Family Updates...It's Been A While

Sorry readers for my long absence. Our summer really has been busy and I am able to keep up with most of my family and friends on Facebook so I don't feel a need to blog as much. "There's so much I wanna say and don't" that I don't know where to start blogging about it all so for now it's just pictures of the last few months.

We went to Nashville, TN at the end of May for our family vacation. We went to the water park one day and the zoo the next. We stayed in a really nice hotel. We feel blessed to have had such a fun time . After a few days there we drove into Kentucky to stay the rest of the week with my grandparents. The kids did amazing on the 15 hour drive there. We spent the night halfway on the way back home.

We had VBS last week but sorry, no pictures of that...was too busy chasing 17 five year olds all week. We have had four birthday parties, a wedding, VBS, and two pampered chef parties all in June. Plus, I have been canning green beans, making different fruit jams, and picking other veggies from my garden. I am swamped right now. Joey is gone the Ranger's game tonight with some guys from work so that's why I am up late uploading pictures.

Hope you are having a wonderful summer. I am ready for some cooler weather although I am not complaining because I hate winter, but the heat is hard on my garden.

We are making memories every day and loving every minute of our children's lives. They grow fast so we are relishing every moment. Our sweet boy just turned one year on June 22nd. My my where has this year gone?

Joey and my mom two stepping at a wedding we attended last weekend. No one got pics of Joey and I dancing.
At the Nashville Zoo

My climbing boy eating blackberries I picked.

Joey and Libby posing at the zoo

Riding the carousel at the zoo

Libby in the bounce house at the Nashville Zoo

Judah loved the bounce house too.

At the waterpark in Nashville.

Libby and daddy building a sand castle at the Nashville Lake

Judah and I enjoying the sun and the water

Judah loves this car and loves sticking out his tongue.

Libby sleeping at night...she looks comfortable

Libby showing Joey her fish she caught.

We went in to check on Judah and he was snuggling with his pony.

Libby fishing for the first time. It was a hit.

I'm Back

Sorry for the sabbatical, but life in our home stays pretty busy, especially in the summer. Every Saturday in June is already booked and May is too. Here's the highlights of what our typical week looks like:

I volunteer at the Pregnancy Resource Center every other Tuesday.

My husband and I teach TeamKids at church on Wednesdays...three year olds!!

I am a Pampered Chef consultant so I usually have one show a week, but sometimes not.

In between that, I am tending to my large garden, where I have to weed and water and come June, my days will be spent picking, canning, and freezing. I have two children and a husband to spend time with. I am building relationships with friends and ministering to some of them as the need arises and the the typical household stuff. I am teaching Vacation Bible School for a week in June so I am also busy planning that. We are going to Kentucky Memorial Day weekend to see family for a week and then I think everybody and their dog is having birthday parties in June, including Judah, so we are trying to slow down when we can.

My point is that right now I am preoccupied with other things so my blogging will definitely seem hit and miss. Be patient with me. I will post updates about us as I have time and definitely pictures.

Take care blogging friends!!

Blog Award

My friend Alisha gave me a blog award. Thanks friend!! They say honesty is the best policy but sometimes it gets me into trouble, know what mean? I get foot to mouth disease quite often, especially in Sunday School. I told everyone last week I was through talking and giving my opinion, but before the class was over I had already talked again 3-4 times. Oh, well. I get it from my mom. Everyone pretty much knows where I stand.

So the rules for this award is to tell 10 things about myself and then tag 10 people to do the same. Here goes:

1. I have lost 63 pounds. I weighed in at over 200 pounds until five years ago until I decided I couldn't live that way again. I have kept it off for five years.

2. I never kissed anyone until I met my husband. He was my first kiss!! (I know, how sweet)

3. I am not a picky eater and will eat most anything except roadkill and things on Man vs. Wild.

4. I played the flute in junior high band

5. I absolutely HATE getting up in front of people to speak. My second fear; first being death.

6. I am insecure and struggle with jealousy (How's that for being honest?)

7. I graduated college from Midwestern State University, but I love my job as a stay at home mom much better.

8. I love epidurals.

9. If I could have any plastic surgery I wanted, it would be a tummy tuck and a breast lift. Extra weight and then weight loss really takes a toll on the body...Yuck!!

10. I was born in Michigan but got here (Texas) as fast as I could at 6 months of age.

So, there you go. Honesty at it's best. Hope you feel like you know me a little bit better now.

1. Wendy

2. Alicia

3. Lindsay

4. Tarrah

5. Monica

6. Shonnie

Ok, so I only did six. Just copy and paste the image to your blog and then go from there.

Easter 2010

Our Easter activities began the Wednesday before Easter with an egg hunt at church along with telling the Easter story and fun activities. The night before we went to Joey's grandparents along with his aunts, uncles, and cousins. We cooked out hamburgers and the kids got to hunt eggs. We went to my parent's house on Sunday for supper and then Libby hunted eggs afterwards. We enjoyed being with all our family and getting to tell Libby the true meaning of Easter. She was too young last year to really understand.

Judah playing with Libby's garden shovel

Libby holding her egg bucket with real colored eggs. She helped Mamaw (my mom) color them.

Looking for eggs in the landscaping.

Daddy, Judah, and Libby on the front porch of Mamaw and Pap's house.

Libby and Mommy after church on Sunday

Our Princess

Our sweet children

Our Judah Man

Judah playing with his and sister's egg bucket

Libby hunting eggs at Joey's grandma and pa's

At grandma and pa's

Not sure what to do with this.

Libby and Mimi at the egg hunt at church.

Daddy helping brother put his eggs in his basket

Please Pray

Joey's cousin Cody and his wife Whitney had a baby boy March 25th. After he was born the doctors discovered he had a heart defect. Surgery was performed April 1st to put a stunt in.

I am sad to say he passed away this morning, April 3rd.

My heart is very heavy and burdened for them today.

Please pray.

Even if you don't know what to pray for, please pray for them and continue praying. The days, weeks, and months ahead will be hard so keep praying as the Lord lays them on your heart.

Whitney has a blog with his picture on it. If you feel led, please leave them words for encouragment on there. Although they won't know you and you them, as the body of Christ, we can lift up those around us who are hurting. I know they would be touched. He is such a precious little boy.

Although I am grieving today, I am also rejoicing that he is safe and whole in the arms of Jesus today!!

Liver and Gallbladder Cleanse

1/2 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 c. water

4 Tbsp. Epsom Salt

Apple Juice

Grapefruit Juice

*Use grapefruit juice for the 10:00 p.m. olive oil mix. The juice keeps the oil from separating and it taste much better than with water. Use the water for the Epsom salt mix.



Eat a no-fat breakfast and lunch such as cooked cereal with fruit, fruit juice, bread and preserves or honey (NO MILK OR BUTTER), baked potato or other vegetables with salt only. This allows the bile to build up and develop pressure in the liver. Higher pressures pushes out more stones.



Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice is best. Organic if you can get it.



2:00 p.m. Do not eat after 2:00. Drink water and apple juice only.



DO NOT EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING FROM 5:30 P.M. ONWARDS



6:00 p.m. Mix 1 Tbsp. Epsom Salt with 3/4 c. water or grapefruit juice.



8:00 p.m. Repeat by drinking another 3/4 c. Epsom salt mix.



8:30-9:00 p.m. OPTION: You can have vanilla ice cream (no carrageenan) 16-32 oz. Bryers is a good brand. You get more stones if you don't eat the ice cream.



9:45 p.m. Pour 1/2 c. olive oil into pint jar. Add 3/4 c. grapefruit juice and shake jar.



10:00 p.m. Drink olive oil mix. You can chase this with honey between sips. Get it down within 5 min.



Lie down immediately. The sooner you lie down the more stones you get out. Be ready for bed ahead of time. Lie on your right side. Try to keep still for 20 min. You may feel a train of stones traveling along the bile ducts like marbles.



Next morning upon awakening, take your third dose of Epsom salt mix. Don't take before 6:00 a.m.



2 hours later take your fourth Epsom salt mix.



2 hours later you may eat. Start with fruit juice. Half hour later eat fruit. One hour later you may eat regular food but keep it light.

**You will see not only stones but liver flukes in your stool. This works. Try it**

Pizza Night

For pizza night I did something different this time. I made a half barbeque half cheese pizza. We had some smoked brisquet left over in the freezer from another meal so I decided to experiment. You can also use leftover roast. That would work too. Joey loved it and said it was his favorite pizza now. I make my homemade pizza crust and it's ooooo so delicious!!

Joey chopped up the brisket with a hand chopper.

Once the meat is chopped and and the cheese grated, spread half of the dough with barbeque sauce and the other half with pizza sauce.

Put the meat on top of the barbeque sauce and sprinkle cheese on the whole thing.

Here is our favorite barbeque sauce. It is the best sauce we have ever tried. It's not all that healthy, but it tastes so good. This is one of our splurges.

Bake 350 degrees until done.