{Happiness}

I knew when I found this button it would be perfect for my post!! I love it, it says such truth. I have been feeling such hope and excitement for the last couple of weeks about some changes I am working towards in my life and I love the way it makes me feel. They are all good changes, ones that help me step out of my comfort zone, don't we all love those comfort zones!! haha

As for around here, we are just hanging out, playing with friends, video games, a friend of Cameron's is here from Dallas spending some time with us and they are having fun, we are going to swim today, I can't wait, I have been doing some exercises in the water and it feels so good to my body, kids are still sleeping, I am having my coffee, and enjoying the quiet before the storm hits! ha and believe me it will once their feet hit the floor! Jim has been so busy at the store the last few months and working so hard for our family, we don't see him as much but he has hired someone new and is getting them trained so that should give him some relief, I know they are looking forward to riding dirt bikes this weekend, they love it!!! well, I guess that about covers it for now, need more coffee, Have a great Friday!!

{Get away}

The kids and I went on a little vacay to Dallas and got back yesterday

we had a wonderful time

lots of shopping

went out to eat

bungee jumping (Hannah did this in the mall)

spent time with Grandma

saw lots of old friends and got caught up on life

a fun backyard BBQ w/peach bellinis (oh so good)

waterpark fun

I floated the lazy river most of the time and it was heavenly

Back home to enjoy summer some more...

{Christmas in July}

Go to Tipjunkie.com and check this out, I just absolutely love this blog and have been contributing for sometime now, she has great ideas from all over blogland!!! There are prizes that will be given away, and always a ton of great tips!!!

{The Jensen Project}

As you already know I love watching movies with my family, espcially ones that are "family friendly" no pausing, muting, you get the picture... anyway Walmart and P & G are bringing back family movie night once again, tonight is the Jensen project, it has a great cast and is sure to be good, we watched "Secrets of the Mountain" back in April and we loved it, we DVR'd it and they still watch it, so tonight on NBC 8/7 C watch this movie with your family. Now, my daughter has a slumber party so I will be DVRing it and we will watch it as a family tomorrow night!!!

{Summer}

I don't have any pictures for this post, just jabbering!!! I know I have expressed my feelings of not liking summer so much, it's not actually "summer" it's the hot hot temperatures we have here in East Texas, I am not a fan, but I like what summer involves and here is my list:

SWIMMING

FRESH FRUITS AND VEGGIES

SLEEPING LATE

NO SCHEDULES

KIDS PLAYING OUTSIDE WITH FRIENDS

WATCING ALOT OF MOVIES ALL THE TIME

POPSICKLES

On the swimming, we live in an apt. right now and love having access to such a nice pool, living in an apt. is so different than a house, the good part is we live in the courtyard area and all the kids play out there on the playground, there are picnic tables, they play sports, they ride their bikes, scooters, etc... all around the courtyard on the sidewalk and it is really nice, we can look out our window and the kids are all within vision and it's really nice. Last night I took Hannah for a "moonlight swim" Cameron went with a friend the other night and she was hacked about it, so I promised her we would do it too, so last night we did and she had so much fun and it was really pretty with the pool lights on, and then a friend and her family came and made it all the better for her, those are the other good things about living in an apt. complex there is always someone for the kids to hang with, our old neighborhood had plenty of kids but it's different in an apt. everyone is all right here, all the time! and our dog Kirby has plenty of doggie friends too!

We also have a nice little workout room that I need to visit again real soon, when I am feeling my MS acting up I don't workout much, but I really like it in there, tv's and all the good equipment, our apts. are 3 years old and we are blessed to have found this after our rental house flood, I used to feel that we weren't really "home" when we moved here because it was so different, but I quickly realized your "home" is where your things and your family are. Anywho, that's about it for now, the day is starting up and I need to refill my coffee cup! Happy Summer Day!!

{New Addiction}

Yeah, this is what I am doing in my spare time these days, I never believed once you read the first one you would be sucked in, and sure enough, here I am, 1 book and 1 movie down, and on to the next. I am having alot of fun with it though, it's great reading and I already have all the movies and other books courtesy of my friend Tara, she has even offered to go see "Eclipse" with me, for her 2nd time. It's keeping me up late at night though, but that's okay it's summer and I can sleep in the next morning!! love it.

{Little Pleasures}

I did it, after all these years, after all the rage, the saying "I don't like that kinda stuff" I bit the bullet and started reading this last night, I like it, I really do, now it's not pulling me to it like some said it did them, but I do like it so far so, we'll see. I had one of these yesterday minus the choc and topping, it was sooooo good on a hot day!!!

I received my Scentsy gifts that I won off of Sister's Stuff blog, I won this warmer, 3 scent packages and a travel tin, I am loving it so much, I am so happy, this was a great gift to win!!!

{Blah, blah, blah}

I am so incredibly sleepy, my sleeping is not good these days, ugh! it hits me about this time every day and I just plummet downhill... and then around bedtime I get my unwanted 2nd wind, so I thought about what helps me sleep and it's Dramamine, so I swung in and got me some this afternoon, so we'll see. Hannah and I met my mom, sister, mamaw and cousins at McDonald's for lunch and Cameron spent the night with a friend and will be home soon, I am cooking chicken coated with french fried onions tonight for dinner, sounds good to me and I love ff onions they are so "Thanksgiving" to me!! Well, that's about all I have for today! I love this picture of Hannah, this was during bible school and it was a western theme and she really got into it! yee haw!

{Our 4th}

Kids at the pool

LARGE fireworks

Firecracker bites & Wave your Flag Graham Snacks

Bee-u-tiful chicken thighs by Jim

Silly kiddos!

{Changes}

I read a quote the other day that said "you can never go back to the way it was, it won't be the same, because neither are you", how true that is. That has stuck in my head, it applies to me, I think about it, alot. We have been in our apartment a year now and I am starting to miss having a house at times, the luxury of a neighborhood, we had a great one, and I know we will have another one, I just like having a house, anyway, I think about our life at our house and it's been 15 months since we left, not that long. But, it is and what I mean by that is that my kids have really grown in this time, esp. Cameron because he just so happens to be at that age where the changes are dramatic, excessive height, voice changes, wow, it really freaks me out!! haha
Hannah has to, but not as dramatic as Cameron, when we were there about a month or longer ago and went back to visit everyone was amazed at C changes, just wowed, one little friend just stared about him like "who is this guy" seriously I am not kidding, it blew me away to look at it from other people's perspective. I don't really miss the old house, I don't mourn it or anything, I just think about what it would be like if were still there and it's actually hard to imagine it because we are indeed "different" changed in ways, not the same, but then again that is the progression of life, changes, we really wouldn't want it any other way.

I woke up inspired to write, I needed to do some serious talking, I had quite a fitful night, alot on my mind these days, bothersome dreams that keep me from resting. And I have always been a deep thinker, and it sometime helps me put things in perspective, life is not always going to go our way, we get disappointed, hurt, and at times if we are hurt and it feels bad it's not always the answer to just make it go away quickly or to try and solve it, somethings are what they are for the time being and time will heal it, hopefeully. As you can tell, I do have alot to say, alot of feelings that are out there, and I may not make the most sense, but it helps me.

{Treat}

I am going to make these darling little treats for the 4th!!!

Firecracker Bites by Kraft