Denise at Partially Domesticated tagged me for this fun one word meme…

1. Where is your cell phone?
purse
2. Relationship?
married
3. Your hair?
wet
4. Work?
constant
5. Your sister?
friends
6. Your favorite things?
kids
7. Your dream last night?
forgot
8. Your favorite drink?
coke
9. Your dream car?
mine
10. The room you’re in?
den
11. Your shoes?
closet
12. Your fears?
none
13. What do you want to be in 10 years?
older
14. Who did you hang out with this weekend?
daughter
15 What are you not good at?
dancing
16 Muffins?
chocolate
17. Wish-list item?
purse
18. Where you grew up?
oklahoma
19. The last thing you did?
showered
20. What are you wearing?
jammies
21. What are you not wearing?
bra
22. Your pet?
lady
23. Your computer?
dell
24. Your life?
blessed
25. Your mood?
sleepy
26. Missing?
phone
27. What are you thinking about?
izzy
28. Your car?
suburban
29. Your kitchen?
clean
30 Your summer?
Rainy
31. Your favorite color?
lime
32. Last time you laughed?
dunno
33. Last time you cried?
Today
34. School?
august
35. Love?
God
36 Tag? carrie, melody, michelle, julie & nancy!

Tomorrow is Izzy’s fifth birthday! I can’t believe it! You can read my birthday poem here.

We tried out a new church tonight. It was interesting. It was warm and I did get a good feeling there. We’ll see. If you get a chance please pray for us to find a place to be… and to know it when we find it.

One interesting thing happened while at the new church tonight. We were sitting down and there was a bad wreck right outside the church. There is a big grassy area in front of the church and a helicopter flew in to take the girl hurt to the hospital. The police came to this church and asked the preacher to come and pray. He prayed over this girl who was not breathing, he said she did start breathing while they were praying and the paramedics took over. The whole church stopped and joined hands to pray for her. It was a spine chilling event. I pray that girl is okay… and wonder if I know her.

I keep seeing so many fun giveaways all over blogville and I have a few things and in the works to give away, but in the meantime… I don’t want to miss out on the party!

So I am playing right now with a starter, kinda an appetizer give away…

Leave a comment to be entered and I will draw five winners on Friday, July 27.

The winner will recieve a bloggy signature made by MOI! You can tell me how you would like your sig to look and I’ll do my best with it. If you have a blog design from a blog designer (like mine) you won’t be needing this giveaway. So, just say hello and enjoy the party music. If you do want a signature, please let me know in your comment.

Here are a few examples of the sigs I’ve done lately…

(check out the time… crazy huh? Matt got called a little bit ago and I am awake watching him work on the computer so of course I am blogging :o)… who knows if I’ll make sense at this hour but I’ll do my best)

My sweet friend, Sheryl, tagged me for the five questions meme.

1) What one place would you love to go to if money was no object?
If money were no object, I would want to go everywhere! I would go meet all my bloggy friends… I would go to NYC and watch them tape the today show :o)… I would go to Greece, South Africa, Ireland, Italy, Israel… everywhere!

2) What movie/show do you watch when you want a good laugh?
I would say the try outs for american idol, but although some are really funny I usually just feel sorry for the people who think they are good and then are shot down…

3) If you won a free scholarship, what would your major be?
I would love to be a Christian family counselor…

4) What is your favorite fictional book?
Probably the Mark of the Lion series, I would love to re-read this. I was on the edge of my seat when Hadassah was fed to the lions. It took a little to get into the first book, but after that I couldn’t put them down! I also loved Redeeming Love, amazing book!

5) If your honey offered you the date of your dreams, what would you choose?
A date of my dreams… well, did I ever tell you about my 10th anniversary? That was the date I tried to arrange and it was a flop! I’ll save it for ttt!
Right now a date of my dreams would be to return to the place of our rehearsal dinner (for sentimental reasons) and then some other activity… ended by a really good long talk (we have lots of those btw) and then home to a quiet house and I’ll leave it there.

Thanks K.C. and Kim for these awards… Now I am going to pass them on.

I found the origin of these awards, it is writersreviews.com.
The following was the purpose of each award…

The Thoughtful Blogger Award

For those who answer blog comments, emails, and make their visitors feel at home on their blogs. For the people who take others feelings into consideration before speaking out and who are kind and courteous. Also for all of those bloggers who spend so much of their time helping others bloggers design, improve, and fix their sites. This award is for those generous bloggers who think of others.

Here’s my list of thoughtful bloggers:

Barb. Barb is so thoughtful to always visit and to reply to comments. She is a thoughtful blogger who really thinks about her readers when she is writing. She also does a lot of blogger community work and I really enjoy visiting her place for her thoughtfulness!

Carrie. Carrie is such a thoughtful blogger! You can always tell Carrie’s comments because they have lots of astericks and smiles. I just love Carrie and how sweet & thoughtful she is. She was blogging right before baby Levi came into the world and very shortly after.

Kat. If you haven’t met Kat you are missing out on one thoughtful lady! She is so thoughtful to always offer an encouraging word, always! I enjoy her blog so much.

Susan. Susan is a wonderful Christian woman and I really enjoy visiting her blog. She is so thoughtful in her comments and her posts. I’m glad I found Susan!

Judi. Judi is a bloggy sweetheart. She is just so thoughtful to encourage with not only comments but emails too. She is always thinking about her bloggy friends and offering to help them with their blogs.

Gail. Gail is a thoughtful blogger! She always leaves a comment when stopping by and even replies to most comments left for her! She’s so sweet!

The Creative Blogger Award

For those who bring unique and creative elements to their blogs. For those who incorporate art, music, creative writing, photo’s, and other beautiful visual effects into their website. For those who put a unique spin on things and come up with new ideas. This award is for the artsy, the funky, the inventor, and even the rebel. This award is for those creative individuals who stand out from the crowd.

Here’s my list of creative bloggers:

OhAmanda. Amanda’s posts are never boring. She is very creative and quick to show off a new fun thing (like igoogle)… her posts are usually full of pictures and fun stuff. Very artsy place to drop by.

Marcia. Marcia has lots of blogs and even a professional website full of creative ways to organize your life. She always has pictures of food she has made or organizing tips. She is very creative!

Sandra. Sandra hosts slow cooker thursday. She is very creative, always changing her blog around, it’s so cute!

Linda. Linda keeps it moving. This girl is a posting wiz. She shows so many things from all over the place daily that it is always a creative spin over at her place!

Sheryl. I found Sheryl when I first began doing the mpm. Her blog jumped out at me because it was so cute. I told her every week! I’m sure she probably got tired of seeing that comment, but I couldn’t help myself. She continues to be very creative and her blog is still cute. She has created faith lift fridays which is a creative way to build each other’s faith.

Jenny. Jenny is a creative blogger. She puts a lot of thought into her blog. She holds the coach theme throughout her blog. If you notice her post titles and labels you will quickly see that she is one creative gal!

I could probably come up with 20 more at least in each category, but I’ll stop there.
Go spread the bloggy award love and be sure to post the award on your blog.

Was it love at first site? or did it take a little longer…
Let’s travel back to the day we met our spouse.

Here’s Matt…

I met Matt on 4th of July, 1985. Matt had just graduated from Washington High School and turned 18. He was enrolled to attend St. Gregory’s University in the Fall.
**let me back up just a bit..**
July 3, 1985 I had gone out with friends to Frontier City (double date) and was sleeping in late when my mother asked and then told me I was going with her to the fourth of july picnic at the church camp we frequented. I didn’t want to go. I put on the pile of clothes laying on my floor. It was a pair of off white linen walking shorts (with cuffs), a bright green tank top and a deep v-necked sleeveless sweater that was off white with a green stripe across the middle. Stripes across the middle don’t count when you are 5′10″ and wear a size 2-4. (I grew to 6′1″ after high school…) anyway, back to that day…
Matt had apparently recently broken up with his girlfriend whom I lovingly still refer to as ‘that lori girl.’ Never just lori. It is always, ‘that lori girl.’
My cousin went to the same picnic because our mothers (who are sisters) were both helping in the kitchen. It was a camp fundraiser ya’ll…
He saw Matt in town (they went to the same H.S.) and brought him along.
I flirted with Matt all day. I didn’t even mind that I had blue snow cone down the front of my off white sleeveless sweater. So, we took a walk on the trails (those trails are just wrong)… and my cousin came looking for Matt so they could leave. I said the following. I admit it. It was not like me and I have not lived it down in our 18 years of marriage… “Let’s be kissing when he comes and he’ll leave us alone.” there I said it. I did. So we did. It was hot outside you guys.
I sat there on a log with Matt in the woods watching the drips of sweat fall from his perfect square jawline… he was (and is) so cute. I told him I liked his jawline and he told me I looked like his cousin Jill who was a model. That was a big compliment coming from him.
He asked me out. It was Thursday. I was already committed on Friday and Saturday nights. He asked me out for that night. Who makes dates on a thursday? We did.
The rest is history…

Me & Matt in our early dating years right after church on a Sunday…

Me on the very bed I accrued humongous phone bills talking to him!

Matt in my room, visiting from college…

Well, this day has been a booger :o)…
I took Iz for her therapy with Bear. He was good as always and noticed some small things with her that were new. We had a good visit and appointment. Emelia went with me so we stopped off for a cup of broccoli soup from Jason’s Deli (I got tea! I have been so good today)… Then we ran to a store for a quick run in. I got back in my car and asked Emelia for my cell phone, she said I had it. So, I thought I must have set it down when I paid. I drove back around and looked where we were parked and saw it on the pavement. I was happy! Until I picked it up and realized I ran over it. Guess what cingular says… no warranty covers running over my phone and it’s still under contract so tough luck! UGH, DOUBLE UGH, EVEN TRIPLE UGH. I really not only loved that phone, but it had all my info stored in the note section, like Izzy’s tefra contacts etc. plus my calendar. I know I know, stupid me for not backing up the info!!! I have been kicking myself all day since it happened. I cannot download it to my computer because the run over phone won’t power on at all. I keep telling myself to keep it in perspective, it’s only a phone for goodness sakes. I am seriously on the verge of tears and hope I can suck it up soon and move on. Okay, thanks for listening to me whine and I’m sorry. I know I am so blessed and this is a ridiculous rant.

The good - my monk & neagle cd came today!!! already!!! I love it (what I have gotten to listen to) and am so happy that I got it.

I love the song Hallelujah Jesus, you should click on the link and go listen to it!!!

Here’s a pic of Izzy in her new stroller I took at the mall Saturday…

Visit Laura to sign up and post your menu too!

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for time travel tuesday… we’re traveling back to the day we met our husband!!!

Family~

• Bailey & Emelia spent the week at Art Camp! Bailey came home Friday with a video his class made (it was a video class). He was the star and it was really good! Emelia brought jewelry home daily from her jewelry making class. They both had a wonderful week and met lots of new friends (I know this from the increase in evening phone calls from new kids :o)
• Amanda is still doing great helping out with Izzy’s therapy. She helped at VBS all week at church too and then spent the evenings hanging out with her friends from church. She is enjoying summer!
• Izzy is doing great this week too. She amazes me with her good health and strength! I wrote an update today on her blog here… I also added a pic her OT emailed this morning.

Kitchen~

• Although my menu was a little mixed up this week, it was a good week. I didn’t really try anything new this week to report about.

Blogville~

The dates of the love offering will be July 23 through July 27. Make a $2 donation (of course, larger donations will be accepted *smile*) during that time from the Paypal button that will be posted on Slurping Life and be entered in the drawing for all prizes.

• Thank you Kat for giving me the blogger reflection award. Your words were so sweet and it really meant a lot to me!
• Thanks to K.C. for the creative blogger award, and thoughtful blogger award! I will pass those on soon.
• I am enjoying my gift from my secret mailer! I smile everytime I walk by it. Thanks again secret mailer! I love the good mail girls, and good mail rocks by tori too! Such fun stuff. I am going to be sending out some things this week.
• I’m enjoying the igoogle and ‘my gadget’ … me & oh amanda have our own private myspace :o)…

Blessings~

• God’s awesome promises!
• Izzy’s new stroller
• good friends
• posts that make me lol!
• health
• joy
• you!!!

For more weekend reflections head over to my good pal Judi and sign up!

Oh Amanda has tagged me for the 5 questions meme! I looked at the friday’s feast questions this morning and decided to go ahead and do the tag rather than the feast questions… While I’m talking about Amanda, she also talks about igoogle on her blog. I worked on mine… you can add all kinds of things like daily scripture, dictionary, ebible, todo list, clock… and it has the google search bar at the top. You can also create a igadget.

I’m so sleepy this morning (If Matt is reading this he is saying, you are sleepy… I’m agreeing with you… thanks in advance Matt :o). He got two call outs during the night, one at midnight and one at three am. He was able to remotely handle the problems via the computer thank goodness but it was still a disruptive night’s sleep.

We got our dates for Disneyworld… We leave Oct. 3, have a layover in st. louis, and then come home the 9th, with a layover in houston. I’m excited! It’s really only about two months away.

Okay, here are my answers to Oh Amanda’s questions:

1. What’s your favorite piece of furniture in your house & why?
This is easy! My bed. I love to sleep first of all, and my bed is a king sized big comfy bed. I had a tall four poster queen bed and we decided we needed a bigger bed… so I got the bed frame at ikea. It is pretty contemporary. But, I got the puffiest, prettiest, most cottagy bedding that makes it like a cloud. I love it.

2. Why does X stand for a kiss?
Okay Amanda… here in Oklahoma I think the X is the hug? XO is hugs & kisses… I have no idea who thought of this!

3. What’s your guilty pleasure website? You know, the one you might be embarrassed to tell us you visit every day!
I can’t think of any! I used to check in about once a week on the show I mentioned in my other post spoilers… but not anymore. I’ve been known to play a few rounds of solitare or goldminer… or neopets for the kids if I am just sitting and getting iz to sleep or something… I wish I had something more interesting to embarrass myself with :o)

4. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to do hair … I always played with everyone’s hair and had lines of girls ready for their braids or whatever at camp. I still play hair, but now don’t think that’s all I want to do :o)

5. What did you do for your 16th birthday?
I had a party, at my house. I am amazed at these parties they have on MTV’s sweet 16! What’s up with that? I had a nice (special) party for Amanda, but nothing like those parties! Mine was (if I remember right) a make your own pizza bar, with the youth group from church and games outside like volleyball etc. Amanda is about to celebrate her 17th birthday! She has planned a really fun party… I’ll tell ya’ll about it later including pics of the invitations we made using hair spray bottles!

Fun questions! I’ve written five already or I would do it… I would probably do it again if I didn’t just hear Izzy (awake now) and ready for her breakfast! Happy Friday!

Encourage others and yourself. Share a favorite scripture, devotional, quote, hymn…whatever has strengthened your faith and encouraged your heart.

Don’t forget to grab the button and link back to this post.

I ordered this ‘daily bread’ a while back from dayspring. After reading stories of people having these for 50 years and how much it was a part of their evening meal I thought it was really a special thing. We have already been enjoying reading a verse before our meal. Matt and I will pull a scripture out and leave it sideways in front for each other to look at.
Scripture for today:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self–control. Against such things there is no law.” Galations 5:22-23

Thanks Sheryl for hosting faith lift fridays!