Monday Morning Question of the Day

Do you:

A. ALWAYS back into parking spaces

B. Sometimes back into parking spaces

C. NEVER back into parking spaces

Flashback Friday

This picture was taken on Easter in the yard of the house across the street from ours. 
I love our sweet dresses and fun lace hose.


The cute dresses my sister and I are wearing were handmade by my mother. 


It amazes me to think that at this time in our lives she was single,
had two small little girls whose dad was not involved in our lives at all, 
worked full time (commuting to downtown Houston to do so), 
cooked & cleaned & did all of the normal household duties 
and yet STILL had time to sew us matching dresses. 


Seriously, she WAS  super Mom!  

Week 21- Hiding God's Word in Your Heart

This.....

This.......


Made me Laugh out Loud: 
This post by The Inadvertent Farmer had me rolling on the floor. 

It is seriously hysterical!

Made me Hungry: 
 This recipe? YUMMY! 

So gonna make these soon!


Not sure why this link won't work- I test it and it's fine. 
I post it and it's not.
So here's the direct link:
http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/2010/05/mouth-watering-wednesday-smores.html

Made me Think:  
This post by Angie is fabulous. 
Seriously stepped on my toes- so truthful and convicting.


Made me Covet:
This sign in red or black would look perfect on my office wall!  
Such a great reminder!


Made me Giggle:
This sign was on the sweet counselor at one of my 
elementary school's door yesterday when I arrived at school. 

Her husband is a football coach and has moved to take a new job

 so she's finishing up the school year here alone with 3 boys to raise and a house to sell. 

Bless her heart!

Monday Morning Question of the Day

This is the last week of school here in College Station

so summer is literally just around the corner.

Woo stinkin' hoo!!

I truly LOVE my job but am looking forward to a little break. 

There are LOTS of things on my summer list 

(including teaching lots of workshops and classes and visiting my BFF Dory :)

but here are the first few things that I plan to do 

during the first week of summer vacation 

while Madison is visiting her aunt:

1. Clean out the hall closet

2. Clean out my closet

(It is super duper scary!)

3. Clean out the fridge freezer and stand alone freezer

4. Clean out the linen closet

5. Read the 12 books I got at the library today

6. TRY to make myself read some more of Atlas Shrugged.

(So far, it's boring as can be!)

So what are some things on your summer list? 

Flashback Friday

This picture was taken at my 4th birthday party. 

I'm in the pink, my sister is on the far right side 

and the other two girls were Kelly and Gina 

who were our BFF's when we were little.  

Don't you love the leaning towner of carousel cake that my mom made? 

And the wood paneling? Snazzy huh? 

And I know you are jealous of the 

yellow plastic stand behind us- so cool!

If you look closely- 

on that snazzy yellow stand you will see an 8 Track player. 

That cracks me up! 

I bet you can't even find an 8 Track tape anymore. 

My favorite tape that I remember playing 

over and over and over again was one by

 Captain and Tennille that had the song Muskrat Love on it.

 Anyone remember that song? 

And those flowers on the table?
I so vividly remember them. 

My dad- who was not officially my dad at the time- 

sent them to me for my birthday. 

Sent me- a 4 year old flowers. 

How sweet was that? 

I remember how special and how loved that made me feel. 

Week 20- Hiding God's Word in Your Heart

Where He Leads Me I Will Follow

My dog Holly is a sweetheart who loves to follow me around. 

When I am home, she's always nearby- 

usually right at my feet. 

If I am sitting in my chair in the living room- 

she's laying on the ottoman.

If I am cooking in the kitchen-

 she's laying on the floor watching-

and hoping for a snack. 

If I am in the bathroom getting ready- 

she's laying on the rug next to me. 

I love that sweet dog and the fact that she always wants to be by me. 

But sometimes.........

sometimes it drives me absolutely BATTY!! 

It drives me batty because when I am sitting down and stand up- 

she also stands up.

And then she starts walking- 

in front of me. 

The problem with that?

She has no idea where we are going!!!

And so many many many many times 

I almost step on her and almost fall over her. 

And I've told her a million times that one day 

I'm going to fall and hurt myself or her.

I tell her all the time that she needs to follow- 

not try to lead- since she doesn't know my plan. 

And of course, since she's a dog- 

she has no idea what I'm saying and continues to walk in front of me.

The other day as I said those words I thought.........

Hmm......I wonder if that's what God thinks about me?

Because so often, I try to lead

and I don't know what HIS plan is. 

And sometimes I don't take the time to ask Him

and instead go ahead on my own, 

with my own agenda and plan.

I don't take the time to sit at His feet and

be still and just listen. 

And so sometimes

(too often if I am totally honest)

I'm sure that He has to get tired of me trying to lead,

when I should be following. 

And so now, every time Holly starts to lead

and I almost trip over her

I think of it as a reminder from God for 

 me to stop and let the one who knows all to lead me. 

 I can hear my Savior calling,
I can hear my Savior calling,
I can hear my Savior calling,
“Take thy cross and follow, follow Me.”

I’ll go with Him through the garden,
I’ll go with Him through the garden,
I’ll go with Him through the garden,
I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way.

I’ll go with Him through the judgment,
I’ll go with Him through the judgment,
I’ll go with Him through the judgment,
I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way.

He will give me grace and glory,
He will give me grace and glory,
He will give me grace and glory,
And go with me, with me all the way.

Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow;
I’ll go with Him, with Him, all the way.

Sign Alteration

Don't you love how Madison changed my sign?

Monday Morning Question of the Day

For the last week I have been following the very sad trial 

of a young man who killed his girlfriend and her brother here in our town. 

It's such a tragic case and on my drive to Sonic each day 

I pass by the street the house where the murders occurred.

Each day as I pass by the street I 

pray for both of the families- and the lawyers- involved.

Passing the street made me wonder something that I asked my family. 

And so now I want to ask you......... 

Would you knowingly purchase a house 

where a murder had occurred?

Not surprisingly- Tony said he would.

Madison and I said we would not.

What about you?

Flashback Friday

This picture of my sister and I makes me laugh.

It was taken in my parents bedroom. 

Look at that carpet. Snazzy huh?

 It was pukey green- was in all the bedrooms in our house

 and was about as thick as a piece of paper. 

Look at the snazzy 70's vacuum cleaner sitting behind us. 

How funny is it that my mom took a pic with the vacuum cleaner in it? 

My sister's shoes? COOL huh?

They look like they are tri-colored bowling shoes. 

Super cool!

Behind us was the sewing machine cabinet 

and a lovely shelf full of colored cardboard file boxes. 

So funny and so random. 

The expression on my face is great. 

I love my sister but that face says 

"I'm only smiling because I have to and 

the second you snap that pictures I am getting the heck away from her!" 

Week 19- Hiding God's Word in Your Heart

Randomness on a Tuesday Morning

1. There are only 14 more days of school.  

14? How the heck did that happen?

 This year seems like it's gone by at warp speed. Seriously. 
At this rate I will blink and be 65. 
Crazy how fast time goes as you get older. 

2. Madison performed in her first event at the
 high school for the drill team this past weekend.  

As I looked at the pictures I took of her before the Sat. night performance I was absolutely stunned by how grown up she looked.  How did my baby turn into a high school girl? 

3. This video cracks me UP! 





4.  Totally planning to make these Peanut Butter Brownies for my hubby very soon. 

Don't they look YUMMY? 

5. I'm totally addicted to the iPhone game Words with Friends. 
(It's like Scrabble) 
Seriously addicted. 
So addicted I have to make myself turn off the 
notifications at night and while I am at work or I'd play 24/7.  
(If you want to play with me, my name is Swtblessshan)


6. This post by Kristen on (In)Courage called When Her Life is Better Than Mine truly spoke to my heart. If you ever struggle with comparing yourself to others, go read it NOW! 


7. I am obviously a horrible judge of how old people are. 
The Sonic boy who I figured was about 17 or 18?
I found out he's married and has a baby and is in college. 
YIKES! Must mean I'm getting OLD. 


8. I'm hosting book club this Thursday at my house and we are discussing the Jodi Picoult book The Pact.  I big puffy heart LOVE her books and her most recent book, House Rules, is my absolute favorite. It's about a boy with high functioning autism and is amazing.  The thing I love most about her books is that she makes you see both sides of an issue.  As someone who usually sees things very black and white, with little gray- I love that.  If you haven't read anything by her I highly suggest you do! 


Enough randomness for now.............y'all have a fabulous day! 

Monday Morning Question of the Day

As his Mother's Day gift to me,

 my husband painted our front door. 

It was something I really wanted done and 

I've been asking him for a long time (forever)  to do. 

I absolutely LOVE it! 

That act of service was better than any fancy gift 

he could have purchased for me. 

Seriously. 

Don't get me wrong- I love gifts,

but someone doing something for me

means even more to me. 

(obviously one of my love languages is acts of service) 

So what about you? 

Would you rather be given a gift 

or 

would you rather have an act of service done for you? 

Flashback Friday

I love this picture of my sweet mother. 

I love the cute card on the bookcase that you can read if you enlarge the pic.

I love the handmade felt ornaments that are on the tree that my sweet mother made. 

I love that my sisters head is partially in this pic on the left side 

and that my head is partially in this pic at the bottom. 

I love that we were wearing matching dresses. 

I love the snazzy 70's outfit my mother is wearing.

I love her sweet smile. 

I love her. 

And oh how I miss her.

Week 18- Hiding God's Word in Your Heart

Monday Morning Question of the Day

Using the first letter of your name, 

what word describes you best today?

I'll start.........

sickly.

(I hate being sick.)