31 Days of Love Marriage Challenge

I woke up to the smell of onion. Not just a hint of onion but loud overpowering onion. Yes, I cooked with an onion last night but WOW, this was very strong! It took me about 2 seconds to realize that I didn't do the dishes last night before I went to bed. I think these things grow overnight! Things were not looking good this morning.

I also woke up to my hubby gone early to work. We spend our mornings with coffee and devotions and giggly time together. Nope, he was gone. UGH--He definitely had to leave early.

I had a decision to make. I could pout and throw a little hissy fit to myself or I could get over myself and start my day with God's Word by myself. I chose the latter and of course, it turned out to be a blessing. I went straight to my blog looking for a Bible Study from some of the blogs I love to read. I went to the Time-Warp Wife that my buddy Holly McGinnis told me about. She had a "31 Days of Love" Marriage Challenge on her site and I felt led to check it out.

I love challenges like this but I'm funny about Day 1 starting on the first day of the month. It just makes sense and I can keep up with it a little bit better. Not today, I'm too impatient for that. I started it today on June 26th and it fantastic!!!! Just gonna have to keep up with it with the days not matching up. Got me right into the word with coffee by myself this morning. I should be alone. It's a Marriage Challenge! I need to be alone to do this so I can giggle, pray, plan, and think about my husband.

Isn't God amazing!! He knows exactly what we need when we need it. Click here to check out the challenge yourself. I encourage you to put time and energy into your marriage. It's so important and should be handled with care. I'm so crazy about this man of mine and want to nurture our marriage because it's one of the most important things we have. Isn't he so cute!!

The Perfect Little Bean

I have a feeling I may be a nerd.  I just think that maybe that I am.  What's so funny is that I don't mind being a nerd.  I could be a whole lot worse.  Not only am I a nerd, I'm a passionate nerd.  When I enjoy doing something, I love to give it all I've got!

Just sometimes, my timing is a WEE bit off.  

A few weeks ago, we were about to go to the beach and had a heap of things to accomplish before we went, including moving all of our furniture for the painter to come in and paint our house.  No Problem except I went and bought a TON of green beans to put up.

Yeah, didn't go over too well with the Mr. either.  

This week, I HAD to go again and get the BEST rattlesnake beans in the world.  I have no idea of the name of the place but it's just fabulous.  Nobody works there in the daytime.  You just pick out your veggies and put your money in a little safe.  It's so so cool. Makes me think that there are still some great trusting and trustworthy people left around here. 

This is the cool no-name place in Wellington!

My heart really beats fast when I'm there.  I'm not sure why but I feel like I'm in competition with the other people there to get the most and prettiest produce.  Weird I know!  :)

Mabrey even loves to help me measure because she's a true math girl and likes to 

figure out the best deal possible.  

Nothing better after a day in the sun swimming to help Momma put up veggies.  

Time to blanch---boil for 3 minutes

I added immediately to ice water to cool for 3 minutes

Beans are bagged and ready to freeze.  I stick a straw and suck all the air out to prevent freezer burning.  It makes me feel a little light headed and yucko but it works like a charm.  I actually put up six bags today!  YAY!

For some reason, this gives me incredible happiness; just putting up food for my family makes me feel like I'm doing some healthy for them.  Maybe this cancels out our McDonalds tea and chicken nuggets today.

I love harvest time and canning and freezing season!

EVEN IF MY TIMING STINKS SOMETIMES!:)

Amish Obsession

I have a problem.  I am considering getting help for it.  I think I have an obsession with Amish people! Shocking I know. 

 They are absolutely fascinating!!  I might would even consider being Amish but the whole air conditioning thing along with no deodorant, no hot water, no musical instruments, and a few other things including not having Baptist faith gets me everytime. 

 I guess I'll just stay non-Amish.  LOL!!!

Back in January, our family went to Nashville for a New Years vacation.  On the way home, I came up with a brilliant idea to visit Ethridge, TN.  It was just 30 minutes off the beaten path and everyone seemed to agree to go.  It's the home of the largest Old Order Amish population in Tennessee and was calling my name.  

We went on a buggy tour to the farms and it was breathtaking!  

Ok, I actually stole this pic off the internet.  They have this unspoken rule that no pics should be taken of them so since I didn't want to disrespect, I just got this cutie pie one to show on here.  Anyway, they look just like this and the buggies were the same:)

We saw horse and buggies everywhere!!!  I was so giddy, nobody could stand to be around me!!!

It was only the coldest day of the entire year!!

I really think he'd make a fine Jedidiah! 

 I'm still not sure why we aren't Amish.  

Ensley was SO in her element, just not sure about the NO ballet rule in their world.  Nah, she'd never love being Amish but she was just about as fascinated as I was.  

Sherry and I have decided that we were born in the wrong century. We really could have lived in pioneer times.  Sure would hate not having our Iphones though. 

Mabrey wouldn't be caught dead in a bonnet there so I took a nice picture of them in Nashville to display for you.  Don't they have the sweetest smiles?  

When our world is so busy and hectic, it's so nice to visit slower, simpler times.  

It makes me stop and think what's really important.  

~Top 10 things I've learned from the Amish~

10.  Clothes hanging on the line is just beautiful.

9. Little girls look precious and modest in dresses.

8.  Sometimes you don't need the things you "need".

7. Submitting doesn't mean being inferior.

6. Teamwork and humility have their place.

5. Gardening really is the best way.

4. The slower way of life is the most attractive to me.

3. Their discipline method with their children is 

the BEST I've ever seen.

2. Besides God, family really is the best thing there is.

1.  That I am not cut out to be Amish.

Ain't skeered of no snake!

I hate snakes. No, I hate snakes more than that. 

I hate hate hate snakes. 

Twice lately, I have been WAY too close to the EVIL reptile!

In April, Mabrey, Ensley, Marisa and I went to Pensacola for a Premier training and went to the beach one evening. When we pulled up, this dude was pulling a HUGE white snake out of the water by its tail!!!! You have to look very very closely at this picture to see because the snake just blends right in!!!

Come to find out, it wasn't a monster from the sea like I originally thought, it was his very own pet snake.  This is Marisa and Ensley standing next to the snake.  Yep, they've lost their minds too!  The snake is to their right and is an albino boa constrictor.  

JUST SOUNDS CREEPY!!  

No, I never really relaxed on the beach that day, 

not with that white giant creepy crawly there!

Last week, we had another snake experience that really tore me up!!  My buddy and neighbor Amber came over for a visit.  A couple of minutes after she left, she called and said that there was a huge snake in her yard, 

RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO US!!!!

We ran out there (cause that is what you do----run TO a snake) to check it out.  It wasn't dead!  It was alive!!! It had been hit by a car but very much was still alive!  My crazy but awesome sister ran out and hit it over the head with a wrench!  A WRENCH---NOT A HOE BUT A WRENCH on the head!!!  Do you have any idea how close your hand comes to a snake's mouth if you hit it with a wrench on the head?

I nearly fell over when she picked it up to show it to us!!!  It was huge!!!!!  In this picture above, it had been dead for about 5-10 seconds!! That's not long enough for me at all!!!

This is her son Grant who is also my snake hero!  They both must have lost their minds somewhere but I'm really proud of them. They sure ain't skeered of no snake!  

I DREAMED OF SNAKES THAT NIGHT!  

I'd like to be not scared but I just don't think that's normal!:)

Dance Like Nobody is Watching

I have a dancer at my house. Her name is Ensley Hope and even her smile dances!! When I say that she's a dancer, I'm meaning that if I were going to take away her food or her dancing, she'd say goodbye to the food without hesitation. :)

I've been praying for years that we would find our children's passion at an early age so that we could put our energy, time and money into what they love.  I think the Lord sent us Ensley's passion at a very early age!  She loves this so much!

 

She spends much of her time at a fabulous dance studio called Glory and Grace Ballet Company in Gadsden, AL. 

When we walk into the studio, we are just greeted with a beautiful, warm place that is so comfortable for Mommas and siblings while the little girls are learning. The dancers are so proud of their studio. They even love their cubby holes for their bags.

Ensley works extremely hard at dancing!  She has to work so hard.  Many of the things she's learning isn't natural to her but she'll come home and work and work until she has it.  I love her dedication and hard work ethic.  To me, she does so beautifully and she came from a momma with no dancing ability at all. :)  The dancers all do so great under Mrs. Erica's instruction.  I'm so proud that she doesn't complain about going to lessons.  She would spend more time there if we'd let her or if there were more classes available to her. 

 I have to admit, sometimes, we get a wee bit tired of all the spins and leaps and a bunch of other ballet terms in French that I have no idea what they are.  It's just not good for the supper table to be showing us her latest kick or splits.  Ha!  I really wouldn't have it any other way with her though. We just have to help her know the best times for her to twirl and it's not while she is twirling pasta on her fork.  Ha!

Our favorite part of dance is the fact that it is Christian Ballet. These sweet girls are dancing for the Lord!  Their instructor, Erica Goggans is an amazing woman of God.  She leads the girls in such  disciplined classes and teaches them wonderful biblical truths while teaching them to control their bodies and minds. I feel like we've found the most wonderful thing for our child and I'm so thankful.  It's not crazy dancing where their bodies are shaking everywhere, it's not dancing that my hubby needs to cover his eyes at the recital, it's beautiful Christian Ballet and my Ensley has found her love.  

  

Changing Zip Codes

Our zip code has been 35907 for 16 years.  It's hard to change things like that.  They just get in your head!  Well, things sure are changing around our home!  We will be moving soon to zip code 35903 so we are getting our house ready to sell.  

It is one crazy world right now!! 

 There are two toilets sitting in our front yard!  

What in the world?

I know you are so jealous!! LOL!

We visited with our realtor and she gave us some suggestions such as: paint our walls, get new carpeting and flooring in our bathroom, change out the toilets.  Since we don't have a clue what we are doing, we are just following exactly what she says.  Everything is really starting to come together beautifully.  The house is much cleaner looking with no marks on the walls and no yucky carpet.  We are incredibly thankful for this and ready for a new owner to take over here.  

Last night, we took another load to our new house, my parents home in Hokes Bluff and afterwards, we took a swim to cool off.  As the girls were playing, I was just in a mood of thankfulness.  It was so quiet and peaceful there.  The stars seem to shine a little brighter than ever before.  We were so tired and so sore but it felt so good to work hard and achieve so much in one day.  

We sure are gonna miss 5101 Honeysuckle Lane, well really all the people around 5101 Honeysuckle Lane.  We just happen to have the best neighbors in the whole world and we  hope they come to see us often.  We are so looking forward to new adventures in our new zipcode.