Happy Birthday Papa Smurf

Tomorrow is Chris' 36th birthday. We celebrated early because the girls are going to Waco with Mimi and Pawpaw to celebrate Reece's 2nd b-day. Chris and I are going to Fredericksburg with Brandi, Rob, Wade and Lauren to celebrate Octoberfest.

The Smurfs was my favorite cartoon growing up. The girls love to watch it every Saturday with me. When we saw the movie this summer it brought back so many memories.

Happy 36th Birthday Chris!

Farmer Kyli's chickens have laid 5 eggs! She is one happy girl!

Have a Smurfy weekend!

God's Blessings

Today I found out that I didn't pass my ESL test. I was three points shy of passing it. UGH! So I immediately boo hoo and sob the rest of the day when I was by myself or talking to my friends/co-workers. I felt like the stupidest person on earth. Then I began to question God on why he didn't answer my prayers. I have been praying for a month about this test. I have been praying for wisdom, knowledge and confidence in myself to pass this test. I have also been praying so long for rain. I kept on thinking that God doesn't hear my prayers. If he hears me, why can't he answer them. After I got home and realized I was just caught up in the moment and that God has answered so many of my prayers in my life that failing a test and no rain in this drought has no comparison what God has done for me. And, failing a test is nothing compared to what others are going through right now!

God has......

blessed me with an amazing childhood and family,

blessed me with an amazing, handsome, Christian husband,

blessed me with an education (with no debt thanks to my parents),

blessed me when he gave me two beautiful, healthy girls(even thought I wanted at least one boy),

blessed me with amazing friends,

blesses me every day when I teach 21 first grade students,

blessed me with Raider this summer and helped heal my broken heart from Spankie,

and

he fixed my brain on December 8, 2009 when most neurosurgeons said it couldn't be done and was too dangerous! With God anything is possible!

The list could go on forever on all my answered prayers. The devil got a hold of me today and made me question God. The crazy thing is, as soon as I got home it started pouring down rain. Another prayer answered. I'll keep on praying to pass that stinkin test!

I know that "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Phillipians 4:13

Matilda Jane Ava Necklace!

Can I just tell you how happy that the first six weeks of school is over! I'll be so excited on Friday when reports cards go out, parent conferences are over, I'll know results of my ESL test and I will have finished CScope Math unit 5. It has been crazy and exhausting!

I am not a test taker and today I took my ESL test. I have put it off for years because I have test anxiety. Let me tell you that this test was so HARD! I feel like I wasted so many hours of not studying the right materials. The sad thing is... it cost $120 every time I take it. I have been praying so hard for the knowledge to pass this test. If I pass it, it will be a miracle because there were some questions I had no clue.

It is thundering and lightening. Music to my ears. I am begging for God to soak our ground.

I had a bug this weekend and now Kenna is throwing up. Hopefully it is short lived because I don't want to miss school two days in a row. Chris is at Fire Arms Training and can't help out all week.

Kyli getting ready to go play ball

Kenna being pitiful

Check out this cute necklace I made to match the girls MJ Ava skirt. So cute!

Badger necklace for Blakeli. We are going to watch Badger vs. Bulldogs on Oct. 7th and the girls wanted to take Blakeli a necklace. Hopefully she will like it. I love all the sports balls.

Kyli is in Little Dribblers in MF. I love ball and will be so sad if my girls ever stop playing.

Dash and Kenna

This Saturday is Chris' 36th birthday. We are going to Fredericksburg for the weekend with friends. Adults only! Praise the Lord! I love my girls but I need some time with my hubby and friends. Please continue to pray for rain in Texas! Have a blessed week!

High School Sweethearts

I came across these pics and I decided I need to blog so when I print this book my girls can make fun of how funny I looked. Love the big hair! he he! Chris and I started dating our junior year in high school. We were in love! We had a lot of fun together! I love these pics!

Chris and I at a XFX/LTP pep rally

Date night

Football Banquet

Peprally

We graduated from Lampasas High School in 1994. Went to Texas Tech in Lubbock. I graduated in May 1998. We married in March 1999. We have been together for 18 years. The Lord has blessed me with an amazing man!

I love looking at old pics. Off to find more old photos to laugh at! Memories! Love them!

Dove Season

My new Erin Condren planner that my sister bought me for keeping her kids when they went to Hawaii. Love it! I feel so organized!The kitty pillow on the left is what I have slept with for the past 35 years. I know, it is nasty and falling apart. It is probably full of bed bugs. I even took it on my honeymoon. Well, it is so bad off that I saw this mini pillow pet and thought I would start sleeping with it instead. So far things are good. Although, it still doesn't feel the same. I can't decide what to do with this old kitty pillow. I can't just throw it away because it means so much to me.
The girls have gone dove hunting with Chris twice now. They love it. They love to clean the birds. Kenna talks to them. "Don't die on me poor little fella." Too cute! Yes, Kenna has a black nose and spots on her cheek. They were dogs at school. Too bad she doesn't have on her doggy ears.

Kenna with Dax

Raider with his new hair cut. The older he gets, the more he reminds me of my boy, Spankie. Man, how I miss him. Raider gets to go to Nanis and Pappy's everyday while we are at school. They love him. He is so spoiled!

This is what we do every night before bed. Kyli plays webkinz, Kenna chills and Raider is all over the place!

Prayer request- RAIN! Texas is so desperate for rain! We are literally burning up. Chris works at Texas Parks and Wildlife Headquarters in Austin and 17 employees lost their homes in the Bastrop fire.

I take my ESL test on September 26th. I am not a good test taker. I have test anxiety. So please just pray for me that I will have confidence in myself to go in there and pass that stinkin test.

I am so blessed! I love my family. My husband is so good to me. My daughters love Jesus. They are polite and say yes ma'am and no ma'am. My greatest reward is when people compliment my girls(which they do often)! Everyone is healthy! I love my church. I have the best friends and co-workers. I have a job. God is so good to me!

Remembering 9/11/01

I can't believe how fast the last ten years has flown by. Our country was forever changed on 9/11/01. I was teaching first grade in Livingston, TX. I was shocked that someone could do this to the U.S. My heart ached for all the families that were affected by this devastation. Last summer we took a trip to Ground Zero. The sadness was still there. I thought about how the families had to rebuild their lives after that awful day!

Chris had the honor of meeting our wonderful president, Mr. George Bush.

Today at church we remembered 9/11. Over 3,ooo flags were placed in the grass in honor of the fallen.



Our sermon was wonderful. Our pastor reminded us that with God in control we shall fear nothing! Our country and world has suffered so much devastation in the last 10 years. I pray that our people and our government lead this country as "One nation under God."