thankful on a thursday

 

okay, i realized that i haven't done a thankful on a thursday in a while.  when i remember to do it, it's late at night & i'm super tired & just want to sleep.  so i told myself, "don't forget to do it during the day!".. so here we are.  and just because i haven't done it in a couple of weeks, it doesn't mean that i have nothing to be thankful about because i do!  so much!  

26) thankful for God's financial blessings - my iphone completely died yesterday & my hubs got a new phone & i got his old iphone!  new to me!  and i can now send out picture texts to family & receive pics of my nephews!

27) thankful for family - looking forward to having in-laws in this weekend.. and i love that they are willing to drive 4 hours to see fox us!

29) thankful for friends who will come to your house & just want to look at your pictures because they are interested in you & where you came from.. and i love to talk about my family, especially my mom.  and i'm looking forward to having more friends over tonight for tacos & the office!  friends, food, & fellowship!

30) thankful for new seasons - i am so excited about this new season in my life. i know God is working through me & has some pretty awesome things planned

31) thankful for God's presence - i love that i can feel God's presence & love when i enter in

32) thankful for God's love - i have just been so overwhelmed with God's love for me.  i know he loves me & at times it's so hard to grasp why he would even love me when i have rejected him so many times or i've failed, but i am so thankful that he has never left me & waits for me.

33) thankful for God's Word - as i dig deeper into the Word, i learn more about God (duh!).. and i just feel more close & connected with him.. and it gives me hope & makes me feel more powerful because with God on my side I can overcome anything big or small because God has already conquered it!  

34) thankful for God's promises - if i didn't have God's promises to lean on, i wouldn't have hope.. and because i know his promises, i am learning to trust him more with every part of my life.

35) if you haven't really figured it out yet, i'm just thankful for God.

37) i'm thankful for not having to do all of the monthly enrollment this month because i don't want to be away from fox so much

38) thankful for coconut m&m's.  they are my new favorite snack.  and i should probably not eat them every day.  but that's another story for another day.

39) thankful for this amazing weather!!!  i love the crisp mornings.. and not having to have the air on all day & we can just open windows!  (looking forward to my bill being lower next month!)

40) thankful for blogs - it gives me an outlet to write about whatever.. whether it make sense or not.. and just ramble about this & that.. or not so much of anything!  it's a great way to journal about our lives!  

I would love for you to share what you are thankful for!

And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:20 (NLT)

wee bit wednesday v.5

mixing it up a little & doing wee bit wednesday on thursday.  ha!

 {one} what is your biggest pet peeve?hmmm.. probably people chewing with their mouths opened
{two} what is your favorite dessert?warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream
{three} what is the first thing you notice about people?their teeth.
{four} are you usually late, early or right on time?usually late to work, early to church.
{five} have you ever fired a gun?yep, hunter's safety course in junior high.  i'll let you know it was my first & only time to shoot the gun & i shot more skeets than some boys that used to hunt!  woohoo!
{six} are you right-handed or left-handed?right.
{seven} which do you prefer: coke or pepsi?right now, dr. pepper.  but i like both.  maybe pepsi.
{eight} do you dance crazy when no one is looking?yes, these past few days brandon has put some music on while fox is finishing his dinner & i dance around the dining room table.  heehee!  it's so fun seeing him giggle!
{nine} what’s your favorite movie snack?super buttery popcorn, dr. pepper, & a pickle.. and chocolate covered raisins.
{ten} do you scream on roller coasters?yes!
okay, now you go!

wee bit wednesday v.4

{one} what is your happiest childhood memory?i loved watching my mom & dad dance.. we would not go a week without watching my parents dancing in the living room.. and i loved my daddy/daughter dates.  or jumping in bed with my mom & dad on saturday mornings. 


{two} what is your middle name?eglee


{three} what’s the habit you’re most proud of breaking?hahaha.. hmm.. i don't think i really have a bad habit.


{four} what do you order when you order chinese food?i love orange chicken, chow mein & crab wontons.


{five} what’s the best bargain you’ve ever found at a garage sale or thrift store?well, first i need to go to garage sales & thrift stores.. i tell brandon i want to go & never do it!!


{six} what’s the best costume you’ve ever worn?i never celebrated halloween..


{seven} who’s your favorite game show host?i liked wheeel of fortune & jeopardy.. alex tribec & is it pat sajack?  i dunno.


{eight} what’s your favorite breakfast food?sausage, scrambled eggs with cheese, orange juice


{nine} what’s your least favorite word?curse words


{ten} describe something that happened to you for which you have no explanation.when i lived in albuquerque, i was driving to a friend's house & noticed something in the sky.. and the whole time i was driving, i kept my eye on it.. it lasted for about 10 mins & it wasn't moving.  when i turned the corner, i glanced away for like a second & when i looked back in the sky.  it was gone.  it wasn't a plane or weather balloon... and it wouldn't have vanished so quickly. 


okay, your turn!

mountain bikers extraordinaires

if you ask me what my favorite hobbies are, i will reply with the usual: shopping, sleeping, watching chick flicks, shopping, sleeping, reading, traveling, eating out.. but never in a million years would mountain biking have been one of those.  you see since i'm in the business of branching out & being so passionate about Christ & going crazy by joining life groups that I don't have to join... i joined the mountain biking group at our church.  

my husband went biking first.. before the launch of small groups.  and they all had a great time.  my husband actually fell off a "bridge"  and his arm was badly scratched & he was sore from the fall for a few days.

he put the "fail" on this pic.  lol

 

and i joined the following week.

we were so excited that he overcame his fear of the "bridge" and rode back over it without falling off!  woohoo!  it was a great time hearing everyone cheer for my hubby!  my only goal of the bike ride was to make it past that one bridge.. because that would have meant i lasted longer than brandon on my first go.  and i did it!!  we rode about 10.5-12 miles.  i actually made it the whole way & my legs were not sore the next day or two.  

i went last sunday without brandon because he was getting over a dumb stomach bug that had his violently vomitting & other fun stuff for like 4-6 days.  we went to a different location.. which was harder.  and i started off riding in the highest gears for about 2 miles until i realized that my bike was not in the right gears.  and it was mostly uphill.  i seriously almost died.  so i went the easy route with a few people and only really rode 4 miles altogether.  my legs just burned because i had been uphill & the highest gears.. everyone said i was trying to out-do them.  heehee!  

brandon & i didn't go this past sunday.. we took a break from it.  we had such a busy week last week.  well, actually brandon did.. we were preparing for the grand opening of our new church building.. i really didn't get to see brandon much.. and neither did fox.  so we just took long naps, ate mexican food, and went out for ice cream.  we had a fun night.  but i am looking forward to getting back on the bike!  i love being out there.  so now, i can add mountain biking to my favorite hobbies.  ;-)

crazy love

if you're human, you know what it is to have a craving, right?  if you've been pregnant, you know what it's like to crave something like ice cream, pickles, lemons, etc.  well, i didn't really have any cravings when i was pregnant.  but for the past year or so, i have been craving something else.  i have been craving more of God.  if you have a craving for a hamburger or pickles, you just go to the store & you get it.  but for me, i have grown so complacent with my walk with Christ.. that I knew & have known what I wanted, but I have found it so hard to get what I want.  I have had the car, but not the gas to get there.  I have not had any motivation.  or when I have had motivation, I have felt like a failure because i do so well for a little while & then I go back in that same rut i started.  

a few months ago, marcus (our pastor & friend) asked us when was the time that we felt the most close to God.. and for me that time was when my mother was sick with cancer.  i prayed constantly, went to church as much as i could, i fully relied on God for healing.  and i think with the situation i was in, he was ALL i had.  but even before my mom was sick, i was close to him than i am now.  and trying not to repeat myself so many times, my life changed.. a lot.  i was hurt... by a lot of people.  i was burnt out with ministry.  i was tired.  and i needed time to grieve.  i needed a break.  within the past few years since everything went down, i just grew complacent.  i wasn't going out & "sinning", but i wasn't making my walk with Christ any better, you know?  i've tried on many occasions to get out of the rut.  a friend told me last week, "if you're not moving forward, then you are moving backwards."  kind of like a stream.  

for the past several months, i have been praying really, really hard.. for God to break me out of this "rut".. break me out of that mold.  i want my relationship with him to be like it once was.. but even better.  and i don't want a bad situation to draw me closer to him.  i want to have that intimate relationship with him on my own.  i have been praying for more passion.  because i want to be passionate about him.  i want more of him.  i want that burning desire for more of him.  i know i want him.. and i need him.  and i am so tired of making excuses & saying "i'll get to making time for him later".  i want to know more about him.. because honestly, i feel ashamed when i hear somebody say something that was found in the Bible & me not knowing that was even in there!  you know what i mean?  i don't want my past.. or my hurts.. or my failures to keep me from being the best person i can be.. or to keep me from knowing God more.. or yet, keep me from getting to heaven.  the only person that will keep me from spending eternity in the gates of heaven with my Father God.. or spending it with my Mom, grandma & sister.. it's me. 


our church just launched life/small groups for this fall.  and one of the groups for the fall is called Crazy Love.  we are reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan.  

This is a little snippet:

Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions? God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn't working harder at a list of do's and don'ts — it's falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love, as Francis describes it, you will never be the same.

Because when you're wildly in love with someone, it changes everything.

{Source}

yes, yes, & yes!  that is all me.  all of the above.  i want it all.  


when i saw this group & read what it was about.  i knew that i would sign up.  tomorrow, we will meet for our third time.  honestly, in the past i have never wanted to join small groups.  i didn't want to get involved with anything more than i "had" to.  but i look forward to this group.  we have a great group of ladies.  and i feel like i can be myself around them.. to be real.  sometimes, i feel like i have to not necessarily "put on a show", but i just can't really let them completely in.  but we share things & we let go.  we move on.  i am making new friends.. and i love it.  i've always told brandon that even though we're surrounded by people, i feel so alone.  i don't want to try hard to make friendships work... but if i have to work at it, it's just not worth it.  you know what i mean?  it just needs to flow.  well, i have been connecting with so many people these past few weeks.  and it is so encouraging.. and it's lifted my spirits.  i know God is already working in my life.


so far, this book is really good.  have you ever read a little passage in the Bible & it click with you?  well, i had something happen to me in the first chapter.  and i was put in my place, so to speak.  and later that night, i knew i needed to quit making excuses, bit the bullet, & i read a few passages from the Bible.  and would you know that it had to do with what i read in the book.  i didn't know that would happen.  but God works in mysterious & wonderous ways. 

God is good.  and i'm really excited about this new season of my life.  i know our relationship will be restored & it will be better than ever!

If you are in the same boat, I highly recommend this book.  I think it's a push in the right direction.

wee bit wednesday v.3

{one} have you ever won a trophy? if yes, for what?i've actually won a lot of trophies.. for academics through most of my school career.  but one of the most recent accomplishments or recognitions is that my name is written in the Library Book of Congress in honor of New Mexico's Women's History Month in 2008..who worked hard, made sacrifices & rose above challenges for the community.  it was a very special honor.
{two} what was your favorite subject in school?biology/anatomy & math
  {three} what time do you get up in the morning?anywhere from 5:30-6:30 am..too early!! 
{four} if you could open your own business, what would it be?i would own a clothing/jewelry boutique for women!  woot woot!
{five} if you could spend the evening with one rock star/band, who would it be?john mayer.  and my hubby is invited, too!  ;-) & celine dion.  {six} what sitcom character reminds you of you?geez. i have no clue.  i asked my husband & he said jael from destination truth.  so there you go!  {seven} what are the 3 most important things to you?my relationship with God, my family, helping others  {eight} chips or popcorn?chips: salt & vingar, sour cream & cheddar, spicy cheetos with lime.     {nine} have you ever ordered anything from an infomercial?no, but i have wanted to on many occasions!  {ten} what is one thing that you are grateful for today?above all else, i am so grateful for God's forgiveness & for loving me so much that He sacrificed his son to die on the cross for me.. because even when I feel down.. or may not feel like I'm enough or that I'm worth a fighting chance, that to God.. I am enough.. I am precious in His sight.. and I was worth it all for him to sacrifice His son.  now it’s your turn!

fox's first guitar lesson

i've probably mentioned it like a hundred times about my hubby being a musician.. and a great one at it!  well, it is my desire for fox to learn to play guitar.. or piano.. or any musical instrument.  and i'd love for him to sing, as well.  

sometimes, at the dinner table, brandon will grab his guitar & play a little diddle while fox finishes.  and fox loves it!  he loves to strum the guitar...or beat on it.  so i hope this is the beginning of something good!  

i was able to catch brandon giving fox his "first" guitar lesson.  hope it sticks!

sorry, the video's a little chopped off on the side... 

Britax B-Ready Stroller Giveaway

hi lovelies,

i wanted to give you a heads up on a pretty amazing giveaway being hosted by Sugar Pop Ribbons.  i can't tell you how i love reading her blog, looking through her pictures, & entering her giveaways.  i won that black pearl necklace & some dippy cups from her site.

she's currently hosting a giveaway for the Britax B-Ready stroller.

{Source}

some of it's features:

• Reversible top seat with 3 recline positions
• Large under seat storage accessible from all sides
• Large canopy with sun-visor and ventilation window
• Simple fold with automatic chassis lock
• Adjustable handle height with comfort grip
• No re-thread, adjustable, 5-point harness and head pad
• One-step, linked parking brake with indicator
• Comfort ride 4-point suspension
• Removable storage bag with insulated drink holders
• Included accessories: adult cup-holder, rain cover, CLICK & GO BRITAX CHAPERONE infant car seat adapters

Honestly, I would love to have a stroller like this.  It has many extra features that my stroller doesn't have.

You can watch the product video here.

Don't miss your chance at winning this stroller.  Head over to Sugar Pop Ribbons & enter to win!   Good luck!

fox's little "girl"friend

well, i guess i never told ya'll about our time at family camp back in june.  i meant to.. but apparently, never got back around to it.  well, our church has an event that they call "family camp".  in the church growing up, we always had events for the kids & youth.. such as kids camp, youth camp, youth rallies, etc.  did you ever attend any of those?  well, that's where my hubby & i met when we were 13 years old.  well, the church here.. has a camp for the family.. and i was so excited about going.. about still keeping up with the traditions of camps.  i was excited about taking my son to something similar to where my hubby & i met.  


we are really good friends with our pastors...like family.  i have known my pastor since i was about 7 yrs old.  well, brandon has been with him in magnolia, to new york, to new mexico, & to arkansas.  we're that close.  ha!  marcus & brook have 3 kiddos.  brook & i were both pregnant at the same time & she had ainsley in may.. fox was born in july.  they, also, went to the family camp.  and we all had a great time.


well, i am so happy to have ainsley in our lives.  she is such a doll.  she is so sweet & petite.  and i just love her.  but i wanted to show you pictures of them at family camp in june & pictures of them on labor day!  

family camp:

labor day:

for labor day, we all went up to a local lake.  and just walked around & enjoyed the beautiful weather.  and i was able to capture a few more sweet moments with our babies.

this was the most adorable thing i have ever seen.  i wish i would have gotten it on video.  

now, after this display of pure cuteness... do not tell me that they are not meant for each other?  i am really hoping i can arrange this marriage between fox & ainsley.  

September 11

Where was I when the attacks of September 11th happened? I remember hearing about it during my 3rd or 4th period geography class.  I was in the 11th grade.  I can't believe that was 9 years ago.  I didn't really understand what was going on or the extent of the attacks.  I didn't really understand what terrorism was.. I just knew that what happened was bad.  very bad.  Later in the day, in my 6th period, Honors English class, we watched the news.  My teacher's daughters were in New York & she would talk to them during class.  And that's where I was when the attacks happened.  I remember going home & watching the news for days & weeks & crying.. and being terrified that this country was going to be bombed & we were all going to die.. and that I would never get married or children.  And to this day, it all breaks my heart.  I don't understand the evilness in people's hearts or intentions.  But we all know that evil does exist.  But I am thankful for God's amazing & saving grace.  

Today, I am taking some time to remember the lives lost during the attacks & all these years following September 11, 2001.  I am thinking & praying for the families that lost their loved ones on that day.. and who have lost servicemen & women.. or anyone that has sacrificed their lives for me, my family, my community, and my country.  

Have you ever been in a situation where you know that what someone is doing is for the better good.  It shows that they are brave or courageous, but you wish they would have chosen to do something else?  I know we probably have problems like everyday.  

Today, I am talking about my youngest brother being deployed in Afghanistan.  Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for all the men & women that continue to sacrifice their lives for our freedom & protection.  I am forever grateful for them.  My baby brother joined the Marines.  I am so very very proud of him.  But I wish he was here & somewhat "safe".  I don't keep up much with the news & now through the years, the "news" of what is going on overseas has kinda died down.  I don't really keep up with politics.. or know why we still have men & women out there.

But honestly, I am scared for my brother.  I don't want him to die... I don't want him to die at the hands of hostiles.  I know we are all "born to die", basically.  I just hate waking up & praying against receiving a phone call that will deliver bad news.  I want to be selfish & have him here instead of out there.  

After dealing & still currently dealing with the death of my Mom, I don't want to have to go through the pain again.  And everyday, as much as I can.. I pray for my brother, his unit, his commanders.  That's all I can really do.  I'm gonna be honest & say that I'm having a hard time trusting God to protect my brother.  I am believing & trying my best.  But when my Mom died, I felt like God disappointed me.  I wanted it so badly.. I wanted my Mom to healed more than anything in my life.  I had complete & total trust that God would give us a miracle.  And cancer won.  Cancer is an ugly, ugly thing.  But ever since then, I have had a hard time trusting God.  I knew that God was able, but why didn't he heal her, you know?  And I know that for everything there is a reason...but I'm still trying to figure out what the reason was.. and it may not be time for me to know.  

I just love my brother.. and want my him home.. safe & sound.  And until he is.. I'll just continue to pray & try my best to give it all to God & trust him.  And I ask that you, also, pray for my brother, Aaron, & his unit...for their safety & protection.  Thank you.

thankful on a thursday

today, my heart is a little heavy.. and i promise to make a different post on it.  but in spite of it all, i am thankful.

13)  i am thankful for nonnie & aunt kaci that will drive up 4 hrs tomorrow to watch fox.. so brandon & i can drive 2 hrs to see john mayer & stay away for the night
14)  i am thankful that we can afford this date/overnight stay.  brandon & i need this.  we have neglected to date each other since fox was born.. & we have been trying hard to date.. so this will be great for our marriage
15)  i am thankful for my hubby that works super hard to make some extra income so we can play
16)  thankful for the rain storm we had yesterday.. it feels a little more like fall
17)  thankful for life groups & new friends.. i need life giving friends
18)  thankful to know i'm not the only person going through certain issues... glad to know i'm not alone
19)  thankful for our military.. that sacrifice their lives to fight for our freedom & protect us
20)  thankful that even though i don't understand things in life, if i put my trust in God, he comforts me & gives me peace
21)  thankful for the power in prayer
22)  thankful for our new house.. i honestly sleep better..and it's big & comfy
23)  thankful for my happy & sweet baby.. he's been hugging me like a spider monkey & giving me sugars lately
24)  thankful that fox hasn't gotten sick since the fall semester started.. and i pray he doesn't!
25)  thankful for a great daycare & great teachers that love my baby & treat him well.. puts me at ease

Be joyful always;  

pray continually;

give thanks in all circumstances, 

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

wee bit wednesday v.2

well, here we are again.  it's wee bit wednesday.  and you get to learn a little more about me!  

{one} what’s your favorite day of the week and why?saturday.  no work.  and usually spend the day with my little family
{two} if you could have a glimpse of your future, would you choose to see it and what time would you want to see?i think i would.  but i'd be scared that my future had me dying at a young age.  i want to see at least 60 years. 
{three} if you could be any animal, which animal would you be?hmmm... i would be a lioness probably.  like the ones off lion king.
{four} do you have a lucky number? i guess it's number 7.  when i was younger, it was 8.  but i will go with the "perfect" number.
{five} if you could bring one famous person back from the dead, who would it be and why?i would bring princess diana back.  i have always been fascinated by her.  and i remember when i was younger watching documentaries & such like with my mom.  but if i could bring anyone back from the dead, it'd be my mommy, of course.
{six} fill in the blank: peanut butter and ____________.peanut butter and strawberry jelly
{seven} would you rather live by the mountains or by the beach?how about a little bit of both.  maybe washington state.  off the coast.
{eight} do you have any tattoos? no, i've seriously considered getting one, though.  i would do a double heart.
{nine} if you could retire tomorrow, what would you do?i would be a stay at home mommy
{ten} what is your favorite all time movie?pride & prejudice with kiera knightley
okay, now it’s your turn!