Wednesday Loves

It's time for Wednesday Loves with Jamie.






This week, I'm loving my Dad! (And not just this week... all the time!) I had a headache for most of the day yesterday. When I talked to him last night, he was so worried about my seemingly insignificant headache, but it wasn't insignificant to him. He went to Sonic and got me a chili cheese dog and a CocaCola Classic... an indulgence I rarely give into. And you know what? My headache was gone in no time!! Sometimes, we just need someone to take care of us. I'm so glad my dad is caring and sweet! I'm lucky to have him!

I'm loving this picture...





from the colour's of life shop on etsy. It's taken of a hotel garden in East Jerusalem. It just looks so inviting and magical.

Although I am not into jewelry... and I would never pay over $30 for a necklace... I'm loving this necklace on etsy.





It's just pretty, especially with that cute white top. Am I right?

I'm loving this week's Kelly's Korner blogs. She's doing "a day in the life" type blogs all week, where she tells what each day is like... when they wake up, what they're plans are, when the kids nap, all the little details. I think it is so interesting, knowing that I would be a terrible stay at home mom. It makes me want to keep up and do something! Also, I read this blog yesterday. Sister Lynn is a nun that was inspired to blog about a day in her life after reading Kelly's. It is SO inspiring to read about the amount of time they spend with the Lord each day. I need to make more time for Him!

I'm loving that we'll be having a fun dinner with our friends Aaron and Rebekah tonight. Can't wait!!

I'm loving that Madeley steals my seat every time I get up.





No matter where I've been sitting!





Love her!!

Thanks for reading. Hope you're loving today!

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Ups and downs

Yesterday I was up for change. I was tired of messy and ready for clean. I worked in mine and Derrick's bedroom for most of the day... cleaning, folding, and telling Madeley no. She was all over everything. I went through both closets, pulling out clothes to donate. At around midnight last night, I took a long, deep sigh and was pleased with my work.





But now I feel like it's blank... it needs some ummff! You know what I mean by ummff, right? Well, I'm playing with the idea of painting the furniture with chalk paint. Jessica says no, but we'll see! I can be a DIY girl, I just know it!

Okay, all that aside, I was down today. I had a headache and didn't want to do anything. I am irritated now, because if I worked for one week as hard as I did yesterday, this house would be amazing! I could spend this summer getting stuff done, or thinking about doing it. Now I know the headache and weather held me back, but it won't tomorrow!! I want this time to be spent with Madeley and/or spent being productive. I plan to do a few things in the spare bedroom, then I'll let you know if I've decided to paint the furniture in my bedroom. By the way, my parents bought me that furniture when my sister went to college... 1996. I can change it now, right?

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Adam Levine on The Voice... nice. I think I'll vote for him. :)


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Deliciousness!

I ate a lot today. I hope you don't mind me telling you that, but it's the truth. To start the day off, I had one of my mom's favorites. I can remember her eating this every time the fresh tomatoes were in season. She would slice a tomato and toast a piece of bread. Then she would cover the toast with a slice of tomato, salt and pepper, then a slice of cheese. To finish it up, she would put it under the broiler in the oven. It is so delicious!!


It makes for a fresh, yummy breakfast! I would have liked to have broiled it a little longer, but the smoke alarm went off. Joe freaked out, as well as Caroline and Madeley, so I turned off the oven. My breakfast was still wonderful!

This afternoon, I ate tons of sweet watermelon. In my mind, once you combine sunshine with a delicious watermelon, it definitely feels like summer. While at the pool, Caroline tamed a little butterfly.


Really... the butterfly LOVED her! It kept coming back to sit with her. Of course, she thought it was just amazing. Bug lover! Her mother will never understand her, poor thing!

This evening, we had a family get together for Jessica's birthday. Dad made a pork roast. Ahhh... it was so good!! He does a great job. He even added a few pork chops to the crock pot and they turned out delicious as well! But before dinner, Jessica HAD TO HAVE CAKE! Now, I worked really hard on this cake... what do you think?


Two layer strawberry cake with cream cheese icing, thank you. It was delectable! And it was the first thing these girls went for!


So I went ahead and lit a candle.


And Jessica had a piece.



We had an enjoyable evening. I'm always happy when we get together at Dad's. But, we knew it was time to go when Madeley and Caroline both had meltdowns around eight o'clock. They played and swam so much today... they were bound to breakdown at some point!

Thanks to Dad, Jan Jan, Aunt Betty, and Aunt Kristi for helping with dinner and dishes tonight! We appreciate the help!!

And thanks to you for reading. Goodnight!

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Chasing Fireflies

Madeley and I headed to Little Rock today to see Jessica for her birthday. We enjoyed visiting with her and seeing her new house. They are starting the moving process this week, and it's going to be amazing!! I can wait to do a post about the finished product. I know you'll love it!

Madeley and I brought Caroline back to Dad's house, and we're having a sleepover! Although, Madeley did already go to sleep... she just can't make it much past 8. When it starting getting dark, Caroline asked if the fireflies were out yet. As soon as we saw them, we headed outside. Let me tell you, catching fireflies is not as easy as it used to be. First of all, Dad, Caroline, Joe, and I were all looking. This made for a very interesting event. Dad thought he was going to head into the woods to catch some... ummm, no.


Caroline and I were both in our pajamas. Glad no one drove by!
We finally caught one, and Caroline was so excited! She has a bug jar that has holes in the lid...


At one point, she told me, "The firefly is staying at the top of the jar because he loves those air pockets!!" I just nodded and smiled. I enjoyed attempting to catch tons of fireflies and only ending up with one. We will start a little bit earlier next time.



Now I must go. Caroline and the Disney channel await me!!

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Birthdays!

We are loaded up with birthdays around here. Yesterday was Mrs. Jackie's birthday (my mother-in-law). Today is Jamie's birthday (my cousin). Tomorrow is Jessica's birthday, as well as her father-in-law's 80th birthday. I feel like everyone's turning a year older!

Tonight, we went out for Mrs. Jackie's birthday.


If you'll believe it, Madeley ate dinner before we left, she ate appetizers while we were waiting, then she ate a grilled cheese while we were eating!! She eats like a horse!
We had a great time. I know Mrs. Jackie was glad to get out of the house and spend time with family.

Here's Madeley on the way to dinner... Derrick shared his Duck's Unlimited magazine.


She intently read for about twenty minutes.

Here is a video of Derrick and Madeley talking about the magazine.

She was definitely worn out be the time we got home.


Derrick just loves her like this.


Sweet girl!

Tomorrow, I'll be going to Little Rock to spend time with Jessica. I hope she has a wonderful day!

Thanks for reading.

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Boxing

Playing with Madeley is like a being in a boxing match... it's possible that I could get knocked out at any time. It's like she has no idea that we are about to collide, and she continues at full force. She flails her arms and rocks her head back and forth. She head butted me directly on the cheekbone tonight. I think we were both crying. A few times, she's bucked like a horse and knocked me square on the chin... just slight of knocking me out. Clearly she thinks she's training for MMA or something! I may have to start wearing protective head gear! Any of you ever get attacked/beaten up by your child?


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Wednesday Loves

Ready for Wednesday Loves? Check out what Jamie's loving here.



I am absolutely loving the new ABC Family series Switched At Birth.


It's about two teenage girls who were obviously switched at birth. We see the struggles the girls have, along with their families. Daphne, the redhead played by Katie Leclerc, is deaf. I love her character. She's sweet, intelligent, and hardworking. I think the network has online episodes, so check it out sometime. The new episodes come on Monday nights at 8.

My next love is for BL tomatoes and creamy havarti cheese. My friend Janna had a poolside party this week, and I enjoyed both of these delectable items. She made the BL tomatoes by stuffing tomatoes with a bacon-homegrown lettuce-avocado-mayonnaise mixture, and I LOVE THEM!! Then she also brought along the creamy havarti cheese. It's awesome with crackers and grapes. Thanks Janna for fixing the things I love!

I'm loving that this weekend is Jessica's birthday! As a tribute to her (and because I love her so much), I thought I would share a few pictures with you. Jessica's friend Marsha posted these a while back, but I know many of you did not get a chance to see them.
Jessica's trip around the world on a Barbie bike:
She started at the Innerplan parking lot...


Then over the Golden Gate Bridge...


On to Stonehenge...


Passed the Great Pyramid...


Down the Great Wall of China...


And over the fountain in front of the Taj Mahal...


I absolutely love these pictures. And if you know my sister at all, you love these pictures too!

I'm loving Madeley's little personality. The other day, I was laughing when she was repeating me by saying "no no." My friend Tara said, "You won't be laughing when she says no back to you all the time."
She may be right, but right now, Madeley's just too cute. We'll have to start working on no m'am soon. I don't even think she knows what she's saying right now. Watch this video, and you'll see what I mean...

I love it! Madeley just makes me smile all the time!

Thanks for reading! I hope you have many things you are loving this Wednesday!

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Spiders

I am so dang tired of spiders. Apparently our neighborhood is infested, and those creepy crawlers continuously haunt me. I wish I didn't have to worry about them, but my husband can't bring himself to get near them... so that leaves me to do the killing. Madeley sure isn't stepping up to the task! She walks right over them without paying a bit of attention. Oh to not be scared, it must be nice!!

I saw on twitter the other day, someone said, "The only thing worse than finding a spider is losing a spider!" Now, is that true or what? If I lose the spider, I just KNOW it will jump at me later. Creeeep meee out!!! The same person on twitter said, "If you don't see a spider for a few days, you start thinking... what the heck are they up to?" That cracks me up! When I haven't seen a spider in a while, I think one must be right around the corner... or under the dirty clothes... or sitting on my shoe. That has happened twice! A spider sitting on my flip flop when I go to put it on.

I think I'm just overly freaked out at this point. I killed two today and lost one. Yeah, I'm freaked!! Maybe we'll get our house sprayed on a weekly basis. That would make me feel better!


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Wipes

Huggies wet wipes... I use them for everything!! How did I live 28 years without them? In addition to wiping Madeley's booty, I use them to kill spiders, wipe up messes, take off eye makeup, dust, blow my nose, clean Madeley's face and hands... the list could go on! I guess this is the reason Clorox, Lysol, and Swiffer started making wipes of their own. Don't get me wrong, I use those too, but Madeley's wipes always seem to be there when I need them. Sometimes I think... What would I have used in this situation before I had wipes everywhere? Maybe a paper towel? I know I wouldn't be using that to take off eye makeup. Oh yeah, they make wipes for that too! I should be in the wipe business... spider-killing wipes, dusting wipes, wipes for everything!! Do any of you moms feel the same way? Should I buy the cheap wipes for my needs and use the cushiony Huggies on Madeley? I like the soft, thick feel of the expensive sensitive skin wipes. Just a simple joy in life!

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Madeley was sporting a cute ponytail today. She looked so grown up!


I fixed her hair just like I fix mine... pin back the bangs and pull back the curls. We both looked like a mess, ha ha!

Thanks for reading!

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Happy Father's Day!

We had a wonderful day today! Madeley and I woke up early to wish Derrick happy father's day. We gave him a present and a card that Madeley attempted to sign/scribble all over. He loved it though. We relaxed for a few minutes before hurrying to get ready for church. I waited a little too late to get a picture of Derrick and Madeley in their church clothes. They looked great though.

After church, we headed to Dad's to spend the afternoon with him. Jessica and Caroline joined us. We had a great lunch, then Dad, Caroline, Derrick, Madeley, Joe, and I took a long nap... not all in the same spot. Jessica lounged at the pool. I know she enjoyed the quiet time. It's funny how we plan to spend the afternoon together, then we all end up sleeping! It was nice though. After her nap, Madeley visited with Dad. They had a great time, as usual.


It's just a little dark... from naptime.


I think Dad had a great father's day! We sure do love him!

Later in the evening, we headed to Derrick's parents' house. His dad cooked dinner, and he's getting really good at it! Madeley found Mrs. Jackie's wig. We laughed until we cried! Here she is with Mr. Larry...


With me...


It didn't seem to bother her a bit!





I know she enjoys all the attention, even though she acts shy.

Derrick and I have been blessed with wonderful, caring fathers. We are very lucky. And I know Derrick wants to be the best he can be for Madeley.


She's worth it!

Thanks for reading!

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Long day

We rode home from Fayetteville with my friend Tara today. I did not put Madeley down for a nap at her normal time, because I was hoping (praying) she would sleep in the car. I told Tara I was sure Madeley would fall asleep as soon as we got on the road. Do you think that happened?? Nope!! Tara told me I had jinxed myself. I never should have said that Madeley would nap, because then she wouldn't. And she didn't. She sat in the back and fussed. I would have loved to turn around and pay all of my attention to her, but I get carsick. I had to pick my turn around times very carefully! By the time we got to my car in Little Rock, I was mentally exhausted, and I knew Madeley had to be as well. Poor thing. She had to get out of her carseat in Tara's car, just to get right back in it in my car. She was not a happy camper. But... within five minutes of being in my car, this is what she looked like...


Sound asleep. It was amazing quiet time, and my nerves immediately calmed. I knew she was so tired. She slept until we pulled into Sheridan. We went straight to Dad's house to spend the evening with him and Joe. Madeley had a blast!


She and Dad have a routine. They get out all the toys and play play play!





Our day ended well, and we are now home. Madeley went straight to sleep and I'm trying to decide if I'm going to work out, watch tv, or read Pride and Prejudice... yes, I'm STILL reading it. I will finish it. I will!!

I'm going to leave you with two funny pics. This is Madeley's first time trying on a bra.


She finally got it on and we cheered!


She thought it was too funny! Have a good weekend and thanks for reading.

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Chuck E Cheese!

Short post...

We went to Chuck E Cheese tonight and Madeley was in heaven! She ate lots of yummy food, played lots of fun games, and climbed all over the place.

She loved skee ball...


Her favorite part was the car rides...






Earlier today, we took a much needed nap. When we woke up, she was in the best mood!



See you tomorrow!

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Wednesday Loves

Time for Wednesday Loves!



This week, I loved the Habitually Chic Happy Hydrangea post. I love the beautiful freshness of hydrangeas and the blog made me smile!!


(Martha Stewart pic)

I'm loving that I'm in Fayetteville with my good friends. We are having an amazing time together, and I'm happy to be here.
Tara and her daughter Lola...


This is the best picture I could get of Madeley, Dara, and I.


Here's Leslie with Madeley, who moves too much for a good pic.


Madeley and her classic smile...


Sweet girl!


I'm loving that Dara put a wig on Madeley tonight. We laughed and laughed!








She's a doll!

I'm also loving summer. Just loving it!! Thanks for reading!

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