Ever feel like you are at the bottom of the candy bowl?

That's how I feel...I got nothing today.

Enjoy your day...Happy Halloween...eat lots of candy (I'm sure I will).

Who ya gonna call?

He might be your guy....he works for the "Howling Hospital" and his credentials don't just say M.D., they say Super M.D.



If you need his services, the number to call is 1-888-HELPINU.

A Verse for today...

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

May you find peace today in Christ Jesus.

Oh, the Pressure

I am kind-of distracted this week trying to win a few giveaways.

So, I thought I would turn the pressure over to all of you.

Aren't you thrilled?

I want to know for those of you who blog, why did you begin blog and do you still blog for the same reasons as when you started. Also, if you are a blogger, is it still as fun for you today as it was back then.

And don't worry, those of you who don't blog, I still have a question for you.

You don't get off the hook that easy.

So, if you don't blog, why don't you blog or why did you blog and then quit?

Inquiring minds want to know.

I'm on the edge of my sit waiting...and trying to win a few things.

Weekend in Review

This weekend was all about family.

The D-Family to be exact.

We spent the weekend as a family up on the Hill.

We had several reasons for being there.

1. I had to check out the King's handy work. I will have to say, "Hail to the Chief for a job well done." I may or may not have scheduled an appointment with him.

2. We had to see if the Razorbacks could pull off a win...not so much...but at least D-Man was happy as he ate everything at the stadium. I guess it was from all this exercise with Husband.

3. The D-House needed to have a restful weekend away from the craziness that is our life...and in D-Man's world this included a hotel with Mommy and Daddy all to himself.

I really expected to get more photos this weekend, but I was not successful. Have no fear, though, D-Man was there to pick up the slack for me.

Happy Monday!

Much Wonderfulness

The door is open.

We walk through.

The smells overpower.

The sights are many.

And our adventure has only just begun.

Easy read, chapters, pictures and more make it all more special.

I am completely at home here.

And D-Man feels my love. He shrieks...He laughs...He begs.

And I let him.

Because, really, I want to shriek, laugh and beg.

But I refrain.

I only appear somewhat crazy when I ask for someone to photograph the moment.

But I can't help myself.

The smells have gone to my head and the memories have come flooding back.

And I really can't wait for next year.

Maybe I'll have to go one more time this year.

And take in all it's wonderfulness.



Book Fair...you Rock!

A Boy and His Truck

Recently, D-Man decided that his monster truck needed a little tune-up. So, he got the proper "tune-up" tools and went to work.

Notice how important it is to put your tools in the proper position so as to allow your mother to take a picture that can be put on her blog.

The work continued from one tire to the next to insure that the vehicle was in tip-top running form.
Eat your heart out ladies!

A Wonderful Gift

On Monday, I needed somebody to watch D-Man for a few hours. I asked my sweet MIL, RAD, if she would mind. Without hesitation she agreed and we arranged for a drop-off time.

Now, understand that I rarely ask for others to keep my child because a.) I love being with him and have learned that part of who I am is having him with me and b.) I just hate to have to ask because I know everyone is so busy these days and has so much going on.

Monday afternoon rolled around and as I was getting ready, RAD called and asked if she and PaPa could take D-Man into the city with them for dinner and some errands. I agreed as long as it wouldn't be too much of a burden on them and she assured me it wouldn't be.

As I pulled up to their house (which is a farm with many, many acres and lots and lots of cattle), PaPa met D-Man and I. He was driving out into the pasture on the four-wheeler to check cattle and wondered if D-Man might want to tag along.

Now what kind of question is that, PaPa?

Three year old...4 wheeler...cows...dirt...OF COURSE!

Anyway, I left, they went to the city and had a glorious time.

So glorious, in fact, that he told Husband after RAD dropped him off at home that he wanted to live with NaNa and PaPa forever.

This got me to thinking about what a wonderful gift grandparents are. How grateful I am for the presence they have in D-Man's life and what a wonderful blessing they are to all who come in contact with them. All of D-Man's grandparents radiate love, love and more love to him and he feels that love. He loves that love. And, he finds such comfort and security in being with them that he wants to stay forever.

I'm glad it's this way...I'm glad he feels such love towards them...and I'm glad that they are a wonderful gift that I get to treasure everyday!

You know it's been a good day when...

...your jeans look like this.

Giving Up Control

How many of you like to be in control?

Control of your day, your week, your month, your year?

How many of you like to give up control?

Control of your day, your week, your month, your year?

Romans 8:28 says, "We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

Who is in control? God is in control and until we realize that, it is hard to fully understand the above verse.

This is something I struggle with daily. I like to believe that I can give God complete control of every aspect of my life, but I am so often taking back a piece here and a piece there, never fully releasing myself and my life situations to Him.

I know that God sees the whole picture...He sees the trees and the forest...and he knows how it is all going to play out. God is sovereign and I know that He is going to work everything out in His time, in His will and with His control.

So, I am challenging myself today (as well as you) to relinquish the control you think you have over life and it's circumstances to our Almighty Creator and find comfort, strength, peace and assurance that, "The Lord has established His throne in the heavens; and His sovereignty rules over all" Psalm 103:19.

What kind of bumps?

D-Man has allergies.

I hate it, but he does.

D-Man also loves to be outside.

Not so good for the allergies.

The other day we were outside with the many allergens lurking in the air and he started sneezing.

Not one sneeze or two sneezes...4 sneezes.

After the attack-o-sneezes, he looked at me and said, "Feel the ants on my legs."

To which I said, "Ants on your legs? You mean chill bumps?"

To which he replied, "Yes, feel the beetles on my legs."

Sure, if that's what you want to call them, go ahead. They are your legs.

Will Wash For Food

I broke it down for D-Man the other day. (Oh how I've been wanting to say break it down).

I told him that he really needed to start helping around the house more.

He grumbled and griped and grumbled and griped, but finally decided that he could possibly help out with the dishes every now and then.

I was really impressed with his skills, what with being an amateur and all. He really got right in there and accomplished the task.




He got a little wet and had to start shedding some clothes. I made him stop at the shirt.

See those cute little underwear sticking out?



He only had to wash the cups and bowls this time. Next time, I'm cutting him no slack. He's going straight for the pots and pans.

When I am Old

About 4 1/2 years ago, Husband and I started having the "discussion." You know the one where one says, "Are we ready, yet?" And the other says, "I think so."

You know the one...the one when you both decide that you will never have enough money, so you have the why-not-go-ahead discussion.

The are-we-ready-to-have-a-baby-yet discussion.

More importantly, the we-need-to-pray-about-it-and-get-direction-from-God discussion.

And just a couple of months later, God answered our prayers and questions. He began guiding our lives through a new chapter and we haven't looked back since.

So, you ask me, why am I bringing this up today?

Well, every October all these memories come flooding back to me because October is the month I found out I was pregnant. I start thinking back to when we were preparing for D-Man and how nervous, scared, excited and anxious that we were.

Would we be good parents?

Would we know how to raise a boy?

Would we do everything right or would we fail miserably?

All these questions constantly swam through my mind and I vowed back then that when I was older, there were without a doubt several things I wanted D-Man to remember about his raising.

And so I remember these things this month. The things that I want D-Man to always remember about himself and his family as he grows and prospers.

I want him to remember that Christ loves him. He loves him more than I do and more than Daddy does. He loves him unconditionally and longs for D-Man to accept Him. I want D-Man to know that true contentment, true happiness, true life is only found in Christ and in Christ alone.

I want D-Man to remember that mommy and daddy make mistakes and don't do everything right, but they strive above all else to love one another with their whole heart. I hope the commitment that we made to one another many years ago will hold true in our eyes and in the eyes of our son until we go home to be with Jesus.

I want D-Man to know that we will always be his parents and love him. I want him to know that when God blessed us with him, our lives were so much fuller and happier.

I want him to respect people, to love people, to be true to himself, to work hard, to never give up.

Husband and I have our work cut out for us, but we know that God gives us the guidance and wisdom we need to be the parents we need to be for D-Man. It's a big job and I am so glad that he picked Husband and I for it.

When I am old, I pray that D-Man and I can talk about all the things that he learned from his raising and will be able to pass those on to his kids.

Is it the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown?

The D-House made a trip to a somewhat local pumpkin farm this past weekend. D-Man had to think long and hard about which pumpkin he wanted to claim as his own. But, after much deliberation, he settled on this one.

Husband was equally thrilled with the pumpkin that he chose.

D-Man even ran through the corn.

And got scared by Husband who was hiding in the corn.

All in all, it was a fun day with some fun pictures and fun memories. Isn't that what life is all about?

So I've Been Tagged...

Just Another Day in Paradise tagged me. The rules are listed above and I thought it was only fitting to give you some random Amy-information on this, the 13th of October.


1. I DVR "The Young and the Restless" daily. Yes, that is right, EVERYDAY I have to know what's going on with Sharon and Nick and Jack and Phyllis and Cain and Lilly and and and. Oh my, I'm sounding like I might know them, don't I?


2. I love the smell of baby lotion. I remember back to when I was getting everything ready for the arrival of D-Man and I would go in his room and open the lotion and smell it because it brought me such comfort. I still put lotion on him and I love for him to get in my lap and snuggle with me so that I can smell that sweet, innocent baby smell. It sure beats the "pure boy" smell that he has most days. Moms with boys, you know what I mean, they just stink sometimes.


3. I love to window shop. Yes, I admit, that I do love to buy things, but I'm also perfectly content to just walk around aimlessly looking at all the pretties there are to see out there.

4. I do not like long fingernails on guys. It is a big pet peeve of mine. I need them to be short and well manicured. Husbands fingernails (and toenails for that matter) grow about 2 inches an hour (or so it seems) and I'm constantly nagging (I mean asking sweetly) that he please trim them. It's the mother-hen coming out in me.

5. I am very OCD when it comes to my house and how it presents itself to my guests. I wish I could be more laid back about it, but I'm not. If I know you are coming, I'm going to be running around like a mad woman making sure everything is in it's place.

6. I am not a sleep-on-the-ground-in-a-tent kind of girl. Now don't get me wrong, I love many outdoor activities and grew up on a farm, but when it comes to getting my beauty sleep, I need a pillow, a soft bed and plenty of covers.

7. I am bossy and like to tell people to do (but in a nice way). However, I don't like confrontation AT ALL. This makes for interesting dynamics when I am leading a group. But, throw me in the mix with my brothers and sisters and I'll boss them around all day long.

Well, that's all the randomness I have today. I hope you learned something interesting that you didn't know about me and if you need something to blog about, please feel free to jump on board and tell us all about you.

Nada, Nothing, Zilch

This momma has nothing today.

I'm tired.

Maybe a little cranky.

My throat is sore.

My 3 year old has not taken a nap in 4 days and last night it was a world war from 8:10 pm to 8:35 pm. Not fun. Not fun at all.

Pray for us.

See you back here on Monday

Reading is Fun!

I love to see this!

It makes a Momma so happy!

D-Man and I made a trek to a favorite antique store of mine on Wednesday. I have been wanting a set of shelves for his playroom so that his books could be more accessible. But, I didn't want to break the bank in order to accomplish this feat.

Instead, I wanted something with character and a "story" behind them. And, I think we found just that. First mission accomplished.

I even added a little extra detail to the front (it had some other wording on the top that I painted over) to give a shout out to reading. I've really been wanting to say "shout out." Second mission accomplished.

Add in a cute little boy and his precious wing-back chair (thanks Aunt C) and we've got ourselves an inviting reading corner. Third mission accomplished.

What do you think? Want to come over for story hour?

Out of the mouth of our D-Man

Tonight as Husband and I were getting D-Man ready for bed with our usual nightly routine (floss, brush teeth, say prayers), we reminded D-Man that it was his turn to say prayers (we alternate between the 3 of us).



Anyway, D-Man started his prayer...



"Dear Lord, thank you for this beautiful day..."



And then he said, "What do we say?"



To which I said, "Tell God what you are thankful for."



He continued...



"Thank you for cats."



"Thank you for the fre-mote (aka remote)."



"Thank you for school."



"Thank you for my friends and family."



"Please help me to listen better to my mommy."



"I love you, Lord, Amen."



Innocence...I wish his life would always stay that way.

Patriotic Preschooler

If this doesn't bring on the patriotism, I don't know what will. The D-House gets to say the "Pledge" about 15 times daily thanks to the wonderful teachers at D-Man's school who have taught him this very fundamental part of our USA. Thanks Ms. Natalie and Mrs. Toni!

75 % Mommy, 25 % Daddy

As I am daily watching D-Man grow, develop and change into an amazing young boy, I observe character traits and think to myself, is that me or is that Husband?



And, I guess that if I were to put a percentage on it, 75 % of D-Man probably comes from me.



He is a little bit OCD (oh my...his momma is a little bit more than a little bit), opinionated (yes, I've been known to have an opinion or two), headstrong (Husband is this way as well, but I'm saying he got this from me) and his fuse (temper) is a bit on the short side (I have to admit that I inherited this trait from my Dad).



Is this bad? Have I given him traits that will cripple him in life? I don't think so...momma just has to find a way to channel all those traits into positive, productive things.



And, this is my challenge daily, my daily goal. To bring him up the way Christ wants me to and watch him use all those "traits" to make it in life.



Now, don't get me wrong, Husband plays a big part in this goal, but with me being with him more than 75% of the time, I feel largely responsible for who he becomes.



Do you out there feel this way as well when it comes to your kids?



What traits did your kiddos inherit from you?



Oh, and yesterday my challenge was a bit more difficult than most days.



3 year olds...enough said.

12 Years Ago Today

Twelve years ago today, God brought an amazing blessing into the world. I was a freshman at the University of Arkansas, living on my own for the first time and trying to find my path in life.

My mom, on the other hand, was starting all over again...with her 5th child, my little brother.

That's not a call you expect to get when you are in college...at midnight...from your mom.

The call that says, "Honey, we're going to the hospital."

But, it's a call I would never change.

J-Boy came into the world so amazingly perfect and so amazingly loved by 2 parents and 4 siblings who from the second they saw him knew that their lives would never have been made complete without him.

J-Boy is turning 12 today. Twelve years old...where has the time gone?

He is an amazing young man with an enormous heart and oodles and oodles of love to give.

And, although I don't want him to grow up, I can't wait to see the life that God has laid out for him.

Happy Birthday, J-Boy

I love you and am thankful to God that I got the call 12 years ago to welcome you into the world.

85 days until...

Do you realize just how many days until Christmas?

There are exactly 85 days until we celebrate the glorious day that Jesus was born.

It's my favorite holiday for many reasons, first and foremost because of what it signifies.

I also love to give, so it makes the Christmas holidays even more special to me.

This is where it gets me, though. Exactly 29 days before Halloween and the Christmas "decorations" are already out. Exactly 53 days until we give extra thanks for all we have been blessed with and the Christmas "decorations" are already out.

How does that make you guys feel? Are we allowing life to go by even faster than it already is?

Please weigh in...I would love to hear your thoughts.

And windows too

He struck again. My working man decided to come and clean my windows today.


He cleaned the inside and the outside and only charged a package of fruit snacks and a fruit roll-up.


I thought it was a pretty good deal.