Here we go again...

Lots of excitement at our house. Wednesday I took the cats to our vet, they got declawed and I picked them up yesterday afternoon. They haven't eaten anything since they've been home and have been quite standoffish. Don't think they liked the idea of having their paws messed with. Also, Wednesday was the first day that I was able to fit into my own jeans since having the baby! What a great feeling that was. And I've lost all my pregnancy weight, plus 3 pounds. Now, I just need to tighten up. WOOO HOOO!!!

It was a gorgeous day outside, so we played outside ALL day. Here are a couple of super cute pictures! I promise I did not set them up like this, but it did end up working out perfectly for me.


Yesterday morning I took the kids out to the studio where we had their Easter pictures taken. Initially I wasn't going to get all 3 done and was going to wait until next month but Susan, my photographer friend, said that she won't have the bunnies after Easter. So, I got the boys their suits, Eliana her dress, piled in the car and headed out to the studio. All of them were great, but that's no surprise. My kids are used to cameras in their face, whether it be mine or a professionals. She took some of the 3 of them and 2 different poses of Eliana by herself while the boys played with the bunnies. Good times! Here is a picture of the 3 of them together and one of Eliana. The third pose I'm not going to put on here because there's well... some sick people out there and I don't want my baby to show up on a certain search. I will tell you that it's so freakin' cute!!! Bunny ears, tail and some cute baby cheeks!


Last night we had a dinner to go to and Susan was so quick in getting the proofs done that she handed them to me when I walked in the door last night. Everyone loved the pictures. Let me rephrase that...the women loved the pictures, the men thought I was raising, well, let's just say that's why you're not going to get to see the bunny picture. Dinner was pretty good, the speaking was rather, ummmm, uninteresting and the best part (besides getting my pictures already) was the free baked potatoes I got to bring home. Lunch for me for a couple days.

Oh yah, while I was at the studio, I got free wallets for helping with the church directory last week. This is the picture that is going in our church directory.


This morning we were out the door before 9:30 to pick up our new family member. He's such a sweet dog. He's been very hesitant and been kinda spookin' easily, but I figured that he's been through so many changes in the last week 1/2 or so he doesn't know what's going on. He'll need a couple weeks to really adjust and get used to us. Peaches has loved the idea of having someone to play with. Bear has taken a liking to Buttons, who right now cause her paws are sore, could care less about the dog. Bear also LOVES chasing the boys around the yard. He's been very good his first day in his new home. He's going to make a wonderful addition to the family...now, if he'll just leave the baby toys alone!


Tomorrow Steve heads to Springfield without us. He will taking his GRE (basically like a SAT) so that he can start his Masters program in May. And the rest of us, we'll be doing what we do everyday when he's not here....whatever comes along and we feel like doing. More than likely, there will be a lot of playing with our dogs and enjoying the beautiful weather!

Another expansion

**If you've already read this, I've finally been able to get the pictures added in.

Well, our family has expanded again. On Saturday we adopted a baby boy. He's actually 1 1/2 years old, but that's still a baby to me. He won't actually get to come to our home until Friday morning. He's having surgery on Thursday and we'll be able to pick him up from the doctor on Friday. His name is "Bear" and he's a BEAUTIFUL Golden Retriever.



And speaking of surgeries, my indoor cats are FINALLY going to be declawed on Wednesday!!! No more scratching the furniture.

Eliana is getting her pictures taken will real bunnies on Thursday. I can't wait to see them. I know the boys aren't going to want to leave. This was her in her dress yesterday.


We signed Christian up for baseball a few weeks ago and I still have not received a phone call from his coach to let us know when and where practices are at. I have not been happy with the way this whole thing has been run. I'm going to be making a phone call.

Zachary doesn't seem too disappointed anymore that he can't play baseball this year. Now he's wanting me to sign him up for basketball. Basketball??? No one in our families play basketball. Baseball is highly encouraged (it was after all my "first love"). The way he's built, I'd let him play football, but I'll be on the sidelines praying the whole time that he doesn't get hurt! Soccer, I'd stomach, but please NO basketball! But, if that's what he REALLY wants to play, then I'll support it.


This week we start our full practices for our Easter play, "Bow the Knee". Steve is the high priest and the kids (yep, all 3 of them) and I are going to be crowd members. I'll be glad when it's over. After that, I have the Mother-Daughter Tea that I'm planning. Once that is over, in June we have Vacation Bible School. I've been put in charge of coming up with how things are going to be decorated, the entire thing! Rob and Tami, I NEED YOU!!! Then I have a short break until our annual missionettes sleepover in September. Will there ever be an end to my madness???

THE DUCK AND THE DEVIL

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner

As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it. He was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see his sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing

After lunch the next day Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes." But Sally said , "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen." Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?" So Johnny did the dishes. Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, "I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper." Sally just smiled and said," Well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help." She whispered again, "Remember the duck?" So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help. After several days of
Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's ... he finally couldn't stand it any longer.

He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing. But because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally
make a slave of you"

Thought for the day ... and every day thereafter :

Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done...and the devil keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, debt, fear, hatred, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, resentments, etc.)... whatever it is.... You need to know that God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing.....

He has seen your whole life. He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. He's just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you. The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness, He not only forgives you, but He forgets.....It is by God's grace and mercy that we are saved.

Busy weekend

Well, as I posted a week or so ago, we went to St. Louis and saw Disney on Ice with the Incredibles. It was a really good show and the boys enjoed themselves, which was what it was all about. We had awesome seats! Dead center about 10 rows up. We saw EVERYTHING, even when people weren't moving their lips although they were "talking". I got a couple pictures, but bonehead me forgot the card that goes in my camera. This was Eliana's first long car trip and she did great! I'm not surprised, but it sure did make for nice traveling.

Eliana slept in her crib for the first time last night. She's been their for naps, but was the first night. I put her down aroudn 10, went to bed and got up and checked on her around 10:30. And although she's been sleeping through the night, she woke up at 3 something and then I put her in the bassinet cause I was too tired and cold to walk back to her room. We'll eventually get her there for good.

Friday we got our very first bedroom set. Been married 10 years and never had a bedroom set. Now we do and I LOVE it! We also got 2 new couches. Soon we'll be pulling up the carpet and laying down the flooring we have picked out. When everything is said and done I'll take pictures. We still have the old couches. We're donating them to tornado victims, so we'll be getting rid of them some time this week with the help of our Pastor's truck.

We're getting our pictures taken for the church directory tonight and then tomorrow and Wednesday, I'm working with her (our photographer).

As for the first day of spring, it feels like winter here. YUK! It's not even supposed to get out of the 30's here. We've had a very mild winter, can't complain at all about the cold. Wasn't very cold. I think we wore heavy jackets 2 times. Last night, I watched the weather and they're calling for snow. Yes, you read that correctly...S-N-O-W!!!! It's late MARCH, why NOW???? Why not back in December or January when I was willing to let the boys go out and play. Now, I want to plant my garden and see my hummingbirds...I DON'T WANT SNOW!!!

Hopefully you'll be enjoying your first day of spring more than I will.

A conversation

Here's a conversation that I had with my 5 1/2 year old...

C: Can I play my tonka (computer) game?

Me: Not right now.

C: What if God calls me to be a construction worker? I need to practice.

Me: ROTFLMBO

I love the innocence of a child!

Thought...

To help you get through whatever you're going through...

Today...

Eliana is 3 months old today. Guess she was a little hungry...LOL


Christian and Zachary actually had me do their hair this morning. Whenever they go to the barber, they get it cut in a flat top. Normally, they don't want it to stand up, especially if they're going to be around people, like church. So, they let me do it and they look soooooooooooooooooo cute! Unfortunately, you'll have to take my word for it cause they won't let me take a picture. Someday, I'll sneak it on them.

My husband is on the phone talking to his mom and he had the nerve to tell her that if it came down to the vet putting my dog to sleep (if it ever had to happen) or him doing it, he'd do it. Just to let ya'll know, it's going to be a lonely night on the couch for my husband tonight.

New Link

I've added a new link under "my links". Chris and Sheila are down in Mississippi right now on a missions trip and the couple that writes this page update it everyday to keep you updated on everything that's going on down there. Worth the read!

And just in case, here's the address: http://www.msmission.blogspot.com/

General Updating

Not much has happened since I last posted. We've been staying really busy. I'm preparing for a Mother-Daughter Tea in May and I'm on the committee for Vacation Bible School which we're heavily planning for now. So, I don't have much free time now, not that there really was before. My parents came up over the weekend for Eliana's dedication at church. My sister and brother-in-law came up with my nephew as well. I hadn't seen him since he was one month old. He's now 6 months old and 20 pounds! He's a BIG boy. I'm now dog sitting for our friends Yorkshire Terrier. She reminds me of Tia Debbie and Tia Donna's Yorky "Sunshine" in Arizona. I have a very busy weekend ahead...Fort Leonard Wood tomorrow, plus the furniture stores up there; Saturday flooring stores, plus furniture stores; Sunday we're going to a Baptist church to present our Royal Rangers and Missionettes program to them and then next Saturday we'll be in St. Louis! We're going to see Disney on ice. Can't wait!

Here's the pictures I know you were wanting to see...

Here's Eliana looking at Grandpa at church.


Eliana looking at Nana (I love the grin!)


Eliana in the dress that Nana made for her, and the headband, and the blanket she's on. The blanket is some ribbons and lace that my mom bought in London and used in my wedding, 10 years ago! Part of the dress is made from material that my mom used when she made my sister's wedding dress, last year. Poor thing couldn't stay up because of the material. She kept sliding.


Eliana and her awesome big brother.


Eliana and both of her big brothers.


Such a beautiful baby!


Eliana sitting in the bean bag chair.


The 3 boys, Christian, Zachary & Brayden. On the right is my dog Peaches and on the left is her niece, my parents dog, Rosie.


One of the outfits that I couldn't wait for her to fit in. It's a pink jean jacket and jeans outfit with white tennis shoes with pink gems on the sides.