Sunday, October 31, 2010

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 21

After a crazy busy Friday and Saturday, Ive managed to get behind by one day :( Im getting caught up now--join up with the fun over at Katie's Journey.

Day 21, PICTURE OF YOURSELF

Before looking at these pictures, please note that Im not obsessed with myself.  I actually *just* got all these pictures back yesterday.  Basically (long story short), I was terribly disappointed with our wedding pictures. Several weeks ago a girlfriend of mine asked if Id been interested in being a "model" for a friend of hers who is a hobby-ist photographer. He was looking to expand his portofolio and wanted a some non-traditional/trash-the-dress pictures for his website. I totally jumped on the idea, and I couldn't be more PLEASED with the outcome :) See for yourself......











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30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 20

Hurry your little self up, only TEN more days to join in the fun! Link up with Katie's Journey to join in the 30-Day Blog Challenge.

Day 20, NICKNAMES

Lins: Just short for Lindsi. Nothing fancy behind the meaning of this one. I just have a few family members and friends that call me by "Lins"

Smalls: I acquired this one playing softball as a youngster, which lead to my AOL Screen Name--Smalls34.  I know y'all remember the grueling decision of creating your screen name, haha!  This one came from the movie Sandlot (aka, "You're killing me, Smalls!")  Remember from the movie that "Smalls" was the new, kinda dumb, naive kid that didn't know anything about street smarts. Um, yeah, that'd be me :)

Head: This is what Alan called me during our dating years.  "Good night, Head."  "How was your day, Head?"  Sounds strange, huh? Well, upon questioning him about his choice of pet name for his darling girlfriend (at the time) he informed me that it was short for "Neat Head!"

Wife: Now that we're married folk, I have progressed to Wife. "Good night, Wife."  "How was your day, Wife?"  The word wife has become a proper noun in our home. Occasionally he still breaks out the good 'ol "Head" term of endearment, though, but for the most part I'm known as "Wife."

Some of you other girls in relationships can relate, but isn't it weird to hear your significant other call you by your real name?!  Alan never hardly calls me "Lindsi" anymore, unless were somewhere in a super public, business-like place.
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Friday, October 29, 2010

Quick Prayer Request

Good morning, ladies! I have a quick prayer request to ask of y'all.  Alan and I have our day off together today, and naturally we had it jammed packed with things to do (mostly fun stuff!)  Anyhow, Alan just called to tell me they were taking his Papa to the hospital by ambulance. They were out playing golf this morning and Papa passed out on three different occasions. Just say a quick prayer for him today!

Thanks for your sweet comments on my post earlier post today, Im looking forward to getting caught up on y'all's 30-Day Blog Challenge posts from today. Happy Friday, friends!!

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30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 19

We're on the downhill side of this 30-Day Blog Challenge!  It's never to late to link up with Katie's Journey.

Day 19, SOMETHING YOU MISS




I miss this little lady!
She went to be with the Savior in April 2009.  Her temporary loss was so bittersweet to me.  Selfishly, I miss her, but I know she had plenty of people that she was looking forward to being reunited with in Heaven--including her husband, my great-grandpa. I am so thankful to know that her body and mind were restored! :)  I can't wait to see her again, to talk country music and Sooner sports with her!!
I miss my cousins!
My Uncle, Aunts, and Cousins live in Knoxville, Tennessee.  I can't wait to spend time with them again!
I miss my Gramps!
He went Heaven-bound in April 2010.  There are days I would give anything to sit around the kitchen table and talk with him again!  But, like my feelings with Granny, I am so thankful his cancer-filled body was restored to health. I can imagine the two of them are still being ornery, especially now that they are healthy again. :)  I can't wait to see him either, to share another good meal with him, to see what kind of trouble we can find ourselves in!  Shoot, with his new youthful body, I bet we could even play a game of basketball!

...and I miss my Grandpa!
He went to be with the Lord in June 2010.  There are days that I'd give anything to listen to his silly jokes--the ones that I'd heard 10 times--again!  This man was one of the strongest men, physically and emotionally, that I've ever known! I have done nothing but sing praises to the Lord that he finally has a restored, healthy heart :)   I can't wait to see his smiling, ornery face again.  (Sorry for the bad picture of him--it was my only option stored on my "work" computer.)

Between April 2009 and June 2010, I "lost" a great-grandmother, two grandpa's, one uncle, and three precious angel babies.  While I miss every single one of them, it's hard to feel sorry for myself or them knowing that they have seen the sweet face of their Savior.  God has taught me a great deal about greiving over the past year and a half, and I've seen the beauty of His plan unfold in each of their lives.  I know we will be reunited again, and I'm thankful for the endless legacies that each of them left behind in my life! I'm a blessed, blessed girl :)

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Thursday, October 28, 2010

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 18

If you're reading this and not linking up with Katie's Journey, you totally should start....like right NOW :)

Day 18, SOMETHING YOU REGRET

This is a tough one for me, solely because I believe that everything happens for a reason.  Each path I've chosen to take in my life has brought me to where I am today--and, I couldn't be in a better place :)  There are choices that sometimes I think I would have made differently, but like I mentioned, they have helped add to the unique individual that I am today.

When I asked my darling husband for advice on the subject of regrets, he suggested that I should "regret not learning about this blogging community earlier." :)  I don't know if he just enjoys reading what I have to say? Or if he sees the joy I have in the relationships I've built with fellow bloggers?  Or if he sees the "therapy" it's been for me to release my feelings and emotions?  Needless to say, I regret that it took me so long to discover this whole world of blogging!

On a more serious regret note, there have been several small (or larger) prideful decisions that I have made throughout my life. Not that they have led me down the wrong path, but I regret not taking them to God sooner. He never ceases to amaze me; His plan is ALWAYS more than I could have dreamed of for myself.  Then again, contradictory, God uses all those situations to transforms our hearts! :) Can I get an amen, ladies?!

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Dear Jill,

I'm so excited to be able to spend some uninterrupted girl time with you and your handsome hunk of a son next week  :)  Ever since you texted me this morning I have been daydreaming of the two of us in beautiful dresses giggling in a dressing room---and, taking pictures in the dresses since neither of us can afford them. Haha! :)








I mean, seriously, how pretty are we going to be in our fancy dresses?! :)  .....and, after all is said and tried on, we can go pig out somewhere really yummy! Yay! I'm counting down the days....

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30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 17

Just do it. Link up with me over at Katie's Journey.

Day 17, SOMETHING YOURE LOOKING FORWARD TO

Of course, I'm always looking forward to enlarging our family!
I'm anxious and optimistic to have a test look like this again :)
This time of struggling to make this dream happen has been such a blessed, precious time for Alan and I, it will make this moment so much more sacred for us. My heart longs for this, and I'm confident that God's plan for me is to be a mother!

Other things I'm LOOKING FORWARD to:
Nascar in November
Christmas Season
Cruising with Friends in February
Hearing my Babies call me Momma for the 1st time
Sending my Babies to Kindergarten
Dropping off the Kids at College (only if it's OU)
Retiring
Traveling the Nascar circuit in our Motorhome
Watching Alan get more Handsome with Age
Holding my Husband's hand when we're 70
Celebrating 50 years of Marriage
Seeing the Face of my Savior

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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 16

We're well over the hump of this 30-Day Blog Challenge. Jealous? Wanna join the fun? Please do. Link up over at Katie's Journey.

Day 16, DREAM HOUSE

When it comes to my dream house, I'm a pretty simple gal. I'd like a family friendly home on some land with a wrap-around porch and big red barn.  I'm not particular about the layout of the home, as long as we have a big, inviting, cozy family living space and kitchen area.  We'll have to have enough bedrooms for all our precious babies, a beautiful master bedroom and bathroom, a scrap/crafting room, and a man cave to keep my sweet lil' husband happy. I'll need a place outside for a vegetable garden, a camp fire, and some room to ride our 4-wheelers. We'll need space in the barn to store the 4-wheelers, boat, and camper. :)

These are some pictures of some wishful thinkin'........

I love everything about this first house. I'm really diggin' the gray color with the black shutters--and of course, the RED door! :)  The screened-in sitting porch is a total bonus! Love, love, love this house! Can't you just see my handome man and our children playing on the porch, I'm in the kitchen making the sweet tea :)
And, if we lived here, you can bet your bottom that ALL of our family Christmas pictures would be taken on those front steps. I can close my eyes and imagine the pitter patter of little feet chasing each other across the wood floors and up the stairs.  I can see those little feet getting bigger, throwing school books down and taking muddy shoes off to come into the kitchen after school to eat some fresh-baked cookies. If I had that life, I would NEVER leave this house.

This house has the gray and black thing goin' on again. It's a little more "fancy" than the first house, but if someone gave me this house I wouldn't complain :) It's beautiful, and the front porch is so inviting.

And, last but not least, this little gem.  The detailed work on the front porch railing is stunning! I also love the way this house appears to sit up off the ground.  Couldn't you just see all of our pretty white Christmas lights on this house--snow on the ground---the smell of baked goods in my kitchen---hot apple cider----our evergreen Christmas tree---and soothing Christmas tunes playing??  Ahhh, that would be the life!

In a far off dreamland, I'd even like to have some animals--cows and chickens to be particular.
As much as I like to wear my apron in the kitchen, I'm going to need a home that I won't be out of place in a camo and ballcap get-up. 

No matter where life takes us in the future, I want to have the home that our children enjoying hanging out at with their friends. I want to have an inviting home where our friends and family can congregate for holidays. I'm confident that in a 500 square foot apartment or 3000 square foot house, our love would create our home!


This is our current home--where we plan to raise our children. It could very easily transform in to most of what I desire in a dream house, minus the land, barn, and animals. Now that I'm looking at it in perspective, I could see the gray paint with black shutters and screened in porch on the back of the house. I'm missing my wrap-around porch, but there are several options to create one in the front of the house.




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Monday, October 25, 2010

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 15

We've reached the half-way point in our 30-Day Blog Challenge journey--I've enjoyed this SO much. This has been a great way for me to connect with other bloggers, and I've been inspired by tons of great women. It's not too late to join us....link up with Katie's Journey.

Day 15, BIBLE VERSE

"But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, be patient! For it will surely take place. It will not be late by a single day."
-Habakkuk 2:3

I discovered this verse several weeks ago during a quiet time--it jumped out and grabbed me off of the page. I have struggled continually with patience during my lifetime.  It seems like we women are always waiting around on something to happen. God has His hand in EVERYTHING.  God has done a wonderful work in my heart over the last 6 months, teaching me to find the beauty in my current waiting period. I've actually posted about this lately, you can read it HERE.

**FUNNY STORY** I have a funny story for all you ladies that have been participating in the 30-Day Blog Challenge along with me. I had a dream last night that I'd posted my Blog Challenge for the day, but as I was reading all of yours I realized that you all has posted something totally different than me. I had posted by Bible verse, and yall had posted your "favorite vacation." I was totally floored, and upset that it had been changed without me knowing! I just thought it was funny that I had a dream about all of this! :)

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Sunday, October 24, 2010

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 14

Welcome to Day 14 of our 30-Day Blog Challenge! Jump in and join the fun over at Katie's Journey.

Day 14, A Picture You Love

Surely y'all won't mind that I have several pictures that I love :)
Seriously, how is a girl suppose to choose just one?!
This was one of our engagement pictures, Summer 2008.
I love this man! :)
 
This was taken as we were leaving our reception.
Obviously I completely forgot my "going away" outfit.
Alan's looking all casual, and I'm still keeping it classy in my dress.
It's just a fun picture with all the sparklers!
I'm heading down the aisle to my handsome groom.
That is my sweet, sweet great-grandma waving at me :)
She went Home in April 2009--5 months after this was taken.
Standing two people behind her is my Gramps (far left).
He went Home in April 2010.
I still miss them daily.
(I held my flowers up that high the WHOLE wedding! Haha. I guess that's what nerves can do, and no one corrected me. They are up by my face in all my pictures! Oops.)
This is my sweet, sweet Granny with us.
I believe this was taken at Christmas time in 2007.

This was taken in May 2005 before a concert.
I love little us :)
These were such sweet, precious days!


......and, I almost forgot these few. I had to come back and "edit" this post to include them.  Please tell me that all of your husband's and father-in-law's took some of their clothing off at your receptions?! :)  This is why I love my family!  As you can tell, it was near the end of the night (by the emptiness in the background), and I'm sad so many people missed out on this.






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Saturday, October 23, 2010

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 13

It's DAY THIRTEEN (my lucky number) of the 30-Day Blog Challenge. It's never too late to join in the fun--link up over at Katie's Journey.

Day 13, GOALS

For some reason, I'm more intimidated by this blog entry than I was to participate in the "beliefs" entry several days ago.  It was easy for me to jot down everything that I stand for in my life, but I realize that by putting my goals in writing I'm going to be commited to them---because I know y'all, my dear blog friends, will keep me accountable?! That's what blogging friends are for, right? :) Here goes nothing.....

Short-Term Goals
-Lose 10 pounds by February
(I've lost 20 since May, 10 more to go!)
-Put $100 in the offering plate at church "just because"
-Finish Christmas shopping by December
(I've already got myself a good start!)
-Paint our master bathroom
-Sew buttons back on my husbands shorts
(He asked me to do this awhile ago--bad wife!)
-Finish planning our "Girls Retreat" with my girlfriends :)

Long Term Goals
-Add to our little family
-Be responsible for leading someone to the Lord
-Take a vacation to Disney World
-Mission Trip

My brain is mush today, so I know I'm leaving off plenty of important things. I just can't think anymore today--my mind is programmed only to think about college football on Saturdays :)  My Oklahoma Sooners have a BIG game today in Missouri. Happy Saturday and Boomer Sooner!

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