Mother of the Year right here

So, my girls returned from a visit with Grammy and Granddaddy yesterday about 1:00pm.  By 8:00pm, I had  
1. careened Brenna's head into a pole
2. ran over Brenna's big toe with the shopping cart
3. smashed Piper's shins with the shopping cart
4. slammed Piper's fingers (hand) in the car door.

Needless to say, they were both anxious to go to sleep last night.  Just for the safety of their soft, padded beds, if nothing else.

A nice little Getaway!

In the peak of Relay season, Groupon offered a little getaway that seems really feasible for Josh and I pull off.  We both felt we needed a break and happily take a discount on a fairly nearby escape.  So we purchased our Groupon to this place.  Josh booked our mini vacation right before we left for camp.  Little did we know how perfect the timing would be.  As God would have it, Josh started his new job the day we returned from this trip.

 Friendliest ranch you'll ever be on!

 The beginning of sunrise.

 The view from the front porch.  At 5:00am, Josh and I came out to this spot to watch a wonderful, and much needed storm. (Those pictures didn't turn out.)

 Elizabeth giving Red a "cookie"

 a view from the Hilton Hide

 The Hilton Hide's Lookout

 Ms. Elizabeth (Ridge had gone to work already before we got a picture.)

 The Lodge

Neither of us have been to a Bed and Breakfast so we were a little unsure of what to expect.  I cannot say enough good things about this place.  We had the most wonderful relaxing couple of days possible.  Ridge and Elizabeth were the perfect hosts, making us feel quite welcome in their home and giving us the freedom to do what we wanted.  Their faith is evident in the lives in such a refreshing way.  It is apparent their every decision is led by where and what they believe the Lord wants them to be.  Their desire is to offer a retreat for those in full time ministry.  If you are involved in ministry, please contact them about their discounted rates. 

I am looking forward for the opportunity to return with our girls!

I found these on the camera

 I just can't even tell you how much I love finding these things!!  I feel like these are little snapshots into their lives.  I particularly love it when the girls take pictures of their world so I can see from their perspective.

Entertainment

 "Pile of stuff, stuff and more stuff"

 "Leaning tower of books, books and more books"  You KNOW this isn't going to end well.

 Who didn't see that coming?

 Make overs one night.  It started with the girls putting make up on me.  I'd do anything to get to lay in my bed and close my eyes, just for a bit, after work.

 Go ahead, click on it.  See my lovely make over.

 Dad got in on the action, but was not a recipient.  He wants to make sure you all know that.

Sweet, silly girls!

Finally!

 Pipes has been waiting for this moment for nearly a year and half now!  It didn't help that big sister lost her first one when she was 4 (nearly 5, but 4 none the less).

She left a picture and a book under her pillow for the tooth fairy, along with the tooth in a bag.  Big sis wrote "please leave $3."  Yeah, that didn't happen.  She's still happy.

...and I'm back!

Sorry I've neglected this blog for so long.  It isn't that I don't have anything to say (I ALWAYS have something to say!), I just haven't taken the time to do it.  Did you know they even changed the format a little since I was here last?  That is embarrassing!!

It seems like too much time has passed since Relay and Camp, but let me assure you; they were both a great success and enormously fun!! I'm looking forward to both again next year!


Our summer routine is falling into place.  I still work 3 days a week, so the girls get to have grand adventures with our babysitter, whom we all love!  So, so, so thankful for another godly girl who we can trust our girls to during the summer.  God is good to us.  They go to movies, parks, the library and the pool.  And that is only in the first two weeks of the summer.  Of course, this leaves our level of entertainment expectation rather high on those other 2 days of week.  Sorry to disappoint, but I do. :)

I don't think these guys look too bored.

 I love this one...C is not even touching the ground.  And look at S's legs...and yes, I sent him home looking like that. It was payback.  Their mama knows what I am talking about. :)

 No one loved the actual sprinkler part of it.  Really, they just liked the mud it created.

I think we are going to have a great summer!

Faith and Plan B

This is a motto that one of my besties from college and I quoted for most of our college career.  It has served me well and provided peace when life feels a little unknown.

Plan B for Relay has been set into place.

Because of the high rain potential, we have made the decision to move our event into the Field House.

Come join us Friday night!
Opening Ceremonies kick off at 7:00pm.  We will honor and remember those who have battled cancer, enjoy some great music, do some service projects, and eat great food.

Bring cash and comfortable shoes!

THIS is causing me angst...
because of this....

I need to head here...

Morning rituals

I love to start my day on our back porch with a good book and a cup of coffee. I do this as often as I can. Odds are, on the rare days I am in a bad mood, I have NOT been on my porch that morning. Something about watching day break and listening to the neighborhood waking up puts me at peace. Usually the girls are still asleep when I go back in the house and start getting our stuff gathered for the day. But this morning, B came out the back door with her blanket and a book. She went back in for a glass of milk.

Shortly, P was standing at the backdoor. When she saw us, she went and got her blanket and a book.

I couldn't ask for a better start to our day. I am blessed and peaceful!!

Love this girl's smile!

Love this girl's sense of style, confidence, and independence!!

Life after Relay

I hope to have one...a life after Relay, that is.
(I'd love for you to donate to this great cause if you are interested.)

And hopefully then, I will get back to blogging. In the meantime, I leave you with this...





Happy Mother's Day to me (and you)!!!

Parental advice requested

So...As my girls were piling in the van a few days ago, the little one says to the big one: "[A certain boy in her class] says I am hot."

("Hot" was spoken in three syllables, by the way And, as a reminder, the little one is 5. F.I.V.E. five.)

I throw out to the back seat that it is indeed a warm day. Both girls at the same time start telling me (in their own words) that he meant he loves her/likes her. I asked P what she said back to the boy and she said she ignored him. I was thankful for that, but she still heard it and processed it.

So, what do we do? What do we, as mothers of young, (very young), children do about how sexualized our world is? I don't know how to protect her, or arm her, for it at the age of 5. Do I ignore it? I feel like I am ignoring a teachable moment, but I don't know what to teach. Do I tell her that she is beautiful and sweet and smart and kind and a child of God? (This is what I did.) Do I begin THE discussion about boys and girls? (She's 5, folks) Do I tell her to tattle on the little boy or never play with him again? Do I tattle on him myself? Can I thump him in the back of the head? I know I can't do that and I don't really even want to. He isn't the problem. But he is a wake up call for me.

Here is where you get to tell me your thoughts on all this. I'd love to hear from all of you, but I am really interested in those who have walked this path already and successfully come out of the other side.

Relay For Life

My Reason to Relay

I Relay for my mom.

I Relay for my sister.

I Relay for my Grandma Berry.

I Relay for my Grandfather.

I Relay for my family that has heard this diagnosis too many times.

I Relay because I want to see an end to cancer during my lifetime.

I Relay because I want my grandchildren to talk about cancer the way my generation talks about small pox or polio...a thing of the past.

Relay gives me the unique opportunity to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and support the American Cancer Society's lifesaving mission by fighting back against a disease that has already taken too much. Relay is a PROACTIVE way to deal with disease. I don't have to be at it's mercy. I can do something about it. WE can do something.

Please support my efforts to fight back against cancer by making a donation or joining our Relay For Life team.

Your efforts will help the American Cancer Society fund groundbreaking cancer research, provide up-to-date cancer information, advocate for all people to have access to screening and treatment, and offer free programs and services to improve the quality of life for people facing cancer. By being a part of Relay, we are joining a worldwide movement to help defeat cancer for future generations.

Last year alone, Oklahoman's raised over 4 Million dollars for cancer research and patient services. Please help us do it again this year.

Go here to be taken to my ACS Relay for Life page and make a safe, tax friendly donation.

So, my 5 year old dresses herself. By that, I mean, she chooses her own clothing. She has as long as I can remember, simply because her sister wore me down. Brenna was very particular on her clothing based on a texture issue she used to have. Piper is more of a free spirit and just wears what she wants. As is evident here and here and here.

So, today she comes in my bedroom fully dressed in an outfit that actually goes together. It was a white t-shirt with pink bands around the arms and neck and a pink flamingo on the chest. The pants were capris in green with the exact same pink flamingo scattered on them. She had on white sandals with pink trim. She stands in front of me, cocks her hip and says "What do you think?" I said I thought it looked great. She drops her arms and says "I think it is hideous!" Then drops her head and walks out of my room.

She ended up leaving the house (after 3 entire wardrobe changes) in a shirt and skirt that have no business being together, but are somehow tied together by the shoes!

Someday she is going to have a name in fashion. I just hope it is a good one!

I heart Spring

We have some beautiful trees in our local park.
I love to see the Bradford Pears and Redbuds bloom, even it is means pungent smells and lots of sneezes.

Stars, stars, everywhere

Brenna is the star student of her class this week. Each student gets a turn and is selected by random drawing. Brenna has prayed every Thursday night since returned after Christmas break that she would be the star student. Finally, her name was drawn.

She was sent home with a big fill-in-the-blank poster about herself. She completed the entire thing by herself. With NO help from me or dad or any of the grandparents that have been around lately.

She said she is special because she is good at math. She shows kindness by helping others in math. 3 things you should know about her: 1. she has a hole in her ear. 2. she gave up her paci at 18 months (not true or interesting really) 3. She has lost 9 teeth. (I'm not entirely sure this was number 3, but I do know she has been bragging about that for a while so it is an educated guess.) She can read like a 5th grader. (Which according to the test as school is a true statement. We'll work on humility soon. Very soon.)

She also got to take something for show and tell. She took a cow bone. A. Cow. Bone. (Thanks, Damma and Dampa) She couldn't be happier or more proud!

And Piper thinks she is a star. As only a star could pull off this outfit!!! (Yes, those are capri pants. With cowboy boots.)

The park is finished!

And I think we are going to love it!!

Well, surprise, surprise, surprise-UPDATED

So, you know my parents are moving closer to us and have found a place to live. But you may not know that when they came out earlier this month, they brought about 80% of their earthly goods, which now sit in storage. They spent 2 months packing and cleaning and painting their whole house. Then, in one weekend loaded up most of it and drove west. They locked the truck on a Sunday night and pulled in my driveway around 2:30 Tuesday afternoon. Needless to say (but I am going to say it anyway), they have worked really hard for a long time!

After being in town 2 hours, they had a verbal contract on the buildings. We were on an unbelievable high! They had planned on spending the next two weeks driving all over our great state to find their dream house. God is good, all the time! So, after returning to my house, we decided to go out to eat and start dreaming about how their house would be laid out. We were standing in our driveway (which was filled by a 24 foot U-Haul) talking to my neighbor. As we were talking, we heard meowing. Dad looked under the U-Haul to talk back to the stray cats that live at our house. He didn't see anything and went back to the conversation. The meowing continued and I was surprised because the cats who reside at our house (no, I'm still not really taking ownership) don't talk very much. I bend down and look and see nothing. Dad looks again..still nothing. As he stands back up, his head gets closer to the U-Haul and the meowing gets louder. Dad turns to Mom with a horrified look on his face, then bursts out laughing, literally slapping the side of his head! He tells me to get a bowl of water and some cat food and he opens up the back of the truck. Inside is a cat that Mom and Dad had seen in their neighborhood when they were loading the truck. On Sunday. This was Tuesday!!!

This poor little cat drank an entire bowl of water and ate a bowl of food faster than I've ever seen. And when they opened the back door, his poor little eyes were so bothered by the bright light, he would hardly open them.

He had no problem with us holding him, never tried to run away and purred with just a little affection. Dad went and bought some kitty litter and it turns out the things was house broken!! I kept laughing at how bizarre the whole thing was until I got a very clean mental image of some little girl looking all over the neighborhood for "Mittens". Then it was just sad....well, still a little funny.

Mittens (Mom named him after her childhood cat who look similar) lived in our garage for a few days (with one play day with a potential owner, who named him Tux.). He never made a mess, but he sure did meow a lot. I'm not sure how my parents didn't hear him when they turned the truck off.

Friday morning, we took him to the local Animal Shelter. They said they would check him for a microchip. If he didn't have one, they would contact the "jurisdiction from which the cat traveled" and see if anyone reported a lost kitty. Mom and Dad's neighbors are looking for signs posted in the neighborhood. If no one reports him, Mittens Buckeye will be placed for adoption here. (The Animal Shelter renamed him as a tribute to his home state.)

Here is Mittens Tux Buckeye.

This isn't a great picture, but he was one sweet kitten!!! I am confident he will find a great home!

I got a text over the weekend telling me Mittens has a home! My sweet friends parents decided they needed to adopt the lost little kitten. He She will have a pretty sweet life after all her travels, with lots of love and room to play. Let's hope she learned something from this grand adventure and will stay out of big moving vans.

I need to find out what her new name is. :)

I'm curious

What are your thoughts on this article?

ORLANDO, Florida — Some public school parents in Edgewater, Florida, want a first-grade girl with life-threatening peanut allergies removed from the classroom and home-schooled, rather than deal with special rules to protect her health, a school official said.

"That was one of the suggestions that kept coming forward from parents, to have her home schooled. But we're required by federal law to provide accommodations. That's just not even an option for us," said Nancy Wait, spokeswoman for the Volusia County School District.

Wait said the 6-year-old's peanut allergy is so severe it is considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

To protect the girl, students in her class at Edgewater Elementary School are required to wash their hands before entering the classroom in the morning and after lunch, and rinse out their mouths, Wait said, and a peanut-sniffing dog checked out the school during last week's spring break.

Wait said school leaders will meet this week with parents to address concerns and try to halt inaccurate rumors that children's mouths were being wiped with disinfectant.

Chris Burr, a father of two older students at the school whose wife has protested at the campus, said a lot of small accommodations have added up to frustration for many parents.

"If I had a daughter who had a problem, I would not ask everyone else to change their lives to fit my life," said Burr.

Attempts to reach the girl's parents for comment on Monday were unsuccessful.

It makes me angry and sad.

Great News!

I'm just not even going to address how negligent I have been on this blog.

I have wonderful, happy news!! After years of dreaming and praying, my parents are officially moving here!!

After the election in November, we have been make serious, concrete plans for them to come back this way. They thought they found the perfect place in a small town north of here, but that wasn't meant to be. So, since January I have spent my free time looking for another option for them. This isn't as easy as one might think.

My parents have a very clear picture of what they want (and I don't blame them). This is, Lord willing, their last house and they absolutely deserve what they want. What they want is not a 3b/2b on a cookie cutter street. They want a warehouse that will be a clean slate for them to dream and create their own unique home. I have visited nearly a dozen small towns in our area. Some had buildings for sale, some did not. Some had real potential, most did not. Dad would get of Google Maps and see if something caught his eye and I'd go check it out in person. I did enjoy these day trips while the girls were in school, and sometimes I even had a friend or two go along.

Several weeks ago, I found a couple that had real potential. They were not for sale, but were not being used for much more than storage. I gave Dad the addresses and the owners contact information (thank you World Wide Web). I continued my search and Dad kept the number handy, but didn't act on it. As time got closer for their visit here, Dad decided he should just call and see what would happen. He wasn't able to reach the owner by phone, so he sent an email stating his interest in their property and asked for a return call. A return call came the next day. The couple who owned the building said they has just decided in the last week or so that they were ready to sell the building. Had my dad called when we first found them, they might have been ready to sell. God's timing is amazing. Dad and the couple arranged to meet when my parents got in town.

My folks pulled in at 2:30pm on Tuesday. At 4:00pm, we were walking through the property. At 4:30pm, we were shaking hands on the sidewalk with a sale price that made everyone happy. It is so evident that God was working in all this, not just the timing, but all of it. The couple are Christians and we have many mutual friends. Once we made that connection, everything just felt right.

So, in just a few weeks, they will be living within 30 minutes of us. I just can't tell you how happy that makes me.

Here is a shot of the 2 buildings they purchased. (Did I mention they bought two right beside each other?) They may look rough now, but I absolutely can not wait to see what Mom and Dad do to them. It is going to be a grand adventure!!

You have GOT to be kidding me!!!!!

Yes, our warranty is up at 60,000.
Yes, I took the van to the dealership 2 days (20 miles) ago to get it checked out.
Yes, it had a clean a bill of health.

This has to be some kind of joke. Some sick kind of joke.