Thankful Day 30

This photo has nothing to do with the rest of the post. I just think it is funny. The boys and their cousin JT played costumes all weekend, and this is one of them. J takes it very seriously.

Sunday is Kids Eat Free at Buffalos. I am very thankful for that. Here is what J Man is thankful for.

His prayer at supper: "Dear Jesus, thank you for this food, and [peeking with one eye] thank you for the robot on that t.v. Amen."

In joy, Troye

Thankful Days

Catching up...

Day 19. Friends- wow! I am overwhelmed just thinking about all of the amazing friends that I have.
Day 20. My kitchen- I spend the majority of my day there and love every minute of it. Okay, so I wish it was self cleaning. I don't enjoy that part, but every other moment I love my kitchen.
Day 21. My Kitchenaid mixer
Day 22. My Kitchenaid food Processor- I REALLY do not know how I EVER survived before I had this. The Man got this for me for Christmas about three years ago, and it was my favorite Christmas present ever. I know most of you would prefer jewelry or chocolates, but give me a kitchen tool any day of the week, and I am putty in your hands, Baby. I use the food processor on a daily basis often cleaning it and using it multiple times for one meal. There are so many things that I never even attempted in the kitchen that are now so easy and I do on a regular basis. Love it love it love it!!! If you don't have one, put a GOOD one on your Christmas list this year. You will not regret it!!!
Day 23. DVR- I love never having to watch commercials and being able to sit down at the telly and watch what I want to watch whenever I want to watch it.
Day 24. Wood burning fireplace.
Day 25. A gas starter on the wood burning fire place! I would never build a fire by myself if I had to build it from "scratch."
Day 26. Sewing Machine and Embroidery Machine- my creative outlets. I don't use them as often as I would like, but I am very thankful to have them when I am feeling crafty.
Day 27. The unsewer (otherwise known as a seam ripper). I would NEVER be able to use the items listed on Day 26 if it were not for the unsewer. I am even better at unsewing as I am at sewing.
Day 28. See yesterday's post... I'm thankful for food!!!!!
Today. I am thankful for lazy days to hang out with my family and play!

In joy, Troye

in one word...

This is a one word meme from my friend Laura. She and I went to high school together, and although we were friends, we never really knew that we had anything specific in common- and we might not have Then. We have recently reconnected via the almighty Facebook, and have realized that we have very similar interests. It has been so much fun reconnecting with her. You can meet her too... Check out her super fun blog!!!

And, Nikki, Kristina, Andrea, Amy, Susannah, Kimberly, Sharon, and Anna, consider yourselves tagged!



Where is your mobile phone? purse

Where is your significant other? basement

Your hair color? brown

Your mother? do-er

Your father? giver

Your favorite thing? kiddos

Your dream last night? nada

Your dream goal? happiness

The room you’re in? living room

Your hobby? one?

Your fear? rejection

Where do you want to be in 6 years? here

Where were you last night? home

What you’re not? compassionate

One of your wish-list items? grain mill

Where you grew up? Athens

The last thing you did? cook

What are you wearing? glasses

Your TV? tube

Your pets? crazy

Your computer? laptop

Your mood? drained

Missing someone? friends

Your car? mom

Something you’re not wearing? earrings

Favorite shop? Williams-Sonoma

Your summer? short

Love someone? yep

Your favorite color? can't

When is the last time you laughed? today

When is the last time you cried? clueless



In joy, Troye

Thanksgiving Day Fun

Since I have gotten REALLY behind on my thankfulness month, I just decided to fill you in on my Thanksgiving day and play catch up later. But yesterday, I was thankful for SO many things, but i must admit that one of them was yummy, yummy, good food. Anyone who knows me knows that I like- no LOVE- to eat!!! I will try to list all the things that I ate yesterday- and not sit here and feel bloated...

Turkey

Dressing (twice)

Gravy (twice)

Cranberry sauce (twice)

Sweet Potato casserole

Stuffed olives

Green bean casserole (twice)

Mashed potatoes

apple pie

pecan pie

Butter beans

Corn

Scalloped apples

pumpkin pie

Macaroni and cheese

Fried Okra

That might be it. I'm not sure. I'm going for a run now!!!

My youngest child also LOVES to eat. He might even have me beat in the appreciation of food category. He also loves to play- and this motorized Dora car was a rip- roaring good time yesterday. But one would hate to have to stop eating to drive. :) Check it out!!! Enjoy!

In joy, Troye!

Finally...Susannah's Fave Things

All rightie Girls! Here is is finally. It has only taken me two weeks to get this together.

And, by the way, today I am thankful for finally finishing this post. So, here goes...

My friend Susannah moved to California two weeks ago.

On her last Girls' Night, she made us promise not to do anything special. "No goodbyes." So, we didn't say goodbye, we just hosted "Susannah's Favorite Things."While we ate dinner (chicken lettuce wraps and egg rolls), we brought out her first box of her favorite things.

Mango Body Butter from The Body Shop (and I must agree it is a little slice of heaven!)

And Sea Salt Caramel Truffles from Scoops.

After dinner, we brought out round 2.

A chick-fil-a pez dispenser

Cute kitchen gloves

Cranberry room spray

And, cute gift cards.

After supper, we all sat around the coffee table and shared a variety of cakes from a local bakery. Chocolate Raspberry. Chocolate Chocolate. Some other Chocolate. And, Banana Cream.
The finale...

A Williams-Sonoma Holiday Cookbook.

A set of ramekins.

And, a recipe book full of Susannah's favorite recipes that we each contributed.



Here is the gang.


Susannah, Anna (and Dylan), Amy, Kimberly, Kristina, and me.

New Twilight Trailer

One- eight (That's kinderspeak for 18)

I am thankful for teachers. For all the wonderful- and not so great- teachers that I had over the years. For the teachers that the boys have now, and for all the faithful who give of themselves daily for our children. I get a little overwhelmed just thinking about it. I taught school for one year. And thankfully, for the sake of those children, I started having my own children, and stayed home- and out of the schools. I was not a good teacher. I loved the kiddos, but I had no clue what I was doing. It did, however, give me an even greater appreciation for the profession of teachers. There is no way y'all are paid enough or could ever be thanked enough, but just know that on this day of thankfulness, I am thankful for YOU!!!

Nope, Not me!

MckMama over at My Charming Kids blog hosts a blogroll on Mondays called Not Me Mondays. It is where you can tell what you did today (or any day for that matter), and confess what you MOST DEFINITELY DID NOT DO. I love reading these posts, but I have never posted because I NEVER have anything to admit. :)What did I do today? I went to JoAnn's to get fabric for some Christmas projects this morning, and then I went grocery shopping. I came home to intercept the boys off of the bus, then I took J Man to karate and came home and made supper. Pretty boring stuff, huh? I most definitely did NOT grocery shop at FOUR different grocery stores and still forget the one thing that The Man asked for- a simple loaf of bread. Nope, not me. I would never do that! And, I would never lie about this being the first time that I would have a "Not me" to post. Nope, not me!!!Check out what other people did not do today over at My Charming Kids.

Day 17- I'm thankful!

Only my best of friends get to see me like this (so if you are reading this post, you may now consider yourself a BFF)...

My hair has always been a constant source of irritation. Even at the height of my "townie" days, when I was trying my hardest to make it look like I didn't care about my appearance, and I didn't do anything else to enhance my appearance, I still had to "fix" my hair every day. I have very course, wirey hair. Back in the day I had to completely blow dry my hair- about 15 minutes with an ultra powerful dryer (and I shoot through at least a couple a year)- and then hot roll it to get any sort of manageability. This is what I look like after a complete blow dry (and let me just tell you this grows throughout the day here in the humid south).

About five years ago, I discovered the new and improved straightening iron. I have been through about four of these as well, but they are a necessity in my life. I generally have to use a pretty expensive one because of the damage that I do adding so much heat to my hair on a daily basis. But, here it is: My Precious!!!!!!!

And, here is the after shot. It takes only about five minutes to accomplish a straight, flat, shinier look.


And, there you have it. I am thankful for my flat iron and for the hair stylist whose name I can't remember in Savannah, who first introduced me to the new and improved styling tool.
And, yes, I am trivial enough that I have already posted TWO thankfulness days about my hair.

A Day late and a Dollar Short...

Day 15: I am so thankful for family. I know I have already mentioned several individual members of my fam, but for the sake of being completely redundant, I want to mention them again, this time as a group. The boys and I got to go hang out with my parents and brother and sister Saturday. It was so much fun just being relaxed, watching the boys climb trees and enjoying one another.

Day 16: To be redundant again, I am thankful for my sister. Yesterday was her birthday. She turned a quarter of a century. REALLY OLD!
I can't believe that I don't have a photo of my little sis anywhere on this computer. I will have to check our files and load one later.
Happy Birthday, Naomi!!!! We love you!

Playing Catch up

Day 11: I am thankful that I signed up for Thankfulness blogging month.

Day 13: I am thankful for all the things that keep me so busy- even though they keep me from blogging daily during thankfulness month like I should- my boys, and their classrooms, cooking, hanging with my peeps, getting my hair cut... Which by the way, I am also thankful for Vikki, my stylist, who cuts my hair in order to help it grow out. Kind of a paradox, huh?

Day 14: I'm thankful for family night with the boys...

Check this out!




In joy, Troye

Funny!

According to The Slogan Generator, here is my slogan... What is yours?

Your Slogan Should Be

Have You Ever had a Bad Time in Troye?

The Slogan Generator

And, I'm a comma,

You Are a Comma

You are open minded and extremely optimistic. You enjoy almost all facets of life. You can find the good in almost anything. You keep yourself busy with tons of friends, activities, and interests. You find it hard to turn down an opportunity, even if you are pressed for time. Your friends find you fascinating, charming, and easy to talk to. (But with so many competing interests, you friends do feel like you hardly have time for them.) You excel in: Inspiring people You get along best with: The Question Mark

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

On the 12th Day of Thankfulness...

...My web friend sent to me,

a quilt that she made in a tree.

Okay she probably didn't make it in a tree, but she did make it just for me. I participated in a lap quilt swap through Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing Group.

This is the quilt that was sent to me.

And, this is the quilt that I sent to Naphtali in Minnesota. How cute are her fabrics? I loved how it turned out, and I hope that she enjoys it.
Thanks for the quilt, friend!!!

In joy, Troye

Day 9 on Day 11

As I catch up on thankfulness blogging, I must proclaim my gratefulness for the world wide web. Wow!!!!!! I'm speechless, and the reason for that is that I must admit that the internet makes me stupid. I am so dependent on the internet, that I don't even have word recall skills anymore. I use the web as my dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, cookbook, menu planner, phone book, tv guide, and the ultimate time waster. Just this week, I have made shortbread thumbprint cookies, white chicken chili, homemade chocolate pudding, pumpkin-apple pie, and a quilt from the pages of the world wide web. I will do most of my Christmas shopping online, and I even used to grocery shop online- darn that webvan for going out of business! I get online to catch up with friends, to stay in touch with all of you, and to come up with quick cleaning solutions.

I could go on and on, but I am running out of vocabulary thanks to the web- and my attention span is surprisingly short- so I will stop now.

In joy, Troye!

Update

I just talked to my dad, and my mom came out of surgery fine. She will be in the hospital until Thursday or Friday! Thanks for your prayers.

In joy, Troye

Boys will be Boys- Day 8 Revisited

Andrea, this is what Coleman was doing yesterday afternoon when he came to pick up the safety pins. He went straight into the backyard when he heard the boys playing. They took turns barreling down the hill and knocking each other off of the crazy coupe!

Since I am a little behind in my thankful month- the entire fam has been under the weather- this is one of my catch up thankfuls! I love that we live in a neighborhood with great neighbors whose kids feel comfortable letting themselves into the back yard to play. How great is that!!!

I am also very thankful for Coleman and Christian- Andrea's boys- who are our runners. Whenever I need to borrow something or she needs something from me, Coleman and Christian become our instant couriers. Thanks guys!!!!!!!

Thankful Days

I am so thankful for my mom. I know this is true of all of us, but no person has influenced my life and who I am more than my mother. She led me to the Lord at a young age, and she mentored me to love Him with all my heart and serve others with intensity. She not only taught me these things, but she led by example!!! She nursed me when I was sick, disciplined me when I got off track, and loved me no matter how stupid I was when I was a teenager. She spoils my boys even when I ask her not to, and she loves them quite possibly even more than she loves me. She is the best Marmie in the world. You might see her running around Athens in her car with a Marmie personalized car tag, but you will have to look fast because she doesn't slow down. She works three jobs so that she can lavish the boys with gifts, and she tirelessly serves others in her daily life and through her church.

Today, my mom is having knee replacement surgery. She is so excited because she has been in pain for a long time. Please pray for her as she goes through the surgery today and recovery over the next few weeks.

I don't tell you enough, but I love you, Mama!!!!!

Favorite Things- Surprise it's food!

Surprise! My favorite thing this week is a food. I find that unbelievable myself.

This is a new cereal that I found a Trader Joes, and it should not even be called a cereal. The milk and the bowl are not worthy of this cereal. It should be eaten straight out of the box in large handfuls!!!!
Yumm-oh!

Add one of your favorite things and put the link here...

Day 7 on the Thankful Journey

Back to cliched thankfulness, but it is so true! I am so grateful for our home. This is the first house that we have ever lived in that I have enjoyed even more the longer we have lived in it. There are always things that I want to change and improve upon, but the Lord has blessed us beyond measure with this house.

My favorite things to do in this house is entertain, so if you are reading this post, consider this your invitation to come hang with us!!!!!

Today

I am in a somewhat reflective state of mind this afternoon, so as I ponder what I want post that I am thankful for, I am inclinded to post something serious again. Deep is great. Do not get me wrong. I am thinking of multiple serious things to post right now, but I promised to keep it light this morning, so I will save the more special things for later this month.

For Day 6 of the Thankful Blogging Challenge, I would like to proclaim my gratefulness for hair dye. I know that it will come to a shock to many of you that I have to color my hair at such a young age. I have actually colored my hair since I was 22 years old when my first few grays appeared, so I have had plenty of time to come to terms with those nasty critters. I have tried every box of color available at the drug store- and I only tiger striped my hair once. The Man even helps me color at home. I have also visited many salons in my day to have professional color- and there is definitely a difference!

I know that hair dyes contain many things that are probably bad for my body, but it is one of those things that falls into the I-am-vain-enough-not-to-care category!

So, here is to Lady Clairol and the entire hair dye industry. I salute you! Thank you Lord for giving them the insight to help me avoid growing old gracefully!!!

Of course Proverbs 16:31 says, "Gray hair is a mark of distinction, the award of a God-loyal life."
Is it okay for me to ask God to reward me in some other way? Plus aren't we suppossed to watch out for pride in our lives? Does anyone else see how my head full of gray could become a source of pride? I guess I will just have to be humble and keep reaching for that bottle!!!

Today is the 6th

I recently read a blog post about gratefulness that inspired me to TRY to post something that I am thankful for every day of the month of November. Coming up with things that I am thankful for will not be the issue, but posting every day during this crazy time of year might be.
Since today is already the 6th, I have some catching up to do. I invite you to join me, fellow blogger friends. Take a moment to add a quick thankfulness post with me today, or leave your grateful comment.

My first five things (and, yes, I am going to sound a bit cliche on some of these, but I want to express what I am genuinely thankful for):

1. The gorgeous fall colors that the Lord is painting for us right now. The leaves here in the south are at the peak of color change, and it is spectacular. This is my favorite time of year for many reasons, but the beauty of the earth at this point is one of those reasons. As I sit here with my laptop looking out over my back deck, I am filled with awe at the beauty of His creation.
2. My morning cup of joe. I love spending the quiet morning moments with the Lord and a cup of coffee- especially when The Man makes the coffee before he leaves for work. There is nothing better than coming down the stairs and experiencing the aroma of fresh brewed java hitting you in the face. I'm euphoric just thinking about it.
3. While I'm at it, let me add The Man to my list! I am so thankful for my wonderful husband who loves me even when I'm a little bit crazy, who is the most fantastic father to our boys, who works all day and still comes home to work around the house, who serves the Lord in leadership at our church, and is the perfect man for me!!! LU, Babe!
4. I hate that this one is now number four, but I also need to give a shout out to my heavenly Father. I am so thankful for His unfailing love and provision in my life, and the fact that He sits on the throne no matter what is going on in my world and wraps me in His loving arms every time I fall.
5. My sweet, precious boys! I must say that it is so much easier to type that while they are still in the bed, because in about half an hour, the words sweet and precious might not be the adjectives that I would use. I am so blessed to be able to parent them and love them. I was talking to a new mommy yesterday (my friend, Anna, who had her sweet boy, Dylan, on my birthday last week) about those early feelings of motherhood where you feel overwhelmed that the Lord would even entrust these little boogers to you. I remember nursing J and thinking what did I do to deserve this blessing in my life? And now, there are some days that I just think... What did I do to deserve this? Just kidding, boys!!!

So, that gets me through yesterday. Now that I have that done, I think the most difficult thing about this challenge will be narrowing it down to the things that I am most grateful for without being overly cliche. I promise to add some random, fun things to the list as well- just to keep all three of you reading. :)

These Boots are Made for Walkin'

Ta Da...

Here are the boots. They are apparantly really fun to wear.

Flora and Jaxon did not think that these boots were made for walking. It is difficult to walk in boots that come up to your hips.
And, ironically, the boots that I ended up with are the same ones that The Man chose in brown instead of red.
When we shopped yesterday, I found the boots for $110 at DSW, but I wanted to keep shopping to make sure they were the boots that I really wanted. Then we stopped by Macy's on our way back to DSW, and I found the same boots for $99. Woo Hoo- a $10 savings.

When I got in line to purchase, the sweet lady in front of me had extra coupons to be used with a credit card, and she gave me her $25 off of a $100 purchase. So, I grabbed a pair of socks to get over the $100 mark. I wasn't sure if they would let me even use the coupon since I was paying cash, but it was worth a try. Leroy, the sales clerk, agreed to let me use the coupon, and then the boots rang up to $127.

Oh no!!!!! The sale tag said $99. Leroy also agreed to give me the marked price even though they had been mis-marked. Then Yolanda took over the transaction and said that since they were having to adjust the price anyway that they could just make the boots $100 so that I could use the coupon and not have to buy the socks.

Sooooooooo (drum roll please), the total price of my originally $110 pair of boots was $79.50!!!!!!!!!
I love a great deal!!!!!

Happy Birthday to me!

Ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted a pair of cowboy boots. Specifically red cowboy boots, and for some reason I want to wear them with a skirt.

The Man has always thought I was crazy. Well, that is kind of an understatement, but he thinks I am even crazier for wanting a pair of cowboy boots.

The joke for years has been that I am more than welcome to get a pair as long as I wear them in the bedroom- and that is all I am wearing.

The following poem is what he gave me for my birthday...

For years and years you’ve asked
So finally I’ve agreed
But I’m obviously not up to task
Hence this “poem” from me

I didn’t have a clue
Where to find these things
I’ve looked amongst the shoes
But didn’t find a thing

I found big manly ones
And small dainty ones too
But none as red and shiny
As the ones I want for you

So take this cold hard cash
And go shopping for the loot
But remember our standing deal
And wear nothing but the boots!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
I LOVE YOU!!

Along with this photo and a hundred dollar bill attached.
So, today, I am going shopping with Susannah
and Kristina for my boots. I may concede that red boots with a skirt may not be the best fashion choice, but there is nothing wrong with a pair of black or brown boots, right?
Don't answer that!!!