Good times in Winters, TX

Here are a few shots of what has happened this week. We're having a lovely time waiting for our house to be finished. I miss my husband!

Abundant Life

12 years ago today the Lord so graciously saved me. Such a short sentence, but it speaks volumes. At the age of 16, I was so lost in my sins, and the Lord opened my eyes and revealed the Lord Jesus Christ to me. Praise His name!

John 10:10 says, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

I do have life. Abundantly. Hugely. Eternal life. And it's nothing that I've done to deserve it. Quite the contrary. Jesus died for my sins. What a glorious thing to know. I'll close with a quote I found in a book this morning (how appropriate!):

"Christianity means knowing and trusting Christ as a living Person: it is a relationship which so captures both the mind and the heart of the believer that henceforth to know Christ, to esteem him and his words, becomes the very object of existence."

~Iain H. Murray

my kiddos

Big boy eating big boy food

some before pics of our house

I'm at my parents' house and am able to post some pictures. So, here's a HUGE update (in photos) on what all has transpired at our place. Enjoy:)

well said

While reading in my newest edition of Parenting, I came across this letter to the editor:

"Calling spanking "hitting" is like saying that surgeons stab people with knives- technically correct, but it's misleading. Just as a surgeon skillfully applies the scalpel, a well-applied and well-timed spanking is safe and effective. Any kind of abuse is wrong, but there's a difference between that and wise spanking."

I don't want to put the lady's name who wrote it, but I thought that was good- so I shared.

Celebrate good times, come on!

My dear girl, age 29.5 months old, may be what some might called "potty trained." But, like Grace said, it's kinda like walking. Even when they know how to walk, they'll still stumble. sigh. cry. shout. My girl is growing up. We told her that she's a big girl now and she said, then I'm gonna get married and have a baby. I'm gonna name him Joseph and feed him off my chest. Who knew it? :) I'm feeling a bit sentimental tonight. For the past two days she's worn "big girl pant&&s" and has woken up from both naps DRY. You should see me screaming for joy- it's quite hilarious. but, I don't care. I may never have to buy another princess pullup. (I recently bought a package of them but haven't had to open it yet. So, if we're ever in desperate need of 15 bucks, I can take it back to walmart;)

Update on the house:

The guys will be starting the painting on Monday. YAY.( The kiddos and I will be spending that week with my mom and dad in Winters. I think we'll have tons of fun together. My mom even said she'd prepare plenty of raw food for me AND treat me to Abuelos in Abilene. :))) We got to order the tile and the color grout we want and our carpet today. We payed half down. ouch. So, we're going to have to be frugal for a while around here. I like to think of myself as already that, but I know there are some things I can change.

Enough for now. I'm off to see who's done some posting... Ok, ladies. Don't let me down...

More pics of the wedding...

Can you believe it's working for me to post pics?? I'm on our laptop instead of our desktop. And it worked! Let's see if it will work yet again.

Our little flower girl

Happy 1 month of being married, Christy! Here's a pic of her with her flower girls. I think it's a sweet one:-).

The inevitable

It was bound to happen sooner or later. We went to Mi Familia tonight for some Mexican food and alas, I left little Joseph's favorite "toy." It was his red little plastic teaspoon. I'm just a bit saddened by it. He loved that thing. He'd clutch it in his sweaty hand and even take it to bed with him. I guess we're moving on. I quickly searched through Mikayla's kitchen toys and found him a white spoon. Not the same, but I guess it'll do the trick.

NEVER take a 29 month old girl who didn't get a nap, and a sleepy/hungry 7 month old boy to a restaurant that just opened and is very popular. NOT a good idea. Joseph (the smaller one) threw my tortillas on the floor. I just gave up, so I boxed up the food and ate here. The good news? It's just about a mile from our house. phew!

Have I ever been reading about Palin. One thing I do know I like about her is her first name. ahem. Grace called me last night and the first thing she said was, "so, what do you think of her?" I can't believe that MY sister would talk politics. She's pretty knowlegable (sp??).

Ok, enough small talk. Tomorrow we're going to a birthday bash and we're super excited. So, I'd better get my rest for that. ha!

good night.

Banana bread kind of day

Isn't it? The weather is so gorgeous today. Living in a bit of a newer home allows me to OPEN WINDOWS and let the air blow in. Very lovely. So, I got some ingredients out to make banana bread- after my nap (which I'm pretty sure is not going to happen...).

We hope to have an estimate turned in tomorrow on what we want done to our home. Hopefully the guys will be able to start on Monday.

I think it's a sign. I got an email today from GENGHIS GRILL with a 20% off coupon. Have you ever been there?? The food there is unbelievably good. sigh. Oh yeah. Grace lives really close to one of those restaurants. hmm...

What's new here?

*Mikayla likes to have the pullups with TWO princesses and not just one. Yes, she's still in pullups. Is she EVER going to be trained??????

*I have to pick a new color of paint for the kitchen and a new color for Joseph's room. They're too dark and it will end up costing us hundreds of dollars more (primers and more coats of paint= more labor= more money). I'd wanted "awning red" for the kitchen and "washed navy" for the other.

*I really like those antibacterial/cleaning wipes. They are GREAT. I highly recommend them. I especially enjoy using them to clean my bathroomS. You don't have to worry about a cleaner and a horribly dirty rag. Wipe it down and throw it away. perfect.

*I'm still reading in Genesis with Mikayla and Joseph. For my own reading I'm in the Psalms and in Nehemiah (an awesome book of the Bible!)

*We finally got our carpet shampooed in the Explorer. To put it mildly, it looked HORRENDOUS. Thankfully, it looks much better now.

*It's almost payday!

Enjoy your day, lovely ladies. The Lord has given us a beautiful one!

A place to call home

It finally happened. We closed on both homes. So now we're waiting on carpet and tile and for some guys to come out and give us an estimate on painting this house and doing some outdoor repairs. Phew!

We LOVE it here! It definitely feels like home now. Once we get it all painted, etc., I can hang up things on the walls and arrange furniture just like I want. (Renee, I loved the oreo analogy- pretty accurate!:)

I've got so many things milling around in my mind. So, I'll put a few of them out there:

*My sweet,sweet sister-in-law Misty is expecting another BABY!! :) Praise the Lord for that wonderful news.

*My mother and father-in-law live in Louisiana and are experiencing some bad weather. Right now they have no electricity. (I think it's been since last night)

*Everyone in our family has/will move this year. (CRAZY!)

*Grace and family are BUYING A HOME. Too bad it's in McKinney, but I'm very happy for them.

*Little Joseph is not so little. He's 7 months old and weighs about 5 pounds less than his 29 month old sister. He's a good eater!! and precious to his family.

*Our Mikayla has just started "talking back." Oh, we used to get in so much trouble for that. Now I definitely see why. Grrrrr... She's very loved and is at a hard stage (doesn't it seem like I'm always saying that??). Thankfully, we have the Lord to help us. Without Him, I don't see how people do it.

*I need to get an eye examination and more contacts. How can a mom go when she has 2 kiddos and nobody to watch children? I guess I need to make an afternoon appt. That makes sense.

*My dear married friend Christy had us over for yummy hamburgers tonight. :)

*The Lord is so good to me.

Good night. so much rambling on, but it's something. right? :)

All moved out; partially moved in

First let me say something. Ouch. My sister-in-law Misty mentioned this evening that I was like Grace with blogging. And for those of you who are not familiar with Grace's blog entries, they're pretty much non-existent. But, I guess it's a good thing b/c it's encouraged me to write a bit.

We're all moved out of 123 Autumn Drive and partially moved in to 618 Longhorn Drive. The houses are about half a mile apart. Most of our furniture is in the garage b/c we're hoping to get new carpet/tile. We'll see after we close on both homes (Wednesday) if we will have the funds to do so. It's SOOO nice having 2 bathrooms and of course, 3 bedrooms. Little Joseph is really enjoying having his very own bedroom;) I can't wait (of course I can) to get Joseph's and Mikayla's room decorated!! Have I got plans!

We have no tv(cable) . I'm not a huge fan of watching tv. In fact, I think it's often a waste of good time that could be spent more productively. BUT, I do miss it. I miss seeing actual people walking around or talking to each other. We set aside Mikayla's dvds and AM I EVER TIRED OF WATCHING THOSE! Felix the Cat, DORA, Care Bears, Popeye. Enough already. After we see how much our new house payment will be, we'll then decide what we can comfortably afford as far as internet/phone /cable/satellite are concerned. I'm ready for that.

So, that's the mighty exciting update for now. Oh yeah. My in-laws are coming for a few days to visit us!!! :) How I love them. I look forward to cooking for them and just spending some good times talking and fellowshiping with them. The Lord has blessed us immenselly with the families He's put us in.

Good night. Hope to SOMEDAY get some pics posted of our new home, which will be ours officially, Lord willing, on Wednesday!!!

I had no idea, Laura

Seriously. I didn't know that you checked it so often. Makes me smile:) Ok this one is for you, my faithful checker.

HPU's homecoming is on my birthday. Can you believe that I'll be 29?! Isn't that like almost 30? Deep breath. Just know, Laura, that you can stay with us anytime. Hope it still works out for y'all to come!

The house we're moving into (Lord willing) is right around the corner about half a mile away. Yay! So, we'll still be in Early, which is really important to us b/c of the school here. We feel it's a good one for our children.

Instead of using my time to clean my house, I'm packing. It doesn't look very nice, but I am getting some things accomplished. I have lots of boxes piled up. fun. My mom's coming tomorrow and will be spending the night. Oh, we have lots of fun planned;) We'll even be able to see Grannybear!!

Did I mention that I LOVE my husband?? And my daughter. and my son. yep, I do!

I'll leave you tonight with a most beautiful verse:

"The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."
~Deut. 33:27
Does it get any better than that??!

Aha!

I bet you didn't think I was going to have a new post when you checked my blog. Am I right? I think it's been the longest I've EVER gone without posting. So much is going on in our lives right now- it's unbelievable. The only thing older than my previous post is Grace's most recent one. Hers may even be dated as far back as 2007. Not to try to hint around at anything, Grace. ;)

BOXES, BOXES everywhere! If all goes well, and we REALLY hope it does, we'll be moving into our new home next Saturday. I've been packing throughout the day and slowly but surely, I'm getting things accomplished.

My best friend Christy got married. And she seems to be enjoying it. I don't hear much from her anymore... My parents moved to Winters. And we still only have one vehicle right now. It's been nice though to not be pressured to go anywhere.

PRAISE THE LORD, it RAINED today!!!!!!!! I really love the rain. sigh. It's soooo beautiful and refreshing for our dry land. It did my heart good to watch our Mikayla just dance and run around in the rain.

Ok, enough. I've not been getting enough sleep lately. Too many late nights. Time to put a stop to that. Good night, sweet ladies.

My baby

We're staying the night at my mom's house. She's moving in a week:( She so kindly has allowed me to select from her many pictures to make an album for my dear husband, who has been patiently waiting for his Father's Day gift from me... I saw this picture and LOVED it and had to share. My mom took it many months ago. I cannot put into words the love I feel for my children. God has blessed me immeasurably.

Dearest Abby

Guess what! My niece Abby (Grace's daughter) is now joining the ranks of the "wonderful 2s." She's the most darling little girl you'll ever see. She's doing WAY better than her older cousin Mikayla in the potty training dept. And for that I say, way to go, Abby!! Happy birthday, beautiful girl. We love you sooooooo much! If you don't know Abby, well, Abby's just Abby. If you knew her, you'd know what I mean:)

ps. we have a contract on a house very near ours. it's a 3 bedroom/2 bath brick home. we think it's quite nice. Lord willing, it will be ours soon! We'll see what the Lord has in store for us.

Lovely!

The Seguin Dodsons' photo session

What a pair they make!

And the best attitude award goes to....

Hannah! Go, Hannah:) She won a fan that lit up. Pretty cool.

Is it just me or does Sarah look a bit disappointed??

Mikayla on the 4th

She was definitely the dirtiest one there. Oh well. She had lots of fun:)

It's almost here!

What? you might ask. Our first ever 4th of July celebration at our house. We are expecting about 40 people. Crazy!, eh? I agree. You're invited to come, too. Just let me know and we'll pick up a few extra hot dogs. :) We're going to have an art show/contest and the winner receives $5. And a cookie contest and the winner will receive the same amount. I'm really looking forward to this! I'm busy trying to get my house in order, get all the last minute things planned, etc. And my husband if OFF tomorrow. That's sooooo neat! I love when he has a day off. Speaking of my husband, I'd better go bring him some water- he's mowing!

Happy 4th of July! (almost)

Mine and Mikayla's memory verse:
"Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil." Proverbs 3:7
*I THINK that's right...

Isn't She Lovely?

He came, he saw, he conquered, and she's loving it!

Shots- who like 'em?

Not me. Not one bit. But, I guess that's the best (?) route for my children. I know so little about it, so I can't make much of a judgment call on it.

Speaking of my son, he's crying. Probably a bit cranky from his shots today:( He did not like them, and it made me so sad when they held his little leg down, he started giggling. Then he got the shot and it quickly stopped and turned into a huge cry.

Oh, I'd better go rescue that boy.

We got an offer on our home and now we're looking for a place to live. It's CraZy around here. I feel almost homeless. I'm interested to see what the Lord provides for our family.

Hope you all have a good day. I'm thankful for good friends, aren't you? :).

ps. yes, avocado enchiladas do NOT qualify as raw;)

Raw

I know this post seems a little ironic as it follows one about no- bake cookies. Oh well. My brothers Paul and Dan (and about half the time my sister Grace) are huge advocates of raw food.

What veggies do YOU enjoy eating raw??? Please share. I'm trying (sorta) to eat more healthy.

Here are some that we enjoy:

1. carrots
2. red/green/yellow peppers
3. tomatoes
4. avocados!!


ps. and you DON'T need ranch dip. But sometimes it's good, right? :)

No bake cookies

Remember those?? Aren't they so yummy? Well, my dear husband and I made these late tonight for tomorrow's lunch at church. I've been making these for about 20+ years now. gasp! If you've never made them and like the ingredients, give them a try!

No Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter

Melt first 4 ingredients together and boil for 1 minuute (while stirring).
Remove from heat and add:

1 pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
3 cups quick cooking oats

Stir together and quickly drop by spoonfuls on wax papered cookie sheet OR pour it into a 9x13 pan and cool, cut, and ENJOY. Great with milk or water.

I'll leave you this fine Saturday evening with a quote-

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.
~Corrie Ten Boom (what a name!)

This is not sour cream...

I think I'm easily amused. My daughter makes me laugh a lot. Since last week we've been without a second vehicle which means I stay at HOME during the day and get much more accomplished. For instance- potty training. (No, Misty, she's not yet potty trained, but we're getting there) I have a little sticker chart system worked out that when she uses the "big girl potty," she can pick her sticker of choice (there are 800+ to choose from that have very encouraging messages on them) on her decorated sticker chart. So far, so good. Boy, am I getting off the subject here. sorry.

So, I had given Mikayla a bath and all the water was pretty much drained out, and as far as I knew, she was playing with her ducks. I was cleaning the bathroom when I heard her say, "this is not sour cream, this is not sour cream." When I looked into the tub, I saw that Mikayla had gotten a bar of soap (you know the kind that get really soggy and weird from being in the water) and was rubbing it all over herself. It was quite amusing to me. I told her not to do that ever again b/c that's what a mom's supposed to say, right? But, it was funny.

I blog about these things not to try to impress people with my comedic daughter, but I want to remember her little, funny sayings. That's all. Someday I want to print out my blog into a book/journal/something like that.

Have a good one!

ps. Little Joseph has been EXTREMELY fussy these past few days. Maybe I need to lay off the pepsi and broccoli. hmmm...

Baby Fever

While looking at all those pictures of adorable newborn babies, I asked my husband, "what if I get baby fever?"

"Then go look in the corner of our living room (where our 4 month old boy sleeps)."

Ha ha!! I loved that, for some odd reason;)

My 219th post!

It's about time to get something new typed in this white box. This is my 219th post, which reminds me of our anniversary 2-19. Cool, eh? Speaking of my husband, he celebrated his 35th birthday this week. He took some time off work to spend with the family. We sure enjoyed getting lots of time with him.

We spent 2 nights/3 days at Lake Brownwood State Park in a cabin. A wonderful time was had by all. Most of the days were spent walking around, throwing rocks in the water, and just being together. Might not sound like tons of fun, but it WAS. Sometimes it's just nice to do very little.

Then last night, I made my hubby a cherry pie- his dessert of choice- and some cupcakes for the kiddos to decorate. We'd planned to let the kids play in the sprinkler and it turned into crazy fun with some of the ADULTS doing the slip in slide (tarp+water+baby oil). Good times!!! :)

This evening Mikayla made her daddy laugh. She was standing in her room (well after her bedtime) and she pointed to the basket we keep her p$$nties in and she said, "Dora chonies." That's what my mom calls them, so Mikayla's picked up on that. Jody loved it;) And I put the $$'s instead of the **'s because they are SO expensive.

I have an almost 4 month old boy, and boy, is he ever special. I feel like he came at the perfect! time for our family (of course he did). He's such a neat addition. We enjoy that boy immensely.

Hope you're all doing well, my faithful readers. Sorry for the lack of posting. I get a bit discouraged when I can't post pictures, but you know, life is more than pictures, right? Sure.

Good night!

God himself

Last night as I was rocking my Joseph to sleep, I was singing to him. For some reason he likes it. Go figure. Anyway, I was singing this song over and over again. You may be familiar with it:

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. ~Revelation 21:3,4

And around the third time singing it, it hit me. "God HIMSELF shall be with them." The great and mighty and holy God HIMSELF. WOW! The One who chose me and loves me and forgave me of all my sins. I guess I think of the word "himself" like this: The President himself is going to be there! But how much more- God himself. I love it!

God is so faithful throughout my (busy!) days to give such precious tokens of his grace and love. I don't always share them, obviously, but I'll try to be more faithful in sharing b/c I think they're wonderful!!!!

ps. It's almost Mother's day! I've nominated my mom for mother of the year, but they (KTAB) haven't called yet to tell me she got it. Yikes, it's probably b/c I'm online. I'd better go. Bye!

Last Pic First, of Course!

One More After This!