It's Never Too Early!

It's never to early to begin thinking about Christmas cards!
Be sure to check out my Christmas samples!

As an early Christmas present...
between now and October 21st, I'll do the design work
and email you the original digital file for FREE!

Click Here to email me for further details!

Quatrefoil

I've been teaching Kyla new and interesting shapes this week.

This is a quatrefoil. Yep, that's a new one to you too, right? Me, too.

So, anyway, as we're going over the shapes, I say the shape's name, then she picks it out, then I ask her to repeat back to me what the name of the shape is.

Quatrefoil is pronounced: (CAT ri foil)
Kyla's pronounciation of Quatrefoil: (CAT tri fingle)

Cute.

We're Whataburger Kinda People

Randy's company picnic was held at Seaworld in San Antonio last weekend.

Because Randy is a manager, he had to be at the picnic on both days - Saturday and Sunday, which was really nice for us!

The company also generously paid for all of the managers to spend the night in a hotel in San Antonio. Scratch that... no, it was a resort. A real resort. Luxury white robes in the closet kind of a resort.

So, we arrive and Randy gets us checked in and all that stuff. He said the place was so fancy, he hardly even knew where to check in. How crazy is that?

We get to our room and we have a fabulous view of the courtyard and hill-side golf course. The rooms are beautifully decorated, complete with marble floors and granite countertops in the bathroom. Elisan even commented on how fancy it was.

I pulled out the room-service menu as I was browsing the brochures and I happened upon the breakfast menu.

Sliced Banana - $2.00
Strawberries - $5.00
2 Waffles - $7.50
You get the gist...

There was some kind of fancy bottled water in our room - $5.00 per bottle. The wet bar didn't even have prices on the items in there, but I'm guessing there was at least $500.00 worth of snacks in there - (well, $500.00 for THEM... $50.00 for HEB)

The next morning, as we were getting ready to leave, Randy asked me if I wanted to eat breakfast at one of the six restaurants at the resort. I laughed and said, "What? Pay 40 bucks for breakfast? No thanks."

So, we checked out and looked for breakfast restaurant. Lo and behold, down at the bottom of the hill, was a Whataburger. Randy asked me if that looked okay to me and I said, sure.

He then said, "Let's face it, hun. We're Whataburger kinda people."

Sigh...so true. So true.

Best Blog Friend!

Look what my dear friend Charlotte of Hjemme hos Charlie sent all the way over from Denmark! A "Best Blog Friend" award!

My friend Charlotte and I met via internet through a mutual acquaintance living in France! How weird is that? Anyway, Charlotte and her family welcomed us with WIDE OPEN arms when we first arrived in Denmark and considered us a part of her family while we were there.

I honestly don't know what I would have done without her. So, thank you Charlotte for sending me this sweet award via cyberspace!

This is an award that deserves to be passed along!
I'd love to honor my BFF Cyndi!

End of an Era

Gone are the simplistic days of s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g out key words in our adult conversations. Some conversations consist of many spelled out words.

Here's an example: "Where do you want to e-a-t this evening? How about J-a-s-o-n-'s? Or C-h-u-y-'s? Or, we could s-t-a-y h-e-r-e? You know, the elder child will want C-h-u-y-'s, but' I'd rather J-a-s-o-n-'s."

But, today may mark the beginning of the end of our cryptic language.

I was on the phone with Randy and I spelled out a key word to our conversation. I mentioned the neighbor's c-a-t and how much the girls' like it and that too bad I was allergic to c-a-t-s, or else I'd like to get one for them.

Not 2 seconds after I hung up with Randy, Elisan says, "What about cats, mom?"

Me, "Oh, nothing, sweetpea."

Her, "Are we getting a cat?"

Me, "No. Remember? Cat's make mommy's eyes itchy."

Her, "But I heard you say you said you wanted to get one."

So... there it is. My life, no longer sheltered by the usage of spelled out words. Oh, it will be a hard habit to break. I'm sure I'll continue to use s-p-e-l-l-e-d out words for now.

Perhaps we can begin using Pig Latin?

Nah. I'd have to use my oggin'nay for that!

What's Cooking?

Y'all know I love to cook! But, I don't love to cook anything for lunch. I like quick and easy and filling.

Since I've been watching what I eat these days, I've grown tired of the usual turkey on whole wheat w/mustard sandwich. So, I've been on the hunt for some better lunch fare.

I tried the frozen meals, but honestly, I could eat two of them at one sitting. There is just not enough food in those meals! Especially after a mid-morning workout.

Then I found this at the grocery store! I realize Progresso Soup has been around for a long time, but what I didn't realize is that they have a new variety out that is (as my friend Cyndi would put it...) FIGURE FRIENDLY! I tried the Southwestern Style Vegetable and it was excellent! (I mean, if I am blogging about soup in a can, you know it must be good, right?!)

The website for Progresso Soup lists the many varieties available in their "light" line. The Southwestern Style Vegetable entire can had 120 calories, 0 fat grams, 24 grams of carbs and 8 grams of dietary fiber. For those counting Weight Watcher points - that's 0 (zero, zip, nada!) points!

It sure beats the plain 'ol sandwich. I can't wait to try the other varieties!

Stuff heard 'round the house!

The other day at dinner, I asked Elisan who she played with at school. She said that she played with the boys again.

So, I asked her, "Why aren't you playing with the girls?"

She said, "I do, a little. Today, I played with the boys, then I went to hang with the girls, but, then I went back and played some more with the boys."

I look up and see Randy snickering and after regaining composure, he says, "Hey, Elisan... what does 'hang with the girls' mean?"

(Because, seriously I don't remember "Slang" as being one of her classes in first grade.)

She rolled her eyes and said, "You know... on the monkey bars?"

My Favorite Photo

This is my favorite photo of the girls and me.

Here's a scrapbook page to preserve the memory!

My two best girls (and their mommy) goofing off one afternoon back in 2005.

From the Inside Out

When I began this blog over two years ago, I wanted it to be a memoir of sorts, for my girls. I wanted it to be a reflection of my thoughts and feelings, and also of my sacrifices, defeats and of course, successes. In a sense this blog is dedicated to them. Thus, the reason why I'm sharing this in this forum.

I've spent the last several months pondering the course of my life. I've realized during this time of reflection, that I've "missed" a lot of my girls' life because I was wrapped up in my own.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with 'having a life'. Far from it. I just realized that I was too busy doing my own thing, that I practically missed a whole year of their precious little lives.

Over the last year, I did a lot of volunteering at my church. I loved every second of it and craved responsibility! I enjoyed the camaraderie and friends. I felt I needed to be involved not only for my church, but for me.

I suppose it came at a time when I felt a bit of freedom that I had not experienced in a long time. Elisan had just started Kindergarten and all of my days were occupied with one less child.

(Side note: For anyone who has two or more kids know that when you are down to one kid - whether it be just running errands or hanging out at home... life is much more simplified in a HUGE way.)

I felt I could get involved in other activities because of it and felt I could take on more stuff. So, that's what I did. I got really involved in my church and loved every second of it.

In addition to that, my fledgling little photo invitation business began to take off. When I wasn't working on church stuff, I was working on invitation orders. I was having a blast! Who doesn't like making money doing something you absolutely love? Yet, meanwhile, KM was vying for my attention, craving it, for that matter.

I was doing enough to get by... meaning... laundry, light housework and meals. Sure, we were doing just fine by "today's" standards... I mean, heck... I had dinner on the table at 6:30 p.m. each night, the kids were bathed, the beds were made, the laundry was put away! To some, that is a success, right?

I kept comparing myself to a 'working' mom. I was making money, so I just told myself (and the kids) that work was important and that I couldn't be interrupted with the little things.

By spring, things went from busy to full-scale work. My volunteering at the church bumped up to a directorship status - reporting directly to the children's pastor. Then invitation orders came flooding in. I felt successful and a bit arrogant. But truthfully, I was barely hanging on.

Then a strange thing happened. Randy came home telling me about a possible opportunity that he may offered a temporary job in China. Whoa! Talk about a reality check. What about me? What about all that I had been working for? What about my stuff?

I was so overwhelmed with the thought of moving to China I could no longer function. I knew I needed to cut some things from my life... the time-consuming stuff... and get back down to basics. So, I stepped away from all responsibilities at church. It was a painstaking decision, but I knew in my heart that it was necessary for my sanity.

Summer arrived and the girls' and I had a fabulous time. We did a lot of traveling back and forth to visit friends and family. We went swimming each day and just had a great time. I even joined the YMCA and lost about 12 pounds by exercising and doing something healthy for a change. I kept up my invitation business, but it was quickly slowing down because bridal shower season was coming to a close.

Yet, even with that, I was still not 'happy'. Oh, sure, I was happy, but not HAPPY... like the fulfilling kind of happiness that a person has knowing they are doing right by everyone. Why? Because I was still holding on to that selfish part of me that made life all about me.

I remember sitting at my friend Cyndi's house and complaining about this, that and the other. My kids, my husband, my house... everything. I clearly was not happy. Yet, in that conversation I don't remember saying anything about how I could change. How I could make a difference.

Several weeks passed and I humbly approached Randy and had a heart to heart with him. I told him about my unhappiness. I shared with him my guilts of not spending time with my kids. I wept to him describing how I was not living my life the way I wanted to be living it, or even how I should be living it.

From that moment on, something finally clicked in me. I realized that I didn't want to miss another single minute of their little lives. I didn't want to be regretful of not spending enough time with my daughters. I didn't want to be remorseful of the way I've neglected my husband. I realized that my job... my life... is about, and will always be about... my family.

So, I resolved to my husband and to myself that this year will be about my girls. I will not over-commit to anything this year. I will not over extend myself this year. What I want to do is sear these moments in my mind forever, because ya know what? I will always be able to volunteer at the school, or serve at my church or run a small at home business... but I will NEVER be able to get these years back when my girls, are little girls. Little girls that need their mommy. Little girls who look to their mom as their number one role model.

I want to look into their eyes and know that their every need - whether emotional, physical or mental - is met 100% and that mommy was there for them, not just in the same room with them. I want them to remember me, for me... their mom who loved them very much.

Randy supports me 100%. After all, I am a stay at home mom for a reason. That's not to say, that volunteering or serving is not honorable, because it is. It deserves one of the highest honors. But right now, I'm serving my God and I'm serving my husband and my daughters - From the inside out.

Photos by Kristi Richards Photography