Ready or not....

I seriously cannot believe that school is starting on Monday. It seems as though it just let out, but I am very thankful for the wonderful summer that we had! Spending time with the kids is the best. We have had fun just hanging out playing wii, playing outside, water fun, and our favorite summer past time has been frequent visits to "Chateau Snow", our local snow cone stand. I have made it my mission to get a new flavor everytime, but I still haven't come close to trying them all. Anything with sweetened condensed milk is a winner in my book. Maddie loves pineapple upside-down cake and Landon loves spiderman (blueberry & strawberry) I think it is the name that he really likes....it could be any flavors in there!

I am determined to be more organized this year in our daily routines, such as waking up in time to read my bible and exercise & get the kids breakfasts & lunches prepared. Justin usually is on kitchen duty and this week he has done an excellent job of making our lunches yummy! I pray for this school year to filled with positive attitudes and open minds, including my own. Sometimes it is hard to see why certain things happen & it is hard to see eye to eye, but I plan on keeping the lines of communication open (with each other and with God) and I won't let things fester up inside!

This week has been a challenging one, but I can say there have been praises through them all...One has been the praise of Justin and I being very devoted to our envelope system with the Dave Ramsey plan. We had $85 in the food envelope (grocery & eating out) and we finished the week with $10 left! That even included a snow cone run!! :) It has forced us to think about every purchase and made us question, "Now do we really need that?". God always takes care of us and sends reassurance when he knows we need it. For example, Justin took our change jar and cashed it in and he brought home $120!! The words "TRUST IN GOD" rang through my ears...

Besides becoming a first grader on Monday, Maddie has some exciting news. She begins violin lessons! We are so excited and can't wait to get fitted for her violin. We will be renting one until she grows up enough to have a full size, but plan on purchasing if she is still dedicated by that time. Madeline has been talking about playing violin since she was 3. Her time is finally here...

Well, I am off to make some lasanga to put in the freezer for a meal this week. May your week be filled with blessings!

Alanna

Summer Fun Flying By...

Two post by me in one day just may be a miracle! I thought I needed to write about some of the fun things we have been doing this summer & the crazy everyday happenings of my kids. The summer started off with a bang as Justin and I prepared for our anniversary cruise...11 years tomorrow! We had THE BEST time and cannot wait to go again. Although the whole time I was thinking how much the kids would have enjoyed what we were doing, it sure was nice to have a week to ourselves, to reconnect and rejuvenate! They enjoyed getting to spend some time in Killeen with Grannie Jeanne & Pa! One of the highlights for me besides the yummy food, was our snorkeling/kayak trip in Key West, where we saw 5 rays up close and personal and a nurse shark as we sailed away. Atlantis was incredible and the shows on board were amazing each night, my favorite being the magic show. Like I said, I can't wait to go on another one! Maddie and my mom leave on that exact same cruise on August 8th and I wish I could stow away in their luggage!





The kids had a great week at VBS. I taught 1-3 grade music and it seemed as though everyone really enjoyed the music and had fun learning about Jesus. They had a guy come in named Dennis Miller who brought in puppets that the kids loved. Landon cracked up the entire time during his shows in the opening and closing rally. I will have to see if I can order him one of those videos for his birthday coming up in September!

Speaking of birthdays, Madeline had a great one. She is now 6 years old...I can't believe she has now gone to the other hand! :) We went to Dallas and had plans of going to the natatorium there in Allen, but they called an hour before the party saying they were going to have to close due to a gas leak! So we scrambled to come up with plan B. The Hampton Inn had an indoor pool and if we got a room there we could swim there, so that is what we did! Justin's parents ended up staying there and it worked out great. Her friends were still able to come and Aunt Elaine saved the day by letting us have snacks and open presents at her house. Although it was stormy and nasty outside, we had a great time swimming inside! It was a great day. That weekend we enjoyed staying in Kim & Philipp's new apartment, going to a wedding, and 4th of July fun and fireworks with the family. I love fun-filled weekends like that!

Now we are in full swing getting ready for the Loyd/Rossbach wedding! Everything is going to be beautiful and the big day will be here before we know it. 2 weeks and counting....all I know is, I better start practicing my music and speech! :)

I have enjoyed getting to spend time with the kids this summer. They crack me up everyday! Landon is in a phase where he will only wear jeans and he loves to wear this particular jersey/muscle shirt. I couldn't peel it off of him for 3 days!!! But I think I have come to the conclusion that it is not just sleeveless shirts he likes, but shirts with numbers. Maybe it makes him think he is like Troy from high school musical, I don't know!! But it is crazy how obsessed he is with long pants. We have finally come up with a rule that if we are going outside to play he HAS to wear shorts otherwise he would burn up! The kids both LOVE playing Mario bros. Things I frequently hear are "Do your best Landon" and "Pop me Maddie!" as he is shaking away on the control. They love world 1. Maddie likes to stand with her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth...I guess that helps her game! They also love playing outside. Maddie is a whiz on her bike now and they both have put 100+ miles on the gator! They will drive past the mister, which is their car wash and pretend they are getting gas, etc. They love playing together. Last night we had a wedding at our house and they were both dressed up so cute. Madeline said she found her prince!

Well, I guess that is all for now. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Do you have your armor on?

Devotional Thought from FBC Allen…

In the letter Paul wrote to the Ephesians 6:13-17, he uses the picture of Roman armor to encourage believers in how to win in the battle of life. He correlates the following…

* The belt that keeps it all together is TRUTH
* The breastplate that protects our heart is RIGHTEOUS LIVING
* The shoes that keep us moving forward are READYNESS
* The shield that protects us from Satan’s attacks is FAITH
* The helmet that protects our mind and how to think is SALVATION
* The sword of the SPIRIT is the SCRIPTURES

I love the way the sword is described as the SWORD of the SPIRIT. The Holy Spirit takes the scriptures and makes them alive and active, sharper than any sword. Hebrews 4 tells us that the scriptures can pierce to the deepest of places, and this is because they are empowered by the Spirit. If you feel like life is a battle that you are losing, use today’s verse as a checklist. How sold out to truth, righteous living, being ready, faith, salvation and to knowing and letting the Spirit make the scriptures alive and active in you and those you talk to?

End of the Year Craziness!

You would think that the end of the school year would be a time of wrapping things up and getting ready for rest and relaxation....not for me! Things for me have gone into full speed ahead, getting ready for an end of the year 4th grade variety show and decorating for awards ceremonies. Things are crazy to say the least! But as my Granddad has always said, "This too shall pass". I have never really done a "countdown" per say for summer, but I am this year!!! 4 school days until variety shows are done and 9 school days left if you count the teacher workday! It is a race and I WILL make it to the finish line.

With that said, I read something today that made me view things a little differently.


A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water
and asked, 'How heavy is this glass of water?' Answers called out ranged from 20g to
500g.
The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends
on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a
problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I
hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the
same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.'
He continued, 'And that's the way it is with stress management. If we
carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes
increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of
water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it
again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. So,
before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't
carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.’
‘Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. So put
down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after
you've rested a while.’
Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of
life:
* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Always wear stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be "Recalled" by their maker.
* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it
was probably worth it.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because
then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well, just get up and dance.
* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

Deep thoughts....Have a relaxing, stress-free weekend!

Happy Mother's Day

What a wonderful Mother's Day! We started the weekend off Friday night with a wonderful birthday meal for Granddad at Gloria's. The tamales and plantain were oh so tasty. That night mom and I stayed with Karen & Matt in their beautiful new home and had a great time snuggling with Caroline. Saturday morning we had a fun time celebrating with Kimberly at her kitchen shower. Again, she got some amazing goodies and the shower was just beautiful. That afternoon mom and I went shopping at Vera Bradley, Gymboree, Bath & Body Works, & Academy. I am happy to report I found some new comfy running shoes! I can't wait to try them out. We enjoyed a yummy meal at PF Changs.

While we were in Dallas having fun Justin, Maddie & Landon had fun here in Marshall. They went to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate 3 weeks of smiley faces in a row...that is a HUGE deal. And Saturday spent the day cleaning for me and had a little road trip, ending with fun times in the park. I didn't arrive home until 11:30 and Maddie was up saying that they had a Mother's Day celebration waiting for me. They got me flowers, homemade goodies such as coupons, cards, & hand prints, and season 9 of Friends. The coupons Maddie made me in school were for one kiss, one movie together, one walk together, one smile, read a book together, help with dishes, set the table, one dance, breakfast in bed, one hug. And then she made a list of "My Mom Is Special" in school. It read:
My mom is special because...she cooks for me.
I like it when my mom....takes me to the park.
My mom can do many things! I think she is best at....helping me ride my bike.
My mom has a pretty smile! I like to make her smile by....cleaning my room.
My mom is as pretty as.....a unicorn.
My mom is smart! She even knows....how to drive a car!
How wonderful is that? Landon and I celebrated Sunday morning and I read the wonderful card he made me in school, along with his magnetic picture frame. I am so blessed!

A new found love

Well, I never thought that I would say this, but I have gone on a run/walk for 3 days in a row now! I seriously haven't run in YEARS and it has been so refreshing. To be honest with you, I always hated running because it would down right hurt me physically to do it. But I found this specialty women's boutique in Longview and spent $75 on a sports bra and it has made all of the difference in the world! I have really enjoyed running on the ETBU campus with my muse blaring in my ipod. Just that 30-45 minutes to myself gives me a chance to quieten all of the many voices in my head! :) I sure do hope that I can keep it up...now all I need to do is get me a comfy pair of shoes and I will be on the road to success!

April Showers

April is a month in which I tend to do a lot of reflecting....I didn't get around to blogging at all because some days just seemed too stressful and serious to write about. But none the less, it is a month in which I am thankful and full of blessings and I feel like a piece of me is missing all at the same time. As I type this blog it just so happens that in my "Fave Dave" mix my beloved song came on that talks about waiting to see what will become of me and begging to go back to the minute before you were spinning and asking if that screaming is coming from you. April of 07 was my month of spinning, being in the car wreck with my babies and losing my dad within 13 days of one another. We buried my dad 3 years ago today. That month could have sent me in a downward spiral, but through the grace of God & the love of my family/friends, I have gotten through it. You know in a way I think I was screaming and things were spinning out of control and I just didn't know it. Because of that month I have learned to live life with a more grateful heart. I turned to God for guidance & strength where as before I followed Alanna's plan & depended on myself. I hope that I tell the people I love often enough that I love them. I tend to take after my dad when it comes to sharing real pieces of me and feelings...we were both introverts in that way. What I wouldn't give to have one more day with my dad to tell him just how much he means to me, but I know that he knows. He is with me everyday in spirit and is still touching my life. Oh, all of the coulda/shouldas....I am so thankful that my car hit that pole in the location that it did, for if it would have been a few inches in another direction, my Landon would not be with us today. God has great plans for little Landon.....1)he was a wonderful unexpected surprise 2)he was born a shade of blue with the cord wrapped around his neck twice, but came through 3)he lived through that car wreck & although he sustained brain injuries, so far he is doing okay with minimal set backs....I can't wait to see God's plan unfold in his life. There is so much to be thankful for!!!

Now to the present....
Maddie and Landon both recently had their end of the year programs/graduations, and both were precious. Landon was a fish/surfer and Maddie's program was a sesame street theme. They both sang and danced at just the right times! They were both fun nights of celebrating. Madeline is riding her bike like a professional. Now we just need to get her the next size bike and she will be doing really well! Landon celebrated 2 weeks worth of smiley faces. His teacher says that he is just doing amazing with making good choices with friends and using his words to communicate. That makes me feel so great to know that he is progressing with his speech! We recently planted azaleas in our front flowerbed and they look amazing! We had 50 ft of nothingness, and now it is filled with pink & white "conversation piece" azaleas, picked out by Maddie. She was in her own wonderland at the nursery. I think she wanted one of every shrub and flower. The owner enjoyed her enjoying his plants so much that he gave us one for free. We had a big empty pot that my dad have given us years ago, and Madeline picked out several plants to fill it up....impatients, hibiscus, and several other plants that I haven't a clue of their name, but they sure are pretty. Of course in another pot we had to plant a special hibiscus "Sunset Oasis". Madeline for some reason remembers that the hibiscus was my dad's favorite plant and she associates that flower with him. Dad would be really proud of her creation! I will have to post a picture. Yesterday we had a Kimberly celebration, with a lovely luncheon and bridal shower. She received so many pretty things and we spent the day with family and friends. Even Philipp's mom, Loni, from Germany flew in for the festivities. It was a great day.

Now on to the month of May flowers!!