Whoa! and 5 Question Friday

Okay, all of a sudden I entered the HUGE phase and I feel like I'm about 8 months pregnant already and my lower back hurts from carrying this belly around. LOL! Can you imagine how big I am going to be with 4 months still to go?!!


My friend, Amanda, did this 5 Question Friday on her blog and I thought it would be fun to participate again. :)

1. Do you think cursive writing is overrated? (Schools in Indiana have now voted to take teaching cursive writing out of their curriculum)

I had never really thought about it before, but considering few things are actually handwritten anymore, it is a rare occasion that cursive is even necessary, I suppose. I still think it should be taught, but I don't think a huge emphasis should be placed on doing it a certain way or anything. How many of us actually properly write in cursive? Mine is usually a combo of cursive and print, when writing checks and things like that. I think that spelling is what should be emphasized! That is a major pet peeve of mine, when adults don't know how to spell correctly.

2. Do you still use a pocket calendar or notepad or do you keep your info on your smart phone?

I definitely use a small calendar for keeping track of bills and I use a magnetic fridge calendar to keep track of our schedules and important dates. I will occasionally use the "notes" on my iphone to make shopping lists, but normally I write those out too. There's just something about seeing it written down and writing it that helps me remember. I'm even finding that I prefer "real" books to books on my nook.

3. What 3 things would you save if your house was burning down? (family & pets are already safe)

1. My computer - for all the photos that are on it. Although, I do have them backed up online.
2. My adoption story that my Mom wrote for me, even though it is saved on my blog.
3. The girls' baby albums and any other photo albums I could grab, because those are the only copies.
4. My jewelry box.

That's more than 3, I know! Oh, and my little outfit my Mom framed for me. It would be hard! Material things mean nothing to me. It's the sentimental things that I would want to save. Just thinking about it makes me want to place them all in ONE box, so I could just grab them and run! Ha!

4. Country Mouse or City Mouse, err Person?

Morgan and I were just talking about this the other day. He would never live in a city and I said if I were single, I would totally love to live downtown in a big city somewhere. That would be so neat! Although, on the other hand, being single might be scary to live by yourself in somewhere like New York City. Growing up, I always imagined I would have some corporate job downtown and wear business suits to work, with a bun in my hair and glasses. LOL! I'm so not an outdoorsy type girl. I hate bugs and the heat and don't know a thing about gardening. We don't live in the country, but we live far enough out that it takes 15-20 minutes to get into town and that is such a pain, but I love where we live because it's an amazing place to raise a family and the girls are already making great memories by going fishing and playing outside. Even I find myself sitting outside on the porch swing, even if it does mess my hair all up. Haha!

5. If you could pick ANY reality show to go on, which would you pick?

Once upon a time, I probably would have said American Idol, although I'm too old now and I don't think I could handle the pressure or being away for so long. Oh yeah, and I'm not that great of a singer either. Ha! I wish I were though. :) Morgan and I have talked about going to CA some day, to visit Veronica, but also we thought it would be so fun to go get a tattoo from Kat Von D, and maybe we could be on her show, "LA Ink". I have no idea what I would get a tattoo of though!

Thoughts of Spring Blog Party!

Today is the Thoughts of Spring Blog Party, from Lynnette's blog. Join in! I would love to read your answers. It will be fun! (click on the button above for details)

We are answering some fun questions to get to know each other. I just love these kinds of questions. You can find out things about your blog friends that you may never have known otherwise! :)

How would people describe your personality? (If they could only use ONE word.) Are they right?

I think people would say I am quiet and they would be right. I'm not really quiet around people I'm comfortable with though.

What celebrity/celebrities would create a “Star-Struck” feeling if you saw them in real life?

I'm not really a "star-struck" type person, but I loved seeing Leeland a couple of times since they are my favorite band and they are from my town. I think because I admire him so greatly, I would be star-struck if I ever got to see Denver Moore, author of "Same Kind of Different as Me." If you haven't read that book, you MUST read it!!

Who is your favorite blogger? Why?

Oh my.....can I really pick one? I have so many favorites and all for different reasons. I read most of the blogs I do because I have developed friendships with the people who write them. There aren't many blogs I read that I don't keep up with on facebook and through email, and those friendships have been invaluable to me! I love all of you so much, but if I had to pick one popular blogger who I don't know personally, it would have to be Kelly from Kelly's Korner. Her blog was one of the first I ever read and I love that she is so genuine and that she ministers to others just by being who she is and loving Jesus.

What is your comfort food/drink?

My comfort drink would definitely be Starbucks coffee. I get the plain brewed coffee with cream and splenda. I like their flavored drinks too, but they really are too sweet for me, so I almost always get their coffee. My comfort food would definitely be chocolate. Yum!

Be brave – tell us something very random and weird about yourself.

I am almost always constantly singing or humming. I'm always making up silly songs that have to do with whatever we're doing at the moment. Sometimes, I even catch myself humming aloud when I'm shopping at the store. I hope at least that my girls will remember me always singing :)

Do you have a strong desire to do something you’ve never done? What is it?

I have a strong desire to have some type of ministry, for my life to bring God glory, for others who have no hope to find Him.........I'm not really sure what that means or what His plan is for me, but I just know that He DOES have something planned. And I'm thinking most likely it's something that if I knew about it now, I would be totally freaked out and probably go into hiding, so it's best He hasn't revealed it yet. Ha!! Those of you who know me, know I suffer from an anxiety disorder, and I just know that one day that will bring God glory, because God takes our greatest weaknesses and uses them for His glory.

Movies: Action, Drama, Romantic Comedy, Documentary, Comedy? What are your favorite genres?

I love dumb comedies, like "Napoleon Dynamite" or "Christmas Vacation". They are so dumb, but hilarious!

Books: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Romance, Biographies, True Stories, Self-Help, Devotional/Study? What are your favorite types of reading material?

Definitely, no doubt about it, my favorite books are non-fiction Christian books. I LOVE reading stories that show God's divine plan woven throughout. Every one of us has a story that God is writing and if you stand back a little, you can see His hand at work. The girls and I went to the bookstore this past weekend and I got Abby Johnson's book, "unPlanned". She is the Planned Parenthood director that ended up leaving her job after seeing an ultrasound guided abortion. I read it in one day. It is an amazing story of how God opened her eyes to the truth. So powerful!

Music: Funk, Rock, Country, Jazz, Classical, Film Score, Blues, Classic Rock, Crooner, Alternative, Heavy Metal, Techno? What are your favorite types?

I only listen to Christian music now. I used to be an alternative/rock type girl, then I discovered the awesome Christian bands that are out there and I love them! My favorite is Leeland, but I love David Crowder Band, JJ Heller, Kari Jobe, and many others!

If you inherited a million dollars, what is the first thing you would do with your money?

This is a touchy subject for me. Right before my mom died, I was unexpectedly left half of a family member's estate. The thing is though, she totally ignored other family members who were closer in "hierarchy", so to speak, to get that money. So then my mom died, and here I am, grief-stricken and left to deal with the fact that all these people were mad at me because I was left this money and I had no idea that was even a remote possibility. It was from my biological side of the family. And my birth mother was one of the ones skipped over, so that might explain her ugliness toward me.

Well, the lady who was left the other half also decided that she would dishonor this family member's wishes and keep everything she could for herself. Do you see what money can do to people?! Yuck! I know legally, the money I got was mine and I honored her wishes by keeping it, but I have never gotten over the guilt of taking that money. I was placed in an awful position and it's one I never would want to be in again. The timing was really a blessing, because my Mom had just died and I had just lost my income when I quit my job to stay home with the girls, so had it not been for that money, we most likely would not have been able to move into our house we were building at the time. Now do you see why I am so anxious to move?! SO many bad and horrible memories connected with that time period and this house. The love of money truly is the root of all evil.

Name one weakness of yours (confession is good for the soul).

I have a weakness for Starbucks coffee and books, lots of books!

If you could live anywhere at all (and take all your loved ones with you), where would you go?

If I could have all my loved ones in one place, it wouldn't really matter to me where it was! But, Hawaii sounds nice!

Strange Talent? Can you juggle basketballs, put your legs behind your head or perform some other strange feat?

Not that I can think of!

What’s something you consider yourself to be good at? (Don’t worry, it’s not bragging, it’s acknowledging a God given gift).

I think I'm a good listener.

What is one of your favorite things to catch a whiff of?

I love the smell of coffee!

When you leave a social gathering, do you wish: You would have talked more or You would have talked less?

Well, normally I'm very quiet and wished I had talked more. But, if I do talk, then I usually wish I had talked less. I guess if there is one thing that I do worry about, it's how people view me. Ugh....I hate that about myself!

If money wasn’t a factor, what stores would you shop in?

I don't know that I would shop at different stores, but maybe I would at least buy what I really wanted, instead of trying to get the cheapest stuff.

What is your greatest fear or strange phobia?

I have a fear of being in places where I feel trapped, or where I have no control. Like waiting in a doctor's office, or being stuck in line somewhere, or being stuck in a car traveling.

What is your greatest accomplishment?

Giving birth to 3 girls without pain medicine! LOL! I really remember thinking, after I had my first, that this was the greatest thing I had ever done. :D

What are your favorite animals?

Dogs :)

Are you a hopeless romantic?

Not at all.

What movie or book character can you most relate to?

I really love the character "Melanie" in "Sweet Home Alabama". I can relate to her feeling like she needed to be someone else, instead of a small-town girl with a southern accent who grew up in a trailer, but in the end she realizes that she already had everything she ever wanted.

5 Question Friday

I thought I would participate in Five Question Friday again. It's fun :)

1. Can you drive a stick shift?

I sure can and I am so glad that I know how! My second car, when I was in college, was a Chevy Cavalier and it was a stick shift. I remember my friend Martha took me to a parking lot and tried to help me learn to drive it! She had a sports car that was a stick shift, so she already knew how to drive one. It took some practice, but I finally learned!

Then, when I bought my first car on my own, after college, Morgan and I were dating and I wanted a mustang. He told me that you can't buy a mustang without getting a GT and a stick shift (he was a major car guy back then), so I bought a red 5-speed Mustang GT. I am still missing that car. :( LOL! I traded it in when I found out I was pregnant with Madison.

I guess we are going through a mid-life crisis, because we actually had a serious conversation the other night about me trading in my SUV for another Mustang. Not the most family-practical car! Haha! But, for a split second, I actually considered it. Then I asked Morgan, "Aren't we too old to be driving a mustang now?"

2. What are two foods you just can't eat?

I am not a picky person at all, but I refuse to try crawdads, oysters, frog legs, alligator.......anything that looks like a cockroach, or lives in a swamp, I think you just should not eat. And oysters are just nasty!

3. Do you buy Girl Scout cookies? What is your favorite kind?

I was Madison's troop leader when she was younger, but I don't really buy them anymore. I do love the mint ones though......those are my faves.

4. How do you pamper yourself?

What is that? Ha! I am not a "pampering" kind of girl. I don't go to a salon. I don't get my nails done. I don't tan. Part of it is because I just don't want to spend the money, but mostly it's because those kind of places remind me of the doctor's office, where you have to sit around and wait and it makes my anxiety go sky-high. It would not be fun for me at all. So, if I were going to spend a day just for myself, I would go to the book store and look around for hours, buy some books, and then grab a Starbucks coffee on the way home. That's my idea of a "spa day". :D

5. What is your nickname and how did you get it?

I have never had a nickname. When I was little, my mom said she tried to call me a nickname, and I turned around and told her, "My name is Kris-sin Niece!" (Kristin Denise) So, she said she never did try to call me by anything other than Kristin after that! Haha!

That was fun! You should join in so I can come read your answers!

Party Coming Up!

Next week, Lynnette is going to be having a blog party over at her blog, with a chance to win lots of awesome prizes. Join in if you can! Lynnette has been such a gift to me......she is so much fun and taught me that it's okay to be ME! Her story is one of such beautiful hope in the midst of incredible tragedy, a hope that only can come from the Lord. I think this party will be lots of fun and even though I know we're all super busy right now, I bet we will be blessed and have a great time too by joining in! Hope to see you there! Just click on the button for details :)


Okay, so time to get myself in gear and finish up with my "cleaning". I put that in quotes because it seems like the more I "clean", the messier my house gets! I just got a message from my realtor that she would like to do an open house soon, so I just have to get it done! It's funny that she called to ask about doing that, because that was going to be my suggestion to her, only I wasn't going to suggest it too soon because my house is in a big mess! Ha! I work best under pressure, I suppose, for this sort of thing anyways.

Did everyone's kids have a holiday today? Lily did, but my other 2 had school. So, I think Lily and I will head out in a little while because I need to find some new bookshelves for Madison and Kaylee's rooms. I have several "what I learned at church" posts that I need to catch up on too. I'm not sure if anyone really reads those anymore, but I like to go over them again anyways, because it helps me to think about them again and to be able to revisit them later if I want to.

Have a great day!!

5 Question Friday

I've been seeing some of my blog friends participate in this, so I thought it would be fun to play along! She just gives you 5 random questions to answer, so here goes.........



1. If you had $1,000 to donate to a charity, which would you choose?

This one would be hard to choose! I think I would love to give it to one of the water charities that build water wells in remote African villages. I just cannot imagine not having clean water or having to walk miles to get only dirty water. Or, I might give it to an orphanage or some place like that.

2. Snow days: Do you welcome them happily or are they a pain in your butt?

Well, since we live in SE Texas, we rarely get any snow at all! If it snows here, it's a huge deal! And the way Texas weather is, it can be 70 one day and snowing the next. That's what happened last time it snowed here. And it never lasts longer than one day, so we welcome them happily!!

3. What talent did you wish you had and why?

I wish I could sing better, because music is like therapy to me and I would love to sing at church or something like that just because I love to so much. My Aunt sings at a local Opry house and that would be fun to do some day also. I also wish I could play the guitar, fiddle, or banjo.

4. Are you a news, politics or celebrity gossip junkie?

I rarely watch the news and I don't care about celebrities, although I do like People Magazine and their website. I do like to watch the Fox News channel, but I try not to too often because it aggravates me and I get all worked up.

5. What is your favorite "cocktail"? (Are you a beer person, a kiddie cocktail junkie, or perhaps you're more the "Cosmo" kind?! Anything flies...doesn't have to be alcoholic!)

I haven't drank alcohol for several years now, but I used to be a frozen margarita type of girl. I still crave them every now and then. I stopped drinking cold turkey one day, when I realized I was drinking every single night. Now, I am a coffee drinker. I replaced one addiction with another. Not sure if that is any better. :( Maybe I'll quit that cold turkey one day too.......don't hold me to that, okay?! Ha!

V's Blogiversary Bash! Win a Summer Bloom!

Today, I am very excited and honored to be featured in Veronnica's Blogiversary Bash giveaway, along with Veronica and her precious hats! Thank you so much, Veronnica, for thinking of me for your party! So, y'all head over to her blog by clicking on the button above, and enter in for chances to win one of Veronica's hats and one of my newest creations, Summer Blooms!

Summer Blooms are my newest creations and I'm very excited about them! They are fabric flower clips. Each bloom measures 4" across, and are attached to ribbon covered alligator clips. They are perfect for wearing alone, or if you have a baby headband that you can attach clips to, they would be pretty on one of those too! I have plans to make smaller ones and sell them in pairs too, for little pigtails, etc. :)

I am working hard at adding lots more shirt designs and new products to my shop. My plans are to have lots of things to choose from that are in stock and ready to be shipped. I'm also working on adding baby shower gift sets, that will include a matching onesie, burp cloth, and small stuffed toy with ribbon taggies. And eventually, my plan is to make some of my cloth dolls to add to my site, which I've decided to call "Little Girls of Mine!"

I'm stepping back a bit from completely custom orders, but as I add more products, I will be adding more styles that are available to be personalized. My plans are to have several styles that you can have your child's initial put on, some that can have your child's name, and hopefully even a birthday design.

Thank you all so much for always being so supportive and encouraging of my business! It means so much to me!! Thanks also for everyone who commented on my last post and gave me some great feedback on my "experiment". Ha! All of the comments were so helpful!!

Hope y'all are having a great week so far!!

Finishing Sentences

I saw this fun thing on my friend Lauren's blog, where you are supposed to finish the sentences, and thought I would participate!

Maybe I should step out in faith more often.
I love Jesus, my family, reading, singing worship music, Starbucks, and The Young and the Restless.
People would say that I'm quiet.
I don't understand why the older you get, the faster time goes by!
When I wake up in the morning I pray and thank the Lord for giving me another day.
I lost my flat tummy after having 3 kids. Ha!
Life is full of memories just waiting to be made.
My past is full of unforgivable things I've done that I've been forgiven for.
I get annoyed when people think they know it all.
Parties are... not my thing.
I wish I had more fearlessness.
Tomorrow I am going to attempt to make a doll.
I have low tolerance for fake people.
I'm totally terrified of situations where I have no control.
I wonder why people don't believe in God. His existence seems so obvious to me!
Never in my life have I smoked a cigarette or done drugs.
High School was fun, but I wouldn't want to go back and do it over!
When I'm nervous I get physically ill and have to pray. Seriously!
One time at a family gathering ??
Take my advice: Follow Jesus and let Him write your story. He is a better author than you could ever hope to be!
Making my bed means I'm expecting someone, because I never make my bed!
I'm almost always thinking about something deep.
I'm addicted to my laptop. I'm not proud of it.
I want someone to buy our house. LOL!

Blog Party!!

My friend Amy is having a fun blog party today and you're invited!!! Head over to her blog to join in!

To get to know each other, we are answering some fun questions!

1. If you could have dinner with any person (past or present) who would it be?

I would have to say my Mom. I would love to catch her up on what we've been doing these past 6 years, ask her a million questions that I never got a chance to ask, get her advice on the millions of things I wish she were here to advise me on, and most importantly I wish I could just hear her tell me that it's going to be okay, to stop worrying, and that she'll see me again soon.

2. What is your most embarrassing moment that you are willing to share with the blogging world?

This probably wasn't the most embarrassing moment in my life or anything, but I do remember one day in 6th grade, I believe, we had to sing our talent show song for the school and I forgot the words. I made up some words and I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but I was really embarrassed! Luckily, that wasn't the real talent show.....my best friend and I actually won the talent show singing our song!

3. If you could only use one word to describe yourself, what would it be?

Blessed!!

4. You found a machine that allows you to fast forward your life to a moment or to rewind your life to a certain moment, but it can only be used for one moment. Would you fast forward or rewind and to which moment would you choose?

This one was a really hard one!! Hmmmm........I might go back to the moment when I decided that Sociology/Psychology was a good thing to major in, in College, and I might convince myself to think about getting a degree that I could actually do something with! LOL!!!

5. What is your favorite simple blessing in life?

Special moments with my girls! :)

Fun Questions!

My friend Anna awarded me with this award the other day. Thank you so much, Anna! Love ya!!
These are the questions I am supposed to answer:

1) Who are your 3 favorite music artists?
Leeland, David Crowder Band, Kari Jobe. I have many more favorites, but these are ones that I can listen to every song on their CD's and love them all!

2) Do you prefer Blogger or Twitter?
Blogger

3) What's your dream job?
To own a maternity/children's boutique.

4) Are you a nature person?
Not at all!

5) How many siblings do you have?
None.......well, I do have biological siblings and step siblings, but none that I grew up with.

6) How would you describe yourself?
Reserved, Christ follower, Born again, Mommy of 3 beautiful girls, Wife of a wonderful man.

7) When did you start blogging?
Late 2008

8) What is something that you absolutely cannot stand?
That there are children in the world that are orphaned, suffering, hungry, scared, abused, lonely, etc.

9) Do you have any pets?
Yes....a Springer Spaniel named Hannah and a Chihuahua named Bella.

10) Do you play any kind of instrument?
I used to play soprano bugle in high school. It's like a trumpet, but it's silver and only has 2 keys instead of 3. I wish I knew how to play the guitar!

Simplifying for Sanity - Living Room

Lynnette had another brilliant idea, to take one room per week and totally organize and clean it. It's all about simplifying and getting rid of things we don't need, in order to keep our sanity!

I didn't know if I'd have time to participate this week, but a local furniture store was going out of business and we found an awesome deal on some new furniture for our living room. We had been hoping to find some, so that Morgan could have our old stuff for his TV room upstairs that he just finished. So, I took that opportunity to clean up the living room!

Y'all know I'm not a big fan of spending hours a day cleaning up, especially with 3 little girls who love to make a mess!

Here's proof......take a look:

Lily plays in the living room every day and after while, this is what it ends up looking like!

Everyone's clothes from that morning on the floor, blankets, even my shoes! Lily's cups on the table.
And here's the after pictures:
I just love how much warmer the new furniture makes our room look!
And I had the girls take all the toys back upstairs. Who knows what that room looks like now! You clean one mess and make another.......that's how it works, right?!

We even got Bella a pillow to lay on, to try and keep her off the new couch.
Yay.......no more clothes and toys everywhere.
And Lily's cups have been replaced with my Starbucks coffee. Perfect! :D
It feels so nice to have it all clean! Thanks, Lynnette for motivating me!

My Typical Day!

What's a typical day like in the life of a Stay-at-home-Mom of 3 precious little girls and a busy husband who helps to run the family business?

My alarm goes off at 7am, but I usually hit snooze at least once or twice, so I end up getting up around 7:15. Yes, I wait until the last possible minute before I have to get up!

The first thing I do is wake Madison and Kaylee up and get their breakfast. While they eat, I iron their clothes to wear. Yes, I iron every single piece of clothing that the girls and I wear. It's an obsessive-compulsive habit that I have always had, even before I left home, that I got from my Mom I guess. So, on a typical day, I will iron 8 pieces of clothing. (sometimes more if they have dance or softball that day)

After they finish eating, they get dressed and then they come in the bathroom so that I can fix their hair. While we're doing this, Morgan (my husband) is taking his shower and getting dressed for work (in a different bathroom, of course!). Around 7:50, they're all ready to go. Our chihuahua, Bella, gets really excited every morning and I have to pick her up so she can give high-fives to the girls before they leave for school, or "high-fivens" as they call it. She just wants me to hold her so she can put her paw on their hands. I don't even know how this got started, but we do it every morning. Ha! Then, since Morgan works right by their school, he drops them off at school on his way to work. I am very lucky that he's able to do that, so I don't have to worry about getting myself dressed first thing in the morning too. They have to be at school by 8:20am.

After they leave, I usually have about an hour before Lily wakes up. I always fix myself a cup of coffee and then sit down in the living room with my laptop and check emails/blogs. Once she wakes up, I get her something to drink and fix her breakfast. She likes to watch cartoons, so she'll eat breakfast and watch cartoons. I usually use this time to do the dishes, get laundry going if needed, etc. I never watch TV during the day. It's always on cartoons for her, if she wants to watch. Usually, she just follows me around to watch whatever I'm doing or she'll play with her barbies or whatever in the living room.

If we have errands to run that day, I'll take an early shower and try to get us out of the house right after lunch. We usually eat lunch between 11 and 12. Some days we might need to go to the bank and post office. Some days we might need to go grocery shopping. Some days we might have something at school going on with the girls. And some days, we might not have anything going on. On those days, I usually don't even get out of my PJ's until 2pm. I love it! But, I rarely ever leave the house without a shower, makeup on, and ironed clothes, so even on the days I have nothing to do, I make sure and do that before I leave to go pick up the girls from school. Lily usually plays with my makeup while I'm taking a shower and then I get my hair/makeup done and I iron our clothes and we get dressed.

Since I also have my own business, there are days when I have orders to complete, so I get those done while the girls are at school. Usually if I'm in my office working, I will turn on some music, and Lily will paint or color (or make a huge mess with her scissors, which she is obsessed with lately), or she likes to play with my ribbons or spools of thread.

Let me just tell you this.......I do not spend every day cleaning, that's for sure! If I have something coming up (like someone is coming over that I know about), I will spend an entire day dusting, mopping, vacuuming, putting toys away, and scrubbing. But, on a daily basis, the main things I do are keep the kitchen/dishes clean and I try to pick up Lily's toys in the living room, but it doesn't always happen. I just do not have time, or the desire to make time, to clean every day. Besides that, I can have this house spotless and in one day it's all messy again. I have decided that it's not worth nagging my family to pick up after themselves every day. Yes, I try to keep the bathrooms clean, try to keep up with laundry, try to keep the dustbunnies in the living room to a minimum (where in the world do those things come from anyways?!!), but I'm not perfect. I used to stress myself out and give myself migraines over trying to keep this house clean, and I'm not going to do it anymore! And my poor husband, bless his heart, has days when he lovingly asks me if I can please do his laundry today. LOL! And we won't mention the fact that my girls usually grab what they need out of their laundry basket, instead of their dressers upstairs, because Mom hasn't made it back up there with their clean clothes.

So, we leave about 40 minutes before the girls get out of school because they are at 2 different campuses, and if I don't make it near the front of the car line for picking up Madison, then Kaylee will be the very last one still waiting for me to pick her up at her school. We have a portable DVD player in the car, so Lily watches a movie and I read a book while we wait. That is something I look forward to every day because I love to read and I get a good 30 minutes of reading time in! Then we pick up both girls. By the time we get them both and get back home, an hour has passed just to pick them up from school! But, I love being able to pick them up. I would miss it if they rode the bus.

Once we get home, the girls get a snack and do their homework. I have always made them do their homework first thing, that way they have the rest of the evening to play or do what they want. I don't always cook. We have dance on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Kaylee is playing softball now, which means 2 nights a week we will have games to go to, and we also have bible study on Friday nights. So, some nights we will cook a quick meal, some nights Morgan will cook if I'm gone to dance, some nights he just picks something up on his way home from a local restaurant, some nights we just eat leftovers, and on Friday we eat at bible study. It just depends on what we have going on that night and what time we'll be gone. Usually, Morgan doesn't get home until around 7pm from work. Lately, he's been working at our church (helping to build out our new church lease space), so I've been on my own until he gets home around 8pm or even later. Many nights, he will come home and throw some meat on the grill and we'll work together to get some sides fixed to go with it while it's cooking. I really don't like cooking, so if I cook, it's usually taco salad, roast and mashed potatoes, or spaghetti. Alot of times, I'll pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and just throw some sides together to go with it. Or a frozen pizza........there, now you know my deep dark secret!

Unless we're gone, I try to have us eat around 7, bathtime at 8, and have the girls in bed by 9pm. During bathtime, I give Lily her bath and then while the older girls are taking a shower, I usually sing on the karaoke machine. Lily plays with her toys in the playroom or we'll all sing or dance around. I love that time of the day. Then, Morgan and I will catch up on our shows or whatever. He usually goes to bed around 11, and then I stay up until at least midnight. I love that time by myself. It's the only time during the day that I have to myself, because Lily does not take naps. I usually watch The Young and the Restless and write my blog posts during that time. Like right now, it's super late and I really should be in bed! I usually try to get in bed around midnight.

So, that's more than you ever wanted to know about my typical day! Being a SAHM is definitely not boring, low-stress, or all about being lazy and watching soap operas all day. Yes, there are days when I am lazy (but even people who work have lazy days.....I know, because I used to be a working Mom), but if that happened every day, bills wouldn't get paid, checks wouldn't get mailed, kids wouldn't get fed, picked up from school, or shuttled to activities, homework wouldn't get done, clothes wouldn't get ironed (gasp!), chores wouldn't get done, schedules and special events wouldn't be taken care of and prepared for, people wouldn't have cute onesies for their babies (LOL!), school projects wouldn't get done, Lily wouldn't know her ABC's or how to count, songs wouldn't get sung, dances wouldn't get danced, parties wouldn't get planned, and most of all..........memories wouldn't be made!!!

There was a time when I worked full-time and there was fulfillment that came from being a professional, independent, and making money, but now that I am a SAHM, I really don't think I would ever trade it for going back to work again, unless I had to. I love being able to be there for the girls, go to their parties and activities at school, take them to dance, be at their softball games, and most of all just spending time with them. I do struggle alot with the perception that some people have of SAHM's, but I am learning that those people just have no idea how much responsibility comes with having this job or how hard it is (or isolating, at times)! There are definitely days in the evenings when I tell the girls to please go play upstairs because Momma needs some quiet time (Haha!), but I really love this time in my life with them and I know I'll miss it when they're all grown up!

Visit Kelly's Korner to see what other people do during the day!

32nd Street Blog Parade!

Abigail is doing a fun blog party this week and she has these fun interview questions to answer. You can join in too! Click on the button to find out all the details. Abigail is the one who designed my blog and website. She is super talented in so many ways and I just love her! These are great questions and I really had to put some thought into them because some of them were things I'd never thought about before!

1. What's your favorite time of the day, and why?

My favorite time of the day is at night, after everyone goes to bed. I like to sit in the living room with my laptop, catch up on blogs, and watch "The Young and the Restless". I usually stay up way too late because I enjoy the time by myself so much!

2. If health wasn't an issue, what food could you live off of?

I could probably live off of mexican food. I love chips, hot sauce, and cheese dip. I love tortillas and fajitas and quesadillas, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, and cilantro. Yummy!!!

3. If you could have one wish granted (besides wishing for more wishes), what would it be?

That Christians would wake up and realize that WE are the answer to our own prayers. We wonder why there is poverty, hungry children, unsafe drinking water, orphans, and homelessness and we ask God why He hasn't done anything about it. I believe He has already done something about it.........He has given US the resources, talent, and tools within the Christian churches to solve all of these problems, but WE have chosen not to. My wish is that every Christian (myself included) would take what they are passionate about, what they are talented in, and use it not for their own gain, but rather to spread the Gospel and be the church that God intended for us to be. I just got done reading "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Rich Stearns and it addresses this very issue........it is one of the best books I've ever read!

4. What's one thing that you get teased about a lot?

I've never really been teased about anything, except for my accent. People have always loved to mimic my Texas accent, especially those who aren't from this area, and it is so aggravating!

5. If you could choose one movie, book, or TV show to spend your life in, which would you pick? What type of character would you be?

This one was hard. I loved the book, "The Shack", and it would be so awesome to be the character Mack from the book, and get to interact with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the way that they were portrayed in that book.

6. If you could have one talent that you don't already have, what would it be?

I would be a singer/songwriter, who plays the guitar or fiddle.

7.If money were no object, where would you go on vacation?

Hawaii

8. If you were an awesome singer, which genre would you sing?

Christian (like a bluegrass/country/folksy sound)

9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, what would it be?

I think I'd have to pick Target. They have pretty much everything I could ever want, even a Starbucks inside. :D Plus, it would take me a long time to spend that much money at Target.

10. If you could live in any point in time, when would it be?

I think I would want to live in the 50's. I love that it was a time when it was accepted for women to stay home with their children, keep their houses, and take care of their husbands. There wasn't as much technology to take over their lives and it seems like it was such a simpler time. I think I would love wearing the dresses and styles that they used to have then too.

11. If every outfit in your wardrobe had to be one color, what would it be?

As much as I love hot pink, if I could only choose one color, I'd probably be boring and pick black. It's classic, slimming, and never goes out of style.

12. If you were one of the seven dwarves, which one would you be?
(Doc, Grumpy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, Happy, or Dopey)

Probably Bashful. I am such a quiet person in real life. I think my lack of socializing and talking in real life is why I write SO much here on my blog! I've always been quiet though. I am an only child and my Mom was a huge talker. I remember just sitting in my room, listening to her talk on the phone for hours to her friends. I also remember sitting at my Meme's kitchen table and listening to them talk. That's one of my favorite memories. I love to observe people and listen to their stories.

13. What's the last album you listened to?

Leeland's "Opposite Way"

14. What's something we'd be surprised to know about you?

That I used to hate coffee!

My Story of Hope

Wow.......this was a hard one for me. I wasn't sure if I should even participate, because I have so many different things to talk about! But, most of all, my ministry is that I can look back over my life and see that it is a story that has unfolded, as only God could've written it. I can see His hand in every chapter and I can't wait to see how the story unfolds!

The first thing that I love to share with others is the fact that I was adopted when I was 13 months old. Adoption has always been something that I've been proud of. My life has been so blessed because of the parents that God chose for me. I love to share my adoption story because it is a story of such great love. You can find it on my sidebar, from my perspective and from my Mom's perspective.

My life was going along great until my Mom passed away unexpectedly. I battled grief over losing her for almost 5 years. Losing your Mom is something that you expect, but when it happened to me, I felt that it took everything I knew to be true away from me. I guess she was the security that I held on to all those years, and when she was gone, I almost felt orphaned again. But, if she had known the beautiful things that resulted from the journey I went on these past five years, I know that she wouldn't change a thing.

The only thing that helped me through my grief was the Lord. I thought when my Mom died that no one else in the world would ever love me as much as she did, but the Lord showed me that He had always been there, just waiting for me to come back to Him. I was stubborn for many years, trying it "my" way, until blogging opened up a whole new world for me. In blogging, I saw and met so many strong, Christian women who were proud of their relationship with the Lord and I wanted to know Him in that way too. It took one simple prayer, when I asked Him to simply show me who He is. That changed everything for me and my life has never been the same. I love to share what I'm learning and what the Lord is showing me on this journey to grow in my faith. My story is proof that He loves each one of us so much, and He patiently waits for us to want to know Him better.

As I grow in my relationship with Him, He is helping me through many struggles. One thing that I have battled since losing my Mom is anxiety. Anxiety is what kept me out of church for all those years and away from Him. You see, even though I knew Him and I was saved, I allowed the anxiety to keep me away. The enemy is cunning and if he knows he's already lost your soul, he will do everything in his power to make sure he steals your joy and keeps you from your God-given purpose and destiny. It's something I still battle on a daily basis, but every day the Lord shows me in new ways the love He has for me. He sent so many people to help me through it, which eventually resulted in my husband being saved too. This Easter will be one year that we've been going to church as a family and I couldn't have imagined in a million years that it would've turned out that way!

I have 3 little girls who I adore. They are the light of my life. Recently, God has been laying it on our hearts for a possible future adoption. Still, I battle my fears daily between wanting to control things and learning to let go of my fears and let God's will be done. So, I am very excited to see how this part of the story turns out!

Every day, it seems I learn more about who God made me to be, and I become more accepting of myself. My blog is just a chronicle of all of these things. I am just an ordinary girl and I would love for others to look at me and see how God can make all things new again! One of my favorite songs is by Leeland and it says "I am a new creation. I have been born again!" That is exactly how I would describe this past year. An awesome story of hope has been unfolding in my life and my family's life..........so I hope you will come back and read along. I don't know how many chapters it will hold, but because God has written it, I know that it will have the perfect ending!!

Visit Kelly's blog to read about other ministries!

Spelling and a Bash!

We were up at 6am this morning, to get Madison up to school for her spelling UIL competition today. It's a written test, not a spelling bee, but last year she got 1st place and I'm hoping she places this year too.........only because I know she will be devestated if she doesn't.

We have been working for months on learning every single one of the 600 words they might chose from. And I must say, she knows every single one of them. I think the only way she'll miss one is if she just misunderstands the person who announces the words.

I am so proud of her, no matter what, and I really enjoy spending special time with her just studying her words, because she really enjoys being a part of UIL. I'll be back later to let you know the results!
I also have to tell everyone about Veronica's blogiversary bash that she'll be having next week. There will be lots of giveaways and it'll be lots of fun! I can't believe it's only been a year since I first "met" Veronica. It seems like we've known each other for a lifetime. Every now and then, God sends people into our lives who are so special in every way, and I'm so thankful that He brought us together. It's a friendship that will last a lifetime, and will continue into eternity!

So, make sure you stop by Veronica's blog next week to join in the fun!!

Beautiful Blogger Award

I wanted to share with you this beautiful blogger award that my friend, Diva Ma, over at Mommy Fabulous, gave me a couple of days ago. If you haven't visited Diva Ma, you should head over and say hello! She is so funny and always real and I just love that about her! She's a beautiful person too and is counting down the days until her husband gets to come back home from his deployment!
So, I am supposed to tell 7 things about myself.

1. I finished reading "The Purpose Driven Life" last week and it was a great book, but I'm still not sure what my purpose is!

2. I own the domain mommyhoodrocks.com, and it's coming up for expiration next month, and I can't decide if I should keep it or not. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it, but I don't want to let go of it. I always thought that would make a great name for a maternity boutique: Mommyhood Rocks! What do you think? I don't think I will ever let go of my dreams to own a real boutique one day.

3. On 7/7/07, a guy tried to steal my purse at Kroger in the parking lot. Emphasis on the word "try" because he did not succeed! I used my UFC skills on him and he gave up. At least that's the way I remember it. LOL! Anyhow, it was months before I would carry a real purse again after that.

4. That same year, I got some Christmas money and bought me a nice designer purse, the first expensive purse I had ever owned. I am still carrying that same purse and I have learned that you really do get what you pay for because it still looks brand new!

5. Madison is participating in the Spelling UIL competition this weekend. Last year, she won 1st place, so wish her luck!

6. I read that if just 7% of Christians adopted a single orphan, there would be no more orphans. So, why do you think that we, as Christians, don't do what the Lord has commanded us to do to help the least of these?

7. I gave our dog, Bella, a bath last night and the doggie shampoo wasn't nearby, so I used the girls' coconut Suave all-in-one shampoo. LOL! She is super soft and shiny today.

Hope everyone has a great day!!

Sweet Awards

I've gotten a few awards recently, so I thought I'd share them with you all. I award them all to you if you are reading this!

Veronica gave me this "sweet" one. Thanks, Veronica!! I'm supposed to list 10 things that make me happy and try to do one of those things today.
10 Things that Make me Happy: (and I've already done several of them today) :)

1. Drinking a cup of coffee in the morning.
2. Reading emails from sweet friends.
3. Books that challenge me.
4. Learning about God/Jesus.
5. When I hear about others answered prayers.
6. Spending time with Morgan and the girls.
7. Music.
8. Realizing God has plans for me.
9. Eating good food.
10. Life!

Lauren gave my blog this one for being "over the top". Thanks, Lauren!!
It had a fun survey to answer:

1.Where is your cell phone? in my purse
2. Your hair? messy
3. Your mother? loving
4. Your father? gentle
5. Your favorite food? mexican, pizza, cheeseburgers, chocolate - no wonder I've gained weight!
6. Your dream last night? can't remember one
7. Your favorite drink? Diet Cherry Coke
8. Your dream/goal? follow God's plan/purpose for me
9. What room are you in? living room
10. Your hobby? reading, singing
11. Your fear? traveling long distances
12. Where do you want to be in six years? serving God in some way
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. Something that you aren't? outgoing
15. Muffins? blueberry
16. Wish list item? fearlessness
17. Where did you grow up? Baytown, TX
18. Last thing you did? look for a new book to read
19. What are you wearing? PJ's
20. Your TV? I usually watch what everyone else is watching, but I love Young & the Restless.
21. Your pets? Bella, a chihuahua and Hannah, a springer spaniel
22. Friends? Awesome
23. Your life? blessed
24. Your mood? excited for the future
25. Missing someone? always
26. Vehicle? black
27. Something you're not wearing? jewelry
28. Your favorite store? Target
29. Your favorite color? Hot Pink
30. When was the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Last night, because my book was so funny. See post below!
32. Your best friend?(s) In real life, Morgan and Jennifer. That I've never met, Veronica and all of you!
33. One place that I could go over and over? Church and Starbucks.
34. One person who emails you regularly? Veronica
35. Favorite place to eat? Lots of favorites!

Jenilee gave my blog this award for being encouraging. Thank you so much, Jenilee!

Thank you so much, ladies, for these awards! I feel honored to be thought of for them and so glad to have such wonderful blog friends!

I am a New Creation!

Today, my sweet friend Joye, is doing "The Touch of Christmas" on her blog. She said we can even write about how Jesus has touched our lives and so I thought I would write about that.

I can't even put into words what this year has meant for me. I was saved as a little girl at church camp when I was 11, and I've asked myself, what is so different about now as compared to all the years prior, regarding my relationship with God? What is it about this year that has made me so passionate about Him? I know the answer to that question..........it has been having a real relationship with Jesus, and truly understanding why He came to earth, and why He died for me. He was born just so that He could die for me! And for you!

It is a love story. It is exciting! It is life-changing. And the effects of it on my family have been amazing to watch. I have been touched by His love and it is powerful and overwhelming.

I hadn't had much chance to listen to Leeland's new album yet, but they played several of the songs at their concert. Well, when I heard their song, "New Creation", I loved it! Every time I play it now, Kaylee sings along, "I am a new creation. I have been born again!" It is such an exciting song and it perfectly describes what has happened in my life this year!

So, I hope you'll listen to it and the words and get excited along with me about how Jesus has touched my life this year!!!!

Just like the song says, He pulled me up from the mud and His pure love set me free. I am not afraid. A love pure and holy has set me free. I am a new creation!! For Behold! The old has passed away. (There's that "behold!" that we talked about at church on Sunday)

When I talk about him pulling me up from the mud, it was bad. I don't think anyone who knows me even really knows how much I needed saving. For 4 years, I slowly slipped deeper and deeper into a pit after my Mom died. It was so bad that I could barely leave the house to go pick up the girls from school. Even doing that made me extremely nervous and physically ill. The thought of even trying to go to church at the beginning of this year made me sick. Just think about something that you are terrified of (spiders, snakes, sky-diving, heights) and think about that immediate panic feeling you get, think about the cold sweat and sickness you feel in the pit of your stomach......that was me back then. And to top it all off, add the fact that I was embarrassed about it and was hiding it from everyone and trying to pretend I was fine. I would make myself go places and then it would take me days to recover from the stress and exhaustion of it all.

So, when I say I am a new creation, there couldn't be words more true! I am a living example of what Jesus' touch can do in a person's life!!

Christmas Memories

I had good intentions of linking up with Lynnette the other day to share our Christmas traditions, but never had a chance to. Today, my friend Christy Rose tagged me to share my Christmas memories and traditions, so I think this will be fun!

I am supposed to tag 5 people.......if you have time, please join in! I know lots of you are busy right now, so please write your own post if you would like to and then let me know so I can make sure to read it! Besides, you know I'd have to tag everyone, because I can't stand the thought of anyone feeling left out :(

Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I have a horrible memory. I just don't remember things for some reason. I don't really remember any specific thing that I got for Christmas growing up, except for my first bicycle when I was about 6. It actually snowed on Christmas and I insisted that my Dad go out with me and teach me how to ride!

Both sets of my grandparents lived in the same town about an hours drive away when I was growing up, before we moved to Baytown. So, my parents and I would open our presents on Christmas Eve, Santa would come Christmas morning, and then we would drive to see my grandparents. We always had Christmas when we got there with my Mom's parents and then that evening, we would go over to my Dad's parents. Then we would spend the night at my Mom's parent's house and usually go back home the next day or so.

All those years of opening presents and I couldn't tell you one single thing that I remember getting. But, what I do remember is my MeMe always meeting us at the back door with her apron on. I remember how my Granny always had those silver icicles that she hung on her tree. I remember that it was never, ever a chore for us to get together. We loved each other's company and the love in each of those families.......well, I wish somehow I could've bottled it up back then and just let a little out each Christmas, just so I could have that feeling back again. Christmas was never about the gifts back then. It was always about family and love.

Once I got married, we would do Christmas Eve with my parents and Christmas Day with Morgan's parents, just to make it easier. I made a rule too once I had my girls. We would never spend Christmas away from home, so that Santa could come to our house. Now that my Dad lives 4 hours away, we have to either go there before or after Christmas or they have to come here. It's not always easy. The first year, we went there. The past two years, they've come here. This year, we have no plans to go there and they have no plans to come here. It's just really hard when you have a limited amount of days, I don't like to travel, and my Stepmom works full-time. It stresses me out more than I even want to think about.

I am excited this year to have Christmas Day with Zoey. This is her first Christmas and I just feel that Christmas really is for the kids. I couldn't care less if I get one gift. I just want to be with my family and have fun and make memories. I can't wait to see what she does with all of her presents and how the girls will react to her. She's such a precious baby girl! I bet we will get some really cute photos of them!

One thing we started the year that my Mom died, our first Christmas without her, is that we started watching "Christmas Vacation" every Christmas Eve. We would always watch that movie at some point, every year, during the holidays, but now we make a point to do it on Christmas Eve. That first year, it was just my Dad that came over and I think we were all so lost without my Mom that we just needed something to do, so that we didn't just end up staring at each other or crying, so we watched that movie. It was also our first Christmas in this house. Now, it's a tradition and it cracks me up every single time I watch it!! :D

Another thing we do now is make Christmas cookies and decorate them, on Christmas Eve, for Santa. Each girl gets to choose a cookie they made to put on the plate for Santa, along with a glass of milk. We usually sprinkle some reindeer food out on the front lawn for the reindeer too. I love seeing their faces when they see that Santa ate their cookies and the reindeer ate their food! I also love the excitement of when they come downstairs and see what Santa left for them. That is one thing that I do remember about Christmas from when I was little......I remember the excitement of hearing about Santa's sleigh, and where he was on the map, and going to sleep knowing that he would visit. It was just so magical, like a fairytale, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

This is the first year that we've been in church during Christmas. I am excited for the Leeland concert Friday, and the Christmas program at a local church that we are traveling to with our church on Christmas Eve. This Sunday, they are also having a kid's Christmas party. I am looking forward to the message Sunday too. I love our church. It's a new family for us.

I love seeing Christmas through the eyes of my girls. I love their excitement of decorating the tree, Christmas parades, baking cookies, gifts given with love, the miracle of snow in Texas! I love that this year, I am truly realizing the gift that was given to me through my savior, Jesus Christ. Still, this time of year is just such a reminder to me of all that I have lost. As hard as I try, I just can't get used to the idea of my Mom not being here anymore and I have to admit that it makes me sad during this time of year. I wish my girls had gotten to know their MeMe. I do know that the one thing I will always remember about Christmas was feeling loved and that is what I want my girls to remember too!

ABC's Thanksgiving Style

My friend, Christy Rose, did this on her blog and it looked like fun. You have to think of a word for each letter of the alphabet of something you are thankful for.



A- Adoption
B- Blog friends
C- Chocolate
D- Doggies, Bella and Hannah
E- Every day that I'm blessed with
F- Friends and Family
G- Girls (Madison, Kaylee, and Lily)
H- Husband (Morgan)
I- Internet Connection
J- Jesus
K- Kindness of others
L- Lifepoint Church and Lifegroup
M- Movies that make me laugh
N- Non-fiction stories that inspire me
O- Out of this world, yummy food that we're eating tomorrow
P- Prayer
Q- Questions that led me to the Word
R- Reading Good Christian Books
S- Starbucks Coffee
T- Treasured writings left by my Mom
U- Unconditional love
V- Veronica :D
W- Worship Music
X- Xtracurricular Activities
Y- Young & the Restless
Z- Zero reasons to complain

That was fun! We are going to my MIL's house tomorrow who lives only 15 minutes away. It'll just be Morgan's parents, our family, and his brother's family, which includes my little niece Zoey. Yay! I hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving!!

Things That Brighten my Day!

Becca, over at Made with Love, tagged me as one of the blogs that brighten her day!

The rules are that you are supposed to list 10 things that make you happy (and try to do one of those things today). I tag you all......this was a fun one and goes right along with reminding ourselves how much we have to be thankful for!

Well, there are so many things that brighten my day. In addition to reading all of your blogs, keeping up with facebook, watching The Young & the Restless, crafting, emails from my friends, and Starbucks coffee, here are 10 things that make me really happy too!!!
1. Music that is AWESOME! I love to sing, and I cannot live without my daily dose of worship music!! This is my favorite song off the new David Crowder Band CD.



2. Hearing the garage door open at the end of the day, because that means Morgan is home :)
3. Sharing my chair with my little buddy, Bella.
4. Spending the day with my best little friend, Lily. She keeps me laughing, that's for sure! Today, she told me I looked like a boy with lipstick on. That was because my hair was wrapped up in a towel and I was putting my makeup on. Then, when I took the towel off, she says, "Oh, now you look like a girl." Thanks, sweetie! :D

5. My sweet Kaylee, who tells me she loves me at least 5 times a day. I took this picture before school this morning. She has her backpack on, ready to go.

6. My fashionista, Madison. This was also this morning. She was modeling her new boots we got her this weekend. She is growing up, but is still my sweet and kind little girl.

7. God's love shown through answered prayers. Poor little Hannah was run over right in front of Morgan's eyes last night, and God answered his prayers with a miracle. No broken bones, no internal injuries. Both of her left paws are so sore she can barely walk on them, and her left hind quarter had to have stitches and a drain tube. Doesn't she look so pitiful with her giant cone? She's like, "Can someone please tell me what in the world this thing is on my head?!!"

8. Reading a great book! I LOVE to read mostly non-fiction. I love learning things from other people's stories. I love to read Christian books that teach me and inspire me to grow in my faith. I would much rather read a good book than watch TV. I get so excited when I read something that really speaks to me!

9. Going to church is something I really look forward to now every Sunday. I look forward to what songs we will sing and how God may speak to me through the message and what I will learn. I love hearing about what the girls learn. It's a great family day too. Just thinking about the fact that I have a church where I feel like I belong brightens my day!
10. I really love our small group/lifegroup too! We are becoming a family, and I look forward to our meetings every week. We eat together and then we do our bible study. The kids get to play upstairs while we do our thing downstairs and it works out great!

I could probably list a million things that brighten my day, but I think 10 was long enough! That was fun! Hope you join in too! And everyone........Have a great Thanksgiving!!!