It's The Great PUMPKIN

Don't tell me.

I don't want to know.

To all you wonderful MOMS out there...

I am privileged to know so many of you!

I hope you felt appreciated, accepted, and

atoned today.

I heard {hands down} the 

B-E-S-T

 Mother's Day sermon

this morning from Rick Atchley.

For those of you who are running a race that you didn't train for, a race you never thought you'd never be running in, but yet it's a race you have found yourself in...

The Story of Ruth

is for you.

Hers' is no ordinary story, as Rick likes to say.

I would encourage you to take a few moments,  click on the link below and listen to his message of hope for the many Moms who have found themselves running a race they never intended.

The Story of Ruth #1

No Ordinary Story

My take away words...

there is nothing that's happened in my life that God cannot make the last chapter sweet.

It's Not About Me...or You.

I heard something last week that brought me back from the desert of non-blogging!

It is rare that I hear a celebrity say something that I think bears repeating much less agree with, but in a Max Lucado book entitled

It's Not About Me,

former NBA star David Robinson penned a poignant foreword.

I would like to share it with you...

"NBA championship teams have something

in common:

they play with one goal in mind. 

Each player contributes his own gifts and efforts so that the greater goal - winning -can be reached.  But players who

seek their own glory at the sacrifice of the team's glory drive the team away from success. 

So it is with life.

The goal is not our own glory. 

In fact trying to make life "all about us"

pushes happiness further out of reach.

Our society is not wired for this kind of thinking.  It's a "me-centric world out there,

which destroys much of what should be good.  Marriages are ruined because one or both partners are focused on their own happiness.  Successful men and women are ruined by their own success, believing they don't need anyone else's input. 

And for some, life's troubles are magnified because they believe life is all about them.

The Bible is full of men and women who struggled with "me-centric" thinking, so

our generation is not alone.  If we would learn from them, we could live in freedom.

We would be able to enjoy our successes without taking the credit, like Kind David.

We could bear up under troubles with confidence in God, like Job.  By letting go of

our own agendas and timetables, as Moses finally did, we would discover that God's

plans are mind-blowing!  In the end, a
"God-centric" lifestyle would free us to live life to the fullest.

May God free us all from "me-centric" living. 

All the glory is His!"

Thanks Mr. Robinson for not being ashamed to proclaim the gospel...
for it is truly, the only thing that sets us free.

Snow-a-palooza 2011

Pre Snowball Fight...

Post Snowball Fight...

Gracyn, on the other hand,

much preferred baking cookies indoors.

A little snow took her a long way!

Give her some butter, chocolate chips, and a mixer and she's good to go...

Looks like we may have more powder to look forward to next week...

I see snowman building, another massive snowball fight and whipping up a batch of snow cream in the near future!

If you are in need of a cookie fix, try these famous chewy chocolate chip creations

via one of Belton Besties

Amanda D :)

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

Cookies

2 1/4 C. All Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Salt

1 C. Real Butter, softened

1/4 C. White Sugar

3/4 C. Brown Sugar, firmly packed

1 small box Instant Vanilla Pudding

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Eggs

1 (12 oz.) pkg. Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 C. Old Fashioned Oats

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, pudding mix and vanilla extract; beat until creamy.  Beat in eggs.

In a small bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt.  Gradually add in flour mixture to wet ingredients, mixing in between additions. 

Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls {or use the medium sized pampered chef cookie scoop like I did} onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies



Farewell to 2010

This was definitely a year of change for us...

As we look forward to making good memories in the new year,

we hope that you will all join us!!!

S-I-X

SIX

Ways We Celebrated

Cade's SIXTH today...

1.  Sleeping in till 9:30 a.m.

{seriously, i had to go in and WAKE THE KID UP to sing Happy Birthday

 and tell him the story of the day he was born in North Carolina}

2.  Donut Shop for Breakfast

3.  Purchasing a turbo booster seat and

saying ADIOS to the Britax Regent

 {the farewell ride in the Regent}

4.  Bowling

{Cade won...BOTH games.  I'm not sure if this says more about his abilities or mine}

5.  Lunch at McDonalds + LOTS of

playtime

6.  Happy Birthday and Cupcakes!!!

Happy Birthday Buddy Bucks :)

You continue to surprise me with your

quick wit,

eagle eye,

and problem solving...

you are one sharp cookie!!

Always remember,

I love you more

Mommy

Rockin' My World This Week...

Picking a fortune cookie with a fortune that could have actually been written for me...

{blogger keeps flipping it sideways for some reason,

it's making me crazed that I cannot flip it back}

Wearing jeans to work...

every day this week!!!!

It's the little things peeps!

Starbucks Salted Carmel Hot Chocolate

Here's the basic run down: 

Hot chocolate with mocha sauce and toffee nut syrup, topped with sweetened whipped cream, a caramel drizzle and sprinkled with our sea salt and Hawaiian Turbinado sugar topping.

Ummmmm....YES PLEASE.

Your turn...

tell me what's rockin' your world this week!



Dinner Date

Time...

the one thing we cannot get more of.

This is never more true than when your children are young.

Every month brings it's own set of schedules, commitments, time lines, and holidays.

With all this in mind, I have tried to consciously make an effort each month to do something special with my kiddos once a month.  Taking them to dinner with just the three of us or taking them out individually to their place of choice. 

This month, I had the opportunity to have a diner "date night" with Cade.

I told him we could go anywhere he wanted for dinner! 

Out of all his choices, his first choice was Luby's {which are all CLOSED in this area} so we went to his second choice Cheddars!

As soon as we sat down in the booth together, he said

"Wow Mom, it's just you and me.  No Gracie or anybody...just us.

This is neat!"

We talked to each other about our day, our week, and our feelings.

It was a precious time for the two of us.

One that I look forward to repeating...SOON!

Cade manning the camera!!!

 We BOTH ate all of our dinners so we mutually decided that

WE

 deserved a little treat :)

My indulgence wasn't the calories though,

it was the one on one time spent

soaking in my son.

I love you buddy!

Way Back Wednesday

{4generations of women}

A Living Legacy

{4 generations of women}

These photos were taken at Gracyn's very first birthday party! 

Each photo contains 4 generations of women from her maternal and paternal sides. 

As I was looking through birthday pictures the other night and came across these, I couldn't help but think about how blessed we are to have each of these amazing women in our lives.

They each carry a set of skills, strengths, talents, abilities, and crafts unique to them alone. 

Stories that only they can tell. 

Times, places, and events that only their eyes

 have seen. 

Wounds that only their hearts can know.  Knowledge learned by this roller coaster ride

we like to call

LIFE.

Thank goodness they love us enough to share!!!

 Gracyn is so very blessed to have two Great Grandmothers who cherish and love her dearly! 

They play with her, talk to her, read to her,

 and absolutely "soak in" her presence!

I know deep down in my heart, that

she

is soaking in theirs as well.

These women represent our heritage. 

Our foundation...My foundation.

I want to learn all I can from them.

Listen to their stories.

Learn from their mistakes.

Lean on their strengths

and

learn how to overcome my weaknesses.

I have many things in my life to be thankful for...

but today I am especially thankful for each of them.

The women who form my family tree.

3 Years Old

Happiest

3rd

Birthday Wishes to you

Sweet Girl...

You presence has stretched my heart beyond measure...

So many things to treasure up...

 ♥
I love how you ask me to read 

"Good Night My Ducklings" before bedtime.

♥
I love how you call me "Miss Hollywood!"

♥
I love to hear you sing in the car.

 ♥
I love the way smile sooooo big!

♥
I love the smell of your neck.

♥
I love how we dance our special

dance and sing our "Princess Dress" song!

♥
I love to hear you say, "mommeeee"

♥
I love when you sit me down after you've been at preschool and show me all your art!

♥
I love how you take such delight in God's Creation! 

From the tiniest stone to the

most delicate butterfly...nothing escapes your

eye.

♥
I love your full, round, kissable, sweet cheeks!!!

♥
I love how you pretend to be a

"baby alien"

when we play at the park...

it is absolutely hysterical,

I don't even think you

understand what an alien is,

but boy can you pretend to be one!

You love your brother.

Cade is the first person you ask for

when you wake up!

You enjoy "doctoring" him up with your little doctor kit and giving him

L-O-T-S 

of pretend shots :)

You can even talk Cade into playing Daddy and Baby lion with you...sometimes!

You came to all of Cade's t-ball games and was first in line to hop in the car when it came time to head to the field .

I am so thankful for you Gracyn!

You are special to Mommy

 Unique among all others

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Today I celebrate

YOU

I pray that God will equip me to reflect HIS great love upon you each day! 

And in turn, because of this great love,

that you would be a light unto the

world,

a shining star to those around you!

I love you with all that I am,

Mommy

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My View

I ♥ being off work and enjoying this view
in the mornings!



Happy Birthday Sweet Gracyn

Sunny days, Sweeping the clouds away...

Can you tell me how to get,

How to get to...

SESAME STREET?

Just follow the

BIRTHDAY GIRL

to the big par-tay!!!

The Menu:

Zoe Juice {juice boxes}, Elmo Stix, Oscar's Trash

Elmo & Cookie Monster

Cupcakes
♥ handmade by me and my 2 little helpers ♥

Some of the

HaPPy FaCeS

This party was brought to you by the

Letter G

and the

Number 3