OUR DREAM HOME

Thank you all for your sweet comments and your prayers.

Here are a few photos of the house we want.

I can think of so many things I could decorate this front area with.

This is my favorite thing in the entire house. Can you just imagine having dinner out there on the deck while little deer are running through the back yard.... I have the decor picked out for it too....

Here is the kitchen. It is small but so cute and cozy. I don't have space above my cabinets now and would love to decorate these. I also love the set of cabinets to the left perfect for serving or as a drink station for a party.

We are looking at a couple more options before we make a decision. I know we can't sell ours in time and this one might have sold this weekend. It has got us thinking about what we should do. I didn't get a sign up like I said I was going to do. God is slowing guiding me to just slow down and really think things through before going in debt for 2 homes. I know that we could rent our current one easily but Scott is not convinced that is the best way to go. So who knows. Please pray for guidance and God's will for us, not our own.

This weekend we had the privilege of going to a Beth Moore simulcast at a local church in our area. She was inspiring as ever. She cracks me up.

Here we are on Friday night after a yummy dinner at Red Lobster. From l to r my Mom, Aunt Thelma, Me and Aunt Donna. Big sister Tammy Lou took the photo for us. I have to wish Tammy Lou a very Happy Birthday. We celebrated on Saturday. Maybe she will blog about her gifts she got from me (hint). This was a first time to hear Beth for Mom and my aunts. They enjoyed it Friday night but didn't make it back on Saturday morning. They missed the best part of course....

Beth talked on Psalms 37: 1-8 and focused on verse 4, Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Yes the "S" is in bold on desires.....

She gave us 7 points based on this one verse. I am always amazed at how God gives her so much from just 1 scripture.

I am terrible with memorizing scripture but Beth gave us a idea for memorizing based on the alphabet. Like verse 4 above would be a great verse for the letter "D". So I am going to be asking the Lord to give me some verses for memorizing and I will share what he impresses upon me. I will also share this week the 7 points Beth gave based on this 1 verse.

Saturday night we helped with a benefit for our friend Beth with cancer. There was a poker run Saturday and a dinner and silent auction Saturday night. It was a huge success and I am so thankful for all the people that rode in the run and showed up for the dinner and auction. God is good and there are still people in the world with a heart for giving. It gives you hope, when so many times you hear such awful stories in the news. Northwest Arkansas is a great place to live and serve.

I am off to watch Designers Challenge on HGTV while Scott plays Dangerous Hunts on Wii. I am hearing growling bears in the background. LOL

Blessings,

Pam

NOT ENOUGH TIME IN MY DAYS

I suppose that means I need to let some things go! But I won't or can't or it will slow down in November. That is what I keep telling myself.

This week has been scary.

We had our first cheer practices on Monday and Thursday.

First Girl Scout meeting on Tuesday

Seek meeting tonight at the school.

And to add to all that I found the perfect house I want to buy. We went to look at it twice this week and each time found more things to fall in love with. It is the PERFECT house for us and just what we have always wanted. The problem, I need to sell my home first. The house that we found is a little bigger than ours and it has 4 acres with it for a very good price. Unfortunately we don't have the 20% down without selling ours and getting a loan is not so easy anymore. A year ago it would not have been a issue to get another loan and keep this one to rent or sell later. Not now, they want your first born and a blood supply. Not really, but it has become more strict, especially since our county is considered a declining market. So it is not looking good on the loan front. I am going to stick a For sale sign in our yard this weekend just to see what happens. I am very sad about it because we have wanted to buy something like this for several years but couldn't afford it 2 years ago but now that the prices have dropped there are some amazing deals out there. That will be the issue with selling ours, our competition will be the foreclosures selling at such reduced prices. We are praying and God will allow what we need, maybe not what we want but he knows our needs !

On to more happy things. I am going to the Beth Moore simulcast tomorrow night and Saturday. I am really looking forward to it. She can sure light a fire under you and she is so so funny. I just love her to death. She has spoiled me with her bible studies. I don't want to do anyone else's because they are not like Beth. Silly huh?
Is anyone else going? I think they are hosting them all over the US and Canada. If you have never heard her speak outside of a bible study I would recommend you go. She is so in love with our Lord and has such a way of getting things out of scripture that I would never have thought of. I can hardly wait. I am going with my Mama, sister and 2 of my aunts. We will have such a great time.

Oh Project Runway is on. I gotta go.
Happy Friday
Blessings,
Pam

A LITTLE GADGET

I won this printer at a Christmas party last year. I had not even taken it out of the box until a couple of weeks ago.

She is my new best friend! I just wish she printed bigger sizes but I can live with her limitations! I love being able to print my photos from home and it is so easy. It takes all my different camera cards and I think I can hook it up to the computer and print from there.

Is that not the bomb! I wish I would have opened her earlier!

Blessings,

Pam

PIECES OF THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Today was the first day of 4th grade for Coco. She was so excited last night she couldn't sleep. She was ready to see all her friends.

In her first day outfit! Rockin it !

This is mostly what she did to me all morning! PLEASE STOP MOM!

In her new classroom which was actually her 1st grade classroom too! She was happy with being back in that hall. She said she loves the smell and it just made her feel good to be back there.

Their little hall passes!

Megan and Coco

Gwendolyn and Coco. Do you see that look I am getting! I think I will change her name to Groucho instead of Coco!


Cutest little backpack ever!


Some of the gillzion supplies they need for school these days!

She had a great day and has already picked out her clothes for tomorrow and yeehaw there is not a slouchy t-shirt in site! Maybe she will want to dress like a girl this year instead of a tomboy!!! I am so excited.

I have ventured into the land of facebook and I don't have a clue what I am doing. Not sure I like it just yet. I like blogging more I think.

Blessings,

Pam

TOOTH FAIRYNESS

While we were at the Dentist last week, they removed the arms of Coco's braces because 5 of her teeth are loose. And one on the bottom has been loose for awhile. Yesterday morning as she was chomping on her toast, the bottom one came out.

We didn't think anymore about it until bedtime and she wanted to put her tooth in her pillow. I have no cash and Scott has only 20's, so whats a Mommy to do.

This the clock in my car and it is 11:10 PM not AM.

Go to the store for change. The lady was quite nice about it and I didn't even have to purchase anything.

Back at home I crept into her room to get a picture of her pillow. The flash was to bright against the white door so I had to take it without. Reason for the dark picture. I don't even remember where I found this pillow. I know I had way before we even thought about loosing teeth.

This little star on the back is where she puts her teeth and the toothfairy comes along and replaces it with cash!

In the past she has gotten $5 per tooth ( I know but she is my only one), but I had told her with the economy she might not get that much next time. She agreed that it only made sense with the downturn economy. Anyway the little stinker got $3 and was proud to get it.

That leads me to a kind of gross question. What do you do with your kids teeth when the fall out???

Do you keep them?

I will admit that I have every single one of hers in a little box in the bottom of my jewelry box. Is that gross? I don't know why I keep them or what we will ever do with them but I keep them.

Blessings,

Pam

CALGON TAKE ME AWAY

What a day. I think I met myself coming and going today.

Coco had a birthday party from 11:30 to 1:30 at FastLanes in Lowell. We had so much fun. They bowled, had pizza and cupcakes, and then got a card to play the games. Coolest party ever. The little girl that was our host for the party was so fun, she was bubbly and so darn funny.

After the party we had a couple of hours before our next event so we went to Gordmans and TJ Maxx. I was sad, it was the second time I have left TJ's empy handed. I had a kitchen design book in my cart but I didn't want to stand in line to pay for just the one thing so we left.

Sorry for the small photo but it was the first I found. At 4pm we had a Girl Scout Kickoff at the Great Day Skate Place. I had 6 girls sign up this year and more have expressed a desire so we'll see how many we end up with. Coco got to skate for about 45 minutes before we had to leave for our next appointment.


Good ole softball practice. Coco did really good, given that she hasn't put a glove on in over a month. She was catching fly balls left and right. She better, since she is planning on being a professional ball player and if that doesn't work out she is going to be a wildlife photographer.

I sat in my car for the 2 hours of practice burning up and I forgot to bring a book so I cleaned out the car and read up on Leading Girl Scouts.

We didn't get home until after 7pm and I am beat. I have done 2 loads of laundry since I got home and tomorrow will not be a day of rest. I will be getting all the laundry done since school starts this week. Yeah for a schedule. We do so much better when we are on a regular schedule. Even if it is busy we still have bedtimes and routines.

I am going to go see if my hubby wants to rent a movie.

Blessings

Pam

END OF A DECADE

Yesterday, I heard someone on the radio talking about this being the end of a decade. Wow I hadn't thought of it that way. But it is.

My first thought was OH MY I AM SERIOUSLY OLD IF A COMMENT LIKE THAT GETS ME TO THINKING.

It did get me to thinking about the past 10 years. They have been great years, the best so far. I became a wife, a mother, a child of God. To many blessings to name!

So, what am I going to do with the next 10? What can I give back?

What are you going to do with the next 10?

Blessings,
Pam

JUST ANOTHER MANIC MONDAY

Ok is that the title to the Madonna song?? I know I could have it all wrong but that is how I used to sing it. If I am wrong just laugh at me and go on.

Today has gone on forever! I didn't sleep well last night, so major tired today. I was ready to go to bed when I got home this evening. I am trying to stay up to watch Jon & Kate at 8pm.

I have been busy getting ready for the new Girl Scout year. Yesterday we had a Ice Cream Social with our troop. We had a great time. Only half the troop showed up, I hope that doesn't mean they are not joining this year. It will be our first year as juniors and they can do a great deal of the leadership this year. I will be more like a guide instead of a leader. I am hoping that takes some of the pressure off me. I want to plan out each meeting now so that all we have to do is make sure we have whatever we need for each meeting instead of flying by the seat of our pants and planning as we go.

I will also be on the PTO board this year and I don't know how much time that is going to take. Once a month meetings and a couple of school functions throughout the year. I don't think it will be too bad.

Coco is going to try doing cheer and fall softball. It is going to be CRAZY until November! She wants to do both. She signed up for cheer first and will not quit because she is not a quitter. I was so proud of her for making that decision that I agreed to do softball too. We will see how things go. She will also be doing Girl Scouts each week with me.

Seems like a lot but it will keep us from sitting in front of the TV each night! RIGHT???

Were you a Girl Scout? I need ideas for our troop! I want this to be the best year yet! So let me know what you got!!

Gotta go Jon & Kate are on or Kate is on. Oh my I don't know who will be on each episode! OH MY SO MUCH DRAMA!!!!

Blessings,
Pam

GOIN' TO THE DRIVE IN

Scott calls me on Wednesday and tells me we have plans on Friday night. He told me and Coco to be ready by 7:30 because we were going to the Drive-in. G-Force was playing. So of course when HE MAKES THE PLANS, we were ready. We let Coco invite a friend.

Sorry the photos are slightly blurry we were driving. I remember going to this drive-in when I was a kid. It also was where I went on my very first car date back in the 80's. We also had 3 more drive-ins back then that I remember going to with Mom and Dad. For $12.00 per car load you just can't beat it. I spent more on snacks than it would have cost to eat from the concession stand but we had a great time.

Hasn't changed in all these years!

We took our patio chairs to put up in the back of the pick-up and the girls had lawn chairs. Very comfy and the weather was PERFECT. We had a slight breeze all night. Oh and we saw 2 shooting stars! My first ever, so exciting
I thought this was so cool! During the intermission they played these old clips for the concession stand from the 50's! I kept thinking about the movie GREASE and their drive-in scene. We even went down front to play on the swings and such. The swings were all gone so they slid down the slide a couple of times.

Great family fun! you should go if you have a Drive-in Movie in your area!

Blessings,

Pam

COCO IS SO FUNNY!!!

I was tucking her in tonight and she said I spit in her eye while I was talking. I apologized, kissed her and started to go out of the room.

She says " My cubicle really hurts where you spit in it"

LOL

I said " Honey it is your Pupil, a cubicle is a desk area, like what I have at work!

We both cracked up!

The other day we were driving and she tells me the following.
Coco: "If I can't find a husband I am going to go to Ebay to find one. "
Me: cough, choke "Ebay is where you sell stuff"
Coco: " I mean one of those online dating places"
Me: "do you mean eharmony?"
Coco: "yea that is what I meant"
Me: " You gotta it all figured out don't you?"
Coco: "Yep"

She keeps me on my toes, that one!

A deep thinker!

Blessings,
Pam

WHAT I CALL MY DESIGN & DECOR BOOK

This is where I put all the desires of my heart for my home. When I find a inspiration photo in a magazine I rip it out and put it here. I have had the book for a couple of years and added to it sporadically. I fixed it up with a new cover and dividers this weekend.

These are a couple of designs I loved. This first one is the bar at the bottom. I really want to redo our bar, it is the low one from the 60's and it functions but I want to move it to the other side of the kitchen entry and raise it up to bar height. So i am saving this picture for ideas.

This one is the scrapbooking armoir that I covet at the moment. I don't know that I could condense all I have to fit it here but if i had it I would sure try real hard.

Do you have a place where you keep your ideas?

Blessings,

Pam

HOME SWEET HOME

Welcome to our home. Get comfy and make yourselves at home.


This is the view of the living room when you walk in the door.

The kitchen. It is not perfectly clean and it never is. I seem to always have dishes in the sink. Weird since I don't cook all the time.

I had the dining room table all cleaned off and pretty but Scott came in with veggies from the garden. He also had to put together is new camera and I had already ran him off from the living room for a photo so I let it go and took the photo with him in it. My computer is in the corner. Not the best set up but it works. With Coco getting older we don't want it in a bedroom this way we can keep an eye on what she is doing online.

Our bedroom. This is a 1960's home and the bedrooms are pretty small so I couldn't get a full view. We have a king size bed. This is the comforter set I bought this year for spring and summer. My other is a brown/red/gold/green paisley print for fall and winter. I loved my little lamps but after seeing these pictures I realized I need bigger lamps. These are too small for the big bed. I have a vinyl clingy that says "Always kiss me goodnight" that I purchased to put on a long mirror over our bed but I don't know how to arrange it. The mirror would look small by itself. I also need a headboard but haven't found what I want. That could be because I don't know what I want.

So that's my home. Hope you enjoyed. We are growing out of it but love it just the same.

Blessings,

Pam

PS: Why won't the fonts change with half my post?? Weird

MINI VACATION DAY 3 JULY 27TH

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! The 27th was my 41st birthday. We had to check out of the hotel by 11am so we made use of the pool at 9am. i was a wimp and thought it to cold, but Coco and Scott had loads of fun. The poor girl can't do anything in the water without holding her nose. I think we are going to look for some swimming lessons to break this habit. Scott tried to teach her to dive but her little legs would bend and she would fall in the water instead of diving. She would rather do this anyway.
Over and over! Thank goodness Scott is a strong boy!

After we checked out we went to lunch at Olive Garden and then drove north to Bass Pro in Springfield. Oh we couldn't be so close and not go. I know they have one at Branson Landing but he was looking for something particular and hoped the outlet in Springfield would have it. No such luck but he did get himself a digital camera that you attach to a tree in the woods. It takes photos every few seconds so he can see what is going on at his honey hole.

We had dinner theatre tickets for Dixie Stampede at 5:30 so we headed back to Branson.

Such a beautiful building and grounds.

We were not allowed to take photos inside the show but this cute girl was nice enough to pose with Coco for me. Don't you just love Coco's hat? We bought that at the shop in the hotel. She is really into hats this year.

Since I couldn't take pictures of the show, I took pictures everywhere else. This is the bathroom. Isn't it darling.

I love the stall doors. We were Southerners and sat on the south side during the show too.

I did get this photo inside the theatre before they got on to me. It is the table setting when you get there. You can't tell in the picture but there is no silverware, you use your hands for everything.

We ate creamy veggie soup, a whole little chicken, herbed potato wedge, cheese biscuit, pork tenderloin, apple turnover and all the pepsi or tea you wanted. The food was very good.

These are the horse stalls when you walk in. All the horses they use during the show are here.

I thought Willow was a beautiful horse!

After Dixie we stopped at Gator Golf because Scott had promised Coco we would play again before leaving. Then we walked over to Andy's frozen custard before driving home. We made it home before 11pm and we both had taken Tuesday off so we hung out at home for the day resting up before going back to work.

So that was our vacation for this year, it wasn't Destin but that's ok we are already planning to go back to Destin next spring.

I didn't get to my scrapbooking today, I got up late again, didn't make it to church but I did get the house cleaned and most of the laundry done for the week. It was a great day and I just realized it is 11:21pm and I have to go to work tomorrow. So goodnight, I gotta get to bed.

Blessings,

Pam

DAY 2 CONTINUED

Whew, I got side tracked the past couple of days. I gotta get this done before I forget everything. I wanted to show you a couple more photos from the wax museum. See if you recognize these next 2.


You gotta know who these 2 are. I will give you a hint "Your Fired" and the other started a nasty girly magazine and dates young girls.


After the wax people we went to the Tanger outlet mall. We didn't shop much but we were there for a few hours. Old Navy had the best sales, 40% off everything in the store. I bought some workout clothes and Coco 3 outfits for very little moola. We also found her 2 pairs of cleats for softball at the Nike store. 1 pair she will have to grow into but for $7.29 we had to buy them. I will store them until she fits.

All that shopping we worked up an appetite. We went to Shorty Smalls because we had coupons and we used the free onion whatever they called it. It was ok but we won't be in a hurry to go back on our next trip. We did win a big coupon book while we were there. One of the timeshare companies works with shortys and they seat you. They give you this envelope to bring to their both after dinner and whatever is in it you get to keep, no strings attached. Well we let Coco open it and it had the coupon book. We hightailed it outa there before they could get us to talking.

We wanted to go see the Titanic but were kind of on the fence because I had heard good and bad things about it. Well, the coupon book had $2.00 off each admission so we went for it. It ended up being one of our favorite tours we did in Branson. We each got a card with a persons name on it and were told to watch for information on our person throughout the tour. There is alot of reading but we were so amazed by it all that reading was good. We could actually take our time and see all this history. Even Coco said it was her favorite too. They wouldn't allow photos so I only got some of the outside.

If you are in Branson I would recommend this. We watched the movie tonight with Coco. She sat still for the entire thing and loved it. Some of it she didn't get but she will someday.

Thanks for checking out our mini vaca. I will finish up with day 3 on Monday. I am going to scrapbook our trip tomorrow after church and I will show you some of that too.

Blessings,

Pam