Vomit.

I came across a very moving anti-abortion video on a fellow bloggers site, which lead me to find the video below.  It's too powerful NOT to share.  My stomach is CHURNING at the moment. :( I like to live in my own little sheltered world sometimes, where I think everything is perfect. I'm somewhat upset at myself at the moment for being so naive when it comes to these HUGE issues. I had NO earthly idea that these sort of abortions took place in our country. Wow.  Please take the time to watch the video--it makes my heart hurt.

This video ISN'T graphic, but it will open your eyes to a medical practice that happens everyday in our country.  Although I believe in protecting my heart and mind, I am glad I sat through this heart-wrenching story. I hope you don't mind me being too political on my blog, but I stand very firmly on the subject and this video validated my thoughts and feelings even more.  Thanks for taking time to watch!

Take that Menopause, Week 6

Today, I'm saying FAREWELL to these updates.

Honestly, I am so pleased with how my body is adjusting to menopause there are times that I can't even think of anything to say about it--which is a good thing!!   I don't feel like I need to update weekly anymore, because it forces me to think about menopause in a negative way.  Yes, I have hot flashes that leave me feeling like I need to shower 3-4 times daily, and yes, I have terrible night sweats....but, despite all of that, I honestly feel absolutely wonderful about what's going on in my body. My mood is great and my energy level is good.

I'm so happy with this season of my life, and I feel like God has given me this time period to grow and prepare for what's to come.  I finally feel like I'm working towards a "goal," and my mind keeps telling me to press on!  This journey has definitely been a mind over matter experience, but my body has fallen into a manageable state.

I promise to add an update if there is any significant changes, but for now things are wonderful!

Thank you all for your continued prayers, support, and encouragement! :)

Peace out, Menopause!

Fall, Fall, Fall, Fall, CHRISTMAS

If you've not gathered that I was slightly crazy off by this point, I'm fixin' to help you along with that discovery. I'm a planner by nature (like OCD organization freak)---to make my point clear, use this example: I spent an hour on Monday afternoon ironing clothes for my husband and I that I knew we would need NEXT week....like in 9 more days :)  I like to "use my time wisely," I believe I got quarterly A's in that subject during kindergarten.  I figured I had some down-time in my schedule on Monday, so I looked ahead at the calendar to see how I could help myself out in the near future. Ironing these clothes was my solution. Get my point? Im clearly nuts?! :)  This part of me has grown since marrying my sweet little husband. That man likes to fly by the seat of his pants, which is part of why I love him so.  Because I know that I cannot plan any sort of structured day when he is off work and at home, I utilize my time away from him, so that I can enjoy his random, spur of the moment activities. :) .....at this point, I might have some of you fooled into thinkin' that I'm a genius, ha! 

Anyhow, I said all that to get me to this point......

Yes, those are Christmas presents. :) Purchased, wrapped, tagged, and ready to be put under my Christmas tree! Eat your hearts out, folks!

Speaking of Fall

Who's excited to break out their fall fashions from last year? ....and buy a few new things for this season? ;)

I'm have a teenager-like obsession over my "boots with da furrrr."

They are sitting in my closet SCREAMING out at me to put them on my little feet!

The shorter pair of boots are Jessica Simpson, and I bought them the weekend of my Bachelorette Party in 2008---looooouuurrrrve them!  I totally rocked them at my Bachelorette Party, by the way! I spent the entire night waiting and waiting and waiting on them to play "Boots with the Fur," so I could get my groove on with my boots and apple-bottom jeans! Haha, the things we think are cool, right?!

The taller pair were an after-Christmas purchase last year--I was returning something to Sun and Ski Sports when my eyes fell. in. love. with these precious things.  Just to add to my elation on that day, these boots are a children's size, so I saved myself $25!  I've got no shame in my little feet!

Im just waiting on the perfect occasion to break these bad boys out!

It's Fall, Y'all

.....it's 2:30pm in Tulsa, and the temperature hasn't even reached 70-degrees today!  I'm loving being inside with my cuddle bug, Bentley, lounging around in a sweatshirt.  I put fall smelling scents in my Scentsy's this morning, and my whole house smells cozy!  I'm hosting girls our bi-weekly Bible study this evening, which means I'm in charge of dinner.  I made Sloppy Joe's with ground turkey, canned pumpkin, chili powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground cloves :)  Also on hand are some delish sausage mini-quiche's that I whipped up on Saturday evening. For dessert, I made some ooey-gooey Rice Krispy treats with caramel and chopped up candy corn.  My belly is ready for these girls to get here so we can partake in this fall inspired meal! :)

Show Us Your Life, Master Bedroom

It's a "Show us Your Life"  day hosted by Kelly over at Kellys Korner. 

This week:  MASTER BEDROOM

Our master bedroom isn't much to write home about.

Excuse the lack of window treatments :(

We're getting new windows soon, and I will be SUPER excited to have pretty curtains hanging to compliment the new pretty windows!!

This is the view from the doorway.

Our bedroom set was given to me by my maternal grandparents after I moved home from college.

The chest at the foot of the bed was my great-grandmothers.

There is a GIANT window to the left, but I didnt catch it in the picture.

My mister's nightstand.

Nothing spectacular, photos, Bible, and a copy of the Oklahoma Self Defense Act.

I've never thought about it until now, but that's a strange collection ;)

My nightstand.

LOVE my pink Scentbug. :)

Those books are "in waiting." Thats where I keep the stack of books I'm reading next.

The Dresser.

Actually contains all MY stuff :)

This was a poem that my mom's sweet friend wrote for us as a wedding gift.

It was a read to us at our wedding reception by my cousin--total surprise!

Beautiful, thoughtful gift!

After taking these pictures and posting them to my blog, I have realized that the wall behind our bed needs a little "pizzazz." Any of you creative readers have some suggestions?

Hope you've enjoyed your tour around our room!!

Take that Menopause, Week 5

What?  I'm going through menopausal-type things?!  Wow, its completely slipped my mind this week.  Hot flashes and tears are becoming a normal part of my daily activity, so much that I completely forget that its not "normal" for me.  It hasn't slowed me down in the slightest, and Im thankful that it's in the back of my mind for now. I felt like I sat around for a few weeks and twiddled my thumbs waiting on a sign that things were working and my reproductive system was shutting down.  Well, it's made it's grand entrance into my body--and now, its taking a seat in the backseat :)

Boot Scootin' Farewell

Just wanted to share some recent pictures with y'all.

We spent the evening with some great friends this past Friday night to honor our friend, Jason, who left Monday for his Basic Training.  We sent him out in true Oklahoma style with some boot scootin' at a local establishment.

Kelli, Aubrey, and I

SUCH fun girls :)

This is what our LOVE looks like on the dance floor :)

The Guest of Honor and my sweet friend, April

This man makes me SO happy!

Don't let their sweet faces fool you--these three are some trouble! ;)

Show Us Your Life, Living Room

I'm a few days behind the times, but on Friday Kelly at Kelly's Korner began hosting a fall series of "Show Us Your Life" Fridays.  I missed LIVING ROOM week, so Im playing catch up.

This picture is taken from the kitchen doorway leading into the living room.

We are fortunate enough to have two living areas, this one is where we spend most of our time.

We like to refer to the other one as a "den," and it contains the fireplace. We have intentions to use the den as more of a family room and/or playroom after we have children.

This is taken from the dining room doorway. Our living space has two entrances, one off the kitchen and one off the dining room. We have a beautiful wall of windows that look into a garden.

Here is our wall of windows!  This is by far my favorite room in the house--although, I probably spend MORE time in the kitchen.

This picture is VERY special to me.  It hung above my great-grandmother, Granny's, sofa for as long as I can remember. She passed away in April of 2009, and I inherited this at that time. Its such a peaceful picture and brings back so many wonderful memories for me!

This sits in the corner of the main living room--my childhood rocker! I hope that my children can make use of it one day.

Couldnt help but share this picture. I had Bentley's pictures taken for Father's Day last year as a gift for Alan. This is by far my favorite picture of Bentley.  It captures his sweet, playful personality perfectly!! :)

This is our mantle in the den. The clock in the middle was given to us by my grandparents. My grandpa passed away in April of 2010, so it is another heirloom that brings back sweet memories to me each time I look at it.

Another close-up view of the mantle. I adore the sign hanging in the middle. My mom had it made as part of a wedding gift for Alan and I.

Hope you've enjoyed your walk through my living room!

Stand by for MASTER BEDROOMS this Friday :)

'Tis the Season for Pumpkins

Just wanted to share with y'all a few pictures of my fall decorations! :)

I know this isn't exactly fall decorations, but I just finished creating that cute little 'H' in the middle.

I decorated additional letters, 'A' and 'L', but I dont think Ill be putting them to use.

Sooner Scarecrow

Picked this little cutie up at a craft show.

Pumpkins on the Entertainment Stand

Once again, several craft show finds

Bentley's FAVORITE Decoration

Found this sweet lil' guy in the gift store at Cracker Barrel

On the Piano

My mom made this pumpkin man several years ago.

Kitchen Table

Candlesticks were another craft show find

Take that Menopause, Week 4

So, I've thought about changing my title for these weekly posts to "Holy Hot Flashes!" 

That's right, folks, the hot flashes have settled in and are here to stay!  No worries, though. They are definitely not a deal breaker.  I didn't know what to expect honestly, but they are just as their name implies--HOT FLASHES.  As my friend, Kelli, stated "you feel like you can melt an iceberg."  They come and they go, leaving me feeling sweaty and nasty. It could always be worse, right?!

My sleep has been MUCH improved this last week, but that should be credited to my little friend: cough syrup. I've had a nasty, nasty cough, so I get medicated at night to sleep.  I won't be tipping that little bottle for too much longer, though. I'm feeling much better finally.  I was becoming desperate, though.....like yesterday at work, I researched good 'ol homemade cough syrup (aka: "grandpa's cough medicine," Hot Toddy, whiskey). You'd be amazed at the different recipes you can find for homemade cough syrup online.  If my family is lucky, I will resort back to the olden days and start making my own! :) Haha!

Today is SHOT #2! :) I'm proud of myself for doing so well up to this point. I have several women who have walked in these shoes that I frequently use for advice. Each has warned me: "Don't be bragging until after you 2nd shot starts taking affect."  Oh geez. Bring it :)

On a side note to all of this, I have two AWESOME girlfriends who are walking through this journey with me.  I won't name them for the sake of their privacy....but Girlfriend "A" starts her Lupron shots today, and Girlfriend "B" has her 2nd shot today! :)  I'm so glad we have each other during this time!  By the end of all of this our husbands might have the three of us on a private deserted island--but, that'd be okay with me :)

Might as well Sit Down, I'm on my Soap Box :)

First off, I'll start off with some funny business.  Last night, at the encouragement of my friend Kelli, I put on my wedding dress. :)   It STILL fits, yay!  I watched the first part of the Bachelor Pad finale in my dress, until I was interrupted by Alan and his two friends who laughed hysterically at me. I can't blame them!  I'm sure they think I'm crazy--which isn't far fetched.

That got me thinkin' about my wedding pictures, which totally turned the faucets of my tear ducts on for a brief period of time this morning.  Most of my family and friends know that I was extremely disappointed in my wedding pictures.  We paid a large sum of money ($1200) to a "buddy" who was a "professional" photographer to shoot our wedding and reception.  For that price, they were AWFUL.  Seriously, I could've taken the same pictures with my $200 Canon PowerShot that I own.  As you can tell, I am still seriously bitter about the situation. Not a single wedding picture is hanging in my house, for a good reason.  I won't even list all the reasons why I'm not pleased; it makes my blood boil.

Just for giggles this morning, I accessed his photography website. There are NO pictures on it, so apparently he's no longer in the business. Awesome.  The wedding packages are still listed by price, I should have never looked at the one I paid for again. It seems I'm missing (400) 4x6s, (1) 10x13, (1) 16x20, and a wedding album--however, NOTHING that was taken is even worth blowing up that big.

All this anger coming from my 5'4" body frame, but it feels good to be able to "rant" about it once again! I'm sure this won't be the last time it causes a rage in me.  Word of advice to young brides, do your research. Don't cut corners by relying on "buddies," just go with the professionals to preserve your special day :)

Excuse Me, Taylor Swift?!

I hardly ever go in to the Dollar Tree by my house, but this afternoon the sweetest lil' check-out clerk just made my day! :)  I'll definately be back to see my new friend, next time I'll catch her name.

.....As I was checking out (needed some cheap white plates for my monogramming frenzy), this sweet little store clerk looked at me and smiled (missing a few teeth) saying, "You look a lot like Taylor Swift."

T-A-Y-L-O-R   S-W-I-F-T

Goodness, how that warmed my heart.  Im so tall and skinny, with lucious long blonde curls (**sarcasm**), but its not every day that I get mistaken for Taylor Swift.  Little did she know my complete obsession with the girl! That will probably be the only time in my life that Im compared to Taylor, so it made for a glorious afternoon.

Preach it, Sister Sunday

On Sunday mornings that I work (which is every other Sunday), I always try to fill my morning with some sort of spiritual lesson. Sometimes I read a devotional at my desk and other times I find a sermon to watch and/or listen to on the internet--Alan has been grabbing bulletin from church for me so that I can follow the lesson outline while I'm at work.  I wanted to share what touched my heart this morning......

Some of you may have heard the story about the lady who was interested in the refinement process and went to the silversmith to get a first hand look at the process. Here is a quick recap:

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

...The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it."

I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, "They are my people," and they will say, "The LORD is our God." --Zechariah 13:9b

I am so thankful to serve a God who watches over us so closely while we are "in the fire," until we are completely whole in the image of Him.  I hope you found some encouragement with this short illustration this morning! Whatever FIRE you seem to be walking through right now, please remember that our Heavenly Father has you in His hands. :) 

Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?

Just wanted to encourage y'all to take a few quite moments today to remember those who gave all, the greatest sacrifice, nine years ago today---343 of those that never came home. Take time to thank a soldier today, as they continue to fight for the freedom of our country.  Today, and always, I am proud to be an American!

Take that Menopause, Week 3

Its my weekly update for y'all.

Not too much to report. I havent noticed much difference with my body EXCEPT for my tear ducts. They seem to work too frequently, haha :)  I can tear up at the drop of a hat.  I tear up more frequently over happy things than sad things....for example, I think I teared up at least 4-5 times in church on Sunday during worship and the sermon.  It's silly, there's nothing I can do except laugh at myself.  So if you're thinking about crying, don't. I promise you that I have shed enough tears for all of us this last week or so.

Im totally cool with crying. Most things that I was warned of Im totally cool with. I have just feared turning into crazy, psycho chick.  Alan might answer differently, but I think Im still "normal" :)

Next week, I get shot #2.  Bring it on!

Its Raining, Its Pouring

Hurricane (aka Tropical Depression) Hermine is hanging out over NE Oklahoma today, and she has blessed us with her rains.  I'm normally a sunshine type of person, but Ive welcomed these rains with open arms. Today and tomorrow are my "weekend" for this week, so it's giving me an excuse to hang out around my house in my jammies and do craft projects! Yippee!

We are going to a wedding this weekend, and I have been trying to think of something creative to give them. After opening all of our wedding gifts, I SWORE I would always shop from couples registries.....look at me now!  This was my creative idea of this year, maybe even the century. I started out with blank, clear glass ornaments---ta da!

I looooove them!

In fact, I love them so much that I might start marketing them. :)  Im toying around the idea of taking custom orders for this Christmas season. What do y'all think?  Give me your thoughts. Also, I'll rack your brains for a "business" name. Obviously, my creative juices have run dry for the day.

College Football has Arrived, Praise Jesus

My favorite time of year is FINALLY here!! :)

I love the fall.....crisp air, soups and stews, craft shows, beautiful autumn colors, Thanksgiving, and nearest and dearest to my little heart--OKLAHOMA FOOTBALL. Praise the Lord for some Sooner football today.  Tears filled my eyes as I heard that sweet, sweet melody this morning, Boomer Sooner!

O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A, our chant rolls on and on.

Thousands strong join heart and song in alma mater's praise,

of campus beautiful by day and night,

of colors proudly gleaming red and white.

'Neath the western sky,

OU's chant will never die.

Live on university!

Take that Menopause, Week 2

It's Thursday again.....which brings me to the close of another week's worth of menopause.

I'm still smiling! :)  I feel like I'm starting to get more rest at night. I added a dose of Melatonin to my evening supplements, and it seems to be doing the trick (as long as my coworkers aren't calling me during the night because 'someone locked someone out of the office' during a little "tiff"---ugh, some people's kids, right?!)  At one point in the last week I had a headache that I couldn't shake.  After several days of dealing with this persistent little booger, I drank a REAL Dr. Pepper. Totally did the trick!

Menopause, you STILL ain't got nothin' on this girl! TAKE THAT! :)