Flashback Friday

This picture of my mother dancing {she's the one on the far right} is adorable. 

I never knew before seeing this and several other pictures

 that my mother ever even took dance and to be honest it sort of surprised me.

I love their sweet ruffly dresses and the flowers in their hair.

Madison of course pointed out that their shoes were not real dance shoes. 

They do kind of look like slippers, not ballet shoes don't they? 

Hiding God's Word in Your Heart

Preach the word; be prepared 
in season and out of season;
 correct, rebuke and encourage—

with great patience and careful instruction.

~2 Timothy 4:2~

Monday Morning Question of the Day

If you could only use ONE word for an entire week, 

what would that word be?

Monday Morning Question of the Day

My book club recently read Still Alice by Lisa Genova.

It was a fascinating book about a psychology professor at Harvard 

who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. 

It's an amazing book that caused lots of discussion at our book club on Thursday night.  

One of the most highly discussed questions had to do with Alice's three children

 and their decision about being tested for the Alzheimer's gene.

So my question for you is......

If one of your parents had Alzheimer's, 

would you take the test to see if you had the gene?

Why or why not?

Flashback Friday

So I'm fairly certain that if my sweet mother were still alive I would NOT be posting today's picture because she would kill strangle murder me for doing so

 but it's one I absolutely love!

This past summer I went through several boxes of old pictures my sister 

had brought me and this was a pic in one of those boxes. 

It's taken in our living room and judging by the furnishings and my mothers hair

 {it took a weekly trip to the hair dresser to have that cool do} 

it appears it was around 1974 or 1975 which means my

 mom and dad were still honeymooners.  

I can honestly say prior to this picture I had never seen my mother wearing 

anything resembling lingerie before so this picture surprised me!

Her face says what mine often does in pictures.....

Why are you taking my picture?

{or perhaps Please stop taking my picture!}.

It's hard to tell but the blob in the bottom right corner

 is a pile of laundry which makes me laugh.

Oh how I wish I knew the story behind this picture!

Maybe I'll ask my dad?

Or maybe I don't want to know? ;)

Monday Morning Question of the Day

Book club is meeting at my house this week

 and I'm working on coming up with a menu for the evening. 

So today's question is...........

What would you cook if you were having

 a group of 12 ladies over for dinner?

{be sure to include dessert!}

Scripture Rings

My sweet friend Susan asked me to make some scripture rings 

for a retreat she and two other ladies are hosting this weekend. 

 The retreat is a very special retreat- 

only for those mothers who have lost children

 and I was honored to do something to help.

 Although a tad time consuming, 

these are super easy to make and a great way to

share scriptures with someone.  

Here's how to make them:

1. Print out the scriptures

 {see printables below or make your own using a business card template}

and cut them out. 

2. Cut out scrapbook paper into rectangles a

 tiny bit larger than your scripture cards.

I used a different kind of paper for each verse.

{I used a paper cutter and it was much faster!}

3. Glue the scripture cards on top of the scrapbook rectangles. 

4. Take the string off of the tags

{I used these tags}

and glue the scrapbook rectangle in the center of the tag. 

5. Take a book ring and put thru the hole in a set of tags. 

6. Grab a few pieces of ribbon and tie to the ring

and you are done. 

These are awesome to put on your desk,

in your purse or to give as a gift!

You can download the verses HERE. 

I {heart} you because................

I saw this idea on the internet somewhere 

{I don't remember where I saw it, if it was you
 please comment and I'll be happy to give you credit}

and I immediately loved it and knew I had to do it! 

So easy and so inexpensive and such a fun idea! 

You just buy a frame,

 {Walmart or the Dollar Store or even spray paint a frame you already have}

print out the card below in whatever size your frame is,
{there are four different styles in the download- 
the polka dot one shown above is number 3}

place it in the frame. 

Add a thin dry erase with a cute ribbon

and it's ready to go! 

You just write on the glass the reason you love someone
along with their name, and simply erase when you want to change it!
How fun is that?

You could make a big one and hang it on the wall 

or small ones and place them on the dining room table

or even make one for each member of your family 

and hang them on their bedroom doors. 

i heart you

My 41 Random Acts of Kindness

It took me all week to finish my 41 Random Acts of Kindness

 this year since I didn't take the day off, it was a super busy week,

 and I didn't have the assistance of my BFF Dory

but I finally finish them- with some assistance from my sweet family!
What a great week it was!

Here's what I did:

1. Made Snicker Cookies for the District Attorney's office. 

{Being a juror made me so appreciate the difficult job they do!}

2. Bought Sonic drinks for the office staff at one of my schools.

3. Left laundry detergent tied with a ribbon 

and a bag of quarters at the laundromat.

{Doesn't he look thrilled? Sweet man went inside the

 super full laundromat to drop that off and get all sorts of crazy looks!}

4. Ding dong ditch! 

{you put a box of ding dongs on a friend's doorstep, 

ring the doorbell, and RUN!}
Cute printable can be found here.

5. Left treats for a sweet friend who has a home daycare-

 Easter eggs with treats for the kids, Calgon for the mama!

6. Donated diapers and wipes to the Hope Pregnancy Center.

7. Sent an encouraging card with scripture 

to a friend who is having a really hard time.

8. Made CD's of all the Smart Notebook lessons I've created 

and sent them to Tony's cousin who is a first year teacher. 

9. Left Whataburger gift cards for our trash men. 

{I tried to take a pic of the envelope taped on a box, 

but it was too dark outside when we left that morning!}

10. Mailed Sonic gift cards anonymously to two fellow Sonic addicts. 

{Can you believe they guessed it was from me?}

11. Bought a gift card and placed it inside a Bible at Hastings

telling the person who found it to use it to purchase a Bible!

12. Bought a drink for the person behind me at Sonic. 

13. Bought a movie theater gift card for Sonic Boy and Sonic Girl.

{They are going to use it to see Hop on Tuesday}

{I actually have a pic of Sonic boy getting it but I didn't post it for fear

 that people who went to that Sonic would tell him how 

I write about him on Facebook and I'd have to stop!}

14.  Mailed a surprise to my sweet friend Dia

 {I've known her since I was 4}.

15. Donated $50 to my sisters favorite charity. 

16. Bought a baby name book and some lemon candy 

{which helped me with morning sickness}

 for a sweet friend who is trying to get pregnant. 

17. Made dinner for a sweet friend who is pregnant

 and due in less than 3 weeks and folded her clothes for her.

{and has 3 girls at home already}

18.  Became a Post Pal and 

sent a card and email to several very ill children.

{such an easy and great way to help cheer up a sick child-

you should do it too!}

19. Made 10 pillowcase dresses for little girls in Africa. 

{and if you saw my sewing, you'd know this was a very RANDOM act!}

20. Made {I heart you because.......} frames for a few friends. 

{I'll share the printable tomorrow for anyone that wants it!}

21. Took coloring books and crayons to the ER waiting room. 

22. Gave out pop rock treats to some teachers in the mailboxes

.....because they ROCK!

23. Gave mini bundt cakes {that my sweet friend Betty made}

to the cafeteria ladies at one of my schools.

24. Took Sonic drinks to all the girls {and sponsors}

 who were trying out for drill team officer last week. 

25. Picked up items on the floor all throughout the grocery store. 

{What's up with people dropping stuff and just leaving it there?}

26. Made a banana cake with cream cheese frosting

for the office staff at one of my schools. 

27. Gave fortune cookies to some friends because

 I am so fortunate to have them for friends!

28. Took donuts to the janitor at one of my schools. 

29. Left boxes of sidewalk chalk 

at the playground for kids to find. 

30. Left some fun chalk messages on the porch of some sweet friends!

31. Taped lottery tickets on the inside of the restroom stalls at Target 

along with a note that said........Is today your lucky day?

{Tried to take a pic of this but had to hurry out because some people came in!}

32. Taped quarters inside a pay phone booth. 

33. Put money in the drink machines outside the grocery store.

34. Put quarters in all the candy machines at HEB.

35. Did Madison's chores for her- 

dusting and emptying trash cans.

36. Left Happy Signs on the mirrors in bathrooms 

at a school and the grocery store. 

37. Made 30 scripture card rings for a 

retreat for mom's who have lost children. 

{I'll also post the printables of these tomorrow 

in case someone would like these!}

38. Put back all the shopping carts in the parking lot at Target.

39. Made an appointment to give blood next weekend. 

40. Mailed a shirt to an old friend from high school 

who wanted to buy one-along with her check back!

41. Purchased an egg laying hen for the

little Guatemalan boy that I sponsor's family. 

It will provide eggs and a way for them to earn

 some much needed money. 

{This is the favorite RAOK I did!}

Such a wonderful week that truly blessed me beyond words!

Flashback Friday

Remember this hysterical picture of my grandfather

 from Christmas eve sometime in the mid 70's?

Well I just found another picture taken that same morning

 of him opening another VERY random present!

So that year he not only got a frog toilet seat,

but he ALSO got a monkey with cymbals!

He must have been a VERY good boy that year! 

{And don't you love the look on my grandmother's face? 

What do you think she is thinking?}