June 2014 – The Bless Your Heart Blog

Random Rambles

We’ve been fighting off the ick around here. It started in the kids as (what I thought were) just little allergies. Now, they both have full blown upper respiratory infections. BOO. We’re going to see some VERY important little people next week so we must, must, must be well! Pray for us, would ya?!

Cutest sick guy around... — Cutest sick guy around…

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My to-do list to be able to leave and see those VERY important little people is a little extensive, ahem.

Just a few things... — Just a few things…

This is it. It’s taped to the bedroom door. It touches the floor. And doesn’t include the basic things such as packing/snacks/cleaning/baking. Come on supernatural mom powers!

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Wryder hasn’t had much appetite lately thanks to the ick. He did, however, master some fork skills yesterday.

Green beans on a fork are way better than green beans with your fingers, just sayin’…

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We have a new bucket calf around the place. Sawyer named him Fuzzy and he is doggone CUTE!

He may have to find another place to live thanks to our cross country road trip but for now, he’s a lot of fun!

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In the past two years, our yard has gained some ~~pesky little~~ visitors. IF we had sod everywhere and IF they weren’t so cute, we’d have already eradicated these little boogers so they didn’t completely destroy the place.

They’re quite fun to watch but they sure don’t let you get too close. I’ve tried to sneak Sawyer out there several times with no luck. She’s set up a spy shack in the playroom to catch a glimpse of them out the window. We’ll see how it goes.

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Sawyer is in looooooooove with the story of Cinderella. She recently discovered that we had the book and I can’t count the number of times we’ve read it. She now has it memorized, voices and all. It’s pretty impressive! I’m thinking her Goo Goo is gonna think that’s the bees knees…

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July is one of my favorite cow-buying months…because they don’t buy a lot of cows. 🙂 We get Wrexy to ourselves for 14 out of the next 16 days. Well, I mean we’ll share him a little bit with the rest of the fam, including these sweeties.

The boys are doing soooooo well…miraculously well! I can’t even begin to tell you all of the ways the Lord has poured out His favor on these five. We can not WAIT to officially meet them and cuddle them and physically witness the miracle they are. He is good and what He does is good.

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We’re headed up to pack Sawyer’s suitcase. Poor kid has only asked about it everyday for about 10 days now. She’s a little excited. So we’re gonna pack and clean house and hopefully sneak in a nap…and pray that the tornadoes stay away for the day. Then we gotta tackle the rest of that to-do list. WE CAN DO IT! (said in the voice of the mice on Cinderella)…

Nine Years Ago Today

Nine years ago today, our friends and family joined together in my grandparent’s backyard in central Texas…

Nine years ago today, I walked down the aisle with my grandad, brother and dad on my arm…

Nine years ago today, I joined my hubby under an old pecan tree…

Nine years ago today, he never took his eyes off of me the whole ceremony…

Nine years ago today, I lived out a girlhood dream and married my prince charming…I did good!

June 25, 2005 - Comanche, Texas — June 25, 2005 – Comanche, Texas

I was thinking last night about how well he honors me, and the Lord laid a thought in my heart that I can only attempt to aspire to…………I want to be the woman he treats me like I am.

According to Wrex…through his words, his actions, his prayers…I’m the most beautiful woman on the planet. I have nothing to hide, nothing to be ashamed of, just lots to flaunt. I have no reason to be insecure and every reason to be confident and outgoing. I’m the best cook in the history of the world and few can give me a run for my money. I’m the mom of the year! The way he brags on me to the children and reminds them of how blessed they are to have me bolsters my resolve. I’m intelligent and well-spoken…my words mean something and are worthy of listening ears. I’m his favorite person to hang out with, his favorite hobby, his favorite helper, his favorite.

If I acted and spoke and lived how he treats me…how the Lord sees me…instead of getting tangled in the web of lies in my head, oh man……

I am so in love with you, Wrexy. After choosing Christ to rule my life, marrying you was the best decision I ever made. Being in covenant with you has been an honor and a joy more days than it has been anything else. You are a dream come true…a husband that is better than I ever knew existed or that I thought I would have. I love you more today than I did nine years ago – and that’s saying a lot!

Thank you for choosing me then and now.

One of the doves we released - one of W's favorite parts of our wedding! — One of the doves we released – one of W’s favorite parts of our ceremony!

Thank you for showing such amazing love to me.

Thank you for changing my family tree. Here’s to 99 more….

Off to our honeymoon - oh yeah! — Off to our honeymoon – oh yeah!

DIY: Gourmet S’mores

I mentioned yesterday that we cooked up some gourmet s’mores ’round the fire pit this weekend…and they were delish! I mean, the classic s’more is pretty hard to beat, but I nosed around and found a few others that we think might take the cake.

The Nutty Buddy

graham cracker

marshmallow

peanut butter cup

The Salted Caramel

graham cracker

chocolate/caramel square (Ghirardelli or Caramello)

sea salt

marshmallow

Mexican Hot Chocolate

graham cracker

chocolate

marshmallow

cinnamon

nutmeg

The Grasshopper

graham cracker

peppermint patty

marshmallow

Two we didn’t try (but I definitely think we should have) are:

The Samoa

graham cracker

chocolate/caramel square

toasted coconut

marshmallow

The Nutella

graham cracker

chocolate

spread of Nutella

marshmallow

My favorite was the Salted Caramel – man it was good! The Nutty Buddy and the Grasshopper were popular as well…but, really, IS there a bad s’more?!

I created a little menu for our occasion and I’ll attach it here so you can download and print for your next fire feast. (Click on the image and then right click to save)

If you have a yummy s’more recipe to share, please do…there’s still lots of summer left!

Fun with the Faalands

Oh, friends…we had such a wonderful weekend! My girl bestie and her family came in from Denver. The last time she was here was the weekend Wryder was born and she brought a little surprise with her…she had a baby on the way! This time, sweet baby E made the trip and she did awesome!

Sawyer was in love, obviously, just like the rest of us. They played toys and hugged…

played on the playground…and just had a good ole time!

Aunt Dessa even let Sawyer help feed her!

Wryder just held her hand…

Uncle Ryan read some Cinderella…

and Wryder fell in love with his Auntie D! From the minute he laid eyes on her, he was done for! All weekend, he’d smile and wave and blow kisses; he’d walk to HER and not me when we were practicing…it was all Dessa, all weekend.

We ventured out to do chores and to let baby E experience a little farm life.

I’m not sure she knew quite what to think of all of those stinky, noisy guys!She was a trooper, that one!

We watched a movie during naptime and then we got the kids ready for a little water fun!

We didn’t realize that our little pool blew away during the last storm (we’ve been a little busy, ok?! 😉 ) so we had to improvise with a sprinkler and a tarp.

Sawyer and Wryder were all about it…miss E? Not so much. 🙂

She chose to sunbathe with mom and then go inside for another little snooze.

Wryder had a ball crawling all over the yard and playing in the water!

By Saturday night, the kids were pooped! We put them in bed and headed out to the fire pit. It was a gorgeous evening! There was a breeze, it was a tick chilly, thunderstorms were all around us, we were amongst amazing company…we toasted some marshmallows and indulged in some gourmet s’mores – salted caramel anyone?! Oh my – they were delish! It was a good ending to a good day!

I was so sad for Sunday afternoon to roll around…I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye. Sweet Tredessa is truly one in a million; irreplaceable, in my book. She has been such an important part of my life, during the most important parts of my life. She was the friend I never thought existed; the friend I thought I would never (or could ever) have. The Lord crossed our paths in some small ways and then BIG ways and I am so glad He did.

She’s been a roommate, a leader, a mentor, a counselor, a sister…she helped me birth my sweet Sawyer (and wasn’t too traumatized to remain my friend after)…she’s been my party throwing co-host, my photographer, my invitation/Christmas card designer…she’s shared her family with me, her time with me, her life with me. This girl has more wisdom and faith than anyone else her age and I soak it up every chance I get. She’s my favorite person to solve the problems of the world with…and trust me, we get it all figured out! For years I said I wanted to be just like her when I grow up…still do.

Being farther away is hard and we each have our own families and lives but she is in my heart. Always in my heart…

We had so much fun with you guys! You are most welcome here ANY time, you easy house guests, you!

Let’s Ride

As I mentioned last week, I have some fantastic company coming in for the weekend so we all piled in and went with Wrexy to the sale barn yesterday so I could stock the pantry. Since we were in town, we decided to treat the kids to a few surprises.

We went swimming at the big pool at Cody Park, looked at all the animals and then we went to ride the rides – one of Sawyer’s favorite things, oh, EVER. We’ve been there a few times…

but she’s always up to go again!

We have been so excited to take Wryder because we thought he would just love it! He was intrigued at first…

But he did NOT like the carousel…at all. He rode on the horse for about 20 seconds and then clung tightly to Wrex’s neck for the duration of the ride.

We were shocked! He’s our little dare devil so we were certain he’d love the rides…we were wrong.

He spend most of this ride just like this…

When he wasn’t hiding his face, he just looked concerned…

He didn’t care much for the train either.

I'm doing this for you, mom — I’m doing this for you, mom

Every time he’d come around to the section we were watching from, he’d wave his hands and talk gibberish, as if asking us to come get him.

Sawyer rode every ride, of course. Her favorite was one that spun round and round and made her “busy.”

It was one of those days you just want to do over and over again…I’m guessing we will before summer is over. Don’t tell Wryder. 😉

Moooooove Over Monday

Mondays always kind of make me blue. I love weekends with my family and I dread Wrexy going back to work for the week. This weekend was no exception…we had a really fun time celebrating him.

Sawyer is kind of like her mom and gets really excited about events and functions so we decorated a little for daddio. Surprise, surprise, I know. She wanted to throw him a cow birthday party but we were in Denver that weekend so we decided to throw him a cow Father’s Day!

The cards at the top are bidding cards they use at the sale barn and then I just found a cow template I liked and made the bunting.

More bidding cards turned into silverware holders

He was so cute and appreciative of all of our hard work. I went to take everything down last night and he asked me to leave them up one more day. So many reasons to love that man…

On Saturday, we did a little shopping and then ran to town to celebrate the birthdays of two sweet friends from church. The second party was a pool party and we got in a few good minutes of swimming before the storm clouds started rolling in. The kids are both little fish so it was a lot of fun. If we lived in town, we’d be at the pool every day, no doubt…

On Sunday, the kiddos surprised daddy with sweet shirts that we ordered that said, “I love my daddy.”

Wryder was still a little tired from the parties the day before and was none to excited about having his picture taken.

I am not loving mommy right now... — I am not loving mommy right now…

That's a little better — That’s a little better

He did, however, take seven steps on his own! YAY! He might just walk yet!

All in all, it was a great weekend. We took daddy to eat a yummy hamburger, got a root beer float and then let him take a three hour afternoon nap. What’s better than that?!

We sure love our {cow buying} daddy!

Daddio

Happy Father’s Day, handsome!

I don’t say this because I have to or because I’m your wife or because it’s what I’m supposed to say…I say this because I mean it and I believe it…..you’re the best dad I’ve ever met.

You are consistent and unwavering in your love for our children. You don’t love them based on behaviors or actions or attitudes; it’s completely unconditional, no strings attached…you love them just because they are.

You teach them the ways of the Lord and pray for them and over them and with them. You are leaving a legacy of the fear of the Lord because of your love for Him and how you mirror His love to them.

You are gentle, firm and steady; disciplining and teaching in love. I am so glad that I don’t worry about the kids with you; you are slow to anger and abounding in love…a safe place for them to fall.

You are eager to give them different life experiences and allow them to try new things and new adventures.You never reject their cuddles or hugs or showers of affection…you embrace them! You encourage their loving kindness and they love the reciprocation.You are unafraid to be silly with them and take part in the things that are important to them. We talk often about what’s big in their lives, as you always want to be involved and aware.

You’re never embarrassed by us or make us feel like a burden when we tag along to the sale barn or ranch visit. We know it’s a lot more work with three other bodies around so thank you for always making the time and effort for us.

You’re such a teammate and help to me. From the day they were each born, there’s never a job that you put into my category as ‘mom’…everything is fair game and you help me more than any other spouse I know of. Thank you for that. I love that you want to be a part of the mundane tasks of child rearing and not just the more glamorous ones.

You are gentle and kind, never harsh or demanding. You’re never too tired to play and you do a tremendous job of making us a priority.You love their mommy and you show them that through your words and actions and support; they have a strong sense of security because of that.

Being a dad is no easy task. Society has made it increasingly hard for men to be worthy role models and leaders. There are so many ideas and distractions and dreams and lies and sins fighting for their attention. There is a world and a devil ready to devour them at the drop of a hat. There is a media that sets out to dumb them down and disgrace them…it’s not an easy time to be a man or father. THANK YOU for fighting to do it so well. We celebrate you today! We sing your praises at the city gates! You are a man of noble character, integrity and loyalty, with high esteem for his family. Your greatest mission field in this season is your home and we are living proof that Jesus is alive in you!

Thank you for loving the Lord and allowing Him to shape you into a father after His own heart.

Thank you for loving us so selflessly, so unabashedly, so completely.

Thank you for providing for us so well and for never being afraid of a little hard work.

Thank you for making us feel so safe and secure; you are our rock.

Happy Father’s Day, honey. I am so proud to be the mother of your children.

And Happy Father’s Day to my dad!

Thank you for all you always did for our family to make sure we provided for. Wish we were celebrating together today…we love you!!

Happy Father’s Day, men!

Random Rambles

Sawyer has had me in stitches today!! It’s so funny what kids hear and interpret… She was hanging out with her buddy Caiden the other day and they were discussing the neighbor’s dog, Pepper.

Pepper is getting up there in age and doesn’t have much of her hearing left, poor thing. According to Sawyer, which is according to Caiden, Pepper lost her “earring” and has been looking for it.

I’m pretty sure she meant ‘hearing,’ I’m just not sure which kid was confused first!

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We were eating lunch and she had another funny misunderstanding!

Sawyer: Remember when we played wedding the other day? What was your favorite part?

Me: I liked the rehearsal dinner you hosted.

Sawyer: And what else?

Me: I liked taking pictures of you in your wedding dress?

Sawyer: And what else?

Me: Well, those were my two favorite things…

Sawyer: I thought you liked the part where they say, “You may now kiss the prize!”

I like her thinking…. 😉

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We’ve been working on a few Father’s Day surprises around here.

Sawyer answered these questions about her daddy yesterday. I think these were made to get funny answers but our little smarty knew all the right ones.

Today, they colored special pictures…

The tongue helps you stay in the lines... — The tongue helps you stay in the lines

We’ve got to finish wrapping presents, bake a cake and then do a little decorating…that may or may not involve cow cutouts and bidding cards.

These are steers, not cows, but you get the point... — These are steers, not cows, but you get the point

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I was doing laundry earlier and was thinking how much effort it really wasn’t. I just toss the clothes in the white box, pour in some soap and shut the lid! Same with drying; toss them in the other white box, shut the door and away I go! I remember my grandma talking about washing clothes with a washboard and wringer…with four kids. We don’t have a clue. It’s just another reason (in my book) that we don’t have any excuses as parents to not spend good one-on-one, life-investing time with our kids. We most definitely have more distractions than our elders, but not near as much necessary work.

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Sawyer has been interested in weather for a while now. Probably because I’ve had my eye on it a few times here in the last couple of months. Today, she found her microphone and started playing “weather girl.” Before I knew it, she had gotten her map out of her desk and was really going to town! I hung it up for her so she could “stand in front of it like they do on TV.”

I’ll have to get a video of her forecasting; she’s pretty good!

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The sod has rooted down nicely and the flowers are really taking off!

Chickens won't eat these - hallelujah — Chickens won’t eat these – hallelujah

Wrexy sprayed weeds around the property this morning and it’s time to mow again if the dew will stay down and the sun will shine a little. So thankful for all of this mildness and moisture, though…

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We have a busy weekend ahead of us…two birthday parties, a cow to breed, Father’s Day celebrations, yard work, giving daddy a day of rest (and a bunch of History/Discovery channel watching)…

And then…next weekend…the girl bestie and her family are coming to visit!!! We are so excited we can hardly see straight!

It’s been too long! Praying the weekend drags on and on and on…

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Happy Thursday!

Our Humble Abode: Living Room

I feel so troubled…I can’t find the before pics of the living room anywhere! I’ve looked on two computers and a flash drive – what happened to them!?

Close your eyes and imagine white walls…and then pick up a rag and smear some yellow brown paint in a circular motion on said walls – THAT would’ve been the living room. The floor was fine and the wood work was good, it just needed some paint!

After:

Our living room changes a bit from time to time, both in arrangement and details. It’s shaped really funny and I’m always arranging and rearranging trying to find the setup I like best. This is where I’ve landed for now. Things are decorated a little on the Americana side – summer just screams that to me.

DSCF2090 — Other side, from the kitchen…

From the north wall... — From the north wall…

I have lots of little vintagey things displayed in crates that are kind of fun…

The stars are old carpenter’s rulers that Wrex shaped into stars for me. I swiped the July 4th printables off a Pinterest site and added some touches of red and turquoise.

I found this gorgeous fabric at a yard sale this past weekend. It’s thick, red-striped canvas and totally reminded me of Old Glory…

Wrex built this tree for me out of scrap wood and it’s one of my favorite things in the room. I keep thinking I’m going to get sick of it, but so far it hasn’t happened.

I used flashcards to make the bunting…

and scrap fabric to make this wreath stand out a bit.

This is command central for all things preschool/Cubbies/blogging/bill paying, etc., can you tell?!

We made this chicken wire bulletin board and have been using it as a prayer board for a few years now. It’s just a simple reminder to intercede for the people we have tacked up there…

Where the blog magic happens... — Where the blog magic happens…

I love these Ikea hanging systems. So handy!

We made the big star out of yardstick around Christmas and I threw it up there for summer. Our TV stand is an old dresser we bought from some friends. We sanded it to rustic it up, added some funky paint and fabric and voila – I love it!

Our light fixtures in the living room are old minnow buckets we found at a flea market. They, too, are one of my faves!

I hope you enjoyed our little living room tour! We’re headed to enjoy some summer outside!

Life in the Light

We fell in love with this place at dusk and it’s still my favorite time of day here…

While we were out doing chores tonight, Wrex called me into the hen house. We’ve had a momma sitting on eggs for a while now and he decided to check in on her. We have some roosters so there was a good possibility that she would hatch some chicks.

We got out the cell phone flashlight to take a peak…

We found a pleasant, awe-inspiring surprise!

How awesome is that?! We could even see him/her moving around inside that amniotic goodness.

I so clearly see the hand of the Lord IN His creation. Tonight was no exception…

Thankful to live in rural America…

Thankful to be surrounded by life…

Thankful He reveals Himself to us…