Sweet Girls

Kensy posted this on Brae's Facebook page when she replied to a "To Be Honest" request from Brae.
This makes my heart happy!

Dallas

Bentley wearing his 3-D glasses for Iron Man 3. He wore them for this picture and wouldn't put them back on the entire movie. 

Our sweet friends, Savannah & Millie. 

I had Vannah in my Nursery class with me when she was two. 

<3 

Kaylie, Alyssa, Brae & Ken 

This family was the first friends we made when we moved to Texas in 2003

                   

Riding the carousel at the Stonebriar Mall 

                                     
                 
                                     

Bella fell asleep on Brae on the ride up. So cute!! 

                                     

 We love Buc-ees!!!!! 

                                        

Memorial Day

May Pics

The kids nowadays call these shots "selfies". The kids take pics of themselves all the time! 

I found this one of Cali on my cell :D

I ate lunch with Bella at school last week. We really need to whiten those teeth! ;D

I don't think I posted this on here yet! These were taken two weeks before her birthday! 

Ken (:

Here is my selfie at the Houston Temple ;)

Ken & Bentley's selfies

Not sure why this appears stretched but this is Brae's selfie

Things Aren't Always What They Seem

Years ago I heard a story that really stuck with me. I can't remember it exactly but here's the principle...

There were two families and a specific guardian angel to watch over both families. 

One family was very wealthy & well off but didn't treat others nicely & were very self absorbed. The other family were farmers living in humble circumstances and barely scraping by. 

One night while both families were sleeping the angel patched a hole in the well-to-do family's wall while allowing one of the farmer's cows to die. 

The next morning the well off family didn't even notice the patched wall yet the struggling family mourned the loss of their cow wondering how they would provide for the coming season missing one of their livestock. 

An onlooking angel asked the guardian angel why she had allowed this to happen. Why would she do something nice for the family who had darkness in their hearts yet let a cow be taken from a family who were hard workers and needed help. She looked at her fellow angel and said "There was gold in the wall of the rich family, I patched it so they wouldn't find it and the angel of death came last night for the father of the farming house but I gave him the cow instead." 

*******

Things aren't always as they seem in life. 

Devastation :(

This morning I was talking to the girls about the monster tornado that hit Moore, OK yesterday. Kensington responded and said "Well, we're one tornado closer to the Second Coming."

Amen.

She's such a smart girl. It's surreal how many natural disasters are occurring closer together! We will watch for that day with gladness. <3

Snuggles

I woke Kensington up & told her to get in my bed this morning as I left to take Brae to Seminary & then on to the gym. This is what I found when I got home. <3

Best Words

The best words that can come out of my 3 year old's mouth besides "I love you, mommy" & "I want you", are "Mommy, I have to go potty."

Yes!!!! It's been a long week but we are getting there! :D

Oh My Goodness, I Don't Know How To Do This

Lately, my life has gotten much harder. 

Seriously I feel like I am barely hanging on. 

I saw this picture/quote a few days ago and went on a mad google search/internet search trying to find it again just for my blog. 

This gives me perspective. Maybe at times when we feel like we are barely holding on are the times we have the largest link to heaven...

either that or the largest link to the mental hospital. 

Time will tell. ;)

Light at the End

The past 3 months of school schedules has been intense to say the least. Finally the end is near. After this week we have 4 days next, 3 after that, 2 after that (due to two trips)!!!

4,3,2

I am holding on!!!!

Potty Training

We decided, by we I mean I, to full-out potty train Bentley starting today. I think there were more accidents than not but he did go a lot in the potty & he kept dry running errands and even went in the restroom at the bookstore!

Just now, before bed, I sat him on the potty to try again & he started crying and said, "NOT AGAIN!"

Hahaha he would be content to be 7 & still in a "byper" I'm quite sure! A lot of brilliance & a lot of lazy.

Thinking About My White Buffalo

I got a very random phone call at the end of my Mother's Day from a really special guy. We dated five years ago and had a pretty powerful & very natural connection. We wanted to get married but distance separated us. When I didn't see a possible way for it to work out I let it go. I have regretted that very much. I have many "what if" moments.

He was the only one who has ever truly seen me for who I am. He sees my heart. He knows me. He is amazing. He's one of those people that you will always love no matter who comes into your life. Because he is that special. 

He is engaged to be sealed in the temple next month... not to me! ;)

I am so happy for him but my heart feels tender.

 I can't grasp how something that has the potential to be so perfect eternally lets mortal distance keep you from being together. Can someone help me reconcile this thought process? Why does distance keep something so good from happening? Especially when we have eternal perspective. It all comes down to miles when we don't stay here forever??? :( I don't understand... unless simply put it's just not God's plan. 

On the radio this morning they were dedicating this day in Houston to be 'White Buffalo' day. I had never heard of this phrase before then but it means "the one who got away". They had callers tell about their white buffalo. It got me thinking about the one I let get away. 

It's in Heavenly Father's hands. I took action today to find out if I can leave Texas to move to California  but had no luck. If it is God's will then He will have to work a miracle. Before June 29th. I sound like a witch even posting this but he still has feelings for me too, it's just that we both let go to move forward when distance kept us apart. He told me he wishes it was me. 

I guess as June 29th comes and goes I will feel peace just knowing I exercised all options and hopefully it will reduce the "what if's" and regrets of letting him go in the first place. 

Pretty raw post! 

Mormon Prom 2013

I wrote as my Facebook status as the girls went off to Prom:

Blood, Sweat, Blisters, TEARS, fire ant bites!! 

Prom Success!! 

1- I poked my finger using borrowed safety pins trying to pin the heck out of both dresses minutes before

2- Kensi was on fire in her dress while sitting at home waiting

3- I burned the bajeebies out of my finger using a curling wand we borrowed to use on Brae's hair. We found out the next day the wand has a glove to use with it! Doh! We needed that! ;) 

4- Tears at home. Tears in car. Tears at park taking pics. Tears at Prom. 

5- I managed to step in the only fire ant mound in the whole park taking pics. Second pose. :/ OUCH! 

All of it was worth it to see how beautiful they look! 

 More TEARS!! Brae was freaking out because the thread holding her "new" sleeves together was unraveling! She was obsessing and over-reacting...

if I say so myself. 

I FORCED her to be in this picture with her friends.

Maybe she will thank me one day ;) 

 Then I told them to pose, 

hiding the fact that Brae was pissed off at me! ;) 

hehehehe 

We learned some lessons for the years to come! Things to definitely do different! 

Overall, I think it was great! They looked stunning and had fun. 

I am so grateful things worked out for me to send them. 

I wanted them to feel special. 

The Lord is in the Details of Our Daily Life

All week I have been pretty concerned about getting my two girls to Mormon Prom on Saturday. I have had to be at the mercy of money coming in! Thankfully it came in at the perfectly perfect last minute (latest that it could come in) and it was a huge relief to me! I felt inspired that we should go look for dresses Thursday evening between driving kids home from school and an appointment we had set up that evening. It was really good timing because Bentley was with his dad and that makes shopping easier!

Kensington had been with Rachel Hathcock helping with decorations at Sister Stone's house that afternoon. She had tried on one of their dresses and loved it so Rachel suggested I stop by the Stones before going to the mall and have Brae try on dresses too. We did that and although Brae didn't use one, while we were there Rachel referred me to a woman who lived close by who she had just found out about who SELLS formal dresses and whose husband recently lost his job. At first I was WAY OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE to ask a stranger if we could pop in and buy one of her dresses??? but after Rachel pulled me aside and told me again about this woman it felt like the right thing to do. What did we have to lose after all! And I'd much rather pay to help a family than give the money to a big retail store. So, we went and found the perfect dresses for the girls! Brae fell in love with a beautiful gown and Kensi used her birthday money and got one perfect for her for next year! It felt amazing to be able to help someone out as well as have our needs met!

Following that we stopped at Ross and found the balero jacket for Kensi's dress and then to Payless and got both girl's shoes taken care of! While we were at Payless the girls and I were talking in the aisle and a woman overheard our convo and looked at me and said "When I saw you I thought you all must be LDS with such cute modest girls and the way you were talking". It sounds silly but it was a really cool experience to run into a member while shopping and have her talk to us.

After Payless we grabbed some things from Wal Mart, had some burgers from Mickey D's and the girls made plans to go back to the Stone's house late to help finish decorations and to see if she could help with alterations. They left near 10pm I think and got home near 1 this morning. Alterations taken care of! We are all set!!!! In less than 8 hours total for two girls.

I felt so amazed and uplifted at the entire experience. I didn't intend to wait until last minute but due to financial issues I had to. I prayed about it all week in hopes that I could provide a way for both of them to go AND to find modest dresses at the last minute. Not only do I know for a fact that Heavenly Father is in the details of our daily lives, the seemingly small things, but I know also that He has a plan for us. His plan included us getting our dresses from a woman and in turn helped her family too. I NEVER would have foreseen that. Helps me feel more confident that HE has a plan for the big things I want too, that are momentarily unseen.  If He cares about Prom, He cares about my eternal well being.

It was amazing! Feeling so humbled!

Kensington's dress for next year! 

Totally gorgeous with all the beading. We love that it's lime! 

 Braelyn's Beautiful Purple Dress with pink sequins! 

LOVE <3!!!!! 

She looks STUNNING! 

Prom is tomorrow. Pics to come for sure!! 

My Precious, Beloved Love

Here is a fun story:

There are very few things I CAN'T live without. 

I totally love my Chi. 

I can not live without it. 

I will probably die...

with frizzy hair.

They are expensive. 

May is nuts with extra expenses.

This is so fun! ;p

You won't ever guess what broke on us today!?!? 

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr :/ 

Hold on beautiful pink shiny lovely Chi. I love you so much!! 

...

Wait until June! 

My Brain is Holding Me Hostage

Dang brain. Seriously it won't stop and just settle down. Today I have found immense peace, in spite of all this, thankfully but I think it's interesting to write all my thoughts down. They are playing in my mind on automatic repeat. All day. Here's what's up this week:

Work, housework, Mormon Prom, Ken’s birthday, Ken’s math homeschool, two bills from last month automatically coming out, Bella’s big project, Bella’s hat project, Dallas trip, re-scheduling Cali’s band trip if Dallas trip falls on 18^th, working out, potty training, Mother’s Day, Teacher Appreciation each day this week, laundry, attend temple, visiting teaching, my lesson Sunday Primary, Cali sleepover here, Mother's Day! 

This is all happening before next Monday. 

Where's My Money Tree?

I ordered a money tree online last week but it's still not here!!!

The financial weight I carry is outrageous. It's ok because it is what it is but yikes!!

In an 8 day period I have three young women's camp fees due (Brae, Ken, Cal), TWO birthdays & two girls who are attending Mormon Prom. That is all on top of the usual bills, gas & groceries. Also during that time we had TWO unexpected things come up that were due the same day. AND the money I count on to come in was very late and I had to pay extra for rent because of it.

I'm not freaking out, just writing it down so I can look back and remember what I went through and how difficult it is.

Cali's Solar System

Cali came home the other day from school & said she had to create a solar system that night & it was due the next day. I doubt she was only given that day to do it but rather believe she waited til the last minute! She must have sensed my borderline nervous breakdown bc right away she said she'd use things around the house to make it.

She used granola for the surface, wadded up paper for some planets, a foam ball, and paint. She said she was the only one who used things around the house. Really?!?! People spend $ on something they bring home the next day & trash??!!

I think it's cool & I'm thankful for her ingenuity.

Disclaimer: one planet fell off before pic time ;)