Blog Makeover!

So, this morning, I have spent my Valentine's Day getting ready for my blog makeover! My sweet husband gave me this gift and I am ECSTATIC! All morning I have been looking at other blogs trying to get cute ideas and neat tips! It is so overwhelming! I have narrowed down my kit, chosen titles for the sidebars, and links. Whew, I am exhausted! I can't wait to see the big reveal! Leslie, you have your hands full! Thank you so much! 

Snow and Sweets Part 2!

So, after having my nightly talk with my bestie, Jodi, she told me that I should make snow ice cream. Being extremely sheltered growing up, (Thanks Mom!) I had never had this tasty treat! We gathered some snow, mixed milk, sugar, and vanilla extract and YUMMY! Thanks Jodi! Your Godchildren loved it! :) 

 

  

  

  

 

 

Snow and Sweets!

Wow, what a day! We all had so much fun celebrating Valentine's Day at our schools and then coming home to play in the snow. Later, the girls found their decorated boxes (that I obviously forgot to hide) from school and devoured each and every treat they had received from their friends. I am hoping they don't go into a diabetic coma. Oh well, they had a blast and I even had a few sweets myself! :) 

 

  

  

  

And then, came the sweets...

 
 

  

 

"ValenTIMES"

As an educator of young children, nothing used to irk me more than hearing my students call this sweet upcoming holiday, "Valentime's Day". However, now as a parent of a two and three year old, nothing brings me more joy than hearing that word! Tonight as we were addressing our Valentine cards, Mally and Fifi kept chanting, "Happy Valentimes Day!" It was just precious! I would also like to add that Dora continually irks me and I hope they grow out of this phase of their life VERY soon! D-D-D-D-D-Dora....

 

 

 

  

  

 

A Heavy Heart...

I am writing tonight with a heavy heart. There has been so much sickness and death surrounding people that I know. Parents discovering their child has a brain tumor and another family losing their child tragically and unexpectedly. It has made me really reevaluate my life and faith. It has made me cling closer to my girls. It has made me cling closer to my God. I wish I could say that I understood why horrible things happen. I wish I could not worry about the future and completely rely on His word. He has told me to do this. But my, oh my, it is so hard. All too often I think that I hold the map to my future; that I am in the driver's seat and everything should happen in the order in which it is planned by me! How can I rely on a map or a path for which I do not hold in my hands? How can I question what is in store for me when Christ is the ONLY one who knows? That is something that is weighing heavily right now on my heart. I want to give it all to Him.  

Clinging...

Psalm 27:4-5: "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock."

Nashville News...

This weekend Phillip and his band, Valley Road, were invited to play in Nashville, Tennessee. We debated on going because Mallory was sick, but in the long run decided she would be just fine with Gran Gran. This was a bittersweet trip because it was the first trip just he and I had taken alone since our honeymoon. We left right after school on Friday and they performed at 11:00 that night. The next morning we got up and visited the HUGE mall and it was the highlight for Phillip! What is wrong with this picture? Shouldn't I be feeling that way about a mall? Phillip wanted to go in the Gibson store to see all of the mandolins. Needless to say, we were there for a while and he was in heaven! All in all, it was a good trip. I realized that there needs to be more times like these when we can devote our time to each other. It is so easy to get caught up in the fast pace of life and lose sight of each other. We will definitely be planning another trip soon.

 

Warming up...

Pickin' in the Gibson store...

Grand Ole Opry...

A Day with Daddy...

Because Mallory has strep throat, she got to take a sick day with daddy Friday. We decided to let Fifi stay home too! When I got home,  I was thrilled to see that the house had been cleaned and the girls had PINK fingernails and toenails! How precious!?!