TAKS Tuesday

Today is the math TAKS test for my baby girl.  The first real TAKS she has ever taken.  It is such stress for an almost 9 year old.  She is so worried about being done last.  She said all the boys said you are stupid if you finish last.  Oh, those boys!  I told her it meant you were way smarter because you took your time and went over your answers just one more time.  She thought about it for a bit...maybe it got through.

Who knows.

Any way, I hope she takes her time and can focus.  We had a really good breakfast this morning.  She requested an egg and cheese omelet with bacon on the side.  I felt like I was a waitress at IHop.  I waited on her for at least 15 minutes.  I swear she needed more juice, more bacon, a knife, oh, and a napkin.  Please!  I would not make a good waitress...especially in the morning.  I have never confessed to be a morning person.  Just sayin'.

After our yummy breakfast she told me she felt full of energy and ready to go!  I know she will do good, I just hate all the pressure they put on our kids to take these standardized tests.  It's crazy.  I do admire her sweet teacher, though, because she has really prepared Macy and the whole class to do their best and understand the concepts.  The teachers at our school are the the best cheerleaders ever.  They cheer them on to success!   Macy has a wonderful, loving, sweet and AWESOME teacher.  We are so blessed this year to have her and I know how much she loves my baby and wants her to succeed.  I can feel her genuine compassion.  We need more teacher like her.  Thanks to all the teacher out there for their precious time, for their love and for the way they care for all the kids! 

Please pray for all the children taking the TAKS today....and the parents who are stressing.  Amen.

Hoppy Easter 2011

I just got back from a 3 mile bike ride.  Call me healthy crazy if you want to y'all but I'm done {{whew}} and feel better...now that I've cooled off.  I don't think bike riding today was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  I should know better after living in this city for 11 years that the spring/summers are brutally hot.  Bike riding at 1 in the afternoon is well, stupid.  But, nonetheless, its over and I've done my workout for the day.  Praise and Glory.

Our weekend was great. We missed Reid because he was at church camp all weekend.  He loves going because its only the weekend.  My Rooster isn't the best about staying away from home for a week so summer camp just isn't for him.  Who knows, maybe this year he will surprise me.  I learn something new everyday..isn't that how it is with teenagers?  Anyway, after he got home and he unpacked all those stinky clothes we stayed up late and I got to hear all about camp and the funny stories.  It sounded like they had a great time and I love hearing all that he gained from being there.  We are so lucky to have a wonderful youth group.

Macy and I were on our own for Easter.  Troy had to work.  :(  Peter Rabbit found his way to our house and brought lots of goodies.  Reid even made a little haul.  Macy was so excited that the bunny brought something to her brother.  She was worried that he would be left out.  That girl!  She is always worried about others.

We ended up not going to the 'Ville this weekend and we sure missed being with our family.  Since it was just us girls, I wasn't sure what we were going to do for lunch.  Maybe Cracker Barrel?  Wendy's?  Luby's?  Chick-fil-A?  Nope, not open on Sundays.  No worries.  We went to the best place of all.  The McKinnis house!  Kim invited us over for yummy pot roast, green beans, taters & carrots and the best pineapple upside down cake you have ever tasted!  We also had the best egg hunt ever with the sweetest friends ever....Macy's basket was so full it was almost embarrassing.  ha!  The rabbit that stopped there had a LOAD let me tell you!  We are so thankful for their hospitality and love that they showed us while we were there.  We always feel at home when we are with them!  Thank you Kim, Jason, boys, Olivia and George...We love you guys!

Don't you just love this note?  I was cracking up.  There is even a little diagram of the type of shoes that she wants.  I mean, this girl loves some shoes.  She has more pairs than I do. 

 

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Easter.  What a wonderful God we serve!

Rising HE justified, freely forever.  One day HE'S coming O Glorious Day!

I'm back....and feeling a little sappy

I love staying home with my kids.  I really do.  I always dreamed I would have kids and be able to have a husband who would provide for us and want me to stay home with our kiddos.  Of course a perk to SAHMs is to do the fun mommy things.  I always loved packing up my kids and going to bible studies, play groups, the mall and the all yummy Mickey D's. {{ick}} Give me Chick-fil-A any day.  Oh, let me tell you,  I could open my stroller and load a kid in a nano second.  I was always ready for an adventure with my friends and their littles.

I have been blessed many times over and I thank God for the times I got to rock my babies while watching The Young and the Restless.  Of course, when they were little babies it was a crazy madhouse at the Sab's.  This house was wacky messy!  The kitchen looked like Rachel Ray had been in there and forgot to clean up after herself, the bathroom needed some much needed scrubbing bubbles and the laundry...well, let's not even go there.  All day it was crazy and just when I thought that I just couldn't take it anymore, there was bedtime.  There was something about the bath time and bedtime routine. It was so sweet! I loved those moments when you tuck them in bed and they smell so good.  You snuggle for a bit and then hear the sweetest prayers in the world.  Makes my heart swell.  Then when they were all tucked in bed and fast asleep (fingers crossed) then I could sit on the couch for a minute, watch my recorded DVR shows, drink my hot tea, snuggle with my hubby and think.... thank goodness that all is good in the world. 

Now, years later I look at my precious kids and realize the babies that I carried on my hip all over town are long gone. Now I have one sweet "wanna-be" pre-teen and one awesome sweet teenager.  And these years that are upon me make me nervous.  Just thinking of Reid driving down the main Interstate in this big 'ole city makes me want to puke.  I love that Reid still needs me for things and that he still tells me he loves me.  I love that Macy still is my shadow and doesn't like me out of her sight.  She still needs me to lay with her, to tuck her in and to say those sweet prayers.  We always read nightly devotionals and I hope that never stops.  I hope my kids have sweet memories....

I miss not having babies around but I love this new season of my life....the all-fun teenage season.  It's here and y'all, I embrace it! Bring.it.ON!  I still have a wacky messy house, a crazy kitchen with dishes to the ceiling, a dirty bathroom and laundry out the wazoo.  But its ok.  It's a crazy life, but its my life and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Day

Yesterday was this sweeties birthday....

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday Dear Nana,

Happy Birthday to YOU! 

And many more...on channel 4.

Happy Birthday, Nana!  You are the best and you mean the world to us....always.  Wish we could sip some coffee and have some red velvet cake. 

Macy wants to know what you want for your birthday....it's all about the presents when you are 8....or 37 and 80something-or-another.  :) 

WE LOVE YOU A BUSHEL AND A PECK...

Words of Wisdom Wednesday....

...and the church says...AMEN!

I love you...





Momma's Next Food Network Star

Ever go to a fancy-schmancy restaurant and find a nasty hair in your food?  Well, not at the Sab's fancy restaurant.  We wear hair nets around here....AND don't you forget it.  :)

I am just thankful for help around this joint.  This cute little chef is one of the best helpers I have ever had.  The only meals this sweet, little chef can makes are tuna fish, sandwiches and taco soup but I can deal with that.  Oh, and she is cheap pay, too.  {{haha}} Gotta love that! 

She is always grabbing her apron looking for any chance to stir or brown something.  She is always very eager to help me in the kitchen and does so almost every night.  (thanks to Granny for making her cute apron)  Honestly, I have no idea where she got the hair net.  When I  came around the corner and I saw her wearing it I cracked up laughing.  She said, "Mom, are you gonna blog this?"  Oh, my kids know me so well.  Anyway, I think I just might see a cooking show in her future.....hopefully without the lunchroom lady hair net.

Sunday Snippits

Today my LuLu is sick.  Just a little headache and sore throat....she is feeling better now and wants to go outside and put Mentos in a coke bottle to shoot in the air.  Seriously?

So, today I am laying low and loving every minute of it.  I missed going to church but sometimes its nice to stay home and drink your coffee while thinking of how much we are loved by God.  I hate when I miss church because I love my congregation so much.  I love the people, the songs, the sermons, the leaders and the legacy that I am leaving for my kids.  I think about how much I want them to walk the christian walk and I am hoping by planting the "seed" that it will help them on their way.  Its a scary world....you need Christan friends and a strong church to make these days.  I am so thankful for my LC church.

We spent all Saturday morning at the ball park.  Our team got beat pretty bad.  But, let me tell you, we have the best group of boys ever on our team.  They gel together so well and have so much fun.  It helps that they have been friends forever, some since Kindergarten.  You can tell that  they all love to play together.  It is so heart warming to watch them cheer each other on and call each other by their nicknames.  I love to hear "GO ROOSTER" from the stands. It makes me sad that next year they will all be going to high school and be split up.  These big schools have their downfalls and one of them being that they separate all Jr. High kids to 2 different high schools.   I loved being at good 'ole SHS because you had the security of staying together with your friends from K-12th grade. 

After our game and lunch we headed off to our friends house for swimming, visiting and supper.  The boys (10+ of them) had a blast swimming and eating yummy craw fish.  There was even a little friendly game of baseball in the pool.  You know, the game where you use a boogie board as a bat and a wet spongy kickball as your baseball....then you run around the pool and hit pretend bases?  Yeah, I had never heard of it either.  These boys make up sporting events on a daily basis.  Thankfully, there were no major slips running around the pool.  There were plenty of Moms yelling to be careful.  We just knew any minute that we would be making a trip to the ER.  We just got a few ever so lovely eye rolls. They are some wild and crazy teenage boys!

We have had 3 showings this weekend.  Yes, our house is still on the market....11 months later.  God is still working on this journey for our family.  We are truly blessed to feel His hand in our lives.  You know, sometimes, life throws us curve balls.  This was just one small one and we have dealt with it.  Sometimes the curve balls are easy to swing at and other times we strike out in a major way.  I have done both.  Experiencing both has taught me to be patient and wait on God.  God has always been there for me even in my dark hours when I think He isn't listing to a single thing I'm saying.  I know He hears me, I do.  Sometimes waiting on Him is one of the hardest things we as Christians will ever do...other times it is one of the easiest.  His timing is always perfect and sometimes I forget that.  I can't wait to see what is in store for us....

You know in this post where I talked about how we give our kids money for certain things?  Well, Reid finally saved up enough money for his all precious iPad2.  He has had a smile on his face for days.  I am so proud of him for saving all that money.  He had been saving for over a year and was very patient in waiting for the prize!  We drove all over town looking for one and finally found one....and it was white.  Just what he wanted.....and, if you know Reid, you know that no one can touch it unless your hands are clean.  Oh, my sweet boy.

I am super excited about the Country Music Awards tonight.  Macy and I love to sing along with all the bands.  We are weird.

That's a lot of snippets, I know.  Hopefully you hung in there reading all this jibber-jabber.  If you did read it all....thanks y'all! I am so glad you follow me!  Hope you had a wonderful weekend.