About me...

Thank you all for the birthday wishes by phone, text, and blog. Sorry I haven't responded or called you back. I promise I'm really not that stuck up! Logan has been sick with RSV, FLU, Pink eye in both eyes and just found out today that he tested positive for strep on Thursday, but they failed to tell us that...so he could have been feeling much better had he gotten on an antibiotic on Thursday instead of yesterday. He had been running a high fever, but overall he still had been a pretty good trooper. I got to hold him, rock him, and love on him a little more than usual. Which I completely enjoyed every minute! So he is on his way to feeling better and let's just pray that nobody else gets sick because I don't want to leave a sick kid so I can go to Ruidoso this weekend....that would just make me feel like a horrible Mom, but I'll do it...lol. Not really but just please pray for healthy babies.

I thought I would share a little about me...how much do you really know about me?

1. Favorite music-Heavy Metal. Mega Death, AC DC, Pantera, Five Finger Death Punch.

2. I have 4 tattoos- one that I can't show you.

3. In high school I got a DUI my sophomore year.

4. Skipped school a lot in high school.

5. I never wanted kids.

6. I have assault and battery charges.

7. I take Anger Management classes on a regular basis.

HA! None of that is true...I just thought it would sound more exciting because I'm really a boring person!

OK...for real now...

1. I love to read.

2. I have lived in Oklahoma, Texas, California, Washington, and Nevada.

3. I have butchered, plucked and gutted hundreds of turkeys. (Not by myself though)

4. I love being a wife and a mother.

5. I love learning.

6. I loved basketball in high school.

7. I love traveling.

8. I am conservative. I prefer to drive a modest car, live in a modest home, and save money to travel. Material things only last for so long, but you will always remember experiences!

9. I have a younger sister who also has two daughters and one son.

10. I love Jesus! My aunt started taking me to church in Washington when I was in the 5th grade and I thought it was so weird that she always dressed up to go to church! Isn't that funny!

11. When I lived in Washington most of our weekends were spent cutting and loading firewood or #3.

12. When I was in high school I wanted 3 kids. I always wanted a boy and finally got one by surprise.

13. I would go to a foreign country in a heartbeat if I felt led by Jesus to be a missionary.

14. I'm a do it yourselfer. I like the idea of fixing up something old.

15. I hate hand washing vehicles...don't know why, but I just do!

16. I love camping.

17. I prefer the mountains instead of the beach.

18. Jose and I started dating my sophomore year in high school.

You don't know how hard it was to come up with the first list. Hope you got a good laugh.

Have a great day!

Ariel's Birthday pictures...

I'm behind on posting pictures from Ariel's party. She invited every girl from her class and then some others from another class. We had way too many little girls in the home!!! Her birthday is January 25th and she had her party on the 16th.

She wanted a High School Musical cake for her 8th birthday....

We had cake, ice cream, scavenger hunt, movies and nail polish....these are Bub's sweet little feet. Somebody left the pink polish out and he got a hold of it. He was so proud of his paint job...

Oh...we also had brown cows...just plain rootbeer floats!

Ariel didn't ask for much from us. I think she told my sister she wanted a dog and a chinchilla (sp?). We really didn't know what to get her, but I think she told every girl in her class that she wanted fake nails. She got like 5 boxes of fake nails. Now guess who is picking up all those nails off the floor?

There's my sweet Ariel.....

She keeps things light around here. She is such a blessing. She is so loving. I love how easy going she is. She loves to help with Logan and will do just about anything for anybody. She has such a sweet spirit. She has a laugh that you can hear clear across town! She is so funny and so smart. I love her to pieces. Happy Birthday Ariel Faith! I love you more than the moon, the stars and the sun!

God's Princess

Alexia in my wedding gown from the 1900's....
With her husband. He's a midget, but a fine young man...

If she grows a few more inches, it will fit perfectly....

I have been attempting to clean out my closet since Christmas break. I have never had my wedding gown preserved. We pulled it out and had a little fun! Alexia kept telling me how skinny I was...that made it even better! I told Jose we need to spend the couple hundred to have it cleaned, pressed, and boxed up so maybe when one of the girls marry they can use it and it will save us some big money!

As most young girls do, Alexia sometimes struggles with thoughts of thinking she isn't pretty enough, the boys don't like her, she isn't the most popular, etc. It is so hard as a mother to handle this tough subject. We all think our children are the most beautiful, but kids can be so mean. She has had boys and girls tease her and say some really ugly things to her. I pray about this subject a lot, almost nightly, and ask God to really just bless her with great friends and confidence.

Driving back alone from Amarillo in October, God really just gave me this great way to explain or talk about body images with Alexia.

I've told her to imagine being held in the hands of God formless. No shape, a blank canvas. I told her to imagine God creating her. Carefully choosing each body part. God has held each one of us. He sat there studying this blank canvas and picked out the perfect hair color. He chose the dark brown hair with highlights of blond peaking through, just for Alexia. Then, he chose the shape of her eyes. Bright and open with long eyelashes. This isn't something God just threw together. We are His masterpiece. He thought about it some more. Looked back at the eyes and chose the perfect shade of brown. Then God proceeded to choose the perfect shape for her nose. He then moved to her lips choosing the perfect shape and the perfect shade of red He gave her beautiful hands with long slender fingers. Her feet are His masterpiece too. He then decided he wanted a cute little freckle placed right below her left eye.

We are all God's masterpiece. Who are we to say God made a mistake in how we look? Is He not the GREAT I AM, the KING OF KINGS, THE ALPHA AND OMEGA, the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE? I believe He is and He loves us just the way we are. After all, He is the one who created us!

Psalms 139:13-16 reads:

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

God created you to be the person you are. He loves you infinitely and sees you as His beautiful Princess!

Boyfriends and Girlfriends

Hmmm...interesting topic huh!

Well, today I went inside to pick Ariel up from school and a little boy walked up to me and asked if I was Ariel's Mom. Naturally, I said "Yes."

Just a little background information for those of you who have not had the privilege of meeting little Miss Ariel. She is in second grade and will turn 8 years old on the 25th. She is naturally a likable person, unlike me! She doesn't have to work so hard at being likable. Very easy going, likes everyone in her class. I haven't met a person who doesn't just love Ariel. Or at least they haven't told me otherwise! he he Ariel is the family comedian. The best part about her is that she can take a joke too. I just love that about her. She makes it really fun. She is a really great big sister to Logan. She helps him with whatever he needs and she puts up with so much from people. She comprises very easily. She is very lovable and affectionate. She works hard in school and does really well with her school work. Anyway...on with the whole point of this post.

The little boy, Jonathan continues to tell me that he asked out Ariel. He asked me if she could be his girlfriend. I am caught off guard here, but I did ask him if Ariel asked him a question and he said no. I am still drilling it in their sweet heads, but both girls know when they are allowed to date that the young boy they are interested in has to love God. So I asked him "Do you love God?" He said "uh yes." I asked him if he went to church. At this point I had to run off and chase Logan, so I didn't get the answer to that question.

For now, I think I dodged this one by telling him he has to call the house and talk to her Dad. he he My sister said I was wrong that I should have just told him that she isn't allowed to have a boyfriend. I'll just pray that he doesn't call! he he

Whoa! Talk about not being ready for that one!! You have to give the boy credit for talking to me. I love it! The best part is, I think his Mom was sitting on the bench listening to the whole conversation. She didn't say anything, but I hope a seed was planted if they are not believers.

You may not agree with us, but the rule in our house is when we believe the girls are mature enough, and Logan of course, they will be allowed to date. Not when they turn 16 or 17, but when we know that they are mature enough to know what is right and wrong, listen to their instincts and definitely able to say "NO!" The second part to this rule is that the young man has to come to the house and talk to us about the plans for going on a date. For example, when he would like to pick her up, where they are going, and when he will bring her home. I am not crazy about the whole midnight curfew, do what you want until then. I pray that setting these guidelines will somehow impact the girls and Logan of course in a tremendous way. And Logan will have to do the exact thing that we ask of boys desiring to date his older sisters. He will go the young ladies home and speak with her parents. If they are not home when they say they will be....well we'll deal with that subject when we get to it.

I grew up in a very strict environment and was not able to date (with permission) until I was a sophomore in high school. I just want there to be ground rules and for the kids to understand what dating is about. Not to just have a boyfriend to have a boyfriend. Anyway, what are your rules or what will your rules be and do you agree with our rules or disagree?

Christmas Pictures

Just wanted to share some Christmas Pictures. Poor Logan got all beat up on Christmas day. First, he flipped head first over the front of his little push bike. He hit his forehead, nose and lip. He had a bloody nose and a bloody lip. Poor Bubs! Then later he was waiting outside for Grandma and Grandpa to show up and he fell off the bench outside and scrapped his eye! He is all boy!

Ariel showing off new PJ bottoms.

Logan opening a present. He wasn't into it too much. Santa brought him a tricycle and that is all he wanted. He didn't care about anything else.

Opening family games on Christmas Eve. A new Wii game and the game Pit. The girls love both of them.

Logan snuggling with big sis during movie night.

For Christmas Eve we read the Christmas story, opened a present and watched a movie. Before the girls could open presents Christmas morning we had a little trivia game. They had to answer the question correctly before they could open each present. They really enjoyed the game. It was my way of making sure they know why we celebrate Christmas and to remind them that it is not about the presents.

Jose's family decided to come down for Christmas dinner at the last minute. We had a full house Christmas evening. They spent the night and ate breakfast the next morning and headed back home. It was a fast, but nice visit.

We have been enjoying our Christmas break. We made lots of reindeer poop, little pretzels with Rollo's, banana bread and pumpkin rolls. I tried to make two batches of Beth Moore's Toffee, but neither one came out right. Then I tried to make Jose some pralines and I'll never do that again. Those things turned out hard as rocks! Jose is off until next week so we've been hanging around like bums. At least I have anyway! I have even been sleeping in!!! We have been working on putting a 500 piece Polar Bear puzzle together. Surprisingly Logan has not messed it up. We have been enjoying ourselves. I hope you have had a blessed Christmas holiday and have enjoyed celebrating Jesus!

God Bless You!

I have lots more pictures of random things to post later!

The most

Beautiful....

Kindest....

Smartest....

Precious... Talented....

Sweetest.....

Perfect....

Loving....

..........Kids in the world!!!!!!!!!

The proof is in the pictures!!!!

Have You Prayed For....

Your new President?

For the team he is putting together to work with him?

For your spouse?

His job and the people he works with?

For your children?

For their future spouses?

For your future Grandchildren?

For your family?

For your pastor?

For your church?

For your friends?

For lost?

Have you prayed that God would use you in a miraculous way--beyond what you have ever imagined? I get excited just thinking about it!!!!!

Prayer is the most precious gift you can give of your time!

I hope you're enjoying this time of year and getting in the CHRISTmas spirit. This is my favorite holiday. I love giving! If I had the resources I would give, give, and give some more. But what I know I can afford to give is of my time. Take time to pray for all the people mentioned above. Love you and may you be blessed this holiday season!