Snowklahoma...Blizzard 2011...and more!

Well we have had snow like I have never seen in the 35 years that I have lived in OK! On February 1st it snowed and snowed and snowed! 14 inches here, with drifts taller than Kaitlyn! In Owasso there was 21 inches...SERIOUSLY! Where do we live South Dakota!? :) Then it snowed AGAIN, another 6 inches! So we had NINE snowdays, but that did not include weekends...or the fact that there was no church....so we had a lot of family time! It also got to be 20 below!!! It was crazy weather!

Not only did the snow come down, but the flu came down on our house. It started with Andrew after Martin Luther King, and then we had a smaller snow fall, and so he was in the house with the flu, the following Saturday Katilyn came down with it, and then Matthew and then the huge snow fell! So we were doing well until last Tuesday when I came down with it and strep. Thankfully my dad was able to come over, because the kids were still stuck in the house! So it has been a crazy time in our house!

Here are some pics of the snow storm...Andrew played in it almost every day with the neighbors, and loved it. The best day was the Saturday when it was pretty outside and the second six inches came down and it was powerdery. Forts were built, snowmen were built...it was fun! I wished I could have taken more pictures, but while the older ones were out, the younger one was inside and I could not leave him...but they had a great time!

Pictures from Matthew's First Birthday will be coming up, because he will be turning one this Thursday and this mommy is not handling it very well! :)







We were able one day to make playdough and I like the homemade kind more than the storebought! It was a really easy reciepe! In fact there is an entire website focused on homemade playdough! http://www.playdoughrecipe.com/

Bloom inCourage

I love Angie Smith...she has inspired me, made me laugh and helped me during my grief as I know she helped thousands of others. Well I also love to read, so I have decided to join her book club called Bloom that inCourage has decided to sponser. The book seems outstanding, and I tried buying it at Mardel, but couldn't get it, so I am going to Barnes and Noble to get it. Join with me if you want, watch this video, click in the link I have on blog, and let's dig in!

Playing Catch Up!

Well I offically win the best mom award! I sent my son to school with the flu! I know it has been done before and I will do it again, but I couldn't believe I did it. He had said right after Christmas break that he did not feel good, but was better by 10, so I thought this was the same thing...but no! By the time he got home he was running a 100.5 fever and by the time he went to bed he was running 102. I took him to the Dr the next morning and they tested him for the flu and it was positive! Luckily we had snow days so he did not miss a lot of school, but it was still hard to see him like that! I think that since he had the vacination he got over it easier, because I have known people to not get it and was harder for them to get over. Thank the Lord for vaccinations! It has really been going around here, so I am hoping my two little ones don't get it...so far so good!

Before the flu overtook us we got a special treat! We got to visit daddy in his office! He has worked at BOK for two years, but haven't been able to see it. Andrew was out of school and all of the kids had fun sitting at his desk and meeting his co-workers. I loved it because I can visualise where he is sitting and I love meeting the people he works with. I am so proud of my precious husband. He works very hard to provide for his family, he gets up early so he can get home and spend time with his family at night. He is amazing! Here are some pics of the kids in the BOK tower!

Hope you enjoy, thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

Living simply with a purpose

Wow! Christmas has come and gone...we are in a new year and I am just now posting! We had the most amazing Christmas (2/3 sick, but still wonderful)! As we start a new year, David turned 35, we FINALLY got Matthew a crib and he is now sharing his room with Andrew. It is going so well and David and I finally got our room back! :0 I will posting pictures of everything soon!

Now what I meant by my title...My momma passed away Nov 2008. I had a three year old and a six month old...and I was surviving. All I was focusing on was how I was going to get out of bed each morning, feed and clothe my kids and give them a regular life. Then as I was getting back on track...along came my pregnancy with my precious Matthew. Now as wonderfully perfect as he is, I was then trying to survive and fight all the tiredness of the pregnancy, all the sickness of the pregnancy. Then I had him and was so happy, and as I was getting out and feeling "normal" I had my gallbladder surgery. Then summer hit, daddy kept getting sick and then before I knew it Andrew started Kindgerten. Then I began BSF (Bible Study Fellowship), and my eyes began to open up. I realized I was still in survival mode. My fellowship with God was on non-existant, I was not engaging with my kids or my husband, I was snapping at everyone, I was not aware what was going on around me. But by attending BSF and reading God's word, He began to whisper to me, follow me Allison, learn about me, talk with me and I will give you the strength and the knowledge on what to do to make your life go forward in a wonderful direction! So that is what I did.

I have really dove head in to FlyLady. My Control Journal is better than it ever has been, and I have USED it! I didn't just start in Jan because it was a good year, but began in Dec with homemade ornaments, and cookies for the neighbors for the first year, really began family traditions..I have been so proud of myself, yet giving God all the credit!

I have made several Dr. Appts. Made my OBGYN appt (YUCK!), my endroconolgist appt and a new appt with a Dr for a physical.

I also have started making notes and began really using coupons and learning how to save money at every turn.

I am patient with my kids, following through with them and listening to my husband.

But most important....I am listening to my God! He is revealing so much about who He is as a parent, who I need to be as a parent and how much He desires a relationship with me.

I also want to blog more. I have LOVED following uplifitng, encouraging blogs and I want to be those encouraging, uplifting blogs.

So this is just the first of a long line of blogs of my family and how God is going to continue to work in my life!

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!!!!!!

You are how old??!!

He is one week old here, look like anyone we know?!

My precious first born son turned SIX this past week. Seriously?! I can't believe it, but I have never in my life been more proud of a boy as much as I am with this kid. I mean it, I am not just saying it because he is my son...he is one neat boy! Here are some things about my boy:

• He loves (and I am not saying that lightly) football. He makes up his own plays, plays quarterback, reciever and tackle. In fact, this summer would find old games from the nineties on ESPN Classic just so he could watch football!
• He is an avid reader and is reading so much and so well!
• He loves to draw and even write about what he draws, and does very well!
• He is learning about God and beginning to apply that to his life
• He loves playing with friends, especially our next door neighbors Michael and Jordan.
• He loves the computer and video games and knows how to find a game and play them without any help.
• He is a great brother, he does tackle them, but is there to defend them in a moments notice and loves them very much.
• Is hiliarious and gets jokes and tells his own with his own wit and timing!

I could go on and on and on, and we are so proud of him and couldn't imagine our lives without him.

The picture here is the only picture of his birthday that have right now...long story, but some are on my phone, some are on my friends phone. This is from dinner out for his birthday, then we went and looked at Christmas lights.

Wedding!!!

Clint and Hillary saying "I do"

On November 2o, 2o1o we welcomed a new member into our family! Hillary Anne joined our family when she married David's cousin Clint. They got married in this awesome little chapel...a place you wouldn't know that was just off a road, it felt like we were in the middle of the woods! They honored us by asking Andrew to be the ring bearer in the wedding. I was so excited, but so nervous that he would not do it, or turn it into Andrew's hour! But he did neither, he was AWESOME! Actually all of my kids were! They didn't cry, didn't scream, they were great, I was very proud!

Something that is so cool is that being a wedding is just continuing the tradition. Clint's dad Dewayne is Brenda's brother and they are 15 years apart. So when Brenda got married, Dewayne was in his wedding, when Dewayne got married, David was in his wedding and when David and I got married, Clint was in our wedding! Wow! What a neat thing..I wonder if it is going to be carried on?
We had a great thanksgiving afterwords, it was fun to see family again and although Dallas lost, OU won, and that was thrilling! Here is some pics of the wedding, some I used on our Christmas cards, I do saw I think I have a beautiful family!

Daddy and his girl dancing....like my friend said, Fast forward 20 years..um, no thanks!

The happy couple




The whole family!

My sweeties!!!

David's Uncle Dewayne, Aunt Laura and the newlyweds!

Andrew and our ring bearer! Clint read Bible verses and rang the bell!

My family!

When did he get so big?!

Someone who was missing was David's mom and dad and grandma and grandpa...Two days before the wedding, Davids house he grew up in caught on fire. It started in the attic from a power strip that was chewed away by a racoon or squirel. Larry, my FIL was driving up and saw the flames and screamed at Brenda to call 911 because there was a fire. They still have a house, but the upstairs is going to have to be re-done. The attic was a total loss and everything in it, but by the grace of God many, many memorables were saved and the house is still standing. They are going to have to live somewhere else for awhile while things are getting re-done, but they are alive and it could have been so much worse. Thank you Jesus for watching over them and their house. Here is a pic of the front of the house where the attic was...

One month before this, David's grandma suffered a stroke. She slurs some of her words, and gets some words mixed up, but she is over all doing well. Again, it could have been so much worse. So between her not doing a 100%, and the fire, they could not make it. We missed them so much, but it was still a wonderful, beautiful day.

Christmas Cards Galore!

I love sending out Christmas cards! I love sending out pictures of the kids. Every since Andrew was 1 year old, I dressed him up in his Christmas outfit and put him in front of the Christmas tree. Then when Kaitlyn came along, it was more challenging, but still fun! Then, last year the day before I was going to put the kids in their best and put them in front of the tree, Kaitlyn broke her arm and none of her dresses fit over the cast. So, I did a picture of them at Silver Dollar City. It was a great picture, but I am looking forward to putting them all in front of the tree for a picture of the three of them!

This year Shutterfly is giving away 50 free cards to any bloggers out there, and here are three of my favorite!!

Traditional Damask

Merry Modern Collage

2010 Wishes Christmas

I have also loved doing calendars with Shutterfly! I put up a collage of pictures and put everyone's birthdays and anniversarys and give them out as presents to my in-laws and parent. Grandparents love pictures of their grandkids and like to see how my kids have grown over the past year! http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Thanksgiving! Be sure to count all of your blessings, I know I have several!