Like I've mentioned before,

I love how God uses the talents He blesses his people with

to speak to me.

I've never heard this song until this morning and I simply love it!

May it bless you as well.

(you'll need go to the play list on the right and hit the "pause",
then press the "play" on the picture below
so both songs are not playing at the same time mom & dad)

Today I Love

~ OPI Russian Navy on my Toes

~ going to church as a family

~ chocolate chip cookie dough

~ David Crowder . . . my current favorite . . . it's been my favorite for a while now though!

~ new recipes

~ these journals.  aren't they cute!

~ how God uses his written word to encourage me

~ my parents Godly example of love & forgiveness

~ this fabulous fun idea

~ encouragement from girlfriends to try this ~ i also love the confidence they have in me ;) 

~ summer days by the pool

~ celebrating our boy ~ he's going to be 9

~ my amazing friends ~ i am BLESSED

What's For Dinner

Thanks to Meg and  Leigh Ann we had a yummy meal last night with a new recipe. 

I love scoping & searching for new recipes for my family. 

and sometimes I just need reminding of simple yummy things.

Like the cheese bread. 

I didn't really follow her recipe but it reminded me of something similar that I make.

Ben enjoyed the meatballs but not the cheese bread.

Jacob loved the cheese bread but not the meatballs.

(he said they were too sweet ~ hmmm)

Both were delicious though!

I'm always looking for new recipes.

especially healthy ones!

Feel free to send some my way.

On My Mind

~ a certain little special someone' 9th birthday is NEXT WEEK . . . until today, we hadn't discussed a thing for it!  if you know me, that's not normal as we normally have these planned out a month in advance!  thankfully he settled on a simple birthday party this year.  he went from wanting a "Lego-Star Wars-Camp Out-Movie-Sleepover to "how about a pool party"?  I tried not to sound too excited b/c that would change his mind for sure!  We are ALL ABOUT the home party and up until this year have not done a party any other way.  i asked JM if we could still consider this a "home party" since it's only $10 to reserve the pool.  he smiled & agreed.

~ gathering ideas to love on, appreciate, spoil, welcome back the ELES teachers.  this will be my first time on PTA and my position is hospitality.  i'm pretty excited!

~ speaking of welcoming back the teachers . . . Back to School . . . aaah.  i can't believe it and am not ready for the boys to head back.  that means we have a 1st & 3rd grader.  double aaaah!

~ then i get to welcome a new bunch of 4 year olds into my little classroom.  i've met them all over the last week and am thrilled about this year.  they are going to be a precious, sweet bunch!

~ really desiring to get back on track with good food choices for our family.  i need some terri holler encouragement about now.  it does help that a few of my friends are taking on this way of life as well.  that will be motivation for us!

~ not to mention the dentist appointments, family stuff, laundry, dirty dog, tall grass, etc.

so obviously my mind is going in all directions and i like most of the directions it is going in.  i'd prefer not to have to do laundry or give roxy a bath though.

Catching Up With Pics

So a friend complained that I've only "blogged little snippets lately" . . .

here's a recap of the past month.

We made Rainbow Pops

We've had a sleepover in our living room

while watching the ABC / Wal Mart family movie

I'm loving the Baxter Family

thanks to Karen Kingsbury,

my mama, her cousin, & many of my friends.

We've  had fun with these Bible Verse Scrambles

from a friend.

We were good about doing one each week.

Seems like it's not just my blog that I've slacked on

but also with these.

We've definitely had our share of reasonably priced,

healthy dinners.

wink wink

This would be a great verse for us to revisit!

It's so hard to be patient w/ your brother.

We used our Rainbow Rice

to make Eye Spy bottles.

Jacob enjoys a good watermelon seed spitting contest

every now & then.

However, it is very hard to admit he didn't win.

because Connor did!

I really would love a fire pit!

The boys enjoyed roasting marshmellos.

Doesn't an afternoon of waterplay in the back yard for the kiddos

sound amazing & relaxing for the mamas?!

You know,

we can just sit on the porch enjoying lunch

and chit chat.

Surely everyone will get along wonderfully

and we won't have to intervene much.

I was so WRONG on that one.

We did have fun though

and the children will all remember what fun they had.

Tonight was picnic dinner

in the dark.

I've been working on some fun birthday projects for our family.

This fun wreath takes WAY more balloons than I thought it would.

It may have been cheaper to buy the $50 one

that I saw at the fru fru shop at the beach.

I'll have both of these ready in time

for a special boy's 9th birthday NEXT WEEK!

Today I Love

 ~ a QUIET house but I do miss our boys!

~  summer cook outs with friends

~  the anticipation of sleeping in tomorrow

~  having my hair washed before getting a hair cut

~  having a great mix of catching up with my preschoolers from last year and meeting many of my new ones for this coming year

~  freshly vacuumed carpets

~  our gerbera daisys that keep coming back

~  summer salads

Like This

wow!