Our First Garden

Growing up I always remember having a garden. Didn't exactly love it then but as I have gotten older (and wiser) I do! Kris has always had a garden as well and we have wanted to have one way before now. But finally this year we made it happen! We rented a heavy duty tiller and our small garden turned out to be about 30x50! But boy are we excited about it! Corn, okra, tomatoes, beans.....Yum!
Gavin may be the most excited though. He woke up the next morning and wanted to know if the garden had grew! I wish it was that fast!
Here is G and daddy working hard.

The Winner (finally)

I drew a winner last Tuesday (I know, I know) for my 100th Blog Giveaway. Since then I have had a stomach bug and multiple migraines so blogging (and just anything to do with the computer) was put on hiatus!
But without further ado the winner is........Southern Fried Gal!! So as soon as I get your gift together I will get it out to you. Just get me your information (email if you would like to jlhalmes@hotmail.com)
I tried to get a picture of Gavin drawing for me but he just wanted to play with the slips of paper when he was done!
Thanks everyone for entering and for reading.

Handy Helper

I am so behind on my blogging- but I got LOTS to blog about.

We have a 3 bedroom house and the extra bedroom is used as my scrapbook/craft room and our "office". I decided to trade rooms with Gavin becuase my room was bigger and then we could get the horse and train table out of our living room and back where they belong! That was about two weeks ago and I am STILL trying to get it back to some sort of normal.
Without as much closet space and room size I am really trying to purge. But we have a file cabinet that is a must and I desperately wanted to get it into the closet. I was having a problem so I had my helper husband assist me. When he told me he was finished I was soooooo excited!
This is what "finished" looked like:

Needless to say, we put it elsewhere!

Prayer Request

Please keep the Beverly Baccus-Bewley family in your payers. She passed away yesterday of a stroke after having her baby girl. I went to HS with her and she was such a great person to be around. Always energetic and positive. (She made FHA super fun!!)
My heart is breaking for her husband baby and family. I know God has a bigger plan but sometimes it is hard to see it though things like this.

New Blog Site

I found a fantastic new blog site with the CUTEST stuff that I want to share with you. It is called Imperfectly Beautiful

She just opened her Etsy store and is hosting a giveaway. Visit her site and see for yourself!

Mother of All Giveaways!

Go check out The Meanest Mom for the Mother of All Giveways for Mother's Day!! It is fantastic!!

Giveaway Reminder

Don't forget to sign up for my Blogiversary Giveaway. Just look at my blog from April titled "Finally Made It" for the how to's!
Good luck and thanks for all who read and tell others.

So Inadequate

I had the privelage and honor of having an intense conversation with my neice about God, Jesus, and Heaven. For an 8 year old she is so smart and so spiritually connected that quite frankly makes me feel so inferior. She helps me to see that it doesn't matter what bible studies you attend, how much you read you bible, or how aware you think you may be, God through the eyes of a child is the best vision ever. I am so blessed to have her in my life and hope one day that I will be able to answer all the questions she does have. At this point,I know I am no where near where I want to be in life, and it all begins with ME!

Mean Moms

Found this and wanted to share. Enjoy!

The Mean Mother"
Someday when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a parent,
I will tell them, as my Mean ole Mom told me:

I loved you enough... to ask where you were going, with whom, and what time you would be home.
I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover that your new best friend was a creep.
I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room,
a job that should have taken 15 minutes.

I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, and tears in my eyes.

Children must learn that their parents aren't perfect.

I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for your actions even when the penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart.

But most of all, I loved you enough...to say NO when I knew you would hate me for it.

Those were the most difficult battles of all.

I'm glad I won them, because in the end you won, too. And someday when your children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates parents, you will tell them.

Was your Mom mean? I know mine was.

We had the meanest mother in the whole world! While other kids ate candy for breakfast,

we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast.

When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches.

And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from what other kids had, too.

Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we were convicts in a prison.

She had to know who our friends were, and what we were doing with them. She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.

We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the Child Labor Laws by making us work.
We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, empty the trash and all sorts of cruel jobs. I think she would lie awake at night thinking of more things for us to do.

She always insisted on us telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds and had eyes in the back of her head.

Then, life was really tough!

Mother wouldn't let our friends just honk the horn when they drove up. They had to come up to the door so she could meet them.

While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 18

Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other's property or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault.

Now that we have left home, we are all educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean parents just like Mum was. I think that is what's wrong with the world today. It just doesn't have enough mean mums!

Dibby Debils Anyone

This morning as Gavin is still lying in bed I asked him what he wanted for breakfast. First he said waffles which was a surprise. But he quickly changed his mind and said "I want Dibby Debils". Huh? I had NO IDEA what "dibby debils" was but it wasn't long until I was on my first quest of the day. He kept saying "Dibby Debils- that's what I'm talking about". I was laughing so hard and the more I laughed the louder he got. Finally, after taking him to the kitchen and letting him on the counter this is what I now know to be "dibby debils" (trademark still pending)

So after a healthy breakfast of "Dibby Debils"-no milk- and water, his request our day could begin.
And now as we are sitting outside enjoying this wonderful weather he has decided he wanted some more "Dibby Debils" and we now know that they make a great dog food as well!

Finally Made It!

To 100 blogs that is! I wanted to celebrate with cake (who doesn't) but as I was searching for just the right one I just got more and more confused!!
Should I go the over the top route and try to confuse my friends and family with something like this bride did?

Then I realized that might be a bit much since it is just a blog celebration and not a wedding celebration.
Then I found this beauty. Now let me preface showing it to you by saying that I thought a lot about whether I should post it or not. Could be offensive to some readers (all 3 of them). But, I couldn't resist. I think just to prove to myself that I didn't dream it more than anything else. (besides, who doesn't need a laugh these days)
ok- the cake that keeps on giving:

Nothing more I can add.
And then I even thought about an ode to the cute little creatures that we associate with spring: the baby chick. Until I found this redition.

Not exactly cute and cuddly!
So, here is my final pick. My perfect celebratory cake that I think says a lot about who I am.


Ok, so ALL of that to say it's my 100th blog and to celebrate I am having a giveaway. What, you may ask? I haven't actually decided but even if it's a box of Kleenex, who doesn't like a good giveaway. Here's what you do to enter. Just leave me a comment. Get an additonal entry for every person who mentions the read it on your blog that is not already a reader.
Contest ends April 20th at midnight and the winner will be announced on the 21st.
(no purchase neccessary nor will bribes increase your odds of winning (but will be accepted), not valid in the Dominican Republic or Canada. Void where prohibited)

The Easter Bunny Delivers

Gavin had forgotten it was Easter morning when he woke up. He just kind of laid there in the bed telling me what he dreamed about and wondering out loud if Daddy was home. Then he made his way into the living room and screamed "Daddy he came, the Easter Bunny came. Come and see!" He was so excited. I barely got to my camera in time before he started tearing into the loot. He got a stuffed "Snoopy" dog, candy, a fishing game, a small "Tuck" figure from Wonder Pets, and a baseball bat and tee. You can only imagine how he and the bat have been getting along. Fast friends and partners in crime!




I did make a mistake and put Easter grass in his car basket. He got that stuff everywhere. I am still finding it today!

Mini Egg Hunt

Let me clarify. The kids did not hunt tiny eggs, it was just that our egg hunt was small with just 2 kids.
It was Dani's first egg hunt and the 2nd for Gavin, but the first one he really participated in. Julie hid eggs in their backyard filled with teeth rotting goodness and money! They had the best time and the weather cooperated.




As you can see that had quite a haul! Oh to be a kid again!

What a Face!

Aunt Julie gave Gavin a "tasty" treat for Easter: some sort of powdered filled bunny looking egg shaped things. Unfortunatley, no one knew that the contents were mouth pucking sour! Here is a couple of shots I managed to get while laughing so hard at G-man.



Needless to say, we left the "eggbunnies" in the trash!

Yesterday

I suck as a human being. There really is not better way to put it. Let me explain:

Yesterday I had deemed as one of my worst days ever. First I started with a migraine. Then on the way to see the Easter Bunny we almost got run over by a FedEx truck. Then we find out that the bunny is MIA and won't have a replacement for another 30 minutes. So after 45 minutes in line and an additional 45 minutes roaming-Gavin never even got a picture.(see prior post) We went to Sam's where he was in rare form. Leaving there, I almost ran over the guy picking up all the empty shopping carts. Still feeling bad- we went to Wal-Mart, got nothing accomplished and came home.
As I sit here this morning and pray it is a better day I think about how awful Jesus' day was on Good Friday. The pain he endured in NOTHING compared to my miniscle little moments. I am ashamed for feeling that way and hope He can forgive me.
Blessings to you all and Happy Easter.

The Incredible Durable Egg

I never knew decorating Easter Eggs could be considered a contact sport until this evening. Gavin just doesn't seem to get the concept of "be careful they will crack". He was rolling eggs to us like they were bowling balls and knocking us out of the way so he could get them out of the dye. He LOVED it! We did 2 dozen eggs and he was still upset becuase "there's nothing left to color momma". We waited for daddy to get home so he could be in on the festivities (i.e. get the dye ready and help the kid so I could get pictures). What a sport.
Here are some of our magnificent creations- Martha Stewart beware!!

Try to ignore the cheetoh stained hands!

Really thinking about what this creation should be!

I think the sumo squat really adds something to the picture!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

What better time to give a kid someting messy to eat than when they are already in the bathtub? See Exhibit A:


Now, Gavin doesn't like strawberries. He likes just about everything but I think it is the seeds that he dislikes. (he is all about texture). But chocolate!! He can ALWAYS eat chocolate, which is what he did. Ate the good stuff and left the rest!

Easter Party

Thursday was the Easter Celebration at Gavin preschool. I was one of the party planners so I decided to try and come up with some cute invitations. Here is what I made.


I love having my Cricut machine. Not only did I use it for the invitations but I also cut 50+ eggs for a craft that they did. Makes my life a bit easier.

The kids had so much fun (and so much sugar). I love that the kids are all so sweet and act like I am just one of the other teachers. They climb on me, let me hold them, and run up to tell me stuff. Very sweet- makes me really want to pursue my teaching degree even more.
Here are some of the pictures from the party.

Jesus Would Be So Proud

One day, a little boy was being a little too quiet. His door was almost closed with just enough space to peek in and see what the damage might be.
It seems the boy found one of the plastic crosses that we had left over from a craft we did in our preschool Sunday School class. We put different colored sand in them. Gavin had a better idea.



The funny part was watching him put in a couple peices of popcorn then eat a few. Now we have some new "art" for his bedroom!

Visiting the Easter Bunny

The joys of Easter would not be complete without a trip to your local mall to visit the Easter Bunny. Sitting there with his big cute ears and fluffy bunny tail. So adorable. This is what I saw:


This is what Gavin saw:


He has been wanting to go see the Easter Bunny so badly and couldn't wait to sit in his lap and get candy and bunny ears. Even this morning getting dressed and on the way he was so excited. But once we pulled in and exited the car--"I'm not sitting in his lap". "OK I said. Do you just want to stand by him?" "Yes".
After a 45 minute wait and aching legs (still from shingles) we finally get to "the bunny" and Gavin tries to run away! I was shocked! I did get him close enough to get a sucker from the basket but he never even got CLOSE to the Easter Bunny. Head down, hand in his mouth (his nervous habit) he just inched closer and closer to the gate to get out! Now, I have seen some parents throw their kids up there crying hysterically and that is just now how I roll! I just said "Ok, lets go eat". He didn't fight me!

Matthew 27:50-53
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.(NIV)

I love Easter. Maybe more than Christmas. It is such a special time and a time to reflect. I am truly amazed that God could love me enough to sacrafice his only son for me.

Following

I hope I don't offend anyone with this post but I have made an AMAZING discovery! Blogspot can make you feel like high school all over again- and not in a good way. Following. We all know what it is but not all of us have very many (me included). Then you go read a blog you follow and see they have 12,573 followers and counting. Don't get me wrong, nothing I blog about will bring peace on earth or keeps the fate of the free world in question. BUT we all want to feel liked.
So anyone reading this with lots of followers, consider yourself "popular". As for the rest of us.....

New Toy

If Papaw wasn't already Gavin's favorite person in the world, he definately elevated his status after giving Gavin a new 4-wheeler. It is just his size but runs on gas- so no more having to recharge. Gavin loves it. Now he wants daddy to race him all the time. He spent over 8 hours outside yesterday playing on that and all his other outside riders. We could have a mini-ATV dealership here with the 4-wheelers and 3 wheelers and scooters. Lots of wheels around here.



And again, I MUST brag on my hubby. Since I have been sick he has been such a big help. He and Gavin spent the whole day together- just a small taste of the future I am sure. He fed him, played with him, consoled him. He is the best! Then to finish the day he cooked out on the grill for us. My man ROCKS (plus he is a hottie!)

Spring/Easter Decorations

I love to decorate- I may not be great at it, but I enjoy it. I found some really cute things at Hobby Lobby (aka my second home) and then got some flowers, a grapevine wreath, and some eggs to complete the picture in my head.




The "Spring" letters I printed from different patterned srapbook paper with my Cricut. I love the colors of spring and since my house is all neutrals it makes it so much brighter.

Finally!

We have been trying forever to fly Gavin's kite that we bought him this year. He has had kite's before but of the $1 variety- they flew but nothing spectacular. Then on our last trip to Sam's a few months ago Gavin saw the gigantic kites and begged for it. Knowing that Kris would have just as much fun with it as Gavin, we got it.

Gavin is not big on patience (we always joke he got it from his aunt Julie) so everyday "is it windy enough" was uttered at least once from his mouth. After several tries on Thursday we went to the farm and got enough wind for it to fly. Kris and Gavin had the best time and I loved watching them together even not feeling well at the time.

The Haircut

Or, I should say, The BAD haircut. Gavin has beautiful hair. Love it! But it still has to be trimmed to keep it's "we don't do a thing to it" look. Unfortuantely our normal hairdresser doesn't cut hair anymore so we went somewhere new. When I said "clean it up a bit" I guess she heard "cut it so he looks like an orphan". It is terrible. But hair grows so as long as it looks good for picture day on the 21st....

Shingles

Nope, not that kind. This kind:


I had felt so bad starting last Monday- like I had the flu with a few other sypmtoms thrown in. I just got worse and worse. My skin hurt to even have clothes on, much less to be touched. Then on Wednesday I noticed these weird bumps that REALLY hurt and itched. By Thursday they had spread down my legs. Then I had some swollen lymph nodes and panicked. I got to the doctor on Friday who diagnosed me with Shingles, medicated me, and sent me on my way. Luckily (or unluckily) my dad has experienced the debilitating pain so I knew what I was in for. I still feel miserable and really want to catch up on my blogging but I am trying to pace myself.
Hopefully I won't have quite the time my dad had since I caught it earlier and I am younger. (that is what I keep telling myself anyway)