Read the Bible

God says that we should meditate on His word day and night. Mr. G and I try to do our best with reading the Bible, but often times we don't do it enough. Luckily, God has blessed us with someone to push us and motivate us to get in His word more. I know you might be thinking it is a preacher, or maybe an elder, or possibly someone on t.v. Nope, it is someone even more amazing.

This is my special Mickey Mantle in the middle of his morning Bible study. Now, if we ever feel like the Bible is too hard for us to read, we are reminded that our dog can do it, so we should try a bit harder. I thought I would share this motivating information with you so that you will be sure to study a little harder. Even though Mickey doesn't speak The Word, he does live it. Often times I will see him share his food with his brother, he gives kisses to his mom and dad all the time, and he is always sorry when he does something wrong. He is trying his best to walk the straight and narrow and he knows the best way to stay focused is by reading God's Word.

OOPS!!! I talked too loud and broke his concentration. Please forgive me Mickey for I know not what I do.

Cooked Goose

There have been a lot of things going on lately including school starting. I was as ready for school to start as I could be and when the first day finally came I was mentally and emotionally prepared. However, I was not prepared to have someone puke in my classroom the first class of my first day back. I'm sure the poor kid was not comforted by the look on my face. I didn't mean to look so disgusted, that's just what puke does to me. I am going to have to change once I have kids or I will be considered the worst parent in the world. So I was able to recover after the first day and moved on like nothing happened until a couple days later when a teacher knocked on my door and handed me the "Cooked Goose."
I was a bit shocked by this large pretend animal she was giving me but she promised to send me an e-mail as to why I was getting it. Now if you are wondering why it looks like a chicken and not a goose...well...that's because it is actually a goose with a chicken costume on. Creative, huh.

This thing must weigh a good 15 pounds. In this picture you can see the legs of the goose from underneath the chicken costume. I read the e-mail and it turns out our school is going to pass around this goose to the teacher who has had something weird happen to them and since someone puked in my room the first day of school I received the award. And apparently, I needed to find out some weird stuff about my co-workers and then pass the goose on to someone else. So first I thought I would ask the goose what he knew....

But he just looked at me like I was weird.

Then I asked my students and they told me about another special education teacher who had a weird first day of school as well. Turns out the janitors had taken her desk out to a storage shed for a couple days while they cleaned her room. When she opened her drawers the first day of school she found mouse turds and all of her chips and popcorn half eaten. This was perfect, so I gladly walked the cooked goose on over to her room with a smile.

My husband asked me how many times do I think I will received the cooked goose award this year. Apparently he thinks I'm going to be worthy of this dumb award a lot. Gotta love the confidence he has in me. I might just make my own cooked goose and haunt him with it for the rest of the year....mmmmm.....yeah....that sounds like a great idea.

Birthday Party

Birthday parties are always a lot of fun but especially when the person having a birthday is only 4 years old. This party had great food, great company, a huge blow up water slide outside, cake, home made ice cream, and one happy little girl. By the way...thanks to my brother and sister-in-law for the wonderful party.Here is niece #1 peeking through the bushes. They had only been out playing on the water slide for about 15 minutes when she found a beetle in the water. Apparently this beetle was pretty mean because it kept her from getting back in the water for a very long time.

Here is the birthday girl. She is getting reading to climb the wall so she can slide down the big slide....can't you just see the excitement written all over her face.

Um.....I know you can't tell....but this is the birthday girl right as she hit the water. It looks a bit more like abstract art though.

This is after the horrible ant episode. Apparently there had been an ant on the birthday girl and she had decided she was not going back in the water. She is a lot like her big sister, except I was able to talk her into going back in after we searched the water and found no more ants.

There she goes again....happy as can be.

This little one, however, decided to make a rock collection, and she was so proud of her rock collection.

This is a much better shot of her going down the slide. At least you can tell it is a person.

It doesn't get any better than this. Thank goodness there were no more ants so the party could go on.

It's hard enough to have your hands up, but to have your hands AND feet up is pretty amazing!!!

Wait....what's this....has she decided to leave her rock pile and put the fear of beetles behind her in order to enjoy the fun on the water slide.....well....I do believe she has. I am so proud of that girl. It's not every day you can master a fear of beetles.

She's enjoying it so much she wants to keep going and going, but unfortunately its time to go inside for cake, ice cream, and presents. I can think of one girl in particular who is excited about those presents.

The birthday girl must always be dressed appropriately for her party. This birthday girl was no different and the only out fit that seemed appropriate to her was her Tu-Tu. I love the pose.

Now, here are two characters you have yet to meet. This is my grandma and grandpa on my dad's side and they are having way too much fun. I simply asked them to pose for the camera, instead grandpa tries to act like he's smacking grandma. I love it when old people flirt...especially when its my grandparents. You can tell grandma is loving every minute of it.

Finally they posed for me but grandpa is still cracking up.

Uh Oh....I caught the birthday girl trying to get a quick taste of that icing. I thought I caught her in time but then I noticed all the smashed icing near where her tongue had been. Oh well, maybe nobody will notice.

One of the best things about having a birthday is the cake and I think this lil one agrees with me.

She did it!!! And the crowd goes wild. She blew out all 4 of her candles!!! Thata girl!!

And now it is presents time. All the kiddos gather around to watch. You can see her proud mama in the background and her big sister who is hoping that her sister will share some of these toys with her.

Here is the present Mr. G and I got her. Its a puppy pillow pet. I had no worries that she would love it since she told me over and over again for the last couple of months that she wanted a puppy pillow pet. That smile is priceless. You will also notice in the picture my brothers, suppose to be white, tennis shoes and the Christmas bag that we used to wrap her present in. Thanks to Mr. G's mom and dad for giving us that bag last Christmas because it came in good use.

Well, I do believe that the birthday party was a success. Mr. G has decided that he wants a similar party for his birthday in October so we will see about renting that water slide and getting the Fancy Nancy birthday cake. FYI....You are all invited.

Are We There Yet?

As you guys know we have been working on our house renovation for a VERY long time and the question that we all are wondering is.....ARE WE THERE YET? The answer is ALMOST!! We finally finished our main floor about a week ago but I forgot to blog about it. We are still waiting to get the carpet in our bedrooms and that probably won't happen for another couple of weeks. After that we will get the trim put in and the doors. Then once we finally get money again...which might be a while....then we will be able to purchase blinds and some of the other little things.....then maybe down the road we will get some new furniture but it will probably be a while. The exciting part is that we are able to walk around our house without stepping on staples or nails. That deserves a YEPEE if you ask me.
This is the project winding down. We only had one room left and we could see the light at the end of the tunnel. We had been smelling glue from too many days.

Here is my Mr. G laying some of the last pieces. He was so careful to make sure that each piece laid just right. We didn't want to have to do this EVER again.

And the final pieces going into place. Nobody informed Mr. G to look at the camera and smile so he just stared at the ground.

We are happy with the way the floor looks and are glad that we chose the floor that we did. We think it will all look even better once the white wood work and doors gets put in. Now it's time to just hurry up and wait.

*FYI* I had a bit of trouble writing this because Marleys tail is laying across the keyboard and it is hard to feel which key is which....but I wouldn't dare move him because he looks so cute. I made due.

I saw this picture one day and I couldn't help but take a picture of it. Sometimes it feels like there aren't many people in this world who believe in God or care enough to share His good news with others. It was very comforting to see this sign while I was driving along because it reminded me that there are still Christians in this country and that God is still working.
I am sure the person who put this sign up had no idea what kind of effect it would have on people. They probably received harsh criticism from it. Some people maybe didn't shop there because of this sign. But maybe.....just maybe.....these sweet words from Matthew 19:26 touched somebody who needed a reminder of how great God is.
I am sure you all have been there, but it always seems like when I am really down about something, God will always show his face and remind me that I am not alone. I pray that this sign was that reminder to somebody and I know that it was a reminder to me that there are still Christians in this country and they are trying to do the right thing. Praise God and may blessings be upon the person who was strong enough and caring enough to put this scripture on the IGA sign.

Why I love to be an Aunt

You may tell me that there is a cuter picture out there some where, but I wouldn't believe you. These are the cutest smiles in the world and my heart melts every time I see it. These two sweet little girls are two reasons why I LOVE being an aunt.

This is my oldest niece holding Marley. There's that sweet smile again. Today is a very big day for her because she started Kindergarten and I am pretty sure she has been talking about starting Kindergarten since she was 2 years old. I might be exaggerating a bit though.
My oldest brother was telling me the other day how he was playing catch with my niecewhen she got this really concerned look on her face. Then she said, "Daddy, why do they call them 'pop-ups'?"
My brother was a bit confused by her question but he was about to explain how the ball pops up high in the sky and that is why it is called a pop-up. But this sweet lil girl had a different way of thinking about it so before my brother could answer she asked, "Why don't they call them 'mom-ups'?"
Have I said lately how much I LOVE being an aunt.

And this is niece #2 and today is one special day for her because today is her birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY sweet girl.

This lil girl loves animals and loves picking up Mickey as you can see in the picture. She has more stuffed animals than anyone I know and she has a name for each one. I believe her new build-a-bear that Nana got her she named Charlie...but don't be confused because it is a girl. She is growing up so fast. Nana was telling us how before supper the other night Nana said the prayer and she ended it by saying, "In His name we pray, Amen." Well my this sweet lil girl tapped her Nana on the shoulder and said, "Nana, you are suppose to say 'In Jesus Name we pray, Amen."
Have I told you lately how much I enjoy being an aunt.


And here are my two precious girls with my two crazy puppy dogs. I am pretty sure Mickey is looking for a way out and Marley is just enjoying the attention.

And here is reason #3 why I love being an aunt. This is our little nephew that was just born in May. He is much bigger now than he was in this picture. I think this picture was taken about a month ago and since then I am pretty sure he has turned into a linebacker. You might notice the puke that is on Mr. G's shirt...this cute lil guy just wanted to share his lunch with his uncle. Mr. G is so good with kids, I know he is going to make a great father someday.

But have I told you lately just how much I LOVE being an aunt.

Marley in the Car

I still remember the first day that I picked up Marley from that awful home...well, I suppose I should remember since it was only 2 months ago. But I remember picking him up and the first thing he did when we got in the car was crawl up behind my back and lay down. He probably would've been more comfortable laying on my lap or on the seat next to me, but he wanted to be pinched between my back and the seat. Even though it was really hard to drive being shoved up against the steering wheel I still enjoyed the moment. And oddly enough this is still Marley's favorite place to be when we are riding in the car. Here is one view of the lil guy stuck between me and the car seat. You might notice that Marley's ear is flipped back. For some reason his ears have trouble laying down, they always want to flip inside out. He was so content that he would lay his head on my shoulder and look out the front window with me.

But what he most liked to do was stare at his daddy, Mr. G, while he was driving. He just doesn't look comfortable to me, but apparently he is because this is his favorite spot. Isn't it funny how dogs have those little cute habits that are totally weird but completely adorable.

Trip to In-laws

We live about an hour and a half away from Mr. G's parents and, unfortunately, don't make it up there enough. I think it had been a couple months since we had been up to see them. While we were doing our renovation they were doing a bit of a renovation of their own. My mother-in-law has changed from country decor to more modern and lucky for me she is willing to give me all her old country stuff to use at our house. But this is the exit we take to their house. I can't believe how much the corn is already changing in the background. It will be fall before we know it.

I would like you to meet my mother-in-law...she is the one with a lamp shade for a head. Actually, she is a carrying a lamp that she is giving to us for our home. They are planning a rummage sale but they gave Mr. G and I first dibs on anything we wanted before they sold it. It was like Christmas in August for us.

This is one sure sign that my in-laws are okay folks. If they weren't Cardinal fans it would be tough to swallow, but it seems they might be even bigger Cardinal fans than me. Praise God.

Then we had the situation with the green chair. With everything I was deciding to take we were having a bit of trouble getting it all to fit. I actually just stood back and listened to everyone brainstorm on how to get that chair to fit. It was very interesting.

Sure....just slide the chair in straight and it should fit perfect

Uh....

No...

Never mind...

Maybe if you try it the other way...

Ok.....

Uh...

No...

That does work...

Hey...maybe we should try turning it this way....

Yeah....

Great idea....

Uh...

No....

Mmmmmmm......

Finally they got the chair in and they were able to tie everything down. So we all went inside and ate dessert. In this picture you are meeting for the first time Mr. G's dad and his sister.

This is Mr. G's sister and his parent's dog Chloe. Poor Chloe had just had a surgery of her own. She had fatty tissue taken off of her neck....suppose she should cut back on the Kibbles-n-Bits. But she seems to be back in good spirits.

We enjoyed our time with the in-laws. Once we got home and unloaded all the stuff we started to realize that there is a lot in our house that has come from either his folks or mine. If it weren't for our parents we would probably be living in a card board box.

Yard Sale Masterpiece

I have never been one to buy something old and make it look new again but I thought I would give it a try. At the Hoffman rummage sale last Saturday I saw this corner cabinet for $20. I was amazed at the price and what good shape it was in. I walked around it and stared at it for a while, then I walked away deciding not to get it. Then after a little encouragement from a friend I changed my mind.Since today was my last day of summer I thought I would take some time to paint that old cabinet. I had no idea it would take me all day, but it was definitely worth it in the end and I enjoyed the experience. Here is the upper half of the cabinet and you can see that I had already started priming it. It was hot and sunny out and a perfect day to get a tan while I worked.

Here is the full view of the cabinet. You can also see all the furniture we still have in our garage just waiting to go back inside once everything gets done. When I bought this cabinet originally I had thought I would paint it white but last night I started thinking about painting it yellow. I thought about making a blog to ask you guys your opinion but I didn't want to wait that long. I ended up deciding to use the left over paint from our kitchen and paint it yellow.

I had just got about half way done with the priming when I started to hear thunder. I looked up to find this cloud rolling in. There went my shot at a tan plus I knew I needed to get the cabinet in the garage before it started to rain. So I scooted it in without too much trouble. Fortunately, it didn't rain so I took it back out again when it looked sunny. Apparently storms were scattered through out the area because I kept taking the cabinet in and out of the garage about every hour but it never rained.

I would like to introduce you to Gretta. She is the boxer across the street from us and no she is not dead, just sleeping. Obviously, she wasn't too interested in my cabinet renovation. Gretta is a scaredy cat and won't come near most people but she really enjoys watching Mickey and Marley when they are outside. There was actually a time when Gretta got loose and Mickey saved the day by chasing her back into the garage. It was pretty funny to see a little Shih tzu chasing a boxer.

If any of you were outside today before the storms hit you know that it was very toasty. I had only been out for about an hour when I was dripping with sweat. I thought I would take a picture of my sweaty legs to show you, but you can't really see all the sweat. Oh well...at least you get the point that it was hot.

But after working on this cabinet from about 9-4 with a few breaks and a lunch I finally got it done. Once Mr. G got home we were able to bring it into the house to see how it looked.

Well, it might not be a masterpiece but I will appreciate this cabinet a little more because of the hard work and sweat it took to get her looking like this. The most important thing is it only cost me $20.