Just Some Girl Chat

You know that feeling you get when you want to post about something, but you're not sure how to say it? Then you type it out, and it just doesn't sound the way you want, so you delete it and wish you had saved it? Well if you don't, I guess I'm just strange that way. ANYWAY, I have encountered a little problem over this summer. Actually it is a big problem. I have...let's see how I can say this nicely... I have added some junk to the trunk. Literally... in the boo-tay! I am not trying to say there is anything wrong with a little extra padding to exhance a women's beauty, but when your clothes don't stinkin' fit and your normal obsession with shopping no longer exists, you may have a slight issue to consider. I know, I can hear it all ready, "Susie, you have a lot on your plate right now(no pun intended) what with being apart from hubby, changes, home schooling, etc..etc...", but I don't want any excuses, and I want some serious change on this body. For one, I can't afford a whole new wardrobe, and two I have just been given a free tropical vacation from my sis and brother-in-law. If thinking of myself in a bathing suit come January 26th won't do it, I'm not sure what will. My brother-in-law gets a free trip a couple of times a year from his builder supply company he uses(he is a home builder),and this year he asked me and Skip to join them on a trip to Panama. I have a little less than four months to do whatever it is I'm going to do to get in shape.

Okay I think I mentioned here about doing a raw foods diet with my son when he was very ill as a baby. I don't think that I mentioned that I lost quite a bit of weight while joining him with this healthy lifestyle. For some reason, since that time in my life I have never lost more than 5 lbs. at a time. Since basically over the last year, I have eaten salads like maybe twice (exaggerating a bit), I feel this could be a really wise endeavor. I want to eat better, my kids need to eat better, and I want to fit into a bathing suit for goodness sakes. Vain or not, I have to get my inspiration somewhere. Tonight I found inspiration looking at some before/after shots at this raw foods site. Pretty amazing stuff out there. I know I can't go 100 percent, but I can go about 70 to 80 percent like I did in the past. Yes, people will think I'm a freak, and my realitives will all talk about me behind my back(just like last time 10 years ago), but I have to do something people. This means that Tiffany cannot call me for coffee, and Skip cannot call me and say what do you want for dinner tonight from here, and it means that Thanksgiving, Christmas, and my b-day will just plain s*ck(I really hate that word). Maybe if I lose quite a bit, I can cheat those days.

I just have to leave you with something I found on Youtube to wrap up the whole raw food's thing. I found it quite funny, and I happen to love the Sound of Music. I wish I knew how to make it just show up, but I don't. Go here.

Three Showings in Three Days

I don't know what is going on, but I'm praying that the end is quickly approaching. We haven't been showing the house much at all. Then all of a sudden, we have three showings in three days. I just did a mad rush of picking up and I'm heading out with the kids now for some fun. We have swimsuits in tow, and will probably head to the beach or a pool. Please join me in prayer if you are reading this. I would love to finally move. Love you guys!

Do You Tell Him?

This book has absolutely been one of the biggest blessings of my marriage. I can't say enough about how eye-opening this book has been for me. It has changed the way I speak to my husband, the way I appreciate him, and definitely the way I romance him. Skip and I have been married for 15 and a half years, have been best friends for almost 25 years, yet I have never been more in love with him than I am right now. He is still the same flawed, human being that God brought into my life all those years ago in Driver's Ed class. He is the same one who would blare Duran Duran out of his Jeep speakers and drive me through mud and gravel scarying me half to death. He is also still the same one whose touch and kiss literally melt me on the spot. What HAS changed in this whole relationship is me. I don't nag to him(well not much), I don't complain about lack of time with him, I don't correct him as I would one of my children, and I don't get mad about his obsessions(for example -The Dallas Cowboys which he writes about here, here, and here). I instead try to see him in God's eyes, the way he was created to be. He is a passionate man, and he does passionate things. I have started to really be his number one cheerleader (without costume, of course he wouldn't mind that), and I've tried to affirm him daily in all he does.

Are you affirming your husband in his job, as a husband, as a father? Sometimes it is so hard when you feel like you are doing everything, but this book helped me to realize how very important it is to tell them how much you respect them. This book shares how respect is so much more important to your man than your love. In turn, when we give our husbands respect, they in turn give us our most desired want- Love! I am only on week 4 of the 7 week bible study For Women Only, and I can see huge differences in the ladies in my class. I didn't want to share this post at first because I thought it would probably be something everyone has heard before. So many of my fellow bloggers have wonderful marriages, and have been married far more years than myself, but according to the ladies in my study, they wished they had learned all this valuable information sooner in their marriages. I know when I look back to our first few years, I literally cringe thinking of the horrible example of a godly wife I was. It was simply ignorance, and selfishness. If you haven't read this book, I strongly suggest you pick up a copy. I guarantee your husband will be glad you did. Did I mention that this bible study is packed full of scripture and advice to implement right away? Okay, the book is good. I think you get the picture. Have a great week and don't forget to tell him...

I'm Starting Over

This is probably going to sound strange to you, but anyone who knows me and has read for a while will see my heart through this post.

I am now on month ten of having my house on the market. Yes, that is ten months of always making the bed, always being on alert that I may have to do a mad crazy cleaning spree if someone calls, and ten months of trusting God with this house which still hasn't sold. Not to mention having almost 5 full months of not having a husband at home each night. Thinking that surely summer would come, and the wait would be over, I now have sunk to some kind of hopelessness about the situation, which is completely unlike me. Praise God that He doesn't let me stay in the hopelessness for long.

I woke up at 4 o'clock AM this morning with that burning desire to be with God. Had I woken up at my normal time, there would have been children begging for breakfast, a bed to be made, and so on. If Skip would have been home, I would have just rolled over and gave him a hug and tried to go back to sleep. Since I was up, I went to my computer and started reading my bible and praying. I knew God was trying to tell me something, but I couldn't find it in my daily reading of my one year bible. I looked at a few of my favorite blogs, and one led me to this story of a sick little girl, and another to this post. They touched my heart so much that I started praying hard for these families. I prayed with tears and emotion. What a trial they are going through right now, but both of the women shocked me with their words of faith and belief. I am usually the one right there along thinking God is in control, and has a plan far greater than my own. Somehow, life has happened, my time is completely not my own, and doubt has taken root.

I stayed awake for about an hour and then turned the tv on to possibly help me drift back to sleep. When I turned it on Joel Osteen was of course on a motivating rampage. Don't you love that about Joel? You can't stay negative or downhearted when he is "preachin it". He was sharing about sticking it out, believing God for good, and not letting negative thinking keep you from your dreams and hopes. That is what I have been doing the past couple of weeks. Not seeing that God has something so wonderful for me right around the corner (and that corner could take months or a year), but it is coming. I have to keep believing! He just whispered to me, "Give it time baby, I'm at work on so much more here that you can imagine. Just trust me, believe me." So many people are praying for us, so many are believing God for us, and I know it will happen. I need to trust God's timing and not my own. I need to take those negative thoughts captive, and remember I have a God who does not run short of miracles.

I am starting over today. I am putting on the full armor of God and believing Him for this sale once again. It doesn't matter that it seems hopeless, God can do anything! I've seen it before more times than I can list, and I will see it happen with my house too. I am not apologizing for asking for prayer again. I need it, and it is okay to ask for the desires of my heart, even if they pale in comparison to other's needs. This is important to our family's well being and future. Please join me in prayer.

Kid Nation

Have you seen this? My kids watched the first episode tonight and LOVED it. In fact, they are acting out their own Kid Nation right now. I hear dishes clanging, meetings being held, and words like, "I have to use the outhouse". What a great show, and such a neat program to watch as a family. I don't think my kids would last one hour stranded in an old ghost town having to fend for themselves, but they are trying to pretend right now in our air conditioned house, with a fully stocked fridge. They are really roughing it, huh?

A Little of This and A Little of That

Highlights from the Week
*The kids and I hit Cole Park for a little break and a little exercise this week. They ran around getting sweaty while I just sat enjoying the beautiful day, and some quiet time to myself. One great advantage of homeschooling was that my kids basically had the place to themselves to explore.
*Skip came home Thursday night and made this. Oh my goodness! It was so delicious that night, the next day for lunch, and so on. We also had a date Friday afternoon. It was so nice to sit in a movie holding hands and sharing popcorn. We saw 3:10 to Yuma which was EXCELLENT. It doesn't hurt that Russell Crowe and Christian Bale were the leads. They are 2 of my favorite actors. This was a western, but I totally loved it!
*We made it through week 2 of homeschooling and I'm still sane. Actually my kids are doing great, but they miss being with friends. Each one of them had some special time this week to have friends over, or they went to a friend's house. I really need to schedule friends over more often. It may stress me out a little, but they need the interaction and a break from each other.
*My mother-in-law had a b-day this week and though we haven't had a chance to celebrate, Ashley painted her a beautiful pot ALL BY HERSELF. I went to the craft store and she used her own money to buy everything, and then I left her alone to create. She did a great job, and obviously has a gift for the arts like her daddy. I will try to get a picture to show this week when she gives her MeeMee the pot.
*I had a wonderful meeting with my bible study ladies, but I have a ton of homework I still need to do, as well as lesson plans. Yet, here I am typing this. I think this mom needs some help with prioritizing.

Extras
I don't think I posted this picture of the girls from early this summer. It was just too sweet. Annie was a cheetah girl in her hip-hop dance, and Ashley did beautifully in her ballet. Annie did try ballet for about three weeks, but found it too boring. She is my little gymnast, and I can't wait to get her back in classes when we move.

I couldn't resist pulling out another special picture for you. This one is of me and my sister Debbie. She didn't take dance very long, because she really excelled at sports. It was great that we each had our own thing.

Have a blessed week!

My 200th Post!!!

Today is my 200th post, and as big as that number is, I feel I never get a chance to write as much as I'd like. On this special post today, I'd like to take a minute to thank all of my blogging friends who have continued to come back and bless me with your sweet comments and your wonderful words of wisdom you so often encourage me with when I'm in need. This blog is like a personal journal for me, but not only that, it is a place where I have made some dear friendships. I have been able to share what God has done in my life and the life of my family. God has been so good to me over the last two years, and when my momentary frustrations and trials arise, I can go back and see His amazing faithfulness and love for me. Thank you all for being here, and for sharing life with me. I love you dearly. The flowers are for anyone stopping by, hope it brightens your day.

My Weekend in Pictures

We spent the weekend in Victoria

Our first stop was the twins birthday party. My niece Shelby and my nephew Conner turned two and had a wonderful party. Here is my nephew Matt "the actor" and my handsome Seth hanging out on couch watching a football game Saturday afternoon. I'm not sure who was playing, but I do know the Aggies won even though we didn't get to watch the game. These boys look like they could be brothers.

Here's a picture of my Daddy and his wife Carolyn(Mamaw to the kids).

My sis was in from LA. She and her husband Tony have been married for over 20 years, but they both look so young. Debbie has been doing lots of extra jobs lately in LA and just had some headshots done. She loves to act!

Elmo was a special surprise guest at the party. Here is a pic of my niece Stephanie, Elmo(Matt), Annie and Ashley. I love this-so cute!

Finally, a picture of the birthday boy and the birthday boy and girl. Their mom (Laura) and their dad(my bro Billy) did an excellent job hosting the party. They are awesome parents!

Now, for the best part of my weekend-watching my last baby get baptized. Here is Skip and Annie posing for me before she went under. It was wonderful that so many people were their to cheer her on. My dad and his wife, my mom, my sis and her family, Skip's mom, and our friend's Jim and Karissa from Corpus.

There she goes...

She did it!
BTW, I can't forget another wonderful blessing. We had probably 500 new visitors at church for our big new CSI series. It was an amazing service. We only have 2 services on Sunday and we had over 1650 people. God is working in amazing ways at Parkway Church. I can't wait to see how next week goes. Praise God!

Friday Fun

The Week in Review

1. Our first week of homeschooling is under our belt. I would give us an 8 out of 10. The kids did a great job overall, but there are a lot of changes with the scheduling that I will need to work on. I guess I didn't realize how hard it would be to teach 3 different children, with 3 different learning styles, in 3 different grade levels. One thing I'm excited about is that I am learning so much along with them. It's really good for me to see what they know and to be involved with their new experiences in learning.

Unfortunately I am so tired): I sure could use a maid right now and a massage. I probably am going to include a course in housekeeping next week, and tell them I'm grading on performance. Does that sound legal? I think so.

2. First week of my new bible study began on Tuesday. I have to drive an hour and a half to Victoria to do this, but I need to have this for me. I had 10 ladies sign up for the class, and they are new precious ladies that I don't know at all. I do know one of the ladies- It's my mom! How fun is that! She is so sweet and I love that we are learning to respect and honor our husbands together in "For Women Only" by Shaunti Feldhahn bible study. She even bought me a coffee in our coffee shop at church before the study began.

3. My sweet niece and nephew are turning two this week, and they are having an Elmo birthday party this weekend. My nephew Matt will be in town with my sister this weekend. He is dressing up in an Elmo costume, and I will try to take some pics to share. The twins were born two years ago premature, and now they are running around, chunky and smart as can be. What a blessing they are, and I can't wait to be a special aunt to them when I move. They live in Victoria too!

4. Lastly, my sweet Annie is getting baptized this Sunday. I am trying to think of a special gift to give her. Maybe a silver cross necklace, or a bible or cross charm for her bracelet. She already has her own bible which would have made a great gift. I am so glad so many of our family members will be there to celebrate with us. When Ashley and Seth were baptized, it was in the beach here, and it was only our church friends. It was really special, but I'm happy to see Annie do this at our new church since that is were we will hopefully be living soon.

5. No showings lately on the house. I'm still praying everyday, and hope that a miracle happens soon in this completely saturated buyers market.

6. We have a huge weekend at Parkway church this weekend. We have commercials running and mailers sent out all around the city and surrounding towns. We are praying for a big crowd and many salvations. Skip is very excited to see what God will do.

That's about it for now because I hardly any time to blog or catch up on blogs at the moment. My life has changed dramatically this week. Hope all of you reading know how much I miss you and hope to visit soon. Have a wonderful weekend!

First Day: The Good, The Bad and The Beautiful

A LOOK INSIDE OUR SCHOOL

The Good: All the kids were up early and ready to go with their work.

The Bad: I wasn't.

The Beautiful: I was the one who started the day in prayer for each one of them and I was the one who hugged and kissed each of them as they did their assignments and tasks.

The Good: Seth loves Math and Bible.



The Bad: He hates everything else.



The Beautiful: We are studying Gal:5:22-26 which of course teaches about the fruits of the spirit. Need I say more.

The Good: We finished all our work in about 2 and a half hours.

The Bad: I am going to have to plan a lot more, challenge these easily distracted children of mine, and not use Coke Zero for bribes. (Actually it was a first day of school treat and it did get them alert.)

The Beautiful: We are all learning and growing together in this new adventure.

*Would you just look at my sweet Annie's handwriting and she's is only seven. When I showed her the picture I took, she found her spelling mistake and changed it. She wanted another picture taken, but my goodness, I have blogging to do here.

Kids own reactions of their first day of school:

Ashley(13)-It was like a regular day of school, except I got to wear what I wanted. I also think it is just wrong that I have to make my mom her perfect cup of coffee(two splendas and two tablespoons hazlenut creamer). It's a lot better than regular school, I'll tell you that.

Annie(7)-It was good and fun. I liked sharpening the pencils.

Seth(10)-It was fine. (spoken just like a young Skip)

WHAT HAVE I DONE???

This is me for the last two days. I have been out of the educational field for 10 years and I am completely overwhelmed. I know I need to take it nice and slow, but my kids want to start right away and full force. What happened to kids wanting summer to last forever? Not mine, no way. I just received most of my materials this weekend, so I am busy writing lesson plans for the week. I am a little rusty, and I'm trying to get familiar with the curriculums I've chosen. I finished with Annie's week of plans, and I'm halfway into Seth's. I guess my freedom and blogging will have to be on hold for a while. I'm excited, nervous, happy, and sad all at the same time. I guess these are all normal feelings. I feel so blessed to be with my children, but at the same time this is a huge adjustment for me. I wish I didn't have my house on the market at the same time, but if I can handle all this...what else can I do with God's help?

Stay tuned for my review of our first day of school...

Thankful Thursday

1. I am thankful that God gave me the energy to get up 4 days in a row this week to walk. I have been extremely lazy this summer and haven't exercised at all. Hopefully I will continue to have this desire to shape up.

2. I am thankful for a generous gift Skip and I received yesterday from some very dear friends. They were blessed with a gift, and immediately thought of us to pass it onto. When I tried to thank my friends, they just said to thank God because it was totally Him who provided it and led them to give it to us. Praise God!

3. I am thankful that when I don't see a way, God does! Thank you God for having the better way.

4. Annie is getting baptized or as she used to say, "babatized" next weekend. She asked Jesus in her heart a year and a half ago, but is ready to go public and get dunked. I am so proud of her, and pray that her love continues to grow for her Heavenly Father.

5. I am thankful for the health of my family. Skip is suffering quit a bit of pain in his right hip (not the replaced one), but he is managing the pain pretty well. My kids are growing like crazy, and Ashley has officially passed me up by a full inch, and I don't see signs of her slowing down.

6. Lastly, I am thankful that all my struggles with my home are teaching me to trust and rely on Jesus even more. We have changed Realtors, but it is still the same company, and I am excited to see what God will do next. We have received emails from so many people praying for this house, and I thank each and everyone of you personally right now. May God bless you for your thoughtfulness and support.

7. I am thankful that Skip and I had a fun time together last night at home. No details there. I just love that he gives so much to God, our family and our church. He just did such an awesome commercial that will be running for our new series this week. It is pretty awesome and I will hopefully post it for you to see soon. I'm praying we reach many people for Christ next weekend.


If you want to participate in Thankful Thursday or just want to read what others are thankful for this week, head over to Sting My Heart.

Some Much Needed Girl Time

My sweet friend Amy D. (in the pretty plum shirt)had some girls over today since our friend Amy A. was in town. Amy A now lives in Tennesse and I just found she has been home schooling for the last year. I'm so excited to have another home school buddy via the web. Amy A is in the black top and she is going to kill me for posting this picture with her mouth open, but it was either that, or show the picture of a full length unflattering shot of me. Sorry, I'm just a little vain that way. Shannon is on the far right and is being induced this next week with her 4th child. Let's just say that in the other photo, you couldn't tell who was about to deliver between she and I. Our friend Leslie was there too, but she left before the snapshots took place.

Just in case anyone wants a great recipe for brisket, I made my first one today. It was an absolute success. I can't take any credit, however. I simply followed this recipe to a tee. The only change I made was I only used a 5lb. slab of meat. My family devoured it like wild animals. We had mashed potatoes, a special gravy Skip made with some of the juices and a big salad. We finished off with blackberry cobbler and Bluebell vanilla icecream. Delicious!

Exactly What I Needed Today

I have been keeping myself so busy with the kids the last two days playing endless backyard baseball, board games, and other things to keep my mind off of my current situation. I know there are so many tragic things going on in people's lives right now, that I always hate to bring up my own trials. I have always tried to do my best on this site to be real, but also to be as positive as I can because I am a firm believer in "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things(Phil 4:8)." Therefore, I tend to retreat from friends and those most close to me when I am in need. I guess when you surround yourself with amazing christian women who live out daily such beauty and grace in their lives, it is hard to let them know that you are "one of those women" dealing with some pretty tough stuff. When I say tough stuff, it means that I feel I am in a pit. Beth Moore says, "...you can know you're in a pit when...you feel stuck...you can't stand up..and you've lost vision..." Unfortunately, I feel all these things right now. Thank goodness I didn't get rid of "Get Out of the Pit" after I read it months ago when I wasn't feeling this way at all. There is such biblical truths in this book, and over the next few days, I am going to ask God specifically to show me through his word and Beth's book, exactly how I can get out of the pit Skip and I are stuck in right now. We can no longer financially live in our current house on our new salary, and it is getter tougher week by week. I know God is right beside me, and I feel His presence so completely, but I just don't want to go on living apart from my husband for months to come. I want my house sold, and I want my family together. I am of course asking all this in Jesus' precious name.

Thank you so much to all of you who continue to pray for me daily and send such encouraging emails to me. I know God will use all of these struggles to grow me and Skip. I also know that the last thing Satan wants is for Skip and I to be together serving the Lord in our new church. I pray that God is allowing this to happen to bring more glory and praise to Him in ways I could never fathom.

After the kids were sick of me today, I went around to get inspired and refreshed by all of you lovely ladies out there. What I found was inspiration, humor and two special awards that I had no idea I had received. One was from "N" at Mayhem and Miracles. The blogger reflection award has been going around for quite some time, but today it was for me. I'm sure she had no idea how much it blessed me, but I am smiling from ear to ear. This award is for "someone who is an encouragement, a source of love, someone who has impacted you in some way, and has been a godly example to you. " Thank you "N" for thinking of me, and I want you to know I feel the same way about you.
As I was going by one of my favorite sites, I realized that I had never read this post from Bev at Scratchin the Surface. I was so touched that she included me in her awards for "Nice Matters". Thank you Bev, and I know you think I look young on my photo, but believe my there are wrinkles everywhere. I'm almost 40 for goodness sakes.

With both of these awards, you are to find 5 people to pass the award on to. I am such a loyal, middle-child, hates to leave anyone out kind of person, that I just can't choose only 5 for each one. I love every blog I go to daily, and each one is special and unique. You know if I come by and comment regularly that I am touched by you and your blog. Besides, my daughter is kicking me off the computer right now so she can IM her Bff or whatever they call it. I am so out of the loop.

One Word Meme

"Borrowed" from Chappyswife over at Journey to the Prize. Answer the questions using a one word answer.

One Word Meme

1. Where is your mobile phone? call-it

2. Relationship?Oh-yeah!

3. Your hair? Next

4. Work?Neverending

5. Your sister(s)? Debbie

6. Your favorite thing? Carnations(HeeHee)

7. Your dream last night? None

8. Your favorite drink?Caramel-Fraps

9. Your dream car?Runs

10. The room you’re in? Bedroom

11. Your shoes? Barefoot

12. Your fears?2Many

13. What do you want to be in 10 years?Published

14. Who did you hang out with this weekend?Kiddos

15. What are you not good at?Listening

16. Muffin?Blueberry-cheesecake

17. Wish list item?House Sold

18. Where you grew up? Victoria, Tx.

19. The last thing you did?Marinated

20. What are you wearing?Shorts

21. What are you not wearing?Shoes

22. Your pet?None4now

23. Your computer?Lame

24. Your life?Unsettled

25. Your mood?Okay

26. Missing?Hubby

27. What are you thinking about?Hubby

28. Your car?Gray Tahoe

29. Your kitchen?Red

30. Your summer?Transitional

31. Your favorite color? Pink(Duh!)

32. Last time you laughed?Today

33. Last time you cried?Today

34. School?Ready

35. Love? JESUS!!!

*Just in case you were wondering what I was marinating, THIS is what I was marinating. Skip is going to be one happy man tomorrow.