You have got to hear this...

This group of girls is named "The Cactus Cuties," and this is their rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner." They range in age from 8 to 13 years old, and their talent will blow you away! This performance was for a basketball game at Texas Tech University. Thanks, Uncle Ronnie and Meemaw, for sending this clip to us...we really enjoyed it!

Now before you watch, be prepared. You will get goosebumps, and you may even have tears come to your eyes. If you don't, then there is something wrong with you! =)

Enjoy!



P.S. Yes, we're still out of town. I just scheduled this to post so you guys wouldn't forget about me or miss me too much...whichever the case may be. =)

CVS - Week of 5/25 - 5/31

Since we're going out of town this weekend, I'm going to go ahead and post my CVS loot. Here's what I got...



3 bottles of Tide Laundry Detergent
2 bottles of Suavitel Fabric Softener
2 bottles of Palmolive Dish Detergent
4 boxes of Tums Quick Paks (These will be donated)
1 bottle of Johnson's Softwash
1 bottle of Johnson's Softlotion
1 bottle of VO5 Conditioner
1 bottle of TRESemme Mousse
6 Adidas Deodorants
2 Crest Toothpastes
1 Airwick Scented Oil Warmer with "Nite Light"
2 Airwick Scented Oil Refills
2 Orapik Travelers

Jason and I purchased 28 items in 7 transactions.

$128.42 in Actual Retail Value

$113.31 in Sale Retail Value
-$21.00 in CVS Coupons
-$27.72 in Manufacturer's Coupons
-$58.31 used in Extra Care Bucks
=$7.62 spent out of pocket (Average of $1.09 per transaction!!)

I earned $66.28 ECB's in these transactions, and I'm left with $64.49 ECB's to spend next time.

$7.62 (Spent OOP) minus $64.49 ECB's (earned and not yet spent) means that I earned $56.87 to bring all this stuff home! Sweet!! =)

Thank you, Sandra, for sharing some awesome coupons with me! You're the best!

Sydney's Easter Flower

On Easter Sunday, Sydney's teacher let all the kids plant a couple of seeds in a little cup of soil labeled "Jesus Lives" as an object lesson. Christ was buried like the seeds were "buried" under the soil, and He arose just like the plant will rise from the soil. The teacher instructed them to make sure it got plenty of water and sun, so we placed her cup in one of our windows and watered it every other day. It didn't take long for it to sprout.



When it reached about 6 inches in height, we transplanted it to a larger pot and placed it outside on the back porch. Sydney has really enjoyed watching her plant grow. Here are the first flowers...one is open, and one is still a bud.



Here she is peering through the "jungle" with one of her goofy faces. She is definitely our little comedian. =)

FYI...

Jason LOVES his new job! He finished training last week and started running appointments on his own. He sold his first job yesterday! Yeah! His schedule is a little sporadic, but we really feel like we have more time together during the day than we did before. He has some late nights (getting home at 11 pm), but on days like that, he will be home more during the day. I really think this is going to work out great. Once a month, he will get a 4-day weekend, so we plan on taking some trips/mini vacations as a family. Oh, and did I mention, Jason LOVES his job?! When he's happy, we're happy. =)

This weekend is his first 4-day weekend, so we will be heading out of town again. My niece, Sarah, will be graduating from high school Friday evening, so we will be heading up to Jacksonville Friday morning. I'm so excited! I get to see a lot of my family and spend some time with them. =) We will return Monday evening from our mini vacation.

My CVS deals from last week

Here's what I got last week at CVS.



2 Blood Glucose Monitors (these will be donated)
4 packages of CVS brand allergy tabs (these will be donated)
1 bottle of Dial liquid soap
2 bottles of Edge shave gel
2 Sunsilk haircare products
4 Aquafresh toothpastes
2 Almay eye shadows

There weren't too many great deals last week, but I was able to get a lot of things that we need and use. We bought 17 items in 3 transactions.

$216.83 in Actual Retail Value

$75.33 in Sale Retail Value
-$12.00 used in CVS Coupons
-$9.60 used in Manufacturer's Coupons
-$51.52 used in Extra Care Bucks
= $2.21 spent out of pocket (Average of $0.74 per transaction!!)

$2.21 (spent out of pocket) minus $51.52 (earned and not yet spent in ECB's) means that I earned $49.31 to bring all of this stuff home! Wow! That's pretty cool, huh?

Our Holiday Weekend

We're back! Unfortunately, our weekend did not go completely as planned. Here's what happened...We were going to take Jason's truck up to my parents' house but decided that we didn't want to have to try to squeeze everything in his truck, so we packed everything up in my truck. We stopped by Wal-mart on the way out of town to get a couple of things in the store and to fill up with gas. After filling up, Jason tried to start the car, and it wouldn't! The guys in the Wal-mart Tire and Lube area tried to help us by checking the battery/jump starting the battery...to no avail. Jason called our insurance company, and they ordered a tow truck to take the truck to the house. It was too loaded down to tow to Car Max, so we decided to take care of that after the weekend.

We sat in the Wal-mart gas station for a couple of hours, and when the tow truck showed up, the girls and I walked around Wal-mart (i.e. checked out the toy section) while we waited for Jason to get his truck from the house so he could come get us. By the time we got home, it was so late, and the girls were starving. So, we were unable to go to my parents' house until Sunday morning.

We were really blessed, though, because since this happened in the late afternoon, it was not miserably hot. We were able to sit in the car with all the doors opened, and a cool breeze drifted through the car to keep us comfortable. The girls were outstanding! They did not whine or complain one bit! They make us so proud! =) Of course, the next morning when we told the girls that we had to stop at Wal-mart to get gas in Daddy's truck, Larissa playfully rolled her eyes and with a smile said, "Oh brother!"

Other than the truck problems and the delayed departure, we had a really good time at my parents' house. My sister and her family live near my parents, so they all joined us for meals and games. Jason and I decided to prepare all the main meals for the weekend, so my mom could have a break, and so we could start introducing a more whole foods way of eating to my family. Everything was very well received...even by the kids and teenagers (and my picky brother-in-law, Richard! =) Just kidding Richard!). I'll be sharing some of our favorite recipes soon for those of you who are interested. =)

This morning, Jason contacted Car Max about my truck, and they arranged for a tow truck to come get the truck (no charge) and take it to Car Max (where we get any work that's under warranty done for no more than $50! Hence another reason why I love Car Max so much.). We are waiting to hear from them as to how long it will take to fix, but they have told us that they will supply us with a rental vehicle if it's going to take too long. Here's a picture of my poor "little" truck being towed. It makes me sad to see it. =(

Okay, I'm over it. =)

Happy Anniversary to us!

Today we are celebrating our 11th wedding anniversary! Wow! I can't believe it's already been 11 years. When I look back at our wedding pictures, I can't help but think, "My goodness, we were young! What were we thinking?"

We were in love! Or so we thought... We have been through some rough times over the years, but God has brought us through and has helped us to grow stronger and closer together. When we were dating and even first married, I never could have imagined that our relationship would be as incredible as it is today. We are truly best friends and thrive on spending as much time together as possible. When we are apart during the day, we call each other at every chance we can.

I thank the Lord for my amazing husband! He is my perfect match. I couldn't have asked for a better mate for myself or father for my children. He proves his love to us in many ways...by his diligence in supporting us financially, his willingness to help with numerous chores around the house, his culinary expertise (I love the help in the kitchen!), his sensitivity to us females in areas such as attending a ballet or pretending to be "The Lady of Shalott" =), and most importantly his faithfulness to the Lord in being a godly leader in our home.

Thank you, Jason, for loving me and for being my soul mate for the last 11 years. I look forward to spending many more with you in the future! I love you! Happy Anniversary!

Weekend Plans and My Silly Girls

We will be heading up to my parents' house tomorrow for the holiday weekend. Jason has Monday off, so we will be returning Monday evening. It's been a while since we've been up there, and I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with "The Fam."

I hope you all have a great, safe weekend!

Here's a video clip of my girls being silly. If you don't have girls or don't have more than one girl, you may have never seen anything like this before. =) I love my girls...silliness and all!

Alyx is playing Daddy's guitar. She's going to be a little musician yet. =)

A Somber Reminder...

I don't follow CCM artists, but I came across a piece of news this morning concerning one of them. Last night, Steven Curtis Chapman's youngest daughter (5 years old) was hit and killed by an SUV driven by her teenage brother. He was driving in their driveway and didn't see her playing before he struck her.

The grief that they must be feeling right now is like none that I've ever had to experience, but when I think about my "5-year-old" Sydney, I can't help but get choked up at the prospect of losing her to a tragic accident. We should lift that family up in prayer asking God for His grace and strength to be poured out on them. Above that we should also pray for the Chapman's teenage son. Can you imagine the guilt that must be plaguing him right now? From what I read, they are a close-knit family, and I'm sure they will help him get through this. He will need a lot of love and support!

Life is fleeting! Every moment that we are given on this earth is a precious gift from God. Thank the Lord for allowing you to have a family to love. Tell your loved ones how much you love them. Appreciate everything about them. Soak up every moment you can with them. You never know when the Lord may choose to take them home.

I'm a newbie, but I still think I did good...

CVS is so addicting! I just started this past weekend, and I totally can't wait until I go back for some more good deals! Check out what I got...



In a matter of 3 days, I purchased 28 items in 5 transactions (with Jason's help, of course...thanks, honey!). Here's the breakdown:

$243. 08 in Actual Retail Value

$102.90 in Sale Price Value
-$18.00 used in CVS coupons
-$24.48 used in Manufacturer's coupons
-$29.75 spent in Extra Care Bucks (ECB's) earned in these transactions
=$30.67 Paid Out of Pocket (The majority of that was in the first transaction of each of our cards and was higher because I didn't have any ECB's to use. The last 2 transactions I made, I only spent $1.69 and $0.32 out of pocket! From now on, I intend to spend no more than $2.00 out of pocket with each transaction...ideally, less than $1.00!)

$30.67 (spent out of pocket) minus $45.92 (earned and not yet spent in ECB's) means that I earned $15.25 to bring all this stuff home! How sweet is that?! Here's a list of all the stuff I got:

*10 Colgate 360 Toothbrushes (These were $3.99 and earned $3.99 in ECB's. PLUS I had 6-$1 off coupons...so I earned $6.00 on this purchase!)

*3 Tubes of Colgate Total Advanced Toothpaste (My favorite! These were $2.99 each and earned $2 in ECB's PLUS I had $1.50 off coupon for each tube...so I earned $0.51 per tube!)

*2 Tubes of Aqua Fresh Extreme Clean Toothpaste (These were $2.99 and earned $2.99 in ECB's. PLUS I had $1 off coupons for each...so I earned $2 with this purchase!)

*1 Travel-Size Tube of Aqua Fresh EC Toothpaste (FREE with coupon!)

*3 Travel-Size Tubes of Gold Bond Lotion (fillers at $0.99 PLUS $1 off coupons!)

*4 Bars of Johnson's Buddies Soap ($0.99 each PLUS $1 off coupons!)

*2-12 packs of Scott's Extra Soft Toilet Paper (On sale PLUS I had $1 off coupons)

*2 Freestyle Blood Glucose Monitors (These were on sale for $10 and earned $10 in ECB's...so they were FREE! I plan on donating them to someone who needs them.)

*1 Package of CVS Brand Allergy Relief Tablets (These were $3.79 and earned $3.79 in ECB's...so they were also FREE! I will be donating these, too...maybe the missionary closet at church.)


I am so thankful that the Lord led me to the websites and friends (thanks, Sandra!) that taught me how to shop at CVS. I really feel like it could be an awesome ministry to be able to help others with all of the FREE stuff that I'm able to get. It's also great to be able to get the things we need for little or no money out of pocket! The girls are also learning invaluable, first-hand lessons in money management. They really are getting into the coupon clipping...I love it! =)

If you want to join all of us in the CVS craze, visit Money Saving Mom's blog and read her CVS 101 tutorial. That will help you get started. Let me know about your successes if you decide to start! =)

Our favorite home-made soup

This morning was very rainy and dreary, and I was very thankful that I had planned a pot of soup for dinner. This particular recipe is one of our favorites. We started fixing it last year when we were doing South Beach and have had it at least twice a month ever since. Yeah, it's that good! =) The recipe is entitled "Chicken Parmigiano Soup" and originated from Rachael Ray. We have always doubled the recipe, because if I'm going to go through the trouble of making something, I want it to last more than one meal. We have no problems with leftovers! =)

I love this recipe, because I get to use my fresh basil and the $0.16 cans of Muir Glen Fire-Roasted Tomatoes. Remember those? Here's the $1.00 off coupon in case you forgot about them. Get them at Wal-mart and you'll only pay $0.16 per can! Sweet!

There are a few changes we have made to the original recipe, though. We don't double the onions, because 2 large onions is plenty for a double recipe. We also don't double the red pepper flakes, because it would be too spicy for the kids. Within the last month, we have been adding about 2-3 cups of kale to the pot in an effort to increase our green leafy veggies, and we have really enjoyed it! Another change we have made is that we use sourdough bread instead of semolina, and we don't put cheese on the bread or soup (not because it's not good, but because we are going dairy-free). Here's a picture of the soup we had tonight:



Here's the recipe, or you can get it from Rachael Ray's website. Enjoy!!

Chicken Parmigiano Soup

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
4 chicken breasts, pounded out and cut into bite-size pieces (sometimes we grill the chicken instead of cooking it in the pot)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic (3 chopped, 1 for rubbing bread)
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 can chunky tomatoes (28 ounces) (We use the Muir Glen Fire-Roasted Tomatoes)
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup basil, chopped
8 thick slices Italian semolina bread
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat with two tablespoons of EVOO, about two turns of the pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to pot. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until just cooked through. Remove from the pot and set aside. Add the other two tablespoons of EVOO along with the chopped garlic, onions and red pepper flakes.

Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes and the stock, bring to a simmer and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add chicken back to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped basil and stir to combine.

While the soup is cooking, drizzle the sliced bread with some EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and toast until lightly golden, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the oven, rub each piece with the garlic clove and top with parmesan cheese. Place back in the oven for 1-2 minutes.

Serve soup topped with 2 pieces of parmesan toast or, if you prefer, put the bread on the bottom and the soup on top.

Free Samples!

Check out all the free stuff I got in the mail during the last week. ***Side Note: The Huggies products are not to be misconstrued as an announcement. =) I just got them because they were free, and I figured I could either donate them to the church nursery or give them to someone who could use them.***



Dove Go Fresh Deodorant
Sensodyne Toothpaste
Aquafresh Extreme Clean Toothpaste
Aquafresh Advanced Whitening Toothpaste
Tide with Dawn Stain Scrubbers Laundry Detergent
Huggies Supreme Diaper
Huggies Wash and Lotion
Kashi Mountain Medley Granola
Loreal Skin Genesis Serum and Lotion
John Frieda Frizz-Ease "Curl Around" Shampoo/Conditioner and Hair Serum
Vaseline Lotion (came with a $2.00 coupon)
Gold Bond Ultimate Restoring Lotion (came with a $1.00 coupon)
2 packets of Sun Crystals Natural Sweetener (came with a $1.50 coupon)
3 bags of Yogi Tea-Berry Anti-oxidant, Meditative Time and Mexican Sweet Chili (came with a $0.50 coupon)

Happy Birthday Jason!

Yesterday was Jason's birthday. (Happy Birthday, Honey!) We don't really make a big deal out of every birthday (for us, that is, not the kids) unless it's a "milestone" birthday. The girls would love to have a party (and cake) at every chance possible and would love Erica's family tradition of 1/2 birthday celebrations, but we generally just save the big "hooplas" for their birthdays.

The girls are so sweet and thoughtful, though. They were all three sitting in a row just outside our bedroom door, so that when Jason and I came out of the room first thing in the morning, they immediately began singing "Happy Birthday" to Jason. It was so cute! I only wish I'd had my camera.

After the girls finished their school work, they decided to make Jason some birthday cards. They love doing that kind of thing! They are constantly bringing me notes or pages that they've colored for me. I think I could wallpaper my whole house with all the papers I've gotten from them. =) The bad thing is I'm a sentimental softy and have a hard time throwing out any special gift from my kids, so in a few years, I'm going to need a storage unit just to house those papers. =)

When Jason got home from work, we enjoyed one of our favorite dinners, and then the girls gave him the cards they had made. Here are a few pictures from last night.

Tripod Update

We got our tripod on Saturday afternoon! The Skattebos got theirs on Thursday. Did anyone else get one? Check it out! This baby was FREE!!! No shipping costs...nothing!! Sweet!

Weekend Catch-Up

Most of Friday evening and Saturday morning and afternoon was spent car shopping. So much fun!! (Can you sense the sarcasm?) There's nothing worse than a bunch of sleazy, greasy, cheesy, lying, cheating, good-for-nothing car salesmen! They literally make me sick! All that time spent in and out of dealerships, and we couldn't "seal a deal." We came home and started looking online at Car Max. We've used them several times in the past and have always had relatively pleasant experiences. Jason found several vehicles he was interested in and decided to check them out when we had time to go see them.

We couldn't go on Saturday evening, because we had plans to go to the ballet. That was okay, though. "Cinderella" was so much fun, and the "performers" were great! The girls really enjoyed everything. I asked them to name something specific that they really liked about the ballet, and here's what they said...Sydney said she liked the part where the stepsisters were sewing, Larissa said that she liked the dancing (specifically the "fancy footwork"--No, that wasn't her exact words.) and Alyx said she liked the part when the stepsisters were dancing at the ball. I was really shocked that they didn't pick something that had to do with Cinderella. I guess they go more for the comedy in a performance, and that's to be expected with a "Daddy" like Jason. =) We all agreed that the fairy godmother showed amazing talent when she was en pointe.

Four of our friends from church joined us...it was a good time! One of the couples brought their 2-year-old daughter, and she behaved very well. She really enjoyed the ballet, too, and loved seeing "Miss Jill." =) Sometimes I think it's more entertaining to watch your own kids (or other people's kids) enjoying a performance than to actually watch it yourself. You get to see that look of wonderment and awe on their faces and almost get to feel that bit of innocence in their pure excitement of new experiences.

Buying 5 tickets at $15 each = $75...Spending an evening with family and friends = Priceless!

Mother's Day Sunday was lovely. The girls had made some gifts for me earlier in the week and had been saving them for the actual day. Their anticipation of the day was so much fun to watch. You would have thought it was going to be Christmas morning for them. To me, I don't need the gifts and such. I just love that they thought of me and put their love into each of their gifts. Happy (Belated) Mother's Day to all of you mothers out there. I hope that you had a wonderful day with your family.

Sunday would have been a little more relaxing had we not felt the pressure to get Jason's car for work Monday morning. After we had lunch, we drove out to Car Max, found the salesman Jason had talked to on the phone, told him we were pressed for time and immediately started looking at the vehicles Jason was interested in. Long story short...we got a truck for him and were in and out in about an hour and a half! Not too bad, huh? Car Max is great for the kids, too. They have a "Play Room" to keep them occupied. =) I think after this weekend we have come to the conclusion that the only place to buy a used vehicle is from Car Max.

Here are some pictures of Jason with his new truck. It's a 2005 Mazda Tribute with plenty of space to carry the samples he'll need for work. God really did work out this deal for us, and we are very thankful for that. As much of a pain as it was to visit the other dealerships, we realized that it was necessary for us to truly appreciate the deal that we got at Car Max.

Chinese Acrobats and Ballet?

Okay, I've seen Chinese acrobats, and I've seen ballet. I've just never seen them combined. Jason's mom sent a video clip of some Chinese acrobats performing parts of "Swan Lake," and the girls and I really enjoyed it! They laughed hysterically at the frogs, and we were all amazed when the swan spun on pointe on the guy's head while he was moving! Here's the link...go check it out!

Speaking of ballet...We will be going to the Cinderella ballet this Saturday. The girls and I have been looking forward to this for six months now. We will get to see our good friend, Jill, perform as the "Evil Stepmother." I've instructed the girls to still love her in spite of her role. =) As if they could ever dislike Mrs. Jill...

If you are interested in joining us, let me know, and I'll give you all the necessary information. We'd love to have you come along!

Free Classical Sheet Music

If you are an avid (or even aspiring) musician, you will want to check out this site! The Mutopia Project has a collection of over 1,300 pieces of classical music available free to download, print out, perform, distribute...etc. All of the music on this site is considered to be public domain. Here are the license details.

Once you are on the site, you will have the option to browse by composer (Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Diabelli, Handel, Mozart...etc.), by instrument (Piano, Vocal, Organ, Violin, Guitar, Orchestra...etc.), by a list of all the music, or by their latest additions to the site. Once you choose a piece that you would like to see, just look for the "Letter .pdf file" link, which should be in the lower right hand corner of that piece's table. The file will come up for you to view before you print it.

These are not obscure pieces, either. Here is a piece I played for one of my high school piano recitals-Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique. Here are some other pieces that I've played-Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata and Beethoven's Fur Elise. I printed Bizet's Prelude from Carmen (challenging) and Brahm's Waltz (a little more reasonable) to try. There are also some flute pieces. I tried some of them, but most of them were a little too advanced. I think I'll stick to the piano for now. =)

What instruments do you play? So far I just play the piano and flute. I started playing the penny whistle a few months back, but I'm not super proficient with that yet. My goal for the next year is to begin to learn a stringed instrument. My daughter, Larissa, has voiced an interest in learning the violin, so I thought maybe we could learn together. Wouldn't that be awesome?! We could have a whole family of musicians to praise God in song! **whispered** By the way, Jason plays the guitar...here's proof...



Let me know if you find a piece of music that you like. I'd love to hear about it!

My Flower Garden

This past week I had a surge of energy and decided that I was ready to take on the yard. When I feel this way, I have a hard time "taking it easy" and usually end up overdoing it...which is what I did. =} It was so worth it, though! Every time I look outside and see all the beautiful, colorful flowers, I smile and thank God for his wonderful creation and for allowing us to enjoy such beautiful things.

As you'll see in the pictures below, I have planted some lilies, pentas, angelonia and lantana. The more blooms there are on a plant, the better! I love seeing constant flowers! I also took some pictures of a gorgeous, green dragonfly. In case you didn't know, green is my absolute favorite color, so when I saw this little guy flying around, I just had to take some shots of him. He didn't seem to be too afraid of me and just kept flitting all around...almost intentionally posing for me sometimes. Anyway, here's my flower garden. Enjoy!

Finding Money

***Update*** Jason signed up under my account and got $25 in his account, and because he signed up under me, I got $10 in my account. We now have $60! You have the option of either transferring the money to your regular bank account, or you can have them cut you a check which will cost you $2.50.

Still skeptical? Click here to read an article about Revolution Money Exchange found in USA Today. Thanks for that link, Sandra! =)

Don't you love it when you find money on the ground? My girls love picking up coins...even pennies. The largest "bill" we've ever found was a $20 bill. There was no one around to question the ownership of it, and in fact, it was in a very crowded parking lot, so we just considered it a gift from God. At the time, we desperately needed it!

We aren't in need right now, but it's still nice to get free money. I just opened up an account with Revolution Money Exchange and instantly got $25 added to my account. Using Revolution Money Exchange allows you to transfer funds online, and the other person will only be privy to your email address. For every person you refer to R.M.E., you will receive an additional $10 via check. Crystal over at Money Saving Mom just got a check this week for all of her referrals. Click here to see a picture of the $522.50 check she got from First Bank & Trust. If the idea of getting $25 for free and of being able to transfer funds online more securely appeals to you, then click here to sign up. I'm trying not to sound all "salesman-y," but you need to hurry, because the $25 deal only lasts until May 15, 2008. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Moses and the "Barney Bus"

Over the last couple of years we have noticed that Sydney has wholeheartedly taken on her role as the "baby of the family." I'm sure that many of her characteristics are due to the fact that I want her to stay "my baby" for as long as possible. Her "baby talk" has stuck around way too long, and we've really been trying to break her of that habit. The problem is that as a mother I can understand what she's saying, so it's hard for me to always catch her and correct her. Jason is not as perceptive to her language, though, and he frequently thinks that she's speaking Chinese.

This past Sunday evening, while they were on their way home from church, Sydney was talking about what she had learned in her class. Her teacher had given them a rather large sheet of paper to draw and color an illustration of the lesson they had learned. When she started talking about "Moses and the Burning Bush," Jason thought she said something about a "Barney Bus." How Funny!

Sydney insisted that we hang the picture up on a wall somewhere in the house. So, I suggested we hang it over her bed in her bedroom. Here's a video clip of her giving her rendition of the story. Enjoy!

Change is good...

...unless you suffer from OCD. Let me tell you, I've had some pretty strange tendencies in my life. For example...when I was younger, I used to color coordinate all my clothes in my closet, and within each color group, I would sort each item from lightest shade to darkest shade. Whoa! Pretty psycho, huh?

Over the past few years, I've noticed some similar tendencies surfacing in my children. A couple of days ago, we were finishing up breakfast, and Alyx was putting the cereal boxes back in the pantry. She was standing at the pantry door for a pretty long time, and I asked her what she was doing. She informed me that she was alphabetizing the cereal and oatmeal boxes (we like cereal and oatmeal, so there's about 10-15 boxes up there right now.) Wow! Okay, so it's not a completely horrible thing that she wants to be "organized," but when I went to get my cereal box down this morning, it wasn't in it's "usual place." That's when their OCD is a problem...when it interferes with mine! =)

Some changes can be good, though. When you are seeking the Lord and His will for your life, change can be absolutely exciting! Within the last year, Jason has been experiencing a lot of stress at work. Because he is such a dedicated, loyal person, he did not want to just "jump ship" without being led by God to do so. (We've made that mistake in the past, and it is not a "good time" being out of God's will.)

For the last 3 years, David Spence (a friend of ours from church, for those of you who don't know) has been "wooing" Jason to come work for him at Sears. The idea of working for someone who is a faithful Christian and of getting a pay raise was initially appealing, but those were not necessarily concrete evidences that he should change jobs. We began earnestly praying about it several months ago when there was a lot of negative talk about Jason's future with Danielle Fence. We saw God open so many doors, work out so many details and basically hit us over the head with a bat to show us that this is the right thing to do. Before we made the decision, I teased Jason that maybe we should lay some fleece out on the front lawn. =) That wasn't necessary, though. God made it perfectly clear to us that this is His will.

So, as of May 12, Jason will be employed with Sears. He will be working outside sales, dealing with residential customers (which he loves!). We don't have all the details yet, but as far as we know, he will be dealing with kitchen upgrades (cabinets, counters, appliances..etc.). We would appreciate your prayers as he makes this transition. It's always hard starting over as "low man on the totem pole," but I know he'll be great! He has such a hard-working, competitive spirit, and he's already determined to out-sell the top-selling salesman (a feat he quickly accomplished while at Danielle Fence).

Speaking of his competitive spirit, check this out! We I love to play Scrabble...he obliges me. We have been playing it a lot over the last few months, and he has greatly improved! If you look at the top of the board (bottom of the picture), you'll see his excellent-scoring word, "frowning." He used all 7 of his tiles which earns 50 points on top of the regular scoring, so he scored like 70 or 80 points! Bravo, honey!

In honor of his recent job change, I thought I would share some photos of Jason is his various work uniforms. Unfortunately, I don't have any of him in his McDonald's or Taco Bell uniforms. ;) Here's a picture of Jason in his Crystal Springs shirt. He's holding Sydney.

Here he is when he was the Dread Pirate Roberts with a few of his best buccaneers and marooners. =)

Here's a couple of pictures of his first work truck with Danielle Fence. He's had several, but this one was cool with Bugs Bunny on the hood.

Here he is working on his "homework."

Note the laptop computer. That along with the company vehicle obviously will have to be returned. Please pray for us as we will be shopping for a work vehicle for him. That has been another huge answer to prayer. He got a phone call today from our credit union, and they informed him that he's been approved for a certain amount (more than enough), and the APR is so low it's almost unheard of! God is good!

If your HAPPY and you know it...

One of my all-time favorite perfumes is Clinique's Happy. If you have never tried it (or if you like it, too), you can go to Clinique's website to create an e-card to send to someone, and you will get a coupon to print out for a free purse size bottle of Happy. Yeah! I'm so happy! =)