Friday Faves!

Well, we are finally back in town after a long business trip!!! I missed my boys sooo much!!! It is great to be back home!!

I have a quick "Friday favories" post. My local florist called & told me my wreaths that I had ordered were ready! I was so excited, I think they turned out precious!!

This is my Halloween wreath!


This is my Thanksgiving wreath. I love them both!!


If you are local in Lindale, they are from Lindale Floral, check them out!! Happy first day of fall!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Weekend Wrap Up

Saturday morning started out with a little target practice for the whole family. Barrett loves shooting his bow, he has gotten pretty good. Sweet Jack likes to collect and distribute every ones arrows :)

We watched a little college football and then Barrett and I headed to Tyler for his friend Cullen's birthday party. The birthday boy and Barrett!

Cullen's party was at the Discovery Science Place, Barrett had never been there and he had a ball exploring! All the kids got to do a fun science project, they made volcanoes!!

Barrett and Cullen admiring and inspecting his awesome bday cake. Leslie, Cullen's mom told me she was reading my blog and Cullen walked by and saw the helicopter cake I posted from a wedding a few weeks ago, and he loved it! He decided he wanted a lego helicopter cake, our friend Cynthia did a great job!!

Happy Birthday Cullen!!

After the party we grabbed Daddy and Jack and headed to Rough Creek to spend the rest of the weekend there. The boys quickly got the target out and were ready to shoot, ha!! You can see what my life is consumed with these days!!

I love that these two are just crazy happy at RC, I am so thankful that we have this place to make memories at!! Who would have ever thought one of my favorite places would be a lodge in the country?!?

Barrett is OBsessed with driving the ranger or the golf cart around! My sweet boy can rack up the miles!

Our beautiful sunrise on Sunday morning.

Sweet Brothers!

Lastly, I added a little something to the lodge. Fitting I think.

Football Friday

Friday was Football Friday! We loaded up the motorhome with some friends and headed to Hallsville to watch our Eagles play! After a fun ride and some yummy mexican food we made it to the game.

Sweet Kinley and Jack! Jack had a blast at the game, he LOVES the band music! He gets up and dances and he cheers and screams, so funny!!

Karah and Barrett, these two are best buds!! Karah was so sweet to him, she was sitting with her friends, but Barrett wanted her to sit by him, so she came and sat the rest of the game with him. Sweet girl!

The Eagles played a great game and we WON!! We are 3-0!! YAY Eagles!! The game must have tired these kiddos out, they all passed out on the ride home. Love Friday night football!!

Fun times with great friends!!

Never Forget

Ten years ago, I was planning my wedding that would take place in less than a month, on that horrific morning of attack. It changed life as we know it today. I would like to remember all the innocent lives who were lost and all the brave heroes that worked to help that day.

NEVER FORGET.

Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.” --President George W. Bush September 11, 2001.

Creation Station at CSE

During that busy first week of school Leslie and I were asked to redo the Science/Art lab at our kiddos elementary school. We were so excited to get going and make the plain room something great for all the kids!!

Here is what we had to start with.

Leslie and I had a fun shopping/dinner GNO with our principal in Tyler to get all the supplies for the room and it was such a fun night!

We got started on the room and we had a plan! We had some help from some of the fabulous teachers and staff and doing the room was more fun than work!!

We needed some "man help" and after discovering that my husband who I had already volunteered was busy, I called my friend/builder Mike Nance who graciously helped us out!! Thanks Mike!!

Leslie and I each made a wreath for the doors, I did the art side, hence the crayon wreath.

Leslie did the science themed wreath, they both turned out super cute!!

I showed all the girls how to make these tissue pom poms and we had everyone who walked in making them!! It was pretty funny!

We made a big tree in the corner and used the tissue balls for the green in it. We also put creative words on the wall with surrounding a quote.

We thought this idea would be a great way to display the kids artwork, there are clothes pins on twine to hang the art on. We gussied up all the bulletin boards and added a large flower in the corner. It's amazing what a tissue pom can do!! HA!!

Leslie had her "big shot" machine and we made the cut out flowers for the cup on the table, they turned out just fabulous!! Love!!

Belinda let us go get our boys early from class to show them all the work we had done, they were SO excited about it!! Two sweet boys!!

Here is almost a full room shot! It turned out just great!! We are hoping all the students find it inspiring and fun to work and learn in!! I know Leslie and I loved it! If you are having a bad day walk in this room, I promise it will make you smile!!

It was such fun to do this room, we had a ball creating!

Pumpkin chocolate chip Bundt cake & New Do

First of all Jenna had tweeted yesterday about this cake and I asked her to pass on the recipe, which she graciously did. I couldn't stand it I had to make it, and I did. Let me tell you it is FAB!! So moist and yummy!! Make it NOW, you won't regret it!

I headed down to Lufkin early this morning for my hair appt. my color was looking terrible and I needed a cut BAD!! It had been WAY to long!! I knew I wanted a change I feel like my hair was looking dry and dead. It has also thinned out a ton due to my weight loss, so I felt like shorter was the way to go. AHHH, there it goes!!

Here are a few views of my hair, I like it. It will take me a few day to get it to style like I want.

I tried to take this one myself, ha!

Now I am off to walk! Have a great afternoon y'all!!

Rough Creek Check and the hunters are home!

Late Saturday night I was watching the new coverage of all the wildfires here in Texas and our area. I happend to read something scrolling at the bottom of the screen about Anderson County. It was listing some fires in that area. I couldn't believe, but the fires were close to our cabin/ranch, Rough Creek. I immediately called Ryan to tell him about it! I was ready to drive over there at midnight to check it out. He assured me everything was probably fine and there wasn't anything I could do tonight, just wait until tomorrow. So Monday morning Jack and I headed to RC to check on the place.

Thankfully, the fire was down the road from us, and our place was safe. I feel terrible saying that, because so many people around us lost a TON!! In that area, over 3000 acres burned with 5 homes, and 5 barns lost.

Since the last time I had been to RC some new work had been started and I was glad I got to check it out. Here is Jack loving the new bridge that leads to the guest cabin.


A peek at the boys playhouse err, giant clubhouse!! It isn't finished yet, it is going to be fabulous!!

A look at our pier! So excited about it. Now, if we could just get some rain to fill up the pond, it would be perfect!!

Jack "building" on the pier.

My new fridge and pantry door!! It's the little things, ha!!

I was SO thankful our place was ok, and untouched by the fires. So many in our area are suffering!! It is just heartbreaking!!

When we arrived home the boys had plenty of work, all the wind had blown down limbs and leaves and the boys got right on clean up duty!
These two just crack me up, you would think we were slave drivers looking at this picture, but they do all this "work" by choice!
I am praying so hard today for ALL of Texas, the fire fighters, homes, people, animals and land affected by all of these fires. We need rain SO bad!!! The Lord can work miracles and we need one down here!!

Dove Hunt 2011

On Friday Ryan and Barrett headed out on the annual Dove hunt. Jack was in tears that he couldn't go, Ryan offered to take him but I said, ummm NO!! Barrett was so pumped up about this trip, I told him he could go on one condition, that he aced his sight word test. When I picked him up early on Friday I asked how his test went and he said, got every one right, now when am I leaving!?!

Here is my sweet little hunter, he looks to big!! I can't handle it, ha!!

My baby's first bird!! Now this is not a dove it's a Sol bird, I think, but none the less he killed it!! He did kill a dove shortly after this, but no picture of it, Ugh MEN!!!!
Here is the whole crew! With one days kill, they had a great dinner that night with some yummy doves!!

Loving it!! He was in his element!


Barrett is obsessed with turkey feathers and he found a ton!! He loves to collect them?? Who knows. Anyhoo, he brought home a bunch for himself and a few for Jack!

I was cracking up over this picture, who knows what he was doing laying in the field, but Ryan said it looks like someone yelled "bird" and he hit the deck! HAHA!!
It was another fun trip for the boys! Oh, I can just imagine the stories that Barrett will tell today at school!!!