Snowmen.....(but only a few).

Snowmen with Booties

As you can see by the 2nd picture my husband thinks that

because they have booties that we should be looking at the bootie!

Snowman Nativity Set

Again Rocky thinks the angels standing guard should be facing backwards,

what am I going to do with him?

My other snowman nativity.

Silly Romeo....playing in the tree skirt.

Rocky's New (used) Toy!

As long as I have known my husband he has wanted a 4-wheeler. Most of you know they are pretty proud of the brand new ones. A friend of ours called him yesterday to alert him of 2 used ones that were for sale at a good price and in good condition. We went this morning and had a look see and left as the proud new owners of a Yamaha Timberwolf. It's older, but it runs, has new tires and a winch (I guess that was important). He is a happy camper and I am to, because now after 18 years he finally has one!!

After we got it home, I got on and rode it like a mad woman around our yard several times. It was GREAT. Rocky threatened to hide the key so the neighbors wouldn't be reporting the crazy lady riding in circles in her yard. Hee hee......

I'm still here...

I just hadn't taken the time to post lately. We've been kind of busy and honestly I just really hadn't had a lot to say. Lots of exciting things going on at church and God is doing some things in my heart and I just haven't been ready to really put it out there yet. Still not sure how to put things in words just yet, but its all good. Again, I'm learning how amazingly forgiving He is, not to mention the grace and mercy that He lavishes upon me daily. I do not know how people get thru the things in life without having Him to guide them and be there strength. Soon, I'll put it all together and decide if I am going to put it out there to be read or not. I probably will because I feel like if I walk thru it and allow Him to walk it with me then the glory should go to Him and then I should be there for others in the same shoes, I want others to benefit from my mistakes and turns in the wrong directions and the grace and forgiveness that was never ending that in the end has brought peace. Not sure that made sense, but basically since I've been there, done that, come thru it, if I can't do anything else to help, I can pray for others that are there now and hope that they come thru it quicker than I did. I have always learned the hard way, I'm trying to stop that cycle.

Happy Birthday Rocky!!!

On his actual birthday we both took the day off from work and drove down to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to eat at the Beau Rivage. It is a beautiful hotel/casino in Biloxi. They have an amazing buffet and a gorgeou marina where people with the big bucks can park their boats. We had a lovely drive and enjoyed just having some time to away. The only negative aspect of the day was the a/c going out in the Explorer, but we'll cross that bridge in the spring when we need it again.

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Happy Birthweek Rocky (part 2)

These pictures were taken at our house on Sunday afternoon. We had my parents and sisters family come for home made red velvet cake (always what he gets for his birthday) and present opening. He received a gift card for Walmart and Bass Pro Shop and I got him a Game Camera that hangs on a tree and takes pictures of deer when they walk by. He is tickled, so I guess I did good. I guess we'll know this Saturday when he goes to check it if it works well or not.

As usual trying to avoid the camera by putting the gift bag in front of his face.

Justin, Sandy and Hannah hanging out on the love seat.

Mitchell and Sandy hanging out on the couch.


Notice how Sandy is always where the LOVE is. She'll do anything for a belly rub!

Happy Birthweek Rocky (part 1)

In our house we somehow manage to drag out birthdays to last pretty much for a whole week. The first birthday event was at the Red Beans and Rice Festival at Trustmark Park. It is a very fun event. You spend $10 and eat much more than you should and decide which one is the best. It's not usually a difficult decision, there are several that always stand out above the rest. Our dear friends Dawn & Jeff joined us and it was a beautiful day to be outside enjoying some red beans. The theme this year was "Raiders of the Lost Bean" so all of the booths were decorated and the people were dressed like characters in Raiders of the Lost Ark. They did a great job.

Just for you Granny Jean (part 2)

Just for you Granny Jean!!

Fun New Layout (this is it Missi)

This picture was taken at the pre New Years Eve Crop at ASF in December of 2007.

Back to the real world...

...after a nice fun long weekend. I took Friday off and so did my BFF, she came to the house and we spent the day watching chick flicks and scrappin'! It was a fabulous peaceful and productive day. Our husbands decided we are both much more productive in that setting. I completed 13 pages, 12 of which were in a vacation album that I just wanted to be done with (so they were very simple) and Dawn did 9 (I think). I guess they just don't get the whole idea of a crop is not just about the pages, but about the fellowship, friendships and fun we have when we get together with a bunch of other scrappers for the night! But, at least now that ASF is closed we do still have my house until another option makes itself available to us.


Saturday I went and did some more Christmas shopping and then we went to the fair that evening with Dawn, Jeff, their kids and their friends. It was hot when we first arrived, but not long after it was perfect fair weather with a nice breeze, we had a great time.

The petting zoo was quite an experience the goats were cute but quite hungry.....




and the camel well he was quite friendly as you can see. I guess he really wanted that carrot in my hand, but he kind of freaked me out when he made it clear he wanted it, as you can see, ha.

Sunday was another lovely church service, then lunch at Keifers. We had to go there after not buying a gyro at the fair either time we went because they were ridiculously priced and Keifers' is much better anyways. After that we went to visit Rocky's brother who was in the hospital. Still not sure what is up, but he was running fever and chills with no other symptoms so they were being cautious because of the undefined brain tumor and the meds that he takes. So far, still no diganosis as to the cause of the fever, but he was borderline dehydrated also. He was feeling better when we saw him and hoping to go home today. Keep them in your prayers please. After that we went home and I just vegged the rest of the day. I went to bed at 8:00 and watched TV till 10, then it was off to lala land.

So, that's it for my nice long fun weekend, hope you had a great one and have a fabulous upcoming week.

Surprise, Surprise......

I am not sure if this shirt is just made to be very flattering or if finally it is starting to show that I've lost over 20 pounds this year, but I saw this photo and actually was encouraged to keep working. That is my handsome hubby behind me on the left and my best friends handsome hubby behind me to the right. Dawn was taking the picture so wasn't in it...why I didn't take the opportunity to use her nice new fancy smancy camera and make sure she got in a picture I do not know....sorry about that Dawn...we know you were with us, even if the pictures don't tell us so.

My Latest Creation

I lifted this idea from another scrapper and made it my own. I am very pleased with the finished product. I am contemplating making a few more. This one is a Christmas present for a special somebody in my life.

Not to much going on around here, but it is Friday for me. I took tomorrow off to spend the day scrappin' with my friend Dawn. It's been a long time since we scrapped together and I'm looking forward to it.

It's Tuesday...

...not to much going on around here, I guess that is why I haven't posted much, nothing new or exciting to talk about. Not sure if I posted last week or not but I lost 2 pounds, this week I maintained. It was a busy event filled weekend and I did not make good choices. I didn't blow it as badly as I have many times in the past, I just didn't make the best decisions about what I was eating. I'm focused today and will see a loss next week.

That's all folks.....

Scrap Marathon....

It was a fun emotional weekend full of scrapbooking. It started out as a Friday night crop to say our final farewells to the greatest scrapbook store ever. We were not saying goodbye to each other because well it just can't be goodbye. The store within the walls will close but our friendships are lasting and we will scrap together again! The last lady finally left the store about 9p.m. on Sunday night. She was determined to stick it out till the end. Love ya bunches Patsy!

Here are the layouts I did this weekend. You can't really tell because it doesn't show up but I discovered STICKLES (glitter glue) and I went nuts. Its on anything that stood still long enough to get stickled.

Brainwashed & Sky High...

(I stole my title from the title of the sermon at church last night.)

So, did you realize that God created brainwashing. He talks about our minds being renewed and washed with the Word of God. I want my mind to be washed and made clean. An example given was that of reworking antique furniture. First you have to get all of the gunk off, clean it up and get back to natural clean wood. Then you can put on a fresh new coat of stain/paint and it has been restored. Our minds are the same. The old addage garbage in, garbage out is a great example. But it can work the other way, take the time to get the garbage out, clean out your mind and use the word of God to put in things that are true, holy and pure. Think on those things. Put on the mind of Christ. He said it over and over again and I don't guess you can say it to many times, the WORD is how you renew your mind, it is how you overcome your circumstances. When a situation comes at you, go to the word, find God's answer for your situation and get it in you. Use a concordance, ask other people, be led by the Holy Spirit whatever it takes at that moment, find out what God says about your situation and then stand on it. When you do that you faith is inspired and you are able to fly SKY HIGH above the problem, you can get over it and it not get you down. The Word says: "He always causes us to triumph in Christ", "He has made us overcomers by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony", "We are more than conquerors"! There is VICTORY in Jesus so why walk in defeat?

This statement said it all......

You know when you have been brainwashed by God (and His Word) when a situation presents itself and your FIRST thought is....what does God say about this.....

This message could not have been more timely, I have a testimony that has presented itself even as I type this message. Truly in this area I have been brainwashed.....

Rocky just called and my car is getting fixed and will drive fabulously and I did not panic at the total it will cost to get it that way!! This comes from years of having my faith inspired by the word in this area and knowing that the word is true. We live daily knowing that "My God shall supply all of my need according to His riches in Glory" and "Give and it shall be given unto you, pressed down, shaken together and running over shall men give unto your bosom". God has always been faithful to show us this is true in our life. Not to mention that the word of our testimony in areas of what could have been financial devestation have always proven us to be OVERCOMERS! This one will too. My first thought was truly that God would supply the need and praise God my car is getting fixed and I'll feel safe driving it!

I hope this made sense because I certainly did not speak nearly as well or clearly as it was spoken to us as a congregation last night, but it sure did speak to my heart. Thank You Lord always being right on time.

Saying goodbye....

...when you really don't want to sucks.

I just read news that makes me very sad and I feel kind of lost like part of me is being torn away and I want to keep it. The greatest scrapbook store in the universe is having to close its doors, I understand 100% the reasons why and completely respect the owner and woman I consider a dear friend for chosing her family and putting herself first.

The store will never be forgotten, I know some may read this and think she's lost her mind, how can a store be that important. What you don't know is that the store is not just a building with 4 walls, it is a place where you feel like you are home when you walk in the door. Even the first time I went through those doors and was met by Jo, Pam and Polly, I knew it was different, it was special, the spirit was of love and acceptance. In the 4 years that ASF has been opened I have grown in confidence and self esteem and felt like for the first time in my life that there was a "click" that I belonged in. It will always be a place that changed my life and my idea of scrapbooking. Many friendships have grown from friday night crops. I will surely miss the times that we won't have there but also will cherish the ones that we did.

Jo, if you read this...I love you and thank you for making a place available that made a difference in my life.

Good News

I was happy to get on the scale this morning, it was a good result. I lost 6 pounds this week and went a whole week with no sweets. I am even wondering if that in itself did not make it that much easier to stay focused. Almost as if without the sweets I was not constantly craving something. When I did crave something sweet I went for a banana or a small bowl of cereal with a packet of splenda. It was a nice week and I exercised 4 times in that week. I feel strong and confident and look forward to watching Biggest Loser tonight and seeing how their week went.

Now onto week 2! I'm considering sticking to no sweets since I managed to get thru without them just fine.

Nothing to exciting planned for this day, although I need to make a walmart run at lunch for a few items they just didn't have at Walgreens. I know exactly what I need so I can get in and out with no problem.

I am wishing I had a 3 day weekend coming up...maybe I should just create one....hhhhmm. I'm trying to get some vacation time stored up but it is like money in my pocket, its burns a hole in it. I've got it why not use it...okay, must focus.

I'm rambling...gotta love me....going now.....be blessed and be a blessing on purpose!

Well crud our network has gone down so I need to ramble a bit longer cause I can't publish this post right now. Hopefully it will come back shortly and I won't end up losing all this mindless rambling I'm doing. Ah , it's back.....bye.....

Is it really Monday already?

Yes, I know the answer to that question, yes it really is Monday...again. Weekends seem to get shorter and shorter every week, not sure why that is, because Monday thru Friday does not have the same effect.

I did really well all weekend. I'm expecting good results on the scale tomorrow. I took Sandy for a walk on Saturday morning and that was nice, it was good for both of us. She is so funny though she has to walk through every puddle she can find. I guess it helps cool her off or she just likes getting in my car with wet feet. Either way it was nice to get some exercise on the weekend. I plan to get my walking in during the day on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from this point even if it means going at lunch and using my time for the break, at least until its to cold do walk outside, which doesn't last long here in Mississippi.

Not much planned for this week in fact I do believe other than church on Wednesday night I will be sticking with ABC's motto for the week "National Stay at Home Week".

I want to go to Hobby Lobby today but all of my spending money is in my hubby's pocket, so I guess it will have to wait. This is the great SCRAP SALE week and I am trying to stock up on having cardstock and plenty of stuff for the Crop Connection in January and 50% off sales definitely help in building my stash.

I am pretty much rambling so I guess that's it for today...I hope to have a good report tomorrow!

Have a great day and stive to be a blessing on purpose!

Salads are Sneaky...

I had a Southwest Taco Salad from Wendy's at lunch. Thankfully I only used one packet of the dressing they put in the bags and they forgot the sour cream. I suppose I should have checked the nutritional info before getting and then eating the salad. Anyways, with the tortilla strips and dressing it was 600 calories. I guess it would have been much worse to have a burger and fries, but I was still kind of surprised.

Now I'm trying to figure out what is for dinner. I forgot to get the pork chops out of the freezer, so I'm trying to decide if I can get them thawed out quickly by putting them in some water or if I should just stop at Kroger and buy some more.....that will likely be my best bet cause then they have time to marinate. I know I'm going to roast some squash and then saute some new potatoes and onions in a bit of olive oil...I really am working towards healthy and better choices. The chops will be baked or grilled, unsure yet, depends on what time Rocky actually gets home.

Friday again..finally.

As always I am ready for the weekend. I've had a great week and have not cheated at all, in fact I've not really even had the urge to. It's nice to have healthy food in the house, when I wanted a snack last night I had a banana with a bit of peanut butter on it, it satisfied the need and it wasn't bad for me. I walked again yesterday and discovered that the building on "the hill" that I walked on Tuesday has stairs on the opposite side of the building. It was tough to go up and down them but it wasn't as scary as going down that steep hill and concentrating on every step and fearing that one wrong move and I'd tumble to the bottom of the hill and end up laying in the middle of Jefferson Street. That was quite a picture in my brain.

My boss is back in the hospital after suffering a setback yesterday from the surgery he had a month ago. I won't give any details out of respect for him and his family. Yet, I will say that watching what he's been through has definitely helped me to realize the importance of what I hope will become a healthy lifestyle. I don't want to have problems later in life because of stupid choices I make now. My eyes are opened to the reality of what bad choices will do to your body. I believe completely that Jesus is the Great Physician, but I also feel responsible for taking care of what He gave me. He specifically tells us not to harm the temple of the Holy Spirit and that is our body. He calls us to not only honor Him with our life and words but with our bodies. I am thankful that He is forgiving and when I blow it He isn't judging me for it, because I do know there will be times when I blow it...I mean hello have you been on a cruise ship? I have and there is more food than any one person should consume in a month more less a week. I did gain less this year than last year so hopefully next year I will keep the same momentum going but our cruise is 2 days longer....yikes. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, no need to borrow trouble from tomorrow when today is all I can live in.

Not much going on here today, its quiet and half the staff isn't even in the office and my BFF is not at work today, so I'm quite bored, who knows you might get another post out of me later. For now, this is all I have.....if I don't check in later I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and make a point to be a blessing on purpose!!

It was a success!

My first day went very well. I did not come close to eating all of my calories for the day but I will not make a habit of doing that. It was just one of those days where it worked out that way. After work I went to the grocery store, has anybody else realized how much more expensive it is to eat healthy? Sheesh...anyways, I bought most of my groceries from the perimeter of the store, bought very few things on the aisles. Mostly meat, produce and dairy products. I felt good about my purchases and my future. I had a fabulous salad when I got home and ate it while I watched the Season Premiere of The Biggest Loser. It is promising to be another great season and definitely motivating and inspiring. I think Gillian is going to try and prove she is definitely not the "nice" one. What I think people are interpretting as nice is her compassion and concern for her team. I don't think that makes her nice when she is in trainer mode at all. She is rough, tough, in your face and down right mean, ha. She would like to see that I wrote that I'm sure. Yet, you can tell she is pushing them because they need it and it keeps them from quitting. Oh, how I wish I had 4 months to take off work and could get chosen to be on the Biggest Loser...I'd probably flunk out, not sure my emotions could take the boot camp type pressure, I'm kind of a woos.

So, on to today, my calves were so sore this morning from walking up and down that huge hill yesterday, so I opted to wait and walk again tomorrow. Seemed like the right thing to do, but I am actually looking forward to going again. I'd like to work myself up to the point of being able to do it several times without such drama from my lungs. Hopefully this beautiful fall weather will hold out so I can keep walking during the day, if not it will be back to the ball park for me, which is okay, just not as convenient. I have no excuse during the day to not walk because I do get a lunch break every day.

We are half way to Friday and I love Wednesdays, because it the night of "gathering of the saints together" or as most would say it's CHURCH NIGHT. I love Wednesday night service always have.

I guess that's all...oh yeah, so far I'm well within my calories and have already chosen what I will eat at McAlister's for dinner. Have a great day and be a blessing on purpose.

It's the First Day of...

...the rest of my life....AGAIN. But as I have been told by a very wise person in my life, as long as you never give up you can't fail. This is good advice in my thinking.

The Biggest Loser:Families starts tonight and I am very excited to get going with them. I have fallen hard off the wagon in the past few months and gained back half of what I'd lost this year. Good thing is I didn't wasted so much time that I gained it all back. This is progress.

After spending some time in prayer and asking God for guidance in how to proceed I feel strongly that I am to fast sweets for this first week while I find my footing. I have read in several places that your ideal calorie count should be what your goal weight is and add a zero. So like if you want to weight 150 you should go for 1500 calories. This seems right to me, so I'm going to be working towards staying within the calories that are at that goal and for now I'm not going to share any goals or even what my weight is. I always have in the past and then I'm so ashamed and upset when I fail, so for now my goals are going to be between me and God and I'll let you know when I reach them.

Pretty much my plan is to exercise, make healthy choices and portion control. Thankfully I am already a water drinker so that is not an issue. I drink at least 5 bottles of water everyday (except on the weekends and sometimes I slack a bit because I'm busier and not sitting at a desk).

I really want to get to a place where its a lifestyle and not a diet, but right this minute I have to admit that this is a diet for me, working towards changing my lifestyle, but in the meantime I'm going to try to find what works for me so that it can become a forever change. It has been proven to me time and time again that this is a lifelong issue and its high time I accept it and find a way to overcome it....I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and I'm trusting Him to be with me as I start on yet another path towards and heatlh and liking what I see in the mirror.

I just walked around the block 2 times (not quite a mile) and up and down the hill on Amite Street that goes to the entrane to the fairgrounds on Jefferson St. I'm whipped but I feel good to have gotten some exercise and spent that time praying also, so I'm working my physical and spiritual muscles. God is faithful and I know He will help me through and that He has already made me more than a conqueror and that includes over food and laziness!!

So......I did it.......

....in real life its a bit blonder with a tinge of strawberry blond . The lighting doesn't give you the real affect, but its a general idea anyways. I like it but its taking some adjusting when I look in the mirror.

New Scrappin' Layouts...