I am sad today. My sweet, wonderful, amazing husband just left to go to work. Usually, he leaves at 4 a.m. but he has hurt from his kidney stones all weekend long and hurt very badly last night. So, it was late to work this morning. The thing is, he works about an hour and a half from where we live and there is no cell phone signal up there in the mountains. So, I can't tell whether he is hurting or what is going on with him. I have to stay here and wait and see. :(  Also, he took 2 pain pills and is driving and working with those in his system. NOT GOOD. So, I would ask that you pray for us today. Especially for my sweet husband.

Now, on to happier things: My wonderful husband took the kids to get doughnuts for us on Saturday morning while I slept/puttered around the house. Doughnuts are a good 20 minutes away and he also went to the hardware store and surprised me with hanging baskets for our front porch!!! So, quite a bit of time to myself, I didn't have to fix breakfast and beautiful flowers for Mother's Day....it was so nice!!! Then, on Sunday, we went to church (where we spent time with my Mom) and he fixed dinner for the kids & I (all while he was in pain) and cleaned it up, as well. Actually, I had to help cook a little bit but I didn't mind! Then, we just had a quiet day together and went to see Charlie's Mom last night. It was just a great day!!

I hope to post pictures soon. I have so many to post so will probably spend about a week posting pictures! lol

 I have to find my battery charger for my camera, first! :)

Hope you have a wonderful week!

I am soooo ready to....

                                                squash from last year's garden....
*get the AC fixed!!!!!


*put up the pool in the next couple of weeks...it's been 90 the past couple of days. It's supposed to cool off for a week or so but this 90 degree weather has shown me that I want the pool to be ready, soon!


*get the grill fired up almost every single night. I am NOT cooking in the house any more than I have to in the humid heat that is our summer!!

*Try to get some sun on these legs!

*Do school outside and at the park!!! (Going today for lunch!)

*Work on our pool deck and walkway.

*Plant more flowers and purchasing more hanging baskets!

* have garden veggies to freeze & can..not so much canning because of the heat but I will do it. :) Just not without an AC....lol

*Have fresh flowers from our yard throughout our house!

*Work more on our house....bathroom renovations are NEXT!!!!


*get off of this computer, run errands and take my babies to the park for our lunch date!! See you soon!

♥Julie♥

my day and other random things....

It's just been one of those days....It started with a migraine last night, some tylenol pm which makes me drowsy the next day and I was woke up at 6 am by 2 hyper little girls. The TV is broke so I could not let them watch a movie while I slept another hour (yes, I have done that). Sooooo....I get up and drink a pepsi (yes, I know) and sit down to try and wake up. Before I can even get dressed, my son comes into the room crying (apparently he had a nightmare) and would NOT go back to sleep. Crying toddler = not good for migraine!! He then proceeded to dump 2 entire cake mixes all over his bedroom carpet, take off his pull up and pee on the cat and throw the magic markers off of the porch (3 times) after he sat in the corner(time-out) and was swatted on the rear for disobedience (he just kept doing it!!!) ....wow, what a morning! (Just being real, folks! Sometimes I do that! lol)



Which started off a day with no air conditioning (it is broke), no vehicle(Charlie is still working on his, driving mine), and no TV!!!!! It is also about 80 here today with 70% humidity...that, my friends, where I live, equals MISERABLE!!!! Oh, it will get much worse but I am praying for the AC to be fixed before it does!! I have been chomping on ice all day and standing in front of the fans! :)

To make a long story short, I have been sitting here going out of my mind. We have read Beatrix Potter books until I am thinking I am a rabbit! lol We have done worksheets (which I hate), cut and glue crafts, took a nature walk, and made no bake cookies! I just can't seem to get out of this funk! This dark, dreary humid weather depresses me...I wish it would rain so it would cool off!


Well, there's my day in a nutshell! Right now it is naptime and I am praying they sleep for awhile. Tomorrow will not be much better because 1.) Charlie has kidney stones (and he is working, please pray for him!!) and 2.) Lily turns 3 tomorrow!! So excited that she will be 3 but a little sad, all the same. :( I don't really have a baby girl anymore. Well, she will always be my baby but you know what I  mean....and, I just have to share these ADORABLE outfits I ordered for Lily and Claire!!! Aren't they precious and the best part, CHEAP!!!

And, I soooo want these shoes and some of these cute dresses from Old Navy!!! (I'll do the boys' shopping another day! lol) Next time, maybe I will show you some accessories I have been eyeing for awhile! What's a girl without accessories?? :)

Welcome to my world this Thursday...

Okay, this is just a random post that I just want to write so I can clear my head for the HUGE day's work I have facing me! Do you ever feel like you need to write to clear your head? Anyway, a few random things for today:

*Drinking sweet tea for breakfast....I have a headache from the Dr.Pepper/soft drink withdrawls so I am drinking some caffeinated sweet tea to help the headache. Hoping it helps!

*I am sooooo tired from the lack of sleep this week and I  had a VERY disappointing Tuesday this week but I did get to visit with family from Maine so that was great! Still, I am hoping this weekend is better. I had a rough week.  I get to see my sister and her sweet little family and have a baby shower for my niece! Praying it is a good weekend!

*I want a date night with my husband so bad. We REALLY need one right now! Praying that works out for us this weekend.

*I absolutely must get in gear and clean today!!!! All the sickness, traveling and then visiting and not being home has added up. I have sooo much to do!

*School is the same way. We have to get in gear today and finish the week strong!

*Charlie's car and truck, both are messed up right now. So, he is driving my van to work until he can get one of them fixed this weekend. Hopefully, today,we can get outside and get some yard work done or just play. I don't care. Either would be fine!

*The girls picked out some purple nail polish yesterday so hopefully, we can paint their nails today!

*Lots of reading today! :) That's always a great day!

* I am listening to this so much here lately. This is blue-grass, cajun, folk, rock, country, all that thrown together. The lead singer of this band(Evan) worked for my Dad and my husband when he was in high school and college. He's a sweet boy(well, man, now) and we love him to death! So, take a listen if you want and I am thinking about doing a give-away of sorts here on this blog with some of their stuff. Probably will try to do that in May, sometime. Stay tuned for that! In the meantime, head on over to their website!

*Making Blackberry Cheese Pie for dessert tonight! Yum!

so, that's about it for my day! I have to go and get in gear...thinking "Long Hot Summer Day" is gonna be some motivation for that! ;)

Have a great Thursday!

Julie

random wednesday....

I have some new recipes posted on our recipe blog, check them out!

Chicken taco soup

Pico de gallo & guacamole

~I am having a not so great week after having 2 awesome weeks but I guess that's how it goes and I will just have to roll with it! School has been on hold, laundry is back to being piled on the couch and manners and attitudes are at an all time high. We have, so far this week, and it's just Wednesday, God help me, dealt with Lily and Drew's poison ivy outbreak and now, Claire & Lily and I think, mama, have some sort of stomach bug!! Lord, have mercy!!


~Tonight it is chicken & rice soup & hot rolls from the freezer and hopefully, we can all keep that down. Right now, I am so thankful that I made enough extra a few weeks back to place in the freezer! It pays to cook in bulk, sometimes!

~I have a favor to ask! My cousin is pregnant with her first child and is having trouble in our small town finding cute cheap maternity clothes. Can you help her out? Where did you find yours? We are looking for online and store suggestions! Where is your favorite place to shop for maternity clothes?? Any creative ideas for my cousin??


~My father-in-law built me the most beautiful cookbook stand, ever!!! As soon as I find my camera...I will post pictures for you!! It is just one of the best gifts I have EVER received!! So sweet!! :)

~Day 3 of No cokes is going GREAT!! Having a few withdrawl headaches but nothing serious. I am really excited about this...water never tasted so good!

Well, I am bored and Claire is up from her nap, now so we are going to read for awhile. Some Fancy Nancy  books!!

♥Julie♥

random Friday...

Random:

Today's highlights:

*woke up with a migraine. :(

*phone got lost for the 900th time this week.

*Drew had diarrhea

*got locked out of the house & van (LONG story!!)

*My sweet nephew, Jess, got it unlocked for me and saved the day! There's a reason he's a firefighter!! lol

*However, I did get my hair cut and colored and we are going out to eat tonight(with the kids but, oh well!)

YAY, guacamole!!! Yummy!!

*I am looking forward to curling up with a good book this weekend and just having some time to myself. We'll see! :)

* I get to pick out Easter clothes this weekend for the family. That's one of my favorite times to shop! And, I need to get everything together for our school unit this next week..that's always fun! :)

*Can't wait until Easter and the traditional things we always do. I love being a wife and mama and making so many wonderful memories with our little family!

*Listening to a lot of Kutless and Casting Crowns, lately. Some Selah, too. Just trying to surround myself in worship!!

I had a wonderful visit with our new Aunt Sherry, yesterday. I am soooo happy she is part of our family. :)

I can't wait to bake lots of yummy goodies for our Easter celebration!! You know how I adore baking! lol

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

♥Julie♥

random...

It is supposed to be REALLY cold and icy here this weekend so I am, at this very moment, doing all the laundry up and baking various muffins and making meals to heat up, just in case the power goes out from the ice. I may sound crazy but we have been here before with no power for almost 2 weeks!!! We have electric appliances so I am getting prepared!! (We can use electricity for short amounts of time with a generator. Actually, it's a welder, lol)

Last night, I started a new book. I do not usually have time to read fiction but made an exception because I absolutely LOVE Karen Kingsbury books! In about 3 hrs. (with distractions from hubby and kids, lol) I read the entire book, "Between Sundays"...all I can say is, WOW.. Awesome book. Awesome message. I love books of redemption. There's a story in itself there, maybe someday I will share it. :)

We received an unexpected gift today. Can't say more about it at the present time but wow, God works in the every day. That's all I can say. He truly works. :)

Reading "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan for the third time. Reading it with my hubby this time. Amazing life-changing stuff. Really makes you think and sweat.

Eating a zero candy bar and drinking a Dr. Pepper/ haven't had a coke in 2 weeks and right now it taste so good, I don't care about the calories. That and I have a sinus headache so the coke helps. :)

I have become disenchanted with Jillian Michaels. I still believe her stuff is great and I still do the shred when I make the time but her attitude this season on The Biggest Loser???? Well, let's just say, she needs to can it. There is NO reason to talk to someone like they are trash. NONE. 'nuff said!!

And, that's my list of random for you! Hope you have an awesome weekend!! Praise God for all HE has done in your life.... 

Love,

~Julie~

random...

~We didn't make it to church today because Claire, Lily & Drew are all running a fever and have runny noses. So, I am a paranoid mama, but we just don't go when everyone feels cruddy. We stayed home and made biscuits and gravy for breakfast and had a bible story and songs and communion(for Mom & Dad) here at the house. I LOVE lazy Sundays like that. We love going to church services but sometimes, when everyone is feeling blah..., this is just the thing!

~Drew turns 1 this Friday!! I am so emotional about this!! I can't believe the year has flown by so fast....

~It is so hard for me to balance everything! Don't get me wrong, I don't want anything to change except myself! I am a horrible juggler! I never said I was coordinated! ha!

~LOTS to pray about lately. It always seems like that but I know that's a good thing because it means that God is working in our lives! A lot of things are painful but necessary!! Praise God for His LOVE that is anew every morning!

~School starts after Labor Day; can't wait!! Claire asks me every day if she can" start school with Mama, yet"? I always have to show her the days on the calendar and explain that it's just a bit longer although we have cheated (a little) and are working on a few things a little bit here and there! I am so excited to be able to spend this time with my children!! A lot of people have asked me why I want to homeschool my children and my #1 reason has to be that I just adore them! I adore them and I LOVE being with them and teaching them and watching their eyes light up when they learn something new!! It's the BEST feeling, ever and I have the BEST kids ever!! (well, I am sure yours are better to you but this is my blog so.... :) )

~Also, I have some links to share in the next week that I am hoping you will really enjoy! Stay tuned for those!

~Reading Romans 4 & Romans 12 right now.....oh, talk about challenging!! I am trying to make notes as I go and hopefully I can find the time to share a little bit with you (with school starting, we will see!)

~From what I hear, our niece Beth is a really awesome softball player!! GO BETH!! She's a great kid, that much I DO know, for sure! :)

~My husband and I have been doing this bible study together and some with the kids (we do the family projects together)....it's a very good study and simple enough that you will not get bored and it doesn't take very long at all (usually about 5 minutes) So, give it a try!!

~If you get a chance, read Mark Levin's , "Liberty and Tyranny", such a great read. There are no words for how much sense this man makes. Must read!!

~Here's what we are using this year:

*Bible Study/Devotional: included in L.H.T.H. (below) and a wonderful little devo book that my sister gave me!! (Thanks, Amy & Sis!!)
*Little Hands to Heaven- Claire & Lily
*Handwriting without tears & Handwriting for a reason (we will see which one will work better but we are excited about both!)
*Math-U-See (not sure about this yet but definitely looking at it)
*Little House on the Prairie & nature journal
*Toddler & Preschool Art (along with some books that Charlie found at Mardel's!!!)
*Charlotte Mason reading List (Ambleside Online)
*Music & Poetry- classics & CM list (AO)
*P.E. & play day with our homeschool group once a week

*And that about wraps it up!! Hope you are having a great weekend! I'll be back tomorrow with my "Monday Meanderings"....be prepared, it will be long!

~Love,
Julie

Life around here...

. Drew slept 8 hrs. last night (about 3 of those on my chest because he was gassy but oh well, sleep is sleep!)

. Claire & Lily are currently running around in their Strawberry Shortcake bathing suits. They are "boo-ful, mama, just boo-ful" =)

. Made banana bread last night from Darcy's recipe. Our family LOVES this recipe! Yum.

. Got fall decorations out of storage last night (finally) and I have been decorating today. Hope to get more tomorrow to finish up and I am so excited about seeing it all come together! I love Fall!

. Claire & Lily are sitting in the recliner eating banana bread and drinking milk. They are so adorable. My camera batteries are not charged up yet! I can't wait until they are. Maybe I can get some pics later today. I am missing some great opportunities this morning. =(

. Drew is napping. I am trying to get him back on a decent nap routine after our weekend pretty much ruined that! But, that's okay, we had fun!

. Finally got to see my in-laws new church building inside! It is BEAUTIFUL and the girls LOVED the nursery! They also thought the baptistry was a swimming pool. Claire wanted to go home and get her suit! =)

. Same church is having breakfast every Friday and supper at church on Wednesday nights before services. I think that is wonderful and will reach many in the community!

. Our church is going to watch Fireproof in the next week or so. We are not for sure about the exact date yet. We have to get the group together and get it verified through the movie theatre. I am SO excited; it should be really fun! I have heard a lot of great things about this movie! =)

. Prayers have been answered for our family situation! Thank you, Lord Jesus! Things are better but things need to continue to be worked out so PLEASE continue to pray for that!

. 11 years ago October 10th was our first date! =) The night my life changed completely forever! I love that man so much and I am just so in awe that I am his wife. Even after all this time. Love you, babe.

. Drew will be 6 weeks old Thursday; time flies! Try to get more pictures up today or tomorrow. I know we are way overdue in that area! =)

. Got a new outfit last week!!! Yay; almost lost ALL of the baby weight. YAY, I am very happy about that! =) New jeans ($20 Wal-Mart but seriously these are great! I HATE cheap jeans usually but these fit SO good and they don't stretch out and I think that they even LOOK expensive! ) and a black t-shirt and I even bought a cute necklace! I will have to post pictures! I even got new make-up this week and I have to say that AVON has the greatest, cheapest make-up and I LOVE it! I may become an Avon lady! =)

. I'll probably get a lot of crap for this but I am really liking Jessica Simpson's new CD. "Remember that" is actually a pretty good song. She can actually sing where you can hear her instead of whispering! when she sang pop, I always wondered why everyone liked her and actually I thought she was not very good but, like I said, I like her new CD so, we shall see! Maybe I will end up being a fan? (of her music, maybe, who knows?)

. Made pumpkin bread twice after I came home from having Drew and both times, I forgot to put baking soda in it! I could not figure out why it was flat and hard. That is why! Finally this week, I got it right! I guess all of the sleep helped! =)



. Having breakfast for supper tonight because I did not get to go grocery shop and I won't get to go until tomorrow! So, tonight it is French Toast (with leftover bread from last night), Blue & Gold Sausage (the BEST sausage ever), and omelets. Yum.

. Loving my crockpot this week and last! My sister has a yummy menu this week with lots of crockpot meals! =)

. Found some comfy yoga pants that I really LOVE! These are so comfortable!

. Trey Morgan. net has some great blog posts lately. LOVE his blog!

. Reading, "Created to be his help meet" again. That book gives me a serious reality check just when I need it the most. LOVE what this book has done for our marriage!!

. Need to buy new picture frames. Horrible. I am so bad about remembering things like this.

. Found some cool books for Claire, Lily, Kylie & Alaina. I have to get them mailed to my sis tomorrow. They teach hand-eye coordination and help with color recognition. They get to cut and paste a lot and I think that will be popular! I found them on clearance for $1.50 and they were $6.00 so that's a GREAT deal! =)

. Drew is now eating 5 oz. bottles and last night he took 6 oz. He is getting SO big!

. Thursday is my 6 week checkup. I hate those and will be glad to be through with it all.

. Please pray for my Uncle Edwin, he is VERY sick and doesn't have much time left.

. Wish it would STOP raining so I can take my kids for a walk. We love our double stroller!!! =)

. Charlie is finally working good hours again. It's been about a year and a half of financial stress because of reduced hours for one reason or another. Thank God for his raise or we may not be able to do it! Thank God it is better now! =)

. Drinking LOTS of water every day, about 12 glasses , at least! Trying to lose the fluid that I just seem to hold on too since I got pregnant with Andrew. Seems to be helping. I have lost all of my baby weight except the stomach that is terribly stretched out after 3 kids in 4 years. lol.

Welll, I am off to play outside! Have a great day!

Julie

Rattling around in my head...

*Updated with pictures at the bottom of the post!!!!!

Um, yeah. The best title I could come up with for all that I have been dwelling on lately. Must be the horomones! =)

* Is baby a boy for sure? How do I know? (See, how useless is it to worry about this? And, so what if it is a girl?! Either one is fine with me & Charlie!)

* I get up at 4am with Charlie almost every day and don't get to sleep until around 10:30 or 11 pm. After I get up with him, it takes me about an hour to go back to sleep and then Claire is up at 6 am. So, I am just a little tired all of the time!

* I am really ready for Fall!!! It's raining a lot here and cooling down some already which is extremely strange for August where we live! It's usually so dry and HOT all month and into September! I am loving this weather even if our finances aren't (Charlie can't work much when it rains).

* Still not completely ready for Andrew. I just can't seem to get it all together with this 3rd baby. I desperately want to but I am just so tired and occupied with taking care of Charlie & the girls. So, I am feeling some Mommy guilt already.

* Read Romans this morning. I don't really remember which chapter! LOL. =) I could not go back to sleep so I read and then I fell asleep reading. I think it was the 8th chapter! I do remember reading about our sin nature and the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. =)

* Thinking about posting about a serious issue. Trying to figure out exactly what to say. I usually don't like to deal with the aftermath I get when I post about things like that but I feel this is important. We'll see.

* Making a ham in the crockpot and cooking pinto beans, steamed cabbage and mashed potatoes with it. Of course, sweet tea. And little Miss Clairee made her Daddy a cake this morning. =)

* My dr.'s appt. got rescheduled today. Going early next week and I am actually hoping to have the baby before then. I am shooting for Paul (the 24th?) or Kylie's (the 27th?) birthdays!!!! =)

*Did "school" with Claire today! We made circles and stars and cut and pasted them on construction paper. We also worked on her counting and the letter "R". She is doing so great and I am SO proud of my babies!! Lily is scribbling away on her construction paper while Sissy works!!! I will post the pictures I took of their artwork sometime today. My computer still does not cooperate with that very well so I have to use my Mom's to load my pictures until we can afford a new one!

* Charlie's home for the 3rd day this week. Check will be small but the Lord will provide. HE always does. =)

*Lily has a head cold and Claire is getting one. They are stuffed up pretty bad right now. =(

* Going to go and play catch with Claire and go for a walk. Hope I can get baby to come on down!!! Pray for us please as we near the birth of our precious little one!

Lily can do school, too!

Claire's circles & stars(the stars were traced with a cookie cutter, I know they are funny looking but I think they are the cutest stars, ever! She also cut and pasted these with VERY little of Mama's help, I am so proud!!!

Love and Prayers to all,
Julie

Random stuff

Charlie took the girls to visit his parents last night. I stayed home to rest although I actually got more done than I do if the girls are with me. lol. Right now, ALL the laundry is done, the floors are clean and the clutter is picked up and put in its place. It feels GOOD.

I have been so full of anxiety lately and Charlie has constantly told me to "be still" and let God work. Just keep on praying and let his peace sustain me. This has been difficult to do not only because I am nearing the end of my pregnancy (with no new OB, so far) but also because of family situations. But, God has started this work, he knows the reasons for these events and circumstances. I MUST trust.

So, cleaning did a good work in me. I feel less stressed even with maybe 4 hrs. sleep last night snatched here and there! Claire was up about every hour, I don't know why. She has been sleeping in the same room as Sissy and I am finding it a lot different and less peaceful than when they are seperated! Bless you, Mom, for all the sleepless nights that Crystal and I gave you! SO sorry! lol.

Anyway, just feeling better but still struggling to be peaceful about all that is going on right now. Thank you to those who have been praying for me and my family. We really do need and appreciate it.

Charlie gave the lesson at church yesterday and it was over, can you guess? "Be Still and Know that I am God". One of my very favorite passages and I LOVE the way my husband always knows just what to say when I need him to say it. Thank you so much, baby.

I also mentioned a while back that I have some family that graduated this year and things happened and I never got around to congratulating them (on my blog) so here goes:

Congratulations to high school graduates:

*Garett Burns
*Jesse Phipps
*Michael Rogers
*Jake Morgan
*Amber Bunn

If I forgot anyone I am sorry, truly did not mean too!

Well, I have to go get off the computer and do something productive today to stay awake. I think the girls and I may go for a walk in awhile although it is supposed to be in the high 90's with like 97% humidity!!! I will be SO happy when we get our pool and get in it!!! :o)

*Also, please continue to pray for my swelling in my legs and feet. Thank you.

Love and Prayers to all & Have a wonderful week!

Julie

Monday, Monday

Not much going on today. The girls are playing in their room, destroying it, I am sure! :o) My legs are swelling so I can't get much accomplished today. I am just doing laundry and playing with the girls. I have some chicken in the crockpot for chicken salad tonight & enough leftovers for tomorrow. I am going to serve it with crescent rolls & sliced fruit. Yummy & Easy!

Charlie talked to his dad last night and he is really excited about going to his 50 yr. class reunion in Maine. He is also really excited about his 12th grandchild coming soon! He is such a sweet dear man. The girls have been coloring & fingerpainting like crazy for their grandparents lately. It's really cute. :o)

My Mom & Dad were married 40 years on Saturday! WOW! Time really flies and I just realized yesterday that my Dad will be 60 on July 22. 60! How can that be?! :o)

So, anyway, just stuff going on around here. I am hoping that staying off of my feet will keep the swelling down. Hopefully!

Thanks for reading & Have a great week! =0)

Love,
Julie

Just a whole lot of randomness

*(This was written on Friday night not Saturday; so I am seeing them today!) Tomorrow I get to see my little sister, my brother-in-law, and Kylie, Alaina & little Jason. Jack has been here for almost a week now and he's been a blast to have around! :o) And, Charlie's side of the family is having a cook out tomorrow night. Looking forward to that & the girls playing with the cousins. :o)

Claire has a severe sore throat and I am starting to feel the same way. Claire began running fever today while we were on a shopping trip with my Mom and so right now she is in the bed recuperating and feeling pretty miserable. I hope that we don't have strep throat. Please pray that it isn't that and if it is that we will recover soon. Strep is also very dangerous for pregnant women. Lily feels fine, so far, but if sissy has it, she will get it, too.

Charlie is feeling better, for now. I hope he continues to feel better. :o) Work has been stressful lately but he is handling it very well.

We are off to church camp starting Sunday. It's family camp and we are really excited to see familiar faces and meet new ones again this year. I will have to dedicate an entire post to church camp sometime this week or next. Promise.

Went shopping with my Mom today. It was a LONG trip (1 & 1/2 hr. drive). We bought things for church camp and I got some maternity jeans for $8 and a pair of capris for $7. I also got a nice t-shirt for $8 and some cute flip-flops! :o) I found some tank tops and sundresses for the girls at around $4 a piece. What a great shopping day!!! :o) All at my favorite store, TARGET!!! YAY!! Can you tell that shopping makes me happy?!

We ate lunch at Cracker Barrel; love that place. :o) My chef salad was great, as usual but just not the same with no tomatoes. Ah, well.

I did miss out on ice cream at Coldstone Creamery. We meant to stop but the kids were so tired and Claire felt bad so we just drove on home. Maybe next time. Seriously, you need to try their ice cream. Oh, so good....

I also did not get to go to Bath & Body works (they are having a HUGE sale right now; 3 bubble baths for $10) I SO wanted to go but alas, the kids did not feel well, so, no go. Maybe soon.

But, I had fun anyway and I got out of the house for awhile. I really needed that. I found some oh, so cute, cupcake things at Cracker Barrel and I am going to start saving up! If anyone wants to buy me anything, there you go!!! LOL. I am just joking. :o)

Well, off to bed to read my bible and pray and talk with my husband. I am not trying to sound all super spiritual, either. That's what we have REALLY been trying to do lately!

*one more thing; Drew now keeps his feet in my rib cage and my belly button popped today!!! :o) Hard to breathe now and impossible to bend over, haha.

Love,
Julie

Weekend Happenings

Well, it has been one of the fastest moving weekends that I have had in a long time! It just all seems like a blur. Last night, Charlie's parents watched the girls while he took me out for fajitas (yummy) that was SO much fun and VERY appreciated!!!

We had a great visit with Mom & Dad and stayed up until about 10 pm talking and then made the 20 minute drive home. So, we are tired but it was really nice. I got to talk to my mother-in-law and just visit. :o)

Then, this morning, Lily woke up with a 102 fever, not feeling good at all. So, we stayed home because Charlie is trying to pass a kidney stone, too, we think. He has been in pretty bad pain all day. So, please pray for Charlie & Lily.

So, that's about it for my weekend wrap up! It was SO very nice to go on a date with my wonderful husband but with ups come downs and Lily and Charlie being sick has definitely been a downer today.

Please pray also for my sweet friend, Denise. She lost her brother today and is having a terrible time with her grief. May the Lord comfort her in ways only HE can.

Blessings to you all,

Julie

Fixing A Day- Wow! I SO need this today!!!

Having a hard time getting it all together today? House a mess, you're a wreck, kids fighting, laundry piling, you're pulling your hair out?!
Read this; we all have these days and it's both hilarious & helpful!!! :o)

Your Welcome!

Thanking God today for....

Many things!!!! But, right now the thing that makes me happiest is the $167 Electric Bill I just got in the mail!!!! :o) Our Electric Bill has been averaging around $350 a month with it spiking at one time to $430 !!!!!!!! So, $167 is a great relief and helps out with some things we need to do before baby Drew gets here!!

How can you count your many blessings today?

Have a blessed week!

Our Cousin got Published!!!!

Melissa Harcrow, Charlie's cousin and Erica Roath, a girl I(more correctly, my sister) went to school with, collaborated their talents and came up with this cute series. "Where's Your Manners, William?" is the first book with more to follow. If you wish to know more, go to this address and type in "Where's Your Manners, William?" in the search engine (click on the search tab and type the title).

I have read the book and it is adorable and I believe will become a favorite with our children!

Neither Melissa nor Erica has asked me to plug their book (they are too modest for that) but I am doing it anyway!!!! I am proud of them!!!! So, if you are looking for a cute fun book that will grab your child's attention and keep it all the way through, this is that book!!!

Have a wonderful day!

Alphabet Soup

Amy has this posted on her blog and I thought it looked fun so I am doing it; if you want too, play along!

A is for age:29

B is for burger of choice:Cheeseburger with mustard, pickles & onions. I promptly take the onions off when I get my burger because I love the flavor but hate the crunch- yes, I know that’s weird. (Exactly, Amy!)

C is for what kind of car you drive: Silver 2006 Nissan Sentra

D is for your dog’s name:Boscoe

E is for essential item you use everyday:Dr. Pepper Lip Gloss

F is for favorite TV show at the moment: Don't watch TV unless it's movies or Martha Stewart or a cooking show.

G is for favorite game:To play - Skip- Bo, To Watch - Basketball

H is for Hometown: Somewhere in Oklahoma

I is for instruments you play:Piano; a loooong time ago

J is for favorite juice:Orange

K is for whose butt you’d like to kick:ugh, cancer, too, definitely!

L is for last restaurant you ate at? Pete's in Mcalester, OK (Italian)

M is for your favorite Muppet:Grover

N is for Number of Piercing:NONE (not even my ears)

O is for overnight hospital stays:2 kids plus a week with gallbladder complications

P is for people you were with today:My kids and Charlie

Q is for what you do with your quiet time:Read my Bible, read blogs, just READ, bake & try to sew

R is for biggest regret:Not doing enough for other people; definitely

S is for status:SAHWM (Stay at home wife and mom)

T is for time you woke up today:6:30

U is for what you consider unique:My kids

V is for vegetable you love:Corn on the cob ;Broccoli & Cauliflower; fresh pinto beans, squash, anything fresh out of the garden and oh yeah! Tomatoes with salt! Yum!

W is for worst habit:I bite my nails, yuck!

X is for x-rays you’ve had: So many I can't list them all!

Y is for yummy food you ate today: Zero Candy Bar

Z is for zodiac sign:Piesces

Tag to anyone who wants to play! (Leave a comment so we can come read yours!)

Love, Julie

Happies Continued......

My baby & me (I am laughing; please ignore the goofy look on my face!)

My sister, Crystal, me & Charlie

Claire in the outfit that Jordan & Clayton put together for her!

My sister, Tammy, Lily, me(6 months pregnant) & Micah at church

Allison tickling Claire at MeMe & Papaw Fogg's

Michayla & Claire at church sharing a cracker. They are watching the boys play football.


*I have more pictures that I want to share. A lot of them are of Lily's birthday parties and I want to scan Drew's ultrasound picture and get it posted for you. I will try to get that done this afternoon or tomorrow. It takes forever to scan these and then load them up to blogger! So, please pardon the crooked pictures because they are scanned and I can't seem to get them straight! :o)

Love,

Julie

Happies...

This post is completely random so it's just a warning! :o)

Things that make me happy today: (in no particular order)

*My husband turning his alarm off this morning & getting back in bed to hold me; how very sweet!

* Grilling last night & working in the garden with Charlie & the girls.

* Claire & the pottty training sticker chart; she has to get 10 stickers to get an ice cream with Daddy. She is on #7 and working hard already today to get to #10! So proud of her; she's trying so hard!

* Lily holding my hand last night while going to sleep. Her teeth are really bothering her and she just needed Mama's comfort. :o)

* Drew kicking me with full body blows and hitting and kicking the matress when I lay on my side to sleep! He is definitely strong & active! It's so fun to feel him move around and know that he is alive and strong! What a blessing (believe me, we know).

* This breakfast casserole; I believe it is very close to perfection! Yummy!

* "Creative Discipline" by Lisa Whelchel (Blair on The Facts of Life); a funny great read that really makes you understand the true meaning for discipline and just what are we getting so worked up for anyway?! lol. It's a lifetime process not something that has to be perfected overnight! Anyway, it helps me A LOT! :o)

* My Brighton watch takes a standard watch battery.

* My fingers and feet are not swollen today (yet).

*Dr. Pepper lip smackers lip gloss! Seriously good stuff for a Dr. Pepper addict and the color is really flattering, as well. Just a hint of color, like a blush.(I have been using this for about 5 years or so and I LOVE it!)

*Jergen's Self Tanning Body Lotion; just enough color but not enough to make me orange, which every other lotion with self tanner that I have tried does! Wal-Mart makes a generic version and I think Target does as well. I know the Wal-Mart one is about $2 cheaper a bottle and it works just as well. Although, you can also get the Jergen's lotion that is firming and it does wonders for cellulite and stretch marks! Hallelujah; it's amazing what a good tan can hide! :o)

* Splenda- LOVE the taste of this stuff and trying to eat healthier so this is a must. I am addicted to sweets and this just makes it easier to indulge. We have sweet tea made with this every night and we like it more than sugar sweet tea! In fact, the regular sweet tea feels so heavy to us now. This is great to have in the pantry to make some awesome sweet tea or a quick dessert! :o)

* The Ashley Judd Collection at Goody's! when I lose this pregnancy weight; I am SO shopping there & buying myself a few items! They are gorgeous and VERY flattering! Check it out; you can't beat Goody's prices!

* Target's (Liz Lange) Maternity jeans; Awesome & they last through more than one pregnancy! So comfortable and cute with all your shoes!(By the way; I am NOT getting paid to endorse anyone; just sharing my favorites with you!) *And, although I love the ones that I own now; they do not currently have anything cute that I think would work if I wanted to order a new pair! But, Old Navy has some really cute maternity jeans right now and I want to order this pair and this pair in particular!

* New Living Translation Study Bible; to study with, I haven't found anything better. The charts and timelines and biblical history are so helpful. I have used this Bible along with my KJV and my NIV for years and I find that looking at all three helps understand the context that something is written in much better. Of course, this is JMHO(just my honest opinion) and I am in NO way an expert on what Bible to read!

* My Kitchen Aid Mixer for awesome meringue for coconut cream pie we had earlier this week; yum!

* My granny's patchwork quilt made with her old dresses(the same ones that she made our barbie clothes with). I love to cuddle up with this and read my bible and journal. Makes me feel warm and loved.

* Things that don't let us forget. A book I am reading right now by Karen Kingsbury, "One Tuesday Morning". I cried so much and it reminded me how blessed I am to have the godly man that I do for my husband. He is not perfect and neither am I but we do strive toward that same ultimate goal; to be more like Christ every day. I love him so much.

*Baby Einstein videos- BOTH girls LOVE these and Claire teaches Lily the concepts as they watch. It's a sanity saver for me and so precious for the girls to enjoy this together! :o)

*Babywise- Nobody throw anything; this has helped us with both girls (both sleeping through the night by 12 weeks) so it works for us! :o)

Okay, I guess that I am through for now! I know this probably bored you senseless but thanks for reading along! And, if you get time, let me know a few of your favorite things! :o)

Love and Blessings to all,
Julie