slip & slide videos

Some of the fun we have been having.....

So besides all of us learning a bit from God, we have also been enjoying his creation as well. Perryn has finished T-ball and the next big thing will be swimming lessons for the month of June. Teagan will go the first 2 weeks and Perryn will go the last 2 weeks. I have put ALL of our pictures from this month over on the slideshow and when I can get the slip and slide videos put together, I will post them as well...they are REALLY FUNNY.

Here you can see Perryn and Teagan really enjoying the slip and slide at Grammy and Grandpa Andy's house this past holiday weekend. Neither one of them would run and slide, so Gabe was kind enough to just push them down the slide...I think they ALL loved it. I know they were tired enough to fall asleep on the way home that night. Teagan trying to push Perryn down the slide. heehee
My absolute FAVORITE picture!!!

Teagan had a hard time making it all the way down the slide...the boy is HEAVY!!

Perryn wanted her picture taken on Grammy's bench. Those sunkissed cheeks are from the day before at her t-ball swim party.

With Nana and Big Daddy looking at the fountains at the Round Rock Outlet Mall.

Taking her last at bat.

She really wanted a trophy, but decided the medal was just as good!!

Learning...

We have been learning the last few months since we moved here to Round Rock, what it means to give/think of others. We started off in February by heading down to Giddings once a month to help them hand out food with their Food Pantry. In February, both Perryn and Teagan were more interested in playing in the sand pit than they were in helping. However, March, April, and May have been much better. They both enjoy helping. Perryn likes to help sort and bag the food, Teagan likes to help carry the baskets to the cars of those we are helping.

A few weeks ago, we went to Hill Country Bible Church in Hutto to hear Jacob Vanhorn preach. We have been trying to hook up with him for several weeks if not a month or so. While we were there, they announced their 'Baby bottle' initiative to help the local pregnancy advocacy center. We took a bottle, brought it home, and filled it with our loose change. I kept trying to explain what a pregnancy center was and how it helped young women who got pregnant, but I wasn't sure Perryn really understood. I think it began to click when we dropped the bottle off at the church office on Thursday as we were on our way to Taylor to drop off a baby shower cake.

Well, on Friday, after having a long day of running errands and such. I was a tired mommy, but my heart almost melted when I heard these words, "Mommy, I have a great idea. Let's go get some baby stuff so we can give the pregnancy place a present." As much as I did NOT want to go back out into the heat, I knew we needed to act quickly on Perryn's idea. So she picked out the pink polka dot bag and we headed to Target to find a few things to put in it. We had to wait until today to deliver the package. However, before we could, Perryn had to make them a card to go with it. (I forgot to take a picture of it...bummer it was cute with lady bugs). Anyways, here are some pictures of her delivering the present.

In the backseat when we arrive to the Agape Pregnancy Resource Center in Round Rock. Having her picture taken by the office manager.
Teagan waiting patiently for us to be finished.
Perryn having her picture taken with the Child Advocate.

Well, I have been doing some learning as well. We have some friends, the Henrys and the Weirs, that started an organization called the Red Letters Campaign. As I have been researching their website, I have also felt led to read the book that inspired their organization. Holy cow, Have I been BLIND!! I find myself becoming more and more aware of the people around me here in the Austin area, but now the people who are thousands of miles away as well. I am not finished with the book, but I am already being convicted that I need to be doing more to help end extreme poverty and helping those who are infected with HIV/AIDS.

I would like to encourage you to head over to the Red Letters Campaign to see more about what they are doing. They are partners with Children's Hope chest which is working diligently to end extreme poverty and HIV/AIDS. Please go check out both websites and even pick up the book to read. I was happy to be able to be in on a conference call with the author Tom Davis, and his vision is right on. Gabe and I are praying as to how God wants to use us with red letters/children's Hope chest. It may come in the form of my small business. Please head over to that blog and check out the new things God has shown me to do. I am praying that God will do something REALLY BIG with my little business that only He can take credit for. How awesome that will be. Blessings and I look forward to sharing more with you as I learn.

T-ball update

Here are some pictures of Perryn in her last couple of games. Her official last game is on Thursday night at 5:30. She has been doing very well, although her attention span is still about 45 minutes when it comes to both games and practices. She is easily distracted by flowers, butterflies, and wanting to chit chat with everyone else. Gotta love this girl!!

Mother's Day Part 2

How much do I love these three beautiful people? I don't know if I can even put it into words. They made this Mother's Day absolutely PERFECT. Thank you so much for treating me like royalty this weekend!! I love you all!!



So on Saturday, Perryn and Gabe went out on a 'date' per say to find me the perfect gift. When they got home Perryn couldn't contain her excitement! I wasn't sure if I was supposed to come down the stairs or not. When Gabe assured me I could, here is what I came down to. Perryn put it together ALL by herself. She even had to 'win' a heated discussion as to what color the bow should be. She reminded Gabe that my favorite color is orange and that's what color the bow should be. I love it.

Sunday morning I woke up to find this fun musical card. When you open it up, there is a fun little message from my family and then it starts playing "Unbelievable", it's very cool! Here it is...

Then on Monday, the FedEx guy dropped this off.....

Yes, it's a red iPod. And even though, I helped pick it out, Gabe had the engraving done (with the help of my sister). When I got it yesterday, I was informed that the 'theme' for Mother's Day this year was 'Super Mom'. My iPod says "Super Mom, we love you! Love, Perryn and Teagan". I must say, my heart melted and jumped a few beats when I read it. What even makes my (RED) iPod even more special is that it "provided 83 single dose (nevirapine) treatments for mother and baby, to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child". Please check out the link to see how you can help with the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa.

Thank you so much Gabe, Perryn, and Teagan. I really love my WHOLE weekend of love. You guys are the best!!

Here's Perryn's picture of me with my hot pink 'kitty' on Saturday night!!

**Check out the card/craft blog soon to see our Mother's Day gifts we gave and the Mother's Day cards that I made for them too.

Happy Mother's Day Part 1

This is especially for my friends Shannon, Kecia, Caroline, Keri, Lauren, Natalie, Kristyn, Sarah, Rebekah, Bethany, Wendi, Angel, and new moms Jenny and Beth. May you have a great day tomorrow. I will post pictures of my Mother's Day in the next day or so...I am getting daily gifts which started today. *I took the following poem from Amy's website (sorry I can't link you since she had to go private until their adoption goes through), but I found it fascinating and beautiful at the same time! Blessings to you all. I love each of you (and miss all of you in the DFW area)!!

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here.
"Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted.This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.
For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes, and all the mothers who DON'T.
This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.
This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors. And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars. Ad that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.
This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.
This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the (grand)mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.
This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat. For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then read it again, "Just one more time."
This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.
This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.
This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college -- or have their own families.This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.
This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them. For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14 year olds dye their hair green.
For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.
This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war. What makes a good mother anyway?Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?Or is it in her heart? Is it the ache she feels when she watches her son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes her from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put her hand on the back of a sleeping baby? The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when she just wants to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in her home?Or the need to flee from wherever she is and hug her child when she hears news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying? The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation...
And for mature mothers learning to let go.
For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers.
Mothers with money, mothers without.
This is for you all. For all of us... Hang in there. In the end we can only do the best we can. Tell them every day that we love them. And pray and never stop being a mother...Author unknown

Elizabeth's Top 5 Things:

1. 5 Things I Couldn't Live Without for Under $5
-Hand sanitizer
-gum
-chapstick
-sonic/chick fil a tea with lemon
-

2. 5 Favorite Movies
-Transformers
-Gladiator
-Polar Express
-13 Going on 30
-Ever After


3. 5 Baby Names I Love But Won't Use
-Lucy
-Zander
-Logan
-Jamie
-Madeline

4. 5 Songs I Could Listen To Over and Over Again
-Amazing Grace (My chains are gone) by Chris Tomlin
-Cinderella by Stephen Curtis Chapman
-Would You Go With Me by Josh Turner
-Your Man by Josh Turner
-Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood


5. 5 People Who Have Influenced My Life In A Positive Way
-My Husband
-Jesus
-My Parents
-My Grandparents
-Shannon, Kecia, & all my friends at The Village Church

6. 5 Things That Stay In My Purse At All Times
-Wallet
-Chapstick
-Hand Sanitizer
-Cake portfolio
-Cake/Craft business cards

7. 5 Moments That Have Changed My Life Forever
-Becoming a Christian
-Recovery @ The Village
-Moving to Lewisville/Dallas
-Getting Married
-Becoming a mom

8. 5 Obessions I Have Right Now
-Getting birth announcements done for friends as gifts
-potty training Teagan
-Finding a church
-BSF
-Other scrapbooking creations for my business

9. 5 Places I Would Like To Go
-London
-Africa
-Hawaii
-Asia
-New York City

10. 5 People I Would Like To See Their Top Five
-Shannon Johnson
-Caroline Mays
-Lauren Chandler
-Keri Campbell
-Kristyn Hollman

**On a side note: Perryn and Teagan had their well appointments today.....Perryn is weighing in at 36lbs and is 40in tall, she also got 3 shots today. Teagan is weighing in at 32lbs and is 37in tall, and he got 1 shot today. It's been an interesting day!!