Family Night #22

Whittaker Woman did this Family Night last week and I fell in LOVE with it! My kids have been wanting snow (NOT ice) forever, so this was the coolest (no pun intended) to bring it to them. I put my own spin on it and added a few things and we had a...

SNOWMAN NIGHT!

Aren't we all cute! Here we are on our "Snow Hill" all bundled up!


Here is our "melted snowman"

Melted snowman soup

We make our very own snowflakes!

And here we are making snow globes...


Then we had us some snowman bowling!

What would the fun in the snow be without a little "freeze" dancing?

And then...what a great idea from WW...a "snowball" (aka sock) fight!


We ended the evening with..what else...snowballs for dessert...


And for some reason I didn't get a picture of the kids piled up in bed with a big bowl of "sno"corn watching Frosty. But trust me...they did!

So bundle up and have one of these parties for yourself!

Unless you are trapped under 6 inches of ice or 20 inches of snow already. Then, it would be totally a let down :-)

Bone Thug-N-Hamony

I found this on Belle's camera when we were downloading her photos.

Yo.

For Real?

So...

My 6 year-old daughter came home Friday and said...

"So, Evan invited us to come to his church sometime. He goes to Second Baptist. Here's his phone number."

YES! She had a piece of paper...

WITH A PHONE NUMBER ON IT!!!!

Then...

"I gave him my number too."

That would be MY number!

We had a talk after that...

For Greg

Edited to Add: He is saying "Good moonin' Good moonin'"!

Yes, Uncle Greg taught him this.

So after his bath he comes out completely neekey doing this.

So to spare the police calls, I took it of him with clothes on.



Sorry it's dark...

"Camping"...and I Use That Term Loosely

Very loosely!

There were a few more who wound up coming than planned, but we sure did have a great time!

This was originally planned so that Belle could have some "time with her peeps" (my girlfriends) because she hadn't had much time with them in a while. So, Sunday night we packed our warm under clothes and headed to Tammy's!


Here we all are (minus Cameron)


Katy carrying her first wood to build a fire


Robyn is a MONSTER fire builder. Well...monster enough for us!


Even Frenchie was warm


Belle even lost a tooth that night!

Sometime after midnight, we headed to the camper. A camper meant to sleep 5 tops slept 8!


Belle waiting for the "mole-anator" to come and visit


They are snug as 2 bugs in a rug...you'll see my spot right next to them on the couch.


Awww...look at Jessie and Frenchie!

Thanks, girls, for a memorable and fun night for me and my girl!

Old Friends

They just fit like a great pair of jeans!

They are friends who you have been thru more than you can imagine with and they are friends that you couldn't live without.

They are friends who you can always be totally honest with and they are friends who you wish you could see more.

We love you, Matt and Becky!

Conversations

Before Luke's Birthday Party Friday night:

Luke: Ooooh...there's a present. I open!

Me: No, let's wait until all of your friends get here.

(Daddy shows up from work)

Luke: There's a friend. I open present?

In the car on the way home from church yesterday:

Belle: It's funny how our names work out.

Me: Really?

Belle: Yes. Belle means "Beautiful"...Billie means "beautiful"...and Luke means "Stubborn Boy"

For Tammy

So, this morning, Alison sends me a link to the All Access blog with a contest to write about women who are changing women's lives. I am not so concerned about the contest, but got excited about the opportunity to share what one woman has done in my life. There is so much more than this that I could say about her, but I had to get across the main stuff. So, here is what I wrote to the All Access folks...

I feel honored to even get to write this.

I have had a rough childhood and never really had someone take a full-on interest in ME. At the end of 2003 they were beginning a mentoring program at my church (which oddly enough, we are the only 2 who have stuck it out all these years). And on New Year's Day 2004, I began a once a week mentoring with the most Godly woman I have ever met...Tammy.

She is 20 years my senior, but my absolute best friend aside from my husband. She is the first person in my life who is 100% honest with me, no matter how much it might hurt me as long as it is for my betterment!

In the last five years I have learned what it means to be a Godly wife even when you don't want to or he doesn't deserve it.

I have learned what it means to be committed to God and His work for me in my local body even when I don't want to or I feel that church doesn't deserve it.

I have learned what it means to tell brothers and sisters the truth even when I don't want to or when I feel they don't deserve it.

I have learned what it means to truly forgive even when I don't want to or when I feel they don't deserve it.

I have learned what it means to love the unlovely even when I don't want to or when I feel they don't deserve it.

I have learned what it means to stop believing what I FEEL and start trusting what GOD SAYS.

And I have learned that thru the walk and talk of Tammy. And God has even given me opportunities to minister to her and I am so honored by that. Next to my relationship with God and my Hubby and kids, she is the most important person in my life. And God gave her to me!

We have been thru some very tough times together, but she has been a conduit of God to help sharpen me and my dependence on God. She, thru her own trials, is showing me many attributes of the Proverbs 31 Woman. Bottom line is, she loves me and I love her.

And God has interwoven our lives into the beautiful tapestry that will leave a legacy for my 2 children. They will have a better mother in their lives...my husband will have a better wife...my church will have a better servant...my friends will have more honest relationships with me...and My God will have a better soldier in me because of her!

Thank you, Lord for being sovereign and placing us together. Your ways are truly higher than mine!

And I know that Tammy would and will always say "It's not me. It's God." And while that is true, God has used her! In tremendous ways. So just enjoy a moment of reaping what you have sewn, Tammy. I love you and can't imagine where I would have been if you hadn't allowed God to use you in my life.

"Peep" out!

It Was a Jungle In There/aka Family Night #21

This DEFINITELY qualified as a Family Night, so I'm filing it under FN.

And Friday night it was all about Luke. We celebrated his 3 Year Birthday (which was really on December 23rd). We invited everyone with an invitation that said this:

Lions Roaring, Hippos Snoring, Monkeys in the Tree
Calling all WILD animals...Luke is turning 3!

Everyone entered at the Customs table where they had to say the password (their favorite animal sound) to get cleared and to get their inoculations (jungle animal tattoos) before entering the jungle.



From there we had food like the animals. Lions eat meat (burgers and dogs), Zebras eat hay (fries), Elephants eat peanuts (nutter butters), Monkeys eat bananas (banana chips) and Bears eat fish (goldfish).




Then, the kids spent time making their binoculars for the Safari Hunt they were going to go on later that night.


After that were the games:


Hungry Hungry Hippo


Kangaroo Hop

Time for presents!!! Luke's FAVORITE thing to do!




Singing Happy Birthday to Luke

Check out this cake! Yes, if you can believe it...I made it! I had to have some help with the icing (Alison is WAY more patient than I on that), but I found one like it on the Internet and adapted it. The body is cake and the legs, neck and head were all Twinkies. All the other stuff was shaped out of Tootsie Rolls. Isn't it just cute!



After that, we went off on our Safari Hunt. The clues were just pictures of animals so that Luke and Landon (Ayden, Dylan and Grayson were pre-occupied) could figure it out without having to read. Most clues were hidden in...


The Sea (far left), The Desert (middle) or The Jungle (far right)!


A clue!



It all lead back to the Giraffe cake where they found "Survival Kits" with their names on it. Inside were more "inoculations", animal notepads, animal erasers with movable legs, compasses and animal cookies.

And here's just some misc photos!


Kelsey and Belle being animals


Safari Participants


Best Dressed of the night~ Connor


Sweet Taylor DEVOURING her cake!

Hopefully soon, I can get a photo of Dylan out here. He had a minor accident while on his hunt and got his first fat lip. But he still gave me lots of lovins!

All in all...another great birthday party! You see...this IS my gift to my kids for their birthdays. Birthday parties they will remember for the rest of their lives.

My Dad even walked in and said he was "calling my Momma! She never did anything like this for me when I was a kid!"

I'll see what I can do for him in March...:-)

For many more fun themed ideas, go see Whittaker Woman and all the people that join together to share ideas.

One Handsome Man

Luke stayed and came to church with his grandparents, so I didn't get to get him dressed.

So, When this walked thru the doors at church this morning, my heart stopped!

It's a Good Thing There are No Photos of ME

We went to a girlfriend's 7th birthday party on Saturday at the Skating Rink.

First of all...it still smells like every other skating rink did when I was 13.

Second...they still play the same games.

But most importantly...nothing makes me smile like seeing my 3 favorite folks in the world having fun together.




Pray for David's hips!

Growing Up Is Hard on This Momma!

Like I said, Luke actually turned 3 on December 23rd, but we are celebrating his party tonight. And I can't wait! He is just the most fun kid and we are going to have a blast!

Pending a good nap today :-)

I remember when we were trying to have another baby. I was on fertility drugs (for like the hundreth time in 5 years) and we just knew Belle being 3 would be a perfect age for us to have another one. So, that February I took my meds, waited the pre-set number of days and went to my doctor for bloodwork. I got the call that afternoon.

"Sorry, Billie. But your hormone levels show that you can't get pregnant this month."

Here we go again.

So, when March rolled around and I was ready for a refill on my next round of drugs, I called the doctor. She said she would call the meds into my local pharmacy and I could pick them up on my way home, IF I would take a pregnancy test (requirement) and call her back with the results.

So, while out on my lunch break I stopped by Kroger and found the cheapest one I could find (why not? It was just going to be another negative, right?) and came back to work. I checked some e-mails, ate my lunch...just fiddled around.

Then headed to the rest room.

It had 2 lines on it before I could even set it down!

I called hubs: "Um, David...are you driving right now? Please put the car in park!"


See?

And has this been a wild ride? He is quite truly the funniest kid I have ever met! And Belle is a pretty hilarious kid herself. I mean, he just rolls with the punches and throws something new out just about every hour.

Just ask ANYONE who knows him!

I found (of course) a letter I wrote to him when he was 6 weeks old...and yes, I cried again.

February 6, 2006

My Little Man,

You are 6 weeks old…where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday you were nudging around inside of me…gentle reminders of my prize to come. You never ceased to amaze me from inside. Just when I would start to worry about something, you and God would team up shout from within that He was in control and I would meet the 2nd man of my dreams soon…very soon.

I wanted to let you know that when I was pregnant with your sister, I did not want a boy. I was scared to have a boy. I didn’t know how to be a boy mom. It scared me to even think about. But since I have found out that I was having you, I have been nothing but overjoyed. Just the thought of the mother and son bond excites me. I discovered while waiting for your arrival that this was going to be special. I get to be a model for you of what a wife and mother will be in your eyes. What an awesome job!

Then you came…and you melted my heart in the quickest instance. That’s only happened two other times in my life…when I married your Daddy and when your sister was born. I still lay you on my chest and just smell you as all of the memories of those few weeks ago come flooding back. The 1st tiny little cry you made after you were made to breathe; the 1st time you opened your tiny slate eyes and batted them at me to take away every pain I’ve ever felt in my life; the 1st time you wrapped your sweet fingers around mine to let me know how much you need me; and the 1st time you slept in my arms and reminded me that you will always be my baby boy. God filled your tiny little body with everything I needed to make me smile bigger, laugh louder, cry with more passion, and love harder.

To see you with your Daddy swells me with complete joy! He loves you so much. I can see you two cleaning fish (including the ones your sister caught but won’t clean)…I can see you trying to learn to work on things with him…I can see you learning to play guitar from him…I can see you sharing with him about your passion for the things of God! My big man with my little man growing together and relying on God. Your sister…she loves you so much already. Every day she asks you, “Do you want your big sister?” I know you 2 will have your moments of getting on each others nerves. I know you 2 will have your fights. I know you 2 will have some tough times. But I also know you 2 will love each other more than any petty issues that will try to get in the way. Why? Because we pray for that on a regular basis. I never had a sibling, but you have one who right now will do anything for you that we ask. You are one special little man. You came along and tied a perfect little bow on this humble family. None of could ask for more.

So as we begin this wonderful journey…as mother and son…know this…that I love you my handsome little boy. I know I have to be your mother, but I feel completely honored to know I get to be your friend. I want to enjoy every minute of you and all of your firsts and all of your lasts. So when you are old enough to read this I hope you will be able to say that you were always loved. Because that is my goal for Belle and now my goal for you…to never doubt my love and adoration for you.

I love you, My little man
Momma

**excuse me...need the tissue box again**

Luke...you still are everything I dreamed for and more. I hung the moon in your eyes and I pray that never changes. You can drive me nuts and melt my heart literally in the exact same moment. Then you bat your eyelashes at me and flash that cheshire smile and I become a complete babbling idiot at just the sight of you. And Yes, you do drive your sister nuts sometimes, but she is so very proud of you and dotes on you. You are special...oh so very special. And anyone who knows you at all knows the treasure that they have in you.

I love you, my now 3-year-old little man. Let 'er rip, Tater Chip!

Mommy

So, if you haven't met him, allow me to introduce you to "everyone's boyfriend"...Isaiah Luke Overstreet:


"A chord of 3 cannot be broken..."

SEXY MAN! 3 Weeks old.

Definate chick magnet

Pouty face

His "kissy face"...don't you just want to kiss him?!?!

Um...

Whew! Goodbye heart!