Thankful Thursday 7/31/08

I'm so thankful for my Savior. He loves me too much to leave me the way that I am. He always has my best interest in mind and He is always working things out for His good purpose. There is no god like our God!

I'm thankful for the fun weekend that we had with my sweet husband's parents, sister, brother-in-law, and nephews. We had an absolute blast being together. It was a whirlwind weekend filled with many reason to be thankful.

We all live in the same town, but felt the need to get away and meet up in Frisco, Tx. We stayed at the beautiful Westin Stonebriar Resort (Heavenly beds and Starbucks Coffee-oh my!)

Here we are jammin' to the Jonas Brothers on our way to Dallas:

Finally! We arrived and we met up with the cousins.

The view of the Westin's beautiful pool:

We ate way too much at the Cheesecake Factory that night and we didn't even eat cheesecake! Go figure! Oh, how we wanted to, but no room!

The next morning we woke up to Starbucks Coffee and shopping! We spent most of the day trying to find back to school bargains at the Stonebriar Center and Sam Moon and a few other necessities like these:

(Thanks, Nonnie & Poppie!)

After we shopped till we nearly dropped

we found Uncle G's favorite place: Pappadeauxs.

Here is a picture of the family (I was taking the picture):

Poppie, Nonnie, Rachel, nephew A, Aunt Sissie, nephew "Double A," Uncle G, Hannah, and Mr. Incredible (R)

After dinner, this is what I heard from the backseat,

"Aunt Kiki, we need to go swim!" How can you say no to this face?

...or this face?

...or this face?

...or this face? (This face was too busy to pose for a picture!)

On our last day we had to have some Aunt Kiki, Uncle R pictures with our girls and our little nephews. Everyone else was packing so we had fun with the self timer on my camera:

Fun memories and fun moments together! I can't believe it's over! The weekend flew by way too quickly. Thank you Nonnie and Poppie for a wonderful weekend. We love you very much!

Thank you God for giving us the time away to make fun memories with family and for all of our back to school things. You are so good!

On the drive home, I was thinking about all of you, my blog friends, when I saw this incredible billboard sign. So, in all my picture-taking-while-riding-in-a-car-going-72-mph-ability, here it is:

I hope you enjoy!

Stunning huh? In case you missed it, it says: You are God's child. Make Him proud! I think that is a great way to try to live each day. Have a blessed Thankful Thursday!

Word Filled Wendesdays 7/30/08

It's true! "Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him." Psalm 127:3.

I'm so thankful for the blessing of getting to be a Mom to these girls!
They are absolute joy!

It's fun to be an Aunt too.
My nephews call me Aunt Kiki~ that's where my blog name came from.

This is a picture of my girls with their cousins taken this past weekend. We had such a blast being together in Frisco, TX. I'll tell ya more about it in my Thankful Thursday post!

Blessings to you! Please visit 160 Acre Woods for more Word Filled Wednesday blessings.

Anniversary Surprise!

My sweetheart and I had a fun, romantic dinner date last night. Just the two of us...we don't do this nearly enough. It was quite a treat! I had fun getting dressed up and waiting for my man to come home from work and pick me up. He came bounding through the door with big smile on his face. Here is what I unwrapped:

And, he told me this was on its way too:

I can hardly wait until it gets here! He knows how much I LOVE starbucks coffee. It's always hard to duplicate the coffee greatness at home. This machine promises to make starbucks coffee at home taste just like at the stores. It even makes hot tea and hot chocolate (his fave).

He even bought a card. Oh, how I love a good card! Then we went to a very fancy-smancy Italian place for dinner. Josh Grobin was playing in the background (Not in person, the cd) and happy couples were dining together. It looked like it was out of a movie. So romantic!

...And then, four women were seated next to us. They loudly began drinking wine and talking about a friend of theirs who had fallen asleep one night and woke up to a huge spider bite on her cheek. They went into great depth about how big the bite became until...here is the best part...it burst and tiny baby spiders came out! Gross! Needless to say we passed on dessert.

After dinner we headed to Target. Yes, you read that correctly. R needed some things for work the next day and I wanted to get Hannah some locker treasures that were on sale. (She starts junior high in a few weeks and this will be her first locker-I want it to be special) We picked up a bag of peanut m & m's (my tastes are easy to please) and watched the MOST beautiful sunset together.

It was as if God painted the most beautiful sunset just for us. So many brilliant colors! It was awesome. We held hands and looked into each others eyes and dreamed about what the next 18 years will hold. So many memories and so many more to make. Thank you God for my husband and for the deep love we share for You, each other and our girls. May You always be the center of our home and may our lives bring You much joy, glory, and honor!


Joyfully,
Kristi

Happy Anniversary to Us!

On this our 18th, wow how quickly the years grow, I just need my sweet husband to know how much I dearly love him. In celebration of our 18th here are 18 reasons why I love him so much:

1. You love the Lord with all your heart!
2. You love me second, Jesus first, as it should be, and oh how you love our daughters!
3. You are an incredible provider, you take that role very seriously.
4. You are so funny! Warped at times, but so stinkin' funny!
5. I just love to see you smile. Even the ornery smile.
6. You are not afraid to step out in faith, even when you have to drag me with you!
7. You encouraged me to return to school and finish what God started in me years ago.
8. With #7, you convinced me that I could do it, even when I just couldn't fathom it!
9. You love my parents!
10. You are such a fun Daddy!
11. You are gifted with an incredible voice...I just love to sing at weddings, ladies events, and in church with you!
12. I just love the way you smell and how when you kiss me and hug me goodbye in the morning, I smell like you all day long.
13. For your leadership in our church and our community.
14. For your Godly stance in school board decisions.
15. I was always proud of my dad, and so proud of our family name and reputation. I still am. I'm so proud of you, your reputation and that our daughters are proud of you and our name.
16. For the Godly example that you are to the girls, by how you love me, and how you love them. May God bless them with husbands like you.
17. For adding spontaneity to our scheduled life even when my type A personality isn't always agreeable.
18. For fiercely loving me, defending me when I need to be defended, and for somehow still seeing me as your "sweet thing" and your "hot wife." ~I hate to tell you this, but I think you are going blind, my dear! :-)

Oh, my 18 things are already up? There are so many reasons why I love you and why I thank God for you every day. This life's journey would not be the same without you. I love you dearly, with my whole heart! Thanks for loving me!

All My Love,
Kristi

Menu Monday 7/28/08

Happy Monday to you! We had a wonderful weekend. I plan to post pictures and tell you all about it later this week.
I hope that you had a blessed weekend too.

Here is our menu for the week:

Monday

Our 18th Anniversary-dinner date! (I can't wait!)

Tuesday

Grilled Orange Roughy

and veggies from the garden

Wednesday

chicken fajitas

Thursday

Shrimp Boil with R's Family to thank them for a wonderful weekend.

and homemade peach ice cream.

Friday

Home made Pizza night

Saturday

BBQ stuffed potatoes

Sunday

Chicken & Rice

Garden delight!

Look what I just harvested from the garden!!! My first ever home grown watermelon and cantaloupe! My sweet friends Jack and Rosemary tried to tell me when these babies would be ready to harvest. With the cantaloupes, he said that if you tug on them they would just "turn loose."



Okay, I have been tugging on these babies for weeks and ....nothing. Last night, I just barely tugged and off popped this cantaloupe. I was so thrilled and it smells sooooo sweeet.



How do you tell when a watermelon is ready? I have trouble picking out good ones at HEB. How would I know if my own were ready to be picked? Jack and Rosemary said the curly vine would turn brown. I have watched this watermelon, again, for weeks! The brown vine had turned brown and had almost fallen off, but I was scared. What if it's not ripe?



I finally got up the nerve and harvested it. (It's much easier to harvest watermelon on Webkinz). Here are they are on the lawn w/ my size 9 reef flip flops. Pretty big watermelon, huh?

With a little fear and trepidation, I cut into my little project and here is what we found:

I cried! Really, I did! It was so sweet and delicious and everything I dreamed that it would be. This gardening thing has become a daily joy. I picked my first 2 tomatoes this morning. Every morning greets me with something new in the garden.

Seeing the insides of this watermelon and smelling and tasting the sweetness reminds me of Psalm 34:8, "O taste and see that the Lord is good..." He is so good and every day with Him is so sweet! He is everything I ever dreamed He would be but far better than I can even imagine. Travis Cottrell sings a song that says, "Every day with you Lord, is sweeter then the day before..." That is so true!

Have a blessed weekend!

Can Granny Come Over and Play?

As always, I have so much to be thankful for. It's true, far more than I deserve. One of my greatest joys next to my Savior, my husband and daughters, is my mom. My girls call her Granny.

Granny is so special to us. We have the blessing of being next door neighbors. We were thrilled when my parents decided to build a house right next to ours. But, even though we live next door, we don't see each other nearly enough. So, since my Dad is on a church trip this week we have Granny all to ourselves. Delight! "Can Granny come over and play???"

Last night Mom came over for dinner. While I was finishing up in the kitchen I heard loud giggles, screams of joy, and car sounds. As the sounds of joy and laughter grew and grew, I just had to see what my girls and Granny were doing. This is what I discovered:

The girls were teaching Granny how to drive a race car on Xbox 360.

A few minutes later they were teaching Granny another new skill:

Guitar Hero. Just look at that concentration!

Rock on Granny!

I can't describe in words how much my mom means to me.

She is a beautiful example of who I want to be like because she strives to look just like Jesus every day. She is gracious beyond compare, full of wisdom, bold and courageous (she starts a new job in 2 weeks!), she loves her family fiercely, she's one of my best friends, an incredible gardener, seamstress, Sunday school teacher, and pastor's wife, and the best Granny we could ask for!

I could go on and on, but my mascara is starting to run. I think you get the picture. We thank God for Granny (Grandpa too of course) and for the special fun we are having this week.

Laughter in the Mud!

I've had this picture for years! This is Hannah when she was only a little toddler. You can see the delight of getting to play in the mud written all over her face. (See the drool?)

This picture never ceases to put a smile on my face and I have to just laugh out loud over the memory of that day. Precious memories that seemed like they were only yesterday.

I hope it makes you smile today too!

You know, even when we are in the mud, spiritually, God can still "fill (y)our mouth with laughter and (y)our lips with shouts of joy." (Job 8:21).

If we will just let Him.

Please visit 160 acre wood for more Word Filled Wednesdays. You will be blessed!

Peachy Keen

My Peachy Keen girls enjoying peaches.

A precious couple in our church blessed us with a box full of freshly picked peaches! Oh, I just love peaches. The girls helped me freeze 6 quarts to save for later.

It reminded me of my wedding nearly 18 years ago. We lived in Arlington and mom liked to get Parker County Peaches every summer. During the week of my wedding, wouldn't you know, the bushel of peaches arrived. We had company, things still to do for the wedding and peaches to put in the freezer. But, we did it and we had fun in the process.

With my anniversary just around the corner, it was fun to put peaches in the freezer with my girls. It was far messier, but fun!

Here are the delicious beauties!

With that finished, I just had to make a peach pie. You know, with my new pie making skills and all! I found a new recipe called Peach Cream Pie and it was just divine!

The peaches reminded me of when I was a little girl. I use to ride on the back of my daddy's bicycle to Squeezer's Palace (I think that's the name) in Wichita, Kansas, and blow kisses to everyone while we rode to get Peaches 'n Cream ice cream. Fun memories! So, naturally I just had to make homemade ice cream to go with the pie. It did not disappoint!

My friend Jack told me that if I saved the pits, dried them, and kept them until October, then I could plant them in my garden and have my own peach orchard. Wouldn't that be fun? Here are the pits that I have such high hopes for! "Pits that I have such high hopes for?" What a thought that is spiritually.

I'm in the mood to freeze more peaches. I hope we can pick up some more peaches over the weekend, but I've got to find a good way to freeze some squash from the garden. Any good ideas? Blessings to you this Tuesday!

An Award for Me???

I have to say that I was so surprised to receive this blessing! Thank you Brenda for this award! I have to admit, I often feel like I am just blogging just for myself. So, to find out that a few others stop by to see what God is doing in my life just amazes and thrills me! I'm so honored that you join me in this journey of faith. If anything is brilliant in me, I hope you see that it is the Lord. It is a humbling thought that somehow He chooses to shine His light through me. He is just amazing!

I'm just flabbergasted by this award, so I'm so glad you passed on the rules to me. Here they are:

Once an award is received, the rules are as follows:

1. Put the logo on your blog.

2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.

3. Nominate at least seven other blogs.

4. Add links to those blogs on your blog.

5. Leave a message for your nominee on their blog

I'm touched by so many of you brilliant bloggers, I just don't know where to begin. After all, you are the ones that inspired me to blog. So, with much thought, I am passing this award to:

1. Sunni at The Flying Mum . She is a fellow Baylor Bear and precious to the core! I look forward to reading her blogs on a daily basis. She is a fellow mom after my own heart with a fierce love for her dear husband, adorable daughter Ava, and the Lord.

2. Melodye at Morningsong. She took the time to help me with learning couponing and how to blog safely. I always enjoy reading about her joys in motherhood and the Godly wisdom she so beautifully shares with all of us.

3. Kim at Homesteaders Heart (aka Goofy Mama). She just cracks me up. I always look forward to reading her blog and seeing what is on her mind. She is a great encourager and a bright spot in my day. She was the first one to add me to her blog roll. Thanks for your fun friendship!

4. Laura at Organizing Junkie. She is the most organized person I know. I think the world of her encouragement to help others organize and stay organized. My family is so grateful for Menu Plan Mondays. We are eating better then ever and saving money too! Wow!

5. Kim and Patty at Siesta Fiesta . They have taken on quite a challenge getting all of us Siestas ready for the Living Proof Live Event next month! I enjoy their delight in sharing what God is doing through them for this event. They are incredible and I can hardly wait to meet them in person.

6. Melanie at The Fruits of the Spirit. She is a new blogging friend and a dear one at that. Not surprisingly, her blog is filled with awards. I always enjoy reading about what God is doing in her life and through her. She is beautiful inside and out!

7. Lori at I will take it Lord, all you have to give. She is a fantastic artist. God has blessed her with an incredible gift. Her Word Filled Wednesdays are always an inspiration. I'm so glad that she shares her gift with all of us!

8. AmyDeanne at the 160 acre woods. I so look forward to Word Filled Wednesdays. She is the gracious hostess. I am having so much fun looking through my camera lens and hearing God whisper a verse in my ear to go with the picture. I can't imagine my week without her insightful posts and Word Filled Wednesdays. It is a blast to be a part of this group.

Menu Monday 7/21/08

Happy Monday to you! I hope you had a blessed weekend in the Lord.

Here is my short menu for the week.

My Macy's card is feeling a bit neglected so we are off

to do some back to school shopping with our girls this weekend.

Monday:

(see the steam?)

Our Family's Favorite Shrimp Boil

to celebrate my mom's new job!

Tuesday:

Grilled Mahi

Wednesday:

Rosemary Pork Chops (new recipe)

I'm blessed to have fresh rosemary growing in my garden.

Thursday:

Fish Tacos (I'm trying these for the first time!)

Baseball and Charlie!

Rumor has it my daddy threw the opening pitch last night at the ballgame!

(Grandpa, Rachel, Hannah, and Granny on the field before the big event!)

Way to go Dad! We are so proud of you!

(Don't listen to the deacons...they are just jealous!)

It was church night at the baseball game and we had a blast. We ate far too much, thanks Grandpa, but had a sweet time of fellowship together.

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On a funny note: one of our friends lost her dogs yesterday. (That's not the funny part!) She was so sad and unable to find them. So, the girls and I spent a good hour driving through town trying to find them. We decided to start looking for the dogs behind where she lives. We didn't realize that there was a hidden cemetery there. Rachel sweetly rolled down the window and started hollering, "Charlie! Charlie!!"

When I noticed that we were at a cemetary, I started cracking up. She looked at me as if I had lost my mind. I had to explain the visual I had in my mind. I could just imagine some sweet person in the cemetery hearing us call out, "Charlie! Charlie!!" I'm sure it must have been unnerving and they were probably thinking those poor people, don't they know Charlie can't hear them!

I know, I'm warped but it was too funny for words!

Our friend called a few hours ago to tell us they found Sweetie and Charlie. Guess what? He wasn't at the cemetery after all! Who knew?

Thank you to everyone that read my post yesterday and for your kind words and prayers for Hannah. I'm overwhelmed by your generosity and your friendship in this journey of faith! May each one of you have a blessed weekend!