More Card Designs

I've Got Christmas Cards For YOU!

I'm creating Christmas cards this Holiday Season! 

Email me at here if you're interested and I'll send you the pricing and details. It's first come, first serve! Below are a few cards I've designed. Feel free to check out TinyPrints for more ideas (click on their Holiday Card Section). I will do my best to recreate what they've done and work with you to personalize your cards!

Say WHAT?

Things heard around here lately...

P: "What does Daddy do at work?"

O: "Play with guns."

P: "Come on, lets go."

O: "I don't want to leave Target. I need to touch all of these toys first."

P: "Look, you have a turkey stamp on your hand from school!"

O: "What's that?"

P: "It's kind of like a chicken. But they say 'gobble, gobble.'"

O: "No, no Mommy. I don't like that 'wobble, wobble' thing."

O: (praying) "Thank you God for my heart and Icees. Amen."

O: "Mommy, where's Jesus?"

P: "He's in your heart." (pointing at his chest)

O: "No. He's not in there. That's a football on my shirt!"

O: "Mommy, I need to have a party."

P: "Okay..."

O: "I need Taylor Swiff and dancing for my party."

Okay, here's the last one...almost didn't post it but it's too funny not to.

O: (peeing) "Wait, Mommy, what's that?"

P: "Ummm...those are your...(thinking of the right word)...balls. You have two of them."

O: "What?! I have lots of balls! Not two of them."

Weekend Update & More

What a whirlwind of a weekend. Friday O'Ryan and I went to the gym, HEB and had a playdate with a new neighbor. That night we cooked burgers and s'mores with some of our good friends. 

Saturday I was up very early for leadership training at church. It was a good time though, as always! Then off the pumpkin patch we went. O'Ryan enjoyed it. Especially since "G" and "DL" and RenRen were there!!!! He wouldn't stop talking about them all weekend. We enjoyed a VERY tasty lunch at a local place (can't remember name) where I ate a massive cheeseburger and watched the Bears. Man that game was a hard loss. Boo. Saturday night the boys dropped me off at the new Nordstroms Rack in Sugar Land while they bought some pumpkin carving tools. I've never shopped at the Rack but I found three really great (and soft!) shirts for super cheap. Yes!!! 

Sunday started early for me again since I was serving the first service in the Early Childhood Bldg. I had the crawlers for 2 hours. They were a BREEZE compared to having a 2 year old :) When O napped I designed some marketing material for my mom. I could sit and do that for hours. (**More on that topic VERY SOON I hope!**) As usual, our Sundays ended with Home Team at our house. I'm so glad O enjoys going to our friend's house with all of the other kids and sitter. They had pizza, fruit, toys and an entire backyard full of fun stuff to do. Without the kids we're blessed with a wonderful 2 1/2 hours of good, adult conversation about life, God and so much more! We actually are going to lead our Home Team now and are beyond excited. It's something we've prayed about for months. 

That about wraps up the weekend! 

My Fab 5 Moments of last week:

1. Spending nearly 3 hours at a friend's house just chatting. I was kid less so it was pretty relaxing :)

2. Wednesday bible study was AWESOME. Best one yet. Everyone at my table is really opening up and growing - God is amazing!

3. Body Combat Friday morning has to make the list. I missed it last week so it definitely kicked my butt. It's SO SO exhilarating though!!! 

4. O'Ryan and I went to the DOG PARK for the first time since last Spring. UM...HEAVEN ON EARTH (for me). I'm hoping to go more this fall/winter. There were TWO PUPPY BOXERS. Ahhh!!! Seriously, I freaked. Okay...next...

5. Church! I mean it was a really good sermon that Brett and I thoroughly enjoyed. It made us decide to change up where we are currently volunteering and make a change. I'm hoping to retire after 4 years from the Early Childhood and try out the Front Porch Ministry. Exciting! I'll keep y'all posted.

Okay, picture time. Did I post these already? These are from about two weeks ago. Just a little park trip!

Lookin' All Profesh

Check out us three lookin' all professional photo shoot-ish!!! We clean up nicely, I must say. My TOTALLY generous and sweet friend took our family pictures in old town Richmond. It was an amazing location to have a photo shoot. There were endless natural backdrops.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Am I A Dying Breed?

I feel like I am. 

Sometimes I just want to take a simple stroll through the mall with my 2 year old son. Maybe to grab a smoothie and let him get some energy out. But pretty soon I feel like I'm in a completely different world than everyone else. Victoria's Secret and Abercrombie throw naked (seriously) people up on the wall for the whole world to see. And yes, my 2 year old turns to look. Teens, or even more worrisome, preteens strut around barely dressed hanging on one another. Then we pass movie posters that make me want to turn the other way. Then I look for 20 minutes to find a shirt without a skull on it at a kid's clothing store. Then we get in the car and I have to change the radio station because the hosts are discussing racy topics. Then, well you get the idea. I could go on and on. 

I'm exaggerating a bit, but not much. Lately, my mind is boggled by all of this. And frustrated. And disappointed. How in the world can so many people be okay with where our society, where our culture is headed?? Or are they okay with it?

I couldn't clearly see this problem until I had kids. And as I grow in my Faith, the problem is becoming absolutely crystal clear. 

I totally understand that kids at certain ages will want to express themselves in different ways, or explore styles and activities to find themselves. I'm not a totally conservative wacko. I get it. I've been there. And that doesn't make me a bad person. 

What is disappointing is how the overall mentality of American culture is so dang okay with the path we're on. It's like the majority go on with their lives just accepting the fact that our kids are facing more junk and evil at school and at the movies and in stores and on TV and in music than EVER before! I mean this is a problem! Be concerned! Talk about it! Be proactive! And most importantly, pray your little worried heart out. 

I know not everyone lives by the Word, but since I do, I realize this is all the result of the Devil. If that confuses you, go freshen up on some scripture. It's all there, plain as day. Christians know to expect this in our world. And we know to turn from it and constantly pray evil out of our homes, out of our schools, and out of our precious worlds. So if the majority of American are Christians, then what the heck is going on?

Hypocrisy? Ignorance? Laziness? 

I've been all of these at one time. 

But not anymore. I have chosen to be proactive about this very large issue in my life. What does that mean? Well, it depends on the circumstance or situation. 

But when it comes down to it, that means I choose to raise my children with strong morals and very high standards. (Something that seems to be lacking) Yes, most kids can watch this show or that movie, but you have higher standards than that. Absolutely do not judge others for their choices, but our family sticks firmly to ours. For we know He has a higher path and plan than what society says is "okay" and "normal".

Me being proactive about this means I chose my music, my TV shows, my clothes, my words, my activities, my friends, my reading material and my thoughts as a Christian. Because that defines me in so many ways. I don't simply watch something and let it slide because well it was a popular movie and probably kind of funny. No, I make a conscious effort to stay true to what I believe!!!!

Example.

The new show on TLC about a Medium in Jersey (I think?) who apparently reads people and communicates with spirits. Oh my goodness. I watched this once and was sucked in. She was dead on with everything. And she made people over-the-moon happy and seemed to comfort them in so many ways. But the show just didn't sit well with me. How does all of this fit in with my Faith? I got some interesting responses on Facebook when I asked that very question. It simply doesn't fit in. At all. The poor lady or "Medium" has no idea her "gift" is from the very opposite of what she probably thinks. The Devil fools and he's successfully fooling her and the thousands watching (including me!). Bottom line...I'm done with that show. 

Just like marriage, parenting, and friendships, being a Christian is something you constantly have to work at. Every. Single. Day. You never stop learning and growing and always approach things with an open mind. When several friends advised me on what the Bible says about "mediums" and "physics", I chose to not question it. After all, it's in the Bible! Therefore, my actions must change. 

But that's just me. 

So, am I a dying breed? 

Now, I'm not perfect AT ALL. Not better or higher than anyone. But I am confident in my choices, actions and beliefs. I know with all of my heart and soul how right Scripture is in saying how God wants us to live. So why don't we see that? 

My main solution to this problem is prayer. 

It's that simple. Pray! Pray! Pray! 

I could do the longest blog post ever listing how many times God has answered my prayers - small and big. And He always does it in the most peculiar ways :) 

If the way I chose to raise my kids and live my life seems odd, conservative, or "out there", then so be it! God's way is MY way and He has my entire heart. 

And I wouldn't want it any other way.

(Okay, I feel more at peace with all of this after writing it out!)

.............

On that note, check out what I found on Facebook! I can't stand Hollywood - the celebs or anything about it. But this girl is pretty cool.

What she believes is TOTALLY AWESOME, don't ya think?

Modest is Hottest.

"I find the whole concept of being ‘sexy’ embarrassing and confusing. If I do an interview with photographs people desperately want to change me - dye my hair blonder, pluck my eyebrows, give me a fringe. Then there’s the choice of clothes. I know everyone wants a picture of me in a mini-skirt. But that’s not me. I feel uncomfortable. I’d never go out in a mini-skirt. It’s nothing to do with protecting the Hermione image. I wouldn’t do that. Personally, I don’t actually think it’s even that sexy. What’s sexy about saying, ‘I’m here with my boobs out and a short skirt, have a look at everything I’ve got?’ My idea of sexy is that less is more. The less you reveal the more people can wonder. 

- Emma Watson

Fab 5

1. My two bible studies were a BIG highlight of my week. One of them is focusing on the ministry of motherhood, while the second study is focusing on Romans 12. Both are terrific.

2. Bonding with my bible study leader this past week was so wonderful. She is an amazing woman, friend and mentor! I'm blessed to know her.

3. Hanging out with my godparents and cousins Brina & Jason Friday was THE BEST. We ate at one of my fav restaurants in town, The Taste of Texas then hung out off and on throughout the weekend. It makes my heart happy to see O'Ryan laugh until he can't breathe when playing with Uncle D :)

4. Dewberry Farms! Us three met some friends there Saturday. Hated the allergies/dust/hay. LOVED seeing my son have a blast.

5. CHURCH & HOME TEAM! I love this MyTunes series Patrick is doing. The message was great. And Home Team was awesome. We met at the Browns to see baby Julia and Rachel and Ray. They're all adjusting SO well. 

It was a FULL, great week!!!