Halloween

Just because my bug and my monkey are too cute for words, I had to prove it to you!

Hope your Halloween was sweet too!

Saturday Photo Hunt - Tied

These days, my 10 month old needs to be TIED down! :)

To join the photohunt or see others who are participating, go to http://tnchick.com

Too

Since becoming a mom 3 1/2 years ago, I have to admit, I am a little selfish with my love. I often feel like there are not enough hours in the day to love on both of my girls, to give them the attention and focus they deserve. Then, of course, there is my wonderful husband, who also needs much attention and focus, and whom I want to give that attention and focus too. Which, I admit, is often difficult in the middle of bathtimes and stories and sweeping the floor after dinner and wiping noses...you get what I'm saying.

I also have to factor in my family and friends and my responsabilities as a MOPS co-coordinator, and ultimately with quiet times, which I will admit have been all too few lately. To say the least, I often feel like I'm pulled in a million directions and there just isn't space to love on one more being. And then...
...well, then the big browns come out. SHE looks at me as if to say, "Love me, love me, love me..." And what can I do but love her too?

Things I love Thursday

I must say that recently I have found a new addiction in a cookie. I can't help myself, they are so buttery, soft and flakey...really they are just the perfect cookie. A little more expensive than I would like to pay as a frugal momma, so I have to ration them out, but oh my goodness, they are worth the cost for sure!

So what kind of cookie am I raving about?
When I'm telling you these cookies are seriously one of the best cookies I've ever eaten, I'm so not exaggerating. They are perfect and taste like they just came out of the oven. I just can't believe they are in a package, these cookies are so fantastic. I buy them for 2.99 at Wal-Mart, not sure how much they are anywhere else, but really that is not a high price for something that could make me this happy. Yummo!!

10 Smile Tuesday

Oh the joys that another week brings. Little things have worked their way into our lives to bring us more smiles and more happiness. We feel blessed to have these special moments and I'm thankful for this time every Tuesday that I can look back and see that God has given us reason to smile. Thanks again, Amanda, for coming up with the idea of 10 Smile Tuesday!

1. Games. Lilla has really been into games lately so we've been playing Candyland and Chutes and Ladders and she is having a ball at it! Of course there are the stubborn 3 year old, "I want the gumdrop card!" moments, but really, it's neat to see her "getting it". And it's fun too to be able to play a game with her now. My she is growing up!

2. Goofiness. I must tell you that I am an organizer. Even though I have some piles of papers or whatever in my house, I do like to know where things are and have all the pieces to things in one confined area. For instance, all the pieces to the particular Little People sets I want with that particular set, the pirates don't belong in Noah's ark. Yeah...just a little anal. :) Anyway, I was cooking dinner last week and I cam out to find my couch looking like this
So apparently Lilla has become like me. The whole couch was lined with cards. Yep, I've trained her well. LOL

3. King Kong. Lilla has a doll set. Anna has figured out that she can stand in it. Anna looks like King Kong when she does it, Lilla gets upset. I still must laugh because, well...

4. Storytime. I love that Lilla is always bringing me books to read. She loves to just cuddle up with me and go through every book on the shelf. It's hard when Anna is awake as I am usually chasing her down, but when we get the chance, it is so great to spend that time with her!5. Letters. Lately Lilla has really been in to letters. She can recognize all but a couple now. She has trouble with N and V as they are similiar to M and Y. Everywhere we go she is pointing out letters and asking me what the words say. It's constant. Which, although can feel a little overwhelming, makes me smile as I know she wants to read! I am so excited for the day when she does and hope it will be a lifelong love!

6. Getting better. We have all been so sick for so long so it has been so nice this past week for the kids and I to finally be on the mend. I'm so happy to not be spending my entire day cleaning snotty noses and doling out the drugs. I am also happy to not hear the coughing coming from their rooms at night, I am just not a fan of that. Who is?

7. Deals. This past weekend we found some cute yoga pants for the girls on clearance at Target. All the matching shirts were gone but I had a feeling I could pair it with some things they already had. Sure enough, I came home and did. Yoga pants are so comfy and perfect for playing in so that was happy!

8. Herself. Anna has just been becoming more and more her own person lately. She is so stinkin' cute it's ridiculous. She gives these humongous smiles for no reason whatsoever, she laughs wholeheartedly, she gets in to everything, she crawls so super fast you can barely catch her, she chases me around from room to room, she pulls up and walks around on the furniture, and boy, there is nothing stopping this kid! And, she loves this fish. I mean this seriously, it is a bath fish that she just adores and carries everywhere with her. It cracks me up. Oh, and when she needs a break, doesn't matter where she's at, she just poops out on the floor, lays there, catches her breath and she's off again!

9. Bible study. As I said in my previous post, we are in a bible study doing the 40 days of love. It's been nearly 3 years since we were in a bible study so it's so good to be in a small group again, there is just nothing like fellowship with believers about God. Fabulous!

10. Last, but not least, yesterday was one of the few gorgeous days we've had recently, so you know I had to drag the kiddos to the trail for a photo shoot...and then a stop for some cookies at the cookie shop, of course! Here are some of my faves

What are you smiling about today?

Richer

Our current Sunday sermon series at church is the 40 Days of Love theme. You may or may not have heard about it. Rick Warren, who is most popular for his the Purpose Driven Life series puts this program out as well. The whole point of this series is to get our church, as a whole, to love well. Not only do we hear a sermon about the topic of the week, we also are involved in a small group that is doing a book study from the Relationship Principles of Jesus on this same topic.

This week the topic was loving with/through confrontation. Or more importantly, loving enough to confront. I don’t know about you, but I don’t enjoy confronting anyone. I don’t do well with confrontation and usually I get nervous and start to giggle, completely inappropriately, when I am faced with the issue of confrontation. Yeah, that’s a good time right there. :)

But there is something that I got out of the sermon this week that I really did want to share with you. It was a sermon about how the mouth can bring healing, or can bring death. How it can tear down, or how it can build up. How there can be love, or there can be heat, all from the words that come out of your mouth, and from the way that things are said. That is so important too.

Well, I know that I have a sharp tongue. A quick tongue that can often be biting. Oh, what my husband puts up with from me sometimes. I confess right now that my words are not always sweet. Love does not drip from my words at times, and they are thoughtless.

But I want to change that. I want to say things in love. At the right time, to be kind and loving, to be thoughtful and wise in how I use my words. And, most importantly, to let those I love know that I love them and that they are important to me.

So, I just wanted to say, “I love you Michael, you make my life richer just by being in it. I am so fortunate that you are mine!”

Things I love Thursday

Several of you asked from my last post how I did the special effects to my pictures. It is really so easy, it's kind of silly. Honestly it takes just a few minutes for each picture. And the way? Well photoshop, of course. I really do love photoshop, I can do so much to a photo in very little time, it's just fantastic. There is so much, in fact, that it can do, that I haven't even scratched the surface of knowing what or how to do it. I actually had to buy a book to give me play by play instructions, and boy does it do a lot to all my photos. Almost every photo I ever show has somehow been photoshopped. So...what do I love today?

Photoshop of course!

Wordless Wednesday

10 Smile Tuesday...Wednesday edition

I've been hearing a lot of crunching below my feet lately. There seems to be a brisk chill in the air that makes me want to watch old movies and drink hot apple cider. I've been cooking things that warm your heart and body lately, things like chili and chicken noodle soup. Apples are literally falling out of my fridge. I may have bought too many.

Funny how this time of year my body craves comfort foods. I think my body is in preparation mode for the coming months. Gotta get some extra rolls going on to keep me warm while I hibernate.

There, of course, have been lots of smiles in the midst of this new season. It's always a busy time of year, and, as usual, we are on the go. In just one month I've travelled to Gatlinburg, then to Nashville and this weekend to Chicago. Whew, I'm ready for no more travel for awhile. Like I said, hibernation is the key!

So, here are some of the joys of the past week:

1. Last minute trip to Chicago to attend my cousin, Kimmy's wedding. We decided to go spur of the moment and are really glad we did. It was nice to see many extended family members and just to see the joy the day brought my cousin and her long awaited "prince".2. Dancing. Lilla is the dancing queen. No one else had begun to dance yet, but she just couldn't help but shake her groove thing. The child loves to move and twirl and had such fun when her skirt would blow out. She just loved being in her "beautiful dress."
3. Birthday party. What child does not like to go to birthday parties? I'm sure I don't know as my kiddo loves them! One of her good friends, Kendall, turned 3 this weekend and she had a ball being the one to start everyone in singing, "Happy Birthday."4. This picture. Just because I think it's stinkin' adorable!
5. Not the best picture of this outfit, but it's so cute I wanted to share it with you. I got it for $8 at Target, they have $4 shirts and yoga pants and I just love it. Apparently others do too though as I see kids everywhere wearing the exact same thing. Oh well, still love it!6. Festival time. It is definitely that time of year for festivals, including in our town. This past weekend we had our annual event, which is always fun to go to. We live in a small town so it's nothing major, but it's just fun to do something community oriented and different here.

7. Children's musuem. Yesterday we met my sister and her kids at our children's musuem. Every kid loves that musuem, it's great! We didn't stay long as Ms. Lilla was not having a good day, but that's the beauty of a yearly pass, you don't feel like you have to! Love it!
8. Like I said, the comfort food has been flowing at our house lately. And the fun part about it is that Lilla is really getting into cooking. We've made pumpkin bread and stuffed pizza pockets, chocolate chip-peanut butter cookies, chili and stir fry together recently.
9. Schedule. Last week, after two years, Michael's work schedule finally changed. He was getting home at 9 every night and is now getting home around 5:30pm. I am still getting used to the idea, it is just so different, and I love it! I am so thankful for the change as it is so great having him home at dinner time and helping with the girls at night. I'm still getting used to waking up early, but it's so worth it!

10. More celebrations. Our friend, Tom, had a birthday this week too and we were invited to share in the celebration with his family as well. We had a lot of fun just hanging out, eating yummy food and the guys had a great time playing Madden on the wii. There is nothing in life like good friends, that's for sure!

And a couple more for the road...
11. Starting a new bible study, 40 days of love. Looking forward to the weeks to come!

12. MOPS on Friday, such a refreshing time to get to spend with our women.

13. Shopping alone. Seems small, but as the mother of a 9 month old and 3 1/2 year old, it's a big old smile all in itself!

What are you smiling about today?