Pictures of my new chair

The chair. You have to sit in it to be really impressed.

See how happy it makes us? Looking at the picture reminds me how my rug and the chair clash. I'm hoping for a huge rug sale in the near future.

Steal of a Deal!!

My husband's family has a fun shopping tradition each year after Thanksgiving. Last year was the first year I got to join in on the shopping trip. They go to places in Coleman, TX and Santa Anna, TX, as well as great places in Abilene. Last year when we were in That Santa Anna Store, I remember seeing the neatest chair. Looks like a recliner, but it swivels, rocks, reclines. And it was staged with beautiful coordinating furniture and floral arrangements. But I didn't have room in my current house, and most importantly, it was very expensive.

Well, my husband took me back to Santa Anna today, so we could start our Christmas shopping. (By the way, we have decided to buy everything locally this year, nothing off the internet, as to support out local ecomomy.) I didn't see the chair in the store this time. So I described the chair to the ladies, hoping to get to sit in it one more time. The owner knew just what I was talking about. She brought me right to the chair. She said a couple had just bought it, but decided to exchange it for a different one. So she said," I'll give it to you for $200". This is over 80% off the original price!! Merry Christmas to me! We brought it home and I rocked each of my babies, read them all a book in it, and I am just as happy as could be.

My day

Well, things around here are usual. At times good, at times madness. I have not been able to balance my work load at home, meaning chores, and the attention my three young children need. For the last several weeks I have found myself very busy doing chores and telling the kids at lot of "not right now", "later" "let me finish ....(fill in the blank)". I love to cross things off my to do list. I never add play with the kids, read them a book, sit down on the floor with them. Maybe that's what I need to do. If it was on the list, I bet I would do it.
To help motivate myself, I have been trying to find some good parenting or family reading material. I have found some ok stuff. Still looking....But what I have been enjoying reading is The Love Dare. Which has nothing to do with parenting. But an awesome book on marriage, and I came across it when looking for a parenting book. Anyway, The book is used in the movie Fireproof. The small group we are in at church are reading it together. Today's dare was a thought that has never occurred to me. A major theme of the book is to tell the reader what love does. Today it is saying, love intercedes prayerfully.



"Have you ever wondered why God gives you overwhelming insight into your spouse's hidden faults? Do you really think it is for endless nagging? No, it is for effective kneeling. No one knows better how to pray for your mate than you." Kendrick, The Love Dare



Then, the reader is asked to pray for their spouse's heart. This hit me in a profound way. I do not have the gift of expressing words to tell you how it effected me, other than to say it was profound. This challenge will change how I pray for my husband.

Family Camping Trip

We decided to go camp on our place this past weekend. Trey has taken Evan in the past. But this was the first time we have all gone together. After we set up camp, Trey's parents and grandparents brought hotdogs and all the fixin's for us to enjoy. The weather was perfect the whole time and the mosquitos were few. I am so glad we did it.

I included this picture of me because Andie took it. She really wanted to take a picture of me. It was a really sweet moment watching her figure out the camera and talk like such a big girl.


The kids would have been happy if the tent and light sticks were all that was involved with the trip. I tried to get them to sing Home, Home on the Range with me, but they just wanted me to keep singing it all by myself.

I loved every part of the trip except midnight to 6am. It sounded like 50 coyotes were howling and growling all around us. One of the times I dosed off, I had a very vivid dream of war-painted, horse riding Indians circling our tent. The rest of the time my back was truly tortured by the ground beneath me. So glad to be back to my Temperpedic.

Trey and the kiddos balancing on this fallen tree.

In the morning we walked all around discovering bones, bois d'arc apples, and lots of great sticks. For now, looking forward to the next time.

Halloween

Halloween lasted from Tuesday to Friday in our house. Tuesday and Thursday were pumpkin festival and halloween parade days at school. Then the real event on Friday. We trick or treated Trey's bosses house and a co-workers house.

This was too perfect. Andie had been bothered all day that she did not have the red rose that Belle has. Mr. James cut one of the beautiful flowers from his front yard for Andie to have. He didn't even realize he completed her costume.

Trick or Treating at Ms. Star's house. Star is one of the nicest ladies ever.

This was Thursday when we got to wear our costumes to school. Evan and Andie would be in costumes 24/7 if I would let them. So with the excuse of the Holiday, I let them wear their costumes all day Thurs and Fri. And I had several errands to run. Now that I think of it, I think they behaved better than they ever have while in costume.