Today I bring you greatness, or at least some mediocracy!

I have decided (for now) that I will post all the things we don't do! ;)

So today for your viewing pleasure . . . We made cake pops!!

Cake pops!

Try to ignore that two of them are missing. I do have kids and they do LOVE sugar!

Anyway I got the idea from good ol Martha Stewart. She has awesome ideas, never underestimate a convicted felon, jk (kinda). Super fun and messy to make.

My only recommendation would be to make sure you follow the directions on the chocolate melting package. I didn't! And they didn't quite set up right. But they were still delicious.

Not following directions reminds me of the fifth grade. We had this fabulous teacher, who I suppose was tired of us not following directions. So he gave us a pop quiz, telling us to make sure and follow the directions. The entire class worked tirelessly and whined a ton about the quiz! Turned it in, only to find out we all FAILED! Hello, I was devastated!! We failed because not a single one of us read the directions. It was a three page quiz and we wanted to get DONE. So he handed the test back to us, read the directions to us out loud, and boy were we shocked. Directions: Write your name at the top, turn in the paper! Whoops!! Point taken! I read the directions from then on!! Of course, until I made these cake pops, hehe!

Guess learning has taken place once again!!

Directions:

1.  Make any cake mix as directed, let cool!
2.   Once the cake is cool, crumble it into a large bowl and mix in an entire can of frosting!
3.   Try not to go ahead and eat the entire bowl!
4.   Cover and put in fridge (if you are patient) or freezer (if you are me) and let the mixture get cold.
5.   Once the mix is cold, roll into balls, place each ball on wax paper on a cookie sheet!
6.   Put this in the freezer til cold, cold! (cold, cold is a cooking term in my house)
7.   While waiting for the cake balls to get cold, cold, melt your chocolate (refer to package directions, IMPORTANT).
8.   Take the cake balls out of the freezer, push some sort of skewers, or Popsicle sticks into the balls.
9.   Dip into the chocolate, sprinkles, or whatever else you like, then place back on the wax paper.
Do this over, and over, and over, and over!
10.  Place back in the freezer. Don't place in the fridge, they will sweat if you do that. Put them in the freezer.
11.  Wait til the chocolate cools. This only take 15-30 minutes. Then pig out!! YES, this is my favorite step! Of course I only made it here because I didn't eat the entire bowl after mixing. See that, patience pays off!

Art Auction = SUCCESS

Had an awesome experience last Sunday afternoon!! I donated a couple of art pieces to an auction to raise money for Jerry's Kids. Dalton Black of Kiowa, Kansas has MDA and has a fund raising campaign every year. Dalton is just a kid himself, with a ginormous heart!! Love it!! Jamie Terwort, of Barefoot Art Studio helped organize and set this auction up to help Dalton in his fund raising efforts!! I was just so moved and touched at the outpouring of love and support he received!

I actually went to the auction to watch. Jamie is a great friend and I wanted to support her by being there. She had told me that she would be thrilled if the auction raised $500. Well, it far exceeded that!! I want to show you the two pics I donated. I wish I had pictures of some of the other amazing, amazing, far more amazing than my art, that was there.

"Bob" An acrylic on canvas, 18"x24"

"Just Getting Started" acrylic on sprayed canvas 18"x24"

Sorry for the cruddy pictures (taken with my phone). I was pretty excited that Mrs. Jamie Terwort called and asked me to donate some art. Who would have thunk it!! I was super stoked! Both pieces sold for far more than I would have sold them, so I thought that was cool!

On to the good part. You all ready for this. An auction in a town of less than 200 people (there were less than 100 people at the auction), raised . . .  over $10,000. Yes, that is the real number over ten thousand dollars!!!!!! Isn't that just super, wonderful, great and awesome!!! Give the good Lord some praise people!!

I SUCK AT BLOGGING

Well, I think the title covers it. It has been a few days since I last blogged, okay, okay, a few months. Seriously though, I don't know how these women, who work, have a house load of kids, make it to the YMCA to workout three to five days a week and get together with the neighborhood ladies the other few evenings, have time to blog!! I mean really!!! I check out all these blogs and see ALL the things these people do daily and I am OVERWHELMED, big time. Not to mention all the crafts, cooking, housekeeping, family issues, blah, blah, blah they keep up with! AND they have time for mani/pedi's . . . REALLY!!!

Just so you know (sure you have already figured it out), I am not one of those ladies. I am however going to try to get better on this blogging thing though. Mainly to see if I can still type.

I will keep posting info. about my super fabulous and wonderful family and the multitude of things we don't get done ;).

My babies, Emerald, Harley and Liberty!!

She didn't REALLY hit him! But really this is how they act sometimes :( Sibling Rivalry

You seriously have to try picnik.com! Super fun easy way to edit your photos!!

They really are!!

Through the long road of life, may they always have each other!

Okay, so the pictures with the canvas' were super simple. I had the kids take pictures holding a BLANK canvas. Remember a blank canvas, I suppose you could have it any color you want though. Anyway, go to picnik.com  (it is free) and play with the editing features. This is how I added the text onto the canvas. I typed what I wanted, added it to the image, changed the font and color like a hundred times, til I got what I wanted, then TADA, customization baby!! It is very user friendly, had to be if I used it!! Try it out and let me see your masterpiece!!

Did anyone but me notice how flipping much I used the word "really" in this post!! I mean REALLY Lacy, find something else. I read through it and it just reminded me of those people who always say the words like, umm, and, well, all while talking to you. They seriously use those words every other sentence, sometimes every sentence. I have become one of those people only I type it!! I will try to get a grip on that!

Cousins

Oh from time to time I lose my mind and surround myself with miniature bosses! I let them overtake my home and tell me what to do. But they sometimes disobey and I must regain control . .

Locked up! Can you see their fear, lol.

My evil plan has taken hold! They can't reach me!

We (my two youngest and my two nieces, Hadley and Kenzie) spent a couple of hours at the park and that cage is just a super great slide. (Completely ruined my control image, huh) I remember playing on it with my cousins as a child and remember it being great fun. I also remember it being home to bees and getting stung by a few. Lucky for these cousins there were no bees!

Fast forward a couple of months . . .

My nieces Hadley, Kenzie and Ainsley with my kiddos! Sleepover!!!

This is how they truly act!

Poor Harley is always outnumbered! He takes it well though and is doing a fine job of 'protecting' all those girls. He is a great brother and cousin. He is awesome with babies, heart of gold people! So the girls played dress up, horses, and house. Harley spent most of his night entertaining Ainsley, she thinks he is super funny. Emmy helped corral them all! And Tom and I just did whatever they told us too. 

That night I dreamt about that slide and all these kids locking us in. They were smarter than us, they figured out how to keep us there. Whew! Waking up was a relief, no shackles.



Kenzie telling me that her dad makes a better bowl of cereal than I do. She says, "My dad is an awesome cook!" I say, "Awesome, what does he cook?" She replies in a matter of fact tone, "Well, he makes better cereal than you!" bwahahahahaha

I love having my nieces and nephews over! I am lucky enough to get to see these three at least once every couple of weeks, if not more. When I was growing up my cousins and I all lived in the same town, and we spent almost all our time together. I have great memories with my cousins and I hope my kiddos will have the same!

Here's to cousins who are friends and not just family and the memories they share!!!

God's Love is Always There

Our lonely tree.

Today we woke up to snow, a lot of snow! I think they forecasted five inches but we got between ten and fourteen inches. And it was white, and bright. Beyond our lonely tree in our backyard there was nothing but tons of snow. That tree reminded me of a dear friend. Alone. And that forecast reminded me that what we believe we may get may be entirely different than what we receive.

Now she isn't alone, alone. She has plenty of people who love her and care for her and she loves the Lord. But she is devasted and struggling with the loss of her son. I looked out the window and seeing that dark tree against all that white snow, with tracks everywhere, I couldn't help but think of her and her loneliness.

She is that tree. Dark, dormant, just waiting for awakening, for peace, for a spring, a fresh start. That snow is the good Lord, always there, always surrounding her, also waiting, being patient, giving her moisture (life), preparing her for her spring. Those tracks are the people who love her, walking toward her and away when needed, all through God's love. It is a dance, a beautiful yet tragic dance.

I sat there looking at that tree for quite sometime, before I decided to take a picture and share it with you.

You see I don't care for the snow. It usually means it is cold, something I am not fond of. But I failed to appreciate it's need. The moisture it gives to that tree right now, while it is cold and seemingly lifeless, will be that tree's saving grace. That tree will blossom, it will provide needed shade, and will be surrounded by life anew. That doesn't mean that the tree forgets its old life. It carries it's past. Some of those memories you can't see, like the rings inside a tree (always there, but invisible from the outside), but they are there. Some you can see. It bears scars of wind and hail, of animals and children. The tree loves those scars, they have made the tree stronger and who doesn't need to feel the wind blowing through them, or need a good knock on the head from time to time. Oh and what would life be like without the memories of animals and children, helping us appreciate love. A love that doesn't even compare to God's love for us all. Something so hard to imagine.

I will never look at the snow or that lonely tree the same again. Sometimes it is hard to see the light when you are asleep, but it is there, always present, always providing for us, always loving us and always, always, always working through the life around us.

Rejoice in our suffering, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.      Romans 5:3-5

Meanie Houdini, Grrrrr, Blah, blah, blah, blah

Whiny hiney, fathom the thought of someone calling ME a whiny hiney. Stinking meanie houdini! I was just standing there minding my own business, when out of the blue, I blurt out "Smelly cat!!" I didn't yell it to a person, I was talking to my dog! He stunk! Pretty sure he ate a skunk, nasty troll! That is when I heard it, "Meanie Houdini." At first I thought the dog was talking to me. And no I haven't been drinking any funny juice or taken any goofy pills. There was no one else around!! Just me and the smelly cat/dog! I looked around and sure enough my mind wasn't playing tricks on me . . . No ONE IS THERE! So I chance my life and call the monster mutt a smelly cat again, and again I hear it "Meanie Houdini." I walk across the deck, lay down in the middle and look over the side, you know like you did as a kid checking under the bed. Nothing there! I am freaking out!! This dog has some sort of mind powers. I crawl over to the picnic table and there is our "stalker" dog/ peeping tom. She looks in the windows of the house all the time, creepy! And like usual she is just wagging her tail so hard it is about to knock her smooth off the deck. I am wondering how in the world she can stand up . . . so I try it. I don't have a tail so I just shake my head and sure enough I fall off the deck, taking the smelly cat/dog with me. He's lucky, he has four legs and lands on them. I am not so lucky, I land on my bum. By now all the forest animals are watching me and pointing their feathery wings and furry paws rolling around laughing. Whose the meanie houdini now?

This was all made up, has no point and I was bored. Coffee at 10pm isn't a great idea!

My (Lacy's) Brother and Sisters, The Gifts God Gave Me

My biological brother and sisters, Wade and Jonie and Dallas, have long been my heroes. My favorite people next to my husband and kids. I couldn't imagine my life without them. They know more about me than almost anyone on this Earth and love me anyway. They went through the good and the bad with me, and there was a lot of both, and chose to remember the good. I am thankful for that! So very thankful.

I am not sure you can imagine how lucky I feel like I am. I am certain that I wouldn't have made it through life the same without them! Wade and Jonie were my leaning post, the two people I could rest on and talk to, the two people that would tell me what I NEEDED to hear not what I wanted to hear. The two people I could always depend on. They are the two people that although I don't see a lot or talk to everyday, I need to know are there. They are a vital part of my life. I can't stand for either one to hurt, I can't even stand the thought of either one hurting. I want them to be happy and I want them to feel loved. I would give my life for them. I am sure questions are running through your head, why do I always say "two."

Dallas is gone. She left us Nov. 6, 1982. She went home. She had strawberry blonde hair, and was a spitting image of my mom. A beautiful little girl. She died of Reye's Syndrome. Her life was short, but super sweet. And the impact she had affected us all. We will see her again. God Bless You Dallas Sabrina Woods!! We Love You TONS!!

Wade is pretty quiet and serious, but I know he would be there. I know without him saying anything, not one word, that I could ask and he would be there as quick as he could. I know this because he has a commitment to family. He is overprotective, forward and overprotective, I know it seems I am repeating myself but he is! I love him! I admire his strong work ethic, his quiet demeanor (I know I need to take some lessons), his love for his wife and kids, and his individuality. My kids think he is soooooo cool and that he has an awesome job. He works hard, harder than most, because he wants to succeed. He wants his family taken care of. I hope his girls are lucky enough to find someone that is willing to give their all for them. Of course like I said he is overprotective, so they had better find someone good . . . or else.

Wade and Dacy (his wondermous wife)

Mackenzie, Dacy, and Hadley (great sis-in-law, and awesome nieces)

Jonie is tenderhearted but strong. She has been through a lot. And moved on!!! There were times I locked her in closets, so Wade and I could go ride bikes (sorry Jonie). She forgave us . . .  I think? She cries a lot, but it is because she loves greatly. She forgives easily, and commits herself to everyone. She is caring, she loves kids (all kids, even the BRATS). She gives second chances, and sometimes more. She is an awesome Mimi to all her nieces and nephew, because she knows how to be fun!

Jonie and Tyler (you can tell she is fun can't you!!)

Jonie and Tyler's pumpkin Taylee (another awesome niece)

We have all three had our bad moments and our great ones. I know I have made it through the good and the bad because of the support of my brother and sister.

And there is more . . . I was blessed with more sisters, yes . . .

I have more sisters!! Pretty lucky aren't I?!! I didn't start with these three but I sure want to end with them!!

Betty, is older than me and came to live with my Dad and step-mom when she was 14 (I believe?) She was my best friend before that. And I was lucky enough for her to become my sister. Although I would have considered her my sister anyway! She is one of those follow thru on your dreams type of people. She told me when we were kids that she wanted to be a pilot and she is. She has always chased her dreams. I don't believe that she was 'given' opportunities, I believe she earned them. She worked for them, and I think that her determination is amazing and inspiring!

Betty

Shandi, became my sister when her dad married my Mom. She was still in grade school when I moved out. But she was already a super responsible individual. You could see her strength in her own quiet way. She has grown up and become a wonderful mom and is still strong and responsible. She has a tendency to put herself last, and not realize just how great she is. But she is!! She is loyal, lovable, strong, and wondermous.

Shandi

Shandi's blue eyed beauty, Ainsley (awesome niece)

Sabra, was a kindergartner when I met her (she and Shandi are biological sisters), and independent. Had to do what she wanted when she wanted too. She still does what she wants, when she wants too. She also follows thru. She says I will finish school, and she did, on her own. She chooses her road and accepts where it leads. She is still young, almost 19 or is it 20? Young anyway, and has her entire life ahead of her and lots to learn. She loves her family even when they make her mad, and she is a survivor. She will make it no matter what, because she won't give up! :)

Sabra and Ainsley

I love you all!!!!!! And I thank God for each and everyone of you!!! If you didn't already know it I LOVE YOU!!!

Dates With My Fabulous Are Wonderful

Awe, just rereading the title makes me happy!!

We went on a date with our 30 something church group. And it was AWESOME!! A wonderful, terrific, awesome, fantastic and super funny evening.

Tommy looked hot, and the kids said we looked nice, but that it was disgusting when we kissed. So sweet.

It was a real, real, real, real, real, it really was a real date. Really! Dressed up, dinner reservations, great friends, lots and lots of laughs. So enjoy the pictures, because I just can't put into words how great it was.

Looking good

Some of the greatest people in the world!!

And here is how we were greeted by our kids the following morning . . .

GOOD STUFF!!

One of The Best Days Ever, For No Reason At All, Just Because

I LOVE MY LIFE!!!

Today was a great day, just because!

My mother-in-law knows how much I love the phrase 'just because'. I used to update her on our life on occasion (before I got super duper lazy) and always titled it Just Because. Tommy (the fabulous man, who loves me no matter what) started that though. He said that you shouldn't send cards just for birthdays or write love letters only on special occasions, but just because. I thought it was pretty fabulous and it will stay with me.

My fabulous kissed me goodbye and hugged me before he left for work and our children were angels this morning. I know God was just gracing me with a good morning cause I was nice most of the day yesterday :).  I went back to bed, yep, LUCKY!!! When I got up, I sat in the quiet and drank my cup of coffee and immediately wished it was 3:45 because then my life would all be home. It was just one of those great moments when you realize how truly truly lucky and blessed you are. I went and got my eyebrows waxed!!!!!!! They look fabulous, thank you Mrs. Amanda Beck at the Wild Hair Salon for your gracious talent!! Getting my eyebrows done always makes me feel beautiful. For some people it is manicures and pedicures, for me it is eyebrows. I enjoyed a lunch of cherry lime aid from Rialto in Alva and chips and dip at home. I know crazy right, who does that!! Hope I can fit into my dress for our date tomorrow night??? Then I read a magazine and surfed the net, played with the blog. Still learning, anyone have any tips? I then cheated on supper and bought pre-made fried chicken, warmed it up and TADA instant cook. My fabulous came home and the first thing he does is  . . . give me a kiss. How great is that! Then our kids get off the bus and they all had good days. I am thinking by now that I am dreaming, have to be!! And get this, Harley got an 80% on his AR book test. Might not sound like much to some but we have struggled with the AR test! I threw a little party and did a little dance. And he smiled, so I will do that more often! They did their homework, ate supper, played together nicely. I am NOT making this stuff up. Honest. I know I ought to be done, but it gets better. Libby and Harley cleaned the bathroom, and they only argued over who got to clean the toilet. NEVER and I do mean NEVER have they cleaned anything but their rooms without my help. I am almost hyperventilating by now. So I use the good 'ol inhaler so I don't pass out. After they are done, they all take their showers, pick up their rooms, and lay out their clothes for tomorrow. Emmy paints Libby's fingernails and Harley colors in his room. When bedtime comes around I don't have to yell and beg and neither does my fabulous. What is the deal? The rest of the night is normal, and my favorite time of life, I tuck my kids in. They all tell me they love me and I tell them the same. Wish I could explain it so that they really understood how much. I get kisses and hugs from all three. How could this not be heaven? And then Tommy does the same and says prayers with them. It is my heaven on Earth.

The Best Day Ever, Just Because!!!

Libby and Rhino, she named him after some guy on Trick My Truck, her favorite show.

I love her smile!

Flag football star!

Changing

We change. Life changes us, we change life, maybe a little of both. Our excitement for the week, du, du, duuuuu . . . .

Tommy and I started going to a parenting class tonight at our church. I know you are all thinking, how can you improve perfection. THE END!

Okay but really, parenting class, always room for improvement! And lucky you, you get to join us on this spectacular journey to greatness.

We have learned a great deal from each other. Tommy is more patient than I am, and I am more comforting than he is. We are complete opposites and THANK GOODNESS. We are both completely committed to our family though, completely, all the way! We are hoping that we take alot from this class, I am hoping to learn how to do it all and do it right and he is hoping he learns to be just like me (just ask him), quit laughing. I am pretty great after all. I believe with Tommy I can do it all, and with God we can do it right!

I am pretty excited, there are quite a few people in our class. I hope to learn from them all. I hope to learn how to make our children proud to call us their parents. We want their memories to be more good than bad, and we want them to know that we really wanted to be the best we could for them. They know we are taking this class, they know we love them, they just don't realize how much! And they won't until they become parents themselves. I know now that my parents were really serious when the said, "I can't wait til you have kids!!" You know, in that kinda ugly voice. So funny then, not so much now. I know I will never say that to my kids (bout peed myself laughing there), ya right. But they loved me, probably didn't like me much sometimes though.

We change, I was different ten years ago, I was different five years ago. If you could see true heart pictures of my life at these times you would be amazed that it is the same person. I guarantee the same thing goes for Tommy. We are constantly changing, Tommy because he is always dirty and me because I CAN'T wear white, just kidding, but I really can't wear white.

Life changes us, every day, every moment we make a choice. We have messed up countless times and we will mess up countless times more. It takes me longer to realize I am doing the same thing over and over again and am consistently getting the same cruddy result and it takes Tommy longer to admit it when he does. But when we do realize it, we both know that life has changed us.

We change life, we are choosing to be better. We don't have to be. We could continue with our mediocre existence, but we won't. It is always time to change, always time to work on ourselves, because someone else is watching us now. And our three someones deserve great parents, so we will definitely strive to be the kind they deserve.

Just The Two Of Us, We Can Make It If We Try

Oh Tommy my love, I wish you would answer my calls! I know you push ignore, often. You do it because you know I love voice mail. I love to stutter my way through, "Hi, it's me. You already knew that, of course. I was just seeing what you are doing. I know you are working. I forgot why I called.  I love you, could you call me? I really just want to harass you about something you can't do anything about." Gosh answering machines make me feel super BRIGHT!

Tom is a great man! He will do dishes, cook supper, put away laundry, vacuum, pretty much anything. He even puts his daughters hair up occasionally. He coaches ball teams. The best dad ever. Yep, you are jealous. He never leaves the house without telling me he loves me and kissing me goodbye, and he says prayers with his bratty tat tats (our kids) at night. Now I am just bragging, my bad.

We have tolerated each other for ten years, been married for nine. I would be LOST in more ways than one without him.

He makes me watch football and golf ALOT though. Not so jealous now are you? And he is gassy. But that is okay, I love him even though he is a smelly sport fanatic!

He is FUNNY! Not a day goes by we don't laugh. He says I will laugh at anything though. He is dedicated to his job and his phone rings nonstop. But they call because he will answer and will do anything to help out.

That last sentence made me sad. You just went back and read it, didn't you? Haha! Really he answers their calls but sends me to voicemail. I know he just wants to hold onto my voice and he can if it is saved, bwahahahahaha. It's okay, I don't answer his calls either.

We are awesome together! No really, I mean it! Ask around, but not our kids, or our neighbors, or, oh never mind just take my word for it! We aren't perfect but we are AWESOME I tell you, AWESOME!!

Hey when you read the title of this post, did you try to remember the rest of that song? I tried, but like most songs, I only remember one line and sing it over and over and over!

LOOK where you are going!!

Such a great Dad!!

He wasn't smiling, because he lives with me and smiles all the time. He needed a break.

Not positive, but think maybe he was more excited than the kids.

We are AWESOME together!

Crazy Is Just a Beginning For Us

So, Libby and her little cheerleading group were singing a 'cheer', if you want to call it that, and it has been stuck in my head since. Bear with me people! "Jump, shake your booty, jump, jump, shake your booty, jump, shake your booty, jump, jump, shake your booty"! GRRRRRR You are welcome for that now being stuck in your head! Answer me this: How in the world does that 'cheer' on your team? I don't want my eight year old singing that!! What happened to "Go Team Go?" I admit it isn't near as catchy, but good golly miss molly I don't want my kid shakin' her hiney for ANYONE!!! Stinky, smelly boys are already crushin' on her. Big 'ol cootie bugs, Yuck! For those of you thinking, "Way to support your child Lacy", I do! I like her cheering. I will buy her long pants, long sleeve shirts, and a mask to wear next year though!! Just kidding, she does awesome.

My oldest thinks she needs a boyfriend! Double Yuck!! She's twelve and I am pretty sure puberty is close at hand. When she reads this she will kill me or at least want to. "Lord Help Me!" She has a tude (that is attitude for you 'not as hip as I am' folks.) I am thinking about throwing out all her cute 'girl' clothes, although she doesn't have many (major tomboy), and making her wear my painting clothes. Yep, thinking maybe if she looks like a troll and not cute, I won't have to worry about boys for a bit. It is just plan A, I have others! Too bad she has an awesome personality and a heart the size of Texas! I should be thankful I know! I am . . . kinda. Love you Emmy!!!!

Then there is Harley. Oh, my sugar! Now he will want to choke me as well. He doesn't allow me to call him that anymore. I don't know why they have to grow up so fast! Yesterday he was learning to pee on trees and now . . . Who am I kidding he still pees on trees, on public streets, with the neighbors watching. He gets in trouble often at school for talking. Everything is important and needs to be known NOW.  He is great though. He will still give me hugs, so long as we aren't in front of the window or door. He doesn't want the other kids to see. Oh well!!

Let me tell you though, I think they all three are pretty great! Emmy's first year at Waynoka, she took her allowance and bought another little girl in gym some shoes, cause she didn't have any gym shoes. Made me bawl! She has always been that way! And Libby cannot stand for anyone, I do mean anyone, to be hurting! She cries right along with them, even if she doesn't like them. Harley will do almost anything to please people. He tries sooooooooo hard to make everyone happy, and has a hard time understanding when that isn't possible. I mean my kids may shake their butts, have attitudes and pee where everyone can see, but they have heart people!!!! Big HEART!

Well to end, I will post a few pictures! Enjoy my treasures.

Emmy will love that all her friends will see this!

Awww, they were so cute then!

More of Us

I will get carried away, but just at first, then I will leave you for days wanting more. I kinda rambled in that first post and I will probably ramble alot, so prepare yourself for that excitement!

I just wanted to post some more pictures, because I can and because I know you are dying to see more. More art, more of my kids, more of all the craziness that is us!! So sit back, grab a cola or a coffee and enjoy! Just know that if you drink those things this late, you will be mad at me in a bit when you go to bed and can't sleep.

Tom and Harley (my guys)

 Harley is like that all the time! He is crazy great!! And super loveable, but always GOING! Seriously the energizer bunny doesn't have anything on this kid!



Liberty cheering!

Isn't she the cutest!!! I don't quite understand it though, she bawled when she had to stand onstage with 60 other kids for their Christmas concert. Yet she will cheer, and loves it! Whatever, she is a girl, so she can change her mind often!!

And Tada . . . Our Oldest!! I am talking about the girl holding the baby not the old man (that is my dad, Love you Dad). And that sweet little baby is my newest niece Taylee Jo! Anyway, back to my kid, that is Emerald! She has the best heart!! Always worried about everyone else. Unless it is her brother and sister, then not so much. Unless someone else is picking on them, she believes she is the only one allowed to do that.

Think I mentioned I love to paint. Almost everything I do is loud and bright! This was done with acrylics on canvas, fun stuff people, fun stuff!!

I would ramble more, but it is late and I am tired. Note this people, I didn't have a cola or coffee! Night

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome

Welp, what now? I will try to bring you exciting, new and wonderful things weekly.

Exciting thing for this week: Wait for it, wait for it, here it comes. We paid off one of our credit cards!!! WOOHOOOOOOOO!!!! Okay, maybe not exciting for you, but I am EXCITED. We live paycheck to paycheck and are slowly trying to change that. So if you are looking for inspiration, I am here for you!

You see I quit my job in May of this year and it has been tiiiighhhhttttt. I worked for a prison as a Sgt. and was watching my kids grow up when they slept (you will get that in a minute). My husband was mom and dad. He took the kids here and there and worked full time. I was always at work and if I wasn't, they were all gone (school or work). We decided enough was enough! I love being home!!!

I taught art this summer for area kids, it was wonderful!! If you are ever on facebook check out Little Green Dog. I try to update it occasionally. But the best part: I got to spend some time with my kiddos!!!!

I love to paint!! I am far from the best, but painting is a release of almost all emotions! Try it!!!!!

Something New: We finally have a washer and dryer at this house. We bought this house 3 1/2 years ago, it is in the country, and is only like 10000 years old (you will find I am sarcastic and exaggerate). Anyway, thank God for my mom! She has literally done our laundry for the last 3 years!

You all are going to think I am crazy but I absolutely love small houses!! I am a super simple person, love things to be pretty minimal and easy. Our home is only two bedrooms with one bathroom for five people. We currently use our ugly partially finished (if I may exaggerate) basement as our room, while the kids occupy the two real rooms. I do really wish we could gut it and update it, but it has character! Character doesn't cost us anything . . . yet.

Wonderful Things: God, water, air and food. Oh my FOOD, I love food! Unless it has a weird name then I won't try it. I will not try Egg Nog!! My husband loves it. I don't know what my favorite food is, but I won't pass up cowboy gravy. It is wonderful to me! My mom used to make it for us as kids. It is cut up and fried hotdogs (the only way I will eat a hotdog) in gravy over bread. Makes me hungry just thinking bout it!!

How bout a little getting to know you, I mean me. I am married to a wondermous man!! His name is Tommy and he is in love with Chesapeake Energy. I mean he works there. He is an awesome dad. We have three kids. We were gonna have more but he came to my senses. Emerald is our oldest and she is involved in everything! Always in a hurry to get somewhere and always busy. She loves horses and basketball and hates her braces. Liberty is our girly girl. She will play basketball and be a cheerleader, don't ask her to do anything else, unless it is a pedicure. She doesn't mind getting dirty, but would rather get her hair done! Harley is full of energy. He never stops, plays basketball, football, soccer, and loves to try anything else. He has done BMX, water skied, tubed, climbed some sand dunes and more (he is only seven).  We have two dogs. Sampson is a mastiff and is my baby. He is a giant teddy bear. Abby is a black lab and completely nuts!! They are polar opposites and seem to like each other just fine. We are responsible pet owners, both our pets are fixed. But it was because we wanted to spare the world more dog poop, not because we are responsible. We have no other pets, cause they can't seem to survive. We feed them and care for them, they just prefer death to us.

I consider myself the boss of our house, but Tom thinks we both are. Something about equals and partnership. I don't know but it works for us. Our kids consider themselves the boss, but I know deep down they are scared that they will have to live in the basement, so they listen sometimes.

I don't have it all but I got it good!