How to manipulate Daddy...

Step 1: Calmly explain to Daddy that you would like things to go in a slightly different direction.

Step 2: After breaking Daddy's will, proceed to do what you want to do.

Step 3: Bask in the thrill of victory over your clearly inferior opponent.

A Clean Slate...

Ok, so today being the beautiful day that it was...Reese and I set out on a mission. Clean mommy's car...inside and out. I mean, I took it to the car wash and vacuumed it and everything. It was harder than it sounds. Now those of you who have ridden with me know two truths...I speed like a banshee(what is a banshee anyways???), and my car usually has a layer of "stuff" on all surfaces. So...it was like "choose your own adventure" cleaning it out. Here's a not all-inclusive list of stuff I found...
-cheerios
-dvd's, books, cd's, magazines-all sorts of entertainment items
-those earrings Ive been looking for
-embarassingly, lunch trash from a few days ago...hey it was Potbelly, yum!!
-about $15 in change
-3 pairs of shoes
-a million Target receipts
-a toaster AND tea maker???
-Sonic cups
-more cheerios
-Elmo
-a few yards of some cute fabric, sweet! I could use that.
-A Metro church bulletin from like 2 years ago
-toothbrush
-chargers for cell phones we no longer own
-and my personal favorite...some Miller Lite(and no I dont drink and drive-there is a logical explanation for this...a certain someone's wedding shower:)

Anyway, I am entering this Friday with a clean slate and I plan on keeping my little Corolla clean from now on!! :) Yea!!! And you can all hold me accountable.........

Reese's fall fashion show...

Haven't updated on Reese in a while, so here ya go!... she LOVES being outside, she says "bye-bye", "Elmo"(which comes out "Memo), and her newest addition, "Wow!". She loves doing her animal sounds, eating "grown up" food, and is very happy and energetic. Her "evil cackle" laugh is a favorite! We are loving this stage of her life, although she is wearing us out! :)

1)Playing outside on a chilly(for texas) morning :)...notice the cargos, waffle henley, and Vans tennies(courtesy of Uncle Ben)!
2)Hangin with Owen at the playground...notice his arm around her :) Muaaahaaaa!!...our plan for the marriage of these two is almost complete!
3)Another outside photo...sportin her new "Inspired" Gap Red onesie!
4)Watchin baseball with daddy
5)With my high school friends Robin, Meghan, and Bethany(and her baby bella). We have been friends since 8th grade... :)

...Okie weekend

Our sweet friends, Jay and Gina Mendenhall, that moved to Oklahoma this summer were in town this weekend and were our houseguests! We hung out, went to a wedding, talked, laughed, all kinds of hoopla...We miss them so much and were soooooo glad to be able to spend some time with them!

**And just a side note...Skip and I are in a fantasy football league with a group of friends. They convinced me to play with them even though only one other girl is playing. But now...I would like to say...I am winning!! (Not that I really care as I am not competitive at all :) As in, first stinkin place, beating all the boys!! Oh yes, my first round pick of my hero Peyton Manning is paying off! Ok, thats that. Just had to gloat a little because Im WINNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today's Top Ten

As Reese and I were on our morning walk today, and I was sweating a little less than usual, I thought about the coming of fall and how it is my favorite thing ever! I love fall and here's why:

1) cool breeze, pretty colors , that "fall smell" in the air
2) the new fall line at Gap
3) NOT wearing stupid capri pants and tank tops, which I hate, but instead wearing awesome jeans and sweaters. I love fall clothes!
4) The day that you turn your clock back and get an extra hour of sleep. (although Im not sure how that one will work out this year with Reese...pretty sure she's still gonna wake up. Dang.)
5) Pumpkin patches
6) the fact that Thanksgiving is in the fall season. I wait 12 months for Thanksgiving food!
7) Football
8) Fall means we are that much closer to the holiday season--Love it!!!!
9) the smell of that first fireplace lighting up and the yankee fall-scented candles
10) falling leaves (although I hate raking them :)

I hope you all enjoy the season as much as I do!! Happy Fall!!

These are the people in our neighborhood...

Yes. That is reference from Sesame Street, in case you're wondering. Ok. So here's one reason I love our neighborhood. As Reese and i were on our morning walk today, i waved at all the usual suspects. The old man and lady that have lived in that house since 1954, the lady the smokes on her front porch every morning at 8am, the guy "roomates" that are so friendly and Reese loves them...lets see, who else??....the guy that we cant figure out exactly why he is home all day, every day...I mean, are we the only people that work??, the guy that waters down his driveway (yes his driveway) every day, the people that have their Christmas tree up year round(thats a whole other story :), the young couple that are Tennessee fans, the man that falls asleep in his chair in the driveway every day...we have more than a few characters living among us. But today, the little old man three doors down, was learning how to ride a bike! So stinkin cute! He is seriously 80 years old at least, and he was riding his bike around and around in his driveway, and...it had training wheels on! I hope Im like that when Im 80!!
Its the little things that amuse me :)

...A New Beginning

Ahhhhh, Monday, September 24th....one of my favorite days of the year. Anyone have a guess??? If you know me at all, you would know it's because tonight begins the new fall season of tv! And yes, I know, I know. Im a dork and tv is the devil(Lanny), but I cant help it...I admit, I love it-I love kindof being in another world for an hour, Its fun!! Now, this day comes with much preparation and anticipation for me. The Friday before the Monday of the new season, I sit down with my fall preview tv guide, a glass of wine, and my DVR remote. So, this past Friday night, while Skip was gone at a football game, I did just that. Step 1 requires highlighters. I highlight all the shows I think I might want to watch. Now, I already have established shows on the roster, so there is only limited room for new shows. But, Ive done my research on all the new shows, so Im ready to make the hard choices on which ones to cut. The DVR records two shows at one time, so step 2 is going through and making sure of any overlapping times. This year, luckily only one night has shows that conflicted so I had to cut one on Thursday. Last year, I had way too many that overlapped and so I made the decision to cut ALL(and yes that includes American Idol-that ridiculous show that took up 3 night a week on my DVR--Go Daughtry!!) reality tv. (I was getting way bored of it anyway, and I would much rather watch a good drama than the "way-over" Bachelor or something.) Anyway, so step 3 is actually setting the season passes on the DVR and then...Im ready for a new season...so exciting!! This is not an all-inclusive list, but, Heroes, Gray's, CSI, new fav Ugly Betty. And of course, we cant forget about the mid-seasoners...24 and Lost.
Ok, now before you think Im in love with my DVR(although I might possibly be-and I know there are few of you out there that understand), and that I ignore my child to watch all these shows, know this...I really dont watch every show, AND what I usually do is save up and watch on nights that Skip is gone coaching and Reese is asleep. Anyway, whatever...

Cheers!--to DVR's, the start of a new season, and all of you who are in the "tv club" with me!

..."in my heart's eye"

This past week I visited my family in Tennessee. It was my grandmother's 80th birthday, Reese needed to see her Tennessee relatives, and I needed some pork bar-b-q.(is there any other kind???) :) We had a great time visiting with grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins...then we trekked down to Destin, Florida to suffer for a few days on the beach. My mom, my cousin, Reese and I took my Grandmother on a girls trip down there for her birthday. She loves it there but has not been able to go for a really long time, so it was a neat thing. We had so much fun shopping, eating, and hanging on the beach. Reese's first beach trip was a success!(although flying with an infant, by yourself, with connecting flights, is quite the challenge :) ) She was a little daredevil, but our little bathing beauty too! On another note...I am 27 years old, and my grandmother is 80. I think it is so cool how, at least to me, she is kindof ageless. I mean, I know she is older in my brain, but in "my heart's eye" she is still the same as she was when I was 5 years old...filling my stocking at Christmas, humming me songs at night, making me her special oatmeal... You wont often hear her complain, she is so kind and excited about life. I am so glad I got to spend this special time with her and hope I can remember and learn from all the things she is and does!

Yea for beach/girl's trips!!! :)

...The rise and fall of Caesar

As you know, Skip and I are...how should I say it...not pet people. (There are a select few we like however:) Well, our neighbor loves scottie dogs. In fact, they have a statue of one in their front yard. The one they had, Tiger, died and they got a new scottie puppy, Caesar. OK. For the past few months Caesar comes out with his annoying as heck bark and goes crazy right by Reese's window every day at her naptime! Wakes her up. For you moms you know how precious naptime is!!!! Gold! I have cried, yelled, cussed, thought of how I could sneak out after dark with a ski mask on and some sort of weapon....... Hum, or I really just wanna drop kick him off a bridge. Now that you all think I'm a complete psycho :), let me assure you all your pets are safe...Or, are they???

Afterthought of the day:
Has anyone ever wondered what the people that work at the DPS, Social Security Office, and City Court have in common?? They all are the thorn in my side. You are legally required to use their services yet, they are SOOOOOOO slow and for the most part, frustrating and only semi-helpful. And whats the deal with going to one place, waiting in line, only to find out you are at the wrong place and need to be at a different place waiting in line!!??!! Or, the ever popular, they close at 4pm, and seriously, if you show up at 4pm exactly, they will lock you out and have a security guard with a gun standing there just in case you didnt get the picture. Anyway, just a thought :)

...Our weekend o' fun!!!

We had a busy few days this weekend! It was Reese's 1 year old birthday on Saturday, and...a dear friend of mine, Misty, got married, and I was honored to be a bridemaid! The wedding festivities were Friday and Saturday into the wee-hours of the morning. There was dancing, partying, laughing, and possibly a little alcohol freely flowing! :) Then, on Sunday, we had Reese's birthday party. She was so cute! She didnt want anything to do with the cake, but...she was our little birthday princess! And just in case you're wondering if you can find this nice little strawberry overall number(in the above pic) in the new fall line at baby Gap, you cant! :) This is circa 1981, which I wore at my 1 year old birthday party! Strawberry Shortcake is making a comeback people!! :)

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Johnson...and

Happy 1st birthday sweet baby girl!

Let's play the feud!!!!

Just a little advertisement!...Our friends, the Vanderveer family, (Ive been friends with Kristin since I was like 6 and we know the rest of them from college), was on Family Feud recently! Yes, the show is still on the air :) Anyway, it airs this week!! They won, so they are on all week. September 10-14, on the CW at noon!!! Set your Tivos...they are apparantly very entertaining!!

Ode to Papa...

My dad was the best dad in the world to me and now he is the best Papa for Reese. He is so kind and patient. He was always at my games, always cheered me on, made lots of tents in the living room with me, read lots of books, took me to the lake, always comforted, always a teacher, taught me about Christ, taught me about life, told me when I was out of line and disciplined me for it, helped me when I needed it, let me learn the lesson on my own when I needed to, took me to breakfast once a week from 4th grade until now...a tradition that continues with Reese...never made me feel stupid, always made me feel important, always listened, never "too busy", always hugged me, always said "I love you", never put his burdens on me, always joyful, always prayerful, always welcoming to others, always a good friend, always a good son to his parents, always a good husband, always played restaurant, always watched my shows I put on and clapped like it was for real :) , always accepted my friends as his own, always gave wise council, never quick to anger, but always quick to forgive. I mean...I pray and hope I can be as good a parent to Reese as he is to me. God gave me an amazing example and standard to go by in both of my parents and I love them very much!

No, I will not make out with you!...:)

Oh Reesie! Not even one yet and all over the boys already! She has single handedly tackled and pinned down Elmo and then ever so ladylike, started kissing him! :) As you can see also, she is thoroughly enthralled by her fiance Owen, and thinks he is quite funny, however...he is doing well at this point resisting her advances! I mean, she does have like 4 boyfriend choices already in real life...man, we are gonna have our hands full!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to school Skip goes...

Oh, the first day of junior high jitters! Such a huge step in life. Oh wait, Im 27, Reese is only 1, so no, neither of us are off to junior high...hummmm, that leaves the skipper!! Thats right, today was Skip's first day of school! As a teacher that is :) What an adventure! The fun began saturday when we were off to go to Mardel to laminate Skip's posters for his room and buy decor. You know what Im talking about...the super cool bulletin board border, charts, all that stuff. I knew this wasnt looking like a promising start to the new school year when Skips Return of the Jedi poster got eaten by the laminating machine. After which we cannot find any of the die-cut letters he needs to spell out stuff on his bulletin baords. Then, we proceed to Kinkos(the biggest rip off place on the face of the planet) to have them laminate the rest of his posters, when alas, we are told it will be like $75, we turn around and walk right back out with reesie in tow and Skip scolwing under his breath that the stupid kinkos guy is a flippin idiot. We decide to start again the next day. SO, Sunday:
I proceed to Target while Skip goes to Academy to get his coaching stuff. With Reese and $100 of groceries inside, my car wont start when I get out. Call skip. He comes and we go back in to Target to buy jumper cables that neither one of us know how to use. The guy parked next to us helps us because apparantly we look like idiots. Im on my way...Skips car dies. I have to go back and jump him. He goes to get a new battery. We both get home finally. He gets out the one thing he was able to get at Academy...a wistle. Doesnt work.
Sunday evening:
Go back to Target to try to go school supply shopping amidst the other 1 million people in the universe. He finds a few things, but the main thing he needs, wide-ruled notebook paper is sold out!!!!!! What?????? Dont the Target people anticipate the day before school rush??? (Dont worry though...Target could never do anything to lose my love and devotion). We also get a padlock and lunchbox and travel size toiletries.
Sunday night:
Skip packs his bags. All his schoolbooks, assignments, change of clothes, shower bag, coaching stuff, and a partridge in a pear tree. Sleeps on the couch because he is afraid he will oversleep. Fast forward to this morning:
Get up at 5am, gets ready, loads his car, packs his lunch(sorry, Im not packing his lunch at 5am!!) But I was sortof half awake when he left. I blindly took his first day of school pic on the front porch then gave him a good luck grunt from the couch.


So here's to junior high, fresh school supplies, sending your husband off to his first day of school, and Target!!

...God is good!

God seems to keep reminding me, through various things, that He is the one in control and that my life is in His hands.
Providence.
My dad, my hero in every possible way, also has helped me tremendously in truly understanding and embracing this doctrine lately. I am, in fact, "prone to wander", prone to make the same mistakes over again, prone to trust in myself instead of the Almighty creator, prone to worry about worldly things, yet He continues to work in me, thank goodness! The things that are most important, and that I strive to be more like Him in...wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, worker, witness, etc....I fail at miserably every day, yet I have faith and assurance that He will continue to give me grace and work in me until the end of my days. He gives things and takes things away in His providence, ordering my way with knowledge I do not possess...Doing the BEST for me, even if I do not see it initially...Not to mention, I forget to take joy in the hard things(however small they are, or however big I make them)...and its pretty cool that the hard things truly show me the width and length and depth and height of His love for me...reminding me that His plans for me are perfect and that He does for me far above all I could ever imagine for myself!! He is Good and I thank Him for all He is doing in me and for me!!

"Wonderful are your works, O Lord, my soul knows it very well!"

Ephesians 3:13-21

"I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--to know the love of Christ which passes all knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now, to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or imagine, to Him be the glory forever and ever..."!!!!!!!!!!

"Luke, I am your father"...

Introducing, Luke Tyler Stewart!! Our dear friends(and Reesie's namesake) had their baby Friday night...Matt is a dad, yikes! :) We got to meet the little guy Saturday! It was so fun. He is so precious and we are already in love with him. This is one of my favorite things...meeting our nieces and nephews... I remember like yesterday meeting Elijah, Owen, Miller(and we cant forget the "A" kids :)...How blessed we are to have such friends that we love their children like our own...

...Weekly update in pictures

Reese on her first ride in her new pimpin' carseat!


My best high school friend, Bethany and I with her new baby girl, Bella!




Reese meeting Libby for the first time!
(my brother's new puppy) and notice the
rockin' first attempt at pigtails :)

This Week in Reese Pics...

I said I wanted grilled cheese. Did I stutter?

Daddy is an awesome batting instructor. Next stop Wrigley Field!

Is there any place on earth that's as great as Target?!

I love swimming with Mommy!

Young at heart....

This morning I awoke, got Reese ready to go and was in the car at 8am, only to discover that my car would not start. No sound whatsoever. In the midst of my ranting about the stupid battery, the fact I needed an oil change, and that I really didnt need this crap right now....A light flickers on. No, not in my head. On the dash. A light that looks strangly like a gas tank. Hummm, I think...thats right, I did see that light yesterday and ignored it. Now for all of you about to give a lecture on being responsible and filling up when I get to a quarter tank-I dont want to hear it...Ive never actually run out of gas before. Anyway, so, whats the first thing this girl does...calls Daddy!!

So, in conclusion, this week I've discovered that apparantly Im still a kid at heart! Which Im fine with, because with a baby, my increasing love of naps, and growing interest in the Food Network...not to mention that in 2 1/2 short years I will become a thirty-something and have to give up my twenty-something status...I was starting to feel old!!!

Here are a few of the signs of still being a kid at heart: top ten, in random order:

1) when you run out of gas your first response is to call daddy to bring you a gas can :)
2) you have a celeb crush on teeny-bopper Zac Efron (in case you didnt know, he is on High School Musical-Disney Channel ridiculousness), and love the show Hannah Montana.
3) when you go to the grocery store there is just a little bitty voice inside you that still cries out for strawberry gushers and fruit-by-the-foot.
3b) ok, and what about the after-school snack, while watching the after-school tv lineup?? Mine was Batman, Little House on the Prairie and Saved by the Bell! Awesome! :)
4) you think the song 'Mmm Bop' by the Hansons is a classic. I mean, and does anyone remember Raffi???
5) you still have to call mom to ask how long to boil eggs and what kind of medicine you should take for a runny nose.
6) You love the store Forever 21 and completely intend to keep shopping there even if you have to eventually call it, 'Forever 41"!
7) You love Harry Potter!(although this one is debateable because of the number of adults that enjoy the Potter)
8) you get all sentimental when you pass by the Glowworms and Rainbow Brite in the toy isle.
9) you have a sudden urge to build a massive tent in the living room and run through the sprinkler in the backyard.
10) You have a strange desire to have a slumber party :)

Here's to staying young at heart!!

Random updating...

Hello everyone. I was told that you will all stop reading my blog if I don't update soon soooo...just wanted to update. Reesie is walking!!! That's right...last Monday, she took her first steps and is now really good at it :) Also found out this weekend that she loves dogs...like is not afraid of a huge dog at all. Our canine friend Mo(who belongs to the Alexanders) is now her new best friend! All she will eat is grilled cheese, thanks Jenn, but it doesn't look like she's wasting away to nothing yet...In other news, Tracy and I attended a Midnight Harry Potter party a few weeks ago for the release of the final book in the series and it was all I hoped it would be and more...finished the book in 2 days and now Im sortof sad I have no more! Oh well, I guess I still have 2 movies to look forward to. My college roomate just had her baby and I'm just waiting for a call any minute now that our good friend Andrea is in labor, and my friend Bethany too...Our house is still for sale, my parents are moving to Dallas, Skip starts his new teaching job next week and is excited. He found out he will be teaching Texas History instead of the 'behaviorally challenged' class so that was good news :) Ummmm....ok more witty banter and fun pics to come tomorrow when my brain is working better. I'm on medication and really tired right now so that's all you get :)

"I Hate Goodbyes!"

That title might be lost on some of you if you've never seen the movie "Dumb and Dumber".

Anyway our good friends Jay and Gina moved to Oklahoma last week. Definitely not a favorite moment in our friendship. So instead here are some that are favorites...

1. Realizing that Skip and Gina are birthday twins (both born on September 20, 1979)
2. Going to Wrigley Field togther in 2005
3. Knowing that Jay would always order the best appetizers when we'd go out ot eat
4. Gina bursting Kate's bubble and telling her that there's no such thing as a "hosepipe".
5. Kate and Gina having an all day conversation by texting (we had to get an unlimited texting package due to their addiction)
6. Skip and Jay playing softball for crappy teams (Sorry Doves, we really weren't that good)
7. Seeing movies at the Movie Tavern
8. Day O' Fun at the O'Steens (not elaborating on this one :) )
9. Jay & Gina hanging out all day at the hospital waiting on Reese's arrival
10. Finding such great friends when we weren't even looking

Always on the move...

Remember when we use to say "I don't know if she'll ever crawl."? Yeah... we're not saying that anymore. She's mobile, she's agile, she's NON-STOP! It's almost as if this one step in our house calls out to her and says climb me please!

...Pondering anew

I read the blog of a dear friend yesterday and she was talking about not 'fretting'(click here). It was very convicting and challenging to me. I have found myself fretting quite a bit lately about different things: selling our house, new jobs, money, church, family, daily annoyances, living a significant, impactful and meaningful life, blah, blah, blah :) Well, I was listening to a hymn cd in the car this morning(which I love!) and heard the words from 'Praise to the Lord, the Almighty.' (Go here and read all the words if you havent before...they are awesome!) Now, if you don't know, I love hymns: a love that was instilled in me by my parents when I was little. They are wonderful and powerful if you take the time to truly meditate on the words.

"Ponder anew, what the Almighty can do..." Wow, I thought. How often do I truly stop and ponder what our amazing God can do? And how often do I truly meditate on the fact that our God will do abundantly more than than we could ever ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20)?? How often do I just stop and praise Him. Not often enough. My mind gets bogged down with worries, busyness, worldly pursuits. I mean, there has never been a time when my God has not been faithful or has not sustained me. He sustains me daily. I am challenged to think with a renewed and fresh mind on the majesty, power, faithfullness, love and goodness of my Lord and Savior and to take time to "praise the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!"

take that, hurricane emily!...

We visited our dear friends, the Perez family (click here), this weekend in San Antonio and had a wonderful time visiting, eating mexican food, and going to sea world...such a nice little vacation...considering that the last vacation we were on with them included us being boarded into "the ark" to wait out hurricane emily, only to emerge 18 hours later:

(-knowing the entire harry potter trilogy by heart, en espanol,
-starving because the only food we were given was past expiration,
-exhausted because our 2x6 plot of floor was not super comfy,
-not being able to go to the beach due to the fact all the sand was gone,
-not allowed to swim in the pool due to all the dead fish that now were inhabiting it,
-and my favorite, having to eat pringles on the rest of our 'paid-in -advance, all-inclusive vacation', because none of the restaurant employees could get into work),

...this one was a DREAM!!!

Here's to 8 years of friendship, the Mayan Riviera and Sea World!!

(Skip and I, Rosey and Jimmy at Sea World)

...the simple things

...my precious little girl who reminds me every day that
it's the simple things in life that make it so sweet!