Corn, Cantaloupe, Squash, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Jalapenos, Habenero Peppers, & Super Chilies

That's what's in our garden this summer. B has been so hard at work getting it started. It's lookin' good so far. If the weather will cooperate we will be feasting like Kings or a least have a King Size heartburn. Now if we could just keep the girls from driving thru the middle of it with the Mustang we will be in good shape.



We have to have an increase in crops this year in order to feed our three children. Yes I said three! And no I am not pregnant! I am SOOOOOO excited to share with you that B and I have decided to sponsor a child with Compassion. Her name is Saydi and she is 3 years old. Her birthday is January 12th and she lives in Nicaragua. Which is really neat because when I first started my search I was trying to find a child who shared a birthday with one of the girls, but no luck. So I decided to look at some pictures to see which child would be a good match for our family. Then I found sweet Saydi! Hayley's birthday is January 3rd, so close enough. Words cannot express the excitement I am feeling about making a difference in this child's life.

I have to admit that I have been reading the blogs of the people in Kolkata, India. It had such a deep impact on me when I read about all of the infants who didn't even have a name because they don't live very long or the post from Melissa who talked about the kids who aren't told "I love you" just because in the Indian culture the poor just don't express their love to their children. To me that is just absolutely heartbreaking. I can't ever imagine not telling my girls that I love them. Hayley was sitting across the dinner table from me last night and told B and I that she loved us three or four times. I kept looking at B like why does she keep saying that. Maybe that was all I needed from God to confirm that this was something I needed to do. If I can write a letter to Saydi and tell her that not only does my family love her but also the Creator of this great big world I will, and I will do it a MILLION times!

I have to admit I get this big lump in my throat sometimes when I think about this little girl. The letters we will write, the prayers we will say, the birthday packages, and the thoughts of Saydi every day are just a few of my thoughts recently. I will keep you posted with updates of our sweet Saydi. (That name just fits I think it might stick, not just Saydi, but Sweet Saydi)

Our Ice Cream Truck Lady is Sittin' Tall

Well the weekend is over already, it always seems to fly by! Saturday morn the girls and I did some quick shopping and came home to pickup B to make it to the family reunion at Aunt Sue and Uncle Eddie's, where we found out some very exciting news (that I am not at liberty to discuss right now-sorry, but I will soon). Then we came home to get ready for nap time because later that night B and I were going to a wedding. While I was trying to get Leighton down for a nap Hayley was still in the living room with B. And yes I heard "it" outside but if you don't acknowledge "it" neither will the kids. But oooohhhh no not B. I hear him and Hayley get all excited and run outside, so then Leighton starts wondering what all the excitement is about. Before I knew it we were all standing in the driveway. B comes inside with a whole arm full of goodies. We told the girls they could have their treats after they took their naps. They agreed. B tells me later that he spent $8.50 on that stuff! WHAT! (This is right up there with the Girl Scout Cookies.) He tells me (and this is going to sound familiar) that's it's not just buying ice cream and rocket popsicles, it's about the Ice Cream Truck. I stand there just looking at him with this look of "You gotta be kiddin me?" Today he comes inside with a huge grin on his face and tells me that, "I set a new record! $9.00." I ask him, "What would Suze Ormand have to say about all this?" He says,"Who?" Eeeexactly. Y'all I can guarantee that there will never be a day that this Ice Cream Truck passes up our house!

Let me share this with you. He will buy:

Tools out of a tent (a tent sale on the side of the road)

A generator off of the radio

Speakers out of a van (yes a white van with no windows-cash only please)

Meat out of a truck (tasted like a rubber boot)

A mattress by just looking at the catalog from the mail

This guy is the biggest sucker I know!

Kids Say The Darnest Things

Well today I decided that I will never return to War-Mart again. (yes red squiggly line I see you and no that is not misspelled that is how we say it in our family-inside joke) Yeah right! That is kinda like saying I will never eat chocolate again.

When I woke up this morning I didn't think this day would bring anything blog worthy. God is getting a chuckle out of me right now, because boy was I wrong! It was supposed to be a quick trip to the pediatric dermatologist with Hayley followed up by a quick stop in War-Mart and then back home to finish up the house work.

This is how it really went.

We arrived at the dermatologist office and had our visit. All was smooth except when Hayley broke into complete hysteria when the Dr. put on her gloves. Oh and every time she touched Hayley she would scream out,"SHE'S HURTING ME!!!!!!" I wasn't embarrassed at all (hint of sarcasm)! So we leave there and my stomach was trying to eat my backbone so I asked Hayley what she wanted to eat. She replies "Chips." I said alright and we were off to Ruby Tuesdays. All went fairly smooth there. Except when she was enjoying the music piping through the speakers a bit much because I looked up and she is headbanging to Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple. (If you don't know the song-just turn up the volume on your speakers!)

So we finish our meal and head to car. As soon as we get strapped in she says,"Mommy I have to go pee." I told her she could wait. (I know you are thinking I'm a mean parent, but she went twice at the dermatologist office! One of those times she asked me to leave the bathroom so she could do her morning "business". I was really shocked, because we were in a strange bathroom and she's asking to be left alone! You could not have paid me to do that at 3 years old. I would have freaked! So, I said very slowly, so that she would be comforted, "Ok...I..will..be..right..outside..the.. door. Call..me..when..you..are..finished.") Anyways back to the story, we were on our way to War-Mart. As we were pulling in to the parking lot she has increased the frequency of her reminder to once every second! (Say really fast) Mommy I have to go pee, Mommy I have to go pee, Mommy I have to go pee real bad! So I found the first parking spot and grabbed her out of car, at one point I even looked at her, worriedly, and said, "Don't you pee on me!" So then I thought it might be wiser to put her in a buggy and walk briskly. I wish you could have seen me bookin it across the parking lot into the store! Ok no I don't! I found the first associate and asked "Where's the CLOSEST restroom?" The lady pointed and Hayley and I made a dash. I saw the big huge RESTROOM sign hanging from the ceiling and then looked to see where I needed to leave the buggy. I saw a bunch of little signs reading 'Caution Wet Floor' I saw a few associates standing around the entrance and in my mind flashed ok they must be cleaning on that side of the Women's we will just go in this side. Remember we are still bookin it!!!! My only goal at that particular moment was to get this child's rear on a toilet AS SOON AS I COULD! So I grab her out of the buggy and fly into the bathroom. Quick! My eyes always search for the handicap stall (because there is always at least two of us going in)! I am running for the stall and I glance to my right, and suddenly (still running) a thought goes through my mind. It goes like this,"Humm, when did they start putting urinals in a women's bathroom?!?!" So I get in the stall and I did take the time to get a seat cover, I mean after all we were in War-Mart. And another thought goes through my mind, that it is very strange that there are actually seat covers to be gotten. I mean usually they are all gone! I have to take a knee in front of her to catch my breath and I start to hear something. Someone else peeing and loudly, quite loudly as a matter of fact. Then it all starts to sink in. I crouch down to take a peek and I see tennis shoes. Tennis shoes facing the opposite direction as Hayley's shoes!!!! Yep it was then I realized that we were in the Men's Restroom. So she finished up and my plan was just to peek out the door to see when he leaves, and then we will just sneak out right behind him. It was my fear that men would just keep coming in while the first guy was washing his hands and we would never get out of there! But that was just my mind overreacting, it does that sometimes. We did get out right after him. Hayley, however could not understand why we were peeking through the crack of the door nor why we were running for the exist.


So we get back in the buggy and continue our shopping. We pick up a few things and then, from all of the excitement, I have to do some "business" myself. (That happens to me when my stomach gets all worked up -TMI I know, I'm sorry)

Proceed this post with caution!

So I ask an associate where's the nearest restroom and we go in, this time I checked the sign (like three times!). I get in the stall and apparently I had this look on my face because Hayley says to me "Momma..I..will..be..right..outside..the..door.Call..me..when..you..are..finished." I think I heard a lady in the next stall over snicker. In flash she was back. "Momma are you done poopin?!?" I whispered,"No." A few moments later I stand up and she peers around to the toilet and says, very loudly I might add,"WOW MOMMA YOU REALLY POOPED A LOT!!!" I thought the woman on the other side of the wall was going to DIE! I was soooo embarrassed to say the least! At that point I was like let's go, let's just get out of here! So we proceeded to checkout and while we were standing in line Hayley notices that the old gentleman in front of us was wearing flip flops. Hayley turns to me all the while still pointing to the man's shoes and says,"Momma boys don't wear flip flops!" Apparently this 60+ year old man could hear just fine and turned to her and said,"Well, I do." He wasn't rude or anything but at that point I looked at Hayley with my eyes squinted and said bring it on sister today I can take anything you got!

Finish Strong

The guy who wears number 15 and accessorizes with a ‘red cape’ finished his testimonial after dinner with the following story:
A day or so before the national championship game God touched his heart with a message…Tim needed to change the message on his black eye liner that he wears when he is playing. All year he had a reference to Phillipians 4:13 on the eye liner which represented the following: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. He talked to four or five others about switching the message and everyone except his parents told him not to do it because they had been so successful all year with the Phillipians 4:13. His parents, Pam and Bob Tebow, supported the change and Tim knew it was the right thing to do. He played the championship game with John 3:16 on the eye liner which represents the following: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
We all know the outcome of the game, but the phone call that Tim received a couple of days later when he was back in Gainesville was nothing short of unbelievable. Tim answered his cell phone and it was the P.R. guy for the UF Football game. He said, “You set a record.” Tim wondered what kind of record was he talking about. “In the 24 hour period from the start of the championship game, JOHN 3:16 was Googled…93 MILLION times! No other topic had ever been Googled that many times in a 24 hour period of time.”
Follow up story from Urban Meyer, Coach of the 2008 National Champion University Florida football team:
As Coach Meyer was introduced next, he looked out at the 400 attendees and said, “How do you follow that?” as he referred to Tim’s testimonial.
Coach Meyer then shared a few stories and then introduced his last story with the following introduction:
We all hear about the incredible family Tim is a part of. With everything going on in the world, you just know there is no way Pam and Bob Tebow can be as perfect as they are made out to be.
I am here to tell you I witnessed the most amazing conversation which is the truest testimonial to how incredibly good the Tebows truly are.
A few days after the championship game I sat at a table in the back of the Ballyhoo restaurant with Tim, Pam and Bob Tebow. It was just the four of us and I listened in amazement as Tim’s future about moving to the next level of football was decided. Unbelievably, the NFL was never once mentioned. Tim’s dad started the conversation by saying that Brett Farve spoke about his faith and no one ever listened. Here was a future Hall of Fame quarterback and no one heard his message. Tim then said…”I can think of 93 million reasons why I would want to stay in school and play my senior year at the University of Florida.”
That’s how the decision was made.
Which platform would provide Tim with the best opportunity to share the word of God? As you now know, playing his senior year for the University of Florida would be that choice.
And, is there any doubt about Tim’s passionate commitment to FINISH STRONG!


Some of my thoughts on this:
I am so proud, thankful, overjoyed, moved, ... that Tim would be so passionate about sharing Christ. If we all just had the attitude of how is the most effective way to share Christ instead of how is the most effective way to serve ourselves. How awesome is it that John 3:16 set a record on Google and not some movie preview or some other worldly tangible. Thankyou Aunt Beth for sharing this with me.

The Next Best Place To Being In Heaven

...is being at The Swamp of course! Today B, Josh, Keli (my sis), and I went to the Gators spring game. The weather was good a little overcast so it was not too hot and not too cool.

Why does my eye look all swollen in this picture, I ask myself. Oh, maybe because I was up at 7:30 already blowing drying this mane of mine I like to call hair.

Ok, ok, ok, if you really want to know the details I will tell you but, I'm warning you I am really letting my guard down on this one! Keli spent the night Friday night so she wouldn't have to get up so early to go with us. Which I loved by the way, because I feel like I never get to spend time with my sister anymore. So we got the kiddies to bed and made the 10:30 trip to the gas station so we could have milk and eggs for breakfast. It was either hit the clubs or go to flash foods and of course we choose flash foods! Anyways, the next morning we get up to get ready and it was just like old times, fighting for the mirror and swapping out so we could each get a turn at the sink. Josh came to Hilliard so we could all ride together. On the way to Gainsville B and Josh had us laughing (sweating) so hard my deodorant had already started to wear off! I noticed a little but didn't really think about it because I was trying to get there (we were going a route that I don't normally take), pay a small fortune to park the car in between two trees (also trying not to run over the guy directing me "a little more to the left"), and get to the Will Call desk to buy our tickets. We finally got our tickets and found some seats. I looked at the game clock and it said 2:36, meaning we had 2 minutes and 36 seconds until halftime. Which I found soooooo (NOT) funny because after the first half of the game they were no longer selling tickets. Nope that's right no more tickets to be sold. Because then you can get in for FREE! So, I think the final price for us was about $1 a minute. But when you're in The Swamp who's counting? Just a side note as we were sitting there enjoying the game I always tend to watch the cheerleaders (more than the football game itself) and be a little bit jealous, because I really did have the best time cheerleading in highschool and I wish that I could have cheered on the best team in the country. Anyways, now the clouds had blown away and the sun was shining bright. And I was reeking! Just a little bit, ok a lot, no just a little ... To make a long story some what short on the way back home I was STANKIN'! I made Josh pull over in Walgreens so that I could get some deo for my B.O. (Corny I know!) It was the right brand but NOT the right scent! Now it was like stank on top of stank! We got home and I was never so happy to get a shower! All in all I might have been the stinky kid in class today but we still had a blast!!!!!

Watch Out He's In The Kitchen/Wordless Wednesday

Our Easter Doings

Y'all I have been so busy, I was trying to think back to when it all started to get crazy and I can't even remember it's been weeks. Two weeks ago we had a garage sale & lemonade stand/pictures on Saturday, Sunday church/softball game/pressure washing carport. Last Friday get ready for birthday party, Saturday birthday party/cancelled Easter photo session-too tired, Sunday church/Palm Sunday lunch at the in-laws. Wednesday cleaning and cooking for Mary Kay party. Thursday second round of Easter attire shopping/Mary Kay party. Saturday bake carrot cake for Sunday (which actually turned into a peel the cake off the pan throw it into a nice bowl, spread the icing on top and let people dip it out with a spoon), Easter Egg Hunt(which if anyone noticed, yes I bought the girls matching shirts to wear to the egg hunt, I know I know imagine that, and yes they were on backwards. Who knew the buttons went in the back! Okay besides you B!)/cancelled wedding attendance-too tired. Sunday church/drive like a CRAZY woman to my mom's for lunch with my whole family. That about sums it up oh and throw in there painting the playhouse every free minute and doctors checkups. Anyways I've been making mental notes on what to post about (is that weird?). Here are some pictures from this weekend. By the way I have nerds scattered all over my house, if I step on another piece of Easter grass I might scream (that would be the neat freak coming out in me),and when the girls were finding the eggs that the Easter Bunny left they would -find one, open it up, and eat the candy. So nevertheless Leighton pretty much ate miniature snickers and M&Ms for breakfast. Also, I don't think they found all the eggs due to their bellies being full, so I have to now remember where and how many eggs I, I mean the Easter Bunny hid. We had a great time at my moms except for, I think it is very sad that B could not get out of the car and pump gas, on the way home today, for the reason that he ate too much. He is now complaining that he "doesn't feel that great".
I just want to add that even though we have been so busy, I managed to squeeze in some time with the girls to explain the real meaning of Easter (not just teaching them how to be the fastest egg hunter in Hilliard). I struggled with this story for a while, I mean trying to explain to a 2 and 3 year old that someone died and then came back is a tad bit heavy. But my mom-in-law lent me her copy of The Beginner's Bible and it worked great! I did change some of the words like disciples to friends (so that B would be able to follow along) hee hee! Wait B! Come back, I was just kidding!

Leighton's Party

Today we celebrated Leighton's 2nd birthday. It was a great party - good food, nice weather, and great company! The kids went to play, I had a plate of food in front of me (and I actually got to eat it) and I got to chat with good friends - I was happy! And of course we went straight home and dove into all the gifts. Here is a picture of the aftermath.

Here are some more pictures from the day. ( Hint: the slideshow has sound so you may have to pause the music at the bottom of the blog)

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Recipe

I want to share this recipe with you, just in case you are like me and have no time and are trying to do one thousand things at a time. I declare this the easiest recipe ever! B gets excited when I tell him we are having this for dinner. There is only one problem it doesn't have a name. So, you read it, make it and then help it out.



Cut up sausage into slices and throw into a large pot. Cook until brown.

Throw in some salt, pepper, pieces of onion and bell pepper. (We skip the latter). Once the onion and bell pepper are tender add 1/2 to the whole jug of tomato juice (V8 Juice will work also) bring to a boil. Add 2 cups of rice and simmer for 15 minutes.

That's it!!!

I usually fix this with green beans and corn muffins.

Right now on my recipe card it's called Sausage and Rice, BORING!

Let me know what you think.