A little touch of Christmas ...before Thanksgiving :-)

Yes I know it's not even thanksgiving yet, but this year we are not really setting up a ton of lights outside, so my focus was on my front porch entrance to my house. Here are a few things I did at my door!! The weather was around 50 degrees this weekend, I could definitely love that temp all winter long.  This week I am getting a ton of work done over the next couple of days then off for 5 days for a little Thanksgiving vacation. Excited to spend some time with family!!

Happy Birthday Amanda

It is so hard to believe that my little baby girl is growing up on us!! Amanda you are the joy of my life. I can't even begin to express how very proud I am of you! How does 15 years go so fast?!  You are such a sweet spirit, loving, giving, caring, you are a leader and not a follower and that quality is something I admire in you. You always stand firm in your beliefs. I love your drive in life weather it is doing amazing things with your hair, learning piano, voice lessons, jumping into softball (and doing great), or teaching yourself the guitar. What ever you want to learn you always go for it!  You are the best sister anyone could ask for, and by far the best daughter!! Today we celebrate your 15th Birthday!!! I love you so much!! MOM

I hope you always think I am "cool"

time really goes fast...treasure the moments always!!

Luv this girl

this goofy nutty girl is now teaching herself how to play the guitar!! She is a girl with many talents that is for sure. She was self teaching herself piano and voice (now I have her in lessons), but now she has taken my guitar and dusted it off from the many years of sitting in the closet and is now teaching herself how to play guitar! She amazes me with all her determination and drive in life. A true inspiration and she always has a little sister watching and admiring!!

birthday fun day

Yesterday was my birthday, and I do admit I felt a little spoiled. I had a great day. Lots of phone calls and messages a morning date with hubby, some shopping, then dinner out with the whole family! I'd say it was a great day!! and..I am not exactly sure how old I am since the candles on my cake kept changing numbers. I will take the 36 though..:-)

 Both my teens are taller than me now..and so is Gracie lol

 thanks Storff for making today extra special!

Happy Halloween..

 My sweet kitty Gracie and two big babies!!

My oldest daughter Amanda and her friend Holly!!

 Gracie and her friend Tenley

 This Halloween was a chilly one. But we ventured out for a while and went trickor treating!! The kids had a fun time and even though it was a little cold at least it was not windy out..the kids had a perfect time and got way too much candy as usual!!

Fall Family Photos..

It has been a while since I have played with photography..and sometimes last minute planning is best for our family :-) It is unreal to me how much my kids have changed and grown up on me in the past year. Makes me sad how fast time really goes as a parent.  I love my kids more than anything in the world!!! They are such a joy to be around!! Life is always hopping with 2 teens and a toddler!! :-)

 Gracie, Bailey, Amanda (love you with all I have)

 and finally I got a photo of my son..it has been a couple years since he has let me take his pic. :-)

My Hero..

Recently I got home to visit my family and spend time with my gramps! This man means the world to me. He helped in the raising of me when I was a little girl and we really grew close and have always had a very special bond between the two of us. Sadly, my gramps has not been well. In fact many ups and downs. He has had emphysema for many years. This disease affects the lungs. So it seems the past few years he has had a lot of up's and down's with this. This summer on top of that, he got west nile. He got really really sick. The Dr's basically told him he was not going to make it. The priest was in the hospital room and all our family around him, we thought he was going to heaven. He pulled through a few more days and the hospital sent him home with hospice care. I have visited home many times during his up's and down's since June.  On one of his really bad days, I had to say good bye not knowing if I would see him alive again he said to me "Go live your life kid, because time goes so very fast, do things you really want to do and be happy".  This always sticks in my mind. He is 90 and he says his life has gone so fast.

Recently I got home to visit him again and this time he was having a great week. This is a total miracle to see him sitting up, talking, and his witty self was so great!! He is very sharp and knows everything that is going on.  He is still a contractor, "working", bringing homes in on his land, remodeling, and selling them. Yep that is him. He is determined and still "has more to do".   He has fought the west Nile which hardly no one his age has has ever done especially with his condition. This man is strong willed, Determined, has never left my side, has loved me no matter what and he is truly my HERO!! My Gramps!! xxoo

This pumpkin my aunt grew in her garden. This one was Gramps and he knew exactly how it needed to be carved.lol

Great Devotional book

I have decided to pick up Battlefield of the mind by Joyce Meyer.  I have felt my thoughts and things that I think about just seem to be a struggle in my own mind. There are so many things that as woman we can get pulled from one direction to the next.  It is easy to fall into believing certain things are true, or not true either about ourselves, or about others around us.  But in reality the enemy absolutely loves to play with our thinking on a daily basis. It is his way to detour us from God's plan for our lives!   I am also an emotional driven person. Meaning too many time than none many of the decisions I make are really based on how I am feeling emotionally at the time. I am slowly and I mean slowly trying to not let my emotions guide what I do or say...but rather think on things longer before making such decisions.  If I think back I have probably always been an emotional decision making...so this change I am trying to make is definitely going to probably take me a life time..lol
Anyway I think this book is really great. It is simple, easy to read and very much to the point. Surely makes you think about how we all face battles in our minds, but the truth is always in God.

Fall Winter Storm dumps on us!!

while most are enjoying the changing of the color of leaves and out taking fall photos with their families, we had over 3 feet of snow dump on us in 24 hours. This storm ruined 4 of our trees that were 15 yrs old. Much of our landscape bushes and scrubs. Some may say oh fun..snow!! But when it dumps on you like this and ruines 15 years of your work into your yards it really is not so pretty anymore!! I do know one little girl though..that really enjoyed playing in the snow as her daddy shoveled over 8 times in two days!!

Here is a little idea of what the interstate looked like. It was closed down for 3 days! Pretty crazy fall storm!

Daddy Daughter moments

It's Fun being 5!!

This little one is always such a joy. So happy all the time.  We are seriously blessed!! 

 This was a fun day we took Gracie school shopping, and stopped in an old ally full of "art" and snapped a few pictures. She thought it was cool!!

Friends For Life!

There are times in your life when you just know who you can trust, and if you are lucky in life you will have at least one person you know you can count on and trust with out any question ever. This summer I was able to go spend 6 days with my BFF Dawn.   This little lady knows me inside and out. Although I may get on her nerves sometimes...she accepts me just how I am. On my good days and on my bad.

Girl trips need to happen more often!!

My first time I flew alone. Only my second time I have flown in my life. Yes big step for me, and I would have to say I would do it again tomorrow. You only live life once. And if you stay in the same place all the time....well life can get a bit dull!! Below is the view from our hotel !!

Friends*Bonded*Forever!

 I miss her every day and wish we lived closer! 

But I am thanking my lucky stars that I have a friend like this in my life!! No questions

School days are here..

Today Grace went to Pre-K School. She was so excited to get rolling. She loves her teacher like crazy. Kinda helps that she is in the same room as last year and some of the faces are all familiar of returning students in her class. She loves to learn. I can't wait to see what all she does this year. 

I am still trying to get a grip on the fact that Bay and Amanda are both in High school now!! I can hardly believe it. They started two weeks ago and I still have to shake myself!!  So crazy how fast these kids grow up on us!!