I became your wife.....your Jennisa. After 4 months of me pursuing you, 1 1/2 years of dating, and 1 year of engagement, our day finally had arrived....

It's been an eventful 8 years....We've moved 5 times, lived in 3 different cities, purchased 2 vehicles and a house, and had our 2 beautiful daughters...

We've argued, gotten annoyed with each other, said things we shouldn't have said, acted in ways which we shouldn't have.....

BUT, we're still here....still together, and stronger because of the "bad" times...

I love you more today then on the day that we met, the day we were engaged, and the day we were married.

We don't look like this anymore... all skinny, young and cute....

BUT, I wouldn't trade that, for what we look like now.....
Happy 8 yr anniversary! :)

I know it's not pretty....I mean, it's REALLY not pretty....
Spaces between teeth, three on the top...it just is an "awkward" stage she's in....

tell me this doesn't looks like it hurts......
She's got 'em coming in everywhere! :(
I'm sure in another week it will look much, much worse.....

I'm one of those moms....

One of THOSE, that when she sees that her child really likes to play with an item, she then decides that she has to have numerous of the same item for that child. I didn't realize how many phones the girls had, until I was cleaning up this weekend. It's a tad embarrassing... Notice how 3 of them are (or have been at one time) real? Those are the favorites, of course! :)

and I just LOVE my hand painted flower pot with my beautiful marigold that Avery made me at school! It's not the sweetest smelling flower I've ever received, but it's from the sweetest little girl! :)

Avery also helped daddy pick out a Willow Tree figurine for my collection, and she wrote me numerous "I LOVE YOU MOMMY" cards for the special day! :) It was a fantastic day!

For some reason, I have such horrible photos of this weekend. I wish they were looking a tad better, but oh well....not sure what I did wrong.....

Anyhow...here is Ashley and I at the Rehearsal on Friday night:)



On to the next day....the wedding! I read scripture at the wedding, so I had the most HORRIBLE seat...you would think that being in the front would be great, but not so much. I couldn't see Ashley at ALL...so, here is Dustin, tearing up as he watched his bride walk towards him....


On to the reception! It was SO beautiful and fun. Ashley looked FAB, and the room was just full of such love. Dustin is a man who isn't afraid to tell the world how wonderful Ashley is....she really is one in a million..... Here they are talking to the crowd, and she and I. I photo shopped my head from another photo, because I just looked like death in this one....gol...long night I guess...



The new Mr. and Mrs. enjoying their first dance


Ashley and Dustin are going to Jamaica for their honeymoon, and I will be sad not to see her for a week...I'm sure missing me will be the last thing on her mind..... (bow-chica-wow-wow!)

Hope you all have a fabulous Mother's day!
I am thankful today, for these 2 that I get to call mine...

The day I became a mother.....

and for the second time.....

Last Mother's Day...

Last Summer....

My wonderful adorable friend Ashley is getting married on Saturday, so I am making myself available to her at all hours for whatever she will have me to do.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend! I hope to have some fabulous photos of the weekend!

Oh, and Happy Mother's Day a little early!

I think I scratched Livvie's face. I'm not sure if I did, but either she did, or I did.

Either I did it as I was buckling her into her car seat, or else she did it herself, while in her car seat.

Either way, doesn't it look awful? As if getting a whole mouthful of teeth isn't enough to cry about, how about a large scratch?




To make myself feel better, I like to remember when my hubby scratched Avery's nose as she was an infant by total accident. She was in her swing, and he was putting a blanket on her, and his nail caught her nose....I don't like to remember it, I shouldn't say that....it just helps me remember that I'm not the only one who harms our children by accident...:)

just made my hubby watch P.S. I love you.... with me. It came out yesterday on DVD, and I have been very anxious to watch it with him....

My jaw hurts, my nose is stuffed, I have a horrible throbbing headache, my eyes are puffy......I cried again....what'd ya think, that he socked me one? :)

man, I LOVE that movie...

And, ya know what I love MORE????

My hubby....he turns 34 on Thursday! :)

Oh, and he blogs now, too. If you'd like to stop in and say hi, HERE is his site! And, yes...I designed his blog for him, for FREE even....how nice am I?

"Mom....I wonder why God made me such a good Dog speaker..."

seriously, the poor guy. The things he has to put up with.

I JUST re-did the girls room (actually, he did most of it). I bought new bedding for the both of them, new paint, curtains, trim, and the whole nine yards....

I LOVE the room. It's super cute. I have no complaints. Well, I guess there is one complaint.

Avery will be 6 in July, and she's still in a toddler bed...*gasp*, huh? She's so tiny, and I wanted to maximize the space in their bedroom.

Who, in their right mind, has a 6 year old child that is in a toddler bed? Apparently this crazy momma does...

So, it got me searching. NOW, so you don't have a heart -attack hubby, I'm NOT thinking about re-doing the girls room...that would just be crazy, right? (*smile*)

BUT, I think Avery needs a bigger bed...a twin bed. And, since the matching bedding set of the girls are both toddler/crib sets, what's a girl to do? I'm thinking that I'll have to ask my mom to fashion a twin comforter out of the toddler one, or something like that.....

Or, I'd just have to re-do the whole room....

after all, check out these ADORABLE bedding sets???

Hey, I'm just saying..... :)
(by the way...these sets are super cheap from Target and Walmart...so cute!)

I technically "quit" my job at the beginning of April. My last "official" day was two Mondays ago. I've worked part time there for 3 years, and I still will fill in.....on occasion.

Last night, we had a little get together at my FAVORITE restaurant! It was a fun time of chatting and having yummy food at the same time!


Each of the girls gave me a flower.....what a fun idea, and I love them all!!!!!

Thanks for a fun night, and a wonderful "fare-well"...

Dustin and Ashley get married on Saturday....on SATURDAY! HOLY COW!

We had a fun get together for them with some of their friends last night! We had lots of fun celebrating them, and encouraging them for what lies ahead!




To say I am excited for Saturday, is an understatement! I am so happy for the two of them, and I just can't wait!!!! (did I mention we have a baby-sitter....we'll dance the night away!)

you know, the one that the teachers and school staff talk about when I'm not looking...

or the one that is a pain in the rear end, and they can't stand me...

yeah, I don't want to be that mom.

BUT....I just might be THAT mother...

You see, I have just come to learn that our town has open enrollment for the school district (at least, that's what I've heard). Avery will be going to Kindergarten in the fall (kill me now) and I want to make sure she is in the BEST school with the BEST teacher. After all, wouldn't you do the same?

So, instead of being the subdued mother who just accepts their child going to the school that is in their neighborhood, and the mother who is not specific about what teacher she wants for her child...I'm the opposite.

After all, I want Avery to have the best, and I'm doing this for her, right? (or is it for me?)

Gol...I'm annoying myself already.

So, here is my dilemma.

School A
*does not have a peanut allergy in the school
*in our neighborhood
*wonderful new playground
*older "looking" school
*heard good and bad things about it

School B
* claims to be a "peanut free school"
*not in our neighborhood
*very nice playground, with a huge lawn
*newer school in the district
*heard only good things about it.

Avery had kindergarten screening, and I registered her for School A, because it is in our neighborhood. Our neighbors told me about a really super nice teacher, and so I scribbled down on whatever paper I could, that I would like Avery to be in her class. Done, right? Um, no.....

2 weeks ago, while I was at work, one of the kindergarten teachers from School B came in. She is the sweetest thing. She and I have talked before, and you can just tell she's genuine, ya know? Whenever she comes into the store she's always using her own money to buy books for her class. She just seemed like the perfect fit for Avery (and me!). And, not only that, but I have met another one of the kindergarten teachers from School B, and she is just as wonderful!

So, I am going to turn into that mom on Monday. Yup, I'm going to call the school district office, and tell them that I would like to switch schools for Avery. Not only that, but in this district that supposedly doesn't offer "requests for teachers", I am going to do my darnedest to scratch the names of these 2 kindergarten teachers all over her new paperwork. There are 4 teachers at that school, so I have a 50% chance anyhow...

Whew....no comments needed on this one. I just want to remind myself how truly annoying that I am, and to what lengths I will go to make the best (I hope) decision for Avery (and me).....

Man, I sure hope the school district hasn't gotten wind of my blog....

no one tell her, but....

Liv has slept the last three nights...the entire night...in her own bed.

She hasn't done this in....um....forever....never happened!

Mom is a happy camper!

But, shhh....don't tell her.....

And, since this is MY blog, I can write some of these reasons out, without feeling awful. I will not feel bad that this is the way I feel, and I will not end the post with a soft and lovely sentiment. This is how I feel...period.....(really, this post isn't that bad at all....I sure made it sound like this was going to be a venting session, didn't I? gol, I'm so dramatic.... :))

Ya know how when your husband is obsessed with something, how it gets so super annoying because it's all he talks about, and that the last thing you want to do is jump on board with him and enjoy it too? I felt like this years ago when the movie Gladiator came out. It was all PG could talk about. He got the CD, he was waiting for the DVD to come out, and he would just talk about it all-the-time. It got rather annoying, and it became this thing where I despised him even talking about it, because it was this annoying obsession....

dare I say that this is the way that I can tend to feel towards church sometimes? PG is so wrapped up in church, in theology, in meetings, in John Piper...it can feel like he is obsessed with "church". It consumes him, it takes up all of this free time, and church is what takes him away from his family. Now, by no means do I despise church...that would be a problem, wouldn't it? All I'm saying, is that as the wife of a pastor, it is something that I am daily struggling with. This is the biggest struggle right now, and I need to be honest with it....

Whew...I feel better....

Can I get an 'amen?

and, on a lighter note.....I am LOVING gummy worms right now!

My mom sent these photos over tonight of Avery and Mesa....sooooo cute!

If so, have I got someone for you! Here is Avery. She is a great doggy teacher. She taught her new puppy friend Mesa (it's not Bella anymore) lots of new tricks.

She "taught" (I use that word loosely) Mesa how to come and sit. She had belly rub time, story time, and singing time with her.

Bapa called us last night and said that his little puppy has totally changed into a well-trained little puppy!

So, if you need your pet to go to doggy day care, you know where to come! :)