A Sure Sign of Greatness

At Sophie's last 15 month check-up, I asked about whether I should be practicing her spoon and fork skills yet. "Oh no, not really. That's a 18 month skill," her doctor replied.

Weelllll, let's just say, at 17 months, my daughter has shown her greatness. She's a master with the spoon. It probably doesn't help that we started off with mashed potatoes (loaded with butter and sour cream) and ended with a dessert of chocolate pudding. I'm guessing if I gave her a spaghetti noodle to eat with, she probably would have figured out a way to make it work for her. Anyway, shall I say onto potty training??

Diggin' In

Stirring....

Bite!

Puddin' Mouth

Love Hate Relationship

I have a love hate relationship with....

I love their fraps. I love their iced coffee.
I hate their $4 a cup prices.
I hate their little coffee house squashing bigness.
I love their convenience.

And I found out a new "I love".
I love their Free Picks of the Week on Tuesdays.

UGH! I hate to love it! : ) My hubs picked up a free itunes download card the last time we visited a Starbucks. It was for Jack Johnson's single "At or With Me" (who doesn't love Jack?) which after downloading it, has now become my fun summer song of 2010. I just love it!

Just for more useless info....I also downloaded (not for free)
"I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz
"Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg
"Fallin' For You" and "You Got Me" by Colbie Caillat

Try 'em out! Thanks Starbucks....I think.

My Prayer Today

"Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." James 2:17
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." James 1:22

James will give it to you straight. It usually steps directly on my toes, anyway.

Lately, Boog and I have been pondering our "works" here on earth. When we come to the end, and stand before God, what will He have to say about our lives? Will He say, "Well, done good and faithful servant?" or " Look what you missed" or "Here's a time when I told you...." or "Thank you for listening to My prodding there"......or the worst (I think)
"Why didn't you (blank)?"

I specifically remember two instances in my life that have left their marks. One where I listened to God about an action. One where I didn't. The first, I was sitting in church a year ago, minding my own business. And He hit me. God told me to do something very specific for someone I barely knew. Immediately, I got up and did what I was told. I knew without a shadow of a doubt God placed that specific action on my heart, and I know He was blessed by it.

Then there was the other. Grace and I were sitting eating a dessert a few years ago...minding our own business. Two women sat next to us and glanced over and said, "hello". That was it. At that very moment, I had the most unexplainable pounding in my heart. I knew God was wanting me to strike up a conversation ..... talk to them about Him. It was a huge urge. Like no other I'd had before. It was a matter of eternity. But I was too weak. I was a coward and that will always remain with me. (I'm absolutely sure I'll hear about it again, one day.)

It's that fear....the fear of not listening to His command of being a "doer of the word"..... that is making me question why I'm not doing more. Giving more. Giving up more. Living less for myself and more for Him. Putting my heart and self out there purely for His glory and being fulfilled as a human and child of God. He made us vessels to be filled and poured out...so why am I not pouring out until I need to be filled again and again and again and again? I'm quite sure I'm not pouring that quick.

Dear Lord, please do not let neither my husband nor I rest until we can figure out just how we can pour out so quick, that our lives, energy, and human bodies cannot keep up!

A River Runs Through It

The Guadalupe River

One of my favorite movies of all time - A River Runs Through It. Of course, it's about a river in Montana. However, this little Guadalupe River in Texas served as our summer swimming hole for a week. Actually, it served 16 of us. My family. My sister's family. My dad. My in-laws. My nieces and nephew. The river almost seemed too small at times......almost.

It was craziness, peacefulness, wacky adventuring river rafting, and "RV'in" it all in one. It was fun and you can't beat the scenery of the Hill Country and no humidity or mosquitos! THAT makes me want to live there. We all had fun!

Our River Family

Cousins in Splashdown Mode


Ella and Grace

Our "Motorized" Boat

Sophie and the Rocks

Diggin' for Gold

Beautiful .....

Say "Hi" Sophie!

Tuckered Out on the Way Home

We took a million pictures, but these were some of the best. The girls slept 13 hours straight the night we got home. I guess a river adventure leaves them pooped. Me, too.

Happy Father's Day

Sophie: "Daddy, I am 17 months today! I love having you as my daddy. I really love when you give me hugs and kisses in the morning. I love it when you call me beautiful, and when you
toss me high in the air. I know you love me!"

Grace: "the fun thag/s or gams and jupeg the rele fun thag is that you or my daddy and i love you"

Happy Father's Day!!!

Losing My Way (and Heart)

I'll admit it.

These past few months I have considered blogging a chore. Something I have to do. A burden of 'needing to update'. And it shows....in my writing, in my half-hearted posts, letting pictures do all the talking. My absent heart so apparent in each post. But also, these past few months, I have considered my quiet time a chore. Something I have to do. A burden. Oh alright, I'll say it. A chore. Check it off my list, it's done for the day.

I'm not ashamed to admit it. I know each one of us has been here before. (I just happen to have a blog, that I update, therefore I let you in on my little secrets sometimes.)

I took a look back at my blog, back in August of 2008 when I was pregnant with Sophie, and I had just started my "Journey Through the Bible" updates. At the end of every post, I'd add some thoughts about my reading through the Old Testament, hoping to use my blog as an accountability measure of sorts. It lasted through December of 2008.... then Sophie was born. Then it was gone. Moms, I know you've been there.

I can't blame Sophie. But I do know that I have to admit it, go before my Lord, and admit the way I've treated Him lately. Not lately, "a lotly" (not a word, I know.)
I've made Him fit into my schedule. I've put house stuff before Him. I've put my physical fitness above Him. I've put my children above Him. I've put my "Flo time" above Him. And I've made the Lord I once knew fairly well, a side note.

I've started reading through the Psalms and taking it slow and easy. I feel like I'm lamenting right along with David and the others. Begging the Lord to not lose faith in me. Begging him to still show me favor from my enemies. I'm stepping back into this relationship as one would step into frigid water. I know how HE feels about it - He has open arms.

But I'm scared I'll allow myself to slip away again.

I love Jesus. He's made me a better person.
Through Him I know I can love my family and others better.
If I can just hold onto that thought, it might get me back on top of the mountain and out of this valley.

Things I Love About 6

Grace, riding her bike "gracefully" through our neighborhood!

I do love the age 6.
When Grace was born, I kept on saying...."No, this is my favorite month"....then a few months later when she was doing new things I would say, "No, this is my favorite stage" and so on.

I skipped age 3. That was not my favorite.
Too many spanking opportunities.
But 4 was great. 5 was superb. But six! It's even better. She can read (but not well enough for me to quit s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g out things I don't want her to hear). She can shower by herself (now getting her in the shower is another story.) She helps so much with Sophie. Nearly every diaper change, she follows me with a bag to put the stinky in....love that! She still is young enough to want to hold my hand in public, but old enough to follow simple rules of safety. She can get a drink or snack on her own which is a huge help when I'm in the midst of Sophie's whatever at the moment. She makes her bed most mornings (with my prompting, of course, its a skill we're working on!). Anyway, there's so much to love at six.....I just am thankful that God gave us these past six years to enjoy. Love you Gracie girl!

We're Not in Kansas Anymore...

So the other night, my hubs left at 9pm to go to his sister's house, just a neighborhood block away, to get his watch that he had left. As he was driving, he noticed a shadow and took a closer look.....

it was this....

An 8.5 foot alligator....dead, of course.

EEEKKKKKKK!!!!! He called his sister's family to come take a look. Once they poked it a few times, and made sure it was really dead, they had a little fun.

Only my brother-in-law.......

Now, we don't see these that often. Never, really. Our neighborhoods border Cedar Creek Lake, and as all lakes do, it has its share of swampy lands surrounding it where these friendly little guys just love to live .

I wasn't too thrilled knowing these guys are around. It's not like a little grass snake slithered into our porch (I would be dying if that happened too!) Nonetheless, it did add some excitement around here. Boog called the Gamewarden and by daylight, the creature had been picked up.

I bet he's been turned into a pretty nice pair of boots by now!

"Wimmin"...

Nothing says summertime like going "wimmin" in Mimi and Papaw's pool. At least two or three, possibly four, times a week, we'll load up the car and head to "Wonderland" as Grace sometimes calls it. Why wouldn't she? It's non-stop swimming, or tractoring, or golf carting, or animal watching or chocolate chip cookie makin' wonderful! If fact, there's not alot of this going on .....

.......crying. Sophie's only crying to get back into the water!

Water Beauty!

Sophie Loves It!

Certified Peewee Pool Cleaner

Action Shot!

I've officially been summering for one week now, and all my mouth ulcers from the school year are vaminos! (Yeah....who'd of thought school could be so stressful?) Boog's taking to his summer vacation pretty nicely, as well, although I will say it's been a little adjustment having to, I mean getting to, see each other this much. I dare say we might need a little separation just to keep the "spark" going in our marriage! But it's great and we're heading down to Guadalupe State Park next week for a little river action.

Happy summering to you!

Lonestar Lawncare

Funny story. (Steph, you'll remember this one) In college, Boog had many different jobs. The ones I remember were working at a golf course, a horse barn, a winery, a feed store, and many, many more that I don't remember. There was a time though, when he decided to venture out and start his own lawncare company. He had just finished a job installing a sprinkler system for one of his Professors, so naturally, why not make a part-time job out of it?

Enter Lonestar Lawncare.

Well, word got out, and while looking for his first client, my roommate's dad asked if Boog would work on his lawn. Boog took a quick look at his wooded lot, and said, "Nah....too many trees".

Exit Lonestar Lawncare.

Thankfully, Boog didn't found his education on lawn maintanence. But he did learn a few tips that have come in handy at our homes of past and present. So today, he spent the day putting in beds/mulch on our own lawn.

Laying the Outline

Hard Workin' Man ( while I watched and brought him Gatorade!)


Almost done....now we need to plant things. That's another day!

Let the Festivities Begin!

Sum-sum-summer time!
It's Week 1 of our family summer break. This is the first time in the history of our married life that Boog & I have this much time off together. I guess being teachers does have its perks. (Well, talk to me after our 8 week vacation together....I hope we'll still be speaking to each other.) So far, we've been swimming more times than I can count, , it's gotten hhhooooottt outside, and Boog and I are already talking about possibly being ready to tackle the mile long list of home renovations. We'd taken a (much needed) break after The Shack, but these brown paneled walls are about to meet their match. I'm ready to get back into renovation-world!

Can't Be Summer Without Sprinkler Fun


Lovin' Sophie's Good Morning Moods!

Grace Will Attend Art Camp Again This Summer

Messy Crew in the Morning (love it!)

Happy Summer to All!