"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

Two Days and Counting...

Today is Meet the Teacher. I have a ton of emotions going on right now - nervous, excited, happy and sad. Sad that summer is over and another year is starting - in 2 days! Where did the time go? I am very excited that we now have a whole year to spend with B's classmates and teacher as opposed to last year when we came into to the school with about 2 months left before summer. As it turns out, B got an excellent teacher - praise God! I prayed and prayed that He would get someone good and God did it....better than I could have imagined. He also has Miss C in his class, too, which is very exciting. It is so nice for him to already know someone and Miss C is the cutest little girl you have ever laid eyes on. C is the sister of darling boy B, who called K a "carrot" (but, we won't hold that against her).

My dishwasher is on the brink. I loaded the entire thing last night, started it and then drip, drip, drip - all over the floor. This is a Bosch dishwasher - a Bosch! What happened to really good brands lasting forever? I am going to spend a good while today unloading all the dirty dishes and washing everything by hand. I don't have a clue what people did before dishwashers were the norm in kitchens. So.not.fun..

Love me some olympics! I have been soo tired that I haven't been watching each night, but I love me some Michael Phelps, ya'll! This kid is awesome! And, what about that 41 yr old hottie Dara Torres? Are you kidding me? She looks better than half the people I know. This is her 5th Olympic Games - so inspiring!

I have also got to catch up on the women's gymnastics. They are such the competitors .

My new toy...

Got a new toy for my birthday. It is quite overwhelming, but I'm learning to use it. It's a Nikon D60 ya'll and I love it! I am hoping to take a photography class at the local community college pretty soon - I know it will help me learn all the little intricacies I couldn't possibly understand on my own. Why a Nikon? Simply put - it felt the best in my hand. I read and read about Canon vs. Nikon and most argued that you just need to hold it, play with it and get a feel for which camera handles the best for you. It sure does take great pictures and I know once I have all the info I need, I'll be able to produce some rockin photos!

Isn't he the cutest? This is my middle child - L - he is at the sweetest age right now and I love to have him around. We rarely see a day when he isn't dressed in his Spiderman costume. It may be hard to see, but he has the funniest little gray tooth. He fell and hit his front tooth smack-dab on the back of a little plastic chair and that was all she wrote. It died. But hey, thank God it was a baby tooth - not the permanent one!

And here's our baby doll - K. Would you please stop growing? We were at our neighborhood party this weekend, hosted by my sweet neighbor Ellen. Her darling son, B (who is 3), decided that K should be called "carrot". Now, I wonder where he got that from? It was quite amusing, but makes me wonder if we should have named our little red-head K! "K the carrot" is a little too much for me. So, I am apologizing now, K - I am praying to the good Lord above that you don't endure years of the carrot teasing!

I am incredibly sore and tired today. We spent countless hours this weekend cleaning, weeding, mulching and sweating in the back yard. It's not done - have more black ground cover to put down and mulching to add. But, don't it look good, ya'll! I am so happy with the results! Pics to follow..... But, oh, my achin back! I finally got up this morning and hobbled, and I mean hobbled, to the kitchen where I have a row of windows looking out into the backyard. One glimpse at my pretty yard - so. worth. it.

On another note - thanks to all that have stopped by. I appreciate hearing from all my new blogging friends - don't be a stranger!

Getting there....

O.......kla-homa where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain

And the wavin' wheat

can sure smell sweet

When the wind comes right behind the rain.

Can't you just hear it? I can just envision all the actors in their "pioneer" get-up belting out the tunes and dancing their little hearts out. I do love me a good musical!

I have to admit that this state, well, I guess mainly T-town is growing on me. There are many things to do here - water activities (tons of lakes and state parks), an aquarium, zoo, art galleries, neat restaurants, fun antique shops, concerts, etc. It is one of the prettiest cities I have ever lived in. It really reminds me a lot of East Texas with all of the trees and hills.

Do I miss Texas? You bet! Would I move back in a heart-beat? Absolutely! Am I enjoying new places, faces, and scenery? No question! Am I ready to call Oklahoma my home? Not quite yet, but I guess you could say this is a new journey and I know God has some exciting things in store for my family here. I am getting there.....

Hope

This morning, I watched the GMA interview with Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife Mary Beth (picture from Sparrow Records). SCC has long been a favorite artist of mine and of course, my heart broke for them when they lost daughter Maria in an accident this past spring. If you haven't seen the clip, be sure to check it out. They need your prayers...I honestly cannot fathom the grief they are going through. They spoke of hope many times - and it is only because of our Saviour that we have it.

I am so grateful for my birdies...that they are healthy, happy and mine to hold. I am incredibly blessed!

Exactly...

I love this little plaque. I picked it up at Gordman's, the very first time I ever shopped in one. It spells out my philosophy on home to the "t". Isn't it cute?

You have got to go check out this blog. I love the posts she has just written about "things babysitters wish we knew". They are full of pertinent info - I am copying, pasting and printing those suckers out! Seriously though, it is worthwhile to stop in and check it out. From "how much money should we pay", to the "most helpful instructions to write down", it's almost like a Q&A session - just for parents and sitters. And it appears they are really truthful and forth-coming about it all. Good stuff!

Quiet Rest

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.