Need to Change It Up

I have lived in my duplex for over 3 years now.  Most of my walls look exactly the way they did when I moved in.  I think know it is time for a change.  I have been gathering ideas on-line.  Here are some of my favorites:

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Got any good ideas for me?

Need Your Help!

Awhile back I entered a giveaway on Megan's blog and I WON!!  She was giving away a photo session.  I decided to have her take photos of my 2 nieces and nephew and we finally coordinated every one's schedules and we took the pictures last weekend.  You can see them on Megan's photography blog by clicking here.  While you are there check out her other amazing photos.  She did a great job with the photos of the kids - I LOVE them!!!  Thanks, Megan!!!

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Okay everyone!  My cutie pie niece, Tennessee, is in a cutest baby contest.  I need your help to vote for her.  All you have to do is go to:  either www.wichitawolf.com or www.971bobfm.com and vote for her in the CUTEST Baby Contest. She is #212 and you can vote once tomorrow and once on Wednesday.


Your votes would be most APPRECIATED!!!

This isn't the picture they used, but how could you NOT think that face is the cutest!?! 

Thanks in advance for your votes!!

10 things

I am one day late with my list of 10 things again this month!  I was just doing too much yesterday to actually sit down to blog.  I have no pictures from yesterday - I am afraid you would be bored.

Several years ago, I made a list of 40 things I wanted to do before I turned 40.  I was too close to 35 to make a list of 35 things so, I decided on 40.

I decided to share 10 things off of that list:

1.  get a Tattoo - check
2.  go to Vegas
3.  write a blog - check
4.  start or join a book club - check
5.  Explore my family tree
6.  get NASCAR pit passes
7.  buy a designer handbag - check (from a thrift store no less!)
8.  go on a cruise
9.  road trip with friends
10.  take off more time from work - check


So, here are a few pictures from my weekend:

 the girls

 He likes Aunt Barb's sunglasses!

The kiddos with their great grandma.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

I am so thankful for my freedom!  We are so lucky to live in a country where we don't have to live in constant fear, where we have a freedom of speech, and freedom to just live.

I have had a really relaxing weekend and I have gotten some stuff done around my house too.

I took this last year - I haven't had my camera out in weeks - I don't know what is wrong with me.  Just haven't been in the mood for picture taking I guess!

We had a bbq and shot of fireworks at my parent's house this weekend - I think we enjoyed the neighbor's fireworks more than anything - they go all out - better than the fireworks show my town puts on!  It was amazing!

Last night I sat outside and watched my neighborhood fireworks with my duplex mate - we ended up sitting outside and talking until almost 1 AM - it was a nice night - the weather was perfect!

I hope you have a happy and safe 4th!

Day Off

I had the day off from work today.  Most of the time that would mean sleeping in until mid-morning, but not today!  I had gone to spend time with my niece, Tennessee.  I don't have any pics from our time as she wanted NOTHING to do with having the camera out last night.

I got up with the rest of the house got up this morning.  I love waking up to Tennessee in the morning - her smiles  when she wakes up are so, so precious and she gave me loves before we parted ways.

Then I went to get my oil changed- I was in and out in no time.  Because of their speed in changing my oil they left a big mess and I started leaving oil every where I went so, I had to go back to get things cleaned up and make sure it was all tightened up - I wasn't so happy about this.

In between my 2 trips for my oil change I went to the hospital to visit friends who had a darling baby boy on Wednesday.  I got to hold him for over an hour - he is so precious!!

I also finished reading The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand.  I started and finished Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo.  Such a good book - I highly recommend it.  If any of my local friends is interested in borrowing it, just let me know.  It was so good and such an easy read - I finished it in about 2 1/2 hours.

I guess it is time to read my other books!

Have a great weekend!

Perspective

Sometimes I let things get to me - to really irritate me.  If I just remember to stop and think and gain some new perspective I realize that it isn't really all that bad.

I was really mad my hot water heater was leaking last week, but at least I have running water.

I hate working in my yard, but at least I have a home with a yard.

I get tired of working, but at least I have a job - two in fact!

The list could go on and on, but I am choosing to really focus on how truly blessed I really am!  Life could be so much worse than it actually is and I just need to stop and remember that God is in control - what an amazing promise we have in Him.  

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I mentioned that I don't like working in my yard - exactly why I pay someone to mow my yard all summer.  In the list of things I enjoy - working in my yard doesn't even come close to making the list.  I have needed to weed eat my yard all summer now and I decided tonight was the night.  I first had to figure out how to put new string on the weed eater....it took several tries!  Once I finally got it strung right I was finally getting the yard in tip top shape and moving right along.  There is a button on the bottom of the weed eater that you bump on the ground to feed more string out - I did this and well, pieces of the weed eater went everywhere!  I didn't find them all!  oh well - guess it is time to shop for new parts!

Hope you have a good week!

Book Club - finished for the Summer

My book club has been reading So Long Insecurity - you've been a bad friend to us by Beth Moore. We finished the book this past Friday night.

I learned a lot about myself through this book - I learned to recognize where a lot of my insecurity comes from.  I knew where some of came from before the start of the book, but I learned some new stuff a long the way.

I also learned to redirect my thoughts when those insecure feelings started to creep into my head.

In chapter three of the book, Beth says "The answer to deal with insecurity , believing that everything God says about us is true."  I need to put my security in God and not in others or what they or I think about me.  We too often put our security in things and in other people which is the absolute last place we should be looking for security.

Another thing that I learned is not to judge other people's security.  We often judge what another person looks like or what we perceive their life to look like and think "they have it all - they have nothing to be insecure about."  We have absolutely no idea what that woman is going through unless we are walking in her shoes.

As women we need to help build each other up - we all need to work together to increase our security and to stop allowing ourselves to look for security in all of the wrong places.

I am a work in progress - my insecurity is not cured, but I am more educated and more prepared to deal with it.

I highly recommend this book if you need help in the area of security!

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Even though my book club is now on summer break my reading is not over.  I have 4 other books I have started or want to start.

I am currently 3/4 the way through The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand.  I am a couple of chapters into Becoming a Contagious Church by Mark Mittelberg and One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp.  I just bought Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo today and can't wait to start it.  

I also have several other books on my bookshelf that I haven't read.  Good thing I have a 4 day weekend coming up!!  

What is on your reading list??