Book Club

This week we are going to cover chapters 5 - 8 in "The Antelope in the Living Room".  I loved all your comments last week.  If you didn't participate last week - please feel free to jump in any time and share your answers.  This is such a fun book to discuss.

These were highlights for me from these chapters:

* Love the "young love vs old love" discussed in chapter five.  We are definitely in the old love category now.  And I'm so thankful.

* Chapter 7 and the topic of money in marriage cracked me up because it was so true.  And how Melanie tells Perry that everything she buys cost "$15".

* "There is nothing that will test a marriage like a project".  (Ch 8) This is why I don't think Scott and I could ever build or renovate a house.  It would be a disaster.

1.  Have you ever made a list of qualities you want in your future spouse? What things did you include that ended up not being as important as you originally thought?

I had a LOOOOOONNNNNGGG list I kept in my Bible in college and my 20's of things I wanted in a husband.  As the years went on - I think the list got shorter.  By the time I met Scott the list was basically "breathing".  (just kidding).   I did have a ton of frivolous stuff like "plays guitar" and "plays college football" that didn't matter.  Scott was different that what I imagined in looks and personality but he is the perfect match for me. 

2. What are some things in your life that you feel like you’re waiting on right now? Do you agree that we’re all waiting on something, no matter where we are in life?

Honestly, I feel like for once, I'm NOT waiting on anything.  For the last 20 years I waited on a husband or a baby or to get out of the baby stage.  Right now, I'm just thrilled to be exactly where I'm at.  In fact, I want time to stop, not move on. 

3. In Chapter 4, Melanie mentions a list of celebrities she’d be friends with if they ever met. Do you have a list?

I LOVE this question.  Melanie had some I would pick like Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Anniston and Kate Winslet.   Mine would probably include Drew Barrymore, Reese Witherspoon, Kelly Ripa and Jimmy Fallon.

Weekend Extravaganza

Scott, Steve and Scott's dad had their annual spring weekend to work on their hunting land and eat fried chicken.  I would have been sad Scott was gone but the girls and I were super busy.  By Saturday night, I was exhausted but we had a lot of fun.  

We kicked it off Friday night with a birthday party.  Harper has four little boys in her class at church who all turned five within a week of each other.   Jordan had a minion party Friday night.  It was so fun.  We never got a picture with the birthday boy.  It was a room full of rowdy boys and they played and ate pizza.  

This is my girls' favorite little boy Elijah.  They LOVE him.  I feel like this would be what our family looks like if we had a boy.  

Another picture but I had to add one of Harper's friend Madeline in her minion hat.  She was so cute! 

 Saturday morning the girls and I did Race for the Cure in honor of my friend Jenn who beat breast cancer this year.  This is my girls and Jenn's girls.  They are sweet friends.  

Yes - she's three and she has a boyfriend.  We are keeping our eyes on this girl.  

Jenn had the cutest shirts made for the walk.  There was a big group of us who walked to honor her.  

So proud of this girl.  She's so brave and so fun.  

And her hair coming in is awesome! 

Saturday afternoon we went to a Science party for our friend Brandon.  

This was a BLAST.  There is a "science guy" who came and did all kinds of experiments with the kids.  There were a ton of kids ages 3-5 there and they all sat still for about 2 hours watching him.  Even the parents loved it and got in on the fun.  

The science men even made cotton candy.  What's not to love? 

Sunday morning the girls sang in church.  

Hollis is really too young to be in preschool choir but she LOVES to sing and knew the songs and since I help with choir - I started letting her come to practice with me and she did so great I thought I would let her sing with the kids.  I was really nervous but she did amazing! And so did Harper.  All the kids were so cute. 

 I'm so proud of these sweet girls. 

Little girls in pastels. 

We had a great weekend.  But sadly it ended on a bad note with the terrible tornados in central Arkansas.  Tornado's are so scary.  I'm so sad for all those who lost their homes but more for the families who lost loved ones.  There was a family with 9 children who lost the dad and two of the kids.   I know there were at least two other small children who died.  Just keep them in your prayers.  I know storms continue to hit Tennessee and Mississippi.  Pray for all of those in the paths and after math.  

Pray for Arkansas

I hate this time of year because we live in tornado alley.

Last night at least 16 people were killed in deadly tornados in Arkansas.  I saw this morning at least 2 of those were children.

So many people lost their homes.  I know of at least one family who did.

There was a tornado in OK also.

Such a sad day for our state.

Thank you for praying.

{Please feel free to add any other prayer requests you have in the comments so we can all be praying}

Make-Up, Bible Verses and Bobs

We are having a crazy weekend but I wanted to write about last week before I forget.  

Wednesday night we had AWANA awards.  Of COURSE, about 30 minutes before we left - the girls got into makeup and came running in looking like Tammy Faye.  I scrubbed their faces but they still went to church looking like clowns. 

AWANA is a program for kids that helps them learn the Bible.  Harper memorized 26 Bible verses this year.  I'm so proud of her.  There are many adults who don't know that many verses.  

The kids rotate and do music/games, story time, crafts and snacks.  In every rotation, they talk about the Bible story and verse of the week.  I did music and I had a lot of fun.  

Almost as much fun as Harper did at the awards program.  

 Harper and one of her best friends Madeline

I have to tell on myself.  Wednesday I got up early and dressed the girls in matching outfits and straightened Harper's hair and put them in new white shoes.  It was picture day and we were winning! 

And then I noticed no other kids at school were dressed up and saw a sign and realized picture day was NEXT wednesday.  Awesome. 

And then after I sat at work for six hours while they were in school, I realized my dress was on backwards.  

Some days I have it all together and some days I'm a mess. 

OH and this happened! 

Good bye long hair, Hello summer bob! 

Show us your Biggest Design Challenge

Today is a great day to post a room or area in your house where you need some design help.  Tell us about why you need help and show us pictures.  Then maybe a fresh set of eyes can help you get ideas!!! Visit some of the blogs linked up and see if you can give advice!

We have lived in our house for almost 10 years and except for the girls' rooms pretty much everything has been exactly like we fixed it 10 years ago.  And I'm happy and content for the most part but I would LOVE to redecorate pretty much the whole house.

But I need a decorator to help me.

And I need to win the lottery. 

So I'm hoping in the next year or so to start a "decorating fund" and maybe I can start working on projects eventually.  

One thing I would really love to change is our dining room.  Scott's parents bought us this set as a wedding present and I want to always have the table and pass down to the girls. I love our table and I like the chairs but I feel like it's maybe outdated and just needs a fresh look.  

I would like to get a bench seat like this and then maybe 4 -6 smaller chairs to go around.  

And maybe a neutral rug for under the table and fresh drapes for the window.  

This is kind of the look I'm wanting to go for?   The one thing I wouldn't know what to do is the big wall behind the table.  I have those botanical prints but think it needs something different........any suggestions....especially if I go with this neutral look? I'm thinking maybe just one GIGANTIC painting? I have no idea.

I'm curious to see your biggest design challenges........... (I could share all my rooms with you but I will just start with this one.)

Some announcements and a Lisa Leonard Giveaway

It's bullet point day on the blog because I just need to make a few announcements.  Stay tuned to the end because there is something special at the end of this post!


*   Tomorrow's SUYL is going to be a fun one.  It's "Show us your BIGGEST decorating Challenge." Post pictures of an area in your house you are having trouble with, maybe share any ideas you have and then I hope you will visit the blogs and offer any advice you might have.  Sometimes it just takes a new point of view to help!!!! I think this will be a fun interactive time for all of us!

*

The "American Blogger" movie is out!! You can download on americanblogger.com.  

I watched it twice and I thought it was very interesting.  If you are interested in blogging or like blogging - I think you will like it.  It's very well done.  I'm in there a few times.  I look DREADFUL. (This is not me fishing for compliments - this is me saying - YIKES - seeing your self on screen is scary).  But my girls are cute in it! 

*  I need to post winners for a few recent give aways:

Cari Lamb - you won the Aqua Spa Give away 

Julia Crossman - you won the Buyamba sandal give away 

I will email you both! 

AND

Lisa Leonard is someone I adore and I also adore her jewelry!!! 

She has a new Mother's collection that would be perfect for gifts for Mother's day or for birthdays. 

You can look at all of her beautiful pieces on lisaleonard.com.  {You can enter "momlove" and get 25% off your order today!}

And Lisa is so generous - she wants to offer TWO of you a $50 gift certificate!!! You can use it for yourself or for a loved one! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Club

Pull up a chair and drink your Starbucks or Sonic Diet coke or water and get comfy - because it's Book Club Day.   This is our first day and I hope we can keep this going.  

I need to give a disclaimer that I have no earthly idea what I'm doing but hopefully this will be fun!!!!

If you haven't read yet - that's okay - you can always get the book and catch up.  I read it in a few hours so I know you can join in if you want! 

We are starting out with "The Antelope in the Living Room" which is a hilarious look at marriage. 

Melanie (on the far right) is the author.  She writes the Big Mama Blog.  This was one of the very first blogs I ever read eight years ago.  Somehow we became friends and I have been lucky to spend time with her on several occasions and even travelled to the amazon with her with Compassion.  This is me and her and her best friend Gulley.  I love Melanie because I relate so much to her.  If you read her books or blog you will know that she and Gulley are so similar to me and Laurie.  And her husband Perry and Scott are basically the same person.   I also told Melanie when we were trying to get pregnant that I really prayed I would have a little girl just like Caroline. And now we laugh that God gave me JUST that.  Harper is so much like her.

Also Melanie is possibly one of the funniest people I have ever met.

So let's discuss.  I'm going to just mention a few of the highlights to me from the first FOUR chapters.  Then in the comments - please add anything you loved or that jumped out to you.

And then I'm going to answer the first 3 questions that Melanie shared on her blog for book clubs!
I would love for you to share your answers and hopefully we can have discussion in the comment section.

"Marriage can be the biggest blessing and the most significant challenge two people ever take on." 

* Laughing at the first chapter when she talked of waiting for Perry to pop the question and then of living in the assisted living and getting her wedding gifts delivered.  And loved that she said when she and P go to weddings now they look at the bride and groom and say "Those two fools have no idea what they are getting into.  They don't deserve new dishes.  You new who deserves new towels? WE DO." ha! 

* Loved Melanie talking about meet Perry in the second chapter.  And I love this statement (single girls listen up!): 

"I think it can be easy to settle for less than you deserve just because less is right in front of you and the best may still be unseen." 

* I so agree with Melanie in chapter 3 about planning a wedding back in the days before pinterest.  I would have been done in.  We didn't have the chalkboards or the wedding hashtags or the mason jars and burlap or photo booths.  So much less pressure. 

* Chapter four just makes me laugh because it's so much like my thoughts after we got home from our honeymoon.  It's an adjustment to get used to living with a man. ha! I only wish I would have told Scott he had to do his own laundry.  I have not been set free from that bondage. 

QUESTIONS

1. In Chapter 1, Melanie mentions that she’d always envisioned a Christmas wedding but ended up getting married in August. How did your own wedding day differ from what you thought it might be?

I always wanted a fall wedding and that is just what I had.  I think our day was just how I would have wanted it.  It just went by so fast! 

2. Have you seen ways in your own life that marriage tends to amplify whatever insecurities you have? Have you looked for your husband or job or anything to complete you in some way?

3. Do you remember the first time you met your spouse? What stands out in your mind?

We went on a blind date that Laurie set up.  We met at a mall in Little Rock down in the food court and I hid in a store so I could check him out before we "met."  I just remember he was tan and muscular and manly.  And he made me laugh.  I was smitten immediately.  

Not like I imagined

We dyed Easter eggs on Saturday afternoon.  

And the girls had fun. 

But it made me start thinking.


I spent a lot of my 20's and 30's thinking of how I couldn't wait for a family and I had all of these mental lists of things that I couldn't wait to do with my family.  And they all sounded so fun.

And don't get me wrong - it's every bit as wonderful as I imagined and I love my girls more than life.

BUT.

There are some things we do that I'm just going to admit,

they aren't as fun as what I imagined in my head. 

{in fact, they down right give me anxiety attacks}

1.  Dying Easter Eggs

2.  Baking cookies with my girls

3.  Taking family road trips

4.  Carving pumpkins (I actually haven't even tried this yet because I can already tell how stressed it will make me) (but that's mostly due to an unfortunate pumpkin carving party when I was 12 that resulted in a trip to the ER and a big scar on my thumb to this day.  I'm sure we will carve next year.)

5.  Disney World (well - we haven't done that yet and we are planning to but I just KNOW.)

What would you add to the list? 

{And I need to add that there are things that I probably never thought would be so fun that I absolutely love - like sitting in the driveway for hours while the girls play outside with friends, singing endless songs at night with my girls,  driving with the windows down just because they love it......}

AND I need to add - of course I ADORE my girls and enjoy doing things with them.......this is just a light hearted look at things I thought would be so much fun (and we do them and the girls love them) but to me they are more stressful than fun.  :-) 

Easter 2014

I just love Easter!!!!

Beside the obvious reason that we are celebrating Jesus being alive - I just love worshipping at church and the spending the day with our friends.  Easter is a holiday we have made our holiday.  We don't travel - we just have our own traditions and I love it.  I love being with our families on every other holiday but Easter is a great one to build our own memories. 

Easter is also a busy day for us.  We are on the Ordinances Committee which means we take care of baptisms and the Lord's Supper (communion).  We had a Good Friday service so Scott went and set it up and served.  I stayed home because there isn't childcare and Hollis isn't quite old enough - hopefully next year we will make it.  

Today we went to the early service and helped with Baptisms and then Scott had to greet and we helped him and then went to the late service.  Harper had to be with us all morning and she did so good.  She LOVED greeting.  She handed out bulletins and said "Happy Easter" to everyone who came in.  I love teaching her to serve with happiness! 

 My sweet girls.  I got their dresses on clearance from Remember Nguyen during their big Christmas sale.  I just love them even though they are linen and wrinkle easily.  I love blue on little girls. 

 I did an Instagram poll trying to figure out a dress for Easter for me.  I ended up not ordering any of the dresses I had picked out and last minute went to Dillards yesterday and found this pink dress.  

 We always eat lunch with Laurie and Steve on Easter.  It's been our tradition for probably 10 years.  We switch out homes and sometimes other people join us but we always eat KFC.  

And we love it! 

 Our girls.  I have pictures of them every year together on Easter.  

 This year we had another family join us.  It was so fun to eat with them.  

 The kids table.  

 Last year our friends Mike and Kacy started a new tradition by inviting our Sunday School class over (any one who was in town and without family) for egg hunts and a dinner potluck.  

We went again this year and it was SO much fun.  It was perfect weather and some of my absolute favorite people and the girls had a BLAST!!!! 

 My friend Ashley brought baby geese.  Hollis loved holding one! 

 Harper and one of her best friends Madeline

 I don't like to brag - but my girls are master egg hunters! 

 There was a Golden Egg and Harper found it! 

 Harper and her friend Kinley.  We have spent Easter with them many years.  

Harper and Kinley (and Sarah Kate and Emily) when they were one. 

 Ashely and Kacy

 Mary Avery, Jessica and Kelly

 We had Egg Races.  Kacy and Mike smoked every one.  

We had such a wonderful Easter.  My heart is full.

I can't believe how much my girls have grown over the last few Easters.