Black Friday

I know this was a sore subject for a lot of people this year with how early the stores opened.  I do feel bad for the people who had to work on Thanksgiving and I do miss it all happening on Friday.  But Grey Thursday/Black Friday shopping was actually my family's version of Thanksgiving this year and we had a great time together!

Hunter, AJ, and I headed over to his mom's house that morning for what was supposed to be Thanksgiving breakfast.  His brothers were both with their girls' families so it was just us and Hunter's grandparents--we wanted it to be easy.  But since AJ decided to scream and beg to go to bed at 7:45 the night before (causing her to wake up at 10 once her "nap" was over...and stay awake until 1:30)...I wasn't diggin' getting up so much when my alarm went off.  So we were a little late and ended up chowing down on some gumbo and potato salad...  what a bummer :P

She found Gramps's riding hat and Uncle Ricky's hat (my mother-in-law's brother who was killed in a car wreck when he was a teenager).  Special memories on a special girl! 

The sweetest moment of the day was the prayer...  We all circled up in the kitchen to say it before we fixed out plates.  However, AJ is used to saying it once we're all sitting down at the table--so once every one had their food and sat down, she insisted that we say the prayer!  So we grabbed hands and talked to our Jesus again, extra thankful for this munchkin that time.  She was so proud--so much so that she pretty much prayed on her own after every bite!  She even grabbed her little Mickey's hands and covered up his eyes to make him pray with her.  It was absolutely precious and made her daddy and me so very proud. 

That afternoon we headed over to Hunter's dad's house for a late lunch; my parents were able to come eat with us there too.  We got to visit and AJ got to play with her cousins, so she was all kinds of exited.

When the time came, my sister came and met us and we headed into town with my parents (sans AJ) for some shopping!  This was dad's first year to go and we were so surprised he wanted to come.  His rules were that he couldn't be a grouch and mom also told him he couldn't question any purchases...Well when we got out and going, he giggled along to those rules as he explained they applied to her too and we were going to be stopping by Dick's Sporting Goods and Sears!  Too funny

He was a trooper with us through an insane crowd and disorganized staff at Old Navy (we seriously almost got trampled...) and another long line at Target--of course he got himself something at both stores too, so all was well :)  He also found a cozy spot to wait at Target and was praised as a genius by every man that passed by!

  

I was so tempted to get this little Who Dat Mouse for my tot!  

We finished up our outing at the mall and grabbed a bite to eat at Chick-Fil-A.  We stood in line but their lights were out and they couldn't open just yet--something with their system wasn't working at the moment.  But we decided that we had been waiting in lines all night already, so why not give them a few more minutes before bailing.  And boy did it payoff!  Not only did they open less than 10 minutes later, but they came through the line and gave coupons for a free shake to everyone who had waited in line!  Which if you know me at all--this was going to be the end of my night anyway, and now it was free!  Score!

We got home around 2:30 that morning, but since Academy didn't open until 5 (Kudos to them!), we all met back in town that afternoon for that trip and some lunch.

So as much as I hate that other people had to give up family time to work that night, I also love the time I was able to spend with my family.  And we got some treasures in the process!

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving!

love, angie

Bonus Cuteness

We've been working for the past few weeks on what the camel says.

Because daddy's favorite commercial is this:

And a few weeks ago, we went to the circus and got to see this:

She would repeat it after me, but today it was mastered without me having to say anything.  And the tone got deeper and accented.   Huh-larry-us!

What does the camel say?  Huuump Da-AY!

love, angie

Can I just take a minute?

Because I need to show/tell you how stinkin' cute my kid is!

This little girl loves Uncle Si.  She begs to wear her shirt all the time and shouts his name out any time she sees anything from Duck Dynasty.

So tonight at Walmart, we found this little treasure and had to try it on her.  Oh. My. My.  We all three giggled so hard!

Not to mention that when you ask, "What does Uncle Si say?" she responds back, "Hey, Jack!"

That's all of your time I'll take...but holy moly she's cute, and in my opinion, so worth your minutes!

love, angie

Thankful Thanksgiving Thursday!

Today I am thankful:

--for our congregation hosting an area wide church service held this Tuesday night in place of Wednesday services in the community for the holiday.  It was a wonderful time together and such a blessing to visit with special people and friends we haven't seen in a while!

--for life.  Sometimes situations serve as a wake up call, and I have been reminded I need to wake back up to how precious life itself is.  And to make the most of every second!

--for Lysa Terkeurst and her book, Unglued, and for my dear Dajuanna coming to me with the idea for a ladies' day based off of it.  That book and study time changed my heart and I am daily trying to increase my walking in grace, gratefulness, and gratitude... {and that we were asked to lead the same ladies' day at another congregation!}

--that our Thanksgiving will be pretty calm and fairly low key, but spent with all kinds of family and eating all kinds of yummies.  How can we not be thankful for that?

--for my precious and priceless gifts, Hunter and Arabella.  These two hold my heart and make this life ride SO much fun and refocus me during the un-fun times.

~Happy Thanksgiving from my little family to yours~

take time to be grateful today...and every day

love, angie

a birthday wish

We all have {or at least I hope for each of you} that one friend that just gets us.  The one we can be completely honest with, tell all of the embarrassing and nasty secrets and realities, let them see us at our worst.  The one we can giggle with all-night-long, speak without talking, and pick up right where we left off no matter how long it's been...

Well, my person is named Rachel.  And I adore her.  And today happens to be her birthday--whoop!

This lady right here {and her boys} is family that I got to choose.  She is one of the toughest cookies on the block who tells it like it is and does what she has to to get the job done.  She's hilarious, honest, and pretty much the most adorable and beautiful person I know.  And as if all that wasn't great enough, she's a Jesus girl, and that really trumps anything else on any list.  We just fit.

Here she is at her toughest, loving on her beautiful second son who has had the deck stacked against him for a long time and he just keeps fighting right through it all.  He's a warrior!  The strength and faith, peace and resolve that she has lived during these past five weeks fighting for her little boy leaves me speechless...

So here's to you, dearest friend!  I hope this birthday brings you a great appreciation of the life you have led--you're pretty incredible.  I hope you get pampered and spoiled and reminded of how loved you are.  I hope you have the chance to relax and rest.  I hope it is simply marvelous!  Happiest of happies--happy birthday!

xoxo, angie

Thankful Thursday

I'm going to focus on one thing in particular today because my heart settled in on this little tie bit last night as my husband drifted off to dreamland...and I laid there wide awake.

I am so thankful to have my boy back home.  Between all of the traveling we've both been doing, all of the traveling he's been doing for work, and the 8 day hunting trip he just went on, we haven't spent much time at home together lately.  So for us all three to be home this whole week has been so very, very nice.

I am not a snuggler when I sleep.  I want my space, I want to be curled up in my covers, I want to bend and twist and turn comfortably, I don't want to be touched.  This is much to my boy's dismay as he usually tries to sneak a hand or a foot over to my side...  Negative.  I'm reminded of Ross's "hug and roll" technique on Friends...except I'm the roller.  This girl needs her space to dream!

But this week, I have noticed my feet drifting over to touch my sweet boy's legs.   After sleeping in that big old bed alone more nights these past few months than I prefer to count, his presence is so comforting.  {although you can bet your biscuits that I curl right on back over to my side before I actually fall asleep...}

This is all a long, possibly too detailed way for me to express how thankful I am to have my husband home.  Even the smallest moments together make me realize how lonely I had been for him.  We've giggled and played with our sweet little petunia a lot this week.  And it has been grand.

So enjoy the time you have with your spouse or your significant other or you kids or whomever your love(s) may be...  Even give them a little extra snuggle every once in a while :)  Because you'll miss it so bad when you can't...

love, angie

a come to Jesus meeting...

We've all heard that phrase.  And to some kids, the threat of one of those is enough to snap them back into shape.

I just had to have one with my two year old.  What fun.

She was already up a little later than usual (we're night owls, she and I), and we are working on learning to help clean up our messes.  So before she went to bed, I wanted her to put all of her tea party accessories back into their giant tea pot storage container.  I was working on picking up the rest of her mess, and for her, this was a manageable and understandable task--that she has performed a few times before when asked.

But these past two days, a little rebellious spirit has decided to reside in my sweet angel--and in the name of Jesus he needs to leave!  She's begun throwing things, pushing and squawking when she doesn't get her way, and the be all to end all that resulted in our little throw down tonight, telling mama no...

She thought that was a good idea.  It wasn't.

So when I asked her to please put the toys back into her teapot (notice the please in there--and might I add the tone was pleasant as well)...and she replied with "no!", my nerves got a little frazzled.  I then repeated the request to which she again replied "No!" and tried to crawl back on the couch.  Frazzled was being maxed.

I pulled her tiny body back down to the floor, gave it spanking #1, and repeated the request with a little less of a pleasant tone.  Still received a "no!"  OH. MY. LANTA.  Spanking #2 (and possibly #3, can't really remember). I continued to pick up some things that went in her room and let her know that if she hadn't started picking up by the time I got back, she would be spanked again and would have to stand in the corner.

I'll give you a second to guess what happened next.  That's right!  My perfectly well-behaved child had not only begun to pick up her toys, but she had finished by the time I walked back in and had also started picking up her other toys!    Yeah, no.

So after more spats and spankings than I counted (I don't beat her, but she does need to be reminded of who holds authority) and two trips to the corner, my snotty nosed, puffy eyed, slobbery mess of a daughter still refused to pick up her toys.  Since she really needed to go to bed and I was really ready for her to go to bed--but still refusing to let her win--I sat on the floor with her and grabbed her hand, forcing it to pick up all of her tea party pieces.

And then she went straight to bed.

I was so tempted to just cover her up, kiss her head, and walk right out.  But my little baby who was still having the "stop crying, catch your breaths" whimpered "Jees luh me, Jees luh me..."  And my frazzled retreated a little bit.

Because in the literal minute it took me to get her tucked in, sung over, kissed and loved, my mind and heart were racing with so many thoughts:  she is your gift, treasure her; she needs to know you love her, be tender; she craves your grace, offer it; she won't be this little long...savor it.

I've been studying gratitude and grace in preparation for a Ladies' Day a friend and I are putting together.  And it has been intense on my heart.  And in these moments tonight, I remembered that I don't have to completely lose my mind every time my kid rebels or questions or hurts me.  I remembered to be grateful for this beautiful gift of motherhood, especially as my heart was turned to remember the many women whose hearts long for nothing more.  I remembered to take time to reflect and give myself the opportunity to offer grace.

And the Lord knows I need those reminders because these little meetings with my daughter are just only beginning, I know.  I'm also trying to remind myself that strong-willedness and independence will be characteristics that I am so proud and so grateful for her to have...when she's older... :P

So I'm gonna take some deep breaths, settle in with a little glass of vino, and let my heart cherish my baby.  Because she won't be this little long...  And she is learning how to handle difficult situations and conflict by how I handle difficult situations in conflict.  What a gracious burden.

be patient with your littles, and reflect the love of Jesus

love, angie