My Mother

That's a bold statement above. We just celebrated the fabulous day of birth of my amazing mother! We had our family over and my grandparents for white chili, dark chili, and an array of desserts! We had a blast all being under one roof for a change! We three kids went all out for our mother this year! You see, it apparently takes a lot to be a mother. So I've heard! It's the hardest job. So I've heard! It's the most rewarding job. So I've heard! And to raise me was a toughy to say the least. I was a little, well, "spit fire" as they all say. As I grew up, things didn't get easier either. Yikes for teenage years! Shoo! So to be MY mother was TOUGH I know for a fact! And rewarding too I'm sure. As I've gotten older, I've learned, respected, and admired my mother more and more. My mother is my best friend. She is my rock. My lovely teacher. She taught me to place a napkin in my lap. She taught me to love a child. She taught me to give the "evil eye". Well, maybe that was just genes! Yes! She taught me how to be a wife. She taught me how to throw a perfect party from start to finish. She taught me how to love, to be loved, to raise a Christian family, and to be a mother. Although, I may not be a mother myself just yet, I know that I had the BEST influence growing up!
I know one specific event that I will always remember. Someone once said that you have to practice what you preach. You have to not only teach your children to love God, but you have to SHOW your children that YOU love God. That's easier said then done sometimes huh! One specific day back at home I was getting ready in our one bathroom for something. It was just me and mom home. I kept yelling her name and she wouldn't respond. Over and over, "Mom! Mooom? MOOOOM???? MOOOOOOOOO-AAAAA!!!!!!!" (See, "spit fire") She would not answer me! I KNEW she heard me! We lived in a very small country home and you could hear everything all over the house! We loved it! So, being the "spit fire" that I WAS (heh) I stormed through the house looking for her furious of course because she didn't drop what she was doing to help ME, the number one most important person in the world at the moment! After searching through every room. ( It didn't take long) I found her dropped to her knees at her bedside crying out to God. Talking to Him like He was there. Just talking to Him like I would talk to a friend. I'll never forget my emotion at that moment. I was amazed. It was right there at the bottom of her steps in her doorway that I realized that God was the most important thing in this world. God was there for us, and He is our friend. He is most important. Not me, not my question that I had at the time, not her, but Him! She knew that. She showed me that right there that day. Whether she realized it or not. She did. It was such a beautiful thing, and I will never forget that about my mother! I love her for her values, love towards God, love towards her husband, and love towards her children. She has above and beyond truly shown me what a mother is supposed to be to her family.
I love you mom, and Happy Birthday to the most fabulous queen ever!!! Truly, a class act.

Beauty

I had the privilege to help my favorite two girls get ready for a very special evening the other night. I love these two girls so much! I am so proud of them! They are two wonderful, Christian ladies. Can you believe they will be in high school next year? Goodness, time flies! I got to pick them up from school early and take them back to their house to do their hair and help them get ready! Aren't they beyond gorgeous!

Happy Valentines Day!

Valentines Day was all spread out for us this year since it fell on a Sunday. For our Valentines for each other this year we picked out a kitchen table and got tickets to see John Mayer. Both were simply beautiful. We have been using a kitchen table that we had borrowed since we've been married. We figured almost 2 years of marriage made us due a kitchen table that fit in with our house. We love it! In fact, we love it so much that we stayed up all night the day we got it to put it together. Sadly, I don't have pictures from it because it was, as I said, very late, and we were very determined to get it finished. There was no time for photographs! John Mayer was a blast! When he came several years ago, I had actually won tickets to see him. If you know me, you know that several years ago when he came I was on a van with Centri-Kid approaching Nashville. Not at the concert. John went with my sister instead! Too cute! So this year, we decided we should go together! It was a beautiful concert, and we were very thankful to be a part of it! Sadly, the only pictures I have from that night are on my phone. Geeze, what is with me! So those were our Valentines for our Valentine!
This weekend, mom and dad came over to make Valentine cookies for her Sunday school class. We got a bit carried away and decided to make ever MORE so we could share with everyone! It was so much fun cooking in my kitchen with them! I have so many wonderful memories growing up cooking back at home with my parents. The yellow cakes with chocolate icing that always crumbled because dad and I weren't patient enough to wait for the cake to cool, the fried okra that mom would have to explain to me several times, the pancakes, the brownies...well, the list could go on, but I'd prefer to not get sappy and start crying thinking back to the little girl days. So it was a definite treat to have them cooking in my kitchen with me! They all turned out so great!
This morning I made toast. Ha. Not exciting I know! Those were my thoughts exactly when I asked my husband what he wanted this morning for breakfast. So, knowing me, I got real creative! Heart shaped, powdered sugared, red sprinkled toast. It was complete with Hazelnut coffee with whipped cream and topped with a heart shaped pink marshmallow. This Valentines day was special is so many ways to us.
We were so excited to get to celebrate the ultimate love of Christ this morning together at church. What a more better way to celebrate the day of love then to worship our King! The Creator who loved us so much that He gave His only Son to die on the cross for our sins. What an amazing sacrifice. We loved praising His name, singing as loud as we could to Him, and learning even more about His greatness on this precious day of love.
From our home to yours, Happy Valentines Day!

What Are We Doing Today?

Absolutely nothing!

Two Birthdays in One Week

This week has been a blast in our family! We have celebrated the birth of BOTH of John's parents! Monday night we celebrated his father's birthday at his parents home with his family and grandparents. We had Cajun Broil, salads, and cherry cheesecake and coffee for dessert! So delicious! It was a real treat! We enjoyed an evening of catching up and celebrating what a great father John has. He's a pretty cool cat if I do say so myself! I honestly would not have wanted any other man to have raised my husband but him! He did an incredible job of raising his son to be a wonderful husband and one day I know that he'll make a wonderful father to his own children! I'll tell you what I like most about Steve is that he loves his family. He'll do anything for them! He's such a hard worker; I don't know how he does what he does everyday. His family appreciates him and respect him as a wonderful father figure. I will always respect him as a father-in-law. He's goofy, hilarious, he'll kick your bootie at Army video games....(well...), he can play one mean guitar solo, he accepted me with loving arms into his family, and loves his family to pieces!
Tonight we got to host my mother-in-law's birthday party at our house! I was so super excited, because, again, if you know me, I'm huge on birthdays being special! I couldn't wait to make hers extra special for her tonight! John and I worked all day on the house making sure everything was spick and span. We cooked, and baked the best desserts ever! We couldn't wait for everyone to see them; it was too much fun! We made chili for our meal, which was actually her dad's recipe. For dessert we made a variety of brownies topped with cream cheese icing, pink heart shaped marshmallow, and red and pink sprinkles, with a new recipe of coffee sugar cookies for their coffee which was topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, and pink heart shaped marshmallows. Her special "cake" was made of four brownies to create one large one that had a large cream cheese icing heart, sprinkles, and candles on top! It was all themed (of course) and was absolutely adorable! I think that she was very excited about her "Birthday Table" She said she never had one before! I was honored to get to share our "Birthday Table" tradition with her! I told her in our house we'll always have a birthday table!! It's a HUGE deal people! After dinner, she split to the bathroom (TMI?) We saw this as the perfect opportunity to set up the table again, light up the candles, and sing as she came back in the kitchen! It was too cute! I think she was surprised! We had a blast planning it all out today and then spending time with family. It was an honor celebrating Andrea's life tonight. A mother is the most important job a woman has, especially when raising a son. My oh MY, how is a woman supposed to marry off 3 men? I dunno! But I guess we'll ask her and my sis after they've done it! I hope I'm dead and buried before I have to marry one of my children away! Too tough for me to handle people! Anyways! All my life, I prayed for a man. I prayed for John. I prayed for his family. When God sent me John, He sent me an incredible family. When John's mother raised him, she taught him how to be loving, compassionate, and a caring man to his wife. I thank her for that. She did a mighty fine job! I thank God that they prayed for me too, and that God sent us together. I'm very blessed to call them all family. We hope these two days were special to you both, because you two are so special, and mean the world to us!