Meet Shelley Price of SweetPeaHome, she is a master at delivering french cottage style! I could stay in her booth for hours and I do! I love it and can just imagine what it would be like to live the life her booth portrays. Such casual glamour, I feel as if I am in a country house in the South of France.

 

Check out Shelley's blog www.sweetpeahome.blogspot.com

Meet Mo McSwane of Rubbish, my other favorite person and designer at Marburger. I just love Mo and everything she does...she has such a happy booth! It just makes me feel good to be there. Not only does she have a gorgeous selection of brown transferware and ironstone, but, she is also an artist and always has something new and creative to share with us. I wish I had a picture of the adorable bottles filled with vintage pearls that I bought for my girls last year! So precious...and one year, I bought the most adorable cup & saucer with "fill my cup Lord" on the side of it in old typeset style letters, still my favorite Marburger finds! 

Visit Mo at www.rubbishandcompany.com Happy Junkin!
 
 
 
 
 
 

Marburger Farm was especially lovely this Spring. The smell of hyacinth in the air...ahhhh, it makes for such a wonderful start to a glorious season. I love it!

I guess you could say I am a flower girl, I simply love being surrounded by fresh flowers as you will see by the pics from the show. This season I chose green and white as my color palette, made casual by the use of natural burlap. Wrapping potted plants in burlap was an easy and inexpensive way to bring about the casual yet elegant look we find so alluring.

Simply cut a square of burlap that will reach as far above the lip of the pot as you desire. Cut, place on a flat surface and place the pot in the center. Pull the burlap up around the pot and tie with raffia. You may use floral picks to hold in place if the raffia doesnt do the magic. I chose to let the burlap fall casually. Simply wonderful...try it! The beauty of this is that you can water your plants and not worry about taking off the burlap, the water runs right through! Do allow it to dry out or you may have a moldy mess.

 
 
Other pics of the show...a stroll through Kim Hoegger HOME...

I can happily say that this beautiful charming boy and his sister were sold as a pair and will remain together as they have been for a very long time.

Antique marble trivets are making a comeback in kitchen design. This show we had some truly gorgeous ones in really unique shapes like this oval one...so lovely and what a great way to display cooking oils and vinegars on your island or on the counter next to the range. Lovely.

That's all for now, gotta run some errands. More on Marburger and Kim Hoegger HOME later. See you soon!

Seven days and counting! Trailor is loaded and I am running last minute errands and starting to pack my bags! I cant wait to see what treasures the fields have in store for me this trip. Beginning Friday, I will be uploading photos of my adventures each day. Check back often...dont miss out on the fun or the treasures! You never know who I might run into in RoundTop!

Marburger Farm opens Tuesday, March 30 at 10:00 am for early birds and closes at 2:00 pm! Cost for "early birds" is $25.00 but the ticket will get you in all week. A great deal considering the best of the treasures will be gone in the first hour or so! Show will remain open from 2pm to 4pm on opening day at a cost of $10.00. If you can make it...you dont wont to miss opening day! Wednesday through Saturday the cost of the show is $10.00 and the ticket is good all week! Come back and shop as often as you like but dont hesitate on that special something...it will NOT be there when you return! I am most definately speaking from experience. I have let a number of great finds slip through my fingers because I wanted to "think about it". Big mistake!

Be sure to check out Kim Hoegger HOME  in Tent B, space Bd11. More "Melt Your Heart Magic" from Kim Hoegger HOME. Other great vendors include Mo McSwane of Rubbish Tent B(Bc1) www.rubbishandcompany.com, Robin Brown of Magnolia Pearl Tent A(Ac8) www.magnoliapearl.com , Judy Hill of Judy Hill Designs Tent A(Aa8) www.judyhilldesigns.com , and soooo many more fabulous vendors. You wont believe your eyes!

See you next week! Happy Shopping!

 
  
A few months ago I started thinking about the upcoming spring break vacation. With a family of four young adults, one must be very careful in planning. One must create a very delicate balance of fun and family time with exciting activities and plenty of time to nap(teenagers need their sleep). They also love to eat. So it is imperative that the destination have good, healthy food(per Mom). I must admit that food is one of my "must haves" as I am quite the Foodie. I need fresh, wonderfully prepared food that is as pretty to look at as it is to eat. I dont ask for alot of a vacation personally. But, I must have clean, comfy beds, preferably feather-topped, chef-prepared meals and a spa. What? Ok, I know...but, I am the wife of a Hotel Renovation Specialist and I am quite accustomed to the perks. Anyway.....

In the early years, we looked forward to simply having the week off and staying in town. It used to be enough to hang around the house, play outside with friends and shop for spring and summer clothes. Not anymore. My children are half grown and hanging around the house is NOT what they like to do. In fact, they are always gone if they can help it and heaven forbid they have to stay here on a friday night let alone spring break! That's just NOT cool! To say you are "doing nothing" for spring break is dull. Ironically, when I tell them we are "going out of town" they go into immediate shock and start having social withdrawals.  The complaining begins..."why are we going, we want to stay here with friends?", "how long will we be gone and where are we going?", "Uugghh, why are we doing this, cant we just stay here?". Quite frankly, as parents, we are well aware that they do not know what they want. They simply like to complain about anything that we are planning, anything that isn't their idea. Given time...they warm up to the idea of getting away and begin to get a little excited. They try not to show it, however, because going anywhere with your family is really lamo!

So, in looking ahead to Spring Break, like everything else in my life, this too has changed. It has become necessary to get them away from home if I actually wanted to spend time with them. Leaving town is a necessity to having them all to myself for a few days. And a few days is all I ask.

This year I chose Rough Creek Lodge. It resides on 11,000 acres near Glen Rose, Texas and is an amazing place. Beautiful, west Texas hills and mountain tops, a gorgeous lake full of catfish and very large bass! Inside the Lodge is equally as beautiful. Decorated in true Texas Ranch Style, the Lodge elegantly displays leather chairs and ottomans, heavy farmhouse tables and lots and lots of taxidermy! The beds are topped with feather mattresses(just the way I like them) and there are lots and lots of down pillows....ahhhh. Originally privately owned and designed to be a hunting lodge, Rough Creek is a hunter's paradise...My boys were in heaven! I think we came home with 60 or so birds! There is also an amazing Spa...I knew what I was doing when I planned this trip. Boys hunt, girls go to the Spa!

We had an incredibly fun, relaxing time. Paint balling and skeet shooting were family favorites! And we were able to get enough rest to push us through the next couple of months of school. What my kids dont realize now is how much they really love spring break with their family. They complain about going and being "out of town" and always want to know "how long" we will be gone. They are so grumpy before we leave! Getting them to pack and get in the car is almost not worth the stress. Ahhhh...but, once we are five miles outside of town and we start talking and laughing with each other, singing corny songs on the radio and sharing songs from our ipods...there is nothing worth more than this trip. It is such a blessing to watch your kids interact without fighting over mascara! To watch them hug each other and mean it...not because Dad made you! I love to hear them say things like "Hey Kelli, want to go hit some balls at the driving range?" or "Cara, want to go down to the Fishing dock? There's a really cute guy working, but, dont tell Mom."(Mom already knows).

So, I am happy with my choice of spring break vacation destinations this year...Rough Creek Lodge was a breath of fresh air for all of us. Best of all was the time we were given to appreciate each other again. Time spent remembering the reasons why family is so important to all of us whether we can admit it or not. www.roughcreek.com

Why are there so many frustrations in our lives? Just when we get used to the way things are, they change. Just when we think we have things under control, we dont. And just when we think we are finished with something, we see that we are not.

If I could just take a perfect day and keep it, make it the model for the rest. The day when everything goes according to plan, our hair looks great, the jeans are loose, the house feels clean and tidy and the family is content. Is it too much to ask for a few more of those?

I think by God's design our lives are not all good days. It just wouldnt be challenging enough for us to learn anything. And learn we must to become better human beings, better parents, better friends. And if our hair always looked good and the jeans were never tight, we wouldn't appreciate our body and the hard work it takes to make it look that way.

I know all of this, but, still I am tired of the fight to look good. It used to be effortless. Prior to forty pretty much everything was effortless if I am honest. What happens to us at forty? Really? I am stumped and I am more frustrated than I have ever been. I am not one to complain, I am generally happy, but, lately, I just cant find anything that I am happy with and I think it's mostly because I am fighting those stubborn fifteen pounds, the same ones I have been fighting for two years. It's just not a fair fight. I dont have the time, the energy or the "want to" to get the pounds off. I have never had to really work at it and I dont like the fact that the only way to tackle the unwanted pounds is to spend hours in the gym every week and starve myself. It's soooo extreme. I dont like anything extreme. I like simple things done in simple time. I like calm, orderly things and I dont like to be rushed. I go to great lengths to make my plans for the week and working out three to four times a week for an hour and a half at a time just doesnt work for me. It just doesnt leave anytime for me to complete the tasks on my list.

As a full-time Mom, my time is very limited. After getting the kids off to school at eight, then showering and getting organized for the day, sometimes it can be 10:30 or 11:00 before I know it. Then off to run the thousands of errands for everyone in my house, and picking up samples and materials for the lakehouse remodel, groceries for dinner, etc., and all of a sudden it's 3:30 and time to pick up kids! There is no time to work out! Not without leaving something out and having everyone in the family wonder why there stuff isnt done!

A year and a half ago I was totally selfish in my pursuit of the perfect, skinny me. I was working out three to fours day a week with a trainor for an hour and running six miles a week. Eating lean was "no effort" because I was on that high that we get from working out all the time. It is a great feeling...why do we let ourselves let it go? The routine was working well and I was in such great shape. I looked awesome and was so proud of myself. I could look in the mirror and smile back at me.

Enter the kidney stone and a three week battle of getting rid of it. Two surgeries later, I was finally on the mend. But, by the time I felt better and was getting my strength back, it had been three months and I was totally out of the mood to work out. It has been a landslide ever since and that is why I am so fed up today. I have just had it. I cannot work that hard again to have everything fall apart with so little changing except lack of exercise. I mean seriously, who can work out three to four times a week and eat like a bird forever????? It just isnt real. Not to mention the $$$$ it costs to have a trainor...geez, it's a car payment!

I have decided that that whole package, even as great as I looked was not realistic. Especially when I was only off for three months and nothing stayed where I had put it with the weights. So, what now....I dont know...I am just at witts end. I am continuing to eat what I want, like I have done my whole life, only now it doesnt just flush through my system, it sticks in all the wrong places and I hate it. I am angry about how hard it is to lose weight and angry about how impossible the routine must be to keep it off. I have planted my feet...I am angry and refused to submit to the idea of all the extra work that is needed. I simply dont want to do it and I dont feel like it is fair that I have to...it should get easier not harder after all we do for everyone else. Someone should be taking care of me... 

Ever tire of a room's decor? Ever wish you could start over, just throw out everything you have and start again? Me too! I always feel this way about this time of year. With spring just around the corner, the decorator in me starts to get antsy. I look around at every room in my house and I am bored. I have been looking at the same walls all winter and I have grown tired and feel the need to start fresh.

As much as I would like to do just that, I simply cannot throw everything out and start over. So, I have come up with a few little things that really make me feel better and make my rooms look fresher.

I usually start with changing the tablecloth on my kitchen table. Most of the time the table is full from end to end with multiple projects. So, removing the junk and changing the tablecloth makes an enormous difference in my mood. Arranging beautiful fresh flowers in a delightful container is my next step. The more fragrant the flowers the better I feel. Spring seems within my reach!

Clearing off the desk and throwing out old magazines that have stacked up over the winter months will make anyone's mood lighter. It's amazing how much paper and other clutter we can accumulate while we are hibernating. Clear it off, throw it out...lighten the mood!

Still not enough? Consider slipcovering your sofa in a light fabric. I love to use white linen or cotton duck fabric. Love what it does for a room! It's like a breath of fresh air, like sunshine after the rain.

Before you throw out everything, try these simple tips for bringing in a little spring. I think it just might be enough to get you through the next couple of weeks until we really see the sunshine and smell the flowers!

And if you still feel the need to start over and get rid of everything, have fun and send me "before and after" photos!

Where does the time go? Today, I met with some old friends for lunch. We hadnt seen each other in twenty plus years and it was as if it had only been days. We all stepped right back into the old times with tons of pictures and stories. We poured through albums and laughed until we had tears in our eyes...mostly at our hair! We all had exactly the same hairdo....parted down the middle and winged on the sides. In fact, we were looking at an old group photo of a cheer camp we had attended one summer and there must have been 200 plus girls in that photo. You would think that we could find our squad....Nope, EVERYONE had the same hair! 200 girls and we all had our hair parted down the middle and winged on the sides. We have Farrah to thank for that! God rest her soul. We laughed for hours, and could have gone on for more but the restaurant staff was starting to stare.

Why do we wait so long to get together we old friends? Why do we procrastinate and pretend that our life before family and children didnt matter? It does matter...it is part of who we are and to reach back and touch that part of us can be so empowering. It feels so good to laugh about our hair and the funny vest we were wearing! What were we thinking? It feels good to know that we really did exist in that life that we sort of remember.

Thanks so much to those who put together this reunion of cheerleaders, it was such a blast from the past! I had such a wonderful time and am looking forward to the next one!

Wish I had a photo to share with you...I will look around and see what I can come up with. You have got to see the hair!

I need ice cream...lots and lots of creamy, chocolately, crunchy, ice cream! Yes, crunchy! Ice cream can be crunchy...well, if it's from Marble Slab and loaded with coconut, almonds, and fresh strawberries it most definately can be! I think I have decided that it will be my dinner...my teenagers will have to fend for themselves. I love them more than words, but today, I am just tired of being the one on which everything falls. Today, they can eat cereal or a sandwich while I drive thirty minutes in deep solitude to get the ice cream that my soul craves. 

I am tired, I am exhausted. I am overwhelmed at the moment with my responsibilities of being Mom to three teenagers and a young adult. It seems nothing that I can do is enough. Even with the most detailed planning, there are days when nothing seems to work out the way I planned. I just want them to make great grades, have great friends, have outstanding faith in themselves and in God and obey me with out a word of disagreement or discontent. What?

I know what you're thinking. I know that I am out of my mind if I think I can control four teenagers mind, body and spirit. A girl can dream cant she?

I have mentioned a time or two before the place in life where I find myself. Three teenagers, a young adult and a husband that travels alot...a 46 year old body that does not remember who I am supposed to be or what I am supposed to look like. My kids think I am not working so that I can be at their beck and call. Seriously, they do and I am to blame for this. I have made it my job to wait on them and be there whenever something goes wrong to pick them up and dust them off. I have made it my job to make sure they do not do without anything and heaven forbid they should miss a social event, sporting event or party for a friend; I am the "take them anywhere Mom taxi". Thank the Lord that my two oldest are driving...this helps alot but it is another stress in itself. Another reason I do not sleep at night. I wonder if that is the reason for the hot flashes too? NOT. 

My youngest son and oldest daughter are both severely dyslexic and ADD. They struggle beyond words and it is heartbreaking to watch. It is a source of neverending hopelessness for me. I simply cannot make their disabilities go away. And I cannot live with that somedays. My daughter is one of the most amazing young ladies I have ever met. She has brilliant insight and compassion for others and her wisdom is breathtaking. Her accomplishments are astounding for someone of her disabilities. She overcomes things that would take most people out of the race. To know her is to know someone who never gives up, someone who never takes "No" for an answer. She is someone who has the strength of steel, the courage of a Lion and the faith to move mountains.

She is a Senior this year, and has decided to be a teacher. I am once again in awe of her. I am taken back that she would choose a profession that has been the source of her pain and suffering for the past twelve years. She chooses to teach so that children that share her disabilities will not suffer as she has. She chooses to teach because she feels it is where she is supposed to be and these precious children need her. I am so proud of her.

Silently, I cry for her. I would never want her to see me cry and to know that I am hurting for her. She looks to me for strength. But, as I watch her check the mail daily for admission letters from the colleges she has chosen, I can only cry as college after college tells her she is not good enough, that what she has struggled to accomplish is not enough. If they only knew her as I do, as her teachers know her, as her friends know her...they would fight to have her in their presence. It is their loss as she is truly one of the most amazing people I have ever encountered and she will be an amazing teacher one day. They will have missed the opportunity to have known her and I am sorry for them.

My youngest son struggles just the same and yesterday we were informed that he has failed yet another six weeks in math. The heartbreak...and yet, again, I cannot fix this. Rather, I get the best seat in the house as I watch God mold another person with great strength and character beyond their years. So, when I scream for ice cream...believe me, I need ice cream and only Marble Slab will do. Thank you Lord for ice cream.

I will never forget this day as long as I live..December 26, 2009, Downtown Chicago. My precious sister in law, Tracy, graciously offered to be our tour guide for a few days of shopping and glorious food in Chicago. I am so thankful to her for taking the time away from her work and her family to spend it with us in this beautiful, snow covered city. She actually took a vacation day to be with us! Thank you Tracy!

I don't think I have ever seen anything so beautiful...the snow fell all day as we strolled in and out of the magnificent stores on Michigan Avenue. I could hardly believe my eyes...the snow was falling in the most graceful way and my girls were giddy with excitement and their eyes sparkled with the magic of the day. Many treasures were found along the way, but none held the magic of the snow.

Cheers to grand adventures and moments that last a lifetime!
 

Well, let's see. My BIO.I am first and foremost, a mother of four amazing children and wife to the most amazing man in the world! I am enormously blessed. Honestly, my kids are the most amazing people I have ever met. Each with a personality all their own and character that stretches far beyond their years. They are simply...beautiful. As a parent, when your children become your teacher...you have arrived. It all comes back and you know that all of those years of nurturing and teaching and crying and patiently waiting have made a difference. I am so honored to be their Mom.And my husband, Wow! I hardly have words to express how much he means to me. He is our center.And he is so strong and with seemingly so little effort. Fact is, he works enormously hard for us and pushes himself to heights that are unimaginable for most. I am in awe of him everyday. He is my one True Love and my best friend. I am so blessed to be in his arms. So, who am I....BLESSED beyond measure and spending what time I have left over everyday to tinker in the talents God has given me. I have an uncanny knack for pulling things together. My Mom used to say "You could put on a potato sack and make it look good!". And true to that, I enjoy making everything "look good" no matter what it is. Interiors, exteriors, clothing, crafts, cakes, parties. So...who am I...on paper, I am an Interior Designer with a Bachelors Degree of Fine Arts with a minor in Architecture from the University of North Texas. Graduated in 1987 and began working in the Hospitality field as a Hotel Designer. Worked until I began having children, then stayed home to enjoy raising them. Loved every minute of it although it was and still is the hardest job I have ever done. Owned an award-winning restaurant/boutique(that's another long story) for about 6 years which just about killed me physically and mentally. Have now taken two years off to recoup and am finding myself again in this blog. There. How's that for now.

 
WOW! I am star-struck! I was honored to meet the wonderful Patience Brewster while shopping at Dallas Market Center today. She is lovely and so very talented. Visit her on her website www.patiencebrewster.com You will love her Krinkles ornaments, beautiful cards and whimsical figurines...check out the pig posing with us! Isnt he adorable! Thank you Patience for taking time to pose with me, it was such a pleasure meeting you and I look forward to having your things in my store very soon! Look for Krinkles in my store next Holiday season!

For the past few years, I have been creating these lovely cards. I am so pleased with myself when I complete one, its like baking and decorating a cake for the first time...so empowering, I love it! When we allow ourselves to be still and listen to our inner voice we open ourselves to a whole new world. One of unlimited creativity and talent that we didnt know we had.

I have accumulated quite a stash of these beautiful cards and have recently placed them in a few local shops with much success. Now, I would like to make them available to you. I will be posting a few pics today and then attempting to get them onto Etsy this evening...wish me luck!

Please take a peek and see what you think. Would love your feedback too! Thanks again for visiting with me each day. Sincerely, Kim

 

Recently, I joined the world of Facebook. After many years of urging by my family to join them, I finally gave in. I had really never had the desire to be a Facebook groupie, the entire idea seemed pointless and a waste of time. After all, personal time with four teenagers around is hard to come by and why would I waste it on Facebook when I could be doing so many other things. At least that was the way I justified my lack of interest in Facebook. The truth, if I am really being honest, is that I was afraid I would get hate mail from high school. Not that I really would but you know what I mean. High school is tough and you just do things that you shouldnt and you say things you shouldnt and man oh man there are so many things you wish you could take back. Looking back haunted me and I just didnt want to set myself up for rejection. After all, didnt we get enough of that in high school?

I was the popular one, the pretty one, the head cheerleader and always had the great guy. I was happy and had great friends but was never confident and never understood my popularity. I mistakenly thought it had something to do with my outer beauty because it couldnt be me that everyone liked, could it? I mean, I made so many mistakes and had taken people for granted and so on and so on(typical teenager). I went on for years thinking that I was "pretty" and defined myself by my appearance. What I found out later in life is that defining yourself by outer beauty is forever empty and very misleading.

I have always heard that our forties are the age of self discovery. True for me at least. I have learned so much about myself in the past 6 years.It's like I am finally seeing who I really am, looking past the aging woman in the mirror. Embracing the sagging boobs and spare tire that has attached itself to my abs and the cellulite on my butt and legs that will not go away. And through Facebook, I have learned that friends really saw more than my hair and pretty skin and cute little butt.(I really DID(past tense) have a cute butt). They really did see the kind and generous and funny side of me in spite of all of my mistakes.

So, I have to say that I LOVE Facebook and I never thought those words would come out of my mouth. I never thought it would be a place I cherished friendships and actually enjoyed myself. So, hats off to you, whomever created Facebook, thank you for such a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with ourselves. For giving us back the people we used to be and still hope to be. And thank you too, to my friends and family who nagged me for years to be a groupie, I will forever owe you big time! And most of all, thank you to those from my past with whom I have reconnected. Thank you for always loving me as I was, for forgiving my many mistakes and appreciating my inner beauty as well as the outer stuff. Thank you for reaching out to me and remembering who we were...you are truly a blessing. 

Its amazing, when you stop and listen, what you can really hear....In the quiet today I heard my voice. the one true me, the one who believes in myself and is confident and bold and fearless. I thought she was missing...it appears she was hiding beneath my self doubt. Self doubt and fear can be so destructive to our inner beauty not to mention what it does to our confidence. It can shatter it if we let it...dont let it. Embrace the beauty of yourself and the gifts you have been given. Give glory to your creator for who you are and be thankful that you are quirky and weird and unlike those around you...this is a blessing, this is you...embrace yourself, give yourself a hug...you deserve it. Put on your happy shoes and have a great day!

Still wondering, still waiting...still searching. Who is this person I see in the mirror? Where is the person that God created me to be...the creative, fearless, confident woman? I thought I knew but lately I look in the mirror and dont know who is looking back. I am really happy too, but, I cant make a decision to save my life. I feel uncertain of what to do, where to do it and why. Could it be my life is changing? Here we go again....

For the past 18 years, I have been raising four wonderful kids. So much fun, so many trips to the zoo with the school. I cant begin to count how many times I have been on that field trip or been a Room Mom or Field Day attendant...oh the memories. Love them all so much.

Fast forward eighteen years and here I am with absolutely no field trips to attend, no field days in which to participate and longing for a trip to the zoo(not really, lol). But, you get the idea...what the heck am I supposed to be doing now? Prior to children I worked 14 hour days designing Hotel interiors and loved every minute of it! No way I could go there again, nothing would be the same. So, I float from project to project, idea to idea trying to "find" myself. Havent I already done that? You would think!

It's so frustrating not to know this person I have become. I keep taking steps like the old me would have done...big risky ones, and then this cautious Mom person keeps pulling on the reigns. What the heck! How have I become soooo cautious and predictable? I dont like this new me or whomever this is!

I want the old me back, the one with no fear, no inhibitions, no caution lights! I want to take a chance again on something...on me. Ever feel this way? Surely I am not the only one...surely this is normal, right? Is this that "empty nest thing"? 

 

My happy shoes....I love wearing them. They just make me happy. Most of the time I wear them when I am doing something I enjoy...like estate sales, lazy shopping @ Target, making my handstamped cards.I love to put them on...my toes get happy and a smile comes across my face. Crazy right?

Anything make you feel that way? I would love to hear about it! Tell me what makes you feel creative, relaxed and confident. Cant wait to hear from you!

Check us out on www.thebunnybungalow.com  The inspirational Annie has captured my booth at Marburger Farm beautifully! I was so excited to see that she had visited the booth and taken so many wonderful pictures. Go to site, then go to Search our site by google and enter Marburger Farm in the Fall. That will pull up past posts and the second one listed should be it. It will have the above name and October 2, 2009 listed. Click it and scroll through her wonderful photos of the show. The French Pear(my original show name) is about half way down. So wonderful to know that the work that I am doing is making someone else happy! She describes The French Pear as "Melt Your Heart Magic". I am truly touched. Check it out and leave a comment about what you think.

  
King Charles Nicolas Hoegger, lovingly referred to as "Nick" my adorable, regal Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He is regal at best and melts you with his big, brown puppy eyes. He is extremely intelligent(except when he forgets to go outside to potty). And until my husband decided to get involved, he was very calm. My husband decided to teach him to play "ball" and Nick has never been the same! He is hyper now at the site of a ball or the mere mention of it! No more the calm, regal, lap puppy that I had dreamed of for years...nope, now he runs in circles and jumps over the sofa and chews up shoes(ok, I guess that's not my husband's fault), he even leaps into the air to catch the ball being thrown across the room. He is ridiculously crazy for the game of ball. However...he is also very precious and excited to see me no matter what(even after he gets scolded for doing his business on my new rug). He sleeps as near to me as he can get when I am watching T.V., sometimes right on my head as he lays across the back of the sofa. He loves to ride with me to take the kids to school and barks at the crossing guard, I dont know why. Could it be the bright, neon yellow parka? All in all, he is a dream come true and so much fun. We all love Mr. Nick(except when he barks ferociously at everyone who enters our home and attempts to bite their legs). We know he is only protecting us. Needless to say, he is the King of the Castle

Good Morning Friends,
Ahhh...coffee. Some mornings there is just nothing like a warm cup of coffee with a few moments of stolen silence in my home. My precious angels sleep, my dear husband is off to work, and I sit quietly enjoying the peace of utter silence.

I am at a crossroads in my life. I am 46 years young and find myself with a housefull of young adults. In the past year, my husband and I have stumbled upon the unusual occasion that we are alone in our home. It happens more and more as our precious children are growing up. Becoming more and more independent and very busy socially. You suddenly find yourself in a very weird place...a strangely happy place, but, nonetheless weird. It can be lonely as you discover no one really needs you anymore for those silly little things like "hey, Mom, can you help me with this". You find that your children are not children anymore, they are half-grown and really dont want you doing much for them anymore. I remind myself that this is a testament to my good parenting skills as I have taught them well to be independent...did I mean to teach them so well?

I am truly blessed to have four beautiful, healthy children. They are each one different in their own way. Each one amazing in their perception of life. Each one amazing in their walk with Christ and each one amazing in the way they treat others. They are the strongest, most incredibly giving people that I know. I am in awe of them. I am honored to be their Mom and even more honored to know them as people. They are true leaders and role models for Christ. And...they give the most incredible hugs! Thank goodness this is something they continue to give even as they are growing up...I like to think they need them as much as I do!

When you begin to learn from your children, when they begin to teach you and give you new perspective on life...that is when you realize that you have done something right as a parent. When you hear the lessons you have taught coming back to you, you realize what leaders you have helped to mold. WOW...I am so honored to be their Mom and their friend.

I am also thankful for the utter silence in the wee hours of the morning with my coffee and for the ever increasing alone time with my wonderful husband. It is in these moments that I can appreciate who my children have become and dream of who they are aspiring to be. I am truly blessed.

What makes life worthwhile is having a big enough objective, something which catches our imagination and lays hold of our allegiance...What higher, more exalted, and more compelling goal can there be than to know God?

There are four steps to accomplishment:

Plan Purposefully

Prepare Prayerfully

Proceed Positively

Pursue Persistantly