What's Up Wednesday??

Got my hair done on Monday. Alicia rocks! I went back dark again with some red highlights. Looks pretty good. I have shorter bangs too! I like it! Monday night was good. I made the boys favorite chicken noodle casserole and then took Eli to soccer. Bleeze and I visited with my parents while Eli was there and then were off to pick him up and get them ready for bed.

Tuesday was a good day too! I cleaned out the boys closets and got out fall and winter clothes. Ugghh...all day job. Between that and homeschool it was crazy. Yesterday afternoon Eli had tennis. He is doing really well. I am proud of him. During tennis I started dinner and then picked Eli up and we enjoyed a good Southern meal. I cooked butter beans all day in the crock pot. We had butter beans, baked porkchops, fried okra, and cornbread. YUMO!!! I was sad that my shows did not record. I missed 90210. I will have to catch it online. Last night was our date night with the boys. Eli and I went to the Melting Pot for dessert. He has always wanted to go. It was good. He had to get extra marshmallows and strawberries. I love chocolate fondue!!! YUMMY!!! Tommy took Bleeze to Frankie's for some go-carts and video games. Great times!!!! I just love my two wild monkey! I have been praying like crazy for the Wards. Poor Anna is throwing up now. I hope that junk gets out of their house!!!! I made my cake for class too! It is a chocolate/vanilla marble cake. I hope it turns out okay. I really stink at make the roses!!!

Today has been good. I got up early and made all my icing for cake class early. I have everything packed up and ready to go! We homeschooled all morning! This year is taking a little bit longer but that is okay. We are enjoying it! I had to run some errands so we grab lunch out today. That was a nice break and it is a gorgeous day. I love fall and it is defiantly in the air today. The cable guy had to come back again today. UGGGGHHHH! I am really hating charter and wanting my satellite back!!!!! They are going to have to come back again because our "new" box is broken and we had to get some weird chord to get it to work until they get another new box! It stink!!! I am really enjoying the Bible study from Grace. We are doing He Speaks to Me...by Priscilla Shirer. It is so good! I can't wait for tomorrow night! I hope to share some things soon that the Lord has been revealing to me. He is such an amazing God! So for now, I am off to get ready for cake class. Tonight is the last night for this level. I look forward to moving forward! For now, I am hoping everyone is great! Praying blessings on everyone! Have a Rockin Rest of the week!

Quick Update

I am still busy right now. I am going to to just do a quick update and hit the highlights!
* Had lunch w/ Tommy on Thursday, that is always a nice treat.
* I was very upset to learn that my sweet little friend Hannah was the hospital not feeling well!
*Praising God that she is healed and all better now.
* Been praying for baby Ava all week that she will get better soon. (i've missed her this week)
* Praying for Brandi that her nerves will be okay to make it through whatever is wrong with sweet Ava.
* Was glad to finally talk to Candy!!!!!!! Glad we are getting together this week!
* Drove to Greenwood on Friday for Tommy (in the rain)! ugghhh!
* Had family date night Friday night. Took the boys to eat at Rafferty's and then went to the mall.
*Experienced a miracle at the mall..... we left only buying cookies from the "cookie place" LOL!!!*Cleaned house all day Saturday.
*Had an awesome time with Tim and Kim at Arizonia on Saturday night. Thought the movie Eagle Eye was pretty good. (Thanks Tammy and Tony for watching the monkeys for us)
* Went to church yesterday of course!!! Loved me some Bill White teaching!!!
* My class rocked as always yesterday at Grace. I love my little class! They are precious.
* Had an awesome lunch yesterday with my parents as always.
* Eli had soccer pics yesterday. He is so tall now he had to stand at the back! He is the tallest kiddo on the team.
* Had dinner at Pete's with my parents. My monkeys (two boys) were wild as could be.
* Next time I say I am going to Walmart at 8pm w/ two wild monkey someone stop me! LOL!
* Went to walmart bought some groceries with two wild monkeys! LOL!!!!!!
* Watched Desperate Housewives. Pretty good! I am ready to see what is going on?!?!?!?!
*Speaking of TV- I cried a river watching ER's season premier. Oh my! Why did they let Prat die????????? BOO HOO!!!!!! and then Grey's was the same old drama as always. Funny, but same old same old! I hope that army dude comes back!!!!
* Okay, so that is a run down. This week is FULL too! I have a hair appointment today. YAY!!! I look like an old lady with all my grey showing. Got go let Alicia wash that grey right out of my hair. LOL!
* Hope everyone has an awesome week!!!!

Wow...Wednesday already?!?!?!?!?!

I can't believe that it is Wednesday already. I have been crazy this week. This morning I am feeling groggy. Bleeze has decided to be an early riser the past few days. That's okay because he takes his nap good in the afternoon! Let' see, what has been going on this week.
Monday was the usual getting back in the homeschool groove thing and then Eli had soccer practice on Monday night. I dropped him off and then Bleeze and I had to run to the post office. When we got back to the fields I asked him if he wanted to play on the playground and he said, "I love you, I love you, I love you," SO FUNNY! We played and then we walked for some exercise. He walked a really long way! I was proud of him.

Yesterday morning was rise and shine for me. I had to wait on the cable guy! We switched from satellite to cable a few weeks ago and good grief it has been a pain in the neck! The cable company has had to come back several times. I think we are straight now though! Last night was date night. It was my week with Bleeze. He wanted to eat at the "pizza place" which is what he calls Pizza Inn buffet. We had fun eating and chatting and then I took him to the Dollar Tree for 5 surprises. He LOVES to do that. It is amazing how happy that makes him. He thinks he is big and gets his on little basket and shops. SO CUTE! Best $5 spend ever! Then we headed home. I ran by Walmart too but that is an entire different story that I do not have the energy to blog about. Let's just say the return item procedure is ridiculous and I let them know it! I hate waiting in line twice!!!! ugghhh!!!! Eli enjoyed his time with Tommy. They went to ride go-carts at Frankie's!

Oh my.... I just realized that Dora's mom is having a baby today! They are trying to get home quickly. LOL! Bleeze is so into it!

I am reading the book FRESH WIND FRESH FIRE by Jim Cymbala AGAIN! That books rocks my world. It is funny because the first time I read it I was required to read it by a pastor I was on staff with. I basically just read it, enjoyed it and that was it. This time the book is speaking to my spirit! I love it!

If you have kiddos you have to check out Seeds Family Worship if you haven't already. It ROCKS! I ordered more CD's today! Great way to get the scripture in them!!! www.seedsmusic.com

So today is going to be good. I just know it. I made my cupcakes for cake class last night and I have class tonight. Eli has soccer and well... you know the normal chaos! So for now, I am off to educate my children and make cake icing. Hope everyone has a rockin day!

Weekend Wrap-Up....

Our weekend was good and for the most part relaxed which is unusual for us. Friday afternoon we set up for Anna's party! It looked amazing. Friday evening was the party. It was so much fun! Bleeze had a BLAST! (so did Eli) The party went great. The dress up party was tons of fun. Bleeze was a puppy and Eli was a Storm Trooper. The face painter was AMAZING!!!! I even got my face painted! When we got in the van to go home, Bleeze said, "that was the best party ever."


















































Saturday morning we woke up and took the boys to the Flea Market. They like to go and just walk around. We did not buy anything.( no actually Bleeze got a stuffed puppy and eli boiled pnuts) Just browsed looked at all the "junk". We went in hope of fresh blueberries but there were none. After our adventure at the flea market we met my parents at Red Robin. YUMO! However, I really do not recommend the turkey burger, I don't think that it is real meat. LOL! After lunch Tommy was so sweet. He pulled over to Ann Taylor Loft and sat with the boys and let me go in and shop. :o)!!! I got me an awesome shirt!


Saturday late afternoon the boys spent playing outside. The weather has been wonderful here. Then Tommy and I went on our date night. We went to Liberty Tap Room! I really like that place. Then we walked from there (the baseball fields downtown to the Hyatt) GREAT WORK OUT IN HEELS!!! My calves were sore the next day! LOL! I love Greenville. It is so pretty. We even bought candy and sat on the benches and ate a few pieces and watched the peeps go by. So much fun! Okay, so you know you are an old married couple that after your romantic walk through the city you go to Walmart and buy groceries. LOL!!!!


Yesterday was nice and relaxing too! We went to church. I enjoyed the sermon. I heard one of the best explanations as to why we belive the Old Testament. Okay, I have had class after class, college classes, ministerial classes, etc. and I had NEVER heard this one! It is so simple, JESUS BELIEVED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT! Notice how many times he quoted while here on earth!AWESOME !!!!! After first service we headed out to teach our little class. So precious as always. I think it made Tommy's day when Chloe gave him a HUGE hug and said, "I love you" ahhhh precious! We had an AMAZING lunch at my parents as usual! YUMO! Then we went home and did absolutely nothing. Bleeze napped, Eli played with a friend, and I watched TLC and MTV (top model marathon) and did laundry. It was so nice. Tommy went out and measured some jobs and then we took the boys to Wendy's they are really into that right now for some reason. Eli likes the "stackers" he calls them "snackers" LOL!!! Then we headed home for showers! Tommy went to the gym and I got the boys in bed. It was a nice relaxing day! So today starts a new week! It is filled with the usual...soccer, tennis, cake class, Bible study, and I think I may get to meet Chuck Norris this week (seriously)! So for now. I am going to go. I have some other things to blog about but I will get to that later. Hope everyone has an awesome week!!!

been too busy to blog

I have been too busy to blog this week. Things have been wild! Monday night Eli had soccer. While he was there Bleeze and I went to Hobby Lobby to pick up some things I need for cake class. A horrible storm came while we were in there so I zoomed back to the soccer fields. They were okay it did not storm at that part of town just rain and they played in it! Eli was soaked. He thought it was cool though.

Tuesday was good. We homeschooled most of the day. Eli is really into some of his work right now. (I am thrilled) We had our weekly date night Tuesday night. It was my week with Eli. Before we left, Tommy gave Eli a special treat. He bought him a new Bible. He loves it. It is "God's Word for Boys" He has been reading it all week. The language is so easy for him and he is loving it. It is helping with his ROAD MAP he is doing for church. So, Eli and I set out for our date. We went to Hobby Lobby for more cake goodies, then chickfila for dinner, and then we went to the mall. He is getting SO big. He wants all the latest clothes. He tickles me to death. We had fun shopping. We walked by Build-a-Bear. There was the cutest little boy getting ready to make his wish at the stuffing machine. IT WAS BLEEZE! LOL! That was where Tommy took him for their date night. LOL! We watched quietly and then went away. It was our night! We shared a yummy pretzel from Pretzel Time. We got several good deals. My favorite deal was my $98 pants at Ann Taylor for 3.99!!!! WOOT WOOT!!!! Eli was tickled to get a WEBKINZ for half off too. After the mall we went to TJMAX! ugghhh... they had absolutely nothing!

Wednesday was crazy. I made cake and cake icing all afternoon. I even found icing in my ear LOL!!!! We had fun at cake class. My Rainbow Bright (LOL! Brandi) was yummy on the inside.

Yesterday I spent the morning homeschooling. Re-doing my myspace page and then cleaned the house. Eli had tennis yesterday afternoon, then we met Tommy at Panera for dinner and went to Target.

Last night Brandi and I went to my parents to learn how to make paper flowers for Anna's bday party! We had fun! I came home and made flowers too! LOL! Okay, so last night I fell asleep and then all of a sudden I heard the alarm clock go off. I rolled over and looked and it was 6:45!!! WHAT!!!!! BLEEZE WAS NOT IN MY BED!I slept a complete night with no interruptions and I did not wake up. HOLY COW!!!! It is a miracle!!!!!!!! I got up and looked and he was snug as a bug in a rug sleeping away! He came to me about 7:15 and asked for juice and went back to sleep until just now!!! THAT STINKIN ROCKS!!!

So now I am off to homeschool. After homeschool we are going to help Brandi set up for Fairy Princess Anna's bday party. Bleeze is SO excited about going to it! Then this afternoon is the party! YAY!!!!

Speaking of parties... you all need to look us up when you are planning your next event....www.chicaffair.net!

This weekend should be good. We have no soccer games! I have my date night with Tommy this week! YAY!! We are going out Saturday night this week! Hope everyone has had an awesome week and has an awesome weekend!!!!

the past few days....

The past few days have been busy but great! I will give you the highlights....
* I really enjoyed my cake decorating class. It was so much fun! I can't wait for this week.
* Thursday was good. Eli had his 2nd one-on-one with his tennis instructor. He did amazing and they moved him up a level. He starts with the group sessions this week and he went in a level higher than expected. YAY!!!!
* Went to Coffee Connection at Grace on Thursday night. It was awesome as always. My heart is always so blessed. I wrote about the highlights of it in my previous blog. I can't wait for the weekly study to start next week! YAY!!!
* I was SO busy on Friday. I felt like we were in the van half the day. I had errands to run and it was just crazy. I had to meet up with builders and other contractors for Tommy and it was just wild. We picked up my sweet niece Lexi to spend the night with us. The kiddos had fun. It was our family date night but they all agreed they wanted to stay home and order pizza. So that was what we did. They created a tent that took up Eli's entire room that included an actual tent in the middle of the room. At 11pm Bleeze came into my room and said, "I've had enough, I am ready to go to sleep." He climbed his sweet little booty up into my bed and fell right to sleep. LOL! A coworker of Tommy's was staying the weekend with us so he new he got to sleep with me the entire night. LOL!!!!
* Saturday morning was the normal....Eli had soccer. They played Okay....they all acted really tired for some reason. Eli was tired from staying up half the night playing with Lexi. We came home for Eli to take a shower and then met my parents for lunch. YUMMY El Jalisco! Then I brought all three kids home, turned off the lights, turned on the fans, and we settled in for an afternoon movie. We watched Nim's Island. It was okay. Not great! I thought the ending stunk!
After the movie the kids just laid around the late night and the heat from Eli's game had knocked the for a loop! LOL! I took the kids to Tony and Tammy's (Papa & Nana's) to spend sometime while we worked on Ava's bday party! Brandi and I had so much fun hanging out and getting everything ready for the party!!! Nothing like Zaxby's in the car! lol! It turned out amazing...(get to that in a minute)
I got the boys home and bed around midnight and then did some work here around the house. I think that I got to go to bed around 2am.
* Yesterday was great! Church, awesome as always. I am loving this series. Living Biblically Oriented. It ROCKS! After church I headed to help my sweet friend Brandi get ready for the most amazing one year old party ever! It was beautiful! Brandi, the cake was amazing! I have pics but I left my camera at Brandi's so I will have to post some pics later! After the party it was lesson plans for me! I had to get this weeks school set up for Eli. We went to Wendy's last night for dinner. I had a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger. Yes me, I splurged, had some fatty foods and I also had meat! LOL! It was awesome.....LOL!!!!! Don't forget the fries with loads of ketchup too! My boys were amazed that Chris had 5 double jr.cheeseburgers! LOL!!! (I have to admit I was amazed too)
* Last night we ALL went to bed early. We were all exhausted.
* So today is Monday, it all starts over. This morning I have been doing laundry. I allowed Eli to sleep late and then we are going to do school in the afternoon today. (oh the joys of homeschooling) Then this afternoon I plan on cooking for my family and then taking Eli to soccer. I have to run a couple of errands sometime today too! So for now. I am off to clean, educate, and do some work on my book! Hope you all have an amazing week!!!

My Heart Today

Sometimes when we pray for things we don't truly understand how God answers those prayers. About four years ago I started to really concentrate on my walk with Christ. What HE wanted from me. What he expected of me. I tried not to think about "man-made"religion. I have always said I am hungry and thirsty for more of him. The type of hunger or thirst that never goes away. However, at the point in my life I was starving. I needed clarity not only for myself but for my family. I had to trust God. God has taken places in the past four years. Some wonderful some horrid!

I think the first thing God had to do was take take me from my comfort zone. I left a church that I loved and had been a part of for so many years. When I left I was devastated. The thought of not having the people who are part of that congregation with me devastated me. God had to show me that I did not have to have them. All, I needed was HIM. That what he was wanting to do in my life is HUGE. I have to trust him to take me on this journey.

After leaving that particular church I faced many emotional months. Tommy and I found a new church and settled in nicely. I began to be refreshed and renewed. Twelve years of children's ministry had left me pretty wiped out! My mind was transformed by His word. Something I had been into my entire life was getting a new look and feel. I began to see things, feel things, know things I had never before. It wasn't God just making himself real to me, he does that all the time. I was actually listening. With any successful conversation both parties give and take and that was happening. The clarity that I had sought God for for years was coming to fruition.

The call came for us to help with the church plant in Inman. We were honored to go and be a part. I am so thrilled that it has taken off. I will say that it was hard to leave there too. But Tommy and I both just felt in our spirit that it was time. God was leading us in a new direction. We are praying for the church and know that God desires big things for the people of Inman also.

God was not finished with the work he was trying to do in us. The first few months back at Grace were unreal for us. Each week the messages were exactly what we needed. They were the word that we needed to hear. Each week when I would read the weekly newsletter and see the title of the sermon I was amazed. It was exactly what I was going through. Every emotion that I had been faced with God confronted it through a message. It was AMAZING!!! See, anytime there is change...EVERYTHING changes it seems. I have been through an emotional roller coaster the past few years where relationships are concerned, hurt from the past, questioning God's purpose for my life, loosing a baby, you name it we had been face with it. God was speaking though. We heard him in his still small voice. His gentle spirit leading and guiding us.

That brings me to my heart today. God has changed me in the past few years. He has renewed my mind my spirit, my love for him and his people. Many of my so called "religious" friends (I don't say christian anymore, I say "religious") do not necessarily agree with the life change that have experienced. The "out of the box" type thinking that Tommy and I have allowed to come into our lives. That's ok... Jesus was ridiculed by the "religious" people too for his way of thinking and doing things. Last night we had Coffee Connection at Grace. I was so touched by the two amazing speakers. The entire theme was the VOICE OF GOD. Listening to him, communicating with him....not being too busy. It was truly amazing. Enjoying my ride home I was talking with God and I began to just share with him my heart. There is a song that used to say that "I see world that is dying by the master of deceit". It is just not the non-believer that is deceived but it is the believer (the "religious") people to. I want people to know and see Christ for who HE is. I am sick of man made religion, man made policies, man made convictions, etc. I want people to experience the joy of the Lord and his fullness.

I was sharing with my dear friend Amy this week how I don't want it to be about "my"ministry or "Tommy's" ministry but what God put us together to do. What he is setting us forth to do. To hear his voice and obey his commands. I know God has something for us together. To reach out to people and show them that they can be set free from the bondage that I lived in so many years. The bondage of not knowing and experiencing Gods grace in my life. To know and experience the joy and love that God had for them at its fullest. Not just a taste of it but to feast of it.

I am brought back to that time in my life when I was starving and thirsting for more of God. I am still at that place but in a different way. I went around seeking a so-called "supernatural" based on emotion move of God's presence in order to fill that hunger and thirst. Now I have come to realize that God's word says this..Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled Matthew 5:6. Each day I can make the choice to be filled up or be hungry and thirsty. It's up to me. God is right there ready to fill me up. I don't have to go around seeking an emotional filling of God or talk about how I want to be filled up. I can be filled up! All I have to do is pray, seek him through his word, and he does exactly what he says. It's kinda like the thousands of times a day my two boys ask me for snacks. Each time, I give them a little something a cookie, cracker, apple, etc. Then we feast off of our big meals to really get us going. That's our church services and then the snacks are the things that fill us up in between. Prayer, studying the Bible, worship, that is what keeps in tune with His voice. If we don't do the "snacking" we are starving when we get to church. I am glad to say that I am no longer starving myself during the week and depending on church services to be my only source of nourishment. Now I snack and I take in nourishment all week so that when I go to church on Sunday, I am not weak . I can take in what God is trying to speak to me.

I am praying that God will continue to give Tommy and I the clarity that we need to carry out his plan for us and our family. That we will be obedient in the days ahead. May each of you learn how to satisfy your hunger and thirst!