This and That

Last week, I made these Cheese Stuffed Pizza Meatballs for dinner (grain free) and they were a huge hit at our house.

Out shopping with the hubby one afternoon and he was craving sushi.  I'm still learning to like it.  California rolls are always a safe choice.

Oh my word.....people are crazy.  We got  such a kick out of this guy.  His decal says "I love guns and T*tties"  Really classy, dude.

On Saturday, Cooper and I hit our local farmer's market.  I sure do miss all the yummy berries that were there this summer.

A month or so ago when Amazon had their huge Amazon Prime sale day, I saw a few people talking about the Disney Circle.  It allows you to monitor the sites your kids go to, the amount of screen time they have, it has filters, etc.....  We just got it hooked up yesterday but it looks like its going to be awesome!

Homecoming is this Friday and last night was our parade.  

Small school= simple parade.  Loved it!

White Feathers and Fall

I saw this the other day on Facebook and it made me laugh!!

Not long after Jason died, someone told me to look for white feathers.  I started seeing white feathers all around.  I had not seen one in a while but a couple of weeks ago, when we were in Houston, I saw a couple of them (didn't have my phone) and it warmed my heart that I knew Jason was proud of us and what we were doing for our friends.  The last couple of days, my youngest has been asking me more about his dad and heaven and even saying things like "I can't wait for the rapture so that Jesus will come back and I can play baseball in heaven with my dad."  {sigh}  I'm here to tell you that even almost 6 years post-death, those comments do not hurt any less.  I still hate that this is our reality.  The fall always symbolizes Jason's life (he loved fall) and his death (Oct 5 is the anniversary) and there tends to be an unspoken sadness during this time.  

Yesterday, I was walking from my room to the kitchen and this caught my eye.  It's sitting on our side table in the living room.  We have no feathers in our house.  None of our pillows or comforters have feathers.  I can't explain how or why this is here.  I really do believe that Jason is telling me that he loves us! 

On Sunday, we had friends over to watch the Cowboy vs. Broncos game.  Not a great game but still a fun time with friends!

Can I get an amen?  

Fall really doesn't mean much in Texas.  Its still in the high 90's and the idea of sweaters and scarves and all of that are just wishful thinking.  I often wish I lived in a place that had all 4 seasons.

I want to experience fall foliage.  It's been on my bucket list for years and years........and I'm excited that I will get to experience that soon.  Sweet boy and I have a fun little trip planned and I'm getting to cross something off of my bucket list.  Can't wait!!

These combos are going full blast at our house right now.  It might not feel like fall outside but the inside of my house says otherwise. :)

Goal this week is to get some pictures hung in the boys' hallway.  I'm hoping to have some pictures of Jason here as well.

When school started back up, we started back with our chores.  I have a list of things the boys have to do.....the basics like keep your room clean (floor picked up, bed made, drawers pushed in, bathroom vanity cleared off, etc....) take out trash, help set table for dinner, etc....  They earn $1 a day so they get around 30 bucks a month to do what they want with.  After a couple of weeks, they started getting a little bit laze.......

so neither of them earned money for several days.  When it came time for payday....they only made a dollar or two......

.....so now it looks like we are back on track.

Hoping my future daughter-in-laws will thank me. :)

Wreath Making Party

Anyone else?  Raising a teenager is like dying a slow death.  😜

Last weekend I went to a local training with some of my team.

On the way back from our drive to Houston last weekend, we drove through miles and miles of bugs.  Our windshield got so bad that we pulled over for gas and has to spray the front of our car down and scrub the windows.  I've never seen anything like it!

Love  my local coffee shop.....they make the best gluten free vanilla scones.

Cooper is enjoying Jujitsu.  I can tell he's afraid to be too aggressive but he's learning!

This week, Hudson started golf. I can't say he's over-the-moon excited but I'm praying he learns to love it.

Last night, I hosted a wreath making party at my house.  We had a wreath maker come and teach us how to make them. It was a lot of fun!

She brought everything!

My crazy brother in law!

The finished wreaths!

Happy Fall

For the very first time in 5 years, I am excited to decorate for fall.  You see, when Jason unexpectedly died, it was during the fall and I had my entire house decorated with pumpkins and fun stuff.  I can't tell you how many days I sat on my living room couch, in a daze, staring at those pumpkins and wondering how in the world I could continue living.

Ever since then, I've honestly dreaded fall and I've dreaded October and I've forced myself to get in the spirit.  The year after he died, I tried to buy several new fall decorations to make things look and feel different but they were still very much the same.

Fall was his favorite season.

As you know, we recently moved and built a new home and I unconsciously found myself buying all sorts of fall decorations.  It actually hit me today that I wasn't in a funk as I was setting things around the house.  I haven't ventured into the attic yet to get my fall decorations and I'm wondering if I should keep it that way.  Maybe I just need a brand new start with it all.  I know it might sound silly but those darn pumpkins represent the hardest days and weeks of my life.

I really don't have much out yet but thankfully I have found myself smiling every time I look at one of the fall things I have out.  Maybe there is hope after all.

This little sign is in my guest bathroom.

Just a couple little pumpkins on my tiered stand.

Not finished with the mantle but getting there.

Got my front porch decorated.

And of course my metal pumpkins....and I just added the mum the other day.

Trying to embrace this fall season and find joy.

My Hurricane Harvey Story

I'm sharing my Hurricane Harvey story so that one day my boys can remember how this day came to be and how God showed up in some really cool ways.

I'll give a little back story first.  Several years ago, Jason and I were in a small group at church that we loved.  Our church was encouraging groups that had been together for a while to move around or to accept another family or two so that new members were welcomed into the church and able to plug into a group.  We had a couple, Azzie and Ashlee, join our group.  They were a bit younger than us but we loved getting to know them.  They are such great people with amazing hearts.  We were in small group together until Jason died and I stopped going to church there.  We stayed up-to-date with each other via Fb and even though I didn't see Azzie and Ashlee weekly like I once did, their friendship is one that can be picked right back up when you see each other again. 

Last December, Azzie and Ashlee decided to move to Dickinson, Texas which is a suburb of Houston.  Azzie's family and some friends live there and they wanted to get closer to them.  They purchased their very first home in December, after living in rental homes and apartment all these years.  Life was really coming together for them.

A couple weeks ago, Hurricane Harvey hit south Texas.  It was devastating and thousands of people lost their homes due to flooding.  I watched news footage of people being rescued in boats and entire neighborhoods practically underwater.  My heart was crushed for these people.  Ashlee left Dickinson with her 2 young boys while Azzie stayed behind to work.  He is an EMT/firefighter there.  Once she was able to get back to the house, they realized that everything inside was ruined.  Their home had been submerged several feet with water and all the contents were ruined, as well as, the walls and doors and cabinets and everything inside.  Ashlee posted a picture of the house and of them pulling up carpet and sheet rock......and the entire contents of their home were sitting on their curb.  They lost it all.

Many of my friends were posting on FB about how they were donating to different charities.  Let me first start off by saying that I do not think all are bad.  We donate to a couple (sponsor disadvantaged kids) so we know there is good that comes from this.  However, I do know that MANY of these big organizations mismanage funds.  Many of them have CEO's that make half a million dollars or more each year as their salary.  I personally choose to not donate to those organizations.  

One evening we were watching TV and I was scrolling FB and a friend posted a graphic about different charities and how many of them give only a very small percentage of what is donated to the cause.  I watched as several of her friends bashed her post and debunked the graphic but something made me save that graphic to my phone. I was tired that night and I honestly didn't have the mental energy to research to see if any of that info was accurate.  (I'm a big researcher so I usually try to find out if things that like are real or not)  I wanted to share that graphic on FB but I was really hesitant to do that.  I had so many friends that had posted about donating to the Red Cross and many organizations that were on this list and I didn't want to offend anyone with my post.  I went back and forth and something......(GOD).....told me to post it.  I shared the graphic on my personal FB page and emphasized that I wasn't sure that the info was completely accurate or not but that the point I was trying to make was that I prefer to give to a real person in need if possible.  If I know a family that has lost everything and I can mail them a check and I know that 100% of that money will go to them, I will do that all day long.  I had a handful of comments.....a couple that I could tell were a bit offended at my post.....but several friends that said they felt the same exact way.   I mentioned that I knew of a friend that had just lost everything so if anyone wanted to give directly to a family then to let me know.

I had a "friend" comment that she wanted more info on this family because she also preferred to help an actual person instead of giving to a large charity.  I say "friend" because she is really Shawn's friend.  Shawn and Shannon met in 7th grade and were in youth group together and went to Bible camps together and eventually went to college together.  They were good friends and sort of like a brother/sister relationship.  In fact, when Jason died.....I think Shannon might have been given this blog to read and she prayed for the boys and me.  She friended me on FB and messaged me when Shawn and I were dating because she had always wanted him to find someone and get married.  She was really precious to me in my grief and I just knew that Shannon was a really great person.  I had never met Shannon but we have been FB friends for several years now.  And now I consider her a true, real life friend.

I sent Shannon a message and a picture of Ashlee, Azzie and their 2 boys- Lincoln and Boston.  I told her a little bit about them and what happened to their home.  Shannon wasted no time and reached out to several of her friends that also wanted to help.  You see, Shannon lives in SOUTH CAROLINA and doesn't know anyone personally that was impacted by Hurricane Harvey.  She and many of her friends had been praying about how to help but they just didn't know how.  Throughout the week, Shannon was gathering money and gift cards (over $3400 worth) and actual items for the home. She and her husband Herb, rented an 18 foot trailer and packed it full of couches, tables, TV's, beds, mattresses, linens, decorative things, a new grill, a new leather chair for Azzie, a brand new washer and dryer, and she told me that they were going to drive it to Texas to deliver everything to Ashlee and Azzie.  Shannon and Herb's company also is paying for 6 months rent and all utilities for a new apartment for them while they rebuild their home.  

Did I mention that Shannon and Herb have never even met Ashlee and Azzie before?

Last week was spent touching base with Ashlee and figuring out all the needs they had and sharing that with Shannon.  I had a few friends here that donated some items too and we decided to go to Dickinson this past weekend to get them settled in.

Shannon and Herb left early Friday morning and drove from South Carolina to Texas with a trailer full of things.  We all got there on Saturday and met up for the very first time in the parking lot of Ashlee's apartment.  

Ashlee and Shannon meeting for the first time.

Shawn and Shannon seeing each other again after all these years.

Azzie and Herb meeting for the first time.

Herb was telling Ashlee about some of the items on the trailer.  See this look......we saw it all day long and it was so precious to witness.

I just love so much that this event allowed these 2 to get together again.

Thankfully, Ashlee and Azzie had several friends from church that showed up and unloaded this trailer in about 45 minutes.

It was really neat to see so many people come together for this family.

So many pretty things were donated to them.

Here is Shannon showing Ashlee a picture of the headboard that a friend of theirs made for them out of reclaimed wood.  Ashlee is beyond excited. (its being made and mailed soon)

Showing her mom, Leesa.

Even my guys helped.

This crew was amazing!

Ashlee seeing her new dresser for the first time.  This is the first actual dresser they have owned.  She told me that they have always just used some stackable drawers for a dresser so she was so excited to have one that is pretty and will fit all their stuff.

It warms my heart that they have a nice, comfy bed to sleep in tonight.  When the house flooded, they stayed with some friends that allowed all 4 of them to use one bedroom at their house. 

Ashlee and Azzie were so thoughtful.....they bought some Houston Texan jerseys for Herb and Shawn (Azzie has one too) and its something really sweet that they all have and we will always think of them when he wears it.

Ashlee gave Shannon and I the SOFTEST blanket ever (she has one too) so anytime I snuggle up with it, I will think about this precious family.

My boys spent a big part of the day playing with Lincoln so that we could all get the apartment unpacked.

Before dinner, they took us to their house and this is what their neighborhood looks like.  Ya'll, pictures do not even do this justice.

One of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen.

This was in front of their house and is almost everything they owned.

They took us inside and its a disaster.  The whole thing has to be fixed.

Before we left, Cooper brought this little paper to me.  It was a fortune from a fortune cookie (and they really don't eat Chinese food so we are certain that is wasn't here before) so we know it was brought here by the floods and it stayed behind when the water receded.  We all got chills when we read it.  I love "God winks" like this.

We went to dinner and said our goodbyes.  Ashlee, Azzie, Herb, Shannon, Shawn and myself all have an unbreakable bond now.  I am so thankful for this experience and for God's hand in all of it.  I'm thankful I posted that night and I'm so thankful that Shannon responded. I can't imagine if I had missed out on this opportunity to help and love on these friends.

The next day, we went to see some of Shawn's friends that also had flooding.  Please continue to pray for all of those that were impacted by this hurricane.