A Little Bit Of Housekeeping

I have a few things to catch up on:

• Anyone who wants a blog re-design should check out my blog friend, Becky. She has started a new bloggy design business!
  
  

• I love the country and I love good friends!

• I am really close to pulling the trigger and buying this.....
  

• I am still looking for a job, so prayers please! Also please be praying for some of my close friends and family who are going through some tough times.
  

Wordless Wednesday

Mckmama and Baby Stellan

Seriously y'all, be on your knees praying for this sick little baby.

A Non-Hannah Montana Post

Since my last 2 posts told of my unfailing love for Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, I thought I should post something that has nothing to do with that.

Last May I cut my hair and donated it to Locks of Love and since then I have kept my hair short. I LOVE having short hair; it is easier to manage and it takes so much less time to get ready. But lately I have been feeling convicted about growing my hair out again to donate. I haven't been growing out my hair simply because I am lazy.

I truly feel that God has been placing it on my heart to help others and donating my hair to Locks Of Love is a way that I can help others. My hair grows really fast and it is selfish of me to keep my hair short just because I don't want to hassle with long hair. But I have decided that I am going to do it, long hair here I come.

So basically this post is to say that I could use some prayers. Any woman who has grown their hair out knows that it is a long process that has some annoyances. I really want to succeed with my new goal and 10 inches is going to take a while to get to. Please pray that I don't give in to my selfishness.

The 11inches I donated last time.

My very first short hair cut

I have seriously forgotten what it is like to have long hair.

In Keeping With My New Theme....

I love this song...and yes I have added it to my iTunes library! **Skip the 1 minute mark to start the song.

I *HEART* You Miley Cyrus!

Lord Help Me.....

I can't help it, I just saw the trailer for this movie and....I want to see it! Y'all, someone please tell me they want to see it too! Lord help me, I am perpetually a 12 year old teenie bopper!

Not Even A Not Me Monday......

The following is a post of life updates in bulleted form. Please feel free to skip this post and tune back in for more exciting blogging in the future.

• I passed my second (and last) TExES mandatory teacher certification test so now I am "officially" a certified Texas teacher!!!!
• It has been raining here for what feels like forty days and nights, and it has been COLD. I know I shouldn't complain compared to the people who are having blizzards....but I am SO ready for Spring.
• Me and the family went to Saturday night church for the first time. Me and Pick loved it; Daddy not so much. It was nice to go to church and then have all day Sunday to do whatever you want. Plus I am always down to change my schedule as to not have to wake up early. ;-)
• I succumbed to pressure for Pickle and watched the Beverly Hills Chihuahua movie. I have to be honest and admit that it was a really good movie! I tried not to love it but I just couldn't help it. I love me some Chihuahuas!!

I guess that's it...for now....more creativity or awesomeness coming back soon....hahaha....I know my blog has never been filled with awesomeness....but it could happen one day....

Tide Loads of Hope

I have recently felt the wrath of Hurricane Ike and spent 11 days with power. While the 11 days were beyond hard, I know that my family and I were extremely lucky. So many people around us were not so lucky. But thankfully, there are people, places, and even giant corporations out there that are there to help others in their greatest time of need. Tide Loads of Hope is one of those organizations who has stepped up to help others.

From Tide's Loads of Hope Website:

Tide Loads of Hope helps in the aftermath of a natural disaster by providing clean clothes and a sense of comfort to families in need. Partnering with Feeding America, we travel to disaster affected neighborhoods with the Tide Loads of Hope truck or vans, our free mobile laundry service.

Tide Loads of Hope truck:
32 high-efficiency washers and dryers stationed on the truck can do 300 wash and dry cycles a day -equal to one year's worth of laundry for a single family Will wash about 9,000 loads of laundry over a four-week period Leveraged during massive disasters where electricity is unavailable in the region.

Tide Loads of Hope vans:
In partnership with a local laundromat, the Tide Loads of Hope vans provide free laundry service at the same load rate as the trucks Leveraged during disasters where neighboring communities still have a source of electricity

To date, Tide Loads of Hope has washed more than 35,000 loads of laundry for over 20,000 families. Most importantly, the Tide Loads of Hope program means we're equipped to take action whenever and wherever there is a need in our country.

Tide Loads of Hope can be supported through the purchase of a Tide Vintage Tee. All profits go to support families affected by disaster. Shirts can be purchased through this link: http://tidetshirts.pgvillage.com/c-9-show-all.aspx?_vsc=tide4

Take a minute to help others.

A Rodeo Story

Once Upon A Time, this nice lady invited me to go with her friends and family to the kingdom known as the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

This fine kingdom held the sights most Houstonians only see once a year.

There were horses, cowboys, and dirt.

There was men doing crazy things like riding a 1000lbs bucking animals,

and men tying themselves to 1000lbs animals while making three attempts to ride this animal even after busting their nose.

There was even the tiniest cowboys you will ever see,

these tiny cowboys rode on the back of bucking sheep for a little mutton bustin'.

And then finally, the Queen for the night came out to serenade us. Queen Reba McEntire gave us a thrill to end the magical night in the Rodeo Kingdom.

Wordless Wednesday

It's Not Me! Monday Y'all

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I DID NOT get busted by my Pawpaw (while at church) about my Not Me Monday! confessions. And he DID NOT tell me that he would be checking up on me via my blog! (HAHAHA! Love you Pawpaw!)

At no point this week did I steal a pair of socks from my Mom. Wear them. And then I DID NOT wash them this weekend and put them right back in my drawer with ZERO attempt to return them to her.

While at Sunday Brunch I DID NOT: run into my cousin and her husband who I only see maybe once a year, learn that there is a professional gambler in our family, and order mini corndogs off the kid's menu at the fancy restaurant. That was NOT the most random brunch/lunch ever.

AND FINALLY:

I DID NOT enter this AMAZING give-away over at Profoundly Seth. The prizes ARE NOT beyond awesome and the money DOES NOT go to some great charities.

"The Ranch"

I went to our family's land out in Magnolia this weekend for the first time. This piece of land has been in our family for a LONG time, and with my grandfathers passing my Mom and Uncle are now in control of it. So on Saturday we had some of it cleared (not completely cleared, just maintenance clearing), along with a driveway and trails cut through the acres so that we could access more than the perimeter of the property. Now that the land is accessible I have affectionately named it "The Ranch". Right now there is nothing there but what God put there, but we have plans for it. I was so glad to go out there; my Grandfather loved that land and was the last one in his family to hold on to his acres. I know he was looking down from heaven with a big smile on his face when he saw us taking care of it and enjoying being out there.

For some reason we took the Cadillac instead of the Jeep...not a smart idea

Trails through the cleared area

Big tree that was down from Hurricane Ike.

This what I want for "The Ranch"

(*Authors Note: Pawpaw tell Daddy we need some dirt bikes out there)

But Of Course, It's Another Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

My mom DID NOT get new custom drapes and I DID NOT stay home from work just so we could jump up and down in our excitement over these drapes she did not get. And I was NOT so tired from that jumping up and down excitement that I had to take a nap before bible study.

There was NOT two incidences this week that my SUV was stuffed to them brim with home decor items that my mom bought and we most certainly DID NOT have to fib a little to my dad about these purchases we DID NOT make.

I DO NOT now have 3 frog lamps, two of which are new, and I am NOT so happy about these lamps that they are the favorite items in my house.

And of course I DID NOT just write a whole Not Me Monday post about interior decorating and home decor shopping.

Somewhere In The Middle

A fellow Sunday told Angie over at Bring The Rain about a Casting Crowns song called "Somewhere In The Middle". I had this Casting Crowns CD downloaded but hadn't listened to this song yet. As I was reading what the Sundays were saying about the song and how Angie needed to listen to it, and it was like God was waving in my face saying " Hey, hey you, they are talking about you too. GO LISTEN TO THAT SONG". So when God is so blatantly trying to teach me something, I like to think it is a good idea to listen. ;-) I played that song and boy was God teaching (preaching to me) with it. Teaching as well as comforting. It really is an AWESOME song. Here are the lyrics:

Somewhere between the hot and the cold

Somewhere between the new and the old

Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be

Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right

Somewhere between the darkness and the light

Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me

Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense

Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle

With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is

But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle

Are we caught in the middle

Somewhere between my heart and my hands

Somewhere between my faith and my plans

Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves

Somewhere between a whisper and a roar

Somewhere between the altar and the door

Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more

Somewhere in the middle You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You're by my side

Loving me even on these nights when I'm caught in the middle

Casting Crowns- Somewhere In The Middle

Point taken Lord. Thank you. I'm glad I had my ears open to hear You and thank you for speaking to me. Thank you for loving me even when I'm in the middle.