Mom's Group at the Pumpkin Patch

All the kiddos, minus baby boys, Johnathan and Johnathan.

Wow! A picture of Momma and Payton!!

Several kids were terrified of the goats, but not P.... No fear! She LOVES the goats.

Watching as the goat took the cup of food from her.

Picking out her pumpkin before we left.

I Double Dog Dare You

From the publisher: Unconditional love is eagerly promised at weddings, but rarely practiced in real life. As a result, romantic hopes are often replaced with disappointment in the home. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. The Love Dare is a 40-day challenge for husbands and wives to understand and practice unconditional love. Whether your marriage is hanging by a thread or healthy and strong, The Love Dare is a journey you need to take. It’s time to learn the keys to finding true intimacy and developing a dynamic marriage. Take the dare!

Lane and I started The Love Dare a few weeks ago and all I can say is WOW! It's incredible. A few of the dares we've completed:

• to not say anything negative... if you have something negative to say, you bite your tongue.
• to do something unexpected for your spouse
• to buy something for your spouse to let you know you were thinking of them that day
• to call in the middle of the business day to ask how they're doing and tell them you love them.

I'm going to recommend it to our Sunday School class leaders and see if we can turn it into a study.

Introducing Miss Priss Designs!

I have officially started my own embroidery/personalized gift (you can always buy yourself a present!) business, named for the Miss Priss in my life, Payton! I've wanted to do this for a long time and finally decided to have faith and take the leap!

If you have something you'd like personalized, just bring it over or I can come pick it up. Some ideas to get you started - stockings, tree skirts, tote bags, blankets, onesies, tee shirts, etc....

Friends and family pricing is $5 per item for single monograms.

Please spread the word to your friends and family! Email misspdesigns@aol.com to place an order. A website is in the works, but for now, you can view samples on the new blog or click on the image to the right. It will be updated as I have projects completed.

COMING SOON: If you'd prefer for me to do the shopping for you, I'll also carry personalized items for home and baby such as: tote bags, sea grass door mats, plush throws, pillows, umbrellas, towels, cosmetic bags, aprons (cotton and oil cloth for the kiddos), koozies, cafe' coozies (for your Starbucks cup), bibs, burp cloths, bloomers, dresses, birthday shirts, etc... The possibilities are endless!!

I think I'm sick...

with a case of the Don't Wannas.... I'm not sure if I'm in a funk or what, but the past week I've had no motivation at all. I don't wanna do anything! Not the dishes, not the laundry, not errands, nada! This is extremely unlike me!!

I'm a small group leader for our fall bible study. It's hard to lead the discussion when you don't wanna do the homework or prepare for the lesson. I'm sure my group thinks I'm a slacker and I'll never be asked to lead again.

I really think the problem is having too much on my plate and not having enough time to get to it all. I'm "coping" with it by not doing any of it. Don't get me wrong, my house is clean, it's just getting done a lot slower than normal.

Ugh! I hope to get out of this funk soon!!!

Officially Old

Last Thursday, a new shopping center opened in Allen. I dropped Payton off and headed east. While I was shopping, I ran into a friend from high school (graduated 10 years ago in May!). She has two little ones and another on the way. Sometimes it's so surreal to think we're all doing "this"... meaning the house, the kids, the jobs, etc....

I was in Denton at 6 am on Saturday (that meant leaving the house about 5:15) for initiation. On the way there, I started thinking about my initiation and it occurred to me that it's been 9 years! I met Kristin at the Kappa house and we waited in the kitchen with several actives before our part began. Amazing the things to be worried about when you're in college... And why did I think it was a good idea to graduate a semester early and miss 3 months of no responsibilities? Although, if I hadn't, I wouldn't have the amazing family I have now!!

Big Orange Pumpkin Farm

I finally got a chance to upload pictures!

We went to the pumpkin farm 2 Sundays ago with the Renfrows. The admission price included food for the animals, a hay ride, and a hot dog!

P was mooing up a storm and had a blast with all the animals.







They had a bridge for the goats to walk across.

The platform had a hole cut out so they could raise food up to the goats. Payton thought it was hilarious when the goat peeked down at her.

It hadn't rained in forever, but P managed to find the one mudhole on the property....

Mom's Group - Take 2

On Friday, Payton and I made our first Mom's Group since the spring. Her nap was around the same time and it was pointless for us to get ready and only be some place for 30 minutes. We met 3 mommas and 5 kiddos at the park. It was a gorgeous day, and P had so much fun sliding and swinging!


This Friday we're off to the pumpkin patch (it will be our second time) and the following Friday is a little Halloween party.

We Made It!

And Lane will be home in about an hour!! I'm so glad he's coming home early so we can have a family day tomorrow.

Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me?

Payton has been home from MDO for 4 and a half hours and so far I've:

• cleaned up Reesie pee
• tried unsuccessfully to put P down for her afternoon nap
• scooped about 1/4 cup of Reesie's food out of Payton's mouth
• cleaned up a just poured Tervis full of iced tea off my living room carpet
• been screeched at because I wouldn't let P go out the back door with the dogs
• listened to the best little laugh I could ever hear
• stepped in little dog poo on the porch because apparently she can't poop in the grass like normal dogs

Smarty Pants

While Miss Priss was at Mom's Day Out, I went and had a pedicure.
Normally, I choose this:

OPI Sweetheart

Today I was feeling a little crazy and went for this:

OPI something...

Payton noticed immediately that my toes were different and is insistent on touching them!

All By Myself... Don't Wanna Be... All By Myself

Lane left this morning for a pheasant hunt in Kansas. He should be home late Sunday afternoon. My parents and my sister are in Huntsville for my mom's best friend's daughter's wedding (say that 3 times fast).

Payton and I are holding down the fort with Scout and Reesie (my sister's mini-yorkie). Say a little prayer for us... that my patience doesn't waiver and Payton is a well behaved toddler.

I know that so many women have to do this all the time, but when you're not use to your husband and your "second string" being out of town at the same time, it's a tad nerve racking.

Patience...

...clearly something God thinks I need to work on!

Lane was out of town this last weekend having a ball at the OSU/Tech game with Jeff. Elaine and I put a Friday lunch date on the calendar months ago and on a whim decided to go to Canton for First Monday. with. the. kids. Well, with Payton and angel baby Grant! Reese was at school. Payton would not sleep in the car, wouldn't sit in the stroller, couldn't be pacified with anything but me holding her. It's hard enough to maneuver through the (fun) chaos of First Monday as one person... it's nearly impossible when you're carrying a very cranky one year old, pushing a stroller, and trying to do what you went there to do... shop!

Saturday, Payton woke up about 4:45, went back to sleep about 5:15, and you guessed it, I couldn't go back to sleep.

Later that morning, Payton and I went out on the back patio for a bit and I took off her diaper. When we came in, I knew I should've put a diaper back on, but for whatever reason, I didn't. I looked over from doing the dishes and saw P swatting by the back door. You know what's coming... I got to clean poop off the floor.

I started a load of laundry and went to play with P. For whatever reason, I looked into the foyer and saw standing water! Ummm, about 1/2 an inch of water from my laundry room to the front bathroom. It was seeping out the door to the garage and the front door. I didn't have enough towels or blankets to soak up it all up! Luckily, our neighbor had a (very small) wet vac that took care of most of it.

Scout dog decided he needed to get in on the patience lesson and threw up twice on the carpet. Nothing says patience like cleaning up almost 4 cups of undigested, slimy dog food!

Last night we slept with the windows open and I left them open today. We had a sudden rain storm tonight and I didn't really think a thing about it. When I went upstairs to go to bed, I went to shut the windows and the carpet was soaked! We've left the windows open when it rained before and this has never happened. Lane just got back from Walmart to by an 8 gallon wet vac so we can hopefully salvage our carpet.

I just keep telling myself that tomorrow is a new day!