Floods, Family and Finishes

Once again, time has gotten away from me and so has my blog. I have been so busy, this has actually been the last thing on my mind. I'll catch you up:
First, I have accomplished 2 of my main new year's resolutions already. I now have a garden and it is growing! I'm loving nurturing the plants and keeping out the bugs and weeds. So far, I have green beans, peas, watermelon, squash and tomatoes coming up. The second is finishing a 1/2 marathon, which I completed on April 24th. My good friend, Carrie, and I finished the Country Music Marathon in 2 hours and 49 minutes. We were so excited about this accomplishment! The best part was finishing with Desmond. I didn't think I would ever see the pictures from it, but here are a few the marathon people took. Des gave me a huge kiss and hug and smiled the last tenth of a mile he ran with me.

Here are my running buddies and partner. (me, Carrie, Katie, and Rhonda)

Here are Carrie and I at mile 6 - I got emotional knowing we would see my family.

Some time during the race...can't believe I had enough energy to raise my arms!

Carrie and I after the race. I was so blessed to have her by my side the entire journey...literally, start to finish (even training).
As most of you know, here in Nashville we have had some major flood damage. Our church basement suffered quite a bit of damage along with about 22 families in our church. 8 of the families we are closest to live on one street (Miami Ave). All of them suffered great losses. Most of their material possessions were damaged and their homes are not fit to live in for the time being. Almost all of them had at least 3 feet of water in them for 5 days. We spent this past week helping them recover and clean up. The task is just started and the finish line is not yet in sight. However, the Lord has been so evident! Instead of me being a blessing and encouraging my friends, they have done just that for me. We are so blessed to have them in our lives and they have showed me how to give thanks in all circumstances. Thank you, Lord for your many blessings! Please join me in praying for everyone effected by this natural disaster.
Mother's day was great for me. Aaron and Des surprised me with a picture and frame inscribed "Train up a child in the way he should go - when he is old he will not depart from it." It means so much to me! It was a great family picture too. I am so blessed to be Aaron's wife and Desmond's mommy. My, what a responsibility we have as parents...I pray for Desmond that he will be able to see through us how much God loves and adores him.
Speaking of Desmond, he is now officially walking. He is so funny to watch...he swings his arms up by his head to balance himself. He is Mr. Personality...and loves food. At the present time, he is cutting 8 teeth. Ugh! What a nightmare! 4 have poked through and I wish the other 4 would! It means lots of sleep, grumpiness, drool and more grumpiness. I'm just glad he is getting them all over at once!
Well, that's all for now...more to come. Stay tuned.

Easter, Pictures, Savings and more!!!

Last week, I informed you that I was hopping on the "coupon train." Well, I just want to update you on some of my savings in the last week! It is so exciting! I love a challenge, and I feel like this is one big challenge for me...just to see how much $$$ I can save. I'm so competitive, it is ridiculous! Anyways, last week, I sat down with my ads and coupons. Boy, it puts a spin on shopping. I made my grocery list AFTER looking at the ads. My friend (www.couponqueendiaries.com) that I was telling you about has given me several pointers. She said the idea is to buy things only when they are on sale, but buy enough to last you until they go on sale again. That way, you never run out of things and have to rush out and buy things for full price if they don't happen to be on sale that week. She says eventually you get to the point that you are buying 2 times the amount of groceries for 1/2 of what you were originally paying to begin with. I like that idea, especially with teenagers over here all the time. So, I started my adventure.
It took me about an hour and a half to 2 hours with my ads and coupons, but I got my list and headed out. The other obstacle was having both Des and Riley. Whew! It was an adventure, but they were both so good. Back to the coupons: I first stopped at Publix where I spent $17 and saved over $18! Wowsers! Just a few of the good deals I got there were margarine ($0.60/tub), Cheerios (($0.50/box), salad dressing ($0.45) and yogurt ($0.25/cup). I forgot to take a picture once I brought it all home, but I will try to remember from now on. I then headed to Kroger - it is nice in our area because all of the stores are within a mile of each other. At Kroger, I spent $30 and saved $22!!! I stopped at a couple of other stores too...totaling out the day spending $68 and saving $47!!!! Let me take this opportunity to pat myself on the back. Thank you, thank you! So, I would say I did pretty good. I think that 2 hours of planning beforehand was worth it! That is like making $23.50 an hour! For this stay-at-home mom and strict budget cruncher, that's a great paying gig.
Moving on, Resurrection Sunday was this past week. We had a special invitation to join our "adopted" Nashville family for Easter dinner. What a lovely afternoon we had! We had an awesome meal and then headed out to take family pictures. Here are a few of them:
In this first one, Des looks like he has no neck! hahhahah!

I love this family pic

Best of friends!We are so blessed to have such great friends!

Watch this progression of photos...it is a perfect display of their personalities!


Mayer - "I didn't do it mommy, I promise!" ^
Des - "Ok, best friend, we can be friends again." >

GREAT EASTER celebrating our RISEN Saviour!
I also need to share with you a few of Desmond's 1 year pictures. I know there are lots to look at, but I'm sure you'd rather see these than read anything I have to say...here is our sweet Desmond:

There are plenty more and I will share them soon. For now, that's all folks! Happy Easter, happy couponing and happy Thursday!

Pampered Chef and Coupons

So, as previously stated, I want to start couponing. I LOVE free stuff and great deals. I thrive on them. I feel better about myself and my purchases when I am able to find one. Being a stay-at-home mom and a youth pastor's wife, we are on a pretty strict budget. I have a few websites that I frequent; one being a lady from our church's site: http://www.couponqueendiaries.com/ which I love!
I signed up for my Sunday paper and received my first one this past Sunday. I was so excited to tear into it and see what kind of deals I could find! I have to admit, I still am not completely positive of what I'm doing, but I'm trying to work at it. For my first trip ever to Publix yesterday, I spent $17 and saved $9! Ok, not that great, but I had only one week's paper to prepare and had to get certain things that weren't necessarily on sale. I'll keep that $9 in my pocket, though!
I had a Pampered Chef party at my house last night with my friend Beth as the sales rep. She did a great job. I had invited 20+ people. Several ladies weren't able to make it, but there were 18 (not including family members of some and Beth and myself!) It was a great night of food, fun, and cooking utensils! hehehe! As you know, when you host a party like that, you receive a certain amount of free stuff according to how much $$ your party brought in. Last night, I got $60 of FREE stuff and 2 items 50% off. I spent $17 and got almost $100 worth of stuff for my kitchen. I'm so excited about it! Here are most of the items I was able to get...

If you didn't get to come and want to order something, go to www.pamperedchef.com, find what you would like to order, and email me your order.
If you know of any free stuff or good deals, let me know! Happy bargaining...

Gardening Beginner

So, I'm going to start venturing out and trying new things. First on the list, growing a garden. I have quite a brown thumb...I tend to kill all the plants in my house, so I'm not sure how this is going to go. I bought my first packs of seeds today and I'm not sure that was the right decision. Should I buy the seeds or the plants already started? Should I plant the seeds now in small pots so they are small plants when it is time to put them in the ground? How is a girl supposed to know all of this stuff? Well, the lady across the street seems to know a little bit about everything...actually, she thinks she knows A LOT about EVERYTHING. Anyways, she's a good neighbor to have and I'm thankful for her being on my neighborhood watch. Regardless, she is apparently on-board assisting me in getting my garden up and running. I want to have tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, green beans, peas, watermelons, squash, etc, etc, etc. I LOVE FRUITS AND VEGGIES!!! It makes my mouth water just thinking of all of the fresh stuff I will have this summer and fall.

So, where to start? I've read a few things on mapping out your garden and such, so I think I will start there. Dad is coming next week, maybe, so I think he may help me get the soil ready. With this crazy weather we are having, who knows when I will actually be able to get the plants in the ground.
Do you have any helpful hints for me? Truly, people, I'm up for trying anything. Do I need to add anything to the soil? What type of seeds should I use? Let me in on the gardening scoop...I appreciate your help and will keep you posted on the progress. Bring on this challenge!

Lock-ins and more

Let me just start by saying, I despise staying up all night. I always have. I get a headache around 3 a.m. and feel like doo-doo the next few days. They are even worse now. This momma needs her sleep! We had a lock-in this past Friday night with 65 teenagers. We had a great time, but I'm just now getting fully recovered from it. What is the point of making yourself feel miserable because you stayed up all night and played games? I would rather have 5 activities 5 days in a row than stay up like that. BOO!!!!
Needless to say, it all went well besides one trip to the E.R. for one of our teen girls - she broke her arm. The kids had fun playing dodge ball, giant volleyball, hide and seek, cards, and so much more.
What do you think about lock-ins? Do you have any memories or thoughts about them? Are you on my side about despising them?

Heritage: Episode II

Ok, so friends aren't technically considered part of your "heritage," but when you have some of the friends I have, they might as well be family. Throughout my mere 24 years of living, I have had (and still have) some absolutely amazing friends. We have laughed and cried together. When I am down, they build me up. They pray for me and with me. They support me in everything I do and attempt (well, most of the time!). I consider myself very blessed to have these special people in my life. I want to run just a FEW of these wonderful ladies by you...so you can get a small insight into the support system I have around me.

First, my friend Yasmin. We met when my family moved to Oklahoma in 2000. We became fast friends, although we are so very different. She was the cheerleader (which I am not a big fan of) and I was the athlete. She is the girly-girl and I am the tom-boy. One thing we have in common - our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That is an amazing bond...a sister-hood, literally. She is absolutely one of the most amazing young ladies I have ever known...of course I'd want her as my best friend! She is single and allowing the Lord to use her wherever and whenever. She is from Peru and speaks Spanish as her first language. When we were in high school, we were always in each other's homes. If I wanted to know what everyone was laughing about, I had to learn spanish. Don't get me wrong, I do not speak fluently by any means, but I can understand a whole lot more because of Yas and her family. We love to have fun and be silly together. We love to travel - particularly in Europe. It was our life dream to go to Spain. In 2006, we got to realize that dream when we were there for a mission trip. Little did she know, the Lord would call her there 2 more times and who knows how many times in the future. She is passionate about knowing Christ and sharing that knowledge through the teaching of the Gospel and His Word. She is AMAZING!

Yasmin and I have a great friend together - Cassie. Cassie just got married almost 2 years ago. Now, Yas is the outcast in our friendship for 3. Cassie and I love to play sports and to be outdoors...we are the tomboy athletes and Yas is our cheerleader...haha! The 3 of us love to be together. With Yas out of the country and me in Tennessee, we don't get to be together just the 3 of us very often. But when we are, anyone around will need earplugs. We LOVE TO LAUGH! And we are loud when we laugh...and that is an UNDERstatement! Cassie married a wonderful young man named Gary. Cassie is a teacher and basketball coach at her old school in Oklahoma. She and her husband serve as youth workers in the church we all attended in high school (which happens to be where my parents serve in full time youth ministry). They are such a wonderful asset to their ministry! Cassie also loves Jesus and loves to share the gospel with others. She, too, went with us to Spain...what a wonderful memory-making trip!

Cassie loves to hunt and play any sport...well, almost any. She is very competitive. In fact, when we were in high school, we went to rival schools. When we played the Wildcats, we were fierce competitors on the court (her team won all the time), but we looked out for one another at the same time. We love to play any kind of card games together. I am so blessed to have Cassie as one of my best friends!

I came to Nashville in 2004 when I started college. I made several wonderful, lifetime friends at school, but none like Yas and Cassie. Aaron took a position as youth pastor at a small church just outside of Nashville in November of 2006 - just before we got married. We served there for 2 1/2 wonderful years. We have some wonderful friends from our years there...our previous pastor and his wife in particular. Blaine and Donetta. Blaine, the pastor at that time, became a mentor to Aaron in his first position of ministry. Donetta did the same for me...we became fast friends! After a year of service together, the Lord called them to another ministry in Arkansas. It was a difficult time for us, but we knew they had to follow where the Lord was telling them to go. She was my friend away from home and I love and apprecaite her very much!

When the Lord called us to our current ministry, Aaron and I (selfishly) prayed for good friends. Especially being in the ministry, friends become essential for encouragement, support, love, shoulders to cry on, ears to vent to, etc. etc. Little did we know, those incredible friends were just around the corner. We had attended our church while in college, so we had a few friends from our time then. The music minister and his wife were having a baby the same time we were. (Today is their son's birthday, by the way - happy birthday, Mayer!) That in itself was a blessing - to be going through the same season of life together. Through every step of our first year of parenthood, we have been through it together. Through our first year of ministry at TDF, they have encouraged us and showed us the ropes. Carrie is the one I am running the half marathon with next month. We have been training together. If it wasn't for her, I probably would not be doing it. Not only did Aaron and I get friends, but Desmond has his very best friend in their son, Mayer. They are two peas in a pod!

They are such a wonderful family - and its not just the 3 of them. Since both Aaron and my family are far away, for the most part, their families have adopted us as their own. Carrie's whole family lives here and attend our church. Her parents have become Desmond's adopted grandparents...and Carrie's sister, Katie and her husband have become great friends as well. To say the least, we could not be more grateful for them!

Last, but certainly not least, my mom is one of my best friends. There will be a more in-depth post about her later. For now, she is one of my biggest supporters, and always has been. .She prays for me and lifts me up. She has been and still is a wonderful example for me to follow. I love my momma!

Lots to update

We have a lot to catch up on, so here we go!!!!!!!!
Last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, we took 40 TDF students and 8 adults to Paoli, Indiana for a ski/snowboarding/tubing trip. We got in late Friday night and hung out for a while and also had a "re-image session." All day Saturday we ski'd, snowboarded and tubed. I decided to ski - it was my 2nd time going - and I had a blast. I'm getting better at it! I'd love to live somewhere I could go more often, but I'll take my once a year trip for now. I took a couple of tough spills and was very sore Sunday and Monday, but it was well worth the adrenaline rush! I love it! I also got to spend some time on the slopes with my hubby which was nice. He taught me to do new things (thus a few of the spills I took), but it was fun to be with him. Most importantly from the weekend, our lives were changed. We used the "ski trip" as our winter retreat. Aaron "spoke" from his heart 3 times and our students' hearts were tender to the Word of God. Lives were changed - hearts and minds were molded, "re-imaged." Thank you, Lord for a mostly injury-free trip, but for helping us realize how we can be more like you!
We returned home Sunday afternoon and mom and dad came in late Sunday night. There is a youth pastor's conference going on in Nashville, so dad has been attending that while mom has hung out with Des and myself. Aaron's mom was also in town (expecting the delivery of my sister-in-law's baby girl), and she didn't have her before she left for home. We have had several adventures in these few short days. Let me just let you in on a few of them.
Monday, we spent some time with  Aaron's mom, sister, and niece...along with my mom. We had a nice lunch and visited for a while before she had to fly out. Mom went with me to go get Max - he's a 6 year old boy that I get from school and spend a couple of hours with until his parents get home. He has a 13 year old brother, Alex, and an 18 year old sister, Casie. Because of all of the pointless snowdays, they have extended the school days 30 minutes for a couple of months to make up the days. So, we headed out a little later than usual to get him. We picked him up and headed to his house. When we pulled in the driveway, their garage door was open. Weird! I tried calling his parents to see if they perhaps just forgot to close the door when they left...no answer. So, we sat there for a second and then decided to head on inside.
As we entered the house from the garage, we noticed the lights were on! Then....we heard footsteps upstairs! We darted out of there! When I say darted, I mean we have never run so fast back to the car in all of our lives!  Mom stood erect next to the house thinking whoever it was couldn't see her if she was under the overhang. I shoved Max in the car - literally, SHOVED - mom was screaming at me to get in the car and call 911. Mom sat in the front passenger seat and I DOVE in on TOP of her. My legs still hanging out the car, the nice 911 man (lets call him George) answered. Max didn't know his address...and all I knew was the street name. I finally wiggled and squirmed to the driver's seat (probably hurting mom in the meantime) and pulled out of the driveway.
George assured me the police were on their way and when it was safe, we needed to get away from the house. I pulled in front of the house next door to where I could pull away if Mr. Robber came running out of the house. We noticed all of the lights were on throughout the house and there was a strange car parked next door. Mom SCREAMED the license plate number and I tried to calmly repeat it to George. Mom tried relentlessly to get a hold of Max's parents and I stayed on the phone with George - Max prayed in the back seat. After about 10-12 minutes of waiting, 4 police cars pulled up and they piled out. One of them stood behind a tree - gun pulled, staring at the front door. One went darting through the garage after Mr. Robber and another was pulling a HUGE rifle out of the trunk to use on him. After several minutes (seemed like an eternity) of them searching the house, the front door finally opened. They had him! The police officers escorted him out....Max's older brother, Alex! WHAT!?!?!? Are you kidding me? Come to find out, instead of Alex and Casie going 30 minutes late, they were going 30 minutes early to school. Casie had dropped Alex off and then headed to play practice...forgetting to close the garage door in the meantime.
Well, our heart rates were through the roof and blood pressure sky high - all for nothing. We could have made it a much more interesting ending, but I'm glad it wasn't. I'm just so glad mom was with me and we were able to have the right state of mind to do all the "right" things. WHEW! My blood pressure is up just reliving the story to you...and that's only MONDAY!

Yesterday, my sister-in-law had a dr's appointment early, so she brought my niece over for me to watch her. I went and picked up the other little girl I watch, so mom and I had 3 little ones. We had to run an errand at a friend's house and when we were on our way home, heard that they were going to break my SIL's water. I was going to have a new niece! Kaylee Ann was born at 3:04, weighing in at 8 lbs and 11 oz and was 21 1/4 inches long...I think. She is beautiful and perfect! Everyone is doing well...grandkid number 8 on Aaron's side! 

Needless to say, it has been an exciting, eventful past few days. Mom and dad head out today, but will be baack soon. That's all for now...toodaloo!

Out of Touch

I have been out of touch with the cyber world this week. I have had a husband still on the mend from having his tonsils removed, a 1 year old with another tooth coming in, not to mention we painted our bonus room last week! Needless to say, it has been crazy around this house. This week isn't looking to be much different. Aaron is feeling better, but still not 100%. We have rescheduled our ski trip from last month to this coming weekend. Des will be staying with his Mawmaw and Pawpaw (Curt and Mary Holland) - they are his "adopted" grandparents here in Nashville. I am looking forward to a great weekend with our TDF teens!Des and I went to Pleasant View Christian's basketball game last week. That is the school I taught and coached at last year. We got to watch our girls win...and advance to the finals of the state tournament! I am so proud of them! Des was there last year, too, but he was only a week old! Here are some pictures of Des and me at the game. What a big boy I have!!

  Mommy, do you think I can play basketball someday? Well, for now, I'll just play with these fun colorful rings...they taste pretty good!

 

Look at all of those teeth!

 

Despite what daddy thinks, he is a momma's boy!

I'm sure I will have pictures from this weekend...for now, that's all folks! Have a blessed week.