Look out tree, here I come...

Hey, it's me Jibbers. I am having a grand time getting where I need to be. I just tootled across the living room floor and found my new toys. They're so shiny. Hey good news, I saw a dog today. I painted a picture of a butterfly. I'll call you in 5 minutes...Fat guy in a little coat, oh wait, wrong movie...Gotta go.

Let the birthday festivities begin!

We love Christmas! It's definitely the most fun birthday celebration we throw around here all year!!! Candy Canes, an absurd amount of glitter, Texas Santa, and even a strand of color lights this year! We are getting crazy!!! We love celebrating the birth of JESUS!!!

We had a ball decorating the tree this year. I let those boys go to town and they did a great job! Oh they were so into it and it was precious. I told that middle boy of mine he might want to decorate the part by the door a bit more. He yelled, "I GOT IT MOM!!!" Pretty huh?!

I'm loving this ornament!!! It makes me happy!

Texas Santa standing on the ottoman. He shakes his money maker and sings Have A Holly Jolly Christmas!

Fuzzy picture but you get the idea. Do you see em'? Color lights!!! Mama's getting wild in her old ate! Age that is...

This was Soooo much fun to make!

So, there you have it! Now, when you see us walking around with glittery bums you will know why. I have an unhealthy obesseion with the stuff.

Crafty girl I am not.

But, I got this idea off of a blog and had to try it. Isn't it cute? You scrapbookers probably recognize it, but I hung (er, scotch taped) paper on the back of my cabinet. Here are some feathers I got for my Christmas garland, but until we decorate I stuck it in this vase and I kinda like it...

This thing, I dunno what it is. I bought it about 6 years ago in Maine. It may be a fancy tea towel. To make it hang on the wall, I hot glued a piece of faux wood blind we had leftover. Well, when I did that the hot glue made this orangy stain on the top, so it has been stashed away because I didn't know what to do with it. When I rearranged the other day I found it again. Shane hates me and wanted me to "throw that ugly thing away." I told him he needed to represent and I most certainly would not. I had one piece of paper left over and I think it turned out cute. The permanent solution for this top with be some fringe, just haven't found it yet.

I shopped the house and put our lamps by our bed here. It fills in the space much better, and it was FREE. Sorry the lighting in the pics are so bad, I didn't feel like going back to redo.
I made a mean pot of potato soup for dinner. It was delish. I'm about to run these boys through the car wash so they'll be fit for church tommorow. Hope ya'll all have a great day of worship! I'll leave you with a picture of the first Christmas decoration we have put up...

Mama's been playin'...

I've been having way too much fun this afternoon. I just got to moving some stuff around and it has been a blast. I've rehung pictures and put furniture in funky places and I love it! I'll rearrange a bit more for the Christmas tree, it will go by the front door I think. I don't put it in front of the window, because although I think a lit tree looks beautiful from the outside looking in, I prefer my sunlight.




Oops, I need to move that lamp over a little...

I'm wanting to paint the walls a warmer color to make the clock pop.

These are the windows that are going to get some curtains.

The lamp on the red table has seen one too many footballs come its way, but it's on my list of replacements when the time comes! And this is where my big decorator table is going to go. You know, the one with the topper I'm gonna make!

That's my sign I got at the Dollar Tree for a buck (hanging on my desk). It says, 1 day of coal 364 days of fun...i'll take my chances!

We're enjoying the last few days of our Fall decorations before we bring out the tree! I can't wait! I go for Lime Green & Red whimsy in my decorating for Christmas. I don't have a "before" picture, but all the furniture was up against the walls. No Mas!

THE GIMP BUGGY

Have I been created with a honing device that automatically draws me to the one gimp buggy in the store?

I have just returned from some Hobby Lobby Therapy, and my shoulder is tired from pushing the buggy that wanted to veer to the left during my Appointment.

I'm sure the tiredness in my shoulder has nothing to do with the cute green suede trash bag I carry over my shoulder.

So, on to more important things. My champagne taste. I found a fabric I am in love with. It is $39.99 a yard. I only want it for valances so that won't be so bad when it goes on 50% some day. The duiponi silk I want to make the panels is $21.99 a yard. That's where things start heating up. I'm thinking I'll need around 28 feet, which is 9 yards, which is, well, heck if I know, but it's gonna require some saving.

But it is time for change! And I'm a flip-flopper. One day I want to move and have more space. The next day I want to stay put and freshen up our current home. I love the coziness and openness of my home. And the sunnyness of it. The thing I want more than anything is a bigger kitchen and space to entertain. More storage would be bliss as well!

Here are the things I am currently doing to spruce things up:

• My favorite thing is to downsize. This is easy to do and it gives instant results. The bottom line is when you have too much stuff that has no home it creates clutter.
• Picking up after myself right away. If you already do this it is going to seem like a no-brainer. If you don't, it will change the way you feel about your day and your home. Really. Try it. It is easy to feel like you don't have time to put somethin' away right then and there, but why not? Especially when you are cooking. Put up and clean as you go and it will make you smile when you sit down to a clean kitchen.
• Praying blessings over my home. Here are some things I ask God for. Peace. Safety. Joy. Warmth. Coziness. The Word of God spoken here. Laughter. Laughter. Joy. Forgiveness. Openess. Be a place of refuge and a haven.
• Fabric hunting. My new BFF Nester told me I can paint and make curtains and stuff and I believe her. I am making curtains. And I'm going to make a table topper. And it is going to be amazing.

I'd love to know if anyone else has ideas that you like to do to make your house sparkle?

My Diet Success Story!

I wanted to tell ya'll about the awesome diet I just finished because I am so stinkin' proud of myself and all my hard work.

It began after my smoothie lunch yesterday, I was feelin' all healthy and everythang. Yesterday afternoon I was making cookies and ya'll would be so proud. I dropped a crumb of cookie dough on the stove, and thought, "Nope, that's not touching these lips!" And I tossed it into the sink!

My diet ended sharply around 5:22pm after my first plate of dinner. I could not resist the extra helping of mashed potatoes with gravy, and the extra Sister Schubert, ah-hem, extra 2 Sister Schuberts. Or was it 3?

The good news is, at that point my diet was already over. Since I had done so good on my diet I was able to eat the 7 Layer Dip with Frito Scoops and Chocolate Covered Pretzels when I got to my training last night.

Boy, God is good and I give him all the glory!

Our Boy Has A Debut CD Coming Out Manana!!

Can I get a Whoot-Whoot??? Does anyone want to camp out at Target with me tonight?

Who is Moto-Moto?

"I know I'm every hippos dream!"

Are you now Moto Moto?

Well, we don't know who you are because we haven't seen the movie yet.

And for the record, I thought you were Gloria with a hairy chest.

Gross.

We want Marty! We want Marty!!!

A Note From Jibbers

This morning I had breakfast in my highchair. I am nearly 5 years old now and my Mama & Daddy finally decided to drag this thing out of the attic. It's nice. It looks like I have 2 brothers that have also enjoyed this chair. So, this morning I ate applesauce, oatmeal, and a banana in the mesh thing. My food thing is really nice but I think Mama feels like it is really messy, she says I'm worth it though. I ate Zwieback Toast and it felt good on my teeth. I have 6 teeth.

I am trying to learn how to crawl. I like to fake cough, blow raspberries, and babble things like Mama, Dadadadada, and Drop the Chalupa. Does anyone know what a chalupa is anyway?

I'm pretty much a lot of fun, especially since my teeth aren't bothering me so much these days. I just wanted to say Hi. Bye.

Mama got sick

It was either food poisoning or the bug, but either way Thursday night I was awfully sick all night long. Yesterday I slept all day. Today I am very tired and my tummy muscles are sore.

Shane was very sweet to clean everything for us last night. One good thing about the bug is that we wash all the bedding, from mattress pads to duvet covers.

It's nice today so I'm airing the house out again.

Now I'm praying the babies stay well...

Potluck

McDonald's has the Madagascar toys in the Happy Meals. Your kids will love you.

They won't love you, however, if you drag them out of the bus into McDonald's to try a free crappy cup of the new coffee, and then exit stage left to the bus with no Happy Meals in hand because you just left Kroger with fixin's for dinner.

My kitchen is clean, dishwasher running, floor mopped.

My living room floor, however, is filled with toys, the boys clothes from today, discarded super-hero costumes, a soduko puzzle and pillows from the couches.

I've got my Aunt Jemima dew rag on and am trying to gear up for baths and pj's.

Cleanliness is so overrated...

I've gotta new friend.

We haven't actually met, but she is so fun and I can tell we are Kindred Spirits. Her name is Nester. You can visit her at http://nestingplacenc.blogspot.com/ .

Her living room is painted in Svelte Sage which is the shade I painted my last bedroom. Also, the youth room at church is painted in Svelte Sage. It's a nice sage with gray undertones which make it a good neutral option.

I. Have. The. Itching. To. Decorate.

Paint.

Curtains.

Hammer in some fancy woodwork casings around my windows. I've allready been to Home Depot to inquire about this. The Home Depot dudes are very helpful.

My house is pretty eclectic in my decorating style, but I'd say I veer toward a Pottery Barn Spring/Summer style, and I Love Shabby Chic although I don't really have any pieces in my house. Yet.

My dream house would be all white, with toiles and plaids to beet the band.

My house with 4 boys would be lots of black furniture and family portraits framed in black and whites.

I'm hoping I can get to a fabric store in the next few days to satisfy my itching to decorate and create. And not the snooty one downtown either. See Fabric Store Trip From Hell Post . I want Erma at Hancock's.

This weekend we are tackling the closets that have exploded. It inevitably happens at the season changes. The clothing bomb goes off in the boys closets and we start running out of hangers and space for the clothes.

Well, little Jbird is crying so I'm out...

Whistling Tea Kettle

Neddie gave me a whistling tea kettle for my birthday and it is very cute and fun. Stainless Steel. And it makes the Chai Tea taste better when the kettle whistles at you.

I'm enjoying a cup right now as a matter of fact.

The dishwasher is running.

All the laundry is done.

Our flame thrower thing died so I had to use real matches tonight to light the candles for dinner. I was reminded that I love the smell of a lit match. Or a blown out match I should say.

We had Rachel Ray's Broken Spaghetti and Mini-Meatball Stoup for dinner, a fall-favorite of mine.

Tommorow is supposed to be rainy and cold. I plan to light some candles, keep my lamps on, and bake something. Maybe if I get all my Bible Study done tonight, I can take a nap too.

My Newest Love

Well, I am beside myself with excitement over my newest cookbook my parents blessed me with for my birthday, Back To Basics.

I love, love, love Ina. I love everything about her style of cooking and entertaining. And I am so making the Fresh Apple Tart on the cover of this book and will post about it when I do.

Have I ever mentioned that I love great food?!?!

This is the reason I have been M.I.A. the last few days. I have been detained to my room with my newest book.

THE YELLOW TREE

Today we had a picnic lunch under the yellow tree, followed by a game of football. The weather is absolutely perfect today. I am wearing my new Amazing Grace Perfume.

I also ordered from QVC 2 nights ago. It was waaaayyyy toooo fun, and I'm pretty sure they keep your credit info on record for easy shopping, but I'm not certain. I got 2 ginormous things of Amazing Grace (a lotion and a shampoo/shower gel/bubble bath 3 in 1 thing) for a steal of a deal!

Today I got to spend time with my boys and tonight my family is coming over for BBQ.
Bible study was amazing this morning. One of the stories we looked at was God making the bitter waters at Marah sweet. I love that miracle.

God knows how much time his people need to spend both in the desert and at the abundant waters.

Our omniscient God knows best how to balance my life. We need times of refreshment and testing.

Our teacher also reminded us that we would loose heart if we were always being tested, but he allows some testing so he can make us like the people he wants us to be, he gives us exactly what we need.

It was also interesting that the Israelites in Exodus are going to fail every test.

And he did not rebuke them when they complained but he continued to provide for them.

"The Lord will fight for you, you need only be still." Ex 14:14

"The Lord is a warrior" Ex 15:3

"The surging waters stood firm like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea"

Ex 15:8

"Aaron & Hur held his {Moses} hands up-one on one side; one on the other---" Ex 17:12

I am so thankful for family and friends and the provision of God in my life to meet my needs. He surrounds us with every thing we need. And as one girl shared in my study this morning, there are some things that can only be solved through prayer.

Can I get a whoot-whoot?!?!

Community Service

This morning we did a little community service. We've been enjoying the exquisite fall foliage on our neighbors tree and felt it was our civic duty to rake the leaves. Would you take a look at that wrist action?

Here's a look at the finished product. Nearly an entire grocery sack full of foliage.
And last but not least, a little election coverage...it is so cute. This morning I asked the boys what was happening today. They said we are getting a new President. One said John McCain and the other said Obamba ( like la bamba). I thought it was really cute hearing them say the candidates names. While we were playing outside, one of the boys pulled the little flag out of the yard from the people who treat our grass for weeds, and he held it up and said, "The United States of America!" Maybe you had to be there, but it was dang funny.

My husband is very funny and very opinionated. He wouldn't even let me watch The Today Show this morning because they give too much liberal coverage. Tonight we are having a Fox News watch party complete with Taco Soup, Fritos and Cheddar Cheese!

Election day is always so exciting to me. I can't wait to see who God has put in place to be our next President. I'm studying Moses right now, and the timing is great. Moses is leading his people into the desert with the end result being their deliverance.

We live in a very pampered country. It's interesting to see where God is leading us now. Regardless of who wins today, maybe we are being led into the desert for a time of wandering, but it's OK because our deliverance is sure.

Well, I'm going to get my Chick-fil-A on. See ya!

Tagged

The Walkie Talkie tagged me to post the 4th picture in my 4th album on my computer, so here it is!!!!

That's right friends, plastic underwear liner hats. This picture was taken last year during a decluttering of the boys closet. For some reason, unbeknownst to me, when my boys start potty-training, I get REALLY excited and go to Wal-Mart where I proceed to inevitably buy 3 things:

• Superhero underwear in size 2T
• The quilted looking ugly as sin underwear
• The plastic cover thingy ma-bobs a.k.a. hats

Even though I know the only thing I really use is the super-hero undies, the plastic and quilted varieties call out to me to buy them.

It's kind of like my yearly urge to buy a jar of wheat germ. I don't use it. Ever. But I like how it looks in my pantry I guess?