Remembering...

I, like many other Americans, remember that day.

That day that all of our lives changed.

That day that left us feeling vulnerable and fearful.

That day that left you asking, "why?"

That day, I was sleeping.

My phone rang at 8 something in the morning and it was Chris calling me to tell me that a plane had hit the World Trade Center tower.

We had a four year old and a six month old.

I was tired when he called. He was on a business trip and I hadn't gotten a full nights sleep...that six month old's fault.

I wasn't really paying much attention to what he was telling me.

I got off the phone.

A few minutes later, a friend called...told me the same thing.

I became a little more alert.

Then, Chris calls again...not only had a plane hit one tower, but another plane just hit the other tower!

It's looking like an attack on America.

I'm fully awake now...and along with millions of others, glued to my TV watching the footage of the second plane hitting that second tower.

Unbelievable, that's what it was.

How could something like this happen?

And the very scary part of all of it was my husband was in Chicago getting ready to head to the airport to fly home.

But then they grounded all of the flights.

And he had to drive all the way from Chicago.

Luckily he hadn't returned his rental car.

I remember being on the phone all day.

Talking to different people about the events.

All of us shocked and scared at what all of this meant.

I remember all of the crazy rumors.

And the truth.

Other attacks happened.

The Pentagon.

A plane that went down in a field in Pennsylvania.

For some reason it was rumored that gas prices were skyrocketing and that there was going to be a shortage.

I went to get gas in my car.

There were ridiculously long lines at the gas pumps.

My babies sat in the backseat strapped in their car seats.

Did they sense my worry?

Did they sense anything was wrong?

All day the images played over and over on the television.

Planes hitting buildings.

Buildings collapsing.

People afraid.

All day, I waited for Chris to get home.

Luckily he had a cell phone.

I got to talk with him throughout his travels home.

I felt thankful.

Thankful that all that I loved were safe.

But I also felt scared.

Scared of hate.

I praised God when Chris got home.

I questioned God on what had happened.

That day will always be with me.

I was changed that day.

My family was changed that day.

Our nation was changed that day.

I will always remember.

I Just May Be Doing Something Right.....

Sometimes I feel like I am failing miserably at this whole "mother" thing. There are lots of times that I would like a do-over. I believe that being a mother is one of the hardest things in life. I mean look at all the messed up people around you who blame all their problems on their childhood...maybe their mother was too overbearing, too critical, too wrapped up in themselves, too worried about what others thought, too abusive, too uncaring, too negative, etc. etc. etc. It is hard to find the right balance to guide and nurture your children into becoming compassionate, productive, spiritual, confident people. I struggle with it EVERYDAY!!! I want my kids to think back and remember me as someone who loved them more than anyone else in this world, someone they trust with their life, someone who was their biggest fan, someone who they wanted to spend time with and be with, someone who didn't fix their problems-but gave them the tools to fix it themselves. I want them to think back and remember their childhood as happy, fun, loving.

Today, while going through Averi and Cali's backpacks, taking out all of their school stuff I found an autobiography assignment that Averi did. One of the topics she had to write about was the best advice she ever got. This is what she wrote:

"The best advice I've ever received was from my mom, she told me to 'Never Give Up.' I've always been into drawing, but time after time I would get frustrated. I thought I wasn't good enough. But she told me not to give up. To keep trying. I practiced and practiced. Everyday I strived to be better. And I did. Now I'm in AP Art and plan on taking art classes this summer. I won second place in the art show, and was chosen to have my art on the art show flyer. I was in the All-City art show, and in the May Fair. I didn't give up, and I never will. A little advice can go a long way. A little advice is something I now live on."

Wow! I just may be doing something right. You don't get many accolades being a mom. You don't get a yearly assessment or evaluation that tells you how you are doing or that commends you for the things you are doing right. But when you do find things like this. Or you hear things like, "You were my most favorite teacher ever!" from Cali. Or you get a thank you for something...it just, it just makes you feel validated!!! So, today I feel like I'm a good mom and that I am doing it right.

FYI-This picture was taking at Averi's school art show where she won second place. All of the drawings on the board are her's. Isn't she talented????

A Parable of Motherhood-by Temple Bailey

The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is the way long?" she asked. And her guide said, "yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning."

But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them, and life was good. And the young mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."

Then night came, and storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold; and the mother covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Oh, Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come." And the mother said, "This is better than the brightness of day, for I have taught my children courage."

And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, but at all times she said to the children, "A little patience and we will be there."

So the children climbed, and when they reached the top, they said, "We could not have done it without you, Mother." And the mother, when she lay down that night, looked up to the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday, I gave them courage; today I have given them strength."

And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth-clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said, "Look up, lift your eyes to the Light," and the children looked and saw above the clouds an Everlasting Glory, and it guided them and brought them beyond the darkness. And that night the mother said, "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."

And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years. And the mother grew old, and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide.

And the mother said, "I have reached the end of my journey; and now I know that the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them." And the children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates."

And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said, "We cannot see her, but she is with is still. A mother like ours is more than a memory; she is a living presence."

Remembering Easter

Remembering waking up to, "Hey, the easter bunny didn't come." Coming from two girls who claim they don't believe in the easter bunny anymore.

Remembering sticking the baskets out on the front porch while the girls were occupied and them finding that the easter bunny HAD come as we left for church.

Remembering sitting in church next to my grandma.

Remembering singing old hymns that I remember singing every Easter growing up.

Remembering the much needed rain!!!!

Remembering how blessed my children are to have cousins their age to share life and holidays with.

Remembering how blessed I am for having a mom who made the day special for us by cooking us a delicious lunch.

Remembering the craziest egg hunt ever....it was raining so we had to improvise by sticking all of the eggs into a trash bag and letting the kids draw them out one by one. It was actually pretty fun.

Remembering how pretty my girls looked all dressed up for Easter.

Remembering the glorious nap I got later in the afternoon.

Remembering the sacrifice made for me.

Remembering God's love.

Remembering the promise and beauty this season holds.

OH. SO. CLOSE!!!

We are soooo close. After 5 weeks we are almost there. Our entryway/bathroom remodel is almost done. I cannot wait to have it done and over with!!!! I'm sick of plastic taped floors and paper taped trim and paint clothes and paint buckets and mess everywhere. I don't know which makes me more excited-the mess being gone or the actual finished rooms. I love, love, love how they have turned out. As soon as I get everything back together, I will share photos.

Here is what we have done:

Bathroom

• re-tiled the entire room...shower, floor, walls, sink counter top (this also entailed rebuilding the outer shower wall and strengthening the ceiling and replacing the drain and shower pan)
• removed wallpaper
• removed the popcorn off of the ceiling
• textured and painted the walls and ceilings
• painted and added pretty touches to the cabinet
• new light fixture, toilet, shower fixtures, sink and sink fixtures
• new light switches and switch plates
• new fan

Entryway

• removed tile floor and replaced with wood floor
• re-textured and painted the walls
• painted the ceiling
• replaced door handles, locks and hinges on front door, closet door, garage door, bathroom door, and basement door
• painted front door black

Whew!!! It is looking so good. I feel like a kid at Christmas.

On the wall next to the garage door we have been recording our heights for the past few years. Even Teddy has her height recorded.

Ideally, I would have liked to have kept it forever, but...my room makeover would have looked rather odd. So we had to paint over it. Actually the texture wiped it out first. Here's a bit of our family history hidden behind texture and paint on the wall of our home. It is heartwarming to know that it IS still there, just hidden behind a layer of mud and color.

So before Stan the man (our painter and my mom's husband) came the next day to cover it all up, we recorded our heights one last time. Chris measured 5'11". Me, 5 foot 1 and 1/2 inches...did I shrink or something? Averi four eleven and a half...she's catching up with me. Cali measured in at 4 foot 3 and 3/4 inches. And Teddy is 1'4". Awww!

What is some hidden treasure around your house?

Setting the Mood...

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

I am choosing to "shine" this week.

Happy St. Patty's Day!!!

I love St. Patrick's Day. I am a tad bit Irish so that may be the reason. Or, it could possibly be that it is just a really fun holiday.

There's no stressing in having to get the house all cleaned up because everyone is coming over.

There's no cooking and baking all day.

There's no shopping and trying to find just the right present for someone.

It is just a day to be all jolly and take pride in your Irishness.

I think back to my St. Patrick celebrations of years past:

I met my best friend on St. Patrick's Day 1990, this was also the same day that I began my phobia with port-a-potties.

The first time I had enough money to actually buy the O'Connell's mug with green beer in it was St. Patrick's Day 1993.

My first time to call in to work sick because I had a hang-over was the day after St. Patrick's Day 1996.

My first night away from Averi was St. Patrick's Day 1997.

My first time to ride in a cab (in Norman) was St. Patrick's Day 2003.

My first time to celebrate St. Patrick's Day at somewhere other than O'Connell's was 2006.

I spent St. Patrick's Day 2009 driving home from Santa Fe and I thought it was super cool that I actually drove through a town called Shamrock (in Texas).

I have lots of good memories pertaining to St. Patrick's Day. Instead of getting my party on and partaking in the drinking of green beer, I spent St. Patrick's Day 2011 cooking a green dinner for the fam. We had spinach tortellini with pesto, and nobody gripped or complained about it. Aren't I a lucky girl?

Oh, and just to settle an argument around here...do you have to wear green if you have green eyes?

Happy St. Patty's Day me friends!

Right Now...

Right Now, I am...

:: listening to Bill O'Reilly on Fox News, Teddy snore while sleeping on the couch, Chris' fingers hitting his computer keys, and Averi's pencil shading something in her sketchbook-lots going on here!

:: embracing the warmer days ahead and the beauty that this season brings.

:: enjoying having the week off for Spring Break-no school, no lessons, no practices!!!

:: marveling at the artistic talents of my daughter. Her drawings are simply amazing.

:: loving my bathroom makeover! It is getting close to done and I'm soooo excited.

:: feeling a little bummed that all of the shows I have DVR'd this past week got erased somehow...Sisterwives, Teen Mom 2, Jersey Shore, Glee, Amazing Race, The Real Housewives of Orange County...all of my smut, guilty pleasure shows.

:: watching time go too quickly

Right Now, I am...

So thankful for the Lent devotion that I read this morning and for the opportunities that it opened up for me today. It was all about forgiveness. There was an application to do and mine was so divinely orchestrated, it is almost scary. A very spiritual moment for me today that I completely saw a Glimpse of God in.

Did you know????

That March 14th is Pie Day?

Pi is 3.14 something, something, something, etc.

So, for Pie Day, I completed one of my 100 things to do in 2o11...I made a pie.

From scratch!

Crust and all!

I am becoming quite domesticated, I tell ya!

And it makes this guy pretty happy!

Happy Pie Day!

Did you get to enjoy some pie today?

In Ten Years...

In ten years...

I went from being a mom of one to a mom of two.

The day I came home from the hospital after having my sweet Cali girl, Chris left me with both Averi and Cali while he went to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for me. I remember thinking to myself (while Averi uncharacteristically was bouncing off the walls and Cali was laying in her bassinet that Averi was about to tip over), "What have I done?"

I was an old pro at being a mom to one. I knew Averi. Everything about her. But here now is this baby who is completely different than Averi was. She was A LOT bigger. She had NO hair. And she was a funky yellowish, orange color. But she was so, so beautiful...just like her big sister.

I didn't know this baby. Yes, she grew inside me for the last nine months, but I didn't know if she was a mellow baby, a fussy baby, anything about her, really. And I couldn't devote all of my time and attention to just her because I had another child to care for. I knew Chris wouldn't be around a whole lot to help because at the time he had a very demanding job where he had to travel often. My mom wasn't available to help me. I just wasn't sure I could "do" two kids. Too late now, huh?

Anyways, I think back to that moment because these last ten years have been the best years ever. What was I thinking being all scared and overwhelmed? I remember back to the late nights where it was just me and my babygirl. Chris was either gone or asleep, Averi was asleep, and it was just us, Cali all snuggled up nursing the night away. And one particular thing I remember about those times was feeling complete. I was complete, my family was complete...it was just a sense of serenity, that everything was good and all was right with the world. And my world was exactly what I had hoped for.

God blessed us at just the right moment in our lives with Cali. He knew we needed another daughter to love, cherish, nurture and adore. I think of all the souls in heaven, He picked the very best one to become Cali Amanda Campbell. She has brought so much sunshine to all of our lives.

Here's some things I absolutely love about Cali:

-She is the most snuggly thing ever. I love that even at 10 years old she still prefers to sit on my lap and have me hold her as to anything else.

-She is so loving. She always has to kiss and hug everyone goodnight...sometimes more than once. And she always makes sure she gives Mamaw and Papa Jim and her other grandparents or relatives a hug when she sees them.

-She is very thoughtful and generous.

-She has a really good personality and has lots of friends.

-She tells me her dreams EVERY morning and some of them are real doozies.

-She is strong-willed (I know this sometimes is a real pain in the butt for me, but I think it is a good trait to have, and it is a trait that I admire because it is so NOT a trait that she gets from me.)

-She is a reader. She loves books and she loves to read. Sometimes she will read 3 books at one time. I love to read, so I really LOVE that she loves to read. Plus, now I have a Borders buddy.

-She's kinda shy, but she's kinda not...she is not afraid to get up and perform.

-She is Chris through and through...she looks like him, she acts like him, she thinks like him...no wonder I love her so much!

-She keeps her room pretty clean.

-She loves to be playing outdoors...riding her bike or scooter, swinging, exploring.

-She's one super, sweet, silly mama's baby.

If the next ten years are as joyous as the last, I'm bound to be one happy mama! And here's to 110 more years with Cali O'Malley the Alley Cat aka Cali BoBo aka BoBo Skinny aka Peepers aka Cali Amanda Campbell!

Update

I added my 100 things to do in 2011 list to the sidebar of my blog. Here is what I have done so far..

#99 Bake Bread.

I bought a package of bread mix a few months ago. I got it out and mixed it up and OH. MY. GOODNESS. I may never buy store bought bread again! It was sooooo delicious. I made a loaf of whole wheat bread. Of course it was a mix, but I'm thinking making it from scratch may not be all that different. Oh, it was good!

#28 Enroll Cali in gymnastics.

She loves gymnastics! And she is really good at it. She comes home each day after class and tells me what her goal for the next time is going to be. Like, "I'm going to try to flip over the high bar next time," or "My goal is to do the splits." I love that she is setting goals for herself. And I love that she has found something that she enjoys and feels confident in doing.

This picture has nothing to do with gymnastics, but I had to share it because we saw this after leaving gymnastics on our way to piano lessons...three big poodles on top of their house's roof! How bizarre! I'll get a picture of Cali at gymnastics next week when she goes.

#90 Take a Yoga Class.

I just did this last week. I got my cousin, Danyelle to go with me and we tried out the "Yoga Lite" class at the Y. It was called Yoga Lite because it is easier, which is perfect because I've never done Yoga nor had Danyelle. It was not much of a workout, so later in the week we attended the "Fitness Yoga" class.

Woh! Major difference. I was sweating like crazy, my muscles were quaking, it was intense...the chair pose, a plank, a dancer's pose...my favorite was the child's pose, HA! I did really enjoy it and plan to go back, today, in fact.

A funny story from the class: The instructor asked us to turn our phones off at the beginning of class and I did. Well at the end of class we are all in relaxation pose and my phone starts going off...I only turned the ringer off so it is vibrating LOUDLY. Then just as it quits, we hear snoring. Someone on the other side of the room FELL ASLEEP and they were sawing logs! Too funny. So it wasn't real relaxing. Amusing maybe! The girl who fell asleep, her friend had to wake her up after class was over. Poor thing. She was so embarrassed and she kept saying that she didn't get any sleep the night before. After we left, Danyelle said, "You better nudge me awake the second I start snoring if I ever fall asleep!" I told her she better do the same. Unfortunately, I have no picture to share of this accomplishment!

#31 Make a table for behind the couch.

Chris actually made it. But I designed it. It turned out great and I love having that space filled in. And a place to put more pictures and stuff.

#61 Go to World Market with Barb.

My friend Barbara and I have been talking about trekking up to north OKC to go to World Market for a few years now. We FINALLY did it last month. It is a large store that has different booths all through it where people sell anything from homemade, crafty stuff to antiques to clothes, to jewelry to all kinds of cool stuff. I came home with a antique statue of Mary and a letterpress "C". I saw all sorts of other stuff I want to get, I just have to save my pennies.

#14 Stay in my PJ's all day.

This was pretty easy to accomplish when we had all of the snowy/icy weather last month and no school for 4 days straight-2 weeks in a row. Actually, I think me and the girls did this a couple of days. Sorry, no picture.

Celebrating 14 Years With My Girl...

Averi Patricia Campbell

Last night, or should I say at 2:00 this morning, I was up with our crazy dog. She threw up in my bed then she wanted outside but then she wouldn't come back in and she kept running around the yard and barking like crazy. I'm sure our neighbors LOVE us. Anyways, while I'm cussing the dog and trying to get her back into the house and stressing over whether the neighbors were going to kill us, my thoughts turned to my life 14 years ago.

14 Years Ago, I was in the hospital awaiting my induction the next morning and anxiously awaiting my new baby.

I had expected to be nervous...I didn't know what to expect, the whole birthing experience and all.

I had expected to be scared...was it going to hurt?

I was SO excited...what was my new baby going to look like?

I was happy...I was going to be a mama-something I always wanted to be.

I was tired...who can actually sleep in the hospital 9+months pregnant, with monitors and tubes attached to your body?

I was a whole lot of things.

But NOTHING could have ever actually prepared me for the feelings I would have when they placed that itty, bitty, tiny 6 pound 3 ounce baby into my arms. I was in awe of her. She was so, so beautiful. She still is.

Not only is she the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on, she is a part of me. She is my legacy, the part of me that will live on and remain after I'm gone. I will live on through her and her children.

(1997)

She brings such joy to our lives.

(1998)

Her sweet, gentle spirit gives me a glimpse of God everyday.

(1999)

Mostly, I identify God's love for me in my love for her. I think how much I love her and what all I would do for her, and then it's like an "AHA!" moment..."so that's how much I mean and matter to God."

(2000)

Because she is my world. My first thought in the morning and my last thought at night.

She is my child. I am so blessed.

(2001)

She is absolutely, positively the best big sister there is. Cali is so very lucky.

(2002)

She is also a great friend. She has so many good, close friends that she has been friends with for a long time. She is loyal, trustworthy, and a whole lot of fun.

(2003)

One of the things I love best about her is her ability to find beauty and joy in the simplest of things...a leaf, a day of play in the snow, an interesting looking rock...things like that. Her love for all of God's creations is evident in the way she regards the beauty of the earth and the living creatures she shares the earth with.

(2004)

She has never been one to crave the spotlight. Rather, she's more of the sensitive, silent type. She amazes me sometimes with her perspective on things. She's very witty and has a very funny, comical side.

(2005)

She loves to travel and to go, go, go. But she likes home, too. And I like that she likes to be home.

(2006)

I still think she's a princess...although she loathes the whole "princess" notion. I tell her to think of it in the terms of being a daughter of the King (God) and to always respect herself and present herself as nothing less.

(2007)

I am so proud of who and what she has become. She is so talented in art and music. She is a good student. And she is an all around great young lady.

(2008)

My greatest wish for Averi is that she will always believe in herself. Confidence is the key. I believe she can accomplish anything.

(2009)

I also pray that Averi will know how incredibly much she is loved. Not just by me and Chris and other family and friends, but by God...who loves her so much more than she could ever imagine.

(2010)

I am blessed beyond measure to have been given this soul to nurture and guide. The past 14 years have flown by. I have enjoyed every minute of every day with this girl and I look forward to celebrating at least 114 more with her.

YIKES!!!!

Has it really been a week? I'm ashamed of myself. I had such good intentions of blogging EVERYDAY the things that I love this month. I have kept up with it in my mind and have taken and taken a picture each day...I'm just going to have to play catch up now. Lets see....

Tuesday, February 8-I {HEART} Couponing

Look at all this stuff. You would think that I spent quite a chunk of change on all of this, right? Well thanks to my new obsession, couponing, I didn't. Who knew? Who knew that you could really, actually save money by clipping out coupons and using them at the grocery store??? Amazing! And now I'm hooked.

You can actually get some stuff for free. For instance, I had a coupon for $1.00 off two jars of salsa. Homeland had the salsa on sale for .99 each. Also, Homeland doubles coupons. So I got 2 jars of salsa for FREE! Woohoo!!!

I will admit it is time consuming and you do have to put a lot of thought and planning into your shopping. But it is worth it. And besides, I'm not working anymore so I kind of consider this my job now...saving money.

Wednesday, February 9-I {HEART} READING

I can totally get lost in a good book. I LOVE to read. It is one of my favorite past times. And right now being snowed in...I have done nothing but sitting in this spot, wrapped up in a warm, furry blanket, enjoying this book. I'm currently reading, The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larrson. It is the second book in a trilogy and it is REALLY good. I highly recommend!

Anyways, I have always loved reading. I can remember back to being a kid and reading Amelia Bedelia books, and Pippi Longstocking-LOVED them! I remember being like 12 and 13 and reading the ALL of the VC Andrews books. I recently re-read the Flowers in the Attic series...what was my mother thinking letting me read those books at that age????? OMG.

My ultimate goal is to some day write a novel. I betcha didn't know that one of the main reasons I began blogging was to give me practice in putting my thoughts into writing...getting me prepared to make that big step into writing that novel. I have lots of ideas for plots. I know lots of interesting people who have been in/are in very interesting circumstances, so I could write a number one best seller just on the people I know. I just need to figure out how to do it without being obvious.

Some of my favorite authors are: Billie Letts, Francine Rivers, Janet Evanovich, Stephanie Meyer, Wally Lamb, Mary Higgins-Clark, and Suzanne Collins. Billie Letts wrote my favorite book ever, Where the Heart Is. Francine Rivers writes the BEST Christian fiction, which I love because it puts a hint of reality into the lives of the biblical characters that we have heard the stories on all throughout our lives without giving a second thought to the feelings, perspective, realness of the them. Janet Evanovich-she just cracks me up! Stephanie Meyer...aaahhh, she takes me back to that younger me, lovestruck and raw with teenage emotion. However, I wasn't in love with a vampire (or a werewolf). I like Wally Lamb's books because they are so candid. He does such a great job of portraying his characters feelings and makes you feel all caught up in their thoughts and such. Mary Higgins-Clark keeps me on the edge. It is not very often that I start a book of hers and don't have it finished within a day or two. I can't put the things down! And Suzanne Collins, wow, what an imagination!

I love me some books!

Let The Sun Shine...

Monday, February 7th-I {HEART} THE SUN

"Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun." Ecclesiastes 11:7

Ahhh...the sun! It was actually peeking through the clouds today and it felt so good to have the chance to soak up and rejoice in the sun! While Averi was at piano lessons, Cali and I took Teddy for a walk out in the warmth of the glorious sun. It was such a lovely gift in the middle of a long, cold, snowy winter.

I'm not a big fan of winter. I believe each of the seasons has it's own beauty and special things about it. I love aspects of winter, but I don't like being cold. Also, I don't like the missing sun. I become all gloomy and blah in the winter, and for the past week or so when it has been so cold and yuck outside, all I have wanted to do was hole up and sleep and lay around and do absolutely nothing! However, when it was sunny on Saturday, it was like a whole new person emerged. And then it was sunny today and my whole mood and attitude improved.

So, I did a little research on my long lost friend and found out some pretty interesting facts:

*The UV rays in sunlight act as a natural antiseptic; it kills bacterias, molds, fungus and such on different surfaces including your skin.

*Sunlight stimulates your appetite and improves your digestion, elimination and metabolism.

*Getting your daily dose of sunlight improves your immune system by increasing the number of white blood cells in your body.

*Sunlight increases the production of endorphins and serotonin in your brain.

*Getting enough sunlight during the day can help you sleep better at night. It will increase your melatonin output at night if you are exposed to natural light during the day.

*Sunlight helps to balance out your hormones.

*Sunlight improves the function of your liver.

*Sunlight helps your body convert a form of cholesterol that is present in your skin into vitamin D-this results in lower blood cholesterol levels.

*All the above information was found at www.natural-health-restored.com

No wonder I have felt so crappy this winter. The sun has been pretty non existent. I can definitely tell a change in my being when I have been out in the sun. I have hope in that after this next winter storm blows through it looks like a pretty sunny forecast for awhile. Oh happy day! Here's to the lovely sun...I hope to see more of you soon!

What are you loving today?

Super Bowl Party 2011

Sunday, February 6-I {HEART} My Small Group

At our church we have what we call "small groups". It is a group of 5-7 families who gather together weekly to spend time in fellowship, study God's Word, and eat (that's what we do best). We don't have church on Sunday nights so our small group usually meets then.

Tonight we met at our friends, Todd and Staci's, who just built a beautiful new home...Staci's kitchen is to die for, check out that beautiful brick work over her stove (LOVE IT!) The guys all gathered in the living room around the TV, and us lady folk hung out at a table in the kitchen and talked and laughed and had a good 'ol time. The kids all hung out in the "kids suite"...I'm so not kidding, their kids have their own suite (bedrooms & a bathroom with a connecting 2 story playroom-it is AWESOME!)

I love our small group. We take vacations together. We love hanging out together. All of the kids get along. It is just an all out great group to belong to. I feel incredibly blessed to call each of these people not just my friends, but my family!

This last week while we were stuck at home one of the four days we were snowed in, Averi, Cali and I were watching Wife Swap (high quality TV, I tell ya). One of the families featured lived in a commune in Colorado. It showed that the families in the commune shared dinners together, they did chores together, grew food together, and so on. Averi piped up and said, "Ya know, it would be really cool if our small group could live like that." I LOVE it. It would be kind of cool.

So, today I am loving my small group. If any of you guys read my blog, I love you: Lyndsi, Dustin, Tori, Dylan, Nolan, Chris, Christa, Alex, Mikey, Ken, Kristy, Kenzie, Todd, Staci, Evan and Jordan. And you too, Chris, Averi and Cali. What are you loving today?

Snowy Saturday Fun

Saturday, February 5th-I {HEART} Saturdays!!!!!

Saturdays ROCK!!!!! They are the best day of the week because:

*They're all about fun

*You get to spend them with family

*You get to sleep in (most of the time)

*Everybody is happy and in a good mood

This Saturday was exceptionally fun. We took Teddy for a walk because we were sick of being in the house. And the sun was shining and it wasn't too cold out. We walked to the park and saw some friends who were sledding. Another friend came by, whose house is right across the street from the park, and he offered to let us borrow his toboggans that he ACTUALLY made...like in, he made them from wood with his own hands. They were so cool and so much fun. Even Chris and I made a couple of runs down the hill. And Teddy made it down the hill a couple of times too. We had an absolute blast!

And to make the day even better, we ate lunch at Olive Garden. Then we went to Borders and I got a new book! Plus I got a nap! Can a day get any better? I don't think so!

I love, love, love Saturdays! What are you loving today?

Smoothies!!!

Friday, February 4th-I {HEART} Smoothies

They are my new favorite thing. In fact, this is what I had for dinner tonight...blueberry, pomegranate, banana smoothie. Yum-O!

Now, the secret to a good smoothie is a good smoothie maker. I have gone through a many of blenders in the last year or so. My Aunt Kay bought me a blender/smoothie maker for Christmas and it works fantastic. It blends the ingredients perfectly and it cleans up easily-2 very important features.

Pretty much all you need for a good smoothie is some yogurt, frozen fruit, and some juice. Mix it all together and VOILA! A tasty, low calorie treat good enough for breakfast, dinner, or anytime in between.

I'm loving me some smoothies today. What about you?

The Big Bluemobile

Thursday, February 3rd-I {HEART} My Car

It's not new and it has many dings and dents and lots of miles on it. But I still love it. My big bluemobile.

I got this car in May of 2002. We went to the Ford dealership in OKC and chose the color and options we wanted. They didn't have one there, but they located one in Grapevine, Texas and drove it up for me to pick up just a few days later.

I picked it up on a Thursday. I loaded my two leopard printed car seats holding my two babies and we were off. Two days later we drove it to Dallas for our annual summer girls trip to my friends, Jodi, Kelli, and Aimee's. That was the scariest drive of my life. I wasn't used to driving a vehicle so big so I wasn't acquainted with the feel of it. I remember every time I came along side a semi-truck I would grip the steering wheel as tight as I could and take shallow, labored breaths until I got by it. I felt like I was too wide for the road or something. It was so scary and I was a nervous wreck the whole trip. Luckily, my girls were awesome travelers.

I just had my first major repair done on this car. I got it back from the auto shop last night and they have had it since last Thursday. It is really hard being without a car for almost a week. Luckily, my dad let me borrow his Suburban for a few days, and with all this snow...I haven't needed a car anyways. My heater core went out and it cost me a whopping $1100.00 to get it and my windshield wiper reserve tank fixed. Yikes! But if I look at it in the terms of how long I've had the car and what I've spent for repairs, it's not so bad.

I am determined to keep this car for 10 years. This is the longest I have ever kept a car. We have had so many good times in this car. Let's see...

We have:

-Driven to Texas too many times to count in this car.

-Took Averi to her first day of kindergarten in this car.

-Sat on the roof of this car and watched fireworks (which put a dent in the roof).

-Had a hit and run at CiCi's pizza in this car.

-Taken trips to: Tennessee, Florida, Hot Springs, South Dakota, Branson, Colorado, Santa Fe, and Louisiana in this car.

-Carried lots of friends and cousins in this car.

-Listened to all sorts of music (Barney, Kids Bop, 80's Rock, Christian, Multiplication Rap, Soft Rock, Pop, Rap, Hannah Montana, etc) in this car.

-Hauled lots of groceries in this car.

-Gone to lots of soccer games in this car.

-Hit a bird and it got stuck in the grill of this car.

-Driven through: Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Nebraska, Kansas, and Wyoming in this car.

-Brought home our sweet Teddy in this car.

This car holds lots and lots of wonderful memories. It may not be so much the car I love, but the special memories associated with it.

What are you loving today?