Ladies Retreat in FULL

It makes me emotional to think very much about it.  First of all I want to thank a TON of people for donating items for door prizes and place settings!! I was in charge of these things with a very tight budget. Our Ladies Bible Class took up a donation of about $100 total for prizes.  Most I found were around $5-$7 at Hobby Lobby and discount stores like Ross and TJ Maxx as well as dollar section at Target.  It was quite a challenge to find items that a woman of any age and pesonality would enjoy but I believe The Lord blessed me in this endeavor and made it really fun. I especially want to thank two people for making items and sending them across the US to donate! First of all Nicky Dear Nicole on ETSY. You can find her shop here and follow her blog here.   I am enclosing a pic of the lady who won the BEAUTIFUL necklace she made! I also have bought banners for my wreath on my door from her. SO CUTE! I also want to think Mrs. Tina Sperry, whom I went to highschool and church with in my younger years. I have one of these super cool key fobs and you need one too! You can find them here!  I also had many friends who own their own business donate items from Mary Kay (Mistie Brashier), Scentsy(Mary Katherine Kotara), Thirty One & It Works (Tiffiany Burgess), and my friend TC who sells hair products gave a HUGE amount of samples of great stuff like TIGI, Tea Tree, etc. as well as my friend Judy Price donating a large amount of perfume samples from Dijor and Jenelle Hanks for Dove samples all of which went at the table settings.  THANK YOU!!!

I am also enclosing a pic of my dear friend Denise, and some of the most wonderful women that I admire and have gotten to know, Mrs. Nora Koph and Mrs. Ruth Williams. I often tell Nora that she is who I want to be when I grow up! Her voice and smile just set me at ease.  I have always felt drawn to her and we have a lot in common. Each of these women have a gift for speaking. Ruth makes me not afraid to age and I loved hearing more of 'her story' and relating to her as well. Denise and I go back to the young married living in Dallas days. We were in the same small group there and then she and her husband moved to Lubbock a month after us! We have two children the same age and shared so much of the fear and happiness involved in being pregnant at the same time! She has four children. The most recent precious girl you can read about here

If you went to that link you will understand why she was asked to speak at a Retreat entitled, A Beautiful Heart.  Not only has she dealt first hand on the intricacy of how important the organ is, but I have NEVER met someone with a more Beautiful heart and that is just the truth. I can't ever tell her how I feel about her in person or I turn to a blubbery mess. I have never heard a negative thought or word out of this girl's mouth AND she has a great sense of humor and is super fun!!! A rare combination.  I am honored to call her my friend. 

All three did an incredible job and tears were shed as each one of them spoke. A truly moving retreat to say the least.  We also had so much fun with activities. We made scarves out of t-shirts, healing lotion, recieved back massages by a our sweet certified masooose (Sp?) Jesse, made encouraging window clings, and recieved heart healthy food and recipes as well as date  night ideas. We had wonderful catered meals and desserts.

The women in my church have blessed me in SO many countless ways. I wish everyone could have the kind of support and encouragement and accountablility I recieve regularly from them. I am surrounded by amazing examples of God's Love and service in ways I have never seen before becoming apart of this church family.  I am not aware of everyone who might be reading this but if you do not have this in your life you need it. I don't know how people make it through hard stuff without it.  You may have to make the effort of becoming involved but that is not hard and once you walk through the door, you can't beat it.  I know HE exisits. I see him in all the complicated artwork of nature and I feel him tugging on my emotion. But I believe women need women to cope with life!  The good times too!  I struggle with having faith sometimes. I get caught up in myself. I get caught up in how I think things should be. Sometimes I forget that there might be more to it than I can see. I love that we are at all different places in life and in our walk and because of this there are people who have been where I have been and can encourage me to keep going.  I feel Him more in those circumstances than any other. He talked through several women to reach me about various things this weekend. No not like magic or people being posessed. But ' just the right words at just the right time'. That happens TOO OFTEN to be coincidental! 

On a lighter note, my friend Ashley did all the decorations along with Kerri who made several of the wooden signs and it was like we were at a high dollar hotel or something!  YES those are fish who are color coordinated swimming in those jars/vases. What a refreshing weekend!

Here are some more pics of worship and fellowship times.

Ladies Retreat

I had the opportunity and priveledge to help with my church's Ladies Retreat this weekend. I have now been a member for 9 years and have been to each one. We used to have them at the Holiday Inn in town, its actually a really nice one with indoor pool and everything! But this was our third year to have it at our church instead and I have to say I really like it better this way for several reasons. Its nice to have the time to really decorate how we like to and its kind of like being, well, home!  The theme this year was A Beautiful Heart.  It was a bonus that my dear friend Denise was one of the speakers AND I got to work with all my favorite people in putting it together. People I wish I could spend SO much more time with throughout the year.  Wonderful time with Godly women is JUST what I needed. There is just too much to say about this weekend in the short amount of time I have. I am in between games for a baseball tournament today and clearing the photo card for that! So here is just a preview of what I hope to be a more detailed  post in the near future :) 

Its like a HEAT WAVE!

Its only April and our town is making records in temperatures. The high today??? 101~ A time when I am actually thankful for the dryness out here! Makes it much more barable.  The best thing about this town are the evenings. It can be a scorcher in the day and the night is almost always pleasant with temps in the 70's.  Here are some pics from this weekend that make me excited about summer.  I have to give a disclaimer though. Hearing this music coming down the street is actually a bit creepy to me, but my fun loving husband always darts for his wallet and out the front door chasing him down just like the kid he is deep inside.  One of the qualities that makes him a great dad! Our sweet friend/neighbor Ella joined in but was waiting until after her dinner to open hers. We are a hungry lil family and usually eat at 6 or sometimes even earlier. I am going to love certain things about being an old lady :)  You know like eating at 4m eating pea and egg salad, coffee a few times a day, always having a blanket on me, oh wait- I already do all these things!

Whats up around here

Mostly laundry. This is actually all gone and put away now but a whole new set is coming :) I have a tiny little laundry room that is actually the door way to the garage. I have a make-shift mud room area in a 'freezer' space. I have had quite a list of projects in my head. The laundry room has been one since we moved in. I would really like to add a laminate surface over the washer and dryer to prevent things from falling down on all sides of them and I would love one of those little halltree things complete with hooks and a bench with storage instead of my antique chairs being scuffed beyond belief.  I have had too much time lately to think about these things. First because of a proceedure and then due to illness we have been stuck in the house the entire weekend and now an added day with my daughter. We are thinking its the fresh avacados we used in our soft tacos Saturday night but I am throwing EVERYTHING out to play it safe.  Anyways, back to project list. I now also want to paint my bathroom, bedroom, and dining room chairs!!! HOLY MAD COW, now its all I can think about. I have also wanted a banquette eating area in my breakfast area and would love to replace that lamp you see there on the table.   I am seeing a lot of $$$$ signs.  BLAST HGTV!!!!!  This would not be such a bad thing if I had the two ingredients to make them happen! Time and Money!  How do you keep up with laundry for five people, have a clean house AND soak up that two year old before you blink and he is 6??!!  Of course there is always that thing called a job too. I just work part-time, on purpose because it has always been important to me to be involved in my children's lives in their classrooms, and activities. Also would LOVE to be exercising.  I am struggling to juggle. Therefore, I often have laundry on my chairs :) Besides dishes in the sink its my LEAST favorite thing.
  I am including a picture of my laundry solely because I want to remember the REALITY of my life at 38 with three children.  I think its time for a change though. I am ready to start some of these projects and make time for being healthy.  I definately could use the added energy and with a beach vacation coming up this summer, I would like to actually wear something that is okay to get wet in! 
  Yes I complain about laundry, a dirty house, and even sometimes the screaming children in it- would I change any of it??  All a blessing to have.  Just want to changea the things about me to make all these better.

THE Cinderella Ball

Olivia has not asked to go anywhere ever, well maybe McDonald's but not any kind of event. She got a postcard in her backpack one day that we also received in the mail the same day about the Cinderella Ball and Luncheon. She BEGGED to go. It fell on Trent's birthday, this past Saturday April 14th. I asked him if it would be okay if we went since it was just an hour and a half. Of course he was fine with it. The poor guy actually spent from 6:30 that morning to 2 in the afternoon at our baseball team's garage sale for a fundraiser... His birthday will be my next post. This one is all about Olivia and the little girl in me that got to attend a special ball. We went with our sweet friends Krysten and her sister and mother who is also my friend, Danielle. These girls look more like sisters than most who are genetically that I know!! Such sweet little friends since they were twoin pre-school. Their mom is cute, young and trendy and helps me out in the fashion department often :) She happens to be the one who made the flower pins on my sweater from Easter as well! I guess you can add talented to that list! We did indeed have a BALL!! Complete with wand making, finger sandwhiches, a chocolate fountain, a glass slipper souvenier, and they even got to dance with the Prince! We also got to see him dance with Cinderella, another snipit from the Ballet taking place this weekend. Our same little group saw The Nutcracker back at Christmas time and fell asleep so we opted out on the performance this time.

Announcing, LADY OLIVIA.....
Making Wands

Her wand

with the Ballerina Princesses

Me and my girl

Dancing with The Prince

Ty's Field Trip

Ty and his partner/friend Jackson just after arriving to the Civic Center to enjoy the Arts Festival of Lubbock.
Ty and his second grade teacher Mrs. Matthews.
What a blessing she has been to Ty this year.

First thing we were led to the Arts Hall so see portions of the Ballet, Cinderella. It was a PERFECT time period to learn appreciation for Ballet, along with some basics in protraying emotions through dance, without allowing time to get bored for this age group. The entire Second grade in the city of Lubbock was there along with two other school districts. There were some REALLY neat exhitbits, like the Jelly Bean Art in the Mona Lisa and Starry Night! click on the picture for a more detailed view, really amazing!

and candy wrapper dresses! WOW!

If I wore this I might actually end up eating my jewelry.

and even wedding cakes! How cute is this topper??!!

There was even a lady painting TOMS!

My little man that I love...

This field trip was near and dear to my heart. I have a degree in Interior Design from a small school, ACU and the majority of my classes were int the Art Department. I sure have a love for it and wish I could go back at this point in my life for just shear enjoyment rather than memorizing to regurcitate for a test! I have not had the opportunity to attend the Arts Festival in the 9 years I have lived here and thoroughly enjoyed it!! Ty kept pulling me a long saying LETS GO MOM! YOUR TAKING TOO LONG AT EACH AREA!!! Ha! I guess I was. I just took it all in! I have a ton more pictures but too many to post. We also were able to sit and enjoy some folk music and watch four short films made by students. They were SO good and clever!!! What a beautiful day to experience and appreciate so many different types of art!