SO WHAT! Wednesday

Yup! It's that time again...because it's WEDNESDAY.

So what if:

• I cough when I sprint by a smoker. It's my passive aggressive way of judging. I know it's rude, but maybe that will make them quit? Probably not, but I still do it.  

• I got my ankles run over about 50bagillion times while I was at a crafts fair by old ladies with little buggies. I guess that's their passive aggressive way of telling me to move my ace. Touche ladies.

• We had to take my car to the shop for a minor problem and while the mechanic was driving it around to test the problem, my car ran out of gas. Whoops. I am not a fan of pumping gas. The weather is either too cold, too hot or a perfect day so I don't want to waste my day at a gas pump!   

• Every winter I tell myself that I am NOT wearing Uggs...Every winter I wear Uggs. They are fugly, but they are heaven on cold toes. I am getting some hunter boots and leg warmers for Christmas, so hopefully this ends the reign Uggs have on me. 

• I listened to Bieber's Christmas album and was sorely disappointed. Call me old lady, but I don't love the rap version of Little Drummer Boy. 

• Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston may be cray cray, but God gave them a voice to sing Christmas music. I will continue to wear their music out for the rest of December.

• I'm pretty sure I could commit a crime right now and they wouldn't find any fingerprints. My Pinterest crafts and glue gun have burned all the prints right off my skin.  

{Thanksgiving Recap}

After such a busy time being Thankful for all of our blessings, I am now including "time AWAY from our loved ones" as a blessing. Our weekend with family was awesome. We told lots of funny stories, played family football and kickball games, traveled, cooked, ate and barely slept. I would not have changed anything, except for the fact that I now look like a train hit me and the laundry is piled high above their baskets.

 Have you seen those signs that people hang in their house that says, "excuse the mess, we're making memories."? If that's true, then we are constantly making memories. The sign should also read, "excuse the mess and the grouchy mom, we're making memories." Because as we all know, when the fun stops, the work begins. We are currently trying to get Isabelle back on her schedule, I am trying to get dinner made, laundry caught up and the house back in order.

Isabelle's new infatuation...taking bows off of other girls. Including her cousin.

Bow Spotted. Bow Removed.

                         Bow replaced on the center of Allie's head. Isabelle is very proud.

 A little cousin cuddling time. She only cuddles with them.

                                    

                  Remember when I said Isabelle and her cousin Allie were opposites. Exhibit A: Allie falls asleep during the football game.

           Exhibit B: Isabelle makes tunnels out of peoples legs so she can run through them during the football game.

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 And of course....this is what happens when your dad and grandpa dress you. You wear a pink Dallas cowboys jersey.

As you can see, our week was pretty hectic. Actually, it was completely hectic but completely worth it.

{Crazy Joy}

My family is on their way back to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving and I can hardly wait! I love this time of year so much that I have officially started listening to Christmas music and I am going to Hobby Lobby today to get some things to make some Christmas decorations. Sure, it's Thanksgiving but honestly we all know Thanksgiving is like the opening ceremonies for Christmas. Warm your belly's and your hearts folks...the real deal is about to be here!

I have really enjoyed doing "What I'm loving right now" for the month of November so that I remember to take time for the small things that I am thankful for. Lately, Isabelle has been kicking/swinging her feet in her carseat (in a cute way, not a bratty way...even though she has kicked in a bratty way) and it's seriously the cutest thing. I honestly have a hard time not squeezing her face/cheeks because she's seriously that cute to me (is that just me that feels that urge sometimes? I also feel that way with dogs). 

Plus, she looks so old when she does it! We switched her carseat around because for some reason it just wasn't staying put when we had her rear facing. Since she has been forward facing, she thinks car rides are hilarious! 

Today I am doing a little Crazy Joy challenge. The challenge word is "Edge".

This picture was taken by Mr. T when he took Isabelle to Bass Pro Shop to kill some time after church (and he knows I refuse to go there with him...unless popcorn is involved. And a candle. Have you bought one of their candles?? They're amazing. I know, shocking. And off the subject). She apparently LOVED it and loved seeing the fish swim around so much that he had to stop her from just jumping in and joining them. She did not get this gene from me. I about jump clear out of the water when I see a fish...they're so ugly to me. But delicious.

That's Mr. T's fingers, holding Izzy by her skirt so she doesn't jump in. He's obviously so concerned with safety.  (seriously, where is the sarcastic font when you need it!?)

Happy Thanksgiving!

{What I'm loving right now}

Can you believe it's almost Thanksgiving? On Saturday, it was 75 degrees and sunny so it felt more like it should be Easter, not Thanksgiving. On Sunday, our weather remembered that "oh yeah, it's almost winter time and we should be more like the rest of the world and cool down a bit" and then was 35 degrees and overcast for the entire day. TERRIBLE for allergies. GREAT for cuddling with daddy and reading a good book.

Speaking of good books....have you heard of this one?

I stumbled across her blog a few weeks ago, and then decided to buy her book...it was easily the best book I have read this year. It reads almost like a blog so it's a very quick read. In the short book, so many of my walls came down and so many of my ideas were changed. I felt moved to make a change and to not be scared when God calls me to do something that is out of my comfort zone or off my radar. So often I know God is telling me to do something, but the normal excuses quickly rise up inside of me, "I'm inadequate. That's too hard. I have too much on my plate already. I'll do it once we have a certain amount in our bank account, etc." I know that those excuses are not from God and I know that if the Lord wants me to do something then he is going to make the way possible, not easy. Katie completely lives out this truth. She is a 23 year old woman with 13 daughters! You heard me correctly. She left her comfortable family, friends, church and life in Tennessee to follow God's will. She now lives in Uganda, raises 13 daughters all while starting her own non profit group.

This book is a great gift for ANYONE (or yourself) during the holidays and not just "churchy" friends.  I just gave it to Mr. T to read and while he claims he doesn't loove to read, he hasn't been able to put this book down.

You can buy her book HERE.

And you can read her blog HERE.

Fun Friday!

I am a tad tired this morning because last night, along with a few of my closest girl friends (1500 women) I went to our Christmas Gathering at our Church. You can read more about it on Ashley Campbell's blog because let's face it, she takes better pictures, she was a presenter last night and she's just a lot cooler than me. We had so much fun pretending like we were in the crowd from Oprah's favorite things and I got some of Christmas shopping done! This is a big deal for me..I'm usually a December 24th kind of shopper.

Remember when I told you that Izzy is now acting like a little monkey by doing everything that I'm doing? That includes putting on makeup. It's a rare thing for her to see me put on makeup (because it happens once a week every other day or so) and so she took the opportunity to learn from me.

Isabelle stayed home and went on a Chic-fil-a and ice cream date with her daddy. About halfway through the The Gathering, I received this text message from Mr. T:

Along with this adorable picture, came a story that Izzy had decided to poop in the bathtub right as she was getting out. (It also also came with another picture of a turd in the bathtub...but it's Friday so I'll spare you that picture).
I guess every party has a pooper....

What I'm so loving right now? The fact that Isabelle has a blast with her dad and hazes him at the same time. She's so cool.

Embrace the Camera

Today is a perfect day for a little Embrace The Camera. My little lady is getting older everyday and picking up new tricks that make me feel like her teenage years are just around the corner, which makes me happy and breaks my heart, all at the same time. So I am using Embrace the camera as a way to freeze time for just a second and remember our little family, just as we are, in this moment.

Even if she is mad that we are holding her and not let her explore the world of dirt, rocks and her dogs.

SO WHAT! Wednesday

It's that time of the week again! Time to get the things off my chest and link up with Shannon for a little So What! Wednesday.

This week I am saying "So What!"

• To the fact that I haven't painted my nails in three weeks and the nail polish is just slowly chipping off. I haven't removed any of it and I probably won't remove any of it until I decide on what to paint them again. Or I will just go for the "dirty, artsy" look. That's a look right?

• When I do paint my nails, my left hand looks like I got a manicure while my right hand looks like I let Isabelle paint it. When people look at my hand I just nonchalantly hide my right hand.

• I didn't watch my Jayhawks get spanked barely lose last night to Kentucky. I can't stand Kentucky (mainly because of my STRONG dislike for Ashley Judd and her STRONG love for UK) and I knew we would probably lose. Mr T and I have given up TV in the evenings for a bit and it's been nice to reconnect without it. Bow Chica Bow wow...I know, I know. Inappropriate. Whatevs.

• If for our actual anniversary night, Mr. T and I went to Chili's with Isabelle. We celebrated our anniversary on Friday night because Monday seems like a lame day to celebrate anything other than the day being over. Isabelle gave us an anniversary present of pooping during dinner...and waking us up at 3:30 crying because she had pooped all over her crib. Isn't life romantic? Two years ago we were sitting on a beach, drinking champagne. Nowadays we are covered in poo, cleaning our daughter and her bed without being able to see because it's so dark and neither of us had on our glasses.

• I think my heart is going to explode every time I see my two babies loving on one another. Her love for dogs makes me so stinkin happy.

This is so what I'm lovin right now.

Bucket List

Yesterday was one of those days that doesn't seem real. I went to bed thinking, "this day can't be real. I am going to wake up and it be a big dream." I was wrong. It was my reality. And my reality is awesome.

Why is it so awesome? Because I met one of my favorite celebrities that lives. I have been a fan since I was a kid and continue to be a fan. He is easily, the best country music star to live (in my eyes) and a born and raised resident of the good ol' state of Oklahoma. I saw him in concert a few times as a kid and then in 2006 in Kansas City and then again last year in Nashville. I was hoarse after both concerts for at least 3 days.

Yesterday, not only did I meet him, I met his awesome wife. Not only did I meet both of them, I was in their home. Just hanging out (sorta).

That's right folks, I met Mr. Garth Brooks and Mrs. Trisha Yearwood.

I know you are wondering if you are going to read about me stalking them in the news or something, but I assure you, I went to their house as an invited guest. My sister in law is a professional photographer and was hired to take their daughters senior pictures. I was "hired" by my sister in law to assist her after I begged and pleaded with her to take me. I will have you know that they are as nice as they seem. I didn't do anything embarassing and I didn't have a heart attack (though I did feel like my loud, fast heart beat could be heard throughout their gorgeous home), I just pretended like they were normal people. I did have to fight back the urge to start singing, "She's in love with the boy!! Hit it Trish!" Or my awesome version for "Shameless", but I managed to do it. They have done an amazing job raising a very humble, sweet, caring girl which made me love them even more.

Thank goodness there are still some people that are "celebrities" that don't get married 72 days so they can get a $20 million dollar paycheck and aren't constantly in the news for breaking the law. It makes me happy to feel like a kid again and have a "hero" again.  

So what I'm loving right now? Feeling like a kid again and having a hero. Only this time I appreciate my hero more for raising kids that love Jesus, love people and love their families.

{To my Husband}

Two years ago today, I married the man I had been praying for since I was a little girl. He is my best friend, a strong leader, the glue that holds our family together and the best husband and father that I have ever seen.

    Thank you for the best two years of my life. You surprise me every single day with your generosity, selflessness, faith, determination and unconditional love you have for our little family.

Here's to a million more years of just, "seeing what's there".  I love you.

 

This year for our anniversary we celebrated by seeing one of our favorite bands, The Zac Brown Band, in concert. Their song, "Free" is one of our favorites and pretty much sums up my definition of happiness.

So we'll live out of our old van
Travel all across this land
Me and you

We'll end up hand in hand
Somewhere down on the sand
Just Me and you

Just as free
Free as we'll ever be
Just as free
Free as we'll ever be

Drive until the city lights
Dissolve into a country sky
Just Me and you

Lay underneath the harvest moon
Do all the things that lovers do
Just me and you

Just as free
Free as we'll ever be
Just as free
Free as we'll ever be
And Ever be

No we don't have a lot of money

All we need is love

We're Free as we'll ever be
Just as free
Free as we'll ever be
Ever be

So we'll live out of old van
Travel all across this land
Me and you

Sick Day Saturday

Today my two loves are sick. Both have a bad case of the #3's. If you don't know what #3 is...just think about it. So we are spending this beautiful Saturday at home, resting.

So today I am loving (and thankful for) health. It seems like we really take for granted how awesome it is just to be healthy and feel good. I guess little stomach bugs are a friendly reminder to thank God for our health and well being.

Fall Family Pics

What I'm loving about right now, is the fact that there weren't hidden camera's at our family pictures. I love how pictures always look so serene and the families always look like they have never had a bad day, rainbows wake them up every morning right before they have their Starbucks in bed while watching country music videos. Is that only my fantasy? Anyways....

Last weekend we made the mistake of traveling to visit family for the weekend and then rush home for our family pictures without taking time to get a good nap. Isabelle was NOT a happy camper. No amount of sweet snacks or her hilarious cousin entertainment would get her out of her funky mood. She didn't want to be held, but she didn't want to be put down. She continued to tear her bow out of her head and kick her shoes off her feet. This made me irritable (you're welcome for using a PG word there....because I was not using PG words in my head during the pictures), which in turn made me take it out on Mr. T, which in turn made him grouchy and us want to do anything BUT be all lovey dovey.

Don't let the cuteness fool you. She was being rude all day.

Thanks to a great photographer (if you're in the Tulsa area, let me know I'll hook you up) and the grace of God, we got a few good pictures. So now when we send our Christmas Cards we will look a little more like the rainbow family and a little less like Lindsey Lohan's family.

Embrace the Camera

I haven't linked up with Emily in a while, which is sad because I think Embrace the Camera is such an awesome idea. It reminds us moms to get in FRONT of the camera, put on a fake smile, and snap away.

.

This is no ordinary prayer circle. This is just what Isabelle does when she needs to poop. She hides her face and hugs me while she works her *ahem* problems out. It's ridiculously cute and funny to me. You are definitely a mother when you soak up every hug you can get, even when it's just so your baby can drop the deuce. I am so loving this right now....and can't wait to tell her first date about this little habit.

{What I'm loving right now}

Two posts in one day?! What's this about? Well, I can't miss a little So What Wednesday and I promised myself that I would post something everyday in November about "What I'm loving right now". Today I am loving how Mr. T gives Izzy a bath every night. It is their special time together and it's adorable to see. Every night after dinner, he says "Izzy, time to splash splash" and she sprints to the bathtub and starts throwing her toys in. They always have a blast talking about their days and laughing at one another.

Is your heart melted yet? Mine is.

SO WHAT! Wednesday

Of course today is Wednesday, so of course I am linking up wtih Shannon for a little SWW.

This week I am saying SO WHAT if:

• I know I am adequately caffeinated when my pee smells like coffee (TMI? Then you better stop reading now)
• Sometimes my pee smells like Cheerio's, but I never eat Cheerios. Weird. How does this happen?
• Every time I see a girl in one of those faux fur vests I call her Cruella DeVille (in my head of course...I'm not that brave), yet I think those vests are cute and I really want one.
• The CMA's are tonight and I am the stupidly excited. I can't wait to see all my Okie's representing and now that we go to Nashville a lot, I feel like I know all the singers (I have stalked a few of their houses before. Normal, No?).
• By far my favorite thing to watch are the singers performing in their awesome clothes. Carrie Underwood always looks GORGEOUS and she always shows off her pretty legs. I love a girl that shows some leg and covers the boobies (I can relate. My chest looks like my back).

• I secretly want to be besties with Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton. He's hysterical, she's a Bad A and they have a lot of rescue animals on their farm in Oklahoma, plus he used to sport a mullet and I know someone who would appreciate that.

We're going on a bear hunt

Except we're not hunting for bears. (I apologize if I got that "Bear Hunt" song/book in your head. I am an ex-kindergarten teacher so I spent many days with that song in my head. Now it's your turn). Going on a leaf hunt is more accurate, but then there would be no catchy song to go with it.
"What I love about right now" is the fall season. The season makes my heart happy because not only are the leaves beautiful, but the weather is nice enough to go on a walks anytime of the day.

Yesterday, Isabelle and I ventured out to enjoy the nice weather and play in the leaves.

We also did some minor trespassing....this yard isn't ours.

I remember being young and thinking that I was a failure in life if I didn't jump in every puddle that I saw. Apparently, that tradition lives on.

Sometimes, the small things in life can seem pretty silly. "I am a 26 year old mother and wife....I don't jump in puddles. What would the neighbors think? I don't want to get my pants wet." Those kind of thoughts are normal. They are normal, but boring. The second I stopped thinking about the negative stuff and took a lesson from Isabelle and jumped in the puddle, I couldn't stop. I was laughing so hard and Isabelle was belly laughing at me laughing and screaming.  She then showed me how she likes to jump in puddles. We were taking lessons from one another.

 Sometimes I think people don't give kids enough credit. They know more than we think. They are listening when we don't think they are listening. They are learning from every situation whether we like it or not.

As parents, we are told that our most important jobs are to mold them into "good" people.

The one thing I have learned this past year though is that kids actually mold their parents the most. Isabelle makes me want to be a better person. For her. For our family. She showed me the true meaning of unconditional love. She taught me that a simple smile can light up any one's life. She shows me daily that people are people. It doesn't matter what they look like or how they dress. She will smile, blow kisses and wave at everyone just the same. 

Can you imagine how different this world would be if we would all take a lesson from a child?

What's Shakin?

We are! That's right, Oklahoma had TWO earthquakes this weekend. The first one was Friday morning at 2am, which I missed because I had been in bed for 6 hours  just a bit because I'm crazy like that, and the second one was on Saturday night at 10:30 pm. It was a 4.9 and I completely felt it. I have been living in the Midwest all of my life so I have experienced some pretty wicked storms and I can safely say that I will take storms over earthquakes every day. They can sort of predict tornadoes, and big storms. Earthquakes just.... BAM. Not really a fan of surprises. In 2011 Oklahoma broke the records for the strongest earthquake here, hottest temperature, coldest temperature, snowfall, and highest winds.... Who wouldn't want to live in this fine state?

So you know how your from Oklahoma? When this is on your news and it's normal:

Honest mistake..

You know how else you know you're from Oklahoma? When you let your 14 month old do this:

 That's correct, she's driving. Now before you call me Britney Spears (which I totally wouldn't be offended by), please note that we were in my brothers neighborhood going about 5 miles an hour and we were going right down the street. We were taking family pictures and we wanted to get her in a good mood. Putting her in the car seat does not put her in a good mood. Driving cars does put her in a good mood.

She looks like she's going to take driving very seriously though. Thank goodness, soon she can chaperone me around. Since the day I turned 16 1/2, I hated driving. It was cool for about 6 months, but now I would rather read a book, be the car DJ or be the car lead singer (I prefer doing all three).

What I'm loving right now:

Bed Head. Baby mullet makes awesome bed head.

Thank you for all of the prayers and sweet words about selling our house..We had a great open house and we hope to hear more soon! You guys are the best!