SNOW?????

I cannot believe we just had snow..... Luckily Robert took the pictures because otherwise I wouldn't have pics to show of our first snow in our new home. It didn't ever really snow last year, not that I remember.


In front of the house.


Another in front of the house.


Back yard.


And one more of the back yard.

Very pretty, but I hope it doesn't last long.

Walk Clinic

Well I have joined the Women Can Run/Walk Clinic. We meet on Monday & Thursday nights from 6 to 7 and I am doing the walking first. They have some speakers on Monday nights for a few minutes and then after we walk for 30 minutes they do door prizes. Yeah I'm there!! I am training for their 5K which will be May 9th. I thought this would help me train for the other 5K I'm doing with my dad May 16th. We walk for 30 minutes and each week you walk faster. So this week, we walk 4 minutes regular and 1 minute brisk walk and each week it'll increase until you can do the whole 30 minutes brisk walking. I am proud of this challenge I have taken on. The only issue I'm having are my shins. Hopefully I'll get them stronger as the weeks go on. I am determine to finish this race. I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me. :)

I'll have to get a picture of me soon for you!

**UPDATE** - The above post was done on 2/26, and as of 3/12 I'm still going strong. :) Robert says he can tell I'm losing weight so even a bigger plus!!!

The BIG Celebration!!!!

Well tonight I was baptized for a 2nd time. The amazing thing was there was 80 people to be baptized. Oh the Lord is so good!!! I was saved and baptized when I was 15 and I know I knew what I was doing, but didn't really understand or grasped it. I made some hard choices after that and this baptizing was a cleansing for me. I truly feel separated from the old, from my past. I was soooooooo excited and on the verge of tears the whole night. The best part of the night was my darling hubby got to be right there and take part in baptizing me. It's a moment I will never forget. When him and Mark (associate pastor and the other one who baptized me) brought me back up, I turned to get out and Robert just gave me the biggest, romantic hug. :'-)

Here are some pics:

Here I am with Robert anxiously waiting.


Getting in to what looked like a hot tub.


I love the smile on Robert's face. Mark is the guy on the right. He's awesome!




Robert and Mark baptizing me. Oh it was so good to share this with Robert!!!


The water was so warm, but I was cold when I got out. So excited!!!!

Sorry to make this blog long, but I found the below and felt it was so fitting for my big day. Also, I turned 34 back in November and I said to myself that day that 34 was going to be a big year for me. Little did I know what God had in store. :)

I dare you, dear soul of mine, to notice the stark evidence of a spirit that is tainted and a heart that must be placed under the microscope of God's Word. Yes, indeed, unsettle me Lord.

Unearth that remnant of unforgiveness.

Shake loose that justification for harshness.

Reveal that broken shard of pride.

Expose that tendency to distrust.

Unsettle me in the best kind of way. For when I allow Your touch to reach the deepest parts of me - dark and dingy and hidden away too long - suddenly, a fresh wind of life twists and twirls and dances through my soul.

I can delight in forgiveness and love more deeply.

I can discover my gentle responses and find softer ways for my words to land.

I can recognize the beauty of humility and crave the intimacy with God it unleashes.

I can rest assured though harsh winds blow, I will be held.

Goodbye to my remnants, my justifications, shards, and tendencies. This is not who I am, nor who I was created to be.

Goodbye shallow love, sharp words, self-focus, and suspicious fears. I am an unsettled woman who no longer wishes to take part in your distractions or destructions.

Welcome deeper love, softer words, unleashed intimacy, and the certainty I am held.

Welcome my unsettled heart.

Welcome to the new me.

Scenario #2: It's Tough Being A Woman in a World Where Beauty is a Treatment

What woman doesn't like beauty treatments??? Don't know about you, but I love massages, getting my nails done, my hair, and makeovers...... Yes I love it all. New make-up with the new colors of the seasons.... Yes I'm there!

This week in bible study it was more wondering if the creators of "The Bachelors" read the book of Esther. :) Instead of a month or two of this show, these women back in the day had to go through 12 months of beauty treatments! Or shall I say girls! Six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. Then she would go and spend the night with King Xerxes only to leave in the morning and only come back IF the king summoned her. Which is getting it over with quickly instead of the whole rose ceremony. I wonder though if he kept a few that they narrowed it down or if it was truly a one time thing. hmmmmm????

Some interesting facts I picked up were that Esther's real name was Hadassah. She was raised by her male cousin because she had no mother or father. Esther's Persian name means "star". She was also very lovely.

One thing that Beth Moore said that I thought was neat: "You cannot amputate your history from your destiny." How true that must be at times, or at least for me. Yet they were things that help create who I am today.

Beth saids there are 4 types of women. 1. Everyone thinks she's pretty. 2. Wants all the men to think she's beautiful. (Dangerous) 3. Wants no one to think she is beautiful (Frightened) 4. Hopes someone thinks she's beautiful.

Where do you fit? Any of them? I'm truly blessed in knowing that my hubby thinks I'm beautiful and it's what's on the inside that makes me beautiful to him.

Scenario #1 - It's Tough Being a Woman In Another Woman's Shadow

Okay I promised you all I would start up again on the Esther bible study when I started going to it at my church. My mom is going with me and so it makes it much more enjoyable. We started tonight and seeing it for the second time just on the introductory part is so worth it!! Beth Moore just really cracks me up!

So I shared with you before the first scenario for Esther It's Tough Being a Woman in the title. The top 3 toughest things of being a woman from a survey was: 1) Yielding - Submissive Role, 2) Balance, 3) Hormones #1 Reason.

Some of you may know this, but I find it rather neat. God is not mentioned in the whole book of Esther, BUT believe me, He is working behind the scenes the whole time. Esther is a very neat story. More then I thought it would be. :)

Hope in biblical term "Anxious Expectation". I just love this!!!

Seek to know the will of God. Seek Him and He will find you!

I will share more with you.......stay tune!!!!

Valentine's Day

Well this is what I woke up to this morning.....


Robert bought this little shirt for Hammy. I rolled over in bed and was so overwhelmed that Robert did that. How sweet!

The shirt said "Handsome Hunk". And of course he is!!! Any girl dog would be so lucky to have him. :)


The look of "mom, please do we have to do this???"


I also found this on my pillow. It's a love journal that Robert got for us to leave notes, or prayers for each other. You just write your thoughts and place it on the other's pillow for them to find. How sweet is that!!!!


I made Robert a slideshow. I will try to post it on here somehow later.

We did not have our girls this week-end which made it even more romantic..... :)

Basketball with the Boys

Tonight I got to go and watch the Maumelle police play against some Razorback players. It was the MOST hilarious thing I have seen. I went with my Daddy Steve and Robert. All 3 of us were just cracking up the whole night. You could tell that some of these guys had NEVER played basketball. They were rolling the basketball, running with the ball. The announcers were just giving points to the Maumelle police players by the end of the game because they were feeling sorry for them. This was all in good fun, and all donations went to the Maumelle police FOP for Special Olympics. So hey a double whammy with a tax write off. :)


Here are the Maumelle Police players.


Here are the Razorback players.






Here's me and my dad.


Here's me and my hubby.


Here's a couple of pics of the boys playing basketball.




Again it was a lot of fun and I look forward to the next time!!!

Ready, Set, Action!!!!!

Ashley was in a play tonight. She's in the 5th grade and her class did a play called "Annie Jr.". I could not get over how well the girls that played orphens could really sing! Especially the girl that played Annie. She was great!! Ashley didn't try out for a speaking part so she decided to do the Stage Hand. She did great! All I got was a picture of the program.

Water, Bible Study, Sernading, & American Idol......

Okay everyone, I've started a new challenge this week. I bought a 2.2 liter water bottle (8 cups of water). I've done two days in a row now. I have never used the bathroom as much as I do now at work!!!! :) I hear this is suppose to help with my face (no breakouts), weight loss, and on and on...... I've been walking every night or working out on the Wii Fit. I can't have my dad showing me up with losing all his weight over the next year. Plus, I told him I was serious about training to go to Havasu Falls with him next June.

Bible Study: Okay, I have signed up at MY church for the same bible study. The one with Lee, I attended the 1st one and 5th one. I'll have to miss next week so I'm missing the bulk at her church. I figured this way I can catch up on what I've missed. Mine is on Monday nights starting next week. So I will do what I said and post my thoughts on the bible study of Esther.

Today at work, this boy showed up from Pulaski Academy to seranade a lady that works upstairs at Merrill. When he came back down Darla asked him to sing to her, which became singing to all the ladies in the office once we heard this incredible voice floating through the office. Levon, ops manager, was saying he needed to go try out for American Idol. He does!!! Speaking of American Idol, Kris Allen from my church tried out and he's in Hollywood. So if you are an American Idol fan, PLEASE vote for him!!!! I have updated my music to play this song. I absoultely love this song. It's called "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz. Enjoy!

The New Shelby

Guess what everyone!!! Shelby got her braces off!!! So here's the before with her braces.....


Here's the after picture with her braces off!!! She is sooooooooo pretty. Of course I'm her mom so I naturally think she's beautiful. WOW!!! Daddy better finish getting the shot gun cleaned..... :)


This one is at Dr. Collazo's office. I wouldn't trust anyone else to do ortho work on my girls after what I've gone through, which the ortho doc shall remain anonymous on here.

Here's one at home. Shelby is so happy and I love to see her smile!!


Everything is happy in the Floyd house tonight! :)