Creative Conclusions

Find your niche

2009-07-11T09:21:00.005-05:00

I've been blessed this summer to be a part of a writing group. But, this is not just any writing group. We are the Great Bear Writer's of 2009! This has been a summer of becoming a better teacher, while improving my writing skills at the same time. It just doesn't get any better than that! Our days are filled with sharing our stories and ideas that are effective in our classrooms. I am overwhelmed with the wealth of knowledge and exploding ideas I will be bringing back to my students this coming year! I have a confidence, unlike ever before, that my students are going to be the best writers they can be and they are going to love it. I just know they will!

This writing group has awakened the bear, for Spring, that resides within me. I LOVE TO WRITE! I never thought I would say that. I have had the opportunity for the past three weeks to concentrate on something that has been buried for a long time. The old saying, "practice makes perfect" rings true for me this summer. While, I'm not perfect, I've gotten better and I owe that only to the mere fact that I have practiced everyday since I started this journey.

Yesterday, we spent the day in downtown Little Rock's River Market in a writing marathon. We found different spots sprinkled throughout this area all day long. We were divided into our writing groups, which made me feel secure. See, I've become very close to the ladies that make up this group. We have shared life stories and even written fictional ones. There is a sense of freedom that comes from writing. Within this freedom, we have shared things that will only stay within our group and for that I am grateful!

During this marathon downtown, I took lots of pictures, I guess that makes me a visual person. I noticed lots of different people and found myself writing about my observations, mostly. People are so interesting and you can certainly find some of the most interesting here. I tend to write most of what comes from my heart and those are my experiences with my Savior, Jesus Christ. Anne Lamott talks about our need to get out our personal emotions as we begin as writers, so I guess that is where I am. I have written about a lot of emotion, which always returns to Jesus. All of who I am and have become I owe to Him!

While, I'm not to the publishing line of my writing ruler, I suppose I will share some soon. However, I have found a niche to add to my list and want to encourage you to find yours, as well. Who knows? writing just might be yours, too. You might be surprised. Just give it a whirl, entertain yourself, write for a few minutes every single day! There may be a sleeping bear waiting to be awakened within yourself.

Life goes on............

2009-06-06T22:36:00.006-05:00

even when I do not post! It's been a long while. Life is still continuing at an assiduous rate.

I thought summer was for resting. HA HA HA!!! But, I can honestly say, I enjoy being busy and having things "TO DO".

The kids have VBS this week and are excited about that.

Kathryn just turned 2o months old. WOW!

Audrey finished 3rd grade and will be 9 on the 22nd.

Alex finished kindergarten and we are finally celebrating his 6 bday this Friday(big deal, considering he's been 6 since April).

I finished 4th grade and Jim completed one year of Daddy DayCare!

We have just about packed everything up from our 2nd home at the ball field. Alex has his last game Monday and Audrey finished Thursday night.

We survived our first year of mommy going back to work! It was a challenge, but we persevered!!!

The Sunday after VBS, Audrey and I leave for Summer Church Camp, here. We're really excited about it! It's going to be a super sensational week of total Focus on Jesus!!! :) It just doesn't get any better than that!

The weekend we return we head to North Little Rock to shack up with my parents. I start the Summer Writing Institute at UCA for a full month! I cannot wait to begin! It's going to be life changing!!!

Here's to a busy summer and hopes that I will continue to feed my oh so hungry blog!

I'll leave this post with some pictures from this past Spring!

Summer Writing Institute

2009-03-23T07:26:00.002-05:00

I was accepted to the UCA Great Bear Writing Project and I'm thrilled! This is where I'll be spending 4 weeks of my summer!!!

http://www.uca.edu/cfac/writing/cawp/SummerInst.html

So the Murphy clan will be packing up and living with Mawsie and Papa June 22-July 16. We'll come home on the weekends, I'm sure!

17 Things about Kathryn (17 Months)

2009-02-28T08:14:00.004-06:00

1. Her precious little smile

2. How she is standing in her crib, when I walk into her room.

3. She always brings things to us like a little helper

4. She asks "what eez it" about everything.

5. When she sees someone she says, "who eez it?"

6. Her chubby little arms and legs.

7. How she lies her head on her shoulders and smiles real big when she is proud of herself.

8. She calls her pacifier her sassy.

9. She LOVES animals.

10. She loves to play 'night night'.

11. She loves Eggo waffles.

12. She loves Outzi (outside).

13. When you ask her for a hug, she gives a BIG ONE and says, "ooh".

14. She climbs on everything. (Jim found her standing up on Audrey's play kitchen)

15. She cheers for Audrey and Alex at their basketball games.

16. She loves to look at books.

17. How much she adores Audrey and Alex!

(These photos were taken by Julie Brooks)

Project 365

2009-02-22T11:51:00.002-06:00

Okay, I've jumped in, like Julie has encouraged me to. It's scattered and uneven right now, but I figure I have to start somewhere. You can find out about it on Julie's blog or you can hop on over here.

I have placed my photos and journaling on photoblog.com . I don't know much about it, just went with the suggestion from this blog.

I encourage you, jump in and give it a whirl, I think you'll be glad you did!!!

My photoblog is here.
http://www.photoblog.com/jbaak/

100 Days of School

2009-02-07T22:05:00.004-06:00

Kindergarten makes a big deal out of the 100th day of school, which is really exciting for the kids. In turn, this means the parents get to make some projects and do some counting of their own.

Alex is all about sports so I thought I would sew on 100 sports beads to his shirt. Oh yeah! Great idea, Beth! 2 hours later, I was asking myself what in the world was I thinking? I didn't even have any rhyme or reason to the placement of the beads and it was a total experiment as you can see from his shirt. LOL!! He didn't care, he was proud! Alex stuck on transportation stickers to his poster, and I counted out 100 pieces of cereal, beans and pennies to send along for their activities at school.

Sharing other bloggers

2009-01-25T20:56:00.001-06:00

This precious lady posted on my blog about food allergies. As I clicked around in search to respond to her, I stumbled all over her blog and fell in love with all of her creations and words of wisdom. So, if interested, check her out here. :) This particular post spoke volumes to me.

I've got some growing up to do!!!

2009-01-24T12:05:00.003-06:00

These past few weeks have been extremely frustrating for me. With Jim's travels, this horrible cold I have been fighting, and the demands from work, I have found myself having a bit of a pity party. Thank you God for making me see that it is not all about me. I just wanted to share my daily devotional from Beth Moore's Breaking Free series.

For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and no one is like Me.
Isaiah 46:9

We make life so much more complicated when we think life is "all about us." The rest of the world never cooperates. No one else got the memo. When we see ourselves as the center of the universe, we live in constant frustration because the rest of creation refuses to revolve around us.

Life vastly simplifies, and satisfaction greatly amplifies, when we begin to realize our awesome roles. God is God. From our perspective, it's all about Him. He is the center of the universe. We seek to please Him. He seeks to perfect us-and life works. Not without pain, but definitely with purpose.

Makin' the Most of My Day

2009-01-18T22:19:00.005-06:00

I've been fighting a terrible cold. I wanted to get so much done this weekend, since I am off work tomorrow. But, that didn't happen. Instead I've been couchridden all weekend fighting a cold. Today I scrapped and made the most of my time. :)

Shabby Miss Jenn

Weeds and Wildflowers Designs

Ashley County Gospel Music Hall of Fame

2009-01-18T07:56:00.002-06:00

Jim was inducted last night! I was so proud of him. What an honor it was. He received the Horizon Award. We enjoyed some wonderful gospel music last night to make the evening even more special. For By Grace performed and we thoroughly enjoyed them. These men have incredible hearts for God, and their music was awesome. It was a good ole' time! Jim performed "Bowed on My Knees", and did an amazing job! I love you honey and congratulations for all your hard work and dedication!

Busy Bee

2009-01-12T22:04:00.007-06:00

I was so pumped when Alex told me he was chosen for Busy Bee. This year has been a bumpy adjustment. The silly active little boy he is found it a bit hard to always follow the rules. BUT, he has made huge strides and is doing great! So, this was one award that was well earned! And made Mommy and Daddy very proud! Audrey and I met Jim at Alex's school and we got to eat a special lunch with him.

He loves kindergarten and enjoys playing and learning. He never complains about anything. He has an amazing teacher and we are all crazy about Mrs. Harper. She is doing such a wonderful job with Alex and her class. :)

Scrapped a Christmas Page

2009-01-03T23:11:00.003-06:00

I just LOVED this picture of Jim's sister, Olivia, reading to Kathryn. :) So, I made a page using Shabby Princess "Twas the Night".

2009-01-02T22:21:00.000-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-24T13:54:00.008-06:00

I love Mannheim Steamroller. As for many, music moves me emotionally. Everything was quiet as I was cleaning up and getting ready for Christmas Eve. I was listening to my favorite Mannheim Steamroller tunes on my Ipod. When Stille Nacht(Silent Night) began to play I stopped for a moment and thought about Mary and Joseph. travelling on a donkey 9 months pregnant? Knowing that our LORD and SAVIOR, our REDEEMER, the one who brought HOPE into our lives was turned away. He was born in a stable. I'm just in awe of HIS humble beginnings and his humble life and what GREAT REWARD HE was and is to our lives! Thank you God for loving me enough to create such a beautiful story within Jesus that I might be saved and live with you forever.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T10:53:00.005-06:00

Oh I'm so thankful for many things. Most of all........my family. I'm so thankful to have a precious sister that means the world to me. I have an adorable baby brother, who is finishing up his senior year at the University of Arkansas. I cannot believe it. I'm so proud of him!!!! It has been such a wonderful week here in Little Rock. We have already shopped and had, umm, yes a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks(yumarama). My sister and mom are steadily baking and cooking in the kitchen, as I sit here and play on my laptop. And let me tell you it is smelling delicious. My wonderful niece, Natalie, colored my hair Tuesday night. Yes, with a $3 box from Target and I think she did a fabulous job. Thanks Nat!!!!! Natalie is a junior at the U of A, too. She is getting a degree in Elementary Education(taking after her aunt) *wink* So proud of you. I'm so thankful for this time I'm getting with my family. We are having such a wonderful time together. We are planning for an early morning outing tomorrow to get ahead on those FAB deals. Wish us luck!!! I hope everyone is having a marvelous Thanksgiving. I'll leave you with some pictures of these great people!

Natalie

Amy, Bennett and me

Amy and me

This says it all...............

2008-11-19T18:39:00.002-06:00

Frenzy of Festivities This Week(well 2 weeks ago)

2008-11-01T22:06:00.008-05:00

I started this post 2 weeks ago and well, here it finally is.

This was one busy week! It was Red Ribbon Week at school, so we had several fun days planned at school. It started with soldiers against drugs (camo day), we had sock it to drugs day(crazy socks) and drugs are scary (scary hair day). The kids and I carved a pumpkin on Sunday, because I was carving two on Monday with with my classes and I needed a little practice. They had a ball! We had a terrific time at our fall festival at FBC!!! WE love our church and thank you to all the wonderful people who helped make it such a huge success. Thanks to Brian Brooks, our youth minister, who has taken on so many extra responsibilities, since we do not have a minister or a minister of education. We appreciate you so much!! :) I know that most of what goes on would not take place if it weren't for you and the time you give to our church. Thanks to you and Julie for the time you give to all of us! We had parties at school for Halloween and that was so exciting. The kids were pumped all day long to celebrate that afternoon. We listened to Halloween music all day and my classes wrote some terrific Halloween stories. I was so proud. :) Several families meet at our house for neighborhood trick or treating! We always have such a good time. The kids were having a ball and they were literally racing from house to house. It was wild!!! Kathryn had such a wonderful time watching all the trick or treaters.

Kickin' it with the Kinley's and ramblings about good friends

2008-10-26T07:49:00.008-05:00

Can I just say that this family has been a true blessing to us. We love them so much. Alex, Audrey and Kathryn enjoy playing with them. And, well..........Jim and I enjoy playing with Benny and Tambrey too. (wink) Benny and Jim have become really good friends and that has been so awesome. They get to share their music together and Benny has been travelling with Jim, too. That has been such a gift from our Heavenly Father, who always has the details worked out. So, this all works for the benefit of Tambrey and me. (wink wink) My dearest friend Suzanne moved away several years ago and she was my workout buddy. She always held me accountable. The fact that Suzanne and I were bestest friends was just the bonus. I've been in a lull since she moved, I was still working out but not like I did when she lived here. (BTW......miss you Suzy) God placed Tambrey in my life and so many gaps were filled. WOW!!! Am I working out again?? This girl could motivate the dead!! I love ya sista!!! :) Thanks for getting my rump moving and motivating me to run this 5K.

I never in a million years dreamed I could run and here Autumn and I are running 4 miles together. Autumn is a precious treasure, as well. She and I have been dear friends for years. Our friendship started when Alex was born and I cannot say enough about the friend that she has been. I love you girl! We've shared alot in those 5 years and I'm so thankful for her place in my life. My family ADORES her and her family. Alex is crazy about Jason. He always plays with him and gives him so much attention. (wink) Thanks Jason for always making Alex feel so special. Autumn and I are going for this 5K in Memphis and were stoked about it. If you do not run, you should try it. It is so exhilirating!!!!

Thanks Julie Brooks for pushing me on, you have been such an inspiration to me. To watch you go from running a little to running 12 miles is encouragement enough! You have been a light in my life. God placed you in my life perfectly. I know how he used circumstances in your life to help guide me and push me on and encourage me. Thank you for sharing with me and being a beautiful Christian. Thank you for who you are!

I'm so excited about the friendships God has brought together through exercise.............I love my workout buddies Julie Bridges, Connie, Autumn, Julie Brooks, Tambrey(our leader) and look so forward to seeing your precious faces at 5am.

Just thought I would leave this post with a funny picture. The Kinley's were over for supper one night and Audrey was dressing Alex and Kole up in all black. They were so funny. She put Jim's black socks on them, some of Alex's black shorts and her black tops. She had on her witch dress. They were playing hide n seek and scaring each other. Too silly. This picture was the best I could do. They wouldn't sit still for me to get a picture.

And it just wouldn't be right if I didn't include a picture of Kathryn and Kate!!

Here is a page I worked on yesterday. I created a blogheader for a friend and started Kathryn's 1st birthday page too. I'll post her birthday page when I finish. :)

A Walking Baby

2008-10-24T18:49:00.004-05:00

This is just a picture of Kathryn's "classic" look. She'll look at you for awhile as you are acting silly and she has this exact look on her face, then she either smiles real big or giggles out loud. She is definitely her own little self, with a touch of her daddy's wit. BTW....she is a daddy's girl. This morning I tried to give her some lovin' before I left for work and she was all about her daddy. :(

It's official!

2008-10-14T20:31:00.002-05:00

No turning back now! I registered for the St. Jude's Memphis Grizzlies House 5K today!!! WHOA!! I'm super pumped. I originally planned to run the half marathon with all my precious buds, but it just didn't work out. I went back to work and the mental pressure was more than I could handle. I just couldn't log the hours needed weekly, plus work, plus take care of my family and all the other stuff. ????Maybe next year???? This past weekend Ash, Autumn, Julie, Connie, Julie, Tambrey and some other wonderful people from our church ran the Wiggins Cabin Festival 5K. And boy did that motivate me! Tambrey has been such a blessing and encouragement to all of us women. Love you girl!!!! So, I'm pressing forward and setting some goals for this 5K Dec. 6. OH I'm so excited just thinking about it. Autumn is going to join me and I'm ready to see what we can do.

A time of Firsts and Fall is in the air

2008-10-04T21:04:00.010-05:00

Audrey had her first BIG campout last night in a tent!!!. She had a blast!!! She was so happy and bubbly when she got home at 8:30 this morning. They stayed up all night long. They did so many cool things!

tie dyed tshirts
made trail mix
made candy necklaces
kandy kisses
carved pumpkin faces in orange candles (soooo precious)
made a cardboard oven and baked brownies in it (how cool is that?)
made smores and cooked hot dogs over the fire

Audrey is in Girl Scouts and has thoroughly enjoyed it. Mrs. Darcy and Mrs. Krista are her troop leaders. :) Mrs. Autumn used to be troop leader with Mrs. Darcy, but she is now Membership Marketing Specialist for Girl Scouts. Mrs. Autumn still does so much to help out here and we love her so much for that!!! :) Thank you Mrs. Autumn, Mrs. Darcy and Mrs. Krista for making Girl Scouts such an awesome experience for these girls! We love you!

this was audrey from 10am - 4pm today. she crashed!

Alex is playing football for the first time this year and he loves it. However, he wants to be a running back really bad, but daddy just want give him that position. He is one of the youngest players on the team, with 2nd graders being the oldest. He plays center mostly(as pictured above). Hopefully, I will get some better pictures this week.

Kathryn had her 1st birthday today! I cannot believe that she is ONE!!! We will celebrate Monday night with family. We planned to today, but papaw was not feeling well and Kathryn has pink eye. :( It is so much better today, but yesterday morning was quite frightening looking. Jim and I had a much needed night out to Monroe last night. We bought Kathryn her big girl car seat. She has been rear facing for a full year and she is so ready to face the front. :)

Alex and Kathryn stayed with dede and papaw last night, so that gave me some time today to go grocery shopping, purchase some McCain/Palin signs, get our supper going and pull out my scarecrows and put out some mums. I love this time of year...............cool mornings, beautiful days, mums, pumpkins, football, pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks, halloween costumes.......the list goes on.

I came across the serenity prayer today and it really put so much into perspective for me. It spoke volumes to me and gently reminded me that God is in control.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Wow those words really spoke to me.

One year ago today.

2008-09-20T21:51:00.002-05:00

We were anxiously awaiting the arrival of Kathryn Olivia. We were counting down the days, because it was just two weeks away. We were still deliberating over where she would sleep. Yes, a decision that major was still up in the air. Mamaw Boas and DeDe were helping me prepare, they washed tons of baby clothes, towels, burpcloths and bibs. Stroller was put together, however the carseat was not installed. The baby bed was put together, but we were missing one very important part, which we discovered later the company closed it's doors and not one single part could be located anywhere in the U.S. We were frantically making room for this precious little angel.

Who would she look like?
What kind of personality would she bring to our family?
Would she look like Audrey, Alex or her own little self?
What color hair would she have?
What color eyes would she have?
How much would she weigh?
Would she be a good sleeper?

Oh the questions and thoughts that ran through our minds..........And here she is 2 weeks shy of one year later. What a joy she has been to our lives! She is nearly 1 year old.

Random Happenings

2008-09-06T20:19:00.004-05:00

When Alex has a skin contact exposure this is what it looks like. And it itches uncontrollably.

I had some time during our days out of school(due to heavy rain, flooding, lack of electricity) to stamp. I haven't stamped in quite some time and it was so much fun! I ordered these stamps from PaperTrey Ink, along with her wonderful paper and ribbon. I have some very special women in my life that I needed to send notes to and I wanted to make sure they were home made from me. :)

Kindergarten, 3rd grade, 4th grade and a Bathing Beauty

2008-09-03T20:32:00.003-05:00

Well, it's official..... I have stepped back into the classroom. No, not to take my kiddos to school, to teach again. I joined the wonderful staff at Anderson Elementary School just a week before school started. I was thrilled to accept this position, as I totally believe God's hand was in it. I have the best class and I'm so excited to be teaching school again. I consider it a huge blessing. :)

So, on August 18, Alex started kindergarten, Audrey started 3rd grade and I started 4th grade! It's been great ever since. Alex thoroughly enjoys his class. He loves school. He is ready to go back the minute he gets home. He's made lots of new friends. Audrey is having an excellent year, as well. She is quite happy that her mama is at the same school with her. I have to say, it's been a treat, having that special time with her in the mornings and the afternoons. We're all happy and doing great!

Here is my bathing beauty that will turn 11 months old tomorrow. Where has the time gone? She is so excited about everything. She is such a happy baby and quite adventurous. She is everywhere and into everything. She leaves no stone unturned. If it's out she's gonna find it and check it out. She has magnifying glasses for eyes, cuz I tell ya that girl can see the tiniest things ever on the floor. ;0 She loves any table food her little gums can chew, she loves her bed. she is crazy about her daddy, she still only has 2 teeth, she isn't walking yet, she has said mama, daddy, baby and bottle.

Glorify God and Enjoy Him Forever

2008-08-18T05:51:00.002-05:00

This was from my morning devotional. I wanted to share this because it reflects a lot of what we have been discussing in our Sunday School class. I'm striving to glorify God in all that I do. It all goes back to the WWJD bracelets......... I am working at asking myself that in every single detail of my life (what would Jesus do? what would He think? am I truly reflecting Him?). It isn't easy, but I have to start somewhere.

http://christianwomentoday.com/

Today's devotional for beth
KNOWING AND ENJOYING GOD
by Katherine Kehler

** Are you enjoying your relationship with God today? http://thelife.com/study/knowjesuspersonally.html

"The people who know their God will be strong and do great exploits" (Daniel 11:32).When the Lord began to open my eyes to the importance of knowing God, I started to study His attributes and names. I learned many great truths about God and was tremendously blessed. One of the things I learned on the way was that according to the Westminster catechism, our main reason for being is to "glorify God and to enjoy Him forever". I didn't know that.

About that time in my spiritual journey, God sent a young man to live with us for several months. He talked a lot about enjoying God. Following his example, I began to make it a habit to enjoy my relationship with God more. I invited Him into every part of my day-not just when I had my quiet time and not just when I had a challenge I needed His help on.

Gradually, I began to change. Instead of my relationship with God consisting of just asking for things, I began to discuss everything with Him. I began thanking Him everywhere ? when I drove the car, when I went for a walk, at work, when I went shopping - anytime, anywhere. Talking to God all day long became a habit-a good habit.

Since then, I have enjoyed my relationship with God so much more.Are you enjoying your relationship with God today?

~Father, what a privilege to know that You delight in our fellowship-which You are actually waiting for us to come to You for. What deep, deep satisfaction You give. Thank you so much for the privilege of knowing You. Teach me to enjoy my friendship with You. Amen

Tambrey Kinley has taken over Mrs. Susan's job as our Sunday School teacher. We are so blessed to have her. I just thought I would include her a little note here. (I hope she reads it) *wink* She has become a very dear friend of mine at a perfect time in my life. Isn't that just like God to have every single detail worked out perfectly. I feel so honored to be her friend and a member of her Sunday School class.

Thank you Tambrey for doing such a beautiful job teaching our Sunday School class. Thank you for taking up that responsibility, you are perfect for the job. You are an amazing woman at such a young age. I hope you know just how much God works through you. Thank you for surrendering yourself to the LORD and so willingly doing His work.

2008-08-11T06:43:00.002-05:00

Kathryn thoroughly enjoyed all of the attention from the nurses at the surgical center. They couldn't get over all of her rolls. The funny thing is, she is less chubby than Alex and Audrey were. HA!! :) She was a great patient. She actually didn't have much trouble waking up from the anesthesia as I was warned about. She would cry out every now and then, but no screaming or freaking out. So, that was a bit of a relief. However, the day would tell a different story, for me that is. Her fever went up to 104.7, with no other explained symptoms. I've never had that happen with my other two, so I was a bit frazzled. She responded well to tylenol, thankfully and the fever never appeared again. The many mystery fevers that we moms experience with our little tots. Kathryn has a little blanket with a bear on it (in picture below), my dad gave her when she was born. It is her FAVORITE lovey. She sleeps with it and loves on it all day long. It is so precious when you ask her to love the baby, she wraps her arms around it and gives it a big hug and lays her head on it. :) So so sweet! It's so hard to believe that my baby is 10 months old. She weighs 21.5 lb and has 2 teeth.

Audrey and Alex have one more week of summer. I cannot believe that summer is over. I'm a little sad. I know I will miss them tremendously, especially Kathryn. It is going to be very quiet around here. The summer has been way too busy..... much more than I anticipated. I haven't even put my hands on a single stamp all summer. I'm anxious to get in there today. I have some cards I need to make today for some very special people. :) We took the kids to Wild River Country this past Saturday with Aunt Livi. I will post pictures as soon as Aunt Livi emails them to me. (hint hint) Mawsie kept Kathryn so we could devote the whole day to the big kids and do all the slides with them. They had an absolute ball! Alex was in heaven doing every slide there except for the vortex. :) He didn't want to stop. However, he says his favorite ride was the wave pool.

The day is planned around adding things to my ebay store, stamping and getting that dessert up to the junior high. Our church sponsors a back to school lunch for all the teachers their first day back from summer. Guess it's a good day for all these indoor activities since it's raining cats and dogs here!

Inspiring Testimony of Art Monk (inductee Pro Football Hall of Fame)

2008-08-06T21:43:00.005-05:00

Please click on the picture below to hear the testimony of his salvation. The video is about 20 minutes, but please take the time to listen it is SOOO worth it. It's not everyday you hear a pro football player or any athlete for that matter share the way this man did. I hope you find inspiration from him and become encouraged in your christian walk!

Kathryn is doing well today. Everything went smooth with her tubes yesterday, except for the spike in fever yesterday afternoon. She had me a little unnverved with a fever of 104.7. I've never had that with Audrey or Alex, so I was a bit unprepared. But, she is fine and both dr's agree it's something viral. She has had no fever today. Thank you for your prayers and for checking in on us. I appreciate you all so much! :) Big Hugs. Now, go check out that video.

Tubes on Tuesday, 3 Blessings and 11th Anniversary

2008-08-01T14:04:00.004-05:00

When we had Kathryn's ENT consultation, we discovered Kathryn has one ear with a closed eustachian tube and the other one is covered in fluid. So, she is having her procedure on August 5. She will be 10 months old on Monday. I know her world will open up dramatically after her surgery. I specifically remember, at the age of 7, getting in the car after my tubal procedure and hearing the car start for the first time in my life. It was quite a profound moment for my parents and one that would later help me understand for my child the need for tubes. We so take for granted the little sounds that are so important to the language and understanding of a little baby or child. I'm quite excited to see the wonder that will open up for her next week. :)

A couple of weeks ago before church I was attempting to take pictures of my children. Why I would ever try and take on such an arduous task right before church is one I cannot answer? LOL :) I posted this picture of the 3 kiddos, so one might see, just how hard it is to capture a great picture of 3 children. This was the best I could do at that moment. :0

My precious husband of 11 years took me on a wonderful 4 day trip to Dallas. He surprised me with a marvelous stay at the Westin Stonebriar

I haven't been away like this in atleast 8 years. Any other time Jim and I have had away it's always been on business, never pure relaxation with no other obligations. :) Thank you honey for an amazing time. We acted like silly teenagers in love. We ate lots of wonderful food (Mi Cocina, Fireside Pies and Cheesecake Factory) and slept and shopped (a little). I got to spend quality uninterrupted time in the Bible, for me, that was well worth the trip! As a mom it's so hard to fit in my quiet time to it's full potential. Getting that time alone with God means more to me than anything else. Thank you Lord, for blessing Jim and me with a weekend we will always remember. You are so good! :) Thank you Jim for the man you are, one of integrity, honesty, faithfulness, devotion to your family, hardworking, loving and most of all a man of God. I am so blessed to call you my best friend, my husband and the father of my children. I am so proud of you and your ministry. You have a heart for God and that makes me smile. Our children are blessed to have you as a daddy. Happy 11 years and I so look forward to growing old with you and rocking our grandbabies on the front porch together one day. But, for now, I will absorb the moment and be thankful for it.
We went to dinner with our precious Aunt Tosie. She took us to the Bass Pro Shop for a delicious supper, overlooking Lake Ray Hubbard. The food was delicious and the view was marvelous! Lil Bit, her precious baby. was posing uncandidly for the camera. She was more than willing to have her picture taken that night. :) Thank you Aunt Tosie for a wonderful evening, we so enjoyed your company. We miss you!

Birthday Invitations

2008-07-15T17:03:00.002-05:00

Here are the birthday invitations I've been working on for Audrey's birthday.

ENT

2008-07-14T19:05:00.003-05:00

Kathryn has been fighting ear infections since January. So, we are going to see an ENT on Wednesday. I'm so anxious to find out what he says. I hear that some ENT's put in tubes and some put it off. I just want Kathryn to feel some relief. She had thrush this week on top of her throat/ear infections. She seems so much better since the thrush is gone, but I think her ears are still bothering her. She has the sweetest spirit, despite all her issues this past week, she still had a smile on her face.
She is talking all of the time. It's so funny how she will babble something and look at you like, "do you not understand what I am saying?" She is crawling everywhere and pulling up on everything and anything.

Kathryn at 2 weeks

Kathryn at 9 months

Looking at these photos reminds me how fast time flies! Sometimes it is way too fast! :)

Little Miss Prissy

2008-07-08T21:47:00.002-05:00

She thought she was something else when she realized she was standing up in the chair without holding on. She is getting too brave. :) In the last picture you should be able to see her first tooth just a shining!

PopTarts

2008-07-06T06:56:00.003-05:00

If they ever stop making dairy free Pop Tarts, we are in trouble. Alex lives on these things. He loves them and eats atleast 2 a day. I thought it was only appropriate to scrap a Pop Tart page. :) I used Wildflowers by Shabby Miss Jenn.

Speaking of pop tarts Kathryn has had her taste of them and finds them quite pleasing. LOL..........She loves waffles/pancakes too! Her papaw was feeding her homemade ice cream on the 4th of July and she kept coming back for more. :) She is a busy little bee these days. She finally cut her first two teeth within a week of each other, she is crawling everywhere, pulling up and she is evening trying to stand up with nothing to grab onto. It's quite funny!

We were planning a trip to my sisters this week, but that has been derailed. Nearly her entire home was flooded this weekend. A pipe burst under her gameroom sink(which is upstairs) and managed to flood all the bedrooms and her great room over night. To say the least, she is a bit stressed and has no where for us to stay. Mom has her boys, so we may make a trip back up to North Little Rock this week.

I've got to start making plans for Audrey's birthday party. She is celebrating it with her best friend Maci. They want a Camp Rock party, so I'll see what I can do. :)

North Little Rock and Audrey's birthday

2008-07-01T18:42:00.005-05:00

We spent the week in North Little Rock with Mawsie and Papa. We had such a wonderful time with family and friends. The kids started the week out at Build a Bear Workshop. Audrey made a bunny and Alex made a bear. They really enjoyed it. We had lunch and lots of swimming with our cousins on Tuesday. Audrey chose Olive Garden for her birthday lunch. All the cousins came over for a swim at Mawsies. :) Wednesday we got to visit with the Millards. Alex was so happy to see Paxton and Baylor was a bonus. Kathryn finally got to play with her friend Greta. That is the first time they have seen each other and they were really sweet together. :) The Burchfields were in town, as well, visiting family and they go together with us. So, Audrey was happy too, as she got to play with the girls. Audrey spent the night with her cousins that night and then they all came back over for more swimming. We had a wonderful visit and Mawsie pampered us. Plus, I got to help mom pick out granite she is having put in her kitchen. That was lots of fun. It's always exciting to help other people spend their money. *wink* Papa took Alex to the race track Friday night and well, to say the least, that was pretty exciting for Alex. :) He has talked about it nonstop. Thanks mom for a wonderful time at your house, we miss you and Papa.

Melinda and David Harris

2008-06-26T09:40:00.003-05:00

Jim and I got to be part of a wonderful event this past weekend. Two amazing people joined their lives as one. Not only did they join together, but Dave welcomed Melinda's children into his life as if they were his own. He is an amazing man and these two people are going to grow old together and live happily ever after. I'm so incredibly happy for you Melinda! :) Congratulations to the two of you. Jim and I were so honored to share the entire weekend celebrating with them. Jim sang the Prayer (Josh Groban) and I will be here(Steven Curtis Chapman), you did a great job honey! I was a bridesmaid and was so pleased when Melinda asked me to be a part of this special time in her life.

Me, Melinda and Sara at Rehearsal Dinner (that would be Audrey giving me bunny ears)

Melinda and her precious baby boy Michael (isn't he adorable in his bow tie?)
Melinda's darling little Anna Claire (Audrey's buddy)
Me and Michael just before the wedding
Melinda with all the bridesmaids at the reception

Melinda and Dave at Rehearsal Dinner Mrs. Tena Carter's beautiful home (rehearsal dinner)
Me and Melinda at Rehearsal Dinner
The Bridesmaids
Leslie, me, Courtney, Lauren, Tara, Sara, Karen, Melinda, Allison and Sharon
Greta (Sara's little baby angel), Sara and Me

Sitting Up

2008-06-16T08:05:00.004-05:00

Yesterday morning I walked into Kathryn's room and she was sitting up in her crib. Another milestone has been reached. She is growing up way too fast. Where has the time gone? She is crawling everywhere and babbling all of the time now. She loves carrots and these snacks. I guess she gets her blonde hair from me. I believe my hair was blonde until somewhere around the 2nd grade. She still has no teeth. So, it's official she has been teething most of her life. LOL............drool and chewing on everything, yet we wake up to a toothless baby everyday. :0 She is so precious to all of us. Alex told me last week that he was going to marry Kaphwyn (I love to hear him say her name). She is 8 1/2 months old. She enjoys the swimming pool, so hopefully she'll be a fish like her brother and sister.

Father's Day 2008

2008-06-15T13:17:00.002-05:00

Happy Father's Day!

Dear Daddy,
I made you a bow tie. I love when you throw me in the pool. And I love you because you did the dolphin ride for me. And thank you for watching me play baseball. I love when you play baseball with me everytime in the day. I love you playing soccer with me. Then I love when you play football with me. Thank you for being a good daddy. I love you- alex

Dear Daddy,
I love you. Thank you for playing with me and Alex. I hope you like you like your chocolate layer dessert. I love to sing with you. I love you because you go get Alex and me icees. Thank you for playing baseball and swimming with me and Alex. Thank you for throwing us in the pool and giving us dolphin rides all the way down to the deep end. Thank you for making me happy when I feel sad. I love you-Audrey

Honey! I love you! You are an amazing man and father. I am so blessed to be with you. I hope you have a wonderful Father's Day!

Dry Drowning?

2008-06-14T11:27:00.002-05:00

As parents we can never be too educated! This story below is a sad one, but information you need to know if your child swims or even bathes.

10 year old boy dies over an hour after swimming

Vacation Bible School "Outrigger Island"

2008-06-13T20:11:00.004-05:00

We finished up Vacation Bible School today and the kids had a blast!!! It was such an amazing week and we had an incredible number of children give their lives to the Lord. It was beautiful! Lots of singing, bible study time, arts/crafts, recreation and yummy yummy snacks. Everyone involved put out such an effort to make it a success! Thanks to all of you!!! My kids thoroughly enjoyed everything! :) Today was water day and that was the perfect topping to an excellent week!

American Solutions and Saving Money

2008-06-08T09:31:00.003-05:00

In an effort to make staying at home alot easier for us. I am jumping into the coupon world. I'm also paying attention to circulars and doing my best to purchase items where they are cheapest. With our family of 5, gas prices through the roof and a multiple food allergic child, it is quite a challenge to save money. But, I'm taking the challenge! I wanted to share some of the great blogs I have come across that help extremely in this endeavor.

Proverbs 21:20 " In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has. "

As you check out these blogs you will also find a host of other blogs/sites to help!! :) As a result of these wonderful women that share so graciously with us, I saved a whopping $12.50 on my bill this week! WoooHoooo!!!!! :)

Milk Allergy Mom

Be Thrifty Like Us

Be Centsable

Coupons Inc.

Coupons

Baby Cheapskate

Freebies 4Mom

American Solutions

I would like to direct your attention to this website American Solutions . This is a campaign to lower gas prices in our country. They want to encourage Washington to drill here in the US so that we can have affordable gasoline, which indirectly affects everything else we purchase. :) If you believe this, PLEASE go now and sign the petition. Please pass this site on to anyone you know would have interest in this!!! Here is your chance to make a difference and be a part of a major revolution. How exciting is this? Check it out!!! :) Youtube Campaign

Audrey in a nutshell

2008-06-05T08:09:00.008-05:00

Here are a few things that have been going on in the life of Audrey Elizabeth. My little girl has just finished 2nd grade. She had an amazing year with one amazing teacher! Thank you Mrs. Hambrick for all that you were to us, as it was a big adjustment for all of us with kiddo #3 adding to the mix!

It was so exciting to see what all she had been learning in dance this year at her recital. She has really become quite a little dancer! She loves dance and that makes me so happy, as dance was something I thoroughly enjoyed (minus the year I was 5 and begged to quit because I said it made my feet hurt) LOL!!! Aunt Amy, Mawsie and Natalie came for the recital and thanks Natalie for all your help! Natalie did all costume and hair changes for me! HUGE HELP!!

Children's Choir at church put on the end of the year program, Life's School Musical. Audrey you did a wonderful job with your duet and speaking parts! Mommy and Daddy were soo soo proud of you!!!

Congratulations on all A's. Another great year! Special thanks to Mrs. Hambrick. We love you and will miss you greatly!

Most importantly this year was Audrey's baptism. She accepted Christ into her heart and that was such a beautiful and gratifying time for her daddy and me. There is no other day in the world as special as your spiritual birthday! Congratulations on your eternal life with Jesus Christ.

M U D + FRIENDS = FUN!

2008-06-04T09:17:00.005-05:00

The LORD has blessed me with some amazing new friends. His timing is always SO perfect. The pictures below are of Alex and my dear friend's son, Kole. They love each other so much and it's so sweet to watch them play together. What a joy! You will also find Kate and my Kathryn have become quite the friends. :) Kate calls Kathryn 'baby'. It is so sweet, she will walk up to Kathryn and say, "hi baby" and give her a kiss, a hug or a gentle pat on the head. OOOOH SOOOO Sweet!! :)

Kathryn Olivia 33 weeks old

2008-05-27T21:52:00.005-05:00

1. She loves applesauce and bananas

2. She loves blowing bubbles

3. She is scrawling(combination of scooting and crawling) LOL

4. She is crazy about Audrey and Alex

5. She can drink from a sippy cup

6. She babbles a lot, but mostly just squeals to get our attention(she has to so she can be heard over the other 2)

7. She loves books

8. She LOVES her Praise Baby video

9. She loves to be around other children, she delights in their presence

10. She has stolen her daddy's heart

11. I love that feeling I get when I see her first thing in the morning

12. I love her little baby smell

13. I love to watch her splash in the bathtub(she loves water)

14. I love how she is ready for the next bite with her mouth wide open

15. I love how she looks at me and then pats my face with her hands

16. I love how she shivers with excitement

17. I love to hear that hum/sing thing she does when she is getting sleepy

18. I love how she fit right into my heart in that special little place God gave her

19. I love the size of our family, it's just perfect

20. I am thankful for the blessing that God gave me and Jim and the confidence he has in us to raise 3 beautiful children

American Idol L.A.(lower arkansas) Style

2008-05-26T07:51:00.003-05:00

We started this tradition last year, impromptu. Let me say it was so much fun that we had to do it again this year.............bigger and better. Everyone plans their performance and song(no lip syncing allowed). They were hilarious this year! There is a new much coveted award(see trophy below). The kids even put on a show. They named themselves the Sizzlers. It was so humid outside, but the stars managed to put on a fantastic show.

The kids LOVE being with their older aunts and uncles and cousins SOOOO MUCH. Alex has two big cousins that are college football coaches, so he LOVES being with them as they give him a good run of football and they even make time for baseball. Thanks Shep and Steadman for always being so wonderful to Alex, he loves you guys SOOOO MUCH. Audrey thinks she is bigtime when she spends time with her Aunt Livi(whom she adores), Caroline and Gigi. Thanks girls for making Audrey feel so special, you are making such great christian impressions on her life and I thank you for that! {BIG HUGS }

I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day. Before the show begins we pay tribute to those who have served the military for this great country we live in. Thank you soldiers for your courage and committment to this country and the people who live here. Thank you to the mothers/wives of these soldiers who sacrifice so much that their husbands/sons are gone and you must bare that time. Please know you are in our prayers!

Some things in May

2008-05-21T21:18:00.007-05:00

Melissa sent me a gentle reminder how I haven't posted any pics of Kathryn lately. So, I thought I would post some quickly.

I have been down with one of my horrible headaches today. I was so thankful Jim returned home early this morning. I was able to go to bed at noon today and I slept for 4 hours. I took a pill that the dr gave me for my headaches. It helped a little, but I'm still fighting the headache and the horrible nausea that comes with it. :(

Here is a picture of Kathryn from a few weeks ago. She has started to move around, she isn't crawling yet, but she is scooting and twisting/turning to get where she needs to. She gets up on all fours and then she belly flops. :) I thought it would be fun to post a pic of her at 2 months and now 7 1/2 months. My how she has changed. :)

Here is Alex with his cousins, Connor(middle) and Evan. Yes, that is a red koolaid mustache...... And some TBall photos. He loves the game!

Here is Audrey enjoying her bug snack at Girl Scout Camp. (they had gummy worms, teddy graham bug bites, and I can't remember the other stuff buried in crushed oreos and graham crackers) She has had the most wonderful year in Girl Scouts. She has learned so much and the activities and camps they attend are so educational and fun to boot. They have already spent two Saturdays at Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge, here in Crossett. The facility is very nice and the ladies that help the Girl Scout leaders there are amazing! Thanks Mrs. Darcy for an incredible year! WE love you and all that you do to make Girl Scouts the Best!!! :)

Mother's Day

2008-05-20T07:02:00.006-05:00

I made these little bird books with Maya Road chipboard and Love Birds from We are StoryTellers. The kids painted jugs to make bird feeders to go along with the books.

I returned on Friday evening after our long visit at the Allergy Clinic in Little Rock. Jim had cleaned up the yard and put hardwood mulch in all the flower beds (I was so pleased to see that). Not to mention, he had been working on our pool, as well. The house was spotless. He grilled steak on Saturday night for me(yummy, my FAV). Sunday morning, before church, he got all of us McDonalds breakfast and they gave me my Mother's Day gifts. I got a ONE HOUR MASSAGE and new speakers for my Ipod(so I can listen while I'm in my craft room). I was so excited and surprised. I didn't expect such a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. Thank you honey, you are the BEST!!! I love you! :)

Rambled Thoughts and Time

2008-05-14T12:18:00.002-05:00

Since Friday I have been without my laptop. WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH (Imagine Snoopy right now whenever he gets upset) that is exactly what I feel like. I'm so lost without it. I never imagined how convenient a laptop would be, well...............it is. I have been absent from the blogging world and have so much to catch you all up on.

Our appointment at Children's was amazing! I learned so much and feel really good about so much I was concerned about. I have a meeting with Alex's principal on Friday morning, just to get a general idea of next year. :)

I will post my catchup as soon as I have a chance.
I'm working on graduation gifts, baby gifts, bridal shower favors, birthday gifts, organizing information for Kindergarten meeting for Alex, baseball games...........you name it, it's on the list.

Julie has some more stuff in stock at Doodliedoo. And she has some exciting news coming! :) :) Can't wait to hear it!!! :)

My friend Paula made Alex the most precious birthday gift EVER. It's a tooth fairy pillow that she made and monogrammed. It has a pocket for the tooth and a pocket for the money! :) She gave him a tube of toothpaste and a brand new toothbrush to match. I'm not sure if it is on her site, yet, but I imagine it will be soon enough. SUPER cute gift idea!!! :) THANKS Paula and Julia!! :)

I will post some crafty things I've been working on, as well.

Hope everyone is great!

The Morning of our Big Appt

2008-05-09T07:19:00.003-05:00

I've been waiting for this day for quite some time. We have been working to get into Arkansas Children's Hospital in the Allergy Clinic. Alex has been seen by two pediatric allergists in the past and I have been okay with their diagnosis and partial treatment of his food allergies. However, in the last year I have wanted to take more drastic measures and the allergist pretty much just said, "sorry we are not discussing that yet". All I wanted was for Alex to have shots so he could enjoy his outside pleasures the same as the next kid. Outside and running/playing is his favorite place to be, but it isn't always a safe place for him. Anyway........our past doctor lacked a decent bedside manner. He always made me feel like I didn't know what I was talking about and that he had no interest in anything I asked or thought. I'm sure some of you can relate to doctors like that. We have been to Children's for treatment of Alex's cavernous hemangioma of his right eye in the eye clinic, for his severe eczema in the dermatology clinic and for the limp of his right foot in the orthapaedic clinic. So, I know how awesome this place is! The doctors, the nurses, the receptionists, just about anyone you come in contact with there will greet you with a smile. :)

So, we go today for a current evaluation of his allergies. He will undergo skin testing and possibly RAST, blood draw for allergies. If his antihistamine levels are not high, we will not have to go with the blood draw. (fingers crossed, it's pretty bad) Then he will be evaluated by past experiences and discussion with me. Pretty much, I'm just treating this appointment as if we have never seen an allergist before.

We have faced numerous exposures in the past two weeks. The last one being my decision to withdraw Alex from his preK class. They called me on Monday to tell me they believed he had pink eye. I told them it was probably his allergies and that I was on my way. Well, I get there and to my dismay, his right side of his face was swollen and you could hardly see his eye. He had hives all on the right side of his face. From that experience(along with other exposures) Jim and I deemed it neccessary for Alex's safety to remove him from school. Apparently, his teacher was not educated enough(which is my fault) to recognize an allergy reaction. Which is a chance we cannot risk, his allergy is life threatening and anyone in charge of Alex MUST KNOW what to look for and how to respond. So, at this point, I'm doing, as a parent, what I feel neccessary. I hated to remove him, but I had to. I'm working to slow down and listen to God as we face decisions about Kindergarten. I'm trying not to be in control, but it is so very hard. I know I will feel better after today's appointment. Does God want me to home school Alex? Is He trying to get my attention so that I will be more aggressive in my demands at Alex's school? I have got to slow down so that I can hear God's whisper.

"The Lord said, Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.' Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave" I Kings 19:11-12

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions......that we face as a family. But, oh the answers, answers, answers that I will get today. :) I will post with an update!!!

Happy Friday!!!

Silly Faces

2008-05-07T23:21:00.003-05:00

Here is a page of Alex I recently scrapped.

We have been very busy around here. Making stuff for Teacher Appreciation Week, Mother's Day, daddy travelling, baseball and baseball pictures.......... We are leaving for Little Rock tomorrow for our big allergy appt at Children's Hospital on Friday. Really anxious for this appt.

Will post more later! Bday pics to come! :)

What a weekend!

2008-05-04T21:41:00.003-05:00

We have been so busy! But, it has been so much fun! We celebrated Alex's bday with his friends at the park! It turned out great! Not to mention we had fabulous weather all weekend. Perfect place to have a birthday party because the cleanup is painless! :) My mom, stepdad, sister, brother in law and their kiddos all came for the festivities. We went to the Armadillo Festival(yes, I said Armadillo LOL) and the kids had a blast riding all the rides. We finished up with supper at Jim's parents house(burgers, ribs and hot dogs)!!! Then this morning was a precious time, as Audrey was baptised. What an incredible day this was!!! I'll share pictures later from all of the weekend. We had such an amazing time with our family here. We don't get together often enough with us all. My mom, sister and I all live in separate towns. :( It is so hard to see each other all together, atleast until summer time. So, we totally enjoyed each other so much! I already miss them and they have only been gone a few hours. Oh I love my family! :)

I have included a picture of one of the many thank you cards I have been working on!
Hope you all have had a wonderful weekend.

Diary and Sketches and Birthdays

2008-05-02T09:37:00.003-05:00

I made this book for my dear friend, Melissa's little girl. Her birthday was over a month ago and I finally got it done. Sorry Olivia, it's on it's way with some fun color pencils with erasers. Olivia loves to draw and journal.

I created the front with Photoshop, using elements and papers from two designers.

Dani Mogstad

Shabby Miss Jenn

Julie Brooks put the book together for me. I got the idea from the books she made her boys.

Thank you Julie!!! :)

Art Show

2008-04-23T06:42:00.005-05:00

Alex had his art show last night at his PreK school. They displayed all of the children's art work from throughout the year. Alex was very proud. As I love art, this time is so precious to me. Audrey had the same event when she was there. It was so sweet to see the difference in each of my children and the way their art turned out. He did a great job!!!

Here they painted with their toes

They are learning about caterpillars and how they turn into beautiful butterflies. They have some caterpillars in their classroom right now that have formed their cocoons and will soon see them turn into butterflies and will release them as a class. :)

The teacher put a vase of flowers in front of them and asked them to paint it. This is what Alex came up with.

They read the story Rainbow Fish and then painted her.

Here they made flowers with their fingerprints and at the bottom they painted with rubber worms. :)

Audrey had Rock N Read at her school last night. They have rocking chairs set up around the cafeteria, where the children are encouraged to rock and read. She received a free book of her choice for going last night. It was really cute! She is my little reader. She loves books!!!

Kathryn is on her 2nd round of antibiotics for double ear infections. So, hopefully, this round will knock them out. She seems to be back to my Little Kathryn already.

I'm working on lots of crafty things and will be posting them shortly!

3rd annual Ladies Luncheon

2008-04-21T22:54:00.003-05:00

What a huge success in the name of Jesus! Praise God!!! We had an amazing time! Our speaker, Pat Domangue, did an incredible job. What a living sacrifice she is!!! You can visit her blog here. It was such a wonderful time of fellowship and encouragement. She encouraged us to Live Outloud, that is, our Christian walk. Here is a picture of some of my wonderful friends from church, who enjoyed the luncheon with me. I love this event and I'm already excited about next year!!!! :)

2008-04-18T06:59:00.004-05:00

Well, my mom is coming today and I'm so excited. I love when she visits and the kids do too! She will be here to give me some rest and much needed help! My foot seems so much better, but I think I have pushed myself too much this week. So, it will be nice to have my mom here for some good visiting and for the support. My mom is so awesome and I so treasure the relationship we have. I am so incredibly blessed to have a mom like her. She is the best!!! I hope I can be to my kids what she has been to me. :) I have Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants from Netflix, so we'll try and fit that in sometime this weekend too. Our Ladies Luncheon is at church tomorrow and we've been planning for awhile. I'm going to attend for part of the day. I think as long as I can elevate my foot, I will be okay. :)

Here are some pics from Alex's birthday night. He opened up his gifts from us and he was quite happy with his Star Wars ships and legos. We've had a ball playing with his legos. Yesterday, he and I sat and built lots of things. I realized how big he had gotten when he was actually looking at the instructions and finding the pieces and putting the truck and house together. WOW!!! I was so amazed. I enjoyed that time we had together. With 3 kids it's definitely a challenge to ensure that one on one time with each of them. I do my very best~I hope they know that! :)

I hope this Friday finds everyone happy and doing well! I will end with an excerpt from my pastor's (Jeff Smart) sermon on Christmas Eve 2006. Are you prepared for Jesus? The bible talks about 3 ways we can be prepared for Jesus through Fear, Fellowship and Faith.

PSALM 2:11-12

Psalm 2:11 "Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling" Our fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. We must recognize God as the source of all wisdom, no number of life experiences or education will make us wise without God at the certain of the learning experience. All wisdom comes from Him.

Psalm 2:12 "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way" Fellowship with the LORD, Embrace Him and surrender completely. To be ready for his coming, we must submit to his leadership every single day. The phrase "Kiss the Son" actually means to surrender fully to Christ, he is the king of our Hearts and Lives. "for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him." Now for faith in the LORD, we must have it and use it. This requires believing in what you cannot see.

These things will prepare us for Christ's return. Fear, Faith and Fellowship. Do you have it? Are you close? Do you find yourself closer, then slip back? Be encouraged today to take that step and surrender fully to the LORD! It's worth every second of it. Do you know Christ as your personal savior? I do and I know where my eternal life will be. ahhhh.........in Heaven eternally with my maker, my best friend, my healer, my refuge, the lover of my soul,............If you do not know the LORD, don't wait another second. Ask him into your heart!!!

Let's encourage each other and lift each other up! Take up the cross daily and be a living sacrifice for God. Share your testimony with someone who doesn't know the LORD, encourage them to find him. Help lead them there. :)

May God be with you and bless you fully!!!

I Love you all!

5.

2008-04-16T23:23:00.002-05:00

My middle child and only boy turned 5 today. It's funny how we look at things.........Things we want to move slow always go by so fast and things we want to move fast seem to creep. Or is it just me? I guess what I'm trying to say is that my little boy is 5 and the time has gone by so fast. I feel like I just blinked and there he was so grown up. I feel so incredibly blessed to have a little boy and to experience him, I grew up in a house with all girls. So, having a son has added a whole new twist to life. And I love it!!!

I love that Alex

1) could care less if he is covered in dirt from head to toe

2) is not a perfectionist

3) wants to figure out the when, where, why and how of everything

4) has as much energy as the energizer bunny..........he just goes and goes and goes

5) has a heart like a big teddy bear

6) runs in the room and says, "where is baby, i need to kiss her", he finds and kisses her, then goes on about his business

7) wants to know if his video games will be in heaven

8) wanted to know if we would know him in heaven

9) has allowed me to view life differently and appreciate the small things, with his life threatening food allergy

10) loves to color and write his name and adding numbers

11) says free instead of three

12) loves the outdoors and will try anything

13) looks like his daddy

14) when noone is looking he is singing hannah montana or high school musical

15) OH and that he is so rough and tough and ALL boy, but he does not like bugs. LOL

We started his day with homemade waffles, his favorite. I didn't have any candles so we used a match and we sang happy birthday to him this morning. He thought that was pretty special. He chose McDonalds for his birthday supper and we opened gifts this evening, when Jim got home. He was quite thrilled over his Star Wars ships. :) We will celebrate his birthday with friends in a few weeks.

Once I'm healed from my broken foot...........I will be in better condition for planning a birthday party! NO SURGERY! I was so relieved to hear that my recovery would not be quite what I was anticipating. I can actually walk on it, to my tolerance level. I am more comfortable in my own tennis shoes than in that walker boot. :S

Hope everyone is having a fabulous week. Check out Jim's blog if you have a chance. He actually posted about my injury and I really appreciated his view on things. :)

First digital page from scratch

2008-04-12T21:56:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Jessica Sprague, I'm a little bit smarter in the digital scrapbooking world. You can check out her blog here and sign up for her newsletter. Tons of free info on her blog, it's GREAT.

I completed this page with Jacque Larson's Good Day Sunshine Full Kit from The Lilypad. I love her stuff! It's so fun, funky and full of life! Not to mention, she is a super sweet lady! She sent me a personal email thanking me for purchasing her designs.

Broken Foot?

2008-04-11T22:02:00.005-05:00

Yep, that's right! I broke my foot. Yesterday morning I was stepping down into the family room and slipped on a baby toy. Yep, that one that Jim has been fussing about..........He always says, "someone is going to hurt theirself on one of these toys". Boy, was he right! It hurt so bad, I think I cried for 20 minutes. I kept praying it would go away, but it just didnt. I laid in bed all day with it propped up, iced down. This morning I knew I had to go to the dr, because the pain was just too intense. I could not step down on it for the life of me. So, according to Xray, I broke the Fifth Metatarsal and will most likely require surgery. I have an appt with an ortho on Monday and will find out then. My dr. today told me that surgery, in his opinion, was my best option. It will increase the speed of recovery. And being the mom of 3, I'd say I need the speediest recovery and healing! After wrecking Jim's car, losing my wedding ring and now this...........I definitely believe a dark cloud is looming over me. But, my dad assured me that when the sun does come out it's going to shine brightly! Thank you dad for sending such warm feelings of reassurance to me. I needed that! He is right.....the sun will shine soon enough.

I want to talk about how wonderful Jim has been. Last night, he got the kids all their supper, ready for bed, medicine, cleaned up the whole house and got everyone to bed. He even woke up with Kathryn at 2:30am and again with Alex at 4 am. Alex has the croup. Jim was so tired this morning and didn't complain a bit. He woke Audrey up got all of her stuff ready for school and took her without waking me up. He cleaned up the house again today and took Alex to the dr. for me and went to the grocery store and pharmacy. Thank you Honey! I love you so much! You are an amazing husband and terrific father. Oh yeah! and he went to Audrey's school today to watch her perform in her reader's theater program. I mean, was he Mr. Mom today or what? I have to say, he did a superb job!

My MIL kept Kathryn all day yesterday and picked her up tonight to keep her through Sunday. That is a huge help! She always comes to my rescue and that means the world to me. :) I feel so blessed to have a MIL like her. She is amazing!

Audrey came in from school today and cleaned up my bedroom, made my bed all cozy, brought me flowers, swept the playroom and loaded my MIL's car with Kathryn's bags. She did all that with noone ever asking.......... She has such a HUGE heart and just wanted to help out. I love her so much and I'm so proud of the young lady she is becoming. :)

As for Alex, well, he's been a big help too. Yesterday he took as much care of me as he could. He said, "mommy I'm not a very good doctor, but I'll try." Well, enough said...........my heart melted, of course. God bless him, he sat in the bed next to me eating his lunch and got BBQ chips all over my bed. I didn't even care! Seriously, I can't think of anything I would have loved more than my greasy BBQ flavored bag of ice(from his greasy little fingers icing down my foot). And chip sprinkles all over me and my bed, of course. The perfect recipe for taking my mind off my aching foot.

Stay tuned for an update.

A special person

2008-04-07T10:40:00.003-05:00

There is a young man who was paralyzed in an ATV accident. He happens to be the son of some of my in-law's very dear friends. His name is Matt Courson. Jim sang in a benefit concert for Matt last night. Jim said he is an amazing guy and a true testimony to God's miracles. I wanted to share his website with you. Doctors told Matt he would never walk again, it just was not very likely, due to the injury he sustained. Since then Matt has shown what a difference one's mere attitude can have. He told his mom and dad in the emergency room, "I will not let this beat me." Since then, he has made progress doctors didn't deem likely. He is such an inspiration, so I wanted to share him with you today. Check out his website and be encouraged.

Here is a beautiful verse to hold close to your heart!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Be encouraged today and encourage others!!! :)

Happy 6 Months, Baby!

2008-04-04T07:00:00.006-05:00

My baby is already 6 months old. WoW! My heart is softening as I think of all the precious memories she has already made for us and added to our family. What a blessing she has been. Having a 3rd child, for me, is like getting an opportunity to really absorb this special time. With my 1st child, I was so anxious and worried about everything being perfect, reading every book out there to see that I was doing it just right. No wonder she is a perfectionist!?* My 2nd child, I was more laid back and certainly not worrying about things being "just so". Now with my 3rd one, I realize none of that even matters. She will be just fine even if I don't follow the book and the biggest one of all, NO 2 kids are the same. They are all made to their own individuality. How amazing that every single human God created/creates is different. What an awesome thought!

Kathryn is eating solids now. She loves them! She naps twice a day, if she can. Between preschool and grade school, picking up Alex and Audrey she is lucky to get one good nap in. Then there is tball practice, dance, girl scouts and church. She lives in her car seat while I taxi everyone around. :) She is such a super great baby! She has been waking a bit in the past week. I think she is cutting her first tooth, due to the buckets of drool she stays soaked in. :} She is sitting up and rolling over! She squeals with delight now. She has discovered this high pitched squeal and loves to make it, much to my dismay. HA!

Jessica Sprague

2008-03-29T22:34:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm finally getting my hands into my photoshop class with Jessica Sprague. Up and Runnin with Photoshop is the class I'm taking. Jessica is a wonderful teacher! It's definitely a self paced class, which is best for me. All the emails and lessons are on her website forever, they are always accessible. That is so good for me, because I couldn't even start the class until 2 weeks after it began. If you have even considered digital scrapbooking, I HIGHLY recommend Jessica Sprague.

Just thought I would share week 3 layout!

Our Easter 2008

2008-03-27T21:31:00.001-05:00

2008-03-25T12:55:00.001-05:00

Trace Adkins and Food Allergies

2008-03-25T12:32:00.003-05:00

As some of you may know Trace Adkins is on Celebrity Apprentice this season. He is in the season finale against Piers Morgan. Way to Go Trace. You are probably asking yourself why I care? Well, Trace's chosen charity is FAAN-Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. This affects me tremendously.

My son, Alex, suffers from severe food allergies and FAAN has been there for me every step of the way. We had a terrifying experience with him when he was 11 months old. He is anaphylactic to dairy and peanuts. FAAN has done so much to improve the lifestyle of children who suffer from food allergies. One big thing they advocated was the law that ensures children as early as age 7 can read a food label. This way all scientific names have to be labeled milk, wheat, dairy, egg, peanut, fish and soy.........It sure makes life alot easier since there is so much else involved in the safety of your child's life. Anyway.............. I want to help FAAN out. There are two ways you can help!!!

Check out the link here to read more about Trace{his daughter, age 6, suffers from a severe allergy to peanuts} and his efforts to help FAAN. You can check out a video of Trace explaining his reason here. FOR 2 weeks the charity single that Trace will sing Thursday night will be available at ITUNES and all the proceeds go to FAAN. You have 2 weeks from March 27 to download and support FAAN. You can also text TRUMP to 30101 to donate to FAAN, you will receive a video message from Donald Trump thanking you. The cost of each text is $1.00, plus any fees your provider may charge. For $2 you can help make a difference with FAAN and all the families they are reaching. They are an incredible foundation. $1 for the song and $1 by text.

Thank you Trace Adkins. Oh I hope you win!!!! FAAN sure deserves the win!!! :)

Easter

2008-03-22T21:50:00.003-05:00

What a beautiful time of year! Not just because the birds are singing or that the sun is shining later in the day or because flowers are blooming and the grass is beginning to grow............Those are just some of the magnificent things the LORD has given us to enjoy here on earth.

It's most beautiful to me because my LORD and Savior is risen! He is the KING of KINGS, LORD of LORDS and alive to live with me in eternity. WOW!!!!!! Now, that's something beautiful. This time of year is so wonderful because it is a fresh reminder of LIFE, the LIFE the LORD has given us through salvation. What a beautiful gift He has given.

Although, this is a beautiful time in my little world, I have to remember that the days leading to this time were not so precious. I must remind myself what Jesus went through so that I could have life. His time up to His death on the cross was excruciating. He endured so much so I could have life. I like to focus on that time because it is a strong nudge for me to realize nothing I can ever go through will ever be near what He had to endure. And He did it all for me, because He loves me. I don't deserve it, but that is what grace is.................God's grace is a gift we do not deserve. My sinful life could never do anything to earn my salvation, it is just FREE! That's all...........not a single cent or task can earn it. All I had to do was believe............and I was forever changed.

JOHN 3:16 For God so loved the world He sent His one and only son so that whoever believes in Him, will not perish but have eternal life.

from L-R: Natalie(my niece), Audrey, Amy(my sister), Poppy(my dad), me and Kathryn

Happy Easter!

Easter Egg Hunt

2008-03-14T06:39:00.005-05:00

Here are some pics from our Easter Egg Hunt at church!!

I just want to say that Brian and Julie Brooks do such an amazing job. Brian has taken on so many extra roles at church, because our Minister of Education left and so did our Children's Minister. Thanks Brian and Julie for all you do! :) You can see their Love for the LORD and His Kingdom in all that they do! :) Our church and community are so incredibly blessed to have them.

Remember this Easter what it is all about. It is about our Savior that LIVES!!! Take time to reflect on this special time...........because He LIVES we will spend eternity in Heaven with Him. How beautiful that our Savior Lives!!! He is alive and well! Oh it excites me so much to think about it. Enjoy the egg hunting, Sunday dinner and the yummy treats, but keep the Real Reason for Easter at the focus of your celebration.

the list just keeps getting longer....

2008-03-05T21:36:00.005-06:00

let's see............i have so many things to do and as soon as i check one off of my 'to do' list, 2-3 things more jump on there. i started Beth Moore's "The Patriarchs" bible study yesterday. AND WOW!!! I'm overwhelmed with what God wants to share with me!!!! How blessed are we that He has given us a guide that will direct our lives if we will allow it to. God uses Beth Moore in so many ways to move, motivate and encourage me. You know what else is so awesome, she gives HIM all the glory! If you've never read one of her books or done one of her studies, I highly encourage you to. You will be overcome with excitement and a yearning to fill your soul, spirit, bones, mind and heart with the word of God and even more eager to live in it. :)

Yes, my list is getting longer, but I will not be discouraged. I get very overwhelmed with all the things I have to do and spend so much time doing alone. With 3 kids and a husband that travels the devil certainly knows where I am weakest and he will attack me at any chance he gets. The devil doesn't just attack in the areas we expect it, drugs, alcohol, eating, spending money, etc. he attacks in ways we least expect it. So, be aware of the areas in your life he can get you and tell him to GET OUT! The LORD will arm you with power you never knew you had. :) AMEN!!! :)

Jim is doing great! He's on his 3rd radio tour since January and his schedule is filling up nicely. I believe his song is at #13 this week. Glory be to God-it's all HIM! If you have not heard Jim's music please check here.

Audrey and I came down with tonsilitis, Kathryn with RSV after a LONG LONG week of Jim being sick. He ran fever for 7 days and had a horrible cough, flu test returned negative. Not sure what it was, but it was dreadful. Needless to say, we've had some sickness around here. Hopefully, with brighter sunny days and Spring just ahead we can say goodbye to colds.

I'm working hard to get us back in normal routine and it's a challenge. As a mom to 3, one of which is 5 months, I can't seem to get my TO DO LIST done. What is up with that? I write it out and it takes days to check off one or two items. I feel like my house stays a wreck and all I do is wash clothes. And as for cleaning up, well..............that is everyday all day long. But, I know this time will pass shortly and all I will have is time on my hands and I will miss the days of running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Days of baking cupcakes at the last minute for school or church, filling Easter Eggs to take for the Church Egg Hunt(moments before we go), signing notes and making sure payment for yearbook and field trips are turned in on time. Making sure I went over Audrey's homework with her before it's due the next day. Planning family night to work in while Jim is home. Wow!!! I could go on and on.................but, like I said I know I will miss the hustle and bustle of this busy life with kids soon enough. :) I hope you are having better luck than me with your TO DO lists. Let the little stuff go and check off what's most important! Take the time your kids need from you and don't sweat the other stuff. It's hard to keep in perspective, but we must remind each other the importance of our children's needs. We have such a short time to make an impression on them and build a strong christian foundation. That is a huge responsibility, isn't it? SO, I'm reminding myself that no item on my TO DO LIST holds more importance than that. :)

I'll share photos from our Egg Hunt tonight. And I have got to figure out what Audrey is going to where for School Pictures tomorrow, because I just remembered they are tomorrow as I was sitting here babbling. LOL

Have a blessed day! :)

I had to share this................

2008-02-28T22:12:00.005-06:00

As I said earlier I have been playing with my camera since I received my new book, Understanding Exposure! I've been playing with the aperture, shutter speed and ISO to get the perfect exposure with a blurred background. Anyway.....................this picture was too funny of Audrey I had to share!!

This picture turned out okay. I think the aperture was 4 and ISO 800. The lighting is awful..................but I did achieve a blurred background, which is what I'm trying to master right now!

And this photo is a perfect example of just how Alex feels about all my picture taking lately! HA!!!!!!!! He's my picture man................but lately.............he is just plain tired of it. He runs and hides when he sees me coming with the camera. LOL

And Kathryn does not look too thrilled to be photographed either! LOL!!!!!!!! But, what a milestone! I think she was sitting there for atleast 15 seconds. My Big Girl! :) She will be 5 months old on Tuesday.

she wants me to hold her a bunch lately

she loves to be read to and enjoys looking at the pages

she loves her baby einstein videos BABY BACH being her favorite

she loves to chew on her fingers and anything she can get her chubby little fingers on

she loves her bathtime

she's giggling out loud

she is a snuggle bug

she loves sleeping on her belly

she loves her fish aquarium in her baby bed

she's awake more during the day and more playful

she's one precious little angel to us all and very very spoiled

{we had some super duper wonderful 70 degrees today}

Hope everyone is doing GREAT! :)

2008-02-27T23:20:00.004-06:00

Yesterday started out really well...............I was actually getting a Mommy's day out. My first day without a single child in a good while. I went to get my hair done! It was so nice and relaxing. I was headed back home (I have to drive an hour away) and everything changed. :( I was at a red light and traffic started to move so I put my foot on the gas. At that point, I looked down at my Ipod(it was giving me fits-it wouldn't rewind) and next thing I know BAM!!! I slammed into the back of the sweetest lady. It was awful. Neither of us were hurt! My car didn't appear to have major damage. Hers had a good smashing. She was so sweet! I was just bawling crying. I felt so bad for her, I ruined her day. There I was carelessly looking at my Ipod. I'm so thankful noone was hurt, it could have been so much worse! Anyway................I'm okay and that day has passed. But, it definitely didn't turn out the way I thought it would.

I'm reading Understanding Exposure and really excited about getting to know my camera. I have the Canon Digital Rebel and know very little about it. I've loved photography since I was a child. It has always enamored me. So, I'll let you know how that is going and update some photos with my new tricks!!! { :)}

Monday I start Jessica Sprague's class Up and Running with Photoshop! REAL excited about that! I have been waiting along time for the class to start. WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!! I'll be sharing my work from that class soon! :)

Kindergarten orientation is next week! YIKES!!!! I can't believe Alex will be going to kindergarten. So much to prepare for, especially with his food allergies.

Family Night was so much fun! We had a ball! UNFORTUNATELY, I deleted pics from that night. {super duper sad face} I have been shooting so much random stuff in the past 2 days from the exercises in my new book, I just accidentally deleted it.

Now, that I've rambled away. I hope everyone is having a fabulous week!

Watch out for those Ipods and Cell phones.

Good Day!

Kathryn Olivia 4 months and 3 weeks

PreK page

2008-02-25T09:36:00.003-06:00

I've actually had a chance to scrap. I came across a picture of Alex' first day in PreK Sunday School. His teachers mailed us a picture the next week welcoming him to his new class. So, I got to scrap it up!! :D I was very pleased, however, I made a HUGE booboo on it. I never write directly on a page, but wanted to do it. For fear I would mess a page up, I have always stopped myself. LOL................. Well, I messed it up! But, not too bad!!! Not sure if I'll tackle it again. ON the other hand, it's what makes it personal, right? Isn't that was scrapping is all about? Making our lives personal on paper?

Hope everyone is having a super fabulous Monday! :)

Catching up!!!!!!!

2008-02-23T11:04:00.003-06:00

Does anyone know Curtis? I would like to send out the cd, but haven't heard.

It's been a busy week around here. Kathryn is up to new things. She can sit up by herself for about 3 seconds. LOL!!!! The kids love it. I know the minute her feet hit the floor she'll be running to catch up with the older ones!

We are going to start Family Night here in our home on Monday night. It is going to be a God centered evening with lots of fun and activities. We are going to start with the Heritage Builders, Ten Commandments. They have lots to choose from in the series and I can't wait to get through them all. YOu can check them out here. Just scroll down the left side of the page until you reach the books named Family NIghts! Ill keep you posted on all the excitement here in the Murphy household. :)

I've been working on listing items on ebay. I'm new to that world, but it's turned out to be quite beneficial and exciting. I haven't been posting or being too creative, as ebay takes up quite a bit of time. I think I'm getting the hang of it and fitting it into my schedule so now I'm back to posting!

I cannot wait for all the new CHA things to be out! It looks like it was an amazing time and lots of great product coming out! WoOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! There goes my ebay money!

Things are great with hubby. His cd is doing well. He's busy booking concerts and his single is creeping up the chart to #17 this week! Way to go hubby. Check out his sites here and here. You can also download his album or just some songs from Itunes.

We've been selling Girl Scout Cookies, so now we are delivering them. Girl Scout Cookies have taken over my dining room! OH yeah and my ebay stuff, as well. !!!! LOL

Alex is signing up for t ball this morning! He's really excited about that.

Don't know much else! Hope everyone is finding blessings all around them. :)

The Winner IS........................

2008-02-17T22:08:00.003-06:00

Curtis !!!!

Thank you so much to those of you that left a comment. I'm sorry that everyone couldn't win! :D I really enjoyed reading your comments about those that mean so much to you! You had some amazing stories to share! I loved them all!

Curtis email me your address at elizabethmurphy@alltel.net

Cute heart box that you decorated. I feel blessed to have so many special
people in my life. The one that I feel truly blessed to have in my life is my
mom. She will be 85 this April. She raised me and my brother on her own. For an
income she took in ironing and babysat. She has taught me so much. Now it is my
turn to take care of her as she is unable to get around and her memory is
starting to fail. She means the world to me. Thanks for such a nice
giveaway.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY~LATE! and some BLOG CANDY

2008-02-14T22:00:00.006-06:00

I hope everyone has had a blessed Valentine's Day. I hope you had a chance to share with those who mean the most to you. It's so important that we let those around us know, how much we care for them. :D

Well, I wanted my reader's to know how much I appreciate them, so I thought it would be a perfect idea to share some yummy blog candy with you all!

Leave a short comment about someone that means a WHOLE LOT to you. And I will choose a winner and announce them Sunday night. You have until midnight CST Saturday to post a comment.

The blog candy is Jim's new cd. In celebration of his latest release!

Here is the little heart shaped box I decorated for him for Valentine's. I cut out 10 heart shaped pages and put them inside along with the 10 reasons why I love him!

Now, get to commenting so you can win some great blog candy!!! :D :D

Feel Better..........

2008-02-05T10:39:00.000-06:00

Jim's grandmother had hip surgery. The kids and I are taking her a 'feel better' treat today!

Jim's single, Start All Over, is being featured on this website. He is offering a free download on Thursday and Friday, so be sure and check it out and get your free copy of Start All Over!!!

Today is my birthday so I'm heading off to enjoy it!!! I've had so many wonderful wishes already this morning!!! My MIL is cooking dinner for me! Yippee!!!!! She is a fantastic cook! :D

Happy Day!

Building Card Stash, Radio and Feeling Better

2008-01-31T11:21:00.000-06:00

I spent some of the weekend working on my birthday card stash! Jim got home from his big radio tour up North! BRRRRRRR................it is frigid up there! He toured through Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois! He was gone 7 days and we were soooo happy to have him back home. I snuck in a much needed nap and woke up to coffee and crawled up on the couch. (happy face here) We really missed him. The kiddos made welcome home signs and hung them on the door! He had a surprise for me too. I wanted the cutie pie table and chairs from IKEA for the playroom. Yeah!!!!! He said the IKEA store was unbelievable! Unfortunately, I have never been inside of one. (sad face) The kids enjoyed putting the table and chairs together.

Jim's song, Start All Over, has made it's way into the top 40 within the first 1 1/2 weeks. WOOOOHOOOO! Honey I am so proud of you! As soon as we get copies of the album, I'm going to be giving away some yummy blog candy! :D :D :D So keep posted! It shouldn't be long, hopefully next week. Since his first concert is Feb. 10 we need them ASAP!

Now, for the cards I made. I hope you like them!

Baby Kathryn has been sick, but feeling so much better now! :D

Julie and I are off for a GNO to the movie and dinner!!! WOOOOHOOOO! I'm ready! :D

Sweet Treats

2008-01-25T09:16:00.000-06:00

I purchased some yummy treats at Target. They are by Archer Farms, almond toffee crunch chocolate covered pretzels. They are individually wrapped so I thought they would make for a super sweet treat for Valentine's Day! I have some special people I want to make these for. I made a box shaped vase out of cardstock paper and put them inside! I think it worked perfectly!

supplies

cardstock from paper studio

stripes from paper studio

hugs and kisses ribbon from Michaels

pink shimmer ribbon from American Crafts

Marvy giga oval scallop punch

Marvy mega oval punch

Love stamp from Papertrey Ink's mixed messages

Heart stamp from Love, Elsie's Jack and Abby

Oh I LOVE this holiday! What a wonderful time to celebrate LOVE!

New Elzybells are HERE!

2008-01-18T09:36:00.000-06:00

I LOVE these stamps. The figures are simply adorable! They have such a sweet and tender look about them. I have not purchased any before, but got to use Julie's and fell in love! Now, to decide which ones I want!!! You can click here for inspiration from Elzybell's Blog.

I'm off to figure out which ones to buy!!! Weehooo!!!!!! Then I'm off for a day at the mall, Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond!!!

Happy Day! :D

When God Speaks

2008-01-16T08:52:00.001-06:00

I wanted to share my morning devotional with you. Several months before Kathryn was born, I was reading my daily email devotional from Christian Women Today. This particular day was about the need to change. It described how we spend so much time asking God to change others in our lives, we often forget to ask Him to change us. So, from that moment on, it struck me and struck me hard. I needed God to change ME, Beth and He would take care of the rest. I would say that from that moment on, I began to ask God to change me, make me the woman, daughter, friend, sister, wife, mother, etc. that He needed me to be so I could be an obedient disciple for His kingdom. I would say that prayer has been going on for a good 7 months now. I have slowly watched Him transform me and the complacent christian I had become. I was like a robot. But, now My heart has an incredible urge to be more like Him, unlike ever before. And it has nothing to do with me. It's all God! He has changed me and made me much more aware of the importance of me living in His word. I am, by no means, where I need to be, but I'm working on it and He is working on me too! :D Which reminds me of the song my husband wrote, Everything Changes, (song #3 on his playbar).

When I opened up my devotional from, Jesus, 90 days with the One and Only by Beth Moore, today I turned to the wrong verse in the Bible. I was ahead several chapters. I read from Mark 4: 1-25 I was so humbled by God's power at that moment. Not only had I read the wrong verse, but KNOW that He sent me there. It spoke of our inability to listen to Him and hear Him if we are not FULLY prepared to hear His word. Which reminds me of Julie's post about how she wanted the Lord to dig deep into her heart and penetrate all areas of it with His Loving Word. When I read her blog that day, I knew that I needed to work on that in my life, as well. And today the Lord shared that with me. The verses that stick out the most are Mark 4:24-25; "Consider carefully what you hear, " he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you - and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." This simply tells us that we must be prepared fully to hear what God wants us to hear, if we are not, He cannot speak completely to us. We must come to Him with an open, desiring heart for His word and ALL that it means, whether it's what we want to hear or not! As we obey Him, he will sharpen our vision and increase our understanding. (this was taken from my Life Application Bible) How beautiful that God wants to tell us everything and guide our lives completely, if we will just submit and be willing to live as He wants us to.

What about you? Do you find yourself asking God to change others in your life or path? Do you need to ask God to change you, like I did? I can tell you that it's amazing how much easier life can become if we just allow God to change us.

Has God worked wonder in your life you want to share? Please post below and share your story! I'd love to hear from each of you.

Have a blessed day!
Seek His Face and His Truth in all that you do!

Love Banner

2008-01-15T19:05:00.000-06:00

Valentine's is one of my most favorite holidays! I absolutely love and look so forward to it. It's such a wonderful time to celebrate love, think about love, share with those you love, tell those you love how you feel, spoil those you love................love love love love.

My birthday is on the 5th of February, too. So, that might be another reason why I love this month. he he he :D

Seriously, though..............I finally got into my craft area and created this! My children love all holidays and all the decorations, so what a great excuse to create something with my hands for the family to enjoy!

I hung this banner from my mantle.

Supplies

red cardstock

basic grey dasher paper from doodliedoo

basic grey blush collection from doodliedoo

red eyelets from making memories

Hugs and Kisses ribbon from Hobby Lobby

straw ribbon from Wal Mart

red glitter

I printed my heart from Photoshop

What do you LOVE about Valentine's?

Doodliedoo Does It Best! :D

2008-01-10T08:06:00.000-06:00

*WINK* to my dear friend Julie Brooks! I got my hands on some of her "alter it" products from Doodliedoo and created some Christmas gifts that made my family pretty excited! :D I used Julie's ideas and I think they turned out rather well! Thanks Julie for your inspiration and encouragement! I love you and your family! I have some of her card files waiting anxiously on me in my half craft room half laundry room. (ill share some pics of it later when it's presentable) HA Maybe one day I'll have that craft room I've always dreamed of.

Hope these vertical albums inspire you today! Be sure and check out Julie's store.

BEFORE VIEWING: remember I am new to Blogging. LOL!!!! I will do better with my photos in the future and I will always make note of exactly what products were used. ;D Please bare with me.

I would love to see any of your alterations you have made with Julie's products.

How Delicious Does This Look?

2008-01-10T07:58:00.000-06:00

I just came across this recipe in my email thatI get from Bright Ideas. I think it will make for a delicious Valentine treat! Can't wait to get my hands on this recipe!

If you try it, please let me know how they turn out for you!!!

YUMALICIOUS!!!! :D :D :D

TAKE NOTE

2008-01-09T22:16:00.000-06:00

I put together some little personalized notepads and boy were they easy!

I gave these to Audrey's teachers and even to my mom and sister!

supplies

cardstock from Michaels

notepads and ribbon from the $1 bins at Michaels

monogram stamps and borders and corners stamps from Papertrey Ink

stazon ink Jet Black

decorative brads from Michaels

Me and My Family

2008-01-08T09:28:00.001-06:00

I have been so blessed to stay at home with my children. I cannot imagine what I would rather be doing more. My mom has always reminded me that I have the rest of my life to work and that I will never get these years back.............. So, I have chosen to stay at home as long as it continues to be manageable. :D God has truly blessed me!

I taught 4th grade for 3 years, which I cherish those memories so much. I thoroughly enjoy young children. It was such a pleasure to have that time with those kids. I pray that I made a difference in their life. I loved them as if they were my own. :D Teaching school is an awesome job!

I married my INCREDIBLE husband in the summer of 1997. We dated in college for a little over a year before we tied the knot. **WINK** I fell in love with his beautiful smile and oh so sensitive heart. He is an amazing man. He loves the Lord and has chosen to share his voice as a ministry! I support him 100% and believe in him wholeheartedly! You can visit his website Jim Murphy for more info. His latest album is set to release Feb 12. Check it out, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. **insert proud smile here**

Audrey is 7 and our first child. She definitely possesses traits of a first child. She is so independent, stubborn, a perfectionist, smart, hardworking, funny and beautiful. She is such a joy to us and has been since the day she was born. She is in the 2nd grade!

Alex is 4 and our 2nd born. WOW! What a little man! He is a very physical child. He loves to be going and doing and has always been that way. He loves ALL sports! He is outgoing, silly, sweet spirited, smart and handsome! He brought additional joy to our lives the day he was born! He is in preschool.

Baby Kathryn is 3 months old and what an amazing blessing she has been. She is such a precious gift to us all. Audrey and Alex adore her so much and are the best big brother and sister ever! Audrey helps me out so much and Alex makes sure she gets plenty of attention with hugs and kisses at any given time of the day! **insert happy heart here** She is full of so much life and joy. She is smiling and talking all of the time now. I can't wait to see what her little personality will bring out!

Take a moment and reflect on your family and what each one offers. Isn't it neat how each of us have traits that make our family complete? My heart warms so much when I think of the awesome individuality of each of my family members. :D

I will begin posting my paper creations soon! I love getting my hands on paper and making new things!!!

New to Blogging and Lots of New Year's Resolutions

2008-01-05T18:33:00.000-06:00

I've finally joined the blogging world! Please be patient with me as I embark on this "oh so technical" world. I love it and am truly excited about being here. What better time to start than the New Year! I have to say that my dear friend, Julie Brooks, is the one who has gotten me here!

I am happily married to a wonderful Christian man! He is my best friend, encourager and the precious father of our dear children. I love him with all my heart and thank God everyday for allowing us to spend our lives together. :D We have 3 beautiful children; Audrey, 7; Alex 4; Kathryn 3 months. I will share pictures soon!

I hope that I can encourage and inspire those that visit my new "internet" home. I have found so much encouragement from so many of you.

As for my New Year's Resolutions, I am going to work at eating healthier and working to get this baby weight off. I plan to spend more time with Jesus daily. I am going to work at managing my time more efficiently. That is so important with 3 children. HA

Scrapbook, Scrapbook, Scrapbook more!!!!! :D I must set time aside to get pages completed. I love to create cards and THANKS to Julie I have joined the stamping world. I have purchased some fine products from PaperTrey Ink and enjoy all that Nicole and her crew have created. Her stamps are so luxurious. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE them!!! Thanks Nicole for the wonderful products you offer. I look forward to purchasing January's release soon! Valentine's Day is probably one of my most favorite holidays!!! :D

Until Next time.............
Have a wonderful day! God Bless You!!! :D