Trunk or Treat

We always have the cutest little costumes!! Mr and Mrs Potato Head were a big hit!! And look at my little Reesie Pie being a very serious Spiderman there in the middle!! How cute they all were.

Of course, I am a little bias to a certain couple of cuties.
This little cowgirl being one of them.
(This was my cowgirl costume when I was her age!)

We borrowed some cowboy boots but after seeing her in them, I think she should have some of her own. They were so cute and she loved them. She even walked pretty good in them. I think that might need to be one of her Christmas presents.

Then there was this other little cutie. He was just in his little halloween outfit at first because he could not get in his carseat with his costume on. YES, this outfit is too small but... oh well.

When Chris first put the chicken suit on him he was not very happy.

Then he started getting use to it.

And when he found out people gave him things when he walked around, things were much better.

Our little cowgirl and our little chicken.
What a cute pair.
(Thanks AW for finding the chicken costume!!)

Hannah Story

Last night during worship the song leader said that we were now going to sing "Jesus is Coming Soon."

Hannah quickly looked up from the paper she was drawing on and this was the whispered conversation:

Hannah: Jesus is Coming?
Mommy: Yes.
Hannah: Now?
Mommy: No.... Well.... Maybe, I don' t know.
Hannah: He is coming soon?
Mommy: Yes.
Hannah: After this?
Mommy: No... Well... Maybe, I don't know.
Hannah: (Thoughtful Look)....... Jesus is in Heaven.
Mommy: Yes.
Hannah: He'll come from heaven.
Mommy: Yes.
Hannah: (Thoughtful Look and back to her writing)
Mommy: (Teary Eyed)

A Different Generation

Man, did I get a reality check the other night.

Hannah took a piece of paper and some crayons and went to the table and told me she was making me an email. When she was finished she brought it to me and said I could "look at my email" now. This is a picture of it.

Hilarious.

When I was 3, if the word "email" came out of my mouth my parents would have thought I made up the cutest little words.

That is just so funny to me.

Our Sunday Pictures

Chris did Sunday morning all by his lonesome this week. He was a trooper while I went to my parent's house to help mom for the weekend.Didn't he do SO good?
Thank You Chris!
I love you!

Menu Plan Monday

This week we spent $32 on the groceries this week. Chris did the shopping!! Woooo! Hooooo!
By the way, even though I only put my supper meals on here, I have most of the other meals planned out in my head and the money I spend IS for ALL of our groceries that we bought that week. (Hope that answers your questions, Kathy (-: Loved seeing you this weekend!!)

Here is the no frills menu.

Monday - Breaded Chicken Patties, Mac -n- Cheese
Tuesday - Chicken Stir Fry, Green Beans
Wednesday - Hot Dogs at Trunk or Treat
Thursday - Grilled Cheese, Ramen Noodles
Friday - Ham, Lima Beans
Saturday - Steak, Potatoes
Sunday - Roast, Corn

To see other's menu plans check out Org Junkie! (There are lots of ideas there!)

New Book

Recovering Charles was great. It is fiction. It is about one man's story of how Hurricane Katrina affected him. Really good.

I am a real fan of Jason F Wright. All three of the ones I have read of his are wonderful. There is one more that I have not yet read - it is called The James Miracle. I also just found out that in March of 2010 he has another book coming out titled The Cross Gardener. I plan on trying to find both of these to read! All of his books are current, real, but also clean. All 3 of the ones I have read so far have characters that are Godly and encourage goodness and kindness. It is a nice thing to see.

I just saw that he has made his novel Christmas Jars into a children's book and that this month he had a sequel to Christmas Jars come out called Christmas Jars Reunion. I want to read them both!! I am very excited!

Now, if you know me at all, you know what book I am reading next. It has been beside my bed called to me while I was finishing Recovering Charles. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. His latest. I am very excited! I will let you know!

I looked up some things on him and he has 2 new movies based on his books coming out this year Dear John and The Last Song. Also, coming up he will have The Lucky One and True Believer as movies. Yipppeeeee! (Hint Hint (chris) - I still have not seen Nights in Rodanthe!!)

Like Father Like Son

Chris and Justus laid back watching football before it is "night night" time.

I just love my boys!!!

LBC

If you looked at my calendar right now you would see this on there about every week. Ladies Bible Class. I have heard about these all my life. They are usually in the middle of the week sometime - in the middle of the day.

My mother always worked (outside the home) and was never able to go.
My grandmom has gotten to be a part of some and really enjoyed them.

I thought I would always be a working (outside the home) mom and, even though I always wanted to be a part of something like this, never thought I would be able to. Just one of those things.

YAYAYAYAY! I can go to LBC now! It is such a blessing to me.

Right now we are studying James. We are a talkative group (which I love) and so in the 6 one hour classes that we have had - we have just now gotten thru chapter one. Last week we talked about James 1:21-27. Here are some scriptures that I went back to look at after class - just to read and meditate on:

James 1:21-22
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

James 1:26-27
If anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Psalm 68:5
A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation.

My Beautiful Table

Look at how beautiful my table was on Saturday night. It sure is great to have such a wonderful friend whose birthday is only 3 days after mine. Sara Jo and Matt kept Hannah and Justus on Friday night so Chris and I could have a date night for my birthday and we got to keep Cole and Savannah on Saturday night so they could have date night for her birthday.

Perfect.

The kids had so so much fun. It was great!

Yes, can you believe I asked them to smile at me while they were eating? I realized a little too late what a bad idea that was - so I just went with it!

Purer In Heart

Tears came to my eyes as I sung this at worship on Sunday night.
What a prayer!

Purer in heart, O God,
Help me to be;
May I devote my life
Wholly to Thee;
Watch Thou my wayward feet,
Guide me with counsel sweet;
Purer in heart,
Help me to be.

Purer in heart, O God,
Help me to be;
Teach me to do Thy will
Most lovingly;
Be Thou my Friend and Guide,
Let me with Thee abide;
Purer in heart,
Help me to be.

Purer in heart, O God,
Help me to be;
That I Thy holy face
One day may see;
Keep me from secret sin,
Reign Thou my soul within;
Purer in heart,
Help me to be.

Menu Plan Monday

Well, there is no menu plan this week.
Chris is sick and I plan to go out of town this weekend (please pray I do not get sick too!).

Considering those two things - I do have some things in mind for what we will do for meals this week. There is some sort of a plan but nothing too major. Chicken Nuggets - Hamburger Helper - Spaghetti - Whatever works for the day since every day this week, I feel, will end up being crazy.

We spent $50.33 this week. BUT that included $5.25 for new (hard) sippy cups for Justus which does not take away from my grocery budget, so we did good.

When the cashier rang up the items at Kroger I had not yet given him my Kroger Plus Card. The total was something like $68. When I gave him my Kroger Plus Card I told him he had to get me under $50.

He laughed.
I didn't.
Just Kidding - I didn't make him suffer.

Well, when it came up to $50.33 I gave him 50 in cash and then started to look in my change purse. I laughed a little and said "I was serious, I needed to be under $50!" Do you know that the bagger (probably a grandfather) put his hand in his pocket to look thru his change to help me out with the 33 cents?

There are kind and nice people in this world.

I told him I thought I had it and brought a quarter out. He then pulled all his pennies to see if between our pennies we could make the 8 cents that remained - and we did!! I looked him in the eyes and thanked him. He smiled at me and said that I was more than welcome.

I just thought I would share that kind story with you. God's creations are beautiful!

Our Sunday Pictures

Chris is sick. Yuck!

That means I was on my own today and .... well ..... Sunday Pictures reflect that.

That is the point of Sunday pictures, though, to remember every week - no matter what was going on!

Angel's Food

Well, we got Angel Food Ministries food again this month. I chose to spend $50 this month on it and get some extra breaded chicken.

There use to be a wonderful restaurant near our house called Angel's. It was a meat and 3 cafeteria style place that Hannah LOVED! She was so sad when they closed and still mentions them regularly and asks when they are going to get food again for us to eat. Anyway, last month she was really confused that we were picking up our Angel Food but we were not going to Angel's to eat. She got to go with me and see it and I think she realized it was really different. Well, today I went to get it by myself and she told her Daddy that "Mommy was going to get food for angels." She is still working on getting the concept. :-)

Here is what we ordered..Here is all the food once we got it home.

I think I calculated that I got meat for about 16 meals for our family here. That is not including any of the extras (like milk and cookies) or any of the sides (like lima beans and apples). Not too bad for $50!

30 Things About Me Being 30

1. I am not in my "twenties" anymore.
   
2. After I eat just one piece of birthday cake I really do gain a pound over night!
3. My young, 27 year old, hubby gets to say his wife is in her thirties!
4. Even though my skin is a little looser, not quite as soft as it use to be, and has a few more lines in it, the skin I am in is feeling more and more comfortable.
5. I have started evaluating how old I will be when the kids are out of the house and counting down the years. (Is it too early for that?)
6. Sometimes friendships feel more like someone you can ask a favor from instead of someone you can just hang out and giggle with. Sometimes that seems sad but sometimes that seems so cozy and beautiful.
7. Choosing your battles seems to be a way of life.
8. At 30 the world seems so scary. Every day I think more and more about hiding. Some days I think I am hiding and don't realize it.
9. I feel closer and closer to scriptures like Job 12:12, Ps 92:14, Ps 148:12, Prov 16:31.
10. I really do keep loving gray hair more and more.
11. "Super Stars" are not super.
12. Looking back on 30 years of life is hilarious! WOW, it is unbelievable what I thought was important and now what really is important. (I think I may say this one again in a few years about how I feel now - he he!)
13. Age is much more a number than anything else. I feel the same as I did when I graduated college.
14. I have been able to see true love grow and recognize it for the beautiful thing that it is.
15. Books are fun - MAN, I am old.
16. I have realized I am a real nerd.
17. I have found that at any age I can have true friends that are any age.
18. I pray more, now than ever, for the Lord to go on and come!
19. At 30, my mom is the best girl friend I could ever have.
20. I have found that you can not "really" live on love here in this world but you can have so much love in your heart for that one special man that it feels like you could live on love! And that feeling is wonderful!
    
21. The Lord is really and truly - seriously - honestly - completely - Really - ALL you need.
22. I have realized Dirt Really Don't Hurt.
    
23. Rollercoasters really are dangerous.
24. Bugs really are gross and icky (you got that right - I have just now learned this).
25. Have I always been this cold all the time?
26. Have I always had this little blatter control?
27. Being able to be Hannah and Justus' mom at age 30 is a great birthday present.
28. I want and will allow my love of people (God's creation) to bubble up in me, no matter how it looks or how awkward someone thinks it is or what people think. Love for others (all others) is wonderful.
29. I am done with junk - I want simplicity worse than I may have ever wanted anything before. And for some reason can not achieve it.
30. It is weird to say I am 30 years old so I would appreciate it if no one ask me how old I am ever again. Thank You.
    

Happy Happy Birthday to ME!!

Sweet Big Sister

Now that Hannah is in "school" 2 days a week, she pretty much wants to play Teacher all the time. It is really cute. Well, while Hannah and Justus were waiting for supper one day last week Hannah said she was going to be Mrs Shana (her teacher) and read Justus a book.

Doesn't it look so sweet?

It was nice - Justus actually didn't cry the whole time we were trying to fix supper.

Menu Plan Monday

This week we spent $44.29. I am pleased....
Here is the no frills menu.

Monday - Edification Team Leftovers! (Thank You Mrs Barbara and Mr Herb!)
Tuesday - Eggs, Waffles
Wednesday - Turkey Tetrazzini and Greenbeans
Thursday - Grilled Cheese, Ramen Noodles
Friday - Date Night (It is someone's birthday)
Saturday - Pizza Boats and Chips
Sunday - Leftovers and Sandwiches

To see other's menu plans check out Org Junkie! (There are lots of ideas there!)

Our Sunday Pictures

Sunday Pictures is especially for my wonderful friend Julie this week.

Not only because she gave Hannah this gorgeous dress that her (now 18 year old) beautiful daughter use to wear but also because this afternoon when she wanted to know when my Sunday Pictures would be up my husband told her to Be Patient! he he!
We Love You, JC, JC, and SC!!

Growing Boy

Can you believe that I forgot to blog about our 1 year doc appt with Justus?

He is very healthy! And the Dr said he was doing great. I am a little worried that he is not saying more words right now but the Dr was not worried. She said he may be on the low side of the # of words he is saying but he is ahead in his physical abilities and that can be very normal for a boy.

He is 24 pounds - in the 70%
He is 31.25 inches - in the 90%
His head is 49 cm - >95% (off the charts big!)

We were very pleased!

What a big boy. He is growing up so so fast!

Confession

I like Handy Manny.

AND, Hannah does not really like the show that much. She gets excited when it comes on but I think it is just because she knows it - not because she wants to actually watch it. She never actually watches it.

(However, Hannah and I both say Manny is cute. he he!)

Anyway, I think one of the things I like about it is the clever names for the tools..

The Hammer's name is Pat.
The Flathead Screwdriver's name is Turner.
The Philips head Screwdriver's name is Felipe.
The Saw's name is Dusty.
The Tape Measure's name is Stretch.
The Wrench's name is Rusty.
The Pliers' name is Squeeze.

It is a really cute little show.

New Book

The Nanny Diaries was good. Very Light. Very Fun. Very entertaining. I definitely want to see the movie now. It really is a pretty fun book. You will laugh, you may hurt for a character (I don't think you would cry), you will get mad, and you will want to keep on reading!!

My next book is Recovering Charles by Jason F. Wright. I have read Wednesdays Letters and Christmas Jars by him and really enjoyed both so I am definitely looking forward to this.

I will let you know how it goes!

Menu Plan Monday

This week we spent about $42.00. I am very excited by this! YAYAY! I am trying to spend less than $50 so that I have enough to pay for my Angel Food later this month. I think it is going well! :-)

Monday - Steak and Potatoes (an angel food meal - we didn't get to have it last week!)
Tuesday - Eggs, Waffles
Wednesday - Chicken and Greenbeans
Thursday - Grilled Cheese, Ramen Noodles
Friday - Spaghetti, Garlic Bread
Saturday - Hayride at the Rice's House! All I have to bring is Fritos! Yippeee!
Sunday - Lunch will be at State Line Church of Christ - Yummmy! Then we will have a fellowship at Southern Hills after evening worship! Can't wait!

To see other's menu plans check out Org Junkie! (There are lots of ideas there!)

Our Sunday Pictures

My batteries in the camera went dead very early in the Sunday Picture Time. SO, you get what you get! :-)