I was Tagged...

So I took some time tonight to catch up on all my blogging friends and noticed a theme - TAGS. As I went through, I rejoiced each time I read whom they had tag and it wasn't me. Well, then I get to Praise's blog - no joke its the last one on my list with new posts and there you have it - she tagged me. Don't know how long ago it was or better yet who else is left of my blogging friends to tag, but here is my 5th picture from the 5th folder in my pictures.


This is Kristen and me trying to help our children dye Easter Eggs - reminding ourselves all the hard work will be remembered in the future :) And trying not to let the dye get on every possible item of clothing or surface that can be stained!

Oh and the people I tag are... Kristen, Dena, Linde Carmichael, Susan Wilcox and Joy Zarate. None of them have blogs, but I don't know who else to choose :)

Vacation Starts Today!

Our fall vacation officially began today at about 12:30! After church, we ran home, loaded the car and hit the road for the 6 hour drive to Niceville, FL. For those who don't know, David and I lived here for 3 1/2 years before moving to Winter Garden to be apart of the Grace Church plant. We made some dear friends while we lived here, so this vacation is in part reunion! And we are so excited.

The drive went by, okay. Anyone with three kids (5,4,2), or I guess anyone with toddlers would understand that it went OKAY. Poor Brooklyn wanted to get out of her car seat after about 1/2 an hour. We tried movies, we tried naps, we tried snacks... with only momentary success. But we did arrive safely, had dinner and put the girlies all to bed by 7:30. Its an hour earlier here (Central Time).

Vacation started for us with a movie! And after David preaching and driving 6+ hours we decided to rest up for our fun filled week.

Tomorrow, my dear friend Joy is giving birth to her 6th child (2nd Boy). So i'll be anxiously awaiting the call so that I can go see her in the hospital. We will also be able to spend some time with some of our other friends from here as well!

We are also going to be able to go to all our favorite restaurants while we are here - we have to make a list though, because we made a lot of favorites in the years that we lived here.

Here's a tidbit of our day in the form of quotes -

Meredith - she asked us tonight as we had dinner, "so mom, are we allowed to do ANYTHING we want on vacation?" - I was wise enough to see where this was leading... and quickly followed with "well, we get to do things that we don't normally get to do, but it doesn't mean that you don't have to obey". She said, "okay"!

Alyssa - she informed us, "I would like to share a room with my sister because I'd be more comfortable than if I sleep in a room by myself". Wow! A very dignified way of saying, "I want to share a room so that I won't be scared".

Brooklyn - recently learned how to "meow" like a cat or maybe it is "moo" like a cow - anyhow, the last 1/2 hour of our drive she was "meowing" or "mooing". And thought she was hysterical.

They are keeping us laughing!!

So, I'll post pictures as I'm able and update as well!

The count down has begun!!!

Well, the countdown has begun for our very first Boutique For A Week sale. All the craziness starts Sunday at 1:30pm and shopping starts Monday morning at 10am. Please pray for us (my mom,sister,and friend Gail) as we embark on this new adventure together.

It seems as though we were just sitting down to see if it could work and here we are at the brink of something...huge...we hope, but we are all trusting God and so thankful for the blessings he has lavished upon this endeavor so far.

Back to real life - Sunday, November 9th. And hopefully a cleaner home, more nutricious meals, more quality family time, more time with friends and many other things that haven't had the time they deserve.

If you live in the area, come visit us! And tell all your friends about us too!

Celebration 2008 Pictures

Celebration North Florida!!!!

Well, tomorrow starts our annual Celebration conference in High Springs, FL at Camp Kalaqua. It is always a joy to be there worshipping and fellowshipping and a feast of God's word. This years conference theme is Freedom (Romans 6). We are so eager for the conference to start. We will head there tomorrow morning and come home Sunday afternoon. We are taking Brooklyn is my sister's house tonight. We traded off this year (I kept McKenzie while they went to Celebration South Florida and she will keep Brooklyn for ours). I've been doing laundry and baking and cooking meals and doing more laundry all week long.

So we'll be back on Sunday and I'll post pictures once we are settled down again.

New Products...

So I often wonder who tests some products that come out as the latest and greatest.

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you gave one of these egg shaped markers to a 22 month old?

Here is proof that 22 month olds are not mature enough to use markers. I am just glad that Crayola is at least non toxic and washable.

Alyssa and Meredith did much better, but they are 4 and 5 and still had it every where - all over the table, not to mention how paint doesn't normally absorb into a sticker, so it was just liquid in blue, red or yellow.


They sure did have a great time though! It was right into the tub after they finished painting! Some of the joys of childhood, getting dirty is no big deal, cause you just wash it right off.

I Shop Boutique For A Week, do you?

Are you ready to consign with Boutique For A Week? Ready to make 2/3 of your selling price? Registration is now open! But space is limited, so visit www.BoutiqueForAWeek.net and register today! Early shopping for consignors, volunteers, first time and pregnant moms. Have questions? Let me know!

If you are on FaceBook, join my group - "I Shop Boutique For A Week".

Have friends that you think would benefit from our consignment sale? Are you apart of a local egroup? Tell them all about our sale! You are our best form of advertisement!

I look forward to meeting you at our sale!

November 3-7, 2008
260 N Woodland Street
Winter Garden, FL

Are you an Invisible Mom?

catapillers to butterflies and the mysteries of metemorphous

Our Nonni (David's mom) caught two catapillers in a jar for us. Dustin killed one of them and we have been patiently waiting for the butterfly to emerge. So while i was giving the girls there medicine I walked over to the sink and noticied "we have a butterfly". Wish we could have seen it through the whole process. We have been watching its cacoon change a little each night. Honestly I thought Dustin killed this one too. So we hurried out to our butterfly garden to let him go. We watched for a few minutes and he just sat there on the flowers. Then a slight crakling of the mulch and what do I see, a baby snake or maybe an adult snake that was just small. I screamed like a girl and danced around the yard. It was so close to touching my feet. I don't know what i would have done if it had gone across my feet. I am so glad my neighbors aren't home and that no one saw that besides my girls.

Hope you enjoy a laugh on my behalf as you imagine my terror.

Its been a while...

It really has been a while since I've had time to post. Last week, i was out of the home, running errands and numerous other things I can not remember now. Today was filled with a doctors appointment for Brooklyn. How come one little appointment seems to take the entire day? Is it because getting 4 of us ready takes a while and loading up in the car takes a while and then getting there takes a while and getting out of the car takes a while and on and on it goes.

So pretty much everything in my life takes a while to do. Apparently even posting to my blog takes a while. :) One day it won't take as long, but I'm sure that I will wish that the girls were little again.

My mom and dad are vacationing in Alasksa right now, so david has been particularly busy the past two weeks.

Love you all!

Ignite 2008

Here are some photos from our youth retreat a few weeks back. I have more pictures to show, but i can't find them on my computer right now. When i do, i will blog them because they are great "after" pictures from the food fight. Hope you enjoy these in the meantime.

80% off at Restaurant.com - TODAY ONLY

If you all like to eat out as much as I do you'll want to stock up with this deal.

Today only at www.Restaurant.com you can get 80% off of your total using the code FIRST at checkout.

I did it for us and we bought $150 worth of gift certificates for $12. We stock up when they offer 70-80% off. Its a great way to try new restaurants in the area.


Happy Eating!

Our little Meredith turns 4 Today!

It is really hard for me to believe that Meredith is already 4. Today is the day 4 years ago, the story goes something like this...

Little Meredith decided to join us a little earlier than most babies. Her initial attempts began at 30 weeks just like her big (15 month old -at the time) sister, Alyssa. After 5 weeks on bedrest, I was still progressing too much so my doctor decided I needed to stay in the hospital. If I recall it was a Monday morning. We went in for a normal weekly visit and the doctor said "you have to go straight to the hospital. I will call them and tell them you are coming". So i got there and got shots and IV fluids. It helped, but they wanted me to stay in the hospital to keep monitoring me. So then i called my mom and dad and sister...told them the story. They waited a few days and then after talking to my doctor we all decided it was time for them to come if they wanted to be there in time. So 6 hours they drove (I think they had to leave a pastors retreat to come). And about that long that sat and waited. Then the doctor said I'm not going to do anything to make you progress so we will just wait and see. At that point, Dad and Kristen decide to make the 5 hour drive home - and wouldn't you believe it that our little Meredith decided to make her debut pretty much right after they got back to Orlando. So we called and said, you should come back now. I had progressed enough to prove i was in active labor so we got ball officially rolling and broke my water. A few hours later... our little Meredith joined our family.

(nice hair cut right :), they didn't tell us before they did it. The nurses were having a hard time finding a vein, so they thought they would have to do it in her head. They cut her hair and decided to try one more time and they found a vein in her arm after they cut her hair. My poor little girl, good thing hair grows back quickly on little babies.)

When I was pregnant, people told me - just wait until they are 3 and 4 and things will get easier. I don't know if that was the case, but now they are 4 and 5 and things are easier in some ways, harder in others but I wouldn't trade them for anything.

What a joy she brings to our family! She is hyper to say the least, but she brings excitement and joy wherever she goes. We couldn't imagine our life without her.

Ignite 2008

Well we had a full weekend! It was because we were over in Brooksville at the Lakeside Retreat Center for Grace Church's first youth retreat. It was for our middle school and high school groups. So much like back in my days of Extreme. We loaded up early with a few minor attacks from the enemy, but we overcame them and only left 1/2 hour late, we hit the road to set up and transform a woodsy camp into a beautiful meeting room where we trusted we would all encounter God this weekend!

God was so faithful! First of all, David did a fantastic job. I wish you all could have been there. He preached three of the four messages and lead all the meetings. I think Wayne was seeing what his capacity is and he passed with flying colors. The focus of the meetings was the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit showed up! Secondly, Chris Jessee was able to come and lead worship for us! That was such a blessing. He did a great job as always, it was such a joy to hear him lead. When I closed my eyes I felt like I was having flashbacks to Metro's firt youth retreat at the Woodlands.

So what were the highlights...

#1 - a young women seeing her need for a Savior and responding to Him.
#2 - a 10 year old girl, being filled with the Spirit praying for all her friends, young and old alike, this girl had no fear! It was so cute!
#3 - ministry time at the meetings,
#4 - prophetic words brought,
and
#5 - the nastiest "Nasty War" (food fight) I've ever seen.

I'll post pictures in the next few days!

Organizing 101...

If any of you know me well, you know I have to try really hard to get and stay organized. Well, with all this CVS, grocery game coupons stuff I've just kept all my extra supplies in a rubbermaid tote. Well my bathroom has been overrun with disorganization. This morning, I asked David if i could take some time to organize our closet and bathroom. 2 hours later this is the result. I also switched our sides of the vanity in our bathroom.

No more rubbermaid tote and an inventory list. This list is brand new, unopened products...

4 mouthwash

11 toothbrushes

6 tubes of toothpaste

7 razors

8 Mascara

5 Lipsticks/Lipglosses

4 Foundations

6 Eyeshadows

2 Pressed Powders

7 Shampoos

8 Conditioners

5 Sunscreen

6 Body Wash

13 Deoderant

2 Air Fresheners

3 Air Wick Plug ins


I wish I had written down the retail prices of all these products and how much I actually paid for them. What a blessing it is to buy these things for so cheap.

A Harsh Word Stirs Up Anger

This morning David and I were talking about how we are both so often tempted to speak harshly to our little girls when they are not doing as they should. In effect we are trying to motivate them by fear instead of by grace. Then I did my devotions... I am reading through Matthew right now, in my attempt to read through the Bible in a year. So today I read in Matthew 12:34 and 36-37, it says...

"For out of the abundance of your heart the mouth speaks", "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned."

By grace the Holy Spirit has shown me a few times today when I was tempted to speak harshly to the girls and as a result I was able to speak with grace and peace to them. There were also a few times that the Holy Spirit showed me afterwards as well.

I am a great sinner, in need of a great savior! And I want to raise my girls, motivating them by grace and not fear.

Through the Years...

An anniversary is a good time to look back on how we have changed through the years. We went out for dinner last night and to Barnes and Noble and then we watched our wedding video. We cracked up!!! I thought you all may like to see some pictures of David and I from the last 7 years...

7 years ago today...

So its almost 1pm and 7 years ago today at 1pm I was seeing the man of my dreams (for the first time that day) who in a few short hours would be my husband. These have been the best 7 years of my life. My what a journey we have had. We have lived in 6 homes/apartments, had 3 children, 3 vehicles and countless memories made that we will cherish the rest of our lives. I am thankful for David. How he loves me, cares for me, provides for me and our family, how he loves our Savior and loves the people God has entrusted to his care.

I love you David! And I look forward with much anticipation about the years ahead that we will spend together. God willing that will be a really long time!

On a funnier note, I had to get a filling today. Oh yea! So my face is still numb. David is cracking up laughing at me and he has refused to kiss me. Well, we took care of the later, but he is still laughing at me. I told him he hurt my feelings cause what if something happened and I had a half smile all the time (Pouring on the guilt is a specialty of mine). He told me he was going to post a picture of me. I don't think that will happen. I'm sure any of you who have had a filling know just what I am talking about.

the animals of Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom

Family Vacation Day 4

We started out Thursday by heading to the lake. We rented a paddleboat and thought the girls would love it. Well about half way through the 30 minute ride Alyssa said, "can we just go back now". We laughed and made a game out of touching the bouyies (I don't know how to spell that word).

After the lake we went to the Fountain Pool. It was the girls favorite of all the pools at the resort. The girls had naps and we had an early dinner and then went back to the pool until bedtime.

One of our family vacation traditions, is that at least once we eat dessert first instead of last. Now this does mean that the girls won't eat as well. But we figure they can handle it once in a while. And they love it and that is what is most important.

We also worked in time for craft time with mommy.

One of the major highlights was that one of our regular babysitters went with us for a few days. It was so nice to have an extra hand in the pool and at Animal Kingdom, which I'll post tomorrow.

Family Vacation Day 2-3

Vacation Highlights

We returned last night from our family vacation. David and I had a few days (Sunday afternoon through Tuesday morning) by ourselves to celebrate our 7th Anniversary and then the girls came Tuesday morning through Friday. We had a great time, swam a lot, David and I went to Typhoon Lagoon and all of us went to Animal Kingdom on Friday. We even were able to take Amanda our regular babysitter to help us and hang out iwth us. These are highlights from Day 1 at the water park at the place we stayed. Kristen brought Katy, Hallye and McKenzie down for a few hours Tuesday morning to swim.

Our 4th of July Festivites...

Do you believe in Unicorns?

Do you believe in Unicorns? I never thought I did, but I think I do now. Especially ones with drool running down their chin. This is so adorable. Brooklyn always brings this to me to put on her when Alyssa and Meredith are playing dress-up. I crack up every time and I've even taken photos before to post, but I haven't ever actually gotten them up on the blog. She looks a little druged, but I promise she isn't. She is just never still enough for the camera.

Singles Party

A week or so ago we had the Singles from church over for an Old School Nintendo Party. We had pizza and drinks, played nintendo(the orignial), and played cards too. It was a lot of fun. I played Dr. Mario and I have to say I was the champion!!!! I've been challengened to a rematch, but I think I will win that one too :) I LOVE DR MARIO!!!! That's just a litte secret about me. It is already downloaded on my Wii.