A Friday Funny!

Do you enjoy Baby Blues? I really do...that and Zits, and Family Circle. This one made me laugh out loud this week and I thought you might enjoy it too.

My children didn't think it was nearly as funny as their daddy and I did~ which makes it even funnier to me. Have a blessed weekend!

(go check out Kim's blog for more Friday Funnies)

Falling for Fall

Happy DIY day. Fall is in the air around our parts of Texas. I am catching glimpses of its glory in the cool crisp mornings. Since we were all blessed with a three day weekend, I decided to get out my fall decorations. One of my favorite places to decorate for fall is in the dining room. The long table almost begs for a little bit of fall.

Here is what it looks like now:

My arrangement was bought in Canton, the large candle holders and candles are from Hobby Lobby, and the cheetah table runner is simply unfinished material...how easy is that?

To get the Fall look, I started with an untwisted grapevine wreath:



I wove it around my candlesticks (all of my decorations are 4 years old...which is a pretty good bargain when you can re-use them year after year-they all were bought w/ 40% off coupons at Hobby Lobby)

Then my daughters and I added a pre-made swag that has leaves, and berries, and fruit:

Next, we added 2 strands of fall leaves and then we tucked in little pumpkins:

I also added some of those raffia pumpkins. They were a bit too orange so I added a little burnt umber paint to antique them a little bit:

I may add some more candles in the crystal candlesticks some day:

And ta-da:

It's all ready for fall!

Ride Out to Victory!

Last weekend, at Unite and Conquer in San Angelo (see Monday's post for more info), there was a Christian BMX show. Wow did these guys put on a show with all of their stunts. They looked so happy and pumped up about riding to new heights and it got me thinking.

In order for us to soar to new heights with the Lord, we have to leave the ground; we have to leave our comfort zones and step out in faith and go where He leads us.

This journey of faith with our daughter is one that I would never have chosen, but the good Lord has a purpose and a plan and greater glory at stake so I can choose to complain and whine and give in to despair or I can choose to once again go where He leads all the while trusting that He is all sufficient and that wherever He leads us, He is there with us and that His ways are always the best and for our good purpose.

Don't get me wrong, I have begged Him to let me have all of this pain and suffering and to please spare our precious daughter, but then He reminds me over and over again that He loves her even more than I do and that He is allowing this for a good reason and that at the end of all of this she will have an amazing testimony to share for His great glory.

So, we are going to ride out this journey of faith to victory...and watch as He performs awe inspiring deeds! For this momma's heart it is a daily choice. The bike rider in my photo isn't even holding on to the handle bars, is he? While I have days where I feel like I am holding on for dear life and trying to hold it all together, this picture reminds me that I can let go and let God...because He is over it all and He is so trustworthy!

School Days-School Daze

I can't believe this is already our 3rd week of school. We are halfway through with our 1st six weeks....oh my goodness!

I was a little busy the first 2 weeks of school...so pretend that today is our first day of school and here are the pictures, okay?

The girls are growing up way too fast! I love seeing what they are wearing and hope that one day, many, many years from now they will look back at their clothes and say that was so, "2009" kind of like I do about the fabulous 80's and my school pictures but that their memories will be just as awesome.

Check out their shoes! Rachel is wearing Tom's shoes (I so like what this company stands for) and Hannah's black converse.

All smiles!

How can you possibly be a Junior in high school?

Didn't I just hold you in my arms for the first time yesterday?

And a 7th grader....it simply can't be!

My precious daughters, may the Lord's favor be yours this year and may you take great delight in His amazing love for you each day. I am so blessed to be your Momma.

Oh, and time....can you please stop going by so quickly!

Happy Labor Day!

This is the day the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24). I just adore 3 day weekends, don't you? It has been a fast but fun-filled weekend.

Our weekend started off with Friday night football where our team won! Mr. Incredible and I worked the junior class concession stand and that kept us hopping for 4 hours. We woke up early Saturday morning to work in the yard a little and then the four of us headed to San Angelo for the Unite and Conquer Christian concerts where in the words of our daughters, "Skillet rocked our faces off!"

I have to giggle a little bit, our family counted the days until Skillet's latest release and we have almost worn out the new cd in one week and then we anxiously awaited the concert (this is Rachel's absolute favorite contemporary Christian band). Oh, the things we mommas do for our children. They adore Skillet and I do too.

We made our way to the "Mosh pit" up front, center stage, so that I could take a few 100 pictures for my girls and then finally the concert of the year began. Oh, there were fireworks, and smoke, and rising platforms, and screaming teenagers and their ever so cool parents. Yes, I was screaming and singing at the top of my lungs as if I were 16 again too. It was an absolute blast! At one point, I looked over my right shoulder to see....one of my students standing next to me...."Hello Mrs._," she said sweetly and with eyes that could not believe she was rockin' it out next to her high school computer teacher. I couldn't believe it either...but I threw caution to the wind and kept screaming and singing at the top of my lungs next to my girls.

We got home at 2:30 in the morning! Yes, 2:30 a.m. We slept a little and then got up to go to church. I woke Rachel up first and told her that I thought I had been hit by a "skillet" and then she told me to go look in the mirror...I looked like it too, it was going to take some serious work to get my hair to look good. She got up and the giggles began; I told her to look in the mirror too and we both just rolled with laughter.

Hannah, on the other hand, did not think everything was as funny and she popped right out of bed. She didn't understand why I was so tired, but I told her to add about 27 years to her life and then maybe she might just understand. She was the first one ready and her hair didn't look like she had been hit by a "Skillet" at all....oh to be young again.

We made it through church, but secretly missed the trap doors and rising platforms of just a few hours before, and then I crashed for 3 hours. Rachel slept for 5 hours, and Hannah? She didn't nap at all! But who is awake early today? Yes, that's right, Rachel and I. Mr. Incredible is snoring in the other room, and Hannah is still sleeping soundly in her room.

I think we are going to just enjoy being home and together today. Rachel is having a great morning and her headache is surprisingly only at a 2 on a scale of 1-10 and we are rejoicing.

The coffee pot is calling and I can't wait to enjoy a great big cup. Happy Labor Day to you!

Boo Mama's DipTacular

Today is Friday woo hoo! I just have to say this before I burst, thank you for your prayers for our precious daughter Rachel. I am seeing her prayer reminder buttons all over this blessed blog land and it brings me to tears every time! You will never know how much that means to us.

We are still believing that nothing is too difficult for God and praying that He heals her before surgery, if He so chooses. Thank you for joining us on this journey of faith!

Okay, it is Friday and I am ready for some fun, how about you? My next door neighbors are huge Texas Tech fans (boo! on TT, not on the neighbors....sic 'em bears....okay I feel better) anyway, they have been working all week long on getting their tail-gating trailer ready for the big football season, and it has been fun to watch. They are excited about football!

I like football games mainly for the social aspect, so Boo Mama's diptacular event was just what I needed. I like a good dip, or in the words of Sam from I-Carly (one of our daughters' favorite shows) Mama likes me some dip.

My first fave is 7 layer dip, but there are lots of recipes out there, so I'll stick to my other 2 faves:

Pioneer Woman's Black Eyed Pea Salsa....yes it can be counted as a dip!

You can find her recipe here. We also added a mushed up avocado, like PW, to the mix and the entire dip was gone in seconds....yum!

And if you need a quick but delicious recipe grab some sour cream and a

little packet of this lovely:

It's called Fiesta Ranch and it is wonderful. You can find it next to the dry salad dressing packets. All you have to do is mix it into a tub of sour cream, chill for a little, unless you are impatient (there is that "p" word again) like me and then you can just dive in, grab a carrot if you are feeling a little healthy, or some tortilla chips and enjoy!

Happy dippin'!

Mighty to Save

(the above image came from Imagevine)

"The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17.

Isn't that a glorious promise? The Lord is with us....no matter what journey of faith we are on....the mighty, all-powerful One is with us! Glory!

Amazingly, He takes great delight in us....are we taking great delight in Him daily?

He will quiet you with His love...this speaks to this mother's heart. I had a moment Sunday evening and Monday morning where I just felt like my heart was going to come out of my chest because it was so overcome by the enormity of what we are facing for our precious daughter. My emotions were raw and I just had that feeling that I couldn't get myself together....but then He came and quieted my heart with His love....incredible!

I love the last part of this verse, "he will rejoice over you with singing." The One who formed this world and everything in it, the One who knows each star and calls them by name, the One who numbers the very hairs on your head, who knows your deepest desires and longings, rejoices over us....us....that is almost too incredible to comprehend. He rejoices over us with singing. That just makes me want to praise Him even more today.

What a mighty, mighty God we serve!

He is mighty to save....a wretch like me....and you....and He rejoices over us with singing.

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