To my one and only...

Happy Birthday!

How did I snag such a catch?! I love you so much and I am so thankful you were born today!



And here's to many more birthday's together....

Thanksgiving Catch-Up! {IPhone Edition}

First off I have to say we are potty trained!! Can you believe it!? 100% no diapers for a week now! Not at night not on trips nothing! Wearing big boy undies 24/7 I honestly can't believe I am typing this, o my word. When I said 'we' I meant it, Brent and I could not get on the potty training wagon, Lucas was ready 6 months ago but we were not, we cannot believe he is getting so big and just want time to slow down!
But I am very proud of him!

Something I have noticed just in the past couple of days is Lucas will say 'momma' instead of mommy, it's pretty cute but sad as well :sigh:

Ok on to our Thanksgiving weekend.....

We had a very busy Thanksgiving to say the least, which I find to be a challenge with littles but we loved getting to see everyone and eat way to much!

Mini pumpkin bunt cake things with cream cheese frosting, they were fantastic!


Lucas and I also attempted to make these little treats that I have seen everyone making, well leave it to me to burn the easiest thing on the planet to make! Lucas didn't seem to care he just liked helping me. We will be trying these again real soon.


Friday night we went and visited some family that we never get to see, in fact it was Brent's and Luke's first time to meet most of them.
Lucas had so much fun with all his cousins, kids are so funny, they had never seen each other before but by the end of the night they didn't want to say bye.


Saturday we got all the inside Christmas stuff and going! Of course it is never done at my house I am always tweaking things but here is a shot of the tree....it has already changed some and we fixed the star ;)


and my new truck even got in the decor! I have always wanted to put a wreath on my vehicle, I just never felt like that I had one nice enough but not this year! I maybe a teensy bit obsessed with my new Tahoe, I am truly in love with this car! She is amazing, ok I'm done.....for today :)


Sunday we put up all of our outside lights! Lucas thinks that is pretty cool.

I also did a little Pintrest crafting too while I was away from work! I love this but I am just not sure about the bow thing on top......


Got a new little birdy nest ornament that will for sure be out year round!


A few other things that I don't have pictures of.

Chip the cat got into some trouble this weekend again, looks like another cat or animal bit his paw and it was awful! Swollen twice the size of his other and I will spare you some other gory details but I took him to the vet first thing this morning and he got some shots and should be good to go in a few days!

Tomorrow is Brent's 32nd birthday! O my word!! I will be baking a cake tonight and praying his gift gets here today!

I will also do a "real" Thanksgiving post with all of our "nice" pictures soon!

I love quotation marks.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I am Thankful...

I am thankful for God's never ending grace.
I am thankful for a husband who is my best friend.
I am thankful for a healthy and happy little boy.
I am thankful for family and friends that are always there.
I am thankful for a sweet dog and cat that love me unconditionally.
I am thankful for a nice warm home.
I am thankful for a job that provides so much.
I am thankful for Life. Every. Single. Day.


Happy Thanksgiving!!!

My New Ride!

Yes we got a new truck! I am ecstatic! It is so nice, one of the nicest vehicles I have ever been in and she is all mine! I can hardly believe I am typing this!

So a little bit about the new Tahoe....





it's a 2007 Z71 and it has every bell and whistle one could need and not need!


black leather interior w/ heated seats
sunroof (which is my most favorite thing)
DVD player for the back(s) with wireless headphones (which is Luke's most favorite thing)
remote start
third row (for all my futures babies:)
power everything including the back hatch that opens and closes for you!
tinted windows
flexfuel
and of course CD player and iPod plug ins
and I am sure I am forgetting some things and some things I don't even know about yet!

I love it so much and feel spoiled rotten :)






We bought it from the big Autopark in Fayetteville and had the best experience.
Our sales lady (yes lady) Lhasa, was so sweet to us and was wonderful with Lucas. She made the day a breeze and I never had that sick feeling one sometimes gets with making a huge purchase, she made sure we felt ok with everything. We didn't get to bring the Tahoe home with us because she is putting new tires on and fixing a ding in one of the sides so she sent us home with a loaner Tahoe "so I could get the feel for it" I'm telling you so. nice! When we go pick ours up (hopefully Wednesday) I think I will take her a loaf of pumpkin bread, I just loved her! I don't think I will ever buy a car from anyone else as long as she is still selling!





Gotta love the Honda tag, don't worry we'll be getting rid of that soon ;)

And then there is Lucas my sweet little joy! We are smack dab in the middle of potty training and we were away from home car shopping all day Saturday and he did not have one accident! We were very proud of him!



This is where I will leave you, he kept telling us to get the key for the motorcycle he wanted to drive it! O dear, help me.....

My Boys....

Today I am so thankful for them and I have to write what is on my heart :)

Lucas has been "really" potty training since Tuesday night and he has done so well! We have a few accidents yes but he woke Brent up this morning to go peepee in the potty so that was a good sign! I think we are on the road to no more diapers!

Brent and I also went to his parent teacher conference at school yesterday and he is doing amazingly well! His teachers said he already knows most of what he is expected to know at the end of the year and the year isn't even half way over! They also said he is so sweet and compassionate to his classmates and follows directions all the time. I am so proud and could not ask for a better behaved little boy. Which at the end of the day if he is nice to people and polite that is all I really need him to be, to me he will never have to be the smartest, most athletic, or best looking by any means but he does have to treat all people kind and that is the biggest thing I want to in steal in him as a man.

This leads me to my other "boy" my husband.

There is nothing more special than knowing you are growing old with your best friend. It is no secret that Brent and I have always had a communication issues, I wouldn't tell him anything and he wouldn't listen when I did try and tell him something but it seems we are changing with all that. I have learned to tell him anything and everything I think that may be the true key to getting along so well between people, maybe I am wrong but I can feel it working for us.

Last night he said something about retirement and about how it will be just me and him, all our kids will be gone etc. and I just got this warm and fuzzy feeling and couldn't help but smile a little bit, knowing it will be me and him.

I am a blessed blessed girl having these too in my life.

"What if you only woke up with what you thanked God for yesterday"

What's been a happenin' !

Wow I have gotten way far behind in blogging recently! For good reason, just living life :)
And while I may have slowed way down on here, that doesn't mean I've been sitting on the couch eating bon bons!

Here are some things we have been doing via Mr. IPhone.







We had such nice weather this weekend, Lucas spent a ton of time outside and we all love that :)






Mom and I went "thrift-ing" on Saturday before the Razorback game, I found this beauty and knew it had to come home with me! The color is perfect for me/my house, I am thinking about stenciling something on the seat...



Lucas found this 'treasure' he thought it had to come home with us ;)

My mantel as of last night! My new PB beads arrived yesterday afternoon! I have been looking everywhere for some like this (without the price tag of these) but never could find what I wanted but I love them! Exactly what I was wanting! Darn you Pottery Barn always having O so cute stuff!

Mom and I went Christmas shopping Friday (which by the way I am almost DONE!!) and decided we needed a break, this is what we saw at Sonic waiting for our drinks!



Still on the puppy hunt, found this little guy, Brent said no :(

Lucas being his sweet little self, he is constantly cracking us up and is loving all the holiday stuff going on! This I think will be our best Christmas yet! He is such a joy!



And this little guy, a 2qt crock pot! I am in love! I have already used him a handful of times and I love not having to tote my giant crock around for cheese dip! Perfect!

And a few things I don't have pictures for.... Baking, I have really gotten into baking, I will be making 200 Cinnamon rolls for Christmas gifts this year and I cannot wait to tackle that! And a big item on my Christmas list is one of those things that goes under your top cabinets that has radio/CD player/ T.V. I think that would be so awesome!! I'd never leave the kitchen :)

And last but not least, last night we booked our hotel for our Branson trip next month and I could not be more excited to get away with my boys and celebrate the Christmas season!!!

Hope to get back on my regular programing soon but with everything going on don't count on it ;)

Weekend Recap!

We had a very fun and full weekend this week but somehow I still feel like I got to relax maybe it's the time change? Not sure but it was pretty good!

Friday night Brent, Lucas and I went to eat a late dinner at Outback and went and did a little Christmas shopping. It was fun and knocked out a few more gifts!

Saturday morning we got up bright and early and went to pick Ashley and Ethan up to head to the Tulsa Zoo! The boys were very excited when we told them we were almost there! ha!




It was much more chilly in Tulsa than it was at home that morning.



We ended up riding the train around the park and then headed to the mall!



We went to the Disney store after we grabbed some lunch, the boys had a blast in there! So funny! I think we stayed in there for an hour looking at everything..twice ;)
I think Lucas thought it was the coolest place on earth! I told Brent he needs to take him to a Disney store really soon because it is too fun!




We couldn't leave without getting some Dippin Dots!





We had such a good time with Ashley and Ethan I just love that our boys are so close we will have to do this again soon!

We got home Saturday around 5 and stayed in for the night, I made another batch of applesauce, Lucas loves it and I pack it in his lunch about everyday! I jokingly put on my Facebook status that night that in my last life I must have been a Mott's employee! ha! It's just so neat to me to take a pile of apples and turn them into something so good! Not to mention cooking apples with a cinnamon stick makes my house smell like a dream!

I also made home made cinnamon rolls but not just any cinnamon rolls Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls! I was so SO excited to try these! A lady from work got to go to a luncheon and meet Ree "The Pioneer Woman" and brought her book back for all of us here to look at! ha! I had looked up the recipe for the cinnamon rolls back before Easter but Brent talked me out of making them, but when I saw the recipe in her book I got the nerve to just go for it!
And so I did!
I woke up early-ish on Sunday put in my Twilight soundtrack and went to work. I had the time of my life! I'm really getting into this whole cooking thing.



My kitchen was a huge mess, flour everywhere but I didn't care I can't believe I did it! And they turned out so yummy!!



After 9 cups of flour, half a bag of sugar, half a shaker of cinnamon, and a whole bag of powdered sugar you get these beauties! 8 tins of 7 or 8 rolls in each! I am so proud!

I will be making these for Christmas gifts for some lucky friends ;)

Sunday afternoon we loaded up the wagon and headed down the street to a clearing behind some houses in our neighborhood to "practice" taking some family pictures. That sounds so funny but if you have never done it I guess that's what works! I really want to get a good one for our Christmas card this year so we needed to figure out all the "stuff" that goes along with the tripod and camera.

Here are a few shots. We took close to 100!

Sunday evening we headed to town to run an errand and ate at Scholosky's for dinner.

Nice fall weekend! Already ready for the next one ;)

Tidbits for Thursday!

• In all actuality I was going to put this post of for tomorrow you know "Tidbits for Thursday, on Friday" because I didn't get pictures uploaded last night, and I have some good ones :) but such is life maybe I will tonight maybe I won't but here I am anyway.

• My lucky dog of a husband got his new IPhone 4 yesterday, only took him going to Best Buy a handful of times then sending me over there to make sure they held one for him. I'm quite jealous of the little robot helper Siri, pretty stinkin cool! But I am most happy for "facetime" so when he is out of town Lucas and I can actually see him when we are talking to him. Technology is a beautiful thing sometimes.

• I guess our eating habits have officially changed. I don't feel like I can say we are still on a diet because we are not. We have changed what we buy and cook, I guess it's just a new lifestyle. We had our fair share of treats this weekend and when Brent is out of town all bets are off for me, that's the only time I get to eat fast food ha!, but we are definitely changed people. And there is nothing better than seeing my 2year old eating a whole apple every day.

• Still coupon-ing! I got some good deals yesterday at Walgreens! Even some Christmas presents! Very excited about that. I am tempted to challenge myself to have all gifts bought and wrapped by December 1st. That sounds so nice so then I could really enjoy the month of festivities....

• We are going to attempt our first family pictures with the tripod this weekend! I am very excited about this! There is a field a few streets behind our house so that may be a perfect spot we can load up the wagon with a few props and a picnic lunch and walk that way. That sounds like a perfect afternoon to me!

• Saturday Ashley and I are taking the boys to the Zoo in Tulsa. Hopefully the weather holds out for a good day and I am praying we don't run into any "adventures". You see when Ashley and I get together (in a car mostly) anything that can go wrong usually does. But boy do we have some good stories to tell! ha!

• This post from BlueEyedBride is exactly what I have been thinking about the past few days, it's so amazing that someone can say something that has been on your heart at the right time. God working at his best :)

• I think that is all folks! I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that it is NOVEMBER!! Whoa!!!!!

For my husband...

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, People may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, People may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, They may be jealous; Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
Mother Teresa

All Hollow's Eve....

*sorry if your on my facebook these pictures are repeats.




We had a wonderful time with friends and family Halloween night! The kiddo's were precious and I loved every minute of it!

As you can tell Lucas was a skeleton this year not a princess or a snowman like he thought he wanted to be! Ha! He got into the "scaring the kids" part of it.



We carved some pumpkins and took some pictures before everyone started coming over.
My two skeletons ;)










Carter and Lucas trick or treating.



Olivia as "Sully" with her little "Mike" pail that her crafty momma crocheted and Ethan as "Blue".




Waylon as Mr. Kitty Cat.



Bayleigh and Marley as lady bugs. So cute!





Brent's pumpkin carvings, pretty good for doing them in about 15 minutes!



The kids had so much fun and I think the "big kids" did too! Every one went home on a sugar high so in my book it was a successful Halloween! I already can't wait for next year!!

ps. Loving my new camera!! Brent is getting really good at using it and this is only a very tiny bit of all the pictures he took!