Thanksgiving 2019

This past weekend was a long weekend in every way.

The weekend felt more like a couple of weeks off from work.  I didn't realize how much my battery needed to be recharged until mid-recharge.

The long weekend left me feeling rested and ready to return to the real world.

Though it would have been nice if the alarm had gone off a little later than it did.

The weekend was long in that we dealt with a dog surgery for Lincoln.  I picked him up from camp on Friday and he was only home a couple of hours before he went to the vet.  He ended up staying in the emergency clinic and didn't come home until today.

We've missed him.

Tampons for Thanksgiving might not have been his best little doggy idea.

Stick to turkey!  It goes through a little easier.

Over the long weekend Andrew and I were able to have several different conversations.

We talked about our accomplishments this year , our goals for the upcoming year, what we were thankful for this year, and a host of other things.

A huge accomplishment for us this past year was paying off all debt.

For the first time in our married lives we are debt free.

We are so very thankful for God's provision.

Being debt free is huge, but it is not what I'm most thankful for this year.

As I thought about the past year and the different things God has done for Andrew and me, I couldn't help but think back to this time last year.

I wasn't pregnant AGAIN despite my desire for a Thanksgiving announcement.

I wasn't loving my job.

I was completely indulging in some serious self pity.

I couldn't muster an ounce of gratitude.

When it was my turn to share what I was thankful for at Weaver Thanksgiving, I passed.

I couldn't do it.

I felt like anything I said was going to be fake.

My heart was hard.

I wasn't thankful for anything.

This year....

Still not pregnant.

But my heart is able to find much gratitude.

God has opened my eyes to all He has done for me.

I can see Him working in the waiting.

I can see him using my wait and the loss of Jayden to encourage other women.

This year my heart is filled with thanksgiving.

And I'm thankful for that.

So this year...

I'm thankful to be thankful.

Matchbox Twenty and IKEA

Back to school season is upon us.  

I've been very busy the past couple of weeks getting my room ready and attending workshops.  I will be coteaching this year which means I will have another teacher in my classroom with me.  I'll admit I was a little anxious about that at first, but I LOVE my coteacher.  She has lots of experience and is so sweet.  Plus we seem to have a lot in common.  I have a feeling I'm going to learn a lot from her.  

Open House

Andrew and I were able to sneak away yesterday afternoon for a night in Southhaven, Mississippi for a concert.

But not before grabbing dinner at one of our favorite places.

We saw Matchbox Twenty and let me just say it was best concert we've been to in a long time.  GREAT show.


This morning we drove over to Memphis so that I could go to IKEA.  I've been wanting to go ever since they opened the Memphis store.

I found the things I wanted for my classroom along with a few other fun things.

I could have stayed in there all day but we had to get home to pick up Liberty & Lincoln from the kennel.  According to their report card they had a good time.

We all the perfect little get away before school starts.  

Oh What A Day!

Around 4:30 Saturday morning Liberty Belle woke us up hacking like she was going to throw up.  She continued to do this all day Saturday and Sunday so Andrew took her to the vet today. 

Sweet girl has a cold.  Apparently her hacking is a dog cough.

We left the vet with two meds for her to take and lighter wallets.  

Dog colds aren't cheap.

I got in my car today at lunch to go grab something to eat only to find that my car wouldn't start.  One of our maintenance men came out during my planning period to try and jump start it.  No luck!  My batter was dead!

Andrew had to leave work early to come pick me up.  We went and picked Lib up from the vet, grabbed dinner, bought a new battery, and headed back to school to get my car.

It was way too cold tonight to be changing a battery.  I'm thankful Andrew got it done quickly.

On a happier note...

My brother called me this afternoon to tell me I was right.  He and Melissa are having a little girl.  

But then he told me he was right too.  They are also having a little boy.

TWINS!

A baby for each of Aunt E's arms!

Starting Fall a Few Days Early

I have been in full Fall mode this weekend.

After seeing a couple people post about their new Bath & Body Works candles, I had to go get some of my own.  Social media peer pressure is real y'all.

So far I've burned Pumpkin Apple and Bourbon Butterscotch.  They both smell amazing but Pumpkin Apple is my favorite. They all smell yummy.  It was hard to choose only four.

There is something about Fall that makes me want to bake.  And I don't bake.  I woke up Saturday morning at 6:30.  Boo!  I was wide awake so I decided to go buy groceries.  

It's never a good idea to buy groceries when you are hungry and in the mood to bake.  Especially when there only two people in your house to eat everything you make.  

I made some apple cider muffins for breakfast.  They were yummy! 

I'm not the only one enjoying this fall weather.  Ever since we installed a doggy door we hardly see our Lincoln Baxter anymore.  The little guy loves being outside.

As much as were are loving that fall is right around the corner, we are still enjoying summer too.  We enjoyed a beautiful afternoon on the lake.  Lounging and lunch on The Liberty Belle.

In true fall fashion there were frito chili pies and football.  Razorbacks scored their third win of the season.  WPS!

And for dessert?

Cheesecake on a reese's cup of course.

It's one of our favorites.

Five on Friday

{one}
 Not only is it Friday, but Spring Break starts today!!!  

{two}

Next weekend we are having a yard sale.  When we moved into our house we acquired A LOT of stuff.  As we were unpacking and organizing I was sorting and pricing items for this yard sale.  Most everything is priced and ready to go.  However, I still need to go through our clothes and a few other things.  My goal is to get rid of A LOT of stuff and maybe even make a little money.

{three}

I have my bracket all filled out and I am enjoying March Madness.  I'm excited about our little family competition especially since there are more family members joining in on the fun this year.  To make it even better I'm not the only girl this year.  I have a feeling the boys, who actually know what they are doing, have a good laugh whenever they look at my bracket and who I have winning it all.  Maybe I'll get lucky.  

{four}

I feel like I'm the only person who hasn't watched this movie.

I'm watching it over Spring Break.  I'm thinking it a must on my to do list.  

{five}

And just because I haven't shared any pictures of my sweet furbabies in entirely too long...

Accentuate the Postive

A few happy notes on this Monday.

1. I was finally able to go back to work.  Between field trips, snow weeks, and pain meds making me sick it has been TEN days since I've been in my classroom.  I have definitely missed those sweet kiddos.

2. My 6th graders began studying integers and coordinate planes today.  NO MORE FRACTIONS!!  We may have stopped to do a happy dance today.  

3. My teeth aren't quite as sore anymore and I was able to eat a donut using my back teeth.  Victory for me!!  

4.  Because of my teeth not being sore anymore I was able to have chicken for dinner!  Enough said!

5. The weather was absolutely beautiful today.  I could have sat outside all day.

6.  The LBs thought so too.  They did not want to come in when I got home today despite the fact that they had been outside all day.  We opened the windows and they watched and waited patiently for Andrew to get home from work. 

A Potential Snow Day

I have a feeling there is another snow day in my future.  It is currently sleeting outside and there is supposed to be snow on the way.

I have mixed feelings about it.  I wouldn't mind a day or two off but I also don't want another week of snow days to make up.  

We had a very productive day yesterday and now we are ready for a relaxing snow day.

The LBs finally got a much needed bath.  Bath time isn't exactly their favorite thing to do.

As you can see Liberty clutches on for dear life when it is time for a bath.  Lincoln may look all sweet and innocent in this picture, but he is wild.  Bathing him is definitely a workout.  He only jumped out of the bathtub three times.  That doesn't include all the times he TRIED to jump out of the tub.  By the time we were finished the bathroom was covered in water.  

Also...don't you just love Liberty's "toupee"?  Andrew said she was the Donald Trump of dogs.  HA!

We are all caught up on laundry and we joined everyone else in our town at Wal-Mart to get our milk and bread.

Now we are curled up watching football coverage.

Why oh why does the Super Bowl mean we have to watch football ALL DAY?

Can we not just watch the game?

I'm keeping myself entertained with some online shopping.  I'm constantly drinking water at work.  It's my thing.  I'm the teacher that drinks water.  I prefer to drink from a cup with a straw, but the straw to my owl tumbler broke back in August.  I finally ordered myself a new cup today from this Etsy shop.

I can't wait to get it.  I'm pretty much obsessed with monograms.  I want to put my monogram on everything.



This is a horrible way to end a blog post, but that pretty much wraps up my random thoughts for the day.

I'll try for a better ending on my next post.

Three on Tuesday

I cannot believe it’s been almost a month since I last blogged.  I have so much that I want to blog about for my own personal memories.  I love looking back at our adventures.  I had started this post for Five on Friday but never posted it so I decided to make it Three on Tuesday.  Creativity at its finest ladies and gentlemen. 

1. We have been in our new house for three weeks now.  Our lives have been a crazy blur of boxes for the past three weeks.  How can two people have so much stuff?  Not only do we have all of our things to unpack and put away, but we also bought A LOT of stuff from the previous owners.  It has been fun going through all of it.  There are several things that are a mystery to us.  We have had lots of good laughs over our guesses at what these items are.  I tend to believe whatever Andrew says even when he is just making something up. 

Two of our nephews came over to help us move.  We could not have done it without them.  Cody and Pryce are seriously some of the sweetest boys ever.  They are such sweet gentlemen and don’t mind helping us with whatever we need – except moving scrapbook desk back down stairs.  Ya’ll I thought they were going to die carrying my scrapbook desk up stairs.  It is huge – even when it is broken down into three pieces. 

2.   Moving has been hard on Liberty & Lincoln.  Liberty doesn’t do well with change.  She likes her routine.  She has been a little distant the past three weeks.  A lot of it has to do with the fact that she doesn’t a fence right now.  She can’t just go outside and run around.  She is cooped up with her crazy brother in the hallway all day.  It absolutely breaks our heart.  She will sit at the door and just cry because she wants to go outside and play.  We are in the process of finding someone to build a fence for her.

Lincoln on the other hand…. Oh My!  Sweet boy has never had to be inside for so long.  He might just eat us out of house and home.  In the past three weeks he has eaten rat poison, three coats, cardboard, a night light, Swiffer pads, and who knows what else.  The little guy thinks everything is food.

In the mornings they get up with me and I take them outside to potty.  As soon as we come back in Liberty goes and gets back in bed with Andrew.  Lincoln is my little morning shadow.  He lays on the bathmat while I shower and follows me everywhere I go.  I have no idea what he does after I leave and before Andrew gets up.  I’m sure he eats something.

3.  We took Christmas card pics Sunday afternoon.  Our sweet friends came over to help us out.  Amanda was able to capture a shot of Andrew & I that we both love.  If we are friends on facebook then you’ve seen it.  I’m a little disappointed that I posted it on facebook.  Normally I don’t like sharing the picture we are going to use ahead of time, but when I posted on facebook I didn’t think we were going to use it.  It doesn’t have the LBs in it.  I took the dogs out and tried to capture a good picture of each of them to add to the card.  With a sick day yesterday I was able to get our card made.  I LOVED it.  Andrew didn’t.  I was a little bummed that I couldn’t do what I wanted.  We have had so much change in our lives this year that I wanted to do a year in review card.  That isn’t happening but I will say I’m pleased with the changes that I made and it will be a lot less expensive because it is no longer double sided. 

Christmas cards should not be as stressful as I make them. 

Our Saturday

The nephews are here today.  They followed us home last night after Pryce's birthday party.

Can't believe he is 15!  He was so tiny when Andrew and I started dating.  

This pic was taken on vacation in September 2004.  

We went out on the boat this morning.  The Winburns joined us which is always nice.  Had lunch and the boys played a couple of games of lake basketball.  I love having the nephews here.  They seem to really enjoy being out on the boat and that makes me happy.  

We also took Liberty out on The Liberty Belle for the first time today.  

She did so well.  Actually they both did so well today.  I was very proud.

Though she wasn't a fan of swimming.

I'm pretty sure I would have drowned if I hadn't been wearing a life jacket.  Ha!

Andrew blew up an air mattress for them to float around on.  They weren't too crazy about that either.

Liberty spent quite a bit of time on the boat crying because she wanted the ball that the boys were playing with.  She likes to play fetch.

She could have also been crying because Pryce was in the water and she wasn't.  My sweet brown dog LOVES Pryce.  She kept leaving me to go sit with him.  Talk about breaking a furbaby momma's heart.

Now Andrew and the nephews are out playing golf.  LBs and I are at home resting.

There is nothing sweeter than time with good family and friends.

It's Tuesday

I sent Andrew a text today asking if we could have burgers on the boat for dinner.  There is something about grilling on the boat that makes the burgers taste so much better.

I love it!

He got home a little before five and we loaded up.  

We decided it was time for Lincoln Baxter to go on his first boat ride.  We haven't taken the dogs out yet because we've been waiting for a trip when there wouldn't be a lot of people and we wouldn't be out there all day.  We weren't sure how they would react.  

Well we're pretty sure we know how Lib will react.  I don't think she is going to like it at all.

Lincoln wasn't real sure at first.  The dock can be very scary.  There are lots of cracks to jump over. 

One he got on the boat, there was lots of exploring to do.  

Then it was time for a swim.  He has never been swimming before so we were excited to see how he did.

He is an excellent swimmer!  However, he did not LOVE it like I had hoped.  

We bought a dog life jacket a few months ago.  We thought we would give that a try.  

Yes we are those people.  We are okay with that!

Little Dude was smart.  He knew how to get out of that water.  He went straight to the ladder and hung on until Andrew lifted him out of the water.

He didn't seem to mind the water.  I sat on a air mattress and he was very content to hang on to that with his hind legs in the water.  He just didn't like having to swim.  

He's like his owners.  He just wanted to be lazy and float around. 

After a quick swim, Andrew started grilling us some burgers and dogs.

This was my view while I soaked up that sun.

Lincoln begged for a bite of hot dog.  

Can you say spoiled puppy?

We went for another swim after dinner.  Andrew just kept saying.  It's Tuesday. Then he would smile so big.

We are so very blessed.  

Change is hard for me.  There have been days where I have missed our old home town.

But a Tuesday night on the lake where the weather is perfect and the water feels amazing with my two boys and good food...

Well it quickly reminds me how blessed I am and how great my God is.  

God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called seas.  And God saw that it was good.  Genesis 1:10