Merry Christmas!

What would Christmas be with out CHRIST! So grateful that the Savior came into the world to save us from our sin. It's so good to celebrate something that gives peace and hope. On another note it's great to have kids on Christmas morning. Livy was so excited! Anna loved tearing all the paper! These are the kids on Christmas Eve in their pj's. A couple of Christmas cuties if you ask me..

I hope you and your family finds God's peace in the coming year!

Happy Anniversary

John and I celebrate 9 years of marriage today. We have been together for 10.
The best decade of my life!! I'm sure thankful that God put him in my life. He is truly my other half and my best friend.

We met in 2001 at Silver Dollar City in front of the Saloon. Ha! We go back every year.
One year later.... 

December 7, 2002

God has blessed us with two precious daughters. 

They are constant joys and an awesome reminder of God's goodness.

God has bless us so much and I often wonder what He will do in the 10 years. 

(However our girls won't be little anymore and I really don't want to think about that..)

Every year we have together is an amazing journey. 

God is faithful and I pray HE will give us many more years together. 

Someone Had a Birthday!

Happy 2 years Miss Anna Marie!

How cute is she in her cat in the hat shirt and zebra bow?!?!?!

 

The cake. Okay... this was a project. Don't think I will attempt this "big" of  a cake again. It began leaning. I freaked and put more dowel rods in it. Long story short it didn't fall.. Whew.. 

The cake pops. YUM! And so easy too! They went over better than the cake.

The theme was Dr. Seuss was we ate green eggs...

and ham. 

These are some good ham and cheese sliders.  Amazing! Lots and lots of butter poured over the top with other stuff and poppy seeds.

Anna loved feeding uncle Olin cake pops!.

Happy 2 years sweet girl! Can't believe it's gone by so fast! God has been and will always be so good!

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Lupton

John and I got to get away this weekend WITHOUT the kiddo! We went with my brother and sister in law to Bardstown Kentucky to see my cousin Daniel marry a sweet gal named Allison. Daniel was handsome. Allison was gorgeous. The place, My Old Kentucky Home was picturesque and so great for a wedding. Love it!

The happy couple. Married!

The reception hall at My Old Kentucky Home

Where the ceremony was held

                                      the cake                                                                first dance

Congrats to Daniel and Allison!

Happy Halloween

From a cute ladybug and Snow White. 

Every year, our church that we attend has a Harvest Fest. Last year was the first year for the large candy throwing pumpkin. This year there was MORE candy coming out of this large pumpkin. Livy LOVED it! It was her fave part. Anna screamed with joy every time candy would come out. Too funny.  Lots of candy to be had!

Birthday thoughts..

She gonna be 2 in almost 1 month! Is that possible?!?!? Blows my mind! What a two years.

Anna is absolutely in love with this guy and books of association..

She screams and squeals when his show on PBS comes on. It's crazy! So when I was looking at my calendar thinking "oh geeze, her birthday is coming up!" Then I started thinking of a "theme" The Cat in the Hat popped in my head.

Birthday Weekend

My sweet hubby turned 33 Saturday. I made him a cookies and creme cake that I got off of Food Network. Not too bad. 

For the record, I did not make the Razorback. My friend Rachel that owns Sugar House Cakes made it. Yeah she's pretty great!

My cousin Katy and her hubby Canon came for John's b-day. We had fun watch'n the HOGS whoop up on the Aggies. GO HOGS!

I love fall and all that comes with it. Especially the great weather!! We have been outside for the past few days enjoying it. I wish the weather could be like this all year. I could get used to this! However colder days are a come'n. Yuck... 

Can't stay inside on days like this!

A Royal Brunch

 Last Saturday we had a "royal brunch" at church. Basically a mother/daughter tea. Our wonderful speaker and singer Joy Waters Fowler blessed us with an awesome song and an encouraging message about our self worth in Christ. Good times!

 Livy is quite the poser (drama queen really..) with her friend and partner in crime Kelsey. 

 My friend Rachel (Sugar House Cakes) made some yummy and very pretty cupcakes for the occasion.

The little ones watch the Veggie Tales movie about Esther and made crowns. 

 Sweet princess and her momma.

Family Rules

I think this is too cute. I got this idea from the Pleated Poppy. It's a great website/blog. All the instructions are there. You can even do this with scrapbook paper but this lady did hers in fabric. I may try that. Probably will cost a little more but seems like less busy work. More printing and ironing. It will be a great project! I will post it when I do it.

One Thousand Gifts

 My sweet friend Rachel has been talking about this book for a while now and for some reason I can't get with it to read this book. So I'm downloading it on my i-pad so I can begin to read it. I have read a few pages of the first chapter and it's wonderful already! I know during this book she talks about a "gift list" (is that right Rachel?), so in the spirit of the "list" I can be so thankful for the following.. Just a few thoughts...

• An amazing husband who is the love of my life.

• My precious girls and all there messes to clean. Thankful for the laughter in the mess making.

• Family and friends

• I just celebrated 32 years of life Saturday. Every day is a gift because we aren't promised tomorrow.

• A relationship with a God who is with me and I know I will be with even if tomorrow doesn't come, and most of all loves me when I don't deserve it and is always constant.

So there's my short and to the point list... Guess I'd better get busy reading. I have a Karen Kingsbury book to read too.

Kudos Food Network!

  

The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, has a new show on Food Network! It premiers today! Whoo hoo!!! Psyched that she has a show now!

Oh Dear!

Rolo preztel bites! Enough said... 

Click HERE for the recipe

Feeling Crafty

Since I've discovered Pinterest I've felt very inspired to be crafty. For example.. The other day I found this...

I think they are so cute! I re-purposed an old pump that was broken from the girls bathroom and made them one. I'm going to make another one for the kitchen. Except this time I will make it out of a bigger Ball canning jar and spray the pump and the canning lid a bronze/copper color. I think it will be cute! They easy peasy to make!

I found this too.

'

Eeekkk! In our house we love us some Razaorbacks! So I made this to display during football season. I did it a bit different though. I painted the board black and then crackled white paint over it and made the letters red. Since my kitchen walls are red I didn't think the red wall on the red sign was stand out. I'm now working on a longer sign with a bible verse on it. I'll have to post all of these things when I get them up in there place. 

On another note (this is totally off subject..), I found a great website. If you get a min you should look at it. It's called The Peaceful Mom. It has info on coupons (not crazy couponing or anything.. just good common sense couponing.), menus, mom ideas, etc.  It's pretty great!

Pinterest: A Great Idea!

Gee, I've been neglecting my blog lately. Don't think I have ever neglected it this much. Hmm, oh well. So, Pinterest, is my new hobby. It's so much fun! There are tons of recipes, house ideas, style and clothing ideas, etc. Basically, you make "boards" for all the ideas you find and pin them up under certain "boards". There are tons of categories and ideas. You should try it. Beware, it's addictive!

Water Babies

 Needed to play some catch up so here goes.. 

When we went to my parents over the 4th of July the girls got to play with there cousins. Livy always loves to play with Bethany and they LOVE the pool Nanna and Papa got for them. Apparently they didn't think swimming suits were required.

The next day they wore swimming suits. 

Anna always is a fan of the water.

Sweet girls!

"Do Everything"

Sometimes I have wondered does sweeping, cleaning, cooking, taking care of kiddos, and running here and there really matter?.? It sure matters to God! It's my calling right now in life. I heard this song for the first time on KLOVE this morning. The first verse and chorus pretty much sums up my day.


Steven Curtis Chapman - Do Everything Lyrics

You’re picking up toys on the living room floor
for the 15th time today
Matching up socks and sweeping up lost
Cheerios that got away
You put a baby on your hip and color on your lips
and head out the door
And while I may not know you I bet I know you
Wonder sometimes does it matter at all
We’ll let me remind you it all matters just as long as you

Do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you
Cause He made you to do
Every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of grace
With every move that you make
And every little thing you do

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God's glory."

1 Corinthians 10:31

Happy Father's Day

Happy father's day the greatest Dad ever! We are blessed to have you as the leader in our home. 

Mini Vaca

Some sun, fun, a bit of shopping, and r&r is just what the doctor ordered. We spent Tues-Sat. playing in Branson last week and stayed with my sis and brother-in-law that live in Hollister. We did White Water mainly and had a blast playing with the kids. Best of all the lines were not long at all! It was so great!  We were going to go to SDC Sat. but we were tired and didn't want to fight the weekend crowd. It was so great to get away and not worry about a thing and just have fun. 

We ate A LOT! I'm gonna have to get running again. 

 My little brother got to eat with us one night.

A shameless promotion and a pretty darn cute girl in that hat.

  

At White Water Livy went down one of the slides with me. That us coming down however you can't Liv because a huge wave come up over the tube and then it was a bit too much water for her.e. She's not one for lots of water in her face. 

However, she was a huge fan of the wave pool..

and riding the waves...

with auntie A.

Anna got had her first bath in a sink. We always had baths in sinks as kids. She liked it as you can see..

Thanks auntie A and uncle O for letting us stay at your casa!

Thankfully my brother Jason and sis Angela both went to College of the Ozarks so we got a big discount to eat the Keeter Center. It's a nice place to eat and very yummy!

We had a hard time coming back to reality. We were feel so grateful and blessed that we got to get away this summer.