatever your heart desires. I also bought Whales and Dunkins! :) Found them in the cracker and cookie aisle at Walmart. These little bags made it possible for me to put small amounts in them for each child and stack the little folded over bags into the little boxes. Everyone has something. And I didn't have to buy all that in $3 and $5 bags of candy. I spent way less. More like $1 for some and less for others. I am not sure how much I spent on the treats but I was frugle and you can be too.

You could put little notes in them for instance that say a hug or whatever little things that would make your children smile!

I bought an Advent cardboard type tree and booklet last year from the school. It was a fund raiser for PTO. We never completed it. So we are using it to read from everyday to remind us of why we are even doing this and to point us to HIM everyday!

I juggles ideas around before I decided to do the tree. We like to focus on those in need during the yr and especially during this time of yr. It's cold outside and people are homeless. I just felt in my heart that my children needed this special time between us to make those special memories. We are still serving others and Praise God for His leading in that area! We don't like to share too much about what we do as we feel it's God's glory not ours. But our hearts are for people!

God Bless you all! May you have a Merry Christmas!!

If you have something special you've made or a tradition you'd like to share we'd love the hear about it and even share it here if you'd like. Be sure to comment and let us know and if you have a blog and want us to post it here be sure to include the blog address below!

**If you have trouble commenting, please use the Name/URL option. I have to use it. For some reason blogger has issues with this. I even have to click to submit it twice sometimes. ;)>

Aspergers Syndrome

2011-11-18T19:57:00.000-06:00

Well it's been a long road and still have a much longer road to travel as we raise our children. But we have come to a conclusion! Gabriel was tested as mentioned before and today we took the long trip over to meet with the Dr. and listened to his diagnosis.

So long story short Gabriel has Aspergers Syndrome. Exactly what I had decided with God's leading. There is so much to this story that is probably severely boring but one day I might share. I am just so thankful God has brought us to this moment and we have confirmation so we can move forward with the correct therapies. And we can begin to utilize programs that are available to help children with Aspergers.

I just wanted to share with those that have been praying for us through the valley!

Will be back when I'm not so completely exhausted so I can start sharing more of the "funny" parts of our days! :)

Thank you all for your love and prayers!!

2011-11-10T15:56:00.001-06:00

New Business

2011-11-08T15:53:00.000-06:00

I've always believed you can make a business from anything if you truly "LOVE" what you do. Your passion for it flows onto other people and they know you love what you do.

Several of my friends have their own businesses. You can feel that passion for what they do.

I have tried many different businesses over the course of yrs. staying at home with my children. Some more stressful than others. Some just weren't meant to be at all.

All my life I've wanted to have my very own business. Whether a small boutique with clothing or even a thrift store that people can go to for great savings. I've always known that I was meant to do it.

It is with great excitement that I announce I am now a new consultant with Thirty-One. If you are familiar with Thirty-One then I am sure you know why I love them so much! I am a huge bag lover. If I had a lot of money (this statement is too funny), I would own every choice in the catalog. But with great resistance I will refrain! :) ha But seriously, I've always loved bags, handbags, beach bags, overnight bags, backpacks, lunch bags, suitcases, cosmetic bags, wallets, giant carry all bags, bags you organize with whether it be in the car or closet. I love them!

God works in wonderful ways. I have looked for a way to work from home and continue to be in God's will. I homeschool and love it. Thirty-One will allow me to stay at home with my children and do something I have always wanted to do. AND (I love that word), I get to sell BAGS!! How incredible is that. I can share my inner passion with others. And meet new friends along the way! And guess what?? "Thirty-One" stands for? Proverbs 31.

A company after my own heart. I am so inspired!

Hope you'll support my adventure with PRAYER! I need all I can get!

If you or you know someone interested in learning more about "Thirty-One", please comment or click on the two links to my webpage and give me a call or shoot me an email! I'd love to talk more about it! God Bless!

My Thirty-One

What a day

2011-11-03T15:15:00.000-05:00

I've held off writing. Trying to decide what is proper to share and what is too personal. Sometimes we share too much and sometimes we bottle things up when we might help others if we share. Who knows? It's a catch 22. Whatever that means. haha

Gabe has been to Dr. after Dr. It's truly been a long road. After yrs. of telling us he's sick and doesn't feel well I feel we've finally came to the place God wants us to be. Not that it ends here but that we have reached the point that we just might have some answers. But those answers still feel like an eternity.

It's so troubling when you take your child to one Dr. and they think one thing and another Dr. thinks another thing. And they are conflicting. Or even another Dr. is drawing at straws and has not even the slightest clue but not willing to help you find "for sure" what the culprit might be. It's just so mind boggling to me.

I know our issues seem so small compared to life threatening illnesses and even death itself. And I would never undermine the hurt that is involved in those circumstances. So please don't mistake my whining with self pity, that our world is unbearable or worse than others. That is so far from the truth. But this is our valley at this given time. It has good days and bad days. I am thankful daily for what God has blessed us with and without.

A few months back Gabe's therapist decided to refer him to a NeuroPsychologist. (Very well paid and very educated persons) Just in case you're asking "say who??". ha We went and had an initial consultation a couple of months ago and finally this week, Wednesday and Thursday, we went for a total of 4 hrs. of testing. I suppose you'd call it testing for learning curves, differences. Basically they determine if your child might have one or more of: Autism, Aspergers, PPD, ADD, ADHD, Anxiety Disorders, etc... This list goes on.

Gabe seemed to be quite hyper and happy when I would return to get him both days. Very interesting. I've asked and asked about what he asked him and what they did. Not much response but a few things. One of the questions he told me the Dr. asked was: "why do people put stamps on envelopes?". Gabe told me he didn't know the answer. I was floored. Anyway, another question was: "why does the government test meat before it is sold?". He had no clue about that one either. Of course he has now been informed in both areas. LOL What threw me is what does that have to do with anything?? hahaha I suppose that is why I am not getting paid to do what this Specialist does. haha I have thought and thought, "how on earth does that tell him anything?" LOL Oh well!

So long story short. We have to wait 2 weeks to return for results. I just want to hybernate and wait it out. Not do anything until I get answers. I keep telling myself we made it this far! What is 2 weeks? Well if you're me and have been watching your child suffer for all these yrs. IT'S A LIFETIME!! I know God is in control, not me. It's just been so hard. I think my drive to P'cola that day will be the longest driver EVER. rotfl You that know me, can't you see me??? People will pull over and get out of my way because I'll look so crazy! ha

So all in all! I feel like we are so close to finding that central piece of the puzzle that has had us so tripped up and searching. But I am also so impatient. Pray these next two weeks fly at the speed of light for us. So we can begin the new chapter of our sons healing! God Bless!!

Baby Boy

2011-10-26T14:59:00.000-05:00

My neighbor had a Baby Boy a few days ago!

I have spoke to them a few times but we really haven't

been able to get to know one another. People are busy and it's

hard to throw yourself at someone like you are needy for friends

or something! LOL Can't you see me doing that? eeek! ha

Well I wanted to give them something and well I have some fabric

from some time ago I was making all kinds of things.

And with my recent "bag" making I felt compelled to make

a bag and blanket. How fun! On Sunday afternoon I cut the

bag and blanket out and then last night I sewed it all together!

I love to SEW!!!

Well here is my creation. Now all I have to do it is feel better

from this miserable headache and shower so I can give it to her! ha

By the way, the babies name is: Jackson! How cute is that!!

Now I'm off to hopefully get rid of the headache, tummy ache and

find something else to make!!

Guess What? Photo Answer

2011-10-20T21:36:00.000-05:00

My last post included a photo to see if you could "Guess What" it is??

This one was not that hard! LOL

Here is the entire pic:

Morning Coffee to be exact! LOL

It's fun to do these. I am going to incorporate them at least weekly!

Thanks for participating!

"W"ambling Wednesday

2011-10-19T10:03:00.000-05:00

Forgive me for the ridiculous title. LOL But for some reason it's all that came to mind!

I am off to a busy morning. Attempting a new recipe for

Oatmeal Raisin Muffins.

I'm excited and concerned all at the same time. You know when things

just don't seem right? haha Well part of the batter was very clumpy and

part was runny. eeek! But I'm hoping for the best!

Here they are in the oven:

Oh and while making these I had a thought. You know the muffin cups

you buy that are "FOIL" and in between each one there is a paper cup.

For years I threw those away. But guess what? You can "USE" them. ha

If you'd prefer not to mix and match just set them aside in a stack and

place them back in the container to use another time. As you can see in the

muffin photo above I mixed them up. You get twice as many cups for your money.

I'm just all about Not wasting! :)

I have a friend that sells Scentsy. I decided to try some of their scents. I sneeze so

much I am always afraid to try too many scented things in the house. But I love a

house that smells good. haha So I got two scents and this adorable plug in:

It's just gorgeous!! And I love how easy it is to turn on and off and the scent

I chose is perfect!! It's "Luna". LOVE!

It looks great in our hall bathroom!

Oh and I also wanted to share a sign I've had for quite a few yrs. Makes

me laugh everytime I read it:

I might also add that my morning coffee might have a lot to do with it too! LOL

Oh and I have a fun photo to share!

Another one of those "Guess what it is"

This time it's just for fun!

What Is It?? :

Comment below and share what you think it is.

Don't look at anyone else's guess first. :)

Oh and don't forget if the comments are giving you a hard time,

select "Name/URL or Anonymous" and type your name in.

I do have a few GiveAways coming!!! YAY!

But trying not to pile them on top of each other!

God Bless and Have a Great Day!

Patty Jo

We have a Home for the bracelet!!!

2011-10-15T20:37:00.000-05:00

I first want to thank my sweet friend!

What a blessing she is to have donated the bracelet

and want to share the "Heart of the Bride"

ministry with others!

So, thank you!!!!!

Thank you to everyone that participated

in the GiveAway!

We couldn't do it without you! :)

Thank you for sharing these GiveAways with

your family and friends!

Ok, so let me announce our WINNER!

Some photos:

My sweet helper!!

What's that say???

JILL

Congratulations!!!!!!!!

Here's a photo of the actual bracelet. I never got around to making a nice pic!

But wanted to share so everyone could see it!

Thank you all again!

Be sure to go to "Heart of the Bride" and get you a beautiful piece of jewelry.

Make a difference!!

God Bless

Back to Africa GiveAway has ended!

2011-10-15T20:09:00.002-05:00

I will have a winner posted asap! Thanks for participating!

GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

2011-10-11T23:50:00.004-05:00

We have another AWESOME GiveAway!!!

This one truly touches my heart!

A very thoughtful and caring, anonymous person made

a donation to purchase this beautiful

piece for me to GIVE one of you!!

Have you ever heard of:

Heart of The Bride for Orphans - Ministry??

(borrowed from the heartofthebride.org website)

Back to Africa ??

If you have, then you already know about what a great work they are doing

for Orphans internationally.

And even so, it's always great to be reminded so we

don't forget those in need.

Here is a bit of information from the website:

Over a decade ago, our family began taking small steps to share directly with others who were helping the needy in struggling places around the world. We had no idea where those small steps would lead. Today Heart of the Bride is providing for hundreds of orphans, street kids, and vulnerable women through personal relationships. We are an international family, and we continue to grow through relationships. We meet new partners through missionaries and through our existing global partners. We meet new contributors through those who are already participating in this work. We want to continue to grow, but we are committed to expand with a focus on relationship. You are welcomed to join our family. So take a look around and get to know the people we are helping. HOB Ministries at a Glance would be the best place to take your first step, and if you want to know more, feel free to contact us directly. Tony Gibson - Founder

HOB At A Glance -

Heart of the Bride was established in 1998 as a non-profit organization dedicated to helping provide for the needs of orphans around the world. Our primary mission is to Share From Our Abundance With Those In Greatest Need.
We provide Loving Homes, Education, Discipleship, and Economic Opportunities for over 400 orphans in Haiti, Kenya, Uganda, Ukraine, and Zambia.

What a mission, right? That is why getting the news out about their ministry to so important. We can support them many ways but the one I am pointing out today is the Back to Africa Jewelry they sell to support this mission.

Simply Gorgeous

And plenty more styles to choose from!

Prices are unbelievably affordable and with every purchase

you are helping others for such a small price.

Today's GiveAway is:

Rafiki Wrap Bracelet

Comes in a nice netted bag with satin drawstring.

Ok, now you ask how do I WIN??

Well, I really want to make an impact for this ministry.

1. So, First you need to click on this link:

Heart of the Bride - Facebook

and then click "LIKE" this page.

2. Show them some love by posting on their page!

3. Comment here on my blog and let us know if you've ever bought a jewelry piece from them.

4. Be sure to share this with ALL your friends! The more comments from friends you get and they mention your name, the more chances you'll have to win!!

(you will be entered for your own comment and once for every "friend" comment that mentions your name in the comments area)

You can click the little Facebook icon below this post to share on your Facebook!

5. Make sure you visit the two websites I shared to begin with and get to know them better! :)

6. Pray for this ministry that God has placed on their hearts!!!

** Commenting on the blog can be a bit difficult at times. It's not my fault. Blogger has a set of it's own issues. I do aplogize! I find that if I choose: Name/URL or Anonymous and then type my name either into the "Name" box or into the "comment" area I can post a comment. I will be honest. I've had to try more than once. I am not happy about it but for now I can't fix it. So please be patient and give it a try!! Thank you for participating!!!

You can comment and invite friends until

Saturday, October 15th, 8p.m.

At that time we will tally all the comments and

use one of our super drawing specialists to find our winner!

I am super excited about this opportunity and hope we can help make a difference in this world!

God Bless!

Over a decade ago, our fami

Sorry!

2011-10-10T11:28:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry it seems I've abandoned the blog. I've been struggling with internal issues and it's made me not feel like blogging lately. But I am trying to leap over this obstacle and find myself again.

Thank you for your patience! :) I plan to have a sweet GiveAway soon! I am time constrained with Dr. Appts. this week for my son. So we shall see what I am capable of getting done.

We also have our Taekwondo Belt Testing Graduation Tuesday night. Can't wait! But I also might throw up or pass out at the thought of it. hahaha I've never been an out in front person. I can see where my son gets his trouble from. I am excited to finally NOT be a white belt any longer! LOL

Missing all of you! Stay tooned this week for the new GiveAway in the works! I might have to share a sneak peek photo one day! :)

Hope you all have a great week!
Patty Jo

We have a WINNER!!!!

2011-09-27T22:51:00.000-05:00

I am super excited to announce our winner!

But I must reveal what our photo really is:

Haha!

One of our precious baby chicks we raised a couple of years ago.

I just zoomed in real close:

Here's a picture of the cutie holding the chick:

He's not this little anymore but he's CUTE! :)

Ok, so now the winner of the PURSE!!

JESSICA is our winner!!

Thank you ALL for your participation! I LOVE to GIVE things away.
Already planning my next move. ha

Jessica please email me at patfidlerphotography@yahoo.com to
give me your info. so I can mail you the purse!

Can't wait until next time!!

NEW GIVEAWAY!!!!

2011-09-25T19:50:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited! I finally have my GiveAway completed!! YAY!

So here it is:

It's hand made by Patty Jo! :)

Isn't it cute???

This is suppose to be a purse about 9x16. It's smaller in my

opinion.

All the outside green areas are pockets. Zipper Top.

And I lined the inside with matching fabric to make a nice finish!

This bag is very soft. I stuffed it with paper to make it stand.

It would be a great Knitting bag to bring along to the kids games

or Taekwondo! haha

The next one I will be sure to add some stiff panels so it can stand alone.

But this bag has plenty of uses.

So here's the details:

Here's a photo! Guess what it is??

haha

Comment in the comment section and share what you think it is!

Don't forget a name!

It's just for fun! But try to guess!

We'll still choose by picking from all names in a bowl!

My children love to do that!

And as always the more people you tell and they share that you sent them

you get another entry for the drawing! No limit!

If you have trouble commenting:

Please choose the Name/URL option.

For some reason blogger has issues. I can't comment on

other blogs without using this option!

Sorry for the inconvenience!

GiveAway

**ENDS Sept. 27th., Tuesday at 8PM

What NOT to say to a parent with a Special Needs Child!

2011-09-24T15:06:00.003-05:00

Just a little something I think would be helpful.

When someone shares they have a Special Needs Child,

DON'T say:

"That'd be the child I put up for adoption!!"

I think that's the worst comment ever!

Oh and I'm sure it's something you shouldn't say to anyone for any reason!!

Working on the GiveAway!

2011-09-23T23:19:00.001-05:00

It's been an extremely busy week.

I am so excited about the next GiveAway but it's taking me a little time to get to it.

As most of you have gathered I homeschool. That consumes most of our time.

Plus we are involved in activities outside the home including Taekwondo.

Which we love!! Everyone should do it! You want a workout, well Taekwondo

is a serious workout!!

Oh, back to the GiveAway! LOL I am hoping, "hoping" that is...

That I will be allowed the time tomorrow to finish up!!

Just wanted to check in as I had mentioned it earlier in the week!

See you soon!

Our Life As We Know It

2011-09-22T14:30:00.000-05:00

I posted about our son a few weeks back.

You never know what will happen in a day or in our lives as we know it.

I am learning everyday that what we thought something was or is may not be what we thought it was at all. ha See how I can ramble. We have homeschooled our entire course of years except for one small stint last year first semester, when the kids attended a local Christian School. I suppose that would be why we overlooked some things we might have been made aware of had they attended a local school sooner. But anyway, we are in the process of having our son tested for any issues he may be dealing with. I will keep that topic vague until we have solid answers.

He has daily issues with anxiety, nausea, OCD (doesn't like going places and needs to know where and time frames), and even fits of anger. This list doesn't even touch the surface. Trouble is he appears to most to be completely fine and very smart. He is very smart! But he isn't fine. He has sleep trouble and focus issues. Sensory difficulties. Social difficulties. I could go on and on...

I do not say this for anyone to feel sorry or to be whiney just talking about it is a help for me. Plus I want to educate those around me as to why he acts the way he does or why he might say something that seems inappropriate. He does not intentially hurt peoples feelings, he has been taught to behave and be kind. He also doesn't get sarcasm as you or I do. For the longest time when I told the children they were being "ugly", he really thought I was saying he was "ugly"! Today he was angry and crying that he had to do Science. So while hugging me he gave me a fierce and fast "squeeze". It wasn't out of love, it was frustration. I see him lashing out and having a hard time working through his feelings. I know there are children and adults suffering with far worse mental issues. He can communicate some things but then others he simply doesn't know what it is his mind is fighting. It breaks my heart to think what might actually be going on in there. What he fears and thinks about. In this time we have searched for the answers from Physicians and so forth. I have come to realize these are things that have been present at least since he was 2 yrs. old. I suppose since he was never in daycare or school there was no one to notice the needs he had. I always assumed he was stubborn. He couldn't take naps as a toddler. He'd never go to bed at night. And even with no nap he would fight it, get out of bed until 11 and 12 o'clock at night. He had issues looking you in the eye. I had to constantly tell him to look at me. Which was a constant battle. I always assumed I didn't give him enough one on one attention. I had my babies very close together. He's the middle child. He is so smart. Loves Science, has compassion for animals and people, loves his video games, LOVES CHESS, loves Taekwondo, loves pizza and hotdogs, loves to wear althletic pants, loves his fleece pillow case, loves his Grandparents, Loves his DADDY!! He's a great child. I love him so much!! It breaks my heart to see him struggle and not understand why. He has nausea and it has made him miserable. It is being treated but not for sure what the REAL reason for it is quite yet. Could be the anxiety, could be Gastro issues, Could be.....????

So many IF's and not many FOR SURES! But God knows. We just have to be open to His plan and allow Him to lead us.

Whatever he is dealing with mentally will hopefully be brought to light very soon. I just can't spend every second explaining his behaviors. A friend told me she quit explaining. She knows why they do what they do. God is in control. We grow when we are in valleys. He wants us to be humble and reach out to those around us.

I pray I have told my story in an approving way that God might see fit. I pray for this blog and those that read it will know my heart. If you'd pray for Gabriel and us, I thank you so much!

If you have a prayer request you'd like to share in the comments, please do. We'd love to have the opportunity to pray for and with you about your needs. Please read the Disclaimer at the top of the screen for commenting. Sad when you have to give directions because the site doesn't work! LOL

Movies!!

2011-09-20T23:44:00.001-05:00

I love a good movie when I can force myself to stop long enough to even get into one. LOL

But a dear friend shared this awesome website with me today and I wanted to share!

Homeschool Movie Club

Take a look!

We just might have to start our own group and have a little fun with it!

Oh and I'm working on the next GiveAway!!

oping to unveil by the weekend if I Homeschool allows me the time I need! ha

If you have any thoughts or info about the above link, please share a comment!

Disclaimer: Silly blogspot has issues and some can't comment. Don't worry it's nothing personal! I can't comment either! haha If you select the option: "Name/URL" and put your name in, YOU CAN COMMENT!!!! How's that for ridiculous manuevers to work the comment section?! O yeah!!

Unhuh! hahaha

T shirt tank Tut. follow up

2011-09-16T21:19:00.000-05:00

Remember the post about the Tutorial for a T-shirt Tank?

If not here's a link:

Drab 2 Fab-t-2-tank-tutorial

My sweet photographer/incredibly creative friend, Misty can make just

about anything! :) She has been blessed with many talents.

Well I have been determined to make something lately.

Couldn't just start cutting up the husbands shirts so I

waited. But today I dug in his shirt drawers and found

an orange t-shirt I don't know that I've ever seen

him wear! LOL

I mean that's how I convinced myself that it needed to be

reconstructed anyway, haha.

Well, after school and dinner it hit me! My daughter has

become and Auburn fan. Her two friends are Auburn fans

and they've recruited her. LOL

I thought that's the idea!! I'll somehow make it an Auburn tank

for my daughter. I made her get out a tank top she wears

under things. I attempted to lay the t-shirt out and cut out

the tank I planned to make.

I envisioned the A and U that they use to signify the school.

I decided to ruffle it on the tank.

Here's a pic:

Funny thing is the tank is TOO TIGHT!! haha

It's hard to tell here but she is like, can you make me one that fits??

I was like the vision is over. haha I did it! She didn't think I was

funny! ha Anyway, this was my creative moment of the day!

Must think on this more and make something that actually fits

next time!

We have a WINNER!!!!

2011-09-15T21:42:00.000-05:00

How awesome! We have a winner!!

I want to first thank Becci for her generous gift she is sharing!

Here is a link to her site! Be sure to visit and make some purchases!

http://www.marykay.com/beccibankston/default.aspx

I was sure to capture the moment of the drawing of names this time! LOL

Here's our list:

The bowl of names:

Here is Gabriel in Pajamas picking for us!

And the WINNER of the Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara is:

If you can't read it, it says AMBER KEEVER!!! YAY!

Ok, we didn't meet the required 5 friends to comment for the

STARBUCKS but...

I decided to draw for a winner anyway. And used the same names,

less one because Amber had been chosen. (But you must remember from the

first pic that Amber was in there several times)

And the WINNER of the Starbucks $5 giftcard is:

CONGRATULATIONS AMBER!!!!!

She's a double WINNER!! :)

See so it pays to have your name in more than once.

I believe that every winner we've had with GiveAways has had their name in more than once

Crazy! ha But it worked.

Thank you all for participating!

Can't wait to see what other GiveAway ideas we can come up with!

Tuesday Night GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-09-13T20:04:00.001-05:00

I just love a good GiveAway!!!!!

I mean what's better on a Tuesday night?? LOL

Well I have another fabulous Hostess!!

She is a super fabulous friend and has a wonderful business.

Becci Bankston - Mary Kay

(I took that pic, LOL Just had to throw that in there. haha)

She has shared a mini Bio about herself to share:

I’m a Mary Kay beauty consultant who is trying to get some more customers. I love makeup and helping others with makeup. One of my favorite things about Mary Kay is that most of their products they allow you to sample with no need to buy! I started selling Mary Kay because I love the products! My personal opinion is that they work better and last longer than any other products. (and trust me I have tried them all!) However, I know everyone has their own preference, I just ask that people try a sample to see if they don’t agree with me! :) Another reason I decided to sell Mary Kay is because my health doesn’t allow me to work a regular job. However, I still wanted to be able to help make money and this offers me the opportunity make my own work schedule around my health problems. Most of all Mary Kay is a product that I believe in and have personally seen amazing results from not only myself but others as well!

Another Link to her website:

Mary Kay - Becci Bankston

Be sure to go by and share some love with her. Buy everything she sells!

I want to be sure we support her for being so willing to GIVE! :)

And the other business's that have been so kind! Make sure to visit

all their sites. I'll be sure they are on my list of favorites!

I suppose you are all wondering what the BIG GIVEAWAY is this time.....

Becci has so graciously offered:

The ULTIMATE MASCARA

PLUS:

Some samples:

eye shadow and blush

(samples)

How AWESOME is that??!!!???!!

I am so excited to share this!!

______________________________________________________________________

Now for the RULES!! haha

Large text just seems so scary and with the RULES in there it just is funny! ha

Anyway, see how I get sidetracked so easily!

RULES:

1. You HAVE to comment!!! :)

If you don't, you CAN'T WIN! LOL

2. So comment below, make SURE TO MENTION YOUR NAME!!!

3. Next we'd like to know if you've ever used Mary Kay before???

And if so: what you bought and how much you liked it!

4. If you get 5 friends to comment and leave your name in the comment as well,

not only will you be entered into the drawing for each friend but

you will be entered into an additional drawing for a

$5 Starbucks Gift Card!!

Woohoo!

So let's get this party started.

To allow a little time for each of you to share with your friends

I will extend the Conclusion of this GIVEAWAY until

Thursday, Sept. 15th at 8 PM

So all comments must be made by then.

We will have the drawing at that time

and then post the WINNERS here!!

So be sure to keep an eye on this and get your friends over to participate!!

Forgot to mention:
If you have trouble posting. Use the: Name/URL option!!
Just enter your name if you don't have a website or blog
to share! This is a Blogspot issue! Sorry!

Feeling the Urge for another GiveAway!

2011-09-13T17:13:00.000-05:00

We had one more offer for a freeby!! She has the goods and such a great business!! Will be on tonight to get it started!! Come check it out!!!

By Their Fruits

2011-09-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

By Their Fruits

I receive daily devotion emails from Alpha and Omega Homeschooling Materials.

They are such an encouragement to me I thought I'd share!

September 13, 2011

How long do you need to teach your children at home before you "officially" become a homeschool family? Like the tests that evaluate a child's academic performance, you can assume homeschooling has arrived at your house when the following are true:

You have more books in your house than groceries.

Your children show up for school in their pajamas.

Your house décor consists of time lines, maps, assorted craft projects, and half-finished science experiments.

Your trips to the library require a laundry basket to hold all the books.

Your refrigerator is perpetually covered in art projects and completed assignments.

Your children think reading history is best achieved while lying on your bed with the family cats.

Your kitchen pantry holds more school supplies than cooking supplies.

Your child's favorite classmates are his siblings.

Christians, too, have distinct marks that help us gauge whether we are growing more Christ-like. In Galatians 5:22 we read of fruits that should be displayed if we are truly following the Lord — love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. As these fruits become more evident in our lives, we can trust the Holy Spirit is working to conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). What about your life? Is there fruit that proves you're a follower of Jesus? "Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:16a).
I get these daily devotions in my email from Alpha and Omega. Here is a link to them:

aophomeschooling.com/blog/daily-focus

You can sign up to get them in your own email! I promise you will not be disappointed!!

A day in the life

2011-09-12T17:37:00.000-05:00

You know I have OCD tendancies. I can get pretty frantic over the simplist things!

It's pretty pathetic. I wish I had the care free attitude sometimes so I could

over look the simplest things. My living room stay pretty much loking like

the photo below. ha I mean I fix it and within minutes it seems

here it is again:

I try to remind myself the children will only be young once. It's not a big deal.

I just still feel that tension rise in my gut when I see this picture. hahaha

I suppose the smaller your home is it appears to be a wreck when only

a few things are out of place. So that would mean my house appears out

of whack most of the time. LOL

I am just being silly really but I am so sure I have some OCD running

around in this mind. It's silly things like closing the shower curtain

after you shower or rinsing your dishes and placing them in the

opposite sink tub. Putting your shoes where they belong when you take

them off. Or throwing your dirty clothes in the dirty laundry and not

leaving them where you took them off, like the floor.

hahaha

I suppose most of you can relate to this. It's just a day in the LIFE!

Hope you had a great day! Be back soon with more interesting ranting! ha

And the WINNER is.....

2011-09-11T07:50:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for participating!!

I love to give things away and showcase someones business!

Thank you so much to Tabitha Pucket-Premier Designs Jeweler for being so Generous

and hosting this GiveAway!!

She is fabulous!

Without further chit chat, I announce our Premier Designs Winner...

Stephanie - All Things Beautiful!!!!

Congratulations!!!!!!

Didn't have time for pics this morning before church!

The husband drew for me!

Thank you all again!

Saturday Morning GiveAway!!! Woohoo!!

2011-09-10T10:32:00.005-05:00

I am so excited to announce todays GiveAway!!!!

My sweet friend Tabitha was so kind and is hosting this

awesome GiveAway!!

PREMIER DESIGNS JEWELRY!!!

And the beautiful piece she so generously is giving away:

Premier Designs Botanical Necklace

Sells for $27

You can visit her website here:

Premier Designs Jeweler-Tabitha Puckett

Tabitha can help you find the perfect pieces that you'll cherish for a long time to come.

If you contact her she'd be glad to help you find out how you can get free Jewelry!

Rules for this GiveAway are:

We shall keep it as simple as possible.

We are looking for new friends to meet and share

our crazy stories with.

So all you have to do is comment below and tell us if you've

ever purchased from Premier Designs before??

And be sure to share the site with your friends.

If they come and comment and mention your name, you

will be entered into the drawing everytime someone mentions your name.

So be sure you share your name so we may contact you if you are the WINNER!

If you feel led, click on follow this blog to stay tuned!

We will try to have regular giveaways and amusement along the way!

So let's get this started! Comment away!

OH and we conclude this GiveAway Sunday morning at 8AM.

If you are having trouble commenting here, try using the name
and URL option. I for some reason can not comment on
other blogs either. What a pain! You can also go to my Facebook
and let me know you can't comment! I will enter you
from there!
Facebook - Patty Jo

Another fun post to come!

2011-09-10T00:06:00.001-05:00

So excited to announce we have two GiveAways lined up for the blog!! A little hint.......????
LOL One will be Jewelry! ewww, ahhhh!!

The other..... Make-Up!!! ewww, ahhhh!!

So stay tuned!

Will unveil one tomorrow morning!!!!

Furniture Makeover!

2011-09-04T20:50:00.001-05:00

Look at this pretty little thing! I kind of wondered how old it is. It doesn't

appear to be very old but I've never seen anything like it before.

I decided to look for a piece at the local thrift shop. Found this and

actually left the store without it. But after some longing to find the piece I

so badly wanted I went back and got it.

It will go under the window in my daughters room. I plan to make a seat for the top.

She was with me when I found it and I could tell she just didn't

have the vision I have for seeing what it could be. haha

I thought I'd share. I love to take something not so pretty and make something wonderful

from it.

It is a child's chest. I loved the chess/checkers game top.

I had started to sand it already when I decided to take some photos.

Caitlin's room has Teal, Black and White in it. She was very particular

when she chose the colors. So I decided this would look great

black with a nice white/teal seat. I plan to buy some fabric and foam to make the seat with.

I think Caitlin was shocked when she saw it. She wasn't impressed when I bought it.

haha I will share more pics when I get the materials for the seat.

I can't wait!

Face Lift

2011-09-03T00:58:00.000-05:00

Patty Jo has received a FACE LIFT!! I am so excited!! My awesome artist husband has created that awesome blog header. He drew the image and then finished the creation in Adobe Illustrator. I am so stoked! haha I think it's funny as can be and I just love it!

Comment and let us know whatcha think!

Have a fabulous Labor Day weekend!

Paying It Forward - More fun!

2011-08-31T21:22:00.001-05:00

I was on a friend's blog. She is another very creative gal! Well I found a post about Paying It Forward!

I believe it's a service that I was meant to do!

So i've decided to participate and share something with a few of you!

As is the tradition with Pay It Forwards, it is now my turn, so here is how it works.

1. I will make a little something for the first 3 people who comment on this post. It will be a surprise and it will arrive when you least expect it.

2. I will have 365 days to do it in. What's the catch? To get a handmade present from me, you have to play too! This means YOU pledge to send a little handmade something for 3 readers of your blog. It doesn't have to be quilty - just handmade! **I do not intend to make you wait a year, :) but give me a bit since I am running this school house, laundry mat, restaurant, taxi service, hugging service, bed and breakfast, you get the idea, lol.

3. You must have a blog.

4. Once you comment here, you must post about your Pay It Forward on your blog to keep the fun going - with the Pay It Forward badge.

Please, please, please...do not be one of the first three commenters and be a no-reply blogger...meaning I can't email you and can't get details on how to mail my package to you. I'll just move onto the next comment. Also, if your blog isn't linked with your post, please give me the web address in your comment, so I can visit you and see your Pay it Forward post!

Let the fun begin!!!

Our Valley in my own words

2011-08-31T20:23:00.002-05:00

WoW! Day one of "FUN" school is over now. It's back to rules and regulations. Some are not happy and some are tolerant. lol It's all part of it, right?

The topic of "Anxiety" I'm sure can bring up many thoughts for each of us. I for one can think of many! haha I have held back from posting anything publicly about our middle son's anxiety he suffers from. But for my own therapy and maybe to meet others that share my same emotional concerns I am going to share.

Gabriel is so sweet and loving. He loves the Lord and fears many. Last school year we discovered some things. I feel the Lord allowed me to be in the right place, at the right moment so I could see it. In the pursuit to get answers and help so many things have come to light. I can see how since he was two years old these issues have been present.

So long story short he suffers with severe anxiety. Some days I feel like I could curl up and cry for him all day. There isn't a worse feeling than knowing something is going on in your child's mind and they are suffering but there is nothing you can do to make it go away. There are also times he is out of this world comical. He is being referred to a Neuro-Psych for further evaluation. The catch, not until the end of January. But in the mean time he see's a therapist weekly to help him learn to work with his anxiety.

You know we never have a clue what the Lord might have for us. I know the Lord has a plan and He won't give us more than we can handle. I know Gabriel and all our children are designed just the way God wanted them! I am assured everything is going according to His plan.

I am asking my praying friends to lift us up in prayer! I know there are so many suffering from so much worse. But this is my current valley. I will gladly add you to my prayer list. You can either comment below or shoot an email to patfidlerphotography@yahoo.com

God Bless! Psalm 116:1-2 Romans 8:28

Thank you!!

2011-08-31T19:54:00.001-05:00

I jsut wanted to take a quick moment to acknowledge those of you that participated! I love GiveAways! So I hope to be able to offer them often. Even if I have to creat something! ha

So THANK YOU for being a part of Patty Jo's rantings!

Contest WINNER!!!!

2011-08-31T13:06:00.000-05:00

Well I am a little behind. I was involved in school and then lunch! OOPS!

Thank you for your patience!

Here is how we came to our decision:

All names were written (more than once if you had a friend post)

and folded, placed in hat! Literally! lol

Caitlin was our picker! :)

And the WINNER is:

And if you can't read it, it says

KELLY WALDREP!!

Yay!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!

Go on over to www.lillyannakids.com/

and make your selections! I'll get you some contact info!

Thank you everyone that participated!! We will be doing another GiveAway real soon!

So be sure to come back often!

Patty Jo's 1st GiveAway!!!!! LillyAnnaKids

2011-08-29T22:31:00.003-05:00

We have our first GiveAway to annouce!!! I am so unbelievably excited. I love to Give things away!!! It feels so good. :)

I am proud to annouce that my dear Photographer/Children's Boutique Clothing Designer Friend Misty will be hosting this GiveAway! Her designs are fabulous!!!

So tonights item is: $20 Gift Certificate to spend at www.lillyannakids.com

*No cash value. Can only be redeemed at LillyAnnaKids.

Be sure to contact Misty through her site to redeem Gift Certificate.

She has the most fabulous pieces.

To enter to GiveAway drawing you must be 18yrs. of age.

1st : Leave a comment below stating your name!!

(preferably first and last if you want to win)

2nd: Tell your friends and share the link to this blog so they can comment for a chance to win. And guess what? Make sure your friends post your name (first and last) in their comment.

As for every friend that you refer,

you will be entered into the drawing again.

(so if you and 10 friends comment and they post your name too,

your name will be entered 11 times)

Contest will end:

Wednesday 8-31-11 at 12 noon.

Winner will be posted here and on Facebook!

So be sure to keep up with our posts!

Yay! Can't wait to see who will be our first GiveAway WINNER!

Happy Commenting!!

By the way, you can click the Facebook icon below and share this to your Facebook! ;)

Sunday afternoons

2011-08-28T16:57:00.000-05:00

I just love Sunday afternoons! So there I said it. LOL

Wow, I feel so much better just telling you that. ha

Anyway, sorry for the delay in my rantings. We had a hectic week getting into the homeschool groove. We are using a Virtual School online for my oldest child and it's a lot of phone work. But hopefully things are beginning to work and we'll be on our merry way.

Poor Gabriel began to feel ill on Thursday morning while me and Cate were on the phone with the teacher. He battles nausea quite a bit so I just let him sit in the reliner off to the side. He was curled up moaning and saying he was hurting. I just figured he was exagerating for a little attention and I was stuck on this phone call. I could just see Caitlin's face if I left her to deal with the teacher. ha Anyway, within minutes he proved he was really hurting and sick. All over the floor and rug. Yikes! I whisked him into the bathroom and it was awful! The teacher unbenounced to her just kept talking away. I finally realized I could mute my phone so I could speak to Gabriel. It was the most ridiculous scene. You know how you look back and think, I should have..., or I could have..., haha.

Anyway, thank goodness he is better and no one else suffered quite so badly. He had a scare at church this morning but we left and he is better. Thank goodness!

Hoping to have my first Giveaway lined up by tomorrow! Who knew it would be so much work! LOL

Happy Sunday! See ya tomorrow!

Giveaways are right around the corner.

2011-08-26T15:37:00.000-05:00

It is taking me a little time to put together a few giveaways. Who knew how muc work is involved! LOL I am so excited though! I will start off with a few of my FAVORITE things! Which I will be posting in the sidebar area. We will do this several ways. Winners will be picked by random number or by getting the right answer to my question first. Of course I will disclose what the contest rules are with each giveaway!

Be watching! I want to get the first giveaway up and going within a day or so! Can't wait!

Tutorial for a child's Tank

2011-08-26T13:39:00.000-05:00

This sweet and fabulous photographer friend of mine is so creative. She has a clothing line for kids too!

Here is a link to her tutorial for a Tank top! It's to die for cute and easy!!!

Misty Davis drab2fab-t-2-tank-tutorial

You have to see it! I'll share a link to her clothing boutique as well!

LillyAnna Kids

1st Day of SCHOOL!!! FUN!!

2011-08-22T15:00:00.000-05:00

Wow! We've been busy today! Wish everyday was this much fun! lol We had Chocolate Chip Pancakes for breakfast! YUMMY!

Then we made our "Time Capsules!!" That was fun!! We made them using plastic accordian file holders. We had stickers, permanent markers and paint pens to decorate them. I am so frugal most of the time that is so we found old scrapbook stickers to decorate with. ha Then for the "Time Capsule" we drew a self portrait, traced our hands and feet and wrote a list of favorites. At the end of the school year we will compare them by doing this activity all over again except redocorating the file folder. And we will see ow much we've grown and changed. Can't wait! Here are some pics of the kids making them!

Then we took pics outside on the porch of them and their finished projects!

That up there is Gabe, he is a hoot!

More funny faces:

Aren't they cute???

Ok, so it's off to the school work! NOT, haha

Look at little Levi under her desk! He loves her! He is so happy we put rugs under there so he can cuddle while she works!!

(excuse the weird rug protruding into her PINK space. I have corrected that!)

Above he tries to appear as if he's ready to work!

Below I'm not sure what he's doing! But it's entertaining to say the least!

Ok so it's off to make those "BACK TO SCHOOL" treats!!

These are Peanut Butter Cup cookies! DELISH!!

After mixing the ingredients per the recipe you use a scoop to drop them into

a mini muffin pan.

These are right out of the oven hot! You have to be ready!

The cups are to be unwrapped before you bake.

As soon as the cookies come out of the oven. You place the cup on top and push them down into the cookie! Don't be scared! Push them far enough so they don't melt out and over the edge of the cookie.

All ready to go. Just resting in the pan so they don't break when I remove them to a cooling rack!

Close up! They are sooooo good!

Inside! Delicious!

The kids love them!!

So I figure it's not nice to tempt you without a recipe so here it is:

Peanut-butter-cup-cookies

Hope you all had great 1st days!! We had a pretty good one. It'll take a little time for me to adjust our routine and get everyone in gear. I wish I could say we just pop out of bed and are in back to school mode but it just isn't true. Especially when you're at home. I mean it's home and kids want to play and play and play here. haha

Have a great day!

Bear with me

2011-08-21T23:57:00.000-05:00

I am wrecking havoc on my blog trying to get it ""PRETTY". I am terrible at this! haha Hope to have the mess cleared up asap! See ya tomorrow!

Giveaways!

2011-08-21T14:52:00.000-05:00

I love "Giveaways" It's so fun! And who doesn't love giving something away! ha

So I would love to start doing them monthly! But we need followers to give away to. I see I have only two hand fulls that have actually tackled the "Follow Me" button and I am so thankful you even bother to read my nonsense! LOL

So I plan to very soon unveil my new monthly giveaway blog day! And we will play games, have drawings, and so forth to win them! Can't wait! So keep in touch!

By the way, here's my garden on my front porch. I am so excited that they are still alive. I do not have a green thumb. But keeping these in my face on my front porch has helped me to keep them watered and loved on. Still learning though. My poor tomato plant has had limbs fall over and break off with tomatos growing on them. SAD! So I hope to do better next year. But anyway here are a few pics. They are producing and I am so Happy!!

Sunday Afternoon

2011-08-21T14:38:00.000-05:00

Great morning worshipping the Lord. I am so thankful for a great church God has given us to be a part of and fellowship with. Our Pastor "TJ" is a great teacher and leader for our church. And I am so excited to have made friends with his precious wife. Our daughters are great friends and the families there are just like you've known them all along. Ain't God amazing!!! (Ignore the ain't, I like to use it)

I want to point out that sometimes it seems so hard to make new friends and you can feel lonely here in this world. But God is so good and if we're patient He'll send the friends we need. So thank you Lord for the new friends you've allowed me to meet. :)

So to change the subject. I do this alot, change the subject. I am capable of changing the subject quite a bit in just a few minutes time. So bear with me here.

Anyway, I am excited about starting school tomorrow. Now I know a lot of people are because their children will be leaving the house and the break is much needed. But just a reminder, I homeschool, and I'm STILL excited. I know it sounds crazy but I can't wait to do Art and create posters and Art and have snack time and ... Oh wait a minute, that's not it. haha I can't wait for us to spend time together learning all about God's creation and using the abilities He has given us to glorify Him! There is something so special about being a part of this time. Some of my children would rather continue on in our summer activities and forget about SCHOOL! ha But my youngest is ready. He loves to learn still. I am hoping he will still enjoy it even when it gets hard. He is a 3rd grader so he is just starting some of the harder work. We shall see.

I have some fun things planned for tomorrow. Fun Breakfast, Warm yummy cookies for after school. And hoping to do at least something in Art! I have found so many really cool things to do. But I know for sure we'll be making a Time Capsule so we can see just how much we've grown and changed by the end of this school yr. So tomorrow should be a great day for some photo ops. Will definitely share!

Pray for us as we embark on another year! And I will lift your families up in prayer as you go about your day as well!

Chicken Florentine Puffs with Red Pepper Cream

2011-08-18T20:56:00.000-05:00

To die for! Well not really but definitely worth the trouble! And actually after the first trial and error lesson of making this recipe it should be really easy. Just some thinking ahead!

I took a few pics. Nothing special. I don't have my fabulous camera anymore, sad! I will eventually work something out so I can take some much better photos of my up and coming new recipe trials! :)

Here is the link to the recipe and some of my photos!

TastyKitchen - Chicken-florentine-puffs-with-red-pepper-cream

This is after I have worked the ingredients together and have my pastry rolled out on wax paper. I used too little flour and had difficulty removing the pastry from the wax paper. Note for next time!

I cut the pastry into six sections instead of four. The pastry was plenty think and gave me more individual pastries. (See how much spinach there is. I will reduce this amount by half next time)

Then fold the pastry over into triangles! And place on parchment paper in the baking pans.

Using a fork pinch the edges together. Mine were not perfect or even pretty. LOL But in the end they look fabulous! ;)

Brush the pastry with the egg/water mixture. I don't own a brush. I don't think they are sanitary. haha So I use a clean paper towel fold and gently dip and brush with it.

Sprinkle the Italian Seasoning and pepper on top! They already are looking delish!

Pop the two trays of pastries into the oven at 400 for about 18 mins. Then get your pot and start your sauce. YUMMY!! Fresh basil from my very own garden on my porch!

Here's a peack into the oven! Mouth is watering!! They came out great! I was so thrilled!

Here's a photo of the finished product with the cream sauce on top! Ready to devour!!

I will definitel add this to my staples of monthly dises. Hope you can enjoy as well!

Life is so precious

2011-08-18T14:09:00.000-05:00

When I can get some time to meditate and think about life without all the hussle I am reminded of just how thankful we should be for even a moment with our loved ones. Even when we feel everything is crashing around us and the children seem to be on every nerve. You just never know when your time will be cut short.

I met a new friend recently. I won't share any details that might reveal their identity. But we have had te cance to start to get to know one another and chat about our kids. She has a precious son and younger daughter. In our conversation we talked about the kids and their returning to school and so forth. As the conversation developed she shared with me that her son has Bone Cancer. I immediately wanted to cry. He does his best to keep as active as possible so it would be real difficult to know. She said he had been fighting it for 5 yrs. It's a fatal cancer. Not a good prognosis. Neuroblastoma to be exact. He is on special treatments. Originally they didn't expect him to make it more than 6 months. He is a fighter! Bless his heart!

Sitting there watching our children my mind took off thinking about the little things we take for granted. How I let small things get under my skin and when I allow myself to be too tired to go out of my way to make them feel extra special! I just wanted to run to him and my children and give them the longest, biggest hug and never let go. I hope from this day forward I can make it my goal everyday to hug them a little more and a little longer. Make memories we'll never forget!

I will be praying for my new friend and her family. I pray we all will look at each other with a little more compassion and love. We never know what someone may be going through.

God has a plan for each of us. His love is greater than any other! I'd like to share that below:

I am asking you the most important question of life. Your joy or your sorrow for all eternity depends upon your answer. The question is: Are you saved? It is not a question of how good you are, nor if you are a church member, but are you saved? Are you sure you will go to Heaven when you die?
God says in order to go to Heaven, you must be born again. In John 3:7, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again.”

In the Bible God gives us the plan of how to be born again which means to be saved. His plan is simple! You can be saved today. How?

First, my friend, you must realize you are a sinner. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Because you are a sinner, you are condemned to death. “For the wages [payment] of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This includes eternal separation from God in Hell.

“ . . . it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

But God loved you so much He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear your sin and die in your place. “ . . . He hath made Him [Jesus, Who knew no sin] to be sin for us . . . that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus had to shed His blood and die. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Lev. 17:11). “ . . . without shedding of blood is no remission [pardon]” (Hebrews 9:22).

“ . . . God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Although we cannot understand how, God said my sins and your sins were laid upon Jesus and He died in our place. He became our substitute. It is true. God cannot lie.

My friend, “God . . . commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). This repentance is a change of mind that agrees with God that one is a sinner, and also agrees with what Jesus did for us on the Cross.

In Acts 16:30-31, the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas: “ . . . ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved . . . .’ ”

Simply believe on Him as the one who bore your sin, died in your place, was buried, and whom God resurrected. His resurrection powerfully assures that the believer can claim everlasting life when Jesus is received as Savior.

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).

Whosoever includes you. Shall be saved means not maybe, nor can, but shall be saved.

Surely, you realize you are a sinner. Right now, wherever you are, repenting, lift your heart to God in prayer.

In Luke 18:13, the sinner prayed: “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Just pray: “Oh God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus was my substitute when He died on the Cross. I believe His shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection were for me. I now receive Him as my Savior. I thank You for the forgiveness of my sins, the gift of salvation and everlasting life, because of Your merciful grace. Amen.”

Just take God at His word and claim His salvation by faith. Believe, and you will be saved. No church, no lodge, no good works can save you. Remember, God does the saving. All of it!

God’s simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner. Therefore, unless you believe on Jesus Who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. If you believe on Him as your crucified, buried, and risen Savior, you receive forgiveness for all of your sins and His gift of eternal salvation by faith.

You say, “Surely, it cannot be that simple.” Yes, that simple! It is scriptural. It is God’s plan. My friend, believe on Jesus and receive Him as Savior today.

If His plan is not perfectly clear, read this tract over and over, without laying it down, until you understand it. Your soul is worth more than all the world.

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

Shared from http://www.godssimpleplan.org/gsps-english.html

Encouragement

2011-08-18T09:39:00.000-05:00

I am so thankful for a God that has given us a handbook and not only does it tell us the things we should stay away from it gives us "encouragement". HOPE!!! I can't say it enough! I am so thankful!!!!

I have to admit I am weak. When I read about Job in the Bible I think "wow, what a strong man!" I will then think, "could I be that strong?" I seem to see myself being Job's wife. But I would never curse God and die. Or in the way that I believe the text means. I might be off. But I do get weak and allow worry and fear in. God says He has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind! I am "encouraged." See even when I get weak God had a verse to remind me of His POWER!! I may be weak but He has the POWER over all and if I put my Faith in Him and trust Him, I can make it through the valley!

Here are a few verses I am holding to today:

“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22).

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works"
2 Timothy 3:16-17

Levi

2011-07-28T16:45:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd share a few pics of our cat! Oops I mean dog. But he acts like a cat. Seriously. He doesn't "meow" but HE decides when and if you can pet him. He's hilarious! We love him deeply. And are truly thankful for his lack of contribution to our need to pet him. LOL

Ok so he was just groomed today and his face is already dirty. He's a mess!!

Not sure what he's planning in the above photo but he's mysterious! ha

Yes, I am in charge can you tell?

I am still not used to a point and shoot camera. It's killing me. Sometimes it flashes sometimes it doesn't. ugh But anyway that's Levi being Levi. "No you can't take my picture"!

"You talking to me?"

Well that's my share for the day! He's a spoiled mess!

Levi - Shih tzu ( or something of that nature in Cat language)

Green Beans

2011-07-28T16:35:00.000-05:00

I love Green Beans. One of my all time favorite veggies. My son doesn't share that love. hehe He prefers to smother them with an alternate flavoring so he can manage to get them down. Here is his way of tolerating green beans at dinner time.

These are actually Snap Beans (FAVORITE) LOL. I think they even taste better than the average green bean but not Gabriel. Ranch is the only solution! :)

Here is the entire meal:

Tailgate Potato Salad is another favorite dish in the Fidler house.

I baked/broiled the BBQ chicken this time and still used the skewers because it's fun and

saves the messy fingers.

I've been drinking Sxinney Water!

2011-07-28T08:22:00.000-05:00

I've tried this new Sxinney Water. I am still drinking it daily. I actually like it. Nice and refreshing. I am still struggling with foods. I just like food. And FAT FREE just turns my stomach! LOL

I added a link to the right for Lose It it is a great site! It helps you count your daily calories so you can see exactly how much you are eating daily. I really like it. Helps me to see when I am eating too much and realize what types of foods I am ingesting daily.

Anyway, I continue this feat of weight loss and hope to be able to share some good news in the near future!

Pardon me while I scream!

2011-07-27T13:36:00.000-05:00

hahaha I have been having issues with Blogger for quite some time. I am unable to make comments on blogs or even my own for that matter. I even did a search for help and found info telling me to clean my cache. I've done so. NOTHING So I apologize I haven't responded to your comments and hopefully I will eventually prevail over this thing!

LOL

Hopeless! ROFL Don't you just love these titles!

2011-07-25T13:04:00.000-05:00

I implemented this idea of "Allowance" to our children. I was trying to find a way for them to learn to give, save and save to spend money. A way to learn how it feels to do all three of these. We don't completely have a understanding about money until it is our own that we are using.

So I had this excellent idea that they could earn it in a sense. I mean do the chores anyway but here's an incentive if you do them without complaint and you'll have a way to save for the things you feel you just have to have. Instead of asking for "mom" and "dad" to buy them. Oh I was sure this would motivate and I wouldn't be worried with regular asking about "can you buy me this". Well, let's just say it didn't wuite turn out that way. LOL

I am WEAK!!! And I am unorganized!! So I failed and they did too. Everyday is a learning lesson, right?! :)

I allowed myself to let them fail and then I didn't follow thru with the rules. So as of today, not more WEAKNESS!! I have you all to back me on this! haha If they didn't earn and save it then they don't get it!!!!! Now that doesn't mean if we decide to get the kids something then so be it. But not feeling bad and getting things they don't need or didn't care to wait for. When I ask them if they'd saved and bought the item with their own money the story changes. For instance: if I had known that was coming out of my money I wouldn't have bought it. Oh, now they see how it feels to use their own money! ha

So anyway, I am hoping I have learned from my mistakes and we'll all be better for it. (I didn't share all the details here but please know I don't buy tons of things for my kids.)

A few teaser's before the preview. hehe

2011-07-22T11:54:00.000-05:00

Above: Don't ask how I ever made it as a photographer. haha I mean that's some serious crooked shooting! hehe Anyway, this will be Gabriel's desk. He loves green! The book shelf appearing the to right will be Caitlin's. That is why everything is PINK!

Below: Gabriel is enjoying our wireless Internet. I set up a desk and comfy chair for me to workat as needed. Lovely window view! :)

Below:

Partial Room view. We already had the rugs in their rooms before we moved and they match wonderfully. I mean how God sent is that! :)

This is our Florida/Sunroom. Window A/C. I am so thankful for the space!! Lots of windows!

Wish I had it in me to paint. But my back is killing me! bummer

Below: This is Gavin's corner. He likes the corner. lol He loves BLUE! He is studying America this yr so a United States map is perfect! I am still working on other possibilities for necessary charts and so forth!

Below: Caitlin's desk arrived damaged so we had to return and order another. Hopefully coming today!!! I am just as excited as she is, haha. Our bedroom window is unfortunately behind this bookshelf and map. But small sacrifices are necessary! :)

So this is my project of the month. Hoping to have a crisp, fun environment for school this yr. When the set up is easy it makes for an easier school yr. Not shuffling everything off the dining room table for every meal and not one is secluded to their room.

I'll share more as it blossom's! :)

Homeschooling

2011-07-22T10:36:00.000-05:00

Well it's that time again when we have to make that desision about homeschooling or going to school somewhere out of the home. This is something I have struggled with just over the past two school yrs. I am constantly given advice from many well meaning people I'm sure but only to add the the frustration of making the decision. Is that a run on sentence? ha

So after much deliberation we have decided homeschooling it is for our family. We have spent 6 yrs homeschooling prior to last yr when we placed our young'ns in a local Christian school. And about half way through the yr I withdrew them. It became an unpleasant experience. Sadly I had hoped it would be wonderful and the children would absolutly love it. We will leave that right there.

Anyhow, with lots of prayer we choose homeschooling for now. God's made it possible and we are excited to have a space available for it as well. Will share pics soon! I have a few details to add. Hopefully as the room grows with excitement (artwork and so forth), I'll be able to share more. I am just so excited to get to spend more time with my children. They are the loves of my life (and of course my fabulous husband), and I can't wait to watch them learn and grow more everyday.

One thing I did want to address about homeschooling is I've been more and more influenced that my homeschooled children are suffering in some way by not being allowed to attend to school. I am so estactic that I have finally gained consciousness and can assure anyone concerned that my children will be just fine in life and will suffer no permanent damage from being homeschooled. Just saying. More to come from that later too! ha

So as we set out in our endeavor to homeschool I'll be journaling here, sharing what our strange homeschool world is all about! :)

Again, It's been tooooo long!

2011-03-21T13:41:00.000-05:00

I get in this phase where I just don't have much to say. haha I suppose that's why I've never been a writer! Not to mention the lack of correct Grammar that I have troule with. :)

But I love to talk don't get me wrong. LOL I know those that know me can even hear me talking as they read this. Which is so strange because as a child I was shy for the most part. Well not as shy as my children can be. haha See I just ramble.

So excited about this awesome weather we have been blessed with. It's Spring Break for us this week and it's the most excellent beach weather. We enjoyed soaking up some sun and fun yesterday. Just beautiful!!

You know they say things happen in three's. I for instance am constantly in some sort of disarray. Something's breaking or something's not happening the way I had hoped. Imagine that! I suppose we all have our issues but they seem to come at me ona regular basis. I am guessing it's because of the way I handle it. It's like I need to LEARN how to manage catastrophy. I'm more of the "freak out" immediately and then calm as time passes. haha I am getting better though. Or so I think. :) So anyway, the dryer tried me this week. I put a load in and when I came back to it with another load it was still wet. I assumed I had mistakenly forgot to turn it on but I could almost see myself turning it on. Oh well, so I turn it on. I come back later to find the clothes NOT dry again!! EEEEEKKKK!!! hahaha This is where panic sets in. WHAT, I can't wash anything and have so much going on. Needless to say it's been a very difficult and busy few days without being able to wash clothes for 5 people. But low and behold we found it wash a small part that could be simply replaced but had to wait till today for the appliance store to be open! And bam it WORKS!! Hallelujah!! But now I have DAYS worth of laundry to do. This could take WEEKS!!! LOL See how I PANIC!! Oh well, thank goodness for a dryer!

So I am off to wash ALL those clothes! Hoping I don't get buried alive in there somewhere! Hoping to have some funnies to share soon! I need to keep pen and paper available all the time to keep up with it all. These kids keep me cracking up all the time. Life is so crazy here but I LOVE IT!

Cake!

2011-02-16T09:41:00.000-06:00

http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/02/angry-birds-obession-continues.html

This is exactly the kind of truffles I made the other day but with a twist!! Yummy!

Weight Loss!

2011-02-15T21:57:00.000-06:00

Well I am stoked! I got myself a stationary bike tonight!!!! I want to lose weight so bad! And this is the first step along with changing eating habits!! I'm so excited!

So I am going to publicly share my weight loss to force myself to do this. I have a goal to run a 5k eventually. My weight loss goal is 50 lbs. in 6 months. I am trying to be realistic but am really praying I can accomplish this in a much shorter time. But it's going to take some serious hard work!!!

Pray for me!! :)

Breakfast, well brunch! haha

2011-02-14T10:39:00.000-06:00

Being sick at home can't stop me from trying to have a little fun! RIGHT?! ha So as I make pancakes for the kids this monring I decided to cut them into hearts so they could see I am thinking about them! Love these kids!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T09:14:00.000-06:00

We don't usually do anything for Valentine's Day. Maybe a chocolate favor for the kids and a smootch but big gifts and huge dinners, no. We just never bought into all the hype.

When I came in to check my email this morning I found this on my computer! Mr. Guitar is my wonderful husband and does sweet little things like this to make my day! So I want to give a shout out for him today! Love you!!!!!!!!

BOOO! Sick still!

2011-02-13T10:37:00.001-06:00

Well myself and Caitlin are stuck at home trying to get over the illness that has taken over our family. I thought for sure all that Vitamin C was going to keep me WELL! Well... I am sick anyway! haha

I'd really love for some warm fresh air to pass through, PERMANENTLY!!! hahaha That's not asking too much is it??

I suppose shopping for Gavin is out! I was so looking forward to getting out and inhaling some fresh AIR! But with a stuffy nose you really can't enjoy breathing. Such a shame.

Until next time...

Dinner!

2011-02-11T22:10:00.000-06:00

This was dinner tonight. I don't have a name for it. I guess it's somewhere in the beans over rice category! LOL Mr. Guitar always cracks me up when he gets home and asks "is this something you made up?" And I always respond "what is that suppose to mean?" hahaha I have made some lousy "made up" concoctions in my day but this one I am working very closely on to perfect the way I like it to taste.

I used to just buy Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage and then realized that it's more of a grilled on a bun kind of sausage. I've tried almost every kind available trying to find that just right taste. I really like this brand I bought this time. "Connecuh" It has just the right amount of spice and so much flavor!! I made Jasmine Rice, MY FAVORITE!!

So basically this is Purple Hull Peas, Cut Green Beans and Connecuh Sausage. I placed the peas in the pot with water and boullion (chicken flaored). I use a skillet with a little Olive Oil to pan fry the Green Beans. The toss them in with the peas later. I had lightly grilled the sausage last night while I was grilling steak. I tend to do that when I grill to make the most of my charcoal use. haha Anyway, then I cut the sausage and add it to the pot. I cook it over low-medium heat until te peas are tender and the sausage flavor as entered all the vegetables. I use very little salt and some blended spices to season the green beans when I pan fry them. The sausage has so much flavor and spice you really don't need much more.

Mr. Guitar was happy with the outcome and so was I! ;)

TRUFFLES!

2011-02-11T15:54:00.001-06:00

The chocolate being melted!!

The final product!!

Next time I will definitely try the white chocolate for dipping. I used semi-sweet, mini chips and a piece of Hershey Bar we had left over. It seemed to be too thick to dip in. But overall they look yummy. I am waiting for the to harden some so I can pop a stick in them and wrap them for V-Day! The kids will love them!

More pics of truffles in the making!

2011-02-11T15:10:00.000-06:00

I just had to share the lovely things the boys get and like to use my kitchenware for:

I broke the cake into pieces into a large bowl:

I mixed the icing with my hand into the cake. I only had white icing so I added cocoa powder to it to make it a tint of brown.

Gooey, sticky cake calls! haha

In the freezer they go while the chocolate is being heated!!

More to come...

My "attempt" at Cake Truffles!

2011-02-11T14:06:00.000-06:00

I am not feeling well but I have to be bed ridden to keep me down. So here I am in the kitchen after lunch trying to manage to make some of the truffles I so recently discovered! I can't wait to try them and get some strawberry cake to make some PINK ones. hehe Anyway, here are my start of many images in the making process:

Disclaimer: Don't judge my homeschool books in the background and my filthy stove I just realized I had! hahahaha

More to come...

Some crazy pics!

2011-02-11T12:46:00.000-06:00

We were having entirely too much fun with my Dad's laptop camera. haha

A lot of time has past!

2011-02-11T11:26:00.001-06:00

Wow! Time really does fly doesn't it? hehe

I've been quite the busy Mom and things have changed drastically. But it's all good and God is great!!

We are now back to homeschooling! And I am so glad! What a rollercoaster we've been on but no regrets! Everything comes together and makes us better for it. SO I am so thankful for each and every experience life hands me.

Unfortunately we are sick. But it'll come to an end too! LOL Thank goodness!

I am so excited that I'll have more time to blog about the craziness of life as we live it. And hopefully share some pics to go along with it.

Hope all of you are doing well, miss you greatly!

It's been a while!

2010-09-12T14:34:00.000-05:00

I haven't blogged in quite some time. I spent a long period of this year going over my life. Even to the point of not knowing just where God wanted me to be and what He wanted me doing. I'll admit I at times felt sorry for myself. Ridiculous, right? Well life can sometimes get tough and we all deal with it in our own ways. I try to so hard implement God's word to live by but I'll admit again that it can seem so easy until I am smack dab in the middle of crisis. I'm working on that!

I have closed my photography business. Now I am full time assistant teaching at Rocky Bayou Christian School. It's been a huge eye opener. Children don't learn in a cookie cutter way. We all grasp things differently. I myself, am very different, as those of you who know me all to well already know! LOL But I am loving every minute of it. I get to teach second grade math and have a small third grade reading group. I find myself falling for each of them. I could take them all home and care for them as if they were my own! It's an incredible experience. I do miss being with my own every second of the day but we are overcoming those obstacles. I get to see them throughout the day so that helps!

We as a family have been through so many changes this year. We left the church we attended for over 10 yrs. That in itself was a HUGE change. Then we decided to for go homeschooling and enroll the kids in Christian School. We also visited many churches in search of the place God wanted us to worship Him! So there have been a lot of new roads and it's not always been sundaes with cherries on top. But God is good and we have pulled through. I am thankful for the Lord's work in my life. It's only through Him that I have made it through all of the years trials!

So as a whole we are still fine tuning our day to day activities. haha Meaning, we are working through the hard times and being thankful for the GREAT times! I can't wait to get back to blogging. I hear some of the funniest stories and so forth from kids at school. I will share and leave the names out of course. For instance I had a child tell me that my upper arms (you know, that flabby part) reminded him of his grandmothers! LOL Now that is a real esteem killer but I didn't let that get me down! haha I told him that must mean I am the sweetest person he has ever met! The entire clas laughed and I can't wait to see what he says next! hahahahahaha

Well I'm off to find myself some more good stuff to get into! Hope you're having a great Sunday afternoon! Be sure to check back! I'll be sure to have something ridiculous to say!

hahaha

2010-04-22T08:40:00.000-05:00

With time, women gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, Good grief, look how smart I am! :-}

I received this wonderful news in the email this morning! I am so thrilled to know I am not fat because I'm lazy it's because I'm a "genius"!!! ROFL

Love Like Crazy!!!

2010-04-19T13:32:00.001-05:00

Love Like Crazy!!!
Be a Best Friend, Tell the truth, Overuse "I Love You", Go to work, Do your BEST, Don't outsmart your common sense, Don't ever let your Prayin' knees get Lazy, And Love Like Crazy!!!

Stole this from a sweet friends blog! Love it!

It's been so long, where to start?

2010-04-12T08:51:00.000-05:00

Spring has Sprung and we are in earthly heaven. LOL We love Spring, except for all the nasty pollen and severe sneezing, headaches, stuffy noses, coughing, etc... Did I say we Love Spring. After that list you might wonder how that is possible? LOL I have thankfully discovered ZYRTEC. Several yrs ago I was very sick with unknown answers. I was sent to an Allergist after over a yr of tests and treatments. This wonderful God directed man put me on all kinds of Antihistamines and let me tell you, LIFE SAVER! My body did finally correct itself after moving from the residence that is believed to be the cause of my sickness. I praise God for deliverance! I have continued the Zytrec as I do have bad allergies and I take it faithfully twice a day during allergy season. SOooooo, for me I LOVE SPRING! ha But my poor children suffer greatly.

We have been enjoying every minute we can of the great outdoors. I love the sunshine and nice breeze. God is so good!

Caitlin learned to ride her bike without training wheels recently. I know what you're thinking? "She just learned at 11 yrs old?" Yes, we lived in the country and training wheels are the pits out there and she just told herself she couldn't ride without them. So it was something we just put off and now she can't stop riding. She would ride all day long if we let her. hehe I love to see her riding. Her face lights up with accomplishment. It's such a joy to see them learning and growing. Now for the boys. That's sure to be a task! hehe

We accumilated another dog. Her name is Sadie. She is a hoot. Her and Levi our Shiht Zu didn't hit it off right away. He wasn't happy about her at all. They have since made friends and play most of the day. I just love them both! Dogs can be such a pleasure added to your family. They can make you smile even in the worst of times. They love you unconditionally no matter what you look like when you wake up! ROFL

School is coming along. I think constantly about the last day! ha I know the kids do as well. We just want to have fun, is that so bad? :) I don't think I ever grew up in that area! We have testing (SAT) the next two days. They are not the least bit excited about it but it's required and I'm praying they'll do their best. It can be strenuous when you are not used to a classroom environment and complete strangers surround you. Last yr they left the answers blank that they didn't know, YIKES! I said "don't do that again!" GUESS! haha I mean better than leaving it blank! :)

Hoping to have some pics to share real soon! I've been so busy and time is of the essence these days! Hope all of you are well and enjoying these short Spring days. Summer is around the corner and we'll all be wishing for some Fall weather. heehee.

Valentine's Day!

2010-02-17T10:00:00.000-06:00

So I got this great idea to make some Valentine yummy pastry hearts from The Farm Chicks! blog. They were soooo good! Pardon my cell phone pics! I thought of it at the last second and had to share.

The Farm Chicks

2010-02-12T11:00:00.001-06:00

Have you heard of the site? I love it! Makes me want to run out and paint everything and make everything fresh and fun! ha

The Farm Chicks

If you haven't ever been to the blog - website be sure to check it out. It might brighten your day!

Off to go buy some oilcloth to refurbish the dinner table! :)

*** I can't understand why I can post a link here! Blogspot may just get the boot! ha

Yay, Blogspot survives, I figured it out! How silly!

woohoo

2010-02-06T01:02:00.000-06:00

where does the time go! I know, it goes by so fast you don't remember! LOL

Seriously when did my daughter get almost as tall as I am? And when did my baby boy start reading? And when did my quiet 9 yr old get so smart? Goodness, it seems it was just yesterday I couldn't believe I was even a Mom! ha

It's been the best having kids and watching them grow! I couldn't have asked for it any better. Sure there are rough spots but I love my family, they're the best!

A new day!

2009-12-11T00:55:00.000-06:00

Well I am apalled! Can you believe my Dad thinks I deserve all the nagging and punishment I get from my children! Imagine! I was an angel child. Never complained, always doing as I was told. Goodness, I told him the Bible says to love thy neighbor and how he shouldn't wish evil upon anyone. hahaha

We had a good laugh about it. I did say that I have it three fold in return so I guess it's a good enough pay back as far as he goes. hehe

I can see myself in everyone of my children and then I also notice Randy's personality in them as well. It's funny and scary to think about.

I mean can u imagine my children behaving like me. I have a lot to worry about. I have spent most of my life in the "live and learn mode". And it's been hard. The sad thing is I am aware of it and still struggle! Oh well.

Thank the Lord He is merciful and forgiving! I hope to be more like Him if I can!

It's been a while

2009-12-09T22:50:00.000-06:00

Well I've been super busy! We have been through some changes, some good and some not so good. But God is still on His throne and I am trying to trust Him and keep a smile on my face.

So here goes the last few months: We made a decision to move back to Niceville. The drive was killing us. So we found a house to rent that would allow us to keep our dogs and we are thankful for that. They are like our family/protectors and we can't imagine life without them. :) That's for you that lack in animal love. hahaha Kidding!

So we are now in Niceville. I am so happy to be so close to so many things. ha It's been a long three yrs living in the woods. It definitely had its good but I can't say I like it more than the city. I can visit and shop within minutes! I mean I don't know how I survived all this time. LOL It had a place in my life but I am thankful God allowed us to come back closer to Church and Randy's work.

I know you're saying, now where is all the humor in this? I don't have a clue other than the cleaning, loading and unloading, there really isn't much to share about the entire experience. hehe

But I promise to be sure to humiliate myself more often and share it here so we can all have a laugh or two. :)

I can share that we never had glass doors before now and our little Shitzu dog hasn't seen them before either. I bet you already guessed it... haha He ran right into them and it was pretty funny. I wonder if he'll be silly enough to do that again? And one day while I was away Randy was home and our lovely large dog named Lexi, decided to make an escape. She ran all over the place while, yeah, you guessed it, Randy was trailing right behind her. I can see him now, red in the face, angry and yelling for her to return "right now!". hahaha I'm so glad I wasn't here! hehe Poor guy! I never knew why dogs run off but she is one of the ones that just takes off at the slightest chance of freedom. Silly!

Hope you are having a great week and hope to have something more interesting to share very soon!

What a day it will be! Love this song!

2009-10-05T12:02:00.000-05:00

Things have been incredibly stressed lately! I wouldn't even dare to explain but trust me I don't think there has been a worse time. :( Boohoo!

So I have had a hard time finding something to share. I did go on the most spontaneous trip that I have ever taken! I haven't flown in an airplane since I was 2 yrs old. And that was only to get me back to the USA after being born in Germany to Air Force parents. haha

So I get the call about 4pm Friday about "how would you like to take a trip to Atlanta, GA.?". hahaha I was like "are you serious?". I mean I had thought at one point in my life I'd just stay on the ground! LOL Well I thought "what an experience that would be". I was to sit at home, which I don't mind as I don't get much just "Free time" with my family. It seems all work most of the time but this was a once in a lifetime event. I don't have the money to fly anywhere and no reason to either. ROFL

So that's just what we did, we flew from P'cola airport into Atlanta at 5:30am and accomplished our task at hand and then returned from Atlanta to P'cola at 7:30pm. All and all with no sleep! It was a histerical day! From yawning to laughing to almost crying. haha But I am so glad I got to go! Almost nothing as fun as getting together with a Best Friend and running off on an Airplane for a day trip! We took some hilarious photos! I will share below! Try not to laugh at how silly we were, hahaha Yeah right, laugh away!

Some of the images you'll just have to use your imagination! ROFL Others are just where we went and silliness!

Hope to have more of lifes craziness to share sooner than later! See ya next time!

Ok so maybe this isn't todays happenings! hehe

2009-09-24T09:09:00.000-05:00

I am so tired of not being able to control diet and lose weight. I actually feel like I am gaining weight! YIKES! I did some reading about my symptoms and am doing some self testing recommended. I just might have a Hypothyroid. So enough with the serious and on with the humor I intend to add to this dilemna! :)

I am considering spending thousands of dollars on BRACES!! LOL Doesn't this sound like the answer to my weight issue?? I mean I have watched these young people whither away from not being able to eat. So the way I see it, I should be a stick by this time next year if I can find a way to PAY for them! ROFL

I can see me now and then:

/O\
OOO
OOO
X

/0\
0
o
x

I mean it would be so worth it, RIGHT???

Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to share something way more meaningful before too long! :)

Well......

2009-09-21T21:49:00.000-05:00

I meant to keep up with this blog! I have the most ridiculous things happen from day to day as many of you may experience as well. Things have been a bit chaotic to say the least and I haven't been able to experience much fun to share! Boohoo! hehe

I do have to let you in on a little secret. My middle child is unable to keep secrets! ROFL He actually likes to repeat things you say but change them to what he interpreted you said. Or just say you said something that you might not have said. His latest attempt to mimic me was embarassing to say the least. After I corrected him that I had NOT said such a thing his exact words were: "well somebody said it"! LOL I can't get enough of that child. He is going to be a tell it like he thinks it is person! Gotta love them children. ha

And this is our little secret! Remember that from my initial comment! hehe
He wouldn't like it very much if he knew MOM were telling his secrets! So it's just between us, ok?! :)

Anyhow, that's all I got for tonight. But I plan to start making notes of my day so I can share. I believe I am at the beginning stages of Dementia. I can't remember much of anything anymore! It's been happening for a while but gotten really bad lately! Pray for me! LOL

Oh and doesn't he look like a sweet, innocent thing? :) He is, he is..

Where to start?? LOL

2009-08-20T10:52:00.000-05:00

I read a few blogs when time allows. I have a favorite! She is witty and smart. I laugh out loud as I sit and read. She lives a life "I" as a child would dream about. Living on a Ranch with horses and cattle. I am sure of it that it is a huge responsibility but to a child it's simply perfect! So I am dreaming as I sit here about how my simple acre is a huge farm! :) Like I really need something else to do. ha

I wanted to start this blog so I could share what's on my mind and days in the life of me. Some may think it's boring but I on the otherhand enjoy it. LOL Simple trips to Walmart can become hilarious disasters. I hope I can share pics to help tell my stories! I am a photo fanatic and love to see images as I read a story. So we shall see if I can implement them! :)

Hope you have as much fun reading about our day mishaps as I enjoy writing about them!

Hope you have the best day ever and will come back to see what could possibly be happening another day!